Childhood Friend (5): Finally, the Drums
Finally. With the drum kit fully assembled and set up, Tae-il raised both arms triumphantly overhead.
"Uwaaaah! It's done! I suddenly hate the sight of these drums!"
"Good grief. What a wimp for a guy."
"It's not whining..."
He'd tightened and loosened the vices to adjust the heights a few times while working part-time at the live house, but assembling a drum set from scratch was a first for him. And since Tae-il didn't know much about drum tuning either, he'd struggled like hell. Exhausted, he plopped down on his butt, slapped his palms on the floor, and let his head loll back limply.
Rena, seeing how wiped out he looked, handed him the towel and water she'd stashed away.
"Eh, good work anyway. Here's a towel and some water."
"Thanks."
No sooner had he taken them than Tae-il collapsed flat on his back, arms and legs splayed out. When he peeled off his gloves, his palms were bright red, and nothing from his neck to his waist was pain-free.
Rena poked and prodded at his swollen, reddened palms.
"Whoa. Your hands are totally beet red."
"Ahaha. Yeah. Thought they were gonna fall off."
"Does it hurt?"
"Dunno. Can't really feel much."
"Oh?"
Rena let go of his stiff hand with a mock-disappointed sigh.
"Anyway, what time is it now?"
Tae-il craned his neck laboriously to ask. Rena, who was crouched by his head, held up her smartphone screen for him.
2:38 p.m.
Tae-il's eyes widened in shock.
"No way. Did I seriously spend over two hours just on this drum assembly...?"
"More like an hour and forty minutes exactly? The drums arrived just before one."
"No wonder my back hurts..."
He grumbled softly that tuning wasn't something you forced if it wasn't necessary.
"Still feels pretty satisfying, though."
"Totally agree."
Tae-il wiped the sweat from his face with the towel and sat up. Their eyes fell on the brand-new drum set, spotless and gleaming under the lights, reflecting every ray with a shiny polish.
Ayane, who had joined midway to help with the odd jobs, smacked her lips at the sight.
"Mmmph. It's annoyingly cool-looking."
"Jealous?"
"N-not really...?"
Just like Tae-il, Ayane was hopeless at playing it cool. Rena shot her an exasperated look at the obvious lie.
"Didn't you say you had a bass too, gloomy girl?"
"I said I'm not jealous!"
"Uh-huh."
Rena smirked sarcastically. Instead of snapping back again, Ayane glanced at her own bass guitar case, abandoned in the corner of the practice room.
What a weird feeling...
She knew how expensive and high-quality the bass she'd been gifted was. Just hearing it called the one-and-only owner of that bass made her heart race. But even she couldn't help thinking someone else's rice cakes looked sweeter.
"Tch..."
Ayane clicked her tongue briefly. If it weren't for Tae-il's hands all over it, she might not have felt a thing. The way he'd meticulously called out Rena's name over and over while setting it up to her exact specs was eye-searing enough for anyone, not just Ayane.
Shin-kyun's such a pain. So what if the heights are off a bit? Couldn't he have just winged it...?
For a girl who'd nearly crossed the line with Tae-il, it was remarkably timid jealousy.
"Up we go!"
After a short break, Tae-il stood with a hand on his back, complaining that time was precious. He picked up a lonely pair of drumsticks that had been rolling sadly on the floor, bumped down the priority list.
Rena stared blankly at the sticks Tae-il handed her.
"What's this?"
"It's set up now, so give it a try."
Tae-il winked playfully, and Rena snickered as she snatched them.
"Don't wink at anyone else from now on. Unless you wanna get stuffed and mounted for eternal embarrassment."
"That bad...?"
Tae-il winked his right eye at Ayane for a second opinion. She gave an awkward smile.
"It makes you look like you're hurting my eyes, Shin-kyun."
"..."
As the Tae-il fleet ran aground and sank, Rena sauntered lightly to the drum throne and perched on it. She wiggled her butt, pretending to test the cushion while calming her pounding heart.
Drums. Honjo Rena's new challenge.
Rena lifted her head and scanned the drum kit surrounding her.
Life really is unpredictable. I thought drums were something I'd never touch, and now they're right here...
And they were set up perfectly for her size. The height to the floor pedals. The reach to the cymbals. Everything fit her like a glove.
Rena looked at Tae-il. He masked his fatigue with a smile.
"How's it feel?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she glanced down and gingerly placed her foot on the bass kick pedal. The hard, slanted pedal pressed against her small, soft sole. Gently.
Rena snapped her heel up with her toes.
Thump!
There was a slight kickback, but it moved smoother than the school pedals—no squeaks or resistance like before.
"Heh."
Rena let out a short laugh and stomped again.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The pleasant resonance filled the soundproof booth.
Tae-il suddenly recalled a boast from a drummer friend at a drinking session.
"When they ask about the strengths of your instrument, I don't ramble on. Know why?"
"Why?"
"Because drums are indispensable by their very existence."
