Chapter 10.1 - Act 10: D.C. 1apt (2/2)
… If there was a minor problem, it would be that the other four were too vigorous. Turning my head slightly, I could see the faces of the performers gathered inside.
At a location slightly near the front was Kim Wuju, surrounded by girls.
“Did you practise a lot for the Concert tomorrow?”
“Mhmm… I didn’t practise specifically for it but… I am singing everyday.”
“Oh wow, confident I see~”
“Haha, no no.”
From how I could hear cheers coming out, it seemed like there wasn’t even a need to hear any further. Turning my head with a flick towards the next target, I found Jun Shihyuk near Kim Wuju talking with Song Mirae.
“Oh yeah, you didn’t do instagram during the holidays right?”
“…I had to practise.”
Then, he faced me with a burning glare and… hmm, he looked ready any time as well.
Apart from them, there was Lee Suh-ah and Han Dasom sitting further away at a distance who also improved a lot compared to the past.
With such people as contestants, it might be natural to have one’s spirit and desire to win killed.
“…”
Right.
Although I did get first place with them during the prac test, it was because the marking criteria of prac tests were unique and that did not necessarily mean that I was as great as them.
“I don’t know. I did practise a lot though.”
“Tch tch. You really are unlucky. How is there a group of those kinds of people gathered in one grade? If it’s someone at your level, they would normally be first place, no questions asked. I got goosebumps watching you get better everyday you know?”
Seeing Noh Jusup making a fuss, I thought with a smile.
‘Normally’, huh. Normally, I was someone closer to the bottom than the top and the current situation was more than satisfactory enough.
“I’m happy enough just making it to the Concert.”
“But even then, isn’t it a shame? It was supposed to be just two people being in the spotlight but now there are five performers so it would be buried super hard. They should’ve just separated it into two days…”
After looking at him throwing complaints out, I slowly turned back towards the front of the hall at the stage and thought.
Buried huh…
That was plausible.
Five songs were being sung from students from the freshmen opera department and thus will definitely be compared. We are performing in a batch as well after all.
Most likely, the audience will be unconsciously grading who the best singer was, curious as to who would be the best from Kim Wuju, Lee Suh-ah, Jun Shihyuk, Han Dasom and I.
“What can we do? The concert day is tomorrow already.”
“It is, yeah…”
Putting Noh Jusup, who appeared regretful, behind, I threw my gaze forward and after glancing across the students, I found Chloe looking at me.
Seeing the bright smile on her face, the conversation I had with her flashed across my head as a similar smile appeared on my own lips.
‘Prac High-achievers Concert’.
No matter how I think about it, I don’t think I will be buried though.
*
Ku Mingi glared at the front.
“Isn’t this teacher Ku Mingi? What brings you here?”
Inside the principal’s room with the blazing midday sunlight glaring down, Ku Mingi shutted his mouth and looked at the principal while listening to the buzzing sound of the aircon.
Before him was the principal brazenly smiling. After staring at him for a long time, Ku Mingi softly opened his mouth.
“…You increased the support for the Conducting Department by a large margin, to the point it looked excessive.”
“I don’t know… was it excessive? I just thought it was necessary which was why I went on with it…”
Slurring the end of his words, Song Muntak made a relaxed smile.
“But I have no idea why teacher Ku Mingi cares about the Conducting Department. Was there something wrong?”
Hearing the sly reply of the principal, Ku Mingi bit his lips.
It sounded plausible but Ku Mingi already had circumstantial evidence about the reason the principal suddenly added support for the Conducting Department.
That reason he thought of was perhaps why the principal sneakily asked about Jo Yunjae during the holidays.
“Suup… it’s about student Jo Yunjae but, is he completely uninterested in being a conductor?” – Thinking back on that sentence which the principal had said, Ku Mingi clenched his teeth.
The circumstances made it extremely obvious. Wasn’t this trying to take his student to the Conducting Department openly?
By using money and benefits as bait!
As the teacher in charge of Jo Yunjae, it was a situation he definitely could not leave untouched.
“That guy… he is a child that goes nuts over singing. Money and benefits… Do you think that will make him go to the Conducting Department? I’m afraid you would be just wasting your money.”
In front of that aggressive attitude of Ku Mingi, Song Muntak surfaced a small smile.
“Haha, time would tell us that. From what I heard, that guy’s family situation isn’t very well off…”
Raising a corner of his lips and thinking back on what he heard from Song Mirae, Song Muntak added more words.
“To the point he needed to work part-time during the holidays.”
“…?”
Ku Mingi tilted his head.
Work? A high school freshman? During the short month of the holidays?
It was a situation he had never heard of during his days of teaching at Future Arts High. He thought deeply with a frown before forming a dark expression.
“…Is his household in that much of a precarious situation?”
“I wouldn’t know how good or bad it is, but think about it.”
Wearing a serious expression, the principal crossed his fingers and opened his mouth.
“When I heard from other teachers, that guy seemed to be oddly obsessed with scholarships. Isn’t it obvious then?”
“…”
Closing his eyes, Ku Mingi became lost in his thoughts.
Thinking back, it wasn’t an attitude which a high school freshman who usually had no real idea about money would show.
How was he, himself like when he was at that age?
Instead of thinking about scholarships, he was busy playing around, sneaking away from his parents. People usually had to leave the grounds of their family to even have a slight worry about money.
“…It would be pretty bad.”
“Perhaps he might not even be able to attend school without a scholarship.”
Like that, an unfortunate circumstance of Jo Yunjae appeared and flashed in their head.
Jo Yunjae, extremely poor, attending school despite the opposition from his family as well as the financial situation of the household due to which Jo Yunjae had to work…
Having those thoughts, which Jo Yunjae who had invested all his earnings to stock market would be dumbfounded of if he was to know about it, Ku Mingi heaved out a deep sigh.
“That was why you increased the support?”
“Well, yeah. Isn’t it good for him as well if he can study with loads of support funds?”
Seeing the bright smile on Song Muntak’s face, Ku Mingi crumpled his expression.
“Don’t you just have to increase the support for the Opera Department then?”
“Haha, not sure. I could invest this much for the conductor Jo Yunjae, but the opera singer Jo Yunjae? Not too sure about that.”
“…”
Deciding that it was impossible to persuade any further, Ku Mingi took a step back.
“Good. It’s great since tomorrow is the day of the Concert.”
“Nn?”
Ku Mingi then slowly opened his mouth.
“Let’s try listening to it.”