Genius of a Performing Arts High

Act 11: Slowly 2

Vuaaaaang.

Under the blue sky, white airplanes resembling clouds slowly descended. I appreciated that scene before slightly turning my head.

I could see people carrying bags of luggage. Cars travelled busily as airplanes repeated their departures and arrivals and stewardesses in uniforms walked in groups.

Incheon International Airport.

“…It’s been a while.”

Ever since my arrival back from America, it was my first time coming here. In this life, there was no reason to leave the country and when teacher Kwak Jungsoo left, he left alone without even giving me a chance to see him off.

Shaking my head, I escaped from those memories of nostalgia.

In any case, the reason I, or rather we, have come to the airport is simple. It was because teacher Kwak Jungsoo would be returning today.

‘…There’s a lot of us here though for some reason.’

Looking sideways while feeling slightly perplexed, I could see teacher Hong Yoojin looking into a mirror and turning it left and right while walking. Her clothes appeared extravagant unlike her usual appearance and with her full-on makeup, she also wore high heels despite wobbling around.

No matter how you saw it, it wasn’t the attitude of a person just coming to pick someone up.

“Ah… I don’t really like the colour. Suh-ah, do I look okay?”

“…Yes.”

And next to her was her disciple, Lee Suh-ah walking with a pout.

I was actually planning to come by myself to pick teacher Kwak Jungsoo up but somehow, teacher Hong Yoojin seemed to have caught wind of it. During the study group session, she came up to me and suggested we went together, and that she would drive me there.

It was a good thing for me since I came here for free but… I can’t understand why teacher Hong Yoojin wanted to come. Is she friends with teacher Kwak Jungsoo?

Shrugging my shoulders, I opened my mouth.

“What time was teacher Kwak Jungsoo arriving?”

Closing the hand mirror with a click, teacher Hong Yoojin gave a quick reply.

“Around 5 o’clock? Yeah since the plane arrives at 4, one hour of wait should be enough right? What time is it right now?”

“It’s 4:30.”

“Really? Let’s go there earlier, just in case!”

Blankly staring at teacher Hong Yoojin running up in hurry, I turned sideways.

“Why’s your teacher like that?”

“Don’t know.”

Turning her head away, Lee Suh-ah ran her fingers through her hair primly and walked faster.

Seriously, like teacher like student, both had strange personalities. Shaking my head, I followed Lee Suh-ah into the arrival hall.

*

Perhaps due to school holidays having recently ended, there were more people than expected. I was walking in the midst when Lee Suh-ah suddenly started a conversation.

“How’s the club”

“Un?”

“The one you joined with Mirae – that strange one.”

She was throwing glances at me, evidently quite curious about what had happened afterwards. It wasn’t anything surprising because I decided to join a strange society out of the blue, with her best friend Song Mirae at that.

‘But aren’t they roommates? Why’s she asking me?’

I tilted my head but soon erased those thoughts and replied.

“We had a meeting last time and it was better than I thought. It seemed like the sunbaes had a lot of experience and the plans to perform a musical during the festival is pretty much confirmed as well.”

“During the festival?”

Twitch.

My eyes met Lee Suh-ah’s as she halted her feet. Her face appeared slightly flustered.

“I heard we will be doing that as well though?”

Hmm, it looked like Lee Suh-ah hadn’t heard of it yet, judging from how she was worried about us doing the same thing.

However, there was no need to worry because when we completed the plans that day and brought it to the teacher in charge of club activities, he permitted it with ease. In fact, he enjoyed it saying that the Musical Club will also be tensed up… it’s a scary school indeed.

After hearing my explanation, Lee Suh-ah made a frown.

“In other words, you’ll be competing against us. Are you guys confident?”

“Well we’re just doing it. This is in itself an experience right? I’m thinking of going towards opera in the future you see.”

Lee Suh-ah snorted.

“What are you thinking of doing if no-one comes to watch? I heard societies would be forced to disband if their results during the performance presentation isn’t good.”

“…”

Hearing that, I touched my chin in deep thought.

Indeed, it wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Although I joined the society because I saw it succeed in the future, the future could always be changed due to the past. If the cause changes, the result could naturally change as well.

First, the club members changed.

Song Mirae’s trouble with Kim Sukwon was amplified compared to the past and ‘I’ who had once been in a different society was added as a variable. Plus my relationship with peers had changed, the eyes of the teachers looking at me changed as well as the sudden swap in the Subscription Concert song…

If considering all these butterfly effects, the RC Society that had succeeded in the future cannot be guaranteed to succeed this time as well.

Besides, there were still Lee Suh-ah, Kim Wuju and other lively second-grade members in the Musical Club while our society barely had around ten members.

After some thought, I raised my head.

“…I think it’ll be okay though.”

“…?”

Seeing Lee Suh-ah raise a question mark above her head, I made a faint smile. Although the past had changed, most of that was towards a positive direction.

The RC Society. Back then, Song Mirae must have been the only new member and yet this year, there were both Chloe and me. Also, despite peer relationships and teacher evaluations changing, those were also positive changes.

These things would have a good influence if it would, and they wouldn’t ruin our performance right?

