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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Accompaniment Matching
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Cheongyeom Arts High was, in crude terms, a ritzy rich-kid school.
Even with a relatively small student body, they had separate buildings for each department.
The buildings weren't huge, but each had distinctive designs that made wandering around and sightseeing pretty fun.
Leading the musical theater department, with thirty students trailing in a neat line, Jung Hye-seon cut across the Cheongyeom Arts High campus.
Our destination was the music department building.
We passed the small theater, then the grand auditorium and a walkway.
Finally, we arrived at the music department building, constructed mainly of red brick.
Unlike the musical theater department's building, it was tucked away in a corner, surrounded by dense trees and flower beds.
It felt like stepping into some secret garden.
We all buzzed with excitement as we entered the music department building, which looked a bit different from our own.
The music students were supposedly gathered in the first-year large ensemble room for our collaborative project.
The musical theater kids poked around every nook and cranny of the music building, a place they rarely had reason to visit.
"Stop gawking and hurry up, follow along."
The quiet atmosphere, so different from our boisterous department building, gradually hushed the kids.
Maybe it was the dark wood furnishings, but it had this classical vibe to it.
Do they clean differently here? Why does it feel even fresher?
"It smells. It reeks. The smell of romance."
Guess Woo-sik was picking up a different scent.
The mention of collaborating with the music department had him extra hyper and unfocused today.
I made a mental note to work him extra hard tonight.
"You'd better not embarrass the musical theater department."
As we reached the ensemble room door, Jung Hye-seon gave the kids one last warning.
They nodded eagerly, eyes full of anticipation.
"Alright, everyone in."
Jung Hye-seon flung open the door with gusto.
"Jung Hye-seon Teacher! Come on in. First time seeing musical theater students, huh?"
Kim Eun-jeong Teacher, with her warm and gentle face, welcomed the musical theater group.
The musical theater kids clustered together and greeted her politely.
"Hello."
"Please take care of us."
Jung Hye-seon boomed toward the music students, who were sitting awkwardly in silence.
"Don't your music kids know how to greet people?"
Only then did the music students offer a loud greeting.
The ensemble room looked nothing like I'd imagined.
Without instruments, it felt vast and empty.
Even with every musical theater student lined up at the front, there was still plenty of space.
And the music department had more students than us.
I slowly scanned all the music students.
Cheongyeom Arts High's first-year music department had two classes, about sixty students total.
They'd all gathered here for the collaborative project.
Though from two classes, they weren't seated by class but grouped by major.
Pianists together, violinists together, and so on.
Flags in front of each group marked their majors, making it easy to tell.
Sixteen years ago, but maybe I'd recognize a face, so I looked closely.
Ah, that one's all over TV later.
Right, she was from here.
Violin major, pretty face—debuted as an idol.
She'd play violin on variety shows, claiming it was her specialty. That's how I knew her.
I had no clue back then at seventeen, but seeing her young face again now hit different.
As expected from Cheongyeom Arts High, plenty of future stars dotted the music crowd.
"Ha-na."
Then, a piano major student waved to Song Ha-na.
She waved back lightly, so they must already know each other.
A few others exchanged friendly hellos too.
Same school, after all—could be classmates, family connections, or from the same arts middle school.
Plenty of cross-department friends caught my eye.
"No familiar faces at all."
"Same here."
Of course, I knew faces from my thirty-three-year-old knowledge, not my seventeen-year-old self's.
Neither Woo-sik nor I had music department friends back then.
"Some of you know each other, some don't."
Breaking the awkward silence, Jung Hye-seon got to the point of our visit.
"Music students, you've all heard the explanation, so no need to rehash why we're here, right?"
"Yes."
They were the accompanists for our dance test, part of the collaborative project.
The music students didn't seem annoyed.
Like she said, extra credit probably had them motivated—no reluctance in sight.
"We could start matching right now, but first, you need time to get to know each other, check out dance skills and playing styles."
Jung Hye-seon leaned casually against the grand piano at one end of the room and continued.
"You've got until lunch to chat freely here. No more school-scheduled time after today, so no shy idiots holding back, right?"
She scanned the musical theater kids.
This was the one and only official mingle session.
A few introverts looked uneasy, but most seemed intrigued.
You could still pair up later, but top players would be snatched up quick.
"Time to shine with my specialty."
Meanwhile, Woo-sik cracked his neck side to side.
No way chatterbox Woo-sik would sit this out.
One of the rare classes where his gift would pay off big.
