《God's Song》 Prologue Volume 1 / Prologue TL: LightNovelCafe It is said that humans only reveal 5% of their DNA. The person you perceive yourself to be and the person others judge you for is determined by this 5%. No one can know what is in the hidden 95%. Put simply, it would be as if our parents gave us a total of 100 cards when they gave us life ¨C of which only 5 can be used. They don¡¯t know which cards they¡¯ll be handing down, but that¡¯s not the real issue. The bigger problem is that of the 100 random cards, we can¡¯t even choose which of the 5 we get to use. We have to pick them with our eyes closed. Now imagine each of these cards represents a different trait ¨C maybe an attractive face, an intelligent mind, a great body, a handicap. A lucky person who might have been fated with a prized card would be able to use it as a weapon to speed through life with considerable ease. And then there are also the ill-fated who end up with a torn or useless card. Maybe all five cards are duds. But that is what we have to use to our advantage or disadvantage until we die. The dictionary definition of absolute pitch is as goes. Absolute Pitch: The ability to hear any musical note and, without a reference tone, recognize its pitch. Absolute pitch is said to be a natural gift ¨C something you are born with. But then there are some say that it is possible to acquire it with enough training. That it is more of a talent than a gift. But imagine being blessed with the gift of absolute pitch and enhancing an already impressive feat with another other talent. How extraordinary would that be? The ability to extract the pitch from all sounds heard by the ear ¨C the revving of a motorcycle exhaust, a frog croaking in the countryside on a cool summer night, the rattling of a subway into a tform, the sound of raindrops on the roof of a car ¨C or to hear them as a beautiful melody in and of itself is indeed a gift from God. But this is true only if that person realizes that the sounds he hears is music and not merely noise. Of the 10 contemporary musicians chosen by New York¡¯s Metropolitan Museum to represent the 20th century, there is a South Korean who is a native of Sancheong and captain of Tongyoung ¨C Mr. Yoon Yi Sang. He was born with such a gift. He has said that the tranquilndscape and sea of Tongyoung he constantly yearned for are nestled in his music. A German couple who so loved Mr. Yoon Yi Sang¡¯s music said they traveled all the way to Tongyoung in order to feel his music on a deeper level. And that German couple further said the moment they saw the sea in Tongyoung, they knew that it was the same sea they imagined while listening to Mr. Yoon Yi Sang¡¯s music. The music had expressed a naturalndscape as if a picture had been taken. Let us look at an incident from his childhood. ¡®When Springes and the paddy fills with water, it is filled with frogs. The sound of the frogs every night was very noisy but to me, it didn¡¯t sound like whining. Instead it was more like an artistic chorusposed of different voices. When one frog starts crying, another sound matches that and responds, and if a third joins, suddenly a chorus of trebles, mids, and bass start in concert, and again suddenly fall silent.¡¯ This is what is archived in Mr. Yoon Yi Sang¡¯s memorial in Tongyoung. Hopefully, the readers who will see these words will not misunderstand. The purpose is not to write a biography about a man who has already passed away. Truthfully, I don¡¯t know much about the deceased man. I have never even heard his music. As someone who is used to pop music, difficult contemporary music is still an ufortable noise for me. Going forward, I will tell the story of one young musician who appeared suddenly. He left humanity with music so beautiful it was like a gift from God. The young genius was associated with impressive modifiers of the 21st century such as Mozart, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Chopin, and Quincy Jones, and was respected by the world. This is a record of his music and the music empire that he built. Chapter 1 Volume 1 / Chapter 1 TL: LightNovelCafe The birth of a first child usually brings parents boundless joy. This is especially the case in Korean society where the birth of a son gives the mother reassurance and the father a little more happiness than a daughter does. A son means being able to pass on their lineage, and words are insufficient to express how the grandfather and grandmother feel from a grandchild. Now if a particrly handsome baby is born ¨C why the parents will jump up and down with joy. However, there are the few parents who think that their first child¡¯s birth signifies nothing short of a disaster. This was the case with the immature teen who forgot the gravity of pregnancy and the importance of contraceptives. When she finally found out about her pregnancy, unable to tell anyone, she trembled in fear and lost the chance for an abortion; ultimately bing a single mother. Of course not all single mothers are fools like this young woman. I am just telling you what happened in this one isted incident. The only things Jang Jun Hyuk received from his mother being a paper with his date of birth and his name, he was abandoned at an orphanage in Daegu before even having once tasting his mother¡¯s milk. A nun of the Catholic foundation behind the orphanage looked after baby Jang Jun Hyuk, who rarely cried and was as cute as a kitten, with more love and care than his biological mother ever did or could. Though it was unfortunate that he was abandoned by his mother, he was blessed with the orphanage¡¯s excellent facilities and the loving care of its nuns. While it was impossible to know when he was a newborn baby, as he reached an age when he started to toddle and could manage some sort of expression, it was evident that this endearing child was different from the other children. At an age when he should have been ying with dolls or toys, he spent his days touching the mobile dangling from the ceiling. When he reached the age when he should have been ying with his friends, he spent all day listening to hymns on his CD yer or to the sound of winding from the big tree standing in the yard of the orphanage. ¡°Jun Hyuk. Let¡¯s y with your brothers. Why are you always alone?¡± said the head sister almost as if in reprimand. ¡°I need to be alone to hear the sounds, mom.¡± ¡°Sounds?¡± ¡°Yes. The sounds.¡± ¡°What sounds? The hymns?¡± ¡°The hymns are no longer any fun.¡± ¡°So what are fun sounds?¡± ¡°The sound of trees, the wind, and of my friends ying. Um... I also like the sound of eating. Ha ha.¡± It meant that he knew how to train his ears to sounds. The sister suspected that Jun Hyuk may have received a gift from God and wanted to ask him more questions to test this, but was unable to continue due to his following words. ¡°The best sound is... the sound of crying while sleeping. When one person cries, the older or younger siblings all start to cry as well. The sound of everyone crying together is better than the songs of the cathedral choir. It¡¯s different every single day.¡± The head sister realized what Jun Hyuk¡¯s real problem was. Jun Hyuk had never once cried for the parents whose faces he didn¡¯t know as the other children had. And she left it at that. Chapter 2 Volume 1 / Chapter 2 TL: LightNovelCafe One day one of the nuns approached the head sister of the orphanage with a concerned expression. ¡°Head sister. You know Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes. What about Jun Hyuk?¡± ¡°Father said that... he behaved strangely during service.¡± ¡°Strange behavior? Jun Hyuk? What kind of strange behavior?¡± ¡°Well, apparently he kept changing the hymn as he sang it. At first, he thought Jun Hyuk was imitating the choir... but it was as if he was inserting chords....¡± ¡°Chords? Well, that¡¯s not so strange. That just means Jun Hyuk is a good singer.¡± The young sister was surprised by the smile that started creeping on the head sister¡¯s face. ¡°No... no. That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m saying he changed the hymnpletely. The words were the same and the rest was different.¡± ¡°Whew. You almost scared me for a moment. Don¡¯t be so silly. That¡¯s how kids are. They have a great imagination. There are a lot of kids who change the lyrics when they sing. How is that any different from changing the tune?¡± The young sister could not say more because the head sister spoke so nonchntly while waving her hand. The father had clearly spoken about it as it if were very important and something to be addressed immediately. The young sister left the office thinking that if it were really a critical issue, the father would speak to the head sister himself. She wouldn¡¯t bother with it anymore. The head sister already knew that Jun Hyuk was very different from the other children. An unusual child cannot help but live an unusual life. It was difficult for Jun Hyuk¡¯s environment to be one that would guide his extraordinary talent in a good direction. Regardless, it was impossible to give Jun Hyuk special treatment. The head sister¡¯s work ethic was that all children needed to be treated equally and she followed this firmly. For Jun Hyuk...no, for all of the children, the best solution was for them to be adopted into good families. Fortunately, there was a middle-aged couple who visited asionally and they cared very much for Jun Hyuk. It was also said that this middle-aged couple didn¡¯t have any children and were nning for an adoption. Although they weren¡¯t rich, they were an ordinary couple financially stable enough to raise a child. The head sister made up her mind to make the best choice for Jun Hyuk. That was to personally meet the middle-aged couple, ask what their intentions were, and show them what a good choice Jun Hyuk would be as their adoptive son. Chapter 3 Volume 1 / Chapter 3 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°How are you? Have you thought about it a bit?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The middle-aged couple came to the orphanage a month after the head sister had suggested Jun Hyuk¡¯s adoption and started to speak cautiously. ¡°We deliberated on the issue very carefully. Though we think that we would be good parents to Jun Hyuk.....¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The head sister who had been monitoring the couple¡¯s atmosphere felt unsettled by the trailing of their words. Could they be turning the adoption down? ¡°We get the feeling that Jun Hyuk isn¡¯t opening up to us.¡± ¡°When we are speaking or ying, instead of doing it together, should we say it¡¯s as though he is observing us? Strangely, we get that feeling.¡± The couple took turns confessing their inner thoughts on Jun Hyuk. ¡°Could it be that you feel this way because Jun Hyuk by nature does not talk very much? Though he is young, should I say that he is a very deep child? Jun Hyuk is also very quiet and likes to ponder about things than to be wasteful with words.¡± The couple faced each other. After a short while, the husband spoke. ¡°Will you talk to Jun Hyuk for us? If he says that he likes us and is willing to follow us, we do have the intention to adopt him.¡± The head sister did not hide her happiness in the couple¡¯s eptance. ¡°Thank you. The both of you are really giving a great love.¡± [separator type=¡±dashed-double¡±] ¡°Jun Hyuk, what do you think? That man and woman say that they really like you.¡± ¡°I like them too. They are very fast.¡± ¡°Fast? Whatever do you mean, child?¡± ¡°Their sound. The man and woman make sounds very quickly. They¡¯re very funny sounds. Ha ha.¡± Looking at the innocent Jun Hyukughing about something as simple as sounds, it seemed necessary to teach him the meaning of adoption. ¡°Jun Hyuk. What do you think it¡¯ll be like to live with that man and woman? They would like to live with you.¡± ¡°Why? That man and woman don¡¯t have fathers and mothers either? Will they be living here with us? ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. You would go to live in their house. You would have parents.¡± He simply blinked at the words mom and dad, so the head sister decided to discuss what would catch Jun Hyuk¡¯s interest first. ¡°The couple raises animals. The majority are chickens, but there are also ducks and goats...¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯d like that.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled widely with his bright eyes and spoke loudly. ¡°What? You¡¯d like it?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to go if there are a lot of animals.¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk, you have to like the man and woman in order to go live with them. Not the animals.¡± ¡°I like the man and I like the woman too.¡± The head sister thought that it would be better for Jun Hyuk to spend more time with the couple before going through with the adoption. She decided to finalize the adoption after they spent more time together and once both parties were sure of their choices. After that, the couple started visiting the orphanage together or separately at least twice a week to spend the day with Jun Hyuk. Seven to eight months went by like this and once May came when the heat became rampant midday, 5 year old Jang Jun Hyuk was adopted by the couple with a chicken farm on Gyeongbuk Number 7. The man was awkwardly wearing a suit and the woman an airy dress, having gotten her hair done early in the morning at a salon. They picked Jun Hyuk up in their van and left the orphanage as the other children looked on enviously. This was especially the case as it was May 5th, Children¡¯s Day. As Jun Hyuk had never been to an amusement park, they took him to one in Daegu to make it a special day. With the loud music and the activity of Children¡¯s Day, Jun Hyuk acted like a 5 year old for the first time in the bustling noise. He patiently stood in the long line to ride the merry-go-round and ran around yelling excitedly. The couple had to hold his hand tightly and follow him around so as not to lose him. They never said no to him because it was their first day as a family as well as Children¡¯s Day. The two who became parents that day and gave Jun Hyuk whatever he wanted. They got in the car and left once it became evident that Jun Hyuk was tired after spending the entire day running around. Not surprisingly, before even 10 minutes passed, Jun Hyuk wasid out in the back seat of the van sleepingfortably. Once they got on the highway to Number 7, the man sped up the car. ¡°Honey. Should we stop at a rest area and eat a bowl of ramen?¡± ¡°Ramen? Why suddenly ramen?¡± ¡°After eating all of the sweets that Jun Hyuk likes, I feel like I¡¯m going crazy because it¡¯s so greasy. I need to eat some ramen with red chili powder and ease my stomach. Jun Hyuk is asleep, right?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s even snoring.¡± The sleeping Jun Hyuk was so cute with his shallow snoring that the two smiled broadly. ¡°The rest area is just up ahead, so I¡¯ll eat quickly ande back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat with you. The greasy food is bothering me as well.¡± They had eaten things that they would usually only eat when they ate out. They had pasta for lunch, then foods that children like such as grilled squid with butter and sugared churros. To these two middle-aged people who were used to eating kimchi stew and soybean paste stew, the food was difficult to bear. They parked at a highway rest area and checked again to make sure that he was sleeping. They could still hear his low snoring. They left the window open slightly and ran to the rest area. When they hade out of the rest area after quickly emptying a bowl of spicy ramen each and buying water and juice at the convenience store, it was raining. They ran through the rain thinking of the rain that may have gone into the car through the small crack in the window. When they got to the car, the door was wide open and Jun Hyuk was gone. Chapter 4 Volume 1 / Chapter 4 TL: LightNovelCafe To the Jun Hyuk who had only been to the cathedral and nursery, the loud melody of a trot heard out at the highway rest area was a world of new sounds. He woke up to this incredible sound. A bout of passing showers came down as if it had been nned. The sounds of the trot tune and the raindrops on the car roof drew Jun Hyuk out of the car. Trot¡¯s bumping rhythmid out the basic bass and the raindrops pounding the car hood were the borate music on top. It was as if there were dozens of instruments ying at the same time in the parking lot of this highway rest area. Jun Hyuk was able to differentiate between the distinct sounds each raindrop made on every different type of car hood. Drunk with the borate sound that the raindrops and cars made, Jun Hyuk ran around the parking lot forgetting that his clothes were wet. It was in the crisp chords, he heard a fine, thin treble. The sound came from a kitten that had found shelter from the rain under a car. Jun Hyuk bent down and reached out his arm to get the kitten out and the scared kitten ran out into the rain. Within moments, the rain-soaked parking lot had be a yground for hide-and-seek. Jun Hyuk chased the kittenughing gleefully, and while his adoptive parents yelled for him, the shouts didn¡¯t carry far due to the sound of the music of the rain. The byway next to the rest area building was the passage the employees used tomute to and from work. Jun Hyuk followed the kitten out of the rest area through this byway. Jun Hyuk¡¯s adoptive parents had no idea that this had happened and lost their first child born from the heart within a day while the rest area speakers sted the message that they were looking for Jun Hyuk. Chapter 5 Volume 1 / Chapter 5 TL: LightNovelCafe 44 year old Yoon Kwang Hun was on the phone shouting. ¡°Hey! How can you do this so suddenly? What are we going to do about the customers if you cancel when we¡¯ve been advertising with flyers for a month? Customers are already taking their seats!¡± ¡°Boss. Please be considerate of our circumstances. It¡¯s our first broadcast request in 4 years. We came here urgently because the person who was supposed to go on broadcast canceledst minute as well. How can we miss this opportunity?¡± ¡°Damn. Isn¡¯t that a program that doesn¡¯t even get high viewer ratings? And... how can Kim Jung Soo go on that program at that age? That¡¯s where trot elders in their 60s go to make petty cash. Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Not today. Pop singers from the 70s and 80s were also included today. Anyway, please excuse us just this one day. In exchange, we¡¯ll promise two free shows next month. Okay? Let¡¯s hang up now.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun tried calling Kim Jung Soo¡¯s manager again who had hung up, but only got the answering machine. He nervously put the receiver down and pulled out a cigarette. ¡°How many people are here?¡± The waiter standing anxiously next to Yoon Kwang Hun eyed him apprehensively. ¡°There aren¡¯t very many tables as it¡¯s still early. Boss, what should we do?¡± ¡°What can we do! Take down all of the flyers outside and post an apology that today¡¯s performance isn¡¯t happening at the entrance. And you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You stand at the entrance and tell the peopleing in that today¡¯s show has been pushed to next week.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He took his anger out on his young employees. The young employees stood with their heads hanging as if they had done something wrong. ¡°Go and inform the people who have already ordered food and don¡¯t charge them for the food.¡± ¡°Yes boss.¡± The employee left and Yoon Kwang Hun took a drag of his cigarette. ¡°Damn damn damn, I need to stop doing this crap too. I¡¯m getting too old for this.¡± Chapter 6 Volume 1 / Chapter 6 TL: LightNovelCafe Yoon Kwang Hun graduated from a prestigious Korean university and got his MBA at the reputable Stanley University in California. After, he became a sessful fund manager on Manhattan¡¯s Wall Street. At this time, a financial institution in Korea called Future Asset offered him a hefty sry, a sizable signing bonus, in addition to some generous incentives to scout him ¨C and he epted it without a second thought. No matter how sessful he was, it was difficult topete with the white man as a person of color. What was it called again? The white male privilege? Another reason he took the offer was that his level of skill was slightly short to y in the major leagues like Wall Street. After that, Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s life was that of every man¡¯s fantasy. He drove a luxury foreign car, lived in a deluxe apartment in Gangnam, and went to the Gangnam room salons every night. The name-brand clothing he wore from head to toe cost almost as much as his car did. He was the perfect man for gold diggers because he was young and professional, made a fortune, and was single. He had over 100 women¡¯s numbers saved on his phone. From an inte shopping mall fitting model to a TV announcer, an unemployed woman, and a young married woman were also among his to y with. asionally, he would have a celebrity¡¯s phone number that he wouldter delete. No matter how beautiful a flower is, it cannot live past the summer. No matter how mighty an authority may be, it cannot live past 10 years. As such, since power isn¡¯t held by withstanding it, do not try to use power at your whim and do not fret to obtain it. This proverb can be applied to men in stock exchange. The extravagant days that he thought would be endless disappeared with the subprime mortgage financial crisis in the United States. While nning aeback after experiencing a huge loss, Yoon Kwang Hun was diagnosed with depression at a hospital where the Director happened to be his boss¡¯ best friend. This news was delivered immediately to his workce, Future Asset, and he received his dismissal papers the same day. ¡°You **holes. How can you fire me after all of the money that I¡¯ve made for you?¡± He made a scene and mmed thepany door on his way out. I still have enough. There¡¯s still enough money that I¡¯ve saved and my skills haven¡¯t rusted over yet. I can make an office by myself... No I can jump into the gamble that is the financial market from home. Isn¡¯t it a gamble that not many people in Korea recognize? Chapter 7 Volume 1 / Chapter 7 TL: LightNovelCafe He lost two things in exactly 3 years. Money and health. All he was left with was a bank bnce that had been reduced to a measly $1000 from what was once over $10 million and a warning from his doctor that, because he had spent his days watching the HTS program while chain smoking, he would die if he did not quit smoking and start exercising now. Though Yoon Kwang Hun was not a sessful gambler, he was not stupid. He had admitted his defeat and left the table. After he sold his house worth millions to settle his loans, he had about $1 million left. For someone who survived such a great loss, it wasn¡¯t a bad result. He needed to be careful with his second challenge. He couldn¡¯t waste his remaining $1 million. At first, he thought of making a cafe in Hongdae or Sinchon. Music, coffee, and wine were Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s only hobbies and he had wanted to spend the rest of his life surrounded by them. However, the music that Yoon Kwang Hun liked had long be ssics that wouldn¡¯t be popr in Hongdae and Sinchon. This became a reason to give up his tiny store with colossal rent. Yoon Kwang Hun lost all of his nerve and had to admit that he was an old middle-aged man and needed to be more and more careful with the money he had left. Thest ce that he contracted was a refined live cafe. Infested with middle-aged customers and the asional irrelevant pop singers with one or two hits under their belts, the target customer was the person who wanted to listen to music while giving a farce of elegance with wine. The practice did well enough for 6 months to make afortable living. Once the business slowed down, he was making the bare minimum to live off of. About a year passed like this and, as the contractors kept frequenting his cafe, Yoon Kwang Hun had to change its concept to another live cafe. As another year passed, he found out that he had been swindled by the contractors. Though the menu prices were increased 5-fold on the days that singers performed, profits didn¡¯t increase. Eventually, his live cafe just became another cafe in Misari where he had to keep listening to the pop music of the 70s and 80s instead of the music that he liked. Chapter 8 Volume 1 / Chapter 8 TL: LightNovelCafe Whenever a singer cancelsst minute like was done today, the number of customers decrease. After Kim Jung Soo¡¯s 50 year old fans ate their free food and left, all that was left were their leftovers. Yoon Kwang Hun closed the cafe early for the night and sipped on a bottle of wine alone. He should have kept the business going on its original concept. Due to his greed, his body was tired and his mind was ufortable. As he was calcting the cost of returning the interior decoration to its prior state, he heard a loud noise from the dumpster. It sounded like the stray cats were going through the garbage again. Every time those cats went through the dumpster, the garbage was left in an unbearable state. Yoon Kwang Hun set his wine ss down and ran out of the kitchen. Instead of a stray cat, there was a child dripping in water with his head in the dumpster, shoving pieces of leftover steak in his mouth. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± The boy became startled at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s yell and ran away like a bullet with pieces of meat in both hands. ¡°Are there kids like that these days?¡± Kids groveling in the street were a vague memory. A long time ago, it used to bemon for children to beg in the train stations or on the street, but they had pretty much disappeared since online games became popr. It was said that these kids now spent their time pharming online games in a warehouse somewhere. Since the child was someone else¡¯s problem, he forgot about him and started cleaning up the garbage. He went back into the cafe and started drinking the wine again to think about redesigning the cafe, but kept thinking of the little boy¡¯s handsome face and couldn¡¯t concentrate. Yoon Kwang Hun went into the kitchen, took out two tonkatsu cutlets from the freezer, and started frying them. ¡°Ugh, my situation isn¡¯t any better so what am I doing thinking of someone else?¡± As he was grumbling like this and thinking about how hungry the child must have been that he had gone through the garbage, he kept cooking. He put a few tonkatsu cutlets and three or four bananas that were supposed to be used as snacks in a bag and left it by the dumpster. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m leaving this out for you to eat, so take it before the stray cats do!¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if the kid was still in the vicinity, but he called out loudly and went back into the cafe. He thought that with this, the sympathy and remorse he couldn¡¯t help but feel would go away. After about 10 minutes, there was a rustling sound and then silence. He quietly stepped outside to make sure the stray cats hadn¡¯t taken the food left out for the little boy. Yoon Kwang Hun saw the little boy running away with the bag of food in his hands and his heart became a little lighter. He forgot the depressing thoughts he had earlier and turned his favorite CD on loudly. All he wanted to do was have some time to himself with music and wine. He lost himself in the music and as it was reaching its peak, he saw a face stuck to the cafe window. He was startled by the head floating like a ghost¡¯s, but once he recognized it as the head of the little boy who ran away with the bag of food, he calmed down. He went out thinking that the boy hade to say thank you for the food, but he remained stuck to the window without realizing that Yoon Kwang Hun was standing next to him. Once Yoon Kwang Hun tapped his shoulder, he finally knew that someone was next to him and ran like lightning. He just watched the boy in shock, but the boy stopped and came back towards Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°Thank you.¡± He bowed in greeting and the sight of him holding the paper bag made Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s heart tremble again. ¡°Hey. Come in. You didn¡¯t even get to drink water after eating the tonkatsu and bananas, right? Your throat is probably dry... I didn¡¯t think of that earlier. You¡¯re probably thirsty, soe in and have a ss of water.¡± The little boy who had been flitting his eyes back and forth followed Yoon Kwang Hun into the cafe. Looking at his messy hair, clothing dripping in dirty water, and face, it seemed like he hadn¡¯t been able to wash himself in at least a year. The beggar-like little boy sat down cautiously and he drank the whole bottle of water he was given. Watching the boy drink water, he could guess he was still hungry. ¡°Hey. Are you still hungry? Do you want me to make you more tonkatsu? Will you eat it?¡± He went back to the kitchen after the boy¡¯s eyes became big and he nodded his head vigorously. He first fried one cutlet and handed it to the boy in a te. Yoon Kwang Soo watched the boy chewing the cutlet in his hand instead of cutting it up and asked, ¡°Hey. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Jang... Jang Jun Hyuk.¡± The sight of the child saying his name with a mouth full of tonkatsu was even more pitiful. ¡°Do you want to eat more?¡± Jun Hyuk nodded his head heartily as though he had been waiting for it. Yoon Kwang Hun went to the kitchen, fried the rest of the tonkatsu, and put it on a te. From the way he was eating, it seemed like he could eat enough for 10 people. Jang Jun Hyuk saw the te with more than 10 tonkatsu cutlets, and he couldn¡¯t speak. He ate and ate until he was nauseous. It was like a bear filling his stomach after a winter of hibernation. ¡°If you can¡¯t eat anymore, you can stop. I¡¯ll pack up the rest for you so you can eat itter.¡± Jun Hyuk put his fork down once he heard that he could take the rest of the food. ¡°Did you run away?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Did you run away from home?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I don¡¯t have a home.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t have a home? What does that mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an orphan. An orphan without a home or parents.¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. 15? 16?¡± ¡°Did you run away from somewhere like a nursery or an orphanage?¡± ¡°I lived in an orphanage run by nuns when I was young, but I¡¯ve been living on the streets since I was 5 years old.¡± ¡°Why!?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was so surprised that he yelled without realizing it. Goodness! How are there still children like this? And looking at his age, it means that he¡¯s been living in the streets for 10 years... This was something that he could not begin to understand. ¡°Hey... mister. It just happened. Do I have to tell you everything?¡± There was no need to rub salt in the wounds of a child he met today. It was just out of curiosity. Yoon Kwang Hun began to think that he had made a mistake. ¡°Alright. You don¡¯t have to tell me. I asked something useless.¡± Though it was a situation where one person had done a good deed and the other person should be thankful, there was only silence. This awkward situation disappeared because of Jun Hyuk¡¯s words. ¡°But mister. What is that music you just turned on?¡± The speaker was already quiet. Yoon Kwang Hun hadn¡¯t even realized that the CD track had finished. ¡°Oh, that? That¡¯s Mahler. Gustav Mahler¡¯s Symphony No. 5. That was recorded when Georg Schulte used to lead the Chicago Orchestra. It¡¯s my favorite.¡± Jun Hyuk only blinked his eyes. There weren¡¯t any words that he could understand in Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s exnation. ¡°Yes. Well... Anyway, thank you for the tonkatsu.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun saw Jun Hyuk rising from his seat and spoke. ¡°Hey. Do you want to listen to it again? From here, not from outside. From the beginning.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jun Hyuk seemed like a strange boy because he smiled more brightly at that than he did when he ate until he was full as he sat back down on the sofa. Yoon Kwang Hun put the CD in and turned the volume back up. As the music flowed out, Jang Jun Hyuk closed his eyes and listened closely. He had been sitting on the sofa tensely with a straight back, but he changed his positionfortably so that he was seated back. When the music ended again, Jun Hyuk burst out in admiration. ¡°It¡¯s incredible he included that many sounds in 66 minutes and 10 seconds. It sounds much better than when I was listening from outside.¡± ¡°What? What did you just say? 66 minutes?¡± ¡°No. 66 minutes and 10 seconds.¡± ¡°What¡¯s 66 minutes and 10 seconds?¡± ¡°The road. The music¡¯s road. You know? How long it was ying.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun jumped up from his seat and looked at the CD case that he had thrown next to the CD yer. It was clearly printed that the running time was 66 minutes and 8 seconds. ¡°You... How did you know the running time? Did you measure it on the clock?¡± ¡°What time?¡± ¡°Running time. The performance time.¡± ¡°I just know it.¡± ¡°You just knew it? Automatically?¡± ¡°Yes. I just knew it.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun couldn¡¯t believe this beggar-like teenage boy. When Zubin Mehta was leading the New York Philharmonic, there was a legend that he matched the running times exactly every time he conducted Beethoven¡¯s symphonies. However, it may be possible because he listened to Beethoven hundreds of thousands of times to interpret it for the orchestra he was conducting. But figuring out the running time just by listening to it? Yoon Kwang Hun shook his head back and forth. It was impossible. Did it mean that there was a stopwatch or metronome embedded in his head? Jun Hyuk¡¯s feminine face didn¡¯t show any sign that there was something strange. It didn¡¯t seem like he was lying and there was no reason for him to lie. Yoon Kwang Hun swallowed and asked again, ¡°Do you by any chance remember the entire song you just heard?¡± ¡°Yes. When I was listening from outside, I wasn¡¯t sure because it wasn¡¯t clear, but I just remembered the whole song.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s sight became fuzzy. Mahler¡¯s Symphony No. 5 isn¡¯t a widely known work like Beethoven¡¯s symphony Fate was. No matter how many times he had heard it, there was no way for him to memorize the whole song unless he had majored in ssical music. No, among ssical music majors, how many of them could havepletely memorized all of the parts to a symphony? Even Yoon Kwang Hun who had listened to the song hundreds of times could only remember the melody. It wasn¡¯t even that he memorized it, but he just remembered it. Yoon Kwang Hun asked carefully, ¡°Do you... want to try it? Remembering it?¡± ¡°How? There¡¯s just the sound.¡± ¡°Exactly. Um... You can make the same sounds. Bam ba bam ba, or turururu... in this way.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s heart beat faster and his whole body felt weak at the thought that there was an extraordinary person in front of his eyes. Jang Jun Hyuk thought for a while and eventually grimaced. ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± Of course not. What a ridiculous lie! Unless he was the reincarnation of Mozart, it was impossible. He didn¡¯t know why, but he rxed and his mind foundfort. But Jang Jun Hyuk¡¯s words that he could not do it were not thest. ¡°There are 106 sounds... Doesn¡¯t that mean there are 106 instruments? How can I personally make each of those sounds?¡± He tensed up again at the shock and became ufortable again. Even more than he had been before. It felt like all the blood in his body had rushed to his head. If this child was not lying, the reincarnation of Mozart was standing in front of him. No, he was even more impressive than Mozart. Mozart had memorized Allegri¡¯s ¡®Miserere Mei, Deus¡¯ after hearing it for the first time when he was 14 years old. This song had been sealed by the Pope, so it was only performed at the Sistine Chapel. Revealing the sheet music for this song and singing it outside of the chapel was strictly forbidden, but 14 year old Mozart heard it once and wrote it perfectly. However, that musicsted just 10 minutes. It didn¡¯tpare to this small child¡¯s ability. ¡°Are you saying that knowing what it means? Are you saying that you memorized all the parts in an orchestra after hearing a song once?¡± ¡°Mister... Say a random time.¡± ¡°A time? What time?¡± ¡°Any time in the 66 minutes.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun figured out the kid¡¯s intent. ¡°Minute 37.¡± ¡°At minute 37, there were eight sounds. From minute 33 to 41, eight instruments yed. I don¡¯t really know names of instruments.....¡± Even ssical music enthusiast Yoon Kwang Hun had no way of confirming Jun Hyuk¡¯s response because he did not have the ability to separate the sounds as such. He may be able to check if he were looking at the sheet music. Looking at Jun Hyuk¡¯s innocent face, it was difficult to think that he was lying. Jun Hyuk bowed his head to Yoon Kwang Hun who could not recover from the shock and stood up. ¡°Mister. Thank you for the tonkatsu.¡± Jun Hyuk did not forget the stic bag with the tonkatsu and held it tightly in his hand. Yoon Kwang Hun had the thought that he must do something, but he could not think of what it was. In the midst of his reluctance and hesitation, Jang Jun Hyuk was opening the cafe door. ¡°Hey, kid! What did you say your name was?¡± ¡°Jang Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Right, Jang Jun Hyuk. If you want to eat tonkatsu,e back. I¡¯ll make it deliciously.¡± Jun Hyuk bowed his farewell again and left the cafe. Yoon Kwang Hun stared nkly at the door Jang Jun Hyuk had left through for a few minutes. Once he came to his senses, he started pulling his hair. ¡°Ah, crap. What are you doing!¡± He was cursing at himself. How could he be so stupid? No matter how shocked he was, how could he have sat here nkly while a young Mozart went out into the rain with nowhere to go? He must find the boy. He couldn¡¯t confirm yet, but he needed to know if the boy was a diamond or a coal. Even if he was not a diamond, their fates had crossed and he could not let leave such a young child alone in this situation. Chapter 9 Volume 1 / Chapter 9 TL: LightNovelCafe Once Jun Hyuk came out of the cafe, he needed to get out of the neighborhood. If those guys caught him again, there was no way that they would let him live. The guys he mugged a few days ago had clearly looked like good students. They wore their uniforms neatly and looking at their heavy bags, it seemed like they carried their books with them. He had followed them quietly and called the two into a quiet ce. After he hit them a few times, they had obediently given him everything in their wallets. Everything was okay even as he was leaving with a few tickets to the museum and $30. $30 was enough to suppress hunger for 10 days with two rice rolls a day from Kimbap Heaven. He could make enough to buy cup ramen if he sold the museum tickets to children at the inte cafe. Before he made it inside the inte cafe, the students appeared with their friends, and Jun Hyuk barely managed to run away from the kids. He had bothered the wrong people. It seemed like these kids did not even attend school. Jun Hyuk saw them looking for him near the prep schools all morning. Since he could not go into the area with all of the prep schools, he could not even buy a triangr rice roll. When he was famished, the best ce to find food was the area with all of the cafes. Because the cafe area was not downtown and they were not all ced closely next to each other, it was easy to approach them inconspicuously. There were also cafes that did not serve soups and had dry foods. Of the ces that dumped all of their leftover food in a separate barrel, the ones with soups mixed with everything else had made it all impossible to eat. Yoon Kwang Hun was one of the only people who removed liquids while throwing out the food due to his clean nature. Jun Hyuk usually went through the garbage right before the collection trucks came when the cafes were closed for the night but he could not wait this time ¨C he had starved for days. And that was how the two had finally met. ¡®Let me get just $50 more and I¡¯ll leave this neighborhood.¡¯ If he had just $50 more, he could hold out long enough to figure out the situation in a new neighborhood. Jang Jun Hyuk started walking towards the area with the prep schools again. Chapter 10 Volume 1 / Chapter 10 TL: LightNovelCafe Jun Hyuk wandered cautiously around the middle school. There were kids who roamed into the back streets after school to smoke. Jun Hyuk¡¯s radar caught 4 schoolgirls. Two were smoking cigarettes and two were distracted by their smart phones. ¡°Where do you girls think you¡¯re smoking?¡± Jun Hyuk turned around after he had pretended to be passing by and punched the two girls who were smoking. He then smacked the two girls who had been looking at their phones and took their phones. He knew that he had seeded when he saw the girls were recoiling in fear. Even without using force, Jun Hyuk¡¯s long hair, dirty and worn clothing, and odor were enough to scare the young schoolgirls. ¡°Hurry up and take the money out of your wallets or I¡¯ll break these phones.¡± As he raised the phone to smash it to the floor, the owner clumsily took her wallet out and handed it to him. The two girls who had been smoking before Jun Hyuk punched them were standing with their hands to their cheeks, unable to lift their heads. ¡°Damn. What are you guys doing? Hurry up and take out your money.¡± He kicked the two girls slumped on the floor a few times and they took out their wallets. He shoved the money from the four girls¡¯ wallets into his pocket and quickly fled out of the alley, towards the main street. All he had in his pocket were a few dor bills and one 5 dor bill. Maybe it was because they were middle schoolers, but there wasn¡¯t one 10 dor bill. When he came out onto the main street and some boys who weren¡¯t in uniforms walking with some in uniforms looked at Jun Hyuk in surprise. ¡°That... that bastard... isn¡¯t he that bastard?¡± Jun Hyuk recognized them as the guys who had been going around looking for him right away and ran back into the alley. ¡°Hey! Catch that kid!¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s heart started beating as wildly as the countless footsteps that were chasing him. Chapter 11 Volume 1 / Chapter 11 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Boss, the ces where kids like that go are obvious. Inte cafes,ic book cafes, or saunas. But if he¡¯s as dirty as you say he was, he probably wouldn¡¯t go to the sauna. Those kinds of kids also hang around the area with the prep schools. That way, they can mug middle school or elementary school students.¡± All he had to go on was information from his young employee. Yoon Kwang Hun took his employee¡¯s word and walked around the prep school area. After wandering the area for a few days, he heard girls cry out in the direction of the main street. Teenagers were running from where the screaming had sounded. He spied the long hair of a boy running away. Yoon Kwang Hun was sure that it was Jun Hyuk and ran after him. *** ¡°Get up kid. You didn¡¯t even get hurt that badly. Are you making a big deal out of a few scratches on your back?¡± ¡°Oh, mister.¡± When Jun Hyuk opened his eyes, he found himself lying in an unfamiliar room. He was disorientated at first, but quickly recalled yesterday¡¯s events. He remembered Yoon Kwang Hun yelling at the kids beating him to stop, but they both ended up getting hit. If it can be considered fortunate, it was fortunate that the beating did notst long because an adult had interfered. ¡°Even if you break a bone at your age, if you eat well.....¡± Yoon Kwang Hun quickly stopped. Wasn¡¯t he like a stray cat, unable to eat properly? He couldn¡¯t talk about food to a child like that. ¡°Anyway, sleep a bit more. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± As he was closing the door to the tiny room, he stopped and left it wide open instead. Music ented with apelling yet rough voice spilled through the door like sunshineing through a window. ¡°Listen to the music carefully. Listen to how long it is.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Lynyrd Skynyrd. This is probably the first time you¡¯re hearing it.¡± Chapter 12 Volume 1 / Chapter 12 TL: LightNovelCafe After a night of deep sleep, his body felt light. The only signs that something had happened were his bloated face and stiff, bandaged back. ¡°You¡¯re awake now? How do you feel?¡± ¡°Oh, mister. Yes... I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°You must be hungry. Sit there and I¡¯ll make you something to eat.¡± Jun Hyuk sat ufortably in a corner of the cafe. He had only seen the boss on the first day when he ate the tonkatsu, but there were two young people cleaning and preparing the hall now. He could also see the boss making something next to the chef in the kitchen. The two young employees cleaning the hall kept ncing over at Jun Hyuk as well. Yoon Kwang Hun came out with a te once that attention started to be ufortable. ¡°Eat this first and ease your stomach. We¡¯ll eat more heartily for dinner.¡± Jun Hyuk only noticed that something was wrong with Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s face after he had scarfed down the porridge. ¡°But mister. Your face?¡± ¡°Oh, this? Those high schoolers hit me a little yesterday. At any rate, I thought you would be able to fight a bit but you couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°If we fought properly, I would have won for sure. What can I do when they¡¯re all ganging up on me? I could have run away if it weren¡¯t for you but you came.....¡± ¡°Hey kid! Your tone is different after being saved. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk wanted to thank Yoon Kwang Hun who wasughing with a bruised face, but he lost his chance to show his gratefulness because of his next words because they were entirely unexpected. ¡°Do you want to work here?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a ce to go anyway. You can sleep in that small room and since this is a cafe, your meals won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun had considered taking Jun Hyuk home as well, but the cafe was better suited if he wanted to be surrounded by music at any time of the day. Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s CD collection and the audio system he had spent thousands on were at the cafe. If Jun Hyuk even wanted to make ramen at the house, he would have to be careful of Yoon Kwang Hun, but if he were alone at the cafe, he could go into the refrigerator at any time and eat whatever he wanted. ¡°But what type of work?¡± ¡°Instead of dealing with the customers, preparing to open for business and cleaning the hall and kitchen after closing. That¡¯s it. What do you think?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to just prepare and clean, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t itpletely ideal?¡± He thought Jun Hyuk would be jumping for joy at the offer of simply cleaning in exchange for food and shelter, but he had a strange expression that was neither positive nor negative. What¡¯s more, the expression did not look favorable either. ¡°Excuse me, mister. Tell me honestly. What do you want from me?¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no adult who gives out food and shelter for free. There¡¯s no such thing as free food.¡± His eyes were full of distrust. His lips were forming a slight smile. Adults made a young child like this. Could it be that he had never experienced kindness and goodwill? ¡°That... that... Whew~.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun stopped talking to depress this horrible feeling. How had the world treated this 15 year old boy and what awful tribtions had he endured on his way here? Yoon Kwang Hun had so many questions, but did not want to revisit old wounds like they had done thest time. Instead, he told Jun Hyuk what he needed to do going forward slowly and clearly. ¡°Listen carefully, Jun Hyuk. There are also adults who give hungry children free lunch without expecting anything in return. And it¡¯s not free, is it? I¡¯m making you clean.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression was that of disbelief. No matter how hard he searched his memory, there had never been a person who treated him like this without expecting something in return. He felt Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s sincerity in the way he was speaking clearly as if he were upset. ¡°But why are you being nice to me?¡± ¡°Um... let me think. How should I say it?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun thought for a moment about how he could say it in a way that would help Jun Hyuk understand. ¡°You have a tremendous talent that you don¡¯t know about. I don¡¯t know how extensive it is either. I want to see that talent and I don¡¯t want it to disappear.¡± ¡°By chance, can I hear... I mean, do I have a talent in music?¡± ¡°So far it seems so. It could be an incredible talent.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jun Hyuk hung his head. Yoon Kwang Hun could guess why his head was hanging and went on speaking. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t have a talent, let¡¯s live here together until you¡¯re an adult. I¡¯m alone and you¡¯re alone.¡± Jun Hyuk finally lifted his head and thanked him. ¡°Thank you, mister. I¡¯ll make sure to be sessful with my music and repay your kindness.¡± ¡°You¡¯re embarrassing me... Forget about that. And you¡¯re not just ying around. You really have to start studying hard.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Study?¡± ¡°Yea, study. You¡¯ve never been to school, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°So you won¡¯t know hangul?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not something to be ashamed of. It¡¯s natural that you don¡¯t know it if you¡¯ve never learned it.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun hit the back of Jun Hyuk¡¯s once again hanging head. ¡°When the cafe opens in the morning, go to your room and sleep. Sleep well and you can listen to music when you get up. We can study together after the cafe is closed. We¡¯ll learn hangul and sheet music.¡± ¡°Sheet music?¡± ¡°Yea. Sheet music makes it possible to read sounds.¡± ¡°Sounds?¡± ¡°Yes. It means you¡¯re recording the pitch and length of sounds. And since you don¡¯t know tones yet, you¡¯ll need to learn an instrument. You need to know the different sounds instruments make.¡± ¡°Then... if I learn sheet music, I¡¯ll be able to write down the sounds I think of?¡± ¡®Exactly. This is it.¡¯ Yoon Kwang Hun felt a shiver run through his body. There¡¯s definitely music unique to this child in his head. Yoon Kwang Hun wanted to see that music. He needed to know if this child was Mozart reincarnated or if he just had absolute pitch, a sense for tempo, and amazing memorization. If Jun Hyuk was not talented inposition, he would need to receive professional training. Yoon Kwang Hun thought this far ahead and started to worry. How much money would this cost? ¡°Jun Hyuk, you can think about making music slowly. You need to listen to a lot of it before that. As you listen to a lot of music, it¡¯ll be clear how you can make the sounds that you are thinking of.¡± With that, Jun Hyuk started to live at the cafe. Chapter 13 Volume 1 / Chapter 13 TL: LightNovelCafe He walked through the cafe door early in the morning and the soft melody of a guitar was floating around. Jun Hyuk sat in the middle of the cafe and stirred the air with his fingers without realizing that Yoon Kwang Hun had walked in. It seemed like he was following the guitar¡¯s melody with his finger. Yoon Kwang Hun waited until the CD track was over. When the music ended and the cafe became quiet, Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes opened wide and he ran over to the closet packed with CDs. ¡°You need to stop and work, right? What are you doing instead of preparing the cafe for business?¡± ¡°Ah... Boss.¡± Jun Hyuk finally realized that Yoon Kwang Hun hade in and bowed to the cafe owner. Since it had been decided that he would start working, the first thing to change was the way he referred to the man. Yoon Kwang Hun also thought that it would be better for Jun Hyuk to call him that than mister so that he could gain a sense of responsibility and seriousness. ¡°Did you listen to music all night?¡± ¡°Yes, boss. But who is this person? Someone who ys the guitar?¡± ¡°Why? You like it? Jeff Beck. He¡¯s a British guitarist.¡± Jun Hyuk brought another CD and handed it to Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°What about this person? This person ying the piano.¡± ¡°Glenn Gould. I guess you heard Bach¡¯s Goldberg Variations. It¡¯s incredible.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun held the CD that Jun Hyuk handed him and smiled slightly. Jun Hyuk had fully taken his words to listen to all music without prejudice into consideration ¨C rock, the blues, ssical, etc. ¡°So? You haven¡¯t answered my question. You didn¡¯t sleepst night?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hurry up and get the cafe ready so you can go in and sleep.¡± As Yoon Kwang Hun was about to drink a cup of coffee, Jun Hyuk came carefully to his side. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Yea. What?¡± ¡°Can you teach me english before hangul? All of the music is in english. It¡¯s so frustrating to be unable to read the CDs.¡± [TN] hangul is korean for...well, korean. ¡°It isn¡¯t important who the people are. Just start by listening. Whatever it is. For now, it¡¯s important that you listen to a variety of music.¡± He couldn¡¯t even write properly in hangul yet. Yoon Kwang Hun was also frustrated because he could notprehend why someone who learned music scores so easily was having such difficulty memorizing the Korean alphabet. However, it was obvious that he had been born with his talent for musical instruments. He remembered music he heard for the first time perfectly and could identify each sound by their instrument. All that was left to work on was the skill. When he held a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, he remembered all 22 frets, 6 series, or 132 sounds perfectly. After he memorized the chords, he didn¡¯t need to look at music scores to y any guitar performance. Yoon Kwang Hun had purchased the Blu-Ray of a world famous guitarist because he was unable to y an instrument himself. After Jun Hyuk watched these guitarists¡¯ live performances and saw how they handled their instruments, his own skill on the guitar improved steadily. During the first year spent at the cafe, Jun Hyuk only yed the piano and guitar. He slept once he finished preparing the cafe for business and listened to music from the moment he woke up in the afternoon. Once the cafe closed at 10 at night and he was done cleaning up, he practiced the piano and guitar until morning. Yoon Kwang Hun was able to witness Jun Hyuk¡¯s gift every day. He never once rested and even if he had practiced for 10 hours, he said that those 10 hours were short. It seemed as though he could not believe that the time had gone by so quickly. Talent meant devoting oneself so much so that time is forgotten. Jun Hyuk had reached the level where he could imitate anywhere from B.B. King¡¯s blues to Yngwie Malmsteen. After another year passed, he could y the piano so well that a passerby would think that he had majored in ssical music. Music scores umted faster than his guitar and piano skills increased. He had now moved on from listening and imitating to creating his own music. The scores ranged from short instrumentals to the 40 minute symphony that he had wrestled with for over a month before itspletion. Once he finished a song, he didn¡¯t look at it again because he would write another songe tomorrow anyway. ¡°Jun Hyuk, what¡¯s this song? To be honest, it¡¯s a bit bothersome.¡± It sounded as though there was a dissonance through the introduction that was almost ufortable to listen to. Of course, it could also be attributed to the fact that Yoon Kwang Hun had not been properly educated and could not imagine the melodies yed by all of the instruments in an orchestra. He closed the score before going through very many of the sheets. He was not sure why, but he found the difort and uneasiness unbearable. ¡°You think so? I really like it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too experimental. What is it that you were trying to express?¡± ¡°Um... was it when I was 10 years old? It was when I was begging on the streets while singing gospels... I was beaten with a belt because I hadn¡¯t brought in enough money. It was the first time I had been beaten so severely... and I passed out. The fear and pain I felt then and the frustration of not knowing when the beatings would stop? I tried remembering those feelings. I ended that song at the point where I had fainted. It doesn¡¯t seem right?¡± How could he talk about such a harrowing experience with a smile on his face..... Yoon Kwang Hun felt even more ufortable than when he had been looking at the music score. From what had been asionally disclosed to him over thest two years, it seemed Jun Hyuk¡¯s street life had been more dramatic than a soap opera or a movie. He came to know that reality was more miserable and gruesome than an author could put into expression. Chapter 14 Volume 1 / Chapter 14 TL: LightNovelCafe Piano lessons were what Yoon Kwang Hun had hesitated most on. In popr music, it was possible to seed as a self-taught guitarist, but pianists in the ssical world received systematic lessons under tremendous maestros. Honestly, he had not wanted to leave Jun Hyuk with some random professor from a Korean university, but he also did not have the means to get Jun Hyuk lessons from a highly reputable pianist. However, Jun Hyuk himself made these worries go away. He couldn¡¯t stop the tears when Jun Hyuk yed Rachmaninoff¡¯s Piano Concerto. He had delivered a real pianist¡¯s performance with a personal and emotional interpretation of the music rather than that of someone who ys robotically from the score. It was evident that he was short on practice with frequently missed notes, and he did not show the techniques that would have been developed with formal lessons. ¡®Should I just hire a piano teacher?¡¯ Yoon Kwang Hun did not have the connections in Korea to find a decent college professor, so he started searching for a pianist who had studied abroad and was making a living on tutoring. Chapter 15 Volume 1 / Chapter 15 TL: LightNovelCafe Go Sae Won went to France at age 23 and traveled Europe learning to y piano for 15 years ¨C even taking part in the Pnd Chopin Competition. He had not earned a high score, but he had received enthusiastic apuse from the youth. Though he started at a muchter age than the gifted pianists who had started at age 3 and 5, there was a greater passion in his music that was in the music of the young geniuses. As a graduate of a university in the countryside, there was no ce for him in his homnd. Unless he had been extremely sessful in Europe, he could only be undervalued and spurned as hecked the proper connections. He knew as soon as he heard Jang Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano, that his pride, passion, and efforts so far were really nothing. Go Sae Won spoke after he heard Jun Hyuk y Chopin¡¯s ¡®Farewell¡¯ and was so touched that his hands were shaking. ¡°Has... Has it really only been two years since you started ying piano?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chopin himself had said that he could never produce another melody as beautiful as that of ¡®Farewell,¡¯ a song capturing his feelings for his homnd, Pnd. Jun Hyuk expressed Chopin¡¯s longing for his country and his loneliness effortlessly. ¡°But why have you brought this child to me?¡± ¡°I brought him so that he might receive lessons from you. If you can see talent in him to teach...¡± ¡°Teach? Talent? What can you teach a child like that? It has only been two years since he started ying the piano by himself and he can digest Chopin. I¡¯m saying there will be less than ten people on this Earth who have the qualifications to teach that boy.¡± ¡°Ten people? You lower our Jun Hyuk too much. Ha ha.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun must have liked Go Sae Won¡¯s evaluation, because heughed brightly and showed his rxed state of mind. ¡°This man really! Are you ying games with me?¡± ¡°I meant it as a joke... I apologize if you were offended. It is the truth that I came here to ask you to give Jun Hyuk lessons.¡± ¡°What lessons? A few minor mistakes and bad habits? Lessons from me to fix those? You can ask a college student majoring in piano for that. He already knows all of the really important things... I have nothing to teach him.¡± Go Sae Won¡¯s words were sincere. He had nothing to teach Jun Hyuk, a pianist who could interpret music¡¯s message and deliver it with emotion. ¡°Even with a diamond in the rough, don¡¯t you have to buff and clean it to get to the light and have it reborn as a jewel? I am asking you for that.¡± Go Sae Won had the thought that bing Jang Jun Hyuk¡¯s first teacher and being the person toy down his foundation might be considered one of his musical achievementster. That was when Jun Hyuk started to learn the basics twice a week at Go Sae Won¡¯s house. Just how far will Jun Hyuk go? Chapter 16 Volume 1 / Chapter 16 TL: LightNovelCafe The only thing Yoon Kwang Hun taught now was english. His goal was for there to be no difficulty in Jun Hyuk¡¯s ability tomunicate in english. In exchange, Jun Hyuk paid Yoon Kwang Hun with something much greater everyday. He had the privilege to be the first to appreciate the new music that he made and the first to listen to his piano and guitar performances. Jun Hyuk yed rock music for him when he was drinking beer and jazz when he was drinking wine. Jun Hyuk started listening to other maestros¡¯ music less and less. Instead, he spent more time making his own music. Also, it had already been a year since Yoon Kwang Hun changed his business from a ce for washed out pop singers performing live to a music cafe. This was the cafe he had originally envisioned. One with music, coffee, and wine. And finally the profits slowly started rolling in. But that was also on due to Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk yed the piano for one hour every day at the cafe and the customers¡¯ reactions were better than expected. He was not performing yed out ssical music, but remade pop songs that the customers liked. Not only that, but he improvised the music to the customers¡¯ requests of bads as jazz, trot, and blues. When rumors spread that there was a young and handsome pianist performing at the cafe, the customer base that used to be women in their 40s became women in their 30s, after which even young customers in their 20s started toe. Jun Hyuk looked like an adult over 20 with his tall height and long curly hair. The customers sighed in regret when they were told that he was only 17 years old, but they remained as regr patrons. Jun Hyuk¡¯s name started to float around the inte as the Kang Dong Won of Misari. [TN]: Kang Dong Won ¨C Famous korean actor Once customers started uploading videos of Jun Hyuk ying the piano on blogs and YouTube, even high school girls started toe to the cafe and Yoon Kwang Hun was forced to put up a sign forbidding entry to minors. As the views on the videos went up, more customers came to visit the cafe, and entertainment agencies eventually started to approach them. They didn¡¯t care for Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano ying. They hade to see his long arms and legs, and his small and handsome face ¨C something that would sell to the general public. ¡°Sir, I would like to introduce myself.¡± The same words always followed after the business cards. ¡°Can I meet the pianist?¡± When the people from the entertainment agencies saw Jun Hyuk in his t-shirt and jeans, they burst out in admiration. ¡°Wow... Even his look is enough.¡± ¡°Goodness. He would look so cool next to Kang Dong Won.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s height was not noticeable in the videos. He had gone through a growth spurt over the past two years ¨C aided by the fact that Yoon Kwang Hun always made sure that he was fed. It was obvious that they were interested in Jun Hyuk. ¡°There¡¯s an idol band that ourpany is trying to debut. We were thinking of a 5-member group and if Jun Hyuk were to join, it would be a huge sess. He does look a little older though.¡± ¡°Excuse me. He¡¯s still a minor.¡± ¡°A minor? How old is he?¡± ¡°17.¡± ¡°Really? He looks like he could be 20. Even better. For idol singers these days, 20 is a bit old.¡± Entertainment agencies only liked the children to be younger because the 20 year olds were not unconditionally obedient. ¡°Okay, so what genre is that new group you¡¯re making? Hip hop? Electronic?¡± ¡°Mostly hip hop, but they do a little bit of everything. If he joins, I can see them singing a bad with him on the piano.¡± These guys did not have an ear for music. They might as well be deaf. They were spewing garbage after hearing the instrumental that Jun Hyuk had just improvised of Kim Kwang Suk¡¯s song. The nerve of them to suggest being a pretty idol singer to a young genius who is to beuded as the Beethoven or Mozart of the 21st century. ¡°But there is one problem.¡± ¡°Yes. What is it?¡± ¡°As you can see, our Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano ability is at a high level, but he cannot sing.¡± ¡°Gosh, it would be a scam if he could sing with that face. Don¡¯t worry about it. There is already a main vocal, so there won¡¯t be any problem.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll think about it and let you know.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun mollified the agency employees as though they were children. He did not reject them on the spot for fear they woulde back and bother him. Since then, a few more entertainment agencies came with the same praises and promises of stardom and left. There were entertainment agencies at different levels of course. For the past few days, it seemed as though there had been a new regr but a man most likely in his thirties came looking for Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°Hello. I am Choi Jang Hyuk of SN Entertainment.¡± The title on his business card was that of Producer. ¡°I have been listening to this boy¡¯s piano performances for the past few days. Is he by chance receiving a formal education?¡± ¡°No, he is self-taught. He is receiving lessons these days to learn the basics of piano, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impressive. I mean, that he can improvise any song regardless of its genre.¡± Choi Jang Hyuk could not hide his surprise, but Yoon Kwang Hun was more surprised by the SN written on the business card. ¡°If you say SN, do you mean the SN that we know?¡± ¡°Ha ha. Yes. There¡¯s only one SN.¡± [TN]: SN Entertainment is one of the biggest entertainmentpanies in korea. ¡°Are you trying to make Jun Hyuk an idol singer?¡± ¡°No. I haven¡¯t seen him sing... In ourpany, singing ability is the minimum requirement. If he hasn¡¯t received formal training, that means he¡¯s 100% talent... With this talent, he¡¯s a genius.¡± It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that it was the best in the country. It was apany with someone who could recognize talent at first nce. Only, they did not know the depth of that talent. ¡°So the thing is, we would like to train Jun Hyuk. What do you think?¡± ¡°Train him?¡± ¡°Yes. Actually, idol singers and girl bands are not the real mainstay of ourpany. It¡¯s because we have a lot of distinguishedposers, arrangers, and producers. We would like to train Jun Hyuk as a producer. Of course we¡¯ll teach himposition as well.¡± Who are they saying is teaching who? What expression would they have if they saw the songs Jun Hyuk had written so far? He wanted to show Jun Hyuk¡¯s symphonies to theseposers who wrote 3 minute hook songs filled with sound effects created by machines. ¡°Thank you for the thought, but I would like to let him live freely for now. He has plenty of time to learn as he¡¯s only 17 years old.¡± ¡°17? Is that true? I thought he was at least 20.¡± ¡°I know. He¡¯s grown so much over thest two years.¡± SN Producer Choi Jang Hyuk seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment and did not speak. Once he opened his mouth, his words were entirely unforeseen. ¡°What if we do this? We¡¯ll write a rmendation so Jun Hyuk can enroll in university for music. Of course we¡¯ll pay his full tuition. He cane work for ourpany after.¡± A long-term investment? The prejudices Yoon Kwang Hun had held against entertainment agencies all came crashing down. He had perceived them as people who took young children who were attractive and forced them to make money. ¡°Thank you for the offer. I don¡¯t want to decide Jun Hyuk¡¯s future just yet. I n on letting him live freely. If our fates cross again, I¡¯m sure something will work out.¡± Most parents in Korea would be so grateful they would be speechless if SN offered to train their child, but this man was very different. Choi Jang Hyuk had thought of Yoon Kwang Hun as a simple cafe owner, but he was surprised by the unexpected reaction he was receiving. ¡°I see. That¡¯s a good idea. Anyway, I¡¯ll leave my business card with you. Please contact me if you need me. I¡¯lle at any time.¡± What will Jun Hyun¡¯s fate be?? Chapter 17 Volume 1 / Chapter 17 TL: LightNovelCafe Bothersome entertainment agencies gradually stoppeding, and women who imed they wrote for broadcast stations began to visit the cafe. ¡°Hello, sir. I¡¯m Kim Ji Young, I¡¯m a writer for channel MV.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± ¡°May I meet this inte star pianist?¡± ¡°Why are you asking for him?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun had the passing thought that she wanted to make some gossip show using Jun Hyuk¡¯s handsome face. ¡°Have you by chance heard of a program called ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯?¡± It¡¯s very famous. Ho ho.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the audition show?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the program. This is its fifth year, fifth season. We will be epting contestant applications soon.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°The pianist... Right, what¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes, we were wondering if Jun Hyuk would participate.¡± ¡°No. We aren¡¯t really interested in auditioning.....¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t think about it that way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. Our Jun Hyuk cannot sing.¡± ¡°Oh, is that true?¡± Three of these writers did not show disappointment that Jun Hyuk could not sing. It was as if they had no interest in his singing. So what exactly did they want? Chapter 18 Volume 1 / Chapter 18 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Did you find some good kids?¡± The ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡± crew was scouring the inte in search of performers who could be topics of conversation this season. They interviewed people who had potential to catch interest to see if there was a story to tell. If the growth story and singing skill surpassed expectations, they extended an invitation to audition. It was enough if there was even a minute story. The writers could blow up that story so it would be suitable to air on the program. Season 2 of ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡± had hit jackpot. The winner of season 2, Heo Jun of Kyeonggi-do, Bucheon dreamt of being a singer while making a scanty living cleaning windows ofrge buildings. Short, chubby, and in no way considered attractive, he came out on top on singing ability alone and won $200,000. The dramatic reversal story was that he waspeting against 2nd ce James Park, a 2nd generation Korean American. 2nd ce James Park was the son of a sessful businessman in America, at the time attending a prestigious university, and very handsome. Up to this point was the reversal story that aired on broadcast. The reality? 1st ce Heo Jun had an affiliated agency before his appearance on the program. The agency was small and only had a couple singers specializing in event performances. Heo Jun¡¯s main source of ie came from the money earned for singing at local events. Of course the pay was not generous. Washing windows had been just one of the many part time jobs he had taken when he did not have many performances lined up. The writers were the ones who had inted it to create a reversal story. He was a good enough singer to be in 1st ce. Once they were down to the top 3 contestants however, any one of them could have been the winner without question. 1st ce was ultimately an issue of contract conditions. Whoid out the conditions more favorable to the broadcasting station? This was the decisive factor in determining 1st ce. Heo Jun¡¯spany forfeited most of his profits to take this once-in-a-lifetime chance. When he debuted his first album, it blew up on the three main channels, cable music channels, and digital charts, also taking 1st ce on all 3 main music programs. Of course the broadcasting station took most of the profits that came from this. Only in principle was the $200,000 prize money a predecessor to the revenue the singer would make from selling his debut album. These contract terms are never revealed to the viewers. Chapter 19 Volume 1 / Chapter 19 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Senior, take a look at this.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a boy who isn¡¯t very famous, but is steadily gaining poprity. He¡¯s called the pianist of Misari.....¡± ¡°Misari? Ha ha. He better not be an old man.¡± The junior writer pushed herptop over. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Ha ha! What is this guy? Is he Won Bin¡¯s little brother?¡± [TN] Won Bin is an actor in Korea ¨C famous for his good looks The main writer of ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ watched the 5 minute video to the very end and pat the junior writer¡¯s head. ¡°Our junior hit something big. Ho ho.¡± ¡°What do you think of the piano? I don¡¯t know much about that.¡± ¡°Why weigh on it? He¡¯s ying ssical music. With that face, he could y ¡®Twinkle Twinkle Little Star¡¯ and it would be okay.¡± The writers felt as though they had caught the biggest fish of the year. Without dy, they went to the cafe. Chapter 20 Volume 1 / Chapter 20 TL: LightNovelCafe Upon hearing Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s response that Jun Hyuk could not sing, the writers held an impromptu meeting in the corner. ¡°Won¡¯t he be okay until the team mission?¡± ¡°Exactly. He won¡¯t make it to the top 10, but shouldn¡¯t we have enough to air about him before them? ¡°Exactly! If he just goes on broadcast, he¡¯ll be more popr than the top 10. We¡¯ll have to push his story as much as possible before the main missions and change the directionter to that of a pianist.¡± ¡°Pianist?¡± ¡°These girls! You need to think a little. Once the program ends, we can make him go on variety shows and the game¡¯s over when he ys the piano. Entertainment agencies wille flooding in to pick him up. They probably won¡¯t give the winner a second look.¡± The broadcast writers did not pay attention to Yoon Kwang Hun and spoke amongst themselves excitedly. ¡°Excuse me... ¡° ¡°Yes? Oh, sorry. We were chatting too much on our own, right?¡± ¡°Sorry, but most of the agencies have alreadye with scouting offers.¡± ¡°Yes, we know. We figured it would be so. But if he gets popr on our show, the contract conditions change.¡± ¡°Contract conditions?¡± ¡°Yes. To start, you wouldn¡¯t have to pay the advance fee.¡± ¡°Advance fee?¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know about this stuff. A scouting offer doesn¡¯t mean that they¡¯ll just debut the child.¡± As soon as Yoon Kwang Hun showed interest, the main writer took the opportunity and started exining in detail. ¡°These days, it takes 5 to 7 years to debut an idol group. The costs alonee out to at least $500,000. When there are a lot of members, it¡¯ll reach over $1 million. So they take about $40,000 to $50,000 per person. ¡°I heard people like that who take money from the kids are scammers. That properpanies don¡¯t demand any money.....¡± All of the writers burst out inughter at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s words. ¡°No, all agencies are the same. The fees for vocal training and dance lessons alone are incredible. And how much are the costs for creating and marketing a debut album? Even after they debut, it¡¯s not like they start making money right away.¡± ¡°Among girl groups awaiting their debuts, there are even girls whose parents have invested $10,000 to $20,000 to have them ced in their groups.¡± ¡°Only the main member of the group won¡¯t have to pay thepany. Instead, she¡¯ll basically be under a ve contract.¡± Looking at Yoon Kwang Hun sitting silently with his eyes wide open, the main writer thought that her n had seeded. ¡°So if he goes on our show and presents himself well, you won¡¯t have to pay the advance fee and he can skip years of training.¡± She emphasized that it would not cost him anything, but Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s expression went back to that of apathy. ¡°I see. Anyway, I understand. I¡¯ll talk to Jun Hyuk and get back in contact, but don¡¯t hold your expectations. Jun Hyuk doesn¡¯t have intentions to be a star or an idol singer.¡± The writers had to leave without interviewing Jun Hyuk. Do you think Yoon Kwang Hun fell for the agencydy¡¯s lies? Stay tuned.... Chapter 21 Volume 1 / Chapter 21 TL: LightNovelCafe When the writers left, Jun Hyuk slowly approached Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°Boss.¡± ¡°Yea. What?¡± ¡°Should... should I go out on that show?¡± ¡°What? What show?¡± ¡°The audition program. ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯.¡± ¡°Why? Why would you go on that?¡± ¡°From what I heard, the prize money is $500,000?¡± Did he want the $500,000 prize money? Jun Hyuk had not revealed any concerns regarding money so far. It seemed like he had only been thinking of music, but had he been hiding it all this time? Yoon Kwang Hun was slightly taken aback by this unfamiliar aspect of Jun Hyuk. ¡°But that show picks singers. You need to sing... Do you sing well? To think about it, I¡¯ve never heard you sing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to sing. The piano or guitar is enough, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Without singing? I¡¯m pretty sure that won¡¯t do. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Geez. You still don¡¯t know me? You know how thesedies wet themselves over my piano performances.¡± ¡°This kid. Talking like that again... Didn¡¯t I tell you to watch the way you speak? People care a lot about manners in the ssical world. You can¡¯t reach the top anyway. Didn¡¯t you hear those women earlier? They¡¯re only putting you on the air until they reach the top 10. The prize money goes to the person in 1st ce.¡± At the words that only the 1st ce winner receives prize money, Jun Hyuk stopped talking. Yoon Kwang Hun started to wonder about Jun Hyuk¡¯s intentions. It seemed that to this day, he had only looked at Jun Hyuk through his musical talent. Only now 17 years old, it was an age to have a lot of interest in stars and celebrities, but he had forgotten because of the music. ¡°Jun Hyuk. What do you think? Do you want to be an idol singer?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m okay with anything as long as I can make music.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll make it so that you can dedicate yourself to music in the best environment. Just wait a little.¡± ¡°Excuse me? No, it¡¯s okay. I think that this right now is the best environment.¡± Jun Hyuk wavered for a moment and started to say what had been on his heart. ¡°You changed the piano, drum set, electric guitar, everything to the best for me. Haven¡¯t you spent more than $100,000? ¡°What are you talking about? No, that¡¯s not it. What money do I have?¡± ¡°I know hangul and english now. I looked it all up. Everything. It was all really expensive.¡± ¡°So? Are you trying to go on the audition show to make back the money for the instruments?¡± ¡°There¡¯s that and.....¡± From the way his words trailed off, it was evident that he wanted to give the audition a try. He must have wanted to see how he waspared to other people¡¯s music and talent. Yoon Kwang Hun also thought that it would not be a bad idea for Jun Hyuk to meet children with musical talents that differed from his own. ¡°Then watch thest season. If you still want to go on it after you watch it, go. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s an experience.¡± There was something that Jun Hyuk did not know. An orphan abandoned by his parents as soon as he was born. A pitiful child who had lived on the streets since the age of 5 and who had suffered all types of jarring experiences. Also as attractive as an actor and possessing innate musicality. The broadcasting station and public would not pay attention to Jun Hyuk¡¯s music, but concentrate more on his intriguing story. It was worrisome that this might hurt him. What will happen to Jun Hyuk now? Chapter 22 Volume 1 / Chapter 22 TL: LightNovelCafe The broadcasting station received over a million application video clips, but the number of people who actually qualified was under 1%. Of this already small number, it was the ones who were already known on the inte or known by word of mouth that had the most spots on the list. The anonymous applicants were just checked casually to see if they had anything unique in their resumes and weren¡¯t really given too much attention. They started by choosing the applicants with unusual histories or funny videos. Because this was entertainment. More than talent, it was important to find something they could sell. After filtering through the 1st round, thousands of applicants went to the gymnasium or auditorium in their respective areas. These locations were filled with booths set up for each applicant to show off their talents and try to make it to the next round. The broadcasting station¡¯s goal was to find qualifying participants in each area who were cool, admirable, or funny. Search for any real musical talent or ability was a farce. If it could sell, they wanted it ¨C whether they could sing, dance, perform, or not. On the day of the preliminary area qualifier, Jun Hyuk went to the auditorium with his acoustic guitar. When he arrived, the young writer he metst time came running out. ¡°Wee Jun Hyuk. Come this way.¡± It was obvious he was drooling at the marketable young boy. In the waiting room the young writer led him to the main writer, Production Chief ,Kim Ki Sik and a well-dressed middle-aged woman who looked as though she had made countless men cry in her youth. The two had been holding a meeting. ¡°Producer Kim, this is the piano genius we told you about. This is Jang Jun Hyuk.¡± Producer Kim Ki Shik was already at a loss for words. He could not take his eyes from the long curly hair, tall height, and well proportioned body. Now this. This is he could sell. This would bring viewers! ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m the producer in charge of ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jun Hyuk awkwardly shook Producer Kim Ki Shik¡¯s hand lightly and let go. ¡°We have great expectations for you because you most definitely stand out. Anyway, we¡¯re going to make you and the top 10 the main focus until Star Week. Of course the top 10 varies, but the candidates we predict usually make it into the top 10.¡± Jun Hyuk seemed to be half-listening, but Producer Kim kept chatting. ¡°Since you can¡¯t sing, bing one of the finalists will be difficult. This program does run on singing.¡± Jun Hyuk only nodded his head. A person¡¯s voice was just another instrument, but he could not understand why they made such a differentiation. Songs with lyrics just had text that made it easier to deliver. Ultimately, it was just a rying of emotion and this could be fully aplished with a melody from an instrument. ¡°And since you don¡¯t speak very much, what do you think of going with a chic concept?¡± ¡°Chic?¡± ¡°Meaning when you¡¯re going through screening and when you¡¯re with the other contestants, you act indifferent and a little annoyed. Maybe even a little snobby?¡± The writer next to him pitched in, ¡°With your image, you have to act a little snobby to look more attractive. We should go with a rebellious image and not that of the kind protagonist in a romantic cartoon.¡± Jun Hyuk had no idea what these people were talking about. It wasn¡¯t like they were filming a soap opera, but what was all of this with concept and protagonist? ¡°Jun Hyuk is naturally chic. You won¡¯t have to worry about it. Jun Hyuk, just be yourself.¡± The young writer sensed Jun Hyuk¡¯s difort and spoke up again. ¡°But why the guitar? Aren¡¯t you ying the piano today?¡± Producer Kim had already ced a grand piano in the screening room, but there was a guitar case hanging from Jun Hyuk¡¯s back. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to y the guitar today.¡± Producer Kim could not hide his inconvenience. He had already imagined him ying the piano, and a guitar did not have as much impact. He did look forward to the expectation that Jun Hyuk would sing since he brought out an acoustic guitar. ¡°What¡¯s the song you prepared for today?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.....¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you bring the guitar to sing a song?¡± ¡°No.¡± Producer Kim thought that it was an error in judgment to hang their expectations on a kid like this who did whatever he wanted. He even had the thought that with one mistake, they might have to edit out all of Jun Hyuk¡¯s air time. All that was remaining was to see how they could sell his looks. After sending Jun Hyuk from the room, the middle-aged woman who had been silent turned towards Producer Kim. ¡°Producer Kim. Now that I look at you, you have an eye for seeing talent. How did you find him?¡± ¡°Our youngest writer found him. What do you think? You think he¡¯ll be any good?¡± ¡°Any good? You¡¯ve hit jackpot. Great, our XOR will sponsor on the condition that he makes it into Star Week no matter what.¡± The Marketing Director of Korea¡¯s representative casual brand XOR was already thinking of how to use Jun Hyuk as the model for their new line. ¡°Oh, Director. How can I decide that? There are other kids who can be used so...¡± ¡°Are you crazy? We just found a kid who could stand on the runway now and you want me to use something recycled?¡± In contrast with the smiling Producer Kim Ki Sik, she held a straight face and waved her hand as if he said something ludicrous. ¡°Let¡¯s do it like this, Producer Kim.¡± ¡°Yes, Director.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t think that child can make it to Star Week, pass him over to us now.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to make him our exclusive model altogether. He¡¯ll need to have talent as a model of course.¡± ¡°So you want to have priority over him?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Then the sponsorship?¡± ¡°If that boy signs a contract with us, we¡¯ll go through with the sponsorship. How does that sound?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s opinions were unimportant. No teenager in Korea would turn down this opportunity to be made into a model or celebrity. ¡°As is expected of you, Director. I¡¯ll arrange for a meeting with the legal team.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik gave her a thumbs up. But Jun Hyuk was not other kids. How would he react to this new idea? Chapter 23 Volume 1 / Chapter 23 TL: LightNovelCafe The waiting room was full of tension and anxiety pumping from the hundreds of applicants. As Jang Jun Hyuk walked in, all eyes turned to him. The female candidates¡¯ wonder and male candidates¡¯ jealousy could all be felt at once. The attention paid to Jun Hyuk onlysted a moment, and everyone went back to practicing for the audition. Jun Hyuk plopped down on an empty chair and started tuning his acoustic guitar. Once he was finished tuning the guitar, he had nothing left to do. Naturally, the sounds nearby came into his ears. ¡°What¡¯s with that bastard?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell by looking at him? Some entertainment agency sent him. He must be a member of some idol group preparing to debut. They just sent out the best looking kid to gain attention.¡± Jun Hyuk heard the two teenagersining because of the song they had just been singing. It seemed like a self-written song. Jun Hyuk heard the rap for the first time and because the beat was alive, his ears had tuned to it. Jun Hyuk put a finger on his guitar, and started ying the rap he just heard very quietly. No one paid him any attention because it was a simple rhythm, but the two boys reacted differently. They were astonished that this annoying kid was ying their original song on his guitar. The simple melody and rhythm went on for about 2 minutes and when they could no longer hear it, the two boys¡¯ expressions changed from surprise to embarrassment. It had clearly sounded like their song, but the second half of the song waspletely different. ¡°By chance, is the song you just yed on the guitar our song?¡± The two approached Jun Hyuk to check and he nodded nonchntly. ¡°It seemed a little different... was it not?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this better? I changed it a little because it sounded a bit t.¡± ¡°No, no. You¡¯re right. It sounded way better.....¡± Jun Hyuk chuckled at the two boys stuttering in surprise. ¡°Can we ask you to y that again?¡± The two rappers asked cautiously and Jun Hyuk held his guitar again. ¡°The beat is too fast. I lowered the BPM to 130, so try to match that.¡± Jun Hyuk yed the guitar with a percussion rhythm and the two rappers matched it, murmuring. Jun Hyuk stopped ying all of a sudden and spoke, ¡°There isn¡¯t much time, so just do it as if this were the real evaluation.¡± As the music started again, the two boys rapped freely. After repeating it two, then three times, they fully memorized the beat and could not stop smiling at Jun Hyuk, forgetting that they had beenining about him. ¡°Excuse me... Would we be able to...¡± After the two rappers learned the beat Jun Hyuk altered for them, they had trouble speaking and hesitated. Jun Hyuk saw this and smiled as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you like this, you can use it.¡± They bowed to Jun Hyuk and hurried off. The person who was most surprised was not the rapper, but the VJ in charge of Jun Hyuk. The general producer had given him a special order to stick to Jun Hyuk. He took his camera and ran to Producer Kim Ki Sik. ¡°Excuse me, Producer. Will you take a look at this?¡± Producer Kim saw the tape and moaned with delight. ¡°Wow! This kid is a total catch.¡± ¡°Right? This is.....¡± ¡°And he¡¯s no joke on the guitar. That rhythm... You¡¯re saying he heard those rappers practicing for a moment and made this, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I couldn¡¯t even really hear those rappers practicing.¡± The regret he felt when he saw the guitar instead of the piano had already disappeared. He only just remembered Jun Hyuk¡¯s improvisation skill on the piano as it had been shrouded by his handsome face. This boy might be beyond his imagination. ¡°If you see something good like this while you¡¯re filming,e show me right away as you did now. We need to get interviews.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik ran to the judges¡¯ waiting room with the videos of Jun Hyuk ying the piano at the cafe and the clip he just saw. Lee Sung Chul (who was recognized as the best vocalist in Korea, a former girl group member (who had be a poprity zenith about 10 years ago), and a sessfulposer (who would not be recognized by the average person) were chatting in the waiting room. Immediately after they watched the tape that Producer Kim showed them, theposer snapped his fingers and said, ¡°He learned ssical music.¡± ¡°ssical?¡± ¡°Yes, you can tell by his hands. All 10 fingers are stuck to the keyboard. This is difficult without training. He has for sure received lessons to fix his bad habits.¡± Producer Kim handed over a couple sheets of paper. ¡°This is this kid¡¯s story. He¡¯s only 17 years old and it¡¯s as though he¡¯s filmed a full-blown soap opera.¡± Lee Sung Chul looked over Jun Hyuk¡¯s whole story and spoke, ¡°But why this song?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, he can¡¯t sing.¡± Lee Sung Chul threw the paper he was holding. ¡°Then it¡¯s the end. What is he going to do without singing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we were just thinking of taking him to Star Week. And from the guitar he brought with him, it seems like he might be thinking of singing an easy song.....¡± ¡°So? You¡¯re asking us to give him leeway?¡± ¡°Yes. Ha ha.¡± Unlike the disdainful Lee Sung Chul, theposer showed interest. ¡°It¡¯s a remarkable talent if he could improvise this rap after hearing it from afar... Why did this kide out on this program? If he just studies for a few more years, he could be one of the bestposers or arrangers.¡± ¡°It would be a waste to hide this face in a studio. He would be able to debut as an idol singer right away with just a little preparation. Add the piano to that, and he¡¯s all set to go out on professional broadcasts. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s what he¡¯s going after?¡± With the female singer¡¯s driving words, they settled the preliminaries. Chapter 24 Volume 1 / Chapter 24 TL: LightNovelCafe When it was his turn, Jun Hyuk went into the temporary studio that had been turned into the panel room. The only face he knew amongst the judges was that of Lee Sung Chul. ¡°Hi Jang Jun Hyuk. It says here that you¡¯re 17 years old.¡± ¡°Hm... It says that you¡¯re an orphan in your introduction... and that you¡¯ve never attended school?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The female singer took over Lee Sung Chul¡¯s questioning, ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re living in an institution now?¡± ¡°No. I work and live at a cafe.¡± ¡°Cafe?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a cafe in Misari.¡± The female singer already looked ready to spill tears with a pitiful expression and only needed to hear a bit more of this sad story to do so. ¡°It says here that you wandered the streets after you got lost at age 5.....¡± Jun Hyuk stared nkly at the female singer. She continued to speak because she thought that they had not understood each other. ¡°Tell us how you lived while on the streets...¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The camera had already closed in on Jun Hyuk¡¯s face and the mic had been lowered to catch his wretched and sad childhood story. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a ce where we¡¯re judged by our music? Why are you asking me about my past?¡± Everyone in the room froze. The three judges and the production crew could only blink while the audition contestants sat with their jaws dropped. All of their expressions were saying the same thing. How could he be so daring in front of the judges? Only the producer in charge of the program balled up his fists. ¡®That¡¯s right. This is it. This is what we need. Something new. Fresh. Spunky!¡¯ There had been no need to request a chic personality from him. He was naturally chic, though he was not sure if it was due to his looks, music, or rough childhood. Unlike the other children who suffered under the pressure, he had made everyone nervous within 5 minutes. The female singer was speechless at Jun Hyuk¡¯s bold retort and so veteran Lee Sung Chul took the mic. ¡°That¡¯s right, music is everything. I am expecting your talent to be as great as you are bold.¡± Brother, drag it out a big longer. The producer¡¯s desperate request came through the earphones, but Lee Sung Chul ignored it entirely. He had seen countless children who mistakenly believed that they had a great talent. He thought that things like this kids¡¯ attractive looks, advanced piano skill, and mediocre arranging skills had made him arrogant. It was necessary to judge these types of kids ruthlessly so that they would look back at themselves and try harder. Though of course there were many kids who could not even do that. Lee Sung Chul readied himself to give criticism and invective. ¡°Judging by the guitar you brought, it seems like you¡¯ll be singing a folk song... Okay, what song did you prepare?¡± ¡°Jung Tae Chun¡¯s ¡®Poet¡¯s Town¡¯.¡± Upon hearing the name Jung Tae Joon, the 3 judges and the young contestants watching the waiting room monitor began to murmur. ¡°Jung Tae Chun?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Jung Tae Chun?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Even in the studio, there were not very many people who remembered Jung Tae Chun. Lee Sung Chul and theposer were the only people to remember Jung Tae Joon¡¯s lyricism that had stirred up the 70s. Producer Kim pushed the staff urgently, ¡°Look it up quickly. What year is this song from?¡± ¡°It was released in 1978.¡± As soon as the staff searched the song¡¯s history on the inte, the producer quickly spoke into the mic, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s from 1978.¡± Lee Sung Chul who had heard the information via the earphone needed to provide lip service to the viewers. ¡°Was it 1978 for Jung Tae Chun¡¯s ¡®Poet¡¯s Town¡¯? I think it was released around then... A teenager singing a song that¡¯s almost 40 years old? Wow.¡± Theposer continued with Lee Sung Chul¡¯s light banter, ¡°Will you be able to capture the emotion of a song that was created more than 20 years before you were born and is 10 years before your generation? We look forward to it.¡± Jun Hyuk started ying the guitar after cing it on hisp and breathing in gently. Everyone¡¯s expressions were full of expectation as the soft guitar prelude came out. Could this teenager remake this song that only their parents¡¯ generation could know? How would he express Jung Tae Chun¡¯s heavy tone of longing? This kid¡¯s voice did not have the suited huskiness to it yet. However, everyone¡¯s expectations copsed. As the 10-second prelude ended, the suspense-filled judges became bemused. Instead of singing the lyrics ¡®Open the window hm ¨C and look out,¡¯ his 10 fingers started dancing smoothly on the guitar strings. For the 4 minutes following, there was no voice to be heard and only the melody of the acoustic guitar. When thest of the steady fingering came to an end, the only sound in the studio was the rustling of Jun Hyuk cing his guitar back in its case. While the three judges sat nkly unable to speak, the producer could be heard shouting urgently through the earphones, ¡°What are you all doing? You have to talk!¡± The first person to speak was the female singer. ¡°Isn¡¯t there someone on the inte who ys the guitar simrly? Jung Sung Hwa? It sounded to be at that level.¡± ¡°We¡¯re very different.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I said that we¡¯re very different.¡± The singer could not speak, baffled by Jun Hyuk¡¯s snappy replies, and theposer took the mic, ¡°It is the finger style, but you put in a lot of sliding.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I also get a much rougher sense... I think it would have been better to y this on an electric guitar.¡± Jun Hyuk formed a small smile as though he appreciated that there was a person who could hear properly. ¡°First off, the guitar technique is top level. Most teenagers concentrate on ying the fasterponents, but Jun Hyuk focused on saving the sentiment of the music. We could say that you were gifted as a guitarist. It was a good performance.¡± Lee Sung Chul was thest to speak after theposer¡¯smentary ended. ¡°Performing an instrumental is taking a great risk. You are starting with a limitation by forfeiting the delivery provided by lyrics and relying solely on the sound of the instrument. Why did you choose to do an instrumental when it¡¯s such a disadvantage?¡± ¡°Because I handle the guitar much better than my voice.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you y the guitar better than you sing?¡± ¡°Basically.¡¯ The producer discovered the smile that had momentarily appeared on the monitor. ¡®That kid. He¡¯s being cocky. To the judges and the evaluation.¡¯ He pressed the switch on the mic and yelled, ¡°Brother, push him more. We need to get a full idea of how cheeky he can be.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that you can¡¯t sing?¡± ¡°A ssic guitarist can perform for an hour merely with a guitar, but there is no vocalist who can sing for an hour without apanying music. There needs to be a piano ying at the bare minimum because the human voice is an imperfect instrument.¡± Lee Sung Chul, who had proudly beenuded as the best vocalist throughout his entire life, was left speechless. ¡°John Lennon¡¯s music can be considered masterpieces, but John Lennon doesn¡¯t sing so well that he gives people goosebumps, does he?¡± He had never heard of such insolence. How could a teenager like this pass judgment on John Lennon? Lee Sung Chul however showed apletely different reaction to Jun Hyuk¡¯s assessment of John Lennon because they were the exact words that he had said on air. ¡°That¡¯s right. Anyone who wants to make music needs to have his own set of standards. I would like to hear another guitar performance from you, except on the premise that you y in a wholly different style. What do you think? If you pass this round, can you show us apletely different performance?¡± ¡°I can y the ¡®Poet¡¯s Town I just yed in a different style right now. Do you want to hear it?¡± ¡°Producer Lee, let¡¯s stop for a second.¡± Lee Sung Chul asked to stop recording at Jun Hyuk¡¯s provocative actions. The monitor that the contestants were watching as well as the mic were turned off. ¡°Wow. That bastard is trouble, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yeah. Arrogance to that extent is an illness.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik who had been watching the stunned contestants outside came running in. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s hear it. Let¡¯s see how good you are. Go ahead and y it.¡± At Lee Sung Chul¡¯s order, Jun Hyuk pulled out his guitar and started ying again. Lee Sung Chul and the other judges, the producer and staff did not realize that 30 minutes had passed until after they had heard eight different versions of ¡®Poet¡¯s Town¡¯. Theposer was the most astonished. He did not have the confidence to create eightpletely different versions of a song even if he were given a month¡¯s time. This child however, aplished this difficult task impromptu. Moreover, without modifying once. Even if he had anticipated this situation ande prepared, each song was impressive. Lee Sung Chul wanted to work with Jun Hyuk as an arranger for his next album, theposer wanted to see his ability to create music, and Producer Kim had the feeling that he had caught the biggest fish of the season. Jun Hyuk found them inadequate as they were showing such excitement and surprise over such a simple and easy feat. What is going on?! Chapter 25 Volume 1 / Chapter 25 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we get the contract in advance?¡± ¡°We need to. I¡¯m thinking of selling the song he yed today, too.¡± When the southern Kyeonggi Province preliminaries ended, the production crew had the intuition that Jun Hyuk¡¯s music would make history. They first needed to make sure they were on contract if they wanted to get the money from the sales. ¡°More importantly, you know today¡¯s judge Cho Eun Young, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°She wanted to release a remake single.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Why suddenly a song?¡± ¡°It seemed she had tact and intuition. She just wants to get noticed along with Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Will Jung Tae Chun permit a remake of his song? It¡¯s been a while since he¡¯s lived in seclusion. He won¡¯t be up for a former girl group member turned fashionista or whatever she is singing his song. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Cho Eun Young knows that too. She¡¯s asking us to make it happen in exchange for all of the profits made from the song.¡± ¡°Keke. She¡¯s thinking she can get a permanent spot on some variety show if she can just make this song popr. Demand at events will increase too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s really clever in that area.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s something we¡¯ll have to do anyway, let¡¯s rush it a bit. Let¡¯s arrange a meeting with the legal team first... Tell them to make sure they get Jun Hyuk to sign the contract.¡± Chapter 26 Volume 1 / Chapter 26 TL: LightNovelCafe As soon as Jun Hyuk entered the cafe the day after he participated in the preliminaries, there were two men waiting for him. ¡°Hello. We are from MV channel¡¯s legal team.¡± ¡°Legal team?¡± ¡°Yes. We came to go over your contract.¡± They passed a packet over the table. Yoon Kwang Hun did not pick up the contract and waited for them to speak. ¡°There isn¡¯t much to it. There will be some issues with the digital tracks once ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ starts, dealing with copyrights and arrangement fees. Lastly, it exins how the digital sales will be handled. Since you¡¯re Jun Hyuk¡¯s guardian, all you have to do is sign it.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll look over it and get back in contact.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun spoke without touching the contract on the table. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just sign a contract, can I? I said I¡¯ll look over it and let you know.¡± ¡°Sir, there really isn¡¯t much to it. And it¡¯s hard to continue with the broadcast without this contract.¡± ¡°That means Jun Hyuk can¡¯t participate, right?¡± ¡°Yes because copyright issues are always very sensitive.¡± ¡°Exactly. It isn¡¯t possible for the information to be simple if it¡¯s such a sensitive issue, is it? I¡¯ll look over it and call you again tomorrow.¡± The contract surely contained a lot of unfair points. Kids who were desperate to be stars signed these contracts without looking at it because they would not be allowed to appear on the show without it. The broadcast¡¯s legal team could never have anticipated that Jun Hyuk was not one of those kids who were desperate to be famous and that Yoon Kwang Hun was not an ordinary cafe owner. ¡°Sir, you don¡¯t have to sign right away. However, if you read it now and have any questions, we can go over them with you. Wouldn¡¯t that be better?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun skipped the general information on the contract and read carefully through the section concerning revenues. The contract contents were abominable. The best way to make sense of it was to say that their intentions were to stick a straw in Jun Hyuk. ¡°What is this here? Is it saying that after the broadcast ends, 20% of what Jun Hyuk makes for the next two years goes to the station?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. If Jun Hyuk bes a star, it would be because of our station.¡± ¡°Outside of music as well? This is saying that even if he shoots an advertisement, 20% of that will also be shared?¡± ¡°Yes. Wouldn¡¯t that also be attributed to our program?¡± That was not the end of it. It also said that the station would hold distribution rights to Jun Hyuk¡¯s songs for three years after. Yoon Kwang Hun did not say more about this section. They would need a distributor anyway and MV channel was top-tier. However, he could not help but ask when an unforeseen item appeared. ¡°What are arrangement fees? Jun Hyuk will end up improvising existing songs to sing or y. The station will be taking all of the royalties?¡± The legal team answered as if they had been waiting for this. ¡°Ah, let us exin that part. What goes on air is the contestant arranging the music to sing, but really, professionals are assigned to them. The experts are the ones who arrange the songs perfectly to fit the contestants. Consider it for a moment. Without being a genius, it would be impossible for them to perfectly arrange their mission songs in a matter of hours.¡± ¡°So that means pre-selected songs have already been arranged and the contestants only practice them?¡± In other words, it meant that the contestants only sang what the station ordered them to. ¡°Ha ha. Well the song selection isn¡¯t something that our legal team deals with, but it is true that specialists are used in arranging the songs.¡± The man on the legal team spoke quickly as he saw Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s disapproving countenance, ¡°Excuse me, sir. All contestants of ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ signed this contract over thest five years without exception. Jun Hyuk passed the preliminaries, but he will be edited outpletely and we¡¯ll make it as though none of this had happened if this contract isn¡¯t signed.¡± ¡°Okay, do that.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would make it as though none of this had happened? I¡¯m telling you to do it.¡± There is a weak party when negotiating a contract. If MV channel has approached Jun Hyuk with a contract the day after the audition, it means that they were resolved not to lose him. Tomorrow¡¯s events were unpredictable with Jun Hyuk. He did not want this contract to put Jun Hyuk in a situation where the station was reaping all of the profit for his skill. Yoon Kwang Hun was also not in a ce to sign the contract because he was not Jun Hyuk¡¯s guardian byw. Will Jun Hyuk sign? Will the MV channel get their evil way? What will happen now?! Chapter 27 Volume 1 / Chapter 27 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Producer Kim, the legal team called and Jun Hyuk has refused to sign the contract.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The cafe owner looked at the contract and said that it was unfair to them... Theypletely took it apart and sent it back but.....¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°It says that they¡¯ll share the profits of only the music that goes out on our program and nothing else.¡± ¡°Geez. They¡¯re saying they have the upper hand, are they? He¡¯s trying to make as much off of the kid as he can. Shit.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik did not want to lose Jun Hyuk. He knew that it was hard to find a musician of this level, not a singer. He wanted to examine his intuition again. ¡°Producer Kim, today¡¯s not the day. It feels like we¡¯re holding auditions for the national talent show. Howe there¡¯s no one useful?¡± The program¡¯s main music producer was grumbling about the contestants¡¯ low potential as if it were the producer¡¯s fault. ¡°Brother, there¡¯s not one good person?¡± ¡°Why are you asking when you know? That handsome kid. The guitar performance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about Jun Hyuk?¡± ¡°Shit, I cried. How could that kind of emotione out of a guitar?¡± ¡°Then you know those rappers from yesterday? The duet group from Pyeongtaek. What do you think of them?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, those kids were good. The guitar and those two stood out the most.¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk heard that rap once and arranged the music for them. He changed the chorus a little bit too.¡± ¡°Really? After hearing it once?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you that¡¯s what happened. And that¡¯s after he just happened to hear them practicing next to him in the waiting room. Can you do that too?¡± ¡°After hearing it once and on the spot? And hearing it for the first time on top of that? That kid really is a genius.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik made up his mind to sign Jun Hyuk even if he had to modify the contract. If a music producer with 30 years of experience in the industry said that he was a genius, there was no doubt that he was a genius. Even if they adjusted the profit share so that they were only receiving a small amount, geniuses always made up for it. It was possible that Jun Hyuk alone could bring in more money than all of the other contestants wouldbined. Chapter 28 Volume 1 / Chapter 28 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°MV channel¡¯s legal team just came and they left the contract.¡± ¡°The contract?¡± ¡°Yeah. The music rights or advertisements that will arise... Anyway, you have to sign a contract like this to be able to continue going out on the program.¡± ¡°Okay. You know those types of things well. You always brag that you were good in school... Didn¡¯t you say that you graduated from the best university in Korea and went to a really famous college in America too? Jun Hyuk gave him a look full of suspicion. ¡°I knew it.....¡± ¡°What do you mean you knew it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying I knew it. He he. Does it make sense that someone who was doing so well is now selling coffee in a cafe?¡± ¡°Hey! This kid. You want to see my diploma? There were a lot of waves in my life.¡± ¡°Oh sure. Then you can handle the contract or whatever it is.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s a separate problem. It¡¯s a legal issue.¡± ¡°Legal?¡¯ ¡°Yeah. You and I are technically strangers. You need a guardian since you¡¯re still a minor.....¡± ¡°Oh. Weren¡¯t you my guardian?¡± ¡°We need to have that recognized by the country. That would be a legal guardian.¡± ¡°Then we can just do that.¡± Jun Hyuk carefully looked at Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°Jun Hyuk, there are two ways for me to be your legal guardian. One is to adopt you and be your father and the other is to just be your legal representative and custodian.¡± ¡°But sir...¡± ¡°Listen to everything I have to say.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun stopped Jun Hyuk with his hand as if he knew what he was going to say. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°A legal custodian¡¯s rights as a guardian disappear automatically once you be an adult. After that, you would decide everything on your own. I am satisfied with being your legal custodian.¡± ¡°.....