Chapter 58: New Face Interview, Part 1

-Ah, ah. Hong Seo-hyun, a 2nd-year student in class 3, please come to the Game Release Club room. Again, Hong Seo-hyun, a 2nd-year student in class 3, please come to the Game Release Club room.

Flinch.

Hong Seo-hyun, who was unpacking her bag after arriving at school neither too early nor too late, slightly trembled.

It was natural.

“Huh?”

“Oh, I think they called her?”

“But where is the Game Release Club?”

“There was a club like that?”

Hong Seo-hyun was just an ordinary student.

She wasn’t as drastically progressive as Hayoon, nor was she someone like Choi Arin who dug her own hole and only did her own thing.

However, if she had to choose, she was the type to quietly go about her school life.

And to her, almost every student sitting in the classroom turned their attention.

‘D-did I do something wrong…?’

Even if she tried not to show it, someone who was fundamentally introverted could not help but feel suffocated.

An atmosphere where everyone in the same space is looking only at you is something that even extroverts often cannot bear.

‘If it’s the Game Release Club, it’s the place that held the contest last time…. Is it simply about winning a prize? No, if it’s just about winning, they wouldn’t use the broadcasting room…’

Hong Seo-hyun mumbled to herself as she walked out into the hallway.

She tried to find the Game Release Club room, but.

“Where is that, anyway…”

She realized she didn’t even know of such a club room’s existence.

Every day, she followed the routine of home, school, home, school.

She had no reason to be interested in places other than her own classroom and major class.

Eventually, she had to stop a passing teacher and ask for directions.

“Excuse me, teacher?”

“Oh? What is it? Is there something you’re curious about?”

“Ah, yes. I was wondering if you know where the Game Release Club room is?”

“Ah, of course. I’m the advisor there.”

Of all people, it was Park Geun-soo.

“Oh, is that so…?”

Hong Seo-hyun responded to Park Geun-soo, who was smiling brightly, with a somewhat sour expression.

She just wanted him to tell her the location and leave.

However, Park Geun-soo seemed to really like obedient female students who listened well.

He couldn’t just pass by a female student who asked him to tell her the location of a classroom.

“Just follow me, it’s all the way at the end.”

“No, if it’s at the end of the hallway, I can just go there myself….”

“Ahem, I told our kids to treat guests well.”

“Ah….”

Of course, even if he couldn’t read a student’s discomfort at all.

He was just overly kind, not a bad person.

Park Geun-soo didn’t say anything after offering to guide her, and he didn’t even make a light joke.

And so.

Only after arriving at the Game Release Club room at the very end of the 2nd-year floor hallway.

“Here it is.”

He opened the door and went inside, leaving only those few words.

And waiting for the two of them was.

A long black-haired girl with a sullen expression who seemed to know what was going on.

“Oh, ah! Hello!”

A brown-haired girl who greeted brightly.

“Teacher. We’re about to start the interview, what would you like to do?”

And a boy who seemed to subtly wish for Park Geun-soo to leave.

A total of three club members were welcoming Hong Seo-hyun.

“Hey, hey, I didn’t come to observe the interview. I just happened to be passing by and this student asked me where our club room was, so I brought her here.”

“You are truly a model for the students.”

“Alright, alright, she seems like a very bright student. Treat her well, and if you decide to accept her as a new member, get her student number and name and tell me.”

“Yes, sir.”

And that boy skillfully soothed Park Geun-soo, who had become familiar over the past few weeks, and sent him away.

Indeed, Park Geun-soo seemed to dislike dealing with scruffy-looking boys, so he just took the compliments and went straight to the faculty room.

“Ah, hello…?”

Hong Seo-hyun greeted to break the awkward silence.

Honestly, it was a bit suffocating.

And the long black-haired girl, who had been silent for a while.

“Hello. Senior. We are the Game Release Club. We were very impressed with your song, and we would like to make you a good offer.”

“Oh, a good offer?”

“Yes, it might be a long conversation, would you mind taking a seat?”

“Ah, yes, yes….”

