Chapter 106
After another week, seven scores were given to each member. Not seven songs, but one. The members looked at the score with anticipation. However, since it was a song composed only for the piano, they did not perceive it clearly. At that moment, a file sent by Soo-hyun was uploaded to the group chat where they were all gathered.
[Soo-hyun: I recorded the piano so you can understand. Please listen and complete your part.]
Junwoo said after seeing Jooyoung looking at her cell phone.
"Jooyoung, did Soo-hyun send you the music file?"
"…"
'What? Are you listening to me? You're not even wearing headphones? Are you chewing?'
"No, that's not it," Jooyoung said, holding her cell phone tightly. "It's the first time I've received a text message from Soo-hyun. Even though we're a couple, it's the first time in a year."
Junwoo chuckled.
'There are many things to be impressed by, punk.'
"Since Soo-hyun will be playing the piano in that song, we don't have to practice. We just have to join the piano trio."
"Yes, I know. But I'll listen to you anyway."
"Can I borrow your headphones?"
"I have my own."
It was impossible for a music student to be walking around without headphones. Jooyoung put them on after confirming that there was still plenty of break time left. Junwoo, who didn't want to disturb Jooyoung's appreciation, waited for a moment as he was about to return to his class, wondering about Jooyoung's appreciation.
Jooyoung opened her eyes slightly. She looked down and then slowly raised them to look at the sky outside the window. Then, Jooyoung, who had been nodding her head with a faint smile at the end, took off her headphones and laughed cheerfully as the music playback ended.
"It's great! As expected, it's Nam Soo-hyun!"
Other curious students came over and said,
"We want to hear it too!" "Is that Nam Soo-hyun's music? Just give me one earphone."
Jooyoung quickly took the earphones out of her phone, put them in her bag, and shook her head firmly.
"Hey, I'm not your senior, Yeong-eun. Why don't you listen to it in a public place?" "Not just anyone can go there!" "Well, can we go in too? I heard it's for guests only." "Stop and tell me!"
But Jooyoung was determined. As Junwoo, who was smiling at Jooyoung, who was gesturing for him to hurry up and leave, went out into the hallway to return to class, Youngeun was standing right in front of him.
"Hello, sir." "Huh." "What brings you here?" "I have a question." "What is it?"
Yeong-eun took out the printout.
"This part here."
'Ah, so you compared the score to Soo-hyun's poem.' Junwoo was stunned to see the printout that Yeong-eun handed him. Both the poem printout and the score were covered in black notes.
'Is this the score that Soo-hyun composed himself?'
When Junwoo looked at Yeong-eun with a surprised look on his face, she spoke with a slightly embarrassed look on her face.
"Is it a little messy? I'm sorry. I write scores a little messy."
'I didn't mean it to be a mess.'
"Thank you," Junwoo said as he handed back the printout.
"Oh?"
"Thank you for your consideration."
"Ah… it's okay."
"Senior."
"Oh?"
"I don't like you, senior."
"…"
'I have nothing to say. I know it was my fault.'
"I'm sorry…," Yeong-eun bowed her head.
Junwoo looked at Yeong-eun, who was sincerely reflecting on her actions.
'He's four years older than us, isn't that too much?'
"Can I call you sister?" Junwoo asked.
Yeong-eun looked at Junwoo in surprise. Then Junwoo clenched his fist with an expression that denoted anger.
'What the hell! When Soo-hyun's son says something like that, everyone gets excited! Why does everyone look like they've found a snake in the grass when I say it?!'
When the witty Junwoo shouted, Yeong-eun's heart melted and she burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, no, not that kind of thing."
"Can I call you sister?"
"Huh."
"Okay, sister. What's your question?"
Yeong-eun, who remembered the main topic she had momentarily forgotten, compared the poem and the musical score and spoke.
"I think this song was created from the accident that Soo-hyun's parents had. But I wanted to ask about the word suggested at the beginning of the first movement, 'Grave,' because it seems strange."
"Why is that?"
"Isn't this supposed to mean 'very slow and majestically'?"
"Yes."
"I heard separately that Soo-hyun had a train accident. I thought, when fate suddenly knocks on your door, shouldn't it start a little more shockingly?"
Junwoo smiled.
"In the section that immediately follows, the tempo changes to allegro, creating a sense of gloomy impact. It's probably because it's a piano piece, so it feels different from the violin."
"Well, maybe?"
"What a surprise. Why don't you try to express it, sister?"
"Me, me? But this is…"
Junwoo said it, striking a cool pose for no reason.
"Soo-hyun said it. Let's all do it together."
"But it's Soo-hyun's song…"
"This is something you can discuss with Soo-hyun, so why are you hesitating?"
Yeong-eun bowed her head. Perhaps she wanted to do the same. But she hesitated because of the mistake she had made. Junwoo said, tapping the score.
"Try preparing it. Soo-hyun might like it."
Junwoo walked with a calm and swaying attitude, acting like he was in his second year of middle school, and even raised one hand and waved it.
'Do you know how stupid you look?'
But Yeong-eun burst out laughing and seemed to be at ease. Yeong-eun, who had been silently looking at the score, nodded slightly and clenched her fist.
"Ah, are you inviting us? Are you saying you're going to put on a show?"
Baeksa Village, visited after a long time. As soon as he saw Soo-hyun, Jaehee, and Junwoo's faces, Uncle Young-hoo, who had been serving ramen water and telling them to eat, looked surprised. Young-hoo looked back and forth between Soo-hyun and his friends, who were nodding their heads, and asked.
"Hey, when's the show?"
"Two and a half months later."
