Act 8: Song of Piggyback and Summer Fruits
Classroom 4B
Baekhap Girls' Academy
As the girls from classroom 4B start their class today, there's a surprise waiting for them. Yes, the election is being held, for now, there's another candidate to run against Yoon Ji-soo: Lee Yu-ra. It's surprising, even for Yu-ra herself. The only one not surprised with this situation is Soo-jin, which a day before recommended Yu-ra in few last hours. This led to some awkward circumstances, as both candidates don't prepare anything for their campaign speech. However, everyone can see that Yu-ra's impromptu speech about friendship, equality, and helping each other, is more acceptable than Ji-soo's speech about how her lineage should make her the head girl.
The result of the anonymous voting was also clear, Yu-ra beat Ji-soo, 13 vs 9 with 3 abstain. And for the next few hours, even Yu-ra herself still doesn't believe in what she has got into. This asked for Soo-jin to take them four once again to Dandelion Cafe, and this time, Soo-jin on the treat.
"WHAAAAT!?" asked Yu-ra very very very surprised.
"So, you're the one who..." said Ga-eun.
"But when?" asked Hye-ri.
"Remember yesterday when we met my Appa?" said Soo-jin, "well, I met Na-ra ssaem on the way back, and we chat a little. So I asked her if I can nominate someone, and she said fine, so there it was, I nominate Yu-ra for the position."
"But why!? How can you do that? Yu-ra protested.
"I told you, you are excel in many things in which Ji-soo is proud of," said Soo-jin, "so, the only one good enough to run against Ji-soo, is you."
"Geese, I think you've been overwhelmed by the thought of defeating Ji-soo that..." said Yu-ra.
"I agreed with Soo-jin," said Hye-ri.
"What?" asked Yu-ra.
"Yeah, about time," said Ga-eun, "somebody needs to teach a lesson to Ji-soo."
"Ga-eun, you too?" asked Yu-ra.
"Look, I know we have been friends for a long time," said Hye-ri, "that's why we never able to push you to it."
"But Soo-jin speaks words our mouth cannot say," said Ga-eun.
"I don't believe it, you're all conspiring, do you?" said Yu-ra.
"12 vs 9," said Soo-jin, "so there are 8 unknown persons think the same as we are. That's about half of the class."
"Democracy must be observed," said Hye-ri, "dammit, I cannot say it better than Soo-jin."
"Hey, come on, forgive me will you?" said Soo-jin clenching on Yu-ra, "it's for everyone's sake."
"Geese," said Yu-ra, "alright, but next time be sure to notify me before you decided something for me."
"Ara, Gwajangnim," said Soo-jin.
"Stop it! Just call me Yu-ra, okay?" said Yu-ra, "and I want an extra cake for this!"
"Right, one extra cake coming up," said Soo-jin.
Soo-jin pinched Yu-ra on the cheek before stepping down the ladder to order another slice of cake for Yu-ra. When she gets to the first floor, though, she noticed someone.
"Oh, Hyun-joo ssi? You're here?" asked Soo-jin to Hyun-joo, which sits among a group of Yongdam girls.
"Oh, Soo-jin ssi," said Hyun-joo, which stands and greets her, "what a coincidence."
"You're with friends, I see," said Soo-jin.
"Yes, and how about you?" asked Hyun-joo.
"They're upstairs."
"Oh, I see."
"Well, I don't want to take more of your time, so..."
"Hyun-joo-a, don't you want to introduce your friend to us?"
A girl from the group stands, and Soo-jin knows her. It's Nam Bo-young, the ace of Yongdam's Gungdo Electives. As she stands and walks closer, Soo-jin could see that this girl is not an ordinary girl. She has some kind of authoritative aura, which seems to enchant most of the girls sitting with her, except Hyun-joo."
"I am Nam Bo-young," said Bo-young while extending her hand, "and you?"
"I'm Soo-jin, Ahn Soo-jin," said Soo-jin, "I know you, Bo-young ssi. What a remarkable skills of archery you showed at the Battle of The Archers."
"Oh, thank you for your compliment, Soo-jin ssi. It's not something really special."
"Though my sister said that you've mastered the art of shooting with the skewed bow very well."
