“How can you be so sure this part is wrong?”
The boy had precisely pointed out the incorrect part of the musical score.
“The teacher solely relied on their ear to write down the notes. That’s why they fell into the trap set by the movie’s Paganini.”
“A trap?”
“This Paganini in the movie seems like a very playful character. He must have thought someone would rely on their hearing to follow his score. To create the same melody as in the movie, the notes would have actually been like this. May I have a moment?”
The boy skillfully borrowed a pen and naturally started drawing notes on the staff as if waves were seeping into dry sand.
That wasn’t the end. The boy, seemingly interested in the old gentleman sitting next to him, added another comment.
“In the movie, Paganini used a technique different from the known methods.”
“A different technique?”
“For example, instead of the usual bowing and left-hand pizzicato, he created a sharp melody as if the bow and strings were competing with each other. Shall I tell you how?”
Juilliard School’s director, Joseph, struggled to hide his astonishment.
The musical knowledge of the boy sitting next to him was far beyond what he had imagined.
Not only did the boy immediately point out the incorrect part of the score, but he also spoke about Paganini as if he were conversing with Professor Oliver, exuding an air of experience.
“Can you tell me what technique he used?”
There was no time for pride. If the boy’s words were true, the violinist responsible for the simultaneous recording in the movie was a genius of a lifetime.
The boy hesitated for a moment, then sought permission once more and took Joseph’s hand.
“Imagine this pen in my right hand is a bow, and I’ll press the invisible strings with my left fingers.”
“Could it be this part?”
“Yes, it’s the scene where he plays while dancing on the deck.”
Joseph could instantly tell how long the boy had been playing the violin. It was as if the invisible violin was performing a real piece.
At that moment, the boy’s fingers were recreating how Paganini played on the swaying ship.
“I think I should go now, so I’ll write down the rest of the score here for you.”
“What?”
Joseph couldn’t believe his eyes and ears. He never imagined that the boy would remember the rest of the score, something even he hadn’t thought of.
My God―!
Joseph’s eyes widened as he accepted the score. He couldn’t bring himself to move, even after the end credits rolled, and only came to his senses when a theater staff approached.
He hurriedly looked around for the boy who had been sitting next to him, but the boy had already disappeared like a ghost.
“I’m sorry, Yooha.”
Kang Hyun’s face was clearly troubled. It was understandable since he had left Son Yooha alone and focused on his conversation with the old gentleman next to him.
He wanted to reward the audience who had shown great interest in Paganini’s melody, but he felt a bit guilty about it.
“Then have dinner with me―!”
“Dinner?”
“Yes, there’s a restaurant I’ve been wanting to go to with you, oppa.”
Kang Hyun held back a laugh. Yooha, with her cheeks puffed out in a pout, looked so adorable.
The simple desire she expressed was so modest compared to what he expected her to say, and it brought a pleasant smile to his face.
After all, even a simple sparrow’s flutter could make people laugh, but the Ice Queen’s appearance always felt different.
‘Jeil Trading.’
Even men found it hard, but Yooha had confidently raised her voice at Jeil Trading. Kang Hyun thought of the past when he had faced Son Yooha and gently patted her head again.
“Sure, let’s eat together.”
Meanwhile, Yooha’s face blushed deeply like an unripe persimmon.
“Huh?”
“I chose this place because I thought you’d like it, oppa. Don’t you?”
“No way!”
Kang Hyun shook his head firmly. How could there be a Korean restaurant in a place that wasn’t even Koreatown? His mouth watered after suffering from greasy cheese and oily food for so long.
The reason Yooha had wanted to come here so badly was simple. Kang Hyun liked Korean food more than anyone else.
“Oppa, the soybean paste soup here is really delicious―!”
As Kang Hyun took a large spoonful of tofu and soybean paste stew, Yooha’s eyes sparkled as if waiting for his reaction.
Instead of speaking, Kang Hyun took another even larger spoonful and put it in his mouth. His cheeks were filled to bursting with rice and stew.
Finally, Yooha, who had been eagerly waiting, smiled bashfully.
“Yooha, is there anything else you want to do?”
“Can I say it? I actually want to see the night view with you, oppa.”
“Night view?”
Of course, there was no reason not to show Yooha, who was studying hard in a foreign country, the night view.
Was it dangerous for students to see the night view of New York? Such worries were unnecessary because, as the heir to a conglomerate family, she had appropriate security.
New York had many night view spots, but there was no need to worry about where to go. Yooha grabbed Hyun’s hand and led him as if she had been waiting for this moment.
They went to DUMBO, where you could see the skyline and Brooklyn Bridge. It was already a famous tourist spot and remained popular. Following the footsteps of others, Hyun grabbed Yooha’s hand and pulled her along.
“Thank you, oppa.”
“There’s no need to thank me.”
“No, really, thank you―!”
Hyun thought Yooha was impressive. After all, she wasn’t that old. But her thinking was much more mature than her peers.
Moreover, living alone in a foreign country is not easy, even for adults, but she endured it without showing any signs of struggle.
Today would surely become a good memory for her, something to look back on when times get tough, like a photo album.
Under the dazzling neon signs of New York, the riverside of the Brooklyn Bridge was bathed in sunset. A cruise ship was leisurely passing by, and a cool breeze blew.
