Superstar From Age 0 - Chapter 1204



Only Krnovel

0 years old to superstar episode 1205

But I understood.

Because Lee Jae-ha had not been in Korea for two weeks.

A ㅁㅁ errand center with a Jenga box, a black grand piano decoration, and a room that hasn’t been turned into a storage room.

“The Chopin Competition… … .”

Choi Dong-hyun, with a cast on his left leg, sat on a chair and read an article on the monitor.

[Pianist Jaeha Lee advances to the finals of the Chopin Competition!]

It was an article about pianist Jaeha Lee making it to the finals of the Chopin Competition.

Chopin Competition.

It is said that the winner is decided through a preliminary and final round that lasts approximately three weeks, making it the world’s most prestigious piano competition.

Moreover, it is held once every five years and there is an age restriction, so you only get the chance a few times in your lifetime.

Therefore, it was clear that Lee Jae-ha’s father, in order not to miss this opportunity, confined his son, who had a history of running away from home, in Korea for two weeks and then headed straight to Poland, where the Chopin Competition was being held.

‘I guess you didn’t have time to contact us.’

Of course, it would have been difficult to trust a stranger who suddenly handed you a note saying, “Free runaway counseling.”

“Are you feeling okay… … .”

In the article, a photo of Lee Jae-ha playing the piano in the third round was shown.

It was impressive that he made it to the finals even though he must have been in bad shape since he was very weak.

Choi Dong-hyun, who was reading several articles, thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“Shall we go and see?”

There was no problem because the money was received in small amounts from Jaeha Lee and the hospital as a reward for saving Jaeha Lee.

And there was something I wanted to do.

* * *

[Poland, Warsaw]

Warsaw, Poland, where the Chopin Competition was held, was bustling like a festival.

Some Asians even participated while wearing casts and using crutches, drawing attention.

It was Choi Dong-hyun.

Choi Dong-hyun, who left his accommodation early in the morning, forgot his fatigue and headed to the National Philharmonic Orchestra where the Chopin Competition was held, leaning on his crutches that had become one with his body. As it was the most prestigious piano competition, he wanted many people to come and see it, so he had to go early and buy tickets.

“/Here it is./”

“/thank you./”

Fortunately, Choi Dong-hyun was able to buy a ticket in the front row, so he started walking again and went out of the Philharmonic Hall. Thanks to his crutches, it was comfortable because people were able to avoid him.

And after a while.

When Choi Dong-hyun returned, he was holding a small bouquet of flowers in his hand.

Knock. Knock.

Choi Dong-hyun walked around the Philharmonic Hall, walking on the floor with his cane as if looking for someone. Then, he found someone and his eyes lit up. A smile appeared on his lips.

“Are you by any chance… … the father of pianist Lee Jae-ha?”

He was Lee Jae-ha’s father.

Then, Lee Jae-ha’s father saw Choi Dong-hyeon and smiled with a kind face.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I see! I am a fan of your son. I didn’t even know the ‘p’ on the piano, but after listening to your son play, I ended up in Poland with a cast on.”

Working at an errand center, you have to be good at saying things you don’t mean, but when I tried to say that to this man, the corners of my lips trembled as I forced a smile.

Still, Choi Dong-hyun skillfully praised Lee Jae-ha’s father.

“Your son may have had talent, but is that his strength alone? It’s all thanks to your father’s diligent teaching since he was young. I can’t even imagine how much effort your father put into raising you. He really raised you well. It’s all thanks to your father that you made it to the final round of the Chopin Competition.”

Lee Jae-ha’s father also raised the corners of his mouth as if he was in a good mood.

“No. It’s all thanks to Jaeha’s efforts.”

Of course, the expression on his face said it was all thanks to him.

Choi Dong-hyun, who had been praising the man so much, pretended to look worried.

“Is pianist Lee Jae-ha in good condition?”

“… … How are you feeling?”

“Yes. Didn’t you have a car accident a while ago?”

The man’s expression, which had been slightly stiff, relaxed.

“Oh, it’s okay. I’m fully recovered.”

“I see! That’s great. But… … Did anything else happen after that?”

“What’s going on?”

“Yes. I heard from a friend who is a journalist that some bad guys were fighting with pianist Lee Jae-ha and were going around saying that he got seriously injured. What, he got crushed by a collapsed building?”

The man’s expression completely hardened as Choi Dong-hyun talked about the stories of the bad guys who never existed in the world.

“Of course, seeing them come out to such a big competition and make it to the finals, the stories about the bad guys really seem like empty rumors.”

The man said with a forced smile.

“Yes. It’s a rumor. Jae-ha is fine.”

