Let the Music Speak
If we wind back the clock of this project band a little—actually, more than just a little—to around the time of the Train Trail tie-up, Ha Suyun and Araki Ryosuke had exchanged these words over the phone:
"Thank you. If an opportunity comes up or a good idea comes to mind, I'll contact you."
"You're not just saying that, right? I'll be waiting."
In truth, Suyun hadn't thought much about Araki Ryosuke after that. She had interpreted his "let's work together sometime" through a thoroughly Korean lens. To her, it was the exact equivalent of saying, "Let's grab a meal sometime."
Indeed, throughout her past life as a session guitarist, whenever she ran into acquaintances, they would grab food or coffee, say, "We really need to work on something together sometime!" and then go their separate ways. Naturally, she had chalked Araki's "I'll be waiting" up to the same polite social etiquette.
"What on earth is this about?"
It was mid-November, right in the middle of Group Sound's live tour, when Suyun received an email from Araki Ryosuke.
Perhaps because it was addressed to someone he had only met once, the email was heavily padded with polite cushion words and flowery honorifics. But stripped of its pleasantries, the core message was simple:
Did I actually say that...?
Out of habit, Suyun almost asked the other girls, "Hey, do you guys remember that?"
Since she and her bandmates were practically glued to each other's sides, asking them was usually the fastest way to recall anything she had forgotten. But on second thought, they hadn't been there during that phone call. There was no way they would remember.
Besides, how was she supposed to remember a passing comment from months ago when her own memory was so hazy?
In the end, Suyun spent several hours agonizing over the email before finally recalling that she had indeed uttered those words during her phone call with Araki.
Man, a Galaxy really is the ultimate phone for working professionals.
Recalling her past life, where even the most fleeting conversations could be retrieved with a single tap of the call recording feature, Suyun resolved to make her next phone a Galaxy.
After getting back in touch with Araki, she had spent the rest of the live tour coordinating the financial and administrative details—since he, too, belonged to an agency. All of that had finally been wrapped up just a few days ago.
A cafe near Tokyo Station.
"The matcha here is excellent. You should try it."
"Ah..."
Suyun had expected a run-of-the-mill cafe, but instead, they had been escorted to a table where a waiter presented them with a menu.
Pushing her lensless glasses up her nose with her index finger, Suyun stared at the menu.
Two thousand yen for a single cup of matcha? Are they insane?
"Their red bean buns and other desserts are quite delicious as well."
"Ah, could you recommend something for me, then? I don't really know much about this kind of stuff."
"Hmm... In that case, would it be alright if I order for us?"
When she nodded, Araki Ryosuke called the waiter over and began ordering.
Suyun massaged her trapezius muscles, already feeling exhausted despite having done absolutely nothing. They were supposed to be discussing music, so why were they sitting in a place like this, setting a fancy mood and eating high-end traditional sweets?
He was still young, yet he already had the tastes of an old man...
Well, I suppose everyone is entitled to their refined hobbies.
Trying her best to remain open-minded, Suyun stared out the window. Despite the relatively mild weather, many of the people walking by were shivering. It was a sight that made her want to drag them to Seoul in the dead of winter to show them what real cold felt like...
"Excuse me, but..."
"Yes?"
"Are you perhaps Araki Ryosuke-san from Cake Keychain?"
While she was lost in thought, the waitress who brought their order over set the dishes down and addressed Araki.
"Yes, that's correct."
"Oh my gosh..."
When Araki nodded, the waitress let out a quiet gasp and asked if she could get an autograph.
Suyun stared at the ceiling, pretending to be completely uninterested, but secretly wondered if the waitress would recognize her too.
"Thank you so much...!"
"Not at all. Thank you for your support."
But no such thing happened.
Feeling an inexplicable sense of defeat, Suyun took a big gulp of her matcha.
"Gah!"
Hissing at the sudden heat, she quietly nursed her burned tongue and took out her frustration on the ice cream dessert instead.
"Let me introduce myself properly once again. I am Araki Ryosuke, leader and guitarist of Cake Keychain."
"Yes. I am Ha Suyun of Group Sound."
Feeling that it was only polite, Suyun offered a formal greeting of her own.
"Shall we cut to the chase and get down to business?"
"Sounds good."
Araki Ryosuke.
The leader, guitarist, and vocalist of Cake Keychain, as well as the mastermind behind several other project bands. With Cake Keychain alone, he had achieved over two million cumulative album sales in Japan and successfully pulled off arena and dome tours. He was a musician widely credited with leading the modern Japanese rock scene.
Suyun had listened to Cake Keychain's music before. They were, after all, one of the most successful acts in the Japanese music industry. Of course, some of Araki's side projects were a bit too avant-garde for her taste, so she hadn't delved too deeply into them.
