45 – Festivities (2) 45.
A lazy, drowsy afternoon.
"Come over to my house."
Yoon Suyeon sang with ease.
At her singing, Lee Ji-yoon nodded in approval.
Ever since Yoon Hajun finished "Come Home," Suyeon had stopped singing any other songs. Instead, she practiced "Come Home" obsessively, over and over.
Saturday and Sunday—after polishing her basics and studying theory, she sang "Come Home."
And before anyone realized it, Suyeon had begun to perform "Come Home" flawlessly.
Or maybe… it wasn't just effort.
Lee Ji-yoon sipped her coffee and focused on the song. The more she listened, the more she thought, It's such a good song.
The melody was unbelievably addictive. The song itself had a very comfortable atmosphere. No dramatic developments, no explosive high notes. From start to finish, it flowed so gently that even after listening multiple times, your ears never got tired.
Yet the melody still had clear variations—especially the highlights. There were three of them, each with an irresistibly catchy charm that made you hum along without noticing.
The more she listened, the more amazed she became.
Yoon Hajun.
Just a first-year in high school. Seventeen years old. And yet he had such maturity in his songwriting.
What was terrifying was that this maturity wasn't even his greatest strength.
Hajun's greatest strength… was that he knew exactly how to write music to bring out the singer's full potential.
This song, "Come Home," could be sung this well because it was Suyeon, and at the same time, Suyeon could sing this well because the song was "Come Home."
If it wasn't Suyeon, this song wouldn't have this charm. It was a song perfectly optimized for her voice.
Maybe I should ask him to write me a song too?
Lee Ji-yoon was already preparing for a comeback. And now there was a composer with this kind of talent right in front of her—how could she not be tempted?
Should she just shove a contract in front of him?
"How was it?"
While she was lost in thought, Suyeon finished singing. Instead of asking Lee Ji-yoon, she walked straight to Yoon Hajun.
A bit disappointing… but understandable. Those two siblings were incredibly close—to the point where she thought, Wow, siblings like that actually exist.
Well, both Suyeon and Hajun were kind. Every word they spoke showed how much they cared for each other. Hajun wrote songs for Suyeon, and Suyeon sang for Hajun. They brought out each other's talents.
Brother the composer, sister the singer.
Both had talent, both had looks—entertainment agencies would be drooling.
Honestly, even Ji-yoon had to restrain herself from trying to drag them to her own company. She might be able to recruit Suyeon… but convincing Hajun would be much harder.
"It was good. But you can sing it even more comfortably."
"Hm, but it's a festival, right? Shouldn't I go like—wah!—and give it more energy?"
Suyeon threw her hands up in an exaggerated "surprise!" motion.
Hajun laughed and shook his head.
"That's not what this song is. Just sing like you're talking on the phone with a friend. Relax. The stage will be set up that way too."
"The stage?"
"Yeah. We can't do any big flashy production, so instead we'll decorate it with lots of cute little props."
"Like… my room?"
"Yeah. Like your room."
Suyeon nodded happily.
Seeing that, Lee Ji-yoon started getting excited. What kind of stage would those two show at the festival?
"Hajun."
"Yes?"
"It's okay if I attend the festival too, right? As the teacher."
"Of course."
Hajun agreed without hesitation.
Maybe it was a little shameless of her, but she didn't care. This could be her future star pupil's first stage. She had to see it with her own eyes.
§ § §
[Is the festival stage preparation going well?]
So-so.
[Your sister is performing, right?]
yeah
[I'm looking forward to it!]
Another wave of emojis followed. After thinking for a moment, I sent a neutral emoji back.
The person I was texting was Jin Sohyang. She couldn't attend school these days—busy preparing her group's new album and the festival performance.
Maybe because she was frustrated, she kept messaging me whenever she had time. Sometimes it was a bit tiring… but honestly, talking to her was actually pretty fun. She didn't feel like an idol when we talked. We had similar worries, similar tastes—conversation flowed easily.
Then another message arrived.
[We're working super hard on our festival performance too!]
