Ch.142142. Her and Her

An ambiguous time of day.

4 PM.

It seemed no one was in the club room.

After entering the passcode and stepping inside, darkness awaited Juyeon.

With a click, the lights came on.

Juyeon glanced around briefly before picking up the communal guitar placed in the corner of the room.

She connected the cable and sat down in the spot where Suhyeok always sat.

-Ziiing

She plucked the open strings without pressing any notes.

The sound was dissonant due to the guitar being out of tune.

Juyeon noticed this but didn’t bother to fix the tuning.

It was an expected outcome, but her lessons with Suhyeok had been suspended.

Therefore, Juyeon didn’t know what lessons awaited beyond the simple chords and arpeggio techniques.

She probably wouldn’t get to learn them in the future either.

Because he…

-Creeak

The door opened, and in walked Hana with her blonde hair and purple tracksuit.

“Hi.”

“…Hi.”

Their greeting was as dry as a desert, hardly befitting the title of friends.

Hana glanced at where Juyeon was sitting.

It was the spot where her boyfriend always sat to play guitar.

Of course, Suhyeok didn’t actually own that spot, and it didn’t matter where Juyeon sat, but still, Hana couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable about it.

“…The song.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you still going ahead with it?”

Their gazes tangled in empty space.

Hana was speaking indirectly.

[Are you really going to write a dedication song for my boyfriend?]

Juyeon understood the meaning easily.

“…I wonder.”

“I think you need to be clear about it. If we’re scrapping it, we might have to pull all-nighters for several days.”

It was already a tight schedule even if they kept the existing melody and lyrics.

If they were to change the concept from scratch, the two of them would have to stick together every day, whether they liked it or not.

“What do you think, Hana?”

“I…”

Hana twirled a strand of her hair nervously.

[So I Played the Guitar.]

Of course she disliked it.

There was no way she could like it.

Considering when it was created, she couldn’t blame Juyeon, but now that she was dating Suhyeok, emotionally accepting a song with such content required considerable patience.

“If you want to do it, then do it.”

Hana let out a short sigh.

It was a sign of gratitude toward Juyeon for steadfastly continuing with the club activities.

Honestly, if she imagined Suhyeok and Juyeon as a couple, cuddling next to her, her blood would boil.

She definitely wouldn’t have been able to practice properly.

But despite all that, Juyeon was here.

Hana couldn’t begin to guess what feelings brought her here.

Just by showing up, she was already an amazing person in this moment.

“Then I’ll go with this as is.”

“…Okay.”

“We don’t have much time anyway.”

They couldn’t ignore the practical circumstances either.

It wasn’t just about the relationship between them.

It was about the entire band’s schedule.

“Let’s get started then.”

“…Yeah.”

Following Juyeon’s words, Hana began playing the guitar.

She arranged the chords to establish the flow of the song.

How to connect the notes would come next.

Juyeon sang the same part over and over again from beside her.

“Phew…”

“Is your throat okay? Take breaks. We can always play the recording if needed.”

“…Yeah.”

Hana diligently served as Juyeon’s hands.

Her role was to express the image in Juyeon’s mind into concrete melodies.

Their conversations lacked professional terminology, but they were gradually aligning their vision for the song based on feeling alone.

It contained a passionate yet pitiful confession.

“Will I reach you?”

“Please hear this sound.”

The last lyrics of the chorus.

Even as she created the song, Juyeon wondered what meaning it held now.

Suhyeok had become someone beyond her reach.

So what meaning did this song have for her anymore?

It was a song she started making because she liked Suhyeok so much.

A song created to convey how much she liked him.

Winter had come to her before her flower could bloom.

“…The song is good.”

During a short break, Hana offered a brief review while noting the chords on her phone.

“Huh?”

“I said the song is turning out good.”

Setting aside personal feelings, “So I Played the Guitar” was becoming quite a mainstream song.

It wasn’t a song that unnecessarily showcased instrumental skills.

Nor was it a ballad that put all the burden on Juyeon like “Maze” did.

The guitar line with its subtle overdrive definitely had that Spirit-like sound she could be proud of.

Once they added Soeun’s bass and inserted drum tracks with MIDI software, it would start taking shape.

“Really…?”

