For The Musical Genius (Novel) - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

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“Oh, I never expected to meet you here.”

The middle-aged Westerner, Samuel Gardner, couldn’t hide his surprise at seeing Kang-hyun. Though he had visited several Asian countries before, this was his first time in Korea. To think he would meet again at this chaebol-only gathering the young gentleman who had been his only helping hand in a foreign land.

“Mr. Gardner?”

I remembered and spoke his name.

“You remember my name. Do you know how much I regretted not asking for your phone number then?”

“It was nothing. I just did what needed to be done.”

As the two conversed pleasantly, surrounding attention focused on them. And for good reason – Kang-hyun’s English pronunciation was extraordinary. Kang-hyun, who had studied law with notorious intensity in his past life, was no different with foreign languages – his near-native pronunciation was the product of painful effort. The conversation with Samuel continued for quite some time, until.

“Ah, Mr. Son. I apologize. I got too excited meeting the young gentleman.”

Samuel Gardner realized his impropriety and bowed politely. But Son Il-sun shook his head as if it was fine, as did Chairman Wang. Rather, after hearing about the episode between Samuel and Kang-hyun, they even smiled with satisfaction.

“Chairman Yu, you’ve educated your grandson very well. His foreign language pronunciation is much better than even my children who studied abroad. With eyes closed, one can’t tell if he’s Western or Asian.”

A look of surprise briefly crossed grandfather’s face. Though he had heard a little from Driver Kim before, he apparently hadn’t known I spoke English this well. Grandfather stroked my head with a proud expression and said.

“Hyun-ah, the adults need to talk for a while, so go play with your friends.”

Friends?

Ah, he must mean the third-generation chaebol children.

“I’ll show you the way.”

A manager had already approached my side. Samuel Gardner still wore a smiling face, but Son Il-sun’s gaze was more noticeable. I’d seen that look before. It was Son Il-sun’s characteristic gaze – the gleam in his eyes when he saw talent he wanted to acquire.

‘Keep dreaming, I won’t work under you in this life.’

I politely bowed to grandfather and Chairman Wang before following the manager. Come to think of it, I hadn’t heard who Samuel was – who could he be to be invited to a gathering of three generations of chaebol? Moreover, he seemed quite close with Son Il-sun.

As questions kept building in my mind.

“We’re here.”

The manager personally opened the jewel-studded door handle.

Well.

It would be right to call it a gathering within a gathering. The only differences from outside were that hotel staff were carrying glasses of fruit juice instead of wine, and the age of the attendees was significantly lower. The manager turned back politely after finishing his guidance.

Numerous gazes poured in, almost piercing. All third-generation heirs of companies whose names anyone would recognize. These young ones had already learned from adults, forming factions and building connections. Though they might think they’re imitating adults, it looked ridiculous to my eyes. Moreover, more than half of them would become nominal figures in the future.

“Oppa!”

Then a familiar voice pierced my ear.

Huh?

It was Son Yu-ha in a white dress. Though I was dressed up in a suit with a bowtie, it wasn’t to her level. She exuded elegance like an actress at an awards ceremony. But to hear “oppa” from the Ice Queen – though it was my past life, my hair stands on end remembering her face.

“I missed you!”

Son Yu-ha approached me with a smile. Though there was an indescribable disconnect thinking of the Ice Queen President Son Yu-ha of Jeil Trading from my past life, what could I do – she was just an 11-year-old girl now. By the way.

‘This is unexpected.’

A gathering of three generations of chaebol.

More precisely, a meeting only for those recognized as successors in chaebol families. While it was well-known that Jeil Electronics President Son Il-sun had Chairman Wang’s trust, Son Yu-ha was unexpected. Chairman Wang had three sons and a daughter, and his grandchildren already numbered enough to fill all ten fingers.

‘For a granddaughter to surpass all the grandsons.’

Indeed, Chairman Wang differed from grandfather in this aspect. Not primogeniture but strictly survival of the fittest. Perhaps this is what kept Jeil Group firmly at number one in the business world.

* * *

‘Wh-where in the world is this.’

Park Sun-young was trying to contain her frantically beating heart. While giving violin lessons to a chaebol family’s granddaughter, an unexpected proposal came. An offer to perform a concerto with Son Yu-ha at the gathering. There were many who could play piano accompaniment, but Yu-ha had insisted it had to be Park Sun-young, which was the problem.

Though it was just one accompaniment, the pay was beyond imagination.

Park Sun-young naturally had no reason to refuse. Though she majored in violin, her piano skills were also top-notch. Though Son Yu-ha might be exceptionally talented, she was still a child lacking experience, so Sun-young thought she could cover well enough if she guided her properly.

However.

“Th-that person is the former chairman of Daehan Steel.”

She had thought it was just an ordinary family gathering. Though she couldn’t attend the meeting, the figures visible through the staff waiting room door gap were all extraordinary. Even someone uninterested in the business world would have seen these faces at least once in 9 o’clock news or newspaper articles.

Gulp.

Park Sun-young finally realized where she was. Her heart was beating so wildly that even oriental medicine wouldn’t calm it. If only Son Yu-ha were here with her. After insisting it had to be Park Sun-young for piano accompaniment, where was she now?

