Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 38



Only Krnovel

Episode 38. Old Soldiers Don’t Die (3)

Lights twinkling in the dark.

I performed in a small space that could be called a stage.

I come face to face with the faces of people sitting in the darkness.

The stage is lonely.

When the light shines on me, I become a naked emperor, showing people my insides. But I can’t see the people beyond the light.

That’s because I’m a clown, and those who watch me are the audience.

Jiiing―

Let’s lightly check the notes of the guitar.

Drumroll please

Dong-sik’s hands, checking the drums, caress me.

It tells you that you are not alone.

The keyboard of the synthesizer and the thump of the bass guitar signaled to me that they were ready.

I always thought.

I’m going to be the center of the world.

So I always believed.

I’m going to be the best.

I didn’t really know what it was, but fourteen.

A single flat LP that rolled on the floor became the compass that showed me what I should do to become the best.

Just because you’ve decided to be the best doesn’t mean you have to be lonely.

Something we can be the best at together.

That’s a band.

I feel sorry for the members who were with me in Nae-Ppak-Il, but this is a completely different thrill than back then.

As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I begin to see the faces of the people sitting at the tables outside the stage. Some people are curious about us, but are still waiting for their food. Some people are checking their phones because they don’t like the singer.

A person who watches over us with a dignified face and manners.

Even the staff who often walk around carrying food.

Each one is different.

So it was perfect for our first show.

Because it’s awkward and rough at first.

I looked to my right and nodded, and Youngpil, who confirmed my signal, tapped the synthesizer’s keys with his fingers.

Ding, ding, ding, ding.

Ding, ding, ding, ding.

Because music is the storyteller.

Today we start with a popular song.

It’s a pop song, but it’s not easy to accept it when an unfamiliar song comes on.

Even if it’s a song you know, if you come to listen to a soft and resonant song, it won’t be easy to just shout at it.

So today’s song selection is completely customized.

My music is always like this.

It’s not my style to choose songs that say, “Just shut up and listen to my music because it’s so good.”

Please enjoy it even if you don’t like us.

So, let’s get into our music little by little.

So that, finally, without our music, we would be panting like a whale without water.

I faced the standing microphone and took a deep breath as I listened to Youngpil hyung’s clacking keys.

Korea’s favorite rock band.

It was Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

* * *

Beyond Raven’s Stage.

At the corner table, Oh Man-seok ordered a cocktail.

Alcohol brings romance and sometimes inspiration, but Oh Man-seok is much closer to an engineer than a creator.

Touching, tuning, and fixing instruments.

I don’t usually enjoy alcohol because it spoils my mood, but I feel like I absolutely have to have a drink today.

I checked the watch on my wrist.

Six o’clock in the evening.

As if to prove that the time was not wrong, an elderly couple is just sitting down at the table. Misari is often called the mecca of adultery. But that is wrong.

Misari is just a resting place for those who enjoyed that era.

Despite the rather chaotic atmosphere, the song started with Hong Young-pil’s keyboard, and immediately Lee Dong-ha’s vocals caught the audience’s attention.

“what?”

“It’s Queen. Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“Who is the singer?”

“Brother, look at the performance list.”

Oh Man-seok felt proud of himself for no reason as he listened to the reactions of the people around him.

‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this again.’

I didn’t believe that they asked me to catch a performance at Blue Porcelain.

I can’t believe he told me to move, but he’s the Blue Porcelain that fell from grace 30 years ago without even debuting?

Still, I caught him without asking who the members were or whether it was true or not.

Because in music, only the vocals open their mouths.

And since Oh Man-seok wasn’t a vocalist, I opened my ears and waited.

To determine if it is real blue porcelain.

Hong Young-pil’s keyboard is still lacking.

Should I say that my fingers are trembling?

It has to be rhythmic, but it’s hard to find the right notes.

It’s a mess compared to before.

Well, comparing it to 30 years ago is nonsense.

Fingers age too.

If he had devoted himself to music for 30 years, it would be a different story, but Oh Man-seok saw Hong Young-pil mostly on variety shows, not music programs.

When Oh Man-seok listens again, he hears the sound of drums behind Lee Dong-ha’s vocals.

‘It’s popping. The sound is popping.’

Even if you’re not an expert, you’ll think so. The drums are basically like a metronome for a band.

So anyone who ignores the drums just doesn’t understand the band.

