I didn’t really want to think about what happened at school.
Everywhere I went, people were whispering like that.
Actually, the kids in Choi Ahyeon’s class were way worse than the ones in mine.
Especially the Entertainment Department kids.
“Hey… but didn’t her story go down last night?”
“Yeah, I heard.”
Junyong said that as we walked home together.
I mean, for a story that was supposed to last twenty-four hours, it came down in half a day. That’s early.
Though I’m not sure if that even makes a difference.
And the fact that it came down before running its full time means the account owner took it down themselves…
Could Choi Ahyeon have asked them to take it down?
……
Hoo. This isn’t the time to dwell on that.
I just wanted this whole thing to blow over quickly.
“But that guy who posted the video… why is he mutuals with you?”
Come to think of it.
That thought crossed my mind.
It wasn’t like I was trying to suspect him of anything.
It’s just—this guy was all over me about being in the same Inferior Student Group, but he’s already following students from other departments.
If he hangs out with Choi Ahyeon, he’s probably not the type to just accept any follow request.
“You think I’ve been sitting around doing nothing? If you’re an inferior student… you gotta put in the effort.”
“Oh… really?”
Junyong said that with a proud, self-satisfied look.
Well, he does disappear in a hurry every day after school… I guess he’s been working on building connections.
But then he tells me we’re in the Inferior Student Group forever?
“This is all… for your benefit too.”
“What’s good about it?”
“Huh? Ha ha, come on. I know a few girls from the Dance Department, alright? Let’s hang out with them sometime.”
Junyong said it like he was pulling out a trump card.
So that’s what he meant by it being good for me.
By the way, you’re the one who was supposed to be in the Dance Department.
“Pass, not interested.”
“The best way to get over a girl is another girl.”
“The fuck?”
“Ah, sorry.”
What the hell does this guy think I am?
Talking like I went through some breakup.
I mean, sure, it’s not entirely wrong… but that’s not the reason things turned out this way.
.
.
.
“I’m sorry♪ I don’t love you anymoreeee♬”
And so, at the karaoke place we arrived at, I was belting out that kind of breakup song.
Yeah, I gotta do what I gotta do.
“Damn… that’s depressing as hell. You sound like some guy who’s been through every misfortune in the world.”
“……Haah. Tell me about it. It’s just making me feel worse. Should we switch to something upbeat?”
“Yeah, let’s pick it up. I’ll change the mood right now.”
The atmosphere was getting way too gloomy, so I suggested we change course.
But man, I can really feel that Kang Junyong is impossible to predict.
He says that, then confidently grabs the karaoke remote.
And just punches in a number.
Not a chart hit, not a search.
He just punches in a code, and then Japanese text appears…
“Miku Miku ni shite ageru★★★★★”
He’s not even joking.
He’s right in front of me, belting that crap out with a cheerful voice.
Well, he definitely did change the mood, just like he said…
It was a moment that made me realize all over again just how many multitalented people there are at this school.
-Buzz.
Right in the middle of Junyong’s little concert.
Cutting through all that noise. Well, actually, it wasn’t the noise.
It was the vibration in my thigh.
Anyway, I check my phone.
[Where are you, Jino?]
A message from Ahyeon.
It arrived in the same tone as always.
Makes sense from her perspective. I hadn’t gotten angry or said anything since then.
I read the message from the preview notification and didn’t bother opening it.
Just as I was about to redirect my attention to Junyong’s concert.
Another message comes in.
[Are you free this evening?]
Evening.
It’s almost evening already.
And the reason Choi Ahyeon is asking that now is probably… because of what I thought about this morning.
Asking me to be her script reading practice partner.
I thought she wouldn’t know unless I contacted her first. But I guess that’s not the case.
Well, she’s always been diligent about her dream—her actual job.
[What time in the evening?]
I ended up replying that.
Honestly, for the former reason, I didn’t even need to ask what time.
It’s probably seven.
Anyway, Ahyeon’s reply came so fast I didn’t even have time to put my phone back in my pocket.
[Seven! That’s when we used to grab dinner and practice together]
Ahyeon said it like she was asking something obvious.
I don’t know.
It used to be obvious, but maybe it won’t be so obvious anymore.
“Hey, I’m over here giving a full-on concert and you’re doing what?!”
Junyong stopped singing mid-line and gave me a bit of an earful.
Apparently, me staring at my phone for a while didn’t sit well with him.
But… he’s got some nerve expecting me to pay attention while he’s singing that.
“Oh, sorry.”
I apologized like that.
Then,
“How long are we gonna hang out?”
I added one more thing.
Junyong seemed to think about it for a second.
Then he pulled out his own phone.
Looks like he’s checking the time.
“Hmm… how about we call it after dinner?”
“Dinner? What are we eating?”
“Let’s just hit the convenience store.”
“Yeah, sure.”
I didn’t bother refusing Junyong’s suggestion.
It’s just that the direction of my refusal changed.
