In April, birds are singing, grass is growing, and spring is coming back to the earth.
With the influx of fresh blood and the warming weather, young figures began to move around on campus, and the school in spring was filled with a lively and positive atmosphere.
The annual campus cultural festival is coming soon.
As a school with a history of more than 50 years, holding a cultural festival is a tradition of Seoul Arts High School. Every spring, the school organizes a school-wide cultural festival, which mainly includes the display of some school professional projects and club activities.
At the beginning, the content of the cultural festival was similar to that of most schools, which were all displays of activities of school clubs. Later, after the school was transformed into an art high school, the content of the cultural festival gradually became different from that of ordinary schools. Although the display of various school club activities was still maintained, the focus of the cultural festival became art performances.
The performance of various musical instruments, painting, dancing, singing, stage plays and other professional contents of the school have become the characteristics of the Seoul Arts High School Cultural Festival.
Since the Asian financial crisis in 1997 hit South Korea's manufacturing industry hard, the South Korean government has adjusted its previous single economic structure, which was mainly based on manufacturing exports, and proposed a "culture-based nation" strategy with the goal of developing the tertiary industry. Subsequently, with the support of government policies, the "Korean Wave" cultural industry, which mainly consists of movies, TV series, K-POP, games, etc., began to flourish and rise globally. Among them, the Korean Wave idols cultivated by brokerage companies represented by SM and JYP began to become the mainstream sought after by the market.
This industry development guided by industrial policy has greatly affected the resource allocation of the entire Korean cultural market. As a professional school for cultivating artistic talents, Seoul Arts High School has to follow the changes in the market and adjust its professional arrangements. Under the guidance of the market, more and more students are beginning to enter the idol industry, so the highlight of the campus cultural festival has gradually changed from various art professional exhibitions in the past to K-POP style stage performances.
In particular, the success of star students such as MBLAQ's Lee Joon, FTIsland's Lee Jae-jin, Song Seung-hyun, Choi Min-hwan, F(X)'s Choi Sulli and Miss A's Bae Suzy, and the overwhelming media coverage have exacerbated this change.
At the 2010 cultural festival, F(X), which had just debuted for more than half a year, was invited back to the school to perform. As the school belle, Choi Sulli was wildly welcomed by her classmates.
Under such star effect, it is completely understandable that the campus cultural festival of Seoul Arts High School has gradually turned into an idol cultural festival.
Although the types of performances have changed, the organizers and participants have not changed. Under the organization and arrangement of the Student Union, students from all majors are fully capable of preparing a stage performance on their own.
The Practical Music, Practical Dance, Performing Arts and Film and Television Performance departments are responsible for the front stage, and dancing, singing, and performance hosting are all the strengths of students in these majors.
The Stage Art Department and the Broadcasting and Performing Arts Department are responsible for the behind-the-scenes work. The students in these majors are responsible for the stage design, lighting and music, set configuration, program flow design, on-site arrangement, and the organization of the entire performance.
Therefore, as a well-known academic master in the Department of Broadcasting and Performing Arts, Yi Haoyan was naturally invited by the Student Union to participate in the organization of this cultural festival.
Last year he was still a new student, with little reputation, and his mental state was not good at that time. He almost kept to himself in school and didn't want to contact the society at all. Even if he was invited, he would not participate.
This year is different.
Yi Haoyan joined happily. There was no special reason, because school life was too boring... Such activities were like a perfect match for a bored boy.
"You're going to participate in the school's cultural festival? What are you doing?"
After taking a shower, Sun Eun-hee casually tied her hair behind her head, and lazily curled up on the big sofa in her home clothes. Her two long legs were placed on the coffee table without any ladylike consciousness, and she was completely relaxed.
She was very interested in the changes in her brother.
Yi Haoyan's social circle has always been limited to a few familiar people, and he has participated in many activities passively. This is the first large-scale social event he has participated in since he went to school. Although he was invited by the student union and was not proactive, the boy's attitude was obviously much more positive.
This is a very good sign for his illness.
"Behind-the-scenes work. People in our department basically do it. The current arrangement is for me to be the interface person for program registration."
Yi Haoyan answered casually while helping Pei Zhuxuan organize the clothes that had been hung out to dry.
"Interface person? What do you mean?"
