Chapter 358
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 358
Chapter Title: A Health Scare
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>Benjamin: It’s only been three years since she started the violin?
>Benjamin: I’d say she’s even better than Jason was after his third year.
>Jason: …….
>Jason: I have to agree, she seems better than I was at that age.
At some point, Professor Benjamin had joined the conversation.
Seojun smiled faintly at the messages from Professor Benjamin and Jason Moore.
Like Soobin, Jason Moore had also met the violin dream fairy in his sleep.
However, a considerable amount of time had passed before he met Professor Benjamin Morton and began learning the violin. In that time, the dream fairy’s blessing must have slowly faded.
‘But Soobin is different.’
She had started learning the violin immediately after receiving the dream fairy’s blessing. Her talent was likely blossoming much faster than Jason Moore’s had.
‘Though I don’t know where it will end.’
Whether or not Soobin would one day surpass Jason Moore was now entirely up to her.
Seojun chuckled, thinking of Soobin, who had recently mastered the ‘Second Violin Part’ of the [Concerto for Two Violins] and was now practicing hard to play the ‘First Violin Part’. He tapped on his phone and typed out a message.
>Benjamin: Of course!
>Jason: Of course!
Just as they had been when they saw Seojun playing ‘Gray Vainie,’ the two violinists were brimming with enthusiasm at the appearance of another talented child.
* * *
“It’s already the second semester!”
“In just a few months, we’ll be seniors!”
Several weeks had passed since the second semester began, and with the mounting pressure of their final year and the college entrance exams, the students of the Acting Department’s year two, class one, were restless during every break. It was the same now as they headed to the cafeteria for lunch.
“It feels like time is just flying by, but I haven’t done anything.”
Yang Joohee nodded repeatedly at the words of Kim Jookyung, who was in the same class this year. Jeon Sungmin, who had played the detective in the Yeoul Arts Middle School graduation performance, looked at Seojun next to him and said with a smile.
“Meanwhile, Seojun’s been busy composing and performing.”
The topic of conversation shifted to Seojun.
Seeing Seojun scratch his cheek, Jookyung said with a laugh.
“I heard the music department students are practicing a lot with the sheet music you released. They say it’s great for practice.”
Sungmin and Joohee nodded in agreement.
“I heard that too. They said it’s like an etude that collects all the difficult techniques. But they’re not sure because the piece is too good to be just an etude.”
“There are a ton of videos on N-tube of people arranging it for other instruments. I saw piano and cello versions.”
“I saw a guitar one, too.”
Not long after the sheet music was released, videos of people playing the [Concerto for Two Violins] began popping up like mushrooms after rain.
From professionals to people who looked like they had just started learning the violin, many people were enjoying the [Concerto for Two Violins], which made Seojun very happy.
“It would be so cool to see it played on two pianos!”
“Still, the original is the best.”
As his friends looked for a place to sit with their trays full of delicious food, Seojun spoke.
“I’m going to eat separately today.”
Joohee tilted her head.
“Who are you eating with?”
“I’m eating with Hanseok.”
“Ah, Hanseok.”
Following Seojun’s gaze, his three friends looked to the side. They saw Kim Hanseok quietly but excitedly chatting with his friends.
“Aren’t those kids going to get indigestion if you show up?”
Everyone burst out laughing at Sungmin’s remark.
* * *
“That performer, Vin. She’s the kid who won the gold prize in the elementary division, right?”
“Kim Soobin, second grade at Maesil Elementary!”
The first-year students of Mirinae Arts High School were gathered and talking. Regardless of whether they were from the music, acting, or art department, the common thread among the kids gathered here was that they had all gone to the ATR Violin Competition.
“Wasn’t her performance amazing?”
“I don’t know anything about music, but I could picture a clear image in my head. So I drew it.”
“Ooh. Spoken like a true art student.”
The students chattered away, barely noticing if the food was going into their mouths or up their noses. Of course, they remembered to keep their voices down.
A first-year from the music department, who had won the gold prize in the competition, spoke up.
“I thought the performer’s name sounded familiar.”
“I looked up the article, too.”
A first-year from the acting department fumbled for his phone and showed them a screenshot he had taken.
[Winners of the 8th ATR Violin Competition]
<The 8th ATR Violin Competition has concluded… (omitted)... Gold Prize in the Elementary Division, Kim Soobin (Maesil Elementary, 2nd Grade)... (omitted)>
Kim Soobin… Soobin… Bin… Vin!
When the video was first uploaded, there wasn’t a single first-year who wasn’t stunned by the truth that fit together like the final piece of a puzzle.
“I remembered her name because she’s Senior Seojun’s sister, but I never expected to see it here…”
“No one would believe you if you told them the second violinist was an elementary school student, right?”
At those words, the two violin majors nodded.
“Her performance was too good for an elementary schooler.”
