Chapter 29

The subway is a magical thing; it can make a city feel smaller.

Hongdae is not just the name of a university; it is also the name of an area. Many people know about Hongdae, which actually refers to the area around Hongik University, almost equivalent to Seogyodong in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

Hongdae is also a name for an atmosphere—freedom, youth, and vibrant energy.

The Hongik Children's Park in Hongdae transforms like Cinderella in a pair of glass slippers every Saturday afternoon, turning into the "Hongdae Free Art Market." Even on regular days, it is quite lively, with many people selling on-the-spot sketches and abstract paintings, mostly students from the art department at Hongik University, as well as some folk artists selling their works.

In the evenings, it becomes a world of music.

Today is Friday, Club Day, but the girl next to Jingming is only 18 years old. According to Korean regulations, she cannot enter nightclubs. Even if she could, Jingming wouldn't take her there; such an innocent girl shouldn't go to places like that. Many people who dislike the noisy music in nightclubs, high school students who can't enter nightclubs, and those who love music gather at the Children's Park. Many young people with dreams of stardom come here hoping to be discovered by talent scouts, and many trainees promote themselves here to prepare for their debuts. Some less popular debut artists also enjoy coming here, and of course, talent scouts often come to scout for new talent.

"Don't just look at the ground; look around, listen to the sounds. Shouldn't you be happy?" Jingming noticed that Jessica was staring blankly ahead, lost in thought while walking.

"It's too noisy," Jessica said simply.

"This isn't noise; it's the excitement of the night," Jingming, accustomed to the atmosphere in the U.S., said. Places like Miami and Los Angeles are much more intense, and he had experienced the fervor of the Coachella Festival in Los Angeles in April, so he was quite calm.

Jessica, who had lived in Seoul for eight years, had of course come here with friends before. She had even visited with Tiffany and a few American boys, but she didn't like the crowds and was a bit afraid of crowded places. She had only come along today because of Jingming's persuasion after dinner, and she was already regretting it.

Jessica, a seasoned trainee, had a teacher known as the "First Voice" in Korea, the vocal master Theone Jung Chun-woon. Her own vocal skills were also exceptional, so she wasn't particularly interested in the somewhat amateurish performances, especially when she thought of the word "vocal skills," which reminded her of that short guy, making her even less enthusiastic.

Seeing that Jessica was clearly preoccupied, Jingming felt that just wandering around might not solve the problem.

"Aren't you debuting soon? How about singing a song?" Jingming began to encourage Jessica to do something else to shift her focus.

Jessica shook her head vigorously at this suggestion: "No way (Naseo)!" Her skills were already good enough for her to debut, and her image and charisma were excellent, but she was shy and uncomfortable in crowds, especially when many people were watching her. She had eventually overcome this by convincing herself that everyone was looking at her teammates, not her.

"Why?" Jingming asked, thinking that aspiring artists should have a desire to perform.

"Um..." Jessica thought of a reason, "I practiced a lot today, and my voice can't take any more."

Good reason, Jingming immediately believed her. Many trainees had suffered vocal damage from overuse, so he said considerately, "Then how about I sing a song?"

"You?" Jessica raised an eyebrow, thinking that just because he was handsome, he assumed he could sing well.

"Hey, what's that look for? Do you know how good my singing is? It's as high as Namsan Tower!" Jingming laughed, feeling insulted.

Nearby, a band was performing, consisting of three young women. One was playing the guitar and singing, another had a small keyboard on her lap, and the third was playing the drums. The three women had a soft rock band style, which suited them well. They were singing the British rock song "Live Forever" by Oasis, which was ranked first among the 100 greatest songs of the XFM radio era, a true "hit" song.

After the three women finished, the crowd around them cheered enthusiastically, though Jingming thought it might be more because they were attractive. Their performance was too soft and gentle, lacking the Manchester-style arrogance and defiance that was the essence of the song.

"Hello," Jingming approached the lead singer while they were taking a break to drink water, "Can I take up five minutes of your time?"

"Actually, my girlfriend's birthday is today, and I want to do something special for her," Jingming began his charm offensive, knowing Jessica was standing a distance behind and couldn't hear. "I want to sing a song for her here because this is where we first met. Is that okay?"

"Sure, we can take a break," the lead singer nodded, charmed by Jingming's handsome face, thinking how romantic this guy was.

"Do you want us to play along?" the other girl asked considerately.

"Take a break. Just connect my phone. I want to sing 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing,'" Jingming chose a challenging song, thinking Jessica had underestimated him. He was going to give her a taste of "shocking chocolate."

