Ch.38038. Telehyuk21
by fnovelpia
“What’s up with Sohye?”
“Huh?”
“Ji Sohye keeps asking you to work out together, right?”
“Oh. Yeah. She was saying we newbies should try our best together.”
A crooked smile forms on Hana’s lips.
It was the kind of smile that didn’t seem particularly welcoming.
But her display of discomfort lasted only for the blink of an eye.
“Ah~ Sohye’s out of line! Trying to make a senior exercise! I need to set her straight.”
Hana springs up and casually takes a guitar from the stand.
“If the kids can’t practice today, I’ll just wring their necks.”
No sooner had she made her declaration than the first-years came rushing in.
“Ah! Hello, unnie!”
“Hello.”
“Oh? Suhyuk sunbae, it’s been a while!”
Been a while?
I was here just last week.
Though embarrassed, he didn’t show it.
That’s what being a “cool” senior was about.
Suhyuk still couldn’t forget the “cool senior theory” he had read online.
“You guys started on your third song, right?”
Hana stood next to Jiyeon, the 24th generation’s female vocalist, with her arms crossed.
“Yes.”
“So that means you’ve almost finished the first and second ones?”
The smiles gradually disappeared from the faces of the 24th generation members.
Especially Taeho, who had already been crushed by Hana once before, was now sweating profusely.
Two senior guitarists showing up—not from any other section but guitar.
It was like sitting on a bed of thorns.
At least President Seo-eun would usually coddle them and tell them they did well…
But to the juniors, Hana was like the most beautiful king of beasts.
She exuded a presence like that of a lion.
“Shall we listen then?”
Suhyuk and Hana sat side by side on the sofa.
Once again, Suhyuk held his breath as if he was the one being scolded and watched the first-years’ performance.
They definitely seemed much better than last time.
No one was stumbling because they couldn’t memorize the sheet music,
and no one was making mistakes big enough to disrupt the ensemble.
However.
“Stop.”
Hana, who had been listening to the performance with her eyes closed, halted the first-years.
“Hyejung.”
The 24th generation’s other guitarist.
Na Hyejung flinched.
“Yes, unnie.”
“I think you need to mute properly.”
Hana got up from the sofa and walked right up to the amplifier.
“Play that rhythm again properly.”
The public execution time had returned today.
Hana instructed Hyejung to replay a specific section.
Hyejung gripped her pick, feeling her mouth go dry.
With a trembling heart, she began to play the rhythm section from earlier.
-Takatakatakataka tan- tan-
The song chosen by the first-years was one that came alive when the funky chords were played with bounce.
In common terms, it was a section that required skillful “jab-jab” technique, but Hyejung’s hands seemed too stiff to express it properly.
“Can you stop for a moment?”
Hana, who had approached her side, stretched out her hand as if asking for the guitar.
A white Stratocaster, the representative entry-level guitar, was placed in Hana’s hands.
“Watch.”
Hana fingered the same chord and immediately began demonstrating.
-Takatakatakataka
It was exactly the same muting technique, but the feeling was clearly different.
Her right hand had the ease of someone who had practiced rhythm extensively, and her left hand provided perfect defense against unwanted noise.
“Only apply force when necessary.”
“Yes.”
“The reason you’re unnecessarily tense is probably, with high probability, due to lack of practice.”
Hana wasn’t the type overflowing with talent.
She gained her current skills through thorough effort and endless repetition.
All the difficulties Hyejung was experiencing were things Hana had gone through as well.
“Even with easy songs, I hope you’ll aim to complete them cleanly.”
“This isn’t just for Hyejung. All of you should remember this well.”
With her hands on her hips, Hana was the very embodiment of a true senior.
At least that’s how she appeared to Suhyuk.
“Cherish each and every note.”
“When doing covers, try to look up how the original performers play.”
She knew they wouldn’t do it even if she said so.
Despite knowing this, Hana was simply fulfilling her duty as a senior.
Because she thought that was the way to be honest about the music she loved.
If anything, it was Suhyuk who was listening with his ears perked up.
“Hey. Lee Suhyuk.”
Hana, with her back turned, suddenly addressed Suhyuk.
“Don’t you have anything to say?”
“…Yoon Hana is cool?”
He didn’t know what to point out.
But he could tell that Hana was cool.
“What are you saying.”
Hana spat out the words as if she found him pathetic.
Suhyuk himself didn’t see it, but all the juniors witnessed it.
The corners of Hana’s mouth turning up slightly in a somewhat smug expression.
