Interlude: "Japanese, You Say?"
Suyeon felt an instinctive aversion. Considering the life she'd lived, it was inevitable. Seo Myeongjeon had been born before Japanese culture flooded into Korea, and the education he'd received growing up had been nothing but lessons planting negative impressions of Japan. The era of his birth was closer to the days of Japanese colonial rule than to the present. Given that history, it was entirely natural for Ha Suyeon—no, Seo Myeongjeon—to bristle at the idea of learning Japanese.
'How dare anyone suggest learning the tongue of those invaders on this sacred Korean soil.' It felt like she should storm out and buy a traditional hat and robe right then and there, rise up in righteous fury, and shout, "What nonsense is this about learning the invader's language?!"
"What's wrong?"
Jeong Yuyoung, the marketing manager, picked up on Suyeon's uneasy vibe and asked.
"Uh... Do we really have to learn Japanese?"
"Of course we do. Is there a problem...?"
"No, it's just... Japanese feels off somehow. Do we really need to go that far? It rubs me the wrong way..."
To explain why it rubbed her wrong, she'd have to say something like, 'I was born in an era when anti-Japanese sentiment burned hot, and I spent decades steeped in education that fueled hatred for Japan.' Suyeon hesitated.
Should she leap up and proclaim the history of fifty years of occupation? Or kneel before money and capitalism, living like a fat, complacent pig...?
But that attitude was immediately shot down by Iseo's casual remark.
"Why? You've done Japanese before."
"Oh."
Come to think of it, yeah. Back at the start of their activities, under Iseo's not-so-subtle pressure, she'd sung a few anime songs. Their stage debut had even been with one of those tracks. So much for her principles—they'd been sullied from the very beginning.
And besides...
"We absolutely need to learn Japanese! Because we're not idols!"
With that, Jeong Yuyoung launched into her explanation. It was all common sense, really. Korea was the homeland of K-pop. And idols breaking into Japan were usually ones who'd already succeeded big in the market—not groups built from the ground up targeting Japan. That meant, in Japan, they'd likely think, 'They don't speak Japanese, but who cares? They're popular, cute, and their songs slap!'
"Plus, even those idols learn Japanese! Speaking the local language just makes people like you more. We'd be thrilled if Japanese folks came up saying 'Hello~' or Americans did the same, right? It's human nature."
Jeong Yuyoung kept going. But what about rock? Rock music was half-dead in the market already, but there was one place where it still drove the mainstream: Japan.
"Japan's a country where rock is still mainstream. The Oricon charts are dominated by Korean idols based on sales, sure... but check Spotify or YouTube Music charts, and you'll see bands like YOASOBI, Mrs. Green Apple, King Gnu, Back Number holding strong. It's even more obvious in the lower ranks."
In other words, Japan was a land where rock was still thriving—and the Japanese knew it. Indie bands grinding daily in live houses, chasing major-label dreams; rock listeners flocking to those shows. Japan's rock and J-rock scene was on a whole different scale from Korea's.
For a Korean band to break into that J-rock market was worlds apart from Korean idols invading J-pop. They might get the cold shoulder: 'What do we expect from a band out of a country where rock went extinct?' And if they couldn't even speak Japanese?
"If we head to Japan, it's not guaranteed, but... like your Paradox shows? We'd probably start from live houses again! That's why we have to learn Japanese!"
The other three members clapped as Jeong Yuyoung wrapped up her passionate pitch. She grinned and bowed this way and that, while Suyeon thought to herself, Fine, whatever.
'It's not like I want to learn Japanese. The world is just forcing it on me. That's different...'
It wasn't different at all, but Suyeon's mind accepted it anyway. Good thing the black dragon of her inner self, Seo Myeongjeon, had gone back to sleep.
A few days later.
"Hello~ Nice to meet you!"
It was the weekend. Park Daeri from general affairs opened the office door where the members had gathered, accompanied by a woman.
After introducing her as their new Japanese teacher and leaving, the five of them were alone with her. She greeted them in Japanese first.
"Hello!"
"Hello."
"Hello."
"Hello...?"
"Nice to meet you all! As you heard earlier, I'm Kim Suyeong, and I'm here to teach you Japanese~! You're Group Sound, right?"
"Yep, that's us!"
"I'm a huge fan—I've listened to so much of your music! When Park Daeri asked if I'd teach you, I almost said I'd do it for free! Of course, I took the money."
