Episode 10
[Notice for the April End-of-Month Evaluation.]
'So the third-years will have three teams total.'
I looked at the notice as I closed the staffroom door.
It wrote "monthly evaluation," but read as "preliminary round for the concert."
There were no special announcements.
There weren't enough students to use the entire field anyway.
They were scheduled to perform at Sewoon Hall, the auditorium of Sewoon Arts High School.
"If we get past this, it's the concert."
"Seonji, this is your first preliminary round too, right?"
As I was heading back to class, Seonji had come out to the stairs to meet me.
"Yeah, it's only been a short while since I started performing in front of people in the first place."
"…I guess so."
Unlike in her previous life, she was standing on stage through her performance.
I couldn't help but wonder if these changes would affect the future.
"Since it's being held as a performance this time… how about trying a song like this?"
"We need two songs total for the preliminaries, right?"
"Yeah. I'm torn because there's too much I want to do."
Even though there was still plenty of time, Seonji was already sifting through her playlist.
'Well, it probably won't cause any negative impact, so it should be fine.'
When I thought about the future where she would play and sing her hit songs on a big stage, I rather looked forward to it.
"Aren't you going to do an original song this time?"
"I don't have a song prepared separately…."
"Is that so?"
Since the topic of song selection had just come up, it made me worry.
There was one song that would fit perfectly after the songs Seonji was trying to choose, but….
'It's still unfinished.'
An original song I had been working on bit by bit, after studying composition to some extent.
If I finished it, I might be able to show it at the preliminaries.
Finishing my thought, I spoke to Seonji.
"Then just pick one for now."
"Why? Do you have a song decided in advance? I want to hear it too."
"I do, but you can't hear it yet."
A gaze asking what that meant. I laughed, slightly embarrassed.
"It's my original song. I want to use it at the preliminaries once it's finished."
It was the first time I had poured out something that wasn't lyrics like this, but it couldn't be helped.
I needed the inspiration to come to me properly.
"Okay. If it's for that reason, I can narrow it down to one song, but…"
Seonji continued after a brief moment of thought.
"When it's finished, let me hear it first."
"Of course. We're going to play it together."
"R-right. I'm going to do the accompaniment, so I need to hear it as quickly as possible."
Truthfully, I had no intention of showing it to the other students either.
It was meant to be delivered through the stage, through the performance.
'But something feels a little lacking.'
It was a thought about the song I was composing.
Compared to Rebound, which Seonji had completed, it didn't have that ear-catching punch.
"If composing isn't going well, feel free to ask anytime."
"Um, what do you usually do when you're stuck?"
"Me? I…"
Seonji stared at me again.
"Jahun, do you have time this evening?"
"Evening?"
"Yeah, let's go to the place I go to whenever I'm stuck."
Seonji added that it would be fun.
* * *
After school, we headed somewhere other than the practice room.
'It was here?'
[Sewoon Records]
A place that sold various albums and records.
It was a record store near the school.
"Welcome. It's your first time at a record store, right?"
"Uh… f-fascinating."
Seonji smiled brightly, calling it her secret hideout.
I looked around the building with mixed feelings. Because it was actually a familiar space to me.
'Even now, one of the lights here was broken.'
To the point where I remembered every single detail of the interior.
Of course, since it truly was my first time here at this point in time, I had to pretend to be out of place.
'Come to think of it, I followed Seonji here the first time too. I didn't know it was the place she came to when songs weren't working out.'
Of course, after that, I became an even more regular customer than her.
"How long are you going to stand there blankly?"
-Grab.
Perhaps thinking I was hesitating at the unfamiliar scenery, Seonji grabbed me and pulled.
-Jingle.
When I opened the door and entered, a familiar face welcomed me.
"Seonji! Long time no see! Who's that beside you, a friend?"
The man put on a playful expression.
Of course, from his perspective, he hadn't forgotten that I was a student he was seeing for the first time.
"Hello."
…I kept my greeting as awkward as possible.
'It's another first—not being able to express how glad I am to see him.'
The owner's gentle appearance played a part too.
When he smiles like that, it's hard not to smile along.
"Great, we have lots of good albums. Seonji, give him a good tour. So he can become a regular."
"Yes!"
'You don't need to be so fired up about it.'
Like someone who had received an order, Seonji began the tour of the record store interior.
I followed her footsteps and looked around.
'…It's nice to see this after so long.'
It wasn't just the owner with his gentle demeanor that stirred up nostalgia.
The music that had kept me from abandoning my passion for rap.
They were stacked in layers, welcoming me. Truly a welcome sight.
"This is where you can listen to music."
It was a corner with headsets set up where you could try albums.
"Let's listen together. It'll probably be a rap beat… something like this?"
After much deliberation, Seonji picked up an album and placed the headset over my ears.
-!
The surrounding noise was blocked out, and the traces of musicians who had struggled for this album came through my ears.
Perhaps because she had paid attention in class today, it was music with jazz sampling.
"How is it?"
"…It's good."
Of course, it wasn't music that hooked me instantly.
'The problem wasn't with the progression to begin with. And it wasn't jazz sampling either.'
Instead, being able to listen to so many albums like this.
I was feeling the charm of this record store after a long time, so it was good in itself.
"Then… how about this?"
Seonji, who had looked confident just moments ago, now looked nervous.
"Is this an album you like?"
I smirked and took the CD, inserting it into the player.
There was no need to be so nervous.
This time, the chosen album was one I knew.
