For The Musical Genius (Novel) - Chapter 69

Chapter 69

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Thud—!

The sound of thunder echoed.

Fingers danced endlessly on the piano keys, and rough breaths flowed with the melody. The heated piano strings seemed ready to burst into flames. The intense and passionate opening notes were followed by rapid runs and dazzling arpeggios, showcasing sheer virtuosity. Like Franz Liszt watching Paganini.

“Jeong-hoon, are you really okay?”

He had been playing the piano for hours as if trying to destroy his own body. It was natural for his manager, Jeong Su-min, to be worried. When she was assigned to Baek Jeong-hoon, a pianist hailed as the next maestro, she was overjoyed. She had been a long-time fan. His superhuman technique and brilliant tone seemed like the natural result of genius. But contrary to what she knew, the reality was different. He was a relentless hard worker, and that made her respect him even more.

“I’m fine. If I don’t do this, I won’t be satisfied. I feel like I can’t catch up to that friend.”

“Who are you talking about?”

Baek Jeong-hoon silently wiped his dry lips. His eyes were reminiscing about the past.

“Su-min, you said you studied piano too, right?”

“Yes, I played until college. I eventually realized I didn’t have the talent and changed my career path.”

“Then, just a moment.”

Baek Jeong-hoon closed the piano lid. Then, he raised his long fingers and began to play as if tapping on the keys. Though no sound came out, he was clearly playing the piano. The hand positions matched a piece he had been practicing for hours. After tapping the last key, he asked:

“Su-min, where did I make a mistake just now?”

“Huh?”

It was an unexpected question. How could she know? The fleeting movements of his hands were hard to catch. Even though she had studied piano for a long time, pinpointing the mistake instantly was difficult. Moreover, even for the same piece, each pianist has their own interpretation, affecting the strength and timing of key presses. Adding personal habits made it even more complex. It was nearly impossible to identify mistakes just by watching hand movements, even for an expert.

“That friend could spot it at a glance.”

Who was he talking about?

Then, Baek Jeong-hoon opened the piano lid again. Was he going to start playing again? Su-min thought she should stop him before he collapsed, but she couldn’t. His sweat-drenched appearance was so solemn that she couldn’t approach him carelessly. The moment his long fingers touched the keys—

Thud—!

A thunderous sound, as if the piano strings would snap, echoed.

*

If you could hear the heartbeats of the chaebol heirs, it would be quite a sight. It was like a lioness appearing in a group of rabbits. The once-arrogant heirs instantly shrank back, tails between their legs. Especially Kim Do-min from Daehan Steel. His expression was priceless, gaping like a goldfish before turning pale. By the way—

‘What did she eat to grow this much?’

She had grown taller than me. Though girls develop faster than boys, the three-year age gap was noticeable. Even though I was shorter than most my age, I couldn’t help but feel a bit resentful. Then, the Ice Princess on the White Horse turned her head toward me.

“Long time no see, Oppa.”

Her coy tone made me nod involuntarily. It had only been two years, not ten, but it felt like the world had changed. Gone was the childish adoration in her eyes, replaced by the aura of the Ice Queen I had known in my past life.

“Hey, Kim Do-min. Apologize.”

The heirs who had been puffing up their chests now couldn’t muster any defiance. They wouldn’t even be this obedient to a judge. Kim Do-min, who had been glaring at me, immediately bowed his head. Was he about to cry? Though they acted invincible, the hierarchy among the chaebol heirs was clear. Who could defy Son Yu-ha, the heir of Jeil Group? Just then, the manager entered, signaling the end of the adults’ time.

“Hello, Grandfather, Father.”

Son Yu-ha greeted them gracefully. Grandfather and Father couldn’t hide their surprise at her explosive growth. Even though I had been watching her all along, the change seemed more dramatic in comparison. Chairman Wang glanced at me.

“Hyun, I told you, didn’t I?”

He had told me to treat her well while I had the chance. It seemed the old man was getting more mischievous with age. The dignified image from my past life was clearly different. On the other hand, Son Yu-ha was becoming more like her past self. She didn’t even glance at me during the meal.

“Hyun, tell me. What should you do if a store accumulates too much debt? Eventually, it reaches the brink of closure. Even if you borrow from financial institutions, there are implicit conditions that you must follow.”

After the meal, during tea time, Chairman Wang posed a question that was anything but ordinary. Fortunately, the tables were spaced far enough apart that the conversation didn’t leak.

“You should try to pay it off on your own if possible.”

It was a simple answer, but the meaning was deep. It aligned with declaring a moratorium. Civil debt enforcement is tricky, and extending the grace period using state authority makes it even harder. But there was a significant problem with this approach.

“Will the other party just sit still?”

At that moment, Son Yu-ha, who had been silent, spoke up. Chairman Wang smiled subtly.

“Why do you say that?”

