For The Musical Genius (Novel) - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Read it only at Utoon.net!
Discord         

“You’re entering a competition?”

Only aged fragrance filled the reception room. Chairman Wang showed a mysterious smile with unknown intentions. Did he hear it from Park Sun-young? Or was it Son Yu-ha? Well, being someone who can move South Korea from his seat, he could probably know anything if he wanted to.

“Yes, grandfather.”

“Hyun really loves music a lot.”

Actually, it’s for military service exemption?

I don’t understand why entering a competition equates to loving music. My love for music and participating in competitions are separate matters. By the way, my mouth feels astringent. As I sip the pu-erh tea – difficult even for adults to drink – savoring it like moistening my mouth, Chairman Wang stares intently. I suppose I should drink it this way.

“The astringent taste disappears, leaving a long-lasting sweet aftertaste. Hyun knows how to enjoy tea ceremony. It must be innate, having been ingrained since childhood. Ho ho.”

I learned tea ceremony professionally in my past life, sir.

“Hyun-ah, do you know how to play Go?”

“A little, grandfather.”

“Then I’ll let you have three stones handicap, would you like to play a game with grandfather? If you win against grandfather, I’ll give you something very nice.”

Three stones?

Clack.

Chairman Wang’s eyebrows twitched. Because the black stones relentlessly pressured the board. The upper left corner turned all black in an instant. White protected its large group at the bottom, but it was barely alive. Rather, black slowly threatening the group like strangling showed a clear difference in skill. With such a difference in strength to begin with, receiving handicap stones was almost too much. Chairman Wang’s gaze pierced the Go board.

Clack!

Yes, there, grandfather.

Finding a brilliant move, Chairman Wang frowned as he picked up a white stone. He was so absorbed in reading moves that he probably wouldn’t notice if I left my seat briefly. After a long battle, white captured the huge black group stretching from the upper left to the center. Only then did Chairman Wang slowly raise his head from staring at the board.

“Hyun-ah, this isn’t just ‘knowing a little’, is it?”

“No, grandfather.”

What’s a few years of playing courtesy Go compared to this?

“Secretary Kim, bring it.”

The intense battle makes one forget even the bet. You’ll feel even more refreshed with such a thrilling comeback victory. I wonder what gift he plans to give me.

That’s when.

Thump thump thump.

My heart, which had been sitting casually, began to pound uncontrollably. It felt like someone was grabbing and shaking my heart. An old violin case. Though I didn’t know what was inside, I couldn’t take my eyes off it for even a moment. What on earth is that.

“Since Hyun lost the bet, I can’t give it completely, but I’ll lend it for the competition.”

What?

I almost shouted that the old man had actually gone easy on me.

*

The London Symphony’s baton smoothly cuts through the air.

The tip of the baton, emphasizing harmony and order, gives silent instructions to the members. First beat down, second beat right, third beat up. It moves naturally like flowing water. Suddenly, the baton takes a deep breath for the strings preparing their vibrato. As if alive. Conducting isn’t simply reading scores and coordinating tempo and flow. It’s originally about gathering countless melodies into one, projecting a new world to the audience.

Cold sweat covers the members’ faces. However, the burning passion in their eyes was incomparable to any other emotion. At that moment, the conductor’s fingertips came together. Like placing a period at the end of a novel, the symphony’s final note leaves a lingering impression. The conductor glances at the empty audience seats for a moment, then turns and bows to the breathless members.

Gulp.

The members couldn’t speak, as if struck dumb. The reason was simple. Partly due to breath caught in their throats, and the joy of receiving no criticism. And Spencer’s faint smile.

“Dmitri, shall we go enjoy brunch?”

Despite practicing all night, Spencer’s eyes remained clear. Looking at his graying hair, his stamina was mysterious. Concertmaster Dmitri silently nodded.

“Dmitri. In the past, there was no conducting system. The first violinist would raise their bow to signal and prevent performers from losing tempo. Of course, one might have lost all their hair trying to maintain such capability. Perhaps that’s why musicians liked to wear wigs.”

Spencer enjoyed his brunch while making uncharacteristic jokes.

“What do you think would happen if Mozart, no, if Paganini came back to life?”

“Maestro?”

“I mean, how do you think the world would react?”

Dmitri couldn’t even answer the idle joke. The Maestro was certainly different from usual. Especially since returning from Asia, he had changed noticeably. Some members were even scared of the Maestro’s changed demeanor. At that moment, a sun shower fell outside the terrace. Bright sunshine with falling rain was typical of London’s unpredictable weather.

“Elizabeth has been postponed, hasn’t it?”

Not referring to the Queen at Buckingham Palace. He meant one of the world’s top three competitions.

“I heard it was postponed until autumn.”

“Everything really revolves around that child.”

Spencer let out an admiring sigh. Dmitri’s eyes widened at this sight. He had seen the Maestro curse while referring to someone, but never make such an expression. Spencer suddenly burst the perfectly poached egg yolk in time with the sound of rain.

