Karaoke Firefight and the Last-Minute Busking Bomb
Your song slapped. The reason I stole Moon Juhee's dedication song wasn't just to troll her. I'm Seonggwang, a man steeped in proper Confucian values—I'm not about to disrespect the dead, no matter what. I only mock the living.
The real reason I picked this song? I just like it. If someone says they came to karaoke and sang their favorite track, what the hell is there to complain about? And if you can't sing a song just because the creator's passed away, what songs could anyone sing in this world? Songs are made to be sung, so sing 'em.
Of course, with Moonlight's own member—and the subject herself—right there, Lara and Lee Junwoo were shocked that I could pick it without a shred of hesitation. But I don't get intimidated by that stuff. Songs are meant to be enjoyed, right? This is my tribute, I belt out in a raspy voice, and dive into the song.
"…Phew."
The four-minute marathon ends, and my solo performance—with zero cheers or backup vocals—pulls in a pretty satisfying score.
"99 points. Not bad at all."
I can't wrap my head around it not being a perfect 100, but let's chalk that up to this karaoke machine being a ruthless sexist and call it a day. Lee Junwoo grumbles, pointing out my personality flaws, while Lara—who'd been staring at me in terror—mutters in utter disbelief.
"…Why'd you have to sing it that well?"
"I'm genius vocalist Seonggwang to the max…"
"Ugh, your cringey bullshit pisses me off every time. But you nailed it so perfectly, it pisses me off even more."
Lara grumbles at the insurmountable gap. I snort in satisfaction at my solid result and glance at Moon Juhee. The other two are watching her reaction nervously, but I proudly flash my score at her.
"99 points. Came out great, didn't it?"
"…If it'd been just two points lower, I would've killed you."
"Whoa~ That was close. If it'd been 95, my perfect record…"
"Not kidding."
"……."
Moon Juhee's voice drops ice-cold. Lee Junwoo and Lara huddle in the corner, shivering, too scared to move, and even I flinch, freezing up. Moon Juhee grabs a tambourine in one hand and taps it against her palm—thump thump. She raises it high and brings it down lightly on my head.
Clang!
"Fuck, you little shit… You sing too goddamn well, and it pisses me off more. Why's your pitch so spot-on?"
"…You forgiving me?"
"Forgive my ass. You weren't singing it to mess with me, and if you're gonna claim this song, go for it."
Moon Juhee nods with a sly quirk of her lips. Lee Junwoo and Lara look baffled, while only I—knowing the full story—give an awkward laugh. For a second, I thought she was seriously pissed with that heavy vibe. But yeah, if she'd flip out over someone singing her song, she never would've stuck around me this long. Guess that old indulgence I earned comes in handy.
I exhale the breath I'd been holding and relax as Moon Juhee—who'd stood up slightly—kicks my ass.
"Hand over the mic. All I gotta do is beat 99, right?"
"I'll spot you down to 95 as a margin of error."
"Don't need your charity. Let's see… Any recent karaoke hits?"
She snatches the mic and starts singing, ramping up the energy. She doesn't just hit 95—she nails a perfect 100, proving why a former pro vocalist is on another level altogether…
"That's gotta be invalid, right? Fair and square means singing your own band's song, not some pop track."
"I sang that shit to death during my pro days—why the hell would I do it again at karaoke? You got wrecked, so quit being a sore loser. And no more bragging about your singing from now on."
In the end, I'm banned from flexing my vocal talents, and for some reason, Lara and Lee Junwoo cheer at the news. Fine, whatever with Junwoo, but why's Lara happy? I sing better than her.
The awkward mood heats up thanks to my showdown with Moon Juhee. Lee Junwoo tries to jump in next, but he pulls out some obscure Western pop tune and gets shut down hard. Banned from singing, he ends up as the tambourine lackey, while Shin Lara—who'd been getting into the vibe—joins in the fun. She's naturally sociable, so even in this desperate atmosphere, she adapts. Is this the adaptability of a real 17-year-old high schooler?
After that, my refusal to accept defeat and Moon Juhee's rising hype from singing after ages keep the songs coming.
"Issho no shashintachi! Osorono ki-horu da-!"
With Lee Junwoo sidelined, Moon Juhee finally belts out an anime song, and her surprisingly killer vocals get even me and Lara hyped enough to join in. I couldn't back down either. Time to unleash the Seonggwang sexy voice I'd been hiding—the perfect track to flaunt my falsetto.
