Ch. 177 - Unreal (2)

Chapter 177: Unreal (2)

Since that day, the thugs' visits to Ilwol High School ceased to exist.

Naturally, the girls who used to hang around with the thugs gradually faded away.

Students who had to silently endure the thugs' behavior cheered at Flame’s story.

".... Huh? Me?"

"Yeah! You're totally amazing. Your boyfriend took down all the thugs, right?"

"Oh no... He's not my boyfriend?"

"Really? Anyway, there's not just one or two witnesses who saw it!"

"Yeah. They even declared they won't come near Ilwol High School again!"

As soon as they arrived at school, Han Cho-yeon and her friends were in a frenzy.

But, there were more than one or two doubts raised by their friends' words.

Who was there in that narrow alleyway at the time?

How could there be so many witnesses?

And why did the rumor spread so quickly?

The more unbelievable fact was that thugs retreated and declared they wouldn’t come back because they were scared of a high school student?

'This... This doesn't make any sense.'

"Who's your boyfriend? They said he looks really cool."

"They say he's from our school, right? He wears sunglasses so no one knows his identity!"

"Maybe he doesn't want his identity revealed?"

“You guys are crazy…”

Even though he wore sunglasses and all, he had his name tag out in the open.

What's the point of hiding his identity if he's going to expose it like that?

The more Flame heard, the more confused she got.

“I told you, he’s not my boyfriend...”

"But still, he jumped into the fray to save you, doesn't that mean he likes you?"

"I don't know..."

But, well…

Anyway...

Hearing all this, she didn't feel bad.

After all, it was true that the boy had acted for her sake, and all the kids at school were praising her.

Filled with a strange sense of happiness, Flame found a unconscious smile playing on her lips.

She felt like the protagonist of the world.

—

A week had passed since that day.

Like a curious girl, Flame inquired throughout the school for 'Baek Yu-Seol,' but he was nowhere to be found.

She even searched through the first and second grades, and checked the attendance list, but couldn't find a similar name.

‘Then who was that guy?’

Still, she wanted to thank the person who saved her, but he had mysteriously disappeared, so she couldn't.

"First place in the school, Flame! Congratulations. You ranked first in the nationwide mock exam."

The voice calling her name woke Flame from her reverie.

Standing on the podium was always a daunting task, but after consistently ranking first, she was starting to get used to it.

"Thank you."

As she received her award, applause erupted throughout the auditorium.

After stepping down from the stage, Han Cho-yeon tapped her on the shoulder.

"Wow. This is amazing. How can someone rank first in the nation in this tough school?"

"Well, I'm naturally smart. You should stop reading those internet novels and study instead. You're smart too..."

"W-what are you talking about? And it's not an internet novel, it's a romance fantasy."

"Same difference."

‘Really. A romance fantasy?’

She didn’t understand why anyone would read that.

Isn’t there enough to focus on in reality?

“No way! But that story I’m reading now about the princess falling in love…”

“Enough with the novels. How about we get some tteokbokki for lunch? I’ll treat you.”

"Wow. Sounds good! Let's go!"

Despite being in the middle class of South Korea, she remembered Han Cho-yeon always felt nervous even when buying tteokbokki because she was relatively poor.

Every time she thought about it, she wanted to treat her friend to a meal, but refrained from doing so to avoid hurting their pride.

"But today, I have a reason. Tteokbokki? You can look forward to it. I'm planning something really special."

——-

It was evening.

Today seemed like a good day.

Along with Han Cho-yeon and friends, Flame decided to go to the karaoke.

“She’s~ goooone~~!!”

"Oh no! My ear!!"

“The upcoming time~!! The wind of the season~~!! Takes you away~!!”

"Ahhhh!"

Surrounded by friends who emitted high-pitched notes which blurred the line between noise pollution and singing, Flame’s song stood out with its exceptional skill.

“Never look for me again~~!”

"Ohhh"

“A cruel~ woman~~! Don’t blame me~~!”

A karaoke essential, So Chan Whee's "Tears."

Flame showcased perfect mastery, reaching high notes effortlessly in every part.

Unrivaled skill.

As they left the karaoke room, the girls sang her song as if savoring the after taste.

"Ah! She was amazing."

"Yeah. She really sang great....."

"Flame, how about becoming an idol? You're pretty and talented, it suits you."

"Speak sensibly. Not everyone can be a singer."

"No, seriously. It seems plausible, doesn't it?"

"Don't talk nonsense. You'll ruin your life by chasing strange dreams."

Flame was realistic.

A singer?

In this day and age, pretty teenagers who dance well and have talent in singing were everywhere.

Those kids often ended up failing miserably, especially in the idol industry.

She wouldn't even consider going down that path.

After the singing session at the karaoke, Flame spent time with friends wandering the streets, shopping for cosmetics or eating snacks.

They believed in enjoying themselves to the fullest when they could, considering such leisurely activities were rare.

Then, noticing a crowd of spectators in their 10s and 20s on the street, the friends diverted their attention towards them.

