Kang Hyun Violin Concertos No.3
In the conductor’s room of the London Symphony, beautiful melodies resonate.
As the orchestral performers play the tonic chords strongly, the viola begins a low and slow accompaniment.
In that moment, when the ripples form as if the wind is flying over a tranquil lakeside, the solo violin appears.
Allegro Aperto, as the musical term suggests, it is a melody that clearly asserts its presence.
It is a melody that captivates the listener to the extent that one might wonder if this is what it would feel like if there were fairies by the lakeside.
“Maestro.”
Before he knew it, the concertmaster, Dmitri, had arrived and interrupted Spencer’s reverie. It must mean that rehearsal time had already begun. Regretfully, he had to stop listening to Kang Hyun’s violin concerto.
“Maestro, if it’s not too much trouble, could we take another thirty minutes of break?”
“Why is that?”
“Lead cellist Emmanuel has an upset stomach.”
Spencer nodded as if there was no other choice. It was not unwelcome news. Though he felt sorry for Emmanuel, it meant more time to immerse himself in Kang Hyun’s piece.
As the melody resounded from the CDP once again, Dmitri also fell into appreciation.
It was only as the piece was ending that Dmitri spoke.
“Really, every time I hear it, it feels like a piece that draws people in.”
“Doesn’t it?”
The piece had captivated even Dmitri, known for his icy and stringent evaluations. And it wouldn’t be just Dmitri.
Kang Hyun’s first album was uniquely composed of various pieces. Not only solo pieces but also concertos and even the final symphony. Moreover, all of them were his own compositions.
The news of such an unprecedented album release was enough to excite classical music fans around the world.
Furthermore, Kang Hyun’s album won the Gramophone’s Album of the Year award in its first year of release, as well as prestigious awards from CanClassic and MoraMophon simultaneously.
Two years ago, after the royal performance, Gramophone had even referred to the 16-year-old Kang Hyun as a classical star the world should take notice of, making further words redundant.
“I’d like to bring him to England immediately if I could.”
“Maestro, I feel the same. Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that he said he would decide after he became an adult, we would have brought him to the Symphony by any means necessary. You know, Germany is also keen on him. I wish he would find his fiancée in England and settle down here.”
“Fiancée, huh.”
Spencer briefly recalled a girl etched in his memory. As Spencer smiled slightly, Dmitri also recalled the girl from his memories.
She was a girl who dedicatedly supported Hyun, even watching over his performances every time, not to mention their late-night meals together.
In a way, Dmitri’s words seemed highly unlikely to come true. After all, his fiancée was already by his side.
Silence fell as if a lioness had appeared in the African savannah teeming with hyenas.
Her cat-like eyes, long black hair contrasting with her alabaster skin, resembled the appearance of the Ice Queen from her past life.
“Oppa?”
At that moment, Son Yooha called out to me while staring intently.
“It’s been a while. You’ve grown so tall, Oppa.”
Son Yooha raised her hand to compare her height with mine. At some point, I had grown so tall that Yooha’s head barely reached my shoulder.
Looking up at me from so close, her gaze was so haughty and provocative that I nearly bumped into her face.
It was then.
“Excuse me, distinguished guests in the second banquet hall, please move to the first banquet hall now.”
The dignified manager appeared to announce the end of the adults’ time, causing Son Yooha to retreat with a disappointed look on her face.
As Yooha and I walked ahead, there were few third-generation chaebols walking side by side with us.
Indeed, even the seasoned veterans from Jeil Trading Company were submissive in front of the Ice Queen.
“Yooha, do you remember playing the violin at the gatherings when you were a child? Your grandfather still vividly recalls the sight of his granddaughter whenever he comes here.”
“I was so young that my memory is vague. But I clearly remember Grandpa’s smiling face.”
“And how about Hyun playing the violin?”
Son Yooha silently smiled. They say a woman’s heart is like a reed, and it seems it’s not wrong.
Although I wondered if she was upset with me as she had been before, it didn’t seem to be the case. The atmosphere around her was subtly different, as if a barrier had been set up, but now she seemed much more relaxed.
They say a teenage girl’s heart changes dozens of times a day, and her current state was just like that.
“By the way, Yooha, how’s Noah?”
At that moment, Son Ilseon looked at Yooha and asked. But Noah?
“I’ve met him a few times, and he’s alright so far.”
“He’s calm and capable, so there’s no need to worry.”
What on earth was this about? Even for a chaebol, arranging a marriage at this stage, and with a foreigner no less?
What baffled me even more was Yooha’s reaction. She didn’t seem to dislike this Noah guy very much. Just as my face was about to be painted with bewilderment,
“Finding someone capable of both personal tutoring and security is rare. Especially someone as perfect as Noah. With his experience in the FBI, I hope he suits your taste this time.”
“Yes, Father.”
The misunderstanding was resolved like an untangled knot. But somewhere, I felt a persistent gaze.
Looking across, Chairman Wang was observing me with a peculiar smile, his face flushed.
Feeling somewhat awkward, I gave a sheepish smile and took a sip of water to quench my burning thirst.
“Yooha, where do you plan to go for college?”
“I haven’t made a final decision yet. It might not be the U.S.; it could be somewhere else.”
