Become A Music Monster Overnight! [EN]: Chapter 2

1. I Hate Birthdays

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“A car, you said it was a car accident!”

My mother’s voice was filled with shock.

That’s right.

It was the beginning of a nightmare.

Now, my mother would say to me.

‘Youngchan, Mom is going to the hospital. Please take care of Heejeong.’

“Youngchan, Mom is going to the hospital. Please take care of Heejeong.”

“…Yes. I understand. Are you coming back late?”

“Uh, uh. Maybe.”

My mother, who swallowed hard at my reply and answered distractedly, hurried out of the house.

I was uneasy as my mother left wearing only a thin coat in the middle of winter, but I was also excited at the thought of having the house to myself for the first time in a while.

“I should play Game Boy for the first time in a while.”

If I had thought about it a little, I would have realized how strange it was, but I was so excited about my birthday that I was just thinking about having fun.

And that day, my mother did not return home.

The next day, I arrived at the hospital with my mother, who looked exhausted from not being able to sleep all night, holding my hand.

And gradually, we began to approach my father’s hospital room.

‘Ah, I don’t want to. I don’t want to see him.’

Seeing my father with terrible burns, covered in countless tubes, was too shocking.

I began to prepare myself for the shock that I, as a boy, would receive.

At that moment!

Something strange happened.

-Thump!-

Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and when I turned around in surprise, there was someone I couldn’t believe.

“Hey. Pay attention. Where are you taking Youngchan? I’m glad I found you on the way back from the bathroom.”

‘!!!’

It was my father.

I couldn’t help but be surprised by my father’s generally good condition, although one leg and part of his upper body were in casts.

“Dad, are you badly hurt?”

Unlike me, who was very surprised, I, as a boy, just looked at the cast with a slightly surprised and worried expression. At the sight of this, my father shook his head, showing off his usual bluff.

“It’s just a scratch. The hospital people are just overreacting.”

At those words, my mother hit my father’s arm as if she was dumbfounded and got angry.

“Oh, you human. What do you mean a scratch? Who was the one crying in pain yesterday?”

“Ahem. I must have had a dream. Wh-who said I cried.”

“What dream? I couldn’t sleep a wink yesterday because of you.”

My mother and father bickered for a while in the hallway before taking me to a six-person room instead of the ICU [Intensive Care Unit] in the original history.

‘What is it? The dream has changed?’

I was surprised and couldn’t hide my joy at the fact that this nightmare, which came every birthday, had changed.

Even though it was in a dream, being able to see my father in good health was a miracle to me.

“Kaa! If it weren’t for me, you would have really been hurt. My genius reflexes don’t change even as I get older.”

“Hahahaha.”

I, as a boy, couldn’t help but laugh at my father, who was joking around with his unique slyness.

As I laughed, my father suddenly looked apologetic and stroked my head.

“The guitar I bought you for your birthday got smashed. I’ll buy you a better guitar when I get out of the hospital, so don’t be sad. Okay?”

“Wow! Yes!”

I, as a boy, was so excited at my father’s words that he would give me a guitar that I couldn’t hide my joy.

‘Guitar. My father bought a guitar? Come to think of it…’

Apart from that, I was able to recall something I had forgotten in the past.

At that time, acoustic guitars were popular, and I wanted to look cool, so I learned to play the guitar with my friend’s guitar at his house.

It was crude, but when I finally finished a song, I wanted to have my own guitar.

I begged my parents several times. It seems my father was preparing a guitar for my birthday present.

‘…What a dream that uselessly fits everything together.’

The story unfolded as if to compensate for the nightmares I had had, but I was just uneasy.

It was because I had experienced a terrible reality.

Unlike my anxiety, the dream that followed continued in a way that I did not expect.

“You bastards! You’re trying to frame me! Do you know who I am! You messed with the wrong person!”

Surprisingly, it was not true that my father was the culprit of the car accident. Rather, the victim, who had even filed a civil suit against us and extorted money, was actually the culprit.

It happened because the police officer in charge of the case was from the same hometown as the victim, but with my father returning alive, their scheme did not work.

“A car accident like this is worth having once. Ouch!”

“You crazy bastard! Is that something to say!”

My father was hit on the back by my mother for saying something unnecessary, but it wasn’t something he said without thinking.

In fact, he got a considerable amount of money compared to his injuries.

When the insurance money from the insurance companies, to which he had been particularly weak-hearted to his acquaintances, and the industrial accident insurance money he received because he was working at the time of the accident were combined, he got more money than the average lottery winnings.

In addition, he received a considerable amount of settlement money from the scammers, so my father decided on what he had been 고민했던 [agonizing over].

“I was 고민했던 [agonizing over] about the early retirement offer from the company.”

At a time when leading conglomerates were going bankrupt and the IMF [International Monetary Fund crisis of the late 1990s] was being talked about, my father, who was 흔들리던 [wavering], eventually decided to take early retirement.

