Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: An Outdated Sound
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Amidst the audience's fervent cheers, Answer's encore began. Though it was a song they were hearing for the first time, the crowd, sensing a hit, was incredibly excited.
It was a bright and refreshing song, perfect for summer. The entire Sudo University campus seemed to feel that Answer's performance fee was worth every penny.
Watching Answer's encore stage, the members of Earl Grey smacked their lips with a hint of regret.
“They’re really good.”
“Yeah. That vocalist is the one from the news, right?”
“I think so. Looks like it’s over now.”
As Answer finished their encore and gave their final thanks, the members of Earl Grey gathered their belongings and trudged toward the campus main gate.
*Did they not even bring a car? Carrying all those instruments?*
As I watched Earl Grey’s retreating backs, the members of Answer came running down from the stage toward me.
“Oppa, did you see us?”
“We were awesome!”
Seul-bi and Yi-na asked, their faces flushed, while the crowd’s excitement still lingered in a buzz of conversation.
“Can you feel how popular you are now?”
“Heehee!”
At my response, all the members of Answer beamed with joy.
“More importantly, about that band Earl Grey from earlier.”
“Yeah. Their song was pretty good.”
“They released their album about two years before Answer did.”
“Ah! Then we should go greet them, right?”
As expected, my members were good-natured. Seol-ah and the others started to head down the stairs next to the platform.
But we were already over a hundred meters away from the members of Earl Grey.
“Wait. Let’s go by car. We can just stop at the main gate.”
I had the Answer members get in the car and drove down the hill. Choi Yoo-jun called me, his voice urgent.
-Hyung! Are you guys leaving?
“I’ll park at the main gate and come right back.”
-Phew, you scared me. I thought you forgot about us.
I could picture Choi Yoo-jun, startled in the middle of enjoying his pajeon.
I stopped the car in front of the Earl Grey members, who were loading their instruments into an old SUV that looked at least twenty years old. They stared at our car with surprised faces.
The car doors opened, and the members of Answer poured out.
“Hello, Seonbae-nims. We are Answer, who just made a comeback with our second album!”
“Ah? Yes.”
Earl Grey seemed so caught off guard that they couldn't even feign pleasure, as if excessive kindness always brought them harm.
“I handle production at JD Enter.”
I extended my hand to the guitarist, who was the de facto leader.
“……”
The guitarist, his expression momentarily souring, reluctantly shook my hand.
*What’s with that? Why the scowl?*
Just then, their current, frustrating situation began to flash before my third eye like a panorama.
***
“Hey, damn it. We’re out of kimchi now.”
“Then all we have left is onion.”
The vocalist spoke after opening and closing the refrigerator for no reason, and the guitarist sighed as he stood up.
He trimmed and chopped an onion, then stir-fried it in a preheated pan with soy sauce.
“Whoa. It smells amazing, though.”
“This is our last side dish. If we don’t get paid right after today’s gig, we really need to find part-time jobs, whether it’s at a club or a convenience store.”
“That’s harsh.”
He tossed the rice from the cooker into the pan with the stir-fried onions. The seasoning seemed off, so he added more soy sauce before they began to eat ravenously. This was just this morning.
They had invested all their money into their album. They had a place to sleep, but their quality of life was worse than that of a homeless person.
“Tsk… Was it too reckless for us to try this on our own?”
“What bullshit is that! You know how much money those agency bastards take. We’d work ourselves to death and still be in debt. Have you already forgotten?”
“…I was just wondering if we’d become prejudiced after just one bad experience… Or maybe we should change our genre.”
“He’s right. It hurts my pride, but should we look for an agency? Honestly, what’s the point of us making great music if there’s no one to listen to it?”
When even the usually quiet drummer spoke up, the guitarist let out a sigh.
“We can promote through Tube…”
“How many subscribers have we gotten in two years? 150. Our latest video, posted a month ago, has 235 views. Let’s be real, our marketing isn’t working. Same with booking gigs.”
The drummer’s words left the guitarist speechless.
“Honestly, look at Urban Band. It’s not like they’re doing better than us because they’re more talented. It’s the agency’s backing.”
“Yeah. Let’s think about this seriously. No matter how dead the band scene is, there must be one spot for us somewhere.”
Everyone was in agreement. And it seemed the guitarist inwardly agreed as well.
But, at this point?
“…It’s too late. Don’t you know all the band trainees these days are young? …Let’s just stick to what we’ve been doing. One last time. If we’re going to fail, at least let’s try to capture the spirit of the age… Let’s not be pathetic, at least.”
“…I don’t know anymore. I’d rather be pathetic and be able to eat while making music.”
