Chapter 24
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Starting Dance Piece
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Kwon Se-hee narrowed her eyes and sidled up, shoulder to shoulder.
"...Is this really okay?"
"There were no rules on how to perform it."
"Well, yeah, I guess."
At Choi Je-hun's impassive reply, Kwon Se-hee straightened up with nothing to show for it.
The student who sat first across from Kwon Do-hyun was Lee Ha-yeon. From the atmosphere, it seemed she was handling the opening slot.
Not ordinary from the start.
Given the unexpected setup, it was natural to compare them to Myeong Woo-bin's group just before.
A lively, upbeat piece with the ace going first...
Could they pull it off? More importantly, what thought process led to this arrangement?
It was a start fueled more by apprehension than expectation.
Soon, Lee Ha-yeon's fingers dropped onto the keys. The cheerful yet crisp piano tones instantly dispelled the brief worries that had arisen.
The piece suits her perfectly. Did she pick it herself?
She must have wanted to make a strong impression. The introduction was flawless.
The bright, seamless opening shot was enough to gauge the kind of music this group wanted to share.
"That's Lee Ha-yeon, right? Impressive. No, outstanding."
"We've had our eyes on her."
"Expectations in the Music Department are growing by the day."
Snippets of quiet conversation between the Music Department head and Choi Je-hun drifted over.
Ha-yeon's proven herself time and again...
More crucially, how would the next three weave the piece together?
Starting at such a high level would burden the later students.
As Kwon Se-hee pondered this, she caught sight of Kwon Do-hyun lifting his fingers.
Is Kwon Do-hyun next?
That vague guess soon became reality.
Second is Kwon Do-hyun... Then why the seating like that?
In that instant, Kwon Se-hee doubted her own eyes and ears. Kwon Do-hyun wasn't starting his solo.
He's only moving his left hand?
He was providing accompaniment. At first matching Lee Ha-yeon, then swiftly splitting the performance into two streams.
Kwon Do-hyun handling the left hand entirely, Lee Ha-yeon singing the main melody with her right.
It was a perfect two-piano setup.
A few bars in, Lee Ha-yeon lifted her hands from the keys. Now Kwon Do-hyun carried the piece on his own.
Not a single beat off... Is it okay to be this seamless?
The transition was so natural, no one would notice the performer change.
Across from them, where the switch happened stealthily, Lee Seong-hyuk was now seated and seamlessly added to the melody.
At the same moment, Kwon Do-hyun dialed back his presence like a ghost. He calmly yielded control, resting both hands on the keys.
Ah, perfect.
Handing off and receiving without a single beat's error is no easy feat.
Normally, it would sound messy or sluggish. It should have.
But how was it this clean? For the first time, Kwon Se-hee let slip pure admiration beyond mere evaluation.
"Slipping in to anchor the transitions... Did I hear that right?"
"Yes, filling the music without any sagging."
The department head let out a hollow laugh, continuing his hushed talk with Choi Je-hun.
"Their chemistry is spot on. Practice time was two weeks, right?"
"Yes, two weeks. They must've drilled a lot."
"Even with tons of practice, controlling the piece that minutely at a student level isn't simple."
"Probably had someone dedicated to tuning it."
Choi Je-hun replied indifferently, as if it were no surprise. No need to specify who.
Meanwhile, waves of thoughts churned in Kwon Se-hee's mind.
Right after the first evaluation results, Choi Je-hun's offhand comment resurfaced.
'Groups with a good ear for music will score high.'
He must've meant this exact scenario.
Or had he Kwon Do-hyun in mind from the start?
Lee Seong-hyuk's gentle performance, which hushed the lively mood and flowed smoothly, came to an end.
Kwon Do-hyun repeated the same process as after Lee Ha-yeon's part, then seized control of the flow.
Now it was Kwon Do-hyun's solo stage.
That's why they chose a waltz.
Waltzes have straightforward, simple accompaniment. That's how Kwon Do-hyun could intervene repeatedly like this.
