Episode 020

"Brother, play it for me!"

She hangs like a cicada on an old tree. Where did her rough demeanor when we first met go? Now, she follows me around like a country dog. If I imagine her past life as the Ice Queen, I can't understand it at all, but what can I do? I guess I should think of it as my destiny.

"Yuha, it's time to review the studying you've been putting off."

I haven't had music lessons for a long time. Of course, that doesn't mean I was lazy about studying music. I was called a soloist in my past life and passed the bar exam with equal honors, but studying law wasn't that fun back then. Why is learning music so much fun?

"Eek."

Son Yu-ha let go of my sleeve without hiding her regretful expression. She looked so cute that I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh my, Hyun is here today too?"

At that time, Park Seon-yeong appeared carrying a violin case.

'Come to think of it.'

I haven't really seen Park Seon-yeong play the violin. She only played it briefly when she was working on a practice piece. That's strange. I heard from Yu-ha that she used to play other pieces often.

As the class continued, I caught a glimpse of Park Seon-yeong that I had never noticed before. Occasionally, her face showed signs of impatience and impatience. For some reason, she seemed to be being chased by something. Of course, it was difficult for the young Son Yu-ha to understand such complex emotions of others. How could I know this just by looking at her?

As I worked as a prosecutor, I got to meet all sorts of people. Some people committed murder with a normal face, while others had all sorts of vicious faces and were falsely accused. Maybe that's how I naturally learned to read other people's minds.

"Okay, Yuha is fine."

When Park Seon-yeong took her gaze away from Son Yu-ha and looked at me, she was startled when she saw my eyes and her eyes turned into rabbit eyes.

"Teacher, are you worried?"

Park Seon-yeong swallowed hard at the unexpected question.

"Teacher, is your face that obvious?"

I nodded briefly. What is there to hide? If it's such a serious concern, it's not the time to be tutoring.

"Actually, I'm worried because my playing skills haven't improved."

huh?

It was an unexpected answer. Well, if it was a common concern, I would have been willing to listen as a senior in life. Of course, I don't know how honestly Park Seon-yeong would tell me when I was 14. But still, what about her performance skills? Park Seon-yeong was already a talented violinist. If not, she wouldn't have been able to teach music to a wealthy family. That was when it happened.

"Hyun-ah, actually, I have a favor to ask."

Park Seon-yeong looked at me with her eyes shining as if she had remembered something. It was a bit awkward, but there was nothing I could do. I was the one who opened the door first.

"Teacher, can you please watch me play?"

"yes?"

I raised my voice without realizing it.

"You helped me develop a habit of playing the piano before, didn't you?"

Park Sun-young had not forgotten the experience she had had. Although she had been learning music her entire life, Kang Hyun had immediately discovered habits she had never known about. Somehow, she felt like Kang Hyun would be able to figure out her problems now.

Under Park Seon-yeong's persistent gaze,

I couldn't help but nod my head.

The second hand of the clock ticked away without stopping. Son Yu-ha was already absorbed in watching Park Seon-yeong play the violin.

Jiying.

As the last melody and the tip of the bow reached the floor, Park Seon-yeong let out the breath she had been holding. Sweat was dripping down her forehead. Well, how should I explain it? The performance was perfect. There was definitely no misunderstanding of the song, pitch, or even beat. It was a continuation of performances that were almost like a machine.

"Isn't it perfect?"

Park Seon-yeong responded to my answer with a dispirited expression, saying, "Really?" It was as if she didn't know what to do. I thought about Park Seon-yeong's performance in my head. Yes, there are some problems.

"Well, teacher, don't think too far ahead when you play."

Her playing was so perfect that it was a problem.

For a moment, Park Seon-yeong's eyes filled with doubt.

"I think the teacher thinks one tempo faster every time he plays. It feels that way even more when he alternates between using the up and down bows."

For example, if computers are developed in the future, the violin melody played by the machine will be similar to Park Seon-young's melody. The problem that occurred because they pursued perfection in order not to tolerate even a single mistake. They would have pursued perfection even more whenever something was wrong. So how could they know what their own problem was?

"What good is it when the technique is perfected, the melody dies."

Park Seon-yeong looked as if she had had cold water poured on her head.

*

"Brother Jinseok, it's been a while."

My aunt's son, Yoo Jin-seok, nodded his head in surprise at my voice. He's a small child, but he still gets nervous sometimes when he sees me. Of course, I would pull my own hair in a place with many adults. How on earth did this guy commit fraud in the future?

The Ichon-dong mansion is full of people. My aunt and uncles and their wives have barged in. The reason is simple. Today is my grandfather's birthday. However, since they are all gentlemen who have never heard good things about themselves, they are all feeling discouraged. In particular, my uncle, who was fired from his company, has a look of anxiety on his face.

"Happy birthday, father."

Grandfather sighed at his uncle's voice.

How could they be happy? They are all children who are always thinking about something.

"Happy birthday, Grandpa."

"Okay, thanks."

Still, perhaps because he was thinking of his grandchildren, the grandfather smiled belatedly.

