Episode 024

Doo-woong.

Between chords, he steps on the damper. His long fingers move ceaselessly across the keys, as if they are dancing madly along the notes written on the staff. Accent! The strings scream as if thunder suddenly strikes. A melody that seems to contain the rage of his entire body. The large beads of sweat running down the keys proved that he was out of breath all the way to his chin.

"under."

The hard piano bench felt soft. The fingers that had to press the keys delicately felt heavier than ever. The tingling sensation in my temples felt like bugs were crawling on me. The dawn felt more like a reflection of my own hazy mind than a refreshing feeling.

Crunch.

The two hands that were clenched on the piano keys fell. The keys let out a strange scream, leaving a lingering impression. Baek Jeong-hoon was not satisfied with his own performance. After winning second place in the Chopin Competition, he was described in his home country as the next-generation maestro who would lead Korean classical music. However, such a flattering remark made his whole body feel even more oppressed.

Baek Jeong-hoon raised his palm and wiped his face. Cold sweat fell like raindrops. He had met the idol he had dreamed of since he was young. How eagerly he had waited to meet Mr. Hirose. When the collaboration was decided, he was happier than when he had won second place in the Chopin Competition. He could finally stand on the same level as his teacher. But.

"What an idiot."

Self-criticism. I made a mistake while collaborating with my teacher. It was a moment too short for the audience to notice, but my teacher was different. However, my embarrassment was short-lived, and my teacher covered up the mistake with a graceful melody. It was possible because there was a significant difference in skill. I realized that my thoughts when the collaboration first came true were arrogant.

When I went to the teacher's waiting room after the collaboration,

The teacher seemed to have already forgotten my mistake. I couldn't bring myself to say sorry. The guilt and shame that overflowed from my eyes were projected onto my face, but I tried hard to hide it. That's how much of a fool I was.

"Let me apologize."

Even if the teacher had forgotten, it was right to apologize. The guilt that hung in my heart was enough to make my fingers heavy. Besides, there was still a collaboration left. I couldn't bother the teacher's recital any longer.

The moment you make up your mind,

'Therefore, that child is clearly different.'

A scene came to mind.

"Who could it have been?"

The child who captured the heart of Mr. Hirose. After the recital, I asked Goro-san separately, but the answer I got was that he didn't know. I couldn't believe that the child who stole the heart of the empress was in Korea. But if it was true.

"I want to meet you."

*

Thump.

Yoo Jin-seok entered the Ichon-dong mansion with a dirty look. It was his first time visiting his grandfather's house alone without his mother. He was so nervous that cold sweat formed on his back. It was because he was afraid that he might run into Kang-hyun.

The look in my cousin's eyes, which I occasionally saw, was exactly like when my grandfather scolded his uncles. Thinking about that scene still makes my hair stand on end.

"Jinseok, did you come alone?"

The housekeeper looked at me with a puzzled expression when she saw me appearing alone without my mother. I nodded briefly without saying a word and looked around the mansion with anxious eyes. If it hadn't been for my mother's request, I would never have come alone.

'Jinseok, Mom will follow you, so go in first. If Grandpa gets angry, call Mom secretly, okay?'

Why are you making me do this?

My mother had become increasingly anxious since my uncle was fired from the company. How could she have been used as a vanguard? I didn't want to, but I had no choice but to follow her because I didn't know what would happen if I didn't listen. At that time, the housekeeper said with a troubled expression.

"How come there's no one in the mansion right now?"

huh?

What does this mean?

Exactly thirty minutes later, Mom came into the mansion, holding a bunch of food in both hands as if she had been waiting. Of course, the food wasn't made by Mom, just like before. But whatever, it tasted a hundred times better than what Mom had made, so Grandpa would like it too.

"Eugene Seok, you?"

Mom opened her eyes wide and looked at me. Oh no. I forgot to call you. My heart, which had been shrinking since I heard that Grandpa and Kang-hyun were gone, had finally calmed down. At that moment, the housekeeper greeted Mom. Her face still showed a look of incomprehension. It was understandable since she and her husband had been visiting the mansion in turns since morning.

"Big lady?"

"Ma'am, is your father in the study now?"

Mom seemed ready to hand over the luggage to the old lady and move on. But her steps stopped at the words that followed.

"Your Majesty is not at the mansion right now."

"What do you mean? I heard you didn't even show up to work today?"

I thought it was a good opportunity to finally get some points.

"You went out with student Kang Hyeon early in the morning."

what?

"Where did you go? Pyeongchang-dong?"

The housekeeper looked troubled for a moment at her mother's questioning voice, but then answered.

"You went to Japan."

It was a moment when my mother's eyes filled with shock at the completely unexpected answer. But on the other hand, I felt relieved. Isn't this the perfect opportunity to not see my grandfather, and that bastard Kang-hyun, for a while?

* * *

"Hyun-ah, is this your first time on a plane?"

My grandfather asked with a kind smile. Of course, it was the first time in this life. In my previous life, I took an airplane like a taxi. Anyway,

'Gimpo Airport.'

