Chapter 53: To You It May Be Small and Shabby, But to Me...
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 53: To You It May Be Small and Shabby, But to Me...
I had been agonizing over whether to participate in the Arts High School regular concert, but surprisingly, Jang Ji-hye provided a refreshing answer.
“Just do it. It might be your first and last concert, after all.”
“Jang Ji-hye, you think it’s better for me to just drop out and take the High School Equivalency Exam too, don’t you? I seriously have zero time to play LoL these days.”
“What are you talking about? I’m saying that once you get even busier, you won’t even be able to dream of doing grade-level concerts, regular concerts, or graduation recitals. So you should experience it while you can.”
“Oh. Is that what you meant?”
“You’re a classical music major, aren’t you? You should experience a concert at least once. You’ll regret it later, you know?”
“Then will you do it with me?”
“Ah, my skills aren’t up to par, so that’s a no-go. I’ll just be in the audience cheering for you. I’ll take lots of pictures, too.”
I briefly had the wicked thought of using my participation as leverage to strike a deal with the school, but I immediately trampled that idea down.
‘Something like this should be decided based on skill alone.’
So, I decided to do the regular concert and sent a text to my teacher.
[Timpani Teacher]: Oh, thank you. You made the right choice.
[Timpani Teacher]: Don’t worry about the practice schedule; I’ll make it as convenient for you as possible.
[Me]: But I can wear the male uniform, right?
[Timpani Teacher]: ??? What do you mean by that???
[Me]: I only bought the pants uniform, so I don’t have the skirt one.
[Timpani Teacher]: No, Yu-jin, this is an official school event. According to regulations, you have to wear the female student uniform...
[Me]: Then, unfortunately, I’ll have to decline.
[Timpani Teacher]: Waitwaitwaitwaitwait!!!
[Timpani Teacher]: Let me look into it and get back to you!!!
A short while later, a text came from the teacher.
[Timpani Teacher]: I got permission from the principal.
[Timpani Teacher]: You can wear the male student uniform, so please, just participate...
*
Since the broadcast of Quarter 2, I’ve noticed the way people look at me has changed drastically whenever I go to school.
Before, it felt like ordinary people looking at a LoL pro; now, it feels like they’re looking at a pro who actually won the LoL World Championship.
Still, maybe because they were arts students, I liked that they didn’t ask for autographs—
“Yu-jin, is it possible to get an autograph?”
“Could you give me an autograph?”
“Just once, please, okay?”
At the pleas of the morning class students who took humanities lessons with me, Jang Ji-hye ended up lining them up again.
This time, I finished it quickly and quietly so the rumor wouldn’t spread to other classes.
In the afternoon, I went to my usual timpani practical lesson.
More than eight out of the ten students were male, but they all treated me with caution.
I was satisfied that there were no signs of a confession barrage attack, but my younger brother’s words suddenly came to mind.
「If you had become famous sooner, you wouldn’t have had to deal with those pathetic confession attacks in the first place.」
I don’t want to admit my brother said that, so let’s just say I confused it with something Jang Ji-hye said. I’m sure Ji-hye said something similar at some point.
[Yoon Se-rang]: So when is the housewarming party?
[Yoon Se-rang]: Don’t you want to try my mom’s full-course meal?
[Yoon Se-rang]: lol
[Writer Jung Yoon-ah]: When are you handing out the moving-in rice cakes? When is the housewarming?
Seriously, I can never get used to Yoon Se-rang’s “lol.” She has such a stiff, cold image, like someone who would put a period at the end of every sentence.
Lately, it feels like I hear inquiries about a housewarming party from Jung Yoon-ah and Yoon Se-rang at least once a day.
‘Jung Yoon-ah doesn’t find it strange at all that I moved into the same building. Neither did Jang Ji-hye. Aren’t they curious where the money came from?’
I guess their default mindset is that it’s only natural for me to live in a place like this.
It’s still foreign to me, and every morning when I open my eyes, the view of the Han River is always thrilling and new.
*
—Rocktten Jupiter Bell, you seem to have a lot of free time lately? You’re in the Rift pretty often.
[Me]: All the urgent stuff is over, so I’m free now.
—Are you coming to watch the Worlds finals this year too?
[Me]: It’s at Gocheok Dome, so of course I’m going.
—I’d like to see your face this time. We’ve received so much help from you as a mercenary in scrims that the team wants to buy you a nice meal. That’s coming from the org.
[Me]: It’s fine. A mercenary is best kept at a distance. The moment you let one into your house, they turn into a looter.
—LMAO
—The moment you arrive, the coach would probably kick one of us out and put you in a lane, lol.
—By the way, they said the Worlds theme song artist has been decided.
—Apparently, the girl group Hesio is doing it?
[Me]: Oh??
[Me]: Everyone has to make it to the finals now, right?
Even I, who have no interest in girl groups, know Hesio.
The undisputed Tier 0 girl group—they’re singing the Worlds theme song?
The game company has finally come to its senses and is presenting a proper worldview.
—Honestly, I wished Lee Yu-jin would sing it. What a shame.
Shocked, I typed back rapidly.
