Ch.7777. Heavy Rain Warning

Friday.

Normally, it would have been a Friday full of troubles and complications, but Suhyeok’s day was flowing along quite peacefully.

For one thing, the troublemaker Nayoung didn’t come to class, claiming she was sick.

Many students took sick leave and attended classes as they pleased, so he wasn’t sure if it was true, but Suhyeok felt at ease with her absence.

The thought that he was enjoying someone else’s illness made him feel like a twisted person, but such feelings weren’t in the realm of reason.

What he disliked, he simply disliked.

After class, he had lunch with Juyeon, and all that remained was the final schedule.

The social gathering was originally meant to be a day for fun, but today’s main course was voting for their original song.

“Alright, everyone upload what you’ve written in the chat!”

Hana, who had taken charge of producing, called together the scattered members of the 23rd batch.

“Got it~”

“This song is 100% mine!”

Seoeun and Choigang had also prepared diligently, writing so much that a “See More” option appeared in their posts.

“Wow… you all worked really hard?”

A smile formed on Hana’s lips.

I’m not the only one who’s serious!

Everyone really wants to do this properly…!

Hana, who had honestly thought some people might not want to participate, decided to set aside such worries.

But regardless of everyone’s passion, what she was most curious about was what Suhyeok had prepared.

The theme of “unrequited love” brought by the boy she liked.

What exactly had Suhyeok written?

“Alright, I’ll give everyone 15 minutes to read and then we’ll vote!”

Suhyeok, holding his phone, read through the members’ stories from top to bottom.

The first upload was from Seoeun.

As expected, she tried to portray the passionate nights of youth.

[A page of youth that won’t return]

[The unforgettable scent of summer]

[A heart that pounds]

[Almost stopping from the trembling]

Seoeun’s lyrics were beautiful.

As expected from a Korean Education major.

It was the kind of writing that evoked images of festivals just by reading it.

The next up was Choigang.

Rather than lyrics, Choigang had written in prose about what he wanted to express.

[In the manga Na×to, there’s a character called Might Ga×, who’s a genius of effort, and I want to embody his attitude in the song! Passion and effort! All of that…]

It was clear he wanted to use a shonen manga as a motif, but unfortunately, it was impossible to predict what the end result would be.

From the description, it seemed like it would suit an intense metal sound.

For now, Suhyeok didn’t think he’d vote for this one.

Juyeon’s content was exactly what Suhyeok had seen in her diary.

[The desire to be loved]

[The wish to be needed by someone]

[Living as someone who isn’t me]

[Covering blue bruises with makeup]

Certainly… after seeing the others’ work, this one had a more depressing feel.

But if you attached the name of artistry to it, it might be the most profound song.

It seemed like she had a message she wanted to convey.

Next was Hana, whom Suhyeok was most curious about.

The keyword she presented was “dream.”

[Even when the pitch-black night comes]

[Even when the cold wind brushes my cheeks]

[There was something I couldn’t let go]

[Like the brilliantly shining North Star]

[A single guidepost that shines only for me]

Different from Seoeun’s style, her lyrics had a romantic quality.

After scanning through all the stories twice, Suhyeok tilted his head back.

Juyeon, sitting next to him, seemed to still be contemplating, holding her phone tightly with both hands.

“…What are you going to choose?”

“If I answer that, there’s no point in an anonymous vote.”

Hmm… that’s true…

Getting an answer wouldn’t help with his decision anyway.

Whose idea would be best to adopt?

Thinking about the sound that would be created, Seoeun’s song seemed like the easiest option.

For Juyeon, creating the right atmosphere seemed more important than technique…

As an amateur, Suhyeok couldn’t immediately think of a distinctive sound.

As for Hana’s lyrics… well…

Honestly, they gave him a bit of a visceral rejection.

It wasn’t that Hana had written poorly or that the lyrics were bad.

It was just that the nature of Lee Suhyeok as a person seemed unable to follow such a path.

For someone who gave up easily, a story about running toward a brilliant dream just felt uncomfortable.

“Has everyone finished reading?”

Hana checked the members’ reactions.

“Yes! You all worked harder than I expected~”

Seoeun laughed brightly as she looked at the “loser alliance.”

“Especially you two. I didn’t expect you to work this hard?”

The lyrics, which had been a mess during their first original song, were now quite well-organized and polished.

“W-well, if we’re doing this, it would be nice to win an award.”

Surprisingly, Juyeon was the most ambitious.

“Good, good. Then shall I post the vote? Everyone click!”

Silence fell.

After much deliberation, Suhyeok decided to vote for his own song.

If someone else’s proposal was chosen, he felt he wouldn’t be able to contribute much.

And the result was…

“Are you serious? You guys! I voted for my own!”