Bo-young giggled.
"There goes my little secret. Your sister has a great eye, Soo-jin ssi. Is she an archer as well?"
"Yes, she's a kyuudoka."
"Well, that's explained a lot. So, is she on Baekhap like you, Soo-jin ssi?"
Soo-jin nodded.
"Huh, I can imagine Lee Yeon-hee must've been very glad to have such rare talents. I would also make her the jewel in my crown if she could notice such a thing. Ah, forgive me, Soo-jin ssi, I'm rambling."
"It's okay."
"It's just that Hyun-joo is not a very socially active person, so I'm very surprised and excited to know that she has a friend from Baekhap."
"Really?"
"Yes, she is. By the way, Soo-jin ssi, forgive me, but is there a chance that you're new in this town?"
"As a matter of fact, yes, I am. What gives it away?"
"That kind of first-comer excitement in your eyes, also the way you said 'kyuudoka', which I picked a peculiar accent. Japanese, I presume?"
Soo-jin nodded cautiously, wondering what is this girl wanted. Nam Bo-young is not as simple as Hyun-joo. She hides fathoms of depth.
"Bo-young-a, please, don't ambush her like that," said Hyun-joo.
"I don't mean anything harmful to your friend, Hyun-joo-a, don't worry," said Bo-young, "it's just that there's a strange rumor about a Baekhap girl that has just been transferred from Japan, and already attracting quite an attention; albeit unwanted one. I'm just curious if you are the girl in question."
"That's me," said Soo-jin in a prudent but cautious manner.
"Well then, nice to finally meet you in person, Soo-jin ssi," said Bo-young with a sharp tone, "I just want to warn you to be careful in this city, as you probably have already known about that."
"Is that a threat or am I in danger?" said Soo-jin.
"Let's just say that this is a friendly reminder, Soo-jin ssi," said Bo-young, "for your own sake."
"Bo-young-a, enough!" said Hyun-joo, but Bo-young snubs that with a simple hand gesture.
"This city is not as beautiful as it seems, for darkness and evil lurks in every bit of its gloomy corner," said Bo-young, "you can either submit or resist and resisting wouldn't be a wise choice if you're looking for some contempt."
An uneasy silence hung among the three of them. That's a threat, even Soo-jin knows that. How Bo-young delivers the threat, however, is a whole new different level. A straightforward bully like Ji-soo is easier to read, but this one, even Soo-jin can't unmask her true intentions yet.
"Soo-jin-a! What took you so long? I'm starving!"
Suddenly, Yu-ra is already beside Soo-jin, and grabs her by her arms, breaking this eerie silence. Unbeknownst even to her, there's a faint smile on Soo-jin's face when she sees Yu-ra.
"Oh, so Bo-young ssi is here too?" said Yu-ra, "annyeonghaseyo, Bo-young ssi."
"Annyeonghaseyo. You're Yu-ra, right? You're somewhat famous among Baekhap students," said Bo-young.
"Ah, they're just exaggerating things," said Yu-ra, "and this one is your deputy, I presume, Baek Hyun-joo ssi?"
Hyun-joo nodded.
"You seems familiar to our rank, Yu-ra ssi," said Bo-young.
"Oh yeah, I and Yeon-hee is a best friend," said Yu-ra, "she told me one or two things about Yongdam's Gungdo Electives as well."
"Ah, no wonder," said Bo-young.
"Hey, Soo-jin-a, have you bought the cake?" asked Yu-ra.
"Uh, no, I just..." said Soo-jin.
"Let's buy the cake, shall we? I'm starving," said Yu-ra while clenching Soo-jin's arm harder, "well, nice to see you all, Yedeura, but we have to go."
"Sure, hope to see you again," said Bo-young smiled.
Yu-ra quickly half-dragged Soo-jin out of there, go to the counter to order some cake, before taking it back to their seat on the mezzanine floor of this cafe. Yu-ra quickly sighed a relief once they sit in their place.
"That's very close!" said Yu-ra, low but stern.
"How on earth can you stuck with those girls, Soo-jin-a!?" asked Hye-ri.
"Well, I know Hyun-joo," said Soo-jin.
