Innocent Her, Corrupted
"…So, what're you gonna do in the end?"
"About what?"
"You said you wanted to build fame and experience. Is there any decent way to do that?"
Putting aside Moon Juhee, who'd gotten all gloomy after getting chewed out despite her age, Lee Junwoo—who'd been messing around on my laptop—asked the question.
We'd all gathered here for that very issue, so now that we were this far in, it made sense to settle on a plan.
I pondered his question for a bit.
There'd been some noise, sure, but both Moon Juhee's idea and Lee Junwoo's were effective in their own ways. Busking would give Lara a ton of real-world experience, and using SNS for outreach and promo would play to her raw talent better than anything.
After mulling it over a little more, I laid out a sensible choice between the two.
"…Why not just do both?"
"……."
"I mean, do we really have to pick one? Just busk and promo on SNS."
"…Yeah, true."
The endless bickering came to a real end with my simple, clear-cut answer.
In the end, we'd taken the long way around.
If I had to compare our situation right now, it's like I've got an automatic handgun in my hand. A sleek Glock 19. A few trigger pulls and you drop a person—why chase just one of two rabbits when you could bag a deer too if you're good?
That's how convenient things are for me and Lara right now. No restrictions, so we can fail as much as we want and keep trying, or pivot directions if it flops again. What better setup is there for newbie musicians?
"You're used goods, though."
"Not dissing my rep here—I'm brand new. Quantum mechanics… observer something…."
I'm hopeless at science, so I can't explain it well, but it's kinda like that concept. Deception and betrayal only count once they're exposed, right? If no one notices whether it's used or new, there's no problem—which means no one's the wiser, no issue.
"Doesn't sound right…."
Lee Junwoo looked unconvinced, but that's just 'cause he hasn't been in this world long enough. Me? I'm Ariel the Little Mermaid, born and bred in those depths. Morality and ethics? Pfft, small potatoes for this cool dude.
Anyway, shelving that for now.
Listening to her argue with Lee Junwoo got me curious about something.
"Hey, you there, ajumma. Quit fiddling with my tracks on the laptop and get over here."
Moon Juhee, who'd commandeered my laptop and was digging through my abandoned files, had her headset slung around her neck and shot back primly.
"What?"
"Nothing big. Just curious about that busking talk. I know you did the indie scene at Hongdae live halls, but street performing too?"
"What band didn't busk back then? Every indie group did the basics."
"Really? Wild."
Back in Moonlight's heyday, I was like seven or eight. No real interest in band music then, and no time for it anyway. To me, she was just the singer from the bus radio or the tunes blasting outside phone shops. As someone who only remembers Moon Juhee from her "earned enough, sucked all the juice, now a has-been" enemy days, I had no clue what kind of music that-era Juhee was making.
'Heard she grinded the indie circuit and hit the airwaves… that's about it.'
To check out her glorious past firsthand, I searched for Moonlight's indie-era videos floating around the net.
Wasn't hard to find. They were pretty big in indie circles back then, and Moon Juhee's killer looks didn't hurt—tons of her solo cams online, despite not being an idol or girl group.
"Lemme see… 2013 Moonlight busking…."
I found a weathered video, quality all degraded by time.
The girl in it had her guitar covering half her body—it looked heavy just to hold, but she strummed away while belting it out full throttle. Phone footage from back then, so no crisp audio, but beyond her raw voice, sticky dreams hooked the crowd.
Emotional power—something like that?
"…What the hell…."
I couldn't help but stare in shock. Could barely believe it was real.
Was this actually her? Debut-era Moon Juhee at just 18?
If so, I couldn't wrap my head around it.
"What? What's up?"
Moon Juhee tilted her head at me. I flinched, looked at her, and plunged back into shock.
Was what I was seeing reality? Was video-her really 18? The same Moon Juhee I'd been roasting all this time?
How? How?
I couldn't hold back the rising questions and asked her in a shaky voice. No, I had to.
"Did you get plastic surgery or something?"
"…Huh?"
"No… how else do you change this much? Doesn't make sense!"
Yeah, video Moon Juhee—no, calling her that now would insult the girl. Let's say "young Moon Juhee." She looked pretty different from the current model.
Unlike her snow-white hair now, back then it was reddish-brown—stage lights made it pop more.
"Okay, dye job's possible…."
"That's not the point!"
No, hair color's trivial. No furrowed brows, no eyebrow scars. No tacky floral tattoo on her neck, and that smile brimmed with youthful freshness.
I got why Moonlight caught teens' eyes back then—alongside their unique vibe differentiating from other bands, Vocalist Moon Juhee was the star. Bright, bubbly singing decrying the world's BS. A teen girl screaming dreams with shining eyes.
Was the pure girl I saw really the same vicious ajumma in front of me?
If so, I might fear time a bit more. Dying and aging are human beauty, sure, but if you're gonna go, better young and hot than ugly and old, right?
Feeling my gaze, Moon Juhee checked her face on her phone cam, then dropped a bombshell.
"…Doesn't look that different from back then."
I lost it.
"Don't bullshit me! Look for yourself!"
I paused at her best shot and compared.
"This! And this! How's that the same person?!"
Side-by-side made the gap starker. What the hell did the band and rock do to this girl? Music was starting to sour a tad.
"People change, duh…."
As I griped about the difference, quiet Lee Junwoo peeked over.
"Whoa, Juhee noona at 18? Looks way younger than her 20s."
"How don't you know, dude? You're the same generation as Moonlight."
"Their peak was my high school days. No clue before that. Wasn't huge into bands anyway. And I don't even like Moonlight's songs."
"You say that to her face?"
"Whatever, too late now."
