The Guide

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“So…, what did you say you’d like to sing?”

“《Eternal Memory》”

“You chose a difficult song. Let’s hear it first.”

Roa took a deep breath several times with a very nervous face, but changed his expression as soon as the intro was played. On the other hand, Dok-Yeom, who had his writing equipment in hand to write down the points, put down his pen even before the first verse was over. Roa’s voice was clear and resonant, and his breathing and vocalization were quite excellent. He had been washing the dishes for two years…. And yet, seeing him maintain this level of skill, he probably went to quite a few deserted places to practice somehow.

For four minutes when Roa sang, Dok-Yeom constantly kicked his tongue. What a waste that such a talent has been buried all this time. How can someone’s voice be this good? Are all the main vocalists of idol groups this good at singing? How come he didn’t become famous? Oh, the daughter of the CEO of Ji Entertainment. Yes, I understand how Producer Kang feels. It’s so unfair that it makes me want to do something about it.

Dok-Yeom, who was shaking his head with a bitter face, glanced at the bracelet on Roa’s wrist. Maybe that thing added another spoon to his lucky charm.

“Good job.”

“…thank you.”

Roa, who came out of the recording booth timidly after the song, gulped down his dry saliva, looking at Dok-Yeom’s countenance. He sang a song in a completely hectic state, but his heart sank as soon as he started singing and his expression turned pale.

In fact, he didn’t think that he would be lucky enough to sing in front of Dok-Yeom. He didn’t know how Lee Seo came to know Dok-Yeom, a name which was erased from the entertainment industry long ago. Dok-Yeom’s name just popped up in his mind because he was a composer he likes.

“《The Day I Confess》? Seo Dok-Yeom?”

When Lee Seo, with a strange expression on her face, told him to go see Dok-Yeom tomorrow, he thought he was dreaming. He thought he used up his life’s luck just to work with Producer Kang…. He couldn’t sleep a wink last night because he was too excited. He should’ve gotten some sleep, though. He should have had his throat in the best condition. What if Composer Dok-Yeom didn’t like my song? Roa, feeling very nervous, rubbed his moist, sweaty palms on the hem of his clothes.

“Do you know how to read music sheet?”

“Yes. I used to play the piano when I was young.”

“That’s great. I don’t guide when I record. I never chose music that doesn’t go well with the voice. I’ll give you the music sheet and music, so practice on your own. Give me your phone number, so that I can send you the file. We have to do a total of five songs, but we can’t work on them all at once. Let’s complete two songs before the press conference. If you have nowhere to practice, come here and do it.”

“I’m allowed to sing your song…?”

Dok-Yeom’s expression turned a little cold as Roa, who raised his head in shock and asked. What are you talking about? He had the intention from the beginning, that’s why he called him.

“Aren’t you here to sing a new song?”

“Thank you! I’ll do my best!”

Dok-Yeom had a slightly surprised face while looking at Roa, who bent over 90 degrees, and frowned slightly. He wanted to say it after being familiar with each other, but he couldn’t stand it because that bracelet was very annoying to his eyes. Even if he sounded crazy, he had to tell him first.

“Mr. Roa. Is that bracelet very important to you?”

“What? Oh, yes. It’s the last present I got from my late mother….”

Oh, my. Where the hell did she buy that stuff and stuffed it in her son’s hand? Something was written on it. Something else will stick to him even if Dok-Yeom got rid of that fierce ghost.

“But what’s wrong with….”

“It’s okay if you don’t believe it, but the bracelet looks ominous to me. The energy itself is bad and especially disturbing if Mr. Roa’s works here. If it was something you bought, I would have told you to throw it right away, but I can’t because it’s a keepsake from your mother. Please don’t wear it when you come to my studio or work with me, I hope you don’t wear it as much as possible.”

Dok-Yeom calmly watched the young boy’s red face turned white. He did everything he could. Even being treated like a madman…, It can’t be helped.

***

Expensive liquor and ice buckets were scattered on the marble floor of the penthouse living room with a panoramic view of Cheongdam Bridge over the window. Even though the sun was still far from setting, the owner of the penthouse, who picked up a bottle of 700ml liquor on the floor, finished it in 20 minutes. The bottles were bought for over 400 dollars from a shop that is open 24/7. But he was drinking as they were some cheap alcoholic drinks.

“Bro. I know you’re heartbroken. If you’re going to drink without any restrictions, at least add ice in it. You’re going to regret so much tomorrow after such a fiasco today. Did you call me to clean up your body?”

“Have you ever seen King Yama?”

Dok-Yeom opened his eyes a little wide at the sudden question of Ji-Won, who still had clear eyes even after drinking strong liquor like water.

“That, I saw him sometimes coming to Jungcheon. I think he’s pretty close to the CEO….”

“Really?”

“When did you meet him?”

“Yesterday. Was he always interested in the CEO?”

Dok-Yeom looked slightly tired of Ji-Won’s sharp voice.

“Bro. Not all other men have the same taste as you. I think it’s a bit strange to think King Yama has a liking to the Head of Jungcheon as a woman…. Aside from all that, your taste is very unique. Aren’t you scared? If you even get touched with that sword, you’ll go to hell right away. You will never be able to come out.”

“Does King Yama usually go after the dead like that?”

Ji-Won, who was thinking hard after listening to Dok-Yeom, suddenly asked a question. He’s out of his mind, right? Although it was suspicious, Dok-Yeom answered his question sincerely.

“That’s not… no. There is a separate chase group in the Myeonggye for that.”

