Rockstar Again - Chapter 96



Only Noblemtl

Episode 96. Welcome to the Jungle (1)

The morning of the semi-final round of .

“Sister. But can’t we not do this?”

I glance at my stylist sister in the mirror, and she’s looking somewhere else.

First of all, it’s definitely not me… … .

At least this older sister, Sashi… … isn’t like that.

There’s just something different about the focus.

When you have a conversation, you should look at the person you are talking to, but you are looking somewhere else.

The stylist, who had been dazed for a moment, opens her mouth.

“Still… …I have to do it. Just in case.”

“What don’t you know?”

“Other people might show their faces too.”

“… … .”

I don’t know if this is a bad rumor or… or a worry.

When people talk, they don’t just talk, right?

Like intonation, or facial expression.

Anyway, it gives off some kind of nuance, but it feels like it’s just blandly stating the facts.

Wheeeeeeeeeeing――.

I just sat there feeling the warm air from the dryer tickling my head.

“Sister.”

“huh?”

“Have you ever been to Italy?”

“no.”

“But why is your name Itaewon?”

“Because my parents gave it to me.”

“… … .”

I don’t know.

I’m not a friendly person, but when I try to talk to my coworkers, they’re like this.

I don’t know anymore.

“Can I sleep for a bit?”

I closed my eyes.

* * *

“Euhaaaaam―.”

Lars Roemer yawned and stretched deeply.

“Are you awake?”

“Umm… … Have you arrived?”

Kirk Schmidt burst out laughing at Lars Roemer’s remark.

Aside from being neurotic, it’s funny how he just falls asleep with his head down.

He probably doesn’t have any particular interests other than music, which is his favorite field.

So, I guess it’s right that you came all the way here.

“I think I’ll be there soon. The broadcast said there were about 30 minutes left.”

Lars Roemer, who had been turning his waist this way and that as Kirk Schmidt explained, let out a small sigh.

“But, you know, is it okay if I come without contacting you? That damn kid is so cocky.”

“Maybe it wasn’t particularly presumptuous. What if they simply didn’t believe we were the real Metal Lords?”

“… … .”

The two people were silent for a moment.

That could be the case, but it’s been over 30 years since Metallord entered its prime.

I can’t even remember when they were treated this badly.

It’s not that I don’t remember, it’s that it never happened.

“My wife likes Korean dramas.”

“however?”

“That’s what they say. You’re the first person to hit me in the face, and then they say that someone who is obviously better than me is chasing after someone who is worse. That’s how the love between Cinderella and the prince begins.”

Kirk Schmidt smiled bitterly at Lars Roemer’s words.

It’s a joke, but considering the current situation, it doesn’t feel like a joke.

“I think that’s what we are like now.”

“That’s right. Dramas don’t just come out of nowhere. Even for us, right? If we had just bowed down and responded with something like, “Metal Road listened to our music,” then maybe it would have been like that. We wouldn’t have taken any action ourselves.”

“That’s… … I agree with that. And that’s right. If something is expensive, it should look expensive, right?”

Again Lars Roemer nodded.

Rock can’t be defined this way or that way.

Even music has already been segmented and then integrated again.

The boundaries between genres are also becoming blurred.

Of course, the definition of Metal Road’s music is clear, but in the end, they are also just a part of rock.

“I hope they at least know what rock is.”

“It’s rock so far, right?”

“You have to see it for yourself.”

Lars Roemer leaned back in the seat, arms crossed.

As I get older, the musical definition of what rock music is becomes more and more blurred.

On the other hand, the definition of a person who should be like this when doing rock music has become stronger.

A rock band that has become a mess.

Rockers who are conscious of the public eye, no different from those who do hip-hop or those who shake their hips while singing pop, are not rock bands.

Being a rock star doesn’t mean you’re into drugs or women.

Of course, if you’re a rock star, you have to be different from a pop star.

A self-confident and strong enough to be gigantic.

Self-esteem, all of this added up.

Lars Römer defined this as the attitude that rock musicians should have.

“Did you get the tickets to the concert?”

“Well, that wasn’t difficult. I asked the company that used to handle the Korean agency and they easily found it for me.”

“I asked you to keep it secure, didn’t I?”

“Of course. We just check with our eyes.”

As Lars Roemer closed his eyes again, conflicting emotions ran through his head.

‘We’ll see if they can act cocky after seeing us.’

Lars Roemer is human after all. He came in person, so I expect to be greeted, but I also look forward to seeing the cocky rocker.

* * *

The waiting room at TVK Media Center.

As the competition enters its final stages, something has definitely changed.

To be exact, it would be when Youngpil’s brother’s identity was revealed.

“Oh my. I’m really surprised. Please tell me. Did I make a mistake?”

It’s Jang Pil-seong.

“No… … haha… … no mistake. There was nothing like that.”

“Right? Haha! But I knew that, right? Your keyboard skills were no ordinary thing. So I thought, ah… … this is a veteran. Like that.”

“Oh my. What am I doing? I let it go for so long that I’m barely getting the hang of it again.”

“If I let go of your hand to this extent, it’s huge… … .”

I see Youngpil and Jang Pilseong continuing to exchange pleasantries while shaking hands politely.

I feel like this is what adults’ conversations are like.

It’s quite formal and quite… … embarrassing.

“Ugh, what is that?”

When I said that, Jang Pil-seong opened his eyes wide and looked at me.

“Hey, you. You should have told me.”

