WIRHIHWS 10

Episode 10

“Band,” that single word swept past, bringing with it memories from his school days.

Back in high school, he had been in a band at school. The reason was really nothing special. During music class, he had sung a song. The music teacher heard it, praised him, and suggested it. Coincidentally, the show Superstar L was airing, and it seemed like it would be fun. He also thought that if he got interested, it might become something he wanted to do.

That’s how he started the band. It happened to be his second year, and the third-years didn’t show up much due to SAT prep, so the band club was their world.

“Ah! I really loved that time!”

Jo  Yoon-ah, who was a middle school at the time and had secretly into the high school. She recalled that era.

“None of us had touched any instruments besides recorders or danso (Korean bamboo flutes), so even when we gathered, we couldn’t play properly. The music teacher taught us how to handle the instruments, so we learned. Yoon Yeon-woo Oppa even got vocal lessons.”
“They even pretended not to notice you were there. But even after learning that way, we didn’t know much and had to look things up online too.”

Back then, they worked hard on band activities, escaping from the tedious framework of studying. They practiced all night, and if there were local music festivals, they applied. Of course, they never actually made it to a stage. There were too many unavoidable exams for students, and they couldn’t help but worry about their future.

After that, enlistment, discharge. Starting social life made it impossible to even think about the band. It was that hard, and there was no leisure.

But what about now? It was still difficult, but there was somewhat more leisure than back then.

“It sounds okay, but what about instruments and a place?”
“We have it.”

When Yoon Yeon-woo asked, Jo Yoon-ah answered. Huh? Where do we have it? Don’t tell me…?

“I’ll invest in the remodeling costs too. We’ll even do soundproofing construction. How about meeting once every two weeks? If anyone has work, we don’t have to do it every two weeks. Especially since near Yoon Yeon-woo Oppa’s grandfather’s house, no one lives, and there’s a spacious, dense forest, right?”
“Now that you mention it, because of the rumor that ghosts appear near Yoon Yeon-woo grandfather’s house, there aren’t any houses nearby, and the village is far.”
” (Really).”

No, wait, I haven’t agreed yet?

“Get rid of that burdensome look in your eyes…”

Somehow, the three of them approached with sparkling eyes, looking at Yoon Yeon-woo.

Huh.

By the way, these guys, did they want to do a band that much? Not a single one refused. These guys, who had never once brought up anything about a band until now, had such sparkling eyes that he couldn’t flat-out refuse like a knife. And he didn’t feel like refusing either.

‘Well… since spirits are said to be invisible to ordinary people’s eyes. If I’m just careful, it should be fine.’

Spirits aren’t bad entities like ghosts or evil spirits. Rather, if these guys chatter around, it might even have a good effect. A mutually beneficial situation.

“How about it? And I know how to edit. I’m thinking of posting it on YouTube too. I worked at a broadcasting station, remember? I roughly know how things work.”

There are quite a few broadcasting companies operating YouTube channels. Until recently, Jo Yoon-ah  was also in charge of content planning for YouTube. So she knew quite a few big You Tubers. She was confident.

“You’re assuming I’ll give a positive answer, right?”

Jo Yoon-ah  made a smug, triumphant expression.

“So, are you going to refuse? If there’s profit, we’ll split the pay equally. If it goes well, we could even rake in money.”
“No, well. It’s not that I dislike it.”

He didn’t dislike the band. Finding something he wanted to do—was it a chain reaction? Aside from cooking, he was gradually getting interested in other things he wanted to do. And memories from his student days tickled his heart. Because it was really good back then.

“But, strictly once every two weeks. Only meeting on weekends, right? And don’t give money for remodeling; buy better instruments or peripheral equipment instead.”

Still, what Yoon Yeon-woo currently wants to do is cook. The band shouldn’t surpass cooking. And if they come too often, he might not be able to pay attention to the spirits. This had to be clear.

“Of course!”
“Hahaha ! Hey! I didn’t think you’d actually agree! This guy, you were actually interested in the band, weren’t you?!”

Maybe because the alcohol was kicking in, his voice grew louder.

“Um, but… you won’t show your face, right? Kao? What was ‘kao’? Oh, face? Of course! We’re only going to record. Even if it goes well, we’ll just record. The reason both Oppa and I returned to our hometown wasn’t to go all-in on YouTube, right? Our goal is ultimately to rest. For now, just recording, and we’ll film without showing faces, right? Let’s think about the rest later.”

Saying that, Jo Yoon-ah laughed heartily like a champ. Truly a country bumpkin.

“Anyway! Then, for the reunited band!”

Jo Yoon-ah raised her glass with a clink!

“Cheers.”
“Cheers!”
” (Cheers)!”

The friends who met after a long time chatted loudly as if they had returned to their childhood. Sometimes, drunk, they hummed songs. Luckily, it was possible because it was Jang Hoe-cheon’s house. If it had been a bar, they would have been kicked out.

Chirp chirp!
Peep peep!

“Ugh.”

Birdsong. At the sound, his ears twitched on their own, and  Yoon Yeon-woo opened his eyes. Before he knew it, the sun was high in the sky, and sunlight streamed through the window. Seeing something floating in one eye, it seemed the sunlight had hit only one eye.

Messy.

Maybe because he came in after drinking last night without washing up. His bangs were floating up to the heavens, and the back of his hair was completely flattened. His face was smeared with a ton of congealed grease that reeked of meat.

Ugh.

He struggled to lift his body. Ah, it feels sticky.

“…How did I get home?”

He recalled the memory of drinking together last night. But… no matter how much he thought about it, he didn’t remember coming home.

“Ugh, my homing instinct struck again.”

