Chapter 6: Faster 7
After the exams were over, a relaxed atmosphere filled through the school… or it should’ve, but instead, the times flew past faster than before.
It wasn’t like the schedules had changed.
Students received school lessons, went to practice rooms, got specialist lessons, and went to dorms to sleep. There weren’t many things outside of these for students to do.
But the atmosphere had changed.
With the actual mid-sem exams on normal subjects over and done with, the tension within the class had become denser than before. Seeing empty chairs due to concours and concerts, I even felt worried, questioning what I was doing here.
More so, when announcements like these were made.
“…We will end there for today… ah! Right tomorrow was an important day right?”
End-of-the-school meeting.
After giving a clap, teacher Kang Heewon searched her bags before taking out a bunch of papers.
“Tomorrow at noon, you know that the [Future Central Music Concour] is opening right? The ones participating in the preliminaries must ask for leave beforehand okay!”
“Ah…”
Groans filled the classroom.
The Future Central Music Concour.
It was a music concour that was quite famous nationwide. The prize was decent and the number of participants was quite large as well. Since it was a national concour, performing arts students that were quite proud of their skills all gathered so the competition was quite tough.
Although I couldn’t be sure, kids that were confident in their skills would’ve all participated.
…Not me though.
Turning my head over, I started talking.
“Did you guys apply for it?”
“Of course.”
Noh Jusup who was at the front replied but the ones in the back all nodded their heads.
Chloe, Lee Suh-ah, Han Dasom, Jun Shihyuk… they were all participating. Well, making it through the prelims would be quite prestigious after all. I was thinking when Noh Jusup stabbed at my sides with a grin.
“More importantly, who was the person that came to our class yesterday?”
“Who?”
“That tall and pretty sunbae. Was she a second-grader?”
I saw Han Dasom’s body flinch.
“Ah~ She’s from the composing department. She wanted to do a song with me.”
“Do a song?”
“I promised to participate as a performer. So I followed her and learned a bit about composing songs as well as watching her make one.”
Noh Jusup tilted his head.
“Really? How did that sunbae know about you though? She came all the way to the class as well.”
“Un?”
That was true indeed.
Thinking back, I remembered hearing that she had picked me after seeing me perform in the Improvement Concert but… that alone was quite strange. If she just needed a good singer, there was Lee Suh-ah and Kim Wuju as well.
It was good for me because I thought that I would learn a lot by cooperating with the top student of the composing department but, what did she see in me? While I was in thought, teacher Kang Heewon gave a clap.
“Ah! There’s one more thing I need to let you know.”
Raising my head, I could see teacher Kang Heewon gazing around the students within the class. After glancing around, she rested her chin on her hand with her elbow on the lecture desk and smiled.
I felt an ominous presentiment.
When I was in thought with a blank expression, the teacher finally opened her lips.
“Do you guys watch youtube a lot by any chance?”
“Yes!”
“Then has anyone seen this video before?”
Click.
Along with the sound of a key being pressed on the keyboard, light started to be emitted from a screen located in the corner of the classroom.
A large TV was turned on, and on that, something was being played.
…Don’t tell me.
I was thinking, ‘no way, there’s no way’ while watching but… unfortunately, the starting scene was all too familiar. Morning, in the pathway to the main building, the camera slowly turned and showed a building in front of which stood a pair of a boy and a girl.
And after that, Han Dasom and I…
Unable to watch any further I closed my eyes, and could hear teacher Kang Heewon’s seemingly laughing voice.
“It’s the video with Yunjae and Dasom coming out and this video had recorded 300,000 views on youtube.”
“Wow~”
I could hear laughter mixed into the gasps of admiration.
300k? This got 300k? I don’t know – conversations like that could be heard through the chuckling of the students.
You’re laughing?
I was about to open my eyes into a glare but held it back.
…Right, I admit it. Back then my practice had been lacking and the song seemed quite funny. As if to prove that, Lee Suh-ah sitting over there had her head lowered with her shoulders shaking and was in full-scale laughter.
“Puph. So bad. Ahaha.”
“…Enough laughing.”
Teacher Kang Heewon who had tortured me for a few minutes like that turned off the video with a click. She then stared at Han Dasom and me before smiling.
“Yunjae and Dasom. Thanks to you two spreading your efforts to the outside of the school, the teachers were very glad. And that’s why talks came out, that to encourage students to do more creative and amazing activities like Yunjae and Dasom…”
The teacher that had been slurring the end of her sentence clapped as her eyes flickered with light.
“We have decided to open [Future Arts High UCC Contest] especially!”
…What contest?
*
UCC Contest.
After hearing the explanation, it meant something like this.
[Make any video you want and the team with the highest number of views is the winner]
* But it shouldn’t bring dishonour to the reputation of the school.
With my arms folded, I thought.
Mhmm…
This – the backstory was just too obvious. Should I try guessing how it happened?
[One day, the teachers discovered that Han Dasom and my video were popular for some reason.
The comments were positive as well.
‘It’s cute to see the kids trying hard; they’re good at singing; the school building is good as well…’
Seeing the spread of positive reactions of the Future Arts High… they finally thought.
‘Ah, we can just publicise our school like this.’
And with the thought to strike when the iron is hot, they decided to open a contest throughout the school…]
Thinking up to here, I shook my head.
