Chapter 214 : The Idol of the DJ Scene
Chapter 214: The Idol of the DJ Scene
More than surprise, I felt guilty.
My excitement had gotten ahead of her feelings.
It was understandable that she'd feel uncomfortable.
Maybe her current circumstances simply didn't allow it.
I quietly thought about where she stood.
I usually tried not to use words like this, but...
'The idol of the DJ scene.'
That was the only way to describe her.
That's right.
She was an idol.
A performer who focused more on dazzling performances than music.
She had plenty of fans.
She was perfect on stage.
And to preserve that perfection, she was someone who had to hide countless things once she stepped off it.
And I...
Had almost forced her to reveal what she'd chosen to hide.
The Skippy I had loved back then.
For her, that version of herself could very well have become a pair of shackles.
For a moment, I'd forgotten that.
Of course, that side of her hadn't disappeared.
It was simply buried deep inside.
“Um......”
How should I apologize?
I couldn't tell what she was thinking.
She simply fiddled with the zipper of the jersey pulled all the way up to her chin while staring toward the door.
“I made a mistake—”
Just as I was about to apologize,
Etica spoke first.
“I'm sorry.”
“...No. I should be the one apologizing.”
“I still love those days.”
“But right now... it's difficult.”
It wasn't a rejection.
If she'd been offended or thought my proposal was rude, she would've stood up and walked away.
“I only contacted your agency because I missed those days and wanted to see you.”
She added with a lonely smile,
“I just wanted to say this in case you misunderstood... I didn't ask to meet you because I wanted to ride on Blackhole's reputation or use it to gain something.”
As she spoke, her eyes remained unwavering.
At least those words seemed completely sincere.
Yet her fingers began circling the glass again.
Round and round.
Her index finger slowly traced the rim of the water glass as she sank into thought.
My eyes naturally lowered.
I could faintly see the mask covering my nose.
One advantage of wearing a mask—
People couldn't see your expression.
Ironically, its greatest disadvantage was exactly the same.
Having a conversation this personal while wearing a mask felt impolite.
So I removed it.
“Gasp...? Y-Your mask!”
The moment I took it off, Etica froze.
Her gaze remained fixed on my face.
She looked genuinely surprised.
When I simply looked back at her expressionlessly, she asked,
“Why did you take off your mask...?”
Then, despite the fact that no one was listening, she leaned closer to me, hurriedly glanced around, and asked again,
“Is it really okay for you to take it off like this?”
Something like this wasn't important.
“I wanted to meet you not as DJ Blackhole, but as Seo Taeyoon.”
The moment I finished speaking, I immediately searched through my bag.
The label I belonged to, Track Race, had made me three business cards.
One was for Blackhole.
One was for Stay.
And the last one...
Producer Seo Taeyoon.
CEO Kim Minsoo had once told me,
"A business card is your face. Someday, you'll need it."
I handed her the card bearing the rather impressive title, "Creative Director."
“I'm not here simply to invite you. As the director of Club Lunatic, I'd like to formally propose a collaboration.”
“And...”
...This is how you're supposed to say it, right?
I'm really like this.
I'm terrible with words.
I wanted to sound as cool as those planners on TV, but it was harder than I thought.
Ah, whatever.
As long as my sincerity got across.
“I don't want to recruit DJ Etica.”
“I want to recruit DJ Skippy. I believe you're the perfect fit for the music I envision for this club.”
I didn't tell her she had to decide right then and there.
We'll contact you through your agency.
If you ever change your mind, please reply.
Those were my final words.
I'd made my proposal.
Now the decision belonged to Etica.
Music wasn't something you could force or pressure someone into.
I gave her another respectful bow and gathered my things.
Only then did Etica slowly speak.
“Um...”
“Yes?”
“Then... would Mr. Seo Taeyoon also become Paru instead of Blackhole?”
Hmm.
It seemed she'd put a lot of thought into that question.
Unfortunately...
I couldn't give her the answer she wanted.
“No.”
“I don't need to.”
“...?”
Looking at her puzzled expression,
I answered firmly before standing up.
“My stage name changed, but my musical style never did.”
“I think...”
“You know that better than anyone, Ms. Etica.”
After Taeyoon left, Etica stared at the business card lying alone on the table.
'You're right... I'm the only one who changed....'
She grabbed her hair.
Had she misunderstood him?
That wasn't what she'd meant at all.
She put on her earphones and played Blackhole's video.
The very performance from a few days ago—
The dual set with Guldan.
She'd watched it so many times she could practically recite it by heart.
Even so, she watched it again.
