074.
It's a completely boring, normal day in the life of a -- not failed, Yonghwa likes to insist, but definitely not successful, Jonghyun says back -- Korean rock band, the three of them sitting in the chairs of the konbini, waiting for their instant ramen to cook.
"Wonder what Kwangjin's doing," Minhyuk says as he flips back the lid and inhales the steam. In seconds, they've all snapped their chopsticks and peeled back the lid, the first mouthful burning through their tongues.
"Hey," a deep voice greets them in Korean. They all look up, and it's a nervous man, a bass case slung over his shoulder and his hands in his pockets. "You're CNBlue, right?"
Yonghwa chokes on his noodles. "Um, no? I mean, how do you know?"
"I, um, I like your music. I've seen your performances, and you guys are really good."
Minhyuk's eyes are massive and he mouths to Jonghyun, We're famous?
"So, I heard you're missing a bassist," he continues, and Yonghwa goes into a coughing fit.
"How'd you hear that," Minhyuk asks, eyes still the size of saucers.
"Through the grapevine." The stranger smiles a bit as he says this, and Yonghwa gives him an automatic up-and-down. "I'm Lee Jungshin by the way."
"Kang Mi--"
"I know who you guys are. Minhyuk, Yonghwa and Jonghyun," he says as he points to each of them, before his eyes widen. "Shit, sorry, is it okay for me to call you by your first name?"
Yonghwa's grin grows before he jumps off the seat. Belatedly, he realises that Jungshin is something of a giant.
"Why don't you show us how you play?"
They lead him to their small apartment, egg cartons taped to the walls to ensure their neighbours don't hate them. It's a bachelors' hangout -- empty crushed soda cans all over the floor and empty bowls of instant ramen and crisp packets on the futons.
Jonghyun indicates the couch while he ducks into the cupboard and drags out one of their amps, plugging it in as Jungshin fumbles and takes out his bass, his hands sliding up and down the neck. Yonghwa shares a look with Minhyuk -- this is a guy who really knows and loves music, or at least his bass.
"Just give us a taste," Jonghyun says, and sits on Yonghwa's futon.
Jungshin hesitates and leans back on the couch, getting comfortable as he curls his hand around the strings. To some internal beat, he starts nodding and strums, nothing they recognise but it's still -- hypnotic. Captivating, and Yonghwa has an urge to get his own guitar, plug it in and play along.
"Can you play 'Now or Never'?" Minhyuk asks, and Jungshin nods, effortlessly sliding into the first few bars as if he's been playing it all his life.
They all share a look as Jungshin bends over his bass, fingers plucking the strings carefully. This is it.
Jungshin's playing isn't amazing -- 'Now or Never' doesn't demand that kind of finesse -- but it's something, at least. The way he plucks the strings almost carelessly, his left pressing lightly on the frets, makes Jonghyun's hands clench.
But he adds something Kwangjin didn't have -- it's clear that Jungshin likes this song and has practised it plenty of times out of choice, not of obligation. It's something in the way the notes travel through the air that has Yonghwa leaning forward by the time Jungshin finishes.
"Is that okay?" he asks, softly, and Minhyuk grins.
"More than okay I'd say."
"Perfect," Yonghwa says, mouth dry, and Jonghyun stands and gets the rest of their instruments.
"Why don't you try it with the rest of us," he says as he hands Yonghwa his guitar, and the smile Jungshin has on makes the rest of them fall in love with him all the much more.
Backstage at their first live performance, Yonghwa is basically shaking in his boots.
"There are a like a million people out there," he says, and Minhyuk takes a peek before running away.
"For some reason I wish we were back in Japan in a seedy bar," Jonghyun moans, and Jungshin starts digging around in his pocket.
"Come on, it's only Music Bank," Jungshin says as he takes out a fist and uncurls it slowly.
He shows it to them; four picks.
"I don't usually play with picks," he explains, "but I carry a few around in case I need them. And for good luck."
There's a light blue one, a red one, a green one and a metallic, silver one. He gives the blue one to Yonghwa, who holds it up and smiles, the red one to Minhyuk, who hangs on to it for a moment, wondering what to do before he slips it into his pocket and pats it. The green one goes to Jonghyun, who mimics strumming for a moment before he smiles a thanks, and Jungshin slips the metal one back into his pocket.