She skillfully handled Hong Seo-hyun, pulled up a chair, and sat her down across from the desk where they were sitting.

A typical 3-on-1 interview.

Hong Seo-hyun swallowed nervously.

“First, let me introduce myself. I’m Min Hayoon, in charge of original art and various planning in the Game Release Club. I’m a first-year, so feel free to speak casually.”

Starting with Hayoon, the interviewers’ introductions passed.

“I’m Hong Seo-hyun, a 2nd-year visual design major. Nice to meet you.”

After Choi Arin and Do Jin-ho introduced themselves, it was now Hong Seo-hyun’s turn, the interviewee, to introduce herself.

However, unlike the three who introduced their majors and roles in the Game Release Club, Hong Seo-hyun was quite stiff.

It was natural.

Hong Seo-hyun just wanted to skip assignments and sing, thinking it would be nice to get something out of it.

She never imagined being swayed by this kind of interview atmosphere.

“As you know, the top winners of this contest will be pursuing a vocal contract with our Game Release Club. This is the interview process for that.”

“Co, contract?”

This kind of surprised reaction was also natural.

Hong Seo-hyun wasn’t meticulous enough to read the details about the vocal contract that Hayoon had specified in small print at the bottom of the contest poster.

She wasn’t even in the habit of pressing Control+S yet, so her work laptop often had blue screens, and she lost hours of work.

“Yes, of course, the contract is not mandatory. It’s just a preferential condition. If you don’t want the contract, you can just go back.”

“Oh, I see…”

Hong Seo-hyun was relieved that the contract wasn’t mandatory.

Hayoon, seeing Hong Seo-hyun’s reaction, was certain.

‘She’s a pushover.’

This girl is definitely a pushover.

If handled well, even if they couldn’t get her as a club member, they could use her as a vocal s*ave from time to time.

“Your Korean adaptation. I really enjoyed it. Do you adapt the lyrics yourself?”

“I, I like Japanese songs, so I do machine translations, and half of it I modify myself to fit the syllables.”

“Please speak casually. Do Jin-ho here is a 3rd-year, but he’s not authoritarian, so he doesn’t mind if you use informal speech sometimes.”

“C-can I? I mean, can I?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Th-then nice to meet you?”

Now it was confirmed.

This person is naive.

“If you adapt the lyrics into Korean to fit the syllables, you must be knowledgeable about music?”

“I, I’m self-taught, so I only do it a bit when I’m adapting… Even then, there’s a sort of guide? I have to look at that and spend at least a few hours…”

“Still, it’s impressive that you can do it. I can’t even speak English, let alone Japanese. If you can adapt lyrics, you must be able to have free conversations?”

“No-not to that extent… Hehe..”

As Hayoon praised her a little, Hong Seo-hyun, who usually lived a dull life, couldn’t stop her lips from twitching as if there was an earthquake.

She was rarely praised for her singing, lyric adaptation, or Japanese skills at school, only getting scolded for her video editing.

Hong Seo-hyun suddenly wondered if this was heaven.

“I really liked your tone too. You might not be able to beat professionals in terms of skill, but your tone is comparable to theirs, don’t you think?”

“Th-thank you!”

Do Jin-ho, who had been silent for a while, realized Hayoon’s intentions and casually added a compliment.

“Anyway… what our Game Release Club wants to offer you is, of course, to join our club.”

“J-join, but…. I don’t have any skills related to game development…….”

“What do you mean you don’t have any skills? That can’t be true.”

The moment to strike the decisive blow had come.

Hayoon naturally stood up, stood next to Hong Seo-hyun, and gently placed her hand on her shoulder, giving it a light massage.

And she whispered.

Reminding herself to use the Enchanting Whisper trait to its fullest.

“To make a game, we need to make a PV, and we need a vocalist to sing our opening song. Since you’re a video major and have excellent vocal abilities….”

The implication that she could play a sufficient role in their club didn’t even need to be said.

As if wanting to respond to Hayoon’s intentions, Hong Seo-hyun’s constantly wavering eyes gradually began to focus.