Become A Music Monster Overnight! [EN]: Chapter 12

5. Jang Tae-shik

Lee Ah-hyun, who had briefly stepped away to assist a customer, returned with a puzzled expression.

“Where did everyone go, and why is he performing alone?”

“That’s Black Tiger. He’s doing it solo. Looks like the band broke up. Since he’s here, he should at least play a song.”

“….”

She gave the boss a knowing smile, amused by how he, usually so cold-blooded, revealed a soft spot for musicians.

However, Jang Tae-shik didn’t notice her smile, his gaze fixed on the man preparing on stage.

Despite his grumbling, the fact that he was up there alone, regardless of the reason, was admirable.

Having spent over 30 years in the music industry, making excuses and avoiding the stage himself, he felt it even more keenly.

The man introduced as Black Tiger was skillfully setting up. Young-chan, belatedly noticing Lee Ah-hyun beside Jang Tae-shik, muttered in surprise.

“Oh? I didn’t expect to see Ah-hyun noona [older sister or female friend] here. I wonder if they’re married now?”

Jang Tae-shik and Lee Ah-hyun, who had started as boss and employee, overcame their 15-year age difference and tied the knot.

It wasn’t a shotgun wedding [marriage due to unplanned pregnancy].

They were genuinely compatible, both professionally and personally.

It was surprising that a romantic relationship hadn’t developed sooner, after over 10 years of working together.

Because of their deep connection, once a spark ignited, they couldn’t resist the ensuing emotions, leading naturally to marriage.

Lee Ah-hyun, not much older than Young-chan, was addressed as ‘noona’ rather than ‘aunt,’ and he was deeply grateful to her in many ways.

Seeing two people he missed so much, Young-chan couldn’t suppress the smile that crept onto his face.

He grinned foolishly, adjusted the microphone to his height, and then raised his voice.

“The song I’m going to play is my own composition, ‘Old Soldiers Never Die.’ There are two versions of this song, and I’ll be performing one of them for you.”

“Keu-eung.”

Some customers smiled at the mention of an original song, but Jang Tae-shik let out a groan-like sigh.

Self-composed songs from disbanded bands were usually predictably bad.

Unlike Jang Tae-shik, who harbored such doubts, Lee Ah-hyun watched the stage with an intrigued expression.

Having encountered countless musicians during her decade-plus tenure, she sensed a unique aura from the man on stage.

It was reminiscent of the feeling she had experienced when meeting the now-legendary musician three years prior.

Comparing an unknown musician in his 20s to a legend was, admittedly, absurd.

However, with her uniquely unbiased perspective, she couldn’t dismiss her intuition.

And it didn’t take long for that feeling to solidify into certainty.

-Tta-da-dan!-

The moment he touched the guitar, the unknown musician vanished.

In his place stood a monster poised to shake the world.

-Tta-da-da-dan Tta-da-dan!-

-……-

As the performance gained momentum, everyone in the bar became captivated. The chatter and laughter ceased as if they had never existed, replaced by the guitarist’s sound.

They recognized it too.

That a monster unlike any they had seen before was commanding the stage.

-Ji-ji-ji-jing!-

“Ah, ah, ah~. Yes, I’m back. Just like always!”

The moment Young-chan, amplifying his presence with a dazzling guitar solo, approached the microphone and spoke, the atmosphere transformed.

As if the god of rock had unleashed a primal roar, his voice, amplified by the massive amp, sent everyone’s hearts racing.

The audience was stunned by the unbelievable guitar sound, the equally incredible vocals, and ‘Old Soldiers Never Die,’ which seamlessly integrated both, leaving them feeling overwhelmed.

It was a truly insane performance, yet no one cheered or made a sound until the song concluded.

Fear.

It was fear.

Fear that this dreamlike, unbelievable reality might shatter.

They were afraid that this music, which had assaulted their heightened senses, would vanish like a mirage.

Only silent screams filled the room, and at the epicenter of those screams was Jang Tae-shik.

‘This is… This is!’

The real deal had arrived.

The real deal, which they often joked about with friends, had materialized before him as if in a dream.

“Someday, Korea will produce a real deal like Led Zeppelin or Queen that will shake the world, right?”

“Crazy bastard! Times have changed. Back when we were actively performing, the government was busy censoring, and when things started to loosen up, gangsters caused trouble. But looking back, those times were better. Who’s making a fuss about rock these days? The trend has shifted. The mainstream moved on a long time ago.”

