This year, at the age of 19 and in his senior year of high school, Ethan Jones was the guitarist for his school band, Breakers. Their band, which primarily covered songs by the band X and had been formed for only a year, had not yet been officially recognized as a band within their school.
Knowing that dedicated practice was their only path to improvement, they met in the practice room in Seongsu-dong more than three times a week to rehearse diligently.
Today, as Ethan arrived at the practice room and connected his guitar to the amplifier, he noticed a severe howling noise and unplugged the jack to inspect it.
"Ah, the jack's acting up again. It's the only one we have."
Jinwook, who was connecting his bass guitar, suggested, "Why don't you borrow one from Mr. Intae?"
"But I still haven't returned the one I borrowed last time. I feel bad."
"Mr. Intae isn't the type to mind such things. He's always bragging about discovering Kay and always treats student bands like ours well, thinking there might be a second Kay among us."
"Kay? That's obviously a lie."
"Maybe not. A friend of mine goes to Gwangnam High School and said that Kay actually did come here once."
"That's probably an exaggeration. To say that he nurtured Kay, of all people? A Juilliard-going guitar genius practicing here? It's laughable, man."
"Ha, but it's true that he was here. So maybe what Mr. Intae said isn't entirely made up. And man, you're in no position to argue. Go bow down and borrow it. If we can't practice because of a jack, you're dead."
"Alright, fine."
As Ethan opened the door to the practice room, he saw Mr. Intae sitting on a sofa, smoking a cigarette, and repairing the neck of a guitar.
"Uh... Mr. Intae, heh. Could I possibly borrow a jack? Mine just broke."
After glancing at Ethan, Mr. Intae took a drag from his cigarette, stubbed it out in the ashtray, stood up, and pulled out a neatly rolled-up jack from a desk drawer, handing it over.
"Here, use this. Just make sure to return it when you're done. You didn't last time. Make sure you do today."
Ethan scratched his head and bowed slightly.
"Uh, you remembered. Sorry, I'll definitely buy you a new one. I just haven't had a reason to go to Nakwon Arcade recently."
"Alright, off you go."
As Ethan was backing out of the room, the door to the practice room counter opened, and a tall man walked in. He smiled broadly at Mr. Intae as soon as he saw him.
"Mr. Intae!"
Mr. Intae squinted at the man's face.
"Who might you be..."
The man took off his sunglasses and grinned.
"Mr. Intae! I've come to repay my debt!"
Startled by the man's appearance, Ethan stumbled and fell backward. Mr. Intae sprang up and hugged the man, exclaiming.
"You rascal! Gun! You're here!"
"Ha, I've come to treat you to the meat I owe you."
"Is that so? Ha, let's feast then. But it's rather thoughtless of you, disappearing without a word for years."
"Ah, come on, you know I was in the military."
"Right, right. Ha! Ethan, I told you I wasn't lying!"
Mr. Intae said this to Ethan, who had fallen to the floor, eyes wide and trembling.
"Could it be... Kay? The real Kay?"
Gun smiled broadly and took off his hat, revealing his hair that had grown considerably while he was in Nepal. He then smiled and said,
"Hello? I'm Kay."
The door to the practice room burst open, and three kids poured out. They had been looking out the window of the practice room and ran out in surprise when they saw Gun appear.
"Does this mean Mr. Intae really discovered you?"
Gun glanced at Mr. Intae, who seemed embarrassed by his boasting. Gun put his hand on his hip and said,
"Of course. If it weren't for Mr. Intae here, I might not have started music at all. I owe my current self to him."
Mr. In-tae proudly accepted the acknowledgment, and Ethan and Jinwook gaped at him in awe. Mr. In-tae then told them,
"See, guys. Did I ever lie? You guys go have dinner. I'm closing up since there are no reservations today. Let's go, Gun."
As Mr. Intae and Gun left arm in arm, the kids left behind stared after them, dumbfounded.
"Can you believe it... Kay actually practiced in this run-down basement practice room?"
"Yeah... Mr. Intae's stories were actually true."
After a moment of shock, Ethan turned to Jinwook and said, "Hey, who says we can't make it to Juilliard if we practice here? Kay did it! Let's practice!"
"Yeah! I'll definitely take the Juilliard audition! Ahhh!"
