The blazing sun of Santa Monica beach shines down on a wide-brimmed straw trilby hat.
A middle-aged woman wearing round black sunglasses exudes an air of elegance at first glance. Passersby can’t help but take a look at her sitting in the café.
However, it’s not just her aura that draws attention. She is the most famous comedian in America.
“Ms. Elnon, first of all, congratulations on the 10th anniversary of The Elnon Show.”
The editor sitting across from Elnon handed her a bouquet of flowers as he offered his congratulations.
Elnon slightly removed her sunglasses to check the color of the bouquet, inhaled the scent deeply, and expressed her admiration.
“How did you know I like marigolds?”
“Of course, as a passionate fan of yours, how could I not know? I’ve watched every single episode of The Elnon Show for the past ten years.”
“Thank you so much.”
The Elnon Show has become the most famous talk show in America and is renowned worldwide. It is said that only the most famous can even dream of appearing on it.
There’s even a saying that you shouldn’t claim to be a celebrity in America if you haven’t appeared on The Elnon Show, highlighting its immense reputation.
This is evidenced by the fact that the guests and broadcasting time are determined based on their popularity.
“Elnon, for ten years, you have never missed a recording of The Elnon Show, not even when you were unwell. Especially during episode 137 with Bill Gates, you even carried on with an IV drip. Most top stars wouldn’t be as dedicated. They’d be more focused on taking care of themselves. But it’s as if you vowed never to miss a broadcast. Where does that endless energy come from?”
“It’s because of my promise to the viewers.”
“A promise to the viewers?”
Elnon nodded briefly.
In fact, when planning The Elnon Show ten years ago, no one imagined it would become such a long-running program. However…
“When I did the first recording, I instinctively knew. I knew this talk show would become a significant part of my life. I made a promise then, no matter what happens, I wouldn’t miss a broadcast. I promised to always spend the evening with my viewers.”
“If you knew instinctively during the first recording, it must have been quite the feeling.”
“Yes, it’s been ten years, but I can never forget that day.”
A handsome young Asian musician came to Elnon’s mind. He has now become much more famous than she is.
“Ms. Elnon, I heard the results of this viewer poll were quite unique. Is that true?”
“It was a very interesting result. Viewers voted for the guest they wanted to see the most, and I never imagined that the guest who already appeared on The Elnon Show would take first place again.”
“Who was the guest that viewers wanted to see the most?”
“Violinist Hyun, who was the very first guest on The Elnon Show.”
The editor nodded in agreement.
He, too, was a huge fan who never missed an episode of The Elnon Show.
Many celebrities had appeared on the show, but if he had to pick just one, he would undoubtedly choose violinist Hyun.
In some ways, Kang Hyun was the perfect host for the first recording of The Elnon Show.
“At the time, Hyun was so popular with the network that some officials suggested making Hyun the host and having his own talk show.”
“I remember that too. The first broadcast was so popular that tickets for Hyun’s New York concert sold out completely, didn’t they?”
“The scalped ticket prices even surpassed those of the Super Bowl. It was shocking. No one expected classical music to become so popular in America.”
“That’s right. My nephew was fifteen at the time and he kept begging to go to Hyun’s concert. Many kids in America started playing the violin because of him.”
After the first broadcast of The Elnon Show, Kang Hyun’s popularity soared beyond imagination. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he caused a violinist syndrome.
And it wasn’t a short-lived phenomenon. While the weight of the crown might have caused others to falter, Kang Hyun was different. He seemed to enjoy the situation with ease.
“Ms. Elnon, may I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“If you had to choose between President Barack Obama and Hyun as your only guest, who would you invite?”
“Is there any reason to hesitate? If I had the chance, I would invite Hyun again. Hyun was the best guest of my life.”
Elnon smiled as she recalled Kang Hyun from ten years ago. His youth was as dazzling as the brilliant sunshine of Santa Monica.
“President?”
The first to notice the change in popularity was none other than President Im Hyera. She called early in the morning, insisting that from now on, Hyun should always be accompanied by bodyguards when going out.
“President? Why suddenly? Is it because of the paparazzi?”
Paparazzi had become almost routine. Wearing a hat and sunglasses and avoiding usual paths made them less threatening. They were just people taking photos, after all. But the answer was unexpected.
“Hyun, didn’t you watch The Elnon Show’s first broadcast yesterday?”
How could he have had time? He had been so busy rehearsing with the New York Philharmonic that he barely had a moment to breathe.
