Chapter 76
Professor Hermann crumpled the scoring sheet and frowned. He turned to the judges and said with a frightening face,
"That boy who just finished playing. Who chose him?"
Eight judges. Ten people were to be chosen. One of them bowed as he finished his performance. The young man's performance was poor, but the audience still applauded.
'But the judges shouldn't do that.'
When three of the judges, who had cowered in fear at Professor Hermann's terrifying face, raised their hands, Professor Hermann said with a pitiful look in his eyes,
"You gave three votes to a boy like that? Do you think you deserve to sit here?"
The judges bowed their heads. Although they sat here as fellow judges, Professor Hermann was considered a leader among them. Moreover, the performance they had just given sounded bad even to their own ears. Hermann, who had been staring at the judges who were bowing their heads in silence because the result was inexcusable, apologized to Professor Lech.
"I feel ashamed to have come all this way, Professor."
"Haha, please don't be like that. It makes me embarrassed."
Professor Lech's word saved the judges' lives. Professor Hermann also spoke, as if he had no intention of uttering any more insults, as he listed the next participants.
"Five out of ten people have been judged, but I haven't chosen any yet. How about you, Professor?"
"Me neither. But I'm looking forward to the next contestant."
"Haha, me too. Is it a Korean student named Junwoo? I heard a rumor that Professor Hermann was after him."
"Haha, rumors spread like wildfire. I found out that the professor had already set his sights on Soo-hyun. Since I don't think I can get close to him, I'm going to try to win him over. He has the same talent as Soo-hyun."
Professor Lech also nodded in agreement.
'Why is a boy like him only now beginning to shine? His skills are amazing for someone his age. To be more precise, it's fair to say that his level of interpretation of the song surpasses his technical skills. A child who received instruction from Professor Lee Chan-ho. However, according to Professor Lee Chan-ho, he received more instruction from Soo-hyun than from the professor. In that case, we must assume that the ability to interpret music came from Soo-hyun.'
Professor Hermann, who was looking at Junwoo with shining eyes from the seat next to him, wouldn't have even dreamed of it.
'But that doesn't mean Junwoo's skills are fake. That boy is also a genius with a solid foundation. The story is that the skill he's showing now is Junwoo's original skill plus Soo-hyun's guidance, which makes it more than 120% effective.'
"The piece is… Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor, WoO 59, 'Für Elise'?"
"It's a good song. It's cheerful and easy; many children play it, but it's difficult to play it with the right emotion."
Junwoo greeted them briefly and took a breath as he sat on the piano bench.
'It's just a competition, but the audience seats are full of people, which is very annoying. Many of them must have come to see Soo-hyun. Were there any spectators who came to see you?'
Junwoo closed his eyes and got rid of his distracting thoughts as he repeated it in his mind.
"Just as Soo-hyun told me."
Junwoo, who had his hands on the keyboard, seemed to be listening to Soo-hyun's voice, who was probably in the waiting room.
"This song was originally titled 'For Therese,' not 'Elise.' It was written by a publisher who mistook Beethoven's handwriting, which was very bad, for 'Therese'.""Who is Therese?""Therese Malfatti, the niece of Dr. Malfatti, who was my primary physician. He even proposed to her, but was rejected. She was a beautiful woman with curly black hair.""Curly black hair? How do you know?""…Anyway. What do you mean? Do you mean just play while thinking of a woman with curly black hair?""Have you ever fallen in love with someone?"
Junwoo kept his mouth shut because he couldn't say that he was currently in the process. Soo-hyun told Junwoo that.
"Think of the face of the woman you like. You have to perform it while thinking of an impossible or unattainable love."
Junwoo, remembering his conversation with Soo-hyun, began to play slowly. Even as the boy began to play, he constantly thought of Soo-hyun's guidance.
'Simple, but touching and beautiful. Seemingly shy, but passionate. The left hand only plays a supporting role in the chord. The volume of the sound continues to vary. Lastly, as if conveying the words of my heart.'
Junwoo, who was playing the piano, did not close his eyes. A shadow slowly appeared behind the piano he was playing.
'I don't remember Jaehee very well when I first saw him on the way to school. I didn't pay much attention to him. But Jaehee, whom I met on the way to Soo-hyun's house. I remember the girl who had cut her hair that covered her eyes and was still silent, but who looked at me with her round eyes.'
'It's better to pass it on to someone.Like a cold.Something that can only get better if you tell someone.The fever called love.The only reason I hesitate isBecause I know you're sick like me.Knock on the window and hide your tracks.As the raindrops travel a long way,Before I knew it, a river called you was already flowing.The country makes deep waves in the sea.The stars reflected in the sea are broken.Even if a storm comes,A single ray of wind called you,Creates small ripples.Going to someone other than me,If I can catch your eye.I'm going to hate myself like that again.The person you're looking at,I also have different eyes from you,Because I'm the one who's looking.'
Professor Lech stroked his chin as he watched Junwoo's performance reach its climax. Professor Hermann kept smiling, as if he were very satisfied. It seemed he thought his decision was the right one. Professor Lech knew the whole story of the incident, but he didn't intend to belittle Junwoo's skills because of it. Acceptance was also a skill. When Professor Lech smiled slightly and checked the pass grade, all the judges, including Professor Hermann, checked the pass grade at the same time. Professor Lech put down the scoring sheet before the performance was over and said with a satisfied smile,
"This is Korea. I've heard that it's been getting a lot of attention from the classical music world lately. There are a lot of talented people there. Could it be because of Chairman Park Ki-jun of Geumhwa Asian?"
