The Reincarnated Idol Hard Carries an Indie Band - Chapter 4

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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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Former Idol Does Hard Carry for Indie Band
Chapter 4
Cha Seo-ha set down the Pick and worked his fingers.
There were no calluses yet, so it ached a bit, but the playing itself hadn’t been bad.
There were parts in the middle he couldn’t remember, so he’d improvised his way through, and it had meshed well enough.
Fortunately, the intro to “Helsinki Child” was built on a single chord progression, which had saved him.
In truth, when Heo Jun-sung told him to prove it, old memories surfaced.
Ever since he became an idol trainee at a late age, he’d heard nothing but that he had to prove himself over and over.
On the narrow scale: his fellow group members, then company people. On the broader scale: the public itself.
But the ones he really wanted to prove something to were the bandmates he’d abandoned.
That he’d left you all behind, yet I’m living well like this.
That my music is still brilliant.
He wanted to show them that.
He knew it was selfish, but that’s what it was.
In any case, it had been a pretty solid rehearsal.
And it was a good chance to teach Heo Jun-sung some expression techniques in the bargain.
“It’s a little rough, but it’s better than you, yeah?”
“Rough? That was insane!”
“The tempo wasn’t tight. Your timing slipped a few times. In a band, a member who drops the beat is the worst.”
At Cha Seo-ha’s words, Heo Jun-sung’s excitement that had been running high drained away in an instant.
“So what am I supposed to be? Why’d you even ask me to play Guitar? You’re way better.”
“Because your Vocal is better.”
“My Vocal is better…?”
“I’m not planning to play Guitar in the band if I can help it. You’re more than capable at this level.”
At Cha Seo-ha’s words, Heo Jun-sung’s eyes wavered endlessly. He stood there rooted like a nail, muttering to himself.
“You think I can do it?”
“Yeah. I’m saying you can do better than me.”
Sincerity rang through the matter-of-fact tone.
Oddly enough, it felt like it might actually come true.
“Really?”
Cha Seo-ha looked at the dazed expression on Heo Jun-sung’s face and thought.
‘You idiot. You’re the one who first taught me Guitar.’
Though he’d studied formally only after debuting as an idol, all the fundamentals and playing instinct Cha Seo-ha possessed had come from Heo Jun-sung.
* * *
Does fate exist?
Lee Do-young was someone who believed it did, but he also thought he’d never experienced it himself.
A fateful meeting. Attraction.
He’d never felt anything like that.
But after his academy class ended, when he stopped by Nakwon Market and spotted those two familiar figures, he had no choice but to stop in his tracks.
Heo Jun-sung and Cha Seo-ha.
Then Heo Jun-sung began to play.
How skilled was he?
He seemed like he might be very good, and also like he might be very bad.
Without understanding his own thoughts, Lee Do-young listened to Heo Jun-sung’s playing, and was rather impressed.
Better than expected.
Seems to be well beyond high school level.
But that was only an appetizer.
Witnessing the extraordinary spectacle that followed, Lee Do-young could not close his mouth.
What did I just hear?
Heo Jun-sung played well, but Cha Seo-ha’s playing was on another plane entirely.
It had an exceptional depth and quickness, but that wasn’t the important part.
It was as if he were searching for the right words at every moment, conversing with a friend.
It sounded like he was finding the right note at every instant and playing it.
As if he were speaking through the instrument itself.
How could he evoke that feeling while just covering an existing song?
What was this sensation, exactly?
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
His heart, which had begun racing without his knowledge, did not settle even after the playing ended.
It had been a long time since his chest pounded like this.
He had felt a thrill like this before.
From him……
From a true genius.
Lee Do-young looked at his trembling hands and thought.
Could I fit in there?
The impulse to play alongside Cha Seo-ha and Heo Jun-sung surged, but simultaneously, fear washed over him too.
If they heard his playing, they’d be disappointed for sure. He wasn’t a genius, after all.
Turning them down had been the right call.
It was in that moment that Lee Do-young turned to leave with heavy steps.
“Lee Do-young!”
A familiar voice called his name.
How did he recognize him among all these people like some sort of spirit? He turned to see Heo Jun-sung running toward him.
“…Hi.”
He stopped abruptly and waved with an awkward expression.
“Are you here to replace your Bass Strings too?”
His chest stung. The interested look on Heo Jun-sung’s face overlapped with someone else in his memory.
He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath.
A moment later, he opened his mouth, trying to speak in his usual voice.
“No, I’m just… looking around. Your playing was good.”
Upon hearing the praise, Heo Jun-sung scratched his head sheepishly. He didn’t seem like the type, yet somehow he was oddly susceptible to compliments.
“That’s embarrassing, since you heard Cha Seo-ha play too.”
“No, you really did well.”
“Thanks. So come on, let’s start an Indie Band together.”
Why was this? He’d certainly anticipated the proposal, but for some reason it felt heavy.
He’d definitely meant to refuse.
But the words wouldn’t come easily.
Then Cha Seo-ha, who’d followed along, looked at him directly and spoke.
“Why?”
In eyes as calm as always, he sensed a resolute will that believed in him.
“I’m not that good. You’ll definitely be disappointed… I’d just be dead weight.”
“Is that your reason?”
“Huh?”
“If that’s your reason for refusing, then I’m disappointed.”
……
“If you can’t play well today, play better tomorrow. Keep that up for a few years, and we’ll be the best in Korea.”
It was absurd, but a dream buried deep in his heart long ago seemed to awaken.
