Chapter 20
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Sketch (5)
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We stared at each other in silence.
Soon, Seol Yu-jin rose from her seat and flipped her dangling ponytail back with a flourish.
"Practice hard. I'll be looking forward to it."
With that, the practice room door thudded shut. I was left utterly dumbfounded.
Alone now, I couldn't utter a single word for a while.
"......What the hell is she?"
It felt like all my energy had been sucked out by the sudden storm named Seol Yu-jin.
Id never seen someone so relentlessly my-pace before. What on earth did she think I was?
Still, Ive got to do what needs doing.
Since Id come to the practice room anyway, I sat down at the piano intending to hole up until evening. The weekends were great because the place was so deserted, letting me use it freely.
Over the weekend, I practiced using audiovisual materials. Id begged and pleaded until Lee Ha-yeon finally gave me videos of her actually playing the piano.
Shot from above the keys, showing just her fingersgreat for reference.
Starting from the basics, it was crucial to get familiar with advanced techniques as quickly as possible.
Having a broad repertoire was an advantage in itself.
In simple terms, I needed to expand my lineup. Whether it was a recital or a practical exam, Id have to select pieces suited to the occasion.
At the very least, nothing should be dismissed as too hard for me to play.
"Lee Ha-yeon really does play the piano exceptionally well."
Purely on technical merit, ignoring everything else, she might even have the edge on Baek Ji-ho.
It was like learning Korean pronunciation from a news anchorno room for doubt.
After wrapping up my intensive practice that evening,
I massaged my palms on the way back to the dorm and spotted a pair of incongruous shoes.
"What are you doing here?"
"You havent eaten, right? Lets grab some food. Im starving."
Lee Seong-hyuk had returned even before dinner time.
He casually slung an arm around my shoulder and steered us toward the cafeteria.
"Werent you coming back after dinner?"
"Nah, I came early. Missed the school grub."
"Whats to miss about school food?"
"You'd know if you tried my moms cooking."
"......"
Was this some teenage tantrum, or was the food at his place really that bad?
As we sat at a cafeteria table, idly theorizing which it might be, Lee Seong-hyuk asked me,
"By the way, you and Lee Ha-yeon already knew each other, right?"
"......Howd you figure?"
I leaned back in mild surprise as I answered.
"Figured as much. I could barely exchange a few words with her, but you two seem pretty tight. Howd you meet?"
Id braced for dramatics, but his reaction was surprisingly calm. So I told him the truth.
We'd taken music lessons together for about a year at a small academy when we were kids.
"That place you mentioned before? So you really havent touched music since then? And you still got into Ye-rim?"
"No piano around to play. Thats how it went."
"Thats more shocking than you knowing Lee Ha-yeon."
Lee Seong-hyuk continued, chopsticks in hand.
"I get that youve got talent, but you shouldnt tell the others about that."
"Why not."
"Come on. Everyone else busted their asses for ten years just to scrape into Ye-rim. Howd they feel hearing that? Might breed resentment."
"Let em resent. Just focus on your own musicwho has time for others drama."
I had zero intention of blabbing about it... but he had a point.
No matter the intent, the listeners might not see it that way.
"Besides, Im not there yet. Not many whod be jealous."
"Eh? Werent there kids all fired up to beat you in the second eval?"
Oh yeah, those bets. Started without my input.
Im gunning for the top ranks too, so no yielding there.
And whenever possible, Id seize every opportunity that came my way.
Like the recitals where kids like Baek Ji-ho and Lee Ha-yeon had represented Ye-won Arts Middle School.
Performing a concerto with our school orchestra? Thatd be thrilling. Just thinking about it sent shivers of excitement through me.
"Anyway, gotta rack up some real points in this exam."
A week had passed since the entrance ceremony. Friend groups seemed to have mostly formed among the close-knit ones.
Clusters of three or four occupied spots around the classroom.
"Hey, over the weekend, I went to Ye-ri and Ahyeon-dong with Ye-ri? Tired of always hitting Sinchon, you know? But there were so many cute spots. Next time, Ha-yeon comes too, okay? What do you say?"
"Yeah, depending on my schedule."
"Sweet! Consider it locked in? Hehe."
And with my group members all gathered around my desk, it looked like Id hopped on that bandwagon too.
Kim Ju-hee, whod been chattering nonstop, cleared her throat with an ahem.
"Today, I think our group should get together and bond!"
She thrust her hand up, beaming cheerfully, while the other three stared back glumly.
"Whatre you on about?"
"Group leader, you kept going on about unity and cohesion while we were singing, right? So I came up with this idea. Gotta sync up, yeah?"
"......Youre not planning something weird, are you."
Kim Ju-hee brushed off my wary look with a confident grin.
"Stick around after class, everyone. No refusals."
"Everyone got time?"
"Yup."
