A Sprinkle of Snowflakes: 1-7 The Great Red Spot

*There are often reasons for prejudice, but the same cannot be said for rumors.*

## Info

* **Recommended:** Symphonic Poem Set
* **Rewards:** 3,000 , 600 , 1 , 1 , Blueprint: Global Cooling

### Dialogue Choices

*Yoon-ah looks at me straightforwardly, and I know that all of this is her sincere opinion.*

* Keep an open mind
* Talent and ability are more important

## Transcript

Expand for script.

* The next day after school, I arrive at the vocal department classroom.
* Surprisingly, many students from the vocal department recognize me and even greet me.
* But when they learn I'm looking for Shin Min-gyeong, their facial expressions suddenly change, and they reluctantly point me in another direction.
* **You:** (What did "Princess Turandot" do to have such strained relations with everyone?)

* **You:** This should be it, right?

* I walk up to the practice room said to be used by Shin Min-gyeong exclusively and try opening the door.
* It creaks open, but there's no one inside.
* I involuntarily take a step back to see if I have entered the wrong room.
* **???:** Who are you?

* I hear a cold voice behind me, and I turn around to see a tall girl in the Chaminade uniform. Her arms are crossed, and she stares at me expressionlessly.
* Just from this brief encounter, I can already see where Shin Min-gyeong's bad reputation comes from.
* **You:** Are you Shin Min-gyeong? I'm Jeong Si-eun from the cello department.

* **You:** Would you be interested in joining our performance for the music festival?

* Saying that, I hand over the sheet music for "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity."
* Shin Min-gyeong doesn't outright refuse as I had feared, but instead casually takes the sheet music and flips through it.
* **Shin Min-gyeong:** ...

* **You:** (She appears to be looking at it seriously. Perhaps she isn't as difficult to deal with as the rumors suggest.)

* **Shin Min-gyeong:** Jeong Si-eun.

* **You:** Um, yes?

* **Shin Min-gyeong:** Shouldn't you look through the sheet music first before asking others to join you?

* **You:** (What does that mean?)

* She lifts her head and mercilessly tosses the sheet music at me.
* **Shin Min-gyeong:** Are you giving me this music to sing because you don't want to use your brain, or because you don't have one to begin with?

* If Lee Seung-chan dares to say that Shin Min-gyeong is anything like me again, I'll buy a plane ticket to Germany and give him a good telling off!

* **Park Yoon-ah:** She's so unreasonable!

* **Park Yoon-ah:** Si-eun, don't go looking for her anymore. I didn't want to work with her in the first place, and her attitude is just terrible.

* **Park Yoon-ah:** Can't we look for other candidates?

* **You:** I've thought of that too...

* That day, after getting rejected by Shin Min-gyeong, I decided to ask the vocal students in other practice rooms.
* But they either said they couldn't handle the piece well, or they'd already promised to perform in other programs.
* A few of them tried to sing the part, but even to someone less experienced like me, I could tell they were struggling with it.
* **You:** It seems Baek Jun-hyeon was right. There are only a few who can sing this piece well.

* **You:** (Also, the crystal ball shows Shin Min-gyeong as the target for this task... sigh...)

* **You:** In terms of technique, Shin Min-gyeong is undoubtedly the best in the vocal department.

* I suddenly pause. In terms of technique?
* **You:** (To be honest, I don't really know how wide Shin Min-gyeong's vocal range is.)

* **You:** (I haven't personally witnessed Shin Min-gyeong's abilities. I've only heard about them from others.)

* I unconsciously take out my phone and open the campus forum.
* **Park Yoon-ah:** Si-eun, what are you doing?

* **You:** I want to find videos of Shin Min-gyeong performing... Huh, I can't believe there aren't any!

* **You:** The negative rumors about her spread so quickly, but I can't find any videos of her singing.

* Yoon-ah takes out her phone and opens several music websites that she often visits.
* **Park Yoon-ah:** Chaminade... Shin Min-gyeong... Ah, got it.

* I lean in and look at the small phone screen with her.
* The video title is not fancy at all. It only has a few words like "Chaminade", "dramatic soprano", and "Shin Min-gyeong", and the popularity is just average.
* Yoon-ah taps the play button.
* **You:** !

