Chapter 9.8 - Act 9: Whimsically 8 (1/2)

Act 9: Whimsically 8

The first amount of money she had ever earned.

Fifty dollars.

Taking out the white envelope from her pocket, Lee Suh-ah touched it. Feeling the rough texture of the envelope and the outline of a note placed within, she put it back into her pocket with relief.

Then, she walked.

‘What should I do with this…’

Blankly, she thought while walking.

Fifty dollars had abruptly appeared in her hands. Although Jo Yunjae told her to use it for tuition fee, she had already received a scholarship and yet before she could even tell him about it, Jo Yunjae poured out explanations about the jobs and contests and walked away immediately after.

In the end, there was just fifty dollars sitting in her hand.

“…”

She repeatedly touched the envelope and contemplated.

In any case, it wasn’t a bad thing that she got to have a job during the holidays. She had been planning to practise during the holidays anyway so if she could earn money while she was at it, it couldn’t get any better.

The problem was that she didn’t know how to spend it.

‘It’s my first time getting paid for working after all…’

In the first place, Lee Suh-ah almost never touched money directly except for when she was accepting the prize of concours. Even then, that was handed over to her mother and she only used a little to buy stationery.

Since she didn’t have any hobby apart from singing, there was no particular outlet for money either but today was different. With the money she earned for the first time by working, she wanted to do something special.

“…”

Breaking out of her contemplation, she carried her feet to a different direction. Soon, when she reappeared out of an alleyway, there was a plastic bag hanging on her hand.

When she arrived home, her mother welcomed her and asked with widened eyes.

“Nn? Suh-ah, what’s that?”

“Dinner for today.”

Then, she unpacked the plastic bag and moved busily. Taking out the ingredients, she washed them and cut them into pieces. After making a stock, she fried meat and cooked some noodles before finally placing it inside a bowl with soup.

After that, she placed meat, bean sprouts and diced spring onions – it was pho which her mother loved.

“Is today like a special day?”

“…It doesn’t have to be a special day to cook right?”

With a smile, her mother sat on a seat and raised the chopsticks. Then, she gently drew a cross with her finger before scooping up the noodles.

Lee Suh-ah watched her while resting her chin on her hand. A faint smile appeared on her lips.

‘She’s enjoying it.’

Although her mother didn’t make it obvious, Lee Suh-ah knew she liked pho. However, because it required a lot of time, because she was tired, because it was a waste to buy ingredients they didn’t usually use just for this… with all sorts of excuses, she avoided making it.

‘But… it wasn’t even that hard.’

Leaning her back on the chair, she relaxed.

It seemed that human minds were weird.

Fifty dollars. Just because she earned that little amount, she felt so much more relaxed and a minor joy had befell her house.

Thinking back, she was really grateful.

Jo Yunjae – how did he think of looking for jobs like this? Although she was similarly short of money, a thought that she could work while singing had never reached her.

And his appearance while recording was…

Blankly, Lee Suh-ah thought back on his confident attitude like he was used to recording rooms as well as how he told her to follow his lead when she made a mistake as his voice then led her forward.

Seeing that empty look, her mother casually threw a question.

“Do you have a boyfriend Suh-ah?”

“What?”

When she raised her head up in a flash, her mother’s nonchalant voice dug into her ears.

“You dressed yourself a lot today and also made pho which you usually couldn’t be bothered to. And now, after sitting on the table, you’re blankly staring at nothing…”

“What do you mean dressed a lot! It was just casual!”

“Did I say anything weird? Why are you angry?”

Seeing her mother wearing a bright smile, Lee Suh-ah shot out of her seat.

“Annoying!”

*

There was something strange.

“…”

With my chin resting on my hand, I glanced around and found myself in a small practice room. I could see the rough texture of the soundproof wall, the piano placed on a corner and the seat in front of it.

Gazing quietly across that very familiar scene, I opened my mouth with a murmur.

“Pretty sure it’s the holidays…”

But why has nothing changed from before the holidays?

With my head tilted, I carefully went over my schedule again.

Morning – after eating breakfast, I came to school and isolated myself inside the practice room. Then, I would have a random lunch and meet Lee Suh-ah for a casual job before returning to the school’s practice room. When it was night, I would go back to my house and sleep.

In essence, there was nothing different from before the holidays except for the fact that there weren’t any lessons.

“It feels like I’m just missing out on free school meals because of the holidays…”

I mouthed a few complaints before sitting on the piano seat. Of course, there was a reason I was practising hard. Work was work, and there was another event which I had to truly prepare myself for.

It was none other than the Prac High-achievers Concert that will be held on the first day of next term. For that contest in which five students with full marks will be competing in, I had to prepare lots beforehand.

‘There’s not even a month left…’

Besides, that wasn’t the only preparation I needed. Some time in the distant future, for my long-term goal – my dream.

The time to consider my future as an ‘opera actor’ which Sir Timothy Dickson had suggested had come. Since there were these three things muddled together, it was natural that it felt like I was busier than when attending school.

“Ehew…”

Heaving out a sigh, I decided to finish them one by one and to do that, I first had to organise them.