Professor Hermann nodded, wondering if Chairman Park Ki-jun's reputation was known even in Germany.
"The Korea University Center for Musical Education for the Gifted, to which Soo-hyun and Junwoo belong, is sponsored by the Geumhwa Asian Group, right? I've heard that they buy expensive musical instruments and even offer them for free to talented students with financial difficulties. Chairman Park Ki-joon's will to support music is clearly different from other entrepreneurs."
"That's why kids like that keep coming out."
Junwoo continued to play as the professors chatted. Junwoo was having a new experience. He had played many songs, but this was the first time he had felt this way.
'Sometimes, when I practice alone, I feel like the piano has taken me over. But now he has complete control of the performance. Also, there was a mistake. If it were my old self, I would have frowned the moment the wrong touch occurred. You must have been punishing yourself and panicking, thinking that you had practiced so hard for this competition and ruined everything with one mistake. That would have resulted in another missed touch and ruined the entire performance. But not now. No physical contact will stop me from speaking the language of love. I just confessed my love shyly and stuttered a little. The truth will surely be revealed.'
Junwoo grew one level higher. When Junwoo finished playing the piano, expressing his feelings for Jaehee to the end, the audience applauded as he took his hands off the keyboard. The sound of the ceremonial applause and the sincere applause were different. The sound of the applause was clearly different from the previous stage. But for Junwoo, there was something more moving than the sound of the applause. Junwoo, unable to get up from the piano stool easily, trembled with emotion.
"This is the world that Soo-hyun sees."
'I want to try it again. I want to take one more step, one more bite. But unfortunately, the time allotted to him was over.'
Professor Hermann smiled when he saw Junwoo slowly get up and greet him with a regretful heart.
"Hehe, look at that boy's face. Doesn't he look disappointed? Even after playing so well."
Another judge, who was also smiling with satisfaction, said,
"Could it be that a wrong touch occurred on subject B?"
Professor Hermann shook his head.
"No, that boy didn't even care about the wrong touch. You can tell from his reaction. Maybe the audience didn't even know that a wrong touch had occurred?"
As Professor Lech nodded in agreement, the judges nodded in agreement and applauded Junwoo. Junwoo, who had responded to the audience and entered the waiting room, walked past the next contestant whose legs were trembling with nervousness.
'I feel empty. I felt relieved after the last round, but this time it's different. It's a shame. I don't have any feelings left to show. I feel like I'm stuck to that piano and I don't want to let go.'
In the distance, I could see Soo-hyun sitting on the sofa in the waiting room with his eyes closed.
'Have you always lived in a world like this?'
'That must be why I couldn't keep up. I had no idea that a world like this existed.'
Junwoo walked slowly and stood in front of Soo-hyun. He had his eyes closed, but his ears were perked up as Soo-hyun spoke.
"That was a good performance."
"…"
When Junwoo's answer was not heard, Soo-hyun slowly opened his eyes. Junwoo's expression. An indescribable regret was visible.
"What's wrong?"
Only then did Junwoo's legs begin to tremble. It seemed that the tension had been completely relieved. Junwoo sat down next to Soo-hyun and exhaled deeply.
"Uh… how was it?"
"Pass."
"Haha, are you a judge?"
"If the judges aren't fools, then it's definitely a pass."
"Didn't you know that only three contestants will advance to the final round?"
"I know what you're saying."
"Haha, okay. Thanks for your kind words, but we'll have to wait and see the results to know."
The sound of a piano was heard, indicating that another participant had begun to play. Soo-hyun raised his head and said.
"If the old man had heard you play, he probably would have said this."
"Sir? Oh, do you mean your teacher? What do you think he said?"
Soo-hyun smiled as he looked at Junwoo, who seemed to be expecting something.
"If anyone makes fun of this, tell them to come to me. I'll break that useless earpiece."
Junwoo's mouth opened wide when he heard Soo-hyun's unusually harsh tone.
"Your teacher must be a very aggressive person."
As Soo-hyun nodded with a sigh, Junwoo asked again.
"Can I meet you too? I'm so curious."
"Who?"
"Huh? It's not just one person?"
Soo-hyun said, holding out and then closing three fingers.
"But you're in a place where I can't meet you."
"What? Are you meeting?"
"That's because it's me."
"Fuck, just say no."
"Haha."
Junwoo, with a twisted face, opened his mouth again.
"Tell me what he usually says. Maybe it can help me. Is that okay?"
Soo-hyun smiled brightly and spoke in a low voice.
"Playing the score wrong can be forgiven, but playing without passion is inexcusable." "Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy, because music is the electrical soil in which the soul lives, thinks, and creates." "Music is a mediator between the spiritual and the real world." "Music is an invisible door to a higher world of knowledge that mankind can comprehend, but which humans cannot comprehend."
There were some words that were a little difficult for Junwoo to understand. But he was surprised to find himself nodding. As the performance of the previous participants was coming to an end as they were talking, Soo-hyun, who stood up when it was his turn, said.
"Finally, I have to find the answer to the question that comes to my heart and soul. That is the reason for music," he said.
Soo-hyun's back, walking slowly towards the stage, looked especially dazzling today.