In their hearts, they wished they could go back in time and reverse their decision, but such magical things don't happen.
A look of despair clouded the members’ faces.
***
I let go of the Earl Grey leader’s hand.
I let out a dry laugh, finding it absurd that there were still people who couldn't afford to eat these days. Without proper management, it seemed they were investing most of their income into instruments and albums.
It didn't feel pitiful, just foolish. To needlessly torment oneself based on some preconceived notion picked up from somewhere.
*Making music without management in this day and age? Do they think Tube marketing is a joke?*
The thought brought another bitter smile to my face.
It wasn't that personal sales were impossible, but that was only feasible at a hobbyist level.
Moreover, the leader's stubbornness was dragging the rest of the team into a dead-end situation. I felt even more frustrated because I knew these were people who could make a name for themselves if I just lent a hand.
“We’ve ordered a lot of food at the pop-up pub, so why don’t you join us?”
Both Answer and Earl Grey looked surprised.
“…Let’s go.”
“Ssp. Hold on.”
The vocalist and drummer wanted to go, but the guitarist wore a displeased expression.
The members of Answer, who were initially puzzled, soon changed their expressions. They seemed to sense that I had something in mind.
“Yes, Seonbae-nims. The food at this pop-up pub is really good. You should have some pajeon and makgeolli.”
“Well… if it’s an offer to treat your seniors, I suppose we’ll go.”
*Is this guy weird? What kind of pride is this?*
In the end, they returned to the pub with us. With Answer gone, many seats inside were now empty.
“Well then… we won’t refuse.”
They seemed to be trying to maintain some semblance of dignity because Answer was there, but having glimpsed their life yesterday and today, all I saw were people scrambling to eat for survival.
“Hey! You can’t drink, man. You have to drive.”
“…Hah.”
Despite his initial reluctance, the guitarist was now bingeing on alcohol and appetizers.
Choi Yoo-jun looked back and forth between me and Earl Grey, his stunned expression clearly asking what was going on.
“I enjoyed your music. If I may be so bold as to offer my opinion, I think with a few refinements, you could achieve great commercial success.”
The guitarist’s expression hardened in an instant as he stared at me.
“Manager-nim, how old are you?”
The guitarist was at most two years older than me. He had the strong vibe of a young boomer, looking down on me because of my age.
Feeling uncomfortable with the leader suddenly getting hostile with me, the vocalist nudged his thigh.
[Characteristic: Charisma Lv. 2 activated]
The characteristic activated without me realizing it. I was already feeling that the guitarist's stubbornness was messing up the entire team's direction.
“Is my age important?”
The cool aura emanating from me reached the leader, making him flinch.
“Ah… well, it’s not that. I was just curious if you know much about rock.”
He spoke quite confidently, even through my charisma. He was a man full of conviction. Of course, it was highly likely a misguided conviction.
It would be better to be direct rather than polite.
“It’s old-fashioned.”
“Excuse me?”
Even more stunned than the members of Earl Grey were the members of Answer.
“What kind of rock do you think you’re playing?”
“…That’s!”
Caught off guard by my question, the guitarist couldn't articulate his thoughts, so I answered my own question.
“It’s punk rock, born from rebellion against the establishment and counter-culture.”
“!”
Unlike Answer and Choi Yoo-jun, who listened as if my knowledge was nothing surprising, the members of Earl Grey looked quite shocked.
*It’s not a big deal.*
“Punk rock succeeded because various conditions—social, economic, cultural, and ideological—all aligned at the time.”
“…It seems you know a little, but this genre has its own dedicated fanbase.”
The guitarist, though slightly intimidated, was visibly trying to save face.
“There’s punk rock, and then there’s punk rock. You’re playing the exact same music the first-generation grandfathers of punk did. There’s no way that would work now. Shouldn’t you be reinterpreting it or mixing in some trendy elements?”
“Ha! Music with things like synths is not rock. The spirit of the age…”
“Since we’re having an honest conversation about music, let me be a bit more frank. To others, it just looks like you’re whining under the excuse of ‘the spirit of the age.’”
“!”
As I voiced the very argument they themselves had made just this morning, even the stubborn leader’s jaw dropped in surprise.
From their perspective, this might feel like getting slapped out of nowhere, but I couldn't resist the urge to save them, even if it had to be this way.
Whatever the process, the result would be good for both me and them.
“Why do you make music?”
“…Obviously, because we love it. I know you’re kind of a hotshot these days, but aren’t you being a little too arrogant?”
*So he knew about me?*
Regardless, I pressed on, digging into the core issue again.
“This isn’t about being a hotshot or not. The public has to recognize you for you to make money and for it to become art.”
