< For the Music Genius - Episode 119 >
As the conductor nods briefly, the lead member holding the oboe blows a long ‘A’ note. While the members are busy tuning their instruments to the note of the oboe, the conductor looks at them with a sharp eye and adjusts the pitch. The conductor’s chair is higher than the others’. This is because his bow must always be visible to everyone. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the conductor’s right hand is in charge of the entire string group.
“Heavy, but gorgeous―!”
The conductor controls the tone of the stringed instrument members. He presses the strings with the lower part of the bow to create an abstract tone. Depending on the nature of the piece and the conductor, it is also the conductor’s job to control the abstract tone. His cold eyes followed the bows of the members. He sharply pointed out those whose bows were going in the wrong direction, like a ghost. There was another reason why Dmitry was so sharp. It was because new members were newly assigned to each section.
Didn’t someone say that an orchestra is like war?
It’s the same no matter how great a performer you are. Even if you’ve built your career in another symphony orchestra, your status changes when the stage changes. The new members were nervous like new recruits who had just been assigned to a new unit. That’s because the heart of the London Symphony had not yet revealed itself. It was at that time.
All the members stood up at once. If there was a saying that the atmosphere changes due to the appearance of one person, would you believe it? His every step sounded like Tchaikovsky’s pathetique. The new members wiped their dry lips at the appearance of Spencer, the principal conductor of the London Symphony. His eyes were so sharp that they could not even look at him properly. Their gazes were directed to only one place. The war would definitely begin at the tip of that sharp baton.
“Maestro, thank you for your hard work.”
Dmitry didn’t ask the new members for their evaluations even after the practice was over. Even if he had asked, the result would have been obvious. If he, the conductor, was not satisfied, how could Spencer, the conductor, be satisfied? After all, an orchestra is something that needs to slowly work together. However, today, the maestro was unusually unangry. If it had been any other time, he would have clasped his fingertips together in the middle of conducting and shouted, “Cello-!” and glared at the new member who made a mistake like a ghost.
“Are you already that excited?”
“What do you mean, Dmitry?”
“Aren’t you looking forward to violinist Hyun’s return? It’s really not that long now. The members are also excited to see Hyun again.”
Spencer tried not to deny it and rubbed the bridge of his nose. In fact, Spencer’s feelings were no different from those of the other members. When Kang Hyun chose London over Berlin, he was glad to jump in. He was even more desirable after the recent solo concert.
“My old friend Spencer, may I come in for a moment?”
At that moment, a welcoming voice was heard from beyond the conductor’s office. The person who opened the door and came in was Spencer’s long-time friend and the Crown Prince of the British Royal Family. Dmitry greeted Samuel familiarly. The Crown Prince’s face was hard to see for the general public, but he actually visited the London Symphony often.
“What are you doing again? Even though you care about the people’s livelihood, you’re still wasting your hat.”
“Oh my, I came all this way just to give you a present.”
“gift?”
Samuel suddenly handed him a gray newspaper. But it wasn’t an English newspaper, it was written in Korean. As he opened the newspaper, Spencer’s eyes began to grow wider in confusion. He had no idea what it was about, but the headline had Hyun’s face written all over it. And it was Hyun walking out of the scene of the accident, carrying his grandfather on his back.
“Samuel, what does this word mean?”
The first two letters were clearly Hyeon’s name. I remembered seeing it when I visited Korea the other day. However, I couldn’t figure out what the sentence after that meant. Samuel said the sentence Spencer was pointing to in English.
“HERO.”
*
Spio Spio Mememe!
It would be true that the phone rang more than the cicadas these days. The reason was simple. Just because of one photo. Could there be such a coincidence? The media likes to exaggerate. How much more so when, at a scene of an accident where a burning car was spewing out dark clouds and turning into chaos, he carried an old man on his back with soot on his face and led a tearful child with one hand. It was a photo so good that it would not be out of place to win a Pulitzer Prize.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I know you’re busy answering the phone because of me.”
“No. Kang Hyun did something that deserves praise. Well, the chairman told me to unplug my phone for a while, so I think it’ll be okay for a while.”
The housekeeper’s face was clearly filled with pride. It was clear that she had simply carried her injured grandfather on her back and walked out, and the specific circumstances in the article were similar. The rumor had already been exaggerated. There was even a rumor going around that I had saved a person by tearing off the door of a burning car with my bare hands. That’s why I had to work so hard to ease my mother’s worries.
“Mother, it wasn’t that dangerous. Mr. Kim must have seen it. The reason the article was so big was because it was easier for the government to turn their attention to me. The economy is not doing well, so it would be more important to focus on the heroic actions of the people rather than reporting a pileup on an eight-lane highway.”
“But Hyun-ah, from now on, you shouldn’t do something so dangerous. I’m so proud of you, but I’m also worried. Okay?”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
Not only at home, but also at school, there was chaos. The occasional glances became more severe than before. It was understandable, since my face was featured prominently in the newspaper. However, it was true that it was quite burdensome since most people looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
‘What a great person.’
At the last assembly, I went up to the podium and received a certificate of merit directly from the principal. He said it was in recognition of my contribution to raising the status of the school. I don’t know how many pictures I took with the teachers that day. Even when I was accepted to the law department of Korea University in my previous life, it wasn’t like this.
“Hyun-ah, shouldn’t you change your name?”
“What do you mean, Mihyeon?”
“Look at this fan letter. I don’t envy Seo Taiji. From now on, Hyun should call you Kang Taeji.”