* The phone's external speaker plays the sound of singing at nearly its maximum volume.
* The clear and powerful high notes ring out as if they are about to pierce the roof!
* **Shin Min-gyeong:** "In this palace, thousands of years ago, a desperate cry rang out."

* This is the song "In questa reggia" from Puccini's opera "Turandot", which is sung by the female lead upon her entrance.
* Shin Min-gyeong's voice completely surpasses the level of a student, sweeping the entire stage with unstoppable momentum.
* Her icy face sends her resounding singing towards the sky.
* **Shin Min-gyeong:** "And that cry, after many generations, took shelter in my spirit!"

* **Park Yoon-ah:** ...

* As the video plays on, Yoon-ah and I remain captivated by her performance, lost in deep contemplation for an extended period.
* **You:** ...Yoon-ah.

* **Park Yoon-ah:** Yes, Si-eun?

* **You:** We can't look for anyone else. It has to be Shin Min-gyeong.

* **You:** Her talent is on a completely different level compared to others. You must have realized that after hearing her sing, right?

* **Park Yoon-ah:** ...

* Yoon-ah hesitates as she looks at the screen, as if searching for clues to support her thoughts. She eventually speaks.
* **Park Yoon-ah:** I admit, Shin Min-gyeong's skills are truly unmatched.

* **Park Yoon-ah:** If I had to choose a representative for a major competition, I would definitely choose her without hesitation.

* **Park Yoon-ah:** But right now, we're just taking part in a music festival.

* **Park Yoon-ah:** Our goal is to perform something everyone can enjoy and have a good time with.

* **Park Yoon-ah:** Si-eun, can you work happily with someone like that, without any resentment or bias?

* **Park Yoon-ah:** I don't think I can.

* Yoon-ah looks at me straightforwardly, and I know that all of this is her sincere opinion.

Keep an open mind

* **You:** Yoon-ah, besides Shin Min-gyeong's bad character, is there anything else about her that bothers you?

* **Park Yoon-ah:** Nope.

* **You:** Just go ahead and try to contact her directly once and see how it goes.

* **Park Yoon-ah:** What do you mean by that?

* **You:** Look, breaking appointments at the last minute, forcing the sale of tickets, fighting... These are all things we heard about from rumors on the campus forum.

* **You:** Have you ever met or spoken to her in person?

* **You:** If you're concerned about her character, shouldn't you see for yourself and make your own judgment?

Talent and ability are more important

* **You:** Since it's a collaboration, of course, the most important factors to consider are a person's talent and ability.

* **You:** I don't agree with conflating a person's professional abilities and their personal character. This is not the professional attitude that we, as music students, should have.

* **You:** Yoon-ah, striving for excellence in music is the goal we both work towards.

* **You:** If you're pursuing music, you have to be willing to put up with your family's doubts, overcome financial difficulties, and ignore other people's ridicule.

* **You:** Why give up so easily just because of the imperfections of a collaborator?

* **Park Yoon-ah:** ...

* Yoon-ah gazes out the window, deep in thought. After a while, she turns towards me and sighs, tilting her head.
* **Park Yoon-ah:** Si-eun, even if I'm willing to try to reach out to Shin Min-gyeong, her attitude... You know what I'm talking about.

* **Park Yoon-ah:** If we try again, who knows what she'll say this time?

* **You:** Oh! You just reminded me of that!

* I quickly gather up the scattered papers on the music stand and get ready to leave.
* **Park Yoon-ah:** Where are you going?

* **You:** I'm going to find Baek Jun-hyeon to revise the score!

* I hesitate for a moment and then reluctantly admit...
* **You:** Thanks to watching Shin Min-gyeong's video earlier, I now know why she said I wasn't using my brain!

* Baek Jun-hyeon and I spend two days each adapting several versions of the cello and piano parts.
* After another day of rehearsal and practice, we even call Lee Seung-chan to have him listen and provide feedback.
* After four days, I find myself standing outside Shin Min-gyeong's practice room with the newly revised version of "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" in hand.

* **You:** This time, I hope Princess Turandot will be satisfied.

* I stare at the closed door in front of me, a hint of displeasure creeping in. Beside me, Baek Jun-hyeon is struggling to stifle his laughter.
* **Baek Jun-hyeon:** Jeong Si-eun, this is the first time I've seen such an expression on your face.

