novelones Chapter 188 : You’re Someone Who Works with Music, Right
Chapter 188 : You’re Someone Who Works with Music, Right
Where there is alcohol and music, there is always a certain romance.Moon Night Club was exactly that kind of place.
In the middle of Itaewon, up a small hill, there stood an old building.
The signboard was shabby, and the entrance wasn’t even easy to notice.
Unknown dancers, aspiring DJs, people obsessed with music, entertainment trainees—
Anyone in Seoul who had even a little connection to music gathered there.
There was no grand system, no glamorous interior.
There was simply an atmosphere that could exist only in that place.
Hip-hop, New Jack Swing, funk, R&B.
The space was filled with the beats of Black music, which at the time still felt unfamiliar.
It was a place where rank was decided not by wallets, but by skill.
There were no waiters arranging bookings, no people showing off expensive liquor.
Moon Night Club was essentially the unofficial audition stage of the Korean dance music scene.
A practice room.
And even a gateway to success.
In short—
The hottest youth of Korean pop music history dreamed of becoming legends right there, at Moon Night Club in Itaewon.
For reference, the music video for “Hayeoga,” the title track of Seo Taiji and Boys’ second album released in 1993, was also filmed there.
Because of that—
“Do you know Moon Night Club?”
When the words Moon Night Club came out of Taeyoon’s mouth, Kim Minsoo abruptly lifted his head.
He felt both delighted and surprised.
No matter how legendary the first-generation nightclub had been—
It had closed before Taeyoon was even born.
Kids these days knew about that place?
“Huh? How do you know about it?”
“Come on, even if I’m a total outsider who doesn’t go to clubs, I still know Moon Night Club.”
It had been over twenty years since it disappeared.
But it was still occasionally mentioned on variety shows and YouTube.
Among people interested in dancing or DJing, anyone who didn’t know Moon Night Club might as well be a spy.
“Moon Night Club… It really was incredible.”
Kim Minsoo’s eyes grew slightly moist.
At that moment, Taeyoon found something strange.
They were only ten years apart in age.
So why did he look so nostalgic?
Wait—he couldn’t have actually gone there either.
“…But CEO, you’re not really from the generation that went to Moon Night Club, right?”
“Hm? Haha.”
Perhaps he felt embarrassed.
Kim Minsoo chuckled and subtly avoided eye contact.
Taeyoon could tell just from that expression.
In some way or another, he must have encountered the passion of that era and admired it.
What shone in his eyes was not memory.
It was regret.
The kind that says, *What would it have been like if I had lived through that time myself?*
And beyond that—
A desire.
*What if I could create a place like that with my own hands?*
Taeyoon realized that CEO Kim Minsoo had dreamed about a space where music was the main character just as much as he had—
Perhaps even more.
So he didn’t ask further.
It was probably an unfulfilled musical thirst.
A romantic ideal of the perfect club.
And now, perhaps, the chance had arrived to make that dream real.
“I used to hear about it a lot from some older guys.”
“Older guys? What kind of…”
“Just some people I used to know. Whenever they drank, all they talked about was Moon Night Club.”
“What kind of stories?”
“Things like they saw Seo Taiji there, or Fire Truck, or Hyun Jinyoung. They’d talk about how the DJing there was the real deal. I’ve heard those stories so many times I practically memorized them.”
“I heard they even had dance battles there.”
“Not just battles. Agency owners walked around scouting people. A lot of famous singers debuted that way. Plenty of famous DJs too.”
Taeyoon listened with fascination.
But as he kept listening, the stories began to feel raw—different from what he had seen on YouTube or blogs.
Did this guy lie about his age?
Why did it feel like he had actually been there?
Taeyoon narrowed his eyes.
Sometimes Kim Minsoo surprised him with completely inexplicable behavior.
Kim Minsoo continued talking for quite a while.
By the time the long explanation began to drag, the topic shifted to DJing.
At that moment, Taeyoon’s eyes lit up.
“DJing in the 90s was analog. The feel of the hands mattered.”
“I heard Beat Matching was done manually. They adjusted BPM by hand while touching the LP record. Just imagining it sounds difficult.”
“With ears like yours, Taeyoon, you could definitely do it.”
“But if they DJed with LP records, they had to carry all of them around.”
“Exactly. Physical limitations meant your selection was limited.”
Things were different now.
What looked like a real turntable and LP record often used a DVS—Digital Vinyl System—preserving the physical feel while allowing digital tracks to be used.
Simply put—
If DJs in the 1990s were drivers operating manual-stick cars,
Modern DJs were like drivers performing advanced driving techniques with cutting-edge autonomous systems.
Technology had become easier.
But the era demanded deeper creativity.
Taeyoon’s performance style reflected that.
It was thoroughly aligned with modern methods.
But the more they talked, the more he became interested in the classical method.
“The old way… analog. I want to try it.”
“In the club we’re creating?”
“That would be even better. Just imagining it sounds exciting.”
“No matter how much people say the old days were real, analog can’t beat digital. It’s more convenient, and all the equipment setups are digital now.”
Taeyoon lifted the corner of his lips and answered.
“I’m not worried about that.”
“Hm?”
“You’ll make it all happen, CEO.”
Then he raised his thumb.
His expression practically said—
*I trust you!*
Just because he hadn’t lived in that era didn’t mean he couldn’t understand its romance.
If they were going to recreate a first-generation nightclub, everything should match that era.
Technology.
Atmosphere.
If they could truly bring back the feeling of that time—
There would be nothing more meaningful.
“Alright. Let’s make it well.”
“But CEO…”
Taeyoon spoke carefully.