I faced Lee Suh-ah with such positive thoughts.

“It’s okay~ Chloe decided to come in as well so we have enough members. It will be doable. Or did you want to join and give us a hand too?”

“To that childplay-looking society? I’m fine thanks.”

She snorted with a hmph before blinking her eyes in thought and turning back towards me.

“Wait, Chloe joined?”

“Nn? Yeah. Back during the club activity time we met Chloe after she ended her visit and when I asked her if she wanted to join, she did.”

Seeing me smile while saying “We were lacking people so that was helpful~”, Lee Suh-ah formed a strange look on her face.

“You met her by accident? In the Old Main Building where no-one really goes, in that exact moment?”

“There are a lot of club rooms in that building, so well…”

“…I see…”

With her arms crossed, she tapped her fingers and met her eyes with mine.

“You…”

“Nn?”

I tilted my head and her expression that appeared different from usual entered my eyes. She seemed to be lost in deep contemplation. Her eyes wandered, her lips opened and closed without knowing what to do, and she couldn’t hide the complex emotions behind her face.

After hesitating like that, Lee Suh-ah, though rare, opened her mouth timidly.

“You… during the holidays…”

During the holidays?

“…Why did you help me?”

Blinking my eyes, I was taking in her words.

But that was when teacher Hong Yoojin, standing next to us, shot her hand up.

“Teacher Kwak!”

Turning around, I could see the familiar silhouette mixed inside the basket of people. His build was twice as big as the people around him, his head protruded out from the crowd and his hair resembled a lion’s mane.

It was teacher Kwak Jungsoo.

*

“Right, were you well?”

“…I was.”

Standing before me, teacher Kwak Jungsoo grinned and slightly pushed my shoulder as he dragged the luggage behind him. Then, he bent down to greet as he chatted with teacher Hong Yoojin.

“Teacher Hong. Have you been well?”

“Of course! How was Italy? Was it good?”

“Yes. It’s been a while but that place was still the same.”

Teacher Hong Yoojin.

Seeing her give teacher Kwak Jungsoo a bright smile, my heart felt warm for some reason. Ah, I see. Spring is coming for my teacher huh.

‘…But in my previous life, he remained single if I remember correctly.’

“…”

What went wrong I wonder. After some pondering, I turned towards Lee Suh-ah and opened my mouth.

“We should have them meet more frequently.”

“…? Why?”

Lee Suh-ah apparently had no ability to read the mood and seemed clueless. Clicking my tongue, I walked away and carried the teacher’s luggage in his stead. Then, we got into teacher Hong Yoojin’s car and drove off.

I was staring at the airport distancing away when teacher Kwak Jungsoo opened his lips.

“Right, what have you been doing these days?”

“Me? Quite a few things.”

In a rather good mood, I started rambling on about the things that had happened recently – the prac test, the meeting with Sir Timothy Dickson, the casual jobs I took during the holidays, the Prac High-achievers Concert, prepping for the Subscription Concert, joining a society…

Those were all things I had already told him over the phone but when I arranged them into words, I realised how many things that had actually happened while teacher Kwak Jungsoo wasn’t here…

When I ended the talk after being put into a strange mood, he nodded and made a look of satisfaction.

“You’ve been doing well and have made great experiences. Which society did you join?”

“Umm… the uh…”

I hesitated a little before saying the name but soon let out a short sigh and opened my mouth.

“It’s called Religion blah blah blah Research Society… um, a musical. It’s a society that does musicals.”

“Musicals? Wasn’t there a Musical Club already?”

“There are a few circumstances and I can’t join that one…”

Teacher Kwak Jungsoo saw me smile and frowned in thought before nodding his head.

“Well… it still hasn’t been that long since I taught at Future Arts High so I don’t know much. I hope it’s a good society.”

It will become a good one, better than that Musical Club.

Inwardly, I was making a smile when a sudden flash of thought made me raise my head.

“By the way sir. Can you help us for the musical?”

“For a musical?”

Due to the sudden words, I could see him widening his eyes. Seeing that, I gave a nod.

Teacher Kwak Jungsoo. Although he didn’t have much interest on the stage, he was still a great opera singer. Didn’t he prove himself back in the opera theatre already, as a proud main actor?

If it was him who had participated in a lot of plays on all sorts of stages, he would be able to lead us amateurs well right?

We did have a teacher in charge but she was so busy that she didn’t even come that often…

When he received the light sparkling out of my eyes, teacher Kwak Jungsoo scratched his hair, seemingly feeling awkward, and opened his mouth.

“A musical huh… I did do it shortly during college but… after that I only focused on operas.”

“That much is great enough. Besides, you’re a pro at opera right? We’re just amateurs doing a musical so it should be fine.”

He broke out into a grin after hearing my flattery and soon agreed.

“Right, since time’s the only thing I have, I’ll help you out a bit.”

“Thank you!”

With this, we got ourselves a sturdy teacher to help and the main actors are decent with Song Mirae and me. The second-grade sunbaes decided to help with staging and directing so…

‘Good.’

It felt like things were advancing fine. In a good mood, I turned towards Lee Suh-ah with a wide smile on my face.

Lee Suh-ah was quietly staring outside the window.