Ch.7373. Help

After returning from the convenience store, the second round began.

Hana was the only one who was quite tipsy again today.

She clutched her beer can and suddenly stood up from the mat.

“I have something to say!”

Everyone’s attention focused on her.

“Listen! I want to enter a band competition!”

A declaration to participate in a competition without any context or lead-up.

It was random, but the members were quite used to these situations by now.

After all, Hana often talked nonsense when she was drinking.

“What competition? When?”

Seo-eun leaned in, seemingly intrigued.

“Summer vacation! University band competition!”

Hana fumbled in her pocket for her phone and shared a link she had saved.

As expected, the first thing that caught their eye in an external competition was the prize money.

Grand Prize: 2 million won for 1 team.

Excellence Award: 1 million won for 1 team.

Merit Award: 500,000 won for 3 teams.

Lastly, there was a special award for the original song category, with one team receiving 500,000 won.

“Hmm… but don’t music majors usually enter these kinds of competitions?”

Since it was a competition open to university students nationwide, it meant that students from arts colleges and music departments could all participate.

“That’s exactly why! We should compete with an original song!”

There was no chance of winning if they competed with cover songs based on who performed better.

It would be disrespectful to declare that amateurs could beat the efforts that music majors had honed for their entrance exams.

To exaggerate a bit more, it would be like belittling the bone-grinding efforts they had put in.

“But I don’t think even an original song would be easy…”

Seo-eun thoughtfully rubbed her chin.

It wasn’t that Hana couldn’t do it.

Her first original song, “Dawn Is Blue,” was definitely well-made with good quality.

But that was in the realm of appreciation.

When it came to evaluation, it was uncertain how professionals would view it.

“Unnie! If we can’t compete on technique, this is our only chance!”

“We can leave the technique to Suhyeok.”

Suhyeok, who had been reading the competition guidelines, looked up at the sudden mention of his name.

“…Me?”

“Yeah. That song you played at your first audition. Your technique was seriously insane.”

“But I practiced that for two years straight…”

“It doesn’t matter how many years you practiced; what matters is whether you can do it or not. Honestly, how many hobbyists mess around for five years and still can’t play it properly?”

Pursuing perfection in anything comes with pain.

Perfection is usually born through the process of repetition.

How many failures does a pottery master go through before creating a complete masterpiece?

Repetition is boring.

But there are certainly things that can only be achieved through repetition.

Most physical activities were like that.

Understanding the principles by thinking hard or watching videos of famous guitarists didn’t mean you could demonstrate it.

What was needed was a hellish metronome and the patience to endure that time of suffering.

And Suhyeok was a master of endurance.

“Still, no! We need an original song!”

Hana was adamant.

While Suhyeok’s guitar skills were excellent, the technical aspects of the other members didn’t reach that level.

If everyone could demonstrate techniques at Suhyeok’s level, participating with a cover song might not have been hopeless.

“So, does everyone have time? Will you join? Please join! I want to do this!”

Hana whined, hugging Juyeon and pleading.

When Juyeon turned her head, her face was so close to Hana’s that their noses almost touched.

“I… have time.”

Juyeon had no plans except for streaming anyway.

If she hadn’t had any special schedule, she would have considered streaming seriously, even five days a week.

“Me too! I like it! Let’s do it!”

Seo-eun also readily agreed.

That left Choikang and Suhyeok.

Choikang pretended to be picky but eventually agreed.

“Hey, Lee Suhyeok. You’ll do it, right? How can you not?”

Hana understood Suhyeok.

He was the type who would inevitably follow if everyone else agreed.

“…Let’s do it.”

Suhyeok nodded with a smile.

It was a friend’s request.

He couldn’t refuse.

“Yes! So I’ll submit this application now?”

A fresh smile bloomed on Hana’s face.

The last page turning to summer.

That’s how the 23rd generation took their first step toward their next goal.

* * *

“What effort does it take to give up something you like?”

Inside a familiar studio apartment.

A young man and woman were having a conversation.

“Hmm… you mean how to stop liking something?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re talking about a person, right?”

“Yeah.”

“How about looking for flaws or shortcomings?”

At Juyeon’s answer, Suhyeok looked up at the ceiling.

Hana’s flaws.

Hana’s flaws…

In truth, Hana was far from being a perfect saint.

