It had been a few weeks since he became a student of Lucius, and Justin was enjoying his time.
Despite being his student and traveling around the country, Justin was also taking some online classes before returning to university once Lucius went abroad. He still needed to graduate and receive his diploma.
"I am wondering," Justin started while tuning his violin.
This was one of the rare times he could spend alone with Lucius.
As Lucius' current and only student, he had this privilege—a chance no one else would have.
Even though he was famous, Lucius did not talk much in interviews. He preferred to let his music do the talking. Many said he was a perfectionist—spending hours practicing a single part until it was just right. That was why he rarely accepted students.
People saw him as quiet and serious, but those who knew him said he was kind and deeply passionate about music. Though he seemed distant, his music told the stories of his emotions, speaking without words.
Lucius Wood was more than just a violinist.
His music touched hearts, his talent inspired young musicians, and his name would be remembered for years to come. Whether playing in a grand concert hall or teaching a student, Lucius continued to change the world of classical music—one note at a time.
Lucius looked at him as Justin raised his head to meet his teacher's gaze.
"Why did you agree to be my teacher? I felt it the first time I asked—you did not wish to."
"Well, there is someone I wished I could teach."
Justin already had a vague idea of who it was.
"But she told me this instead: 'A robotic performance or a performance filled with vigor and emotion. A performance that could pull you along. A performance that could motivate you. What would you rather choose as Lucius Wood, who is known for how passionate he is in his music?'"
Justin blinked, but there was also a pang of self-deprecation—something that Lucius instantly noticed.
"I am not telling you this as a comparison or to say that this is why I took you in. You know me—I don't want to teach too many students, and at that time, Wynter Morgrave was the person I wanted to take in. Instead, I am telling you this to explain what caught my eye, which Wynter Morgrave also saw."
"Please continue, sir," Justin asked.
His curiosity grew.
"From her own words, her kind of playing is the same as an AI playing it."
Justin slightly furrowed his brows.
"The reason I wanted to teach that child was because she had the technique and perfection to play any musical piece she put her all into."
Wynter Morgrave may have said such words about her own performances, but it was undeniable that she poured all her effort into each one to reach the height she had achieved.
"All her performances were always played like a robot—perfect but devoid of emotion. The musical pieces she performed were crying."
Justin recalled the performances he had watched through the screen, especially the one he had seen in person when they competed against each other.
He had felt it as well.
Her performance had been perfect, and in a contest, it was indeed the best performance. But if one were to look at it differently, it was a completely robotic performance—even during the competition, despite the slight difference.
"You have noticed, right? That performance was different, and the reason for that was your performance. Someone as steadfast as her, who was defined by her name, was moved by your performance. If you had gone after her, then surely she would have been the one to win that competition."
Justin knew there had been a slight mistake when she tried to match the accompaniment—that was what had cost her the competition.
"A talent that could move such a person to even try a different approach in her performance is much more precious than any perfect performance. That is what we both saw."
Justin looked at him.
"When you first reached out to me and asked me to be your teacher, I was already weighing whether to still try and persuade her to be my student or to take you in instead. You have that much talent—keep that in mind."
Still, there was a small bitterness in his heart. Justin was still lacking compared to Wynter because he could not completely change Lucius' mind.
'This much greediness is fine, right?' he inwardly mused.
"Those words won't convince you otherwise," he inquired instead.
Lucius placed his hand on Justin's shoulder.
"From the get-go, that child trained because it was what was asked of her. And that is why she could not accept my invitation. It was not what she truly wanted to do. I can tell now, after letting go of my desire to reshape her, that she will soon let go of the violin. And there is nothing I would be able to do about that."
Justin was shocked.
Just as he had started thinking that he would surely surpass Wynter someday, Lucius told him she would let go of the violin.
Lucius could clearly see what was going on inside his student's head, and he could only smile.
"The reason she tried to achieve perfection in every performance was because she knew that even if she stagnated, it wouldn't matter."
He shook his head, "I could tell from her eyes in that one talk. 'Don't waste your precious time on someone who does not love music. Don't waste it on me. Instead, use it on someone who will surely bloom into a wonderful garden.' Those were the words she wished to convey."
Justin felt bitter about this but he felt that his goal should not be to surpass her but to instead make Lucius say that he made the right choices in taking in Justin. Not because of Wynter's position but because of his own talent.