Chapter 38: A Complete Story

Moon Jungbae froze in place, holding a plate in his hands.

Seeing him stiff like a wooden totem pole, Kim Minsoo spoke as if he had expected it.

“Nice, right? I knew it.”

What flowed out from Kim Minsoo’s smartphone was—

‘Why is this… here?’

—the song that the neat young man who had come with Oh Jisoo had played for them before leaving.

The kind of song that had stirred a faint hope in him, making him think he might be able to stand on stage again.

The one that had suddenly surfaced in his ears out of nowhere, throwing his thoughts into disarray.

It was that very song.

“I knew it. Our teacher still has such a sharp ea—”

“Shh!”

For this moment, I wanted to be sensitive. Even hearing it again, it was good.

Without any disturbance.

I wanted to chew it thoroughly, savor it, and swallow it whole.

That was how much had the power to pull people into focus.

“……”

“……”

Even after the song ended, Moon Jungbae remained silent for quite a while.

Kim Minsoo hesitated.

Should he play it again?

‘No.’

Withdrawing the finger that had been heading toward the screen, he decided to simply enjoy the moment together.

He barely restrained the urge to jump up and shout, ‘Yes!’

Anyone who saw Moon Jungbae’s expression right now would have felt the same way.

He stared at him quietly.

Moon Jungbae, deep in thought, gave a slight nod.

His eyelids lowered just a bit. His gaze fixed somewhere near his feet.

Then he murmured slowly,

“I ask the man in the mirror, Which one is me……”

Inside the quiet shop,

Moon Jungbae’s voice—still solid, still deep—filled the wide space.

This time, Kim Minsoo was the one frozen like a totem pole.

‘So that’s why Taeyoon…’

It felt like the hairs on his head were standing on end.

Just a single line had been enough to prove it.

That this song was one only he could deliver perfectly.

“Heooh.”

At this moment, all Kim Minsoo could do was let out a low sigh.

Moon Jungbae remarked almost like a scold,

“What, hearing me sing it in person, you’re not impressed?”

“Of course not.”

“This… this… how should I describe the feeling of this song?”

Kim Minsoo studied Moon Jungbae closely.

Joy, surprise, reverence, ecstasy… none of those adjectives fit.

It was simply…

“Empathy, maybe?”

“Empathy…”

“When it sounds like my own story—that’s empathy.”

There was no better way to express it.

Now was the time!

As Moon Jungbae nodded slowly, Kim Minsoo casually asked,

“The song—what did you think of it?”

“It’s honest.”

The timing was perfect.

Empathy born from honesty—

That was the power this song had.

As if something else occurred to him, Moon Jungbae added,

“That’s true. Everyone wonders at least once—what’s my real self? Which mask is my true face? You don’t have to be some grand figure. Even an ordinary student, even an office worker, has another side. Empathy comes from those little points. That’s the power this song has.”

Moon Jungbae wasn’t just listening to the song.

He was reading the song itself—its narrative.

That was how it felt to Kim Minsoo.

As if the song were a man, whose inner thoughts and decisions he was pinpointing. That’s what it meant to read something.

The faint storyline, fueled by the listener’s empathy, had finally become one complete tale.

“You’re a good judge of people. I wasn’t sure, but…”

“What, did the songwriter say only I could sing it?”

“They said even if I introduced all the famous singers out there, they’d still only want Moon Jungbae.”

When Taeyoon had first named Cheongseong’s vocalist Moon Jungbae, relief had been his first feeling.

If he had instead singled out another singer earlier… honestly, he wouldn’t have been confident.

After all, how could they possibly recruit a singer from another agency?

I could somehow manage to pass the song along, but that would be the end of it.

The moment a song goes to another agency, there’s no way to intervene.

But if it was Moon Jungbae, it might be worth trying.

I could boldly barge in with a “We’re on the same side, aren’t we!” kind of attitude.

If he refused, well, it would only be his loss. The song was good enough that no matter who sang it, it would cause a stir. That’s what I thought.

But now, I had changed my mind. This one had to be Moon Jungbae.

That clever brat, that beautiful brat, Seo Taeyoon.

