Chapter 69: Imitating a Musician

How could this be?

Enbin, Romin, and Ciwon stared at Muyoung in disbelief. But they were even more absurd than him. Muyoung tilted his head and hummed the song he had just sung again.

“Boomchi↗ boomchi. Nana, look at↘ me. You. Stop crying↗ and smile. You↗.”

“This is crazy. That’s not how you do it.”

Singing just the song separately didn’t make much difference from the first time. What’s up with this guy? Enbin tapped the script suspiciously with a very suspicious look on his face.

“Try continuing the dialogue here.”

“What a strange brother.”

“Yeah. I’ve never seen anything like this in my whole life.”

Ignoring the three of them whispering, Muyoung spoke the lines again. Again, the dialogue and song flowed naturally together. Honestly, I can’t say he’s really good at that either—

“It’s much better than singing raw.”

“Right. It’s listenable.”

Maybe it’s because of the unusually radical pitch.

It seems like it wouldn’t be a problem if it were just that. Anywhere you go, if you grab a microphone, it’s just okay, to the point where people can respond to it. Muyoung scratched his chin and laughed.

“This is really weird, right?”

“You know it. Does that make sense? This?”

Even in fields where you have no talent, if you ‘act’ like you’re good at it, it works to some extent. Enbin stared at him blankly and muttered.

“……But I remember doing that when I was a rookie too. Before going on stage, I’d think, ‘I’m not Hotbar Enbin, I’m a totally awesome idol, I’m the most popular,’ and my performance would be a little different. Is it a difference in mindset?”

Hmm. It’s impossible to know.

These unscientific things were beyond their realm.

Romin suddenly remembered something, exclaimed, and ran into the room. It’s so spacious that it takes a long time to run around.

“Guitar and bass! And this is woo-sha—piano!”

“Oh! Be careful. I’ll listen.”

Carrying it on his back, hanging it on his shoulder, and holding it in his arms, he grunted as he came out into the living room. Muyoung was startled and helped him.

“You said you could only play the recorder, but if you’re a musician, you should be able to use at least one of these.”

“W, will that be possible?”

In a short time?

The beautifully carved wooden guitar, the well-worn bass, and the piano were all electronic keyboards.

It felt as strange as seeing a new civilization. Because in his life, he had never, not even once, encountered these things.

“I kind of get it.”

Romin smiled and handed him the guitar.

“I know how to make you look decent in a short time. First, try holding it. And, um, think about acting like a guitarist.”

He was smart.

He immediately caught on that approaching it as if he were ‘acting’ would make it less difficult for Muyoung.

“Especially with instruments, you can add sound effects later, so I think you just need to practice natural poses. Look. This is the head, neck, and body. The thinnest string at the bottom is the first string. Try holding it like this.”

Unlike an OST, it’s okay to just pretend to play. The song will play in the background.

If the work itself delved deeply into that aspect, it wouldn’t work, but what they were preparing now was a K-drama. Whatever it was, the central theme would be romance.

“I, like this?”

“Oh. Maybe because your hands are big, you hold it well. The top one is the sixth string. It’s the thickest, right?”

Step by step, Muyoung adjusted his posture under Romin’s guidance.

Ding—

A pleasant sound rang out clearly from the string he plucked without much thought.

“Wo, wow.”

“And if you’re good at playing the guitar, you have to cross your legs.”

“Oh. Right! I’ve seen that on TV too!”

Like a senior returning to school, Muyoung leaned his upper body forward slightly and crossed his legs. Maybe because of his good physique, he looked like a photoshoot just holding it.

“Do that and sing the lines from earlier. Like you’re doing an event to appease an angry girlfriend. You know?”

Ding—

There’s nothing he can play properly.

But he’s confident in pretending to play while looking cool. Muyoung plucked the strings and murmured quietly. Similar lines to before, but with a completely different feeling.

“I’m sorry. But I didn’t cheat on you. So, I hope you’ll trust me.”

He was about to say it to Enbin but turned his gaze into the air instead.

Because he was shocked and had his hands curled up like chicken feet. No matter how good Muyoung was, it would be hard to stay immersed if he did that.

“What will it take for you to trust me?”

