The Reincarnated Idol Hard Carries an Indie Band - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: In the Original Timeline, I Would Have Joined the Band a Year Later, in 2018

Reincarnated Idol Hard Carries the Indie Band – Episode 2

Reincarnated Idol Hard Carries the Indie Band

Episode 2

In the original timeline, I would have joined the band a year later, in 2018.

And I was the last member to join.

My Taekwondo career had ended due to an injury, and I was drifting aimlessly when Lee Doyoung unexpectedly recommended I join.

Looking back, I have no idea what Lee Doyoung saw in me to make that offer.

At the time, even I was unaware of my musical talent.

But what intrigued me more was how these guys had even managed to get together in the first place.

I knew the basics.

Lee Doyoung and Heo Junseong, who were in the same school as me, formed the band first, and later recruited Kim Jihu and Kang Min.

I heard Kim Jihu learned instruments at the same practical music academy as Heo Junseong, and Kang Min…

I had no idea about him.

Finally, I joined as the vocalist.

But this was just the final product.

I didn’t know how they became close or how they ended up together.

Besides, they were all high school students, right?

As a member of the track team, I was an exception, but most of them were under the pressure of the college entrance exams.

Coming together as a team couldn’t have been easy.

What should I do…?

At that time, I knew nothing but taekwondo. Apart from Heo Junseong, I didn’t even have close friends.

If anything, I was in the same class as Lee Doyoung.

But I wasn’t even sure if I’d greeted him.

Overwhelmed by uncertainty, I decided I had to at least try and threw the classroom door open.

“Hey, Heo Junseong.”

I stood before him with an unusual intensity and blurted out his name.

Heo Junseong, who had been sitting slouched and listening to music, pulled out his earbuds and looked up.

With his delinquent-like appearance, he had an intimidating presence.

Of course, he was actually a good guy.

“Why?”

“Let’s start a band together.”

I was sure he’d refuse. After all, I hadn’t shown him anything besides my Taekwondo skills.

So, I decided to hear the most predictable refusal from this guy first. After analyzing his response, I could figure out how to approach him.

Still, I had quite a bit in common with Heo Junseong. We were desk partners, and he was so outgoing that he’d often strike up conversations with me just to pass the time.

Heo Junseong, who had been staring at me blankly, spoke.

“You haven’t fully woken up since yesterday, have you?”

“Didn’t you know? We’re in a dream.”

“Huh?”

“You play guitar, right?”

“How did you know that?”

“I saw you playing.”

“What? When?”

“On the street?”

“Ah, the busking… I’ve only done it a few times. It’s weird you noticed.”

I just threw it out there, but it seemed to be the right answer.

After all, what guitarist hasn’t tried busking at least once?

“So what?”

“Let’s start a band.”

“Taekwondo?”

“I quit.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“I just really wanted to make music.”

“Seriously?”

“I’m telling you!”

Heo Junseong blinked at me, staring.

I don’t know what he was thinking, but this is why I like being a high school student.

Out in the real world, a passionate dream wouldn’t be enough, but right now, it’s possible.

“So I’m on guitar?”

“Would I have called you if I wanted you to play the recorder?”

“Alright, let’s do it.”

“That’s it?”

“You’re not even gonna give me a signing bonus?”

“No.”

I bumped fists with Heo Junseong, thinking:

Isn’t this too easy?

Did everyone else just show up like this?

“What’s your position, though? Ah, wait. Let me guess… Bass?”

“Wrong.”

I raised an eyebrow, as if daring him to guess, and found it amusing to see him pause and ponder.

“Then… drums? That sense of rhythm you had when you were breaking down Taekwondo kicks?”

What the heck is “breaking down Taekwondo kicks”?

“I’m going to be the vocalist.”

Heo Junseong immediately scowled at my words. “What? That doesn’t suit you at all.”

“Why?”

How many years of vocal experience do I even have?

“Your voice is good, but… how do I put it? You never change your expression. You always look so blank.”

Heo Junseong suddenly crossed his arms, leaned back, pursed his lips, and furrowed his brow. With a bored expression, he casually glanced around the room.

Is that how I look?

With my idol and acting experience, I was confident in my facial expressions.

“Pretty accurate, right?”

“No.”

I consistently ignored the guy who was acting unnaturally cute.

“Hmm, want to go to karaoke after this? We can see how good you are.”

“Later.”

“Why?”

“I’ll surprise you all at once when I recruit more members. I’m tired of surprising you one by one.”

“What’s this confidence?”

Half was genuine, half was an excuse.

My singing skills weren’t great right now.

Most people would probably think I was good, but I hadn’t trained enough to capture the feeling of my previous life.

Even vocalists need tuning.

Still, with my know-how, I should become quite decent within a month.

In about a year, I’d reach the same level as my previous life.

“By the way, do you have any other members in mind besides me?”

“Are you close with Lee Doyoung?”

“Lee Doyoung? The Class President?”

Heo Junseong hesitated for a moment, then his eyes widened in disbelief, as if asking, “Are you serious?”

Lee Doyoung was clearly playing bass at that very moment.

I’d assumed they were close because they’d formed a band together, but apparently that wasn’t the case anymore.

“Lee Doyoung plays bass,” Heo Junseong said.

When we were in a band together in the past, the lineup had been:

Vocals: Me

Guitar: Heo Junseong

Bass: Lee Doyoung

Keyboard: Kim Jihu

Drums: Kang Min

“I can’t imagine the Class President being in a band…”

I understood Heo Junseong’s reaction.

When Lee Doyoung first suggested forming a band together, I’d also thought he didn’t fit the image of a band member.

The Lee Doyoung I remembered was quiet and diligent—a typical model student who disliked being the center of attention and was perfectly well-behaved.