"How the hell do you know her?" asked Yu-ra, "you're new in this town, gosh!"
"Yedeura, please, don't take this as an interrogation," said Ga-eun, "otherwise Soo-jin-a would feel uneasy."
"Alright, sorry," said Yu-ra, "but seriously, how do you meet her?"
"Remember when we went shopping? Well, I met her there," said Soo-jin, "and she also sat beside me on the bus, and seems her house is very close to me, so we're practically neighbors."
"Great, just what we need," said Hye-ri.
"Why? Is she dangerous or something?" asked Soo-jin.
"Baek Hyun-joo? No, she's harmless," said Yu-ra, "but Baek Hyun-joo is Nam Bo-young's aide in Yongdam Gungdo Elective, and Nam Bo-young, that's a different story."
"Or to be precise, Nam Bo-young, the daughter of Chief Commissioner Nam Gyun-suk, the head of Gwiseon Police Department," said Hye-ri.
"What?" asked Soo-jin startled.
"Right, now you know the gravity of the situation, right?" said Yu-ra, "as the official law enforcement agency, Gwiseon PD is the arms of the law to do something in which Committee unable to do, so in a way, Gwiseon PD done Committee's bidding."
"So please, Soo-jin-a, don't go anywhere near them again, if you can," said Hye-ri.
"But that's her father, how do we know that Nam Bo-young also does that?" asked Soo-jin.
"We don't know, but better not take any risk," said Ga-eun.
"Ga-eun is right. Nam Bo-young is a smart, cunning, and skillful girl, she's the brightest student in the entire tri-school," said Yu-ra, "so, there's no telling of what she is capable of. Besides, she's at Yongdam, and we didn't know exactly the situation there. She's not like Ji-soo, which we could always keep track of."
"Speaking of Ji-soo, isn't that Nam Bo-young and Yoon Ji-soo is somewhat related?" asked Hye-ri.
"Yes, they can be said, are family," said Yu-ra.
"What? How come?" said Soo-jin.
"Ji-soo's mother, Nam A-jeong samonim, is the cousin of Bo-young's father," said Yu-ra, "so yes, Ji-soo and Bo-young are cousins. About how close are they, we don't know."
"Yeah, we never see Bo-young and Ji-soo met, even in Mugunghwa," said Hye-ri, "not that it means they don't do that, though."
"Just be careful, okay?" said Ga-eun.
"Alright, then, ara..." said Soo-jin.
"It's serious, Soo-jin-a, we can only be there for you for so much," said Yu-ra, "at least for this two months ahead, be careful with whom you're talking. And try not to get ambushed so easily."
"Ara, ara..." said Soo-jin.
Soo-jin smiled.
"Seriously, Yedeura, you're the best friends anyone could expect for," said Soo-jin, "glad I found you, not someone else."
"Ha, you said it now because we are the only one you know," said Yu-ra.
"No, serious, for someone you newly met, you treat me too well," said Soo-jin, "you'd even take elective together with me."
"That's more because we don't know what to pick," said Hye-ri.
"But still..." said Soo-jin.
"Speaking about elective, how about this Saturday's first meeting of Pansori?" asked Ga-eun, "aside from me and Yu-ra, you and Hye-ri never had this one, or are you?"
"Me? No, I always took physical electives from class 1," said Hye-ri.
"And I was in Japan," said Soo-jin.
"Right, so here are the procedures. The first meeting usually they wanted to test us about our basic skills in pansori," said Ga-eun, "that means we have to sing so they can assess us."
"Wait, the song used is still the same, right?" asked Yu-ra.
"All the same, since that is the standard," said Ga-eun.
"What song?" asked Hye-ri.
"Arirang," said Ga-eun.
"Wait, what Arirang?" asked Hye-ri.
"Any Arirang you know and familiar with," said Ga-eun, "though mostly the girls choose the Arirang of the modern version, like Holo Arirang, there are also some sing classical Arirang, and that's usually a plus point."
"What is Arirang?" asked Soo-jin.
"Oh, come on, don't say that you don't know Arirang?" said Hye-ri, "I know you lived in Japan, but those are practically Korean national songs."