"Oh. Looks like they're busking over there?"

"Yeah, it seems like it. There's a huge crowd."

Spotting a place crowded with spectators in their 10s and 20s on the street, the friends headed there.

Alright. Next participant, could you introduce yourself please?

"Yes... I'm Han Yumi, a company employee from Guwoldong."

I see. What song will you be singing?

It turned out it wasn't just an ordinary busking session.

"Hey, isn't that him? That's him, right? Kim Baekgwang, the YouTuber famous for street casting karaoke!"

Really? Crazy! I'm seeing him for the first time for real.

"He's so handsome... Wow."

It seemed like everyone reacted as the man performing busking was quite a celebrity, but Flame only responded with wide-eyed surprise.

"He's famous?"

"Don't you know? Look at him. Did you come from the mountains or something?"

"Well. I might not know....."

-Casually saying hello, as one can~

While Flame and friends were chatting, the next participant started singing.

Despite being quite beautiful and eliciting reactions from the audience, it didn't catch Flame’s attention.

After the song ended, YouTuber Kim Baekgwang led the applause.

Alright. Is there another participant ready?

It was said that there were always aspiring singers flocking around Kim Baekgwang's broadcasts since his live broadcasts usually had tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of real-time viewers, giving them a chance to show their faces.

However, regardless of the number of aspiring singers present, ultimately, only those chosen by the host would get a chance to perform.

The next participant was probably already decided in advance.

What's being shown now was just another scripted show.

Despite knowing this fact, high school girls still cheered loudly.

"Hey! There's a great singer here!"

"Over here! Over here!"

"What? Hey! Are you crazy?"

Suddenly, when friends pointed to her, Flame burst into anger.

Even if they shouted like this, the YouTuber probably wouldn’t pay attention to her, but it was embarrassing nonetheless.

However, YouTuber Kim Baekgwang showed an unexpected reaction.

As the high school girls screamed, he, who had been focusing on their reactions, glanced at Flame, then stood still for a moment before approaching with a bright smile.

- Well, it seems the next participant has been decided amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the friends! How about it, would you like to sing a song?

While saying this, he discreetly flashed a message not visible to the camera.

[Feel free to decline if you feel burdened!]

Indeed, there was no need to participate unconditionally.

But since Kim Baekgwang showed such a response and approached like this, which wasn't something common, and her friends kept pushing her, Flame decided to pick just one song to try.

Alright. The next participant.

- Amidst the enthusiastic cheers of her friends, Flame, a high school student from Ilwol High School! Hahaha, our viewers thought she was an idol trainee. Is that correct?

"No."

Ah! That's a no! Do you have any plans to debut?

"I have to go home and study."

- That's right~!

Kim Baekgwang was looking at the camera, where there was a large tablet screen, and five chat windows were continuously scrolling up.

[Fan A: Studying?]

[Fan B: Is this for real? LOL]

[Fan C: LOL! LOL!]

[Fan D: First time seeing someone studying after appearing on a broadcast]

[Fan E: LOL]

[Fan F: Wow. But she's cute]

Each platform's viewers had their own chat window.

As Flame stepped forward and took the microphone, the chat window started exploding, and she vaguely seemed to know the reason.

Sigh...

- Shall we go straight to it? What song have you chosen?

"Um... I'll go with Hwal's 'Say Yes.' Key up by 3."

- Oh! Bold choice! We're excited!!

Since it was a well-known high-pitched song sung three keys higher, there was bound to be a heated reaction.

As YouTuber Kim Baekgwang manipulated the computer and audio, the music started playing.

Flame, who had steadied her breath, felt a sense of discomfort before singing.

'... Huh?'

There, in the crowd. Baek Yu-Seol appeared, the one who carried a motorcycle on his shoulders.

Just as she had seen him a week ago.

'Wait a minute...'

She wanted to rush over and talk to him, but she was unable to do so due to the music playing.

She began to sing.

Oh, Say Yes~♪

Her song was emotional and explosive.

The high notes stretched gracefully while the low notes tantalized the ears.

"Oh... This is..."

YouTuber Kim Baekgwang stood there dumbfounded, unable to react properly, and the audience, as well as the chat window, seemed frozen in place.

Now, take my hand~! Say Yesss!

And finally, just after reaching the peak of the high note, about 10 seconds later, an explosive reaction erupted in the chat window to the extent that an error occurred.

[DD: What was that voice..]

[MM: I'll kill you if you don't hold my hand]

[LL: Who said I didn't hold hands]

[00: Hey. Quickly go and hold hands]

Dozens of reactions per second.

Just before the server crashed due to donations, and with the number of viewers skyrocketing, it could be intuited how instantly popular the existence known as Flame had become.

"This can work!"

Kim Baek-gwang had a hunch.

With this level of buzz, by now, discussions about Flame would be spreading across all sorts of communities.

Typically, participants were expected to sing only one song, but it was judged that ending it here wouldn't be appropriate.

