Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Expectations and Misunderstandings Are Much Alike
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Students really do place a lot of importance on pocket money, don't they?
From the library yesterday, through the dorms, and right up to this morning, Lee Seong-hyuk had been wrestling with reference books and workbooks nonstop.
He didn't seem like the type to blow cash recklessly, so I had no idea what he was spending all that allowance on.
"Ah... this is ridiculous."
In stark contrast, Kim Ju-hee lounged in the seat ahead of me, legs crossed, fiddling with her phone like she hadn't a care in the world.
I paused the music I was listening to and stared at her outright.
Just sitting there quietly with her mouth shut, she had that unmistakable delinquent vibe. Going by looks alone, she was honestly kinda intimidating—her sharp eyes, her outfit... Not something you'd say to a friend, though.
"What're you staring at? Am I that pretty?"
"Nothing much."
"Hmmm..."
Kim Ju-hee turned off her phone screen and leaned right into my face.
"Class prez."
"Yeah?"
"Do I look any different?"
She tossed her hair back with a smug grin. Questions like that were best saved for a boyfriend, wherever he might be.
I propped my chin on my hand and scanned her up and down.
Different how...
"You washed your shirt."
"I do that every week."
"You brushed your teeth."
"Every day?"
"Come to think of it, your hair's gotten long."
"...I haven't cut it since enrollment."
"You should touch up the roots."
"Ugh, not that! This!"
Kim Ju-hee pointed straight at her eye area with her index finger. A transparent film over her eyes glinted in the sunlight.
"Oh, you got glasses?"
"You just noticing...? How do they look? They suit me?"
She crossed her arms and adjusted them with an air of refined elegance. She was clearly pleased, nostrils flaring triumphantly.
"When'd you get those? Your eyes that bad?"
"Nah, I stole Ye-ri's spare pair."
"Why?"
"They make me look smarter, right? Like I could actually study well."
I scratched my head and drawled out my response.
"Ju-hee."
"Yes? I'm busy studying here."
"Thinking glasses make you look smart is pretty dumb."
"Ugh, seriously!"
As Kim Ju-hee scowled and checked her face in a small mirror, a guy suddenly approached me from behind her.
Shaggy hippie perm, skinny build. Same year, but a face I'd never seen.
"You're Do-hyun, right?"
"Yeah, and?"
"No way..."
He steadied his trembling chest, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Then his eyes sparkled as he grabbed my hand.
"I-it's really you! That busking video from yesterday!"
He stomped around in excitement, nearly yanking me off balance backward.
"Huh?"
"Man, I never dreamed our school had a jazz pianist. Everyone's so used to classical, it's hard to adapt. We're short exactly a piano player—wanna join us?"
The guy was rambling excitedly, but I couldn't follow the context at all.
Busking video—had to be the one uploaded yesterday. I'd gotten the heads-up from Jin-seong sunbae and watched it with Lee Seong-hyuk at the dorms.
But that follow-up? "Wanna join us?" Out of nowhere?
"Explain calmly. And let go of my hand."
"Oh, sorry. I'm Lee Chang-yong from Class 9 next door. We do jazz club—cello and guitar."
"Jazz?"
Makes sense for an arts school to have active clubs like that.
My friends around me didn't do any club stuff, so it hadn't crossed my mind.
"Anyway, Do-hyun, wanna join our club? We need someone just like you."
I wasn't for or against clubs, but getting hit with a recruitment pitch like this out of the blue was disorienting.
As I mulled over various factors, Lee Chang-yong kept gesturing wildly.
"Know what I saw in that video? Pure soul—black soul! That swing feel, the voicings, arpeggios... You've got soul, man! You can swing!"
"I'm Korean-born and bred."
"Whatever, point is, if you're not in a club, come to ours. Oh, and Kim Ga-eul's in it too! I've heard about you sometimes, but didn't know you did jazz. Total multi-talent—we need that. Boosts our cred, you know?"
Kim Ga-eul's name dropped, but it didn't surprise me. She's trumpet major and loves that jazzy style anyway.
'Trouble, though.'
The guy was a smooth talker, but his pleading eyes and gestures were pitiful. Watching him beg made me uncomfortable.
And now everyone around was staring.
'No matter how I slice it, I don't have time for clubs... Too much catching up to do.'
Even just visiting might lead to signing up on the spot—the vibe would suck me in.
No choice; better to turn him down now for both our sakes.
"Sorry, can't join."
"Please...! Once the third-years graduate this year, we'll have zero pianists. Zilch! With entrance exams coming, sunbaes are swamped anyway—how's a jazz club without piano make sense?"
"It does."
"Of course it doesn't! Right?!"
"Then we're good."
"Ah... Our club's super fun, though. Total in-crowd spot. We jam all the time."
An in-crowd club that jams all the time, including Kim Ga-eul? Even less appealing.
Lee Chang-yong finally calmed down from his frenzy. He smacked his lips, seemingly resigned.
"Fine, I won't give up, though."
Or not.
"Do-hyun, if you change your mind, come find me in Class 9. Clubs accept members anytime."
"Got it."
The dejected guy turned and shuffled away. With the blockage gone, all the piercing stares emerged.
Maybe from what I'd said after yesterday's results, but they pretended not to care quick enough—grateful and amusing. No hostile glares like before.
"Whoa... Kwon Do-hyun, the guy who wouldn't even practice with us?"
Lee Seong-hyuk chuckled, twirling his pen.
"Saw that sudden buddy-buddy act?"
"Caught me off guard too."
"Must've watched it a ton—our school's YouTube."
