Chapter 102
"Do you want to perform?"
Professor Lee Chan-ho seemed slightly surprised and saw Soo-hyun enter his room.
"Yes, Professor."
"What kind of program is it?"
"I haven't decided yet."
"So, who is the target?"
"The elderly of Baeksa Village."
"Mmm…"
'It's a good idea.'
Although he only heard who the target was, Professor Lee Chan-ho guessed Soo-hyun's good intentions just from that.
'Good thoughts and good intentions should be praised. But even the smallest performance costs money. Although Soo-hyun receives sponsorship, I don't think he's doing a charity performance of his own free will as an educator. Because Soo-hyun's will refers to the money he received as sponsorship.'
"Soo-hyun."
"Yes, Professor."
"The people who support you. They are also people who share in some way. Of course, if it reaches them and is reborn as another sharing, they will be happy, but if you give it as charity, that is not the result they are looking for. Of course, I know what their intentions are. So, please keep in a corner of your memory the heart of those who support you."
"Ah…"
Soo-hyun had a perplexed expression.
'It was a charity concert, so it wouldn't cost much. I thought that since the donations were piling up, I could easily cover the expenses with them. I didn't even think about the feelings of those who sponsored me.'
Soo-hyun was truly ashamed and reflected, even though he was only told to remember. Professor Lee Chan-ho felt very happy when he saw Soo-hyun like that.
'Pure heart, true thoughts. The child named Soo-hyun is always like this. He's a child who makes you laugh just by looking at him. Soo-hyun is a child who doesn't know how to cheat, and he does the same in practice. A child who always does his best, with a different level of concentration than normal children. There is no educator who would not love such a child.'
"Think about it. Well, let's talk about it. Do you plan to do it as a piano solo?"
Soo-hyun's face fell completely.
'Now that I know the unexpected truth, I feel like I've made a big mistake.'
He was reluctant to answer because he felt guilty towards the many people who supported him. Professor Lee Chan-ho said as he stroked Soo-hyun's back.
"Don't worry. I won't give you the money directly. It's the beginning of another distribution, so they'll like it. What I said was just so you don't forget. So, will you answer me? I need to know exactly how I can help you."
Soo-hyun hesitated for a moment and then said.
"It's not a solo concert, I just wanted to ask Jaehee and Junwoo for help."
"Well, then it would be chamber music. A piano duo or a collaboration with violin, right?"
"Yes, maybe."
"So, could you prepare a small concert hall?"
"I'll check the schedule. I've heard there are some theater performances. They'll be using the stage during rehearsals, so we'll have to coordinate."
"Please, Professor."
"No, how can a professor stand by while his students are doing a good job? But a performance is not just about having a place and people. There are so many things to take care of. Can you do it?"
'What else should I take care of, Professor? I don't know anything. Can't I do anything just by wanting to do it?'
Professor Lee Chan-ho burst out laughing when he saw Soo-hyun's innocent expression change.
"You have someone by your side who is good at that sort of thing, right?"
'By my side? Ah… Sister Ji-ye!!'
Soo-hyun shouted "Eureka!" with his expression. He was a child whose expression revealed a lot. The professor smiled and said when he saw Soo-hyun get up as if he were going to go and tell Ji-ye right away.
"Don't be in too much of a hurry. The more you hurry, the more you'll have to go back."
'Huh? If you're in a hurry, you should leave quickly. Why are you coming back, Professor? There are so many weird proverbs.'
After bowing, Soo-hyun ran out quickly.
On the way home.
Junwoo, crouching near the school gate, looked at Jaehee, who was watching the students passing by on their way home. By just revealing her eyes, Jaehee had become the star of the school.
"Jaehee is there," Junwoo said.
Jaehee, who was looking inside the school, wondering when Soo-hyun would come out, stared at Junwoo.
"Do you like Soo-hyun that much?"
Jaehee's face turned red like a tomato. 'I can guess what she's thinking even without her answering.' Junwoo sighed and said.
"Don't you know that if you like a genius, you'll get hurt? Everyone knows that Soo-hyun is a genius. Geniuses think differently from ordinary people. This is especially true for artistic geniuses. They sometimes make things difficult for those around them, against their will."
'Yes, cool artists often cause trouble for those around them because they often have incomprehensible thoughts and actions. Soo-hyun is still young, so when he grows up and has his own established thoughts, there's a high possibility that he'll act and think differently from ordinary people. But that's too far in the future for Jaehee to consider.'
Jaehee looked towards the school, snorting as if it were funny. Junwoo shook his head and saw Soo-hyun running down the hill in a hurry from a distance. He quickly looked back at Jaehee. She must have noticed Soo-hyun too. She took out a small mirror and quickly fixed her hair.
'Oh my, you're pretty even if you don't do that.'
Junwoo grumbled and stood up, shouting.
"Nam Soo-hyun! Why are you so late?"
Junwoo got angry at Soo-hyun for no reason. Soo-hyun said, out of breath.
"Phew, phew, I'm sorry. I had to go see the professor."
Junwoo felt that he had been upset and had been bothering Soo-hyun for no reason, so he patted him on the back to help him catch his breath.
"Hey, you'll be out of breath if you keep this up. Take a break."
"Oh, oh, oh. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Jaehee."
Jaehee shook her head as if nothing had happened. Junwoo, who had become the only bad guy, looked at her with dissatisfaction, but she didn't seem to care. He sat down next to Soo-hyun after he sat down on the rock in the flowerbed next to the main gate.
"Why, professor? You're not the type to cause trouble."
"I have a favor to ask of you."
As Soo-hyun explained the performance he was doing for the elderly of Baeksa Village and asked his two friends to help him, Junwoo and Jaehee said nothing more as if they had nothing more to say.
