You Promised Me, Mr. Lee San-ha - Chapter 89



Only Noblemtl

Episode 89: A shabby person in a precious place (4)

It’s been a few dozen minutes since Broken Bullet announced his retirement.

There are about 10 minutes left until the scheduled start time of the performance.

Even that is only the maximum.

Because the concert organizers may announce cancellation at any moment.

In the midst of a tight time, Kim Tae-kyung, Maeng So-hyun, and I were searching through the stage equipment warehouse.

Kim Tae-kyung said, covered in layers of dust.

“Ehhhh! But isn’t this strictly speaking theft?”

I couldn’t think of anything to say in rebuttal.

So I just blew the counter away as a sign of acceptance.

“That’s right. But strictly speaking, aren’t you also derelict in your duties?”

“No, that’s you… … !”

At that moment, Maeng So-hyeon shouted in a joyful voice.

“Found it! OMG. Now that I think about it, it seems like this is my first time winning first place in a treasure hunt. Can I take a certification shot?”

“… … In the movies, they always get caught because of those kids leaving records like that.”

“Oh my. That’s true too! Then give up on the certification shot! Take it!”

Flutter!

What she threw at me was a vest.

But now, the fluorescent color is a bit darker and it has a reflective coating… …the so-called work vest.

The reason I looked for this first before infiltrating was simple.

‘Look like an official.’

There was once a time when two men in Australia made headlines for attempting a social experiment called the ‘fluorescent vest experiment’.

Content to test how far you can go wearing this fluorescent vest.

The first is the movie theater.

Of course, I was able to enter without any restrictions.

The second is the zoo.

Likewise free pass.

The third is a performance by the British world-class band ‘Coldfly’.

In this case, it was possible to approach right under the stage, which was closer than the stand seats.

Of course, I was caught later and fined, but… … This is the point.

The fact that a ‘uniform’ can instill ‘intuitive trust’ in people.

That was enough.

“Senior! Try this too!”

What Maeng So-hyun brought were large, bulky headphones.

After putting on the fluorescent vests and headphones around their necks, the two people’s expressions brighten up.

“Hey, anyone can see that this guy has at least 5 years of experience working in the audio field.”

“It would be more perfect if Senior had something like a mustache! Where is the beard? Oh! Let’s draw it with a magic marker. Like this- Like this-.”

Now the stomach is perfect.

Now it was time to go back to the waiting room.

At that time, Maeng So-hyeon said.

“But even if I go in like this and meet Broken Bullet, will the situation be easily resolved?”

“That guy has a strange talent. After exchanging a few words with him… … What should I say? It’s like he just changes into a different person? It’s hard to explain, but he has the talent to change other people’s minds just by talking.”

Kim Tae-kyung answered on my behalf.

A look of caution appeared over Maeng So-hyeon’s face.

She said, staring intently at my face.

“Senior. Did you learn some kind of brainwashing while I wasn’t there? Or maybe a hypnosis app… …”

“There’s no way such a convenient technology could exist.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Brainwashing and hypnosis, where in the world does that exist?

… … I don’t know about the ability to keep promises.

I told Maeng So-hyeon.

“Go in first and find a good spot to take pictures. I probably won’t be able to get in on time.”

“Okay! I’ll film as many opening cuts as I can, including the ones you’ll use!”

“Should I give you a bigger discount on that?”

“Huh? That would be difficult, right!? Well, I’ll think about it!”

Soon, the three of us entered the waiting room hallway.

First, Kim Tae-kyung joins the group of security company employees.

“I’m sorry. I need to go to the bathroom… … .”

“This kid is really into it? Who goes to the bathroom during work? Who is this kid’s blind date?”

The moment the barrage of criticism was about to begin, Maeng So-hyun, who had been hiding among the reporters, took action.

“Ahhh-! You’re saying you’re just going to take one picture of Broken Bullet-!”

As Maeng So-hyeon forcibly pushes forward, Kim Tae-kyung pushes her shoulder as if he had been waiting for her.

“Oh, what?! Get back!”

“Whoa!”

Maeng So-hyeon falls to the floor after being pushed on the shoulder.

Kkudang tang tang!

Intense Hollywood action that rolls backwards on two wheels.

I thought it was a bit too exaggerated, but… … .

“The security guard is a fan of people!”

“You threw a person! Trash!”

