102 – A Short Break (4) "Don't forget that water is dangerous. No matter what happens, don't take off the life jacket you're wearing. Even though you're not at school, act with pride as students of Seolwon Arts High. Then…"
Park Jongseo spoke up to that point, then took a big breath. At that, the students gulped and swallowed hard. Seeing them, Park Jongseo swept a sharp gaze over them and shouted.
"Play your hearts out until assembly time!"
"Wooooaaah!!"
The moment Park Jongseo finished speaking, the Practical Music Department students of Seolwon Arts High cheered and sprinted into the water park. Watching them, Park Jongseo smiled with satisfaction.
The destination for this Practical Music Department school trip was Neverland, the best amusement park in Korea. On the first day in the morning, they would play at the water park, and at night, they would watch the parade. On the second day in the morning, they would have free time in the amusement park, and in the evening, they would enjoy the talent show—in other words, the stage.
It was a fairly short schedule at two nights and three days, but Neverland was still the most popular school trip destination among students. And that was true for the Practical Music Department students as well.
The Practical Music Department students were genuinely giving it their all, enjoying the water park. Some students floated lazily in the lazy river like jellyfish, while others practically flew around in the wave pool.
Some laughed as they got drenched by water pouring down from above, while others screamed as they rode attractions that dropped them straight down in an instant.
Everyone was having fun in their own way. And at the center of it all was Kim Taeyoung. As if something terrible would happen if he didn't play hard, Kim Taeyoung was going all out and having the time of his life.
He rode long water slides, got drenched, and got launched by the big waves in the wave pool. And unlike Kim Taeyoung, there were also students who took it easy.
"His stamina's insane."
"That's the only thing he's got going for him."
It was none other than Yoon Hajun and Han Goyo. The two of them were riding tubes and drifting lazily around the lazy river. If they wanted, they could ride slides or other attractions, but neither of them was the type to enjoy that.
And more than anything, they'd be busy having fun again tomorrow. So today, they planned to take it slow. Enjoying the cool water of the lazy river, Yoon Hajun hummed under his breath.
With a curious look, Han Goyo asked about that humming.
"Is that a song you made to use for Singer Star?"
"Yeah. Pretty much."
"How many songs have you prepared?"
"If you mean prepared, not finished… about fifteen?"
Fifteen. Of course, not all of them were fully complete, but they were still songs Yoon Hajun had made. And the vocalist would be Yoon Suyeon. It wasn't something you could take lightly.
"Once Singer Star starts, is this the first time I'll go up against you?"
"It's not the first time. We did that at the Practical Music Department concert last time too."
"...That doesn't really count as going up against each other."
Back then, it was true he helped Jin Sohyang, but it wasn't like he was trying to beat Goyo. No, seriously. He'd shouted "Take down Han Goyo," but he hadn't meant it.
He'd actually told Sohyang not to focus on beating Goyo, but to make her own stage. He'd also told her not to be conscious of Goyo.
Sure, he'd said things like underdog and giant-killing, but that had been about surpassing herself. It hadn't meant beating Goyo.
While Yoon Hajun made excuses in his head, Han Goyo smiled faintly and said,
"I know."
"Right? I figured you would."
"Yeah. I know because it's me."
Han Goyo affirmed him. Right—because it was her, she knew it was true. But separately from that, it was also true that she'd been annoyed back then.
She still didn't know why.
"So can you beat me?"
Han Goyo asked. At the question, Yoon Hajun looked at her. Han Goyo's expression was utterly serious. It wasn't a confident question, and it wasn't a question meant to provoke him.
Han Goyo was genuinely asking.
Could he beat her?
At her seriousness, Yoon Hajun's expression turned serious too.
Sure, it looked ridiculous to be making a serious face while wearing a swimsuit and lying on a tube, but still—Yoon Hajun calculated his odds with full seriousness.
After finishing the calculation, Yoon Hajun said,
"About sixty percent?"
"Lower than I thought."
"I don't know your current level at all."