Moments of first gripping a Bass with trembling hands came naturally before his eyes.
It was strange that he felt this way again, for someone who was just a peer, not some genius celebrity musician.
Could it be because of the talent this guy demonstrated?
But this felt different from the feeling you get watching someone with merely superior skill.
It was like observing something concrete.
He didn’t know what it was, but he had a hunch he’d accomplish something extraordinary.
It felt like with Cha Seo-ha, they could make some really interesting music.
Finally made up his mind, Lee Do-young opened his tightly closed lips.
“Don’t regret this later.”
The three of them looked at each other and laughed.
Aspiration, youth, challenge, dreams, anticipation……
A smile mixing emotions no one could quite name, though to outsiders it was just ‘friends’ being friends.
* * *
What had come to Nakwon Market as a two-piece band suddenly became a three-piece.
Since it was a milestone, Heo Jun-sung insisted they should do something, so they planned to eat together.
“But I came to replace my Bass Strings.”
At Lee Do-young’s words, all three returned to The Sound of Strings.
Waiting there was Jang Deok-chul, his expression completely transformed.
In fact, Jang Deok-chul had been quite shocked after hearing Cha Seo-ha play.
If Heo Jun-sung’s playing had shown a level a high school student couldn’t easily demonstrate, then Cha Seo-ha’s was something even most guitarists in Hongdae couldn’t easily show.
If he’d just flaunted technique, Jang Deok-chul wouldn’t have been nearly so shocked. But he’d flaunted expression.
For a high school student to possess that level of expression was almost impossible.
Did he start playing Guitar at his first birthday party?
Or had he undergone some kind of intense training?
“Are you guys trainee musicians under some agency?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“Just an Indie Band. A band just starting out.”
“What’s your band’s name?”
“We haven’t decided yet. We haven’t even finished gathering all the members.”
Upon hearing Cha Seo-ha’s answer, Jang Deok-chul felt a peculiar elation.
Perhaps he was witnessing the first page of something enormous.
He knew it was overreaching, but Cha Seo-ha’s playing held a magic that inspired such expectation.
“Come by the shop often from now on. I’ll give you a really good deal. Actually, if you ever need anything, just come ask me. I’ll help if I can.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because you guys are so good. I’m getting friendly with you before you get big.”
At the half-joking, half-serious remark, a smile bloomed.
“Would it be possible to get a recommendation for a recording studio?”
“A recording studio? Of course. What are your names? I’ll let the studio know beforehand.”
“I’m Cha Seo-ha, this is Heo Jun-sung, and this is Lee Do-young.”
“I’m Jang Deok-chul. But why a recording studio? Didn’t you say you haven’t finished gathering members yet?”
He asked because usually bands used recording studios when making a Demo Tape or Mix Tape.
“We want to do some Composition.”
“Composition? You do that too?”
“Of course. Probably better than the playing.”
“What about Vocal?”
“The Vocal is a bit better than the Composition.”
At the exchange between Cha Seo-ha and Heo Jun-sung, Jang Deok-chul’s expression grew uncertain.
Cha Seo-ha’s Guitar skill was real, but could his Composition be that good too?
The distance between a good player and a good composer was as vast as between a good guitarist and a good bassist.
Not completely separate, but not close either.
God was supposed to be fair, so it was hard to just believe it.
‘He’s a high school student, after all.’
“Leave your phone number here. I’ll have the studio contact you.”
“I could do it…”
“It’ll be much cheaper if I do it, won’t it?”
At Jang Deok-chul’s words, Cha Seo-ha bowed his head sharply.
Right now Cha Seo-ha didn’t have much money.
By then Lee Do-young’s Bass String replacement was complete, and as they were about to leave the shop, Jang Deok-chul stopped Cha Seo-ha.
“What’ll you do once you’ve gathered all the members?”
He was asking about their plans.
Jang Deok-chul had many connections within the indie band scene and the small-scale performances held there.
If this student Cha Seo-ha came back with answers like ‘performance’ or ‘busking’ or ‘practice,’ he could naturally make those connections happen.
But the answer from Cha Seo-ha, who smiled slightly, was unexpected.
“We’re going to cause a commotion.”
The scent that wafted from that smile was not ambition or yearning, but youth itself.
* * *
The next day, they headed to ST Studio, booked with help from Jang Deok-chul.
The shop’s exterior exuded a sense of age, but the interior was surprisingly well-maintained and tidy.
“Hello, I’m Cha Seo-ha with today’s reservation.”
The staff confirmed the booking and showed them to the studio.
The equipment was better than expected.
Not that it was laden with high-end gear, but rather it prioritized appropriateness over price.
Certain guitars sound better when connected to certain amps—there are combinations that yield superior tones.
Among legendary rock band guitarists, there’s one who reportedly bought every amplifier in the world to find his own Guitar Tone.
Because of that, certain combinations have proven historically ‘good,’ and you could feel that the owner was serious about music.
“Hmm. What should we start with?”
The easiest way to succeed again is to use a successful song from before as-is.
Even during idol activities, he’d never stopped Composition, creating and succeeding with countless songs.
Releasing a new song and topping the Charts was something so familiar to me.
But I’m not trying to repeat my past life.
I could sell songs I’ve written to others, but I don’t want to impose Cha Seo-ha’s sensibility onto our music.
I want all the band members to enjoy making music that satisfies everyone.
Then surely……
This song seems like the right choice for the first one.
“Rendez-vous.”

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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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