"Are you really going to perform for us? How much are the tickets?"
"Hey, what money do you accept? I'm just preparing it out of gratitude."
"You're the only one who's grateful. Didn't you just say it was an orchestra performance?"
Young-hoo swallowed with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Is this a performance by students from the Korea University Center for Musical Education for the Gifted?"
"Yes."
'Although it's a student performance, the other students are children who are considered geniuses in Korea. If you go without thinking and feel like you're watching a school play, you're going to get a bloody nose.'
Soo-hyun said, hugging him tightly.
"Are you coming?"
As the ramen water boiled and white steam rose, Young-hoo muttered in a daze.
"I… am I going to see a classical play? And all the people in this neighborhood…?"
Young-hoo's expression became as if he were in a dream. Soo-hyun urged.
"Are you coming?"
"Huh? Oh, that's right, I work on weekdays. The people in my neighborhood are also having a hard time, so many of them work on Saturdays."
"That's why I decided to start on Sunday. I've heard that a lot of people go to the church at the entrance of the village. So I plan to start in the afternoon, after the church service."
"Really? How delicious!"
"Then I'll contact you once the date is set."
Junwoo said, lightly tapping Young-hoo, who still had a look of disbelief.
"But sir, all the water will evaporate."
"OK?"
"Ramen, ramen."
"Ah!!!"
I was startled and quickly opened the lid of the pot. The water was bubbling like lava. Soo-hyun, who was watching Young-hoo quickly put in the ramen, smiled and said to Junwoo.
"The ramen you made was delicious. Is this your first time?"
Junwoo swallowed. Junwoo's mother didn't cook him ramen because she said it was bad for his health.
"Oh, it's your first time. Jaehee, have you tried it?"
Jaehee nodded. Young-hoo looked at Jaehee, who seemed to have come to his senses a little. He wanted to ask, "You're still quiet, aren't you?", but he was worried that Jaehee might have a physical problem. But fortunately, Jaehee looked at Soo-hyun and said.
"Did you finish a symphony already?"
'Phew, that's a relief. He's not a completely mute child. But what did you just say? A symphony?'
Junwoo was holding him.
"No, there's a piano solo and one more symphony."
Jaehee showed her disappointment with an expression asking why he didn't tell her. It seemed that Soo-hyun, who felt more comfortable trusting the boys, only told Junwoo about it. Soo-hyun said with a smile.
"I finished it yesterday. I was going to tell you today. Junwoo found out last night on the phone."
Jaehee, with a look that said, "Still, I'm sad." Young-hoo, who was sitting boiling ramen and loosening the noodles with tongs, laughed at Jaehee that way. Looking at Soo-hyun, it seemed that he had no idea of Jaehee's feelings.
'You're a genius only in music, but you don't know anything about the opposite sex.'
I remember being extremely surprised when I read an article about his victory in the Beethoven Competition. I didn't know anything about Soo-hyun when he won the Chopin Competition, so the news that he won the Beethoven Competition was even more shocking. Young-hoo, who only then realized how great Soo-hyun was, still couldn't believe Soo-hyun's words that he was preparing a performance for them.
When Junwoo, who was about to drool, came to the table with the kimchi given to him by the grandmother next door, he quickly grabbed his chopsticks and ran to them, but then he stopped and looked at Soo-hyun. Young-hoo, who didn't know English, looked at the two people alternately and asked.
"Why aren't you eating?"
Junwoo silently put down his chopsticks and spoke as he looked at Soo-hyun's expression.
"The adults should eat first."
Young-hoo burst out laughing. This guy definitely seemed to be the type of guy who had once heard something like that from Soo-hyun.
"I've already eaten. Come on, eat!"
"Yes, then! I'll enjoy it! Slurp, slurp!"
'Even though it's the first time I've seen him, he's a very witty child. Wait, I think I've seen this child somewhere…'
"What's your name?"
"I'm Junwoo."
"Junwoo? Where have I heard that…"
Young-hoo's eyes widened as he watched Junwoo eating ramen as if he were possessed.
"Hey, runner-up in the Beethoven Competition?"
I remember seeing it in an article. It was a big hit in the news for a while, saying it was a great feat for the same school to win both first and second place. Junwoo was eating ramen while waving his hand as if it were nothing, but for some reason, he felt as if his shoulders were getting heavy.
"A performance that included the winners and runners-up of the Beethoven Competition… for us…."
I felt like tears were about to burst out. A strange boy I met by chance during a street performance in front of a subway station and followed him to the bus. The connection from that moment came to me and became the present. Young-hoo, whose nose was tingling as he sensed Soo-hyun's feelings, looked at Soo-hyun, who was smiling beautifully, and expressed his gratitude from the bottom of his heart. Because I was a little embarrassed to say it out loud. Young-hoo, who was touching Soo-hyun's curly hair for no reason, coughed and said.
"Ahem, but did you dye your hair?"
Soo-hyun touched his head and smiled.
"No."
"Almost white hair… no, silver hair? Didn't they say anything at school?"
"They didn't say anything because I didn't dye it."
Soo-hyun's hair, which was still black but had become closer to silver overall.
"Is it okay? Shouldn't you go to the hospital?"
Soo-hyun said, looking up at the sky, as he played with his curly hair with his fingers.
"It's okay. To me, this is a trace of the old men."
"Huh? What kind of uncle?"
- - - - -
Great news, everyone!
For those of you following Pianist's Village, it's now fully translated and complete on my Patreon!
If you want to read the entire story from start to finish, now is the perfect time to join.
You can find it here: @Patreon/iLikeeMikee
Thanks for your support!