“Quite a number of guests.”
It was the wedding of the eldest son of the Peace Group, one of the top 10 companies in South Korea, dealing with shipping and shipbuilding.
Perhaps because the marriage was late, the wedding hall, which could accommodate two thousand people, was packed like a marketplace. No wonder the news about the enormous number of guests came out first.
“Old man, back in our day, we just shared a glass of water and bowed to each other to make a hundred-year vow. Nowadays, the world has improved so much.”
Chairman Wang’s words, feeling the passage of time, brought a faint smile to Chairman Yoo’s face.
He wasn’t wrong. Although he was born as the only son of a wealthy family in Chungbuk, he had gone through severe opposition to his marriage. His wife had been a maid at his family’s home, after all.
Eventually, he moved to Seoul with his wife almost penniless.
Until they took over a factory abandoned by Japan after the Korean War, he couldn’t even properly give her a decent ring, which still made him feel deeply sorry.
“Wang, wasn’t it different even when Ilseon got married?”
“Yes, back then, we only invited the necessary people and held the wedding at Myeongdong Cathedral. If it was too extravagant, we could have been criticized by the media, so we kept it relatively modest.”
It was a time when the military regime was becoming entrenched. Even large corporations could fall like autumn leaves if they fell out of favor with the government.
Nevertheless, at Son Ilseon’s wedding, not a single famous person in Korea was absent.
The Blue House Secretarial Office even sent a wreath directly, so although the scale was small, the grandeur was indeed impressive.
“Chairman, it’s an honor to have you here!”
The head of the Peace Group ran out to greet Chairman Wang. The head of the family, dressed in traditional Korean wedding attire, was as polite as a new employee.
It was only natural since having Chairman Wang of the Jaeil Group attend the wedding was more significant than having the Prime Minister from the Blue House.
Even other heads of large corporations greeted the groom and then immediately sought out Chairman Wang, making it seem as if Chairman Wang was the host of the wedding.
“This is why I didn’t want to come to the wedding.”
“Wang, if you didn’t come, the Kim family of the Peace Group would have been very disappointed. I’m sure the Kim family is holding their head high right now because you personally attended their eldest son’s wedding.”
Indeed, Chairman Wang’s attendance at the wedding was a testament to his trust in the other party. Chairman Wang’s intentions were synonymous with the Jaeil Group’s intentions.
It was difficult for anyone involved in politics or business in Korea to disregard the Jaeil Group. The term “Jaeil Republic” wasn’t coined for nothing.
“Old man, what do you think it will be like when our kids get married?”
“Our kids?”
“I mean Hyun and Yooha, what do you think it will be like when those two get married?”
Even without the backing of the Jaeil Group and Dongju, Kang Hyun had already risen to fame in the classical music world. Musicians from around the world wanted to collaborate with him.
Chairman Yoo didn’t hesitate to reply.
“It will be the wedding of the century.”
With her long hair almost reaching her waist, her sharp nose beneath a round forehead was as beautiful as a painting.
Her cat-like eyes gave her the mature appearance of a young lady, but her love for tteokbokki and soondae made her seem like a young girl.
“Is it delicious?”
“Yes, it’s totally delicious!”
Her white cheeks puffed up, full of food. I added a caution to eat slowly, worried she might choke.
I wondered if there were no snack shops in America. There had to be some in Koreatown, even in the new millennium.
“The snacks sold in America just don’t taste like this. The ones here in Korea are so good.”
As if reading my thoughts, Son Yooha spoke while staring intently at the tteokbokki.
Who would think this child, happily eating tteokbokki and soondae, was an heir to a conglomerate?
But her naturally beautiful and noble appearance exuded wealth at a glance. Even the members of the orchestra whispered, wondering if she was an aspiring actress.
“When did you get here?”
“I arrived during your rehearsal, oppa. I was going to say hi, but I didn’t want to disturb your rehearsal. You looked great playing the violin, and also conducting.”
“Really?”
Son Yooha nodded enthusiastically, with tteokbokki sauce on her lips. At moments like this, she was like the little girl who used to follow me around, calling “Oppaaa!” without a care. She smiled widely, unaware of the sauce on her lips.
“Such a mess.”
I wiped the tteokbokki sauce off Son Yooha’s lips with my thumb, and her face turned as red as the sauce.
“What brings you to Korea this summer break? I thought you’d be studying in England by now.”
At that moment, Son Yooha noisily placed her chopsticks on the table. Leaning forward, she looked at me with a pouting expression, resembling an upset cat.
“Oppa, are you asking because you really don’t know?”
“Huh?”
“Of course, I came to see you, oppa!”
Is this what they mean when they say raising kids is pointless? If President Son Ilseon heard what Son Yooha said, he would be deeply disappointed.
“But don’t you get any blind date proposals lately?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The last time I saw you, that big guy among your friends seemed to be egging you on. Michelle said that in university, unlike in high school, girls would relentlessly hit on you.”
She wasn’t wrong. I was popular in high school, but not to this extent.
University life was so different from my past life that it was often overwhelming. My locker was always full of letters and gifts. Proposals for blind dates came not only from my university but also from other universities.
Thinking back to my past life when I married through matchmaking, it was a world of difference.
“Still, I’m confident.”
Huh?
“I’m confident I can beat all the girls hitting on you, oppa.”
