For The Musical Genius (Novel) - Chapter 78

Chapter 78

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‘What on earth?’

Since when had he been here?

It was an unknown Asian boy. I wiped away my tears and glared at him, but all I got in return was fluent Russian. His pronunciation was so smooth that I was momentarily stunned, but he must have been born and raised here. However, every word he spoke seemed to pierce my heart. Not only did he grasp the fast rhythm, but he also immediately noticed the problem with my right hand. I wanted to refute, but when our eyes met, my throat tightened involuntarily, and I froze. How could a young child have such a gaze?

“Shall we begin?”

His voice carried an undeniable force. The small boy’s right hand moved toward the keyboard as boldly as Armstrong taking his first step on the moon.

Dudududung—!

I was so shocked that my soul almost left my body. Even if I had met a ghost, I wouldn’t have been more surprised. My left hand’s speed was perfectly matched by my right hand, as if they were connected. Moreover, with every breath, he signaled to me with his eyes. We had never practiced together before, yet he replicated my right hand movements without a single error, as if he had known me all along.

“Snap out of it—!”

His voice, like an alarm bell, jolted me back to reality. I almost lost the rhythm again. At that moment, his right hand sang, creating a rich tapestry of tones. I couldn’t help but be amazed. It felt like I was dreaming.

“Posture—!”

Every time my posture slouched, the alarm bell rang. It was as if he had eyes on the side of his head; even while focusing on his performance, he seemed to fully grasp my movements. His sharp gaze made me more nervous than any professor I had ever met. I bit my lip and strained to move my left hand. Only then did he curl his lips in satisfaction.

“Huff, huff.”

When the performance ended, I finally exhaled the breath that had risen to my throat. I had only moved my left hand, yet I felt more exhausted than usual. The heavy sweat soaking my back was proof. But for some reason, I felt refreshed. Finally, my problems had surfaced.

“Now, play it yourself, up to the second movement.”

My heart sank at his words. Could I really do it? My mouth began to dry up. Then, his hand gripped my shoulder. His eyes were telling me, “What are you hesitating for?” Only then did my ten fingers descend onto the keys.

At that moment,

Dwoong—!

The Wanderer Fantasy began to play. All my old habits seemed to have vanished, and it felt like I had become a different person. His teachings lingered in my mind. Whenever my posture or right hand faltered, it was as if an alarm bell rang in my head. It was an unbelievable sight. The rhythm that had been rapid at the beginning gradually slowed, and the second movement ended with a perfect cadence.

“I did it, I did it—!”

A shiver ran through me. My whole body trembled violently, and tears welled up in my eyes. I immediately turned to look for the boy. He was a benefactor I couldn’t fully express my gratitude to. But no matter how much I looked around, the boy was nowhere to be seen. It was as if he had never been there in the first place.

*

– Hoho, that was quite a sight.

It felt as if the portrait of Tchaikovsky on the wall was speaking. No wonder he was the founding director; his face was plastered all over the place. Well, that much help should suffice. Think of it as an entrance fee. Whether I could completely fix my habits from now on was up to me.

Just as I was about to head back to the concert hall,

Zing.

This time, it wasn’t the sound of a violin melody. It seemed there was more than one practice room. But the melody I heard this time wasn’t pleasing either. It was as grating as a fishbone stuck in my throat. Come on, I’m not some philanthropist. That’s when it happened.

– Hoho, are you just going to walk past?

It felt like Tchaikovsky was giving me a nudge. Moreover, the melodies brushing against my ears were truly hard to listen to. Maybe it was because I studied composition, but you should at least follow the score to some extent. This was more like a complete recreation, and not in a good way. If Mozart were alive, he wouldn’t have let this melody pass. In fact, he might have jumped out of his coffin. “Huff—!”

Consider yourself lucky. I turned my steps away from the concert hall. If the performer had no talent, I wouldn’t have gone this far. Think of it as a fellow musician’s duty. Plus, I wanted to shake off this uncomfortable feeling as soon as possible.

How much time had passed?

‘Just how many people have I helped?’

I must have helped at least four or five people. Every time I tried to turn away, the grating melody would grab my ears, making it impossible to ignore. By the time I left the last practice room, it was already getting dark. I just hoped the concert hadn’t ended yet. Meanwhile, the portrait of Tchaikovsky watched me walk away, unchanged.

Fortunately, the concert hadn’t ended. In fact, it was the break after the first half, so the timing couldn’t have been better.

“Madam, is there a seat next to you?”

“No, there isn’t. Please, sit down.”

A kind-looking Russian lady welcomed me. She looked at me, sweating, and even offered me her water and towel. Oh, Mother Russia—!

Then she introduced the burly young man sitting next to her as her son, who looked like he could join a college rugby team without any issues. For a moment, Eric from Scandinavia, who was no slouch in size, flashed through my mind.

“My son is 13 years old. How old are you, young man?”

I almost choked. Thankfully, the second half of the concert started just in time, or I might have had to call that burly young man “brother.” His fist was as big as my face.

Indeed,

‘No wonder it’s one of the world’s top five music academies.’

Even though it was a free concert, it sent shivers down my spine. Of course, they were still rough diamonds, but just listening to them made my eyes and ears so happy. I couldn’t even imagine how much effort they must have put in. Just as I was wishing this moment would last forever, the host stepped onto the stage.