“You never know. What makes the real deal real? It’s real because it can defy all those trends.”

“Aigo [expression of frustration]. If you’re drunk, go wash your feet and go to sleep. Real deal or whatever, kids these days don’t play rock. Why bother when it’s so easy to mess up?”

“Because that’s rock! That’s the reason. Let’s write a song for our kids this time. Wouldn’t it attract attention if a girl group did rock?”

“We’re talking about the real deal, so why are you bringing up girl groups again?”

“….Real deal or whatever, just give us a song for our kids, you bastards!”

Like the stories from his drinking sessions with friends, the real deal he envisioned was like that.

A monster that thrives by ignoring the trends of the music market.

Perhaps someone who will evolve into a monster capable of influencing even global trends.

But given the lackluster history of Korean rock, the emergence of such a real deal seemed impossible.

Supply is necessary for demand to exist, but the supply is dwindling, overshadowed by hip-hop and other genres.

However, Jang Tae-shik harbored a vague expectation that it would happen someday.

Ironically, Jang Tae-shik, the most rational of his friends, held the most idealistic dream.

The reason why he, endlessly cold-blooded in business, was particularly sympathetic to musicians was because he clung to that ideal.

Thirty years had passed, and he knew better than anyone that it was no longer feasible.

‘But….’

But, as if in a dream, that real deal had suddenly appeared before him.

Not just a monster, but a beast capable of devouring the world.

-Tu-du-du-duk!-

Goosebumps erupted all over his body, and his eyes, his ears, all his senses were focused on the man on stage.

‘Now the trend of the world will change.’

Was it because he knew he was witnessing the birth of a legend?

Jang Tae-shik had to wipe his eyes repeatedly to clear the blurriness he hadn’t even noticed.

‘Aigoo~. Another explosion of sensitivity.’

Young-chan struggled to suppress the smile that threatened to break out at the familiar sight.

Jang Tae-shik didn’t seem like it, but he often displayed such bursts of sensitivity, a trait that hadn’t faded with age.

Even the drum master didn’t mock this aspect of him.

Because he understood that such sensitivity was the bedrock of his musical worldview.

-Waaaaah!-

After about 20 seconds of silence, an explosive cheer erupted.

There were only 20 audience members, including the boss Jang Tae-shik and manager Lee Ah-hyun, but their cheers sounded like ten times that number.

“Crazy. What did I just hear!”

“Is he Korean? What kind of unbelievable sensibility is this!”

“The music, the song, the guitar, it’s not the kind of quality you expect to hear in a place like this? Am I in Las Vegas right now?”

“I’ve been going to rock festivals since the ’88 Olympics, but this experience, this feeling, is one of the best!”

“Haa! You scared me. I’m already on heart medication… I almost got carried away.”

“Haha. Didn’t he say there was another version? Let’s hear that too! If we do well, we can send this bastard off [support him to success].”

“Keu keu. Yeah, let’s eat hospital food for a while. Encore!”

“Encore! Encore!”

The fervor of the older audience members, shouting for an encore as if foaming at the mouth, was more intense than any young crowd.

And at the center of it all was Jang Tae-shik, who had already wiped away his tears.

“Please play the other version too! Encore! Encore!”

“Oh my… Boss.”

Lee Ah-hyun, unaccustomed to seeing her boss so passionately fired up after so long, struggled to calm him down.

Young-chan smiled broadly at the audience’s reaction and brought the microphone to his lips.

“I love the enthusiastic cheers. But unfortunately, the other version requires someone to assist me. I’d need at least a keyboardist. Is there anyone here who can play?”

At Young-chan’s sudden request for a musician, the audience’s eyes simultaneously turned to one person.

“We have one! We have one here! Boss Jang! What are you doing? Get up!”

“Don’t be shy, get up! Do you know how rare it is to hear music like this up close?”

“What are you doing? Are your legs too weak because you’re old?”

“Hurry up and get out there before I kick your ass!”

They were all acquaintances, it seemed, judging by their rough language.

And Jang Tae-shik, who never tolerated such things, flared up and shouted.

“Shut up! Who said I’m old? I’ll get you guys later!”

“Oooooh! We’re not scared. Get on stage already!”

“Yeah. If you’re not senile, hurry up! When else would you get to play with someone like him!”

