Chapter 4.3 - Sorrowfully 3 (2/2)

“Yes.”

With a deep bow, Jo Yunjae left the practice room, and left alone inside, Kwak Jungsoo sat on the chair. He searched for something inside his clothes, but then remembered that he had quit smoking and soon took his hand back out.

It was frustrating. There was nothing he could do, and all he could do was sit here and keep thinking. What was something he could do?

After a long contemplation, he slowly moved his hand to the phone and gave a call.

Hong Yoojin.

Along with the sound of the connection, he slowly opened his lips.

“… Teacher Hong Yoojin, are you perhaps… going to the Improvement Concert this week as a judge?”

*

“Hmm…”

Standing before the display stands, I was in a deep thought, and before me were two containers covered in black.

Cacao 70% and 80%

Which one was better

As I stood there for a long time comparing the two chocolates in my two hands, Lee Suh-ah who seemed to have found that annoying clenched hard.

“Hurry up and choose.”

“Wait.”

I’m making an important decision.

Seeing me, who was doing some strange things while wearing the Future Arts High uniform, the people gathered their eyes.

Full Mart.

Any Future Arts High student would’ve visited here at least once. It was a large supermarket that was close, had a lot of stuff and food. It was literally perfect.

The sentence ‘let’s ask for a leave’ could be interchanged with ‘let’s go to Full Mart’ and that was how much this market was visited.

It was the same for me.

Before the start of the Improvement Concert, I had asked for a leave because there were a few things I needed to buy and Lee Suh-ah had some stuff to buy as well so we left together.

And that was the current situation.

While I was in the midst of indecisiveness between the two chocolates, Lee Suh-ah couldn’t hold it in any more and finally exploded.

“What’s so different that makes you take so much time?”

I could see her hitting her chest in frustration.

Tch, how would a sparrow even guess the thoughts of a phoenix?

After heaving a sigh I gave her a reply.

“Of course they’re different – the amount of cacao is. Cacao has this ability to coat the throat so after having 70%, you can make a lighter sound while 80% makes a heavier sound.”

“What?”

“It has a substance similar to raw egg. It’s annoying to eat that every time so I’m changing it up with chocolate.”

“…Really?”

Seeing her doubtful expression, I gave her a natural nod.

“Of course.”

Of course not.

It was just that I had a jinx myself that I had to have chocolate to sing better, and there was nothing significant inside the chocolate itself.

I think chocolate sort of makes the throat wet?

Without caring about Lee Suh-ah who was trying her hardest to find out about the effect of cacaos on her phone, I finally stood on the side of 70%.

“Hmm… I guess to express the subtle emotions within the Magic Flute’s aria, a lighter chocolate would be better?”

Stopping the phone for a while, Lee Suh-ah nodded seriously.

“Wouldn’t 60% be better than 70% in expressing it?”

Ohh she can give recommendations now? She was like a cacao expert.

Barely holding in the laughter that was threatening to escape, I stiffened my expression and nodded.

“As expected of the best soprano of Future Arts High, you know something. Good, I’ll follow your call and go with a 60%.”

“Don’t mind it.”

When I gave her a clap, her face showed a slight sign of pride.

Kukuk, this is funny.

And my cacao/chocolate appreciation that continued for a while was concluded by Lee Suh-ah finding out the truth on the internet.

“Annoying. Jo Yunjae.”

Watching her glare at me before walking away first, I shrugged my shoulders.

I’m telling you the effect is tremendous, it’s just that it hasn’t been scientifically proven yet. With a joyous feeling, I took out a container of chocolate as the sweetness filled the mouth.

Ah, this is it.

As I walked back towards the school while enjoying that flavour of the chocolate, something went past my peripheral vision.

“…?”

I flicked my head and as expected, I wasn’t wrong and it definitely was a Future Arts High uniform. There was no way I would mistake that navy-coloured skirt. Is she on a leave?

Well, I was on leave myself so there was no reason why others couldn’t, but the place she came out from was weird. When I glanced up, bright, sparkling signboards were hanging on the building.

[Ara Internet Cafe]

[Liz Karaoke]

[Cafe Billiards]

From that devilish location, a girl walked out, tapping away at her phone with the head facing down. She had black fluttering hair, with thick puffer jackets, through which a glimpse of the Future Arts High uniform and a green nameplate was visible.

Yu Minji.

Judging from her crude walking posture, she gave off a feeling that she had been playing around until just then.

“…”

After examining her for a while, I soon lost interest and headed back towards the school. Surrounded by fences in the midst of the city, I could see the hall of performing arts. Brown dorms and the white building were visible even from the other side of the road, as well as the word ‘Future Performing Arts High School’.

And inside that white building, there was the Future Hall with more than 300 seats. I felt like my hands could reach it.

Tomorrow, was the day of the Improvement Concert.