“I can see that. If it’s that person.”

“……Ehhhhh?”

An absurdly dumb-sounding voice slipped from Kim Minsoo’s mouth.

What in the world did that mean? That person?

Did they know each other? That couldn’t be possible, could it?

“Why are you so surprised? I just meant that if they wrote a song like this, they must have an ear for it.”

“Ah-ha?”

Not knowing the context, Kim Minsoo muttered, “That makes more sense.”

Whether they knew each other or not didn’t matter.

The important thing was whether Moon Jungbae would accept the song. That was all.

Judging from the situation, his heart should already be halfway there.

They’d set up a meeting, record, and release the album before long.

In his imagination, he was already busy going around for interviews as the industry’s hot topic.

“How did KIM Entertainment end up working with Moon Jungbae?” people would whisper.

“CEO Kim Minsoo looked sloppy, but turns out he had something up his sleeve,” they’d murmur.

And his answer would be—

“I dedicate this glory to Taeyoon—no, to Writer STaY!”

But one should always listen to the end.

What followed from Moon Jungbae made Kim Minsoo’s heart crumble to pieces.

“This is the best song I’ve heard recently. Really well made. It’s going to do well. I can feel it just from the guide version. It’s perfect enough to release as is. The lyrics are great, the melody’s great… I’m looking forward to it.”

You know I didn’t come all the way here just to hear compliments…

Moon Jungbae continued firmly to the blinking Kim Minsoo.

“I thought you’d come all this way just to chatter about nothing, but thank you for letting me hear a good song. My ears have been spoiled after only hearing cookie-cutter idol music. This will do well.”

“…Did you just turn me down?”

“You know. Just thinking about the stage… anyway. I’m not ready yet. Oh, and take this. A gift.”

With a calm expression, Moon Jungbae handed him something.

Without looking, he slipped it into his bag. It was probably a record—Moon Jungbae often recommended old pop or vintage punk records like this.

“What, too sulky to even look at it? You asked me what I was listening to lately, right? This is it. You should put out records like this too. I was a bit surprised to hear you used to be an idol.”

Even now, he was giving music recommendations.

It felt very much like Moon Jungbae.

At the same time, Kim Minsoo realized—

This was a firm rejection.

The words I’m not ready yet tasted bitter in his mouth.

He had thought a good song might turn him around. But it couldn’t be helped.

Kim Minsoo gave a hollow farewell.

“Thanks for the tonkatsu.”

“Make sure you listen to the record.”

“Yes.”

Rustle, rustle.

With heavy steps, he returned to the driver’s seat and sat down.

Stage accidents, panic disorder, unfair contracts, modern-day slavery…

The words from old newspaper articles briefly appeared before his eyes, then vanished.

He’s still the same as back then.

He rummaged through his bag for his phone.

His hand caught on the yellow envelope Moon Jungbae had given him.

He started to take it out, but left it.

Today, he didn’t want to think about anything.

Even after revising Angkora, adding lyrics, recording the guide, and playing the final version for Kim Minsoo—

My resolve hadn’t changed.

I wanted Teacher Moon Jungbae of Cheongseong to sing this song.

What could I call this feeling?

Intuition? Premonition? A hunch?

No, such trivial words couldn’t capture it.

Do I have a thing for people with stories?

Just as looking at Kim Minsoo had made me think of Angkora’s intro riff—

The moment I met Moon Jungbae, I could easily picture him singing my song.

Like a luxury sedan speeding down a well-polished road.

Ah, but not just any ordinary sedan. On the outside, it looked dignified, but inside it was a monster sedan with an eight-cylinder engine.

Something like… an S63?

And it would feel just as natural as Han Yujin singing .

I hadn’t even considered any other singer.

The past few days had me so excited I could hardly sleep.

I didn’t know where the confidence came from, but I had an unshakable belief that Teacher Moon Jungbae would surely sing my song.

Maybe that’s why—

“…He turned you down?”

“I’m sorrrryyyyy!”

I thought I’d be crushed with despair if my proposal was rejected.

“…Are you laughing?”

“Ye… s, no?”

