No More Thug Life, I’m Playing Music

Episode 54: Give and Take (4)

Outside the abandoned factory, a temporary dining area had been set up for the cast and crew. Everyone had stepped out to eat lunch, leaving only the members of ABLEZ inside the set.

“I’m starving…”
“Me too…”
“Unnies… I feel like I’m going to die…”
“Just hang in there for one more day…”

The members sighed deeply, their faces filled with despair.

At that moment, Jung Seojoon, having finished his meal, approached them. Without a word, he handed them a plate.
On the plate were several apple slices carved into rabbit shapes.

“Thank you…”

Kang Jisoo bowed her head as she accepted the plate. Jung Seojoon stepped back, sat in a chair some distance away, and put on his earphones.

“Let’s eat this at least,” Kang Jisoo said, nibbling on an apple with the other members.

There wasn’t much conversation after that. They simply chewed the sweet fruit in silence, savoring the taste.

“…Sob.”

The youngest member let out a stifled sound, as though holding back tears.

“Unnies… what if this is really the last time?”

Her words opened a floodgate. Excluding Kang Jisoo, the other three began to share the thoughts they had been suppressing.
Their parents had told them to quit and come home.
An older acquaintance suggested working as a model for her online store.
Others thought it might be better to just live a normal school life.

All sorts of gloomy thoughts poured out.

Kang Jisoo responded to each one, offering words of comfort.
“It’ll be okay.”
“I have a good feeling about this.”
“Unnie, this time we’ll succeed.”

She spoke with no real certainty, merely repeating the same empty reassurances. Meanwhile, she prayed fervently in her heart.

Please, don’t abandon us. Please, help us.

Of course, no answer came. The sorrow she had buried deep inside began to rise, slowly choking her.

Just as she was about to break down herself, the sound of a piano echoed through the abandoned factory.

[Dun-dun— Da-da-da-dun—]

“Huh?”
“This…?”
“It’s our song…”

“…”

It was their debut song. Though it had been rearranged for piano, they recognized it instantly. Memories of how happy they had been when they first received the song after their debut was confirmed came rushing back.

They turned their astonished eyes toward the grand piano. Jung Seojoon sat there, his eyes closed as he played.

“Wow…”
“I didn’t know this song could be so beautiful…”
“I miss it…”

The four women stared in awe for a moment as the melody shifted.

[Da-dun— Da—]

This time, it was a track from their album, one they had barely listened to themselves.

“How does he even know this…?”

Kang Jisoo’s eyes widened as she stood up.

Jung Seojoon’s fingers continued to glide over the keys, transitioning seamlessly through the choruses of every song from their first album, not missing a single one.

It was something only a genuine fan could do.

“Amazing…”

The members, who had studied music themselves, could tell just how high-quality the arrangements were. They couldn’t even imagine how much effort had gone into creating the medley.

As time passed, a bright smile spread across Kang Jisoo’s face. The other members also expressed their emotions in their own ways.

When the medley of their first album ended, it moved seamlessly into songs from their second album.

Before long, the ABLEZ members had gathered around the piano, softly singing along.
They clapped their hands and shrugged their shoulders, letting the rhythm carry them.

Following the piano’s accompaniment, they joyfully sang their songs.

When the second album ended, the melody transitioned again—this time to the new song being used for today’s shoot.

[Da— Da-da— Drun—]

The right hand delicately played the original piano melody, while the left hand strongly struck the bass keys, mimicking the beats of electronic music. From the fast-paced rap section to the syncopated chorus, Jung Seojoon flawlessly played the hip-hop dance track on the piano.

“Wow…”

The members of ABLEZ widened their eyes in amazement.

The title of the song echoed in their minds. For a moment, they thought the rearranged version fit the title even better than the original.

Their surprise didn’t last long. Nodding their heads, they began moving lightly to the rhythm, eventually breaking into dance.

Not because they had to, but because they wanted to.

Their voices spread through the abandoned factory as they sang along. Gone were their worries and anxieties, replaced by genuine smiles.

These weren’t the fake smiles they wore in front of cameras, but expressions of true happiness.

“That’s it…”

The director stood at the entrance of the factory, muttering to himself in a daze.

He had come to investigate the sound of the piano and ended up watching the entire scene, unable to look away.

“That’s exactly what I wanted…”

As if struck by inspiration, he pulled out a pen and paper and began scribbling furiously.

“This is it. Yes, this is it…”

Snapping his fingers, he gestured toward the crew still eating their meals.

