Chapter 219 : If You Want to Become Friends with a DJ
Chapter 219: If You Want to Become Friends with a DJ
After we moved to Bundang...
Mom spent half of every month in Gimhae, and the other half with us.
At first, I couldn't understand it.
Wouldn't living with her sons obviously be better?
Running the strawberry farm was hard.
I could take really good care of her.
I could finish all the side dishes Mom made in a single evening.
Whenever she asked what I wanted to eat, I could answer without hesitation.
Even if she served me side dishes made out of sand, I'd eat them happily without complaining.
Wasn't that what filial piety was?
Eating the meals she made well—that was filial piety.
So one day, I asked Hyung about it.
"Why doesn't Mom live with us? Why does she keep going back to Gimhae?"
"She comes up here all the time."
"Even so... I like having Mom around every day."
"That's exactly why you're still immature."
Hyung clicked his tongue, saying I was old enough to stop whining, then called out to me in an unusually sentimental voice.
"Taeyoon."
"Hm?"
"Mom has a life of her own too."
Ah...
Mom's own life.
Those words struck me squarely in the chest, making my face burn with embarrassment.
I'd only ever thought about Seo Taeyoon's life.
Eating the meals Mom cooked every day.
Waking up in a warm house where I could hear signs of someone already awake.
That was all I'd expected.
Then...
What was Mom's life?
I'd never once thought about something like that before.
After that day...
Sometimes I found myself imagining what her day looked like.
Her footsteps heading toward the strawberry fields before dawn.
Her eyes looking over the bright red strawberries while breathing in the scent of dew-soaked earth.
Her hands carefully filling box after box alongside the other ajummas.
By evening...
She'd probably be eating a simple meal.
Chatting comfortably with them.
Only then did I realize.
That was a kind of happiness I could never give her.
Not glamorous like stage lights...
But warm like candlelight.
Mom's ordinary life.
"I was being too selfish. I thought making things comfortable for her was all filial piety meant."
"Oh? Seo Taeyoon actually grew up overnight?"
"I learned something. Thanks."
After that...
I stopped insisting.
Instead of asking Mom to stay...
I expressed my feelings by buying her a nice car, since she traveled all the way between Gimhae and Bundang just to take care of her sons.
Anyway.
The reason I'm bringing all this up now is...
"...What's going on? Why is everyone gathered here?"
"As expected, your mom's cooking is the best."
"Could you stop talking like someone who's eaten it dozens of times?"
"But I have. Last time during the housewarming party, she told me to come over often, so I actually did."
"...What?"
"She said you're a picky eater, but we clean our plates, so we're adorable. Right, Mother?"
Without me even realizing it...
Mom had built a life of her own here in Bundang too.
At this point, it was basically a restaurant that didn't charge customers.
These people...
I'd already come downstairs, yet they barely even greeted me.
They just buried their heads in their food.
...Well.
Mom's cooking really was delicious.
"I want breakfast too."
As I sat down, I looked around.
Why had she made so many side dishes?
The neat and handsome young man was devouring a huge bowl of spicy beef and radish soup that looked big enough to wash your face in.
Meanwhile, the slick but polite young man was tearing into grilled mackerel as though it were ribs.
Just as I'd expected...
It was Junhyun and Gibong-hyung.
Wow.
They're acting more naturally than my own brother and me.
Anyone seeing this would think they were Mom's sons.
"Taeyoon, want some soup?"
"No. Just give me some roasted seaweed."
"You should eat some fish too."
"Ugh..."
Clack.
The moment I made a face of complete disgust, Gibong-hyung set down his spoon and immediately started lecturing me.
"Taeyoon, that's your problem."
"...Huh?"
"Your mother woke up early to grill fish and make soup, yet you're not even going to eat it? And what's this? Vegetables. Do you even know how much work these are? But what do you ask for? Roasted seaweed? Just eat what's on the table!"
My head started spinning.
I couldn't think of a single comeback.
"Uh...?"
"I heard you keep leaving all these amazing side dishes behind just to go eat tonkatsu. And this. Barley tea. Do you know how much work it takes to boil it and let it cool? Saying your tumbler is too bothersome and carrying bottled water instead—that's honestly disrespectful to your mother. Right, Mother~?"
...What kind of situation is this?
And what's with that adorable tone of voice?
Was Gibong-hyung always this kind of character?
There was no way I could handle this alone.
I looked at Mom with the most pitiful expression I could manage, desperately sending an SOS.
But...
"Well, Bongi's right."