There was no Incheon International Airport yet. By now, construction on the airport site in Yeongjong Island would be in full swing. Gimpo Airport was as nostalgic as the old-fashioned Stella taxis. However, the number of police officers in blue uniforms was more than expected. This is proof that the aftereffects of the KAL bombing incident still remain even after several years.

"Hyun-ah, you have to take off your shoes when you get on the plane."

Grandfather made an unexpected joke. His expression was quite serious, as if he was trying to fool his grandson. Well, whatever. If it makes Grandfather happy, I'll take off my socks and ride.

Hot.

As the plane rose and took off,

My grandfather grabbed my hand. He must have been worried that his grandson might be surprised. I tightened my grip as well. After refusing to go to study abroad, my grandfather suddenly decided to go to Japan. He didn't even bring a secretary with him, fearing that his grandson might feel burdened. There must have been many reasons, but the biggest one was probably because he wanted to give his grandson a memory with the vacation almost over.

[Narita Airport]

Narita's airport wasn't much different from what it was in the past.

Thump.

As I walk with familiar steps, my grandfather's strange gaze lands on the back of my head.

"Hyun-ah, do you even know how to speak Japanese?"

Gulp.

I was in trouble because I just walked in after seeing the sign. I was going to just say that I understood after seeing the English written under the Japanese.

"Yes, I studied a little."

What good would it do to fool my grandfather? In fact, my Japanese skills were also excellent. When I left the Western District Prosecutors' Office and entered Jeil, there were many scandals related to preferential treatment for former officials, so I had to move around overseas branches unintentionally. Thanks to that, foreign languages ​​became a necessity rather than a choice. My grandfather's eyes were filled with disbelief. But soon he smiled and patted my head.

"Yonsuk, you can't tease Grandpa. If you look closely, you can see that he's reading the English under the sign."

uh?

Without even being able to say anything, my grandfather took the lead and started walking.

Of course, whatever it was, I followed my grandfather with brisk steps.

*

Okora Hotel Tokyo, the Japanese hotel that South Korea's Sili Hotel modeled after. I guess Chairman Wang always stayed here whenever he visited Japan. The hotel is filled with an elegant and antique atmosphere. The ceiling is so high that you wonder how they clean the chandelier hanging there.

"Hyun-ah, is there a place you want to go?"

I didn't know why my grandfather chose Tokyo. The biggest reason would be because it was in Hirose, which is called Empress, and the reason he chose the Okora Hotel was because of Disneyland. Isn't it a place that makes children excited just by hearing the name? However, I didn't plan on going around that big place with my grandfather. It was better to enjoy a hot spring bath than to ride an amusement ride that didn't suit my personality. And.

"Grandpa, there's a place I want to go."

There was just one place I wanted to go.

A place I never missed visiting whenever I visited Tokyo in my past life. A small ramen shop run by an old couple soothed my body and mind when I was tired from being in a foreign land. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I ate ramen for three meals a day. The reason was simple. It was because I projected my parents' image onto the old couple. I was a fool at the time who had no confidence in letting go of the lump in my heart.

By coincidence.

The old couple's shop was located not far from the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Of course, it was not on the road, but in a back alley, so if someone who didn't know saw it, they would have thought it was a house, as it was a shop with basic facilities. It didn't even have a sign.

"Hyun-ah, how do you know about places like this?"

I told my grandfather that I had seen it in a magazine. Nevertheless, my grandfather's eyes widened as he saw me moving through the alleyways as if I was coming and going from his own house.

As we entered, we lifted the cloth covering the restaurant entrance called noren.

"Thank you."

A woman with a calm voice greeted me and my grandfather.

It's a welcome face.

In the kitchen that I could see briefly, I could see the still young owner. I sat down at the seat that he guided me to without showing it. When I finally ordered traditional ramen with my fluent pronunciation, the old man opened his eyes wide. It seemed like he was thinking about the incident at the airport that he had thought was just a joke.

Slurp.

It was still a delicious ramen. As I drank the rich broth without hesitation, the old man smiled. The owner also glanced at me with curious eyes. It would probably be too much for a young child to eat, but it was surprising that he ate it so well. By the time the broth was almost empty.

"Hyun-ah, did you bring your wallet?"

"yes?"

For a moment, Grandfather Ilsun's eyebrows curved strangely.

"Wasn't Hyun-i alive today?"

The ramen I was holding almost flew out of my mouth. My grandfather couldn't hide his smile because he thought I was cute. At that moment, my head slowly turned. And then I carefully opened my mouth.

"Grandpa, do you want to make a bet with me?"

"bet?"

My grandfather's lips moved at my sudden suggestion.

"I'm going to guess the occupation of the person sitting in the single seat over there."

In the small ramen shop where four or five adults could fit, there was one more customer besides the old man and me. From the way he sat, the way his fingers moved, and the way his shoes moved habitually. I could tell what his job was as soon as I saw him. It was like drawing a picture in my head.

one side.

'what?'

Baek Jeong-hoon, who was eating ramen at a store in an alley, felt something ticklish in his ears.