Ch.5757. Promotion

# Festival Invitation

It was like something straight out of a Japanese manga.

“…Just the two of us?”

This was a breakwater to control his expectations.

Suhyeok cautiously asked Hana.

“Why? Don’t you want to?”

Meanwhile, Hana didn’t like how Suhyeok seemed to be testing the waters with his response.

What’s the big deal about going together?

Is he saying he doesn’t want to go?

“No, that’s not it…”

He just thought someone as popular as Hana would be going around with a large group of department friends.

After all, she said she even helped sell food last year.

He imagined Hana wearing an apron and selling sausage skewers.

…It definitely seemed like sales would have peaked with her there.

If she was selling this year too, Suhyeok would have gladly bought some.

“Fine. Forget it then. It’s not like I don’t have other people to hang out with.”

The words she’d said hoping Suhyeok would stop her only confused him more.

She already has plenty of people to hang out with.

So why is she asking me specifically to go with her…?

Is this really a green light…?

Seriously? Hana? For me?

Suhyeok was, after all, just a man.

No matter how much he tried to suppress it, there was a limit to how much he could cut off the thread of hope.

“Hana.”

“What?”

“This is just… really… just asking out of curiosity.”

Hana wondered why he was being so hesitant about whatever he was trying to say.

Seriously. Is this so difficult?

Either you can go together to see the festival!

Or you have plans and can’t go!

Is it that hard to give one simple answer?!

“Do you like me?”

If it had been a ridiculous question, she was ready to punish him immediately.

You take too long to think.

Do you enjoy making people sweat?

She was about to tease him like that, but…

“…Huh?”

A dumbfounded sound escaped Hana’s lips.

What… what is he saying right now?

Hana’s eyebrows moved freely.

Even though Suhyeok wasn’t looking at her, her eyes frantically scanned different parts of his studio apartment.

“W-what did you say?”

“I asked if you like me…?”

“No! Are you crazy?! Why would you ask something like that?!”

Wanting to hide her embarrassment, exaggerated lies came pouring out.

“No! Does asking to go see a festival together sound like a confession to you? Huh?”

“Lee Suhyeok, if you keep misunderstanding things like this, you’re going to be in big trouble later. Get a grip. I’m letting this slide because it’s me.”

“Ha. I can’t believe this. I really can’t.”

Hana spread her palm and fanned herself vigorously with her other hand holding her phone.

Seriously… what is he saying…

“Ahaha… sorry… Ah. I was just kidding…”

Suhyeok’s awkward laughter could be heard.

“Let’s go together.”

Suhyeok was relieved.

That’s more like it.

In fact, because of her reaction, Suhyeok was able to lock his heart even more firmly.

“But what is there to do together?”

Since he just went home last year, Suhyeok didn’t even know how to enjoy the festival.

“We can watch the celebrities if they come. Or we can see performances by other clubs.”

“During the day, we can just eat food that people are selling and try different things.”

Hana also wanted to move past their previous conversation smoothly.

“I see. How much money should I bring?”

“Depends on how much you eat, but don’t expect too much value for your money.”

After all, the quality of student-run food stalls was pretty much all the same.

“I see.”

“That’s about it. Sigh… what now?”

“Just… look at our phones until we fall asleep, I guess?”

“Sleep well then.”

“You too. Sleep well, Hana.”

After hanging up, Hana wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead.

“Asking such strange questions…”

Hana felt like she’d touched something with her finger only to receive an uppercut in return.

* * *

Two days until the performance.

From this point, they could use the keys to the small auditorium where they would perform.

There were two main tasks.

First was bringing equipment inside the venue and adjusting the sound, and second was decorating the stage itself.

A university auditorium wasn’t a space designed solely for band performances.

If they weren’t careful, it could easily feel like a school recital performed for parents.

That’s why preparing their own props was essential.

The support funds from the school and the collected membership fees were used for this purpose.

“One, two, three!”

Choikang and Suhyeok lifted the plywood they planned to hang on the stage.

“Is it good?”

Suhyeok’s arms trembled.

“Hmm… a little more to the left!”

Seo-eun, who was checking the position from the audience seats, gestured like a director.

“Is it good now?”

“No! Take one step to the right! Yes! Now stop!”

“Phew…”

“Good job~”

Seo-eun and the other female members looked contentedly at the stage.

The 2.5-meter thin plywood was covered with calligraphy created using various colored sprays.

Hana was in charge of decorations.

With her good hands, she showed surprising design technique for an amateur.

“As expected from an architecture major, unnie.”

Sohye, who was there to learn how to operate the lighting, expressed genuine admiration.

“I do have some artistic talent.”

Hana didn’t show false modesty.

She was confident in her craftsmanship.

“Will you be able to manage well on your own next year?”

Half joking, half serious.