“But in a way, the fact that she’s an elementary schooler made some parts fit even better.”
“That must be because our senior composed it, right?”
“Senior Lee Seojun is just amazing…!”
One of the students, who had been marveling, spoke up.
“But are we allowed to talk about this? A lot of people are looking for Vin.”
“I know, right? My mouth is so itchy, I can’t stand it.”
“Of course not. If Seojun-hyung wanted to reveal it, he would have used her full name.”
At the words of Kim Hanseok, who was wolfing down his side dishes, the hushed but fiery chatter of the students died down.
“…That’s true.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“I’d really appreciate that.”
A smooth voice with crisp, clear pronunciation, something they rarely heard from their friends, reached their ears. Startled by the familiar voice, Kim Hanseok and the others whipped their heads around.
Senior Lee Seojun was standing behind them, holding a lunch tray and smiling.
“Seojun-hyung!”
“Senior!”
The startled cries of the first-years briefly drew the attention of the other students in the cafeteria before it dissipated. The sigil on the cafeteria wall, which Seojun had recharged with mana at the start of the second semester, shimmered.
“Mind if I sit here for a bit?”
“Y-Yes! Please do!”
“Of course!”
At Seojun’s question, Kim Hanseok quickly scooted over to make room. The first-year who ended up sitting next to Seojun and the one sitting across from him gave Kim Hanseok a thumbs-up.
Placing his tray on the table, Seojun sat down and looked around at the first-years.
There were some he recognized from Yeoul Arts Middle School and others he was seeing for the first time at Mirinae Arts High School.
Seeing Seojun up close like this for the first time, the first-years stared with sparkling eyes. Seojun smiled and began to speak.
“Looks like you figured out who Vin is.”
“…Yes.”
Although Seojun was smiling, the first-years felt a pang of guilt and answered timidly. They probably weren’t supposed to know. Seeing their dejected faces, Seojun waved his hand with a laugh.
“I’m not scolding you. I just came to ask if you could keep it a secret until Soobin is a little older.”
“Of course we’ll keep it a secret!”
Kim Hanseok replied with a bright smile, and the other students chirped like sparrows.
“Me too!”
“You can count on me. I’ll even keep the others in line!”
“? You’re the one with the biggest mouth. Senior, if he fell in the water, only his mouth would float.”
Seojun smiled at the lively first-years and picked up his chopsticks.
Ah, they were in the middle of eating.
The first-years quickly picked up their utensils as well, but their eyes remained fixed on Seojun. The only one who seemed relaxed was Kim Hanseok, who even had Seojun’s phone number.
“But why did you use her real name?”
“Yeah. I feel like other people besides us could figure it out…”
Who knows.
Who could possibly deduce that the second violinist was an elementary school student, a second-grader at that?
If the first-years hadn't met Seojun at the competition, they would have never known either.
‘And there are quite a few people named Bin.’
Who on earth is Vin?
Amid people's curiosity, N-tube videos searching for the identity of the hidden ‘Vin’ were popping up.
The list included many ‘Bins’ in Korea and (due to his connection with Benjamin and Jason) even ‘Bins’ from abroad. The list, which included nicknames, was quite long. An Daho had mentioned that a few candidates had emerged, and with interview requests pouring into Cocoa Entertainment, an article would probably come out soon.
‘But Soobin wasn't on the list.’
Not only was Soobin’s name missing from that list, but there were no elementary school students either.
Seojun took a bite of a plump, butter-grilled shrimp and said.
“I was originally going to use a pseudonym… but my sister insisted on using her name. But putting her full name would have caused an uproar, so I wrote Jun for myself and Bin for my sister.”
It was the stubbornness of a nine-year-old who wanted to copy everything her older brother did.
“I see.”
Nom, nom.
Eating lunch while talking with the one and only Senior Lee Seojun, they still couldn’t tell if the food was going into their mouths or up their noses. Nevertheless, their trays were slowly emptying.
“Thanks for granting my request. If there’s anything you want to ask of me, let me know. I’ll grant it. But nothing too difficult, okay?”
Seojun said with a wink, and the first-years’ eyes lit up.
“Th-Then, could you give me your autograph?”
A first-year from the art department, who hadn’t attended Yeoul Arts Middle School, stammered.
“An autograph? Sure. Anything else?”
“Umm…”
At the superstar’s ‘anything else?’, the students pondered with serious expressions before speaking up.
“A poster for me! With your autograph, if you could…!”
“Which movie poster would you like? If I have it at the company, I’ll bring it for you.”
“I want a lightstick!”
At the music student’s words, the other students’ eyes widened.
“Me too, a lightstick. I feel like they’ll sell out as soon as they’re released and I won’t be able to get one.”
“Right. We’ll definitely miss out.”
“By the way, Senior, when is the lightstick coming out? My sister is waiting for it.”
“Me too!”
