Chapter 125
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: The Secret of the Eighth Busking
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[Title: I've arrived in Korea.]
“Hello, this is Yeonghwagaek. I left LA and arrived in Korea a few hours ago. I’ve been traveling hard for almost two weeks. They say there’s no place like home, and it’s true. Home is the most comfortable.”
Everyone left comments on Yeonghwagaek’s haggard face.
-You still collected them all. The Dragon Balls, lol.
-Do you think Whale expected someone to actually collect them all?
-Well, maybe they expected people to do it in one or two nearby countries?
“That’s what I thought, but it turns out a lot more people started the tour than I expected. Plus, there were several different versions of this collection challenge.”
-Finding content for your stream even in the middle of all that?
-A-ma-zing.
“It was a long flight from LA to Korea. There was nothing to do on the plane.”
Yeonghwagaek displayed a photo on the screen. Along with pictures of the tickets, there was a short message.
[France, collected them all from January to December.]
[This is Italy! I collected all the tickets for the 14th of each month! The 14th is my birthday.]
[Russia, twelve countries, twelve months. I've collected them all.]
[USA. All 50 states and Washington D.C. collected.]
-There are so many.
-What did that last American do? They went to all 51 states in the US? Did they go to Alaska and Hawaii too?!
-At least they didn't go to places like Guam or Saipan.
-Heard they're planning to.
-Whoa. They say the greatest fans are the Western ones, and it's true.
“It’s really incredible. It’s only been three weeks since the movie was released, how is that even possible?”
Yeonghwagaek couldn’t help but shake his head at the last SNS post.
-In our country, there's someone doing a tour of all the movie theaters nationwide.
-That's cool too.
“Well then, shall we put the collected tickets in a frame?”
Yeonghwagaek took out a box he had carefully packed in his suitcase. He had placed the tickets and envelopes in a hard box to prevent them from getting crumpled during his travels.
-Thump, thump!
-Ooooh!!
Yeonghwagaek opened the lid of the square box as if it were a treasure chest. Both he and the viewers looked incredibly excited.
“First up is January, South Korea, Seoul.”
Yeonghwagaek secured the ticket to the front of a pre-prepared frame.
“February, Prague, Czech Republic.”
The second ticket went up next to it.
“March, Berlin, Germany.”
Yeonghwagaek continued to mount the tickets. He secured all the tickets up to October.
“I watched all of them in the capital city of each country, but these two are different.”
-Ooooh, Orceci!
-L-A-A-A-A!
“November, Orceci, France. And December, Los Angeles, California, USA. This is a ticket from a movie theater near the LA College of Music!”
-The park at the LA College of Music was amazing.
-There were so many people. Everyone was holding a violin and taking pictures.
-There was even someone renting out violins and another person taking photos for people.
-Yeonghwagaek took one too. Paid for it, lol.
“I couldn’t just go all the way there and not take one, could I?”
-I would’ve taken one too… I want to go…
-There were kids learning violin and their parents there too. Maybe they were trying to absorb some good energy?
-Do they have stuff like that overseas?
-They have things like charms and spells, don't they?
“Alright, I’m hanging it on the wall.”
Yeonghwagaek hung the frame on a clearly visible wall. Arranged neatly in four rows of three, the golden, shimmering tickets were so dazzling that Yeonghwagaek grinned foolishly.
[N-tuber Yeonghwagaek, 12 Countries in 12 Months, Collection Complete!]
[N-tuber Yeopbang, Nationwide Tour Complete! A Total of 17 Tickets!]
Unaware that articles like these were being uploaded at that very moment, Yeonghwagaek stared at the framed tickets on the wall with a pleased expression before speaking.
“By the way, there’s something I noticed while watching *Over the Rainbow* more than twelve times.”
-What is it?
-What kind of bombshell are you dropping this time?
-The tour started because of Yeonghwagaek, lol.
-Yep, he says something, and the next thing you know, he’s starting an outdoor broadcast, lol.
“I know they’re different pieces, but don’t you think the atmosphere of the violin performance in *Over the Rainbow* and the one in the 8th-week video feel different?”
-They’re different songs, so isn’t it natural they’d be different?
-Right.
“No. It’s like… it’s not that the mood changed because the song changed, but it feels like it changed completely because the performer changed…”
-What kind of nonsense is that?
-Seriously. He must be really tired after his trip abroad.
-Get some rest, Yeonghwagaek.
Yeonghwagaek scratched his cheek at the viewers’ comments. If it were about movies, he could have spoken with more confidence, but since he didn't know the first thing about music, it was hard to explain further.
“Is that so? Well, I’ll end the broadcast here then. I’ll probably stream again in two days unless something major happens.”
-Okay, Yeong-bye (means Yeonghwagaek bye).
-Okay. We’ll be waiting.
-Every time someone sets up a flag like this, something big happens (ominous).
“Well, what could be bigger than collecting the tickets?”
Yeonghwagaek chuckled lightheartedly.
And a few hours later, something big happened.
