The Brutal Impression Game
“Pfft haha ugh heh heh heh sob...”
“Stop laughing already.”
Despite the cold mutter, Jeong Yu-young couldn't stop cackling. She kept it up for a full minute before finally saying, “Ah... that was fun!” and handing out fresh sheets of paper.
“Alright, now let's move on from first impressions to current impressions, shall we?”
“This just feels like it's gonna leave scars on me. Do we really need to keep going?”
“Aw, come on! Can't you see those sparkling eyes right now?”
At Jeong Yu-young's words, Myeongjeon glanced at the three girls. They were all staring back with wide, hopeful eyes, trying their best to look eager.
“All that stuff about delinquents and punks? That's all in the past. Even if the first impression was rough, no one can say the current one's bad, right?”
“You sure about that?”
“Well, of course we can't be totally sure!”
Then what's the point? Myeongjeon scowled at Jeong Yu-young, but she just beamed brightly and urged them to start writing. The other three were already pondering what to jot down.
What should I write?
He tilted his head slightly, thinking. First off, calling her first impression 'delinquent' was basically a declaration of war—no holds barred. So, what might 'Ha Suyeon’s' current impression be?
Myeongjeon reviewed his actions as negatively as possible. Self-praise wasn't his style, but in this case, he had to do it. He needed to salvage this already-ruined image somehow.
What had he done since meeting these kids? Daily practices, maybe. The practice enforcer. The one always dishing out negativity. A dictator... something like that?
So, what word could neutralize that? 'Surprisingly good listener'?
Come to think of it, he was pretty good at listening. He never ignored Iseo, Hyeona, or Seoha. He took their opinions into account, incorporated them. He didn't even get mad at harsh words.
Yeah, that's gotta be it.
He'd started writing reluctantly, but in seconds, his mind flipped. This word fit him perfectly.
With that in mind, he scribbled on the paper—trendy slang these days, but...
“Okay, so Suyeon-ssi’s self-perceived current impression is...”
[Big-Hearted]
“Pfft-hah! Big-hearted!!”
Iseo shot up from her seat, laughing hysterically. The others were similar, just dialed down: Hyeona struggling to hold it in, Seoha snickering.
“What's wrong with big-hearted?”
“Hmm! Big-hearted! Not bad at all, actually! Now, what about the other bandmates' impressions...!”
At Jeong Yu-young's prompt, the three held up their papers.
The words scrawled there were...
[Boomer][Old-Timer][Dentures]
“...Hey.”
“First, can we hear why you think that?!”
Myeongjeon was outraged. Getting older meant getting wiser. Calling that 'dentures' or 'boomer' was just rude. 'Dentures' was straight-up disrespectful. Did they think their own teeth wouldn't decay? His had been rock-solid till the end—no cavities, no implants, nothing.
“Suyeon's just... so old-fashioned. Like, she calls 'YOLO' trendy slang—who even says that anymore? She prints stuff out 'cause she can't read it on her phone. And whenever we eat out, it's always kalguksu.”
Iseo pointed at his paper—the one with 'big-hearted' in trendy script.
“Even that 'big-hearted' thing. Nobody our age says that. It's old Starcraft geezers. Anyway, overall, it's like she aged 30 years mentally after the accident.”
“That's... a bit harsh, isn't it...?”
Hyeona tried to rein her in, but her own paper boldly read [Old-Timer].
“You wrote 'old-timer' 'cause she's got that vibe too, right? She's a total granny. Bet her bag's got red ginseng candy or scorched rice snacks.”
Iseo whispered, attacking away. But Myeongjeon stayed silent. He did carry red ginseng candy—that was brutally true.
“Alright, what about the next one?”
The 'Ha Suyeon first & current impressions' session—pure emotional damage—wrapped up. Jeong Yu-young, ever cheerful, moved on brightly.
At her words, Iseo raised her hand. “Can't we stop now? We've done plenty...”
“What bullshit. Hurry up.”
Her gruff retort drew a mutter from beside her: “Suyeon's pissed, huh.”
He got even angrier. Who wouldn't be mad? No—this wasn't mature. Kids would be kids. He had to stay calm, adult-like. That's how you build a good image.
“I'm not mad.”
