“Ilseon, are you keeping everything well-oiled?”
At Chairman Wang’s question, Son Ilseon quickly stood up straight.
“Yes, Father.”
For the gears to run smoothly, alignment was important, but lubrication was crucial as well.
Managing numerous subsidiaries without a single error was precisely Son Ilseon’s role.
Constantly circulating funds from Jeil Life Insurance and the foundation to ensure the well never ran dry.
“Especially in times like these, you must not let your guard down. You must look not only at our own family but also at others. For example, Daehan or Daesung Group. Do you understand what I mean?”
It wasn’t about helping them, but rather about keeping an eye on companies that could become valuable assets.
Chairman Wang’s steps were surprisingly steady for his age. Even his putting stance was comparable to that of a professional.
“What happened with the elders you met?”
“I distributed the money evenly. But I wonder if it’s necessary to go this far in such an emergency situation. Especially to the opposition side. Aren’t they too busy dealing with their own issues right now?”
Chairman Wang turned his head and looked at Son Ilseon, having put down his golf club.
His sharp eyes made Son Ilseon immediately tense up. Those eyes, resembling a tiger’s, could send chills down anyone’s spine.
“The foreigners are coming in. Soon, they’ll try to devour all the domestic companies. If they start choking the financial sector now, how many domestic companies do you think will survive? I can assure you, none will be left. Just keep distributing the money as you always have. Make sure those old men aren’t disappointed. Even in an emergency, politics in this country never stops.”
Chairman Wang suddenly thought of Kang Hyun. They often played Go and exchanged philosophy.
Initially, it started as a way to teach him economics and broaden his perspective, but over time, he realized naturally. This boy had much deeper insight than he thought. In some ways, Kang Hyun understood the market situation better than Ilseon, who was right in front of him.
“Father, it would have been nice if Yooha had come to Gapyeong with us today.”
Chairman Wang slowly shook his head.
“It’s fine. She can always be with her grandfather, but youthful days never come back once they pass.”
At that moment, the golf ball flew in a parabolic arc towards the hole cup.
“Mother, let me help you—!”
They looked like a mother-daughter pair in their warm interaction.
Son Yooha rolled up her sleeves to help her mother prepare a late breakfast, but there was a strange look in her eyes. Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, it felt like she had.
“What took you so long?”
She even started questioning her. Baek Jung-hoon, who was eating soup, quickly reached for his water glass. Judging by how he gulped it down, he must have choked.
“I came early in the morning just to have a meal with oppa…”
Her pouting made her look incredibly cute. Now, Im Hyera’s curious expression made sense.
“Yooha, what brings you to Korea all of a sudden?”
“It’s spring break in the States. And what do you mean, why? Aren’t you happy to see me?”
She puffed out her cheeks and turned her head as if sulking.
Although she had grown up, her childhood demeanor hadn’t disappeared. Even while eating, she kept passing food to me.
Mother watched her with a satisfied smile. After finishing our meal and introducing Baek Jung-hoon to the family, Yooha looked at me intently.
She wanted me to introduce her too.
“Uh, this is…”
I wasn’t sure how to explain. I couldn’t just introduce her like the third-generation chaebols I met at banquets.
Then Yooha grabbed my arm and spoke instead.
“Hello, I’m Yooha, Hyun oppa’s eternal buddy.”
Eternal buddy?
Before I could say anything, Baek Jung-hoon nodded knowingly and looked at me.
“Hyun, I thought you were in love with music. But I see you’re enjoying a sweet romance. There’s a junior better than his senior.”
He looked at me with a proud expression, as if looking at a grown younger brother. I had no time to explain. Yooha kept nodding while holding my arm.
After finishing his meal, Baek Jung-hoon promptly left Ichon-dong, saying, “I have a sense of discretion; how could I interfere more?”
“Oppa, I want to go to Namsan Tower.”
Of course, being Yooha who flew all the way from abroad to Korea, there was no reason to refuse.
Moreover, my pockets were full. Not only did Mother give me some pocket money, but Grandfather also discreetly handed me some cash.
It seemed like everyone was united in supporting Yooha.
“The cherry blossoms haven’t bloomed yet.”
Was that why she wanted to walk up to the Namsan Tower observatory?
“It’ll take about two more weeks for them to bloom.”
“That’s okay, as long as I’m with you, oppa.”
Her appearance was like that of a haughty cat, yet in front of me, she was like a gentle puppy.
I never expected to visit Namsan Tower, which I hadn’t visited in my past life, with Yooha.
We walked, inhaling the scent of spring in the air instead of cherry blossoms.
“Where is it?”
“What are you looking for, Yooha?”
Before she could answer, Yooha discovered something and quickly headed there.
Her destination was the place selling locks. Now I understood why Yooha wanted to come to Namsan Tower. It must have been around this time that couples started attaching love locks at Namsan Tower.
Yooha came running to me with a lock in her hand. It felt like participating in various love superstitions from around the world, starting with the Trevi Fountain.
“Oppa, hurry, let’s put the lock together!”
Whatever it was, as long as Yooha was happy.
“Yooha, do you like the food?”
“Yes, it’s really delicious—!”
By the time we came down from Namsan Tower, it was already getting dark.
