Chapter 184 : Shall We Talk Only Through Our Music
Chapter 184: Shall We Talk Only Through Our Music?
DJ Guldan.
If the orc warlock from a certain game came to mind, you’d be right.
Just like Guldan, who had been ostracized by his tribe,
He was similar.
Mysterious and intimidating.
And most importantly…
He even looked similar.
A solid build, short stature, and a rugged appearance mixed with Mexican blood.
Guldan’s early mixes were infamous for violent rhythms that rejected conventional styles.
Labels avoided him.
He had been branded *“a sinister bastard like a warlock.”*
But he actually liked that description.
So he made a vow.
If that’s how it is, I’ll show them DJing that’s truly like a spell!
He declared himself a real Sound Warlock.
His place was somewhere between mysticism and isolation.
He had no social media and barely released any tracks.
Because he followed only one rule.
“Live only. No upload. No repeat.”
Only live performances. No uploads. No repetition.
For that reason, every one of his shows felt like his last.
Passionate, desperate, and lingering.
And now that man had appeared at Aether Sound.
For the sake of a single DJ.
Doing a dual set with someone meant breaking his own rule.
And the opponent was a rookie.
An Asian DJ wearing a mask.
Blackhole.
During the greetings before the broadcast,
He began his introduction to the nervous Taeyoon with these words.
“Do you know why I wanted to meet Blackhole?”
“…?”
“You don’t try to move the listener. I liked that.”
Those words came with Guldan’s unusually sincere gaze and meaningful tone.
Even the surrounding staff were looking at Blackhole with awe.
But Taeyoon was thinking something entirely different.
‘What the hell does that even mean, you nerd…’
Of course, outwardly his expression remained calm.
They had made him wear the mask again, saying it was DJ Blackhole’s identity.
“Ah, thank you for recognizing that.”
His reply was polite, but his thoughts were complicated.
Fortunately or unfortunately,
Guldan nodded with genuine satisfaction.
His thick beard swayed along with the movement.
And there was even a slightly greasy look in his eyes, as if he had finally found someone who understood him.
Meanwhile Taeyoon simply kept an awkward smile, trying to remain composed.
‘This is hard… really hard.’
He concluded that his cultivation level wasn’t high enough yet to understand such profound words.
---
Aether Sound Live Broadcast — ON.
As always, viewer reactions flooded in.
Half excitement, half trolling.
Two popular DJs were appearing as guests.
Not just one, but two.
And their styles were completely different.
Blackhole, whose recognition skyrocketed thanks to a corporate advertisement.
Guldan, who had been rejected by the scene before miraculously returning.
In the scene, people often compared the two to a greenhouse flower and a wild thistle.
On the screen, the guests waved their hands as the YouTube live stream began.
[ *LIVE* — Aether Sound: DJ Showdown! Blackhole VS Guldan ]
Viewers enthusiastically welcomed the collaboration.
Although it wasn’t yet clear whether it would become a collaboration or a competition.
↳ I think this is the first time an Asian DJ has appeared here.
↳ Take off the mask.
↳ Why is only one person in 4K quality? Guldan already looks like an orc… now Koda looks tiny next to him.
↳↳ He doesn’t look like an orc. He is an orc.
↳↳ DJ Guldan = Orc theory.
↳ Blackhole!!! I’ve been waiting!!!
↳ Wel*Blackhole*come. Pride of Korea.
↳ He’s not Korean but let’s support Blackhole!
↳ Wow the studio is so bright.
↳ Are they doing a DJ battle? That would be awesome.
The English chat was scrolling so fast that Taeyoon couldn’t keep up.
‘…What are they even saying?’
Judging by the many laughing and crying emojis, it seemed like an enthusiastic welcome.
It would’ve been nice if he could actually read and understand all of it.
I really should’ve studied English earlier.
But regretting it now was useless.
Just then, a gentle voice came through the translation earpiece.
“They’re excited. The reaction is good. I’ll only translate what’s necessary, so relax.”
Come on, I already know that.
Taeyoon muttered inside his mask and looked around the studio again.
Seated in order were DJ Koda, Taeyoon, DJ Guldan, and Jacob Montero.
With a lively greeting, Koda began the broadcast.
“Hey! Welcome! Today’s stage is really special. You see them, right? DJ Guldan, DJ Blackhole. Wow. Seeing these two in the same frame… I can’t even believe it.”
Oh? He mentioned Blackhole.
Was that a cue to greet?
Taeyoon quickly waved.
Koda raised his hand and continued.
“Here, we only care about one thing. Who is more flashy? Nope. Who is more famous? Nope. None of that nonsense matters. Only this.”
Koda pointed to his ear.
“Does your ear react? Isn’t that what really matters?”
The chat exploded at his words.
↳ This is why I love Aether Sound.
↳ Exactly. Music should decide everything.
↳ A channel that reacts to sound… that’s cool.
↳ Whether mixing or live sets, it’s all about instinct.
↳ Just tell us if Blackhole and Koda are performing together!!!
↳ My ears are already reacting.
That was the reason viewers watched Aether Sound.
No nonsense.
No unnecessary guests.
No stiff formality.
Only music.
Just as Koda was about to raise the excitement—
“Wait a second. Before that.”
Taeyoon spoke.
In clear Korean.
His deep, rich voice immediately drew attention.
↳ Wait… my ears are melting and the DJing hasn’t even started.
