Genius of a Performing Arts High

I read it once when I was bored, during which an interesting fact was unveiled. It was that there were all sorts of societies in Future Performing Art High School.

There were sports clubs that appeared distant from performing arts, the Photography Society that Han Dasom was a part of, as well as a Movie Review Society which almost every school had.

Besides, since there was also one called a Magic Society, which I hadn’t even heard of before, it could be said that forming societies wasn’t on the difficult side.

However, that didn’t mean the school just let it be.

The school had a small number of students in the first place so if there were all sorts of societies without any restrictions, there would be clubs with one or two members, without even the ability to carry out any activities.

Thus, although it was easy to make societies, it was difficult to maintain it.

Plus, there were all sorts of documents that had to be handed in, the support funds were almost non-existent and the objective as well as financial plans had to be recorded down to a T. That was what I found out when I was trying to see if I could make a new opera society myself.

But that didn’t mean old societies and clubs would be supported unconditionally, and there were the so-called dying clubs. They either lacked members, had the management done carelessly or didn’t have any new members entering the club...

These societies would also become targets of administration and receive less support. That was the reason upperclassmen visited freshmen classes at the start of every semester and was also perhaps why they were here inside our class right now.

“Hello, dear freshmen juniors. I’m called Yun Soojin.”

As she, who had a blue name badge, gave a faint smile, I observed her with crossed arms. On the blue name badge which proved she was in third grade, her name Yun Soojin was written.

When I looked at her small, gently interlocked fingers, I didn’t see any signs of her having held strings and listening to her words, there weren’t any indications of her breath being trained either. She only leisurely continued with her words.

At a glance, she didn’t appear like she was from the Music Department.

She also didn’t seem to be from the Dancing Department, judging from how she didn’t have the bodyline unique to the Dancing Department, despite wearing a summer uniform.

But on the other hand, the male standing next to the girl called Yun Soojin was definitely someone that played a string instrument, evident from his fingers. More specifically, he was most likely a violinist.

The white calluses on the ends of his fingers were proof, and if he was a cellist, there should be some indication of it on his thumb as well, but I didn’t see it.

In any case, a Visual Art senior going around with a Music senior...

‘Quite unusual.’

As I was staring at their faces, a thought suddenly flashed past.

Right, those two – I remember seeing them during the first semester as well. Even though I ignored clubs and societies back then since I wasn’t interested, they must’ve remained in my memories due to the uniqueness.

I was in the midst of reviving old memories when Yun Soojin-sunbae’s words reached my ears.

“...Anyways, nice to meet you dear juniors. So, let me explain the objective of our society. We investigate the effect religion has on culture, called the Religion and Culture Research Society...”

While listening to the explanations given in a gentle voice that supplemented my boredom, I nodded my head.

Right, I remember being dumbfounded after hearing that bizarre name.

What in the world was the Religion and Culture Research Society?

It sounded like a mandatory university subject so who would ever want to join such a society? We would for sure die of boredom from all the boring speeches.

No wonder a third grader with graduation right before their eyes was personally going around to promote their society.

“Then specifically what kind of activities do you do?”

When my classmate asked with a quick raise of his hand, Yun Soojin-sunbae replied slowly.

“That’s a good question. Our society is fundamentally a research society so...”

“...”

“...and because of that, it has a lot of impact on the culture. We think cultural aspects like theatrical acts and music performances are included in that as well so we sometimes carry it out as an activity...”

I was listening while fighting back the urge to close my eyes before immediately frowning.

‘Wait.’

They do acts and music performances?

Isn’t that just a medley of everything then? Thinking that perhaps it might be a society that did whatever they wanted despite that name, I crossed my arms and faced the front.

‘Religion and Culture Research Society huh...’

Wait, now that I think about it... it felt like I heard of that name during the future.

‘...Song Mirae.’

It was a word she, who had later turned into a musical star, said.

“...”

I immediately shot out of my seat.

*

“...Sunbae.”

“Nn?”

Seeing the warm smile on Yun Soojin’s face, Lim Suhjoon pulled his hair out.

“I told you we shouldn’t say it like that; why did you! What in the world is Religion and Culture Research Society, like seriously! Who would want to enter after hearing that!?”

Lim Suhjoon despaired.

Every society was given one chance to promote their activities per semester, and using that precious opportunity, they went around the Freshmen classes including the last 10th class, but there wasn’t a single applicant.

Since they also couldn’t find any during the first semester, there were 0 people among the first graders. The society had zero new members and was in a serious situation.

Right, if there were, at the very least, a lot of second and third-graders, there would be some hope left over because they could somehow bring some in next year. But, the problem was that there weren’t many from the second and third-grades either.

There were only five in the second-grade and although there were four third-graders, none of them participated in activities except for Yun Soojin-sunbae.

In other words, the technical number of members was six, which was small enough that it could be shut down anytime.

With her eyes on Lim Suhjoon crouching down in the corridor feeling down, Yun Soojin replied with a faint smile.

“It’s the name of our society. We shouldn’t change the name given by our sunbaes in my opinion.”

