GBAS 58

A long, heavy body longer than a guitar’s, with an even longer neck. The instrument, with four strings thicker than a guitar’s, was a bass. The bass, decorated with a silver body and a black pickguard, belonged to the man currently with his arm around Jooin’s neck, Cheon Namyoung.

No major. Minor in being a building owner’s son.

Instead of going to university, he was said to manage the buildings his mother owned. Not only the buildings near Hongdae and Sangsu that he had heard about before, but also the commercial building where this practice room was located and Jooin’s house were all owned by Namyoung’s mother.

The cables connecting the instruments and amps were scattered messily on the floor. To ease his boredom, he was enjoying a solitary game of connecting the ends of the cables as if solving a puzzle when he heard Jooin’s voice, louder than before.

“Cheon Namyoung, I told you not to?”

Hyunwoo stole a glance at them from the corner of his eye.

With a hardened expression, Jooin glared at Namyoung, who was standing close to him.

‘He shouldn’t do that.’

Seeing Jooin, who was clearly angry, made him nervous too.

Cheon Namyoung was cherry-picking all the things Baek Jooin disliked. They said they’d known each other since elementary school, but it was enough to make him doubt if they were really old friends. Swallowing dryly, Hyunwoo looked back and forth between the two.

“…….”

While worrying about what would happen next, he was also inwardly looking forward to it. Just then, Cheon Namyoung suddenly started rubbing his head against the top of Jooin’s head. Then, in a smooth tone, he spoke as if to soothe him.

“Baek-jjo, what was that tone just now? Are you perhaps sulking? But even if you are, I don’t like it. Keke-keuk.”

“You little.”

“Waah, sorry. Sorry!”

Cheon Namyoung ended up getting hit in the side, but the atmosphere was still friendly and cheerful.

Namyoung, who was grimacing and making a fuss while rubbing his side, suddenly glanced toward where Hyunwoo was sitting. Just before their eyes met, a startled Hyunwoo quickly looked away. He couldn’t see properly, but Namyoung, caught at the edge of his vision, seemed to be whispering something to Jooin.

What did he say?

He was tracing the tangled wires on the floor with his eyes again when he felt the two who had been standing behind the sofa approaching him. Desperately pretending not to notice and continuing what he was doing, he heard a playful voice from behind.

“Hey, Baek-jjo. Where did you go and make a friend like this!”

Then, from his left, he heard the creaking sound of leather as the sofa back was pressed down. Swoosh, there was a gust of wind, and Namyoung, who had vaulted over the sofa, landed with a plop next to Hyunwoo.

“I heard you already said hi to the other guys, nice to meet you. I’m Cheon Namyoung.”

When Namyoung held out his hand, Hyunwoo took it and bowed his head awkwardly in greeting.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jeon Hyunwoo.”

“Yes, Mr. Hyunwoo! I’ve been wanting to see you.”

He wasn’t very visible on stage, being in the back where the lights didn’t reach, but up close, Namyoung had a much more affable impression than expected.

Flustered by Namyoung’s words, Hyunwoo stammered as he asked.

“M-Me?”

“Yep!”

Nodding as if it were obvious, Namyoung got up, leaned on the sofa table, and snatched the bundle of papers from the hands of Suchan, one of the three huddled together, before returning.

The bundle of papers contained the work he had designed, including the concert poster and team logo.

Namyoung, who was flipping through the printouts as if looking for something specific, pulled out one sheet, placed it on top, and said.

“This one, this one!”

The thing Namyoung’s finger was pointing at was the band logo he had created, tracing it stitch by stitch with the pen tool.

Girina.

麒麟兒.

Namyoung, who looked closely at the printout, exclaimed in great admiration and continued.

“This, how did you do this? People around me were going crazy, asking if we finally spent some money. It was crazy.”

Namyoung, who was bouncing on the sofa so much it shook, took his phone out of his pocket and suddenly held it out to Hyunwoo.

“Mr. Hyunwoo, I’ll give you whatever you want, so please let me hire you.”

On the phone screen Namyoung held out, the calculator app was open.

“Haha.”

When he couldn’t bring himself to take it and just smiled awkwardly, the other band members chided Namyoung.

“Gosh. There he goes again.”

“Hey, Suchan. Drag him away. What is he saying as soon as he sees our guest’s face.”

The members rushed over in an instant and pounced on Namyoung. Namyoung, who was half-lying on the sofa, stretched out the hand holding his phone through the friends piling on top of him and shouted.

