Chapter 3

After Jimin’s eventful entrance, the four girls sat around the coffee table and Jimin had immediately blurted out some explanation on how Minjeong and her met, to their friends’ surprise.

“So if I understand well,” started Aeri, turning towards a very much stressed looking Minjeong, who was nibbling on her thumb’s nail. “you bumped into Jimin, made her spill all the papers she was holding on the floor and felt apologetic so you helped her out?”

Minjeong sheepishly nodded. It amazes her how Jimin managed to carefully craft this story so quickly, but she felt incredibly thankful for it. She doesn’t know why the woman decided to hide their meeting from her friend by putting this lie together, but Minjeong felt really moved by this kind gesture. 

Did Jimin see through her lies back in the empty classroom? Or did she just do it out of consideration for Minjeong who supposedly has terrible stage-fright?

Minjeong doesn’t really know. But one thing she knows for sure is that she’s not mentally ready to face Yizhuo’s disappointed face when she’ll learn that she has been hiding her biggest hobby away from her. Yeah, she was not ready to do this today at all…

So thank you, Yu Jimin! From the bottom of Minjeong’s heart! 

Feeling satisfied, Aeri decided to drop the subject, and nudged Jimin’s arm all while suggestively wiggling her eyebrows at her. Minjeong didn’t miss the way Jimin’s ears reddened as she smacked her friend’s arm in return. And she yet again found herself finding the sight of an embarrassed looking Jimin to be the most adorable thing she ever saw.

Jimin abruptly got up from the couch, and grabbed her bass, putting its strap around her shoulder. It was a Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass. “ Basic, but a classic who does the job ,” thought Minjeong, in all of her nerd glory.

She had never imagined Jimin to be a bassist though. Usually, bassists are calm and quiet people who want to be as far from the spotlight as they can be. Quite the contrary of Jimin who seems to be an endearing and excited happy-pill, who can make a whole room be fully focused on her just by crossing the doorstep. 

Following after Jimin, Yizhuo and Aeri also got up and made their way towards their own instruments. Yizhuo carefully sat down in front of the drum set, while Aeri picked her guitar up from its stand. It was a Gibson SG Special Ebony. And Minjeong knows for sure that those are so damn expensive. Is Aeri a rich girl or something?

However, the three girls did not give her the luxury to indulge in her thoughts for much longer, because Yizhuo was already giving them the tempo. And when the music started, Minjeong was stunned. 

They decided to play R, from Roselia, a Japanese band. Minjeong suspects Aeri to have influenced this choice but nonetheless, it was such a good song that Minjeong could not complain at all. 

She knows that the song starts with a very strong bassline, so her eyes immediately fell on Jimin. The woman’s expression completely changed, from her usual soft look to a much fiercer one. Flawlessly, she pulled the cords and played her lines to perfection. 

The combination of the steady drums beat with the smooth bass sound and the precise melody provided by the guitar created an overwhelming harmony. It felt so good, yet so much at the same time. Minjeong felt her breath hitch with each note, with each beat. 

The song is already an intense one, and is heavily centered on the piano. However, even without this crucial instrument, the group managed to make the sound feel complete. But the one who really shone here is Jimin. Minjeong did not think that the older woman was this skilled. But yet here she was, flawlessly hitting each note and basically sliding through the song with a nonchalant ease. 

For a second, Minjeong even imagined herself standing there with them. With another guitar, their sound would feel even more complete. And Minjeong is certain that together, they would be the very best band the world has ever known. 

But behind the vision of herself standing between the girls, she saw her mother’s disgusted and disappointed expression. One full of anger and frustration. 

That’s right. Thinking about playing with those girls was nothing but just a fleeting dream, which would never come true. 

Minjeong’s sound was bound to forever be a lonely one.

***

After parting ways with the other three, Minjeong made her way to her usual empty classroom, with a weird feeling at the pit of her stomach. 

Was it stress? Or loneliness? 

She wasn’t sure, but all she knows is that her stomach was tied in a tight and painful knot. 

Listening to her friend’s music should have made her feel delighted. But instead, it left her with a feeling of emptiness and dares she says, jealousy. 

Minjeong is not a jealous person per se. She is not selfish either, but she tends to not really care about what other people do or have. Their business is theirs, and her business is hers. So obviously, she doesn’t feel envious of what they have that she doesn’t, since she’s barely even looking in their direction anyways.