< For the Music Genius - Episode 101 >
“uh?”
Why do my wrists feel empty? The sleeves of my school uniform that used to fit me perfectly have become worn out. This is the moment when my choice of milk instead of juice shines. Even a small improvement is good. There is a saying that a little goes a long way.
“hyeon-!”
When I went downstairs for breakfast, Dr. Tikhonov greeted me warmly. He was wearing an apron. It was a familiar sight by now. My mother and the housekeeper loved the witty Dr. Tikhonov. Learning to cook was as intensely focused as studying chemistry.
He was the one who did it.
“Boss, this morning I made soybean paste stew and stir-fried pork.”
If you look at it, you’d think he’s a chef who’s been evaluated on a reality show. His grandfather is a notorious judge. Dr. Tikhonov’s face was clearly tense. I thought he was someone who had his nervousness removed from his DNA, but I guess not. His grandfather slowly made soybean paste.
As he took a big spoonful of the stew, the doctor’s throat shook loudly.
“Mmm, this is really tasty, Doctor.”
It was true. The color, the savory smell, and the taste that evoked admiration. If someone who didn’t know ate it, they would think it was the taste of a grandmother with white hair. Dr. Tikhonov clenched his hands as if he was secretly delighted.
“By the way, Hyun-ah, what time is the graduation ceremony today?”
“It’s one o’clock, Grandpa.”
“Yes, Mr. Kim and Mrs. Ajumma will all go together.”
Doesn’t it look like a big family is moving? In my past life, it was a middle school graduation ceremony that my mother went to alone because my father was busy with the laundry. That was when.
“Boss, can I attend Hyun’s graduation ceremony?”
“Of course, I would appreciate it if you could come, Doctor.”
Even Dr. Tikhonov said he would come to the graduation ceremony. I beg you not to prepare too many bouquets. However, contrary to my wishes, Dr. Tikhonov’s face was already clearly excited. If someone who didn’t know who the graduation ceremony was, they would mistake him for him.
“Hyeon, you were in charge of giving a speech as a representative for the graduation ceremony, right?”
“Yes, Grandpa.”
“Have you prepared well for the field trip?”
Of course, I had prepared so much for the past life’s litigation, field trips, and congratulatory speeches that I was almost sick. I couldn’t count how many times I stood on the stage as a trainee representative when I was at the Judicial Research and Training Institute. Fortunately, the auditorium at Jeil Middle School was large. Six people from my family already attended.
hani.
“Oh, and I heard that Yuhane’s grandfather is coming to congratulate you on your graduation.”
“Is this Yuhane’s grandfather?”
“Yeah, Hyun has been singing a song for a few days now, saying that you absolutely must attend your graduation ceremony. It looks like Lim Jak-ga will be coming too.”
Aren’t people who you would only see in economic weekly magazines gathering one after another? I never dreamed that a big shot in the business world would attend my graduation ceremony. I had a feeling that the principal would be more nervous than I was.
*
“Maestro Spencer?”
Yuri doubted her own eyes, because she had encountered a familiar face in the hotel lobby.
“It’s been a while, Maestro Yuri.”
“What brings you here? I thought you were in London for the royal performance.”
“The performance ended last week. I came back to Korea for a short while to take care of business. Today is the day that our prospective members graduate from school.”
Yuri’s eyebrows rose at the word ‘unit’. However, Spencer was no pushover either. The hotel manager was at a loss at the appearance of the two foreigners with unpleasant impressions. The atmosphere was unusual. It was as if he was watching a dragon and a tiger fight right before his eyes.
“Me too. The first student I ever taught is graduating from school today. What a coincidence.”
“Maestro Yuri, did you just call me your disciple?”
Spencer opened his eyes wide and asked again. Only then did Yuri’s expression become triumphant. Of course, since he had taught him something, it wouldn’t be strange to call Kang-Hyeon his disciple. “Ahem, even if we are teacher and disciple, that doesn’t have any influence on deciding whether to join an orchestra. As you know, I also received instruction in Vienna, but I am currently in London. The eternal Maestro Gustav was the same. Choosing an orchestra is about dressing a musician’s soul.
It remains to be seen which clothes fit best.”
The manager’s expression gradually became anxious. Aren’t they foreigners wearing expensive-looking suits at first glance? They were all old and had a tremendous aura. Their voices were quiet, but their conversation was fierce as if they were about to fight. In the past, nobles quarreled.
It must have been like this. That was when.
“We seem to have drawn some attention to ourselves. Excuse me, Maestro Spencer.”
Just as Yuri was about to politely turn around.
“Maestro Yuri, can I ask you one last question?”
“Of course.”
“What did you teach to the one who is your disciple?”
Spencer’s eyes still had a look of incomprehension. Of course, it was because Spencer knew the one who called himself his disciple better than anyone else. At that moment, Yuri smiled faintly, as if showing off his lion’s fangs.
“This is command.”
*
match-!
The members’ eyes were all focused on the sound of clapping. Their eyes were all alive. Didn’t they practice endlessly during the winter vacation? They were kids who had never prepared for an orchestra. The melodies that were off-key and off-key at first now fit together like cogs.
The faces of the children who had just finished their final rehearsal were a mixture of tension and excitement.
“I’ve performed with many orchestras so far, but you have the most fierce hope of any orchestra I’ve ever seen. Let’s show that hope to our parents today.”
In fact, I have performed with the London and Belgian symphony orchestras, but aren’t they all world-class orchestras? Of course, the students’ skills were incomparable to theirs, and there was a world-wide difference, but at times like these, I needed to raise my morale.
“Hyun-ah, do you have a moment?”
