Guitar Club (2)
Two weeks had already passed since I joined the beginner class of the guitar club. I'd been pouring all my effort into practicing every day, staying late into the night at the clubroom. Thanks to that, I'd gone from pecking out chords one by one like some eagle-claw typist to being able to switch through basic ones pretty naturally now. It wasn't as fast as I'd hoped, but seeing my skills improve with practice had me hooked.
At this point, maybe I could start practicing a simple song? My gaze naturally drifted left to the bookshelf in the corner of the clubroom. All those guitar tabs tucked inside were tempting me.
Just a quick peek?
I set down my guitar like I was under some spell and took a step toward the shelf—
"You're still a long way off."
"Ugh…"
Lee Soo-min, strumming away beside me, grabbed my foot in its tracks. She stood there with her arms crossed, glaring at me. It was the classic 'You dare?' look.
I could've picked a fight with something snarky like 'Just one sheet of music, you stingy—' but instead—
"Got it."
"Hmph."
I tucked my tail immediately. Satisfied, Soo-min gave a slight smirk and nodded. That smugness sparked a tiny rebellion inside me, but I squashed it fast. I'd learned my lesson once about screwing things up with someone who held my lifeline. No point making drama when the outcome was already set. I didn't want to go through that tear-jerking ass-kissing routine again.
I plopped back on the sofa and resumed practicing. Steady eight-beat rhythms filled the empty clubroom—just the two of us. It was around 5 p.m., early evening. Normally, you'd see five or six people around, but today it was just Soo-min and me.
The reason? Midterms were only two weeks away. Hard to focus on studying amid all the clashing guitar strums.
"Don't you need to study for exams?"
"Nah, I keep up steadily. You?"
"Me? Cramming the night before, like always."
She shot me a sharp glare, eyes full of suspicion.
"What? It's true. I've done it that way since freshman year."
"…Liar."
No dice on the explanation—Soo-min wasn't buying it. Deep-seated distrust, apparently. And it wasn't just her. My childhood friend Kang Min-jun, my close classmate Kim Seo-yeon, even Min-ho—they all gave me that look whenever exams came up.
They were convinced I was sabotaging the competition, secretly grinding for top grades while pretending otherwise. No matter how openly I admitted to last-minute studying, whined about bombing because I skipped it, and still pulled straight A's—they thought I was bluffing.
Talk about unfair.
…Okay, not really unfair. Good grades with minimal effort? What's to complain about? The first semester midterms stung a bit, but without showing my full routine, no explaining it away. So I leaned into the character and rolled with it. Way simpler and more effective than long-winded excuses.
"Smoke screen…"
Soo-min muttered, glancing at me before turning back to her playing. A mellow melody, perfect for fall vibes. Right in the zone, my pocket buzzed.
Since patching things up with her, these casual first messages had become a thing. We weren't big texters before unless we met up, but once the ice broke, it felt kinda nice.
I flinched. Busted. Deleted the draft and—
"Whatcha doing?"
Soo-min had snuck up and peeked over. Right in the middle of our banter.
"Oh, texting Seo-yeon. Wants to grab dinner. You in?"
"Yeah, sure."
She nodded. I fired back right away.
The '1' vanished instantly—she'd been online. Then… radio silence. Got busy? I wasn't starving, so I bounced and scrolled shorts for a bit. About three minutes later—
"Says meet at the intersection. Pack up now and we can make it."
The four-way stop splitting liberal arts and engineering campuses. Hustle and we'd hit it in time.
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
We tidied quick, grabbed our stuff, and headed out.
"Ugh… cold."
Chilly air hit like a wall the second we stepped outside. I buttoned my half-zip all the way, shoved hands in pockets, and hunched along. The intersection was packed despite the hour—midterms keeping everyone studying late.
Scanning the crowd, I spotted Kim Seo-yeon tucked among the tall folks.
"Hey. Almost missed ya."
"Huh?"
"N-nothing. Let's pick a spot quick. Freezing out here."
I dodged her sharp stare and changed subjects.
"Gomtang good for everyone?"
Menu settled fast, luckily.
"Sure."
"…Yeah."
Seo-yeon said okay but pouted a bit, looking unsatisfied. I could guess why—spicy stuff from my earlier suggestions. But Soo-min was a total spice wimp. You defer to the weaker link in these cases.
"Welcome!"
"Hi. Table for three."
"Only a spot in the corner. That okay?"
"Fine by us."
The decent gomtang joint was midway up to the dorms. Not usually packed, but today's chill had it full. The server—boss lady, probably—led us to a snug corner booth for four max.
"Three gomtang."
"Got it. Right out."
Orders in, waiting. Seo-yeon glanced at Soo-min, then at me.
"You've been hitting the club hard lately."
"Yeah. More fun than I thought. Planning to keep at it daily till I can play a full song solo."
"Ooh, then play one for us when you can?"
"No prob. I'll even bring a tin can for tips."
"Better change a ton of ten-won coins then."
"……Don't you dare."
I fake-glared at her nonsense. She flinched a sec, then grinned magnanimously.
"Fine. How 'bout hundreds?"
"Inflation these days? Bills at least."
"Beginner with big demands. Let's ask pro Soo-min for an objective take."
Free gomtang flashed in my mind. Soo-min was the most level-headed here. From club time, she had firm standards on guitar. Even as a newbie, in this economy, coins for street playing? Nah, she'd rule sensibly.
And Seo-yeon loved bets like this.
"Deal. But plain's boring—bet on who nails it. Loser buys dinner. Call?"
"Call. Soo-min, what's fair?"
"……."
She drummed fingers on the table, pondering. We watched, holding breath like contestants before a picky judge's verdict. Tension simmered.
Then her gaze slid to me—brief eye contact. But not her usual cool, rational stare. Something sharp lurked. Chill ran down my spine.
'Me? Cramming the night before.'
Her earlier eye-roll in the clubroom replayed. No way.
I fidgeted anxiously.
"Hmm…"
Finally, she spoke, eyes still locked on me.
"With Jun-woo's skill…"
Gulp.
"…even a hundred-won coin's generous."
"See? Soo-min agrees!"
Seo-yeon clapped in triumph. I stared at Soo-min, dumbfounded.
"H-hey, Lee Soo-min. Be objective…!"
"I am."
Her calm tone shut me down. But underneath? Lingering grudge from earlier.
"You piss off Soo-min or something? Shoulda done better. Thanks for dinner anyway."
Seo-yeon caught on, clasping hands mock-gratefully. I sputtered in protest, but nothing left to do but accept defeat.
Kim Seo-yeon Grateful for Free Food (Image)
