Thump thump thump―!
Yuri felt his heart pounding wildly.
‘Amazing.’
Yuri couldn’t help but be in awe as he watched Kang Hyun ascend the conductor’s podium. His unwavering gaze and steady posture seemed to declare that he wasn’t nervous at all. Despite this being his first orchestra experience, he behaved like a seasoned veteran who had faced such situations hundreds of times. He seemed like someone born to conduct.
The audience at the graduation ceremony was abuzz. The eyes that had been curiously glancing at Yuri were now captivated by the conductor on the podium.
The crowd, which had been whispering at the dignified greeting, instantly fell silent. Everyone was overwhelmed by Kang Hyun’s charisma.
Dudududung―!
The notes on the staff seemed to come alive and ripple from his fingertips.
Yuri had already looked over the full score. However, the music he had imagined from the sheet music was quite different. Even though the notes were the same, there was a clear difference in the directionality and resonance of the melody.
‘How on earth.’
Yuri couldn’t understand it at all. With a single movement of Kang Hyun’s fingertips, the orchestra came to life like marionettes.
Moreover, the melody of each instrument felt three-dimensional, as if there was a diaphragm adjusting the volume.
Initially, he had focused on teaching harmony, composition, performance techniques, and knowledge. He believed that only with a solid foundation could one build a great tower on top of it.
That didn’t mean he hadn’t taught conducting. Theory and practice are distinctly different, so he had imparted more know-how in a short period than others could ever hope to.
Yuri realized that Kang Hyun had already surpassed the scope of his teachings.
Thump thump thump.
As the finale approached, his heart pounded even harder.
The grand resonance of the piano accompaniment resembled the timpani of a tragic symphony, providing a majestic touch.
They were not particularly skilled performers. However, the potential was fully realized through Kang Hyun’s fingertips.
Yuri couldn’t hide his admiration for the appearance of a natural-born conductor. The audience felt the same way. Initially puzzled expressions were now filled with excitement.
“Maestro Yuri.”
It was Spencer who had approached at some point. His eyes, which always seemed angry, now clearly showed disbelief.
The continuous feast of musical inspiration. As a conductor, gauging the capabilities of an orchestra was the easiest thing. Thus, it was all the more surprising.
Could the hands of a young boy really cut through the air so effortlessly?
Especially the start of the grand and solemn finale, which sent shivers down Spencer’s spine.
For a moment, he looked like a maestro among maestros.
“Did you really teach Hyun how to conduct?”
Yuri couldn’t easily open his mouth to Spencer’s question. He doubted whether he could even claim to have taught him.
“This place is known for its excellent Mapo tofu.”
There’s a saying that the highlight of a graduation ceremony is a Chinese restaurant. In the past, when it was hard to eat jajangmyeon, people eagerly awaited this day. A famous group singer even sang a song about it, didn’t they?
But this was excessive. How many gourmet dishes were already on the round table? A feast of unfamiliar dishes. Even the common jajangmyeon had an extraordinary texture and gloss to the noodles.
“The chef here used to serve the Chinese president.”
Of course, Chairman Wang, a gourmet, wouldn’t enjoy Chinese food at an ordinary place.
“I don’t know if it will suit your taste, but I hope the maestros also enjoy it.”
It had unexpectedly turned into a large family gathering. Moreover, the composition was anything but ordinary.
Starting with a business tycoon, world-class maestros, and even a genius chemist. The server’s eyes widened at the attention-grabbing group.
“Mr. Son, why so much food? I expected something extraordinary when you said you’d treat us, but I never imagined this.”
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s my granddaughter’s husband’s graduation. As a grandfather, I should at least do this. If I could, I would buy this restaurant, in-law.”
Coming from Chairman Wang, it didn’t sound like a joke. He could indeed make this gourmet Chinese restaurant his own with the flick of a finger.
But the term “in-law” was somewhat unsettling.
“Do the maestros find the food to their taste?”
Chairman Wang asked the maestros in fluent English. Both Spencer and Yuri answered politely, like nobles.
The four sharp-eyed individuals created an illusion of a scene from “The Godfather.”
“By the way, Chairman Yu. You handed that over to Hyun, didn’t you?”
When the grandfather nodded silently, Chairman Wang’s gaze turned to me. My parents and Director Im Hyera also seemed very curious about what Chairman Wang was referring to.
“Hyun, what do you think? Your grandfathers put their heads together to come up with that list. Was it useful?”
What should I say? It had been a while since Chairman Wang had asked me a question.
“You distributed it appropriately. Not too much, not too little.”
Hadn’t they intentionally controlled the investment risk? At a glance, it looked like a meaningless string of numbers, but it clearly showed their effort to balance everything.
I could see it at a glance because I knew the future, but the meticulous adjustment seemed almost like the work of a shaman.
“Hyun, you could easily be the head of the strategic planning department. How can you express something so difficult so simply? One more question. Do you know why we made that list for you?”
“Because if you have too much from the start, you’ll forget how to grow on your own.”
Chairman Wang’s smile was full of satisfaction.