“Hmm.”

Jang Tae-shik hesitated for a moment, humming, but soon his eyes sparkled as he looked at Young-chan, and before he knew it, he was stepping onto the stage.

“Here, this is the sheet music I brought just in case. It’s not as complicated as you might think. I’ve written down all the necessary parts, so just follow along.”

“Ah, I understand.”

And before he knew it, he was standing in front of the keyboard placed on one side of the stage. At first, he felt a bit dazed, but the moment he saw the sheet music Young-chan handed him, he was lost in it.

Being an old-timer who still practiced his instrument for at least two hours a day, he could understand the notes just by looking at the score.

“This is insane!”

The exclamation that popped out of his mouth was fleeting, and soon all his senses were absorbed in the sheet music.

It was as if the interpretations in the score were perfectly tailored to his taste, as if he had been making music with him for over a decade.

-Thump, thump-

‘This is the real deal! This guy is the real deal!’

Jang Tae-shik’s hands trembled as his heart pounded faster, to the point where he wanted to steal the drunkard’s heart medication.

-Jeez!

However, the moment Young-chan lightly strummed his guitar in front of him, his trembling hands stopped.

“Let’s go!”

And with that playful word, Jang Tae-shik began to play the keyboard like a well-trained soldier.

-Ta-da-dang! Ta-da-da-dang!-

Keyboardist.

Usually, it refers to someone who plays the electronic piano, but Jang Tae-shik’s case went beyond that.

He could play all the keyboard instruments used in popular music, and his musical range was as wide as his skills were outstanding.

He could even show off a near-professional level in classical piano, so he could be called a first-class keyboardist.

‘Wow! Did he just eat and play the keyboard all day? Why is he so much better?’

In fact, Young-chan had thought that Jang Tae-shik from this world would be inferior to the one from his world.

However, at least when it came to the electronic piano, Jang Tae-shik’s level seemed to be higher now. It would be difficult to reach the level of a world-renowned master, but he seemed to be one of the best in Korea.

Thus began ‘Old Soldiers Never Die,’ which evoked a strange nostalgia on the faces of the audience here.

If the previous version of ‘Old Soldiers Never Die’ was a re-arranged song for the modern era, the ‘Old Soldiers Never Die’ being played now was a slightly enhanced arrangement from the 90s, the era of the original song.

‘Old Soldiers Never Die (90’s),’ created with inspiration unleashed from the terrible amphetamine-induced awakening that led to death, was comparable to any masterpiece that marked an era.

Of course, the standard for that masterpiece was based on the world, so everyone in this place stood up without exception.

The 2016 version was good, but ‘Old Soldiers Never Die (90’s)’ felt like they had found a hidden masterpiece they had never heard before.

‘As expected, only the masters can play this properly.’

Only the generation of the 70s and 80s could reproduce that unique sensibility.

It was a sensibility that even Young-chan, who had been active since the 90s, found difficult to fully express.

Indeed, with the addition of a keyboardist from that era, the level of ‘Old Soldiers Never Die (90’s)’ rose to another level.

The music, which was S-grade, was upgraded to S+ grade.

“You say you can’t understand me? But look! I wasn’t wrong!”

As ‘Old Soldiers Never Die (90’s)’ headed towards its climax, everyone in the club bar shouted in excitement.

The great music made them return to their youth.

Those days when they had nothing but passion and enthusiasm.

When the music they had been with at that time returned, their hearts were no different from those of their youth.

“Oh, shit. I might really get carried away?”

Someone who was worried about the heart rate monitor on his wrist beeping to detect danger soon fell into the music as if it didn’t matter.

He seemed to think that if he couldn’t properly enjoy this crazy music, what was the point of living.

Thus ended the frantic song that lasted 6 minutes and 20 seconds.

It was almost twice as long as the songs that come out these days, but no one thought the song was long.

As if proving that time is relative, people couldn’t hide their disappointment at the music that had already ended.

“Hahaha. One more time?”

“One more time!”

“Encore! Encore! Please, encore!”

Young-chan shouted because that disappointment was not only felt by the audience, and the audience cheered greatly.

That feeling was not only theirs.

Jang Tae-shik, who had come on stage with Young-chan and had a performance he had never experienced before, was no different.

“Encore!!!”

He also shouted a loud encore, and then immediately played ‘Old Soldiers Never Die (90’s).’

