Chapter 7

The Spotlight of the Genius Vocalist Chapter 7

Chapter 7. Stay with Me

I looked at everyone walking down the street.

No one looks at us until our voices are heard.

They are too busy rushing to their destinations.

Endless footsteps and music from the surrounding shops.

I matched my voice to that.

It’s not about whether I can or cannot, but that it’s absolutely possible.

I can do it.

I instilled confidence into my voice.

“Now I’m leaving. Beyond the streets, there are invisible stars. If the Seoul signs are replacing the night sky, I will walk-”

As I sang the first line, one by one, people’s gazes focused on me, but they soon turned away.

Just a busker, they thought.

I made my voice louder, even louder.

Whoosh!

And the space I created gradually unfolded.

Steps taken without a clear purpose.

Shimmering Seoul signs.

Countless pedestrians.

Faces as if wearing masks.

『I will close my eyes in the darkness where there is nothing.

Now, can you hear my voice?

When that happens, I can even love a small pain.』

I continued the music a bit more calmly as a band vocalist, not as an idol.

I had put the idol trainee days far behind.

I looked at the band members next to me.

Everyone except Park Pil-joon was smiling.

He seemed lost in thought, looking at the ground rather than at me.

Perhaps because I was singing alone, I didn’t feel that the members had entered my space.

I became curious about what it means to enter a space but quickly refocused.

The crowd in Hongdae started to gather one by one.

『If days like this continue, I will keep my silence even more.』

In the scene where countless pedestrians pass by, only the moonlight remains lonely.

When I walked the streets alone, I always walked quickly.

I saw buildings with shutters closed, and the figures of Hongdae pedestrians flashed by.

In the space I created, people gathered and then dispersed each time I sang a line.

Why? The people who clearly saw me were those who were staring at me.

Now, I think I understand a little.

They are listening to my music.

They are captivated by my music.

They are giving me the spotlight.

『In the sky where nothing can be seen, the moon continues to rise without stopping, and the countless nights when I looked at you.

I forgot about my dreams and myself. What is needed to live as myself?』

I can’t satisfy everyone on the streets of Hongdae.

But when I hoped that out of 100 people, 30 would stop to listen to my song, countless people were looking at me.

A few were taking pictures of me with their phones.

“Hey? Isn’t that the person who appeared on Ilsonoh? I didn’t recognize him at first.”

“Right? That’s the person who sang his own song at the pojangmacha. He sang for a bit, and it was amazing...”

Someone shouted loudly.

I don’t know what Ilsonoh is, but it wasn’t a show I appeared on when I was an idol trainee.

But after those words, most people stopped to look at me.

Was I filmed somewhere?

It didn’t matter.

As long as someone was looking at me.

It was the first time.

Even though I sang in tune with the rhythm of the streets of Hongdae, so many people were looking at me.

“Thank you.”

After singing the first verse, my voice naturally flowed without anyone telling me to.

People stared at me blankly and then clapped.

Clap clap clap!

“Wow, amazing!”

“Are you a singer? A rookie??”

“Hey! What’s your name!?”

Seeing the audience’s reaction, Song Da-som looked proud and turned to Park Pil-joon.

“Pil-joon oppa, how was it?”

“Hey... talking like that in this situation is a foul.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

Even as countless people watched us, she loudly shouted again.

“I was wrong...”

Park Pil-joon said in a small voice like a mosquito.

“Oppa, I can’t hear you well?”

Song Da-som laughed mischievously and leaned in to listen.

“I was wrong! This person is much better than Lee Hyun-min. I’m sorry...”

Park Pil-joon shouted loudly, his face turning red.

“So, is it a pass?”

“Yeah...”

I just nodded.

The aftertaste of the song hadn’t faded.

It felt like I had perfectly wrapped up my days as an idol trainee with this song.

All that was left was the new start as a band.

“Hey! Do you have another song?”

An audience member asked while filming me with their phone.

“No, this is the end for today, and we’ll do busking officially soon.”

I just shook my head.

My head was filled with the desire to quickly create more songs.

“Is it true you appeared on Ilsonoh?”

“What’s your name?”

A loud voice came from a distance.

People were also watching us from the windows of a second-floor bar.

“I am...”

As I was about to speak, the band members answered loudly.

“We are singers under Until Sunset!”

“He’s our vocalist. Please look after us in the future!”

Song Da-som and Kim Ha-jun laughed and waved.

“Hey... I wanted to do this.”

Pouting lightly, Park Pil-joon apologized.

“I’m sorry. I’ll cancel my resignation.”

“Was it that impressive?”

He laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.