“It’s a sensation in America right now. People from major entertainment companies are planning to come to see you, and journalists are flying in. The Elnon Show was a massive hit.”
What on earth was she talking about? He knew The Elnon Show would become famous, but to be such a hit from the first broadcast? Could it be because of him? President Im Hyera seemed to read his thoughts and emphasized,
“Hyun, many people in America want to meet you now. Can you stay inside today? What should I do? I want to fly to New York right now, but I can’t.”
“President, isn’t Jung-hoon hyung performing in America today?”
“Then make sure you have bodyguards with you. The cars are all prepared, so don’t drive yourself as usual.”
It was the day Baek Jung-hoon was performing in America. He was looking forward to seeing Baek Jung-hoon take the stage as a pianist again after a long time.
But it had to be this kind of day. How popular could the first episode of The Elnon Show have been for President Im Hyera in Korea to be so alarmed?
Normally, he would have laughed it off, but he had no choice but to heed President Im Hyera’s earnest advice. President Im Hyera, always rational and cool-headed, had never been so insistent.
But he understood after turning on the TV.
“ABA’s ambitious new show, The Elnon Show, debuted to much fanfare. In particular, there has been a nationwide surge in interest regarding the first guest, violinist Hyun. Questions about whether Hyun has scheduled a US tour have been flooding in, and his albums are being resold at high prices. His ‘Gang Hyun Symphony No.1,’ which had previously charted in the top 30 of the Billboard singles chart, has surged into the top 10! Now, let’s watch the performance of violinist Hyun that caused such a buzz last night.”
As the host’s excited voice continued, Kang Hyun’s performance played on the screen.
Baek Jung-hoon exhaled the breath he had been holding and relaxed his tense body. It had been a long time since he stood on stage as a pianist. He had been unable to perform for a while due to tendinitis.
The reason for his concert in New York was simple. His mentor, Maestro Maxim Ivanov, was currently staying in New York.
“Hoo—!”
Baek Jung-hoon looked at his long fingers.
He had worked tirelessly for today’s concert, changing the repertoire countless times and practically living on the piano bench.
It felt as if he had gone back to the days when he first learned to play the piano.
‘Will he come?’
In truth, Baek Jung-hoon was waiting for one particular audience member. The musician and friend who had shown him a new musical perspective and instilled new values in him—Kang Hyun.
He had sent a ticket to Kang Hyun, but whether Hyun could make it to the concert was uncertain. After all, Hyun’s popularity in America was beyond imagination.
‘A world star…’
The Korean media had already begun to refer to Kang Hyun as a world star openly.
After all, no Korean artist had ever made it to the top 10 of the Billboard charts before. And Kang Hyun was a violinist. A virtuoso born in a country often called a wasteland for classical music.
“Pianist Baek Jung-hoon is here—!”
As Baek Jung-hoon stepped onto the stage, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.
It had been a long time since he stood on stage as a pianist rather than as a conductor. The feeling was overwhelming. He hadn’t been this nervous even when he won second place at the Chopin Competition. An irresistible thrill coursed through the shoulders of his tuxedo.
Baek Jung-hoon bowed deeply to the audience and sat on the piano bench, and the hall fell silent.
The audience held their breath, eagerly awaiting Baek Jung-hoon’s performance. Their eyes shone with anticipation.
‘Can I do it?’
Baek Jung-hoon looked down at his fingers, afflicted with tendinitis. There was a time when he almost gave up on the piano completely. But thanks to Kang Hyun, he was able to regain his focus.
He vividly remembered the collaboration he did with Kang Hyun.
The two musicians had communicated as if connected by a string.
The melodies of the violin and piano waltzed together as if they were dancing.
Thinking of Kang Hyun, Baek Jung-hoon felt the tension in his fingers ease.
He began to feel a sense of excitement. Perhaps it was because the concert was in New York. It felt as if he was performing with Kang Hyun.
Then, he noticed an unusual audience member in the middle of the crowd.
A captivating glissando-like gaze smoothly met Baek Jung-hoon’s.
-Hyung, you’ll do great.
It was an audience member with a deeply pulled-down hat.
Though the face was hard to make out beneath the hat, Baek Jung-hoon recognized the deep eyes under the brim.
He was the one audience member Baek Jung-hoon had been waiting for.
At that moment, Baek Jung-hoon’s fingers started to dance on the piano keys.
