Interlude: The Hongdae Lineup
Even at this early hour near Hongdae, a considerable crowd was already lining up in front of the live club. Amid the noticeably warmer weather, she fanned herself with a handheld fan while scanning the surroundings. Everyone had their own ways of beating the heat—somehow enduring it.
"Aigoo, it's so damn hot."
"Just hang in there a bit longer."
Her grumbling friend. She patted her friend reassuringly for a moment, then gazed toward the inside of the club. The staff were flustered by the throng of people, darting around shouting things like "Get the boss!" and "Yes, this is Paradox... We're terribly sorry, but we have way too many customers right now... Could you possibly lend us an emergency AC unit?" She thought it was understandable. After all, it was still well before the scheduled opening time. And despite that, dozens of people were already queued up.
She'd first learned about Group Sound through the real-time music charts. A chart dominated by idols, except for a few tracks—always the same old stuff no matter how much you scrolled. One day, she spotted a song she'd never seen before. It was lurking in the lower ranks around 90th place, slowly climbing over the past 24 hours. The song was titled Past Errors.
It started with simple curiosity about the name. An unknown artist called Group Sound and a bland title like Past Errors. Some ballad singer must've gone viral and settled in the rankings, she thought as she hit play. But that notion was utterly upended moments later.
True rock she'd never heard before (or so she thought). A dreamy atmosphere, beautiful vocals, and lyrics with clear meaning that didn't just meander pointlessly. She was hooked, diving into everything about Group Sound.
Invasion from Seoul 2024? What the hell was this unheard-of audition? A few days later, she binged every audition video. She bought their EP and even snagged a limited-edition LP through secondhand markets. Not satisfied, she started a Twitter account she never used before and followed shady accounts posting Group Sound pics, plus their official fan club Twitter (which seemed newly formed).
What surprised her was how many people had followed the exact same path to becoming fans. Plenty had discovered Group Sound through their chart-climbing hit Past Errors. By her estimate, 50-60% were newbies like her, which made her feel an odd attachment.
While "otaku-ing" out with these fellow new fans, she came across a recent Twitter post.
Upon hearing the news, she bolted to Hongdae Paradox first thing Saturday. Even arriving three hours early, about 20 people were already in line. She sighed in relief and joined the queue, leading to the current situation.
"Sorry~~ We didn't expect a line like this. Truly sorry."
The staff dragged out some bizarre elephant-shaped cooling fans from somewhere. A sudden blast of cool air. She finally had the wits to check her phone. Scrolling Twitter and communities, she saw posts from fellow fans like her: They finally turned on the AC or something , Fr, I was dying out here.
"Is it really worth lining up like this?"
Her friend muttered. She reassured her friend once more.
"Of course it is."
"I dunno. Do we really need to line up this long? Honestly, other indie band shows are all the same."
"No, they're not. If you're disappointed after the show, I'll buy dinner tonight."
A bold claim that drew aggro from everyone in line—some even turned to stare. Feeling her face heat up, she soothed her friend.
"You'll thank me after the show."
"Doubt it..."
"Wanna bet? I'm telling you."
Her friend eyed her with a really? look. She really doesn't believe me. She'd get it if she saw the show, she thought.
A short wait later, they entered the club. Four girls sat at the modest signing corner. The merch area had cute stuff like notebooks with tiny logos and character stickers. She grabbed a bunch of practical goodies, paid, and headed to the girls.
"Hello~"
Iseo and Suyeon waving and greeting, followed by Hyeona and Seoha. Hiding her trembling excitement, she greeted them. The band members smiled brightly.
"Thank you. Enjoy the show."
Suyeon even took both her hands and bowed deeply. She'd started with the music but soon fell for the girls themselves. Calming her nerves, she entered the stage area. Her friend followed and whispered urgently.
"Whoa... what? Are these kids from a big agency? They scouted for looks?"
"Nah, they say it just happened that the pretty ones got picked."
"It's a scam, total scam. Especially that one insanely gorgeous girl..."
Her friend rambled excitedly. She smiled contentedly, awaiting the show.
