The Healing Life of a Music Genius - Chapter 21
Only Krnovel
21 In the pocket
* * *
“hi. “Did you have a good time in Singapore?”
“······.”
Who is this again?
I think I saw it somewhere, but my memory is vague.
The child just calmly asked me how I was doing.
“I heard there was an accident. “Are you okay now?”
“that···. Right?”
“I’m glad. “What about your fingers?”
“uh?”
“The most important thing for a pianist is the fingers. I asked if there were any breaks or cracks. “Are you moving well?”
I feel like I’m being interrogated for something. I showed him moving my finger in the air to indicate that there was no problem. Only then does the child nod his head.
“Good. Then I’ll go first. “Lesson time is almost over.”
The child who passes me by and enters the piano academy first.
If you’re that unique, you might remember it.
Meanwhile, the crowd of elementary school students who had gathered in front of the piano academy suddenly attacked me.
I’m out of my mind.
I answered as quickly as I could and forced myself to walk.
“brother! long time no see!”
“I see. “But who are you?”
“Wahahahah! How come you ask my name every time you see me? This is Cheolsu. withdrawal.”
“hey. This guy only plays the piano and doesn’t have the brains to memorize his name. You don’t even know my name? “Brother, do you know my name?”
“Was it real?”
“Dang! It’s Kim Do-yoon! Totally wrong!”
“okay. Doyoon. Let me pass by. My brother has a lot of work to do. busy.”
“brother! Then tell me one more thing! “Are you sure you actually survived by jumping when you fell out of the plane?”
“······.”
“······.”
“······.”
The silence that came for a moment.
I nodded to tease the kids appropriately.
Actually, I was a bit curious about the reaction.
“Wow! I’m right, right? “I saw this on TV.”
“That’s awesome?”
“hey. however···. Does that make common sense? “You survived by jumping from an airplane?”
“shut up! Seojin says so, what do you know? Have you ever been on a plane?”
“I haven’t tried it yet… Even if a person jumps, the acceleration due to gravity is greater than that…”
“Ebebebe. Can’t you hear me? “Can’t you hear me?”
“They say I’m a braggart~ They say I’m a braggart~”
“This guy who has flown less than Seojin has a lot to say! “Do you play the piano better than Seojin?”
“No, what does that have to do with it…”
People of common sense quickly became people of non-sense.
I gave the boy a pat on the shoulder for being a great tank for me.
I was able to enter the academy only after experiencing quite a bit of noise.
The piano academy consists of a total of 10 rooms.
There is a piano in each room, and the children go there and practice individually.
Then, a system where a piano teacher goes around and provides coaching from time to time.
I looked closely at the glass windows of each room, and as expected, the teacher was in class.
It seems difficult to meet right now.
then.
‘I wonder if there’s an empty seat.’
I walked slowly, thinking I would play the piano to my heart’s content while I was here.
Room 4, Room 5, Room 6…
Room 7 happened to be empty.
As I opened the door and entered, I could hear the soft sound of the piano in rooms 6 and 8. This is not a 100% soundproof place, so this must be taken into account.
After sitting down on the piano chair, I lightly played with the scale. A kind of finger loosening exercise. It can be said to be an action that improves finger flexibility by playing notes in order.
I didn’t rush and slowly adapted my hands to the piano.
The upright piano at the academy definitely had a better feel than the electric piano at home.
My fingers quickly got used to the new piano.
About a few minutes passed like that.
Suddenly, Chopin started playing in the room next to mine.
A very hurried performance, as if chasing someone.
‘hmm···.’
I can’t say anything about that child’s interpretation of the song, but it shouldn’t be done in such a hurry.
No matter how Vivace (very fast) you are, shouldn’t you be able to treat the sound more carefully?
F.Chopin Waltz in e minor, B.56.
Chopin Waltz No. 14.
This song was published 19 years after Chopin’s death.
The eight-bar prelude, which moves brilliantly on the e minor scale, can be said to be a particularly impressive song.
