21

## Chapter 21 — Everyone’s Looking for Me, But I Have No Idea

After finally hearing the full story from Kim Bori, the senior reporter was just as stunned as she was.

[What…? No way…! The singer who won the Grand Prize at the festival is actually the faceless painter creep…?]

“I-I was shocked too, but considering all the circumstances, I’m sure of it.”

People called someone a genius when they displayed talent far beyond ordinary people in one field.

But what if that genius wasn’t talented in just one area—

but in multiple completely different fields?

Anyone who saw the murals painted by the faceless artist creep would immediately recognize his genius.

But the same was true for the Tokki-Kking vocalist who had just performed with <The Stretched Band>.

And yet those two geniuses were actually the same person…?

“……”

[……]

Unable to easily believe the truth, both of them fell silent.

The senior reporter was the first to regain composure.

[…If what you’re saying is true, then creep might be an even more incredible person than we originally imagined.]

Not merely a genius painter ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dominating the art world—

but a multi-talented genius entertainer whose abilities extended into music as well.

Did someone like that even exist in Korea?

No, in the entire world?

The instincts of the two reporters picked up the scent immediately.

The scent of a massive scoop.

[Before anyone else realizes, we need to interview him first somehow.]

“…But how? We don’t know anything about creep, and we don’t even know where he went.”

[Then start with the people around him. You said there was a band that performed on stage with him, right?]

“Ah…!”

Kim Bori’s eyes widened at her senior’s advice.

That was right.

creep had disappeared—

but <The Stretched Band>, who had performed alongside him at the festival, was still there.

[The people who shared the stage with him must know a lot about creep! Hurry and ask them!]

“Yes…!”

And so Kim Bori immediately returned to the festival grounds.

Just then, she spotted the members of <The Stretched Band> stepping down from the stage after finishing their acceptance speech.

“Hello! Could I speak with you for a moment?!”

“Hm? Who are you?”

Now fully back in reporter mode, Kim Bori pulled out her business card and calmly reassured the band members.

“I’m this kind of person.”

“Hyeonseong Daily? Why would a reporter want to talk to us…?”

“I wanted to ask about the vocalist from <The Stretched Band> who performed earlier wearing the rabbit mask!”

“…!”

The members of <The Stretched Band> visibly flinched the moment she brought up their youngest member.

Ignoring that reaction, Kim Bori immediately began asking questions about creep.

But—

“First of all, what’s his name?”

“His name…? Uh… wait, now that I think about it, I don’t actually know maknae’s name. Hey, do any of you know?”

“I don’t.”

“Maknae never told us his name even once.”

“…Excuse me?! You performed together as a band, but you don’t know his name?”

Even <The Stretched Band> knew almost nothing about creep.

Shocked that they didn’t even know his real name, Kim Bori stared wide-eyed and continued questioning them.

“T-Then… what’s his job? Where does he live? His age…?”

“We don’t know his job or where he lives… Ah, but we do know his age. He’s twenty-six.”

“…Twenty-six. Did he ever mention painting or murals to any of you?”

“Painting? Murals? Our maknae?”

At that, the leader of <The Stretched Band> tilted his head in confusion.

Apparently creep had never talked about art or shown them any paintings.

“…No, but seriously, how can you perform together and even enter a festival together without knowing basic information about him?”

“Well, maknae wasn’t originally an official member. He only joined temporarily as a substitute. And honestly, he was so secretive and shy we didn’t really feel like pushing him for details.”

“More importantly, we were way too busy preparing for the festival.”

“Right. We didn’t even go home for a whole week. Thinking about how my wife yelled at me because of that… haha.”

The members of <The Stretched Band> began reminiscing about the past week together.

“Hah~ This festival was seriously so fun thanks to maknae. But what exactly *is* that kid?”

“Seriously. It feels like I got possessed by something. Maknae really came like the wind and left ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like the wind.”