[Can’t do seven. Sorry]
I sent that reply to Ahyeon.
And again, her message came flying back instantly.
[Why?]
[Then when? Can you do later?]
This time, two came in a row.
They all ended with question marks, so I wasn’t sure which one to answer.
In cases like this, I should probably go with the last question.
[When?]
[Whenever]
Whenever… huh.
After reading that message, I gently pressed my hand over my eyelids.
I was thinking for a moment.
‘Audition…’ I mull that word over in my head.
It’s always been the most important thing to Ahyeon.
[Then let me check my situation and I’ll text you again]
[Okay]
***
After spending that time with Junyong—an escapade, if you could call it that—I was now making my way to Choi Ahyeon’s place.
Yeah, I said I’d take responsibility where I need to.
Especially when it comes to auditions… I guess I still need to play my usual role for now.
Of course, it’s not like I have any obligation. There’s no paperwork holding me to that responsibility.
But this world doesn’t run on rigid rules like that.
Ah, actually, if I’m being precise, there kind of is a responsibility. When it comes to the audition, anyway.
The reason she ended up on the path of acting—in a way, that was my suggestion.
When I was younger, I thought that if I made it into the entertainment industry through music, I wanted Ahyeon there with me.
That’s why I recommended acting to her—the entertainment industry. Aside from that, she just seemed like someone too talented to live an ordinary life.
And Ahyeon seemed to find it suited her interests and abilities well enough, so she wanted to properly challenge it.
For Ahyeon, whose family wasn’t particularly well-off, I can’t help but feel like I dragged her onto a harder path because of me.
As you know, going to an Arts High School requires your family to have some financial breathing room.
Of course, it was just a suggestion, but I still can’t easily shake the feeling that I’m the one who brought Ahyeon into this.
Anyway, that’s why I took care of her a lot. And it’s also why, even now, when it comes to auditions, I couldn’t just act based on my own feelings.
Because there’s something called a conscience lodged in the human heart.
Saying that Choi Ahyeon relies on me—well, it’d be hard to claim I bear no responsibility for that.
I chose to play that role myself.
Maybe I’m the one who made Choi Ahyeon depend on me.
The audition… I’ll shake off this guilt by the time this audition period is over, and wrap things up cleanly.
[Are you free now?]
Around 8:30 PM. I sent that text to Ahyeon.
A little later, a reply came back saying she was free.
.
.
.
“Hi!”
“Yeah.”
Ahyeon opened the front door and greeted me.
Yeah, she really did greet me. With an especially brighter expression than usual.
“What were you up to?”
She invited me inside, asking that.
“Just hung out with a friend.”
“Oh? Ah… that friend?”
“Yeah.”
“I see.”
And then the conversation paused for a moment.
Silence flowed, and today, even the silence felt especially heavy.
I naturally went and sat in the chair I always sat in.
The sound of my footsteps, my breathing, even the squeak of the chair’s wheels as they shifted when I sat down—all of it vividly reached my ears.
Ahyeon moved to follow me.
In her hands was the script.
“But… did you forget this time? Or did I ask earlier than usual?”
She started her sentence cautiously, but by the end, her tone had lifted slightly.
“Forget what?”
“The script… practicing with you. You used to schedule it every time without fail.”
“Ah… right. Sorry.”
I gave a lukewarm response.
To my ears, what Ahyeon just said sounded like she was voicing a complaint.
And my dull reaction must have given her some kind of signal…
“Are you… still really mad?”
Those words stumbled out of Ahyeon’s mouth hesitantly.
Before I could even answer, she quickly took her turn to speak.
“That… story. My friend had that video on their story… so I asked them to delete it right away. I think it’s probably… fine now. I-I was shocked too. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
Is she saying that to me because she wants me to praise her or something?
Or… is she saying, “See what I did, so can you get over it now?”
The fact that the video was up on a story briefly wasn’t really Choi Ahyeon’s fault anyway. She didn’t post it.
Whatever the case, it was hard for me to fully acknowledge her intent.
“Yeah.”
I just gave an indifferent answer.
Yeah, it’s not like I was planning to fly off the handle.
Then I moved on to what I wanted to say.
“Let’s get to the script practice. It’s later than usual.”
“Ah! Okay.”
And so, for a while, we read the script back and forth.
Of course, it’s not like my role was all that important.
I was just there to read lines. My only job was to match the tempo and rhythm of her delivery.
It’s not like I was giving feedback either.
“…But does this actually help you?”
That’s why I asked.
“Of course it does. I can naturally memorize it while we do this, and since it’s you, I can try all sorts of things comfortably.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“But… you probably have plenty of people around you who do this now. Wouldn’t it be better to do it with them?”
When I pushed back again like that, I could see Ahyeon’s expression harden slightly this time.
“Come on… that’s not necessarily true. They’re all competitors anyway. But… why?”
“I think… I won’t be able to keep doing this for you anymore. This audition I can help with, but yeah.”
.
.
.