Ch.1001. So You’re the New Guitar.

[2nd Year Guitar!!! Now Recruiting!!!]

Quite cute, round handwriting.

Below it were various instrument shapes that looked like they had been drawn with a marker.

While it couldn’t be called lacking in effort, the drawings were admittedly closer to doodles.

But Suhyeok, who had stopped in front of the door, couldn’t take his eyes off the poster and was staring intently at the notice.

‘Should I go in? Or not?’

It was an extremely difficult dilemma.

Because Suhyeok was the very definition of a loner.

That was precisely why he hadn’t applied to any central clubs from the beginning.

Central clubs were places where the most socially adept students gathered from all across the country.

Moreover, for band clubs that performed on stage, he thought it only natural that exceptional skills were required as well.

Suhyeok didn’t know exactly what the reality was since he’d never joined one, but in his mind, central clubs appeared as intimidating dens of social butterflies.

He had stormed out boasting to those wretched girls that he would find a real band…

“Haah…”

His hand, which had reached for the doorknob, dropped to the floor along with his self-esteem.

This seems impossible after all.

Whatever lay beyond the door blocking his path, this felt too impulsive.

The only song he could properly play was just one, so how on earth could he participate in activities here?

If he joined, he’d probably have to attend welcome parties and drinking gatherings, and if strict seniors came rushing in demanding he play a song, then I…!

“Excuse me.”

Just as his imagination was spinning out of control, making his eyes roll back, a gentle voice that could be heard on an afternoon radio program came from behind Suhyeok.

“Are you here… for the guitar interview?”

Dark black hair that reached down to her waist.

Her drowsy-looking eyes formed arcs resembling crescent moons.

He could instinctively sense it.

This kind of radiance definitely didn’t match someone like him…

“Ah… no. Just… the drawing looked pretty.”

“Oh. Really? I drew that!”

“Ah. Yes. Thank you.”

Suhyeok felt his ears burning hot even after his own words.

What on earth did he have to be thankful for?

“I asked because you were standing here with your guitar for a while.”

That meant she had been observing him for quite some time.

Suhyeok wasn’t the type of person with enough social skills to come up with excuses on the spot.

Should I just go in since I’ve already started talking?

Or would it be better to pretend not to know and escape from here?

Whether aware of Suhyeok’s hesitation or not, she smoothly stepped aside.

“Just a moment.”

The sound of pressing a passcode followed, and the firmly closed club room door swung wide open.

“Wow…”

A genuinely impressed exclamation escaped from Suhyeok’s lips.

The equipment visible through the doorway in that brief moment was incomparably better than what they had used in his small club.

Although he had never really played properly there, the amplifiers visible inside now…

His mouth watered at the sight of the gleaming gold finishes.

“If you’re not busy, how about coming in for a chat?”

He was pretty sure he had said he wasn’t here for the guitar interview.

Standing by the door and gesturing for Suhyeok to enter, she wore a bright smile that would make anyone feel good.

“But… I… um… I’m not that good at playing guitar…”

“Oh come on~ It’s fine~ We’re really desperate for people right now.”

Suhyeok found himself inside the club room before he knew it.

Only after the door closed did he feel like he had been enchanted by a fox.

“Um… you are a second-year student, right?”

“Ah. Yes, that’s right.”

“Ah! Thank goodness! I was worried you might be a freshman after I brought you in.”

Suhyeok carefully looked around the club room.

Guitars and basses neatly displayed on stands.

Stacks of sheet music piled high on chairs.

One wall was filled with more posters from past performances than he had fingers to count.

In the middle was a large skull with its mouth wide open, and when Suhyeok’s eyes met it, he felt both a chill and a thrill run through him.

It was exactly the scene of a band club as he had imagined it.

“Ah. I’m late with my introduction. I’m Lee Seo-eun, Korean Education major, 2nd year! 22 years old~ I’m the president of the band club Spirit!”

Suhyeok felt somewhat relieved by her cheerfully smiling face.

‘Well… she doesn’t seem scary at least…’

He was glad it didn’t have the atmosphere of a strict audition.

“Your name is…?”

“Ah. I’m Lee Suhyeok.”

“Suhyeok! What’s your major?”

“I’m… in Economics.”

“Oh! We have someone from Economics in our year too! Do you know Juyeon? Park Juyeon?”

Suhyeok tilted his head at the unfamiliar name.

But it wasn’t surprising. There were many students in his department, and Suhyeok himself wasn’t particularly active in school life.

“Ahaha… I don’t really know…”

“Ah~ I see~ Well, Juyeon probably doesn’t know you either!”

What does that mean?

Is she saying I look like a loner?

Though it felt like a dagger to his heart, Suhyeok tried hard not to show it.

“So… um… I came in because you said you were looking for a guitarist…”

“Yes! That’s right! Suhyeok, how long have you been playing guitar?”

