Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Congratulations
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“Why didn't you say anything until now?”
At So-jeong's question, Park Ji-ham’s lips parted and closed.
“I'm not trying to scold you. I just need to know what's going on. How else am I supposed to find a solution?”
He tried to speak several times, only to stop himself.
I started to wonder if something had happened because of his vocal nodules.
“Is it so serious that you can't even talk about it?”
It seemed So-jeong was thinking the same thing I was.
“Well…”
As Park Ji-ham carefully began, So-jeong gestured with her hand for him to continue.
“Actually, my former CEO told me that no one would cut me any slack for something like this… He said not to expect any cheap pity. That revealing it would only hurt me. That I'd lose opportunities, so it was better to keep my mouth shut from now on.”
So-jeong's jaw dropped.
If there had been a camera here, So-jeong's expression would have become a meme for the entire run of RED CUBE.
“What a piece of trash. How could a human being act like that?”
Her voice was twice as sharp and cold as when she delivered her famously harsh critiques.
It seemed she had moved past anger into the realm of hatred.
“So you didn't say anything? Because of that trash's words?”
“Yes.”
“No. Hey! Are you in your right mind? What are you going to do, ruin your own body because of what some piece of trash said?”
So-jeong snapped at Park Ji-ham.
“This is driving me crazy. That CEO was just trying to use kids to make a quick buck. That's why he acted that way. Understand? Erase every word that bastard said from your mind. It won't help you one bit in life. Got it?”
“Yes.”
“And from now on, tell everyone. That you have vocal nodules. You can't overdo it. You absolutely have to until you're fully recovered. You can do that, right?”
Park Ji-ham nodded in response.
“Good. Then let's go to the hospital right now.”
“What? Right now?”
“Yes. I need to know your condition to come up with a proper plan.”
So-jeong stood up and put on her jacket.
“Come on, get up.”
Park Ji-ham, looking dazed, glanced back and forth between me and So-jeong.
He seemed to be wondering if it was really okay for him to go.
“Seo Yoon-seul.”
“Yes.”
“You stay here and practice the song by yourself. We won't be long. Is that okay?”
It was fine, since we couldn't have continued practicing like this anyway.
In his current state, he wouldn't be able to handle the song.
“Yes, I'll practice the harmonies.”
“Okay. We'll be on our way then.”
So-jeong and Park Ji-ham left for the hospital together.
And so, I was left alone.
Honestly, it was a relief.
Given how Park Ji-ham had been giving one-word answers to everything, showing no will to succeed, it would have been stranger not to feel uncomfortable.
‘I thought I was going to suffocate.’
The reason was probably that he had vocal nodules and was forced to sing a ballad with the person he was most uncomfortable with, but I had no reason to sympathize with him.
‘First, let's focus. I don't want to be eliminated like this.’
I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them and focused my attention on the sheet music.
* * *
Park Ji-ham didn't return until after dinner.
“Sorry I'm late.”
“It's fine. It's not like you were out having fun.”
Since he left with So-jeong, he must have gone to the hospital, learned about vocal care, and had a brief lesson on vocalization.
“Anyway, let's have a meeting. The other teams have already started practicing. I've made a rough draft of the part distribution. Please take a look and let me know if there's anything you don't like.”
I handed the arranged sheet music to Park Ji-ham.
Since Park Ji-ham had vocal nodules, I couldn't give him the high notes, so I took most of them.
Instead, I added Park Ji-ham's parts to sections where harmonies would sound good.
The song originally had a lot of high notes, so there was no other way.
“I'm sorry.”
I was taken aback by Park Ji-ham's sudden apology.
‘So suddenly?’
“Actually, I wanted to apologize sooner. I just missed the timing… No, that sounds like an excuse. I'm just sorry. I know you must have been in a tough spot because of us.”
Looking awkward, Park Ji-ham ruffled the back of his hair.
He had an expression that said he wanted to apologize but didn't know how to say it.
It didn't seem like a lie or a forced apology at all.
“It's okay. I know you opposed your team members' opinions. I saw it on social media. The photos and videos fans found.”
As I said it casually, Park Ji-ham's eyes widened.
“What? No. How were you so sure it was me? It could have been someone else.”
I wasn't sure.
I just had a vague feeling that it might have been him.
And the fact that he was apologizing now was proof that he had been bothered by it, anyway.
