Chapter 5.4 - Softly 4 (2/2)
*
Halting her feet for a bit, Lee Suh-ah turned back.
“…”
She could see Jo Yunjae and Han Dasom smiling as they conversed, and vacantly, she observed them while thinking.
Jo Yunjae…
It might be sudden, but he was a really strange person and thinking back, he was strange from the first impression.
Suddenly he had appeared with a dad-joke and despite being lacking in skills, he was a weird boy that could embed strange feelings into the song. She had been observing him just in case and as she had expected, he had shown unbelievable development in his Improvement Concert – enough to make her nervous.
In theory subjects, he was more proficient than herself who had never missed out on the first place and yet sometimes, the words he spouted made him appear like a fool.
And on top of that, he was crazier for songs than anyone else.
“…”
She suddenly remembered the things from the past – the memories of when they had first formed a group and how he had been passionately explaining about the selection of a song. And his choice had returned in the form of having first place in the chorus presentations, overturning the future where she would’ve been criticised along with Kim Wuju…
“Suh-ah!”
With a jump, she turned over and found her long-time friend, Song Mirae standing there. Seeing her heave a sigh of relief from the surprise, Song Mirae tilted her head.
“Why were you so absentminded… ah.”
After following her gaze, Song Mirae made a strange expression.
“You were watching them.”
“It was just on the way.”
Jo Yunjae and Han Dasom. Staring at the two blankly, Song Mirae gloomily opened her mouth.
“Should I quit soprano…”
“Why so sudden?”
When Lee Suh-ah stared with widened eyes, Song Mirae hesitated a little before opening her mouth.
“It’s not sudden… the teachers were always like that, same with teacher Ku Mingi today. They said that since I can’t control high notes freely, it would be better for me to go down to mezzo sopranos.”
After saying all that, she returned her eyes to Jo Yunjae.
“…He also found out after hearing it once. At that time I was just upset but… hearing that introverted girl singing today, I was shaken. Thoughts that real sopranos should be singing like that appeared in my head as well.”
“Then was I not a real soprano for you?”
“Ah, seriously! You were always good though!”
Slowly nodding her head, Lee Suh-ah moved her gaze towards Han Dasom.
Han Dasom.
A shy girl that had been singing inconspicuous songs in the beginning. When she agreed to her joining the group straight after admission, it was on a whim without a serious consideration… Han Dasom was just that kind of an average girl.
But today,
In one month, she had sung a beautiful song as a soprano as if she had become a different person. A girl that showed off a clear, soft timbre which Lee Suh-ah could never get a hold of.
Did Jo Yunjae perhaps foresee all these a month ago, on that day when the groups were being formed? But how? Unless he saw the future or something…
“Those two, are they going out?”
When she came to, she realised that Song Mirae was making an intrigued expression towards Jo Yunjae and Han Dasom.
Another worthless topic.
With an indifferent expression, Lee Suh-ah replied.
“Who knows. We are not free enough to be dating though.”
Waving her finger with exaggeration, Song Mirae said.
“Ehew. It’s my fault for asking our Suh-ah who had been single for her entire life. I should ask them directly.”
“What?”
Seeing Lee Suh-ah make a frown, Song Mirae wore a smile and opened her mouth.
“He’s quite good. Good at singing, a decent face and mhmm~ I wish he was a bit taller but, seeing from how he was able to grow an introverted girl, he is capable as well. I’m going to ask him for some help as well~”
After staring apathetically at Song Mirae, Lee Suh-ah shook her head.
“Try your best. Will you be able to go over a week this time?”
“It’s because I didn’t really like them so far, okay?”
“I think I heard the same thing a month ago though.”
*
Staff room.
In that place always filled with the aroma of coffees sat Ku Mingi. Carefreely taking a sip of a coffee, he turned the chair back to the front.
Before him stood a strangely delinquent-like student with black hair, tall height, cold eyes, green nameplate and short school skirt. Apathetically staring at the ends of the skirt that were way above the knee, Ku Mingi opened his lips.
“Isn’t the skirt length shorter than the school regulations?”
“It’s because of the height.”
Seeing Yu Minji touch the ends of her skirt, Ku Mingi heaved out a sigh.
“Right, you should know the general reason why I’ve called student Yu Minji today but, you need to find a performer soon. Two months isn’t that much so… do you still want that student?”
After slight hesitation, Yu Minji replied.
“…Yes.”
Ku Mingi stared at her with his arms crossed.
Yu Minji. The top student of the composing department, but for some reason, she said she was having trouble with finding a performer due to not being good at human relationships. She seemed to have been seen as very important from the composing department as well, seeing from how he had received a request from them to provide a performer for her. In situations like this, there were cases where they would call performers from outside the school but… since the person herself was stubbornly sticking to the performer she wanted, there was no way around it.
Shrugging his shoulders, Ku Mingi opened his mouth.
“I’ve told him about it, but it’s not certain whether he will do it or not.”
“Is that so.”
After saying that, he fell into contemplation.
Jo Yunjae.
After that day, there was no further contact from him. From how he wasn’t being evasive during the concerted music lesson, he shouldn’t have rejected it completely and seemed to be in thought as well.
“Hmm…”
Is he a loyal student… but that didn’t seem right either judging from Jo Yunjae’s attitudes towards teacher Kwak Jungsoo. Which student would be that loyal despite only studying for a month under a teacher, to the point they would reject it when this Ku Mingi was willing to have them as a disciple?
After having a frown for a while, he soon changed it with a smile.
“But soon… I think you’ll hear some good news.”
Taking another sip of the coffee, he stared at the document opened on his screen.
[Overseas Business Trip Request – Kwak Jungsoo]
With a satisfied smile, Ku Mingi closed the document.