Hyunsoo stared at the sheet music for a long time.
‘What kind of feeling is this?’
It was hard to clearly hear areas where the composer’s intention or the performer’s interpretation couldn’t be distinctly defined, even after reading them.
Instead of music, there was just mechanical playing.
He could force himself to move on, but… he really wanted to understand it perfectly.
-allegro con fuoco
‘Fiercely and quickly?’
While reading Chopin’s Étude “Revolutionary”, he wondered how a piece meant to be played fiercely and quickly would proceed.
He could look up performances on the internet, but he wanted to figure it out himself before checking the answers.
‘That’s more fun.’
As he focused on the sheet music again, the “Revolutionary” echoed in his mind.
-♬♬♬♬
He thought of various playing styles. Sometimes it was very rough, and other times, it felt like boiling anger was bursting out.
‘Something feels a bit lacking.’
Hyunsoo finally ‘heard’ a satisfactory piece after reading about its background.
‘So that’s what happened.’
In the early 19th century, Poland rose against Russia in a revolution but failed miserably, and its capital was captured.
Chopin’s house was looted and burned down, and his cherished piano vanished without a trace.
The beautiful place of memories was trampled in a day, and just thinking about it made his heart ache.
The helplessness and anger Chopin felt at that moment! The worry for his family came together to create Etude Op10-No12, later known as the “Revolutionary Étude.”
‘It’s much more immersive now.’
Hyunsoo read the sheet music while thinking of Chopin’s emotions.
-allegro
It’s fast. There are more than ten sixteenth notes in one measure, filling the piece from start to finish.
As a piece for practicing left-hand technique, the accompaniment is relentless.
-con fuoco
On top of that, passionately!
It’s not just fast but also full of power. The piece is dramatic even in its transitions, stirring up emotions.
‘This won’t be easy.’
Just imagining the piano keys corresponding to the notes made his fingers ache.
So much so that it fueled his determination to play.
He recalled the fun of completing pieces one by one in elementary school.
‘How much should I practice to play a piece like this?’
The harder it is, the greater the sense of accomplishment.
With a face full of anticipation, Hyunsoo closed the sheet music for now. He wanted to search for a piano to practice on as soon as possible.
‘Which one would be good?’
Though he had heard many piano pieces, he had never paid much attention to the pianos themselves.
The grand pianos played by pianists.
The upright piano he practiced on at his childhood academy?
He had no knowledge of specific brands or models, so he spent some time comparing and analyzing.
‘A grand piano for our home is out of the question.’
Hyunsoo chose a suitable digital piano after browsing.
Since he gets deeply absorbed once he starts, the fact that he could use headphones was appealing.
[Me: Can you order this for me? (Link attached)]
It wasn’t long before he received a reply.
[BestMentor: Of course. But are you okay with buying it without trying it out first? The feel and expressiveness vary greatly between pianos, so it might be a matter of preference?]
[BestMentor: I was planning to go to a music store anyway. Want to go together?]
[Me: Oh, that sounds great. It’ll be faster than ordering online.]
[BestMentor: When do you want to go? Right after school tomorrow??]
[Me: It’s fine with me, but how about you? Are you pushing yourself because of me?]
[BestMentor: I was planning to go tomorrow anyway. Luckily, our schedules matched. Let’s take my car. It’s more convenient for carrying stuff.]
[Me: I feel like I’m imposing too much. Then I’ll at least buy you a meal!]
This time, the reply came after a while.
[BestMentor: ……We’re friends, so this much is nothing. You don’t have to buy me a meal, but let’s check the time tomorrow.]
[Me: Thanks! See you tomorrow.]
‘How am I supposed to wait until tomorrow?’
Should he go back to school and play the practice piano now?
Hyunsoo hesitated, then picked up the sheet music again, feeling a bit regretful.
‘Was this good enough?’
Jessi checked the text messages several times.