“I think you’re going too far.”
Even as he clashed with me, he didn't get up to leave, which suggested he wasn't the type to avoid a fight.
“You should learn to distinguish between people you can trust and people you can’t. With the same environment and resources, some people succeed relentlessly.”
I offered my business card not to the guitarist, but to the vocalist.
“I hope we can meet again.”
The guitarist’s eyes twitched.
*If you want to work under me, you have to leave your pride at the door, regardless of age or talent.*
When I stood up, a flustered Answer and Choi Yoo-jun scrambled to their feet as well.
***
I put Answer in the car and headed to our next destination, the GYM.
Seol-ah, who had been glancing at me nervously for a while, finally spoke up, as if trying to lighten the mood.
“Those Earl Grey seonbaes from earlier, they’re amazing people, right?”
“Of course they are. Oppa isn’t the type to connect with just anyone.”
“Yeah, yeah! They looked a bit shabby, but they had a certain something.”
“That’s right. Our PD-nim has a good eye.”
The other members, as if they had been waiting for someone to break the silence, took turns interpreting my intentions.
“In their current state, they’re just people who are going to fail.”
“Ah… so you saw their talent.”
“As JD gets bigger, we’ll need diverse sources of income. It would be much more advantageous for them too.”
“…But why were you so scary earlier?”
*Did I seem scary to Seol-ah?*
“Because if they don’t shed their pride and prejudice, I can’t nurture them.”
“!”
The members of Answer looked at me with expressions of surprise.
“Do I seem too arrogant?”
“No way. Maybe to others, but for Oppa, it’s totally justified.”
Seul-bi, having regained her composure, said with a smirk, and the other members nodded in agreement.
“But after you said all that, do you think they’ll call?”
“It doesn’t matter if they do or don’t. There’s plenty of talent out there.”
As I answered Seol-ah’s question, Seul-bi rubbed her arms as if she had goosebumps.
“…Doesn’t our Oppa suddenly seem a little scary?”
“Yeah. He’s so cold.”
“We’ll listen to you from now on, Oppa, so don’t abandon us.”
I laughed off Seul-bi’s half-joking, half-serious comment and opened my mouth.
“Just make sure none of you betray me.”
“…Hehe.”
My simple words seemed to be a great comfort to the members of Answer.
“By any chance… PD-nim Min-jun, are you thinking of starting your own agency?”
Seol-ah asked cautiously.
“Ooh, if our Min-jun Oppa became a CEO, that would be so cool.”
“Yeah, yeah. It suits you.”
Seol-ah and Ro-si smiled brightly at Seul-bi and Yi-na's words. But Ro-si’s expression suddenly changed as she spoke.
“But… then what about Isa-nim? And Daepyo-nim.”
“Ah… um… Why are you thinking so far ahead? Seriously.”
“Sorry.”
“Ah! You don’t have to be sorry! Hehe.”
Yi-na and Seol-ah laughed, amused by Seul-bi and Ro-si’s conversation.
As they said, if things progressed to the point of completely taking down Gyeon Sang-jin, I would be at a level where I could easily own a mid-sized agency. If I received investments, even a major agency wouldn’t be out of the question.
In fact, even right now, if it weren't for my goal concerning Gyeon Sang-jin, it wouldn't be a problem for me to start a small agency and cultivate stars.
“Phew. But my heart is still pounding. The excitement won’t go down.”
“That’s proof that you’re drunk, unni. I saw you sneaking sips while trying to act cool.”
“I’m perfectly sober.”
“Says the one reeking of alcohol.”
And so, the bickering between Seul-bi and Yi-na began again.
*Vrrr.*
And suddenly, a phone call.
“This is Min-jun, in charge of Answer.”
-Ah! Manager-nim! Why aren’t you answering your phone!
An urgent voice. It was the radio writer.
“This is the first call I’ve received?”
-No! Seol-ah-ssi! We need to connect the call now!
“Seol-ah-ssi, you didn’t answer your phone?”
“Ah! I’m so sorry. I’ll turn it on now!”
It seemed Seol-ah had turned her phone off.
“Writer-nim, I’m so sorry. Seol-ah-ssi had her phone off for a moment. It’s… on now.”
-Haa… You scared me! I thought we had a no-show.
Of course, there was still plenty of time. It seemed the writer had called for a preliminary check and panicked when the phone was off.
“I’m sorry.”
Still, Seol-ah, tormented by the thought of having inconvenienced someone, covered her face, running her hands through her bangs as if tearing them out.
For Seol-ah, who rarely made mistakes, it was a moment that actually felt charmingly human.