For The Musical Genius (Novel) - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Read it only at Utoon.net!
Discord         

“Anna, pass me the pepper.”

The Chapel strictly prohibits outside visitors. Cleaning and meal duties must be rotated among the 12 violinists. Not enough time to practice? Come on, it’s not like we spend all day cleaning and cooking. Moreover, violin masters unanimously said that excessive practice can be poisonous.

“He-here it is.”

Anna carefully handed me the pepper shaker. She had misunderstood when she saw me comforting William, who was crying like a child. Fortunately, we cleared up the misunderstanding; otherwise, I might have been misunderstood about my sexual orientation. I’ve always liked women, both then and now!

“Hyun, what are you making?”

“It’s called Jjimdak, something we often eat in Korea.”

Anna looked at me curiously. Understandably so, since the food made by violinists who’d never cooked before was predictably basic. I was already sick of eating bread crusts and bacon every time. Watch this – this is my cooking skill honed through my past life’s bar exam studies.

“Wow, it smells amazing.”

Anna’s eyes sparkled with a rare smile. At times like this, she looked exactly like a Russian doll. She must have been quite popular in Moscow. When I added the glass noodles that had been soaking in water to the sizzling Jjimdak, Anna’s eyes widened. The Chapel really had every ingredient imaginable.

“Did you and Anna really make this?”

Zhang Yan watched the food while raising his seagull-like eyebrows. He looked so much like a Buddhist monk that he seemed ready to put his hands together in prayer before the meal. Others seemed equally surprised. Eric from Northern Europe was already drooling.

“This is amazing. Honestly, I was worried when I heard you two were cooking. I wish I could ask you to do this every time. Even the smell is extraordinary.”

When Joseph remarked in admiration…

“No, Hyun did everything. I just helped prepare ingredients.”

Anna answered in a small voice.

“Hyun, I thought you were only talented in violin, but now it seems you should become a chef. How can a kid’s cooking be better than my grandmother’s? This red stew is truly fantastic!”

Eric was already emptying multiple bowls while exclaiming in admiration. He looked just like a Viking descendant. If we hadn’t stopped him, he might have eaten all the Jjimdak himself.

Just then.

‘Huh?’

Something caught my attention. While everyone else was eating enthusiastically, only Daniel Brühl from Germany was frowning. I thought he might be a picky eater despite his age, but that wasn’t it. He was struggling to eat the chicken.

“Daniel, did you hold your bow all day yesterday?”

“Ah, I might have practiced too hard. The pain is lasting longer than I expected.”

Seems like he had a hand cramp. It could easily happen after holding a bow all day. Moreover, Daniel’s assigned piece required proficiency in variations and fast passages, so his stress must be considerable. We’d grown close over these few days. Though we were competitors, after spending time at the Chapel, the simple competition mindset had faded. We were competitors but also companions pursuing endless melodies.

“Wait, everyone listen to me.”

All eyes turned to my voice.

*

‘Let’s show each other our assigned pieces.’

The saying that violinists are like sensitive flowers rang true. Only seven violinists agreed to my proposal. Interestingly, the three dark horses of this competition all participated without exception. Zhang Yan from China, Eric from Northern Europe, and William from England, whose eyes sparkled as if seeing an opportunity.

“I’ll play first.”

Perhaps because he ate so much Jjimdak earlier, Eric, looking even larger than usual, picked up his violin. Like a scene from a music salon, we sat in a circle to appreciate his performance.

As one, two, three performances continued…

‘As expected’

I could be certain. Despite being talented rising stars, none of them had established postures that suited their bodies. It was just like Park Sun-young. Of course, that wasn’t the only issue with their performances. But I couldn’t point out every detail of their playing. It was a matter of their musical pride. I had no intention of going that far anyway.

“Eric, come here.”

I stepped on a chair and corrected Eric’s posture.

“What are you doing?”

Like Park Sun-young, Eric showed a puzzled expression. For those who had maintained formalized postures their whole lives, Eric’s corrected posture looked awkward to their eyes. Understandable. I don’t know how I see these things either. Solutions just flash in my mind like doing arithmetic. After barely correcting his large frame, I broke into a slight sweat.

“Play that piece again.”

“What?”

Eric reluctantly nodded at my firm gaze.

“If you don’t like the posture, you don’t have to change it. Changing posture right before a competition isn’t ideal. But it’s good for everyone to know the posture that suits their body. After all, we’re people who pursue melody.”

The initial disbelief gone, Eric’s face was now as flushed as when he ate the Jjimdak. The richness and harmony in the following melody had changed. Even if it was a tiny change, musicians could clearly feel the difference. Everyone watching seemed wide-eyed at this miraculous scene. William especially met my gaze as if his moment had finally come.

Just as everyone was swallowing hard…

“Me, me too please!”

As Anna jumped up from her seat, I smiled slightly and quietly stepped down from the chair.

* * *

“Cha-Chairman Wang is moving personally?”

