Chapter 38 : Youtube

To be precise, it was closer to saying he couldn’t react.

No, to be even more precise, he didn’t really have anything to say.

It couldn’t be helped.

In fact, it would have been strange if he had something to say.

If someone were to ask, “Hey, isn’t that your guitar? Then why are you holding it?” the best response would be to think, What kind of nonsense is this? and ignore them.

Of course, the only person who would think such a reaction is natural was Ha Su-yeon.

The other two had no idea that Ha Su-yeon was Myeong-jeon,

“What?”

Lee Hyein questioned back as if she didn’t understand what he meant, instead of Ha Su-yeon.

Rather than answering, Junhong stayed silent for a moment and looked back at the guitar.

A black Strat.

Completely different from the original Black Strat, naturally aged into its current form.

The rubber grip of the tremolo arm had been replaced with metal, and the knobs were chrome-plated.

Judging by the overall condition, this is definitely Ha Su-yeon’s guitar.

Junhong had stayed at  Ha Su-yeon ’s house a few years ago and had touched his guitar several times.

The guitar he had seen back then was identical to the one he now held in his hands.

But how?

Why is this guitar here?

It wasn’t entirely impossible.

But it was certainly incomprehensible.

“I don’t really understand this right now.”

Lee Hyein opened her mouth as she watched Junhong silently.

The implication of Junhong saying, This is Ha Su-yeon ’s guitar, and asking, How does a student have this? was clear.

It meant that this guitar didn’t belong to her, so why was she holding it?

In other words, why are you holding someone else’s property?

And ultimately, it was tantamount to accusing Ha Su-yeon of stealing.

Lee Hyein chose to trust the changes in Ha Su-yeon rather than doubting her.

“Are you saying my child stole that guitar? Because that’s how it sounds to me.”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant…”

Junhong snapped back to his senses at Lee Hyein’s sharp remark.

Since that wasn’t what he had intended to convey, he waved his hands and quickly opened his mouth.

“Uh, this guitar is… well… I think I need to explain first.”

Junhong placed the guitar on the table and looked at Ha Su-yeon, who was still silent.

Her face was hard to read.

What could she be thinking?

“This guitar, well, it has a model name and other details, but more importantly… it belonged to a guitarist I deeply respected,  Ha Su-yeon”

“Yes, I understand that.

But does that mean my child stole it from him?”

“And that person passed away not too long ago.”

Junhong’s words left Lee Hyein momentarily speechless.

She felt, for some reason, as if she had disrespected the deceased.

But that wasn’t Junhong’s intent.

“And until the day he passed away, he had this guitar with him.

The police recovered it after his passing.

So, I wasn’t suggesting that your daughter stole this guitar at all.”

Lee Hyein heaved a sigh of relief internally at those words.

So Ha Su-yeon didn’t steal it. It was true that she had turned over a new leaf.

Looking at Ha Su-yeon with that thought, Lee Hyein noticed her staring at Junhong with a slightly stiff expression.

“I only found out about his passing after the funeral.

He had become quite reclusive in his later years.

By the time I managed to hear the news and visit, the landlord had already taken care of the remains and held a small funeral.

His house had also been cleared out.

So, I couldn’t attend the funeral or go through his belongings.”

“That’s unfortunate, but what does that have to do with this guitar?”

“It might sound a bit crude…”

Junhong hesitated slightly before answering Lee Hyein’s question.

“But the whereabouts of this guitar… it’s been the hottest topic among Korean guitarists lately.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s  Ha Su-yeon’s guitar.”

After a brief pause, Junhong continued.

“Among us guitarists, the name  Ha Su-yeon is almost revered as that of a god.

His skills as a session guitarist were unparalleled, and she was among the top three guitarists in Korea.

She almost became the second Fender endorsee in Korea—though she declined the offer.

I also deeply respect him.

And this guitar… it’s the one she used for over 15 years.

Unless something special happened, she always used this guitar.

I’ve seen it a few times myself.”

Lee Hyein turned to look at Ha Su-yeon at those words.

How could such a guitar end up in Ha Su-yeon’s hands?

And why wasn’t Ha Su-yeon saying anything? Could there be a story behind this?

“To be honest, as a guitarist, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t covet this guitar.

It’s something you’d want to play and also has immense collectible value.

And there were actually people who acted on that desire.

The person who organized the funeral told them that someone had come to take the guitar, claiming it was prearranged.

After that, the guitar’s whereabouts became a mystery.

But now, here it is in front of me.

So of course, I’m shocked.”

Junhong gently stroked the guitar before lifting his gaze to Ha  Su-yeon.

She stared at the guitar with an expressionless face.

That girl the old lady mentioned is probably her, he thought.

The mysterious high school girl who appeared after the funeral, claiming she had purchased the guitar, and took it.

And there was one more clue.

Not long after his death, someone suddenly replied to a busking post using Ha Su-yeon ’s Mule account.

The video of the busking performance captured on a phone showed a high school girl singing and playing guitar.

By all accounts, that girl and this Ha Su – yeon in front of him had to be the same person.

There was no other explanation.

But what did this mean?

Junhong racked his brain desperately but couldn’t come up with any answers.

The person in question sat there, saying nothing.

“So…”

“Yes?”

At that moment, Ha Su -yeon finally spoke.

Junhong wondered what words would come from her lips after such a long silence.

“For now, let’s start the broadcast. It seems like it’s already time.”

But those weren’t the words Junhong had been expecting.