The Band Offer
The band's proposal. 'It's definitely different.' A talent she hadn't possessed back in her Seo Myeongjeon days. She couldn't quite put a definitive name to it yet, or claim that now that she had this talent, she could become a great musician! But one thing was clear: it was different from before.
"Let's form a band!"
"A band?"
She hadn't misheard. Myeongjeon looked up at Iseo.
"Yeah, a band."
"...You mean with me?"
"Yep."
"Why me?"
"Huh?"
That wasn't the reaction she'd expected. Iseo thought to herself. Everyone wants to be in a band, right? Not exactly like those anime where someone goes 'Let's form a band!' and everyone cheers 'Yay!' and they bond laughing haha ho ho and succeed anyway. But still, couldn't she at least pretend to think about it?
Iseo gathered her thoughts and spoke again. "You hate the idea of being in a band?"
"Nah, that's not it." Myeongjeon had been considering forming a band herself, so that wasn't the reason.
"But why..."
Iseo's words were cut off by Myeongjeon, who raised her hand to draw her gaze, then folded her fingers one by one.
"First off, I don't even know what kind of music you're trying to make. Your skills have potential, sure, but are they band-level with me? Not really. Have you shown me anything? Any other strengths? Nope. So what's the reason I'd form a band with you? If we were just friends, maybe I wouldn't weigh the pros and cons. But a band? There has to be some give and take, right?"
Suyeon's words were firm and logical, a clear rejection. Iseo couldn't argue back.
But... I want to try a band...!
"Don't you want to do a band in your school days?"
"Sure, but..."
Wanting a band didn't make it happen, and 'fun' only went so far. Imagine a K-League pro joining a neighborhood morning soccer group. At first, he'd play along, guiding the amateurs. But could he run it seriously? If he went all out, he'd shatter the balance and sweep every local league. Would the group accept that? Just cheering 'Yay, we won! We're the best!' without a care? What about the pro? He'd need at least a 2nd or 3rd division level to sync up and go full throttle.
"Even so, that's no reason to band with you. There are music kids around—probably better than you."
"True, but...!"
Iseo clenched her fists anxiously, unable to retort. After a pause, she suddenly yelped.
"The music kids at our school are all guys!"
"So...?"
Seeing Suyeon's baffled look, Iseo realized her mistake. For Ha Suyeon, that might even be a plus.
Iseo had never heard of Suyeon dating anyone. But rumors abounded of her cozying up to guys, using their crushes to her advantage. Teaming with guys might expand her options—wouldn't she love that? While Iseo spun wild theories, Myeongjeon thought differently.
Gender matters? Just play well. Deng Xiaoping said it: black cat, white cat, if it catches mice, it's good. Guys as a problem...? Wait...
"That's a pretty big risk factor."
"R-right?"
Myeongjeon recalled her own past. She and her bandmates had lived wildly; even if mellowed, that vibe lingered. Now, guys in a band eyeing 'Ha Suyeon's' looks? If that happened to her...
"Ugh!"
"What's wrong?"
"Just... had a chilling thought for a sec."
As Iseo tilted her head, Myeongjeon concluded: To avoid that, an all-girls band it is. Teaming with this girl didn't seem bad. Guys? Easy to find talent. Girls only? Her level's solid—not top absolute, but relative to others, upper tier. With my guidance, even better.
Myeongjeon picked up her guitar. "In that light, banding with you isn't a bad choice."
"Then...!"
"But showing off in front of a kid feels weird... Still, you gotta prove it."
Feeling silly before someone so young, but prove it she would. Myeongjeon played a track she saved for pushing her hands: the climax of John Petrucci's Glasgow Kiss. A ferocious storm of notes like raging sea winds. No prep, just drive-tone fury overwhelming Iseo. The music flowed seamlessly, but Suyeon's hands never rested.
"I'm no match for the original, but I'm confident. Globally, few match my technique."
After two minutes, Myeongjeon eyed Iseo. Her stunned face was hilarious.
"So band... sounds good. Motivation's great, but we need skilled players. I don't wanna spend months teaching basics to noobs."
It sounded promising; Iseo brightened.
"Skilled how?"
"At least better than you. Bands can carry one weak link. Look at Metallica—their drummer sucks, yet world's top metal."
Myeongjeon scratched her temple. One hole? Fillable. Two? Good songs cover. "Three's a no-go. So the other two need to top you—then we're balanced. Otherwise, done."
Iseo nodded. Better than flat refusal. She could snag one; the last was the issue. Time to ask around. Music girls... Yesterday's video popped up.
"Oh, saw a killer guitarist recently. YouTube. Girl too."
High-school vibe, but lead potential? Iseo handed her phone. This one's good—how's she stack against Suyeon?
"Hmm..."
The video showed a trio playing Voodoo Child.
That's me.
"She's insane, right? Guitar's nuts... Looks young—how?!"
Seeing Iseo's awe, Myeongjeon considered revealing it but passed. No need; no proof, no brag. Why was it online? No camera spotted.
"Whoa, over a million views. Trending?"
"A million?"
Myeongjeon double-checked. Clickbait title, sure, but tempting:
YouTube Title
[Insane Legendary High School Girl Busker Guitarist – Everyone Staring Whoa ]
Trashy, but clickable. "A million views..."
"Yeah?"
"Real earnings?"
"Dunno exactly, but like 2-3 won per view."
Conservative: 2 won each = 2 million won. Raw footage, editable. I could do this. YouTube cash?
* * *
Practice over, Myeongjeon got home and reopened the YouTube video. Comments were pure praise:
One asked: [Do you know who this is?]
The link led to a post from her busking buddy:
↳ Mule girl.
↳ Hug alert~~
↳ Beauty like that here... why not me...
↳ No cliques pls
Reading these, Myeongjeon grasped her path: band, sessions, YouTube.
Do the music I want in the band, recover gear via sessions and YouTube. Use gear for band, sessions, YouTube. Virtuous cycle. Sessions network musicians; YouTube boosts her and band fame. Band activities loop back...
Perfect plan.
Myeongjeon smiled. This life was shaping up nicely...