Music, born alongside human history, brimmed with infinite possibilities. Bands were the same. Expand the genres, and you'd find plenty without guitars, bass, or even drums. But their songs always carried a drum's pulse. Even without a live drummer in a band session, that signature sound and expression always crept in.
His friend had put it bluntly: no words needed.
Rena was the same. An existence the original story couldn't do without, just like the drums.
Just like back then.
Tae-il had felt this sensation when Sakuya dragged him in too. Expressions omitted for media sake. Sensations felt in reality.
In the original, Rena's presence shrank the moment she hit the stage. No one paid her mind—except maybe readers and fans outside the work. She was there, yet not.
Of course. Manga and anime never directed her properly.
Strictly speaking, the protagonists were Ayane and Iris. Rena and Sakuya were key players, but not leads. Unlike Sakuya's standout stage presence, Rena humiliatingly got bank shots often.
In band stories, the stage was for dramatic turns. With page limits, depicting the protagonists' growth was already overwhelming.
The stage wasn't their battlefield in the original.
Sakuya shone in practice and staging ideas; Rena in MV production. Their roles supported the leads' growth. Once the protagonists evolved? Supporting actors bowed out.
Their departures were inevitable, but Tae-il hated it. It felt wasteful. The band had so much potential.
The creation he'd envied, resented, and idolized ended without even an epilogue.
Now?
Tae-il closed his eyes and told himself.
It's different.
Rena's expression proved it. The girl before him wasn't some flat image orbiting Iris, thrilled just to be near her.
"Please..."
May our passion carry on to a distant future, just like now. May everyone's dreams come true.
Tae-il prayed fervently.
Okay. Got the kick down pat. Next up...
Rena, who'd been diligently working the kick, now alternated between the snare and hi-hat. Though just a fleeting moment, she vividly remembered the sensation from when Tae-il had forced her to play. She pulled his deeply etched voice back to the surface.
First, grip the sticks tight, then loosen up gently...
She positioned them like a triangle peak, hovering lightly over the head center. Then stroked with her right hand.
Don't forget. Keep wrists flexible.
Tak. Tak-tak.
Single stroke. Snapping her wrists, she alternated right and left on the snare.
As the sticks' grip grew familiar, her eyes naturally drifted to the toms.
Should I try those too?
Rena glanced slyly at Tae-il while keeping the snare rhythm. He stood with arms crossed, eyes closed. Not sleepy—his lips curved faintly upward.
She thought: Maybe that smile's permission?
Just go for it.
The hesitation was brief. Rena swung her arms wide, using the full kit.
Dong-dong dong dong!
The clean surround sound hit her ears, widening her eyes. A prickly, electric thrill zipped through her fingertips.
Screw it! Just follow my gut...
Swept in the strange sensation, she ignored precise beats, letting residual rhythms from her head flow through her hands.
Her mouth gaped open wide enough to see her even teeth without looking closely.
"..."
Tae-il just watched, letting her play freely. No interference.
Ayane, a total drum novice, sidled up to him and whispered in his ear.
"Shin-kyun, is that good?"
"Kuhuhu."
Tae-il ducked his head with a chuckle.
"What does it sound like to you, Ayane? Good?"
"Not really...?"
It wasn't just bias against Rena—it really wasn't. Drums might look like free-for-all chaos, but actually playing that way produced garbage. Rena was flailing wherever her hands went, zero knowledge guiding her.
Tae-il nodded quietly.
"Haha. I agree with you there."
Swinging sticks wildly shouldn't sound off—that'd be the real shock.
"I'd be stunned if it didn't sound weird. Rena's a beginner like you, after all."
"Mmph..."
Ayane puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
"But hey, Ayane—your ear's getting better, right?"
"Yeah. Feels like it. Yay."
Tae-il's genuine joy widened Ayane's eyes. He was terrible at lying, just like her. She instantly caught the deeper emotion in his voice, unlike his usual tone.
"Shin-kyun... you mean that?"
"Of course. Want me to say it again?"
I, Shin Tae-il, am thrilled with Ayane's steady progress. He enunciated clearly, and her eyes welled up.
Seeing her on the verge of tears after praise flustered him instead.
"Ah, Ayane?"
"It's nothing. Ayane's fine..."
Beginner. A label she couldn't shake. For a newbie just starting music, it was a hated necessity. Tae-il's acknowledgment was what she'd craved.
He wiped the tears from her eyes and teased shamelessly.
"What? Your actual playing's still kid-level?"
"Yeah yeah. It's fine. I'll grow fast."
A newborn had already taken its first steps. Once toddling started, growth happened in blinks. Adults marveled each time.
Ayane wanted to stun Tae-il like that too.
"You believe in me, Shin-kyun? In Ayane."
"Ayane, are you an idiot? Of course."
If he didn't believe, they wouldn't be here. He wouldn't have a band half-full of rookies.
Tae-il believed. Staring straight at Rena drumming.
"We'll make it. That's what I believe."
"Us?"
"Everyone. Including me."