Juyeon looked at Hana with surprise.

She honestly thought Hana would hate this song.

“What’s with that stupid expression?”

“Just… it’s unexpected.”

“It’s a song I helped create too. It can’t be bad.”

No matter how much Juyeon initiated the lyrics and concept, ultimately it was Hana who created the actual song.

“We’re all going to play it together, so it has to be cool.”

Whatever future awaited the members, they would never perform on stage with this lineup again.

Just the winter of their 21st year.

It was a song they could only sing at the very end of that time.

“If your throat hurts, we can work on the bridge tomorrow.”

“I’m fine doing it all today.”

“Actually, I said that because I can’t think of anything right now.”

“Ahaha… then shall we do it tomorrow?”

Hana, who had been sprawled on the sofa, sat up.

“Juyeon.”

“Yeah?”

Hana suddenly recalled memories from around this time last year.

When Spirit had six members.

When there were no juniors, only seniors who constantly nagged them.

It was a memory from a season before Suhyeok appeared before them.

Her running around in a group playing acoustic guitar, and Juyeon following behind despite finding it difficult.

It was really fun back then too.

“Just thinking about last year.”

“Last year?”

“Yeah. Before Lee Suhyeok joined.”

Juyeon also became nostalgic at Hana’s words.

“We were preparing for the winter performance then.”

“Right. It was around the time Seungho oppa broke up with his girlfriend and caused a scene.”

“That was already a year ago.”

It was a vivid memory for Juyeon too.

“But you…”

Juyeon’s lips formed a sad curve.

“Must be happier now.”

Because you have a boyfriend you love.

Unlike me who’s alone now.

Hana remained silent.

A silence of affirmation.

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

“Well… it would be weird if I said I preferred last year.”

Hana nodded with a complicated expression.

“I’ll treat him well. I’ll make sure you won’t have any regrets.”

Juyeon turned her head to look out the window.

“…Yeah.”

“Even if he gets stationed somewhere remote, I’ll visit him diligently and write letters regularly.”

The hardships that would come from choosing Suhyeok.

Hana was ready to accept all of it willingly.

“You must miss him.”

“Are you talking about me?”

Hana smiled playfully.

Juyeon just smiled without responding.

“Anyway… well…”

As if not wanting to think complicated thoughts anymore, Hana stretched out fully.

“Let’s finish the song well.”

“Yeah. I’m counting on you.”

“Then tomorrow… is 6 o’clock okay?”

“Let’s just avoid the first-years’ practice time.”

“Got it. I’ll contact you. See you.”

Hana left the club room before Juyeon.

As November approached, the wind carried increasingly cold air.

With mixed feelings, Hana decided to call Suhyeok.

[Hello?]

[Babe.]

[Yeah. Are you done?]

[Yeah. Just now. Did you finish your assignment?]

[Just finished it a moment ago.]

Honestly, Suhyeok was very worried about what conversations might occur when Hana and Juyeon were alone together.

Of course, he trusted Hana.

She was more perceptive than him and considerate toward those around her.

She wouldn’t have mistreated Juyeon or said anything disrespectful to her.

[I see.]

[…Did something happen?]

Though their personalities were opposites, Suhyeok could now gauge Hana’s mood.

[No. I just wanted to hear your voice.]

[When you say it like that, it makes me more concerned.]

[Tsk… I’m not usually this affectionate, you know?]

You act cute with me every day, so you think it’s normal.

[Did something happen with Juyeon?]

Suhyeok finally asked the confirmation question.

[Why? Afraid I threatened her to stay away?]

…He didn’t think that possibility was entirely out of the question.

[…You didn’t, did you?]

[No. Hey! What do you take your girlfriend for!]

[Phew…]

[Wow, Lee Suhyeok. Just wait until you get home.]

[No, I just asked because you seemed a bit down, that’s all.]

Suhyeok’s voice was gentle.

Hana’s mood improved again after her brief annoyance.

[But the song… it’s coming along well.]

[Really?]

[Yeah. It has good vibes.]

The only problem is that it’s about you.

[I hope it turns out well.]

Suhyeok also sincerely wished for the song’s successful completion.

[It will. We’ll make it happen.]

Because a song this sincere couldn’t possibly fail.