"Same as you."
"Heh, looking forward to it."
Something schemey about it, so I couldnt shake my suspicions.
As I dazedly glanced around, I remembered the weekend and whispered to Lee Ha-yeon,
"Oh yeah, seems Myeong Woo-bin is still hung up on that thing from back then."
"That thing?"
"When he asked to be in your group and got shot down. He was sharpening his knives to beat you."
Lee Ha-yeon rolled her eyes in thought, then looked faintly deflated.
"Oh...... yeah. I guess I was a bit harsh."
"Nah, you did great."
She really did. Thanks to that, I got the honor of her group.
I nudged her elbow in awkward comfort, and she soon offered a faint smile.
Behind the slowly nodding Lee Ha-yeon, Kim Ju-hee shoved her face in, eyes sparkling.
"Whatre you two whispering about? Spill!"
"Whoa, scared me. Nothing much......"
I gave Kim Ju-hee a rough rundown of recruiting Lee Ha-yeon and what Id overheard that weekend.
She burst into cackles.
"Ah...... thats hilarious. Woo-bin such a sore loser? Who told you?"
"Ran into Seol Yu-jin at the cafeteria. Chatted a bit."
"Seol Yu-jin? Yu-jin?"
Kim Ju-hee gawked at my casual reply.
"Unless there are two here, yeah, her."
"You talked to Yu-jin?"
"Shes human. We talked."
She shook her head in disbelief, stamping her foot against my shoe.
"No, like, barely anyone has normal convos with Yu-jin. Same back at Ye-won."
Even Lee Ha-yeon nodded in agreement to that wild claim. Unbelievable.
If she doesnt talk normally, how does she even function at school?
Thinking back to yesterday's Seol Yu-jin, though, it kinda made sense.
"Weird, her approaching first. Guess our group leader caught her eye."
"What? No way."
I grimaced in protest just as a sharp click of heels sounded nearby.
"Did I hear that right? Ju-hee, gossiping behind backs now?"
The tone alone would irk anyone who overheard.
All our heads swiveled toward the source.
Jeong Hye-won, fiddling with her hair draped over Kim Ju-hees shoulder.
"Gossiping scary-like where everyone can hear...... Our Ju-hees turning thug?"
"Ahh─, was feeling great too."
Kim Ju-hees eyes sharpened in an instant as she deadpanned. She smacked Jeong Hye-wons hand away, glared, and turned.
"Mind your business and keep walking?"
"So prickly......"
Jeong Hye-won glanced around the classroom before continuing.
"What about Ye-ri? Her friend gets a free ride on Lee Ha-yeon, but Ye-ris stuck solo......"
Even a bystander like me was getting annoyed by the nitpicking.
But Kim Ju-hee was our group member. As leader, I couldnt just sit.
Just as I opened my mouth to intervene, Lee Ha-yeon looked up quietly.
"What...... do you think youre doing?"
It was the usual Lee Ha-yeon. Voice, flat tone, calm gazeall the same.
But the icy glare she shot Jeong Hye-won was frosted over like winter.
For a split second, I got why Ye-won grads thought she was cold to them.
"Wh-what do you mean...... why."
Jeong Hye-won met that piercing look but quickly averted her eyes.
She spat a scoffing ha and clicked her tongue softly.
"Boring."
Then she spun on her heel and walked off.
Looked like she was seriously spooked by Lee Ha-yeon. Stuttering out of nowhere, stiff gait leaving the room.
Never knew Lee Ha-yeon had this side. Wild.
"Ugh...... annoying. Jeong Hye-won is such bad luck!"
Kim Ju-hee squeezed her eyes shut, fists clenched, shoulders trembling in rage.
Lee Seong-hyuk floundered, unsure how to calm her.
Jeong Hye-won too......
At least it didnt blow up. Good.
I thumbs-upped in praise, and Lee Ha-yeon leaned in abruptly.
"Felt like Id made friends with Ju-hee, so......"
Her cupped hands whispered close, warm breath tickling my ear.
"Thought thats what friends do......"
Friends is friendswhat's this made friends vibe.
Standing up for her friend was commendable, though.
"Id have jumped in if you hadnt. Good job."
So she was mad just now? Without close watching, shed seem her usual self.
Doesnt really know how to get angry, huh.
Anyway, Jeong Hye-wons words stabbed right at the current issue.
Free ride on Lee Ha-yeon. A problem I felt acutely too.
Do the others see our group that way......
As I pondered with a groan, Kim Ju-hee slapped her cheeks and perked up.
"Thanks, Seong-hyuk. Its fine! Todays a good day anyway."
She raised a finger, drawing eyes, and grinned.
"But Im definitely beating her. Makes me so mad."
A bit twisted, but competitive fire was good fuel. Proper attitude.
"Whos Jeong Hye-won grouped with anyway."
