The System's Score Soared After One Hour
“Brother, you’re not wrong, but the original is a disciple of composer Kang Seongdae.”
Hearing the name Kang Seongdae, Joo Sung was visibly startled.
“What? Are you serious?”
“Yes. I even went to the office last time and met him in person.”
Upon hearing that they had met Kang Seongdae, Joo Sung had nothing more to say.
“…Then it’s not a scam.”
“That’s right. So you don’t have to worry. The trot industry hasn’t made a name for itself yet, but we’re already working on songs with the new artists from Onjeong Entertainment.”
“From Jeong Nam sunbae’s Onjeong Entertainment?”
“That’s right.”
“Oh my…”
As Jang Namhun continued, Joo Sung finally felt the last of the sleepiness lift.
“Good… Then it’s fine.”
Only then did a smile spread across Joo Sung’s face.
He had only been worried that his younger brother might be scammed.
“Still, when it comes time to sign the contract, you need to double-check it. This industry is pretty messy, so you have to be extra careful.”
Jang Namhun only felt grateful for Joo Sung’s concern.
“Brother, thank you for worrying so much…”
Joo Sung turned his head sharply at the words.
“Worrying? Just one time I felt like acting generous.”
“Haha.”
“And since I’m doing this, let me give you one more piece of advice.”
“Of course.”
“You idiot. If you sing like that, you’ll go down the drain without even trying.”
Joo Sung’s firm tone left Jang Namhun completely stunned.
“Go down the drain?”
“How are you supposed to bend like that?”
“….”
“You started from the wrong basics. I’ll teach you a shortcut since you’re in a hurry. Memorize it.”
“A shortcut?”
“Yeah, you.”
Joo Sung grabbed Jang Namhun by the nape of his neck and pushed him forward.
“First, your posture is too straight.”
The old memory hit him like a wave.
—Hey, why do you stand there quietly singing?
During the preparations for Evil Spirits’ debut, Jeong Jaemin had said the same thing.
It was because he had trained as a classical vocalist.
Proper sound required proper posture.
But popular songs were different.
Exaggerated gestures were also a form of expression.
So when Jang Namhun learned trot vocal style, he had to relearn the basics of gestures and breath control.
‘Yeah. Trot vocal style is completely different from popular songs.’
“Sing ‘The Woman in the Rain’ again.”
“Again?”
“‘The Woman in the Rain.’”
“Oh. Right.”
Jang Namhun sang ‘The Woman in the Rain’ exactly as instructed.
“Raise the tone a little higher there. That way the emotion that matches the song will come out.”
“Yes.”
“Mix in a bit more of the whistle register.”
Jang Namhun began to sing, using the passaggio range between chest voice and whistle register.
And every time Joo Sung reached a point where the bend had to happen, he tapped the back of Jang Namhun’s neck.
Each tap made the notes waver and produced a completely different kind of bend.
“Eh?”
“How is it? Feels different, right?”
“…Yes. The control of strong and weak notes has become much clearer.”
Jang Namhun felt as if he had been possessed by a ghost.
All he had done was nod his head up and down, yet the bend had become far more natural.
“You’ve sung as a vocalist, so you know, right? These gestures help the voice immerse into the song.”
“Yes… That’s true.”
“Got it. Now you try it yourself.”
Joo Sung watched as Jang Namhun internalized the change and pointed out the key points.
“Breathe a little harder.”
“Ungh! No! I’ll point again—feel the sensation.”
After about an hour of intensive training.
“A~a~a~ a~a~ a~ a~ a~ a~ a~ a~”
Joo Sung nodded with a satisfied smile.
“It’s perfect now. You’ve improved a lot. If you keep practicing like this, you’ll get used to it soon. You have to use your body properly to bend naturally.”
“…Yes.”
“As I said, this is a shortcut I learned through real practice. Instead of changing your muscles through correct methods, you change them first to fit the vocal style and produce the sound.”
“It’s like swapping cause and effect.”
“That’s right. But be careful because this method puts stress on the throat, so you can’t push the sound too hard.”
“I understand.”
“And your expression is good, but your movements are still awkward. Once you master the bend, you’ll reduce the exaggerated gestures and become more natural.”
“…Yes.”
“Done. Now let’s go.”
No formal farewells were exchanged.
He stepped outside and hailed a taxi, then disappeared in a flash.
“I’m tired. I’m leaving first.”
“Yes, yes.”
Watching the departing taxi, Jang Namhun stared at the score as if possessed by a ghost.
【Song Name - The Woman in the Rain】
【Comprehension - 81】
【Proficiency - 73】
【Immersion - 82】
【Digestibility - 76】
【Condition - 79】
【Audience Reaction - 84】
【Total Score - 81.1】
After just one hour of instruction, the total score had jumped ten points.
It was as if he had gained enlightenment itself.
* * *
Uhhuhuh.
Aihi hi.
‘What kind of sound is this?’
Yuyeon woke up startled by the strange noise.
It sounded like the wind or a ghost wailing.
And on a day when her brother was supposed to come home late…
Yuyeon glanced at her sleeping twins, then carefully lifted Yesol’s recorder.
There was nothing else she could use as a weapon.
