For The Musical Genius (Novel) - Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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“Kang Hyun, come get your final exam report card.”
Kang Bong-du’s square jaw twitched. Complex emotions swirled in his eyes as he looked at the report card. Not only had the student achieved the highest rank in the grade, but every subject showed perfect scores. This was Kang Hyun, who had been at the bottom of the class until the midterm exams. Though a teacher shouldn’t doubt their students, scores like these were hard not to question.
“Kang Hyun has achieved first place in the entire school for these final exams. Everyone, give him a round of applause.”
Kang Bong-du swallowed his doubts as he spoke. At the mention of first place, the students’ eyes widened in disbelief. Some even asked if Kang Hyun really got first place. When Kang Bong-du nodded in confirmation, the classroom erupted in excitement. Students crowded forward, competing to see Kang Hyun’s report card. However, Kang Hyun’s expression remained unchanged.
‘When will my body grow?’
The loose uniform was nothing but cumbersome. Being shorter than his peers made him feel like he was wearing his father’s clothes. He knew his height would grow slowly until graduating middle school. It wasn’t until high school that his growth plates would open and his height would explode. Why are these kids so pushy anyway?
‘Tsk.’
He clicked his tongue internally. Everyone was rushing to see the top student’s report card. While some students offered sincere congratulations, others showed envy, jealousy, and incomprehension. Kang Hyun didn’t care about their reactions. He was just happy thinking about how pleased his parents would be with the report card.
Around lunchtime.
“Kang Hyun, the teacher wants you in the staff room right now!”
An unfamiliar female student entered the classroom and called out to Kang Hyun. The mention of the staff room caused another commotion in the class. Some students cast suspicious glances, as if saying ‘I knew it.’ These kids, learning to be suspicious from such a young age.
Thud.
Entering the staff room, an unexpected scene unfolded. Kang Bong-du and a woman were facing each other, with the woman’s loud voice reverberating through the room. Her attire was extravagant, and her ear-splitting voice was irritating. Kang Bong-du’s eyes widened when he saw Kang Hyun enter.
“Kang Hyun. Why are you here?”
You called me here yourself.
“You called for me, teacher.”
That’s when.
“Mom, I brought him!”
The female student who had called Kang Hyun shouted. The imposing woman sharply turned her head to glare at Kang Hyun.
“Are you Kang Hyun?”
Well well, a woman with eyes as fierce as her heavy makeup. When Kang Hyun nodded briefly, she exploded in anger.
“How can a student who was last in class suddenly become first in the entire school overnight? Hey! Speak up if you have a mouth. Looking at you, your family doesn’t seem well-off enough for tutoring, so how did you cheat?”
“Mrs. Hye-jin’s mother, you’re going too far!”
“Teacher, you know my eldest graduated last year and went to International High School, right? I’ve been the parent association president since then, helping Daesung Middle School so much. I collected dues for environmental improvements, even helped arrange overseas field trips for our children. How can you not catch one brazen student who’s clearly cheating? My child was originally first in school!”
This woman?
She’s spouting nonsense as if it were truth. All the teachers in the staff room were standing. Kang Bong-du’s face showed clear discomfort. Even he had to admit it seemed implausible for a student to go from last to first place in just a few months. In that moment when everyone was struck silent.
“Can you prove it?”
All eyes focused on him.
“Criminal Law Article 156 defines the crime of false accusation as reporting false information to a public office or official with the intent to subject another person to criminal or disciplinary action. False information here means reporting while having definite or probable awareness that the reported facts contradict objective truth.”
Of course, criminal false accusation wouldn’t apply in this case. Moreover, false accusation doesn’t apply in civil cases. But Kang Hyun wasn’t about to stop.
“Particularly using your position as parent association president for environmental improvement fundraising and field trip arrangements, not to mention the opaque operational procedures of the parent association… I don’t think all of this was done as pure volunteer work without compensation. In the late 80s, cases of unofficial payments caused public outrage, and the Supreme Court often ruled these as bribery under Criminal Law Article 129. If you’d like, I can recite the verdicts right here.”
Kang Hyun stared directly at the woman, whose eyes had grown as big as saucers.
“I’ll ask one more time, can you prove that I cheated?”
His voice pierced through their ears.