And he shyly smiled and lightly strummed the guitar body. As if accepting his girlfriend’s inaudible request.

“……Cling to me, ask me for one more chance.”

Muyoung began to whisper Zeroterm’s ‘Cling to Me.’ Since he was whispering softly, it was quite intriguing. It felt as sultry as whispering in someone’s ear. Enbin’s chicken feet curled up even more.

“But you, for some reason—”

He was clearly singing the same lyrics as before, but the feeling was completely different. It felt like he had intentionally sung it terribly. The gap was huge.

Ding—

Muyoung plucked the strings once more, as if to finish. He had only held the guitar for show while singing, but it didn’t matter. Enbin and Romin looked at each other and laughed.

“The song has power.”

“Right. I think it’s because his voice has weight.”

The power to captivate. It’s similar to an actor’s ability to deliver lines. You need this to capture the audience.

Look at him now. He didn’t play the guitar at all while singing, but it didn’t bother anyone. Is it because his face is so captivating?

“Just keep practicing this and use it for your audition. They liked your image, right? Then you’re definitely going to the second round.”

“Will I? Really?”

“Really. You’re a master of ‘pretending’!”

“Brother, I’ll try singing while playing the guitar. Record a video and keep replaying it.”

“Oh. Thank you!”

To imitate someone, a sample was absolutely necessary. Imagination was important, but a role always resembled someone in reality. Muyoung started recording a video with his phone.

“Um. For the song, I’ll do the fourth album track, ‘Stepping on Your Footprints.’”

Romin smiled slightly and began to play. The movement of his shoulders, his waistline, his toes tapping lightly to the beat, and even his relaxed gaze!

‘Ah. That’s how you do it.’

Muyoung imprinted everything about Romin into his mind, as if stamping a seal. Reminding himself that this is how a successful musician sings and plays the guitar.

“-Cut!”

Romin taught him not only how to play the guitar but also how to ‘hold’ the bass and piano.

As the night deepened, Muyoung’s posture became more and more natural.

“Wow. Ha Muyoung. Want to join our team as the youngest member?”

“You guys aren’t a band, are you?”

“No. I was just kidding.”

He can’t play, but he’s confident in pretending to play!

Muyoung exhaled happily and splashed water on his dry face. And now—

“It’s Romin’s turn now, right?”

“Me? Ah! Acting!”

“First, give me a pen. I’ll teach you how to control your breathing.”

Maybe because they stayed up all night together.

Muyoung’s attitude toward Romin also became more natural and comfortable. Friendly banter mixed with polite speech.

“Interpret these lines. Where should you insert your breath?”

“Um. Me?”

“Wrong! Again!”

“Ah. I see. Did you cheat, that’s the part.”

Muyoung and Romin continued their intense, non-intense training until the morning moon rose.

Enbin, who was watching from the side, fell asleep first, and Ciwon went to the studio to work.

“Good. That was much better just now! Again!”

Muyoung channeled the director and kept coldly saying, ‘Again.’

Since he had helped him so sincerely, he wanted to help Romin with all his might too.

“And the method for raising emotions in an instant…… I don’t really know because it happens right away for me.”

“Damn. You’re so lucky!”

“But when I saw Yuna, I kind of got it. She seemed to carry around something truly sad, something that could trigger tears, and use it to act right when the cut started. It’s like, mentally wearing yourself down.”

And he passed on various tips he had picked up on set. Although they had just met, their passion for acting and teamwork were a perfect match.

Zziiing.

[Are you awake? Should I come pick you up?]

If it hadn’t been for Gyeongmin’s text that morning, he wouldn’t have even known the sun had risen. As Muyoung rubbed his heavy eyes, Romin handed him his guitar.

“I’ll lend this to you. Use it well and return it.”

And a few days later.

“PD-nim? Where are you rushing off to like that?”

At S Broadcasting Station, PD Lee Yujin was almost running down the hallway. The ID card hanging around her neck was cumbersome.

“Uh, some work.”

“Oh, the proposal from last time—”

“Sorry! I’ll listen to it when I get back!”

She frantically pressed the elevator close button. It had been exactly two days since she heard from Ha Muyoung. He had asked to schedule a private audition, and it was set for today.

