Ch.5252. Preparation

Ms. Yoon Hana, the official alcoholic of the 23rd generation.

Her early departure from drinking gatherings was as predictable as the sunrise.

I’ve always wondered.

If I love drinking so much, why did God give me such a weak liver?

I want to stay until the end of the drinking session and join in on those deep late-night conversations, but why do I always end up losing consciousness and getting scolded in the morning!

When the body fails to break down alcohol, reason collapses.

“Lee Soohyuk.”

Soohyuk, who had been talking with Taeho about the performance, turned around.

Staggering as she appeared, Hana placed both hands on his head.

“Hmm?”

As if petting a dog, Hana began to ruffle Soohyuk’s shaggy hair.

“H-Hana?”

“Let’s go get ice cream.”

Seemingly having forgotten how she’d been grabbing his collar and shaking him just hours ago, Hana smiled refreshingly.

Her cheeks were tinged with a light pink.

Like cherry blossoms blooming on a spring day.

Like those of a beloved young girl.

Hana was exuding such idol-like pheromones that even the juniors watching couldn’t help but think she was cute.

“Ice cream?”

“Yeah. I really want chocolate ice cream.”

“Then should we bring the others…”

“Others?”

The smile briefly disappeared from Hana’s lips.

“What are you talking about~ Just the two of us! We’ll buy some for everyone else too!”

“…Is that so?”

“You’re the senior! Right? You should treat us to ice cream! Hey! Taeho, what do you want?”

“I… I’d like bibimbap…”

“You’re such an old man, Taeho. Hehehe.”

Finding something amusing, Hana rested her chin on Soohyuk’s head and giggled.

“Should I come along too?”

Juyeon, who had quietly raised her head, met Hana’s eyes.

Hana removed her hands from Soohyuk’s head and planted a quick kiss on Juyeon’s cheek.

“The princess stays here.”

“I’m a princess?”

Since it wasn’t the first time Hana had kissed her cheek while drunk, Juyeon wasn’t particularly surprised.

Still, princess?

No matter how you look at it, Hana seemed more suited to being called a princess.

Juyeon’s face reddened slightly with embarrassment.

“Yes. I’m the prince.”

“Then what’s Soohyuk?”

“Lee Soohyuk? Lee Soohyuk is… hmm…”

Hana cupped Soohyuk’s cheeks with both hands.

His cheeks seemed to be warming up from the sudden skinship.

“A shaggy dog.”

“Pfft.”

Jiyeon, sitting across from them, burst into laughter as if she agreed.

“Soohyuk oppa does kind of look like a shaggy dog.”

“…Really?!”

Sure, his bangs were long, but was it that bad?!

And honestly, while it wasn’t meant to be offensive, being compared to a dog by his junior made Soohyuk feel strange.

He’d grown his hair out to be a symbol of rock spirit.

He wasn’t growing it just to be treated like a puppy!

“Anyway! Get up, Lee Soohyuk.”

Finally rising from his seat, Soohyuk followed Hana outside.

May.

Probably one of the best months of the year weather-wise.

A pleasantly cool breeze blew past their shoulders.

“…Did you drink a lot?”

Since they had been sitting at opposite ends of the table, he hadn’t been able to talk much with Hana.

“No?”

Hana answered playfully.

“You seem like you drank a lot.”

“I didn’t?”

The way her voice lifted at the end proved her words were false.

“Lee Soohyuk.”

Hana, who had been walking a step ahead, suddenly turned around.

“Yeah?”

“I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

“Yes. Only you can do this for me.”

She spoke in such a plaintive tone that Soohyuk nodded solemnly.

As long as she wasn’t asking to borrow money…!

Actually, even money might be okay if it was under 100,000 won…

“What is it?”

“Come to the hair salon with me.”

Soohyuk’s eyes blinked rapidly.

What?

Did Hana want him to accompany her while she got her hair done?

“Um… are you going to cut your hair…?”

Soohyuk had heard that girls spend a long time at hair salons.

He was wondering if he should bring a power bank when…

“No? You.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You.”

Her tone suggested the answer was already decided.

Soohyuk instinctively covered his head protectively.

“N-No way.”

“What? You need to cut it.”

“I said no! I’ve been growing it for a year to show it off at the performance.”

“You looking like a shaggy dog on stage! I absolutely cannot watch that!”

“Even if it’s you, Hana, I can’t give this up!”

Since Soohyuk had also had some alcohol, he could muster the courage to make this much of an assertion.

“Oh really? Come here.”

Hana lunged toward Soohyuk as if she was going to rip his hair out.