"You know, usually the ones with 'arirang, arirang, arariyo' part inside," said Yu-ra.
"Other versions might have 'ari-arirang, suri-surirang' as well," said Ga-eun.
"Oh, that!" said Soo-jin.
"Please tell me you know one," said Hye-ri.
"I know one, my Haramoeni taught me that in my wailing lesson," said Soo-jin.
"Wailing what?" asked Yu-ra.
"Well, when I do my 'you-know-what', I must yell all the time, since it's very noisy inside," said Soo-jin, "so, Haramoeni taught me how to wail without hurting my throat, by that song, with 'arirang arariyo' inside."
"That's a relief," said Ga-eun, "but which Arirang do you know?"
"I don't know, Haramoeni never told me," said Soo-jin, "wait, how many Arirangs we have exactly?"
"Sixties, all with different lyrics according to region, so in theory, there should be more than 3.600 different Arirang, in the North and South alike," said Ga-eun.
"Oh dear, I don't know which one I know," said Soo-jin.
"Tcha, forget it, nobody truly knows the entire Arirang in Korea, except to those who are researching about it," said Yu-ra, "as long as you know that that is an Arirang, it's good enough."
"Okay, so, the Arirang part is done," said Hye-ri, "what else?"
"Well, this is the tricky part," said Ga-eun, "or you might say that this is the dark side of the Pansori Elective."
"What is that?" asked Soo-jin.
"By the result on the Arirang assessment, we shall be sorted into different tiers, main lineup or reserve lineup," said Ga-eun, "and for those who failed, will be sorted into the outcast lineup."
"Wait, they're not dismissed?" asked Soo-jin.
"Nope, the idea of the assessment is only to know our skill, not pruning our numbers," said Ga-eun, "so, this what made Pansori is somewhat attractive to students, since they don't need to pass the assessment, just pick, do the test, and you'll be guaranteed to have passing grade score of 75, even if you never showed up in the club activities. So, aside from producing some good Pansori musicians, we also have a bunch of freeloaders. Be there once for the score, then disappeared for the rest of the terms."
"That doesn't sound good," said Hye-ri.
"And yet Na-ra ssaem herself asked you to join Pansori," said Ga-eun, "which made it weirder, since Pansori elective won't be lacking in applicants. She doesn't need to ask someone personally to join her elective, especially those with unproven skills; please don't take it personally."
"None taken," said Soo-jin, "however, the only way to know is, unfortunately, by letting all these things reveal themselves."
Weekend...
Baekhap Girls' Academy
11.30 am
Days went without anything eventful happening. Finally, it's the first weekend for Soo-jin in Gwiseon. However, instead of chilling and relaxing in her house, she has to go to school for the very first meeting of the Pansori elective. Hyun-jin also has the first meeting on Gungdo, but she has gone early in the morning, for Gungdo always practices in the morning. So, Soo-jin and her friends now meet in Mugunghwa Park before walking together to Pansori clubhouse, which is located in the inner core of the Baekhap Girls' Academy, the old compound before the first expansion of 1969. It's near the monastery which the bell tower can be seen from the top of Jangseung Hill.
"Annyeonghaseyo, Eonnies."
All four of them seem surprised to see Hyun-jin is walking in the opposite direction from them. She's carrying some kind of large holster on her back, probably a bag to store bow and arrows. The bag color is pink and a rose symbol has been embroidered on it.
"Oh, Hyun-jin-a, have you finished already?" asked Soo-jin.
"Yes, nothing extraordinary, just some introduction," said Hyun-jin, "we'll do some training starting from next week."
"So, you're going home?"
"Yes, is there any food at the house?"
"Well, Appa perhaps has eaten all the leftover jjigae, but you can buy something on your way home."
"Right, I'll do that."
"By the way, Hyun-jin-a, does now they gave you bow on the first meeting?" asked Yu-ra.
"Oh, this?" said Hyun-jin while pointing on her bow bag, "supposed to be not, but Yeon-hee sunbaenim lent this to me for early practice, since I already know the basic."
"Jjamkanman, can I see the bow inside?" said Yu-ra, "I kinda recognize the bag."