"Does hurt to have a good luck charm, does it?" he says softly, and Yonghwa smiles gratefully.
"No it doesn't," Yonghwa says, and reaches for his guitar.
"Wonder what Kwangjin's doing," Minhyuk says as he flips back the lid and inhales the steam. In seconds, they've all snapped their chopsticks and peeled back the lid, the first mouthful burning through their tongues.
"Hey," a deep voice greets them in Korean. They all look up, and it's a nervous man, a bass case slung over his shoulder and his hands in his pockets. "You're CNBlue, right?"
Yonghwa chokes on his noodles. "Um, no? I mean, how do you know?"
"I, um, I like your music. I've seen your performances, and you guys are really good."
Minhyuk's eyes are massive and he mouths to Jonghyun, We're famous?
"So, I heard you're missing a bassist," he continues, and Yonghwa goes into a coughing fit.
"How'd you hear that," Minhyuk asks, eyes still the size of saucers.
"Through the grapevine." The stranger smiles a bit as he says this, and Yonghwa gives him an automatic up-and-down. "I'm Lee Jungshin by the way."
"Kang Mi--"
"I know who you guys are. Minhyuk, Yonghwa and Jonghyun," he says as he points to each of them, before his eyes widen. "Shit, sorry, is it okay for me to call you by your first name?"
Yonghwa's grin grows before he jumps off the seat. Belatedly, he realises that Jungshin is something of a giant.
"Why don't you show us how you play?"
They lead him to their small apartment, egg cartons taped to the walls to ensure their neighbours don't hate them. It's a bachelors' hangout -- empty crushed soda cans all over the floor and empty bowls of instant ramen and crisp packets on the futons.
Jonghyun indicates the couch while he ducks into the cupboard and drags out one of their amps, plugging it in as Jungshin fumbles and takes out his bass, his hands sliding up and down the neck. Yonghwa shares a look with Minhyuk -- this is a guy who really knows and loves music, or at least his bass.
"Just give us a taste," Jonghyun says, and sits on Yonghwa's futon.
Jungshin hesitates and leans back on the couch, getting comfortable as he curls his hand around the strings. To some internal beat, he starts nodding and strums, nothing they recognise but it's still -- hypnotic. Captivating, and Yonghwa has an urge to get his own guitar, plug it in and play along.
"Can you play 'Now or Never'?" Minhyuk asks, and Jungshin nods, effortlessly sliding into the first few bars as if he's been playing it all his life.
They all share a look as Jungshin bends over his bass, fingers plucking the strings carefully. This is it.
Jungshin's playing isn't amazing -- 'Now or Never' doesn't demand that kind of finesse -- but it's something, at least. The way he plucks the strings almost carelessly, his left pressing lightly on the frets, makes Jonghyun's hands clench.
But he adds something Kwangjin didn't have -- it's clear that Jungshin likes this song and has practised it plenty of times out of choice, not of obligation. It's something in the way the notes travel through the air that has Yonghwa leaning forward by the time Jungshin finishes.
"Is that okay?" he asks, softly, and Minhyuk grins.
"More than okay I'd say."
"Perfect," Yonghwa says, mouth dry, and Jonghyun stands and gets the rest of their instruments.
"Why don't you try it with the rest of us," he says as he hands Yonghwa his guitar, and the smile Jungshin has on makes the rest of them fall in love with him all the much more.
Backstage at their first live performance, Yonghwa is basically shaking in his boots.
"There are a like a million people out there," he says, and Minhyuk takes a peek before running away.
"For some reason I wish we were back in Japan in a seedy bar," Jonghyun moans, and Jungshin starts digging around in his pocket.
"Come on, it's only Music Bank," Jungshin says as he takes out a fist and uncurls it slowly.
He shows it to them; four picks.
"I don't usually play with picks," he explains, "but I carry a few around in case I need them. And for good luck."
There's a light blue one, a red one, a green one and a metallic, silver one. He gives the blue one to Yonghwa, who holds it up and smiles, the red one to Minhyuk, who hangs on to it for a moment, wondering what to do before he slips it into his pocket and pats it. The green one goes to Jonghyun, who mimics strumming for a moment before he smiles a thanks, and Jungshin slips the metal one back into his pocket.
"Does hurt to have a good luck charm, does it?" he says softly, and Yonghwa smiles gratefully.
"No it doesn't," Yonghwa says, and reaches for his guitar.