Superstar From Age 0

Applause sounded from behind the curtain.

The [436] music team, with their flushed faces, gathered their instruments and headed backstage.

The broadcasting club members who were helping with the graduation ceremony assisted them in moving the chairs.

“Good job!”

The broadcasting club members and the teachers who were listening backstage clapped their hands and the [436] music team smiled brightly.

“I feel like I did better than usual.”

Kim Chae-yeon said, clenching and unclenching her hands.

She recalled the vivid performance that she had created with her own hands.

It was a fantastic performance, like a dream, and she felt a surge of confidence that she could do it again.

She wondered if her eyes had shown the same ‘perfection’ that Seo-jun showed when he acted or Park Min-hyung showed when he handled the lighting.

“That's right. You all did better than during practice.”

“You were all amazing!”

The other team members were equally excited.

They had returned backstage, but they could still hear the applause and their hearts were pounding.

This was why it was hard to leave once they got on stage.

“Maybe we should have done the congratulatory performance at the very end. I didn't know you would do so well.”

The music teacher said with a smile, and the kids laughed.

***

The cheers of the audience that filled the Mirinae Hall did not stop easily, so they had to make an announcement for the next order.

In the meantime, seo-jun and the [436] music team returned to their seats.

The [436] acting team and art team were also surprised, as they did not know about it.

“You guys were really good!”

“I was shocked when you suddenly came out!”

“But how did you end up doing a congratulatory performance?”

Kim Joo-kyung asked, and the other kids looked curious.

Seo-jun answered with a smile.

“When we practiced for the play, the art team and the acting team had things to do, but the music team had a lot of time left.”

The official performance was done mostly by the students’ own efforts.

The acting team had to appear in every performance, of course, and they also had to practice at the Milky Way Galaxy Center one day before the performance.

And the art team took turns to check and repair the set and props.

But the music team only had to check the recordings with Kim Chae-yeon, who was in charge of the sound. Even if there was a problem with the recordings, they had both original and copy versions, so it was easy to solve.

“So we sometimes came and helped with the art team's work. We couldn't do much because we didn't have anything to do.”

Seo-jun's words made Kang Jae-han, Kim Joo-kyung, and Han Jinho nod.

It couldn't be helped because they had different majors.

As music majors, they couldn't act, and they were more clumsy than art majors in art work.

“It seemed like they were sad that only the acting team and the art team were focused on the performance, since we are all part of 436 team.”

Usually, they would have been more enthusiastic about practice or competitions, but since they were grouped together as [436] team and practiced together, they seemed to have a sense of belonging.

“I see. I would feel sad too if everyone else was working hard and I had nothing to do.”

Yang Ju-hee's words made everyone nod.

“Chae-yeon asked me if there was anything we could do, so I thought about doing a congratulatory performance. There was no other event left for us to participate in as students except for Mirinae Arts High School's graduation ceremony.”

He also thought of Yeoul Arts Middle School's graduation congratulatory performance.

Seo-jun said with a smile.

“The music team kids liked it too, and when I asked the teachers, they all said it was okay. So we did it. We borrowed a practice room from Milky Way Galaxy Center.”

Maybe because they were both ATR Foundation, they gladly lent them a practice room.

He guessed that ATR Foundation's high-ranking people coming to today's graduation ceremony played a big role in getting permission.

“I see.”

“Anyway, I was really surprised.”

The kids nodded.

“But Seo-jun, you still play violin well.”

“I practice sometimes.”

Seo-jun answered with a small smile at his friends’ admiration.

He had Benjamin professor and Jason who contacted him sometimes, and Subin who came to play and asked him to play together.

He couldn't help but practice even if he didn't want to.

‘He’ll probably ask me to play again when he sees today's video.’

He smiled at the thought of Subin who was improving his skills rapidly and running towards him with his violin in his eyes.

[Now we will have the diploma award ceremony.]

As the atmosphere of Mirinae Hall slowly calmed down, an announcement came out.

The students who were talking turned their heads to the stage.

The class president and vice president of class 6 of the third grade went up to the stage as representatives of the students.

Seo-jun and his friends clapped their hands at the sight of Yang Ju-hee and Jeon Seong-min receiving their diplomas from the principal.