As Kim Mi-hyun joked, if there was something that had changed since that day, it would be that I had a lot of regular fans. They were not fans who liked classical music, but fans who liked me for who I am. Do you know the popularity of basketball players who were popular in the late 90s? No, the number of fan letters that flew into the gallery in the middle of the night, as if they knew my affiliation, was considerable. It was enough for Mi-hyun, who was watching from the side, to stick out her tongue.
“Hyun-ah, if you keep doing this, won’t you end up with a fan club?”
Mihyeon’s older sister joked half-jokingly and half-seriously. But if you look at the number of fan letters, it doesn’t seem like an impossible story. Arthur, this kind of popularity is definitely not acceptable. Moreover, popularity that’s been burning hot is like a wood fire, so it will die down after a while.
“For Hyun, how about a fan club name?”
No, this older sister?
* * *
“Oh my, our handsome grandson-in-law has arrived―!”
When I stopped by Pyeongchang-dong with my grandfather after a long time, Chairman Wang, wearing a white apron, greeted us. He looked like a perfect chef who could appear in a Hong Kong movie if he was given a Chinese food knife. Director Im Hye-ra, who followed him, clearly had an expression on her face that said she couldn’t stop him.
“Son-ga, what on earth are you wearing?”
“Haha, brother-in-law. They say that a mother-in-law loves her son-in-law, but today I caught a Siamese hen. Didn’t our grandson-in-law do something really great?”
“Son-ga, if the presidents of the affiliated companies see you now, they will be so shocked that they won’t be able to close their mouths.”
Of course, Chairman Wang had an unrivaled charisma within the Jeil Group. In a documentary looking back on the history of Jeil Group, didn’t the presidents of affiliated companies all say the same thing? Chairman Wang was a scary person, like a mafia boss.
“How is it? Does it suit your taste?”
It was a samgyetang that was boiled with various expensive medicinal herbs. I don’t know for sure, but it must have been priced incomparably higher than other foods. Even if the ingredients are good, if the skill of the person who prepared the food is lacking, it is often in vain. When I took a large spoonful and put it in my mouth, my eyes lit up. Was it true that Chairman Wang’s cooking was this good?
“As expected, my father’s cooking skills are the best, whether now or in the past.”
“Was it that delicious?”
“Yes, Father. I never succeeded in imitating this taste.”
Even Chairman Im Hye-ra couldn’t hide her admiration. It wasn’t something she usually said. Even she, a self-proclaimed gourmet, was surprised by the taste, which was truly the best.
“Yes, if I hadn’t been a wholesaler in Hamgyeongbuk-do, I would have opened a restaurant. This is the food I made for your mother-in-law when I first came down to Seoul. It was hard to find chicken in the upper village. She always ate rabbit or pheasant, so when I boiled chicken for her, she loved it so much. I added the golid that I picked from the mountain ridges during the winter to the broth. It was for the sake of my wife who was weak.”
I never knew there was such a story behind Chairman Wang’s Samgyetang. Isn’t it a heartwarming story? At that moment, Chairman Wang looked at me and made a strange expression.
“I make this Samgyetang only for our ‘family.’ Isn’t that right, daughter-in-law?”
“Of course, Father. This is the first time I have been treated like this since I promised to marry Ilseon.”
I coughed in vain without realizing it. I almost choked. As I lifted my glass of water and barely moistened my lips, I saw Director Im Hye-ra laughing. It was clear that these people were having fun teasing me. After the meal, when we were enjoying tea time, Director Im Hye-ra got up first.
“Hyun-ah, are you going abroad for the summer vacation?”
“Yes, I think I should go to London and Berlin for a month. It would be a great opportunity to meet famous musicians and experience world-class orchestras.”
“Even though you have so many talents, there are too many. I wonder if our grandson-in-law will be stolen by someone else. Brother-in-law, shouldn’t we hold an engagement ceremony as soon as possible?”
Grandfather played along with Chairman Wang’s prank. What do you know, the two people who show off their chairman’s authority in the company are always mischievous like pranksters whenever they meet? That was the time.
“Hyun-ah, what are your plans for VH Company in the future?”
“yes?”
“I heard from Director Kim that you are quite a business savvy. He said that you have the skills of an outstanding conductor. Looking at the current situation, it seems certain that your uncle and aunt will sell their shares, but in a way, it is just a small step. Isn’t it true that your uncle, who holds the largest share, is not the one who sells the shares?”
Sometimes, Chairman Wang would ask such sharp questions. I wasn’t interested in management, but I promised my grandfather that I would protect Dongju. However, in order to protect Dongju completely, I needed my uncle’s share more than anything else. Originally, Dongju was supposed to be inherited by my uncle, so the shares had been systematically given to me since I was young. My grandfather lifted his teacup, perhaps to hide his bitter taste.
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“Your uncle will stay still now that Chairman Yoo is here, but that won’t happen in the future. It could even escalate into a management fight. Since you’re smart, you should know that, right?”
Well, what use is bloodline in front of money? Especially for my uncle, it was a process of removing a stone that had already been entrenched. Just looking at Jeil Group, it was proven that money is thicker than blood. I know how Son Il-sun swallowed up Jeil Group in his past life. After Chairman Wang died, the first thing Son Il-sun did was to kick his younger brother out of the group.
“Hyun-ah, how about a bet with the grandpas?”
“A bet?”
“Yes, just like last time. Back then, the prize for the bet was a violin. This time, your grandfather and I will work together to give you the prize. However, the problem will be that much more difficult.”
At that time, Chairman Wang raised two fingers.
“Will you be able to acquire all of Dongju’s shares within the next two years?”
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