You Promised Me, Mr. Lee San-ha - Chapter 111



Only Noblemtl

Episode 111 Manners Maketh Man (3)

Moment of truth.

This refers to the moment when a matador engages in a push-and-pull fight with a bull for a while and then pulls out his sword and stabs the bull’s vital point.

No one knows until that moment comes.

Whether the cow dies or the person dies.

Only when we reach that point can we uncover the truth about death.

Eunsol Lee is standing there now.

In front of the moment of testing that I always wanted to avoid… … .

She shouted.

“Cosette! Now I remember!”

The first syllable begins naturally.

Eunsol Lee did it.

Without having to forcefully fulfill a promise.

It’s a slightly different feeling of excitement from when YouTuber Shin Se-chi revealed his identity.

The anxiety that comes from being in a state of extreme tension is practically a congenital disease.

I thought it was cool and admirable that she overcame it on her own.

The analogy is a bit strange, but… … I think this is how parents feel when they see their child take his or her first steps.

I continued to watch the stage, applauding in my mind.

Eponine continues singing while looking at Cosette with longing eyes.

“Cosette! How did this happen? We grew up together like sisters… … .”

Her natural acting soon blends in with Marius’ lines.

A perfect ensemble followed.

And when calling the end of the number.

“Look, I said I knew everything! Eponine… … can know everything.”

Lee Eun-sol wasn’t there.

Just Eponine standing there, unable to approach Marius, burning with sorrow.

I gave her a round of applause in my heart for perfectly immersing herself into the character.

When I looked back at the seat next to me, I saw Ahn Hee-yeon’s eyes were wet with emotion.

‘… … You said you were an acquaintance earlier.’

It is still a mystery why he used such an expression when he treasured it so much.

The musical continued without a hitch.

The moment when the tension of the play reached its peak with the number “One Day More.”

“When tomorrow comes, I will know what God has planned!”

“Tomorrow… … .”

“Tomorrow… … .”

“Tomorrow… … !”

thud!

The curtain falls with the sound of a drum.

Soon, an announcement began to flow out.

[We would like to inform the audience. There will be a 20-minute intermission from now on. Please understand that entry may be restricted after the intermission. Please always keep your ticket with you when entering or exiting the auditorium during the intermission. Thank you.]

I looked back at Ahn Hee-yeon with surprised eyes and said.

“Wow… … . The number that just came out was crazy. I heard it once on TV, but when I heard it in person, it was so immersive. I wish they would do part 2 right away without an intermission.”

“I like this number the best. The tension builds up so much that it feels like it’s going to explode―”

Right then.

“Oh my god!”

Suddenly the person in front turned around and shouted.

“They keep making so much noise behind you!”

An Hee-yeon and I tilt our heads at the incomprehensible reaction.

I don’t understand what’s so uncomfortable about having a conversation during break time.

The moment my eyes met with the person in front of me, I could immediately recognize him.

“… …Senior Nam Young-jun?”

He’s the same guy who used to brag and swear at MTs.

A sight that is unforgettable even after several months.

From the crazy binge drinking where he kept drinking alcohol, saying he would drink all the alcohol there was, to the moment when he refluxed it and turned the MT lodging into the Trevi Fountain.

‘I thought I’d never see you again after you punched the police and got dragged away.’

The world really is a small place.

Nam Young-jun spoke in a tone dripping with annoyance.

“What are you talking about? Hey, all these weirdos are coming to see musicals. Korean musicals have also lost a lot of their appeal.”

Judging from the way he started sneering the moment we met, he still hasn’t come to his senses.

“No. Well, you can see it. Their ticket prices are the same, after all. What’s with the S-seat that you don’t see? The S-seat. Did you pick up a discount coupon somewhere?”

Did you just pretend to know?

His meddling continued endlessly.

“Don’t you know that seats other than the R section are meaningless? What’s the difference between this and loitering around outside the baseball field fence and peeking at the baseball game? Well, it seems like you don’t know any proper spectator manners, so your level is obvious.”

An Hee-yeon’s expression gradually hardens.

I didn’t want to make her angry and yell at her for no reason.

I scratched the ball and responded to Nam Young-jun’s sarcasm.

“Yes, well then let’s see. Why do you keep worrying about us―”

“You were talking so loudly during the musical performance! Who’s next to you? Is that your girlfriend?”

Nam Young-jun seemed not to recognize Ahn Hee-yeon.

It meant that Ahn Hee-yeon hadn’t seen him since she fixed her bangs.

This was also clear evidence of how alienated and insignificant Nam Young-jun was at school.

I didn’t feel like it was worth responding, so I just gave a vague answer.

“So?”

Nam Young-jun raised his voice and became angry.

“So? Look at this kid talking nonsense. He’s bragging about having a pretty girlfriend by his side? Is that what you’re supposed to say to your senior?”

Isn’t that something that people in society shouldn’t say?

Then suddenly I thought back to what he had just said.

‘You were talking during the performance?’

I can confidently say that I have never once complained.

Because I also hate the so-called ‘guanke’.

‘Gwan-keu’ is an abbreviation for ‘audience critical’, and means to disturb others who are watching a movie or play.

But no matter how much I think about it, I have never shown any behavior or words that would bother others.

It was the same for Ahn Hee-yeon.

I looked back at the timing when Nam Young-jun got annoyed once again.

