“Kim Saetbyeol, how did the Hirose interview go?”
Kim Saetbyeol raised her thumb without hesitation.
Given that she was a foreign star, it wasn’t easy for her to appear in Korean media unless there was something special.
She was famously candid, so she didn’t need an interview script. She answered straight from the heart.
“Editor, Hirose praised Kang Hyun a lot!”
“There have been rumors that Hirose adores Kang Hyun for a long time. She even said on Japanese TV that she wanted to pass her violin to Kang Hyun from Korea.”
“Right, and because of that, the Japanese right-wingers were all over her.”
“What can they do by nitpicking? Hirose is already a hero in Japan.”
It was widely known that Hirose, Japan’s great artist, cherished Kang Hyun. Early on, she had singled out Kang Hyun from Korea, not any Japanese artist, as the next great master to lead the Asian classical music scene.
“Anyway, I can’t believe Hirose came to Korea for a collaboration.”
The editor, who had been in the classical music scene for a long time, still couldn’t believe it. Who would have thought that a Korean violinist and Japan’s Hirose would collaborate?
But the surprises didn’t end there.
“What? Original compositions?”
“Yes, Hirose said she would perform Kang Hyun’s original compositions in this collaboration. And apparently, Kang Hyun has several unreleased original compositions.”
The editor’s Adam’s apple bobbed significantly. It was because Kang Hyun’s original compositions were already well-known.
Prestigious musicians in the classical music scene had unanimously called Kang Hyun’s first album a masterpiece.
“Editor, so what about an interview with Kang Hyun?”
“Kid, do you think I don’t want to? But getting an interview with Kang Hyun is harder than getting into the Blue House. Music magazine reporters say it’s rarer than winning the lottery.”
The editor clicked his tongue. It couldn’t be helped. After his performance for the British Royal Family two years ago, Kang Hyun had only done one formal interview and refused all others.
If he were just an ordinary classical star, it would have been hard to maintain such mystique.
But Kang Hyun was backed by Dongju, a leader in the chemical industry, and the Jeil Group, something everyone in the industry knew.
“By the way, isn’t Kang Hyun a student taking exams this year? I heard he did quite well in his studies.”
Kim Saetbyeol nodded. She had heard that despite his busy schedule, Kang Hyun didn’t neglect his studies.
However, expecting him to stand out in the college entrance exam would be difficult. It’s like picking a star from the sky among tens of thousands of examinees.
Just then,
“Senior―!”
A rookie reporter from DailyQ hurriedly ran towards Kim Saetbyeol but stopped short when he saw the glaring editor.
“Kid, do you think this is a market?”
“Ed… Editor. We just got a call from Senior Park at Jeil High School.”
“Jeil High School? Why there?”
As Kim Saetbyeol’s eyes sparkled, the rookie recited the next headline.
“Kang Hyun scored a perfect score on the college entrance exam.”
The mansion in Ichon-dong was bustling. The savory smell of food filled the air, making it seem like a holiday.
Relatives who rarely contacted, as well as various newspapers and broadcasters, kept calling.
“Hyun, I heard you got a perfect score on the college entrance exam?”
“Yes, Grandpa.”
A deep smile formed in the wrinkles around his grandfather’s eyes. My name kept going up and down on the TV screen.
The reason for the media’s interest was simple. Since the preliminary exam was introduced in 1968, there hadn’t been a single perfect scorer for 30 years until 1999. It was headline news.
Moreover, if the perfect scorer had conducted the British Royal Family’s performance a few years ago? No need to say more.
“Son, you worked hard on your exam. Mom thought you didn’t do as well since you didn’t talk about it much. Now I can be at ease.”
My mother teared up like a young girl. My father, beside her, wiped his nose and hugged her shoulder.
If I had known, I would’ve told them the results earlier. I was just as surprised. Their reaction was entirely different from when I entered Korea University Law School in my past life.
“Father, we’re here―!”
Just then, unexpected guests appeared at the Ichon-dong mansion.
My aunt had brought a bunch of food. Yoo Jinseok, with his hair dyed yellow, followed her like a calf being led to the slaughterhouse.
“Auntie, please take this. You haven’t had lunch yet, right? Hyun got a perfect score on the college entrance exam, so as his aunt, I couldn’t just sit still. I brought some food, Father.”
My aunt would have been a typical opportunist if born during the Japanese occupation. Just recently, she told me to consider escape studying abroad if I didn’t do well in school.
“Who does Hyun take after to be so good at studying? Kang, you’re not good at studying, right? He must take after Father. No one in our family is bad at studying, hoho.”
“Aunt, what about Jinseok hyung?”
“Huh?”
Father wasn’t bad at studying; he just didn’t have the funds. On the other hand, Yoo Jinseok, born into a wealthy family with ample support, ended up going astray. My aunt’s words were coming back to haunt her.
“Jinseok is studying so hard in Australia. Father, I’m thinking of pushing him towards a diplomatic career. He seems interested. Right, Jinseok?”
Under my grandfather’s gaze, Yoo Jinseok quickly nodded.
Really? Dreaming of a diplomatic career was too bright a future for him. Later, Yoo Jinseok would become a scammer, not a diplomat.