Hana was worried about the freshmen but also felt a sense of superiority, thinking they probably couldn’t do as well as her.

“Hmm… wouldn’t Jiyeon help? She’s majoring in visual design.”

“That’s right. You can just make Jiyeon do everything.”

Hana, who had been showing off in front of the rookies, scratched the tip of her nose.

“Everyone! After this, we’ll eat and then do a rehearsal on stage. Some senior alumni are coming later to help with the sound.”

While stage planning was entirely the responsibility of the main group, adjusting the ideal sound was typically the job of graduates.

It required more specialized knowledge.

More precisely, it involved technical aspects that were often beyond the capabilities of college students who had only played instruments for one or two years.

The Spirit members rushed out of the auditorium.

Juyeon had a very important role.

She was the key keeper.

“Did you lock it properly?”

Seo-eun stayed behind to wait for Juyeon.

“Yes.”

As they left the welfare building, bright sunlight greeted them.

The wind was getting warmer.

Suhyeok was beginning to understand Juyeon’s warning that wearing a leather jacket outdoors on a day like this could be fatal.

As they gathered in the student cafeteria in small groups and began eating, Suhyeok felt uncomfortable with the topic that came up at the table.

“So how many people did you invite?”

“I have about 13 confirmed so far.”

“Wow… Park Taeho, you’ve got skills!”

“I’m very active in department activities, you know.”

Park Taeho, competing with sociability rather than skill!

His amazing octopus-like network was showing brilliant results.

Promotion.

It was another essential part of performances.

No matter how hard they prepared and practiced, a performance without an audience would be meaningless.

In that context, Spirit had started posting promotional content on various social media accounts two weeks before the confirmed performance date.

The popular members posted on their personal social media, collecting DMs and likes.

This created an invisible hierarchy among the members.

It was common to bring in 5-10 people each.

With 11 members between first and second years, if each brought 10 people, plus the graduates, they could quickly fill the 150-seat auditorium.

Of course, this was just an idealistic hope.

Realistically, band performances rarely sold out.

“Did you invite many friends too, Suhyeok hyung?”

Taeho asked Suhyeok, who had been silently forcing down his food.

“Ah… um…”

…I want to hide in a mouse hole.

To be honest, it wasn’t that he hadn’t tried at all.

No matter how much of a loner Suhyeok was, he did have some acquaintances.

Mustering courage he didn’t have, he invited two people, but hadn’t received definite answers.

“I’ll come if I have time~ Where is it again?”

They didn’t even ask what time it was.

It was as good as saying they had no intention of coming. Damn it. Damn it.

His spirit was broken.

He had posted on Instagram as Hana had instructed him to promote, but the only followers he had exchanged were Spirit members.

He had never thought that not having friends was a problem before.

For the first time, Suhyeok felt regret about his meager relationships.

“Come on, it’s because many of your friends are in the military, right? Haha.”

Taeho, who had thoughtlessly asked the question, quickly salvaged the situation.

“Hahaha. That’s right! They’re all in the military so I don’t have anyone to invite!”

Suhyeok agreed with an even more exaggerated tone.

“Hana noona, how many people are coming for you?”

Taeho, thinking Hana wouldn’t mind the question, changed his target.

“Me? I… well, I’ll know for sure later, but just from the DMs I’ve received so far, maybe about… 20 people?”

20 people…

Suhyeok felt his soul leave his body from the reality check.

While I’m struggling to find even two people…

And she has twenty people who contacted her first.

He felt like bowing his head completely and asking her to share half of them.

“Juyeon, did you find friends from your department who will come this year?”

Seo-eun asked Juyeon in a tone like a teacher checking homework.

“…Yes.”

Juyeon, who had been mumbling, nodded her head vigorously.

Betrayal! Park Juyeon!

You too?

Cracks were beginning to form in the loner alliance.

“One confirmed.”

Since it wasn’t a surprising number, Suhyeok breathed a short sigh of relief.

“What? So that friend is coming alone? Wait~ Don’t tell me it’s a guy?”

“…Yes.”

At Juyeon’s calm confirmation, all the members panicked.

Park Juyeon’s man.

Who could it be!

“Juyeon… to think you got a boyfriend without unnie knowing… when did our Juyeon grow up so much.”

It was as if she had raised Juyeon herself.

“So who is it? Do you have a picture?”

Hana, who couldn’t resist such conversations, looked at her with sparkling eyes.

“…Lee Suhyeok.”

“Oh come on. No fun.”

“Ah! Suhyeok hyung doesn’t count!”

“Juyeon~ That’s not an audience member, that’s a performer.”

As jeers poured in, Juyeon made eye contact with Suhyeok.

“He is my department classmate though…”

Juyeon pouted, thinking she hadn’t said anything wrong.