The six strings of the acoustic guitar vibrated all at once.
Since the guitar was out of tune, a slight dissonance was created.
Depending on how you listened, it could sound unpleasant.
However.
"Well, well?"
The way the child hugged the guitar close to his body, like he was comfortably embracing a lover after a long time, looked quite fitting.
Hong Dae-sung, realizing something at that moment, quickly spoke to the child.
"I almost forgot. Let me see the guitar for a second. I'll tune it for you first."
Hong Dae-sung reached for the guitar tuner on the shelf.
A digital tuner often used by people who handle string instruments. It was a device that detects the frequency of the instrument and checks if the sound is accurate.
However, the child shook his head and skillfully turned the tuning pegs on the guitar head.
"I know how to tune it. It's fine."
"Without a tuner?"
"Yes. Though... it's my first time tuning the first string. Is this the right sound for E?"
As the child plucked the guitar, the tuner lit up green.
Meaning the note was accurate.
Before Hong Dae-sung could say anything, the child had already tuned all six strings in an instant.
Hong Dae-sung felt a bit dumbfounded.
"Do you have perfect pitch by any chance?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"I'm someone who still has a lot to figure out. But I think this tuning worked out well."
The child gently swept the guitar strings.
Unlike before, a beautiful harmony filled the store.
Even the customers browsing near the entrance turned to look in their direction.
Just by watching, Hong Dae-sung could tell that the child had been playing the guitar for quite some time.
The child looked around the store and spotted a barstool in front of a shelf, sitting on the edge of it.
Because of his short height, the child naturally leaned back.
He bent over, carefully observing the neck of the guitar.
With his right hand, he softly strummed the body of the guitar.
The child's movements were delicate, as if handling something precious, and you could even sense a feeling of love in those actions.
Every move the child made seemed intentional, not casual.
‘Ah...’
Yes. It really did seem that way.
The child gazed at the guitar with affection.
And then, at that moment, the child began to play.
Not the usual chord accompaniment, but a fingerstyle that articulated each note individually.
His ring finger, middle finger, thumb, and index finger moved in order.
Finally, a melody was born.
Different notes wove together harmoniously, making the listener's heart race.
A minimal yet clean piece.
The beauty of this song is particularly emphasized...
‘The Beatles’ Something.’
It’s not a very well-known song among The Beatles’ tracks.
But how does that child know this song?
Of course, since it’s sung by a singer, it didn’t mean that Something was an unknown song just because it wasn’t famous.
Something was a track from the famous Beatles’ album, the one with the iconic cover of them crossing a crosswalk.
A song written by The Beatles’ guitarist, George Harrison, as he thought of his wife.
With a melody that lingers like starlight,
And a soft, warm harmony that resonates.
As Hong Dae-sung’s curiosity continued to grow,
The unexpected voice of the child was added.
The young, trembling voice of the child was incredibly mysterious.
The faint, almost inaudible voice felt like a spontaneous hum that came out instinctively.
Hong Dae-sung felt like he couldn’t breathe because of the overwhelming atmosphere.
He scratched his arm unconsciously, his skin tingling with goosebumps.
“Wow... amazing...”
“Who is that?”
Two female customers had somehow appeared next to Hong Dae-seong, standing side by side.
Completely engrossed in the child’s voice and performance, Hong Dae-seong found himself making a desperate wish.
‘Please, be quiet. Please, be quiet. Please, be quiet.’
He felt that if he didn’t hear the child’s voice right at this moment, he would never hear it again.
It didn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to see the child again in the future.
He thought that the raw, genuine voice—filled with earnestness and sincerity—was one that could only be produced in the emotion of the moment.
This wasn’t a voice that could come out just because of training every time.
Just like how every one of a singer's 100 performances isn’t exactly the same.
It was a song from the child that could only be heard here today.
Hong Dae-sung, knowing this well, prayed that the two customers would remain quiet.
For the child's wonderful performance.
For this magnificent moment.
But fate had no mercy.
"Should we record a video?"
"Let’s do it! This is amazing! So cute, a total little kid!"
Instead of being helpful, the customers were only causing a disturbance.
As their behavior crossed the line, Hong Dae-sung reached out his hand.
Grabbing one of their phones tightly, he frowned.
"Excuse me. What do you think you’re doing?"
"Huh?"
