The Reincarnated Idol Hard Carries an Indie Band - Chapter 117

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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 Does a Hard Carry for an Indie Band
Chapter 117
A gentle murmur from the packed audience seating was spreading softly throughout JK Hall.
BAND NIGHT was about to begin.
Seven o’clock in the evening.
The music and lighting that had filled the venue abruptly faded.
“Waaaaaaah!!”
The moment five hundred voices of murmur transformed into cheers.
Along the sides of the stage, behind the audience seating.
The members of Jo Sung Hoon Band, cameras in hand, had claimed their positions—visible even through the darkness.
The reason they weren’t performing as guests tonight.
It was to record this night flawlessly, frame by frame.
And five members emerged from the darkness.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
“Wooooah!!”
As the audience erupted, the music began to play.
An unidentifiable band track.
It was a demo song produced by Oktatop for the performance intro.
To the exhilarating music, the crowd moved to the rhythm and screamed.
And Oktatop’s members continued their silent tuning within the darkness and sound.
When would they start?
The audience’s anticipation only grew.
“Hey, Hongdae!!”
“Waaaaaah!!”
Cha Seo Ha’s piercing shout.
“Oh, not bad. I like it.”
“Waaaaaaaaah!!!”
The satisfied tone in Cha Seo Ha’s voice.
The crowd answered with cheers, clutching their racing hearts.
Oktatop, still only silhouettes on stage.
Just as the audience’s curiosity reached its peak.
The playing track began to blend with live instrumentation.
Bang—.
A heavy drum roll.
As the song shifted, the music’s identity gradually revealed itself.
Even though it was an arranged version, the audience screamed.
.
That Symphonic Rock that had once consumed America, if only for a moment.
Had transformed a small Hongdae venue into a stadium.
The lights burst forth, and Heo Jun Sung’s guitar sliced through the air, announcing the beginning of an epic.
Lee Do Young’s bass shook the foundation, and Kim Ji Hu’s keyboard completed the narrative.
The moment Cha Seo Ha belted the first verse, the entire audience section jumped to its feet.
They were at full strength from the opening.
Oktatop—giving no thought to pacing their stamina.
Tonight was a night where that didn’t matter.
Though the lyrics contained quite a bit of English, the crowd sang every verse of along with them.
While the audience spared no enthusiasm, Cha Seo Ha remained entirely focused on the stage, pouring his energy into the music.
With full concentration on every phrase, he never forgot his breath with the instruments.
The problem was the other members.
‘Ah, this bastard actually knows how to do it.’
‘Wait till we get off stage. I’m not letting this slide.’
The live performance at The Greenroom came to mind.
Cha Seo Ha had fumbled the stage so subtly that the audience never noticed.
Now, as if that had never happened, he was delivering a perfect set.
Seeing him perform like this, Kim Ji Hu wore an exasperated expression.
But that look was so cool that Jo Sung Hoon moved closer and captured it all in his camera frame.
And so the flawless performance came to an end.
“Waaaaaah!”
And the roar poured out.
Yet Oktatop did not rest.
“Let’s go! Oktatop! Cruise!!”
The moment Kang Min shouted into the microphone, the drums crashed four times loudly.
meant Oktatop was about to tear through like madmen—brace yourselves and run.
And those who knew Oktatop well began to sprint like they’d gone insane.
The venue rang with the footfalls of five hundred people.
Oktatop tore across the stage, determined not to yield an inch.
It was a brilliant opening for BAND NIGHT, one that would shift the landscape of the music scene.
* * *
Oktatop’s opening performance had lifted the atmosphere brilliantly and come to a close.
Naturally, other guests would perform, and then Oktatop would take the stage again.
For now, Distruction was commanding the stage.
Distruction showed exactly what the essence of Punk was.
No matter how wild Oktatop had been, they couldn’t match Distruction’s defiant spirit.
Im Hyun Taek showed excellent communication with the audience.
With his masculine performance style, he captivated even those seeing the band for the first time, delivering a brilliant show.
Next came Odyssey’s turn.
Repetitive synth riffs.
Simple songwriting.
Yet a futuristic sound that captivated the audience’s ears.
Odyssey handled the potentially unfamiliar Psychedelic genre with both accessibility and sophistication.
While their connection with the crowd lacked the force of Punk and other genres.
Through musicianship alone, they delivered a distinctive, high-caliber band performance.
The other guests each painted the venue in their own color, heating up the crowd.
The five hundred people here tonight would clearly see how diverse faces exist in the band scene.
Some were already fans of the scene before today.