It was Jin-ho who was in charge of the orchestra. Just a moment ago, he had been talking with the string instrument members with a serious expression on his face. He must have felt a great sense of responsibility because he had to decide the direction of the bow and the mood of the melody. However, he showed his nervousness in front of me without hiding it.
“Can you look at my posture again?”
“okay.”
Was it because of the Spartan training Baek Jeong-hoon received? Jin-ho was now playing the solo part quite satisfactorily. The problem was that he still didn’t trust himself.
“Jin-ho, you’re doing very well. But why are you so anxious?”
“My parents are coming today. My father hates the fact that I do music, and he doesn’t even know that there’s a performance.”
Aren’t they still children who were born and raised by their parents? At times like this, I, as the elder, had to give them faith. It feels like I’ve become their homeroom teacher.
“Don’t worry. If you see today’s performance, you won’t be able to do it without your father’s permission. Jin-ho, you told me before that your dream was to become a great violinist and join the Berlin Philharmonic. The maestro of the Berlin Philharmonic will probably praise you when he sees today’s performance. He said you were a great conductor.
hey.”
“Thank you for saying that, Hyuna.”
“I’m not joking.”
Yes, I was confident I could really surprise the Maestro.
* * *
“There will be a speech by Kang Hyeon, a third-year, class 7 student, representing the graduating class. Everyone, please be quiet.”
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In this life, I have had many opportunities to hold the microphone. When I went up to the stage, I saw graduates and many parents. There were so many people that it would have been impossible to accommodate them if it had not been the main auditorium of Jeil Middle School. Among them, my grandfather and Wanggureongi old man stood out.
The principal’s forehead, sitting in the front row, was covered in beads of sweat.
Knock knock.
I tested it by touching the mic twice and then lowered it a bit to fit my height.
“First, I would like to express my gratitude to the teachers and classmates who entrusted me with the great responsibility of being the valedictorian. There is a saying that the end is another beginning. I would like to say a few words to the juniors who gave their farewell speeches to the departing graduates and to the friends who are now starting a new beginning.
I want to say, “Don’t be afraid of failure.”
In a way, it was like saying something to everyone in the auditorium. It is not like that now, but isn’t it a phrase that is often quoted in congratulatory speeches by famous people in the future?
“I think that if you are afraid of failure and do not even try, that in itself is a failure. There is a saying that spring comes only after a harsh winter has passed. No one knows what season we are walking through now. Now that we have left middle school and are entering a new beginning called high school.
Take on the challenge without hesitation for the sake of your future. If you had not taken on the challenge out of fear of being stranded, there would have been no New World for Columbus. Sometimes, a strong tidal wave will blow, and sometimes you will cut through the calm waves. But do not forget. You are the captain of the ship that sails the sea of life. That is the ideal.”
Rather than giving a touching field trip that would make me, someone who rarely experiences school life, cry, I thought it would be better to give realistic advice. However, now that the field trip is over, the room is too quiet. It’s as if it’s filled with silence. At that moment, I wondered if the topic was too heavy.
match-!
People rose from their seats with applause. Soon, the sound of clapping like a wave covered the whole body.
*
‘Don’t be nervous.’
Suddenly, I realized it after I got on the podium. I was not looking at the audience, but at the eyes of the members. It felt like I was a general at the forefront of the battlefield. I looked into the eyes of each member who had finished tuning. I had to let them know. They had to be nervous now.
It’s not you, it’s the audience.
It was a small orchestra, but it was pretty much in sync. The chattering audience became as quiet as mice at the serious gazes of the members. I looked down at the conductor. The conductor, whose eyes met mine, pursed his lips and nodded.
‘Okay, let’s give it a try.’
As my hand slowly reached into the air, the giant instrument began to move.
piano-!
The piano, which was in charge of the accompaniment, including the arpeggio, struck the keys along the direction of the sharp fingertips. The importance of the conductor is, of course, in controlling the tempo. Then, wouldn’t it be enough to simply have a metronome? Arthur, the direction of the melody was also spread out from the tips of these fingers.
Doesn’t it seem as if the emotions of the huge instrument are alive and moving?
Starting with a lyrical introduction, the gentle sound of the lakeside continued. The members were absorbed in the performance, swallowing their tension as if it had never been like that. A feast of pure and clear notes. Andante cantabile, the solo part of the movement began amidst the slow, singing melody. Shoulders and posture
It was perfect. The movement of the left hand holding the string was also beautiful. The melody was flowing as if it was captivating, and it ended at the signal. At that moment.
Drumroll!
A strong sound that reminded me of Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique struck my ears. Beautiful flowers do not bloom easily. The fingertips crossing the air gradually became sharper. The eyes of the members, filled with tension and excitement, were filled with joy. Everyone was watching my fingertips.
And the strings were turned on. The melodies tickled my ears, competing with each other, as if trying to make flower buds bloom.
Jiying.
The deep sound of the cello was melting the coldly frozen melody. As the finale approached, my heart pounded along with the movement of my fingertips. It was a score that had not even been titled. It was a song that was written down while simply looking at the buds blooming vigorously. As the finale approached, the members’
The horse was covered in sweat. They were moving their fingertips even faster in time for the finale.
The members who met my gaze must have known that they were following along very well. As a conductor, I told the members with my fingertips to prepare for the last sound. Didn’t the lively melody resonate as if it had been waiting for it? The audience must have been holding their hands tightly.
And you will be surprised. At the end of the exciting feast of evil thoughts, there was a huge shout.
‘Show it to everyone.’
At that moment, as the fingertips cut through the air to give a signal, the string group quickly lowered their strings following the conductor’s bow.
Jiing―!
An unbelievably soft and refined sound. The orchestra was saying that spring had finally arrived.
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