Chapter 2.2 - Bit by bit 2 (1/2)

Without caring about the wrinkles in my expression, Song Mirae approached with a full smile as she talked to Lee Suh-ah. They looked close judging from her hands grabbing onto Lee Suh-ah’s.

“Suh-ah, Suh-ah! Do you want to be in our group? Right now we have Shihyuk, Kim Dongsik and I – 3 people. If you come in it would be 2 males and 2 females, so isn’t that perfect?”

Noh Jusup blocked them with anger.

“Lee Suh-ah already said she would be in our group, though?”

Song Mirae stepped slightly back while Jun Shihyuk opened his mouth as he looked at Noh Jusup.

“Lee Suh-ah would decide on that.”

“What kind of…”

When Jun Shihyuk’s hand was placed on his shoulder, Noh Jusup was forced back by little.

‘Hoh?’

Noh Jusup also reached 180cm but the difference in their builds was immense. Jun Shihyuk had wide shoulders while Noh Jusup only had his height and was thin, and was pushed back.

Soon, Jun Shihyuk stood in front of Lee Suh-ah, while Noh Jusup grumbled.

“N, no…”

What was I doing?

… What could I do with this body of mine? It would at least be a year before I reached my growth spurt, so I was saving my powers until then.

It would just be a disadvantage for me if we fought.

Sneering at the shrunk Noh Jusup and me, Jun Shihyuk turned towards Lee Suh-ah.

“How is it, Suh-ah? Group with us. You know my skills, so let the skilled ones group and dethrone Kim Wuju.”

To Lee Suh-ah who had her lazy eyes cast down, Jun Shihyuk threw a tempting suggestion. She did care a lot about Kim Wuju as well…

As everyone’s eyes had gathered….

Lee Suh-ah glanced at the worried Noh Jusup and me. She then swiped the hair off her face as she opened her mouth.

“I already promised them, so no thanks.”

“… Deciding on the group that will continue for the entire semester with first come first served?”

“Yeah.”

After raising her chin up and meeting Jun Shihyuk’s eyes, she continued.

“It doesn’t matter who the group members are.”

“…I see.”

After quietly staring at us, Jun Shihyuk flicked his head away and walked off. Song Mirae from behind glared at me for some reason before also leaving.

“Tch.”

What… yesterday as well as today.

Just like that, we had succeeded in keeping Lee Suh-ah. Lee Suh-ah the soprano, Noh Jusup the bass and me the tenor. It was a classic grouping that only needed one more girl now…

Glancing around, most of the class had already formed groups. Noh Jusup ran around trying to find another without news and Lee Suh-ah once again leaned onto the wall as if nothing had happened.

The group members don’t matter, huh…

‘Full of confidence’

Well, she had the skills to back it up though.

Lee Suh-ah, the queen of sopranos following the monstrous Kim Wuju, so how could mere group members be a problem?

I just had to get carried by that.

When I thought of that, it felt like I could see a bright halo emanating from behind her. A golden aura – it must be the halo of the full scholarship. After looking at Lee Suh-ah with the gaze one would have when facing a treasure box, I turned towards Noh Jusup who had come back empty-handed.

“Back when Jun Shihyuk grabbed your shoulders, you became sooo frightened. You’re just tall with nothing else.”

Perhaps being conscious of that, he talked back with an upset voice.

“What, frightened! What about you? Stepping back and not even breathing.”

“It’s not that I wasn’t breathing. I was organising my breath in case something happened.”

“Kukhk, whatever.”

After a light fight, I turned around.

Well then, I guess I would just bring someone decent.

As I glanced through the class with a relaxed heart, I saw someone standing out. It was a girl who stuttered as she talked to other groups.

“Umm… do you have… a spot?”

“Sorry, we already have four.”

“Ah…”

Her appearance of lowering the head after a refusal looked pitiful. With bangs covering her eyebrows, a somewhat sad-looking pair of eyes and her shy movements, it was evident that she was an introverted girl but she somehow appeared familiar.

‘Who is it? I feel like I’ve seen her before.’

Looking down with uncertainty in my eyes, there was a nameplate which read, ‘Han Dasom’.

‘Han Dasom… Han Dasom… Ah, is that her?’

It felt like I could remember slightly. In fact, I could only remember her singing. A faint memory of a song and her voice from somewhere lingered in my ears – a verse from Gregorian Chant.

Climbing backward from that timbre, the memory continued on like a cobweb.

Yes, Han Dasom. I remembered seeing her at a TV after graduation, at some singing programme. After being baffled at her skills, I looked her up and discovered that she was also from Future Arts High. Upon finding out that she was also from the same grade, I did feel quite disheartened.

I heard some news that after coming first at that tv show, she had debuted as an idol and that was all I knew. How she performed as an idol – I couldn’t remember – which meant she probably didn’t do well?

In any case, there was only one thing that was important.

‘Is she good at singing or not.’

An opera singer just has to sing well.

Coming to the end of my thoughts, I raised my head to find Han Dasom still trying to find a group, with an expression that could burst into tears any time…

I approached with a sigh and tapped on her shoulders.

“Hey.”

“Uh?”

“Do you want to be in our group? We still only have 3 people.”

She rapidly nodded her head.

*

After Han Dasom came into our group, the group-forming was over.

There were 20 students in the Opera Department and thus, 5 groups. Excluding our and Jun Shihyuk’s group, every other group had 3 females and 1 male. It couldn’t be helped due to the lack of boys.

‘Higher female ratio in performing arts is apparent even in opera, huh.’

As I was indulged in commenting about life, teacher Ku Mingi gazed over the class before opening his mouth.

“Now, it seems the grouping has been finished. I’ll now explain how the concerted music subject will go.”

He then put up a PowerPoint and began his address; 80% of the final marks will be behavioural marks and 20% from the final test, and if we did this and that during the tests there will be mark deductions, etc…

Why is he so zealous… I thought until a story I couldn’t ignore was brought up.

“… and the first chorus test is one month from now.”

“Whaat?”

Didn’t you say July before?

After quietening the noisy students, teacher Ku Mingi continued his words.

“Of course, it’s a practice test. The actual evaluation will be during the prac test in July. So it’s a practice test in preparation, pretty much, and as long as you don’t underrate it, your marks shouldn’t be deducted.”

So he will deduct marks if we just do it without prep.

“There’s that, and please tell me the songs you chose by groups at least one week before the test. As long as it is inside the textbook, any song is okay. Now, should we start our lesson? Please be seated.”

“Okay…”

We each sat down behind our canterburys while teacher Ku Mingi who had walked to the front of the class stepped up the podium.

Then, he slowly looked around.

“…”

That was enough to change the atmosphere.