With renewed enthusiasm, the kids rushed back into the practice room to continue their rehearsal.
*
Back in high school, it was pork belly that Intae had treated them to, but today, Gun took Intae to a nearby high-end Korean beef restaurant. Even from the outside, the luxurious interior of the restaurant was intimidating to Intae.
"Hey... Gun, why bother with such an expensive place when we could just eat pork belly?"
Gun laughed and linked arms with Intae, "They have private rooms here. I looked it up in advance. It's so we can talk comfortably without being recognized. Let's go inside, hyung."
Intae, convinced by Gun's reasoning, entered the restaurant. The restaurant had a hall capable of accommodating 50 people and 8 separate private rooms.
After being seated in one of the rooms and ordering the highest quality ribeye, Gun locked the sliding door, took off his hat and sunglasses, and began grilling the meat.
"You've become a real man after serving in the military. Not the timid kid you used to be," Intae observed with a smile.
"I was never timid," Gun replied with a grin, offering Intae a perfectly grilled piece of ribeye.
After tasting the meat, Intae exclaimed, "Ah, beef truly is the king of meats. Welcome, oh king, to my humble stomach!"
Laughing, Gun put his hat and sunglasses back on and called out for more ribeye. After securing the door again, he asked, "How's the studio doing these days?"
Intae, without pausing his meat consumption, replied, "Well, it's been tough for about a year, but thanks to you, we've seen an increase in kids wanting to learn guitar. It's a bit better now."
"That's good to hear. How about Yong-tae hyung and Eunpyo hyung?"
"They're doing the same old. Lately, they've been outsourcing sound for game companies."
"Game companies? Like, game music?"
"Yeah, though they used to make a decent amount working on soundtracks for big PC RPGs, the rise of mobile games means they're spending less on development. So even outsourcing doesn't pay much anymore. Plus, Yong-tae's niece keeps pestering him to let her practice singing. He's struggling to find time for his own work because of her constant nagging."
"I see. I should visit Yong-tae hyung sometime."
"Want me to call him?"
"Yeah, hyung."
"Alright, just a sec."
Intae continued to eat as he dialed the phone.
"Hey, Yong-tae? Where are you?"
"At the studio? How long will you be there? Why stay up all night? We're too old for all-nighters."
"Alright, can't help it. Have you eaten? Ramen? Sigh. I'll stop by the studio later. Just dropping in. See you then."
After hanging up, Gun looked puzzled.
"Why didn't you mention me, hyung?"
Intae grinned, "It's a surprise. Let's hurry up and eat."
They finished their meal and caught a taxi to Cheongdam-dong, heading to "Studio Experience." As they arrived, they found the studio's door unlocked, presumably left open for them. They made their way up to the second-floor studio.
As they ascended the stairs, faint music could be heard. A youthful female voice sang over the music track, making Intae pause and wonder,
"Is that his niece again?"
Opening the door, they saw Yong-tae with his arms crossed, looking at a PC screen, and Eunpyo was momentarily absent.
A high school girl was singing passionately in the recording booth.
As Gun glanced at the girl, Eunpyo re-entered the studio, fixing his pants. Their eyes met, and Eunpyo shouted in surprise,
"Gun? Mr. Gun?"
Eunpyo's outburst startled Yong-tae, who then noticed Gun and stood up excitedly.
"Gun! It's been so long!"
Laughing, Yong-tae embraced Gun, "I've been cheering for your success. Thanks for not forgetting us and coming to visit. It's an honor."
Eunpyo, phone in hand, asked, "Mr. Gun, can we take a photo together? I want to show my friends."
Yong-tae playfully scolded Eunpyo, "When we have a guest, offer them a seat first! We can take photos later. Come on, Gun, have a seat here."
Gun and Intae settled down as Eunpyo rushed to the kitchen to make coffee. Intae, nodding towards the recording booth where the high school girl was completely absorbed in her song, asked Yong-tae, "Is that the niece you mentioned?"
Yong-tae sighed deeply before answering, "Yeah, that's her. She wants to be a singer but goes about it all wrong. Instead of auditioning to be a trainee or taking vocal lessons, she's here practicing. My sister-in-law opposes her pursuing music, so she can't attend any music schools. She sneaks here to practice and then leaves."
