Not long after the semester began, Xiao Man was approached by the student council's arts committee representative. He asked her to join the school's newly formed choir, explaining that they were preparing for an inter-school singing competition. The winners would go on to compete at the regional level, and placing there would bring great honor to their school.
Xiao Man tried to decline, citing her demanding study schedule, but the persistent arts director went straight to Mr. Cheng.
Mr. Cheng explained that with National Day approaching, the higher-ups had organized this special event to both liven up the holiday atmosphere and show their support for campus arts and sports. Upperclassmen were generally too busy studying to participate, so they were recruiting freshmen. Moreover, the training and rehearsals wouldn't take up much class time since they were held during the morning or evening reading periods. It wouldn't be a major disruption, so she might as well participate.
