“What a perfect day to go out for a walk.”
In the sunny month of May, I would normally be giving Go lessons in Pyeongchang-dong at this time, but now, instead of Go stones in my hand, I held a golf club.
Chairman Wang himself had arranged this outing for me, knowing that I had been cooped up practicing for my solo recital.
“Manager Kim, it’s your turn.”
At Chairman Wang’s words, Manager Kim Sang-guk from the Strategic Planning Office bowed politely and received the golf club from the caddy.
He looked as stiff as someone playing golf for the first time. It made sense, as playing a round at the Gapyeong Country Club with Chairman Wang was a significant event in itself.
Especially since President Son Il-sun was also with us, the tension must have been doubled.
“Reminds me of the old days.”
The Gapyeong Country Club was personally designed by Chairman Wang, featuring luxurious bonsai and rare ancient trees.
When I first set foot here in my past life, I had looked just like Manager Kim Sang-guk does now.
There was even a legend within the Jeil Group: if you played more than three rounds at Gapyeong, you’d eventually find yourself promoted to an executive position.
Later on, this place would become a major stage for company politics and networking. I wondered how many times I’d been here in this life.
“Manager Kim, you can’t hit so clumsily. Have you forgotten this is a betting game? Hit it with the same vigor as when you present in the conference room. Even I’m helping you, am I not?”
“Yes, Chairman, I’ll correct it right away!”
“Hyun-ah, don’t you have anything to say? At this rate, I’ll end up treating you to a meal. Hehe.”
Manager Kim Sang-guk, filled with a surge of energy from Chairman Wang’s words, was now fully focused.
Somehow, I ended up in a team with Manager Kim Sang-guk, while Chairman Wang and his son formed the other team.
Isn’t it unbalanced since it’s Chairman Wang’s home ground? Nonsense. My golf skills were nearly semi-pro level.
“Manager Kim, if I may suggest, when you hit a draw, rotate your right hip inward faster. And slightly move your right foot back. You’re too stiff right now.”
I wanted to teach him the proper grip from scratch, but telling a nervous person anything would only backfire.
As expected, his stiff swing ended with the golf ball weakly landing in the bunker.
While Manager Kim showed a disappointed expression, a broad smile spread across Chairman Wang’s face.
“Hyun-ah, what should we do? This is a dilemma.”
He looked triumphant as if he was repaying the humiliation he had suffered during Go lessons. I should have known from the moment he suggested this outing to Gapyeong.
Moreover, Manager Kim, who was so competent in the Strategic Planning Office, was completely out of his element on the golf course.
Some people are like that, aren’t they? They look like they’d be good at sports but have no knack for ball games. Manager Kim was just that type. But.
“Don’t worry.”
I had been continuously loosening my hands and wrists, knowing this might happen.
In golf, there’s a saying: amateurs fear bunker shots the most, while pros find them easier than approach shots.
As if holding a violin, I smoothly adjusted my swing position until the clubface aligned with my gaze.
It seemed like a relaxed rotation, but.
Whack—!
With a crisp sound, the golf ball flew in a perfect arc.
Growl—!
The savory smell of grilled chicken ribs made my stomach rumble. Every time we played a round in Gapyeong, we always visited this chicken ribs place. As expected, the taste was phenomenal.
I couldn’t help but think that I had finally found the true taste of chicken ribs here that I had searched so hard for during my time as a legal officer in Gangwon-do.
“Sigh, I can’t beat Hyun. I thought I could finally treat him to a meal thanks to Manager Kim, but no.”
Manager Kim showed a sheepish expression, and President Son Il-sun nodded as if he had expected this outcome.
Having played several rounds together, he probably knew my skills to some extent.
If I put my mind to it, I could finish 18 holes in under 80 strokes.
“Manager Kim, we’ll have to play rounds together whenever we have time. Next time, you’ll be on my team. I’ll teach you how to putt rigorously. Hahaha.”
Manager Kim’s face showed undeniable gratitude. Even if he was a subsidiary president, not just anyone could earn Chairman Wang’s trust so easily. Today was a big break for Manager Kim.
But why did Chairman Wang call Manager Kim today? It couldn’t have been just for bonding.
Then.
“Manager Kim, do you know why I brought you to Gapyeong today?”
Chairman Wang spoke as if reading my mind.
In the serious atmosphere, Manager Kim put down his chopsticks, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. His tension was palpable even to me, sitting across from him.
Despite his wolf-like sharp features, he seemed helpless in front of the tiger-like Chairman Wang. Such was the law of nature.
“It’s to introduce you to a new recruit.”
“Chairman, what do you mean by that?”
What was he talking about? The Strategic Planning Office didn’t use the term “new recruit.” Most people there were seasoned professionals from other fields.
And was Manager Kim in a position to be introduced to a new recruit, especially in a chicken ribs restaurant?
“This young man here.”
With that, Chairman Wang placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Manager Kim, you already know Hyun, don’t you? Didn’t you have debates in the conference room? With his boldness and courage, he’s more than qualified. Though he looks young, he’s as cunning as an old fox. No, sometimes he even shows the traits of a tiger, so be careful. He’s not someone to be taken lightly just because he’s young. Even when playing Go with me, he’s never shown any deference. Sigh.”
“Grandfather?”
Wasn’t this bewildering? But Manager Kim and President Son Il-sun were listening intently, nodding in agreement.
What on earth was going on?
“Hyun-ah, let’s put our Go games on hold for a while.”
“Pardon?”
“Once a week, go meet Manager Kim.”