“why?”

“Why… … I don’t really have anything to say. But we could have said that much between us.”

“The keyboardist is Youngpil hyung. Okay?”

“… … You damn fool. I really praised you so much on air.”

“You don’t have to praise me. If I’m not good at something and you praise me, will I get better? No, right?”

“That too… … ?”

anyway.

I’m quite tired.

People who know Youngpil keep coming to the waiting room.

Because of that, all the members had to keep their mouths shut.

The person who came to the waiting room right now is Jang Pil-seong, so I’m able to open my mouth, but if someone else came, I would have no choice but to keep my mouth shut.

now?

The two brothers just sit there wearing masks and sunglasses.

Just keeping an eye on things.

Jang Pil-seong is curious about the identities of the other two members, but he cannot ask them outright.

Just in case a situation arises where it turns out that the other two members are also old.

So, I can’t say things like, “Did you exercise and touch your body like before?” or “Is it puberty?”

“Dongha-ya.”

“Oh, really. That’s why I can’t speak. Where is Dong-ha? I heard he went to Egypt? To see the pyramids?”

“Oh, sorry. I keep making mistakes. Anyway, when did you get there?”

“Fans kept coming to Switzerland, so we moved to another place.”

I thought Switzerland would be a less visited place.

It seems like there are quite a few fans with a lot of money and time.

If not, it seems like there are people traveling that way and they are secretly looking for me.

You’re looking for me but I’m not there?

Then wouldn’t something seem strange?

So, when I hear from people at work that they are looking for me, I change the location I was in and post it on Stargram.

If you keep repeating that, you’ll soon find yourself in Egypt.

If I keep doing this, I’ll end up traveling around the world.

Jang Pil-seong, who seemed to have something to say, spoke cautiously.

“Anyway, Dong-ha. Excuse me, but is it okay if one more person comes? There’s that guy, right? One of the judges, there’s Choi Dong-hae. You know him, right?”

“I don’t know… … I know.”

I don’t know.

I don’t know, but I know.

This sounds a bit funny, but I don’t know the exact details, but I’ve heard the names corrected.

I even know what kind of person he is.

The fact that you’re a judge on a rock band competition means that you’re a rock musician.

The reason I don’t know him is because he wasn’t someone who played rock when I was around.

I guess that means someone who started making music at some point in the 30 years since I was gone.

And since it’s a rock band competition, it’s a bit of an unusual process.

The judges rarely have direct contact with rock bands.

This is quite different from other audition programs.

The rock band is performing.

The judges literally judge.

The judges don’t give their critiques while the rock band is on stage. They give their critiques among themselves after the performance while they are clearing up the stage.

It is said to be a device to maintain the identity of a rock band, whether indie or pro.

It is said that Ahn Chi-seop’s opinion that rock bands are not objects that should be evaluated had a strong influence… … Well… … .

My thoughts are a little different.

‘If it’s because of Tae-joo hyung, then what’s the point of talking about identity?’

We have a member who owns TVK.

It’s awkward to put someone like that on stage and have them evaluate you. The justification is made to fit that.

Just my guess, but I think it’s probably right.

I heard Jang Pil-seong’s voice beyond my thoughts.

“Youngpil wants to say hello to your brother?”

“… … So you’re saying I should put my mask back on and close my mouth? Do that.”

After hearing my answer, Jang Pil-seong immediately made a phone call to someone.

In the meantime, I became curious and searched about the person named Choi Dong-hae.

They debuted in 1999 as a band called Choi Dong-hae Band.

Despite being a rock band, they gained quite explosive popularity… … and not just once, but consistently.

A band that has gained enough popularity to compete for 1st and 2nd place in popularity among South Korean rock bands.

I haven’t listened to the music, but it sounds like it’ll be quite soft.

Because that’s the identity of the rock band that was popular at that time.

A ballad disguised as rock.

I’m not criticizing you.

After all, music is something that follows the times.

“But where have I seen this person before?”

Jang Pil-seong burst into laughter after hearing my monologue.

“Mom. If it’s Donghae hyung, I would have seen him somewhere.”

“Is that so?”

“Hey, what do you do when a guy who does rock says something like that? He’s Choi Dong-han. He’s the pinnacle of rock in South Korea.”

“… … .”

I don’t agree with the statement that this is the pinnacle of rock.

You took my place like a fox and are the top?

No, that’s not it.

anyway.

Aside from that, I’m sure I’ve seen it somewhere.

Directly, not through media like TV or YouTube.

Sometimes, as I approach the future, I have thoughts like this.

It’s more direct to call it deja vu.

It seems like I knew him before.

It was the same when I saw that girl named Kim Mi-so.

She was so obsessed with her mother that she knew that Eunsol was her daughter without even asking…

anyway.

While I was looking at my phone like that for a moment.

Crunch-.

The door opens.

“hello?”

A man in his forties with long hair comes in.

He is very humble and calm, but he has quite a force.

An aura like that given off by a top star.

however.

“Brother. Do you remember me?”

Choi Dong-hae, a man of force who bows deeply to Young-pil hyung, suddenly says this to Young-pil hyung.

“Of course I know. In South Korea, if you don’t know Donghae, you’re a spy.”

“No. Not that. You don’t remember me? Really?”

Youngpil has no clue what the other person is saying and feels embarrassed.

“……ah!”

I shouted without realizing it and covered my mouth with my mask.

I remembered.

Where have I seen it?