episode_0266

Instant reactions poured from the students.

“…What is it? Is she already starting to act?”

“She probably is. There’s no way her actual personality is that ditzy. The personality she showed on variety shows was completely different from that.”

In fact, the image Soo-ah had shown on various variety shows was also different from her real personality, but the students had no way of knowing that.

“But what’s with the role?”

“I can’t make heads or tails of it.”

It was a natural reaction for the students. They didn’t have any prior information about who ‘Kim So-hee’ was supposed to be, and even Soo-ah’s behavior seemed very unfamiliar.

“The piano is a lost cause.”

“What can you do?”

“Where else can you see the real thing? I’m already satisfied with just that. She looks like she walked straight out of a manga.”

“That’s true.”

That’s when the students were chattering.

Finally, Director Go Tae-min shouted into the megaphone.

“Soo-ah-ssi! Are you ready!”

Soo-ah nodded and moved to a more visible location, and at the same time, a wave of admiration erupted from the students. Because Soo-ah was more clearly visible.

“When I first saw the airport footage, I thought it was photoshopped, but the real thing is even better…”

“Don’t you want to touch her just once?”

“You crazy bastard.”

The students were simply amazed to see the real-life ‘actress Lee Soo-ah,’ but the actors’ impressions were somewhat different. Especially Yang Ha-rin.

‘As expected, she’s going to do this scene with all her heart.’

Soon, this thought of Yang Ha-rin spread to the other actors as well. Soo-ah’s presence, already transformed into ‘Kim So-hee,’ was that significant.

The auditorium of Hyeonhwa Arts High School.

Soon, the staff cleaned the stage once more and tidied up the props around the grand piano. They also hung a placard that read “Concours.”

Because in the story, this is the scene where ‘Kim So-hee’ finally goes to the concours for the first time and plays the piano.

“….”

Director Go Tae-min glanced around at all the surroundings.

“Okay. Let’s start filming now.”

◈◈◈◈◈

S#97 Hyeonhwa Arts High School Auditorium

The concours begins, it’s Kim So-hee’s turn.

Kim So-hee hesitates and acts strangely.

The gazes around her turn harsh, and she barely starts playing.

Director Go Tae-min, after lightly skimming through the script, shouted.

“Action!”

Filming begins.

The camera began to capture the scene of Kim So-hee (Soo-ah) hesitating on stage.

It’s Kim So-hee’s turn, she should go out right away.

The other participants walked out with precision as soon as their names were called, but Soo-ah didn’t even realize it was her turn.

『So-hee-ssi? Are you not here?』

The moment the judge called Kim So-hee one more time.

Kim Sung-cheol (David Park) quickly went to Soo-ah’s side.

『So-hee-ya, it’s your turn. You have to go out.』

David Park’s acting is only frantic, but Soo-ah looks up at him innocently.

『Go out? Where do I go out to?』

『We came to play the piano today. There are people waiting for So-hee’s performance. Let’s go quickly.』

『I can play the piano even after I finish eating all the piano cookies. Can’t I go out slowly?』

『Let’s play the piano first. Huh? If you play the piano first, I’ll buy you two cookies. No, I’ll even buy you jajangmyeon.』

『Jajangmyeon! Jajangmyeon is delicious!』

After that, Kim So-hee finally seems to head to the piano in the middle of the stage, but suddenly turns around and returns to her seat. Kim Sung-cheol says in embarrassment.

『So-hee-ya, why? Why did you come back?』

『I haven’t heard what I should play yet. What should I play today?』

『That’s, Chopin… No, that’s not it.』

Kim Sung-cheol stopped trying to explain Chopin’s music.

Because So-hee wouldn’t understand even if he said that.

There was a separate way to make So-hee understand.

『So-hee-ya, do you remember the game we played?』

『Game?』

『Yes. There was something we always played together when we were playing with the piano.』

『I remember. I remember!』

『Just play that.』

『Okay. Okay.』

Soo-ah nods and heads to the middle of the stage with clumsy steps. A lot of time has already passed, but the problem is that her eccentric behavior hasn’t ended yet.

Tuk─

On the piano, in the space where sheet music should be placed, Soo-ah puts her smartphone instead.

Does she have sheet music on her smartphone? That’s not it either. It’s just playing her favorite animation for children. Naturally, murmurs arose.

『What is she doing?』

『She doesn’t seem normal at all, does she?』

『…What is she doing? It’s annoying.』

But it was unavoidable for Soo-ah.

Soo-ah doesn’t play by looking at sheet music.

She just plays by recalling what she heard in a comfortable environment, so creating this kind of environment was very important. Therefore.

『Hehe.』

Soo-ah smiled as she watched the animation for children playing on the smartphone placed on the piano.

“Cut!”

Director Go Tae-min shouted.

“It’s very good so far! From now on, we’ll continue filming the reactions of the supporting actors sitting in the audience!”

As the director instructed, the camera turned right away.

