The Gloomy Keyboardist
Myeongjeon skipped homeward with a grin plastered on her face, Stratocaster in tow. All the goodies Mom had bought her yesterday—the brand-new MacBook, YouTube camera, audio interface, and a bunch of other gear. She'd sweated bullets to wring over three million won out of her mom for all that stuff.
Worth every bit of groveling.
It left a bit of a bitter taste, sure, but Myeongjeon figured there was no helping it. At her age—or her soul's age, anyway—you learned that pride weighed less than you'd think.
Now to fire up that laptop, shoot some YouTube vids. Maybe even install Guitar Rig, get with the digital times.
She was the type who resisted new tech. Laptops, virtual instruments—great and all, but nothing beat the soul of physical gear. Still, she wasn't deaf; she'd heard session pros who traveled light with just a laptop, controller, and guitar. Even S-ranks among them did it. Useful stuff, maybe. But reborn cashless? No choice but to dive into the virtual deep end. No teeth, chew with gums.
"Suyeon!"
A familiar voice called from afar as she walked, lost in thought. That kid, huh. Chatty one—get cornered, and you'd burn hours. No escaping, though. Headache incoming.
"Good news!"
"Spill."
"Found a member!"
"Already?"
She'd lined someone up in advance? Talent varied wildly, hard to gauge quick. Finding peers better than her? Tough sell. Myeongjeon figured it'd take till next year to snag even one or two.
A few days? Had to be vocals.
Don't need 'em. Anyone can sing backup. Instruments matter, not voices.
"Position?"
"Keyboard."
"Keyboard?"
Myeongjeon echoed, surprised. Vocals were easiest grab, then guitar, bass, drums. Keyboards? So rare they didn't even rank—you couldn't find 'em if you tried.
First snag a keyboardist? Unexpected. But... Dirty Loops skipped guitar, not drums. MIDI drums sucked for live—clunky workaround at best. Drums were non-negotiable.
Reading her face, Iseo jumped in. "Drums too... probably."
"Probably?"
"Piano sis's friend drums. We'll meet, vibe check. If solid, she'll convince her proper."
Sis, huh. Makes sense—finding local same-age girls outplaying you? Needle in haystack.
Myeongjeon swept back her hair. "Drums not locked, keyboard pending meet?"
"Yeah... but she's newish to keys. Piano major, really. Just a year hobby."
Iseo mumbled about potential skill gaps. But with drums in play, weak keys were fine. Rare position—beggars can't be choosers.
"When's the meet?"
"Uh... today work? She's only free this week today."
Too sudden, Iseo winced sheepishly.
"Today?"
Tough—computer setup, errands piled up. Myeongjeon prepped to bail, then lit up. "This sis tech-savvy?"
"Huh? Dunno... probably? Seems handy with stuff. Not my wheelhouse."
Iseo blinked. Why?
Myeongjeon twirled her hair. "Today works if she helps with my setup snag."
"That? Easy peasy. Lemme ask."
Told Mom dinner out, Myeongjeon headed to the café, guitar slung over her shoulder. Squeezed through the narrow door into cozy coffee-scented calm.
"Suyeon! Here!"
Corner table, two girls. Iseo, still dolled up stylish. Next: shortish hair, gloomy aura.
That's the keyboardist? Rough first impression.
Times change, but step out presentable, damn it. Iseo passed with flying colors; this kid? Rough.
"Sis! This is Ha Suyeon, guitarist."
"Nice to meet you. Ha Suyeon."
Ordered coffee, sat, offered handshake. Girl blinked—Handshake?—groped awkwardly, mumbled.
"Call me Seibin... heard from Somat-nim."
"Seibin? Somat-nim?"
Myeongjeon stared blankly. No clue. Glanced at Iseo, who looked pained, scolding gently.
"Bin-nim! She's a total muggle, no clue. Use real names, names!"
"Real... name?"
Seibin blinked at Iseo. Myeongjeon twirled hair, eyeing the 'Seibin'/'Bin-nim' girl. No drugs, but vibe screamed shut-in. Gloomy, homebound type. Drag 'em out, force some sun? Host or human?
"Real name kinda iffy...?"
"Nah, nickname's worse... whatever. Real name it is."
"Got it. Jeong Hyeona. Nice to meet you."
"Yeah. Same."
Jeong Hyeona... Fine name, why so hard to spit out? Myeongjeon puzzled; Iseo felt like tightrope-walking.
Unnie heard yesterday, why play dumb now?
Iseo knew: Suyeon shunned otaku stuff—no Demon Slayer, Spy x Family, Oshi no Ko, not even "culture" anime. Pure normie supreme. Crash didn't change it; Iseo's bait flops ignored.
Normies ruled now—BTS watched anime, TikTok flooded with challenges. Otaku stigma softened... but "well-groomed otaku" good, "unkempt" bad.
Hyeona unnie? Bare-minimum groomed. Unkempt side.
Current Suyeon wouldn't bail—"No band with weebs"—but old Suyeon wouldn't touch Iseo either. Still embarrassing?
Iseo eyed Hyeona warily.
"Heard you do keys. Experience?"
"Piano for arts college... keys hobby, year."
"Genres?"
"J-pop, anime openings..."
Suyeon eyed Iseo again. Iseo met gaze.
Wait, never said our style?
Awkward air thickening; Iseo blurted.
"Oh yeah, Suyeon—what's your main jam?"
"Told ya—everything. Your classics, I got 'em."
Iseo flashed on begging Bocchi the Rock inserts.
"Preference? Blues, prog mostly."
Like veteran guitarists, Myeongjeon's blues-based. Less early like W.C. Handy, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson—more B.B. King, Albert King, Freddie King, Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf. Animals, Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan blues-rock.
"Those dinosaurs?"
"1950s-70s. 80s too."
Iseo grimaced. Myeongjeon couldn't fathom.
"Master anything? Dig origins. Trace evolutions, grasp changes—only then craft real shit."
"Uh... sure?"
Iseo unconvinced. Real nod from the side.
"Gets it."
"Oh..."
Myeongjeon glanced. Gloomy Hyeona. But grokking old-school wisdom? Solid core maybe...
"Kids skip Haruhi, K-On... BanG Dream at best, Bocchi deep—suddenly 'I know bands, rock pros' and dive in."
Not quite.
"Wha? Japan got more band manga, old ones too. You skipped 'em."
"Boring, Somat-nim."
"No nicknames, Bin-nim! Why?!"
Myeongjeon tuned out the baffling bickering, pondering. Band with these? Bail?