Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Practice Room
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1.
The practice room had quite an impressive design.
A moody interior lit by indirect lighting along the narrow, dim hallway.
Im Seong-tae, the owner running a 70-pyeong facility with twenty practice rooms up to Room 20, plus seven shared spaces.
Visitors usually fell head over heels for the atmosphere and scale, signing contracts on the spot.
But today, Im Seong-tae found himself overwhelmed by the customer's presence first.
"Um... miss? You're the customer, right?"
"Ahaha, my sister's not a villain or anything. I came along just in case, and sure enough, there was a misunderstanding."
[I'm Hae Eung-eung, who reserved the monthly rental for a private practice room.]
A stunning beauty with an outstanding appearance, occasionally trailed by those inseparable best friends—or followers—from school days.
Dressed in a plain white t-shirt and jeans that still gave her a model-like fit, she followed behind the woman who looked like she'd bolted straight from a historical drama set, playing the role of devoted sidekick.
'Whoa, insane.'
He'd thought he'd seen his fill of pretty girls in this line of work.
But this was on another level.
Even with just her lower face half-visible beneath her bangs, her beauty was otherworldly.
No matter how gorgeous a woman, you get used to her eventually.
But this was beyond that.
Her looks outshone even a top active A-list female celebrity who'd wandered in by chance.
He struggled to keep his face from flushing.
"This is the key to Room 13. There are separate shared facilities like the bathroom, shower room, water purifier, and smoking room, so feel free to use them."
"Sis, let's go check out the room quick!"
The white t-shirted woman, Jua Young, tugged her hand lightly, more excited than anyone and leading the way.
"What do you think? Pretty good, right?"
A chair, desk, music stand, work computer, air conditioner, charger, and Wi-Fi.
Not a ton, but plenty for practicing an instrument.
Adding options brought extra instruments or gear, even access to a recording studio.
But she already had her instrument, and wasn't planning to record an album or anything.
[Nice place. Thanks.]
Her sister was pleased.
Caught in a shiver at the faint smile and note passed her way, Jua Young felt a thrill like none she'd ever known.
This feeling.
This tremble.
The strongest emotion she'd felt in her life.
"Uh, sis."
"?"
"Since I helped you this time, maybe you could... ugh, I mean, could you help me just once? Please?"
A bold request she'd never have mustered normally.
Legs tucked under her, fidgeting, begging like she was clinging for dear life.
'What's this feeling?'
Watching her flushed, eager face stir heat in her own chest, Hae Eung-eung nodded quietly.
"Yay! Promise? No take-backs ever!"
Maybe she'd played Jua Young's heart before even touching an instrument.
Hae Eung-eung tried to compose herself, etching the departing girl's back into her mind.
It took a full ten minutes before she could pick up her pipa.
2.
A stunning beauty has appeared in the practice rooms!
Hae Eung-eung hadn't shown her face outside much, but those who'd glimpsed her once wholeheartedly agreed with the rumors.
"You see the historical drama girl in Room 13?"
"Totally unreal. Maybe a star scouting spots around here for facility shoots?"
"Nah, model's more like it. That figure's no joke."
"Pfft, vibe-wise, she's actress material. Movies have actors playing instruments too, y'know."
"Heard she can't talk, though. For real?"
The tenants gossiping in the break room.
Room 7 long-term renter Jang Geon-young shook her head while downing instant coffee.
'These new girls are doomed. Aspiring idols practicing that many hours a day?'
Promising talents show from the first leaves, but yellow sprouts catch the eye too.
The break room bamboo shoot trio fit the latter perfectly.
"You see her too, Geon-young sis? Room 13 drama girl."
"Not yet."
"Ugh, you're such a practice bug too. Bet she'll clock 15 hours again today. She should take it easy."
"That'd be nice."
"'That'd be nice'? What kinda response is that?"
If only they had your easy mindset.
Swallowing her sharp retort, Jang Geon-young excused herself back to Room 7.
Sorry to the not-mean-but-lazy trio, but watching them whipped her own slacking self into shape.
'Today, I conquer it. The high-speed alternate picking section.'
Jang Geon-young was a guitarist and composer.
A multi-player who crafted her own melodies and performed them.
Solid playing technique was her strength, but she lacked speed in delivering fast alternate picking while keeping precision.
Clients unaware hired her composing skills for songs suiting their kid, whose specialty was that very alternate picking technique.
Forcing her into sleepless nights practicing speed she never planned on.
She suspected her own practice time outstripped the kid's.