“You sure he wasn’t actually a ghost? A band ghost, hahaha.”

The members of <The Stretched Band> all ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wore picturesque smiles while talking about their youngest member.

And Kim Bori realized she had seen smiles like these before.

At the places where creep’s first and second murals were discovered.

‘He was such a wonderful young man.’

‘That boy was truly like a white goose.’

Everyone who met creep—even briefly—ended up smiling warmly like this.

“creep… I mean, was the vocalist from <The Stretched Band> a good person?”

“Of course. To us, he was more than a benefactor.”

“If it weren’t for maknae, we never would’ve created such an amazing stage or such an amazing song.”

Up until now, every version of creep Kim Bori encountered had shown complete indifference toward money and fame.

And it was still true now.

If he wanted fame, he could’ve used this festival to reveal himself to the world.

But instead, creep simply sang one song and left without hesitation.

Could it be that creep was traveling around the country simply to spread these kinds of warm smiles?

‘Maybe creep is carrying out some enormous project or campaign ordinary people like me can’t even begin to imagine.’

In reality, he was simply traveling freely, painting whenever he felt like painting, playing piano whenever he wanted, and singing whenever he wanted.

But there was no way Kim Bori could possibly know that.

And so, deepening her misunderstanding of creep even further, she asked <The Stretched Band> one final question.

“Then… do you at least know where he went?”

Honestly, she didn’t expect much.

If the band didn’t even know basic personal details about creep, there was no reason they’d know his next destination either.

But unexpectedly, they answered immediately.

“Ah, that we know.”

“…What? You do?”

“Yeah. He said he was heading to Mokpo first, then going to Jeju Island.”

“…!”

There was a ferry terminal in Mokpo where people could take ships to Jeju.

Apparently creep intended to finish his Jeolla Province journey and head to Jeju next.

Overjoyed by the unexpectedly valuable information, Kim Bori bowed repeatedly toward the members of <The Stretched Band>.

“Thank you so much for telling me…! It’s not much, but at least let me offer some compensation—!”

“Compensation? Nah, forget it. Ah, but if you ever figure out what maknae actually does, let us know too.”

“Of course. I’ll definitely contact you.”

After parting with <The Stretched Band>, Kim Bori quickly pulled out her phone again while walking rapidly away.

“Sunbae! I figured out creep’s route!”

[What? Where’s he headed this time?!]

“I heard from his bandmates that he’s going through Mokpo and then heading to Jeju Island.”

[…Mokpo, then Jeju? Bori, are you going to be alright? This business trip’s getting much longer than expected.]

“Of course. No problem at all.”

Originally, Kim Bori pursued creep because of her desire to elevate Korea’s art world and gain fame as a journalist.

But now—

her personal curiosity toward the faceless artist creep had grown far larger.

She sincerely wanted to know what kind of person creep was—the man who completely stole her heart through both art and music.

“This time, no matter what happens, I’m succeeding in interviewing creep. Even if I have to risk my life.”

[…To *that* extent?]

And so Kim Bori gritted her teeth and officially began her pursuit(?) of creep.

Even if it meant circling the entire country, she fully intended to meet creep again somehow.

---

Today’s YouTube market was an extreme red ocean.

Every single day, tens of thousands of videos were uploaded, and videos that failed to gain public attention were quickly swept away like waves in a storm.

But even amidst that brutal competition—

videos destined to explode would eventually explode.

[Trending Video #3]

[#1 Trending in Music]

Once again, one particular video had been chosen by the algorithm.

“Hm? What’s this?”

[Time-Traveling Haenam National Music Festival — “A Story I Want to Tell You” by <The Stretched Band>]

At first, people casually browsing YouTube tilted their heads in confusion after seeing the recommendation.

“Why suddenly Haenam? You mean that southern tip village? They hold music festivals there?”

Most people living in the Seoul metropolitan area didn’t even know such a festival existed in Haenam.

And on top of that—

by <The Stretched Band>?