Chapter 124 : I Want to Hear More!
Chapter 124: I Want to Hear More!
“It’s weird. Why does it feel like we’re here for a class assignment check instead of hanging out?”
This punk, he’s sharp.
I quietly watched Junhyun, who was fiddling with the remote control in deep thought.
I’d never actually heard him sing properly before.
Not at orientation, not at the MT.
Even when we watched the guest singer at the school festival—
He just clapped and said it was good, never once sang along sincerely.
Now that I think about it, that’s odd.
I’m one of those people who believes that the Korean DNA has ‘excitement’ engraved in it.
No one needs to tell us to do it—
When you’re happy or in a good mood, humming a tune or two is just the national rule, isn’t it?
But Junhyun didn’t have that.
“I’ve never really sung before. I don’t even go to karaoke that often. And I’m not good at singing.”
“That’s the same for me.”
“Come on, Composer Stay! I’ve watched all your videos, what are you talking about?”
I gazed at Junhyun again.
Thanks to this guy, I managed to stay in school instead of dropping out.
In today’s slang, I’d say he was like sunshine itself.
Always bright. Always smiling.
Even now.
It’s not like we were talking about something funny, but still—
He kept smiling, as if something terrible would happen if he didn’t.
I suddenly grew curious about him.
Because… his smile felt like an act.
“...Why are you staring at me so creepily?”
When you sit in a karaoke room,
you can hear other people’s singing quite clearly.
At that moment, a wistful ballad was playing from the room next door.
And suddenly—
I remembered what Hyung told me last time.
— Look for what they’re trying not to show you!
Looking at it now… I wasn’t doing that myself.
What is it that he’s trying not to show?
I don’t know what it is, but it’s definitely there.
Maybe that’s why he covers it up with laughter.
I thought we were pretty close.
But all I really knew was the surface—
that he was smart, always top of his class, worked part-time at school, and had a few other jobs.
That’s it.
“Hey, Baek Junhyun.”
“Huh?”
“I’m Stay. I write songs. Sold a few, too.”
“...All of a sudden?”
“Yeah. My favorite food is tonkatsu.”
“Even a passing dog would know that.”
“My favorite song is <Sir Duke>. It’s by Stevie Wonder.”
“Oh! Stevie Wonder!”
“You know him?”
“I might be ignorant, but even I know Stevie Wonder. Why the sudden self-introduction though?”
Why?
Because now it’s your turn.
Not sure if he was pretending not to understand or if he really didn’t,
Junhyun just pouted and kept fiddling with the remote.
No good.
Guess I’d have to prime the pump myself.
“If you’re not gonna sing, then I will.”
“Oh, what an honor! To witness Composer Stay singing live!”
I snatched the remote right out of his hand.
Click-click—
I pressed the number firmly.
“The sensational choice by Composer Stay is... huh? What’s this?”
<War, War>
Song: Cool Down
Yeah, I get why that’s strange.
But what could I do?
I’d been working on this song lately, so my hands just moved on their own.
I sang with full confidence.
“Cool, cool, cool, cold on the outside, hell inside. Every day’s a war, even if I collapse, I’ll fight again.”
Ha… Gibong-hyung.
What were you even thinking when you wrote lyrics like this back then?
My face burned in embarrassment for some reason.
Still, I sang it to the end.
Because it was one of my favorites.
“Woooooow—!”
This punk, loyal as always.
Judging from how he didn’t even move his lips, he probably didn’t know the song, but he still cheered.
“First time hearing it?”
“No?”
What the—
So I wasn’t the only one into failed idol songs?
I got excited and started rambling.
“Isn’t it good? The guy who made it is a super famous composer now—goes by Busan Goblin. He’s not the best singer, but man, he can write. There’s a lot to learn from him. And he treats people to food a lot too. The lyrics are kinda cheesy, right? Understandable though, he wrote it in high school. You know how we all were back then—trying to sound tough. ...You listening?”
“What the heck is that, you nerd?”
...What kind of reaction was that?
“What, I thought you said you knew it.”
“I don’t.”
“...?”
“...?”
What was he talking about?
“I’ve heard you sing it, Seo Taeyoon.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. You don’t remember? When you’re drunk, you go around like cool cool cool~ and all that. So that was this song, huh?”
“...I have no recollection of that.”
My face grew even hotter.
“You know, when I look at you, you really seem like an otaku.”
I endured with superhuman patience, holding back a proud nod.
Maybe others wouldn’t think so, but to me, that was a compliment.
