Roots and Resonance

The live house where the Japanese fan meeting was being held. The staff of Label Echo Sound had expected a peaceful, leisurely affair. At most, thirty or forty people, they thought. They would take photos with the few scattered attendees, play some acoustic guitar, and sing a few songs. It would serve as a record: Group Sound hasn't even officially debuted here, yet look at how many people showed up to a surprise fan meeting! It would be the perfect leverage to present to major Japanese labels, a way to argue, Look, we gathered this many people on our own. Doesn't this prove our marketability?

That was what the staff of Label Echo Sound had envisioned.

But what was the reality?

"We're so sorry! Please wait just a little longer!"

"How many people are left outside?"

"The line has shrunk a bit, but... they haven't all made it inside yet!"

"Do you think more are coming?"

"It definitely feels like it!"

Even though the doors had already opened, the venue was packed to the gills, with a line stretching all the way up the stairs. The Echo Sound staff were running ragged, directing the crowd, shouting instructions, and firing off urgent KakaoTalk messages. Passersby stopped to stare at the commotion, some even snapping photos of the spectacle.

And if you followed the queue down the dim stairwell, you would find a small, gritty live house. The black walls, scarred with years of wear and tear, were plastered with gig posters, license plates, and assorted memorabilia. It was the kind of intimate space where a few dance steps could carry you from one side to the other, and even from the very back, you could clearly make out the lead singer's facial expressions.

And that space was absolutely packed.

In terms of sheer numbers, it wasn't an astronomical crowd. Compared to Group Sound's recent performances, it was tiny. It couldn't hold a candle to their year-end concert at the Olympic Hall, or even their previous domestic fan meetings.

But to fill this tiny live house? It was more than enough.

In fact, it was so packed that there was barely room to breathe, let alone stand. Those who couldn't squeeze inside stood on the stairs, craning their necks and wondering when they would be let in.

"We are incredibly sorry! We had no idea so many of you would turn up today! If everyone could please step forward and squeeze in just a little tighter, we can get the rest of the fans inside! We would deeply appreciate your cooperation!"

To resolve the bottleneck, Team Leader Jung Yuyoung had climbed onto the stage to address the crowd. Though the audience grumbled with groans of "Aww..." and "The venue is way too small," they still took a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠step closer to one another. As the newly cleared space filled up, the latecomers walked in with wide, astonished eyes at the sheer density of the crowd.

"There are way too many people..."

"Tell me about it."

"What about the merch and CDs?"

"We're already completely sold out!"

"Can you go look for something else? Go check outside and see if there's anything we can use as commemorative merch. If you find anything, take a photo and send it to me."

"On it!"

One of the staff members bolted out the door. The remaining staff did everything they could to funnel the rest of the crowd into the building.

The live house was now packed tighter than a rock festival headliner's set, with zero room to move. A slightly stifling heat, born of crowded bodies, filled the room. But far hotter than the physical temperature was the burning anticipation for Ha Suyun.

Everyone was quiet, holding their breath. They were simply waiting for the person of the hour to appear. The tension in the room was palpable, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

And that volcano erupted the moment Ha Suyun stepped onto the stage.

"Waaaaah!!!"

The roar that erupted upon Suyun's entrance was so fierce it made even her flinch.

"The reaction is insane," a staff member whispered behind the stage.

"Right? Are Japanese rock fans always like this?"

To put it simply, that statement was half-right and half-wrong.

Japan was a country that loved girl bands. "Girls' Rock" was recognized as its own distinct genre, to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠point where fandoms would fiercely debate which band held the record for the fastest Budokan debut after going major.

However, many of these Japanese girl bands operated similarly to Korean idol boy bands—often relying on external composers and arrangers for their music. Furthermore, their concepts, promotions, and activities were entirely orchestrated by major labels. While they might eventually take over their own production as they gained experience and skill, that was rarely how they started.

But what about Group Sound?

Most of the people gathered here knew their story inside out. They were a band that had emerged from Korea, a notorious wasteland for rock music. Not only was their talent undeniable, but they had also managed to storm the charts in the land of K-pop with pure band music. On top of that, they had achieved all of this without a single shred of outside help, composing and arranging everything themselves. Their musical prowess was so highly regarded that they had even written a song for a top-tier K-pop idol.

And then there was their leader, Ha Suyun.

She was a girl who had lived an ordinary life until the tragic death of her parents sent her spiraling. She had lived as a delinquent on the streets, only to meet a mentor who unlocked her genius-level guitar talent. It was a narrative straight out of a manga.

Then there was her childhood friend, Choi Iseor, who had dragged her into the band, along with the two members she brought along—Jung Hyun-ah and Yoo Seoha. Despite having known each other for only a short time, they bickered and played like frenemy rivals of ten years.

It was a story that would appeal to music fans anywhere in the world, but if there was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one country that would absolutely eat it up, Japan was undoubtedly at the top of the list.

And this was the result.

Am I in Korea right now, not Japan? Did I fall asleep and just wake up?

"Suyun-chan!!"

"I love you!"

"Group Sound is the best!!"

"Ha Suyun! Ha Suyun! Ha Suyun!"

Suyun entertained the thought for a split second before immediately brushing it aside. The cheers echoing through the room felt even more passionate than the ones back home. There weren't even that many people here, so why on earth were they all screaming so loudly?

"Uh... hello. Konnichiwa. Is this right? Konbanwa? Konbanwa."

"Waaaaah!!!"

