두두두둥―!
It was the sound of thunder striking.
Fingers on the keyboard danced incessantly, and the rough sound of breathing flowed along the melody.
The piano strings, heated to a scorching point, seemed ready to ignite any moment.
Following the intense and passionate first syllable, the continuous rapid patterns and splendid arpeggios showcased transcendental skill, just like Franz Liszt watching Paganini.
“Junghoon-ssi, are you really okay?”
He had been playing the piano for hours as if he were about to break his entire body. It was natural for Manager Jung Sumin to be worried.
She was overjoyed when she was assigned to manage Baek Junghoon, a pianist considered a next-generation master. She had been a fan of his for a long time. She had always thought that his superhuman technique and brilliant tone were just natural results of his genius.
However, contrary to what she knew, the reality was different. He was a relentless hard worker, which made her respect him even more.
“I’m okay. If I don’t do this, I won’t be satisfied. I feel like I can’t catch up to that friend.”
“Who are you talking about?”
Baek Junghoon silently licked his dry lips. His eyes were reminiscing about the past.
“Sumin-ssi, you said you learned piano too, right?”
“Yes, I played the piano until college. But I eventually changed my career path when I realized I didn’t have the talent.”
“Then, just a moment.”
Baek Junghoon closed the keyboard cover. Then, he raised his long fingers and played as if tapping the keys.
Although there was no sound, he was clearly playing the piano. The position of his hands showed that it was undoubtedly a piece he had practiced for hours.
After tapping the last key,
“Sumin-ssi, where did I make a mistake just now?”
“Pardon?”
It was an unexpected question. How could she know?
It was hard to find the problem in that fleeting moment.
Although she had learned piano for a long time, it was difficult to pinpoint the issue immediately.
Moreover, even if it’s the same piece, the intensity and timing of pressing the keys differ slightly depending on the pianist’s unique interpretation. If one adds personal habits, the situation becomes even more complex.
It was almost impossible to identify it just by looking at the shape and posture of the hands, even for an expert.
“That friend could tell at a glance.”
Who could he be talking about?
Just then, Baek Junghoon opened the keyboard cover again. Could he be about to resume playing?
Sumin thought she should stop him, fearing he might collapse from exhaustion, but she couldn’t. He was so drenched in sweat and looked so solemn that she couldn’t approach him recklessly. The moment his long fingers touched the keys,
두두두둥―!
The thunderous sound that seemed to break all the piano strings reverberated.
If one could hear the heartbeats of the third-generation chaebols, it would surely be worth watching.
It was as if a lioness had appeared among a group of rabbits. The ones who had been subtly showing their presence instantly cowered and shrank.
Especially notable was the expression of Kim Domin from Daehan Steel. He gaped like a goldfish and soon hiccuped, turning pale. But anyway.
‘What on earth did this kid eat to grow so much?’
He had already grown a bit taller than me. Though girls mature faster than boys, there was a three-year age gap. I was quite small for my age, but still, I couldn’t help but feel a bit unfair.
At that moment, the ice princess on a white horse turned her head toward me.
“Long time no see, oppa.”
Her prim words made me nod my head briefly without realizing it.
It had only been two years, not ten, but it felt as if the whole world had changed. Gone was the excited cry of “Oppa―!” and the childishness that used to fill her eyes had long disappeared. The aura of the ice queen I had faced in my past life was gradually emerging.
“Hey, Kim Domin. Apologize.”
It was natural for the ones who had been holding their heads and shoulders stiff to lose their composure. Even if they listened to a judge, they wouldn’t be more compliant than this. Kim Domin, who had been glaring at me until just now, immediately bowed his head. I wondered if he might start crying.
Though they seemed arrogant and imperious, the hierarchy among them was clear. Who could go against Son Yooha, the heir of the Daeil Group?
Just then, the manager came in and announced that the adults’ time was over.
“Hello, Grandfather, Father.”
Son Yooha greeted her grandfather and father demurely like a refined lady. Both her grandfather and father couldn’t hide their surprise at her explosive growth.
It was natural since, unlike me who watched her constantly, they would feel the change more strikingly.
For a moment, Chairman Wang glanced at me.
“Hyun-ah, didn’t I tell you?”
He seemed to be saying, “You should have treated her better when you had the chance.” The older Chairman Wang got, the more playful he seemed to become. There was a definite gap between him and the dignified portrait of him from my past life.
On the other hand, Son Yooha was becoming more and more like her past self. She didn’t even glance at me during the meal, which was proof enough.
“Hyun, tell me. What should one do if a store accrues a lot of debt and reaches the brink of closure? Borrowing money from financial institutions or other entities comes with implicit conditions to move according to their preferences.”
The question Chairman Wang asked during the tea time after the meal was quite unusual. Fortunately, the tables were spaced far enough apart that the conversation didn’t leak out.
For a moment, both Grandfather and President Son Ilsung turned their eyes to me.
“If possible, you should repay it on your own.”
It was a simple answer, but it had deep implications. It was akin to suggesting declaring a moratorium.
In civil law, it is difficult to initiate criminal procedures for the execution of debt. Furthermore, if the state exercises its power to extend the grace period for debt repayment, it becomes even more complicated. It was all about pledging to repay eventually. However, there was a significant problem with this.
