Rockstar Again - Chapter 81



Only Noblemtl

Episode 81. Dong-ha, the stage, and the whales (2)

Uh… … What should I do with this?

The simplest way to silence a witness is… … .

‘Should I kill him?’

A brief but rather extreme thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head. It was probably because I had recently watched a thriller movie. I was not the type of person who would commit a crime.

How did you guys get back together again?

My brothers are getting old.

Me to prison?

That’s ridiculous.

‘Then should I knock him out first?’

Then they tie us up, put us in the car, and lock us up in a villa on some remote island until we can reveal our identities.

Even if it’s confinement… … if it’s for a month or two… … I think it’ll be okay?

So, to make someone faint, I have to hit them on the back of the neck?

When I watch movies, it seems like that’s true, but we’re too head-on.

What is hard enough to hit your head on… … .

WHACK!

“Whoa!”

The woman who had been frozen with the door open screamed at the sound of a strong slap.

Did I slap this woman?

no.

I hit my own cheek.

Oh, it’s so cold.

Still, the burning sensation on my cheeks keeps my mind from running towards the thriller.

“Come in, first.”

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside, then closed the waiting room door.

* * *

Back in time.

December 2025.

The day of the first recording of .

A reunion after 4 years of rock band activities.

But instead of the simple expression of a rock band, Hwanhon had to hear a description full of elaborate phrases like, “a rock band made up of women.”

A wasteland of rock.

In South Korea, the mecca of K-pop, it is extremely difficult to be in a rock band, especially one comprised entirely of women.

Of course, there was an advantage in that it was a rarity because it was comprised of women. It was a bit disappointing that they appealed through their looks rather than their musicality, even though they were not idols.

If only I could go up on stage one more time.

I consoled myself by thinking that it was nothing more than putting on makeup ten times.

So, those who remember the heavy makeup on stage often don’t recognize the members of Hwanhon with their makeup removed off stage as the same people.

They don’t have any sexy charisma or anything, they’re just like regular college students or office workers.

Anyway.

Because Hwan-Hon knew better than anyone how difficult it was to do rock in Korea.

It was nice to meet you.

But… … can we simply say that this is welcome?

The word ‘wonderful’ would be more appropriate.

“Crazy… Where did these guys come from?”

Hwa-hon’s guitarist and vocalist, Ha-ji, opened his mouth and looked at the monitor.

It is impossible to guess his age because his identity is hidden, but you can guess his age by looking at his vocals.

The vocal cords of a vocalist are like age, becoming harder and rougher as they age.

There are vocalists who don’t have natural vocal cords, but the refreshing sound of the vocals singing now is definitely… … pure.

If I were to describe it in color, it would be a bright blue full of carbonation.

Bright blue rushes in, washing away people’s ears.

“Sister, sister! Do you know who these people are?”

“I don’t know… … Where on earth did you come from? The industry is so small that you’d think someone with this level of skill would know.”

The aura of the band tearing through the waiting room’s monitors.

It’s not perfect.

Although the crazy vocalist controls his voice and hides the members’ skills, he cannot fool the ears of Haji, the guitarist and vocalist of Hwanhon.

The performance is a little off.

But that’s an inherent problem that most bands that play live have.

Not so much that it could be considered a problem.

Rock bands are also in the spotlight for their live albums, as the quality of their performances varies greatly depending on the conditions of the season.

Likewise, no band in the world is perfect.

Even if you don’t list the names of the band members in sequential order.

ah…….

There are a few bands where all of the band members’ skills were close to perfection.

Like Led Zeppelin.

Cream or something.

A few more like that.

Anyway, the fact that it’s easy to list bands where all the members were close to perfection is proof that there is no such thing as a perfect band.

Because the imperfect bands are probably most bands except them.

That’s why it was even scarier.

I was so thrilled to see this band’s first stage, which wasn’t perfect. I wonder how great it will be when they adapt to the stage and gradually improve their skills.

If we hadn’t been rivals who participated in the same competition program, I would have only felt a sense of camaraderie and respect.

“… …Can we beat them?”

These were the words that came out of Haji’s mouth after watching the crazy performance.

“It’s a little scary.”

“right?”

“Yeah… … . They definitely seem younger than us based on their vocal voices. Their performance quality seems like that of veterans. More than anything, they’re not scared. When I saw them, they definitely missed a few times.”

Haji opened his mouth again, watching the members speak one by one.

“Right? Wow… … Kids these days are really crazy. They’re different from when we were kids.”

The two older sisters of the band, who were both very shocked, looked around, and the leader, Bae Moon-joo, opened her mouth.

“What about our time? You’re over thirty, aren’t you? You’re still young.”

“Still, it’s not that big, considering the age difference.”

“I don’t even know your face, so how can that be an age difference?”

“About four or five years? Isn’t that much of a difference?”

“Strangely detailed?”

“Their agency is CheongA Entertainment. They’re a rookie group debuting there, so I think the members’ ages are probably around that age.”

There are already many precedents that have led members of Hwanhon to guess that way.

TH Enter’s A-Fly.

JS’s New Heart 7.

Secondary Infection by Ace Music.

“Come to think of it, out of the four major entertainment companies in Korea, only CheongA Entertainment didn’t have a rock band.”

“therefore.”

I think it’s similar to the way car companies make sports cars.

We don’t just do K-pop, we know how to do this too.

The more I talk, the more discouraged I become.

