Rockstar Again - Chapter 98



Only Noblemtl

Episode 98. Welcome to the Jungle (3)

“… … Really… …?”

The look in Choi Dong-hae’s eyes as he asks that question is strange.

Should I believe this… or not? It must be confusing.

I understand.

That doesn’t mean I understand why you were strangling me.

I got up from where I was lying on the waiting room sofa.

“If you still don’t believe me after asking, what do you want me to do?”

“No… … I can only believe it if the situation is believable… … . Crazy, how am I supposed to believe this… … .”

Just 10 minutes ago, Choi Dong-hae was going crazy. No, Choi Dong-goo is grabbing his hair.

“You say that, but you still seem to believe it?”

When I say that, he opens his eyes strangely again and glares at me.

Even though I was already looking at him with those sharp eyes, I thought to myself, “Hey… this guy, hey. He’s really grown a lot.”

“I used to worry that I’d be bullied at school because I was small and innocent. I worried for nothing.”

“… … When on earth do you talk about the enemy… … No, do you?”

“If you say we were enemies, it was two years ago to me.”

“Two years ago?”

“Yeah. Two years ago. My accident, as you know. When I opened my eyes after that accident, it was 30 years in the future. I went to an idol audition to find my hyungs. I somehow found my hyungs and started the band again.”

As he listened to me, Choi Dong-hae’s eyes scanned the interior of the waiting room.

It’s not that the waiting room is unfamiliar.

“… … Crazy… … I hear a lot that I’m crazy, but wow, this is really… … .”

Choi Dong-hae’s eyes, sticking out his tongue, poke at his hyungs and check again.

A little while ago.

When Choi Dong-hae sees my face without the mask, he thinks that the little kid is ruining his memories and goes wild.

Tae-joo and Dong-sik finally revealed their faces.

He was going crazy to the point where I had to do something to calm him down.

I know just by looking at my brothers’ faces.

Regardless of whether or not I was the real Lee Dong-ha I knew back then, the story is true.

Because Choi Dong-hae also visited our Jongro practice room often.

Of course, I know my brothers’ faces too.

Choi Dong-hae, who had rolled his feet once, looked at me again.

It’s dark.

Choi Dong-hae, a man with dark hair and a masculine scent, stares at me.

“You time-slipped… …? For 30 years?”

“Oh really? How many times do I have to ask?”

“Answer me.”

You’re speaking informally.

It is a clear case of informal speech that goes back and forth between formal and informal speech.

I thought to myself for a moment, “This is so weird…” and decided to respect the other person’s opinion.

Yes, biological age is important.

Time slip isn’t something to be ashamed of in the past.

I’m not revealing it because it would just be a headache if it were to come out. I will reveal it in the future if I think it’s okay.

Because I have no intention of completely abandoning my past self and living as a new person.

If I let go of my past self, my past life would be too sad.

anyway.

It’s my choice, and it’s up to the person accepting it.

There are a few people who have come to the future and revealed their true identities.

Most people I revealed my identity to saw me for who I really am?

But just one person.

There is someone who sees me as if I am a ghost. It is Manseok hyung, a famous musical instrument maker. It is not that there is any particular problem between us. Just like I did 30 years ago, if I have a problem with my musical instrument now, I will look for Manseok hyung.

When I find that hyung, Manseok hyung will go, “Eueeek,” and take care of my guitar while walking.

That’s enough.

I can freely reveal my identity to anyone I want, but it’s up to them to decide how they will react.

If Choi Dong-gu were living in the present, then that would be fine.

Choi Dong-hae, a master of Korean rock in his 40s.

“Yes, well, that’s right. I time-slipped.”

“Hey, f*ck. Don’t be formal.”

“… … .”

It’s a world ruled by crazy people.

“It feels weird. Why is Dong-ha hyung being formal to me? You fucking punk, you said you were Dong-ha hyung?”

“Because you speak informally. I thought you might approach me based on your biological age, so I adjusted it to you. And this little Tsueki. You’re swearing at your teacher just because you’re a little older?”

“Ah… … Sorry… … No. Anyway! Oh really! Okay, let me ask. When is my birthday?”