“I’ve been playing for… about 2 years…”

“Oh. Then you must be able to play somewhat decently?”

“About that…”

Two years was certainly not a short period.

But Suhyeok still hadn’t mastered that one song.

To be precise, he still couldn’t perfect the final 5-second highlight.

“Actually, I do have something prepared.”

“Ooh~ Could we hear it right now?”

‘She’s already turning on the amp before I even answered!!!’

With a click, the red power light came on.

Suhyeok’s eyebrows trembled slightly.

“You’ll use… your own guitar, right?”

“Ah. Yes, I’ll use mine.”

Suhyeok unzipped his bag and brought out his one and only treasure.

“Wow. The Tele has a pretty color!”

“Th-thank you.”

She even recognized what kind of guitar it was…!

Suhyeok could barely contain his joy at receiving praise he had never experienced before.

In his small club, no one had ever reacted no matter how many times he took it out.

They even told him to turn off the amp because it was too noisy when he practiced.

“What song have you prepared?”

“Um… I don’t know if you’ll know it, but it’s an instrumental piece…”

Her drowsy eyes suddenly grew round.

“Oh~ An instrumental?”

“Yes. It’s by my favorite guitarist.”

“Ah, I see. Yes! Any genre is fine! Would you like me to add some drive?”

“Yes. Please turn the gain all the way up, and set the middle to 9 o’clock…”

Crouching in front of the amp, she fiddled with the knobs adjusting the sound and turned her head quickly to ask.

“Gain at maximum… middle at 9… what about the rest?”

“Just center them, that should be fine.”

It was really a trivial conversation, but Suhyeok could feel his heart pounding.

The fact that she knew how to operate all these sound controls meant she was definitely experienced…!

After plugging in the cable and slowly turning up the volume knob, a sharp sound typical of hard rock hit their eardrums throughout the room.

-Jiiiing

“Is that enough?”

“…That seems sufficient.”

Right. Even if I fail, let me show what I’ve got before failing.

His right hand gripping the pick tightened.

-Tak tak tak tak

The metronome sound he had heard to the point of tedium echoed in his head.

Suhyeok’s long bangs fell forward, and he began to play in his own small zone.

Fingers flying across the fretboard as if oiled.

Seo-eun couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

First of all, the tempo of the song was impossibly fast.

A flurry of triplets followed as if possessed, but what was even more surprising was how precisely each beat landed.

This technique was on a different level from hobbyists who only pursued superficial showmanship.

No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t a skill level achievable after just 2 years of playing.

If she asked Hana, who played guitar in their year, to play this, she would definitely say it was impossible.

The tempo kept climbing with no end in sight.

Suhyeok sensed the approach of the fateful hurdle he had never been able to overcome.

The final 5 seconds he could never master no matter how much he practiced.

He decided to just strike the strings as best he could and finish it with tears in his eyes.

Well… what can’t be done can’t be done…

A few notes were muffled, producing a somewhat unpleasant sound as the performance concluded.

-Jiiing

After catching his breath, Suhyeok finally raised his head and brushed back his bangs that had been like a curtain covering his face.

As the tension released, his pick fell to the floor.

“Was… was that okay?”

Instead of answering, Seo-eun slowly approached him.

Bending down to pick up his pick, she softly called his name.

“Suhyeok.”

“Yes…?”

“Practice is on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 PM for one hour each.”

Accepted…?

Does that mean I passed…?

“And every Friday, you must participate in our social gathering.”

Social…gathering…?

At these three words that seemed completely unrelated to music, Suhyeok blinked with a foolish expression.

“Social gathering…? What’s that?”

“It’s where we build friendships by drinking together, going out, you know, various things! No need to feel pressured!”

As expected of a central club.

How nice it would have been if they just gathered to play music.

The issue of “socializing,” which had been a major part of his hesitation before coming, was indeed becoming a stumbling block.

And it was mandatory participation!

This was the most burdensome aspect for Suhyeok, even more than practice or ensemble playing.

“Um… I’m sorry… but… perhaps…”

-Click

Just as he was about to ask more and possibly express his intention to decline, both Suhyeok and Seo-eun turned their heads toward the door.

“Oh? Is that Choegang?”

Whether it was a nickname or a real name, it was an unusual title.

But one thing was certain—the title suited him very well.

“What is it?”

A height that looked well over 185 cm.

Pectoral muscles bulging as if enraged, impossible to conceal even under a t-shirt.

While that alone would have been enough to make him stand out, Choegang had an even more distinctive feature…

‘His… his hair is gone!’

“Say hello~ This is Suhyeok, who will be joining us as a guitarist from today~”

Suhyeok’s gaze was captured by the gleaming, shiny head.

“So you’re the new guitarist.”

As the man’s fierce eyes flashed, Suhyeok swallowed the words that had risen to his throat.