¡± He had thought for sure that Yoon Kwang Hun had thought of him as someone like his child, but now he was saying legal custodian. Jun Hyuk¡¯s face was full of disappointment. ¡°Truthfully, I think of you as my son but a father... it¡¯s a parent¡¯s duty to provide care from birth until adulthood. I didn¡¯t do this. If I were to act selfish, I would adopt you as my son, but I don¡¯t qualify.¡± ¡°Sir. You¡¯re the one adult adult who gave me a meal without expecting something in return.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes flushed with tears as he felt Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s sincerity. ¡°Hey, this is getting depressing. Let¡¯s stop talking about it. Just know that I¡¯ll be your legal custodian. I was going to do that this year anyway. You need to make an ID card since you¡¯re 17 years old.¡± Chapter 29 Volume 1 / Chapter 29 TL: LightNovelCafe MV channel¡¯s legal team had been tuning the terms with Yoon Kwang Hun and appeared with the final contract. ¡°Thank you for agreeing to a lot of concessions.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m thankful as I wonder if I was being too picky.¡± They exchanged courtesies with meaningless words. ¡°Then we¡¯ll go over the highlighted details one more time.¡± The legal team pointed out a few articles. ¡°First off, the domestic distribution rights to Jun Hyuk¡¯s songs over the next three years will be reserved for MV channel, right? ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But did you specifically articte domestic distribution rights because you n for international activity as well?¡± ¡°You never know what will happen.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun nned to send Jun Hyuk to a foreign country during the second half of next year at thetest. Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano teacher Go Sae Won was looking into a school in Spain and Yoon Kwang Hun wasparing schools in America with the help of acquaintances he had from his study abroad days. Jun Hyuk would not stop creating music even if he were abroad and a masterpiece could emerge. It was to prevent MV channel from controlling the distribution over that aspect as well. MV channel sacrificed most of the other items. They hade to the conclusion that among the digital sales revenues, Jun Hyuk¡¯s shares would solely be his. This unconventional contract was possible because of Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s demand. He had insisted that in the five years since he had been in charge of the program, it was hard to find another person like Jun Hyuk. And it was true. So very true. ¡°This is a new item that we added in and we would like for you to be understanding.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing really, it concerns sponsorship.¡± ¡°Sponsorship?¡± ¡°Yes. While we¡¯re filming the show, Jun Hyuk is to only wear clothing provided by sponsors. Of course this item is automatically invalid if he signs on somewhere as a formal advertising model.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing there¡¯s apany willing to provide sponsorship?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s called XOR. It¡¯s a casual brand.¡± The legal team scoped Yoon Kwang Hun out. They had to get this item at the least to save face. ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not anything difficult.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Do they take the clothes back?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Oh, ha ha. No, they will be giving everything to Jun Hyuk.¡± The legal teamughed, thinking it a relief that the contract was signed. It was very rare for them to be so amodating. But they knew they had to have him. And that was that. Chapter 30 Volume 1 / Chapter 30 TL: LightNovelCafe Even when the area preliminaries ended, the production crew had no time to breathe and needed to move quickly. They had to check the dormitory that hundreds of Star Week finalists would be using for about a week and they had to make sure the judges¡¯ schedules had not changed. On top of that, they had to go for days without sleep to secure copyrights to all of the songs that the finalists would sing. ¡°The list is all set, right?¡± ¡°Yes. We picked the 110 main contestants.¡± ¡°Who are the people who will go into the top 10?¡± ¡°There are about 17 candidates.¡± ¡°Including Jun Hyuk?¡± ¡°No, excluding Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Hey, but can Jun Hyuk really not sing? When you look at people with musicality, don¡¯t they have the rudimentary at the least? He has a good voice.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik looked at the young writer as if checking, no as ifining. ¡°I checked numerous times, but he won¡¯t sing. I asked him to sing just one verse but he won¡¯t budge.¡± It was not the young writer¡¯s fault that Jun Hyuk would not sing, but she shook her head back and forth as if she were trying to avoid responsibility. ¡°It would be the best if he would just sing a little. It¡¯d be over if he kept ying the piano until the finals and burst out singing during the live performance.¡± It was the picture that all production staff members in the conference room dreamt of. What if he kept acting like he would sing, then not back and forth, building up the suspense until the 1st live performance where he belts out all the high notes in a song like ¡®She¡¯s Gone¡¯? How high the real-time viewer ratings would soar... It was a sweet imagination. Chapter 31 Volume 1 / Chapter 31 TL: LightNovelCafe As the bus Jun Hyuk was riding entered Sangam-dong, his cellphone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± ¨C This is Jang Jun Hyuk, right? ¡°Yes.¡± ¨C I¡¯m a writer from MV channel. Where are you? The familiar voice on the phone was that of the youngest writer. ¡°I¡¯m almost at Sangam-dong.¡± ¨C Bus? Subway? ¡°Bus.¡± ¨C Then get off at the Sangam-dong Digital Media City stop and wait there. I¡¯m going to pick you up. ¡°Okay.¡± Jun Hyuk got off at the stop and looked around. He had wandered the downtown area lined with skyscrapers before, but this was the first time he hade here with somewhere to go. It was also the first time he had done something after making ns with another person. He had not known that this exciting and stirring feeling would be so great. ¡°Jang Jun Hyuk.¡± As he turned his head to see who had called his name, he saw the young writer waving to him from a car. ¡°It¡¯s been awhile, hasn¡¯t it? This is it for your bags?¡± She spoke as she looked around the backpack Jun Hyuk was wearing. ¡°Excuse me? What bags?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be here for a week. You didn¡¯t bring your clothes?¡± ¡°I brought my socks and underwear.¡± ¡°Hu hu. Good. You¡¯ll have to change your clothes anyway.¡± The young writer discussed things Jun Hyuk did not know about and drove the car into MV channel¡¯s building parking lot. She took Jun Hyuk to a personal waiting room fit for a famous singer instead of the participants¡¯ waiting room. There were already a few people waiting in the room and a rack full of clothing. ¡°Wow, he might as well be a model. A treasure like this walked in on his own? MV got really lucky. How tall is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s 186 cm.¡± ¡°186cm and his looks would make Jang Dong Gun and Won Bin cower. He¡¯ll look amazing on camera. Our Director really has an eye for these kinds of things.¡± ¡°What do you think? Do you think you¡¯ll have clothes he¡¯ll look good in?¡± ¡°Since the mannequin kills, whatever we hang on him will be fashionable.¡± Excluding Jun Hyuk who stood there nkly, everyone fussed and carefully examined him. It was only then that the young writer started to exin the current situation to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun Hyuk. These people are here because of the clothing sponsorship. It¡¯s an extremely rare situation, but you¡¯re a special case. Cooperate with us on this.¡± The young writer addressed the people there for the clothing sponsorship again, ¡°The concept is chic, rebel. Please dress him ordingly since his target will most likely be teenagers.¡± Jun Hyuk finally understood what was going on. It was the apparel sponsorship that Yoon Kwang Hun had told him about. It meant that they were going to give him clothes. He had to wear a t-shirt with a big XOR logo on it with tight jeans. There was even a long and thin chain hanging from the pants. Jun Hyuk looked at himself in the mirror and smiled slightly. The young writer thought that he was smiling because he liked what he saw in his reflection andughed as she spoke, ¡°What do you think? You like it? Is it okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I like the chain. My boss really doesn¡¯t like these types of things.¡± ¡°Older people usually don¡¯t. Also pick out the clothes you like from this hanger. They¡¯ll be the clothing you wear for the next week.¡± ¡°Really? I can pick what I want?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a sponsorship. When the shooting ends, it¡¯s all yours.¡± Jun Hyuk had the thought that he had done well to participate in the auditions for the first time. Chapter 32 Volume 1 / Chapter 32 TL: LightNovelCafe The 110 survivors from the area eliminations boarded a bus to a condo in Pocheon, Kyeonggi-do. The contest to select the top 10 would begin while staying at the condo for the next 5 nights and 6 days. A staff member from the production crew raised the tension so the ride to Pocheon would not be boring, ¡°There there, everyone listen up. When we arrive at the condo in a bit, the room assignments will start. As soon as the assignments are over, the team mission will start... and five people will make up each team. A band member will be regarded as one member. ce the name tag being passed out now on your chest. If you look at the tags, it says each of your...should I say genres, specialties? Anyway it has a characteristic, so check those and form your teams. And when we start filming, don¡¯t act too restless... Got it?¡± As soon as they arrived at the condo, they had to meet in the basement hall without time to even greet their roommates. A set had already been prepared to shoot. ¡°There there, we¡¯re going to start quickly. Please make your teams within two hours.¡± Not everything on the program was filmed ording to a script. There are unpredictable situations and the crises these situations create. It seems these are the devices that keep the viewers under suspense. Star Week is the content that participants create, excluding their music. *** Everyone was busy trying to find the teams they would be working with. A team member was a colleague but also an opponent. One could not be on a team with someone at a lower level who would ruin the mission or with someone who would overshadow others with their talent. Jun Hyuk slowly started getting annoyed. He even had the thought that he should have listened to Yoon Kwang Hun and began to regret going on the program. ¡®Shit, should I just go?¡¯ He was going back and forth like this when two people cautiously approached him. ¡°Excuse me. Hello. Do you remember us?¡± ¡°Who? Oh, the rappers fromst time?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to you, we also passed the area preliminaries. We wanted to thank you then but you left first.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°Do you want to be on a team with us? If you¡¯re okay with that.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll try gathering the team members as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay with anything, so you can take care of it.¡± The two rappers spoke deliberately, but Jun Hyuk consented to go along apathetically. This was because it was easier for him to be on a team when people approached him instead of having to find people to form a team with. The two rappers ran around looking for people to make up the rest of their team. Once Jun Hyuk agreed to work with them, the rest of the team was formed quickly. Jun Hyuk was the perfect team member because he was good looking, his guitar skills were amazing... and the best thing about him was that he did not sing. No one knew what their mission song would be, but it was clear that they would need instrumentals to back up the singing. It also would not hurt to take him out of thepetition early. When the recording started, the VJs were busy trying to shoot the bustling participants forming teams. Jun Hyuk sat still through the tedious period and the VJ who filmed Jun Hyuk during the area eliminations was acting as his personal mark man. The full-fledged mission started after two hours. 22 panels were hanging on the wall and a question mark was printed on each. ¡°On the backside of these panels are the faces of 22 senior singers. Each team will choose a panel and check the singer you get. We willmence the contest with the song of your choosing from that singer.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s team chose singer Park Ki Young. Though it sounds like a man¡¯s name, the picture was of a woman. None of the members knew who Park Ki Young was. The broadcast staff came in as soon as the 22 teams chose their mission songs. ¡°This is the team that chose Park Ki Young¡¯s song, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Raise your hand if you know Park Ki Young¡¯s songs.¡± When no one rose their hands, the staff member pulled out an MP3 yer. ¡°We recorded the songs on this, so listen to it. Both the original and edited songs are in there, so you¡¯ll have to listen carefully.¡± The staff member pulled out a music score as well. ¡°This is the edited score, so raise your hand if you know how to read sheet music.¡± Jun Hyuk and a girl rose their hands. ¡°Okay. You two look at this and teach the kids. Don¡¯t waste any time and hurry up and start practicing. When you¡¯re done, call us.¡± Someone spoke to the staff member as he was walking away. ¡°Excuse me, isn¡¯t the mission song supposed to be one of Park Ki Young¡¯s that we choose and arrange?¡± ¡°When you don¡¯t even know who Park Ki Young is?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As the replying voice grew confidence, the staff member¡¯s brows went up. ¡°So? Do we need to prepare all songs by Park Ki Young and present them to you guys? And you guys will listen to all of those songs and choose? You have that much time? Are you guys crazy?¡± Everyone looked dejected at the staff member¡¯s biting words and relented. ¡°Are you good at arranging music?¡± ¡°Excuse me? No, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Is arranging something that can be done within a few minutes? If you can¡¯t do it, just do what you¡¯re told. And is the broadcast a joke? You¡¯re trying to go on air with a song you arranged when you can¡¯t even arrange music? Save that for your school performance.¡± The staff member turned away and put his foot down. ¡°If you don¡¯t do this properly, your faces won¡¯t make it on air even for a minute. We¡¯ll edit all of your parts out, so get your head on straight.¡± When the grunting staff member walked away, the rapper spoke up, ¡°Shit. I knew this would happen. It was all a show.¡± The participants who had only been viewers up until now had just found out a new truth. Broadcast is a show. Chapter 33 Volume 1 / Chapter 33 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°There there. Let¡¯s hurry up and hear it.¡± The song that the staff had thrown at them was ¡®Start,¡¯ released by Park Ki Young in 1998. The singer and title were unfamiliar, but most of it was a famous song. It was Park Ki Young¡¯s hit song so well-known that anyone who heard the climax would say, ¡®Oh, this song¡¯. Jun Hyuk heard the song after he read over the music score. It was not bad for a bad. The arrangement was not bad either. The only problem was that even though five people each with their own talents hade together, the guide was done as if one person was singing the bad. It was not appropriate for five people. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about how we¡¯re going to separate the parts.¡± Excluding Jun Hyuk, the four must have thought that they could not have the spotlight taken from them, so they argued andid out their opinions. ¡°The amount of time each person gets needs to be simr since it needs to be fair and... we need to pick the parts that we all sing together.¡± ¡°I looked atst season and when people got greedy and messed up the song, no matter how well any one person sang, everyone was eliminated.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re rap... I¡¯m going to go crazy! This.¡± Excluding Jun Hyuk, everyone¡¯s faces were dark with a mix of greed and fear, tension and heaviness. Jun Hyuk was suspicious as to whether they had listened to the song properly or not. Though it is said that the delicate voice is expressing a woman¡¯s one-sided love for a man, but starting from the second half, with the intense guitar sound and short guitar solo, it was a rock bad. If an arrangement is not better than the original, it is bound to receive severe criticism. With a bad arrangement, unless it is covered with singing skills superior to that of the original song, it is inevitable that they would receive appraisal that they ruined the song... but everyone was only worried about their own parts and not the music. The oldest member of Jun Hyuk¡¯s group who looked to be in histe twenties seemed to be trying to take lead of the group and spoke, ¡°There there. Let¡¯s memorize the lyrics for each of our parts first. It¡¯s over the moment we start tripping up on stage because we can¡¯t remember the lyrics.¡± While everyone plugged the MP3 earphones in their ears, Jun Hyuk slowly left the area. He sat in a corner of the auditorium and looked around the room. It was full of more than 100 young people memorizing their songs or practicing with tension and anxiety. Jun Hyuk held his guitar and started to flick the strings. He was not ying with a chord or picking a scale. He was making random sounds like a child touching a guitar for the first time. The VJ chasing Jun Hyuk spoke while he was holding his camera, ¡°What are you doing right now?¡± ¡°Oh, this bustle is fun. I¡¯m thinking about to expressing it.¡± ¡°Can you be spending your time like this? You¡¯re not going to practice your mission song? You said earlier that you would be ying the apaniment.....¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I memorized all of the arranged score.¡± ¡°What? Already? You already knew the mission song?¡± ¡°No. We saw the score earlier.¡± ¡°You can memorize it after looking once?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The VJ put down the camera and turned the switch off. ¡°Really? You can memorize it after seeing it once?¡± ¡°Yes. 3 minutes and 24 seconds. It¡¯s short.¡± The song was released in the year Jun Hyuk was born. It did not seem like he was lying that he did not know the song because it was as old as he was. ¡°How about the song that was arranged? Did you memorize all of that as well?¡± ¡°Yes. That was even easier.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like the arrangement?¡± ¡°No. It was garbage ruining the original song.¡± How could he say it was garbage? The music director and arrangers participating in this show were veterans with at least 10 years of experience in this field. Professionals like that did not make garbage. ¡°Why is it garbage?¡± ¡°Music needs to be arranged rtive to the instrument... no, to the standard of the singer¡¯s tone. They made the song before they knew who would be singing it. The song that¡¯s been arranged now needs to be ripped apart and fixed at the least.¡± The VJ thought what Jun Hyuk was saying made sense. ¡°Then is there something different that you¡¯re thinking of?¡± ¡°No. How can I when I don¡¯t know the teammates who will be singing? I haven¡¯t heard them either. I need to know each of their tones and strong points to arrange it.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell your teammates you should edit the song again?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a bother. And why do you keep following me?¡± He had stopped making a song based on the bustling of the room because of the VJ. The feeling of inconvenience turned into annoyance, so Jun Hyuk went back to his teammates. They must not have been able to memorize the lyrics yet because they were still concentrating on listening to the music. The rapper who had found Jun Hyuk went over to him and spoke discreetly, ¡°Do you by chance have any good ideas?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any.¡± ¡°Hey... why are you being like this? Last time, you made a great song after just overhearing us rap.¡± ¡°I heard you both rap that time. That was possible because I knew the singers¡¯ tonal quality. I don¡¯t know it now.¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll be able to arrange the song after you hear us sing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± The two rappers went to the other three people who were memorizing their lyrics, ¡°Let¡¯s ask that person to make the guide for our song.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the person who only yed the guitar for the area preliminaries, right?¡± The girl in her early twenties who had raised her hand along with Jun Hyuk to indicate that she could read music scores had a slightly hopeful expression. ¡°Yes, his skill is no joke. Even at the area preliminaries, he heard our rap once and fixed the entire thing. We were able to pass that round because of that as well.¡± ¡°Why are we trying to do another edit when the arrangement is already here?¡± The man in histe twenties who called himself the team leader wrinkled his forehead. It seemed that he thought that his position as leader would be in danger if this young kid did the arrangement and song guide. ¡°So you¡¯re saying... that kid should give out the parts andplement the song.¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s just hear him out first.¡± When everyone decided to try listening to Jun Hyuk¡¯s guide, the man in histe twenties could no longer oppose. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Jun Hyuk. We¡¯ll sing the mission song, so will you try arranging it?¡± ¡°Sure. Should we hear each person¡¯s singing first? Go around and sing the song. From the part ¡®I want to tell you¡¯.¡± Jun Hyuk was telling them to sing the climax of the song. ¡°Oh, the two rappers don¡¯t need to sing. If you listen to the song well, the guitar soloes in three phrases and that¡¯s 12 seconds. You two rap then. 3 phrases. The content is up to you. Since the song is about a woman¡¯s one-sided love, I was thinking that maybe it could be about the man¡¯s thoughts as the object of this one-sided love.¡± Jun Hyuk listened to the singing of the remaining three people: the arrogant man in histe twenties, the girl in her early twenties who could read music scores, and a boy who looked to be in his teens but sat without speaking as if he were an old man. Jun Hyuk was silent in thought before he began to speak, ¡°I¡¯ll y just the instrumental ording to the score. You don¡¯t need to sing. But mister.¡± The person Jun Hyuk was calling mister was the man in histe twenties. ¡°Me? What?¡± ¡°Mister, you¡¯ll mess everything up if you keep trying to show off how high you can go.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that we¡¯re just instruments. Do instruments show off how high they can go? We¡¯re just five instruments ying one song together. What¡¯s important is the overall harmony. It doesn¡¯t sound good if you force your high notes and try to show off.¡± ¡°Are you trying to teach me right now?¡± His face had already turned red. How could a kid like this be criticizing him? ¡°Your tone kind of sucks. No matter how high you try to go with a bad voice, it just bes noise.¡± ¡°This bratty asshole!¡± As soon as a fist came at the red face, the two rappers acted quickly and held it back. ¡°Stop it. What are you doing? The cameras are filming everything.¡± The VJ wasughing with a bright face as though he were having fun. Discord between members was a spectacle for the viewers. A fist came towards the camera and hit the man shaking with anger. ¡°This asshole must have a rag in his mouth. He¡¯s cursing when he doesn¡¯t even know me!¡± The owner of the fist was none other than Jun Hyuk. Not just Jun Hyuk¡¯s team members, but others nearby had to hold Jun Hyuk back as he kicked at the man on the floor. Only the VJ looked as though he had been given a prize as he held the camera. The recording might not be suitable for the broadcast, but it was a VJ¡¯s job to catch such a dramatic moment. Chapter 34 Volume 1 / Chapter 34 TL: LightNovelCafe When the VJ showed Producer Kim Ki Sik the video of Jun Hyuk fighting, heughed and questioned him on the situation. ¡°What are the kids doing now?¡± ¡°We barely got Jun Hyuk to stay after he said that he was going to quit everything and leave. And the kid who was hit is huffing about calling the police.¡± ¡°How did you get Jun Hyuk to stay? That kid doesn¡¯t listen to anyone.¡± ¡°The young writer who marked Jun Hyuk did it. They¡¯ve gotten pretty friendly.¡± ¡°Bring the kid who got hit here.¡± The participant who had gotten hit by Jun Hyuk started his interview with Producer Kim Ki Sik while massaging his face with ice. ¡°Do what you want,¡± He understood what Producer Kim¡¯s frosty tone meant. He was giving him pressure. It meant that he needed to pack his bags and leave the condo if he did not keep his mouth shut. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not a kid or anything.....¡± ¡°Really? Then thepany¡¯s legal team is going to go to you with a piece of paper. Sign it.¡± ¡°What? What paper...?¡± ¡°What do you mean what paper? It¡¯s a document saying you won¡¯t make a problem out of today¡¯s events. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You can go. Also, I¡¯ll change your team instead. Just know that we¡¯ll be doing that.¡± The participants of ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ were all expendable to the absolute target of raising viewer ratings. Once expendable, they needed to listen to the producer in order to stay in the program at all costs. *** The expendable person who had been switched into Jun Hyuk¡¯s team was someone whose skill was to the degree that he had heard he sang well at his neighborhood karaoke. Producer Kim Ki Sik who was in charge of the show started his n to get Jun Hyuk in the top 10. Two VJs tight with tension stood in front of Producer Kim Ki Sik and were listening to his orders. ¡°Listen well. You just keep concentrating on Jun Hyuk and film him. And you... you¡¯ve been here longer than he has, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay then. Jun Hyuk doesn¡¯t sing, right? Instead, you have to make him the conductor for the 5-person team mission. He has to be the maestro who does everything from arranging to directing parts for the members. You understand what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± ¡°Ah, I get what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Okay. That¡¯s Jun Hyuk¡¯s theme for this week¡¯s 5-person team mission. I¡¯m putting it in your hands.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The two of us will bring back lots of good shots.¡± They finished preparing the materials to make Jun Hyuk a maestro. Now they needed to convince the viewers that Jun Hyuk was qualified to be in the top 10 even without singing. The people to persuade the viewers were the judges themselves. Before Jun Hyuk¡¯s team performed as the fourth to be on stage, Producer Kim and the main judges started their conference on the issue. The main judges of Season 5 were slightly experimental with the addition of two new members. Along with Lee Sung Chul and the legendary singer and songwriter Yoon Jung Su, singer of 25 years Lee Eun Jin who had been given the nickname ¡®Diva of the Night Sky¡¯ because she did not make appearances in public or on broadcast joined the panel. Last was Son Jin Young from JYS, one of Korea¡¯s top 3 agencies which produced countless girl groups. ¡°Producer Kim, why are you like this for this season? You¡¯re openly pushing for this kid.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Excuse me just once. Aren¡¯t I a person who goes back and forth between heaven and hell based on the viewer ratings?¡± ¡°So? You¡¯re saying that kid will guarantee viewer ratings?¡± ¡°Sung Chul. Who are you talking about?¡± Yoon Jung Su who had not seen Jun Hyuk during the area preliminaries was asking. ¡°There¡¯s a kid. A kid who gives me headaches. Oh right, he¡¯s the type you would like.¡± Yoon Jung Su¡¯s eyes widened as he was flipping through the files containing each person¡¯s history and special characteristics. ¡°What is this? He got all the way here just by ying the guitar and not singing? And... what? He¡¯s an orphan?¡± ¡°Yeah. Other than not singing, he¡¯s the best. His story¡¯s good, he¡¯s better looking than Kang Dong Won, the guitar performance is great, he¡¯s probably a genius in arranging, and his song analysis is outstanding.¡± ¡°Seems like he¡¯ll get all of the women¡¯s texting votes. He could even get to the top 5 on votes alone.¡± As they discussed Jun Hyuk, Producer Kim Ki Sik said the final defining words, ¡°This kid is just a star. He has the talent and looks to cover a song. On top of that, he has an unstoppable nature. You know well since you¡¯re all stars. One of those people who is bound to be news whatever he does.¡± Lee Eun Jin who had been listening silently had an opposing expression. ¡°So you want us to push for him openly?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m asking you to find something in him that will cover his inability to sing. If you can¡¯t find anything, I won¡¯t hang on to him.¡± They could protect Lee Eun Jin¡¯s pride as this was her first time on the judges¡¯ panel. What went out on air was the producer¡¯s magic, or editing. She was not such an amateur that she would make a fuss if an edit was made entirely different from her intentions. Kim Ki Sik was confident. He was certain that the viewer ratings would go up if he made Jun Hyuk a star. Chapter 35 Volume 1 / Chapter 35 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°What is the song?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Park Ki Young¡¯s ¡®Start¡¯.¡± ¡°Please start.¡± Yoon Jung Su tried to createughter with his y on the song title, but nothing could make the nervous participantsugh. Yoon Jung Su¡¯s expression became awkward. The team members¡¯ looked at Jun Hyuk who nodded lightly at them as a signal. The song started with his first guitar stroke and 4 minutes passed. Everyone on the team had a look of reassurance on their faces that they had finished without making any mistakes and the four judges wore strange expressions. The judges had without a doubt listened to the song with awe and admiration, but their expressions hadpletely changed once it ended. Lee Sung Chul was the first to grab the mic and he opened his mouth slowly, ¡°Um... It was good. This, well...¡± Dying the evaluation, he coughed a few times in embarrassment. ¡°The song is very good. Everyone sang well... The other teams split up the song but this team was unique and not one person stopped singing. They put in a chord when it wasn¡¯t their part... ah... The only one who didn¡¯t sing is the person on guitar, right?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes settled on Jun Hyuk, but he just blinked back at Lee Sung Chul. Producer Kim who had been monitoring the close-up of Jun Hyuk¡¯s face began tough again. ¡°Ha ha. That kid¡¯s face is as though he doesn¡¯t even care about the judges.¡± Everyone in the staff room nodded their heads. This was the first time in five seasons that they had seen anyone so arrogant without any sign of tension. ¡°... And the rap was also really good. The feelings of the man who is the object of the one-sided love that was not in the original song. It was also very funny how you expressed that very indifferently... Who wrote that?¡± ¡°Yes, we wrote it.¡± The two rappers could not hide their happiness from Lee Sung Chul¡¯spliment. However, they had to hide the traces of theirughter because of the following evaluation. ¡°Yet... It was generally good, but you all made a big mistake. Yoon Jung Su will probably be the one to tell you what that mistake was. I heard the song well.¡± A mistake? The music and singing were perfect. Did Lee Sung Chul not say that himself? Everyone swallowed and gave Yoon Jung Su their attention. Yoon Jung Su held the mic and smiled at Lee Sung Chul. ¡°Have you decided to avoid saying the invectives this season? Why do I have to say the bad things?¡± ¡°You have to get some of the abuse online. He he.¡± Yoon Jung Su fixed his mic and his mood became serious. ¡°Well... you heard enoughpliments, but I¡¯ll say it again. The song was really good. At this rate, it could go on a concert stage immediately and there wouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡± The team members became excited again. They might be able to achieve a dream-like whole team pass. ¡°It was absolutely perfect as not one person showed where their disadvantages lied, and the chords were inserted exquisitely so that not one person stood out more than another. However...¡± Everyone swallowed. It seemed like the real assessment was going to start now. ¡°..... However, that also means that there wasn¡¯t anyone who was special. There wasn¡¯t anyone that we as the judges were drawn to. To say it another way, should I say it was like food made with ordinary ingredients? It was very tasty, but we couldn¡¯t find the ingredients and we couldn¡¯t tell what the sauce was.¡± Yoon Jung Su finished his assessment as the disappointed participants looked on, ¡°A good performance is the basic. That basic was executed perfectly, but there wasn¡¯t anything special. Can I say that everyone was just passable? It felt like that. You worked hard.¡± The third person to get the mic was the person who had newly joined the judges, Lee Eun Jin, ¡°The two of you said so many good things that I have nothing to add. Saying that you¡¯re passable means that you were short of talent. If you have a weapon, you can¡¯t hide it even if you try. Ites out while you¡¯re singing. But there wasn¡¯t anyone on stage whose weapon showed.¡± Lee Eun Jin¡¯s evaluation continued after a moment of sighing. ¡°There is someone who does need to receive an excellent evaluation, isn¡¯t there? I¡¯m sure you all know who it is. The chef who made admirable food with ordinary ingredients. That person needs to get good ratings for sure.¡± The team members¡¯ eyes naturally shifted to Jun Hyuk and Lee Eun Jin smiled, ¡°I see you are all telling us who that chef is.¡± Producer Kim who was watching the evaluation with the most tension put down his worries. He was nervous because there had not been one word said about Jun Hyuk, but Lee Eun Jin who he had thought would be the most biting had moved the way he wanted her to. This was the signal that Lee Eun Jin was sending to Producer Kim Ki Sik. She was saying that she would cooperate with Producer Kim Ki Sik and help him and not to forget it. She had done Producer Kim Ki Sik a favor and he would have to repay the debt at some time. Thanks to Lee Eun Jin¡¯s judgment, the viewers would not be able to raise issues even if Jun Hyuk went on to the next stage. The chef who made great food with mundane ingredients. This was enough. Thest person to get the mic was Song Jin Young of JYS and she wrapped it up with an intense assessment. ¡°This is a program that discovers stars throughpetition. You are all forgetting that. A song that¡¯s like acape? It¡¯s nice to listen to. This is a boxing ring, not an afterschool club.¡± All of the cameras focused on the judges. As the cameras were catching the judges share their thoughts and opinions, Lee Sung Chul took the mic, ¡°The people who passed this round are... the two rappers and Jang Jun Hyuk.¡± The two rappers could not hide their excitement and Jun Hyuk remained in the same state. The girl would had been eliminated had tears in her eyes and the boy who had joined the teamte was scowling. ¡°The rappers showed talent in their fun rap and Jang Jun Hyuk showed great capability as a producer. However, you¡¯ll have to keep in mind that this program is about discovering stars and not producers. You¡¯ll have to show yourself as more than a producer and as a musician on the next stage, or it¡¯ll be difficult to advance any further. That is all.¡± Chapter 36 Volume 1 / Chapter 36 TL: LightNovelCafe After that, performances that alternated between happiness and sadness continued and with the end of the first round of Star Week, the 40 people who passed were decided. In a matter of 48 hours, 70 out of 110 people had been sent home. The 2nd round was to start now. From here, half would make it up to thest round of Star Week and the rest would be boarding the bus to Seoul Station, staying for just another day. Known as the most cruel round, the 2nd round consisted of two people bing a team topete with another team performing the same song. The judges simply chose the better group. With misfortune in choice of partner, no matter how much one shined, there was no way to stay alive. Everything moved ording to a n especially because the production crew organized the teams. There was the production crew that knew this and the naive participants who thought that it was up to luck. The person who became Jun Hyuk¡¯s partner was Nam Seung Hee, an aspiring singer in her mid-twenties who had received the appraisement that she was the prettiest contestant in this season¡¯s Star Week. Nam Seung Hee who dreamt of being a female rapper like Yoon Mi Rae was another one of Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s hidden cards. The VJ captured Jun Hyuk¡¯s face during his first meeting with Nam Seung Hee. The n was the flirtation between the ideal boy and girl. It was the meeting of this season¡¯s best looking guy and prettiest and sexiest girl. Nam Seung Hee fit the tall Jun Hyuk well with her long and slender legs. When he got a good shot of the two together, the VJ moved busily with excitement. When the VJ saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression in the camera, he knew that Producer Kim¡¯s n was working. Jun Hyuk was blushing and could not stop smiling as he looked bashful. ¡°Hello. My name is Nam Seung Hee.¡± The Jun Hyuk who shook the hand Nam Seung Hee held out as sheughed was not the rough teenager who threw his fist and cursed, but a young boy who could not hide his awkwardness in front of a girl. Nam Seung Hee on the other hand did not let her guard down and kept showing a stiff face. In the individual interviews, it was possible to know why she was not unconditionally pleased at bing Jun Hyuk¡¯s partner. ¡°Do you know what we call Jang Jun Hyuk amongst ourselves?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s poisoned apple. Poisoned apple. The poisoned apple that Snow White died after taking one bite.¡± ¡°Why? Why is Jun Hyuk a poisoned apple?¡± ¡°Because you want it and it looks edible, but you die the second you put your mouth to it. The music that Jun Hyuk makes is so perfect that you want to sing it after you hear it... but the end result is that Jun Hyuk is the only one who stands out and the person singing falls... That¡¯s why he¡¯s the poisoned apple.¡± The VJ conducting the interview thought that this might be a consummate metaphor. *** The duo¡¯s mission song was Finkl¡¯s ¡®NOW¡¯. ¡°Do you want to sing the song first? ording to the original.¡± ¡°What? Why do you want me to sing all of a sudden.....?¡± ¡°To see the difference between the tone you normally speak in and the tone you sing in.¡± Nam Seung Hee sang softly to Jun Hyuk¡¯s gentle guitar apaniment. It was just a tone check and it did not matter if her pitch was unstable or if she was not on beat. When she finished singing, Jun Hyuk looked surprised. ¡°Um. Have you received professional training?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Oh, yes. I have.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve practiced a lot. Your voice became scratchy.¡± Scratchy? Her voice was not husky in any way, but what could he be talking about? ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to worry. It¡¯s a good thing. It¡¯s be strong. Wait, is there a piano?¡± As Jun Hyuk looked around, the staff rushed to set up a digital piano. ¡°Here, listen to this.¡± He put his fingers on the keyboard and started to y. While a slow piano sound spread, his right hand started to move faster. It was a colorful melody, but the waiting room was full of an overall slow jazz. Since the rival teams stopped practicing as they found themselves lost in Jun Hyuk¡¯s music, Nam Seung Hee was out of the question. Nam Seung Hee who had been drunk with the aftertaste of the sound of the piano was swept with embarrassment once she came back to her senses. ¡°Are you telling me to sing this? Isn¡¯t this a piano instrumental?¡± ¡°No it isn¡¯t because I¡¯ll actually only be ying the apaniment. We¡¯ll have to fill the rest with singing.¡± ¡°This is jazzy but what am I supposed to do? I¡¯ve never sang jazz before.¡± ¡°You can start practicing now. Just keep one thing in mind; this is perfect for your voice.¡± The VJ almost felt awkward at Jun Hyuk¡¯s image of leading the opponent in such a straightforward manner as opposed to the 5-person mission. How could he change so much when it seemed like he was just constantly arrogant? ¡®This kid was no different from an everyday teenager.¡¯ Nam Seung Hee asked for a little time and left her seat at Jun Hyuk suddenly asking her to sing jazz. ¡°Jun Hyuk, can we do a short interview?¡± ¡°Again?¡± ¡°What do you mean again? You haven¡¯t done that many. Out of all the Star Week contestants, you¡¯ve done the least. Everyone else will do anything to get an interview.¡± He convinced aining Jun Hyuk and started the interview. ¡°Why did you choose jazz all of a sudden? It seems like Nam Seung Hee barely listened to jazz music.¡± ¡°Her tone sounded like a r. But.....¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°She wants to do hip hop... hah. It was so funny I didn¡¯t know what to do. She doesn¡¯t fit with hip hop at all.¡± ¡°Even if her tonal quality is good, she says she can¡¯t do jazz.¡± ¡°She can just sing it slow since I¡¯ll fill the rest with the piano. We can save it.¡± ¡°It seems like you like Nam Seung Hee looking at the way you amodate her. Yeah?¡± Jun Hyuk did not show any shock at the VJ¡¯s frank question, ¡°Yes. She¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re honest.¡± The VJ was shocked that he had responded so easily. While Jun Hyuk was doing his short interlude interview, Nam Seung Hee was on her cellphone getting angry. ¡°Director, talk to the producer here. They¡¯re telling me to sing jazz. They didn¡¯t give us an arranged song and the kid who¡¯s my partner.....¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Sorry. I guess I bothered Director for nothing.....¡± ¨C Nam Seung Hee, listen closely. ¡°Yes.¡± ¨C What do you think you are? Are you a singer? What? Jazz isn¡¯t a genre I¡¯m pursuing? You want to set your image in hip hop? You¡¯re being annoying. Nam Seung Hee could not say anything in response to the director¡¯s harsh words and felt like her head was empty. She had been mistaken for a moment that she had passed the auditions and entered Star Week on her talent. She realized her position as one of countless aspiring celebrities. ¨C Listen well. Do you know how much thispany spent to get you there? Genre? Character? Do that stuff when you be a singer. Right right, your job is to shut your mouth and do as the broadcast station says. Got it? And your partner is 100 times better than you. You¡¯re being carried along with him. Don¡¯t call me when you¡¯re just a little brat who doesn¡¯t know her position! The director who had hung up after his rant had told her what she needed to do. She needed to hang on to the boy that even the main producer was fussing over no matter what. Chapter 37 Volume 1 / Chapter 37 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Don¡¯t think about it as something difficult. All you have to do is remember the tempo and make sure not to fall behind it or go ahead of it while you sing.¡± ¡°Are you able to record the piano apaniment for me? I really don¡¯t have the confidence... I think I¡¯m going to lose the beat. I can¡¯t keep asking you to y the piano for me... I¡¯ll practice on my own.¡± ¡°Ha ha. I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll y it for you 100 or 1,000 times, so let¡¯s practice together.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik smiled widely as he was monitoring Jun Hyuk openly show his affection for her and kept giving orders to the staff, ¡°Hey. When Star Week ends, get the kids from Jun Hyuk¡¯s team together again. The mission song was Park Ki Young¡¯s ¡®Start¡¯ right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Get that song ready for a digital release in the recording studio. It¡¯ll go up. And the Finkl song that Jun Hyuk just yed on the piano... formally record that too so it¡¯s ready for service the day the episode airs. Got it?¡± ¡°What? The instrumental? Not the song that they¡¯ll singter?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t very many female singers in Korea who can make money singing jazz. It¡¯ll sell if the singer is someone at Lee So Ra¡¯s level. Jazz that girl sings? Doesn¡¯t make sense. It won¡¯t make digital sales. But a piano instrumental will work for background music on blogs and cafe franchises.¡± The staff could tell why Producer Kim Ki Sik was a rising producer in musical variety shows. He had an eye for screening music, but he was also a businessman who could certainly choose music that would sell and even find the ces where the money woulde from. ¡°At any rate, this stage isn¡¯t about music. It¡¯s eye candy for the viewers. All we have to do is make sure we show them those two flirting. Since we showed them Jun Hyuk¡¯s music in the 1st round, we need to highlight the other kids¡¯ music too this time. Keep your heads on straight.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik had did not care about the same-some rival mission. To avoid any risks, the rival group to go against him was made up of two people who definitely needed to pack their bags. Producer Kim Ki Sik had a lot of his expectations riding on thest mission. In the meantime, there was the perfect participant to make Jun Hyuk¡¯s image. It was a boisterous trash metal band. They were like firewood to set Jun Hyuk on fire for thest time before he went into the top 10. They were famous in Hongdae¡¯s rock scene. They were Steel de. *** Thest 20 participants were eyeing each other wondering who their final partner would be as they gathered to choose thest 10 people to go on live broadcast for the top 10 race. There was certainly someone in this group who was already chosen to go into the top 10 early. If they were paired with that person, they were bound to lose. However, there was one person who they could win if paired up with. That was none other than Jang Jun Hyuk. He was better looking than an idol singer and looked more like a model or actor and all of the judges praised him for his producing skills. But he could never go to the top 10 of the ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ program. He was the only participant who could not sing even though it was an audition for singers. Today¡¯s mission was Jang Jun Hyuk¡¯sst. All of the participants had the same thought and they were just waiting to be his partner. The borate jazz piano he yed in the 2nd round of Star Week. If he just did that much, they could bring in the best backing band and have him perform in the contest. Jun Hyuk was called into his personal waiting room again and the people representing the clothing sponsorpany were waiting for him brightly. ¡°These are the new products from our winter season. Thest broadcast was fall, but this episode will be going out in November. We¡¯ll be preparing for the winter season. I¡¯m betting this¡¯ll be sold out once it goes on air. Ho ho.¡± The people from thepany held a pair of ck jeans and a checked shirt to Jun Hyuk¡¯s body to find the right size. ¡°If you pass today¡¯s round and make it into the top 10, we¡¯re nning on getting a formal model contract with you.¡± Jun Hyuk wrinkled his face as he touched the clothes, and turned to the young writer. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear it. I can just go out like this, right?¡± ¡°What? Why won¡¯t you wear it? These are going to be the new main pieces of ourpany!¡± The director of XOR yelled in surprise. ¡°Miss, how am I supposed to wear this when it¡¯s so hot I could die?¡± Looking at his scowling face, she smiled again and spoke. He was still young. She knew that it would be faster to talk him into it. ¡°Jun Hyuk. You have to bear it. This is business. Every scene that goes out on TV is money. You may not understand because you¡¯re still young, but broadcast means money. You¡¯ll be able to touch that money soon.¡± Eventually, the young writer stepped in. She said the easiest words to convince him, ¡°This is thest time. It¡¯s okay, right?¡± Chapter 38 Volume 1 / Chapter 38 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Okay, now two teams are going to get together to form one group. Everyone listen well to see who your partner will be.¡± The partners were revealed one by one and the luckiest in the 3rd round team selection was not one person, but four. ¡°The next is the only band that passed the 2nd round, ¡®Steel de¡¯ and their partner will be... Jang Jun Hyuk.¡± The Steel de members did not show it, but they were overjoyed that they had gotten one step closer to the top 10. What luck! ¡°We¡¯ll reveal the mission song. It¡¯s Jewelry¡¯s Super Star.¡± The song released in 2005 was the first that got Jewelry 1st ce. It made the other participants jealous. It was established that it was advantageous to have a fun song. Once all of the partners and mission songs were revealed, everyone hid their ws and started to greet their partners. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m the vocal, Han Ki Su. Oh, don¡¯t punch me because I¡¯m not using formal speech with you. You can use informal speech too. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk was ufortable with the band member who was acting more friendly than was necessary. ¡°But do you know this song?¡± ¡°The mission song? Yeah. You don¡¯t know it?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t have CDs of idol songs.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s hear the song first. We¡¯ve heard it, but we don¡¯t really remember it either.¡± Everyone listened to the MP3 yer. After they listened to the whole song, the members of Steel de sighed in relief. It did not seem like there would be any problem changing the song into band music because the song itself was very light. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°Right? We got lucky. It won¡¯t be hard to change it to metal.¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re a producing genius. Do you have any ideas?¡± The judges¡¯ evaluation from the 5-person mission had be a hot topic between the contestants. A producing genius worthy of the highest praise. Jun Hyuk who made great music without exposing himself could make this into a heavy metal song. The band leader who was also the vocal had high expectations, but Jun Hyuk made all of those expectationse crashing down. ¡°Do as you please since we¡¯ll be dropped anyway. I¡¯ll go along with whatever you want to do.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t go to the top 10 anyway.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s words that came from out of the blue hit his head hard, ¡°It can¡¯t be. Do you know something? Is it already decided? Already? ¡°No. I don¡¯t know that but you guys aren¡¯t that good. You just fit in a band to broaden the assortment. There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t know you guys aren¡¯t good, is there?¡± They had not anticipated that this young kid would be saying that they would be eliminated because of a shortage of talent. Even the judges had given thempliments on the original song they presented in the area preliminaries. In round 1 and 2, they had received the evaluation that they were a band with feeling. But he is saying that their skill is poor? Jun Hyuk kept speaking in a sarcastic tone without paying attention to the members shaking in anger. ¡°You sir on the drums, say something. Don¡¯t you know?¡± The vocal, Han Ki Su spoke to Jun Hyuk when he suddenly sought agreement from the dummer, ¡°Is that right? We¡¯re not that good? Let¡¯s hear it then. You speak as the genius producer. What¡¯s so bad?¡± ¡°If you force the high notes and barely hit them, the listeners are the ones who are ufortable. A vocalist is someone who can hit the high notes easily. ¡®Soot¡¯ catches on to it. Soot! A person who uses the voice instrument freely and well. That¡¯s what we call a vocalist but you have a hard time with the high notes and your voice itself iscking strength... It¡¯s like you¡¯re just imitating a rock band.¡± ¡°Hey! It just sounds like that because my voice is thin.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Being thick and thin is an issue of tone. That has nothing to do with strength. Not all metal band vocals are Ronnie James Dio. There¡¯s us Meine too.¡± Han Ki Su¡¯s face felt heated as the weaknesses he was aware of were being bothered. ¡°Fine. Say that¡¯s true for me. Then the guitar?¡± ¡°Guitars aren¡¯t there just to y do-re-mi-fa-so-ti-do. It¡¯s about expressiveness. Ah, you asshole.¡± While everyone was confused by the swearing that hade out of nowhere, Jun Hyuk was looking at the guitarist. ¡°Express this with the guitar. ¡®Ah, you asshole.¡¯ Or um... ¡®Please excuse me this one time.¡¯ Something like that is okay too. Scale, technique... these things aren¡¯t important, but you don¡¯t know that.¡± Jun Hyuk went over each member one by one as though he were a judge. ¡°Can you y the bass all day with one beat? Without a metronome? If you can¡¯t do that, you haven¡¯t practiced enough. Or you can¡¯t keep a beat.¡± They had not heard such severe criticism since they started performing in Hongdae. This assessment was the same as saying that they were beginners. They thought that he was going to tear the drummer apart next, but he did not. ¡°You asked me for an idea on the arrangement, right? I already finished the edit. It¡¯s just that you guys probably won¡¯t like it.¡± He had only heard it once. After that, he had been evaluating the band members¡¯ skills. When is he saying he finished arranging the song? ¡°How did you do it?¡± At the words that he finished the arrangement, their curiosity overcame their indignation. ¡°Drum instrumental. The drum is the main. Everyone else is slight and the vocal can be taken outpletely. The best thing this band can do is to support the drum.¡± The VJ marking Jun Hyuk had a vague idea of the music he was trying to pursue. This arrogant young genius only thought about music. He only focused on finding the best of any song. It was certain that he never had the intentions of bing a star. Jun Hyuk does not care about things like hitting high notes as the public likes or familiarity that is easy to listen to. He only thinks about the music. Though it is an old song, it is still by a girl group. He wants to change that into a drum instrumental? When the drummer heard the words drum instrumental, he raised his hand in surprise, ¡°No. What do you mean a drum instrumental? It¡¯ll never work out. Let¡¯s just go with the usual rock. It¡¯s easy to change this song to a rock version.¡± Jun Hyuk ruined the cold atmosphere that the drummer was trying to ease again. ¡°Oy. Now I know. Sir, you guys are in this state now because you keep giving in. The person with the most talent should have dragged everyone along. The vocal and guitarist don¡¯t know that they¡¯re not that good because you cover for their singing and guitar.¡± Eventually, the band leader and vocal left the practice room and the guitarist and bassist followed him to calm him down. Producer Kim Ki Sik checked what the VJ had filmed since they were in a state where all practice was suspended, and he could not stopughing. Jang Jun Hyuk said and acted in ways that always made news. The discord between Jang Jun Hyuk and the other participants would undoubtedly be the best in increasing tension on the program. Chapter 39 Volume 1 / Chapter 39 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Hey, I said we don¡¯t have time. We can¡¯t be wasting our time being angry. Let¡¯s at least try to do something between ourselves.¡± ¡°Then what about that asshole?¡± ¡°That asshole said himself that he would just go along with whatever we wanted to do. We can give him 2nd guitar or keyboard and he can just pound out the chords.¡± The Steel de members were fuming. The production team had not provided them with an arranged song because they were paired with Jun Hyuk and their turn was fairly early. They needed to move quickly. It was not hard to make a rock version of the song. They did not do much to the original song but add parts for the guitar, bass, and drum with a guitar solo in the middle in G major in a pentatonic scale. They of course did not forget to add shouting for the vocal. The band members only looked for Jun Hyuk after they had practiced several times. ¡°Hey. You said that you would go along with whatever we wanted, right? Just scratch out the chord with the acoustic guitar. You don¡¯t have any objections, right?¡± Jun Hyuk shrugged to reply that he did not care and began to simply scratch out the chords on his guitar. The sound of his acoustic guitar was drowned out by the strong sound of the electric guitar, but Jun Hyuk did not seem to care. Eventually, the VJ ran to the main producer. He felt like Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance would be too t. Producer Kim Ki Sik and the program¡¯s general music director stood by Steel de and listened to them practice. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°What do you mean? You don¡¯t have ears? The main producer of a music program? How many years have you been doing this?¡± Not certain if it was due to the producer or the music, but the music director looked as though he had a bad taste in his mouth. After listening to the band¡¯s music for a while, the producer spoke out of nowhere, ¡°Then what about that?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°The drum instrumental Jun Hyuk mentioned earlier. Making the drum the main.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I really want to hear, but won¡¯t people start changing the channel after 30 seconds of hearing a drum? How many people do you think like ¨C no, know Moby Dick by Led Zeppelin? And the people who like drum solos don¡¯t watch our program.¡± It was the ce where the top 10 was to be selected. They could not show a whole song where the drum was the main, but it could work if they edited well and saved the zest. It was unique, an advantage, and a specialty. ¡°If we go out like this, that band is done.¡± The music director was speaking quietly, but Producer Kim raised his voice as though he wanted everyone to hear, ¡°Our program will be done for as well. We¡¯ve raised the expectations for Jun Hyuk, but if thest stage is in that state... Even if they get eliminated, they¡¯ll need to do it so they¡¯re remembered.¡± Producer Kim decided to get help from the music director to resolve this problem. The music director and Producer Kim secretly called Steel de into the conference room. ¡°We heard you guys practicing and honestly, we¡¯re disappointed.¡± ¡°There are 10 teams right now. Two dance, two R&B, two bad, two ind and folk, one hip hop, and you guys, metal. You guys are the weakest.¡± ¡°Weak isn¡¯t even cutting it. If you guys go the way you were just practicing, we can¡¯t even put 10 seconds of that on air. We have to cut it up and piece it together for about 20 seconds and go straight to the judges. It¡¯s that bad.¡± ¡°Tell us if you don¡¯t have the confidence to do it. We¡¯ll do the arrangement for you now if necessary.¡± The band members could not lift their heads while these heads of such a grand show were criticizing them in a manner that was threatening. ¡°To tell you the truth, the chances of you guys entering the top 10 is below 10%. What can you do? Metal is a subculture in our country. At this rate, you guys are 100% getting eliminated.¡± The music director looked at the band members and spoke, ¡°During the 80s, heavy metal was so popr that Japanese band Loudness did a world tour. But what about our country? Sinawi, Buhwal, Baekdusan. People said they were the three greatest guitarists, but they only performed in Korea. You guys think the viewers are going to listen to your music?¡± ¡°If you guys get eliminated, all you¡¯ll have left are memories. Jun Hyuk on the other hand proved his genius with just two songs in the area preliminaries and Super Week. Even if he doesn¡¯t get into the top 10, there are loads of people who are waiting to scout him as soon as this program is over.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll probably be greater once he¡¯s done with the broadcast. We put someone like him with you but what are you guys doing? Honestly, even if I don¡¯t edit your performance, the judges will probably cut the song after about one minute. There¡¯s nothing to hear. I¡¯m sure you guys will hear all types of criticism too. Then you¡¯re really ending on the worst note.¡± Vocal Han Ki Su must have been unable to tolerate theparisons to Jun Hyuk because he spoke after a long silence, ¡°Producer. That¡¯s not right. Until now, the judges...¡± Before Han Ki Su could even finish his words, they heard something that would have been good not to hear at all. ¡°What about the judges? When they praised you? You think that was sincere? Your music... honestly, it sucks. Sung Chul and Jung Soo started out in bands. You don¡¯t know? The broadcast is a show. The judges are matching that.¡± ¡°In my opinion, Jun Hyuk will arrange the song better than I can. I¡¯m saying this earnestly.¡± ¡°You guys choose. This is it for what we are thinking. Then do your best.¡± The two left the room after saying that they did not have an option, not that they were giving them a choice. The members sat still for a while with dark expressions. In the spirit of rock, they needed to quit everything and leave. However, they were just youths hungry for sess. ¡°Bro, what do we do? Do we do what they say?¡± The bassist acted as if he were asking leader Han Ki Su what they should do, but he meant that they should do as they were told to. ¡°Fine. Since it¡¯s gotten to this, let¡¯s just stand out in the performance and step all over that kid.¡± Han Ki Su grit his teeth and emanated anger. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he say that he would make the drum the main? Do as he says and we¡¯ll make him second instead. A second who¡¯s just scratching out chords will never stand out. I¡¯m saying let¡¯s do that.¡± Han Ki Su and the guitarist who nned to drown out Jun Hyuk met eyes and nodded. The band members left the conference room and approached Jun Hyuk. ¡°Look here. Let¡¯s forget all of our bad feelings and focus on the mission. I¡¯ll be the bigger man since I¡¯m older and apologize.¡± Vocal Han Ki Su saw Jun Hyuk take the hand that he put forth and felt relief. ¡°You do the directing for this mission. We¡¯ll follow you. That¡¯s okay, right?¡± ¡°I can really do what I want?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do whatever you want.¡± Jun Hyuk went to the drummer as if he had been waiting to hear that he could do as he pleased, ¡°By chance, can you do double bass?¡± ¡°Huh? Double?¡± The drummer winced when the other members looked at him. Until now, he had never performed in double bass and there was only a single bass drum in their practice room. The drummer nced at his members and spoke, ¡°I can¡¯t do it yet. I am practicing.¡± ¡°Hm... I guess we¡¯ll have to do it differently.¡± Jun Hyuk kept mumbling to himself and pulled a notebook out of his bag. It was printed with staff lines and looked like a notebook that a child in elementary school would use. ¡°Sir on the bass, do you know how to read music scores?¡± The bassist nodded as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m the only one who reads scores. Everyone else learned by listening to music.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand drew out the bass line. He ripped thepleted score out and passed it to the bassist saying, ¡°Since the drummer can¡¯t y double bass, you¡¯ll have to cover him. You¡¯ll be able to do it.¡± ¡°Huh? Uh... I think it¡¯ll work but... I¡¯ll try it.¡± Jun Hyuk had created the line so that the bassist would be able to y it. He could do it, he just had not done it before. Jun Hyuk led the drummer by his hand to the drum set, ¡°I¡¯ll perform it while you record it on your cellphone. You can get the song listening to that, right?¡± ¡°You can y the drums?¡± No matter how much the VJ filmed, Jun Hyuk kept showing new sides to himself and even seemed wonderful. ¡°I¡¯m not very good at it, but I can y a little. Just think of what I y as the skeleton and put some flesh on it.¡± Jun Hyuk started drumming lightly to tune the set. He must have liked the sound because he smiled and held the stick properly. ¡°Okay, start recording. One, two, three, four.¡± Jun Hyuk signaled the start with the drumsticks and yed a heavy bass. While he performed on the drums for four minutes, none of the contestants in the room even made the sound of their breathing. The drummer who had been carefully watching from next to Jun Hyuk had bloodshot eyes. He would have shed tears if Jun Hyuk had yed for 10 more seconds. He had dreamt of Canadian group RUSH¡¯s drummer Neil Peart and practiced for countless days to the point where his palms ripped just so he could y the drums like this. The other contestants had been thinking that Jun Hyuk was a songwriter ying the acoustic guitar. No one could close their mouths when he yed the drums with the pressure of arge truck like Metallica¡¯s drummer, Lars Ulrich. The producer ran out to the practice room as soon as he heard that Jun Hyuk was ying the drums himself. He was not able to hear the whole performance, but he felt bliss from what he heard from after the 2-minute mark. The music director who had been watching alongside the producer could not speak properly, ¡°That... That kid... What is he?¡± ¡°What else? He¡¯s destined for viewer ratings. We have to make sure he gets into the top 10. He might as well have reserved the real-time rankings for this second half. Ha ha.¡± The producerughed excitedly, but the members of Steel de could notugh. Especially not the vocal and guitarist because they did not have the confidence to push past this storm-like drum with their voice and guitar sound. Jun Hyuk paid no mind to the attention he was being given and spoke to the drummer, ¡°You recorded everything, right? Do you think you¡¯ll be able to get something out of it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to. But... honestly, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to copy it 100%.¡± Jun Hyuk had instructed him to put some flesh on this skeleton, but he did not even have the confidence to y the skeleton properly. ¡°Just don¡¯t lose the bass then. That¡¯s the main point here. If you lose the bass drum, the bassist will stand out. The bass guitar and drum are the house. The guitar and vocal are just the interior, so you¡¯ll have to make sure you¡¯re ready.¡± The bassist and drummer loved music. The music they would have to y today was miles away from the music they had been ying until now, that they had already forgotten the friction there had been with Jun Hyuk earlier. All they were thinking was that they wanted to quickly master this great music. ¡°Is it our turn now? I¡¯m a little nervous.¡± The vocal and guitarist felt a bit of excitement as they went towards Jun Hyuk. However, Jun Hyuk sshed cold water on their excitement, ¡°The two of you can just do as you were practicing earlier. The only difference is that you need to pause during the 15 second drum solo in the middle.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I told you just now. The drum and bass are the house and the guitar and vocal are the interior. The judges will be overwhelmed by the grandeur of the house anyway. They won¡¯t be able to enter the house, so they won¡¯t care too much about the interior.¡± ¡°Then what about you? What are you doing?¡± ¡°What you said before. I¡¯m just going to scratch out some chords.¡± Jun Hyuk left the two who were left dumbfounded at his absurd answer to help the drummer practice. Chapter 40 Volume 1 / Chapter 40 TL: LightNovelCafe The producer gathered the production team and producers for an emergency meeting. The judges who watched Jun Hyuk y the drums on the conference room monitor had the same reaction, ¡°How many people in Korea can y the drums like that?¡± ¡°A monster in the music world is born. Can he y other instruments?¡± ¡°Guitar, piano, drum. That means strings, viers, and percussions. If he does winds, he¡¯s done all of them? He can¡¯t y the trumpet or flute, can he?¡± When the judges could not stop talking, Producer Kim Ki Sik felt more confident, ¡°What do you think? Don¡¯t you think we need to put him in the top 10?¡± ¡°We as musicians agree, but do you think the everyday viewer will ept it? There¡¯s still no singing. If you want to put him up there, you need to send that band too. There at least needs to be the validation that he created amazing music.¡± No matter what anyone said, it was an audition selecting singers. How could they put a genius who could not sing in the top 10? Everyone had the same thought. It was a waste to eliminate someone like him. ¡°The judges just need to give him high praises. I¡¯ll edit it somehow to make it eptable.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik was the only one with confidence. Was it not the producer¡¯s role to make fiction seem like reality? ¡°Producer Kim, do it well. Make sure there isn¡¯t weird noise that the winner was pre-decided or that we chose based on looks again. In the end, we¡¯re the only ones who get cursed at.¡± Last season, when the handsome, ideal man won by an inch, it got to the point where Lee Sung Chul said that he would never be a judge on the show again. However, the winner was an outstanding prize. He had female fans everywhere and he showed a sense for entertainment shows. A yearter, he is on a popr variety show and he is worth a lot of money. Thanks to this, MV channel had been making a great profit. ¡°Sung Chul, Jun Hyuk doesn¡¯t even have an agency. I¡¯m saying I want to pass a kid like that. It¡¯s not about money, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik already had a picture of how he was going to edit the broadcast until Star Week. Thest of Star Week, the mission stage with the metal band, was going to be the most importantponent. *** Thest stage of Star Week. When the four members of Steel de and Jun Hyuk took their positions, the stage looked packed. Once the arrangements were done, the order of how the performances would go on broadcast was up to the producer¡¯s discretion, and the band was given thest turn because they had a lot of instruments to set up. ¡°I heard a lot of noise earlier. Did you set everything up well?¡± Yoon Jung Suughed while he asked as if he wanted to ease their nerves. ¡°Yes, it wasn¡¯t really anything. The arrangement came out well too.¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk did the arrangement?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They needed to keep reminding the viewers that the following music was Jun Hyuk¡¯s work. No matter how little Jun Hyuk has, this song is his song. They needed to point this out. ¡°Great. Should we listen to it?¡± While everyone was tense, Jun Hyuk¡¯s gentle guitar stroke adorned the intro. Then the bass came in as if it had been waiting with the drum following. Vocal Han Ki Su did lose the first beat in the midst of the heaviness, but none of the members paid him any attention. This was a performance where it was overwhelming to sessfully carry out each of their own parts. Until the 1st line sabi (chorus) ended, the four judges moved with the music as though they were feeling the drum¡¯s beats. The drum solo Jun Hyuk had worked with him on came out at the bridge. This was the 15 seconds in which the drummer had to show all of the talent he had not shown as he had been matching his band members¡¯ standards up until now. When the drum solo started, his three members and Jun Hyuk just stared at him intently. This was so they could enter the 2nd verse on time as soon as the drum solo ended. When 10 seconds of the drumming that sounded like fireworks had passed, Jun Hyuk suddenly stood up with his acoustic guitar. It was different. An entirely different deployment was unfolding. The 15 second drum solo was not for the drummer to y as he pleased. That would be an ad lib. The drum solo needed to go as it had been perfectly nned and prepared. It needed to fit in with theplete song and it needed to fuse seamlessly. Had he not polished the 15 second solo to make it perfectly? However, when 10 seconds passed, the drummer lowered the sound of the bass drum and started to use the tom-tom and snare. It was the type of sound that gives the audience suspense right before a ghost or demon appears in a horror movie. Due to the change in the drum, the vocal, guitar, and bassist were caught by surprise and the four judges could sense that something was going wrong. Jun Hyuk approached the drum set with an interesting look on his face. The drummer did not even realize that Jun Hyuk was standing in front of him. No one could tell if he knew that he was performing something different because all of his focus was on the drum set before him. Jun Hyuk sat in front of the drum set. The judges now had to look at his back. They did not know when this confounding situation would be over, but Producer Kim Ki Sik did not stop it. Producer Kim was so thankful that Star Week was pre-recorded that he did not know what to do. This would have been an extreme ident if it had happened during the top 10 live broadcast. Since the producer in charge was staying still, the judges had no choice but to keep watching. Though they had been caught off-guard at first, as they listened to the drum solo ¨C no, now it needed to be called an ad lib, it gave them marvel. While the tom-tom and snare had crept in, the hi-hat took over. As the hi-hat steadily released the suspense, a refreshing race began. Jun Hyuk was still on the floor tapping his fingers on the body of the drum, relishing in the rhythm of the drum. 8 minutes passed like this and the drummer held the drumsticks he had been wielding like a whip still. He was out of breath and wiping the sweat off of his forehead when he froze. It was only then that he realized what he had done. It was as if time had stopped. Jun Hyuk who was sitting directly in front of the drum set wasughing, and he could see his three members looking devastated. He could also see two judges looking surprised and the other twoughing as though they were having fun from afar. The drummer was certain of two facts. They did not finish the mission song and he ruined this entire performance. Once he realized this, he could not lift his head again. The drummer sat in a silence that seemed to go forever. ¡°Lift your chin. Why are you like that when you gave such an incredible performance?¡± Judge Lee Sung Chul broke the silence. ¡°I forgot what the mission song was. I don¡¯t know why you hid such talent up till now... You may not be able to be ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star,¡¯ but you can be the best drummer representing Korea. I¡¯m guaranteeing it.¡± The drummer lifted his head at Lee Sung Chul¡¯spliments. When Yoon Jung Su saw the drummer¡¯s face, he asked, ¡°Why did you start an improvised performance? It waspletely different from what you practiced, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know what I yed. I could only see the drum set in front of me and... it felt like my head was empty.....¡± Yoon Jung Su burst out inughter at the stuttering drummer. ¡°Seems like you were possessed by a god. Ha ha.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That does happen to musicians at times. Though it is a pity that it happened during apetition. It would have been great if it happened during a show.¡± However, the relentlessmentary did not fail. Judge Son Ji Young spoke with a bad expression, ¡°You would receive evaluation from the audience if it were your own concert, but you need to be evaluated on how well you digested a mission song. You realize that it¡¯s a situation where you stopped ying the mission song in the middle even if you did keep ying, right? That¡¯s something that cannot happen. It was a performance that showed what an amateur you are.¡± Lee Eun Jin¡¯s following assessment was the same, ¡°The evaluation could have been different if the song had beenpleted when the drum ended. However, when the solo was over, everyone stood there nkly. How could you make such a mistake? Even if it was a great performance, you all need to know this stage was ruined.¡± The members of Steel de lost even the slightest bit of hope they had. The drummer who had brightened up at thepliments hung his head again. What had he done to his members? *** The evaluation ended at Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s sign and the results were revealed. Son Jin Young was holding the mic, ¡°This mission... there isn¡¯t a winner. Jang Jun Hyuk and Steel de are both eliminated. You worked hard.¡± The drummer who stumped back to the waiting room could not lift his face and kept repeating his apologies, ¡°Shit, just beat me up. If I hadn¡¯t done something so stupid... I¡¯m really sorry. I have nothing to say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. As he said, we were just included to sort the range of genres. I¡¯m happy that you were able to show your full talent. That¡¯s enough, right?¡± Vocal and leader Han Ki Su pat the drummer¡¯s back. On the one hand, he was also envious. It was not an easy feat to getpliments from Korea¡¯s best singer. The drummer who had been engulfed in the drum¡¯s aftertaste, his busy thoughts, and the regret, picked up his things and approached Jun Hyuk, ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m relieved because of you. I¡¯ve gained the confidence to say that I¡¯m a drummer wherever I go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed that you were eliminated from the auditions. You¡¯ll get famous anyway.¡± ¡°Do you want to give me your phone number? Let¡¯s keep in touch. Can I go to the cafe you work at?¡± ¡°Sure, mister. I want to perform with you again somewhere down the road.¡± The drummer spoke to Jun Hyuk who saved his phone number, ¡°Hey! Why are you calling me mister? Call me brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡± He reaffirmed that this young genius did not open up his heart easily. Chapter 41 Volume 1 / Chapter 41 TL: LightNovelCafe All Star Week missions were over, but the top 10 finalists were not decided. There were eight winners because there was another team that had beenpletely eliminated like Jun Hyuk¡¯s. They needed to pick two more people toplete the top 10. However, the truth was that the broadcast station had not finished coordinating thest of the contracts they had with the entertainment agencies. The legal and production teams were busy making the final touches. Once they were finished tuning the contracts with the entertainment agencies, Producer Kim Ki Sik felt like his head was going to explode. They had decided the order of elimination and each team¡¯s song selection for the top 10 performances. They had to design the broadcast as if it were a puzzle without any easy pieces. On top of that, all of this had to align with the contents of the contracts, it had to look natural to the viewers, and the quality of the stages had to be up to par. There were plenty of other audition programs. His head still hurt when he thought of the verbal abuse they had suffered on the intest season. They had put in a song by a girl group that went off a sexy concept without vocals. The participant that had to sing that song was a rock band. The arrangement was good, so they did not think that there would be any issues, but that week¡¯s stage theme happened to be ¡®The Song of My Life¡¯. The members of the rock band were older than the members of the girl group. In a way, it should have been expected that the viewers would be angry. Not only did most rock bands not listen to idol or girl group songs, but they got most of their inspiration from British and American rock bands. But it was ¡®The Song of My Life¡¯! Moreover with a young girl group¡¯s song. This season needed to be perfect. The entertainment market grew by the day. Mistakes could not be tolerated to the point where thepany¡¯s profits depended on each broadcast. ¡°Okay. There¡¯s only one person who needs to be added to the top 10 no matter what, right? Nam Seung Hee?¡± ¡°Yes. Wepleted the contract with her agency.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik and the production team went into the selection process for the remaining two seats in the top 10. ¡°Then if we confirm the 9 people... it¡¯s exactly 10 if we put Jun Hyuk in there.¡± Producer Jo spoke cautiously, ¡°But senior, there are some problems if we do it like this.¡± ¡°I know. You¡¯re talking about the fat kid and the girl with the braces, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Kwak Hye Sung and Jang Na Rae. The judges have been giving those two good evaluations as well and their prospects aren¡¯t bad either. Kwak Hye Sung could hit it big if he just loses a little weight... and Jang Na Rae seems like she could shine once her bracese out and her looks get better with the limelight.¡± It went without saying that their singing skills were not a joke either. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t there any calls for them? Agencies these days don¡¯t have an eye for these things?¡± ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s because of Jun Hyuk. The agencies are only trying to get Jun Hyuk. They¡¯re good kids in their own rights, but they can¡¯t get any attention because Jun Hyuk overshadows them.¡± Producer Jo shook his head at the thought of the flood of calls. He picked up dozens of calls from agencies asking for a chance to meet Jang Jun Hyuk everyday. ¡°The problem is that if we don¡¯t put these two up, we¡¯ll have to edit everything out. There are a few kids in the top 10 who don¡¯t sing as well as these two do. Especially if people like Nam Seung Hee advance, we¡¯ll really get feedback that we choose the winners by their looks.¡± ¡°What do we do? Go with top 12?¡± ¡°If we do that, we need to get permission to go on air for another week. Are we okay to do that?¡± If there was an episode extension, the main writer had an increase in work and ie. The main writer was not a full-time employee, but was working on a contract. The number of episodes directly affected the ie. It was bound to be a sensitive issue. ¡°Pil Jae, go to the consultants and see if we can get another week.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Producer Jo and Pil Jae ran to the conference room. ¡°If we can¡¯t get the extension, we can shorten the two-part epilogue to one. That¡¯s okay, right?¡± Producer Kim looked to the main writer as if seeking consent. He had already settled on going with top 12 finalists. ¡°So we¡¯re decided on doing top 12?¡± ¡°Yeah. How much money do we get from the digital sales of two songs? It¡¯s not a bad thing.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t our show going to be top 12 permanently like this?¡± ¡°Last season was top 11. It¡¯s fine.¡± They finalized their decision to go with the top 12. Kwak Hye Sung and Jang Na Rae did not know that the two of them had gotten on a train from hell to heaven. ¡°Then make the order for the broadcast with those finalists. Make sure you check the order of eliminations.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go get interviews from the additional contestants. Oh right, this Thursday is the airing of the first episode. Finish up the editing.¡± Everyone sighed at Producer Kim¡¯s words. They could say goodbye to eating at home for the next month while the program aired. The conference room seemed to be full of the smell of cup ramen and rice rolls already. *** ¡°First, Jung Soo should talk to Jun Hyuk in an interview format. Make it fairly long since I¡¯ll be editing the best parts of it.....¡± ¡°Producer Kim, I¡¯m going to do it honestly. If he doesn¡¯t show potential, I¡¯m just going to eliminate him. I¡¯ll interview him if you agree to this. If not, give up on Jun Hyuk.¡± It seemed that Judge Yoon Jung Su felt burdened that he was the person allowing Jun Hyuk to advance to the top 10 when he had just been sitting nkly during thest performance. He hit the wall even before his interview with Jun Hyuk. Producer Kim Ki Sik understood Yoon Jung Su¡¯s worries, so he agreed, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go with the truth. Since he¡¯s going out on live television without singing, the viewers will be able to ept him to a certain extent if he can convince you. If you need to eliminate him, do it. I¡¯ll give up on him too.¡± Yoon Jung Su¡¯s face became brighter as soon as Producer Kim agreed to his terms, ¡°Oh right, what agency is Nam Seung Hee in?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so naive. Why do you think Jin Young came on the show? Ha ha.¡± ¡°She¡¯s in JYS? That girl is?¡± ¡°Yes. I think they¡¯re trying to make her the second Ji Na. Sexy and pretty good at singing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible since Nam Seung Hee¡¯s voice is better. Her looks are okay too.¡± From the regretful look on his face, it seemed like he had been thinking of bringing her into his agency. ¡°We also decided to let the fatty and brace face advance. Sung Chul and Lee Eun Jin are going to interview them.¡± ¡°Who? Fatty? Brace face? Oh, Kwak Hye Sung and Jang Na Rae. Yeah, those two were a pity to eliminate. You thought well.¡± The top 12 were decided and in order to create material for the show, Yoon Jung Su went to meet Jun Hyuk who had already started packing his bags to leave. Chapter 42 Volume 1 / Chapter 42 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Music is thought.¡± Yoon Jung Su saw Jun Hyuk in a different light when he responded without hesitation. Amateurs tended to think that music was sacred. Usually, the answers to a question like this was that it was their dream, life, or challenge. That was after much contemtion as well. ¡°Thought? Why?¡± ¡°People have all kinds of thoughts all day without a second to spare. It¡¯s because I have music instead of those thoughts.¡± ¡°There¡¯s constantly music in your head?¡± ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s music and sometimes they¡¯re sounds since sounds are also music. No... is music sounds? It¡¯s confusing.¡± Yoon Jung Su thought that fireworks had gone off in his head. Could he have been born with the God-given talent that is said to be lucky to appear once a century? There is a saying in art and sports: There¡¯s only one way a person who tries hard can beat a person born with talent. He can win if the person born with talent quits. The first people who recognize a gift are parents. Even today, there are countless children who are led to the doors of famous musicians or artists by their parents. They all say the same words, ¡°We have no doubt that our child is a genius.¡± However, the reply is also always the same, ¡°No, he has some talent but he is not a genius. He¡¯s simply a little more advanced than the average child. That difference is very insignificant as well.¡± The parents leaving all say, ¡°He can¡¯t even recognize a genius!¡± The former world record for the 100m race for 23 years was 0.16 seconds. But the monster Usain Bolt shortened it to 0.14 seconds in a year while beating his own record. Usain Bolt¡¯s spine is curved due to a congenital disease scoliosis. As such, there are also people who are born with a talent that others cannot attain with hard work. There is an innate ranking in gifts one is born with. Yoon Jung Su was curious about the ranking of Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent when he said that he constantly heard music, ¡°Then do you want to be a star through your music?¡± ¡°They said that I don¡¯t need to make an effort to be a star. They said that I would be a star no matter what because I was born a genius.¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°My boss.¡± ¡°Your boss? Oh, the owner of the cafe you work at?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Could it be that a cafe owner who does not know anything is mistaken in believing that Jun Hyuk¡¯s insignificant talent was something incredible? Was this case like with other parents who were under the illusion that their children were geniuses? Is this why Jun Hyuk had such an arrogant personality? ¡°Why does your boss think that?¡± ¡°I never forget a song I hear once and he said that every sound in the world bes music in my head. All I have to do is get out the music that¡¯s in my head. What did he say that was....?¡± ¡°Absolute pitch?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Absolute pitch. He said that only a few people are born with this talent and of them, I¡¯m top quality.¡± ¡°Remembering music after hearing it once could just mean that you have a really good memory. And getting the music in your head out doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re a genius. That music has to be good.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± Writing the entire music scores of all instruments in an hour long symphony was impossible with a good memory. This is what the cafe owner said, but music expert Yoon Jung Su was saying something different. Jun Hyuk tilted his head slightly. Jun Hyuk tried to speak, but was cut off when Yoon Jung Su continued to talk, ¡°And you¡¯ve only shown us your arrangements until now. You¡¯ve never made your own music. Of course the arranging skills you¡¯ve shown us are outstanding. However, in music you need to have a fundamental creative base. I want to see if you¡¯ve got creative potential.¡± At that moment, Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°I want to do my music as well, but they keep saying stuff about mission songs and won¡¯t let me do my own.¡± ¡°What? Ha ha ha. There is that. Hey, Producer Kim! This is your fault.¡± Yoon Jung Su yelled to Producer Kim Ki Sik who was filming the interview from a distance. The fast-thinking VJ filmed this scene including Producer Kim Ki Sik who wasughing in shock. ¡°Then do you have an original song prepared?¡± ¡°I have a lot. I can make a few in a day if I put my mind to it.¡± ¡°What? A few songs in one day? Hah.¡± The people who created the most songs in the shortest time were children. They made music while constantly humming, but none of the songs were fit to be used. Teenagers wrote songs by scratching out the guitar chords they are used to hearing. They may not know it themselves, but it was giarism. With songs like this, it was possible to make dozens in a day. ¡°Then should we hear it? What do you think? How about the song you like most out of all the songs you¡¯ve made so far?¡± Jun Hyuk thought for a bit and spoke, ¡°The song I like most is difficult to y right now. It¡¯s a symphony so I need an orchestra.¡± ¡°What symphony?¡± ¡°Yes. Oh... right. There¡¯s something I made not too long ago. During the 2nd mission with Nam Seung Hee, I made a song that would be perfect for her tone. I¡¯ll y that for you.¡± Yoon Jung Su was taken aback by the two words, symphony and orchestra, that Jun Hyuk had just said. What did he mean, symphony? The only famous Koreanposer was Yoon Yi Sang. From Kyeongnam, Tongyong, he performed in Germany and was proudly chosen to be in New York Metropolitan Museum¡¯s 20 contemporary musicians. No otherposer came to mind. Of course there was a decrease in the number of peopleposing symphonies these days, but this was an issue of basic skills. How could a teenager he had thought of as immature talk about symphonies? Yoon Jung Su wanted to hang on to Jun Hyuk and ask him, but he was already sitting at a piano, ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ll start now.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled brightly as he started ying the piano. That smile did not disappear until the music ended. Yoon Jung Su pictured a Pocari Sweatmercial from Jun Hyuk¡¯s song. Warm sunlight, a beautiful blue sea. Greece¡¯s Santorini with walls as white as a swan. The piano melody was smooth, beautiful, and clear. ¡°What do you think? Teacher? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, it¡¯s good. Really.¡± There was nothing else to say. It was good. Really good. It could be yed for at least 20 years. ¡°You said you made this two days ago? During the 2nd mission?¡± ¡°Yes. Nam Seung Hee sang the Finkl song as a jazz song then. But it seemed like bads are perfect for that girl.¡± ¡°So you just made a bad song on the spot?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How about the lyrics? What is it about? Did you write them?¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t write lyrics.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t written them?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m saying I can¡¯t write lyrics. It hasn¡¯t been long since I learned hangul... and I¡¯m not very good at expressing emotions with words.¡± He could not believe that it had not been long since Jun Hyuk learned hangul, but he remembered Jun Hyuk¡¯s past and shut his mouth. Expressing emotions. Expression itself is spoken or in writing. Expressing with speech and writing is literature. Jun Hyuk had learned too little to express himself in words. When Yoon Jung Su did not speak, Jun Hyuk said something unexpected, ¡°Could you perhaps write the lyrics?¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you write songs well.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You made the song. You have to write the lyrics ording to your emotions. Isn¡¯t it weird if I write them?¡± ¡°No... I took my emotions and made the song, so couldn¡¯t you write the lyrics ording to the emotions you felt by listening to it?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s potential had already been confirmed after hearing the song he made for Nam Seung Hee. There was also a reason why he did not sing and was persistent on ying instrumentals. His intention was to give everyone listening to his music the freedom to feel and interpret it. Yoon Jung Su realized that Jun Hyuk had the capacity to be an impressive musician instead of being just another singer. Kim Ki Sik who had been filming this entire interview smiled widely as he thought that he had killed two birds with one stone. A song created for one girl. Yoon Jung Su confirmed Jun Hyuk¡¯s musicality with this song and the camera had filmed his feelings for Nam Seung Hee. All that was left was what viewers called the devil¡¯s edit. Chapter 43 Volume 1 / Chapter 43 TL: LightNovelCafe Producer Kim Ki Sik who had watched the first episode¡¯s editption picked out two points of significance as an artist chooses the emphasis of a work. ¡°Only include Jun Hyuk and Nam Seung Hee¡¯s previews. Don¡¯t change it or make it with the kids who sing well.¡± ¡°Do you want to blur their faces?¡± ¡°No, both of their faces are their weapons. Just put in 10 seconds of Nam Seung Hee in the middle. Mix pieces of Jun Hyuk¡¯s story together and put it in the ending. Just 15 seconds. End it with a close-up of his face. Okay?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too tant?¡± ¡°So let¡¯s see it. We can see which would be better to air. We¡¯ll see if Jun Hyuk can or can¡¯t beat everyone¡¯s singing with just his looks. Don¡¯t put Jun Hyuk¡¯s story in tomorrow¡¯s press release, either.¡± ¡°Take him out of the press release?¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re going to pit the 15 minutes of exposure against the whole program without borrowing the strength of a press release.¡± The limitations of a live broadcast. Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance without singing could not bring out the liveliness of the scene. His intention was to see if Jun Hyuk could make up for these shorings and get him to the top 5 if it was possible. ¡°Then, how about the top 10 tournament? You nned everything without any contract vitions, right?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll progress with this order if you confirm, and start allocating the mission songs.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s see it.¡± The contestants in the top 12 would live together for 40 days while preparing for the live broadcast, sweating to be the best. However, that sweat cannot push someone to the top spot. Their dreams were being decided in this conference room following a contract that adults made. ¡°First, how many are there inrge agencies?¡± ¡°Four people. We already finished talks with these. There¡¯s no need to advance two of them any further. ording to their contracts, we only need to get them on the first stage of the live broadcast.¡± ¡°So they¡¯ll be the first two to be eliminated?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Top 10 decided. ¡°The remaining two are automatically the next to be eliminated?¡± ¡°Yes. Articles saying they are signing with their respective agencies will go out once the program is over, and we¡¯ll get 20% of their profits after they debut.....¡± Top 8 decided. ¡°The cable channel didn¡¯t ask for anything?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t told what the contract with the cable channel says. It¡¯s not even the top 5 but the early eliminations so.....¡± ¡°There are three kids without agencies. These are the next people to be eliminated.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Top 5 decided. ¡°You¡¯ve only nned the rest of the kids to top 5, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re thinking that they¡¯ve chosen through enough if we¡¯ve reached the top 5.¡± The broadcast station and agencies knew after going through four seasons that there was enough publicity if they just got to the top 5. ¡°No one has requested the top 3 yet¡± ¡°No.¡± Up to here was the middle of the betting race where the agencies were gathered. The agencies would watch the broadcast and see the reactions. Following that reaction, they would decide if they would bet more or put their cards down. ¡°Oh yeah, there¡¯s a ce requesting the win. Jessica. You know Mango Entertainment, right?¡± ¡°Mango? Thepany that a manager from SN created when he left? Mango keeps pushing for it? ¡°Yes. Their investors are good and they have two good idol teams. They prepared this girl a lot and are busy trying to make her the 2nd Park Jung Hyun.¡± It was fully possible. She had received high praises from the judges during the area preliminaries when they did not know which agency she was in. She had proved that her vocals were perfected with four years as a trainee. ¡°Did they say they signed with a cable channel?¡± ¡°Yes. The deal being made is that if they make them 1st ce, they take 20% of the profits for 5 years and they¡¯ll put the debut song on the top three stations, and on the condition that they make 1st ce on the music program, they take 20% of the profits for 2 years.¡± The total profit they discussed was not just the money brought in from music. Advertisements and TV appearances were also included. The only money they could not take was what was made from performing at events. Since most did not bill their taxes, it was difficult to identify the revenue. If they stopped billing the taxes? They would definitely take it. ¡°Five years? The condition is good. Most ces end it after three years.¡± ¡°They¡¯re asking us to make her number one no matter what.¡± ¡°Say she wins, who¡¯s working on her debut song? Nothing matters if the song sucks... She won¡¯t be able to gain poprity.¡± ¡°They¡¯re thinking of taking the safe route. They¡¯re going to release a single and work on a remake album. Apparently, they even got the copyrights.¡± It was evident that they had prepared thoroughly. It was up to Jessica whether this preparation would go on to be a sess or end with failure. ¡°What about the remaining four?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t much difference between them. They only asked to be in the top 5 anyway. The conditions are the customary 20% for two years. Their intention is to watch the response and act then.¡± This is how the size of these youths¡¯ dreams were decided. Producer Kim Ki Sik brought up his hidden card Jun Hyuk, ¡°The problem is Jun Hyuk.... How far should we advance him? Put him in 5th ce?¡± ¡°I really think I¡¯m going to go crazy.¡± Producer Jo looked upset as soon as discussion on Jun Hyuk started. ¡°Because Jun Hyuk doesn¡¯t listen?¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk doesn¡¯t listen but it¡¯s also the cafe owner who is his guardian. I tell him I¡¯ll link him with an entertainment agency, but he doesn¡¯t listen. He says he¡¯s not interested.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s trying to make his own agency with Jun Hyuk as his poster boy. Aren¡¯t there a lot of people like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious. Even if that cafe owner really makes an agency and tries to train Jun Hyuk, it¡¯s impossible and he doesn¡¯t know that.¡± This industry¡¯s entertainment market was run on a system. At the center of that system was money andworking. Just because a Misari cafe owner discovered a kid with talent did not mean that everything went the way he nned. If the cafe owner was in his early 30s, he might be able to settle around 10 yearster. However, he was already in his mid-40s. It was an impossible dream. ¡°So what I¡¯m trying to say is that Dine Music is going after Jun Hyuk the most and they want to do some work. What should I do?¡± ¡°Dine?¡± ¡°Yes. Dine is big in Japan. They say with Jun Hyuk¡¯s looks and skills, he¡¯d do better in Japan than in Korea... Japan¡¯s performing arts can¡¯t bepared with ours.¡± ¡°Hm, that sounds good.¡± As the main producer showed a positive reaction, Assistant Director Pil Jae¡¯s face brightened. Producer Kim thought that guy must have at least been invited to drink with Dine Music. ¡°Right? That¡¯s what Dine Music was saying. If he just does two years of promotions, he has the potential to earn at least $100,000 easily after.¡± ¡°So? How do they want to work?¡± ¡°They¡¯re going to make the cafe owner into a viinous thief.¡± ¡°Thief?¡± ¡°Yes. He brought on an orphan and didn¡¯t pay him anything for hisbor. If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, he¡¯s trying to exploit him for money just because he has a talent in music. He didn¡¯t take any measures while he was bothering him for two years and just because he went out on broadcast, he acquired guardianship. This type of story.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. He he.¡± ¡°These were revealed as clear facts. I think it¡¯ll work too.¡± The production team sitting in the conference room and Dine Music did not have feelings of animosity or resentment toward the cafe owner, Yoon Kwang Hun. This was just work. Everyone thought this way. They needed to do a good job to make money and to do this, they needed to address whatever made their work difficult. Yoon Kwang Hun was just an obstacle to their work. ¡°That¡¯s something Dine Music needs to do on their own. We can just forget about it in the meantime. They can go through with it or not.¡± Producer Kim was certain that Assistant Director Pil Jae had been approached by Dine Music when he quickly started talking after he said to forget about it, ¡°About that... It seemed like they wanted us to help out a bit.¡± ¡°Us? How are we supposed to help them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Jun Hyuk will be one of the trending topics next week when the show airs. They said they were going to spread the articles then.....¡± The assistant director hesitated a bit. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk can¡¯t see the articles. It¡¯s all over if Jun Hyuk tells reporters that the cafe owner is like his father.¡± ¡°So they¡¯re asking us to cover his eyes and ears?¡± ¡°Yes. He goes into the boarding house this week anyway. If we make sure they don¡¯t get inte and phone ess... They can end it in three weeks. And we have to make sure the people around him don¡¯t say anything as well.¡± It was certain that this assistant director was deeply involved with Dine Music as he was acting as their messenger altogether. Producer Kim did not want to reproach him. He had been working as an assistant director in the strenuous world of variety programs for three years. If he had not had these kinds of bonuses, he would have quit a long time ago. ¡°For free?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Producer Kim smirked at the assistant director, ¡°To do that, they need us no matter what. What you just said is that we need topletely cut Jun Hyuk off from the outside.¡± Assistant Director Pil Jae tried to see whether or not Producer Kim was angry first. Producer Kim had already figured it out that he had gone to the room salon with someone from Dine Music. Fortunately, he did not seem angry. ¡°We need to prepare the foundation. They¡¯re asking us to edit the highlights of the hard life Jun Hyuk had as an orphan and his miserable life for when the broadcast airs. That way, the article about his exploitation as a ve will be bigger news.¡± No one could speak. This was not just an issue of Dine Music. The broadcast production team was bing an aplice. It meant that they were getting actively involved in making one person into garbage. ¡°Pil Jae.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Tell Dine Music toe in. Someone higher than an executive. Someone with a say. We need to decide after hearing the master n. Schedule a meeting for today. The broadcast goes out next week so we don¡¯t have time. Oh right, tell the legal team to join the meeting as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°We need to progress with these things thoroughly since we¡¯re taking a lot of risks.¡± Assistant Director Pil Jae may be content with having drinks, but this did not cut it close for the main producer, Kim Ki Sik. He wanted to receive a secret offer from Dine Music. Chapter 44 Volume 1 / Chapter 44 TL: LightNovelCafe As Jun Hyuk had said, people from apparel brand XOR came to the cafe. The XOR officials were edgy while Yoon Kwang Hun read through the contract meticulously. The broadcast had warned them that the cafe owner was very precise. They still had not thought that he would read through all six pages of the contract. Yoon Kwang Hun began to speak once he was done reading the contract, ¡°The main point is this? If he has a scandal during the year after ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ starts, we need topensate the damages. Is that right?¡± ¡°Ah... yes. That is content that is typically included.¡± ¡°Hm, sir. I guess you haven¡¯t heard the rumors yet?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun put the contract down and coughed. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk punched another kid during Star Week.¡± ¡°Oh, we know about that.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a kid plenty capable of cursing at the judges. Live broadcast? He doesn¡¯t know what that means because he doesn¡¯t care about the cameras once he goes into his music. But live like the ideal child for one year? This is asking us not to sign on.¡± ¡°Hey, sir. You¡¯re being too much. Surely he won¡¯t cause any idents on live broadcast?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. What I¡¯m most worried about is that he¡¯ll say ¡®You don¡¯t know shit and you¡¯re being annoying!¡¯ if the judges say something he doesn¡¯t agree with.¡± The XOR Manager¡¯s face brightened, ¡°We¡¯re grateful if he causes scandals like that. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°The concept of this season¡¯s jean is the rebel. We chose Jun Hyuk based on that concept. He doesn¡¯t fear the judges and says what he wants? This oveps with a teenager rebelling against a teacher or adult. Kids like it. The terms you pointed out are in reference to issues like drinking and assaulting someone, drugs, girls.¡± ¡°What... a 17 year old and alcohol, drugs, girls?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun had not even thought of such absurd situations. Did people in the entertainment industry act like adults no matter what age they were on they gained fame? ¡°If Jun Hyuk bes famous once the program ends, he¡¯ll be called to different ces, go to parties for his album release... there will be idents. Especially with Jun Hyuk, girls will be all over him. He¡¯s at an age where he won¡¯t be able to say no. That¡¯s why kids have managementpanies. Thepanies resolve all of these types of idents. The reason why people like thergerpanies is that they stop the articles no matter how big a scandal is. The reporters are scared of them.¡± They just had to stay quiet until ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ was over. Jun Hyuk was staying in a boarding house until the end of the program anyway. Whatever the XOR official was worried about would not be a problem. Once the program was over, Jun Hyuk needed to focus on studying abroad and not on be a celebrity as everyone else was assuming. Jun Hyuk could not bear being ordered around. The life of a celebrity was hard. He had to do what he was told until he became a recognized star. ¡°Then let¡¯s do this. Let¡¯s write out what the ¡®unsavory acts¡¯ are specifically. The drugs, assault, girls, et cetera you spoke of. Doesn¡¯t a contract need to be specific?¡± ¡°That sounds good. We¡¯ll change that part. Do you have any other suggestions?¡± ¡°Four poster shoots and two promotional video shoots. This video is for the TV?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s inte advertising. Of course if Jun Hyuk has enough star power, they could go on TV.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s agree to that.¡± ¡°Are you satisfied with the guarantee?¡± ¡°I realize that $20,000 for a total rookie is a very generous condition. Isn¡¯t it normally $5,000?¡± The XOR Manager¡¯s face brightened. When they were first drafting the contract, they were grappling with $5,000 and were allowed to go a little higher, but the marketing director cut everyone off bluntly. She said that he was a model worth the expense. She also said that he might turn against XOR indefinitely if they went too hard from the beginning. The XOR marketing director had a conviction about Jun Hyuk. The XOR Manager did not lose his chance when Yoon Kwang Hun showed satisfaction at the guarantee, ¡°Thank you for recognizing this. It really is a generous condition. Our Director really has an eye for people. Jun Hyuk will be a star. Our Director is sure of it.¡± The XOR Manager left the cafe saying that he would bring back a revised contract. *** That night, Yoon Kwang Hun and Jun Hyuk watched the first episode of ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ together at the cafe. Yoon Kwang Hun watched while drinking a beer, waiting for Jun Hyuk toe out, but all that aired of him was 10 seconds after 1 hour and 20 minutes. ¡°Hey! Did you know you weren¡¯ting out this week?¡± ¡°No. They didn¡¯t say anything about that.¡± Jun Hyuk must have been fascinated that he was on TV because he was a little excited. TV has a strange charm. One begins to think that he is special. Yoon Kwang Hun worried about what he had to do if Jun Hyuk became more concerned about bing a star than he did about his music, but it was already toote. He brought up another topic to ease his ominous thoughts, ¡°Is the girl whose preview came on in the middle Nam Seung Hee? She¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°Right? Truthfully, she does look prettier on the TV screen. I¡¯m going to try to get her to go out with me while we¡¯re living in the boarding house.¡± ¡°Why? She said she¡¯s interested in you too?¡± ¡°I have to blow her away. I¡¯m going to make her a song. There¡¯s no problem. He he.¡± ¡°Do well with her, but you can¡¯t cause any trouble. Oh right, when you go into the boarding house tomorrow, they¡¯ll make you do all sorts of things. They¡¯re going to make you exercise and dance. You sawst season, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. If they bother me too much, I can just quit everything and get out of there. Those people can¡¯t cut me. I overheard them talking about how I¡¯ll be the factor guaranteeing their viewer ratings this season. Ha ha.¡± It was understandable since he was a kid who had survived on watching for other people¡¯s reactions alone. He would be able to figure out that he is necessary just by looking at the faces of the staff members. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t act too much on your impatience and go along with what they say for the most part. Do what you can and if there¡¯s something you really can¡¯t do, don¡¯t throw a tantrum and go tell the producer.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really going out in society now. You were on the boundaries of society when you were living alone, but it¡¯s not like that anymore. Now, you have to fit in to a certain extent. You also have to learn to be patient until you be a person that no one can touch.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Am I a child?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being cocky. Hey, you¡¯re still a kid.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun felt that his nagging was unusually long and shut his mouth to start cleaning the cafe. Jun Hyuk was like his son, but he did not want to be like other fathers and sons. He wanted to be like an uncle and at times, a close friend. ¡°Go to sleep early. You have to go all the way to Sangam-dong tomorrow morning. Are you done packing?¡± ¡°They told me that I don¡¯t need to bring anything. They¡¯ll give me all the clothes I need to wear once I get there... even the underwear and socks. I¡¯ll just take my guitar.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯lle early in the morning.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. I can just take the bus.