"The school's stage show needs to register with me and then be selected."
"That's it?"
"There should be other things to come. After all, this is just the beginning."
"Why do you have to be the interface person?"
"Hmm~ Maybe... it's because I'm pretty~"
“…”
“…”
Bae Joo-hyun, who had been listening silently to the conversation between the siblings, finally couldn't help it.
The young lady glared at the shameless Yi Haoyan, put down the clothes in her hands, took a small cushion and walked to the coffee table, motioning for Sister Enxi to lift her legs, and then put the cushion under her so that the big sister could continue to rest her two slender legs comfortably.
“Yeah~”
Yi Haoyan’s eyes widened.
"Sister Zhu Xuan, aren't you going too far? Is it really okay to treat people differently like this?"
The boy pointed at the small cushion, indignant.
"You've always told me that when I was like this before! Why are you still helping Sister Enxi?"
"Haha! That's normal~ You're an adult, and you work very hard. Of course you can relax when you get home~"
Bae Joo-hyun looked at the boy with an indignant look on his face with a smile, not angry at all.
"Well, I'm usually very busy too! Why can't I come back and relax?"
"You are still a child, and it is time for you to develop good habits. How can you be like Ernie?"
"Although I am not yet an adult, I am very mature in my thinking! Doesn't Sister Zhuxuan know that..."
“Hehe~hahaha~”
Speaking of this, Bae Joo-hyun smiled even more happily.
"Yeah! I used to think so, but I'm a little unsure . Especially when I heard someone just say that he was able to be a contact person because he was good-looking... Tsk, tsk, tsk, is this a sign of maturity?"
The young lady nodded, her words full of sarcasm, and it was obvious that she disapproved of the boy's behavior.
But this time she really misunderstood Yi Haoyan.
The student union chose Yi Haoyan as the person in charge of program registration because they really took his image into consideration.
On the one hand, this Chinese scholar has excellent grades, outstanding looks, and is well organized. Although he is a little cold, he is not difficult to deal with. He is just not proactive. This kind of interface person's job does not require any initiative. You just need to wait for people to sign up and organize the information, which is just right for him.
On the other hand, although this guy is a bit of a loner, he is very well-known in the school. Almost everyone knows about his legendary deeds of getting full marks in all subjects. Later, the cram school specially opened for trainees and debut students also achieved outstanding results and was very popular among the majority of trainees and poor students. The programs of the cultural festival are actually mainly produced by trainees, so the students chose him as the interface because he had relatively more contact with the trainees. Although he was only a female trainee, it was enough.
Therefore, it is not completely outrageous for Yi Haoyan to say that he was chosen because of his good looks. It is indeed a factor that counts appearance.
But he deserves to be dissed by Bae Joo-hyun for daring to say it so proudly.
Yi Haoyan was stunned by the young lady's scolding, and had to continue folding clothes with his head down in resentment.
"Oh, speaking of Seoul Arts High School, it seems that they are also collaborating with CJ..."
Miss Sun seemed to remember something and took the initiative to take over the conversation.
“There is investment…”
"Really? When did it happen?" Yi Haoyan was very surprised.
"It was last year. I think your father arranged for someone to do some research after you said that... and he actually invested money in the end... But the scale of this kind of school project is too small, so I don't know the details..."
"Ah~ I remember now! Look~ look!
Just say that I have good vision and deep thoughts~"
The boy's voice suddenly became louder, and he kept glancing at Bae Joo-hyun as he spoke.
That look made his eyeballs almost pop out.
Bae Joo-hyun didn't look at him, and used her actions to show that she didn't want to pay attention to this frivolous guy.
How could Yi Haoyan, who finally got the chance to turn the tables, give up? He hadn't stood up straight in front of the young lady for a long time. During this period of time, he had been feeling uneasy that he was being taken advantage of...
"Sister Zhuxuan, do you think I'm amazing? This kind of vision is not something that ordinary people can have. Even the professionals at CJ recognize it!"
Young Master Yi proudly wandered around in front of Bae Joo-hyun, trying hard to make his presence felt.
“No.”
Sun Enxi shook her head.
"It's too early to say it's great now. The group has invested too much. Most of these small projects don't produce any results. I guess dad just said it casually at the time, and the people below might have misunderstood it. Anyway, the amount of money required is not large, so just invest it~"
Yes, I misunderstood?
