The Double Life of a Genius Musician

Chapter 67: Another Beginning

The day the identity of was revealed.

The entire music community was buzzing about it.

↳ I told you!!! UTAR is Cheongseong!!!

↳ Wow, seriously, I got chills from the drum ending fill, but when they took off their masks, I completely lost it ㄷㄷㄷ

↳ My dad’s been watching YouTube for two hours straight;;;

↳ No wonder they had a different kind of aura.

↳ Is Moon Jungbae really in his 60s? His voice is insane…

↳ I hope they release another album with “Stay” on it ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

↳ That composer is amazing. How did they draw out that kind of emotion from those ajusshis?

↳ Wow, the production this time was incredible. Every instrument stood out.

↳↳ Chun Hanyeong PD is the real GOAT.

↳ Please, do more album promotions.

↳ Haa… I still can’t sleep at this hour.

↳ Moon Jungbae’s voice gives me serious chills. I thought he was at most in his 30s.

↳ Is this some kind of preferential treatment? Cheongseong is just an old band, people are overreacting ㅡㅡ

↳↳ Yeah, if you don’t know, just shut up. If you stay quiet, you might at least break even.

Even though I wasn’t the type to frequent online communities,

I kept checking for new posts and comments.

The air, the sounds, the emotions from that day—

everything was still vivid.

The moment our members removed their masks—

cheers I had never heard before in my life exploded.

On the other hand, there were also voices of disappointment.

Not disappointment that UTAR was Cheongseong…

↳ But why didn’t the DJ take off his mask??

↳↳ For real, the DJ is the one I’m most curious about.

↳ I seriously have no idea who it is.

↳ There’s a rumor it’s Blackhole.

↳↳ What the hell;;

↳↳↳ There is a DJ in Ilsan Club.

↳ How could Blackhole or whatever compare to Seo Rabbit? That makes no sense…

↳ Maybe they didn’t reveal him because he’s a guest member.

↳ Guest? Then he won’t appear anymore?

↳ Probably?

I didn’t take off my mask.

That meant Seo Rabbit’s identity still hadn’t been revealed.

There was no other reason.

For one, I wasn’t part of Cheongseong.

And I wasn’t mentally prepared to show my face on TV yet.

Besides, someday,

if the day came when I truly worked as a musician,

I wanted to be not UTAR’s guest DJ Seo Rabbit, but wholly Seo Taeyoon himself.

“Heee…”

“Our youngest’s drool is about to hit the floor.”

On the day the last broadcast ended,

we had a huge team dinner.

The menu was Korean beef from Hanwoo heifers.

The members always chose meat for team dinners for my sake.

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t eat raw fish.

It felt like eating a live fish while it was still wriggling.

“Cheers!”

CEO Kim Minsoo had given us a black card with no limit.

You had to enjoy a day like this.

The six of us devoured a whopping 30 servings.

“Dessert has to be Coke.”

I was sitting in the backstage area, now more comfortable than my own home, sipping on Coke.

Ahh. Coke after eating meat.

That’s the real deal.

Psshh—

I was about to crack open my second can when Moon Jungbae-sunsaengnim sat down next to me.

“Drink too much Coke and your teeth will rot.”

“That’s why I’m using a straw.”

Another reason I loved the backstage studio—

unlimited Coke refills.

Not the fake kind from a dispenser, but real Coke in cans!

Just being here put me in a good mood.

Today’s BGM was perfect too.

“Epic” by Faith No More.

One of my all-time favorite songs.

The heavy, rhythmic bass line drove the track, while the groovy riff made my head nod on its own.

“Oh. Taeyoon, you know this song too?”

“Of course. A bassist who doesn’t know this song is basically a spy.”

“How is Taeyoon a bassist? He’s a DJ.”

“Nope. I actually like bass more.”

Back-and-forth banter.

Before I could even respond, Bang Gicheol-sunsaengnim and Kang Musong-sunsaengnim continued talking.

I just sat quietly, listening.

“This or that, I’d still like to hear our youngest play sometime.”

Suddenly, all eyes turned toward me.

Then Bang Gicheol-sunsaengnim called out to me.

“Hey, hey, Taeyoon.”

“Yes?”

“You have to answer honestly.”

I nodded.

When had I ever not been honest?