Then, the doubt gradually grew into a deep conviction and leaked out of my mouth.

“Wait a minute. Is there a reason why you’ve been making such an irritated noise since earlier… ?”

“Yeah! You keep making noises, sniffling, and laughing! Did you eat a lot of food?! Don’t you know the manners of watching a corpse?”

Normally, we don’t express that level as ‘making a fuss’.

Did you have about 10 hearing aids placed in your ears?

‘Come to think of it, that’s true. The strange noises you’ve made up until now weren’t because you were uncomfortable, they were just because you were annoyed, right?’

Even if it’s uncomfortable, it’s at the level of madness at this point.

If even breathing is stressful for other people, I wonder how they are living.

By the way, I don’t know what the corpse viewing is.

‘Why do we have to see the corpse? Is it a hint at the mystery of the human body?’

When I made a face that said I didn’t understand, Nam Young-jun snorted.

“I don’t know. This kid doesn’t know how to watch a corpse! Ha, this is seriously low-level. Didn’t you study before coming to see the musical? Don’t you know basic manners?”

I don’t know much about musical manners, but I know that picking a fight with someone like this is not manners.

I’m starting to want to end this boring conversation.

“Okay. Let’s stop making a fuss and just watch the show. I came here to see the show and I’m in a good mood.”

But Nam Young-jun did not agree.

Instead, they just brag even louder.

“You don’t deserve to see a musical. If you don’t even know what a corpse theater is, what kind of musical is this? A corpse theater means that you have to watch the musical as if you’re dead, like a corpse. I don’t understand how you watch it without knowing this musical culture. When other people are just focusing on the play, you can breathe heavily and sob, right?”

It works.

After all, performing arts are meant to be appreciated in order to experience emotion.

Because people come here spending time and money to experience the excitement that can only be felt through a performance.

I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to watch a show if they were unhappy with the normal expression of human emotion.

In the first place, the ‘first musical’ also started with the audience’s laughter and tears. What kind of strange logic is this?

‘How sensitive do you have to be to react so sharply… … .’

Of course, I have experienced many cases of excessive coercion.

A person who asks the person next to him about the content of a movie.

And then there’s the person who spoils things by explaining them one by one.

A person who keeps kicking a chair while shaking his feet.

Phone calls are a given, and I’ve even met people talking on the phone during the movie.

Of course, this is a nuisance that harms the precious experience of other audience members watching the play together.

but.

This is a bit too much.

Even a reading room doesn’t control people to this extent.

I didn’t understand it from the beginning.

If the culture was created to make watching performances more enjoyable, why do they create such forced obsessions?

‘Isn’t it rather making you uncomfortable?’

Even amidst the doubts, Nam Young-jun’s meddling continued.

“You’re a commoner who lives hand to mouth, so you must be excited to come to a place like this? I lack noblesse oblige. I’m a person who is a corpse without money, so I often come to places like this. That’s why I know manners, but you never had a chance to be taught that, right? Well, I guess I should excuse you.”

Now he’s even starting to show off.

I began to wonder if Nam Young-jun was the kind of person who couldn’t even have a conversation unless he was just bluffing.

Suddenly an interesting thought occurred to me.

“Then, senior, do you always watch corpse plays?”

“Of course! I’ve been watching corpses since I was born. Even when I was little, I watched the mobile spinning in my cradle!”

“Oh… … That’s amazing. Then, are you going to do the corpse play today too?”

“So why do you keep asking the same question―”

Tiring!

As soon as the appointment was added, a status window popped up.

Nam Young-jun: We promised to watch a corpse play.

What kind of madness will you show me this time?

The wild performance shown at the MT was truly an incredible stunt.

I never knew that so much alcohol could enter the human body.

The police came and took him away before, so I hope he gets a taste of public power this time too.

If he gets dragged away twice, wouldn’t Nam Young-jun come to his senses a little?

Would you like to urge the fulfillment of your promise?

Y/N

I pressed Yes and leaned back comfortably in my chair.

It’s almost like experiencing a new pole between two poles.

I waited with my arms crossed for Nam Young-jun to go on a rampage.

‘If you think about it, it seems like people who are usually mentally unstable tend to do crazier things.’

It’s been like that from the beginning.

Lim Dong-woon, who was trying to steal a few pennies, brought 100,000 won in a picture frame while talking like a crazy person.

There is no need to mention Nam Young-jun and Park Cheol-hwan, who created the alcohol fountain at MT.

Even the manager of a used car dealership, Park Il-han, went so far as to beat up tattooed pig employees.

Nam Young-jun, the dark horse who carries a lot of expectations.

As someone who has experience in keeping promises, I was excited to see how crazy he would be.

But surprisingly, no major riots occurred.

Just… …he suddenly started running out the door as if he had forgotten something.

Ta-da-da-dak!

Did you really need to go to the bathroom?

I didn’t really want to follow him because I didn’t think he would go to the bathroom.

Of course, it was a shame not to be able to witness his madness, but for now, I decided to be content with just getting him out of my sight.

Then suddenly, a feeling of anxiety crossed my mind.

So far, all promises have been kept ‘literally’.

‘Wait a minute, if you watch a corpse show, you become a real corpse…?’

When I thought about it that far, I had no choice but to kick the chair and get up.

Even if someone was so ugly, I couldn’t let them die like this.