[Lastly, we will sing the school song.]

With the school song that they had sung for three years, Mirinae Arts High School's graduation ceremony was over.

He thought he heard some sobbing sounds.

***

After the graduation ceremony, the students and their families came out of Mirinae Hall.

The students and their families were busy looking for each other.

“Seo-jun!”

“Mom! Dad!”

Seo-jun smiled brightly and waved his hand.

“Congratulations on your graduation!”

“Congratulations, son!”

Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-jun smiled with their flushed faces and handed Seo-jun a bouquet of flowers.

Seo-jun hugged the two bouquets and smiled widely.

“Let's take a picture!”

Seo Eun-hye held up her camera.

She saw Mirinae Arts High School and Seo-jun holding a bouquet of flowers on the screen. His cheeks and nose were red from the cold weather.

Seo Eun-hye pressed the shutter button hard and was satisfied. Lee Min-jun said with a smile.

“Shall we take one with dad too?”

“Yes.”

Lee Min-jun stood next to Seo-jun, and Seo Eun-hye was surprised.

‘…When did he grow up so much?’

Seo-jun, who was holding a bouquet of flowers, was taller than his dad.

She looked at Seo-jun with a proud and regretful look, then smiled and pressed the shutter button.

“Let's take one with mom too!”

“Yes!”

After taking a picture with his mom, seo-jun asked Kang Jae-han to take a family picture.

Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-jun looked at the picture with satisfaction.

“Seo-jun. Let's take one together!”

“Okay!”

At Kang Jae-han's words, seo-jun nodded his head with a smile.

And then he took one with Kang Jae-han, and one with Kang Jae-han's family for some reason.

He laughed at Kang Jae-han's embarrassed look.

He asked Kang Jae-han to send him the pictures through Banana Talk, and he saw Kim Han-seok in his eyes.

It was a graduation ceremony where the third graders were the main focus, but since there was an end-of-year performance, there were many third graders who were close to first and second graders, so first and second graders also took pictures with third graders.

“Han-seok. Do you want to take a picture?”

“Yes!”

He took a picture with Kim Han-seok, another one with Park Yeon-ji and Kim Young-chan, and another one with Park Min-hyung.

The seniors were busy taking graduation photos in the crowded field, calling out their friends’ names and holding cameras, trying to capture the memories of their three years together.

“Seo-jun!”

“Lee Seo-jun!”

Among them, seo-jun was the most popular one.

Seo-jun also smiled brightly and ran around diligently, responding to his friends’ calls.

He was busy answering the calls of his friends from the acting, art, and music departments.

Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-jun smiled as they watched their son, who seemed to have enjoyed his school life so much.

A little later.

After a round of photo-taking, the freshmen and sophomores returned to their classrooms.

“Bye!”

“Keep in touch!”

The seniors, who had tears in their eyes, said goodbye to their friends and left Mirinae High School one by one.

They looked heavy-hearted as they realized that this was really their graduation.

Seo-jun also said goodbye to his friends and headed towards his waiting parents.

“Eun-su and Subin are waiting over there.”

“Yeah.”

Seo-jun nodded and turned around, holding a bouquet of flowers.

Mirinae High School of Arts.

The school where he had spent three years was there.

He felt like he would have to go back to school tomorrow and the day after.

He would laugh and chat with his friends, attend classes, and eat meals… But leaving a place where he had stayed for a long time was always sad and bitter.

Seo-jun looked at the school for a moment and then turned around with a smile.

There was always a new meeting after a farewell.

Seo-jun, who had bid farewell to the place where his memories were, stepped outside the school gate, looking forward to meeting new people and creating new works in a new place.

***

[Mirinae Arts High School graduation today!]

[Actors Lee Seo-jun, Kim Joo-kyung, han Jinho… graduated!]

[Actor Lee Seo-jun, entering Korea National University of Arts in March!]

-Oh. Today is their graduation?

=Wow!

-Mirinae Arts High School's graduation list is no joke;;;

=I know. It's amazing that they are all adults now.

-The competition for actors will be fierce.

=The directors and writers will have more choices of actors.

=The golden generation of 2022…! I hope they release their works soon!