"Her? Woo-bins crew."
"Ah......"
So thats how it shook out?
Lee Ha-yeon and I naturally locked eyes.
"Monday drags so much. Finally over."
The final bell rang. Lee Seong-hyuk, sprawled on his desk, sighed in complaint.
"Not studying at all and youre griping."
"Thats why time crawlsno studying."
"Fair point."
Back in my college days, Id tutored kids like him for 50k an hour......
Once the classroom emptied a bit, Kim Ju-hee returned with Seo Ye-ri from wherever.
"Guys, you waited! Lets go, quick."
She seemed pumped, like shed forgotten the morning drama.
"Where we headed anyway."
"Sheesh, questions later. Follow me."
Kim Ju-hee linked arms with Lee Ha-yeon and led the way.
We ended up outside the school gates at a rundown tteokbokki joint by the stream, a bit off campus.
"......We have dinner soon."
"Dessert stomachs are separate~ Come on, Ha-yeon!"
"Might gain weight......"
"One day wont hurt."
Tteokbokki counts as a meal, right? Swallowing that thought, we went in.
We grabbed a table, and I poured water for everyone before asking Kim Ju-hee,
"This is the bonding?"
"Duh? Eating like this makes friends, right."
"Oh."
Id braced for group instrument weirdness. Phew.
Back then, kids like Kim Ju-hee got called populars.
Dunno if thats still slang.
Lost in musings, a voice pierced my earsnot casual chatter.
"Oh yeah, forgot to thank you earlier, Ha-yeon. Thought Id swoon! Jeong Hye-won got exactly......"
Yup, Kim Ju-hee.
Lee Ha-yeon nodded along to her nonstop stream, listening patiently.
Worried over nothing. Shes great at making friends.
Watching them warmed me oddly.
Orders came quick after: tteokbokki, fritters, sundaea full spread.
"Thanks for the food."
"Morning sucked, so lets eat good and shake it off!"
"You just wanted this and dragged us?"
"Shh, not in front of food."
I skipped chatting, picked up a tteok, eyed it closely.
Sauce dripped slowly down. Red, glossy.
After-school tteokbokkihits different......
"Friends eating tteokbokki after school like this."
"Yeah?"
"Feels so high school."
"Dude, you are high school. Snap out of it."
"Right, yeah. Forgot."
"Piano fried your brain......"
"Im a high schooler."
"We know."
Lee Seong-hyuks weird look made me chuckle sheepishly.
Chopsticks flew over plates; the shop buzzed, mostly with elementary kids.
In the noisy chaos, I mechanically ate while mulling the eval.
Free ride on Lee Ha-yeon.
Jeong Hye-wons morning jab lingered, tormenting me.
I didnt think our setup was ideal. But no better ideas surfacedjust frustrating.
Needed a breakthrough, then practice around it......
"You gotta go, idiot."
"Not gotta!"
Suddenly, a boys booming voice hit my ear.
Upper elementary kids arguing excitedly. Tteokbokki forgotten.
"And dont call me idiot, idiot."
"Mom said steady awards from early look good on apps. Gotta is right."
"Pfft, America? I suck at English. Robots boring anyway."
App worries at that age?
Didnt get it fully, but high-level debate from kids deserved a listen.
"Age to care about fun? Dad says robotics has vision. Name-brand contests are fine."
What spring-autumn fan are you, past fun age? What contest?
"Dont judge by name. Looks pointless."
"Idiot, you pick colleges by name too."
"Hey, no swearing!"
Middle schoolers not even yet, fretting colleges. Tossing around portfolio, visionwords they half-grasp.
Bitter now, my earlier giggles felt embarrassing. They dropped gems like dont judge by name.
"You might beat those kids. You won the city contest."
"Maybe...... Think after college?"
My eval worries got sidelined. Kids talk too fun.
Trying stuff builds talent. Nail a US contest? Jackpot.
Young, so test-run it.
"Go when parents say. Ours cant afford overseas portfolio."
"Ugh, wanna vacation in break......"
"Gotta try to know. If fun, huge win."
By then, I was stunned.
Dont judge by name. Might beat them. Try to know. Just try.
Scattered phrases wove together, zapping through me.
......Yeah, you dont know till you try, right?
Snap! Puzzle pieces in my head clicked.
My gaze sharpened on wide-eyed Kim Ju-hee.
"Whoa, prepping early apps already? Insane."
"Glad were just piano."
"Nah, we skip grades. Depressing suddenly. When to study for CSAT......"
I shot up, pulled three 10k bills from my wallet, headed to the counter.
"Auntie, get those kids table and ours too. Keep the change."
Turning, I urged my flustered group.
"Hey, lets go. Practice room."
"What the sudden?"
"Now? Why?"
"Yeah, quick. Urgent."