“...Huu... But even then, you could’ve worded our society’s goal a little better... Since we came to a class of Music Department juniors, we could’ve said things like how we did well in musicals and operas in the past. If you talk about the origin of our name instead of those things, would they ever come?”

Hearing that, Yun Soojin opened her lips after making a serious expression.

“Suhjoon, they are our precious juniors. If we deceive them into our society, would they like it?”

“...”

Lim Suhjoon opened and closed his mouth looking for words but decided to leave it closed.

Seriously, she was stubborn in strange places, thought Lim Suhjoon.

It was thanks to that that she was able to take the position of a leader of an old society with tons of history like theirs but... the more important issue was, where could they find new members from?

Most of the freshmen probably would have entered other societies and clubs that sounded interesting already and without freshmen juniors, it would be difficult to carry out proper activities...

Thinking that, Lim Suhjoon heaved out a sigh when a shadow was cast onto the ground before him.

“Nn?”

Raising his face back up, a rather familiar face appeared before him. Wearing a yellow name badge, the symbol of freshmen, a boy 170cm tall stood there with a stern look in his eyes.

‘If I remember correctly, he was in the Prac High-achievers Concert...’

Jo Yunjae?

Lim Suhjoon stared at him with puzzlement.

*

Song Mirae.

The reason I could recognise Song Mirae the moment I saw her during the admission day was in fact simple. Since I didn’t have a good memory, I only remembered those that were famous according to my standard.

Lee Suh-ah was like that and so was Kim Wuju. I knew Chloe because of the special trait of her being a foreigner and Han Dasom had the uniqueness of appearing on TV.

Song Mirae was similar yet different from them. Although she definitely was famous, she was also infamous, as a musical actress with a bad personality.

Despite having top-notch singing skills, she had retired due to questions and doubts on her personality – that was the kind of girl she was. I wasn’t avoiding her for no reason.

“...”

In any case, I had no plans on talking about a future which hadn’t even occurred yet and there was another reason she popped up in my head.

When the internet was attacking her head-on, there was a story that she was like that ever since high school, supported by how she had been chased out from ‘Cantabile’, a musical club, into another society. And that the name of that society was a laughable one called ‘Religion and Culture Research Society’.

“...Is there anything wrong?”

When I came to, I found an amiable-looking male upperclassman staring at me. Glancing at the green name tag which read Lim Suhjoon on his clothes, I bowed before opening my mouth.

“I had a question about your society.”

“What...!”

Lim Suhjoon was turned stiff, startled but soon, the corners of his lips rose up and eventually, it appeared like they could even pierce through the skies.

“Why of course. What questions do you have, dear junior? I’ll tell you everything. Yunjae? You’re the one that performed in the concert yesterday right? Iya~ your song was amazing. I don’t even remember the others’ songs!”

I listened to the downfall of praises dumbfoundedly before immediately continuing.

“...I see. From what I heard just then, you’ve done acts and performances before. Then, are you perhaps planning on doing musicals in the future?”

Pounding his chest, Lim Suhjoon energetically replied.

“Of course! We are actually focused more towards musicals and operas. The name Religion and Culture Research Society was just given by the first sunbae who made it. He probably didn’t have a clear idea of what he wanted to do. After that, other seniors gathered and we did musicals, operas, theatrical acts and all sorts of stuff...”

After hearing the following words, I nodded my head.

So it seems that this was the place Song Mirae would enter in the future. Back then, she wouldn’t have even been involved with Kim Sukwon during the song presentation but it seems that their personalities were repulsive in the first place.

I was organising my thoughts regarding Song Mirae when Lim Suhjoon, seemingly feeling insecure after seeing my attitude, once again started boasting.

“...And although we’re like this now, our society has been here for 38 years, and it’s not an overstatement to say that we were together with the school for almost all its years. So the teachers like us a lot behind others’ backs and they inconspicuously support us a lot, you know...?”

Hearing that, I nodded in understanding.

I did hear how Song Mirae won a prize after entering here so... they were more capable than I thought, it seems.

In any case, I finished organising the situation somewhat. Right now, I can’t enter the original musical club but this medley society is capable enough to receive a prize in the future.

Then, there’s no reason not to enter... right?

Feeling my heart slowly leaning towards one side, I stood there when Yun Soojin-sunbae standing next to the male glanced at my face and smiled.

“Do you like musicals?”

“Sorry?”

While I tilted my head due to the sudden question, I found Yun Soojin-sunbae slowly walking towards me.

Pulling her hands together and interlocking them as if she was praying, she made a bright smile. Wearing a joyful, dreamy expression, she whispered.

“I like musicals as well. When I first entered the RC Society last last year, we also did a musical. We sang, talked and laughed... it was really fun.”

After reminiscing about the past with a warm smile, she met her eyes with mine.

“I’m sure it will be fun this year as well.”

“...”

Staring at Yun Soojin-sunbae who declared that as if it was the most natural thing in the world, I broke out into an uncontrollable grin.

‘This sunbae is...’

An interesting person as well.