“How did I know your birthday? Was I a fan of yours or were you a fan of mine?”

“… … Brother Dong-ha, what’s your guitar name?”

“Juliet.”

I did my best to answer Choi Dong-hae’s questions, which he kept asking.

I thought there must be a reason.

Tae-ju hyung, Dong-sik hyung, and even Young-pil hyung.

The three older brothers look at us like that and are dumbfounded. The picture is a bit strange, though.

What if it’s weird? Even though we’re a team, there are memories of Dong-sik and Young-pil that I don’t know about. And there are memories between Tae-joo and his brothers.

We have our stories.

With a nineteen year old genius.

A fresh memory of a fourteen-year-old boy who admired the nineteen-year-old genius.

“This fucking thing… … That’s right. It’s true.”

“Do you believe me now?”

“My head says no, but my heart is beating… … .”

A sparkle forms in Choi Dong-hae’s reddened eyes.

“You’ve changed a lot, haven’t you? You’re poetic.”

“Anyway. Nothing has changed in the absurd way. Since nothing has changed, I think Dong-ha hyung is right.”

“Why are your eyes like that? Did you get double eyelid surgery?”

“… … No. My father looks exactly like me. Dark and wavy. You said it was because he hadn’t grown up yet, right?”

“I thought it was a lie.”

“… … When you see something like this, you can’t help but believe it.”

Her hair is all messed up, but she still looks cool in her own way.

While Dong-gu was asking questions, I also searched about him. He was called the tiger of Joseon rock or something?

But that doesn’t feel like something too much…

I still have the image of the dwarf, shit-sack middle schooler Choi Dong-gu in my head, but this is natural as it is.

I think it would be a natural process, like accepting my brothers or Beomseok.

“I was young back then, you know?”

“I know. But?”

“I don’t know how much I cried. My brother told me to call you ‘teacher’ as a joke, but I really thought of you as a teacher.”

“… …Why are you like this, so embarrassing?”

At my words, Choi Dong-hae slammed the waiting room table with a thud.

“All my friends say Seo Ji-tae, but I’m the only one who likes rock! That’s when I met my older brother. He taught me guitar and how to sing! So you know what I’m talking about? My older brother’s death shocked me so much! I couldn’t even eat! I cried every day! I even cried at school, and some guy said I cried like a fucking god? That was the first time I ever fought in my life… .”

I couldn’t say anything as I watched Choi Dong-hae shaking his fist.

What about me… … do you think I did that because I wanted to?

under.

Let’s not think too deeply about it.

I have no intention of abandoning the movement of the past.

That’s why I went to find my brothers and pushed for the reunion of Blue Porcelain.

Dwelling on the past is eating away at my soul.

Because I can’t go back.

As I remained silent, Choi Dong-hae continued to vent his anger.

“It was exam period, so my hyung kicked me out of the practice room, telling me to study. I didn’t see him for over ten days. Ah, f*ck. Yeah. I really didn’t want to make him fall behind in his studies. My hyung, whom I like, told me to study. Thinking back now, my hyung was only nineteen and a high school senior, but at the time, he was the biggest rock star I could ever see. He told me that studying would ultimately help with music, and that studying was just something you do when you’re young. So I endured it and forced myself to do it. Ten days passed by like that, and in a week, I’ll see my hyung again. I’ll be able to borrow his guitar and play it. He’ll give me the mic. He’ll tell me to open my mouth while going “aeiou, ururur.” Then I’ll be able to blow off all this stress. I held on like that. But… … F*ck… … But that was the end… … He teased me by saying something about the orchard road outside Dong-gu and telling me to get lost before the exam… … .”

“Still, well… you lived pretty well too.”

My younger brother and disciple in his 40s, holding back tears with bloodshot eyes… … .

But he is the president of rock in South Korea.

I’m a new band and he’s a judge.

It’s not like I’m sad or anything, but I’m realizing once again that this is what time is all about.

Even the tiger of rock who starts to shed tears is ultimately the same person as that time.

I had the same thoughts again while watching my brothers and Beomseok.

I think that time doesn’t make people grow, but rather makes them pretend to grow.

