Chapter 126
“You’re saying they’re not someone you know well…”
“I mean, literally speaking, they’re not someone I know well.”
Myeongjeon mentally put up a question mark at that. If Junhong didn’t know the person well, why was he bringing this up? This guy occasionally said utterly absurd things, too, he thought, as Junhong continued.
“Still, we’re not complete strangers. We’re acquainted enough that I can sound them out about an appearance.”
“…Do we really need to go that far?”
“It would be worth it.”
Junhong said that and handed him a business card. Myeongjeon accepted it and thought that it really would be worth it. Even Myeongjeon, who had few connections or acquaintances outside the music world, had heard of the person whose name was on the card.
“If it’s Producer Jung Taeyoung… you mean that person, right? The one who made some famous programs at a broadcasting station before.”
“Yes. I hear he’s doing YouTube these days. We’re not exactly close, but I’ve met him a few times.”
Jung Taeyoung. He had produced several programs famous enough that even Myeongjeon had seen them, and had now moved into the YouTube ecosystem to produce YouTube programs. He was known for comfortable rather than provocative content, and lately he had been making interview-style content… He was exactly the sort of person Myeongjeon, who was looking for that kind of content, needed.
“But I don’t think I could appear on his show based solely on an introduction from you. Besides, I’m not exactly a hot topic myself.”
“Realistically, that’s true.”
Junhong said that as he looked at ‘Suyeon.’ A pretty face and incredible skill. Talent that would clearly make her a superstar of the Korean rock scene. A child who was an uncut gem, recognized not only by Junhong himself but also by Kim Cheolyeon of Taylored, Professor Chae Hogeun, a veteran musician, and countless others.
If talent like that had appeared in the idol industry or the mainstream music industry, what would have happened? There would have been an immediate uproar, with people making a fuss about some genius girl and demanding that someone find her and bring her in. Even if it hadn’t gone that far, things might have turned out similarly if she had simply sung while playing acoustic guitar and made easy-listening music.
But Suyeon hadn’t done that. Even with a road of glory laid out before her, she had insisted on orthodox blues, blues rock, and a high school girl band, continuing to walk that path. She was nothing less than a blessing to the Korean rock scene… but for her personally, it could only be a disadvantage.
‘If she’d debuted as a singer right away, she might have appeared on Producer Jung Taeyoung’s YouTube channel…’
It might have been different, since she lacked a certain gravitas. Junhong thought that as he listened to ‘Suyeon.’
“Well, if you’re offering to introduce me, I’d be grateful to accept…”
“Is that so? Then I’ll give him a call.”
Junhong stared at the business card for a moment, entered the phone number again, gritted his teeth, and pressed the call button. He had only seen this man once at a drinks gathering after appearing on television a few times (as a music-related extra, more or less). Would the man even remember him?
But Junhong couldn’t bring himself to ignore ‘Suyeon’s’ bright, sparkling eyes. Just look at those eyes, believing that he really could speak to Producer Jung Taeyoung and get her onto his program. Who could look into eyes like that and say, “Actually, I was just saying it”? Even knowing that his proposal might be rejected and that the call itself might be refused, he had no choice but to make it. It was his fate.
“Brrr-ring—” went the ringing tone. One minute passed like an eternity. Strangely grateful that the man wasn’t answering, Junhong was just about to say, “Oh, he’s not picking up—” when a voice suddenly came through.
“Ah, ah, ah! H-hello, Producer! Do you remember me? I’m Im Junhong, the guitarist who appeared on Oh My House back then. We also met at a drinks gathering about a year ago. Do you remember?”
“Ah, um… hello. Um… A-ah, ah! Yes, of course I remember.”
He remembered? Junhong screamed internally for the second time. How could he remember that? It looked like Junhong was going to have to make a solicitation call after all.
