Chapter 7.3 - Lightly 3 (1/2)

‘A strange student’, thought Ku Mingi.

Jo Yunjae.

Ever since when he was just observing from the sides, he thought of him as a strange student. A body that did not fit the astute techniques – it was strange because normally, geniuses would be the exact opposite of that.

Is a genius singing casually with a gifted body normal, or a genius singing songs while taking his physical capabilities to the limit normal?

That’s why, he had expected him to be strange the moment he took him in for the lesson but… Jo Yunjae whom he had met in the lesson rooms was truly a strange student.

“Do you perhaps know this song as well?”

“Yes.”

“What about this?”

“Yes…”

“…You know this aria as well?”

“Yes…”

There were too many songs he had made his own, in other words, there were too many songs he could sing. The repertoire of songs he had of songs that had been etched into the body and not just glanced over was strangely broad.

Knowing a lot of lieder could be somewhat understood but how could a high schooler, a first-grader at that, know all those opera arias off by heart?

Sometimes, Ku Mingi even felt that he knew more than himself.

Right, if it was just that, he could agree despite the strangeness. Perhaps he truly was a genius of songs that could glance through a music sheet to know the song off by heart – if he was a supernatural person like that… Ku Mingi could shed tears of joy in the birth of a genius.

However, strangely enough, he had no idea of a few songs.

“You don’t know this song? That’s interesting. It’s a very famous song for admission tests…”

“That… I’ve never sung it apart from when I was young…”

“But you’re 17 right now?”

“Ah.”

And those few songs… although he did learn quite fast, he was still within the realms of humanity. Although it was fast, it wasn’t something that could explain the unusual repertory of songs he had.

Ku Mingi intently observed and contemplated this strange student.

What is it?

What was the standard? Why does he sing some songs without a single bit of hesitation and look around nervously when singing other songs? After all the analyses he made at the cost of his sleep, he one day slapped his knees as a thought popped up.

‘Tenor songs!’

That was it.

Tenor songs, which baritones could not sing. He strangely knew less about those songs. Did he want to be a baritone before?

Thinking maybe, he checked in the previous lesson and indeed, although Jo Yunjae knew songs that could barely be considered possible for baritones, he didn’t know much about tenor songs.

Plus, the high note which only real tenors could sing.

Not only did he not know many songs which had ‘high C’s, he was even reluctant to sing those songs.

“Student Yunjae, do you want to try singing this?”

“This… is too high.”

“Just try once.”

“…Yes.”

Like that.

Even though they were songs he could sing easily, he was too stiff to sing properly. In fact, he did it well until the middle part. As if he had practised it before, he could do it well but would collapse as soon as a high C appeared. Even when he gave technical advice and reassured him that it was possible, nothing had ever changed.

“Mhmm…”

Ku Mingi had seen these people before.

People that had hit their limits.

Those that had failed after dozens and hundreds of tries. People that had been suppressed by the wall called limits who can’t show off their fullest due to being swallowed by despair.

He could see that from Jo Yunjae.

“…”

That was why.

That was why he had brought Pour mon âme.

A song which Jo Yunjae could never know and a new song which he would never have practised before – Pour mon âme which was considered to be the hardest song.

‘I’m not expecting him to sing it properly.’

Or rather, he had to fall, he had to be smashed down miserably. If only he could see that there was something different, that was enough. If he could sense the existence of Ku Mingi waiting for him above the wall, the teacher that could pull him up,

He could be given hope that would give him the courage to jump over that wall.

With a nod, Ku Mingi stared at Jo Yunjae.

*

“Pour mon âme–”

While singing the introduction, I slowly read through the music sheet.

Pour mon âme.

It was a song I had never sung before. After all, this was a tenor song with lots of high Cs, which baritones could never dream of in their lives and there were even a few tenors that were disinclined to sing it.

‘But why did he give this to me, a student…?’

I couldn’t understand it no matter how much I thought.

The objective of a lesson was to teach students so he wouldn’t bring something I couldn’t sing… and it didn’t make sense for teacher Ku Mingi who was hundreds of times better than me to be unable to clearly see through my skills.

Then there’s only one possible case scenario.

Tilting my head, I thought.

Maybe…

I can sing this song?

“J’ai sa flamme, et j’ai sa main!”

Going through the music sheet, I contemplated.

First, the introduction wasn’t too hard. Although I was only matching the rhythm and pitch without any deep analysis, I could still sing it.

The problem would be the highlight at the end, with the nightmarish continuation of 9 high Cs… While racking my brain to its fullest, I thought.

Let’s first think of how others had sung it before.

Searching through my head, I found a lot of saved information. Since it was a famous song, my brain was overflowing with recordings of bigshots singing this song.

Quickly, I played them through and could find several overlapping aspects.

‘The timbre is usually leggero.’

‘I have to sing light, and soft.’

‘Even then, the high notes had to be sharp like a blade, to control the mood of the song which could become too light otherwise.’

I could somewhat understand what I had to do. Right, there were parts in the song that suited my vocalisation method, so as long as I could sing properly it would be good… Just in case, I tried changing the diction of the song realtime and saw teacher Ku Mingi’s expression turn strange.

Good, I finished the introduction quite well…

“Militaire et mari!”

When I realised, I was nearing the highlight part.

High C

9 times without rest.

High notes that continued on like a devil were waiting for me. As for the countermeasures… I had no idea and could only just sing it.

“Pour, mon! –”

The first one; I failed it. I pulled it up but it ended up being a flat.

The second; it was another fail. How was I supposed to do this? I threw a glance at the teacher but he was firmly continuing the accompaniment.

“J’ai, sa! Fla–, kuk…”

The third; perhaps the tries beforehand had been burdensome on the throat, and the sound turned worse.

The fourth; the pitch that was raising itself faltered and stumbled before falling down miserably.

“Jour prospère, me voici…”

Now, there were five high notes remaining.