Soon, the signing booth cleared for setup. It's my first live show too, she'd boasted to her friend, but truth be told, she was a bit tense herself. The audition broadcasts showed killer live skills, but TV wasn't reality.
Setup sounds faded, the venue dimmed and hushed. Blinding lights stabbed the eyes, and before the audience could recover...
The drums kicked off.
"We'll leap over that distance—let's start!"
Iseo's shout launched the full performance. Guitar tones shredding straight through the mid-lows, unlike Past Errors. Bass racing the tempo, keyboards joining in.
The day I met you, my heart was like the waves
"Make today's me go a little further~"
Songs poured from the front-row crowd's mouths. The bass player waved and jumped nonstop to the near-chorus singing, while the guitar delivered varied riffs, ramping up the vibe. A fun opener.
"Hey, thanks a ton. You're the best."
"Told ya."
Myeongjeon packed gear, eyeing the two late-exiting women—one seemed to be the other's friend, showering endless thanks.
Did she lend her money? Or hook her up with a job? But why here? As she slotted pedals into the board, she flashed a grin at their stares. They chatted more and left.
"Today's show was a total smash!"
Entering the green room, Paradox owner Kang Seongmin greeted with a beaming smile. He habitually went to pat shoulders but flinched, dropping his hands.
"We packed the house to the limit today. Thought there might be an incident."
"Shouldn't you avoid that...?"
"Just saying. Anyway, mega hit! Per-person payout could be hundreds of thousands. Gotta check details."
Praising them, he promised settlement via deposit and vanished buzzing with excitement. The room quieted.
"When's settlement coming?"
"Dunno."
Iseo muttered; Myeongjeon, gear packed and phone in hand waiting for the girls, replied. Yoon Dong-wook PD demotion rumors, Muzaku and Velvet Monochrome disbandments. Even rumors that some Ullim Stones members wanted to apologize to him. Grim stuff, but his take: indie band drama making headlines now.
Yoon Dong-wook PD Rumored Demoted
Muzaku, Velvet Monochrome Disband — Industry Shocker
Ullim Stones Members Eye Apology to Rival?
"Should be decent money. Album sales boomed, Past Errors at...?"
"79th. Checked last night."
"You track that stuff? Anyway, if it climbs more, royalties kick in. Plus prize money..."
"Right! Prize money! How much?"
Iseo yelled, suddenly remembering. Myeongjeon dredged up old tax knowledge from his 'Seo Myeongjeon' days.
"Audition prizes count as other income. I think 80% deductible expenses, 20% taxed."
100 million prize. 25 million each split four ways. Deduct costs, split expenses, taxes— it'd shrink fast. Still big bucks. Add album revenue, streaming settlements, shows, today's take... tens of millions total.
"We'll settle later. Hire someone for clean accounting if needed. No point chatting it out now."
The girls nodded. But in the subdued mood, Seoha tentatively raised a hand.
"Yeah?"
"Got a favor."
"What? Spit it out."
"Can we settle my share quick? Got something urgent..."
"Urgent?"
Myeongjeon pondered. Urgent enough to rush settlement? Sick parents? Something tragic? She'd have said if so—he'd help.
"Sure, no problem. What's up?"
"Uh... limited-edition clothes I wanna buy."
His concern shattered. He shot Seoha a deadpan stare. She puzzled over what she'd done wrong.
"Suyeon, time to get up."
"Ugh! Ack. Urk. Heuk."
The voice jolted Myeongjeon awake. Bolting up, phone said around 4 AM. Mom had woken her.
"It's... 4 AM?"
"Silly. We leave for the trip today."
"Oh."
Right. After endless chaos, vacation at last. Sparked by Hyeona's "Gotta prep for arts college entrance next semester," and Iseo's "Then Japan first during break!" Mom was showered, made up, bags packed— just Myeongjeon to ready and go.
"What time'd you wake up?"
"Not long. Hour ago?"
Despite that, Mom looked fresh. Myeongjeon thought: I couldn't function on less than 7 hours back then. Moms are built different.
Anyway, Japan time.