The Reincarnated Idol Hard Carries an Indie Band - Chapter 107

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Former Idol Carries the Indie Band
Chapter 107
At the staff’s signal, the lights in the Audience seating dimmed to a soft glow.
The red recording light came on.
Marcus opened his mouth smoothly toward the camera.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to The Greenroom! Tonight, real music, real stars-let’s get into it!”
His opening remarks filled the Studio.
Then Marcus planted anticipation in the audience and viewers about who tonight’s guests were.
After all that snappy, charming banter, our names were called.
“I present to you: OKTOP!”
Soft applause erupted from the Audience seating.
It wasn’t warm.
Most faces bore curiosity mixed with skepticism—’What are these kids from the East doing here?’
Some recognized us already, but they were very few.
I was used to it.
We always started from looks like this.
We shook hands with Marcus the moment we took the Stage, then sat down.
I scanned the people sitting closest to us.
Their eyes all sparkled.
The distance between us and the Audience seating was so close that conversation was possible.
One girl whose eyes met mine asked me a question using only mouth movements.
“Korean Idol Band?”
I shook my head with a smile, as if to say I wasn’t sure.
The girl then leaned against her friend’s shoulder with a shy smile.
Why are young female fans the same everywhere?
“Nice to meet you. Please introduce yourselves to the camera,” Marcus said.
I spoke first.
“Hello, Greenroom viewers. I’m Cha Seo Ha, the vocal for OKTOP. Nice to meet you.”
My fluent English drew soft cheers and applause from the Audience seating.
“I’m Kim Ji Hu. I play Keyboard for OKTOP.”
Short and concise.
Quite a few people were surprised by his excellent pronunciation.
Lee Do Young followed with a decent greeting, and then the two problem children started glancing at each other.
Signaling for the other to go first.
Eventually Heo Jun Sung spoke first.
“Uh, hey, hello! My name is Jun-sung Huh!”
“Joon-sung Huh?”
“Yes!”
“Huh?”
“Yeah!”
Heo Jun Sung’s last name sounded like an exclamation, so Marcus asked him to repeat it a few times.
Heo Jun Sung, confused as to why he kept asking, just kept saying “Yes.”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
“Huh? Seriously?”
Big laughs erupted from the Audience seating, and Heo Jun Sung just looked at me asking why everyone was laughing.
This was hopeless, seriously.
And now it was the final boss’s turn.
“Konnichiwa… no, hello! Watashi… ah, no. My name is Kang Min! Drummer! Yeah yeah!”
What on earth was he saying?
Kang Min was clearly speaking English, but CEO Jo Hyun Seop translated it anyway.
“Hello, My name is Kang Min. I’m a drummer. Yeah!”
Obviously to tease Kang Min.
The Audience seating burst out laughing again at his impromptu translation.
Marcus was also chuckling.
“Was I not good?”
“Terrible.”
I heard Kang Min and Heo Jun Sung whispering to each other.
Thanks to the two idiots, the atmosphere had loosened considerably, and the filming began to flow smoothly.
How we formed the band.
Why OKTOP.
Most of the back-and-forth in English fell to me and Kim Ji Hu.
Lee Do Young also gathered courage and contributed stumbling bits.
Heo Jun Sung and Kang Min mostly didn’t understand the conversation.
CEO Jo Hyun Seop translated late, but by the time he did and they had something to say, it was already too late.
Noticing this flow, Marcus naturally threw questions at the two of them.
“You, Mr. Huh.”
“Yeah, yes!”
Just calling Heo Jun Sung’s name made the Audience seating laugh.
“What do you most want to do after coming to America?”
When Marcus threw the question at Heo Jun Sung, his eyes lit up.
“Hamburger! Patty Four!”
“……Four patties?”
“Yes! In-N-Out!”
The Audience seating exploded.
It wasn’t about the content.
It was the sight of a handsome young Asian guy who couldn’t even speak English hunting for hamburgers that was funny.
He couldn’t help but look cute.
Though I was a bit embarrassed, of course.
“I like this friend.”
“Th-thank you!”
Marcus looked very pleased.
When the question turned to Kang Min, it was even worse.
“Watashi wa, the original ramen of…”
“Is this guy Japanese?”
“No, he’s Korean. He’s just… kind of weird…”
I scrambled to smooth it over, but the Audience seating had already opened their hearts to this loud Asian band.
Then my eyes met Kim Ji Hu’s.
He was trying to have a wordless conversation with me.
‘Hey, is this right?’
‘I have no idea either.’
