Because I Might Get Jealous
My eyes met Gaeul's. In that single glance, we both understood exactly what the other wanted.
I moved my fingers quickly, raising the song's tempo. Gaeul responded by plucking her acoustic guitar riffs more aggressively, adding even more speed and intensity. In that heightened atmosphere, she opened her mouth to sing.
Gaeul's voice rang out across the entire plaza, carving itself into the air like a blade. The old woman handing out flyers stopped. The middle schooler about to cross the street froze. The office worker trying to hail a taxi paused mid-gesture. Even the taxi driver who had been motioning for a fare halted completely.
The noisy, bustling square fell silent, as if paying homage to the sound of Gaeul's voice. It was overwhelming, grandiose, and deeply emotional all at once. One person's voice had changed the color of the world.
She's grown even more, Gaeul. Compared to when she first started busking. What was even more astonishing was that this talent was still developing. According to her status window, her current vocal ability was only A-.
I couldn't even imagine how far she could go. It was truly an insane level of talent.
Finally, the song ended, and the crowd erupted into cheers and thunderous applause.
"Thank you! That was Yoo Gaeul from Two Bear Entertainment!"
After flashing the audience a bright, refreshing smile and finishing her promotion, Gaeul turned to me with the excited energy of a mischievous kid who had just gotten off a roller coaster.
"Taeyang oppa! Your accompaniment was so cool!"
"Haha, thanks. That's really nice to hear, but honestly, I feel bad. It wasn't as good as the last street performance."
"Hmm... Maybe it's just that your performance last time was too incredible? I actually wondered if I was making the world's greatest pianist play backup for me. I even thought, 'Why isn't someone like Taeyang oppa debuting instead of being a manager?'"
It was all thanks to the reward, Gaeul.
"Anyway, it was still really cool this time! I love the sound of your playing so much!"
Faced with Gaeul's positive reaction, I let out a mental sigh of relief. It seemed my accompaniment hadn't been that bad after all.
This was my first busking performance without the Jukebox on Fingers skill, so I'd been pretty nervous. Obviously, without the reward's help, I couldn't deliver the perfect accompaniment like before.
Lately, whenever I had free time, I'd been practicing piano specifically for this moment. Still, it couldn't compare to the power of the reward. But after playing that piece about fallen leaves and the sea last time, something had clicked. Whether you called it a breakthrough or an epiphany, playing piano had become much easier. At least I hadn't embarrassed myself too badly.
"Still, shouldn't we get a professional accompanist next time?"
"Absolutely not. My accompanist has to be Taeyang oppa, at least on piano."
"Come on, we both have our own work. We can't always do it that way."
"...You really can't?"
Gaeul looked up at me with the devastated expression of a puppy whose walk had been canceled. Ah, my heart's getting weak.
"...I can't make any promises, but I'll try my best. I enjoy performing with you too."
"Hehe, thank you so much, Taeyang oppa!"
Yeah, as long as you're smiling, that's enough for me. I'd just have to practice more on my own. Honestly, playing backup for you right now feels a bit embarrassing. The skill gap is just too big, isn't it? I want to at least reach a level where I don't feel ashamed.
Gaeul looked at me as if she'd suddenly remembered something she'd forgotten and spoke in a casual tone.
"Oh, and you can't accompany other vocalists either."
"Huh? Why not?"
Then Gaeul's yellow-tinted eyes gleamed with a chilling light as she said,
Seeing her like that sent an inexplicable chill down my spine. I had the sudden feeling that I needed to grant her request. If I didn't, something terrible might happen.
"...I'll avoid it."
"Thank you, Taeyang oppa!"
...I was thinking of joining a band club to practice more, but I guess I'll just practice alone.
"Um, Taeyang oppa. Can I ask for one more favor?"
"Sure, what is it? You showed me such an amazing performance today, so I'll grant most things."
Gaeul's face turned slightly red as she glanced at me hesitantly before speaking.
"I heard about a famous restaurant from rumors... I mean, a really good place to eat! I was wondering if you could have lunch with me there."
"That's not difficult at all. Actually, it's easier now that the menu is decided. The boss even gave me the company card and told me to eat something delicious."
"Wow! Then..."
