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Chapter – 04
Cha Seo-ha set down his pick and massaged his fingers.
Since he didn’t have any calluses yet, it stung quite a bit, but the performance itself didn’t seem too bad. He had casually improvised the parts he couldn’t remember halfway through, and they seemed to blend in reasonably well. Fortunately, the intro to followed a simple one-chord progression.
In truth, when Heo Jun-sung demanded that he prove himself, it had brought back old memories.
From the moment he became an idol trainee at a late age, he had heard the phrase “prove yourself” so often it practically drilled into his ears. In a narrow sense, it started with his fellow idol group members and the agency staff; in a broader sense, it extended to the general public.
However, the people he truly wanted to prove himself to were the members of the band he had betrayed.
I abandoned you guys, but look how well I’m living. My music is still brilliant.
He had wanted to show them that. Even though he knew it was nothing more than self-satisfaction, he still felt that way.
At any rate, it was a pretty good practice session. It also doubled as a great opportunity to teach Heo Jun-sung a thing or two about musical expression.
“It’s a bit lacking, but still better than you, right?”
“Lacking?! That was freaking insane!”
“I couldn’t get the speed up, and I dragged the tempo a few times. A member who misses the beat is the absolute worst when you’re in a band.”
At Cha Seo-ha’s words, Heo Jun-sung, who had been completely hyped up, instantly cooled down.
“Then what about me? Why did you tell me to play the guitar? You’re way better than I am.”
“Because you’re a better singer.”
“A better singer…?”
“If possible, I don’t want to play guitar in the band. Because you’re more than capable of reaching this level, too.”
Heo Jun-sung’s eyes shook restlessly at Cha Seo-ha’s words. Standing completely still like a man nailed to the floor, he muttered under his breath.
“I can do it?”
“Yeah. You can do even better than me.”
There was sincere conviction in Seo-ha’s detached tone. Strangely, it gave off a strong premonition that it would actually come true.
“Seriously?”
Looking at Heo Jun-sung’s dazed face, Cha Seo-ha thought to himself:
You idiot. You were the one who first taught me how to play the guitar.
Though he had learned it professionally after debuting as an idol, all the fundamentals and playing feel that Cha Seo-ha possessed originally came from Heo Jun-sung.
Does destiny exist?
Lee Do-young was someone who believed it did, but he also thought he had never experienced it himself. A fateful encounter, an undeniable pull—he had never felt anything like that before.
Yet, after his academy classes ended, he found himself freezing in his tracks at the Nakwon Music Shopping Center when he spotted two familiar faces.
Heo Jun-sung and Cha Seo-ha.
Just then, Heo Jun-sung began to play.
How good would he be? Do-young thought he might be incredibly skilled, or perhaps utterly terrible. Without even fully understanding his own thoughts, Lee Do-young listened to Heo Jun-sung’s playing and was genuinely impressed.
He was better than expected. He had easily surpassed the level of a high schooler.
But that was just the appetizer.
Witnessing the unbelievable sight that followed, Lee Do-young’s jaw dropped.
What did I just hear?
Heo Jun-sung was good, but Cha Seo-ha’s playing was on an entirely different dimension. It possessed an extraordinary depth and quick responsiveness, but that wasn’t what truly mattered.
It felt as though the guy was searching for the right words to converse with a friend at every single moment. It sounded like he was finding the perfect notes to speak right then and there. It was as if he were literally talking through his instrument.
He was merely covering an existing song, so how could he evoke such a feeling?
What on earth was this sensation?
Thump, thump.
His heart, which had begun racing without his realization, refused to calm down even after the performance ended. It had been a terribly long time since his chest had pounded like this.
He had felt this exact kind of thrill once before.
From him… from a genuine genius.
Looking at his trembling hands, Lee Do-young thought:
Can I really fit in over there?
An overwhelming urge to play music alongside Cha Seo-ha and Heo Jun-sung surged within him, but a wave of fear crashed in at the exact same time. They would undoubtedly be disappointed once they heard his playing. After all, he wasn’t a genius.