“There were a lot of analysis posts on social media. Besides, it must have been hard to apologize with cameras around. Let's just forget the past and do our best from now on.”
I meant it.
Even if we disliked each other, we had to see each other's faces for weeks.
I didn't want to spend that time in the same state we were in just a little while ago.
“Thank you.”
“Then let's start practicing. The other teams have already begun. After we run through it lightly, we need to decide on our outfits and concept, too.”
“Okay.”
Fortunately, Park Ji-ham seemed to have regained his motivation after visiting the hospital with So-jeong.
It was like a creaky gear had finally started to turn properly.
“What about these for our outfits?”
Park Ji-ham showed me a picture of an outfit: a white shirt, a navy knit vest, and black slacks. At a glance, it was reminiscent of a school uniform.
“That looks good. It fits the song well, too.”
The song we were assigned, ‘congratulations,’ has lyrical verses about giving a final confession to a girl one had a crush on while graduating from high school.
Up to this point, you might think it has a bright and hopeful feel, but the ending hints that the confession was a final farewell, knowing the crush liked someone else, which gives it a poignant feeling.
You listen to it cheerfully, but it leaves a lingering feeling at the end.
“Then let's focus the concept entirely on school and arrange the song in that direction, too.”
Since the song's feeling is heavily driven by its lyrics, it seemed better to stick with the original concept rather than force a new one.
And being a ballad, there were limits to how much we could arrange it.
“It would be better if our performance order was either at the very beginning or the very end.”
I agreed with Park Ji-ham.
A ballad can seem a bit plain compared to a dance track.
It has a static feel, after all.
‘How should we solve that?’
“Hmm… Ah. What if we mix in some acting, like a musical?”
I'd seen a performance before where they added a bit of acting to the intro and the dance break.
The reaction wasn't bad, either.
It seemed like a good idea to apply that here.
“A musical?”
“Yes. Nothing too grand, but we could start the performance by acting like we're at a graduation ceremony. Just a few classroom chairs and desks would really set the mood. That would naturally create more movement, so wouldn't it be better than just standing and singing? The song isn't overwhelmingly sad or anything.”
Park Ji-ham was listening to me with a serious expression.
“We could add a school bell sound at the beginning, move around naturally, then start singing. We could have a short acting part in the middle, sing again, and then end on a poignant note.”
Suddenly, the stage started to take shape in my mind.
“Since we have the fewest members, the stage might look empty. I think this could help fill it up, too.”
“I like it. Let's plan it that way. I was honestly a bit intimidated when you first said 'musical,' but I think I can handle something like that.”
The stage composition was decided quickly.
The outfits and concept weren't anything unusual, so we found some references and immediately sent a message to the writer.
* * *
“Welcome.”
So-jeong became our designated trainer.
She greeted us with a brighter expression than ever before.
It was awkward, as if she'd suddenly become a different person.
“First, let's hear the song.”
“Yes.”
When the intro played, I bobbed my head lightly to the rhythm.
—Congratulations
On your graduation
Congratulations
I'm thinking of you
The song began with Park Ji-ham's voice.
Though there was still a hint of instability, he sounded much better than before.
He might not have sounded amazing, but he certainly didn't sound bad.
He blended in well enough.
It was acceptable.
With a bit more practice, he would improve even more.
—Casually
I walk up to you
And say
Hello
I naturally took over the next part.
Thankfully, my breathing wasn't too bad either.
The song continued smoothly until it ended.
So-jeong held the sheet music in one hand and scribbled furiously with the other.
Her eyes were full of passion.
“Guys. Wait just a moment.”
Only the scratching sound of a pen filled the practice room.
Quite some time passed before So-jeong finally looked up.
“Okay. Check this out.”
Park Ji-ham and I both took the sheet music.
The pages were filled with so many notes that there was barely any white space left.
It clearly conveyed So-jeong's sincere desire for the two of us to succeed.
“There's a limit to our training time, you know. So I wrote everything down. Practice just like this.”
“Thank you.”
“Yoon-seul, you can practice on your own with this, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then, Park Ji-ham, you and I will do some more vocal exercises.”
And so, Park Ji-ham began practicing right by So-jeong's side.
His vocalization was definitely much more stable than when we first started practicing.
‘Thank goodness he's improving faster than I thought.’