“Hmm. Then why did that insidious man called the CEO in a deserted valley?”

“What do you mean?”

“King Yama set a trap on Taebaeksan Mountain himself. To catch the sinners who ran away. But there’s no way that a sinner with common sense who has run away would go back to the person who is chasing him and be caught in a trap, right? On top of that, the place was inaccessible even for ordinary guides. So the CEO had no choice but to go there herself.”

“It does feel a little strange to hear about it from you, but…. Still, King Yama and the CEO of Jungcheon. Does this relationship even has a future? The CEO will go to heaven later. They’re never an ideal couple.”

Is that so? Am I overreacting because I’m blinded by the CEO? No, the way he looked at me was clearly full of hostility…. Ji-Won narrowed his eyes and was about to open his mouth, when suddenly he heard the sound of pressing the door lock password.

“Who else did you call?”

“No one.”

“Then who is that?”

“Mr. Yiren…. Martin, who is it?”

Hae-Soo, wearing a spotted shirt with one of his cheeks swollen red came in. When his eyes landed on the two, his feet stopped in surprise. Ji-Won, who was surprised for a moment, twisted the corners of his mouth.

“What are you doing? Why did you come into someone else’s house? You want to be taken to jail for breaking into my house?”

“Oh, Brother. You were at home. I thought you wouldn’t be here at this time.”

“If you knew I wouldn’t be here, you shouldn’t have come even more.”

“Well, Brother. I spilled coffee on my clothes, so I came in to borrow one from you. I was too embarrassed to take the subway. It stinks too much.”

“Did you get permission from me? You’re behaving like a total criminal. You came here to steal because you don’t have enough clothes home?”

Hae-Soo looked visibly upset at Ji-Won’s raw criticism.

“I’m not stealing, I’m borrowing…. And you told me the password when…”

“I told you to come in because I thought I would be too late that day, but I didn’t mean you to come here as if you are coming and going your own house like this!”

“Ay. All right. I won’t do that anymore, so please forgive me today. I’m really in a bad mood right now.”

Ha! Ji-Won, who snorted violently and put down the bottle he was holding on the floor with a loud sound, threw the slippers at Hae-Soo’s head.

“Argh! It hurts, Brother.”

“Do you think I’m in a good mood right now? You have come to die today! Or did you come to add oil in the fire?”

“Why are you in a bad mood? What’s the matter?”

When Hae-Soo’s eyes sparkled with half worry and half curiosity, Dok-Yeom, who was surprised, tapped Ji-Won’s arm. Shut up, Brother. Don’t make a mistake in front of that loose mouth.

“Ji-Won lost a lot of stock today. By the way, what’s wrong with your cheek?”

“You wouldn’t believe what happened guys. You know I have a college entrance examination next month, right? So I asked my girlfriend to go on a trip this weekend to the campsite we are about to go.”

“But?”

“But she said she couldn’t go because it was a red day. She didn’t answer me when I asked her what red day is. She just blamed me for not knowing.”

Ji-Won and Dok-Yeom, who were about to say something, wrinkled their brows at the same time. However, Hae-Soo began to get excited while talking, and already didn’t care about his older brothers’ expressions.

“As I was listening quietly, I think she was talking about having her period. Why couldn’t she tell me directly that she was on her period but a red day? I don’t think it’s some kind of disease or slang.”

Ji-Won closed his eyes tightly as if he could not bother with Hae-Soo at all and tilted his head back. Dok-Yeom, who was trying not to say any words to Hae-Soo and stayed quiet for a long time couldn’t help but open his mouth.

“You’re as stupid as the dirt on your toenails, right?

“My feet are clean, Brother.”

“That’s what I’m saying. You’ve no brain at all.”

At Dok-Yeom’s words, Hae-Soo, who was biting his lower lip, continued to talk, pulling a plate of snacks in front of them that no one had touched.

“Anyway, this is what I did. It’s hard to see each other’s faces on normal times and it will be harder when I go to the camp, so I asked if she could hold it for a day and come with me on Monday, and the slap flew right away. And then she also poured coffee…. What would have happened if the coffee was hot? It’s not that I’ve done a crime then why should I be treated like this? Even if she hit me, she shouldn’t have poured coffee on me.”

“Damn it. Even such a brat is in a relationship….”

Ji-Won chewed his teeth and muttered, then put his arms around Hae-Soo’s shoulders and spoke in a friendly voice. Dok-Yeom, who sensed danger in his overly gentle voice, quickly bit himself back. But Hae-Soo, who was concentrating on eating grapes, did not feel any sense of crisis. Wow, I can’t believe I’m eating Shine Muscat*. As expected of Brother Ji-Won!

[T/N: Shine Muscat is a diploid table grape cultivar resulted from a cross of Akitsu-21 and ‘Hakunan’ (V. vinifera) made by National Institute of Fruit Tree Science (NIFTS) in Japan in 1988. It has large yellow-green berries, crisp flesh texture, muscat flavor, high soluble solids concentration and low acidity.]

“Hae-Soo.”

“What?”

“I’m in a very dirty mood right now, but you’ve been blabbering in front of me without knowing that. Do you think if you get punched, you would get a nosebleed?”

“Uh… I probably would.”

When Hae-Soo rolled his eyes here and there, and answered with an innocent face, Ji-Won’s eyes flashed fiercely.

“Really? Then if a woman can hold her period, do you think you can hold your nosebleed? Shall we experiment today to see if that’s possible?”

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