Support Ex-Rank
The Eungwang High Festival day in PMH was sunny but gloomy.
In this world though, the nice weather didn’t have a glint of gloom.
The weather and date of the festival were no different from PMH, but perhaps because there were more people alive than in the game.
I felt the excitement in the atmosphere as soon as I left the residential area.
‘It’s a video made by my class.’
As I hurried to our classroom, I noticed other kids watching something on their devices.
It was a preview of the live performance of our class, released on a video-sharing website and promoted on the school’s page.
The number of views didn’t rise much immediately after it was posted, but it increased with every refresh, perhaps from viewers promoting it to their friends.
‘…I think some of the footage has been modified.’
The preview video was 30 seconds.
The video begins with Dokgo Miro busking in front of Eungwang High’s main gate where we filmed her death match performance.
After a short clip of the busking performance fades out, the scene goes to Dokgo Miro standing alone on a stage.
After that, the cameras lit up and the kids in our class were revealed.
Kwon Lena with a violin, Mok Wooram sitting in front of a piano, and other kids holding their instruments.
‘There’s a special effect to match the energy waves of the kids… oh?’
It wasn’t just the 11 people who were currently attending school and participated in the festival who were on the video.
At the end were Goo Seulbi and Ong Gildong as well.
Goo Seulbi was holding a contrabass in a slightly clumsy position, while Ong Gildong was skillfully holding a viola.
‘Can Ong Gildong play the viola? Looking at his posture, I don’t think he learned it just for this festival… though Goo Seulbi looks the opposite.’
It wasn’t strange that an art-loving attention-seeker could play an instrument.
I arrived in our classroom soon, and Kim Yuri explained the video.
“Guys! Did you see the video uploaded today? I wanted to tell you guys in advance, but Luis and Seulbi wanted to surprise you.”
So it was the attention-seekers’ idea after all.
I don’t know about surprises, but I was glad that my playable characters enjoy the festival in their own way.
“Are they coming to the live performance today?”
“Nope, but they sent a hologram. They want us to edit them in.”
It looks like they won’t be able to come.
The match with the black swordsman seems to be not over yet.
I decided not to worry because there seemed to be a reliable martial artist who is looking over them and even forced them to study for the exam.
“Actually, aside from me, Wooram and Daesok already knew since they were in charge of the arrangement and video editing…”
Our class’ music director was Mok Wooram, while the video editor was Song Daesok.
The video edited by Song Daesok was decent, and the subtitles and special effects made it feel like an official ad for the association.
Perhaps Min Geurin gave him some advice.
Min Geurin is famous for her oriental paintings, but she’s good at oil painting and can handle graphic design programs as well.
Her art may be widely recognized thanks to her inspiration and insight from exploring various fields.
“I helped edit the video, but I’ll be away except during our live performance.”
“I have something to do too…”
“Yep! You did great, Daesok and Wooram.”
Song Daesok would be away perhaps because of some association work, but Mok Wooram seemed to be going back to his workshop.
I felt complicated about seeing the two working until the end of this good festival day.
“You don’t have to worry about those two, Euishin-ah. Daesok will go to a joint exhibition where Geurin will appear, and there’s no way Wooram would miss the string club’s performance!”
“That’s a given.”
“That’s right.”
As Saeum of April said, I may have been worrying for no reason.
I guess those two guys are going to enjoy the festival in their own way.
They focused on the festival the most since the other kids had other activities.
In terms of preparation, our class didn’t have much to do but maintain our classroom and install the hologram player.
One was a live performance that we’ll do, and the other was a screening of the recorded performance through the hologram player in our classroom.
‘The first suggestions were to have it as a jazz cafe or live cafe, but it can’t be helped since we’re all busy.’
It’s difficult to perform live while serving coffee considering our individual schedules.
We decided to have it screened like a movie at fixed times instead.
That one was easy to moderate since it doesn’t need a lot of people.
Then, the school song rang out.
This year, Kwon Jein’s appointment as an honorary teacher exploded the popularity of music-related clubs.
The school song was being played by the string club.
“It’s starting soon!”
“Guests will enter soon…!”
Eungwang High Festival’s opening ceremony was simple.