In other words, without a waltz, this arrangement wouldn't have been possible.
Of course, they must've practiced and given feedback endlessly...
How did they craft this in just two weeks?
Most kids would dismiss it as impossible fantasy. Maybe not even imagine it.
Who would put Lee Ha-yeon first and have someone slip in between parts?
Someone thrill-seeking despite the risks...
Or confident in their musical vision.
The piano melody snapped Kwon Se-hee from her deep musings.
A section building tension to the end with rapid pace.
Splitting beats in half for bouncy cheer, showering ornaments.
The technique isn't hard, but voicing the offbeat ambiguity convincingly is tough.
But why's he so at ease with it?
It was growth explaining he'd hidden his true skill.
He knew how to leverage his clear, piercing tone. He judged his timbre precisely and played accordingly.
It evoked memories of syncing with percussion seniors. He wasn't this fluid then...
"Making them play twice in class division was because I felt curiosity after ages."
Choi Je-hun leaned forward slightly, speaking flatly.
"Ah... I asked about that."
"You get why the curiosity sparked."
Choi Je-hun flashed a brief pleased smile before erasing it. As Kwon Se-hee blinked in surprise, the mood shifted.
Kim Ju-hee entered with intense fortissimo for the finale.
It was energy she quite liked.
Ha-yeon could've done great too.
Kim Ju-hee immersed convincingly too. Kwon Se-hee wanted to savor it calmly to the end.
But Kwon Do-hyun wouldn't let her relax.
Keeping it going?
He didn't stop. Longer than with the previous two, guiding Kim Ju-hee to climax.
Like holding both her hands, letting her unleash the melody freely.
Kwon Se-hee glanced at her watch. A minute left. Perfect timing split.
His own part was short, but interventions balanced his share neatly.
Compared to Woo-bin taking over two minutes...
This setup made other groups look disadvantaged. A counterpunch to those piling time on their ace at the end.
Kwon Se-hee finally let out a hollow laugh.
"Who’s that student?"
"Kim Ju-hee. Not particularly standout."
"She’s good too. Love this year’s piano majors. So fun."
The piece hushed like a calm before the storm. Kim Ju-hee spread lingering tones ethereally, face lit with joy.
Kwon Do-hyun had stopped, gazing warmly at her across.
Only her piano melody filled the hall.
Bang─!
ff, intense fortissimo for three or four bars, main melody gradually fading.
The close was wistful yet clean. No loss of poise to technique. Ending on soft notes, Kim Ju-hee beamed with pride.
Was Kim Ju-hee always this good? Kwon Se-hee felt ashamed for seeing her as mere Ha-yeon backup.
It was outstanding, embarrassing to compare to others.
At least this part.
"...No joke."
Kwon Se-hee clapped first, hesitating before continuing quietly.
Her gaze naturally fell to the scorecard on her lap. Myeong Woo-bin's top group stood out.
Overcoming all their flaws—what now?
Bold Ha-yeon opener, stunning Kim Ju-hee finish flipping expectations, upbeat tempo choice.
Different setup entirely, superior where similar.
Flawless, excellent performance.
Best was the pacing nailing waltz’s rise-fall rhythm.
No regrettable favoritism piling on one person for score.
Highly emoted, Kwon Do-hyun stood front stage. He bowed to the audience with teammates and exited.
"This performance wasn’t just group-tuned, as you said."
The beaming head’s face sobered. No educator’s gaze left—just a pure musician.
"Would’ve been hard without one confident leader."
"Who do you think that one is?"
"The odd one thinking their interventions mid-piece make better music."
Choi Je-hun chuckled idly.
"Good ear. Not just hearing, but knowing what sounds great and how to make it."
The head spoke to Choi Je-hun earnestly.
"Placing timbres to mesh with the flow birthed this."
"Agreed."
"Clear judgment on good vs. bad sounds."
Choi Je-hun sighed lightly, hands behind head.
"Takes heaps of experience."
"That experience doesn’t have to be piano-specific."
"What do you mean?"