“Oppa, teach me violin!”

I looked up at Yu-ha’s sudden request to teach her violin. I had been sitting in a chair sipping orange juice. I had no intention of building relationships with the third-generation chaebol here. Moreover, they didn’t approach me easily either. Probably because of Jeil Group’s Son Yu-ha. While Yu-ha was prickly toward other third-generation heirs, as her future nickname suggested, strangely she wasn’t that way with me.

“Yu-ha, don’t you already have a teacher?”

A third-generation member of Jeil Group, considered elite even among chaebols. Even for a social hobby, she must have an outstanding music teacher, so why ask me?

“No. Even teacher can’t summon winter like oppa does.”

“Winter?”

“Yes, when oppa plays, real winter comes.”

What could she mean?

I don’t remember clearly when I played in front of Yu-ha earlier because I was too immersed. But to say I summoned winter? I’m not a magician – children’s imagination is truly amazing. By the way, the orange juice at grandfather’s house was delicious, but this is even better.

* * *

“Hyun-ah, did you make many friends?”

Grandfather asked with an affectionate smile. Friends – though I’d been in the same basket as the third-generation chaebols, I had no intention of becoming close to them. Even though it was a position I had desperately wanted in my past life, it felt uncomfortable like wearing ill-fitting clothes. Still, I nodded yes to grandfather’s question. It wasn’t a lie – somehow I had become friends with Yu-ha.

“Yes, the people here will be necessary someday. So get along well with everyone. But it’s good to distinguish between people you need and people who need you.”

That’s not wrong. In modern society, connections are more essential than anything. But why does grandfather keep telling me these things? Does he really think of me as his successor? Well well, wariness is evident on my older uncle’s face.

“Well then, let’s go have dinner.”

It was time when the adults’ conversation had ended. The third-generation heirs gathered in the main banquet hall from their separate space. As dinner was about to begin, coincidentally, grandfather and I were seated at the same table as Chairman Wang’s party.

I bowed to Chairman Wang and sat down, but Son Il-sun kept staring at me. Samuel Gardner sitting next to him did the same. The older uncle quickly erased his wary expression and struggled to maintain a gentle face. But.

‘Yu-ha isn’t here?’

Son Yu-ha, who should have been seated with Chairman Wang, was nowhere to be seen.

“Chairman Yu, before dinner, my granddaughter will perform something. She’s taken a liking to playing violin lately. Perhaps taking after her mother, her skill is quite remarkable.”

From Chairman Wang’s proud words, I could guess Yu-ha’s whereabouts. An elegant piano had already been placed on the stage at the front of the banquet hall.

As everyone took their seats.

Trudge.

Son Yu-ha and Park Sun-young walked out. Yu-ha held a violin perfectly sized for her height, and with her pure white dress, she looked like she was at a concours competition. However, the piano accompanist appeared notably nervous. Understandable, given that the audience wasn’t ordinary people but figures who controlled Korea’s business world.

A gray-haired manager stood in place of an MC, his dignified appearance creating an illusion of being in a 19th-century European music salon.

‘Her skills have improved quite a bit.’

Her violin posture, technique, and bowing – her improvement could be described as remarkable. She had long surpassed the level of learning as a social hobby. She performed two consecutive concertos, with the last piece being Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Winter 3rd Movement. The faces of the gathering’s attendees changed at her devoted performance.

‘They must have thought it was just a child’s recital.’

Who is Son Yu-ha? She’s Chairman Wang’s granddaughter of Jeil Group. Moreover, hadn’t she attended this gathering of three generations as a qualified third-generation member? Various tables must be eyeing her as a potential daughter-in-law. Plus, who knew she could play violin so well?

“Truly remarkable, Chairman Son.”

Grandfather quietly admired Yu-ha’s performance. When the performance ended, Chairman Wang’s face was full of smiles – how proud he must be of his lovely granddaughter playing violin so well. Son Il-sun was no different. Come to think of it, even if you have the whole world, praising your children is the best thing.

After finishing her performance, Yu-ha bowed to the audience from the stage, looking like a violinist who had just completed a solo recital. Well well, quite a few third-generation chaebol children must have been captivated by Yu-ha today.

“Very well done, Yu-ha.”

Yu-ha received a shower of praise as soon as she reached Chairman Wang’s table. But her gaze was directed at none other than me. As I wondered ‘Why is she acting like this again?’

“It’s oppa’s turn!”

Huh?

What could this mean? This wasn’t like being woken up by someone knocking – at her sudden announcement that it was my turn, Chairman Wang looked back and forth between Yu-ha and me with a puzzled expression.

“Yu-ha, what do you mean?”

When Chairman Wang couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked, Yu-ha opened her cherry-like lips while keeping her eyes fixed on me.

“Hyun oppa plays violin incredibly well.”

At Yu-ha’s abrupt statement, not only Chairman Wang but also grandfather, Son Il-sun, and even Samuel Gardner who couldn’t understand Korean, all looked at me. What is this unpredictable young lady saying now?

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