짝짝짝짝─! (Clap, clap, clap, clap─!)
The sound of thunderous applause reached the ceiling of the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall.
The white-haired violinist, who had finished playing all the movements, walked to the front of the stage and bowed respectfully to the audience.
Her performance was as elegant and classical as her nickname, “Queen of Strings.” During the aria on the G string in particular, there were even tears from some.
The eyes and ears of the audience had long been captivated by her melody. As her red dress fluttered like a rose, the violinist exited the stage.
“Goro, has there been any contact from Korea?”
The white-haired violinist, who had come to the waiting room, immediately looked for her manager. Despite the long solo performance, her eyes were shining bright like those of a child.
However, the manager slowly shook his head, as if failing to meet her expectations.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, a man entered the waiting room with the sound of a knock. Recognizing the man’s face, the violinist jumped up from her seat and displayed her characteristic gentle smile.
“You really worked hard today. I’m sorry if I couldn’t take care of you enough.”
He was the pianist who had accompanied her in the recital. The man waved his hand as if to dismiss the concern and bowed deeply with an emotional expression.
“No, ma’am. It was an honor for me to perform with you, Hirose-sensei. I feel like I’ve achieved the dream of my lifetime, and my heart is still racing.”
It was no exaggeration.
The white-haired violinist, Hirose, was a world-renowned master beyond Japan.
There was even a saying that, when her recitals were held in Tokyo, audiences would come from as far as Sapporo and Kagoshima.
The audience who heard Hirose’s performance unanimously said that she was not only the Queen of Strings but also a witch.
Because she could capture the souls of the audience with a single melody.
“By the way, Jung-hoon, you came from Korea, right?”
Suddenly, Hirose looked at the pianist Baek Jung-hoon. Baek Jung-hoon nodded with a puzzled expression.
“Is there any violinist in Korea that might interest me? Not adult performers, but young ones.”
Baek Jung-hoon’s brows furrowed. It was a habit that appeared when he was deep in thought.
Hirose was already a globally recognized violinist.
Although he himself had won second place at the Chopin Competition and was considered a rising star in the Korean classical music scene, he was nothing compared to Hirose.
No matter how hard he thought about it.
“Aside from the teachers who are already active in international symphonies, I don’t think there’s a junior performer who could satisfy you, Hirose-sensei.”
It was true. Looking back at the performers he knew, there hadn’t been any outstanding prodigies in Korea, which could be considered a barren land for classical music.
At that moment, Hirose’s expression darkened considerably.
“Who on earth could it be?”
Baek Jung-hoon wondered who this boy named Kang Hyun, whom he did not know, was. The content of the video sent by the Daeil Group was astonishing.
A child who had never appeared in an international competition. All they knew was that he was a member of a chaebol family, which only added to Hirose’s frustration.
“Sensei, aren’t you paying too much attention to that child? If you look in Japan, there must be someone with similar skills.”
Goro cautiously broached the subject. But Hirose firmly shook her head.
She thought Goro could only say that because he hadn’t seen the video. She herself wouldn’t have been this insistent if she hadn’t seen it.
“Goro, that child is definitely different.”
Child?
Baek Jung-hoon turned his head slightly to look at Goro. But no answer was forthcoming. What on earth could this mean?
“Oppa─!”
Son Yooha came running with a violin case on her small frame, her voice brimming with excitement as if she had accomplished something.
Why did his head suddenly ache? When Son Yooha saw her grandfather, she sat down demurely like a proper young lady. Had she not been the third generation of a chaebol family, she could have easily been a child actor.
“Hyun, it seems the young lady has prepared her instrument just in time.”
Spencer looked at me with a blatant gaze. Chairman Wang and Grandfather also seemed to be expecting something. Son Yooha, who had turned into a demure young lady, was already leaning forward, ready to listen.
Is this how performers who played the violin in salons for the nobility felt? The sudden performance wasn’t exactly pleasant. However,
“Since I’ve come from such a far place.”
Didn’t he come all the way from England to see him? And he was a renowned conductor of the London Symphony. Considering Spencer’s social status, it was an unbelievable story. Moreover, performing once wasn’t that difficult.
“Oh-ho.”
As a small violin and a long bow were taken out of the violin case, Spencer’s eyes lit up. It was because the instrument was made of quite good wood. At a glance, it seemed to be made by a famous craftsman from Cremona. The price would be unimaginable for a child to use.
How skilled would the performer be?
“I will play just one piece.”
At Hyun’s disciplined declaration, Spencer nodded. Hyun didn’t seem arrogant. It was something any musician could understand.