No no no no no no no. Don't work too hard.
[Nooo haha it's one of only three festivals we get! Of course we're working hard!]
Take it easy.
[Aww thanks for worrying! lol But actually the older members are even more hyped than me. Especially Harin unnie—she's super excited to go back to school T_T]
Tell them to slow down.
[It's okay, you don't have to worry this much! I take good care of my body! Dieting is hard though T_T]
Another barrage of emojis. A crying cat emoji made me feel suffocated.
No, I'm telling you to slow down!!
If even you guys go all-out, I'm totally screwed!
I sighed loudly.
Dealing with just Han Goyo and Kang Seonghun was already exhausting. Now Hwayangyeonhwa—her group—was going full power too? Why?!
It's just a school festival!!!
Why are actual idols putting in 120% effort for this?!
Don't unleash your professional mindset here!!!
And it wasn't just Hwayangyeonhwa preparing intensely. Blue Aka and Kim Taeyoung were doing the same.
After seeing Goyo and Seonghun's rehearsals, they thought, We can't let them beat us, and went to Haul Studio to record all kinds of things.
And when I went there, I was greeted by an unusually strict Won Seongmin. He was harshly instructing the Blue Aka members and scolding Taeyoung. It was like watching a musician in a movie—intense, dramatic, focused.
When I asked why they were going so hard, he said,
"It's the first performance of the project. We have to make it perfect."
No! Why!!!
Why are you doing that at a high school festival stage!!!!
"Seriously…"
Everyone was working too hard. Wouldn't it be fine to chill a little?
Isn't working hard supposed to be the job of people like me—people who lack talent?
In novels and comics they talk about things like "demonic talent," "lazy geniuses"—all lies. There is no such thing as a genius who doesn't work hard.
I stood up and looked at my laptop.
Even geniuses are working this hard—I can't be slacking.
The song was done, so I started thinking about the stage design. A stage that would maximize the song's charm, while keeping Suyeon comfortable.
"I'll prepare these props…"
And so, I stayed up all night preparing everything needed for the stage.
§ § §
As the festival drew closer, the stage sets began to be constructed in earnest.
I stared at the huge stage being built in the school yard and bit my lip.
The festival stage has three rehearsals. Right after the stage is completed. The day before the festival. And the morning of the festival day.
But Suyeon could only attend one—the rehearsal on the day of the festival. She couldn't make the other two—she'd be at school.
"Will she be okay?"
The more I thought about it, the more nervous I felt.
Whether or not you get to rehearse on stage beforehand—the difference is huge. Especially for someone performing for the first time.
Standing on stage is far more nerve-racking than people think. Stage fright, fear of being watched… those exist for a reason. Some singers who've been active for twenty years still take calming pills before going on stage.
Will Suyeon really be okay?
She's a naturally shy kid. She's gotten more playful and outgoing lately, but at her core, she's still introverted.
And she's incredibly kind. She hates inconveniencing others more than anything, and she can't say no to people.
And I'd… taken advantage of that side of her before.
I sighed as I stared at the stage being constructed.
Will Suyeon really be able to stand on that stage and sing successfully?
"What are you staring at so hard?"
"Can't you tell? The stage."
"Aren't you weirdly cold to me lately?"
"Unfortunately, that's correct."
"Son of a—"
Kim Taeyoung cursed and tossed something at me.
I caught the heavy object that landed on my uniform.
An ion drink.
"The festival's really close, huh."
"You look happy?"
"Of course. The sooner it ends, the better."
"…You do look exhausted."
I hadn't known senior Won Seongmin was that terrifying either.
After chatting with Taeyoung, we headed inside the school building.
"Oh, wait."
"What?"
"Let's look at it before we go."
"You're going to look at that painting again?"
I nodded.
Whenever I felt uncertain or anxious about my work, I came here to look at the painting that had inspired me. I did take a picture of it, but photos can't compare to the real thing.
You have to see it in person to feel that overwhelming—something invisible that swells in your chest.
"What's so great about that painting, anyway?"
