Chapter 39 : Huh? Me?

Huh? Me?

“Hehe.”

My steps toward the vocal academy are lighter than ever in history. Well, that’s because I successfully taught that arrogant, perverted little brat a lesson!

You can’t beat someone who practiced a little, and yet managed to crush the so-called “real” performance (not really). Yeah. Exactly.

Hmm. Actually, it did disappear…

“What will we learn today…?”

Last time, I sang a song, and the director just gave feedback on it.

“Suhyun, your voice is really nice! Hmm, if only you knew the techniques… Tsk.”

I was a bit troubled because her voice always sounded kind of humid, but I couldn’t tell if it was because of me.

Was I really that bad? It didn’t seem like I cried or anything.

“No… I don’t think so.”

Actually, the viewers seemed to like it at first, too.

Maybe the professional world is different? But then again, Nanoka was also friends with Japanese singers…

“Hello…”

“Hello! The trainer is in room three!”

What.

I’ll think about it later.

A spacious room with black, soundproof walls and impressive yellow lighting.

A woman sitting next to the microphone and piano kept checking messages on her phone.

The famous vocal trainer, Park Seung-ah.

She was about to meet the most unique student in her life.

The message she was checking was…

[Director: Seung-ah, this is a serious matter…]

A long message of 5700 characters from the director.

For the first time between them, a serious business message instead of the usual curses like “bitch” or “slut.”

“Mm…”

To summarize the director’s message: A young girl with the appearance of an idol but damaged vocal cords was coming. Seung-ah, having been in the entertainment industry for a long time, was somewhat accustomed to it.

“She probably overdid it with practice.”

It wasn’t common, but it wasn’t completely unheard of either.

There were cases where idol trainees pushed themselves so hard that their vocal cords ended up with nodules, or their bodies became damaged.

So, she decided to treat her just like any other student and keep her strict, cool teacher image. But…

“Ah…hello…”

What was this? This tiny little kitten…

The way she was fidgeting and twitching her finger was really irritating.

And those silver hair and blue eyes.

It felt like she was shouting, “I’m special,” and it didn’t sit well with me…

“Yes. Hello?”

…No way.

With a totally bright and kind voice, she even waved her hand.

“Today, I’m so honored to have a lesson with Suhyun. Shall we have some fun together?”

“Yeah…”

For anyone who knew Seung-ah, this was a shocking change in behavior.

Seung-ah was usually very fond of cute things.

And Suhyun was pretty and cute.

Wow! Double the likability!

“Suhyun, you’re so pretty! You must be great at singing, too!”

“Well, my throat is a bit… not doing well.”

So, sometimes, things came out without thinking.

Seung-ah quickly tapped her mouth a few times, calming herself down.

“Ahem. Yes. I’ve heard about that. I apologize. I got too excited, not behaving professionally.”

“It’s… okay.”

As Suhyun continued to press the trainer, Seung-ah, who had been seriously thinking about switching academies, regained her professional mindset.

“First, I’ve listened to Suhyun’s song recording. The basic pitch is right, but… there’s no technique at all. Was that intentional?”

“Ah. No… I just don’t know how to use techniques…”

Seung-ah nodded and placed her hands on the piano keys.

Indeed, expecting technique from someone in pain was too much.

“Alright. Let’s first check your vocalization. Suhyun, can you try to sing this note?”

A clear sound rang from the piano. Suhyun cleared her throat for a moment and cautiously sang the note.

“Aaaa-.”

It was clear, but monotonous. Still, something felt off.

Seung-ah listened for a moment and nodded.

“Your tone is really nice. But right now, your voice is too direct. Shall we try relaxing? Let’s do it again.”

What does that mean?

Suhyun thought for a moment about what it meant to have a “direct” voice.

I guess it means I need to make it all wavering? Well.

“Aaaa-.”

“That’s a bit better. But you’re still lacking in breath support. It feels like the sound is coming from your throat rather than your diaphragm. Let me show you something.”

Seung-ah sang the same note with a smooth yet resilient tone. Her voice floated lightly yet had depth.

It was a completely different vocalization compared to Suhyun, who didn’t even know what diaphragmatic breathing was.

“Like this, inhale, then push the sound out as if you’re expelling it. Don’t try to sing too forcefully, but rather think of placing the sound on top of the air. Let’s try once more.”

Suhyun took a deep breath and tried again.

It felt like something was boiling in her throat, but it wasn’t the time to focus on that.

“Aaaa-.”

This time, the sound was much more natural and stable than before.

Seung-ah smiled with satisfaction and nodded.

“Yes, much better. You have talent, don’t you?”

Though she said that, Seung-ah was a professional trainer.

She could already feel Suhyun’s vocalization becoming visibly unstable, trembling.

It was vocal nodules.

Many celebrities go through rehabilitation as easily as eating, overcoming their injuries, making it seem trivial, but it’s not.

The chances of recovery are low, and rehabilitation is incredibly difficult. It’s even possible to lose your voice.

‘This child probably…’

Is on the side where rehabilitation is impossible.

I’ve never seen anyone this damaged at this age.

