The Freshman Concert came to an end.
But not a single student was happy. And for good reason—the end of the concert meant final exams were about to begin.
As exams approached, the entire school grew quiet. Even the Practical Music Department—famous for its high energy—was no exception. Everyone was on edge, busy studying.
Well… almost everyone.
A prime example: Yoon Hajun.
Hajun was exactly the same as always. Even with exams around the corner, he slept through every class without a care in the world. Not only the teachers—even the students were annoyed just watching him.
Seolwon Arts High didn't only value practical skills. Written exams were extremely hard and just as important. This was a point of pride for the students.
And yet, the moment class started, Hajun slept. He even slept through the previous midterm.
But no one could really scold him.
Because of the Freshman Concert.
Hajun's stage was the single most talked-about performance among the Practical Music students who saw it live. From the song itself to the stage direction, not a single flaw.
To people who didn't understand music, it might have looked like a praise-worthy performance by Han Goyo. But every student in this school knew the truth better than anyone.
The owner of that stage wasn't Han Goyo. It was Yoon Hajun.
And with that, Hajun's name began to spread. Not as "Kim Taeyoung's friend," not as "the composition major chosen by Han Goyo," but as a highly skilled composer and stage director.
He wasn't just famous among the first-years. The second-years who watched also began to take notice. Some vocal majors even went to find Hajun in the practice rooms. They wanted to introduce themselves, maybe build a connection, maybe ask to work together in the future.
But every attempt failed.
Because every time they visited, Kim Taeyoung and Han Goyo were sitting beside him. He was always working with those two—there was no opening to approach.
Especially Han Goyo. She would sit silently, staring toward the door with a cold gaze that made it impossible to enter.
And so, day by day, Yoon Hajun's name kept spreading.
§ §
Final exams were approaching.
On weekends, the library and study rooms were packed. Class group chats were filled with endless exam questions. Everyone was studying hard.
"Oppa, aren't you going to study?"
…Everyone except me.
"Exams are meant to be taken with what you've learned every day."
"Well, Oppa, you did study hard every day."
Not even once. I hadn't even opened the textbook properly. I slept through every class. Some teachers probably ground their teeth just seeing me.
But I was confident.
Instead of studying for tests, I worked just as hard on things I lacked. I took piano and guitar lessons. I made songs to sing with Suyeon. And I completed the song I'd submit for finals.
…Well, maybe not completed. Not yet.
I exhaled and looked at the work summary.
How the hell do I write this?
A work summary was exactly what it sounded like: a summary of your thought process while composing the song. If you aimed for mainstream popularity, you wrote which parts were designed to catch attention. If you wrote a personal story, you explained what the story was.
In my case, it was the latter. I didn't aim for popularity—I wrote my story.
The problem? My story wasn't something I could write down.
"I ruined my life chasing a dream of being a singer, died, returned to the past, and now I regret everything and want to repay my family."
…Yeah. No way I could write that.
"Hmm…"
How do I turn this into something believable?
I continued writing while thinking it over. There wasn't much time left. Final exams started in two weeks. Before then I needed to finish this summary, practice guitar and piano, and lastly… choose a title.
The poor laptop keyboard was the only victim of my frustration. Seriously, the title was the biggest problem.
"So we're taking a break from song work until exams?"
"Yeah. You have to study too."
Suyeon nodded with a disappointed look. That hurt a little, but it couldn't be helped.
"Instead, let's work nonstop during vacation."
"Really!?"
I nodded instead of answering. I planned to do that anyway.
Suyeon still had a lot to improve.
Ah—right. Maybe during vacation I could take her there.
"Hey. In July, Seolwon Arts is holding a concert. Wanna go?"
"A concert?"
"Well, more like a 3rd-year graduation festival…"
At the end of July, during summer vacation, Seolwon Arts High held a massive event. Not at the school—they literally rented out an entire park. It was a festival for the graduating third-years. Different sections held exhibitions, screenings, performances, and concerts. They even invited influential people to watch.
But it wasn't only for them—anyone could attend. So tons of people showed up.
"Can I go?"
"Anyone can. Most applicants for the entrance exam go too."
"Then… will Jin Sohyang be there!?"
Suyeon's eyes sparkled.
Ah, that's right. She's a fan of Hwayangyeonhwa.
I nodded, and Suyeon exploded.
"I'M GOING!! I'M ABSOLUTELY GOING!! EVEN IF I DIE I'M GOING!!"
