Between cool and passion.
Suddenly, I thought of Ekuni Kaori's book. Is there a word that better expresses my feelings right now? My heart that was beating like crazy regained stability as if it were a lie when the violin touched my shoulder. However, it felt like I was not wearing a single thread. It was as if I was showing everything about my body to the fantasy. The fantasy was a cold figure in solitude, as if it had been waiting for me.
It seemed like time had stopped for everyone.
Park Seon-yeong looked at me, holding her breath, and Son Yu-ha, who had been urging me like a country puppy, cautiously looked at me with his round rabbit eyes. I was the one who broke the silence. I touched the silver string that seemed to be moving alive with my left hand. The bow I held with my right hand was still sharp. As if it would stir my lungs at any moment.
Only then did Paganini's words start to make sense.
At that moment, the black stem of the red soundboard caressed my cheek like someone's long hand.
I lifted the bow.
Jiying.
The bow and strings clashed ceaselessly, creating a melody. What kind of movement was it? The notes and musical symbols had long since been forgotten in my head. I had no clear idea of what song to play. I just wanted to scold this guy who had been waiting for the violinist for a long time. I felt like he would devour me without fail if I let my guard down even a little. The proof was my heart that was burning hot.
Beethoven, or maybe Brahms, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Leonid, the names of countless great masters appeared and disappeared in the melody. Park Seon-yeong was staring at me with both hands clenched. It was to the point where I thought she might bleed. Moreover, her eyes were shaking as if there was an earthquake.
Of course.
Jiing!
The bow and string clashed strongly, envying each other. Sweat flowed down from my whole body like a heavy rain. As if to show that I had been waiting for a long time, the fantasy poured out all the sounds it could make. Hold on, it is not here yet for you to run wild! Even the strong suppression of the bow creates a cool and transparent melody.
"under."
When the bow tip went back to the ground, I let out the breath I had been holding. The black line of the red soundboard came down from my shoulder as if it was regretful. Park Seon-yeong, and even Son Yu-ha, couldn't open their mouths hastily. They were so shocked by the sight they had seen that their whole bodies were shaking.
I looked at the illusion carefully. The guy was still waiting for me, shining silver. You damned punk, don't look at me like that when you're talking about an instrument. If I had taken this guy out for the first time at the competition, I would have frozen and couldn't do anything.
"Hyeon, Hyun-ah. What song did you play?"
I couldn't answer Park Seon-yeong's trembling question. Because even I didn't know. Only this guy knew the answer. Was that beautiful and creepy melody the wish of countless violinists, or was it the devil's wish?
*
"What kind of place is Brussels?"
Hirose smiled faintly at Tanaka's question. Cold sweat was dripping down Tanaka's forehead. He was so drenched in sweat that anyone who saw him would have thought he had just come out of the shower. Of course, the queen in front of him was a state guest-level master, so it might have been more strange for him not to be nervous.
"It's brilliant, elegant, but also full of sadness. Is that all I can say about it?"
Tanaka didn't understand. He understood the first two sentences, but the next sentence was foreign to him no matter how much he thought about it. Brussels was a place that any violinist would dream of. There were countless violinists who had set their sights on Brussels since they were young.
"Mr. Tanaka, there is no such thing as a painless birth, right?"
It was then that the Queen's eyes became filled with the past.
"In the endless dawn, they look at the melody. But like the dim dawn, they can't tell. Whether they are walking the right path or struggling in a ditch. People usually say that only geniuses can go to Chapelle. But I don't think so."
Gulp.
"Everyone I've seen was crazy about the violin. Including me. The phrase "mad melody" is exactly right. Looking back, I wonder if there was a time in my life that was as brutal as it was beautiful. It's so sad that the audience who got a glimpse of the world through a short performance feels sorry for them."
Manager Goro looked down at his watch. It was probably because there wasn't much time left for the interview. Tanaka didn't miss that look.
"Mr. Hirose, what do you think about this competition?"
It was the queen who had resigned from the judging panel. There were rumors that someone who had received the queen's recommendation was heading to Brussels. However, most people did not believe it, saying it was a false rumor. 'There is no one who can match the queen's level of gentleness but infinitely coldness when it comes to violin.' Tanaka thought so. However, the queen showed a mysterious smile that she had never shown before.
"It will be Hyun's time."
* * *
Crunch.
Chairman Wang, who was trimming the trees, raised his head.
"Inspiration, is that true?"
Chairman Yoo nodded silently. However, there was a joy in his eyes that he could not hide.
'I really am what I am.'
Chairman Wang swallowed his surprise and put down the landscaping scissors. Who would have thought he would pass the preliminary round so easily? Moreover, it was one of the world's three major competitions. It was his first start on a stage that some people dream of.
"Inspiration, I always thought of musicians like these orchids."