[Me]: Hey, she’s an actress, isn’t she? Not a singer.
—Seeing her hum that lullaby in Quarter 2, I think she’d be good at singing.
—Somehow, even just the humming was really sorrowful.
—If we crush everyone and make it to the finals, wouldn’t it be possible to pressure the league to bring Lee Yu-jin out?
[Me]: Hesio has already been decided, so everyone stop talking nonsense.
Damn it, hell, ugh...
Now even my LoL pro friends are piling the shame on me.
They should be so busy pouring their lives into LoL that they don’t have time to watch dramas, so when on earth did they see that?
Did they watch it with peace of mind just because it was 120 minutes? No wonder their mechanics have been like that lately.
Should I just quit being a ringer for their scrims?
‘Sigh, but scrims are a frequent opportunity to encounter God.’
My God, as always, had no interest in small talk today.
That silence further solidified my sense of duty as a summoner.
Just then, Shin spoke to me.
[Shin]: Rocktten Jupiter Bell, if you like Hesio, should I get you VIP tickets? For seats with a good view.
[Me]:Gasp Really???
Actually, it’s not that I like Hesio that much, but I was overwhelmed by the honor of receiving VIP tickets personally bestowed by God.
The match would be really easy to see, too, right?
[Shin]: I’ll give them to you if you want.
[Shin]: I’ll send them through the org, so don’t feel pressured.
I was about to reach out with both hands in joy when I suddenly snapped to my senses.
‘Oh right, I’m a full-time actress now.’
What if it gets out that ‘Rocktten Jupiter Bell,’ who’s been slaughtering all sorts of Challengers in the Rift, was actually the actress Lee Yu-jin?
‘Ugh, I can’t remember all the things I’ve said, which is a huge problem.’
I’ve never used profanity or made personal attacks.
I personally loathe that kind of thing.
But I have often crushed the dreams of aspiring pros with cold, hard logic.
Just thinking of my own quotes...
「Honestly, if you try to go pro with those skills, you’re committing a crime against the fans.」
「Is your mouse broken by any chance? You seem to be clicking in the wrong places during team fights.」
「You should check your internet ping. If it’s not a ping issue, then it’s quite serious.」
「You dream of going pro with that CS? Shocking.」
I was only offering sincere advice for the sake of those trainees who should absolutely never dream of going pro, but I don’t know how the world would take it.
[Me]: I might suffer from a severe headache on the day of the finals.
[Me]: Could I let you know after I get a more detailed check-up and the results come out?
[Shin]: You still have a funny way of talking.
[Shin]: The tickets aren’t going anywhere, so don’t worry and get your check-up.
As expected of my God.
That chic coolness must be what makes God’s plays shine at every crucial moment.
‘Even if Shin had been a line infantry commander in the Middle Ages, he would have won every single battle.’
*
The weekend arrived for my meeting with Curator Han Ji-woo.
Jang Ji-hye had been busy dolling herself up for hours since morning.
“Just do it roughly, roughly. You look pretty, pretty.”
“Yu-jin-Yu-jin, I’m not an elf, so I have to put a lot, lot of effort into decorating myself!”
Another elf attack came flying in.
“I hate myself for not even having a reaction anymore because I get hit with this as often as I breathe...”
“That’s all part of the process of the ‘Lee Yu-jin is an Elf’ theory being accepted as truth.”
I just applied some disposable black hair coating to my silver-streaked roots and put on a T-shirt and long jeans. Unisex, of course.
I’m actually leaving the wig made from my own cut hair unused and neglected.
But I’m worried about the gift I prepared.
“Will Curator Han really like something like this?”
“Of course! Trust me!”
“Sis, Ji-hye is right. Would a chaebol wife who has everything really welcome an expensive luxury item from an artist she wants to sponsor?”
“Yu-jin-Yu-jin, the prop hairpin that Yeon Si-ho wore throughout Quarter 1 and Quarter 2! There is no merchandise more heart-fluttering for a successful fan than this!”
Does this cheap prop hairpin really work?
Is it a similar psychology to me coveting God’s mouse?
“Yu-jin, Ji-hye. Have a safe trip.”
“Yes, Mom.”
“We’ll be back, ma’am.”
In the parking lot, a vehicle sent by Han Ji-woo was waiting for us.
‘Huh? It’s not the limousine van from last time.’
The length was shorter, but the height was much taller.
I tried to look at the emblem and flinched when I saw the Spirit of Ecstasy.
‘Does Rolls-Royce make SUVs too?’
How could a four-seater vehicle be bulkier than our nine-seater Carnival?
The chauffeur politely opened the door, and both of us got in, feeling dazed.
The back seat was impossibly wide and high.
The driver’s seat and the passenger seat were blocked off by a solid glass partition, and there was an intercom. I guess that’s how you communicate with the driver.
—We will be departing now.
That startled me.
The driver’s voice echoed from a microphone somewhere in the front.
“Yu-jin-Yu-jin, oh my god. I never dreamed I’d get to ride in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge in my lifetime.”
“Even I can tell this is a nice car.”
