Chapter 10.6 - Act 10: D.C. 6 (2/2)

Plus, unlike other kids that already had a club they belonged to, she was in a situation where she had to leave the club due to a problem with Kim Sukwon.

Nodding my head, I decided to enter Religion and Culture Research Society, the so-called RC Society with Song Mirae.

*

“Huhuhuh.”

In the dorms, Lee Suh-ah who had been busily carrying her fingers across the exercise book halted her hand. Turning around, she could see Song Mirae grinning helplessly with her eyes stuck on the phone.

Staring at Song Mirae who seemed to be feeling great all the way from school, Lee Suh-ah threw her a question.

“Why are you laughing so much?”

Song Mirae laughed and immediately raised her head as if she had been waiting and gave a bright smile.

“I got into the same society as Yunjae! Hihih.”

“…You like it that much?”

“I like it a lot~”

“…”

Lee Suh-ah rested her chin on her hand and watched her friend, rolling around the bed, with smirks escaping occasionally. She thought.

Jo Yunjae – what exactly did Song Mirae like so much about him?

Looks?

Although it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t anything superb and besides, he was so short that there wasn’t much difference with herself in height.

Personality?

He was a strange one. He was extremely serious sometimes but would say strange dad jokes at other times. She didn’t like that prankish attitude and hated shallow men like that.

Ability?

Singing… right, he was quite good at singing. The improvement speed was frightening and right when she thought she could see the end, he would overturn those thoughts every time.

Especially during the concert this time.

“…”

Lee Suh-ah’s eyes deepened.

Working with him, she thought she knew a general gist of his skills. After all, they had already practised together several times and she saw him during study groups as well. There perhaps weren’t many in the school who had a deeper understanding than she did on Jo Yunjae’s skills.

However, that ‘Elf King’ he sang during the concert, was way outside her knowledge.

‘…How did he sing that…’

She bit her lips.

Schubert’s Elf King.

The Jo Yunjae she saw until now should never have been able to sing it.

First, he lacked the time to practise. Expressing four characters at once required more than normal research and to master the vocalisation and distribute it in a timely manner? It was impossible for Jo Yunjae who had only recently learned a new vocalisation method.

Jo Yunjae’s skills which Lee Suh-ah understood was leagues away from being able to sing that, but he pulled it off.

That could only mean one thing.

‘He hid his skills.’

During the practices they had together and during the holidays, he hid his skills and sang the best he could on prac tests which no outsiders could hear – that was the conclusion she ended up with.

She could somewhat guess the reasoning behind it as well.

Since he persistently asked about her prac song during the previous semester, he must’ve been hiding his skills to win the competition.

‘Hmph.’

Lee Suh-ah scoffed.

Although she suffered last semester due to lack of knowledge, it would be different this semester. After analysing everything one by one, she would secure herself a perfect victory.

Vowing to herself inwardly, she returned her gaze to the phone on her hand.

On the school website displayed by the screen, she glanced through the prac high-achievers’ videos hanging there before finding the name ‘Jo Yunjae’ and clicking on it.

Freshman Opera Student Jo Yunjae’s Tristesse.

‘…I should analyse this as well.’

Blankly staring at the screen, she played the video and placed a pair of earphones in her ears.

“…”

As she closed her eyes, Jo Yunjae’s soft voice started flowing into her ears.

*

After finishing the society side of things, there was a busy school life waiting for us. There were mid-sem exams approaching us as well as a few small concours, the prac test and other prac-related exams.

We were busy enough already but the cold-blooded teachers that knew no sympathy gave us more things to consider.

“Guys! Did you know the dates of the Subscription Concert were announced?”

“…What?”

As teacher Kang Heewon excitedly entered the class and shouted that, cold silence befell the room. Glancing at the students staring at her with worn out faces, I nodded.

The Subscription Concert – the largest annual event of Future Performing Arts High had finally been announced, huh.

Teacher Kang Heewon stared at the agitated mood of the class with a happy gaze and continued her explanation.

“You are aware that the Subscription Concert is held every December right? The exact date has just been announced! It is the 12th of December!”

12th of December… roughly three months left huh…

While I was deep in thought, her mouth continued rambling.

“Our freshmen students have to attend as well, you know right~? So from today onwards, there will be a special practice time for the Subscription Concert so I wish you are all able to attend without fail!”

Hearing that, I nodded thinking that it was natural.

The Subscription Concert was one of the few large events held by Future Arts High, and was even larger than the Prac High-Achievers Concert. Since we had to show it to people from outside, there naturally had to be some severe practices.

…but even more practising huh…

I was put in a slightly melancholic mood when teacher Kang Heewon turned her head around and threw a glance at me.

“And like I said before, there’s a benefit for students that got high marks in the prac test.”

The moment her words fell upon us, the gazes of our classmates gathered towards the high-achievers including me. Teacher Kang Heewon continued on.

“You can choose the part you want during the Subscription Concert!”

Hearing that, I blinked my eyes and scratched under my ears.

Hmm… the part we wanted huh. It was a small yet impactful benefit. Although we would be singing a chorus together during the Subscription Concert, there were bound to be segments that stood out as well as a few solos in the middle.

It made sense that there was a benefit like that given to prac high-achievers.

I didn’t know about it before because it was a distant story from me in the past though…

While I was reminiscing about the past, teacher Kang Heewon’s joyous voice dug into my ears.

“But there were five full marks from the Opera Department this time right?”

Nn?

Right, that was true.

If there were five students with full marks… then how were the segments going to be allocated?

I looked forward with my head tilted and found teacher Kang Heewon looking into my eyes.