A video was uploaded to the [RAINBOW] channel. It showed Seojun on stage before filming, playing ‘Gray’s Violin Concerto No. 1.’
-It’s still great to hear again.
-It’s been three weeks since the release, so they're putting out behind-the-scenes footage for marketing… Give us more! More! More!
-But wait? The vibe is a little different from the 8th-week video?
=??? It is, isn't it? Is it because of his clothes?
=Even if you close your eyes and listen, it sounds different. Very different.
-Yeonghwagaek said… it was different… he was right?!
=Yeonghwagaek? The N-tuber?
=Yeah, he said something was different but couldn't explain what. Still, if it's Yeonghwagaek, he'll probably figure it out soon.
=Then I have to watch his stream. What time does he go live?
=He said he’s taking a break until tomorrow, lol. But since something big happened, he'll probably be on soon.
[Title: Something really big came up, so…]
“...I'm streaming.”
As Yeonghwagaek’s exhausted face appeared on screen, comments that were half-pitying and half-joking started to roll in.
-Yeong-hi! (means Yeonghwagaek hi!)
-That’s not how you’re supposed to set up a flag.
-You usually end your streams just fine, what happened…
-Lol, are you okay? It must hurt a lot.
“I know. I should watch what I say from now on.”
-So, did you figure out the reason?
-Yeah, yeah, why is it different?
“I thought about it yesterday and today and even asked my younger sister… I think I have a rough idea.”
-Even in the middle of all this… A-ma-zing.
-Your sister who studies music?
-The piano teacher!
-So what’s the reason?!
“First, let’s watch this.”
Yeonghwagaek played the busking video. It was a compilation he had edited before, from the 1st to the 7th week. After all the videos had played, he played the one that was uploaded today.
-…Huh?
-…???
“You see it now, don’t you? The video uploaded today was probably the performance that actor Lee Seojun was originally supposed to do for the 8th-week busking. If you watch the video, you can see that the boy on stage looks like ‘Gray,’ whereas in the 8th-week video, he looks like ‘Lee Seojun,’ right?”
-Now that you mention it?
-Wow. The difference between when he’s in character and out is huge.
-It’s strange. It doesn’t seem like much has changed…
“The 8th-week performance was likely set up as if Lee Seojun himself was playing, while the video uploaded today was set up as if ‘Gray’ was playing. Since the performers are different, the performances are bound to be different.”
-…The fact that Yeonghwagaek noticed that is scary.
-Lee Seojun is incredible for pulling off that kind of acting.
-But why did Lee Seojun suddenly change his performance for the 8th week?
-Good point. It doesn't seem like Seojun would act carelessly.
-Yeah, he might be young, but he’s a genius actor, so there must have been a reason.
“I looked into that yesterday as well.”
-Why on earth would you do that? Didn’t you say you were resting?
-Yeonghwagaek, lol. He can't stand not knowing things like this, lol. He has to find the answer, lol.
-This is why I watch Yeonghwagaek’s live streams! He answers anything you ask!
-When will I get a girlfriend?
-Yeonghwagaek: Only God would know that.
-Lol.
“First, what I focused on was the editing of the 8th-week video. Up to the 7th week, everything was filmed, from actor Lee Seojun bowing to him packing his violin and leaving. But the 8th-week video only showed him playing. So I figured something must have happened that day.”
-Oh. Oh. Detective mode!
-I'm a great detective! In the name of my grandmother!
“So I searched through SNS. I found it while reading posts with the hashtag #DevilishTalent.”
Yeonghwagaek displayed two SNS posts on the screen.
They were posts that had been buried after the 8th-week video was uploaded to the [RAINBOW] channel and it was revealed that the violin boy was Seojun Lee.
[The first performance was shocking in a bad way. He’d been doing so well until last week, why was he like that today? Still, it’s a relief the last performance was shocking in a good way. If not, I would have grabbed that kid’s teacher by the collar. ;)]
#DevilishTalent #ViolinBoy #WhoIsHisTeacher? #YouShouldBeGrateful!
[Today was really moving. The music students were nice, but the violin boy's performance was truly amazing. It was a simple yet happy piece of music just listening to it. But no one knew the title of the song. I'm just waiting for it to be uploaded to N-tube now. I hope Rainbow-nim filmed it for sure.]
#DevilishTalent #ViolinBoy #BuskingWeek8 #WeBelieveInYouRainbow-nim!
-First performance? In a bad way? Teacher?
-This ominous feeling… Swallow??
“Yes. It seems that during the first performance, actor Lee Seojun, who was acting as ‘Gray,’ ended up performing ‘Gray’s performance as taught by Swallow.’ From the phrase ‘nice students’ here, we can tell that the students in the audience helped out…”
Yeonghwagaek’s speech quickened, and the comments slowed down. But the number of viewers continued to rise.
Ignoring the viewer count, Yeonghwagaek displayed a photo on the screen. It was a series of pictures of Lee Seojun resting his chin on his violin from the 1st to the 8th week.
