Live Session
"Music shows and tours... well, you don't really need a session for music shows anyway. You've got your own guitarist."
"Ah~ Our schedule's all locked in, but right when it hits, our guitarist has some issue come up. We thought about swapping dates, but they said no dice. So we gotta find a session player."
Got it. Myeongjeon tilted her head slightly, phone still to her ear.
Music show session and tour session. Taylor'd. Even after rock died out in the Korean music market... one of the few bands still holding on in the major scene, keeping the lifeline of Korean rock alive. They hover in the top 20 of all-ages singer popularity polls, their songs blasting in noraebang rooms even today... the so-called "national band."
And lately, they'd gone quiet. Fair enough. A band's peak is usually within five years of forming, right? Twenty years active, consistently dropping albums—that's impressive enough.
'Hasn't it been almost five or six years since their last album?'
Sure, the gaps had gotten too long lately... but dropping new music was good news anyway. There'd be some trickle-down effect for the scene.
She'd never worked with "Seo Myeongjeon," but session juniors in the industry called gigs with Taylor'd "hitting the iron age"—thanks to Kim Cheol-yeon's generous personality, one "iron hit" opened doors to a ton more through connections.
This was probably one of those.
"Tour session might be tough for me."
Myeongjeon paused briefly before turning down the tour gig.
"Huh? We can pay big. Come on, help us out. Having a solid guitarist is gold."
"I'm a minor. Tours mean lodging issues, school, all sorts of problems."
"Oh, right."
The audition show had been a special exception... waivers, consents, the works. But tours ran late nights—impossible. Even dodging that, where to sleep... and so on. Too many headaches.
"Music show it is, then?"
"Yeah, let's do that. Send me your email—schedule, details, all that. I'll confirm and get back to you."
"O~ Okay, okay. Total pro. Real work ethic. Got it. Email from our label by tonight. See you at rehearsal soon."
Kim Cheol-yeon
The email arrived that evening. In summary: Taylor'd on a weekly Friday night late-night music show—full session needed. Four songs, old and new hits. Pay: one million won.
'Kim Jiyeon's Music Letter.'
Familiar name. More than that, it was a show Myeongjeon used to watch back in the day. KBS Friday nights for over a decade. Anyone might not know it, but no musician wouldn't.
Appearing there... solid promo. Sure, just a session—no spotlight—but dipping into the major scene and making her presence known was a win.
Ha Suyeon
"Break time~!"
At Kim Cheol-yeon's call, everyone ditched their instruments and bolted outside. Obvious cigarette run—Myeongjeon didn't bother following or asking.
She had stuff to do anyway.
'Grew a ton while I slacked.'
With Group Sound's content fully separate, her personal YouTube—now purely White Room—had hit low 100k subs. No uploads proper since Invasion from Seoul and the Japan trip, yet...
'Silver button time?'
Even on her oldest recent vid, comments like these:
100k event. Myeongjeon considered a thanks vid, then pivoted MZ-style.
"Uh, ahem."
She slotted her phone into a selfie stick (Iseo's, probably) from her bag. Angled to hide the practice room, filmed her face.
"Uh. Yeah. So... haven't uploaded much lately... at all. As you know, audition show stuff. Then I could've posted, but I was kinda... mentally drained, wanted a break. So I went to Japan..."
Suppressing old Seo Myeongjeon's tics, she vlogged MZ-max. Trip with bandmates and mom. Vlog pics coming edited, etc. Short greeting stretched long—as Taylor'd returned.
"Whoa~ Suyeon, you filming? Cool to enter now?"
"Ah, yeah. Just YouTube content... Mind if I film the room? You guys in it..."
"Fine, fine. Total Gen Z."
"She's actually Gen Z, dude. Can't compare us 40-year-olds to teens."
'40s... old?'
Chrysalis mocking wrinkles ensued. Then Cheol-yeon: "We do YouTube too. 30k though. You?"
She showed her subs.
"100k?! Whoa, senpai level."
"Look at the name. White Room. Suyeon's got that root cred from guitar teacher days. Can't not shred. Meanwhile our Pyo Seon-ho..."
"What about me."
100k was solid, not envy-worthy. But Taylor'd seemed genuinely impressed.
"YouTube's brutal. We drop gigs, tips—still 30k!"
"Yeah. Tough. Mine's 100k, but no clue how."
Bassist Han Jong-hyeon sparked a YouTube rant fest. MZ senses hard. Looking young sucks. Tags wtf? World aging, can't adapt.
Myeongjeon joined naturally. Forced adaptation felt like ill-fitting clothes. Stuffy, awkward...
"But Suyeon, you're not supposed to get this. Wrong age. We're old, you're young. Barely teens—not even 20s."
"...Ah, yeah."
"40s is old~ Trends kill us. Retirement time?"
Taylor'd joked. She laughed ahaha, but inwardly: What old? At that age, I'd have lived free—doing, learning all.'
Kim Jiyeon's Music Letter. Over a decade holding KBS Friday nights, inviting countless musicians. Lately whispers of idols over "pure music" for ratings—but irreplaceable, surviving TV's end times.
"Sunbae! Long time."
"O~ Kim Jiyeon. Good? Whoa, dropped weight. Diet too hard? No fat left."
"Nah~ Don't, turn total ajumma. Gotta for hubby love! Last night he griped heavy."
"Says that? You're ajumma now??"
Green room banter: Cheol-yeon and Jiyeon. She bowed to them.
"Sunbaes, hello."
"O~ Jeong Hwa. Long time. Comeback?"
"Yeah, Hwa part 2. She's restarting too."
"Don't bump me off charts, okay? Diva streams cheat."
"As if I could."
Light chat, well-wishes. Heading out, Jiyeon tossed: "Songwriting going well?"
"...Not really. Nothing sparks."
"Then how this album?"
"Old stock..."
Cheol-yeon freaked. She nodded, worried. Not can't write—doing it now. But no one to pull it out right. Specifically, no player for that "feeling" touch.
'Top sessions all tried...'
Great players, but meh. Wasted cash, no songs. Slump spread everywhere.
"It'll work. Sing proper tonight! Shake it off."
Nod to Jiyeon's concern. En route, greeted Taylor'd passing.
"Hello~"
"Hi! Long time. On today...?"
"Yes."
Quick talk, she eyed the pretty girl trailing. Staff? Music-distant vibe. Idol-ish? Newbie guide, probably. Ignored, too busy life.
But that changed fast.
"Back after ages. Korea rock pride! National band! Many titles, too many to list. Taylor'd... come out!"
Show starts. Jiyeon chats, cheers, Taylor'd enters. Usual lineup: vocal, bass, drums, keys... no familiar grinning guitarist.
Instead, average-height girl lugs heavy black guitar, stomps on.
The "staff" kid from before.
Why there? Guitar? New member?
Audience murmurs. Only staff, Taylor'd, Jiyeon calm.
"Anyway, first song!"
Jiyeon cues. Then softly: "One, two, three!"