Chapter 368. Searching for the Lost Younger Sibling (2)
Q. Do you know the school anthem?
If you ask this question, a passing elementary school student would answer like this:
-“On the green hills of OO Mountain, a shining place of learning~”
A middle schooler on their way to school would answer “I do,” while a high schooler playing badminton would say, “It does exist.” And if you asked a university student lying in bed after skipping class, they’d respond with, “Do we even have one?”
However, if you were to ask a student from Hanbit University about their school anthem, their response would undoubtedly be this:
-“Ha… Damn that president.”
Why, you ask? Let’s substitute the explanation with a post from Hanbit University’s anonymous online community.
Anonymous
03/16 21:09
[By the way, what’s that song that keeps playing from the outdoor speakers?]
I was on the shuttle, and it played there.
It plays in the cafeteria too.
I feel like I’m getting a neurosis because I hear it every time I pass through campus.
It’s not even loud, it’s so faint that you can’t tell if it’s on or not.
But when I try to sleep at night, it keeps echoing in my head.
What the hell is that song, for real?
– Anonymous1: It’s the school anthem.
– Anonymous2: Would you believe it’s the anthem?
– Anonymous3: Yeah, that’s the anthem.
└ Anonymous (Original Poster): The anthem??? What kind of school plays their anthem on repeat like that???
– Anonymous4: Whoa, so it wasn’t just me hearing it. It’s like a mosquito buzzing, barely audible, I thought I was hallucinating.
– Anonymous1: Yeah, the president went nuts about rebranding the school or something and paid a composer 100 million won to write a new anthem. Now he just plays it nonstop because he doesn’t want to waste it. Damn bastard, it even shows up in my dreams.
└ Anonymous (Original Poster): 100 million won for an anthem? Is he insane?????
└ Anonymous2: There were rumors about embezzlement, but so far, it’s just a strong suspicion.
└ Anonymous1: Some say the president paid for it out of his own pocket.
└ Anonymous (Original Poster): Wait, with his own money…? Why would he even…?
It’s not a cheer song, not a theme song, and the lyrics are ridiculously hard and old-fashioned, yet the anthem rings out regularly across the campus every day of the year. Thanks to last year’s student council’s fiery efforts, the frequency of play was extended from every 30 minutes to every hour, but that was the only improvement.
For Hanbit University students, the anthem became an unwelcome BGM that underscored their life, their routine, and their campus experience, whether they liked it or not!
– Anonymous5: Hahahahaha
And true to the nature of the MZ generation, who turn every aspect of life into a meme,
– Anonymous5: Just enjoy it lol. Once you listen enough, it’s kinda bearable lololol.
Hanbit students quickly adapted to this unavoidable anthem. They began to treat it as content.
It became the ultimate penalty in department MT drinking games to go sing the anthem in another department’s room. At freshman welcome parties, freshmen were made to take turns singing the anthem, and during group singing sessions, anyone who forgot the lyrics was forced to drink.
The president’s scheme to avoid wasting the 100-million-won anthem was partially successful. As a result, every Hanbit University student could hum the melody.
And, because of that―
“Hanbit University!!! Everyone, together―!!!!!”
Shining as one, let’s blaze the fires of justice―!
…A mass chanting incident occurred during the university festival, in what was likely the first-ever metal arrangement of our school’s anthem.
Over the straightforward 4/4 beat of the anthem, designed to be easy for everyone to follow, an electric guitar’s insane melody line tore through the air. The pounding drum and bass filled every space, while metallic sound effects ran wild.
Just a moment ago, countless male students, who had been in “Who even is Kairos, and why should I care?” mode, suddenly started swaying back and forth, arms draped over each other’s shoulders, entranced.
Female students, who had been about to whip out their phones to figure out “How did Kairos end up performing at our school?” now dropped their phones and waved slogan banners instead, shouting “Hey! Hey! Hey!”
“I can’t hear you! Hanbit, louder!!!!”
At the center of it all, spinning his dark green varsity jacket in the air, encouraging the crowd, was none other than the 2nd-year rookie idol, Kang Hajin.
“I say ‘Han’! You say ‘bit’! Han!”
“Bit!”
“Han!”
“Bit!”
Recalling a single offhand complaint from his younger sibling about the school’s tacky trumpet-blaring anthem, Hajin had seized the opportunity to bring a grandly rearranged version of the anthem to life. He was the idiot of an older brother for this era….
“If this is the best you’ve got, I’m not giving you this song! Again, louder! Han!”
“Bit!!”
“Han!”
“Bit!!!”
From this day on, whenever the keyword “school anthem” came up at Hanbit University, there would forever be a name on everyone’s lips, never to be forgotten,
“Well done, well done!”
…It was the birth of a legendary, insane idol.
* * *
Kairos performed a total of four more songs after that.
After heating up the atmosphere with the school anthem, they immediately continued with a group sing-along to *This Is Not a Carol*.
Then, after a brief comment time, they performed *Over the Night* and *Kick Off*, the two songs with the most elaborate performances, perfectly taking advantage of the peak energy, even though it wasn’t quite suited for a full-on sing-along.
While it didn’t lead to the kind of massive sing-alongs like with the anthem or *This Is Not a Carol*, the cheering of the Destis fans and the excited students added to the energy of the night.
– “Our final song is one that’s been used as the background music for a popular corner of a comedy show recently. There’s a part of the song where we need you to join in. Do you know where that is?”
