Episode 034

"There's someone who surpasses Andrei."

Russian master Alexei's eyebrows furrowed roughly. However, his deep eyes were still focused on the TV. The movements of his left hand, which was holding the strings, and his right hand, which was holding the bow, were like looking at a painting. In particular, when he was preparing vibrato, he focused the audience like a master at his peak.

"Hey, how old was the youngest ever winner of a competition?"

"The youngest was Andrei, a violinist from Russia. He was twenty-one years old."

Eva answered someone's question right away. As it is a competition with a long history, many geniuses have gone to Brussels. However, Eva was speechless at the image of the child projected on the TV screen. A young boy who seemed to be a little over ten years old at most.

"how!"

Everyone simultaneously let out a sigh of admiration. This was not a typical Beethoven interpretation, but a performance of the sonata through his own interpretation. When the bow and strings touched each other as if whispering love, sweaty hands clenched involuntarily. When he projected the spring day by putting his emotions on the strings, it felt like cherry blossoms were falling. Yes, it was the end of a sorrowful spring day. The maestros were captivated by the child's sonata. It was as if they were possessed.

At the end of a silence that seemed like it would last forever,

"What nationality are you, Chinese?"

Chinese master Deng Lun had hoped for something. However, he looked away in disappointment at the answer that followed. The masters were silent and sparing in their words. A sieve that had to screen hundreds of people. In fact, most of them did not listen to even a single note of the new talents' performances. They did not like their posture, said that the first note was rotten like a rotten apple, and that they were trash with good performance but no emotion. But now, they had been lost in thought for over an hour.

"Does this make sense? This kid has never participated in any competition except this one in Brussels!"

The child's resume, as clean as a pure white sheet of paper, made the masters doubt their eyes. Despite his skills, he had no real competition history, and he didn't even have a teacher to teach him. Only then did I understand why Queen and London showed such great interest in him at the same time. If they hadn't shown interest after hearing his performance, they would have both gone deaf. That was when it happened.

"Is it okay if I hear it again?"

It was Deng Lun's suggestion. It seemed to represent everyone's feelings.

*

'There are a lot of foreigners.'

Foreigners could be found quite often in the hotel. It was an era where the image of a tourist hotel was no longer maintained. It could be seen that a large-scale transformation into a business hotel had begun. Of course, the peak would come in a few years. It was a bitter taste, like chewing on a bitter persimmon.

"mother?"

The restaurant I visited with my grandfather already had customers. Two very familiar people. My eyes widened at the sight of my father, dressed in a suit, as well as my mother.

"Kang Seo-bang, thank you for your hard work coming here."

"Oh, no, sir!"

Mother's face was filled with emotion. It was probably because she never imagined that the word "father-in-law" would come out of father's mouth. Grandfather also patted father's shoulder for no reason and released the emotions he had been holding back. I couldn't help but smile at the unexpected encounter.

"Hyun-ah, are you okay?"

To my grandfather's question, I nodded like a little child. In my past life, it would have been something I couldn't even dream of.

"Kang Seo-bang, if you need my help in the future, don't hesitate to ask me. I'll help you to the extent I can. Are you not interested in the chemical industry? Judging from what you studied in college, it seems like it would suit you quite well."

Say you're interested, Father!

The chemical industry, which is at the center of high added value, will continue to develop infinitely in the future. It will not only be a cash cow, but also a good foundation for many areas of the 4th industrial revolution, including IT and bio-industry. It is not for nothing that large companies have rushed into the chemical war. Moreover, the unique new materials that Dongju will develop in the future will become the source that will enable us to overcome all kinds of storms that will come in the near future.

Looking back on Dong-ju's past life, I couldn't help but feel sad. Dong-ju, who would have been a goose that laid golden eggs even if left alone, has disappeared without a trace. Anyway, if you can make up your mind, I will help you with all my might, Father!

By the way.

'Why is it so noisy?'

The Western woman sitting across from me was raising her voice sharply. She was making excessive gestures as if she was not happy with the situation she was in. That damn lady was talking about something important right now!

* * *

"Brother! Really?"

Son Yu-ha hung on with an excited expression as if she would fly away at any moment. Oh my, I wonder if my neck will fall off. Son Yu-ha, who would grow tall and long like the Ice Queen, had long arms and legs compared to her peers. Compared to her, I was short. Let's just hold on for a little longer. In a few years, we will grow exponentially.

"Hyun-ah, it's so great that you can stay in Seoul!"

Park Seon-yeong also didn't hide her joy. It seems that this girl likes it more for another reason. My father couldn't make a decision on my grandfather's proposal. However, I will definitely make my parents come to Seoul somehow. It is a chance to completely untie the emotional chain.

"Oh, Hyun-ah. You sent the tape to the contest too, right?"