Turning it down had been the right choice after all.
Just as Lee Do-young turned around to take a heavy step away—
“Lee Do-young!”
A familiar voice called out his name.
How could he possibly pick him out like a ghost in a crowd this thick? Turning around, he saw Heo Jun-sung running toward him.
“…Hey.”
Stopping dead in his tracks, Do-young waved with an awkward look on his face.
“Are you here to change your strings, too?”
A sharp pang pricked his chest. Heo Jun-sung’s interest-filled face overlapped with his image. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, Do-young took a deep breath.
After a moment, he opened his mouth, trying his best to maintain his usual voice.
“No, I was just looking around… You played really well.”
Hearing the compliment, Heo Jun-sung scratched his head sheepishly. He didn’t look the type, but he was strangely weak against praise.
“It’s kind of embarrassing, since you probably heard Cha Seo-ha play right after me.”
“No, really. You were great, too.”
“Thanks. Hey, Lee Do-young, don’t be like that—just join our band.”
Why was it? It was a proposal he had completely expected, yet it felt strangely heavy. He had fully intended to reject it.
And yet, the words wouldn’t come out easily.
Right then, Cha Seo-ha, who had followed out at some point, looked straight at him and spoke.
“Why?”
His calm gaze was no different than usual, but it carried a resolute determination that showed he believed in him.
“I’m not that good at playing. You’ll definitely be disappointed… You’ll probably think I’m just a nuisance.”
“Is that your reason?”
“Huh?”
“If that’s your reason for refusing, then I’m disappointed.”
“…”
“If you play a bit poorly today, you can just play a bit better tomorrow. Once a few years pass like that, you’ll be the best player in Korea.”
It was an absurd thing to say, but it felt as if a dream buried deep within his heart a long time ago was awakening once more. The moments he had first held a bass guitar with trembling hands naturally flashed before his eyes.
It was bizarre to feel this way again, not because of some legendary, genius musician, but because of a mere guy his own age. Was it because the talent he displayed was so outstanding?
No, the nature of this feeling was different from what one felt when simply looking at someone with incredible skill. It felt like he was gazing at something concrete.
He didn’t know what it was exactly, but he had a premonition that they would accomplish something monumental. He felt that if he were with Cha Seo-ha, they could make some truly interesting music.
Having finally made up his mind, Lee Do-young parted his tightly closed lips.
“Don’t regret this later.”
The three of them looked at each other and smiled.
Desire, youth, defiance, dreams, excitement… It was a smile mingled with undefinable emotions, and to anyone else passing by, they looked simply like ‘friends.’
The duo that had walked into the Nakwon Music Shopping Center had suddenly transformed into a trio.
Because it was a monumental occasion, Heo Jun-sung insisted they had to do something to celebrate, so they all headed to get a meal together—or so they planned.
“But wait, I actually came here to get my bass strings changed.”
At Lee Do-young’s words, the three of them headed back to ‘The Resonance of Strings.’
There, Jang Deok-chul was waiting for them with a completely transformed expression.
To tell the truth, Jang Deok-chul was in a state of immense shock after listening to Cha Seo-ha’s performance. If Heo Jun-sung’s playing was at a level that a high schooler couldn’t easily display, Cha Seo-ha’s playing was at a level that even most guitarists in Hongdae couldn’t easily pull off.
If he had simply shown off his technique, Deok-chul wouldn’t have been this shocked—but he had shown off his expressiveness. For a high school student to possess that degree of expressiveness was practically impossible.
Did he grab a guitar pick at his first birthday party instead of a pencil? Or did he undergo some insane hard training?
“Which agency’s trainees are you boys?”
“We aren’t trainees.”
“Then?”
“We’re just a band. A band that’s just starting out.”
“What’s your band’s name?”
“We haven’t decided yet. We haven’t even gathered all our members.”
