Moving Fast (3)
"Yes!"
Looking at the effects pedals lined up by type, his breathing quickened.
Overdrive, delay, compressor, distortion, chorus, phaser...
He instantly mapped out the combination in his head.
"Please pull this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one out for me!"
The part-timer who had followed him over was taken aback by his sheer madness.
"Slow down a bit..."
"Just pull out everything from here to there."
Murmur, murmur...
The store manager grew intrigued by the commotion and the sight of her part-timer frantically pulling out pedals.
Did a pro walk in?
Since professional musicians frequently visited Angry Bird, a renowned boutique instrument shop in Hongdae, she decided to go over and help her struggling employee.
Huh? I've never seen him before... but his aura is something else.
Even to her, an active figure in the indie scene who was close with bands that had crossed over to major labels, it was obvious why a crowd was forming around him.
On top of that, the fact that he was a man instantly gave him a hundred bonus points.
Although his face was obscured by a low-brimmed hat, her instincts were screaming.
This was definitely going to be huge!
She slipped through the crowd of customers and gently nudged the flustered part-timer aside.
"Excuse me, sir. Did you say from here all the way to over there?"
"Yes! I want all of them!"
Is he a foreigner?
She didn't lose her composure and responded smoothly.
"Please give me just a moment. Would you like to look at something else while I get these ready?" she asked in English.
"Oh, fantastic! Ah, sorry. I got a bit too excited, didn't I?"
She gave him a warm, friendly smile.
Passionate musicians were always welcome in her shop.
"It's perfectly fine. It looks like you're putting together a pedalboard. Would you like to look at some boards and cases too? The rechargeable ones are quite popular lately."
"That sounds great! Could you recommend one?"
"Right this way, then. We have a demo board set up over here."
The two of them quickly fell into their own world, trading technical jargon back and forth.
Since most of the onlookers were musicians themselves, they nodded along, discussing the gear with their friends or wondering if they should pick up a pedal for themselves.
"Excuse me, could you pull out this delay pedal for me too?"
"I'd like to see this overdrive!"
Suddenly, the staff from the first floor were dragged into the fray, and the shop turned into a chaotic frenzy.
"Hmm, your setup is more classic than I expected."
"Well, classics are classics for a reason."
"If you add this as a sub... Ah! Instead of just talking, why don't you try playing it yourself? Or, I could demo it for you if you'd like."
The manager made the suggestion tactfully, knowing all too well that there were plenty of people who bought expensive gear just for show without having the skills to back it up.
Of course, Saebyeok had no such worries.
"Ah, I didn't bring my guitar today. Do you happen to have a Gibson SG I could use for the demo?"
"An SG is a great choice. I actually have my personal Angus Young Signature here. Would that be alright?"
"Wow! AC/DC! That's perfect. May I borrow her for a moment?"
"My, how sweet. And the amp will be a Marshall, of course?"
"Oh, yeah, absolutely."
"Just a moment, please."
"Whoa, that guy and the manager are on a whole different level. I can't even understand half of what they're saying."
"Is he a pro? He feels like he came from abroad."
"They say the world of effects pedals is endless..."
"But if you look closely, the setup is actually pretty simple, right?"
"Yeah. Well, the classics never die."
"Looks like he's about to test it. I'm even more excited because of how he looks."
"If he plays well, that's going to be so sexy..."
"Hey... wipe your drool."
The customers who had been browsing around gathered at a respectful distance, waiting for the performance.
One of the perks of a large shop was occasionally getting to hear pros play, and the look on everyone's faces said, With looks like that, he'd look cool even if he played with his feet.
The manager smiled as she handed him the guitar.
"Feel free to play it rough."
Taking the guitar from her, he gently caressed the body.
At his touch, the women nearby let out soft groans.
"Oh... *gasp*."
"Hey, you crazy girl... shut up!"
The manager, understanding exactly how the customers felt, cleared her throat to find her voice.
"Ahem. You'll want to dial in your tone first, right?"
"Then I won't hesitate!"
The moment Saebyeok picked up the plectrum, he began shaping the tone, weaving in spontaneous improvisations.
The manager and the veteran guitarists among the crowd could immediately gauge his skill just from his simple warm-up.
To put it simply, he was extraordinary.
After running through a few scales, shifting between minor and major pentatonics, he looked up at the manager.
"What track should I play?"
"Hmm, for this vibe, it has to be 'Back in Black,' right?"
"Excellent choice!"
The intro to "Back in Black" kicked off, and he launched into the iconic guitar riff that every guitar kid had tried playing at least once.
As he swayed his head to the rhythm, the onlookers began tapping their feet, falling into the groove with him.
With a pleased smile, the manager turned up the amp's volume, and the shop instantly heated up.
When he finally started headbanging wildly and ripped into the guitar solo, everyone in the room fell head over heels in love with him.
"Kyaaaah!"
"Oh my god, this is insane!"
It was hard to tell if this was a retail store or a live concert venue.
The manager tried her best to contain her excitement, barely managing to keep it to a foot tap.
He plays well, but it's a legendary song after all... so this level of—oh my!
She had tried to maintain her objective evaluation as a ten-year veteran guitarist, but she, too, ended up covering her mouth in shock.
The intense headbanging had sent Saebyeok's hat flying off.
"Whoa..."
"Oh my god..."
"He's insanely handsome..."
"Hey! Are you recording this properly?"
"Shut up! Your voice is going to get picked up!"
