“Yooha―!”
Michelle shouted Son Yooha’s name in an excited voice.
“You’re number one!”
On the bulletin board, Son Yooha’s name proudly occupied the top position, meaning she was the top student in her grade.
It wasn’t surprising, really. Son Yooha had always been number one every time.
“I don’t know how you always manage to stay on top. Do you know how much Kaya gets annoyed? She complains about being stuck in second place forever. If you win the school’s popularity contest too, Kaya might completely give up on being number one.”
“I’m still lacking.”
“What?”
Son Yooha always thought she was still lacking. After all, isn’t poverty relative?
Compared to Kang Hyun, she felt like a firefly in front of the sun. Kang Hyun had already achieved so much at an age that was unimaginable.
It was then.
“Excuse me, just a moment!”
A good-looking male student blocked the path of Son Yooha and Michelle. The student was holding a single rose and a letter.
Michelle couldn’t be unaware of the situation. She had experienced this countless times while hanging out with Yooha.
“Thanks for the gift, but I’m sorry.”
At Yooha’s firm response, the male student’s face twisted. Yes, many male students at Phillips had tried, but none had ever won Yooha’s heart.
But this time, the male student didn’t seem to give up so easily.
“I know you don’t have a boyfriend, so why do you reject every time?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend?”
“Yes, it’s famous at Phillips. Everyone knows Son Yooha doesn’t have a boyfriend but never accepts any confessions.”
Indeed, there were even rumors that Son Yooha liked girls because she rejected so many boys. She once received several handwritten letters from younger female students.
Yooha shook her head in disbelief and stared at the male student.
“Sorry, but I do have one.”
“What?”
“A boyfriend!”
The male student froze in place like a fossil. The surrounding students were equally shocked.
Son Yooha had never revealed that she had a boyfriend until now. The hallway soon became as noisy as a marketplace.
As they walked through the crowd and could finally breathe, Michelle looked at Yooha and asked.
“Yooha, are you going to England again this summer break?”
Every summer break, she went to England to study royal studies and business management.
“No, not this year.”
But this time was different. There was someone she wanted to spend the summer break with.
Hasn’t someone said that the romance of university life lies in the campus and alcohol?
Even if you might get double Fs (FF) tomorrow, a glass of soju with friends can wash away your worries.
But Kang Hyun was different.
As soon as he entered the law department at Korean University, he started preparing for the bar exam. He didn’t even have time to read the small law books, so he couldn’t properly drink with his classmates.
He had no memorable moments from his university life. Even his classmates and seniors called him a hard-core person.
“Hyun-ah―!”
As soon as he entered the pub, Kim Daewoo stood up and waved his hand.
The fairly spacious pub was already packed with students. Looking closely, he saw not only classmates but also some seniors.
It was only natural that all eyes focused on Kang Hyun as he appeared.
“You made it on time. Here, have a drink―!”
A female senior, whose name he couldn’t remember, approached with a glass of draft beer. Next to him, Kim Daewoo mouthed that she was the club president.
Only then did he remember. She was a senior known for not wearing makeup, but today she had on noticeable makeup, so he didn’t recognize her.
“Hyun-ah, did you know our female classmates and seniors all put extra effort into their makeup today?”
“Huh?”
“Look, even senior Youngmi, who usually doesn’t wear mascara or lipstick, and all the female classmates are dressed up. I thought there was some year-end award ceremony today.”
Looking around as Kim Daewoo said, even the usually plain-dressed female students were wearing airy dresses.
“Daewoo, is there normally a dress code for department gatherings?”
“Dress code? What are you talking about? This is all because of you. When they heard you were attending the end-of-term party, the department room went crazy.”
“What?”
It was definitely different from his past life. He was receiving more attention now than when he passed the bar exam as a hard-core person.
It was usual for Kang Hyun to find fan letters in his locker, and even gifts were delivered to the department office, so much that it wasn’t worth mentioning.
“Hyun, you must have saved Korea in your past life. Otherwise, how could you be so perfect? Not only did you enter university as the top student, but you also monopolized the love of classmates and seniors. Wow.”
In his past life, he didn’t save Korea even though he threw himself in front of a subway. The reason seniors liked Kang Hyun despite him not participating in department activities was quite simple.
He always provided necessary supplies to the department room, making life there really convenient.
Although it was a small act of kindness for Kang Hyun, it was a big deal for the students.
“Everyone, attention―!”
With the club president’s toast proposal, the end-of-term party began. A karaoke machine, prepared from who knows where, appeared.
Since the entire pub was rented out by the department, no one cared.
“Senior, I’ll sing a song!”
The outgoing Kim Daewoo stood up and took the microphone. Soon, the prelude to a folksy trot song echoed off the ceiling. His natural technique heated up the atmosphere.
Kang Hyun thought that if he wore a chest-revealing outfit and wide pants, he wouldn’t be less than Na Hoon-a. It was then.
“Hyun-ah, now it’s your turn to sing!”
“Huh?”
“Next, our department’s superstar Kang Hyun will sing a song!”
