WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 108: I’m About to Do Something Bad for a Good Cause

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Life was always a kaleidoscope.

All sorts of things happened if one lived long enough.

Having lived a long life, Rimon knew that better than anyone. That was why he usually took unexpected events in stride.

But at this moment.

Rimon could not contain his curiosity.

“How did things end up like this...?”

[Why else? Because our illustrious team leader came to say hello to his friend.]

“No, I mean, what did I do?”

[You really have to ask?]

Yoo Na-gyeong asked incredulously.

“Would I ask if I knew?”

Rimon furrowed his brow.

After all, all he had done was open the cafe door and walk in.

The problem was that, the moment he entered, Owner Jeong, Eugene, and more than a few dozen people had practically dragged him onto the stage.

They had even kindly shoved a guitar into his hands.

“I understand Eugene being music-brained, but why are all these other people throwing a fit because they can’t make me play for them?”

[Because you showed up after a whole week, Team Leader.]

“So what?”

[What do you mean, what? These people have gone half-crazy because they haven’t heard you play for a week.]

“Is my playing some kind of drug? They’re making this much fuss after only one week without it?”

[If it were a drug, they could at least buy it with money. The problem is that they can’t hear you play even if they pay.]

Yoo Na-gyeong grumbled.

At first, it had not been this bad.

No matter how excellent Rimon’s playing was, it did not quite measure up to someone truly world-class like Julia.

Besides, in this age where more and more Players used Music Skills and an abundance of top-tier musicians had emerged, he had not stood out that much.

[Your friend’s singing was especially unremarkable, Team Leader.]

“Hm. I’ll concede that.”

The problem was Eugene.

Unlike Rimon, whose technique was already complete, Eugene was still an inexperienced singer.

As a result, her natural sense and emotion had not always been supported by her technique.

But Owner Jeong had given Eugene basic vocal training during her free time and days off after working at the live cafe.

Of course, it was only basic training.

Nothing more than simple exercises even ordinary people could easily do.

Yet the result was...

Eugene improved explosively.

[They say crows flock together, but how can someone change that much after only a few days of training...?]

“They say that if you haven’t seen someone for three days, you should look at them anew.”

[There are limits!]

In truth, Yoo Na-gyeong’s point was accurate.

Eugene was similar to Rimon.

Just as Rimon, with the physical abilities of a Sword Master and the senses he had gained from the Pitch-Black Violin, had absorbed Julia’s lessons in an instant.

Eugene had innate talent and extensive experience as a street musician. Simple training had been enough to awaken her potential.

Her growth was so steep that comparing her singing now to a month ago, one would never believe it was the same person.

Thanks to that, quite a few people now came to the live cafe just to hear Eugene sing.

Of course, what the cafe patrons still looked forward to most was their joint live performances, with Rimon’s playing accompanying Eugene’s singing.

[And why did your playing improve again while all that was happening, Team Leader?!]

“My playing hasn’t improved.”

[Then why did it change so much?!]

“My skill didn’t improve. Now that she’s become a better singer, I simply stopped holding back.”

[To the listener, that’s the same thing.]

Rimon spoke indifferently.

When Eugene’s singing had still been rough, his playing had focused on filling in the gaps.

But as she built a foundation and those gaps diminished, he could finally focus entirely on bringing her singing to life.

That was all the difference there was.

Yet that alone had dramatically changed Rimon’s playing.

If it were a three-legged race, it was like he had gone from pushing a wheelchair to riding a tandem bicycle together.

His technique could not help but change.

And the result of Eugene’s newly evolved singing combined with Rimon’s no-longer-restrained playing was this.

The live cafe was packed with people, with a line stretching out the door and numbered tickets being handed out.

[Did you know that numbered tickets for the live cafe get scalped whenever you come as a customer, Team Leader?]

“...What kind of insane nonsense is that?”

[It’s not nonsense. It’s true.]

Yoo Na-gyeong snapped.

Even now, there were countless people bustling about outside, saying they had tickets to sell.

Unlike Eugene, who went on stage every day, Rimon only dropped by when he had free time, so chances to hear him play were rare.

He was practically treated like a rare monster.

But Rimon refused to admit any responsibility.

Instead, he cursed the source of this whole mess.

“Damn it, some bastard uploaded our video without permission...”

[They said it was a student. They didn’t use it commercially, either. They only meant to share it with their friends.]

“And it leaked, which is why this whole mess happened.”

[They came to the cafe personally to apologize. They also deleted everything they shared.]

“What good does it do if only that kid deletes it? It’s already spread everywhere. There’s no one left who hasn’t seen it.”

It had been a coincidence.

And at the same time, it had been inevitable.

As the two of them became increasingly famous for their live performances, one of the cafe patrons had filmed one and shared it.

Naturally, the video was a complete mess.

It had been filmed on a smartphone, shaking wildly, and the sound echoed so badly that its audio quality was terrible compared to the live performance.

But even that had been enough.

A video titled ‘A Typical Korean Cafe Live.avi’ had spread everywhere until it eventually reached the real-time search rankings.

“Do people these days have nothing better to do? What is there to watch that they made some video number ten on the real-time rankings?”

[When are you talking about? That video hit number one ages ago.]

“...It reached number one already?”

[Not just already. It happened a long time ago.]

“But why?”

[Why else? Because your live performances are that addictive, Team Leader.]

Yoo Na-gyeong pointed it out bluntly.