The phrase that immediately follows the intro requires special attention to playing with the left hand…
The most important thing here is…
‘I told you not to hit aggressively and fiercely.’
That was the case with Waltz No. 14, which Uncle Miller taught me.
As a finalist of the Chopin Competition, he taught me a lot about Chopin.
‘Thanks to you, I memorized a lot of sheet music.’
In any case, contrary to the instructions for vivace, this song needs to be played a little softly to improve its perfection.
Isn’t there a saying in our country that the more urgent you are, the more you have to go back?
This song was just that.
I began to play Waltz No. 14 a little more clearly, hoping that the boy in the next room would understand what I meant, just as Uncle Miller had taught me so much.
Soon, I felt the child in room 8 flinch.
It wasn’t a rest beat, but the note was momentarily pushed.
What is important here is that the child responded to my playing.
I might be a smarter kid than I thought.
I suggested the scales one by one as if I were conducting.
The child in room 8 stopped playing at some point. But she soon started following my waltz.
‘Good.’
There was still a hint of urgency, but it was much better than the first time.
Listen to my notes and correct any mistakes. Then, I suggested a new alternative to suit the child in room 8.
Waltz No. 14, which lasted just under 3 minutes, was getting longer and longer.
repeat.
And repeat again.
This time, the kid in room 8 asks me again.
‘Is this really true?’
Of course I answered yes.
The performance, which started out like a child’s prank, soon became like a briquette song.
If I do a good deed, the child in room 8 follows suit.
When the child in room 8 plays, I change his performance.
As I listened to that child play, something from the past suddenly came to mind.
Every year when I was struggling in competitions, there was one kid of the same age who always outpaced me.
The height is… Was it similar to me?
I couldn’t think of anything like that.
Because that kid seemed so amazing to me. Because he meant so much to me.
The child won prizes in every competition he entered.
It attracted attention from adults.
He caught the attention of the judges with a brilliant performance that seemed impossible for someone his age.
I was just a spectator there.
My playing was extremely ordinary, and I couldn’t escape the shackles of an ordinary person.
Although I participated in the competition as a contestant, I was no different from any other person.
Those who attract attention at competitions are geniuses.
It was natural that they received attention.
So, I used to think that it would be nice to be like that someday.
Why can’t I?
So I tried.
I committed to practicing at least an hour more than others.
Honestly, there were times when I couldn’t breathe.
Because I was a child back then too.
So I started ‘pretending’.
Pretend nothing is wrong.
Pretend you’re not tired.
Pretend it’s okay.
Then, something strange happened.
I really felt better.
I was able to focus more on the piano.
I fell in love with the piano.
Instead of being jealous of children who were ahead of me, I focused on my playing.
So in the end, I ended up going to Singapore.
The 3rd place finish in the competition wasn’t too shabby, at least for me.
I remembered the time when I participated in the same competition as that child.
A child who surprises adults by going up on a high stage.
I had to hide behind the curtain behind the stage and watch the notes the child was making from the perspective of an audience member.
I thought, someday, I want to be like that.
ardently.
Praying that my dreams will come true.
Before I knew it, the performance of Chopin Waltz No. 14 was over.
My thoughts didn’t go any further than this.
I looked behind me and saw children gathered outside the door. The teacher also stands behind the children.
and.
I heard the child who was playing in the room next to me, room 8, open the door. Every angle. I can even hear small steps.
The child broke through the crowd and opened the door to my piano room.
“you···. What happened?”
It seemed so big to me in the past,
A child who had overwhelming talent beyond me.
So, the child I didn’t even recognize today.
“I know. It seemed like you were the one in the next room. Ha-eun.”
My motivation for entering the Yejung University entrance exam, which was always ahead of me,
It was Lee Ha-eun.
* * *
“oh my god···. Did something happen in Singapore? ah! excuse me···. “I know you had an accident…”
“I just stayed in the hospital the whole time. “It hasn’t been long since I returned home.”