He tried to escape in the opposite direction as she came charging…

“Going. Not going.”

He looked like a herbivore caught by a predator.

Hana’s arm locked firmly around Soohyuk’s neck in a headlock.

“I’ll go. I’ll go!”

For the first time, Soohyuk thought he should take his health lessons more seriously.

* * *

7 days until the performance day.

“Ugh… I’m so tired of this…”

Blatant complaints poured from the mouth of Hana, the practice addict.

Everyone probably felt the same way, even if they didn’t say it out loud.

After all, final rehearsals were always like this.

The 23rd generation of Spirit had been rotating through just two songs for two hours straight.

Endlessly repeating sections that weren’t right until they got them perfect was standard procedure.

They needed to be at 120% before rehearsal to barely show 100% on stage.

The process was certainly not enjoyable.

Even if it was a hobby they loved, once the pressure of “having to do it” set in, it was hard to fully enjoy it.

The same applied to ensemble practice and instrument playing.

The members longed for the relaxed schedule of the beginning of the semester, while deeply regretting not practicing more intensively back then.

“Should we take a break?”

Seo-eun asked, perching on top of an amplifier.

“Yeah. Let’s rest.”

After removing his strap, Soohyuk pounded his shoulder with his fist.

Even though he hadn’t done any major performance, his shoulder ached as if he’d been wearing the guitar continuously.

“Ugh… Juyeon and I are going to look for stage outfits on Saturday. Anyone want to come?”

The exhausted Seo-eun recruited volunteers.

Juyeon wasn’t particularly interested in clothes herself.

Of course, she was better than Soohyuk, who constantly wore only gray hoodies, but she always wore ordinary ready-made clothes.

But for just one day.

The day they took the stage, they had to look cool.

They needed to show their individuality even under intense lighting, and clearly display what kind of person they were through color.

One might question whether a college band doing music as a hobby really needed to go that far, but Seo-eun thought they should care even more precisely because of that.

This was an experience they could only have now.

Professional musicians would have many more performances in the future, but for the members, this would likely be their last unless they formed workplace bands or gathered people for personal activities.

At least that was the case for Seo-eun.

That’s why she wanted a stage they wouldn’t be ashamed of.

To perform more stylishly than anyone else.

She didn’t want to disappoint the many friends and schoolmates who came to see them.

Her ideal was to achieve 100% satisfaction in both performance and appearance.

“I’ll go.”

Hana raised her hand weakly from her half-lying position.

“I’m not going!”

Choi Gang declared loudly.

“This year I’m definitely going shirtless!”

“Kang-ah, I told you not to do that.”

Seo-eun dismissed his opinion as if it wasn’t even worth hearing.

“What about you, Soohyuk? Do you have an outfit prepared?”

“Well… just…”

In truth, Soohyuk did have something he’d bought for performances.

“What is it? Do you have a picture?”

Seo-eun set her bass upright beside her, dragging her tired body.

“…How about this?”

The female members, curious about Soohyuk’s outfit, began to gather around.

Different colored heads crowded over Soohyuk’s phone screen.

“It’s okay, but…”

“The clothes themselves are nice, but… will this work? Will it be okay?”

Juyeon, who was the first to raise her head, shook it as if she’d made up her mind.

“…Soohyuk.”

“Yeah?”

“If you wear this for the performance, you’ll collapse from dehydration.”

The outfit Soohyuk showed was a bulky-looking black leather jacket.

It would have been a stylish look for a winter performance.

But now it was spring.

And it was already May, nearly summer.

He would definitely be drenched in sweat.

Having never experienced how hot stage lighting could be, Soohyuk still couldn’t let go of the jacket.

“But I’ve been saving up for this since high school, wanting to wear it for a band performance…”

It was a jacket with a story, one he’d never even taken out of the closet because he’d been caught up with those Purple Storm guys.

He desperately wanted to wear this jacket for his first performance.

“Hey. Forget it. Save that for a winter performance later.”

Hana, having made up her mind, completely crushed his resolve.

Ah…

So I have to keep it sealed away for another half year after buying it…

As Soohyuk expressed his disappointment with his whole body, Hana placed her hand firmly on his shoulder as if making a pledge.

“Lee Soohyuk.”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t need to worry about what to wear.”

She wiggled her index finger from side to side and grinned.

“Come with us on Saturday.”

“I’ll make sure you can get at least three phone numbers.”

From hairstyling to fashion.

Soohyuk broke into a cold sweat at the sight of Hana’s inexplicably burning enthusiasm.