– “Even if you don’t know, you’ll naturally recognize the part when you hear the chorus. At that moment, just shout it out together.”
– “Now, we’ll perform the title track of our latest mini-album, *No Spring*.”
For the grand finale, they selected *No Spring*, the song that had led to Kairos being invited to this university festival thanks to the sudden popularity of short-form content.
Even those who had been murmuring, “I think I’ve heard this song somewhere before, but what is it?” perked up immediately once the all-too-familiar chorus, which they’d heard countless times on shorts, started playing.
And as if to blow away the boredom and monotony of university life, along with the overwhelming pressure about their futures, everyone shouted together with all their might:
“Let it all burn down!”
The beautiful sight of fluorescent glow bracelets and green banners waving in unison rippled like a wave.
As Hajin looked at the outdoor plaza, which was even more crowded than it had been during the first song, he smiled with satisfaction, despite the approaching night.
As soon as the song ended, the audience naturally began chanting, “Encore!”
– “Oh my, oh dear.”
Feigning reluctance, Hajin waved his hands with a cheeky expression but spoke with genuine sincerity.
– “Honestly, I was so scared you wouldn’t ask for an encore.”
In the end, Kairos performed two more encore songs: *Again, Spring*, the pre-release track from this round of promotions, and the *Nostalgic Anime OST Medley* they had presented at past university festivals.
Even then, the excitement didn’t die down, so they performed the metal arrangement of the school anthem, the highlight of the night, once more before they could finally give their closing remarks.
– “Yes, it’s been an absolute honor to be here with you all on the last day of the Hanbit University festival. Thanks to your incredible enthusiasm, we’re leaving here with even more joy than we expected.”
Hajin smoothly delivered his final comments. There were murmurs of disappointment from the crowd, and some people started slowly making their way out of the audience.
– “I hope you enjoy the rest of the festival to the very end. And please continue to show Kairos your love and support in the future.”
As Hajin was about to give their final farewell, Siwoo, who was standing on his left, subtly lowered his head, signaling something to Hajin. Since Hajin didn’t notice the signal, Taehyun, standing in the center, tapped his arm.
– “So, until now… Huh? What?”
– “Hyung, the school anthem. You need to mention it.”
– “Oh? Ah, right. The school anthem.”
As soon as the word “school anthem” came out of Hajin’s mouth, the audience reacted again. Hajin nodded as if he had just remembered and continued speaking.
– “By the way, we’re giving the instrumental track of this rearranged version of the school anthem to you, Hanbit University! We hope you make good use of it going forward!”
A free donation of a fantastically rearranged school anthem by a top idol group? The students erupted in cheers once again at the unexpected announcement.
It might seem overly generous, but Kairos had a plan.
Since the song wasn’t an original they could claim copyright for anyway, there was no point in keeping it. They couldn’t sell it either, so giving it away as a free resource while promoting the Kairos name was a far more effective marketing strategy.
Plus, they had received a hefty appearance fee from Hanbit University, so it wasn’t a losing deal for Kairos.
However, since unmotivated generosity can sometimes lead to problems, Kang Hajin and the members agreed to set an appropriate limit.
– “Actually, you know, I’m from the neighboring area! Isn’t that right, everyone?”
This was the so-called “personal connection” move!
There are three reasons you can justify any illogical event in this world: blood ties, regional ties, and school ties.
And Kang Hajin was someone who utilized all three to the fullest.
Although his actual hometown was about a 30-minute drive away in a completely different area, trivial details like regional distinctions didn’t matter at this moment.
– “I was born and raised in Gyeonggi-do, the son of Gyeonggi-do! In fact, I even have friends currently attending Hanbit University, and I know quite a few people around here.”
Hanbit University isn’t some standardized high school. Just because someone lives nearby doesn’t mean they’ll attend a local university. Who goes to college based on their hometown? You go where your scores take you.
Still, among students with similar admission scores, many would choose a university close to home. Hajin’s friend and confidant, Hawon, was one of those students.
– “The inspiration for this rearrangement came from something a younger friend of mine who attends Hanbit University said, and seeing how much you all enjoyed it makes us feel proud and satisfied. Did you all like it?”
– “Yes—!!!!”
– “Please keep singing it, use it as much as you want, and every time you do, we’d appreciate it if you remember the name Kairos.”
Hajin finished his speech with a firm tone.
One thing worth noting was that, contrary to everyone’s concerns, he didn’t directly mention his younger brother, Hawon.
There was a reason for that.
– “Hyung, why not mention that your brother goes to this school? It’ll make you seem more approachable.”
– “Absolutely not.”
– “Why?”
Unlike the awkward, inexperienced 20-year-old Hajin from a previous timeline, who didn’t fully understand his brother’s immense introversion…
– “If I did that, Hawon would probably block me from the family registry.”
This version of Hajin, who had lived for nearly 30 years alongside the 99% introvert Kang Hawon, was highly knowledgeable about what his brother disliked and how far he could be pushed.
He had been extra cautious throughout the entire festival to avoid calling out his brother’s name on stage. If he had shouted something like, “Hawon, are you watching!?” he would have faced his brother’s scornful gaze.
– “Until now—!”
– “We’ve been Kairos! Thank you!”
So far, there had been no issues whatsoever.
– “Thank you, Hanbit University! See you again next year!!!”
…Up until this point.