For The Musical Genius (Novel) - Chapter 21

Chapter 21 

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Discord

“It’s a drop!”

Chairman Wang shouted as he watched his golf ball get sucked into the water hazard. Who would believe that the #1 ranked business leader could be so excited over a lunch bet? Grandfather shook his head at Chairman Wang’s excited reaction and moved along. The landscaping here is still exceptional. Anyone would mistake this for being inside a famous landscape painting rather than a golf course.

This was a country club located in Gapyeong. Actually, it would be more accurate to call it a private club, as ordinary people would never get to play a round here. Since Chairman Wang personally invested in this golf course, each of the old trees was worth as much as a house. No wonder there were rumors that if you sold the trees at Gapyeong CC, you could live comfortably for three generations.

This would become a place where Son Il-seon would later meet with executives. While the upper class would eventually gain access to it, right now even Son Il-seon couldn’t come and go freely without Chairman Wang’s permission. If there was something unique about this place…

“Hyun-ah, are your legs not hurting?”

It was that there were no golf carts. The caddies assisted the game pushing semi-automatic carts, while everyone else had to walk the entire course.

“No, I’m fine!”

It was true. Since this was Chairman Wang’s masterpiece, the scenery was no less magnificent than nature’s finest works. The old pine trees bent their heads peculiarly, as if watching over the holes like immortal beings. Even the lotus bridge over the pond created an illusion of being in a dream. In my past life, how hard did I try just to play one round here.

“Chairman Yu, you’re lucky.”

Chairman Wang passed by while patting my head.

“To have Hyun being so well-behaved. Whenever I bring our Yu-ha here, she throws such tantrums about being bored.”

She’s still just a child after all. While this is a place that everyone in Korea’s upper class dreams of, they say that even among professional golfers, without heaven’s blessing, it’s difficult to play even one round at Gapyeong CC. That’s how exclusive this place is.

“Chairman Son, I envy you more.”

Grandfather showed a bitter smile. As Chairman Wang was Grandfather’s close friend, he probably knew many things without needing to be told.

“Old man, I’m actually more worried. I’m concerned that after I die, Il-seon might reject his siblings. Though he acts gentle on the outside, the moment I let go of the reins, he’ll try to devour Jeil Group whole.”

Chairman Wang’s foresight was indeed excellent. Just as he said, after his death, Son Il-seon would later start by pruning the Jeil Group’s management structure.

“He seems to be already planning the succession. Now he’s trying to send his only daughter to study abroad. Yu-ha wanted to go too. You know, her mother is in France.”

Study abroad?

Come to think of it, around this time, Son Il-seon’s wife would be studying art in France. It was unthinkable for a daughter-in-law of a chaebol family, but Chairman Wang’s free-spirited personality allowed it.

“But recently, Yu-ha firmly said she doesn’t want to study abroad. Il-seon was quite shocked. Even for a child, he didn’t expect her mind to change so easily.”

At that moment, Chairman Wang glanced at me. Oh my, that look in his eyes is suspicious.

“If she finds out we came to Gapyeong without her today, she’ll be angry. Haha.”

*

Sizzle sizzle.

The dak-galbi was browning nicely on the grill. While it seemed odd that wealthy tycoons would bet over lunch with just dak-galbi, I was hungry enough that anything would do. The restaurant, set up like a mountain villa, was empty except for us.

“The youngest will be in charge of the department store division from now on. That child has quite an insight in that area.”

“Ha ha. Did Il-seon give in so easily? Wasn’t it thanks to that child that the Crown Prince came last time? It’s not like him to hand over credit so readily – he must have chosen the life insurance division instead.”

Listening intently, the conversation across the table was no ordinary chat. Others might dismiss these old men as senile, casually discussing company divisions as if they were children’s toys. Speaking of which…

‘So this is how Son Il-seon took over Jeil Life Insurance.’

They say owning an insurance company changes everything. No other subsidiary could match Jeil Life Insurance in terms of land holdings and cash flow. Trading flesh for bone, as they say. Perhaps this was when Son Il-seon began gradually taking control of Jeil Group.

“What would you like to have, Hyun?”

Chairman Wang suddenly asked with a subtle smile.

“In Dongju, I mean.”

Dongju?

While Dongju had several departments, though not as many subsidiaries as Jeil Group, each sector had different levels of importance. Thinking about the future…

“Ha ha, it would be a waste to only let him do music.”

Huh?

“Don’t you agree, Chairman Yu? Just look at how he’s contemplating. The more I see him, the more impressive he is.”

Oh no.

I had unconsciously fallen deep in thought at Chairman Wang’s question. Chairman Wang looked at me with curiosity while Grandfather showed a satisfied smile. I must be careful! If I’m not alert, I might fall for Chairman Wang’s schemes.

“Chairman Yu, about what you asked before.”

What’s this about now?

“The Japanese side contacted us urgently after seeing that video. It must have been quite shocking. Even the Crown Prince requested that video. Hirose-san really wants to meet Hyun.”

No way.