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun who came early in the morning to drop Jun Hyuk off in Sangam-dong thought he might know how parents feel when they are sending their children far away. Chapter 45 Volume 1 / Chapter 45 TL: LightNovelCafe A weekter. The 2nd episode of ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ finally started. Yoon Kwang Hun watched the broadcast with interest. However, he turned the TV off when it ended with Jun Hyuk ying Jung Tae Jun¡¯s ¡®Poet¡¯s Town¡¯. He was ufortable. They had only highlighted the dark and pitiful parts of Jun Hyuk¡¯s past. They had clearly said that he yed eight versions of the song, but they did not even air a full minute of this guitar performance. Instead, an interview over 3 minutes on his past came out with a scene of him sitting dejectedly alone in the waiting room with mncholic background music and a narration of his depressing story. It was as he had expected. The broadcast station had taken the direction of concepts like the forced pity and sess story. Yoon Kwang Hun went to bed with the uneasy thoughts hoping that they would highlight more of Jun Hyuk¡¯s music during Star Week. The next morning, Yoon Kwang Hun received a phone call from an employee opening the cafe in Jun Hyuk¡¯s ce, ¡°You¡¯re already at work? You¡¯re working hard since Jun Hyuk isn¡¯t here.¡± ¨C Boss. It¡¯s crazy here. ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on this early in the morning?¡± ¨C Reporters are swarming the front of the cafe. The strength of a broadcast was scary. It seemed Jun Hyuk had already be a hot topic after his first appearance yesterday. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Jun Hyuk¡¯s air time went on broadcast. That¡¯ll be why they¡¯re there.¡± ¨C No! I¡¯m telling you that¡¯s not it. Boss, go on the inte. It¡¯s no joke! When Yoon Kwang Hun put down the phone and turned on hisptop, he felt as though he had been hit across the back of his head with a stone. The top three real-time searches on thergest portal site were Jang Jun Hyuk, Tomorrow¡¯s Star, and ¡®viinous cafe owner¡¯. ¡®Viinous cafe owner?¡¯ This had to be him. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll call youter. Hang up.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun read through each article on the portal site and grimaced. [Tomorrow¡¯s Star, Hot Topic Guitarist. Jang Jun Hyuk. 2 Years of ve Labor?] [Life of very After a Life on the Streets?] [Cafe Owner¡¯s Identity? A Good Samaritan Taking in an Orphan? A Viin Bothering a Penniless Child?¡¯] [Living at a Cafe? Locked Up?] Yoon Kwang Hun shut hisptop. He had worried that Jun Hyuk might get hurt from his past being revealed because of the broadcast, but this was unexpected. The arrows were shooting at his own direction. ¡°These assholes!¡± Yoon Kwang Hun paced his room and picked up his phone, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me... Starting today, don¡¯t go to work until I say otherwise. Close the cafe doors now and just go home. Hang a sign to say that we¡¯re temporarily closed.¡± He lit a cigarette and read the articles again. They made him out to be a viinous thief in subtle wording. It was not something he could keep avoiding. He even thought he might need to go to Jun Hyuk¡¯s boarding house and go into a press conference. Just then, he thought of someone he could consult with. Yoon Kwang Hun hesitated for a moment before he picked up his cellphone. He was reluctant for a while until he dialed the phone number. To call someone he had not been in contact with for a long time to ask for a favor? Was this not the same as texting a wedding invitation to a long forgotten high school ssmate? Nheless, this was the only person he had to go to for help. Yoon Kwang Hun hit send. He heard an overly friendly voice over the phone, ¨C Wow, is this really Yoon Kwang Hun? How long has it been? ¡°Is this Seung Ho? You haven¡¯t deleted my phone number yet? ¨C Why would I delete your number? I just haven¡¯t contacted you first because it seemed you were avoiding me. How are you? ¡°Seung Ho, I¡¯ll give you the detailster, but I need your help. I¡¯ve fallen into a bit of an embarrassing situation.¡± ¨C Why? What happened? Are you still working with funds? Didn¡¯t you quit all of that to run a cafe and live freely? ¡°No, that¡¯s not it but look at Naver. You¡¯ll know then. Look at all of it and call me back.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun hung up and just got in his car. As he rode the freeway, he saw a milestone that read Hyeyiri. He turned into the direction of the Hyeyiri sign and stopped at the first cafe he saw to order coffee and wait for the phone call. However, two hours passed and there was no call. ¡®Shoot. Did I contact him for no reason?¡¯ He drank his iced coffee to cool the burning inside. Baek Seung Ho was awyer at thew firm Future Asset had partnered with at the time when he was making hundreds of millions. They had been close as they got along well and had gone drinking together two or three times a week, but Yoon Kwang Hun had cut all contact when he lost everything and left the industry. Yoon Kwang Hun had deliberately avoided anyone linked to his swanky past. But this is when he needed a reliable friend. He had contacted him thinking that he would help due to the friendship that had before but... was that friendly voice just a courtesy? Yoon Kwang Hun felt embarrassed that he had be a forgotten failure to Baek Seung Ho. He decided that he needed to find a motel to stay at for the time being because he could not go back to his house or cafe. He left the cafe and walked around Hyeyiri before drinking a beer. A restaurant employee looked at Yoon Kwang Hun pathetically as he drank a beer before lunchtime, but he did not have the luxury to mind such attention. He was more hurt by the fact that he had be a nuisance to someone than he was by the verbal abuse on the inte. He left the restaurant once he was in apletely drunken state to avoid the eyes of the restaurant employees. He stopped at a convenience store to buy canned beers and went to a motel. He drank until he passed out in a motel room. Chapter 46 Volume 1 / Chapter 46 TL: LightNovelCafe He woke up to his phone¡¯s constant ringing. He was scared to pick up the phone. Could it be a reporter? The caller ID said that it was Baek Seung Ho. When he slid to ept the call, there was a sound so loud he thought the phone was on speaker mode, ¨C What are you doing that you don¡¯t pick up your phone! Do you know how many times I called you since yesterday! ¡°What? Yesterday? What time is it right now?¡± ¨C Good job. You¡¯re just at peace. I stayed up all night. Yoon Kwang Hun opened the motel room¡¯s thick curtains and the bright sunlight spilled into the room. ¨C Did you pass out drinking? Oy. It¡¯s a mystery as to how you were a fund manager with such a fragile mentality. As Yoon Kwang Hun drank a ss of water to quench his dry throat, he came to his senses, ¡°Did you call a lot yesterday?¡± ¨C Look at your call log. Anyway, congrattions. I¡¯ll have to buy you a drinkter. You¡¯ve hit 1st ce in real-time searches. Ha ha ha.¡± He almost teared up. He was not yet a nuisance to Baek Seung Ho. There was still a person who was willing to help him. ¡°I was in 3rd ce before, now I¡¯m 1st?¡± ¨C Congrattions, you¡¯re a famous person. No, are you a celebrity? ¡°Stop talking nonsense. What do I have to do?¡± ¨C Let¡¯s check one thing first. Why did you keep Jang Jun Hyuk? You¡¯re not one to use an orphan just to save on employee wages. What¡¯s your reason? ¡°I did it for humanity. Why?¡± ¨C What gibberish is this? Are you still drunk? ¡°Hey! If it were you, would you take on the 21st century Mozart to serve in the hall?¡± ¨C 21st century Mozart? ¡°Yeah. Jun Hyuk is a real genius. He¡¯s a kid who¡¯s received a gift that God gives every 100 years. You... you don¡¯t trust my judgment? You know I have an ear for music.¡± Music was another reason why Baek Seung Ho and Yoon Kwang Hun had gotten close. They were both music enthusiasts regardless of the genre whether it was ssic, rock, blues, jazz, et cetera. But Mozart? He was exaggerating. Whenever we call a helpline, the waiting melody is always Mozart¡¯s ¡®Eine kleine Nachtmusik¡¯. 80% of the world¡¯s helpline melodies were Mozart, 10% was Vivaldi, and thest 10% was pop music with royalties to pay. Hotel lobbies, lounges, and elevators all over the world greeted their clients with Mozart. If Mozart were to receive royalties, he would make the amount to buy his country Austria every year, and his handwritten scores would be worth over $200,000 each. Mozart shared the title of genius with Einstein. How could hepare Jun Hyuk to a person like that..... ¨C Well... Let¡¯s say that¡¯s true. Why did he go out on that audition program? If he¡¯s Mozart, he needs to go to New York or Vienna. Why Sangam-dong? ¡°Honestly, I sent him to be around kids his age and it seemed like he wanted to go out too. He wanted to show his music, so I sent him to get some experience. Who knew it would turn out like this?¡± Baek Seung Ho seemed to be organizing his thoughts. He did not speak for a while. ¨C Do you want to leave this to the discretion of ourpany? I¡¯ll ruin these assholes for you. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t have money. How can I work with one of the top twow firms in the country? I called to get your opinion.¡± ¨C Would I take money from you? After I got your call, I had our investigators look into it a bit. ¡°Already?¡± There was a reason why Baek Seung Ho had not called yesterday. After looking at the articles on the portal site, he had even enlisted investigators to determine the circumstances before and after the incident. He had called once he had the reassurance and made up his mind. He had forgotten. Yoon Kwang had allocated all of his work to Baek Seung Ho because he had liked this kind of work ethic. ¨C Of course. You think I was ying all day? Anyway, it seems Jun Hyuk really is a treasure as you say. They¡¯re ying with the press on the inte. It¡¯s a scheme to discredit your guardianship over Jun Hyuk so an agency can take him. ¡°What the fuck. I knew they would do that.¡± ¨C You should have kept your treasure hidden. What were you thinking sending him out into the world? It¡¯s full of thieves. ¡°Stop. I¡¯m full of regrets as it is.¡± ¨C These days, the entertainment industry makes a lot of money from this Hallyu thing. And Jun Hyuk¡¯s really good looking. If he really is a music genius as you say, he¡¯s a golden egg. ¡°Then will you take care of it for me? You deal with the money issue as well.¡± ¨C Let me just ask one thing before that.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¨C Are you trying to raise him yourself? Like making a management agency? That was greed. It was an era where talent directly became money. If that talent was in the entertainment industry, it was enough to make anyone greedy. Baek Seung Ho thought that Yoon Kwang Hun might be trying to reim the glory of his past through Jun Hyuk. Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s unexpected reply invalidated Baek Seung Ho¡¯s guess, ¡°No, I was thinking of sending him to America or Europe by next year. I was just going to take responsibility up to there. His talent isn¡¯t something anyone can raise or whatnot. If you just throw him into bigger waters, the big fish around him with automatically gather to him.¡± There was a silence again. Baek Seung Ho¡¯s voice came out low after the silence, ¨C You... really put your heart into it. You don¡¯t have any selfish intentions for this. I¡¯m seeing you in a different light. ¡°Hey, this kid! What are you talking about all of a sudden.¡± ¨C Okay. I¡¯ll take care of this, you just disappear for a bit. Even if the talk gets worse, don¡¯t pay attention to it for the time being. Yoon Kwang Hun fully understood what Baek Seung Ho was saying. He meant that he was going to wait until the editors hadpletely ruined Yoon Kwang Hun. Once they had ripped Yoon Kwang Hun apart and made him nothing more than a rag, he was going to sue them for an enormous amount. He was going to empty the pockets of the editors responsible. ¡°Understood. Oh right, I¡¯m in Hyeyiri right now.¡± ¨C Okay. Oh, and once people get a hold of your identity, you¡¯ll be getting a ton of texts and calls abusing you. Don¡¯t turn your phone off because you¡¯re angry. I¡¯ll send one of our employees right now. Until our employee gets there, pick up all your calls and record everything. Don¡¯t say a word in response and just record it. The employee is going to bring a cellphone and a warrant, so sign the warrant and use that phone if you need to call. Give your cellphone to the employee. We¡¯ll handle it. Threatening texts and calls were going to be converted into money. They were about to see the real face of a viciouswyer. ¨C Text me the address of where you¡¯re at now. ¡°Alright. And Seung Ho.¡± ¨C Yea. ¡°Be careful not to hurt Jun Hyuk.¡± ¨C Oy. You worry too much. Is Jun Hyuk your son? Rest for a bit. ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡± ¨C No problem. It¡¯ll be over in three weeks at the most. Hyeyiri¡¯s nice. Read a bit, go for walks, and rest. Don¡¯t drink. Once he hung up, his mind was at rest. All he had to do now was wait. Yoon Kwang Hun passed out on the bed again. Chapter 47 Volume 1 / Chapter 47 TL: LightNovelCafe The 12 finalists needed to shine for a quality broadcast while living together for around 40 days. Going forward, they would have an expert¡¯s help in looking good, their first step to stardom. They believed they had boarded an Autobahn to stardom. Without knowing what would happen to Yoon Kwang Hun in a week, Jun Hyuk unpacked his belongings with the other 11 contestants in a dormitory not far from Sangam-dong. As soon as they were done unpacking their bags, the staff began going over their schedules. ¡°First, everyone gets up at 7. You can¡¯t talk for two hours after you wake up. You¡¯re resting your voice until 9. For those two hours, stretch and wake your body to open your mouth.¡± These were the first instructions given when starting as an agency trainee. Only the three contestants who were not in agencies felt like they were entering a new world. ¡°Second, there¡¯s a ton of food in the dorm fridge and sink cupboard. It¡¯s not there for you to eat, but for advertising. The only thing you guys can have to your heart¡¯s content is water. The only food you can eat is what we give you. Third, cameras are filming everywhere except inside the 2nd floor bathroom. Watch the way you act and use the 2nd floor bathroom to take care of your business and to shower. It¡¯s good to wash your face on the 1st floor though. Do as you please since you could be wasting your air time. Washing your face will go out on broadcast if the picture looks good.¡± A world where even washing your face was part of a production. This was the perfect chance for a girl who had confidence in her face without makeup. ¡°Fourth, be aware of the consequences if you try to escape from the dorm to do something stupid. We were a littlex untilst season, but we¡¯re going to be extremely strict this time. Listen well. The final selection for the top 12 doesn¡¯t go out for another five weeks. That means we can change it whenever we want. If someone tries to Shawshank their way out, they¡¯ll be cut right away and someone else will take that spot. Keep that in mind.¡± Everyone tensed at all of the threats. The staff also let them know that they would only be progressing with fitness and vocal training for a week. ¡°There¡¯s a bus waiting outside, so everyone change into workout clothing. Hurry because we¡¯ll be leaving in 20 minutes.¡± Jun Hyuk rose his hand slowly and spoke, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any clothes. They told me not to bring anything.....¡± ¡°Oh, the sponsors prepared everything for you already. They¡¯re in the room you were assigned on the 2nd floor, so go change. Also, there are dates written on the tags so make sure you look at that. You have to change every day.¡± The assignments had been decided so that there were three people to a room, but it seemed that Jun Hyuk¡¯s room was the biggest because one wall was full of clothes. Everyone looked at the sponsored clothing with jealousy. They would all get sponsored clothing for the live broadcast, but they could not help but envy Jun Hyuk who was being sponsored through the dorming period. In fact, they were more envious that he already had a modeling contract than they were of the clothes. They wanted to ask how much he had received as a guarantee than how many items of clothing he was given, but it hurt their pride to do so. Everyone scattered off to their own rooms at the words of Kwak Hye Sung who was sharing the room with Jun Hyuk, ¡°I¡¯m American obese so I could only be sponsored by a clothing store in Itaewon,¡± were the first words out of his new roommates¡¯ mouth. *** There were three trainers waiting at the fitness center. ¡°The three of us are going to manage your bodies for the next month. If you follow our instructions, you¡¯ll be able to have asurprising body even after one month.¡± The production crew filmed the trainers¡¯ friendly greeting and the 12 participants¡¯ tense expressions. As soon as the cameras were turned out, their gentle smiles disappeared and the way they spoke changed 180 degrees. ¡°You! Listen well. You have to lose more than 20kg over a month. What do you think the best method of losing weight is?¡± ¡°Exercising well...¡± ¡°That¡¯s if you have the body of average kids. Don¡¯t eat. You need to starve.¡± Kwak Hye Sung put down his heated face and could not speak. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to see your jawline at the least if you lose around 15kg. It¡¯s a nuisance to have your chubby face go out on broadcast. What did the viewers do wrong? Don¡¯t you think so?¡± It was like this everywhere. Authority needed to be established during the first meeting. They needed to be tied up tightly to be able to digest their schedules. This was the best way to get young kids who were used to doing what they wanted to listen. ¡°Four pieces of chicken breast and a te of sd will be the amount of food you have everyday. There¡¯s sponsored food in your dorm, right? Things like instant rice, curry, soup? If you try to eat any of that you¡¯ll have to starve for a week so be careful.¡± The three trainers checked each person¡¯s bodies and gave prescriptions as though they were doctors. The trainer looking at Jun Hyuk sighed, ¡°Whew... You wasted a blessed body. What is this? You¡¯re so skinny... What a waste.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he worth working with? He¡¯d look great if he just does some strength training.¡± ¡°Right? We¡¯ll feed him some gaynor powder and chicken breast, and try to build his upper body.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to exercise because I don¡¯t intend on singing with my shirt off.¡± Jun Hyuk must have been intimidated by the muscr trainers surrounding him because he did not speak in his usual defiant tone. He was very careful. ¡°We¡¯re not building your body so you can sing with your shirt off. Why do you think we¡¯re training you guys for free? It¡¯s because you guys are going on broadcast. We¡¯re going to ster the change in your body after one month on that wall over there. That¡¯s the reason we¡¯re trying to make your body look good. Understand?¡± The trainer spoke loudly for everyone to hear. Once the dorm life and live broadcasts, everyone was going to understand that the world revolved on money and that they were being made intomodities. Chapter 48 Volume 1 / Chapter 48 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Pronunciation is first. The purpose of vocal training is to find the right sound, not to teach you how to sing well. All I¡¯m doing is helping you to make the proper sound from your body as an instrument. The first step to that proper sound is pronunciation.¡± Vocal trainer Ryu Sun Hee¡¯s confident attitude and clear voice made the 12 contestants even more nervous. The best vocal trainer who had taught several famous singers. As they were already tired from spending all morning with the rigorous schedule they had been given by the fitness trainers, it was unnecessary to yell ¡°Don¡¯t use strength in your body!¡± at them. ¡°Come out and sing the song you¡¯re most confident in one by one. Sing the song you¡¯re best at. Don¡¯t do something hard or something you want to do.¡± It was necessary to fix the voices they normally spoke with first. ¡°You try singing first.¡± Kwak Hye Sung was resentful of his body. He stood out wherever he went. After starving all day and running hard, a gentle song flew out of him gently, ¡°Another da~y gets further.¡± Ryu Sun Hee grimaced at the first line of Kim Kwang Suk¡¯s ¡®Around 30¡¯, ¡°Stop. It¡¯s not further, it¡¯s far.ther. You need to write the lyrics on a piece of paper and read it. Don¡¯t sing until you can read it urately. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Everyone sang in turn, but were torn apart in the introductions and had to start practicing reading the lyrics like Kwak Hye Sung. There were two people who did not hear Ryu Sun Hee¡¯s criticism. It was 1st ce nominee Jessica who was receiving harsh training at Mango Entertainment and Lee Hae Jun who was only 18 years old but had started as a trainee when he was 13 years old. Since Lee Hae Jun found out he had to share a room with Jun Hyuk, he had been down. He was displeased that the only other contestant in his teens was already receiving celebrity treatment. Lee Hae Jun had been watching the rules of this industry for five years already. It was a ce where he had to stay afloat amidst constantparison with others. It did not leave his head that Jun Hyuk who was also in his teens was his rival. This opponent was too strong. It seemed the production crew had given Ryu Sun Hee advanced notice about Jun Hyuk who was up next, ¡°I heard you don¡¯t sing. It looked like they are nning on highlighting the fact that you¡¯re going through a survival program without singing. You don¡¯t need to receive lessons, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Fine. You can watch from the side. It¡¯ll help to watch too since these are the kids you¡¯ll bepeting against.¡± Jun Hyuk had already been watching the other contestants¡¯ vocal training with interest. Singing with urate pronunciation was the same as making the correct sound with an instrument. First, there was only correcting pronunciation. As soon as they were given lyrics, the practice room quickly became full of noise with the instructions to practice reading. They seemed like elementary school students clearly reading the text in new textbooks. It was surprising how in a room full of the noise of 11 people, Ryu Sun Hee could pinpoint any one person making even the slightest mistake in pronunciation. However, watching this interesting scene was only for a moment and the staff quietly took Jun Hyuk out of the room after taking a sudden phone call. ¡°The schedule got messed up a little. You¡¯ll have to go with me right now to record.¡± ¡°Record?¡± ¡°Yeah, do you remember the 1st mission from Star Week? Park Ki Young¡¯s song?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°We got a call that there¡¯s no time to record it except for today. All the other kids finished recording. You need to record your guitar instrumental.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really nothing. Anyone can just y it. Honestly, I don¡¯t really remember how I yed it.¡± It was just an apaniment without anything special. It was the type of music that even a decent guitar session man could record easily. ¡°Ha ha. It¡¯s not that simple. Would we do it so easily when we¡¯ll be releasing it for digital sales? We¡¯re going to trim it and make it much more borate. I bet you¡¯ll find it interesting once you go and try it.¡± When he got to the recording studio, the song he yed for the mission was already ying. ¡°It¡¯s too weak. Try making it livelier.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t mix with the apaniment. And lower that. That¡¯s right. Okay, stop it there.¡± Everyone else must have finished recording their parts, but none of the people whopleted the mission with him were present and five soundtracks were dancing on the recording studio monitor. The producer who saw Jun Hyuk and staff put out his cigarette, ¡°Oh sorry. Can you wait a bit? Let¡¯s start once I finish this.¡± Jun Hyuk sat on the recording room sofa and watched the producer ying with all of the sounds through the equipment with interest. For an hour after Jun Hyuk arrived at the studio, they had not even finished the 1st draft of a 3 minute 40 second song. ¡°Uh... You see.¡± Jun Hyuk began to speak when he could not take it anymore. ¡°Oh sorry. Will you wait just a little longer?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.....¡± Jun Hyuk jumped up from the sofa and put his hand on the monitor track, ¡°This, lower it by 1/7 at 77 seconds. At 96 seconds, I think you can just make this and this higher by about 3/10.¡± The producer¡¯s eyes widened at Jun Hyuk¡¯s input, ¡°Did you learn sound engineering?¡± ¡°No. I saw you do it for two hours. This thing lets you see each voice, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s fix it like that and try listening. The part that stands out too much should have disappeared.¡± Anyone who heard a WAV file at home will know what a wave is. However, how could he pick out one point and modify it by lowering and heightening it? Even he who had been producing for 10 years could adjust the awkward parts but what Jun Hyuk was talking about was impossible. Fixing it by making by small modifications was all he could do. But how could he find exact modification figures like 1/7 and 3/10? ¡°Try it.¡± The engineer adjusted the track as soon as the producer allowed for it. The producer¡¯s scowling face lit up when he heard the modifications again, ¡°Something wasn¡¯t right, but this was it.¡± The producer realized that the broadcast station music director¡¯s assessment of Jun Hyuk was not wrong, ¡°They kept calling you a genius; you really are good. How did you figure it out?¡± ¡°I just did.¡± He just knows by hearing it. It was something he had heard often. It was what people with talent always said. Chapter 49 Volume 1 / Chapter 49 TL: LightNovelCafe [How do I exin that? I just know it.] ¡°They said you¡¯re good at making songs but more than that, your ears are impressive. No, I guess they call you a genius because you¡¯re good at everything? The producer forgot about their initial n to record Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar. He was calcting that Jun Hyuk as the arranger would know much better what instrument needed to be added to make the song perfect. ¡°What do you think? Since you heard the whole recorded song, what do you think will make it good? We were going to wrap it up with the guitar, but do you think there¡¯s something better? I want to know your opinion.¡± He was someone who had never asked another young singer or idol for their opinion during his recording sessions. His asking for an opinion meant that he was not looking at Jun Hyuk as another teenager, but had epted him as a musician. The engineer who had been adjusting the console box stuck out his tongue in surprise. That perfectionist was discussing music with this young child? The producer had never even asked him for his opinion during the three years they had worked together. ¡°Um, it has a very different feeling from when we performed in during the mission.¡± ¡°Of course. We made it better to match the recording standard. The other kids recorded for over 12 hours.¡± ¡°We did it with an acape feel during the mission... I yed the guitar to bring out the rhythm. Now I think it¡¯d be better to put in a percussion than the guitar. Something light with an airy touch to it.¡± ¡°A percussion you say... Sounds good. You said lightly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The picture of Park Ki Young¡¯s song being reborn as a perfect acape song was engraved in the producer¡¯s head. ¡°Good, then let¡¯s hear the piano instrumental.¡± The producer looked excited with anticipation. He had heard that Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano was a gem. He had checked that Jun Hyuk had an ear for music, and he would be able to confirm the extent of his talent once he saw his performance skills. ¡°Excuse me? The piano?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a Finkl song that you yed in a jazz version, right? That. I saw the recording.¡± ¡°But Nam Seung Hee sang that song.¡± ¡°No, not that. You know the one that you yed casually as a guide before Nam Seung Hee sang it for you? I¡¯m talking about that one. Honestly, the version with Nam Seung Hee took away from the piano. The instrumental alone was much better.¡± ¡°Are we recording that too? I don¡¯t even remember it... because I yed it on the fly.¡± The producer burst outughing at Jun Hyuk scratching his head, ¡°Seemed like it. Ha ha. That¡¯s the zest that makes it so you can¡¯t help but fall in love with jazz. Music expressing the emotion of that moment. What do you think? Are you in the mood to y piano now?¡± The producer had felt it when the broadcasting station gave him the recording of Jun Hyuk on the piano. There was fluttering of attraction to someone of the opposite sex. But there was no way that emotion would reappear in a dingy basement recording studio drenched in the smell of cigarette smoke. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be a little difficult.¡± Jun Hyuk was fascinated by the machines that could control sounds. He was more curious about how much the machines could alter sounds than he was interested in ying the piano. ¡°Right? Then let¡¯s do this; there¡¯s going to be an electric piano at the dorm. Keep in mind that the keyboard weight is set for an upright piano. y it when you¡¯re in the mood. There¡¯s a recording function on that, so don¡¯t forget to record it.¡± When Jun Hyuk left, the sound engineer finally opened his mouth, ¡°Teacher, why are you so amiable to that kid? It¡¯s a little weird today after seeing kids tense up in front of your charisma.¡± ¡°From now on if you see that kid again, be nice to him and be friendly. Got it?¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s going to be a day when it¡¯ll be a huge advantage to your career that you ever worked with him. He¡¯s on apletely different level from other kids whoe on these audition programs.¡± As such, Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent began to be recognized by the people creating and controlling the music behind the stage before the people on the stage. *** On the 10th day of dormitory life, Judge Lee Sung Chul visited the dorm. This moment was like a much needed rain during a drought as the contestants had been weary of their monotonous schedules of daily fitness and vocal training. The pizza Lee Sung Chul brought ¨C though it was for product cement ¨C disappeared quickly because the young children had only been eating the chicken breast and sd meals that the trainers brought. ¡°Now the 2nd episode aired. You¡¯re curious?¡± ¡°Yes. How did it go?¡± ¡°How do you think it went?¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk is totally famous now, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, Jun Hyuk? He¡¯s a hot topic.¡± Lee Sung Chul nced over at Jun Hyuk who was scarfing down his pizza, but quickly looked away. It was true that Jun Hyuk had be a hot topic, but it was with apletely different type of issue that what these kids who were cut off from the outside were thinking of. On top of that, it was with obscene content created for a dirty ulterior motive. Lee Sung Chul quickly brushed off the guilty mood. The camera was filming. They needed to film happy and animated young children. ¡°Once the remaining four elimination rounds are aired, it¡¯s the live broadcast in five weeks. It¡¯s the stage where you guys will have to sing live. In front of an audience.¡± Live stage. The first moment to bing a star was when the public was focusing their attention. Just thinking about it made their hearts beat faster. ¡°The people who go on all six live stages are the winner and runner-up. I¡¯m really curious as to see who will stay alive.¡± None of the contestants had been told by their agencies when they would be eliminated. The only thing they were told was ¡®Do well no matter what.¡¯ There was also the threat that they would not be left alone if they were eliminated early on. ¡°The reason why I came today is the mission song for your first live broadcast. Don¡¯t you want to know what song you¡¯ll be singing?¡± 24 sparkling eyes pointed to Lee Sung Chul¡¯s mouth. ¡°The first theme is a song of your choosing. We¡¯re going to make a stage that shows all of your skills. Except pop. You have to leave that for the next round. This may be a disadvantage for the people who don¡¯t have a strongmand of Korean, but you still have five weeks left in which you can ovee that with practice.¡± A song of their choosing was the easiest mission. The fact that they could choose the genre they wanted to do. They did not have to be able to perform all genres. Everyone sighed in relief. ¡°While I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll give you guys a tip. There are many ways to sing. A song that¡¯s good no matter who sings it. A song that¡¯s easy to sing without high or bass notes. This doesn¡¯t show a singer¡¯s advantages or disadvantages. It¡¯s safe.¡± No one wanted to sing a song that was safe and did not reveal any advantages or disadvantages. This was not a concert. Coming up to the top 12 meant that everyone lived with a knife by their hearts. Unless there was apetitor who made a big mistake, the person who took the safe route would be the first to be eliminated. ¡°The second is to cover all of your shorings with overwhelming vocals. With this, you can¡¯t hear minor mistakes because you¡¯re surprising the audience.¡± Sinceing into the dorms, Kwak Hye Sung¡¯s face brightened for the first time as he had explosive vocals. He had more confidence in his vocals than he did in his jawline. ¡°The third is that there¡¯s a singer who clearly shows his emotions. This also means that he has a good tone. This can be done with a good that perfectly matches his tone.¡± That damned word. Tone..... There were a few people who became frustrated after going through the qualifiers. It did not seem like they were very talented singers, but their singing was easy to listen to. This was the person who was born with a good tone. Though it was unfair that the average person had to make hundreds of times the effort a gifted person does, what could one do? This was a cruel survivalpetition. ¡°Figure out what your fortes are and prepare a stage where you can present that personal weapon of yours.¡± Lee Sung Chul pat everyone¡¯s shoulders in encouragement and left the dorm. The production staff started to go over the details of what they needed to prepare next. It was not surprising anymore. They were embarrassed that they had believed the next mission song was a free choice even for a second. ¡°Everyone looks like they ate something sour, but stop frowning. It¡¯s not that bad.¡± The staff could understand why the kids were upset. It took a long time to be used to this world where the inside and outside were different. ¡°The first mission is a free choice song, but it¡¯s not apletely free choice. You know the reason, right?¡± The issues with copyrights, royalties, et cetera wereplicated. They had heard this too many times. ¡°Starting tomorrow, when you¡¯re done with your health and vocal lessons, you¡¯ll separate into teams with three people. When you go to the recording studio, you¡¯ll work on choosing your song, arranging and practicing it, RM recording, and sound recording. Now, you¡¯ll be working with the producer.¡± When they heard the word producer, they realized that thepetition was really starting. ¡°Since there¡¯s a whole month left, wouldn¡¯t it be difficult if you spent that whole time practicing one song since you have to sing a different song every week? That¡¯s why we have everything set until the 3rd stage.¡± Could they really sing three songs when they have to go up to the top 8? Everyone gulped. ¡°Don¡¯t think that it¡¯ll be a waste of time for the people who don¡¯t make it to the third week. We¡¯re thinking of making a special stage to broadcast. Use everything you practice. Um... for the second mission, you¡¯ll do songs by the four judges. Of course you¡¯ll consult with a producer for this as well.¡± Now was the time to say the hardest part. It reeked of money. ¡°Third is the idol special. Hey! Don¡¯t frown over there.¡± The production staff saw that a few people grimaced at the mention of idol singers. There were people who had a prejudice against idols. They were held in conceit and thought that they were pursuing a higher standard of music. ¡°I know there are people here who don¡¯t like idols. However, the public likes idols. This is show business. The stardom that you all want so much is the main point of show business.¡± Under the animosity toward idols was jealousy. The kids who seeded on video and not audio. They did not try to understand the sweat and tears that came before the video sess. ¡°If you want to work on only the music that you like, you have to leave. You can walk the path of a musician instead of a star.¡± These kids gathered here were no different. They were of the same ssification. They came out on this survival program to be stars, not musicians. ¡°Lastly, we¡¯re going to assign producers... Listen to your producers and you¡¯ll get good results since they¡¯re all first ss. They¡¯re also going to change every mission. Don¡¯tin about who got a good or bad producer and don¡¯t me the producers for who had a good or bad result.¡± The production crew announced the four producers along with the three people who were assigned to each. Chapter 50 Volume 1 / Chapter 50 TL: LightNovelCafe Jun Hyuk was put in the same group as Nam Seung Hee and Kwak Hye Sung, and went to the recording studio. ¡°Oy, wee. I¡¯m Jo Hyung Joong.¡± Jo Hyung Joong was in his mid 40s and at one point had established his name as a hit song maker with over 200 songs registered in the Copyright Association. He was aposer and famous producer. He had a gentle impression and as he made coffee, he took the time to get to know the three rookies better, ¡°Seung Hee, you like hip hop?¡± ¡°Yes, teacher.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do hip hop in the qualifiers, right? You sang a bad.¡± ¡°Yes. There wasn¡¯t a hip hop song in the mission songs.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re a hip hop mania, there¡¯s a hip hop audition program but why.....¡± ¡°That¡¯s... My agency.....¡± ¡°Ah, you have an agency?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m in JYS Entertainment. I¡¯m just a trainee. It¡¯s my third year.¡± A slender girl whose voice was fit for singing bads but she liked hip hop. There was no doubt JYS liked her for her slender body and fresh face, not her bad or hip hop. ¡°Well that still means you¡¯ve gotten recognition since you¡¯re in one of the big 3 agencies.¡± Kwak Hye Sung looked dejected at the talk of agencies. ¡°I heard Hye Sung doesn¡¯t have an agency yet.¡± ¡°Yes that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Have you thought about why an agency hasn¡¯t gotten in contact?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m fat?¡± Kwak Hye Sung rubbed his bulging stomach. He had lost 2 inches over thest 10 days that had been no different from fasting. His expression remained dark though. ¡°Hey, your self-criticism is harsh. The reason is simple. They haven¡¯t been drawn to you yet.¡± ¡°Are you saying I don¡¯t have charm?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I saw the tapes for all of the elimination rounds. Anyone would agree that you have great vocals.¡± Jo Hyung Joong gave him a thumbs up, ¡°Your range is amazing... but that¡¯s it. Your high notes and control of your voice can be advantages since there is a lot of music that you can execute. But music isn¡¯t about who can go higher or who can be louder. There¡¯s an emotion in the song. You need to express that. You¡¯recking a bit in that area.¡± His faults that a famous producer had specifically picked out. Kwak Hye Sung could not lift his head. ¡°Hey... cheer up. You still have a lot of time left. And you have two really strong weapons. Let¡¯s use those weapons to make a stage full of emotion. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Jo Hyung Joong smiled warmly at Kwak Hye Sung whose face had brightened and looked at Jun Hyuk, ¡°So you¡¯re Jun Hyuk. Hey, you¡¯re as good looking as they said. With that face, you would do better as a model or actor than as a singer.¡± Jo Hyung Joong thought that if the votes were done fairly, Jun Hyuk would get tons of votes just by standing on the stage. ¡°But I heard that you don¡¯t sing. Why?¡± ¡°There are a lot of good singers. I just need people who will sing the songs I make well.¡± ¡°Ha ha. That¡¯s the mind of a typicalposer. Okay then, who do you wish would sing your song?¡± ¡°Um... Adele, Marvin Gaye, Floor Jansen of Nightwish, John Mayer, Eva Cassidy, Thomas Cloverope, and...¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s too ambitious. Ha ha. There aren¡¯t any Korean singers?¡± ¡°Of course there are. Lee So Ra, Kim Chang Hwan, Lee Sun Hee, Jeon In Kwon when he debuted, Kim Gun Mo 10 years ago...¡± ¡°What? Kim Gun Mo 10 years ago? So not the Kim Gun Mo now?¡± ¡°No. I think he¡¯s aged a bit.¡± ¡°You think so? He¡¯s still great though. If he meets a song that fits him, he¡¯d be able to get the value out of it. Well... I think it¡¯d be a good idea for you to make a song. You have no thoughts of singing on the live stage as well?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to try to stick it out with an instrumental.¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s cool. I¡¯ll help you as much as I can, so try sticking it out. I have expectations to see how much you can advance.¡± These were not words he was throwing out as a broadcast moment for the cameras next to him. He had heard that Jun Hyuk was only now 17 years old. It was a rarity to find a young child with such a firm sense of music. Aspiring celebrities were all hanging onto the idea of sess. Jun Hyuk gave him pride. This was enough for first meetings and they started preparing for the mission in earnest. ¡°Seung Hee, I chose a song fit for you but it¡¯s a drama OST. It¡¯s a slow song but I changed it so it¡¯d be a little fast and light. Listen to it.¡± When Jo Hyung Joong finished speaking, the person in charge of the recording studio sound system turned on the music. The theme song from a popr drama that had aired not too long ago came from the studio speakers in a different version. It was not a dance song, but it was youthful and light enough to incite automatic humming. The arrangement could have been perfect for a pretty and cute girl group to sing. It seemed that with the strength of the original song¡¯s poprity and the audience¡¯s desire for lively music, everything matched up well and would bring good results. Jo Hyung Joong saw that Nam Seung Hee looked pleased with the arrangement and turned on Kwak Hye Sung¡¯s mission song in session. The original version of Kim Kyung Ho¡¯s ¡®The People Who Make Me Sad¡¯ yed from the speakers. Unlike Nam Seung Hee¡¯s song, it had not been edited in any way. Kwak Hye Sung just blinked as he could not figure out Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s intentions. ¡°Hye Sung can easily sing this song, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Seeing your expression, looks like you¡¯re wondering why this song wasn¡¯t arranged.¡± ¡°Oh, yes... because the original song came out all of a sudden.¡± ¡°The tone of your voice is the arrangement itself.¡± ¡°Excuse me? My tone?¡± He did not understand yet. Jo Hyung Joong justughed as if this appearance was amusing. ¡°The arrangement is unnecessary because they both have extreme vocal tones. On top of that, it¡¯s possible to dominate the stage with his overwhelming vocals which is his advantage.¡± In contrast to Kim Kyung Ho¡¯s sharp vocals was Kwak Hye Sung¡¯s thick and heavy voice. Jun Hyuk who had been still expressed Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s intentions. ¡°That¡¯s it. Jun Hyuk and I are cut of the same cloth. Ha ha.¡± It had not been long since they met, but he could see the sh of talent. No exnation was necessary. He could figure out a producer¡¯s motives just by listening to the music. Producers could workfortably if singers had as much sense as Jun Hyuk did. ¡°It¡¯ll be easy for Hye Sung to practice. There, will the two of you go and start practicing? I think my talk with Jun Hyuk is going to take some time.¡± Chapter 51 Volume 1 / Chapter 51 TL: LightNovelCafe Jo Hyung Joong needed to choose a song for Jun Hyuk to perform without singing. Jun Hyuk was not a simple aspiring singer, but a performer. He had epted Jun Hyuk as a musician whose tastes needed to be respected and that he could not just be thrown a repertoire. When Nam Seung Hee and Kwak Hye Sung went into a small room in the recording studio, Jun Hyuk showed interest in the studio equipment he had been squinting at, ¡°Teacher, can you make sounds even without an instrument just by using this machine?¡± ¡°Yeah, you can make almost every sound. If you prepare MIDI operations with the master keyboard, you can make the sounds with programs. You can¡¯t bring out a great performer¡¯s emotion or technique though. If you can¡¯t do as well as the machine you¡¯re a lower ss performer, middle ss if you¡¯re simr, and A ss if you¡¯re much better.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jun Hyuk seemed to be disappointed that perfect music was impossible with a machine. ¡°Why? Are you interested? I guess you want to try producing now?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not it. A few days ago, I was at a different studio to record a mission song from the qualifiers... and I saw them fixing the music and making new sounds.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Studio equipment can do just about that much.¡± ¡°I was just wondering. I was thinking I could make the symphony I wrote, but I guess that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°What? Symphony?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve made a few, but I always wanted to be able to hear one of them. There¡¯s no orchestra willing to perform a symphony that I made.¡± Jo Hyung Joong remembered a call he had with judge of Tomorrow¡¯s Star, Yoon Jung Su. [A kid named Jun Hyuk is in your group, right?¡±] [Yeah, why? You know him?] [Watch him with care. He might be an amazing genius.] This was not the 18th century. It was not an era when teenagers tried topose symphonies and write sonatas. It was an era when a few teenagers these days trained diligently to y the music that was created in the 18th century. But here was a teenager who made a symphony without ever receiving proper education or training in ssical music. ¡°Did you bring your score? For the symphony?¡± It did not matter if Jun Hyuk¡¯s symphony was not a masterpiece. Jo Hyung Joong did not care if Jun Hyuk had just written something basic. The fact that he had written music for dozens of instruments that would have to y for 30-40 minutes was talent itself. ¡°The scores are at home. Why? Do you want to see them?¡± ¡°Of course. A symphony at your age? I can¡¯t believe it. What¡¯s the title?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t give it a cool title like with old ssics. It¡¯s just Symphony No.1 in A Major.¡± This side of him was just a teenager. It showed that he wanted to show off his music. ¡°Ha ha. I guess if someone were to go through your workster, there would be several Op.¡± ¡°Is that what would happen? Ha ha.¡± ¡°Then I guess you have to make your second piece?¡± ¡°No. The new one has to be No. 5 since I already made four. Three aren¡¯t that good though. Even I can tell that I was trying too hard with those.¡± Jo Hyung Joong had to wrestle with his work for at least a month to make a pop song that went just over three minutes. The work itself for a symphony was different. Moreover, for four symphonies. Even if they were rubbish, it was important that he had written four. On top of that, one of them was good enough that he wanted to hear it performed. How did he have to understand this? This was not the end. Jun Hyuk¡¯s continued boasting brought him from being surprised to shocked, ¡°I only really like one of the symphonies, but I like most of the ariettas I made for the piano and violin.¡± ¡°What? Are you saying that you¡¯ve written other songs?¡± ¡°Yes. For piano songs... um... I think I have 20? I have around the same for the violin too.....¡± While Jun Hyuk was trying to count the number of pieces he had on his fingers, Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s jaw dropped. He had heard that it had only been two years since Jun Hyuk started music. The reality was that there had to be less than 10 people in Korea whoposed 20 songs even after majoring in ssical music. ¡°How many songs have you made until now? Is that it?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just telling you about the ssical... 70 or 80 for pop music? Of course the ones I actually like don¡¯t make up half of them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you have scores for all of those as well?¡± Pop musicposer Jo Hyung Joong wanted to see those scores immediately. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all at home. I wanted to toss the ones I didn¡¯t like, but my boss told me I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Your boss? Oh, at the cafe you work at?¡± ¡°Yes. Though I hardly do any work.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you working while you eat and sleep there?¡± ¡°I do eat and sleep there but I don¡¯t work. All I do is clean and open the doors in the morning, and close the doors and clean at night. I spent the rest of my time in the practice room my boss made for me in the basement writing songs and ying music.¡± ¡°You even had a practice room? What instruments did you have?¡± Jun Hyuk became excited as soon as Jo Hyung Joong asked about the instruments. He had only the best, so that was of course something to brag about, ¡°For drums, he set TAMA and SABIAN. Fodera for bass, and for the electric guitar, I have a PRS (Paul Reed Smith), Custom, and two James Tayler BuringWaters. Yamaha for the piano.¡± Jun Hyuk was listing instruments that would be in a professional band. ¡°What? You¡¯re saying you have all of those?¡± ¡°Yes. And the AV receiver in Yamaha while the amp is MESA/BOOGIE). Oh right, the speaker was normally for the cafe but my boss gave it to me. He said it was something really expensive.¡± ¡°Wow! That¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Yes. My boss prepared everything for me saying that my instruments and equipment needed to be expensive and good.¡± This kind of investment for one teenager to have was excessive. Jo Hyung Joong began to wonder what kind of person the cafe owner was. How could a man who was being torn apart on the inte as some viinous ve driver be willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dors on one teenager no matter how talented he seemed to be? It did not make sense. ¡®Typical. You can¡¯t believe what you read on the inte.¡¯ Jo Hyung Joong began to feel bad for the cafe owner whose face he did not even know. As Jun Hyuk carefully raised a question to Jo Hyung Joong who had been lost in thought, he forgot all about the cafe owner, ¡°Teacher, will you take a look at my score?¡± ¡°Your Symphony No. 1?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll get it from my dorm tonight.¡± ¡°Hm... yeah. Let¡¯s see it. I¡¯m actually not an expert in ssical, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good song if I say it is? If it¡¯s so good that even someone who isn¡¯t an expert says it¡¯s good? And if I can, I¡¯ll show that score to someone I know in the ssical field.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes widened when he said that he would show the score to someone in the ssical field. It could be the first chance to have his music assessed by an expert. Jun Hyuk knew Yoon Kwang Hun had limitations. Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s understanding of music was iparable to the average person, but it stopped at that of a music lover and mania. Yoon Kwang Hun himself knew his own limitations and evaluated Jun Hyuk¡¯s music less and less. If he could get the opinion of an expert, he could verify if he really had the talent that Yoon Kwang Hun kept assuring him of. Chapter 52 Volume 1 / Chapter 52 TL: LightNovelCafe Jo Hyung Joong who had been watching an excited Jun Hyuk saw the sign the VJ was giving him and brought out the mission song, ¡°I chose something because I heard you y the piano well. What do you think about this song? I think it could be great if you arrange this into a piano song. You can put in some orchestration too.¡± The song Jo Hyung Joong had selected was the OST ¡®From the Sun to the Boy¡¯ from Shin Hae Chul¡¯s animation ¡®Soul Cavalry Lazenca¡¯. ¡°Have you heard this song?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve heard Shin Hae Chul¡¯s other albums but this is a first.¡± ¡°Really? Then listen to the original first.¡± When the borate introduction came out of the CD yer, Jun Hyuk moved naturally with the rhythm. It was a good choice. It was a song full of the trademark heaviness and pomp of Shin Hae Chul¡¯s experimental band N.EX.T. It was like rock opera. When the song ended, Jun Hyuk opened his mouth slowly, ¡°Teacher, I would like to do a different song.¡± ¡°Huh? A different song? Why? You don¡¯t like this one? It would sound really good as a piano instrumental. The audience could enjoy it even if it¡¯s an instrumental with the original¡¯s orchestration in the background.¡± Jo Hyung Joong looked at Jun Hyuk with disbelief and brought up the rule that they had to abide again, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? There are issues with copyrights. If we change the song now, the staff has to go get the rights to that. There¡¯s also a problem of royalties. It¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re saying it¡¯s okay as long as there are no copyright issues?¡± ¡°Right. Oh, are you thinking of doing an original song? Ha ha.¡± ¡°Well...¡± ¡°Want to hear me out first? During a live performance, if an audience full of young people hear an instrumental they don¡¯t know, they¡¯re just going to sit there. You won¡¯t get any response. There¡¯s no producer who will air that on TV.¡± It was hard for anyone to respond to music heard for the first time. Even if the audience reaction were to be edited, it could not be done in a natural way to hide the awkwardness. The live stage had to be fun. ¡°It¡¯s not an original song... It¡¯s a song from about 300 years ago, but would the copyright still be an issue? It¡¯s a song that young kids all know, too. It¡¯s famous and has been yed in many different versions.¡± ¡°What? Are you thinking of a ssic?¡± ¡°Yes. I was thinking of doing Pachelbel¡¯s Canon. Since there isn¡¯t a copyright, the producer and staff don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Jo Hyung Joong fixed his sses as if trying to hide his frustration. As Jun Hyuk said, anyone would know the song just by listening to the introduction. It was overyed though. ¡°Jun Hyuk, that song is already famous for people like George Wilson and Lee Galloway. And if you want to perform ssical, you can go on a concurs. You¡¯re going out on apetition for popr music.¡± ¡°Not the piano. I¡¯ve tried making two versions. The original is three violins but... the first version is three guitars instead of violins. The second is a rock version like the ones you see on YouTube. I wanted to do it like that.¡± ¡°Change the violins to guitars.....?¡± Three guitars. There was nothing to expect if he was just switching the violins to guitars. The rock version of Guitar Kids on YouTube was good, but there was too much of that as well. If you search Canon on YouTube, there were more videos of the song done in electric guitar than there were of the ssical version. Jo Hyung Joong did not like how Jun Hyuk was thinking and he did not bother to hide it, ¡°Jun Hyuk, the song is good. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s bad. As much as it¡¯s a famous oldie, there¡¯s nothing new. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll make the new version, but you won¡¯t be able to show your own creativity.¡± The VJ who had been silently filming the two spoke carefully, ¡°Teacher, what if we try hearing Jun Hyuk y it?¡± The VJ wanted to film Jun Hyuk y his two versions of Canon and Shin Hae Chul¡¯s ¡®From the Sun to the Boy¡¯ to make more material for the broadcast. Jo Hyung Joong had forgotten that the camera was filming everything and that this was all content to go on air. It seemed like a good idea to try listening to everything since they still had a lot of time. ¡°Um... Should we? It wouldn¡¯t be bad to listen to everything and choose then, right?¡± Jun Hyuk nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll objectively assess which of the three will have the most impact on the audience for the first stage.¡± Jun Hyuk went into the recording booth and sat in front of the electronic piano instead of the guitar. The VJ focused the camera on him and looked confused, ¡°Jun Hyuk, I thought you said it was a guitar version?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll y From the Sun to the Boy first. I only need to y the piano once, so let¡¯s finish this first.¡± Jo Hyung Joong was at a loss for words. He had said that it was his first time listening to the song. He was changing a song he had heard for the first time into a piano instrumental. If he was able to do this, he was in fact the genius that Yoon Jung Su had said he was. While Jun Hyuk yed the piano, the VJ and sound engineer were puzzled and Jo Hyung Joong who had been frozen began to smile widely when the song was ending. Yoon Jung Su had an eye for people. His eye for seeing talent was unmistakable. Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s smile did not disappear until Jun Hyuk finished his song and came out of the recording booth, ¡°Jun Hyuk, the music stops too much.¡± The sound engineer had been wondering the same thing. The running time of the song was over five minutes, but there were too many parts where Jun Hyuk stopped and the piano did not even y for four full minutes. ¡°I thought you said you wanted to put the orchestration in this song. Since it¡¯s not a piano solo... I matched it to the orchestra.¡± Yoon Jung Su was wrong. It was not that ¡®He could be a genius¡¯; he was a genius. Chapter 53 Volume 1 / Chapter 53 TL: LightNovelCafe Jo Hyung Joong could not spend all of his time on Jun Hyuk. He needed to listen to the two people practicing with zeal in the next room. ¡°Jun Hyuk, let¡¯s work together again tomorrow. Can you make a score for the orchestra that goes along with the piano song you just yed and bring it?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll write that too.¡± ¡°Okay. Then watch other people practice here. You can watch the MIDI operations you¡¯re interested in.¡± They were not recording formal tracks. They needed to get used to their voices in the mic and practice their mission songs thoroughly. The future stars dragged home their bodies exhausted from practicing until it was night. They had justpleted their schedules that were packed from 7am to 10pm. They could not even go to sleep right away. They needed to show the vocal trainer and producer something better the next day. They needed to find what they werecking. Jun Hyuk sat at the desk and started writing out scores. Kwak Hye Sung watched enthralled as the notes filled the pages. ¡°Jun Hyuk, is this ssical?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s an arrangement of the orchestra that¡¯ll go in my mission song.¡± ¡°Looksplicated.¡± ¡°This is pretty simple... I¡¯m going to use around 16 instruments, so it¡¯s not thatplicated.¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous. Really.¡± Jun Hyuk put his pen down and looked at Kwak Hye Sung, ¡°What do you envy?¡± ¡°Your talent. Not everyone can create a song that a 16-person orchestra will y.¡± ¡°Not everyone can sing like you sir do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re calling me sir again. Oy, forget it.¡± Jun Hyuk did not use the nominals ¡®brother, sister¡¯ that everyone in the dorms usedfortably. Older men were ¡®sir,¡¯ ¡®there¡¯ or ¡®excuse me¡¯. Jun Hyuk made everyone ufortable because it was difficult to be friendly with him, but they gradually became used to interacting with him at a distance. ¡°Anyway, what good is it if my range is wide. Teacher Jo said it too, I can¡¯t bring out the emotion in the lyrics.¡± The emotion in lyrics... Kwak Hye Sung saw Jun Hyuk smirk and spoke, ¡°Why are youughing? Is it weird?¡± ¡°I guess you understand all of the lyrics of a pop song? Even when it¡¯s in English?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°But you still like the song. There are times when we be so emotional we cry even if we can¡¯t understand the lyrics. The lyrics are a problem forter.¡± Kwak Hye Sung went next to Jun Hyuk in order to hear him well while Lee Hae Junid on his bed pretending not to listen. ¡°Have you seen Shawshank Redemption?¡± ¡°The movie? The one with Tim Robbins?¡± ¡°Yes. The one where hees out with an old ck man.¡± ¡°I saw that. It was really good.¡± ¡°In that movie, the main character turns on opera in the prison broadcast studio. The soprano duet so everyone in the prison can hear.¡± ¡°Oh... That scene?¡± Kwak Hye Sung remembered the scene where all of the prisoners stared at the speakers. ¡°Do you know what that song is?¡± ¡°Mozart?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s ¡®Letter Duet¡¯ from Mozart¡¯s opera ¡®Marriage of Figaro¡¯. What did you think of it?¡± ¡°Wow- it was just like the movie itself. The melody... angels, freedom... that kind of feeling?¡± ¡°Right. There¡¯s a narration by the old ck man as that musices out, ¡®That song must be about freedom. It was like birds had left their cage and flew over the prison walls, freedom...¡¯.¡± Kwak Hye Sung was taking in Jun Hyuk¡¯s every word. Even Lee Hae Jun had gotten up at some point and was sitting at the edge of his bed to listen. ¡°But do you know what those lyrics really mean? That duet is like this; it¡¯s a scene of a countess speaking as a maid writes out the letter. That¡¯s why the title is Letter¡¯s Duet.¡± ¡°Letter?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s really nothing to the subject matter. ¡®Under the pine tree in the bush¡¯ ¡®Pine tree?¡¯ ¡®Yes pine tree¡¯ ¡®Oh, pine tree¡¯ ¡®You understand?¡¯ Stuff like that.¡± ¡°What? The lyrics are like that?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no meaning. That¡¯s all. Something about winds from the mountains surrounding the pine tree...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± The thought that that beautiful song is just about a letter to meet under a pine tree. Kwak Hye Sung felt like a fantasy hade shattering down. ¡°It¡¯s far from the emotions of freedom, angels, and wings.¡± Kwak Hye Sung looked bewildered but could understand what Jun Hyuk was trying to say. ¡°So what I¡¯m saying is to understand the sound before the lyrics. A singer is a sound. If the melody is great and that sound for that melody is good, people are bound to be impressed.¡± ¡°Use your voice? Hm.....¡± ¡°Why sing if you¡¯re going to rely on the effect of the lyrics? You would just recite a poem. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Kwak Hye Sung was beginning to understand what Jun Hyuk was saying. He even thought he might have wasted his time being satisfied with his ability to hit high notes and having a wide range in the past. Jun Hyuk looked at Kwak Hye Sung frowning and spoke, ¡°Sir, do you want me to tell you how you can get to the first stage?¡± ¡°Really? What is it?¡± ¡°Get them with a high-pitch. Like a soprano.¡± ¡°Soprano?¡± ¡°Yes. Go between high notes and falsettos... You have to show the bass too, right? But instead of hitting the melody with the heavy tone, get that melody with a moderate tone and a wide range.¡± To Kwak Hye Sung, it did not seem like this advice would be helpful, ¡°Whew... Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°Everyone is going to think that your sound is like a big iron rod. But it would be as if you are jabbing at people with the tip of a sharp fencing epee. They¡¯ll be impressed and they¡¯ll be seeing a different side of you. I¡¯m pretty sure the judges will be surprised too. Then the game¡¯s over.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t do what you said. I¡¯m not good with the high-pitch notes and falsetto.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of time left. And you have a really good vocal trainer, Ryu Sun Hee. Anyway, that¡¯s all for my opinion.¡± Jun Hyuk turned his chair and picked up the pen on the desk again. ¡°Uh... Jun Hyuk. Who do you think is the best?¡± Lee Hae Jun who had only been listening to Jun Hyuk and Kwak Hye Sung¡¯s conversation had approached them and spoke carefully. They had not spoken since they got here and Lee Hae Jun had addressed him for the first time. But he was using informal speech. He did not know how old Lee Hae Jun was but they looked to be the same age, so he thinking of throwing a punch at first calmed down when he thought of his boss¡¯ warning. Lee Hae Jun thought that Jun Hyuk was not responding because he was thinking of his response. ¡°Let¡¯s see. If we¡¯re looking at singing skills alone, Jessie?¡± ¡°Oh, Jessica?¡± ¡°Yeah. But that girl with the braces... Who is she?¡± ¡°Jang Na Rae?¡± ¡°Yeah. She improves so quickly I think she¡¯ll be the winner in the end.¡± ¡°Jang Na Rae improves quickly?¡± Kwak Hye Sung stepped in because he was surprised by Jun Hyuk¡¯s words. ¡°She improves a lot every day during the vocal lessons. And her tone bes more and more polished with vocal tuning.¡± The unexpected Jang Na Rae would grow ominously. That meant there was another strongpetitor. It was not something that Lee Hae Jun had wanted to hear, ¡°She can¡¯t get that good in a month.¡± ¡°Why is it one month? It¡¯s one month until the main starts, but an additional six weeks until thest round. She¡¯ll grow even more during that period since she¡¯ll be experiencing the real stage. And she¡¯s learning from a producer right now. If they go against each other today, Jessica will win, but in two months, Jessica can¡¯t keep up with braces.¡± Lee Hae Jun had not thought of the real live stage. Could Jang Na Rae beat Jessica in a matter of two months? They could not know whether Jun Hyuk¡¯s prediction would be right or wrong. What does this kid who even the judges call a genius think of him? Lee Hae Jun was bing curious. He spoke again carefully, ¡°What you do think of me?¡± Chapter 54 Volume 1 / Chapter 54 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°You? I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°.....¡± He clenched his fists at Jun Hyuk who had thrown the words as if annoyed before turning his back on him. It made him mad enough that a kid a year younger was being so rude, but he could not take the insult that Jun Hyuk was acting as though he was not worth thinking of. Lee Hae Jun was better at enduring than he was at singing. He had endured five years of the strident trainee life. He rxed his fists and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Are you saying my singing is so bad it¡¯s not worth talking about?¡± Jun Hyuk turned his chair around again, ¡°That¡¯s not it. I mean I haven¡¯t heard you sing before.¡± Lee Hae Jun¡¯s heart melted. Of course Jun Hyuk had never heard him sing. ¡°I¡¯m actually preparing to debut in an idol group. I¡¯m the main vocal there.¡± ¡°Really? Well what does it matter if you can¡¯t sing when you¡¯re going to be an idol? Isn¡¯t stuff like dancing more important?¡± He was experiencing this prejudice again. He was sick and tired of this prejudice. People did not realize that this trend was changing. ¡°It¡¯s not. The main vocal of an idol group, especially for a boy group, is really important. That way we can be included in things like OSTs, musicals, and solo albums.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it is. You¡¯ve been a trainee for a long time, right?¡± Kwak Hye Sung understood why the vocal trainer¡¯s criticism of Lee Hae Jun had been rare. ¡°Yes. Five years.¡± ¡°And you received all your vocal training?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No wonder. That¡¯s why teacher Ryu Sun Hee doesn¡¯t criticize you.¡± ¡°Sing for us.¡± Jun Hyuk nodded to the guitar leaning on the wall. ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lee Hae Jun hesitated before taking the guitar and started to sing, ¡°... You¡¯ll meet again when you miss her.....¡± As Lee Hae Jun sang Buhwal¡¯s Neverending Story, a few people from downstairs gathered at the door. ¡°Ooh~ Ooh~¡± ¡°Good night.¡± When his song finished, the people at the door pped and cheered for him. He hit the high notes well and he had expressed the emotions of the song almost perfectly. ¡°What do you think?¡± Lee Hae Jun felt a little lifted by the apuse and put the guitar down to look at Jun Hyuk. ¡°It won¡¯t do. Just beat everyone with exact dancing. Make singing a backup.¡± No one could breathe at Jun Hyuk¡¯s harsh criticism. How could he insult someone to their face without hesitation? ¡°What¡¯s the reason? Am I that bad at singing?¡± Lee Hae Jun was barely able to speak. ¡°Why do you sing?¡± ¡°What? What kind of question is that? Obviously it¡¯s because I like to sing.¡± ¡°Hah. Really?¡± Lee Hae Jun could not speak because Jun Hyukughed lightly. He liked to sing. That was in the past. It was not like that anymore. Now, singing was tiresome, painful, and boring. Singing? It had been long since he had taken the road to money and fame by bing a star. At this state, he could even be an actor if he was told that it was a faster way to be a star. Singing was not his goal but a road. ¡°What object do you think your singing is? It¡¯s an object made by a technician. It¡¯s not even an object made because they liked it but because it sells well. Tell me honestly, you¡¯re sick of singing, right?¡± ¡°.....¡± Lee Hae Jun could not respond to Jun Hyuk¡¯s fastball and stayed silent. ¡°If the person singing is thinking that, how do you think the people listening feel? Music is honest. It can¡¯t lie.¡± Lee Hae Jun could not listen to Jun Hyuk anymore and left his seat. He needed to get some fresh air, or he would throw the punch. He went outside the entrance and stood on the small grassywn, thinking about what Jun Hyuk said. The judges hadplimented him saying that he had a well-made vocal. He found it weird that he was so affected by Jun Hyuk¡¯s words. He was a teenager just like him even if he was called a genius. His words would not leave his head though. Singing was not fun. He could not get over the radical question Jun Hyuk had asked. He was still young, but it was the first time he had been asked that. ¡°Hey there. Is this the dormitory for Tomorrow¡¯s Star?¡± Lee Hae Jun jumped in surprise at the voice he heard out of nowhere. He forgot about Jun Hyuk. ¡°Yes, but who are you? Reporters can¡¯te in here.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m awyer, not a reporter. Is Jang Jun Hyuk inside?¡± Lee Hae Jun took the man¡¯s business card. Lawyer Baek Seung Ho. Lawyer? Why would awyer be looking for Jun Hyuk? ¡°Ha ha. Don¡¯t misunderstand. I have to speak with Jun Hyuk regarding a sponsorship contract. I can meet him, right?¡± ¡°You can¡¯te into the house.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re being difficult. It¡¯s not a prison or anything. Alright. I¡¯ll stay outside, please call him out for me. It¡¯ll be quick.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Baek Seung Ho took out a cigarette when Lee Hae Jun disappeared into the house. How great of a broadcast did they think they were making that they locked the kids up in a ce like this? He was looking at the blurry shadows of people in the windows when the front door opened and a tall, young boy came out. ¡°You look better in person.¡± ¡°Sir, who are you?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m someone really close to Yoon Kwang Hun. First, take the phone.¡± Baek Seung Ho took out his phone, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me... Okay. I just met him... You talk to him first. I¡¯ll put him on the line.¡± A confused Jun Hyuk took the phone from Baek Seung Ho. ¡°Hello?¡± ¨C Is this Jun Hyuk? It¡¯s me. How are you? It¡¯s not hard? And fun? ¡°Oh, boss. Yes. I¡¯m doing well. How are you?¡± ¨C I¡¯m good too. ¡°But why does your voice sound like that? Are you sick?¡± ¨C No kid. I¡¯m just happy to hear your voice. Jun Hyuk. ¡°Yes.¡± ¨C You know that man you¡¯re with right now? He¡¯s awyer at a really big and famous firm. ¡°Lawyer?¡± Jun Hyuk eyed the man smoking a cigarette next to him and kept talking on the phone. ¨C Yeah, so you can do whatever that man tells you to do. I trust him and he¡¯s like a little brother, so listen to him well. You understand? ¡°Yes. But why? Is something wrong?¡± ¨C I said everything is fine. Anyway, have fun. And show everyone how good you are, okay? ¡°Yes.¡± ¨C Okay, put thatwyer back on the phone. Jun Hyuk passed the phone back. ¡°Hello.¡± ¨C Tell him well. He has a temper but he¡¯s a fast thinker. He¡¯s not reckless like the rumors. He¡¯s smarter than you think, so he¡¯ll understand. ¡°Alright. Just leave it to me. I¡¯m awyer who lives off of words. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Baek Seung Ho hung up the phone and smiled at Jun Hyuk, ¡°Jun Hyuk, you¡¯re curious as to why I¡¯m here, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Baek Seung Ho searched for the articles on Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s rtionship on his smartphone and showed them to Jun Hyuk, ¡°Read them slowly. This is what¡¯s happening outside.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand shook as he held the phone. He kept trying to touch the article, but random ads popped up as he kept missing it with his shaking fingers, ¡°Oh shit.¡± His hand shook and the swearing was uncontroble. After the first article, there was another. [Jang Jun Hyuk¡¯s Guardian Viin Boss, Closed Cafe and Ran Away? Location Unknown.] After reading the articles for a while, Jun Hyuk¡¯s face turned red, ¡°These... these assholes.....¡± Baek Seung Ho took the phone out of Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand and spoke, ¡°You¡¯re angry, right?¡± ¡°... Yes.¡± ¡°What would you like for me to do?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± He felt like he was burning up, but thiswyer wasughing with a cigarette in his hand. Chapter 55 Volume 2 / Chapter 55 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Do you want me to get an official apology from the people who wrote these articles?¡± ¡°Of course. Where is my boss right now?¡± ¡°You just spoke with him. He¡¯s resting in a ce with fresh air. Stop worrying about him and answer me. You want to get a sincere apology and end it?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? End it with something like that? We have to ruin them.¡± ¡°How? Should we go beat them up? Set a fire and run?¡± ¡°.....¡± Jun Hyuk only knew how teenagers fought and did not know how to finish someone without a physical altercation. He felt how pathetic he was because all he could do was clench his fists and swear. ¡°Kwang Hun told me that you¡¯re weak against the strong and strong against the weak.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Jun Hyuk was questioning whether thiswyer who had been smirking at him since they first met was really someone that his boss trusted. In this situation, he should be expressing anger with him or at least being serious. This man was acting as though he were having fun. ¡°No? I heard you said that you have to be quick-witted and a coward to survive?¡± It was only when Baek Seung Ho threw his cigarette on the floor and put it out with his shoe that he stopped smiling, ¡°Most people are like that. What are you to do? If I act strong in front of someone with power, I¡¯m the only one who gets hurt, no?¡± ¡°So are you a coward too?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not like that. Do you know why?¡± ¡°Just say it. Why do you keep asking me questions?¡± ¡°Ha ha. You have a quick temper. Actually, I¡¯m really strong. There¡¯s almost no one stronger than me in Korea.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a really famouswyer?¡± ¡°Yeah. Mypany is really famous and huge. If I want to, I can ruin them all.¡± ¡°Then you can ruin all of the assholes who wrote these articles?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m going to make them crawl. But there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Mypany and I don¡¯t exist just to punish bad people. We get paid to do that.¡± ¡°I have money. I got $20,000 as an advertising model. I¡¯ll give you all of it, please ruin them for me.¡± ¡°$20,000? You can¡¯t get someone like me to work for just $20,000. You have to give me ten times more than that. And even that¡¯s cheap, but it¡¯s because I¡¯m close with Kwang Hun.¡± Ten times $20,000. It was an amount difficult to even imagine. Jun Hyuk had needed to count the zeros in his modeling fee. ¡°Shit, so what are you telling me to do? I don¡¯t have the money.¡± The swearing he had been holding back because this man was his boss¡¯ close friend came out involuntarily. However, thewyer did not seem to mind. He was smiling again, ¡°I¡¯ll do it on credit. What do you think?¡± ¡°Credit?¡± ¡°Yeah. Once this program ends, I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll make money. Pay me back with that money.¡± ¡°Alright. Then you tell me.¡± ¡°Tell you what?¡± ¡°How are you going to finish them?¡± Baek Seung Ho thought that he had done enough to prevent Jun Hyuk from quitting the program. Having endurance in order to reach a goal is what it meant to be an adult. ¡°The best way to finish off an adult is...¡± ¡°Money!¡± Jun Hyuk spoke before Baek Seung Ho finished his sentence. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re smart. The best way to ruin an adult is to take his money. Not by stealing it, but in a legal way. That¡¯s exactly what awyer like me does. Our job is towfully take money, which is what adults consider most important.¡± Taking their money. Jun Hyuk remembered when he had mugged kids on the street. There were more people who fought back for their money than they did to avoid getting hit. They fought back harder the more money they had in their pockets. Adults were not different. ¡°You have to act as if you don¡¯t know anything about what¡¯s going on. You¡¯ll understand because you¡¯ve gotten into fights before. When the opponent is throwing punches like crazy, you have to step back for a second and wait until he¡¯s tired out before you give thatst swing. That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do. These guys aren¡¯t tired enough yet. In exactly 10 days from now, they¡¯re going to be still because they¡¯re tired. That¡¯s when I¡¯m going to finish them. You understand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll make all the people who made Kwang Hun a bad person angrier than you are right now, so just wait. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have to make a lot of money to pay me back?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡°So do well on this program. Then you¡¯ll be able to make enough to pay back the credit easily. What I mean is that you can¡¯t cause idents. Understand?¡± Jun Hyuk understood well enough but did not think that it would be as easy to do. *** The next morning, Jun Hyuk did not get up from his bed until the staff came into his room. ¡°Hey, Jang Jun Hyuk! What are you doing? All the other kids are waiting on the bus.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to rest today. I¡¯m not in the mood to go out.¡± ¡°What? We were toox with this kid... Are you here to y? You think you get to rest because you feel like it?¡± Jun Hyuk sat up abruptly, ¡°Shi... Then? What are you going to do? Are you going to kick me out? Fuck... I¡¯ll leave if you want me to. Happy?¡± Jun Hyukid back in his bed again. Unlike the rumors about him, Jun Hyuk had obediently followed the schedule. They had worried that he might resist, but they never thought that he would act so rudely. The staff had been able to put up with teenagers like this cursing for the past 10 years because their seniors had built up with their tolerance with harsher words. Also, they were positive that something that happened because he changed overnight as if he were a different person. Their first thought was that they needed to check the cameras installed in the dorm and ask the other kids what had happenedst night. The staff mmed the door closed and went back to the bus where the other kids were waiting. Chapter 56 Volume 2 / Chapter 56 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Really? You¡¯re saying awyer met Jun Hyukst night, right? Leave him alone today. Just say he¡¯s sick.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik had an ominous thought once he hung u ¡°I¡¯ll y the rock version first.¡± As Jun Hyuk sat in front of the drums in the recording booth, the producer andposers working with Jo Hyung Joong rubbed their sleepy eyes and started watching. Jun Hyuk¡¯s music had already aired throughout parts of ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯. They had been surprised at the 10 seconds shown of Jun Hyuk on the drums, but this was the kid that Jo Hyung Joong had raved about. Everyone wanted to see how impressive he was. ¡°Teacher, he doesn¡¯t need a metronome?¡± The engineer preparing to record saw that Jun Hyuk did not have an earphone in his ear. ¡°Leave him. He¡¯ll be able to y one song on beat.¡± Jo Hyung Joong signaled to Jun Hyuk, ¡°Okay, you can start since everything is ready.¡± Jun Hyuk started to swing the drumsticks with force. Everyone focused on the performance, but it was not the drum they had expected. It was a in drum, maintaining a very simple beat. The only thing unusual about it was that this simple drumming went on for 8 minutes. When Jun Hyuk finished his performance and came out of the booth, the sound engineer and Jo Hyung Joong had puzzled expressions. ¡°Was it too monotonous?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh... No. It was really breezy. It¡¯s good. But Jun Hyuk, 8 minutes is too long. It¡¯s a song to perform. No matter how famous the song is, there isn¡¯t an audience willing to hear 8 minutes of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s 12 minutes.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The whole thing is 12 minutes. In the middle, there are going to be two points without the drums and just the bass and guitar... I held those ces in the middle of the drum.¡± They had not even realized that he held spots in the performance because he kept repeating the same simple rhythm. But 12 minutes? ¡°Hm, it¡¯s too long anyway.¡± ¡°Then listen to the whole thing and shorten it for me.¡± Jun Hyuk went back into the booth and spoke, ¡°The bass goes first... the guitar is second, first, I¡¯ll y them like this twice.¡± The bass and second guitar were also in. The bass did have a funky rhythm, but there was none of the grandeur shown on the piano. Thest performance started. The performance beginning in glissando (holding strings down with left string while transferring a sound as if sliding) excited everyone watching. It was fast and magnificent. He yed so quickly that the right hand picking the guitar was almost invisible, and the left hand was pressing and pulling the stainless steel strings freely as though they were rubber bands. ¡°Is... Is he really 17 years old?¡± ¡°I... thought so. How old was he when he first picked up a guitar pick?¡± They had said that the instruments he knew how to y were the guitar, drum, and piano. He started with music 2 years ago. Just from his performance skills, this was impossible. ¡°Wow, this is what a performance is. That kid really is impressive. How can he do it in one go without a single mistake?¡± ¡°Jo Hyung Joong spoke after seeing the recording studio staff who could not stop admiring Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance, ¡°You heard that as a perfect performance without any mistakes? ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°He made a few mistakes. He¡¯s just passing the minor mistakes. It¡¯s fine as long as it has the effect he wants. That kid¡¯s not an amateur. Amateurs only have the thought that they can¡¯t make mistakes whether they¡¯re singing or ying an instrument.¡± Jo Hyung Joong shared an episode from his past, ¡°I¡¯ve recorded Kwang Suk before. Listening to this, I¡¯m thinking of Kwang Suk.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Kim Kwang Suk who passed away?¡± ¡°Yeah. That was when he performed in Daehak-ro everyday. He was recording his new song holding an acoustic guitar and his voice was cracking. We still couldn¡¯t stop the recording. Even that cracking voice made us ecstatic. Music is like that. If it¡¯s full of atmosphere and that atmospherees out, it¡¯s enough.¡± Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s satisfied expression did not go away. When Jun Hyuk came out of the booth afterpleting all of the pieces, Jo Hyung Joong apuded him sincerely. He had been a musician for over 20 years. Though he heard the drum, bass, and guitar parts separately, he already heard them as aplete song in his head. ¡°When did you start learning to y instruments? It¡¯s as if you were born holding a guitar pick.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been about 2 years. There¡¯s a practice room in the basement of the cafe I work at.¡± ¡°Really? You really practiced for 2 years and you can y like this?¡± He had confirmed again. Talent ignored thews of time. The sound engineer let Jo Hyung Joong and Jun Hyuk know that the song had been put together, ¡°Teacher, the track isplete.¡± ¡°Really? That was quick.¡± ¡°The track lengths were exact, so there wasn¡¯t much work for me to do separately.¡± When he pressed the y button, turbulent metal music filled the recording studio for 12 minutes. The guitar pumped intensely, the drum filled the emptiness, and the bass picked up the melody, creating a perfect harmony. ¡°What do you think?¡± Jun Hyuk spoke when the music was over. Jo Hyung Joong was the first professional Jun Hyuk was working with since he had learned music. He wanted to know what an expert thought. ¡°Honestly, there are no ws to point out except for one.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too long. You have to perform this heavy rock song for various audiences. Heavy metal, an instrumental without lyrics, length of 12 minutes. There aren¡¯t many people willing to ept all three.¡± ¡°Hm... Then will you arrange it again?¡± ¡°Me? Ha ha ha,¡± Jo Hyung Joongughed cheerfully. ¡°I can¡¯t do that because to me, it¡¯s music without any ws. I must not change it and I don¡¯t have the ability to change it. You have to do it.¡± ¡°I do?¡± ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t want to take out a single note.¡± Jo Hyung Joong had more advice to give, but saved his words. Jun Hyuk¡¯s version of Canon was a song that unleashed the desire to show off. He must have had this thought while watching the countless electric guitar versions of Canon on YouTube. I y a lot better. If there is someone who has mastered all existing guitar techniques better than I have,e out. It was a performance that gave off this vibe. In this way, it became long for no reason because he needed to show all of the techniques he had. However, this useless boasting would automatically disappear if the song was shortened to 4 minutes. They needed to take out all unnecessary parts in order to really get the essence of Pachelbel. He pushed a Jun Hyuk, brooding in thought as though already thinking of new arrangement, back into the recording booth, ¡°Then should we hear the version with the three guitars?¡± The version where the violin melody from the original song was changed to guitars waspletely different. He recorded the slow bass rhythm and calm acoustic guitar without a drum first. When it was difficult to predict what form theplete song would take, Jo Hyung Joong questioned Jun Hyuk as he prepared to record thest melody, ¡°Jun Hyuk, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Excuse me? I¡¯m setting the guitar.¡± ¡°Why are you doing two?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to y them together.¡± ¡°Together? You¡¯re going to y two at the same time?¡± ¡°Yes, because the performance is important.¡± It could not be? Jo Hyung Joong thought of one guitarist, ¡°Are you going to perform in Stanley Jordan¡¯s method?¡± Stanley Jordan. He was an American guitarist who was able to y both the lead and rhythm guitars using both hands in methods like tapping and pping. He could y the treble and bass at the same time in a twin melody. Like Stanley Jordan, Jun Hyuk put one guitar around his shoulders and one on the stand. The same melody of 8 bars flowed from the two guitars. This was Canon itself. Canon was a chorus where the the first part was sung followed by the chorus while leaving a certain measure in between. Jun Hyuk imitated the leading melody while ying in a format with sessive chords in a temporal flow. Jun Hyuk¡¯s two hands moved elegantly over the two guitars as though there were two people performing. After hearing both versions of Canon, Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s instinct as a producer tingled. He did not know how long Jun Hyuk would survive on the program, but he wanted to put Jun Hyuk¡¯s songs together to make an album. He had already created four songs. Finkl¡¯s song NOW in jazz on the piano, the two versions of Canon, and Shin Hae Chul¡¯s From the Sun to the Boy. There was no reason to gather only the songs from the broadcast. This was a child who had the talent to continue creating music. Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s phone rang as he was excited with this expectation, ¡°Yeah, Producer Kim. Why are you calling?¡± ¨C Hi. I just wanted to see if the work was going well. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no problem. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¨C Is Jun Hyuk working on the mission song? ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a lot to think about because all three songs are good.¡± ¨C Excuse me? What do you mean there are three songs? He had called to check on Jun Hyuk¡¯s state, but heard something unexpected. ¡°Jun Hyuk arranged a ssic and it¡¯s no joke. I¡¯m wondering which will be better too.¡± ¨C You know... we can¡¯t change that. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s a ssic without copyrights.¡± ¨C Copyrights aren¡¯t the problem. There¡¯s another problem involved..... ¡°Geez. He¡¯s doing so well on his own. Is it a problem with the contract again?¡± Jo Hyung Joong spoke with a voice full of irritation. It was obvious that the variety show entertainment production executives and the main producer had agreed to share the profits with the agency holding the copyrights. ¨C Don¡¯t say anything to me. I¡¯m just a wage earner. I have to do what the people higher up say. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll do the appointed song, but you have to listen to a favor me.¡± ¨C Sure. Tell me what it is. ¡°Arrange for an orchestra. We don¡¯t need a lot, just 16 people. You can¡¯t do students though. You have to get people beyond that.¡± ¨C Why an orchestra all of a sudden? Can¡¯t you work on the MIDI operations? ¡°Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano is really good and the orchestral apaniment came out nicely. It¡¯s a waste to do as a MIDI operation.¡± ¨C Alright. We have to do that much for you. Also... is Jun Hyuk doing well? ¡°Yeah. I was careful with him for no reason because you said stuff about him being rogue. He¡¯s a good kid and just does music. Why? Did something happen?¡± ¨C No, it¡¯s nothing. I was just wondering. It seemed everything was still okay. Producer Kim Ki Sik kept praying that they would pass over this without any problems. Jun Hyung Joong painstakingly polished the three songs to the point where he would have no problem releasing an album with Jun Hyuk right away. For a week, Jun Hyuk forgot everything and concentrated on creating the best music. p the call from the staff on site at the dorm, ¡®Awyer.....¡¯ Jun Hyuk met awyer and would not get out of bed. He was positive the cafe owner had hired awyer and Jun Hyuk had heard about what was going on outside. He rushed to the dorm in Ilsan without dy. When he opened the front door of the dorm, he saw Jun Hyukying around the sofa reading a music score. There were cup ramens and canned drinks around the sofa along with the empty dishes and crushed cans that he had already gone through. ¡°Are you okay? I heard you¡¯re sick.¡± ¡°What? No. I said that I wasn¡¯t in the mood.¡± Jun Hyuk seemed rxed inparison to the staff who had been as frantic as if a wooden house had caught on fire. ¡°Alright. Do you feel better?¡± ¡°I feel better now that I¡¯ve fixed my score and changed it a bit.¡± Could he be okay after finding out that someone like a parent had fallen into trouble? Producer Kim Ki Sik spoke cautiously, ¡°Jun Hyuk. Yesterday, was there...¡± ¡°Producer. Can you drop me off at Teacher Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s studio right now?¡± ¡°What? To Jo Hyung Joong?¡± ¡°Yes. I need to show him the arrangement of the orchestra part I finished for the mission song.¡± ¡°O... Okay. But I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll be at the studio this early in the morning.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik felt intuitively that he was avoiding it. He was deliberately avoiding what happened yesterday and this morning. He did not want to say what had happened. He is not the type to go past something as if nothing had happened. Could it be that he had ulterior motives? Or had he resigned because he knew that he did not have the power to do anything? Producer Kim Ki Sik thought that he did not need to prod Jun Hyuk who did not want to talk about it. There was no need to bother Jun Hyuk yet. They could just monitor his state for a little longer and make him quit the program if they detected anything strange. Fortunately, there was still a lot of time left before the live broadcast. ¡°He said that he would be at the studio for the time being because of the arrangements.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik who was lost in his thoughts took Jun Hyuk to Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s studio. *** Jo Hyung Joong who had fallen asleep at dawn on the studio sofa looked for coffee before he could even open his eyes properly when Jun Hyuk barged in first thing in the morning, waking him up. While Jo Hyung Joong gulped down his coffee, Jun Hyuk handed him a bundle of scores as thick as a textbook. ¡°You didn¡¯t go to this morning¡¯s schedule? Don¡¯t you need to go to fitness?¡± ¡°I yed hooky today because this is more important.¡± ¡°But why are there so many scores? I told you to configure it for 16 instruments.¡± ¡°This is 16. I brought the Symphony No. 1 I told you about too.¡± ¡°Oh right. Symphony No. 1.¡± Jo Hyung Joong started to look over the score for ¡®From the Sun to the Boy¡¯ slowly. After looking at the score for over 10 minutes, he sighed in admiration, ¡°Whew- I¡¯ll have to tell them to give you the fees for the arrangement.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to change here, so you have to get the arrangement fees and I¡¯ll just get the recording fees.¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Hm... I had been thinking of an borate orchestral apaniment, but you made it very refreshing. It¡¯s an arrangement that clearly indicates that the piano is the main. But.....¡± Jun Hyuk fixed his gaze on Jo Hyung Joong who hesitated to speak while waiting to hear what wascking in his music. ¡°This song will bring admiration when listening to it on a CD, but the first release is on a stage to the audience and through the TV. I¡¯m worried it¡¯llck impact. The orchestral apaniment will go out as the MR and there¡¯s just a piano on the stage. It¡¯s especially hard to deliver the rich music scene on the TV. That¡¯s why the performance bes an important element.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying the performance is important, right?¡± ¡°Right. But Jun Hyuk, have you decided on this song? What happened to Pachelbel¡¯s Canon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to do it. From now on, I¡¯m not going to do the music I want to do, but what other people like.¡± Jun Hyuk who had said just yesterday that he wanted to do Canon was saying now that he wanted to y music for others. Why? What had happened to make him change overnight? He had a firm perspective on music unlike other kids these days. Jo Hung Joong was surprised by the change in Jun Hyuk and wanted to know what the reason was, but did not want to show his curiosity. There was no need to rush when he would find out anyway. Jun Hyuk was someone who could not help butmunicate through music. ¡°Hm... This won¡¯t do. I¡¯m getting greedy.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I want to listen to everything. Pachelbel¡¯s Canon, both versions. The recorders will be here in a bit so let¡¯s try recording right away.¡± ¡°No, teacher. We can do that next time...¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it? You¡¯re going to do music that other people want to hear? Let¡¯s hear it. I¡¯ll pick the music that will make you shine most on stage. I¡¯m a person who knows exactly what the public¡¯s preference is. Leave it to me since whatever I choose will be jackpot.¡± Jo Hyung Joong winked as heughed and ran into the shower to regain his consciousness. Chapter 57 Volume 2 / Chapter 57 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°I¡¯ll y the rock version first.¡± As Jun Hyuk sat in front of the drums in the recording booth, the producer andposers working with Jo Hyung Joong rubbed their sleepy eyes and started watching. Jun Hyuk¡¯s music had already aired throughout parts of ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯. They had been surprised at the 10 seconds shown of Jun Hyuk on the drums, but this was the kid that Jo Hyung Joong had raved about. Everyone wanted to see how impressive he was. ¡°Teacher, he doesn¡¯t need a metronome?¡± The engineer preparing to record saw that Jun Hyuk did not have an earphone in his ear. ¡°Leave him. He¡¯ll be able to y one song on beat.¡± Jo Hyung Joong signaled to Jun Hyuk, ¡°Okay, you can start since everything is ready.¡± Jun Hyuk started to swing the drumsticks with force. Everyone focused on the performance, but it was not the drum they had expected. It was a in drum, maintaining a very simple beat. The only thing unusual about it was that this simple drumming went on for 8 minutes. When Jun Hyuk finished his performance and came out of the booth, the sound engineer and Jo Hyung Joong had puzzled expressions. ¡°Was it too monotonous?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh... No. It was really breezy. It¡¯s good. But Jun Hyuk, 8 minutes is too long. It¡¯s a song to perform. No matter how famous the song is, there isn¡¯t an audience willing to hear 8 minutes of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s 12 minutes.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The whole thing is 12 minutes. In the middle, there are going to be two points without the drums and just the bass and guitar... I held those ces in the middle of the drum.¡± They had not even realized that he held spots in the performance because he kept repeating the same simple rhythm. But 12 minutes? ¡°Hm, it¡¯s too long anyway.¡± ¡°Then listen to the whole thing and shorten it for me.¡± Jun Hyuk went back into the booth and spoke, ¡°The bass goes first... the guitar is second, first, I¡¯ll y them like this twice.¡± The bass and second guitar were also in. The bass did have a funky rhythm, but there was none of the grandeur shown on the piano. Thest performance started. The performance beginning in glissando (holding strings down with left string while transferring a sound as if sliding) excited everyone watching. It was fast and magnificent. He yed so quickly that the right hand picking the guitar was almost invisible, and the left hand was pressing and pulling the stainless steel strings freely as though they were rubber bands. ¡°Is... Is he really 17 years old?¡± ¡°I... thought so. How old was he when he first picked up a guitar pick?¡± They had said that the instruments he knew how to y were the guitar, drum, and piano. He started with music 2 years ago. Just from his performance skills, this was impossible. ¡°Wow, this is what a performance is. That kid really is impressive. How can he do it in one go without a single mistake?¡± ¡°Jo Hyung Joong spoke after seeing the recording studio staff who could not stop admiring Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance, ¡°You heard that as a perfect performance without any mistakes? ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°He made a few mistakes. He¡¯s just passing the minor mistakes. It¡¯s fine as long as it has the effect he wants. That kid¡¯s not an amateur. Amateurs only have the thought that they can¡¯t make mistakes whether they¡¯re singing or ying an instrument.¡± Jo Hyung Joong shared an episode from his past, ¡°I¡¯ve recorded Kwang Suk before. Listening to this, I¡¯m thinking of Kwang Suk.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Kim Kwang Suk who passed away?¡± ¡°Yeah. That was when he performed in Daehak-ro everyday. He was recording his new song holding an acoustic guitar and his voice was cracking. We still couldn¡¯t stop the recording. Even that cracking voice made us ecstatic. Music is like that. If it¡¯s full of atmosphere and that atmospherees out, it¡¯s enough.¡± Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s satisfied expression did not go away. When Jun Hyuk came out of the booth afterpleting all of the pieces, Jo Hyung Joong apuded him sincerely. He had been a musician for over 20 years. Though he heard the drum, bass, and guitar parts separately, he already heard them as aplete song in his head. ¡°When did you start learning to y instruments? It¡¯s as if you were born holding a guitar pick.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been about 2 years. There¡¯s a practice room in the basement of the cafe I work at.¡± ¡°Really? You really practiced for 2 years and you can y like this?¡± He had confirmed again. Talent ignored thews of time. The sound engineer let Jo Hyung Joong and Jun Hyuk know that the song had been put together, ¡°Teacher, the track isplete.¡± ¡°Really? That was quick.¡± ¡°The track lengths were exact, so there wasn¡¯t much work for me to do separately.¡± When he pressed the y button, turbulent metal music filled the recording studio for 12 minutes. The guitar pumped intensely, the drum filled the emptiness, and the bass picked up the melody, creating a perfect harmony. ¡°What do you think?¡± Jun Hyuk spoke when the music was over. Jo Hyung Joong was the first professional Jun Hyuk was working with since he had learned music. He wanted to know what an expert thought. ¡°Honestly, there are no ws to point out except for one.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too long. You have to perform this heavy rock song for various audiences. Heavy metal, an instrumental without lyrics, length of 12 minutes. There aren¡¯t many people willing to ept all three.¡± ¡°Hm... Then will you arrange it again?¡± ¡°Me? Ha ha ha,¡± Jo Hyung Joongughed cheerfully. ¡°I can¡¯t do that because to me, it¡¯s music without any ws. I must not change it and I don¡¯t have the ability to change it. You have to do it.¡± ¡°I do?¡± ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t want to take out a single note.¡± Jo Hyung Joong had more advice to give, but saved his words. Jun Hyuk¡¯s version of Kanon was a song that unleashed the desire to show off. He must have had this thought while watching the countless electric guitar versions of Kanon on YouTube. I y a lot better. If there is someone who has mastered all existing guitar techniques better than I have,e out. It was a performance that gave off this vibe. In this way, it became long for no reason because he needed to show all of the techniques he had. However, this useless boasting would automatically disappear if the song was shortened to 4 minutes. They needed to take out all unnecessary parts in order to really get the essence of Pachelbel. He pushed a Jun Hyuk, brooding in thought as though already thinking of new arrangement, back into the recording booth, ¡°Then should we hear the version with the three guitars?¡± The version where the violin melody from the original song was changed to guitars waspletely different. He recorded the slow bass rhythm and calm acoustic guitar without a drum first. When it was difficult to predict what form theplete song would take, Jo Hyung Joong questioned Jun Hyuk as he prepared to record thest melody, ¡°Jun Hyuk, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Excuse me? I¡¯m setting the guitar.¡± ¡°Why are you doing two?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to y them together.¡± ¡°Together? You¡¯re going to y two at the same time?¡± ¡°Yes, because the performance is important.¡± It could not be? Jo Hyung Joong thought of one guitarist, ¡°Are you going to perform in Stanley Jordan¡¯s method?¡± Stanley Jordan. He was an American guitarist who was able to y both the lead and rhythm guitars using both hands in methods like tapping and pping. He could y the treble and bass at the same time in a twin melody. Like Stanley Jordan, Jun Hyuk put one guitar around his shoulders and one on the stand. The same melody of 8 bars flowed from the two guitars. This was Kanon itself. Kanon was a chorus where the the first part was sung followed by the chorus while leaving a certain measure in between. Jun Hyuk imitated the leading melody while ying in a format with sessive chords in a temporal flow. Jun Hyuk¡¯s two hands moved elegantly over the two guitars as though there were two people performing. After hearing both versions of Kanon, Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s instinct as a producer tingled. He did not know how long Jun Hyuk would survive on the program, but he wanted to put Jun Hyuk¡¯s songs together to make an album. He had already created four songs. Finkl¡¯s song NOW in jazz on the piano, the two versions of Kanon, and Shin Hae Chul¡¯s From the Sun to the Boy. There was no reason to gather only the songs from the broadcast. This was a child who had the talent to continue creating music. Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s phone rang as he was excited with this expectation, ¡°Yeah, Producer Kim. Why are you calling?¡± ¨C Hi. I just wanted to see if the work was going well. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no problem. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¨C Is Jun Hyuk working on the mission song? ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a lot to think about because all three songs are good.¡± ¨C Excuse me? What do you mean there are three songs? He had called to check on Jun Hyuk¡¯s state, but heard something unexpected. ¡°Jun Hyuk arranged a ssic and it¡¯s no joke. I¡¯m wondering which will be better too.¡± ¨C You know... we can¡¯t change that. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s a ssic without copyrights.¡± ¨C Copyrights aren¡¯t the problem. There¡¯s another problem involved..... ¡°Geez. He¡¯s doing so well on his own. Is it a problem with the contract again?¡± Jo Hyung Joong spoke with a voice full of irritation. It was obvious that the variety show entertainment production executives and the main producer had agreed to share the profits with the agency holding the copyrights. ¨C Don¡¯t say anything to me. I¡¯m just a wage earner. I have to do what the people higher up say. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll do the appointed song, but you have to listen to a favor me.¡± ¨C Sure. Tell me what it is. ¡°Arrange for an orchestra. We don¡¯t need a lot, just 16 people. You can¡¯t do students though. You have to get people beyond that.¡± ¨C Why an orchestra all of a sudden? Can¡¯t you work on the MIDI operations? ¡°Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano is really good and the orchestral apaniment came out nicely. It¡¯s a waste to do as a MIDI operation.¡± ¨C Alright. We have to do that much for you. Also... is Jun Hyuk doing well? ¡°Yeah. I was careful with him for no reason because you said stuff about him being rogue. He¡¯s a good kid and just does music. Why? Did something happen?¡± ¨C No, it¡¯s nothing. I was just wondering. It seemed everything was still okay. Producer Kim Ki Sik kept praying that they would pass over this without any problems. Jun Hyung Joong painstakingly polished the three songs to the point where he would have no problem releasing an album with Jun Hyuk right away. For a week, Jun Hyuk forgot everything and concentrated on creating the best music. Chapter 58 Volume 2 / Chapter 58 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Senior, thesewyers are saying that they would like to meet with you.¡± ¡°Lawyers? What are you talking about? ¡°A couple of them came.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik was annoyed that the legal team was bothering him with legal matters when he had spent two sleepless days sitting on the cutting room sofa. Thepany written on the business card thewyer handed over was Peace Law Firm. Lawyer Baek Seung Ho. Producer Kim Ki Sik felt that something was going wrong. When looking at the number ofwyers and fees of Korea¡¯s countlessw firms, it was a giant firm ranked in 1st or 2nd ce. And each business card being handed over saidwyer. What could be happening that three of them came looking for him while unting their prestige? ¡°Why arewyers of such a bigw firm looking for the producer of an entertainment program?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just here about some issues regarding Yoon Kwang Hun. Excuse our intrusion.¡± ¡°Yoon Kwang Hun? Oh, the owner of the cafe where Jun Hyuk worked?¡± ¡°Yes. I am his attorney.¡± An owner of a small cafe in Misari appointed awyer from Korea¡¯s bestw firm as his attorney? Producer Kim became even more confused, ¡°If you¡¯re here to talk about the articles going around the inte, you¡¯vee to the wrong ce. If you want to file awsuit, you have to go to the press offices.¡± ¡°Ha ha. It¡¯s not that bad. Aren¡¯t I awyer?¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°We have a couple things to ask.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s end this quickly since I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Oh, sure. When you sent out the press release, did you release information about Jun Hyuk as well? That he didn¡¯t get any wages for the past 2 years, that Yoon Kwang Hun acquired guardianship of him after he appeared on the program and right before they signed the contract... Information like that.¡± He was positive thesewyers hade to the broadcasting station to look for the people who spread the rumors first. He broke out in a cold sweat, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. You have to confirm that with the public rtions team. The production team doesn¡¯t deal with that kind of stuff.¡± ¡°Really? I just met with the manager of the public rtions team and he said that there was a request not to release any information on Jun Hyuk. We came here knowing it¡¯s a pardon because we wanted to see if there was a special reason for this.¡± ¡°Oh, we did request that. We did not want to create news with such provocative articles.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik wanted to run away to the legal team immediately, but he could not show the slightest sign of this. Thewyer¡¯s eyes were watching him and taking note of his plexion like a wild beast seeking its prey. Lawyer Baek Seung Ho already knew that the sweat building on Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s forehead was not because of the heat. The person whose secret has been revealed has already lost the fight. Baek Seung Ho spoke with more vigor than Jun Hyuk swung his drumsticks in order to wave his g of victory, ¡°I see. Then one more thing. Is is true that only this broadcasting station knew about the ¡®facts¡¯ regarding Yoon Kwang Hun and Jun Hyuk¡¯s rtionship? Jun Hyuk did a lot of interviews about his past. However, many articles came up just two or three hours after the program aired. There was even information that they could never know just by watching the broadcast. What do you think happened?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask the press offices. How would I know?¡± His anger was proof that he was frustrated. Baek Seung Ho was certain that this main producer may not be the culprit of the media show, but was an aplice at the least. ¡°Pardon the inconvenience. We just asked to check. So the broadcasting station never leaked information to the press office. We will keep this in mind.¡± ¡°Excuse me. Did the cafe owner appoint you as hiswyer?¡± He was checking a question he did not need to ask. He must not want to believe that Yoon Kwang Hun had a rtionship with such an influentialw firm like Peace. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s like an older brother to me, so I said that I would take this case first. And as you can see, ourw firm is treating this as a very important case.¡± Baek Seung Ho was highlighting that the threewyers were working together. ¡°We cannot condone the spreading of such vicious false rumors. We intend to give legal penalties even to people who leave maliciousments online.¡± He made his point concrete to Producer Kim Ki Sik who was already at a loss for words. ¡°Oh right. We forgot the most important aspect.¡± Baek Seung Ho pulled a thin man folder out of his bag and handed it over, ¡°This is a warrant. I¡¯m Yoon Kwang Hun and Jun Hyuk¡¯s counsel. Going forward, Peace Law Firm will review everything rted to their contracts.¡± As Producer Kim Ki Sik epted the documents, Baek Seung Ho gave him a friendly smile. He was certain that he could make thest, decisive move, ¡°And there¡¯s something we would like to propose.¡± ¡°Propose?¡± ¡°Yes. We would like to modify the contract between Jang Jung Hyuk and MV channel.¡± ¡°Modify the contract? What nonsense! Both sides have already signed.¡± Was it not already a much more generous contractpared to the other contestants¡¯? To modify that? It could not be done. ¡°Oy, Producer. Isn¡¯t that why I¡¯m proposing that we change it? Don¡¯t be so antagonistic.¡± ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s hear it.¡± ¡°As you know, hasn¡¯t Jun Hyuk been the hottest issue for the past 3 weeks? The viewer ratings for ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ has increased greatly because of that.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°If you look at the contract, the revenue was structured so 40% went to the publisher, 40% to the track producer, and the remaining 20% was split between theposer, lyricist, arranger, performer, and singer. But doesn¡¯t this structure make it so that MV channel takes 80% as the publisher and producer?