Including himself parted Ayane's lips slightly.
"Including you, Shin-kyun?"
"Yeah."
Ayane, clutching his arm, giggled.
She could feel it now. Tae-il had truly changed. Izumi had sparked it, but he'd stagnated. Not anymore.
Guess I scored a few points?
Ayane leaned her head on him, savoring a quiet victory.
"Can Ayane believe too?"
"Obviously."
Ayane always lacked confidence. Tae-il saw it stemming from shaky faith.
"Think of it like this: you're all newborns right now."
"Puhuhu."
"Why're you laughing...?"
"Nothing. Keep going—I'm listening."
"Ahem."
Childhood friends thought alike, huh? Ayane beamed. Rena's playing—noise or not—was background now.
"Right now, no matter how hard you try, it'll just be noise. You're newborns. But growth changes that."
Kids grow fast. Babbling overnight, calling mom and dad, toddling soon after.
"The kid doesn't notice. But watchers do."
"That we're growing?"
"Yeah."
Tae-il nodded, and Ayane agreed. It applied to her—and him too.
"Puhuhu."
"Huh? Why laugh?"
"Just... you dragging newbie babies like us to success? Wild."
"What's wild? Plenty start later and make it big."
Timing mattered less than will. False hope or not, Tae-il steeled himself against losing resolve. He never wanted that despair again.
Ayane asked, voice bubbly with laughter.
"If we're babies, you're daddy, huh, Shin-kyun?"
"Say that in front of Arisugawa."
"'Iris-mommy'?"
Ayane looked up innocently. Tae-il's face darkened.
"Don't ever call her mom."
"Why?"
"Feels like I'd take all the heat..."
"Ahaha!"
Ayane cracked up at his dead-serious reaction. Tae-il already envisioned Iris shin-kicking him.
"Hey! Focus on me or I'll hit you!"
"Sorry!"
Their banter halted only at Rena's irritated shout. Ayane whipped around from silently watching.
"Nope. Can't anymore."
"Huh?"
"Soundproofing here's great, right? Ayane wants to pull out the bass and practice too!"
"Suddenly? Didn't Iris say you overdid it yesterday?"
"Just thirty minutes light. Pleeease? Shin-kyuuun."
Tae-il knew from experience: curbing practice zeal in a rookie's hot streak was unwise.
But still...
He eyed her slender wrists and fingers worriedly. Sakuya? Less concern—she'd hit the hospital at any sign. Ayane?
She'll push too hard.
He meant to stop her. Rest today. But...
"Pleeease? Just thirty! Exactly thirty minutes!"
"......Thirty minutes only."
"Yay!"
He couldn't resist her aegyo. As Ayane fetched her bass, Tae-il leaned against the wall right behind Rena.
Nice.
Rena's playing brimmed with a puberty girl's quirky charm, hopping wildly. Eyes closed, it felt like being a bunny in peaceful mountains.
She mixed up ride and crash sometimes, hitting the ride too hard. But still good.
A raw beginner, unbound, turning mental scratches real—adorable and lovable.
Tempo shifted. The jam wound down.
Finally. Rena slammed both big cymbals hard.
Chaaaang—!
Then muted them with her fingers.
"Haa!"
She exhaled and leaned back toward the wall. Then.
Thud.
"Huh?"
Rena looked up. Tae-il's belly touched her crown.
He gazed down with a soft smile, clapping lightly.
"Great playing, Rena."
Pop!
Something burst in Rena's head. Her face flushed.
"Wh-when'd you sneak behind me...?"
"Not long."
"R-really?"
"Yeah. You looked like you were having a blast."
Tae-il leaned forward, gently overlaying his hand on hers gripping the sticks.
"H-huh?"
Rena, still lost in the afterglow and Tae-il haze, jolted.
"Wanna try a basic rhythm together like this?"
"S-sure..."
"Stooop! Shin-kyun out! Total foul!"
The intruder shattered their pink bubble. Rena's face soured instantly.
She gritted her teeth and snapped.
"Hey, gloomy girl. I'm learning drums from Shin right now. I'm busy—scram."
"Ayane's learning bass from Shin-kyun too!"
"You said just light practice..."
"Traitor!"
Ayane punched Tae-il's shoulder repeatedly, yelling betrayal.
"Ow, ow! Sorry, Ayane! It was a joke!"
"For real...?"
"Haha. You'd hit me again otherwise."
Tae-il giggled playfully, and Ayane puffed her cheeks, patting (harder) his shoulder.
"Ow! Ouch! Real sorry! Joke! Total joke!"
"Ayane too—it was a joke!"
"Hey. Joking too rough for a gloomy girl."
"This is Ayane and Shin-kyun's default!"
"Oh?"
Rena paused mid-retort.
I hit Iris with stuff like that too...
Iris's pranks on her were pretty intense too.
But we're same sex—these two are...
As Rena pondered, Tae-il soothed the punch-happy Ayane. The soundproof booth buzzed with chaos—so much that no one noticed the doorknob rattle with a click.