Just then,
“Chairman Yoo, I’m here.”
Chairman Wang arrived at the Ichon-dong mansion to celebrate my perfect score.
Following him, the hands of the bodyguards were full of golden silk boxes. It must be high-quality hanwoo beef and beef bone broth.
My aunt, who had been bad-mouthing moments ago, immediately shut her lips at Chairman Wang’s appearance. Grandfather subtly looked at me and asked,
“Hyun, you seem happier to see Yooha’s grandfather than your aunt?”
“No, I’m happy to see both.”
“Your expression says otherwise.”
Well, what can I say? I was genuinely happy to see both.
“By the way, I won our bet again, right?”
“Director, it’s chaos.”
Kim Mihyun, an employee of Jeil Gallery, looked distressed.
“Mihyun, are all those people outside reporters?”
“I wish it were just reporters. Even Hyun’s fans are mixed in, making it a complete market. The police have already been called several times due to complaints, but it’s only temporary. Even today, despite Hyun not coming to the studio, they won’t leave. Some reporters are even lying in their cars like they’re on a stakeout.”
Sweet fruits attract various insects. Kang Hyun was undoubtedly the hottest keyword in Korea right now.
Didn’t they say Korea was an exam-obsessed country? The fervor for private education, which had waned after the financial crisis, was resurging.
Moreover, a perfect scorer had emerged for the first time in the history of the college entrance exam.
“Some reporters aren’t even asking to meet Hyun but want to meet his mother.”
“Hyun’s mother?”
“They want to interview the modern-day Shin Saimdang who raised a genius. One publisher even asked if Hyun’s mother would be interested in writing a book on her teaching methods. At this rate, they’ll find out what Hyun eats for every meal and publish it.”
Kim Mihyun was exasperated. The gallery was nearly paralyzed by inquiries related to Kang Hyun.
“Director, and we got a call from the Blue House.”
“What?”
Director Im Hyera looked puzzled, thinking she misheard. But Kim Mihyun’s expression remained unchanged.
“They want to award Hyun a commendation under the Minister of Education’s supervision. Somehow, it escalated, and they thought it would look better if the Blue House directly awarded it. It’s not just because of the perfect score but also because he brought glory to Korea with his performance for the British Royal Family.”
“Will the Minister of Education present it?”
Previously, the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism had awarded commendations to international competition winners. Pianist Baek Junghoon was one such recipient.
Kang Hyun’s win at the Queen Elisabeth Competition had been so sudden that it had passed by quickly.
But Kim Mihyun shook her head.
“The Minister of Culture?”
“No, Director.”
Then who?
“Could it be?”
The President?
“Teacher, could you play the left-hand pizzicato a bit stronger here?”
In the concert hall of the Seoul Arts Center, two people were playing the violin together. Hirose nodded without hesitation at Kang Hyun’s request.
She was Japan’s top master, but it was only natural. After all, the composer of the piece they were collaborating on was Kang Hyun himself.
The two violins seemed to compete with each other, their strings gleaming.
Their right hands gripped the bows tightly and moved gracefully over the strings.
The rich and vibrant melodies filled the air, with each note compensating for the other’s weaknesses, achieving a perfect balance and harmony.
Despite having practiced together for hours, neither showed signs of fatigue. It seemed the more they played, the more they were drawn into it.
The director of the Seoul Arts Center was moved to tears watching their rehearsal.
Finally, they finished the last piece, both lowering their bows simultaneously. However, the strings still seemed to shimmer with lingering excitement.
“Hyun, I heard you got a perfect score on the college entrance exam? It’s amazing that you’re not only great at classical music but also at studying. In Japan, we have something similar called the Center Exam, but a genius like you scoring a perfect score is extremely rare.”
“You’re too kind, Teacher. I was just lucky.”
Lately, everyone around me kept calling me a genius, making me feel like I was always on cloud nine.
In a way, it was the opportunity from my past life and the advanced software that brought me this honor. But I must stay humble during times like these.
That’s why I declined all interview requests. If I did one, I’d probably just give the cliché answer, “I studied mainly from textbooks without private tutoring.”
“Hyun, what will you do first when you become an adult?”
“I guess I’ll get my driver’s license.”
“Driver’s license?”
Teacher Hirose seemed to expect a different answer.
But what I needed most right now was a driver’s license. Constantly relying on chauffeur Kim was inconvenient.
My mother was worried about me driving, but I had decades of safe driving experience in my past life.
“Hyun, to celebrate you becoming an adult, I want to give you a gift. Is there anything you need?”
“Anything from you would be greatly appreciated. The fact that you’re performing in my solo concert is already a huge gift.”
It was true. I never imagined that Teacher Hirose would propose a collaboration.
“Should I get you a car since you’ll be getting your driver’s license?”
“Teacher, that’s too much.”
Gifts should have a reasonable limit. A car as a gift was too extravagant.
Just then, I remembered my bet with Chairman Wang. He had promised to grant any wish if I got a perfect score on the college entrance exam.
There were no limits to my bet with Chairman Wang.
So, did I ask for a sports car?
No, that would be too modest.