"I don't know."
"Huh?"
"I said, I don't even know why I like it."
I was being honest. I knew nothing about art. Even when I read articles about paintings being sold for hundreds of billions, I couldn't understand why they were worth that much. I knew the theories—deconstructionism and all that—but understanding it? No.
Even the painting I was staring at now, "Free-spirited," was like that.
In a photo, it just looked like a messy coloring job. Random splashes of paint, handprints, maybe even footprints—like a kid made a mess.
But when you saw it in person… it was overwhelming.
I didn't even know how to describe it.
"You should just go meet the artist like I said."
"…Hm."
"She's a second-year at our school. Art Department only has forty students. You could easily find her."
Last time I said "no need," but honestly… I kind of did want to meet her.
What kind of person paints something like this?
But what if she was completely different from the image in my head?
What if meeting her ruined the emotion I felt from the painting?
I didn't want that either.
Complicated feelings.
After listening, Taeyoung gave me an exasperated look.
"You're such a weirdo. Seriously."
I ignored him and kept staring at the painting.
The more I looked, the more confidence filled me.
Good.
I nodded and headed back to class.
The festival was drawing near fast. Whenever there's a big event, time always flies too quickly.
In that time, Suyeon, Ji-yoon, and I discussed the stage and prepared together. And Ji-yoon helped us a lot.
Well, of course.
When it came to stage experience, I was basically third-rate—or worse. But she was a former top girl group member, a successful solo artist, and an active musical actress. She understood the stage far better than I ever could.
"Seriously, even just changing the color of the mic can make the stage way more memorable."
"Really?"
"Sometimes small, subtle impact is stronger than flashy effects. Especially for a comfortable song like 'Come Home.'"
"I see."
I nodded.
A special mic color—nice idea.
What color would work…?
I searched for a pink mic to match the props I had prepared. Turns out it was easy to find a place to rent one.
After renting the mic, I brought the plushies and props to the practice room and set them up.
"How does it look?"
"It's a little plain."
"Well, for the actual stage I'm planning to add a small table and even a bed…"
"A bed?"
"Yeah."
I nodded.
It was hard to find a place that rents beds for just one day, so I bought a folding bed instead. Not an expensive one—just a simple one.
I also bought a blanket, pillow, plushies, and cushions. That alone wasn't cheap.
"You sure it's okay to buy all this?"
"It's fine. I'll just take it home after the stage."
The folding bed would probably be useful someday.
And the blanket, pillow, plushies, cushions—I'd just give them to Suyeon as gifts.
"What about outfits?"
"I'm still thinking. Should I rent something or have Suyeon wear her own clothes…"
"For a song with a 'come over to my house' concept, wouldn't comfy clothes be best?"
"That's why I'm thinking of putting her in a hoodie and comfortable shorts."
Suyeon didn't need flashy outfits. A simple, casual look fit her best. If she wore something fancy, it would clash with the song's atmosphere and ruin the charm.
"Then you'll keep the makeup minimal too?"
"Yeah. I mean, Suyeon is cute even without makeup."
"That's true."
"And she's still young. I want to bring out that youthful freshness."
For her hair, I planned to just tie it back simply instead of doing any elaborate styling.
Basically, the goal was to make it look like she was just chilling in her room on a bed.
After finishing discussions with Ji-yoon, the stage setup was complete. Only two days remained until the festival.
During that time, the massive festival stage was finished being built.
"I'm going to be standing there?"
After school, Suyeon came to Seolwon High and asked quietly.
I nodded.
Before she actually stood on stage, I wanted to show it to her.
On that stage, the second-years were in the middle of rehearsal.
Suyeon stared at them intently.
And I stared at her.
Her lips moved slightly.
She was singing along to the rehearsal—singing my song.
After watching for about twenty minutes, she turned to me.
"I wish the festival would start already."
"Are you excited?"
"Yeah! I'm excited. And…"
She paused for a moment. Then smiled brightly and said,
"I think… I feel confident now."
…Looks like Suyeon is stronger than I thought.
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