accelerando (gradually faster).
His heart began to beat wildly.
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Choral 4th Movement. The Messiah resonating in his head at the brink of death.
My feet moved unconsciously.
The wind instruments quickly tapped my ears, and the melody of the cello resonated delicately. As the echo of the trumpet ended, the joy of the baritone resounded.
My footsteps gradually quickened, matching the heartbeat.
Creak.
As I opened the door and stepped inside.
A black spherical radio was playing the symphony. The cassette tape had stretched from how many times Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Choral, had been replayed.
The subtle difference in the speed of the melody due to the tape’s wear and tear sounded like a deliberate part of the symphony. It signified a symphony so outstanding that it transcended time.
With a deep reverberation.
The ode to joy ended.
Kang Hyun cautiously half-opened his eyes. He had been listening to the symphony all this time. As a single audience member.
Only then did he see the faces of the students sitting in the classroom. Among them, Kim Daewoo waved his chubby hand to greet Kang Hyun.
“Who are you?”
It was a young female teacher. Despite her youthful appearance, her eyes and voice were full of firmness.
Kang Hyun realized that he had been rude. He must have not wanted any interruptions while listening to the symphony, yet he had suddenly opened the door and entered.
“I’m sorry. I’m Kang Hyun from Class 1-7. The sound of the symphony led me in without realizing.”
Kang Hyun bowed his head politely.
“Oh, you’re the friend Daewoo mentioned, the one who ranked first in the entire school among the first years. I’m Teacher Kang Hyejung, in charge of music for the second and third years. Nice to meet you. Are you here to join our club?”
Kim Daewoo’s eyes sparkled. But even helping out at the laundry was overwhelming. Moreover, he was still too young to enjoy classical music as a hobby.
“I’m sorry.”
At Kang Hyun’s firm words,
Kang Hyejung’s eyes curved intriguingly. With curiosity.
She didn’t forget the sight of Kang Hyun opening the door and entering just moments ago.
Despite the numerous gazes from the children, he was listening to the symphony from the radio as if he were an audience member in Carnegie Hall.
His expression was sweeter than anything, and his ears perked up in tune with the melody.
Moreover, his half-open eyes after the chorus ended held a deep reverberation and joy.
He was definitely not an ordinary child.
“Don’t be like that, why don’t you join the club activities today?”
Kang Hyejung gestured to an empty seat and continued.
“Today, I’m also showing a violin performance. By the way, Kang Hyun, I heard you learned the violin.”
Kang Hyun looked at Kim Daewoo. Kim Daewoo scratched his head like Winnie the Pooh. He must have been spreading rumors everywhere. That rascal.
“I did learn, but it was for a short period, so I don’t remember anything. Moreover, I didn’t have any talent.”
There was no bitterness in his words. Rather, it was a tone that seemed to recognize himself objectively. This piqued Kang Hyejung’s curiosity even more.
“In my opinion, Kang Hyun, you have talent.”
“Pardon?”
“Talent as an audience.”
Judging by the way he was listening to Beethoven’s symphony, he definitely had talent as an audience. The better the audience, the better they understand the true value of music.
With a smile on her lips, Kang Hyejung picked up the violin case. In the meantime, Kang Hyun sat next to Kim Daewoo.
“Our teacher is really good at playing the violin.”
Kim Daewoo boasted about Kang Hyejung in a small voice.
When she said she would play the violin, he thought she would play a tape, but she seemed to intend to play it herself. He was quite intrigued by the well-used violin case.
Kang Hyejung took out an old violin from the case and skillfully took her stance.
Her chin and shoulder supported the instrument, and her left hand gently touched the instrument. Her finger roots were level with the fingerboard, and she placed weight on the lower part of her thumb. It looked as if the instrument was part of her body.
The lightly held bow was lifted.
Screech.
At first, gently.
The strings and bow touched.
It was as cautious as walking on frozen ground.
Screech.
Next was Allegro (fast).
The bow, which had started playing cautiously, began to move brilliantly as if breaking through a frozen lake.
It moved tirelessly as if fighting against the approaching cold wind.
The fingers dancing on the strings looked as if they were screaming.
It was a repetition of precarious melodies. His heart pounded mercilessly in tune with the melody digging into his ears.
The tune changed.
As the climax approached.
The bow constantly touched the strings. The fingers holding the strings ran swiftly as if breaking through ice. Eventually.
Screech.
Breaking the last ice, the performance ended.
It was astonishing.
He could pride himself on having listened to classical music often in his previous life. Not only orchestras but also solo violin recitals were not uncommon. It was more about acquiring culture in high society than a hobby.
However, Kang Hyejung’s violin skills were not those of an ordinary music teacher.
“Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Winter, 3rd Movement.”
The name of the piece flowed quietly from Kang Hyun’s mouth.
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is a violin concerto that most people would have heard of. It is also a frequently used repertoire in solo violin recitals.
He had heard the Four Seasons played by many famous violinists, but none had left such an impression.
“Like Daewoo said, you must really like classical music. How was the teacher’s violin performance?”
Kang Hyejung said as she laid the violin back in its case.
The students were smiling proudly. They seemed to be puffed up with pride that their teacher’s skills were this excellent.
But something felt strange.
There was a scene that kept entangling his mind. More precisely, it was when the bow moved at the point where the tune changed.
“Teacher.”
Kang Hyun’s gaze fell on Kang Hyejung’s right hand.
“Have you ever injured your right index finger?”
“Huh?”
Kang Hyejung asked back, momentarily flustered. Kang Hyun revealed the discord he felt.
“It seems like you unconsciously put more strength into your index finger when you hold the bow. Not every time, but when the tune changes.”
A subtle change created a moment of discord.
“How, how did you know?”
Kang Hyejung’s eyes widened in surprise.
At the question of how he knew,
Kang Hyun scratched his head. How should he explain it? He couldn’t understand it himself. He wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about music. Looking back, he didn’t have any talent either.
However, when listening to music, it felt as if the melody was coming to life before his eyes. He could instantly tell which part was awkward.
“It just seemed that way.”
At Kang Hyun’s simple answer,
“Just?”
Curiosity filled Kang Hyejung’s eyes.
It was after all the students had left.
Kang Hyejung looked down at her right hand. Not only her left hand, which held the strings, but also her right hand, which held the bow, was full of calluses. But her right hand had a scar. A scar so faint it was not noticeable on the surface.
“Sigh.”
A deep sigh filled the empty classroom.
It brought back memories she didn’t want to remember. There was a time when she was a promising violinist. But an accident had turned everything to dust.
For years, she couldn’t even hold a bow. Only after the knot in her heart had untangled did the scar fade, and she could play the violin again, albeit awkwardly.
“How did he know?”
After long rehabilitation, she could play the violin again as she used to. Though not as good as before, she prided herself on being as good as most violinists.
But that child found a flaw she didn’t even know she had. A habit that had become ingrained through rehabilitation.
Looking back, she remembered putting more strength into the bow at the point where the tune changed. Unconsciously.
“Amazing.”
Not only was he a talented audience, but he also had great intuition.
Would she have noticed it if it were her? To the extent of pinpointing the right index finger, not just the right hand.
“Impossible.”
Kang Hyejung shook her head. A habit ingrained in one’s body is hard to find not only by oneself but also by others. Unless the other person has exceptional intuition about music, it’s impossible.
Moreover, the piece she played changed its tune only once. He didn’t miss that point.