The drummer is the conductor of the band.

But this band’s conductor is making a mess of things.

Poor conducting.

It’s the same with Hong Young-pil.

In particular, the drumming that was so powerful it seemed like it would break the drums became soft, which was enough to make you realize the passage of time.

‘Why didn’t you just live by flicking chopsticks? … … .’

Time adds depth to a person, but it also adds sweetness.

When I meet my old colleagues, I think we’ll have a drink and talk about life, but when I see them still doing the same things they did 30 years ago, unable to let go of their attachments… … I feel an indescribable sense of nostalgia.

If you do it well, you won’t know.

From the perspective of someone who knew Kim Dong-sik 30 years ago, I could tell just by listening to his drumming skills that he had not been near music all that time.

Except for the moving guitar, the bass guitar creaked, but it gave off a hopeful sound that seemed like it could be fixed with just a little more oiling.

‘Taeju, what kind of foolish desire did you have to come back? What the heck?’

Even though my face was covered by a mask and sunglasses.

Even if your skills have rusted and become almost like scrap metal.

Lights sparkling here and there.

The movements you see when playing.

Huh? The habits that are shown when playing that make you surprised.

Playing with all her heart on stage… … and yet, these clumsy men made her certain that they were the original members she knew.

“… … Good.”

Still, all I can say is that it’s good.

If you look at it separately, it feels like the band is a mess with the vocalist and guitarist grabbing them by the scruff of the neck and dragging them along, but when you listen to it all together, you can’t see any flaws.

To be exact, I didn’t care about the shortcomings.

Because it doesn’t miss the so-called emotion.

Actually, that’s much harder. Playing is done by the fingers, but feeling is done by the heart and emotions. It’s not easy to put emotion into playing. Especially when you’re playing with so many mistakes.

Those who don’t know say that emotions or feelings are caused by the feeling of Wonhyo Daesa’s skull and water, but as an engineer, I know better.

Even if you play well with a good instrument, there are some people who beat your chest.

There are some people who can touch your heart even when they play clumsily with a poor instrument.

And you know.

Eventually, these people become musicians and enter people’s hearts.

As they came in to go to their seats, one of the two people standing next to Oh Man-seok’s table and quietly listening to Blue Porcelain’s performance opened his mouth quietly.

“Hey singer… …what’s the story?”

“Well… … . It’s a really heartbreaking song. I don’t think it’s sung with much passion.”

Queen doesn’t interpret the lyrics of their songs.

The intuitive lyrics don’t really need any interpretation, but Bohemian Rhapsody is a song whose meaning varies depending on the interpretation.

Some people heard it intuitively.

A death row inmate who killed a person confesses his feelings to his mother before being executed, telling her to live well.

Also, some people interpreted that the person killed by the speaker of the song was his father.

And some people interpreted it as Freddie Mercury expressing his confusion and sadness after discovering his unusual sexual orientation. The interpretation is that the speaker is Freddie Mercury himself and the man the speaker killed is Freddie’s masculinity.

‘Dong-ha, who did you kill to be so desperate…?’

If it’s the same as 30 years ago, shouldn’t it be a song about innocent youth who don’t know anything like they did 30 years ago?

He looks twenty, but I wonder if he’s been living somewhere for thirty years like that.

Oh Man-seok unknowingly immersed himself in the music and enjoyed a glass of cocktail.

Cheers to you.

Whether you’ve passed through time or lived in secret, I hope you can now live your time properly.

* * *

All three songs played during the open time were Queen songs.

It’s a shame that there are only three songs, but this is just enough for the hyungs to warm up. They will fill in the shortcomings they felt while performing in the practice room. They will gain more strength while feeling the emotion that only a stage with an audience can give.

The guitar isn’t the problem, but I always feel that the synthesizer and drums are the problem.

The drums in particular need to be a bit bigger.

Fortunately, Youngpil’s drum-setting skills are still intact, so the setup and dismantling are relatively quick.

As we were quickly moving the instruments to the car under the cafe, the old man who was said to be the owner of this place called us.

“for a moment.”

Let’s look around. Dong-sik and Young-pil are busy taking care of their instruments, and Tae-joo, who has some free time, nods his head to signal for me to answer.

I guess he asked me to be the leader because he didn’t like being bothered.

So, despite my inconvenience, I answered the old man.

“Why are you like that?”