The school song is played and opening remarks are given by the chairman.
At the end of the song, Hwang Myeongho’s voice resonated throughout Eungwang High.
[The Eungwang High Festival has officially started.]
Pop pop!
Fireworks exploded at the end of Hwang Myeongho’s short remarks.
It was sunny so the fireworks may not be noticeable, but the lights embroidered the blue skies vividly.
It seems like that old man didn’t shortchange the fireworks.
Waaah!
As the flames exploded, cheers from the guests waiting at the entrance resonated throughout the school.
Eungwang High’s festival is quite closed due to safety issues, but the number of visitors is never small.
Eungwang High has about 1,500 students and about 500 teachers, a total of 2,000 stakeholders.
Each of them inviting 5 people would mean 10,000 people would occupy the school.
Considering that there were group guests invited by the school, the actual number is even larger than that.
Managing safety would be a challenge, but I believe the Tiger Clan, who screened the guests in advance, took care of it.
“I’m nervous. I hope many people come to see us!”
There were five people who decided to stay in our classroom during the first screening.
Me, Hwang Jiho, Saeum of April, Kim Yuri, and Dokgo Mrio.
Among us, the most nervous was Dokgo Miro.
“…”
“Did you have breakfast, Miro-ah? I don’t think you ate the snacks that Hwang Jiho brought earlier.”
“…Huh? Ah, no it’s fine.”
Apparently, Dokgo Miro is so anxious that she couldn’t eat anything.
She hesitated the most when it was first proposed that our class hold a screening as our festival project.
Maybe it was a live performance where people are guaranteed to gather, but she wasn’t confident that people would voluntarily come to a screening.
‘It’s a performance made by all the kids in our class, but maybe she feels pressured since she’s the one who sings in the middle of the stage.’
Considering the entrance time, our class screening starts thirty minutes after the festival opens.
Dokgo Miro couldn’t concentrate, unable to respond properly to Kim Yuri’s words.
As time passed, guests began to roam around the freshmen building.
Some people glimpsed at our class, but most of them headed to Class Two.
They seem to be attracted by the fragrant smell of bread from the bakery cafe of Joo Soohyuk and the Class Two kids.
At that time, our first audience finally entered.
I heard the astonished voices of ordinary guests who saw the first audience.
“It’s the Blue Violinist Kwon Jein!”
“The blonde foreigner beside her… Isn’t that the Lake of Eternity’s sub-team master? Jared Lee?”
“Who are the old guys behind them…?”
“Isn’t that Painter Hong Kyungbok? Ah, Tak Geosan is there too!”
The first who arrived were the honorary teachers who came to watch their students’ performance.
Some teachers had clubs they take charge of, so they must’ve come early to watch the performance,
Perhaps because of the absence of the teachers’ students, all of them approached me.
“You’ve grown taller.”
“The vice president is still polite as ever, Tsk, that darned Bbang Shuttle should learn from you!”
Hong Kyungbok and Tak Geosan laughed together.
Following their words, the two handed over healthy beverages for our whole class to consume.
“I came to surprise Lena, but the timing wasn’t right… I should come again later.”
“If I sleep an hour or less, I can adjust my schedule. I couldn’t sleep last night, but there’s nothing I can’t do to watch Lena’s performance. Show us the good seats, Euishin-gun.”
The Lake of Eternity Team is in the middle of a busy period, but I think they’ll watch all performances.
After that, the two gave several boxes of blueberry pound cake made by the team’s chef.
I feel eyes on me every time I receive gifts from famous players.
‘They’re not gonna give presents every time they come, right?’
Another big shot has arrived, making guests turn their eyes to the Class Zero classroom which is getting a lot of celebrity visitors.
With the appearance of this guest, those who arrived first stood up from their seats in unison.
“I’m seeing Iron Am Song Manseok sunbaenim.”
“Manseok is here.”
“Welcome, Manseok hyungnim.”
Song Daesok’s grandfather, Song Manseok.
He was an old man, forgotten among ordinary people, but he’s considered a living legend in the world of players.
The astonishment around me deepened with the living legend alive and breathing in front of me.
‘It’s as if he can move mountains.’
