Gulp―!
Park Sun-young was so nervous that she even noticed her throat moving.
But it wasn’t just Park Sun-young’s problem. The other new members sitting in the audience were in the same state.
The reason was simple. The tension flowing on stage filled the concert hall like an epidemic.
“Dresden―!”
At Kang Hyun’s shout, the first violin section flinched. Did their pitch go slightly off without them realizing? It was only for a moment, but Kang Hyun was pinpointing the member who made the mistake as if he would not tolerate even a slight error.
Thanks to this, even the veteran members with illustrious careers could not let their guard down.
The sharper the conductor’s movements, the more precise the members’ performances became.
To an outsider, it might seem like an actual performance rather than a rehearsal, as the members were putting their utmost effort into it.
At that moment.
Thump.
Kang Hyun stepped down from the podium and started walking among the members. Of course, the orchestra could still play without a conductor.
In fact, there were European orchestras that performed without a conductor. But that’s not what Kang Hyun wanted.
Kang Hyun was walking among the members, pointing out mistakes directly.
‘What on earth…’
What kind of scene was this…?
Park Sun-young and the new members were paralyzed by the tension and thrill that filled the concert hall.
Even though Park Sun-young had been in the second violin section of the Paris Symphony Orchestra, she had never seen or heard of such a rehearsal.
Orchestra members had a strong musical pride and values. Even a concertmaster who had worked with them for a long time would find it hard to give blatant instructions.
In the past, there were many cases where orchestras voted to oust conductors who lacked skill. However,
“Mirai, you’re putting too much pressure on the strings with your fingers!”
Kang Hyun was different. Seeing him commanding the stage as if it were the palm of his hand, Park Sun-young wondered if this was the same Kang Hyun she knew.
His aura was untouchable, and his voice carried an inexplicable power.
After receiving Kang Hyun’s guidance, the orchestra’s melody changed immediately.
The guidance was so brief that it was hard to know what exactly he adjusted, but its effect was tremendous. It was like witnessing magic.
“We’ll take a 30-minute break.”
As the conductor stepped down from the podium and walked off the stage, the tension filling the concert hall finally eased.
The members were busy wiping the sweat off their foreheads with handkerchiefs.
“It’s the first rehearsal, and you’re all surprised, right?”
At that moment, concertmaster Antonio walked toward the new members sitting in the audience. The new members had many questions but hesitated to speak.
Then, Park Sun-young cautiously spoke to Antonio.
“Concertmaster, excuse me, but do you always practice like this?”
Would this apply to other conductors as well? Park Sun-young had never seen a conductor conduct a rehearsal like Kang Hyun. Even great maestros found it hard to manage the entire orchestra.
But Kang Hyun seemed to see through every member’s issues as if looking down at a Go board.
“No, we haven’t been practicing like this for long. This is all possible because of Maestro Hyun. At first, there was resistance among the members, but as you can see now, everyone acknowledges Maestro Hyun.”
As Antonio said, the members quickly reviewed the parts Kang Hyun had just guided them on after wiping their sweat.
The members, known for their strong musical pride, showed not a hint of doubt in Kang Hyun’s guidance. It made one wonder what magic Kang Hyun had worked on them.
After 30 minutes, Kang Hyun climbed back onto the stage, and endless tension began to fill the hall again.
The members, without showing signs of fatigue, eagerly awaited Kang Hyun’s direction. Only then did Park Sun-young realize that the members’ trust in Kang Hyun was akin to the infinite trust given to a great maestro.
‘Can I do it?’
Park Sun-young felt a sense of despair after just her first day at work. Even the senior members, who were like shining stars, doubted their abilities and put in efforts as if they were learning music for the first time.
It was indeed a survival of the fittest. She now understood why it was widely known that new members in the New York Philharmonic couldn’t last long.
If you lacked skill, you weren’t accepted as part of the family. As the saying went, existing members didn’t try to get close to new members.
In fact, concertmaster Antonio had openly stated on the first day that if anyone found it too tough, he wouldn’t stop them from moving to another orchestra.
“Thank you for your hard work today, everyone. See you tomorrow.”
When Kang Hyun finished his feedback and stood up, all the members stood up simultaneously. The members of the New York Philharmonic truly treated Kang Hyun as a maestro.
Even after Kang Hyun left, the members continued to share and discuss his feedback.
“Conductor!”
Park Sun-young followed Kang Hyun as he left the concert hall. Initially, she thought of calling him by his name as she used to, but after witnessing today’s rehearsal, she realized she couldn’t treat him the same way anymore.