I can’t even guess how much one has to be pushed to end up like this.

Even singers who perform thirty songs a day at concerts complain of pain and are diagnosed with vocal cord nodules.

But compared to those singers’ rehabilitation, this girl was far more damaged.

Seung-ah slowly lowered her hand from the piano.

Then, she quietly looked at Suhyun.

Her small lips were trembling slightly.

Her voice, which had been cracking a little since earlier. The sound becoming slightly blurry at the end of each note.

This is not just simple tension.

‘This child…’

Seung-ah unconsciously bit her lip.

It’s too late.

If the damage was of a certain extent, it could be overcome with training. But this is not the case.

Her vocal cords were too deeply, too long, damaged.

This is not just the vocalization of someone with no talent.

These are completely destroyed vocal cords.

And yet, this girl doesn’t know.

No, she’s pretending not to know.

“Suhyun.”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever had severe throat pain while singing or suddenly lost your voice?”

Suhyun flinched.

Her shoulders stiffened slightly.

She knows.

She knows, so why is she doing this?

Please, let her show some pain.

Like a child her age would.

“Well… that…”

Idiot.

Seung-ah bit her lip tightly.

Then, she slowly exhaled.

“You can tell me honestly.”

“…Sometimes. When I’m broadcasting…?”

Ah.

Seung-ah had heard that Suhyun was a broadcaster.

But she had also heard that she sings quite often.

Seung-ah frowned.

“Sometimes?”

That can’t be.

With this throat condition, it wouldn’t be strange to get vocal cord damage after singing just three songs.

“Well… my throat just feels scratchy sometimes, and I need to rest, but after a day of rest, I’m okay again.”

Suhyun, completely figured out, lowered her eyes, and her voice became smaller.

Seung-ah felt like getting angry for her, because she had no pride.

“Then, did you ever wake up in the morning and have trouble with your voice?”

When Seung-ah asked again, in a slightly softer tone, Suhyun responded once more.

“…Yes.”

Seung-ah closed her eyes briefly and opened them again. She now knew for sure.

“Suhyun, have you ever been to a doctor?”

This girl knows her condition better than anyone, but also doesn’t know it at all.

Suhyun turned her head without saying anything. In fact, this was almost an answer.

Seeing that, Seung-ah sighed and crossed her arms.

“Ugh, really.”

Now Seung-ah was angry.

No, it had been building up and finally exploded.

It was just too much.

There’s no way she didn’t know.

If she didn’t know her vocal cords were this damaged, she’d be a fool.

‘Someone pushed this girl to this point.’

And this girl wasn’t a fool.

She knew this fact.

She knows it herself, but doesn’t want to admit it.

Seung-ah placed her hands back on the piano.

“Alright. Then today, we’ll take it easy and just do some light breathing exercises, and that’s it.”

“Yeah…? But we haven’t done any singing practice yet…”

“No.”

“But…”

“No.”

Seung-ah cut in firmly.

Suhyun flinched and shut her mouth.

But her expression was still full of anxiety.

‘We’ll take it slow later, it’ll get worse if we rush it.’

‘…Okay.’

Suhyun nodded reluctantly.

Seung-ah stared at Suhyun.

This child, maybe.

She probably already knows that she’ll never be able to sing like she used to.

And yet.

‘But it’ll work out somehow.

Holding on to the hope.

Seung-ah bites her lip slightly, then lets out a small sigh.

‘It’s not going to work out.

But.

‘Okay, why don’t you just take a deep breath?’

I didn’t say that.

Such words would have killed the little wren.

Ahem…

‘Suhyun. Thank you for your work. Don’t forget to go to the hospital.’

‘Yeah…’

Dulcuk.

‘Ha…’

Ugh. Throat.

That’s gonna hurt.

Maybe I should have just swallowed my pride and shouted, ‘I’m done with breathing exercises!

‘Mmm…’

In

throat

Throat

I gingerly touched her thin, white throat.

This Mmm. It’s smooth. I can tell that she’s a woman without a collar.

‘…Huh?’

As I gently scratch her neck, do I feel something?

There’s a lump or something. Yeah. I push on it, and it seems to come out…

Something sticky pushes out from the inside of my throat.

You try to swallow, but it’s too late: warm liquid fills your mouth.

I gulp.

I open my mouth, and something red falls out.

Something that slips through the crack of my lips and runs down my chin.

‘Huh?’

Duck. Dip.

What the hell.

Something keeps coming out.

It’s not a period… it’s coming out of my mouth.

Oh, it’s coming out… Is it a sound?

Suddenly, the world tilted.

‘Kwak…’

Fuck.

It was blood.

A splatter.

‘Suhyun? Oh my God, Soohyun!’

…Suhyun. Please stay still. Let me…’

Above

Ying

Wei Ying. .

Noisy, everyone.

‘Hah… Kuluk.’

How much blood is coming out of this little neck.

Nanaka this bitch is

How did you use your neck

her neck…?

I don’t know, but she must have been pretty creative.

‘Kwak…’

I didn’t realise scoring was so easy.

I didn’t know.