In a way, she herself had been the greatest victim of the pair’s live performances.

At first, she had merely admired them.

But after following Rimon around and diligently listening to every performance, she could now picture their music in her head simply by closing her eyes.

They had not even used a Skill.

Yet once heard, their music was impossible to forget.

And the more one heard it, the more one wanted to hear it. Their music held that strange kind of magic.

[That’s why people are going crazy trying to meet you and your friend, right?]

Yoo Na-gyeong spread one wing wide.

Its tip pointed outside the window.

More precisely, at the countless people packed together in front of the cafe.

“I said I’ll pay! How much do you want? Five hundred? A thousand? Name your price and come work for me!”

“How vulgar! Does it make any sense to hire artists with money? Let’s discuss this with dignity, through conversation!”

“Owner Jeong! Let’s run a joint coupon discount event with our store!”

“Come on, that’s cheating!”

“Hey, forget recruiting them and get in line! We’ve been waiting for an hour. Where do you think you’re going, cutting in?”

“Ahem, I’m not trying to cut in. I’m from an entertainment guild...”

“I said get in line!”

Local business owners from countless industries.

Customers who had come solely to watch the performance.

Even representatives from entertainment guilds.

The sight of countless people tangled together and shouting whatever they pleased was like a marketplace in complete chaos.

But someone else was shouting the loudest.

“Today’s live performance is over, so please go home! We’re not taking encore requests! Owner Hwang and Owner Kim, you two stop it and go home already! Yes!?”

It was the owner of this live cafe.

Owner Jeong had been overjoyed by the soaring revenue until recently, but now his face had grown gaunt from dealing with every kind of person.

Put simply, the problem was that Eugene and Rimon had become too famous.

More customers were good.

The numerous entertainment representatives?

That result had been inevitable from the moment Manager Moon of the WIM Guild noticed them.

The problem was the local business owners who had flocked over after hearing rumors that the live cafe’s sales had risen dozens of times over.

If Owner Jeong coldly drove them away, they would be treated like an asshole around the neighborhood. But if they let them be, the local owners looked ready to protest until Rimon and Eugene were shared throughout the shopping district.

It felt like only yesterday that people had whispered the live cafe would soon go out of business whenever it was empty.

And now they were making a fuss about how they should all profit together because they were in the same shopping district.

It was enough to make Owner Jeong see red.

“Just leave already!!!”

Perhaps their patience had finally run out.

Owner Jeong even roared.

Watching the local business owners cling to Owner Jeong and lecture them about age and morality, while spectators happily filmed the scene, Rimon clicked his tongue.

“Today’s performance is a wash.”

[Is it only my imagination that makes me think it won’t be just today?]

“You could at least stop wishing me ill.”

[The truth is always unpleasant to hear.]

Rimon lightly clicked his tongue at Yoo Na-gyeong, who puffed out her round belly smugly.

Eugene returned then, having gone to raid the sandwiches after finishing a performance on stage and declaring that she was hungry.

“Partner, what are you doing? Aren’t you preparing for an encore?”

“Well, it looks like doing that performance might be difficult.”

“Hm? Why?”

“Can’t you see?”

Rimon shifted his gaze slightly.

Following it, Eugene looked around and tilted her head as she watched Owner Jeong nearly come to blows outside.

“What does that have to do with our performance?”

“What good would a performance do amid this chaos? At this rate, the cafe might have to close entirely.”

“So? Why does that matter?”

“Huh?”

“Whether the owner gets arrested for brawling or the cafe closes, a performance is still a performance. Why should we care?”

Whether anyone listened or not.

If they could sing, that was all that mattered.

There was no reason to concern themselves with anything else.

Rimon stared at Eugene as she said that, then finally snickered and nodded.

“You really hit the nail on the head.”

“What nail?”

“No, I think I understand once again why I can’t enjoy music the way you do.”

“Hm? Partner, don’t you enjoy music?”

“I don’t play because I particularly like it.”

“...???”

Eugene blinked blankly, as if she could not understand at all.

Rimon chuckled.

Then he added one more thing.

“Besides, I didn’t originally come here to play today. I came to let you know something.”

“Let me know what?”

“Looks like I won’t be able to come here at all for at least a month.”

“Then what about our live performances during that time?!”

“We can’t do them.”

“OH MY GOD!”

Eugene immediately looked disappointed, like a child whose Christmas present had been postponed until next year.

Rimon snickered.

“Don’t be so disappointed. We can do a live performance next time.”

“Partner, that’ll be the next live performance. Today’s live performance can only happen today.”

“What is that, some kind of carpe diem line?”

“From experience. Whenever I put music off, I always ended up unable to do it.”

“That’s because if you didn’t sing that day, you’d starve to death tomorrow.”

Rimon mischievously replied to Eugene’s serious words.

“If you really hate it that much, shall I promise you something? When I come next time, I’ll keep you company all night.”

“Really?”

“I’m not someone who goes back on my word.”

“Fine, then I’ll let you off today!”

Eugene beamed and agreed.

Then, as if something occurred to her, she asked.

“But Partner, why can’t you come for a month?”

“Hm, it’s nothing much. It just seems I’ll need to do some bad things for a good cause for a while.”

“...???”

Bad things would keep him busy.

Eugene could only imagine question marks floating above her head as she looked at Rimon, who raised the corners of his lips in a mischievous smile.

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