“Hmph… It’s kind of a bummer that we have to come to school the day after New Year’s.”
“January is for graduation, and they’re combining winter and spring break to give us some rest, so we should understand.”
At that, I looked up toward the sky.
White snow had been falling from morning.
Personally, I think there’s nothing but downsides to snowfall.
“Causes transportation trouble, lots of accidents, and to some people, it probably looks like trash falling from the sky.”
Still, people love snow. Especially the first snowfall of the season is considered special.
From a composer’s perspective, snow can’t help but be good material.
Watching the world turn a special pristine white is a moment that can’t help but purify the heart…
“Unfortunately, having to look at the snow with you makes it the worst.”
“Huh? That goes both ways.”
The mutual grimace between Kim Tae-hwan and me was evident.
Still, after not too long, we exchanged a glance and smiled.
“Hey, happy new year, and good luck next year.”
“Stop saying stuff that’s making me nauseous.”
“Considering how you followed me all the way to Seolhwa High because you wanted to go to the same high school as me, that’s a statement I’d rather not hear.”
“Shit.”
No, it’s not what you think.
No matter how much I plead, Kim Tae-hwan just shrugs his shoulders and ignores me.
Still, both Kim Tae-hwan and I were lightly admitted to Seolhwa High, and naturally, Baek Ye-rin was admitted as well.
But thinking about spending school life in the same major with Kim Tae-hwan and Baek Ye-rin makes it hard for me to breathe. Am I the only one?
And to make things worse, my older sister will be there as well.
When I was lost in the dreadful thought of this situation, Kim Tae-hwan asked me a question.
“Still, if we’re admitted, we must’ve done pretty well in the practical exams, right?”
“I did receive relatively good evaluations.”
“That makes it even more exciting.”
“What is?”
“Hey, don’t pretend not to know at a time like this. Didn’t you promise to let me sing your songs if I got admitted?”
“Oh yeah.”
“So, prepare them in advance. No matter what song it is, I’ll tear the stage apart in an amazing way.”
Kim Tae-hwan confidently declared.
….
It sounds like a privilege, but to me, it’s practically a punishment.
Then, stretching, Kim Tae-hwan continued.
“I’ll probably go on a solo trip during the winter break. It feels like starting this year, things are going to get busier, so I guess you could call it my last vacation?”
“Well… it’s not a bad idea.”
“What about you?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Is there anyone else here besides you?”
I briefly thought about Kim Tae-hwan’s question.
Since I am not a planner, I don’t have anything solid planned.
Still, there is one thing.
“Didn’t your sister say she’d teach me piano?”
“Yeah, she’s really pushing it, even though I told her I don’t need it.”
“To be honest, for composing, piano is nearly essential. Learning it would only give you advantages. You should see this as a stroke of luck and seriously learn it.”
I bitterly smiled at Kim Tae-hwan’s words.
That kid has no idea that for me, being taught piano by my sister is somewhat contradictory.
In my previous life, I endured rigorous teaching under my sister, known as a piano prodigy.
Thanks to that, among the instruments I can handle, I could confidently say the piano is where my skills have greatly improved.
But ask me to repeat that torture?
That’s why when I told her I didn’t need it, her response was as follows:
-Let’s do a test. I’m curious if you have any potential.
-Potential?
-Yeah. Are you thinking of participating in a competition anytime soon?
-?
In conclusion, I’m currently being tested by my sister.
Her standards for passing are disgustingly high, so every night is torment.
I was lost in those thoughts when…
“Anyway, it seems like that time is approaching.”
“That time?”
“Yeah. In a few weeks, South Korea’s most prestigious pop music award show will be held.”
“Could it be the Korean Music Awards?”
“Bingo. In other words, it’s time for Ha-on’s normalization to begin.”
At that, Kim Tae-hwan grinned.
The Korean Music Awards.
It’s commonly abbreviated as “KMA.”
Just as Kim Tae-hwan said, it’s widely regarded as the most authoritative music awards ceremony in South Korea, with very little controversy regarding the winners.
Most South Korean music awards ceremonies are generally swayed by the record companies’ capital size, streaming charts, album sales, overseas performances, and other commercial indicators.
However, the Korean Music Awards is unique as it solely evaluates musical quality and artistry.
Thus, all the songs released within a year stand on an equal footing, and in a way, it’s a very significant award show.
However, the problem with it is…
‘The general public doesn’t recognize or care much about it.’