At that moment, someone interrupted us from the side.
"Your performance was truly wonderful!"
It was Seok Hyeonwu, whom I'd asked to film the video for our YouTube channel.
"Honestly, it's been a long time since something moved me this deeply. Not since watching Miss Jin Yeoreum's rhythmic gymnastics performance. You two are both truly remarkable."
He spoke with a flushed face, as if genuinely touched. There was no exaggeration or flattery in his words, which made me feel good too. I really like how sincere this guy is.
"Thank you for seeing it that way. I'm really glad I didn't embarrass myself in front of Manager Seok."
"Oh please, Manager Seok? I left Jin Kang Group, so I'm not a manager anymore. Just call me Manager Seok. Team Leader Seon."
"That feels a bit uncomfortable for me... I'll just call you Hyeonwu-ssi."
Having grown up in a Confucian culture, it wasn't easy for me to address someone older, more qualified, and with more experience than me so casually. Seok Hyeonwu seemed to understand and smoothly changed the subject.
"The filming went perfectly. Since it was a fixed camera, there wasn't much for me to do."
"Just having you watch over it was more than enough. We've all worked hard, so let's go eat."
"Eat?"
"Yes. Gaeul mentioned she wants to go to a particular restaurant. Let's head there."
"Sounds good. I'm not picky about food..."
Seok Hyeonwu had been smiling pleasantly when he suddenly stopped talking and broke into a cold sweat. Curious about what had startled him, I followed his gaze. He was looking at Gaeul.
Why is he reacting like that while looking at Gaeul? She's just smiling cutely.
Seok Hyeonwu, who had shivered slightly, suddenly spoke up.
"...Haha, now that I think about it, I have some paperwork waiting for me back at the company. I need to start coordinating the video editing too. So I should head back to the office first."
Paperwork during lunch hour? The person handling coordination is probably eating right now too. Our company isn't crazy enough to make people work without eating. Well, things might change after debut, but still...
"Come on, it's fine. Neither I, the boss, nor Suyeon wants anyone skipping meals to work. Forget that and let's enjoy a nice lunch together. We can splurge a little with the company card."
"No, really, it's okay! I'll head back to the company now!"
With that, Seok Hyeonwu hurriedly gathered the filming equipment as if being chased and quickly left the plaza.
"Looks like it's just the two of us now."
"...Yeah. I guess we'll have to go to that restaurant by ourselves."
"That's too bad."
Yeah, it really is a shame. Good restaurants are best enjoyed with a group. I wanted to help Gaeul and Hyeonwu get closer too.
Just as I was about to head to the restaurant with Gaeul, who was hopping around like a rabbit and sharing my disappointment, another person approached us.
"I was quite impressed by your performance."
"Ah, Composer James Oh!"
It was James Oh, a judge from Girl 100 and currently the top producer in the industry. It was quite the coincidence to run into someone so busy that he was usually counted among Korea's top ten busiest people.
"Gaeul, say hello. This is Composer James Oh, the genius composer who's famous everywhere."
"Ah, hello! I'm Yoo Gaeul, a trainee at Two Bear Entertainment!"
"You have a good voice. Don't get complacent and keep working hard. You have real potential."
I watched with satisfaction as Gaeul kept bowing repeatedly in gratitude at his high praise. As expected from the best composer, he had recognized Gaeul's talent. I was very pleased at the thought that he might give her a song later.
"By the way, what brings you here?"
James Oh answered in a casual tone, as if stating the obvious.
"It's my hobby."
"...Ah, I see."
Is his hobby watching amateurs busk? Well, considering he also works as a producer, it's actually a pretty wholesome hobby.
Since he was squeezing in this precious hobby time, it probably wasn't right to disturb him. This must be very valuable relaxation time for him. Still, it felt awkward to just say we were going to eat, so I asked out of politeness. He was insanely busy, so he'd obviously refuse, but I had to at least offer.
"We're about to go have lunch at a restaurant nearby. Would you like to join us, Composer James Oh?"
James Oh glanced at Gaeul before answering.
"I never miss out on things like this. Let's go. To the restaurant."
...Is this guy actually not that busy?
"...Ah." Gaeul let out a quiet sigh.