Chapter 31: Three Syllables of Defiance

– [Yeonseo University Vocal Music Department Notice] We are now accepting applications for the <Seoul Arts Competition>, the pinnacle of fruit, fruition, and honor of our department!!! Classmates interested in participating, please drop by the department office to fill out an application. After submission, you’ll have a consultation with your professor to set up a coaching schedule~

When he read this announcement on Sunday, Chaewoo didn’t think much of it.

Having neither the desire nor the time to participate in a competition now, he closed the chat immediately.

However, the atmosphere in the department—excluding Chaewoo—was unusual.

– Gye Gondae (4th year): We have to participate. Everyone, sign up.

– Someone 1 (4th year): Why is he being so serious…? –;;

– Jeong Taehyun (3rd year): I heard Goguryeo University is sharpening its teeth for this competition;

– Someone 1 (4th year): Oh, really?

– Gye Gondae (4th year): If we lose this time, we lose face. You have to think about the honor of our school and department.

– Someone 2 (2nd year): Didn’t we crush their results last year? lol

– Someone 3 (3rd year): No, it was neck-and-neck.

– Someone 1 (4th year): We definitely need to wipe the floor with them this time…

– Jeong Taehyun (3rd year): I heard the nerve warfare between professors is no joke too.

– Gye Gondae (4th year): Anyway, freshmen, don’t back out and participate.

– Gye Gondae (4th year): In my day, we listened to our seniors and everyone participated, practiced until they vomited blood, and won prizes.

– Gye Gondae (4th year): Aren’t you going to answer?

– Jeong Taehyun (3rd year): Yes!! I’ll work hard ^^!

– Jo Seeun (2nd year): I’ll participate too~~

– Someone 4 (1st year): Yes, Senior! I’m in.

– Someone 5 (1st year): Me too!! 🙂

‘What’s with Gye Gondae’s tone? He’s not even that old.’

Chaewoo considered calling out the “꼰대” (old fogey) behavior of Gye Gondae, who was in the same year but had a lower student number, but decided against it.

Getting involved in such things would only complicate relationships.

Since they weren’t in the same class, they rarely ran into each other anyway, so he wasn’t someone who directly harmed Chaewoo.

He was just an eyesore.

“Hello, Senior Chaewoo! Are you going to the department office?”

“Yeah. Did you sign up for the competition?”

“I just finished putting my name on the list. There were so many people.”

“Hmm, really?”

In his heart, he wanted to ignore it completely, but once Monday came, he grew curious about how things were unfolding.

After all, the Seoul Arts Competition was considered one of the most prestigious vocal competitions in the country.

It was a mandatory program for anyone considering studying abroad or continuing in vocal music.

Winning an award meant having your career recognized anywhere.

Unable to resist his curiosity, Chaewoo slowly headed toward the department office.

As expected, it was swarming with vocal music students, including many he didn’t usually see.

Since students from different classes rarely hung out together, seeing them all in one place was a rare sight.

“Hello, Senior.”

“Oh? Are you signing up too, Senior Chaewoo?”

“I’m just here to see how many people are signing up.”

“A lot of people signed up this time because we’re up against Goguryeo University.”

“Come on, Senior! I heard the professors are really pushing the students who participate this time. You should just sign up boldly!”

Jeong Taehyun, who never missed out on anything, tried to persuade Chaewoo.

“I’m busy with the creative opera…”

“I’m doing the opera too! But I still signed up for the competition.”

“That’s because you’ve always been a meddler.”

“Hey, Senior! I’m hurt by that. Even Euigeon, who is zero percent a meddler, signed up!”

“…….”

“Look here. He just put his name down. For real.”

“It’s hot, get lost.”
Chaewoo pushed away Jeong Taehyun, who was shoving the application list in his face and insisting he was telling the truth.

Then he scanned the room.

He saw Euigeon leaning against the wall, chatting with a classmate.

Whether Euigeon sensed his gaze or not, he turned his head, and their eyes met.

Chaewoo quickly looked away.

“Are you really not going, Senior…?”

“I’ll just focus on graduation.” A student who usually lived as a “ghost” on campus stood next to Chaewoo.

‘To think even an outsider like him came to see.’
It definitely seemed like a big event.

“You’re not going either anyway, are you?”

“Ugh. To go, I’d have to get lessons from the professor… Just thinking about it makes me want to puke…”

“Does your class professor still nag you every time they see you?”

“Always… I want to live my life like the Humanities students, doing my own thing…”

“Um, Senior.”

During their trivial conversation, another junior suddenly cut in.
He seemed to be a freshman. Chaewoo couldn’t quite remember his name.

“Me?”

“Yes, I wanted to ask you something.”

‘Question for me?’
Chaewoo pointed to himself, puzzled.

“Since I’m only a freshman, I don’t have any songs prepared, and the only ones I’m confident in are the ones I practiced for the entrance exams… Is it right for me to enter the competition in this state?”

“Hmm.”

“That’s right… Didn’t Senior Chaewoo win an award right away in his freshman year?”
The outsider junior nudged Chaewoo as if he had just remembered. The freshman nodded.

“That’s why I’m asking. Since you’re a senior and have a lot of experience, I thought maybe you could give me some advice.”

