Become A Music Monster Overnight! [EN]: Chapter 110

“He didn’t get famous for nothing.”

Youngchan wasn’t sure if it was a placebo effect, but after hearing those words from his manager and drinking the concoction, he definitely felt better.

His heavy body seemed to regain energy, and his mind felt clear again.

After a quick shower, Youngchan put on a hoodie and large sunglasses and left his room.

Despite being the vocalist of Black Tiger, who had delivered an amazing performance the day before and was on the verge of topping the Billboard Hot 100 for the ninth week, surprisingly few people recognized him.

This was partly because the neighborhood had a small proportion of Asians, making it difficult to distinguish them, and partly because Youngchan looked quite different from his usual self.

It wasn’t just the large sunglasses that covered half of his face.

His hair was down to his eyes, and the baggy hoodie concealed his muscular physique.

From a Westerner’s perspective, he probably looked like a tall, teenage Asian boy.

Naturally, his unique “Sincerity mode,” as it was called locally in the U.S., was also hidden.

-Ting-a-ling!-

-Cha-ching!-

As he rode the elevator down, the sounds of slot machines echoed in his ears from all directions.

This was because the lower floors of the hotel he was staying in were a casino.

However, Youngchan had no intention of gambling at the casino.

In fact, after seeing how one of his enemies had fallen into ruin through baccarat [a card game], he didn’t dare to even consider it.

-Glug, glug!-

While briefly observing the interior of the casino, which made time fly by, he grabbed a coffee and headed outside.

Las Vegas might be more glamorous at night than during the day, but there were still things to see.

There was the famous Bellagio fountain show, The Mob Museum (the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement), and the High Roller observation wheel.

There was also the Neon Museum, but it wasn’t accessible to individuals.

Youngchan looked around and headed downtown.

If he combined his memories with those of his other self, he had been to Las Vegas over twenty times, but surprisingly, he had never been to the famous downtown area.

He had mostly spent his time on the Strip, where the casinos, hotels, and resorts were concentrated.

“Hmm. I’m glad I came.”

Youngchan was very satisfied with downtown.

The sight of a street that often appeared in old movies was a spectacle in itself.

In fact, unlike the tourists, the locals often frequented downtown.

Perhaps that’s why, unlike the overly organized and somewhat sterile Strip, there was a sense of humanity everywhere.

“There are quite a few character cosplayers here too.”

He had heard that he should give around $5 in tips, and Youngchan spent a considerable amount of time there.

Before making music, his hobby was watching Hollywood superhero movies.

In the 2000s, the quality of these superhero movies rose sharply, and some of the darker ones perfectly catered to his taste.

In particular, the Dark Knight series was his favorite superhero movie series.

Fortunately, the person cosplaying as the Dark Knight was known for their high quality.

The Dark Knight’s unique armor was incredibly detailed.

The materials weren’t cheap cotton or leather but metal like aluminum, recreating the look from the movie. The cosplayer’s jawline resembled the movie’s protagonist, so Youngchan took about ten photos and gave him a $100 tip.

Perhaps because word spread that a sucker had appeared?

Superhero cosplayers who had been active elsewhere approached him, and Youngchan took pictures with all of them.

He gave tips ranging from $10 to $50, with the price determined by the quality rather than his favorite characters.

“I’m starting to get hungry.”

After having a good time being a sucker, Youngchan realized he was hungry.

Well, he had only eaten chicken noodle soup all day and had been walking around, so it was no wonder he was hungry.

“Oh~”

Youngchan entered a decent restaurant that the cosplayers had recommended, which happened to be nearby, and he was quite surprised.

He was surprised by the old and shabby exterior, the antique interior, and, above all, the live stage for musicians.

“It’s not that strange.”

As Youngchan said, it wasn’t that strange.

In addition to the cosplayers, various artists were making money in downtown, each showing off their unique talents.

Some were performance artists, and others were young girls performing tricks with hula hoops.

Of course, there were bound to be musicians busking on the streets.

So it would have been stranger if there wasn’t a live restaurant like this.

-Da-da-da-dan-

-Woo-oong!-

The sounds of violin and piano soon filled the restaurant.

“Hmm……”

Youngchan nodded his head to the music filling the restaurant. He could definitely feel that the level of the performers here was different from that of the street performers.

Youngchan enjoyed all kinds of music, including classical, but the restaurant wasn’t overly luxurious, so it didn’t stick to classical music alone.

A female vocalist came up and sang jazz, and she also sang old pop songs.

“This place is nice. The food is good too……”

By Youngchan’s standards, it was far from perfect, but he wasn’t going to be picky about his standards in a place like this, so he was just happy.

-Clap, clap, clap!-

The pop song by the vocalist, who could have succeeded in a solo debut in Korea, filled the restaurant, and the customers applauded.

Youngchan also finished his meal and sipped his tea, joining in the applause. Of course, his applause was more perfunctory than others.

“Tsk. She’s not even that good.”

That’s why he couldn’t help but hear the voice of the restaurant’s female employee who was clearing the next table.

Perhaps at another time, Youngchan might have frowned at such an employee. But this time, it was different.

“……Huh?”

He felt a sense of déjà vu from the employee.

