Chapter 64: The Leopard That Lost Its Fangs

 Wearing a hat and a mask, Geon Kim stood in Seattle Street, observing the footsteps of the remaining famous musicians. He arrived in front of Club Crocodile at around 6 PM. Glancing around after checking his wristwatch, he spotted a bench a bit further away. Geon placed Haku next to the bench and took him out of the hard case.

"If I go in now, there won't be many people, and I can't drink. I guess I'll spend some time here before going in."

As Geon took Haku out and propped him against his thigh, passersby admired Haku's beautiful body.

"Wow, it's a White Falcon."

"That guitar looks really nice."

"Seems like a musician."

As people passing by marveled at Haku, Geon stroked him with a satisfied smile.

"He really is beautiful. The saying that he's the most beautiful guitar in the world isn't just for show."

Geon sat on the bench, crossed his legs, and began playing the small guitar with a quiet sound.

"Dimebag Darrell of Pantera was famous for his 'razor-like picking.' I felt that sharpness like being shaved when I listened to his music."

Recalling the sharp opening part of "Cowboys from Hell," a song he enjoyed in middle school, Geon closed his eyes and nodded, pretending to be Dimebag Darrell.

"Dimebag Darrell, the genius. He was shot by a fan who invaded the stage, a mentally ill guitarist who ended his life on stage. Van Halen also mentioned being influenced by his guitar."

Geon played the sharp opening of some of Pantera's famous songs, imitating Dimebag Darrell. Suddenly, someone removed the hat that Geon had pressed down. Surprised, Geon looked up to find Phil Anselmo looking down at him. After glancing at Geon, Phil turned to Walter, who was following behind, and said,

"Look. I told you I was right."

Walter rushed over, panting, and said,

"Phil! What's this first-time thing? Apologize!"

Ignoring Walter, Phil pointed at Geon with his hand.

"Look at this. White Falcon with black hair showing under the hat. It's K, right? Am I right?"

Geon, with surprised eyes, unintentionally nodded, and Walter's eyes widened at the sight.

"What? Are you really saying he's K?"

Geon hung Haku on the bench and stood up, taking off his mask. His dazzlingly beautiful face was revealed.

"Nice to see you again, Walter. I'm K."

As Geon greeted him, Walter's frozen heart was lightly tapped by Phil's fist.

"Hey, wake up. What's that reaction to a man?"

Walter quickly regained his composure and said hastily,

"Oh, sorry, K. I... I unknowingly covered my face yesterday, not recognizing Phil. Awkward..."

K laughed and replied,

"Haha, it's okay. It's strange not to recognize Mr. Anselmo. I knew, but I never thought we'd run into each other on the street."

Phil, seeing Walter's awkwardness, hit Geon's shoulder with his fist.

"Hey, snap out of it. It's an honor for me to meet K. Let's go inside and talk."

Geon smiled, glancing at Phil's hand on his shoulder, and said,

"Yes, let's. Nice to meet you, Phil."

Phil chuckled and moved towards the club.

"I'm a loser, but meeting K is an honor for me. Let's go in and talk."

Geon followed Phil into the club, still with a dazed expression as he watched Geon's back. The interior of the club seemed quiet, with music playing from the speakers as if the performance had not yet started. Phil skillfully made his way to a corner and shouted,

"Over here! Three beers!"

Geon hurriedly approached Phil, saying, "Oh, Phil. I'm still underage for drinking!"

After glancing at Geon behind him, Phil shouted again, "Here! Two beers and one orange juice!"

Ignoring Geon's preferences, Phil ordered orange juice for him, then took a seat in a corner. Geon, still standing, spoke to Phil,

"What are you doing? Sit here."

Once Geon sat down, Walter took the seat next to Phil. Walter, with a serious expression, immediately bombarded Phil with questions,

"Hey, K.C. What brings you to Seattle? The whole U.S. is looking for you, why are you here?"

Phil replied, teasing Walter's head with a smirk, "Hey, let's talk after having a drink. Why so curious?"

Geon laughed and answered, "No worries. It's okay. I'm just traveling. I planned to travel during the school vacation, and since I came to Washington, I thought I'd revisit the traces of musicians I used to like in nearby Seattle."

While Geon was speaking, a female staff member approached with two beers and orange juice, setting them on the table. With a stern face, she placed a beer in front of Phil and said,

"Phil, don't drink too much today."

Phil waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Yeah, yeah, Anna. Don't worry about it."

Anna sighed, giving Phil a disapproving look, then placed the orange juice in front of Geon. Looking surprised at Geon, she blurted out,

"Hey? K? Is it really you?"

Geon raised his head, met Anna's eyes, and smiled. Seeing Anna blushing and unable to say anything, Phil commented,

"What are you doing? Go back to work."

After giving Phil a stern look, Anna turned to Geon, placed the orange juice on the table, and stared at Geon with an amazed expression. Geon laughed and said,

"Anyway, Phil. Do you come here often?"

Phil, still tossing tissue paper, replied, "Yeah, it's like I live here for the past few years. Always drinking."