It wasn’t baseless confidence. Son Yooha’s beauty was blooming more each day.
Thinking back to her past life as the Ice Queen, it was true. Even in her forties, President Son Yooha of Jaeil Trading possessed an elegance that rivaled famous actresses. She was also known for her philanthropy, once named the world’s most beautiful female CEO by Forbes.
At that moment,
Creak.
With a sound like a scream, the waiting room door opened. Beyond the door stood the concertmaster and the orchestra members, looking awkward.
“Ha ha, we left our stuff behind.”
The concertmaster laughed awkwardly. The members’ belongings were piled up in one corner of the waiting room. They must have come back after finishing practice and leaving the concert hall.
At that moment, a viola player cautiously looked at me and asked,
“Conductor, who is the person next to you?”
The orchestra members collectively swallowed their curiosity. Come to think of it, I had been too busy to introduce Son Yooha.
How should I explain this? For now, it might be best to say she’s my younger sister.
“She’s my girlfriend!”
At that moment, Son Yooha linked arms with me and answered.
“Mother, let me do it!”
Clearly, her time in America had made her more assertive. Son Yooha was already by her mother’s side, busy earning points. Even the housekeeper had a big smile on her face.
Just her presence seemed to bring a lively energy to the once quiet house.
“Grandfather, how is it?”
“Yooha, your hands are very skillful. No wonder Chairman Son adores you.”
“I learned it in England. My massage teacher was a petite woman, but she was very good.”
Who would have thought I’d see the Ice Queen giving a shoulder massage? Just as Grandfather said, she skillfully applied pressure with her fingertips.
“Yooha, why don’t you come back to Korea and stay at your grandfather’s house? There are plenty of empty rooms.”
“Would my grandfather allow that?”
“Haha, you’re right. Chairman Son wouldn’t stand idly by. How about sending Hyun to Pyeongchang-dong and you come to Ichon-dong?”
“I was just about to suggest that. It seems like you and I think alike, Grandfather!”
Grandfather, who usually didn’t joke around, seemed very pleased with Yooha’s massage. Yooha also got along well with him, like they were having a comedy duo act. Father’s face was also lit up with a bright smile.
Feeling a burning thirst, I got up and headed to the kitchen.
I was about to drink a cup of water when I heard,
“Honey, should we make a sister for Hyun?”
I almost spat out the water. My sensitive ears caught every word as Father subtly suggested to Mother about planning for a sister.
Perhaps because of a documentary, even those who usually weren’t interested in classical music were fervently trying to get tickets.
The concert hall at the Seoul Arts Center was more crowded than ever, perfectly embodying the term “sold out.”
“Two conductors leading the same piece. What do you think, Vasily?”
“I’m curious about the conductor named Jung Hoon, who was personally mentored by Maestro Maxim. It seems he’s already established himself as a guest conductor in Russia.”
“Don’t even get me started. While you were in Europe, all the Russian orchestras were conducted by him, known as the ‘Iron Blood’ conductor.”
“Iron Blood?”
The audience was particularly filled with what appeared to be Russian conductors.
It was no wonder, as Maxim Ivanov, the world-renowned maestro and Russian legend, had his prized pupil making an appearance.
Moreover, after his performance for the British royal family, Hyun had garnered immense attention, being dubbed the “Reincarnation of Mozart” among classical musicians.
“Adam, doesn’t this feel like watching a Karajan concert?”
“The Empress Karajan?”
“Yes, I’m talking about the Empress Karajan’s concert held at Carnegie Hall in ‘83. Back then, world-renowned conductors all flocked to Carnegie Hall. Look over there, even Vasily from Northern Europe has come to Korea. I heard he has a concert next month.”
Not only were the chief editors of Gramophone present, but the audience was also filled with famous musicians whose names everyone would recognize.
Kang Hyun and Baek Jung Hoon were rapidly rising stars in the classical music world.
“It looks like it’s about to start.”
As Adam said, the orchestra members were taking their seats on stage. They were sitting at their respective stands, tuning their instruments.
The European musicians’ eyes were all on Korea’s top orchestra.
Gulp.
The members of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra looked visibly tense. Even the concertmaster was no exception. Despite having performed countless times, this was their first time playing in front of so many distinguished musicians.
Moreover, among the audience were renowned conductors and musicians, adding to the pressure. At that moment,
Thud.
Baek Jung Hoon, dressed in a tailcoat, stepped onto the stage first.
His sharp features and calm eyes were not those of the pianist Baek Jung Hoon. They were the eyes of a conductor who had gained fame under the nickname “Iron Blood” in the harsh winters of Moscow.
The Russian conductors, active in Europe, all focused on Baek Jung Hoon.
How exceptional must his talent be to have opened the heart of Maxim Ivanov, who had never taken a single student before?
“There he is.”
As someone said, Kang Hyun, also dressed in a tailcoat, appeared on stage.
Could the sun be this intense? The audience’s heated gazes seemed to scan Kang Hyun’s entire body.
However, there was no sign of nervousness on Kang Hyun’s face.
The concertmaster thought that Kang Hyun must have been born with nerves of steel. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be smiling so calmly.
Who is better?
The audience murmured as if witnessing a rival showdown, but Adam silently watched the stage.
The reason was simple. He felt he was witnessing a historic moment in classical music.
