"Hyun-ah, can you play the violin?"
Grandfather's eyes were filled with doubt. He had never heard that his grandson could play the violin. However, Son Yu-ha's gaze was still fixed on Kang Hyun. As if he was insisting that what he said was true.
"Hyeon-i oppa plays better than our teacher."
I play the violin better than my teacher? I don't know what the hell this little lady is talking about. Come to think of it, didn't she say I called winter before? As time went by, my gaze became focused on her with questions.
"Grandpa, I've only been learning for a few months."
It's not wrong. It was only a month or two of learning in the very distant past. Even that was given up because I had no talent. What about the performance at the Pyeongchang-dong mansion? To be honest, I'm not sure if I could do it again if I were asked to do it. There's no need to embarrass myself.
"You like playing the violin too, oppa!"
At that moment, Son Yu-ha's voice pierced my ears. I like playing the violin? How did that child know my true feelings that even I didn't know? I didn't know that day's performance would be so deeply engraved in Son Yu-ha. I thought it might be a child's delusion, but those twinkling eyes weren't telling a lie.
Chairman Wang's eyes were filled with strange curiosity. His granddaughter, whom he would not mind putting in his eyes, had been desperately practicing the violin recently. At first, he couldn't even guess the reason. When he heard from his teacher that Yuha had a target, famous violinists came to mind. But now he understands. Who knew his granddaughter's target was so close?
'Inspiration tank. How is it?'
Chairman Wang glanced at the old man sitting across from him. It had been decades since he had seen his face, and he was always the same.
'Son-ga, are you trying to embarrass our grandson?'
'Oh my, our granddaughter is already clinging to your grandson?'
It seemed as if Son Yu-ha was clinging to Kang Hyun. Other tables didn't hear the conversation, so they seemed quite curious. Some might be worried that Kang Hyun might be the secret son-in-law of the Jeil Group. The close friendship between Chairman Wang and Chairman Yoo was famous even in the bleak business world.
"Hyun-ah."
I raised my head at my grandfather's soft call. His gaze was as warm as the spring air. How could I refuse when he looked at me with such eyes? My grandfather must be thinking of my mother. On the other hand, my uncle's expression was extremely anxious. If someone saw him, they would think he was a dog that needed to poop.
Well, it's obvious.
A gathering of the biggest names in the business world. It is no exaggeration to say that the people here will lead the economy of South Korea in the future. It wasn't a music concert anyway, so it didn't matter if I had decent skills. Rather, it would serve as an opportunity to make my name known in the business world.
"I'll give it a try, Grandpa."
If it was just one song, it would be fine, since it wasn't a competition to show off one's playing skills. But at my words, a smile bloomed on Son Yu-ha's face. I don't know why he's doing this to me. Son Il-seon's face was also full of curiosity. Ah, that look of coveting talent. I'll say it again, it's not for this life.
* * *
'Hoo-ha!'
Park Seon-yeong was barely able to calm herself down. Somehow, she was even more nervous than when she went to the competition. The people sitting there were all unusual. On the contrary, Son Yu-ha, who could be called her disciple, seemed to swallow his nervousness and played better than usual. However, as soon as she finished playing, she disappeared and I couldn't see her face even once.
"Ms. Park Seon-yeong."
At that moment, a gray-haired manager approached Park Seon-yeong. He was memorable because of his reserved appearance.
"Excuse me, can you play one more song?"
"yes?"
At first, I thought I had misheard. But the calm eyes of the manager made my thoughts disappear. I had to go through this experience again, which I never wanted to do again. He asked me to play the piano accompaniment, not the violin. Since it wasn't my major, I was very nervous that I might make a mistake.
"They said they would pay me the same amount as I received before."
"yes?"
Park Seon-yeong raised her voice without realizing it. In fact, the pay she had already received was beyond imagination, considering she had only played two songs. But she wanted to give them that much more? I knew that was the world they lived in when I first saw the mansion in Pyeongchang-dong, but this.
"I will do it. I will definitely do it!"
The conglomerates were so great that they felt confident that they could play even in front of ghosts. At that moment, a boy wearing a bow tie slowly walked toward Park Seon-yeong from beyond her line of sight.
'I want to do it right.'
I wanted to play it properly even if it was just one time. I couldn't help it even more when I saw the look in my grandfather's eyes. It was exactly like when I looked at the picture of my mother holding the violin. However, there was one thing I had to fix in order to play it properly.
"Hello. Are you the sister who played the piano just now?"
Even at first glance, she still had the air of a college student in her twenties. If you count her past life, she was much younger than me, but what could I do? I couldn't call her 'you' as a teenage boy. Moreover, I was in the position of asking her.
