Chapter 220: I Should've Become a DJ Instead of a Composer
After reading Taeyoon's message, Etica—Han Youngseo—curled her lips into a small smile.
[Blackhole: There's a composer who wants Etica to do the DJing feature. It's Busan Goblin—you know him, right? He watched yesterday's performance...]
She hadn't spent all these years in this industry for nothing.
If someone had approached her for a collaboration meeting through Blackhole, then it probably wasn't just about work.
'...What kind of person is he?'
She'd received more confessions than she could count on both hands.
Most of them had been casual jokes, or reckless advances fueled by alcohol.
But this kind of polite proposal was a first.
A feature.
It carried a weight that went beyond simply exchanging contact information.
The other party was Busan Goblin.
She liked his songs too.
She'd even bought Double Line's album.
They said you could see the person through their music.
The Busan Goblin she saw was someone remarkably warm.
His melodies and lyrics told her as much.
Besides...
'I didn't know he was close with Blackhole...'
The fact that he was close to Taeyoon made him seem trustworthy.
Making friends with people who genuinely loved music.
Maybe...
That was something she'd always wanted.
Smiling, Han Youngseo sent her reply.
[Etica: Of course I know him. I already have plans today. Tomorrow morning...]
There was a small flutter of anticipation in her heart as well.
The next morning.
Dogibong followed Taeyoon into the backstage area.
He'd been in and out of this place countless times.
So why was he so nervous today?
Hoo... Haa...
Secretly taking deep breaths, he repeated the same words to himself over and over.
'Please do the feature. I just have to say those words. Please do the feature... Please do the feature...'
As they sat at one of the lobby tables waiting for Etica...
Moon Jeongbae spotted them and greeted Taeyoon enthusiastically.
"Hey, Taeyoon. I watched yesterday's performance. That dual set was incredible. Gicheol kept bragging nonstop about how he managed to get tickets..."
"Really? Wow, Mr. Gicheol's fingers are fast."
"Any extra tickets left? I really want to go to the next performance."
"I couldn't even get any for my mom."
"That's too bad. I wanted to watch our youngest perform up close. I don't even know how many times I've watched the video. Maybe I should try ticketing myself."
After chatting happily with Taeyoon for a while...
Moon Jeongbae suddenly narrowed his eyes and turned toward Dogibong.
"But what's with him? Is he going to a job interview somewhere? Has Minsoo not been treating you well lately?"
At Moon Jeongbae's question, Dogibong awkwardly adjusted his collar.
Maybe I shouldn't have worn a tie.
With an awkward grin, he answered,
"Ah... Well... Something like that. Hahaha."
"I like seeing you in a suit for once. I'm used to seeing you dressed like a slob all the time. You look sharp. Clean. Whatever your meeting is about, good luck."
Moon Jeongbae gave him a thumbs-up before walking away.
Watching him leave, Taeyoon simply chuckled.
Dogibong, however, remained completely serious.
"Do I really look okay?"
"...Yeah. Well... Um... Haha."
Taeyoon answered casually with a laugh, while Dogibong still couldn't hide his nervousness.
Just then...
The backstage door opened.
"You've been waiting, right?"
Etica appeared with her long hair tied back tightly.
Her voice was calm.
Yet simply by appearing, it felt as though the entire room had brightened.
From head to toe...
Everything about her sparkled.
At least, that's how Dogibong saw her.
He immediately jumped to his feet and bowed awkwardly.
He wanted to speak.
But it felt as though something was stuck in his throat, preventing a single word from coming out.
While he fumbled...
Taeyoon casually struck up a conversation with the walking source of light.
"Oh, Etica! Ah, wait. Or should I call you Skippy?"
"Oh, come on. What kind of joke is that? It's good to see you again!"
The two of them immediately began talking about the performance from the other day.
The timing of the Drop.
Where the audience reacted the most.
How the equipment had been set up.
In an instant, the conversation turned entirely toward the performance.
Whenever Etica tossed out a topic, Taeyoon caught it.
Whenever Taeyoon brought something up, Etica immediately responded.
There wasn't a single opening to bring up the feature.
"Maybe I should've cut the EQ just a little more right before the Drop?"
"No. It was perfect just the way it was."
"I was a little nervous when I delayed the chorus by half a beat. You couldn't tell?"
"But you matched my timing perfectly anyway. I was honestly a little surprised."
Dogibong simply rolled his eyes back and forth while nodding as though he understood.
'I'm jealous...'
It bothered him that he couldn't join the conversation.
The two of them looked like longtime partners.
There didn't seem to be any room for him to squeeze in.
'Why can't I DJ? I should've become a DJ instead of a composer.'
Just as he began thinking something so ridiculous...
Taeyoon glanced at the wall clock and suddenly shot to his feet.
"Wow, it's already this late. Ah, what should I do? Sorry. The CEO called me—I need to stop by Kim Entertainment."
His acting was terrible.
But Dogibong didn't have the presence of mind to notice.
"Something urgent?"
"A little?"
Unlike the flustered Dogibong...
Etica simply smiled and said goodbye.
"Once your contract expires, make sure you come to Kim Entertainment! Yesterday's performance was so much fun."
