Pianist's Village

The next day at the Bellotto Hotel in downtown Warsaw.

Chairman Park Ki-joon said, humming a tune and looking in the mirror while wearing a tie over a white shirt.

"Does Nam Soo-hyun have rehearsal today? I hear it's his first collaboration with the orchestra. What time is it?"

The somber secretary said, peeking his head into the mirror.

"It's two o'clock in the afternoon, four o'clock. It's already one thirty."

Park Ki-joon said he didn't like his tie, so he took it off and put on a different one.

"I don't want you to know I'm watching you, so let's sneak in around three o'clock."

"Yes, I'll be ready in time."

The executive assistant was seen leaving the room holding the phone to prepare a vehicle.

Park Ki-joon, looking in the mirror to check if his gray hair was neatly combed back and if there were any stray hairs, had a look of anticipation. That was because the story he heard yesterday at dinner kept spinning in his head all night.

During the meal, Professor Lee Chan-ho, who had been whispering with Kim Ji-hye the whole time about what kind of plot they were cooking up, slightly raised his voice.

"Well, that's nonsense from people who don't know music."

Lee Chan-ho also realized his voice was loud, and when attention turned to him, he slightly lowered his head and gestured to Kim Ji-ye to stop.

Park Ki-joon said with a smile.

"Since we're eating together, how about we discuss it? It seems you two have been talking about something for a while."

Professor Lee Chan-ho said, waving his hand.

"No, I think I was just worried about Ms. Kim Ji-ye after hearing what some sponsors were saying."

"What are you worried about?"

Professor Lee Chan-ho looked at Soo-hyun. He saw that Soo-hyun was focused on eating silently.

'In fact, at that moment, Soo-hyun had no interest in the conversation. He was simply admiring the food from an elegant restaurant he had never been to.' 'If I had to think of something, it would be: "Uncle Franz really can't cook."'

Professor Lee Chan-ho sighed as he watched Soo-hyun concentrated on his meal.

"It seems some sponsors expressed their opinion that Soo-hyun's performance was too dry."

Chairman Park Ki-joon leaned back in his chair with interest. This was because he had never seen Soo-hyun play.

"Huh? What does that mean?"

Kim Ji-ye interrupted with an urgent expression.

"Professor, that's something we should discuss among ourselves. If Soo-hyun finds out, he'll get nervous."

All eyes turned to Soo-hyun.

Soo-hyun, who was chewing a large piece of meat, quickly chewed the meat in his mouth after receiving everyone's attention.

Soo-hyun said nothing when he had food in his mouth.

Soo-hyun chewed the meat so fast it looked like he was going to throw up. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and straightened his back.

"Is this my story?"

Kim Ji-ye waved her hand.

"No, Soo-hyun. Eat."

"Do it. I'll get into trouble if I try to talk again during the meal."

"...."

Kim Ji-ye silently observed Professor Lee Chan-ho's expression.

Finally, Professor Lee Chan-ho, who could no longer bear to look, spoke to Park Ki-joon as if asking for his consent.

"As you know, Mr. Chairman, you are a great expert in classical music, so you must have seen many pianists get emotional while playing. Our Soo-hyun usually plays motionless, in this posture."

Professor Lee Chan-ho straightened his back and imitated Soo-hyun. Park Ki-joon, who saw it with his own eyes, asked.

"You don't move at all in that position? From the beginning to the end of the performance?"

"Yes. Instead, I focus completely on playing. I don't break a single note or a single dynamic."

"Right? For a pianist, there's nothing more important than playing the piece."

"Look at that, Ji-ye. The chairman thinks the same."

Kim Ji-ye bowed her head like a sinner. 'Had she said something in vain? She just wanted to help. Even so, she conveyed it carefully only to Professor Lee Chan-ho. After being in this situation again, she truly felt that she was no help to Soo-hyun.'

Chairman Park Ki-joon, seeing that Kim Ji-ye was disappointed in herself, spoke softly.

"But I think the sponsor's words are not entirely wrong. Since it's the final round of the main competition, the general public will be present, so adding a visible performance method would further enliven the audience."

'This is a statement that protects Kim Ji-ye.'

Professor Lee Chan-ho also knew this.

'However, it's foolish to add stage manners to Soo-hyun's actions and ruin the performance.'

"I know Ms. Ji-ye Kim wants to help Soo-hyun. I'm sure Soo-hyun appreciates it. But, Ms. Ji-ye, the most important thing for a pianist is the performance itself. Anything that disrupts it becomes an obstacle. It is the educator's responsibility to eliminate these things. Excuse me if I got a little emotional and spoke too much."

Kim Ji-ye's voice was heard dragging.

"No, Professor...."

'I feel like crying.' *'I just wanted to help… … .' *

Then a young, dry voice was heard.

"Then wouldn't it be simpler if you just showed off your flashy manners on stage?"

Kim Ji-ye's head suddenly turned.

'Could it be that Soo-hyun was shocked because of me?'

Her eyes twitched violently.

"Soo, Soo-hyun. Sister, just…"

Soo-hyun shook his head.

"That's not that difficult."

"...?"

Soo-hyun looked at Kim Ji-ye.

'A person who treats me like his younger sister, even though she has no connection to me. I can feel her heart. The feeling of not wanting to let that person die slowly began to emerge.'

Professor Lee Chan-ho shook his head firmly.

"No, that won't do. That's not the way, Soo-hyun."

Professor Lee Chan-ho's expression was very firm, as if he had no intention of making concessions when it came to music.

Soo-hyun looked at the professor and shrugged.

"I know what you're worried about."

"Yes, if you know that, then it can't be like that, right?"

Soo-hyun looked at the audience and said.

"Wouldn't it be easy to solve this by showing off your flashy manners on stage and playing perfectly?"