“Will the other party just sit quietly?”
At that moment, Son Yooha, who had been silent, chimed in. Chairman Wang smiled enigmatically.
“Why do you think so?”
“If the debtor is powerless, the other party won’t stay quiet. The capitalist market is naturally a survival of the fittest.”
It was astonishing how much she had changed in just two years, not only in appearance but also in the depth of her thoughts. Perhaps this was closer to the true Son Yooha.
After the meal, as before, the founders approached Chairman Wang as if to check in. It was a rare opportunity for them as well.
“Oppa, don’t you remember?”
Huh?
At that moment, Son Yooha asked me softly. What was she talking about? Was she referring to playing the violin here two years ago? But I couldn’t figure it out. When I didn’t answer for a while, Son Yooha smiled enigmatically and turned away. At that moment, Chairman Wang and I made eye contact once again.
‘How can you be so dull in these matters?’ It was as if he were saying that.
Don’t you remember?
Son Yooha’s last words echoed in my mind like a refrain. My mouth felt uneasy, as if I hadn’t scratched an itch properly.
If it weren’t the weekend, I might have struggled to shake off this feeling even at school.
As I was lying on the sofa in the studio, trying to soothe my empty heart,
“Hyun-ah, you’re here after all?”
Im Hyera suddenly appeared.
Why did she come to work on the weekend? Of course, she didn’t become the head of the Daeil Foundation for no reason. Even in the past, she never skipped work on weekends, living up to her reputation as a workaholic.
“Yooha just went to the airport, but you didn’t go to see her off?”
“She didn’t contact me.”
“Really? I thought Yooha contacted you. I couldn’t take her because of work.”
It seemed that Son Yooha held a grudge against me. I felt bitter.
“By the way, aren’t you curious about the guest who wanted to see you this morning?”
“Me?”
“Yes, I mentioned it last time too, pianist Baek Junghoon.”
Baek Junghoon was the first musician to visit my studio. He appeared much more mature than he did two years ago, with more defined features and deeper eyes. He now resembled the iron-blooded maestro I had encountered in my past life.
“Long time no see, hyung.”
If I hadn’t known him, it would have been hard to utter a word in this awkward atmosphere.
After a moment of hesitation, Baek Junghoon looked at me and spoke.
“Hyun, I want to perform a duet with you.”
Not only had his voice deepened, but his personality had also changed. The timid figure I saw at the Hyunseong Group wedding was gone. He was now a pianist regarded as a next-generation master.
Moreover, the calluses on his fingertips and his calm demeanor indicated that he had reached his prime. His fingers, honed through numerous trials and practices, would produce rich sound. But.
“I don’t have any thoughts about it yet, I’m sorry, hyung.”
“Why?”
If I had used my lack of skill as an excuse, it would have been disrespectful. I truly didn’t have any thoughts about it.
If I could quench my burning thirst for music, I could perform a duet. I could pick up the violin right now, but it wasn’t a thirst that could be easily quenched.
“I don’t give up easily. I’ll work hard to earn your consent.”
It was something that would have surprised anyone else, but Baek Junghoon treated it as if it were a matter of course.
I felt sorry, but what could I do? I stood up and headed to the place where the sheet music was stored.
Among the many scores, I took one out.
“Take this. I originally composed it with you in mind.”
One day, the iron-blooded maestro had suddenly come to mind. I captured that inspiration and wrote it down in one go.
Baek Junghoon’s eyes gradually widened as he looked at the notes on the staff.
“If I perform this perfectly, you’ll perform a duet with me, right? Promise?”
I had just intended to give him a gift, but he interpreted it that way.
At that moment,
‘Promise? Gift?’
Baek Junghoon’s words triggered a series of memories in my mind. The event at the airport two years ago.
-Yooha, if you come back with this hairpin, I’ll hug you first.
-Really, oppa?
It was a fleeting moment.
“Hyung, I’ll be right back!”
I took a taxi to Gimpo Airport. The driver looked at me curiously through the rearview mirror. It must have been surprising to see a young student going to the airport alone. But I didn’t care. My mind was filled with only one thought.
‘I had completely forgotten.’
Was it the price of relying too much on my advanced software? I had completely forgotten the promise I had made in passing.
How much time had passed? Growing anxious that she might have already boarded the plane, I bit my lip, my mouth drying up.
“We’re here, student.”
At the driver’s words, I didn’t even wait for the change and ran straight towards the airport.
Gimpo International Airport was bustling with people. It wasn’t hard to find the gate by looking at the large display board. Hoping I wasn’t too late, I rushed inside the airport.
“Huff, huff.”
I was out of breath when I noticed a group dressed in black suits, with Chairman Wang and Son Yooha among them.
I immediately spotted the blue hairpin she was wearing.
“Yooha!”
As I shouted loudly, I felt the eyes of the surrounding people all turning towards me. Son Yooha looked greatly surprised. Chairman Wang also seemed taken aback.
I walked towards her to fulfill the forgotten promise.
“Oppa?”
I slowly walked up and gently hugged Son Yooha.
“Just like the old man said, these kids are making a movie.”
