Rockstar Again - Chapter 154



Only Noblemtl

Episode 154. Shadow Thief (1)

TH Entertainment’s headquarters located in Seongsu-dong, Gangnam, Seoul.

Among them, the 6th floor practice room.

“You have a boyfriend?”

Woojae’s face distorted at Nuclear member Jisoo’s words.

“That crazy guy. What are you talking about?”

“Wasn’t he your boyfriend? You were so affectionate, I thought you were my new lover.”

“I’m dying. Really.”

“It suits you well.”

If others look at us, it might look like we’re fighting, but we’re not.

Even within Nuclear, we are the same age. Rather, I would say we are close friends.

So, you can still tease me like you do now.

Anyway, from Woojae’s point of view, he was so pissed that he spun around in circles a few times.

“I’m really going to kill that kid next time I see him. At that time… … wow, my head was spinning. Where am I? Who am I? What was I doing? Why is he sitting on my lap? Just like that.”

“Phew! Hey, I heard about the situation from Hyuk-soo hyung. That kid isn’t normal.”

“How would I feel? It’s refreshing. It makes me worry about how to handle this.”

Woojae shook his head as he looked at the mirror decorating one wall in the practice room.

Jisoo came up next to Woojae and sat on the floor.

“Isn’t that kid suffering from celebrity disease? You can tell just by looking at the way he’s been hitting on you since his debut year.”

“Celebrity disease… … Hehehe… … .”

“Why are you laughing?”

“When he first told me to get up because he had a reservation, I thought, ‘This kid has serious celebrity disease.’ Even though I’ve been on hiatus, there’s no way he’d recognize my face, right?”

“Right. That’s it.”

Jisoo agreed with Woojae’s words.

It cannot be said that it is just excessive self-consciousness.

At least in Korea today, it is impossible not to know the face of Nuclear.

I’m not a Jeomsoon who came from the countryside without a TV.

Unless you’re an elderly person.

As Jisoo started to add some flair, Woojae gradually began to tell his story.

“When I was making reservations, I thought, ‘Oh no.’ My company is in charge of reservations, right? So I just went there out of habit. But I couldn’t just say, ‘Oh no, sorry, I didn’t know,’ and get up, because that would be embarrassing. That’s why I insisted.”

“Yeah. But?”

“It’s not celebrity disease. That kid.”

“?”

“He’s just crazy. He’s a natural born crazy guy. He was born crazy. You can tell just by looking at me. He sits on my lap and struggles not to be pushed away. And in the meantime, he laughs brightly, saying he won. How can this be a fucking celebrity disease? What kind of celebrity-sick person acts like this?”

“Hmm… … Well, that’s true. I guess that’s why he was smiling like that when he was photographed.”

The more I think about it, the more excited I get.

I don’t know my seniors or juniors.

Now, it’s frustrating that a rookie in his first year is trying to do something like that.

What makes me even more excited is…

“Fuck. Why am I a couple with that kid, why!”

The biggest reason Woojae got angry was that fans were letting their imagination run wild and the image of them as a couple spread beyond just close friends…

Woojae shouted again and again.

“Why isn’t the company doing anything about it?”

“How do you deal with that? Woojae and Blue Porcelain Lee Dongha aren’t dating, right? That’s even stranger.”

“… … No, just say you don’t know each other! That was the first time I saw you that day!”

“If I asked you why you sat on my lap when you didn’t know me, would you say you fought over a hair salon reservation? That’s just a hassle, isn’t it?”

“… … If that kid says he’s picking a fight… … then it’s okay!”

Woojae screamed again.

I’m starting to get really annoyed by the fact that Jisoo keeps getting hit… … It’s not wrong to say that.

That’s what makes things more annoying.

People who hit with facts.

Jisoo is exactly that kind of guy. Like Mr. Tibal.

“Why is the kid who started the fight so bright? This is a situation that can’t be explained in the first place. You know our company, right? We cover everything, but you can’t open your mouth.”

