Chapter 1: As if Singing 3
Singing is quite marvellous.
There’s that image that pops up when thinking about singing. Emotions – an eruption of emotions. That kind of rough yet artistic image, and at a glance, seems to be unrelated to the body.
In fact, it’s the pure opposite.
Opera required a well-born body, more than any other instrument. You may think, ‘What body, we’re talking about singing’, but, let’s think of it this way.
You can buy good equipment, but a good body is impossible. The only way is to be born with it.
And being an opera singer is about playing the instrument called ‘body’.
With the same conditions and the same skills, it was obvious that the person with the better instrument would display a better performance.
Starting from the most basic lung capacity to the vocal range due to the length of vocal cords, the timbre depending on the shape of vocal cords, to the sizes of the resonating chambers, like the oral cavity and the nasal cavity, as well as the colour of that resonance due to the shape of the head…
All these aspects were given during birth; there was no way to gain another equipment, just because you were discontent with the given body. In other words, getting beaten by physical difference was a day-to-day common event, even in opera.
“Yunjae, what’s wrong?”
With a start, I realised that mother was looking back at me with a worried expression. I quickly hid the expression behind the b.u.mping of the car.
“Ah… perhaps a bit nervous. Are we almost there?”
Dad said after glancing through the rear mirror.
“…About 1 minute left.”
Perhaps worried due to the crumbled expression I had, mother looked back and started pouring out a mountain of compliments.
“Whew, Yunjae. There’s nothing to worry about. How long have I sung at the choir for? Even then, I have never seen anyone sing as good as you do. What Arts School? It’s nothing!”
Her eyes dripping with love is a little burdensome.
Mum. I appreciate your trust but… I am just not prepared enough.
‘Fu…’
Forcefully hiding the sigh threatening to escape, I turned towards the window. We really were closing in towards the school, since I could see a familiar building over the window.
Full Mart.
I remember going there a lot during my high school days… My mood went down again after thinking back to the past.
‘To think that today was the entrance ceremony.’
On the second day after returning,
It was sudden, but I was on the way to the Future Arts High’s entrance ceremony.
While I was lying on the bed fiddling with my phone last night, satisfied by the singing, my parents suddenly barged in. Without caring about me who was awkwardly saying hi, they rushed to pack things up.
When I asked them what they were doing, they got angry, saying, ‘What are you doing, tomorrow is the entrance ceremony so hurry and pack things up.’
Just like that, after squashing everything into the bag, going to sleep and getting forced into the car straight after waking up. Without the time to even consider why I had returned to the past, I was already standing in front of the school gates.
“Sigh…”
When I stood there with the luggage in one hand, staring at the front gate with a depressed expression, mother pressed on my shoulders.
“Yunjae, you must call us regularly after admission. Practise well, but your body is the most important, okay? Take good care and you must give us a call every day.”
“Yes.”
Dad who was quietly standing on the side added,
“… Make good friends.”
“Yes.”
He nodded his head after tapping on my shoulder.
“Go ahead.”
“…Yes.”
After lowering my head, I moved my feet. When I looked back, I could see my parents waving their hands with a smile.
“Fu…”
I had no idea why, but I had travelled back 20 years. Was it that old lady at the church who did it? Or was it divine punishment for singing at the church drunk?
I don’t know.
Whoever did it, I had returned to the past – this was my reality. Could I be different from my future self, now that I had returned?
“Kng”
After giving a strong sneeze, I slowly entered the school, as the fancy placard danced above my head.
[Wel] Future Performing Arts High School 41st Freshmen [Come]
Future Arts High.
It was the most famous private arts high school in Korea. The reason was simple.
1st in admission rate for Seoul University, with the most successful entrees into Juilliard School nationwide. It was a prestigious school that had never lost those t.i.tles for the last 10 years.
As expected of Future Arts High, past the wide gate, it was crowded with children and parents from all over. Glancing over, I could see loads of foreign cars with even a long limousine.
‘Wow, a limousine for an entrance ceremony?’
Even though it was a prestigious arts school with lots of rich people, this felt over the top. While I was standing still, looking around, the door of the black limousine swung open and a girl stepped out.
‘Song Mirae?’
Perhaps due to the sunlight, she was frowning as our eyes met… until she quickly flicked her head away.
What was that
*
“… Now it would be the formal declarations of new admissions. The male representative of freshmen, Kim Wuju, and the female representative, Lee Suh-ah, please step forward.”
When I suddenly came to, I was still inside the hall.
“Gulp…”
Did I doze off… As I forced my eyes open and quickly a.s.sessed the situation, I realised that the entrance ceremony was still not over.
“…”
Now that I was awake, I examined the near 300 students around the hall. It was truly ma.s.sive – too big for an entrance ceremony, and perhaps more suited for an orchestra.
It was so big that there was no-one sitting around me.
‘No wait, there’s actually no-one.’
Feeling a little odd, I looked around but other places had quite a few students gathered. There were at least 10 groups when I roughly counted them.
But I was sitting alone.