“...Yeah, it was the best. Is it an original song?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

As I said that, memories of my idol days came back.

The pressure of monthly evaluations and making it into the debut group.

I couldn’t know all the internal evaluations, but there were rumors among the trainees about who would make it and who wouldn’t.

It was an endless hell.

From a distance, people envied us for being with a major agency, but inside, that attention was laughable.

I had never even eaten a whole chicken for weight management.

After suffering for years, I had nothing left.

No, I only had Da-young.

Even that was a hell again.

“Looking forward to the next time!”

“Do you have a YouTube channel? If you do, I’ll subscribe!”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a YouTube channel!”

As Song Da-som spoke, the audience returned to being pedestrians.

Did my song hold them even a little?

When I was lost in thought, someone greeted me.

“Hello.”

Turning around, I saw a neatly dressed woman standing there.

“Oh, oppa! It looks like you already have a fan! Shouldn’t you give her an autograph!?”

As Song Da-som made a fuss, I rummaged around to see if I had a pen, and the woman spoke.

“I’m not asking for an autograph, but I want to give you my business card. Are you all in the same band?”

Hearing that, Song Da-som laughed loudly, feeling embarrassed.

“Haha, oppa, it’s the same as when I contacted you, right?”

“I know...”

Even though I hadn’t said anything, my face felt hot.

Song Da-som looked at the woman and said,

“This person is now under Until Sunset. If you have any proposals, go through me!”

She naturally put her hand on my shoulder, acting like a manager.

The other members also laughed and looked at me.

“I just wanted to see if you’re interested in appearing on a show. If you are, please contact me.”

The woman said that and gave me her business card.

“Feel free to contact me. If you’re not interested, please let me know why, and I’d appreciate it.”

She bowed politely and left.

Name: Shin Ah-young

Phone: 010-XXXX-XXXX

“What!? Did we already get a show offer?”

Song Da-som shouted excitedly.

“So, where is it?”

The other members came closer to look at the business card I had received.

Their expressions froze.

“W... I’ve never heard of it before.”

I told the truth.

“Oppa, you’ve never heard of it?”

Song Da-som said, sounding surprised.

“What is it?”

“It’s like a starting show for indie bands.”

I wasn’t familiar with music competition shows, so it was a bit foreign to me.

“Bro, it’s really hard to get contacted for this show. I didn’t do well even when I auditioned as a vocalist.”

Kim Ha-jun shouted excitedly.

“What did you mess up?”

“He performed well, but he got into a fight with the production staff...”

The former vocalist was clearly not an easy person.

He was definitely a troublemaker.

“Once you appear on this stage, you’ll be a huge hit, right?”

“Ah, is that so?”

Listening to Kim Ha-jun’s excited voice, I thought about it.

But I didn’t think for long.

I had to do it.

“Then I’ll contact them tomorrow. Should we disband now? When is the regular practice?”

As I said that, Song Da-som gripped my shoulder tightly.

“Oppa, are you really going now?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

I had been singing continuously, and I still had a hangover from yesterday.

I was a bit hungry, but I hadn’t eaten properly in a while, so it was fine.

The short spotlight we had received from the audience gradually faded as they dispersed.

“Absolutely not!”

Kim Ha-jun said loudly.

“I think we should buy some beer today.”

Lee Seong-jin continued.

“Then, let’s go to our hideout for the first time in a while? We can have a meeting too!”

Park Pil-joon finished with a wide smile.

* * *

The hideout was Song Da-som’s studio apartment.

We each found a spot in the small 5-pyeong room and sat down.

Park Pil-joon took up at least two seats, so we had to squeeze in.

We opened the beer cans and toasted.

I thought I wouldn’t be hungry, but I was.

Seeing the food, my stomach naturally growled.

I bit into the tteokbokki and sundae I had bought from a pojangmacha.

My mouth watered.

“Before we talk about the performance, when should we start practicing?”

I asked while fighting for the fish cakes with a toothpick.

I wanted to get into someone’s playlist quickly.

“I can start tomorrow.”

Kim Ha-jun said, blowing on the hot tteokbokki.

“Then let’s match our schedules. I’ve quit my job, so I’m available full-time for now.”

“We three can’t do full-time on weekdays. We each have part-time jobs...”

Lee Seong-jin said cautiously.

“Then, how about weekends like before?”

Song Da-som shouted loudly.

She was definitely a good atmosphere maker.

The other members nodded without any objections.

“Okay.”

As I agreed, Song Da-som got up, looking excited.

“We won’t stop in Hongdae! We’ll devour Korea and go to Billboard!”

“...”

There was no particular rebuttal.

Everyone was laughing, finding it amusing.