It was as if I had just completed a tutorial in a game. Chairman Wang smiled as if something amusing was about to happen.
“Now that your theoretical lessons with me are over, it’s time for some fieldwork, don’t you think?”
“Ms. Mi-hyun, it’s already sold out?”
Director Im Hyera couldn’t believe it even as she heard the report.
This wasn’t just any concert hall; it was the Seoul Arts Center’s concert hall, which seated over 2,500 people.
Moreover, ticket sales were only available through phone and offline methods due to the times. Yet, it sold out in less than an hour.
“The ticket sales ratio is quite high for international buyers?”
“Yes, Director. We’re also trying to quickly understand how this happened as we’re taken aback.”
“No, I had a rough idea this might happen, but…”
Even before the solo recital was announced, there were already many interested parties. But this was beyond expectations.
South Korea had long been considered a barren land for classical music.
There were doubts about whether all seats would be filled for an unverified first solo recital, but the overwhelming response from abroad was unexpected.
Despite the early morning hours in their time zones, the phones kept ringing off the hook.
It was so surprising that even the emergency team from the telecom company came out to investigate the influx of calls. Kang Hyun’s popularity far exceeded Director Im Hyera’s expectations.
“We’re still receiving continuous booking calls, and the Seoul Arts Center is also getting inquiries from overseas.”
“Inquiries about booking? But it’s already sold out.”
“No, most of the calls are requests to expand the number of reserved seats in the concert hall.”
At this point, it was almost frightening. How had news of Kang Hyun spread so far and wide overseas?
In fact, Director Im Hyera wasn’t aware, but Kang Hyun’s popularity spanned multiple fields.
From his debut, he had stirred up the classical music world, and his success and mystery as a composer named HYUN had been proven numerous times.
“Newspapers are also requesting to publish articles about the sold-out solo recital. Given that the recital has a charitable aspect and is expected to draw a significant number of foreign tourists, they believe it could help classical music establish a strong foothold in Korea.”
Indeed, in times when every dollar mattered, Kang Hyun was the only musician bringing in such foreign currency.
If it weren’t for the Jeil Group, newspapers would have written multiple articles about this intriguing topic. It was a day worth celebrating.
But.
“Ms. Mi-hyun, where is Hyun right now?”
“Fieldwork, huh.”
I felt not just a headache but a throbbing pain. What on earth was that old fox planning?
At the same time, my heart raced with excitement, a paradoxical situation that made me think it was quite ironic. The Strategic Planning Office was a department I had always wanted to join in my past life.
But.
“Tsk.”
That wasn’t the priority right now. My solo recital was just next week. Shaking off the thoughts, I nodded my head to clear my mind. However.
“Ah!”
Ah—!
I shouted, and the echo reverberated back from the ceiling.
The concert hall still needed some remodeling, though it had shed its early reputation as an “art bathhouse.”
However, the lower mid-range still echoed in some of the more secluded parts of the 2nd and 3rd floors.
These areas needed to be checked in advance to make necessary preparations.
Normally, this would be the job of the staff at the Seoul Arts Center, but without specialized sound measurement equipment, it was a difficult task.
“He’s here, Director.”
Besides, as you know, my ears are extremely sensitive. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to do a rehearsal and inspect the concert hall.
The director of the Seoul Arts Center looked at me as if I were a ghost.
“Kang Hyun, you are truly amazing. Even experts have a hard time pinpointing these issues, and yet you can. It’s no wonder the audience dislikes the 3rd floor. I didn’t realize the slope was this steep since I’d always been in the 2nd-floor box seats.”
“If you stay in the office, I could just write down the seat numbers for you.”
“No, if Kang Hyun is inspecting it himself, I must join.”
The director had become an ardent fan of mine after the London Symphony encore performance.
Though he graduated with a degree in English literature and was a classical music novice, his passion had grown immensely after the London Symphony, leading to continuous remodeling of the Seoul Arts Center.
How much time had passed?
By the time we had inspected the entire concert hall of over 2,000 seats, the director seemed out of breath but followed me without complaint.
Thanks to him, the other staff must have been having a hard time. With the director working so hard, they must have felt pressured.
“Kang Hyun, aren’t you nervous? Many famous musicians have held solo recitals in this concert hall, but none of them were unafraid.”
“I’m nervous too, Director.”
“You look different, though.”
I chuckled.
Just as the director said, rather than being nervous, I felt more excited looking at the vast audience seats. I had passed the stage of being intimidated by people’s attention.
At that moment, a staff member from the Seoul Arts Center hurriedly ran towards us.
“Kang Hyun, you have visitors.”
“Yes, Director. Please feel free to go see them.”
“No, Kang Hyun, your visitors have come.”
What was this about? How did my visitors find their way to the Seoul Arts Center? How did they even know I was here?
Curious, I walked towards the office.
When I opened the door, unexpected people were waiting for me.
“Hyun, you’re holding a solo recital and didn’t give us tickets?”
“Long time no see, Hyun. Honestly, I’m more excited about your chicken stew than your recital.”
“Eric, it’s not polite to prioritize food over your friend. In China, they say obesity is a friend of laziness.”
Aren’t these the friends I shared joys and sorrows with at the Chappelle?
William from England, Zhang Yan from China, and Eric, who looked like a Viking from Northern Europe.
I was so stunned that I couldn’t speak when another guest arrived, opening the door belatedly.
“Hyun—!”
The girl with flowing platinum blonde hair and striking green eyes, Anna, joyfully hugged me.
My throat bobbed involuntarily. Shouldn’t I now call her a young lady?