“……”
In her serious demeanor, her secretary stood by awkwardly, not daring to interrupt.
“Please contact Mr. Samuel and let him know we’re visiting the store tomorrow. He doesn’t need to come personally, but ask him to show us any reserved pianos.”
“Are you buying a piano? I could go instead…”
“It’s fine. I want to see it myself and buy one that I like. Just reschedule my afternoon appointments.”
“Understood. Shall I move the horseback riding and cultural activities to the evening?”
“Hmm, no. I’ll just replace them with my day off.”
“……?”
The secretary doubted his ears.
Though there had been frequent schedule changes lately, it was the first time she moved half a day’s worth of plans.
“Will you be coming home late?”
“Probably? Oh, don’t come to work tomorrow. You’ve worked hard, so you deserve a day like this once in a while.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
The secretary tried to suppress a smile. Thanks to their long-term synergy, he handled tasks swiftly without asking why.
‘Maybe he just really wants to get off work early.’
With a rare smile, Jessi entered her wardrobe.
Clothes filled all three walls. Yet, none of them felt right.
‘Something as simple as possible.’
“Ah.”
Then she suddenly picked up her phone.
After a moment of hesitation, Jessi sent a message.
[Me: You go to San Francisco often, right? Any good places to eat?]
Vrrr-
As expected from someone who always had her phone in hand, the reply came instantly.
[JoNahGwae: What’s this? What’s this? I ask you for recommendations when I go to fancy places.]
[Me: I just don’t want to go to the same places all the time. I’m stopping by briefly for work and need a quick place to eat with my secretary before heading home.]
[JoNahGwae: Ah, I see. Quickly, huh? So you’re asking humble me for a commoner experience?]
[Me: Haha, not at all. It’s just that you meet a lot of people through MiTube, so you’ve been to many restaurants.]
[JoNahGwae: It’s fine. You can use me as much as you want. I’ll give you my ultimate favorite restaurant list. (Link attached) It’s an internal document updated by menu, so send me a photo of your underwear in return. Preferably lace.]
[Me: ……Thanks. I’ll make good use of it. See you at school tomorrow.]
She neatly ignored the latter part, but surprisingly, there were no more messages.
‘I thought she’d pry more.’
Jessi put down her phone and resumed choosing her outfit.
The next day at 4 PM.
[Music & Arts] was the most professional instrument store in the West.
Although it didn’t have many branches, it exhibited a variety of high-end concert instruments, unlike other music stores.
They provided thorough after-sales service for the instruments sold at the store. With their own repair services, it remained beloved by many professionals.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve been here.’
Samuel, the founder who was now preparing for retirement, visited the main store after a long time.
“Hello. Do you have an appointment?”
The employee, who hadn’t been working there long, didn’t recognize him.
“D-Director!”
The branch manager, who happened to be out, turned pale as if he’d seen a ghost and ran over.
-The director is here? Quickly, dust off everything! Why are the newly arrived instruments still out??
-What’s the state of the storage? If it’s a mess, you’re all done for!
There was a commotion among the employees who hadn’t been informed of the visit.
Apparently, the nightmares of the past lingered.
Samuel jokingly said,
“Haha. No need to make such a fuss. In the past, maybe, but these days, I don’t get worked up even if the store is like this. I have to watch my blood pressure.”
He meant it as a joke, but to the branch manager, it carried weight. He gave silent instructions to the staff behind him, maintaining a smile.
‘Sure, the director might have mellowed out compared to his heyday, but… why does he seem scarier?’
The store was suddenly brimming with energy (?).
Especially when Samuel rolled up his sleeves and started cleaning himself, the discipline of the store was inadvertently reinforced.
“Director, we’ll take care of that.”
“Ah, did I overthink it? Sorry about that. I cherish the instruments like my own children, so I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t mean to add pressure.”
Old habits die hard. He wanted to carefully clean each instrument, just like he used to.