Kang Bong-du swallowed his surprise. He had thought he was just dealing with an ignorant child. But that deep voice and those confident eyes were anything but ordinary. He was especially composed, unbelievable for a 14-year-old.
“You… what did you just say…!”
The woman screamed, grabbing the back of her neck.
“Hye-jin’s mother, Kang Hyun is right. It’s not right to accuse someone of cheating without evidence. If you continue like this, I won’t stay quiet as his homeroom teacher.”
Kang Bong-du stepped in front of Kang Hyun and spoke firmly. Only when the pot-bellied principal appeared did the situation calm down. Though the woman still glared, she didn’t press further. Instead, she even smiled slightly after receiving some kind of signal from the principal.
Damn it.
It didn’t matter. No matter what they said, the fact that I ranked first in the school remained unchanged.
Only later did I understand the meaning of that smile.
“Hyun, I’m sorry.”
Kang Bong-du looked at Kang Hyun with a troubled face. Kang Hyun didn’t think badly of him. He would have hesitated too in that position. No matter how much you trust a student, it’s not common for someone who ranked last to suddenly become first in school. Moreover, Kang Bong-du had stood up for him. He had fulfilled his duty as a homeroom teacher.
“The principal said he’ll personally oversee next semester’s exams. If your grades drop, the parents’ association won’t stay quiet. They might even bring up your first semester grades. In the worst case, they might consider forced transfer.”
They must have quite some influence if they can even pressure the transfer administrator.
“It’s fine.”
His voice was calm. Kang Bong-du looked at him curiously. Just as he had noticed in the faculty office, the boy seemed mature beyond his years. Just a few months ago, he had been such a mischievous child. But looking into Kang Hyun’s eyes, he naturally understood. This child hadn’t cheated. Rather, he felt foolish for having doubted him.
“Hyun, how did you become so good at studying?”
It was pure curiosity.
What should I tell him?
Should I explain that I saved a drunk person from the subway tracks,
And when I opened my eyes, I had returned to the past?
Kang Hyun just smiled silently.
* * *
Sizzle, sizzle.
The pork belly on the grill turned golden brown. Mother’s spicy fresh kimchi and the sesame leaves and lettuce bought from the market enhanced the taste. Father took a shot of sharp soju and burst into hearty laughter.
“Hehehe. Our son is amazing. Amazing!”
In the past, father had always been stern. This was the first time I’d seen him laugh so boisterously. Kang Hyun held back the tears welling up. The smile never left mother’s face as she grilled the meat.
“Why is our son so smart? He must take after me. Right? Hehehe.”
“Hey now. I was better at studying during my school days.”
“Hehehe. Yes, my wife and son are the best!”
Father grabbed my face and rubbed it for a while. The smell of alcohol and his rough stubble irritated my skin. But listening to father’s hearty laughter made even this pleasant. Under the star-studded night, this simple happiness continued endlessly.
“Hyun, what are you doing during summer vacation?”
It was Kim Dae-woo with his chubby cheeks. This friend always reminded me of Winnie the Pooh. What would I do during summer vacation? Probably help at the laundry shop. It wasn’t easy delivering laundry by bicycle under the scorching sun.
“Are you going to study again?”
Study, huh.
These were middle school level problems. There was no need to go all out yet. I was confident I could maintain first place without dedicating my summer vacation to studying. The teachers had long since dropped their suspicions. They would ask me questions during class, and I knew everything.
“Come join the club activities with me. The teacher said she’ll show us a violin solo concert this summer vacation.”
For a teacher to maintain club activities through summer vacation shows remarkable dedication. But I’ll be busy with laundry work in the hot summer. I couldn’t spare time listening to classical music.
“Sorry, but I can’t.”
At Kang Hyun’s firm words,
Kim Dae-woo showed a disappointed expression. He probably didn’t have many close friends in the club.
Thud.
It was when we were leaving after the closing ceremony.
Kang Hyun was heading to the first floor to leave school, and Kim Dae-woo had to part ways at the intersection for club activities. I could see Kim Dae-woo’s slumped shoulders as he walked away. He probably hadn’t expected such a firm rejection. As Kang Hyun smiled and was about to walk away.
Thump thump thump.
His heart started beating violently.
And then
Freude, schöner Götterfunken! Götterfunken!
Joy, beautiful spark of divinity! Spark of divinity!
It penetrated his ears.
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, 4th Movement Choral.
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