"If only~"
Of course, the reaction sucked.
"What the hell's with that guy."
"Is he a total attention whore…?"
My ranking drops right below Lee Junwoo's, but I recover quick with an upbeat dance track. Me and her go head-to-head for a good while like that.
About an hour in, maybe?
"Huff… Hey, hold up. I'm wiped. Let's, like, take a break."
Time waits for no one, it seems. Just a few years ago, Moon Juhee could've handled twenty encores no sweat, but six songs in, she's gassed. Exhausted, she says she'll step out for some air, stuffs a pack of Esse cigs in her pocket, and leaves the room.
Now it's just me, Lara, and Lee Junwoo left.
Lara's still reeling from Moon Juhee's vocals, talking about catching her prime live shows, while Lee Junwoo—who got chewed out by Moon Juhee for messing up the tambourine rhythm—stares at Lara and drops a line.
"But Lara, how the hell'd you end up hanging with that guy? Did he do something to you?"
"What would I do?"
"Like, hook you up with some agency… or intro you to a big producer… Something sleazy like that?"
What the hell does this guy think I am? Sounds like I lured in some kid and committed a crime. It wasn't a problem 'cause I dated a minor—it was a problem 'cause the minor was a married woman. I stress the point and call out Lee Junwoo for slandering me.
"Excuse me. Unlike you, sir, I'm legal even with middle schoolers—at a stretch."
"Who said anything? I just can't figure out why you'd be with Lara. What's she see in a punk like you?"
"This guy's got a mouth on him…"
Let him talk once, and he doesn't know when to shut up. Sure, I'm down in the dumps and crashing here now, but back when I was hot shit, everyone from TV to wherever was begging to grab a meal with me… Huh? Cute face, tough bad-boy vibe. And killer at music too. Not that I'm trash-talking Lara, but objectively, I'm the one losing out here.
"Obviously, Lara hangs with me 'cause we're drawn to each other's burning passion for music…"
"We just ended up in the same group."
"Lara?"
"We're not even close… No other reason, sir."
"What? Lara, c'mon…"
Lara's brutal friend-zone hits me like a truck, leaving me staring blankly as Lee Junwoo cracks up—the hardest laugh of the night. Betrayed and alone, I grab her shoulders as she haughtily turns away and shake her.
"Lara… What're you saying? We're friends, right? You've been trying to get close to me too, haven't you?"
"Why're you like this, Composer Seonggwang? You said you'd bounce right after handling your business with me today."
"That was just talk… Don't be like this, Lara. W-we were good together."
"Pfft, how could I get chummy with Pianist Seonggwang, 13-time concerto champ? You posted that prelim dropout video of mine in the group chat every damn day. I wouldn't dare."
Looks like Lara's got a real grudge from my antics. I only sent that video 'cause even though flute's not my major, I know my shit—and I wanted to break down her bad concerto performance with feedback. Stunned that my good intentions fell flat, I gape as Lee Junwoo—who'd been listening intently—pipes up with a follow-up for her.
"So, Lara, you one of the groupmates that punk mentioned? The one singing the song?"
Lara freezes at Lee Junwoo's question. It's obvious she's thrown—plain as day. Well, yeah. She doesn't want him digging deeper. Hell, aside from me—who's in the know out of necessity—Lara's not telling anyone her true feelings about vocals. That's why she's freaking out. She desperately averts her eyes, praying he drops it.
"I'm not a vocal major, so it's kinda iffy who teaches singing at our school, right? It's just a hobby."
"…Yeah, that's…"
"Perfect. Wanna give it a shot here?"
But our Lee Junwoo barrels right through her vibes, poking her sore spot mercilessly. From his angle, she's his groupmate and student, so he's just being nice—but to Lara, that "niceness" feels like a noose tightening.
"It's a karaoke spot, and this stuff doesn't click overnight—it's tough—but I can hit the big points for you."
"…… Um, I…"
"Just sing once? No pressure—it's not like you're going pro."
His relentless "help" amps her tension. Her once-bright face goes pale, forcing a twisted smile. From his spot, it's pure good intentions—no blaming him—but couldn't he pick up on it a little? Lara hasn't sung once the whole time at karaoke. Even without knowing why, you could read the room and let it slide. This level of obliviousness is why Lee Junwoo's still single.