“Ugh… … I really can’t sleep these days. I feel so wronged. I regret not hitting him back then. I’d rather not get angry if a news article came out saying we fought.”

“Haha. Okay. I said we’ll make a comeback anyway. Put it on then. You’re Woojae.”

After saying that, Jisoo got up from the floor and grabbed Woojae’s hand.

Whatever it is, Woojae is a member of Nuclear.

Although not a leader, he is the greatest contributor to Nuclear’s current position.

After Jisoo took Woojae’s hand, she wrote something on Woojae’s finger with her own finger.

Now a classic masterpiece.

But it’s like a scene from a basketball anime that I became a fan of a few years ago…

Woojae, who had been watching the scene blankly, asked.

“… … What are you writing?”

“I’ll write it again slowly. Feel it.”

Woojae also guessed what Jisoo was doing.

We watched that animation together.

Feeling great comfort in Jisoo’s fingers, Woojae recited the letters written on her hand one by one.

“… … Rice… … Ugh… … Poem… … Person… … This son of a bitch! He’s playing with people until the very end!”

As Woojae clenched his fist, Jisoo ran away and opened the practice room door.

“If you’re going to get that worked up, why don’t you try it for real!”

* * *

At some point.

I find myself in the recording studio on the third floor more often than in the basement practice room.

Actually, the reason I set up a practice room in this building in Jongro was because of the underground practice room.

It’s pretty strange when you think about it that way.

‘Why do I like the 3rd floor better than the basement practice room?’

I sat on the chair in front of the recording studio machine as usual and turned around.

There must be many reasons.

Another big reason is that there is a recording booth on the third floor, so you can record if you want and check it through the speakers right away.

Since I have a computer, I can easily upload the songs I composed for practice to Bandcamp, which is convenient.

That’s probably because there’s an elevator so you can go up straight away.

The basement isn’t connected to an elevator, so you have to go down the stairs.

Of course, that has its own charm, but… … anyway.

I found the decisive reason in the small window right before my eyes.

“The weather is nice… … .”

It’s like this.

Tae-joo hyung worked hard to recreate the space of that time in the basement practice room, so you can feel the emotions of that time.

But because it’s underground, there are no windows.

But… … it doesn’t make sense if there’s a window.

A glass door that tells me that the world and I are connected.

Light coming through the window.

I think I liked that one.

After coming to the future, I felt like I was… …settling down more and more.

When I think about it, looking for my brothers was also a struggle for me to avoid going underground and digging deep into the ground.

anyway.

I was getting lower every day.

1mm… …or maybe 1cm.

If it weren’t for Beomseok and his brothers, I might be dead by now.

That’s what time is.

It takes away so many things, it takes me away.

I guess he preferred the recording studio on the third floor to endure and overcome.

I got up from my seat and stood in front of the window.

someday.

Not too long ago, not too long ago.

I made an incredibly depressing song in front of this.

The mother who abandoned me… … About existence.

Other melancholic songs were also born in American hotel rooms with clear views outside.

Looking at things like this, it seems like light isn’t always good.

Shadows tend to be darker in bright places.

I think my depression also came about because I forced myself to look for bright places.

“Dong-ha, where are you going?”

From some point on, I can hear the voice of Suchan, the man who has been marking me.

“It’s underground.”

“Basement? Basement practice room?”

“yes.”

“why?”

“There is no shadow there.”

I glance back to check his expression, and Suchan is looking at me with a completely clueless expression.

“Aren’t you going together? You have to take care of me?”

“Huh? Oh, let’s go. We should go down together.”

As Suchan said that, he got up.

The cell phone I was holding in my hand started shaking.

“What text?”

A number I’m seeing for the first time.

And for the times, classic text messaging.

[Let’s stick with me.

As I tilt my head, Suchan approaches and checks the cell phone in my hand.