* * *
“Just say it straight. I’m definitely not losing at pool today.”
“Ugh… brag after you win for once~ I’m telling you, you can’t do it!”
“Let’s bet. Let’s make a bet! You jerk!”
As the practice ended, the first-year boys seemed to be rushing off to play pool.
“Oh? Suhyuk hyung, do you want to come too? We can do 2 vs 2!”
“No. You guys have fun.”
He coolly pretended to be busy, but…
Honestly, he didn’t know how to play.
A loner like him only knew computer games; he had never even touched a pool cue before.
The rest of the girls dispersed to attend to their own business.
“Lee Suhyuk. Aren’t you going to play pool?”
Hana, who remained behind, asked Suhyuk.
“No.”
“Do you know how to play?”
“…No.”
He hesitated to answer for a moment, but it would be a lie that would be exposed if they went to a pool hall together anyway.
“Then what do you like to do?”
“Playing guitar?”
“Besides that.”
Being asked to name other options, he couldn’t think of much.
There were other things he did when he had free time, but things he liked…
“Nothing… in particular.”
Did he know how his answer tickled Hana’s heart even more?
A guy who had absolutely no interest in anything else and loved playing guitar the most.
Now she was starting to feel like she might even come to like that shaggy, 80s rock star-like hair of his.
“Want to eat?”
“Huh?”
“If you haven’t eaten, let’s eat together.”
“Sure.”
Suhyuk would have felt awkward with all the juniors, but he welcomed being alone with Hana.
Because despite her occasional snappiness, he could tell she was a good person.
“How about spicy braised chicken? I’m craving something a bit spicy.”
“Let’s go there, then.”
Glad she didn’t ask me what I wanted.
Suhyuk breathed an inward sigh of relief as he picked up his bag.
The two walked side by side across the pedestrian overpass.
Their conversation topic was tomorrow’s social gathering.
“Hmm… we’ve been to the aquarium together, and the board game cafe. Places like that.”
“Wow… you guys have gone out a lot together, huh.”
“But those are just some memorable special cases. There were many times we just drank alcohol.”
The Friday social gatherings created to prevent Park Juyeon from being ostracized.
Last year, Hana’s attendance was poor because she was working part-time.
Still, she didn’t dislike it.
She thought of band members as family who shared hardships and performances together.
-Ding ding-ring
“Auntie! Table for two!”
“Oh my! The student is here again!”
Standing behind Hana, Suhyuk wondered if this was what being popular was all about.
First Seo-eun, and now this—how do shop owners always recognize and remember their faces?
Suhyuk, who was terrified of shop owners speaking to him without being addressed first, found it simply fascinating.
“Two servings of spicy braised chicken, please!”
Hana, who was quite a regular, ordered with familiarity.
After waiting a bit longer, what appeared before the two was a brownish pot that looked well-seasoned with age.
“The fried rice here is seriously delicious.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I should take a picture.”
Hana, who was about to upload a photo to Instagram, slightly raised her head to look at Suhyuk’s face.
“Hey. What’s your Instagram ID? I’ll tag you.”
“…I don’t have one.”
“You don’t?”
“Well… even if I made one, I wouldn’t have friends to follow…”
“Then I’ll be your friend. Make one.”
Her eyes seemed to say, “What’s there to worry about?”
In the end, Suhyuk gave in to Hana’s insistence and created an account.
“But what should I use as my ID…?”
Should I just use my name?
“Usually people use their nicknames if they have one, or they derive it from their name.”
“I don’t have a nickname.”
Feeling a bit frustrated, Hana let out a short sigh.
“No Instagram ID, no nickname, geez. Just give it here. I’ll make one for you.”
When Suhyuk obediently handed over his phone, Hana found herself pondering.
Since it’s Suhyuk… WaterHyuk…?
Oh, that’s terrible.
Hmm… Ah. Isn’t there something better?
-Ding!
A light bulb went on above Hana’s head.
“Lee Suhyuk. You love your guitar, right?”
“I do.”
There was no hesitation since this was true.
“Then let’s go with Telehyuk21.”
“Tele…hyuk? Hmm? Is that from Telecaster?”
“Yeah. Is it bad?”
He actually had no opinion, but he didn’t want to ruin Hana’s expectant expression.
“No. It’s good.”
“Okay. Then I’ll follow you, alright?”
The first follower on Suhyuk’s account.
SGone21
An undisguisable, contented smile hung on Hana’s lips as she tagged Suhyuk’s ID.
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