Lee Junwoo and I got drunk on young Moon Juhee via the video; she glared like it pissed her off. Fair enough—people always envy youth. Explains the immortality quests.
Glancing up, her lips were pursed, brow furrowed deep.
Honestly, she's got that baby face. Could pass for ten years younger at a glance. But after seeing then-Juhee….
"You look pretty aged now, huh."
"……."
She kicked my leg. Gets crankier with age, it seems.
Needled by the "old" talk, Moon Juhee got petty.
"Hey, so what if things changed a bit? People still mistake me for a college kid!"
"Noona, cut the exaggeration… Say that out loud and you'll get beat. Seriously, disaster."
Lee Junwoo's brutal line-drawing triggered her merciless violence. She mounted him and wailed away.
"Ow! Noona! Stop! It hurts!"
"You little shit…!"
An adult dude taking hits just 'cause of rank? Vowed never to end up under Moon Juhee, come hell or high water.
"What, you think I'm a fairy? If I looked teen-fresh at 30, I'd have retired!"
Not even mad, but she snapped anyway. Lee Junwoo nailed the exaggeration, wheezing out his retort.
"You retired 'cause your voice aged out. Don't act like it was looks… Ow ow ow!"
Spot-on fact-checking got his thigh pinched; he writhed, wiping floor dust on himself.
Watching her, I dropped my own conviction.
"Honestly, I could sing it better now."
"Hah… quit the crap! I'm not that bad!"
"For real. Feels like I'd nail it better than you…."
Clearing my throat, diaphragmatic breathing, I let out a note.
"Aaaaaah~~~"
High C-ish in octave 2? My voice is on the lighter side, came out pretty legit.
Kyung Hee vocal major Lee Junwoo listened keenly, then eyed Moon Juhee.
"Noona, your turn."
"……."
She eyed him awkwardly, cleared her phlegmy throat, strained for the high note.
"Aaaaaahhh—!"
"Pretty sure I did better."
"Hey! No way… *cough*! *hack*!"
See? Legendary vocalist who ruled an era, choking on one high note. That's why go composer route over vocalist or instrumentalist. Nail one track, eat for life. Valid even for those two grinning every spring and Christmas.
Arms crossed, analyzing our notes, Lee Junwoo judged with solemn fairness.
"For real, Gwang did it better."
"……."
"Kyung Hee vocal training really tunes the ear."
That's why check credentials for modern musicians. Who drops out to sing these days? College matters.
"…Oh yeah? That's how it is, huh?"
Moon Juhee hardened her face into a kind smile.
"Teacher Lee Junwoo. I'm looking for a student supervisor lately…."
"Nah, rethink—Juhee noona sounded better. Must be that career depth… more resonance."
"You both know how pathetic that looks?"
Flipping like pancakes. Lee Junwoo lying to dodge supervisor duty, Moon Juhee abusing rank for biased judging. What a filthy world.
Me? Justice Seonggwang, lover of music and righteousness. Can forgive trash humans, but lying about music? No.
"Hah… just check once for real? Karaoke run?"
"Karao< em>what? Karaoke?!"
Moon Juhee barked a hollow laugh, grilling me.
"Fine, say you beat my single notes at my age. But singing? You wouldn't touch me. Think I won Korean Music Awards playing go-stop? How low do you rate me?"
"That was then. Against 30-year-old booze-and-smoke Juhee? I'd smoke you."
"Wow… unbelievable. Me losing doesn't compute, but you thinking you can say that? My rep's in the gutter…."
"Scared?"
"Get ready. Anything under 90, you're dead."
Challenge accepted. For pride and ego, off to karaoke we went.
Lee Junwoo tried ditching—couldn't leave him alone—but got dragged too.
Searched nearby spots, rented a big room at a coin karaoke joint.
But once inside….
"……."
"……."
"……."
Chilly. Heart-stab city. Fiery rivalry from before? Vanished. All three cowed by the unfamiliar vibe.
Coin karaoke draws students. Pure youths' puzzled stares broke the immature adults—they hung heads. Me, a student but partying with elders, no clue either.
"…Dude. You're 20s. College life, you've hit these spots."
Moon Juhee's an old mutt, fine. But Lee Junwoo seemed sociable in uni—why clammed up?
"Went, but always sang musical numbers instead of hits. Kids ditched me eventually."
"……."
Pathetic. Sigh, head down.
What a sight. Her last karaoke? 23, band afterparty. His? Bad memories, silent. Me? No friends, never partied. Three moody types who flake once the table's set.
Challenge? Whatever. Reality hit: wanted home. Future bleak.
Moon Juhee fiddled with the mic, asked me.
"…Gwang-ah, know anyone good to sing with?"
"Who?"
I skip school lunches with energy bars. No one to call, no hype squad for this gloom….
"…Wait, one."
"For real?"
"Yeah. Hits karaoke with friends, high energy…."
"Call 'em! Anyone. You lot are hopeless."
Totally agreed. Phoned her; the awful adults swelled with hope for vibe rescue.
"But Gwang-ah, who's the pick? Classmate?"
Lee Junwoo finally curious about his student. I shook no.
"Not ours. Got one acquaintance in A-Class."
"Who?"
"Well, y'see…."
"……."
Sunday. Shin Lara rushes over from Seonggwang's sudden call. Waiting at the karaoke? Her awkward teachers—the subject prof and principal—sprawled apart.
Whatever the kid's doing with them, why call her?
"You hit karaoke a lot, right? Show us the machine while you're here. No cash—how to pay card?"
"……."
"Done? Just bounce. You're busy anyway."
Shin Lara seriously considered cutting him off for good.