Become A Music Monster Overnight! [EN]: Chapter 84

Rock You

That’s the name of this magazine.

As you can tell the moment you see it, it’s taken from Queen’s famous song, “We Will Rock You,” meaning it’s so good it will shake your body and mind.

Queen’s guitarist Brian May, who wrote the lyrics and composed the music, intended it to mean comfort and care, like rocking a cradle, but now it’s mainly used to mean “I’m going to turn you upside down.”

Of course, *Rock You* was also named with that intention.

To be more precise, it was a magazine that blatantly embodied the spirit of rock.

It was a magazine company that was genuinely passionate about rock, and naturally, most of its employees shared that love.

Of course, as rock’s popularity waned, the magazine expanded its coverage to include the American music market, but rock remained its primary focus.

The reporter assigned to the Black Tiger interview was Lily, a classic blonde, fair-skinned Caucasian beauty.

She was petite and pretty, but anyone who knew her even slightly wouldn’t underestimate her.

That’s because, despite her appearance, she was a seasoned reporter with over ten years of experience.

In Korean terms, you could say she’d been through it all.

“Michael! Move it, quick!”

“Ugh.”

Michael, the *Rock You* photographer caught in Lily’s whirlwind, had to rush, burdened with heavy equipment.

He would have grumbled under normal circumstances, but not this time.

This interview was rumored to be an unexpected coup, even for *Rock You*.

*‘Thanks to this, I’m seeing that witch put on makeup for the first time in ages.’*

Lily usually wore jeans and casually tied her hair or wore a hat for most interviews, unless the subject was a major celebrity.

Her makeup was typically basic and functional, but because of her naturally striking features, she often attracted unwanted attention.

She avoided dressing up partly because of her easygoing personality, but mostly to avoid those kinds of situations.

But today, she was all dolled up.

Her hair, usually dry, was now glossy, as if she’d just left a salon, and her makeup was so professionally applied that she looked almost unrecognizable.

She wore a light pink dress that accentuated her exceptionally fair skin, paired with a cute, short leather jacket, making her look like a model on a photo shoot.

“Damn, she’s gorgeous.”

If Michael didn’t know she was a ‘witch’ [a term of endearment/exasperation], he wouldn’t have been able to take his eyes off her, just like the passersby.

Besides her petite frame, Lily had a stunning figure with ample breasts and hips.

As a result, the YC [Young-chan’s company] security guard couldn’t hide his momentary surprise when she approached.

“I’m from *Rock You*.”

“Ah! We’ve been expecting you.”

Fortunately, Lily immediately presented her press ID, and the security guard, who had been briefed, led them to their destination.

They arrived at a suite in the hotel with a panoramic view.

Taylor greeted them as the door opened.

“Thank you for coming. I’m Taylor, Black Tiger’s manager.”

“I’m Lily, a reporter from *Rock You*.”

“Hahaha. I know. Haven’t we met before?”

“Oh? Ah! Are you CEO Taylor?”

“You recognize me.”

Lily couldn’t hide her surprise at the unexpected appearance. She hadn’t known who Black Tiger was working with, as the company had arranged this schedule.

But even if she had known, her surprise wouldn’t have been any less.

Taylor, who had launched several successful indie bands, was a well-known figure in the indie scene.

In particular, the story of a large corporation offering Taylor a fortune to join them, only to be rejected, was legendary.

That Taylor was now a manager was something Lily couldn’t help but find astonishing.

“Come on in. We’ve been waiting.”

“Ah… yes.”

She tilted her head at Taylor’s knowing smile and entered the room.

“!!!”

Lily, and Michael, froze as if struck by lightning when they finally came face to face with Black Tiger.

-Step, step-

The person responsible for their reaction approached.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Young-chan of Black Tiger. You can call me YC if the pronunciation is difficult.”

“…….”

Lily, who had maintained her composure even during an interview with a notorious gangsta rapper, looked completely flustered upon meeting Young-chan.

In fact, Lily, whose ears and even her neck had turned red, was unrecognizable as the seasoned reporter she was.

The fact that she didn’t scream was a testament to her professionalism.

*‘Oh! Damn it!’*

Lily cursed inwardly, struggling to process what she was seeing.

Young-chan’s presence was that overwhelming.

This was true even after seeing the so-called ‘zombie airport’ incident that had gone viral on social media the day before.

The incident had become so widespread that it was featured on local news, and the videos were spreading rapidly.

As a result, the interview with Black Tiger, the band that had recently become a hot topic due to the challenge, had been upgraded to a cover story.

Above all, Young-chan, who appeared in the shaky, seemingly unedited video, was truly worth the hype.