"O-okay…"
Watching performances was just as important as practicing, especially for someone like Suyeon who only just started.
"But you need to do well on exams first."
"Well… I'll probably do better than you…"
She muttered under her breath.
Lately, she'd gotten comfortable enough to joke with me. A good sign.
In my past life and even right after my regression, Suyeon always treated me like someone distant. She followed my words, but never shared her opinions. Now, she joked, voiced her thoughts. She still got nervous afterwards, but still—that progress was precious.
"Yeah, yeah. You're amazing."
I wasn't being sarcastic. Suyeon really was amazing.
§ §
"Studying is so damn annoying."
Taeyoung muttered, and as if he'd made a firm decision, he closed his textbook. Then he turned to me with a dead-serious face.
"Wanna go to the practice room?"
"You do know the practice rooms are locked during class, right?"
"…How do you know that?"
How? Because I literally checked it myself.
"I mean, as long as we do well in practicals, that's all that matters! It's not like I'm giving up on studying completely—I'm just practicing instead!"
"…Fair point."
A point that would get him killed by teachers. Seolwon Arts didn't let you pass with just practical skills. Written tests mattered too.
But… there actually was a way to give up on written exams. Earn a scholarship.
"Midterms end, then Freshman Concert, then immediately finals, and after that it's the school trip."
"Well, after the trip we have vacation."
"Vacation is only a month."
"…True."
Once second semester started, there were midterms in September, festival in October, Winter Festival—the second "event"—in November, and right after that, finals. The schedule was insane.
But there was a reason for it. Especially for events being right before exams. The school was being considerate. They let us use our event performances as exam submissions. It'd be insane to ask students to compose two songs in four weeks. Even professional songwriters would struggle. So we were allowed to submit the same songs we used in the event.
However, students who prepared different songs got bonus points. That was why I prepared two songs. Otherwise, I'd only have made one.
"So you're not using the practice rooms starting today?"
"Why would I?"
"Aren't you studying?"
I snorted. "Have you ever seen me study?"
"…What a brag."
Says him. His midterm scores were just as bad as mine.
In the end, even with exams looming, Taeyoung and I changed nothing. We stayed in the practice rooms during breaks, lunch, and after school.
Since the event ended, performance practice classes were canceled and replaced with general classes we skipped earlier. Thanks to that, my constant exhaustion lightened a bit. I didn't sleep properly while preparing for the concert, so I was always tired.
"You're submitting a different song for finals?"
Ha Hyoju asked, and I nodded. I opened my DAW program to start working on the new song.
I wanted to show her the song, but I couldn't. Right now, in major lessons, working on exam songs was forbidden. If teachers helped, they wouldn't be able to fairly evaluate student ability. The reason I showed her a song on day one was exactly because of this rule.
"Well, if it's you, you'll be fine."
She smiled. Since the concert, she'd been paying close attention to me. She didn't help excessively, but I could feel the change in her attitude.
"I'm looking forward to your exam piece."
"Yes, teacher."
I nodded.
After the lesson, I headed to the practice room. Taeyoung was already there. And… someone else.
"You're not studying?"
"Already did."
Goyo replied flatly to my question. After the event, she had become a permanent member of our practice group.
Taeyoung, clearly annoyed, looked at her and said, "Then why are you here? Practice at home."
"I can't practice at home."
"Then use another practice room."
"Why would I?"
…They got along great, those two.
Watching their subtle bickering, I sat down and opened my laptop—and began writing my work summary.
I rewrote my past regrets into present regrets. I kept the parts about Mom and Suyeon. Music cost a lot of money—the teachers would understand. At worst, they'd think, "Wow, he's mature."
I wrote an apology to Mom who gave up everything because of me, to Suyeon who had to suppress her dreams because of me. At the same time, I wrote a vow—to return everything they lost.
Mom's lost youth. Suyeon's abandoned dreams. I would repay it all.
"You're really going to submit it like that?"
Taeyoung asked after sneakily reading it from behind.
"Why?"
Was it weird? To me it seemed pretty solid.
Taeyoung let out a deep sigh and shook his head. "Forget it. If you say it's fine, then it probably is."
What a weirdo.
Goyo must've gotten curious too, because she quietly moved closer and peeked at it. She said nothing, but she looked at me.
"…Is it weird?"
"…No."
Goyo shook her head.
See? It's fine.
Summary done. Now all that was left was the title…
I already had a few candidates. After a long time thinking, I chose one and wrote it at the top.
With that, all preparations for the exam were finally complete.
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