“If you look at the pictures, you can see that the violin, which was smaller than actor Lee Seojun from the 1st to the 7th week, suddenly got bigger in the 8th week. The ‘nice music students’ probably helped him.”
-...!
-Oh!
“That’s probably why actor Lee Seojun stopped playing as Gray and instead played his own music to express his gratitude.”
“How did he know!”
“Is that true, Seojun?”
The kids, who had gathered at Seojun’s house for the first time in a while, turned from the television displaying Yeonghwagaek’s channel to look at Seojun sitting next to them.
They had been playing board games with friends, but a text from An Daho had prompted them to turn on Yeonghwagaek’s live stream.
“Yeah. They said the video would be up soon, but someone already figured it out.”
“I’m curious what kind of video it is.”
“Just wait a little longer. They said they’d upload it at 6 PM Korean time. Oh, right, do you want to stay for dinner? Mom said she’s ordering pizza.”
“Yes! Yes! I want to stay!”
“Me too!”
While Seojun and the kids chattered excitedly at the thought of delicious pizza, Yeonghwagaek’s broadcast continued.
“Of course, this is just my speculation…”
-Yeonghwagaek-nim. A video just went up on Rainbow!
“...Let’s go watch that first.”
-Lol.
A second video was uploaded to the [RAINBOW] channel.
Seojun and his friends, Yeonghwagaek and his viewers, and everyone around the world subscribed to the [RAINBOW] channel watched the video.
The video showed a boy bowing, just like in the 1st-7th week videos. It was Gray. A messy violin performance was heard, and a man called out to the child.
The man corrected his posture, and others chimed in to help. A woman carrying a violin case handed her violin to the child.
And with a perfectly sized violin, ‘Seojun Lee’ delivered a wonderful performance.
[Seojun Lee: The day right before the 8th-week busking, we filmed a scene where I show my friends the ‘performance taught by Teacher Swallow.’ I was still in the mindset of continuing Gray’s performance, so I made a mistake.]
In the video, Lee Seojun, dressed in a jet-black suit, smiled. He radiated the dazzling aura of a superstar, so much like himself that not a trace of Gray could be seen.
[Seojun Lee: But I never imagined something like that would happen. I was so grateful to those people for being so considerate of a child whose name they didn’t even know. It was the last busking, and I wanted to express my gratitude as Seojun Lee, but I wasn’t allowed to reveal my identity… so I performed as Seojun Lee instead.]
-Yeonghwagaek’s deduction was right, holy crap.
-The SNS posts make sense now too.
-Yeah, so that bad teacher was Swallow. And up to the 7th week, it was Rebecca.
-Lee Seojun is amazing. How many types of performances does he have?
-Seojun version, Gray busking version, Gray stage version… Wow…
-And he even has a version where he deliberately plays poorly.
-A true acting genius…
Thanks to the story revealed by the [RAINBOW] channel, the audience for *Over the Rainbow*, which had briefly stalled, began to increase again. And [Gray’s Violin Concerto, No. 1] rose to number one on the charts.
-*Over the Rainbow* is good, but… that despair part is just too heartbreaking, lol. It’s hard to listen to casually.
-Yeah, Gray’s piece is better for casual listening.
-Still, the catharsis in *Over the Rainbow* is the best, lol. It’s perfect for just zoning out and listening, lol.
-When it comes on in a cafe, no one talks starting from the despair part, lol. They just listen quietly.
Choi Yuseong was surfing the internet with a proud look on his face while reading the videos and articles when his phone rang. It was his younger brother in Korea. Since coming to study abroad, his parents had called from time to time, but his brother never had, so he thought something serious must have happened. Choi Yuseong quickly answered the call.
“What’s up? Is something wrong?”
-This is you, hyung, right?
“What?”
-The person teaching Lee Seojun violin! The Asian guy from the busking video! That’s you, right?!
“Uh… yeah, that’s me…”
-See! I told you it was him! Mom and Dad said it wasn’t! No matter how I look at it, it’s you! Hyung, hyung! Did you see Lee Seojun?! Did you get his autograph!?
It was noisy on the other end of the line. It was a relief that it wasn't anything serious. Choi Yuseong let out a small laugh and told him about meeting Seojun.
From watching all the busking performances to the day they filmed the concert scene, where he, along with Natalie, got Lee Seojun’s autograph and took a picture with him. He could feel his family on the other side of the phone getting excited by the thrilling story.
-Can I tell my friends about this? The movie’s out now, did you sign some kind of confidentiality agreement?
“It’s fine. He just said not to say anything before the video was uploaded.”
-I’m gonna go brag to my friends!
Choi Yuseong smiled. The day he got Lee Seojun’s autograph, he had also happened to meet Professor Benjamin Morton and Jayden Moore. It had been a truly happy day.
That amazing and fun story was passed on to his family, and his family passed it on to their acquaintances.
[The Asian Man in the Video Revealed to be a Korean Exchange Student!]
[Korean Exchange Student: “I Didn’t Know It Was Lee Seojun.”]
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