Kim Suyeong spilled some TMI to ease their tension, shared a few stories linking her life to Group Sound, got autographs with gusto, and then got down to business.
"Alright! Before we dive into studying Japanese, we need to gauge your current knowledge level. Language learning is all about consistent practice! And what sparks that consistency? Interest and engagement! Too easy, and you get bored; too hard, and you quit. It has to feel like you're growing—that's what keeps you hooked!"
"Whoa..."
Iseo's eyes lit up like she'd had an epiphany. But her face crumpled at Seoha's mocking snicker.
Iseo scowled fiercely, while Seoha pretended not to notice, like 'What, some random dog barking?' As their little spat simmered, Kim Suyeong pressed on.
"So, my question now? You can probably guess: How much Japanese do you know? I'll go in seating order. Let's start with... Choi Iseo?"
"I'm great at Japanese! 'Boku wa kono sekai o mamoru tame ni...' (To protect this world...)"
"Ooh, not bad."
Stung by the praise, Iseo rattled off stuff like "Meccha kawaii ne! (Super cute!)" and "Maji yaba (For real dangerous)." But even to Suyeon, it didn't seem like Iseo was actually good.
"Hmm... Got it! First off, boku is a masculine first-person pronoun women don't use, so that's a bit off!"
Iseo deflated visibly.
"Still, you have a basic foundation! Next, Yoo Seoha?"
"I know zilch. Hi, maybe that much..."
"Beginner! Noted!"
Kim Suyeong jotted something down. Suyeon peeked: "Intermediate," "Beginner."
"And Jeong Hyeona? How about you?"
"I... um..."
Suddenly, Hyeona fluently rattled off Japanese. Seoha and Iseo stared in mild surprise; Suyeon did too, eyes wide.
'She stutters in Korean every day, but Japanese flows? I've heard learning new languages can change how you think, even cure stammers...'
Suyeon glanced at the teacher, who looked awkwardly at Hyeona.
"What's up?"
"Uh... sorry! One sec!"
Kim Suyeong beckoned Hyeona over and whispered in her ear. Suyeon naturally perked up to eavesdrop, wondering what it could be.
"This is awkward to say, but... You speak Japanese well! Really well... but it's super anime-character-like..."
Hyeona recoiled, face stricken with shock. The teacher looked genuinely sorry. Suyeon figured it made sense—imagine confidently showing off, only to hear 'You sound way too otaku.'
"Ahem! Last up: Ha Suyeon? What's your level?"
"Hmm..."
Suyeon twirled a lock of hair. Japanese she knew? Nothing, really... Then it hit her.
Wait, weren't these Japanese?
"Uh... I know a few."
"Like what?"
"Demodo (scaffolding). Hasuri (rough grinding), yuka (drain). Shirodo (unskilled laborer)..."
"Pardon?"
The teacher looked stunned, but Suyeon kept listing, oblivious.
"Yarikiri (quitting once quota's met), sasinengi (tie rebar), mekki (plating), zubon (trousers), gadamai (suit)... All Japanese, right?"
Terms from her old days, dipping into construction gigs when she swore off guitar. Words she'd heard since childhood. Come to think of it, all Japanese.
'Hey, I've learned a ton of Japanese without realizing. Maybe not total beginner like Seoha—could pass as intermediate like Iseo.'
But getting labeled that high would be trouble; she only knew vocab. She watched the teacher hesitantly write... "Beginner."
With a note: "Seems to know zero actual Japanese."
After that shocking first meeting with the Japanese teacher, the band peacefully spent their break learning the language. Park Daeri had picked a pro, apparently—even Seoha, who claimed zero knowledge, started boasting baseless confidence: "At this rate, I'm gonna be fluent, I swear."
But things weren't moving on another front.
'Eh, just can't get motivated.'
Suyeon fiddled with the mouse, then set it down. No drive at all. It wasn't a crisis—no slump or depression—but compared to the creative fire before the Jangchung Gymnasium concert, the momentum had dipped.
"What's going on?"
She crossed her arms, pondering, but no answers. In her decades of life, this was new. Bad results from effort? Common. But not wanting to create at all? Never.
Her phone rang, snapping her out of it. Caller ID: Im Jonghun PD.
Suyeon picked up.
"Yes, Ha Suyeon speaking."
"Suyeon! How've you been? It's Im Jonghun!"
The voice was familiar. Racking her brain, she placed it.
'Oh, the PD from that pilot—Band of Guitarists.'