Still, somehow, I didn’t want to hear it from you.
So I just—
silently handed him the remote.
“Here. Now it’s your turn.”
“I told you, I can’t sing.”
“And you think I can?”
“You were kinda good though?”
“Liar.”
“If you sing one more, then I’ll sing too.”
“Fine.”
Once again, I confidently pressed the number.
<You Said Time Wouldn’t Stop>
Song: The Kids Who Escaped From Us
Yeah, in karaoke, you have to go with a band song.
“Wow, that’s so cool.”
Huh? Oh.
At Junhyun’s impressed voice, I immediately realized.
[Composed by: STaY]
I didn’t mean to, but—
yeah, that title screen always gives me a little rush.
I tried hard to suppress the grin tugging at my lips and began to sing.
“Can I reach you if I run— That summer when we awkwardly said goodbye—”
As I sang my heart out, Junhyun made a snarky remark.
“Wow, so this is why we came to karaoke? Singing your own song— legendary.”
Whatever.
I finished the song perfectly again.
Honestly, I might actually be pretty good at this.
“Now you really have to sing.”
“Uh... now it feels like I have to sing a Stay song.”
“You don’t, though?”
Junhyun hesitated for a moment, then picked a song.
There was a spark in his eyes.
<Ancora>
Song: The Kids Who Escaped From Us
This punk.
So he does have taste.
Still, I was a little surprised.
I expected him to choose something upbeat.
Even though I made it myself, <Ancora> wasn’t exactly karaoke-friendly.
Not because it’s just difficult—
but because the beat doesn’t cradle the vocals.
What that means is, unless you’ve got a deep, solid voice like Moon Jungbae-sunsaengnim,
it’s a hard song to pull off.
Sometimes when you sing in karaoke, a song just sounds strangely empty.
If there’s no strong beat, the vocal ends up floating in midair.
Even if you sing well, it can still sound hollow to the listener— that’s why.
He probably didn’t know that.
But then—
“Ancora, drop the anchor.”
“...Oh?”
Junhyun was different.
No flashy technique, just pure and simple—
but with a firm, steady center.
He instinctively interpreted the song.
He didn’t cling to the melody.
He flowed with the beat, keeping the rhythm alive.
It wasn’t like the professional singers I’d recorded before.
Even if a bit unpolished, his tone was clean and natural.
A clear melody, no unnecessary vibrato.
And every word came through crisp and distinct.
I was reminded of the voice that once enchanted me.
— Avalanche, Deep like bass.
<Ancora> was a completely different song from <Avalanche>, which he’d sung before,
and yet Junhyun delivered it effortlessly.
There’s no way he planned this.
It felt like I’d stumbled upon an even greater treasure than expected.
To interpret a song purely and beautifully—
that’s not easy.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—
This time, I was the one applauding.
“What’s with the clapping? You mocking me?”
“No? You’re seriously good! Why are you so good? You’re better than Moon Jungbae-sunsaengnim!”
“Who’s that?”
“The Cheongseong Vocal.”
“Ah, no wonder the name sounded familiar.”
It was a voice I really liked.
So much that I thought it would’ve been great if he had sung <Ancora>.
At times like this, there was no need for extra words.
I simply said what I felt.
“You’re really good. Seriously.”
“Hahaha. But hey, Seo Taeyoon.”
“Yeah?”
“Can I be honest?”
“What about?”
“That song earlier. War, War?”
“That one? Why?”
“Can you sing it again? The song’s weird, but I like it. Maybe it’s because you sang it.”
Somehow, the roles had been reversed.
I should’ve been the one impressed— but he was the one admiring me.
“Hang on.”
Whatever, it’s not that hard.
I started singing again.
Behold— this is a true fan’s tribute to a fallen idol!
* * *
Hongdae Song Karaoke Room No. 1004.
Where Taeyoon and Baek Junhyun were singing.
As the heat in the room rose, the outside grew quieter.
Room 1003.
The couple who had been joyfully singing stopped.
They focused on the voice coming from the next room.
Hearing a song like this in a karaoke room—
What luck.
“……What is this?”
“Are they singers?”
“Maybe they’re filming? You know, like those YouTube videos where singers perform in karaoke rooms…”
“Oppa. Wait, shh.”
After Ancora ended,
the woman said to the man,
“He’s got such a good voice. Better than you, oppa.”
Even though he knew it was a joke,
the man narrowed his eyes and pouted.
Singing? That’s something he was confident in.
