The Reincarnated Idol Hard Carries an Indie Band - Chapter 120

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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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A Former Idol’s Hard Carry of an Indie Band
Chapter 120
A few days after the video went live, one afternoon.
IK Entertainment called Maruru Band to their office.
“Hello, Manager.”
Min Hyun Ah and the members greeted the manager cheerfully the moment they saw him.
Just weeks ago, they’d been half-dead in spirit.
But Maruru Band had come alive with newfound vitality.
“Right, let’s sit down first.”
Maruru Band and the manager settled into the conference room.
“Coffee?”
“Oh, yes, please.”
“Thank you.”
The manager sent an assistant on a coffee run.
Once the coffee arrived minutes later, they each took a cup, and the meeting began.
“The division head secured your next project. We’ll allocate the budget soon.”
Color flooded back into Maruru Band’s faces in an instant.
“The response to your recent rooftop performance video has been outstanding.”
“It’s all because you approved it, sir.”
“No. You did well.”
The manager thrust his smartphone forward.
“See that view count? Already over two million. The company’s got high expectations for you these days.”
The manager’s excitement was palpable.
“So here’s the thing…”
What came next mattered greatly.
Everything they’d accomplished so far was just that—accomplishment.
“Our company’s only ever produced idols. We’ve got no experience making band albums. Would you want to take a shot at your next one?”
“Really?”
Yun Jung Ah’s eyes lit up first.
“Yeah. The CEO’s still sitting on the fence, but the division head thinks I should make a strong case. Probably happen.”
“We’re confident.”
Min Hyun Ah pushed forward with conviction.
“Our music is solid. If you just back us with capital, we’ll really deliver!”
The manager seemed slightly taken aback by Min Hyun Ah’s attitude, which he’d never seen before.
“Just asking for money—that’s funny.”
“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant…”
“Haha, just kidding. I get it. You’re asking me to trust you and leave it to you?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Good. Give it your best. I’ll give you a week. Think through the album concept.”
“We’ll start right now.”
“Right now?”
The manager’s eyebrows rose.
“We have plenty of songs.”
“Interesting…”
The manager’s expression showed genuine intrigue.
And so Maruru Band’s next album project moved straight into action.
* * *
Days had passed since BAND NIGHT ended.
While we moved busily toward our next steps, we kept a close eye on the scene’s developments.
Then one day, Min Hyun Ah called.
Her voice on the other end was completely different from when we’d first met at that café.
-Seo Ha. The company told us to do self-written tracks for our next album.
“That worked out well.”
-They’re even leaving the entire production to us.
I let out a quiet laugh.
It was exactly as I’d expected.
The company wasn’t bad.
They’d simply believed bands didn’t sell.
Once that belief shattered, the company let Maruru off the leash of its own accord.
I’d drawn up the board, but I hadn’t made it happen.
Maruru Band had proven that bands sell, and the company had changed course on its own.
-It’s all thanks to you, Seo Ha. The members are grateful too. We don’t even know how to repay you…
“Repayment?”
-Still…
“Just keep making good music. Let’s grow the scene together.”
That was enough.
All I needed was a home to return to, wherever we ended up.
A stable market meant stability for us as well.
-Thank you. We’ll really contribute to the band boom!
The call ended with Min Hyun Ah’s bright, cheerful voice.
It wasn’t just Maruru.
After the BAND NIGHT video spread, you could feel the entire scene’s energy shift.
Distruction, with their commanding stage presence, was flooded with solo concert inquiries.
They’d even started getting requests to perform at university festivals.
Odyssey, who’d showcased high-caliber tracks, saw their music rankings climb noticeably.
Odyssey fielded surge after surge of inquiries for live content shoots—recorded performances for video media rather than live venues.
The other bands from that night started getting bookings, big and small.
“Band” was no longer a dull or niche word.
What began as Rooftop Core had rolled forward into something larger, creating a current.
And now it was lifting the entire scene’s profile.
People were discovering bands.
This was just the beginning.
Not one band doing well and fading into a brief trend.
But the entire scene rising together.
A band boom was coming to South Korea.
And Oktatop would stand at the center of it.
* * *
“Hey, everyone! Welcome! As promised, we’ve got a star guest today. Let’s hear it!”
-Yaaaaaay!
-Clap clap clap clap clap!
-Applause~~
-Yeah it’s loud~~~
It was the day Dampa did his live broadcast.
Since starting YouTube, he’d only ever talked by himself—until today, his first guest appearance.
“Without further ado, let me introduce him. Cha Seo Ha from Oktatop!”
Cha Seo Ha walked in from off-camera, clapping along.
He was dressed in the perfect Rooftop Core look.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Cha Seo Ha, vocalist of Oktatop.”
The chat exploded instantly.
-Wait how’d he get a #1 artist to come?
-Damn he’s actually really good-looking
-What idol group is he from?
-If there weren’t idol rumors at his debut this would be weird
-Wow up close he’s seriously handsome
-Dampa’s got the connections lol
-Nice voice too…
-Bro move the squid off to the side
-Seriously the video quality changed when Seo Ha came in lol look at Dampa in comparison ㅋㅋㅋ
“How have you been?”
“Thanks to your support, great. Anyway, I really appreciate you having me on.”
The two exchanged handshakes.
Cha Seo Ha glanced at the chat window.
“Is it always like this here?”
“Oh, they just get a kick out of roasting me. No need to mind it.”
“I see…”
For someone with over a decade of broadcast experience, Cha Seo Ha found this kind of open mockery novel.
After some casual talk about recent goings-on.
Dampa smoothly launched into his first question.
“So, Rooftop Core lately. You’d have to be a spy not to know about it?”
“We’re grateful it’s gotten that big.”
“But something felt off to me about it.”