My father, who left the company, combined his compensation, settlement money, retirement pay, and the money he had secured by mortgaging our house to buy a building that had come out urgently due to the IMF aftermath.

It was a four-story commercial building with a fairly large parking lot, although the location was not very good.

My father renovated the parking lot and opened a car repair shop on the first floor. He was originally a recognized engineer in the company, and he quickly established himself thanks to his good connections as much as his natural sociability.

But the real luck was elsewhere.

The year after he bought the building, the area was 추진되면서 [being promoted] for redevelopment, and the land price began to soar. With this alone, our family was able to not be 연연하지 [be concerned] to money, unlike the original history.

My mother and younger sibling’s lives also changed, but the most dramatically changed life was mine.

As promised, my father gave me a guitar as soon as he was discharged from the hospital. Not only that, but he also let me go to a 학원 [hagwon – private academy] where I could learn to play the guitar professionally.

My mother also knew early on that I didn’t have a head for studying, so she 순순히 허락해주셨다 [readily permitted it].

At the 동네 학원 [local hagwon] I went to, I learned something I couldn’t believe.

‘I had a talent for music?’

The teacher, who told me to call himself 사부 [sabu – master], admired me with unbelievable eyes in less than a month.

“Huh! What kind of crazy bastard is this?”

“??”

“…It’s not enough to call him a genius.”

“크흠 [Keuheum – ahem]. 사부 [sabu]. Are you 장사 좀 하시네요 [jansa jom hasineyo – trying to make a sale]?”

“….”

I had never been told that I was talented in my life.

Despite having a body that was a head taller than my peers, I faced disastrous results in sports, which I had expected.

It was no different with the guitar I was learning now.

When I learned to play the guitar from my friend, he was frustrated, saying that I played the guitar like a slug. When I finally imitated a song after three months, my friend 비아냥거릴 [bianyanggeoril – sneered], saying that this was a human victory.

So I couldn’t take 사부’s [sabu’s] praise at face value.

-Thud!-

“Ugh!”

사부 [sabu], who had been speechless for a moment, 박았고 [bakkatgo – hit] my head, and I 몸서리쳐댔다 [momseorichyeodaetda – shuddered] in pain.

사부 [sabu] shook his head as he looked at me 꿈틀거리는 [kkumteulgeorineun – wriggling].

“They say that true geniuses don’t even know they’re geniuses. Hey, you bastard. Who else could make such an unbelievable arrangement in less than a month?”

“Arrangement?”

What 사부 [sabu] praised was not the guitar performance but the arrangement that had been given as homework.

But I asked back with a puzzled face.

“Is this okay? I just 끼워 맞춘 [kkieo majchun – pieced together] what I was 흥얼거리던 [heungeolgeorideon – humming] to make it fun. More than that, how’s my guitar playing? I think I’ve improved a lot these days?”

“Guitar? It’s just so-so. What do you expect from a guy who’s only been learning for a month? I 치곤 [chigon – practiced] all day long when I was your age.”

I couldn’t help but despair at 사부’s [sabu’s] answer.

The fact that someone who had been playing for over 20 years had not 벗어나지 [beoseonaji – escaped] from being a teacher at this small 학원 [hagwon] made me 참담하게 [chamdamhage – feel miserable].

사부 [sabu], who guessed what I was thinking, barely lowered his fist, which he was about to 박으려는 [bakkeuryeoneun – hit] again, and said.

“Any instrument, whether it’s a guitar or anything else, can go up to a similar level if you invest time. The important thing is beyond that. From there, only those with truly 악마 재능을 [akma jaeneungeul – demonic talent] can reach it.”

“Oh!”

I couldn’t hide my 들뜬 심정을 [deultteun simjeongeul – excited feelings] because I knew that I had a talent for music, even though I didn’t know exactly what he meant yet.

사부 [sabu] shook his head at my appearance.

“I think I need to talk to your parents seriously.”

Did he think that I was 도무지 [domuji – hopeless] with him?

The next day, 사부 [sabu] had a meeting with my parents.

“In conclusion, Park Youngchan has truly 놀라운 재능 [nollaun jaeneung – amazing talent] in music.”

“……”

사부 [sabu] 무섭게 [museopge – fiercely] told them about my musical talent as soon as he sat down, but my parents’ reaction was not much different from mine.

They didn’t say anything, but they showed 눈초리를 [nunchorireul – glares] as if they were looking at a scammer.

I was not 그리 미덥지도 [geuri mideopjido – very trustworthy], and there were many cases of people being 사기를 치는 [sagireul chineun – scammed] by saying that they would make them celebrities on the news or in the newspapers, so that was the reaction they showed.

사부 [sabu], who noticed the atmosphere, 크게 한숨을 내쉬었다 [keuge hansumeul naeswieotda – sighed deeply].

“휴우우 [Hyuuu – sigh]. Excuse me for a moment.”

With that, 사부 꺼내셨다 [sabu kkeonaesyeotda – sabu took out] the guitar he had brought.