Hyun held Yooha’s small hand more firmly. At that moment, Yooha was sure her trembling heart was more intense than the ripples on the water’s surface.
“Who on earth was that?”
Juilliard School’s director, Joseph, brushed his face with his wrinkled hand. He muttered to himself, but there was no response.
A piece of sheet music caught his eye. It was the score written by the mysterious boy he had seen at the theater.
“Italy’s Verdi, the Royal Academy of Music in the UK, Moscow, or maybe Shanghai?”
The names of the world’s top music schools flowed from Joseph’s mouth one after another. Or maybe, as the saying goes, the darkest place is under the lamp, and the boy might have been a Juilliard student.
He regretted not asking for his name. There was a reason Joseph felt so regretful.
The score was so precise and elegant as if it had been written by Paganini himself. Just looking at the notes made the melody from the movie replay in his mind.
Could it be possible to understand a musical piece with just one hearing?
“Even I can’t do it.”
Even Joseph, who had dedicated his life to music, would have waved a white flag. It was an enviable talent.
Moreover, the more he talked to the boy, the more he felt like he was under a spell, listening intently to the boy’s words.
It was a rare sight for Joseph, who was known for his strong will and assertiveness.
“Who on earth―!”
Joseph irritably brushed his face again.
He tried to recall the boy’s face, but it didn’t come to mind clearly. The theater was dark, but his focus had been more on the voice and the score than the face.
One thing he clearly remembered was the deep eyes. They were as clear and transparent as a lake, leaving a lasting impression.
At that moment.
“Director, may I have a moment?”
It was the voice of Professor Oliver. He had come to Joseph with a reason.
He intended to push forward with the plan to put the violinist Hyun on the teaching staff.
“Professor, what do you mean by putting violinist Hyun on the teaching staff?”
“He has already given lectures to students and professors in Moscow. Rather than considering his age, why not think of him as a musician?”
It wasn’t an unreasonable suggestion. The melody in the movie “Paganini” was enough to give one goosebumps.
Moreover, it made sense to think of him as a musician regardless of his age. If the boy he saw in the theater was the same, age wouldn’t matter.
Oliver looked puzzled by Joseph’s calm demeanor. He hadn’t expected to persuade him so easily.
“Director, would you like to see this?”
“What is it?”
“It’s the making film shot during the filming of the movie ‘Paganini’. It features the performance of violinist Hyun.”
He had received the making film on videotape from Director Jean-Pierre. Oliver thought that watching this would surely change Joseph’s mind.
How much time had passed? Not long after the making film started playing, there was a loud crash.
“Director?”
Joseph had stood up abruptly, knocking over his chair, as if he had seen a ghost after confirming the appearance of violinist Hyun on the screen.
“Did I grow taller?”
The suit that had been tailored to fit perfectly felt a bit short. Looking back at his past life, he had started growing taller around high school, so it wasn’t an illusion.
Still, a suit on a young face was something he wasn’t used to. Although he’d spent his previous life wearing a tie all the time.
Juilliard School.
It was a performing arts school with the title of the world’s best music school. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would be invited here.
The professors he met in Hollywood had called so frequently that Manager Kim Sang-guk had been troubled for a while.
“Hyun, is it really okay to spend your time like this in the U.S.?”
“It’s still early.”
Manager Kim Sang-guk still looked puzzled. There was nothing he could do. It would take some time for Barbara to thoroughly survey the exploration area.
Moreover, it took time to make sure his greedy uncles and aunts in Korea were firmly hooked.
As someone once said, the more you rush, the more mistakes you make.
“Hyun, you seem to be naturally relaxed.”
“Relaxed?”
“Most people can’t afford to be that relaxed. Without confidence and courage, they become anxious. In that sense, you have strong confidence. Otherwise, how could you come to New York and go on a date? I even thought I should learn about romance from you.”
Manager Kim Sang-guk joked from the morning. Come to think of it, in his past life, Prime Minister Kim Sang-guk had married late.
He had a face with a sharp jawline and keen eyes, which was quite attractive, but despite his words, he didn’t seem interested in dating.
Well, without that level of ambition, he wouldn’t have entered the Blue House.
Just as he was about to leave the hotel lobby.
“Oppaa―!”
Son Yooha came running from a distance, carrying lunch boxes in both hands. She must have asked Manager Kim Sang-guk for the exact time.
“Yooha, what about school?”
“It’s, it’s the school’s anniversary―!”
“Huh?”
It was an obviously transparent lie, but what could he do? She was at an age where it was okay to play truant for a day.
She must have been continuously studying, so he thought it might be a good idea to take her to Juilliard for a tour to clear her mind.
Meanwhile, Yooha excitedly boasted about the lunch box she had made herself.
She said she had woken up at dawn to make it, and judging by the cute contents, it was clear she had made it herself.
“But Yooha, we can’t stay together at Juilliard the whole time. Is that okay?”
“It’s okay!”
“Really?”
After all, they were going for a tour, not a visit.
Then Yooha added, “Anna unnie boasted about how you gave a lecture in Moscow―!” explaining further.
Only then did he realize why Yooha had come to find him in such a hurry in the morning. She must have wanted to see him as Anna had.
At that moment, Manager Kim Sang-guk, who had become the driver, glanced through the rearview mirror and added a comment.
“No matter how you look at it, it’s like Romeo and Juliet.”