Phil stopped throwing tissue when he noticed Anna pointing at him from a distance. Walter spoke to Phil with a puzzled expression,

"Phil! Could it be true?"

Phil took off his outerwear, placed it on the chair, and turned his pants pocket inside out to show Walter.

"Yeah, I quit a while ago. Just having one cigarette and coming back."

Walter, still unconvinced, touched Phil's back pocket and thoroughly searched him, even checking the chest area. Phil grinned and leaned against the wall as if undergoing a police investigation. When Walter finished his inspection, Phil laughed and moved away.

"I'll be back in a moment. Just gonna smoke a cigarette."

Snatching the cigarette and lighter from Walter's hand, Phil disappeared outside the shop. Watching Phil leave, Geon spoke with a slightly serious expression,

"Does Phil take drugs?"

Walter, massaging his forehead as if in pain, said, "It's a well-known story around here. It got worse after that incident 12 years ago."

Geon, with a stern face, said, "Are you talking about the incident with Dimebag Darrell's death?"

Walter nodded. "At that time, Phil and Dimebag had a terrible relationship. As you know, Phil was already deep into drugs and alcohol during the Pantera era, even causing a

 commotion in the live waiting room and breaking Dimebag's guitar."

"Anyway, Dimebag's brother and Pantera's drummer, Vinnie, also had a falling out with Phil, and Pantera eventually disbanded. Later, during a Damageplan performance, a fan invaded and shot Dimebag dead. Vinnie, Dimebag's brother, also got shot in the right chest but miraculously survived."

"The crazy guy who shot Dimebag heard an interview where Phil talked about feeling that someone should kill Dimebag after watching an interview where Phil mentioned that he felt Dimebag ordered him to kill Dimebag. Thanks to that, Phil couldn't even attend Dimebag's funeral and lived labeled as a drug addict."

Geon, nodding as if he knew the story from reading articles, asked, "Did Phil take drugs daily?"

Walter sighed deeply and replied, "He lived like that for about eight years. After that, he joined a band called Down, quit drugs, and focused on music. But that band also eventually disbanded. Although he quit drugs, he still couldn't quit alcohol, so I'm really worried."

With a serious expression, Geon asked, "So, does he drink every day like yesterday?"

Walter, exhaling deeply, said, "Yeah, something like that. It's concerning."

"Every two days, he comes in that state. They say Darrell's face comes to mind when he drinks. It must feel like he killed him. Even if their relationship soured towards the end, they were colleagues for over ten years since their indie days, so it's only natural to feel guilt."

Geon Kim nodded slightly and spoke.

"I think I would feel the same way. Is your relationship still not good with Vinnie Paul?"

Walter shook his head as he replied.

"Was it last year? Phil went to Vinnie, drunk, kneeled down, and begged. After that, Vinnie forgave Phil. They don't keep in touch frequently now, but they exchange greetings occasionally. Vinnie knows that Phil's interview didn't cause his brother's death; it was the crazy actions of a mentally ill person."

Geon nodded deeply in agreement.

"That's right. Dimebag Darrell's death can't be blamed on Phil. Anyway, as a fan, that incident was really regrettable. I had been looking forward to and waiting for Pantera to reunite."

Walter sighed and continued.

"Actually, Phil did try to persuade Vinnie. To restart Pantera's activities. But would Pantera without Darrell really have any meaning? Pantera was Dimebag Darrell's team. His place couldn't be filled by another guitarist. We tried practicing together, but both Phil and Vinnie were dissatisfied."

Geon seemed to understand and commented.

"Dimebag Darrell had absolute influence in Pantera. Did he play all the triple guitars live?"

Walter nodded.

"Yes, he played all of them in the recordings too. So, the sound of a mere four-member band could be so rich."

Just as Geon was about to ask something else, Phil returned.

"Why are you having such a serious conversation?"

Walter stepped aside to let Phil return to his seat and explained.

"Oh, nothing. K.C. said she's a Pantera fan."

Phil sat down and looked at Geon.

"Oh, really? You look a bit older to know us. Judging by the fact that you can't even drink, you seem like you're still in your teens."

Geon nodded and laughed.

"Yes, I'm 19. Oh, I guess it's 17 in American age."

Phil raised an eyebrow and whistled.

"Whew~ Hearing genius talk at 17. Impressive."

The three continued their casual conversation while people started filling the club, and on the stage, four men were checking their instruments. The long-haired white man, who seemed to be the vocalist, took the microphone and spoke.

"Ah, mic test. One, two. Hmm. Hello, everyone! We're Black See-Through!"

As the audience clapped and cheered, the three chatting people also turned their attention to the stage. The vocalist, holding the microphone, looked around at the audience and spoke.

"We were mainly active in Boston, but we're glad to be on this stage for the first time today. And it's even more special because the legendary Phil Anselmo of Pantera, whom I admired when I was young, is watching."

Referring to Phil, the vocalist drew the audience's attention to the corner where Phil was seated. When everyone looked at him, Phil raised his hand. The audience applauded and cheered. The vocalist waited for the cheers to subside and then took the microphone and spoke to Phil.

"How about it, Phil? Would you honor our band with the privilege of playing with you?"