As Gun observed the girl singing inside the studio, he lowered his sunglasses, his eyes widening in recognition, "Jieun? Han Jieun? Is Yong-tae hyung's niece Jieun?"
The surprise visit turned into an unexpected reunion, sparking conversations filled with nostalgia and updates on everyone's lives since they last met. The atmosphere was warm, and the joy of reconnection palpable. Gun's return not only brought back memories but also reignited a sense of community and support among old friends, reminding them of their shared history and the journeys they had embarked on since.
"Who wears sunglasses indoors, thinking they won't be recognized? Take them off, it's just my nephew inside, it's fine."
Upon Yongtae's words, Geon took off his sunglasses and hat, taking a sip of the coffee Eunpyo had brought him. Yongtae looked at Geon drinking his coffee with a pleased expression and said,
"Wow, it's funny how people connect. What if In-tae hadn't introduced you to me back then? You would have become a star anyway because of your talent, but it's almost like that connection got you started in music, right? You were in humanities before that, weren't you?"
"Yeah, hyung. Before that, I was just a student who liked to sing. I didn't even know how to play the guitar, haha."
"Right, you hadn't even properly touched a guitar before you got into Juilliard's guitar department. It's quite a miraculous connection. Are you still in touch with Producer Young-seok?"
"Of course, he moved to another broadcaster and is now a CP."
"Oh, really? I knew he moved, but to become a CP, that's great. He was a capable PD, so I thought he'd be successful."
"Yeah, the song about the Himalayas was for Producer Young-seok's program, wasn't it?"
"Ah, right. I was going to ask about that. That documentary felt so real, you could even act in it."
"That wasn't acting. It was made with footage of journalists working and ambulance dashcam videos. I only made the music."
"Really? That was all real?"
"Yeah, hyung. I was so exhausted, I asked for a favor before I passed out and fell asleep, and they just filmed that."
Yongtae, In-tae, and Eun-pyo were at a loss for words, realizing that the video was all about Geon's experiences, not knowing what to say because of the unimaginable sadness.
Seeing their expressions, Geon smiled and said,
"It's okay now, you don't have to look at me like that."
Yongtae tried to lighten the slightly awkward atmosphere by clearing his throat and saying,
"Well, I'm glad you're okay. Ah, look at me. My niece is a huge fan of yours, say hello to her."
Yongtae turned off the background music playing inside the studio and spoke into the microphone,
"Ji-yi, we have a guest, could you come out to greet them?"
Ji-yi took off her headphones, looking annoyed as she opened the studio door abruptly,
"Ah, I only have an hour left, uncle! Who did you call me out for... Oh!"
Ji-yi's eyes caught the sight of a stunningly beautiful young man sitting comfortably on the sofa.
A young man with slightly long hair covering his forehead, sharp yet gentle eyes, looking at her with a smile. Ji-yi, trembling, raised her hand and said,
"K...Kay?"
Yongtae, seeing Ji-yi's reaction, chuckled.
"See, you didn't believe me when I said I knew him well, now you owe him an apology?"
Ji-yi, seemingly not hearing Yongtae's words, just stared at Geon with her mouth agape. Yongtae shook his head at Ji-yi's reaction and told Geon,
"Give her an autograph before you leave."
Geon smiled and said,
"Okay, hyung."
Geon looked at Ji-yi, who was still staring at him in disbelief, thinking,
"Doesn't recognize me? Haha, this is turning out to be fun."
After a small laugh, Geon asked Yongtae,
"Hyung, you were working on game music, right?"
"Yeah, just a freelance job. An airplane shooting game."
"Did you make the music?"
"Yeah, I did, but it got rejected once. They only paid three hundred thousand won for the freelance work but expected such high quality. If they wanted that level of quality, they should've paid more. But these days, it's hard to make ends meet, so I just accepted it."
"Can I take a look?"
"Sure, you want to?"
Geon pulled up a chair next to Yongtae, and Yongtae showed him the PC screen,
"You've done hip-hop, so you know how to use CUBASE, right? This was made with that program, you should be able to recognize it. Take a look. I'll go out for a smoke with In-tae."
"Okay, hyung."
