The soft lights leading to the stage brought me back to the past.
-But, there is a condition.
It was what the old professor at the Judicial Research and Training Institute said to me. The proposal attached after suggesting, ‘Would you like to become a scholar of the Jeil Group?’
-You must not live as a legal professional in the future.
Legal professionals must be incorruptible and view the world without any sacred boundaries. When reciting the oath of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, didn’t everyone have a burning sense of justice in their hearts?
The old professor’s words were simple. He was telling me to protect the Jeil Group instead of law and justice. But what was there to hesitate about? The professor’s proposal tempted me like a sweet forbidden fruit.
Moreover,
I never intended to live as a legal professional in the first place.
‘Unbelievable.’
My throat involuntarily gulped. Could it be that the lights on the stage were blinding my eyes?
I unconsciously closed and opened my eyes strongly at the sight of the judges seated in the audience.
They were all people I had met. They were people who had looked at me as if they were indulging in me.
“Number thirty-seven, please begin.”
The cold voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I felt as if ants were crawling on my back. Maybe it was because I realized this was not a mirage but reality. The previously interested gazes were no longer present.
Their deep eyes spoke of their long years of experience. It showed just how stern their attitude towards the competition was.
I placed the violin on my shoulder and chin, then grabbed the bow. It was the same posture as usual, but an indescribable pressure tightened my whole body. Only then did I feel the sharpness in their gazes. They would not tolerate a single mistake.
Suddenly, I recalled the last time. It was like showing off in front of an expert. ‘Phew.’
I exhaled once to blow away the distracting thoughts inside me. And then,
I raised the bow.
As the bow touched the strings, my chaotic emotions subsided as if it was a lie.
The maestros in the judges’ seats simultaneously leaned forward. Of course, except for one person.
I boldly performed the bowing. The bow moved slowly across the strings.
It was as if I was walking along a serene lakeside, filled with continuous bitterness. The violin and piano formed an ensemble as if they didn’t want to miss each other.
As the piece reached its climax, I moved the bow even more lightly.
Zing.
As if the tone was gradually becoming thinner, the pianissimo drew to a close, and the melody disappeared with a hint of sadness.
The pianist accompanying me had a face full of trance. The sound of the keys trembled as if they didn’t want to let me go. But, unfortunately, the end of the bow slowly pointed to the ground.
At the end of the poignant performance,
the judges had clear signs of contemplation on their faces.
“You expressed Brahms very well.”
I didn’t expect any comments. I had heard that sometimes they don’t even listen to a single piece completely.
I was relieved not to hear sighs instead of comments. It’s no wonder it’s called the stage of death among violinists.
For a moment, a maestro from China looked at me with a peculiar gaze. “When did Number Thirty-Seven start playing the violin?”
With a brief question,
“I started learning properly a little over a month ago.”
I honestly confessed as it was. I had no intention of deceiving them. I didn’t know I had such musical talent myself. I felt the judges’ seats stir. That was when
I made eye contact with the maestro with crossed arms.
Alexei smiled with satisfaction at the fact that the first performer was an impudent brat.
How exceptional must his skills be for Queen and London to not hesitate in courting him. He couldn’t forget the advice given to him at Beaux-Arts.
Don’t get entangled, the brat hit the nail on the head.
Having devoted his entire life to music, he was already entangled enough.
The other maestros seemed to feel the same. Outstanding new talents headed to Brussels, but now everyone’s attention was focused on just one child.
Brahms Violin Sonata No. 3, 2nd movement.
The maestros’ cold eyes all turned to the delicate melody. They intended to appreciate the kid’s performance as an audience rather than judges.
Could one showcase such music without the bitterness within warmth and without experience?
It was hard to believe that it was a melody resonating from such a small frame, yet he expressed Brahms so well.
Moreover, at the end, he made the sound tremble faintly, letting it dissipate into the air. The expression on the accompanying pianist’s face was imaginable without seeing it.
However,
It was strange.
The discord hidden within the melody kept bothering Alexei’s brows. Other maestros seemed to feel the same. But that wasn’t all.
Normally, they would have called the next performer to the stage without any comments, but today, questions continued without a break.
Alexei crossed his arms and closed his eyes. The melody the kid had just shown kept replaying in his mind.
At that moment,
“Impudent brat.”
The cold Russian words fell on the stage.
Of course, only two people understood them. The maestros seated in the judges’ seats all kept their mouths shut as if they had made a promise.
Alexei looked at the boy intently. The boy did not avoid the icy gaze, as if expressing the chill of Siberia. Seeing this, Alexei unfolded his arms and leaned forward.
“Why do you play music?”
Kang Hyun widened his eyes. It was an unexpected cold dagger even to himself.
“Old man, you seem to have a lot on your mind?”
