“15 years old?”
The teacup shook roughly.
“Director, with all due respect, it’s Niccolò Paganini. The first virtuoso known to have sold his soul to the devil. You know that such a young violinist can’t replicate his performance, even if that violinist is the youngest winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition.”
The actor had majored in violin. Therefore, he must have been well aware of the weight of the name Paganini.
He would think it was insufficient to recruit the masters of Europe while recruiting an unfamiliar Asian violinist.
Of course, violinist Hyun hadn’t held a single recital for two years.
“Look at my fingers. I’m playing the violin again. Not just to create a plausible Paganini appearance, but a very similar one. Didn’t you say, director, that the essence of a music movie is the musician behind the scenes, not the actor?”
Indeed, his fingertips were calloused. He was clearly an excellent actor who understood his role and continued to strive.
“I watched your La Vie en Rose several times, director. There’s no doubt he’s an excellent and delicate performer. But Paganini plays a different style from La Vie en Rose’s Moses. Honestly, I wonder why you insist on that young violinist so much. Even in France, Germany, and Italy, there are many renowned masters. Other actors are also expressing concerns.”
The director was aware of this. There was even talk among the staff.
The image Hyun showed in La Vie en Rose was indeed impressive, but it was far from the dazzling technique of Paganini. Instead, it highlighted rich sensitivity and restrained delicacy.
In other words, the fields were different. Just because one sings ballads well doesn’t mean they can excel in rock.
“Alessandro, would you like to make a bet?”
“What?”
“If you listen to his performance and still aren’t moved, I’ll admit defeat. I’m saying I’ll quit directing Paganini.”
Alessandro showed a bewildered expression, as if the words “Do you trust him that much?” were written across his face.
Of course, even those who were jealous of Niccolò Paganini were captivated by him. Even the priest who spread the rumor that he sold his soul to the devil was enchanted by his performance, so what more is there to say?
“Do you really trust him that much?”
From the moment they first met, it felt like fate, so how could he not believe?
Jean-Pierre smiled faintly without a word. Surely, once they met him, the actor in front of him would feel it too. There would be no need to say more to recognize him as Paganini himself.
“Hyun, it’s time for breakfast!”
It seems the rooster in Russia crows earlier than in Korea.
Dr. Tikhonov had already perfectly adapted to life in Korea. He was so cheerful that he would wake up at dawn to help the housekeeper.
He even rolled up his sleeves to cook in exchange for not paying for his lodging, so he surely wouldn’t starve wherever he went.
“I’ve made my best borscht and pelmeni, boss.”
He had evidently taken over the kitchen since the morning. Russian-style miso soup and homemade dumplings were taking over the dining table.
It was hard not to feel burdened having such an enthusiastic guest. However, he was so eccentric that even the housekeeper and grandfather had given up on him.
“This is really delicious, Dr. Tikhonov.”
Dr. Tikhonov looked emotional upon hearing grandfather’s compliment, as if he had succeeded in commercializing graphene.
Moreover, the borscht and pelmeni were indeed delicious. His culinary skills were clearly impressive.
“Hyun, you’re going to Pyeongchang-dong today, right?”
“Yes, grandfather.”
“Alright, go and keep Yooha’s grandfather company for a while.”
It was time for their weekly visit.
He suddenly remembered the image of the old snake giving a thumbs-up at the airport. Sometimes he overflowed with charisma as a leader in the business world, but at other times, he was like a playful and kind-hearted grandfather.
Just then, Dr. Tikhonov got up from his seat, bringing him back to reality.
“I’ll prepare the dessert now, boss.”
Grandfather and father tried to stop him, but Dr. Tikhonov was adamant. He said that in Russia, it was a great honor for the guest to cook. It seemed they had recruited not a chemical doctor, but a Russian chef.
“Kang Hyun, we’re here.”
They arrived at the grand mansion in Pyeongchang-dong. It was a mansion he had grown familiar with over time. At first, it felt like a maze, but now he could navigate it with his eyes closed.
As he entered the reception room as usual, he saw an unexpected person sitting with Chairman Wang instead of a Go board.
“Im Hyera, the chairwoman?”
He had thought she would be at the gallery even on weekends, being a workaholic, but here she was, chatting and having tea with Chairman Wang.
Of course, it wasn’t that strange since she was his daughter-in-law. As he greeted and sat down, the housekeeper offered him a drink.
“Kang Hyun, would you like juice as usual?”
“No, I’ll have some milk, please.”
He was about to experience a growth spurt. Did he not get attached to his short body? No, he was eagerly waiting to see his sleeves shorten.
“Hyun, Yooha’s mom will be accompanying you to the movie set this time.”
“What?”
That’s when Chairwoman Im Hyera interjected.
“It would be too much for your mother to go abroad again. So, I’ll be going with you. It’s no problem since, contractually, I can act as a representative. I’ve already got permission from your mother. By the way, I heard from father that something happened with Yooha at the airport?”
He almost spat out his milk. What in the world did she mean by “something happened”? He could only imagine what they were chatting about earlier.
“I just went to see her off.”
“But I heard you hugged?”
“That was just to wish her a safe trip.”
It seemed this woman found joy in teasing him. In such situations, staying calm was key. Hadn’t he experienced Chairwoman Im Hyera countless times in his past life? The more he reacted, the more she would tease.
At that moment, Chairwoman Im Hyera showed a mischievous expression.
“I heard you even kissed?”
Chairman Wang was struggling to hold back his laughter.
Ah, he had forgotten. This old snake had everything in the palm of his hand.