The audience was speechless.

'If it was that easy, why didn't he do it now? And how could it be that easy? That's the look in their eyes.'

But Soo-hyun's face, which left everyone speechless, was normal as if nothing had happened.

Chairman Park Ki-joon quietly intervened to stop them.

"Soo-hyun, it's not that easy. I've seen many pianists ruin their performances by worrying about things unrelated to the performance."

As soon as he finished speaking, Professor Lee Chan-ho quickly joined in.

"Yes, the chairman is right, Soo-hyun. It shouldn't be easy for you to have flashy manners on stage and perfect performances, even if you're not Franz Liszt."

Soo-hyun burst out laughing.

"I'll decide after seeing you practice then."

'If you decide after seeing them practice, there will be no problem. His performance will definitely falter, and if you let him recognize his mistakes and then try to dissuade him, he will listen.'

When Professor Lee Chan-ho nodded as if he understood, Kim Ji-ye bowed her head and spoke hesitantly.

"Soo-hyun… You don't have to do that…"

Soo-hyun took chicory from the salad in front of him and put it on Kim Ji-ye's salad plate.

"Do you like this, unnie?"

"Huh? Ugh…!"

"Eat more. And unnie."

"Huh?"

"Even if you don't do anything, you're still my one and only true love."

"...."

Tears welled up quickly in Kim Ji-ye's eyes. She felt as if all the emotional pain she had been feeling had disappeared in an instant.

Professor Lee Chan-ho also saw that and thought he had been a little aggressive, so he coughed in vain and filled his glass with water.

Chairman Park Ki-joon, who was listening to the conversation among the people, kept looking at Soo-hyun's confident appearance.

'This child. He seems very confident. Is there something we don't know about him?'

And then he heard Soo-hyun pick up his fork and knife again and say.

"And Professor Franz Liszt only played the score perfectly the first time he saw it. When playing the same piece again, he would change the tempo and notes on his own. That's why composers constantly scold him."

Professor Lee Chan-ho and Park Ki-joon's mouths opened as they started eating again.

Chairman Park Ki-joon, who was humming a tune full of anticipation as he thought about yesterday's dinner conversation, looked at the time and quickly left the hotel room.

Two fifty in the afternoon.

The rehearsal hall provided by the International Chopin Competition for Children was originally a real concert hall where small orchestras performed.

When the secretary got out of the luxury vehicle parked in front of the concert hall and opened the back door, Chairman Park Ki-joon rubbed his palms together with the aforementioned expression.

"Well, I'll finally get to see Soo-hyun practice his instrument. And it'll be a collaboration with an orchestra. I'm so excited my legs are trembling! Haha."

The executive secretary pointed to the side and said.

"This way, sir."

"Ah, right. What orchestra is it?"

"This is the Warsaw City Orchestra."

"Well, it's a children's competition, so the National Orchestra didn't come. The conductor was… Janusz Buček, wasn't he?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Haha, I guess I should say hello since I'm here. Let's go in. You've already figured out how to sneak in, right?"

"Yes, I figured out how to use the staff entrance instead of looking towards the waiting room in case it's break time."

"Alright. Let's go."

When Chairman Park Ki-joon entered the concert hall guided by his executive secretary, he saw people wearing casual clothes instead of tuxedos, perhaps because it was a rehearsal, and carrying large instrument bags.

'Who could it be? Soo-hyun is rehearsing, so it can't be the city orchestra.' Then, Chairman Park Ki-joon widened his eyes when he saw an old man with only a small leather bag and no instrument coming out.

"No! Conductor Janusz Buček!"

Conductor Janusz, with his half-bald head and white hair, recognized Chairman Park Ki-joon at a glance and approached him quickly, extending his hand to shake it from afar.

"Aren't you Chairman Park Ki-joon? I didn't expect to see you here. When did you arrive in Poland?"

'Does it matter when you arrive now? Where do you guide the members during the golden age of practice for Soo-hyun, the child who will shine in Korea, no, in the world of the future?' 'Surely you wouldn't ignore me just for being Asian? Hey, that wouldn't happen in the music industry.'

"It's been a few days. By the way, isn't it time for practice?"

Janusz said, a little surprised.

'What do you mean?... Ah! Nam Soo-hyun was Korean? Was he a relative of Chairman Park Ki-joon?'

"Yes, well… why did you come out so early? Practice must be a long way off."

Janusz looked back unconsciously. The orchestra members following the conductor also looked back and whispered among themselves. Unlike Janusz, who spoke English, their Polish speech was unintelligible.

Janusz smiled cheerfully but shook his head.

"The contestant has already practiced perfectly, what more does he need? If he requests it, I'll schedule another practice session, but I think it's probably not necessary."

'What does this mean?'

Janusz said, staring at the closed concert hall door.

"I've never seen a child like this in my life. He was perfect. He didn't need any guidance. Do you know why he only had an hour of practice?"

"What, what's wrong?"

"It was my first time playing with an orchestra. He only let me play the part three times, saying he wanted to check the tempo of the part where the piano would enter. The concerto has three movements, so it lasts about 40 minutes. The first two times, it seemed like he was just practicing, but the last time, he asked me to play the whole thing from the beginning. And then… haha."

Chairman Park Ki-joon swallowed hard.

"Mom, one last time… what's wrong?"

Janusz laughed heartily.

"Today, I, no, all of us in the Warsaw City Orchestra, saw it."

"What are you talking about?"

"That… what do you mean?"

Janusz said, pointing to the concert hall door.

"The reincarnation of the silver-haired legend, Franz Liszt."

Cold sweat ran down Chairman Park Ki-joon's back.

'Are you saying everything Soo-hyun said yesterday was true? Damn it, I should have been there from the beginning instead of trying to sneak in!'