Ch.148148. Too Much MZ

Mid-December.

Final exam season and the end of the semester were approaching simultaneously.

The weather had turned cold enough to see one’s breath.

It was the season when trench coats, worn for barely two weeks a year, would soon have to return to the closet.

The young man and woman carrying guitars had their hands stuffed deep in their pockets.

“It’s really winter now.”

“Yeah, it is.”

The sky was gloomy, looking like it might snow soon.

Suhyeok and Hana were heading to an external practice room, not their club room.

Today was rehearsal day.

More specifically, it was the day to showcase which songs they would perform to a few invited graduates.

The club room would be too cramped with first and second-year students plus graduates.

So they decided to do a proper final check before finals at an external practice room, with everyone present.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“Want to hold hands again?”

“You said it was too cold earlier.”

They had been holding hands when they first met up, but Hana had decided to put her hands back in her pockets because it was too cold.

“But I think it’s gotten a bit warmer now.”

“Sorry I’m not exactly the warm-handed type.”

Suhyeok gave an awkward smile.

“Hey. Stop apologizing for stuff like that. I told you it’s a bad habit.”

“Sorry…”

“Ahhh! I said stop!”

It was something she had noticed both before and after they became a couple—Suhyeok apologized too easily.

Always apologizing for things that weren’t even his fault.

Hana didn’t like seeing her boyfriend being so submissive.

His good nature was definitely one of his strengths, but she wished he would be selective about when and where to be kind.

“Is this the place?”

“Yeah. We go down to the basement from here.”

The practice room was located on the first basement level.

When they entered, they found first-year students who had arrived early gathered in small groups.

“Oh? Suhyeok hyung!”

“Hana noona. Hello~”

“Hi.”

The sad truth was that the 24th generation members weren’t completely on good terms with each other.

Hyejung had ended up with a senior who had returned from military service.

Taeho, who had a crush on her, was still single.

He loudly proclaimed that he was over it and would go clubbing to have fun, but the way he shrank whenever he saw Hyejung was pitiful.

“Hyung, which seniors are coming today?”

“Who did they say was coming?”

At Taeho’s question, Suhyeok turned his head toward his girlfriend.

“Um… I know two people from Jaejoong oppa’s year are coming, and two from the 20th generation above them. One from the 18th generation. That’s all I know?”

In truth, Suhyeok wasn’t much different from the first-years.

Only the original members who had been active since their first year had connections with the graduates.

Among them, only Hana and Seoeun properly served as bridges between the generations.

“Wow, hyung, I’m so nervous. What should I do?”

The first-years now had eight songs.

The “they’re beginners, cut them some slack” shield had already disappeared.

“Well, I’m scared too.”

If they were competing over who was more afraid of the seniors, Suhyeok would win by 100 percent.

Although he got along well with juniors and peers, he turned to ice whenever graduates were around.

“Are the others inside?”

“Yes, noona. You can go into Room C over there.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Hana grabbed Suhyeok’s wrist and led him inside.

“Hiiii~”

Seoeun was sitting on the drum chair.

Usually, Gangi sat there, and with Seoeun sitting there now, the drums looked bigger—an optical illusion.

“Oh? Jaemin oppa, hello.”

When Hana greeted him, Suhyeok followed suit with a stiff bow.

“Hey, Hana. Hello. And that’s him, right? Your boyfriend.”

“That’s right!”

“Wow. You’ve got skills, Suhyeok.”

“Pardon?”

“We always wondered what kind of guy Hana would end up dating.”

The cute junior was always a topic of interest among the seniors.

“Ahaha… no… well…”

“Skills? Well, he plays guitar amazingly, that’s for sure.”

Hana proudly praised Suhyeok, chest puffed out.

“You guys will be blown away when you see him play, I promise.”

“Nah, I’ll pass. Not interested.”

The graduates waved their hands dismissively at the cheesy comment.

As more members arrived, the chairs filled up with people.

“Okay… looks like everyone from the 23rd and 24th generations is here… and most of the seniors have arrived too, so shall we start?”

Seoeun announced the start with a microphone in hand.

The graduates sat in one corner, while nervous first-years sat in another, as if divided into factions.

She handed the microphone to Juyeon.

Petite Juyeon had a dark green beanie on her head.

It offered no protection, but having something extra on her head made her feel more comfortable when there were many people around.

She also liked how it cast a slight shadow below her eyes.

“S-so, we’ll begin.”

The order followed the setlist.

All eight songs had been practiced in full.

Now they needed to improve the quality bit by bit.

The graduates would definitely be better at catching small mistakes.

-Strum strum strum strum

The song began with Suhyeok’s solo riff.

After two measures, Seoeun, Hana, and Choegang made eye contact and joined in.

“Cause I don’t wanna lose my mind.”