"Recording. Did you get permission from that kid? And did anyone in this shop say you could film?"
"..."
"..."
"Huh?"
When Hong Dae-sung glared at them, the two customers, mumbling apologies, hurriedly left the shop.
Maybe they were just here to experience some "Hongdae vibes*" or something. (T/N: Referring to the atmosphere in Hongdae.)
Watching their backs as they left, Hong Dae-seong let out a deep sigh.
While he had been distracted by the commotion, the child’s performance had already come to an end.
Unfortunately, it's such a shame.
Meanwhile, the child, who had finished playing, stared at the guitar for a moment before handing it over to Hong Dae-sung.
As Hong Dae-seong took the guitar, he asked the child.
"Why? You can keep playing if you'd like."
He spoke with a bit of anticipation.
But the child simply shook his head calmly.
"No, this is enough. Thank you."
"You said you came to buy a guitar, didn’t you? Don’t you like this one? Is it not good enough?"
"Ah... Well..."
For a moment, the child’s gaze turned toward the stand where the guitar had been placed. Hong Dae-sung naturally followed that gaze.
And then—
He immediately understood why the child had acted that way.
What the child had been staring at intently...
It was the price tag on the acoustic guitar.
* * *
'What a shame...'
I could only watch as the guitar slipped further out of my reach.
But there was nothing I could do.
That price was far beyond my budget.
'700,000 won...'
Even though it’s a used guitar and the price has already dropped significantly, it’s still too much.
If it were just a bit more affordable, maybe, but this price? It was completely out of reach.
‘Still, just being able to play that guitar like this—where else would I have gotten the chance?’
If this is luck, then it’s definitely luck.
Someday, another opportunity will come again.
Like the saying goes, "Don’t even look at the rice cake you can’t eat." So, I decided not to dwell on it for now.
But then.
“So, how much are you short?”
“Pardon?”
“You liked that guitar, didn’t you? So, how much are you short?”
“......”
The owner, as if he had opened a third eye, began to read my thoughts precisely.
Suddenly, he started asking me all sorts of questions.
“So, what’s your name?”
“Uh... It’s Han Seojin.”
“Han Seojin? Sounds like a name I’ve heard before. Well, it’s a pretty common name. How old are you?”
“I’m turning 12 this year.”
“12?”
“Yes, I’m in the 6th grade.”
“What…?”
He took two or three steps back, looking me up and down. Then, with a sharp smack on his shiny bald head! Every move he made was larger than life. It was like watching a cartoon.
“Wow. You looked young, but... You’re not even in middle school yet? This is crazy...”
“Well, I’ll be in middle school next year. But what’s so crazy?”
“Never mind that. When did you even start learning guitar? Why are you so good?”
“Uh… It’s been about three years. But I’m not that good. I still need to change up my playing style from now on.”
“Oh, right! You usually play with just five strings, don’t you? That’s pretty unique.”
“It’s kind of like that.”
Since I’d been playing on a five-string guitar without one string while stranded on a deserted island, my playing style had become quite distinct.
It wasn’t that there were any sounds or chords I couldn’t play just because I only had five strings. However, there was no reason to play with five strings when I had access to a six-string guitar.
That’s why, just a little while ago, when I played Something, I tried to use all six strings.
I figured if I practiced for just a few months, I’d get used to it in no time.
Also, since I had fun playing the guitar on the deserted island with three strings, two strings, or even just one string, the number of strings didn’t really matter to me.
I just needed the instrument itself, and I understood it well enough.
Uncle Miller always emphasized that to me.
He told me not to memorize chords or fingerings but to try to understand the instrument itself.
But the store owner seemed to have a slightly different perspective.
“So, you wanted to play differently from others… That’s exactly the Hongdae style. You’ve got kind of an indie vibe, huh?”
“Pardon?”
“Ahem! So, do you like that guitar? Be honest.”
“Well... yes, I do?”
His relentless questions.
At this point, I couldn’t help but catch on to the nuance of what he was getting at.
He was trying to make a deal with me.
In short, he was giving me a bit of wiggle room.
I began to answer him clearly and deliberately.
“So, how much do you have right now?”
“I have 190,000 won. But the things I was about to buy, like notebooks, cost about 10,000 won, and I need to buy a gift for my younger sister, so in reality, I have around 170,000 won.”
“You have a younger sister? How old?”