Han Goyo's current level was an unknown. In the past, he'd thought she couldn't possibly grow beyond that—but as time passed, Han Goyo kept bringing out something even more impressive.
Outstanding talent, effort that matched that talent, and even her mindset toward singing.
Those three things were making Han Goyo grow by leaps and bounds.
At this rate, isn't she going to become the best female singer in Korea?
It wasn't even a joke—he was thinking it seriously. That was why he estimated his odds at about sixty percent. Suyeon was fifty, and the songs he made added ten.
"Are you confident?"
This time, Yoon Hajun asked Han Goyo. In response, Han Goyo placed a finger on the tube and pressed down lightly.
The pressed spot dented for a moment, then returned to its original shape. Watching that, Han Goyo spoke carefully.
"I'm not."
"Huh?"
"I said I'm not."
At that crisp, unexpected declaration of defeat, Yoon Hajun's eyes widened. Han Goyo, of all people, was saying that?
Han Goyo took immense pride in her singing. Not just pride—she treated it like her life. She truly believed singing was all she had, and that she couldn't be lacking compared to others.
But now Han Goyo was saying she wasn't confident.
"Why?"
Worried something might have happened, Yoon Hajun asked. Under Yoon Hajun's intense gaze as he looked at her with concern, Han Goyo dipped her hand into the lazy river.
Cold. Refreshing. In contrast, the part on top of the tube was hot from the sun. Right. It was all because of the sun. The reason her face felt hot, the reason her heart felt hot—
It was all because of that blazing sun.
So what she was about to say was also all the sun's fault. Because she'd gotten overheated. That's why.
Han Goyo said to Yoon Hajun,
"I'm not confident I can beat you. And I'm not confident I can win without you either."
After saying that, Han Goyo slid off the tube and went straight into the water, hoping the cold water would cool her wildly racing heart even a little.
She let her body float for a while.
§ § §
Night fell on the first day of the school trip.
The highlight of the first night was the parade. A dazzling parade where elaborately dressed performers passed down the street, sang lively songs, and set off fireworks.
"...Then why are we watching it from here?!"
On a bench near their lodging that overlooked the parade route, Kim Taeyoung, who was watching the parade's shape from afar, exploded.
At his shout, Han Goyo—who was drinking chocolate milk she'd somehow brought—spoke.
"There are too many people over there."
"Yeah. And it's loud."
"Are you two shut-ins? It's a parade—of course there are going to be a lot of people! And in the first place, even before the parade, this is an amusement park!"
"That's why I'm saying it's loud."
"Then how did you even stay in the water park?!"
At Kim Taeyoung's words, I took a sip of water and answered.
"We stayed on the lazy river the whole time."
"Yeah."
Goyo nodded. Well, there was that one time Goyo suddenly got off her tube and dropped into the water. And then she got scolded by a lifeguard.
Anyway, Goyo and I spent most of the time at the water park floating on the lazy river, taking it easy. At my words, Kim Taeyoung looked dumbfounded.
"So that's why it was hard to spot you guys—you were on the lazy river the whole time?"
"Yeah."
"What are you, jellyfish??"
"We're not like you—purely physical. We're brain types."
"My finals grades are better than yours."
I cleared my throat at Kim Taeyoung's comment. Yeah, fair. Anyway, putting that aside, it really did hit me again—Taeyoung's stamina was ridiculous.
He'd run around the water park for six hours straight and didn't look tired at all. Playing in water was way more exhausting than playing elsewhere.
Well, that probably explained why he talked so much.
"You two take youth way too lightly. A summer when you're eighteen only comes once. You'll never get this summer again. So tomorrow, I'm going to show you what youth really is!"
Was that really something a current high school student would say? What are you, a 1990s anime protagonist? Youth, my ass. You just want to have fun—stop dressing it up.
Just as I was about to say that, a massive firework shot up into the sky. It burst, stitching beautiful sparks across the dark night.
"Pretty…"
Goyo murmured as she watched. In the dark night, the fireworks painted Han Goyo's face in shifting colors.
"Yeah."
This time, I murmured as I looked at her face.
"Man, fireworks are loud as hell."