One hour.
Two hours.
Three hours.
Deep into the night, nearing 2 a.m.
Fingering her aching hands, she stepped into the hall; the bamboo shoots had cleared out.
Glancing at Rooms 15, 16, 17.
Panels read "No User."
They'd probably stuffed midnight snacks and gone home to crash.
'Not my body, not my problem.'
Effort without desperation might not yield much.
But nice personality and looks meant they'd scrape by somehow, industry or not.
Her light steps led not to the break room's instant coffee, but the smoking room deeper down the hall.
'Their lack of desperation's a blessing right now.'
The trio spread rumors unless three-plus heard first, thanks to their ADHD-ish tendencies.
Word of her smoking would rev their mouths like engines.
She wasn't a singer taxing her throat, and as an adult, gossip wouldn't hurt.
'But I hate certain people here.'
Room 12 long-term renter Park Ji-o.
Another guitarist-composer like her, but petty since she stole his gig.
No desire to get close.
Plus his sleazy habit of hitting on every skirt lightly.
A man to avoid as a fellow guitarist and a woman.
'Damn.'
Of course, Park Ji-o was there.
Too lazy to go upstairs.
Forced quit smoking? Grim thought.
Then she sensed something off in Park Ji-o's demeanor.
'Park Ji-o minding someone else's presence...?'
From an angle hidden from outside, a woman sat rigidly, smoking a pipe.
'Ah. So that's the drama girl.'
The much-rumored Room 13 girl.
She was there.
Clunk.
Half-impulsively entering, Jang Geon-young locked eyes with Park Ji-o.
She clicked her tongue at the embarrassment in his gaze.
This pitiful playboy embarrassed before a woman?
"Your face says it all."
"Shut it."
Not even "quiet," but "shut it."
Snickering at the uncharacteristic phrase, she noted he seemed aware of his oddity, head down as he bolted out.
His pubescent-boy exit piqued her interest more.
"First time meeting? Jang Geon-young, long-term Room 7. Guitar and composing."
The drama girl paused at her casual greeting.
Didn't want to respond?
Disappointment swelled with the delay, until she set down her pipe and pulled out a notepad and pen.
Could it be?
[Hae Eung-eung, long-term Room 13. Practicing pipa and xun.]
"Sorry. I wouldn't have bothered you if I'd known your throat was an issue."
[It's fine. Pipe smoking's perk is you can take your time.]
Odd name.
Another time, another place, she'd laugh.
But at 2 a.m., when emotions run deepest.
Before this beauty propping her pipe on a portable stand, scribbling notes.
Even a small smile felt improper.
'Tenser than meetings with agency execs.'
Even her smoking was different.
Not frantic filter cigs for a life boost.
A refined smoker's poise, fitting "connoisseur" over "puffer."
Worlds apart.
Jang Geon-young was deeply impressed.
"You in entertainment?"
[No.]
"Ever thought of trying it?"
Her pitch brimmed with confidence, like she could slot her a spot anytime.
Jang Geon-young had the connections.
Recommend a dud, she'd eat the backlash.
But Hae Eung-eung? Pure gold; praise for unearthing her.
'Top-star looks and aura. Rare visuals.'
Yet the recipient showed no elation like peer idol hopefuls, no wariness of scams.
Blank face intact, unmoved.
Her offer sparked no ripple, no interest.
[Thanks, but I'll pass.]
"Doing something else?"
Something else.
She hesitated, as if weighing if she could say.
How impressive could it be?
Expectant, Jang Geon-young watched as Hae Eung-eung replied.
[I play games.]
"Pardon?"
Jang Geon-young half-stunned.
Hae Eung-eung left first.
The lingering scent, richer than smoke, had her dazed, eyes and nose adrift, until reality snapped back.
'Games? No way she just games with that face. Trending streamer maybe? Can't underestimate.'
Streamers were sub-celebs at best.
That bias shifted hard for Jang Geon-young.
Top-star looks.
Mature vibe.
Old-school pipe taste.
Grinding practice till 2 a.m.
Her view of streamers jumped from lucky layabouts to celeb-level grinders.
'Finish this track, maybe guest on a streamer show?'
Pondering her future seriously.
One question hit.
'So why's she practicing instruments? Pipa and xun, no less.'
Guitarist-composer Jang Geon-young and Hae Eung-eung's bizarre first encounter.
Hae Eung-eung etched herself firmly in Jang Geon-young's mind.
A connection to an active A-list idol group's composer.
A rare network born in that moment.