The Reincarnated Idol Hard Carries an Indie Band - Chapter 126

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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 Hard Carry for the Indie Band
Chapter 126
Like the Sky Music Festival.
Or the festivals held in Busan.
Every year, there was noise surrounding certain bands on stages where rookies performed.
The question was merely whether that noise was loud or quiet.
And this year, the magnitude of that noise was rather substantial.
When the lineup was first announced, there were only a handful of personal opinions that Oktatop’s debut seemed premature.
Somewhere along the way, the controversy had swelled to nearly the size of a volcanic crater.
The news Lee Do Young brought concerned our appearance at the Sky Music Festival.
-Anyone going to the festival today? Heard Oktatop’s performing?
Posts like this were flooding the community without end.
Click on any of those threads, and you could easily witness a war zone.
-I’m going to check them out, why not
-I mean, I’ll admit they’re musically talented, but they didn’t come up through the Hongdae scene or anything, they’re just kids who got famous on broadcast, doesn’t that feel weird?
└It’s because of people like you that the band scene hasn’t grown all this time
└Are you me? You little shit, am I wrong? Do you even know what the Sky Music Festival is? You’re an Oktatop stan, aren’t you, you bastard?
└Don’t care if I’m a stan or not, can’t you see how much Oktatop’s contributing to the scene right now? They’re yanking people up by the collar
└That’s not what I’m saying, you piece of shit. I’m just saying it doesn’t feel right for them to be at the festival. Why are you picking a fight?
└Shut your mouth. Just not mixing words with a thick-headed bastard like you ㅅㄱ
└Yeah, not mixing words with someone who doesn’t understand culture either
-Man, the gallery’s been insanely heated because of Oktatop lately lol
└ㅇㅈ I remember when we all tore them apart in Oktatop’s early days
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋ It’s already become a memory
-I mean, whether Oktatop goes or not, what does it matter? You guys stop fighting ㅅㅂㄹ
-Oktatop should be on music shows lol, why at a rock festival?
└These people don’t even register to us
└At least try to make it sound plausible, don’t just ramble about music shows
-Hot take. Anyone hating on Oktatop isn’t a real band scene fan
└And who are you to say that?
No matter how far down I scrolled, it never ended.
Reading through exhausting comments, the fatigue got to me, and I lifted my head.
Lee Do Young, who’d shown us this, was grinning.
“What do you think?”
“What do I think…?”
There was something unsettling about the way Lee Do Young asked, his eyes clear and bright.
Like a madman with crystalline eyes.
“Doesn’t this sound fun!?”
His tone was electrified with excitement.
“Hey, Do Young, are you okay?”
Kim Ji Hu voiced his concern.
“Hmm, doesn’t look like he’s hurt or anything though….”
Heo Jun Sung added his thoughts.
Kang Min, however, felt a deep unease emanating from Lee Do Young.
“Guys! We haven’t been trashed like this in ages!”
The expression on his face was wild enough to make spit drip from the corners of his mouth.
“Let’s show them…. Let’s show them what we’ve got!”
“Y, yes…!”
“Waa, waaa…!”
“O, okay, yeah. Let’s do it!”
“So, so….”
For a while afterward, both the community and public comment sections were filled with nothing but positive talk about Oktatop.
Aside from the usual seasonal jealousy and baseless attacks, negative content was hard to find.
Lee Do Young was right—it really had been ages.
Back then, whenever he took heat like this, he’d always get dejected.
When had he grown like this?
Or rather, when had he become so… corrupted?
I’m sorry, Do Young.
“Hehehehe…. I’m going to smash it all…!”
I’d almost prefer it if he were actually injured.
* * *
The sun beat down mercilessly.
On the grass field where the Sky Music Festival was held, spectators began trickling in one by one.
The frontmost section of the Standing Zone.
Core fans of individual bands, superhuman in their dedication—they wouldn’t even go to the bathroom to keep their spots.
Using that front line as a bulwark, behind them were numerous Slammers and flag groups.
A layer of energetic twenty- and thirty-year-olds, longtime rock festival veterans, and devoted heavy listeners.
Like warriors of the wild, they were fully prepared to experience the festival with their whole bodies.
And beyond them, the relaxation-seekers had spread out blankets and were savoring the scent of youth scattered abundantly across the summer day.
You could see families too, couples, and introverts who simply wanted to enjoy music in peace.
And around the perimeter, booths were set up everywhere.
Sponsor event tents, food court booths—there was a variety of food and things to see.