“Put your spoons down and bring out all the props!”

“Sorry, what?”

“Bring everything we were going to use next week! Especially the Gucci sofa—the one with the tiger head!”

“That, that’s for next week’s Black—”
“Why so much talk? I’ll take responsibility, just hurry up!”

The director’s eyes blazed with passion.
“Where’s Ducheol?”

*****

It was well past midnight when the shoot finally wrapped up.

Though it had been an intense schedule, no one seemed fatigued. Each staff member poured their passion into their respective tasks, creating an atmosphere brimming with energy. There was no time to feel tired.

“This feels bittersweet…”

The members of ABLEZ stood outside the abandoned factory, seeing off Jung Seojoon and his group.

“Enough with the small talk. Just tell us already.”
“I swear I won’t be hurt!”
“Quick, quick!”

The three members, excluding Kang Jisoo, urged excitedly.
Caught between them, Baek Junsoo hesitated, his face reddening as he pointed toward the member with short hair.

“For me… it’s Jane…”

Immediately, Ma Ducheol smacked his own forehead.
“Why would you actually say it?”

“Boooo—”

“You’re supposed to say they’re all the same!”

Seeing Ma Ducheol’s exasperation, Kang Mera wagged her finger playfully.
“Manager-nim, every fan has their favorite. That’s just how it is.”

Her words sent the members into fits of laughter, their giggles echoing through the quiet night.

A little farther away, Jung Seojoon and Kang Jisoo stood facing each other.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Seojoon said with a polite bow.

Jisoo nodded and took a step closer, gazing up at him with her large eyes, just like when they first met at the church.

“My heart wants to give you a big hug, but that wouldn’t be appropriate, right?”

“I wouldn’t mind—”

“Instead, let’s shake hands,” she interrupted, extending her hand.

“Sure.”

Seojoon grasped her hand, and they stood silently for a moment, looking at each other.

Jisoo was the first to break the silence.
“If you ever need my help, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll do anything I can for you.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“Not really. I’m just an unpopular, nameless idol.”

Seojoon noticed the faint bitterness in her smile. It was heartbreaking to see someone so young grappling with despair.

Reflecting on his own past, he spoke gently.
“There’s no night that doesn’t end.”

“…What?”

“I’m saying, the sun will rise in your world soon, Jisoo-ssi.”

“Oh… thank you. Truly… Oh!”

As if remembering something, her eyes widened.
“You joined our fan cafe, right? What’s your username? I’ll send you a message!”

“…”

“Are you… ‘JaneIsJunsoo’?”

Seojoon shook his head.
“…Actually, I’m not a fan.”

He decided to admit it, brushing aside the awkwardness. It wasn’t a big secret, and he figured it was better to say it outright than let her find out later.

“No way. You’re telling me you memorized the entire album and created a medley of cover songs without being a fan?”

Yes. My niece plays your songs non-stop.
The medley? I made that on the spot.
I’m just that talented.

Though the perfect explanation was on the tip of his tongue, he chose not to say it. Sometimes, a heartfelt apology speaks louder than detailed justifications.

“I’m sorry for deceiving you.”

“Hmm… It’s okay.”

To his surprise, Jisoo was nonchalant, as if she had expected it all along.

Ah.
It was then that Seojoon realized she must have known he didn’t recognize her at the church.

She knew from the start.

Just then—

[Knock harder! Even harder!]

Seojoon’s phone started ringing.

“…What?”

Junsoo, that little rascal… There was a reason he had suddenly borrowed Seojoon’s phone.

“Pfft.”

Seeing Seojoon’s flustered expression, Jisoo burst into laughter, her mood visibly lifting.
“Not a fan, huh? And yet you even set the ringtone?”

“This is…”

Seojoon furrowed his brow and glanced behind Jisoo. Not far away, Baek Junsoo stood awkwardly, his face as red as a tomato.

True happiness.
This must be what they mean by that phrase.

Seojoon turned back to Jisoo.
Her face, too, was brimming with joy.

He couldn’t help it; the corners of his lips curled into a smile as well.

“Alright. I’m a fan.”

“So am I.”

Jisoo smiled brightly and continued,
“I’ve been a fan of yours since the day we met at the church.”

****

A few weeks later, the internet was buzzing about a particular girl group.

All because of a fancam featuring a certain idol—Kang Jisoo.

She danced with unwavering grace, her smile unbroken even as she faced the empty, unresponsive seats in the audience.

Then, she caught a glimpse of the tightrope act happening nearby, her eyes widening in genuine amazement.