It’s said that Song Manseok retired because he wasn’t as strong as he was before, but the spirit I felt from him was unusual.
This level is already lower than when he was young?
He seems to be better than many modern top-tier players though.
After saying hello, Song Manseok approached my classmates.
“So you’re Daesok’s friends. Daesok must be hard to get along with, but I’m always grateful and sorry for you guys.”
Song Manseok seems to know Song Daesok’s ugly characteristics.
Song Daesok still isn’t interested in anything other than Min Geurin and satellites, but our class was an exception.
I recalled how Song Daesok splits his time participating in class activities and throws himself for the kids in our class.
I spoke in advocate of him.
“We always get a lot of help from Song Daesok. Song Saesok prepared the promotional video for our class for this festival.”
Song Manseok looked at me.
I borrowed the power of the great hero Iron Arm Song Manseok as soon as I came to this world to break into the Hwanmong Auction, but I’ve never had the chance to talk to him like this.
When Song Manseok saw me, he smiled.
“So you’re the vice president. I heard that Daesok became a researcher at the institute because of you.”
I’m indeed the vice president, but I don’t know about the words that followed.
Did Song Daesok say something weird to him?
Song Daesok joined the association because of his abilities, not because of me.
Quite the opposite of that, he almost couldn’t go to the internship interview because of me.
I denied it firmly, but Song Manseok’s smile only deepened.
“I’ve also heard a lot about your humility.”
Song Manseok patted my shoulder in encouragement.
He gave a set of almond pancakes as a gift and sat down.
“Come to think of it, Daesok and Grandpa Song Manseok have the same syllables in their names.”
“Ah, it’s the same in my family! My uncle and I share the same syllable “Se”
Saeum of April replied to Kim Yuri.
“When a player has an order from a strong player or a strong superior being, they give descendants who are likely to become players the same syllables.”
“Ah, I think I’ve heard that story. It has something to do with superior beings and royal lineage, right?”
Sung Siwan and Sung Gukeon suddenly came to mind.
The two were descendants of the same family, very good players, but have different syllables in their names.
‘Did they not get the former head’s syllables because he died too soon?’
The former head of the association was a hidden protagonist in the Dark Ages, but he passed away before his grandchildren were born,
No matter how strong and excellent a player is, they couldn’t have been named by someone short-lived.
I felt bitter, but there was no room to process it as guests continued to enter our room.
“We’re here, hoobae!”
“It was fierce until the end.”
The next people who came were Class 2-0.
They asked me to reserve them tickets as they wanted to watch Dokgo Miro.
It was a screening event that could be seen even if they didn’t have seats, but they were so persistent that I eventually gave in.
I just gave them restrictions as to the number of people who can come at the same time.
They could’ve competed battle royale style again since their energy waves were all messed up.
Then, I heard a commotion outside the room.
I thought we had celebrities come in, but a real one had just arrived.
“Thanks for inviting me, Miro-yah.”
“I’ll go watch your live too.”
BJ Soybean, Dokgo Miro’s opponent in the death match, and Playlist’s Champion Yeo Raehun arrived.
Several other people who appeared in Playlist were with them.
“Thank you all for coming…!”
Dokgo Miro greeted them, emotions overflowing from her expression.
She noticeably relaxed, perhaps because she saw the faces of her colleagues who went through the harsh survival program with her.
People continued to rush in after that.
Many people were originally scheduled to come in the morning, and people who knew about the famous people visiting our room also flooded in.
Eungwang High’s classrooms were several times larger than those of regular high schools, but there may not be enough space to handle the guests.
“We won’t have enough seats at this rate!”
“The people who couldn’t come in made a reservation for later. Should we accept that?”
“The seats for invitation and preferential tickets are all filled!”
The line in the hallway in front of our classroom continued to build up.
This may interfere with traffic and other classes’ activities.
I spoke to Hwang Jiho.
“Hey.”
“Got it, Jo Euishin.”
I haven’t said anything though.
Hwang Jiho said what was on my mind.
“Let’s move to the concert hall in the central district. I’m done setting up, and I’ve got an air shuttle on standby. The screening will continue there.”
Support Ex-Rank