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not the only ones who do that. That¡¯s the standard in Korea¡¯s music industry.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. Since publishers are created on idol standards these days, it costs a lot to produce music. To train idols, you need to buy the song, call in the session men to y the music, and find a producer... It¡¯s expensive.¡± ¡°Awyer knows a lot about such things.¡± ¡°I did a bit of research. Ha ha. Anyway, I heard that Jun Hyuk writes his own songs, performs, and produces his own apaniments. He¡¯s doing everything on his own. If we calcte the production costs, isn¡¯t it just the recording fee?¡± ¡°Is that right? Are you asking to receive the producing profits?¡± ¡°You catch on quickly. We need to receive 15% of the production 40%. We were going to demand half but...¡± ¡°This man! Are you crazy? Let¡¯s end this if you¡¯re going to keep talking nonsense.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik stood up from his seat while huffing in anger. This is a proposal that would be hard to ept even if it were for a legend like Jo Yong Pil. No matter how much traction Jun Hyuk brought in viewer ratings, how dare they try to im the production profits. ¡°Then we will admit Jun Hyuk to the hospital tomorrow. He will need to stay for one or two months of course.¡± Baek Seung Ho¡¯s low but clear voice stuck in Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s ears. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think so? The man who might as well be his biological parent has been beaten up for the past three weeks as Korea¡¯s greatest viin. Don¡¯t you think his shock would be unimaginable?¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik could not help but sit back in his seat. The hospital. Even if they put the bustling media second, they would need topletely edit Jun Hyuk out of the broadcast airing in three days. The biggest issue was that all of the previews they had aired of Jun Hyuk whenever they had the chance to would all go to waste if he did not appear on the live broadcast stage. Jun Hyuk had created an overwhelming fan base of women in their teens and 20s because of his good looks. Furthermore, his dramatic 17 year life built apassion that gathered even people in their 40s to the TV. With such high expectations for Jun Hyuk, half of these viewers would disappear if he were to exit thepetition. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Do you hear it as a threat? If you listen to the rest of my words, you wille to understand that it¡¯s a proposal.¡± Baek Seung Ho knew well that the proposal would not stick with just a threat. In order to get something, something needed to give. ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s hear the rest; see how far you take this.¡± ¡°Star Week recording goes out again in three days, right? We will hold a press conference that day. It¡¯ll be a joint press conference for Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun. It¡¯s going to end very warmly. Then the media will be abuzz... and that¡¯ll affect viewer ratings directly.¡± Baek Seung Ho took out a presentation and passed them over, ¡°Take a look. We have organized the interview contents. You¡¯ll know by reading through it, but the questions are killer. I guarantee viewer ratings will surpass 10% no matter what.¡± With Producer Kim Ki Sik who skimmed over the documents in front of him, Baek Seung Ho went over more of the proposal, ¡°And every week on the day of the broadcast, we at Peace are going to release our work one by one. Thewsuit against the press office,wsuit against the maliciousmenters, et cetera. We¡¯ll make it first ce in real-time searches every week. It won¡¯t be a damaging agreement to the broadcasting station in any way.¡± ¡°What if we say no?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Jun Hyuk will be admitted to the hospital. It¡¯s an end to his activities. Then track revenues will disappear entirely. All you¡¯ll have are one or two songs from Star Week.¡± ¡°The contract says that he can¡¯t refuse appearing on the broadcast until he¡¯s eliminated...¡± ¡°How can a child who passed out from mental shock appear on broadcast? This is a force majeure. There isn¡¯t a single judge in Korea who will send a child hospitalized after fainting to a stage.¡± The actress whoys in a hospital bed to avoid a breach of contract. It was amon scenario. It wasmon because this method worked. ¡°And if you refuse my proposal, we won¡¯t start thiswsuit that the media will be so interested in until after ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ is over. Our Peace Law Firm has no intention of helping you with your viewer ratings.¡± This meant he was going to make everyone forget about Jun Hyuk during the broadcasting period. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re busy, so we¡¯ll get up now. Think about it and give us a call by tomorrow morning. If you don¡¯t call us by tomorrow morning, Jun Hyuk will be admitted to the hospital. Then, good day to you.¡± Baek Seung Ho left the conference room without looking back. When thewyers left, Producer Kim Ki Sik felt numb as if a typhoon had just passed. How could this happen? Chapter 59 Volume 2 / Chapter 59 TL: LightNovelCafe Inside the broadcast station elevator, awyer who had followed Baek Seung Ho finally began to speak, ¡°Wow, senior. That was really impressive. How did you think to propose such a deal? I couldn¡¯t even imagine that.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think of it.¡± ¡°What? Then who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s idea.¡± ¡°Yoon Kwang Hun? The cafe owner?¡± ¡°Yeah. That man was a fearsome beast in the past. He¡¯s living quietly because he¡¯s a wolf without teeth now. He can easily ruin a producer of a broadcast station.¡± The juniorwyer had a difficult time conceptualizing the cafe owner he had seen once as a fearsome beast. He could not imagine that from that quiet man who had only smiled cheerfully. ¡°I was only going to confirm the facts with the broadcast station. I was just going to end it after seeing if they spread the subject matter for the tabloids. The broadcast station isn¡¯t our target. We need to ruin the press offices and the people making maliciousments since the objects of thewsuit are these two. The broadcast station doesn¡¯t have a link to Yoon Kwang Hun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I thought it was strange as well. Even if they did spread the rumors, it¡¯s obvious that they¡¯ll pretend they didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°We still need to check. What did you think? That producer seemed to be surprised, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m certain he has a rtionship with that agency you talked about.¡± ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. There¡¯s no evidence and he¡¯s not a direct party. If we shake the press office, they¡¯re bound to fight each other. If the agency paid them off, you think they¡¯ll stay still? As they do that, I¡¯m sure something more wille out. I was going to wait, but Yoon Kwang Hun said that we need to wield the knife while we had it by the hilt. Laterter. It¡¯s stupid to rely onter when we don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll end up.¡± Baek Seung Ho recalled Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s past when he was like a fearsome beast. He had been the person able to crush a perfectly goodpany without hesitation in order to guarantee sess in future investments. He used to be a cruel beast who wouldugh and say that it was thew of nature for a wolf to eat amb. Life was really unpredictable when seeing a man like now running a cafe while taking care of a talented boy. *** Producer Kim Ki Sik sat in the conference room alone for a while and then ran to the legal team. ¡°Ah, Producer Kim. Good that you came. I was going to request a meeting with you.¡± ¡°Peace?¡± ¡°Huh? How did you know? Did they go to you too?¡± ¡°Yes. They said they wanted to check a few things.....¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk must really be a gem. He¡¯s only been on air once or twice, but magnatepany like this starts managing him. It¡¯s a good thing they appeared after our contract with him was alreadypleted. If not, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to contract him. They would have made a huge deal that it¡¯s an unfair contract.¡± The legal team looked as though they were relieved that Peace hadeter without realizing that Producer Kim Ki Sik was burning up inside. ¡°That¡¯s not why those people came.¡± ¡°Ah, there¡¯s something else, but it doesn¡¯t matter for us. It¡¯s an issue with the media. But... is that true?¡± The rumors that provoked the inte. Age and position had nothing to do with wanting to know the truth behind these gossip articles. The middle aged chief of the legal team had eyes full of curiosity. ¡°The articles in the media? No. Jun Hyuk and the cafe owner don¡¯t have that kind of rtionship.¡± ¡°Really? Then the press offices are dead. He he.¡± The chief of the legal teamughed sinisterly as though he already knew what was going to happen. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see the warrant?¡± ¡°I saw it. That¡¯s not something special, is it?¡± ¡°Look at the date it was delegated.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°The cafe owner signed the warrant the day the first article went out. But it¡¯s been three weeks and Peace hasn¡¯t done anything.Why do you think they would do that?¡± ¡°.....?¡± ¡°What if Jun Hyuk and the cafe owner had held a press conference as soon as the first articles went out? If Jun Hyuk had cried while saying ¡®Yoon Kwang Hun is like a father to me,¡¯ wouldn¡¯t it have been heartwarming?¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik had a vague idea of why the time the warrant had been delegated was important. ¡°Didn¡¯t they announce gender equalityst week? After checking, Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s attorney said that he would review everything. The inte became quiet after the gender equality announcement too. That situation was resolved with this. Peace has been waiting until now. They¡¯ve been gathering the materials for their counterpunch.¡± The chief¡¯s exnation was no longer necessary. Producer Kim Ki Sik knew enough about Peace¡¯s strategy. ¡°How many articles are there on the inte? Didn¡¯t the press offices go overboard and write more when the cafe owner disappeared? Tsk tsk, they wrote articles as undoubtable facts instead of leaving room for suspicion. All of thements were covered in swearing. Peace has been waiting for that. Now the press office and the people who leftments are all dead.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that bad? But it¡¯s a press office.....¡± ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t know. Once, there was a scandal about an actress and peoplemented all sorts of bad things like that she was dirty and a tramp. That actress hired Peace to sue thosementers.¡± The chief stuck out his tongue while thinking of how severe the people at Peace are, ¡°They went through criminal proceedings for malicious libel and got fines for $200. And going on to civil rights, they imed damage fines of $2,000 per person. That¡¯s hundreds of people, hundreds. Peace made sure they received everyst bit of that.¡± ¡°Geez.¡± ¡°When that actress hired Peace, she had agreed to give them all of thepensation as their fees since it doesn¡¯t look good for a sessful actress to take money from random people.¡± ¡°Then?¡± One question had been answered. Now he knew how a cafe owner had been able to hire Peace. ¡°Producer Kim, you have no sense. What money does a cafe owner have to hire Peace as his attorney? I bet Peace will take more than 80% of thepensation they receive. This is awsuit resulting in at least $10 million.¡± The cold sweat he showed in front ofwyer Baek Seung Ho was nothing. The events toe were not going to end with the inte press office. The wounded press office might charge Dine Music for the money. This link needed to end at Dine Music. The chief of the legal team had a hunch that something was wrong when he saw Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s cold sweat, ¡°But why are you like that? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± ¡°What is it? We¡¯re not involved, are we? Hurry up and tell me before the problem gets bigger.¡± ¡°The truth is... It seems that someone on our end was drinking with a person at some agency and talked about the two people¡¯s rtionship. And that was spilled to the press office through that agency.¡± ¡°Whew... That¡¯s fine. I was surprised. I knew the articles had gone up too quickly.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just something he said drunk. If you¡¯re looking at it legally, the problem is the person who wrote the article. Is everything you say while you¡¯re drinking the truth? That¡¯s just a personal thought or guess. The person who wrote it without checking the facts is at fault. There¡¯s no power in the spoken word. It needs to be printed, photographed, or recorded. It needs to be detailed. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Ah, okay. Thank you.¡± They could slip out of it and they could end the connection. Producer Kim Ki Sik thought that he needed to hurry up and tell the director of the entertainment station this and cut their ties to Dine Music. Chapter 60 Volume 2 / Chapter 60 TL: LightNovelCafe Producer Kim Ki Sik who came out of the Director¡¯s office seemed to be at peace. The Director was not someone who had reached his position on a gamble. Their contract with Dine Music did not even mention Jang Jun Hyuk¡¯s name. There was no connection in the first ce because it says that among the finalists of ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star,¡¯ it indicated as ¡®the person who signs with Dine Music.¡¯ The Director was also in agreement that it would not be damaging to share some of the profits that Jun Hyuk brought in because he brought in a lot of profits oriented to the viewer ratings. On top of that, it was not a song but an apaniment. Jun Hyuk was needed more for the viewer ratings than track sales. The Director fully understood that the attorney was right in saying that if Jun Hyuk were to disappear to the hospital, they would lose both the viewer ratings and the profits. The answer was simple if they calcted it a few times. Instead, the Director did not forget to tell him to negotiate until the end. His order was to lower the 15% producer revenue that the attorney had requested to 10%. The attorney was not stupid. He would have demanded 15% knowing that they would try to lower it, so he would be willing to ept 10%. *** Jun Hyuk finished recording all three songs over thest week. He had only left the orchestral apaniment for the piano version of From the Sun to the Boy to perfect it more. Jun Hyuk rejected the usual recording system. He wanted to record the violin, vi, cello, oboe, et cetera all together instead of recording each separately. He thought that the sound of the different instruments having a conversation while pulling each other along could note out if recorded as separate tracks. However, they needed to push the recording for the orchestra for two days. The broadcasting station needed Jun Hyuk for something more important, so they had emptied his schedule for two days to send him outside. ¡°Boss.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? How many times have you been on air and you still look like this? You don¡¯t look like a celebrity at all. Ha ha.¡± ¡°What? I thought you would have been suffering, but you¡¯ve put on weight.¡± Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun wanted to hug each other, but they were Korean men who found such sappy things awkward. All they did was hold hands as they faced each other. A lot of reporters were already waiting at the press conference that Peace Law Firm had prepared. As they were in the waiting room on one side of the conference room, it felt as though the two had not seen each other in months, not 20 days. ¡°I just rested. I didn¡¯t even look at the inte. I spent my days eating, sleeping, and listening to music, so I just gained weight.¡± ¡°I guess I was the only one worrying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I told you not to think about it and just focus on your music. Did you make your mission song?¡± ¡°Yes. The sound is unbelievable when you¡¯re working with experts with good recording studio equipment. I really like it.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s enough. This is all over after today. Focus on your music more starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°What¡¯s over? It¡¯s all over if the press conference goes well.¡± Baek Seung Ho who had been watching their reunion silently looked at them with zing eyes, ¡°Jun Hyuk, listen well. You can¡¯t curse at the reporters or get mad at them during the press conference. If you do, the press offices won¡¯t write about the truth, but about your swearing and temper. Then everything we endured until now will go to waste. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What did I say the best revenge against adults is?¡± ¡°Money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll ruin them with their money... So be aware.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t lose my temper.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s eyes widened as he listened to their conversation, ¡°Seung Ho, you... What are you saying to Jun Hyuk? What is this about money? You¡¯re talking nonsense to a kid.¡± ¡°You stay put. Is Jun Hyuk a child? I heard he got $20,000 for his modeling fees. And I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be making some money from the music he released on thest broadcast. Jun Hyuk isn¡¯t a child anymore. Don¡¯t treat him like a child when he¡¯s out in society making money on his own, and a lot of it, and a lot more of it than most adults at that.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun stopped speaking when he saw Baek Seung Ho¡¯s somberness. He was right. Jun Hyuk was now on his own, working with experts. As he thought that, Jun Hyuk seemed to have grown a lot. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go out. Let¡¯s hurry up and get this finished so we can go and drink.¡± The three men went out into the press conference. *** ¡°I am Lawyer Baek Seung Ho of Peace Law Firm. First, I¡¯d like to thank everyone who came here to report the truth.¡± As Baek Seung Ho politely greeted the reporters, the cameras started shing. ¡°Please direct your attention to this video.¡± The conference room light turned off and a screen covering one wall lit up. Lawyer Baek Seung Ho had prepared for the press conference as though it were an investment presentation. A middle-aged man came up on the screen, ¡°Hello, I am pianist Go Sae Won. I studied the piano in France and Italy, and I am a lecturer at a university as well.¡± Go Sae Won spoke for a while about when Yoon Kwang Hun came looking for him with a young genius a year ago and gave him lessons. He exined how Yoon Kwang Hun strived to help Jun Hyuk excel at the piano. When the video was over, dozens of e-mail messages in English showed up on the screen. ¡°These messages are already in the documents. Professor Go Sae Won has beenmunicating with schools in Europe and Yoon Kwang Hun in America for admissions since before Jun Hyuk entered the audition program. Any school would be happy to ept a talented person like Jun Hyuk, so Professor Go Sae Won and Yoon Kwang Hun have been going through them carefully.¡± Baek Seung Ho paused to see the reporters¡¯ reactions and spoke again, ¡°The reports that Yoon Kwang Hun intended to create an agency to leech off of him are unfounded. He just wanted to give Jun Hyuk a good memory to leave Korea with from the audition program.¡± As the reporters began to murmur, a picture of Jun Hyuk¡¯s practice room came on the screen. ¡°This is a picture of the practice room that Yoon Kwang Hun created for Jun Hyuk in the basement of his cafe. Jun Hyuk made as much music as he wanted and worked on training his instrument skills here.¡± Another picture came up on the screen of the instruments and equipment. ¡°These are the instruments and equipment that Yoon Kwang Hun set up for Jun Hyuk. All of the specs are detailed here as well. To put it simply, the only people who have equipment like this are top-ss bands. To get all of this, Yoon Kwang Hun had to get a mortgage loan on his apartment and has invested over $100,000.¡± The reporters started to murmur more when they heard about the $100,000 and mortgage loan. ¡°Jun Hyuk worked at the cafe because of his kind thinking that he would like to help Yoon Kwang Hun in any way he could. The only work Jun Hyuk did was to clean the cafe before it opened and once it was closed. He never even washed the dishes. He spent the rest of his time focusing on his music.¡± A few reporters who had caught on quickly sent text messages to their offices. They were telling the offices that they need to block any articles that spoke negatively about Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°The results are in Jun Hyuk¡¯s music shown on the audition program. Within 2 years, Jun Hyuk is showing skills in ying instruments,position, and arrangement that even experts recognize.¡± Baek Seung Ho got a glimpse of Yoon Kwang Hun and spoke again, ¡°Oh right, Korean and English. Yoon Kwang Hun taught him himself along with how to read and write music scores.¡± The reporters typed faster and the cameras did not stop shing. ¡°I would like to ask how many parents there are in Korea who are willing to invest over $100,000 in their children while going in debt.¡± When Baek Seung Ho gave the sign, the lights of the conference room flickered on and it became bright again. ¡°He took in a child who isn¡¯t rted to him in anyway off the street and helped him be an impressive musician. Doesn¡¯t it fall short to reward him? Everyone has been using such a man of being a viinous thief.¡± The sound of the reporters typing stopped. Baek Seung Ho stopped talking and kept the silence. He was giving them time to think of how serious the rumors they had spread were. ¡°Now, any reporter who thinks they have the right to ask these two people questions can ask now.¡± None of the reporters tried to ask questions. The silence continued before someone finally spoke, ¡°I would like to ask Jun Hyuk, how do you feel right now?¡± It was a cable reporter who had not made a big issue out of the news because it was a cable broadcasting station. Jun Hyuk took the mic and took a deep breath to calm his anger, ¡°How do you think I feel?¡± The reporter was surprised by Jun Hyuk¡¯s unexpected response, but did not show it. ¡°Jun Hyuk. Please tell us how you feel instead of asking us.¡± ¡°How would you feel if your parents were getting cursed out by the world? Does it make sense to ask that question?¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk, calm down. This isn¡¯t a ce for us to let out our anger.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun held Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand, nervous that he would jump out of his seat in anger. ¡°This is a question for Yoon Kwang Hun. Why did you disappear instead of exining the situation?¡± The reporter had continued questioning. Yoon Kwang Hun who had been trying to calm Jun Hyuk down became angry as well, ¡°Why did you people write articles without checking the truth? I saw that articles came up within 2 hours after the first broadcast with Jun Hyuk aired. It waste at night. What was so urgent? Exin? Isn¡¯t it right for you to exin why you put out articles without checking the facts in the first ce?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun felt Jun Hyuk¡¯s he was holding tighten. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who needs to calm down.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled brightly at Yoon Kwang Hun. The reporters who saw this could not ask questions any longer. Their smiles answered everything. The broadcast station¡¯s camera zoomed in on their faces. This was the best scene from today¡¯s press conference. Just then, the question that all of the reporters wanted to ask came up, ¡°Are you preparing for awsuit with thest article?¡± Baek Seung Ho took the mic as if he had been waiting for the question, ¡°We have not made the decision yet. Peace will decide after consulting with them both. We will end the press conference here. Thank you.¡± The three men left the shing behind them and came out of the conference room. Chapter 61 Volume 2 / Chapter 61 TL: LightNovelCafe Yoon Kwang Hun and Baek Seung Ho talked about the days when they were close as they drank in a hotel room. ¡°Is that true? Our boss was that sessful?¡± Jun Hyuk was repeating the same question in disbelief as he ate the food they had ordered as room service. ¡°Yeah. Kwang Hun was the king of Yeouido. Everyone knew who he was.¡± ¡°Hey kid. You didn¡¯t believe me all this time? Wow... I feel betrayed.....¡± ¡°Well... who would believe it? It doesn¡¯t make sense that someone who used to move hundreds of thousands of dors and made over a million is running a cafe that doesn¡¯t even do very well.¡± ¡®Back in the day.....¡¯ Of the adults who said that they had been really great back in the day, he had never seen someone who really had been. Jun Hyuk had not believed anything Yoon Kwang Hun had said. ¡°But sir, were you really going to send me abroad?¡± Jun Hyuk had heard that Yoon Kwang Hun and Professor Go Sae Won were looking into famous schools abroad where he could study for the first time at the press conference. He was grateful, but a little sad. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t tell you. Nothing is decided yet. We were just looking into it. Why? You don¡¯t want to study abroad?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I do want to go, but it¡¯s scary... and I also get the feeling that I just want to lock myself in a recording studio and make music.¡± Baek Seung Ho who was drunk at this point, emptied his ss and spoke, ¡°Oh right. I was curious about that too. What is he going to study when you say he¡¯s like Mozart? Shouldn¡¯t he just go straight to releasing his music with a debut? I thought you said music was just spilling out of his head. What more can he learn?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so ignorant. You don¡¯t think Mozart learned the theories of music? Mozart¡¯s father, Leopold Mozart, was a famous piano teacher in Salzburg. Do you know how many books he wrote on music? Mozart was home schooled on music from an impressive teacher from birth.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was also drunk, ¡°Jun Hyuk¡¯scking theory the most. He needs to know the theories to get the notes of the music spilling out of his head more borately so he can make music. No genius can make music without knowing the theories. I¡¯m sure understanding it will be quick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. Isn¡¯t a genius someone whose music is naturally made to the theories? What are you going to do if learning the theories messes up Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent?¡± The two men kept speaking their opinions. To Jun Hyuk, this just looked like a drunk banter. Adults fought over useless things when they drank too much. He did feel good that there were now two adults who worried about his future. While their voices grew louder, Jun Hyuk was lost in thought. Did he need to learn theory? Would the music in his head be more stylish if he learned the theories? No. Good music, stylish music, what could this be? What was Teacher Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s method to making stylish music? These thoughts kepting up in Jun Hyuk¡¯s mind without rest. Baek Seung Ho yelled loudly as if trying to interfere with Jun Hyuk¡¯s thoughts, ¡°Stop! Turn on the TV. The broadcast is going to start.¡± Jun Hyuk bolted up and when he turned on the TV, ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯ was about to start. Since it was still about the area preliminaries, Jun Hyuk should not be making an appearance. However, to raise viewer ratings, the broadcast started with highlights from Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s press conference. After that, they showed scenes of Jun Hyuk¡¯s area preliminary auditions that had note out on broadcast before. They showed the guitar version of Jung Tae Chun¡¯s ¡®Poet¡¯s Town¡¯ that Jun Hyuk had arranged on the spot along with the surprised faces of the judges. For a broadcast that only aired for 1 hour, it could have been seen as a special on Jun Hyuk because all of the clips regarding him added up to 15 minutes. ¡°I have to admit the people at the broadcasting station are fast. When do you think they prepared all of this?¡± The 10% viewer rating that Baek Seung Ho promised may have been incorrect, but it was definitely twice the rating ofst episode. Baek Seung Ho who had been drunkenly cursing the broadcasting station stood up shakily. When he went home, Yoon Kwang Hun and Jun Hyuk became quiet. ¡°Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°What? No, it¡¯s nothing. Just.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. You don¡¯t have to study abroad if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun knew that Jun Hyuk had be much more quiet when talk of studying abroad came up. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t know.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun pat Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder gently like a father and teacher, ¡°Then just do what you want. If you decideter that you want to study, you can do it then. You¡¯re only 17. It¡¯s not toote even if you decide to study 10 yearster.¡± ¡°The thing is... I don¡¯t know what I want to do right now.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun knew better what Jun Hyuk wanted to do now. Make music. He wanted to make the melodies in his head into concrete sound. That was all. When Jun Hyuk said he did not know, it probably meant that he did not know what he needed to do to prepare for his future. He had said that making music on the audition program was fun. Is it not definite that he is enjoying himself because he can hear the melodies in his head with his own ears? ¡°Everyone is like that at your age. The kids who are in high school, studying for college entrance exams are just studying to go to college. They choose their schools and majors ording to their exam scores. You¡¯re much better offpared to them. It¡¯s already decided what you¡¯re going to do.¡± Jun Hyuk could not believe that he was better off than other kids his age because he had never even attended school. ¡°Most kids just choose to be awyer or doctor to make a lot of money because they¡¯re smart. I was like that too. When I was going to school, economics major was really popr because it was easy to get hired at argepany. That¡¯s why I just decided to do it.¡± ¡°What did you really want to do?¡± ¡°Honestly, I still don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What? You still don¡¯t know? Geez.¡± 17 year old Jun Hyuk was having trouble believing that a man over 40 had gone through life without knowing what he wanted to do. ¡°It¡¯s like that since I didn¡¯t know until college that I would be a stockbroker. When I graduated, I just found employment at a financial firm that would pay me a lot. When I was working, I saw that people with MBAs were paid much more than I was, so I quit and went to study abroad. That¡¯s how it progressed. I just fell into the excitement of making moneyter. After I lost everything... I started this cafe thinking I¡¯ll just live while listening to music.¡± This was something difficult for young Jun Hyuk to understand. There weren¡¯t very many people in the world who did what they wanted to do. No, it was rare for people to even know what exactly they wanted to do. ¡°But I have a dream now.¡± ¡°A dream?¡± ¡°Yeah, you know what it is?¡± ¡°What is it? Is it... me?¡± ¡°Yeah. I want to make it so that your music doesn¡¯t stop as the world makes a full turn. So for the 365 days in a year, your music is ying from somewhere at any time. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s ssic or pop since there will be someone to listen to it.¡± Jun Hyuk spent the entire night talking to Yoon Kwang Hun about the future and dreams as such, and went back to the dormitory. Chapter 62 Volume 2 / Chapter 62 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Have you modified the contract?¡± ¡°Yes. Since Producer Kim agreed to the win-win strategy, we decided to be satisfied with the 10% as well.¡± Baek Seung Ho who hade to irritate him early in the morning was smiling. ¡°You talked big, but we didn¡¯t reach over 10%.¡± ¡°Well, I was surprised too. I thought it was a popr audition program, but the average viewer rating only reached 2%. I thought it would be at least 5% and was saying that it would be doubled.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s expression toward a Baek Seung Ho who was making fun of the program¡¯s low viewer ratings was not amicable. ¡°4% is still double your ordinary viewer rating, and it was 6% at the parts with Jun Hyuk. Isn¡¯t this proof that our offer isn¡¯t that bad?¡± This information had not been updated on the portal broadcast program yet. Only the broadcasting station knew the viewer ratings. How did Baek Seung Ho know? ¡°Don¡¯t be too surprised, Producer Kim. The director of Peace pestered the director of MV channel this morning to find out the viewer ratings. The president of MV channel must have had to get up early this morning even though he¡¯s ate sleeper. Didn¡¯t he get into work early today?¡± The president? Producer Kim Ki Sik remembered that Peace was the bestw firm in the country. ¡°I guess our director knows the director of Peace well?¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s voice suddenly became careful. ¡°Of course. A while ago, your director... Oh right. I can¡¯t tell you this. We need to maintain confidentiality between thewyer and client. Basically, our Peace once saved your director who was in a very ufortable situation. Since then, the two directors have been very close. Oh, and our director is older.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik thought he was in a cold sweat again. It felt like his life was being shortened by 10 years every time thiswyer showed up. ¡°So our director must know all about this situation with Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Of course. He has a lot of interest in it.¡± The director is interested in awsuit between a press office and Peace? He had the thought that there could be failure where the sparks were. ¡°Producer Kim, what are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. But why have youe to meet me? Isn¡¯t everything settled if you¡¯ve modified the contract?¡± ¡°Oy, do you think I¡¯m here to hang out? I came to give you information.¡± ¡°Information?¡± ¡°Yes. This week is the start of Star Week broadcasts, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to increase Jun Hyuk¡¯s air time. On the day of the broadcast, we¡¯re going to put on a big show.¡± ¡°A show?¡± ¡°Yes. We have four boxes of captures of the false rumors the press spread and the maliciousments people left online that we¡¯ve gathered. We¡¯re going to take all of this and go to the prosecutor to sue them for defamation. Won¡¯t the viewer ratings go up again if it gets noisy?¡± ¡°This... Do I have to say thank you for this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying this to hear a thank you. I¡¯m just letting you know for when you¡¯re editing the show. I¡¯ll be going then.¡± Baek Seung Ho who had nodded his goodbye turned around as though he had forgotten something, ¡°Oh right, do you know Dine Music?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Di... Dine Music? Of course I know them. They¡¯re a fairlyrge-scale agency. But why are you suddenly asking about Dine?¡± ¡°If what our investigators found out is correct, it seems Dine made the request to the press offices to take Jun Hyuk. We¡¯re thinking of submitting this information from our investigation to prosecution as well.¡± Baek Seung Ho pretended that he did not notice Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s surprised face and left the office. Since he had thrown the stone, there would be a wave. *** Producer Kim Ki Sik sprinted to the Director¡¯s office. Once Peace had mentioned Dine Music, they could not wait much longer. ¡°Director, this could be bad for us if the problem bes bigger.¡± ¡°You worry too much, man. You just worry about the viewer ratings. What would you have done if we didn¡¯t have Jun Hyuk?¡± ¡°Director!¡± The director of the entertainment station seemed to be calm even after hearing the overturning news. ¡°Hey, are you the president of Dine Music? Did you convince Dine Music to try to take Jun Hyuk? Did you spread the content for the articles? Dine did all of that. And... thatw firm is just filing awsuit against the press office. What¡¯s the issue?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s why they¡¯re being like this? If a rumor spreads that the source of the articles was us.....¡± ¡°Our name will nevere up. No, Dine Music¡¯s name won¡¯t evene up. You don¡¯t know why? Even if it¡¯s a press office releasing tabloids, how can they say that they received money to write articles?¡± The inte press office would im the confidentiality statement and protect the source until the end in the spirit of a reporter. Instead, Dine Music and its artists would suffer the malicious articles that result. Dine Music would have topensate the press office for everything, whatever that would be. ¡°Is that Baek Seung Ho a policeman? A prosecutor? You think he¡¯s doing this because he wants to catch the bad guys? That man is awyer. Lawyers hate standing in front of a judge in the court most. You know how bothersome awsuit is?¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just throwing us a bone. He¡¯s just letting it slip that they¡¯re going to sue and prosecute Dine Music soon. Then Dine will tell the press office... and if the press office is embarrassed that they wrote articles without checking facts, they¡¯ll try toe to an agreement. If the media outlets that are the subjects of thewsuit give them enough money, it¡¯ll all be over. Lawyers are asking for money, not justice. Lawyers find justice with money.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik finally realized the situation. All thewyer had to do was let it slip that they were going to start awsuit. But he had also unnecessarily said that he knew the director of their broadcasting station well, so that he would be surprised. His goal was to make them discuss these issues with Dine Music. Producer Kim felt once again that the director had not gotten to his position on a gamble. He knew the flow of this issue too well. This could not have happened once or twice. ¡°Let it slip to Dine Music like thewyer wants. Let them figure out with money amongst themselves. And you just worry about the viewer ratings. When is Jun Hyuking out until?¡± ¡°He¡¯sing out three times.¡± ¡°Watch the ratings and eliminate him. Keep advancing him if the ratings are good.¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to make the first live stage really well. We¡¯re going to watch that and make our decision.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it right this time. Do you know how much it costs to take care of all three meals in the countryside with these viewer ratings? We spend way too much money and the viewer ratings are only ?. There¡¯s talk saying that we should get rid of this. Let¡¯s work hard.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik was embarrassed that he had made such a big deal for no reason. There was one thing he had gotten out of it though. He had basically gotten permission to do with Jun Hyuk as he pleased. Chapter 63 Volume 2 / Chapter 63 TL: LightNovelCafe In the two days that Jun Hyuk had been away, Kwak Hye Sung and Nam Seung Hee had finished recording their first mission song. Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s studio was in the midst of mastering the track for release. ¡°Jun Hyuk, you¡¯re here? You had a rough time?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m okay.¡± The smile did not disappear from Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s face as he weed Jun Hyuk. ¡°Well, things like this happen in life. Let it all go if it¡¯s been taken care of.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jo Hyung Joong spoke with a backpack over his shoulder. ¡°Sorry to do this as soon as you get here, but let¡¯s go out. We need to work from another ce.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To record the 16 instrument orchestra. We don¡¯t have a recording boothrge enough to fit 16 people.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a booth that fits 16 people?¡± ¡°Yeah. There are ces abroad that arerge enough to fit entire orchestras. The studio we¡¯re going to now can fit around 20 people. They usually record movie OSTs there.¡± Orchestral apaniments are usually recorded once the MIDI operations arepleted and each instrument is recorded separately. One violinist yed the 1st and 2nd violin. They did not y together to record, but yed separately andbined the tracks. However, there were times when everyone recorded together in order to express the full emotion. The disadvantage was that as there were more people ying, they needed to keep reying the piece if anyone made a mistake. Therefore, the cost and time made itmon to record by track. A recording studio in Gangnam had a booth that looked like apact concert hall as if showing that it was used for recording tracks in movies. The 16 performers were already tuning their instruments in the studio. ¡°Teacher Jo, let us know whenever there¡¯s something you don¡¯t like. Aren¡¯t we just instruments that are part of this music?¡± The senior violinist who was the Concertmaster exchanged greetings with Jo Hyung Joong with humility. Though their fields were different, Jo Hyung Joong was an overwhelming presence as a producer in popr music. Jo Hyung Joong was not someone to underestimate even in the world of ssical. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. Is there anything for me to touch? I¡¯m sure something like this will be easy for you. And this is Jun Hyuk, the pianist and arranger.¡± The Concertmaster was surprised when he heard that Jun Hyuk was the arranger and pianist. This was the person who had made news on broadcast and online this week. He assumed that he would be good on the piano, but did not think that he would be able to arrange music. ¡°Oh, this is him. I thought he would be shy because the MIDI file I received was light... but his image is so different.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s image was so different from that of ordinary arrangers who locked themselves in the recording studio and wrestled with the master keyboard. ¡°Good, good. His looks are good and his music is as good as his looks. Ha ha.¡± The Concertmasterughed for a bit and took his ce to start ying. ¡°Who is going tomand?¡± ¡°That man just now is going to do it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a violinist.¡± ¡°Yeah. Since the song is short and simple... the senior violinist usually takes the lead. There isn¡¯t someone tomand.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s face turned dark at Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s exnation. ¡°I see. This song is easy to lose the timing in without amander... I guess they¡¯re really skillful performers?¡± ¡°Of course we brought in A ss people. They¡¯re performers of Fine Philharmonic. They¡¯re fairly famous. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± The performers who had been facing the two people saw the Concertmaster nod lightly to them to send them a signal as he began to move his bow with power. When the borate stringed instruments started and the introduction ended with 2 verses as though fireworks had gone off, Jun Hyuk got up from his seat. ¡°Teacher, let¡¯s go. I think it¡¯ll be better to do the MIDI operations and make the orchestra parts with the equipment.¡± ¡°What? Why... Why do you say that?¡± Jo Hyung Joong stuttered as he looked up at Jun Hyuk in surprise. ¡°What can we expect from performers who can¡¯t even read the scores? I don¡¯t need to hear anymore.¡± The performers who had been watching Jun Hyuk¡¯s actions and words, stopped ying. Their faces were more distorted than the surprised face of Jo Hyung Joong. ¡°Hey! Hold on. What did you just say?¡± The Concertmaster could not hold back any longer and yelled while the rest of the performers looked on in disbelief. They had never even heard such insulting words from the conductor. The machines are better? They could not read the score? ¡°You didn¡¯t hear me? I said that you can¡¯t even read the score properly. Did you hear me well this time?¡± They could not believe Jun Hyuk who was yelling with a frown. No arranger made a judgment after just two verses no matter how the music did note out the way they had intended. They could not just stand back and watch if he was just copying a maestro he had seen in a movie or drama. There were a few performers who had left their seats, and the Concertmaster came storming at Jun Hyuk with his violin. ¡°There there, let¡¯s all calm down. Since Jun Hyuk arranged this song, let¡¯s listen to his opinion first. Jun Hyuk, you have to exin carefully. It¡¯s rude if you act like this all of a sudden.¡± Jo Hyung Joong grabbed Jun Hyuk¡¯s wrist and blocked him from the Concertmaster. From the Concertmaster¡¯s stance, it seemed like he might throw his fist. He needed to get out of this troublesome situation. It was social etiquette to respect each other when they were not friendly and had met for the first time. Chapter 64 Volume 2 / Chapter 64 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°You¡¯re looking down on it because it¡¯s the theme song of an animated movie for kids and it¡¯s pop music, right? Shin Hae Chul is the person who made an OST for a children¡¯s animated movie with robots this grand. It¡¯s not okay for you to underestimate him.¡± Jun Hyuk looked angrier. He did not stand down and yelled at the Concertmaster. ¡°What are you saying we underestimated?¡± ¡°Are you this casual when you y Beethoven too? The first note of Beethoven¡¯s Symphony No. 5 ¡®Fate¡¯ and this song are the same. Why did you take it out? Whether it¡¯s ssic or pop... everything has the same notes.¡± Jo Hyung Joong blinked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s words. He could not remember the first note of the symphony Fate. The first verse of the famous Fate by Beethoven was not [bba baba bam~]. To be exact, it is [umbba baba bam~]. It started with 8 minutes of rest, or silence. Two swordsmen hold their swords in a martial arts movie. Who will take out their sword first? The audience watches the scene with sweaty palms. This suspense. That is the role of the silence. With this silence that is like a divine move, the audience is able to feel both the suspense and openness at the same time. Rest is also a note. The conductor and performers need to express this. The ¡®From the Sun to the Boy¡¯ that Jun Hyuk had arranged starts with this silence as well. However, there was no suspense in the music the performers had just yed. It was difficult to find this suspense when listening to a CD. Before gramophones were invented, people needed to go to theaters to listen to Beethoven. The music did not start when the conductor moved his baton vigorously from the podium. It started when the first movement stopped. Listening in person was grand because one could hear the music without missing anything like the 8 minute rest. The Concertmaster realized why Jun Hyuk had insulted them saying that they could not read scores once he heard the words Beethoven¡¯s Fate Symphony. For a moment, his face became warm. He hade out today with the thought that he would just make some pocket change. He had been thinking that a 5 minute pop orchestral apaniment would take about an hour. Never in their dreams had they thought that there would a be a young kid who could detect theirid back state of minds. There were only 2 things left now. Should they ignore the kid¡¯s words and run out? Or should they ept it and y the music? The 15 performers were only watching the Concertmaster¡¯s face. The choice was up to the leader. The Concertmaster¡¯s face was red and as he was biting his lower lip, he was hanging on to his self-esteem. Eventually, the Concertmaster went back to his seat and sat down. He had decided to y the music properly. He needed to recover his insulted self-esteem. The music started again with the suspense that the rest on the score indicated, and ended after about 5 minutes. The musicians must have been satisfied with their performance, because they looked pleased. The 16 pairs of eyes that were directed toward Jun Hyuk were not looking at him as an arranger. How about that? Are you going to keep being arrogant? Jun Hyuk was taking in all of their pompous gazes. With this, even that arrogant child would have nothing to say. However, there was something that the performers did not know. Jun Hyuk had only listened to the world¡¯s best orchestras until now. If he hade out of an art high school and gone to a college for music, he would have grown up listening to other young people and would have experienced underdeveloped music. Jun Hyuk had only been able to listen to CDs of the top orchestras in the world. He had even gone to watch live performances in person. A hometown orchestra and not even the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra was not enough to satisfy Jun Hyuk¡¯s highly trained ears. Jo Hyung Joong turned to Jun Hyuk in curiosity is to what his judgment was, ¡°What do you think? Is this good enough?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯ll be better if I just live in your studio starting today to work on it. Don¡¯t you think 3 days will be enough?¡± It was difficult to withstand this severe criticism a second time. There were even people who had already ced their instruments in the cases. They had lost the reason to keep listening to this child and his unfitting assessment. ¡°Teacher Jo, we can¡¯t work like this either. Tell him to do it himself like he said. We have no intention to keep ying around with this nonsense.¡± Jo Hyung Joong thought that the Concertmaster¡¯s protest was legitimate and thought that this apaniment was of high enough quality. He thought that he needed to appease the huffing Concertmaster and continue recording, but even this became impossible with Jun Hyuk¡¯s screaming behind him. ¡°Pu ha ha. What did you say? Doesn¡¯t make sense? Your performing makes less sense. Let¡¯s say you can¡¯t do anything about the fact that you have no talent, but doesn¡¯t it means you only have the basics down if you don¡¯t have concentration and can¡¯t even understand what¡¯s written down for you?¡± ¡°What? This little.....¡± Jo Hyung Joong thought he was going to pass out. These performers had been difficult to schedule. He had to pay whether or not they recorded the song, and it was not a bad song no matter who heard it. There was no performer who wouldply just because demands were being made at them. It was the same for pop music session men. If he were going to be this picky, they needed to have paid much more to hire top-ss performers. You get the music that you pay for. Jun Hyuk¡¯s continuing criticism made it so that the 16 performers could not shut their mouths. ¡°A senior violinist made four mistakes in a song thatsts only 5 minutes and 7 seconds, and the woodwinds couldn¡¯t match each other¡¯s timing six times. Anddy on the oboe! Are you stupid? You have to put the music stand 20cm farther away. The sound is a mess because it bounces off the stand. You¡¯re deaf if you can¡¯t hear that. And...¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s bitter words pointing out each of the mistakes that the 16 performers made continued. There were people who did not realize the mistakes that they had made. When Jun Hyuk was finished with his criticisms, the sound of breathing could not even be heard in the room. There were a few people whose faces had turned red like the oboe yer in her early 30s. Chapter 65 Volume 2 / Chapter 65 TL: LightNovelCafe Jo Hyung Joong broke the silence. He shrugged as he spoke, ¡°I see. I¡¯m sure you all will know better if what he is saying is true or false... I don¡¯t know.¡± The Concertmaster heard Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s words as an insult as well. ¡°This is just thest check before recording, not a concert. I don¡¯t hear this as anything but him trying to point out our faults. I admit that he has an ear for music, but you should have just brought the Berlin Philharmonic in if it was going to be like this.¡± The Concertmaster had said something he should not have. He meant that there was nothing he could do about it because they were getting the talent they had paid for. This angered even Jo Hyung Joong. ¡°I can¡¯t agree with that. If Jun Hyuk¡¯s criticisms are correct, this isn¡¯t a level of checking before recording. That means this is the first time you¡¯re trying to y it... It upsets me more that you didn¡¯t think of practicing it once when you knew today would be the day or recording.¡± Jo Hyung Joong who had always been smiling had be angry. The 16 performers left the recording studio at his reproach. Some left out of embarrassment, some left out of anger. Jo Hyung Joong scratched his head in the empty recording studio. ¡°This has be quite bothersome.¡± ¡°Sorry, teacher. It¡¯s because of me.....¡± ¡°No, I can tell by looking at those people who had nothing to say that you¡¯re right. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s definite for someone working with music to demand perfection.¡± Jo Hyung Joong had the thought that he would need to bring in the Seoul Philharmonic if he wanted to satisfy Jun Hyuk, but that was impossible. His sight seemed to dim at the thought that they would need to spend the next three or four days using the machines in the recording studio without sleep. The phone call he received as soon as he got to the studio made him forget that they would not need to stay up all night. After Jo Hyung Joong spoke on the phone for a while, he quickly called Producer Kim Ki Sik. ¡°Producer Kim, the first stage is MR, right? The backing band isn¡¯ting out?¡± ¡°Yes, the backing band is live from the top 5.¡± ¡°You know Jun Hyuk¡¯s mission song, ¡®From the Sun to the Boy¡¯?¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik had just been watching the video because the VJ hade running to him. ¡°You know we can¡¯t work with the Fine Philharmonic you set us up with, right? Jun Hyuk didn¡¯t like it and stopped it.¡± ¡°Yes, I heard from the VJ.¡± The VJ hade running to him with news that he had filmed something great. Producer Kim had also wanted to shout in joy as he watched the video. The highlight was when the performers ran out with bright red faces. Jun Hyuk had created a scene that could only be found in a drama. It was a reversal that made it so the money they would need to pay the performers was not going to waste. They would need to cover the performers¡¯ faces for confidentiality. He had picked up Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s call while he had been happily thinking of how to edit the clip. ¡°The conductor just called to say that he will do it himself. He said that he¡¯ll do it perfectly.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a surprise.¡± ¡°On the condition that they can perform live on the live broadcast.¡± ¡°What? On the live broadcast?¡± ¡°Yeah. He kept talking... but he just wants to get publicity for his orchestra since a local orchestra doesn¡¯t have a name. He wants to go out on a national broadcast.¡± It was difficult for a local orchestra to be well known unless the maestro was famous. There was no better publicity in a Korea where the ce for ssical was not big, than to go out on a broadcast. There was even a case when a conductor of an OST with ssical music had be famous overnight. Having a face or name go out on TV was better than any publicity money could buy. ¡°Ah.....¡± ¡°What do you think? Can you arrange it?¡± ¡°The picture looks good but... we might get feedback that we¡¯re favoring him over the other kids.¡± Going on the live stage meant that they were allowing for their faces and names to go on air. The drama in Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s head becameplete with the second reversal. ¡°The stage is a problem too. Is there enough space for 60 people?¡± ¡°Excuse me? 60 people?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the full orchestra. Ha ha.¡± ¡°We have to do it no matter what if it¡¯s to that extent. Contact the conductor and let him know that it¡¯s an okay. I¡¯ll take care of the details with their representative.¡± As Producer Kim Ki Sik got off the phone, he thought that though the conductor¡¯s intention may be publicity, the opportunity was Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk had the power to drag people in. He was like a powerful ma. He thought that he himself might be getting pulled in to Jun Hyuk¡¯s genius, but also could not stop thinking that Jun Hyuk may be more of a genius than he thought. The episode two days ago had an average 4% viewer rating, while Jun Hyuk¡¯s air time was 6%. Last year, the ratings had remained under 2% during the area preliminaries. Was there a reason to eliminate this Jun Hyuk at the end of two or three performances? The average person is fascinated by genius. What would happen if they showed everything that Jun Hyuk is capable of? Producer Kim Ki Sik wanted to go over how this season would go again. He could show apletely different side from thest four episodes. Producer Kim had another worry to add to his list. Chapter 66 Volume 2 / Chapter 66 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Lawyer. Awyer from Daejung Law Firm hase looking for you. He said that he would like to meet with you.....¡± ¡°Daejung? What for?¡± ¡°He said he would like to tell you in person.¡± ¡°Really? Where is he?¡± ¡°I showed him to the meeting room for now.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Daejung is among the top 10w firms of Korea. None of thewsuits that Baek Seung Ho was currently working on involved Daejung. This must be in rtion to a newwsuit, and the only newwsuit was that of Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡®That Producer catches on quickly.¡¯ A representative hade to take his offer on settling the case before going to court. Baek Seung Ho went to the meeting room, eager to meet the representative. A familiar face was drinking coffee in the meeting room. ¡°Huh? Who is this? Lawyer Yoo.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been well? How long has it been? Has it been about... a year?¡± Lawyer Yoo In Tae was two years Baek Seung Ho¡¯s junior but since he was a year older, they spoke casually. They were not close friends, but had an appropriate rtionship where they saw each other¡¯s faces asionally. It was the mostfortable distance to maintain in a professional rtionship. ¡°You should have called before you came. You surprised me.¡± ¡°I thought of calling to meet somewhere outside too, but it¡¯s official work.¡± ¡°Official work? What¡¯s going on?¡± When Baek Seung Ho slyly pretended he did not know, Lawyer Yoo scrounged his face as though his head hurt. ¡°It¡¯s because of the reason why you¡¯re getting so popr these days.¡± ¡°What? Are you talking about Jun Hyuk?¡± ¡°Stop. What show are you trying to put on when you know everything. I¡¯m here because we took on that case.¡± ¡°Really? Where is it? It must be a big press office if they can get Daejung.¡± A list of the biggest press offices passed through Baek Seung Ho¡¯s head quickly. ¡°I got 8 press offices together. I thought you would find it bothersome to get everyone together, so I did it beforehand. You like it?¡± ¡°8 of them? Only Daejung.¡± ¡°You know we have pretty good business, it¡¯s just our performance that falls short. Ha ha.¡± Lawyer Yoo In Tae who wasughing casually began to speakfortably, ¡°Lawyer Baek, let¡¯s do it the easy way. Tell me what your conditions are.¡± ¡°First, what¡¯s the extent of your authority? Do you have to report everything to your client?¡± ¡°I have to report it if it crosses the Maginot Line.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the direction. How far is the Maginot Line.¡± ¡°Hey, Lawyer Baek! Isn¡¯t it too much to ask to see the cards as soon as they¡¯re dealt? Ha ha.¡± After Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s press conference, the inte had been on fire. Korean press offices had declined as tabloids and their dashboards had so many maliciousments that one outlet even shut down. After a week, it was quiet as though nothing had happened. It had already be a thing of the past. If Peace¡¯swsuit started here, they would be lighting the fire again. The press offices wanted to avoid this situation. Anywsuit was the subject of press, but press offices should not be that subject. ¡°Since the ball is in your court, you throw it. Then we can decide if we¡¯re going to avoid it or hit it. We¡¯re in defense.¡± ¡°Okay. Give me the list of the press offices you¡¯re representing. The amount we¡¯re demanding is different for each outlet, so we need to check first.¡± Yoo In Tae took a piece of paper out and threw it on the table. Baek Seung Ho called an employee in to take the paper and whispered something in his ear. A short whileter, the employee handed Baek Seung Ho a print out and quietly walked out. Baek Seung Ho looked over the sheet and passed it to Yoo In Tae. Yoo In Tae fixed his sses and read the paper carefully. ¡°Wow... this is... harsh.¡± ¡°Hey hey! You haven¡¯t fixed your habit of starting off by saying something is harsh?¡± ¡°This amount of money is saying we should meet in court. You don¡¯t want to settle? From what I recall, you don¡¯t like going to court.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? There are times when I miss the smell of the court.¡± Yoo In Tae realized that there may be a trap in the amount that Baek Seung Ho proposed from his smug face. ¡°You¡¯re not assured you¡¯ll win, are you? It¡¯ll be hard to prove that the press offices did it deliberately.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not asking what¡¯s important.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The grounds for that amount.¡± Lawyer Yoo In Tae looked at the paper with the press offices and amounts and his eyes widened. ¡°Hey, Lawyer Baek. Are you asking them to hand this money over?¡± Yoo In Tae and awyer on the team had stayed up all night reading all of the articles. They had separated the articles that would be judged as defamation and those that would not, to assign amounts beforeing here. However, their expectations had beenpletely passed. Thepensation that Baek Seung Ho had proposed from each outlet was not the amount for articles, but more like their revenues. ¡°Only you, Lawyer Yoo. You think fast and catch on quickly, so there¡¯s no reason for us to fight. Let¡¯s work well together. Ha ha.¡± The public opinion was that the press offices were the adversary. Jun Hyuk was gaining more poprity by the week. His poprity was at the point where the outlets that had released articles insulting Yoon Kwang Hun had no choice but to write about Jun Hyuk. If they went to court like this, there was no judge who could not keep the public opinion in mind. Baek Seung Ho had demanded the cost of all of the advertisements that the outlets had gotten while writing articles about Yoon Kwang Hun. Since they had raised that money with false content, that money belonged to Yoon Kwang Hun. They had to give more money on top of that in the spirit of apologies. They could not know the exact amounts of the advertisements, so they put together industry estimates. Yoo In Tae felt like he had been hit over the head. If they wanted to show the judge how unjust this amount was, they would need to present the exact amount the press offices had made from advertisements. There was no way to show this injustice without showing what was going on behind the scenes. ¡°Lawyer Baek. You really think they made this much just from those articles? Do you know the unit price of advertisement clicks attached to those articles?¡± ¡°Why are you being like this? You know well yourself. I¡¯m just demanding that much because I was told it¡¯s the industry average. We¡¯ll have to go through the outlets¡¯ books if we want to be exact.¡± It was as he had expected. If Baek Seung Ho wanted to do a tax audit, he was going to the heart of the press offices and their media repression. If this went to court and the ount books of their profits were revealed, they might try to use that as evidence. The press offices would want to avoid this as well. ¡°This is too harsh. Isn¡¯t this nothing more than Peace saying that they want to turn on the press offices?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you need to do well. What if we go to court and Daejung loses? Daejung will be alienated from the press offices as well. We¡¯ll at least be making money. What about Daejung?¡± If this case went to court, everyone would be at a disadvantage no matter who won. Regardless of the winner, the media outlets would need to reveal their books and the twow firms would be alienated from the press offices. Even if they went to court, it would be a stalemate. If they ruled in favor of Peace, the press offices would retaliate. If they ruled in favor of Daejung, the public would retaliate. Judges would be hoping that this case gets settled before it reaches the court. Figuring everything out adequately and ending on friendly terms would make everyone happy. ¡°Lawyer Yoo. Stop thinking about it and show your cards. I showed you mine. How much do you think is possible?¡± Baek Seung Ho had no intention to take this all the way to court. He just wanted to wrap it up with money like he had told Jun Hyuk he would do. ¡°Hold on. Let¡¯s continue after I make a call.¡± Lawyer Yoo In Tae took his phone and went outside the meeting room. He spoke again once he came back into the meeting room more than 10 minutester, ¡°To start, I reported it. Since we can¡¯t just make a decision right away, I¡¯ll go back to consult ande again tomorrow.¡± Chapter 67 Volume 2 / Chapter 67 TL: LightNovelCafe Baek Seung Ho said something that made Yoo In Tae who was packing his bag, stop. ¡°Should I give you a present?¡± ¡°Present? What¡¯s this about?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something we¡¯re proceeding with apart from the press offices. The maliciousmenters.¡± ¡°Commenters? Oh, the people who left spitefulments?¡± ¡°Yeah, thementers and the people who swore on SNS.¡± Yoo In Tae sat in his seat again. He had guessed what the gift was. ¡°You saw the Supreme Court decision not too long ago, right? When they got $5,000 from the people who wrote maliciousments on SNS.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was contempt?¡± ¡°We made a list. We got everyone including the people who personally called Yoon Kwang Hun, the people who sent text messages, maliciousmenters, and SNS. There are over 300 people who did that more than once.¡± There was no way out of it since there was even a Supreme Court ruling. ¡°You¡¯re going to share some of that with us?¡± ¡°Up to half. What do you think?¡± Half meant around 150 people. Even if they estimated $3,000 per person, it would be $450,000. What percentage would they make from the case? Yoo In Tae calcted that with the 40%, their fees would only be approaching $200,000. ¡°So? Are you asking us to convince the press offices?¡± ¡°Oh we can¡¯t do that, we¡¯rewyers. He he.¡± Baek Seung Ho¡¯sugh meant that they should hold hands. ¡°What¡¯s the percentage?¡± ¡°Take 60%. Yoon Kwang Hun doesn¡¯t care about the money. If we¡¯re frank with the calctions, they¡¯re not losing out on much because Jun Hyuk is already getting offers for CFs for his status as a national star.¡± Yoo In Tae had seen Jun Hyuk on TV. Regardless of his musical talent, his looks were enough to make him a CF star. The number of people in his fan cafe that had been created after the press conference also proved his sbility. Peace who had taken on all of Jun Hyuk¡¯s legal matters must feel as though it had caught a big fish. ¡°You know it bes a problem if we just ept that, right?¡± Everyone would be able to tell that the twow firms had joined hands since the press offices were not dumb. ¡°Just change the name to another ce. Anyway, my present is up to here. I¡¯ll just leave the rest to you.¡± Yoo In Tae left the meeting room with busy thoughts. His mind was busy, but it was busy with good things. It seemed that all he had to do was to go back to the office and draw up a basic blueprint. ¡°Oh wait. One more thing.¡± Yoo In Tae came back into the meeting room as though he had forgotten something. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There are no public apologies on the public media or inte. That side is saying that they won¡¯t do anything that hurts their pride when they¡¯re settling with money.¡± ¡°Of course. We don¡¯t need an insincere apology either. Don¡¯t you think a fat lump of money will help heal the wound?¡± There was an understanding that something would work out in the gaze that the twowyers shared. *** Lawyer Baek Seung Ho sent polite memorandums to press offices excluding the 8 that Daejung Law Firm had taken on. Since therge media outlets were settling in good favor, the small outlets that have a hard time should also show their apologies. It said that Peace would not turn down the opportunity to go to court if they denied this offer. There were over 2,000 inte outlets. It was not a number that Peace could handle even if they allocated all of their manpower to it. Baek Seung Ho had thrown the fishing line to over 30 ces that were worth any money and thought that it was a sess even if half took the bait. He was proud that it was time to reap from all of the hard work they had put in till now. Yoon Kwang Hun did not care about thepensation. He had said that he would be satisfied with a proper music studio in the cafe¡¯s basement, and a studio with the best equipment and perfect soundproofing. However, with the amount that they were expecting to reap, they could afford not just a studio, but three or four cafes in Misari. Baek Seung Ho was satisfied that with this, he would have fulfilled a person¡¯s duty to someone who had done so much for him in the past. *** Since the issue with Jun Hyuk¡¯s 1st mission song was taken care of, Jo Hyung Joong had to send Jun Hyuk back though it was unfortunate. The 2nd mission was songs by the judges. They only had 1 week to work on this. ¡°Jun Hyuk, you worked hard making music with me. You have to go to Yoon Jung Su now.¡± ¡°Excuse me? We haven¡¯t finished recording the apaniment.....¡± ¡°Ha ha. That went well. It¡¯s a full orchestral apaniment. No, it¡¯s a concert. They¡¯re going to perform with you on the live stage. They¡¯re going to decorate the final stage. Of course, the conductor will be there as well.¡± A full orchestra on the live stage? This was basically a concert and not a contest! Jo Hyung Joong wasughing with a pleased expression at Jun Hyuk¡¯s face of disbelief. ¡°So we don¡¯t need to record now. They¡¯re going to record the live stage andunch the track. You¡¯re going to meet them two days before the live broadcast to rehearse. There¡¯s no need to worry about it now.¡± ¡°Then.....?¡± ¡°You have to prepare the 2nd stage. Seung Hee and Hye Sung should have already started prepared with other producers yesterday. Also, Jang Na Rae and Kwak Hye Sung are in your group. Seung Hee was assigned to Lee Eun Jin.¡± Jun Hyuk bowed to Jo Hyung Joong. Jun Hyuk who had thought that of scores and performances as everything in music felt as though his eyes had been opened to a new world while working with Jo Hyung Joong. He was sincerely thankful to Jo Hyung Joong who had shown him even a little bit of this world. ¡°Thank you for everything, teacher. I learned a lot.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? If anyone learned, it was me. What did I do? I¡¯m almost sorry that I didn¡¯t do anything. And it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll never see each other again. We¡¯ll see each other often going forward. If you don¡¯t study abroad.¡± Chapter 68 Volume 2 / Chapter 68 TL: LightNovelCafe It seemed Jo Hyung Joong had also watched the press conference from his mention of studying abroad. ¡°Ah, you saw it?¡± ¡°Of course. You thought I wouldn¡¯t see it? You endured such a hard time well.¡± Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s hand that was holding Jun Hyuk¡¯s as he pat his back was so warm that Jun Hyuk could feel that he had been sincerely concerned. ¡°I was able to forget because I was working on music with you. Thank you.¡± Jo Hyung Joong did not forget the words he wanted to say before Jun Hyuk left, ¡°Also, if you do end up going abroad next year... let¡¯s make music together before you leave. I wanted to work with you properly.¡± ¡°A record? How could I.....¡± Jun Hyuk waved his hand as though it could not be, but his heart was beating fast. ¡°What are you talking about? I want to produce your debut album... Why? Do I fall short?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I wonder if I¡¯m qualified to release an album.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? If you¡¯re not qualified, no one in our country is. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t make money. It¡¯s because I really want to make an album full of music at a high level.¡± Making an album with my own music. Jun Hyuk¡¯s heart beat faster when he imagined that a CD with his own music would stand with Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s thousands of CDs at the cafe. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯lle back once the broadcast is over. Thank you.¡± Jun Hyuk could not let go of Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s hand and expressed his gratefulness multiple times. As soon as Jun Hyuk sadly left the studio, the assistant producer opened his mouth, ¡°Will Jun Hyuk really go to study abroad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he will. He¡¯s good enough to y in bigger waters. And I think Jun Hyuk is already oriented to ssic. No matter what music he¡¯s working with, he makes ssic his base. Eventually, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll need to go abroad.¡± The assistant producer lightly hit his forehead, ¡°What a waste.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk saidst time that he made dozens of pop songs. I wanted to see those all over this industry.¡± ¡°He said that the cafe owner didn¡¯t throw any of them out and saved everything. They¡¯lle out one day, even if it¡¯s not right now. And you think that kid will create a debut album with songs he made in the past? He¡¯ll fill it with new songs.¡± A producer did not know how aposer thought. The desire to use songs that were left forter disappears. It was in a creator¡¯s mentality to want to create and release new works. It is said that the Beatles recorded dozens of songs and chose the ones that would go in their album. Reportedly, the recordbel was always disappointed that there were so many good songs that got taken out. When they were working on a new album however, they never used an old song no matter how good it was, and wrote new ones. As they recorded in this way, there could be 50 more Beatles albums with the songs that they did not use. Even now, the recordbel fits one of these songs in whenever they release a best hits album. They are making an enormous amount of money on the legacy that the Beatles left behind. ¡°Oh right.¡± Jo Hyung Joong suddenly remembered something while thinking of the scores that Jun Hyuk had. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The symphony. Where¡¯s the score for the symphony Jun Hyuk brought?¡± Jo Hyung Joong found the score in a corner of the messy recording studio and started to look over it quietly. Whenpared with Mozart, it was a symphony written by a 17 year old genius though 10 yearste. He read the score full of expectations, but put the score down after the third sheet. The assistant producer who had been looking at the 2nd sheet started looking for a cigarette, ¡°This... What is this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. Is this music? No matter how much we say it¡¯s the post-modern era, isn¡¯t this just noise?¡± In the music they had heard from Jun Hyuk so far, his specialty was hispositions filled with beautiful melody like Mozart. However, not only was this not a beautiful melody, but its irregr arrangement made it difficult to even read. ¡°Can we say that this irregr sound that¡¯s like noise is music?¡± ¡°There¡¯s already a work that makes noise into music. It¡¯s John Cage¡¯s .¡± premiered on August 29, 1952 in New York¡¯s Woodstock. had four bandmasters, and each bandmaster¡¯s score waspletely nk. There was only a Tacet ent (to rest without performing) written on the sheet. The performer sat in front of the piano and opened the cover of the piano. The time had been decided randomly so the 1st bandmaster was 33 seconds, the 2nd bandmaster was 2 minutes 40 seconds, and the 3rd bandmaster had two sets of 1 minute 20 seconds. After that, the performer shut the cover on the piano again. As a result, the performer had just opened the piano and sat still for 4 minutes and 33 seconds before closing the piano again. In this absurd performance, the bustling noise of youths was the music. Even if the performer and audience had been silence, there would be a sound in the concert hall. The sound of this performance changed by the location. It was a work that could be changed in infinite ways. However, this song was still considered a challenge to the meaning of music. ¡°Using a philosophical topic like that happens just once. From the second time, it¡¯s just noise. No one will recognize it.¡± ¡°Hm... What do we do.....¡± Jo Hyung Joong scratched his head. He had promised Jun Huk that he would show the score to an expert in ssical. He needed to keep his promise. It was something he did not know. Jun Hyuk¡¯s song could be avant garde, and receive great recognition. Chapter 69 Volume 2 / Chapter 69 TL: LightNovelCafe Jun Hyuk who had returned to the dormitory could not sleep with the excitement that he would be performing with an orchestra. He had not thought that something like this would happen in the next 10 years, but the opportunity was right before him. As he was sitting on the front yard, breathing in the cold fall wind and imagining the concert, Nam Seung Hee came next to him. The staff had let them know what happened when Jun Hyuk left the dormitory for two days to take part in the press conference. Nam Seung Hee had wanted to say words offort or encouragement, but looking at his expression of happiness, she could not say it. She worked up the courage when she saw Jun Hyuk alone. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that everything was resolved well.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± ¡°Did you finish recording the 1st mission song?¡± ¡°No. They said I¡¯ll be recording live during the broadcast. I¡¯m going to Teacher Yoon Jung Su for the 2nd mission song tomorrow.¡± Live recording? What kind of arrangement was it that they were doing a live recording? When she thought that it was Jun Hyuk who had broken all of the boundaries up until now, it was not anything to be surprised by. ¡°Oh, I see. I have senior Lee Eun Jin.¡± ¡°Did you hear my song in Teacher Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s studio?¡± ¡°Yes. It seemed like most of the work on it was done.¡± Nam Seung Hee swallowed and spoke carefully, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You heard me sing. What do you think?¡± ¡°Hm... Honestly?¡± ¡°Yes. Completely honestly.¡± ¡°Your voice is like chalk dust.¡± ¡°Chalk dust?¡± ¡°Yes. It has a soft touch, but it¡¯s a little stiff? Like that. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think you fit well with songs that are light and youthful.¡± ¡°Wait. Can we just speak casually? It¡¯s a little ufortable. We¡¯ve evenpleted a mission together.¡± ¡°Then what do I call you?¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m 21, I¡¯m an older sister.¡± ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯m not going to use formal speech anymore.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, sure.¡± She was more taken aback that he had used casual speech so suddenly, but felt good that they had be friendlier. ¡°Then you¡¯re saying the song now isn¡¯t that great?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Hm... The violin and flute, what¡¯s lighter?¡± ¡°Obviously the flute.¡± ¡°But what if you y a sad song with the flute? And y a light song with the violin? It doesn¡¯t fit?¡± ¡°No. That fits too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the violin and flute are good instruments. They can express any emotion. You¡¯re honestly not a very good instrument. Your tone doesn¡¯t work well with light songs.¡± If a childlike voice with a thin and high pitch were to sing Kim Kwang Suk¡¯s ¡®Around Thirty,¡¯ would that emotion be delivered to this kid? That is what a tone from birth is. Nam Seung Hee¡¯s face turned dark. She was not stupid. She could tell from Teacher Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s attitude toward Jun Hyuk. She could tell that Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent in hearing music was better than that of Teacher Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s. Everyone in the dormitory had been upended because Jun Hyuk had said Jang Na Rae would be the winner. It was possible that everyone wanted to ask Jun Hyuk what ce they were in. ¡°I thought you were going to be honest with me? I can¡¯t sing?¡± ¡°Hm... To say it simply, you¡¯re not good enough to digest any genre of music. You need to choose one genre to focus on. Then, your singing skill will improve... and you can expand your area. But give up the hip hop you like.¡± ¡°Hip hop... isn¡¯t it?¡± She had been expecting it, but she wanted to cry when she heard that she should give it up. Jun Hyuk kept rubbing salt in the wound as if he had not noticed this, ¡°You can¡¯t do hip hop just by mumbling quickly. A specialty genre... rock, rhythm and blues, hip hop ¨C if you don¡¯t understand the essence of these perfectly, you¡¯re just imitating it.¡± If rock spirit was the resistance and rebellion of the older generation, hip hop was started inte 1970s in New York¡¯s Harlem to bring out the core of the harsh realities. The word essence rted to music came as a surprise to Nam Seung Hee. Someone who was only 17 years old was talking about the essence of music. She had tried to understand the emotion in one song. And she had worried about the high notes and techniques to digest that song. But a teenager telling her to think seriously about a genre as a whole? She thought she could tell why Teacher Jo Hyung Joong had judged Jun Hyuk so highly. ¡°If you really need to do it, tell your story. Don¡¯t you think the power of hip hop is telling your own story like a confession?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s lips turned up slightly at the sight of a discouraged Nam Seung Hee. In times like this, it seemed like age was not important. She even seemed cute with her dropped shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s a song I made that matches your tone... I asked Teacher Yoon Jung Su to write the lyrics. It¡¯d be perfect if you sang that.¡± Nam Seung Hee felt like her eyes had sparked open at Jun Hyuk¡¯s words. A song that was made for her? ¡°What? You made it for me?¡± ¡°Yeah. I haven¡¯t written the lyrics for it, but it¡¯ll be perfect for your tone. Since the 1st mission is a free choice song, take a look at it and do it if you want to.¡± ¡°What kind of song is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a slow bad with a bright tone.¡± ¡°A slow bad?¡± ¡°Yeah. Oh, I¡¯m going to Teacher Yoon Jung Su tomorrow, so I¡¯ll ask him. If he finished the lyrics, take a look. You don¡¯t need to use it if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Nam Seung Hee thought about why Jun Hyuk would have made a song for her. She had never heard that Jun Hyuk had made a song for anyone. At times embarrassing affection that Jun Hyuk had shown towards her had been burdensome. She had thought that it had been purposefully created by the production team. She had ignored it until now, but not anymore. Nam Seung Hee was sure that Jun Hyuk liked her. However, Nam Seung Hee had no way of knowing that the way in which Jun Hyuk liked girls was not like the way other average teenagers, no average boys did. *** When Jun Hyuk entered the studio, Yoon Jung Su hugged him in wee. ¡°I finally meet Jun Hyuk again. All of your problems outside are handled, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Thewyer told me not to worry about it because he¡¯ll take care of it from now on.¡± ¡°Sure... You must have had a hard time. Now you have to focus on music?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what I intend to do.¡± Yoon Jung Su had fought with Lee Sung Chul to bring Jun Hyuk in. Lee Sung Chul had wanted to work with Jun Hyuk on his new album. ¡°Right. Can you turn off the camera for a moment? We have to talk about something very private.¡± When Yoon Jung Su spoke to the VJ pushing a camera to his face, the VJ could guess what Yoon Jung Su was going to say. He was going to say something very realistic that could not be left documented. The VJ turned off the camera and went outside. ¡°Okay, you guys must know well by now, a broadcast moves the way a writer nned it out. It was part of the script that you guys came under my wing too. Jang Jun Hyuk, Jang Na Rae, Kwak Hye Sung. Why do you think this group was created?¡± Everyone knew the reason, but Jang Na Rae and Kwak Hye Sung just looked at each other and could not answer. ¡°There¡¯s the simrity that you don¡¯t have agencies, right? My intention is to make it so you two can find agencies during the 1st and 2nd rounds. If you guys can¡¯t show off your charm by the 2nd round, you might get eliminated.¡± Jang Na Rae and Kwak Hye Sung¡¯s faces became dark. ¡°Hey... Don¡¯t look so discouraged. The fact that you made it to the finals means you¡¯re already professionals. Regardless, you guys will be able to live off of singing. Of course, I¡¯m sure Jun Hyuk doesn¡¯t care?¡± Yoon Jung Su took a nce at Jun Hyuk who had been standing with his head down, staring at the floor. Now, the whole nation knew that Jun Hyuk would be leaving to study abroad when this broadcast ended. Though he himself had not made a decision yet. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll prepare well so agencies will look for you two. You need to convince me first, since I am also the president of an agency. If I can feel your charm, you¡¯ll be contacted by other ces. You guys can choose then.¡± Yoon Jung Su handed over CDs he had prepared. ¡°There are about three songs in each of those CDs. Na Rae and Hye Sung, listen to them in the next room. Since the arrangements are nearly done and the guides are recorded, decide if there¡¯s one that you like.¡± When the two left, only Yoon Jung Su and Jun Hyuk were left. ¡°I saw the press conference too, but you¡¯re going to study abroad?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been decided yet.¡± While Yoon Jung Su had spoken with Jo Hyung Joong many times over the phone, he wanted to see how far Jun Hyuk¡¯s potential went. There was already something that he and Jo Hyung Joong had agreed on. Producing would be by Jo Hyung Joong,position would be Jun Hyuk, lyrics would be by himself, with various artists to make Jun Hyuk¡¯s debut album. Their intention was not to use Jun Hyuk to make money. They had both made enough money until now. They wanted to make an album equivalent to that of Wild Chrysanthemum who had been number one in Korea for 30 years now. ¡°Can I say something?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jun Hyuk nodded. ¡°This is an issue of career. If you want to seed in ssical, you need to study abroad.¡± ¡°To learn theory?¡± ¡°Theory? Well, you can learn theory in Korea too. There aren¡¯t just one or two professors who know theory well. And there are people who studied in our country who are recognized all over the world. The real important thing is people.¡± ¡°People?¡± ¡°Yeah. Music leaves my hand the second the melody in my head is moved to a score. After that, you have to work with a lot of people. If you study abroad, you¡¯ll naturally meet those people.¡± Jun Hyuk thought of Jo Hyung Joong. Even though it had only been for a month and it had not turned out well, he had also met the orchestra. ¡°One more thing. If you study abroad, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll meet people who prepare the world as their stage? The more talented people are, the more they gather together. The people who are teaching you are already considered to be grand. As you meet with those people, you¡¯ll share inspiration. That synergy is something tremendous.¡± After Yoon Jung Su looked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s face, he continued carefully, ¡°I highly rmend that you study abroad. If you go and hang out with people who are like you, the frustration you feel might disappear.¡± Frustration. Jun Hyuk knew what this frustration Yoon Jung Su said was. It was when people looked at things in fascination when he thought of them as definite. ¡°I heard you told Hyung Joong that you would work on your debut album together before you go abroad?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not it. We don¡¯t know yet, so.....¡± ¡°Even if you go abroad, release an album once this broadcast is over. You have to leave something behind for it to be a memory. You try making a team. We¡¯ll actively help you.¡± We? Jun Hyuk was curious as to who the we Yoon Jung Su was referencing. ¡°Ah... We haven¡¯t decided on a way to do it. We¡¯re thinking of making your debut album really cool.¡± Yoon Kwang Su turned the topic to the mission song as though he had finished what he needed to say. ¡°You don¡¯t know any songs by me, right?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard some but.....¡± Yoon Jung Su heard Jun Hyuk¡¯s tone without confidence andughed as he handed over an MP3. ¡°I chose a few in advance. There are four, so choose the one that you like. Let¡¯s start from there.¡± Jun Hyuk listened to the four songs on repeat. There was only one reason why he listened to the songs a few times. He could not think of a version that was arranged. No matter how much he changed the genre of the four songs, there was nothing he liked. Yoon Jung Su was the judge who had been friendliest to him. For Jun Hyuk, his songs were not that great. ¡®Is it due to the lyrics.....¡¯ The three elements to configuring a song: melody, rhythm, and chord. Among these three essential elements, there was no lyrics. In ssical, these three were the ultimate. Opera had lyrics, but it was usually the Italian that is unfamiliar to most. Mozart¡¯s ¡®Figaro¡¯s Wedding¡¯ broke thenguage barrier easily. Even lyrics in a differentnguage that could not be understood were sweet. The power of the melody and chime made it so even the singer¡¯s voice sounded like an instrument with a beautiful sound. In modern popr music however, the lyrics were what pulled the song along. It was as though the lyrics of a song were even securing the song itself. The rap genrepletely eliminated the melody and excited the listeners with just the lyrics and rhythm. Yoon Jung Su¡¯s music had the merit of putting everyday emotions into lyrics. These lyrics might be able to share these emotions with the average person, but to Jun Hyuk who had not experienced ¡®everyday emotions,¡¯ only words were being shared. Jun Hyuk could not sympathize with Yoon Jung Su¡¯s music at all. Finally, he turned the MP3 yer off and thought about how he would bring it up to Yoon Jung Su while he listened to Jang Na Rae practice in the other room. It was the first time he was hearing Jang Na Rae sing since the preliminaries. He had heard that she recorded Lee So Ra¡¯s song for the first song in the finals. This also meant that she had been epted as a vocalist. Jang Na Rae who was singing a song from Yoon Jung Su¡¯s youth was enough to surprise even Yoon Jung Su. Chapter 70 Volume 2 / Chapter 70 TL: LightNovelCafe Yoon Jung Su went towards Jun Hyuk who was listening to Jang Na Rae instead of the MP3 yer. ¡°I heard you assessed Jang Na Rae as better than Jessica?¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°Hye Sung did. I heard you said Jang Na Rae would win?¡± ¡°If you look just at talent. But I heard the broadcast was already nned?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only like that. Broadcasts like upsets too. People love reversal dramas because they¡¯re entertaining elements.¡± A reversal drama with Jang Na Rae beating Jessica would not happen. A reversal drama was impossible unless the writers changed their script. ¡°That¡¯s that, but why do you think that?¡± ¡°Jessica is a singing machine.¡± Jun Hyuk settled it with two words. ¡°Isn¡¯t a singing machine apliment? Doesn¡¯t it mean she sings that well without making any mistakes?¡± Jun Hyuk shook his head, ¡°Jessica doesn¡¯t be ck just because she lived in America. R&B and soul is to ck people what pansori is to Korean people. It¡¯s impossible for people who aren¡¯t ck to express the essence of that music perfectly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying there¡¯s ack of expression in the emotion?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m saying it¡¯s impossible. Even if a ck person lived in Korea for a long time and spoke Korean well, it would be weird if they tried to sing pansori.¡± Jun Hyuk shook his head again as he repeated that Jessica was just imitating. ¡°Listen to a recording of Jessica singing R&B and soul. Honestly, the over exaggeration is severe.¡± They could interpret over exaggeration as emotional excess, but Yoon Jung Su could fully understand Jun Hyuk¡¯s evaluation of Jessica. ¡°Then what about Jang Na Rae?¡± ¡°Her level of understanding a song is no joke. And her tone is really good.¡± ¡°What does it mean that she understands songs?¡± Normally, understanding a song meant expressing the emotions of lyrics well. He thought that Jun Hyuk¡¯s words might have a different meaning. ¡°She changes every song to the emotion that she felt. Jang Na Rae has the ability to make a sad farewell song sound like she¡¯s saying she¡¯s relieved that the person is gone.¡± ¡°Does that mean the voice is overshadowing the lyrics? So you don¡¯t even think about the lyrics?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Oh, that¡¯s a good way to say it. He he.¡± Yoon Jung Su thought that Jun Hyuk¡¯s evaluation of Jang Na Rae was a bit excessive. He was certain that she is good, but she was not as good as Jun Hyuk said. If Jun Hyuk¡¯s assessment was right, a star was born. Yoon Jung Su recalled Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s words again to keep Jun Hyuk¡¯s words in mind. If Jun Hyuk was right, Yoon Jung Su needed to scout Jang Na Rae right away. After a moment of thought, Yoon Jung Su spoke, ¡°Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You want to try taking lead?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Lead?¡± ¡°Yeah. Tell Jang Na Rae what she¡¯s falling short on. It¡¯s okay if you fix it for her too.¡± ¡°Oy, no. How could I do that......¡± Yoon Jung Su did not mind Jun Hyuk and went to Jang Na Rae in the recording booth, ¡°Na Rae, what do you think? Would it be okay if Jun Hyuk did some directing?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Ah, yes. That¡¯s okay.¡± Jun Hyuk is the one who had singled her out as the winner, but she herself did not know the reason for that. ¡°Look, she said it¡¯s okay. Try it.¡± Yoon Jung Su pushed Jun Hyuk into the recording booth. Inside the booth, Jun Hyuk scratched his head and carefully wrote something on the score as he spoke, ¡°More calmly here... and go up on falsetto here since you don¡¯t need to show that you can hit the high notes. And when you start here, go in half a beatte.....¡± ¡°Laid back?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Lay...? Well, anyway half a beatte. And don¡¯t try to sing well. Try to sing the entire song a little more calmly. With the feeling that you¡¯re telling someone else¡¯s story to a friend, not your own.¡± Even a very sad farewell story has a different meaning to each listener. Someone will sympathize and feel sad while another will not be able to and think that it isughable to be so upset. Yet another person can feel that the farewell is a relief. If a third party sings a song, the lyrics can change in any way. This is what Jun Hyuk meant by understanding a song. Jang Na Rae saw Jun Hyuk who was standing so close to her she could almost touch his face, and felt her heart beat faster and her cheeks blush. Jun Hyuk¡¯s words did note into her head. There was only one word she remembered, ¡°Calmly?¡± ¡°Yes. You can¡¯t over exaggerate the emotion. This seems like a song about a jerk who loved one girl too much... Forget about trying to deliver the emotions of the lyrics. Just think that you¡¯re singing a rhyme, since the meaning of the lyrics don¡¯t matter.¡± Yoon Jung Su who was listening from outside almost passed out. Lyrics were not important? Those were lyrics he had written during his youth in heartbreak over a girl he had broken up with, but Jun Hyuk was telling Jang Na Rae to treat it like a rhyme. On top of that, a jerk! When Jun Hyuk came out of the booth, he signaled with his hand to Yoon Jung Su who was sitting nkly. ¡°Try listening to it. She should be able to get it after singing it five or six times.¡± Jang Na Rae could not pay attention to the lyrics even without Jun Hyuk¡¯s urging. She was already busy trying to focus on the directing that Jun Hyuk had filled her score with. Though she made mistakes where she missed the beat, but Jun Hyuk looked satisfied. If she practiced a little more, she would get used to the song and it would be more natural. Jang Na Rae was stillcking the calm that Jun Hyuk had demanded, but the changes were starting to take shape. Yoon Jung Su did not know that his sad bad could be so colorful with adjustments in just the technique. Musician Dittersdorf who had worked at the same time as Mozart was recognized as one of the best musicians along with Salieri. He had gone around bragging that not even Mozart could catch up to him. The introduction of his symphony in D major was configured with two tones that did not vary in height but only in length. The song is so boring it is difficult to listen to. It continues without straying once from the audience¡¯s expectations. Mozart took this boring song and slightly changed it to use it as the introduction of his song. That is none other than the famous Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. He had clearly shown Dittersdorf the gap between them. The ability to create apletely different and colorful song with a slight change. It seemed his song had been rebornpletely differently with Jun Hyuk¡¯s modifications. How could his music that had topped the charts have been so dull? Yoon Jung Su thought that he was like Salieri. The color of the song had changed entirely with a little directing. He had the thought that Jun Hyuk might not have pointed Jang Na Rae out as the winner because of her talent. It was because Jang Na Rae was the person who could best take in Jun Hyuk¡¯s directing. To think about it from the other end, Jessica was not qualified to take Jun Hyuk¡¯s directing. Yoon Jung Su realized why Jun Hyuk was called an arranging genius. He could arrange any song to its best in moments. The more surprising aspect was that he was able to get a grasp of a performer or singer¡¯s talent and arrange the song to disy their best. When Jang Na Rae had sung Jun Hyuk¡¯s version of the song for the 3rd time, he looked very pleased. It seemed it was almost at the level he desired. His bad that was like a sad wailing had be a colorful song with a few changes in technique. It was as though a sad violin solo had be an borate orchestra symphony. Yoon Jung Su looked curiously at Jun Hyuk as he heard Jang na Rae¡¯spleted song. He had recognized Jun Hyuk¡¯s genius before Jo Hyung Joong did, but he had thought Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s praises were exaggerated. However now, he realized that Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s high praises had fallen short. The other people in Yoon Jung Su¡¯s studio looked at Jun Hyuk as if he were a monster. How could he change the singer and song¡¯s color with just 5 minutes of directing? Jun Hyuk felt ufortable with everyone looking at him. Was Yoon Jung Su not looking at him in the way he had expressed Jun Hyuk¡¯s frustration before? Yoon Jung Su who saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression realized what was happening and quickly changed the mood, ¡°There there. You guys record Na Rae¡¯s song. We¡¯ll work on it again after we hear the recording. Na Rae, let¡¯s go one more time.¡± After Yoon Jung Su sent Na Rae the signal, he took Jun Hyuk and left. The two went to the roof of the studio and did not speak as they breathed in the cold air. After a while, Yoon Jung Su opened his mouth. He did not look at Jun Hyuk but at the view from the roof as he spoke, ¡°This will happen more going forward. People will look at you as if you¡¯re unique. Those looks will be full of adoration and jealousy. I was really jealous of your talent just now, too.¡± Jun Hyuk quietly looked up at Yoon Jung Su, but Yoon Jung Su kept looking forward. ¡°You changed a song that I spent over a month pouring my feelings over into nothing in a matter of 5 minutes. No one will even pretend they¡¯ve seen this kind of talent before.¡± ¡°Teacher, I just...¡± ¡°I¡¯m not reproaching you, I¡¯m in awe. You have to ept the burdensome gazes you receive as definites. It¡¯s the attention given to stars. If that attention is gathered... it¡¯ll be to the point where you won¡¯t have a personal life. That¡¯s what a star is and you¡¯re already a star. That¡¯s not because of your good looks and your height, but your musical talent. Jun Hyuk did not understand what Yoon Jung Su was saying. His name was just starting to get known, and it was in gossip not music. ¡°Do you know how many calls Hyung Joong and I received? Over dozens. They¡¯re calls from agencies asking me to talk about them to you. That¡¯s even after the news that you¡¯ll be studying abroad next year came out. There are dozens arepanies that are dying to sign you on.¡± Jun Hyuk was thinking that this talk about agencies are encumbrances. Music was made when musicians came together. He had fully realized while filming for the broadcast that agencies only thought of money. ¡°Just ept it and enjoy it. Think of the looks you get as looks of admiration. As you continue to make great music, the looks of admiration and jealousy will turn into respect. I can bet my life savings that you¡¯ll be a respectable musician. Ha ha.¡± Yoon Jung Su whoughed at hisme joke changed the subject, ¡°Okay, now should we talk about your mission song?¡± Jun Hyuk could only scratch his head at the mention of mission. ¡°What? It¡¯s hard to make a choice? This... well this is kind of embarrassing.¡± ¡°Ah... That¡¯s because the songs you gave me are so unfamiliar. They¡¯re so different from your songs that are well known.¡± ¡°Honestly, there¡¯s a reason why I chose those songs.¡± Yoon Jung Su had a wide smile as though he had something fun nned, ¡°Try making a dance song.¡± ¡°Excuse me? A dance song?¡± Dance? Dance is the music Yoon Kwang Hun likes least. Of course he had almost never heard it. ¡°Hyung Joong suggested doing something fun. Your interest in machines grew while you were working with Hyung Joong?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care about winning anyway, right? And it¡¯s not a situation where you canst very long without singing. Since we prepare up to the 3rd round before the live broadcast, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll end there. The broadcasting station is focusing on showing all of your genius.¡± Yoon Jung Su continued on quickly when he saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s ufortable face to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to do this for the broadcast. Since you had producing in your DNA, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to use this opportunity to try a new genre.¡± ¡°Mixing is important in dance music, but I don¡¯t know the machines that well yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll put two pressing birds on you, so try it out as much as you want.¡± ¡°Pressing bird? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Um... You can think of it as a 2nd or assistantposer and arranger. If you hum the melody line, they¡¯ll make the chord progression and melody on the master keyboard. And you know how they use a lot of electronic sound effects? Since it¡¯s hard to write that in a score, you would just put it in on the spot.¡± It was a scene that could be seen on broadcast often. A singer who is known to be capable of writing his own songs always has aposer sitting next to him while he¡¯s working on his music in the recording studio. Though it seems like they¡¯reposing together, unless the singer¡¯s level is extremely high, theposer waspleting most of the music. The singer only made a few verses of melody and the person whopleted the whole song was the pressing bird, theposer. They are called pressing birds because they need to press on the master keyboard in countless ways until the song isplete. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re saying if I say I want the exhaust of a motorcycle as a sound effect, they would be able to insert it right away?¡± ¡°Right, they y that kind of role. And if it¡¯s a person that does well, a coboration is also possible.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression brightened as soon as he found out that he could insert any song he wanted to. ¡°Are you telling me to do electronic dance music?¡± ¡°Oh, you think fast. What do you think? You want to try it?¡± ¡°Um... But teacher, I don¡¯t really like electronic.¡± ¡°Why? Is it because it¡¯s at a lower level than ssical?¡± ¡°No. What levels are there in music? I just get bored because it¡¯s a repeat of the same simple rhythm.¡± It was possible for someone who enjoyed listening to ssical and jazz to think that electronic with EDM as its representative music is simple. ¡°Um... Jun Hyuk. Could it be that you don¡¯t know that there are many uses for music?¡± ¡°Uses?¡± ¡°You only heard music in the cafe practice room?¡± ¡°Yes. Most of it... I watched TV asionally.¡± ¡°There¡¯s music like ssical where you concentrate and enjoy it, and there¡¯s music like jazz and the blues where the best way to listen is at a concert hall. But it¡¯s hard to appreciate electronic that way.¡± Yoon Jung Su could not help but smile at the thought that he was pushing Jun Hyuk into a new world. Not all music needed to have the lifespan of 200 years like ssical does. A song could show its worth just by staying alive for two or three months and giving people joy in that time. Even the song that had shaken the world, Psy¡¯s ¡®Gangnam Style,¡¯ was not yed anywhere 3 years after. ¡°You¡¯ll know better by experiencing it yourself than hearing it hundred times, right?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± After Yoon Jung Su brought Jun Hyuk back to the recording studio, he called Jang Na Rae and Kwak Hye Sung who had been practicing. ¡°I¡¯m sure you guys have been stressed while locked up, practicing.¡± The two had inted expectations at Yoon Jung Su¡¯s soft expression. Were they going to have dinner together? ¡°I¡¯ll relieve that stress for you today.¡± Yoon Jung Su said something unbelievable after hesitating, ¡°When we¡¯re done practicing, let¡¯s go to a club. Oh, I won¡¯t get in because I¡¯m old, so go with the recording studio people. There¡¯s a good ce where they don¡¯t film and the people don¡¯t care about celebrities.¡± Jang Na Rae just stared nkly while Kwak Hye Sung, who looked least likely to fit in at a club, cheered. Chapter 71 Volume 2 / Chapter 71 TL: LightNovelCafe As they descended down the stairs to the club, the bass bumping through their bodies grew louder. While they were sitting in an area on the 2nd floor, Kwak Hye Sung and Jang Na Rae were already moving to the music. Jun Hyuk was already out of his mind. How could there be a ce like this in the world? More than the music, the first thing that caught Jun Hyuk¡¯s eye was the girls in promiscuous clothing, and the second thing was the way they moved. There were women who moved lightly to seduce men, but there were more women who left their bodies to the simple beat and shook without a care. It was the same for the men. There were men who looked at the women more than they cared about the music and dancing, but there were also a lot of men who were dancing wildly. Fast beat, a volume that could be felt with the entire body, the drunkenness that alcohol provides. All of thisbined to make it hot in the club. After drinking two or three beers, Kwak Hye Sung and Jang Na Rae could no longer stay seated and went into the dancing crowd. They also moved their bodies so they were inseparable from the crowd. There was no other way to describe this spectacle than as a culture shock. Music to Jun Hyuk meant there is a performer and an audience, the audience bes immersed in the music that the performer delivers, and they cheer and apuse in response to an excellent performance. However, there was no performance in this ce. It was just a DJ mixing with machines to make a fast bass beat. There was no audience listening and enjoying it either. This was a ce to leave your body to the music and move on instinct. Jun Hyuk also felt the primordial joy provided by the music. He could feel his shoulders moving to the music. People here were moving to music like cavemen dancing to the sound of a simple drumming. While Jun Hyuk was awed by the world of clubbing, Yoon Jung Su was having dinner with Son Jin Young. ¡°Take a look at this song.¡± ¡°Oh, you wrote a new song?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything and just look at it.¡± Son Jin Young took the score from Yoon Jung Su and hummed to the notes. ¡°Hey, Jung Su! You wrote a really good one for the first time in a while! Are you giving it to me?¡± ¡°Why is a judge being like this? I want to hear yourments.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even need to look at the sabi. It¡¯s good just from looking at the intro and verse. You really do find appreciation in emotional bads.¡± There was no insincerity in Son Jin Young¡¯s evaluation. This had implemented a fresh bad unlike songs these days that were sad bads or dance songs with fast beats. ¡°I wrote the lyrics to this, but someone elseposed it.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Guess. It¡¯s someone we both know.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t just one or two people that we both know.¡± ¡°Ha ha. That¡¯s true. Jun Hyuk wrote this song. I wrote the lyrics for a week.¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk? That or... rascal?¡± Son Jin Young almost said orphan. There is a big difference between orphan and rascal. In the entertainment industry, rascal is not a slight. ¡°Yeah, and he said he made that song for Nam Seung Hee.¡± ¡°Nam Seung Hee? The Nam Seung Hee in our agency?¡± Son Jin Young¡¯s eyes widened at the mention of Nam Seung Hee. ¡°Yeah. He made the song to match her tone after he listened to her voice during the 2nd mission. In a day.¡± How could he create a melody like this in a day? Son Jin Young stook out his tongue. ¡°But why did you write the lyrics?¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk doesn¡¯t have the emotions to write lyrics of affection like this. It¡¯s understandable when you think of the environment he grew up in.¡± He had grown up in difficult conditions. No, it had been too shattering to be called difficult. How could a child like that have experienced emotions of love and farewell, that could be seen as a luxury? Yoon Jung Su met eyes with Son Jin Young, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Let me see. Will this fit well with Seung Hee?¡± It was unnecessary to ask. Of course it fit well. However, it was far from the style andmodity that Son Jin Young was pursuing. Son Jin Young used a thorough calction to choose people to train. Body proportions that woulde out well on TV, the ability to show sexiness through dance ¨C he chose each by the role they would y in a girl group. To him, music is just a tool that can bring out sensuality. It is a time when music is no longer for the ear, but visual. Music worked to support an borate and sexy performance. It is now rare for artists to be able to make money with only their music. He needs to make singers that the public wants to see. Singers that people only wanted to listen to did not make money. It was the reality of Korean pop music that out of the overall sales that SN Entertainment, one of thergest agencies made, only 16% was from track sales and concerts. Now, music itself does not make money. They needed to make money with the fees from drama, CF, entertainment program, and event appearances. No event looked to hire a rookie singer with great vocals. There was always a line of events looking for pretty and sexy girl groups regardless of the music. Even sign star Shin Ji, who is in a JSY girl group, became a star overnight after appearing in a popr movie. It was not music. Due to these situations, it was understandable that Son Jin Young is hesitant at the mention of a bad. ¡°If Nam Seung Hee doesn¡¯t use this song, our singer is going to use it.¡± At Yoon Jung Su¡¯s words, Son Jin Young¡¯s hand went up, ¡°Hang on. You¡¯re sure Jun Hyuk wrote this song for Nam Seung Hee?¡± ¡°Yeah. He said it¡¯s a gift for Nam Seung Hee. Producer Kim even recorded it. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll be editing that right now. He¡¯s trying to make an atmosphere of the two as a couple.¡± ¡°A gift... This paints a pretty good picture.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing it again. I can hear the wheels turning in your head.¡± Son Jin Young was better at business than he was at music. It was possible that he had already drawn up the whole picture in his head. ¡°Then it basically means that this song bes Nam Seung Hee¡¯s debut song.....¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it will.¡± Nam Seung Hee was participating on the program to be known. What if she released her first single after the broadcast? The fees to market one debut song was tremendous. This could be an opportunity to save on that. The program¡¯s viewer ratings were rising steeply because of Jun Hyuk right now. If the first episode¡¯s eye of the storm, Jun Hyuk were to y the piano as well, could there be better marketing than this? With this, the calction wasplete and the picture had been drawn. ¡°Bro, let¡¯s meet Producer Kim first.¡± The two men left the half-eaten food and rushed to the broadcast station. Chapter 72 Volume 2 / Chapter 72 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Jin Young ¨C Director Son, I mean. You¡¯re asking for too much like this.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik could not believe it. He wants to release a first single on broadcast? Even though it¡¯s a free choice song mission, this is too much. It made him ufortable that these two hade to make an unreasonable demand when they were in a situation where they were already on edge. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. You¡¯re not going to use Jun Hyuk when he¡¯s the eye of the storm right now? What¡¯s better than this?¡± ¡°The picture doese out if Jun Hyuk ys the piano. But right now, the picture is that this is a love serenade that Jun Hyuk is giving Nam Seung Hee. If this happens, Nam Seung Hee will have a million anti-fans as soon as she debuts. Is that okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a thank you if she has a million anti-fans, no?¡± Yoon Jung Su was bantering and Son Jin Young spoke with force to convince Producer Kim Ki Sik, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I have to give her the lowest score and Jung Su can¡¯t give her a high score either. He¡¯s the lyricist.¡± Nam Seung Hee¡¯s elimination after the first stage would be a catharsis for Jun Hyuk¡¯s fans. She dared to approach ¡®our Jun Hyuk¡¯ and she fell t. This was not a bad look either. This would be eaten up as a reversal drama. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll okay it if Jun Hyuk ys the piano and Nam Seung Hee is eliminated. How are you going to take care of the revenue issue?¡± Who was the producer to take 40% of the entire revenue was the only issue left now. Would it be MV channel? Or would JSY do it? The fact that Producer Kim Ki Sik was discussing the revenue issue meant that he was not going to budge. ¡°It¡¯s a producer issue. There¡¯s no problem if we do it as MV channel?¡± With Son Jin Young¡¯s eptance, Nam Seung Hee¡¯s first stage waspleted. Producer Kim Ki Sik put in thest nail, ¡°Good. We need to get a definite answer from Jun Hyuk that Nam Seung Hee can use the song. Lastly, take care of theposition fees. If something goes wrong, my neck is on the line.¡± Son Jin Young was not worried about Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s concerns. The person who made the song said that he would give it to them, so there would not be a problem there. He could just pay out enough of theposer fees. However, there are more asions when things do not go as nned. *** ¡°How was it? Did you have fun yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes, teacher. For the first time in a while... All of my stress went away.¡± ¡°If I had gone to the club everyday instead of the gym, I would have lost 80kg by now.¡± Jang Na Rae and Kwak Hye Sung had dark circles, but their expressions were bright. Yoon Jung Su wanted to know how Jun Hyuk felt. How had he taken it in? ¡°Jun Hyuk, what did you think? I heard you were sitting the whole time.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Dancing for me is......¡± ¡°It¡¯s too bad you¡¯re still a minor and can¡¯t drink. If you had a drink and got tipsy, you would have danced a lot too.¡± He wished they had given Jun Hyuk a few drinks. If he had felt the great chemistry thates from alcohol and a simple beat, he could make amazing music. What Jun Hyuk needs most is not musical theory, but various experiences. ¡°Do you have any thought of trying it out? Or do you want to select a different song?¡± ¡°I understood why you gave me the four songs. Your intention was to do EDM from the start?¡± ¡°Ha ha. I got caught. That was Hyung Joong¡¯s idea. We wanted to show a new stage and we wanted to see you in a genre that you wouldn¡¯t normally touch. Of course the production team was all for it. It¡¯s a first attempt, but we thought that it would be possible if it¡¯s you.¡± Yoon Jung Su examined Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression. His expression already seemed positive. ¡°Then have you thought about which of my songs would be good as dance music?¡± ¡°I had the thought that it would be fun tobine the four songs.¡± To sample from the four songs andbine them? Yoon Jung Su could not easily connect the four songs. ¡°What? Combine the four songs? Won¡¯t the flow be interrupted?¡± ¡°No. I can make the four songs sound like one. It¡¯ll flow naturally.¡± He was always much further ahead. How did he think of mixing the four songs? Yoon Jung Su¡¯s expectations on how the EDM Jun Hyuk made would take shape were inted. ¡°Jun Hyuk, can you talk to me for a minute?¡± Yoon Jung Su took Jun Hyuk to a cafe nearby. Yoon Jung Su ordered coffee and handed over a score, ¡°Do you want to take a look at this?¡± The score Yoon Jung Su had handed over was the bad Jun Hyuk made. ¡°This is what I made. Did you write all of the lyrics?¡± ¡°Yeah, take a look at the lyrics. The song is so good that the lyrics are bound to get overshadowed.¡± There were refreshing lyrics to match the cool and fresh melody before him. The story was of a girl and boy who were each other¡¯s first loves and were honestly confessing the feelings they had been hiding. Jun Hyuk murmured the lyrics along to the melody and put the score down, ¡°Uh... goosebumps.¡± ¡°What? Ha ha. Goosebumps? Then it¡¯s a sess. A first love normally causes goosebumps.¡± Jun Hyuk was surprised that Yoon Jung Su who is in his mid-40s could describe a lively first love. Jun Hyuk could not know if he is rich in emotion or good at observation, but it is indeed a talent that he can find something in flitting moments. ¡°What do you think? You like it? Or should I write it again?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know lyrics anyway. Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s a sess if I got goosebumps? Then that¡¯s fine.¡± Yoon Jung Su took a peek at his watch and waved toward the cafe entrance. Son Jin Young wasing in, waving his hand. Son Jin Young motioned for an awkwardly standing Jun Hyuk to sit down, and settled down next to Yoon Jung Su. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m a littlete, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, we just got here too.¡± As awkwardughter drifted over the coffee table, Son Jin Young opened his mouth, ¡°You know that song you made? The one you gifted to our Seung Hee?¡± Son Jin Young put emphasis on the word ¡®gift¡¯. ¡°Ah, yes. You¡¯re talking about this?¡± Jun Hyuk gestured to the score he had put down. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re thinking of using that on the first stage of the finals. What do you think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I already gave that song to Nam Seung Hee.¡± ¡°Great, thanks. And there¡¯s one more thing... Can you y the piano on the stage?¡± ¡°Me? They do the apaniment as an MR.¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re going to create the MR without the piano.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not difficult or anything.¡± The two men looked morefortable when Jun Hyuk brushed it off. And Son Jin Young gave Yoon Jung Su a slight look. The more difficult something was to talk about, the better it was for someone more familiar to bring it up. Yoon Jung Su lowered his tone and began to speak gently, ¡°Jun Hyuk, this is ufortable to talk about. We can¡¯t forget to talk about things dealing with money.¡± ¡°Money?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s theposition fee.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s something I made for fun... I guess that can be worth money.¡± A song made for fun. It was something said without much thought, but it tugged at Yoon Jung Su¡¯s heart. It was like a de to criminals who had to crack down and suffer for several months toplete one song. Son Jin Young began to speak cautiously again, ¡°Jun Hyuk. JSY will buy that song. The averageposition fee for rookieposers is...¡± ¡°Teacher, give me one second.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Jun Hyuk went to the coffee shop counter and brought a memo pad and pen. ¡°You can call this number for issues dealing with money.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s this number?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thepany in charge of the proceedings right now. I¡¯m not allowed to discuss money or contracts going forward.¡± ¡°By any chance, is thispany Peace?¡± ¡°Oh, it is. Peace. Lawyer Baek Seung Ho is in charge.¡± The two men just looked at each other and blinked. They had no intention of receiving Jun Hyuk¡¯s song for free. They were thinking of giving him adequate fees for a rookieposer, but awyer? Chapter 73 Volume 2 / Chapter 73 TL: LightNovelCafe Between the two, Yoon Jung Su was more surprised. The shock was great. Usually,wyers did not get involved in this industry whether they gave the song first or they received the money to write a song. Since they were friendly, they trusted each other and paid an adequate amount. If Jun Hyuk was already appointingwyers, no singers orpanies would want his songs no matter how good they were. They would all disregard him as a jerk who wanted money. Jun Hyuk had not even made a proper debut in the entertainment industry, but he had created a firewall because of what he had experienced so far. It was regrettable. Son Jin Young was already frowning. A brand new rookie who had been on broadcast once and had not even released a single was telling him to talk to awyer about money? And that was in the presence of a veteran senior. Jun Hyuk may have said it without much thought, but the person listening wanted to just give up the song. However, they could not just overthrow everything when they had already convinced the main producer of the broadcast station. Son Jin Young grit his teeth and took the memo with thewyer¡¯s phone number. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take care of this. Jung Su, I¡¯m a little busy. I¡¯ll get up first. Sorry.¡± Yoon Jung Su could fully understand how Son Jin Young was feeling. He was already bearing through a lot just by suppressing his anger. Jun Hyuk is not the only person with rights to this song, but also himself as the lyricist. There had been the prerequisite that the song was for Nam Seung Hee and he had written the lyrics ordingly. If something went amiss with thewyer, he would beughable. However, Yoon Jung Su did not speak anymore. He thought that he must take time and slowly teach Jun Hyuk the rules and etiquette of this industry. *** Lawyer Baek Seung Ho did not know that Jun Hyuk had written a song until he got a call from JSY. After quickly confirming, he met with the peopleing to him with a contract. ¡°We are here from JSY. We¡¯re here because of the song that Jang Jun Hyuk made.....¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I was waiting for you. But I haven¡¯t heard the details rting to JSY.¡± ¡°I see. I guess you may not have heard because Jun Hyuk is living in the dormitory.¡± The JSY legal team briefly described how Jun Hyuk wrote a song for Nam Seung Hee and that they were there to buy the song. Baek Seung Ho reviewed the contract that JSY passed over. ¡°I see theposition fee is $5,000.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the industry average amount.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to discuss with Jun Hyuk, but do you know that Jun Hyuk left matters of money to my discretion?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why we are sitting in front of you right now.¡± This was the first time Baek Seung Ho was meeting with someone in regards to a song orposition fee, but it was also the first time JSY was meeting with awyer to acquire one song. It was custom for the musicians to settle these issues themselves to just send a contract back and forth. ¡°There is one thing I can tell you for sure. I don¡¯t know what Jun Hyuk is thinking, but he will follow me if I say ¡®no¡¯.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. We won¡¯t sell it at such a low price.¡± ¡°Whew.....¡± This is why JSY did not like whenwyers got involved. They had a habit of unconditionally rejecting the first proposal. Lawyer made simple issues that could be settled in a friendly matter, difficult. ¡°Don¡¯t look at it like that too much. We have good reasons for this.¡± ¡°Should we listen to those good reasons?¡± ¡°The key element of a transaction is not whether or not a poet wrote a song. The important thing is necessity. It¡¯s a world where people pay $7,000 for a brand name handbag that doesn¡¯t cost $50 to manufacture. Why? Because they need it. So don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a song that¡¯s needed if a bigpany like JSY is trying to buy it for just $5,000? I want to sell it at an expensive price to someone who needs it.¡± JSY was starting to dislikewyers even more. Even though what they were saying made sense, they said it in a way that made the listeners feel unpleasant. ¡°We¡¯ll sign this contract in a year.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± It is over if he said that he would not sell it, but what did he mean by a yearter? ¡°In one year, Jun Hyuk will probably be worth 10 times more. Bring back a new contract, or we¡¯ll meet in a year.¡± Baek Seung Ho knew that the value of goods changed the future. If they settled on $5,000 for Jun Hyuk now, he would be $5,000 even when he was worth 10 times more in the future. The important fact was that no one yet knew Jun Hyuk¡¯s worth. There was no idiot who would sell a diamond in its rough form without buffing it. They need to wait while sharpening and cleaning it to create its best appearance. It was not even a situation where they werecking money. It was not a time to hurry, but to wait until his borate and shining self appeared. Baek Seung Ho firmly believed that this was the best decision for Jun Hyuk. JSY¡¯s side that was not able to receive Jun Hyuk¡¯s song took the contract and went back to the office. They needed to hurry up and let Director Son Jin Young know. ¡°Hey! I can¡¯t believe it. The little brat is being arrogant because he gained a little poprity... Forget it. We don¡¯t need it.¡± Son Jin Young did not like Jun Hyuk or the bad from the beginning. The answer was to go with a sexy performance as JSY usually does. *** ¡°Jung Su, we¡¯re going to pretend the thing with Jun Hyuk¡¯s song never happened. Honestly, I don¡¯t even want to talk about it.¡± Yoon Jung Su who had discerned Son Jin Young¡¯s thoughts got off the phone and told Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun Hyuk, have you heard the news?¡± ¡°Yes? What news?¡± ¡°Thewyer you mentioned said that he would not give the song to Nam Seung Hee. They said he asked for a lot of money.¡± Yoon Jung Su was hesitant to talk about it, but he spoke cautiously. ¡°Did he?¡± Unexpectedly, Jun Hyuk showed a dull reaction. ¡°Um... I don¡¯t think Nam Seung Hee will be able to sing the song if it goes like this.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s fine. Someone else can sing it.¡± ¡°But you made that song for Seung Hee.¡± ¡°Not exactly. I just made the song because I liked her voice when she sang the jazz song I arranged.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a song created for a voice and not a person?¡± ¡°Wow, you speak so well. A song created for a voice. I¡¯ll have to keep this memorized.¡± Yoon Jung Su saved his words as he looked at a Jun Hyuk who was smiling naively. He thought that there would be no need to exin about things like money, business, and industry fees to a child who was only just 17 years old. Heforted himself thinking that as someone with a right to the song, he could just push it back. It was an old song. No matter when it was released, they could get the tribute for it. ¡°Alright. Then we¡¯ll think about that songter and make the mission song now. I¡¯ll put two producers I work with on you, so try making something really cool.¡± ¡°The pressing birds you talked about?¡± ¡°Ha ha. Yeah, pressing bird. But you can¡¯t call them that to their faces. It¡¯s a term that denigrates them.¡± *** Jun Hyuk spent half a day using his cellphone and listening to aputer hard drive with a sound library full of sound effects. It was full of all the sounds in the world. It was to the point where he wondered what had not been included since there were even the sounds of people yawning and burping in different versions. After half a day passed, Jun Hyuk abandoned his intention to listen to all of the sounds in the world. Eventually, he did not even get to listen to half and picked among the sound effects used often in the electronic line that the producer chose to listen to. After the group of sound effects waspiled, Jun Hyuk and the two producers sat in front of a monitor that showed sounds from the master keyboard. The people at Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s studio had already let them know that Jun Hyuk is a perfectionist. They had heard that he even detected the sound of an oboe bouncing off of a music stand. If a kid with an ear like this had the ability to see soundwaves with his eyes, it was obvious that he would not look past even the smallest issues. The two producers already had a grim feeling that they may need to work for the next few days toplete the song. ¡°First off, do you have a separate track for the voice of the song Teacher Yoon chose?¡± ¡°Of course. Do you want it?¡± ¡°Yes. Please let me hear them in order.¡± Jun Hyuk kept working on stretching and shortening the vocal tracks of the four songs. In more extreme cases, he did not hesitate to shorten it by three times. A producer threw him a question, ¡°But Jun Hyuk, you¡¯re not going to sample it? What verse are you going to take out to use? Isn¡¯t it easier to take out just that part to work with?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not sampling it. I¡¯m going to use all of it.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re going to use the whole song?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you should do that. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll just be noisy once you mix the other four songs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m matching the four songs. First, I¡¯m going to hold the ce and adjust the volume.¡± After ying with the track for several hours, he had a satisfied expression. ¡°The vocal track is finished... and we have to put in the violin.....¡± ¡°Violin? You¡¯re finished already? You finished the four songs?¡± ¡°Yes. Can you set this master keyboard to the violin?¡± The producer did not get to listen to the entirety of the song that he finished. Fixing one part and listening again to edit again... Jun Hyuk was done in one go without working like this. ¡°But Jun Hyuk. You don¡¯t need to listen to the work you did?¡± ¡°Why? I saw everything with my eyes.¡± ¡°You know by looking at the soundwaves?¡± ¡°Yes. I think it¡¯s much morefortable being able to see the sound with my eyes. This program is really good.¡± The producers did not say more. They now thought that they would not need to have questions for Jun Hyuk any longer. ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s like that. Um... oh, okay. You see these two dials? The one on top is the vibrato effect, and the bottom has the slide effect.¡± ¡°Okay. Then.¡± Jun Hyuk pressed a few of the keys to test it out andughed as though it was wondrous. It was because he was pressing the keyboard, but there was the sound of the violin. ¡°He he he. This is really fun.¡± As he put both of his hands on the keyboard, he yed the familiar Vidi¡¯s part 1 of Four Seasons Spring. After that, he yed multiple ssicals but did not y over 8 verses. Soundtracks kept collecting on the monitor. As he got used to using the master keyboard, his hands became faster. After the violin, he changed to the bass guitar and held the whole beat. The producer who was listening next to him guessed that the beat was around 150BPM. It seemed a little slow, but there was no way to check because he could not listen to the whole song. When Jun Hyuk finished the bass guitar, he stretched his arms and back and got up from his seat. ¡°Let¡¯s start again after a break.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything. You did everything yourself.¡± ¡°This is the real start.¡± ¡°What? Then what have you done ¡®til now?¡± ¡°This is thebination for the bass sound. It¡¯s the color tone that won¡¯t be that noticeable. Now we need to work on the riff (key melody line), the drum that will point out the beat, and sound effects.¡± They also passed out when they heard that everything he had done until now was just the background. The bigger problem was that Jun Hyuk had not once listened to the results of his hard work so far. ¡°Uh Jun Hyuk, we have to hear it first. I¡¯m really curious too.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. I thought you already knew because we worked on it together.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not geniuses. We have no idea what any of this is just by looking at it. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s first electronic. Half with curiosity and half with expectations, Yoon Jung Su, Jang Na Rae, and Kwak Hye Sung came to listen to Jun Hyuk¡¯s first piece together. Chapter 74 Volume 2 / Chapter 74 TL: LightNovelCafe The four songs that Yoon Jung Su initially chose had simr flow and effect because they are all good to arrange as electronic dance music. Everyone listened carefully because they were curious to see how these four songs werepletelybined and not sampled, even though they are simr. The music flowed out once he pressed the y button. Everyone looked enchanted at the end of a song that did not evenst 4 minutes. Except Yoon Jung Su. Jun Hyuk¡¯s mixed song did not sound anything like a dance song, but more like a grand choir. Because of the measures from well-known ssicals that were scattered well here and there, it could almost be mistaken for a song that one already knew. ¡°Jun Hyuk. I think it¡¯ll be hard even for a ballerina to dance to this song.¡± Yoon Jung Su offered his opinion. He meant that no one could dance along to a choir chorus that had an almost solemn sentiment to it. ¡°Exactly. This is just the drawing paper. I¡¯m going to draw a dance on this.¡± ¡°If you use this as a drawing paper, I think the traces of my song that you remake will disappear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a drawing paper. Drawing paper and paint. Paintings arepleted with just these two, so it¡¯ll take up half of it.¡± Could he have smarts that he was born with? Or could it be that he bes smart when music is involved? His descriptions were the best. ¡°Alright. I think it¡¯ll be easier to just listen to thepleted song. Ha ha.¡± Yoon Jung Su came out of the studio and stopped by the cafe. He drank coffee alone as he thought about Jun Hyuk¡¯s music he had just listened to. He had held back his admiration in the studio because there had been so many people. ¡®Goodness. Fuga in a dance song.¡¯ The main music fuga of the Baroque era is aplex machine with three parts (individual lines forming the melody and chords) as track, transition, and the length of notes stretched by two, reduced in half and before one part finishes, the next part ys in turn as stretta, changing in position, backing, et cetera. Jun Hyuk had thought of the four original songs as parts and used the fuga technique to arrange them exquisitely. It was surprising that he had thought to do this with four ordinary pop songs, but it¡¯s proper implementation deserved to be admired even more. The feeling that it was vaguely borate and exquisite was because the technique was soplex. His thoughts on Jun Hyuk werepletely overturned. Did a Jun Hyuk who had already reached this state need to go study abroad? When he had the skills to applyplex techniques just by listening to ssical music? Could it not be that learning theory for Jun Hyuk means that he will just be learning the designated names? Yoon Jung Su drank the rest of his coffee in one gulp and stood up. Getting too involved was not good. It could be unnecessary for him to be so concerned with Jun Hyuk¡¯s future. No matter what path he chose, he was bound to be surrounded by people who are much more talented than Yoon Jung Su is. When he returned to the studio after emptying his mind, he could not see Jang Na Rae. But Kwak Hye Sung was in the recording booth wearing headphones. It was obvious that he was nervous standing in front of the mic. Kwak Hye Sung was nervous because he keptparing himself to Jun Hyuk¡¯s music and Jang Na Rae¡¯s singing. ¡°What about Jang Na Rae? She¡¯s done practicing?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s plenty. I think we can record the track tomorrow.¡± ¡°How about Jun Hyuk?¡± ¡°He went into that room to paint on his drawing paper.¡± The sound engineer shook his head. Jun Hyuk¡¯s concentration surpassed that of most professionals. ¡°How is Jang Na Rae¡¯s song? Did ite out well?¡± ¡°Try listening to itter. It¡¯s amazing.¡± The sound engineer put this thumb up. This meant that Jang Na Rae had digested Jun Hyuk¡¯s directing perfectly. Yoon Jung Su spoke to Kwak Hye Sung who was nervous in the recording booth, ¡°Hye Sung, let¡¯s do it lightly. It¡¯s not a formal recording. As if you¡¯re practicing. And don¡¯t be too nervous, okay?¡± Kwak Hye Sung¡¯s song started, but the sound engineer was not really paying attention. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you going to concentrate?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Sorry.¡± The sound engineer came to his senses once Yoon Jung Su hit the back of his head. There was no way for him to concentrate on Kwak Hye Sung¡¯s boring song when he had just heard Jang Na Rae¡¯s free and colorful music. ¡°This... This is a problem if Hye Sunges on live broadcast after Jang Na Rae.....¡± Yoon Jung Su responded to the sound engineer¡¯s mumbling, ¡°What is it? Jang Na Rae was that good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no joke. Jang Na Rae is really something once she shows her potential. It¡¯s like throwing a grenade where a bomb is going to fall if Hye Sung ¨C no, anyone goes after Jang Na Rae.¡± The sound engineer continued quickly, ¡°Scout her. I¡¯m 100% sure someone else will take her once the 2nd stage goes on air.¡± Kwak Hye Sung¡¯s song ended as the two men were talking about something else. ¡°Uh, teacher. What did you think?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh... it¡¯s okay. Should we take a break?¡± Yoon Jung Su wanted to hurry up and hear Jang Na Rae¡¯s song to see what the praise was all about. He put on the headphones and listened to Jang Na Rae¡¯s song. Yoon Jung Su forgot that Jun Hyuk had directed this song. Were Jang Na Rae¡¯s vocals to this point? He could figure out why the sound engineer had put his thumb up. It was a voice where one could feel that if there is only one moment¡¯s opportunity, something hidden explodes. Was Jang Na Rae 24 years old? He had forgotten her age because a deep sound rang from her. Jun Hyuk had brought out this sound, just by telling her to sing calmly. A few days passed with Kwak Hye Sung and Jang Na Rae practicing, and Jun Hyuk immersed in mixing. Past 10pm, Jang Na Rae and Kwak Hye Sung went back to their dorm exhausted while Jun Hyuk had to be convinced to leave. Once everyone left, the producer who had been working with Jun Hyuk brought Yoon Jung Su in front of the control box as though he had been waiting. ¡°Jung Su, this is what Jun Hyuk made... Listen to it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s already finished?¡± ¡°No. ording to Jun Hyuk, there¡¯s still a lot left. He took a lot of sound effects in his MP3 sound library saying that he needs to listen to more.¡± Yoon Jung Su felt bad for them in Jun Hyuk¡¯s dedication, ¡°You guys must be struggling.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we¡¯re going crazy. No, first listen to this before you talk.¡± After listening to a song short of 4 minutes, Yoon Jung Su could understand why the producers¡¯ faces were full of discontent. ¡°This... What is this? Goodness.¡± The two producers voiced their grievances as if they had been waiting for Yoon Jung Su¡¯s surprise. ¡°Exactly! We¡¯re going to go crazy. He says it¡¯ll take a while toplete it. What more can he put in from here?¡± ¡°This is what people these days call useless high quality. I¡¯m pretty sure that if you turn this on at a club, people will stop and enjoy the music instead of dancing to it.¡± ¡°Jung Su, you say something. And take the master keyboard away! This is like leaving a game console with a young child. I¡¯m telling you, he¡¯spletely blown away by it.¡± Yoon Jung Su realized he had made a mistake. He felt like a teacher who had given the wrong homework. He needed to have told him to make music with just a simple beat and appropriate electronic sound. It was a mistake to throw unlimited ingredients at him. He had created a drawing paper by mixing ssical and his music with fuga. He had put L.A. metal that was popr in the 80s on that drawing paper. L.A metal is lighter than heavy metal and close to pop, so youths were enthusiastic. It is simple, but the strong guitar riff was everywhere. It was enough until here. The part that astonished Yoon Jung Su came after he saw the part where fuga was left out. The song that he was going to gift to Nam Seung Hee flowed as the main. It was not as the original song, but edited with a fast beat. Yoon Jung Su yelled at theining producers once he came back to his senses, ¡°Hey! Isn¡¯t it like that when you¡¯re doing work? Why are you being like this? The basic is normally three or four days.¡± ¡°Jung Su, what could be different with a topcoat here? It isn¡¯t a dance song anyway. Is he making a piece of work right now? They go to different producers the day after tomorrow. What are we supposed to do when we need to finish everything by tomorrow? Tell him to do it appropriately.¡± ¡°Jung Su, you think about it too. This song is for a broadcast, not to listen to. The music is tooplex. We know that it¡¯s good because we¡¯re listening to it with the best equipment in a recording studio. I can guarantee that the people watching via TV will not understand this music¡¯s real taste.¡± ¡°Alright, I get it. I¡¯ll talk to Jun Hyuk tomorrow. And once Na Rae and Hye Sung¡¯s recordings are finished, hand it over to the broadcast station. They¡¯ll have to prepare for the stage. Don¡¯t forget.¡± Chapter 75 Volume 2 / Chapter 75 TL: LightNovelCafe Yoon Jung Su did not think it was so bad that he had something to teach Jun Hyuk the next day. He needed to teach Jun Hyuk the decisiveness to be able to choose jewels to toss from a chest full of jewels. It is the feeling of a director who has to take a movie film of a 3 hour running time that moves people to tears, but needs to cut it down to fit into 2 hours. *** ¡°The use?¡± ¡°Yeah. I told you in the beginning, right? The music needs to match the use too. It¡¯s a little detrimental to the body but it¡¯s simple, and fast food came out to make something to eat quickly. You have to make fast food, but you¡¯ve made a French feast.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t take some of it out, we¡¯ll have to end it around here. We need to finish recording today.¡± It is a time when the music needs to fit the delivery. The quality of today¡¯s popr music just passed a grade test to be produced, delivered, and consumed quickly to be thrown away. Yoon Jung Su felt like he was Joseph II when he saw a surprised Jun Hyuk, andughed. The top opera, Mozart¡¯s ¡®Figaro¡¯s Wedding,¡¯ that dominated Austria was written on themand of the Holy Roman Empire¡¯s Emperor Joseph II. When Figaro¡¯s Wedding premiered, Joseph II made the assessment, ¡°Your music has too many notes.¡± When opera had a lot of dialogue before Mozart, there was a lot of work to handle as if it were theater dialogue. However, Mozart created the opera ording to his wishes. Since he heard an opera that was full of music aspared to the opera from before, anyone could understand Joseph II¡¯s assessment that there were too many notes. However, it is said that Mozart replied, ¡°There is not one unnecessary note in my music,¡± though there is no way to confirm this. Yoon Jung Su could not get himself to tell Jun Hyuk to take out notes as Joseph II had done, but he needed to tell him not to add more. ¡°What do you think? Can you just end it here?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯ll be better to just do it over again.¡± ¡°What? Again?¡± This time, Jun Hyukughed as he saw a surprised Yoon Jung Su. s ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not going to do itpletely, but I¡¯m going to take out a ton of it and make it really simply. I have to make fast food as you said. It¡¯ll take three or four hours.¡± A genius musician who is not stubborn. Had he been customized to the modern time where music is business and not art? Or could he have realized that he needs to concede at this time? Yoon Jung Su was slightly taken aback that Jun Hyuk had epted it so easily, but Jun Hyuk kept smiling as though it were nothing. He was an increasinglyplex child. Could it be that he has pride in his music? Or was it confidence that he could make any form of music take the best shape? *** Jun Hyuk¡¯s electronic song for the second stagepletely transformed to be full of simplicity. Unless one looked for it, it was hard to tell that it was Yoon Jung Su¡¯s song. He had made the perfect musicbining a simple drum beat, electric guitar riff, and electronic sound effects. It was dull however. Everyone who had been listening to the song that Jun Hyuk had fixed in 5 hours had the same thought. ¡°This should be enough, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah. You did well.¡± Jun Hyuk had made the music ording to Yoon Jung Su¡¯s instructions. It was perfectly made for broadcast. It was dull, but it also felt like there was something missing. ¡°You took out the part you¡¯ll be performing during the broadcast?¡± ¡°Yes, since we can¡¯t just turn the music on for the stage.¡± Yoon Jung Su saw Jun Hyuk who had made the music as though ording to a client¡¯s demands as a music director instead of a musician. ¡°Okay. Are you going to y the guitar on stage? Or the piano?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m going to y the keyboard so I can y multiple instrumental sounds.¡± This is how Jun Hyuk¡¯s second mission song waspleted. The three stayed in the studio untilte at night toplete their songs so they could put them up on the track site as soon as the broadcast was over. When they finished working on their songs and returned to the dormitory, Yoon Jung Su quietly called Jang Na Rae over. ¡°Na Rae, listen to me carefully.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher.¡± ¡°I want to bring you into my agency.¡± ¡°.....¡± Jang Na Rae just bowed her head when she heard something so unbelievable. It seemed as though she was trying to hold back tears. How anxious she must have been. She was expecting to be eliminated during the first half of the finals that were soon to start. If no one wanted to take her by then, she needed to go back to her daily life. This difficult yet grand world of entertainment woulde to an end. She had been thinking that her dream to make a living with music wasing to an end, but Yoon Jung Su had thrown her a rope of salvation. ¡°I think that if we work on your vocals, we can get them to an unreachable level.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Could it be that much?¡± Yoon Jung Su¡¯s high praises were more difficult to believe. ¡°Ha ha. You don¡¯t believe my intuition?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s a joke. Anyway, I want to see you over time.¡± ¡°Over time?¡± ¡°Yeah. My intention is to make you a singer, not a celebrity. If I wanted to, I could get you on a couple variety programs and have you permanently ced on one. But I¡¯m thinking of having you do music while building a fence with TV for 10 years. With a focus on album, OST, and theater concert. Instead of music ranking programs, only broadcasts like Sketchbook with a concert format.¡± Yoon Jung Su meant for her to basically be a singer without a face. ¡°You might not be able to make much money until you take a sturdy seat in the music industry. And you won¡¯t have fans following you around everywhere like girl groups do.¡± For Jang Na Rae who dreamt of bing a star, telling her to take the path of a musician inevitably made her hesitate. ¡°But in 10 years, Jang Na Rae will be a brand musician.¡± It is difficult to tell someone in their 20s to be patient. Honor is important with age but in most cases, finding sess quickly is the main goal for youths. ¡°It¡¯s hard to seed as a solo artist these days. You saw the girls who are the main vocals of their groups? Their vocal skills are amazing. It¡¯s to the point where each of those girls could be solo artists.¡± Since there were over millions of aspiring celebrities, the reality was that there were tons of girls who had everything including good looks and skills. ¡°I want to make you a singer with skills that overwhelm those girls. My goal is to make it so that they remake your songs and call you teacher instead of daring to call you sister or senior.¡± ¡°Teacher. I.....¡± Yoon Jung Su stopped Jang Na Rae from speaking, ¡°Na Rae, hang on.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t respond now. I¡¯m sure you need to think about it thoroughly and discuss it with your parents. Give me an answer when the broadcast is over.¡± Jang Na Rae nodded her head in understanding. ¡°My guess is that during the broadcast, there will be other agencies contacting you to sign with them. It¡¯ll be better for you to listen to them as well to make your decision.¡± Jang Na Rae who had heard Yoon Jung Su¡¯s proposition boarded the car going to the dormitory. Among the three, Jang Na Rae¡¯s face was the brightest as she had put down a great worry. The three people who had finished their second mission songs took each of their experiences and thoughts to gain more experiences and teachings from another producer. Chapter 76 Volume 2 / Chapter 76 TL: LightNovelCafe The producer in charge of Jun Hyuk¡¯s third mission song was Kim Jong Suk in his early 40s. He is a great producer who had created multiple musicians with individuality, who showed their own colors. He is also a famous bassist who yed in two of Korea¡¯s representative rock bands. He had initially turned down the opportunity to produce for the show, but suddenly changed his mind when he saw Jun Hyuk on broadcast. Kim Jong Suk wanted to participate no matter what and went to the broadcast station himself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s all already decided. We can¡¯t change the producer now. We¡¯ve even written up all of the contracts... Ugh! How good would it have been if you had agreed to do this in the first ce? Why are you being like this now?¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik was upset with Kim Jong Suk who was nowing in and demanding Jun Hyuk when he had turned down their offer in the beginning. However, Kim Jong Suk insisted stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s this motivation now that I see Jun Hyuk. I have to see him.¡± ¡°Did you by chance get approached by an agency? To connect them with Jun Hyuk?¡± ¡°Hey! Have you ever seen me meet with those guys? You know I don¡¯t even produce music for idol groups.¡± Kim Jong Suk, who was from a rock band, only worked with musicians who did not even make TV appearances often. Most of his producing was for debut albums of underground musicians. If Kim Jong Suk agreed to produce for someone in the underground world, it meant that they were already halfway to sess. It at least meant that they would notpletely fail, and that their musicality had been recognized. On the other hand, if Kim Jong Suk refused to produce, it was a sober assessment that they should give up music to go another path. ¡°Producer Kim. I¡¯m not trying to take the job from a junior who has already finalized their contract. Just give me Jun Hyuk. You have the third mission, right? I¡¯ll take responsibility for that one. I¡¯m telling you I don¡¯t even need money. I¡¯ll do it for free. A donation of talent? Something like that?¡± ¡°What are your intentions?¡± He was not a person to be so rashly persistent. There had to be a reason why he was so insistent. ¡°Producer Kim. I¡¯ll make Jun Hyuk sing on stage. It¡¯s still a no?¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik was not sure if he had heard correctly for a moment. He would make Jun Hyuk sing? ¡°Did you just say that you would make him sing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m doing this because I want to hear him sing. The tone of his voice isn¡¯t bad. And I think I can guess why he isn¡¯t singing... Leave it to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll really make him sing?¡± Kim Jong Suk¡¯s voice grew louder at Producer Kim¡¯s sudden interest, ¡°Instead, I heard that the 3rd mission theme is idol group songs, but change that. Do that in the 4th round. I heard the 3rd round is hisst anyway.¡± ¡°If you can make Jun Hyuk sing... And if he sings well, he could push to the win.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a little... I can¡¯t promise that he¡¯ll sing well. But I¡¯ll make sure he sings. So what do you want to do? Will you leave him to me?¡± ¡°Before that... how are you going to make him sing? If I think what you¡¯re thinking is possible, we¡¯ll do as you say.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to trust his sensibility.¡± ¡°Sensibility?¡± Since he was born with a talent in music, it is definite that he is rich in sensibility. Kim Jong Suk ensured Producer Kim Ki Sik that Jun Hyuk would sing if his emotions were stimted. ¡°I got some information from Hyung Joong and Jung Su. Right now, that kid is just an architect who¡¯s remodeling other people¡¯s songs. He¡¯s readily pulling everything apart and putting it back together ording to a blueprint.¡± Until now, Jun Hyuk had been focused on using the ingredients he was given to create the best music. There was no choice but to use other people¡¯s songs because it is a broadcast, but he never showed his own story. ¡°This kid has never expressed himself. ording to Hyung Joong, he has mountains ofpositions at home, but I can guarantee that he doesn¡¯t express himself in any of those.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°When normal guys like us make music, we use our emotions, feelings, and thoughts because we have nowhere else to get the music from. With someone like Jun Hyuk, he can make music with even the slightest external stimtion. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll make music even by listening to the sound of a subway.¡± ¡°You talk like you know Jun Hyuk really well when you¡¯ve never met him.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik looked at Kim Jong Suk who was speaking more and more nonsense as if he could not believe him. ¡°Because I¡¯ve met a lot of simr geniuses.¡± Kim Jong Suk worked with underground young and witty musicians who made music with their own color. There was even a person who saw two cockroaches in a basement practice room and said that they looked like a couple ying ¡®catch me if you can¡¯ on the beach. Though they are not as outstanding as Jun Hyuk, the underground is full of people who have their own talents. ¡°So what¡¯s the conclusion? What method will it take to make Jun Hyuk sing?¡± ¡°I want to make Jun Hyuk face himself. Then he¡¯ll want to ¡®speak¡¯ since there are things that are hard to express with just a melody.¡± ¡°What in the world is Jun Hyuk¡¯s hidden appearance that you¡¯re being like this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking because you don¡¯t know?¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik thought for a moment and opened his eyes widely, ¡°Surely?¡± ¡°Yeah. What else could there be?¡± Kim Ki Sik put his life on the line for viewer ratings and did all sorts of things, but he just realized that artists do even more than that to create one piece of work. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. If you rub his wounds, we don¡¯t know what that brat will do. We¡¯re dead if he gives everything up and runs away.¡± Kim Jong Suk looked at Producer Kim Ki Sik pathetically, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re just a producer for a music program. He won¡¯t run away. What musician would run away when he¡¯s found the best subject matter for music?¡± Chapter 77 Volume 2 / Chapter 77 TL: LightNovelCafe Producer Kim Ki Sik could not shake his worries even while he was looking at a Kim Jong Suk full of assurance. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s say that¡¯s true. But you know his skill is no joke, right? What if he decides to express himself with his music instead of singing?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re back to square one, no? If he won¡¯t sing, we¡¯ll end up with a really great instrumental. What are you so scared of? There¡¯s nothing for you to lose anyway.¡± Of course there was nothing to lose as long as he got on stage. Kim Jong Suk pushed again when he saw Kim Ki Sik worrying again. He could just cling to Kim Ki Sik¡¯s weakness. ¡°Think about it. I heard the first stage is piano and the second is mixing? What are you going to do for the third? Is there anything other than the guitar? But didn¡¯t you already use the guitar already by inserting it in the previews and broadcast? All that¡¯s left is singing. Are you going to show a drum instrumental?¡± Producer Kim was not forgetting this. He wanted to make Jun Hyuk dance for the 3rd stage if he could. They had milked him too much. They needed to show a new side of him now. If he were to sing during the 3rd round and his song was good, they would have nothing to worry about after that. There were be a huge reversal and he would automatically win. They might record the highest viewer ratings like they did in season 2. ¡°Hey! If I think I¡¯m going to fail, I¡¯ll say itpletely honestly. Then you can redo it. What¡¯s there to worry about when Jun Hyuk can make a song within a day or two?¡± ¡°Fine. But if there¡¯s even the slightest problem, you need to tell me right away. Don¡¯t hang on to him tight and have him not show up for the performance.¡± ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t worry. Also, don¡¯t put a camera on us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a little.....¡± ¡°It¡¯s the 3rd stage anyway. There are a lot of participants, so use the behind the scenes of other people. Just think about it. If it were you, would you want a camera stuck to you when you¡¯re trying to focus?¡± The 3rd stage would be a contest between 8 people. Since it is a live broadcast, they would not have to put out a lot of what the VJs shot. Producer Kim Ki Sik decided to take a big risk. Is a live broadcast itself not a risk? ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard about you.¡± ¡°Then you didn¡¯t know before?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t know at first, but knew once I heard the name of the band. I heard that you yed the bass in your rock band? I¡¯ve heard that band¡¯s album before.¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s an honor. Yoon Jung Su wasining that you hadn¡¯t heard his songs before. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk did not know why he had been assigned to new producer alone. However, he felt at ease thinking that he would spend the next week with the bassist of the two albums he had listened to. Just like the music in the album he heard, Kim Jong Suk seemed to be serene. ¡°How was my bass? Was it okay?¡± ¡°It was mild for a rock band¡¯s bassist, but too good for a pop bassist?¡± ¡°What? Ha ha. This... This isplete criticism.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I meant that it is good. A bass that is calm and stable. Since you have an excellent sense of rhythm, you held the center of a progressive band.¡± He did not write songs while he was in the band. The lead vocalist and guitarist made all of the songs in the album. However, Kim Jong Suk had been in charge of producing while working on their albums. Saying that he is stable meant that Jun Hyuk had him figured out exactly. ¡°Of course. Your ear is just as I heard.¡± ¡°But what is this mission song?¡± ¡°That? You don¡¯t have to worry about it. It¡¯ll be done in a day. This time, don¡¯t use an acoustic or electric guitar, and go for a calm performance with a ssic guitar. You¡¯ve lost interest anyway, right?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s the first live stage in 10 days, you want to quit everything and go home. Nothing is fun anymore. Right?¡± Jun Hyuk smiled as he saw Kim Jong Suk who wasughing while looking at Jun Hyuk. He was different from the other two producers. He did not seem as though he cared about the mission song and it seemed like he was looking at him like a fun ything. ¡°Then can I quit? Should I just go home like this?¡± ¡°This kid... You think it would be okay? You have to keep your promise at least.¡± It was obvious that he had lost interest. He would need to get back interest first. Until he wanted to sing. ¡°But if the mission song can bepleted in one day, what do we do for a week?¡± ¡°What can we do? You can hang out with me.¡± ¡°Excuse me? What do we do while we hang out?¡± ¡°First, I want a reassessment of my bass guitar skills. I¡¯ll y the bass, you on the drum? Or guitar?¡± Jun Hyuk smiled brightly as he spoke, ¡°The piano is more me.¡± They began to y around like this. His days with Kim Jong Suk continued like the first day as if they were ying around. Kim Jong Suk took Jun Hyuk to Hongdae everyday. Among the countless buildings in Hongdae, there were a lot with band practice rooms in the basements. Though they craved stardom, there were a lot of people who had to give up their dreams early on because they either did not have the talent, or they were far from the public taste. The band that Kim Jong Suk met were skilled and had already released critically acimed debut albums. But subcultures were hungry. Much less a record, they did not have a track that sold well and there was no ce that offered to promote their concert. They were just skilled underground musicians. They toured the Hongdae clubs and lived as they performed. Jun Hyuk hung out and performed with these people in these drab basements. It was music that he had only listened to because he did not have anyone to perform it with. Though they were small and dirty basements, he was performing with other people. There were times when the bands assisted Jun Hyuk¡¯s music, and there were times when he supported the bands. As they filled the basements with music, Jun Hyuk¡¯s frustration was released. ¡°Teacher, we¡¯re not going to Hongdae today?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯re not going to go today.¡± Kim Jong Suk answered nonchntly and watched Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression. His face was full of regret. The taste of performing together with each of their parts. Jun Hyuk had learned the taste of ying in a band. ¡°You like bands?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you majoring on the ssical side? I thought you liked ssical more than band music.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s a trio, quartet, or orchestra, they¡¯re all bands. The instruments they y are just different and an orchestra is just a band with a ton of people. Orchestras are just more fun because they need to match a huge number of instruments. Even bands that have four members practice a lot to y one song. It¡¯s all the same thing.¡± Kim Jong Suk thought that he might be able to seed. He was not bound to the genre, but had fallen into music itself. The time wasing for him for ¡®speak¡¯ for the perfect music. If that path was unveiled, he would sing. ¡°Someone is going toe looking for us today. They¡¯re kids I¡¯m trying to make albums for, but they¡¯re fun. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll like them too.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s curiosity was fulfilled before an hour passed. The people who came to the studio were three men in theirte 20s with heads shaved so it looked as if they were criminals who had just been released from prison. ¡°Say hi. They¡¯replete punks. Their band name is Threesome Bank Robbery. You guys know who this kid is, right?¡± When Kim Jong Suk introduced Jun Hyuk, the three men started cheering. ¡°Wow ¨C he¡¯s the biggest star right now. It¡¯s an honor.¡± ¡°I saw the videos online. There¡¯s a rumor in the industry that you¡¯re the best one-man band.¡± The threesome surrounded Jun Hyuk and cheered like high school fan girls. They looked like criminals, but Jun Hyuk was surprised that they were just chatterboxes. ¡°There, do well since this is a person who can brazenly assess your music.¡± ¡°What is this? If the assessment isn¡¯t good, we don¡¯t get an album?¡± ¡°Of course. This kid¡¯s ear isn¡¯tmon. You guys are dead.¡± Guitar, bass, drum ¨C the minimal configuration of a band. Their music was a repetition of a minimal chord simple rhythm. There are a lot of alternative bands that use punk as their base. It was easy to tell that Threesome Bank Robbery¡¯s music had used punk as the base to create their sound. While Jun Hyuk heard the three songs they performed consecutively, he kept bursting out inughter. It was music full of the ¡®fun¡¯ that Kim Jong Suk had spoken about. It could not be said that each of their performing skills were outstanding. It was not that the style of the song overwhelmed the outstanding skill, but the performance skills werecking. Their songs showed simplicity by using just three chords. Jun Hyuk wasughing at the lyrics. Honestly, there was nothing to call lyrics. It was just a chanting and chorus that could be seen in folk songs. In a song titled ¡®Maponaru,¡¯ all of the lyrics were, ¡®eogiyeocha, aeheara diya, row the oar¡¯. Kim Jong Suk spoke as he saw Jun Hyukugh continuously. ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s fun, right?¡± ¡°Yes. There are a lot of hidden experts in the world.¡± ¡°Expert? Those kids are experts?¡± Chapter 78 Volume 2 / Chapter 78 TL: LightNovelCafe Kim Jong Suk had never thought of the threesome as experts. He just thought that they were people with the ability to make fun and good music. ¡°Yes. Their performance skills arecking and the song is simple, but they ovee that by putting in a few lyrics. And it¡¯s exciting. This won¡¯t be something just anyone can do. That¡¯s what a talent is.¡± ¡°What do you think their point is?¡± ¡°The ability to release lyrics like eogiyeocha with thick voices at the exact timing. It¡¯s exquisite.¡± The threesome smiled widely at Jun Hyuk¡¯s tion. ¡°Wow! We received praise from a genius. He he.¡± ¡°Is there something for you to fix in our songs?¡± The members were happy at Jun Hyuk¡¯s words and full of expectation. ¡°There¡¯s a lot. It¡¯ll be good if we pull everything apart to fix... But then it¡¯s riding on your performance skills and you won¡¯t be able to perform, so you should just leave it the way it is.¡± ¡°Such brutal assessment without hesitation.¡± The three men did not seem to regard Jun Hyuk¡¯s evaluation very much. They just thought that this was also something very fun. ¡°No. It¡¯s not brutal... It¡¯s because apletely different music will result if I fix it. There¡¯s a band¡¯s color, and no one should touch it.¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk, what do you think about performing with them? So they can see the floor of their skills.¡± Kim Jong Suk, who wanted to see something more fun, kept pushing Jun Hyuk, but he kept shaking his head. ¡°No. What more could you need when it¡¯s good now? It¡¯s perfect.¡± As the Threesome Bank Robbery left the studio, Kim Jong Suk spoke as though he had been waiting, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s be honest since it¡¯s just us. What did you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really good. The problem is what will happen from now on.¡± ¡°From now on? Why?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since those three members started music, right? I could tell by their performance skills.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been... 2 years? Around there.¡± ¡°Their skills will keep improving now... and they¡¯ll start to dislike the simple songs now. Then they¡¯ll change it to music that¡¯s a little more colorful, then they¡¯ll be simr other skilled bands and bepared... and that¡¯s how they¡¯ll fail, I guess.¡± Their novelty was their weapon, but if that were to disappear in a musician. It meant that they could have a long run if they maintained their novelty with a simple performance. Kim Jong Suk slightly showed why he showed the threesome¡¯s performance, ¡°There aren¡¯t very many lyrics, but what do you think?¡± ¡°That was really impressive. When they said eogiyeocha is something that can¡¯t be expressed with an instrument.¡± Jun Hyuk did not hide his admiration and spoke. ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°I thought about what it could be switched with while I was listening, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything.¡± He had tried to remember a sound effect in the sound library that he had listened to in Yoon Jung Su¡¯s studio, but was unable to think of anything. If Jun Hyuk had realized even a little that the human voice could not be reced with any instrument, Kim Jong Suk had reached today¡¯s goal. ¡®Should I slowly lower the bait?¡¯ Kim Jong Suk handed over a CD. A title was written on the CD in marker. ¡°Jun Hyuk, do you know this song?¡± ¡°No.¡± It said, ¡®Must Erase You in this Sadness¡¯ on the CD. ¡°It¡¯s a song that was in Lee Hyun Woo¡¯s first album from 1991... It wasn¡¯t paid too much attention to back then, but became popr once Lee So Ra sang it on I am a Singer.¡± Lee Hyun Woo¡¯s 1st album was a hit with the revolutionary dance song ¡®Dream¡¯. ¡°I rmend that you remake Lee So Ra¡¯s version. Her version only has a piano apaniment. Lee So Ra is... she has the best voice so... I was thinking what if you express Lee So Ra¡¯s voice with a ssic guitar. Is it possible?¡± [TN: This is the actual performance ¨C LINK] ¡°Then I¡¯ll listen to the song first.¡± ¡°No. This is better to watch as a video. I asked the broadcast station for it. Watch it.¡± Jun Hyuk put the CD in theputer and started to watch the 4-minute video. The video was from the special Australian concert of ¡®I Am a Singer¡¯. She came out into the amphitheater with a shaved head and ck clothing like a priest and sang quietly. It was a song that Lee So Ra had to sing while reading off of a score because they had changed her song 4 hours before the performance, and she did not have the time to memorize them. She had been in 7th ce at the time but with this song, she rose to 1st ce with 48% of the viewer votes. The only apaniment was a sweet electric piano that was not borate or grand. Jun Hyuk just stared nkly at the screen. As he had only listened to her early albums, he was shocked by how thin she had gotten and by her shaved head. She also must not have been feeling well on the day of the recording, because she looked sickly. She looked like a woman who had just gone through a breakup..... Lee So Ra¡¯s voice came as more of a shock than her weak appearance did. Strictly speaking, the lyrics she sang touched Jun Hyuk¡¯s heart. As it was the first time he was crying while listening to pop music, he did not even have the thought to wipe his tears. It seemed he had even forgotten that Kim Jong Suk was next to him. Kim Jong Suk watched Jun Hyuk and quietly went outside. He needed to leave him for at least an hour for him to wipe his tears and calm down. Teenage boys going through puberty did not like to show other people their tears. As soon as he came outside, Kim Jong Suk clenched both of his fists. It was a sess. He was not crying because the music is good or because is impressed by Lee So Ra¡¯s voice since he said that he had already listened to many of her songs before. There was no doubt that he was crying because of the video¡¯s somber atmosphere and lyrics. This was enough. The key now was to see if the emotions that Jun Hyuk was feeling could be expressed with instruments. If they could be expressed with instruments, he would fail in his objective. But if it could not...he would be able to make Jun Hyuk sing. Jackpot. Chapter 79 Volume 2 / Chapter 79 TL: LightNovelCafe Kim Jong Suk killed enough time in a coffee shop so Jun Hyuk could dry his tears before he went back to the studio. In the studio, Jun Hyuk was sitting in front of an electric piano and ying a song that he had never heard before. After listening to a few verses, he was most curious as to whether or not Jun Hyuk was recording the music. It was a beautiful song. He thought that the song would be very sad because Jun Hyuk had just been crying, but it was so beautiful it felt like ice cream melting. It made him forget that this was a recording studio full of the smell of cigarettes. Etude Op. 10, No. 3 which Chopinposed at age 22 was so beautiful that it did not fall behind ¡®Song of Farewell¡¯. When the 5 minute piano performance ended, it was Kim Jong Suk¡¯s turn to cry. They were tears of pure emotion, not of sadness. ¡®Damn. Did I fail?¡¯ This is the thought he had even as he was crying. He should have been crying tears of sadness after Lee So Ra¡¯s song, but it seems the result had been shifted. How could he be ying the piano in happiness and not sadness? Kim Jong Suk wiped his tears and went toward Jun Hyuk, ¡°Wow- that¡¯s great. What¡¯s this song?¡± ¡°Oh, teacher. When did you get here?¡± All traces of tears were gone from Jun Hyuk¡¯s face and he looked brighter than usual. ¡°Just now. What is this piano?¡± ¡°I thought of it just now while listening to Lee So Ra.¡± ¡°What were you thinking about that you were able to create such a beautiful song?¡± ¡°Um... It¡¯s difficult to say exactly but... refreshed?¡± Jun Hyuk blinked for a moment as he thought and spoke easily. ¡°You felt refreshed?¡± Had he failed in his song selection? How could it be? He had paid attention to the meaning of the lyrics and each word to choose the song. Even the singer who would be able to deliver the emotion best. He had even prepared the video because it wascking with just the melody and lyrics alone. But he is refreshed? He had been able to tell from Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano. The theme was surely a parting, but there was happiness in it unlike with Chopin. He felt like he needed to see how Jun Hyuk was feeling a little more in order to take the next n of action, whether it was choosing another song. ¡°Yes. It feels like something has been unblocked.¡± ¡®I¡¯m about to go crazy. He feels refreshed like something was unblocked?¡¯ Jun Hyuk saw Kim Jong Suk¡¯s ufortable expression and spoke, ¡°Why are you like that? Was the piano not good?¡± ¡°Of course not. It was great. It didn¡¯t fall behind Chopin. Oh right, did you record this?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± ¡°Why? This great song? Oh right, you remember all of it?¡± ¡°I do remember it but... I¡¯m going to forget it. So it¡¯s refreshing.¡± He is going to forget it. Did he mean that he was going to let go of everything, whatever it was that he felt while listening to Lee So Ra¡¯s song? ¡°If the 3rd mission song were one of your choice, it would have been good if you could show this piano. What a waste.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Also, teacher. Is Lee So Ra¡¯s song my mission song?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah. That¡¯s what I was thinking... What do you think? Should we change it?¡± ¡°No. I like it. I¡¯ll try changing this song to the guitar.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk took his guitar and went into the practice room, Kim Jong Suk quickly grabbed a pen and tried to write the song Jun Hyuk¡¯s just yed on a score. However, Kim Jong Suk is not Mozart or a genius. All he had left was the feeling that it was beautiful and soft like ice cream. After he wrote down a couple bars of the piano melody, he could not remember any more and threw the pen. Kim Jong Suk was going crazy at the thought of it being wasted. How many songs had disappeared in this way? Jun Hyuk will have yed the piano or guitar to express the moment¡¯s mood. He has more than enough talent to show feelings and moods with music. He kept thinking if there was a way to gather all of these songs that are to disappear from now on. There is no way to hide a producer¡¯s ambition. *** Jun Hyuk was frustrated. He could not figure out why the guitar arrangement for a song of just 4 minutes was taking so long. Usually, he could hear a song once and think of the arrangement right away. All he had to do was to y that. Arranging is the easiest aspect of music for him. Even now, he thought up something in a wink. But when he yed it on the guitar, it was awkward and it fell short of his liking. It was the same when he yed it on the piano. Kim Jong Suk listened from outside the practice room. When the guitar music first came out, he thought that he had failed in his goal to make Jun Hyuk sing. He had heard a perfect guitar instrumental. Just as he was thinking that he needed to hurry up and think of another song, he heard another version of the guitar instrumental. There were a few versions and eventually, Jun Hyuk switched to the piano. It was the same on the piano. After a few versions of the piano instrumental, there was a bang ¨C sound. Two hands hitting the keyboard roughly. The expression that musicians all around the world had inmon. The sound that made it easiest to tell when something was not going well. ¡®Of course. How could expressing oneself be easy?¡¯ Kim Jong Suk smiled without knowing it. Jun Hyuk had met the challenge most difficult for geniuses. He must look deeply at himself instead of avoiding it as he had done until now in order for the music he wanted toe out. ¡®What a headache. There¡¯s no time.¡¯ The problem is time. He had dragged Jun Hyuk all the way here and thought that he might be able to get what he wanted. But the live broadcast was nearing. Jo Hyung Joong had called a few times since the morning. [Jong Suk. Jun Hyuk needs to go into rehearsal all day tomorrow. An orchestra ising, so he can¡¯t miss it. Drop him off at his dorm early today and tell him to rest well.] Jo Hyung Joong was reminding him that he was to be in charge of Jun Hyuk for the day tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, the production team would be taking him for everyone¡¯s 1st live stage. If the music did note out today, the 2nd stage would end and they would only have one week to prepare for the 3rd. During that one week, his schedule would be full of events and other items..... Kim Jong Suk called Jun Hyuk out of the practice room. ¡°Why? It¡¯s not going well?¡± ¡°A little. I don¡¯t know why I don¡¯t like it this time.¡± Jun Hyuk who still did not know the reason, shook his head. ¡°Jun Hyuk. When I saw the broadcast, you said you think of the human voice as an imperfect instrument?¡± ¡°Yes. To an extent.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Even someone who is considered the ultimate vocalist cannot sing without an apaniment.¡± ¡°Could there be a perfect instrument? We¡¯re using them appropriately from time to time. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Yes. I think that to an extent. Are you doing this because I won¡¯t sing?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m really curious about that. You¡¯re vocal tone isn¡¯t bad. But why don¡¯t you sing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dislike it because the human voice is imperfect. It¡¯s the same as my not being able to y the piano. There are tons of people who are good at singing, so there¡¯s really no reason for me to do it.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m sure there have been times when you wanted to sing with your voice too? Pianists, violinists, and even conductors have gone to the karaoke to sing.¡± ¡°Oy, of course I¡¯ve done that before too. But when I sang, it doesn¡¯t sound very good. I ruin the song and you can¡¯t call what I do in karaoke, music. I¡¯m just singing for fun.¡± He could imagine it. He could imagine Jun Hyuk turning the music on loudly in an empty cafe basement and singing along to the songs he likes. Could there be a person who works in the recording studio who has not done this? Kim Jong Suk¡¯s heart beat. That¡¯s right. He¡¯s a person too, so there is no way he has not sung before. ¡°Really? Whose song do you sing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different every time. I usually sing along to the blues and rock since I can¡¯t do opera arias or jazz at all.¡± ¡°How about our pop music?¡± ¡°He he. Not really... They¡¯re all talking about men and women.....¡± It was indeed an issue of the lyrics. They were hard to sympathize with. With a foreign song, the melody prevailed because he did not know the meaning of the lyrics at all. That is why he could sing them. ¡°Jun Hyuk. There¡¯s a saying. A letter cannot contain all words and words cannot contain all emotions. That¡¯s why music exists. It exists in order to fully capture inexpressible feelings...¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s really cool. Who said that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just heard it somewhere too. He he.¡± As Jun Hyuk showed interest, Kim Jong Suk continued speaking, ¡°I think this is saying that music is the best. I think it means that words are the best in delivering feelings, but it bes perfect when music is added.¡± Jun Hyuk listened carefully to Kim Jong Suk so as not to miss a word. ¡°And there¡¯s a limitation to music. There are traps too.¡± ¡°Traps?¡± ¡°Yeah. Music captures emotions, but it¡¯s difficult to capture a narrative.¡± ¡°Narrative? No, it can capture that plenty. Sonatas which are the majority of ssical are narratives....¡± ¡°Exactly. The music bes longer in order to capture the narrative, no? Tell me if there¡¯s a short 5 minute song that contains a narrative.¡± Jun Hyuk did not have an answer to the sudden question. Sonata No. 3 and No. 4positions. They were all long. ¡°The only way to capture a narrative in 5 minutes is by speech.¡± ¡°The voice is an imperfect instrument, but speech is the best tool to deliver a narrative. That¡¯s why since long ago, narratives have been delivered by poems and stories. Singing means that you¡¯re using this good tool, ¡®speech,¡¯ not using your voice. Vocals are a problem forter.¡± Jun Hyuk had a vague feeling that singing is just another way of speaking. ¡°If arranging Lee So Ra¡¯s song is difficult, don¡¯t restrict yourself too much and broaden your horizons. Don¡¯t think about it as singing but as ¡®speech¡¯.¡± Up to here was everything Kim Jong Suk could do. Now he needed to proceed with the live stage and once the 2nd stage was over, they would meet to prepare for the 3rd round. ¡®Producer Kim is going to lose his cool.¡¯ He had talked big, but had not been able to seed. However, there was still the slightest chance left. Kim Jong Suk did not forget Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s urging to send Jun Hyuk back to the dorm early. He did not forget hisst message either. ¡°Jun Hyuk, I heard tomorrow is thebined rehearsal? Completely empty your mind. Once the 2nd round is over, you have a week¡¯s time. Think about this again then.¡± Kim Jong Suk prayed to himself that Jun Hyuk would decide to sing. Chapter 80 Volume 2 / Chapter 80 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°I had a feeling when you didn¡¯t pick up the phone yesterday. Forget recording, isn¡¯t it over if you haven¡¯t even been able to arrange the song yet?¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik was frowning at a Kim Jong Suk who had run to the broadcast station himself. ¡°That¡¯s not it. We haven¡¯t been able to arrange the song yet because it can¡¯t be expressed as an instrumental. He needs to sing.¡± ¡°Jong Suk. Why is Jun Hyuk being like that with ¡®Must Erase You in this Sadness¡¯? It¡¯s not even very unique.¡± ¡°The lyrics aren¡¯t about breaking up, but about the moment two people turn from each other after they break up.¡± When Kim Jong Suk thought of the song, he recalled a scene as though from a movie. ¡°I showed him the version that Lee So Ra sang on purpose. If you fit it all together well, the picture bes clear.¡± No matter how Producer Kim Ki Sik tried to fit the pieces together, a special picture did not appear. Kim Jong Suk began to go through the details for Producer Kim Ki Sik who could not put the pieces together. Leaning on a cold wall Watching a dawning brighter. ¡°This means she wandered until dawn after breaking up since couples don¡¯t meet at dawn to break up. Whether they met at night or at dinner, she wasn¡¯t able to brush it off and go back home. It was that difficult.¡± Now I must leave your side. Though I might regret leaving your side It¡¯s because I love you. ¡°She truly loved him, but decided that breaking up is better for the other person. Since the singer is Lee So Ra, this was the woman¡¯s decision. And the reason why I didn¡¯t let him listen to the version by Lee Hyun Woo.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik started to listen to Kim Jong Suk¡¯s interpretation with interest. I love you but I can¡¯t help but leave. This moment is so hard. ¡°I¡¯m sure it means that breaking up is great suffering for the woman as well?¡± Though I only cause you pain You¡¯ll be able to understand me one day. ¡°This is important. ¡®You¡¯ll be able to understand me one day¡¯. There will inevitably be a day when he understands the reason why they broke up, the reason why this was the only choice. This is the most important message to deliver to Jun Hyuk.¡± Goodbye, my love ¡°It¡¯s not [my former love], but [my love]. She¡¯s not saying that her love faded, but is confessing that she still loves him. What do you think?¡± ¡°So why are you saying that this makes Jun Hyuk look back at himself? What¡¯s the rtion to the lyrics?¡± A scene where a man and woman who are in love, break up. What is he saying is special? Producer Kim Ki Sik could not understand Kim Jong Suk¡¯s interpretation yet. Kim Jong Suk looked at Producer Kim pathetically, ¡°What is it? You still don¡¯t know? Your imagination is too short for a producer of a music program.¡± ¡°Jong Suk!¡± ¡°Think about it carefully. The woman is Jun Hyuk¡¯s biological mother. The man is Jun Hyuk himself.¡± ¡°Ah.....!¡± Kim Ki Sik yelled as he had just understood it. These lyrics were the story of the day that Jun Hyuk was abandoned. After leaving a baby at the door of an orphanage, a woman who cannot leave and leans on a wall in an alley. That woman¡¯s confession. ¡°Jun Hyuk cried hard when he first heard this song. But after crying for a while, he expressed the joy of farewells on the piano.¡± ¡°Joy?¡± ¡°Yeah. He thought that his mother did this for him. It was because she loves him and not because he was bothersome or because she did not love him. For him. That¡¯s why he was happy. Of course, we don¡¯t know if this is true or not. Jun Hyuk¡¯s mother who abandoned him is the only person who can know, but Jun Hyuk thought the same way as the lyrics.¡± Emotions came through the listener. Theposer melted his intentions into a song and the audience melted their emotions out. ¡°If he had listened to Lee So Ra¡¯s song and freely gushed his feelings, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to sing. He can express himself on the piano and guitar. That¡¯s why he was able to create the piano song. But he said that he would forget it. He¡¯s brushing it off so he doesn¡¯t have to think about it twice.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s on-the-spot piano. That was the song that Jun Hyuk had interpreted from Lee So Ra. ¡°But he needs to arrange the song for the mission. He needs to do it from his mother¡¯s position and not by his emotions. He can change the melody. He¡¯s only controlled rhythm and inserted parts, so he can¡¯t express lyrics. That¡¯s why Jun Hyuk hasn¡¯t been able to finish the arrangement yet.¡± It seemed cruel. Kim Ki Sik is the one who had thought that it was necessary to rub salt in his wounds. However, as Kim Jong Suk had assured, Jun Hyuk did not run away or quit. He was looking back at himself. ¡°Producer Kim. Send him back to me once the 2nd stage is over. Something wille out after 2 weeks. Can you wait a little longer?¡± ¡°What can I do when you¡¯ve pushed me into another corner? I¡¯ll have to wait, won¡¯t I? Just make it so he isn¡¯t absent for the live stage. If you can¡¯t get him to sing, just make sure he has a great instrumental.¡± Singing could wait just a bit. Now it was time for the orchestra. Chapter 81 Volume 2 / Chapter 81 TL: LightNovelCafe Two days before the first broadcast of the finals, Jo Hyung Joong and Jun Hyuk met with Fine Philharmonic and its conductor. They met on the stage where the 12 participants would appear with distinctly different and stylish lookspared to the preliminaries. The music director and staff were also there to participate in the sound check for the orchestra¡¯s live stage. A great sound needed to grace the 1st live stage of the finals. ¡°Hello, Teacher Jo. I am Hwang Suk Min.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Jo Hyung Joong.¡± Conductor Hwang Suk Min shook everyone¡¯s hand lightly and turned to Jun Hyuk, ¡°I guess you¡¯re the one who said all of those bitter words.¡± Hwang Suk Min held Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand firmly, ¡°Our expectations are great today. We¡¯ve practiced a bit as well. Let¡¯s see what kind of musices from your piano and us.¡± The orchestra¡¯s tuning began and Hwang Suk Min who had finished his preparations spoke to Jun Hyuk, ¡°So, we need to try it out? See what kind of sound results.¡± The conductor¡¯s somewhat provocative words. And with the pressure of the 60 performers before their eyes, Jun Hyuk felt as though his head had been wiped nk. ¡°What are you doing? You have to sit in front of the piano.¡± Jun Hyuk who had been standing awkwardly, took a deep breath and faced the piano at Hwang Suk Min¡¯s sound. There were 88 keys that he had seen countless times. It was a keyboard that he had yed without anxiety or hesitation until now. But now, his fingertips shook at Conductor Hwang Suk Min¡¯s gaze, who was asking if he was ready to perform with everyone. It was the first orchestra he was meeting after he had started to earnestly listen to music and learn to y instruments. Jun Hyuk had always imagined ying with an orchestra while ying alone. He had not imagined that the provocative gazes of 60 performers and their conductor would be this heavy. When Hwang Suk Min confirmed that Jun Hyuk had put his hands on the piano, he lifted his baton. He winked to send a signal to Jun Hyuk and the baton sliced downwards through the air. Jun Hyuk could hear the intense melody of the stringed instruments. After just two verses ended, the music stopped. ¡°Jun Hyuk, don¡¯t be nervous. Take a deep breath.....¡± The performance had stopped because Jun Hyuk had lost the timing to start ying the piano. He could not press one key and just looked at his shaking hands. His face became hot. He had insulted them saying that they could not read scores and could not concentrate, but he was the one who could not y the piano because of his shaking hands. ¡°I see this is our pianist¡¯s first time performing with an orchestra. What do you think about ying by yourself first? All we¡¯ve heard is a recorded file of our pianist¡¯s performance. You might have something to criticize with us as well. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Then... Then I¡¯ll try ying by myself and we can try again.¡± ¡°Okay. Take your time. We can rehearse over 100 times. It¡¯s a big problem if we make a mistake like this on stage. I heard it¡¯s a live broadcast? That means it¡¯s a concert.¡± Jun Hyuk took a deep breath and put his hands on the piano again. The 5 minutes performance ended, but the conductor did not show a satisfied expression. ¡°Our pianist has withered. I thought it¡¯s the theme of a robot animation? A robot isn¡¯t a newlywed or anything. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll be too calm.¡± Jun Hyuk could not tell if Hwang Suk Min was assessing him or being sarcastic, but he became ardent at hisughter. Thanks to this, he released a lot of tension and found the will to fight back. ¡°There, then let¡¯s try it for real.¡± Hwang Suk Min smiled slightly at Jun Hyuk¡¯s challenging tone. He brought down his baton. Jun Hyuk was only looking at the end of the baton as it matched the sound of the stringed instruments, and put his fingers on the keyboard. They started to y together. When the introduction ended and the 1st verse started, the piano¡¯s melody began to overwhelm the stringed instruments. Not the climax, but the lyrical part. Dolce! It was a part that had to continue sweetly and softly. The explosion was still far away. However, this gentle piano was hitting down on the stringed instruments like a hammer. The timing was perfect and there were no mistakes, but the pressure in the violin bows was reduced. Only 20 seconds had passed. When Hwang Suk Min heard the sound of the strings fading, he used all of his strength to save it. But the violin and vi did not have the strength to withstand the power of the piano. If they caved before the climax, the bnce would copse when the winds entered. The conductor grit his teeth and tried to encourage them, but they eventually all fell after being dragged along by the piano. By the time the winds entered, the orchestra parts had be a mess and Hwang Suk Min stopped his baton. Jun Hyuk also stopped ying the piano. Since one hand had stopped, it was awkward to y by himself. ¡°Oy, what an embarrassment. After performing in front of people who use art for vanity, we¡¯ve met our match today.¡± Hwang Suk Minughed as he scratched his back with the baton. Fine Philharmonics was made up of performers of simr standards, and they sold their tickets to an audience also of a simr standard. Half of those are invitations. It was hard to say that the people who came for them had an affinity for ssical, no for music. They wanted to wear the clothes of dignity from ssical music, and filled their vanity by enjoying it. That is why their ticket prices had been decided on an amount that was just fit for these people. The repertoire was monotonous. They could not get past Beethoven, Mozart, Bach. They became ufortable when they went over to Schumann, Toscanini, Mahler. Their audience was full of people who could not appreciate music that they were not used to. Since they had rarely performed in front of an audience with sharp ears, the conductor and performers all became overwhelmed and faded away. ¡°I was told that you started ying the piano 2 years ago.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Self-educated?¡± ¡°Well... Almost.¡± The 60 performers¡¯ jaws dropped when they heard that he was self-educated, but Hwang Suk Min lightly nodded his head as though he had been expecting it. ¡°You have an overflowing energy because you¡¯re wild and haven¡¯t been tamed. We¡¯re going to have a bit of a hard time today.¡± Hwang Suk Min who had been scratching his head with the baton spoke in words that may or may not have been in jest. ¡°I provoked you for no reason. I shouldn¡¯t have said anything about the robots or newlywed.¡± Hwang Suk Min who had been nk for a moment, said something unexpected to Jo Hyung Joong and the music director, ¡°Do you by chance have some time?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Do the other participants have rehearsals on this stage?¡± ¡°No. We left todaypletely empty.¡± The music director knew that it would not be easy to practice with the full orchestra. This was not the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts or the Seoul Arts Center. There could be no mistakes in the live performance opening in 2 days because it was to be recorded as a track live. They needed today to be a perfect rehearsal. ¡°What do you think about warming up and then rehearsing the mission song?¡± ¡°Warming up?¡± Jo Hyung Joong and the music director could not know the meaning of warming up and just blinked. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing really. Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano is so strong that we need some time to get used to it. I would like to build our ability while ying a song that we are confident in together.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. I guess our ears will receive a treat because of this.¡± The music director had an unexpected opportunity to listen to Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano skills properly. If it is a song that the orchestra is confident in, it was bound to be a ssical, a concerto. On top of that, it was killing two birds with one stone because he could check the sound with theirbined performance. The music director and Jo Hyung Joong settled themselves in to enjoy the music. ¡°Jun Hyuk. Can you y Beethoven¡¯s Concerto No. 5?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re talking about ¡®Emperor¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Should we try just the 2nd part?¡± Skipping the 1st part to y the 2nd was an excellent choice. The 1st part had a feeling of ¡®rity,¡¯ ¡®grandeur,¡¯ and ¡®strength,¡¯ whereas the 2nd part would allow them to see an unhurried piano with a ¡®bittersweet¡¯ feeling. It could have been the best choice to calm Jun Hyuk¡¯s assaultive piano. It seemed Jun Hyuk could guess Hwang Suk Min¡¯s intentions because his face rxed. ¡°It was part of our repertoire a few days ago. Let¡¯s try with that for fun. We would like to try ying something we¡¯re more familiar with to learn to y with you.¡± Hwang Suk Min stressed again that it was not to be a match between the piano and orchestra, but a performance to get to know each other. He knew better than anyone else that if Jun Hyuk were to show Beethoven¡¯s force, the orchestra would copse. ¡°Since it¡¯s your first time ying in concert, let¡¯s keep going even if there¡¯s a mistake or something you don¡¯t like. It¡¯s just a warm up anyway. That¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s heart started to race again. To y a piece by Beethoven! With an orchestra. Until now, he had yed Beethoven while imagining orchestra parts. At the thought that he would be ying with a real orchestra instead of imagining it, his anxiety disappeared and instead was full of anticipation. ¡°If anyone has an extra score, can you give it to our pianist?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I memorized all of the parts.¡± ¡°Really? Seeing as you¡¯re able to memorize it, you must have practiced it a lot.¡± Hwang Suk Min who had been turning his head from Jun Hyuk thought of what he had just said. All of the parts! It could not be? ¡°Hang on. When you say you memorized all of the parts, do you mean.....?¡± ¡°Right. I memorize all of the parts.¡± The noise of scores rustling on stands stopped. Had they heard correctly? Could they have misheard something? Was it possible to remember all of the sounds that an orchestra needed to make? ¡°This... well I¡¯ve taken a hit. You memorize scores whole? How much do you have to practice to memorize scores?¡± Hwang Suk Min and the other performers knew of Jun Hyuk¡¯s past through the broadcast and press. After wandering as an orphan, it had only been 2 years since he started music. It seemed an impossible feat even if he had only practiced Beethoven nonstop. ¡°You¡¯re not one of those geniuses we see in dramas who can listen to a song once and memorize the entire score, are you?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s gaze at Hwang Suk Min without response gave the answer. He was that kind of person. Jun Hyuk¡¯s heart started to race again. To y a piece by Beethoven! With an orchestra. Until now, he had yed Beethoven while imagining orchestra parts. At the thought that he would be ying with a real orchestra instead of imagining it, his anxiety disappeared and instead was full of anticipation. ¡°If anyone has an extra score, can you give it to our pianist?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I memorized all of the parts.¡± ¡°Really? Seeing as you¡¯re able to memorize it, you must have practiced it a lot.¡± Hwang Suk Min who had been turning his head from ¡°It couldn¡¯t be?¡± He was so surprised that he dropped the baton in his hand. ¡°Really? You can listen to something once and memorize all of the parts?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hwang Suk Min was speechless. They were also going through a camera test for the live broadcast in 2 days. There were 3 cameras rolling at the moment. The staff members who had been watching their conversation through the camera lens were also speechless. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not all songs. I can¡¯t seem to memorize lyrics of even short pop songs.¡± He can¡¯t memorize 3 minutes of lyrics, but he can memorize an enormous amount of notes? No one on the stage could understand. ¡°Then don¡¯t you forget what you memorized?¡± ¡°No.¡± This meant that there were hundreds of songs saved in Jun Hyuk¡¯s head. When beginning studies to be a conductor, they had to memorize the 50 songs that are yed most first. No, they had to study until they memorized them. They had to read a score as they listened to the music countless times to memorize one song. Still, all conductors without exception conducts while looking at a score. They always have a score to check just in case something unexpected happens. Hwang Suk Min had been impressed by the image of Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent that he had seen on broadcast ¨C arranging a song on the spot, ying the drums incredibly to perfect a song. The piano he had just shown was only capable with a first-ss pianist who ruled an orchestra. This is not a sh of talent. Is he not the second Mozart? Chapter 82 Volume 2 / Chapter 82 TL: LightNovelCafe While everyone was silent in disbelief, Jo Hyung Joong spoke. As the person who had seen Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent the most, he was surprised when he heard that Jun Hyuk could memorize all music, but he was not as shocked as the others. ¡°Teacher Hwang. Let¡¯s finish up the concert first. The day isn¡¯t very long.¡± ¡°Ah, this... I was just so surprised... This is a pianist who catches us off guard.¡± Hwang Suk Min shook his head as he picked up his baton. ¡°There there. Let¡¯s all get ourselves together and focus. At this rate, we¡¯ll ruin the performance.¡± Everyone positioned their instruments and looked at the conductor with his baton, waiting for the signal. ¡°Okay, then we¡¯re trying this properly.¡± The members of the orchestra held each of their instruments. Hwang Suk Min checked to see that Jun Hyuk was ready in front of the piano and slowly moved the baton. The 2nd part of Beethoven¡¯s Concerto No. 5 Emperor began. The 1 minute 25 second elegant introduction came out through the strings, and the music started slowly with the weak and delicate piano solo that picked up the music from the strings. A piano that was neither aggressive nor extreme. It was not trying to press another part down to win. It was going out slowly on its own. It was a performance that was being considerate so the people who would be joining soon would not experience difficulty. Continuing, the woodwinds¡¯ sad melody spilled over Jun Hyuk¡¯s left hand piano instrumental. When Jun Hyuk was ying the chords of the 16th notes, the orchestra followed the piano. Soon after, they began to y 2 of 3 each. The 60 performers were much morefortable with this song than they were with From the Sun to the Boy. It was not because they had practiced it countless times. It was because they could feel the piano¡¯s intention to carry them along. Hwang Suk Min began to open his heart. The orchestra was naturally following the piano¡¯s lead. It was as though Jun Hyuk was conducting the orchestra while ying the piano as Beethoven did. When the 2nd part was over, the performers were all smiling broadly. The Jun Hyuk who had criticized them so severely was nowhere to be found. They were sitting in front of Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano that was as if it were saying it epted their performance and to trust it and follow along. Hwang Suk Min put his baton down to indicate that he had achieved his goal and spoke to the performers, ¡°This... This isn¡¯t something we should just be smiling about.¡± At this, the performers began to move their feet. Since both hands were holding their instruments, they apuded by moving their feet. ¡°Was it Argerich?¡± Empress of piano, Martha Argerich. Hwang Suk Min could understand where Jun Hyuk¡¯s power in pressing down the orchestra during ¡®From the Sun to the Boy¡¯ came from. Argerich¡¯s piano ¨C a charisma so overwhelming that it could swallow a first-ss orchestra whole. They did not have the ability to withstand that. ¡°I see. You¡¯re saying that you have the skills to perfectly reproduce Argerich¡¯s piano within 2 years? I¡¯m going to go crazy. How many gods of music are in your body?¡± Hwang Suk Min could not think of Jun Hyuk as anything but God¡¯s mistake. Normally, God only allocated one talent. And one could be called a genius with just that one talent. But he could not begin to tell how many talents Jun Hyuk had. Hwang Suk Min lightly shook his head and brushed off his thoughts as he looked at Jun Hyuk. That was enough warming up. They needed to go back to the mission song. ¡°Okay. Now should we try the mission song? Jun Hyuk, are you ready? Can you bring everyone along like you did with Beethoven just now?¡± Jun Hyuk nodded his head vigorously. *** After rehearsing a few times, Hwang Suk Min looked at Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk had taken his hands off of the piano and was also looking at Hwang Suk Min. When their eyes met, Hwang Suk Minughed and Jun Hyuk smiled. The music director who had checked the sound did not have to worry about the live stage. He had no doubt that it would be the program¡¯s best stage. Hwang Suk Min put his baton down and spoke to Jun Hyuk, ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± The two people moved their seats to a corner of the stage. ¡°It¡¯s the truth that you¡¯re able to memorize a song after hearing it once, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯vepared different orchestras ying the same song.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fun. If you keep listening whileparing them, you can tell what the conductor is thinking and what his habits are.¡± ¡°I guess those differences are in the differences between each conductor¡¯s music?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Even while ying the same song, the feeling was different by the person ying it. But it meant that Jun Hyuk could tell the difference by each of the instruments. The ability to point out the subtle difference in a violin meant that he could reproduce the performances of master musicians now. It was a talent that any conductor would envy. While others had to listen to it hundreds of times to identify that subtle difference, he has the ability do it as soon as he hears it. It was what students dreamt of. The dream of automatically memorizing a textbook or reference book. Then there would be no need to study. Ultimately, it meant that if Jun Hyuk wanted to, he could take the baton and perform the music of the greats like Bernstein, Georg Scholte, Furtw?ngler, and Karajan. Hwang Sung Min could understand how the skill Jun Hyuk had shown on broadcast had been created over just 2 years. He would not have needed the process of learning to y instruments. It was just an issue of skill. ¡°By chance, in Beethoven¡¯s No. 9... can you hear each of the sounds in the choir?¡± ¡°Yes because it just means that the number of instruments is increasing by the number in the choir.¡± ¡°The song is 74 minutes long. It¡¯s tremendous if youbine the number of instruments and the choir.....¡± Beethoven¡¯s Symphony No. 9 The best work in the history of symphonies, designated as a World Programme Heritage. Conductor Karajan of the Berlin Philharmonic had decided that the 74 minute symphony needed to be recorded on a CD. When Philips, the developer of CDs, epted this the standard length of CDs was changed from 60 minutes to 75 minutes. A work that boasts of the highest level of difficulty. It was hard to believe Jun Hyuk when he said that he had listened to a song like this and memorized it. Hwang Suk Min spoke with Jun Hyuk for a while. He did not just memorize the songs, he understood their interpretations. There is an incredible difference between memorizing and understanding. Hwang Suk Min who had scrutinized Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent felt as though he had found a treasure. On the one hand, the broadcast production team felt as though they had picked up an entire treasure chest. Jun Hyuk and the orchestra¡¯s rehearsal was more dramatic than the stage that they would be showing on live broadcast. Speechless performers, the orchestra copsing at Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano. Even the Beethoven that Jun Hyuk and the orchestra yed together perfectly. They had filmed magical scenes. The production team who had recorded all of this needed to think about how they would use it for the broadcast airing in 2 days. There was also a person who thought for a while before grabbing his phone. This was conductor Hwang Suk Min. Chapter 83 Volume 2 / Chapter 83 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Teacher. This is Hwang Suk Min.¡± ¨C Oh wow, Teacher Hwang. It¡¯s been a while. How have you been? ¡°I¡¯ve been pretty much the same.¡± ¨C I guess there¡¯s something going on? What is it? Did you want to get a drink? You¡¯re calling this old woman out of the blue. ¡°No. I might have to cram for an exam. Let¡¯s do drinks next time. I called you because I think I found a gem and I wanted to see what you thought of him.¡± ¨C Gem? A pianist? ¡°Yes. He¡¯s 17 years old, but he¡¯s only been ying the piano for 2 years.¡± ¨C 17? Then he started at 15... That¡¯s veryte. ¡°Due to that, he isn¡¯t bound to standards and is very free. No, rather than free, should I say he¡¯s wild? Anyway, he¡¯s really something.¡± He did not think that Jun Hyuk was free, but it was difficult to pinpoint a way to describe him. ¨C Is that so? But do I really have to see him? If you say he¡¯s a gem, he¡¯s a gem. ¡°There¡¯s... something that bothers me but I don¡¯t know what it is. I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a w or his color.¡± ¨C I see. Bring him over sometime. Let¡¯s see him together. ¡°Thank you, teacher. Then.¡± When Hwang Suk Min hung up, Jo Hyung Joong who had been next to him opened his mouth slightly, ¡°Uh... Who were you just talking to?¡± ¡°Oh, it was Professor Jeon Hye Jin. You know her, right?¡± ¡°Jeon Hye Jin? The pianist Professor Jeon Hye Jin?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At 24, she came in 3rd ce in the Long Thibaud Competition (biennial piano and violinpetition in Paris) and started to tour the world. She did not have the skill to be called on by world-famous symphonies like Vienna, New York, and Berlin, but she was sessful enough to hold piano recitals with orchestras of high standards in each city. When she returned to Korea after living abroad for about 10 years, she was scouted by many universities as the first person to go up in the Long Thibaud Competition. She is now serving as a professor at the Music Conservatory, a Korean educational institution. ¡°Were you talking about Jun Hyuk?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is there a problem with Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano?¡± ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s an amazing skill. It¡¯s almost impossible for someone to reach this level with self-education... but if he had received formal education, he would have been an outstanding pianist.¡± ¡°But why.....?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something that bothers me, but I can¡¯t pinpoint what it is. And if Professor Jeon Hye Jin is interested, it could be a great opportunity for Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Hwang Suk Min¡¯s real objective was to see if Jun Hyuk had the talent to stand on major, international stages with other geniuses instead of being wasted on a TV show like this. Two days after Jun Hyuk and the orchestra finished rehearsing, a bus was taking the final 12 participants to the Sangam-dong broadcast station in Seoul. There were still more than 12 hours left before the live broadcast, but backstage was noisier than a marketce, and there were staff members moving busily everywhere. The 12 participants who were standing amidst all of this awkwardly were not the protagonists of the stage, but just props. ¡°Everyone listen up. You have to be alert today. Don¡¯t run around. If you need something, tell your manager. These 3 people here are managers for the day. They¡¯ll take care of everything you need.¡± The participants memorized the faces of the three strongly built men. ¡°There¡¯s no point in asking other people for what you need. Even if they say okay, it¡¯s not their job... so they¡¯re just answering out of courtesy. You have to make your requests to these 3 people. Keep that in mind.¡± The production team was so busy inspecting the 11 participants excluding Jun Hyuk for the sound, light, stage equipment, et cetera that they did not know how time was flying. After finishing his rehearsal, Kwak Hye Sung came backstage and sat down nkly, looking wearier than everyone else. After watching his opponents¡¯ rehearsals, he could not shake the feeling that he would be one of the two eliminations today. He could see it in the expressions of the staff after he was done singing. He had seen that they looked bored without any emotion, surprise, or admiration. His stage looked like it was included to fill the time. No one showed anticipation for his performance. ¡°Try shouting boldly.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you Jun Hyuk. I heard you¡¯re not rehearsing?¡± ¡°No. We did our rehearsal the day before yesterday.¡± Kwak Hye Sung took the water bottle that Jun Hyuk handed to him and thought of what he just said. ¡°But... shout what?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? I told you to use the technique you used in vocal training to bring change to the song.¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t have the confidence.¡± ¡°Then what are you going to do? Are you going to sing in this dejected state without confidence?¡± Kwak Hye Sung seemed to be so removed that he did not even want to respond. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of time left. Don¡¯t we start at 10 at night? That¡¯s enough time to practice.¡± ¡°Then can you help me a little? You don¡¯t have rehearsals anyway.¡± ¡°What can I help with? You¡¯re just doing what you know how to do. You can just do it. You¡¯re a lot more apprehensive than you seem.¡± Jun Hyuk left Kwak Hye Sung¡¯s side after he spoke. *** ¡°You handed over the judge and MC scripts?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How about the list of eliminations?¡± ¡°I handed them over. Nam Seung Hee and Kwak Hye Sung, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Also, how is Son Jin Young¡¯s expression?¡± ¡°He seems a little upset. I think he was expecting her to go on air at least twice.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to be strict from now on. We have to eliminate them in order, since we don¡¯t know if a dark horse might appear.¡± Producer Kim Ki Sik was reviewing the cue sheet one more time before the live broadcast that was approaching in an hour. The yers in today¡¯s 1 and a half hour live broadcast would be the 12 participants, the MC, judges, and audience. Producer Kim Ki Sik is the maestro conducting all of these people. Before MC Moon Kyung Min who was in charge of proceedings went on stage, he paced backstage while peeking at the audience to relieve his anxiety. ¡°What happened? It¡¯s too unteral.¡± MC Moon Kyung Min was scolding the staff taking care of him. That was how worried he was regarding the audience¡¯s excessive bias. ¡°We¡¯re going crazy too. We chose the audience by area and age but.....¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we have to reduce the cards and signs? They¡¯re all Jang Jun Hyuk. You¡¯re going to put this out on air?¡± ¡°Senior, the staff is going around the entire audience switching them appropriately.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about anything else, but it¡¯s a huge problem if the other kids¡¯ performances finish and there isn¡¯t a reaction. Practice that with them. It¡¯s a contest with 12 people, not Jang Jun Hyuk¡¯s fan meeting.¡± It was clear that unless it was a family member or friend of the 11 participants, everyone in the audience was there for Jun Hyuk. After 2 hours of waiting, the audienceints began to trickle down. Then, an announcement came out and the stage lights began to dance. The 1st live stage had started. Chapter 84 Volume 2 / Chapter 84 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Hello. I am MC Moon Kyung Min of Tomorrow¡¯s Star. We havee to the 5th season of ¡®Tomorrow¡¯s Star¡¯. This season, with a lot of news and raised standards for participants.....¡± The MC¡¯s cheesy praise of the program and introductions of the judges continued. Once each of the judges ryed their greetings to the audience, the MC exined the assessment criteria. ¡°I will tell you the evaluation regtions. Until the top 5, judge scores will be 50%, text message votes will be 45%, and the audience vote that we are introducing this season will be 5%. The sum of the results will decide which finalists advance to the next round.¡± The atmosphere on the field was clearly different than with TV viewers. There was a difference in the sound quality between a music hall sound system and a TV speaker. This is a new form to reflect that difference in the scores. ¡°Those of you in the audience can use the button that you were given when you came in, to enter your vote. There are three opportunities to make your vote. You can vote during the performance and you can vote after you listen to everyone¡¯s songs. Please choose the three people that you would like to see in the next round and press their numbers.¡± Lastly, he instructed them on audience participation which is a way to raise viewer ratings, ¡°Viewers can enter their votes by texting the number at the bottom of the TV screen. #5700, press #5700 and send the text after typing the participant name and participant number.¡± He introduced each of the 12 participants and got the audience to cheer. When he introduced Jun Hyukst, the audience showed that they had already decided their votes. It was almost impossible to proceed with the broadcast because the audience was cheering and chanting ¡®Jang Jun Hyuk!¡¯ so loudly that the other 11 participants¡¯ families had twisted expressions. Young women cheered him for his looks, young men for his rebellious temperament, and older people out ofpassion. MC Moon Kyung Min was trying to abate the audience¡¯s fervor and was finally able to return it to its normal state with the staff running around to calm everyone down. When Moon Kyung Min¡¯s introductions ended, a countdown began on the TV screen, further creating suspense. ¡°Okay, the texting votes begin now. People of Korea, we ask that you think carefully about who you would like to see in the next round and participate in the vote.¡± Fanfare sounded to indicate that an borate show was soon to start, and thepetition began. ¡°The first participant to grace the stage is.....¡± *** A junior assistant producer came running to a Producer Kim Ki Sik who let out a breath of relief thinking that everything was proceeding smoothly. ¡°Senior, we¡¯re in trouble.¡± ¡°What is it now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re overwhelmed with text messages.¡± ¡°What? We just started.¡± ¡°That¡¯s.....¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be Jun Hyuk?¡± Not even Producer Kim Ki Sik had not expected the reaction to be to this extent. ¡°Yes. The broadcast¡¯s board is no joke either. They¡¯re saying forget everything, it¡¯s Jun Hyuk. What should we do?¡± ¡°How about the audience?¡± ¡°It seems members of the audience are all giving one out of the three votes to Jun Hyuk. Over 95% of them already voted for Jun Hyuk at least once.¡± They did not need to see that the remaining 5% were rted to the other participants to figure it out. ¡°You have records of inte preference statistics, right? Which group has the lowest participation rate?¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± The assistant producer went through vote statistics. ¡°30 year old men.¡± ¡°Then adjust the preference graph a little for people who aren¡¯t Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± The assistant producer could not understand Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s intention. ¡°You don¡¯t understand?? I¡¯m telling you to put out the graph showing the other kids as the preference of 30 year old men. Then, 30 year old men who were watching TV will send in their text votes for Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°And give me a real-time update on the texting usage data.¡± ¡°Okay, I will.¡± Backstage was as frantic as the control room. People from the sponsorshippanies were walking around checking to see if the makeup was okay and if there were no problems with the clothing. Jun Hyuk was looking at a tuxedo hanging on one wall and thinking of an excuse not to wear it. Last night, Yoon Kwang Hun hade to the dorm for the first time. ¡°Sir.¡± Jun Hyuk was surprised that Yoon Kwang Hun had appeared without calling ahead, but also thankful. ¡°Hey. Are you eating well? You have to rest well tonight since the first stage is tomorrow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re noting tomorrow?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯ll get noisy if I go. Thewsuit isn¡¯t over yet. Reporters are going toe swarming. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll watch you really carefully on the huge screen at the cafe.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun pulled a ck outfit from the car. ¡°I prepared this so you could wear it for your performance tomorrow. You¡¯re performing with an orchestra, so you should do them this courtesy.¡± ¡°Is this a suit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tuxedo. The conductor will be wearing this too, so you need to match it.¡± ¡°Tuxedo? Are you talking about those penguin clothes?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He had not imagined that he would have to wear penguin clothing, but he could not express his aversion. He could in Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s face the heart of parents buying suits for their children when they graduate from high school to go to college, or when theynd their first jobs. ¡°Jun Hyuk, what are you doing? Hurry up and change. You have to start getting your makeup done. There isn¡¯t even an hour until your performance.¡± One of the staff members brought two people in charge of makeup to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Has Teacher Hwang Suk Min arrived?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s with the orchestra members. Why? Do you need to meet him?¡± ¡°No. Have you seen the clothes they¡¯re wearing?¡± ¡°Clothes? All of the orchestra members were wearing suits and the conductor was wearing a tuxedo. Why? You have a tuxedo too.¡± ¡°Oh... I see.¡± He had no choice but to wear clothing like a penguin. And the torture of having to paint his face was waiting for him. *** The performances continued in turn. Jessica showed a performance great enough for her agency to push for her to be the winner. She showed that she had gone through rigorous training by releasing colorful vocals, and her stage manners did not fall short of established artists. The judges praised her highly and only Lee Sung Chul pointed out a small w as had been indicated on the script. ¡°If the variation is too excessive in R&B, it feels forced. You don¡¯t sing to show off.¡± Lee Hae Jun who was the only other participant the same age as Jun Hyuk showed new potential with the dancing skills he had learned in training. When there is someone who shows new potential, there¡¯s also someone who is unable to show even half of their skills. Nam Seung Hee could not show the fortes of her voice while she was trying to express the merriness of the original song. She was caught up in the thought that she needed to sing easily and lightly and was unable to show her true colors. As she kept singing in a way that she herself could not be satisfied with, her voice grew smaller further into the second half. It felt as though she had stopped singing in the middle. Nam Seung Hee had been expecting a low score, but wanted to cry when judge Lee Eun Jinmented that the song selection might have been a miss. The broadcast station had chosen the song to make her sing. She also thought of Jun Hyuk¡¯s view that she fit better with bads. As a result, she left the stage after receiving a score that barely reached over 80. ¡°The next person is Kwak Hye Sung, who has an explosive voice. The song he will sing today is Kim Kyung Ho¡¯s The People Who Make Me Sad.¡± When the MC¡¯s introduction ended, footage was revealed while Kwak Hye Sung stood on the center of the stage, refining his breath. The sad lyrics of the song that made Kim Kyung Ho famous were overwhelmed by his knife-like treble. There was a point that everyone anticipated from Kwak Hye Sung ¨C instead of Kim Kyung Ho¡¯s treble that was like a fine knife, his heavy and explosive voice. The judges and audience did not have different expectations. But as the first verse ended and the chorus began, Kwak Hye Sung¡¯s sound began to change little by little. When he reached the high-pitched part, he burst out in a delicate high tone that did not fall behind the original singer¡¯s. The audience and judges were surprised by the voice that did not seem like it would evere from therge body. There was another person who was most surprised. ¡°Is that jerk crazy? What is this?