He’d even gotten his girlfriend thanks to his singing.
His signature confession song — Penance. That’s when they became a couple.
“Want me to sing for you too? Wait a sec.”
The intro to Ancora began again.
These days, karaoke backing tracks (MRs) were quite high quality.
The whistling faded, and the man began to sing.
“...Huh?”
The moment he started the first line,
the two of them burst into laughter.
“Haha, why is this song so hard?”
— Cancel.
In Room 1002 down the hall, it was the same situation.
Three men were gathered inside.
With their ears perked, they listened toward Taeyoon’s room.
Their competitive spirit was stirred.
That level? Easy!
“You said time wouldn’t stoooop— ugh, cough, ack! Damn, this song’s higher than I thought.”
“Move, let me try again.”
Yeah, easy my ass.
Eventually, exhausted, they silently agreed to just listen to Taeyoon’s singing instead.
“What’s with that voice?”
“Wait, shh. You know this song?”
“What? The one that goes ‘cool cool cool’? Hang on.”
He opened the Laver app.
It’s a great world we live in—
you play a song, and the app finds it for you.
Ding!
“War, War? What’s the title again?”
“Send me a screenshot. I wanna listen later.”
“Okay.”
And finally, out in the karaoke hallway—
people stopped walking in front of Room 1004.
Sure, Ancora and More Than Time were famous songs,
but this next weird one they’d never heard before— somehow, it drew them in.
Probably because of Taeyoon’s voice.
Murmur murmur—
The hallway’s atmosphere was like a mini-concert.
“He’s really good at singing, huh?”
“Right? What’s with that voice?”
“I know this song! The artist was Cool Down, I think? Didn’t realize it was this good.”
Speculation spread among them.
He’s a singer, a music YouTuber—
Everyone had different guesses, but they all came to the same conclusion.
I want to hear more!
“...Huh? Why’d it stop?”
“Isn’t he picking the next song?”
“Let’s stay and listen a bit longer.”
But their anticipation was short-lived.
Clack.
“Ahem.”
“Uh, the bathroom’s over here…”
“Let’s go.”
The door opened, revealing Taeyoon and Baek Junhyun.
Unfortunately,
their little private recital ended just like that.
Not knowing what had happened outside, Taeyoon said,
“Wow, even on a weekday, business is booming.”
Baek Junhyun chimed in,
“Probably ‘cause it’s Hongdae?”
“Maybe.”
Watching the two walk away,
the onlookers continued with baseless guesses.
“Told you, he’s definitely a singer.”
“Yeah, right? Never seen him before though. Maybe a trainee?”
“...Should’ve asked for an autograph.”
Of course, none of them were right.
“That was fun, huh?”
At Taeyoon’s question, Baek Junhyun only nodded.
I didn’t realize I liked singing so much.
What else do I even like?
Thanks to Taeyoon—
It felt like I’d laughed for real in a long time.
“Are you working part-time again today?”
“Yeah, later at the barbecue place. Gotta clean grills. You?”
“I’m heading to the studio.”
Damn, as expected. A successful composer really is different.
I’d thought of him as a peer—someone standing on a similar level to me.
But realizing he’d climbed so much higher made me feel strangely small inside.
Junhyun tried to smile as usual, pretending not to mind.
“Hey, Baek Junhyun.”
Taeyoon suddenly spoke with a serious tone.
Junhyun, a bit startled, still wore his usual easygoing grin as he asked,
“What’s with the sudden serious voice?”
“Can I ask you something honestly?”
“What is it?”
“Hmm...”
How should I say this?
Taeyoon didn’t want to beat around the bush or test the waters.
He also didn’t want to make the atmosphere too heavy.
After a brief silence, he said calmly,
“That voice of yours—feels like a waste for only me to hear.”
“Huh?”
“That song earlier. War, War. I actually have a rearranged version of it.”
“Oh, really? The melody was so good. Arrangement means changing the beat, right? Like how a dance song turns into a ballad? I saw that on TV.”
At least he knew the basics of music.
This time, Taeyoon pushed a little further.
“Would you ever think about singing?”
“...As a singer?”
“Being a singer’s fine, but even as a part-time gig would work. There’s something called a guide vocal—pays pretty well, actually.”
Taeyoon waited for Junhyun’s answer.
He could already imagine a few possible responses:
How could I?
I’m not that good.
You’ll help me, right?
But instead, Baek Junhyun caught him off guard with an unexpected question.
“If I do that... can I make a lot of money?”