I looked at the talking students while feeling strange, but suddenly thought of a possibility.
‘Ah, they’re from Future Middle High.’
Now that I think about it, 80% of students in Future Arts High were from Future Middle High.
Future Middle School under Future Foundation.
It was also a Performing Arts school and being a lower version of Future Arts High, it was easier to enter that way.
They did not actually get bonus points but it seemed there were lots of rumours on the admission tests floating there. Besides, performing arts was a field usually studied from childhood so students that were interested would obviously start from Future Middle School.
And thus, the close ones would group together and thinking of entering those groups, the future seemed bleak.
‘But I don’t want to be alone again.’
A boy marched up the podium while I was lost in my daydreams. Short hair with an immature face. Closed eyes, grabbing on the hand of a woman.
He, who was the centre of the spotlights, emitting an elegant air on the podium. He was Kim Wuju.
‘Kim Wuju…’
It was an immature version, but the appearance resembled one I had seen on the screen and was familiar.
Familiar indeed.
The legendary tenor after 20 years, called one of the 2nd generation’s three tenors – a man revered as the Korean Pavarotti.
“…”
Why is he so d.a.m.n good looking even when young?
While I was looking up with a discontent expression, the surroundings got louder.
“Why is he closing his eyes?”
“You don’t know? He’s blind.”
“Really? Wasn’t he the top student? That’s amazing.”
“Anyway, he’s so handsome.”
Now that I think about it, I was the same grade as Kim Wuju. There was too big a difference and I got nothing good out of, that I had forgotten it. In the middle of the pure admirations of the girls, a discontent voice spread out.
“Handsome? What a joke.”
No, let’s be honest, he is handsome, right?
Not being able to believe that someone had actually said that, I turned and saw a male student with a pouting face. I couldn’t really remember the face and frowned until he opened his mouth once again.
“If I didn’t have a sore throat on the day of the interview, I would’ve been first place not second.”
The students nearby quickly agreed to it.
“Shihyuk is a good singer indeed.”
“They probably gave him pity points as a bonus.”
Shihyuk… Ah I see, Jun Shihyuk, huh?
Now that I hear the name, there’s a bit of impression left from the future. A rigid face with a body already toned – Jun Shihyuk who was quite famous as a baritone. I think I remember hearing him entering Met.
Met which I couldn’t join.
“…”
What an impression.
When I raised my head back to the podium, a girl was advancing elegantly. Straight hair reaching the shoulders, and eyes looking up like a cat.
Soprano, Lee Suh-ah.
Lee Suh-ah. She was amazing as well, known as a soprano great enough to be grouped together with Kim Wuju as a set. Those two raised their hands and then, their voice.
“I declare that we, the freshmen…”
“I declare that we, the freshmen…”
I could feel once again, what kind of school I had entered.
‘Future Arts High…’
I was suddenly brought to the school mindlessly but had no real worries. 20 years – I had travelled back. The body had sunk to the very bottom, but that could be raised back up. My 20 years of experience was still there.
The shortest route to raising the body and what was needed to develop my singing – these things I knew the best. I had experienced these after all. I just have to raise my skills and regain my instincts and these normal high schoolers are a piece of cake… was what I had thought.
‘But those guys are too much.’
The princ.i.p.al who had been satisfied by their successful finish of the declarations solemnly spoke.
“I acknowledge your entering of Future Performing Arts High School.”
The two freshmen representatives lowered their heads.
Kim Wuju and Lee Suh-ah.
Kim Wuju who would become world-famous as the best tenor, as well as Lee Suh-ah, the soprano who would be a set. And Jun Shihyuk who entered Met. Although they were still in high school, would they really be lacking compared to me?
They who were geniuses that could tramp on my 20 years with a smile?
*
“… And now… with this, the entrance ceremony of Future Performing Arts High School’s 41st freshmen has ended.”
The boring welcome statement of the princ.i.p.al had finally ended and the freshmen divided and dispersed into 3 ways.
The Music Department with the most students first left with the teacher into a different room, followed by the Fine Arts Department and the Dancing Department.
Although we were technically in the same school, we most likely won’t have much contact with them, as the department itself was different.
The Music Department was once again separated into majors.
First was piano which had the most numbers. 40 out of the 150 Music Department students were piano majors which made it almost one third. It seemed, after all, that piano was the most popular instrument.
Next was the violin with around 30 students.
And only after that, was the opera.
It was approximately 20 students, with 7 of them male.
“The 10th cla.s.s students please come this way.”
Following the teacher’s instruction and going into the cla.s.s, there were several familiar faces which gave a surreal feeling.
Song Mirae who had never changed was easy to tell, as well as Lee Suh-ah and Jun Shihyuk who I had seen often via video. And then there was Chloe with eye-catching, bright, blonde hair.
The others… I can’t really remember them. I left the Arts High after around one year of commuting, so, the only ones I could remember were those who would become famous later.
Since I had no friends either.
Feeling somewhat embarra.s.sed, I scratched my face and sat at a random place.