“How could anyone not covet someone so excellent? Today’s conducting was also very impressive. I can’t speak much about music in front of the maestros, but I couldn’t let my guard down for a moment. Don’t you agree, in-law?”
“Absolutely. I’m so proud of our Hyun today that I can’t stop smiling. His speech was also excellent. Ah, to say that life is a voyage and he is the captain, he must have inherited my sensitivity.”
The grandfathers were already in high spirits, having had a drink each. My parents and the maestros also enjoyed their meal.
Indeed, the dishes seemed to live up to the claim of being made by the Chinese president’s chef, as each dish was mouthwateringly delicious. It was then.
“Hyun, can I ask where your ship is headed?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m already curious about your future.”
When Chairman Wang emphasized “future” in English, Spencer and Yuri perked up.
It seemed like Chairman Wang was up to his tricks again. The maestros’ eyes lit up in an instant, as if in competition.
But why was the chatterbox scientist staring at me so intently? Could it be that he still…
‘A chemist who does music―!’
He wanted me.
After the graduation ceremony, hadn’t the weather become noticeably warmer?
“Is it spring fatigue?”
Though musical inspiration continued to pour out, the notes on the staff drew wavy lines, contrary to my intentions.
I was expressing the process of snow melting in the warm February sunlight with my violin when I heard a familiar voice from somewhere.
“Hyun―!”
The person who entered the studio was none other than Baek Jung-hoon.
I had heard he was overseas for a performance, but he was already back. Judging by the suitcase in his hand, it seemed he came straight here without even going home.
Before I could say anything, Baek Jung-hoon asked with eyes wide open.
“Is it true that Maestro Spencer and Yuri were in Korea?”
It seemed the rumor had already spread far and wide. When I nodded briefly, Baek Jung-hoon exclaimed.
“Wh-where are they?”
They were maestros of the Berlin Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra, whom any musician would respect. It was understandable that Baek Jung-hoon was so surprised.
But unfortunately, the bus had already left. Spencer and Yuri had already departed for the airport.
“You conducted the orchestra at the graduation ceremony? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were in LA for a collaboration with the LA Philharmonic. And it was just a small chamber orchestra.”
“Even if it was a small chamber orchestra, it’s still an orchestra. Who taught you to conduct? Did you self-learn conducting too?”
What should I say? How would he react if I told him I learned the basics of conducting from the lion of the Berlin Philharmonic?
But why did Baek Jung-hoon later walk the path of a conductor instead of a pianist? As these questions filled my mind, Baek Jung-hoon asked.
“Now that they’re gone, will they not come back to Korea?”
“No, they’re busy people. I’ll have to go next time.”
“What?”
Throughout their stay in Korea, Maestro Spencer and Yuri seemed to be oil and water, constantly wary of each other. They even debated my future, and the final conclusion was one.
“During summer vacation, I’ll spend half a month each in London and Berlin. The orchestras agreed to let me experience them as a provisional member.”
Baek Jung-hoon stood with his mouth agape.
“Maestro Spencer, see you next time.”
Their wrinkled hands shook as if in a power struggle.
‘What a nasty old man.’
‘What a vile old man.’
Spencer and Yuri didn’t realize that they parted ways with the same thought.
“An Unbloomed Spring.”
Yuri smiled as he pondered the title of the score Kang Hyun conducted. It was a perfect fit.
The composition alone, from the double bar lines at the beginning to the fermata, was enough to evoke admiration, but his conducting went beyond words.
“I’ll have the Sauvignon Blanc, please.”
Somehow, it seemed he sought wine every time he encountered Kang Hyun. He had sipped his first glass to calm his pounding heart, and now he drank to soothe the lingering aftertaste.
The fresh fruit aroma and flavor naturally filled his mouth.
Yuri looked down at the small tape in his hand. It was his first student.
One couldn’t easily keep the first orchestra conducting in their heart. He had gotten a camcorder and filmed it.
It was simply to leave a memory, but after the conducting ended, he realized. If he hadn’t filmed it, he would have regretted it deeply.
“I wonder what reaction this will bring.”
Indeed, Yuri was curious about how the members of the Berlin Philharmonic, with their towering pride, would react to this video. He was already looking forward to the upcoming summer.
“We can’t lose to London.”
Yuri’s mind flashed with Spencer’s piercing eyes. Surely, Spencer was thinking the same.
It was a story that would have surprised anyone. The world’s top maestros were wary of each other over a single musician.
“What a dreamlike country.”
The view of Seoul receding in the car window began to come into focus.
Yuri thought. Once barren of classical music, Korea was now sprouting renowned musicians.
From pianist Baek Jung-hoon to the student who served as concertmaster under Kang Hyun’s baton, compared to the past, it was a remarkable progress.
“Maestro Spencer, I will not let you take Hyun.”
It would be a fair competition. But he would never lose.
The maestros already knew. If the aforementioned sprouts became musicians who contributed to the country, the names called later would make a mark in the history of classical music.
The lion of the Berlin Philharmonic, Yuri thought. Surely, the gods of music had blessed the country of South Korea.
