Chapter 6.4 - Faster 4 (2/2)

“Let’s do it.”

When I gave a smile, Chloe made a smile in response before immediately starting the accompaniment. Her cheerful fingers danced above the keys.

The Trout by Schubert.

Literally, it was about going fishing and observing a trout, with the topic focusing on the great life force of the fish swimming across the river and its energy.

Well… even without deep analysis, the lyrics were about going out for fun so a happy emotion was naturally embedded into the song.

Just softly, I opened the introduction with teacher Ku Mingi’s vocalisation.

“In einem Bächlein helle~”

[In a clear little brook~]

When I sang with that free timbre as if I was dancing above the skies, I could see Chloe breaking out into a smile.

Right, it was her first time hearing this vocalisation huh.

Quickly, I sang a few verses before gesturing with my hands to Chloe that it was her turn. Then, Chloe would sing the melody a bit and give a gesture back with her eyes for me to sing. After going back and forth like that cheerily, a smile started to form on my lips.

Ah, this is fun.

“So fängt er die Forelle mit seiner Angel nicht”

[He’ll never catch the trout with his hook.]

I was enjoying the moment when I suddenly felt the mood of the accompaniment change. To a dark atmosphere of tension.

Hmm, should I use the other vocalisation method here?

Rapidly, I closed my mouth and twisted the inside of my mouth. More violently and more sonorously. When I let out a breath through the vocalisation method that had quickly formed, a deep resonance filled the practice room.

“Doch endlich ward dem Diebe”

[But finally the thief]

Ohh. It changed quite quickly there. Was it easier to change because it suited the atmosphere of the song? If it was this fast, I could safely say that the ‘Changing Masks’ technique had ripened.

Well, it was just going between 2 vocalisations though.

Shrugging my shoulders, I changed the vocalisation methods and played around with Chloe while singing.

“Sah die Betrog’ne an”

[Looked at with betrayal.]

Ding–

When the last note echoed away till it was inexistent, Chloe began giving claps.

“Ohh~ Yunjae your song changed?”

“Song? Ah, you mean the vocalisation change?”

Chloe gave big nods and mimicked.

“Un un! Like that ‘uuu~’ sound and ‘ohhh~’ sound.”

“Kukuk. I learned it from teacher Ku Mingi recently.”

“First time I saw someone do that!”

Seeing her giving compliments with a bright smile made me feel quite happy. Since I had never seen anyone do this either, I wasn’t sure if it would be good but her reaction was good.

Would this work in an actual concert with the audience though?

I asked because I was suddenly curious and Chloe nodded her head.

“I think it’s good. Like the Trout? If you use it in a song where the atmosphere changes, it is interesting!”

Mhmm…

Indeed, that was a viable method – using it in songs with mood changes. After all, songs don’t always flow in the same atmosphere. There are songs like The Trout by Schubert where the atmosphere or the melody changes in the middle which was usually solved by the opera singers changing their diction. It was closer to an expedient than a solution.

But if they could change it to a vocalisation that completely fit that atmosphere like me? After some thought, I stared at Chloe with a bright expression.

“Thanks. It feels like I can finally see the path thanks to you.”

“The path?”

Chloe tilted her head and I just went over it with a laugh.

“Nothing. Your piano skills got a lot better. Did you practise your basics a lot?”

“Of course~ Don’t you know that my Improvement Concert result is 1 mark! higher than yours~?”

“Was it?”

“It was!”

Flicking my phone out, I checked and it was true.

4th place, Chloe Denjelle 96 points, 5th place, Jo Yunjae 95 points.

Wow it actually was exactly 1 mark different.

When I lifted my eyes back up from the phone, I saw Chloe waving her fingers like she was playing the piano. The movement of her fingers was… delicate as expected of the top piano student.

With a grin, I left the practice room with Chloe and headed back towards the library.

“I’m hungry~”

“Do you want some chocolate?”

“…No thanks. I’ve eaten it too much these days and I’m tired of it.”

We were chatting and laughing when we suddenly met Lee Suh-ah at the corridor.

“Aht! Suh-ah! Hello!”

“Un. Hi.”

Lee Suh-ah who had been greeting back at the smiling Chloe flicked her sulky face at me.

Why’s her expression always like that when she sees me?

“Hi.”

“…Yeah.”

After glancing once, she opened her mouth.

“You went to the principal’s room?”

“Un? How did you know?”

“They broadcasted it like that so how would I not?”

Ah, now that she said it.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I made a faint smile and Lee Suh-ah asked with a casual expression.

“Why did they call you?”

Why?

Touching the back of my neck, I thought that the story about the master class… was perhaps better not spread. Complaints saying that this was a type of preferential treatment could come out after all and would be better hidden until I made some results.

Thinking for a bit, I gave a random reply.

“They called me because I was so good at singing.”

Lee Suh-ah immediately gave a scoff.

“Ha. Then they would’ve called me instead.”

She’s saying that herself? When I looked back dumbfoundedly, perhaps she became slightly embarrassed herself, she ran her hand through her hair for no reason before quickly changing the topic.

“…Did you study for the mid-sems?”

“I did, a lot.”

“…”

After staring at me with caution in her gaze, Lee Suh-ah pouted before turning her body away.

“Right. Good luck.”

Seeing the back going further away, I tilted my head.

…Is she more stressed out because it’s the exam period? She was strangely colder.