In the eyes of Chairman Wang, musicians were like orchids. They had to be carefully nurtured to maintain integrity and integrity in order to bloom. In order to achieve the flower language of pure beauty, they had to overcome countless adversities and fight their own battles. That may be why they were so sensitive.
"But Hyun-i is amazing."
Like a rainbow-colored carp that reflects the sunlight and shows countless colors, the child had many different appearances. Sometimes he looked like a child, at other times he seemed infinitely cool, and when he played the violin, he was hotter than anyone else. How could one not be envious of him?
Chairman Wang was more confident than anyone else in his ability to judge people.
When I was doing wholesale business in Hamgyeongbuk-do, there were several times when I almost went bankrupt, but each time, my eye for people shone through and I was able to escape the crisis. It was no different when I came to South Korea and opened Jeil Sanghoe in Seoul. It was a time when I couldn't trust people more than anything else. Have I ever been so attracted to a person in all my turbulent times? His appearance had aged, but his eye for people had become even sharper.
When I turned down the Stradivari I knew I could never buy that kid with money.
Chairman Wang took off his dirty gloves one by one.
"In-laws."
At the sight of Chairman Wang secretly holding his hand, Chairman Yoo coughs and pulls his hand away like before.
"Son-ga, why are you giving me goosebumps?"
Chairman Yoo was not unaware of Chairman Wang's love for his granddaughter. Furthermore, Chairman Wang was a friend that Chairman Yoo could trust for the rest of his life. Despite this, the reason he withdrew his hand was simple. It was because he thought of his youngest daughter. At first, he didn't know it, but every time he saw his grandchild, he realized how ignorant he had been in opposing the marriage in the past.
"I don't hate Yuha either, but we have to like each other."
If other conglomerate families had heard this story, they would have been taken by surprise. No one in the business world would have refused to marry into Jeil Group. Furthermore, she was the only daughter of Son Il-seon, who was chosen as the successor. Saying more would only hurt my mouth.
"grandfather!"
At that moment, Son Yu-ha ran towards Chairman Wang from afar. It seemed that he had expected that Chairman Yoo, who was standing next to him, might have come with Kang Hyeon. Chairman Wang looked at Yu-ha with an expression that said, "That's right."
"Yuha, this old man. No, I should say hello to Hyeon's grandfather."
At Chairman Wang's words, Son Yu-ha made a somewhat shy expression as if nothing had happened and slowly bowed. There was no other woman like her. At that sight, Chairman Wang glanced at Chairman Yoo.
"What are you doing, you're not greeting my daughter-in-law?"
*
Whaaaa ...
The plane was noisy. Those who were riding a plane for the first time looked anxiously out the large window. No one would know that a plane that lands with a loud thud is safer than a plane that lands smoothly as if skating. The view of Gimpo Airport was not as familiar as before.
"Hyun-ah, you have to be safe?"
My parents, who came back to Seoul, had worried faces. They must have been shocked that their son would suddenly go to an international competition, but my mother packed my luggage, even bringing me side dishes and gochujang that she had made herself. Instead of joking about taking off my shoes, my grandfather silently smiled at me. That must mean he trusted me that much. Anyway.
"Grandpa, I can't see Yuha?"
Of course, I thought Son Yu-ha would come to see me off, but she wasn't there. I guess I grew attached to her because she was always there, and I felt like my worries at the airport last night that Yu-ha would grab me and cling to me were in vain. Is this why they say a woman's heart is like a reed?
I tried hard to suppress a snicker.
"Hyun-ah, can you really go by yourself?"
My grandfather asked me one last time, but my answer was the same. There was no need to go with someone else. The concours staff said they would come to pick me up anyway. My grandfather had seen me before, so he wasn't worried, but my parents were different. I tried to put on a bright expression. Mom, don't worry. Your son has ridden the plane more than the subway.
"I'll be back safely and in good health!"
The road to departure alone. Of course, if I were to be on the list of 12, my grandfather and parents would definitely visit the competition venue. This moment of heading to the departure hall while being seen off by my parents and grandfather felt like a young man with a bald head holding a notice of enlistment entering a military base. Oh, I didn't have that problem. I was a judicial officer in my past life.
The flight attendants occasionally looked at me with a puzzled expression as I headed out to board the plane alone, but I didn't have time to pay them any attention.
"Brussels."
The letter read as follows. He sent me a letter two weeks early, asking me to come to Brussels as soon as possible, if time permits. I could tell from the handwriting that he was in a hurry. But why me? There was no need to rush. It wasn't like I would get extra points. After all, it wasn't me who was in a hurry, it was Brussels.
By the time Kang Hyun completely disappeared from sight.
"Oppa―!"
A girl was running urgently from the other side of the airport. Her face was swollen, as if she had cried a lot the night before. Everyone was looking at her, worried that she might fall over. Behind her, Chairman Wang's secretary was running fast, sweating profusely. The little girl was so fast. Chairman Yoo almost burst into laughter at the sight. Aren't these guys already filming a movie?