A new artist from a major entertainment agency.

Because we can all feel the skill that drove the audience crazy even though they are rookies.

Leader Bae Moon-joo moved his mouth again, observing the situation.

“But, vocals. Doesn’t it sound familiar?”

“Oh. Right! I did that too.”

“Isn’t that him? The Lee Dong-ha who caused a stir last summer?”

Although they didn’t watch the idol audition, they couldn’t help but come across it because it was so widely spread after being processed in two or three ways.

I was amazed at how such talented people could appear in idol auditions.

Even with that kind of skill, I was very disappointed with the fact that he only drew a lot of aggro in rock and danced in large groups.

At that time, the person who was most disappointed with Lee Dong-ha’s actions was Haji.

The opponent only sang two songs on the preliminary stage. He didn’t even say he would sing rock music. Strictly speaking, I was the only one who expected it and was the only one who was disappointed.

Vocalist Haji checked his phone again and opened his mouth.

“No. He’s currently traveling abroad. It seems he’s not a one-time thing. He posted a picture on SNS and it got covered by the news.”

“really?”

“Yeah. It was similar when I heard it. There aren’t many left-handed guitarists. But no. He didn’t get shot in the head, so why would he do rock instead of being an idol? Just looking at the way he makes soft songs, he’s not on our side.”

“A soft song?”

“The song that was number one on the watermelon charts until recently. Shining Girls’ AA LOVE. Lee Dong Ha wrote the lyrics and composed the song. The NBD9 title song that was number one before that was also his work.”

Bae Moon-joo laughed at Haji’s explanation.

“Hey… … As expected, even antis are fans. How can you know the best while cursing like that?”

“Did I swear? No. Yeah, well. I swear a little. You started with rock, but you just said that rock is about as good as your skills, and you just used that to cover it up. Who does it with sincerity? And with that level of skills… … You can see that from a young age, you’re already trying to do the easy way, the one that makes money.”

“It’s just that fans are being picky and that’s what happens. I understand. Let’s do it.”

“That’s it. We don’t need him anymore. There’s a real rock band here.”

So, the broadcast ended and it’s been a month.

Thanks to the mysterious and talented rock band Blue Porcelain, who eats up a lot of aggro, Hwanhon also enjoyed a trickle-down effect.

As viewers became interested in rock, the band Hwanhon naturally became known.

Feeling the atmosphere being different from before, I was even more excited and scared because I had participated in a competition program together. But on the second stage, I watched and the vocalist of Hwanhon lost his fear.

“Sister… … I just want to be a fan. I don’t think I can win.”

Bae Moon-joo, the leader and drummer, also nodded at Haji’s words.

“Me too. The drums were crazy today. His skills have definitely improved since last time. Last time, he was nervous for some reason and stood out, but today he’s on the sly. Is it because he’s young… … Ha… … Dude. I’m jealous. Age is a big deal. He’s improved so much in less than a month.”

“Should I get an autograph or something?”

“Wouldn’t that be a little embarrassing? They’re kids.”

Although I don’t know her identity, I already assumed Blue Porcelain’s age to be in her early twenties.

Because they just kept guessing, it soon became the truth for them.

In contrast, as of 2026, the average age of marriage is twenty-eight.

Leader Bae Moon-joo is twenty-nine.

Haji, the vocalist and guitarist, is twenty-six years old.

The remaining two members are twenty-nine and twenty-eight.

The Confucian girls were worried.

“If we do the next broadcast together, I’ll definitely get your autograph then.”

More time passed like that.

January 16th.

Haji, who headed to the waiting room of Blue Porcelain with a fan’s heart, witnessed the truth.

WHACK!

Lee Dong-ha, who had been looking at himself for a while, suddenly slaps his own cheek.

“Whoa!”

In an instant, a scream escaped Haji’s mouth.

‘There was a rumor that Lee Dong-ha was a traitor. Was it true?’

A horse without legs can travel a thousand miles.

So I thought it might have been exaggerated.

But this is not an exaggeration at all.

I never thought I’d get slapped in the face here.

He grabs Haji’s wrist, which is still frozen, and pulls him inside.

And then the door closed.

“What is it?”

“yes……?”

Lee Dong-ha is glaring at him as if he is going to eat him.

“Who are you? Why are you here? Are you a spy? A reporter? A fan? An official?”

“Ah… … I… … do that… … .”

All that can be heard is the sound of someone crawling away, consumed by the momentum of the movement.

It’s not just because of the momentum, but as soon as you see the face, you realize that you saw something you shouldn’t have seen, so you’re out of your mind.

I don’t even know why Lee Dong-ha, who was supposedly overseas, is here.

Behind Lee Dong-ha, who has furrowed his brows, are three members wearing masks and sunglasses. Two men who appear to be managers with stern expressions and a woman who looks like she has no thoughts.

Looking at them, I can definitely tell that Vocal A has moved.

“summer solstice?”

“Huh? Ah… … Yes… … .”

“What is Haji?”

“The river… … is strong.”

“puppy?”

“No… … It’s strong… … .”

“What are you talking about? Why the dog?”

The charismatic vocalist of Hwanhon repeated only my name with the face of a college student who hadn’t even put on makeup.

‘I came because I’m a fan… … .’

In this situation where there is not a single person on his side, Lee Dong-ha keeps nagging… … No, looking at Vocal A, tears well up in his eyes.