Heart pounding, she slowly opened the door and saw a familiar back.
“Ei ya.”
“Eh heh.”
The one making ghost-like sounds was none other than her brother, Jang Namhun.
Yuyeon’s heart skipped a beat.
She let the recorder hang down and asked.
“…Brother. What are you doing right now?”
“Huh?”
“You were making weird sounds, so you woke me up!”
Only then did Jang Namhun realize he had been practicing the bend while preparing breakfast.
“Sorry, sorry. I must have been too lost in it…”
“Anyway. Brother, do you know about the school parent-teacher conference today? It’s on Saturday, right?”
“Of course. Even if you forget everything, Yuyeon will never forget.”
At Jang Namhun’s confident smile, Yuyeon turned her head slightly.
“…What? I was just checking because maybe you forgot.”
Yuyeon already knew her brother’s top priority was her and her twin.
But lately he had been too busy with new work to talk much, so she had simply confirmed.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make it on time. But why is there a parent-teacher conference? You didn’t do something bad at school, did you?”
Since they had both attended the same middle school, Jang Namhun also understood the system.
Conferences were scheduled only during the designated period for parents or students to apply.
“Huh? You didn’t apply?”
A sudden thought flashed through his mind.
‘Yoo Sera, you’re at it again.’
This kind of thing had happened often.
After Jang Namhun debuted, he had barely attended school, but Yoo Sera had followed the traditional elite path and naturally had connections.
She had many acquaintances at the current middle school—teachers, seniors, juniors, and friends.
Even among subject teachers, there were people she knew. She must have quietly pulled strings.
Probably because she saw Yuyeon struggling in practice, she had become concerned and simply reserved the conference slot without telling him.
Then Jang Namhun would have no choice but to deal with it.
‘I’m grateful… but she’s my sister, not Yoo Sera’s sister.’
It stung his pride as an older brother.
Actually, since puberty, he had relied on Sera a lot regarding Yuyeon.
No matter how much he cherished Yuyeon, the wall between them was unbreakable.
Now Yuyeon seemed to follow Yoo Sera more than him.
‘There are probably plenty of secrets between just the two of us.’
“Oh, kidding. Of course I applied. The first semester is halfway through, isn’t it? I’ve only ever gone to the school gate, so I wanted to see the inside.”
“What? Why did you do extra work? I was doing fine on my own.”
Jang Namhun was bewildered.
So that’s why he was being told to neglect practice?
“Anyway, after the conference, let me know.”
At Yuyeon’s words, Jang Namhun was again at a loss.
‘I had asked my parents the same thing…’
He could never deceive blood, could he?
So he repeated what his father had once said.
“The content of parent-teacher conferences is confidential. Don’t try to tell anyone.”
“Huh? Confidential?”
At Yuyeon’s question, Jang Namhun nodded.
“Of course. How could I share a story that would hurt someone? Only I know.”
Then Yuyeon’s temper flared up.
From that reaction, the old Yuyeon came back and Jang Namhun’s heart softened a little.
* * *
The conference was scheduled for two in the afternoon.
After packing the kids’ lunches and sending them to academy, it was usually around one.
It was clearly someone who knew the Jang family’s schedule.
Anyway, the schedule was set, and until then Jang Namhun had to fulfill his duty.
Namely, practicing the bend as taught by Joo Sung.
“A~a~a~ a~a~ a~ a~ a~ a~”
Seeing the completely changed Jang Namhun, Wonhyung was stunned.
“What? What is this?”
“Huh?”
Jang Namhun’s suddenly improved skills left Wonhyung speechless.
“…What exactly? Why are you suddenly so good?”
At Wonhyung’s words, Jang Namhun smiled and said.
“I practiced hard to make enough for brother to get some pocket money.”
“I don’t particularly want pocket money.”
Since Wonhyung knew how to deal with him, Jang Namhun knew his weak spot.
“No, I’ll get you pocket money. That way you can marry, right?”
The moment he poked Wonhyung’s sore spot, Wonhyung exploded.
“You brat! Good answer. You said you’d get me pocket money? Prepare yourself.”
Endless bend practice began without a break.
Finally, after practice ended.
Wonhyung could only stammer praise, trembling.
“…Did you gain some enlightenment? It really increased suddenly? The high ground is right around the corner now.”
“I told you. I realized there’s not much time to send brother to marry.”
At Jang Namhun’s wistful expression, Wonhyung raised his fist.
“You brat! You tease me!”
* * *
After the conference, Jang Namhun felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.
—When I watch over Yuyeon, I feel pressured. Even during practice, she focuses intently on not making mistakes.
—She has little time to spend with friends because she splits all her time between practice. From what I hear about the family situation, it seems she’s using every second to train as much as possible.
At home, Yuyeon always showed a lively side.
But the Yuyeon the teacher described was slightly different from what he knew.
—Yuyeon seems a bit overwhelmed lately.
‘Overwhelmed…’
The word left his mind in a complete mess.
—I know you’re concerned, but please stop making her character lunch.
Even a comment that snapped him back to reality.
Leaving the school with that complex heart, a female student watched him intently.
‘Who is she? She’s so pretty.’