“If the debtor is weak, the other party won’t stay idle. The capital market is naturally survival of the fittest.”

It was astonishing how much she had changed in two years. Not just her appearance, but the depth of her thoughts had also evolved significantly. Perhaps this was the real Son Yu-ha. After the meal, as before, the founders approached Chairman Wang as if stamping their attendance. It was a rare moment for them too.

“Oppa, don’t you remember?”

Huh?

Then, Son Yu-ha subtly asked me. What was she talking about? I wondered if she meant the time I played the violin here two years ago, but I couldn’t tell. When I didn’t respond for a while, Son Yu-ha smiled mysteriously and turned away. At that moment, Chairman Wang and I locked eyes again.

‘Why are you so dense in this regard?’

It felt like he was saying just that.

* * *

Don’t you remember?

Son Yu-ha’s last words echoed in my mind like a broken record. My mouth felt oddly uncomfortable, like I hadn’t scratched an itch. It was fortunate it was the weekend; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to shake off this feeling even at school. As I sat on the studio sofa, trying to soothe my empty heart—

“Hyun, you’re here after all.”

Director Im Hye-ra suddenly appeared. Why was she at work on a weekend? Well, it wasn’t for nothing that she had taken over Jeil Foundation. Just like in my past life, she was a workaholic who never missed a weekend at the office.

“Yu-ha just left for the airport. Didn’t you go to see her off?”

“I didn’t get any message.”

“Really? I thought Yu-ha contacted you. I couldn’t take her because of work today.”

It seemed Son Yu-ha had some unresolved issues with me. My mouth felt bitter.

“By the way, a guest has been wanting to meet you since morning. Aren’t you curious who it is?”

“Me?”

“I mentioned it before, the pianist Baek Jeong-hoon.”

Baek Jeong-hoon. In a way, he was the first musician to visit my studio. He seemed much more mature than two years ago, with sharper features and a deeper gaze. He was starting to resemble the iron-blooded maestro I had known in my past life.

“Long time no see, Hyung.”

It was fortunate we had met before; otherwise, it would have been hard to break the awkward atmosphere. Baek Jeong-hoon hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Hyun, I want to collaborate with you.”

His voice had deepened, and his personality seemed to have changed too. The gentlemanly demeanor from the wedding at Hyunsung Group was gone. He was a pianist hailed as the next maestro. The calluses on his fingertips and his calm demeanor showed he had reached his peak. The fingers that had endured countless hours of practice would produce rich tones. But—

“I’m not thinking about it yet, sorry, Hyung.”

“Why?”

If I had said it was because I wasn’t good enough, it would have been disrespectful. I genuinely hadn’t thought about it. If I could quench my burning thirst for music, a collaboration would be possible. I could pick up the violin right now, but this thirst wasn’t something that could be easily satisfied.

“I don’t give up so easily. I’ll work hard until you agree.”

Others might have been surprised, but Baek Jeong-hoon treated it as a matter of course. Though I felt sorry, what could I do? I got up and headed to where the scores were stored. I pulled out one from among the many.

“Take this. I composed it with you in mind.”

There had been a day when the iron-blooded maestro suddenly came to mind. I had written this score in one go, inspired by that moment. Baek Jeong-hoon’s eyes widened as he looked at the notes on the staff.

“If I can play this perfectly, you’ll collaborate with me, right? Is that a promise?”

How did he interpret it that way? I had just given him a gift.

At that moment—

‘Promise?’ ‘Gift?’

Baek Jeong-hoon’s words triggered a flashback. The incident at the airport two years ago.

“Yu-ha, if you come back wearing this hairpin, I’ll hug you first.”

“Really, Oppa?”

It was a fleeting moment.

“Hyung, I’ll be back in a moment!”

I took a taxi to Incheon Airport. I could feel the driver glancing at me in the rearview mirror. It must have been strange for a young student to go to the airport alone. But I didn’t care. My mind was focused on one thing.

‘I completely forgot.’

Was it the price of blindly trusting my memory? I had forgotten the casual promise I made. How much time had passed? I anxiously bit my lip, worried she might have already boarded the plane.

“We’re here, student.”

Without waiting for change, I rushed toward the airport. The newly built Incheon International Airport. It wasn’t hard to find the gate by looking at the large display. Hoping I wasn’t too late, I ran through the airport.

“Huff, huff.”

I was out of breath by the time I spotted a group in black suits. Among them were Chairman Wang and Son Yu-ha. Her blue hairpin was instantly recognizable.

“Yu-ha—!”

When I shouted, people around turned to look. Son Yu-ha seemed startled. Chairman Wang also looked bewildered. I walked toward her, ready to fulfill the forgotten promise.

“Oppa?”

I slowly approached and gently hugged her.

“Looks like the youngsters are making a movie, just as the old man said.”

As Chairman Wang’s voice faded, Son Yu-ha smiled brightly and hugged me tightly, as if thanking me for remembering.