"All part of my 'Make Kwon Do-hyun Popular' project, huh?"
"You'd be perfect if you just shut up."
"Whoa~ Ye-rim Arts' Bill Evans. Sign my album~."
"Gotcha one, guys."
With Lee Seong-hyuk and Kim Ju-hee teasing from both sides, I shot up from my seat.
Kim Ju-hee must listen to some jazz; dropping pianist names so specifically was irritatingly spot-on.
"Hey, Duke Ellington class prez, where you going?"
"Dammit, bathroom."
I left amid their snickering.
By now, the booming voices of the vocal majors echoing in the halls during breaks felt familiar.
They weren't just chatting—they belted out operas and arias everywhere, turning it into a guessing game that was pretty fun.
I hadn't seen tons of opera, but I knew the famous ones. Learning German at the company helped with pronunciation too.
Still, high school freshmen with that kind of diction? The cost of foreign languages from childhood...
"Ah, Do-hyun."
A gentle voice snapped me from my bitter thoughts as I wandered blankly.
I turned to see Seo Ye-ri climbing the stairs at the hall's end, papers in hand.
"Ye-ri, busy as ever."
"Class rep stuff's always like that. Oh! No need to help today—it's light."
"Someone'd think I offer every time."
"...You don't?"
"Don't wanna make you sulk, so sure."
"When did I ever sulk...!"
Her puffed cheeks and shy pout were as bright as ever.
I'd worried, but maybe she'd taken the results in stride. Hard to tell—she doesn't show much.
Maybe she's tougher than I thought, and I'm over-worrying.
"Heading to class?"
"Yeah. Where you off to?"
"Kids teasing, so I bailed. Walk together?"
"...From yesterday's thing?"
"I believe in you, Ye-ri."
"Heehee, of course! I never act up~."
"..."
Seo Ye-ri climbed the stairs with a light step and beaming smile, then continued.
"Remember what I said last time?"
"Which?"
"That you didn't seem like you'd lose to anyone."
I remembered. That day practicing with Kim Ju-hee had fallen apart after barely thirty minutes.
"Yeah, turned out just like that."
"Right! Your playing was amazing and so special again. I clapped super loud!"
Like she'd aced a test herself, her eyes sparkled with innocent joy. Then her smile slowly faded.
"Good call expecting that much..."
"Thanks."
All I could manage to Seo Ye-ri's quiet words was that. I wanted to say more, but nothing came.
Teasing her about her own "tense up" warning felt wrong; asking if she was okay outright seemed off too.
How's that 64 feel?
Sounds crazy.
"I was jealous. Really."
She murmured with her head slightly bowed.
It wasn't meant to reach my ears. So I pretended not to hear.
'Jealous, huh...'
Thinking back, I'd heard that before. After the first eval performance, from the back of the audience.
'Jealous talent.'
Baek Ji-ho had said that.
No lie there—he's not the type.
'Same words, worlds apart in weight.'
Seo Ye-ri's casual jealousy clung to my legs heavily. Complicated feelings.
"Oh yeah. Do-hyun, here."
"What? Memo?"
Her face brightened like nothing happened as she handed over a sheet.
"Private lesson demand survey! You signing up?"
"Finally here. Yeah, I need it—don't do separate lessons."
"...You've never had lessons."
For a split second, her eyes lost focus and shook. It hit my mind in slow motion.
Our steps halted together.
"Uh, yeah. Never."
"I see... It's nothing, really!"
She flashed her usual heehee smile, tucked the survey into my pocket, and hurried ahead.
"Do-hyun, bell's about to ring—I gotta give these to the class. Take your time!"
Seo Ye-ri walked away.
I stared blankly at her back, then down at the paper.
Private lesson demand survey. A small rectangular slip.
'Please distribute accordingly. Students hoping to participate...'
Not much text, but I read it over and over.
My steps to class were slow.
"So today, we study together till right before dinner."
"Got it. But at home base."
"Why?"
"Bingo! Easier to look stuff up there."
"Ju-hee knows her stuff."
"All good, just no slacking."
Classes done, we slung our bags and headed to home base. Wonder if we could actually study in that noisy spot.
"The queen of hidden charms, our Ha-yeon! Breaking news says she's likely dead last among us again!"
Kim Ju-hee poured her energy into teasing Lee Ha-yeon as we walked the quiet hall. Lee Ha-yeon widened her eyes at the imaginary mic.
"I, at least..."
She clenched her fists, lips twitching like she was gearing up a comeback.
"Yesss~? Clear answers for the interview, please!"
"Wearing glasses doesn't make you look smart."
"Kuh, kuhehe... Total idiot legend."
"Ha-yeon's good."
"Aah! Kwon Do-hyun, don't laugh! I hit back at Ye-ri already!"
"Ow, stop, hurts. Okay, won't anymore."
As I burst into dumb laughter, Kim Ju-hee pummeled my shoulder first.
We'd been rowdy for a while when we hit the first floor.
Planning to tutor quick, then piano practice—that's when.
"Ah... Found you at last."
A guy emerged from home base, pointing at us while slicking back his hair.
Playful yet gentlemanly vibe. If he was looking for one of us, probably Lee Ha-yeon.
"Who's that?"
I whispered to Lee Seong-hyuk; he elbowed me back hard.
"Pianist Han Yong-seong. You know him, right?"
"...What?"
I whipped around—Han Yong-seong was heading our way, a bit sweaty like he'd been searching everywhere.
"Kwon Do-hyun, you put down you want lessons on the survey?"
"Yes..."
He thumbs-upped the air a couple times.
"Let's go—lesson time."