Hyun-jin then puts the bag and unveils the bow inside. It's like a regular gakgung bow upped to an ornate level. The bow is shining by its red tainted lacquer, with a fine leather wrap on the handle, and a rose ornament on both horns. The string itself seems to be made from the best quality horsehair. All and all, this is not just any ordinary gakgung, since it was made with perfect craftsmanship. Yu-ra seems a little bit surprised as she holds the rose-colored bow.
"This bow," said Yu-ra, "is the personal bow of Lee Yeon-hee. She had it crafted by a master bowyer in Yeocheon; they made excellent bows. What surprised me is, Yeon-hee never even let anyone touch it, since it's her very prized possession, and she wanted to make it a family heirloom should she have one in the future. And yet, she let you have it. You're very very very lucky, Young Lady."
"Really? I don't know that," said Hyun-jin suddenly shaken after hearing that, "I... I... I must go home quick before breaking this."
"Yeah, you do that," said Soo-jin.
Hyun-jin quickly excuses herself, going home and taking the bow bag with more respect than before.
In the Pansori's Clubhouse, the headquarter for Pansori Elective in Baekhap Girls' Academy, students who choose Pansori, be it voluntarily or not, have gathered around inside. The Clubhouse was like a small theatre, with a large performing stage that separated the common room and inner room, which can only be accessed by full-fledged members of Pansori Elective. The common room itself is large and spacious, usually used to house an audience for pansori performance, hence this room can house many students at once.
After everyone sat down on the floor, two girls wearing hanbok appeared on the stage. One is Choi Na-ra, with her yellow jeogori and lime green chima and hair being braided. Everyone is stunned, especially Soo-jin, since this is the first time she saw her teacher wearing hanbok, and she thought that Na-ra looks way more beautiful dan elegant. The other one is Jang Na-ri, the 5th-grade student who becomes the current leader of Pansori Elective. Unlike Na-ra, Jang Na-ri wears a man hanbok, with navy blue jeonbok over ivory jeogori and baji, also a traditional gat on her head.
"She's pretty, right?" said Soo-jin.
"What? Who?" asked Hye-ri.
"Na-ra ssaem, in her hanbok," said Soo-jin.
"In my thought, every girl is pretty in their hanbok," said Yu-ra, "even you."
"I don't know," said Soo-jin.
"What do you mean you don't know?" asked Hye-ri.
"I don't have any hanbok," said Soo-jin.
"Oh dear, how come?" asked Hye-ri.
"She was living in Japan," said Ga-eun, "I don't think you'll need hanbok that often there."
"Well, you got a point, really," said Hye-ri, "but we'll fix that, right?"
"Right, but not today," said Yu-ra, "be quiet now, Na-ra ssaem is about to speak."
"Annyeonghaseyo, Yedeura, I welcome you all to the first grand meeting and selection of Pansori Elective," said Na-ra, "after we sorted everyone out today, that will determine on who shall able to go to backstage, and who shall go home. Nevertheless, by being here, you're guaranteed to pass the elective in the minimum threshold."
"However, as usual, if you wanted to gain additional score, we urged you to pass the selection and took part further on our elective's activities," said Jang Na-ri, "and the test, as usual, is to ask you all, one at the time, to sing Arirang. Me and Na-ra ssaem will decide whether you pass or not."
"First I'm going to tell you, Yedeura, that Arirang was chosen as selection material since it's the song that every Korean knows by heart. From Halla Mountain in the south to Baekdu Mountain in the north, Arirang embodied the heart and spirit of any Korean, North and South alike. Hence I want you to represent the song, any Arirang you know, with all your heart. We're looking for skill, yes, but the heart is most important. Na-ri-ya, shall we start?"
"Yes, Ssaem."