Just vote randomly?
Someone who was chattering away in the last second suddenly lost his voice like a chicken with its neck strangled. His arrogant expression solidified as fast as quick-drying concrete, nailing the embarrassment and awkwardness directly on his frozen face.
“Puchi~hahaha~”
Pei Zhuxuan, who had been ignoring him, suddenly stopped what she was doing, covered her face and burst into laughter. Although she didn't point at the boy and add insult to injury due to her upbringing and etiquette, the unbridled laughter of this middle-aged woman was enough to hurt him...
Yi Haoyan's face turned red, then white, then white, and then red again. It took him a while to come to his senses. He turned back angrily and glared at his cousin who had stabbed him in the back.
Sun Eun-hee claimed she was innocent.
This time she really didn't want to trick her brother, she just told the truth. The project was indeed too small, and she didn't have a good impression of it, and Yi Haoyan was too eager to make a comeback, so he failed on the spot...
Amid the young lady's barbell-like laughter, Young Master Yi turned around in frustration, pretending to continue working to escape reality, and he was extremely angry in his heart.
It just so happened that he had a pair of black sweatpants that Bae Joo-hyun often wore during practice, so the boy finally found someone to vent his anger on.
Can’t I deal with you even though I can’t defeat you?
Thus, an ordinary pair of sports trousers fell into the evil hands and was swung back and forth in Yi Haoyan's hand, shaking it like a whip.
"Mo! What are you doing!?"
Pei Zhuxuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "It's too childish!"
"Ani! I'm shaking out the clothes! Look! I have to shake them vigorously like this to avoid any creases!"
Seeing that the little sister cared about it, the boy became more cocky, and while he was talking he deliberately trembled in front of Bae Joo-hyun, with his two thin eyebrows raised in a mean way, and his expression looked like he deserved a beating.
Bae Joo-hyun was angry.
This kind of sportswear made of polyester fabric is not easy to wrinkle, so why does he need to work so hard? It's obvious that he was criticized and couldn't refute it and deliberately took his anger out!
It's okay to vent anger on pants, but provocation is intolerable. The bad boy dared to provoke after doing something wrong! As a responsible sister, I must suppress this bad guy!
"Ah! Give my pants back to me!" After all, she is a girl, and Bae Joo-hyun felt a little shy and embarrassed that her tight trousers were ravaged by Yi Haoyan like this.
She reached out and grabbed the trouser leg, trying to get the pants back.
"No!" Young Master Yi was in a bad mood and had no intention of repenting at all.
“Let go!”
“No!”
“Let go!”
“I won’t let go!”
…
It was a pair of ordinary sweatpants, with the two trouser legs in one hand and the other hand in the young lady's hand. Neither of them gave in and they pulled hard, like a tug-of-war, and the whole pair of trousers was stretched straight.
However, this is not tug-of-war, and a pair of ordinary sweatpants is not a strong hemp rope. After nearly a minute of enduring a lateral tension far beyond the design range, the trousers that have accompanied Bae Joo-hyun for almost two years finally collapsed...
Sigh~
Along with a clear sound of cloth tearing, a big hole was torn in the crotch of the pants, which looked like a big angry mouth, helplessly accusing and defending something. The resentful voice was faint in the air, as if it was there and not there.
It seems to be saying, "I have really tried my best... This cannot be considered a quality issue... It's all the fault of those two people..."
“Wahahaha!!”
Sun Eun-hee, who was originally in low spirits, was completely tickled by this bizarre accident. She almost laughed to tears, and her long hair on her head was shaking as she swayed back and forth...
The two murderers who killed the poor pair of trousers stood there in a daze, each holding a trouser leg, unable to accept the reality for a while.
However, the expressions of the two people were different. Bae Joo-hyun was shocked as if struck by lightning. Her round eyes were full of disbelief. Her small mouth opened into an O shape and her whole body was frozen. Yi Haoyan looked terrified as if he was hit by frost. His eyes were wide open, his nostrils were slightly open, and his lips were tightly closed. It was obvious that he realized that something was wrong.
His feeling was right.
"ah!"