At the sight of this master, Young-chan grinned, revealing his white teeth, and began to play the guitar as well.

Thus, ‘Old Soldiers Never Die (90’s)’ ended only after being played three more times, and everyone in the bar collapsed, exhausted.

────────────────────────────────────

────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 6. Black Tiger.

“…Are you really considering coming up on our stage?”

After the last encore, Jang Tae-shik asked, looking at Young-chan with reddish eyes, carefully.

Having lived a life looking at rock for a long time, he could tell.

Not only the Cynthia band but also the stellar bands in Korea could not be compared with him.

It is said that a star can fly up if he seizes the opportunity well, but the musician in front of him was an existence that did not even need such a thing.

Jang Tae-shik knew that if he made up his mind, he was the real deal that could succeed enough on the world stage right away.

‘It’s definitely easier to talk. Uncle is…’

Originally, he was in the position of interviewing, but if it was a monster or beast of this level of ecosystem destruction, the direction would be reversed.

Young-chan knew that well, so he showed two fingers in a relaxed manner and said.

“There are two conditions.”

At Young-chan’s appearance that he had the intention, Jang Tae-shik hurriedly said in a worn-out manner, knowing that he shouldn’t.

“Tell me anything. I’ll even give you the shares of C’est la vie.”

“B, Boss!”

Lee Ah-hyun called him, meaning that he was crazy, but Jang Tae-shik, who met the real thing for the first time, didn’t care about such things.

Young-chan was tempted for a moment by the story of C’est la vie’s shares, which must have been at the level of a mid-sized company’s sales, but soon shook his head.

“Shares… are okay. The conditions I put forward are as follows.”

Jang Tae-shik’s eyes widened at Young-chan’s three conditions, and Lee Ah-hyun’s reaction was no different.

Because these were conditions they hadn’t even imagined.

The first condition Young-chan presented was that he wanted help gathering the members of Black Tiger.

When they heard that, Jang Tae-shik and Lee Ah-hyun thought it would be very easy.

Because Young-chan possessed a monster-like talent that any musician would cling to, even selling their soul for the opportunity.

Perhaps, once he became fully known on the stage of C’est la vie, all sorts of talented people would flock to him.

But Young-chan wasn’t just looking for talented people.

“As you may have noticed from today’s jam session, I hope the people I’m looking for can express the emotions of the 7080s [1970s and 1980s]. Not just imitation, but the real emotions of that era. First, I’d like two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, and a keyboardist, and I’d like the CEO to be the keyboardist.”

“Uh… Me?”

“Yes. Didn’t we have good chemistry today?”

“…Do you call that chemistry? If so, this is my first time experiencing it.”

He had never experienced such emotion, even in jam sessions with his 30-year-old friends.

In fact, just by sharing the stage once, his musicality had expanded incomparably.

It was as if he had broken down a wall he didn’t even know existed.

“But… are you sure? If you want, I can introduce you to the best in the country.”

At his mention of living legends, Young-chan shook his head as if there was nothing to think about.

“Their style is too strong, so they won’t suit me. I like people like the CEO.”

“What kind of person are you talking about when you say someone like me?”

Jang Tae-shik, curious as to why Young-chan wanted him, received an unexpected answer.

“I’m talking about people who are technically complete but haven’t yet found their own path.”

“!!”

Unlike Lee Ah-hyun, who was puzzled, Jang Tae-shik was startled when he realized what Young-chan meant.

Young-chan’s words implied that he could help him find that path.

Perhaps, if they hadn’t performed together on stage, Jang Tae-shik wouldn’t have even considered Young-chan’s words as anything more than a joke.

What Young-chan was talking about was inspiration, which is often considered the exclusive realm of innate talent.

Why would companies hire musicians to record even though they can accurately capture the sound with MIDI [Musical Instrument Digital Interface]?

It’s because they can capture emotions that MIDI can’t imitate.

Therefore, only those who know how to handle these emotions can be recognized as first-class musicians.

Young-chan was saying that he could help him find that.

So Jang Tae-shik couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Let’s do it together. CEO.”

“……”

Even at Young-chan’s tempting offer, as if a devil was trying to sway him, Jang Tae-shik couldn’t answer easily.

Unexpected things were happening in reality, like a lie, so he felt a vague sense of fear.

It was Lee Ah-hyun who pushed Jang Tae-shik, who was hesitating, in the back.