And then, in an instant, he 잡더니 [japdeoni – grabbed] tuning and immediately began to play 현란하게 [hyeollanhage – dazzlingly].

-둥당당당! 둥당당당! [Dungdangdangdang! Dungdangdangdang! – sound of guitar playing]-

As soon as the 연주가 시작되기 [yeonjuga sijakdoegi – performance started], both my father and mother 알아 알아보았다 [ara araboatda – recognized] what song it was.

It was such a famous song in my parents’ generation.

“The Beatles?”

“Yesterday?”

But soon they 갸웃거렸는데 [gyautgeoryeonneunde – tilted their heads], because they knew that the 멜로디 [mellodi – melody] was different from the Yesterday they knew.

Instead of the 잔잔하게 이어지는 [janjanhage ieojineun – gently flowing] Yesterday that seemed like a monologue, it reminded them of the fierce life of a tough guy 부딪히고 싸우는 [budithigo ssauneun – clashing and fighting] with the world.

Clearly, the 알맹이는 [almaengineun – core] was Yesterday, but the 멜로디 흘러가니 [mellodi heulleogani – melody flowed] in this way, my parents showed 눈빛을 [nunbicheul – eyes] that they were 혼란스럽다는 [hollanseureopdaneun – confused] about what they were listening to.

Apart from those parents, I, a middle school student, was 감탄을 금치 못했다 [gamtaneul geumchi motaetda – couldn’t help but admire] for a different reason.

“Wow! My arrangement was this 쩔어주는 [jjeoreo juneun – awesome]!”

Unlike the simple 멜로디 [mellodi], Yesterday was a song with a considerable 난이도가 [nanidoga – difficulty]. Therefore, it was impossible to 치는 [chineun – play] it in the process of 편곡하는 [pyeongokhaneun – arranging].

I just drew the 악보 [akbo – sheet music] thinking that it would be 재미있겠다고 [jaemiitgetdago – fun] if it felt like this.

사부 [sabu], who 치신 [chisin – played] the arrangement I made for about 2 minutes, said to my parents, who were 얼이 빠진 [eori ppajin – dumbfounded].

“It’s really 말도 안 되는 [maldo an doeneun – unbelievable] to be able to 편곡할 [pyeongokhal – arrange] Yesterday to this extent. It’s 미친 거예요 [michin geoeyo – crazy]. But Youngchan made this 미친 [michin – crazy] 열흘 안 되어 [yeoreul an doeeo – in less than ten days] after I taught him 악보 [akbo – sheet music].”

“Is that really a 곡 [gok – song] 영찬이가 만든 [yeongchaniga mandeun – Youngchan made]?”

“Does our son have a talent for music? This 곰 같은 놈이 [gom gateun nomi – bear-like guy]?”

사부 [sabu] said with a more 진지한 표정 [jinjihan pyojeong – serious expression] than ever to my parents, who were 믿기 힘들어하는 [mitgi himdeureohaneun – finding it hard to believe].

“He’s a 천재 [cheonjae – genius]. To be honest, I can’t even 잴 수조차 [jael sujocha – even measure].”

“Our son is a 천재 [cheonjae – genius]. That’s the first time I’ve heard words that 안 어울릴 [an eoullil – don’t suit him]. 아야 [Aya – ouch]!”

My father, who was 농담을 입에 담는 [nongdameul ibe damneun – making jokes] even in the 와중에도 [wajungedo – midst of it], had to be 맞아야 [majaya – hit] on the back by my mother.

사부 [sabu] said, 헛웃음을 흘리며 [heoteuseumeul heullimyeo – letting out a hollow laugh], to those parents without even realizing it.

“You have to 지원하셔야 [jiwonhasyeoya – support him] properly. There’s a 한계 [hangye – limit] to what I can 끌어 줄 수 [kkeureo jul su – pull him up]. I came to see you because I wanted to say that.”

That’s how a 화려한 막이 올랐다 [hwaryeohan magi orlatda – splendid curtain rose] that I hadn’t 생각지 못했던 [saenggakji motaetdeon – not thought of] in my life.

Seeing the 꿈 [kkum – dream] 진행된 [jinhaengdoen – progressed] 여기까지 [yeogikkaji – this far], I was so 어이없어 [eoieopseo – dumbfounded] that I almost 뀔 뻔 실방구를 [kkwil ppeon silbanggureul – almost farted silently] even while 꿈을 꾸는 [kkumeul kkuneun – dreaming].

‘What is this, a Nobel? The title should be “I, an ordinary high school student, am actually the musical genius of the century?”‘

The 꿈 [kkum – dream] is so 현실성이 [hyeonsilseongi – realistic] that I became 자각 [jagak – aware] that it was a 꿈 [kkum – dream]. I think 자각몽 [jagakmong – lucid dreaming] is 망상이 [mangsangi – delusion] to this extent.

But what happened after that was even 더 현실성 [deo hyeonsilseong – more realistic].

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