Chapter 48: Black Panthers Surrounding the Snow Rabbit

There’s such a thing as a predictable range.

For example—‘A composer who can freely write songs across multiple genres is probably at least in their thirties, with a long career behind them.’

What does it mean to be “seasoned”? It means they’ve been rolling around in this field for a long time.

Which also means the composer is likely a certain age.

But then—

“……Did you come instead of your father?”

“No, a junior who came instead of the composer?”

“Hey, hey, Jungbae. Moon Jungbae. You’re saying this young man is the actual composer?”

“Are you, by any chance, a vampire?”

The Cheongseong members, facing the young… no, so young it felt almost wrong to call him merely “young” Taeyoon, stuttered as if their brains had glitched.

Questions poured out, but Moon Jungbae kept his mouth shut with practiced nonchalance.

A faint chuckle leaked out between his tightly pressed lips.

As if he had expected such a reaction.

“Uh… well. For now, have a seat.”

The active age range for composers is wide, but the thirties can be seen as a particularly vibrant period.

The reason is simple.

It’s the time when one is technically mature, with enough varied experiences to have established a unique style.

Professionalism deepens through various projects.

It’s an age where youthful sensibility and seasoned skill harmonize perfectly.

Even though these days, plenty of composers begin actively working in their late teens or early twenties—

This wasn’t a skill set someone that young could possibly pull off.

And not just the band song—

The duality expressed in Angkora carried the depth that only someone who had tasted both the bitter and the sweet of life could portray.

“Good heavens.”

The members casually drifted closer, surrounding Taeyoon.

“W-what’s going on?”

Like a pack of black panthers encircling a snow rabbit—

The members’ reactions were intense and varied.

“You’re really the composer?”

“Huh… You’re not, like, on your second life or something?”

“You’ve got the neat look of a freshly peeled chestnut, so how did you manage such expression?”

Unlike the others, who expressed interest through words—

Bassist Bang Gicheol dashed forward and suddenly grabbed Taeyoon in a tight hug.

“Ughhhk!”

A scream-like sound burst from Taeyoon’s mouth.

Even a reunion between father and son wouldn’t be this emotional.

Eyes glistening with tears, Bang Gicheol kept sweeping Taeyoon’s back with hands as big as pot lids.

Like a proud father whose son had just passed the highest civil service exam, he kept spitting out words like, Well done, splendid, you know your stuff, you really understand music, in rapid-fire succession.

“Hahahahaha! You… no, student? Young man? No, no… Ah! Composer sir, you’re the first to give this much attention to the bass. I’m honestly… moved. You have to take responsibility for us! See us through to the end!”

Gripping Taeyoon’s shoulders with both hands, he gave a fierce welcome.

Not to be outdone—

“Hey, hey. Gicheol, move aside. I have a lot to say too. Khh… starting with synth sounds instead of the obvious distorted guitar—that’s real music, you know? See this? My eyes are moist. Tragic… tragic…”

“Tragic…?”

Keyboardist Kang Musong pushed Bang Gicheol aside and stood before Taeyoon.

He clasped Taeyoon’s hands and shook them wildly up and down.

“I can tell just by shaking your hands. Look at these calluses. You play bass, right? How long have you been playing? How about switching to keyboard while you’re at it? That synth theme tells me you’ve got talent there too.”

Ignoring the stares of the other members, Kang Musong kept stroking Taeyoon’s hands over and over.

Age didn’t matter to them anymore.

They were already connected through music.

Whether in his twenties, still a kid, or even an alien—

It didn’t matter.

With a welcome so rough it felt more like joining a sports team than a band, Taeyoon could only stand there awkwardly.

His expression was one of complete bewilderment at the torrential shower of attention.

After some hesitation, Taeyoon gave a shy smile and said—

“Ha, haha… Thank you sooo much for welcoming me so passionately!”

This situation… not bad at all…

Hoo-ha, hoo-ha.

Only after some time passed could I finally catch my breath.

For a first greeting, it had been rather loud.

I had never imagined I’d be welcomed with such enthusiasm.

No, to be honest, I’d been a little worried.

After all, these people were older than my dad.

I can’t even remember exactly what I said in greeting.