If this was the first time this had happened, Youngchan might have dismissed it, but he had felt this déjà vu before.

It was during his first meeting with Lee Na-eun, who currently holds the top spot as a solo female singer.

At the time, he had felt a strange sense of déjà vu from Lee Na-eun, who had timidly looked around and come to get his autograph at a cafe he had happened to visit.

He had never seen her face before, but the current situation and the employee didn’t feel unfamiliar.

And as a result of paying attention through this déjà vu, Youngchan realized that the employee was Lee Na-eun.

Having had that experience, Youngchan couldn’t ignore this déjà vu this time either.

That’s why Youngchan had to stare at the employee who was clearing the table, grumbling amidst the pouring applause.

Perhaps sensing Youngchan’s gaze?

The employee turned her head towards him, and then approached Youngchan, who was staring at her through his sunglasses.

“What are you looking at?”

“umm……”

Youngchan was taken aback by her attitude, as if she had forgotten that she was an employee, but he soon understood her situation.

Unlike the claims of some feminists that are spreading rapidly in Korea, various forms of sexual harassment are rampant overseas.

In the case of the United States, catcalling [when someone makes unwanted comments or gestures to someone passing by] was almost like everyday life.

Of course, there were bound to be more of those kinds of things in Las Vegas, which is also a city of pleasure.

In that respect, it was understandable that the employee was sensitive.

She had a pretty face even by entertainment industry standards, let alone ordinary standards.

Especially considering that she had a rare combination of a youthful, innocent face and a voluptuous body, it was even more understandable.

“Sorry about that.”

That’s why Youngchan took off his sunglasses and apologized to her politely.

Perhaps his appearance was unexpected? She tilted her head for a moment and then nodded.

“Oh~ you look young.”

“……”

Perhaps thinking that she had made a mistake? She was a little embarrassed and frowned when she saw Youngchan drinking such bad tea, and then said.

“Why are you drinking something so bad? Wait a minute. I’ll bring you the special ice cream that our restaurant is proud of.”

“Oh. No…… It’s okay.” *She’s not listening.*

Youngchan couldn’t hide his embarrassment at her already walking away.

It wasn’t just because she was being kind by offering ice cream to someone like him, who didn’t really like sweets.

Was it because he had his hair down? Or was it because he was wearing a hoodie? Anyway, Youngchan was just embarrassed to realize that she had mistaken him for a boy.

‘Even if they can’t guess the age of Asians……’

As he approached his mid-30s, he couldn’t help but be happy about being seen as young.

But there was a limit to that.

It would be nice to be mistaken for someone in their 20s. But the teens were too much.

“By the way, they can’t recognize me even without sunglasses?”

Well, there was too much difference in atmosphere between him in front of the public and him now.

Above all, after last night’s performance.

It was hard to imagine that the main culprit who had heated up the entire Las Vegas with that splendid stage was eating in such a shabby restaurant.

Anyway, Youngchan, who was in an embarrassing situation due to the employee’s misunderstanding, wondered if he should get up first? But in the meantime, the employee had returned to him.

-Tak-

“Haha! You’ll be surprised when you eat it. It’s Tom’s homemade ice cream.”

The ice cream she gave him wasn’t decorated with chocolate or anything.

“Hmm.”

She was looking at him with expectant eyes, as if telling him to eat it quickly, so Youngchan was pushed to take a spoonful, and he had to let out an exclamation of admiration.

It was incredibly sweet, as is typical of American desserts, but that’s what made the ice cream feel so refreshing.

Youngchan thought that the taste would have been ruined if it had been decorated with chocolate or something.

“See! It’s amazing. Ahahaha.”

She looked so cute, raising her nose as if she had made the ice cream herself.

And the more she did, the more déjà vu Youngchan felt.

‘Ah, I can’t do this?’

Youngchan had a feeling that he would regret it if he just left this place, so he ate the ice cream and asked.

“Excuse me……. Are you a native here?”

“No. I originally lived in Mississippi. It’s been two years since I came here. By the way, are you American? You speak English very well?”

“Thank you for saying that. I’m from Korea.”

“Really? South Korea, North Korea?”

“Hahaha. South Korea.”

“Phew~ that’s a relief.”

Perhaps because of the exaggerated image of North Korea as an enemy country, there were surprisingly many people who jokingly asked, but were secretly relieved to hear that he was from South Korea.

“I’m Youngchan. Park Youngchan.”

“I’m Jamie. By the way, you’re kind of cute.”

“Pardon?”

“Hahaha. Hmm. Did you come with your parents?”

“Uh…… No. If I had to say, I came with my uncles.”

“Really? When did you come? Yesterday?”

“No. I came two days ago.”

“Really? How long will you be staying?”

“Um. I think I’ll be here for about four more days?”

“Really? That’s great! I’m busy tomorrow, but I’m off the day after tomorrow, so let’s meet that day. You came from far away, so I have to show you around properly.”

“That’s…… Yes, let’s do that.”

“I like that you’re so cool.”

Youngchan couldn’t refuse Jamie’s offer, whether it was because she felt sorry for misunderstanding him or because she liked Youngchan.

No, he thought it was a relief.

He was still unable to recall the identity of the déjà vu even after hearing her name, so he felt a great sense of regret.