“The whole world will focus.”

On his melody.

* * *

“Son family, you haven’t forgotten our bet from then?”

Chairman Yu visited the Pyeongchang-dong mansion for the first time in a while. Chairman Wang’s face bloomed with a smile seeing his old friend after so long.

“Old man, I’m still fit. I knew that would happen so I just bought it outright.”

“What?”

“Don’t get too excited, I didn’t do it for your sake.”

It wasn’t something worth just a few pennies. You could buy several apartments in downtown Seoul with that amount. Yet he spoke about it as if he’d bought a pack of cigarettes. Then Chairman Wang’s eyes narrowed. He looked like a turtle stretching its neck forward.

“Old man, by any chance, did you teach Hyun Go?”

“What are you talking about, did Hyun even know how to play Go?”

“If only he just knew how to play – he was giving directions.”

Chairman Wang hadn’t forgotten that day. What appeared to be an intense battle was actually just his opponent setting up the stones that way. At first he swallowed disappointment, followed by surprise. A talent that became more impressive the more he looked at it. By the way.

“What happened with the new material development?”

At Chairman Wang’s question, Chairman Yu openly shared everything about past events. As the story continued, Chairman Wang’s eyebrows twitched. It was hard to believe. Especially when it came to the part about Kang Hyun reciting legal clauses, it was chilling.

“Well well.”

Chairman Wang clasped Chairman Yu’s hand firmly.

“In-law.”

*

‘What a petty old man.’

Chairman Wang’s playful gaze remains unforgettable. In the end, I couldn’t even open the violin case. Though my heart felt like it would burst like an inflated balloon. That’s when Son Yu-ha ran to me. I worried she might fall. Just in case, I walked a few steps forward.

“Oppa! Watch me perform!”

It was a day Park Sun-young wasn’t coming, so Son Yu-ha’s tutoring became entirely my role. Perhaps because I had fixed her posture before, Yu-ha seemed increasingly interested in playing the violin. Well, how could it not be fun with me teaching?

After the performance.

How was it?

She stares at me intently like a country puppy waiting for praise. It’s not that there weren’t any mistakes. But they say even whales dance when praised, and for a child learning as a social hobby, this level deserved to be praised as genius.

“Yu-ha, grandfather is calling. Student Kang Hyun too.”

“Huh, now?”

At that moment, Chairman Wang’s secretary came looking for us. Son Yu-ha’s cheeks twitched. When the secretary showed a confused expression, I patted Yu-ha’s head. Only then did Son Yu-ha deflate her puffed cheeks.

“Hyun-ah, want to play another game of Go with grandfather?”

As soon as we entered the reception room, Chairman Wang gestured at playing Go. It was a proposal I had been waiting for. This time I would definitely win; there would be no more courtesy Go in my dictionary. I would win even if the God of Go came.

“Of course, don’t expect too much since it’s not a betting game.”

This grandfather?

Grandfather sitting across from Chairman Wang was smiling, clearly enjoying something. I had no choice but to sit in the empty seat with a deflated smile.

“How could I possibly beat grandfather?”

“Why would oppa lose?”

Son Yu-ha quickly asked with rabbit eyes. She really seemed to think of me as Superman. Come on, get caught wrong by this old snake and you won’t even have bones to pick up. At this sight, Chairman Wang glanced meaningfully at grandfather sitting across. The two seem to be having some conversation, but I can’t understand the content at all.

“Secretary Kim, that thing from before. Bring it here.”

At Chairman Wang’s words, I unconsciously gripped the armrest. My Adam’s apple bobbed heavily as if expressing tension. Because I knew what Chairman Wang was referring to. When the familiar violin case appeared, my heart started pounding wildly again.

“This one had a special name…”

As the violin gradually revealed itself,

“Fantasy.”

I unconsciously spoke its name.

*

Mail from around the world flew into Brussels, Belgium.

It was ahead of the Queen Elizabeth preliminaries with its long history. Queen Elizabeth boasted an extensive history, enough to be designated a national event. Acclaimed as one of the world’s top three competitions, the participants’ level was also remarkable – ordinary skills couldn’t even make it through the global preliminaries. Moreover, this competition was violin after four years, truly a war of strings.

“Hmm.”

Eva sighed while stretching her shoulders. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say violinists from around the world had sent recommendation letters all at once. So many staff members were devoted just to sorting through the recommendation letters. Of course, the majority of these wouldn’t even participate in the preliminaries. The prestige of this competition, carved into history as music’s Olympics, proved its value.

‘The dark horses are formidable this time too.’

Eva thought while looking at the recommendation letters. Though the competition hadn’t even started, the favorites were already well-known. The names of rising stars were listed along with recommendation letters from famous musicians. Just as Eva’s hand moved unconsciously.

‘Oh?’

Eva’s hand stopped at two recommendation letters side by side. She not only strongly closed and opened her eyes but even rubbed them with her sleeve. Not only did her shoulder pain instantly vanish, but her pupils grew larger as if wearing a magnifying glass.