When such a guy suggested forming a band, my first thought was:

Is he having a late-blooming rebellion?

Among the quiet ones, there were surprisingly many who harbored a rebellious spirit. I wondered if Lee Doyoung might be one of them.

But Lee Doyoung was more passionate about music than anyone I knew.

Even after I left and the band disbanded, he never gave up on his dream. He continued teaching music at a practical music academy and working as a session musician.

Most people compromise when faced with the walls of reality, but he kept pushing forward, never stopping, right to the very end.

Right up to the moment he died.

His choice of bass guitar was another glimpse into his dedication to music. The bass, which anchors the band, always suited Lee Doyoung perfectly, as he was constantly exploring the fundamentals of music.

That’s why I thought no one could suit the bass as well as Lee Doyoung.

Well, and he was handsome when he took off his glasses.

Some woman said that.

“Even upside down, he looks like a secondary male lead.”

It’s such a memorable line, I’ve memorized it, but I still don’t understand why.

Is there a separate standard for the male lead and the sub-male lead?

Isn’t being good-looking enough?

Of course, I could stand to lose a little weight.

“Lee Doyoung will do fine. Anyway, are you close?”

“Just casual greetings when we pass each other?”

I shrugged at Heo Junseong’s words.

“Then you’re closer than I am.”

“Let’s just say that?”

“Don’t just say that—go and try to persuade him. Ask him to join our band.”

“How?”

“You’re good at it. Talking to strangers. I’m an I.”

“I? Like a kid…?”

Come to think of it, MBTI wasn’t popular back then.

“Dude, what kind of crazy person would just blurt out ‘Okay’ to a band offer?”

I just stared at him silently, and Heo Junseong let out a hollow laugh.

“Oh? So I’m the crazy one.”

“If you know that, go ahead.”

“Uh, um… but it looks like he’s already overhearing our conversation?”

At that same moment, Lee Doyoung, sitting at his desk, was engulfed in confusion.

He was looking at his workbook, but not a single word registered.

He had originally planned to study until assembly, but he was now on high alert, his senses tingling at the sound of his name being called from behind.

Just as he was about to put in his earphones and play some music, Cha Seoha and Heo Junseong’s conversation caught his ear.

Are they talking about me right now?

How did they find out I play bass?

Cha Seoha had a quiet and aloof demeanor, and she only hung out with the taekwondo team.

Heo Junseong, despite his delinquent-like appearance, was so sociable that he could chat warmly with everyone in the class, and he had a good reputation.

But he also hung out with the so-called “cool kids,” which was a little intimidating.

Both of them were strikingly handsome, but their aloof and unapproachable aura made them seem scary.

As I eavesdropped on their conversation, they sounded like ordinary peers, and I felt a little more comfortable than before.

But the end of their conversation was a bit scary.

“Uh, um… but it feels like they already heard our conversation?”

Just then, a long shadow fell across my vision.

When I looked up, I saw Cha Seoha and Heo Junseong smiling awkwardly.

“Hi?”

Heo Junseong seemed to be trying to give a friendly smile, but the awkwardness made it feel even more menacing.

Scary.

Cha Seoha, trying to stifle a laugh behind her hand, was visible in the background.

Lee Doyoung froze in surprise, staring at them. Heo Junseong awkwardly scratched the back of his head and spoke.

“Can I talk to you for a moment, Class President?”

Still scary!

Perhaps it was due to their imposing physiques, but the two of them radiated an intimidating aura. As they surrounded me, the once spacious area suddenly felt cramped.

“Huh?”

“We have something to talk to you about.”

Are they really going to ask me to join their band?

They must be trying to convince me, right?

They’re not trying to subdue me, are they?

As Lee Doyoung had predicted, Heo Junseong spoke.

“Do you want to join our band? We’d like you to play bass.”

Cha Seoha, Heo Junseong, and a band.

In that instant, countless thoughts raced through Lee Doyoung’s mind.

This seems like an interesting combination.

But before he could think, the word “no” reflexively left his lips.

“Sorry, I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to decline.”

He was flustered by his own response, unsure why he’d said it, but he just knew he couldn’t do it.

After answering, he lowered his head, feeling the sting of their gazes on his head.

She must be hurt, right? After all, she made this offer to someone like me, and it was rare for her. I couldn’t bring myself to look at the two of them, paralyzed by fear.

Then, a calm voice drifted down from above.

“It wasn’t that easy, was it?”

“…What?”

Surprised by the unexpected words, Lee Doyoung involuntarily raised his head again.

He had expected her to be upset, but Cha Seoha actually seemed to be in good spirits.

A flicker of interest lit up the face of Cha Seoha, who usually looked so stoic.

When her rarely smiling face curved into a smile, she looked strangely beautiful. But Lee Doyoung instinctively felt a sense of revulsion at that smile.

He had never met anyone like Cha Seoha in his life.

She was laughing as if she found it amusing that he had rejected her offer.

Just as he was starting to feel uneasy, Cha Seoha’s expression returned to its usual stoicism as if she had never smiled at all, and she playfully nudged Heo Junseong’s shoulder.

“Hey. This is all because you look so scary.”

“Says the one who’s the scary one?”

Heo Junseong shot Cha Seoha a look of disbelief. The two, who hadn’t seemed particularly close beyond being partners, were now bickering and acting quite friendly.

Just then, the bell rang for assembly.

Cha Seoha, still wearing that inscrutable smile, walked slowly back to her seat with Heo Junseong.

The class began soon after, but strangely, none of the teacher’s words registered in her ears.

I was the one who refused the band offer, she thought, yet he agreed so easily. It makes me feel like I’m the one who was rejected.