Bae Joo-hyun's tone of voice changed. These were her favorite pair of pants. She often wore them during practice. Now that they became like this, she was furious for a moment.
Although Pei Zhuxuan only shouted, Yi Haoyan clearly read the non-broadcast language from the little sister's eyes...
So this is what it looks like to curse someone with your eyes... At this moment, such a strange thought popped up in the boy's mind. I don't know how this weird train of thought was formed.
Maybe geniuses are just different from others?
But no matter how different, there is still some instinctive sense of danger. Even if he thinks that both players in the tug-of-war are responsible for this tragedy, Yi Haoyan knows that he can't say this at this time. Because Pei Zhuxuan's face is red, her chest is heaving, and she is staring at him with a long paragraph of non-broadcast language, which seems to be a mixture of Seoul dialect and Daegu dialect...
Her beautiful white teeth were flashing . If I continued to talk nonsense about the responsibilities of both parties, I guess the lady would just pounce on me and bite me...
Considering Bae Joo-hyun's fighting power when she was angry, Yi Haoyan wisely chose to apologize and admit his mistake.
"Mianeh~"
“…”
"I was wrong. I shouldn't have joked with Nuna like that."
“…”
Pei Zhuxuan still ignored him. In fact, the loss of a pair of sweatpants was not enough to make the girl so angry. The fundamental reason was probably Yi Haoyan's mischief and disobedience.
Maybe it was because of Yi Haoyan’s own attitude, maybe it was because of the two people’s personalities, or maybe it was an intentional arrangement by someone else.
When facing Yi Haoyan, Pei Zhuxuan had almost no psychological pressure and burden from her identity and family background. She did not adjust her attitude like others because of the other party's prominent family background.
Almost from the first time they met in SM, she was not affected by these external factors. Instead, she appeared in the boy's life as an equal like a real sister.
Although Bae Joo Hyun realized the change in her feelings as their relationship deepened, her psychological position of being on an equal footing with the other party did not change, and even improved a little. Because she knew that Yi Haoyan was sick and had lost his parents, the girl, although still a sister, was a sister who could take care of, discipline, and make the other party dependent, and she even vaguely had some of the responsibilities of a mother on a psychological level. Yi Haoyan, who had lost his parents, obviously also unconsciously accepted this special relationship positioning, which is why he was often suppressed by his sister and gradually felt confused about his declining "status".
And because this relationship positioning is subconsciously accepted by the boy without his knowledge, at the conscious level he will often deliberately challenge Bae Joo-hyun to restore his "equal status" due to the influence of acquired concepts such as the so-called "male dignity", even though he actually knows that Bae Joo-hyun is right most of the time.
This made his behavior look particularly "naughty" and "inappropriate" to Bae Joo-hyun. However, every time the girl was really angry, Yi Haoyan would instinctively return to his role as a younger brother under the guidance of his subconscious mind, and reason, admit defeat, apologize, and be obedient.
This pants incident is a typical example.
"I'll compensate Nuna with a new one and buy one tomorrow."
Seeing that Pei Zhuxuan didn't speak, Yi Haoyan was a little panicked. He didn't really want to make her angry, but sometimes he just couldn't control himself.
As I said, those who are favored are always fearless.
Bae Joo-hyun, still angry, ignored him.
In the end, it was Sun Eun-hee, who had laughed enough, who made the final decision.
"No need to wait until tomorrow, go now!"
It's only 9pm now. Shopping malls in Korea usually close at 10pm, but some are open until 11pm. There are many sports brand stores near Apgujeong, so they should still be open at this time.
"Yes, yes, Sister Enxi is right, let's go now."
Glancing at Bae Joo-hyun and seeing that she had no intention of objecting, Yi Haoyan urged her to go out first. After a few steps, the young lady followed him with a stern face and silence. The boy finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The two walked one after the other on the street with mottled street lights, Yi Haoyan in front and Pei Zhuxuan behind. It was obviously a very romantic night, but the atmosphere was not warm at all.
The boy originally wanted to wait for the girl and walk together, but Bae Joo-hyun didn't give him a chance and always kept a distance of about two meters between him and her, so he had no choice but to do this.
Fortunately, the sports goods store was not far from home, and I arrived there in a few minutes. Although it was not yet closing time, there were not many people in the store, and the clerks were bored and waiting for the end of get off work.