And of course, Kim Taeyoung muttered that in the middle of it. What a romance-killing bastard. He even played piano—how did he end up with that little sensitivity?
"Your voice is louder."
In the end, Goyo couldn't hold it in and snapped at Taeyoung. Taeyoung immediately shouted back, and Goyo sighed and said something else.
Watching them, I laughed.
Yeah. It was still a pretty good memory.
§
And the next morning.
The three of us met early and started making the rounds of the amusement park. Just like we'd planned, the first ride was Gyro Drop.
It shot you up fast, then dropped you straight down. I wasn't really into rides, but it was my favorite because it felt refreshingly cool.
"I kind of want to try bungee jumping someday."
I muttered as we got off Gyro Drop. Meanwhile, Goyo was smiling slightly, like she'd enjoyed it. And Taeyoung…
"Are you okay?"
"Huh? Yeah—why?"
"Your legs are jelly."
I pointed at Taeyoung's trembling legs. Look at that—doing some kind of busted leg dance. At my words, Kim Taeyoung spoke like it was nothing.
"I'm fine. It's just… how do I put it. Rides that only drop like that aren't really my thing."
"What, do you have a fear of heights or something?"
"Uh. Just a little."
"Then why is a guy with a fear of heights trying to ride a roller coaster?"
I asked with a dumbfounded look. Kim Taeyoung cleared his throat and said,
"I told you. Just a little. It's not that serious. Just the normal level where regular people get scared when they go up high and look down! And more than anything, isn't that kind of good? Like, I'm scared, but I ride it anyway, and it's… chilling. Like, I'm torturing myself. It's kind of dizzying. It gives you goosebumps. And once you push past the threshold, it turns into pleasure."
At that, I quietly took a step away from him.
That bastard—so that's what he was feeling?
"Anyway, let's go. I want to ride more stuff."
Maybe his legs stopped shaking, because Kim Taeyoung started leading the way. Goyo and I looked at each other, laughed, and nodded.
After that, we enjoyed about four more rides. Whenever we got hungry, we bought snacks like churros and other food, or grabbed drinks.
"Buying lunch here wastes too much time. The lines are too long."
"It can't be helped."
"Then you two go to Animal Valley. I'll ride Chain Train. I'll call you as soon as I'm done, so don't put your phone on silent."
"Yeah, yeah."
And just like that, we split up as planned. Taeyoung got in a line that didn't seem to have an end in sight for Chain Train, and Goyo and I headed to Animal Valley.
"Wow. It's huge."
"Yeah."
When we arrived at Animal Valley, both of us blurted it out in awe. So it really was the biggest zoo in Korea—it was enormous.
"Which animal do you want to see first?"
As befitting a zoo of that size, Animal Valley had all kinds of animals. There were places where you could see lions and tigers, and places where you could see chimpanzees and giraffes.
There were even areas for snakes and birds. At my question, Goyo looked at the map and hesitated for a moment, then seemed to decide.
"Let's go see the pandas."
"Pandas are great."
And when I read the sign, it said they'd brought in a cub not long ago. A baby panda. Just thinking about it was cute. So I moved with Goyo to go see the pandas.
"So cute."
As soon as we arrived, Goyo stared at the panda and let out a small exclamation. I nodded along.
The young panda wriggling around was unbelievably cute just to watch. At the same time, I felt disappointed that we couldn't touch it.
I knew it couldn't be helped, but still.
Disappointing was disappointing.
"I heard they used to have animal-touch experiences."
"Really?"
"Yeah. But they said it got discontinued because it wasn't good for the animals."
"That's a shame."
"Hm. I'm not really disappointed."
Goyo shook her head at my words. Then she carefully rested her arms on the railing and spoke with a faintly distant look.
"Animals are living creatures too. They'd hate it if strangers touched them. I don't like that. Well, unless it's a cat that follows me around."
"You like cats?"
This time she nodded. Cats… Come to think of it, Suyeon had talked about cats before, too.
As we talked like that, we moved on to where the other animals were.
