Chapter 7.2 - Lightly 2 (1/2)

Lee Suh-ah quietly collected her breath.

She liked this moment.

That little gap that appeared after the song finished. When the accompaniment gradually faded away in front of the quiet audience as the breath found its place leaving behind only the heaviness in her chest.

When her lungs were filled back with breath, she could receive the compensation for all the hard work she had put in.

Hong Yoojin who had been listening clapped with a bright smile.

“Very good. Well done Suh-ah. You must’ve been practising a lot? There’s nothing for me to point out on.”

“Thank you.”

Seeing Lee Suh-ah lower her head, Hong Yoojin gave a smile.

“Right. You’ve passed the prelims of the concour and the prac song seems to be going well as well… when were the finals again?”

“In 2 weeks.”

“2 weeks… you’re going with that song just then right?”

Lee Suh-ah thought for a bit.

The song for the finals.

She had already prepared the song to sing in the final stage of the concour beforehand. It was a lied she was the most confident in – something she had practised all the way from middle school. She was confident in the level of mastery she had over the song as well as the ability to show off some fancy skills in it.

“…”

Suddenly, anxiety touched her heart.

But… would that be enough? Would this much be enough to go past the third-grade seniors that had gathered nationwide?

She couldn’t be sure but… this song was the one with the highest possibility at least so…

In the midst of her thoughts, she thought of Han Dasom. Han Dasom, a soprano who suddenly started singing a good song.

Was I… able to predict that Han Dasom would be able to advance to the finals?

She opened her mouth.

“Um… can you listen to another song? I’m a bit uneasy about it.”

“Uneasy?”

After tapping on the piano, Hong Yoojin tilted her head.

“What song is it? Did you prepare something special for the finals?”

“That’s not it but… I want to try singing ‘Let me weep’.”

“Let me weep…? Have you practised it before?”

Lee Suh-ah immediately thought of Jo Yunjae’s name before quickly erasing it from her mind. She thought there was no need to talk about it.

“That… I’ve done it a few times with my friend.”

“A few times…”

Hong Yoojin frowned.

Let me weep… it was a bit too sudden. From her knowledge, as the Specialist teacher, Lee Suh-ah had never sung this song before, and it was a pretty difficult aria as well. A few times with her friend? She was planning on bringing such a song to a concour that was opening in 2 weeks?

“Phew…”

…It wasn’t that she couldn’t understand her thoughts.

Of course, since it was a difficult aria, it could appeal more than the previous lied in many ways and could definitely gain more marks at the concour. However, Hong Yoojin was worried that her greed was getting the best of her. An unpractised, unprepared song was that dangerous since one subtle expression or skill could immediately change the quality of the song.

There was a reason why experienced teachers were sent to help students prepare for their concours.

…Although there were many things she wanted to say, Hong Yoojin closed her mouth. As she was a teacher, she had to listen first before saying anything. The feedback could come after that.

“Good. Try singing.”

“Yes.”

Like that, the song started and Hong Yoojin wrote evaluations inside her brain.

‘Mhmm. The start is better than I thought. Did she practise it a lot in secret?’

Those thoughts were soon changed as the song progressed.

‘Good, she’s doing well. I thought it wouldn’t suit her but it’s quite good.’

‘Un? She went over that part easily as well? That part is where students usually get it wrong though; did she listen to this song a lot?’

‘Uh? She’s expressing it like that?’

‘Uuunnn???’

Without even realising that her mouth was open, she thought.

It was strange.

Let me weep, this song was… different. It was as if it was at a different dimension compared to the songs Lee Suh-ah had sung before, like there was an invisible aspect that had been added.

The small, very subtle mistakes she felt as she watched Lee Suh-ah sing, the use of breath and the quality of the sound… all of that had been fixed already.

Things she couldn’t explain in words had been fixed by Lee Suh-ah like they had been an illusion.

‘All by herself!’

How could such a thing happen? Other songs still had those mistakes so why, why, just this song…?

A thought sparked inside Hong Yoojin who had been in deep contemplation.

Was this song Lee Suh-ah’s life song that suited her perfectly?

…Hong Yoojin who had been indulged in strange thoughts didn’t even realise that the song had ended and came to things only after being tapped by Lee Suh-ah.

“Miss…?”

“Uh? Uh… right. Suh-ah. That was good. That was very good.”

“Thank you.”

Seeing Lee Suh-ah bowing elegantly, Hong Yoojin made the brightest smile she could make.

“Suh-ah… Those are not empty words. You did it so well! You could bring this to the concour immediately! Perhaps… first place… no let’s not go that far but anyway! Well done Suh-ah!”

“…Huh?”

With a dumbfounded expression, Lee Suh-ah stared at her teacher. What was this? Had she ever shown such reactions before? While she was like that, Hong Yoojin stared into her eyes and started talking endlessly.

“I was surprised! There was nothing weird and it was good. Let’s go with this song. It’s so much better than the other one.”

“…Sorry?”

So much better…? Than a song I have sung since middle school?

She thought in a blank. She wasn’t expecting such things to happen. Just thinking that it might be better to sing an aria… she had brought up the topic as she did fix a lot of things while practising with Jo Yunjae.

But what was with this evaluation? She had only practised this with Jo Yunjae though?

A thought flashed by her head.

“Don’t tell me…”

“Don’t tell me?”

“Sorry Miss. Give me a second.”

Quickly, she took out her phone and opened the messages she had sent to Jo Yunjae but what should she write?

[How did you do it?] – That would be way too sudden with no context.

[Wanna practise together?] … This was too cringe and she couldn’t say that.

[Can you help me with the concour?] – This sounded too shameless.

“Uu…”

While she was in trouble as to how to word it, the previous conversations she had with Jo Yunjae entered her eyes.

[Jo Yunjae: The cooperation with the composing department. Let’s do it together]

[Nonsense]

[Jo Yunjae: Let’s do it togetherrr. You really don’t have time? Recently, you say you’re too busy to practise together as well.]

[zzz Look for someone else.]

“…”

Lee Suh-ah lowered her head deeply.

*