Scurry—
Taeyoon quickly left.
An awkward silence settled between them.
I have to...
I have to break this awkward atmosphere somehow!
Dogibong finally forced himself to speak.
"I really enjoyed your performance. It was amazing. Your song selection was great too."
"Oh, really? Thank you."
"Blackhole's so incredible that I originally planned to watch only him, but you were so good too. Hahaha."
Naturally...
The only name that came out of his mouth was Blackhole.
Because he'd assumed Taeyoon was the only connection between the two of them.
Even afterward...
Dogibong kept talking about Blackhole.
The Orbit Phone commercial.
The old Sierra days.
He rambled aimlessly.
"...Actually, I first found out about him because of something else, but Blackhole's just such an amazing DJ. Hahaha."
Etica quietly listened.
Then the corners of her lips slowly lifted.
A little teasing.
A little meaningful.
She calmly called out to him.
"Excuse me, Mr. Busan Goblin."
"Y-Yes?"
Etica pulled out a chair and sat down.
Her hair swayed slightly, carrying the faint scent of shampoo with it.
"But why do you keep talking only about Blackhole?"
"...Huh?"
"Can't we talk about ourselves now? You didn't ask me to come here just so you could talk about Blackhole."
Thump—
Dogibong felt as though his heart had dropped to his feet.
How could she look at him with such sparkling eyes while saying something so provocative?
He instantly lost the ability to speak.
'...Talk about ourselves?'
What was that?
Did we have something to talk about?
Why was my heart beating so fast?
Yet all he managed to say was...
"It's just... Actually, I wrote a song..."
Damn it.
The more he spoke, the worse he made things.
At that moment...
Etica gently interrupted him.
"I really like your songs, Mr. Busan Goblin."
"Huh?"
"My favorite is Time Gap. I love how nostalgic the strings sound during the instrumental break."
"Ah."
"Tell me about yourself, Mr. Busan Goblin. What kind of project would you like to do with me? And..."
"What kind of music do you want to create?"
Receiving Etica's warm, encouraging gaze...
Dogibong made up his mind.
I've only shown my clumsy side so far.
If I keep acting like this, I can forget about the feature.
Right.
I'll show her who I really am!
He suddenly sprang to his feet.
"Please do the feature!"
His voice was so loud...
The entire lobby practically echoed.
Etica quietly suppressed a laugh.
It seemed obvious he'd practiced saying that one short sentence dozens of times.
But she decided to pretend she hadn't noticed.
She wanted to reward that courage.
"Hmm~ I'll decide after I hear it."
Dogibong.
A man who was shy around people...
But completely transformed the moment music became the topic.
Facing Etica's playful attitude, he answered confidently.
"Once you hear it, you won't be able to refuse."
That's right.
This was how musicians were supposed to be.
Etica stood up.
Then she extended her right hand, answering just as confidently.
"Deal. I'll mix it so well that you won't even think about Blackhole."
Dogibong grasped her hand firmly.
"Of course. I'm counting on you."
No longer did Dogibong hesitate or stumble over himself.
He'd finally realized why he'd been trembling.
Why he'd been so nervous.
It was excitement.
The thrill of taking on a new challenge.
The anticipation of welcoming a new family member to Kim Entertainment.
The awkward atmosphere between them disappeared.
Only now did they truly look at one another.
"Let's begin."
After moving into the studio, Dogibong played the song.
The restless, awkward Dogibong was gone.
Only Busan Goblin remained.
Actually, there had still been plenty of time before my appointment.
I simply figured things would go better if I wasn't around, so I left first.
For the first time in a while...
I enjoyed having some time to myself.
I grabbed a coffee.
Went for a walk.
Then, while riding a quiet bus toward Kim Entertainment...
[DJ Version 1.mp3]
[DJ Version 2.mp3]
[DJ Version 3.mp3]
Gibong-hyung kept sending me audio files and messages one after another.
[Gibong-hyung: Hey, hey. Give these a listen.]
[Gibong-hyung: I think Version 1 is better, but Youngseo says Version 3 is better.]
[Gibong-hyung: Give me an honest opinion.]
...Wait.
They're already on a first-name basis?
Looking down at the messages, I couldn't help smiling.
Seeing the people I liked becoming friends with one another...
It felt surprisingly nice.
Besides...
I was looking forward to hearing Etica's powerful DJing added to Busan Goblin's song.
In my experience...
Trying different styles was when people improved the fastest.
No way I was going to listen to this casually while walking down the street.
[Me: I'll listen to it properly once I get home. Still outside lol.]
After sending the message, I slipped my phone back into my pocket.
"Brr... It's cold."
The weather had gotten much colder.
After getting off at the bus stop, I pulled up the hood of my padded jacket and walked toward Kim Entertainment.
As I walked...
Certain familiar words drifted over from passing conversations.
Without realizing it, I found myself listening.
"So this is Kim Entertainment's headquarters?"
"Oh? You didn't know?"
"It's smaller than I expected."
"They don't have that many artists."
I deliberately slowed my pace a little.
"If we wait here, do you think we'll see Junhyun?"