The essence is the same in the end, but as the vessel becomes old, you deceive yourself by saying that you should act according to the vessel.

“I haven’t listened to your songs yet. Oh, by the way, don’t you do any broadcasts? When I searched, it said something about the President of Rock or something. Aren’t you on TV? I’ve been watching a lot of TV since I came to the future, but I haven’t seen you.”

“… … Why are you doing a broadcast like that? No, honestly… … I used to try to make a lot of money too. But now that I have a lot of money, I can just… … do whatever I want and live my life… … .”

“Then what about this?”

At my words, Choi Dong-hae lifts his head, wiping away tears with his palm.

“? Well, this is rock. PD Ahn decided to do it because he said he would really shed light on rock… … .”

“Oh… … rock and roll.”

“Peace… … .”

“If you cry and then have peace, hair will grow in your butthole.”

“Oh my… … Really… … .”

This time I moved my mouth a bit more.

“I’ll listen to all your music one by one. But did you do most of the song making yourself?”

“It was like that for the first few years. Later on, I got it too. About half and half?”

“Really? But don’t you think I’m weird? Even now, I speak informally and you speak formally. Isn’t the picture funny?”

“So what if it’s funny? I said I would do it? And I was also thinking of using informal language because it was weird, but I can’t speak informally.”

Pavlov’s dog… … something like that?

Since we met when I was so young, I was teased, scolded, and yelled at. Even now that I’m older, my body still reacts?

But this doesn’t matter either.

Whether you use polite or informal language, what matters is perception.

About how we perceive each other.

“But when there are people, pretend not to know and treat them like 21st century movers. I allow it.”

“Ha! … … This is so absurd, I… … .”

“Do that. For my sake.”

“… … .”

“I said it because I’m you. If I say I time-slipped, you’ll only hear me calling you crazy. If you believe me, it’ll be even more problematic. Won’t NASA or the FBI come after me?”

“… … You might as well hide it from me.”

“I thought you should be praised for growing this much outside of our Donggu. I really didn’t think you’d continue rock? And that you’d be doing well like you are now.”

“I told you I would do it.”

“That’s why. That’s why I wanted to compliment you.”

Choi Dong-hae, who was shedding tears, laughs in vain.

Stretching my neck over the back of the sofa.

“Wow… … Really… … The day has come when I hear that from my hyung. I’ve always wanted to be acknowledged by my hyung… … .”

“Why didn’t you go to the practice room after I died? From what I’ve heard from you and your hyungs, it seems like you didn’t go to the practice room after that.”

“How are you? After that accident, my hyungs haven’t come to the practice room either. I went there and waited all day, but no one came. And I… … .”

Choi Dong-hae, who had been observing his brothers for a moment, continues speaking.

“Did I go because of my other brothers? I went to see my brother.”

“Oh, a personal sasaeng fan.”

“… … .”

“But why did you change your name? Is it a stage name? But when I search for it, only Choi Dong-hae comes up? Usually, it says, “What is your real name?”

At my words, a faint pride spread across Choi Dong-hae’s face.

Then, it wasn’t Choi Dong-hae who was shedding tears.

The charismatic tiger of Joseon rock has resurfaced.

“I didn’t like the name Dong-gu to begin with. My brother teased me, but I just liked it when my brother called me by that name. That’s why I completely changed my name. Whenever my old name came up on a portal, I requested that it be deleted so that it wouldn’t show up in searches.”

“Why are you saying that with such a cool face?”

Choi Dong-hae’s reddened eyes glared at me.

To be exact.

Rather than staring, it seemed like eyes that were determined to see through my true nature.

“My name is Choi Dong-hae.”

“?”

“I added one more to the name of the teacher I liked. Let’s be one step ahead of that hyung. Dong-ha plus the number one. That’s the name I decided on.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with the East Sea?”

“Oh my… … Seriously. He’s serious, so why does he have to… … .”

“… … .”

I did that because I was serious.

I also feel a little bit sad and embarrassed.

I thought my nineteen year life was over without me even making my professional debut.

I never thought I would become someone’s target… … .

Choi Dong-gu, whose name was Donghae, stood up from his seat after me.

“So do your best. Whatever you do, I will do my best to support you.”