For The Musical Genius (Novel) - Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Having learned violin for only a month or two.
And that was in a distant past I can barely remember.
It wasn’t even enough time to fully master proper posture, let alone read sheet music.
How could I,
be playing the violin?
No, I just moved as my heart guided me.
Zing.
The bow touched the strings on its own.
At that moment.
My left fingers began moving rapidly across the strings. Like gliding on ice, a succession of precarious melodies. Yu-ha got goosebumps every time my fingers changed position. How many times must one practice to achieve this – the pressure and release of the fingers were imperceptible. The movements seemed infinitely smooth, as if happening unconsciously.
At that moment, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was flowing through Kang-hyun’s mind.
I couldn’t read sheet music.
Zing.
The melody flowing from the natural bowing was simply echoing the music resonating in my head.
The precarious melody that had been gliding like on ice began to race. Like a bitter cold storm sweeping in, the bow and strings were producing icy sounds. After racing for what seemed like forever, when everything was finally covered in ice.
The tune changes.
Cantabile (singing softly)!
It was different from Yu-ha’s performance. Completely different from Kang Hye-jung’s playing too. At this moment, Kang-hyun was creating his own winter. Beautiful melodies and techniques echoed through the mansion like the Snow Queen singing an aria in an ice forest.
Increasingly.
Faster. The bow and strings create melodies without rest. Yu-ha became the sole audience member, her small hands tightly clenched. Despite her young age, Yu-ha could instinctively tell. That she was witnessing something extraordinary. Though it was a summer day, his melody was turning everything around into winter.
The Ice Forest Queen’s aria emanating from the violin grew increasingly intense.
Rich tone color, technique, emotion – how could one explain this?
As the bow and strings cried out the final aria.
Zing.
Winter came to an end.
* * *
“Hyun-ah, what did you think of the grandfather you met today?”
Grandfather asked me in the car on the way back to Ichon-dong. If asked about Chairman Wang of Jeil Group, I would have no words. Wasn’t he already a legendary figure who had made his mark on Korean economic history? Though from a child’s perspective, it would be different.
“His eyes were deep.”
“Deep, you say?”
Grandfather asked back curiously. He hadn’t expected such an answer. The first generation of Korean chaebol had something in common – they all had an excellent eye for people. It was not only a necessary virtue as founders, but also because it was impossible to build up Korea’s barren economy alone. Chairman Wang of Jeil Group was particularly known for this.
-When meeting father’s eyes, it felt like he could see right through you.
This line appears in President Son Il-sun’s autobiography. During my time as a Jeil Group scholar, I thought Son Il-sun was exaggerating to idolize his father. But after meeting the legendary Chairman Wang in person today, I realized Son Il-sun’s words were true.
Though Chairman Wang’s eyes showed a smile, the gaze hidden within consistently read the other person. Like a habit ingrained in his body.
“Then how are this old man’s eyes?”
Grandfather asked with a smile. How should I answer?
“Grandfather’s are warm.”
Chairman Wang created a strictly merit-based society, even for his children. As a businessman who defected from North Korea, he thoroughly understood the world of survival of the fittest. In contrast, grandfather, born as the only son of a wealthy family, still held clear values about primogeniture succession. Evidence of this was how my incapable eldest uncle had taken over the company in my past life.
“Young master Kang-hyun, there’s some time before dinner, would you like me to bring out some snacks?”
The housekeeper asked me. Since they probably didn’t often have young grandchildren staying at the mansion, she seemed to be paying extra attention to me. I politely declined and entered my room. I had urgent matters to attend to now.
Plop.
I sat down by mother’s bedside and recalled what had happened at the Pyeongchang-dong mansion.
“How did this happen?”
My questioning gaze turned to my palms.
Still white palms without even calluses.
But the violin performance at the Pyeongchang-dong mansion wasn’t something that could be done easily. The act of moving the bow and pressing the strings – rather than playing from remembered sheet music, it felt like recalling remembered rhythms. The bowing with closed eyes wasn’t an act. In that moment, winter truly came with the melody. As if becoming one with the violin. I could even feel my own breathing.
“Can I do it again?”
Kang-hyun’s gaze turned to mother’s violin case.
“Teacher, please play for us.”
Park Sun-young, a graduate of Korea University’s Music College, is having a terrible time. Just before going abroad to study at a prestigious music conservatory, trouble came in the form of a tutoring offer from a chaebol family. Not for professional music education, but for teaching music as a social hobby. Moreover, the student was just an 11-year-old girl.
But…
“Hurry up.”