"Alright, chat time—go!"
At Jung Hye-seon's signal, a few students jumped right in.
Song Ha-na and Moon Woo-hyuk among them.
They'd probably pre-arranged partners before today.
The dance test ran similarly every year; no way they didn't know.
Already locked in, so of course they'd groundwork early.
Other musical theater students hesitated but started moving.
Accompaniment spots were limited to popular majors.
Even with music's two classes vs. our one, competition for hot majors was fierce.
"Where to start. Hey, Do-hyun. What instrument you think suits you?"
Woo-sik whispered, eyes darting over the seated music students.
"Dunno."
He whipped his head toward me at my evasive reply, eyes narrowing like he suspected ulterior motives.
"Sigh. Whatever, you'll figure it out."
His gaze shifted away briefly, then locked on somewhere.
"I've... I've decided."
Following his stare, I saw a group of fewer than five students.
Their flag read 'Flute'.
And right there, a girl with exactly Woo-sik's type of vibe.
Hook, line, and sinker.
"Cool, hyung's heading out first."
He slicked back his hair and took off.
Calling me uncle one minute, now he's hyung.
I shook my head at the beaming Woo-sik beelining for flutes.
Then I felt eyes from the music students.
Weird?
A good number were sneaking glances my way.
Trying to be subtle, but not quite there.
Couldn't fool eyes twice their life's experience.
Word must've spread to music about me topping musical theater lately.
Makes sense.
My name's probably huge among musical theater parents.
Bound to leak to other departments' parents.
Can't underestimate the info network of parents cramming kids into Cheongyeom Arts High.
School and parent intel moves faster than future 5G.
Gotta wrap this matching quick—pressure's on.
Truth is, when I first walked in, my eyes were already fixed on one spot.
Not randomly—I knew the dance test drill like Ha-na and Woo-hyuk, so I'd planned ahead.
This idea of mine? No one'd top it.
Feeling the sidelong glances, I strode forward confidently.
***
Jung Hye-seon directed the kids to mingle, then sipped coffee leisurely at the desk with Kim Eun-jeong Teacher.
Cheongyeom Arts High music students often eyed post-grad spots in the Cheongyeom Foundation's musical orchestra, so interest in musical theater ran high.
Kim Eun-jeong Teacher and music kids alike knew the musical theater crowd to some degree.
Especially the standouts—rumors flew thick in music already.
Sipping coffee, she glanced around: Moon Woo-hyuk and Song Ha-na already deep in convo.
Pre-matched, probably.
Left were Kim Sun-woo and Lee Do-hyun.
Curious what those two would pick.
Kim Sun-woo pondered; Lee Do-hyun...
Jung Hye-seon watched Do-hyun's path with gleaming eyes.
Shockingly, he headed straight to the back.
No way, she thought. But there Do-hyun stopped dead in front of that no-way.
"Interesting kid."
Only one student sat there.
"Hey."
Do-hyun spoke; the boy who'd been quietly head-down jolted up in surprise.
His major was—
"Drums, right?"
Drums.
"Uh, hi."
Choi Sung-jin stammered, flustered.
Peeking through his bangs, he looked plenty shocked.
Only one first-year music drum major.
School-wide, just two including one senior—super rare.
Despite rarity, for this musical theater collab? Low value.
Percussion can't carry melody.
Knowing that, Choi Sung-jin figured no one'd approach, so he'd zoned out.
Safe for this slot, at least.
"I'm Lee Do-hyun."
"Yeah, I know! I'm Choi Sung-jin."
He wiped sweaty palms on his pants and stuck out a hand.
Not just anyone—the rising superstar of musical theater, scorching hot rookie talking to him!
Do-hyun gripped the stunned Choi Sung-jin's hand and shook firmly.
Whoa, kid's got some serious calluses.
"Heard you're killer on drums."
Choi Sung-jin hesitated, then nodded slightly.
Glanced around furtively.
'Ugh, why's everyone staring?'
Music students' eyes locked here.
Sweat beading in the spotlight,
"If you're that good, perfect."
The dream words kept coming.
Do-hyun ignored the stares, nodding satisfied with a smile.
Choi Sung-jin gawked up at him, face screaming what the hell's this guy thinking.
Neck's gonna hurt.
Do-hyun dragged a chair over, sat in front of Choi Sung-jin.
"Choi Sung-jin. For my dance test, I need your drum sound."
The vast ensemble room fell into silent shock.
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