"Of course."

Fortunately, I had a video I shot at the banquet. I hate annoying things. Anyway, I wonder when I'll get a call. Well, this is an era when the Internet is not widespread, so there is no separate Hamheung tea ceremony.

"The selection process is probably in full swing by now, since there are thousands of applicants for the contest."

That much?

There were quite a few more than I expected. I guess that's to be expected since it's an international competition.

"They said that they would only review the videos of 200 people who were selected after reviewing their resumes, so the rest wouldn't even have a chance. That's why I was worried. Since you, Hyun, don't have a resume, you'll have a hard time with just a letter of recommendation."

Of course, she is the Queen of the Strings and the Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. Their reputations are so great that no one can deny them. But when I saw Park Seon-yeong's expression, I also felt nervous for no reason. If I had known this would happen, I should have asked Gardner too.

'Tsk.'

My mind is so excited that all sorts of thoughts come to mind.

"What happens after that?"

"Out of two hundred, sixty are selected by tape alone, and only these will perform in Brussels."

This, this, there is no other world where the law of the jungle is completely the law of the jungle. But somehow, it feels familiar. In my past life, didn't I pass the bar exam that thousands of people and tens of thousands of people had hoped for? Not only did I pass the bar exam with the highest score, I even beat out the "flying" talents at the Judicial Research and Training Institute. Now, it's a bitter memory that has faded as far as it can go.

"Twenty-four are chosen from sixty, and after another three-round preliminary round, the final twelve remain. They have many names. What is certain is that if they are among those twelve in the violin world, they will be able to compete on the world stage without any shame."

"Then, those twelve people don't run in the primary?"

"Of course. This is where Baekmi starts."

Park Seon-yeong looked at me with an excited look. Before I knew it, even Son Yu-ha was listening with his ears perked up.

"In the area of ​​Brussels where the Battle of Waterloo took place, there is a secluded mansion called the Chapelle. Twelve violinists practice there for eight long days, and the whole thing is broadcast. They even practice their assigned pieces and free pieces."

what?

It was the first time I heard about it. What is Chapel? What is a training camp? And media appearances? This is even more annoying than when I was at the Judicial Research and Training Institute and they said they would come to film a documentary for 5 days. I remember how much I suffered from interviews as the head of the Judicial Research and Training Institute at that time. Park Sun-young looked at me with a puzzled expression when she saw my brow furrow.

"Oh, and if you win the competition, I'll let you borrow a violin made by a master."

I think exemption from military service is more important than that. But when he heard about the violin, Son Yu-ha jumped up from his seat.

"Hey, let's turn it on!"

Park Seon-yeong looked at me in surprise at Son Yu-ha's sudden words. I knew what Yoo-ha was talking about. Gulp, thinking about the fantasy, my throat trembled on its own. Should I really touch it? Didn't I hesitate for a long time back then? However, Son Yu-ha had already disappeared before I could hear my answer. Ah, that ice bucket.

How much time has passed?

"Brother, turn it on quickly!"

Son Yu-ha proudly appeared carrying the violin that Chairman Wang had hidden. Park Seon-yeong looked dumbfounded at the sight of the old violin case. I had no choice but to accept the case from Son Yu-ha.

Plague.

My heart starts pounding like crazy again.

As I carefully took the illusion out of the case, Park Seon-yeong, who had been watching from the side, opened her eyes wide. It was Park Seon-yeong, who had majored in violin all her life. She must know what kind of instrument I was holding in my hand. Someone once said, "I would sell my soul to the devil if I could feel the melody of the Stradivarius directly." Park Seon-yeong's swallowing now looked exactly like that.

Thump thump thump.

In a throbbing heart,

I only heard the fantasy.

It was at that moment. My heart, which had been pounding wildly, regained its composure as if it were a lie.

*

Ding dong!

The housekeeper who was cleaning the Ichon-dong mansion straightened her back at the unexpected doorbell sound. It wasn't even time for the old man to come yet, and Kang Hyeon was in Pyeongchang-dong at that time. The young lady and her husband had gone back to the province. Could it be that the old man's other children and their wives had come to visit? With that in mind, we crossed the garden and went out the front gate.

"You got mail from overseas?"

The postman greeted the woman.

The old lady received the mail, but she couldn't tell who sent it. It wasn't even in English, and the sender's address was written in an unfamiliar, crooked handwriting. She thought it might have been sent to the wrong person, but she didn't know. It might have been addressed to the old man.

But the letter began like this.

-Dear violinist, Brussels.

Originally, the letters were supposed to arrive to the sixty preliminary contestants after two weeks. The sender was Brussels, Belgium, and unusually enough, the master himself wrote the letters. The reason they wrote letters to one person two weeks early was simple. They wanted to meet the child in the video as soon as possible.