The camera now began to film the actors in the audience, not Soo-ah on stage. The first to be caught on camera was Kim Sung-cheol (David Park) with a dismal expression.

He returned to the audience and sat next to Soo-ah’s stepsister (Yang Ha-rin), and first let out a deep sigh.

『This concours is ruined.』

『What? The performance hasn’t even started yet?』

Kim Yoon-kyung (Yang Ha-rin) asked back with a surprised face.

Kim Sung-cheol just shook his head.

『A concours is not a place where machines score. In the end, the judges decide who to pick.』

『And?』

『This judge is notorious for being strict. He values conduct a lot, in addition to the performance.』

Kim Sung-cheol’s voice was gloomy.

『He hates wasting time, doing anything other than performing, and anything that stands out. In that regard, So-hee is at a disadvantage from the start. This is a big problem.』

Kim Yoon-kyung was speechless.

『What did So-hee do wrong? She’s just like this because of Savant syndrome, right? You have to take that into consideration!』

『The problem is that there are quite a few people who think that Savant syndrome is a sin. Like you and me in the past.』

『….』

Kim Yoon-kyung (Yang Ha-rin) could only bite her lip tightly.

Both she and Kim Sung-cheol used to hate So-hee to death, and at the same time, they looked down on her as something less than human.

The only thing that has changed is the perspective of the two of them, not the perspective of the world, right? That’s why she had to feel the cold temperature of the world with her whole body now.

『Still…. Please…. Just once….』

Kim Yoon-kyung (Yang Ha-rin) belatedly put her hands together.

Whoosh─!

The camera immediately rotated from here.

This time, it shines on Ham Ah-yoon’s camp on the other side of the audience.

Park Min-seo (Ham Ah-yoon) is an outright piano virtuoso.

Besides, she played very well as the first performer in today’s concours. Thanks to that, the atmosphere around her acquaintances is festive.

The man next to Park Min-seo said, bursting into laughter.

『After our Min-seo-ssi’s performance, everyone else can’t hold a candle to her, can they? I guess this is why preemptive strike is so important.』

『Tell me about it!』

Then the people around her chimed in.

『I don’t really need to watch anymore. The person on stage now is the last one, and I heard that she has a disability? Well, there’s no reason to listen, right?』

『It’s so funny. People with healthy limbs and minds can’t beat Min-seo even if they struggle, but what kind of person came out like that? Did she come out to be funny? Then she succeeded! Hahaha!』

At that time.

『Shut up.』

『Hahahaha…. Huh? Huh?』

『I told you to shut up. You’re being noisy.』

It was none other than a word from Park Min-seo (Yang Ha-rin). The surrounding group couldn’t hide their embarrassment and shut their mouths.

『I’ll have to watch that kid’s performance before I leave.』

Park Min-seo’s gaze, saying that, was fixed on So-hee (Soo-ah)’s fingertips. Park Min-seo could see it. The hands of someone who had properly handled the piano.

After looking at the reactions of the audience one by one like that.

The camera captures the image of Soo-ah placing her hands on the piano keys. Soo-ah had already become serious, focusing on the keys instead of the animation for children.

『Sss, hoo…』

After breathing a few times.

『…Heu.』

Soo-ah smiled without realizing it, showing her teeth. As if she was embracing happiness tightly.

At the same time.

─♩♪♬

Soo-ah’s piano performance began.

Her expression is simply painted with happiness, and her hands and the piano express the imagery in her head. Therefore, a subtle melody that seems to be and not to be a Chopin piece unfolds.

That was the problem.

Is she playing a designated Chopin piece? No, she isn’t.

But is it unpleasant to listen to because of that? That’s not it either.

─♩♪♬

A melody that is nowhere else and good to hear unfolds from Kim So-hee (Soo-ah)’s hands. It’s natural that the expressions of the audience become blank. The judges’ mouths became busy.

『What should we do? It’s true that she’s performing very well. But at this rate, she’ll be disqualified, right?』

『Yes, you can’t just change the performance as you please. I am also someone who hates that. But….』

The strict judge sitting in the middle added.

『…I want to concentrate and listen to the end for now.』

─♩♪♬

So-hee (Soo-ah)’s performance continues.

A performance that is nowhere else.

Therefore, Soo-ah was not bound by existing rules. When she got excited, she shook her shoulders excessively, and she also burst out laughing pointlessly.

The actors who watched the scene thought to themselves.

‘What, it’s like she’s genuinely feeling the emotion of happiness? Soo-ah-ssi has Alexithymia.’

‘Acting with Savant syndrome while experiencing Alexithymia? Is that possible? Well, it might be possible? But I can’t believe it’s happening in front of me!’

David Park, Yang Ha-rin, Ham Ah-yoon, and even the extras next to them, all had no choice but to admit it. That the ultimate winner of this scene is Lee Soo-ah after all.

At the same time.

“….”

The students’ camp, which had become very quiet due to shock.

“You said she wouldn’t be able to perform?”

“….”

One person murmured blankly.

“…She’s better than our school’s teachers?”