“Wait, by Hirose, do you mean the Queen of the Violin?”

Chairman Wang nodded briefly. I knew of Hirose too. She was a giant in Japan’s classical music world, known as the Queen of the Violin, the Empress of Strings. A figure revered as a hero in Japan. However, by the time I became interested in classical music, I couldn’t attend her solo concerts. Sadly, she had already passed away.

Just then, the makguksu noodles arrived. Grandfather didn’t elaborate further. Though my head was full of questions, there was no way to know since they wouldn’t tell me. As time passed and the savory chicken broth reached the bottom of the bowl…

“Hyun-ah.”

Grandfather gazed at me intently. He wanted to do everything for me. Perhaps he felt indebted for being harsh to mother all those years.

“Have you thought about studying abroad?”

Kang Hyun had too much talent to just keep nearby and pretend not to notice.

* * *

“Spencer, are you there?”

Samuel visited the orchestra early in the morning. Spencer, the chief conductor of the London Symphony, had contacted him urgently the night before. He had abruptly asked, “Is it true you chose to go to Korea because of Jeil Group?” and Samuel had answered, but…

“The Maestro is not here at the moment.”

Spencer, who should have been there, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, concertmaster Dmitri came out to respectfully greet Samuel.

“Dmitri, Spencer’s not here? I thought you’d be busy with concert practice.”

“Well, since there’s time until the next performance, he’s temporarily away.”

It didn’t make sense. Spencer was always obsessively dedicated to orchestra practice. The Gramophone magazine even named him the most persistent conductor. How could such a person leave the orchestra without reason?

Impossible.

“Did something important happen?”

Samuel was worried that something might have gone wrong. Spencer wasn’t usually one to share his thoughts completely, even with close friends. Dmitri shook his head with his characteristic expressionless face.

“I don’t know the exact reason either.”

Spencer had disappeared, leaving only a brief message that he’d be away for a few days. Dmitri was actually the most troubled by this. As the concertmaster in charge of all members, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy without the conductor. The same went for all orchestra members. They couldn’t slack off in practice at times like this, or they might fall out of Spencer’s favor.

Just then.

Violin melodies could be heard coming from somewhere.

Samuel and Dmitri walked towards the source of the music as if enchanted. The place they arrived at was none other than…

“The conductor’s room?”

Just as Dmitri was about to knock, the door slowly opened. They must have been so busy they forgot to lock it. When Samuel nodded briefly, Dmitri decisively opened the door wide. There…

Zing.

Along with the violin melody,

“The young gentleman?”

Kang Hyun was performing on the TV screen. The video tape from last night seemed to have been playing on repeat. With no one there but the video playing, what could this mean? At that moment, Samuel and Dmitri’s eyes met.

Could it be?

*

“Hmph, Grandfather is mean.”

The Pyeongchang-dong mansion was filled with Son Yu-ha’s sulky voice. Chairman Wang had left for Gapyeong alone early in the morning without her. Usually, she would have refused even if asked to go, but today was different.

“He didn’t even tell me Hyun oppa would be there!”

Son Il-seon’s secretary, who had unexpectedly become a babysitter, was sweating profusely. Yu-ha’s personality was incomparable to other children. Not only was she clever, but she was also incredibly prickly – more than most adults. If there was one saving grace, it was that she showed respect to elders. Yet mysteriously, in front of Kang Hyun, she turned into the gentlest lamb in the world.

“I want to go out!”

Yu-ha had recently developed a strong interest in snacks. Before the secretary could stop her, she was already heading outside the garden. Despite her short legs, she was surprisingly fast – take your eyes off her for a moment, and you might lose her in this vast mansion.

“Yu-ha, couldn’t we ask the housekeeper for snacks?”

In this mansion, one word would bring out not only handmade luxury cookies but also special products said to have been presented to kings. However, Yu-ha, perhaps due to her excessive desire to achieve things herself since childhood, preferred getting things on her own.

‘Sigh.’

The secretary internally sighed and signaled the security guards, preparing for any possible situation. That’s when…

“Huh?”

Yu-ha burst through the door, not towards the garage where the cars were parked. The secretary rushed after her with an “Oh no” expression. Damn, why heels of all things!

“Hm? Who are you, mister?”

Just then, a foreign man with distinctive features stepped out of a vehicle that had arrived at the Pyeongchang-dong mansion. His sharp features and streaks of gray hair were striking. The foreigner said something to Yu-ha, who had run out of the mansion, but…

“Waah. I’m not good at English yet.”

Yu-ha’s listening comprehension wasn’t advanced enough to understand fast native speech like Kang Hyun could. At that moment, the foreigner pulled out a photograph from his pocket. Oddly enough, it was a photo of a TV screen, or more precisely, focused on the person in the TV screen.

Huh?

“Hyun oppa?”

When Yu-ha’s eyes widened at the photo, the foreigner nodded enthusiastically. His previously sharp expression was gone, replaced by a childlike smile. Then he said:

“Yes! Hyun! Oppa!”