No matter how young he was, he knew his value as a violinist. Spencer’s heart began to race at Hyun’s confident demeanor.
At that moment, as the bow was raised,
Ziiing.
With the beginning of a single melody, the performance started. “Bach!”
Spencer’s eyes widened, and he clenched his fist.
Bach’s Chaconne from Partita No. 2.
A grand journey that begins without accompaniment. A series of suffocating tremors and poignancy resonated through the melody carried by the bow.
The fingers gripping the strings handled the notes as cautiously as caressing a child, but the harmony felt as though multiple violins were playing simultaneously.
It felt like an invisible pipe organ was accompanying.
Spencer had heard Kremer’s Chaconne live before, but Hyun’s performance felt uniquely different.
Ziiing.
It felt cold, but the hidden sorrow within made it even more poignant.
Was there a need to evaluate the technique? The Chaconne was already being performed with his own interpretation beyond the sheet music.
The tone and rhythm had long become the boy’s own. This was not something that could be achieved through practice. It felt like tears might flow.
Spencer closed his eyes. But his ears continued to follow the melody. Ah, how could this be possible?
Countless emotions were swirling in Spencer’s heart, as if to deny all the values he had held.
The wind blew into the garden. It was a cold wind that could cool down his heated body.
A faint blush remained on Chairman Wang’s face. A body that had blended the habit of hiding emotional changes throughout his life. But listening to that child’s performance, he felt a hot energy rising from deep within his body.
He could confidently say it was the first time he had ever felt such emotions.
“Really amazing, Chairman Yoo.”
Complicated emotions passed over Grandfather’s face. Earlier, he had been too flustered and busy being amazed to fully immerse himself in his grandson’s performance. But this time, he was immersed in the performance, which far exceeded his expectations of musical talent.
“What should we do with that child now, Son family?”
Despite having gone through numerous ups and downs over decades, he was now at a loss. It felt like facing a multiple-choice question with no correct answers. No matter what choice he made, he hesitated endlessly.
“Don’t think too deeply about it.”
Chairman Wang offered sincere advice. He knew better than anyone what his friend was struggling with.
“Don’t think of Hyun as just a young child. From what I see, he is a very intelligent boy. Not only can he take care of himself, but he can also look after Dongju.”
At Chairman Wang’s words, Grandfather finally began to see his grandson clearly.
Sometimes he seemed mature enough to be entrusted with Dongju’s future, yet other times he looked infinitely young.
But one thing was clear: as Chairman Wang said, Hyun was different from other children. He exceeded his expectations.
“There must be a reason behind that child’s choices that we don’t understand.”
It was something that would have surprised others to hear. A tycoon of the business world acknowledging a 14-year-old child. At that moment, Chairman Wang’s expression became subtle.
“Oh dear, that kid has completely fallen for him.”
Chairman Wang made a brief comment and nodded his head.
Beyond his gaze, Son Yooha and Kang Hyun were playing together. While Hyun treated Yooha like a younger sister, Yooha’s gaze at Hyun was anything but ordinary. It was more intense than Juliet’s gaze at Romeo.
It was on a flight back to England.
Spencer refused even the in-flight meal to savor the lingering emotion in his body. Even his favorite wine.
Just thinking about his performance sent chills down his spine, and he didn’t want to be disturbed by anything.
Due to his tight schedule for the London performance, he couldn’t stay in Korea for even a day, but he felt more refreshed than ever.
“As a guest member, I was completely wrong.”
He had thought about bringing him in as a guest member of the London Symphony and teaching him under his wing. But the moment he heard the boy’s Chaconne, he realized. This boy was already walking the great ocean.
He didn’t know how much musical knowledge and experience he had. But he couldn’t deny the fact that the boy had already created his own distinct music.
“I’m still sorry.”
The boy’s voice echoed in his ears like a reverberation. It was an unexpected answer before coming to Korea.
Was he upset? Not at all. Rather, he could understand by looking into his deep eyes.
The boy clearly understood his musical talent better than anyone. No one could easily possess that child.
How much time had passed?
Through the window, he could see the skies over London. Had they already arrived? He couldn’t shake off the lingering emotion for the entire long journey.
Spencer raised his long palm and brushed his face. He felt the callused and wrinkled palm.
“Come to think of it.”
He had been shocked when he first saw the boy’s white palm. There were no calluses, as if he had never played the violin. It was then that his values began to crumble.
He had thought all prodigies died after Mozart. But, “Samuel, you were right.”