And as she looked at them, Goyo wore a bright, innocent expression. I'd been close with her for about a year and a half, and it was the first time I'd ever seen that look on her face.
I watched Goyo smile, carefree, bright like Suyeon. So she could make an expression like that.
While we were walking around, Taeyoung called. It seemed he'd gotten off Chain Train. I picked up the ringing phone and said to Goyo,
"We should get going."
"Yeah. We should."
Goyo nodded, looking reluctant.
§ § §
"N-no."
I sighed at the heavy sensation pressing against my back. Seriously. I was seeing a lot of unexpected sides of people on this trip.
"Do you want some water?"
A worried voice came from beside me. At that, I felt the person gripping my clothes from behind shake his head.
"I-I'm fine."
"Then why did you insist on coming in here?"
In the end, I couldn't hold it back and scolded Taeyoung behind me. We were in Ghost Town. In other words, a haunted house.
I'd come in because Taeyoung said he really wanted to, but why was he the one who was the most scared? Taeyoung, trembling and clinging to my clothes as he moved, answered carefully.
"I-I mean, it's really famous. They put a ton of effort into it this time, and people say it's so scary you'll pass out!"
"Yeah. Looking at you, it does seem scary enough to pass out."
As we talked, something suddenly whooshed past. Something translucent. Oh, was that CG? Setting aside how terrified Taeyoung was, the quality really was good.
"Eeeek!!"
Right as I was thinking that, my foot suddenly sank. What is this, a sponge? At the same time, a horrific scream erupted from behind me.
Damn it. That scream is scarier than the ghosts.
In the end, we had no choice but to bail out of Ghost Town halfway through. If Kim Taeyoung actually passed out, that'd be a problem.
And that was the last of the rides we could enjoy. There were forty minutes left until we had to assemble at the lodging. It was an awkward amount of time—too short to do another ride.
"We've got some time left. What do you want to do? Go to a café? Or just head back to the lodging?"
Even though we were outside, Kim Taeyoung asked as if he was still scared. I hesitated for a moment, then remembered my promise to Suyeon.
"No—let's go to the souvenir shop. My little sister asked me for something."
"Yeah. Let's do that."
Whew. Good thing I remembered because we had extra time. I almost forgot. If I had, I would've gotten smacked with Biseoni.
I let out a relieved sigh and went into the souvenir shop.
Just like Suyeon said, they really were selling all kinds of Biseoni-related goods. Hm. So it was popular enough to do collab plushies.
I couldn't really understand it, but fine—I'd acknowledge it. Taste mattered.
As I walked around looking for the doll Suyeon wanted, I saw Goyo stop in front of one of the dolls.
The doll she was looking at was Biseoni playing a guitar. Did she want it? Goyo stared at it with a serious face, then passed it by with a disappointed expression.
Hm.
I kept watching, then found the doll Suyeon had mentioned. I also bought one more different doll, then we left the souvenir shop.
"You didn't buy anything?"
"Yeah. I don't think I really need to."
Goyo nodded as she said that. Meanwhile, Taeyoung and I were both carrying multiple bags.
I bought mine because of Suyeon, but what was Taeyoung doing? At my look, Taeyoung gave an awkward smile and explained like he was making excuses.
"Well, you know. My room's been feeling kind of bleak lately."
I hadn't even said anything.
After we finished shopping, we returned to the lodging. Then we ate dinner and moved to a large hall.
And there, we enjoyed the stage. This time, the judges were part-time workers from the amusement park—men and women in their early twenties.
Maybe it was their age. Or maybe it was because they worked at an amusement park. Either way, their reactions were great. With the judges reacting so well, the performers naturally got more excited and went all out.
"Yeah… it's definitely more relaxing just watching."
When I participated, I couldn't just enjoy the performances because I was too busy worrying about my own stage. But since I didn't participate this time, I could actually enjoy it.
It really did matter. There were things you could only see when you weren't a participant—when you were purely an audience member enjoying the stage.
Soon, all the performances ended. The winner was none other than Kang Seong-hun. Well, it was a performance worthy of winning.
"Why didn't you go up?"
