Graphic Choices and Grueling Workouts
After finishing off the leftover pizza from their gym session, the two sat side by side in front of the monitor. It was Suhyun who took hold of the mouse.
"Don't people usually outsource this kind of thing?"
After a quick search, Suhyun pulled up several sites offering illustration and graphic work, scrolling through them rapidly.
"We can just pick one that fits the price and the vibe you're going for."
"Hmm..."
Juyeon took the mouse and stared intently at the screen. Would spending more money actually make a difference...? After all, she hadn't started streaming to make a lot of money. She'd begun it dreaming of having quiet, friendly conversations with people. Even her microphone had been something she'd saved up for bit by bit with her own money.
"If I do this... how many subscribers do you think I'd gain?"
"I can't say for sure how many, but at the very least, fewer people would click on your stream and leave right away."
"...That much?"
"I'm not joking."
If there was a legendary Doraemon in the world of PowerPoint, then surely there was a legendary Yeoni in the world of internet broadcasting. She'd given herself the cute name Yeoni, so why on earth had she slapped together a banner that looked like it was covered in random scraps of colored paper? Suhyun clicked his tongue at Juyeon's complete lack of design sense.
"Alright. Then you pick one."
Juyeon pushed the mouse back toward him.
"Huh? You want me to choose?"
"...Yeah."
She'd already been told her sense was terrible—she didn't want to pay money only to pick something terrible again. Suhyun began carefully examining each page one by one, narrowing down the candidates. This one was way too over-the-top. This one was pretty, but the price... Good grief. Why was this person's work so inconsistent from piece to piece?
After an hour of window-shopping with Juyeon, the clock had crept past ten.
"Out of these two, pick whichever you like better."
Suhyun presented the final two options.
"Hmm..."
Both were excellent. The prices were roughly the same. One was densely packed with cute little details, while the other had a clean, simple look that didn't feel empty.
"I think I like this artist more."
Juyeon pointed decisively with her index finger.
"Really? I thought the second one suited you better, too."
"The first one... it's too flashy...!"
They looked at each other and laughed. Their thoughts really did align in some ways.
"Got it. I'll go with this person, then."
"Yeah. Sounds good."
Their business was done, and it was getting late, so Suhyun moved to stand up. Just as he was grabbing his bag, Juyeon spoke to his back.
"Hey."
"Next time... could you help me pick songs for the stream, too?"
She wasn't sure if Suhyun's advice would actually help, but Juyeon found herself enjoying this time together. It had been a while since she'd talked so comfortably with someone. Having someone listen to the worries she'd been shouldering alone made her anxiety feel a little lighter.
"The music I listen to isn't exactly mainstream, so I'm not sure how much help I'd be..."
Suhyun scratched his head with an awkward smile. Having been completely absorbed in band music with Hana, he doubted he'd be much good at curating Juyeon's setlist.
"Well... the people who come to watch someone like me are probably already out of the mainstream anyway, right?"
"Isn't that a bit harsh on your few subscribers?"
Suhyun let out a hearty laugh.
"Ah, anyway... so... I'd really appreciate it if you could help..."
Her cheeks flushed slightly. Juyeon spun her computer chair around, hiding her face.
"Sure. But if it flops, it's not my fault, got it?"
"Okay."
She figured it couldn't possibly flop any worse than it already was. On average, fewer than ten people even showed up.
"Alright then. Friday... wait, no. You said you were going to see your juniors tomorrow, right?"
"No, I already went on Tuesday."
"Then I'll see you Friday."
Suhyun slipped on his shoes, waved, and grabbed the doorknob. As the door slowly closed, the sound of his footsteps descending the stairs faded away. Two empty glasses still sat on the table, waiting to be cleaned.
"...That was fun."
It had been more enjoyable than she'd expected—the first time she'd invited a friend over.
* * *
Seven in the morning. Suhyun arrived at the school gym still half-asleep. Seven a.m.... That was way too early. He hadn't even gone to the military yet, and already waking up this early felt like a crime.
"Hey! Lee Suhyun!"
From a distance, Choi Kang waved, dressed in his usual sportswear. A sleeveless shirt and shorts—considering it was only April, the outfit looked freezing.
"Starting today, I'm gonna train you for real!"
"...Just enough so I can still play guitar, please."
