Chapter 189: A Sudden Trip Back to the 1990s
La la la.
Hugging the LP records I had just scored, I arrived at Backstage.
What kind of atmosphere would it be today? What was everyone doing?
Even though I ca here all the ti, it was still exciting every ti I arrived.
Backstage always had one of two moods.
Either a temple—
Or a club.
When everyone was working, it was as quiet as a temple.
Otherwise, like today…
“Wow, damn. What is this?”
“Seeing this again brings back mories.”
“Isn’t Minsoo seriously insane? He sent this?”
“Where did he even find it?”
“He’s a rich guy. What can’t he get?”
Everyone was talking at once, the noise loud like a club.
Normally, these people would stay locked inside their studios doing their own work, but today they had all gathered in one place, chatting excitedly.
Sothing good must have happened.
I walked toward the noise.
Huh? That was my studio.
What was going on? Why was everyone in my studio?
I quickly squeezed in and peeked over.
A sll drifted through the air.
The sa distinctive scent I had slled at Needle Drop.
The sense of sll is funny like that—it doesn’t forget easily. That place must have left quite an impression.
“What’s the good news?”
Gibong-hyung, who had been talking the loudest, suddenly turned toward .
“Oh? Taeyoon! Taeyoon! You have to see this.”
“Yes?”
He wasn’t even drunk.
Yet he was practically dancing with excitent.
I an… I wanted to see too, but I had to actually *see* it.
Everyone was crowded around one spot so tightly that nothing was visible.
When I didn’t react, Gibong-hyung grabbed my arm and pulled forward.
The gathered mbers stepped aside.
Like the sea parting, the crowd moved to both sides—
“Gasp…!”
No way.
My eyes widened, and my heart started pounding.
“Looks like Taeyoon really didn’t know.”
“So this is the surprise?”
“His eyes are going to pop out.”
Right in the center of my view—
Was a turntable.
No, wait…
That was…
Technics SL-1200!
Every DJ knew it.
The dream equipnt.
The essence of analog turntables and a classic so beloved that even professionals treasured it.
If that had been all, I wouldn’t have been this shocked.
A shining engraving caught my eye.
GLD.
The platter and tonearm glead brilliantly with 24K gold plating.
It was a limited production model—only 3,000 units worldwide.
And the mixer beside it?
Instead of complicated digital patterns, it had simple knobs and faders.
An analog mixer.
The XONE:96 DJ mixer displayed its heavy presence.
It felt like I had been teleported straight into the 1990s.
This was a real LP setup.
Not a digital imitation of analog.
Actual equipnt from that era.
The scene I had imagined while touching dusty LP records in that old record shop—
Was now unfolding right before my eyes.
In my studio.
And in perfect condition.
“What… is this…”
My legs almost buckled when I saw the equipnt.
I stood there blankly, staring at it in confusion.
Then soone tapped my back.
It was Mr. Moon Jungbae.
“What’s with that expression, kid? I thought you’d be jumping up and down.”
“How did this happen?”
“Huh? What do you an? We were wondering how you managed to get this.”
Then Bang Gicheol continued.
“We thought our youngest was conquering analog DJing now. But that’s not it? Then what—Minsoo is pressuring you? That brat…”
“Huh? Really? Kid, if that’s the case, tell us. You’re already busy as it is, and now he’s forcing analog too? That’s a terrible boss.”
“Ha…”
I just grinned.
I knew they were joking.
And I also knew they were trying to calm down because I looked too shocked.
At that mont, a cheerful voice ca from the open door.
“So? Do you like my gift?”
Like the entrance of Prince Suyang in so historical movie—
Soone strode in confidently with raised shoulders.
CEO Kim Minsoo.
He winked playfully.
“What? You don’t look that happy. Should I take it back?”
No, no.
Definitely not.
I rushed forward and stood in front of the turntable.
“This… is mine?”
“Who else is the DJ here?”
“How did you even get this? No—more importantly.”
I glanced at the wall clock.
“We just talked earlier, didn’t we?”
It hadn’t been long since we parted.
There was no way the equipnt had teleported here.
Yet he had found it and delivered it in that short ti?
CEO Kim Minsoo had to be a magician.
He scratched his head awkwardly.
“I took it from a senior I know. The mont you left.”
“…What?”
“Why are you so shocked? You think I stole it? I paid him well. Twice the market price. That makes a good junior, right?”
“That’s not it…”
Regardless of the price—
Equipnt was precious to anyone.
Especially sothing this rare.
Looking closer, it was hard to believe it was over thirty years old.
It looked brand new.
“It must have been precious to him too.”
“Yeah, it was.”
“…Really?”
“He imported it from the United States and maintained it himself every day. He treasured it like a child.”
Kim Minsoo lifted the needle slightly and set it down again as he continued.
“If anyone touched it, he’d explode. Always yelling about how expensive it was… But you know what?”
He paused and grinned at .
“When I said it was for Blackhole, he told to take it without hesitation.”
“…Really?”
The noisy room fell silent.
Everyone had been listening.
“When I said it was for Blackhole, his expression changed. Said it finally found its real owner. Honestly, he probably didn’t need to say that last part.”
Kim Minsoo rubbed his arms awkwardly.
But I knew.
More than telling the story of how he obtained it—
He was proud of bringing such valuable equipnt.
Even if soone offered ten tis the price, it wouldn’t be easy to give up equipnt in this condition.
“Who was that person? Anyone with equipnt like this must be incredible.”
“He’s around. A boring guy who likes pretending to be a hidden master. Runs a business nearby. I’ll introduce you soday.”
Now I was even more curious.