“When talking to people, you should take off your mask and sunglasses. Oh, and why do you have to wear sunglasses on a dark stage? It’s not just one person, it’s all of you.”

“It’s mysticism.”

The owner of the concert hall that provided the stage was an elderly man, so he tried his best to answer without making a sound like he was twitching, but he seemed to be dissatisfied with the answer.

Opening his eyes half-asleep, he looks at us… … .

“You guys. What are you?”

“What is your identity?”

“Yeah, identity.”

“Um… … a person? A man, to be exact?”

“I don’t want to hear such nonsense. The three of you, excluding you, are like toddlers who have just started walking, and you feel the vibe. It’s like a very old piece of junk rolling around for the first time in a long time. Is that right?”

“If I openly call it junk, won’t the junk people who hear it feel bad?”

“I’m old too, so it’s okay. Even if I say that.”

After saying that, he started muttering quietly to himself.

“It looks like they are indeed antiques.”

As I was quietly looking at that sight… … someone came to mind.

“Im Tae-hee… …?”

“You didn’t seem to know me before, but now you do? Judging from the way you recognize me, I guess you’re not a young guy. I thought you were a young guy because your voice was so deep. I guess my ears are starting to hear you now.”

“Is this really Im Tae-hee? Wow, awesome! Can you give me your autograph?”

“Are you a fan?”

“No, not to that extent, but my dad… … um… … was a fan.”

While answering, I suddenly thought of my father and almost got depressed, but I laughed it off.

“The autograph is fine. Take this. Only you use it. Because you did it right.”

Then I accepted the thin envelope that was offered to me.

Normally, it would be right to check things like this from the back, but Tae-joo hyung taught me that it’s better to check the money neatly in front, so I opened the envelope on the spot.

One, two… … three… … four 50,000 won bills. Are those four in total?

“……to?”

“Why? Less?”

“Of course.”

“Just feel good. That guy doesn’t have any hair.”

Then he turns around and walks away without looking back.

“Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Five songs instead of three. Same start time. See you on Wednesday.”

“Are you just deciding on your own schedule without asking us?”

“Except for you, everyone else’s skills are terrible, so how could they have a schedule?”

“Okay. Then next time, please give me your autograph instead of money.”

When I waved the envelope and greeted my grandfather, he pouted.

“You’re not a fan?”

“I like the song. It’s just not my style.”

“You little brat.”

“There aren’t many grandfathers either.”

“Why does this little bastard keep calling me grandpa? Take off your mask right now.”

To avoid the pursuing Im Tae-hee, I got into the passenger seat of the truck Tae-joo hyung had prepared.

“Should we keep going like this?”

“A truck driven by a chaebol? That’s rare.”

“Just like this? Leave it like that?”

“Then? Should I go down and continue arguing with the old man, Im Tae-hee?”

Thump thump

I reached out the car window and tapped the side of the car.

Then, Tae-joo bursts into laughter as if he can’t stop himself and steps on the accelerator.

“See you on Wednesday.”

“Aren’t you standing there?!”

“I don’t drive. I stand still and the car moves.”

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the old man gasping for breath with his knees propped against the side mirror of his car.

Mr. Im Tae-hee, the godfather of forks… … There are also good things about coming to the future.

I met all the stars I only saw on TV.

At that moment, the cell phone that was in my pants pocket started shaking violently.

Who is it?

It can’t be Yeongpil and Dongsik who set off in a different car.

Then who will contact me first… … .

Beomseok is working at the hospital and I haven’t bought anything yet, so it’s not the right time to nag him.

A 21st century navigator and a rehabilitated nostril turned criminal?

We haven’t been in touch much lately.

… … The members of My Picked Idol group who are currently promoting with the songs I gave them are probably suffering the hardships they wanted, so it’s even worse.

ah.

This is something to brag about, but I’m really good at writing songs.

It may also be because the show was a huge hit and they debuted with a large fandom behind them.

Anyway, the kids are doing well now.

The watermelon chart doesn’t come down after kicking the roof.

It’s at a level that comes out no matter if you turn on TV, radio, or the internet.

“I blocked that weird lady… … .”

As I think about it, the identity of the person ringing my phone becomes clear.

As expected.

I checked my phone screen and chuckled.

“Just slave number one.”

“Slave number one?”

“Yes. Current obsession. Future slave number one.”