Chapter 7: Lightly 3
‘A strange student’, thought Ku Mingi.
Jo Yunjae.
Ever since when he was just observing from the sides, he thought of him as a strange student. A body that did not fit the astute techniques – it was strange because normally, geniuses would be the exact opposite of that.
Is a genius singing casually with a gifted body normal, or a genius singing songs while taking his physical capabilities to the limit normal?
That’s why, he had expected him to be strange the moment he took him in for the lesson but… Jo Yunjae whom he had met in the lesson rooms was truly a strange student.
“Do you perhaps know this song as well?”
“Yes.”
“What about this?”
“Yes…”
“…You know this aria as well?”
“Yes…”
There were too many songs he had made his own, in other words, there were too many songs he could sing. The repertoire of songs he had of songs that had been etched into the body and not just glanced over was strangely broad.
Knowing a lot of lieder could be somewhat understood but how could a high schooler, a first-grader at that, know all those opera arias off by heart?
Sometimes, Ku Mingi even felt that he knew more than himself.
Right, if it was just that, he could agree despite the strangeness. Perhaps he truly was a genius of songs that could glance through a music sheet to know the song off by heart – if he was a supernatural person like that… Ku Mingi could shed tears of joy in the birth of a genius.
However, strangely enough, he had no idea of a few songs.
“You don’t know this song? That’s interesting. It’s a very famous song for admission tests…”
“That… I’ve never sung it apart from when I was young…”
“But you’re 17 right now?”
“Ah.”
And those few songs… although he did learn quite fast, he was still within the realms of humanity. Although it was fast, it wasn’t something that could explain the unusual repertory of songs he had.
Ku Mingi intently observed and contemplated this strange student.
What is it?
What was the standard? Why does he sing some songs without a single bit of hesitation and look around nervously when singing other songs? After all the analyses he made at the cost of his sleep, he one day slapped his knees as a thought popped up.
‘Tenor songs!’
That was it.
Tenor songs, which baritones could not sing. He strangely knew less about those songs. Did he want to be a baritone before?
Thinking maybe, he checked in the previous lesson and indeed, although Jo Yunjae knew songs that could barely be considered possible for baritones, he didn’t know much about tenor songs.
Plus, the high note which only real tenors could sing.
Not only did he not know many songs which had ‘high C’s, he was even reluctant to sing those songs.
“Student Yunjae, do you want to try singing this?”
“This… is too high.”
“Just try once.”
“…Yes.”
Like that.
Even though they were songs he could sing easily, he was too stiff to sing properly. In fact, he did it well until the middle part. As if he had practised it before, he could do it well but would collapse as soon as a high C appeared. Even when he gave technical advice and reassured him that it was possible, nothing had ever changed.
“Mhmm…”
Ku Mingi had seen these people before.
People that had hit their limits.
Those that had failed after dozens and hundreds of tries. People that had been suppressed by the wall called limits who can’t show off their fullest due to being swallowed by despair.
He could see that from Jo Yunjae.
“…”
That was why.
That was why he had brought Pour mon âme.
A song which Jo Yunjae could never know and a new song which he would never have practised before – Pour mon âme which was considered to be the hardest song.
‘I’m not expecting him to sing it properly.’
Or rather, he had to fall, he had to be smashed down miserably. If only he could see that there was something different, that was enough. If he could sense the existence of Ku Mingi waiting for him above the wall, the teacher that could pull him up,
He could be given hope that would give him the courage to jump over that wall.
With a nod, Ku Mingi stared at Jo Yunjae.
*
“Pour mon âme–”
While singing the introduction, I slowly read through the music sheet.
Pour mon âme.
It was a song I had never sung before. After all, this was a tenor song with lots of high Cs, which baritones could never dream of in their lives and there were even a few tenors that were disinclined to sing it.
‘But why did he give this to me, a student…?’
I couldn’t understand it no matter how much I thought.