It had always been like that since long ago. If he drank, he would amazingly find his way home. It was no exception even in Seoul. When he had just adapted to Seoul, there was a time he bought a ticket to Haenam at the East Seoul Terminal and slept in the front seat.

‘Ugh! No one’s here.’

If I drink again, it’s a dog’s fault, a dog. Thinking that, he went out to the living room. No one was there. Mother must have gone to work, and Father…

[The stir-fried pork was really delicious. This is in return. Cheer up. Dad is going fishing with a friend. It’s a secret from Mom?]

If you give something, there’s a law that something comes. On the dining table, there was a Post-it note and a bowl of Yukgaejang (spicy beef soup) with red oil floating on top. It was dakgaejang (spicy chicken soup), with chicken meat inside.

Sigh—
The red color is tempting.

– Eat me now!

Wouldn’t the poisoned apple from a fairy tale have felt like that? Anyway, he decided to give in to the temptation. He put the frozen rice in the microwave.

Beep!
He dumped the finished rice straight into the dakgaejang. No need to reboil the soup. Anyway, when you heat rice in the microwave, the surface of the rice gets insanely hot, enough to warm the soup.

“…It’s cheering me up.”

He doesn’t remember exactly how much he drank yesterday, but seeing how he feels better with each bite of dakgaejang, it seems he drank quite a lot.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Before he knew it,  Yoon Yeon-woo, who had emptied a bowl of dakgaejang like a possessed person, cleared the bowl and looked at the clock.

[1:00 PM.]

“The time is good too.”

The sun had risen appropriately, and the temperature was warm and pleasant. He hurriedly washed up and got dressed. Like yesterday, he headed to the countryside house by bicycle.

On the way to the countryside house.
Screech!
While going, he grabbed the bicycle brakes. He saw an old man slumped on the ground.

“Grandfather, are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

He got off the bicycle and approached. But there was no answer. Getting closer, he knelt on one knee and looked—the grandfather had his eyes closed.

“Gasp! Don’t tell me.”

Frantically, he put his hand near the grandfather’s nose. Fortunately, he felt breath.

“Phew… He’s sleeping. Why of all places here?”
“Hmm…?”

Then, perhaps sensing his presence, the grandfather woke up.

“Who is it?”

Their eyes met. A strangely familiar face; he couldn’t remember the name, regrettably.

The grandfather opened his mouth.

“Ah, I am…”

I am  Yoon Yeon-woo
He couldn’t say that. Hmm.

“I am  Yoon Yeon-woo the grandson of Grandfather Yoon Yeong-hyeon, who used to live near here.”

Being the countryside, the village elders know each other’s names. Even though it’s been quite a while since he passed away, he mentioned his grandfather’s name first, just in case. Fortunately, there was a reaction.

“Ah, old man Yoon’s grandson, you say? You’ve grown so much I couldn’t recognize you. From what I heard from the old man’s son, you were working in Seoul. Looks like you’ve come down, huh?”

Thump.
With those words, the grandfather’s hand came up onto his shoulder.

“Was it hard?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. A little…?”

Startled by the rough, stiff hand, he also felt a strangely warm feeling. This feeling is somehow familiar.

“The saying ‘suffer when you’re young’ is an old saying now. If it’s hard, it’s okay to come down like this. Well done, well done.”

Given the situation,  Yoon Yeon-woo should be the one asking if he’s okay. He never expected to be comforted, so he’s bewildered.

“Um, are you okay, Grandfather?”
“Hmm? Ah I’m fine. The weather’s nice, so I must have fallen asleep without realizing it.”

The grandfather smiled gently and got up. He took the walking stick beside him and placed his hat on his head. Seeing that, he finally remembered the grandfather he often saw in his childhood. But his back and waist were more bent than before.

“By any chance, are you Grandfather Han Han Hyung-bae?”

When he went to play at his grandfather’s house as a child, there was a grandfather he saw seven out of ten times. That grandfather always wore a military cap. He heard he was a Korean War veteran. Back then, he didn’t know how great that was and just thought it was normal. Now, after being discharged from the military, he keenly felt how great it was.

“You remembered! Hehe, thought you’d forgotten.”

Han Han Hyung-bae smiled.

“How could I forget? You were my grandfather’s only close friend.”

Given his age, his grandfather didn’t have many close friends. As a tactless child, Younwoo often asked, ‘Grandfather, why do you have so few friends?’ Each time, he would answer, ‘They left when it was time to go. They must be happy there.’ The only one alive with whom he shared a bond was Han Han Hyung-bae.

“Hehe! Live long and you’ll see all sorts of things!”

Han Han Hyung-bae laughed heartily. It was exactly the same as a long, long time ago.

“Grandfather, come to our house for a cup of tea.”
“Hmm? No. I know the state of that house well. I won’t go.”

Oh, right.
If he goes now, there will only be mold and dust.

“Ah, then, Grandfather. Do you still live nearby?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be living at Grandfather’s house soon. Would it be okay to invite you again then?”
“Haha. Then, sure. I have some work to do now. I’ll just sunbathe a little more and go.”

Like when he saw him as a child, Han Han Hyung-bae coolly went on his way. Yun Yeon-woo quietly watched his retreating back. Seeing him walk with slower steps than before made him think coming here was the right decision. And he also felt worried. Since he is of advanced age.

“Isn’t there anything I can do for him…?”

He wanted to give joy to his grandfather, who must have been lonely in his childhood. He still remembers how his grandfather treasured Yun Yeon-woo, who visited occasionally, like his own grandchild. He wanted to share at least a little of the love he received back then.

“There should be something you can do.”
“Eek!”

At the sudden voice, Yun Yeon-woo made a strange sound and plopped down flat on the ground.

To be continued.