“But how did you suddenly become so skilled…?”
The piano academy teacher must have been impressed with my performance a little while ago, so he had me play a few more things.
Beethoven or Mozart.
Songs by Chopin or Haydn.
The songs the teacher requested were not that difficult.
Most of them are expected songs for the entrance exam to Yejung High School.
It was a song I had played in the past, and since it was a song of difficulty for elementary and middle school students, I was able to play it quite easily by looking at the score.
The teacher who heard my performance loved it.
“Your playing has improved overall? At this rate, you don’t have to worry about the fall practical exam! It worked so well! Hey! What on earth happened in a month? huh?”
However, I had no choice but to choose an appropriate answer.
“After I rested well, my playing actually got better.”
“that’s right! okay! Seojin, you’ve been working too hard up until now? “You need to rest sometimes and have some time to play well.”
“It really seemed that way.”
“Did anything happen in Singapore? “What about your hands?”
“You just saw it. I’m fine. “I had a pretty spectacular experience.”
“Ugh! I know. What do you mean by plane crash? How surprised I was when I saw the news… I’m still dizzy. “Hey.”
Teacher Ha-seon Park told me about the events related to the entrance exam that had happened in Korea over the past month.
A list of schools whose entrance exam song list has been released.
How to apply and some strategy.
And overall entrance exam schedules.
At the end, he also asked about my intentions.
“So have you decided on school? Even if you are greedy, it would be better to choose at least two schools. “It’s not good to have too many entrance exam songs to practice.”
and.
I told the teacher the answer I had decided on in the past.
.
.
.
After the consultation, when I came out of the academy, there was someone waiting for me.
A child who gives me 1,000 won without any hesitation.
It was Lee Ha-eun.
“ruler.”
“What?”
“I do not remember?”
“······.”
I couldn’t even recognize his face at first.
How can you possibly remember this?
Lee Ha-eun looked at me blankly and sighed.
“I borrowed money from you. I’m paying that back now. “Did you forget it happened a month ago?”
“Oh~”
“If you don’t remember, let’s pretend it never happened. “I think that’s more…”
“no. no. I remembered. “You borrowed it to buy drinks, right?”
“It was a ballpoint pen.”
“It’s still similar.”
“What’s similar?”
“They both contain liquid. “Then it’s similar.”
“······.”
After defeating an elementary school student in an argument like an elementary school student, I won 1,000 won.
I guess that’s true, that’s what he says.
“But what on earth happened to you in Singapore?”
“plane accident. AC2505. “Have you not seen the news?”
“no! I know that… I heard you were rescued without incident. “I was wondering if something else had happened.”
“why?”
“Suddenly, your skills improved dramatically. And that too by leaps and bounds. “I was curious about that, so I asked.”
what···. Something happened.
However, I had to repeat once again what I answered to teacher Ha-seon Park.
“After taking a short break, my skills actually improved.”
“······. really?”
“huh. “How about you try like me?”
A suspicious expression.
Lee Ha-eun sighed deeply.
“You want to do that now that there’s not much time left until the practical exam? “I can’t afford that.”
“It’s tight.”
“Thanks to. The 14th waltz you taught me. That seemed right. To be honest, it was something I was stuck on, but I think I found a way. “I have more things to practice.”
“But even though the teacher taught you well, were there any parts where you got stuck?”
“It’s not like the teacher even practices for me. “You know so well, why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
“······.”
That’s right.
I shrugged my shoulders, and Lee Ha-eun continued speaking.
“Anyway, thank you. “If I am honored, I will tell you that I had some help from you.”
“Thank you for that.”
“It was nothing.”
The way back home was the same as Lee Ha-eun until the halfway point.
It wasn’t until she reached the intersection where the stationery store was that Lee Ha-eun stopped.
“Are you going to continue coming to the academy in the future?”
“Probably until the entrance exam.”
“okay. But where will you apply for the entrance exam?”
“suddenly?”
“Just curious.”