‘Oh. I’m late.’

But editing work had piled up, and she ended up being a little late.

No matter how rookie the actor was, it was impolite to make them wait in the broadcast station lobby.

“Mr. Ha Muyoung……?”

In the distance, two men sat in the open lobby cafe. One was Manager Ko Gyeongmin, so the other must be Ha Muyoung?

“Hello. PD-nim.”

“Oh my. Ha ha!”

He wasn’t the same person she had seen at the company dinner. He had gone from Sinchon to Hongdae! Just like in the articles, he had pomaded hair with silver piercings dangling, a white shirt with a black T-shirt and pants. And a guitar next to him!

“What is this?”

“It’s an earring, but you can’t tell, right?”

Since he was scared of getting his ears pierced, he chose earrings as an alternative. Thanks to that, he could hang all sorts of things on it, which was nice. As he fiddled with his ear and laughed, “Hehe,” PD Lee Yujin sat down in front of him, looking bewildered.

“Your image is completely different.”

“I tried to match the image of a Hongdae band. I actually look good in anything, so just trust me.”

Muyoung boldly started his self-promotion. Gyeongmin slid over the Americano he had ordered in advance.

“I told you that just having an image isn’t enough. Singing—”

“Can I show you one song? I’ve practiced a lot.”

“……Ha ha. My goodness. Okay. Let’s see.”

The truth was, she had agreed to Muyoung’s audition request for another reason.

There’s going to be a documentary about rookie entertainers to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary…… and she wanted to recruit him for it.

A talented kid who pursued his dream from his senior year of high school without parents.

That alone could make for a whole drama narrative.

Ddarang—

Muyoung cleared his throat and picked up the guitar. His legs crossed naturally, and his body angled just right. Lee Yujin, who had been watching without much expectation, tilted her head.

‘Has he played guitar before?’

Ddarang—

He drew a smooth line across the strings and began acting.

“It’s been a year already, as of today.”

“……?”

Chin on hand, huh? She asked him to sing, but he’s acting? Seeing Lee Yujin’s puzzled expression, Gyeongmin glanced around nervously. People rushing through the lobby looked over curiously.

“Thank you for being by my side all this time. Without you, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

“No, what is this—”

Her words were cut off as the song began immediately.

“I’ve always wondered. Before I met you. Where is my other half, what is she doing! Why did you only show up now?”

Muyoung’s voice rang out cheerfully and lovingly.

He naturally tapped the guitar body to keep the rhythm. PD Lee Yujin was so shocked she almost fell over.

“Wow. Is this a broadcast?”

“There’s no camera. Is this a real proposal?”

“No way.”

“Wow. But his voice is really good.”

“Is he a rookie idol?”

Murmurs. There were no compliments on how well he sang, but he at least looked like a musician. Everyone was focused on the song, which flowed smoothly without any rough edges.

Ttangdararang! Ttang!

Muyoung played the strings flamboyantly. He had practiced that move for three days and nights. He had worked incredibly hard to make Romin’s guitar-playing habits his own.

“That’s it.”

Muyoung smiled brightly and put down the guitar. His gestures, his movements, even the way he spoke—everything was slightly Hongdae-esque and languid. PD Lee Yujin crossed her arms and asked,

“What is this? What have you been doing for the past few days?”

“I really want to be in PD Lee Yujin’s drama, so I practiced a lot. Please let me have a formal audition. I’m begging you.”

Wow. What a find!

The cafe owner leaned out from behind the counter and asked,

“PD-nim. Is he a rookie idol? He seems so determined!”

At that, Muyoung just smiled.

He greeted her cheekily with a grin.

“I’m musician Ha Muyoung. Ma’am, the coffee is really good!”

Lee Yujin, who had been staring at him, suddenly realized something.

‘Come to think of it, the guitar…….’

He had only pretended to play at the beginning and end of the song. During the actual singing, he had just held the pose. Yet there was no sense of discomfort.

How had he managed to perfectly imitate a ‘musician’ in just a few days? What had he done, and how?

“Really…….”

She let out a dry laugh and said to Muyoung,

“Clear your schedule for next week. It’s the official audition week.”