Kang Seong-hun, the winner, came over and asked me like he couldn't understand. I stretched lazily and replied,
"I just wanted to rest this time."
"...My goal is to place higher than you at an event you participate in."
I'd felt it before, but Kang Seong-hun wanted to beat me to an oddly intense degree. Did he think of me as a rival? If so, it was an honor.
In my previous life, the gap had been so large he wouldn't have even been competition.
But still.
"With a scholarship on the line, I'm not planning to lose."
"Then I'll beat you no matter what."
Kang Seong-hun walked away after saying that. Seriously, what a strange guy. Anyway, geniuses really all have something off about them.
Thinking that, I left the hall. Once the remaining free time before sleep ended, the school trip would be over.
I took the bag I'd prepared in advance and went to find Goyo.
"Want to drink some chocolate milk outside and talk?"
"Yeah."
At my suggestion, Goyo nodded. Soon, we left the lodging, bought two chocolate milks at the convenience store, and sat on a bench outside.
"It was fun."
Goyo said that as soon as we sat down. A faint smile rested on her face. I smiled too.
When I first met her, she'd looked like she might shatter at any moment. Her expression had gotten better. Did that mean Goyo wouldn't disappear anymore?
"Me too."
"Then what did you call me out to talk about?"
"Oh, nothing big. I just wanted to give you this."
As I said that, I handed her the bag I'd bought earlier at the souvenir shop. Goyo blinked, then carefully opened it—and her face went rigid in shock.
"You're giving this to me?"
"Yeah."
"...Really?"
"I said I am."
Goyo carefully took out what was inside.
What I gave her was the Biseoni doll playing a guitar—the one she'd been looking at earlier.
After pulling it out, Goyo hesitated for a moment, then hugged it like it was precious, squeezing it tight with both arms. Then she looked at me and said,
"Thank you."
"For what."
I let out a small laugh. Anyone would think I'd given her something huge.
I lifted my head and looked at the sky.
Maybe the parade was going on again—because far in the distance, fireworks were bursting. Watching them, I spoke to Goyo.
"You know once vacation ends, we're rivals now, right?"
"Yeah."
Goyo nodded. More precisely, once Singer Star began, Goyo and I would become rivals. There was only one winner.
And no matter what anyone said, I intended to make Suyeon the winner.
"You said you're not confident you can beat me. But just because I heard that, I'm not going to go easy on you."
"I know."
"And I'm not planning to ask you to go easy on me either."
At my words, Goyo looked at me. Her eyes wavered. Seeing that, I smiled. I had a rough idea what Goyo felt toward me.
Not to the point of certainty yet, but still. Even so, I didn't want to use those feelings.
If I were the participant, maybe I could ask her to go easy on me.
But the participant wasn't me. It was Suyeon.
"So do your best with everything you've got."
Even if that ended with Suyeon getting eliminated, I wanted to see it.
Goyo's stage, done with full sincerity.
And only by beating a Goyo like that would Suyeon's victory have value.
Goyo thought for a moment, then said in a teasing voice,
"Didn't I tell you?"
"Hm?"
"That I don't really like Suyeon?"
Goyo stood up.
Still holding the doll I'd given her in her arms.
She looked at me and said,
"And I'm not kind enough to go easy on someone I don't even like."
I didn't answer. Seriously—Suyeon and Goyo both. Why did they dislike each other so much? Genius pride? Something like that?
Was it because I wasn't a genius that I couldn't understand?
As I was thinking that, Goyo continued,
"And I'm going to use this chance to show everyone."
"What—show them that Han Goyo is the best?"
I replied jokingly. But no answer came back.
A short silence passed between us.
Goyo's eyes, fixed on me, wavered even more. The wind lifted her hair.
"That the one who can express the song you made better than anyone else… is me."
With just a hint of embarrassment,
she tightened her grip on the doll in her arms,
and spoke to me.
From far away, the sound of insects singing drifted over.
At that song announcing the start of summer, I turned my head.
"Alright. Show me, then."
Before we knew it, the second summer had begun.
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