What could he be asking with such a serious face?

I blinked, waiting for the question.

“You. Do you like DJing more, or bass more?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Oh my god.

What a tough question!

It was like asking Jjajangmyeon vs. Jjamppong, Doenjang-jjigae vs. Kimchi-jjigae, Dakgalbi vs. Jjimdak… or the ultimate—Mom vs. Dad.

It was a question as impossible to choose from as that.

The attack came so suddenly, I didn’t even have time to think.

Without realizing it, I blurted out,

“DJing…”

“Argh!”

Bassist Bang Gicheol-sunsaengnim clutched his head and let out a wail.

Come on, you have to listen until the end in Korean.

“…rather than that, bass.”

“Oh! Right? Right, right?!”

Bang Gicheol-sunsaengnim slapped my thigh repeatedly in excitement.

I didn’t know if it was okay to say this to someone old enough to be my father, but…

He was really cute in moments like this.

While giving a full lecture on the charm of bass, Bang Gicheol-sunsaengnim said,

“A very good boy deserves a prize.”

“…Hm? A prize?”

He quickly changed his expression, smirked slyly, and gave a knowing look.

And then—

“…Huhhh?”

Moon Jungbae-sunsaengnim came in carrying something big.

I knew instantly upon seeing it.

It was a bass case.

A wide, sturdy hard case. Judging by the faint logo engraved on the handle, this was no ordinary bass.

Gulp.

Why was I swallowing my saliva?

Bass was exciting just by looking at the case!

I quietly watched Moon Jungbae-sunsaengnim’s movements.

Why that all of a sudden?

“Hey, Seo Rabbit.”

The two of them exchanged suspicious glances.

Moments like this made me deeply agree with the saying, “Men are boys no matter their age.”

Our sunsaengnims were just like that.

They were so good at playing pranks that I sometimes fell for them.

And when that happened, I played along.

I learned this in the army—if someone plays a prank, pretend to be surprised!

While I was thinking about how to react today—

“Ta-da!”

Puff—!

Suddenly, the sound of fireworks went off.

The scent of gunpowder drifted by, and confetti rained down over my head.

That’s when I realized.

This wasn’t just any party.

I slowly turned around.

Ham Doyoung, No Byeongcheon, Kang Musong…

The other members were holding the remnants of party poppers, grinning.

It felt like time was moving in slow motion.

I caught some of the drifting confetti in my hand and made eye contact with each of them, one by one.

While I was still clueless, just rolling my eyes around—

“The driving force behind UTAR’s success! Seo Rabbit! Please come forward.”

The lights went out.

From one dark corner of the shop, a small light flickered.

A candlelight.

Candles placed atop a cake.

Drawn as if hypnotized, I approached the cake.

Clap clap clap—

Applause rang out.

And then—

“Our DJ Seo Rabbit, congratulations on perfectly wrapping up your time as UTAR’s guest member!”

The voices of UTAR’s members filled the shop.

For being the best band,

their pitch was all over the place, and their rhythm was a mess.

But it was more heartfelt than any song.

“Hey, Taeyoon.”

Moon Jungbae-sunsaengnim raised a hand high and called to me.

Still staring at the candles on the cake, I slowly lifted my head.

“Our youngest, Seo Rabbit. Taeyoon-ah.”

“Yes.”

“You, you little punk, you’re really…”

Moon Jungbae-sunsaengnim looked at me with moist eyes.

He didn’t need to say it. I already knew.

I could tell just by looking at my dad.

Men of that age group weren’t good at saying things like thank you or sorry. They thought it was embarrassing.

So I just nodded.

Because the sincerity in Moon Jungbae-sunsaengnim’s eyes was overwhelming.

Then, as if making up his mind, he spoke.

“If it weren’t for you, we couldn’t have started again.”

The other members gathered one by one around the cake.

Holding my hand tightly, squeezing my shoulder.

They spoke their hearts to me in calm voices.

“I really had fun.”

“How could we possibly have won first place on a music show at our age?”

“…Thank you, Taeyoon-ah.”

The mood shifted completely.

What had seemed like a simple prank of a celebration—

What had seemed like just another after-party—

Now it was finally sinking in.

I quietly gazed at the flickering candle flames atop the cake, then slowly lowered my head.