"Piano whizzes abound. Kwon Do-hyun’s talent isn’t for playing instruments, but..."
Choi Je-hun cut him off with a cough, rising from his seat.
"Time will tell. Was it real experience or just hunch?"
"Even if sense... You too, seriously."
Choi Je-hun called the next group, leaving the tsking head behind.
Kwon Se-hee just tilted her head.
The roar of dozens of clapping hands deafeningly rang in my ears.
Even after the piece ended, the dazed feeling lingered.
Is it over...?
I scanned the audience, then my teammates. All wore satisfied, proud faces.
I hadn’t caught every note, music-drunk... But this felt like our best. Or I’d believe so.
"Bow and head down."
Kim Ju-hee hummed forward. I bowed to the crowd, unable to shake the lingering regret.
Don’t wanna leave.
One more piece. Nothing left to show, but I craved it.
Euphoria and thrill overflowed indescribably.
Do performers always feel this post-stage?
Finally sharing their world briefly. Relief, exhaustion, happiness...
I want more stage performances. The desire dominated fiercely.
"C’mon, what’re you waiting for."
"...Yeah."
At Lee Seong-hyuk’s gesture, we exited side by side. Midway down the hall to seats.
The quiet shattered with Kim Ju-hee’s cheer.
"Awesome! Today was insane! You shocked me! Why’s everyone so good?!"
"Ugh, can’t breathe...!"
She squealed, hugging Lee Ha-yeon with a bright grin.
"You weren’t nervous at all? Stage freak."
"I was, obviously. You killed it too."
Grinning, I fist-bumped Lee Seong-hyuk.
Ah, so freeing yet regrettable. Two weeks’ prep gone in six minutes.
Always like this. Will get used to it. This joy’s rare lately. Never forget.
But if every time brings this bliss, I’m ready to ditch weekends forever.
"Honestly, shocked."
Lee Ha-yeon sidled up grinning as we walked.
Her hair brushed my shoulder; I shifted half a step.
"What?"
"Practice room day after entrance ceremony."
"Ah, when you were spying, got caught, hid."
"Not spying...!"
Voice slightly raised, she trailed off, striding ahead.
I chuckled, jogging to catch up.
"Kinda maybe not."
"C-Coincidence, I said."
"Yeah, thinking back. Huge misunderstanding."
I teased giggling; she went quiet after.
...Sulking? Upsetting Ha-yeon’s a capital crime.
Overdid it? I glanced her way.
"...That obvious?"
She peeked back, shoulders hunched.
The memory made me burst laughing.
"Don’t laugh..."
"Yo, hide properly next time. Wall-hug won’t fool."
"Got it. I’ll hide better."
She nodded faintly.
What? That wraps it? Means she’ll do it again.
"No, don’t hide. Just call and come in."
"Oh, right."
...Huh?
I stared at her dazed walk, asked again.
"So, what shocked you?"
"Leveled up tons since then. Wanted to say that."
"Thanks, thanks to you."
Praise from her sent my mood soaring.
Lucky day all around.
"Ah, now let’s chill watching others!"
I stretched, eyeing Kim Ju-hee ahead, shaking off tension. Fatigue hit as it eased.
Up the stairs, we reached the back row. Ignoring teammates grabbing seats, I soaked in the hall.
I performed up front? Wonder how it looked to them.
As I turned to descend.
"Do-hyun!"
A call—not Lee Seong-hyuk. Who?
Turning to the voice: cane-leaning against wall, a male student.
Intellectual horn-rims, sharp hair, handsome clean face, calm deep eyes, baritone voice.
Baek Ji-ho.
"...Baek Ji-ho?"
"Long time."
Unable to hide surprise, I slowly approached.
He remembered me?
Then why no greeting before class division?
How’s he been? Leg injury why? What piece today, practice good? You’ll shine big. Money I spent on your shows...
Questions piled mountains.
They condensed to one line.
I grinned broadly.
"Doing well?"
Baek Ji-ho smiled faintly at my words and spoke.