“The final performance is by violinist Anna.”

The audience’s attention immediately focused. The image I had seen earlier was definitely not a mistake. Her pure white dress harmonized with her platinum blonde hair, making her look like a white rose that had turned into a person and was walking around. Moreover, her sparkling green eyes were filled with such excellence that even most actresses couldn’t compare. The way she raised her bow reminded me of a scene from a movie, and the entire audience was captivated.

Zing—!

A sharp melody reached the ceiling. The corner of my mouth slowly rose. The girl who had seemed so fragile had grown so much in an instant. She no longer needed to ease her tension with a ridiculous expression. Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35. If the founding director had heard it, he would have given a standing ovation. But even in an eternal score, there’s always a fermata above the staff. As the final cadenza scattered and thunderous applause erupted,

‘Long time no see, Anna.’

As if it were a lie, Anna’s eyes met mine.

* * *

Thump thump thump.

Her well-groomed long hair swayed in the breeze. The loud thumping sound was as if someone was relentlessly pounding on a heart. After the performance, she exchanged greetings and countless handshakes with the conductor who had led the concerto. Despite the audience’s cheers and the professor’s praise, only one scene kept replaying in Anna’s mind like a film loop.

‘How?’

It was definitely him. Especially the shape of his mouth at the end was still vivid in her memory. She wanted to rush off the stage immediately but forced herself to hold back. She hurried to the concert hall as fast as she could, but he was nowhere to be seen. Where could he have gone? Was what she saw really just an illusion? Anna clutched her pure white dress and ran with quick steps.

“Uncle Haman…!”

Anna couldn’t finish her sentence. She went to find Haman, who was in charge of security at the Moscow State Conservatory, but there were already several guests there. They were all familiar students from the conservatory. Pianists, violinists, even violists. They often met during collaborations. They were also clearly surprised to see Anna. After all, Anna was currently the rising star of Moscow.

“Anna, are you here to look for the little Asian boy too?”

How did they know?

Before Anna could say anything, Haman shook his head. “The students here are the same. They say a little Asian boy suddenly appeared in the practice room and then disappeared just as suddenly. Does that even make sense? It’s not like you’re all collectively hallucinating, right? Did you see a ghost or something? A kid that small would be no more than ten years old. How could he possibly teach you all?”

Anna recalled the god of music she had met in the chapel. The boy who had instantly pinpointed their problems. But the students seemed to feel wronged too. The little Asian boy who had clearly been in front of them had vanished without a trace, so it was only natural to be puzzled. The security guard Haman kept saying they must have seen a ghost. What was the truth?

“Was it really a ghost…?”

Like the trembling voice of a pianist, the students couldn’t continue. To them, it was an incomprehensible, miraculous event. Who could possibly identify everyone’s problems in an instant? Not even Tchaikovsky returning from the dead could do that. A cold breeze seemed to blow behind the gathered people. The legend of the little ghost of the Moscow Conservatory was being born.

*

“Dr. Tikhonov will be very pleased, Hyun.”

I left the dorm with my father and headed to the doctor’s research institute. I felt like a foal being led to the slaughterhouse. A few days ago, I had gone to the Moscow Conservatory and returned late, earning me a scolding from my father. It’s not like I didn’t want to call. I had been so absorbed in the concert that I lost track of time. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to Anna and had to hastily catch a taxi. If I had been any later, I might have gotten my bottom spanked for the first time in decades.

“If Grifin’s commercialization succeeds, it will cause a seismic shift in many fields. Let me give you an example. With one square meter of Grifin, you can create a transparent hammock. It will be strong enough for a small boy like Hyun to sit on without any issues. And the hammock will weigh less than 1 milligram. Its strength is hundreds of times greater than steel. This can be used in countless industries. Sports, military, and so on. Its high electrical conductivity makes it perfect for electronics, of course.”

No wonder he’s known as the chatty doctor. He grabbed me and didn’t seem to want to let go. I’ve even learned to mimic Dr. Tikhonov’s voice by now. But sometimes, listening to his conversations, I’m amazed by his foresight.

“Times are always changing. Even at this very moment. Hyun, I predict that in the near future, people will use their phones for everything. Not just voice calls, but also the internet, watching videos, making payments instead of cash, and even virtual reality. This is something my friends secretly told me.”

“What does your friend do?”

If he’s not at the National Science Foundation, he must be at NASA.

“He’s a film director in Hollywood. We brothers get along very well.”

I almost let out a hollow laugh. Who would have thought he was a film director? In a way, he wasn’t wrong. Science fiction is the best way to express the future. Aren’t we constantly passing moments where imagination becomes reality?

“By the way, you’re interested in music, right?”

“Yes.”

It seems my father didn’t mention that I won first prize in an international competition. Dr. Tikhonov didn’t seem interested in classical music, so he probably just thought of me as a student who liked music. That’s why he’s always trying to convert me to chemistry.

“My cousin has just been appointed as the head of the Moscow Conservatory. If you have time, I’m thinking of going to congratulate him. Would you like to come with me? It’s a place every musician dreams of. It will be a great experience. What’s even more interesting is that there’s a huge legend going around the Moscow Conservatory right now.”

That sounded interesting. But what legend was he talking about?

“Well, they say a little ghost is roaming the conservatory. If we’re lucky, we might even meet the little ghost.”

A little ghost?

Why do my ears itch so strangely?