The crowd's reaction reached a fever pitch the moment those clumsy but distinct Japanese words left Suyun's mouth. A beautiful girl who had just turned twenty, speaking Japanese with the obvious effort of someone who had studied hard—who could possibly dislike such a sight?

"Your... reaction? Reaction. Good. My Japanese, a little. Very little. Listening? I can do. Speaking, not so good. Please understand. Yes."

"It's okay!"

"Yes!!"

"Thank you!"

Seeing the audience look ready to cheer no matter what she said, Suyun awkwardly twirled a strand of her hair.

I know it's my job, but... honestly, am I really all that?

Watching them react to her every little movement, Suyun couldn't help but wonder. Of course, they were doing it precisely because she was all that.

<

Once the initial clamor died down, the fan meeting officially began. The live house was packed so tightly that even shifting one's weight felt like a challenge. Standing on stage, Suyun and the Echo Sound staff proceeded with the scheduled events.

"From now on, we'll have you come up one by one to shake hands and get autographs! If you'd like to take a photo, please unlock your phones and have your camera apps ready in advance! It might take a bit of time if you prepare ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after coming up!"

They held a Q&A session, shook hands, and took photos. Even though it was a free fan meeting where they could have easily skimped on fan service, Suyun carried out her duties without a single frown or hint of exhaustion.

But it wasn't just her professionalism that left a deep impression on the Japanese fans.

"I don't know if you've seen my live performances, but my guitar is a Black Strat. Yes. My favorite guitarist is, of course, David Gilmour. Other guitarists I love would be... Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Duane Allman, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and so on."

"Hmm... in my case, for now, I'm playing the music that our band can execute best. But fundamentally, I am a player rooted in old blues. If the time ever comes for me to do solo work, that's the kind of music I'd mainly want to play."

In Korean terms, this was what they called "having roots." Despite being a young woman born in the 2000s, she spoke of music from forty or fifty years ago, and her mature response didn't sound at all like a child's naive, superficial longing for the past. She had given similar answers in Korea, but to the core rock listeners of Japan, her words carried an even deeper, more special weight.

Suyun also left a profound impression on the Japanese fans during the special performance by a fan cover band.

"Thank you!"

The cover band had just performed Garden in the Air. The performance itself was exactly what you would expect from an amateur band attempting a cover. However, their genuine love for the music and their nervous but earnest desire to share their performance shone through. Despite the rough edges, the audience applauded warmly.

"Wait a moment," Suyun said, stepping forward.

But the cover band's performance didn't just end there.

"I saw your guitar playing just now. Like this—no, that's not it."

"Like this?"

"Yes. Not like that, but like this. In this way."

Having watched the cover band's guitarist, Suyun immediately pinpointed the flaws and began correcting them on the spot. The audience members, who had craned their necks to see what was happening, widened their eyes as they watched the guitarist's playing improve dramatically after just a few quick pointers.

"I will play... rhythm guitar. Let's do Becoming a Star together."

Not only did she teach them, but Suyun actually joined the cover band to play with them. Taking the rhythm guitar position while handling the vocals, she guided the cover band, elevating their performance not just by one level, but by several.

The crowd erupted into genuine, heartfelt cheers.

She wasn't a household name yet, but she was destined to become one. In fact, she was an artist whose potential was so limitless that no one could predict how far she would go. The crowd cheered, celebrating the fact that they were witnessing the very first steps of her journey.

"Finally, let's take a group photo! Everyone, raise your hands!"

With that, the brief fan meeting came to a close.

They took a photo with the crowd filling the live house, handed a drink to everyone on their way out, and counted the attendees as they said their goodbyes.

"I was a bit skeptical since they're Korean, but today's performance was excellent! They're a team with a bright future. Please make sure to contact me if you ever need anything!"

"Understood!"

Receiving high praise from the live house owner, the fan meeting officially wrapped up.

"Do you think this is enough?"

"Pardon?"

"Our fan numbers, I mean."

Suyun asked Team Leader Jung Yuyoung. The primary purpose of this fan meeting was to gauge roughly how many fans Group Sound had in Japan, giving Team Leader Jung Yuyoung concrete data to persuade major labels.

"Uh... well, I'm not entirely sure!" Yuyoung replied.

It was hard to say for certain. It was definitely a much larger crowd than they had anticipated, but it wasn't as if hundreds or thousands of people had shown up. If the major labels already held a negative bias, this number alone might not be enough to completely overturn their preconceptions.

"But I think this is more than enough!" Yuyoung smiled.

Even if the major labels reacted coldly... with fans like these, with this kind of turnout, this level of cheering, and this passionate support for Suyun and Group Sound, they didn't need to beg the major labels. They could succeed on their own.

"I'll take this data and go meet with other labels tomorrow or the day after!"

"Personally, I think this is enough to have them begging us to sign with them~"

"Assistant Manager Kim, let's not get ahead of ourselves! Though I'd certainly love to see that happen!"

It was a freezing winter night in Tokyo, with no sign of warmth in sight. A biting wind blew through the streets, and the chilly air threatened to bring snow.

Yet, the cold night couldn't dampen the staff's burning enthusiasm.

After hours of running around, talking, and shouting, beads of sweat dotted their foreheads. Watching her staff standing on the street in short sleeves, drinking cold canned coffee and chatting happily, Suyun fell into thought.

In this world, hard work didn't always guarantee a happy ending... but this time, she truly hoped it would.