Even she, who had never been particularly attracted to Asian men, couldn’t take her eyes off him.

However, the Young-chan she met in person far exceeded her expectations.

The decadent beauty he exuded was unlike anything she had ever encountered.

The closest comparison might be Edward Furlong’s legendary CK [Calvin Klein] photo shoot?

No, even that photo shoot owed more to the photographer’s skill than to Edward Furlong’s inherent charm.

But Young-chan was displaying something beyond decadent beauty right before her eyes.

What was truly amazing was that Young-chan’s appeal wasn’t limited to his decadent beauty.

He also radiated the charisma of a powerful male, reminiscent of a character from *The Godfather*.

Either quality alone would have captivated anyone, but the combination was overwhelming, leaving her completely stunned.

*‘I think I came a little.’*

But she was still a professional.

Even as her legs trembled, she belatedly grabbed Young-chan’s outstretched hand and introduced herself.

But that was all she could manage.

“Li, Lily. I’m Lily.”

She barely managed to finish the introduction and struggled to continue the interview.

-Click! Click!-

Michael, who was experiencing a similar, if not more intense, reaction to Young-chan, was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered and began filming with renewed vigor.

Like a master about to create his greatest masterpiece, he was overcome with inspiration and snapped photos relentlessly.

Of course, the focus was primarily on Young-chan, but the other members of Black Tiger weren’t disappointed or upset by this favoritism.

Instead, they were happy to have the time to relax before their hectic American schedule began.

“……Jesus!”

Michael couldn’t help but invoke God as he took the last picture.

The natural light streaming through the huge window was a great asset, but the overall environment was still far from ideal for photography.

Nevertheless, he instinctively knew that he had captured the best picture of his career, leaving him no choice but to thank God.

“I, I hope to see you again.”

“Oh… yes. Well. Thank you for your hard work.”

Young-chan shook hands with Lily, whose flushed face had regained some color, and they parted ways with a slight awkwardness.

-Rustle-

Only after Lily had left did Young-chan unfold the note he had received in a daze.

The note contained a personal phone number, different from Lily’s business card, written at some point.

It went without saying that Young-chan understood the meaning of this personal phone number.

Despite being a virgin, Young-chan remembered a past life where such encounters were commonplace.

“Hmm. America is America after all!”

Young-chan couldn’t help but be tempted by such a stunning blonde beauty so blatantly seducing him.

But unfortunately, she was a reporter, the natural enemy of celebrities, and he knew all too well the potential consequences of getting involved with one.

“Damn it!”

Just as he was about to curse in disappointment, Young-chan was interrupted by the manager, who informed him that they had to move on to the next schedule.

After the *Rock You* interview, they visited a popular local radio show.

Even with the proliferation of media outlets like YouTube, the American radio market remained a significant force.

How important was it? Radio airplay was still a major factor in determining the Billboard 200, the most authoritative music chart.

The number of radio plays, not just in specific regions but across the United States, was crucial.

So, even a radio appearance was a significant event in the United States.

“Our listeners know how hard I had to work to get these guys here!”

The radio host was brimming with enthusiasm.

As a former bassist in a now-defunct rock band, he had a deep understanding of music. He possessed an insight into rock music that rivaled any expert.

So, when he first heard about Black Tiger, or rather, when he first heard “Brilliant Struggle,” he was blown away.

He had discovered the song of his life in a track he had initially dismissed as just another popular challenge song.

Since then, he had become one of the most ardent American Black Cats [Black Tiger’s fanbase].

“When I first heard ‘Brilliant Struggle,’ I was more shocked than when I first heard Nirvana!”

That’s why he was usually full of energy, but today he was even more so.

Even this was only because Young-chan was suppressing his aura, contrary to the original plan.

Otherwise, the broadcast might have been impossible to conduct.

Black Tiger’s first day in America concluded with the radio appearance.

However, from the second day onward, Black Tiger had to endure a truly insane schedule, working themselves to the bone.

They had three more magazine interviews, another radio appearance, and a brief appearance on the local news.

In addition, several companies interested in capitalizing on the ‘zombie airport’ situation proposed meetings, which they had to attend.

Most of these meetings revolved around advertising opportunities for magazine photo shoots, but the compensation was substantial.

Since the focus was on photo shoots showcasing world-class luxury goods, the cost of participating in such a shoot ranged from hundreds of millions of won [hundreds of thousands of US dollars].

It was a difficult position to attain, but surprisingly, they found themselves in a position of power the moment they met Young-chan.

They knew that now was the most opportune time to sign a contract with Young-chan.

Turning into a Music Monster Overnight!