Dampa’s eyes gleamed with interest.
The analytical side he’d shown in Who’s The Real came through here as well.
“Usually when a band gets famous for fashion, the music gets buried. People just call it all about looks.”
“That’s true.”
“And your Monster track—people’s opinions really divide on it. Very niche.”
Cha Seo Ha just smiled faintly without answering.
“Normally that kills a band. But this got even bigger instead. Why?”
Cha Seo Ha expected Dampa to pause for a response, but he kept talking, so Cha Seo Ha hesitated for a moment.
-Stop talking, let him speak
-Let Seo Ha talk for once
-You crazy bastard, did you plant audience members?
-You bring a #1 artist and won’t stop talking, seriously
The chat flickered with displeasure, but Dampa pressed on.
“I think you did it on purpose, this guy.”
-What now?
-Oh what is this, more analyst stuff?
-Why would Cha Seo Ha do it on purpose? Is he a god?
“If the song’s easy, everyone just likes it and that’s it. But when people’s opinions divide? ‘Me liking this makes me special’—right? That’s the Hongdae mentality right there. Am I wrong?”
Dampa had been watching Oktatop’s every move this whole time.
With his eye for analysis, he’d eventually arrived at this very thought.
“Easy fashion to copy as your entry point, moderately difficult songs to stoke superiority… This is all planned, isn’t it?”
Cha Seo Ha stayed quiet for a long moment, then burst out laughing.
“You’re impressive.”
“What, really?”
“That was a great story.”
“Huh?”
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-You’re just talking out your ass
-Lol Dampa embarrassing himself again ㅋㅋㅋ
-Stop making stuff up buddy!
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Quit YouTube and write novels ㅋㅋㅋ
-Yeah what fictional logic is that lol. Planning something to create buzz doesn’t make sense ㅋㅋ
-ㅋㅋㅋ He loves acting smart ㅋㅋㅋ
-That’s too much, Dampa
Dampa had been fairly confident about this.
Someone like Cha Seo Ha probably orchestrated it all.
But his answer was unexpected.
“I just made the music and wore clothes that suited it.”
“Hmm…”
“Oktatop has always been that way. With Rendezvous, with Awaken, with Oceans.”
“…Oh, thinking about it, that’s true.”
Whenever Oktatop made a song, they’d produce a music video with an atmosphere to match.
It was just basic musicianship.
What differed this time was the magazine shoots and sponsorships.
That’s where the viral moment came from.
Since Dampa hadn’t directly asked about that part, Cha Seo Ha simply answered no.
“I see… Got it.”
Still, Cha Seo Ha clearly seemed surprised by Dampa’s analysis.
Whether true or not, viewers watching this broadcast would now consciously recognize that such a current had existed.
After continuing the conversation for some time, once the mood had settled deeper, Dampa asked in a notably serious tone.
“So, Cha Seo Ha.”
“Yes.”
“Your work with Oktatop has really expanded the band scene.”
“I’m grateful that’s happened.”
“You’ve grown the scene this big—surely that’s not the end?”
It was a sharp question.
Dampa truly was someone who saw the heart of things.
“I mean, you created the Rooftop Core trend and killed it with BAND NIGHT, built up the scene—so what’s next?”
Cha Seo Ha considered for a moment.
He decided there was no need to reveal everything, so he chose his words carefully, letting just a hint slip out.
“The scene still isn’t fully grown. We need to expand it more.”
“Right, true. From what I can see, we’re still at the beginning.”
“And once we’ve grown enough…”
“Once you’ve grown enough…?”
“We’ll take it outside.”
“Outside.”
“Yes.”
“You mean overseas again?”
“Who knows?”
Cha Seo Ha just smiled cryptically, and the chat erupted again.
Cha Seo Ha never gave a full answer, and the conversation continued.
Eventually, the two reached the end of the broadcast.
“Well then, shall we do one live song before we wrap?”
“Sure.”
Dampa picked up his Guitar, and Cha Seo Ha took the microphone.
One might have expected it to be rough, but the two’s timing meshed remarkably well.
A Perfect Pitch guitarist and a vocalist with over a decade of experience.
Two people whose conversation rarely quite connected.
Yet within the music, there was understanding that needed no words.
And so Dampa’s first star guest broadcast ended with a record: 30,000 simultaneous viewers since the channel’s launch.

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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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