School Festival #12
School Festival #12
The festival was over.
Unfortunately, no scouts from any entertainment agency showed up. Not that I sang badly. Honestly, no kidding, it was the best performance of my life.
"It's only because the agency people weren't allowed into the school. They can't risk talent leaking out, right? So they couldn't get in from the very beginning... What a shame. I really wanted to spread my song all over the world."
"This motherfucker sang like shit and he's still running his mouth for real."
"Whoa!"
I easily jumped over the low kick Yu-ri launched and jabbed her in the side with my knife-hand.
ㅡPwah!
But Yu-ri wrapped mana around her side and deflected my knife-hand!
"She deflected that?!"
"Heh, Kim Geun-cheol. You've grown a bit? You even tried a counterattack. Huh?"
"'Grown'...?"
Before Yu-ri could do anything, I put on airs and stared up at the sky like I'd just had an epiphany.
"When I took down the Student Council President, I thought to myself..."
"What?"
"That I need even greater power."
"The hell is this bastard on about now!"
Yu-ri yelled and tried to put me in a headlock, so I immediately used footwork to dodge.
"No, Yu-ri, why are you so damn violent today!"
"Then why aren't you judging?"
"Ah...!"
Even in a moment like this, the hour of judgment was approaching. I have to evaluate Yu-ri and Leona's dances...!
"Hehehe, that's right, Kim Geun-cheol. You have to judge, you know. Well, needless to say, my dance was perfect. You were watching the whole time, weren't you?"
"By that logic, my dance was perfect too."
"I didn't know I could sing that well either."
"This bastard's dodging."
Please just give me some time...!
"No, but—both were so moving that I forgot to judge and just watched to the end. To evaluate this objectively, I'd have no choice but to watch it again... can we do that?"
"Of course. The school already recorded everything. If the festival participants want, they can get the file."
What, they recorded all of that?
"Hey, hey. Then I've gotta get that. We'll watch it again and evaluate. Yeah?"
Oh no.
I'm cornered.
"Anyway, the festival's over, so take your time, mull it over, and evaluate."
Leona said that with a smile as gentle as an angel. At least Leona seemed willing to give me time.
As Leona said, I have to mull it over properly and judge.
"Of course, it'll be my victory!"
"From what I saw, it looks like my victory."
"Hehehe! This time, not even Woo Yu-ri is a match for me! Of course Yu-ri danced well too, but in terms of points, I'm higher!"
"Leona, your dance is too high-class! That's exactly why you could say it's a no!"
"What?!"
Leona and Yu-ri started talking about the dance. They launched into a heated debate, each claiming the other did better or worse.
"Guys! I'm here!"
While they were chatting away, Si-hoo, having finished her task, came running.
"Hey! Why are you so late!"
"Sorry. I had to talk a bit because of the technique demo. You waited, right? Let's go eat, then."
"Great. I'm hungry, so let's go eat. Jjamppong, anyone?"
"Meat! Let's eat meat, guys!"
Leona clicked her tongue regretfully at Yu-ri's suggestion. Leaving behind the school as darkness fell, we headed to a barbecue place.
"Hehehe, still, the festival was fun."
As I grilled the meat, I recalled the festival.
So many memorable moments.
"Except for the shitstorm at the end, that is. Everyone sang well and all the stuff we did was fun. But...!"
"To think the Student Council President was that kind of guy. He's exactly like Kim Geun-cheol."
"Am I that kind of crazy psycho?!"
The Student Council President was not normal!
"You are a psycho, Geun-cheol."
"Si-hoo. Please stop talking nonsense...!"
"Just eat the meat."
ㅡSssss.
When I snatched up all the meat Si-hoo had been carefully grilling and piled it onto my rice, Si-hoo stared in shock, mouth agape.
"Geun-cheooool...!"
You're in charge of grilling meat.
"Anyway. Leona, if you become president, you'll effectively be that man's successor."
"Honestly, it scares me! I never want to see him again!"
"Don't worry. I'll be by your side as vice president."
"Hah...! Then there's nothing to fear!"
But honestly, if we join the student council, we'll inevitably have to deal with that group of lunatics.
That is a worry.
* * *
We ate meat until we nearly burst and returned to the dorm. I'm really tired. Maybe I used too much strength today.
But when I went into my room,
ㅡToot toot!
Kitty was blowing a horn and greeting me!
"Hey, you! Why are you here again!"
"To congratulate Geun-cheol."
"For what?"
"Just 'cause you worked hard today, so Kitty's praising you. Toot toot."
Smiling cheerfully, Kitty praised me while blowing the horn excitedly. This kid. Still, being a monsterkin, she couldn't watch the festival. She must have been really disappointed.
Even if she's a monsterkin, a kid's still a kid.
How much she must have wanted to play.
Thinking of that, my nose stung. VP doesn't seem to play with her much either. Instead of just playing games at home, hey, wouldn't it be great to play with her a little?
"Yeah. Thanks, Kitty."
ㅡPat.
I placed my hand on Kitty's head.
"You played hard, huh."
"I wish Kitty could've seen it too."
"Uh, I can get the festival video. I've got my singing performance—wanna see it?"
"I wanna see!"
"I'll get it for you next time."
"I can't see it now?"
"Yeah."
"Toot toot!"
Looks like she's really into blowing that horn.
Hearing it is cute.
"Anyway, Geun-cheol. Kitty wants food."
"Is this a restaurant? No way. From now on, I'm only feeding you healthy stuff."
"Noooooo."