There’s a saying that Niccolò Paganini suffered from a rare disease.
According to his doctor’s memoirs, Paganini’s fingers were longer than average, and his bone density was low, causing his joints to bend like a bow.
As proof, his thumb was flexible enough to bend over the back of his hand and touch his little finger.
Of course, his dazzling technique wasn’t solely due to this. It was possible because of tremendous effort.
“Huff, huff.”
Alessandro was panting heavily. Though now a renowned Hollywood actor, he had majored in violin during his school days. He knew better than anyone the majesty of Paganini.
It was still the same now. Just following the sheet music made his fingers scream in pain.
“No wonder they said he sold his soul to the devil.”
Today, Paganini’s techniques have been studied and uncovered, but back then, the sheet music wasn’t public, and his techniques were kept secret, leading to rumors that he sold his soul to the devil.
Even the genius pianist Liszt, known for his extraordinary talent, was in awe of Paganini’s music, calling it the devil’s melody.
“Alessandro, you’re working hard today too?”
It was fellow actor Martina.
On set, she was the most senior actress except for Alessandro. Usually, he would bow politely, but he didn’t have the energy right now.
He had stayed up all night trying to emulate even a fraction of Paganini’s technique. As the first crank-in approached, it felt like his lips were parched.
At that moment, Alessandro heard a voice that felt like cold water pouring over his head.
“By the way, that violinist recommended by Director Jean-Pierre is coming to the set today. His name is Hyun, right? I don’t know much about violinists, so I’ve never heard of him, but he must be very famous?”
Famous, indeed. He had caused a stir in the classical music world just two years ago.
However, he hadn’t had any notable activities in the past two years. According to what he found out, aside from a few collaborations in his home country, he hadn’t performed on stage.
Despite his talent, he hadn’t held a solo concert or released a commercial album, which was baffling.
Alessandro suddenly looked at his own hands.
His broken fingers, which had once loved the violin more than anything.
“Ma’am, aren’t you busy?”
“Hyun, don’t call me ma’am, it’s so formal.”
“But I think I should call you that in public.”
After all, she was the gallery director. He was an artist under the gallery, and this was a public setting, so calling her ma’am seemed appropriate.
But to think he would go on a business trip with her, something he hadn’t done in his previous life. And to Italy, where they had to transfer flights twice.
“I’m also going for some matters. I’m curious about the movie set, and there are a few pieces I want to pick up in Italy. I’m going to collect them.”
She must be referring to an auction. Art auctions are heavily influenced by collectors and the auction house’s influence. Each piece can easily go for hundreds of millions of won.
At that moment, the view of Rome, the capital of Italy, began to appear outside the plane window.
“Where to, ma’am?”
“Let’s go to the set first. I told Jean-Pierre I’d show my face.”
Chairwoman Im Hyera’s secretary drove. From the outside, it looked like a mother bringing her son to work.
“Hyun, thank you so much for coming. And thank you, Hyera, for coming all this way.”
Jean-Pierre came running out to greet Chairwoman Im Hyera and him.
The set was already complete. After exchanging greetings with Jean-Pierre, he looked around the set and thought that the colors and antique props were well-reproduced to represent a Romantic-era theater.
Huh?
At that moment, he saw the actors. Although it wasn’t a filming day, they were out on the set, mapping out their movements and reading their scripts.
They were all famous actors. From Alessandro, who played Paganini, to actress Martina, they were considered the hotshots of Hollywood.
Then, his eyes met with Alessandro’s.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Alessandro. You must be the violinist Hyun, recommended by Director Jean-Pierre?”
After greeting Alessandro and the other actors, he noticed the atmosphere was tense. Most seemed displeased that he was handling the live recording.
‘Is this a power struggle?’
On movie sets, it’s often said that the directors and lead actors are constantly at odds with each other.
Moreover, Jean-Pierre, who had made a name with his debut film, La Vie en Rose, had yet to be recognized as a master director, being only in his second year. His influence was inevitably weak.
In contrast, Alessandro and Martina had endured many years in Hollywood, so their influence was tremendous.
“Sorry, Hyun. The atmosphere is quite different from La Vie en Rose, right? Some actors have doubts about casting you as a violinist. They argue that a more experienced violinist would be better to handle Paganini’s performance.”
Only after Jean-Pierre’s explanation did he understand the previous scene.
Of course, to the general public, it might look like he got the role through connections, considering he hadn’t performed much since winning an international competition.
Not to mention, his short stature added to the lack of confidence.
“Director, do you have a spare practice violin?”
If they doubted his skills, he would just show them. Moreover, it would be special to perform on the set that had just been completed, recreating the Romantic-era stage.
A junior staff member from the props team brought several practice violins. While some were decent, he picked the most worn-out violin.
“Attention, please. First, let me introduce myself. I am Hyun, a violinist from Korea. I’d like to perform a piece for the actors and staff who are here working on the script even on their day off. Is that alright?”
With his bold voice, all eyes turned to him. They were probably intrigued to see a child standing confidently on stage. Even Chairwoman Im Hyera was looking at him with interest.
With everyone’s eyes on him, he looked down at the worn-out violin.
The soundboard was rusted, and the strings were frayed, ready to snap at any moment.
He remembered breaking a string while playing in front of the London Symphony Orchestra. He had practiced performing with just the G string a few times after that. It was a fun experience. Plus, the visual effect was stunning.
As he smoothly took his position, he saw Alessandro leaning forward, curious about what kind of performance he would show.
It would probably be a performance they had never experienced before. At that moment, as the bow met the string slowly,
Ziiing―!