“Hey, you bad guys! What did this little lady do wrong that you have to suppress her with violence?! Do you think this is the year 1980?! Huh?!”

It was the perfect action to arouse the wrath of reporters.

The security guards are worried and lost in thought.

A fierce standoff unfolded on one side of the hallway.

“Excuse me~.”

I leaned against the wall and leisurely made my way through the chaos.

After passing through a hallway filled with shouting and accusations, I finally managed to open the door to the waiting room and enter.

Clank-

The waiting room I encountered like that was… … much more shocking than I had expected.

* * *

The lighted mirror was shattered.

Of course, more than half of the lights next to the mirror were broken.

Most of the water bottles and clothes are scattered on the floor.

The sofa was spewing out cotton through its torn crevices.

And on that sofa sleeps Broken Bullet, once known as the ‘King of the East’.

Anyone could tell that he was under the influence of alcohol or some kind of suspicious drug.

The manager sitting on the opposite sofa said with a miserable expression.

“… … I will compensate for the damage. Claim it later.”

It was easy to understand because it was English and didn’t contain a lot of slang.

I said, holding up my pass.

“What is going on?”

“Wow, the journalists in this country are really something. Get out. I have nothing to say to you.”

“I have a lot to say. If you said something like that right before the show started, shouldn’t you at least explain why?”

The manager spoke in a nervous tone.

“Fuck. What the hell are these security guards doing, giving way to a reporter they’ve never heard of?”

“If it’s difficult to tell the whole story, you can just tell part of it.”

“Ha, are you crazy? Why should I do that?”

“Otherwise, we’d have to write an article about Broken Bullet going to the concert hall and passing out.”

Broken Bullet has long been criticized both inside and outside the US market.

So he caused a ruckus in Korea, one of the countries that foreigners are most interested in these days?

And on top of that, he was so drugged by some unknown drug that he couldn’t even come to his senses?

And that too right before the performance?

This was a death sentence for the artist.

The manager hesitated for a long time.

I urged him.

“I don’t like imposing time limits, but… … I’d like you to respond a little faster, because I don’t know when the security company will show up.”

“Damn. Nothing has gotten done since this fucking manager started!”

The manager, who had been sighing deeply, continued speaking.

“Listen carefully. I’ll keep it simple.”

“It doesn’t matter. Just be honest with me.”

“Okay. So… … .”

Malik Stevenson (Broken Bullet’s manager): I promise to be honest.

He carried out his promise right before he finished speaking.

“… … So, you know it’s been a while since BB was called trash? In the first place, fucking kids these days don’t listen to boom bap or trap. Their album sales have been completely plummeting, and it’s been a long time since they’ve been getting nothing but hate comments every time they release an album.”

I have a vague idea that it is being evaluated that way.

But how does that relate to this situation?

“So this kid, BB, finally got a panic attack. About 3 years ago. You know his nickname? ‘The King of the East.’ You wanted to show the guy who was once called the King mentally broken?”

“Did you survive without medication?”

“No. When I was in America, I had a doctor I knew get me some sedatives. They were really strong.”

About 3 years ago.

According to Treewiki, it was around this time that Broken Bullet’s hip-hop style changed to Western style.

‘A pronunciation that sounds like it’s been soaked in drugs and a mechanical sound that tries to cover it up… So, is it not the drugs but the psychiatric medication that was the cause?’

Drug abuse is actually more dangerous than the drugs themselves.

People who lack medical common sense about drug use are said to think this way.

‘If I take medicine, I’ll get better. So if I take more medicine, I’ll get better faster?’

This may sound funny because it is an uncommon incident in our country.

However, it is said that medical accidents like this actually occur in enormous numbers in foreign countries.

Broken Bullet also likely took medication without a doctor’s prescription.

The manager continued speaking.

“But this is an illegal drug in Korea? I got completely drugged at the airport. So I was thinking of trying to survive for 2-3 days without the drugs… … .”

“I guess there are side effects.”

“No. Everything was well-prepared until the show started.”

“But what’s the problem?”

The manager tapped his phone and showed a screen.

Spotify.

It was a paid music site where singers would upload their songs as soon as they released them.

“BB finally blew up after seeing this comment.”

There was a comment written in the middle of the screen.