But overwhelmingly, there were new fans streaming in.
Certainly, there were people grumbling about why Oktatop’s set time was so short.
But soon enough, they were all captivated by the high-caliber performances of the guests.
Some even thought Distruction or Odyssey was better than Oktatop.
Taste was subjective, after all.
And that was never poison to Oktatop.
Because this was the picture Cha Seo Ha had drawn.
Not Oktatop alone, but the entire scene shining on one stage.
He wanted to prove that the band scene was glittering like this in the places you weren’t watching.
And following their brilliant performance, the next band appeared from the waiting area.
And a stir rippled through the audience.
“Maruru?”
“Wow, it’s been a while.”
“Min Hyun A!”
“They were quiet after placing first, and now we see them again.”
Half hope, half doubt.
In truth, they’d been active consistently all along.
Some were happy to see a familiar face after so long.
But there was also no shortage of pitying looks directed at what people perceived as a failed band.
Many knew they’d been signed after winning an audition show.
Yet instead of flashy stage costumes, Maruru wore the simple, understated look of an indie band.
They’d shed every bit of packaging the company had given them—raw and unadorned Maruru.
* * *
Five hundred different gazes mixed to form a delicate atmosphere.
Fans looking at our Maruru Band with admiring eyes.
Looks asking who they were.
Looks dismissing them as a failed band.
There were also glances of “I remember seeing you after such a long time.”
I felt nervous in a way that wasn’t like me.
I’d been on stage hundreds of times.
But why was I so anxious now…?
Before the first song began, I wanted to cry from the trembling in my heart, but I held it back.
“This place is really where you are.”
Those words that the kid Kim Ji Hu had said before the performance came back to me.
He usually seemed like the silent type, but he came forward and talked about this and that.
Cha Seo Ha must have told him to do it.
But there was no lie in what that kid said.
That’s right.
This place is really where we are.
Not making music on the company’s terms.
Min Hyun A singing my songs in my nest.
That’s the real me.
“Min Hyun A! You got this!”
Just then, a fan’s voice called out.
An old fan who’d been following us since way back.
Was it already eight years ago when I first saw that person?
As long as there’s even one person who still loves us like this, that’s enough.
Because that’s what we’ve always been.
Okay.
Tonight, I’ll sing for you.
* * *
The first song began.
The days when Maruru dominated the indie scene.
A real song from those days when we were happy playing even in front of just three people.
To look at the beautiful, handsome faces and the band’s name, you’d think they’d play sentimental songs.
But surprisingly, Maruru Band’s main weapon was intensity.
We touch the sky!
The moment Min Hyun A’s shout hit, a torrent of harmony poured out.
With the rough sound, the lights erupted.
The instant that first note burst forth, the air in the audience section changed.
The momentum of energy built by the previous teams began to pulse back to life.
Yun Jung A’s bass struck heavy and full.
The members, pushed back, found their places and reclaimed their sound.
And at the center of it all, Min Hyun A sang with a voice that would tear her throat.
Not the mild, measured tempo the company demanded.
But pouring out everything she’d been holding back inside.
“Wow, a band like this?”
“Doesn’t suit… but it’s so cool…!”
“Waaaaaah!!”
The doubt that had filled the audience section instantly transformed into wonder.
Those who’d come knowing Maruru as a failed band were now seeing the real Maruru for the first time.
Min Hyun A was steadily finding her rhythm.
Not striving to seize this chance forcefully.
But returning to the old Maruru, delivering a relaxed, confident performance.
“Waaaaaah!!!”
And the audience cheered them on.
Maruru Band, hearing that support, pushed harder.
It was a beautiful positive cycle in the performance.
Min Hyun A stood at the edge of the stage, smiling.
She looked across the faces in the crowd, each one, with a satisfied expression.
Then she shouted into the microphone.
“Yeah!! This is it!!”
“Waaaaaaaaah!!!”
The crowd erupted once more at Min Hyun A’s sincerity.
Not pity for a failed band.
But the pure roar of people who’d just witnessed something real.
And so one song ended.
“Thank… you…”
Min Hyun A started to bow but turned away, her eyes reddening.
For a moment, Min Hyun A showed the crowd her back.
And they all rushed to comfort her, telling her not to cry.
A moment later.
With her composure restored, Min Hyun A showed her strength.
“Hey, hey! Who’s crying? Get ready to jump.”
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
“Wow, she’s so badass!”
“Ha, that unnie’s got real swagger.”
“Let’s go!!!!”
“Waaaaaah!!”
And so the next song began, and Maruru Band announced their successful return.

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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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