Even though the festival hadn’t started yet, one booth was already packed with drunk people.
“Hey, what do you think about Oktatop?”
On the left and right sides of the Standing Zone.
Among those who disliked slamming but wanted to enjoy the music standing up, there were especially many people discussing Oktatop.
“Oktatop? Don’t know much about them.”
“Oh, so you don’t really like them?”
“Well, not particularly, no.”
With so many people around, some were careful with their words.
The content was restrained, but the tone was pointed.
“Ah, forget Oktatop. When Oktatop comes on later, wanna grab something to eat and take a break?”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
Others were outright open about their disdain.
It was true that Oktatop had gained mainstream recognition.
But that was different from appearing at a place like this.
For some fans, it was a very important distinction.
And until Oktatop proved themselves on stage today, they wouldn’t bend an inch from their conviction.
As people came to enjoy their favorite bands or the festival itself, their anticipation gradually building—at some point.
A band took the stage, and the festival officially began.
* * *
“Woohoo!”
“Hey! Hey! Hey!”
“Waaah!”
Odyssey’s set was hurtling toward its finale.
Odyssey, the most recently formed band in today’s lineup.
Yet all the members were seasoned veterans of the scene, so there was little noise surrounding them.
Of course, they delivered such a stellar performance that even that minimal controversy was wiped clean away.
“Wow, they’re really good.”
“Hey, Seo Ha. We should try doing psychedelic sometime later.”
Heo Jun Sung threw out a sudden suggestion, seemingly impressed by Odyssey’s performance.
“If we do well today, I’ll think about it.”
“Ah, then it’s a done deal. Okay, I’m in!”
Cocky bastard.
Our turn is coming up next.
Soon the staff will come guide us, and after a quick sound check, we’ll be on.
Before the staff arrived, I checked my phone.
-Fire Truck Challenge
The Fire Truck Challenge was ceaselessly circling the globe.
Especially concentrated in places like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan—places where rock was treated as a mainstream genre.
But it seemed like most people still didn’t know it was a song by a Korean band.
Good.
The order didn’t matter much, but having it revealed after this festival wrapped would be slightly more advantageous.
-Click.
“Oktatop, stand by!”
At the staff’s call, we stood up.
“Man, finally it’s happening.”
“Ah! Let’s go!”
“Yeah, let’s do this.”
“Let’s goooo!”
They jumped up with energy.
Before leaving the waiting room, we huddled together in a circle with our hands joined.
“One, two!”
“Oktatop!”
Our first festival stage was now just moments away.
* * *
“Waa, yay!”
“Oktatop! Seo Ha!”
While the sound check was running, I walked along the edge of the stage, connecting with the audience.
Waving, greeting, making eye contact with ease.
And for those who came specifically to see us, I gave extra energy.
The ones wearing clothes with our faces printed on them, or who’d made placards with “OKTOP” written on them by hand.
Now that I think about it, I’m wondering if we should make some merchandise.
I should look into what we can produce within reasonable limits.
After connecting with the audience at close range, I looked far out into the distance.
A different band was currently performing on another stage.
Which meant.
Everyone here was purely here to see us.
Most of them were gazing at us with affectionate eyes.
But on the sides of the Standing Zone, and in the farthest section of the crowd.
Some of them had their arms crossed, looking at me with undisguised displeasure.
They’d lock their gaze on me and whisper to their companions.
Then they’d sneer and snicker.
Okay, fine.
My goal today is to uncross those arms.
Just wait—I’m going to make you jump for joy.
“All set.”
“Roger that.”
After confirming the sound check was complete, I stepped to the center of the stage.
A cool breeze swept in beneath the blazing sun, bringing a fleeting moment of relief from the heat.
…….
And then.
“Oktatop! Let’s go! Cruise!!”
Kang Min shouted into his mic, and the cymbal crashed hard four times.
“Yeah!”
Taking his cue, I roared into my mic.
Kang Min immediately started demolishing the drums with aggressive intensity.
Bass and guitar interwove, creating an intro that exploded with dopamine.
Kim Ji Hu, who normally doesn’t join the intro to Cruise!!, inserted a surprisingly aggressive line that fit perfectly.
And I matched the rhythm, shouting into the mic like a madman.
“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!”
An intro that burst forth when everyone had dropped their guard.
The explosive energy had the audience mesmerized, echoing my chants back to me.
“Okay, good.”
I gave the responsive audience some light praise and went straight into verse one.

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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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