I told him about the school I had already decided on in the past.
“Follow the folk tale. “I just want to apply there.”
“why?”
“Because it’s closest to our neighborhood.”
“······. “Is that all it is?”
“If you go far away, you won’t have time to practice. “I don’t like that.”
A child who doesn’t look like he’s ever smiled suddenly starts laughing.
“It’s like you.”
“And you?”
“me?”
“Have you decided where to apply?”
Lee Ha-eun turned her head slightly and seemed to be looking somewhere, but then answered.
“Me too, Seolhwa. “There’s a teacher there I’d like to meet.”
“teacher?”
“huh. If all goes well, we will both go to the same school. “I have to work hard.”
“I know.”
Lee Ha-eun said to me, “Goodbye. “See you later then,” he said and disappeared into the alley to his left.
He was definitely an amazing kid.
It’s not like a child to talk.
It’s not unusual either.
Is it still number 1?
He might be a symbol of the elite.
I returned home, fiddling with the 1,000 won I had in my pocket.
* * *
Park Ha-sun, who visited her alma mater for the first time in a long time, hurriedly walked towards a building.
There was quite a bit of time left until the appointment, but I was worried that the professor might have gone somewhere else.
‘Because you’re such a busy person.’
But those concerns are short-lived.
Fortunately, the professor was drinking coffee at the cafe on the first floor.
“professor!”
As Park Ha-sun waved, Professor Kang Yu-han welcomed his old student warmly.
“It’s been a really long time. How have you been?”
“sure. “I already have two kids.”
“Is it that bad?”
“yes. “It seems like only yesterday that I was the officiant, but it has already happened.”
Professor Yuhan Kang was an active musician in the music world even though he was over 70 years old.
He is so famous that he still receives invitations to perform in foreign countries, so he could be said to be Korea’s first generation classical music star.
After asking for the professor’s understanding, Ha-sun Park drew a cup of coffee from the unmanned coffee machine.
‘In the past, everyone worked with people…’
As I looked at the school, which had changed so much, I felt the passage of time.
As soon as Park Ha-seon sat down, Professor Kang Yu-han started with the main topic. It was natural for him to hate spinning stories.
“so. “You want to introduce me to a child?”
Park Ha-sun, who knows his personality well, also answered right away.
“yes. “There’s that guy named Dokjong that I told you about on the phone last time.”
“A child who says no matter how hard he works, his skills never improve? But that’s something that can’t be helped.”
“I know that well.”
“But why?”
“that is···.”
In fact, the whole art world is like that.
A place where there are many problems that cannot be solved with just the value of effort.
No matter how strong the professor was, there was a clear distinction between what he could help and what he could not.
It may sound cold, but that is reality.
however.
“What if that child suddenly developed talent?”
“suddenly?”
“yes. The piano sound has completely changed. The touch is different. “The attitude toward sheet music is also adult-like.”
“hmm···. Isn’t it just that the child has been lazy all this time? Even among geniuses, there are children like that. These kids are lazy because they can do things roughly. “Maybe it’s just that I became wiser as I got older.”
“Not to my knowledge. I taught that child myself. From when I was 7 years old until now. He was a really hard-working kid. However, the results continue to not come out… In the past month, he suddenly came back as a genius. “I watched him practice for a few days and he definitely changed.”
“that···. “It’s quite fascinating.”
“That’s why I asked to see the professor.”
Professor Yuhan Kang was lost in thought for a moment.
In most cases, talent is something one is born with.
That’s why we see children playing at Carnegie Hall at age 6 and performing with the Berlin Philharmonic at age 8.
But one day, I suddenly developed a talent that I didn’t have before?
This is not something that is easy to believe.
Kang Yu-han became curious and asked the child’s name, and Park Ha-sun answered as if she had been waiting.
“This is Han Seo-jin. I’m turning 12 this year. I’m sure the professor will like it too. A genius who works hard… No, it is rare for a child to become a genius through his own efforts.”
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