Chapter 8.1 - Lively 1 (2/2)
In conclusion it was like this: the songs were at a similar level but their performers were better. Both Song Mirae and I would fall short if compared to Kim Wuju and there wouldn’t be anyone within the school who could perform better than their accompanist.
I felt somewhat disheartened.
Overall, I thought that it would be difficult to completely crush Kim Sukwon. Although we might be able to win somehow, it wouldn’t be possible to shame them with an overwhelming difference.
It really was a shame because I wanted to beat them hard.
“Hmm…”
With folded arms, I thought of a method that could beat them when Chloe tilted her head from the side.
“By the way… a graduate school? What is that?”
[Graduate school. You know university in Korean right? They sound similar.]
“Ohhhh A graduate school!”
She then repeated the word several times to memorise it before opening her mouth.
“But why is it called a graduate school…? High school is after middle school so after university should be… a high university right?”
“…You’re right. Why is it called a graduate school?”
Seeing Chloe tilting her head, a thought suddenly flashed past my head.
“Ah! Chloe!”
“Yess?”
I quickly racked my brain.
Right, there was Chloe, the top student of our piano department who had played the accompaniment for me.
Chloe, a sunbae from a graduate school, accompanist, piano.
Arranging those words inside my head, I soon made a smile.
I could see it. I could see the method that would allow us to trample over Kim Sukwon. Suddenly feeling joyous, I grabbed onto Chloe’s hands.
“Can you help us out a bit?”
“?”
I saw Chloe widening her eyes.
*
The composing department’s practice room.
After receiving an okay from Chloe, I brought her straight to the practice room which had led to the current situation. Yu Minji sitting on her seat squinted her eyes.
“Soo… what did you say?”
“Helloo. Future Arts High Freshman! Chloe of the piano department! Huhuh.”
Seeing Chloe saying hello with a bright smile, Yu Minji facepalmed, seemingly not understanding the situation.
Right, maybe I was too rushed.
“No no… not the name; I mean before that.”
“Future Arts High…”
“Before that.”
“Sorry…?”
Feeling Chloe’s blinking eyes facing me, I walked up and said,
“She’s the ace of our grade’s piano department. What do you think about putting her in as the accompanist for the song?”
“…No but… even if you say ‘ace’…”
Yu Minji contemplated before giving a frown.
“Your name was Chloe right? I heard your piano at the Improvement Concert. You were the one that did the accompaniment for Yunjae right? And I saw your solo as well…”
“Yes.”
She crossed her arms and glanced over Chloe.
“She is good but… you want her to be the accompanist…? Isn’t it too sudden? Besides, it’s not like she’s better than someone from a graduate school.”
“Hmm… you’re right.”
Indeed, although Chloe was good, she was still a high school freshman and her techniques hadn’t yet fully ripened. It would be difficult for her to win against a veteran pianist because their difference in experience was overwhelming.
Yu Minji tapped the table before opening her mouth.
“Also, it’s not good for us to involve her in our matters. If it’s because of Kim Sukwon… I can just call a performer through money. Wouldn’t that be better?”
“Hmm…”
Yu Minji then saw Chloe glancing at us two with her large eyes rolling around and quickly added in a hurry.
“I mean~ I’m not saying you’re bad but, the age difference isn’t something we can do anything about. Oh yeah, your piano was good; it was better than mine.”
“Thank you.”
Watching Chloe bow her head, I thought.
Calling a professional performer huh. That was indeed a viable choice. Because their side was the one that started off this unfair thing by calling a postgraduate student, we could do the same thing.
It wouldn’t be a bad choice. Since we picked the same method, we would at least be able to tie with them. After all, the songs were at around the same level so with the performers being near even, the scores we got would naturally be similar.
Similar, huh…
After some thought, I raised my head.
“If we call a professional performer, can we defeat Kim Sukwon by a huge margin?”
Yu Minji shook her head in response.
“Hmm… It’ll be hard. Although I think I’ll win by around 1 or 2 points, more than that would be… yeah. He is good at composing as well, so there won’t be too big of a difference.”
Right.
Just following them from behind will not allow us to completely defeat Kim Sukwon. To achieve an overwhelming difference in results that could allow us to criticise him who had been scoffing at our skills, we needed a special tactic.
I turned my head to stare at Chloe standing still.
“Sunbae.”
“Un?”
I stared directly at Yu Minji who pointed a confused expression at me.
“You’re thinking that it’ll have a similar result whether we call a professional performer or let Chloe do it right? “
“Uh… I guess?”
“Then, since there’s nothing to lose, can you just trust me here?”
Placing my hand on Chloe’s shoulder, I let out a smile.
“I think I can win if I do it with Chloe.”