Become A Music Monster Overnight! [EN]: Chapter 183

Music Monster Overnight! Episode 174

Amidst such rave reviews, the third installment of ‘King of Arrogance’ was finally released.

Despite theaters allocating an average of over 60% of their screens to the third ‘King of Arrogance’ movie, tickets were nearly impossible to get from day one.

This phenomenon was largely due to the influx of international fans eager to see the film, mirroring the online buzz within foreign communities.

Domestic fans of the ‘King of Arrogance’ series, who were late to realize the reason behind the ticket scarcity, were astonished.

Spending millions of won [Korean currency] just to see a movie was, logically speaking, absurd.

-I’ve seen a lot in my life, but this is something else entirely.

└They say the most devoted fans are international fans, and it seems that’s true.

└Whatever you imagine, they exceed it.

-Anyway, who knew it would be this hard to get movie tickets? They say it’s all because of this screen quota thing.

└Yeah. I can understand the reasoning, but I wish they’d make an exception in cases like this.

└I agree. I can’t even make a reservation right now.

-Oh! I heard they’re increasing the number of late-night screenings.

└ㅋㅋㅋ [Korean slang for ‘lol’] It’s true. At this rate, they’re running it 24 hours a day!

└I can understand why. Movie theaters almost went bankrupt during the pandemic. They have to make money while they can!

└I love it. I can’t sleep at night anyway.

-By the way, I’m annoyed that movie ticket prices have gone up so much.

└Yeah, honestly, they’ve gone up too much. Does it make sense that they’ve increased by 50%? I wouldn’t bother coming unless it’s a blockbuster like ‘King of Arrogance.’

└I know what you mean. OTT [Over-the-top media services, like streaming platforms] services are too good these days.

Thanks to the unexpected mega-hit, theaters circumvented the screen quota by operating 24/7, which finally eased public frustration.

As a result, the third ‘King of Arrogance’ movie, which was shattering all-time box office records at an incredible pace, received rave reviews from critics.

-The third ‘King of Arrogance’ is a masterpiece that surpasses the previous two films. The excellent script, direction, and music are comparable to any cinematic achievement. But the highlight of the third ‘King of Arrogance’ was YC’s acting.

Throughout the movie, his acting transcended mere mortal skill. In particular, the long take scene where he miraculously reveals his presence amidst the chaos of the crowd and then disappears back into it was spine-chilling.

Anyone watching the movie would have questioned their eyes at that scene. They would have wondered what kind of directing technique was used, perhaps assuming CG [computer-generated imagery] or filters.

But surprisingly, this scene didn’t employ any special directing techniques.

Then, at a press conference the day before, Director Bell made an unbelievable statement.

‘What kind of filter did you use? Hahaha! We didn’t use any filters or any directing techniques. It was simply a miracle showcased by YC’s acting.’

If Director Bell’s words are true, we may have witnessed a true god of acting in this movie.

-At the end of the third ‘King of Arrogance,’ I couldn’t help but be shocked.

Because I realized that the King of Arrogance, ‘Jin,’ who was initially perceived as a villain, was actually a visionary akin to Jesus. Historically, the world often rejects visionaries, and Jesus was even crucified.

Nevertheless, like Jesus, who preached loving one’s enemies, ‘Jin’ also showed mercy to the dark knight who killed him until his final breath.

This scene shattered my preconceived notions about hero movies, which I had previously dismissed as mere comic book adaptations.

“……I didn’t expect them to say *that* much.”

This movie review, which bordered on outright praise, was actually one of the more restrained ones.

There were quite a few reviews that showered me with excessive compliments, making me blush, so I started avoiding them altogether.

The fans’ reactions were as enthusiastic as the critics’.

-I can’t believe the dark knight was Judas!

└Oh my god, I can’t believe ‘Jin’ was a visionary! Is *this* what shock and horror feel like!

└Most of the audience screamed during this scene at the late-night showing.

└Me too! Before watching the movie, I was worried I’d be sleepy, but afterward, my head and heart were racing, and I couldn’t sleep.

-Second viewing successful! You have to watch this movie at least twice to truly appreciate its depth.

└Real [Korean slang for ‘true’]. After realizing that the scene where he amplifies his presence in the crowd and then vanishes was achieved solely through acting… Even knowing that, I still don’t understand how. It’s insane.

└ㅋㅋ It seems like YC has ascended to the god of acting, surpassing even his status as the god of music.

-I heard that a religion that worships ‘Jin’ as a god has already been established in the United States?

└It already existed, right?

└That was more of a joke back then. This time it’s for real.

└Hahaha. They already worship him as a god in Japan.

└That region has over 8 million gods, so it’s not that surprising.

-Anyway, it was a much better ending than I expected, but that’s precisely why it’s so disappointing. I won’t get to see ‘Jin’ from ‘King of Arrogance’ anymore.

└If Films has any sense, they’ll include bits and pieces about ‘Jin’ in the Genius Team movie they’re making this time.

└I hope he comes back to life like Jesus.

└Oh! That’s it. Originally, ‘Jin’ was resurrected after more than 1,000 years!

└We should seriously petition Films about it.

The fans’ reactions were truly astounding.

