“Hirose-san is coming to Korea?”
It was a puzzling story. Hirose, often called the “Queen of Strings,” had announced that she would be taking a sabbatical after finishing her Japan tour. But now, she was suddenly heading to Korea, which felt quite strange.
“Hirose’s management hasn’t made any official announcement. They just said it’s a personal trip. But doesn’t it feel a bit odd?”
The editor’s comment made reporter Kim Saetbyeol nod in agreement.
Whenever Hirose took a sabbatical, she always went to Europe. It was her only pleasure to converse with the great masters of Europe.
Moreover, there was no one in Korea she had any connections with. Oh, wait, there was one person!
“Editor, could it be because of Kang Hyun’s upcoming solo concert?”
“Solo concert?”
“She might be coming to collaborate with him.”
The editor frowned. It was rare for a maestro like Hirose to travel to another country for a collaboration. And it wasn’t even her own concert but another violinist’s solo concert. So, Saetbyeol’s suggestion was entirely wrong.
“I’ve already inquired at Kang Hyun’s agency, and they said there would be no collaboration with another violinist at this solo concert.”
Kim Saetbyeol looked dejected but quickly lifted her head.
“Editor, what if Hirose-san is coming to propose a collaboration to Kang Hyun?”
“What are you talking about?”
The editor’s face scrunched up. It was an absurd idea. Hirose personally coming to propose a collaboration would be rarer than catching a star from the sky. But Kim Saetbyeol’s voice was firm.
“I’m sure of it.”
Kim Saetbyeol’s eyes glowed with determination, almost like a detective filled with conviction.
In the past few years, there had been many significant events in the Korean classical music scene. From the promising pianist Baek Junghoon turning to conducting, to the first Korean performance at the British Royal Court, and many more.
Moreover, Gramophone had unusually declared a violinist’s debut album as the album of the century.
All these events had one person at the center—Kang Hyun.
Buzz Buzz Buzz—
At the end of summer, cicadas were giving their all in their final cries.
The studio was filled with new sheet music. Whenever he thought of Son Yooha, who had returned to the U.S., musical notes would freely flow onto the staff paper. It was like an inexhaustible spring of musical ideas.
He was in the midst of creating the repertoire for his solo concert.
Knock knock.
An unexpected visitor came to the studio with a knock.
With her stark white hair, piercing eyes, and red lipstick, she was instantly recognizable.
It was none other than the queen of strings, the violin maestro herself.
“Hirose-sensei?”
“Hyun, it’s been a long time.”
They comfortably conversed in Japanese.
Hirose couldn’t hide her surprise at how much he had grown.
Thinking back, when Hirose last saw him, he only reached her shoulder. But now, he had grown so tall that he could look down at her head.
“Hyun, I heard you’re having a solo concert?”
“Yes, Sensei.”
The news had already spread to Japan even before the official announcement. When he answered, a bright smile spread across Hirose’s face.
“I thought you might set aside the violin to pursue a career as a conductor. I never dreamed I’d see you perform solo again.”
“I have no intention of giving up either the path of a conductor or a violinist.”
“I knew you would say that, Hyun.”
Hirose carefully examined his hands, wanting to see the evidence of his hard work.
In the past few years, he hadn’t neglected his violin practice despite his conducting responsibilities.
His previously callus-free palms now bore the marks of hard-earned blisters, like a seasoned veteran.
“Impressive. You didn’t let me down. Hyun, what are those?”
“Ah, those are my sheet music. These are all the pieces I’ve composed.”
“All of those sheets?”
Hirose’s eyes widened. Every visitor to his studio had the same reaction upon seeing the mountain of sheet music.
Hirose licked her dry lips, a natural reaction for a musician.
“You can look at them, Sensei.”
“Really?”
Hirose, like a child returning to their youth, eagerly and excitedly examined the sheet music.
She turned each page with great care and focus, as if she were playing a violin piece.
How much time had passed? After going through several scores, Hirose finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.
“Hyun, this is truly incredible.”
Even though the pieces were untitled and only numbered, their content was enough to captivate Hirose’s discerning eyes.
“Your composing skills are already proven by Gramophone, but I never imagined they were at this level. If the classical music community found out about the sheer volume of sheet music in your studio, it would cause quite a stir. You’re like Mozart. It’s unbelievable how many pieces you’ve composed over the past few years.”
It was an overstatement. He had merely been writing for the fun of it over the past few years.
After examining the sheet music for a while, Hirose spoke.
“Hyun, would you like to collaborate with me at your solo concert?”
“Collaborate with you, Sensei?”
“Yes, I came to Korea to ask you this favor. I couldn’t resist when I heard you were holding a solo concert.”
How could he refuse? He had entered the world of classical music because of the melodies of the queen of strings. It was a great honor for him, a longtime fan, to perform with her.
Even if she had asked over the phone, he would have gladly accepted, but the fact that she came all the way to Korea made him even more grateful.
“And I have another request.”