Sometimes she was too harsh on juniors, and sometimes she overreacted to Choikang’s jokes.

She had been late for appointments and had even vomited on her own clothes.

If one wanted to see her negatively, there were plenty of scenes that could be viewed unfavorably.

Other episodes came to mind as well, but including all of those, Suhyeok still thought he liked Hana.

“What if you know all the flaws but still like them?”

“Then it’s a disease.”

Juyeon placed her hand on the plate on the table.

Today’s snack was moist chocolate chip cookies.

The soft, chewy flour was providing energy for her life.

“So one-sided love really is a disease.”

Suhyeok slumped down, lamenting as if he had given up.

Saturday afternoon.

Today was a rare day when Suhyeok had visited Juyeon’s place first.

Being alone at home, he couldn’t stop thinking about Hana’s face.

He had even secretly checked her Instagram and looked at her old photos.

And Suhyeok was at a loss, finding his seemingly obsessive behavior ugly.

Everyone has their firsts.

The emotion of love that bloomed for the first time was like a severe fever for Suhyeok.

He couldn’t cope with it.

He had no idea how to stop it.

The most extreme but certain method would be to not see Hana at all, but that was impossible in the current situation.

Just next week, she had personally contacted him about working on a new original song.

And if he thought about not seeing Hana from tomorrow, Suhyeok’s heart felt like it would tear apart in pain.

“…Is it hard?”

Juyeon got up from the floor and looked down at him.

In her pupils.

Suhyeok’s face was fully reflected.

Honestly, Juyeon found him a bit disappointing today.

She had expected something different since he had initiated the meeting for the first time.

But Suhyeok had come to her place with eyes like a dead fish, asking about “how to forget a one-sided love.”

…Well, this is different too, I guess.

“Yeah. So much that if I’m not talking to you like this, I can’t think of anything but her.”

What kind of person could make Suhyeok like this?

To drain his soul to this extent, it must be someone like Hana, right?

Juyeon’s guess was slightly off the mark.

“Then you can come here whenever you think of her.”

Whatever Suhyeok’s judgment might be, Juyeon wanted to help him.

She had already received a lot of help from him, and she enjoyed spending time with Suhyeok in her room.

The cozy shelter of home itself.

She also liked the unique comfort that Suhyeok as a person provided.

At Juyeon’s words, Suhyeok smiled slightly.

“Then can I sleep over tonight?”

“…Should I lay out the bedding?”

“I was joking.”

Suhyeok was quite surprised when she actually offered to prepare a bed.

“How could I sleep in the same room with you anyway?”

By social norms, Suhyeok’s words might be right.

But Juyeon was willing to provide bedding if he genuinely wanted to stay over.

As long as they didn’t share the same blanket, wouldn’t it be fine?

Suhyeok had already been to this room late at night before.

If Juyeon slept on the bed and Suhyeok on the floor, there seemed to be no problem.

“Let me know if you change your mind.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. If it helps you.”

Juyeon is really… how should I put it…

Up close, she was a very considerate person.

Only a select few could recognize this side of Juyeon’s personality.

It was a side of her that could only be seen when Juyeon opened her heart and showed genuine goodwill.

“Then…”

Suhyeok, who felt bad about moping around on a weekend, sat up.

“Since we have nothing to do, shall we play a game?”

“A game? What kind?”

“Just a simple mini-game that the two of us can play.”

“I only know the ones I played on stream…”

“It’s okay. I used to play this a lot in elementary school. There’s no complicated controls. You just press the arrow keys.”

Juyeon sat in front of the computer chair.

Suhyeok set up a folding chair and sat beside her like an assistant.

Suhyeok moved the mouse and accessed a flash game site.

He loaded a survival game where you had to shoot down approaching zombies.

The rules were simple.

Just shoot and kill zombies when you see them.

-Tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak

His troubled mind cleared up.

Suhyeok was busy picking up guns and shooting zombies.

“Ahhh!!!”

Juyeon, sitting next to him, screamed.

“What? Why did I die?”

“You stepped on the grenade I threw.”

“G-grenade? How can it explode on allies!”

Juyeon’s dumbfounded face was full of indignation.

“Uh… you should have dodged it better?”

“…I’m not playing with you anymore.”

Juyeon pouted.

…He wasn’t thinking about Hana anymore.