The comments were filled with people saying Blackhole had gone wild.
That he'd changed.
That he was copying Guldan.
That he'd completely altered his DJing style...
Praise and speculation mixed together endlessly.
But she knew.
'Just because the beat changed doesn't mean the person changed.'
The beats in that performance were certainly rough and destructive.
Yet hidden beneath that ferocity...
Was the same kindness he'd always possessed.
At first, she hadn't understood.
Why did such aggressive beats leave her feeling so calm afterward?
But the moment she remembered his earlier style, she understood immediately.
She defined Blackhole's music like this—
Music as steady as dropping an anchor in the middle of a stormy sea, keeping you from being swept away by the waves.
That...
Was Blackhole.
'He's still the same.'
Beats that embraced people instead of overpowering them.
Even amid merciless kick drums and unsettling noise, Blackhole guided the beat forward with perfectly stable chord progressions.
The techniques.
The production.
The genres.
Those were merely layers placed on top.
At the core,
the person inside had never changed.
That was why she respected him.
Why she'd wanted to stand on stage with him.
To exchange beats together, and convey the sincerity hidden inside them directly to the audience.
But reality wasn't nearly so simple.
The fence called a contract wasn't something you could casually step over—
Or cut apart.
Beyond it lay freedom.
But also a long fall.
Her agency had packaged her as a product called "Etica."
And that wrapping had become thinner and bolder over time.
'I might just end up causing him trouble....'
Bzzz—
She picked up her vibrating phone.
The group chat kept flooding with new messages.
Tomorrow's promotional video shoot was the reason.
Director Kim: What are you doing? You're not answering your phone. Please check the outfit.
She tapped the photo.
The outfit had become even shorter.
Even more revealing.
She instinctively shrank into herself and pulled her cap lower.
She'd joined the company to make music.
Yet instead of discussing music, their conversations always revolved around clothes.
She didn't like the set list either.
'...I can do better.'
Ordinary, mainstream beats.
Or fake hand sync performances.
She genuinely wanted to perform.
Yet the same responses always came back.
If you mess up the beat, you're finished.
Nobody comes to hear your music anyway.
You're the one who signed the contract. Did you forget? All planning decisions belong to management.
DJing isn't that important. Nobody expects much from it.
What? Have you suddenly caught the artist disease?
DJ Etica was perfect on stage.
But inside her, Skippy had disappeared long ago.
'I should just be grateful I can still stand on stage.'
Contracts were frightening things.
Even if people called her stupid, she couldn't argue.
Her only small dream was to finish this contract safely...
Then live an ordinary life.
Time passed quickly.
Only about three months remained on her contract.
When that day came...
She'd never look at another club again.
She'd never care about DJing again.
With a bitter smile, she turned her phone back on and played Blackhole's performance once more.
I'm jealous.
What does it feel like...
To freely play the music you truly want to show?
It's nice.
Blackhole's beats always moved in a straight line.
At first glance, they didn't seem very different from her own music, which charged forward without hesitation.
Yet somehow...
They felt completely different.
Little by little,
her complicated emotions began settling down.
Then—
“Ah, damn it!”
She couldn't stand it anymore.
A chance to perform with Blackhole?
She had to take it.
Whatever else happened,
this wasn't something you hesitated over.
She jumped to her feet and immediately headed for her agency.
Thirty minutes later—
Bang!
She burst into the Planning Director's office.
“Director. I'd like to discuss something.”
“Huh? Youngseo, perfect timing. You checked the outfit, right? What do you think about this necklace? It's expensive—”
“You can decide that yourself.”
Etica—
Or rather, Han Youngseo's unusually cold tone—
Made the Planning Director slowly spin his chair as he thought.
She acted stubborn like this every now and then.
Fortunately,
handling her was simple.
“Youngseo, what's with that face? What are you unhappy about this time?”
The Planning Director continued, casually dangling the necklace.
“I picked this out for the festival. It'll go perfectly with the outfit. Wow, Etica's really made it. Luxury sponsorships are coming in now.”
“I don't care about the outfit.”
“I have something to discuss.”
Her voice fell like ice.
The director rested an arm on his chair and nodded a few times.
“What now? Why are you so sensitive? And what's with your face? What are you going to do about tomorrow's shoot? Do you know how much everyone worries because of you?”
His tone remained gentle.
But every word carried hidden barbs.
Ignoring them, Etica answered.
“Book me one club performance.”
“Huh? Did someone contact you directly? I told you to ignore the idiots sending you DMs. Your schedule's full until next week.”
But Etica showed no sign of backing down.