[9mile: East Coast hip-hop is dead. It didn’t kill anyone, but it died alone. Like King Lear who lost his mind and died of madness. They no longer sing about the zeitgeist and the absurdity of society. They just spit out music similar to that of the West Coast drug dealers and play machine-like sounds that are suitable for parties. This song is no exception. I don’t know about others, but I didn’t know that even the ‘King of the East’ would do this kind of music. With him, East Coast style old school closed its doors. And a street without a school can no longer develop. Just like Washington D.C.]

It’s an attack with a feeling that’s hard to describe.

I think I expressed my regret because my fandom was too excessive… … but that’s actually what makes it scarier.

Should I say that it is similar to the so-called ‘goroshi’ type of comment?

It seemed that I could fully understand why Broken Bullet, already in an unstable state, went berserk.

The manager finished his speech by stubbing out his cigarette anywhere.

“While BB was going crazy after seeing the comment, I went to buy some sleeping pills. That kid was tweeting in the meantime, and now he’s asleep after taking sleeping pills.”

Now I understand the whole situation.

I said as I completed my manager’s promise.

“Okay. Now let’s get ready for the show again.”

“Ugh, I feel dizzy. Why did I just talk so much? … … But what did I just say?”

“He can perform. I have the power to make him perform.”

In the first place, the brain is not damaged by drugs or alcohol.

As long as you can take care of your mental health, there will be no problem with your performance.

In the end, all I had to do was wake him up and have a few words with him.

But the manager still had his doubts.

“How can you possibly raise a guy who doesn’t listen to me when you’ve just met him for the first time?”

“I am not someone who stands by, but someone who looks at you.”

It is a word that contains many implications.

As a journalist.

Or as a listener.

Or as someone who might become a fan.

It means someone who wants to stand across the stage and see him.

The meaning of those words can only be understood by those who stand on stage.

And perhaps, the manager who has always been by Broken Bullet’s side might also be able to accept this meaning.

I said with a very serious expression.

“Wake me up. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“… … .”

Finally, after a long silence, the manager opened his mouth.

“Fuck.”

He took out a cigarette and lit it, continuing to speak.

“It’s been 30 years since I’ve seen these eyes again.”

Chiiik-

The light is transferred to the end of the cigarette.

“Thirty years ago, a kid came to me with a cheap tape recording of my songs. He was a rough kid with no skills. He had the same expression as you. His eyes were bright and confident, as if he never doubted himself. I trusted those eyes and started working with him.”

The manager said, exhaling a long puff of cigarette smoke.

“I found out later that I was right. That bastard ended up becoming the king of the East.”

The manager gets up from his seat and kicks the sofa.

Phew!

“Get up, Dengshin. It’s time to get to work.”

* * *

king.

And the founding fathers who stayed by his side his entire life.

The two begin to swear at each other as if they are going to kill each other.

The contract is over, who raised you, I was wrong about you… …etc.

There are several exchanges of accusations, shouting, grabbing of the collar and shoving.

‘No, I just asked you to wake me up, so why are you fighting so hard… …?’

My manager, Malik, is also a very emotional person.

As the atmosphere was such that it was difficult to interfere, I was just watching in silence when Malik suddenly shouted.

“I said let’s do it one last time!”

“I would do it if I could! But my body is in this condition, what do you want me to do?!”

In the midst of the verbal quarrel, one ’empty word’ was mixed in.

I opened the status window as is.

From Daniel Brandon (Broken Bullet): I promised to do the show if I could.

‘This is it.’

There was no need to wait any longer.

The moment I was about to carry out my promise, a feeling of uneasiness suddenly came over me.

‘Even if you just say Malik is a manager… … If he keeps his promise with a world star like Broken Bullet, wouldn’t your head really explode?’

Recently, I have been dealing with a lot of high-level celebrities in particular.

However, they were all only famous people in their home country and were not world-class singers.

Right then.

Thump, thump, thump.

There was a knock at the door.

“It’s time for the show to start. What should we do?”

Now there really was no time left.

Finally, I made a decision.

‘… … What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?’

We have to keep the spirit of our mother’s old school hip-hop, who would close down her business and wake up at 4:30 in the morning to prepare for this show.

‘Well, other people’s mothers say they like trot and stuff, but our Mrs. Yoon is a bit special.’

I pressed the fulfill promise button.

If your head starts to hurt too much, be prepared to cancel your promise right away.

……however.

‘Huh?’

What I encountered immediately after fulfilling my promise was a somewhat unexpected situation.

‘Why doesn’t my head hurt at all?’