Seojun’s eyes widened at the students’ reactions, and he soon smiled and said.
“Well, I heard they’re starting to think about the lightstick design…”
“Really?”
While Seojun and the students were chatting, Kim Hanseok, who had been watching his friends with a pleased expression, noticed his phone vibrating.
He fumbled in his pocket for his phone and saw a text message.
Tilting his head at the unfamiliar number, Kim Hanseok read the message.
From the very first sentence, his eyes darted left and down. Slowly, Kim Hanseok’s body stiffened.
“…Huh?”
Did I see that wrong?
He rubbed his eyes, but the content of the message remained unchanged. The two chopsticks in Kim Hanseok’s right hand clattered onto the table.
Seojun and the other students, who had been discussing which of the lightstick designs posted on [From the Sprouts] was the coolest, turned their heads at the sound.
In those few seconds, the color had drained from Kim Hanseok’s face. Seojun and the first-years, startled, spoke to him.
“Hanseok. What’s wrong?”
“Did you eat something bad? Did you bite your tongue?”
“Blood! Are you bleeding?”
Kim Hanseok was completely frozen and couldn’t even answer. Seojun’s expression hardened. His eyes, searching for the cause, landed on the phone Hanseok was holding.
“Hanseok. Just a moment.”
Seojun reached out and took the phone. Kim Hanseok’s trembling eyes followed the phone. Seojun spotted the text on the screen and read it with a serious expression.
The first-years held their breath, watching only Seojun as he looked up from the phone.
[(Web Message) Hello. This is Eunyoung Hospital.]
[Regarding patient Kim Hanseok’s examination results, a follow-up detailed examination is required. Please be sure to visit a tertiary general hospital for re-examination and treatment.]
Haa.
Seojun, who had read the message without breathing, let out a sigh of relief.
‘I thought something really serious had happened.’
“It’s a re-examination for his health check-up.”
“…A re-examination?”
For some reason, the first-years seemed even more shocked by those words. Seojun tilted his head.
“Why is everyone so surprised? You often get a re-examination notice if you get tested when you’re not fasting, right?”
Han Jiho had the same thing happen during last year’s health check-up. He said he couldn’t resist and ate something.
It was nothing to be overly concerned about. A request for a re-examination was something that occasionally happened if you had a health check-up without fasting or after strenuous activity.
But unlike the relieved Seojun, the other first-years turned as pale as Kim Hanseok. Seojun, the only one not understanding, blinked his eyes.
“…Senior. Hanseok already had his re-examination…”
“…What?”
Seojun asked again at the words of the ashen-faced first-year from the art department.
He already had a re-examination?
“…I think that’s the result of the second one.”
To be told to get re-examined twice.
Come to think of it, the message said [examination] instead of [health check-up], and [tertiary general hospital] instead of the usual [hospital or clinic]. A tertiary general hospital referred to a major medical center, like a university hospital.
“…Hanseok…”
A re-examination of a re-examination.
Their minds already filled with all sorts of thoughts, the first-years looked back and forth between Kim Hanseok and Seojun with teary eyes.
As he slowly came to his senses, Kim Hanseok’s expression mirrored his friends’. His eyes were welling up with tears from the terrifying scenarios he was imagining, looking as if he would burst into tears at the slightest touch.
Seeing Kim Hanseok and the first-years like this, Seojun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Seojun cherished even a whale he had met briefly; would he not care for the health of those around him?
[(Good) Staff of the Rober Tribe's Diagnostic Priest - Mid-High Grade]
Allows you to know ‘all’ of the target’s status abnormalities.
The high priests of the Rober tribe, who worshiped a god named ‘Roberwin,’ were divided into two types: healing priests who could cure all status abnormalities, and diagnostic priests who could identify all status abnormalities.
Since healing priests used their own life force to heal, the ability of a diagnostic priest to perfectly identify the abnormality and narrow the scope of treatment was essential.
Healing was impossible.
A power that could only ‘know.’
But its scope was vast, capable of detecting even the most minuscule status abnormalities.
Seojun used this ability to check on the health of those around him whenever he had time.
[The (Good) Staff of the Rober Tribe's Diagnostic Priest is activating.]
Seojun checked Kim Hanseok again with the [(Good) Staff of the Rober Tribe's Diagnostic Priest], but Hanseok was perfectly, completely healthy without a single ailment.
He couldn't just tell the first-years, who looked ready to burst into tears, ‘I diagnosed him with my ability, and Hanseok is fine.’
‘If I did, I’d be lucky not to be treated like a weirdo.’
Feeling frustrated, Seojun swallowed the sigh that was about to escape. If he sighed here, both Kim Hanseok and the first-years would surely burst into tears.
‘Hanseok. You’re totally fine.’
Somehow, they misinterpreted his gaze.
The pitying look from their amazing senior made Kim Hanseok and the first-years’ expressions grow even more somber.
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