=But just because the actors are good doesn't mean the works are good too.

=…That's true.

-Wow. Seo-jun performed at the graduation ceremony!

=(Link)

=…Why isn't my sibling from Mirinae Arts High School?

=222 If your family was from Yeoul Arts Middle School-Mirinae Arts High School, you would have seen Seo-jun's graduation performance and congratulatory performance.

=333 I'm jealous??

-The song is really good (playing for the 12451st time)

=22 The music department kids are also amazing. The sound is rich.

=33 Lee Seo-jun is an actor but he plays better than the majors.

=Lee Seo-jun's side job is a violinist (Gray Vini, world tour experience).

=?? I went to his concert in Korea! I also donated!

=Lol obsessed lol But I also went (serious)

=Ack?! When did Seo-jun have a concert? I never heard that story?! ???!! Am I the only one who didn't see it? Am I?! I couldn't go because of ticketing, but I didn't even know he had a concert…!

=(Whisper) They’re talking about Over The Rainbow (movie).

=…Aha! (Takes out a commemorative ticket) I went too^^!

=Lololol

-But I think this arrangement is new? I've never seen this instrument composition before.

=22 There are three pianos but they don't seem to play the same score.

=The channel [JUN] has a video and [Arranger: Lee Seo-jun].

=Wow… wow…(speechless)

-Shouldn't Lee Seo-jun go into music seriously?

=Honestly, if we judge by talent alone, sports too… Just looking at his friends (Park Ji-ho, Jack Smith) and experts’ stories, he has potential, right?

=? Seo-jun is working hard on his main job??

=No, think about it. Sports games are held regularly every year. (Last year's baseball game: 144 times per team) You can watch them on TV or at the stadium. But actors have to wait until a good work comes out. And you hardly get to see them in person.

=…144 times…!.. Huk! I was almost convinced!

=Lololol

***

“Yawn.”

The kids who got on the shuttle bus to the ski resort yawned loudly.

They had gotten up early in the morning to go skiing. But they were also excited to go out and looked at the ski resort pamphlet in their hands.

At the very back of the empty seat, right in front of the window, seo-jun took out some candy from his bag.

“Jae-han, do you want some candy?”

“Thanks.”

Seo-jun, who was wearing a hat, handed the candy to Kang Jae-han, who was sitting next to him.

Kang Jae-han, who was seriously looking at which course to take, put the candy in his mouth. His face reflexively cringed at the sour lemon flavor.

Seo-jun smiled and then reached out to Jeon Seong-min and Han Jinho, who were sitting in front of him.

“Are you going to rent skis and clothes there?”

“Yeah. I want to snowboard.”

“Oh. Can you do it?”

“I’ll learn there.”

“Do you want some candy?”

“Oh. Thanks!”

Han Jinho and Jeon Seong-min, who peeled off the candy wrappers and put them in their mouths, also involuntarily frowned at the sour lemon flavor.

It felt like they woke up from their sleep.

A little later.

The ski resort shuttle bus that Seo-jun and his friends were on arrived at the ski resort after running for over an hour.

Following the people who got off from the front seat, the kids who got off last looked at the ski resort in front of them.

“They said it's newly built this year.”

Yang Ju-hee's words made them exclaim. It looked neat and clean, probably because it was newly built.

“But there are fewer people than I thought? Is it because they didn't promote it well?”

“Isn't it because it's a weekday?”

There were fewer than expected, but not none at all.

Han Jinho's eyes sparkled at the situation of the ski resort.

“It's perfect for playing!”

“Yeah!”

Seo-jun smiled as he remembered going to amusement parks and skating rinks with his friends.

‘Rather than playing…’

His friends had a determination to ride all the rides in one day, or skate as long as possible.

They were his friends who had walked around the amusement park with enthusiasm and excitement.

‘I was like that too.’

He smiled as he recalled himself who had walked around the amusement park with his friends.

‘I guess it’ll be like that today too.’

He thought they would ski all day long without resting once.

“What do you want to eat for lunch?”

Hmm.

Except for eating time.

They talked about the restaurants in the ski resort that were on the pamphlet and entered the ski resort building with excited faces.