153 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.153 #153. Blue Spring On the subway ride back to our lodging, Doa was giving me a stern scolding. “Who told you to act like that?” “Then what should I have been doing?” Was it really such a mistake to stand on the street and look at my phone? “So how could you just stand there as if saying, ‘Someone please come talk to me!’?” What does she mean by a ‘please talk to me’ pose? “Later, show me a demonstration. I’ll try doing just that.” “I can do it even now.” Doa, wearing her cap backward, hunched over like someone who had committed a crime. “Like this.” “That might not attract conversations, but it’s perfect for getting reported to the police, don’t you think?” “Still, isn’t chatting with the police officers better than hanging out with other girls?” Neither option thrilled me, so I shook my head in disagreement. Once we exited the station and returned to the hotel, we laid out all our shopping on the bed. “There’s quite a lot...” I was sure my bag had been empty, but this seemed enough to fill and overflow it. “Still, wasn't it fun?” Doa asked with a pleased smile. Without a word, I pulled her in for a hug. “Hey, oppa.” “Hmm?” “Shall we go wash up now?” The suggestion of washing up made me shiver a bit, thinking of last night’s thrilling moments. “Um, uh...” “Uh?” I almost asked, but reconsidered, feeling it might be inappropriate. “Tonight, by any chance...” Sensing what I wanted to express, Doa’s lips curled into a teasing smile. “Oh, honestly, how could you.” “No, I mean, I was just asking if maybe—” I hadn’t explicitly asked for anything, right? “Your clothes are dirty, so you can’t wear them tonight.” Though slightly spiteful with my name thrown around, she wasn’t wrong. It was indeed my fault Luca's costume had gotten dirty. “Well, if you do good deeds, Luka might play with you again.” “Alright, let’s wash up first.” Her clear response made it easier to sort my feelings. “Together?” “No? I’m fine with washing separately.” Doa grabbed the string of my pants. “You seem to enjoy it so much doing it with Luka. Doa might feel a bit hurt, you know?” “Hey, I never said I didn’t like it.” “It’s written all over your face.” This night belonged purely to my real girlfriend, Doa. * * * The arduous March had passed, and it was now April, bringing weather warm enough to forsake thick coats. As I stepped outside with the trash bag, I was greeted by dazzling sunshine. After sorting the trash, I returned home, washed my hands, and sat before my monitor. [A one-of-a-kind chance to become Closer’s producer!] A week had passed since the announcement on the YM official website. As Doa had foreshadowed, YM had launched a project inviting viewers to be part of the album creation process. Submissions were accepted for just one month, requiring interested participants to send in MR and vocal guides. Of course, there were prizes for those who made it to the top, but something more significant to most participants was this: [A music video will be produced for the chosen title song.] Even just thinking about it was awe-inspiring. Though I had never composed before, I was dedicating myself entirely to this project. Having tasted bitter failure and disappointment, I needed to make a promise to Doa and myself. To pursue something I love. Not for someone else. Just for me. To do what I desire. Spending time lying around watching Luka’s broadcasts was too wasteful. Moreover, I wanted to present something grand, successful or not, to Doa, who had encouraged me to regain my courage. Pulling out my tablet, I activated the app and played my song’s demo version. All I knew how to play was the piano, but creating melodies wasn’t as challenging as I thought. The speakers resonated with a melody reminiscent of a cheerful anime OST. Ah... the song seems alright... There were no surprises this time. I had told Doa in advance. Whenever I sought her advice, she encouraged me, saying the song was excellent and I would surely succeed. She cheered me on, possibly because she feared I might falter again, and couldn't be completely honest. With a deep sigh, I picked up my phone and called the friend visiting today. [Hello?] [Hey.] [Where are you?] [I’m at the back gate. I’ll be there soon.] [Okay.] Never thought I’d need to ask for his help. It seemed like the first time seeing Yoonjae as a third-year this year. -Knock knock knock At the sound of knocking, I gestured for him to come in. “Wow~ Isn’t this our great actor Hae Tae-min~” “What ‘great actor’? Come on.” It hadn’t even been a month since leaving the company, but it felt like ages ago. “If you’ve been in a drama, you’re an actor. Why not?” I considered not saying anything, but since he came all this way to help, I decided to be honest. “I’ve quit the entertainment business.” “What? Why? You were super popular.” “I realized I’m terrible at acting.” A moment of solemn silence followed, but Yoonjae, with his good nature, burst out laughing and gave me a firm pat on the back. “Hey! It happens! If you truly were a great actor, you wouldn’t have time to learn the guitar from me.” Placing down the guitar he brought, Yoonjae revealed the reason for inviting him over. I needed his musical advice, after all. Despite his appearance, Yoonjae was part of the central school band. “So, what do you want to learn?” "Well... want to listen to this first?" I pressed play and let Yoonjae listen to the song I had composed. "It sounds good. So, what do you want me to do with it?" "I want to add some guitar to it." As I blinked and looked at Yoonjae, he returned my gaze with a clueless expression. "For this?" "Is it impossible?" Can’t these kinds of songs have guitar added to them? But I remember lots of anime soundtracks and themes having electric guitar sounds. "Well... it's honestly a bit out of nowhere and surprising, but it's doable, I think." "Really?" Wow. What a relief. If it wasn't for him, I would have had to awkwardly ask someone I didn't know to do it. Having already felt the exhaustion of working with complete strangers, I felt noticeably uplifted. "But before that, what is this? Are you covering an existing song?" "No, I made this myself." Yoonjae let out a small laugh of disbelief. "So you’ve been skipping school lately to work on this?" He pressed the play button once more with his finger. "But honestly, listening to it again, this song is really well-made. I thought it was some track you brought in from somewhere." "Really...?" Wow... A compliment! Especially coming from someone who knows music to some extent, it really boosted my confidence. "Yeah, the structure is great, and the melody line is well-crafted. So what’s this for? Just a hobby?" Since everyone knew I had "hidden my true otaku self," I shared honestly and without reservation. "I'm planning to enter the Closer song contest." "Oh... the one you’re a fan of, right?" Yoonjae nodded toward the large poster of Luka on my closet. With a wry expression, I nodded in agreement. "‘That’? That’s a bit harsh." Yoonjae let out a hearty, uncle-like laugh as if my reaction was amusing. "Hey, I watched an episode after seeing your interview about it, but it just wasn’t for me." "Probably because you're too wrapped up in real-life women." "If that's the case, you sure spend a lot of time with Doa." Half of Doa is made of data. "So you want to add a guitar part here? Hmm..." Yoonjae took the guitar out of its case, listened to sections of my song repeatedly, and started to add rhythm in sync with the track. "Wow..." The mixture of different instruments created something even greater as they blended together. "Hey, don't exaggerate. I’m just following the chords you arranged." "No, but seriously, it sounds awesome!" It seemed that Yoonjae didn’t mind my reaction, as his lips were twitching into a smile. "Ah, hold on. If I add a gentle arpeggio here, it'll be perfect." "But how did you end up starting the guitar?" I was curious how he could play so well without it being his major. "I figured playing it would make me more popular with the ladies." ...Some things never change. "So, are you more popular now?" "Hey, Tae-min. Don’t you appreciate my help?" "...Sorry." -BEEP BEEP BEEP Hearing the electronic lock code, Yoonjae and I both turned our heads towards the front door. "Who’s there?" "Probably..." Who entered through the door was— "Oppa! I brought some piz—whoa!" Doa screamed immediately upon meeting Yoonjae's gaze. "Yu... Yoonjae oppa?" "Doa. Long time no see?" For the first time in my life, the three of us ended up having a meal together at my place.