The Reincarnated Idol Hard Carries an Indie Band - Chapter 49

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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’s Indie Band Carries Hard
Episode 49
Long before the Album dropped, Ocktop had been consumed with preparations for this Showcase performance.
They had to balance school with their schedule, and with limited time, every moment counted.
Naturally, even after the Album’s release, they continued to gather and rehearse, raising the level of their performance until it satisfied the fans.
And so time flowed steadily on until the day of the performance arrived.
Main Hall in Hongdae.
Even before the show started, crowds of people were already lined up or settling into nearby cafés and restaurants to wait.
Kim Ju-hee, who ran the YouTube channel Human Kim Ju-hee, sat alone in a café waiting for the Showcase to begin.
Ever since securing a ticket to the Showcase, Kim Ju-hee hadn’t managed to calm her racing excitement.
She watched Ocktop’s past videos and Music Video on her smartphone, trying to settle her restless heart…….
“……and that’s not working one bit. Time’s crawling by…….”
No matter how many videos she watched to kill time, the entry time refused to draw any closer.
“I can’t wait to see them…….”
Then someone approached her.
“Excuse me.”
“Oh, yes?”
“You’re…… Human Kim Ju-hee…… right?”
“Oh, yes. That’s me.”
“Wow! I’m a subscriber. It’s so great to meet you!”
“Oh, hello. Are you here to see the Showcase?”
“Yes! I’m number three in the queue!”
“Wow, that’s so lucky—I’m jealous. I’m number seventy-nine.”
“Ah, I see. But the venue’s not that big, so it won’t make that much difference.”
Something about that reassurance carried an odd note of superiority.
Of course, no such intention was meant, but it arose from Kim Ju-hee’s own envious feelings.
And so a brief conversation unfolded, talk of Ocktop passing between them.
After that, quite a few more people approached Kim Ju-hee.
Most were subscribers, though some only recognized her after hearing the conversation.
Kim Ju-hee hadn’t noticed at first, but looking around, she realized that most of the café’s customers were here to see Ocktop.
She pulled out her earbuds and listened to the other patrons’ conversations; nearly everyone was sharing their anticipation for the Showcase.
“Man, this is gonna be so fun, right?”
“I hope they perform way better than they did at Ban-wol Park.”
“Like a killer band?”
“Wow, if they pull off something like that, I swear I’ll lose my mind…….”
“Nah, think about it—the venue’s pretty small, so they probably can’t do something that intense.”
“Yeah, you’ve got a point.”
The conversation between the high school girls at the next table was so adorable.
She turned her ear to another table.
“Dude, I’m actually here for Ocktop’s whole Showcase.”
“Right? Weren’t you totally bashing them like a while ago?”
“Nah, I thought they were an idol group.”
“I told you they weren’t, you moron.”
“No, I thought it was a viral marketing thing, for real?”
“The skepticism…… anyway, I’m so hyped for the performance. Aren’t you?”
“Yeah, but can these guys actually perform? They looked insanely good in the videos.”
“Dude, they’re insane. Seriously amazing.”
“Really? Should I get my hopes up?”
“Whatever you’re imagining, it’s gonna be even better.”
“That much, huh?”
At that table sat someone who had originally been an anti-fan of Ocktop.
Satisfying someone like that would probably be harder than pleasing other fans.
That was what Kim Ju-hee thought.
Someone like that would probably dismiss Ocktop if they just did a decent job—move on without a second thought.
So was she worried?
Not at all.
Ocktop would pull it off.
Even people who used to hate Ocktop would change their minds once they saw this performance.
Kim Ju-hee believed it firmly.
She was the one who watched Ocktop with the deepest affection of all.
* * *
While audiences waited outside the venue, Ocktop was moving about in organized chaos.
They ran through the basic Sound Rehearsal and worked out the Lighting Switching timing.
They synchronized the members’ stage positions and practiced their remarks.
They meticulously checked every element needed for the performance.
“Are the Bracelet counts right?”
“Yeah, we’ve got them all.”
After confirming even the Bracelets they’d give to the audience, Ocktop finally took a breath.
“Phew, putting on our own show isn’t easy.”
“Tell me about it.”
This was the first time I’d ever rented a venue and hosted my own performance.
Usually, when we performed, the agency handled absolutely everything.
After I became a world-class artist, my involvement increased, but still.
This was the first time I’d prepared something from start to finish like this.
If you asked whether it was difficult, it wasn’t really.
I was confident in our performance, and with a venue this small, there wasn’t much to worry about.