"Where are the new women's sweatpants?"
Yi Haoyan got straight to the point as soon as he entered the room.
After being taken to the place by the clerk, the boy picked and chose among various styles and types of trousers, and finally took out two pairs and put them in front of Bae Joo-hyun.
"Nuna, let's see how it goes?"
He raised both his hands high, showing the whole view of his pants as much as possible so that the girl could see it clearly. Yi Haoyan moved cautiously expression.
Bae Joo-hyun put her hands in her sweatshirt pockets, with a cold face. She raised her eyelids and looked at the boy, glanced at the clothes he chose, and said nothing.
"Ah...it's okay...wait a moment..."
Yi Haoyan forced a smile, turned around and picked out two more models to show her.
Bae Joo-hyun remained noncommittal.
This time, in addition to buying pants, the most important thing is to make the young lady happy. Yi Haoyan is very clear about this, so he doesn't care even if he is treated coldly.
Besides... although it wasn't the first time he had seen it... he had to admit...
Bae Joo-hyun with a cold face seems to have a special charm.
Cold, harsh, and aloof, it faintly exudes a sense of sharpness and danger, a vague sense of distance that seems neither near nor far, and a temperament that can be admired from afar but not touched. It makes people unable to approach, but they can't help being attracted to it.
Although he knew he had to coax her, Yi Haoyan felt a little torn because he unconsciously wanted to look at Pei Zhuxuan like this for a while longer.
The boy smiled and continued to choose patiently with a completely sincere attitude.
Once, twice, three times.
This happens again and again.
Pei Zhuxuan finally softened her heart. She was not very angry to begin with, and her previous attitude was also annoyed by the boy's inappropriateness. Now that he pretended to admit his mistakes and tried hard to please him, the little sister calmed down.
The saying that appearance reflects the heart is true. After calming down, Bae Joo Hyun's originally cold expression softened significantly. Although she still had no expression on her face, the aura of keeping people at a distance and the sharp feeling that seemed to be there and not there were no more. She softened a little bit.
As the targeted person, Yi Haoyan felt it most obviously.
To use an inappropriate metaphor, at the beginning, Bae Joo-hyun, who had a stern face, was like a big ice brick just taken out of the freezer, with the severe cold of minus 10 degrees Celsius and ice chips all over the body. She was cold and hard, making it impossible for people to approach her.
But after the boy's repeated efforts, the big ice brick finally thawed. As the temperature rose, the sharp ice layer on the surface slowly melted, revealing the soft core inside.
"Excuse me, where is the discount area?"
After Yi Haoyan brought the new pair of pants again, Bae Joo-hyun did not comment, turned to the clerk and asked softly, then left the boy and went straight to the discount area.
Yi Haoyan hurried to catch up.
Bae Joo-hyun was choosing clothes in the discount area by herself, and the boy was accompanying her carefully.
"Nuna, why don't you choose a new one?"
"no need."
While choosing by herself, Bae Joo-hyun threw out a sentence without even turning her head.
This was her first response after she got angry. Yi Haoyan was delighted. "Why? Isn't the new one better?"
"No need. The new models are more expensive. Only the discounted ones are more affordable. Besides, they are just for practice, so I don't have any particular requirements on the style."
Born in an ordinary family, Bae Joo-hyun does not have very high requirements for daily consumption. She basically focuses on practicality. To some extent, she is a person who knows how to live.
"Oh...how about this one?"
The boy picked out one that he liked and showed it to the girl.
“…”
Bae Joo-hyun rolled her eyes at him, indicating that she didn't want to talk to him.
From the moment he entered the door, all the styles of pants selected by Yi Haoyan had one thing in common.
Close fitting.
Many women's sports pants are designed to be close-fitting, highlighting the curves of the hips and legs.
Although we can roughly understand why the boy chose this style, Bae Joo Hyun doesn't like it. She is 158cm tall and a typical short person with average body proportions. Wearing such pants that highlight her curves will easily make her legs look short. Especially when standing next to Kang Seul Gi, who is also only 161cm tall but has excellent body proportions, the comparison is simply a public execution. Bae Joo Hyun wore it once when they were practicing dancing together in the practice room, and then she never wore it again.