“I see. That’s fortunate.”

Choi Dong-hyun smiled and nodded.

“If something like that really happened and he was seriously injured, he probably hasn’t fully recovered yet, so your father would have let him rest first. Sending him out when he’s sick is no different from abuse.”

Although Choi Dong-hyun did not intentionally emphasize the word ‘abuse’, it spoke louder than any other word to a man who was often hurt.

“… … That’s right. I would have let you rest first.”

Choi Dong-hyun smiled at him with a face full of trust.

“Oh, I have to go now. This is a bouquet of flowers. I would like you to give it to pianist Lee Jae-ha.”

“……All right.”

Choi Dong-hyun, who handed over the bouquet, walked away, leaving the man behind.

The man was so lost in thought that he couldn’t even say thank you. He was probably thinking about the thugs who didn’t even exist in this world, his friend the reporter, and where the story had gone.

‘There will be gaps in the process of investigating here and there.’

That could have been a loophole for Lee Jae-ha, who had lost his memory, to escape, or it could have been an opportunity for reporters who were puzzled by the man’s actions to become suspicious.

Anyway, it was a good thing for Lee Jae-ha.

‘I don’t think they’ll deliver the bouquet.’

Choi Dong-hyun shrugged his shoulders as if he had expected the man to hold onto the bouquet of flowers as if he was going to throw it away at any moment, and headed out of the building again.

And when Choi Dong-hyun returned, he was holding a bouquet of flowers twice as large as a normal bouquet.

“/excuse me./”

Choi Dong-hyun, who was receiving everyone’s attention, spoke to the employee in broken English.

“/I would like to give a bouquet of flowers to pianist Jaeha Lee. Is that possible?/”

The staff explained that there was a separate place to store gifts before the contest, and guided us there. Of course, a translator helped us.

Choi Dong-hyun placed a large bouquet of flowers among the large and small gifts placed in a place that said [/JAEHA LEE/].

I don’t know about Jaeha Lee, who doesn’t remember, but I hope he likes it.

* * *

The audience seats began to fill up one by one as the finals began shortly.

Choi Dong-hyun sat fairly close to the front, and I saw Lee Jae-ha’s father sitting in front of him. His expression didn’t look that good, but I liked it.

The Chopin Competition finals began soon with an announcement.

The finals were held over three days, and two days had already passed, and today was the last day. Lee Jae-ha was the last in line.

Choi Dong-hyun listened to the performances of the pianists who appeared one after another.

I heard that in the final round, they will choose to perform either Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 or No. 2.

Maybe that’s why the same songs were repeated, but it wasn’t boring.

This was because, although they played according to the score, each pianist added his or her own interpretation.

‘… … How amazing.’

Dong-Hyeon Choi was amazed at how he could understand a piano melody just by listening to it, even though he had no interest in the piano.

It was thanks to Lee Jae-ha.

And Choi Dong-hyun was able to learn that Lee Jae-ha’s father, who was once a fairly famous pianist in Korea, was frustrated on the world stage.

It must be because I blindly believed in the sheet music.

‘Maybe Lee Jae-ha too… … .’

Even if Choi Dong-hyun knew Lee Jae-ha, he might not have known that Lee Jae-ha, who lost his memory, might not have been able to get good results in this competition because he learned from such a father. Of course, it is amazing that he made it to the finals, but Lee Jae-ha’s father would not think so.

It was the last turn.

Lee Jae-ha appeared on stage to the applause of the audience.

Choi Dong-hyun took a close look at Lee Jae-ha as he walked up to the piano and greeted him. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to have lost weight or had any pain anywhere.

Lee Jae-ha sat down in front of the piano.

Then the conductor swung his baton, and the orchestra began playing Piano Concerto No. 1.

♪♬-♩

The same orchestral melody as the performance on the previous stage was heard.

The only difference was the pianist who was about to play.

Amidst everyone’s anticipation, Lee Jae-ha placed both hands on the white and black keys. And then he began to play.

‘ah…….’

A beautiful performance was heard that made one exclaim in admiration.

But no one let out that exclamation for fear of disturbing the performance. No, they held their breath and listened to the piano performance for fear of disturbing the sound of their own breathing.

♪♬-!

Lee Jae-ha played very comfortably and happily, as if he had become one with the piano and was creating the melody himself.

Although it did not deviate from the musical score, it was full of Lee Jae-ha’s unique feeling and charm.

Lee Jae-ha was shining while playing the piano on stage.

If it shined alone like that, it might not match the orchestra’s performance, but that wasn’t the case.

Lee Jae-ha’s performance was brilliant and blended well with the orchestra’s performance. No, it seemed to make the orchestra’s performance even more wonderful than the previous stage.