¡± The very first person to be surprised was the music director. Apletely different technique hade out than he had shown in rehearsal and while recording the track. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think he¡¯s improvising.....¡± ¡°Is he stupid? He should¡¯ve practiced like this in rehearsal. The broadcast isn¡¯t a joke.¡± However, there was also a person who had to be cool-headed in this situation. Kim Ki Sik left the sound to the music director and was keeping an eye on the video. ¡°Camera 3. Take 2 seconds. Get Lee Sung Chul¡¯s face ¨C his surprised expression.¡± The image of Lee Sung Chul sticking his tongue out filled the monitor. ¡°Okay. Number 1 main again.¡± When the chorus was repeated, Kwak Hye Sung¡¯s heavy tone overwhelmed the audience. It was a performance that made everyone feel as though there were two people singing. When the song finished, the audience sentvish apuse and Kwak Hye Sung looked bright. He had no regrets left. He knew that he had shown the skill he already had along with everything he had learned until now. He was able to listen to the judge¡¯s evaluation calmly. Lee Sung Chul held the mic and hesitated for a moment, ¡°Um... Kwak Hye Sung showed apletely different color from what was expected with this song. We had been expecting an explosive and heavy vocals, but we did not know that we would get to hear unrestrained trebles of various techniques.¡± As Lee Sung Chul¡¯s expression looked as though he was going to keep praising Kwak Hye Sung, Producer Kim Ki Sik reminded him, ¡°Sung Chul, Hye Sung is going to be eliminated. Wrap it up.¡± Lee Sung Chul heard Kim Ki Sik¡¯s desperate request and continued, ¡°However, it was apparent in the second half that you were singing without the ability to handle the sudden change in technique. If a singer can¡¯t digest it perfectly, it results in itng out awkwardly. My score is.....¡± ¡°Senior Lee, give him praises.¡± Lee Eun Jin followed the producer¡¯s request that he heard in her earphone. ¡°I actually received it well. It was inexperienced and there were mistakes, but I would like to praise Kwak Hye Sung just for showing potential. My score is.....¡± The score was lowpared to the audience reaction, but Kwak Hye Sung did not care. He was more satisfied with this song than he was with any of the other songs that he had shown until now. MC Moon Kyung Min refined his voice as he looked at the audience full of excitement, ¡°The 1st live broadcast of Tomorrow¡¯s Star. Thest participant to grace the stage is the famous Jang Jun Hyuk. The next stage is apletely different type of performance that has never been seen in the 5 seasons of Tomorrow¡¯s Star. It¡¯s an instrumental, without singing.¡± ¡°Cue footage insert.¡± Chapter 85 Volume 2 / Chapter 85 TL: LightNovelCafe On therge screen and TV monitor behind the stage, scenes of Jun Hyuk¡¯s rehearsal and his image performing multiple instruments in Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s recording studio came out. Meanwhile, a float appeared behind the stage and 60 orchestra members took position on the dark stage. ¡°Lights!¡± Kim Ki Sik suddenly turned the lights on with a signal, and the conductor and Jun Hyuk slowly came up from either side of the stage wearing tuxedos. As soon as they appeared, all of the orchestra members stood up and showed courtesy to the conductor and pianist. The audience exploded in greater apuse than they had shown until now, and the staff were running around trying to quiet them. The two men bowed lightly toward the audience and shook hands. Hwang Suk Min stood on the podium in front of the orchestra, and Jun Hyuk sat in front of the grand piano. As soon as Jun Hyuk sat down in front of the piano, the audience became silent. When Hwang Suk Min held the baton up exaggeratedly, the audience stopped breathing for a moment. The baton was controlling not only the performers, but also the audience. When he moved his baton, the rest that Jun Hyuk had so demanded was expressed and the audience let out their breath when the first note came out. The strings, winds, and piano appeared. There was apuse at the introduction beginning with force. When Jun Hyuk yed the piano on top of the smooth and low cello sound, a few people in the audience began murmuring the lyrics as though recalling memories. The music grew more and more borate. Practicing and ying in a concert with an audience were markedly different. The audience¡¯s gazes and apuse, their energy changes the performers. Performers who cannot get past this wither, while those who are able to ept all of it, be more ambitious. Hwang Suk Min intended to show the best performance and used his baton to steadily raise the tempo. Jun Hyuk felt the tempo change suddenly and looked at Hwang Suk Min. The provoking smile that Hwang Suk Min had shown upon their first meeting. Jun Hyuk understood the conductor¡¯s demand and raised his tempo. When he started the climax, he was standing up and ying the piano. When the violin yed the guitar solo yed by Kim Sae Hwang in the original, Jun Hyuk¡¯s fingers became even faster. Producer Kim Ki Sik filled the screens with a close-up of Jun Hyuk¡¯s fingers. Hwang Suk Min ignored the two times they repeated the chorus in rehearsal and repeated it four times, dragging out Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano endlessly and the violinists had to move their bows in a frenzy as though their strings would break. The TV editing was as brilliant as the music was borate, disying the orchestra¡¯s grandeur. After Hwang Suk Min and Jun Hyuk yed thest note as they met eyes, they were panting. In the control room, Kim Ki Sik was panting along with them. If it had been a recorded broadcast, he would have been able to produce a screenyout far more thrilling than an action movie... His face was full of regret. When a performance that was supposed to be 5 minutes long ended after 6 minutes, the audience and judges were giving a standing ovation. The audience¡¯s endless cheering and pping showed who the main of today¡¯s show was. The MC had no choice but to bring conductor Hwang Suk Min to Jun Hyuk¡¯s side while he was waiting for the judges¡¯mentary. When Hwang Suk Min appeared on the stage again, the apuse became louder. He gave a smile of satisfaction as he took Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand, and they greeted the audience once more. ¡°An instrumental without lyrics falls short in delivery. However, I believe that Jun Hyuk showed his inherent power to the audience with the melody and harmony of the piano, rather than delivering a message. I enjoyed it very much.¡± Continuing from Yoon Jung Su, two judges only hadpliments to give. There needed to be a viin to create bnce however. The viin role was taken on by Son Jin Young. ¡°The music was so perfect that there are no ws to point out. Though Jun Hyuk¡¯s ability does y a part, it is true that you piggybacked on the emotion that an orchestra invokes. We cannot leave out the aspect that if you had done a piano solo without the orchestra, you would not have been able to create a piece of this standard. We need to consider this in order to make a fair judgment. My score is.....¡± The cheering continued each time a score was revealed. ¡°That was Jang Jun Hyuk, who is the only participant today to receive over 90 points from all of the judges. As such, the judges¡¯ scores have been finalized. Now, your votes will decide the fates of the 12 participants. Please enter yourst votes while watching these highlight videos.¡± On MC Moon Kyung Min¡¯s encouragement, the highlight videos came on and advertisements aired. ¡°Performances of the top 12. We will end the voting soon.¡± MC Moon Kyung Min announced the eliminations in a tone full of suspense, ¡°Participant number 4, Nam Seung Hee. Number 9, Kwak Hye Sung. These two people are the first eliminations. Please give them a round of apuse.¡± When the announcement was over, Nam Seung Hee burst out in tears and Kwak Hye Sung looked calm. Jun Hyuk¡¯s first performance ended like this. *** After the performances, another stage of happiness and sadness was to open. After today¡¯s stage, there was only one person backstage who was happy. It was Jun Hyuk. The participants thought it unfair that Jun Hyuk wentst and had an orchestra backing him up. Jessica was especially shocked because she thought that she had shown a perfect performance. She was nervous that she would not be able to win no matter how well she sang because the text votes were always in favor of Jun Hyuk. The broadcast station did not reveal the texted vote results to the public, but the participants heard it from the crew. They would have also alerted each of their agencies to this as well. Jun Hyuk had taken over a whopping 78% of the votes. Jun Hyuk was not happy because of the favorable results. It was because he had felt the power provided by an audience for the first time. He had been able to feel that the audience gave their bodies to his music and had been impressed by it. The fact that there was someone listening to his music gave him happiness iparable to that of performing with the orchestra. There were two other people who were immersed in happiness. One was Producer Kim Ki Sik. Though he had been apprehensive, his first attempt at an instrumental had been a huge sess. When he received an encouraging call from the director of the station, he could guess that the viewer ratings were phenomenal. S The other person was conductor Hwang Suk Min. He felt he had discovered a born performer with a perfect performance on a first live stage, and his ability to ept and keep the flow going even with a sudden change. ¡°Jun Hyuk, there¡¯s somewhere you have to go with me tomorrow.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go meet the most recognized pianist I know in our country. I was going to take you once the program was over, but I can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± Jun Hyuk must have be curious at the mention of the best pianist, because he nodded his head delightedly. Hwang Suk Min rushed to find Producer Kim Ki Sik who was enjoying the aftertaste of the performance. Kim Ki Sik also ran to Hwang Suk Min as soon as he saw him. ¡°Ah, teacher. Thank you for today¡¯s performance. We were able to create a lively stage because of you. Thank you so much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem. Jun Hyuk made the stage what it was. All we did was provide the apaniment.¡± After they exchanged courtesies, Hwang Suk Min said the reason he had sought out Producer Kim. ¡°Producer, the next stage is in a week?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s every Thursday.¡± ¡°Then can I borrow Jun Hyuk tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°Tomorrow? Why do you need him?¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a music professor who would like to meet Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk? Is this because of the piano?¡± ¡°Yes. He won¡¯t have time?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. But... can a camera follow you?¡± He did not know where Hwang Suk Min was taking Jun Hyuk, but it was a producer¡¯s instinct. They need to film it whatever it is. He needs to follow the cardinal rule that scenes result from editing banal things. ¡°A camera?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s nothing really. We want to use it for broadcasting material. It won¡¯t be at a level to be an interference.¡± ¡°Oh, I guess.....¡± ¡°Yes, then I¡¯ll tell Jun Hyuk. Then can we meet here at the broadcast station tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that. I¡¯ll be here by 9.¡± Chapter 86 Volume 2 / Chapter 86 TL: LightNovelCafe The next day, Hwang Suk Min took Jun Hyuk to the Korean Music Conservatory in order to meet Jeon Hye Jin. When they opened a ssroom door and entered, an average looking middle-aged woman fussed over Hwang Suk Min. ¡°Goodness. It¡¯s really been a long time, Teacher Hwang. Hasn¡¯t it?¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin saw Jun Hyuke in after, and quickly let go of Hwang Suk Min¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh goodness. If I had known you were going to bring such a good looking young man, I would have taken more care. I wore just anything today. I thought he was going to be a baby when I heard he was 17, but isn¡¯t he a model? I guess I¡¯ll have to buy Teacher Hwang a drink. Ho ho ho.¡± Jun Hyuk had followed Hwang Suk Min here full of expectations for the best female pianist in Korea. But his first impression was of amon chatty old woman. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a scam if he¡¯s good at ying piano with this face?¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin stopped talking and stared at Jun Hyuk nkly, holding his hands. ¡°Why did you learn to y the piano? To get girls? You look like girls would get in line even if you didn¡¯t y the piano.¡± Jun Hyuk could not endure it any longer and tried to pull his hands away, but Professor Jeon Hye Jin did not let him. She was gripping his hands with strength. ¡°Are you really a professor of piano?¡± ¡°Why? I don¡¯t seem like it?¡± ¡°No. You speak too much like an old neighborhood woman.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m chatty because I¡¯m an olddy. Anyway, sit here.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin led Jun Hyuk by the hand to sit on the sofa, and sat down right next to him. She had not yet released his hands. Professor Jeon Hye Jin who had been touching his hands examined his fingertips. ¡°This isn¡¯t the hand of a pianist. Seeing your rough fingertips, it seems you y stringed instruments, and with your calloused palms, you y the drums too. Your calluses are severe where you hold the sticks.¡± It was certain that this was not an old woman who could be seen anywhere. She was able to identify exactly which instruments he yed just by looking at his palms. ¡°Since you y the drums, the string instrument is guitar? Do you y pop music? Band?¡± Hwang Suk Min must have thought that nothing would be left of Jun Hyuk¡¯s hands if left alone, because he cut in, ¡°Ah, this kid is a little hot these days. He¡¯s appearing on an audition program right now.¡± She had asionally seen idol musicians on TV and wondered what they had eaten to grow so well, but the child that Teacher Hwang brought made her thoughts exceed even that. ¡°Really? Is he going to be an idol? He seems like he could be and more.¡± She finally looked around her and discovered the VJ holding a camera. ¡°Hey, mister. Please turn off the camera, or leave the room. Even if I look like this, I think of modeling importantly. Quickly!¡± The VJ lingered at Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s sudden yelling, and shut off his camera when Hwang Suk Min gave him a look. ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry, professor. It¡¯s because the program he¡¯s appearing on is not over yet.¡± As Hwang Suk Min cautiously exined the situation, Professor Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s face rxed. ¡°Is that so? Then camera man.¡± ¡°Yes, professor.¡± ¡°Film at an angle so you don¡¯t get my face. What can I do when this is your job.¡± The VJ bowed his head and held the camera again. ¡°So, you said you¡¯re Jang Jun Hyuk?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to talk. Should we hear your piano first? Since Teacher Hwang said that you¡¯re a gem, you must be so. Let¡¯s see what time of gem you are.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin bolted from the sofa and pulled Jun Hyuk up. ¡°Should we head to the practice room?¡± Students passing by them in the hall greeted Professor Jeon Hye Jin, and when they saw Jun Hyuk, they created a greater fuss than the professor had. ¡°Oh my goodness, it¡¯s Jang Jun Hyuk!¡± ¡°Really? Why is Jang Jun Hyuk at our school? I saw the broadcast yesterday.¡± ¡°Is it a mission?¡± The students who had found Jun Hyuk were busy texting their friends to let them know about this, and some students began taking pictures and filming videos. Students began to gather behind Jun Hyuk as he made his way to the practice room. ¡°I guess you¡¯re popr, seeing as how those kids are making such a big deal.¡± Jun Hyuk shrugged in embarrassment and walked faster. After they went into an empty practice room, Professor Jeon Hye Jin red at the students to warn them from entering. ¡°If you guys make a peep, I¡¯m going to increase the assignment pieces by 10.¡± At the professor¡¯s threat, the babbling students shut their mouths. ¡°It¡¯s finally quiet.¡± There was a grand piano on one side of the practice room. The professor pointed Jun Hyuk toward the piano with a nce. ¡°Can you try ying?¡± Jun Hyuk sat in front of the piano and pressed a few keys. ¡°This needs to be tuned. A lot of it isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°People without talent always talk about tuning. At that state, it¡¯s much better than you¡¯ll see in a piano academy. Are you at apetition? Just y it. I have the ear to distinguish that much.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at the professor and smirked. It was interesting to see that the chatty olddy had been reced with a tough judge. Faces of students were stuck to the window on the entry door outside the practice room. Jun Hyuk took a deep breath and after clenching his hands, he yed the piano. Schubert¡¯s melody came from the piano. ¡°Stop.¡± After about 3 minutes after the music started, Professor Jeon Hye Jin spoke out shortly. ¡°y something else.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at the professor for a moment and started ying again. A piano melody began again. This time it was Rachmaninoff. The professor did not listen to more than 3 minutes. ¡°Next.¡± The professor watched carefully as Jun Hyuk yed Bach this time, and waited until the song was over. When Jun Hyuk finished ying, the professor pped lightly. ¡°It¡¯s good, really. My ears got a treat today. I enjoyed it.¡± The professor motioned for the students who had been listening outside to enter, ¡°You guys heard that? Tell me what you think. Since you guys got to listen to this great performance for free, don¡¯t you think you need to give your evaluation?¡± However, none of the students spoke. The professor tsked at the silent students. ¡°Oy, you¡¯re all dense. All you want to do is take pictures with him, right? If you don¡¯t know, get out. They said he¡¯s only yed the piano for 2 years. What¡¯s wrong with you guys who have all been ying for over 10 years? If you don¡¯t have ying skills, you need to at least gear your ears.¡± One female student worked up the courage to speak, ¡°I think he changes with each song. As though it isn¡¯t one person ying these songs, but a few people switching off? That¡¯s the feeling I got.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin looked at the student and smiled slightly, ¡°Well there¡¯s at least one person whose ears are open. You get an A this semester. You don¡¯t need to hear my lectures. Come to my office a littleter to tell me your name and ID. Everyone get out.¡± The professor turned to Jun Hyuk who was still sitting at the piano after kicking everyone out again. ¡°The Schubert piano was Dinu Lipatti? The Japanese version of the album that EMI Records released?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Rachmaninoff was Van Cliburn from RCA Records. Bach was Glenn Gould from SONY.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you able to express any famous pianist exactly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just roughly copying them.¡± Jun Hyuk thought that she would be able to identify whichever pianist he yed. Was she not the best female pianist in Korea? If she did not know that, her fame would be for nothing. But he did not know that she would be able to say the exact record in one try. In fact, the professor¡¯s surprise was due to the fact that Jun Hyuk had reproduced performances from famous pianists¡¯ records without any mistakes. Most pianists were able to imitate another pianist¡¯s style. But there were few people who could y the piano in a way that invoked the record itself. ¡°Roughly? If that was rough, all pianists in Korea need to stick their noses in dishwater and die. You can reproduce the performances of maestros just by ying roughly? This is. I have no words.¡± Looking at the professor¡¯s surprised face, Jun Hyuk could not hide his pride. ¡°You¡¯ve taken lessons from an expert, right? For someone who is self-educated, you don¡¯t have very many bad habits.¡± She checked minor habits while he was ying the piano? Jun Hyuk was surprised again. ¡°Yes. From Professor Go Sae Won for 2 years.¡± ¡°What? From Go Sae Won? Go Sae Won isn¡¯t one to stay still when you¡¯re copying like this. What on earth did he teach you?¡± Jun Hyuk felt again that the world of ssical was small. He was positive they were close by the way she referred to him by his name, without a nominal. To say that everyone was connected by one degree of separation. ¡°I met with Professor Go Sae Won once a week. If he assigned a song, I yed it... and he just watched as I yed. Then if a bad habit came out, he would point it out... and that was it.¡± ¡°Without evaluating the way you y the piano or after listening?¡± ¡°No. He never said anything like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. Why did he do that?¡± It was a training method she could not understand in piano lessons. If it were Professor Go Sae Won who had studied abroad, he would have insisted on expressing a pianist¡¯s originality. But for someone like this to end it after pointing out bad habits? ¡°Well that¡¯s something I can just ask about.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin put the question behind her and began to talk about the results of examining a gem. ¡°What a waste. If you had started ying the piano before your fingers were developed, you would have be an incredible pianist. It¡¯s really a waste.¡± The professor went from looking at Jun Hyuk with surprise, to regret. ¡°Is it your dream to be a pianist?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. If it was, you would have just wasted 2 years. And you¡¯re too old. If you¡¯re 17, that¡¯s the age when you should be preparing forpetitions.¡± Professor Hwang Suk Min finally realized what had been bothering him while he was listening to the two people speak. It was this. ¡°I see. He has the ability to replicate anyone...¡± Once Hwang Suk Min realized what was bothering him, Professor Jeon Hye Jin put up a finger. ¡°That¡¯s it. He doesn¡¯t have a piano style of his own. Since he was listening to CDs of the greats and learning on his own from the beginning, he was busy just following along. It is understandable.¡± Chapter 87 Volume 2 / Chapter 87 TL: LightNovelCafe Hwang Suk Min also looked regrettable and could not hide it on his face. A child who should have be a world-renowned pianist became like this due to his environment. ¡°What if he had met a proper teacher at a young age and was able to perform freely instead of imitating others? By now, he would have been world-ss, recognized internationally. He would have made people like Lang Lang and Yuja Wang jealous.¡± ¡°Professor, is it toote?¡± ¡°Late? It¡¯s already impossible. Assessing on skill only, he¡¯ll hear that he¡¯s a pretty great pianist now. But world-ss is impossible. A pianist whocks, no does not have originality, cannot stand on the top.¡± Does not have originality? Hwang Suk Min thought of when he yed Shin Hae Chul¡¯s song for the first time with his orchestra. He had thought that it could never be a copy with the wild ferocity that was unleashed asionally. However, his thoughts were cut off at Professor Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s continued words, ¡°The bigger issue is ¡®self-education¡¯.¡± ¡°Self-education?¡± ¡°You studiedposition andmand, so you may not have felt it as much. But does a wall not exist just because we can¡¯t see it? In this world, there¡¯s an invisible wall that hits the sky high. Especially in the world of pianos, which are the king of instruments and violins, the protagonists of orchestras.¡± A high, invisible wall that exists in the world of ssical. Hwang Suk Min could vaguely understand what Jeon Hye Jin was talking about. ¡°Pianists must go throughpetitions. They¡¯re showing themselves to the world through thesepetitions. If you look at world-renowned pianists now, they all put forth their wins first.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin pointed to herself as she spoke, ¡°Look at me. I still make a living off ofing in 3rd ce in the Long Thibaud Competition in 1975.¡± She was not bragging, but rather there was a hint of self-chastising. ¡°Competitions are decided by judges, not fan votes.¡± Strict judges of nations thepetitions are held in. Fairness was in the titles that these judges held. Impressive careers and positions were important in making sure people had no choice but to recognize them as judges. However, it was difficult to believe that the judges¡¯ assessment methods were based on the pianists¡¯ ¡®skills¡¯ only. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll advance a child who was self-educated without a teacher? If a child who taught himself wins, won¡¯t the word ¡®lesson¡¯ be meaningless? If I have talent, I don¡¯t need lessons! This is something that can¡¯t be said no matter what. The people controlling the world of piano will have their positions shaken or taken away if there are no lessons.¡± This is not something that is only applicable to the world of piano. Vested interests that exist everywhere do not wee copse. ¡°Piano makers, whatever printer selling the scores that pour out, university reputations, the recording industry, sponsors and their nations. The pandemonium of all of thesebined is what createspetitions. Piano is just a part of the business anyway.¡± It was hard for Hwang Suk Min to understand the pandemonium Jeon Hye Jin spoke of. He is just an average person who does not have the skills to enter the world of this pandemonium. ¡°But to recognize a child who appeared out of nowhere? It can¡¯t happen. That¡¯s denying the business itself.¡± If Jun Hyuk were to be recognized in the world of piano, it would mean talent is everything. There was no need to practice with a good piano and there was no reason to get lessons from eminent pianists. University? With countless people who prove their talent with self-education, those who pay the expensive tuition to attend university are admitting that they do not have talent. Recognizing a genius with born talent could make all of this copse at the same time. Geniuses are only recognized when they shine because of direction they have received. Denying the industry itself is something that cannot happen. ¡°And he says that bing a pianist isn¡¯t his dream so... I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin took a nce at Jun Hyuk who had been listening to their conversation. ¡°If he does decide to put everything into piano now... he¡¯s good enough that any great pianist will want to work with him... so I guess it could be possible. If he works hard under a famous person for about 5 years, I do think the possibility is sufficient. But will that be necessary? He¡¯ll be a huge star if he does pop music, so will it be necessary to go through all the hard work?¡± ¡°But still, isn¡¯t it such a waste?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a waste with the cameras that are already on him and seeing our students fawn over him. There are many paths. Right now, it¡¯s important that he does music. If it¡¯s his path, it¡¯ll happen somehow.¡± Not everyone expects the spotlight just because they have the talent. Professor Jeon Hye Jin had seen many people who had born talent but turned off the light because their environment or first step had gone wrong. The fate resulting from time and ce. Without that, it would just be a degenerated light. However, Jun Hyuk had already put his foot in music. It seemed he was going to continue in music no matter what. Honestly, Professor Jeon Hye Jin thought Jun Hyuk a waste. His age was most regrettable. Age 17 was the time to bloom in the world of piano. Rumors of identity begin and one must prepare toe out to the world. It is to the point where the most famouspetition in the world, Pnd¡¯s Chopin Piano Competition, opens once every 5 years. Even people with luck were only given two opportunities. ¡°Before you go, leave me your signature.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°My daughter goes nuts about celebrities. I¡¯m going to give it to her.¡± Jeon Hye Jin winked as sheughed. She had returned as a yful old woman from a strict pianist and professor. Jun Hyuk gained courage from this friendly appearance to ask a question, ¡°But do you y the piano well?¡± ¡°Me? You don¡¯t know who I am?¡± Jeon Hye Jin was so taken aback that she was speechless. This kid who had done everything she told him to do had not know who she was? ¡°No. I don¡¯t have a CD. I just assumed you¡¯re the best because Teacher Hwang said you are.¡± Jun Hyuk did not want to leave like this. He had never heard Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s piano, but he thought that she would be incredible from the way she had been so shrewd until now. ¡°I¡¯m famous! My concert ticket power is 1st ce in our country for piano. And... how much does a CD cost that you didn¡¯t buy mine? This inconsiderate kid. Ho ho.¡± Jeon Hye Jinughed heartily and approached Jun Hyuk. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll y too since I did hear yours for free.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin sat in front of the piano and began to y the 2nd part of Beethoven¡¯s Piano Sonata Pathetiqe No. 8. This is a sonata that Beethoven named, ¡°Grande Sonate Pathetique¡±. The 2nd part is characterized by a rxed and beautiful melody, and it is often seen as one of this most solemn and alluring pieces. It was used often in popr music with its short and sturdy configuration. Britain¡¯s mezzo-soprano singer, Louise Tucker, arranged this into a pop song ¡®Midnight Blue¡¯, which was received well by the public. ¡°How was it?¡± When Professor Jeon Hye Jin winked as sheughed, Jun Hyuk put his thumb up. ¡°Goodness, really?¡± ¡°Yes. Your force is awesome.¡± ¡°What? This isn¡¯t a song that uses strength. Why do you say my force is awesome when I yed this delicately and gently?¡± ¡°No matter how beautiful a knife is, you can¡¯t hide how sharp it is. I think your strength will show even if you yed a luby. Sleeping babies will all wake up.¡± ¡°Ho ho. You¡¯re able to see all of that at once? Huh. Thinking about it again, it is a waste.¡± Jun Hyuk could guess what the professor meant was being wasted. He had listened to the entirety of their conversation. He could fully understand that there wereplicated issues involved in his bing a pianist. And he did not have a particr longing to be a pianist. ¡°It¡¯s okay if I don¡¯t be a pianist. Instead, if I make a proper piano song, I¡¯ll think of you as the first performer.¡± Chapter 88 Volume 2 / Chapter 88 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°What? Do youpose as well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Really? Do you want to y something? Something you wrote.¡± Jun Hyuk sat in front of the piano without hesitation. He shook his stiff fingers a few times and started ying the piano. Plink~ plink. The song began with a repetition of two simple notes that continued for a time. After he sped up and built suspense, there was the hearty sound of the piano filling the room. The sound that filled the room disappeared in moments as though it was sucked back into the piano, and the song ended with one low note thatid across the ground. Professor Jeon Hye Jin who had been drunk in the sound of the piano for 2 minutes pped and rubbed Jun Hyuk¡¯s face, pulling him into a hug. ¡°Impressive. There really was something else so you don¡¯t have to be a pianist.¡± ¡°But... this is a little.¡± An old woman making contact was ufortable not just for Jun Hyuk, but for any teenage boy. Jun Hyuk tried to wriggle out, but the old woman was strong. ¡°What? This is when I get to hug a handsome young man.¡± Professor Hwang Suk Min did not hide his surprise either. ¡°I thought it was impressive when I saw you arrange a song, but I guess that was nothing. Goodness. There really was something else.¡± Jun Hyuk was delighted with theirpliments and spoke, ¡°Was it okay?¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin put her thumb up as Jun Hyuk had, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard such a lively song since Chopin¡¯s Dog Waltz. It¡¯s amazing.¡± Hwang Suk Min still looked surprised when he spoke, ¡°What¡¯s the title of this song?¡± ¡°A Scherzo for you who has difficulty eating a meal.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s difficult to eat a meal? What does this mean?¡± ¡°I wrote this while watching a stray cat tear open a garbage bag to eat.¡± ¡°What? Stray cat? Ha ha. It¡¯s the perfect title. You have great sense as well.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin pped as she began tough loudly. She thought the title was fun, but also liked that he could create music from such trivial matters. Jun Hyuk recalled when he created this song. A stray cat that had been watching a garbage bag from under a parked car in front of the cafe. It needed to be swift and alert to seek its prey as if a wild beast, keeping watch all around it. ¡°Why did it end all of a sudden?¡± Hwang Suk Min was asking in analysis as a conductor does, ¡°A cat doesn¡¯t run away even if a person appears while it¡¯s eating garbage. It stops eating and watches the person until it can check whether the person is just passing by or is going to chase it away.¡± ¡°I see. I looked at you wondering why it ended so suddenly... It¡¯s a song that made the audience into the cat.¡± ¡°Oh! If you felt that way, it¡¯s a sess. He he.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin sat next to a Jun Hyuk who wasughing in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, so you¡¯re appearing in an audition program right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you going to be a singer when that¡¯s over? Like an idol?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t be a singer because I can¡¯t sing.¡± ¡°You seem like you have no intention on bing a singer.¡± ¡°Pretty much. There are a lot of good singers.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin lightly hit her head. She could see this surprising child¡¯s profile. ¡°So, instruments are just tools you need when making songs? Whether it¡¯s the piano, guitar, or drums.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I thought wrong. You weren¡¯t just copying what you heard from CDs. You wanted to know what it would be like for a world-renowned pianist to y your song... You wanted to know that feeling, and to hear it yourself... So you cloned those pianists. Right?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s impressive. Really.¡± Jun Hyuk was sincere in his admiration. He started to see this yful old woman, who could hear his selfposed song once and figure out his intentions, in a different light. He thought that he would need to purchase Professor Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s CD and listen to it. ¡°Go Sae Won didn¡¯t say anything because he also knew this. Then let me ask one thing. Why don¡¯t you y the piano in your own style?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think I have my own style. For each song, there exists a pianist who can y it best. Those people¡¯s performances are much better. That¡¯s why I copy them. If I y it in my own way, it doesn¡¯t sound very good... and it kind of sounds like I¡¯m ruining the song.....¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s just a difference between individuality and expression. Who ys better or worse is meaningless. Each has individuality.¡± ¡°Even if there¡¯s individuality, I¡¯m sure we would only pick one person if we had to choose. Regardless of individuality, a better pianist exists.¡± ¡°You only pursue the best? I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re arrogant or if you¡¯re confident... You¡¯re impressive.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin had a feeling that she had guessed one of her thoughts precisely. This child could not live without music. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be anticipating the music you¡¯ll make from now on. Feel free to contact me if you need anything. I¡¯ll help you in any way I can.¡± Her expression and tone showed that she said this out of sincerity and not courtesy. Hwang Suk Min may have brought Jun Hyuk here for him to hear those words. ¡°Also, make sure you go to the hospital every month to get a check-up. The body is everything for a musician. You can¡¯t have something happen to your hand. You have to keep checking while you¡¯re healthy. For someone like you who ys multiple instruments, your hands are bound to deteriorate first.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll contact the hospital. You go when they call you.¡± Jun Hyuk politely gave the professor his farewell and left. When he came outside with Hwang Suk Min, the hall was full of students who had heard the rumor and gathered. Everyone had their phones out to take pictures of Jun Hyuk. ¡°These kids! Practice like this.¡± After Professor Jeon Hye Jin yelled at the students, she grabbed a student and brought him back into the practice room. ¡°Tell me about that kid who just left. What kind of kid is he?¡± ¡°Professor, you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking because I don¡¯t know.¡± The student told her about Jun Hyuk¡¯s past, participation on the audition program, and the issue that created news online. *** After the 1st live stage was over, Producer Kim Ki Sik went to Yoon Jung Su¡¯s recording studio. ¡°Jung Su, I heard Jang Na Rae¡¯s track and it¡¯s so good. Even our music director said he predicts she¡¯ll be 1st ce this week.¡± ¡°It¡¯s great, right? I was really surprised too.¡± ¡°I heard you offered to scout her.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I told her to think about it more. She might get other offers after the 2nd performance goes out.¡± Kim Ki Sik brought up a difficult favor, ¡°Can you just scout her? Jang Na Rae is going to be eliminated this week. Save me.¡± ¡°Jang Na Rae was this week? I was under the impression she was going until the 3rd stage.¡± ¡°She was supposed to. Lee Hae Jun and a boy from another agency were supposed to be eliminated this week.¡± ¡°Lee Hae Jun? He¡¯s pretty good too, but he¡¯s getting eliminated already? That¡¯s a waste.¡± ¡°Lee Hae Jun¡¯s going to debut next month as an idol. He¡¯s the main vocal there... They¡¯re thinking it¡¯s enough if his vocals are recognized twice on a live stage. Anyway, the agency of one of the people to be eliminated asked to have him advanced to top 8. I guess they looked into it on their own and the reaction was pretty good.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying the pushover is the one without an agency.¡± ¡°Yeah. What are we to do? But listening to her track, it¡¯s so good it¡¯s a waste to eliminate her.¡± If Jang Na Rae does not make a mistake, she could give the best performance. But if she is eliminated? The viewer protest would be fierce. Though of course it would not go for more than one week. Producer Kim was not against eliminating Jang Na Rae because of the viewer reaction. He was just struggling to keep the program alive. ¡°Signing a contract immediately is difficult. I¡¯m thinking of training her slowly. Since she¡¯s young, she might want to gain poprity quickly. If that¡¯s what she¡¯s thinking, I can¡¯t sign her on.¡± Yoon Jung Su was looking far into Jang Na Rae¡¯s future. Enough to tly refuse Producer Kim¡¯s request. ¡°What happened with Jun Hyuk?¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk? Damn, I gave up too. The 3rd round is thest. He needs to get ready for the 4th performance, but he¡¯s saying he hasn¡¯t finished for the 3rd. I can tell he has no intention of doing anymore.¡± ¡°Producer Kim, you must be having a hard time.¡± It was obvious what would happen if Jun Hyuk who had been the reason for high viewer ratings left. Producer Kim needed to prepare for that. ¡°Is he going to sing?¡± Yoon Jung Su could not hide his curiosity. From the way Jun Hyuk had directed Jang Na Rae, he instinctively knew how to express with vocals. ¡°I told you, I gave up. Whatever he does, the 3rd round is the end.¡± ¡°But his track record is great, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. His mission songs from the preliminaries are good too, but his piano from the live performance is incredible. It¡¯s topping all the charts. But I think the two versions of Kanon are the biggest waste. Especially the rock version. If we had aired edited parts of him ying all of the instruments like a music video, it would have sold better than this round¡¯s piano song.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do it?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the rights to that. No one thought of this kind of situation. We didn¡¯t show the whole song on air... and it¡¯s just footage anyway.¡± Producer Kim looked as if he had lost out on something big. ¡°Oh right. Hyung Joong has an agreement for those two versions of Kanon.¡± ¡°What? Hyung Joong? Really?¡± Yoon Jung Su¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. For Jo Hyung Joong who onlyposes and produces to get involved in distribution issues meant that he was that confident in Jun Hyuk¡¯s music. ¡°Yeah. He handed a nk check to Jun Hyuk¡¯swyer to tell him to write the price of the songs.¡± ¡°Really? That cheap man? It¡¯s no joke. Well... he did listen to it himself.¡± ¡°Yeah. They agreed to go half and half in the end. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ll release the songs as soon as Jun Hyuk is eliminated. They got footage from our station as well.¡± ¡°I guess Jun Hyuk is a goose thatys golden eggs.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll be wild. Jun Hyuk will be able to make $200,000 or $300,000 in six months.¡± ¡°The viewer ratings will plummet once Jun Hyuk is out. The kids this season are pretty much the same.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you for this favor. I¡¯m trying to make Jang Na Rae popr. She needs to take Jun Hyuk¡¯s ce. I¡¯m thinking of pushing it to a battle between Jang Na Rae and Jessica.¡± ¡°Battle? They seemed to be close. The picture seems like it woulde out well.¡± Two people who are close in apetition of good faith. There¡¯s bound to be apuse regardless of who loses. However, Kim Ki Sik scoffed, ¡°Close? They hate each other. Where are friendships on a program where they have to step over each other? We just edited it so it seems that way. They¡¯re both clever. They pretend to care for each other whenever there¡¯s a camera present.¡± ¡°Well... anyway, I¡¯m sorry. Signing her on now is hard. If we rush a contract or pressure her into it, the end result isn¡¯t good. If it¡¯s not something she really wants, she¡¯ll lose her will.¡± Kim Ki Sik needed to create a new strategy upon Yoon Jung Su¡¯s refusal. He needed to review the contracts to ready someone to eliminate instead of Jang Na Rae. Chapter 89 Volume 2 / Chapter 89 TL: LightNovelCafe When the 2nd round began, MC Moon Kyung Min stood on the stage, ¡°The first top 10 stage progressed live a week ago. For the past week, something shocking happened. An instrumental topped a pop music chart for the first time in Korea.¡± Tremendous apuse exploded from the crowd. They were congratting the win of the person they were rooting for. ¡°That¡¯s right. It was Shin Hae Chul¡¯s ¡®From the Sun to the Boy¡¯ that Jang Jun Hyuk performed. Jun Hyuk personally arranged a space rock song into a magnificent ssical to sweep the charts. It was a moment for him to enter as a new music powerhouse. It became a hot topic when it was revealed that he had arranged all of the parts for the orchestra as well.¡± He continued speaking after looking at the crowd¡¯s reaction, ¡°To give you a hint, Jun Hyuk will not be singing today either. The surprising stage he will show is another point to watch for. And how far will Jun Hyuk be able to advance without singing?¡± They were able to see Moon Kyung Min¡¯s hint right away. The first stage was Jun Hyuk¡¯s. The stage was lit brightly with the atmosphere of a club, and six back dancers entered. However, Jun Hyuk stood in the middle of the stage and instead of moving wildly like a DJ, focused calmly on his performance. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we at least had the back dancers.¡± The assistant producer spoke with a mix of self-chastisement. Producer Kim Ki Sik smirked as he watched the screen, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s what I wanted.¡± Producer Kim had prevented the music director and production team from trying to direct Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance during the rehearsal. Jun Hyuk would be out after the 3rd round. Now, they needed to start putting out a card that would rece Jun Hyuk. This was why they had made Jun Hyuk go first. It was hard to remember the first performance after all 10 people had gone. The audience reaction was also as expected. The youths could not help but be taken aback. They wanted to enjoy the fun music they were hearing, but the stage they were looking at was calm. The imbnce between sight and hearing made it so that they could not move. ¡°Judges, please match the scores to low 80s.¡± When the evaluation ended, MC Moon Kyung Min spoke again, ¡°Jun Hyuk who received the best score in the roundst week was unable to receive a high score this time. It¡¯s a situation we could not predict. I think this is the zest in apetition that is shown in a live broadcast.¡± Jessica, who was Producer Kim Ki Sik¡¯s new card, showed again that she was a strong candidate to win. Simrly Jang Na Rae, who was being pushed forward as a dark horse, wentst and gave a performance that did not fall behind the quality of the recording she had done of Yoon Jung Su¡¯s bad. As the judges gave high praises, the audience cheered. Tomorrow, there would be articles pitting the newly discovered Jang Na Rae against Jessica who is closest to the crown. Jun Hyuk could not even be mentioned. It is much easier for the public to forget someone than it is to keep thinking of them on their own. *** ¡°The arrangement hasn¡¯te out yet? I guess this mission song is hard. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk did not put his ssic guitar down even when Kim Jong Suk said that it would be okay to go with a piano instrumental if he thought that he could not do it. He thought that if he were to y this song on the piano, it would be no different from the apaniment in Lee So Ra¡¯s song. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to express Lee So Ra¡¯s emotions without ¡®speech¡¯. Lee So Ra... is really an impressive vocalist.¡± ¡®It¡¯s probably hard to express ¡®that day¡¯ and not Lee So Ra.¡¯ Kim Jong Suk did not think that he would be of any help to Jun Hyuk even if he spoke more. He confessed thest feeling that he had, ¡°Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you catch on to the fact that I¡¯m trying to force you to sing?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought so.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one reason why I tried to get you to sing. I¡¯m not expecting Mozart¡¯s Figaro¡¯s Wedding from you, but hoping for an oldie like John Lennon¡¯s Imagine.¡± He meant for Jun Hyuk to consider pop music as well and not just ssical. ¡°Pop music has a shorter history than ssical does. Mozart¡¯s music has been yed for 250 years, but is there something that says the Beatles¡¯ music won¡¯t do the same? It¡¯s already been 50 years since ¡®Yesterday¡¯ came out. But doesn¡¯t it still get a lot of love? I can bet it¡¯ll still be popr 200 yearster. When it¡¯s only 2 minutes long.¡± The reason why a 2 minute song with a simple melody was able to bring such emotion was Paul McCartney¡¯s voice and lyrics. ¡°You don¡¯t have to have amazing vocals. John Lennon isn¡¯t an amazing singer. Look at Bob Dn who is called a bard. He just throws the lyrics.¡± When Jun Hyuk had given other participants help on the program, he had not paid attention to the lyrics. All he had done was help find the best way for them to express with the voice that they had. ¡°You need to see the emotion of a singer rather than the technical aspects of producing,posing, and directing. I wish you would try feeling that emotion while singing. That way, an oldie wille out. If you sing this with sincerity, you¡¯ll know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Kim Jong Suk¡¯s slow and concise tone indicated that he would no longer interfere. ¡°Fine. This is myst piece of advice. y the apaniment on the guitar. Calmly.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to try to sing it.¡± ¡°You are?¡± ¡°Why? You think I can¡¯t sing? I¡¯ve been making a living off of music for over 30 years. I bet I¡¯m better than you.¡± Jun Hyuk saw Kim Jong Sukugh, and calmly yed the guitar while Kim Jong Suk delivered the lyrics. When the song ended, Kim Jong Suk took the guitar from Jun Hyuk¡¯s arms. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll y the apaniment, you try singing.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong? Just think of it as if you¡¯re at karaoke.¡± Jun Hyuk sang quietly to Kim Jong Suk¡¯s guitar. When the song ended, he must have seen how Kim Jong Suk felt on his face because he turned bright red. He had not sung well, showing how ufortable and unconfident he felt. ¡°You¡¯re just singing to show me. Singing for others to hear are professional singers. You¡¯re singing for the first time today. Don¡¯t think about showing it to me, but show it to yourself. Let other people hear it when you do the broadcast.¡± Kim Jong Suk pat Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder and left. Talking about it any more would be unnecessary nagging. He felt relieved, but also sorry to Producer Kim Ki Sik. ¡°Producer Kim, it¡¯s me.¡± ¨C Oh, teacher. Is it going well? ¡°Yeah. He might sing. I heard Jun Hyuk sing just now.¡± ¨C Is... that for real? It was a voice of disbelief, and he could feel the great anticipation. Kim Jong Suk replied cautiously, ¡°Um... His singing isn¡¯t very good. Don¡¯t expect too much.¡± ¨C ..... I see. There¡¯s nothing we can do. You worked hard. Kim Jong Suk had thought that Producer Kim would make a fuss, but when he heard how resigned he was, he could guess that the future rounds had already been decided. *** After hanging up the phone, Kim Ki Sik yelled out, ¡°Hey! Production team gather. It¡¯s an emergency meeting.¡± The production team that had gathered in the conference room was curious as to what had happened, but they did not speak when they saw Kim Ki Sik¡¯s stern face. ¡°Everyone needs to listen to me ande back with an answer within 30 minutes. If not, you¡¯re all dead.¡± What could it be that he¡¯s starting with a threat? ¡°Jun Hyuk just sang.¡± The production team had not expected these words toe from Kim Ki Sik and waited for the next. ¡°Apparently it¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just average.¡± Everyone was disappointed. It seems there would be no surprise or reversal. ¡°Well I guess he seems more human. If he could sing well with that face and that talent, he would really be a mistake from God. I¡¯m starting to feel affection for him now that I know there¡¯s something he can¡¯t do.¡± Assistant Producer Pil Jae could not hide his sinking feeling andughed. ¡°Stop talking nonsense and think about it. What do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk¡¯s singing is a total mess?¡± ¡°I told you. It¡¯s at an average level. Why do you have so many questions?¡± If Jun Hyuk¡¯s singing had been a hidden treasure, they would have found some way to advance him to the win. But they had lost control of the situation and Jun Hyuk himself did not have the will to keep going. The result was decided. ¡°Senior, let¡¯s go with the singing.¡± ¡°He said it¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°If we go with an instrumental, what could be different? Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance can¡¯t be a hot topic anymore. You saw how bad his 2nd round EDM track sales are? When Jang Na Rae was in 1st ce, Jun Hyuk was above 50.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s a difference between a song and electronic. The consumer is different. More than a best seller at clubs, it¡¯ll go as a steady.¡± It was not only that. It would be sold to various entertainment programs and CFs. ¡°Isn¡¯t Jun Hyuk done with the 3rd round? And we got a lot of track sales from the Star Week songs he did in the preliminaries. Not to mention the 1st round orchestra.¡± ¡°So what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Viewer ratings.¡± There were only two objectives for an audition program. Track sales and viewer ratings. ¡°He¡¯s finally singing in the 3rd round. With this, we don¡¯t have to worry about viewer ratings.¡± ¡°What does it matter if he can¡¯t sing? I would actually be happier if he was tone deaf. That¡¯s an incredible reversal. I¡¯m sure he would gain even more poprity.¡± The production team were agreement as if there was nothing left to contemte. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go with the viewer ratings. Send out the press release. Don¡¯t be obvious, just let it slip.¡± ¡°Okay. There¡¯s a rumor in the broadcasting station that Jun Hyuk might sing. You mean at this rate?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± With this, Jun Hyuk¡¯s 3rd round elimination was decided. Jun Hyuk¡¯s musicality was a waste, but an audition program does not exist to protect the dignity of music. It is amercial show. They needed to be true to their field. Chapter 90 Volume 2 / Chapter 90 TL: LightNovelCafe Jun Hyuk¡¯s rehearsal was the subject of everyone¡¯s urgent attention. What would his singing be like? If he was even good at singing, there would be a reversal as intense as that of ¡®Sixth Sense¡¯ and he would surely be the winner. As soon as Jun Hyuk sang the first verse, the 7 participants gave a sigh of relief. They were also certain. There were no longer any reversals. Jun Hyuk would be eliminated. While everyone else was in agreement, the music director had a strange expression. He thought of Kim Jong Suk in Jun Hyuk¡¯s song. ¡®He¡¯s really an impressive man.¡¯ He is a producer with the ability to bring out hidden potential in unknown bands. While he had been with Jun Hyuk for the past 3 weeks, he had taught him something very important. He had shown Jun Hyuk the importance of the spoken word, which expressed emotions that the chime of instruments and beautiful melodies could not. Jun Hyuk¡¯s singing of murmuring was the perfect song to ry his message. *** Jun Hyuk¡¯s stage was simple like the atmosphere of the song. A dark stage. A ray of pin light. Under that, Jun Hyuk sat in a chair with his guitar and sang. His arpeggio chord and calm singing expressed a bittersweet emotion well. Kim Ki Sik was slightly surprised while watching this on the monitor. The lighting director had found the perfect point. The pin lighting was showing Jun Hyuk¡¯s song. ¡®This... picture is pretty good.¡¯ Kim Ki Sik was caught up in these thoughts for a moment when he bolted up from his seat. The screen was still and he could not hear anything. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°That kid. He stopped the song.¡± Jun Hyuk had stopped the song and there was only the sound of irregr breathing in the mic. Producer Kim knew what was happening right away. Jun Hyuk was holding back his tears. ¡°Hang on! Stay still. Don¡¯t go out on the stage and don¡¯t say anything. Hey! Connect me to the judges.¡± Kim Ki Sik yelled into the mic. ¡°Judges, don¡¯t make any sound and stay still. I¡¯ll send a separate signal. Please wait.¡± Assistant Producer Pil Jae held out a cellphone. ¡°Senior, the director called.¡± ¡°This bastard! Just hang up!¡± Kim Ki Sik held the mic and without blinking, began to direct the cameras like a seasoned director, ¡°Number 1! Close in on Jun Hyuk¡¯s face. No... don¡¯t go too close. That¡¯s right. Stop. Just like that.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s face filled the monitor precisely. ¡°Hey! Pil Jae. Time it. Tell me when 10 seconds passes... Number 3, get Yoon Jung Su¡¯s face. That man is holding back tears too. Hurry.¡± Kim Ki Sik counted to three and yelled again, ¡°Go back to Number 1. Jun Hyuk¡¯s face.¡± ¡®Tears... please just one tear.....¡± It was Kim Ki Sik¡¯s earnest plea. A true tear would touch the viewers¡¯ hearts more than a song of Lee So Ra¡¯s standard. ¡°Senior, 10 seconds!¡± The assistant producer shouted. ¡°Okay. Kyung Min, go out andfort Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Shit, what am I supposed to do?¡± MC Moon Kyung Min¡¯s swearing came through the earphone. ¡°I don¡¯t know, asshole. You¡¯re an MC. Just talk to him... and bring him backstage.¡± Kim Ki Sik yelled into the mic again, ¡°Writer Kim! Quickly write something for Kyung Min to say and send it over to him. Give it to him when he brings Jun Hyuk backstage. Hurry!¡± ¡°Producer, I¡¯m already writing it. Give me a second...¡± When Jun Hyuk heard the youngest writer cry, he bolted up from his seat. He quickly bowed to the judges and audience and rushed off of the stage. Producer Kim had prayed and prayed, but it had not worked. The camera did not catch Jun Hyuk¡¯s tears. ¡°Oh damn. Kyung Min,e out! There¡¯s no script. Ad lib it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go crazy.¡± Moon Kyung Min changed his expression from annoyance to regret in an instant and went out on the stage. ¡°Yes... our Jang Jun Hyuk could not hold back his emotions and... he was unable to finish his song. I guess that means... he waspletely immersed in the song. It also means that he sang with that much sincerity.¡± ¡°Someone help Kyung Min.¡± As Kim Ki Sik¡¯s request came through, Lee Sung Chul took the mic. ¡°Number 3! Film Sung Chul.¡± ¡°There are times like that. Like the MC said, there are times when the singer falls to the emotion before it is delivered to the audience. It is a pity. It is evidence that he is not yet a professional. A singer cannot forget that he is a messenger of emotions in any circumstance.¡± ¡°CM is going out.¡± He had to turn on the CM to Lee Sung Chul¡¯sments. Everyone needed a short break.¡± Yes. I see. Then we will continue with the next stage in 1 minute.¡± Everyone sighed in relief as soon as themercial went out. The production team, judges, and MC. ¡°Pil Jae, take the mic. Let me take a break until the next stage.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kim Ki Sik handed his headset over to Pil Jae and went out to the hallway with a cigarette. Before he could light it however, his cellphone rang loudly. Chapter 91 Volume 3 / Chapter 91 TL: LightNovelCafe The Director of the broadcasting station¡¯s number came up on the ringing phone¡¯s caller ID. Producer Kim Ki Sik picked up the call confidently. ¡°Hello, Director.¡± ¡°Kim Ki Sik! You jerk. Why won¡¯t you pick up my calls!¡± ¡°I just picked up.¡± ¡°What about Jun Hyuk? Where¡¯s that brat right now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be in the waiting room or something.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. You did well. I was so anxious the whole time I was watching.¡± ¡°How about me? I thought I was going to die.¡± ¡°You worked hard. You can¡¯t leave once you¡¯re done with work today. Let¡¯s get everyone together for dinner.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t pay it off with alcohol. Bring me a bonus.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a brat. What are you going to do now? Is Jun Hyuk out?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. We need to take him out of the running. If we save him now, it wouldn¡¯t make sense. We¡¯ll be advertising that this isn¡¯t an audition program.¡± ¡°Good. Just make sure you get a good interview today. At least get him to say why he cried.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Keep working hard. Ha ha.¡± The youngest member of the production team came running as the Director¡¯sughter rang over the phone with his certainty that they would have high viewer ratings. ¡°Producer Kim! Jun Hyuk... Jun Hyuk disappeared.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not in the waiting room or the bathroom.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go crazy. Hurry up and find him!¡± How long would these unexpected situationsst? He had never been part of such a rollercoaster ride in all of the live shows he had done until now. Producer Kim Ki Sik only hoped that they could get past today safely. *** Kim Jong Suk was lying down on the sofa in the recording studio watching TV, but got up as soon as Jun Hyuk¡¯s song stopped. He could tell from the timbre as soon as Jun Hyuk started singing that he was not following his biological mother¡¯s image, but her sight. *** Yoon Kwang Hun was watching the broadcast on therge TV in the cafe and could not stay still when Jun Hyuk disappeared behind the stage. He wanted to run to the broadcasting station, but it would be over once he arrived. He could not figure out what to do and paced inside. After hesitating for 10 minutes, he put on his jacket to leave the cafe when his phone rang loudly. An unknown phone number. He picked it up thinking that it would be an employee at the broadcasting station. ¡°Hello?¡± Sir? ¡°Jun Hyuk. You... What about the broadcast? Where are you? Why is there so much noise? Whose phone number is this¡± Oh, this is the taxi driver¡¯s phone. I¡¯m on my way to the cafe right now. ¡°What? Taxi? Hey! What about the broadcast?¡± Oh, I don¡¯t know. Really. The broadcast or whatever. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re saying you¡¯re on your way to the cafe? You¡¯re sure?¡± Yes. And sir, pleasee to the cafe if you¡¯re at home. I don¡¯t have any money on me. The taxi wille out to a lot..... ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m watching the broadcast at the cafe right now. Don¡¯t worry and hurry up and get here.¡± Okay. Yoon Kwang Hun ended the call and checked the phone number again. He thought that he would need to hurry up and tell the station this. A participant disappeared. Would they be able to rectify the situation? It is a great broadcast ident. Then the phone rang again. ¡°Hello?¡± Ah, Mr. Yoon. I¡¯m the youngest writer at MV. Do you remember me? ¡°Oh, yes. I was just about to call.¡± I have something to tell you... ¡°You¡¯re calling because of Jun Hyuk? Don¡¯t worry. I just spoke to him. He said he¡¯s on the way here in a taxi.¡± Excuse me? A taxi? ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I think he was so surprised after he made an ident on live broadcast.? Sir, wait a second. Please don¡¯t hang up the phone. He could hear someone¡¯s cursing, grumbling, and sighing through the phone. Sir, can¡¯t you convince Jun Hyuk to turn the taxi around now? All we have to do is wrap it up..... Yoon Kwang Hun could only feel sorry at the youngest writer¡¯s cautious voice. If the kid was someone who would go back, he would not have run away in the first ce. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll be hard. It¡¯s also uncertain whether he¡¯ll even go back on stage if he does go back.¡± Yes, I see. I¡¯ll give you a call again. Yoon Kwang Hun hung up the phone and turned the TV on again. He did not have to worry about Jun Hyuk because he was on his way home, but he wanted to see what would happen to the broadcast. He was sure that the sweat on MC Yoon Kyung Min¡¯s forehead was not from the heat of the lights. He started announcing the eliminations as he stuttered. As soon as he announced Jun Hyuk¡¯s name, they screened the scene where his song stopped. This came along with a request to excuse his absence as he is not in a state to appear on stage. As soon as the broadcast ended, his phone rang and he heard the youngest writer¡¯s weak voice. Sir, it¡¯s me, the youngest writer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sure you had a lot of issues with the broadcast.¡± No, it¡¯s okay since we somehow wrapped it up. Oh right, sir. ¡°Yes.¡± We need to meet Jun Hyuk tomorrow, so please convince him for us. ¡°Tomorrow? Can I ask why?¡± Since we finished thest like this today... we thought we would at least need to get an interview to air next week. ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll bepliant too since he did cause a problem.¡± Thank you. The cafe opens at 11? Can we go looking for you before you open? ¡°Sure, is 9:00 okay?¡± Yes. Then we will see you tomorrow. 30 minutes after he got off the phone, he could see the bright light of a car outside the cafe. Yoon Kwang Hun paid the taxi fare and took a Jun Hyuk who could not look him in the eyes inside. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Jun Hyuk had not been able to lift his head because he thought that he would be scolded, but looked up at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s gentle voice. ¡°I just came. I was going to be eliminated anyway and there was no reason to stay.¡± ¡°Even so. You need to finish up the broadcast before youe.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. You said it too. You told me to just quit ande back if I didn¡¯t want to do it anymore. I guess that¡¯s why I came.¡± ¡°Kid, did that mean you should quit and leave in the middle of a live broadcast? You should have finished up the live broadcast.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore. I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± ¡°What? Embarrased? What¡¯s embarrassing?¡± ¡°You know. I almost cried in front of the entire nation. I made myself a joke.¡± ¡°What? Are you saying you came here because you were embarrassed? You¡¯re driving me crazy. Geez. He he.¡± ¡°Stop it. I think I¡¯m going to go crazy. What kind of embarrassment is this... whew.¡± ¡°Did you really almost cry?¡± ¡°Ah... I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s real. I would¡¯ve cried if I sat there for another second.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun also had the thought that it might have been better if he had just cried his heart out. Crying is a way to shake one¡¯s feelings. ¡°Alright. Well whatever happened, you worked hard.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun poured two sses of sparkling wine in the kitchen and handed one over to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Drink it and calm down a little.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this alcohol?¡± ¡°I¡¯m giving it to you to congratte you on finishing the broadcast. You worked hard.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun pat Jun Hyuk¡¯s back and clinked his ss. ¡°I¡¯ve never drank before.¡± ¡°This kid. You think I don¡¯t know? I know you take beers and wine from the fridge. I just pretended I didn¡¯t know. I drank when people weren¡¯t looking at your age too. You¡¯re acting like it¡¯s something new.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun saw Jun Hyukugh and drank his refreshing wine. Whatever had happened, Jun Hyuk had experienced a lot in a short period of time and had taken a step into society. Chapter 92 Volume 3 / Chapter 92 TL: LightNovelCafe The writers who came from MV channel the next day were not able to get much out of the interview. No matter how relentlessly they asked for ament on his performance, he just gave the simple response that he does not know and is sorry. If there was anything that they got out of him, it was what was toe in the future. ¡°Then if an agency calls, do you intend to sign a contract and continue your activities in music?¡± ¡°Um... I don¡¯t know about an agency. There is a promise I made with Teacher Jo Hyung Joong... We said we¡¯d release a record.¡± ¡°A record? Then it¡¯ll be your debut album?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit much to say it¡¯s a debut album. It¡¯s just tomemorate I guess.¡± ¡°Commemorate? Are you saying you¡¯re going to produce an album before going to study abroad?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t decided on studying abroad yet. We¡¯re going to make our decision slowly.¡± All they got from the interview was that he would be making an album. Jun Hyuk¡¯s producer, Kim Jong Suk, gave a better analysis ofst night¡¯s events. ¡°Producer Kim. You had a hard time yesterday? He he.¡± ¡°I really... You took 10 years off my life.¡± When Kim Jong Suk suddenly appeared at the station, Producer Kim Ki Sik made a fuss. ¡°What 10 years... I¡¯m sure you hit the highest viewer ratings. Don¡¯t you need to buy me a drink?¡± He had gone back and forth between heaven and hell, but they had recorded the best ratings at 17%. Kim Jong Suk made a request to the music director to see Jun Hyuk¡¯s videos from the day before, and carefully watched all of the videos of Jun Hyuk¡¯s rehearsal and performance from different angles. The music director rewatched the rehearsal video and spoke, ¡°You¡¯re really impressive. How did you get this out of Jun Hyuk?¡± ¡°Right? The rehearsal is his real image. What a waste.¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s an ovep with folk singers from the 60s and 70s. Though I¡¯m sure kids these days won¡¯t buy into it.....¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. That¡¯s enough. I think a good song wille out after time passes and Jun Hyuk is a little older. Whether he sings or not.¡± Producer Kim who was watching from the side was more curious about something other than the music. ¡°But what happened? Can you guess?¡± ¡°Well... roughly. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s right or wrong though.¡± The two men just looked at Kim Jong Suk¡¯s mouth. ¡°He¡¯s normal during the rehearsal. And it¡¯s the image that I had wanted.¡± ¡°But then what happened on the stage?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that either. But this is what I¡¯m thinking. Don¡¯t you think he saw his own image instead of his mother while he was singing on stage?¡± ¡°His own image?¡± ¡°Yeah. His abandoned self. He saw himself as an infant being abandoned through the eyes of his mother singing the song. Don¡¯t you think it could be that his singing became rough and he saw himself pathetically because he saw himself thrown away?¡± Kim Ki Sik had been expecting a grand secret and could not understand. The music director on the other hand, nodded lightly and showed sympathy. Only the singer can know the emotions he felt while he was singing, but they could make various interpretations as the listeners. ¡°Then I guess this is Jun Hyuk¡¯s first andst image.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean hisst?¡± ¡°Oh, I mean as young Jun Hyuk singing. You think he¡¯ll sing going forward after showing that side of himself? Though it might change when he gets older... Producer Kim. Keep this saved. It¡¯ll be incredible footage. If Jun Hyuk bes a world-famous musician, these videos will be really valuable.¡± It was then that Producer Kim Ki Sik realized that this video is the most expensive treasure they obtained from this season. Top stations, even international stations, would need to pay MV channel to use this footage. The fee for the footage of Elvis Presley¡¯s first appearance on CBS is $30,000. Though his would not be to the point of Elvis Presley, it would be a generous source of ie if he even won an award in apetition. After Jun Hyuk was eliminated from the audition program, his fans swarmed to the cafe starting early in the morning. They looked around the cafe waiting for him to appear. Yoon Kwang Hun took Jun Hyuk and came out of the cafe. If they stayed any longer, he would be imprisoned in the basement practice room. Yoon Kwang Hun stopped by the bank before taking Jun Hyuk to his house. ¡°Sir, why are we going to the bank all of a sudden?¡± ¡°We need to make an ount under your name.¡± ¡°What? My ount?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to move the deposit from your modeling contract to your ount. We need to have one made for you.¡± Since Jun Hyuk had never earned money himself before, $20,000 is not an easily quantifiable sum to him. When he first saw the modeling contract, he had been counting the number of zeros on his fingers. ¡°And you¡¯ll start getting incentives from the songs you arranged and performed on the broadcast. They said they¡¯ll settle the amount every 3 months, so you really need an ount.¡± The average child would be putting the money he received over the holidays into his first bank ount. That time is veryte for Jun Hyuk, but he had earned an amount that children at his age could not even touch. Jun Hyuk opened his first ount while receiving courteous treatment from the bank employees and was only able to escape after taking amemorative photo. While they wereing home after, Yoon Kwang Hun wondered, ¡°The modeling fee is $20,000... What do you want to do? Is there anything you want to do?¡± ¡°Sir, I think you should just keep the money.....¡± ¡°Why? Why should I keep it when I didn¡¯t earn it?¡± ¡°I told you. I¡¯ll make money and repay your kindness.¡± ¡°This kid. You think $20,000 will cut it?¡± Jun Hyuk started to stutter in surprised at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s retort, ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m saying you should keep everything I earn.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun smirked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s surprised face. ¡°Later.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°When you make $2million or $20million, I¡¯m going to keep it all. This kid! Lawyer Baek said it too. I used to work with hundreds of millions. $20,000? That¡¯s not even money to me. You use that as pocket change.¡± ¡°But.....¡± Yoon Kwang Hun who had been joking until now spoke seriously, ¡°Jun Hyuk, it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve earned money. Don¡¯t save it and just use it. You¡¯ve never been able to have anything you wanted for 17 years. Have it.¡± Jun Hyuk was walking with an apologetic face when he smiled a little. Yoon Kwang Hun did not miss it and asked, ¡°There is something. What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, the truth is... there is something I really want to get, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll let me.¡± ¡°Tell me. I¡¯m telling you to do whatever you want as long as it isn¡¯t anything bad.¡± ¡°A motorcycle.¡± ¡°What? A motorcycle? Ha ha.¡± Music, star, model... Because of these words, he had been forgetting for a while that Jun Hyuk is a teenager who likes to look cool. ¡°What kind? Is there a model that you have in mind?¡± Jun Hyuk spoke excitedly because he thought that Yoon Kwang Hun would oppose it saying that it is dangerous. ¡°You know, Suzuki? The rear shock absorber went up so.....¡± It is an age where bikes that race through traffic look cool. That is, before they see luxury goods. ¡°Do you want to see what a real motorcycle is?¡± ¡°A real motorcycle?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. See the real thing.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun brought Jun Hyuk back to the cafe and got in the car to go to Seoul. Where they went was not a neighborhood motorcycle shop, but a ring specialized dealership with impressive motorcycles. ¡°These are real motorcycles. What do you think?¡± Jun Hyuk was already standing in front of a red motorcycle, speechless as if in a trance. It was so polished that he was scared to even touch it. Jun Hyuk stood staring at it and slowly reached a hand out to stroke the red motorcycle. ¡°Ducati Monster 696. You picked a good one. Masterpiece of masterpieces. The shock absorber Suzuki 12 is just a tractor. This is what you call a motorcycle.¡± With Jun Hyuk¡¯s modeling fee, he would only be able to afford the Monster model which is the lowest of the middle level Ducatis. The bigger problem was that they are really monsters that are too powerful for a beginner to handle. ¡°Wow, your father is awesome. Gifting a Ducati to his son.¡± An employee approached the two as he started his small talk. ¡°Wow ¨C your son is really a model. He¡¯s tall and handsome. It looks like this one found its rightful owner.¡± The employee stroked the Ducati and looked back and forth between the bike and Jun Hyuk when he started stammering, ¡°Are... Are you Jang Jun Hyuk? Tomorrow¡¯s Star? Right?¡± However, Jun Hyuk was so enwrapped by the motorcycle that he did not hear him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But we¡¯re not buying right now. We just came to look today. He doesn¡¯t have a license yet. We¡¯lle back once he gets his license.¡± ¡°Oy, look all you want.¡± The employee called the dealership manager who had left while the two were looking at the bike. There was no windfall like the appearance of such a rising star. ¡°Boss, hurry up and call headquarters to tell them that Jun Hyuk is here. Don¡¯t we need to give him a lot of discounts? We¡¯re getting free advertisement.¡± Chapter 93 Volume 3 / Chapter 93 TL: LightNovelCafe While they were going back home, Yoon Kwang Hun told Jun Hyuk the conditions he needed to keep if he wanted to buy the motorcycle. ¡°You have to wear your safety equipment properly and you can¡¯t ride alone.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re not saying you¡¯ll ride on back, are you?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Enroll in a club and learn how to ride safely. You need to go into a club of old people with a lot of experience. You¡¯ll ride with them. You can¡¯t ride alone until riding safely bes a habit.¡± Jun Hyuk just nodded to everything. He could not really hear what was being said. Whatever the conditions were, he needed to buy the bike first. From that day on, Jun Hyuk did not care about music, working on his first album, or studying abroad. He was preupied with passing the exam to obtain his license in one go. *** Yoon Kwang Hun did not know what to do with the customers who came pouring in as soon as he opened the cafe doors. They were all Jun Hyuk¡¯s fans. Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s cafe is the Holy Land to Jun Hyuk¡¯s fans. They need to make the pilgrimage here, so there were even fans from the countryside who chartered tour buses toe. They already had 3 employees, but it had gotten to the point where they need to hire more. After dealing with customers all day, he went home exhausted and just slept. He was currently building a new cafe in a ce a little removed from the cafe now. Lawyer Baek Seung Ho made a tremendous amount of money for him and he would be able to build multiple cafes with that. Yoon Kwang Hun put a spacious studio in the basement and was setting up the third floor as a residence for Jun Hyuk and himself. He was going to make the 1st and 2nd floors into a cafe and live with music. Yoon Kwang Hun thought that Jun Hyuk¡¯s fans would note bothering him in hordes if they moved, so he was just counting down the days until they could go in. Female customers came flooding in as soon as the cafe doors opened again, and they began to chatter after ordering coffee and honey bread. When about half of the seats were taken, a middle-aged woman in in clothes opened the doors toe in. The middle-aged woman looked familiar like someone he had seen before. When he had the thought ¡®Is she a regr?¡¯ an employee approached and spoke, ¡°Boss, that woman said she¡¯s here to meet you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Oy, what a bother. What now?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun stopped frowning, walked toward the woman, and greeted her politely, ¡°Hello. I am the owner of this cafe.¡± ¡°Mr. Yoon Kwang Hun?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can we speak for a moment?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s a little busy at the moment as you can see.¡± ¡°Hm... I heard that you love music, but I guess you don¡¯t consider domestic music worthy?¡± ¡°Excuse me? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Do you know who I am? My name is Jeon Hye Jin.¡± ¡°Jeon Hye Jin? Ah, pianist Jeon Hye Jin?¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jinughed at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s surprise. ¡°Yes. What a relief. You know my name.¡± ¡°How rude of me... I didn¡¯t think you woulde to a shabby cafe like this. My apologies.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re someone who hasn¡¯t purchased my CD. It¡¯s a relief that you know my name.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Oh, CD... I should have one somewhere...¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s face turned red at Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s teasing. ¡°Ho ho. Rx. I¡¯m not here to pick on you about that. Actually, I met Jun Hyuk not too long ago.¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun sat on the seat opposite Professor Jeon Hye Jin. ¡°Yes. Hwang Suk Min brought him to our school. He said that Jun Hyuk is a gem but could not give a concrete evaluation.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°Oh right, I heard that Jun Hyuk¡¯s broadcast ended but where is he now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s studying hard these days to get his license. Ha ha. He¡¯s at my apartment because of the cafe¡¯s state as you can see. What should we do about this? You probably came to meet Jun Hyuk.¡± Even in Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s eyes, this was not just any cafe. It was a spectacle with women of all ages noisily taking pictures in front of the piano and bookcase full of CDs. ¡°No, it¡¯s better this way. I actually came here because I wanted to speak with you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Why would a pianiste looking for him? Is this about lessons? Or? Various thoughts passed through Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s head. Jeon Hye Jin took a look around the cafe and saw the CDs on the wall and the grand piano in the middle of the cafe. ¡°So he listened to all of those CDs filling that wall.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a relief that he met someone like you.¡± Jeon Hye Jin sipped the coffee an employee brought over and spoke, ¡°Then Jun Hyuk just listened to music for 2 years.¡± ¡°Yes. Fortunately, I was able to show him how to read music scores and he did the rest on his own.¡± Jeon Hye Jin looked at Yoon Kwang Hun and carefully brought up her reason foring, ¡°I observed this gem that Jun Hyuk is. Hm... How should I say it? Should I say he¡¯s a gem that¡¯s impossible to judge?¡± Thank you for evaluating him so highly.¡± ¡°At first, I thought that it would be a joke for me to be involved and that I would be meddling... but I couldn¡¯t stay still. I looked into and heard that you¡¯re already thinking of sending Jun Hyuk to study abroad.¡± ¡°No that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± Jeon Hye Jin had her coffee cup in her hand as her eyes widened. She thought that this man might be having different thoughts. She was even suspicious that he might be thinking of ways to make money by having Jun Hyuk work in Korea. ¡°I just made one out of many paths that Jun Hyuk can take. He can take that path if he wants to and he can leave it if he doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What did the schools you looked into say?¡± ¡°All except one said that they would give him a full schrship.¡± ¡°Which is the stupid school that rejected him?¡± ¡°Ha ha. They¡¯re not stupid. It¡¯s Eastman School of Music. They said that they would give him a full schrship, a ce for him to live alone, and even $2,000 every month in allowance.¡± ¡°Are you hesitating because of money?¡± ¡°No. We have plenty of money. And Jun Hyuk is already making enough money. Money isn¡¯t the issue.¡± There are prestigious schools all over the world waiting for Jun Hyuk with open arms. But to say that he has no intention to force him to go? Jeon Hye Jin wondered what Yoon Kwang Hun was thinking and listened carefully to his next words. ¡°I wanted Jun Hyuk to focus on ssical as well. But... I don¡¯t know if you know, but after we went through a bad situation, my thoughts changed. It¡¯d be great if Jun Hyuk gained fame and became a world-renowned figure, but I just want him to be happy doing what he wants to do. Isn¡¯t he just 17 years old? Even without rushing him, he will show us mature music as he grows up.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun thought of Jun Hyuk¡¯s happy face these days. ¡°Right now, Jun Hyuk is studying at home because he wants to get his license. That image of him looks happier than he did when he was making music.¡± ¡°Sir, may I say something that is overstepping my boundaries?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°We say that Mozart is a genius because heposed a symphony at age 5. It certainly isn¡¯t because he was able to copy a song after hearing it once. The important thing is that in his time from a 5 year old prodigy until he died at 26, his music never stopped developing.¡± Jeon Hye Jin was saying that Jun Hyuk¡¯s development would cease if they became satisfied with his talent now. ¡°Right now, Jun Hyuk is definitely a genius. But I¡¯m more curious about the music Jun Hyuk will make as a 26 year old than I am about the music he¡¯ll make at 17. If he gains poprity and does Korean pop music... it¡¯s a bit worrisome. He could just stop here.¡± Chapter 94 Volume 3 / Chapter 94 TL: LightNovelCafe Even Beethoven who was going deaf, was not satisfied with his music and put all of himself into writing music until the end. The result of that is none other than Symphony No. 9 Choral, the ultimate masterpiece in the history of symphonies. Everyone who wasbeled a genius was able to maintain that title because they put in an endless effort until the day they died. ¡°When I was young, there was a boy my age whose IQ was over 200. He even came out on TV. Was it at age 4? The whole country was talking about it because hepleted college level math problems perfectly. However, he¡¯s now a level 7 official in the countryside. If you don¡¯t keep growing a talent, it disappears.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun quietly listened to Jeon Hye Jin andughed as he spoke, ¡°I understand what you¡¯re worrying about. But I have absolutely no intention on forcing him. Jun Hyuk will make the decision himself. His craving for music is the greatest.¡± Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s frustration did not go away. Isn¡¯t he still at the young age of 17? An adult should be able to force young children to lead them into the right path. ¡°When I listened to Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano, I was surprised because of the way he could identify emotions and not the way he copies. He showed me Dinu Lipatti, Van Cliburn, and Glenn Gould and I thought I was going to pass out.¡± She had not showed it that day, but it was true that she had been so surprised she almost fainted. ¡°But none of the verses showed Jun Hyuk¡¯s own color. How could a child who could excel in piano not have a color of his own? It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t have one, but that he¡¯s hiding it.¡± ¡°I know that as well. Jun Hyuk is a juke box. If you put a coin in and choose a song, ites out exactly the same. But isn¡¯t it impressive in itself that he can replicate those greats perfectly?¡± ¡°It is impressive. However, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a waste that a child who can be the greatest pianist in the world is copying others¡¯ songs?¡± ¡°Professor.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun saw heartfelt worry in Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t he a child who ys the piano so well that you almost passed out? There¡¯s no way a child like that doesn¡¯t have a color of his own, is there?¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s only normal for him to have it. I¡¯m asking why he doesn¡¯t reveal it.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t like his piano.¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk said that as well. He said that there are so many people who are better at ying the piano than he is that there¡¯s really no reason for him to y. He said that those people can just y the songs that heposes. But he¡¯s just 17 now. Even if he isn¡¯t as talented as he wants to be, he needs to shape that talent to make is satisfactory. Then he will for sure surpass the greats.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun told her the reason with a bitter expression, but Jeon Hye Jin did not fully understand. ¡°Ah, I guess I didn¡¯t tell you this exactly. It seems hecks expression. What I was saying is... It isn¡¯t that Jun Hyuk doesn¡¯t like his piano because he isn¡¯t as good as the greats or anything like that.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better to say that he doesn¡¯t want to face his color. I¡¯ve heard Jun Hyuk¡¯s own piano once.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun could not forget the shock from that day. Yoon Kwang Hun woke up at dawn because his stomach was grumbling and thought of ordering a snack for delivery, but went to the cafe instead. He wanted to eat with Jun Hyuk if he was going to eat anyway. As soon as he entered the cafe, it was full of the sound of the piano. Jun Hyuk did not realize that Yoon Kwang Hun hade and was engrossed in ying the piano. He was ying Beethoven¡¯s Piano Sonata No. 14 Moonlight. The 1st verse was so peaceful it was stifling, the 2nd a lively minuet, and the 3rd a vehemence of movement. This configuration showed that it is a different form from other sonatas. Normally, the 1st verse is intense and the 2nd is calm in order to rx. Moonlight is configured in reverse. Its specialty is that it has a dreamlike melody. The whole verse has a stifling peacefulness and the melody is so emotional and beautiful that it causes sadness. It is a song that does not allow the listener to lift his head in relief. However, Jun Hyuk¡¯s interpretation of the song was full of anger. It was not a moonlight that provided a beautiful light in a dark night. It was a moonlight that shed light on bloody night with a dingo and wolf fighting over territory. An explosion of anger after peace, power, and passion in which it felt like one or the other would be ripped apart. That was all. Yoon Kwang Hun left the cafe quietly so Jun Hyuk would not notice his presence. Jun Hyuk had only shown him a bright side of himself even if there had been times when he seemed rough and spoke like a thug. Yoon Kwang Hun thought it pathetic that he had expected Jun Hyuk¡¯s wounds to have healed over time. There is no reason for a wound of over 10 years to heal in just 2 years. He knew well where Jun Hyuk¡¯s anger wasing from and where it was directed. ¡°It¡¯s better to listen to Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano in 10 years. Once Jun Hyuk is able to ept and love himself as he is, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be ying music that will exceed what you expected. Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent isn¡¯t the type that will spark and disappear.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun spoke quietly while thinking of that day, but Professor Jeon Hye Jin could not understand. ¡°What is Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano like right now that you say this?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you something that he himself does not want to reveal. Sorry.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun spoke as he looked at a disappointed Professor Jeon Hye Jin, ¡°I understand how concerned you are about Jun Hyuk, but let¡¯s just leave it up to him. He¡¯ll do well. And I won¡¯t stop you from meeting him to convince him whenever you would like to since I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because you care for him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re much better than the parents who have a lot of ambition for their children who have a slight talent.¡± Jeon Hye Jin calmed herself as she drank her coffee. She had seen so many parents who wanted to make their children¡¯s talent into something 10 times what is really was, so she saw Yoon Kwang Hun as the ideal parent with his attitude. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It could be that I have a more objective approach because I¡¯m not his biological parent.¡± Looking at Yoon Kwang Hun, Professor Jeon Hye Jin felt like she had overstepped her bounds. This is a man who could raise Jun Hyuk as an amazing musician. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is yton-Hoffman included in the schools he was epted to?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. We couldn¡¯t leave it out when it¡¯s the most prestigious school in America. We applied and received a letter of eptance.¡± ¡°What a relief. I would like to rmend yton if you do end up sending Jun Hyuk abroad.¡± ¡°Can I ask why?¡± ¡°yton is good in all aspects, but it is especially excellent inposition andmanding education. They provide a lot of support and make arrangements to meet people in the industry. I hope for Jun Hyuk to have a lot of those types of opportunities. Who knows? He might have the chance to conduct the New York Philharmonic¡¯s New Year¡¯s Concert. Ho ho.¡± Chapter 95 Volume 3 / Chapter 95 TL: LightNovelCafe For the two days after Professor Jeon Hye Jin came and left, Yoon Kwang Hun contemted some more and sat Jun Hyuk down to talk. ¡°Jun Hyuk. Can we talk?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Jun Hyuk started to feel a little nervous at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already contemting it, but have you thought about it?¡± ¡°Are you talking about studying abroad?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m most scared of being by myself again.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun saw Jun Hyuk respond without hesitation and knew. He wants to study music. He needs an education in order to create better music. He realized that Jun Hyuk had these thoughts but feared standing alone. ¡°That means you¡¯re not against going abroad to study with great musicians, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun needed persuasion, not force. Something that gives him courage may be necessary. ¡°Hm... Then you say that you¡¯re bing independent in a situation like this, not alone.¡± ¡°Independence?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re going your own way. There will be a lot of new people waiting for you on that road. You¡¯ll go on living with a repetition of meetings and farewells.¡± Farewell. It is the word that Jun Hyuk fears most. ¡°Then what about you?¡± ¡°Me? Are you thinking that going abroad means you¡¯ll be saying bye to me? Why would that happen? I¡¯m your home.¡± ¡°Home?¡± ¡°Yeah. The home you cane back to at anytime to rest if you ever be tired on that road. That¡¯s me. And that¡¯s not only me. All parents in this world are people who guard their homes to protect their children.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun finally said the word ¡®parent¡¯. Though he could not say that he is a parent with confidence, he was showing his will to y the same role. ¡°And all young kids are the same. The only difference is in when this independencees. You¡¯re just being independent a little faster than most.¡± The word ¡®parent¡¯ from Yoon Kwang Hun. Jun Hyuk who had heard it clearly put his head down and could not lift it for a while. When he raised it again, he had a bright expression as though nothing had happened. ¡°Do you want me to go abroad?¡± ¡°Of course. But if you say you don¡¯t want to, I¡¯m not going to force you. And I hope you don¡¯t think that you should go just because I want you to.¡± ¡°Can I think about it some more?¡± ¡°Take all the time you need. Like I just said, I¡¯m okay with whatever path you take. I won¡¯t even stop you if you decide to be an idol singer. Ha ha.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun gave Jun Hyuk the freedom of choice, but it also seemed like the time for him to be independent hade. Jun Hyuk felt like he would never forget the day he got his license. It was the first exam he had ever taken and he passed it in one go. He did not know that it felt this great to pass a test. When he got his license and went back to the dealership to buy the Ducati Monster, the manager and staff were out. In exchange for taking a few pictures, they gave them celebrity discounts and sent the bike to the cafe on the back of a truck. For Jun Hyuk who had only practiced for the license exam on a 25, the 70 is a monster like its name. He did not have the technique to control this monster that rushed forward at the slightest touch. Eventually, Jun Hyuk became absorbed in the joy of riding once he enrolled in a riders¡¯ club as Yoon Kwang Hun had said and learned to control the monster himself. There are quite a lot of people who do not have to work for a living in this world. There were a lot of people whose jobs were unknown who participated in the riding club everyday. Jun Hyuk did not care about music until he rode with these men so often that he was able to ride at 180km/h without fear. He went out in the morning and did not return until sundown, and there were times when he did note back for a few days. His long-distance rides on nationwide routes became more frequent. Yoon Kwang Hun did not nag at Jun Hyuk about anything other than riding safely, and only asked about the destination of the riders. He was also busy moving into the newly built cafe. He created a soundproofed studio in the basement and was going to look into the best equipment to fill it with when Jun Hyuk said they should push it off. That is when Yoon Kwang Hun understood Jun Hyuk¡¯s intentions. Even if he brought in the best equipment, there would be no reason to use it. He also realized that Jun Hyuk was riding his motorcycle all over the country in order to make memories before he went abroad. After falling into riding for 3 months, Jun Hyuk suddenly did note out of the studio. He wrestled with the guitar and drums for a month and came out of his studio with arge stack of scores. ¡°Were you locked up making a new song?¡± ¡°Yes. I was thinking of making an album with this.¡± ¡°Album?¡± ¡°Yes. Teacher Jo Hyung Joong said that he wants to work on my first album.¡± ¡°Really? What¡¯s the genre?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun put out his hand with an expression full of anticipation. However, Jun Hyuk put the scores under his arm and put his hand down. ¡°Listen to it if the recordes out. I¡¯m not going to show you the score. Ke ke.¡± Jun Hyuk put the scores in his backpack and got on his motorcycle. The Ducati Monster he had treated like a lover had be a means of transportation. ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Oh, Jun Hyuk. How have you been? I¡¯ve spoken to Yoon Kwang Hun over the phone a few times... I heard you¡¯re into riding these days?¡± When Jun Hyuk walked in with his helmet, Jo Hyung Joong was surprised by how much he had changed in a matter of months. His face had not changed in any way other than getting a little tanned, but he looked more mature. He had gained confidence. ¡°Now it¡¯s just... withering. I rode as much as I wanted. Teacher.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I wanted to start working on an album. Do you have time?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been waiting. I just didn¡¯t push you because I figured you needed to rest after having a hard time with the broadcast. Wait a second. I¡¯ll have to tell Jung Su to hurry over.¡± Jo Hyung Joong called Yoon Jung Su to bolt over and chat with Jun Hyuk until he arrived. The two versions of Kanon had not brought in as much profits as they had expected, but they had gained tremendous profits in advertisements because it had explosive views on YouTube. Jun Hyuk had been surprised by the number that came up in his bank ount. The $20,000 he had earned in modeling fees was nothing. As soon as Yoon Jung Su arrived, Jun Hyuk went through his backpack and pulled out the score. Jun Hyuk had a total of 10 songs. They varied from 2 minutes 40 seconds to 5 minutes 10 seconds. The overall running time was 40 minutes. The two men looked excitedly through the thick stack of scores. ¡°Are these all new songs?¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t move from the studio for a month and made these.¡± Jo Hyung Joong and Yoon Jung Su looked through the ten scores carefully and put them down. ¡°You haven¡¯t arranged them yet?¡± ¡°No, because you both said that you would work on the album.¡± However, the scores had the clear message about the genre. It was also a request to preserve the genre. There were various genres mixed in including a light bad, blues, jazz, rock, and powerful heavy metal. ¡°Oh right. There¡¯s an order to these tracks. I wrote the numbers at the top of the scores... We have to put them in that order.¡± Arranging the track order also meant that he had already chosen the title song. ¡°Jun Hyuk, this is your first album. We have to arrange it together. It¡¯s not like you aren¡¯t able to or anything.¡± Jo Hyung Joong had a puzzled expression. The joy of working with Jun Hyuk. He wanted to savor the happiness of seeing his talent. However, Jun Hyukughed without responding. Yoon Jung Su was so absorbed in the scores that he had not seen Jun Hyuk¡¯s face and was mumbling. ¡°Looking at this, it seems there¡¯s a concept. There¡¯s a motif melody hiding in each song.¡± ¡°Yes. I listened to the 1st album of Wild Chrysanthemum Teacher Jo mentioned again carefully.¡± Wild Chrysanthemum¡¯s debut album, the best record in the history of Korean pop music. Jo Hyung Joong had said that he wanted to make an album to surpass this with Jun Hyuk. ¡°They had incorporated the theme of their title song, ¡®March¡¯, into the other songs. It was incredible. I didn¡¯t realize at first even when he used the lyrics of March in the title of other songs.¡± ¡°So are you saying that you used that technique in all of your songs?¡± ¡°Yes. That way, it won¡¯t becking to say that it¡¯s a concept album.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the concept you want to get out of this?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t a big meaning... but I guess you could just see it as a day in the cafe.¡± ¡°A day in the cafe?¡± ¡°Yes. Cleaning in the morning, opening the doors, doing business, closing the cafe, cleaning. I made this the concept.¡± The sharp Yoon Jung Su finally took his eyes off of the scores and whistled. ¡°The cafe owner will be happy.¡± Jo Hyung Joong just blinked at Yoon Jung Su¡¯s words out of the blue. ¡°Hyung Joong, this seems like a song Jun Hyuk made for the cafe owner. And it means that he was happy every single day he spent at the cafe. Is that right?¡± It seemed Yoon Jung Su¡¯s guess was not wrong from the way Jun Hyuk smiles without responding. They had thought it contained a great meaning, but it was just a day in the cafe. Jo Hyung Joong who had thought that Jun Hyuk¡¯s music style was too grand to capture a simple daily life, nodded. ¡°I see. I was wondering why the ten songs are so refreshing. Alright, since it¡¯s your first album... it might be something definite.¡± He made the theme of his first album himself instead of bringing it in from elsewhere. This in itself is a great development. Yoon Jung Su was even pleased that Jun Hyuk finally realized how to put his own story in his music when he had been the one who said he heard music in all sounds. ¡°Jun Hyuk certainly has ssical running through his blood. I think this follows the flow of ssical. The introduction ¨C chorus ¨C middle portion ¨C reappearance of the chorus ¨C you configured it as a coda?¡± ¡°Yes. I made the album as if it were one song and then remade that into 10 songs.¡± They could easily create a concept album. The consumer who could recognize the melodic concept would be able to enjoy it fully. ¡°This is great. The framework is perfect. I guess the key will be how you build on it.¡± The two men could not stopplimenting him, but their expressions were not very bright. It did not feel like it would be popr. The two had not thought of creating music that would sell well from the beginning. However, people tend to aim for sess while they are at it. ¡°Jung Su, can you write the lyrics quickly? There are 10 songs.¡± ¡°Since Jun Hyuk created a concept. I¡¯m thinking of writing the lyrics with the concept in mind. It won¡¯t take very long.¡± Yoon Jung Su is good at creating lyrics with everydaynguage. He thought that it would be perfect if he included Jun Hyuk¡¯s desire to say thank you to the cafe owner, his joy in working with music everyday at the cafe, and even a farewell. There was no longer talk of studying abroad, but will he not leave the country at some point? It would not be bad to say farewell to the person he is grateful to in advance. Yoon Jung Su did not take his eyes off of the score and Jo Hyung Joong was locked in thought. ¡°Then who would be fitting to sing the songs? There¡¯s no need to worry about the session since Jun Hyuk can y it himself.¡± At this, Jun Hyuk said something surprising. ¡°Teacher, since this album is something we¡¯re making all together, I wanted to leave the session to other people. And I¡¯ll leave the arranging and producing entirely up to the both of you.¡± Again, the sharp Yoon Jung Su understood Jun Hyuk perfectly. He could tell from what Jun Hyuk was saying that he would be going abroad as soon as the album ispleted. That is why he is leaving everything including the arrangement and performance up to others. He would be able to remember every person he worked with on the album whenever he listened to it. ¡°You want to cherish the memories?¡± Yoon Jung Su mumbled. It was a tone at which they could not tell if he was talking to himself or asking a question. ¡°..... Yes.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s cautious response meant that Yoon Jung Su¡¯s prediction was correct. He was sad when he actually heard the response. Then his shoulders suddenly became heavy. An album capturing Jun Hyuk¡¯s memories. He would listen to it in another country while thinking of his mothend. Unless it was perfect, it would not serve Jun Hyuk¡¯s purpose. ¡°Alright. Then let¡¯s leave the drums to the drummer of Steel de and I¡¯ll ask Jong Suk about the bass. And of course we¡¯ll have to ask Teacher Hwang Suk Min for the orchestra part.¡± Jo Hyung Joong thought of Jun Hyuk¡¯s moments on broadcast and thought of each person who had worked with him. ¡°The problem is choosing the contributing singers since I¡¯m going to think of the singer while I write the lyrics. Jang Na Rae, Kwak Hye Sung, Nam Seung Hee... Who else should we call?¡± Yoon Jung Su said the name of each person who was connected to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Lee Hae Jun.¡± ¡°Hae Jun?¡± ¡°Yes, we were roommates.¡± ¡°Right, that¡¯s true. Good, then Hae Jun. Also, we¡¯ll have to call those 2 guys too.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The rappers you met in the preliminaries. We can think about whether we want to use them for a rap featuring as we arrange the songs.¡± While Yoon Jung Su was thinking of the people that Jun Hyuk was linked to, he started joking and spoke whileughing, ¡°Jun Hyuk, don¡¯t you have to sing a song? This time, you¡¯ll sing it properly.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°Ugh! Why are you being like this? From now on, I¡¯m only going to sing by myself in a karaoke room... No, I¡¯m just not going to sing.¡± Jo Hyung Joong spoke to Yoon Jung Su when he saw Jun Hyuk panicking, ¡°Jung Su, why don¡¯t you sing a song for the first time in a while?¡± ¡°Honestly, I do want to sing, but... I¡¯m not confident. Let¡¯s think about that after writing all of the lyrics.¡± He knew that Jo Hyung Joong was joking, but it is music that he would like to work with. But all of the people who would sing are young and fresh. It is inevitable that he would bepared to them the second he sang... He needs to hold back. After Yoon Jung Su looked at all of the scores, he thought of the best way to wrap up the album¡¯s ending. ¡°Jun Hyuk, I think an instrumental would be best for thisst track. What do you think about ending it on the piano?¡± ¡°Okay. Like I just said, I¡¯ll follow your direction.¡± Jun Hyuk left the studio after deciding on a day toe back to record his part. When the two men were alone, they faced each other and realized that they had left out the most important part. ¡°Hyung Joong, what¡¯s the title of the album?¡± ¡°Jang Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°What? Jang Jun Hyuk album 1? Isn¡¯t it too ordinary?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s just go with Jang Jun Hyuk. This could be the first andst album he releases in Korea. Doesn¡¯t it have no meaning that it¡¯s the 1st album? It could be Jang Jun Hyuk¡¯s only Korean album.¡± Chapter 96 Volume 3 / Chapter 96 TL: LightNovelCafe After Jun Hyuk and Yoon Jung Su had left, Jo Hyung Joong recalled something he hadpletely forgotten. ¡®How could I have not sent that yet.¡¯ Jo Hyung Joong listened to the sound and voice a few times and picked up his phone. ¡°Professor, this is Jo Hyung Joong. Have you been well?¡± ¡°Oh, Teacher Kim. Yeah, and you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing well thanks to you.¡± Professor Ju Yong Tae, the 1st choice as a speaker for midnight programs introducing ssical music, was talking to Jo Hyung Joong for the first time in a while. His fate with Jo Hyung Joong they participated in a forum program about popr and ssical music. Thanks to Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s introductions, he often received requests to write ssical OSTs for soap operas. This brought him a fair amount of money. He did have anticipation for Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s call. ¡°So is something up?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to send you an e-mail. I¡¯m sorry, I should have gone looking for you myself.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Aren¡¯t you a busy person? What¡¯s in the message?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a song that someone I¡¯m keeping my eye on wrote, and I was wondering if you would take a look at it.¡± ¡°Ho ho. What do I know about popr music? You¡¯re more of an expert in that area.¡± ¡°It¡¯s... not popr music, but a symphony.¡± ¡°Symphony?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Why is a ssicalposer sending a score to a popr musicposer? Professor Ju became curious. ¡°Really? Who is it? It won¡¯t be someone I know... Is it someone from abroad?¡± If it were someone that Professor Ju knew, he would not have needed to go through Jo Hyung Joong. He would have juste to him directly. ¡°Ah... No. He¡¯s a total rookie. That¡¯s why I would like to get your definitive opinion.¡± ¡°A symphony for a total rookie? Ho ho. Sure. I¡¯ll take a look and call you.¡± Professor Ju turned hisputer on and checked his e-mail. Four files were attached to the e-mail that Jo Hyung Joong sent. The file names concerto 1 to 4 stood out to him. Professor downloaded all of the files and sent the 1st concerto to the printer first. Reading from printer paper was easier for his senile eyes than from aputer monitor. The professor read through the score carefully and without looking at more than half of the first, he frowned and crumpled it, throwing it into the waste bin. He coughed a few times to shake the unpleasant feeling and picked up his phone. ¡°Teacher Kim, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Yes, Professor. Did you see it?¡± ¡°What in the world is this? Is this garbage what you call music these days?¡± ¡°Is... Is that so?¡± Garbage. The most severe criticism that Professor Ju Yong Tae could say was garbage. It was to the point where students had to expect F grades if they heard the word garbagee from Professor Ju¡¯s mouth. ¡°You call this music? It¡¯s just ufortable noise. I don¡¯t know who it is, but it seems like he¡¯s just imitating contemporary music... Even listening to a little of it is ufortable. It isn¡¯t music. It¡¯s just a parody. This is made by a fake who just tries to look cool, thinking that he has a high standard and is philosophical.¡± Garbage created by a fake who acts cool. This was Professor Ju¡¯s final evaluation. ¡°Ah, I see. I¡¯m sorry about this. I made you ufortable with an unnecessary request.¡± Jo Hyung Joong quickly hung up the phone. Could it be that a young genius¡¯ work is just y? This elder is one of the most famous ssicalposers and professors in Korea, and he is a renowned critic of ssical music. If a man like that assessed someone¡¯s music as garbage, there is a high probability that it does not have much value. ¡®I bet. He¡¯s only just 17 years old... For a beginner who hasn¡¯t learned anyposing techniques... a symphony is too much.¡¯ Even so, there is no reason to be disappointed in the talent that Jun Hyuk had shown until now. The arrangement andposition he showed in popr music showed that he is plenty qualified to be called a hit maker. Professor Ju Yong Tae poured criticism on Jo Hyung Joong, but the difort that the music left with him did not go away. He went outside because he thought that he at least needed fresh air to clear his mind. The professor took the full waste bin and went outside. ¡°Oh, Professor. Give that to me. I¡¯ll empty it for you.¡± ¡°Ms. Mi Sun, thank you.¡± The young Mi Sun, who works in the department office, emptied the full waste bin into the recycling bin. Graduate school professor Um Ki Jun gathered the paper cups towering up on his desk with both hands and walked toward the recycling bin. As he was turning around after throwing out the cups, the music scores caught his eye. They were scores that he would not have normally paid attention to. In a building with the school of music, scores aremon garbage. The scores caught his eye because they were on printer paper. Um Ki Jun always pushed his students to buy sheet music no matter what. If they get used to reading the sheet music downloaded from the inte, scores be unfamiliar to the eye. Um Ki Jun took the scores. He thought that he would need to show them to his students the next day to nag at them. Curiosity also started forming. He went back to his room and looked over the sheets, wondering what scores they were that they had been tossed in the garbage. His eyes widened when he saw the first page because of the notes that appeared. A score difficult to find inside the school. Notes dancing irregrly. It is contemporary music. He had not yet seen a student who like contemporary music enough to print the scores. Also, not just he the advisory professor, but most of the music professors hated contemporary music. Um Ki Jun¡¯s curiosity rose and he started reading the scores. Before he could even turn the first page, his head was already numb with surprise and the music filled the room as he turned the pages. The music burned Um Ki Jun¡¯s body like the neverending fire of hell. It felt like a goblin covered in sharp thorns was breaking his bones into pieces. He put the score down a few times. It was too painful to withstand the pain. He put the score down several times and when he put it down for thest time, he even felt like his bones had be dust and his skin had been ripped apart. ¡°Ha..... Goodness.....