The fact that a religion seriously worshiping ‘Jin’ as a god had emerged, and that they were even attempting to resurrect the deceased ‘Jin’ by drawing parallels to Jesus…

‘It’s not entirely impossible.’

As one fan pointed out, ‘Jin’ was someone who desired immortality even after a thousand years, so resurrection wouldn’t be out of character, considering the nature of comic books.

But I wasn’t sure if it was necessary.

The King of Arrogance series had concluded perfectly with a trilogy, and even the writer who created the work questioned whether he could craft a compelling new story about ‘Jin.’

However, Films seemed determined to revive ‘Jin’ at all costs.

They say you should quit while you’re ahead, but when the scale is this massive, it’s hard to resist the urge to stay and enjoy the ride for as long as possible.

Of course, my opinion was paramount, so the head of Films, Jeff, asked if I would be willing to appear in a sequel if one were made.

I considered it for a moment and then answered.

“If the script is good, I will consider it favorably.”

Jeff, Films president Jones, and Director Bell were pleased with my positive response, but I remained uncertain about its feasibility.

In my opinion, there seemed to be no more stories to tell about ‘Jin.’

Nevertheless, the reason I answered that way was because I, too, was a fan of ‘Jin’ from King of Arrogance. To be precise, I was referring to the ‘Jin’ in the comics rather than the ‘Jin’ I portrayed, and it felt natural to have lingering affection for that character.

Anyway, the third ‘King of Arrogance’ continued to shatter records worldwide.

As a result, I received more interview requests about ‘Jin’ from ‘King of Arrogance’ than interview requests for the world tour.

When the frenzy surrounding the third major incident, which had felt like a storm, subsided somewhat,

Black Tiger also finally wrapped up its world tour.

I had wanted to extend the tour for another six months, but the other members’ health wasn’t ideal.

Regardless of how well they took care of themselves, the energy expenditure at concerts was so immense that it seemed difficult for them to endure such demanding schedules at their age.

“We also need to prepare a new album.”

The preparation of the new album had been delayed due to the world tour, so I intended to start working on it immediately.

Yes, *intended* to.

Because an even bigger incident than the previous three combined was about to unfold.

“……I think I’m pregnant.”

“???”

When I first heard Jamie say she was pregnant, I struggled to process it.

This was especially true because I hadn’t spent much time with Jamie since the world tour. Moreover, I always used condoms during intercourse, so I couldn’t understand what Jamie was saying.

But I didn’t suspect Jamie of infidelity.

No matter how many men pursued her, the formidable Semi was protecting her as general manager, and, more importantly, Jamie wasn’t someone easily swayed by such advances.

Besides, she was also busy working on the next album.

She’s been even busier than me lately.

The fact that we last had relations two months ago highlights how hectic our schedules have been.

So, the child she was referring to had to be mine.

‘Does this even make sense? Is it possible to get pregnant even when using a condom?’

Surprisingly, it was.

This could happen if the condom was defective or used incorrectly.

Since it wasn’t a one-time occurrence, it couldn’t be the latter, which meant the condom used that time must have been faulty.

Consequently, Jamie was genuinely shocked when she discovered she was pregnant.

That’s because she remembered that I had been using a condom at the time.

Anyway, I learned from Jamie that the condom we used that time was defective, which further convinced me that the child she was carrying was ours.

“Hmm. It must have been tough for you to be alone all this time.”

“Huh? No. I was okay. More importantly, are *you* okay, oppa [Korean term for ‘older brother’ used by females to address older males they are close to]?”

“Me? Uh……”

Actually, I was a little surprised.

Because I was more okay than I anticipated.

‘No. Perhaps I should say I was *too* surprised?’

That was related to seeing my father in a dream for the first time in a long time, and my father in the dream looked just as he did in his younger days.

“Wow! Our son is older than me now.”

When I went back in time, my father was forty years old, so I was definitely older than him now. But I was embarrassed by his cheerful remark.

“I’m only one year older. Um… what brings you here?”

“It’s just a dream anyway. So what.”

“Unlike the old days, you’re not cute anymore.”

My father grumbled with his characteristic glibness, and I couldn’t help but look at him with slightly sentimental eyes, feeling a deep sense of affection and longing.

After that, I had a lot of trivial conversations with my father.

We talked about whether my mother was still pretty or whether she had remarried, like a fool for his wife, and whether my younger sibling was doing well or pursuing music.

However, I avoided discussing the circumstances surrounding my father’s death.

I was worried it would upset him.

Fortunately, my father didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he was busy rattling off stories from the past like someone pressed for time.

How much time had passed?

At some point, I realized that the moment to part with my father was approaching.

At that moment, I was filled with dread.

That’s because I was certain that I would never see my father in a dream like this again.

My father gave me his characteristic glib smile and, as he had done in the past, roughly stroked my head and said.

“It was really fun. I was really worried, but I’m so glad you’re doing so well.”

“……”

“Ah! I’ll give you a gift before I go. They say this is a service. Anyway, take this.”

He handed me a mirror, but it was different from other mirrors.

It was a mirror with a thin layer of silver on the glass, and I woke up the moment I received it.

“Was that a conception dream [a dream believed to foretell a pregnancy]?”

“Huh?”

I smiled softly at Jamie, who didn’t understand what I was saying, and told her about the dream in which my father appeared.