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Chapter – 08
“Because you’re the best.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Your mental state might be a bit unstable, but your skills are definitely a cut above ours.”
Is it really that much?
Of course, it was true that I was better, but I hadn’t properly shown them my full capabilities yet, had I? Even the last time I sang, I felt like I had gone completely over-the-top, getting swept away by my own emotions.
“It’s infuriating when a guy who doesn’t have a single modest bone in his body pretends to be humble.”
“Yeah, Seoha. The look in your eyes right now is a little problematic.”
I was briefly shocked by Lee Do-young’s critique, but I recovered quickly. It was probably because our members had an incredibly good ear for music—good enough to catch the deep, latent skills I hadn’t even properly put on display yet. Even if they were lacking a bit right now, these guys possessed more than enough talent to succeed in the music scene.
And guys like that were following my lead willingly?
I liked it.
In my past life, every single time we tried to select a song, it felt like we ended up holding the 31,848,575th Track Selection Committee meeting.
“Then I’m the leader.”
“What? That’s a completely different issue. In a band, the leader is naturally the guitarist. We know you’re good, but you as the leader? That’s not it.”
“Uh, Seoha. Wouldn’t it be better for someone who’s done it before to be the leader? I mean, I’m the class president, after all.”
“Hey, if we’re going by that logic, I should do it. I’m the student council president of Cheongsol High.”
The resistance was fierce.
“Didn’t you just say I’m the best?”
“The ace isn’t supposed to be the leader. The leader should be someone who can embrace and manage the ace.”
And so, the 1st Leader Selection Committee meeting was called to order, which ultimately devolved into a game of rock-paper-scissors. Whether by divine intervention or pure luck, the winner was me. Perhaps this was a miracle just as precious as my regression itself.
“Great. By the authority vested in me as leader, I’m adding one more song to the setlist.”
“What? You want to do four songs?”
“There needs to be a song that I picked, too.”
“You’re not even an instrument player.”
“Is that a direct insult to vocalists?”
“Yep, yep.”
“Ah, I don’t care about any of that. I want this one.”
I presented the new track. When the music started playing, the members looked at me with puzzled expressions.
“What’s this? It’s Japanese music?”
“An unexpected choice. What kind of music is it?”
“Uh, this is, well…”
While I stammered, Lee Do-young searched for something and hit play.
“Hmm, looks like it’s an anime song?”
After checking the video Do-young pulled up, the members naturally turned to stare at me with incredibly grave expressions.
“You… watch this kind of stuff?”
“No. It’s not that I like it…”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed. I think it’s a hobby that deserves respect.”
“Seoha, you have an unexpected side to you.”
“No, I’m telling you, I don’t like it.”
“The music isn’t bad, though. We’re using a pre-recorded track for the drums, right?”
“The guitar part is flashy and nice.”
“Well, nothing we can do. If Cha Seoha likes it, we do it.”
I said I don’t like it!
This was a Japanese anime song that Kang Min loved! I only picked it because if we uploaded our performance video to YouTube, there was a one-in-a-million chance Kang Min might actually see it! I barely even knew what it was!
What were we like in our first life?
To be honest, I didn’t have a vivid memory of the band’s very beginning. Because of an injury, I had to give up Taekwondo, and I had accepted Lee Do-young’s proposal without thinking too deeply about it. Back then, it wasn’t so much a burning passion for music as it was a desperate desire to just do something.
But through it, I realized these guys were truly good people, and I learned just how joyful making music together could be. I discovered my own talent as a vocalist, and, miraculously, I realized every single one of our members was brilliantly gifted. Charging headfirst into music fueled by that hope was the most beautiful, glittering memory of my life.
And now.
That memory had become reality, and that hope had transformed into a singular desire. Over the past ten days, I had come to understand one thing clearly: I wasn’t living this life to repay a debt to my friends. We were living it to run toward the light together.
And the start of that journey was today’s busking performance.
Banwon Park featured a spacious open square right next to a wide lake, making it a popular spot for locals to take strolls. As the sun began to cast long shadows across the ground, four boys gathered.
“How are you guys feeling?”
At Cha Seoha’s question, Heo Jun-seong paused in thought before speaking up.
“I think I’d feel wronged.”
“About what?”
“We practiced like we were in hell. If we ruin the performance now, I’d feel completely wronged.”
“Was that hellish practice? Didn’t it feel pretty average?”
“…You absolute demon.”
Unaware that he had forced a top-tier idol training routine onto a high school band, Cha Seoha tilted his head in confusion. However, Lee Do-young and Kim Ji-hoo were firmly on Jun-seong’s side.
“Then we just have to do well.”
“We are going to do well, okay? If we mess up, who knows how much you’ll nag us.”
“When did I ever nag you guys?”
“Always. Every second. Constantly.”
“Hmm…?”
“Still, it’s a shame we don’t have a drummer,” Kim Ji-hoo remarked with a sigh.
Cha Seoha shrugged his shoulders.
“Who knows? Maybe a really talented drummer will watch us perform today and ask to join the team.”
“Why would a talented drummer be without a team in the first place?”
“Well, I’m talented and I didn’t have a team, did I?”
“…Gosh, you’re obnoxious.”
“Wow. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard the word ‘obnoxious’ come out of Kim Ji-hoo’s mouth. Usually, it’s hard for anyone to be more obnoxious than him.”
“I like Seoha, but he really is a little obnoxious.”
Cha Seoha let out a soft chuckle and looked around at his bandmates. Although they were chatting casually while setting up their instruments, he could see their hands trembling slightly. They were all nervous.
It made sense. It was their first time forming a band, and they barely had any experience playing together. Kim Ji-hoo and Heo Jun-seong had done busking before, but only three or four times at most. For Lee Do-young, this was a complete first.