“Chairman Yoo, I’ve heard Hyun might study abroad in England?”
Until the meal ended, Son Yooha engaged in conversation with the adults, occasionally smiling, but never giving me a glance.
In my past life, I was called a tough nut, but if there was one thing I was bad at, it was romance.
It was a natural result. Having never had a proper relationship, how could I understand a woman’s heart?
As the third-generation chaebol gathering ended, the heads of the groups approached Chairman Wang, bowing and greeting him one by one.
Until then, Son Yooha remained silently by Chairman Wang’s side, not saying a word to me. Somehow, her cold demeanor made me feel suffocated.
Finally, after finishing his heartwarming conversation with the founders, Chairman Wang subtly turned his head toward me. But his gaze was peculiar.
‘Is this child anxious? Hoh hoh.’
It was as if he was saying that.
“Junghoon, Andante Cantabile—!”
Moscow’s summer is accompanied by cold winds under the lengthening sunlight. Beads of sweat formed on Baek Junghoon’s forehead as he held the conductor’s baton.
The one playing the piano on behalf of the orchestra was none other than Maestro Maxim Ivanov, a giant in the conducting world.
The reason Maxim, who is renowned not only in Russia but worldwide, was mentoring Baek Junghoon was simple.
“Softer—!”
He had seen a talent in Baek Junghoon that he hadn’t seen in others. Two years ago, Baek Junghoon had abruptly approached him, asking to be taught conducting.
Maxim knew that the reason Baek Junghoon, who had early bloomed as a pianist, had suddenly switched to conducting was due to an illness. But tendinitis is not an incurable disease, is it?
If he had no talent for conducting, Maxim would have flatly refused, but Baek Junghoon’s skills far exceeded Maxim’s expectations.
“Good, just like that—!”
Even the usually expressionless Maxim couldn’t help but smile deeply. Teaching Baek Junghoon’s conducting felt like a return to his prime.
It was during a conversation after finishing a lesson.
“Junghoon, you mentioned having a violinist friend named Hyun, right?”
“Yes, Maestro.”
“Does he have any upcoming activities? If he participates in the international competition in Germany, you might compete against each other.”
Maxim knew Kang Hyun well, not as a violinist but as a conductor. Didn’t he make a splendid debut at the British Royal Performance?
Looking back, the boy’s appearance was like a legend. Perhaps, he looked similar to the young Mozart who performed for the queen at the Schönbrunn Palace.
“I believe he’s planning to hold a solo concert.”
“A solo concert?”
“Yes, this time as a violinist.”
Maxim looked puzzled. Many conductors come from a pianist background.
However, most conductors, once they start holding the baton, often stop playing their previous instruments. Even if they do both, at some point, they focus solely on conducting.
After all, focusing on just one thing is challenging enough. Especially in youth, concentrating on one area was crucial.
“I’ve hinted at the international competition, but he doesn’t seem very interested.”
“I thought he would be ambitious about competitions, given that he won the Queen Elizabeth Competition as the youngest participant.”
“The reason he entered the Queen Elizabeth Competition wasn’t out of ambition for competitions.”
Baek Junghoon remembered how surprised he had been when Hyun told him he participated in the competition to get a “military service exemption.”
Of course, Hyun said he forgot about that part during the competition and that the experience became a valuable asset, but still.
Maxim nodded and asked again.
“But what’s this about a violin solo concert? Does that mean he won’t conduct anymore?”
Baek Junghoon thought of Hyun’s figure. Just imagining the mysterious boy made a gentle smile appear on his face.
Baek Junghoon looked at his mentor, who was frowning with curiosity.
“He won’t give up on either.”
Ziinng—!
A sharp high note reached the ceiling. He was practicing his own composition for the upcoming solo concert, but something was bothering him.
Whenever he thought of Son Yooha’s face, his heart became unsettled. This was almost a first for him, making him feel anxious and nervous.
Ting!
At that moment, a string snapped with a sharp sound. It must have been because he had unconsciously gripped the bow too tightly.
The uneasy feeling seemed to crash over him like a tidal wave. The practice violin was groaning harshly.
Ting—!
Another string snapped. The bow was sharply bowing the strings. If he relaxed even a little, the tension would cause the bridge and bow to snap off.
Even though only the G string was left, the melody was incredibly captivating. It was like a single rose blooming amidst an anxious heart.
Then, it happened.
“Oppa.”
Turning his head at the sudden voice, he saw Yooha already sitting there. Since when had she been there? As if to answer his question, Yooha began to speak.
“I knocked a while ago, but you didn’t answer, so I came in on my own. You’re not mad, are you?”
“Oh, no.”
“But what’s with the melody? It’s beautiful but feels like it has thorns.”
Was it because she learned social classical music, or could she read his mind?
“Is it because you’re playing without confidence?”
“Confidence?”
Son Yooha stood up and walked towards him. Although he had grown quite a bit in height, Yooha had also grown significantly.
He couldn’t help but think a lot about this girl in his head. Is it true that the mind follows the body? At this moment, all he could see was Son Yooha.
“What makes you so anxious?”
To Yooha’s question,
“It’s because of you.”
he answered without hesitation.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Finally, the usually haughty Yooha half-closed her eyes and smiled as she used to.