I thought I should at least feed her dinner, so we went to Namdaemun Market. It was a diner I visited in my past life. Their braised cutlassfish was to die for.
I carefully removed the bones from the cutlassfish and placed the flesh on a spoon for her.
“Oh my, such lovely students have come for a meal. I’ll serve you an egg fry each for free!”
The aunt, who looked younger than I remembered, spoke in a hearty dialect and placed golden-brown fried eggs on our rice bowls.
Yooha politely bowed to the aunt. Though she looked like she was heading towards being an ice queen, her heart was warmer than anyone else’s.
“Oppa, I’m home tomorrow too. Can you spend time with me?”
“Is there somewhere you want to go?”
Yooha stopped eating and looked at me with a wide smile.
“I like being with you anywhere, oppa.”
“Are ticket inquiries flooding in already?”
Director Im Hyera couldn’t believe her ears. Although Kang Hyun’s solo recital had been decided, there was still quite some time left until the event.
“Ms. Mihyun, where did the inquiries come from?”
“They came from Japan and the UK. Yesterday, there was an inquiry from the US.”
While she knew the interview with the eternal maestro Gustav would have a significant impact, she didn’t expect it to be this much. It was as if they had been waiting to contact her.
Especially in Japan, they were still sending love calls to release Kang Hyun’s classical albums.
“Director, please take a look at this. It’s a record journal released in Japan, and it features a story about Hyun.”
The record journal was released by a renowned name in the Japanese classical music scene.
Flipping through the pages, Kang Hyun’s name appeared right from the first page. The interviewee was none other than Hirose, the queen of the field.
“From the moment I first met him, I awaited his performance. The moment when the fantasy born with delight reveals its true form, the world will welcome a virtuoso.”
What an incredible praise. It was natural for such admiration from Hirose, a figure known as the grand dame of the Japanese classical scene, to draw significant attention.
Im Hyera felt anew how extraordinary Kang Hyun was. Just how many people had he influenced?
“Inform them that the solo recital will be held at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall. Hyun and I have already discussed this, so it’s okay to share this much information.”
The Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall wasn’t just a few hundred seats; it had well over two thousand seats. It was a number that most performers couldn’t handle.
However, Kang Hyun was rather pleased. He said it was the perfect place to perform the music he envisioned.
“There are many inquiries about what repertoire he will perform. What should I say?”
“Say no comment for now.”
In her heart, Director Im Hyera also wanted to ask what repertoire Kang Hyun would use for his solo recital. The original compositions she heard in Italy, though brief, left a profound impact on her.
But she couldn’t disturb Kang Hyun at this moment. Youthful endeavors were more important than anything.
“So, this is where you create music, oppa?”
Of all places, she wanted to visit my studio. Yooha looked around the studio with curiosity.
From the synthesizer I sometimes used as a pillow to the instruments I used as blankets, everything must have seemed fascinating to her.
“How many scores have you written?”
Just like Baek Jung-hoon, Yooha was astonished by the sight of the scores.
Even though she was in the realm of socializing, she had learned music. She knew how difficult composing was. So, seeing all these scores naturally amazed her.
“Oppa, I heard you have a solo recital coming up? I don’t mind, so please practice as much as you want. I don’t want to affect your skills because of me.”
In fact, there was still plenty of time before the solo recital, so I thought it would be okay to rest for a day.
However, seeing Yooha sitting on the sofa, eagerly listening, made it impossible to just stay idle.
“Then I guess I’ll have to perform for my one and only audience today.”
At the mention of a single audience, Yooha’s lips curled into a smile.
I carefully took out the Guarneri violin from its case. The strings seemed to gleam as if they were about to cry out in melody.
As I placed the Guarneri on my shoulder, my posture naturally fell into place.
“Oppa, can you play that piece? The one you performed in Italy.”
I nodded briefly. The moment the bow touched the strings, a refreshing breeze seemed to blow.
Cantabile, the bow slowly touching the strings, began to emit a graceful melody. It was like singing.
The fingers pressing the strings expressed her swift steps with trills.
Gradually, the bowing quickened. As it crossed the strings strongly, it seemed to convey her trembling heart.
Zing—!
The melody of “Fiore” resonated as if bursting into bloom.
The left hand performed pizzicato like a heartbeat, while the right hand holding the bow created a dazzling sound.
The notes were written while thinking of Yooha. From the moment she first tugged at my sleeve to the days she smiled at me, everything became a musical inspiration.
Time flowed like water.
When performing, I often entered a state of flow, where it felt like nothing else existed.
Even though the sun had set and time had passed, the melody continued to resound. I didn’t even know how many pieces I had performed.
Yooha had already leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes. The smile on her lips indicated she was having a happy dream.
“Sleep well.”
I laid Yooha on the sofa and covered her with a blanket. Then I sat down, leaning against it.
Creak—
How much time had passed? The studio door opened cautiously.
“Oh my, look at these kids.”
Director Im Hyera’s face lit up with a smile she couldn’t hide. In her heart, she wanted to grab a camera and take a picture.
On the sofa, Yooha was lying with her eyes closed tightly, and below her, Kang Hyun had fallen asleep crouching. They were holding hands as if they had promised to do so.
