God's Song

[TN: Hey guys! It’s Hump day! Enjoy! ]

When May, the queen of the seasons began, two incidents shook the school. It was a large box and a letter delivered to the school.

When Jun Hyuk arrived at the school with Amelia, he received a large box from the front desk. It had the LA Sound logo marked on it, so many people showed interest.

“Jun, could this be?”

“I think it is. Did it come out already?”

She does not have the slightest bit of patience. Amelia could have gone into the cafeteria to open the box, but she sat on the ground in front of the welcome desk and opened up the package.

There were 30 CDs in the box along with a letter from Alex Zakin.

The CD jacket was designed with a simple sketch of a bass guitar and piano, and the title was [JUN & Stanley. The First.]

The letter said that the title The First indicated their first meeting, and held Stanley Clarke’s wishes to continue with a Second and Third. Alex Zakin also said that they planned to start recording the 10 songs that Jun Hyuk made soon.

Since there was not an appropriate band, 8 people who led the renaissance of heavy metal from the second half of the 70s to the 80s would be participating. He even joked that if Jun Hyuk knew who those people were, he would be astounded.

A booklet inside the package contained Stanley’s interview with such praises that Jun Hyuk was too embarrassed to read through it.

When students who saw the CD began to gather and realized that the stars of the album are Jun Hyuk and Stanley Clarke, they all started holding out their hands for the CDs, and 30 copies disappeared quickly.

It is not the case with everyone, but most people who like classical also enjoy jazz. In modern times, classical had already started being influenced by jazz and a lot is borrowed from jazz.

There was no way that these students did not know Stanley Clarke, a jazz great. They were shocked that Jun Hyuk had created an improv album with the master of jazz and there was not a single person in the school who did not know about it.

After about a week since he received the CDs, the album was everywhere in stores. Jun Hyuk bought dozens of his album and sent them to Korea.

The professors were also surprised and happy about the news of Jun Hyuk’s album, but it was pushed back when a letter arrived.

The cafe was full of a dissonance-like bass guitar and piano melody. Two part time workers looked upset as they cleaned. The boss had opened the cafe with this music that sounded like noise every morning.

On the other hand, Yoon Kwang Hun looked at the CD jacket and drank his coffee with a pleased expression.

The employees waited for the first customer to hurry up and arrive. Yoon Kwang Hun changes the music to easy to listen to classical when customers come in.

Their faces brightened when they heard the bell at the entrance. But it had to be someone that Yoon Kwang Hun knew because he got up to greet him himself. The music did not change.

“Welcome. You didn’t have to come here yourself... It would have been more comfortable for me to go to Seoul.”

“No, it’s okay. People like us who are always in the recording studio need to come out once in a while to get fresh air and to know that the seasons are changing.”

The two employees watched Yoon Kwang Hun carefully as they approached them with a piece of paper.

It was difficult to pretend not to notice with Yoon Jung Su, Jang Na Rae, and Jo Hyung Joong were gathered in one place.

“Hey! He’s in the middle of speaking...”

“It’s alright. There aren’t very many people who ask for my signature. This kind of chance is rare. Ha ha.”

The employees got their signature, took a few pictures, and bowed to leave.

“The music that’s coming out now is?”

“Yes, it’s Stanley Clarke.”

Yoon Kwang Hun handed over a few CDs that he had prepared.

“It’s hard to believe this even while I’m looking at it.”

“The only proof that this is Jun Hyuk’s album is the title. He should’ve taken a picture of something. What a waste.”

Jang Na Rae could not take her eyes off of the CD. Even just a year ago, they had done work together in the recording studio and gone out on broadcast together. But that Jun Hyuk had already gone to a high place where he released an album with a worldwide great.

“Do we have to release this to the media? Should we tell them?”

Yoon Jung Su held the CD and got lost in thought. He was sure it would become news if they prepared a press release and spread the word, but hesitated because the genre is jazz. Jazz manias would find out anyway, and Stanley Clarke is just some musician they had heard of to the average person.

“Mr. Yoon, what do you think?”

“Is there a reason to tell them? It could just generate unnecessary gossip. Anyway, jazz is not a mainstream genre in Korea.”

“That’s true. I think there would be a better effect to let the Japanese side know and promote it there.”

Yoon Jung Su had not imagined that Jun Hyuk’s second album would be jazz. He had thought that it would be a piano instrumental, the blues, or even rock and roll genre.

He remembered what Jo Hyung Joong had said in passing. It seemed like the time had come where as he said, the album that they produced could be Jun Hyuk’s last one in Korea and that there would be a day when its value would increase beyond their imaginations.

“Mr. Yoon. I heard a 2nd album is coming out soon?”

“Yes. Rock stars from the 70s and 80s will be playing Jun Hyuk’s music. I heard that LA Sound is anticipating this song more. They expect Americans in their 40s with purchasing power to open their wallets.”

“If we know who those musicians are, don’t you think it’ll become a popular album in our country as well? They’re targeting the 70s and 80s generation.”

Yoon Jung Su showed great interest.

“Should I tell him to look into it? Won’t LA Sound tell Jun Hyuk if he asks?”

“Oh, will you do that for me? Truthfully, I would like to make sure to introduce this album in the Korean market. There are a lot of elderly people who think that Jun Hyuk is an idol or something. I’m going to change that perception of him completely.”

“Do you have a license agreement?”

“Not me, but there is a store that is showing interest.”

“A store?”

“There’s a store called Tasteful Party.”

“Ah, Tasteful Party.”

Yoon Kwang Hun hit his knee. A music store run by an affluent doctor. It is a specialty store that sells music that is difficult to find in the city like rare music, classical, genres that are unpopular in Korea. It is a store that Yoon Kwang Hun also went to often.

According to rumors, it records a deficit every year but the doctor makes up for the rest of the deficit with the money he earns at the hospital to keep the store going for people who love music.

“If it’s that store, I’ll have to help in any way I can.”

Yoon Jung Su brightened at Yoon Kwang Hun’s good-natured reaction. He felt he had let go of a little responsibility in getting Jun Hyuk’s music out to the world.