“The candles are going to burn out. You need to make a wish.”

“A wish… As for me…”

“Hey, you have to make wishes silently.”

“Who made that rule?”

“You don’t know about revealing Heaven’s secrets?”

“What does revealing Heaven’s secrets have to do with this all of a sudden? Geez, you ignorant fool.”

…Yep, our members really couldn’t stay serious.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

It had been a long time since I’d sincerely made a wish in front of candles.

The wish was simple.

Han Yujin, smiling brightly and dominating the stage.

Lyricist Oh Jisoo, who helped me find direction when I was lost in my writing.

CEO Kim Minsoo, who supported me in every possible way.

My hyung, Seo Dongyun.

And so on.

‘Please let everyone I know be happy.’

Whoo—

I took a deep breath and blew, and the candles went out in one breath, the smoke curling softly into the air.

While I was lost in the sight of the drifting smoke, Moon Jungbae-sunsaengnim clapped his hands sharply to grab everyone’s attention.

“Alright, now we have the final gift presentation of the day. Seo Rabbit, please come forward.”

“Yes. What’s the gift?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. That thing over there.”

“Huh?”

Uh…?

Everyone’s gaze turned toward the bass.

Wait, what is this.

Don’t tell me… is this really…?

When I saw the hard case on the table, my heart suddenly began to pound.

“What… is this?”

“What do you think?”

“A ba…ss? Is this really for me?”

“Who else would we give it to? It should go to the one who loves bass the most here.”

Bang Gicheol-sunsaengnim grinned widely and patted my shoulder hard.

“But this is…”

I was curious—really curious—about what was inside.

Maybe it was because I wasn’t used to receiving gifts.

Or maybe it was because the sincerity inside this case was too overwhelming.

I couldn’t bring myself to open it easily.

Seeing me like that, Bang Gicheol-sunsaengnim chuckled.

“Alright, let me ask again. This time without correcting yourself—DJing or…”

“Of course bass!”

“Whoa, you scared me. Go on, open it.”

It was a gift I simply couldn’t refuse.

I gazed quietly at the shiny case on the table, then slowly reached out my hand.

Click.

“…Wow.”

When I opened the case—

A vintage bass in a deep old sunburst color revealed itself.

A small scratch left on the bridge.

Traces of years flowing along the body.

But even that was perfect.

This was no ordinary bass.

“This… could it be…”

“That’s right.”

Bang Gicheol-sunsaengnim smiled.

“The one I used during Cheongseong’s second album. I personally refurbished it.”

My mouth fell open.

A Fender Jazz Bass.

The most widely used bass in the Korean band scene of the ’90s.

An all-rounder capable of everything from smooth low tones to funky slap bass.

For a vintage model in this kind of condition, the collector’s value went without saying.

Not to mention—it was a bass Cheongseong themselves had played.

“How could I possibly…”

That’s what I said, but my body was honest.

There was no way I could resist touching it.

“Can I… really touch this?”

“It’s a gift, I said.”

I couldn’t say anything and just hugged the bass tightly.

This was mine? Really?

“I’m not taking it back.”

“Gasp…”

“…Seriously. We’re not the kind of petty people who give something and then take it away.”

This was killing me.

I wanted to play it right now.

I wanted to caress it right now.

I wanted to brag to my hyung right now.

I was going to play it every day.

I was going to fall asleep holding it every night.

“I think something urgent just came up. I need to go home.”

Maybe they noticed how I felt.

The Cheongseong members chuckled and said—

“Hey, why go all the way home?”

“Yeah. We’ve got such a great space right here.”

“Alright then, let’s see our youngest’s skills.”

Moon Jungbae-sunsaengnim set up a stand mic.

Drums, keyboard, guitar… all found their places.

Bang Gicheol-sunsaengnim, whose bass part I had suddenly stolen, switched on the amp.

“Bassist Seo Taeyoon, ready?”

Guitar and drums charged forward in the lead.

Cheongseong’s debut song and a festival favorite—.

I too took my position and gripped the bass.

Just for today, not as Seo Rabbit but as Seo Taeyoon—

I decided to play the bass.

Now I could finally understand.

– At the end of the fading darkness, the sound that dawn calls…

The end of this UTAR activity was not the end, but another beginning.