“If there’s sothing you want to know or want to try, you have to do it. Just tell —I’ll get anything. I promised you could do whatever you want.”
For a mont, I couldn’t speak.
Maybe I should have bowed dramatically.
My heart felt full.
There was no way to express it.
I slowly walked toward the turntable.
I lightly touched the needle.
Then rested my hand on the fader.
It moved smoothly.
But it was delicate.
“Seriously… thank you so much. I don’t know what to say.”
“This is just the beginning. If we’re making Moon Night Club properly, we can’t do it halfway.”
At that mont, the previously quiet Cheongseong mbers, Gibong-hyung, the engineers—everyone gathered there began murmuring again.
Moon Night Club.
Apparently that na carried more weight than I realized.
The most excited person was Mr. Moon Jungbae.
He rolled up his sleeves.
“Moon Night Club? The one I rember? Wow… Did I hear that right? Suddenly? What’s going on?”
“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. Here’s what happened…”
Kim Minsoo began explaining.
The nightclub at the KW Gangnam Hotel would be remodeled.
The new club would be inspired by the legendary Moon Night Club.
And—
“Believe it or not, the idea ca from Taeyoon.”
That I was the one who started it.
Mr. Moon Jungbae, who had been listening silently, suddenly stood up.
“This won’t do.”
“…What?”
“I need to hear more. Let’s go.”
“Huh? Where?”
“Dinner. We need drinks for a day like this. The revival of Moon Night Club… with Blackhole on top of it? I can’t miss that. Let’s go. Tonight’s on !”
Everyone cheered in agreent.
But—
I couldn’t join them.
Because I wanted to put the LP records I bought today onto that turntable right now.
I hesitated before speaking.
“Well… I still have sothing to do…”
I laughed awkwardly.
Gibong-hyung suddenly lit up.
“Oho! You want to try the equipnt, right? Then let’s watch Taeyoon mix with LP records before we go.”
Everyone clapped and cheered.
“Nice!”
“Ooooo!”
Oh no.
This wasn’t what I wanted.
I needed ti to get used to the new equipnt!
I tried to think of sothing to say.
But nothing ca to mind.
Maybe I just wasn’t good with words.
Just as I was about to say I’d join the dinner—
Mr. Moon Jungbae casually interrupted.
“What are you watching for? Let’s go. The kid said he has work. Hurry up so we can drink draft beer and eat chicken.”
“Huh? We need to hear it from Taeyoon though.”
“Minsoo can explain. Alright, let’s go!”
“But I wanted to see Taeyoon mix…”
“Stop bothering him and co on!”
Like a shepherd guiding sheep—
He quickly organized everyone and led them out.
Just before leaving—
Mr. Moon Jungbae glanced back and winked at .
As expected.
Mr. Moon Jungbae was the only one who truly understood .
---
A pub near Backstage.
Before they even sat down, Do Gibong complained.
“Ah, I really wanted to see Taeyoon do analog DJing.”
Moon Jungbae waved his hand.
“Ask him next ti.”
“Don’t you like it too? Sotis when I watch Taeyoon DJ, I’m honestly shocked.”
“What’s new about that? Co on, let’s drink first.”
Thud.
Do Gibong set down his beer glass and muttered.
“You know how Taeyoon changes when he DJs.”
Moon Jungbae laughed.
“Gibong exaggerates again.”
“I’m not exaggerating. You saw the dual set with Guldan. I must’ve replayed it a thousand tis. Sotis I wonder if he’s even human.”
“If he’s not human, what is he? A ghost?”
“No. A robot. The way he locks into every beat like a machine—it’s crazy. I tried practicing DJing myself but gave up. I can’t do it.”
He raised both arms.
Moon Jungbae nodded.
He rembered.
When Guldan launched that aggressive attack, even he had been terrified.
And yet Taeyoon countered calmly.
He had replayed that mont countless tis.
Do Gibong continued.
“I have a track called .”
“Yeah, I know it.”
“Taeyoon played it once at Sierra. Just once. Guess what happened?”
“It climbed back up the Maron Chart?”
“Exactly. A three-year-old track suddenly climbed again. That’s when I realized sothing. I thought he analyzed songs, but no. He just knows instinctively. By feel. He fills in the parts I always thought were lacking.”
His testimony continued for quite a while.
It sounded almost like a cult follower exaggerating stories about a guru.
But no one stopped him.
Even if it was exaggerated—
It wasn’t wrong.
“So today I was excited. I really wanted to hear analog DJing.”
He waved his hands passionately.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Analog DJing videos look amazing. I wanted a Front-row Viewing, but we got dragged out instead.”
He drained his 330mL beer glass.
He looked genuinely disappointed.
Moon Jungbae reassured him.
“He probably wanted to practice alone.”
“Usually if soone is good at one thing, they’re good at everything.”
“Maybe.”
Kim Minsoo asked,
“Is it that different? The equipnt looks similar.”
“It’s different. The feel of dropping the needle and the platter speed are different from digital.”
Huh?
Why was he so firm today?
Do Gibong pouted and argued.
“No way! I vote that he can do it. And really well.”
Moon Jungbae simply smiled.
---
It wasn’t working.
“Damn it!”
It really wasn’t working.
“Aaaaah!”
I glared at the equipnt in front of .
“Again.”
The needle touched the LP surface.
A soft scratch sound flowed from the speakers.
I panicked.
Why was it so slow?
“What’s wrong with the timing?”
Unfortunately—
After everyone left, I had been struggling with these things for quite a while.
But still…
It was fun.
And so—
For the first ti in a long while,
I practiced with a racing heart.
Just like the first ti I ever held a turntable.
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