“Hah, haha…”

“Eat comfortably. Let us know if you need anything.”

“Th-thank you for the meal…?”

Moon Jungbae-sensei laughed heartily, saying he’d treat me to a full course.

“Hey, who brought this yogurt? You should’ve brought it cold!”

“Not me…!”

“Don’t yell! You’ll startle the teacher listening.”

“Hurry up and eat. That’s it.”

“He’s at the age where he could chew rocks.”

“You need to eat a lot and grow tall, right?”

Why is it that the way the Cheongseong members talk changes whenever it’s about me?

Hyungs? Teachers?

Anyway, the uncles said they had something to talk about and left me alone.

Before long, it was just the tonkatsu and me in the quiet inner room, and I picked up the fork and knife.

Ahem. They went out of their way to serve me like this—wouldn’t it be rude to refuse?

I calmly chomped on the tonkatsu while focusing on the voices coming from outside.

— Isn’t the composer just too cute?

— He’s admirable. Handsome guy, writes great songs.

— Did you see his hands? Those aren’t hands that have played bass for just a day or two.

— Genius. Absolute genius…

— Hey, listen. Just because he’s young, don’t underestimate him. Treat him properly.

Hmm. This is a little embarrassing.

I admit I’m crazy about music.

But I’m not a genius.

Do you know how many albums I’ve listened to growing up?

True geniuses… they say, don’t need any of that—they just get musical ideas popping into their heads.

I’m the type who thinks things over for a long time.

Write, erase, write, erase.

When I finally land on a beat I like after hundreds of repetitions—there’s nothing more thrilling.

It’s like, In the end, I won! you know?

Some might call it shadowboxing, but the satisfaction of winning a fight with yourself is something only those who’ve been through it can understand.

A kind of… addiction?

— Who’s going to say it?

— You do it. You’re the closest to him.

— Bang Gicheol, you should be the one.

— Me? Why?

— There’s gotta be some understanding between bass weirdos.

Ugh. He seemed a bit scary in the videos.

Maybe because they were old clips.

Their expressions were so serious, and the songs were really rough.

But in person, they seemed more like the friendly neighborhood uncles, one-two-three-four.

They looked like they had something they wanted to request revisions for.

That’s probably why they were pushing it onto each other like this.

I’m not that inflexible.

They must have misunderstood something. I’m open to revisions—

As long as it’s something that will help the song, or the band.

Khh… This is it.

I had just finished all the food and was clearing the dishes when—

“Writer Seo? Done eating?”

The Cheongseong uncles came into the room shyly, filling the seats one by one.

In no time, the room was bustling again.

A moment later, just as Moon Jungbae-sensei was about to open his mouth while pouring me a Coke—

Bassist Bang Gicheol-sensei spoke first.

“Ahem, Writer Seo, was it? Where should I start… I want to talk about the song…”

This wasn’t the time to just sit there.

I shot up from my seat.

“Huh? Why are you suddenly—”

“First!”

“Whoa… my eardrums.”

I felt I should greet them properly.

“Thank you for inviting me to such an honorable place.”

I bowed politely and made eye contact with each person as I spoke.

“Thank you as well for your kind words about the song. I’m also truly grateful for your cooperation with my strategy—‘Making a band that’s Cheongseong, but not quite Cheongseong.’”

Everyone was looking at me.

The uncle with frost on his hair, the uncle in hiking clothes, the uncle with half his hair gone, the uncle with a phone hanging from his neck…

All different in appearance, but with one thing in common—

Their gazes were so sharp and vivid—like lasers might shoot out any second.

In that brief moment, I confirmed it.

Their passion for music was still alive.

I gave my formal greetings one by one.

First, the bass.

“Hello! Bang Gicheol-sensei! I don’t think there’s a bassist with timing as precise as yours. Summer Day Shower is textbook-level—I’ve practiced along with it many times.”

Next, the guitar.

“Hello! Ham Doyoung-sensei! The guitar solo you showed in Red Sun… I truly think it’s legendary. People still cover it a lot on YouTube. That performance that makes your chest swell—it’s unforgettable.”

Then the drums, then the keyboard.

I simply conveyed what I had felt.