If he got cocky on the first day and sprained his wrist, it'd be a total disaster.
"Where's Sohye?"
"She usually shows up around now."
—Tap tap tap tap
No sooner had he finished speaking than the 24th-generation drummer came running from the other side. Ji Sohye. She'd been sprinting over with a bright expression, but the moment she spotted Suhyun, her face froze. Her limbs stopped moving, and the muscles in her face stiffened.
"Hello, Oppa."
"Yeah. Hey."
'He actually brought Suhyun Oppa...?'
Sohye felt another dark cloud settle over her already difficult romantic battlefield. She'd tried all sorts of ways to get closer to Kang, and the only thing that seemed to work was working out together. But if Suhyun was going to be here too, how was she supposed to make any progress?
"Alright. From now on, Sohye and I will teach you together. You two should come regularly!"
After finishing registration, Kang led them inside. He took them to the yoga area lined with large mirrors to stretch before starting. Kang demonstrated a series of movements and told them to follow along.
"Okay, mountain climbers! Let's do two rounds!"
Lying prone, he rapidly alternated his legs.
—Thud thud thud thud
Sweat dripped down Suhyun's long hair. This was a warm-up? Seriously? Was he serious right now?!
Suhyun, whose only exercise had been breathing, was already exhausted after just fifteen minutes of stretching.
"Lee Suhyun."
Kang frowned. Suhyun's stamina was even worse than he'd thought.
"Haa... haa... haa... Yeah...?"
"Do you know how long you usually have to stand on stage during a performance?"
"Thirty minutes...?"
That was his estimate—eight songs, roughly four minutes each.
"When you're carrying an instrument, you stand for at least an hour. Especially the lead guitarist."
"If you're doing a performance, you run around, jump, all that."
"And that's not even the end of it."
"Stage lights are hotter than you think. Your back will be completely soaked in sweat!"
Kang pulled the slumped Suhyun back to his feet.
"I'm not asking for much."
"But you need at least enough stamina to perform, don't you?"
Suhyun, who had been determined to quit after today, felt his resolve waver. Performing. The band performance he'd wanted so badly.
"If your stamina's lacking, you'll probably mess up the tempo or play sloppily in the second half."
"Are you gonna skip your solo because your arms hurt?"
Kang's motivational speech, delivered like a scene from a training video, ignited a fire in Suhyun's heart.
"No, sir! I'll do it!"
Responding like a kid at taekwondo class, Suhyun followed Kang's instructions and moved toward the equipment. In the end, Suhyun worked out until he was dry-heaving before heading home.
* * *
The 23rd-years who were supposed to look after their juniors today were Suhyun and Hana. Hana, who had arrived at the clubroom first, was scrolling through SNS on her phone. Come to think of it, did Lee Suhyun even use SNS? They weren't even Instagram friends.
—Creaaak
When the door opened, in walked Suhyun, looking noticeably thinner than usual. The moment he saw her, he approached with an expression like he was about to cry.
"Haa... Hana..."
He collapsed in front of her like his soul had left his body.
"What's wrong? Did something happen...?"
"No... it's just..."
Having tasted Choi Kang's hellish training, Suhyun desperately needed someone to comfort him. He'd said he'd do it properly, but this was beyond what any human should endure. After hearing everything that had happened that morning, Hana tilted her head.
"So how many kilos did he make you lift?"
"T... twenty-five kilos!"
Hana, who had been working out for quite a while herself, couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Come on, seriously? That's nothing!"
"N-no! It was really heavy, I swear!"
Unable to admit that she could lift that much easily herself, Hana naturally placed her hand on his shoulder.
"You'll get stronger if you keep at it."
"Yeah... probably..."
"But if Kang's being too hard on you, tell me. I'll tell him to ease up."
She felt good. It was because Suhyun had relied on her. He'd been spending all his time with Juyeon lately, but it seemed like he was still more comfortable with her.
"Or if it's really too much, you could work out with me instead."
She said it casually, tossing out the bait.
"Nah, you don't have to do that just because of me."
"I've been going to the gym for a while now, you know?"
She could easily teach a complete beginner. She'd even taken a few personal training sessions, so she knew how to use the equipment...
"But Sohye said we should keep going together from now on."
Suhyun answered with a smile, but Hana bit her lip.
Ah. What was with her, too?