The objective of a lesson was to teach students so he wouldn’t bring something I couldn’t sing… and it didn’t make sense for teacher Ku Mingi who was hundreds of times better than me to be unable to clearly see through my skills.
Then there’s only one possible case scenario.
Tilting my head, I thought.
Maybe…
I can sing this song?
“J’ai sa flamme, et j’ai sa main!”
Going through the music sheet, I contemplated.
First, the introduction wasn’t too hard. Although I was only matching the rhythm and pitch without any deep analysis, I could still sing it.
The problem would be the highlight at the end, with the nightmarish continuation of 9 high Cs… While racking my brain to its fullest, I thought.
Let’s first think of how others had sung it before.
Searching through my head, I found a lot of saved information. Since it was a famous song, my brain was overflowing with recordings of bigshots singing this song.
Quickly, I played them through and could find several overlapping aspects.
‘The timbre is usually leggero.’
‘I have to sing light, and soft.’
‘Even then, the high notes had to be sharp like a blade, to control the mood of the song which could become too light otherwise.’
I could somewhat understand what I had to do. Right, there were parts in the song that suited my vocalisation method, so as long as I could sing properly it would be good… Just in case, I tried changing the diction of the song realtime and saw teacher Ku Mingi’s expression turn strange.
Good, I finished the introduction quite well…
“Militaire et mari!”
When I realised, I was nearing the highlight part.
High C
9 times without rest.
High notes that continued on like a devil were waiting for me. As for the countermeasures… I had no idea and could only just sing it.
“Pour, mon! –”
The first one; I failed it. I pulled it up but it ended up being a flat.
The second; it was another fail. How was I supposed to do this? I threw a glance at the teacher but he was firmly continuing the accompaniment.
“J’ai, sa! Fla–, kuk…”
The third; perhaps the tries beforehand had been burdensome on the throat, and the sound turned worse.
The fourth; the pitch that was raising itself faltered and stumbled before falling down miserably.
“Jour prospère, me voici…”
Now, there were five high notes remaining.
Before those, within the ten or so seconds of rest time that were given thanks to the virtue of the composer or something, I thought without a stop.
Could I actually sing this?
I couldn’t in the past so would it work after coming back in time?
But… didn’t teacher Ku Mingi say it was possible?
But how…
While I was in thought with my eyes closed, memories of the past suddenly resurfaced slowly: the memory of singing alone in the bathroom.
‘In fact, singing with that body was harder than right now.’
The lesson with teacher Kwak Jungsoo.
‘He said breath was the foundation of singing.’
Memories of the practices with Han Dasom.
‘I told her to sing spherical and softly.’
The practices with Lee Suh-ah.
‘I said the first note was important.’
And Chloe’s piano that led me down the track.
“…”
With a flash, I opened my eyes and could see teacher Ku Mingi staring at me giving a nod.
I can do it.
I opened my mouth.
“Pour… mon! –”
The fifth; I forced the broken resonating chambers back up, while clenching my teeth and suppressing the trembling body, like when I was first singing with this body.
The sixth; inside that space that had been created, I passed air through it. I could feel the breath that had been built up during the past two months flowing past naturally.
“J’ai, sa! Fla—”
The seventh; screeching noises entered the voice signalling the throat was starting to ache, but it was fine. The spherical sounds softly passed by the sensitive throat.
The eighth. The first note. Let’s ring a perfect first note even if it is difficult because after that, it would come out naturally.
Like how the ground stiffens after rainfall and like how the injured skin would form a scab. Just like that, my song carried itself step by step.
“Militai—”
The ninth. Seeing teacher Ku Mingi’s chin dropping slowly as he continued the accompaniment, I grinned.
Right, it’s still not perfect, sir – I could tell myself. This ugly, rugged song, just like a piece of pebble kicked around the walkway.
But even then.
After a lot of polishing, then at least…
Wouldn’t I be able to take a step further than the past?
*
“Ha…”
Collapsing onto the table, I heaved out a deep sigh and thought back on what had happened.