“What is this? You’re creeping me out. Are you laughing out of shock after being so disappointed? Is that it? I was looking forward to it too, but Teacher Moon has his circumstances… Huh? This guy’s really strange. Hey, hey, Taeyoon? Seo Taeyoon?”

Even though CEO Kim Minsoo was wearing a face full of disappointment—

Oddly enough, I felt relieved.

I hadn’t expected this reaction from myself.

Why… did I feel even more eager and expectant?

“If he had agreed right away, I might have been a little disappointed.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“I actually like it.”

“What’s with your face? Look at your eyes… they’re crazy.”

Hmm, is it that bad?

Maybe my eyes were crazy, but my head certainly wasn’t clear. I just felt good—

So, so good.

“Does he… have some kind of personal circumstances?”

“Nothing huge. You could find it with a quick search. It’s common for singers. Panic disorder. He also had a bad dispute with his agency.”

Listening to that…

“Hey, are you even listening?”

…I wanted it even more.

“This is a first for me.”

“What is?”

“Wanting to persuade someone.”

“Don’t even try. Panic disorder isn’t something to take lightly. I never thought it’d last thirty years.”

CEO Kim Minsoo’s expression darkened.

I could see why.

He said Moon Jungbae had been his benefactor—taught him drums, taught him how the industry worked, helped him make music.

Come to think of it—

In a way, Kim Minsoo was also my benefactor.

Thanks to Club Sierra, I had started thinking seriously about music.

Moon Jungbae was Kim Minsoo’s benefactor, and Kim Minsoo was mine.

So… didn’t that make Moon Jungbae my benefactor too?

If it weren’t for Teacher Moon Jungbae, CEO Kim Minsoo might never have started music.

By my logic, it made sense.

When I told Kim Minsoo this, he laughed in admiration.

“Wow. That logic is sloppy as hell, but somehow convincing.”

“Right?”

“So, do you have a plan?”

“Sort of. Don’t know if it’ll work though.”

It was true—while thinking about Club Sierra, something had suddenly come to me.

At my answer, Kim Minsoo dropped his smile and thought for a moment.

“Well, if it’s something like being a faceless singer, that could work. Jo Seongho did that before—blew up through a music video first. Not sure if it’d still work now, though.”

“It’s similar.”

“Isn’t that a little old-fashioned?”

“Teacher Moon isn’t exactly young.”

“What are you scheming?”

“Something that’s kind of weird if you think about it, but nothing big if you don’t.”

For now, I kept my plan to myself.

“Unbelievable. So, do you want me to set something up?”

“No. I think I can handle that myself.”

“What’s going on in that head of yours…”

I was sure about it, but didn’t want to say it first.

From the way things sounded, CEO Kim Minsoo didn’t seem to know that Teacher Moon and I had met before.

If he hadn’t brought it up, he must have had his reasons, so I didn’t mention it either.

“Well, what about me instead, as a backup?”

“It’s not like I haven’t thought about it.”

After all, I had thought of the song while looking at Kim Minsoo.

I was curious—what would it be like if this man sang Angkora?

But then—

“Listen to this. Ahem, ahem.”

“…?”

All of a sudden, Kim Minsoo started belting out a song.

“Drop the anchooooorrrr…”

“…?”

“Call another meeeeee…”

“Oh dear…”

Out of nowhere, I was treated to an impromptu recital, and I was so startled I spilled my juice all over myself.

Was this singing or a folk chant?

“Well? If we fixed it up with some tuning, wouldn’t it sound decent?”

“What exactly do you want me to say to that?”

Angkora had almost turned into a trot song!

The sigh of relief I let out quietly was my own little secret.

I naturally started packing my bag.

“I’ll be going now.”

“I’ll buy you dinner. How about more meat today, since we had meat yesterday? It’ll sound different after a good meal!”

“Sorry, I have somewhere to be. Don’t they say to strike while the iron’s hot?”

“Strike what? Hey, Taeyoon, where are you going? Turning down meat?”

I had a CD in my bag. I had a mask.

No reason to hesitate.

Leaving CEO Kim Minsoo behind with a puzzled look, I boarded the bus headed for Hongdae.

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