He knew that the slightest difference accumulated to provide an unforgettable experience, so he couldn’t help but feel attached, despite knowing the staff’s hard work.
Since he was deprived of his cleaning tools, Samuel had no choice but to play each piano’s keys one by one.
-♩♪♫
This time, even the branch manager relaxed and said,
“We inspect according to company policy once a week and tune everything once a month.”
“That’s evident.”
Even though he had been told the tuning was recently done, Samuel leisurely played each piano piece by piece, meticulously checking the sound.
“Hmm. Did you change the tuner? To P company’s products?”
“Huh? Yes! We replaced them with the latest models a few months ago.”
“That explains it.”
“Yes? What do you mean…?”
Instead of answering, Samuel checked a few notes on several pianos again.
“Regardless of the octave, the F note is slightly flat. It’s not off by a semitone, so it’s not noticeable, but it’s not properly tuned.”
The branch manager was startled and brought out an old tuner himself.
The employee assisting him had wide eyes.
-It’s true. The tuner seems faulty. Only the F note is slightly off.
-Can a human ear distinguish that? As expected of the director… the rumors must be true.
The branch manager’s face turned red as he apologized.
“We’ll address this as quickly as possible.”
Samuel smiled as kindly as he could, but strangely, the branch manager’s movements became even more brisk.
‘They find me so uncomfortable.’
Even though he wanted to avoid interference and quietly browsed the store, the staff’s attention was drawn to him each time.
“……Welcome!”
The atmosphere shifted when two customers entered.
Despite their casual attire, typical of teenagers, the sculpted features and unimitable elegance she possessed were felt the moment she stepped in.
“Uncle. Long time no see!”
She briefly looked around before quickly spotting Samuel.
They exchanged a warm hug.
“Seeing you like this, Jessi is definitely a high schooler. We always suspected you might be a vampire, given how relentless you are in business…”
“Oh, come on, Uncle!”
She awkwardly laughed. Such a sight was unfamiliar.
Only then did Samuel notice the Asian student standing next to Jessi.
‘Youth indeed.’
At first glance, he seemed unremarkable. Unlike the instantly eye-catching Jessi, he had a subtle charm that grew on you the more you looked at him.
His gentle eyes were particularly impressive. And his thin, long fingers seemed ideal for playing instruments.
“So this is the friend buying a piano?”
“Yes. He wants to learn seriously, and I had to visit the store anyway, so I brought him along.”
‘It would have been better if he had started earlier.’
But that was from a professional’s perspective, who felt greedy when seeing talent. For an average person enjoying music, it was never too late.
“Hello. I’m Hyunsoo, Jessi’s friend. Pleased to meet you.”
Hyunsoo greeted politely.
“……It’s I who should be pleased to meet a valuable customer. If you had come alone, it would’ve been better; with stringent Jessi here, I won’t make much profit.”
“Oh, come on, Uncle. I’m not stringent. Just say I have a keen eye and am good at negotiations.”
Samuel was amused by Jessi’s desperate image management.
“That’s true. So, what’s your friend’s piano experience?”
“I’m a beginner. I learned diligently at an academy during elementary school, but I completely stopped due to busy schoolwork.”
“That’s a pity. If you had kept learning since then… Ah, I shouldn’t have said that…”
“……It’s alright. I’ve always felt the same.”
Unintentionally revealing his true feelings, Samuel awkwardly changed the topic.
“Classical pianos are fun to play and have great resonance, but these days, digital pianos are also well-made. Try playing all of them.”
Most of the pianos on display were for professionals, such as concert series or maestro series, but there were some for beginners as well.
Samuel deliberately showed the beginner pianos.
“Then, excuse me.”
Hyunsoo’s eyes sparkled with excitement like a child’s first visit to an amusement park as he looked around, then sat at the closest upright piano.
-♩♪♫♪
“Hmm?”
A piece that could be seen in beginner textbooks flowed out.