"Huh? Who are you?"
"My name is Kang Hyun. This time, you will be playing with me."
Park Sun-young's eyebrows furrowed at the words that it wasn't Son Yu-ha. She probably thought it was just a brag from a third-generation chaebol. However, she quickly erased her uncomfortable expression. In any case, she only needed to receive the promised salary. It would be hard to receive this much money for one song even if she joined a famous symphony orchestra in Korea.
"Sister, before you press the first key, hold your breath and start."
"uh?"
Park Sun-young had a habit that was ingrained in her like Kang Hye-jung. Whenever she was nervous, her breathing would become rough without her knowing it. The stress of pressing the piano keys was transmitted to her pronunciation, and she must have brought such a good piano that she could read Park Sun-young's every breath. Of course, this is so minor that an ordinary person would not notice it.
"What does that mean?"
"Sister, you made a mistake when you played the second concerto. It was when the melody changed."
Park Seon-yeong's eyes grew as big as lanterns. She thought no one would notice. It must have been a second, but in that split second, she had unknowingly made a mistake in her legato. Of course, no one noticed it. If Park Seon-yeong herself hadn't been so nervous and conscious, it would have been nothing serious.
How on earth did this kid figure that out?
At that moment, deep gaze met Park Seon-yeong.
"Remember, I told you to swallow your breath."
Park Seon-yeong nodded her head repeatedly without realizing it at the boy's firm voice.
* * *
'Oh, I said it was for nothing.'
Park Seon-yeong swallowed hard at the sight of the numerous tycoons. At that moment, the boy walked up to the stage and bowed his head respectfully. His appearance was so elegant that everyone's eyes were focused on him.
Beethoven Violin Sonata Spring 1st movement.
The piece the boy wanted to play. Park Seon-young also practiced it a hundred times. Even though it wasn't a violin, she was confident that she could play a splendid duet. But does she know how to play the violin properly? Earlier, I saw that she was polite, unlike a third generation of a conglomerate. At that time, the boy spoke in a deep voice, unusual for a child.
"I may be lacking in skills, but please be kind to me."
It was a performance for my grandfather. My grandfather, who kept the violin sonatas my mother played like a sacred jar. He must have missed his mother as much as the faded photo in the frame. I thought that this small violin could comfort my grandfather's heart. I turned my head and looked at Park Seon-yeong, who was sitting on the piano stool.
Are you ready?
It was silent. However, Park Seon-yeong felt her body naturally become comfortable when she received Kang Hyun's gaze. She had experienced something like this before. When she first played with her music teacher. It was a warm feeling that she felt whenever she was with someone as majestic and strong as a mountain. But why was she feeling this way from a child she had just met?
That doubt didn't last long.
Gulp.
As Kang Hyun slowly took a stance, the violin became a part of his body like water flowing, and the tip of the bow began to shine fiercely enough to be able to play at any time. It was just a simple stance, but even that was different from others. It was Park Seon-yeong, who had played the violin for a long time. As soon as she saw Kang Hyun, she held her breath. Just like the advice he had given her.
As the room became quiet,
The violinist closed his eyes tightly.
'okay.'
My heart started beating fast.
The little violin shouts to play itself.
This moment may be fate or coincidence.
I lifted the bow.
Jiying.
How did she understand the score? How much did she have to read the score and how did she understand the composer's intentions to be able to play so densely? Park Seon-young didn't feel like she was playing the Beethoven violin sonata that was engraved in her head. It felt like she was playing a newly arranged piece. A feeling she had never felt before enveloped her whole body.
Jiying.
My breath is pounding.
Sweat drips down the keys to the ecstatic melody of the violin.
iced coffee.
A sonata where the harmony of violin and piano is important. But for now, it was good. Wherever I went, the violin did not let go and guided me. The fingers danced freely as if there was no gap between the strings. As the bow and strings met without rest, the audience's eyes were stolen and their ears moved along with the notes.
Jiying.
The beautiful melody of the violin was full of the sentiment of spring. The piano keys followed the violin as if they were bringing fluttering cherry blossoms. A series of sorrowful melodies. It was definitely a sonata that exuded the warm air of spring, but the audience clapped their hands as if they had met a lover they did not want to let go. And then.
As the bow and string fell sadly, as if they were regretting it.
iced coffee.
The time of the spring day that seemed to last forever stopped. Even after the performance ended, the audience could not move. The violinist's eyes were still closed, as if he was facing an endless afterglow. Park Seon-young could not tell whether what she was experiencing was a dream or reality. She felt like the hair on her body was standing on end, and only after the performance ended did the trembling that she had forgotten come back to her fiercely.
At that moment.
The violinist's gaze slowly turned towards the audience.