RAP STAR

Chapter 16 [verse 2, I got to move]

As Sanghyun walked a bit further up from Yangdong Market, a shabby brown building came into view. The fourth floor of that building was L&S's practice room.

"Sanghyun brought you here!"

"Oh, this arrogant junior!"

L&S's bassist, Yongjun, greeted Sanghyun energetically.

"Are you just going to leave like that? Right after the applause? What's up with that? Arrogant punk."

"Welcome. Have you eaten?"

"Oh, our rapper is here."

L&S's leader, drummer, and bassist welcomed Sanghyun.

Sanghyun felt a bit overwhelmed by their excessive hospitality. But what he didn't know was that Sanghyun's name and performance videos were spreading among the bands. He was becoming known as a proper rapper or even a blue chip, something Gwangju had never seen before.

Someone hastily uploaded a video starting from the first guitar solo bridge to an online indie band community in Gwangju. It was a short video, but enough to feel Sanghyun's charm.

That's why occasionally, bands would come to Sejong Music Instrument Store and ask Miju for Sanghyun's contact information. Miju would pretend not to know due to some unknown promise with L&S.

Just as rappers who had only rapped over VST instruments (virtual instruments for composition, computer-generated instrument sounds) fell for the real sound of bands, bands were also seeking talented rappers who could spice things up.

"Hello."

"Have a seat. First, there's a performance you need to listen to. Miju, come here for a moment."

Feeling bewildered, Sanghyun sat down, and L&S and Miju shook hands awkwardly before suddenly starting to play.

A familiar intro. Run-D.M.C.'s "Walk This Way."

No, with a keyboard section, it was Sanghyun's "Run This Town."

'Wow, this is serious.'

The drum and electric guitar lines followed Run-D.M.C.'s lines solidly and faithfully.

Especially the leader and guitarist completely abandoned the feeling of Aerosmith and perfectly mixed their own vibe into Run-D.M.C.'s "Walk This Way."

"Did you listen carefully?"

But what was most surprising was Yongjun's bass and Miju's keyboard. Originally, the bass didn't stand out in the band's sound, but Yongjun intentionally created a strong sound, blending in between the electric guitar lines to give it a new feeling. Moreover, while Miju previously played the electric guitar lines as they were, this time she was playing a completely different melody line. It seemed to be harmonizing with the electric guitar, creating a fast-paced melody that was no joke. Especially the keyboard solo in the second bridge was breathtakingly fast.

*Tatang!*

With a strong drum sound, the performance came to an end. Sanghyun sincerely applauded. It hadn't even been a week since the Sejong Music Instrument Store performance, but this was such a perfect performance. Their effort showed.

"How was it?"

"It was perfect."

"More of a hip-hop vibe, right?"

Sanghyun grinned at L&S's leader's words.

"No, this feels more pop."

"What do you mean? How is this pop?"