* **You:** It was the first time someone called me brainless. What an embarrassing milestone.

* After taking a deep breath, I rap on the door amidst Baek Jun-hyeon's unrestrained laughter.
* There is no response, so just as I am about to push it open to see if it's empty—
* **Shin Min-gyeong:** ...

* **You:** ...h-hi! Hello, Shin Min-gyeong!

* **Shin Min-gyeong:** It's you again.

* Shin Min-gyeong opens the door and casts a cold glance at Baek Jun-hyeon beside me. Her gaze wanders for a moment before she turns and walks back into the room.
* **Shin Min-gyeong:** Come in.

* **Shin Min-gyeong:** What's the matter?

* I take out the revised sheet music, thinking about tossing it at her like what she did to me the last time... But I don't dare try it.
* **You:** Previously, the sheet music wasn't suitable for you, and I take responsibility for that. I apologize.

* **You:** This time around, we've made adjustments to the sheet music with your vocal range in mind. Would you please give it another look?

* **You:** If this revised score still doesn't align with your requirements, I won't trouble you any further.

* **Shin Min-gyeong:** ...

* She appears to completely disregard my frustrated explanation, her attention fixed on the sheet music.
* My irritation seems to evaporate, leaving me feeling powerless as I awkwardly sit there, awaiting her reaction.
* **You:** (I did make a significant mistake previously...)

* Shin Min-gyeong, nicknamed "Princess Turandot", is renowned for her rare dramatic soprano voice.
* However, the previous version of the score was tailored to suit more singers, confining the vocals to the mezzo-soprano range.
* For Shin Min-gyeong, that vocal range would not only conceal her strengths but also limit her room for expression.
* With the piano and cello, there would be a sense of forced collaboration.
* **You:** (I wonder if this adaptation will yield a more favorable outcome.)

* I cross my fingers and wait anxiously for Shin Min-gyeong's response.
* **Shin Min-gyeong:** ...

* This time, she takes considerably more time to read the sheet music, occasionally flipping back to previous pages and carefully considering certain notes with her finger.
* Unexpectedly, she rises from her seat and lifts the piano lid.
* **Shin Min-gyeong:** Let's give a shot.

* **You:** Now?

* A trace of impatience flickers in her eyes. Baek Jun-hyeon nudges me with his elbow, and we promptly take our positions at the piano and cello.
* **Shin Min-gyeong:** ...

* The cello's gentle sound resonates first, akin to tranquil waters, while the piano's notes resemble smooth pearls cascading into the sea, one by one.
* Her singing starts from the midrange, gradually directing the audience's attention upwards, higher and higher... until it reaches the heavens.
* In that celestial expanse, the colossal Jupiter turns at its own steady pace, unchanging through the ages, bringing peace and everlasting joy.
* **You:** (This is even better than I thought it would be!)

* After our first performance, both Baek Jun-hyeon and I gaze at Shin Min-gyeong with astonishment.
* Despite having experienced her commanding high notes, I never imagined the gentleness and beauty of her midrange vocals.
* **Shin Min-gyeong:** Jeong Si-eun.

* **Shin Min-gyeong:** This version isn't too bad.

* **You:** So, are you saying you've agreed to take part in the program?

* She furrows her brow slightly. It's rare to see such a distinct expression on her face.
* **Shin Min-gyeong:** Although it's not bad, the accompaniment still appears somewhat lacking.

* **Shin Min-gyeong:** Like something is missing.

* As I marvel internally at Shin Min-gyeong's sharpness, I stand up and take a deep breath.
* **You:** Your intuition is correct. For this arrangement, the accompaniment should consist of two cellos and a piano.

* I stride to the door and abruptly swing it open.
* **Park Yoon-ah:** Si-eun...!

* Yoon-ah is standing at the doorway, looking lost.
* I offer a smile and shift my gaze towards Shin Min-gyeong. She's inspecting the cello that Yoon-ah has slung on her back.
* **You:** However, this crucial second cellist can't decide if she wants to collaborate with you.

* **You:** This is Park Yoon-ah from our cello department.

* Finally, I have the chance to return the favor. Feeling invigorated and elated, I laugh joyfully.
* **You:** Would you like to have a brief talk with each other?