“What are you doing? CEO. This is what you’ve wanted your whole life.”

“Is that possible at my age?”

Lee Ah-hyun shouted with a rare angry face at him, who was hesitating and citing his age.

“How can you say such a stupid thing! Say you’ll do it right now! Hurry!”

“Ah, I understand.”

Feeling like he was being scolded by his mother as a child, Jang Tae-shik hurriedly agreed and then looked at Young-chan, who was waiting for an answer.

“I want to work with you even if I have to grind my soul into dust.”

“Hahaha. Good. Then, as I said before, please gather and bring the people I mentioned.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Young-chan was overjoyed that his first condition, which could be said to have achieved all of his goals, was met.

Why was he trying to find his masters?

It wasn’t just to find memories from that world. Rather, he wanted colleagues who could express his music better than anyone else.

‘As expected, if you catch one, they all come along like a string of dried fish.’

Young-chan, who struggled to suppress his desire to run wild with excitement, then stated the second condition.

“There’s an agency I created called YC Entertainment.”

“YC Entertainment?”

Jang Tae-shik and Lee Ah-hyun were puzzled by the sudden news that he had established an agency. While the formation of the band was surprising, they soon nodded.

Certainly, it wasn’t surprising that a musician with this level of skill would create an agency.

“Currently, I and a high school band club I was teaching called Soo-ah are affiliated with this place. I would appreciate it if the CEO could help us until we get settled for the time being.”

“I understand.”

Jang Tae-shik accepted the second condition as if it were not difficult.

It wasn’t like he was taking on the whole thing, and from Jang Tae-shik’s point of view, who was running a fairly large business, taking on a small agency that had just started was not a significant burden.

No, there was no need for him to take it on himself; he could just bring in someone who works in this field.

Jang Tae-shik, who accepted Young-chan’s condition, asked with a slightly puzzled face.

“But you’re not talking about royalties or anything like that?”

“Now we’re colleagues who will be making music together, so we have to trust each other.”

“…..”

Colleagues who make music together.

Jang Tae-shik was swept away by emotions that were difficult to express in words when he heard those words from the real deal he had dreamed of.

-Koo-roo-rurung!-

He could almost hear the sound of the gears that had been misaligned or stopped in his life turning.

‘He’s falling for strange things again.’

Young-chan, who had been with him for over 15 years, easily recognized his inner state, although those who didn’t know him wouldn’t.

“…..Colleagues. Good! Trust me. You just have to do what you want to do.”

“Yes. Then I’ll trust you, CEO.”

“Yes, yes. Ahahaha.”

Young-chan did not miss the opportunity and quickly accepted those words.

“Something’s strange…”

Lee Ah-hyun was worried about whether she should stop him because she felt like she had been tricked, but everything was already settled.

The performances were decided to be held on Friday and Saturday, and the royalties were set at the level of a top band.

It didn’t make sense to match an unknown musician like that, no matter how good they were.

But her concerns were resolved when Young-chan revealed his YouTube channel to them.

“You were that God Singer? Yes, definitely…”

Although Jang Tae-shik didn’t know about the YC Entertainment YouTube channel that Young-chan had recently created, he knew the God Singer video well.

At the time, there were many rumors among established musicians about the identity of God Singer, so he, who knew YouTube well, couldn’t help but know.

Compared to Jang Tae-shik, Lee Ah-hyun, who knew the ripple effect of YouTube better than anyone else and even ran the C’est la vie channel separately, was looking at the YC Entertainment channel with slightly surprised eyes.

“The number of subscribers is already 800,000… At this rate, it seems like it will reach 1 million soon.”

But what was even more surprising was the number of views on his cover videos.

The fact that each one gets millions of views is truly amazing. In addition, the fact that there are already two videos with over 10 million views is definitely an element that can greatly appeal to the audience.

It meant that giving royalties at the level of a top band was by no means a loss.

‘Above all, the CEO is so happy.’

She was watching Jang Tae-shik, who was already excited like a child, with warm eyes, and Young-chan smiled at her appearance.

“I’ll have to play the role of Ojakgyo [a mythical magpie bridge that connects lovers] again this time.”

In fact, he was the one who pushed the two of them together even in that world, so Young-chan had a sense of mission he didn’t know about.

One day, ahead of the end of summer.

Young-chan revived his band like that.