‘Perfect… … .’

No.

Choi Dong-hyun shook his head inwardly. The word perfect did not suit him.

‘… …free play.’

It goes well with any song or any instrument.

There are probably no words that fit Lee Jae-ha’s performance as well.

♪-♬♬-!

The piano melody filled the concert hall like waves or wind, and even swept over the audience from head to toe. My heart was filled with ecstasy and joy, like a balloon about to burst. It was a performance that I wanted to listen to forever.

Choi Dong-hyun also enjoyed this piano performance.

But what was better than that was the expression on Jaeha Lee’s face as he played happily.

I don’t know if Jaeha Lee has memories or if there was some reason that changed him.

‘That’s it.’

Choi Dong-hyun smiled and fell into the melody again.

—!

The performance is finally over.

After a moment of silence.

There was a standing ovation so loud that it shook the concert hall.

Lee Jae-ha smiled brightly.

* * *

[A few days later]

[korea]

Choi Dong-hyun, still wearing a cast, was looking over the articles in the office.

[Pianist Jaeha Lee Wins Chopin Competition!]

[Pianist Jaeha Lee met at the winners’ gala show!]

“You must be busy.”

Perhaps he is still busy running around Poland even after the winners’ gala show is over.

Choi Dong-hyun smiled faintly.

I thought about meeting Jaeha Lee, but I didn’t meet him because I thought that Jaeha Lee, who plays like that, would take care of himself even if I didn’t contact him later.

What I’m saying is, I never thought I’d see an article like this.

[Pianist Jaeha Lee announces temporary retirement!]

Phew!

Choi Dong-hyun, who was drinking mixed coffee, burst out laughing.

Articles poured out below.

[Pianist Lee Jae-ha confesses to being abused by his father!]

[Participate in the contest right away without any recovery period after the accident!]

My mouth opened on its own.

“What is this… … ?”

When Choi Dong-hyun, who was momentarily confused, tried to quickly click to check the articles.

Boom! Boom!

There was a knock on the door.

“excuse me!”

And then some men dressed like delivery men opened the door and came in.

Choi Dong-hyun blinked and stood up awkwardly from his seat.

“Who are you?”

“The piano has been delivered. Where should I put it?”

“… … piano?”

“? Isn’t this the ㅁㅁ errand center? 2nd floor of ㅇㅇ shopping mall. Are you Dong-Hyeon Choi?”

“… …That’s right.”

The delivery man nodded after confirming the address.

“That’s right. Where should I put the piano?”

no.

therefore…….

“You can leave it here!”

at that time.

A familiar voice was heard.

Choi Dong-hyun looked at the door with surprised eyes.

Lee Jae-ha was standing there with his hat pulled down low.

“Can I stay here?”

“thank you.”

Whether he knew or not about the state of Choi Dong-hyun’s mind, Lee Jae-ha set up the piano and then designated the locations of the bookshelves and desks that arrived. Things like flower pots, decorations, speakers, and board games also arrived just in time.

“You… … Why are you here… … .”

Choi Dong-hyun opened his mouth only after the people who had been pouring in like a tidal wave had started to leave.

Lee Jae-ha took off his hat and laughed as he carried a large carrier into the office.

“Why? Of course you should come.”

“under……”

Choi Dong-hyun touched his forehead and then washed his dry face.

“First of all… … do you remember?”

“yes.”

Lee Jae-ha said with a smile.

“Everything from running away from home before becoming a living being to fighting evil spirits.”

“But why didn’t you contact me?”

“That’s right, as soon as I woke up, my father slapped me in the face.”

Choi Dong-hyun looked at Lee Jae-ha with surprised eyes.

Lee Jae-ha shrugged.

“That’s why I participated in the Chopin Competition because I wanted to give him a treat before leaving home. I didn’t contact my brother because I thought he would want to leave home. Well, the surveillance was so thorough that I didn’t have time to do anything.”

“So you retired?”

“Yes. I won the Chopin Competition, but I would be so upset if I retired right away. Plus, there were a lot of reporters there, so I did some interviews.”

Lee Jae-ha laughed heartily.

Choi Dong-hyun looked at Lee Jae-ha with concern and asked.

“Is it okay if you retire? You like playing the piano.”

“Because I can play the piano anytime, anywhere. And since it’s a temporary retirement, I can come back later. It’s not like I’m retiring because of my fault.”

okay.

You’ve thought about everything.

Choi Dong-hyun’s heart also felt lighter after hearing Lee Jae-ha’s words.

“Oh, thank you for the flowers, bro. I wanted to bring them, but they said they weren’t allowed on the plane.”

