Chapter 4: The Decisive Move
The next day…
“Huff… Huff…”
Jinwoo trudged forward in his school uniform, which looked ready to burst from how tightly it fit him.
Even though the weather wasn’t hot, his uniform was already soaked with sweat.
Despite looking like he was dying from exhaustion, Seowoon Arts High School was only a five-minute walk away.
And it was completely flat ground.
“Yoo Jinwoo.”
It was Lee Chaeyu, the teacher in charge of performance class.
“You know today’s your performance evaluation, right?”
Her cold voice instantly brought Jinwoo back to his senses.
“Ah! That’s right!”
Performance class was one of the most important classes at the arts high school.
The entire student body gathered together, and everyone performed on stage, so the pressure was enormous.
“Yoo Jinwoo, were you so excited about summer vacation that you forgot? If you mess up your performance today, you’ll have to do it again after school starts.”
Lee Chaeyu held out a small pouch.
“Here. Draw one.”
Jinwoo pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to her.
She checked the number.
“You’re after Youngjun, so you’ll be performing last. Get ready. I’ll see you later.”
The moment he heard Na Youngjun’s name, Jinwoo frowned.
“Why do I have to go after Na Youngjun?”
I’m doomed.
I’m going to embarrass myself again today.
Thinking about everything that had happened in Italy, Jinwoo sighed.
“…Sigh.”
“What’s with the sigh?”
“Nothing.”
Just then—
“Hey, bug.”
It was Na Youngjun.
“I heard you’re performing right after me today.”
Jinwoo silently glared at him.
Youngjun opened his eyes wide before giving him a twisted grin.
“Look forward to it.”
“I’m going to crush you into the ground.”
“You little insect.”
Paul quietly recalled something Jinwoo had said earlier.
“Why do I have to perform after Na Youngjun?”
And something else Jinwoo had said before.
“I’m ranked last at Seowoon Arts High School.”
Watching Youngjun walk away, Paul muttered to himself,
“I thought he just hated performing on stage.”
“But after seeing that arrogant brat…”
“It seems that’s not the only problem.”
He stared at Youngjun’s back.
“So he’s the reason.”
Performance class.
On the dark stage, a single spotlight illuminated Na Youngjun.
As always, he stood there looking elegant and refined.
Maybe being the son of a National Assembly member really did make a difference.
Even though everyone wore the same school uniform, his somehow looked like it had been tailored by a luxury designer.
The song Youngjun chose was “Ideale” by Francesco Paolo Tosti.
It was a beautiful song about longing for the woman one loves.
The highlight of the piece came at the very end.
It climbed all the way to a difficult high A (A4) in the second octave.
Finally, the song reached its climax.
“E a me risponderà nel tuo sembiante
Una novella aurora.”
(And your face will shine before me like a new dawn.)
“Well done, Youngjun.”
“The high notes in this song are extremely difficult.”
“Your voice wavered a little, but that was still an excellent performance.”
“You may sit down.”
As soon as Lee Chaeyu finished speaking, the students applauded.
“Ah… I wasn’t in great condition today.”
Youngjun spoke as though he were disappointed in himself.
The other students immediately protested.
“Don’t say things like that in front of us.”
“You’re making the rest of us look bad.”
“Seriously.”
“Just finishing that song is hard enough.”
“You even hit the high notes.”
Although Youngjun secretly enjoyed hearing the compliments, he didn’t show it.
“Quiet, everyone.”
“Next… Yoo Jinwoo.”
Lee Chaeyu swept a sharp gaze across the students before calling him.
Jinwoo slowly walked onto the stage.
The lights dimmed.
Only the spotlight remained, shining on him.
But instead of singing…
…he simply stood there mumbling to himself.
“What’s he doing?”
The students began whispering.
“Yoo Jinwoo?”
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
Even when Lee Chaeyu called to him, Jinwoo continued muttering.
“What are you thinking?”
“How am I supposed to sing Ideale all of a sudden?”
“It goes up to a high A!”
“Na Youngjun barely managed it.”
“I definitely can’t!”