Because it’s assessed purely based on musical excellence and artistry, it naturally lacks popularity and public interest, which is hard in a country like Korea where idol music, based on fandom, dominates.
Moreover, in the past, it was mainly conducted via online streaming without the participation of major broadcasters, and corporate sponsors were sparse, making it difficult for the general public to notice it.
Of course, that was last year’s story.
[Kya~ KBB Broadcasting Confirmed to Air Korean Music Awards!]
└I heard almost every broadcasting station was vying for the broadcasting rights.
└It looks so transparent.
└Isn’t this due to the favor Ha-on has done?
└The fact is that our music award shows are becoming healthier.
[Ha-ha, it’s laughable. Now the true situation is going to surface. If they’re only relying on hype, will they win awards even at the Korean Music Awards?]
└KMA is the place that only judges music quality, so isn’t it more likely that Ha-on will win?
└Wrong.
└Just ignore them. The people they’re cheering for didn’t receive any awards because of Ha-on this year, so they’re just bitter.
└They can’t counter that.
└These days there are so many people trashing Ha-on. But that probably means Ha-on is getting more famous.
└The mysterious image has probably had some influence. Humans tend to feel rebellious toward what is unfamiliar and mysterious.
└So, will Ha-on make a surprise appearance at the awards to normalize?
└Let’s aim for an unprecedented ratings explosion!
└Why should Ha-on necessarily appear?
└Of course, if Ha-on wins at the KMA, which strictly evaluates on musical quality, people who still don’t recognize it will look foolish.
The community was quite lively about this upcoming KMA.
Among them, some were arguing whether I would or would not win at the Korean Music Awards.
Of course, in my opinion, it was a completely meaningless argument.
“So, they already informed you of the results?”
“Accurately, they only informed me of the Artist of the Year award. They’ve apparently chosen you.”
The Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Rookie of the Year are the top awards.
Along with genre-specific awards for best songs, these four are the most representative awards of the Korean Music Awards.
And it seems that Ha-on, who is me, has won the Artist of the Year award.
Then why would they tell RT Entertainment only this news so early?
“It’s probably to ask if you’ll participate in the ceremony or not. If they announce the winner, but that person isn’t present, it defeats the purpose.”
“Hmm… Is a proxy acceptance possible?”
“No, it is. Upon inquiry, they said it’s acceptable. Some artists cannot participate due to schedules, but as it’s the Artist of the Year, they’ve requested a mandatory statement from you.”
Statement…
That should be an easy task.
If I spend about 20 minutes working on it, it should be fine.
However, the critical part is the person who will speak on my behalf.
And there’s no one more suited for such a task than Kang Beom-jun.
“Then, President Kang can accept the award for me and deliver the speech.”
“Hmm… That doesn’t sound bad, but perhaps you should consult others, too?”
“Others?”
Kang Beom-jun redirected his gaze.
Precisely toward Baek Ye-rin, who was sitting quietly beside me.
“Surely you’re not suggesting we ask Ye-rin?”
“Exactly. As much as I’ll participate in this ceremony too, wouldn’t Ye-rin present a more picturesque scene?”
“Wouldn’t she feel burdened by this?”
Toward the end of the year, even though RT Entertainment was largely quiet, Baek Ye-rin and my sister had busy schedules due to participating in various award shows.
Naturally, as Baek Ye-rin swept the awards in almost every award ceremony, she had to deliver different remarks each time.
I would’ve been exhausted from the repetition…
But it appears my assumptions were wrong.
“Not at all. On the contrary, I really would like to deliver it for you.”
“Huh?”
Baek Ye-rin, with a bright smile, willingly agreed to accept the award and deliver the speech on my behalf.
Her smile was so radiant that I couldn’t bring myself to oppose.
…Fine.
She’ll simply be reading the prepared speech that I’ve written. What could possibly go wrong?
Ryu Won quickly drafted the speech.
Considering that Baek Ye-rin would be reading it, Ryu Won crafted it to be as concise as possible.
For reference, the contents of the speech were textbook.
Broadly stating gratitude to those who have positively received Ha-on’s music, and promising continued efforts to bring forth good music…
“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
When the neatly-written paper containing the speech was handed over to Baek Ye-rin by Ryu Won,
Baek Ye-rin read it and, for some inexplicable reason, wore a faint smile.
Perhaps, in this world…
Only Ryu Won and she would know exactly what it contained.