As In-tae and Yongtae stepped out, Eunpyo, seizing the opportunity, pointed his phone camera at Geon,
"Mr. Geon, please look here, just one picture!"
Geon, smiling, posed for a few pictures with Eunpyo, who then leaned in for a selfie with a familiar ease and snapped several photos, displaying a satisfied smile.
"Hehehe, can I post this on social media? My friends won't believe me when I tell them I met Mr. Geon."
"Sure, go ahead. Haha."
Ji-yi, observing Eunpyo and Geon, approached cautiously and said,
"Um... oppa, I'm also a fan, could I take a picture with you?"
Geon smiled warmly and responded,
"Sure, why not?"
As Geon naturally used informal language, Ji-yi took it as a sign of friendliness and smiled broadly, snapping several photos with her phone.
After taking the photos, Geon turned his attention back to the PC screen. Ji-yi, sitting on the sofa and looking at the photos she had taken with Geon, sent them to her friends' group chat. Soon, her phone started buzzing like crazy.
Jin-kyung: OMG!!!!!! It's Kay!
Mi-young: What, what! Ji-yi, are you with Kay right now? Where did you meet him? Are you in Nepal?
Moon-sun: OMG... This is huge!
Sang-mi: Did Kay come to Korea? I see 'Emergency Exit' written in Korean in the background?
Yeon-ju: Wow, he's so handsome. I'm so jealous. Could you get his autograph for me, my love Ji-yi~?
Ji-yi began replying with the speed characteristic of a high school girl.
Ji-yi: I'm with Kay right now. He's so handsome. Like, seriously handsome. Mega handsome. It's crazy.
Moon-sun: What? Where are you?
Ji-yi: Cheongdam-dong
Yeon-ju: ?? Cheongdam-dong?
Sang-mi: Are you talking about your uncle's studio? So, your uncle really knows Kay, then?
Ji-yi's smile grew wider as she noticed her friends' explosive interest.
Ji-yi: I'm sitting right next to Kay, in a two-square-meter space.
Yeon-ju: What???? What????
Sang-mi: Hey, quickly call a group video chat. Hurry up, girl!
Moon-sun: I want to see too... so jealous...
Ji-yi: I'm busy enjoying my date with Kay right now. I'll talk to you guys later tonight. Bye!
Mi-young: Hey!!! Ji-yi!! Girl!!!
Ji-yi switched her phone to silent mode and tucked it away in her pocket, her attention returning to Geon, who was focused on the PC screen.
'Wow, he really is handsome. I wish he was my brother... Kay is known for really caring about his sister, wouldn't it be great if I were Kay's sister?'
Regardless of Ji-yi's thoughts, Geon was deeply engrossed in adjusting the musical notes on the PC screen, leaning back in the computer chair and pondering,
'For a flight shooting game, the basic sounds that come with shooting actions could interfere with the BGM. Removing the beat and focusing on the sound recording might be better.'
Geon proceeded to remove the basic beat that indicated rhythm in the CUBASE program.
'To maintain excitement, the score should not just provoke tension but also have weight. It seems they wanted to give it a majestic feel, but that doesn't suit the casual nature of the game.'
Geon looked at the game graphics running as an APK file on one side of the PC screen. The mechanics were well-represented in the graphics, but the game focused more on dodging an onslaught of missiles rather than shooting at targets, making it closer to a bullet hell game. Geon began modifying the notes accordingly.
Ji-yi, watching Geon become instantly absorbed in his work, thought,
'So this is what a genius looks like. Look at him concentrate. They say men look their best when they're focused, and it's true. Wow, he's so cool.'
In-tae and Yongtae returned from smoking, having had a chat, and Yongtae saw Geon working on the PC alone while Eunpyo was engrossed in his phone, chuckling at Eunpyo before landing a playful hit on his head.
"This guy. You should pay more attention here, he's our breadwinner. Look how diligently he's working."
Eunpyo, holding his head in pain, protested,
"Ow! Stop hitting my head, hyung!"
Geon, having finished his focus, let out a sigh. Yongtae, noticing Geon's work on the PC screen, was intrigued and said,
"Hyung, I made some adjustments to the music you had. I saved your original separately. Since it's a shooting game, I thought the beat might be distracting, so I removed it and went for a more urgent feel instead.