Hirose pulled out her violin case.
“I’d like us to play Fantasia and Euphoria together.”
He was speechless. It was precisely what he wanted to ask.
They were, after all, a pair of Stradivarius violins.
Antonio Stradivari, the creator, had said that if Fantasia burned like the scorching sun, Euphoria was as cold as the darkening night.
The thought of the two violins playing together made his heart race wildly.
“Where’s the person who plays Go?”
Chairman Wang looked at Chairman Yoo with a sly smile.
“Son, you’ve improved quite a bit.”
Chairman Yoo immediately placed a black stone on the Go board. Chairman Wang, like a hawk preying from the sky, instantly grasped the black stone’s intention to invade the upper left corner.
Clack—
The white stone was placed on the board with a sound, like a gliding bird.
“Of course, I’ve been learning from the national champion. I can’t afford to lose to you. But no matter how much I try, it’s hard to win against Hyun. That kid would have made a name for himself even if he didn’t pursue music or business.”
In the end, Chairman Yoo placed the stone. There was no need for counting; the result was obvious.
Chairman Yoo decided he needed to get some guidance from his grandson, Kang Hyun. Otherwise, he wouldn’t stand a chance against the formidable Chairman Wang.
“Old man, by the way, the deadline is approaching. Is Hyun steadily accumulating shares?”
“You mean the bet? There are only a few months left.”
“When I checked a year ago, he was already slowly acquiring Beomjin’s shares. You know, ever since Beomjin was demoted, he’s become a toothless wolf. He wouldn’t dream that VH Company is actually Kang Hyun.”
The more he saw, the more impressive the kid was. At such a young age, he was easily manipulating his uncles, who were in their forties, as if playing them on his palm.
Moreover, his blueprint for investing in the IT industry intrigued even Chairman Wang.
“By the way, I proposed another bet to Hyun.”
“Another one?”
What could it be this time? Chairman Wang seemed to enjoy making bets with Kang Hyun as if it was his life’s pleasure.
He claimed he felt a catharsis every time Kang Hyun accomplished what seemed impossible.
He said he understood the kings of ancient Greece and Rome who imposed impossible tasks on heroes.
“I challenged him to score full marks on this year’s college entrance exam.”
Chairman Wang showed a peculiar smile. No matter how talented Kang Hyun was, this seemed impossible.
Sizzle—
The house in Ichon-dong was filled with a delicious aroma from the morning.
His mother was diligently preparing a packed lunch, rolling up her sleeves.
She was making various side dishes with brown rice for him, a test-taker. She carefully selected the dishes to be light and easy to digest.
“Mom, you can just prepare it like usual.”
“Son, food is important on a day like today. I was so nervous yesterday that I couldn’t even sleep.”
It seemed like the family was more nervous than the test-taker himself.
In his past life, this day was no different from any other.
He was sent off by his parents and even his grandfather for the big test, and boarded the car.
He barely managed to convince them not to accompany him to the test center.
Seeing his mother praying in the rearview mirror made him feel emotional.
“Kang Hyun, fighting!”
With the driver’s encouragement, he got out of the car.
At the test center entrance, students from Jeil High School, teachers, and even the principal were already there. The principal gave him a tight hug and cheered him on.
“Hyun, just do it like you always do, no pressure!”
His homeroom teacher’s face looked as if he were a national athlete heading to the Olympic finals. It seemed like everyone else was more nervous than the actual test-taker.
Surely, there were very few people who were not nervous.
Even looking at the other students, their stiff shoulders seemed to scream, “I’m nervous.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll do well.”
Of course, he wasn’t planning to take the test lightly. Although he hadn’t decided which university to go to, he had made a bet with the old fox Chairman Wang.
At first, he thought it was a joke. But scoring full marks on the college entrance exam? This was a task he hadn’t accomplished even in his past life.
‘How many did I get wrong last time?’
Four or was it three? That must have been the total number of errors.
He still vividly remembered getting a stomach ache the night before the college entrance exam in his past life. His poor condition certainly contributed to his score.
The test center was filled with a tense atmosphere. It felt like watching soldiers about to go to war.
If anything, he was a seasoned veteran. He had not only taken the college entrance exam in his past life but also the bar exam.
This level of tension was almost enjoyable for him.
He neatly placed the designated writing tools on his desk and waited for the first subject to begin.
Time passed, and the proctor announced the exam rules and distributed the test papers for the first subject.
The students’ faces simultaneously contorted upon receiving the test papers. Their feelings could be summed up in one word:
Damn.
The difficulty of the first-period Korean language section was quite high. It was incomparable to the mock exams. The students’ faces were filled with shock and dismay.
But he was different. He flipped through the pages of the test paper and silently marveled. He had always trusted his advanced cognitive abilities, but now the answers seemed to reveal themselves.
Of course, even without recalling his past life, he was confident he could solve them all, but the process was smoother than expected.
At that moment, he began to swiftly and accurately answer the questions, guided by the ticking of the clock.