Chairman Wang glanced at Chairman Yoo sitting opposite him. “Is it because of Hyun?”
Although he sent him to the competition, he seemed worried that he might win a prize. He thought about making him pursue music, but considering Dongju’s future, there was no better candidate.
“Then, wouldn’t this solve the problem?”
At that moment, Chairman Wang nodded as if he had thought of a good idea. Chairman Yoo’s gaze naturally turned to Chairman Wang’s mouth.
Chairman Wang moistened his lips and lifted the corners of his mouth, giving a very meaningful smile. “Wouldn’t it be resolved if Yooha took over management?”
This old man?
“Son, stop making ridiculous jokes.”
“Are you still clinging to that patriarchal thinking? You still haven’t come to your senses after being treated like that by your children. Tsk.”
Chairman Yoo shook his head, indicating he didn’t want to continue that conversation.
“Son, by the way, it’s quiet inside the mansion?”
The Pyeongchang-dong mansion, which would normally be noisy with Son Yooha’s voice, was unusually quiet. The child was so active that the secretary, who played the role of a nanny, seemed pitiful.
Chairman Wang chuckled at Chairman Yoo’s question.
“She’s probably sleeping after crying all day. Why didn’t she greet Hyunja at the airport the other day?”
“Was that so?”
“At that time, Hyunja’s husband didn’t look pleased. It must have been overwhelming seeing a child and even me for the first time. But it seems Yooha felt guilty about it. If she knows the violin is being sent to Belgium tomorrow, she’ll throw a tantrum insisting on going along.”
Transporting a Stradivarius required many hands. It was a valuable item that exceeded the usual worth, and being an instrument sensitive to temperature and humidity, the process took quite some time.
Luckily, it was expected to arrive before the main competition started.
“Grandpa?”
At that moment, Son Yooha entered the reception room. Chairman Wang almost dropped the teacup he was holding.
“What, that kid passed?”
William of England widened his eyes as he read the first-round results of the competition.
The judging was to select 24 out of 60 participants. It might seem easy at first glance, but each one was a renowned new talent from various countries. The competition was rumored to be the most glamorous and intense.
Yet, a kid passed just like that?
“I must go meet that kid.”
William felt a wriggling anger inside him. He thought the rumor that the chief conductor of the London Symphony, Spencer, had recommended him might be true. He didn’t expect anyone to catch his eye.
What was this feeling? It was hard to believe, but he felt a budding jealousy toward that kid.
“He’s probably staying at the Lincoln Hotel.”
William, hearing the manager’s answer, abruptly stood up from his seat. Judging by his expression, it seemed he might rush out any moment.
-Why do you play music?
The words of the Russian maestro Alexei kept lingering in my mind. Even though I made it to the top 24, I didn’t feel happy at all. Instead, I felt a sticky discomfort like being stuck in a mud pit.
The reason for playing music, it was a premise I had never thought about. No matter how much, I couldn’t say, ‘Because I applied to be exempted from military service?’
The breath and gaze of the violinists sitting in the waiting room flashed through my mind.
I couldn’t even imagine how much effort they had put in to play the violin in Brussels. In comparison, was I really that desperate?
I asked myself, but of course, there was no answer.
What was clear was that my heart pounded fiercely whenever I played the violin. It felt as if the strings and bow were leading my heart.
I looked down at my small palm. The tips of my fingers were blunt and calluses were gradually forming, which didn’t look so bad.
The reason I play music.
I suddenly recalled my past life. A life that only looked at immediate benefits.
Damn it!
At this rate, it was no different from my past life.
“Violinist Hyun.”
At that moment, the Chinese maestro Deng Lun walked towards me. He seemed to have seen me sitting alone on a bench in the park in front of the hotel.
I stood up politely to greet him.
“You seem to have a lot on your mind?”
“Maestro, I apologize for my rudeness back then.”
“It’s alright. Even though it was our first meeting, we showed excessive interest. I fully understand.”
Deng Lun smiled kindly like a good-natured grandfather. We silently stared at the bushes. The swaying wind made even our hearts feel peaceful.
It was Deng Lun who spoke first.
“Due to my position, I won’t be able to have a long conversation with you. But don’t worry too much. Like all musicians, violinists can express everything through their melodies.”
Express everything through melodies.
“By the way.”
Deng Lun paused as if to build suspense, then glanced around and looked at me.
“Do you have any plans after the competition?”
After the competition?
It was a question I hadn’t thought about, and I hesitated to answer.
Thud.
Someone fell in front of me. It seemed they didn’t notice the uneven ground. Deng Lun and I both turned our gaze to the man in front.
The sound of the fall was loud, indicating it must have hurt quite a bit. Embarrassed, the man covered his face with one hand as he stood up.
‘That gentleman from before?’
