Chapter 4.6 - Sorrowfully 6 (2/2)
There was also the thought that, what could 100k views do to our lives?
*
But… the effect of youtube was quite big.
These days when I came out to practise with Han Dasom, people would come up one by one and start conversations. It felt like we were famous people within the school or something.
“Ohh, you’re practising today as well?”
“Looking good!”
“Do you take recommendations? Huhu.”
Giving out a big yawn, I replied with a lax voice.
“We take recommendations. Only girls’ songs.”
“Ohhh~”
Glancing towards the side, I found Han Dasom staring at me with a shocked face. I made an expression that said, what?, and she made a teary expression in reply.
“Really…?”
“You need to sing a variety of songs to gain confidence.”
“…”
There was something different after my Improvement Concert. Here, Han Dasom should’ve been making a pout saying she did not want to do it, but she became oddly compliant. And even now, she quietly nodded her head and got in preparation to sing.
A freshman who I did not know the name of raised his hand after grinning at our interaction for a bit.
“Then please sing If by Chaeyeon!”
“…Un.”
Crossing my arms, I stared at Han Dasom closing her eyes, getting her emotions ready.
Singing a variety of songs. Although I said it like a joke, it was true that it was effective in gaining confidence. Instead of singing one familiar song over and over again, getting recommendations and singing various songs was a lot better.
The reason was simple.
Let’s say you were singing a familiar song. Then, because it’s a song that you already know, the body can sing it without you trying. Like that, the mind is free enough to care about the surroundings and the more you care about the surroundings, the more your body will shrink thus ruining the sound.
Look at that.
By singing a new song, she was fully immersed in trying to sing to the best of her ability that her actual voice was slowly coming out.
“Because I’m really like a fool~ Even though I can’t say I like you…”
Her voice tingled the inside.
Iya, I thought it was just her voice that was good but she was also good at putting emotions in. With a nod, I listened to her cappella when a familiar face appeared at a distance.
I raised my head up and found Song Mirae skipping past with a joyous mood. At a closer inspection, I could see her talking alone with a selfie stick and appeared like she was filming for a youtube video.
That’s what she filmed us with huh.
After talking into the phone for a while, she finally found us singing off in the distance.
“…”
With a start, she became a bit embarrassed and hid the selfie stick behind her back.
She didn’t have to hide it though.
When I kept on examining her, she became flustered and with the selfie stick still behind her, she walked back and ran away.
“Un?”
Seeing Song Mirae disappear from my vision, I shrugged my shoulders and returned my eyes back to the side and saw Han Dasom singing quite a likeable song.
“…we could even become strangers~”
Good, Han Dasom was almost ready. Was the test for Concerted Music next week? It shouldn’t be a problem.
After the Improvement Concert which I had been preparing for ended, I felt a lot more relaxed. Watching the clouds pass by, I listened to her sing.
*
Of course, Future Arts High wasn’t an easy school that would allow someone to ever relax.
End-of-the-day meeting.
After teacher Kang Heewon stepped onto the podium, she clapped her hands before opening her mouth.
“Everyone, are you doing well at school?”
“Yes…”
Seeing the students replying like zombies, she gave a wide smile.
That teacher’s smiling again.
I heaved a sigh feeling ominous and of course, she dropped a bomb with a happy smile.
“Guys! Do you know what I brought today? It’s the list of prac songs that would be in the prac exams!”
To the announcement, the entire class became restless.
“Ah…”
“Another exam?”
“I need to practise for the concours!”
Without caring about the outcries of the students, she continued the explanation.
“Prac exams. You know universities care a lot about prac exam scores as well right? Besides the highest-achieving students with great prac marks would earn the right to attend in the Prac High-achievers Concert, as well as get good positions in the Subscription Concert. Not to mention how important it is in terms of final marks. So practise hard!”
“Yes…”
The students’ faces turned bleak.
Really, there was no time to relax.
With the usual high school subjects, as well as Improvement Concert, Concours, Concerted Music, and now there was the Prac exam on top of all this. If I were doing concours as well, then there really wouldn’t have been any time to study.
Glancing around, I could hear sighs and cries.
“Hey what’s the prac song?”
“The Well-tempered clavier by Bach…”
“For Flute, we have to draw lots!”
Amongst the rowdy students, I used my phone to open the announcements.
Hmm… the opera department is…
One Italian song and one German song.
While I was in deep thought deciding which songs to sing, Noh Jusup lay down on the table next to mine and gave out complaints.
“Sigh… There’s also the concour’s preliminaries next week, and I need to prepare for the Improvement Concert as well… what do I do… it might’ve been better to just do the Improvement Concert early on like you did.”
Look at this guy talk. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence yeah?
“Oi you, I remember you laughing when we found out I was in the second week.”
“Did I know it would be like this… Ah! I want to come first at prac and stand solo on the Subscription Concert as well…”
“…”
The Subscription Concert.
It was indeed a great honour. Being a recital not just for our students but with plenty of outsiders visiting as well, it was the opportunity to raise your fame and also a chance to perform in front of hundreds of people.
Also for the Prac High-achievers Concert, scouts who were looking for young talents would gather so there was no need to further emphasise on the importance of prac exams. The kids were probably in this rowdy atmosphere exactly because they knew of the importance.
I could hear voices from the side.
“The piano department is definitely going to be Chloe in the first place and who else? Ah! Isn’t the competition too rough?”
“What do you even mean? For opera there’s Kim Wuju and Lee Suh-ah, those two blocking the way. I can’t even compete with them.”
“That Jo Yunjae? Wasn’t he good as well?”
“Even then, compared to Kim Wuju and Lee Suh-ah…”
“Hey he’s right next to us.”
When I slowly turned my gaze over, I could see the noisy students closing their mouths, trying to read my mood.
“Uhum, let’s go.”
“Ah~ I need to go for my lesson.”
Noh Jusup turned his head towards me and smiled.
“Don’t you also want to come first place in prac and go to the Prac High-achievers Concert?”
“Concert?”
I suddenly remembered the past.
Freshmen Prac High-achievers Concert.
In the past, Kim Wuju and Lee Suh-ah naturally came first and second respectively and had performed from the opera department. I who was staring at them from a dark corner of the hall,
Quit the school with that as the last concert.
Suddenly feeling a little prick on my hand, I raised it up and on that young hand, there was a little piece of wood stuck inside. Perhaps it had gotten in while I was rubbing the table in thought.
Although I got rid of the wood with a few taps, the small wound still remained. Gazing at the throbbing wound, I opened my mouth.
“… I do want to try.”