“You’re going to participate in a competition?”
The reception room is filled with a musty fragrance. Chairman Wang showed a mysterious smile, the meaning of which was unknown. Did he hear it from Park Sun-young? Or perhaps from Son Yooha.
Well, since he is a person who moves Korea from where he sits, he can find out anything if he wants to.
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“Hyun really likes music, doesn’t he?”
In fact, it’s because of the military exemption.
I don’t understand why participating in a competition equates to liking music. Liking music and participating in a competition are entirely separate issues.
Anyway, my mouth is dry. As I savored the taste of pu’er tea, which is hard for even adults to drink, Chairman Wang stared at me intently. I guess I have to drink like this.
“The astringent taste disappears, and the sweetness lingers for a long time. Hyun knows how to enjoy tea ceremony. It seems like something you’ve been accustomed to since childhood. Haha.”
I learned tea ceremony professionally in my past life, sir.
“Hyun, do you know how to play Go?”
“A little bit, Grandfather.”
“Then I’ll give you a three-stone handicap. Would you like to play a game with your grandfather? If you win, I’ll give you a very nice gift.”
A three-stone handicap?
Clack.
Chairman Wang’s eyebrow twitched. It was because the black stones were boldly pressuring the Go board.
The upper left corner turned entirely black in an instant. Although the white stones protected the lower side, they were still weak. The black stones were gradually targeting the large group of white stones, showing a significant difference in skill.
From the beginning, the skill levels were different, and I even received a handicap. Chairman Wang’s gaze seemed to pierce through the Go board.
Clack!
Yes, that’s the spot, Grandfather.
Chairman Wang found a clever move and picked up the white stones with a frown. He was so engrossed in reading the moves that he probably wouldn’t notice if I left the table for a moment.
After a long and fierce battle, the white stones captured the large group of black stones stretching from the upper left corner to the center. Only then did Chairman Wang, who had been glaring at the board, slowly lift his head.
“Hyun, you’re better than just knowing a little.”
“No, Grandfather.”
I’ve played Go for many years.
“Secretary Kim, bring it here.”
The intense match made me forget it was a bet. It was such a thrilling comeback that it would feel refreshing. I wonder what gift he plans to give me.
At that moment.
Thump thump thump.
My heart, which had been calm, started to pound violently as if someone was shaking it.
An old violin case.
I didn’t know what was inside, but I couldn’t take my eyes off it. What is that?
“Since Hyun lost the bet, I can’t give it to you completely, but I’ll lend it to you for this competition.”
What?
I almost shouted that the old man had gone easy on me.
The baton of the London Symphony Orchestra cut smoothly through the air.
The tip of the baton, which emphasized harmony and order, gave silent instructions to the members.
The first beat went down, the second beat to the right, and the third beat up. It moved as naturally as flowing water.
For a moment, the baton took a deep breath for the string instruments preparing for vibrato.
As if it were alive. Conducting is not just about reading scores and coordinating tempo and flow.
It’s about bringing together numerous melodies to reflect a new world to the audience.
The faces of the members were covered in sweat. However, the intense passion in their eyes couldn’t be compared to any other emotion.
At that moment, the conductor’s fingertips came together. Like placing a period at the end of a sentence, the final note of the symphony lingered.
The conductor glanced once at the empty seats and then bowed to the members who were catching their breath.
Gulp.
The members couldn’t open their mouths like mute people. The reason was simple. It was partly because of the breath that had risen to their throats, and partly because of the joy of not being criticized. And also because of Spencer’s faint smile.
“Demetri, shall we enjoy brunch?”
Despite having practiced all night, Spencer’s eyes were still clear. Given his graying hair, his stamina was almost miraculous. Concertmaster Demetri nodded silently.
“Demetri, in the past, there was no such thing as conducting. The concertmaster would raise the bow to signal the tempo to the performers. Of course, to have such ability, they probably lost all their hair. That’s why musicians might have enjoyed wearing wigs.”
Spencer joked unusually as he enjoyed brunch.
“What do you think would happen if Mozart or Paganini came back to life?”
“Maestro?”
“I mean, how do you think the world would react?”
Demetri couldn’t even answer the silly joke.
Certainly, the maestro had been different since returning from Asia. Some of the members were even afraid of his changed appearance.
At that moment, a sunshower fell outside the terrace. The sunlight was bright, but it rained, typical of London’s unpredictable weather.
“Elizabeth has been postponed, right?”
He wasn’t referring to the Queen of Buckingham Palace. He was talking about one of the world’s three major competitions.
“I heard it was postponed to autumn.”
“Indeed, everything revolves around that child.”
Spencer sighed with admiration. Demetri’s eyes widened at that sight. Although he had seen the maestro refer to someone with disdain, he had never seen him make such an expression.