Not only talent but also effort and tenacity were remarkable. At just 11 years old, her skill had far surpassed what could be considered a hobby level. Yet this young girl shows no signs of stopping. Park Sun-young herself had grown up being called a prodigy. Around the time she graduated from music school, she was offered a position in a symphony orchestra but chose to study abroad for bigger dreams.
“Yu-ha, you want me to play again?”
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Winter, 3rd Movement.
Normally, it would be too early to teach this piece. But it was the piece Yu-ha had desperately wanted to learn.
If she were a student seriously studying music, this piece would never have been taught. But Yu-ha was a daughter of a wealthy family, being taught for social refinement. Yet for some reason, Yu-ha kept asking Park Sun-young to play Four Seasons.
“Sigh, alright.”
While it was challenging to satisfy this monster of a child, this was a tutoring position she didn’t want to lose. The pay far exceeded that of a regular symphony orchestra member. Moreover, teaching was quite enjoyable. Park Sun-young picked up the violin again.
“How was it?”
This was already the third performance.
But Yu-ha’s expression still showed no satisfaction. Park Sun-young couldn’t understand. She had majored in violin, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was both a pioneer of modern solo concertos and a frequently used repertoire in recitals. Having played it hundreds of times, she was confident enough to consider herself as skilled as any violinist. Yet Yu-ha’s puffed cheeks showed no signs of deflating.
“Oppa really summoned winter!”
Oppa?
What could she mean?
Yu-ha was definitely an only child, wasn’t she?
The sulking child’s gaze remained fixed on the sheet music.
* * *
“Madam, I’ll prepare dinner today.”
Aunt had come to the mansion in early evening and was making a fuss. The housekeeper’s face showed clear discomfort. After all, someone who had barely touched water with her fingers was insisting on cooking.
“Brother, why is aunt suddenly acting like this?”
“Huh? Oh. I’m not sure either…”
Yu Jin-seok couldn’t even look at me properly, probably because of the previous incident. Though he was being respectful by calling me brother, he looked anxious, as if I might change at any moment. Just then, the sound of breaking plates came from the kitchen. Aunt must have made a mistake.
‘Tsk.’
Whatever the reason, it wasn’t a welcome sight.
“Father, I made braised ribs today, please try some.”
Even at dinner, aunt sat close to grandfather, trying to curry favor in every possible way. She wouldn’t be acting like this without purpose. Grandfather’s expression wasn’t entirely bright. Since she rarely visited normally, her sudden visit couldn’t be very welcome.
“Madam, is there any marinated crab left?”
Grandfather asked the housekeeper for mother’s homemade marinated crab that I had brought. The housekeeper served the remaining crab in an elegant dish. Aunt’s brow furrowed as she watched, but she quickly corrected her expression.
“Father, shall I pick out the crab meat for you?”
“No need, I have hands.”
Grandfather ate the marinated crab silently. Aunt, perhaps due to grandfather’s attitude, didn’t speak further during the meal. As grandfather put down his chopsticks.
“Father, who are you thinking of taking to the gathering this time?”
Gathering?
Grandfather stared at aunt, reading her intentions.
“Why do you want to know that?”
“Well, it’s usually an event where three generations are invited. Since my older brother’s children are still young, I thought maybe taking my Jin-seok would be good. You’ve never taken any of the grandchildren to the third generation’s seat…”
Three generations invited?
So that’s it.
I deduced something from the words flowing from aunt’s mouth. One of the inside stories I had seen while working at Jeil Group in my past life. A gathering of chaebol families that dominated the 90s. While similar in nature to the Federation of Korean Industries, it was completely different in reality. A gathering hosted mainly by first-generation chaebol who had created their founding myths.
‘Come to think of it, it would still exist in this era.’
Later, when management rights passed to the second generation, the gathering became nominal. The first-generation founders, who had close relationships, held meetings once a year centered around Chairman Wang of Jeil Group. Of course, this was unknown to ordinary people. It was a world only they inhabited.
“Do you know what kind of gathering this is?”
Indeed I do.
It’s a place where actual successors are revealed. The chaebol maintain their firm ruling class by building friendships and connections among themselves. Therefore, only second and third generation members recognized as successors could attend. To think I’d hear about the reality of this legendary gathering like this.
“Father, I’m not a child, how could I not know?”
“Yet you want to send Jin-seok!”
At grandfather’s thundering voice, aunt dropped her teacup in shock. Yu Jin-seok was trembling as if about to cry. How did this guy later commit fraud and embezzlement?
“For this gathering.”
Jin-seok clearly has the courage of a mouse.
“Hyun will attend.”
What?
I looked up at grandfather’s sudden announcement. While aunt looked at me with astonishment, Jin-seok seemed rather relieved.
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