“Looks like it.”
“...I'm not.”
“See? She's totally mad. Look at her grinding her teeth. Classic angry face.”
Bubbling fury barely contained. 'Patience three times spares murder,' they said. He had to hold it. The tables would turn soon...
Choi Iseo.
“Me? First or current, it's all good, right? Can't be anything else.”
Her first impressions: [Wasting Earth's resources with messy fashion.][Weird concept-pushing Twitter weirdo.][Fashion illiterate.]
Her current impressions: [Subtly bragging about bass talent nonstop.][Kinda nice lately.][Fashion illiterate.]
[Wasting Earth's resources with messy fashion.]
[Weird concept-pushing Twitter weirdo.]
[Fashion illiterate.]
[Subtly bragging about bass talent nonstop.]
[Kinda nice lately.]
[Fashion illiterate.]
Jeong Hyeona.
“Um... I think mine's... okay...”
Her first impressions: [Kinda gloomy, looks friendless.][Talks a ton (online).][Childhood friend.]
Her current impressions: [Otaku.][Internet Yeo Po.][Kid's gotten weird.]
[Kinda gloomy, looks friendless.]
[Talks a ton (online).]
[Childhood friend.]
[Otaku.]
[Internet Yeo Po.]
[Kid's gotten weird.]
Yoo Seoha.
“Me? Nothing bad coming my way. Who's better than me? Drums on point, style on point, great social circle, etc.”
Her first impressions: [All talk, no skill.][Stuck-up annoying sis.][Sweet kid from back then.]
Her current impressions: [Mirrored herself and bragged about being hot. Narcissist—needs fixing.][Needs more fashion study.][Got weird after church.]
[All talk, no skill.]
[Stuck-up annoying sis.]
[Sweet kid from back then.]
[Mirrored herself and bragged about being hot. Narcissist—needs fixing.]
[Needs more fashion study.]
[Got weird after church.]
“This... right?”
Even Jeong Yu-young, who'd said 'no holds barred,' was stunned by the escalating savagery. Myeongjeon thought this must be what 'mutual assured destruction' felt like.
“I do have bass talent, right? It's true! Who's caught up to me in a year? This is real life!”
“H-Hold on, that's actually true...?”
“...Don't ask. More importantly, you...”
“Y-You too...!”
Pure damage. Self-inflicted content. Myeongjeon sipped his coffee amid it all. He'd been beaten down so many times already; no new wounds left. 'Take the first hits,' they say. That fit his mood.
Was it too much?
He glanced at his own answers. Maybe a bit. Iseo did have bass talent, Hyeona wasn't gloomy anymore, and Seoha... well, teens are like that.
But then he eyed their impressions of him. Dentures? That was too much. And they'd roasted each other too. He was innocent. Fair's fair—dish it back.
Sure, he'd lived decades more, but right now, he was a 17-year-old girl.
“...Okay!”
Jeong Yu-young clapped to lighten the gloom. Her next words floored the rest.
“Now that we've seen first and current impressions... next corner! 'Praise Each Other'!”
“...Now?”
“Now's perfect! We've aired all the dirty laundry—no filters. Time to heal and hug it out!”
Iseo muttered in disbelief; Yu-young shot back. Myeongjeon recalled an old variety show—something like 'I See~'? Spill the bad, then 'I see~'. This felt similar.
But he'd forgive. They'd started it—delinquent, dentures. Who else would extend the olive branch?
Yeah, I gotta reach out first. Kids won't.
Emotions twist easy; fixing's hard. Nobody wants to 'lose' by going first. But true winners do. Admitting flaws makes you the adult, the strong one.
He'd gotten too sincere with these kids. Decades more life, yet here he was.
Can't be helped. Dentures tease? Means I'm mature. Time to show it.
Praise their strengths maturely. End on a heartwarming note.
“Let's start with our leader! Suyeon-ssi, tell the others!”
At Jeong Yu-young's cue, Myeongjeon stood, mindset set. Iseo, Hyeona, Seoha. Start with Iseo...
Then Iseo mouthed it silently, crystal clear. Anyone would get it instantly.
[Old Geezer]
“You little shit—!”
All prior thoughts forgotten, he chucked his paper at Iseo.