Teacher Ku Mingi. I felt it from a long time ago but he indeed wasn’t an easy person. After I finished Pour mon âme, perhaps he had been shocked because it was so bad, he sat silently for a while before saying,
“…There you go. You can do it can’t you”
“Yes! As expected of you sir… Even I didn’t know I could sing it so how did you know? I can only say that you’re great…”
“…Kuhum. It’s all instinct. Then shall we try other songs?”
After that, I sang a few other songs before the lesson came to an end. Although I did learn a lot thanks to that, it felt like my throat was in a pretty bad condition.
“Huu…”
Heaving out a deep sigh, I rubbed my neck on the table and felt the cold feeling being carried over. As expected, this is the best when the throat hurts. Ah… blissful…
After relaxing like that, I glanced around the surroundings and saw the wooden, wide floor with a few cushions and sofas located here and there, as well as a few round tables. This was on the fifth floor of the main building, and it was like a resting place for freshmen students to come to when they wanted some rest.
Was there even a need to make such a place… As expected of Future Arts High, they made it and yet didn’t even tell the students about this place. After getting closer to the upperclassmen, they would find out that it was a place called a ‘lounge’ but that wouldn’t happen until later.
Thanks to that, my friends and I who knew about it beforehand were the only ones enjoying this place… Lying down on the table and just turning my head, I asked.
“Why are you studying here”
“It’s loud inside the library.”
With a nonchalant reply, Lee Suh-ah flicked through the pages of the book. She wasn’t having any rest despite the mid-sems being over. Hearing the sound of the pencil running across the paper, I opened my mouth.
“Thanks.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Although it might be sudden, I learned a lot while practising with you. I just wanted to say thanks.”
“…Why all of a sudden”
Seeing Lee Suh-ah avoid eye-contact from perhaps embarrassment, I smiled. Although it was out of the blue, it indeed was something to be grateful for since this child who treasured her time so much practised with me for me.
Like this, there were lots of things to be grateful for in this world. With a happy smile, I was smiling when Lee Suh-ah opened her mouth after throwing a glance at my face.
“Coming back after practice?”
“Un. Isn’t it about time for you to know that my lessons are always during this time?”
“Why do I have to know t… Did you catch a cold?”
Lee Suh-ah turned her gaze towards me with a start and made a frown. At the same time, her volume went up and appeared to be either surprised or angry. I stared back, curious as to why she suddenly said that but realised from the ticklish pain in my throat.
Ah, my voice was strange due to the sore throat huh.
“It’s not from the cold and I just have a sore throat from the lesson.”
“You scared me for a second.”
Right, I was scared too.
With a few ‘ah’s, I was checking my voice when a laugh left uncontrollably.
“Hey isn’t my voice really good right now?”
“…It’s not a cold but there seems to be a problem with your ears. You should hurry and go to a hospital.”
“No but like, my voice is really low.”
“Yeah yeah.”
Then, I made a uwah~ sound and copied a bass when Lee Suh-ah broke into a grin.
“Ah, seriously. So dumb.”
After staring at me once, she searched through her bag before taking something out and handing it. It was circular and hard in texture – a throat lozenge, the same brand as before.
“Didn’t I say the throat was the instrument for opera singers~?”
“…You did. Thanks.”
Receiving it readily and throwing it into my mouth, a cold smell of mint spread through my throat at once.
Haa… I’m being healed.
While enjoying that feeling I let out a breath when Lee Suh-ah opened her mouth after throwing several glances at me.
“Hey. By the way the practices…”
Uuung.
“Wait. I think it’s my phone…”
Taking my phone out, I checked and it seemed to be a message from Yu Minji-sunbae.
[Yu Minji: Available rn?]
What did this even mean?
[Sorry, what?]
[Are you free right now?]
Free huh… I guess so because I was done with the lesson. Tilting my head, I sent a reply and another message came straight after.
[Practice room. Come]
I felt a slightly ominous premonition.