When Kang Hyun turned his head at the familiar voice and saw her, he gave a faint smile.
“Noona, why are you calling me ‘conductor’? When it’s just the two of us, call me Hyun like you used to.”
“No, I can’t… I just can’t…”
“Have you forgotten? You were the one who taught me the violin.”
In fact, it was hard to say she taught him. Little Kang Hyun, whom Park Sun-young faced, had shown considerable talent in the violin from the beginning.
Even Park Sun-young, who was the top student at the Korean University of Music, had little to teach him. If anything, she learned from him.
“So, Hyun, I have a favor to ask. Could you guide the new members separately?”
“What?”
She knew it was an unreasonable request. Kang Hyun already seemed to have little time to coordinate with the existing members.
But Kang Hyun also understood Park Sun-young’s thoughts. Normally, he would have sought the concertmaster’s help, but with the New York performance imminent, it was unrealistic for the concertmaster to take care of the new members.
Moreover, the New York Philharmonic rarely had the concertmaster guide new members. Those who couldn’t adapt would be left behind.
“Actually, I have some free time. Most of the existing members need personal reflection rather than having me stick by their side.”
Kang Hyun’s response was unexpectedly positive. But his following words made Park Sun-young feel despair again.
“But why should I help the new members at this time?”
It was a valid point. Kang Hyun wasn’t continuously conducting at the New York Philharmonic; he was only scheduled for one collaboration.
It was unreasonable to expect Kang Hyun to guide the new members. It was like asking him to fix the main beam and also take care of every single roof tile.
At that moment, Kang Hyun added, as if reading Park Sun-young’s thoughts.
“There’s no help without a price. Noona, why don’t you help me once?”
“Yooha, is that news true?”
Michelle approached Son Yooha excitedly. It wasn’t just Michelle. There were many students behind her waiting for Son Yooha’s answer.
The reason for the commotion at Phillips was specific. It was because of the rumor that Kang Hyun’s New York performance had been scheduled.
“It’s probably true.”
Son Yooha’s brief answer added to the buzz.
No wonder, Kang Hyun’s popularity, aiming for the top of the Billboard singles chart, had grown as large as that of pop stars among American teenagers.
Moreover, apart from his appearance on the Ellen Show, he rarely showed his face in the media, which unintentionally added to his mystique and increased his charm.
“Can we get tickets for the performance?”
The topic shifted to tickets for the New York performance. The seats in the symphony orchestra’s concert hall were somewhat limited, unlike stadiums where pop stars performed, which could accommodate tens of thousands of people.
Considering the number of fans across the United States wanting to see Kang Hyun, getting tickets would indeed be like picking stars from the sky.
‘I haven’t even received mine yet…’
Michelle looked at Son Yooha expectantly, but she couldn’t give a definite answer either.
Even Son Yooha hadn’t seen Kang Hyun’s face for two weeks. The usual routine of eating sandwiches on a bench in Central Park was now impossible.
Kang Hyun was not only busy but had also become so famous that he could hardly walk around outside. Not only paparazzi but also ordinary citizens now recognized his face.
“Yooha.”
It was after class when she was stepping out of school.
Son Yooha turned her head at a familiar voice. To her surprise, the person waiting for her was unexpected.
“Sun-young unnie?”
It was Park Sun-young, who had once taught her violin as a private tutor.
A smile she couldn’t hide naturally spread across Son Yooha’s face at the reunion after several years.
But Park Sun-young was accompanied by people of various races around her. They were the new members of the New York Philharmonic.
“Ah, Yooha. These people are musicians who are also new members performing with me in the New York Philharmonic.”
“New York Philharmonic? That’s where Hyun oppa is collaborating.”
“Actually, unnie has been given a huge task today. These friends are in the same boat.”
Not only Park Sun-young but also the new members of the New York Philharmonic had determined expressions.
At that moment, a man in a hat pulled down low walked out from the crowd. Even without seeing his face, Son Yooha immediately knew who he was just by looking at his appearance.
“Oppa?”
It was Kang Hyun. Normally, he wouldn’t think of coming outside because of the paparazzi and the crowd, but the situation was different now.
Being among the new members, no one seemed to recognize Kang Hyun. At that moment, Kang Hyun grabbed Son Yooha’s hand and pulled her.
“I wanted to meet you outside.”
If he had brought bodyguards, it would have drawn more attention. But walking among ordinary musicians, no one paid much attention.
Although the new members ended up being Kang Hyun’s unwitting helpers on his date, none of them complained.
Instead, they were eager to help the young couple with their date, eyes shining with the joy of receiving guidance from Kang Hyun.