At that moment, Spencer broke the yolk of a softly cooked egg to the sound of the rain.
“The whole world will focus.”
On his melody.
“Son, you haven’t forgotten our bet, have you?”
Chairman Yoo visited the grand mansion in Pyeongchang-dong for the first time in a while. Chairman Wang’s smile bloomed upon seeing his old friend.
“Old man, I’m still in good health. I just bought it.”
“What?”
“Don’t get too excited, I didn’t do it for you.”
It wasn’t a small purchase. It was enough to buy several apartments in downtown Seoul. He talked about it as if he had bought a pack of cigarettes.
At that moment, Chairman Wang squinted his eyes. If he had stretched his neck any further, he would have looked like a turtle.
“Old man, did you teach Hyun how to play Go?”
“What are you talking about? Does Hyun even know how to play Go?”
“Knowing how to play would be an understatement; he was quite skilled.”
Chairman Wang hadn’t forgotten that day. It seemed like a fierce battle, but in reality, the opponent had just set up the opening moves that way.
At first, he felt emptiness, followed by amazement. The more he looked, the more remarkable the talent seemed. Anyway.
“How is the new material development going?”
At Chairman Wang’s question, Chairman Yoo shared everything without hiding anything. The more the story continued, the more Chairman Wang’s eyebrows twitched. He could hardly believe it. Especially when Kang Hyun recited the legal provisions, it gave him goosebumps.
“Whew.”
Chairman Wang clasped Chairman Yoo’s hand.
“In-law.”
‘What a stingy old man.’
Chairman Wang’s mischievous look is unforgettable. In the end, I didn’t even get to open the violin case. My heart felt like it would burst like an overinflated balloon.
At that moment, Son Yooha ran towards me. I was worried she might fall, so I walked a few steps forward.
“Oppa! Watch me play!”
It was a day when Park Sun-young didn’t come, so tutoring Son Yooha was entirely my responsibility.
Perhaps because I had corrected her posture previously, Yooha seemed to enjoy playing the violin more. Of course, who wouldn’t have fun when taught by me?
After the performance.
How was it?
She looked at me expectantly, like a puppy waiting for praise.
There were some mistakes. But they say praise makes even whales dance. For a child learning as a social hobby, she was a genius.
“Yooha, Grandfather is calling. Kang Hyun, you as well.”
“Huh? Now?”
At that moment, Chairman Wang’s secretary came to find us. Son Yooha pouted. The secretary looked flustered, so I patted Yooha’s head. Only then did she stop pouting.
“Hyun, would you like to play Go with your grandfather again?”
As soon as we entered the reception room, Chairman Wang gestured towards the Go board.
It was the offer I had been waiting for. This time, I will definitely win. No more playing along. Even if the god of Go comes, I will win.
“Of course, it’s not a bet, so don’t get too excited.”
This grandfather…
The old man sitting across from Chairman Wang seemed to be enjoying himself, laughing. I couldn’t help but sit down with a wry smile.
“How could I win against Grandfather?”
“Why would Oppa lose?”
Son Yooha asked with wide, surprised eyes. She seemed to think of me as a Superman. Oh dear, if I get caught by the old fox, I won’t even have my bones left.
Chairman Wang glanced at the old man sitting across from him.
They seemed to be conversing, but I had no idea what they were talking about.
“Secretary Kim, bring that thing from before.”
At Chairman Wang’s words, I unconsciously gripped the armrest. My Adam’s apple bobbed with tension. I knew what he was referring to.
Soon, a familiar violin case appeared, and my heart started pounding wildly again.
“This thing had a name.”
As the violin slowly revealed itself,
“Fantasia.”
I unknowingly uttered its name.
Post from around the world poured into Brussels, Belgium.
It was because the preliminary round of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, with its long history, was approaching.
The Queen Elisabeth Competition was a national event with a long-standing history. Praised as one of the world’s three major competitions, the level of participants was so high that it was challenging to even pass the global preliminaries without considerable skill.
Moreover, this year’s competition, held once every four years, was for the violin, a true battle of strings.
“Hmm.”
Eva stretched her shoulders and sighed.
It was no exaggeration to say that violinists from around the world simultaneously sent recommendation letters. So many staff members were gathered to sort these recommendation letters.
Of course, most of them wouldn’t even make it to the preliminaries.
The prestige of the competition, known as the Olympics of the music world, proved its worth.
‘This year’s dark horses are strong too.’
Eva thought to herself as she looked at the recommendation letters. Even before the competition started, the favorites to win were already widely known.
The names of rising stars were listed along with recommendation letters from famous musicians. As Eva’s hand moved unconsciously,
‘Huh?’
Eva’s hand stopped at two recommendation letters lined up side by side. She rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, then opened and closed them strongly.