No, I couldn't not know it. That album was that familiar to me.
I pressed the play button with more delight than anticipation.
I felt a strange sensation.
It was definitely a song I knew, a melody I knew, and yet….
An indescribable emotion reverberated in my chest.
'To think I'm listening to music I heard a lot during this period again, at the same time.'
Wasn't this the moment when the first impression of an album was being recreated?
A first memory that should have ended as a passing moment for an ordinary person.
I was experiencing it again.
The corners of my mouth rose.
'As expected, it's a masterpiece.'
Realizing something I hadn't known before, I stared at the album's name.
[High Note - Baycode.]
Not right now, but soon a musician who would gain fame.
'And the one who will make my first hit song in the future, Red Martini…'
The name of the producer, Baycode, was written there.
"Is the song bad?"
"No, it's good. So much that it brings back old memories."
"Old memories…?"
"…It reminds me of when I listened to rap as a kid."
"In elementary school?"
It was a shame I couldn't actually say it was today.
Because it was such a bizarre experience that I wanted to tell someone about it.
'I'll have to talk all night with Baycode again when I see him later.'
Meeting him was a matter of the somewhat distant future, but that was fine.
Because I was already being influenced by him here.
-!
I put the headset back on and listened to the next song.
It was my first musical reunion with a former colleague since the regression.
With that thought, emotions intersected and passed through my heart.
Thought became emotion, and that emotion remained as a lump until eventually…
'It came to me.'
It became music.
The melodies that had wandered through my head, the progressions that had been lacking something.
They busily found their places.
I became busy in turn. I looked around for something to write with.
"Do you need something?"
"A pen and sheet music."
Of all days, I hadn't brought anything to write with today.
My heart grew impatient. It wasn't because the inspiration would fly away into the air.
I simply wanted to pull this out into reality as soon as possible.
"That…."
The guitar hanging on the wall.
'I know how to play the guitar to some extent.'
I walked toward it as if entranced.
"Jahun?"
Seonji followed and said something, but I was already holding the guitar in my hands.
'Change the minor chord in the existing progression to diminished, and add a tension note in the middle of the melody.'
The parts I had been unsatisfied with were revised in my head.
It was the result of tailoring it to the story I wanted to tell, turning it into chords.
"Huu…."
After taking a breath, without hesitation. I swung my hand toward the guitar strings.
A scratchy strum.
Since I had only played a bit as a hobby, the hand movements weren't familiar.
But that alone was enough.
Because I could clearly hear the notes coming out exactly as I imagined.
While I was at it, I tried playing by connecting the melody too.
I didn't have the skill to do chord accompaniment and melody at the same time, but a fairly decent sound rang out.
"I think it's like this."
Having played the song in my head to the end, I raised my head in satisfaction.
Only then did I realize Seonji was looking at me with her eyes wide open.
"Is this the original song you were working on?"
The moment I wondered if the song was strange, I saw Seonji's lips trembling upward.
'That's the reaction Seonji usually shows when she hears a good song.'
Well, other people probably do the same.
'I should put it back quickly before I get scolded….'
When the performance ended, I remembered that this was a privately owned store.
Just as I quickly turned to hang the guitar back on the wall.
"Uh…."
An unexpected fact entered my vision.
The owner had already walked over and was looking at me.
"I'm sorry for using it without permission."
"…Hm."
The owner was looking at me with a stiff expression.
But it wasn't freshly stiffened…
the corners of his mouth were twitching upward without him realizing it.
* * *
'I came because I heard guitar sounds, but….'
Kim Hyeon-sik, the owner of Sewoon Records who had held his post for seven years.
He looked ahead with surprised eyes.
Park Jahun, who until just now had been pouring out his inspiration.
In his hands was the guitar that had been the medium.
It was true he had put it out for use, but it was the first time a customer had played it like this.
Moreover, a customer visiting for the first time today.
So at first, he had come to the corner wondering if he should scold him, but he heard an unbelievable story.
'This is an original song?'
That performance he had just heard was apparently made by the student himself.
"…Hm."
His thoughts deepened.
It was a distant past, but Kim Hyeon-sik had once done music activities with a band.
Unable to give up on music, he had eventually opened a record store.
'If it's about an ear for music, I'm confident….'
He was bewildered. He had listened to more music than anyone and considered himself picky.
Yet the music this student played was unbearably good.
To the point where the corners of his mouth kept rising unconsciously.
"Is this music truly written by you?"
"…Yes."
Park Jahun nodded.
'I can't exactly scold him for this.'
Rather, he felt like asking to hear more.
"Are you a composition major? Your skills are considerable…."
"It's my first song."
"What?"
"It's the first one I've made myself."
He stared at Park Jahun's face.
Though he didn't show it, he was clearly proud.
'Usually at times like this, I worry about whether I should tell them the reality or protect their dreams…'
This student was different.
Rather, he wanted to urge him on.
Why aren't you cranking out more songs already?
He wanted to spout the kind of effusive praise you see online, but maintaining his dignity, Kim Hyeon-sik continued.
"You made it well."
At those words, Park Jahun, who had appeared calm, slightly raised the corners of his mouth.
"Thank you."
"Do you plan to keep making songs in the future?"
"I think so, probably."
It wasn't a vague plan.
Answering, Park Jahun thought.
'Because there are too many melodies I haven't captured yet.'
Just capturing them in order, he felt like he'd fill up an entire corner of this place.
Regressor on the Beat