She was completely different from usual.
The director slowly looked her up and down before asking,
“Where?”
“Let's hear it.”
He folded his arms and stared at her.
Whenever her obsession with music resurfaced, it drove the company crazy.
What they wanted wasn't music.
Or beats.
Or mixing.
They simply wanted her to act like a puppet hanging from strings.
That was the only thing they expected from a pretty DJ.
Male DJs weren't much different.
People looked at faces before music.
Bodies before faces.
That was today's trend.
DJ?
Just pretend to scratch records and hype up the atmosphere.
'What's gotten into her now? Don't tell me she's going on about genuine performances again.'
They'd already stopped her several times from running off to perform at random little clubs.
Things had finally become quiet.
A DJ couldn't perform just anywhere.
That was as degrading as an idol singing with an acoustic guitar in some tiny Misari club.
If she threw a tantrum,
they could simply coax her back.
“Why aren't you answering? Even you know it's impossible, don't you? See? I told you. Loyalty and all that—”
Etica interrupted him.
“Lunatic.”
“...What?”
“Club Lunatic.”
“I received an offer.”
“You did? Directly? It's not someone impersonating them? Who?”
“Yes.”
“Blackhole himself.”
“Damn...”
“So Lunatic's nothing special after all?”
A grin spread across his face.
There wasn't a single person in the industry who didn't know KW Hotel's Club Lunatic was about to open.
Everyone secretly wanted some connection there,
but CEO Kim Minsoo wasn't someone you could approach casually.
Besides, they'd advertised it as the return of real DJing.
The rebirth of Moon Night.
Promising all kinds of grand things.
Yet the first DJ they invited was merely a performance DJ?
“So KW Hotel's Lunatic isn't anything special either.”
He laughed to himself.
In the end, they were just trying to bring in famous DJs and rake in money.
“They'll contact you soon.”
“I want to perform there, so please make sure we accept.”
“I don't care how much the appearance fee is.”
“Or what the set list is.”
“Ah, of course.”
“The opening performance?”
“Yes.”
“Hoo...”
“This is a really good opportunity.”
The Planning Director smiled.
“How is it a good opportunity?”
“Our performers are incredible. Let's see... we'll obviously go with what you're best at, right? A hotel club calls for explosive, trendy pop music.”
Etica didn't answer.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but for a brief moment, a cold smile crossed her face.
Pretending not to notice the uncomfortable atmosphere, the Planning Director continued making assumptions.
“If it's the opening performance at KW Hotel, everyone will know your face after this. Performing alongside Blackhole? Beautiful. You'll move straight onto the major stage. Is DJing finally going mainstream?”
“When they contact you, accept it no matter what.”
“I'm tired.”
“I'll head home first.”
Etica forcefully opened the door and left the office.
Hearing the Planning Director gathering the Marketing Department behind her,
she slowly curled her lips upward.
This wasn't just anywhere.
It was Lunatic.
She couldn't perform there like a puppet dangling from strings.
The evening before Club Lunatic's grand opening.
KW Hotel's official social media released the DJ lineup.
[CLUB LUNATIC GRAND OPEN]
The night that will make the city's heart beat begins.
FIRST LINE-UP
DJ Blackhole
DJ Guldan
DJ R.O.K.
DJ Etica
-and more
TICKETS: Reservation Link
Join us for this one-time-only opening stage and become part of history.
↳ ????????? Are these tickets really only 10,000 won? Is KW Hotel running a charity?
↳↳ It even includes one cocktail ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ
↳ Apparently it was Blackhole's idea. The merchandise is supposed to be pretty amazing though?
↳ I'm definitely buying the rabbit bracelet ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
↳ Wait, what's Etica doing there? Should Etica even be part of that lineup?
↳↳ Etica's big enough to perform at Lunatic's opening. Her name value is on another level.
↳ That's not what they mean??? Didn't they say this place was supposed to be about music?
↳↳ Seriously;; Etica isn't on Blackhole and Guldan's level musically.
↳ If you watch Etica's older videos, she's actually got great musical sense. It's just a shame she only focuses on performance these days.
↳↳ It's KW Hotel. I'm sure they have a plan.
↳ I was gonna say stop making fake hype and just reserve your tickets... but it's already sold out.... Congrats to everyone who got one.
↳↳ They're doing an on-site lottery tomorrow too, so hang in there.
And the next day—
“...I lined up before dawn, and it's a lottery?”
“I came as soon as the announcement went up yesterday evening.”
At last, Taeyoon's new stage—
Club Lunatic's grand opening event—
Began.