The girls then are summoned to the stage one at a time to perform their song. The selection song is not a secret at all, so everyone would have time to prepare, especially when the song is something as familiar as Arirang. However, in reality, many girls flopped as they're singing it. Some can't sing it at all, or can't remember the lyrics of some parts, some tried too hard to sing it in gugak style and failed miserably, a handful even gone before they were being called. Despite that, many succeeded, such as Yu-ra with her beautiful take on Jindo Arirang, and Hye-ri, though she missed on some notes of her Bongjo Arirang, singing the song with all her heart. Ga-eun became one of the best performance after flawlessly executing her Miryang Arirang with semi-gugak style. As the three were allowed to go and watch from backstage, the highlight fell on Soo-jin. The three are very much worried about Soo-jin, as she claimed she only knows one Arirang, the one taught by her Haramoeni, and nobody seems to believe in that. Soo-jin doesn't seem like someone who sings Arirang a lot, especially with her lived in Japan for so long. So, everyone kinda hold their breath when Soo-jin finally being called on the stage.
"Soo-jin-a, how are you?" asked Na-ra.
"Good, Ssaem," said Soo-jin.
"Are you ready to sing your Arirang, Soo-jin ssi?" asked Jang Na-ri.
"Yes, Sunbae," said Soo-jin, "it's perhaps the only Arirang taught to me by my Haramoeni."
"What Arirang is that?" asked Jang Na-ri.
"I don't know, my Haramoeni never told me the title," said Soo-jin.
"Well, it's okay. Let us hear it, then," said Na-ra.
Soo-jin takes a deep breath, then she started to sing.
"Arirang, ari~~~~rang, aa~~~~rariyo~~~~"
Everyone seems startled seeing Soo-jin execute the low note wailing of pansori fashion perfectly. Despite the still raw skill, the way she dragged the long chanting and keep the energy level of wail high without losing pitch is remarkable, even Jang Na-ri stands, though Na-ra still keeps her poker face. The second Soo-jin finished her song, everyone silent, and took a few seconds for them to finally applaud, clearly expecting more.
"That's wonderful, Soo-jin-a," said Na-ra while clapping, "oh, is that tears on your cheek?"
"Ah yes, I kinda remember my Haramoeni, Ssaem," said Soo-jin.
"You should," said Na-ra, "oh, in case you wonder, the song you sang is called Jeongseon Arirang. That's a more modern version from the classic Jeongseon Arirang, though, sang by Kim Young-im seonsaengnim for the movie Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring."
"Oh."
"However, what interests me most is, do you ever had a pansori training, Soo-jin-a?"
"Uh, no, Ssaem. Why do you ask?"
"Since everyone would think that you've been properly trained with that kind of wailing."
"No, Ssaem. Only my Haramoeni taught me because I shout a lot when doing sen..."
Soo-jin quickly revised.
"I mean, I screamed a lot when I was little, Ssaem. So, my Haramoeni taught me how to shout without damaging my vocal chord."
"Using the Arirang?"
"Ne, Ssaem."
"Hmm, that interesting. Na-ri-ya, with your permission, I'd like to ask Soo-jin to sing another song, if I may."
"Sure, Ssaem, why do you need my permission for that?" asked Jang Na-ri.
"Well, because this is not a Korean song," said Na-ra.
"If you think that necessary, then sure, why not?" said Jang Na-ri.
"Alright, thank you," said Na-ra, "Soo-jin-a, maybe you don't know this song, and it's okay, but do you know the Japanese song 'Ashita e no Sanka', sung by Tibetan-Chinese singer, Alan Dawa Dolma?"
"Well, I happen to know that song, Ssaem," said Soo-jin.
"Good, can you sing that, please?" said Na-ra, "final chorus only."
"Uh... The final chorus, Ssaem?"
"Yes, final chorus. The best as you can."
Soo-jin takes a deep breath before finally unleashing a thundering wail.
Sakebe~~~~
Fukanou to wa aozameta hane
Todoke~~~~
Moeru yuuhi e ashita e no~~~~ sanka
The wail is so high and powerful that everyone felt chilled and cringe at the same time before once again applauding Soo-jin. Na-ra waited for the audience to be silent before delivering her comments.
"That's a good delivery of Ashita e no Sanka, Soo-jin-a," said Na-ra, "who was the name of your Haramoeni, if I may know?"
"I just know her as Seo Haramoeni, Ssaem."
"Did she tell you to practice that by being an alarm clock? That you must be able to wake her up with your wailing from the front yard?"
"Yes, Ssaem, how did you know?"
Na-ra just smiled.