But she couldn't fathom why a man who had achieved success long ago—and who could now easily spend the rest of his days doing whatever he pleased—wanted so desperately to work with her.
Looking at his extensive history of participating in various projects, her only thought had been, Maybe this guy just likes sticking his fingers in every pie.
And now, sitting across from her, Araki finally explained his reasoning.
"I simply thought... it would be fun to work together."
"I see..."
"I like to think I'm a decent guitarist myself. I'm a bandman, after all. I can play whatever parts are required of me. But when I listened to your recently released live tracks, it made me realize what truly technical playing looks like."
"You're exaggerating."
"I am not. In my honest opinion, there isn't a single guitarist in the current generation in Japan who plays better than you, Ha-san."
Suyun stared at Araki's face, wondering what his angle was in showering her with such extreme praise. But his expression lacked the subtle tells of a flatterer. He genuinely, wholeheartedly believed what he was saying.
"What impressed me most was the Out of Time album. A reinterpretation of the past. It was a modern, colorful spin on things that were truly 'out of time.' It's the first album in a long time that I've listened to on repeat."
"I think that's enough about me. We're here to talk about the project."
Feeling her cheeks flush slightly under the relentless barrage of compliments, Suyun quickly cut him off.
Araki gave an embarrassed chuckle and took a sip of his matcha.
"In the end, what matters most is what kind of music we make, how we make it, with whom, and in what way."
"As for that..."
Araki reached into his bag and pulled out a notebook. It was an elegant, antique-looking journal that showed clear signs of long use.
Feeling her opinion of him rise slightly at this analog touch, Suyun looked at the open page.
Araki Ryosuke. Ha Suyun. And two other names.
"What genre are we looking at?"
"Ah, the genre? Well..."
Araki scratched his head. Watching his messy hair shift, Suyun tilted her head slightly, confused by his hesitation.
"We... haven't decided yet."
"Excuse me?"
"To be precise, it's not that we haven't decided, but rather... my goal is for us to gather, jam, and see what kind of interesting music we can create together."
"I see..."
"It's not like we're doing this for the money, after all," Araki concluded with a smile.
Suyun took a sip of her matcha and lightly rubbed her chin with her thumb.
A few days later. Mid-January.
A snowy day in Tokyo, inside a practice studio.
"Alright, since we aren't all familiar with one another, let's start with formal introductions. As you all know, I'm Araki Ryosuke. I'm the leader of Cake Keychain. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
Four people were gathered around a small table.
Araki was the first to stand up and introduce himself. Once he sat down, the person next to him stood up.
"Hello. I'm Kirishima Aoi. I play bass for Hoki Hoki and Blue Note."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ito Takayuki. I play drums for JDCR."
Finally, it was the last turn.
The three of them turned their gaze to a single person.
Long hair, a somewhat cool demeanor, and an incredibly young—almost childishly youthful—appearance. Yet, this was the very person who was currently taking the Japanese rock scene by storm, hailed as the vanguard of a new generation: Ha Suyun.
Is she really that good?
"Hello. I'm Ha Suyun. I play guitar for Group Sound."
Listening to her introduction, Kirishima Aoi fell into thought.
Of course, the girl had to be skilled. If she weren't, she wouldn't have even caught Araki Ryosuke's eye in the first place. Araki's standards were notoriously high.
But Aoi was the type of person who only believed what she saw with her own eyes. Other people's opinions held no weight in her judgment.
Naturally, she had listened to Out of Time, which Araki had praised to no end. She had also listened to Kingdom and their other tracks. While she acknowledged the sheer talent, she couldn't help but harbor a sliver of doubt.
The girl was simply too young, and the praise was too overwhelming. Not just Araki, but everyone who had ever met Ha Suyun had nothing but endless praise for her.
In short, the thought lingering in Aoi's mind was: Is she really all that?
"Well, now that introductions are out of the way..."
As soon as Suyun finished speaking, Araki Ryosuke stood up and picked up his guitar. It was a Japanese brand guitar, slightly worn, with a natural relic finish that bore the passage of time.
"Musicians are always like this, aren't they? We're supposed to let our instruments do the talking."
"You got that right!"
Ito laughed heartily at Araki's words.
Kirishima also offered a slight smile, her eyes shifting to Ha Suyun.
The girl's expression remained somewhat stiff. Was she always like that, or was she just nervous?
"Let's start with a jam. I think it'll be best if I handle the rhythm, and Ha-san takes the lead."
"Understood."
Following Araki's suggestion, the four of them took their positions.
Ito's drums began to rumble, kicking off the session, and Kirishima slowly layered her bass over the beat. Then, as Araki's rhythm guitar slid smoothly into the mix—
"Here I go."
With those words, Ha Suyun's pick scraped across the guitar strings with a sharp, electric shrrrk.