Director Kim Jae-sun jumped from his seat. The way he held the receiver looked like he was supporting his master. His wrinkled eyes repeatedly opened and closed several times, trying to digest the surprise. Like a startled frog.

“Quickly gather the department heads.”

At that brief command, editorial writers and heads of social, political, and economic departments were all summoned without exception. Their orderly movement rivaled a military five-minute standby team. Kim Jae-sun surveyed those present in the conference room and began.

“Does anyone here know about Chairman Wang heading to Europe?”

Everyone immediately knew who Chairman Wang referred to. After all, their newspaper company had belonged to Jeil Group before the media consolidation. The actual owner hadn’t changed even now. When everyone remained silent like mutes…

“Chairman Wang is personally heading to Europe for a young prodigy. You’ve all heard of the Queen Elizabeth Competition, right?”

Kim Jae-sun raised his voice, as if he had known all along.

“That young prodigy has made it to the final list in an international competition. Let’s see how many of you knew about this. Raise your hands.”

South Korea was originally a classical music wasteland. People didn’t take interest, and except for certain social classes, there wasn’t even demand for classical music. Moreover, shouldn’t music magazines handle such international competitions? But Kim Jae-sun thought differently.

“A young child is alone in a distant land bringing glory to our nation. How can we, as journalists, know nothing about this? Moreover, Chairman Wang is personally involved!”

National glory.

“Di-Director, could I know that child’s name?”

The political department head, who didn’t know why he was dragged in, raised his hand to take the lead. The reason was simple – he was the youngest among the department heads. Kim Jae-sun, who had emphasized the four characters meaning “national glory,” put force into his tongue again.

“Listen carefully, everyone, it’s Kang Hyun. Kang Hyun!”

It was the moment when the two characters of the name “Kang Hyun” were engraved in the journalists’ minds, along with the phrase “national glory.”

*

Achoo―!

Damn, sometimes I sneeze like this for no reason. Could someone be talking about me again?

“Hyun, are you catching a cold?”

Mark, the Chapel’s supervisor, showed a concerned expression. I shook my head. Come to think of it, forget about colds, I hadn’t had any minor illnesses at all. Looking back on my past life, I wasn’t this healthy when I was young.

“No, I’m fine. Must be the pollen.”

“If any problems arise, please feel free to come to me anytime. At Queen Elizabeth, your health is more important than anything else.”

I’d become used to Mark speaking like this with a straight face, as if he’d memorized some famous quotes.

“Hyun, do you know Maestro Eden Simeon, the lifetime conductor of the Belgian National Orchestra?”

Ah, I had heard of him. The maestro who conducted for Belgium his whole life in my past life. But by the time I developed an interest in classical music, he was no longer conducting. However, Mark seemed more satisfied with my answer of “not really.”

“It will be a very meaningful time, Hyun.”

Escorted by Mark, I arrived at the Bozar Hall to prepare for the collaboration with the orchestra. As I walked in alone, I remembered coming here with Alexei before. Would the red curtains still be fluttering?

The moment I opened the doors to Bozar Hall with anticipation.

Doong―!

A low clarinet sound echoed. That wasn’t all. As the baton crossed the air.

Zing―!

The melodies of violins, cellos, and contrabasses resonated. I was unwittingly captivated by the sudden start of the symphony. The red-haired conductor continued conducting, whether or not he knew I had arrived.

A succession of breathtaking moments.

The distinctively Slavic low-pitched tones forming the introduction felt like navigating vast seas in deep darkness. Under the conductor’s fingertips, the orchestra responded with fierce tones. Each member was exceptionally skilled. Perhaps due to my newfound talent, it felt different from when I listened to orchestras in my past life. Even swallowing felt like a sin.

That’s when.

Suddenly, with the conductor’s signal, the atmosphere changed. Yes, like a warrior of destiny overcoming adversity, the melody resonated. The rising ecstasy was enough to give me goosebumps. Finally, the low-lying tones erupted like a volcano in an ecstatic finale. Though I had clearly been standing in one place for a long time, the entire movement seemed to pass in an instant. As proof, my palms were now covered in cold sweat.

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.

After finishing conducting, the conductor bowed to the members and turned around. Though it wasn’t a short time, it felt regrettably brief. My eyes met with the red-haired conductor.

“Violinist, this performance was for you alone.”

Just by meeting his gaze…

“What did you feel while listening to the symphony?”

I felt a pressure that seemed to capture my entire body. It wasn’t just because of the many orchestra members watching me. Nor was my body frozen from the sudden event. It was because the conductor’s piercing gaze felt like it was reading my inner thoughts. Yes, I had felt this sensation when facing Chairman Wang.

“The horn in the second movement, the first violin and cello in the third and fourth movements, and…”

At my firm answer.

“The direction of conducting was wrong at the start of the first movement.”

Eden’s eyes widened like saucers. There had certainly been participants who vaguely got one or two things right. However, it was the first time in decades that a participant had perfectly solved his riddle like this.