"Baek Junhyun from Double Line?"
"Yeah. They say he's even more handsome in person."
That brat.
He's really popular.
Surprisingly...
Junhyun had quite a few female fans.
Something about having a vibe that awakened maternal instincts.
I didn't really understand it...
But he certainly did look neat and dependable.
"Doesn't Dogibong look better, though?"
"Isn't Dogibong more of a smooth-talking type?"
"I guess."
Pretending not to hear anything, I pulled my cap lower and continued walking.
But apparently we were all headed in the same direction.
Their voices gradually grew louder.
"When's Double Line's new song coming out? It should be about time."
"I'm honestly more excited for Our Lost Child's new song than Double Line's."
"Our Lost Child is for old people. My mom loves them."
"True."
Keeping a reasonable distance, I walked behind them.
Then suddenly...
I stopped.
A familiar name reached my ears.
"But isn't Blackhole here too?"
"The DJ?"
"Yeah. I wasn't interested in DJs before, but he's actually really good."
"I wonder what Blackhole looks like. My older sister switched to an Orbit Phone after seeing his commercial."
"I've been to Sierra. I even have the bracelet."
"Seriously? Club Lunatic looked amazing. I want to go too."
Stay.
Blackhole.
Whenever I heard names like those out on the street...
Whenever music I'd created played somewhere in public...
Something inside my chest always felt strangely ticklish.
The fact that I existed inside strangers' conversations...
Still felt unfamiliar.
And amazing.
It was definitely cold outside...
Yet somehow, I felt warm.
I took off my hood and pulled my phone back out of my pocket.
"Hey, hey! No way! Did you see that?"
The two girls glanced at me as they walked past.
"Yeah, I did. Wait... There's no way that's Blackhole, right?"
"I heard Blackhole's ugly."
"Then maybe he's a trainee?"
"Oh... You're right. He must be a Kim Entertainment trainee."
Sometimes I honestly didn't know whether having good hearing was a blessing or a curse.
I could hear every word you were whispering.
And I'm not a trainee.
I'm DJ Blackhole!
Somehow suppressing the overwhelming urge to shout that out...
I hurried into the lobby.
"He went into Kim Entertainment. Guess he really is a trainee."
"I guess so."
No...
I'm telling you, I'm not.
Kim Entertainment CEO's Office.
The door opened.
Taeyoon's cheerful voice rang through the room.
Kim Minsoo simply raised a hand in greeting.
Whatever had him so busy...
He didn't even take his eyes off the monitor.
"You get some rest? Yesterday and today must've been a nice break."
"Yeah. I got to eat Mom's cooking and take it easy. But what are you doing?"
It was strange seeing him so unusually focused.
Kim Minsoo answered calmly.
"Checking emails."
"Oh, you're busy. Take your time."
A moment later...
Several sheets of paper slid out of the printer on one side of the desk.
Kim Minsoo picked them up before sitting down across from Taeyoon.
"How've you been feeling lately?"
What kind of question was that?
Taeyoon simply gave two thumbs up.
The opening of Club Lunatic had been a huge success.
One major hurdle had been cleared.
His new songs were progressing smoothly as well.
Life couldn't have been better.
"Great."
"Lunatic's been keeping you pretty busy."
The moment Club Lunatic came up...
Taeyoon immediately launched into an enthusiastic briefing.
"Oh, it's been crazy. You've probably already heard about the next performance. We're preparing K-pop remixes, and EDM Old School Night should be fun too. Ah! The Valentine's Day Special. That's going to have a completely unexpected set list. Around the month after next, we're even planning a band performance. Just because it's a club doesn't mean we have to do only DJing."
Kim Minsoo quietly listened.
'Heh. His eyes always light up whenever he talks about music.'
That was a relief.
Calling it the KW Hotel Club sounded simple enough.
But it had never been a small project.
The investment had been larger than expected.
The scale had been bigger than expected.
For someone as young as Taeyoon...
It could easily have become overwhelming.
Yet...
He'd pulled it off.
Magnificently.
Meaningfully.
"That's great. Listening to you talk about it gets me excited too."
Taeyoon shrugged.
"Come visit sometime. Someone at your level, CEO Minsoo, should be able to get into the staff seating."
"...You can only hear the music from there."
"Hey, that's still something."
"Haha."
Laughing louder than usual, Kim Minsoo casually placed the printed papers on the desk.
"Let's go."
"Huh? Where?"
"The Dolby Theatre."
"To watch a movie?"
Kim Minsoo laughed again.
The guy had been nominated for an Academy Award, yet he didn't even know what the Dolby Theatre was.
"You seriously don't know?"
"Huh? I've heard the name before. Is it in Jongno? Gangnam?"
Sigh.
Even this side of Taeyoon was adorable.
'This kid really hadn't been thinking about it at all.'
"We're going to the Academy Awards. You're a final nominee. Here, take this."
Taeyoon absentmindedly accepted the papers.
Then...
The golden logo and the words printed on the cover made his mind go blank.
'I'm going to America again? What about the performances?'
Rather than feeling happy about attending the Academy Awards...
Taeyoon's first concern was the upcoming Club Lunatic performances.