No more, no less—because Cheongseong really was legendary.

Marathoning every article and video of Cheongseong still available online had paid off.

Since they’d left the industry long ago,

I figured, even after all this time, it would be gratifying for a much younger junior to recognize them.

I finished my greetings, mentioning each name in turn.

Hmm… Did I mess up somehow?

There was no reply.

They simply looked up at me with eyes even warmer than before.

Was I over the top? Was it rude?

Doesn’t matter. I actually feel relieved!

Because I had wanted to tell them this in person if we ever met.

I was about to sit down awkwardly when—

“Wow…”

“You memorized all our names before coming?”

“And you’ve seen the videos?”

“Composer-sensei… I’m touched.”

“Didn’t I tell you? Writer Seo is like this.”

With Moon Jungbae-sensei’s words—

“All right, all right! Applause!”

The room was filled with nothing but the sound of loud applause.

Only five people, yet—

The applause was louder than in a concert hall, and it made my heart race.

Ah, this is dangerous.

I… am starting to really like attention.

It couldn’t have been more warm and friendly.

With Taeyoon adding fuel to the fire—

“Shall we really have some fun today?”

Saying he couldn’t let a rebirth day pass without a proper drink, Moon Jungbae brought out a bottle of champagne he’d been saving.

“Oooh? What’s with the cheapskate pulling that out?”

“Guess he’s really taken a liking to Writer Seo.”

“This one’s a treasure I personally brought back from France!”

“Oooh! Dom Pérignon?”

At the word Dom Pérignon, Taeyoon’s ears perked up.

Even if he didn’t know much about alcohol, he knew at least how expensive that was.

Somehow ending up with a glass in his hand, Taeyoon turned the wine this way and that, inspecting it.

This… is a million won?

Maybe because it was pricey? The fizz rising like little pearls was beautiful.

Taeyoon took a sip, and his eyes widened.

The bubbles bursting on his tongue were sweet yet refreshing—

Almost like the juice from a freshly picked apple.

And that wasn’t all.

A toasty yet delicate aroma—

The cozy, bread-like warmth of the flavor made Taeyoon unconsciously let out a wow.

Even this reaction felt fresh to the Cheongseong members.

The sight of a twenty-something being moved by Dom Pérignon was simply cute.

“How is it?”

“I don’t know much about alcohol… but it makes me think, maybe this is why people want to make a lot of money.”

After a light glass of champagne each—

The Cheongseong members began slowly steering toward the main topic.

First batter up was Kang Musong.

“So how did you come up with starting with keyboard synth?”

Taeyoon replied—

“Starting with electric guitar would be familiar, but it might feel a bit rough, so I just added a bit of variation. Since the atmosphere was refreshing, I thought the keyboard sound would feel even crisper.”

Taeyoon’s face flushed as he spoke—

Whether from the alcohol or from the joy of chatting with music mates beyond his age, it didn’t matter anymore.

A few more questions followed.

Each time, Taeyoon answered with all his heart.

When the atmosphere was in full swing with music talk, Moon Jungbae asked casually—

“Writer Seo, you’re not against people adding their input to the song, right?”

Taeyoon answered immediately—

“Not at all. A band’s songs are something we make together. If it’s the teachers’ opinion, I’m willing to accept and improve on it as much as needed.”

He was prepared for it—arrangement changes were expected, and if the melody line felt too light, he was open to changing it.

This was part of the learning process.

And feedback from a legendary band? That was a rare experience money couldn’t buy.

Taeyoon swallowed hard, waiting for Moon Jungbae’s next words.

But then—

“No, it’s not that. I was thinking we should add a member.”

“A member? What kind…?”

“Ahem. Don’t know if Writer Seo’s aware, but when a band has a DJ, the songs can get richer. So I was thinking…”

An unexpected word slipped from Moon Jungbae’s lips.

What? DJ? DJ??

He didn’t even hear the rest.

The word DJ just fluttered and bounced around in his head.

Taeyoon jumped to his feet and shouted—

“DJ! I really love DJs! Oh my gosh, why didn’t I think of that? If we put DJing into the drum fills… wow. I just got goosebumps. Long live Cheongseong!”

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