“It’s not just a nice car; this is the ultimate VIP ceremonial vehicle! It even has the custom-ordered partition. It’s a total royal full-option.”
“Partition? Oh, that glass window?”
“The price of that option alone must be over 200 or 300 million won.”
“...How do you, a girl, know so much about cars? You seem to know more than I do.”
“I just know the models that superstars ride in. I find it more amazing how you can list off tanks one after another, Yu-jin.”
It felt quite different from Yoon Se-rang’s Rolls-Royce Phantom.
That was a longer sedan, but this was a tall SUV, so it was more comfortable for someone tall like me.
‘It doesn’t even compare to our Carnival. Mom, I’m sorry...’
Before long, we arrived at the Lunaris Art Hall gallery.
As we got out in front of the main entrance, the "exit prestige" was truly incredible. I almost didn’t want to get out.
A familiar manager, who was already waiting outside the main entrance, greeted us politely and guided us inside.
“You’re here? Please, sit.”
“Hello.”
“Hello, Curator.”
We sat at the same table as last time and had tea.
Han Ji-woo started by congratulating me on the success of Quarter 2.
“You’re an undeniable top star now. You’ll probably be hearing from Hollywood soon.”
Beside me, Jang Ji-hye suppressed a giggle.
I should probably not mention that I received a business card from an actor-producer named Chris Hertiland at the department store.
Just, for some reason, it felt embarrassing.
“It’s a bit of a shame. If we had set a more generous schedule and promoted aggressively, we might have aimed for over 7 million viewers instead of 5 million.”
“Ahaha, I consider reaching 5 million for my debut an honor.”
“A talent like Lee Yu-jin should start by hitting 10 million viewers on her debut. That’s only logical.”
“You are so right, Curator.”
“Ji-hye really knows my heart. Is the drama you’re planning with Lee Yu-jin as the lead coming along well?”
“I’m just organizing things haphazardly. I hope I can make my debut within 15 years.”
“Why is your dream so pessimistic? Instead of 15 years, you should aim to achieve it before graduating from high school. You should always dream big.”
“Then I’ll try dreaming big for now!”
“Show me the script when it’s out. If it’s good, I’ll try investing in it.”
“Oh, really?”
I often feel this, but the women around me get along famously. They sit me down and have a great time among themselves.
I was about to sneak a look at a LoL match video, then caught myself and tried to quickly take out the gift.
At that moment, Han Ji-woo spoke first.
“Do you like the gift?”
“Pardon?”
Jang Ji-hye and I were taken aback.
It was true that this was a meeting to give a commemorative gift for the success of Quarter 2, but I hadn’t received anything yet?
A playful smile played on Han Ji-woo’s lips.
“The car you rode in today.”
“Ah... N-no way, was that the gift?”
“I thought you’d notice. Isn’t that obviously for a top star?”
“I thought it was something you usually ride in, Curator...”
“In Korea, I ride in a Baekhyun sedan. How would it look for a daughter-in-law of the Baekhyun family to be riding around in a foreign car?”
The car looked so brand new that I thought it was just exceptionally well-maintained, but it wasn’t that—it really was a brand-new car.
“My parents and I will handle the ownership transfer, and I’ll take care of the maintenance costs until the car is scrapped, so don’t worry and ride it to your heart’s content.”
“T-thank you...”
According to Jang Ji-hye, the full-option price alone was at least 1.2 billion won, and as for the private options or whatever, you’d have to see the order form to know.
‘Does this mean we cancel the Carnival lease now?’
Ridiculously, that was my first thought.
The next thought was...
‘Damn it, how am I supposed to take this out? It’s so embarrassing.’
My hands are trembling.
To give this prop hairpin, which probably costs less than a few thousand won, to someone who just gifted me an ultra-luxurious Cullinan?
I’m terrified of the look of contempt she might give me.
Beside me, Jang Ji-hye urged me with her eyes.
As if telling me to take out the gift quickly.
「Yu-jin-Yu-jin, trust me! She’ll love it!」
Taking courage from her silent mouthing, I closed my eyes tight and took out the gift.
“What is this?”
“I didn’t know what you would like, but I felt that no matter what I prepared, it wouldn’t satisfy the eyes of a noble person who has everything. So, may I ask for permission to ask if I may give you a small and shabby gift that might have its own meaning?”
“A gift? You didn’t have to... In the future, you really don’t need to go this far...”
Curator Han Ji-woo, who was unwrapping the cloth (the Hermès scarf she bought me before!) covering the hairpin, froze.
I watched her with a pounding heart.
She slowly unwrapped the scarf completely and carefully held the prop hairpin in her hand.
‘Did she recognize what it is? Immediately?’
Curator Han Ji-woo, who was stroking the cheap prop hairpin from side to side as if it were precious, looked at me and smiled softly.
“This is it, right? This...”
“Yes, it’s the hairpin that Yeon Si-ho wore throughout Quarter 1 and 2. It’s small and shabby and not particularly precious, but...”
“How did you know?”
“Pardon?”
Han Ji-woo caressed the hairpin, a warm smile gently spreading across her face.
“I watched the drama and the whole time, I seriously wanted this so badly I thought I’d go crazy.”