Choigang, holding drumsticks, raised his voice with veins popping.

“Is this a hidden camera prank? This is!”

Choigang was dumbfounded.

That’s because, excluding his vote for his own song, the remaining four votes were all cast for the “Unrequited Love” option.

“Come on~ Kang~ Who would pull a prank with something like this?”

Seoeun’s reason for choosing Suhyeok’s song was simple.

‘It seemed fun.’

Serious themes and hopeful, upbeat songs were good too, but what she predicted would be the most entertaining event during production was definitely Suhyeok’s theme.

She had expected cute Hana to choose Suhyeok’s, but Juyeon choosing it was unexpected.

Hmm…

Seoeun’s intuition detected something slightly ominous.

There was no basis for it.

Making a definitive judgment at this stage would be premature.

“Alright then! The pilot for this song is Lee Suhyeok! You!”

Hana energetically announced the result.

Even though it ended up being Suhyeok’s, she had hoped that the fact she voted for it would remain a secret.

How did everyone end up voting for Lee Suhyeok’s lyrics?

Feeling like her feelings for Suhyeok had been exposed, Hana scratched her head awkwardly.

“So, Lee Suhyeok! Take responsibility and complete the lyrics well until the end.”

“Okay. I’ll try my best.”

Suhyeok felt uneasy.

Is this kind of story popular among girls…?

It was burdensome, but he still hoped it would turn out well since they had entrusted it to him.

“Okay! Dismissed!”

Returning home, Suhyeok reopened the file where he had noted down the lyrics.

Lyrics written while thinking of only one person.

[A heart already tilted]

[Words I couldn’t speak]

[Whenever I see you, my mind goes blank]

[An endless maze]

[I’m trapped in your frame]

[Unable to wither]

[Intoxicated by your kindness, I’m withering away]

A night that felt both exciting and frighteningly painful.

Suhyeok fell asleep while quietly looking at a photo of him and Hana together.

* * *

Saturday.

A heavy rain warning had been issued.

The sky seemed to have a hole in it, pouring down thick droplets.

Hana, who had woken up early on the weekend without even taking a nap, frowned deeply.

“Aaaah! So annoying!”

She kicked her blanket repeatedly.

Hoping it might stop in the afternoon, she checked, but it was supposed to rain continuously until tomorrow.

Suhyeok was either still sleeping or not interested, as there was no contact from him.

Ah… should I just suggest meeting somewhere else?

Even if the Han River is too much, wouldn’t another place be okay?

Just as she was about to reach out, she realized that asking to meet outside in this weather seemed excessive.

I wouldn’t go out either if I were him.

As she lay back down on the bed with a gloomy expression, her phone vibrated.

It was Suhyeok.

[Hello?]

[Ah, Hana. Were you sleeping?]

[No… I was just watching the rain.]

[I guess we can’t go today… right?]

[…Yeah.]

Hana didn’t even try to pretend to be cheerful; her voice dripped with disappointment.

[…Suhyeok.]

[Yes?]

[It’s not the Han River, but do you want to have a meal together at least?]

[…In this weather? Outside?]

See?

I knew it.

[Then what should we do? Should I come to your house?]

It was a casually thrown remark.

[If you come… should we order delivery and eat together at my place?]

Suhyeok was also disappointed about the rain.

How disappointed he had been when he woke up to the sound of rain in the morning.

[I’ll be there in 30 minutes. Wait for me.]

With that, the call ended.

What Suhyeok faced was a phone screen that had turned red.

His mind went blank.

No. Just like that?

Suddenly?

So, now Hana is… coming to… our house…

Suhyeok, now fully alert, started cleaning.

He organized the scattered laundry and vacuumed the floor.

He also rechecked the bathroom.

This might turn out to be an even bigger event than going to the Han River together.

His heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

The complete opposite of the comfort he felt when visiting Juyeon’s house.

-Knock knock knock

There was a knocking sound from outside the door.

Suhyeok swallowed hard and opened the door.

“Hey. It’s raining so much?”

Hana grumbled as she entered the hallway.

She had brought an umbrella, but her clothes were soaked with rainwater.

Especially her white T-shirt, which revealed her figure and skin color without any filter.

“Can I use the bathroom?”

Suhyeok nodded.

As Hana went into the bathroom, Suhyeok repeatedly rubbed his face with his dry hands.

The scent of rain mixed with Hana’s perfume tickled his nose.

Friend.

Definitely a friend.

…What kind of friend harbors these feelings?

“Hey, Suhyeok.”

Hana, who had dried her hands and feet, came and sat next to him.

“Your lyrics.”

“Yeah.”

The question she had wanted to ask when they were alone flowed from Hana’s lips.

“Who were you thinking of when you wrote them?”