“You can’t hurt me unless I die”

One generation performing while another watched.

“Juyeon unni really sings well.”

“Agreed. She’s the best singer I know.”

“Gangi oppa is the best drummer I know.”

Sohye slipped in praise for her boyfriend and got a light smack.

“But it’s true…”

“How many drummers do you even know?”

“Gangi oppa and, um…”

Meaning he was her one and only.

-Strum strum strum strum strum

After four songs in a row, the generations switched.

“Oppa, how were we?”

Seoeun sat down next to Jaejoon, who was sitting with the graduates.

“With gloves on? Or off?”

“…Are you saying we were that bad?”

“Just kidding. Overall, you did well. I’ll tell you what could be improved later.”

“Okay!”

The first-years now had a leader too.

It had been about a month since they went public.

Jiho, who played bass, came forward like Seoeun to lead the practice.

“Hello, I’m Jung Jiho, the 24th president of Spirit!”

“Wow~ So cool~”

“Are you good at bass?”

“Better than Lee Seoeun!”

For insulting someone from his own year, Choegang got punched in the stomach by Seoeun.

“We’ve prepared, but, um… we’re still not as good as our 23rd generation seniors.”

At just 20 years old, he was still at an age where dealing with seniors was difficult.

Nevertheless, Jiho tried his best to present their efforts, rambling a bit.

“We’ll begin now.”

Neither the 23rd generation nor the graduates expected much from them.

Everyone applauded, and the 24th generation’s expressions finally relaxed a bit.

The first to sing was the male vocalist, Geonwoo.

The male vocalist position had disappeared into history in the 23rd generation.

Male songs definitely had a unique vibe when sung by a male vocalist.

“It will BUUUURN!!!”

Their passionate performance made their earlier downplaying seem ridiculous.

More precisely, it was a passionate vocal performance.

“Whew…! Thank you!”

When he struck a finishing pose like a closing fairy, some seniors burst out laughing.

“Wow, that kid’s got talent.”

“Isn’t this the first time since Sunghyeok hyung?”

The older graduates reminisced about seniors who had given similar performances in the past.

Jiyeon and Geonwoo passed the microphone. Now it was the female vocalist’s turn.

Before starting, Jiyeon glanced toward Juyeon, who could be considered her direct superior.

A point of comparison and an insurmountable wall.

Jiyeon’s mouth went dry.

Noticing her gaze, Juyeon timidly gave a thumbs up as if to say “you can do it.”

Her head nodding slightly.

That awkward encouragement seemed to ease Jiyeon’s tension a bit.

“Here I go!”

Sohye’s drumsticks sounded.

Jiho’s groovy bass line followed.

Jiyeon swayed her head to the rhythm.

Her hand gripping the microphone was full of tension.

“It’s still a dark night.”

Sitting side by side, Suhyeok and Hana alternated between smiling and expressing admiration, like a couple watching TV.

“Jiyeon’s good too.”

“Yeah.”

“But Taeho just messed up the guitar part.”

“Come on, don’t be so nitpicky.”

Strict Teacher Yoon and Suhyeok trying to restrain her.

The graduates stayed in their seats for the entire hour and a half while the current students performed.

“Who wants to speak?”

“You should do it, hyung.”

“Ya, Han Jaejoon, you go.”

“Me?”

“You were president, weren’t you? The former president should do this.”

Jaejoon reluctantly came forward as the graduates’ representative.

Seoeun watched her boyfriend with an amused expression.

“Uh… so… everyone did well. Yeah. Good, good. Just do the same at the actual performance.”

“Wooooo!”

“Amazing!”

“Great~!”

The graduates cheered at his lackluster comments.

Jaejoon trembled at the group that seemed to be mocking him.

“I was thinking we could all go out to eat together, but no pressure, just raise your hand if you can come.”

The presidents of each year gathered opinions.

“Jiyeon and Hyejung say they can’t make it today.”

Jiho reported to Seoeun.

“Our year…”

“Lee Suhyeok and I can’t go.”

Hana answered first.

She had already discussed it with Suhyeok.

They knew that if they went, Juyeon wouldn’t be able to go, so they had planned to have dinner separately, just the two of them.

“What are you two doing?”

Jaejoon asked in a dry voice, arms crossed.

“Date night. We’re leaving now!”

The two with guitar gig bags slung over their shoulders turned around and left the practice room without hesitation.

“…Too much MZ, don’t you think, Jaejoon?”

The remaining graduates looked like they thought this was a bit much.

Jaejoon was the only graduate who knew the internal dynamics of the 23rd generation, so he tried to let it slide.

“Kids these days are like that. Let them be.”

“Then shall we go ahead without them? Juyeon?”

“Uh…? Oh. Yeah.”

Juyeon got up from her seat, led by Seoeun’s hand.