In order to avoid the shortcomings of her figure, young ladies usually choose loose styles, preferably those that can directly cover the feet, which will make their legs look longer and they will not be so unconfident when standing with Sejeong.
Ignoring Yi Haoyan's opinion, Bae Joo-hyun chose a pair of trousers that suited her taste.
"How about it?"
After changing, the young lady walked up to the boy while adjusting her clothes and hair, showing her new clothes sideways and asking for his opinion.
"It looks good!" Yi Haoyan smiled with full sincerity.
“Will it make my legs look short?” The young lady was a little unconfident. She had always been dissatisfied with her height and proportions.
"No! It looks totally fine! Don't worry, Sister Joohyun!"
After choosing the pants, Bae Joo-hyun directly handed them to the boy and asked him to pay. After the clerk packed them, the two went out together.
On the way back, the warm yellow street lights shone through the layers of leaves, casting mottled blocks of color on the two people, creating a cozy atmosphere.
"Sister Zhuxuan, why don't you like those close-fitting styles?"
“…”
Ah! Can't you just let this topic go? Just like close-fitting styles? Like to see beautiful legs?
But, unnie, my legs are short!
If you ask me that, what can I say? Saying that will make your legs look short? After all, I am a beautiful girl with a beautiful face, a famous beauty in SM. I have my own self-esteem, how can I admit such a thing?
Especially in front of you.
Pei Zhuxuan felt annoyed and wanted to scold him. However, she was speechless and could only pretend that she didn't hear.
But Yi Haoyan wouldn't let her go.
"Are you worried that... your legs will look short?"
Hey~
The young lady's sore spot was touched and her brain became hot. Her blood pressure rose sharply and all kinds of non-broadcasting terms almost came out of her mouth.
You just pissed me off, and now you're trying to kill yourself!
Bae Joo Hyun turned her head angrily and glared, but only saw a pair of sincere eyes.
Those incredibly beautiful eyes flickered with the gentle warm light of the street lamp, softly, like a window to the soul, connecting the souls of Bae Joo-hyun and Yi Hao-yeon.
"Nuna seems to have been worried like this... I can feel it..."
Although the boy was standing very close to her, Bae Joo-hyun felt that his voice seemed to come from far away, carrying some sincere emotion from the depths of his soul.
“There are all kinds of judgment standards in the world, and each person has a different standard, which is caused by different personal concepts and perceptions.
In fact, sometimes, we don’t have to care too much about other people’s eyes and opinions. No one is perfect. With advantages, there are disadvantages, but this is not a reason for us to trouble ourselves. No matter what, we must accept and treat ourselves well. Loving ourselves is the first thing humans should do when they are alive. Only in this way can we have the energy and motivation to give and pay to others.
I don't know and can't care what others think, but for me, Yi Haoyan, I don't have to worry about whether my legs are short or long. I think Sister Zhuxuan is the most beautiful.
I must have this kind of confidence too~"
…
Um?
Um!
Is this a confession? Saying that I am the most beautiful one in your heart? What about Kwon Eun-bi? Is she trying to coax me? Didn’t she diss my figure before? What is she doing now? When did this kid learn to be so slick…
Even though her brain had raised a lot of doubts and questions that needed to be answered, Pei Zhuxuan's face was still uncontrollably heating up under the huge impact of her emotions...
"Oh... OK... Got it~ I... Let's go back quickly... It's getting late~"
The young lady, who was overwhelmed by unspeakable emotions and could hardly speak, fled in a panic with her shopping bags, leaving the boy with only a shy back.
Huh? Why does Joohyun look a little flustered?
Just a little encouragement, asking her to be more confident. Is it necessary to be so nervous?
Confused by Bae Joo-hyun's unexpected reaction, Yi Haoyan had no choice but to catch up quickly.
…
…
After taking a shower and sorting out her complicated and throbbing emotions, the young lady who escaped back home took out the sweatpants that she had only worn once and stored in the back of the closet, and put them on the top.
Yi Haoyan is a very kind guy...
Hee~ I am the most beautiful one in his heart~ Hehe~
That night, inexplicable joy filled Bae Joo-hyun's heart, making her swing her short legs happily and roll around on the big bed, and then she fell into a deep sleep, feeling extremely satisfied.
…