¡± This word came out without his knowing if it was a sigh or if it was in admiration. Whose work could it be? Since he started ying the piano in elementary school, he had listened to ssical music for 20 years but this is the first time hearing such a shocking song. It seems like a 20th century song from its form, but he could not remember it no matter what. How could he not know a work like this! Thest page of the score seemed to be speaking to Um Ki Jun. The magic is not yet over. You have to experience more of this pain. Until your body bes ashes, the mes will not go away. The score told him that this is just the 1st concerto. How would the 2nd concerto be deployed and how would the finale be executed? Um Ki Jun wanted to see more. He wanted to listen to more of it. Um Ki Jun ran to the dump again. He searched the area he had just picked up the score from, but could not find a single sheet. There is no reason for the students to be looking at music like this... Could it be one of the professors? Or had someone written it themselves? He did not even dream of going to ask the professors. Old people worshipping ssicism and romanticism. They are just antiquated elders who do not go near contemporary music. He could already see how these old people who even thought Stravinsky¡¯s music to be bizarre would react to this score. This ce is full of closed people who worship Beethoven and Bach. Then could it be that one of the students found this while surfing the inte? Um Ki Jun wanted to know either the score¡¯s owner or at least the person who printed it no matter what. Chapter 97 Volume 3 / Chapter 97 TL: LightNovelCafe As Um Ki Jun went into his undergraduate sses and master¡¯s seminars, he carried the score with him and started asking around. However, everyone shook their heads saying that it was their first time seeing the score. There were a few who showed interest in the music, but he did not have any intention to discuss it with them. The important thing is to find theposer. He looked for a week, but he could not find the source. Eventually, everyone except the professors he had not asked had shaken their heads saying they were seeing it for the first time. Um Ki Jun decided to check the remaining possibility. He assumed that the song had already been released and someone had downloaded it off of the inte. It could be a song that is not yet known in Korea, a wastnd for contemporary music. Um Ki Jun scanned the score again and sent it to Park Ji Kuk, a college ssmate studying abroad in San Francisco. His ssmate said that he was seeing it for the first time and was sure it is an unpublished song since he had gone to America to study contemporary music. After sending the mail to his ssmate, he did not get a response for a day. He thought that it was an emotion that only he had felt. It is like when not all people who see Picasso¡¯s works of cubism are in awe. Due to the time difference, a call at dawn told him that he had not felt it alone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hey! Um Ki Jun!¡± ¡°What? Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Tell me honestly. Where did this songe from? You didn¡¯t write it, did you?¡± Park Jin Kuk¡¯s voice of anger hit him hard. ¡°Lower your voice! I can hear well. So, you saw the e-mail?¡± ¡°Hurry up and just answer. Did you really write it?¡± ¡°I would have sent the sheet program file if I had written it. That was printed.¡± ¡°Then whose is this?¡± ¡°I sent it to you because I don¡¯t know that. Look into it. You know it¡¯s hard to find new works here. This is the first time you¡¯re hearing it? It¡¯s really unpublished?¡± ¡°Of course. If a work like this had been published, it would¡¯ve already been a big deal. You really don¡¯t know? Then where did ite from?¡± Um Ki Jun went through how the score hade into his hands. ¡°Does that mean there¡¯s a genius hidden in our school? No way.¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s possible? The score I scanned was printed. Or it was downloaded and printed.¡± There was no way a student who could write a song like this would not have stood out. He would have been revealed through the countless assignment pieces and reports. ¡°None of those old farts at the school would have written it... Where did this guye from?¡± ¡°It seems great even to you, right?¡± ¡°No need to say it. This is a really novel take. I don¡¯t know how to express it.¡± ¡°Exactly. There¡¯s a big chance the person who wrote this doesn¡¯t go to our school. Doesn¡¯t it seem most likely that someone found this on the inte somewhere?¡± ¡°To write such an innovative song and just put on the inte? Then that means this person is nameless.....¡± ¡°Is Marco Giavelli still at your school? The principal conductor of the San Francisco Philharmonic.¡± ¡°Oh, right. That man. He doesn¡¯te out to the school. Hepletely retired.¡± ¡°Can you get in contact with him? Try showing it to him. Let¡¯s see what he thinks of it.¡± ¡°Why do we need to check that. You can tell it¡¯s a work of art just by looking at it.¡± ¡°Stop ying around. You don¡¯t know this industry? Don¡¯t you know it doesn¡¯t matter if nameless people like us like it?¡± A society where the people with authority make evaluations and where that is the only opinion that counts. If this music were to be assessed as a work of art by Maestro Marco Giavelli, who was once one of the best conductors, there would be no need to question it any longer. ¡°Alright, that would be better. And who knows? He might know who theposer is. Or it might be easy to find out who it is through his connections.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep looking too, so call me right away if you find anything out.¡± Um Ki Jun was still so excited after hanging up with Park Jin Kuk that he was no longer sleepy. *** Park Jin Kuk used what little money he had to buy a box of high quality Cuban cigars, and went to Marco Giavelli¡¯s mansion. When he was serving as professor, Park Jin Kuk hade face-to-face with him nearly everyday, but it had be rare since he retired. He prepared the cigars that Marco Giavelli likes because he felt sorry to go looking for him with a favor instead of just visiting. Marco Giavelli greeted his former student with a friendliness that made it feel as though they had seen each other the day before, andughed when Park Jin Hyuk gave him the cigars. ¡°You still remember what I like?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should havee to visit more often.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. When you get old, there are more times when it bes bothersome for visitors toe. All you have to do is asionally check on me to make sure I¡¯m still alive. Ho ho.¡± After chatting for a bit, Park Jin Kuk slowly handed the score over to him. ¡°Maestro, can you take a look at this?¡± ¡°What is this? Did youpose this?¡± ¡°No. I would like to hear what you think about it once you take a look.¡± Marco Giavelli lit a cigar and after taking a deep puff, he relished the fragrance and started to read the score. Before he had even turned the first page, the cigar was getting to its end in the ashtray. He had forgotten he lit a cigar because he could not take his eyes off of the score. Even the old man called a maestro was no different from Um Ki Jun or Park Jin Kuk. He sighed deeply and put the score down multiple times, and put the score down after almost an hour. ¡°What do you think? Maestro, is this a song you know?¡± Park Jin Kuk saw that he had put the score down and spoke carefully. ¡°This... Who wrote this kind of song.....¡± Maestro Giavelli¡¯s stammering indicated that it was indeed his first time seeing the song. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. It came into my hands by chance. We are looking for theposer now.¡± Marco Giavelli suddenly stood up from his chair and poured two sses of wine from his refrigerator. ¡°Have a drink. I must have one because my hands are shaking so much.¡± Park Jin Kuk took the ss and felt delighted inside. He had not seen it wrong. This work is a masterpiece. ¡°Maestro, I would like to hear your honest assessment of this piece.¡± ¡°But why do you only have the 1st score? Is it iplete?¡± ¡°We are checking that as well. I just have the score by chance.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would get to see such a masterpiece before I die.¡± The first assessment is ¡®masterpiece¡¯. This is praise beyond expectations. ¡°This song is... hm... How should I say it? Right. Should I say it opened a new door in music?¡± ¡°A new door?¡± ¡°Yes. In the Baroque, ssical, and Romantic eras, music was a tool to deliver a beautiful emotion to the listener. As we came to the present time, it gained a role in delivering that emotion. Loneliness, sadness. Anger. Happiness, et cetera. It also throws philosophical messages as well.¡± Marco took a sip of his wine. ¡°But this song is showing that now, music can ry senses.¡± ¡°You say senses?¡± ¡°Yes. This song is rying physical pain. Not the emotion of pain, but the pain itself.¡± When we watch a movie with a scene where someone is getting beat up or being tortured, our bodies flinch. We are imagining that pain. Contemporary music exists to transmit that imagination. To follow the assessment, this music has the power to allow for an indirect experience. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a hard time looking at this score?¡± ¡°It was hard. It¡¯s just a 10-minute song, but it took an hour to read through all of it. It was painful to keep turning the pages.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it right there. With just the music, you have the thought that someone is hitting you ¨C no. No it¡¯s not a thought. No, it¡¯s at the level where your brain sends the signal that you are being beaten. That¡¯s what I mean when I say it rys senses.¡± Marco Giavelli lit the cigar again and closed his eyes to enjoy it without speaking. Park Jin Kuk quietly waited to see what else he would say, and heard something unexpected. ¡°Hm... What a waste.¡± ¡°Excuse me? What are you saying is a waste.....?¡± ¡°I was wondering if it would be possible to hear this song in real life.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, maestro. We¡¯re going to find theposer and we¡¯ll get the rest of the scores.¡± The maestro waved his hand at Park Jin Kuk¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I was saying that it might be impossible to perform this song.¡± ¡°Ah.....¡± That is when Park Jin Kuk understood what he meant when he said that he might not be able to hear the song. ¡°Who would perform this? What orchestra can perform this? Will the members and conductor be able to handle the pain they have to experience while they perform? It¡¯s already this difficult to imagine it while reading the score. And that¡¯s just the 1st score. But until the 4th? I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to do it.¡± Marco Giavelli shook his head. ¡°Say that someone could perform it. How many audiences do you think there will be for this kind of music?¡± Park Jin Kuk drank his wine in one gulp, but his frustration did not go away. He had not considered the audience. ¡°For the people who are able to understand the music, it¡¯ll be too hard for them to listen to it. For the people who can¡¯t understand, it¡¯ll just be noise. There are only a few people who can listen to this. Is there a nner who would put this on stage?¡± It is a masterpiece, but a performance may be impossible. Who is the person who created this kind of dilemma? ¡°Even so, I want to meet thisposer no matter what. Is it okay for me to show this score to my friends? There could be someone who knows whose work this is.¡± ¡°Of course. That¡¯s actually what I wanted to ask of you.¡± Park Jin Kuk was satisfied with hearing Maestro Giavelli¡¯s evaluation, but was kept repeating his gratefulness that he would be willing to help in the search for theposer. As soon as Park Jin Kuk came out of Marco Giavelli¡¯s home, he called Um Ki Jun to tell him what happened. ¡°Ki Jun, we were right. The Maestro didn¡¯t hold back onpliments. He liked it more than we did.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a work of art in anyone¡¯s eyes. Except to the old farts at our school.¡± The two men rxed after confirming the work¡¯s value. It was up to here. Now they just have the difficult job of finding the person who made the song. ¡°Ki Jun, try checking with the professors too.¡± ¡°Are you stupid? You¡¯re saying that because you don¡¯t know? I¡¯m dead the day I bring up the word ¡®modernism¡¯.¡± ¡°Just ask them slightly. Don¡¯t show them the score.¡± Chapter 98 Volume 3 / Chapter 98 TL: LightNovelCafe A few professors were eating lunch in the cafeteria with Professor Ju Yong Tae in the center when Um Ki Jun greeted them and joined. People let their guards down the most while eating. Um Ki Jun did not lose his chance and spoke in passing, ¡°I saw some kids interested in contemporary music these days.....¡± ¡°Who? Among the students? Could that happen? They¡¯re all pretty simr. How could kids who stumble even with Debussy be interested in contemporary music?¡± Professor Ju Yong Tae added to one professor¡¯s response pushing off Um Ki Jun¡¯s words lightly, ¡°Music isn¡¯t the object of criticism and theory. It¡¯s a tool for emotion. Contemporary music ys the same role as a discussion, throwing a question. It can be used for research, but it¡¯s unreasonable to treat it as music itself.¡± The most old-fashioned Professor Ju dismissed everything with his continuing words, ¡°Um. I told you, didn¡¯t I? Don¡¯t look in that direction. We¡¯re overwhelmed just by trying to understand Bach, Beethoven, and Marlowe.¡± ¡°Oy, Professor. Of course. My taste isn¡¯t in that direction either. I just thought I heard something like that, so I was wondering if you might have given the students an assignment.¡± ¡°That kind of assignment would be fitting for a master¡¯s course. Wait a second... Um, you¡¯re a little suspicious.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Surely not. The subject of my Ph.D. thesis is Sibelius.¡± The reaction they had expected. Um Ki Jun thought that there would be unnecessary misunderstandings if they kept discussing it, and quickly stopped. He decided it would be faster for Park Jin Kuk to do the search, and quit looking for theposer inside the school. Jun Hyuk went to the recording studio after getting a call from Jo Hyung Joong. The recording studio was reminiscent of a garbage dump when it greeted Jun Hyuk. The stairs going down to the basement had a few empty dishes from Chinese take-out and when he opened the door to go in, the first thing he saw was the sound engineer asleep on the sofa. Energy drinks and canned coffees were rolling around near the sofa and throughout the recording studio. ¡°Oh Jun Hyuk, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Yes. You look... You look like you haven¡¯t even gone home in a few days.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, that¡¯s all of us. We used to do this all the time, but to be honest, it¡¯s been easier these days because people only work on singles. I feel like I¡¯m really working for the first time in a while. It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve had to work on 10 songs at the same time.¡± He looked so tired that his chubby face had be gaunt, but he looked happy. He is creating real music, not the kind that does not even cover the basics unless it was touched up with equipment, with its mechanical effects and a simple hook inserted repetitively. In order to receive the evaluation that it is an outstanding album, Jo Hyung Joong did not permit even the smallest mistakes and demanded perfection. Thanks to this, the staff he worked with were bing zombies. ¡°Jun Hyuk, listen to this first. It¡¯s the guitar you¡¯ll record. Let¡¯s talk after you listen to all of it.¡± Jun Hyuk took the CD from Jo Hyung Joong and listened to a total of 6 guitar instrumentals through headphones. An acoustic guitar melody rang through his head and he became lost in the music. Jun Hyuk listened to it a few times before taking the headphones off. ¡°Teacher. This guitar... Who performed it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s killer, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Who did it?¡± ¡°Teacher Ham Chun Suk. Do you know who he is?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m hearing the name for the first time.¡± ¡°I bet. The musical area he works in is a little different.¡± Ham Chun Suk. The best acoustic guitar session man from 1990 until now. When the best singers in the country needed an acoustic guitar, they always went looking for him. They looked for him even when they did not need an acoustic guitar to see if their song might be better with an acoustic guitar. It ismon to see his name in albums that sold well in the country. It is also a fun fact that this expert in the guitar who sees it as a tool to ry emotion instead of technique, majored in singing. ¡°But why is 6 songs it?¡± ¡°Since one song is heavy metal, I¡¯m going to leave it entirely up to you, and I arranged the other 3 songs without the guitar. And you know about thest song. We¡¯re going to end with a piano instrumental.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. But.....¡± ¡°Why? Is there something you don¡¯t like?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s just that of these, there are 2 songs that are so good I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need to y them again. Even if I y them again, I don¡¯t think they¡¯lle out better than this.¡± ¡°What? Only 2 songs? Then you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll modify the other 4 songs? I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re the only person in our country who listened to Teacher Ham Chun Sung¡¯s guitar and said there¡¯s something to fix. Ha ha.¡± Afterughing for a bit, Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s eyes sparked. His name often appears in movies. He is great who gets paid just for listening to music and saying, ¡°This doesn¡¯t need the guitar. It¡¯s good just like this.¡± The fact that he could find somethingcking in the guitar of Ham Chun Sung who expresses the beauty in marginals. It is wonderful to see how he develops everyday. ¡°Then, should we start?¡± The first song Jun Hyuk yed in the recording booth was heavy metal. When he got to the middle, the sound engineer shook his head and tried to hit the stop button, but Jo Hyung Joong made a fuss. ¡°Hey! Why? What are you doing?¡± ¡°It seems like the BPM went over 170. We arranged this to 150.¡± Jo Hyung Joong lightly hit the back of the sound engineer¡¯s head. ¡°Why are you being like this when you¡¯ve been doing this for so long? It¡¯s 150.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Isn¡¯t the guitar actingpletely on its own? I think 170 is pretty low.¡± ¡°Are you going to keep doing this work? Don¡¯t you think you have to change this now? Man, it¡¯s not fast just grand. It¡¯s okay for ay person to make that mistake, but you¡¯re a professional. How is it okay for you to not be able to tell the difference? And... you don¡¯t know that kid? He has a metronome embedded in his head.¡± When Jun Hyuk came out of the booth, the sound engineer could not look him in the eye and Jo Hyung Joong had a satisfied smile. ¡°Is it too hard?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, no. It¡¯s hard but light. It¡¯s good. Let¡¯s use this the way it is for now... We can talk about it again if there¡¯s something to change in thepleted song.¡± When the following guitar and piano apaniments were finished, Jo Hyung Joong could see a more matured Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk showed him what wascking in Ham Chun Suk¡¯s guitar. He picked at the strings slowly, but he kept the flow going without a single disconnected note. It was to the point where he thought it was a waste to use as an apaniment. This alone is excellent independent music. Today is a day full of regret for Jo Hyung Joong. It is thest day is he able to listen to Jun Hyuk¡¯s music alongside him. He did not know how he would hear Jun Hyuk¡¯s music going forward, but it would only be possible through a media like a CD. Studying abroad also meant that he was going into the world of ssical, farther away from popr music. It could be that he is embarking on his own path. There is someone who assessed his Symphony No. 1 as nothing more than noise. However, Jo Hyung Joong was sure that if he received formal education and associated himself with others including the greats, there would be someone who appreciates his music. ¡°Jun Hyuk, the kids are going to starting in to sing tomorrow. What do you want to do? Do you want toe and watch?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll listen to it once it¡¯s all over.¡± ¡°Alright. I guess there¡¯s no real reason to remember their faces. Their sounds will remain.¡± Once Jun Hyuk left the recording studio, Jo Hyung Joong began to bother the staff again. ¡°Don¡¯t even dream about the sauna until Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar isplete.¡± Chapter 99 Volume 3 / Chapter 99 TL: LightNovelCafe Pianist Go Sae Won and Yoon Kwang Hun spread out a list of music schools and discussed it for days. Yoon Kwang Hun wanted new and innovative music over ssical, and was already leaning towards America. Go Sae Won had consistently pushed for Europe, but had to give up at Jun Hyuk¡¯s input. ¡°I can barely speak English, so when do I learn French, German, or Italian? Let¡¯s just go with America.¡± After the study abroad location was decided, Jun Hyuk¡¯s hardships began. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°.....¡± ¡°Sir... Ah. English.¡± Jun Hyuk started with a sigh again. After they decided on studying abroad, Yoon Kwang Hun made a rule that they could only speak in English, and red without responding if he spoke in Korean. He had learned English from Yoon Kwang Hun every day for 2 years and had practiced free speech for an hour each day. He realized, however, that the English he had studied over 2 years were just eye-level sses. When Yoon Kwang Hun spoke proper English quickly, Jun Hyuk could not understand a single word. ¡°American or western kids will speak much faster and their pronunciation will be more exact. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll have to at least be able to listen to me to barely understand them.¡± Jun Hyuk buried himself in English for 24 hours a day at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s threat. Studying English was harder and more boring than studying for his license exam. But it had to be done. *** While Jo Hyung Joong and Yoon Jung Su were busy working on the album, Jun Hyuk was so excited he could not sleep. He would be going to America for a month. Because of the nerves he had from going abroad for the first time, he stayed up all night packing and unpacking his bag before going to the airport early in the morning. When they arrived at the airport, there were already a lot of reporters waiting for them. Jo Hyung Joong had let his trip to America slip because it would be great marketing. ¡°Have you decided on a school?¡± ¡°How many years will you be abroad for?¡± ¡°Are youpletely folding your activities in Korea now?¡± ¡°Piano orposition ¨C which major have you chosen?¡± In the midst of shes and questions, Lawyer Baek Seung Ho stepped forward. ¡°There are a lot of questions, but we only have one answer. All we are doing is looking into schools. He will be interviewing with various schools and we do not yet know the result. Wherever he goes, it will be the best choice for Jun Hyuk.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun and Jun Hyukpleted a simple interview and rushed their departure procedures. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re not standing in line?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re in first ss.¡± ¡°First?¡± As it was Jun Hyuk¡¯s first time going abroad and being at an airport, his eyes kept flitting back and forth and Baek Seung Houghed while saying, ¡°It¡¯s the area with the best seats on the ne. It¡¯s my gift to you. Can a top star be ufortable in economy?¡± Baek Seung Ho watched the two disappear through the gates and turned around. Once they retrieved their boarding passes and got through immigration, many people were taking peeks at Jun Hyuk and gathered to ask for signatures and photographs. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and go. There¡¯s a separate lounge for first ss, so we can wait there.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun led Jun Hyuk by the hand and quietly ran to the lounge where they could wait until their departure time. The lounge for first ss passengers was full of various drinks and snacks, so Jun Hyuk did not sit for a moment and was busy filling his stomach. Jun Hyuk¡¯s jaw dropped at the sight of the first ss area, which he had only ever heard of. It looked like there was a small room screened off inside the ne. ¡°Don¡¯t look around like that like it¡¯s a different world. From now on, you¡¯ll only ride first ss. You might even be able to buy a private ne.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun believed that the day woulde. After looking around for a while, Jun Hyuk fell asleep quickly because he had spent the previous night awake. When Jun Hyuk took his first step in America, the sudden change in scenery and environment made him look on in wonder like when he had first seen the Ducati. For one month, Yoon Kwang Hun took Jun Hyuk to all of the schools he had received eptance letters from. Jun Hyuk was more excited because it felt like he was on vacation with Yoon Kwang Hun for the first time than he was that they were looking into schools. Music schools in America are generally divided to the conservatory, geared towards practicality, and university which includes the liberal arts. The audition process for the two schools is simr, but because there is a great difference in the subjects that must bepleted after entering, students dreaming of bing professional performers prefer conservatories. Julliard is a ¡®conservatory¡¯ where world-renowned Korean musicians like Jung Kyung Hwa, Jung Myung Hwa, Jung Myung Hun, Sara Jang, Kang Dong Suk, and Shin Young Ok passed through. On the other hand, universities like Yale University, USC, and UCLA are basically schools of music. The two started in Boston at Berkley and traveled to Pia Curtis in Phdelphia and Clevnd University School of Music in Ohio. Before going to theirst destination, New York, Yoon Kwang Hun went to New Orleans, the hometown of jazz. They went to clubs every night to enjoy the zest of improv performances and even rented a car to ride Highway 61, the so-called road of rock and roll. This highway running through the middle of America goes to Beale Street in Memphis . The studio that Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and Jerry Lee Lewis stood in. They touched on ces like Stax Records, the Holy Land of soul music, and visited various ces that gave birth to the music Jun Hyuk had heard in albums. Andstly, they went to New York which is basically Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s second home. Proving that New York is the center for American culture, it holds Julliard, the Manhattan Conservatory, Mannes School of Music, and Eastman School of Music. [TN: Sorry for the interruption but my trantions are being stolen by a certain website. I wanted to put this in here to see if those idiots will catch this or copy paste this exactly. All you readers, this novel trantion is from lightnovelcafe just fyi] When Yoon Kwang Hun came out of the airport in New York, he quickly caught a taxi into Manhattan. New York may as well have been his 2nd hometown. He organized his luggage at the hotel in Manhattan and took Jun Hyuk out to start sightseeing. Recalling his 3 years as an MBA and 5 years on Wall Street, he told Jun Hyuk about his memories. They ended their travels while admiring a Broadway musical and visited the final school of music. yton-Hoffman Institute of Music is the representative school of music in New York and New Jersey. It is usually called the CH School of Music. When yton founded the school in 1929, its doors opened in Phdelphia. After World War II however, conglomerate Hoffman took over and moved it to New York with his belief that New York is the center for American culture. yton-Hoffman in New York is far from the image people think of when imagining an American university of a beautiful campus and old buildings. CH School of Music is a 21-floor luxury building in the middle of New Jersey. If it were not for the two piano statues decorating the building entrance, people would think that it is just a regr office building. However, there was no damage to yton¡¯s pursuit of creating only the best music. There were only 240 undergraduates, 70 graduate students, and the student-professor ratio was 5:1. In other words, there were over 60 professors. Anyone who wanted to could reside in the dormitories renovated like a hotel on the top floors of the building, and there were 5 theaters just for orchestra performances. Beyond that, there were over 10rge and small music halls and studios capable of recording. With the motto ¡®Learn as you perform¡¯, there were concerts every night in these music halls with professors and students. These were also lessons reflected in the students¡¯ grades. Students majoring in viers,manding, andposition could each receive a Steinway grand piano. The greatest perk was that there is no tuition. They just received a small fee from the students living in the dormitories. Instead, they went through the applicants and only epted the people who have been called a genius once or twice, so the eptance ratio exceeded 170:1. It was so difficult that even runner-ups in famouspetitions were not guaranteed entry. It was a ce where all of the geniuses of the world were gathered. Chapter 100 Volume 3 / Chapter 100 TL: LightNovelCafe Jun Hyuk was wondering why they were going into a ce that looked like an office building instead of a college campus as they walked inside when his eyes widened. In the building lobby, students were hanging out in an area with thick carpeting and a middle-aged woman wearing a suit greeted the two. She happily weed them and led them to the meeting room for the interview. ¡°We finally meet.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Yoon Kwang Hun. You can just call me Yoon.¡± ¡°Is this the Mr. Jang?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Jang Jun Hyuk.¡± Jun Hyuk awkwardly took the hand that the interviewer held out. ¡°Alright, then shall we start the interview?¡± Three professors sat with gentle smiles and started asking questions while the two tried to calm their nerves. Unless there was a special case, he would be epted no matter what. There was no need to be so worried. ¡°First, I¡¯ll tell you something very important. Our university really wants Mr. Jang¡¯s admission to the school, but we will make the final decision with the interview. This means that you may not epted.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± If someone goes against the school¡¯s values, even Mozart would not be admitted. To these people, musical talent was a given and they tried to take into acount even the person¡¯s personality. ¡°First, we went through the music files and essay you sent thoroughly. It seems Mr. Jang has never attended school. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, that is the truth.¡± Why were they mentioning the fact that he did not receive a basic education instead of in music? The first interviewer¡¯s negative question stayed on Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s mind. ¡°In the 2 years that Mr. Yoon cared for Mr. Jang as a custodian, what did you teach him?¡± ¡°English and reading music scores. I also made it so that he could freely listen to and y music.¡± ¡°Can I ask why?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a talent I could do anything about.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun put emphasis on ¡®talent¡¯. It is a talent that he is proud of. ¡°We know that fully well. Pianist Hye Jin Jeon, Sae Won Go, and Maestro Hwang. We saw their letters of rmendation as well. Madam Jeon¡¯s letter was especially poignant no matter how many times we read it. It was quite convincing. I am asking why you didn¡¯t give him general education.¡± For a moment, Yoon Kwang Hun could not think of a response. Why had he not thought of sending Jun Hyuk to school? He was surprised, but he remembered that it had been an environment where that was entirely usible. ¡°That¡¯s because Jang¡¯s musical talent was so outstanding. I think I decided that he did not need to do anything outside of music... I could not send a 15 year old boy to an elementary school.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s response could be epted as a difference in the educational system, but the interviewers continued to shake their heads. ¡°Then how is his reading? How many books has he read until now?¡± ¡°Books?¡± ¡°Yes. Whether it be novels, historical books, et cetera.¡± ¡°.....¡± He could not give an answer. Jun Hyuk learned hangulte and the only text he had read were stories concerning musicians on the inte. ¡°Hm... Can we understand this to mean that Mr. Jang has the knowledge of an elementary school student?¡± They made the judgment that Jun Hyuk did not have knowledge beyond music while Yoon Kwang Hun hesitated. ¡°I believe that is too severe of a judgment.¡± ¡°I wonder if it is. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll have understanding of a single novel, a science experiment, history or culture... I don¡¯t think it would becking to say that he does not even have an elementary school level knowledge.¡± If he were talking about the intellectual level, he would be better than an elementary school student, but he could not deny it when discussing knowledge. The three interviewers spoke with each other in low voices and made their final decision. ¡°Our conditions for admission are as follows. He needs to receive separate education in subjects outside of music for 3 hours every day and if he fails in that curriculum, he will be left back. I¡¯m saying that he would not be able to graduate.¡± ¡°3 hours each day?¡± ¡°Yes. If we think that he has reached the average education level of a high school graduate, we will end those sses. This means that he needs to receive a general education and profession musical training at the same time. We believe that if he receives this education, his English will also improve.¡± Just then, an interviewer who had been quiet added to this as if he had been forgetting something, ¡°Oh,nguage is also added. English is a basic, but we n to teach him Italian, German, or French ¨C one of his choosing. Most of the students in this school are fluent in at least one Europeannguage.¡± If they made the wrong move, he could end up spending more time in general studies more than in working with music. ¡°Jang¡¯s application says that he would like to major in piano,position, andmanding, but will he be able to keep up with that amount of work?? ¡°He will be able to handle it.¡± He did not know about anything else, but Yoon Kwang Hun was confident that he could make it so they could not stop talking if it were about music. ¡°We admit that Jang¡¯s talent is extraordinary, but this school is full of students with amazing talent. Our school holds sses with these talented students as a benchmark. That is how high the standard is. It won¡¯t be easy.¡± Jun Hyuk studied English ardently, but he was not at a level where he could understand the interview perfectly. However, he had fully understood that he would need to dedicate 3 hours everyday to general studies and learn anothernguage. His hardened face already showed that he did not have the confidence to do this. Of the various schools he had interviewed with, this was the only ce with such strong requirements, so he was thinking of the other schools that had said that all he had to do was music. However, Yoon Kwang Hun felt like he needed to make the decision at this moment. What this school was asking for is neither unreasonable nor deterring. He was actually disappointed in himself for not thinking of paying attention to Jun Hyuk¡¯s education outside of music. ¡°These are the conditions for admission. And now our questions are for Mr. Jang.¡± The interviewer smiled at a tense Jun Hyuk to make himfortable as he spoke, ¡°What is music to you?¡± It was easy English, so Jun Hyuk fully understood it and answered without hesitation, ¡°It is making the sounds of the world that disappear within moments,st forever.¡± ¡°Making soundsst forever.....¡± All of the interviewers mumbled to themselves at Jun Hyuk¡¯s response. Then Jun Hyuk started to speak again, ¡°Oh, and one more thing. It¡¯s the best way to ry someone¡¯s feelings.¡± Jun Hyuk added what he had felt while participating in the audition program. This professors of this school had already seen plenty in Jun Hyuk¡¯s music. Since they already saw his sh of talent in his piano and scores, they did not need him to go through the audition that all of the other participants needed to pass. It could be that the interviewer¡¯s question to Jun Hyuk was just out of personal curiosity. ¡°I see. Hm... When can you start participating in sses?¡± It meant that he had been epted. ¡°He can start with the fall semester. Jun Hyuk is working on his record in Korea at the moment. It will be released before the fall semester.¡± ¡°A record? Oh, we have high expectations. Can I ask for a copy once it¡¯s released?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll send it to you.¡± ¡°Thank you. And what do you intend to do for living arrangements? Are you thinking of having a separate residence?¡± ¡°No, we would like to go in the dormitories. As you know, he hasn¡¯t had a school life, so he would like to make a lot of friends. ¡°That is an excellent choice.¡± History is made at night and yton School of Music is no exception to this. When hot-blooded youths from all over the world are gathered in one ce, there is no reason for them to quietly sleep at night. They party with alcohol and music every night. In the morning, someone is always lost in thought because they cannot remember the song they yed while drunk the night before. This also means that the song was good enough for them to want to remember it. Spending time with these people would give him more opportunities to find such inspiration. With this, it was decided that Jun Hyuk would be independent in the fall semester. Chapter 101 Volume 3 / Chapter 101 TL: LightNovelCafe -[TN: Here is a bonus chapter. This was too heartfelt to wait for tomorrow.] Jun Hyuk was silent on the ne ride back to Korea. On top of being alone in America starting in the fall semester, it further added to his nervousness that he would be a student preparing night and day for exams. ¡°Jun Hyuk, don¡¯t worry too much. The school is trying to teach you, not fail you.¡± ¡°Even so. I have to do subjects other than music when I can¡¯t even speak well. Stuff like math and science.¡± ¡°All you have to do is be good at one thing.¡± ¡°One thing?¡± ¡°Yeah. If you don¡¯t know something, keep asking with a straight face. That¡¯s all you have to do.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun gave Jun Hyuk confidence while thinking of when he started his own study abroad. He had heard that his English was good in Korea, but he was shocked on the first day of sses. He could not understand a single thing the professors and students were saying with certainty. By connecting the few words he caught on to, he could barely follow along with the lesson. When the students raised their hands for a chance to answer the professors¡¯ questions, Yoon Kwang Hun could not raise his hand once. He was even suspected of having a speech impairment for one semester. Changees in a moment however. From the day he raised his hand to a question that he understood and gave a satisfactory answer, he gained confidence and quickly got used to the Englishnguage. Jun Hyuk¡¯s English now was better than Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s was when he first went to America. His vocabry was limited, but that came with time. The remaining issue was to make it so Jun Hyuk was not ashamed of his English. *** When they finished working on Jun Hyuk¡¯s record, everyone who participated in the album gathered and listened to all 10 songs through the best audio system. Then they listened to it again as the MP3 files they would be released as and everyone was full of regret. The shortened record did not reflect all of the hard work and care they had put into it. ¡°..... So we were thinking about releasing the record first and then circting the tracks after about 2 months, but wanted to hear everyone¡¯s opinions.¡± This showed that they had given up on making money from this album. Jo Hyung Joong and Yoon Jung Su had determined not to lose the album¡¯s value. It also stemmed from their confidence that the listener would be able to derive value from the album by listening to all of the tracks unlike selling a single track. Jun Hyuk liked thepleted album. The lyrics Yoon Jung Su wrote especially spoke to him. It was as if he had seen the details of his life and had melted it well into the entire album. He was even more satisfied because the gratefulness he felt towards Yoon Kwang Hun he had been too shy to express had been inserted everywhere. The album jacket was just a panorama of the cafe that Jun Hyuk lived in for 2 years and the three characters, Jang Jun Hyuk. They started pre-orders for the album as the hot summer began and they had not expected many sales, but it exceeded 60,000 albums. At this rate, they could have the unexpected results of 150,000 sales after the official release. ¡°Of course our country¡¯s driving force for albums sales is in fandoms.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. I thought it¡¯d be a sess even if there were 10,000 pre-order sales... I guess Jun Hyuk still had fans.¡± ¡°Now as Jun Hyuk gains sess abroad, this record¡¯s value will go up?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll have to count on that day toe.¡± Jo Hyung Joong and Yoon Jung Su were encouraged by the unexpected sales and were relishing in the concert proposals that various promotion agencies presented to them. ¡°A concert would be too much, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Even if we started preparing for the concert now, it would only be possible in October but Jun Hyuk is leaving in August.¡± ¡°Will the tickets sell if we leave the guitar and piano to someone else?¡± ¡°It would be asking for too much. Who woulde to a concert without the protagonist.¡± ¡°What a waste. There¡¯s nothing as good as a concert to promote an album.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait. If Jun Hyuk decides toe back to Korea for winter break, we can scope the situation and try then.¡± Yoon Jung Su spoke with a slight hope, but his expression was not bright. He could not hide the feeling that once Jun Hyuk left Korea, he would not return. At the end of July, Jun Hyuk¡¯s album was officially released. In the midst of idol singers¡¯ light single hook songs critics hade across a concept album for the first time in a while and were busy praising it just on the basis of its musical attempt. Yoon Jung Su heated the promotions by saying that it would be among the best of his musical life on entertainment programs. Jun Hyuk¡¯s album packaging was not shy like those of idol singers. It did not have themonly seen photo albums and all it contained was a thin booklet with the lyrics. The publisher identified the buyers as Jun Hyuk¡¯s adoring fans. Fans consider the presence of collection value more important than the music or price. The publisher had suggested configuring a package with a photo album, cellphone essory, and diary with a high price, but Jo Hyung Joong and Yoon Jung Su had turned all of it down saying that the music was all. Early on the morning of the album release, Yoon Kwang Hun got in his car and headed to Seoul. He stopped by arge bookstore in Gangnam and picked up Jun Hyuk¡¯s album from the disy in the music shop and went to the parking lot as soon as he paid for it. Once inside the car, he took the stic wrapper off, inserted the CD, and turned up the speakers to listen to the music. After the quiet guitar apaniment started, Jang Na Rae¡¯s bright voice began to fill the car. Jun Hyuk had never spoken about the songs or lyrics. With anticipation for what the lyrics meant, he flipped the cover of the booklet. However, Yoon Kwang Hun did not think of reading the lyrics. The short line written on the back of the cover was more beautiful than any lyric. To my father. The car was full of Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s dry sobbing rather than Jang Na Rae¡¯s song. Chapter 102 Volume 3 / Chapter 102 TL: LightNovelCafe In thest week of August, Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun got on a ne back to New York. This would be Jun Hyuk¡¯s second trip to America, but his ticket was not round-trip this time. Now, all he had before him was the road forward. He arrived at school with 2 trunks and a hard case with 3 guitars. Yoon Kwang Hun brought all of the luggage to Jun Hyuk¡¯s room and looked around. A room with a Steinway grand piano which was impossible even in one¡¯s dreams. A fully equipped bathroom in each room as if it were a hotel. The facilities were great enough to have him lost in admiration, but he did not feelfortable. Jun Hyuk was only 18 now... Other kids were at an age where they ate the breakfast their mothers prepared andined to their parents, but he would have to figure everything out on his own. There was a different emotion from when they hade thest time to interview. Yoon Kwang Hun even thought that he should fold his life in Korea and sell coffee in New York to live with Jun Hyuk. He organized his thoughts however. It would just be 4 years. New York was just Jun Hyuk¡¯s ground for 4 years. After that, he would live as famous musicians do. The life of a musician, living in hotels for more than 200 days out of the year, performing all over the world,posing records, and then finding a city he liked to live in for about a year while writing music. He had no doubt that the world would soon be the grounds for Jun Hyuk¡¯s life. Then, he was resolved to guarding his ce in Korea. He waited a moment while Jun Hyuk organized his luggage. Yoon Kwang Hun wanted to meet Jun Hyuk¡¯s roommate. He prayed that he would not be a delinquent who smoked marijuana and liked alcohol and girls, but he could not even check because the roommate never showed up. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going. Study hard. If something happens, don¡¯t hesitate and call me right away. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Call me at least once a week. Or else I¡¯m going toe here looking for you.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re doing that because you¡¯ll miss me, right?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? The ne tickets are too expensive.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun looked at Jun Hyuk for a moment and got up from his chair. ¡°Have a fun time and make a lot of friends. They¡¯re all good at what they do, so don¡¯t underestimate them.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Jun Hyuk could not lift his head. ¡°You¡¯re dead if you start crying embarrassingly when I leave this room.¡± ¡°Oy, you worry about yourself. All the kids are going to see it.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun rxed when he saw Jun Hyuk lift his head and smile brightly. ¡°You y too much. I¡¯m going.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun quickly left the room so his teary eyes would not be detected. After he left, Jun Hyuk sat in front of the piano and yed Marlowe¡¯s Symphony No. 5, Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s favorite, so that he could hear it until he reached the elevator at the end of the hall. *** Jun Hyuk finished organizing his luggage and took care of each of the formalities the school instructed him to, leaving his course selection forst. However he thought about it, the special ss was a burden. ¡®Well... since I don¡¯t want to be a pianist.¡¯ Eventually, Jun Hyuk only chose sses that corresponded withposition andmanding. An average of 4 hours of sses per day. With the special ss, it was 7 hours. He also needed to add the time that went into ying with the performance team. ¡®I might as well be a senior in high school, not a college student.¡¯ He made ap around the school building and scoped out the locations of the structure including the main office and cafeteria. When he came back to his dorm room, an unfamiliar boy had organized his things and was looking at Jun Hyuk. ¡®So that¡¯s the roommate?¡¯ He had hoped for an Asian roommate if possible. It would be morefortable to bothmunicate in broken English. However, aplete Caucasian approached Jun Hyuk while smiling ¡°Konnichiwa. Hajimemashite. Anatawa Jang Jun Hyuk desuka?¡± ¡®What is this guy saying? Is he an anime freak?¡¯ This was Jun Hyuk¡¯s first impression of his roommate. He was clearly Caucasian with a white face and wine-tinted curly hair. But he was speaking in Japanese. Jun Hyuk did not know how to speak Japanese, but he could tell that it was Japanese. If a white person can speak Japanese fluently, he either lived in Japan or waspletely enwrapped in Japanese culture. The roommate noticed that he had made a mistake from the surprised look on Jun Hyuk¡¯s face and quickly started speaking in English, ¡°Oh, Sorry. You¡¯re probably not Japanese. I¡¯m Daniel Laferriere from Montreal, Canada. Call me Danny.¡± This time, he was speaking English fluently. Jun Hyuk lost his surprise and became natural, ¡°Hi.¡± He needed to say more but what could he say? Jun Hyuk just thought of different words in his head, but did not say any of them. ¡°Uh? Is that all?¡± ¡°Ah. Call me Jang. I¡¯m from Korea.¡± ¡°Oh, Jang. Korea. Okay. See you.¡± Danny from Canada shook Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand lightly and left the room. Jun Hyuk was crestfallen that his conversation with his roommate had ended so simply. He could have done much better with the English he had learned until now, but it was not easy to speak. His mouth was already drying. Will he be able to adjust in a world that only speaks English? *** Jun Hyuk wandered the area around the school for a few days, activated a cellphone, identified locations of ces he needed like the music stores and Korean restaurants, and prepared for school to start. In the meantime, he never saw his roommate, Danny. There was no doubt that he was going around New York City to have fun since he said that he hade from Canada. Jun Hyuk could not pay attention to how the first day of sses went. He could not find a professor who spoke English normally. English with a French ent. English with an Italian ent. There was even a bearded professor who may have been Arab or Indian, who Jun Hyuk was sure was speaking Indian and not English. The problem was that this Indian professor was the professor ofposition. Jun Hyuk needed to listen to this professor¡¯s ss for 3 hours every week. This musician, Rajkumar Hirani, was not an exceptionalposer, but he was a top theoretician who systematically organized various ethnic music of India. After researching nearly 2,000 tremendous structures of India, he studied western music in London. This schr was often called a library because he had almost all theories regarding music saved in his head. When the music lectures were over, Jun Hyuk ran to the seminar room next to the library alone. A grey-haired middle-aged woman and blonde man in his thirties took turns teaching Jun Hyuk. A specific subject had not been determined. The middle-aged woman did math and science while the man in his thirties handled subjects like literature, humanities, and history. They taught him as though they were just telling him stories. On the first day, the word that the middle-aged woman said most and that he even heard in his sleep was ¡®number¡¯. She taught him number theories like natural numbers, integers and rational numbers, but all Jun Hyuk remembered was ¡®number¡¯. Jun Hyuk¡¯s roommate Danny did note in for the 3 days after school started. On the fourth day when Jun Hyuk went back to his dorm room after sses ended, he heard the sound of girlsughing and violining from inside his room. He checked the room number and it was definitely his room. Jun Hyuk hesitated in front of the door for a while. Movie scenes of American college dorms passed through his head. If he opened the door and went in, he might see something he should not. After properly hearing a 1-minute long violin sound, he became angry. It was his music. ¡®This jerk!¡¯ He opened the door and went in. Two girls were hanging out on Jun Hyuk¡¯s bed and Danny was ying the violin. Danny¡¯s bed was also upied by two girls. Fortunately, he did not see anything he should not have because they were all properly clothed. Jun Hyuk went to Danny and took the violin he was ying. He thought of smashing it, but stopped when he had the thought that it might be extremely expensive. Instead, he yelled at the girls, ¡°Get out!¡± The girlsughing in the room stopped. Jun Hyuk had yelled in Korean. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Get out. I said. Get out!¡± Chapter 103 Volume 3 / Chapter 103 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: I feel like every time I think I know just how amazing JH is...I¡¯m proven wrong. Enjoy!] Danny went to Jun Hyuk who was huffing and took the violin back. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong? Calm down.¡± ¡°This asshole. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± He was in such a rush that he kept speaking in Korean. Danny could not understand Korean and could not figure out why Jun Hyuk had mmed the door open and gotten angry. When Jun Hyuk kept ring at the girls, Danny gave them a look. They left the room cursing. ¡°You saw my score?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Is that why you¡¯re mad? Because I looked at it without your permission? No, don¡¯t get me wrong. I just saw it because it was on your desk. I didn¡¯t go through your stuff.¡± ¡°You...¡± Jun Hyuk could not remember how to say ¡®asshole¡¯ in English. Thanks to this, Danny did not get cursed out. Jun Hyuk took a deep breath and started speaking, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you see my score. You just can¡¯t be the first to see it. The person who can see my score first is in Korea. You can be the second to see it. Okay? And... it¡¯s also okay for you to y my song. You¡¯re just dead if you y it wrong.¡± Jun Hyuk motioned his right fist at Danny. It was bodynguage that could be understood all over the world. ¡°Hey, I yed it wrong? What are you talking about? You think I can¡¯t y something like that precisely?¡± It was just a 3-minute song. Danny had the talent to imprint a score like that in his memory after reading through it once. It did not make sense that Jun Hyuk was saying he got it wrong. Jun Hyuk looked at Danny for a moment, opened the cover of the grand piano and put his hands on the keys. Then he looked at Danny as he spoke, ¡°This is what you yed.¡± Jun Hyuk started ying the piano. ¡°Here... here... here... Now do you get it? You got it wrong in 3 ces.¡± Just then, Jun Hyuk remembered a word and he used it urately, ¡°Asshole!¡± However, Danny did not hear Jun Hyuk call him an asshole. He was surprised that Jun Hyuk had been able to pinpoint his mistakes while listening from the other side of the door, and he still could not figure out why he had made the mistakes. Jun Hyuk had showed him what he had gotten wrong on the piano just now, but he had not told him. Danny brought Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano to his memory, but he could not figure it out no matter how many times he thought about what Jun Hyuk pointed out. What did he mean he had gotten wrong? Now that Jun Hyuk had calmed down a bit, he needed to get ready for his special ss. Danny carefully spoke from behind Jun Hyuk. He was using easy English to get Jun Hyuk to speak. ¡°But... What¡¯s the title of the song? There isn¡¯t one?¡± ¡°There is. Number.¡± ¡°Number?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s tooplex.¡± Once Danny saw that Jun Hyuk¡¯s tone had subsided, he asked what he was really curious about, ¡°Are you going to tell me what I got wrong? My performance was perfect.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Danny who kept saying that he had not made a mistake and spoke again. He even seeded in applying the word perfectly, ¡°Stupid asshole.¡± Jun Hyuk only said these words and left the room with 2 books. Today, he was to have a debate on literature. When he returned to his room after finishing sses, Danny was waiting for him with a stiff face. It seemed he was going to stay in the dormitories today. Jun Hyuk thought that he might be waiting for him out of anger because he had cursed at him before going to ss. After Danny sat Jun Hyuk down on his bed however, he picked up his violin and started ying it carefully. Danny spoke once the 3-minute performance was over, ¡°What do you think? Is there something still wrong with it?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Where I got it wrong before.¡± Is this guy an idiot? Though he seems to be a pretty extraordinary violin yer. ¡°I wrote the song. Of course I know.¡± Danny did not have anything to say to Jun Hyuk¡¯s simple answer. He was right. It was a given that the person who wrote the songs would know. He wanted to ask more specifically but gave up. He remembered that this skinny, tall kid from Korea was not used to speaking in English. The short 3-minute song, ¡®Number¡¯ that Jun Hyuk wrote was very good. It was so good that even by ncing at a score that had been thrown on the desk, Danny had wanted to try ying it. Danny spoke to Jun Hyuk carefully, ¡°I heard you¡¯re majoring inposition andmand? I¡¯m in violin.¡± Jun Hyuk thought that his roommate might be a little vapid. He had just shown him an amazing violin performance, but to think that he would not know that he is majoring in violin? ¡°I heard the rumors. They say there¡¯s a genius from Korea. So great that the school even offered special studies.¡± Danny wanted topliment Jun Hyuk on ¡®Number¡¯ and wanted to be closer to Jun Hyuk who had written it. ¡°I heard that he didn¡¯t even need to go through the admission auditions and was epted on a few music files andpositions alone, but I didn¡¯t know that would be you...¡± Since people applied from all over the world to famous schools of music, it was normal for foreigners to send in videos of their auditions. yton however, held a tradition of requiring an audition in person in front of the interviewers no matter what. This was due to Hoffman¡¯s own stance that applicants needed to experience and ovee the pressure that an audition provided. The only exception to this tradition was Jun Hyuk. ¡®What is this idiot talking about?¡¯ Danny chattered for a while, but Jun Hyuk could not understand him very well. He was not used to Danny¡¯s ent either because he was French Canadian. Since he was 8 years old, a rumor that he was a violin prodigy had spread in his neighborhood, and at 11, he came in 1st ce in the junior section of the Montreal Competition. Danny, the 19 year old genius violinist who could speak English, French, Japanese, and Spanish fluently, was being treated like an idiot by Jun Hyuk. *** The music sses were more of a mess than Jun Hyuk thought they would be. Jun Hyuk had taken Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s words stressing the importance of learning theory to heart, and hade to this school. But even after attending a few sses, he had not learned any theories. The professors of this school did not mention anyposition theories. They mainly pulled music apart and put it back together using words like freedom, the destruction of form, essence, and innovation. He recorded his lectures because he could not understand them well, and Danny often listened to them and exined them to him in easier English. The professors assumed that the students already knewpositional techniques like counterpoint, harmony structure, and fuga, and did not exin them. It could be that Danny taught Jun Hyuk more of the theories that he wanted to learn. sses often set a theme song and had the students imagined or spected why it needed a certain harmony structure. ¡°Jun, why do you think Beethoven¡¯s Piano Sonata No. 8 was created as a homophonic (harmony progressing with just one melody)? And why do you think there is another development in front of the exposition in the 1st part?¡± At first, everyone called him Jang. But when they realized that Jang was hisst name, they began to call him Jun which was easier to pronounce. ¡°Excuse me? Homo what?¡± ¡°Homophonic.¡± ¡°What does homophonic mean?¡± For a moment, the ssroom was full ofughter. As there were not even 10 students in a ss, there was no way for him to avoid the professor¡¯s questions. sses were conducted so that teachers and students, and students and students exchanged questions and opinions. The most annoying aspect of studying abroad for students who attended ordinary schools in Korea was this teaching method. It took a lot of time to get used to this format of endless questions and debate. The fortunate thing was that Jun Hyuk had not attended an ordinary school. He did not find a lecture format of exchanging ideas awkward, and epted it as natural. He was also keeping in mind the method Yoon Kwang Hun told him. If he did not know something, he needed to keep a straight face and ask until he did know. ¡°Homophonic means progressing with a harmony with just one melody.¡± Furthermore, he liked that no matter how basic his questions were and the studentsughed, the professor did notugh and answered them. Jun Hyuk cocked his head. Why was he asking such a useless question? Is there not just one answer to it? ¡°I¡¯m sure Beethoven thought of a melody... and that was the best way to express that melody.¡± The professor continued with the debate even with Jun Hyuk¡¯s pointless answer, ¡°Could there have been a better method? Is there evidence that there was no better way to express it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a better way to express it no matter how much I listen to Beethoven¡¯s piano.¡± The studentsughed again. They could not keep the debate going in this way. By saying that he thought about it and there is no better method, he might as well have said that he had gone inside Beethoven¡¯s head. He was just being stubborn. Professor Hirani still did notugh. ¡°Hm. Alright. Then how many methods have you thought of that you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t think there is a better way?¡± ¡°Um... 100?¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk said 100, theughter disappeared and silence swept over the ssroom. Professor Hirani¡¯s eyes widened and was speechless. Chapter 104 Volume 3 / Chapter 104 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: This is the first bonus chapter ?? enjoy] Is there a musician who thought of 100 different ways to try to better express Beethoven¡¯s song? When it is Beethoven? ¡°Jun, can you tell us what methods you¡¯ve thought of?¡± Professor Hirani looked at Jun Hyuk with eyes full of curiosity and everyone in the ssroom directed their attention to his mouth. What kind of response would he give this time? They were now full of anticipation because he kept giving unexpected answers. ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult to respond in words. English is hard and I don¡¯t know the terms... It¡¯s even hard to exin.¡± Jun Hyuk suddenly stood up and walked toward the piano sitting in the ssroom. ¡°I¡¯ll try to y it instead.¡± Jun Hyuk began to y the piano as he added a brief exnation for each rendition. ¡°This is the exposition when there isn¡¯t a development.¡± ¡°This is with multiple melodies instead of one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the terms for this one. I¡¯ll just y it.¡± Dozens of arrangements of Beethoven¡¯s sonata flowed from Jun Hyuk¡¯s fingertips. After focusing on performing for a while, Jun Hyuk stood up from the chair. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t Beethoven¡¯s original the best?¡± That was when several students began to whisper to each other. The rumor that there was a genius from Korea. They had figured out who the object of those rumors was. It was a great adventure to arrange ssics. It was normal to hear that it was a desecration to the original. That was why legendary Leonard Bernstein of the New York Philharmonic defined ssic as such: ¡®ssic does not mean that it is an old song, but a song that is yed strictly following theposer¡¯s score.¡¯ All that was done was arranging a violin song to the piano or an opera to a piano song. It was also okay to change a symphony into a piano song because it was a way to listen to theplete song, however inferior. But to arrange a piano song into another piano song? With Beethoven? Everyone would agree that was crazy and unimaginable. However, this young Asian kid confidently yed different versions of Beethoven¡¯s piano sonata in the middle of ss. On top of that, it was with the reason that he had thought of different methods of expression. More surprising was that Jun Hyuk¡¯s versions were so good that they did not insult Beethoven. From this day on, Jun Hyuk brushed off his awkwardness and fear regarding sses and lectures. He aggressively asked the professor questions and actively participated in debates. Once he started discussing his thoughts on music, he did not know how to stop so he was prone to flying through ss time while chatting. Eventually, Professor Hirani had to arrange for time to speak with Jun Hyuk separately after ss to reduce the time spent on basic questions. Lectures onlysted for 4 hours a day and the professors and students formed teams with the remainder of the time. The school¡¯s specialty was performing without time restraints. Jun Hyuk needed to be a team member because of the school¡¯s tradition for students to perform as they learn. The music teams were not what people think of as regr clubs. They had to practice in concert as if they are professionals and were evaluated in a monthly recital. More than 25% of American orchestra members were alumni of yton because the students performed under this real-life pressure for 4 years. *** Danny took Jun Hyuk by the hand and dragged him to the practice room. ¡°Jun, I¡¯m in a quartet and the other members keep pestering me because they want to try performing with you. You don¡¯t have a team yet, right?¡± There were 3 students waiting for Jun Hyuk in the practice room. 1st and 2nd violin. Vi. Cello. If a piano was added to this string quartet, they would be a piano quintet. ¡°I have my special sses. You know it¡¯ll be hard to match practice times, right? If you¡¯re okay with that, then I¡¯m just grateful to be on a team.¡± ¡°We already decided to make the times work no matter what. Then you¡¯re on our team from now on.¡± All of the members weed Jun Hyuk and while he shook each person¡¯s hand, Coline Svatos on the cello even shed arge smile and squeezed his hand tightly. ¡°Alright then. Shouldn¡¯t we test to see if an exquisite ensemblees out now that we have a new member?¡± Everyone cheered to Coline¡¯s words and dragged Jun Hyuk out. He had high expectations because they said it was a harmony, but their first undertaking was alcohol, not music. They made a round through a shabby pub, bar and even a strip club before going back to the dorms, and Jun Hyuk was not able to get up until the afternoon the next day. When Jun Hyuk finished the 1st real ensemble with his team, his first thought was that he had done well toe study abroad. These kids were armed with talent that was iparable to the members of Hwang Suk Min¡¯s Fine Philharmonic. There was no need for Jun Hyuk to match the others¡¯ levels because they had all been called geniuses in their respective mothends. When Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano exploded asionally, everyone did get surprised, but they were prepared to follow along with whatever it took and they all looked to enjoy it even if it was difficult. They were beasts who yelled ¡®Try again!¡¯ if it were not the best performance. Being surrounded by people who were not satisfied with themselves, he realized what Yoon Kwang Hun had really meant. His frustration disappeared and he learned of a synergy that rises when shes of talente together. Danny was a far more extraordinary violinist than Jun Hyuk had expected, and there would be no problem for 3rd year Coline to go on stage as a cello soloist. Rather than practicing existing string quartet songs, they epted Jun Hyuk¡¯s selfposed songs without hesitation. When they participated in arranging the songs, they offered so many new ideas that Jun Hyuk was often surprised. Performing with these students grew more and more fun everyday over his lectures and special sses. They had gained so much interest in the school that when Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano quintet went on stage, there was not a single empty seat in the audience. The professors who always watched new attempts with joy became engrossed in Jun Hyuk¡¯s arrangements. Piano major Professor Randall Poster in particr could not understand why Jun Hyuk had not chosen to listen to the piano lectures. The piano did not stand out in Jun Hyuk¡¯s quintet, but it was undoubtedly a pir of the team. It presented the most stable performance. He had been happy beyond expression after hearing the piano performance during the application period because he had met an outstanding pianist. After fighting with Professor Lenny Greenfield over taking him in, he had be in charge but Jun Hyuk himself rejected piano lessons. He had personally gone to meet Jun Hyuk several times to convince him to take lessons to go out for apetition, but Jun Hyuk just said that he was not interested in going out forpetitions. The biannual Long Thibaud Competition was impossible because it opened in November this year. However, Professor Poster was still aiming for the nextpetition because he thought that Jun Hyuk would be ready enough if he prepared for 2 years. Chapter 105 Volume 3 / Chapter 105 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: This is the second bonus chapter ?? enjoy] Coline, the cellist in the quintet, listened to a Korean song he could not understand for a while on his phone and whistled. ¡°Danny, this is Jun Hyuk¡¯s album?¡± Danny went to Coline, who was yelling with the earphones in, took them out and spoke, ¡°Yeah. His first album. He said it was released in Korea. I guess he made it right before he came here.¡± ¡°Composition, guitar, piano..... That¡¯s fucking great!¡± Coline was impressed by Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar and started motioning his fingers in the air as if ying one. ¡°Jun¡¯s guitar is really.....¡± ¡°Killer, right? And what about the configuration of the tracks?¡± Danny suddenly remembered something and turned on hisptop. ¡°Take a look at this too. I¡¯m pretty sure you haven¡¯t seen it yet.¡± Danny showed him Jun Hyuk¡¯s versions of Canon that were up on YouTube. Coline¡¯s jaw dropped at the image of Jun Hyuk ying the drums as well. ¡°He¡¯s really a monster. Not just the piano andposition, but the guitar and drums too?¡± ¡°More than that, take a close look at that guitar. You know what that is?¡± ¡°Hang on. That... Isn¡¯t that a custom PRS (Paul Reed Smith) and a James Tyler Buring Water?¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s under Jun Hyuk¡¯s bed.¡± As soon as Danny spoke, Coline ducked under Jun Hyuk¡¯s bed and pulled out the guitar case. However, it was locked with a passcode and he was unable to see it. ¡°Danny, was Jun Hyuk rich in Korea?¡± ¡°No. I think he went out on some pop music program in Korea. He said he made a lot of money when the songs he arranged became really popr. And I think I heard something about him modeling.¡± ¡°Phew ¨C So he was a star in Korea.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he even released an album.¡± Coline¡¯s eyes sparked as he spoke to Danny, ¡°Danny, do you know what time Jun Hyuk¡¯s sses end today?¡± ¡°9 o¡¯clock? Or around 9:30? He¡¯ll being back soon. Why?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just need to ask him something.¡± Coline wanted to confess a secret he had been keeping to Jun Hyuk. After a never ending 4 hour ss on the history of African American human rights, Jun Hyuk came back to the dorms exhausted. It was a frustrating lecture that he had not been able to understand half of because the professor spoke more than he normally did. Jun Hyuk had been expecting toy down in his bedfortably, but Coline who had been waiting for him took him by the hand and dragged him out to a bar in front of the school. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want to talk about, but hurry up. I¡¯m really tired today.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. Do you want to join our band? Let¡¯s do it together.¡± ¡°What? Band?¡± ¡°Yeah. I made a band with 2 friends. It¡¯s been almost a year.¡± ¡°Friends? At our school?¡± ¡°No. They only know the names Beethoven and Mozart in terms of ssical. But they¡¯re amazing.¡± There are a lot of people who are difficult to understand in the world. Is it not the CH School of Music where everyone wants to go but cannot? Not only was he dreaming of doing other music after getting over such a difficult obstacle, but he had even created a band to do something else. ¡°Then what about ssical? Wasn¡¯t it your dream to be a cellist?¡± ¡°ssical? What¡¯s so great about music that¡¯s hashed up and reyed over and over again?¡± Coline took a swig of his beer and spoke mockingly. ¡°Hashed? Reyed?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think so? Beethoven¡¯s symphony ¡®Fate¡¯ alone has been recorded in 700 albums. No matter how much of an oldie it is, it¡¯s just one song. It¡¯s one song with different conductors. No, I¡¯m pretty sure Karajan of the Berlin Philharmonic did it around 20 times. It has to be more because he released the box set of Beethoven¡¯splete works 5 times.¡± Herbert von Karajan who especially loved Beethoven. He sold 200 million records while he served on the Berlin Philharmonic. Though there was a lot of talk about how he just performed songs that the public was used to and about it all being showmanship, it was true that he led the poprization of ssical music. ¡°Past baroque, ssical, and romantic, do you think ssical would have developed? The so-called contemporary music is saying that it is following behind ssical, but even that is barely staying alive with Stravinsky, Bartok Schoenberg, and Rigeti.¡± Coline¡¯s honest thoughts on ssical music exploded and flowed out. ¡°If you release something as contemporary music now, the premiere is thest performance. It¡¯s only performed once. And for a rookie, that¡¯s only if it¡¯s good enough to get 1st ce at the Belgium¡¯s Queen Elisabeth Competition.¡± ssical is already falling in its own league because it is worshipping its existing works while keep new trials at a distance. ¡°Can you understand this screwed up situation? Either rehash relics or make music that no one will listen to even if the critics praise it. These are the only 2 paths in ssical.¡± Whether it was due to his drunkenness or discontent and dissatisfaction concerning ssical, Coline¡¯s voice grew louder and louder. ¡°Composers were revered a long time ago, but not anymore. No one will listen even if you make contemporary music. If you want fame and wealth.... Composition? You have to give it up and be a performer. Conductor? That¡¯s also okay since a conductor of an orchestra is a performer.¡± It was advice with the fact that Jun Hyuk¡¯s majors areposition andmand in mind. In Coline¡¯s thoughts however, Jun Hyuk still has a naive view. ¡°Then instead of making abstruse contemporary music, you can make songs that are like the old ssical.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. You¡¯re really impressive. You¡¯re saying we should go back to the past? Do you have the confidence to do that? Fine. Then let¡¯s say you wrote a song. You know who yourpetition is? You have topete with people like Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, and Wagner. No. You¡¯ll only be recognized if you write songs that are better than theirs. Or they¡¯ll say you¡¯re just a monkey copying them.¡± Jun Hyuk did not think that everything Coline was saying was gibberish. However, he thought that Coline would also know that good musices to light and is loved by the public. It is just that right now, they are taking down the negative aspects of ssical music. ¡°So you made a rock and roll band?¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with that? It¡¯s popr music. ssical was popr music of its time. Mozart¡¯s Don Giovanni had a lot of sess in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. It was the song that the citizens enjoyed in the theater. Topare it with something now, it would be like a box-office sess musical or a U2 concert.¡± It seems Coline wants the masses to cheer for his music. But as a cellist, he would not be able to get past the restrictions of ssical fanciers. This kind of thought could be the reason why they created the band. It is the greatest difference between them and Jun Hyuk, who only thinks about music. ¡°Jun, just think about it. If Mozart came to the present on a time machine, do you think he would do rock or jazz? Or do you think he would do ssical?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m 100% sure. There are a lot of people who like Mozart, like to have fun, enjoy grand things, crave sess, and desire people¡¯s cheering. I¡¯m sure Mozart would have put a rock band together and toured the world. Money, fame, women, poprity, alcohol, drugs. These are all trademarks of rockers.¡± Jun Hyuk even thought that Coline¡¯s usible spections were fun. Mozart as the leader of a rock band..... ¡°Mozart died at 36, but he would have died at 26 in the present. Of overdosing on drugs. Ha ha ha.¡± Coline broke out inughter and asked Jun Hyuk again, ¡°Hey Jun, I heard the music you made in Korea. You like rock and roll too, and you like jazz and the blues. Let¡¯s do the band together. I won¡¯t ask you to miss sses or quintet practices, so let¡¯s do it together when you have time.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s blood also boiled. He wanted to do it. He wanted to y a deafening guitar capable of exploding an amp and he wanted to y the drums so hard the ceiling came down. However, ssical is what really made his blood boil. The exhrating bliss. He does not have to choose between the two, but now is the time to focus. He does not want to make the 4 years he had decided on with such difficulty to go to waste by doing something useless. ¡°I can¡¯t. You know too that I get special sses for 2 hours every day. I don¡¯t have time.¡± Chapter 106 Volume 3 / Chapter 106 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: And here is your regr chapter. Thank you guys for the support as always.] Jun Hyuk remembered something he had been forgetting, ¡°Oh right. Didn¡¯t you say that your band has 3 people? You still don¡¯t have enough people when it¡¯s been almost a year?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Guitar, drum, bass. I¡¯m the bass. I do guitar and vocals as well.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s all full. Why are you asking me when you have everything ¨C guitar, bass, drums, vocals?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a keyboardist. I¡¯m a major in ssical too. I need the grandiosity thates from a keyboardist instead of a simple configuration.¡± ¡°Hey! You should have said that earlier. Then I don¡¯t have any interest. I y the piano so much in the quintet but to y the keyboard in the band? Forget it.¡± Jun Hyuk found the perfect excuse to refuse the offer. He was not just turning Coline down, but also his own self who wanted to be in the band. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t just say you don¡¯t want to do it and talk after you listen to our music.¡± ¡°What famous band¡¯s songs do you guys normally practice?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? You think we¡¯re doing the band for fun right now? Our goal is to release a record. We¡¯re professionals.¡± Coline was miffed at Jun Hyuk who thought that he would just be copying others¡¯ songs. ¡°I see. But is it easy to release a record?¡± ¡°Other than the marketing, what¡¯s so hard? Do you know how many recording studios there are in New York? If we don¡¯t record by instrument and track and record all together, we could finish it in a day. $500 is enough.¡± Nirvana¡¯s ¡®Nevermind¡¯ was produced in Detroit¡¯s Sound City studio for $600. With that, they sold 16 million copies. Because of this legend, there are still amateur musicians who try to record their music in small studios. And they are in a better environment than Nirvana was. They have Apple. ¡°We¡¯ll sell the track on the Apple store first and if it bes a hit, producers are going toe to us. Then it¡¯s all over.¡± The smiling Coline looked like he was dreaming that he had already be a star. ¡°Jun, you really won¡¯t do it with us?¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not interested. It¡¯s hard even keeping up with my assignments.¡± He had thought that all he would have to do at a university of music was write songs and perform. However, more than half of the assignments asked him to write his thoughts on various topics that were thrown at him.¡± ¡°Then Jun, let me hear you y the guitar once. And the drums.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it next time. I¡¯m really tired right now. You¡¯re banned from my room if you keep bothering me.¡± Coline who had already heard Jun Hyuk¡¯s album did not give up. It was okay even if he did note in as a keyboardist. What the band needed most were the skills Jun Hyuk showed in the quintet with his talent in arranging and directing while correcting each member¡¯s music. With this, there was one more person following Jun Hyuk around. *** Something caught Jun Hyuk¡¯s attention at once, more than the two people following him around. The harmonica. Jun Hyuk was running to make it on time to his special ss when the sound of a harmonica stopped him in his tracks. To think that he was hearing Bachs¡¯ Cantata yed on a harmonica. He had only heard the harmonica yed in folk or country music. When he looked toward the sound of the harmonica, he saw the back of someone sittingfortably with her legs propped up on a chair in front of the cafeteria. Jun Hyuk waited where he stood until she was done ying. In the middle of his performance, Jun Hyuk¡¯s heart started beating when the part with the mashup of two cantatas came up. The performance became more and more bold. It gradually increased from two cantatas to three, four, and five. The end had such aplicated configuration that it seemed the five cantatas were used randomly, and he thought it was as though ssical music had been reconstructed as avant-garde music. To bring out this kind of configuration with a harmonica. Jun Hyuk could not hold back his curiosity of who was ying the harmonica in such a way that he had not imagined before. The person who had yed the harmonica lit the cigaretteying on the table. Jun Hyuk approached her carefully and slightly tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°Excuse me, but can I ask you a question?¡± He could be sure that the performer who turned around was a bold beauty from South America. Her dark skin and swinging ck hair showed that she is from a hot country. The girl looked at Jun Hyuk. ¡°The song you just yed... How did youe to think of something like that?¡± ¡°How?¡± The South American girl looked at him. She had not understood Jun Hyuk¡¯s question. Jun Hyuk repeated his question again slowly. ¡°I¡¯m curious as to how you thought of configuring that kind of music.¡± ¡°I just did. It just came to my mind while I was ying the harmonica.¡± If he had not interpreted ¡®just¡¯ incorrectly, it meant she had thought of it on the spot. Jun Hyuk thought about how he had said the same thing hundreds of times. The others¡¯ expressions at his words. That must be his expression right now. ¡°I see. I asked something useless. Sorry.¡± The South American made Jun Hyuk stop as he was walking away, ¡°Wait. Are you Jun by chance?¡± ¡°I am. You know me?¡± ¡°An unbelievable genius from Asia. Skinny and tall. I could tell just by looking at you.¡± A curious guy who says something unexpected in every ss and is not well-versed in the basic theories but is able to exin everything with music. Though it had not been long since school started, Jun Hyuk had be the subject of such rumors. ¡°And who are you?¡± When Jun Hyuk frowned as he asked, the girl hit her own head. ¡°Oh right... It was true that our genius isn¡¯t interested in others. Ha ha.¡± This South American beauty in her twentiesughed and got up from her chair. ¡°I¡¯m Amelia. Piano major.¡± Jun Hyuk shook the hand Amelia had put out. She stared at Jun Hyuk, but he could not take his eyes off of the harmonica. Amelia Lamarque is a genius pianist who is already recognized as the 2nd Martha Argerich in Argentina. She had shown this first at the New York Bernstein Music Festival and famous professor and professor Reny Greenfield had rmended her to enroll in the school. Professor Greenfield was so confident in her talent that he never failed to invite her as a guest pianist for his performances and went around telling people that she would be the queen of concerts. The ability to capture South America¡¯s passion in her piano. She was critically acimed because she could use that passion and even show simplicity. Last year however, she was eliminated in the 2nd round of the Pnd Warsaw Chopin Competition and was not included in the final list. There could have been talk that she had not been able to advance because she is not European, but the organizers dismissed these rumors because a Japanese person came in 1st ce. An important fact is that the Japanese person who won spent 10 years in France¡¯s Paris School of Music, and that yed arge part in the win. ¡°Amelia, piano, okay.¡± Jun Hyuk mumbled each word as though he were saving them in his memory. ¡°I guess you liked the harmonica just now.¡± Amelia kept making Jun Hyuk stop. ¡°Yeah. It was a really cool variation. The configuration was really impressive. I¡¯m saying this as a pianist, but try arranging that song on two pianos. I think it¡¯lle out really great. Alright then, I have to get to ss.¡± As Jun Hyuk turned around, Amelia grabbed his wrist. ¡°Hey. Whew ¨C What do you mean 2 pianos? I¡¯m not a genius like someone. Shouldn¡¯t you at least give me a hint for how to configure it?¡± Amelia scratched her head. ¡°What? You performed it yourself.¡± ¡°Ah, I honestly don¡¯t really remember it. Ha ha.¡± Just as the students of this school saw Jun Hyuk as strange, he also thought they were strange. Danny who ys the violin so well is an dumb, and Coline who is a member of the quintet is an idiot who wants to be a rock star. Now this pianist suffers from short-term memory. How could she not remember what she just yed? ¡°Cantata A Major, E t Major, Gm. This is for the 1st piano. And the 2nd piano can y D, C, Majors. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have to change it a bit since the range of the piano and harmonica are different.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Amelia moved her fingers in the air a few times and snapped her fingers. ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡± She put out the cigarette she was holding and ran. Jun Hyuk¡¯s felt good as he watched her run. There was no need to exin multiple times in this school. Everyone could understand what he meant with few words. They also gave results that were up to and at times beyond his expectations. Jun Hyuk started running again as well. He was alreadyte because of that forgetful girl. He would get a tardy. Chapter 107 Volume 3 / Chapter 107 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: I¡¯ve been wanting to post a singing clip since volume 1 because I think I mentioned I wanted to be a singer...and the first volume of this book reminded me of when I used to audition. But I keep forgetting. Maybe this weekend? ?? Anyway Enjoy!] When Jun Hyuk went back to his dorm room after his 3 hour lesson, there was someone waiting for him in front of the door. Fortunately, it was not Coline. She was sitting in front of his room while ying the harmonica, not shying from the gazes of other students. ¡°We finally meet again. Do you have a moment?¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Amelia suddenly grabbed his wrist and led him to a practice room with two grand pianos. ¡°I yed it the way you said before, but it¡¯s not that good. Help me out a bit.¡± Jun Hyuk threw his bag on the floor and sat in front of one of the pianos, ¡°y the first. I¡¯ll y the second.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk heard Amelia¡¯s first note, music flowed out. An unbending melody. A rampancy that was as though she was taking the soft Bach and shaking him by his hair. She was ignoring the calm expression and ying the piano with power. Jun Hyuk had heard that this girl had flunked atst year¡¯s Chopin Competition. Her piano clearly showed why. Chopin and this girl do not have chemistry. No matter how well she expressed the delicate Chopin, the judges would only have remembered her passion. It is ryed that powerfully. He had no doubt that she was learning pianissimo (very weakly) in this school. If she learned to delicately hide her strength, she would be a perfect pianist. After the 1st piano¡¯s solo flowed for about 3 minutes, Jun Hyuk started ying his piano. In order to keep the cantata theme alive, he came in so slowly that the 1st piano would not notice. The two cantatas modified exquisitely to sound like a single song, and he focused onpleting a harmony. After ying for over 10 minutes, the song wasing to an end but Jun Hyuk kept ying as if he could be and could not be present. Amelia pressed down thest notes as if bringing down a hammer and bolted up from her chair in exhration. He did not speak a word and without being able to control the excitement she felt in her fingertips, she pulled Jun Hyuk into a hug and kissed him. They kissed so deeply that he could not breathe for a few minutes and he left the room with a flushed face. Jun Hyuk knew very well that his flushed cheeks were not just a result of the kiss. The indescribable satisfaction that is felt after finishing a wonderful performance ¨C this is the reason. However, Jun Hyuk could not hide his disorientated state. He quietly mumbled behind Amelia who was running out of the room, ¡°You, good kisser.¡± Of the three teams performing that night in the bandstand, one was Amelia¡¯s piano. So as not to forget the excitement she felt while ying the piano with Jun Hyuk, she performed the variation on Bach¡¯s cantata with Professor Greenfield in Jun Hyuk¡¯s ce. Jun Hyuk watched the performance with interest, but he could not hide his bitter smile when it was over. Professor Greenfield had not been faithful to his supporting role as the second, and had shown aparable piano. The configuration of his piano was to show the grandiosity of the piece, so Amelia responded with a piano that sounded as though she was trying hard not to be pushed back. Eventually, the two ended with the pomp thates from a fiery battle rather than sophistication. Their faces were not very bright either once they finished their performance. The 2nd team to appear was a string quartet, but they were unable to ovee the powerful finish leftover and ended their mediocre performance without showing their full potential. Jun Hyuk left without listening to the rest. When he came outside, he could hear a girl¡¯s sharp voice. Amelia was speaking strongly to Professor Greenfield. Anyone would yell in this situation. Professor Greenfield had ruined the performance due to his greed as a pianist. Of course Professor Greenfield would not be able to understand why Amelia was getting so angry and how he had ruined the performance. The song that he performed was not bad either. However, he would have been able to understand if he had heard the performance of a second piano that stays in the background and supports the first piano. He would know that harmony takes priority over grandiosity. Jun Hyuk did not know that after this day, Amelia dered that she would no longer participate as a guest in Professor Greenfield¡¯s performances. At the start of November, the many students majoring in the piano and violin were nowhere to be seen. Along with the studentspeting in the Long Thibaud Competition in France, students and professors had left en masse to visit the country and see the people who would be the fresh performers of the world. Thanks to this, the team performances that urred every night were suspended for the time being. Danny had gotten on the ne to France. He was not participating in thepetition, but he wanted to see the participants. Jun Hyuk was able to focus onposition while alone in the quiet. Yoon Kwang Hun who was always the first to see Jun Hyuk¡¯s new scores praised him saying that his music was bing more borate every time they spoke. One day when theposition lecture ended, Professor Hirani stopped Jun Hyuk as he was leaving the ssroom. ¡°Jun, are you going to submit a song?¡± ¡°Excuse me? What do you mean a song?¡± ¡°The song CH orchestra will perform. This year, the principal conductor of Phdelphia will be visit tomand.¡± ¡°Ah, are you talking about the performance in December?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The CH orchestra is an orchestra made from yton-Hoffman students. The activity period regardless of grade and rtion is 1 year. Students who are talented enough to dream of bing soloists go through a cutthroatpetition to be a member. Everyone desperately tries to be a member because of the performances that open twice every year. They perform in a midsummer night festival in New York¡¯s Central Park. This performance is opening for the New York Philharmonic. The winter season performance opens in the theater inside the school. A conductor who is eminent in Americaes to orchestrate both of these performances. If a student stands out, he could earn an amazing opportunity. Furthermore, the opportunity to be a soloistes if the selected repertoire is an orchestra. Since the summer performance is in front of a general audience, they perform a widely known song. However, because the winter performance is done inside the school, it is done with a song created by a student. ¡°Ah, is it also possible for students?¡± ¡°Not only is it possible, we only do the performance with a student¡¯s song. You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know the students wrote the songs. I just thought they performed a famous song. When do I need to submit it by?¡± ¡°It¡¯s next week. What a waste... The otherposition major students will probably be refining their songs right now. I guess you couldn¡¯t tell that the other students were on edgetely. They¡¯re all on the brink of meltdowns. It¡¯s an honor if they¡¯re selected and it¡¯s a disgrace if they aren¡¯t. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Really? Should I give it a try?¡± ¡°Oh, I guess you have something made?¡± Professor Hirani had an expression of anticipation for what Jun Hyuk¡¯s song would be like. ¡°I do have something I made but... it¡¯s old... Wouldn¡¯t it be better to make a new one? I need to use what I learned from you as well.¡± To startposing now? When there is only one week left? Well, it does not have to be a 40-minute symphony. Since it is a free choice song without a format on the number of parts it needs, it would not matter if it was 10 minutes long. ¡°Try making a concerto while you¡¯re at it. It¡¯s better if even one more person is able to participate.¡± Jun Hyuk suddenly recalled a song at Professor Hirani¡¯s words. Then he decided what kind of song he would write. A piano concerto. Not a song for the Argentinian beauty Amelia¡¯s passionate piano, but a song that presses the passion to its limit. What that girl needs to learn. Pianissimo! Jun Hyuk was going to make an extreme pianissimo. Chapter 108 Volume 3 / Chapter 108 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Oh JH...you are so amazing swoon] The deadline to submit the selfposed songs for the winter performance passed and the professors gathered in a spacious conference room to judge the songs. For a fair evaluation, the professors do not know which students wrote the songs. They have to judge the scores with only the submission numbers written on them and the office as a list of the submission numbers with the names of the corresponding students. Once the judging is over and a song is chosen, they let the professors know who theposer is. The table in the conference room was covered in envelopes holding scores. The professors open the envelopes and after looking at each score, assign scores. By adding all of the scores, they debate over the song with the most points. Is it a song that is worthy of having a famous conductor orchestrate it? If it does not meet that absolute criterion, the system left the repertoire to the conductor. The professors write affectionate advice on the songs that are not chosen and return them to the students. Day of judging. There are dozens of scores stacked on the center of the table. However, all of the professors¡¯ hands were reaching for one envelope because of its thickness. It is at least three times as thick as the other envelopes. As their hands bumped, they allughed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this look to be at least 30 minutes?¡± ¡°Seems to be. Most of these are a little over 10 minutes.....¡± ¡°Professor Hirani, you should take a look at it first. We¡¯ll look at the thin ones.¡± Professor Hirani nodded to the professors, opened the envelope, and started to look through the score. After about 10 minutes passed, Professor Hirani bolted up from his chair. ¡°This... You should take a look at this song first...¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Look at this one first.¡± Over 10 professors started passing the score around. A piano concerto configured entirely in 4 parts. The title read Piano Concerto No. 7. All of the professors looking at the score thought that they were going to go crazy. A song that makes the listener frustrated. The music did not explode refreshingly and was endlessly teasing. The sweet melody did notst until the end, but was continued instead with a gentle flow. This gentle mood did notst either and became cold. A normal piano concerto has a intense first part, a rxing lyrical 2nd part, a short tango in the 3rd, and a rondo in the 4th. Rondo is a format where a principal theme with several contrasting themes. The tempo is much faster than the 1st part and the period of the theme is short. This song on the other hand has an entirely different configuration. It teases them until the 3rd part. When the 3rd part is ending, they are about to get angry. As soon as they enter the 4th part, the melody that had been teasing them starts exploding all at once. As if making up for the 22 minutes they endured the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd parts, the 4th part shows tremendous power for about 11 minutes and lets them feel the greatest catharsis. The songs that the other students submitted are closer to contemporary music, but this song has a traditional ssical feel to it. If someone who did not know listened to it, they would say that they had discovered an unreleased song by Haydn or Brahms. While the professors repeatedly looked over the score, 2 hours quickly went by. ¡°There there. Since we can¡¯t end today with the evaluation of just one song, let¡¯s review the other pieces as well.¡± They would of course need to look at the other students¡¯ submissions, but the professors looked as though their decisions had already been made. They finished scoring as it dimmed outside. The judges chose the top three scores and went into a debate over the two songs tied 1st ce and a song in 3rd ce by a 3 point difference. The judges began discussing the shorings of the 3rd ce song with its score in the center of the table. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bitcking for an orchestral arrangement?¡± ¡°Yes. It would have been better if they had made it more simple... It¡¯s more fitting for a string quartet.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s select a quartet team and open a separate performance with this. And counsel this person on arranging it to fit a quartet.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s time to choose between these two songs.¡± At first, they had thought that the piano concerto would ce in 1st with an overwhelming amount of points. But before the impression of this song could disappear, another piece had jumped out at them. It is a song where three sopranos have to make sounds as if they are three instruments. It did not deliver its message through lyrics. All it demanded was a single ¡®ah ah¡¯ sound. An experimental music that uses the soprano as an instrument. ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard to decide which is superior and which is inferior?¡± ¡°I agree. It¡¯s a situation where we need to choose between Haydn and Schoenberg.¡± The professors did not looks as if they dreaded the situation of having to choose the better of the two pieces. They were all smiling with joy that two amazing songs could emerge at the same time. They were happy that the students¡¯ workmanship was being upgraded every year. ¡°What do you think of doing this?¡± Professor Hirani was being ambitious because he thought it a waste to choose just one song. ¡°Let¡¯s leave the two songs as tied in 1st ce and ask Maestro Bruno Kazel to perform both. I think he¡¯ll ept it.¡± ¡°And what if he says that he¡¯ll only do one due to circumstances?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll ask him to do the piano concerto since it fully uses the orchestra. We can ask theposer of the other song tomand it himself.¡± ¡°That is a good idea.¡± ¡°Before that, don¡¯t we need to think of the pianist?¡± While everyone was in happy contemtion, one professor spoke with a serious expression. That is when everyone else remembered something they had been forgetting. ¡°This... The pianist... It¡¯ll be a problem.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. Is there a student who can y the piano like this?¡± ¡°This is a big problem. It¡¯ll only be possible for a veteran pianist who has been performing for a long time to have such deterrence... Who among those young students could.....¡± ¡°I think there might be someone among the kids that went out for the Long Thibaud Competition.¡± However, Professor Hirani shook his head. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard. The winning student will have to start preparing for a world tour right away, and a losing student... They won¡¯t want toe out in a regr performance.¡± They did not know which student had written this song but he or she was throwing a lot of interesting issues at them. ¡°Well this isn¡¯t the time for this now. Let¡¯s check first.¡± One of the professors picked up the conference room phone and made a call out. ¡°Yes, we have made our decision. It is number 9 and 14.¡± When the employee at reception told him who wrote the two songs, the professor holding the receiver widened his eyes and asked again, ¡°Excuse me? Are you sure? Okay... okay. I see.¡± The professor put the phone down and had a strange expression on his face. ¡°Number 9 is Alexander Dubchek. And they said number 14 is by Jun Hyuk Jang.¡± ¡°By Jang, do you mean?¡± ¡°Yes. That Jang.¡± ¡°Really? I thought that a song like this had been in preparation for at least half a year.....¡± ¡°Do you think it could be a song he made before he enrolled?¡± Professor Hirani remembered what Jun Hyuk saidst week. ¡°No. Thinking about what Jun Hyuk said, he started preparing this song a week ago.¡± He had easily created a 30 minute piano concerto within a week. A concerto including a piano with such maturity. When the professors thought about the scores they had seen in Jun Hyuk¡¯s application, they realized why they had brought him into the school. It had to be because of these kinds of things. Randall Poster, professor of the piano, snapped his finger and burst out inughter, ¡°I see. Then there¡¯s no reason to worry about the pianist anymore. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Aha. I guess that¡¯s how it works out.¡± Professor Hirani also realized why Professor Poster wasughing. ¡°There¡¯s no need to choose another pianist. Jun is saying that he¡¯ll y it himself.¡± Everyone was relieved at Randall and Hirani¡¯s words. One of their worries had been resolved. ¡°Then the 2nd song is Alexander Dubchek.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Alexander Dubchek an oboe major?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And he¡¯s graduating next year.¡± ¡°The youngest freshman and oldest senior... And it feels like their pieces were switched... It¡¯ll be really fun this year.¡± ¡°Since this song is dependent on the abilities of the conductor, there¡¯s no need to worry. And it seems there won¡¯t be any issue with the 3 sopranos... I believe the students will be able to handle this much with ease.¡± ¡°Then should we meet with the two?¡± Chapter 109 Volume 3 / Chapter 109 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Just when I think I detect some tenderness in our MC...I realize that tenderness is mainly for music.] When Jun Hyuk got to the conference room on Professor Hirani¡¯s call, there was a grungy looking boy he was seeing for the first time. Also, there was not just Professor Hirani but 3 other professors drinking coffee and smiling. ¡°Are you two meeting for the first time? Say hi to each other. This is Jun. And this is Alexander.¡± The two boys lightly shook hands and sat opposite the professors. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can guess why we called you?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Oh, is it because of the judging.....?¡± Alexander¡¯s eyes sparked. ¡°That¡¯s right. Your songs were picked together as first ce. Unanimously. No one disagreed to this.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you.¡± Unlike Alexander who was expressing his happiness, Jun Hyuk eyed Alexander for a moment as if surprised. It was because he had never seen him inposition sses. There are less than 30 students majoring inposition. He knew everyone¡¯s faces even if they were in different grades. This scary looking person is not aposition major. ¡°First, Jun. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re thinking of ying the piano yourself?¡± How would this teenager express his youth? Professor Randall Poster was slightly excited at the thought of hearing Jun Hyuk¡¯s extreme pianissimo. However, Jun Hyuk¡¯s response made all of his expectationse crashing down. ¡°No. There¡¯s another pianist I¡¯m thinking of. Honestly, I was able to write this song in a week because it¡¯s what I thought of after listening to her perform.....¡± Alexander who was listening from next to Jun Hyuk furrowed his eyebrows. One week? What kind of song was it that he had written it in a week? It had taken him 2 months of revision to write his 8 minute song. ¡°Hm. I¡¯m sorry but we can¡¯t choose a pianist you have in mind if you don¡¯t intend to y it yourself. We need to pick the members through fair auditions.¡± Professor Randall Poster did not throw away his anticipation for Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano. With this, wouldn¡¯t Jun Hyuk y it himself? ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. No matter who you thought of, this song has been revealed. It¡¯s a song that anyone can y from now on. It is its premiere, but we can¡¯t give preference to the pianist you have in mind.¡± ¡°I understand. Then we¡¯ll have to have auditions.¡± Jun Hyuk thought it a pity, but did not worry. He did not have confidence up to the 3rd part, but the 4th part is an impossible performance unless Amelia ys it. Not just anyone can y the piano with such explosive strength. ¡°And we¡¯ll have to keep it a secret that you¡¯re theposer of the selected song until we choose a pianist.¡± Professor Poster could tell that Jun Hyuk did not have any intention to y the piano. All he wanted now was for a good pianist to perform. ¡°That¡¯s because we give students a week before the soloist audition, but all of the pianists in the school will bother you if they know that you¡¯re theposer. They¡¯ll want to hear how you interpreted the song. And it¡¯s inevitable that people will misunderstand if you have personal rtions with some of these people.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. You¡¯re saying it needs to be fair?¡± ¡°Yes. You understand?¡± The professors shifted their gazes to Alexander. Oboe major Alexander Dubchek is from a Czechoslovakian musical family. His grandfather was a pianist and he was born from a violinist father and cellist mother. He is an amazing performer who will be joining the Prague Philharmonic as the 2nd oboe. ¡°Alexander, the same goes for you. The sopranos need to be chosen through a fair audition. You need to keep quiet.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± When they came out of the conference room, Jun Hyuk asked what he had been holding back, ¡°Uh... You said you¡¯re an oboist?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then howe I¡¯ve never seen you in the concerts?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m done after this year. This is myst semester. Most people can¡¯t participate in the concerts in theirst semester. There are a lot of things we need to prepare for.¡± ¡°I see. I would like to hear your oboe before you leave the school. Then goodbye.¡± Alexander was a little surprised by Jun Hyuk who had turned to leave after saying what he wanted, but there was something he needed to check. He wanted to see Jun Hyuk¡¯s score that was up on the school intr. *** The notice board on the campus intr was noisy. No one could hide their excitement that not only were there two selected songs, but there would be auditions for the piano, soprano, and violin in one week. The violin is not for the concert but to fill the spaces emptied by the members who had gone to Paris for the Long Thibaud Competition. Things like the cinematic quality of the selected songs did not matter. The famous maestro of the Phdelphia Philharmonic ising. What is important is standing out in his eyes and gaining recognition. All of the violinists, pianists, and sopranos in the school printed the score and began practicing. They only have one week¡¯s time. Alexander could not believe it when he saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s score. It felt like a song Haydn wrote in histe years. It would be fitting to say that a white-haired, long bearded man had written the song. He could not believe that the young Asian kid he had just met wrote the song. On the other hand, Jun Hyuk smiled as he looked through Alexander¡¯s score. It is a fun song. He could feel a bustle throughout the song as if the neighborhood olddies hade out to chat. He had not been able to help but smile when he thought of how someone who looks like a hoodlum could have such a tender consciousness. As soon as Amelia saw the score, her hands shook. She was sure that this song was for her. It was pianissimo, what she had to work on the most, until the 3rd part and then her greatest advantage and specialty, the passionate piano, began in the 4th. She suddenly remembered a melody! Amelia looked at the 3rd part again. The Bach cantata she yed on the harmonica and then again on the piano! The 5 cantata melodies had been broken apart and cleverly ced across 12 segments. Amelia realized that theposer of this song is the skinny Asian kid. She was running with the score in her hand to confirm theposer, but stopped. What would she say once she met him? Would she ask him to help her interpret the song? Will she ask him to y the orchestra part for her? The soloist is chosen through the auditions anyway. More than anything, she first needed to ask herself if she wanted to y this song. Amelia went back to the practice room and sat in front of the piano. At first, she yed the way it was indicated on the score. There was no splendor through the 3rd part. An even pace, there were no parts that were so fast it would make it seem as though she has 20 fingers. The listener is lonely and the flow continues so slowly that the performer feels as if their patience is being tested. It even required pianississimo. She yed until the 3rd part and took her hands off of the piano when the forte began in the 4th part. She had been so drained of all her energy while ying the piano with such concentration until the 3rd part that she could not y any longer. She just wondered if the Asianposer was in his right mind to demand such a rapid change of the pianist. Chapter 110 Volume 3 / Chapter 110 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Here is your bonus chapter today! Please take the time to thank our donors for making this possible.] The pianist audition began one weekter. There were only 4 candidates for the piano soloist. To be honest, it is not configuration that brings joy to the pianist and it is not a song in which the pianist stands out. Furthermore, there were few applicants because most pianists had gone to Paris to participate in the Long Thibaud Competition. However, the greatest reason is that there are a lot of students who gave up on trying to y the piece. At first, they approached it with ease because of the calm melody. After 20 something minutes of carefully ying the piano as if handling a ss, their shoulders became stiff. It did not go beyond the professors¡¯ expectations. It is a song difficult to handle for a young and hot-blooded pianist because it requires extreme patience without any emotion. On the stage with two grand pianos, Jun Hyuk was sitting at one. He will be ying the orchestra part. The soloist applicants were all puzzled because they did not know why he was sitting there, but became shocked at the professors¡¯ exnations. By the progression of the piano, they had expected theposer to be a mature graduate student. But a freshman? On top of that, the rumored Asian kid. The heaviness they felt from the audition was about to disappear because of their shock. However, the piano was still hard. Jun Hyuk did not pay attention to the pianists¡¯ performances and kept ying the orchestra part quietly. There is no need to match it to the pianist. No matter how the 4 pianists y, he needs to quietly y it in the same way. Is it not a fair audition? Amelia went third. She was also the only pianist who had not been surprised when she saw Jun Hyuk. It was just that one week was too short of a time for her to learn pianissimo perfectly. It was hard for Jun Hyuk to follow Amelia as she began toe crashing down at the start of the 3rd part. The short 3rd part ended and when the 4th part began, she exploded in a proper performance. Her strength left such an impression that the judges forgot about the mistakes she made in the 3rd part. When the song ended, Amelia left the theater as though running away. She knew that Jun Hyuk wrote that song for her, but she was feeling guilt for ruining it. When the four pianists¡¯ performances ended, the professors were frowning and looking at the scorecards. As their expressions indicated, none of the performers had caught their eye. ¡°What we had been dreading has happened.