“Enough talking.”
“Tell the accompanist to begin.”
It was the very same song Youngjun had just performed.
If he failed…
He would only end up humiliating himself even more.
But Paul refused to back down.
“I’m going to teach that bastard Youngjun a lesson.”
“So stop arguing and do exactly what I say.”
“What are you even thinking…?”
“…Sigh.”
After letting out another sigh, Jinwoo finally walked toward the accompanist.
“Teacher!”
“Yoo Jinwoo says he’s going to sing Ideale.”
The moment the accompanist announced it, the entire hall erupted.
“What?!”
“Is he crazy?”
“He’s going to sing the exact same song right after Na Youngjun?”
Youngjun adjusted his posture and looked at Jinwoo with obvious contempt.
“He must really want to embarrass himself.”
While everyone laughed and whispered, Lee Chaeyu tapped the podium.
“Quiet!”
“Yoo Jinwoo.”
“Are you really going to sing Ideale?”
Jinwoo nodded.
Lee Chaeyu gestured for the accompanist to begin.
A beautiful piano melody filled the hall.
The flowing triplets in the pianist’s right hand shimmered gracefully.
The melody in the left hand moved smoothly beneath them.
Mixed together with the elegant accompaniment…
…came the sound of mocking laughter.
“Hehe…”
Watching the scene, Paul’s expression darkened.
What’s wrong with these kids?
Why are they laughing while the accompaniment is playing?
The melody reached the point where the singer was supposed to enter.
Jinwoo took a deep breath and began.
“Io ti seguii come iride di pace lungo le vie del cielo.”
(I followed you like a rainbow of peace across the paths of heaven.)
The introduction should have sounded warm and beautiful.
Instead…
Jinwoo’s rough, unpolished voice echoed through the hall.
The students looked as though they’d been expecting exactly this.
Many of them covered their mouths, trying not to burst into laughter.
His voice trembled badly.
His breathing was unstable.
His pitch wandered all over the place.
Paul had expected Jinwoo to be weak after hearing he ranked last…
But not this weak.
So that’s why they were laughing.
Those little punks were mocking him.
Paul clenched his teeth.
I’ll destroy every last one of them.
He spoke quietly.
“Hey, Yoo Jinwoo.”
“Listen carefully.”
“If you keep singing like this, you won’t even finish the song.”
Hearing Paul’s voice, Jinwoo flinched while singing.
The moment Paul heard the opening phrase…
He already knew Jinwoo wouldn’t make it to the end.
His breathing had collapsed from the very beginning.
As the song continued, his pitch would only become more unstable.
“You’ve got your breathing all wrong.”
“Start with diaphragmatic breathing.”
“Breathe slowly using your lower abdomen.”
Jinwoo tried following Paul’s instructions.
At that moment…
Something unbelievable happened.
Paul suddenly felt Jinwoo’s physical sensations.
He smiled.
This makes things much easier.
He immediately examined exactly how Jinwoo was singing.
After checking his breathing, he shouted,
“I told you to use diaphragmatic breathing!”
“Don’t you know how?”
Jinwoo desperately tried tightening his lower abdomen.
But everything felt awkward.
Has this kid never used diaphragmatic breathing before?
His muscles aren’t trained at all.
The more clearly Paul felt the strain in Jinwoo’s abdomen…
…the more unstable Jinwoo’s singing became.
At this rate he’ll definitely collapse during the high note.
I need another solution.
Paul thought desperately.
Then something occurred to him.
Wait.
If I can feel his body…
Doesn’t that mean he might be able to feel mine too?
He immediately said,
“If I can feel your breathing, maybe we can share each other’s senses.”
“It might not work…”
“But if you want to finish this song…”
“Focus on feeling what I feel.”
Paul began breathing with perfect diaphragmatic technique.
Then he shouted,
“Quit standing there like an idiot!”
“Concentrate on me!”
Lee Chaeyu was famous for making students repeat performances over and over until they finally met her standards.
If someone ruined a performance…
…they would have to repeat this nightmare again and again.
I don’t have a choice.