With Kim Daewoo’s sudden action, a thunderous cheer erupted. The female students’ eyes were already filled with excitement.
It made sense since no one had ever seen Kang Hyun, a violinist, sing.
Didn’t they say praise makes even a whale dance? Eventually, Kang Hyun stood up and took the microphone.
With plenty of stage experience, this shouldn’t make him nervous. As he naturally smiled, cheers erupted again. It was another moment that stirred the hearts of the female students.
“Producer Kim―!”
The director’s voice was filled with excitement. It was no wonder, as the documentary trailer about Kang Hyun and Baek Jung-hoon had become a nationwide sensation.
The director, who resembled a bulldog, hugged producer Kim Do-hyun tightly and expressed his admiration, making the current affairs team feel like a festive house.
“I knew producer Kim would hit it big someday! The trailer’s response is so hot it’s almost burning. Can you imagine the current affairs and cultural division receiving calls from the morning asking about the documentary broadcast time?”
It wasn’t an exaggeration. General viewers were directly calling the current affairs and cultural division to ask when the documentary on Kang Hyun and Baek Jung-hoon would air, so it was quite something.
“Can we make it a two-part series?”
“Director, a two-part series?”
“Yes, the president is also particularly interested. If the content is solid, a two-part, even a three-part series is possible.”
Producer Kim Do-hyun was dumbfounded. He originally planned the documentary as a one-time program. Moreover, it was almost unheard of to produce more than two parts for a standard documentary.
“Do you have enough material?”
“Yes, we have plenty. Although the filming period was short, we have many impactful scenes.”
In the editing room, they had been screaming with joy. To be precise, it was no exaggeration to say that not a single scene could be discarded.
Especially Kang Hyun’s appearance was attractive not only to general viewers but also to producer Kim Do-hyun, who had been in the broadcasting industry for a long time.
“Good, I’ll give you full support this time, so do whatever you want.”
“Thank you, Director!”
Just then, the TV in the current affairs team’s office was airing the documentary trailer.
The alternating appearances of Kang Hyun and Baek Jung-hoon looked no less than professional actors.
Especially Kang Hyun’s charisma was so strong that it could be felt through the screen.
Despite his young age, his ability to instantly captivate many members was remarkable.
The conducting scenes were so noble and beautiful that they could be mistaken for a movie scene.
If this documentary airs, everyone from the advertising industry to Chungmuro will likely want to cast Kang Hyun.
This wasn’t the end. The final highlight was still left. The scene transitioned from conducting to Kang Hyun walking towards the university in casual clothes.
He was mingling with friends and attending classes like any other university student.
Amid a flurry of questions:
- Does Kang Hyun have a girlfriend?
The last question, along with a close-up of Kang Hyun’s startled face, concluded the trailer.
“Does he really have one?”
The Seoul Arts Center concert hall was bustling from the morning. Members of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra were touching their instruments in preparation for practice.
Among them, the female members were particularly excited, talking about the same topic.
“Don’t you guys know the people at the broadcast station? They edit things provocatively to increase ratings.”
“Yeah, I don’t think Kang Hyun has a girlfriend either.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t. If he did, would he practice late every night?”
It was all because of the last scene in the documentary trailer. The question about Kang Hyun having a girlfriend and the abrupt end felt like the power went out during a crucial movie scene, leaving a deep sense of regret.
It was then.
“Rehearsal will begin.”
Kang Hyun appeared on stage. Although he was the youngest, the members felt an inexplicable sense of awe towards him.
Even the notoriously prickly concertmaster turned into a gentle lamb when talking to Kang Hyun. The other members felt it even more.
“Viola―!”
At that moment, Kang Hyun pinpointed the mistakes of the members with precision.
The members found it eerie. At first, they thought it was mere coincidence, but as practice continued, Kang Hyun’s keen hearing gave them goosebumps.
When he instantly noticed the old habits of the timpani player, some members even compared Kang Hyun’s musical talent to Mozart’s.
Thump, thump, thump.
Instead of a baton, his fingers sharply moved through the air.
While recalling the beat, he looked at the performers. Especially for those who couldn’t see the concertmaster’s gestures, he gave individual signals.
It was an unbelievable level of proficiency for a 20-year-old conductor. To exaggerate, the orchestra showed as much stability as when collaborating with the principal conductor.
How much time had passed?
Despite quite some time passing, the members didn’t look tired.
In fact, playing with Kang Hyun seemed to boost their adrenaline.
“Should I ask him?”
During the break, the members were curious. Did Kang Hyun really have a girlfriend?
Finally, a violist, mustering courage, asked Kang Hyun, who was looking at the score on the conductor’s podium.
“Conductor, did you see the documentary trailer yesterday?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Then, do you really have a girlfriend?”
Instantly, all eyes focused on Kang Hyun. Even the male members were clearly curious, concentrating as if waiting for exam results.
Kang Hyun smiled and was about to answer.
Huh?
Kang Hyun’s lips stopped. His eyes wavered as if in disbelief. The reason was simple.
“Yooha?”
Son Yooha was sitting in the middle of the audience seats.