"...Bongi?"
Not only did she refuse to take my side...
She affectionately called him by a nickname and sided with him instead.
"When you ask me to make all sorts of things, I get excited and cook them, but you only take one bite. You don't know this, but Gibong and Junhyun always come afterward and happily finish everything that's left."
How would I know?
I just came downstairs...
"And you, drinking so much coffee isn't good for you. That's why you can't sleep at night and only fall asleep after sunrise."
That's because I'm working...
I wanted to argue.
But seeing Mom and the other two quietly giggling at me...
The words simply wouldn't come out.
When had they all become so close?
As I silently opened and closed my mouth, Junhyun picked up a large helping of japchae and said,
"Still, the reason Mother takes such good care of us is because we're your friends, Taeyoon. Do you think she'd cook meals and remember people's names for just anyone?"
This time, Gibong-hyung grabbed a large portion of bean sprouts and continued,
"Exactly. We're only lucky enough to enjoy home-cooked meals like this because of you. Your mom always asks what you're doing at work and who you're working with. Then next time we visit, she makes galbi."
Ah...
So that was it.
Even while I wasn't home...
Mom had been talking about me with my coworkers.
A warm table...
Where a home-cooked meal became a way of asking how someone was doing.
Feeling strangely embarrassed...
I simply counted grains of rice with my chopsticks.
Then Mom placed a plate of roasted seaweed on the table.
"You have no idea how well Bongi takes care of us. Fish, fruit, galbi... He even bought this roasted seaweed while he was visiting Daecheon."
"Really?"
"Ta-da! Look at this."
Mom rolled up her sleeve and proudly showed off her bracelet.
It was a beautiful bracelet made of a thin gold chain decorated with tiny cubic stones.
"He bought me this today, saying it was payment for the meal. Isn't it pretty?"
I never knew Gibong-hyung had this kind of thoughtfulness.
When I looked toward him...
He simply kept his head buried over the table while waving his hand dismissively.
"Oh, it wasn't expensive. Besides, Mother is prettier than the bracelet."
I stared blankly at the bracelet before awkwardly clearing my throat.
I was grateful.
Embarrassed...
But there wasn't anything I could really say.
Instead...
I picked up a sheet of roasted seaweed.
The roasted seaweed Gibong-hyung had bought, brushed with perilla oil and lightly sprinkled with salt before being grilled at home.
Ah...
It was delicious.
Rich and nutty.
For some reason, the rice tasted even better today.
After finishing every dish on the table...
Taeyoon and his guests headed into his room.
They set neatly sliced fruit on the table.
Each took a glass of orange juice.
Then they began looking around the room.
It wasn't very large.
It was already the smallest room in a standard family apartment, and after soundproofing it, it almost resembled a studio with a bed squeezed inside.
Even so...
It was tidy.
Every piece of music equipment was neatly arranged.
It suited Stay perfectly.
Thinking that, Dogibong let out a sound of admiration.
"Oh... It looks really cool set up like this at home. You put a lot of effort into it. Even the keyboard's cute."
"A 61-key keyboard is cute, isn't it? It's great for simple work."
"You chose the speakers well too. Genelec 8030s are perfect for home use. Anything bigger would be too much."
Baek Junhyun slowly scanned the equipment.
"I'm surprised. It's a lot more ordinary than I expected."
"I only keep these here for working on simple things whenever I'm bored."
"Still, I thought someone like Stay would have something like Genelec 1234s sitting at home."
"Even with soundproofing, the subwoofer vibrations..."
As expected...
Musicians were always at their happiest when talking about equipment.
However...
While explaining everything, Taeyoon suddenly realized something strange.
Why were they acting as though this was their first time seeing it?
"Huh? I thought you said you came over all the time. You've never been inside my room?"
"You shouldn't enter someone's room without permission when they're not home."
"Come on, it's fine."
"Your mother also told us to only come into your room when you were here~"
Men who respected boundaries.
That was Dogibong and Baek Junhyun.
Taeyoon's mother, Jin Eunha, was also the kind of warm mother who respected her son's personal space.
Good people naturally gathered around other good people.
Smiling, Taeyoon said,
"Come over more often. Feel free to relax in my room too."
"Oh? Really? Can I even sleep over?"
"...What?"
"I always eat so much whenever I come here that I think my blood sugar shoots up or something. Every time I visit this house, I get so sleepy."
Yaaawn—
Dogibong let out an enormous yawn before sitting down on the bed.
Then he suddenly said,
"By the way, Taeyoon."