I have to do this.
Jinwoo slowly closed his eyes.
He concentrated with everything he had, trying to feel Paul’s senses.
Please…
Then…
Within the darkness…
A thread of brilliant light appeared.
The glowing thread moved quickly, piercing through the darkness and descending deeper and deeper.
After some time…
A man appeared where the light reached.
Leonard Paul.
The glowing thread circled around him…
…before entering Paul’s body.
I can feel it!
At last…
Paul’s sensations began flowing into Jinwoo.
Slowly, Jinwoo imprinted those sensations onto his own body.
Like this…?
He copied Paul’s breathing.
It’s different.
Paul immediately felt the change.
It was still clumsy…
But Jinwoo had finally begun using diaphragmatic breathing.
A faint smile appeared on Paul’s face.
This might actually work.
The song was already racing toward its highlight.
The next phrase contained the highest note.
Paul shouted,
“Focus on my body!”
“I’m really going for it now!”
Jinwoo concentrated even harder.
Just before the high note…
Paul inhaled deeply.
His diaphragm naturally expanded upward.
Now!
Paul made his move.
Instead of immediately releasing the breath…
He held it…
Supporting it firmly with his lower abdomen.
That was the secret to Paul’s high notes.
Jinwoo felt Paul’s body changing rapidly.
Don’t lose it.
Focus!
He tightened his lower abdomen exactly as Paul did, supporting his diaphragm.
The high note arrived.
Jinwoo sang exactly as he had felt Paul do.
Instead of the blocked, strained sound he usually produced…
A sharp…
Powerful…
Brilliant tone burst from his body.
Because it happened during the climactic high note…
The difference struck everyone in the hall even more dramatically.
“E a me risponderà nel tuo sembiante
Una novella aurora.”
(And your face will shine before me like a new dawn.)
The students who had been laughing suddenly became serious.
“…Huh?”
It was the exact high note where Na Youngjun’s voice had wavered.
Youngjun, who had been lazily leaning back in his chair, suddenly froze.
His folded arms felt ice-cold.
The song’s highest and most difficult note—
The high A—
Resounded through the concert hall with remarkable clarity and strength.
Even Lee Chaeyu, who had been listening without much interest, completely changed her expression.
She unconsciously held her breath.
Then quietly whispered,
“…Is that really Yoo Jinwoo’s voice?”
A smile appeared on Jinwoo’s face.
Paul also looked quietly satisfied.
Hmm.
I wouldn’t call it perfect…
But it’s not hopeless—
Just then—
Jinwoo’s face twisted in pain.
He suddenly gasped for air.
Paul was thrown into confusion.
What’s happening?
Sweat poured from Jinwoo’s entire body.
His legs, which had barely been supporting his weight, began trembling violently.
Did I make a mistake?
No…
Even so, his breathing shouldn’t collapse this suddenly.
Jinwoo’s suffering was transmitted directly to Paul.
He could feel all the strength draining from his body.
After thinking for a moment…
Paul finally realized the problem.
It wasn’t technique.
It was stamina.
With a body this big…
He doesn’t even have enough endurance to finish one song?
After forcing out the final line…
Jinwoo’s strength gave out completely.
He collapsed onto the stage.
Paul was speechless.
Then his disbelief turned into anger.
“You crazy idiot!”
“You call yourself a singer with a body like this?”
“What the hell have you done to yourself?!”
Jinwoo finally exploded as well.
“What do you expect me to do?!”
“That’s exactly why I said I wasn’t going to sing this song!”
Without realizing it…
He had shouted at the top of his lungs.
Right there on stage.
Every student at Seowoon Arts High School witnessed it.
They all stared at him with their mouths hanging open.
Then…
One by one…
They slowly turned to look at Lee Chaeyu.
Her face had already darkened with anger.
Only then did Jinwoo realize…
He was still standing on stage.
And the performance…
…wasn’t even over yet.
Lee Chaeyu spoke in the coldest voice anyone there had ever heard.
“Yoo Jinwoo.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Come to the faculty office. Right now.”