“I think they’re thinking only from the teachers’ perspectives.”
“Un? I think it’ll be fun thoughh?”
When I saw Chloe tilting her head, I clicked my tongue.
UCC Contest. It sounded good and all, but although the teachers just had to say it, what about the students? Didn’t they have to put all their time and effort into it?
If they practised during that time, maybe they would’ve raised their high notes a bit higher, no? And breath, no? How much could they have grown? All of that becomes the blood and bones of the singing and yet, tch tch.
Uploading a video could give them a tiny bit of fame but…
While I was in the middle of such negative thoughts, teacher Kang Heewon gave a smile.
“Of course since it was a contest, there had to be a prize right? The team that comes first place will be given 1 million won!”
A prize? It was quite big as well.
I was in contemplation when another tempting story was heard.
“Also, you know that one of the best opera theatres of Italy, ‘La Stella’ is coming to Korea this year right?”
Un? La Stella? They were coming over?
Although it was 20 years ago, not knowing this was a massive shock. Was the previous me not interested because the tickets were too expensive? Ah! If I knew about it beforehand I would’ve worked part-time for it!
In regret I was trembling my legs when teacher Kang Heewon gave a smile.
“Puccini’s ‘Tosca’ opera that will be performed by that ‘La Stella’ – two tickets of that opera will be given to the team that comes first place! You know these tickets are all sold out right? I wish you all participated!”
Straightening my posture, I nodded my head.
“Students should build up their experiences during school, right. It’s a good contest.”
“…”
Chloe sent me a cold gaze.
*
It was natural but there was no such contest before my time travel.
Butterfly effect was an interesting thing indeed; to think that a small video uploaded due to me and Han Dasom would make such a contest up…
“Huu…”
In any case, that was fine. Even if I couldn’t get the money, I would definitely win the two tickets. A performance by one of the top operas La Stella… this was a must watch.
Then I had to win the UCC contest so how should I form the team?
‘First, it has to consist of two people.’
There are only 2 tickets so it couldn’t be helped. If one of the members could give up on it, that would be great but how many of the students would be able to do that?
The one that popped up in mind first as a potential partner was Song Mirae. She was a youtuber already so it seemed to be good as we could rely on the subscribers. Or maybe Dasom who had already performed with me? Lee Suh-ah won’t be a bad choice either since despite her personality, she was pretty. Noh Jusup was… how fun could a video of two men be?
In any case there were several possibilities despite the number ‘2’…
“Jo Yunjae.”
Flicking my head back I found Lee Suh-ah and next to her, Song Mirae was waving her hand with a bright smile.
Ah…
Seeing me crumple my expression, Lee Suh-ah crumpled her own as well.
“…Why’s your face like that after seeing me?”
“More like why are you friends with Song Mirae.”
“What?”
Making a grin, I rested my hand on my chin and stared at them.
Lee Suh-ah and Song Mirae. Thinking about it, since they were close friends, it was natural for them to be together for this. Even if I asked Song Mirae to throw away Lee Suh-ah and come with me there was no way she would and… considering how both of them were in the opera department, they won’t give up on those tickets either.
If it was like this, I needed a different strategy… While I was thinking that, Song Mirae stabbed the side of Lee Suh-ah who had been hesitating.
“Uht…! I…get it.”
“Hurry… seriously.”
After whispering with Song Mirae, Lee Suh-ah made a cough before opening her mouth.
“That… haa… right. Jo Yunjae, you. Let’s do the contest with us. Us three – that’s okay right?”
“No.”
“What?”
When I rejected it with a placid expression, Lee Suh-ah’s expression crumpled once again. Ah, I didn’t know why but it was interesting to see her face like that.
“You don’t want to?”
“Un. I think we’ll fight everyday if we do it together.”
“Stop kidding and be serious.”
“I am serious.”
“…Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Seeing my brightly smiling expression, Lee Suh-ah made a greatly befuddled expression, as if she couldn’t believe what was happening.
“You… interested in me… no… why?”
‘Why’? Was there a reason for her to react like that? While tilting my head I opened my mouth.
“I’m going to do it with Dasom. We have the loyalty of the morning practice group.”
When I pointed my gaze that asked ‘right?’ towards Han Dasom, she fiercely nodded her head.
“Un!”
Well, there was the loyalty to consider as well but, there was also something I had in mind and with Han Dasom, the chance to win would be quite high. Seeing me stare proudly at her, Lee Suh-ah quickly added more words.
“No but we can add Dasom and do it as four.”
“Four is too much. We need to divide the prize as well.”
“…The prize.”
Slowly changing her expression, she lowered her gaze.
“…?”
Following the end of that gaze, I found my old phone.
What, is this your first time seeing a galaxy phone? I tilted my head and after staring like that, Lee Suh-ah opened her mouth.
“…Good. I understand.”
“Hey…!”
Slapping away Song Mirae who interrupted, Lee Suh-ah stared down at me. I could see a cold gaze piercing down as the proud pupils within gave off light for a bit.
“I won’t… be holding back either.”
With a flick, she turned her body. Following that force, her ponytail flicked away literally like a horse tail as the faint smell of lemon touched the nose.
“…”
As she furthered away, Noh Jusup whispered.
“…Why’s she so dramatic?”
“No idea.”