Hearing Cha Seo-ha’s response, Jang Deok-chul felt a strange surge of exhilaration. A thrill born from the thought that he might be witnessing the very first page of a monumental band.
He knew it was a massive leap in logic, but Cha Seo-ha’s playing possessed a magical quality that made one harbor such expectations.
“Make sure to visit our shop often in the future. This ahjussi will give you a really cheap discount. Actually, no. Just come by whenever you need something and ask me. If it’s something I can help with, I will.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because you guys are too good. I’m trying to get close to you early on before you make it big.”
A smile broke out at the half-joking, half-serious remark.
“Then, by any chance, could you introduce us to a recording studio?”
“A recording studio? Of course I can. What are your names? I’ll call the studio in advance and let them know.”
“I’m Cha Seo-ha, this is Heo Jun-sung, and this is Lee Do-young.”
“I’m Jang Deok-chul. But why a recording studio? Didn’t you say you haven’t gathered all your members yet?”
He asked because bands usually used recording studios when making demo tapes or mixtapes.
“I’m planning to do some songwriting.”
“Songwriting? You compose, too?”
“Of course. I’m probably better at it than playing.”
“What about vocals?”
“My vocals are a bit better than my songwriting.”
Jang Deok-chul wore a peculiar expression at the exchange between Cha Seo-ha and Heo Jun-sung. Cha Seo-ha’s guitar skills were the real deal, but could he really be that good at composing as well?
The distance between a great performer and a great composer was about the same as the distance between a great guitarist and a great bassist. Not entirely a world apart, but not exactly right next to each other either.
God was usually fair, so it was hard to blindly believe him.
Well, he is a high schooler.
“Leave your phone number here. I’ll have the recording studio contact you.”
“I can contact them myself…”
“It’ll be much cheaper if I do it.”
At Jang Deok-chul’s words, Cha Seo-ha bowed his head deeply. The current Cha Seo-ha didn’t have much money, after all.
Around that time, the string replacement for Lee Do-young’s bass was completed. As they were about to leave the shopping center, Jang Deok-chul stopped Cha Seo-ha.
“What are you going to do once you gather all your members?”
He was asking about their future plans. Jang Deok-chul had a lot of connections with small-scale gigs held in the indie band scene. If the student named Cha Seo-ha gave answers like ‘gigs,’ ‘busking,’ or ‘practicing,’ he could naturally connect them.
However, the response from Cha Seo-ha, who grinned widely, was entirely unexpected.
“We’re going to cause a commotion.”
The scent emanating from that smile wasn’t ambition or desperation—it was youth.
The next day, they headed to ST Studio, which they had reserved with the help of Owner Jang Deok-chul.
The shop radiated an old, vintage vibe from its exterior, but the interior was surprisingly well-maintained and spotless.
“Hello. I’m Cha Seo-ha, I made a reservation for today.”
The staff member checked the reservation details and guided them into the studio.
The equipment was even better than expected. It wasn’t that the place was utterly plastered with exorbitantly expensive gear, but rather it gave off a sense that appropriateness was prioritized over raw price.
There are certain combinations where a specific guitar produces a much better sound when plugged into a specific amplifier. Among rock band guitarists who left their marks on history, some bought every single amplifier in the world just to find their own unique guitar tone.
Because of that, there were combinations that had been historically proven to be ‘excellent pairs,’ and he could feel that the owner was truly sincere about music.
“Hmm. What should I start with?”
The easiest way to succeed again would be to use the successful songs he had written in the past exactly as they were.
Even while promoting as an idol, he had never stopped composing, creating and succeeding with countless tracks. Having his tracks line up at the top of the charts whenever he released a new song was an incredibly familiar routine to him.
But he didn’t intend to repeat his past life.
While he could sell the songs he had written to others, he didn’t want to force Cha Seo-ha’s past sensibilities onto their current music. He wanted to make music that all the band members could be satisfied with and enjoy together.
If so, then as expected…
This song would be best for their first track.