Chaewoo scratched his cheek, looking troubled.

It was true he had won an award in his freshman year, but the memory was hazy.

His circumstances back then were worlds apart from now, and above all, it was six years ago.

He had been full of enthusiasm, campus life was enjoyable, and he had parents—especially his mother—who supported him in everything he did.

Now, he had lost everything he once had, and he doubted if it was right for him to give advice to anyone.

He didn’t even have the intention or passion to enter the competition himself.

“I think I prepared quite thoroughly back then.”

“Ah, I see. Then I should practice more before I…”

“But regardless of whether you win or not, I think it’s okay to give it a try even if you’re lacking. The experience itself is important. And I’ve seen that being well-prepared doesn’t always guarantee an award. I’ve seen kids who just went for it and won.”

“Everyone would probably encourage you to participate… It’s a big competition, so there’s a lot to learn…”

The outsider junior chimed in.

“True, even Senior Gye Gondae said we should definitely go.”

“Let’s not include his words as advice.”

“I totally agree…”
The freshman bit his lip to keep from laughing.

Right at that moment, Gye Gondae was standing at the entrance of the department office, giving a useless and unhelpful lecture to a group of juniors.

“Euigeon in the junior class probably won an award in his freshman year too? Maybe… Since you’re asking, why don’t you hear from different people…”

“Talking about me?”

“Senior. Can I ask you something for a second?”
Since Euigeon happened to be passing by, the freshman called out to him.

‘Ah, why am I getting entangled with him again?’
Chaewoo, who had come for a relaxed look, grumbled.

He thought about leaving but decided to stay for a bit longer.

He didn’t want to look like he was running away because he was scared of Euigeon approaching.

‘I didn’t do anything wrong, so why should I run?’
Chaewoo held his ground, staring boldly at Euigeon as he drew closer at the freshman’s call.

When the freshman asked Euigeon the same question he had asked Chaewoo, Euigeon offered a slightly different opinion.

“I think entering a competition without being prepared is meaningless.”
Euigeon was firm.

“Ah…”

“Experience is only good experience when there is a certain level of completion.”

While he wasn’t necessarily wrong, he was far too assertive.

There wasn’t a hint of consideration for the other person.

Actually, for a freshman, simply standing on stage one more time could be meaningful.

‘Seriously, if you can’t give them courage, why say something so discouraging?’
Chaewoo crossed his arms disapprovingly.

Freshman skills are all pretty much the same.

Fearing the freshman might decide not to participate, Chaewoo quickly added.

“Go for it anyway. No one is perfect from the start. You learn by trying, even if you’re not great at it. Like the saying, ‘A frog doesn’t remember being a tadpole,’ all successful people today must have been lacking in the past.”

It was pointed advice aimed at Euigeon.

“A competition isn’t a game; why would you try things there? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to build theory and solidify basics during the time you’d spend picking costumes and getting lessons on new songs for the competition?”

Whether he knew it was directed at him or not, Euigeon immediately countered.

‘Wow, look at this guy.’
Chaewoo emphasized again to the bewildered freshman.

“If you only practice, when will you get real-world experience? I believe you have to challenge yourself with different things from your freshman year to find the songs that suit you and gain the know-how for big competitions. And who knows, you might find out you’re a natural on stage.”

“Is that why they’re asking seniors for advice? Because they lack confidence?”

“W-what is with this sudden atmosphere…”

“Please stop. I didn’t ask you guys so you would fight…”

The freshman caught between the two seniors was at a loss.

Before they knew it, other students had gathered to watch the verbal spar between Euigeon and Chaewoo.

It would have been right to stop there and back off.

Exchanging any more words would only draw excessive and bothersome attention.

However, Chaewoo found it difficult to suppress his rising irritation despite the freshman’s intervention.

‘Why am I so angry?’
Normally, he would have let it pass, but Euigeon’s arrogant tone was unbearably grating.

The message that ‘it’s useless if it’s not perfect’ seemed to deny his currently imperfect self more than ever, so he didn’t want to let it slide.

‘As if anyone chooses not to be a perfectionist.’

Everyone’s situation is different, so the processes and results are bound to be different too.
His haughty attitude of dismissing everything but first place was deeply offensive to hear.

“I lacked confidence in my freshman year too, but I took the challenge. You seem to think only some incredible people go to competitions. Hey, don’t be swayed by what others say; if you want to go, just sign up.”

“Um… S-senior.”

“If you’re going to enter, enter when you’re certain. Otherwise, you’ll just be wasting the time you invested since you’ll likely fail anyway.”

“You must be really confident, then? Got first place locked in?”

“Aren’t you pushing it too far just for giving a junior some advice? Besides, you didn’t even put your name on the application because you think you’re not prepared either, Senior.”

“How do you know that?”

“How is a junior supposed to take your advice seriously when you’re just standing there with your arms crossed, watching who participates without even putting your name on the list?”

“…….”

“At least I’m speaking seriously as someone who is participating.”

It was a sharp point.

A flustered Chaewoo bit his lower lip.

All the students’ eyes were fixed on him.

Unwilling to admit he was right, Chaewoo picked up a rolling pen from in front of the application list.

And he boldly wrote the three characters of his name, ‘Seol Chaewoo,’ in the blank space for everyone to see.