“Ah, I’m serious!”

👾🎮

Six glasses clinked lightly over the table.

“Nice to meet you!”

He had invited him to come hang out at the practice room, so he thought they’d just watch them play and then part ways. But somehow, they ended up having dinner together as well. The menu was spicy braised chicken, chosen by playing ladder lottery.

Looking at the food that had just arrived, Suchan swallowed and said.

“The world is so great these days, right? To think this comes boneless.”

“Hey, the other day I saw boneless braised monkfish on a delivery app and my jaw almost dropped.”

“What? There’s boneless braised monkfish?”

“I’m telling you!”

Pots filled with the delicious-looking chicken dish were placed on the two burners set between the seats of the six-person table.

Hyunwoo, holding scissors and tongs, cut the vegetables on top into appropriate sizes and used a ladle to moisten them with the broth. Namyoung, who was watching, shook his head in satisfaction and clapped.

“Mmm. I really think Mr. Hyunwoo should become our team’s designer-, mph!”

It seemed he was the only one who thought the topic was over. Jihwan, who had covered Namyoung’s mouth, gave Hyunwoo a slight glance and nodded his head apologetically.

“I told you to shut up. Don’t pressure our esteemed guest.”

“Mmph-hwan! Stph-it!”

While Jihwan was keeping a close watch on Namyoung, who kept making recruitment offers at every chance, Suchan, sitting to Hyunwoo’s left, looked at Hyunwoo and asked.

“So you two met in a game?”

“Yeah. Same guild.”

“A guild, is that like a team or something?”

“Something like that.”

Jooin, taking the ladle from Hyunwoo’s hand, gently stirred the food that had started to boil as he answered. At that, Suchan let out a small laugh and said.

“Baek Jooin, my first question was for Mr. Hyunwoo, not you, you know?”

“……Whatever.”

At those words, Hyunwoo looked at Jooin sitting across from him.

‘…….’

As if sensing the gaze fixed on his face, Jooin, who had been looking elsewhere, slightly turned his head. When their eyes met, Jooin asked.

‘What.’

Seeing his seemingly unfazed face, Hyunwoo felt unreasonably disappointed and mulled over the events of the day.

Before entering the practice room, Jooin, whom he had met at a nearby coffee shop, had explained the reason for today’s meeting like this.

‘The guys said they wanted to see you.’

He said the band members loved the work he had made for them recently, and that he had no choice but to call him because they threatened to cut his solo parts if he didn’t bring the creator of this wonderful piece before their eyes immediately. That’s what he had said.

He was disappointed from the start, but still, the thought of being introduced to the people around Jooin made him a little excited.

Even though he was a grown adult, he thought Jooin would be somewhat considerate since he was stuck between strangers.

‘Hang out with the guys for a bit. I’m gonna go have a smoke with Namyoung.’

Jooin’s method was off-road, the wild itself.

It would have been comfortable if it were a gathering where everyone was a stranger to each other, like a university orientation or a joint club meeting, but these guys had known each other for at least seven years, and up to twelve. He didn’t say it to Jooin’s face, but it was uncomfortable. Very much so.

As he averted his gaze from Jooin, Suchan, who was now munching on a vegetable stick, spoke again.

“Was it about 2 years ago? When Baek Jooin won that capsule thing, he said he’d give it to me, you know? But not even a few days later, he insisted it was his. He was playing so hard, I just thought he was having fun. I never thought he’d bring back such a good friend?”

“You should try it too, hyung. It’s a bit hard at the beginning, so Jooin-hyung or I can help you-.”

“No, no. I’m not really interested anymore. I prefer watching someone else play rather than playing myself.”

While he was having a short conversation with Suchan, Namyoung, freed from Jihwan, returned, tidying his messy hair.

“Aah, what are you guys talking about now.”

Namyoung pulled his chair closer to Jooin and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Hyunwoo’s gaze fixated on the back of Namyoung’s hand wrapped around Jooin’s shoulder, then moved to his face.

He thought Jooin would absolutely hate it if anyone touched him. Seeing Baek Jooin being touched by someone made his stomach twist with jealousy.

Unaware of his boiling insides, Namyoung offered a handshake once again.

“Mr. Hyunwoo, Mr. Hyunwoo. Let’s see each other often from now on. Let’s get close.”

His face seemed to hold not a speck of malice, but for some reason, it was irritating. Hyunwoo, who was staring at his outstretched hand, glanced at Jooin, who was still half-cuddled by Namyoung, and then answered.