“Building a hotel nightclub must cost a lot, right? And if we divide the DJ booth into analog and digital setups… that won’t be cheap either. If it becomes a burden—”
Kim Minsoo interrupted him, squeezing his shoulder.
“Taeyoon.”
“Yes?”
“It’s me. Kim Minsoo.”
“…Ah?”
“And my older brother?”
“…Kim Jinsoo.”
“Ahhh…”
They say the most pointless worry in the world is worrying about rich people.
Taeyoon ended the conversation cheerfully and left KIM Entertainment, heading toward Backstage.
Now all he had to do was leave everything to them and wait.
Of course—
Enduring that waiting period would probably be the hardest part.
---
On the way from KIM Entertainment to Backstage.
As usual, I got off the bus near Hongdae.
Then suddenly changed direction.
A place I wanted to visit had popped into my head.
My destination was a record shop.
There were still a few old-style record shops remaining near Hongdae.
After searching on my smartphone, I found the most vintage-looking one.
[ Needle Drop – Record Shop ]
I liked the name immediately.
Even without explaining what the store sold, the name made it obvious.
Needle drop.
The act of placing the needle onto an LP record.
Or the exact point where a specific sound begins.
When the needle drops—
The music starts.
With digital equipment, everything happens with a single click.
But in LP DJing, you rely on delicate hand control to drop the needle at the exact timing without mistakes.
[ Business Hours: 12:00 – 20:00 ]
Fortunately, it was still open.
“I can go right now.”
I couldn’t believe a treasure trove like this existed so close to Backstage.
After crossing a small hill and reaching the end of an alley, I found the shop.
Clink—
The wind chime on the door rang clearly.
As I carefully stepped inside, the wooden floor creaked.
A dusty vanilla scent mixed with the smell of old paper filled my nose.
The same scent that used to linger in my father’s study.
Places like this always made me think about the past.
I brushed my nose with my index finger and looked around the store.
Then a low, dignified voice spoke.
“Welcome. Looking for anything in particular?”
It must have been the owner.
He casually lowered the needle onto a turntable.
I smiled and answered.
“I’ll just take a look around.”
“I could tell just by hearing your voice.”
“…Excuse me?”
What did that mean?
“You work with music, don’t you?”
“Ah… yes. Something like that.”
“Look carefully at the lower shelves. You might discover an unexpected treasure.”
“Thank you.”
The first place I headed to was the section labeled “Dance / House.”
Squatting on the floor, I began flipping through stacks of LP records.
Hundreds of album jackets brushed past my fingertips.
Unfamiliar names.
Old logos.
Dusty, slippery vinyl sleeves.
It felt like a new sense awakening.
Then one album caught my eye.
[ Black Box – Dreamland ]
“Oh?”
It was often called the bible of Italian House.
I quickly checked the condition.
One corner of the jacket was slightly pressed, but the label area was clean.
I examined the album more closely.
A smile formed naturally.
It was one of my favorite songs.
A track that bridged club music and pop.
The heart-pounding bass line.
The playful vocal tone.
And above all, the tightness of the rhythm.
I tucked the album under my arm and moved to the next section.
“R&B / Soul.”
The owner had told me to check the lower shelves.
So I checked them properly.
People say if you listen well to your elders, good fortune will follow.
Squatting again, I examined the albums.
Soon another one caught my eye.
[ Bobby Brown – Don’t Be Cruel ]
Man, this was a legendary album.
The jacket photo—Bobby Brown wearing a stylish suit—somehow felt both old-fashioned and sophisticated.
I brushed the dusty cover with my fingers.
If I could revive the spirit of artists embedded in these old LP records onto modern beats—
How amazing would that be?
That was how much I loved this album.
Among its tracks, my favorite was undoubtedly
The sliding drum loop was truly unique.
The moment I saw the title, that hypnotic loop began playing in my mind.
The signature swing rhythm naturally made my body move.
Because the rhythm was so distinctive, it didn’t blend easily with mechanical sounds.
And that was exactly why I liked it.
My head began nodding without realizing it.
Then suddenly I startled myself and looked around.
Thankfully, no one had noticed.
“Whoa…”
I tapped my leg and stood up.
After thinking briefly about which to buy—
I chose both albums.
38,000 won each.
A bit expensive.
But I changed my perspective.
Two tickets for mixing practice.
Thinking of it that way made it feel cheap.
Without hesitation, I placed the two albums on the counter.
Beep— Beep—
As the owner scanned the barcodes, he spoke.
“Nice picks. Not many people look for Italian House these days.”
He paused while wrapping the album and glanced at me.
“Nowadays people don’t even know that Black Box is House music, let alone Bobby Brown.”
There was a slight smile at the end of his sentence.
A strangely warm tone.
“Judging by how you picked your records, you must really love music. Though I doubt you’re planning to DJ with these.”
Wait… was he psychic?
Then again, someone who ran a shop like this probably wasn’t ordinary.
I shrugged casually and smiled.
“Thanks to you, I picked up some great albums.”
“Oh? You look young, but you know the word ‘jackpot find’?”
The owner’s face lit up with a smile, as if happy to hear the term.
I only said it because my father used it often.
He even seemed about the same generation as my dad.
I simply smiled in response.
The owner grinned as well.
“Come again sometime. Next time check the Techno section too. There are plenty of jackpot finds there.”
After handing me the bag, he added while returning behind the counter,
“Not many young people pick albums like these. Actually… no one really cares about LP records anymore.”
Was it just my imagination—
Or did he look a little lonely?
I deliberately spoke cheerfully.
“I’ll come often! Thank you for running such a great shop.”
Even I felt embarrassed after saying it.
I quickly pushed the door open.
The wind chime rang again.
Clink.
My steps toward Backstage felt a little lighter.