"Not many sorikkun in Korea knows how to hit that note in that level, for that long," said Na-ra, "even less who use Alan's song as a reference, and especially the one who told her student to be an alarm clock. But let's save the private story for later. Na-ri-ya, what's your verdict?"
"I thought we're thinking the same," said Jang Na-ri, "or are we not?"
"She's passed, then," said Na-ra.
"Kamsahamnida, Ssaem, Sunbae," said Soo-jin bowed to both of them.
Soo-jin then gets down from the stage to her friends which cheer for her.
"Soo-jin-a, that's a daebak!" said Hye-ri.
"I can't sing it any better," said Ga-eun, "especially the wailing part."
"Why don't you tell us that you're that good?" asked Yu-ra.
"I just know that it's good," said Soo-jin, "when Haramoeni taught me, she only said that this, when practiced regularly, would allow me to shout out loud for an extended time without damaging my vocal chord. She never told me that this also some kind of Pansori qualities."
"That's her signature, alright," Na-ra suddenly joined the conversation.
"Ssaem," said the four.
"So, do you know my Haramoeni, Ssaem?" asked Soo-jin, "is she somewhat famous?"
"Well, yes, and no, as I said, not many sorikkun in Korea could sing on that note in prolonged time," said Na-ra, "and to answer your question, despite her rare qualities, your Haramoeni isn't that very famous, even in Pansori world, since she's not a performing sorikkun. She's just a teacher."
"So how do you know that it's her?" asked Soo-jin.
"Your wailing pitch, your story, and the fact that you know Alan," said Na-ra, "when I was young, just a few years above your age, I once heard about this unique sorikkun. So, I go to her and trained under her for about a month. That alarm clock? Just exactly what she did then. For somehow, your Haramoeni mastered a similar technique of Tibetan Wailing. She never told me how she got them, though. However, she has no means of practice to that technique, till she found Alan's song. The last time I see her, she told me that's she's planning to teach her signature wailing through the song. I guess when she said that, she must've already tested on you."
"He-he-he, so it is..."
"Hey, don't be a long face. It worked, so be proud of it, and more importantly, be proud of your Haramoeni."
"I will."
"By the way, Ssaem, you're not coming here just to say that, are you?" asked Yu-ra.
"You're right," said Na-ra, "I wanted to tell you the division result, and your team of four, is on the reserve lineup."
"What?" asked Hye-ri, "reserve, but I thought..."
"You're good at expressions, but your pitches are off. Soo-jin has an excellent wailing, yes, but the singing technique is quite raw, though both of you know your tones and notes," said Na-ra, "Ga-eun and Yu-ra sing very well, but not enough to compete with the current lineup, so the reserve is a fair result. Besides, your team would be a special reserve team."
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Ga-eun.
"Well, Jang Na-ri insisted that you'll be good on performing Jeokbyeokga, something that's, honestly, is lacking in our current rank," said Na-ra, "that's why we have a long conversation about this, on how to place you, but in the end, we agreed that it's better if you stay on reserve, and if Jang Na-ri wanted to perform Jeokbyeokga, then your team would be her first pick. Meanwhile, you could practice and improve your skills so that when the time comes, you could perform it better than now."
"Fair enough," said Yu-ra, "so, what shall we do?"
"Just go backstage and sit down there," said Na-ra, "I have to do some preparation."
"Preparation for what, Ssaem?" asked Soo-jin.
"You'll see," said Na-ra, "see you later, Yedeura."
Na-ra then left them. After telling for those who qualified to go home, whilst assuring them that they already hit the passing grade, those who qualified, main lineup or reserve, are gathered backstage. The stage continues to the back, hence creating its performing stage inside, though not as big as the one outside. Props are scattered everywhere, but the room is still enough to host the entire lineups of Pansori Elective. The four sit there, near the stage, don't know what to expect.
Suddenly, the lamps are off, and the only lamps lit are the ones that shine on the stage. Na-ra comes out, holding a fan in her hand. The spotlight made her look very pretty in her hanbok. Then Jang Na-ri also comes, this time bringing a large soribuk drum in her lap. Na-ra then stands in the middle of the stage, while Jang Na-ri is not far from her, slightly offset. It's a setting for a pansori performance, and everyone is excited to watch, especially Soo-jin. This would be the first time she sees Na-ra doing something other than teaching, and she's eager to watch this side of her homeroom teacher.