I said that, but I'm full right now. And since I didn't have much in the way of ingredients, I fried an egg, put it between slices of bread with ketchup and a slice of cheese, and gave it to her as a toast.
"It's yummy!"
Still, she eats well.
"So, Kitty, why'd you come today?"
"Nothing special. I was just curious what Geun-cheol did at the festival."
See, a kid's a kid.
I wish I could've let her see the festival.
"When I get the video, I'll show you."
"Okay."
Kitty headed home, blowing her horn, as if she really just came for food. After tidying up, just as I was about to wash up, my phone rang.
ㅡRing-ring.
I saw it was Ryuna.
"Ah, yes, ma'am. I've answered."
"Yeah, Geun-cheol? Thanks for today. Thanks to you, our Cheon-hwi had fun too."
"Hehehe, I didn't know the kid could perform so well. And I got chicken and all, so I was just in a great mood."
"Whenever you need it, I'll give it. So take care of Cheon-hwi a little more, will you?"
Hell, I'll take care of him till it gets creepy.
"I'm just messing with him, really."
"Hehehe, is that so? By the way, Geun-cheol, you seem to have a lot of cute girlfriends?"
"Huh, what? Girlfriends?"
Girlfriends...!
And plural?
"If you're two-timing, big trouble might come your way."
"No, it's not like that!"
"Oh? Is that so? Well, fine. Anyway, thanks. See you next time?"
"Yes."
ㅡClick.
The call ended.
"What a suspicious older sister, I swear."
I tossed my phone, went in, washed up, and lay down. I'm tired. But various thoughts come to mind. The Student Council President's power... Brian's rampage... Get out of my head!
The moment my mind went blank, images of Leona and Yu-ri floated up. A captivating dance and a sexy dance. I just can't figure out which to choose. As a judge, I want to evaluate as perfectly as possible, but it's tough.
ㅡKnock knock.
"Hm?"
I was about to sleep—who is it?
Thinking it might be Si-hoo, I opened the door, and sure enough, it was Si-hoo. She was wearing her usual white boxy tee and shorts. Her hair was damp, so she'd probably washed.
Si-hoo was amazing today too.
"Geun-cheol? You weren't asleep yet, right?"
"Yeah. What's up?"
"Just. Bored. Let's hang out."
Si-hoo said with a smile.
"Hehehe, then come on in."
I immediately let Si-hoo into the room.
"What? Did you eat again? There's dishes."
"Just restocking snacks."
"You'll turn into a pig."
"No way. Superhumans don't get fat."
Because energy consumption is so high. Anyway. Si-hoo's here, so what should we do? As I was thinking, she sat on my bed and said.
"Today's festival. It was fun, right?"
"Yeah. It was more fun than I thought."
"Hehe, it was. The kids were fun. It was amazing to see everyone else so excited performing."
"Brian. Especially Brian was crazy."
"The audience loved him the most."
Brian was truly insane.
"And..."
Si-hoo, still sitting on the bed, leaned her upper body back and continued.
"Leona and Yu-ri were amazing too. They both danced so well. Leona was like... a professional. Yu-ri felt like an idol dancer."
"Hehehe, right? It's hard enough that I'm agonizing over which one to pick."
"A tough problem."
Since it was night, there was no need for anything else.
I made green tea and poured it into a cup.
"How should I put it... they're girls, after all. So I was kind of jealous."
"Of what?"
"Leona and Yu-ri. They both danced in a way that suits them... that feminine dance, you know? Watching made me feel really envious."
"Lee Si-hoo, you sly thing?"
Si-hoo looked genuinely disappointed.
So she'd been thinking those thoughts.
"Maybe if I, um, didn't have to cross-dress... I might've been good at that kind of thing?"
"Dance?"
"Yeah."
The way she spoke, hesitating.
I guess we're entering counseling mode.
Leona and Yu-ri had shown off and had fun. For Si-hoo, who lives hiding that she's a girl, it's only natural to envy them.
Si-hoo wants to live as a girl. Maybe she actually wanted to dance rather than give a technique demonstration.
"You bastard. You wanted to take part in something like that too, huh?"
"Yeah."
"I get it. Everyone wants that. Kind of a shame. If you didn't have to do the male disguise thing."
I thought for a moment.
Si-hoo with long hair, not cross-dressing, dancing in a girl's uniform?
That would look pretty good.
"...If I hadn't?"
"You'd have danced well."
"R-right? Honestly, I think I'd be pretty good at dancing too."
But.
Seeing Si-hoo get all cocky like that, I felt like teasing her.
"But, well, you'd dance well, but... kind of comedic? Like you'd win in the comedy category."
"Wh-what?! Geun-cheol, what's that supposed to mean?"
"Si-hoo, you always pick the weirdest stuff to do. So your dancing would probably be kinda funny, that's what I'm saying."
"The one who always picks weird stuff is you, Geun-cheol! Why do you keep pinning what you do on me!"
I dunno.
"Just 'cause. Anyway, I can tell just by looking."
"Tell what!"
"Lee Si-hoo's physical comedy dance."
"Ha...!"
ㅡWham!
Si-hoo shot up from the bed, face red, and shouted.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but that's absolutely not true!"
"No? I think it is."
"Then...!"
Suddenly, Si-hoo hesitated for a moment, then blurted out.
"Then watch and see!"
"What?"
"I'll dance right here! Watch and judge for yourself!"
"Huh?"
Saying that, Si-hoo went into the bathroom.
ㅡBang!
About a minute later, she violently threw open the door and came out!
"Gasp!"
This bastard undid the chest binding!