His expression became serious.
Sure, Jin Eunha's cooking was delicious.
Sure, Taeyoon's house was comfortable enough to keep coming back.
But...
There was another reason he'd rushed over here, unable to hold himself back.
"I watched yesterday's performance. The stage was incredible. DJs are seriously the coolest people in the world. Who shines brightest on stage? A DJ~"
"What are you talking about? You sing too. On stages even bigger than mine..."
Not realizing this was merely the setup...
Taeyoon genuinely thought Dogibong had become interested in DJing.
Seeing Taeyoon's reaction, Dogibong cautiously moved toward the real topic.
"I've watched enough to get the general idea. Do DJs usually become close at festivals and stuff? Like doing joint performances together?"
Taeyoon answered firmly.
"No."
"...Huh? No? Why?"
"There are people like that, but I don't really enjoy going to big events yet. I'm close with the Sierra guys."
"Oh, I see. Then... want to listen to this?"
Only then did Taeyoon catch on.
Sometimes...
Even I get excited when I make a beat that's just too good.
Or a melody that comes out perfectly.
I become desperate to let someone hear it.
After all...
Popular music only reveals its true value when many people listen to it together and sing along.
Up until that moment...
Taeyoon had simply assumed Dogibong had rushed over to play him some music.
Thinking that, he turned toward Junhyun.
"You've heard it too?"
"Yeah."
"Is it Double Line's new song?"
"I'm... not really sure yet..."
"What do you mean you're not sure? You're in the same group."
"Our songs used to sparkle."
"This one flashes."
"So your dance instincts suddenly awakened? Wasn't Double Line supposed to be a ballad duo?"
As always...
Even vague explanations were enough for Taeyoon to understand perfectly.
"Let's hear it first."
Taeyoon sat up straight.
There was always something exciting about hearing a Busan Goblin composition.
He was still maintaining the form of a top-tier composer.
Even while promoting with Double Line, every song he released entered the Maron Chart.
'He acts sloppy, but a professional is still a professional.'
He wasn't someone who created trends.
But he certainly knew how to read them.
Getting to hear a brand-new Busan Goblin song for the first time?
Even Taeyoon couldn't help feeling excited.
"Here we go."
The moment the USB was connected...
The song immediately began playing.
"Whew... This is it."
Right from the intro...
It had Busan Goblin's unmistakable signature.
The provocative beat immediately made it obvious what Junhyun had meant by "flashing."
A sound anyone could comfortably enjoy regardless of personal taste.
"It sounds really hip, but there's this subtle trot flavor hidden in the melody."
"Is it cheesy?"
"No. I meant it's addictive. Wow... The low end is insane. The soundstage is incredible too. Busan Goblin really outdid himself. But... doesn't this completely destroy Double Line's image?"
There was only one issue.
It didn't suit Double Line's style.
Aside from that...
It was perfect.
Taeyoon quietly continued listening with a serious expression.
The lyrics.
The beat.
The melody.
Overall...
Everything was excellent.
There was just one thing that puzzled him.
The contrast between the hook and the breakdown relied heavily on the kick.
Yet...
The breakdown sounded unusually empty.
Almost as though the space had intentionally been left open for DJing.
"Wait. Let me hear that again."
Taeyoon replayed the section several times.
Eight bars where only the beat remained.
A section designed perfectly for a DJ to fill with scratching and Sampling.
"...This part was intentionally left empty."
The moment the words left Taeyoon's mouth...
Dogibong immediately raised his fist.
As though saying,
"I knew you'd figure it out."
Taeyoon bumped fists with him before smiling.
"So you brought it like this because you want to include a Break DJ?"
"You little punk. Sharp as always."
"There's no way you'd actually learn DJing yourself, so you're asking me to feature on it? I'm busy though."
Taeyoon shrugged playfully.
Dogibong simply replied,
"No."
"...Huh? No?"
Looking at Taeyoon's confused expression...
Dogibong asked seriously,
"Are you close with DJ Etica? It looked that way in the video."
"...Probably."
"Then... could you introduce me to her? I'd like to ask her to feature with some DJing."
The instant he finished speaking...
Dogibong's face turned bright red.
'What's wrong with him...?'
Come on...
It's just asking someone for a favor.
Why's he blushing like that?
Is he really feeling that guilty about it?
Taeyoon answered casually.
"Sure. That's not difficult. Should I contact her right now?"
"R-Right now? I just came over wearing whatever..."
What's going on?
Why's he suddenly stuttering?