“Are you nervous?”
“Nervous? No way! Not at all!” Heo Jun-seong replied, clenching his fists tightly. It looked like he was trying to suppress the shaking.
“Right. You guys aren’t feeling nervous right now.”
“I’m pretty sure I am feeling nervous,” Lee Do-young answered, his voice trembling. “Seoha, aren’t you nervous?”
“Of course I am.”
“Are your hands sweating and everything?”
“Yeah, absolutely.”
“So even you get nervous, Seoha.”
“No, this isn’t nervousness. It’s excitement.”
Kim Ji-hoo looked at Cha Seoha with an amused expression.
“My hands are shaking just like yours. My palms are sweating, and I feel like I don’t know what to do with myself. Don’t you guys feel the exact same way?”
“Well, it is pretty similar!”
“I feel the exact same way.”
“I can’t say I don’t feel a bit of that.”
“Then picture it clearly. Think of the crowd’s cheers and applause after we perfectly show them what we’ve practiced.”
At Seoha’s words, a sudden surge of exhilaration washed over the three of them.
“I’m not shaking because I’m scared. I just want to show people what we’ve practiced as soon as possible. I want to show off so badly it’s driving me crazy!”
Hearing Seoha say that, the three friends’ hearts began to beat even faster. Excitement and fear send the exact same signals to the body. The only difference lies in how the mind perceives it.
“You guys. How do you feel right now?”
“Excited!”
“Yeah, I think I feel the same way as Seoha.”
Kim Ji-hoo lowered his gaze toward the keys, answering with a smile.
Cha Seoha grinned broadly.
“Then, let’s go.”
With that, their very first performance began.
SUN –
Kim Ji-hoo’s gentle piano chords signaled the start of the performance, and Heo Jun-seong’s guitar carried a message to the pedestrians in Banwon Park: Come take a look at this show. It’s going to be much cooler than you think.
As the steps of the passersby slowed down, Cha Seoha’s vocals took flight.
A moderate vocal range. A singing style that felt as though he were casually tossing the words out. Overall, the intro was straightforward and effortless. It perfectly matched the relaxed atmosphere of a late summer evening.
“Oh, they’re performing?”
“Wow, what the. The singer is really handsome.”
“The guy playing guitar on the left is cute too.”
“That’s a bass.”
Though the music was good, most people stopped in their tracks captivated by their visuals. After all, a striking first impression is always what catches the eye. However, what lingers at the end as a lasting impression is always the music.
The song progressed. The vocals gradually rose in pitch, and after a brief intro and the first verse, the atmosphere shifted entirely.
Climb on! Climb on!
The pre-recorded drum track and Lee Do-young’s bass joined in, unleashing a sudden burst of energy. It was a power generated by everyone’s instruments locking into place. Usually, anyone hearing for the first time showed their first real reaction at this exact moment. As expected, everyone’s ears were pretty much the same.
As the first verse gave way to a wave of intensity, the passing pedestrians began to transform into an actual audience, one by one.
“Wow.”
“What the, they’re actually good?”
The main instrument used in the original track had been replaced by a guitar, and the newly adopted, sharp-toned sound exuded an epic atmosphere. Behind it followed Kim Ji-hoo’s synth bass. These two instruments leading the charge acted like a spoiler for the song’s conclusion.
Their ensemble was magnificent. Without highlighting anyone’s flaws, it was a flawless performance where everyone pulled each other forward, walking in perfect step.
And then came the chorus.
If you’re lost and alone Or you’re sinking like a stone Climb on!
Thinking it was about time, Cha Seoha shifted his gaze toward Heo Jun-seong.
The most critical part of wasn’t the piano intro that provided a sense of breathing room. It wasn’t the verses that sounded like asking after an old friend, nor was it the chorus that naturally brought a smile to your face.
It was the 19-second guitar solo that emerged in the latter half of the track. An paradoxical guitar sprint that felt intense yet embracing, racing ahead while simultaneously looking back—a solo that wouldn’t fit anywhere else but this exact song. That was the killing part that completed the track, the very identity of the song.
But…
‘Can you pull it off?’
Until now, Heo Jun-seong hadn’t been able to capture that specific emotion. He had covered the technical difficulty well enough through raw practice. However, he kept hitting a wall with his greatest strength and weakness: deep immersion. He hadn’t been able to leave that small, crucial pocket of room to look back.
Even so, Cha Seoha believed in Heo Jun-seong.
“Alright, stop! Everyone stop.”
On the very first day they had gathered to practice for the busking performance, Cha Seoha halted the ensemble yet again. It was already the sixth time they had stopped at this exact section.
“Arghhhhh! Is it because of me again?!”
“Yeah, Heo Jun-seong. Don’t get overly excited, just play calmly. You’re sticking out too much on your own.”
“It’s not easy…”
It was all because Heo Jun-seong would completely lose control the moment the guitar solo kicked in. Kim Ji-hoo’s face crumpled in frustration and Lee Do-young looked worried, but Cha Seoha’s reaction was different.
“Listen carefully, Heo Jun-seong. This is actually amazing.”
“…What is?”
“Most average guitarists can’t immerse themselves that deeply into every single practice session. But the fact that you lose control means you’ve immersed yourself so deeply that you can’t see anything around you.”
“…”
“So, you’re someone who plays with a narrow but incredibly deep sense of perception. To put it another way, you’re the type of person whose skills can only evolve once your perception takes a step forward.”
“Perception…”
“There is no music in this world that exists as a single, isolated note. Heck, why even talk about music? The C chord, the most frequently played chord in the world, is made up of three combined notes, isn’t it?”
Look back. Because a much more beautiful sound is waiting right there.