↳ ????? What was that voice?
↳ Was that Korean? That sounded sexy.
↳↳ Yes, it means wait.
↳ What’s he going to say? Hurry up.
↳ His voice is already in the advertisement.
↳↳ In the U.S. version it’s dubbed!
↳↳↳ Oh? That’s unfortunate.
↳ Turning up the volume. That voice is heaven.
At Taeyoon’s short but powerful words, Koda crossed his arms.
This wasn’t the flow he expected.
But intrigued, he signaled for him to continue.
Taeyoon immediately spoke.
“Does your ear react? Nope!”
After a brief pause,
Taeyoon slowly placed his palm over his chest.
Then, just like Koda had earlier,
He looked at the camera with relaxed confidence.
“Not your ear. Your heart has to react.”
It was as if the chat had frozen.
For several seconds, nothing appeared.
“Gasp.”
Koda inhaled sharply, and only then did the chat begin racing again.
There were no translations.
No subtitles.
But the simple gesture alone
transcended language.
Taeyoon’s words had captured the audience through instinct, not logic.
↳ ??????????? What kind of line was that?
↳ Why do I feel like I understood Korean?
↳ Wait… he means the music should move the heart, not just the ear?
↳↳ Exactly.
↳ Wow he actually said that? Rookie confidence.
↳ Cute. Is he nervous?
↳ Wait… Guldan is smiling???
↳↳ He must be laughing in disbelief.
Guldan, who had been sitting like a mannequin watching the situation, finally reacted.
A crooked grin appeared.
Considering the words came from the mouth of a quiet-looking Asian DJ,
they were surprisingly impressive.
Guldan stroked his beard and murmured.
“I like that answer. I like it.”
At the same time,
the studio lights slowly dimmed.
Aether Sound’s signature setup sequence.
At the center of the stage, a single red LED on the mixer began blinking.
Then thin lines of light connected across the equipment.
Tick—
Tick—
Tick tick—
The BPM count became clearer.
Finally the screen displayed a title.
[ ETHER SOUND / LIVE SET ]
The live broadcast had truly begun.
---
Damn it.
Damn it.
I barely resisted the urge to rip my hair out.
This was pure cringe.
“Not your ear. Your heart has to react.”
Even I was shocked by what I had said.
If only I could turn back time.
Just imagining this clip being preserved and spread across the internet made me want to run away immediately.
That wasn’t me.
A ghost must’ve possessed me for a moment.
Aaagh!
Goosebumps ran down my arms.
It was unbearably cringe.
Then the interpreter’s voice came through my earpiece.
“…That was good. Keep going. The vibe is nice.”
I met eyes with CEO Kim Minsoo sitting outside the studio.
Even from a distance, he was clearly trying not to laugh.
His lips moved.
The excited voice soon reached my ear.
“Holy crap! Taeyoon, you can say things like that too? Look at the kids’ reactions. Crush their confidence. Show them what a Korean DJ is like! I guarantee this is going to explode.”
Now he suddenly wants to push national pride?
Hmm…
Not a bad idea.
And he wasn’t wrong.
It wasn’t just Korea.
I knew the perception of Asian DJs wasn’t great.
A pretty face who just takes off his shirt and hypes the crowd.
A performer, not an artist.
I had seen those comments countless times.
If I could change that perception—
wouldn’t that be something worth representing?
Koda looked at me.
“Hey, Blackhole. Ready?”
“He’s asking if you’re ready.”
Come on, I can understand that much.
I nodded and stood up.
But something felt slightly off.
Both sides.
Because of the simultaneous interpretation, I had an earpiece in one ear.
The other ear had to listen to the actual sound.
I fiddled with the earpiece.
This thing was more annoying than I thought.
It was supposed to help communication, but it felt like it was interfering.
Alright.
Decision made.
I raised my hand toward Koda.
“Wait a second, Koda. I have a suggestion.”
That line would also be translated.
But I continued anyway.
“I don’t like language interrupting the music.”
What if we can’t understand each other?
What if we interpret things differently?
We have music.
That’s enough.
Without hesitation, I pulled the earpiece out.
For a moment I heard the interpreter shout urgently.
But I didn’t care.
Instead,
the noise disappeared.
The studio felt clearer.
Koda’s voice sounded sharper.
“Shall we talk only through music?”
Koda and Guldan looked at each other briefly in surprise.
But they quickly understood my intention.
They also removed their earpieces.
“Bet. Let’s just talk through music. That’s what I’ve been wanting anyway.”
Pure, raw English hit my ears.
But it didn’t matter.
Without interpretation, I had the advantage.
Why?
Because I got the highest grade in English on the college entrance exam.
Even if I wasn’t perfect,
I could understand enough… probably.
I said calmly,
“Good. I’m ready. Shall we start?”
The chat scrolled even faster than before.
↳ What did he say? Someone translate!
↳ He said they’ll talk only through music.
↳ Sounds like something Blackhole would say.
↳ He must be really confident. I’m grabbing my headphones.
↳ I’m a Korean exchange student. I’ll translate. He basically said: *Stop talking and challenge me with music.*
↳↳ Really? That’s cool.
I still couldn’t understand all of it.
But judging from Koda and Guldan’s expressions,
my decision didn’t seem wrong.
Finally, I put on my headphones and shouted.
“Hold the Beat.”
It meant I was ready.