A little past 10 AM.
‘This is really different from the image I had in mind.’
The area near Hongdae Entrance Station was extremely quiet.
The Hongdae I saw on the news or on YouTube was:
A street for the young!
A place where youth burns brightly!
Where everything that exists besides me will be annihilated!
Bring it on, you damn world!!!
That was roughly the vibe I had imagined, but the unexpectedly quiet scene made me unconsciously glance around.
Groups of people moving together in small clusters.
Couples who looked like university students.
Motorbikes whizzing by.
It was a very ordinary scene of Seoul.
I passed by the KFC in front of the subway station and continued walking down a side street for quite a while.
Every now and then, I opened my map to check my direction and headed towards more secluded areas.
After walking for some time, I arrived at a place with a slightly shabby building that left an impression.
‘Is this the place?’
The map was accurate.
I found the sign with the name I was looking for, so this must be it.
But something felt off.
Last night, I had watched a piece on the news about two masked men who ambushed a passerby and robbed him of 300,000 won. It was a tragic story.
The man was chasing the thieves when he dropped his phone, and the scene of him holding the cracked screen while tearfully sobbing appeared on the news as it was.
"They said the repair cost for the screen would be more than 300,000 won..."
Although the thief was caught, the 300,000 won had already been spent, and it didn't seem like the cracked screen would return in good condition.
A heartbreaking story too painful to watch with open eyes.
What I’m worried about now is something similar.
I currently have a whopping 190,000 won in cash.
The reason 10,000 won is missing is because I spent it to recharge my transportation card and bought a pizza bun on the way, as I was getting hungry.
I was actually going to pass by, but the problem was that I happened to pass by right when they were baking the bread. The smell was too good. Who could resist that?
Ahem.
Anyway!
There's no law saying I won’t get robbed in this remote place.
With this small body, I can't beat a strong adult thief.
To prepare for any potential situation, I shoved my wallet deep inside my bag. I tightened the straps of my bag so it was snug against my body. This way, if something happens, I’m ready to run immediately.
And then, I entered the dungeon entrance.
Deep in the basement of the building.
In that gloomy atmosphere, there was a store called ⌜Star Music Store⌟.
In front of the store, there was even a signboard, and luckily, the same phrase from the internet was written on it.
- Closing Sale in Full Swing! Up to 90% Off! -
The reason I came here.
I had to stay sharp and start farming.
* * *
“Hmm…”
A man named Hong Dae-sung, who had slept in his store after a night of heavy drinking, checked the time as soon as he woke up.
10:07.
Even though he woke up right at the store’s opening time of 10:00, not a single customer, let alone a stray cat, had come in.
There was a time when the place used to be bustling with people, even when he opened at 9:00.
But in recent years, the number of customers had steadily declined.
There were several reasons he could guess.
First, the world was filled with too many fun distractions—games, comics, movies, and more.
In such a world, was there really a reason to go out of your way to learn an instrument?
Even if you did go through the trouble of learning one, it took an incredibly long time to become proficient.
And even if you did become proficient, there weren’t many opportunities to put that skill to use.
It was no longer the era where playing an acoustic guitar could help you win over a lover.
Romance and love had long since become relics of the past, and as a result, fewer people were taking up music as a hobby.
Nowadays, people even bought instruments online more often than not.
They bought an instrument—something they’d spend a long time bonding with—without ever having met it in person.
Because it’s economical.
Because it’s practical.
Of course, it wasn’t like he blamed them for it.
It was just a grumble that had naturally surfaced after running an offline music store for so long.
Hong Dae-sung leaned back in his chair and lay down once more.
Spending a long time in Hongdae, living as an indie band member, performing, and running a music shop had started to feel a bit bittersweet.
"Well… It’s not like I regret that time, but still."
Just as I was idly staring at the geometric patterns on the ceiling, wondering which animal they resembled…
Ding!
Along with the cheerful sound of a bell, someone entered the shop.
"Uh... Hello?"
"Huh?"
"Is anyone here?"
"I'm over here..."
Startled by the somewhat young voice, Hong Dae-sung pulled the lever on his chair in the wrong direction and ended up falling flat on his back.
A cracking sound came from his lower back.
Judging by the noise, it was definitely a two-week recovery situation.
The voice of the clinic doctor briefly crossed Hong Dae-sung's mind: "Tsk tsk, you should be more careful. Why are you here again?"
Soon, hurried footsteps approached.
A kid peeked over the counter, staring at him.
The boy flinched slightly when he noticed Hong Dae-sung’s flashy tattoos, then carefully asked:
"Uh... are you... the owner? Or an employee?"
What a sharp-looking kid.
But then, he said something strange.
"Did you... perhaps get robbed?"
The sudden question left Hong Dae-sung speechless, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Excuse me, but… If that's not the case..."
He couldn't remember the last time he smiled.
"By any chance, are you the robber? If so, I'm busy, so I’ll just…”
Hong Dae-sung couldn't help but chuckle while lying down for a while.
He seemed like a peculiar kid.
Even though he talked like that, he said everything he wanted to, without showing a hint of fear when looking at him.