"Yedeura, now, let me present to you the enchanting world of pansori," said Na-ra, "the world of storytelling through song. This is the world of many possibilities. Graceful yet strong, strict yet imaginative, subtle yet powerful. Enticing minds, and reaching deep into your soul to present your voice to the world. A voice that builds a bridge between your imaginative inner realm with the world of the living."
"Wow, she's good at words," said Soo-jin.
"She is," said Yu-ra, "Now ssh, the performance is about to begin."
"I'll start our very first meeting with one of the most common songs in pansori, a simple but effective step for every beginner and expert alike," said Na-ra, "from the court of Cheonhyangga, I proudly present 'Sarang-ga'. Na-ri-ya, are you ready?"
Jang Na-ri doesn't answer, just hit the soribuk with the wooden stick she holds, before starting chanting.
"It is when Cheonhyang and Mongryong, adoring each other and singing a love song!" said Jang Na-ri.
'Chunhyang, why don't you let me take you on a piggyback ride.'
'Mongryong, I'm too shy to do such a thing. Besides, what if my mother knows?'
'They're once young. I'm sure they have done something like this or more. Enough said, let's go.'"
Jang Na-ri authoritatively hits the soribuk, and in an instant, Na-ra flicks her fan open and starts singing.
Come on, come on, let me give you a piggyback ride
Love, love, love, it's my love
Oh, love! You are my love!
You are my love, doubtlessly
What do you want to eat? What do you want to eat?
Do you want to eat a round watermelon?
Seeds picked red flesh, pour it in Gangneung white cheong?
"No, I don't like that either.",
"Then what do you eat? What do you eat?"
Would you like a little or a long sweet melon?
"No, I don't like that either.",
"Then what do you eat? What do you eat?"
Will you give me cherry, grapes, tangerine candy, and Hyehwadang?
Whatever you like, my love
Then what shall you eat? What would you like to eat?
Maybe sour apricots for you to have?
"No, I don't like that either."
Whatever you like, my love
Walk away, so I can see your back
Come closer, so I can see your front
Show me your tottering steps, how you walk
Laugh, so I can see your smile
However, it is to you, my love
Na-ra performed flawlessly and incredibly well. By seeing how Na-ra performs, everyone could see their flaws in the selection. However, it's not just about the singing. The gestures, how she steps, the movements of her hands, arms, legs, heads, eyes, and lips; along with how she plays the fan, flicked open, flaps, and close following the dynamics of the song or soribuk's rhythm adds deep interpretations on the song, allowing everyone to feel and experience what's happened in the song. In short, Na-ra sings with her entire body, not merely her voice alone.
Everyone give standing applause as Na-ra concluded her performance. Take a few good minutes before everyone back quiet and listen to what Na-ra is about to say.
"That was Sarang-ga," said Na-ra, "aside from that it's the most famous pansori repertoire in this country, it is also our signature for performance. We have performed quite a lot Sarang-ga over the past decades, and have about 15 ways to perform it, which is twice as many as the other pansori repertoires. Despite being overexposed, Sarang-ga is always a good place to start for your performance assignment.
Yes, since we're pansori, then we must perform, and all grades shall be determined mostly by your performances. There are three types of performance that count. First is the song performance, held every other week, where you must perform one song of each team. Second is the troupe performance, held every other month, in which you must perform a fragment of a story of each team. And third, the biggest of all, is grand performance, at the end of the study year. However, you shouldn't mind the latter two, for the first task is right before you. As I said, Sarang-ga is the best place to start, so make your pair, one sorikkun, and one gosu, and prepare to perform Sarang-ga by this time next week, understand?"
"But, Ssaem," said one of the students, "you said every other week?"
"Sarang-ga has 15 versions here, and each version has been charted in detail by your sunbae predecessor in which the notes are all here. Find them, follow the instructions of each version, then perform Sarang-ga with your best abilities. Understand?"
"Ne!"
"Okay, now, kaja!"
Ga-eun sighed heavily.
"Alright, here we go again," said Ga-eun.