It was probably something they often said among themselves.

“Hey? No rebuttals this time?”

Song Da-som looked at Park Pil-joon, puzzled.

“If we do well... if we do really well, it might be possible. Even if it’s just a 0.1% chance.”

He looked at her seriously.

“Boring... Stop saying nonsense and let’s drink! I’m disappointed that I didn’t get the reaction I wanted.”

Song Da-som laughed.

“Maybe we can do it. Like the idol who made it to the Billboard Hot 100.”

Park Pil-joon drank another beer without changing his expression.

He was so serious that even I swallowed hard.

Definitely, as a drummer, he knew how to lead the atmosphere.

But his next words were a bit puzzling.

“Let’s change the band name first!”

“Why? Isn’t Until Sunset good enough for globalization?”

“That’s the name that guy made. Now that the captain has changed, let’s choose a new one. But do you have more beer?”

Park Pil-joon got a new beer from Lee Seong-jin.

“Then, let’s each suggest what we want.”

As I said that, everyone looked thoughtful.

It’s possible.

We can make it to Billboard.

It had been a dream-like goal since my days as an idol trainee.

Strangely, it didn’t seem like a lie when Song Da-som said it.

“What about using pure Korean?”

After thinking for a while, I suggested.

Many bands in the indie scene have succeeded with pure Korean.

Everyone shook their heads at that.

“It’s old-fashioned. When was that trend?”

“What are you talking about? There are so many pure Korean bands. There’s even a band made by that Korean monster!”

I tried to persuade, but it didn’t work.

Song Da-som ignored me, naturally raised her glass, and took another drink.

“I’ll go smoke. Discuss well!”

“Hey, come with me.”

Park Pil-joon naturally followed.

The door of the studio apartment, or hideout, closed, and there was a brief awkward silence.

The combination of the new member, the high school student, and the squint-eyed character.

It was enough to maintain the silence.

“Mr. Ha-jun, do you have any pretty names in mind?”

“I don’t know? Bro, and you can speak casually with me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you’re much older than us and you’re good at music, so you’re a bro.”

Kim Ha-jun said while drinking cola.

“Huh? How old is this person?”

Lee Seong-jin, who had been spacing out, asked.

“I’m 31 years old.”

“...Really? I thought you were younger.”

He exclaimed, sounding surprised.

“Just speak casually with me. I’m older and good at music.”

Something felt off.

“Not good at music, not a bro? No, right?”

“Haha, I’m 25, and Pil-joon is 27.”

Lee Seong-jin had a cool vibe.

He seemed like the type who quietly speaks his mind.

“Seong-jin... I mean, Seong-jin. Do you have any band names in mind?”

It felt a bit awkward to speak casually, but I asked.

Hearing that, Lee Seong-jin smiled.

“Me? Mood Space?”

“...It’s bad.”

Kim Ha-jun immediately rebutted.

“Hey, Jammin! What’s bad about it?”

Lee Seong-jin fell silent again.

Maybe because they only dealt with instruments, their naming sense was terrible.

At that moment, the sound of a password being entered was heard.

They had finished smoking and came back in a short time.

“Bro! You’re really 31 years old?”

Park Pil-joon came in, surprised. He must have told them via text.

“Why?”

“Okay, you’re the oldest! Speak casually. Bro.”

“Ah... Yeah.”

“Good at music, all bros!”

Something definitely felt off.

“No, oppa. I’ll speak casually too! You can too. By the way, I have a good name in mind!”

Song Da-som shouted excitedly.

“What is it?”

“What about Black Devil?”

She threw the cigarette pack at us, looking excited.

The pack, painted black, had “Black Devil” written in large letters.

“If we’re going to be global stars, wouldn’t a sophisticated name like this be good?”

I avoided Song Da-som’s gaze.

“Red Devil? Should the next song be ‘Oh, Victory Korea’?”

Lee Seong-jin laughed loudly at that.

“Sis, you should quit smoking. Why name a band after a cigarette...”

Kim Ha-jun quickly rebutted.

“Hey, hey. Jammin, there’s a strange addiction for adults that you don’t understand.”

Song Da-som teased Kim Ha-jun, and the word “hollic” came to mind.

Something that makes you addicted.

So, something that can move someone’s heart.

If possible, not something harmful like cigarettes.

With my voice and these instruments.

“What about Jammin Brothers, or Wind and the Kids?”

Lee Seong-jin chuckled and said.

He laughed a bit and then drank his beer more seriously.

The alcohol was starting to kick in.

I focused my eyes and spoke more seriously.

“Hollic.”

As I said that briefly, everyone fell silent and looked at me.