'Of course I should do it. I don't know the people there, but if that's the intention, of course I should do it.'
"You probably don't have time because of school. Are you okay?"
"Of course it's okay. Don't you know? For our mom, Nam Soo-hyun is like a free pass. As soon as you add the word 'play together' to your name, it's all over! She must have told me to practice hard even if I had to skip a few days of school. Thanks to you, I won second place in the Beethoven Competition, hahaha."
Junwoo spoke humorously.
"What a wonderful friend you are! I'm not a friend who always blocks your way."
When Soo-hyun saw Jaehee, Jaehee nodded with a positive look in her eyes. Although she was still the type of person who didn't say things that weren't necessary, she was a good friend who supported me without saying anything.
"I'll buy you some candy," Soo-hyun said with a smile.
Jaehee and Junwoo burst out laughing at the same time.
"Another snack? We're supposed to be high-level staff, and another snack?" "Another three thousand won?"
Just as Soo-hyun was about to speak confidently, Junwoo spoke.
"It wouldn't be four thousand won, would it?" "…" "Five thousand won. Nothing less."
Soo-hyun smiled.
"Okay, I'll buy it for you."
"Well, when are you going to perform?"
"I don't know yet. The professor said he'll let me know after checking the performance hall rental schedule. I need time to practice."
"What about the song? If the three of us are going to do it, a violin concerto would be fine, wouldn't it? Or an arrangement for a piano duo."
Jaehee also seemed curious about what song they would perform. Soo-hyun spoke in a low voice.
"It's my song."
Jaehee's and Junwoo's eyes opened at the same time.
"What??"
Jaehee was so surprised she was speechless.
"Are you saying you're going to play with four songs? You only have one. And it's a piano solo. If you're going to play, you need at least ten songs, even if they're small pieces. If it's a large orchestra piece, you need at least two. Is it possible?" she said at a rapid pace.
Thanks to that, Junwoo was more surprised by her chatter than by Soo-hyun's words.
"Hey. Are you good at talking now?"
Jaehee shrugged, surprised at herself. But she didn't take her eyes off Soo-hyun, as if she needed to hear the answer. Soo-hyun nodded and said.
"Someone is helping me. I'll finish it before the performance."
Although it seemed like he was wondering who helped him get there so quickly, Jaehee nodded slightly without a word, expressing her trust in Soo-hyun. Junwoo said this as he rubbed his hands as if he found it amusing.
"Hehe, that's great. It's Nam Soo-hyun's song, right? It's going to be fun! Is my body itching? Hehe."
Soo-hyun, with his eyes full of gratitude towards his two friends who believed in him, said as he got up from the rock.
"Let's go. We also need to ask Sister Ji-ye for help."
"Ah! That's a good idea. If it's my older sister, she'll take care of everything meticulously, including the elderly and everything else. It's her specialty. Let's go! I want to eat at your house for the first time in a long time."
The three people disappeared excitedly towards Soo-hyun's house. To anyone who saw it, it might have looked like a group of good friends walking home, but a sinister shadow crept from behind a pillar in the flowerbed where the children were sitting. She was a senior from the violin department who had asked Jaehee for Soo-hyun's phone number. On her way home, she happened to overhear the conversation between her three friends and smiled as she saw them disappear into the distance.
'The genius Nam Soo-hyun composes a song. And performs it?'
Her hand, with which she took out her cell phone, moved so fast that it was invisible to the eye.
The next day. When Soo-hyun arrived at school, leaving behind Ji-ye, who had even praised Soo-hyun for his admiration and volunteered to help, Joo-young, his middle school classmate, leaned forward and whispered.
"Soo-hyun." "Oh?" "Did you say you were going to perform?" "…?" 'How did you know? Did Junwoo tell you? Jaehee doesn't say anything.' "How did you know?" "There's a rumor going around the school. It's not just a performance. You're saying you're going to compose a song? Is that true?" 'Oh my, is that what the rumors were saying?' "Uh… well, that's true." "You're too much." "Huh?"
Jooyoung with a disappointed expression.
"I'm your partner. I only hang out with Jaehee and Junwoo all the time."
'You live far away. And your parents come to pick you up after school and always leave early, so how can you spend time with them?'
Jooyoung, who saw that Soo-hyun had a bewildered expression, tapped the desk with a pen and said.
"Piano trio." "Oh?" "You, Junwoo, and me. Let's play the piano trio!" "…"
Soo-hyun's face went blank.
'Did Jooyoung just express her intention to participate?'
"Are you guys going to do it together?" "I'm not asking you to do it with me, I'm asking you to join in. The kids' group chat is on fire. There are so many kids who want to join in." "…?"
Soo-hyun didn't know what kind of influence he had at school. No, it's true that he didn't care. For the students, this concert was not just a free charity concert, but also a stage for the genius Nam Soo-hyun to present his songs, and the students who thought that participating in it would be of great help to their careers were desperate to get in line with Soo-hyun right away. Soo-hyun stared at Jooyoung's face. Jooyoung said it as if he were telling me to answer quickly.
"Are you going to put it in?"
"Huh? If you help me, I'll be grateful…"
"Yeah! That was great!"
Jooyoung was cute. That's why she was so popular. Although she wasn't as pretty as Jaehee, she was a child who was loved by many people for her unique charm, so her excited appearance was also very cute. At that moment, the back door opened and several men and women rushed in, surrounding Soo-hyun and Joo-young.
"Soo-hyun. I'm Jinyoung Lee from the cello department." "Nam Soo-hyun. I'm Ryu Young-hyun from the violin department." "Can I talk to you for a moment? I'm Yeom Cheol-jin from the flute department."
Students surrounding him. Soo-hyun, who was dazed, had no idea what was going on. I could hear everyone talking in unison.
"Including us too."
- - - - -
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