“How did you know I gave it to you?”

“I saw you on stage. And it was bigger than the other bouquets.”

for a moment.

The image of Lee Jae-ha’s eyes widening when he spots Choi Dong-hyun on stage and the image of Lee Jae-ha bursting into laughter when he sees a bouquet of flowers twice as big flashed before his eyes.

“Yeah… … But why are you here? What’s that piano?”

“Didn’t you write down your address so that I could come here if I ran away? And I bought the piano because I thought my brother wouldn’t buy it for me! The piano at the daycare was broken, too.”

And Lee Jae-ha smiled and waved the piece of paper.

[Free runaway counseling]

“That’s when I don’t remember. You seem to have a lot of money, so why don’t you go somewhere else, sir?”

“Customer, huh? You said I would be a good worker.”

“That was when he was a ghost. I don’t think we can investigate him now.”

The famous pianist and the errand center owner, who had been talking like that, soon greeted each other with bright smiles.

“Welcome. You’ve worked hard.”

“How have you been, hyung?”

The two people’s cool and bright smiles remained on the screen for quite a while.

* * *

“Oh, Dong-hyun hyung. I brought you some work.”

“job?”

Lee Jae-ha went out the door and brought something with him.

“King! King!”

It was a pure white Maltese.

At that, Choi Dong-hyun looked at Lee Jae-ha with surprised eyes.

“You see this?”

Not your average Maltese, but a spirited one.

“Yes. I think it might have been because I was possessed by an evil spirit. That’s why I was able to play the piano back then.”

surely.

Choi Dong-hyun nodded. It seemed that Lee Jae-ha had opened his spiritual eyes, the eyes that allowed him to see ghosts.

“Look. I told you that you can do a good job.”

When Lee Jae-ha spoke with a smile, Choi Dong-hyun sighed.

“It’s better not to see things like this.”

“You can’t see everything. You can clearly see things like living beings, but the rest are a bit blurry. There are also things you can’t see.”

Well, that was fortunate.

“But it’s a living being?”

“Yes. He was badly injured and his soul left his body, but if he gets treatment somewhere and quickly returns to his body, I don’t think his life will be in great danger.”

Unlike Choi Dong-hyun, who could just look and touch, Lee Jae-ha seemed to be able to find out such information.

“I went to all the nearby animal hospitals, but it didn’t seem to be there. So please help me find her body and her owner, bro.”

“King! King!”

Choi Dong-hyun scratched his chin as he looked at Lee Jae-ha and the white Maltese with longing eyes.

“If it’s an abandoned dog, we won’t be able to find its owner… … .”

As I was talking, there was a knock on the door.

Choi Dong-hyun thought there were a lot of customers today and told them to come in, but a pure white Maltese (living) escaped from Lee Jae-ha’s hand and paced back and forth in front of the door, barking “Wang! Wang!” Its tail turned like a propeller.

At that moment, Lee Jae-ha and Choi Dong-hyun’s eyes met.

“Excuse me… … Ugh… … Could you please… … look for the puppy here too?”

The white Maltese wagged its tail even louder as it saw the tearful woman appearing through the open door.

“Are you looking for a white Maltese?”

“?! How did you know!?”

Lee Jae-ha smiled at the surprised woman and guided her to the sofa, giving her water, while Choi Dong-hyun looked up the phone numbers of nearby animal hospitals.

They were already a great match.

* * *

The screen went dark.

And whenever there was no classical music, the names of the people who participated in the production of this movie appeared one by one along with the impressive piano melody of the OST.

[Director Kim Soo-han]

[Lee Seo-jun as Lee Jae-ha]

[Han Jun-seo as Choi Dong-hyun]

If you know the relationship between the three people, the ending credits would have been overwhelming just by looking at them.

The screen brightened again.

Inside the errand center.

Lee Jae-ha was seen playing the OST that had been played from the ending credits.

“What song is that? It’s the first time I’ve heard it.”

After a few weeks, Choi Dong-hyun, who had his cast removed, looked up from his documents and asked Lee Jae-ha.

“This is a song I composed.”

Inside the office, where warm melodies lingered along with the sunlight, composition books and music sheets could be seen here and there.

“Okay. What’s the title?”

Lee Jae-ha answered with a smile.

“It’s Ad libitum.”

Choi Dong-hyun, who knew the meaning of the word, also laughed along.

♩♪-♬-

The piano performance continued.

I could hear two people talking softly.

“How are the kids? Are they learning the piano well?”

“Everyone is having fun.”

“Okay, that’s fine.”

“That’s right. That’s enough.”

♪♬-♬-

Small laughter was heard, gradually fading away.