But the real reason the burden felt so light was the simplest: I was doing this with these friends.
Whatever was complicated, difficult, tedious, bothersome……
All of it was overshadowed by the sense of belonging that came from being together.
“I want to do well.”
As I was thinking that, Lee Do-young’s whisper came through.
“We’ll do well. We’ve prepared hard for this.”
It wasn’t just Lee Do-young.
In Heo Jun-sung, Kim Ji-hu, and Kang Min’s faces, too, there was a hunger of some form—
a hunger to make this performance a success.
We’d gotten every kind of insult thrown at us as we garnered attention.
It was what we wanted, but in ways both obvious and subtle, there had to have been hurt feelings.
Today’s performance was our first real chance to show our true skill after the Album’s release.
This one show wouldn’t clear all the suspicions, but we still wanted to make this beginning count.
“Let’s just do what we practiced! If we nail this performance today, everything else will fall into place.”
“Right. Actually, performances are easier for us than broadcast, aren’t they? No need to worry—let’s do great.”
At my words and Kim Ji-hu’s, the others’ faces lit up.
Their inner hunger transformed into anticipation, and then into hope.
Now only good things lay ahead for Ocktop.
All we had to do was execute what we’d prepared without mistakes.
And what we’d prepared was music.
The thing we do best.
“Come on, let’s do a chant before the audience comes in.”
“Good idea.”
“One, two, three!”
“Ocktop!!!”
* * *
Before the performance began, each of the five members had their assigned role.
Cha Seo-ha was in charge of the overall performance coordination.
Kang Min, with his physical strength, handled supplies—water, snacks, and the like.
Kim Ji-hu, meticulous as always, managed the stage setup.
Heo Jun-sung’s job was to stay out of the way and keep quiet.
And Lee Do-young, with the friendliest face…….
“Welcome!”
He was on ticket duty.
“Wait, aren’t you Lee Do-young?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“But why are you doing the ticketing…….”
“Oh, we couldn’t find anyone to do it. Anyway, welcome!”
“Oh, I see…….”
Some audience members murmured as they passed by after having their tickets checked.
“Why are they doing their own ticketing?”
“What’s the agency doing?”
“Does the agency really have no money?”
Such reactions existed, but the vast majority of attendees already knew the truth.
This was a venue frequented mainly by people who knew Ocktop well.
“That’s so cute. Usually they’d hire someone for ticketing.”
“If it’s cute, that’s good enough.”
“Fair point.”
Lee Do-young had to spend his time answering the flood of “But why are you doing this yourselves?” questions.
But this too was part of Cha Seo-ha’s plan.
From now on, we wanted to actively publicize the fact that we’re a real Indie Band with no agency backing.
Just having Lee Do-young at the ticket booth had a tremendous effect.
Moreover, when the audience saw Kang Min passing by their seats carrying water, some of them murmured too.
Commenting on how they were doing everything themselves.
Of course, people who originally loved band culture were used to this kind of thing.
But audience members who were former idol fans or didn’t know Ocktop was an Indie Band found themselves experiencing cognitive dissonance.
When you go to a typical idol concert, the members don’t handle their own ticketing or carry water, do they?
And so time passed, and the performance time drew near.
The venue filled with soft lighting and drifting music, packed with audience members.
And shortly after.
The music faded, the lights dimmed, and Ocktop appeared on stage.
“Waaah!”
“Kyaaah!”
Ocktop took the stage amid a torrent of cheers and applause.
Waving to the audience and smiling, they signaled the true beginning of the Showcase.
Each member took their position.
From the stage looking down, the venue was packed solid with people.
Their eyes shone brighter than the lights themselves—dazzling.
Compared to music broadcast stages or Killing Band shooting locations, this stage was humble beyond measure.
The seating was too small and shabby.
It was even worse than what they’d had at Band Slam.
But none of that mattered.
With these wonderful audiences and with Ocktop, they could create a performance that left domes and arenas in the dust.
All of them had put considerable effort into their outfits, their hair styled defiantly.
With such overwhelming visuals, the audience—male and female alike—was left breathless.
They were high school students.
And they were an Indie Band, no less.
An incongruous but sleek and aggressive aesthetic.
They shared a glance, then launched straight into the song without introduction.
Kang Min’s heavy drum strikes and Heo Jun-sung’s aggressive guitar.
Lee Do-young’s bass line charged forward, refusing to be outdone.
And when the fans heard that powerful sound, they cried out.
They recognized what song this was.
The title track: Awaken.
With a welcome opening number, Ocktop’s Showcase officially began in earnest.

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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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