Chapter 2.1 - Bit by bit 1 (2/2)

After thus receiving my secret orders, he started greeting Lee Suh-ah.

Noh Jusup with his chatter and Lee Suh-ah nodding to it, I looked on from behind and it seemed like the conversation would continue for a bit. Him saying that he was friends with Lee Suh-ah wasn’t a lie it seems.

Lee Suh-ah’s previous indifferent expression could be seen easing slightly.

‘Good, the atmosphere is good.’

Now, the most recent humour I learned on the internet last night should seal the deal.

With a confident smile, I stepped forward.

“Hello.”

Noh Jusup smiled amiably as he introduced me to Lee Suh-ah.

“Lee Suh-ah you remember seeing him yesterday right? The one with great sight-reading skills – up to the sixth stage. He’s Jo Yunjae, an opera major like us.”

“…Hello.”

Lee Suh-ah checked my face before making a strange expression.

She must’ve remembered the scene from the sight-reading yesterday. An opera singer that can’t sing high notes, wasn’t something so easily forgotten after all. Noh Jusup tried his best with his words but Lee Suh-ah’s rigid expression showed no signs of easing away.

‘… This is not good.’

She was the one who would be the saviour in charge of our group’s marks from now on, so I had to be on her good side. One wrong step could mean her refusing to join the same group with a scoff.

To get rid of the bad image, I quickly opened my mouth.

“Do you want to hear something funny?”

“…?”

I could see curiosity entering her eyes, and with a smile, I opened my mouth.

“Do you know why the picture ended up in jail?”

“… Why?”

“It was framed.”

Silence.

After looking into my eyes for a bit, Lee Suh-ah turned and walked up the stairs by herself.

*

“Hi everyone, nice to meet you. I am the teacher in charge of this semester’s Opera Concerted Music, Ku Mingi. For one semester, so six months, I wish to spend happy time with you all.”

While the teacher was greeting and talking about concerted music, I was trying hard to dig into the root of the problem.

“No… it definitely said, ‘the most recent humour collection’… The comments said people in the same age group all liked it. Jusup, was it not funny?”

Perhaps finding it funny to just think back, he barely suppressed his laugh as he continued.

“Kukhk… Seriously, where did you find such weird things? That’s the first time I saw Lee Suh-ah make that sort of expression. It looked like she was looking at a bug or something.”

“No, I mean…”

“Whatever, just don’t make that kind of weird humour from now. I’ll bring Lee Suh-ah in.”

“…”

This is unfair.

I did nothing wrong and if I did, that would be trying to become friends with my peers. I also found it a bit weird when I found it on the internet but I thought the trends 20 years ago were like that.

“…so the Concerted Music studies would be done as a small ensemble. Four people being into a group and singing in beautiful harmony – that is the goal of this subject. It would be great if everyone would be able to sing a cool chorus together by the end of the semester.”

Without regard to whether I was murmuring or not, teacher Ku Mingi’s warm words slowly continued as the whole class atmosphere eased. Perhaps it was because he was famous as a handsome baritone, the girls had good reactions.

“Then, shall we start by making groups? The most ideal would be 2 male and 2 female parts but…”

After a glance through the class, he continued.

“There’s a lack of males so there would have to be groups with 1 male and 3 female parts. So, do you want me to group you guys or would you do it yourselves?”

Noh Jusup raised his hand and shouted.

“We’ll do it ourselves!”

“Okay. Then I’ll give you time so slowly make your own groups. You’ll have to stay with the same members for the remaining semester so pick carefully.”

As soon as the smiling Ku Mingi’s words ended, the classroom erupted into noise. Kids running around calling others’ names, kids who had already grouped themselves as well as those who were struggling to find a group.

I quickly approached Noh Jusup and stood there. It was unknown when he brought her, but Lee Suh-ah was next to him as well. I slowly tried reading her mood when our eyes met.

“…”

I could see her cold eyes gazing down.

‘Ah, I was deceived as well, you know…’

But really, I was the most unlucky one here. I just followed what I read from the internet so who knew it would end up like this?

‘… actually, wasn’t the framed picture quite funny? Maybe Lee Suh-ah laughed as well on the inside?’

After having us three in the group, we started looking for the last member and the atmosphere was, of course, the worst.

Noh Jusup was still struggling to suppress his laughter from the framed picture and Lee Suh-ah was of few words to start with. I was just standing there with tightly sealed lips as if I had committed a crime.

Anyway, to break the awkward mood, I tried talking.

“We didn’t finish greeting before, right? I’m Jo Yunjae.”

“…Lee Suh-ah.”

A heavy silence followed for a bit, until Lee Suh-ah turned and faced Noh Jusup.

“You sure he’s alright, right?”

“Uh? He should be, right? He did good in sight-reading too.”

“That? Hmm… okay.”

‘It doesn’t matter,’ murmuring as such, Lee Suh-ah crossed her arms and leaned on the wall. She then glared at her front.

I got scared thinking she was looking at me but her eyes pointed at a slightly different direction.

‘That scared me.’

Following the end of her gaze, it reached the other end of the room, where Kim Wuju was surrounded by 3 girls.

‘Kim Wuju’s group…’

It seemed that she was observing her contender. With a glance, I saw that his group had one male and three females. Kim Wuju was the male and there were 3 girls I didn’t know.

‘Male 1 Female 3’

That would make it difficult for the tenor Kim Wuju to show off his fullest. There were 3 female parts so he would have to be in charge of the low pitch.

It should definitely be lacking compared to the classic, tenor-bass, soprano-alto – 2 male 2 female set-up. As my lips were about to break into a smile of victory, there was a group entering my vision.

A group of both genders walking steadfastly towards us. I checked with curiosity and they were ones I was familiar with.

Song Mirae, Jun Shihyuk, as well as Kim Dongsik tottling from behind. Coming towards us with 3 people at this point in time… don’t tell me.

“Suh-ah!”