“who is this?”

“I don’t know. Is it spam?”

“Spam… … but the content is short?”

I was just about to turn off the screen, but I moved my finger to reply to Suchan’s words.

[Who are you?]

Wheeing―.

The other person’s response is incredibly fast.

[Who are you? You’re still speaking informally to me?]

“Huh? Look at this guy?”

My hands are busy again.

[I won’t reply anymore unless you tell me who you are.]

[It’s Woojae.]

As expected, quick reply.

Suchan hyung next to me opened his mouth first.

“New… … Clear Woojae? I guess he was really angry back then… … .”

While doing so, he observed my expression.

It’s a face that feels a sense of crisis, like being left alone in a bomb disposal squad.

First, I suppressed the question of whether I was the bomb or whether this shameless person, Woo Jae-ran, was the bomb.

I moved my fingers again.

“You punk, you punk. You’re so arrogant. You think I should know your name if you just tell me your name?”

[Mr. Jaeda. I don’t know who Mr. Jaeda is, so find someone else.]

Swish―.

My reply flew by so lightly.

“… … .”

And Suchan hyung’s face looking at that is quite something to see.

“why?”

“When you’re like this, you really seem like you’re the same age as your older brothers… … or maybe you’re like a troublemaker.”

“Hahaha. But I won again.”

also.

This guy Woo Jae-ran.

It’s not cheap, but somehow… … it’s like a pleasant stimulant that lifts me up.

I heard that being involved with this guy makes you feel really good?

Look at it now.

I was going down to the basement to write a bright song.

When I think about it, I start to feel depressed again.

Don’t think of pink elephants, as if pink elephants fill your head?

But as soon as I get a call from this guy, I become happy.

As expected.

The phone shakes violently and pours out Woojae’s replies.

[This XXX! You shameless XXX! Where are you?]

[Call the address, I’ll be there right now!]

[immediately!]

[Let’s fight man to man!]

[Avoiding? You fucking idiot? Huh?!]

Should I just tease you again?

Or should I go underground and write a song with this tension? I was thinking about it.

I decided.

[Let’s meet somewhere quiet in the evening.]

When I answered, surprisingly, this time there was no reply.

Did you wait for about a minute?

[You choose the place. That’s your grave. No knight bets. No hazing. I promise.]

[promise.]

[This XX… … . Anyway, call me, place, time.]

like that.

After the first meeting, a second meeting was arranged.

And I don’t fight fights I can’t lose.

“Dong-ha… … This is getting a bit serious… … ? Just don’t go out… … Okay?”

“It’s okay. This kid is a piece of shit. He’s short and small, isn’t he?”

“Mom, but you… … .”

When I looked up, Suchan was startled.

I squinted my eyes and asked Suchan.

“What am I?”

“… … .”

“Oh, I’m weak? I can’t stand up to that little guy?”

“… … .”

“I guess it’s true since you can’t answer. Right?”

“… … No… … It’s not necessarily like that… … Do we really have to fight… … That’s it.”

after…….

embrace.

In terms of strength, I am the weakest in this area.

This is the reason why I am secretly waiting for the visit of the Savior.

When the Savior comes, I feel like I become stronger for no reason.

That lady, she’s X-food.

Anyway, I don’t want to fight.

They’re doing this to set things straight in the music industry.

I picked up my cell phone and made a call to someone.

– Hey! Brother! Why are you calling me first!

A voice of emotion.

My always reliable noodle and my younger brother welcomes me.

“Are you free tonight? Let’s have a drink.”

―Oh! That’s great! There are two things I like. One is alcohol, and the other is my brother. I’m waiting for both of them, so I have to run right now!

also.

It’s sturdy.

My brother.

But, it seems as if Suchan hyung’s worries were meaningless, and he looks at me with a petty gaze…

What is this look in your eyes that seems to think of me as something worthless?

Rockstar Again Episode 155