This bizarre moment, where nothing seemed to make sense—
That was Han Seojin and Hong Dae-sung’s first meeting.
* * *
It’s often said that "when two fierce opponents clash, sparks fly."
I never thought I would witness the literal scene of a dragon and a tiger entwined in battle.
‘This is impressive.’
On the body of the person who appeared to be the owner, employee, or perhaps even the robber of ⌜Star Music Shop⌟, both a tiger and a dragon were tattooed.
In contrast to his shiny head, the tattoos peeking out from under his sleeveless shirt certainly made an intimidating impression. His muscular build only added to that effect.
If he wasn’t collapsed there, clutching his waist, maybe I would’ve been nervous too.
To figure out who he really was, I bluntly asked him a question. The man, who had been chuckling while lying down, gave me a thumbs-up.
“This is nothing. And yeah, I’m the owner here.”
“Uh…”
“Look at the picture by the counter. That’s me, isn’t it?”
“Oh~”
My “uh” turned into an “oh” because he was right. There was a bulletin board on the counter wall filled with pictures of him playing an electric guitar, as if he were in a pub.
I walked behind the counter and reached out my hand to him.
We should help each other when times are tough.
As he quietly looked at me, he firmly grabbed my outstretched hands with one of his strong hands. He gripped them so tightly and suddenly that I almost felt like I was lifted off the ground.
A giant.
He had the build of a butcher.
The man dusted off his clothes and spoke to me.
"So, you're here to check out some instruments?"
"Oh, yes. I’m here for an acoustic guitar and a few other things."
"Other things? Like sheet music?"
"Yes."
"Want me to explain things first? Or do you want to look around on your own?"
Turns out, he was the owner, and he had an impeccable sense of customer service. This is why you shouldn’t judge people by their appearance.
Sure, he did look a lot like the criminal from yesterday’s news, which made me flinch for a second, but that was already behind me.
"I’ll take a look around first."
"Sure, ask if you have any questions."
I started to browse the store slowly.
The place was huge.
This music shop, which seemed to take up most of the basement, had everything from acoustic guitars to electric guitars, basses, drums, keyboards—you name it.
Near the entrance were some small items gathered together, and as I grabbed one of the notebooks, my hand couldn’t help but shake.
“500 won...?”
"Yeah, that’s on sale. Pretty cheap, huh?"
At the Omega stationery shop in my neighborhood, the manuscript paper notebook cost 3,000 won per book, but here, it was a mere 1/6 of that price.
Heaven.
Yes. Heaven wasn’t a distant place after all.
I barely managed to regain my composure, which I had almost lost, and began putting the items I needed into my basket.
If I spent about 10,000 won here, I could use the rest to buy a guitar.
The beginner guitar I had seen online was 160,000 won, so I still had some extra money left.
As I was picking out items, I could hear the chime of the doorbell and the shopkeeper's voice from time to time. I could sense customers coming and going, but I didn’t spare them a glance.
The acoustic guitars hanging all over the floor and walls were captivating enough for me.
I saw many high-end guitars that Uncle Miller had often explained to me in detail.
From famous brands like Martin, Taylor, and Gibson.
To high-end handmade models like Collings, Goodall, and Mälmsten.
The subtle scent of the wood from the acoustic guitars filled the air, making my heart race for no reason.
While slowly scanning the store, I spotted an acoustic guitar tucked away in a corner, as if I were entranced.
It looked like a guitar that had lost its spirit because no one had paid it any attention.
Of course, that wasn’t really the case, but at least that’s how it felt to me.
"Looking at used guitars? That’s not bad for a beginner."
The shopkeeper had appeared behind me before I knew it.
I asked him back.
"This is used?"
"Yeah. From here to the end of the corner, those are all used. The section you were looking at earlier is where the new items are displayed. That pillar is the dividing point."
Was this some kind of sales tactic?
It's only natural that if you see a new product first, your heart would lean towards the new one, rather than the used one.
The profit margin would probably be better, too.
But...
That wasn’t the case for me.
"May I try that one?"
"As much as you want. But do you know how to play guitar?"
"A little."
"Looks like you learned from a young age. That's impressive."
But for some reason, the shopkeeper was looking at me with a pleased expression. When did he ever see me to look at me like that?
I quietly watched as the acoustic guitar was handed over from the shopkeeper’s hands to mine.
It felt as if everything was in slow motion, and the movement seemed sluggish.
The shopkeeper's steps, his hand movements.
Finally, the guitar I received after what felt like a long wait fit snugly in my hands. It nestled warmly in my arms.
This guitar was one I knew all too well.
"RL-173..."
"Huh? That's a domestic brand guitar that was discontinued a few years ago. Do you know it?"
"Yes."
"Really? It wasn’t a widely known brand among the public. That’s interesting."
While staying on the deserted island with Uncle Miller.
The guitar that spent so much time with us.
This acoustic guitar, just as Uncle Miller had said, was from a local brand produced in a specific country.
Even though the guitar wasn’t tuned, I strummed it lightly first.