This song is a hit by Aerosmith, a hard rock band that won four Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, along with Queen and Michael Jackson. The band's lead singer, Steven Tyler, known as "Big Mouth," is the father of the elf princess in "The Lord of the Rings."

"No need, Jisun's computer has the song," the keyboard player, Jisun, said. She had a laptop connected to their effects and speakers.

"Next, I will sing a song for everyone," Jingming held the microphone and lifted his head, confident in his stage presence. He looked at Jessica and said with feigned emotion, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."

"To hear your breathing, I can stay awake," Jingming's first line stunned many people with its clear, bright, and steady voice.

Jessica pursed her lips, thinking the high pitch was a sign of an amateur.

"While you're sleeping, I'll watch your smile," by the second line, Jingming had lowered his pitch, as if afraid to wake his lover, smoothly transitioning from high to low. Jessica was truly impressed, knowing the difficulty of the transitions in this song.

"I don't want to close my eyes, I don't want to sleep, because I might miss you."

The climax arrived, and Jingming's vocal skills were fully displayed. His voice was excellent, supported by his diaphragm, making it easy to hit the high notes. Many trainees spend years mastering breath control and vocal techniques, but martial artists have a natural advantage in this area.

As the climax approached, the crowd began to gather, drawn by the high notes.

Jessica, a seven-year trainee, had a deep understanding of music, comparable to professionals from music schools. Steven Tyler's vocal range was from C3 to F6, a natural talent. His most comfortable range was from G3 to A5. Although he was now in his sixties and no longer attempted high-difficulty performances, his earlier songs were still challenging to sing well.

Vocal skills don't just mean hitting high notes. This song was released after Aerosmith's ups and downs, and Steven's voice had been damaged in the 1980s. After his comeback, his vocal skills improved even further, and his voice became even more magical. Many people have sung "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," but few can capture the flavor of someone who has played rock for thirty years. Jingming did, and he captured the audience's attention with this old song. By the end of the song, over a hundred people had gathered.

"Did you record it? How did it turn out?" a middle-aged man in the crowd asked a young man holding a DV camera.

"Very clearly, sir," the young man replied.

"Good," the man, known as a senior, nodded, looking at the footage.

This man was Bae Roh-je, a talent scout for YG Entertainment. It was Friday, the busiest day for nightclubs, and he was planning to take some new talent to NB2 (one of Yang Hwa-jin's clubs) to look for potential stars. As a talent scout, he usually passed through the Children's Park, where he sometimes found good talent, though not many appeared on Fridays. Today, however, he found an unexpected gem. Jingming's vocal skills were far superior to those of the trainees in his company. Although YG claimed to focus on talent over looks, good looks always gave an advantage. This young man could even be a frontman at S.M. Entertainment. Bae Roh-je didn't know his dance skills, but even if he couldn't dance, he could learn.

Talent scouts from major companies had information on each other's trainees and often shared updates. If Jingming were with a major company, he should have been on Bae Roh-je's radar. He had already decided to approach Jingming later. If he wasn't with a company, that would be perfect. If he was, Bae Roh-je believed YG could still poach him. He was confident that finding such a talented new artist would bring him many benefits.

"Encore, encore, encore..." some young girls in the crowd started shouting for Jingming to sing another song.

Jingming bowed to the crowd, "Thank you, everyone, thank you. Especially thank the girls who lent me the microphone and equipment, but I have other things to do today, so I have to go."

"How was it?" Jingming asked Jessica, looking pleased with his performance.

Jessica looked at this friend she had just met, thinking, "Isn't he just a coffee shop owner? How can he sing so well?" Anyone who could impress her, a student of Jung Chun-woon, must be truly talented. She asked curiously, "Where did you learn to sing?"

"Wudang Mountain Tai Chi Music College," Jingming lied. He had learned from music professionals in the U.S., but his foundation was all his own.

Just as Jessica was frowning, wondering where there was a Wudang Mountain Music College, the lead singer of the band called out, "Wasn't that OPPA cool?"

"Cool!" the young girls shouted. Many students would be out on Friday night, as Saturday was a day off.

"Was his singing good?"

"Good!"

"Unfortunately, it's his girlfriend's birthday today, and they're going to celebrate. Next, we will perform..."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Jessica asked curiously, "And you came out with me on her birthday?"

"Ah, let's not worry about the details," Jingming put his arm around Jessica's shoulders and pushed through the crowd.

"Hey!" Jessica finally reacted after half a minute, punching Jingming on the shoulder. It was a light punch, her small fist barely the size of a bun.

Jingming laughed helplessly, "Why do you keep saying 'Hey'?"