"*Gasp!*"
When the song ended and Saebyeok put his hat back on with a satisfied expression, a collective sigh of disappointment rippled through the crowd.
Oh my... did I get too carried away?
A professional should always maintain a poker face!
Acting as if nothing had happened, he handed the guitar back and gave a thumbs-up.
"It's a great guitar!"
The manager politely accepted the guitar with both hands and offered her praise.
"That was a wonderful performance."
The audience, who had been sighing openly, suddenly found themselves in unison and began to chant.
"Encore!"
"Encore!"
"Oppa, you're so cool!"
The manager wasn't about to let this golden opportunity slip away, so she threw out a devilish temptation.
"Since the response is so great, how about an impromptu jam? In exchange for the performance, I'll give you a thirty percent discount on everything you buy today!"
"Whoaaa!"
"Manager-unni is the best!"
"Encore! Encore! Encore!"
Saebyeok was also getting swept up in the excitement.
But it wouldn't be fun if he just agreed too easily. That lacked showmanship.
He shrugged playfully, feigning helplessness.
"But I don't have a guitar."
"Oppa! Use my guitar! You can even break it!"
"Everyone get out of the way! Use mine..."
However, there was someone faster than anyone else...
"It would be an honor if you used this."
It was the part-timer who had been flustered earlier.
"Holy... is this Blackie?"
It was the Eric Clapton Signature model.
"Boooooo!"
"That's cheating!"
"This is rigged by the organizers! We protest!"
In truth, this was something the manager had quickly orchestrated.
She caught the part-timer's eye and quietly gave a thumbs-up.
Are you ready?
DSLR is already set up, boss.
Good!
Having communicated entirely through their eyes, she turned back to Saebyeok with a casual smile.
"Shall we see what you've got, then?"
Saebyeok had already noticed their silent exchange, but he simply smirked and threw out a challenge.
"For Eric, it has to be blues."
"An excellent choice indeed. Shall we begin?"
"Okay. Let's go!"
"Where do you usually play? I'm pretty well-connected around here, but I've never seen you before."
"Ahaha... I just practice alone in my room."
Saebyeok lied through his teeth without batting an eye.
The manager narrowed her eyes, clearly finding it hard to believe.
"Hmm... Are you in a debut group? You're a man of many secrets."
"No, really, I'm not. Anyway, manager, is a cabinet amp really out of the question for a home?"
The manager chuckled and let the subject slide.
"Unless you're building a bunker in your basement, you'll definitely get noise complaints."
"That's a shame. Tsk."
"Even fifty watts is overkill. If you're disappointed, why don't you perform for us sometime?"
"A performance?"
The manager pulled out another business card alongside the one for Angry Bird and handed them over.
"It's a place where I perform from time to time. We always welcome talented people!"
The card read "Club B," which seemed to be an underground venue.
I used to do a lot of small gigs back in the day.
As he got lost in his memories for a moment, she waved her hands, perhaps misinterpreting his silence.
"Oh, I didn't mean to pressure you. Okay?"
"Ahaha... If I ever end up doing a gig, I'll definitely contact you."
Her eyes sparkled as she handed him yet another card.
"I hope we can see each other often. This is the card I use for session work. Next time, call me Lahui instead of manager."
The card had nothing but the name Gil Lahui and a phone number.
Is this... what I think it is?
"Ahem. I'll try."
"Hehe, I'll have everything delivered to you today."
For the record, he had bought a mountain of effects pedals and two guitars.
She had given him a whopping forty percent discount on a Gibson SG and a versatile Suhr Stratocaster.
How could she even make a profit selling them like this?
"Thank you for today, I had a lot of fun. See you next time!"
The manager—no, Gil Lahui—bowed slightly and gave him a sweet smile.
"You're welcome to call me anytime."
Her words carried a suggestive weight.
Wow...
A mature charm is definitely more dangerous.
By the time he returned home, night was quickly falling.
Although it had been a spontaneous outing, it was his day off from streaming, so it didn't matter.
"Today was fun."
Thinking back to the girl he had briefly crossed paths with during her busking made him smile warmly.
They probably wouldn't meet again, but he hoped things would go well for her in the future.
In this industry, even if you have the looks and the talent, things can go horribly wrong if luck isn't on your side.
Though, to be fair, that was true for almost any field.
Gil Lahui of Angry Bird was also highly skilled.
Her looks were great, and her figure was... ahem! In his original world, she would have been more than competitive enough.
How many musicians in the underground scene were desperately wishing to be called up to the majors?
How disadvantageous must a market with a two-to-eight male-to-female ratio be for women?
He wouldn't dare pity them.
In the end, regardless of the gender ratio, only a tiny minority survived.
Still, it would be hypocritical to deny that men had it easier here.
Anyway...
Even if the bizarre nature of this world was the primary cause, he couldn't help but notice how often he ended up interacting with women.
"Wait! I have absolutely zero contact with other men!"
If he had to count, there was exactly one.
"But Manager Kim... is more like a grandfather than a guy my age."
Even if he was biologically male, it was impossible to build a casual friendship with him.
Is there really no one?
"Oh, fuck. It's not like I'm gay, so why am I even worrying about this?"
It was probably just a side effect of having been a shut-in for too long.
"No, wait! Gender doesn't really matter when it comes to sharing your thoughts comfortably, does it?"
He sat down at his computer and opened JustChord.
Oh! She happened to be online.