* * *
Ironically, the two whose communication was worst were making the atmosphere flow incredibly well.
“So. You really don’t have a company?”
I answered Marcus’s question.
“No, it’s just the five of us and the CEO helping us here.”
That we hit number one on the Sounda chart came up in early questions, and the Audience knew the fact.
But the team that achieved that was an Indie band.
Those who didn’t know that were visibly surprised.
“You’re joking? That chart with no company?”
“We have plenty of friends instead. That’s our company.”
Soft laughter rippled through the Audience seating.
We don’t have a company, but Korea’s indie scene is helping us.
They make our Music Videos and help with promotion.
That scene is our home, our base, and our company.
“Ah, and I have to ask this.”
Marcus grinned and smacked his lips.
“That number one song on the Sounda chart, Riot. The actress in that Music Video—the one from Bricks Escape, right?”
He was talking about Moon Ga Young.
“Yes, that’s right. She’s an old friend of ours.”
“A friend? That megastar?”
“Yes, we were together since our poor days.”
Murmurs of admiration spilled from the Audience seating.
The buzz was through the actress; the sustain through the music.
The foundation I’d laid was rolling forward in this distant living room exactly as planned.
“Good. I think I’ve heard enough story.”
Marcus clapped and stood up.
“Now it’s time to hear their music. Everyone, OKTOP takes the Stage!”
The long talk finally ended, and the real performance was now just moments away.
This was the first moment OKTOP’s music would be aired on broadcast across this vast continent.
* * *
We had a chance to tune our Instruments again before the Rehearsal we’d already done.
Since there were no major issues, preparations wrapped up quickly.
Before the production staff gave the cue, I turned to look at them.
I approached Kim Ji Hu, who sat silently before the Keyboard, waiting to begin.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Can you do this well?”
“Why would you ask that? Of course I can.”
Kim Ji Hu doesn’t shake easily.
Whether we’re in America or outer space, he’d pull it off.
He prepares thoroughly.
“Even if I sabotage you?”
“What?”
“Never mind. Just do well.”
But could he really do well even with me as his opponent?
Kim Ji Hu didn’t grasp the meaning of my words and turned his gaze back to the Keyboard.
To hold that guy back, I’m going to sabotage this performance today.
Prepare yourself, Kim Ji Hu.
* * *
I couldn’t figure out what Cha Seo Ha meant by those words.
Coming all the way to distant America to sabotage the performance?
What kind of statement was that?
Did he feel spiteful because I was considering leaving OKTOP?
But somehow, that didn’t seem like him.
He could be selfish, but he was a mature guy.
What on earth was he trying to do?
Soon after, the lights converged on the Stage.
The Audience seating had shed all their stiff attitudes from the beginning of the broadcast and now watched us with a much more relaxed demeanor.
But words alone couldn’t convince them all.
No matter how fluent our English or how much we made them laugh.
Our identity was music.
From here on, words weren’t needed.
Our identity.
‘……Us.’
As that thought crossed my mind, Kang Min’s stick collided in mid-air.
Bang.
Then Kang Min’s Drums consumed the Studio in one breath.
That kid, who was a DMC Champion, drummed the hearts of an Audience that didn’t even know what that meant.
It was brilliant every time I heard it.
And rooted solidly atop that, Lee Do Young’s Bass.
That guy has really grown.
Lee Do Young has the highest potential among all of us.
From what I can see, he hasn’t shown everything yet, and he has more days ahead to grow, but his growth rate was still exceptional.
He’s a guy worth watching.
Then Heo Jun Sung’s Guitar cut sharply through the air.
When I first met him at the academy, I thought his ceiling wasn’t that high.
But he practiced relentlessly every day and perfected the incredible skill he shows now.
He’s pathetic to watch in every other context, but when he carries that Guitar, it’s different.
That guy has a lot to teach.
And on top of all that, I layered precise, varied sounds.
Riot, a Symphonic rock composition.
I had a large role in this piece.
Since it was a song that had to paint an epic narrative, atmosphere was critical, and that required sounds beyond the band’s basic Instruments.
We delivered the heavy, majestic intro we’d promised.
The faces of the Audience surrounding us began to crumble one by one.
Young Asian indie musicians with decent English and jokes.
Until now, that’s all we’d been to them.
But we were far exceeding their expectations.
The foundation was laid well.
An intro with just the right atmosphere.
Now all Cha Seo Ha had to do was sing and match it………
The moment the first verse began, I couldn’t help but doubt my own eyes.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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