It was a quiet mealtime, as if silence had fallen over the table. Even my aunt, who would normally have taken the lead in trying to please my grandfather, was just watching. My uncle, who couldn't stand to watch, met my eyes as he was checking my grandfather's mood, and his expression seemed to say, "That's right."

"Hyun-ah, when summer vacation is over, will you come back? I'm sorry that I didn't do much for you while you were in Seoul."

Oh my, you keep blurting out things you don't mean. My uncle, who always couldn't hide his uncomfortable gaze when he saw me sitting at the office. After attending a banquet with me the other day, his guard had gotten even worse. At that moment, my aunt didn't miss the opportunity to say something.

"By the way, wise man, it's your father's birthday, so you should at least show up. You only come when you need to. How nice it would be if you came on a day like this. Don't you think so, father?"

As my grandfather's eyebrows furrowed, my aunt quickly shut her mouth.

"Don't worry, I spoke to Hyunja and Kang Seobang this morning."

At my grandfather's words, not only my aunt but also my uncles' eyes widened as if they were lanterns. Even so, my mother seemed surprised by the mention of Kang Seo-bang. She had never acknowledged her youngest daughter's husband as her son-in-law all her life, so what kind of harmony was this? She seemed to deny all of this behind her quiet deafening silence.

"Oh, Dad. Come to your senses. Our Jinseok will be representing his school in the National English Contest. The parents around him are furious and asking how I taught him English."

My aunt quickly changed the subject. But of all things, English. My uncle must have remembered my English skills from the banquet he had seen the other day, so he kept his mouth shut like a mute. My grandfather seemed to be listening to my aunt's words.

widely.

Then my grandfather put down his chopsticks and looked at me.

"Hyeon-i will live here from now on."

What is this?

But it didn't end there.

"Kang Seo-bang and Hyeon-ja will also come up to Seoul soon."

The faces of my uncles and aunts were filled with shock at the unexpected news of his arrival in Seoul.

* * *

Drumroll!

It was a thunderous roar.

Spencer's baton is like magic. The members who hold the instrument are all captivated and drawn by the magic. Like a lighthouse that illuminates those adrift in the vast ocean, they are captivated by Spencer's conducting. It is not simply about showing the progression of tempo, the control of rhythm, or the direction of melody. His detailed coaching that encompasses the entire score is beyond words.

There are many great masters, including Haydn, the father of symphonies, Schubert, the improvisational, Beethoven, and Handel, the praiser. Their symphonies, which have engraved their names in history, were later reinterpreted and resonated by the fingertips of many conductors. However, I can say with certainty that no one was as persistent and committed to interpreting music as Spencer. He was still like that.

The members all felt their hearts beating wildly. They were all famous performers with brilliant careers. However, when they became part of the orchestra under Spencer's direction, they were filled with joy from head to toe, just like when they first learned music. That joy was contagious, capturing the audience's attention, and when the endless melody reached the ceiling, at last.

The baton swung across the air,

Drumroll!

At his fingertips, the orchestra finally becomes one.

*

"Dmitry."

The conductor Dmitry understood the hidden meaning in Spencer's short words. Even after leaving the stage, Spencer does not greet each member individually. It is the same with the pianist who performed the concerto with him. He also does not treat guests who come to visit him at all. Despite all this, the chief conductor of the London Symphony is famous for watching the recorded video of the performance over and over again until the tape becomes worn out.

"Maestro."

Dmitry carefully handed over the tape recording the live performance. Spencer looked down at the tape in his hand for a long time. He was very satisfied with the performance. There were no mistakes from the members, and it seemed like a performance worthy of the London Symphony's reputation. However, there was something that kept tugging at his heart like a fishhook.

Crunch.

As Spencer clenched his fist, Dmitri opened his eyes wide. It was clear that something had changed in his mind. But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure out why. Maybe he had made a mistake during the performance that he didn't realize.

"Dmitry, do you think you have a prodigy?"

Then Spencer's dry voice was heard.

prodigy?

What was the Maestro trying to say? Dmitry's cold eyes were filled with doubt. But he soon shook his head and answered.

"Well, Maestro······."

Of course, I believed that there were musicians of a different class in the past. However, seeing their true colors up close made me change my mind. There may be differences in talent, but without effort, you can't overcome them.

At that moment Spencer stood up.

"Take a look at this."

Spencer pushed the tape he had received from Samuel into the machine. Dmitri's curious gaze landed on the picture tube, and soon the video began to play, followed by a brief silence.

'A little child?'

A little boy who looked Asian was standing on the stage.

How much time has passed?

"Maestro, this is."

It didn't make sense.

Spencer knew the shock on Dmitri's face without even looking. Even he doubted his eyes at first. There was still a long time left until the Asian tour. However, the child's performance could not leave his mind. The emotional melody along with the flowing, natural technique was not something he could easily imitate.

"Where are you from? If the masters there saw this child, they would probably be eager to take him as their disciple."

what?

"Or maybe you already have an outstanding teacher."

Why didn't I think of that?

That there might be others besides yourself who covet this child.

At that moment, Spencer jumped up from his seat as if his butt was on fire.