“Uh, um… The reason I’m calling is, well… About that YouTube channel you run… No, more importantly. Have you seen the videos that have been blowing up lately? [The Dae-yo High School Girl]. She’s a student I know, and people in our circles were talking about her. When I said I knew Producer Jung, she asked if she could appear on your show.” Avoiding Myeongjeon’s glare, which was blazing at his fabrication, Junhong turned his head and said, “Do you happen to know her… The Dae-yo High School Girl…”
“Oh, I know her! As a matter of fact, I was just thinking about contacting her.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
* * *
Even to Myeongjeon, the appearance booking had proceeded with absurd ease. Producer Jung Taeyoung’s explanation, after Junhong asked Myeongjeon to take the phone for a moment, could be summarized as follows:
1. It wouldn’t be on the main channel, but a secondary channel.
2. It would be content made with other people.
3. It would be music-related.
4. Her persona might be played up for buzz.
5. It wasn’t an official proposal, so keep that in mind.
After receiving the proposal, Myeongjeon headed home, leaving the bewildered Junhong behind. Nothing else was much of a problem, but…
‘Number four is a little much, isn’t it?’
What had prompted Myeongjeon to consider appearing on YouTube in the first place? To erase this damn ‘Dae-yo High School Girl’ image. To dispel the insane smear that she was a high school girl who spoke as though she had been hit somewhere and her brain had gotten a little strange, Myeongjeon had decided to appear on YouTube despite not wanting to. But the proposal he had received was the exact opposite of that.
‘They might play up my persona for buzz? They mean they’re going to play up my persona for buzz.’
It was obvious that was what would happen, and if Myeongjeon were the producer, he would certainly do the same. (Except for things Myeongjeon intensely hated,) who would kill off the character of “a pretty-girl genius guitarist who naturally uses endings like ‘~dae-yo’ rather than as a fabricated concept”?
But that was the problem: it was far too good an opportunity to turn down. Who would refuse an appearance offer from Producer Jung Taeyoung, even if it was for a secondary channel? Unless they had been shot, there was no reason to refuse—but Myeongjeon was someone who had been shot about ten times. That was why he couldn’t help agonizing over it.
* * *
“So you wanted to talk to me about this?”
“You’re the only one who has time right now.”
Seoha thought that as she watched Suyeon brazenly sip her coffee.
‘Her mother’s a businesswoman, so I thought she’d be much better at thinking about that kind of thing.’
It was an obvious assumption. Except Myeongjeon was running away from asking Hyein for advice because he was afraid she would say something like, “Of course you have to go! Why would you pass up an opportunity like that? Want me to call them for you?”
“You’ve already reached a conclusion of your own, haven’t you? You only suggested talking because it’s bothering you.”
“I guess… I don’t want to go, for now.”
“Why?”
“Because obviously I don’t want to use some stupid way of talking like ‘dae-yo.’”
Seoha thought that was a valid point. Wasn’t it something she wouldn’t do even if someone offered her ten million won? For one hundred million… she might.
“Then just do what you decided. Why are you agonizing over it?”
“Who knows…”
Suyeon took another sip of her coffee. Seoha thought she understood why. It was simply too good an opportunity to let pass. All it would take was for Suyeon to feel a little embarrassed. Wasn’t she kicking away opportunities left and right just because she hated that?
If Seoha herself had been in that situation, she would have simply turned it down without saying anything to her friends. Promotion or whatever, she didn’t need to do something she didn’t want to do.
But Suyeon clearly seemed to have a sense of responsibility befitting a leader. It was something she could simply refuse, but the fact that she was taking it on instead of turning it down outright was no different from accepting it. She was only acting this way because she wanted to deny that. If so, there was only one thing Seoha had to do.
Give her a push.
“I’ll make the decision for you.”
“What decision?”
“Just do it.”
Suyeon shot back a sharp look. But Seoha continued calmly.
“Iseo’s promoting Group Sound by cosplaying and playing bass, isn’t she? You just have to go on there and say ‘dae-yo,’ basically, so what’s so hard about it?”
“It’s different when you actually experience it.”
“It’ll be different, sure. But the embarrassment will last a moment, while the promotional effect our band gains will continue.”
Suyeon seemed to ponder that for a moment. Seoha continued.
“Someone said that, didn’t they? That people remember the moment. It’s true. After a few years, people might not even remember that you were the person who once had some weird title like ‘Dae-yo High School Girl.’ They’ll just think, ‘Oh, there’s a pretty-girl genius guitarist~’ You can’t worry too much about things like that.”
“Is that so…”
Suyeon’s mind seemed to be gradually leaning toward participating. Looking at her, Seoha calmly thought that even after a thousand years, a title like ‘Dae-yo High School Girl’ would never disappear.