Clean looks wasted on a total social dud… Tsk tsk.
Lara's sweating bullets, trapped, as I sigh shortly, silence my phone, and sneakily dial somewhere.
Riiiing!
A phone rings out of nowhere, and we all check ours. Of course, it's Lara's.
"……Huh?"
She checks the caller and shoots me a questioning look, turning. I blink at her a few times to signal, and luckily, she gets it and stands.
"H-hold on, Teacher Junwoo. It's my dad… Oh, hello? Dad, what's up?"
With that awkward shuffle, Lara bolts from the karaoke room, and my phone pings with a missed call alert right after.
About three minutes later, she slinks back in, bows slightly to Lee Junwoo, and says,
"Sorry… Teacher, Dad's calling me home, so I gotta go… Can't sing after all."
"No, no—go ahead. We've held you too long. Sorry, I was clueless."
I was floored by his words. How's a guy who knows that pull off such a casual line? Without him, Lara could've at least eaten first.
"Alright, see ya, sir. Tell the principal for me."
With that, Lara dips without a backward glance. Lee Junwoo beats himself up over his lack of tact, while I check her message.
"……No problem."
We'll sort this later. I eye Lee Junwoo, who's bummed he didn't hear Lara sing.
"…Why?"
"……Sigh."
"No, seriously, what?"
"Sigh…"
As I stare down this hopeless case, Moon Juhee returns from her smoke break, looking refreshed.
"Sorry~ I late?"
She'd grabbed three coffees on the way and scans the room, puzzled by the missing person.
"Where's Lara?"
"Oh, sis, it's like…"
Lee Junwoo stammers excuses as I shoot him a pitiful look. Ignoring his babble, Moon Juhee zeros in on my reaction.
"……."
She's aged and dulled in spots, but not so oblivious as Lee Junwoo—she hasn't eaten tact for breakfast. Her instincts are still sharp; only her skills and looks have rusted. Eyes narrowing, she pieces it together from experience, woman's intuition, my vibe, Lara's exit, and him.
"Haa… Junwoo, what the hell's wrong with you."
Convinced Lee Junwoo's to blame for Lara bailing, Moon Juhee clicks her tongue and lays into him.
"What'd I do?"
"What'd you do to make her… Haa, just drop dead, you moron…"
"No… Seriously, what?!"
Clueless Lee Junwoo feels super wronged, but since he is at fault for her leaving, I side with Moon Juhee. After Lara split, the vibe tanks hard. We sing a few more to not waste the paid time, donate four tracks to the next group, and quietly bail.
Time passes to the following Wednesday—B class day for group work with Lara.
"Lara, time to start prepping."
"…For what?"
Lara, munching chick-shaped marshmallows puffed in her cheeks, shoots back.
"What else? Recording."
I'd planned to push it back more, but with the evaluation a month out, and our group report needing content—plus Lee Jeongyeon's lessons falling short—might as well hustle now and wrap it quick.
"So what's the deal?"
As she dusts sugar from the bag, I explain lightly.
"Busking."
"?"
"Oh, don't sweat it—it's not a big deal. We've got two weeks' notice anyway. First up, though…"
"Hey, hold up."
Lara cuts me off mid-explain. Bathroom break before details? I ask why.
"Why?"
"Busking? I never heard."
"Yeah, 'cause I'm telling you now?"
"……."
Lara clamps her mouth shut, and I gaze back calmly. She looks like she has a lot to say, finally parting her lips slightly.
"M-me? Busking? When…?"
"This Saturday."
"…Why tell me now?"
"Felt like now was the time?"
Perfectly reasonable. It hit me today, and since it's this week, spilling it this week makes sense all around. Prep might feel short, but it's no big production—just street singing. Three days is plenty.
"Anyway, gotta prep for busking now…"
"…."
Thinking I'd wrapped the pitch, I pivot back, but Lara—who'd been staring blankly—curls her lips. It looks like a smile at first, then a scowl on second glance.
"…Hey, Seonggwang."
"Yeah?"
She calls my name after silently staring. I answer, and Lara—who'd been holding it in—looks at me with eyes like something snapped.
"You fucking asshole. Wanna die?"
"…."
Lara doesn't hold back.