“Five years old.”
“You’re kind, taking care of your sister like that. So, you’re short by 530,000 won if you have 170,000 now, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Well then…”
“Thank you. I’ll make sure to pay the rest back by next year, no matter what. My detailed personal information is…”
“What?”
“Pardon?”
Oops!
Without realizing it, I responded too quickly and made a mistake.
Damn! I was in a hurry.
Given the nature of the item, the mistake slipped out.
The boss looked at me and instead let out a chuckle.
“You idiot! I haven’t even finished talking, and you’re already jumping to conclusions?”
“Oh… I’m sorry.”
“Well, at least you respond quickly. But I have my costs for buying this item too, so if you match it as closely as possible... I can let it go for 500,000 won. How about that?”
“500,000?”
My eyes widened.
“Then, I only need to give you 330,000 won more.”
“You’re quick with the math. So what you need to do is…”
I started thinking even faster.
My monthly allowance is about 50,000 won on average.
Including the interest, I just need to get through seven months.
Honestly, it's not even that much of a struggle.
Can I really buy that guitar for such a low price?
Just thinking about the significance of that guitar alone, it was nothing short of a big opportunity for me.
If I had the money, whether it was 10 million won or 20 million won, I would have gladly paid it for that guitar.
I’m incredibly grateful that the shop owner even showed me this much consideration…
"So, when you grow up. When you make it big with your music in the future. Don't forget this moment and make sure to help out your juniors. You need to help them out with at least 330,000 won worth."
"...Sorry? What?"
My mind went blank.
"Got it? This is a debt, so don't ever forget it. Later on, buy food for hungry juniors or help them buy sheet music, whatever it is. Otherwise, I'll come looking for you. Understood?"
"......"
"What are you doing? Aren’t you going to pay? I'll throw in a decent guitar case, so hand over 170,000 won. Oh, and didn't we say the stuff in your basket comes to about 10,000 won? So that's 180,000 won, you rascal."
"......"
I was at a loss for words.
It felt like I'd been hit in the head.
Maybe it was because I had just met Yeo Jin-soo, the assistant director, yesterday.
Can someone really help a stranger they just met like this, without any conditions?
He was letting me take a 700,000 won guitar for just 170,000 won.
He didn’t even ask me to pay him back later, only that I help out a poor junior in the future instead.
This is…
'Is that really possible?'
As I stayed quiet without a word, the boss, as if he had somehow mastered the art of reading minds, tousled my hair lightly and continued speaking.
"With your skill level, you must have practiced until your fingers bled, right? That means you're serious about music. But should you let yourself be upset just because you don’t have enough money? In life, there are days like this, you know?"
"......"
"Kid, at times like this, you just say ‘Thank you’ and accept it graciously. That way, you won't hurt the pride of the grown-ups. Got it?"
"......"
I bowed my head slightly and thanked him, just as he had said. Sincerely.
He looked at me, chuckled again, and started packing up the items I had bought.
Even after receiving the guitar, I stayed in the shop, chatting with him about this and that.
The Beatles and guitars.
The shop and Hongdae.
Countless stories about musicians.
Time flew by.
Dae-sung hyung even bought me a meal.
It was jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk, and it was absolutely fantastic.
It wasn't until past 3 PM that I finally left the instrument shop.
And then...
I looked again at the basement that had initially felt like the entrance to a dungeon when I first came here.
A place with graffiti all over the building's walls.
Now it seemed pretty cool.
Retracing my steps, I headed back to Hongdae Station.
I continued riding the subway, feeling the rattling as it sped through the underground.
Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the black window of the subway.
There was a kid, barely 140 cm tall, carrying a guitar case almost as big as his body.
It looked a bit like an ant carrying a large leaf.
I took out the business card that Dae-sung hyung had given me when we parted.
On the front, it said "Star Instrument Shop."
And on the back, "Star Live House."
Dae-sung hyung had told me that he often performed at the live house he managed.
‘Dae-sung hyung said I could come by whenever I had time…’
He was still someone holding onto his dream.
As I mulled over various thoughts, I kept gazing out the subway window.
After passing a few stations, the subway finally emerged above ground.
From then on, the window no longer reflected black, but instead showed a variety of scenery.
I couldn’t help but be captivated by the vibrant scenes of Seoul.
Hongdae.
It might actually be quite an interesting place.