This mix of professionalism and human relatability in the footage resonated widely across community forums and social media platforms.

The result:

“ABLEZ Reverse Charting Legend: ‘Eyes Wide Open!’”

“ABLEZ’s New Song Tops Charts: Kang Jisoo Credits ‘The Power of Fans.’”

“ABLEZ’s Reverse Charting Feels Like a Dream: From Trials to Miracles.”

Amid this unprecedented phenomenon, the agency released a new music video for the song.

“Hmm.”

Ma Ducheol cleared his throat as he ended the music video, glancing around with satisfaction.

This was a pre-release version, available to him only because he had been part of the production.

“Good thing I agreed to this.”

He had made a brief cameo in the music video at the director’s request. Initially, he’d been vehemently against the idea, worried that people would gossip about a gangster appearing in a music video.

But Baek Junsoo had egged him on.
“If it stirs up attention, it’ll be good for them!”

Junsoo’s argument had made sense. Besides, the thought of appearing alongside his hyungnim seemed like the perfect inside joke.

What had started as a lighthearted decision had now turned into a cause for concern, thanks to the group’s sudden success. Ducheol found himself wondering if anyone would recognize him.

“Eh, who’d notice anyway?”

Just as he was about to enter the gym’s front entrance, a voice called out from behind him.

“Hey, Baldie!”

Ducheol scowled. Baldie—a nickname from his past life. It immediately put him on edge.

“Who the hell is that?”

He turned to yell, spotting a black sedan parked across the alley. Through the half-open driver’s window, a young man stared back at him.

Ducheol stomped toward the car, bending down to peer inside while gripping the roof.

“Who are you?”

The car shifted slightly as the man inside made a nervous gesture, the crucifix dangling from the rearview mirror swaying with the motion.

“Uh, I wasn’t the one calling—”

Before he could finish, the rear window rolled down, revealing a pudgy middle-aged man. The familiar voice spoke again, accompanied by a smirk.

“Tsk. Still such a brute, huh?”

The man gave a single exaggerated blink and grinned.
“Our Manager Ma is looking sharper than ever!”

“Wait—what?”

Ducheol’s mouth fell open in shock.
“Prosecutor Eomji?”

“Eomji? The hell, do I look like your buddy?”

Realizing his slip, Ducheol slapped his forehead and bowed his head.
“Sorry, Prosecutor. I was just so happy to see you again.”

“If you’re happy, hop in. Let’s catch up.”

“Uh… Sure, excuse me.”

Ducheol opened the back door and slid in, his head nearly brushing the ceiling.

“You got taller or what?”

“Well, uh… So, when did you get to Seoul? Are you staying for good?”

“Yeah, looks like it.”

“Congratulations, sir.”

“Congrats, my ass. If I hadn’t been demoted over your hyungnim’s mess, I’d have been Chief Prosecutor by now.”

Was there such an incident?

Ducheol remained silent, trying to recall, which the prosecutor took as hesitation for a different reason. He patted Ducheol’s shoulder lightly.

“Don’t take it too hard about CEO Baek. He wasn’t all bad—he’s probably gone to a decent place.”

“Huh? Oh, uh… Sure.”

“Before it’s too late, you should repent, too. That’s how you get to heaven.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. But how did you find me?”

“This.”

The prosecutor held up his phone, showing the music video for ABLEZ’s song. In his other hand was a crumpled gym flyer.

“How many guys like you do you think are out there?”

“Oh… Where do you even get this stuff…”

Ducheol scratched his bald head awkwardly, prompting a chuckle from the prosecutor.

“By the looks of it, you’ve completely retired.”

“Yes, sir. With my hyungnim gone, what’s left for me there?”

The prosecutor’s eyes glinted suddenly.
“Then how about grabbing a drink with me tonight? Let’s talk about JS. These days, Changsik is—”

“Sorry.”

Ducheol interrupted, his expression hardening.
“I don’t want to get involved anymore, and I don’t know anything. Especially about Kim Changsik—I don’t even want to hear his name.”

“Hmm.”

“Well then, I’ll take my leave now. I hope we don’t run into each other again.”

“That’s disappointing.”

“My apologies.”

Ducheol stepped out, and the car drove off shortly after.

“Damn…”

The infamous prosecutor, once feared as the grim reaper of gangsters, had returned to Seoul.

In the past, this would’ve spelled trouble, but Ducheol figured there was no reason for their paths to cross again.

“Still… That guy reminds me of someone.”

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.