After Flame finished the song and quietly held the microphone in both hands, Kim Baek-gwang hurriedly began to speak.

"Are you out of your mind? Was I zoned out? Can someone tell me how long I zoned out? Yes? 30 years? Hey. Don’t lie. That's not it."

He casually communicated with the viewers as he approached Flame.

"Oh, this is no joke. Are you really not an aspiring singer?"

"No."

"This is really a shame. I'm not in a position to evaluate anyone, but even if you debuted right now, you wouldn't be lacking. Seriously."

"Thank you."

Since Flame was also subtly glancing at the chat window, she knew that the reaction was hot.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she wanted to leave quickly, but suddenly people in the chat were calling for an encore.

"Oh, viewers are asking for one more song. Hey, calm down. Don't feel pressured. You don't have to sing if you don't want to. It's stressful if you're pressured, really stressful."

"Ah..."

She also sensed the atmosphere.

If she just left blandly, the atmosphere would become awkward.

"Let's do one more song then."

Flame, who inherently enjoyed singing, and didn't really dislike such a warm response, ultimately got swept up in the mood.

Then suddenly, she unconsciously turned her head towards Baek Yu-Seol.

He had come in the front of the crowd suddenly.

Without sunglasses, he was looking at her with a serious expression.

It was quite the opposite of the former playful and mischievous impression.

He slowly parted his lips and said to Flame, 'Don't do it. His mouth shape was unmistakably negative.’

"What...?"

-Why are you like this?

"Oh no reason."

-What song will you choose?

"... Kim Sang-min's 'You.' Please play it."

Flame, who had been looking at Kim Baek-gwang, looked back at Baek Yu-Seol.

He closed his eyes and lowered his head.

Don't do it.

But she couldn't stop here.

The number of viewers had now reached 100,000, and stopping here could be really embarrassing.

Regardless of the mysterious boy Baek Yu-Seol’s reaction, with the music playing, Flame’s song began.

How should I do~

Once again, there was a similar reaction.

People fell silent to focus on Flame’s song, and in a world where all noise had died down, her melody spoke alone.

It felt like she was focal point of the world.

Singing in a world where everyone was looking at only you felt like that.

Only now did it seem like she understood why singers make such efforts to stand on stage.

For this thrilling sensation.

For this moment when everyone concentrated all their senses just to hear their voice.

-Through the long night~

When morning comes~

Her song once again rose slowly towards the climax.

It wasn't much different from climbing a mountain.

Because everyone's mindset looking at a high place was the same.

Then, just before reaching the climax, Flame instinctively looked for Baek Yu-Seol.

Sensually, as if it had to be done. Baek Yu-Seol was looking at her with a rather serious expression.

Then, he raised his right hand.

There, what he grasped tightly was a cheap, ordinary, ten-dollar ballpoint pen.

'Huh? What's he planning to do with that?’

That thought crossed her mind as he clenched it in reverse and threw it abruptly.

...Thud!

The ballpoint pen pierced through the audio.

Bam!

The music stopped.

The bewildered expressions of the audience were vividly etched into Flame’s eyes.

Kim Baek-gwang dashed towards the laptop with a horrified expression.

But it was futile.

She knew the reason for the music's halt.

'Does that even make sense?'

‘Could a mere plastic ballpoint pen realistically penetrate a computer and audio?’

In this absurd reality, Flame couldn't stop anymore.

Without releasing the hand holding the microphone, she continued singing, unfazed.

You~! Left alone on a rainy street~♬

They reached straight into the climax.

Kim Baek-gwang, who was trying to fix the computer, also stopped and looked at Flame.

Thinking of you standing there♬ Did you see!!

As if she didn’t care about the sound accident at all, Flame raised her voice even higher from there.

In the lonely night~

And in the place where you fall asleep~

So, the song raced towards its end, finally reaching its destination.

"Haah. Haah...."

Wiping the sweat off her cheek, Flame lowered the microphone, and after a brief silence, applause erupted.

But all the cheers turned into meaningless noise for her as it passed by fleetingly.

She turned her gaze to Baek Yu-Seol, who shook his head and then turned around.

He walked away somewhere.

"Hey. Wait...!"

That was amazing, truly! It was a performance by Flame from Ilwol High School! Please give her a warm round of applause!

"Ah..."

Like an illusion, Baek Yu-Seol’s body blurred and then vanished into thin air.

All that remained at the end was the fervent cheers of the people.

Watching people waving their hands and whistling, Flame couldn't help but relax her serious expression. "Ha...haha."

‘Baek Yu-Seol?’

‘Why would the boy I know by name matters?’

‘I'm so happy.’

‘I feel alive like this.’

‘Shouldn't I enjoy this moment?’

She waved her hand towards the people and the camera, making an effort to forget about Baek Yu-Seol.

Perhaps, she would never forget today's events for the rest of her life.

… But.

'Why do I feel so uneasy?'

As she appeared in front of the camera, she straightened her name tag under the cheers of her friends.

She was too happy.

Too happy.

Something... didn't feel right.

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