¡± ¡°Right? It seems this piano is not fitting for the young students.¡± ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be a reason for a 20 year old who can handle this song to be at our school. He or she would have already been sessful as a pianist.¡± ¡°It seems a freshman has given us a proper assignment. It¡¯s like a bomb.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Amelia the best among them?¡± ¡°The 4th part was really impressive. But since she can¡¯tst until the 3rd part.....¡± While the professors werementing, Professor Randall Poster jumped up from his chair and went on the stage. ¡°Jun, can you try ying the piano?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Me?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just in case. If there isn¡¯t a fitting pianist, you¡¯ll have to perform. We need to be respectful to the maestro. We can¡¯t send him acking pianist from our school.¡± Unlike the words he was saying, Professor Poster had a faint smile. It seemed he was anticipating Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano more than he was worried. The professors in the seats also looked full of anticipation. Would theposer have created the song after figuring out all of these challenges? ¡°I¡¯ll y the orchestra part for you, so let us hear it one time.¡± Jun Hyuk started pressing the keys carefully. He yed the piano until the 3rd part, barely pressing his fingers down as though washing a crystal champagne ss with a cloth, and then freed his suppressed fingers for the 4th part. It was as though he was expressing Amelia¡¯s passion. When he finished performing even the 4th part sessfully, the professors brightened. If Jun Hyuk were to y, they could have the performance without issues. Professor Randall Poster was the only person who kept sighing. Why isn¡¯t this outstanding boy majoring in the piano? It was the moment he decided he would make Jun Hyuk take lessons no matter what. After he finished ying the piano, Jun Hyuk said something the professors had not been expecting at all, ¡°Professor, I have no intention to y the piano at the performance. If I end up ying the piano, the 4 people who auditioned today will have practiced for nothing. If it¡¯s too hard to choose a pianist, I think it¡¯s ¡®fair¡¯ to take my song out. Then.¡± Jun Hyuk bowed his head slightly and left the stage. The soprano candidates would being in soon. He ran into Alexander Dubchek who had been waiting to see the sopranos audition for his song. Alexander was already dazed from hearing Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano. Not justposition, but he can y the piano perfectly? Jun Hyuk greeted him lightly and ran out while holding back hisughter. It was too funny no matter how he thought about it. ¡®An olddy¡¯s emotion with that face... It¡¯s a mystery.¡¯ Once all of the auditions were over, the professors were scrutinizing over the pianist. Jun Hyuk had made it clear that he would not y the piano. What an embarrassment it would be if they did not have a proper pianist after inviting a maestro. ¡°Let¡¯s choose Amelia who the best for now. There¡¯s nothing we can do but give her special lessons until the performance.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t her teacher, Professor Greenfield, in Paris right now because of Long Thibaud?¡± The professors all looked at Professor Randall Poster. ¡°I¡¯m okay with it as long as Amelia is willing to do it.¡± There is no reason for him to turn down the chance to teach a junior with outstanding talent. Professor Poster epted it happily. Bruno Kazel, conductor of the Phdelphia Philharmonic, read through the score he received in his e-mail and let out a low sigh. This sigh was of condolence rather than admiration from seeing extraordinary music. The song is exceptional. It just does not have a youthful wit. It felt like he was seeing an old relic wearing a curly haired wig, shorts, stockings, and leather shoes. It was to the point where he thought he was seeing Haydn. ¡®Are there still youngsters these days writing music like this?¡¯ Bruno Kazel had been defined as an innovatory maestro and had happily epted the invitation tomand at yton University. He wanted to enjoy the pleasure of the youth¡¯s songs that destroy form. But this year¡¯s selection is a strict ssical. The title is a piano concerto, but it is a song where the piano is the most important. It is a song that drags the pianist into the 18th century. He opened the file for the score that came in joint 1st ce with a bitter feeling about this song that did not meet his expectations. The title is The Concerto for 3 Sopranos. It is a fun song where the sopranos battle for 8 minutes. It did seem a little rushed, but he thought that there really was a youthful feeling to it. Bruno Kazel slowly looked through both of the scores again and sat in front of the piano. He had realized that the song like Haydn¡¯s music did not have an ordinary piano. When he was done with the 1st part, his fingertips ached. As he thought of how the orchestra would sound in his head and yed the piano, he had to show extreme simplicity. ¡®What is this song?¡¯ It seemed as though he had kept Chopin or Liszt in mind when he was making a Haydn song. He wondered if there was a pianist among the students at yton who could y this type of song. It would have to be an already famous pianist to y this song. Does this mean that there is a hidden gem at yton? Does yton School of Music mean to introduce this gem to him? ¡®I¡¯ll have to go to New York a little early.¡¯ Chapter 111 Volume 3 / Chapter 111 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Friendship. Such a sweet thing.] Everyone finished the 20 fierce days of Long Thibaud and returned. However, the results had not been good. ording to Danny, it was a breakthrough for East Asia and annihtion for America. Korean, Chinese, and Japanese participants¡¯ names were on the list of runner-ups, but there was not a single American. This is not talking about American as a nationality, but as the ce where the participantspleted their studies. It was to the point where students who had thepetition as their priority were considering moving to a school in Europe. ¡°Jun, I¡¯m going to go out for Long Thibaud no matter what the year after the next.¡± Danny was full of confidence after seeing the participants¡¯ abilities with his own eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for it together. With your piano, you¡¯re definitely a winner.¡± Danny had heard the pianists who had beenbeled as being at a high overall level. However, he had not heard a piano that made his heart beat as much as Jun Hyuk¡¯s did. ¡°No. It isn¡¯t my dream to be a pianist.¡± ¡°Of course I know that. But you should know that a lot ofposers are famous pianists.¡± ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t want to. If you want, I can do the apaniment for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that. It¡¯s obvious that the apanist will overshadow the performer. Am I crazy?¡± Danny was extremely jealous of Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent but there were a lot of times when he thought that it was a relief that Jun Hyuk had not chosen to y the piano. He thought it a relief that this tremendouspetitor, apetitor that he could never follow, had chosenposition. On top of that, if he shows his music to this future maestro, Jun Hyuk mightpose a song with his violin in mind. ¡°Jun, tell me honestly. What do you think of my violin?¡± ¡°You¡¯re good. Have confidence.¡± ¡°Then why is the song for the performance a piano concerto? Don¡¯t you need to write a violin song for me, your best friend?¡± He spoke as though joking, but his tone was full of regret. ¡°That? That¡¯s nothing really. It¡¯s just a practice song.¡± ¡°Practice song?¡± He was chosen for the performance with a practice song? Danny had already seen Jun Hyuk¡¯s score on the inte. If that song is just a practice song, what is a real one like? Danny remembered the title of that song. ¡°Oh right, it said the title of that song is Piano Concerto No. 7... Then doesn¡¯t that mean there are 6 other songs?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I wrote them while I was in Korea.¡± ¡°By chance, do you have the scores with you?¡± Jun Hyuk tapped his head with his fingers. ¡°Ah.....¡± ¡°So the songs are in your head and the scores are in Korea.¡± When Danny saw Jun Hyuk nod his head, he spoke in a quiet voice, ¡°Then do you have a song for the violin?¡± ¡°Of course I do. Why? Do you want to see it?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be an honor, maestro.¡± Danny rotated his arms and bowed. Jun Hyuk took out sheet music and started writing notes quickly. Danny¡¯s eyes quickly followed the notes from beside Jun Hyuk. When Jun Hyukpleted the score within moments, Danny quickly took it. ¡°If I finish practicing this song, you¡¯ll y the apaniment?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s show this at the concert.¡± ¡°Ha ha.¡± As Jun Hyuk suddenly startedughing, Danny¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°I yed around with that a little while I was arranging it. If you want to y that perfectly, you¡¯ll have to practice that like crazy this winter break. And if you can y that songpletely, you¡¯ll be good enough to go out for thepetition.¡± Danny¡¯s widened eyes did note back to their original state. Had he made it so that he could practice? Though Jun Hyuk always seemed indifferent, he was very considerate of others at times like this. Danny was touched and hugged Jun Hyuk, kissing his cheek. *** Bruno Kazel decided to stay in New York until the Phdelphia Philharmonic¡¯s Christmas concert with the excuse of the yton performance. Once he arrived in New York with his whole family, he left them at the hotel and headed to yton. Unlike the conductors who usually arrived at the school 2 days before the concert, he hade to New York a week before. The students cheered at the maestro¡¯s surprise visit. The maestro smile and was friendly to anyone who approached him and spoke informally with the students. Of course he drank coffee with the professors as they discussed the defeat at Long Thibaud. ¡°Then can I meet the leaders of the concert?¡± ¡°Yes. Would you like to start with the orchestra members?¡± ¡°No. I was hoping to meet theposers first. I¡¯m sure I should get information on the songs first. Also, it may be ufortable, but I wanted to meet them separately. One at a time.¡± The professors were puzzled because they did not know why he wanted to meet them separately, but they had to think that he had his own reasons. Alexander Dubchek could not let go of Bruno Kazel¡¯s hand and was full of awe. There is a reason why the students are in a craze over Bruno Kazel. He is someone who demands novelty so much so that he is called an innovative conductor. He prefers contemporary music to ssical or romantic music and he often includes jazz into his repertoire. He does not even hesitate to work with pop musicians who are not very famous. When he was inaugurated as the conductor and music director of the Phdelphia Philharmonic, he put a joint performance with South American jazz greats on his first stage against the opposition of the Board of Directors. Local supporters pressured the Board of Directors for his dismissal even though there were 3 years left to his contract. The Board of Directors were going to kick him out with the resolution to pay the contract fees, but they all kept their mouths shut when his live performance album had a sales rate of 4 million copies. This Bruno Kazel was receiving the overwhelming support of young musicians. While Bruno Kazel looked at Alexander who could not let go of his hand, he suddenly remembered something, ¡°Are you by chance that Dubchek? Of Prague?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It is a modest response, but his voice was full of pride. ¡°I see. I used to enjoy your grandparents¡¯ music... I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be the grandson. I guess it¡¯s in the genes?¡± A family with three generations of music. This ismon in Europe. ¡°It seems your mother had a great influence seeing as how you chose the oboe.¡± ¡°It was a question of choice rather than influence.¡± ¡°Your parents must be proud. You excel inposition, not just the oboe.¡± It could be that this young Czechoslovakian musician has more talent inposition than he does in the oboe. ¡°Then should we discuss the song? Should I say that it¡¯s fun? It even has aical feeling to it... How did youe to write it?¡± ¡°I once saw three women having a pic in Central Park. I could not tell if they were single moms or housewives, but while the children were running around on their own, the women looked like they had been freed.¡± Alexander recalled the moment he thought of the music and started chattering his exnation. ¡°They had looked annoyed while they were holding the children¡¯s hands before they found their spots on the parkwn.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you saw the change in their expressions and guessed what they were thinking?¡± He had found music in an unexpected moment. It meant that he is extremely sensitive. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But I couldn¡¯t feel that openness or joy in your music.¡± ¡°Because those women also know that it is only for that quick moment. When they return to their daily lives, they¡¯ll have to endure the stress of shing with their children.¡± He had expressed a feeling that anyone who had cared for a child could agree with. ¡°Ha ha. It¡¯s so realistic. I know that feeling. I have three kids. None of them are over 10 years old yet. It¡¯s really war everyday.¡± Bruno Kazel was pleased andughed loudly. ¡°But why sopranos instead of the oboe? Isn¡¯t your major the oboe?¡± ¡°I tried it a few times, but the three women¡¯s feelings did note out no matter what I did. A better yer might have been able to... But I thought a direct depiction would be better and chose the sopranos.¡± ¡°Right. The oboe is a gentleman¡¯s instrument. It would be difficult for anyone to try to express a young mother¡¯s hysteria with the gentle oboe.¡± Bruno Kazel spoke cautiously, ¡°Have you seen the song that was chosen along with yours?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s amazing.¡± Alexander shook his head. ¡°Really? I thought it is a bit boring. Isn¡¯t it too generic?¡± Bruno Kazel watched Alexander¡¯s expression. ¡°It could be, but not just anyone cane up just something like that in a matter of a week.¡± ¡°A week? Are you saying that he wrote that piano concerto in a week?¡± He had thrown the question to see how Alexander evaluated apetitor¡¯s music, but he hade to know something unexpected. A week¡¯s short time also meant that he had not revised the song. Ultimately, it meant that he had written it while pulling inspiration from any incident or moment. What kind of moment had he experienced that he came up with such a ssical music? Had Haydne out in his dreams to give him that song? Alexander looked at Bruno Kazel¡¯s surprised face and kept speaking, ¡°Yes. He¡¯s a freshman who is rumored to be plenty capable of doing that much.¡± ¡°Freshman? Well... this is more of a surprise than the music. A freshman writing a song that has the essence of Haydn?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be more surprised when you meet him yourself.¡± Chapter 112 Volume 3 / Chapter 112 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Oh Bruno, what have you done?] ¡°Alright, then should we talk about this music that reproduced Haydn? You said your name is Jun?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bruno Kazel thought of Alexander¡¯s words that he would be more surprised once he met Jun Hyuk in person. Asians look younger in general, but the boy who came through the doors looked as though he could be in high school. Looking at the music and theposers, it was as though the two boys had been switched. The strict ssical form written by a youth from a European musical family. And a song depicting a fun scene by a witty boy from Asia. This would be much more usible. ¡°Is there a fun story to your song as well?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Ah, I heard that the song chosen along with yours was written to depict a scene witnessed in Central Park. I was wondering if you had a story like that as well.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing like that.¡± If he did not have a motive, it meant that he had just written the song while looking at a nk sheet. It is the hardest method of creation. There needs to be an incredible educational background for someone to do this within a week. He is a freshman... He felt like it made less sense as he saw more. ¡°Really? Then it¡¯s just a great melody?¡± ¡°Um... That¡¯s a piano practice song.¡± ¡°What? A practice song?¡± ¡°Yes. It can only be seen as a proper performance if the yer can do pianissimo and pianississimo. If the piano cannot show the simplicity until the 3rd part, the whole song is ruined.¡± ¡°Hm. I was asking because I didn¡¯t feel anything when I was looking at your score but... that¡¯s what it was. Do you think it might have highlighted technical aspects too much for a young teenager? I was expecting it to be expressing something great.¡± Bruno Kazel kept questioning Jun Hyuk to see if there was something hidden in his music. ¡°I just wrote it for a passionate pianist who reminds me of fireworks because I saw that she was working hard to try to suppress her strength.¡± ¡°She? The pianist is a woman?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Could it be your girlfriend? Is it a tribute to your girlfriend?¡± ¡°Ah... no. A repayment for a single passionate kiss? That¡¯s as much as it would be.¡± ¡°What? Kiss? Well, well. Ha ha.¡± Bruno Kazel burst out inughter because he had finally discovered the song¡¯s motive. Could there be better motive for a song than a passionate kiss with a motive? Bruno Kazelughed for a bit and nodded as if it were definite. ¡°Very good. If you were gifted a passionate by a woman, you must give something in return. More so if she is a beauty.¡± ¡°Hm. Then I guess I¡¯ll have to make three or four more for her.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled as he thought of Amelia. Bruno Kazel noticed the hidden meaning in Jun Hyuk¡¯s words. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re saying she¡¯s that much of a beauty? You¡¯re making me curious.¡± It really is great to work with young students. He can enjoy finding light excitement in such unexpected things. ¡°So the themes of both selected songs are women. I¡¯m telling you men make music because of women. Ha ha.¡± Bruno Kazel fully understood the thoughts of theposers. Now he must go to the theater where the protagonists of the performance await him. ¡°Then shall we go to meet the band and pianist?¡± Jun Hyuk however, shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m done up to here. The concert is yours.¡± ¡°But won¡¯t it be better for you to see the rehearsal?¡± ¡°It is my understanding that it is theposer¡¯s role up to moving the music onto the paper.¡± Bruno Kazel saw a look of seeking challenge in Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes rather than modesty. ¡°So you¡¯ll just see what kind of musices from your song at the concert?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Whether ites out well or not?¡± Jun Hyuk responded to Bruno Kazel¡¯s provocation without the slightest bit of hesitation, ¡°Yes. All I need to see is the result.¡± Once a script leaves the writer¡¯s hands, it is all up to the producer who is in charge of its presentation. It is right that everything from is the camera angle and lights to the background music are left up to the producer. Theposer writes the script on sheet music and the conductor just performs his interpretation while looking at that script. ¡°Well... You¡¯re a scaryposer. I guess I won¡¯t be able to perform one of your songs ever again if you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that inevitable?¡± Bruno Kazel could not hide his surprise at Jun Hyuk¡¯s obstinate response, but he immediatelyughed. ¡°This is why I like young people. This confidence. I guess I¡¯m being tested instead of the students. Okay. I¡¯ll have to do well so I don¡¯t regret itter.¡± Bruno Kazel went to the theater in good spirits and Jun Hyuk went back to his dorm. He liked that Bruno Kazel was so informal for a maestro. The CH orchestra, three sopranos, and a pianist were waiting in the theater to greet Bruno Kazel. He could tell who the pianist is before he received introductions. ¡°Oh, a beauty who deserves 10 songs rather than 3 or 4.¡± The 4 girls including the sopranos just blinked as they did not know who he was referring to. The waiting professors took Bruno Kazel down to the seats as they said they had something to discuss with him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry maestro, but the pianist Amelia received the highest scores during auditions, but she was not able to finish this song. She is practicing at the moment to y this song as well.¡± ¡°Amelia? Oh, the beauty theposer spoke of is named Amelia. There¡¯s even passion in her name.¡± It seemed he did not care even though they told him that she is a pianist who came crashing down during the auditions. ¡°What of it? Isn¡¯t this a school? The goal isn¡¯t to receive the apuse and encore of the audience. You never know, she might perform wonderfully. Then it¡¯ll be the birth of another great pianist.¡± The professors felt relief and gratitude for Bruno Kazel¡¯s positive thinking. ¡°I see. We didn¡¯t think that far ahead. The stage is all yours, maestro.¡± ¡°Then I will start with the stars of the show. Professors, do not worry. I¡¯ll take responsibility for everyone until the concert.¡± ¡°We have a lot of luck this year. To think a maestro teaching our students himself for a week. Ha ha.¡± *** The sopranos were able to perform Alexander¡¯s song without problems. Just as the professors had been worrying about, the piano kept stopping. Amelia was angry with herself and kept banging down on the innocent piano. After repeating this a few times, Bruno Kazel made Amelia stop. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a 10 minute break.¡± He put his baton down and went to Amelia who could not lift her head. ¡°Amelia, can youe see me?¡± The two came down from the stage and sat at a distance from where they could not be heard on stage. ¡°Amelia. I have 3 children. Do you know what characterizes children?¡± ¡°Being noisy?¡± ¡°That too but the greatest characteristic is that they don¡¯t stay still even for a moment. They don¡¯t even walk around. They run no matter how short the distance is. Even inside the house.¡± Children who run around the house, flipping everything. Amelia thought he was criticizing her music. ¡°Do I make that much of a mess?¡± ¡°Listen until the end. There are times when our children are really still.¡± ¡°When they sleep?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same for adults and children. It¡¯s when they watch TV.¡± ¡°TV?¡± ¡°Yeah. You know those kids cartoons or those shows where peoplee out wearing doll costumes.¡± It is not a toy or a snack. Something that takes sight, not senses of touch or taste. Only that can keep a child still. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°What if you think about it like this? You¡¯re a child who can¡¯t control your overwhelming energy. My orchestra is a TV show.¡± Bruno Kazel wanted to hold Amelia¡¯s hearing instead of her sight. ¡°Focus on the orchestra a little more instead of staring at the score or worrying about the piano. Just think of the piano as an interjection or reaction while you¡¯re enjoying the orchestra¡¯s music. ¡°But...¡± He is telling her not to concentrate on the piano? That means it is not a coordinate performance between the orchestra and piano. Bruno Kazel winked and smiled at Amelia, anticipating what she was going to say. ¡°Let¡¯s just start out like this. Slowly. There¡¯s no need to rush, is there?¡± He is telling her how to do it. How to take the first step to express the moderation that theposer is demanding. She could not refute it since the maestro himself was letting her know a customized method. Of course the effect was good. She yed the keys slowly and lightly as if she had be part of the audience enjoying the music. What she heard was pianissimo, but she felt as though she was ying with a machine. A performance fooling the audience. She yed the keys quietly though because he said that this is the first step. *** The concert started with the 3rd ce song. The piece arranged for a string quartet was of a light and simple configuration and the audience gave genuine apuse. Continuing was Alexander¡¯s short song conducted by Bruno Kazel. [Concerto for 3 Sopranos] had a fun configuration that made the audienceugh asionally and it gave the feeling that they were watching a short y. The performance was so great that Alexander was not just satisfied but in awe. They went on to Jun Hyuk¡¯s concerto without a break. When Amelia appeared on stage in a ck dress, the male students weed her with tremendous cheering. She was full of confidence unlike she had been during the auditions, and Bruno Kazel faced her with ease. When the orchestra¡¯s introduction began and the melody flowed, a low sound came out. A peaceful piano continued like dew falling from grass. As the 1st part ended, a few people pped subconsciously. It is a music that isplete even with one part. Jun Hyuk however had an objectionable expression. ¡®He¡¯s using running away as a method? Who thought of this trick?¡¯ It was hard to keep listening, but he needed to listen until the end. He wanted to watch how they would express the 4th part after running away for 3 parts. When the 4th part began with a piano that was as if it were going to break, Jun Hyuk stood up. He had confirmed the disastrous results he had been expecting when he heard the 1st part. He quietly came out of the theater and returned to the dorms. The dorms were not ringing with the usual bustle and even felt lonely. Only, the sound of a violin floated around the empty dorms. Danny did not pay any attention to the school event and was just hanging on to the song that Jun Hyuk had given him. Chapter 113 Volume 3 / Chapter 113 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: And so the student bes the teacher lol] The concert ended and the party started. It was just something simple with beer and taco chips. Bruno Kazel looked around for today¡¯s star while he was surrounded by students. He did not see Jun Hyuk and Amelia. ¡°Professor, have you seen Jun?¡± Bruno Kazel did not have a good expression because he did not see Jun Hyuk, who he had been most concerned about. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him either... He¡¯ll probably be in his room.¡± ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t he the star today?¡± ¡°Jun doesn¡¯t seem to like this kind of noise. There were a few parties thrown by the students, but he never attended.¡± Could it be that he did not attend the party because he did not like the performance and not because he did not like noise? He considered this but thought that it would be best to confirm with Jun Hyuk and put his beer down on the table. ¡°What is Jun¡¯s room number?¡± ¡°Why? Are you going to go look for him yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll have to listen to the originalposer¡¯s evaluation. For some reason, I feel uneasy.¡¯ Bruno Kazel could not get himself to say these words aloud. When he stepped out of the elevator into the dorm hall, silence calmed him unlike the noise of the party. As Bruno Kazel got closer to Jun Hyuk¡¯s room, a violin and guitar ensemble grew louder. Not surprisingly, the sound wasing from Jun Hyuk¡¯s room. He listened to the sound for a while. It was a violin solo song and the guitar was an apaniment. After listening for over 10 minutes, he realized two things that made his heart beat faster. The violinist was great for a student and the song that he was ying is a song that he was hearing for the first time, but it was so outstanding that it was a pity for a student to be performing it. The music stopped suddenly and two people began discussion, but he could not hear it clearly. Bruno Kazel eventually knocked on the door and when the door opened, there was a curly-haired boy with a violin in his hand. ¡°Oh my god. Maestro Kazel!¡± Jun Hyuk who had been sitting on the bed with his guitar bolted up. When he looked around the room, there were two electric guitars on top of the bed and a few scores on a music stand in the center of the room. ¡°This is the real party.¡± Bruno Kazel approached the stand. ¡°Would it be okay if I took a look at the score?¡± ¡°Of course, maestro.¡± Danny answered quickly as if it were his own score, but the score was already in the maestro¡¯s hand. Bruno Kazel tried to read through the music quickly and spoke as he looked at Danny, ¡°Your name is.....?¡± ¡°Daniel Laprielle. I¡¯m a violinist as you can see.¡± Danny spoke while lifting up the violin and bow in his hands. ¡°Okay. Daniel, did you memorize this whole song?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then lend this to me.¡± Bruno Kazel took the score and sat in front of the piano. ¡°Alright, then shall we start the party again?¡± Danny thought he was dreaming. To y the violin to the piano of a great! A short while after Danny started ying the violin, the piano melody started. Bruno Kazel pressed the piano keys and looked at Jun Hyuk. It was a look telling him to enjoy the party together. ¡®Geez. This man is really rash.¡¯ Jun Hyuk smirked and began to pick at the guitar strings. Jun Hyuk and Bruno Kazel¡¯s improv performance started in sync with Danny¡¯s violin. On top of a simple piano that held the key precisely, a sad violin melody danced gently and the acoustic guitar was dancing as it held the violin¡¯s hand. The sound of music spread over the empty dorms for more than 10 minutes. Even after the performance was over, Danny¡¯s excited expression did not go away. There is no reason for the excitement to go away easily when he had just performed with a great. Bruno Kazel¡¯s face was red when he got up from the piano. He even looked more excited than Danny did. ¡°Jun, is this also a song that you wrote?¡± ¡°Yes, maestro. Jun arranged this song to train me. It was originally a violin concerto.¡± Danny¡¯s answer was faster than Jun Hyuk could say anything. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you submit this kind of song for the concert? Ah, I¡¯m not saying that the piano concerto was bad. I¡¯m just saying this because this song is much better. I even want to perform this song at the Phdelphia Christmas concert right away. Impressive. Really impressive.¡± Danny became more excited because Bruno Kazel showed his admiration and did not hold back onpliments. It was as if he were theposer. Jun Hyuk on the other hand, was not excited or surprised. He had a more cold expression. ¡°Because the song¡¯s goal was different.¡± ¡°I see. You said the piano concerto for the performance was a practice song?¡± ¡°Yes. A song to practice with needs to be faithful to its goal.¡± Bruno Kazel looked at the score again and confirmed something. ¡°It says the opus is 4, so does that mean you have more? The piano practice song was number 7, right? Is that?¡± ¡°Yes. There are a good amount, but none of them are quality enough to show others yet.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s words did not sound like modesty to the two people. His standard is different. His thoughts are different so that he cannot be satisfied with such a great violin concerto. That was when Bruno changed his evaluation on this Asian youth. He is not a teenager who is copying the old-fashioned ssical. This piano song that sounded like Haydn had just been a song to practice with like he said. Once he realized this, he was scared to bring up the reason why he hade looking for Jun Hyuk. What would be his evaluation? Would he never give him another chance to perform? Bruno Kazel opened his mouth with a trembling heart, ¡°What did you think of the performance today? You came right?¡± ¡°I was sitting there until the 4th part.¡± ¡°Then does that mean you left in the middle of the performance? Why?¡± It felt like his heart fell. It only meant one thing that he had not listened to the performance until the end. ¡°You won¡¯t want to hear it.¡± ¡°What? Well... I guess you didn¡¯t like it. Shall we hear the criticism?¡± Danny¡¯s mouth dried up as he listened to the two speaking. Jun Hyuk¡¯s English was still not capable of using euphemisms. It was obvious that he would give a straightforward assessment. ¡®Well he¡¯s someone who would openly criticize someone even if he was good at English.¡¯ Contrary to Danny¡¯s concerns, Jun Hyuk began to speak slowly and carefully, giving his assessment. ¡°I wanted a balloon right before it popped. With even the slightest bit of strength, pop. I wanted you to touch that balloon until the 3rd part and pop it in the 4th.¡± Jun Hyuk motioned with his hands as though popping a balloon with his two hands. ¡°But for this performance, it was as though you were so scared of popping the balloon that you just took a lot of air out of it. So much that it would not pop no matter how much you touched it. Then there¡¯s no way it¡¯ll pop in the 4th part... It was a performance that just ripped it apart.¡± ¡°Wow. You noticed that? Do you normally have a great ear? Or did you notice it because you¡¯re theposer?¡± He had given a precise assessment that could not be any more exact. Jun Hyuk¡¯s English is a bit broken, but Bruno Kazel fully understood what he meant. ¡°We were just faithful to your original purpose for the song as practice. It¡¯ll take a while before you can hear the pianissimo you want from Amelia. All I did was let her know a small way to approach that pianissimo. Now she¡¯ll steadily grow step by step into aplete pianist. She¡¯ll be able to express the difficult pianissimo with ease.¡± However, Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression became colder than when he was giving his criticism. ¡°Do you think that? Then the method is wrong. It does not help Amelia at all. No, it could do more damage.¡± Danny¡¯s legs shook when Jun Hyuk did not stop at criticizing the maestro¡¯s performance, but went on to his teaching methods. What if this great man became angry and stormed out of the room? If that happens, it would be difficult for yton graduates to join the Phdelphia Philharmonic as long as Bruno Kazel remained as the conductor. ¡°What? It¡¯s wrong? It¡¯ll do damage?¡± Bruno Kazel¡¯s patience was not as thin as Danny worried. ¡°Of course. You are underestimating Amelia as a pianist. She¡¯s not very far from it. She has the potential to change at any moment at once. If Danny here is the type who advances one step at a time, Amelia is the type who struggles for a bit and goes up 10 steps at once.¡± Danny could not tell if Jun Hyuk¡¯s evaluation of himself is apliment or criticism. ¡°You needed to have her hold a balloon on the verge of popping even if it ruined the performance. If you had done that, the results could have been different.¡± Bruno Kazel felt like he had been hit hard over the head with a hammer. He had not thought that he would hear criticism for his performance let alone that he is an ipetent conductor incapable of recognizing talent. ¡°Why? Why do you think that? What did you see in the girl?¡± The tone of his voice went up. It was not because he was angry or because he had run out of patience. He was so curious about what it was that he missed. Bruno Kazel was looking at Jun Hyuk when Jun Hyuk suddenly got up and sat in front of the piano. ¡°Listen to this. Amelia will have yed like this in the first rehearsal. This is the 2nd part.¡± Before a minute of Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano had even passed, Bruno Kazel¡¯s eyes had widened so much he could not open them any more. His jaw dropped. Jun Hyuk had not appeared once since they made introductions on the first day. How could he perform in the same way Amelia did without hearing it? The words that came out of Jun Hyuk¡¯s mouth after ying for a few more minutes was more shocking. ¡°You stopped her here, didn¡¯t you? And you told her about the deted balloon. Is that right?¡± Bruno Kazel could only nod. It was like Sherlock Holmes painting a full picture of a mystery just by looking at the crime scene. He had even picked up on the exact point where he had stopped the piano. Is this possible? Bruno Kazel even thought that this is not reality. Jun Hyuk yed the piano again as he spoke, ¡°Alright, if Amelia had performed at the concert in her messy state, how would you havemanded? If it were me, I would have directed the violins for a more powerful performance to hold Amelia who is getting stronger and faster because she is unable to release her strength. Of course it says fortepiano (fp, weakly after ying with power) on the score.¡± Bruno Kazel thought of the score at this point and realized that there was no discement. His fingertips trembled and he felt weak. To create a song with such exact calctions! Who is this boy who writes a concerto after urately pinpointing a single pianist and thinking of the point at which the performance would fall apart? ¡°Then Amelia would have stumbled again. It is repeated exactly 4 times until the 3rd part. You can push Amelia who races like a wild horse.¡± Jun Hyuk got up from the piano and kept speaking without paying attention to Bruno Kazel who was shaking, ¡°Of course it could be a failure. I¡¯m sure it could havepletelye apart. But I think that it would have been faster for her if you had pushed her to the limit in a real performance.¡± Like Bruno Kazel, Danny was lost in shock. Danny had already known that his roommate is better. He is an undeniable genius from the performance, song interpretation, and arranging he showed in the quintet. What he showed today though, took him out of that categorypletely. The tip of the iceberg. There is no better way to express it than this. Jun Hyuk was at a very high ce, looking down on the quintet members and sending one drop at a time down to them. If he had revealed his full capability, they would have all drowned. Even though Jun Hyuk¡¯s exnation was over, the two could not speak for a while. The sophistication of all of the calctions included in a simple piano practice song. The ability to clearly see what had happened during rehearsal with just the concert results. It was too far beyondmon sense for them to understand and ept it. ¡°Why... Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about all of the devices hidden in the song?¡± Bruno Kazel managed to open his mouth. Jun Hyuk continued to respond frostily, ¡°Because it¡¯s all in the score. I don¡¯t know what devices you¡¯re talking about, but I did not think that I would need to give a separate exnation when you were going to perform ording to the notes anyway.¡± It was such a dry exnation that he felt shame. It is all in the score. To think that he could not read even that much. Jun Hyuk¡¯s words might as well have been this kind of reproach. This is also something that Bruno Kazel constantly says to his orchestra members and students. ¡®Look at the score carefully. Everything is in the score. Fight fiercely with the score. Then it¡¯ll all work out.¡¯ He did not know that he himself would hear that reproach. And from a freshman at a conservatory as that. *** While they were receiving the roaring apuse after the performance, Amelia tried to find Jun Hyuk in the audience but could not see him. It was impossible to find one person among arge audience against blinding lights from the start. When everyone swarmed to the party, Amelia went back to the dorms to change out of her dress. When she saw the piano sitting in the middle of her room, she was ovee with regret. From the day she had yed the piano as a joke at age 3, she had never yed as though lying as she had today. Music she was ying for the ears instead of for expression. There won¡¯t be anyone in today¡¯s apuding audience who will remember her performance. She sat in front of the piano again. She had already memorized the song, but opened the score. It was hard to even put her hands on the keys. She did not have the confidence to y this song again. She came out of her room and got on the elevator to attend the party, but she only came down 2 floors. She wanted to see Jun Hyuk. She wanted an honest evaluation, not formal apuse. She felt like she needed to hear whatever it was whether it was criticism or condemnation if she wanted to be able to y again. The corridor was dark because there were only tail lights on, but she saw a line of light. Someone had not closed the door all the way and there was light seeping out of a narrow space between the open doorway. The person she needs to meet is inside that room. Amelia could not open the door and go into the room. The pianoing from that room was her piano that she had not wanted to think about ever again. Bruno Kazel¡¯s frenzied voice and Jun Hyuk¡¯s dry speech also came out. After the awkward silence from the room filled the corridor for a while, Amelia went back to her room. She felt like she could y the practice song again. Chapter 114 Volume 3 / Chapter 114 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: JH is too OP for his own good huh? lol] ¡°Push my morning flight tomorrow back a day. Yeah... I¡¯m going to leave the day after tomorrow. I need to stay an extra day... There¡¯s nothing I can do. Adjust my schedule in Phdelphia... Yeah...¡± Bruno Kazel came out of Jun Hyuk¡¯s room and changed his itinerary to return to Phdelphia. It was not that he did not realize this is a nuisance to his manager, but he felt that there would be lingering regret if he just went back like this. Bruno Kazel left the room, but Danny could not get out of his shock. It has already been 3 months since they shared a room. He had thought that they had gotten a lot closer and that he knew Jun Hyuk well. But he realized today that he had been mistaken in thinking that he knew his roommate well. Since the first time he got in trouble for reading a score first, he had not even looked at Jun Hyuk through the side of his eye when he wasposing. Danny meant to respect Jun Hyuk¡¯s solemn consciousness. He did not know why, but Jun Hyuk always sent his songs to Korea when hepleted them. It was not even in an e-mail, but postal with the paper score. Scores he sent at least once a week. Danny hated himself for not even taking a peek at them. If he had seen even a little, he would have been able to notice Jun Hyuk¡¯s true self. He needed to push all other thoughts in his head and ask the most important question. Danny cautiously opened his mouth, ¡°Jun. A slow development with advancement one step at a time... Does that mean there¡¯s ack of talent?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said it just now. Amelia has the potential to jump over a wall but I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yeah. I think so.¡± Danny dropped his head when Jun Hyuk responded without a second of hesitation. ¡®Oy. This kid grew up in a lenient environment. He has a fragile mentality.¡¯ Jun Hyuk startedughing. ¡°Hey, Danny. Are you misunderstanding me?¡± ¡°What?¡± Danny still had his head down. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m saying that Amelia is a genius and that you¡¯re just average?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you meant?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very different.¡± Jun Hyuk was trying toe up with a way to exin the difference between Amelia and Danny when he thought of two musicians. ¡°Hm... Do you like jazz?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s better? Miles Davis or John Coltrane?¡± ¡°Hey! How do you pick? They¡¯re both amazing.¡± ¡°Right? Aren¡¯t they both geniuses?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± A great alien who unluckily crashnded on this from space, the king of jazz, Miles Davis. When major recordbel Columbia gave a scouting offer in 1955, he was already under a contract with Prestige Records. To cancel the contract, he would need to release as many albums as the agency had demanded. The saxophonist who joined then was John Coltrane. In order to figure out the problem of the dual contracts with Columbia and Prestige, Miles Davis needed to record with Prestige more. In 1956, he ended up recording 4 albums for the so-called ¡®in¡¯ series ¡®Steamin¡¯¡¯, ¡®Rxin¡¯¡¯, ¡®Workin¡¯¡¯, and ¡®Cookin¡¯¡¯. This record became one of the best in Hard Bop (spirit of jazz that is melodic and funky). ¡°Miles Davis made two albums a day, four albums in two days. That kind of musices out even if he is improvising and ying without much thought. But what about John Coltrane? He¡¯s someone who really made an effort, practicing until he went to sleep. Going up one step at a time.¡± Danny finally lifted his head when Jun Hyukpared him to John Coltrane. ¡°They both called geniuses now. This is the difference between you and Amelia. And... you think anyone can be John Coltrane with just the effort? It¡¯s impossible. Whatever you say, John Coltrane is a genius with a tremendous talent.¡± Danny¡¯s face brightened when Jun Hyuk admitted that he is a genius. He could not help it because he had dedicated himself to an area where talent is most important. With arge pte (roof of the mouth), it is possible to make a good sound with stringed instruments. It is a world where even the shape of one¡¯s mouth is a determining factor in the ability to enter the first ss. ¡°You¡¯re just different kinds of geniuses. Didn¡¯t you win in the Montreal juniorpetition that all violinists under 16 went out for? At age 11? You think that¡¯s possible through effort alone?¡± Jun Hyuk tapped Danny¡¯s shoulder and smiled. ¡°I told you to have confidence. If you don¡¯t stop trying, you can be the greatest violinist. And someone like yousts for a long time, people like Amelia are uncertain. You don¡¯t know when they might copse.¡± Danny spoke carefully again, ¡°Then what about you?¡± ¡°Me? I was born with an unimaginable genius plus effort. You didn¡¯t know?¡± *** Bruno Kazel came out of Jun Hyuk¡¯s room and ran back to the party. He found the professors still drinking beers and went next to them. ¡°Professor, let¡¯s perform again one more time tomorrow.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes. I would like to perform just the piano concerto on stage one more time.¡± To the professors, reopening a performance that the maestro had not been satisfied with was a grateful thing for the students. The students would wee being able to see such a great¡¯smand for two days in a row. However, the maestro¡¯s continued words made everyone silent. ¡°Only, I would like to leave themand toposer Jun.¡± ¡°Jun as the conductor?¡± Not just the professors but the students began to murmur. It was not strange or new for aposer tomand his own song. It was not even important that Jun Hyuk is a freshman or even that he is young. It is not umon for a ssical musician tomand as a teenager. It was just shocking that Bruno Kazel himself was making this request. They did not know what he had discovered in Jun Hyuk¡¯s song, but the maestro wants to hear the performance from theposer himself. ¡°That... that would be an honor for us. Is it that you would like to teach Jun Hyukmand?¡± ¡°No. I would just like to watch Jun Hyuk as a conductor. Will that be alright?¡± This meant that Bruno Kazel had epted Jun Hyuk as a fellow conductor. ¡°Of course.¡± With the end of this conversation, the students who had been drinking bottles of beer, scattered. The CH orchestra members were thinking that they would finally know the identity of the rumored kid. The other students disappeared to text those who had not been present at the party. Early the next morning, Jun Hyuk and Amelia were called to Professor Randall who told them about Bruno Kazel¡¯s proposition from the night before. They could guess why Bruno Kazel had made this suggestion. Only four people knew ofst night¡¯s events. ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a yes?¡± Professor Poster saw Jun Hyuk hesitate and continued his cautionary words. ¡°Maestro Kazel asked this of us because he said that he would like to see youmand... It would be ill-mannered to to reject.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay with it but.....¡± Jun Hyuk looked sideways at Amelia and watched her expression. Amelia turned to Jun Hyuk instead of the professor to speak, ¡°Then Jun, give me time to practice separately. I¡¯ve yed this song with the orchestra plenty of times, so is there a need for me to go into rehearsal again?¡± ¡°Of course. Do what you want. Then I¡¯ll see you at the concert.¡± They stood up before listening to Professor Randall¡¯s response. ¡®Don¡¯t those two have a friendly rtionship?¡¯ Professor Poster who did not know anything ofst night¡¯s events had a bad feeling about tonight¡¯s performance. Chapter 115 Volume 3 / Chapter 115 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Enjoy!] Jun Hyuk was exining tonight¡¯s performance to the members of the CH orchestra. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already had plenty of practice, just keep one thing in mind. Today¡¯s performance ispletely controlling the pianist. Think of it as a rodeo. If you can¡¯t get it under control by the 22nd minute of the 3rd part, you¡¯re falling off the horse. Our crushing defeat. Obviously a crushing defeat for the pianist, and a failure for the performance.¡± The orchestra members could not believe that Jun Hyuk wasparing their performance to a rodeo before they had even started practicing. Was it any different than saying that they are improvising the performance? ¡°If you can, look at me instead of the sheet music. It¡¯ll be a fun performance where unexpected situations might ur.¡± ¡°Look here. This isn¡¯t jazz. What do you mean unexpected situations?¡± One of the orchestra members bolted up and shouted out. The limit for improv performances is normally 7 people. The performers need to sign to each other to start and end their ad libs and pass on the baton. Having members beyond this number makes it harder to send signals to each other, and it is virtually impossible inrge numbers like an orchestra. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t need to worry about that. I can handle those unexpected situations plenty.¡± After appeasing the concertmaster, he looked at the orchestra members again. ¡°There could be small changes from time to time during the performance. Don¡¯t be surprised and just follow my directing. We¡¯ll be following the score like a ssical.¡± Lastly, Jun Hyuk said what he was expecting for the end results. ¡°And... there¡¯s a big chance the performance will be a failure. Even if it isn¡¯t sessful, that¡¯s totally my fault and I would like to tell you once again that it has nothing to do with you all. Then shall we start? You can¡¯t take your eyes off of me.¡± Jun Hyuk looked each member in the eye and held the baton high. There was not an empty seat in the theater to see the freshman that the maestro had pinpointed himself as the conductor. The professors were of course there, but even the dean was sitting there with interest. They were not wearing dresses or suits, but casual clothing like jeans. When the lights turned off in the audience, Jun Hyuk and Amelia walked out onto the stage together. Jun Hyuk saw Amelia nervous and whispered, ¡°y however you feel. However you want to. It¡¯s okay.¡± With the orchestra¡¯s melody, the performance started. When the 1st part ended, the 2nd part started within moments. The observing professors¡¯ expressions subtly changed. It was fast. It was iparably fast to Bruno Kazel¡¯s performance. The orchestra members and Amelia could not hide their embarrassment. However, Jun Hyuk¡¯s baton led them without hesitation. As the ringing of the piano strings grew louder with small differences in the nuances, jun Hyuk looked at the cellist and thrust the baton. The cellist ryed the strength he felt in Jun Hyuk¡¯s baton with his hand holding the bow. A thick and strong cello sound came out and the piano became calm again. The strings and winds were taking turns catching the piano that kept trying to fling out and by the time they reached the 3rd part, the piano was very stable. The 4th part started with a deafening piano where the orchestra and piano released all of their power. The professors whispered to each other as they spoke. ¡°This... It¡¯spletely different than yesterday.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the piano a little unstable? She¡¯s showing an entirely different touch than she did yesterday.¡± ¡°Yes. But the 4th part today... I¡¯m sorry to the maestro to say this but there¡¯s a much more abundant sound.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little unstable, but it¡¯s hard to see a performance with such dynamics. It seems Jun exerts that appreciation on a live stage.¡± If this had been a concert where tickets were necessary instead of a student recital, it was a performance that would have ended with formal apuse. The feelings of the unstable pianist and orchestra were properly delivered as they had watched. But this is a school. It is a ce where they could be satisfied with even a moment of music that made their hearts beat. When the performance ended, there was cheering and pping like that of the day before. The difference fromst night was that this enthusiastic response was directed at the pianist. It is because the vehemence of the 4th part had shaken up the students as they forgot the instability of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd parts. There was no after party as there was the day before. The people involved in the performance including the orchestra members were talking about the performance in the hall outside of the theater. All of the orchestra members had flushed faces because they rarely had such tight performances. It was as Jun Hyuk had said. It was not perfect, but it had been a fun performance where they were in a gallop without knowing when they might fall off the horse. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a very different performance from what is indicated on the score?¡± ¡°My thoughts are different. That much can be exined by the contrast in the conductors. The difference just feels greater because Maestro Kazel performed itst night.¡± While the professors were exchanging evaluations, Bruno Kazel butt in, ¡°Isn¡¯t there something that¡¯s undeniable?¡± Kazel was smiling brightly. ¡°It is a performance that undoubtedly revealed Jun¡¯s genius. Isn¡¯t it so?¡± All of the professors could only look at Kazel¡¯s mouth. The talent he had shown on a live stage was outstanding, but it was an exaggeration to say that he showed his genius. The stability of yesterday¡¯s performance. He had not been able to maintain the peaceful melody of the piano or orchestra through the 3rd part. What had Kazel seen in Jun Hyuk as a fellow conductor? ¡°Did you see the conductor¡¯s fingertips? Didn¡¯t it look like he wasmanding the performance with a clear understanding of how the 30 minute song would unfold? When any of the members seemed to be on the verge of panic, he already had the baton directed toward them.¡± Listening to the maestro¡¯s evaluation, they remembered something they had forgotten. The showpleted with an unstable performance until the end. It was visible that the orchestra and pianist were surprised, but the conductor¡¯s back had not shaken once. ¡°I see. Only the conductor was stable.¡± ¡®In my opinion, Jun is already aplete musician.¡¯ Bruno Kazel could not get himself to say this aloud. When Jun Hyuk and Amelia appeared, Bruno Kazel exaggerated onpliments again. ¡°Oh oh, future maestro. Jun who has reserved a lifetime conductor position on the New York Philharmonic. You were really great today. It was amazing.¡± He was not drinking alcohol, but his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. All of the students there learned of the maestro¡¯s thoughts. Today¡¯s performance was a time to see how great Jun Hyuk is. ¡°No, it was a failure anyway.¡± ¡°What? A failure?¡± Bruno Kazel was still reeling from the awe he felt from the 4th part so he thought that Jun Hyuk was being overly modest, but the failure Jun Hyuk spoke of was Amelia. Jun Hyuk shrugged and indicated Amelia. ¡°That¡¯s right. A failure. A powerful feeling came out once or twice, but that was it.¡± The failure was not regarding the quality of the performance. It was his thought on the goal of the piano concerto. He meant that he had not been able to raise the pianist up a level. ¡°Amelia, take it slowly. Pianists are always at war with themselves.¡± Bruno Kazel wanted to talk more about Jun Hyuk¡¯s conducting than Amelia¡¯s piano. ¡°Jun, will you get a coffee with me? Just the two of us. Professors, I would like your permission to monopolize on today¡¯s maestro.¡± Kazel did not wait for the professors¡¯ response and took Jun Hyuk by the hand to the cafeteria to avoid other people. He drank a whole cup of coffee without speaking to calm his excitement, and started saying what he had on his mind, ¡°Jun, do you know what a real genius is?¡± An unforeseen question. Jun Hyuk just blinked, but it was a rhetorical question that did not need his answer. ¡°Not forgetting something you learned once? Learning at an incredibly fast pace? Applying what you learned differently from how others use it? No.¡± Bruno Kazel spoke faster. He was excited. ¡°There¡¯s no need to learn. It just happens. You just know, you don¡¯t forget, and you apply it naturally... It just works. It¡¯s like a newborn calf being able to stand on four feet without its mother teaching it to do so.¡± Jun Hyuk could not tell if Bruno Kazel¡¯s words were to praise him or if he had other intentions. ¡°What on earth are you doing here? Is this school crazy to be hanging on to you to teach someone like you?¡± He was not praising him, but honestly revealing his frustrations. ¡°Why are you wasting your time here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a waste.¡± Kazel was the same even after hearing Jun Hyuk¡¯s response. He was sure that Jun Hyuk, like the professors, did not know his full worth. From what he had seen over the past two days, he was sure that Jun Hyuk did not need anything else if he just learned how to stand in front of an audience. ¡°No, it¡¯s a waste! What can you learn from the professors at this school? Be honest. I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing I¡¯ve learned. But...¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not learning, but in a state of getting to know.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean you¡¯re getting to know?¡± ¡°Hm... Maestro, it¡¯s impossible for me to exin with my limited English.¡± Jun Hyuk thought for a moment and opened his mouth, ¡°You said that I know naturally, automatically? Yes, that¡¯s right. As you said, I don¡¯t need to learn. I can watch someone driving a racecar and know everything about racing.¡± It is easier for Jun Hyuk to make analogies than to express something exactly. ¡°I¡¯m a racer who can determine a car¡¯s performance just by listening to the sound of its engine, figure out the state of the tires just from what I feel at my fingertips, and understand the car by the vibration I feel with my body. It¡¯s just.....¡± ¡°Just what? What are you saying is the issue?¡± ¡°I can only drive on a race track. I can navigate the track faster than anyone else can. But I can¡¯t drive on a normal road because I don¡¯t know the way.¡± It was then that Kazel could guess what Jun Hyuk meant. ¡°I¡¯m getting to know that road at this school. A shortcut from New Jersey to Brooklyn, the highway I need to take to get from New York to Phdelphia... Those are the kinds of things this school is showing me.¡± Even for a pro racer, the best way to navigate an unfamiliar road is to ask someone. Jun Hyuk is asking about unfamiliar roads and learning the geography at this school. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m learning the way. I¡¯m just getting to know the way. And there are a lot of things that I¡¯vee to know over a month.¡± Bruno Kazel burst out inughter. ¡°Ha ha. Not even a top F1 racer can navigate the city? Because he doesn¡¯t know the road? That¡¯s a greatparison. Your English is good.¡± Kazel nodded as he looked at Jun Hyuk who thought of yton-Hoffman as a navigation system. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that you¡¯re not wasting your time here.¡± The mistake that talented youthmonly make in showing themselves in an unripened condition. They show this unripe state and forget it. How many of these kinds of youths had he seen? However, this clever young kid is not in a rush. He has a clear understanding of his shorings and is going forward one step at a time. ¡°I was the only one in a rush. This is... a bit embarrassing. Ha ha.¡± Heughed again and spoke to Jun Hyuk with an affectionate voice, ¡°Jun, if youe to know the way to Phdelphia, make sure youe find me. Then I¡¯ll let you know how to go out to the world.¡± Chapter 116 Volume 3 / Chapter 116 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: g! BTW I¡¯ve set up so that donations can be applied towards sponsored chapters. Check out homepage for deets!] When Jun Hyuk came back to his dorm, he found Amelia waiting for him in front of his door. The difference fromst time was that she did not have a harmonica or a bright expression. But the reason why she was there was the same. ¡°Jun, can we try ying it one more time?¡± ¡°Again?¡± ¡°I want to feel what I felt during the performance again. Let¡¯s do it one more time.¡±¡¯ Even if they y it again, it would be difficult to reproduce it. She would need to meet a song destined for her in a more dramatic space without a ce for her to escape to, in order to bring up that emotion again. Jun Hyuk could not reject Amelia¡¯s earnest eyes. ¡°Alright. But it¡¯s just one time.¡± The two went looking for a practice room, but all of the rooms with two pianos were full. All of the students who had watched today¡¯s performance had already taken the rooms. Amelia¡¯s passionate 4th part had excited them. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to perform like this.¡± They need two pianos if Jun Hyuk is going to perform the orchestra part. Amelia sighed in disappointment. Jun Hyuk sighed as well. ¡°Well there¡¯s nothing we can do. Let¡¯s go to my room. I¡¯ll just y it on the guitar instead of the piano. It might be a little weak though.¡± ¡°The guitar is good too. All I need is to think of the orchestra apaniment as I y. I¡¯ll just ask you for the melody.¡± Amelia was just thankful that Jun Hyuk was epting her request. When they got back to the room, Jun Hyuk connected his electric guitar to the amp to handle the loud sound of the grand piano and adjusted the volume. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try it. Don¡¯t rush it even if it doesn¡¯t work.¡± Even if the electric guitar is called a 6 string orchestra, it is difficult for it to replicate an orchestra¡¯s power and various sounds. Amelia yed the piano without much change from the concert. The result would have been the same even if she yed with a piano instead of the guitar. Even though they repeated the performance three time instead of ying it once, there was no change. However, Amelia did not get angry or gloomy because she was surprised to find that there were times when the piano strings rang tenderly. If she does not forget the feeling at that moment, she could just realize the rest when she needed to. Amelia closed the cover of the piano with a bright face. ¡°Jun, your guitar is no joke.¡± Jun Hyuk had expressed the delicate and abundant orchestra part by fingering with his two hands. ¡°Of course. I love the guitar as much as I love the piano. The guitar is much sexier than the piano as well. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk hugged his guitar to him and put his lips to it. ¡°Really? Then what song do you think is the sexiest?¡± Amelia looked at Jun Hyuk with wide eyes. ¡°Of course John Coltrane¡¯s Lush Life. It¡¯s the best. How about you?¡± ¡°Me? Mine is Ravel¡¯s Bolero. This isn¡¯t just sexy. It¡¯s music that makes you feel what sex is.¡± Jun Hyuk was surprised when Amelia said the word sex without hesitation. He understood and felt the open culture of the west, but it was the first time he had heard a female say the word sex in a conversation. Amelia turned on theptop sitting on Jun Hyuk¡¯s desk and looked for Ravel¡¯s Bolero on YouTube. It is a Latin dance song from Spain with a slow tempo. The strong ent of the Spanish song brought a slow and dreamy feeling. The unique point was that the same theme was repeated on different instruments. It is a great song that shows that the melody, rhythm, and harmony of music are not the only important factors but also the timbre. A repetition of the same melody and rhythm in order of the flute, r, bassoon, oboe, and trumpet. This great music that shows a different emotion with each instrument makes it feel like the listener had been watching one person dance while it ends up with everyone dancing. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a performance by Maestro Jean Martinon.¡± While Ravel¡¯s Bolero flowed from theptop, Amelia slowly danced to the song. While moving her body in a way most appropriate for the song, she began taking her clothes off one by one, starting with her jeans. ¡°But did you know that Ravel¡¯s Bolero is only 15 minutes?¡± Jun Hyuk spoke as he admired Amelia¡¯s beautiful body. ¡°We can listen to it three or four times on repeat. Why? Is it too little?¡± ¡°Three or four times won¡¯t cut it. I really like Bolero too.¡± *** Danny came back to the dorm with a few bottles of beer. He was sure that his roommate who liked to be alone would be sitting at his desk, transferring his thoughts on today¡¯s thoughts on sheet music. Danny wanted to drink with Jun Hyuk quietly and hear his thoughts on today¡¯s performance. When he opened the door, Jun Hyuk was not sitting at his desk but on his bed with his bottom half wrapped in his sheets. There were items of clothing all over the floor and his bed was already a mess. When he was about to say something in surprise at Jun Hyuk¡¯s unexpected state, Jun Hyuk quickly pointed a finger to the bathroom. They could hear the sound of a shower. Danny quietly put the bottles down and mouthed ¡®Amelia?¡¯ When Jun Hyukughed and nodded, Danny covered his own mouth and put his thumb up. He quietly backed out of the room and made sure to lock the door. Amelia finished her shower and came out of the bathroom with a towel around her to find the bottles of beer. ¡°You thirsty? I brought these.¡± When Jun Hyuk spoke slyly, Ameliaughed as she picked up a bottle. She had heard the door open and close while she had been in the shower. She had guessed that Danny hade and gone. She also knew that Danny would not return tonight. Jun Hyuk searched on hisptop and a low and slow saxophone sound came flowing out. ¡°Now, don¡¯t we need to hear my song? John Coltrane¡¯s Rush Life.¡± ¡°How many minutes was that song?¡± ¡°14.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too short.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can put it on a loop.¡± Jun Hyuk took the towel off of Amelia and threw it. *** ¡°Again? Hey, look at a score or y the piano or the guitar. Is Amelia a score? Is she an instrument?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Amelia¡¯s piano. Ha ha.¡± Amelia was always in the room before Danny and she had no thoughts of leaving. He was fine with it for the first one or days, but Danny was starting to get angry after a week. However, he could not turn down Jun Hyuk¡¯s wish for him to excuse them until the winter break at least. After the night of the performance, Danny needed to sleep in Amelia¡¯s room. Her roommate did not care that Danny was sleeping in Amelia¡¯s bed. She was always walking around the room in her underwear and did not hesitate to shower with the door open. In her eyes, Danny did not exist. Danny was actually more ufortable. He did not know where to look in the mornings, and pretended to sleep until she left the room. He hoped that Jun Hyuk would not fall too hard for Amelia. The life of musicians. Especially two people like Jun Hyuk and Amelia with promising futures date on the premise of breaking up. It is a life of traveling the world to perform. No matter how in love they are, they would be lucky to meet a few times every year. Out of sight, out of mind. On top of that, there was no guarantee that the affection of Amelia, the passionate Latino, wouldst forever. ¡°Jun, Latin women are so scary they shoot their cheating boyfriends to death. Be careful.¡± Danny could only warn Jun Hyuk to maintain an appropriate line. He thought that the gossip that Jun Hyuk had taken the school¡¯s greatest beauty would be everywhere, but it had not be a hot topic because of the news that Bruno Kazel had assessed Jun Hyuk as the future conductor of the New York Philharmonic. *** Once one semester passed, It was much easier to listen and speak. It was English he had already learned 2 years ago from Yoon Kwang Hun. It was just that the English in his head had starteding out of his mouth anding in through his ears. The lectures in the strange ent were still hard, but he was getting used to the other sses and even finding them interesting. He was not memorizing a textbook. There is no curriculum either. The teachers and Jun Hyuk take a topic and exchange their thoughts. It is not the way calculus equations are solved. He learned the definition of calculus, the kinds of challenges it solved, and its usage. The lessons were conducted by connecting Newton and Einstein with thews of gravitation, an endless loop of calculus, gravity and gravitational concept. ssical and European history as its background were especially interesting. It was great information about musicians¡¯ careers and how they changed society. The sses were not hard or boring in any way. Jun Hyuk could ask whatever he wanted and the professor delved deeper into the topic by asking more questions instead of giving an answer. The students started to pack their bags in thest week of December. They are getting ready to go back to their hometowns for Christmas and a two-month break. Students from wealthy families received separate lessons and people like Amelia who are stars in their countries were busy touring. Jun Hyuk had been extremely interested in studying during the first semester and wanted to remain at school to make up for where he fell short. Jun Hyuk sent Amelia away at the airport after turning down the offer to tour Argentina with her, and returned to an empty dormitory. ¡°Don¡¯t cheat on me or else. I have 7 brothers.¡± Amelia did not forget to give a warning before getting on the ne. Danny also went back to Canada after saying that he wouldpletely master the violin song that Jun Hyuk gave him. Chapter 117 Volume 3 / Chapter 117 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Saturday release! Enjoy guys!] Coline who said he would be a rockstar, stayed at the dorms like Jun Hyuk. He was preparing for his band¡¯s first single. ¡°Jun, you¡¯re not going to Korea?¡± ¡°No. My grades aren¡¯t good. I need to study.¡± ¡°Your grades aren¡¯t good? What? Ah.....¡± Coline saw the book Jun Hyuk was reading and realized it was his special ss. ¡°That¡¯s hard for anyone to get good grades in. What is that? Is there anyone in this school who reads that book?¡± He flipped the book Jun Hyuk was reading to read its cover and stuck out his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s pretty fun. It¡¯s just a little frustrating because there are a lot of words I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hey, that book is hard for me to understand too. Why on earth are you reading Nietzsche?¡± Coline thought Jun Hyuk¡¯s special sses were too harsh, but also fascinating that Jun Hyuk did not lose interest. ¡°Apparently Nietzsche wrote this when he worshipped Wagner. It¡¯s interesting. But... Hey! If you¡¯re going to talk nonsense, go. I need to study German too.¡± Jun Hyuk swatted at Coline¡¯s hand as he went through the books. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t go to Korea. We¡¯re not going away either.¡± ¡°We? Ah, the band?¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re going to record during the break. Won¡¯t you participate?¡± ¡°I told you I won¡¯t. You do the band alone and seed. I have a lot of money.¡± ¡°You convert my rock spirit to money.¡± Coline who had been speaking in an exaggerated tone spoke cautiously, ¡°My German is perfect... You want me to teach you?¡± ¡°What? Really? You¡¯re American. Where did you say you¡¯re from?¡± ¡°Chicago. But I¡¯m Slovakian.¡± ¡°Do they speak German in Slovakia?¡± ¡°No. Slovakia has its ownnguage. My mother is German.¡± It is a quite appetizing offer. He knows from experience thatnguage is learned faster by practicing speaking than by reading. ¡°Fine. Then it¡¯s just one day. I¡¯ll take a look at your band¡¯s music.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, but you can¡¯t bother me any more.¡± ¡°Oh oh... my maestro! How can I thank you.¡± ¡°Say it in German.¡± Coline put his band¡¯s music on a CD and gave it to Jun Hyuk. It was just music they had not yed properly in the practice room, but Jun Hyuk kept admiring Coline¡¯s bass. He had not been fooling around when he said that he wants to be a rockstar. He was good enough to contemte between bing a cellist and bassists. Coline is an extremely talented yer performing with nearly perfect rhythm, funk, and melody. ¡°Who are these members? A band that performs at clubs?¡± ¡°No. Students at New York College. The guitar is a journalism major and the drummer is management.¡± ¡°Impressive.....¡± ¡°What do you think? They¡¯re good, right?¡± Coline gained confidence at Jun Hyuk¡¯s reaction. ¡°Coline, are you really going to do the band? What do you think about going all in on the cello instead? It¡¯s a pity because you¡¯re alreadyparable to Jacqueline Mary du Pre.¡± Jacqueline du Pre is a genius cellist from Ennd who debuted at age 15 and became internationally renowned in her early 20s, formally retiring at age 28 due to a chronic disease. She is also the wife of Daniel Barenboim, the conductor of the London Philharmonic, Paris Orchestra, and Chicago Orchestra. Jun Hyuk said that Coline is a top genius cellist, but Coline did not waver a bit. ¡°Thanks but I¡¯ve already given up on ssical.¡± Jun Hyuk let out a long sigh at Coline¡¯s calm answer. ¡°Whew ¨C Then reserve a recording studio. Let¡¯s make this song well. I¡¯ll produce it, so tell your members that.¡± ¡°What? Produce it?¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t believe in me? If not, forget it.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just surprised because I was only expecting a little advice and you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll even produce it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want your bass to go to waste. This kind of bass can¡¯t be buried. Also, the song isn¡¯t bad.¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll tell you as soon as we reserve a studio.¡± When Coline stood with a light heart, Jun Hyuk asked, ¡°But what¡¯s the band¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Violon.¡± As Jun Hyuk watched Coline say the name and run out, he smiled. ¡®That kid still wants to y the cello.¡¯ Violon. The official name of the cello is the violoncello, and this means that it is a double bass. Viol means a big violin or or big vi as seen in the violin or vi, and eventually means double bass. Since the diminutive cello is attached here, it bes ¡®small double bass¡¯. Coline still loves the cello. *** ¡°It¡¯s too grand. And tooplicated.¡± This is what Jun Hyuk said during the first take while recording the guitar. The guitarist of the band Violon was confused as to whether or not it is apliment, but realized that it is not apliment from Jun Hyuk¡¯s frown. ¡°You need to y harmoniously because you¡¯re not supposed to be showing off your technique. The song has a simple riff... but the guitar is to Yngwie Malmsteen.¡± Yngwie Malmsteen is a ssic kid who loved Bach but after watching Jimi Hendrix perform on TV, became a prospective guitarist in Sweden. Like a ssic kid, he added a baroque melody to heavy metal and is the person who changed the average speed of guitar ying with sweep fingering and technique. Jun Hyuk was not praising him on his technique, but telling him not to y something that is unnecessary. Violon¡¯s guitarist was about to refute but closed his mouth. He remembered what Coline had warned him about. ¡°Listen up. This kid calctes each note while making a song. He¡¯s recognized as a genius by a great musician. Make sure you do as he says withoutining because he¡¯s someone who will make our song great.¡± Jun Hyuk whispered to Coline after listening to the 2nd take for the guitar, ¡°We¡¯ll spend the night like this. Can¡¯t we take the easy route?¡± ¡°Easy? How?¡± ¡°Can I rearrange it? I tried to go with the original song the way it is... but honestly, it¡¯s hard to bear with.¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll only touch the guitar and drums. The bass can go the way it is in the original since there¡¯s nothing to change there.¡± ¡°Hang on.¡± Coline spoke with the band members for a moment and went back to Jun Hyuk, ¡°Okay. Those guys also decided to trust you and go with it. But you can¡¯t change the songpletely. That¡¯s our pride.¡± ¡°I told you, the song is good. I¡¯m really just going to arrange it.¡± Jun Hyuk took the guitar and spoke to the guitarist, ¡°Look here, guitar guy. With your skill, you¡¯ll get it just by listening once. Okay?¡± Jun Hyuk went into the recording studio and yed the guitar and drum more concisely than in the original. The guitarist and drummer looked full ofints because all of the parts that would have shown their grand performance skills had disappeared. However, they left their performance to Jun Hyuk when they saw the recording engineer move to the music. They still seemed to haveints after finishing the recording and listening to the full song. It does not have the rough taste that is characteristic of rookie rock bands and its grandiosity. All that was left was a simple refinement. This felt like music from the 3rd or 4th album of an experienced group rather than that of a rookie band. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for me. I brought out the best I could so if you don¡¯t like it, just record it again ording to the original.¡± Coline and the Violon members listened to the recording repeatedly for two days and came to one conclusion. The song is a little outside the band¡¯s color, but it is not one that they get sick of easily after listening to it continuously. Coline put the song on the online store and boldly chose the price. It was valued at $1.99. From that day on, all Coline did was from the moment he woke up was to check the views. Chapter 118 Volume 3 / Chapter 118 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: ?? The weekend is almost over] ¡°Coline Spartos?¡± ¡°Yes. Who is this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Alex Zakin from LA Sound... Do you know who I am?¡± Coline threw his fist in the air and silently yelled YES! multiple times. Finally! ¡°Of course, Mr. Zakin.¡± LA Sound. It is abel that emerged in the 80s, when a pop metal called LA metal swept the world. When otherbels disappeared in the 90s with the introduction of alternative rock, LA Sound caught on to the trend and brought out bands from the American West to make them stars. That LA Sound grew into a leadingbel covering the entire U.S. Gaining the attention of Alexander Zakin with the Midas touch as LA Sound meant that they had unlocked the first gate to stardom. ¡°I heard your band¡¯s music. It¡¯s very appealing.¡± To hear the word ¡®appealing¡¯ from the maker of stars. Coline wanted to fly to LA immediately if he could. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zakin.¡± ¡°Do you have songs other than the one on the online store?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Good. Then I¡¯d like to hear the rest of the songs... I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to send over a demo?¡± ¡°Of course I can. I¡¯ll get it ready right away.¡± He could not make a single mistake with this golden opportunity. Coline ran straight to Jun Hyuk, but Jun Hyuk kept the door bolted and told him to go away. ¡°Hey! Didn¡¯t I say one song? I can¡¯t do anymore.¡± ¡°Jun, it¡¯s Alex Zakin. The Zakin of LA Sound!¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s LA or Washington, I don¡¯t know. If you don¡¯t stop, you won¡¯t see me ever again!¡± Not even Jun Hyuk¡¯s yelling could curtail Coline¡¯s excitement. He told his band members immediately and they gathered in the practice room to make song selections. They chose the 5 best songs and ran to the recording studio. Coline and the band members painstakingly recorded the songs for 2 days and did not sleep trying to finish the second half, but did not even know that they were tired. Afterpleting the music, they made the files in the highest sound quality and sent them as an e-mail to Alex Zakin. Coline quit checking his views in the Apple store and was instead, checking his e-mail every hour. However, Alex Zakin did not even open the e-mail he had sent even as a few days passed. When he was so frustrated that he could not even sleep, he could not wait and called. Zakin himself called to ask for the music, but was not even paying attention now! However, a secretary answered instead of Zakin. Not even the 1st secretary, but what seemed to be a training junior secretary at that. It must be because he is an extremely busy person. He would deliver the message to check his e-mail. Coline just ended the call because he could not keep listening to the employee repeat these kinds of responses. There must have been an effect of calling because he received a message that the e-mail had been read and all he had to do now was wait. Your music is great. Let¡¯s prepare for a tour right away. He waited for a response with this content, but there was still no news. Finally after 2 weeks, Coline took the call he had been waiting for form Zakin. ¡°Coline?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Zakin.¡± It was a more anxious moment than when he had been waiting for his eptance notification from CH School of Music. What decision had he made? ¡°I apologize for thete response.....¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Honestly, there was no longer any reason to contact you but I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± What did he mean there was no reason to contact? What does this mean? His hand holding the phone began to tremble. He had an ominous feeling. ¡°I needed to know the reason why the music that came up on the store is so different from the music in the demo. It¡¯s to the point where I thought it was a different band.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°There are a lot of cases where one song just stands out so I was thinking that¡¯s what had happened, but it¡¯s too different. Since you¡¯re the person who made the music, can you exin it to me? Why is there such a deviation when the band is the same?¡± ¡°That... that¡¯s...¡± ¡°If you as the person who made the song doesn¡¯t know, there¡¯s no longer a reason for us to stay on the phone.¡± ¡°.....¡± Coline could not figure out what Zakin¡¯s first question meant. Then there was a truth he remembered right away. The arrangement and tips Jun Hyuk had given them in just one day had made such a difference that they thought the music was from another band. While Coline hesitated, thinking of how to exin it, Zakin¡¯s voice became cold, ¡°Well, it seems there¡¯s something you¡¯re hiding.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Send me an e-mail when you want toe clean. That¡¯ll be thest opportunity you can grab. Then.¡± Coline stared nkly at the phone. He could not believe this situation that hade and gone like a rain shower. *** ¡°Alex, aren¡¯t you scaring him too much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even this is too little for kids these days.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think our spection might be wrong?¡± ¡°This kid Coline is going to send an e-mail. And he¡¯s going toe clean with who the arranger and producer are. You want to make a bet? I¡¯ll bet $100 he e-mails me within an hour.¡± Alex Zakin spoke with confidence. First, a staff member gave him a song saying that there is something he should listen to. One of countless $1.99 singles in the Apple store. It was one amongst thousands of songs uploaded for free every day, but this had been uploaded boldly with a price. When he first heard it, he thought that it was not by a rookie. All rookies have a rough taste. It is difficult to find a band out of thousands with music that can move someone through its roughness. It had not been touched, but it moved a person¡¯s heart. The band that LA Sound was sifting through thousands for. Though Coline¡¯s bandcked the rough taste, it showed a refined taste. That refined taste had moved Zakin and made him want to contract them. Alex Zakin saw so much potential that as soon as he heard Coline¡¯s single, he held a staff meeting. ¡°Tell me your thoughts. Starting with the cons.¡± Criticism came pouring out as soon as Zakin spoke. ¡°The hook is weak.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t enough of a rough taste for a band performance.¡± ¡°Lyrics are mushy too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m positive these kids grew up spoiled. Maybe college students in New York?¡± Since he had heard enough cons, it was time to hear the pros. He would weigh them and decide on the heavier side. ¡°Then the pros?¡± ¡°The melody is good. They can have a wide spectrum for their target audience.¡± ¡°The bassist is excellent. And it¡¯s refined.¡± Alex Zakin snapped his fingers and stood up from his seat. ¡°That¡¯s it right there. Refined. This band¡¯s greatest forte. They did pretty well for recording in a cheap studio, no? I don¡¯t know who did the directing, but that¡¯s the leader of this band.¡± It meant that someone great had done the directing and had amazing producing. Alex Zakin thought someone in the band had yed this role and was determined to contract whoever it was even if they had to throw the band away. He asked for the rest of the songs to be sure, but none of the 5 demo songs showed the abilities of the producer. The demo songs just had a much better band simr to the countless bands with the rough taste. It was at a level where they could perform at local clubs and would need a lot of revision to make a nationwide debut. They had left the producing of these types of songs to someone. It was certain that the songs themselves belonged to the same group, but the song on the online store was like music where a great chef showed skill with nd music whereas the demo songs felt as though the ingredients had just been thrown together. Alex Zakin¡¯s expectations were not wrong. An e-mail came before 30 minutes had passed. ¡°Is this brat kidding?¡± Alex Zakin wanted to curse as soon as he read the message. Coline¡¯s e-mail was full of excuses that they had not been able to record the demo properly because they had been in a rush. ¡°Hey, send a text message to this brat.¡± ¡°Excuse me? A text?¡± ¡°Yeah. Not to lie to me. And Ili, you¡¯re taking over this kid now.¡± LA Sound¡¯s producer Ili Gotez had attended the meeting for no reason and felt like he had been hit. He was sure this kid Coline lives in New York, but to go to New York from LA? He might have to leave warm LA. He had heard that New York winters are brutal. Chapter 119 Volume 3 / Chapter 119 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: I have the Monday blues. But let¡¯s find out what will happen with Coline and JH.] ¡°Jun, please do it with us. I¡¯m telling you Alex Zakin himself called!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I told you I can¡¯t. And who is that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? The top recordbel in LA. Zakin is the top producer at thatpany.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s fine. Isn¡¯t it over once you get the attention of someone like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s... To tell you the truth, he could tell at once what you produced and what you didn¡¯t.¡± When looking at one record as a movie, the singer is the actor, the lyricist andposer are the scenario writers. The producer is the director. The first detail checked while deciding on investing in a movie is who the director is. In the same way, the important person in the recording industry is the producer. asionally, an outstanding musician makes the music, performs and sings, while doing the producing. However, there are not very many outstanding musicians. Most records need to go through a famous producer to bring out proper music. Jun Hyuk dramatized a scenario that actor Coline had brought and directed it in a refined way. Coline knew that if this Jun Hyuk dropped out, Alex Zakin would not take another look at him. He had not mentioned Jun Hyuk in his e-mail because he had not heard Jun Hyuk¡¯s definite answer yet. ¡°Coline.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You said that LA Sound is a tremendous recordbel, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Not just in LA. It¡¯s now one of the top 3bels in the whole country.¡± ¡°Then there will be a lot of great producers at thatpany. Those people can do the directing for you since your music isn¡¯t bad. I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s good as long as you do the arranging and producing well.¡± Jun Hyuk thought that he was being cold but that he should not drag it any longer. A famousbel would not have gotten in contact just by looking at the producing. If they had seen potential in Coline¡¯s music, Coline needs to make that potential a reality. If he is unable to do that, Coline will have to disband his group and face the choice of bing a great bassist or cellist. However, Jun Hyuk did not know that LA Sound¡¯s reason for paying attention to Coline had been greater for something other than his music. *** ¡°Ili, go listen to it in person.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Is there a need to go in person.....¡± A long time ago if they heard rumors of a great band, they needed to fly hours to go meet them in person. After the smartphone and online store appeared however, the tasks of recordbel¡¯s managers were made easier. All they had to do was look through the online store for good music. It is now an age where music shows itself by riding the cables. ¡°You¡¯ve gottenzy. Don¡¯t you think we need to check for ast time?¡± ¡°Ah, are you talking about the bassist?¡± ¡°Yeah. If that song on the store is the only thing they have, just get the bassist. It¡¯s not easy to find a yer like that.¡± If Alex Zakin recognized someone¡¯s talent, he is worth listening to in person. Ili Gotez had to fly to New York in the cold winter. The New York winter was colder than he had expected, but something more surprising was waiting for Ili Gotez. ¡®What is this? Was it a high school student?¡¯ He checked the lists of New York clubs for bands, but there was not a band called Violon. Not performing at New York clubs meant there is a high possibility that they are minors. It is obvious that they are ying by themselves in a home basement or garage. If they really are minors, he would not be able to see how they perform without them noticing. If they are high school students, they would have caught a big fish. It is hard to imagine how great they would be in 10 years if they are at this level as teenagers. It would not be bad to maintain a rtionship with them and wait to see how they grow. Ili had no choice but to call Coline. *** A young boy running into Starbucks and looking around. For a moment, Ili thought he was being fooled. He is not a high school student. It is the moment he decided that he would just listen to one song and go back to warm LA. Ili raised his hand and signaled to Coline. ¡°Coline?¡± ¡°Yes. I am Coline Spartos.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Ili Gotez.¡± Ili needed to say what he was curious about while looking at Coline who was so nervous he could not speak. ¡°What¡¯s your profession? You¡¯re not one of those spoiled types who... live off their parents and dream of bing stars, are you?¡± ¡°Ah, of course not. I¡¯m a student at the yton-Hoffman School of Music.¡± ¡°What? yton?¡± Ili was surprised when he heard this unexpected answer and put his coffee mug down. It is enough to make someone curious. Is it not a ce where musical geniuses went? ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think you would be a student at the famous CH School of Music. Phew ¨C I was surprised. Then does everyone perform ssical?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s only me... The other members are students at New York College.¡± ¡°Students at New York College? This is... too dandy?¡± No wonder the music had a strong mushy feeling to it. ¡°Then Paganini? Chopin? Karajan? What genre are you?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m a cello major.¡± ¡°Cello? I see. I knew the bass melody line was good. You¡¯re the bassist?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Who made the songs?¡± ¡°I did.¡± He was positive this cellist is the band leader. Rock and roll by model students. What little expectation Ili Gotez had, disappeared. He only wanted to get out of this cold ce and quickly get back to LA. ¡°Let¡¯s end this quickly. I¡¯d like to hear your band perform live first. Is that possible?¡± ¡°Of course, Mr. Gotez.¡± Coline called the other 2 members to hurry up and get to the practice studio and went with Ili Gotez on the streets of Queens to the studio. ¡°Alright, you know the song on the online store? Let¡¯s hear that first. Both versions.¡± ¡°Excuse me? What do you mean 2 versions?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the version before it went through arranging and producing. That¡¯ll be your real music.¡± With Coline¡¯s signal, they performed the two songs for an audience of one. There is only one person, but that person is more important than the countless general audience. They put all of their strength into giving a perfect performance without room for a single mistake. When they were done ying the 2 versions of the song, Ili Gotez¡¯s straight face changed. It is not a performance worthy of admiration, but he could clearly see that there is potential. ¡°But you guys... have never performed live?¡± ¡°No. How did you know that?¡± Ili looked at a surprised Coline andughed arrogantly. ¡®How would I know. I know since I looked through all of New York club lists.¡¯ There is no reason to tell him the truth. He needs to give the airs of an expert. ¡°I can just tell by listening. And... I¡¯m pretty sure you won¡¯t be able to y the songs other than the one on the store in a performance.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Your band¡¯s music is for listening. It¡¯s not for live performances. It¡¯s too grand andplicated for the audience below a stage to cheer for. It¡¯s impossible for them to try to leave their bodies to the music.¡± It is too grand. Coline remembered where he had heard Ili¡¯s words before. Jun Hyuk had said the same thing. He needed to forget about Jun Hyuk from Ili¡¯s continued words. ¡°Just do one thing.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°The cello or bass ¨C do one. The same goes for you guys. It¡¯s impossible to seed in this industry while getting As at New York College.¡± Coline had gone around saying that he is working towards bing a professional, but he started to be scared when he heard that he needs to learn to be a professional from an expert in the industry. There was fear in the faces of the other two members as well. ¡°Quit your studies at New York College and start performing at New York clubs for $50, $60. There¡¯s no way to know what your music is like even if you practice by yourselves without an audience for 100 days.¡± Ili¡¯s words were not of criticism, but caution. He is telling them how to be a professional band. ¡°You¡¯lle to know what your music is like once you perform in front of an audience drunk off of beer with their cold response, ragging, cursing, or worst case, ragging on you while throwing their bottles at you. And then you¡¯ll learn how to bring out the cheering from those people.¡± Ili Gotez continued with his warnings while looking at the guitarist who also took on the vocals. ¡°Once you start touring, you¡¯re on a bus for at least 10 hours. A private ne? That doesn¡¯t exist. You sleep inside the bus. You eat at highway rest stops. And rehearsals, performances... You¡¯ll have to spend a year with a tight schedule like this. Will your voice be able to handle that? How about your stamina? Musices after that. What good is it if your music hits 1st on Billboard charts when you can¡¯t even handle a tour?¡± During the 9 years that Bon Jovi did not have a name, he performed at clubs from 7 at night to 5 in the morning every single day. The reason why he still has not lost his vocal power is that he created a strong voice in this period. The Beatles also performed for 7 hours in Germany when they were unknown. Paul McCartney could not endure much more and suggested splitting up the singing, bringing out the members¡¯ skills. ¡°Your band¡¯s music is good. The song isn¡¯t bad and your ying is on par. Prove that music in a real situation. Start here in New York. Make all of the clubs in New York want your band. That¡¯ll be your first gateway.¡± Their music and ying skills are good. Ili Gotez¡¯sst evaluation made Coline more inspired. Ili saw all three of their faces brighten and went on to say his 2nd reason for flying to New York, ¡°Now tell me honestly. You made the first song perfectly. What happened with the rest?¡± ¡°.....¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s still a secret? Ha ha.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not a secret but a promise.¡± Coline quickly spoke so that Ili would not misunderstand them. ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s because he promised to help us just one day, with just one song.....¡± ¡°One day?¡± Ili Gotez was gripped by the words that it was one day. He had brought out the essence of a grand andplicated song to make it receivable to the public. In the short period of one day. ¡°By chance, did that person all do the arranging? Guitar and drums?¡± The bass had been the same as the original. Leaving something that does not need to be fixed alone is the arranger¡¯s ability. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In one day?¡± ¡°I guess so, since he heard the music in the morning and we recorded in the afternoon.¡± Ili Gotez found his reason for flying to New York in this cold winter. ¡°Then would I be able to meet this person as well?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be at the library now.¡± Coline scratched his head with an ufortable expression. ¡°Library? Is he at the same school? CH? Or New York College?¡± Ili looked back and forth at the students of the 2 schools. ¡°He¡¯s a student at our conservatory.¡± ¡°Then that means he¡¯s a ssical boy... What¡¯s he doing at the library? Do music students study scores in the library?¡± ¡°No. He¡¯ll be studying history, physics, or math right now.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about? I thought he¡¯s a music student?¡± ¡°He is but he has some circumstances.¡± Ili looked at Coline¡¯s ufortable expression and spoke quietly, ¡°Won¡¯t you tell me what those circumstances are? Your band¡¯s future could be riding on this.¡± Coline gulped at Ili¡¯s straight face. The future is riding on this. Chapter 120 Volume 3 / Chapter 120 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: JH is such a good friend lol...but he¡¯s also smart! kya!] ¡°Alex. We need to hurry up and do some research. The name is Jun Hyuk Jang. He¡¯s Korean.¡± ¡°Korean?¡± ¡°Yes. This person did the producing for Coline¡¯s music. He¡¯s not a normal kid. Since he already released an album in Korea, there¡¯ll be plenty of information on him.¡± ¡°What do you mean he isn¡¯t normal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to look into it. This kid could be the big shot instead of Coline.¡± Once Alex Zakin got off the phone with Ili who suddenly got excited, he passed the memo to his secretary. After about an hour, a producer instead of the secretary came running with a CD. ¡°Alex, who is this?¡± ¡°Whew ¨C that¡¯s what I told you to do. Why are you asking me?¡± He was about to sigh in annoyance, but his secretary also came running in. ¡°Jun Hyuk Jang. He¡¯s an 18 year old Korean. He went out on an audition program in Korea a year ago, and is an orphan. He wandered the streets for about 10 years and then met a kind Mr. Tom.....¡± Alex Zakin watched his secretary bbing and exploded in annoyance, ¡°Look here. Stop going on about some fairy tale story and get to the point! I don¡¯t care how some Korean kid lived. Why is everyone being like this?¡± ¡°Oh, okay. He¡¯s known as a genius musician in Korea. They say he¡¯s a one-man band. He ys the guitar, drums, and piano like a professional. Hisposing and arranging is perfect.¡± A young 18 year old genius. A perfect musician who can do everything himself. The people of this industry are good at blowing things out of proportion. Alex Zakin did not believe 1/10 of what his secretary was saying. Thest is always music. The producer whose life is music, cut the secretary off and spoke, ¡°Alex, this kid even has an album... Just listen to 3 songs first. I¡¯ve chosen the essence of his music.¡± The producer put the tablet PC he was holding on Alex Zakin¡¯s desk. When a piano song called ¡®Close¡¯ came out, Alex Zakin¡¯s eyes widened. He could not judge the piano skills through the cheap tablet PC speakers, but the melody captured his attention. If he had not known, he would have thought that he was listening to a song by Ennio Morricone, a master of film music. He could tell enough about Jun Hyuk¡¯sposition skills with this one song. The second song, the rock version of ¡®Kanon¡¯, showed his drum and guitar skills. He could go on stage immediately. Alex Zakin realized that none of his secretary¡¯s exination had been exaggerated. Thest heavy metal song showed his power in just the first half. ¡°Ili was right.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°This kid is really a big shot.¡± Alex Zakin asked again to check, ¡°Did that kid reallypose all of these songs?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure this kid is in New York right now? What does he do?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a student at yton-Hoffman School of Music.¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s another one of those kids digging at Mozart¡¯s grave? What a bother.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± The producer admiring Jun Hyuk¡¯s music spoke carefully. ¡°Don¡¯t we need thest verification?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Alex Zakin looked at the producer with disappointment because he had not understood what he meant. ¡°Ili¡¯s still in New York?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Tell Ili to bring the band and the Korean kid here.¡± ¡°Are you saying you want to release Coline¡¯s record?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to decide whether we¡¯ll release a record or just record it when they get here. At the least, we¡¯ll be able to check one thing. What weapon this Korean boy has.¡± Alex Zakin¡¯s heart beat for the first time in a long time. They had be a gooseying golden eggs because of these kinds of geniuses who appear asionally. It is a happy event just to see howrge of a golden egg this Korean prodigy wouldy. *** ¡°Alex, it¡¯s impossible. I¡¯m telling you this kid won¡¯t leave the library. He has no interest.¡± ¡°Ili. It¡¯s not normal for a talented kid to be obedient. Have you seen kids like that who listen? Anyway, don¡¯te back if you can¡¯t bring all of them. You know it¡¯s expensive to live in New York, right?¡± Ili ended the call with Alex Zakin¡¯s reckless warning. ¡°What more is he trying to see? Damn it.¡± Ili¡¯s conclusion had not been very different from Alex Zakin¡¯s. There is plenty of potential and he is a great bassist. And the kid from Korea has a talent for producing. With these 3 points, all that needed to be done was to have Violon y at New York clubs. A record release is something for the future, and the Korean kid who did the producing has no thoughts ofing outside of CH School of Music. He is already someone of a different world, having fallen into ssical. Ili also knew that he could not change Alex Zakin¡¯s stubborn mind. He called Coline, ¡°Coline, make sure you bring that bookworm out of the library. Alex Zakin is telling me to bring you guys to him with that kid. I¡¯m sure you know what this means?¡± Ili¡¯s call made Coline go running to Jun Hyuk again. ¡°Jun, what do I have to do? I¡¯m begging you. I¡¯ll be the world¡¯s biggest idiot if I let go of an opportunity like this.¡± Jun Hyuk let out a long sigh at Coline¡¯s desperate eyes. ¡°Whew ¨C You¡¯re saying I have to go all the way to LA?¡± ¡°Yes. Why do you think he¡¯s telling us to go to LA with you? It means he wants to record an official record.¡± When Coline saw hope for Jun Hyuk¡¯s permission, his heart started beating faster. ¡°Hm... How many songs did you say there are?¡± ¡°5 songs.¡± Coline¡¯s fingers trembled as he gulped. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Oh, Jun! Thanks a lot!¡± ¡°I just have one condition.¡± ¡°A condition?¡± ¡°Yeah. From now on, you and your band have to do whatever I say. Don¡¯t argue with me. You have to y and sing the way I tell you to. I have no intention on directing your band while having to exin why. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay! Of course. Those kids are already your fans. Thank you so much.¡± It had not felt this good even when he hadpleted a perfect performance. Coline felt that he could vaguely see the door to sess before him. ¡°Lastly, tell that guy from LA to bring a contract. With the arranging, session, and producing fees in detail. I¡¯m really expensive.¡± ¡°What? A contract?¡± Coline blinked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s unexpected words. ¡°Then? You expected me to do this for free? Didn¡¯t you say it yourself? That you¡¯re heading towards bing a professional? When is anything free in the world of professionals? And this might be your album, but I¡¯m working with LA Sound. Not with Coline and his band.¡± He had been forgetting something. Jun Hyuk is a professional musician who released an album in his country. He is not an amateur like Coline, waiting for an opportunity while practicing in a studio. ¡°Ah, right. Sorry. I didn¡¯t think of that because I was so happy. You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll meet Ili again first. Jun, thanks again.¡± When Coline ran out, Jun Hyuk looked annoyed. ¡®Did I act like a professional for no reason? How much do I have to ask for?¡¯ Jun Hyuk locked his door and made a phone call. Chapter 121 Volume 3 / Chapter 121 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey guys! Happy Wednesday! Hump DAAAY] ¡°Hello. Sir?¡± Hey, Jun Hyuk. What¡¯s up? You¡¯re calling twice in one week? ¡° Well... Something bothersome happened.¡± What? What happened? Was there an ident? Did you beat someone up? ¡°Hey. Am I some hoodlum? To hit someone?¡± Then? ¡°I didn¡¯t get in an ident. I unexpectedly came across a way to make some money.¡± What? I sent this kid to study... I left you there because you said you wanted to study but what? Money? ¡°That¡¯s why I said unexpected.¡± Jun Hyuk quickly exined the situation in order to avoid Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s nagging. He even added in that Coline the cellist is his best friend. Most middle-aged Korean men nod their heads if they say it was for a friend. Really? Then there¡¯s nothing you can do. It worked. Is it because friends disappear one by one from middle aged Koreans? They go flying when ites to friends. I think Lawyer Baek would be better for that than I am. He said he has something to tell you anyway. Hang up and wait. I¡¯ll tell him to call you right away. Jun Hyuk hung up the phone and waited for a moment before it rang again. Is this Jun Hyuk? ¡°Yes, Lawyer Baek.¡± This kid is still calling me Lawyer Baek. I told you to call me uncle. Really! Lawyer Baek Seung Ho is very different from Yoon Kwang Hun. Yoon Kwang Hun is not affectionate, but Baek Seung Ho does not hesitate to express his friendliness. ¡°Ah, right.¡± You haven¡¯t heard the news, right? ¡°What news?¡± Your album. It¡¯s doing pretty well in Japan. You didn¡¯t know, right? ¡°Japan?¡± Yeah. It¡¯s sold over 120 million right now. It¡¯ll sell better than it did in Korea. And it¡¯s standing proudly at 3rd ce on the chart. You¡¯ll be rich soon. Ha ha. ¡°3rd ce on the chart?¡± Ah, not Oricon or Orion or whatever it is, but a Japanese Indie Music Chart. Jun Hyuk had not known that his album was being sold in Japan. You¡¯re not long from bing a Hallyu star. You don¡¯t have a picture but if you did, it would be all over Myeondong. ¡°Well, I.....¡± Baek Seung Ho did not give Jun Hyuk a chance to speak and kept talking, I know you¡¯re noting back to Korea because of your studies, but can you make about a week of time? ¡°A week?¡± Yeah. Let¡¯s meet in Japan. It seems Japanese partners have gotten in contact multiple times, but Mr. Jo Hyung Joong and Mr. Yoon Jung Su turned them all down saying that you¡¯re studying. Baek Seung Ho¡¯s proposal became tempting when he recalled the familiar faces one by one. They say it¡¯s a huge deal for these kinds of sales without ever having a promotion by the star of the record. Apparently it¡¯ll be different again if we pour oil on this while it¡¯s going out well. And... you can see Kwang Hun. Isn¡¯t a week okay? He wanted to go to Japan to see Yoon Kwang Hun, not to promote his album. He even thought that Baek Seung Ho had prepared this event to give him and Yoon Kwang Hun time to spend together. And the most important thing. All expenses will be paid for on the Japanese side. What do you think? ¡°It¡¯s like getting a tour of Japan for free. Of course I have to go. Ha ha.¡± Okay. Then wait while I check on the schedule. I¡¯ll let you know when we can go. Then I¡¯ll see you in Japan. ¡°Wait. I said I had something to ask you. He didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Ah, right. He said something about a friend. What is it? When Jun Hyuk exined his situation, Baek Seung Ho started by bursting out inughter. Ha ha ha. When you take a part-time job, it¡¯s at a different level. Can¡¯t you do something moremon? Like delivering pizza? ¡°It¡¯s not funny. I have to meet them soon.¡± Alright. In those situations, you only say one thing. You¡¯ll look over it and get back to them. ¡°Excuse me?¡± They¡¯ll make a proposal, whether it¡¯s orally or in a contract. Then tell them that you¡¯ll take a look at it and get back to them as quickly as you can. As soon as possible. Okay? ¡°But what if they ask me how much first?¡± Listen carefully. The first person to give a number in a negotiation is the one who loses. You know what you do well. If you don¡¯t like it, tell them to forget it. ¡°What if they really stop it?¡± Then you don¡¯t do it. It bes an excuse you can give your friend too. How can you help him when the negotiations didn¡¯t work out? Oh! There was a convenient way to do it. Jun Hyuk even thought that all the smart people in the world must bewyers. And Americans forget everything once a contract is signed no matter how much you fight during negotiations. They just think of it as a part of work. Just push it forward. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Lawyer Baek.¡± Hey! I told you to call me uncle... Jun Hyuk hung up the phone. It was too soppy to call him uncle. *** The Jun Hyuk that Ili met in the 1st floor lobby of the school lightly exceeded his expectations. A bookworm in the library with a sparking talent in the recording studio. Jun Hyuk¡¯s image is far from these kinds of people. Normally when musicians meet a person from arge recordbel, they are bound to be a little taken aback. But Jun Hyuk did not shrink back. His confident expression, the hand he put forward for a handshake. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll need to pay ording to ourpany¡¯s manual? This is the general contract. I already printed it. Take a look.¡± Ili seemed to be a bit angry as he got to the point and handed the contract over. Jun Hyuk thought that it was because a rookie was bringing money up first, but Ili thought it definite that they start with a contract. He was just frustrated and annoyed that everything was moving so slowly. ¡°$5,000 per song in the case of a newbie producer. It¡¯s $55,000 since there are 5 songs.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll look over it and let you know as soon as possible.¡± ¡°What? Look over it? Forget it if you¡¯re thinking of trying to make a deal. This is already decided. And there aren¡¯t very manypanies that are as generous as we are.¡± ¡°We can just leave it if you don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m just here because of Coline. Use a different producer if you can¡¯t wait. I¡¯m sure you have a lot of producers since it¡¯s argepany.¡± Ili grabbed his hair with one hand and waved with his other, motioning for him to go. It is not his job to go through such negotiations. If the price is not right, they can just not go through with it. Jun Hyuk took the contract and went back to his dorm. Coline followed him, looking teary. ¡°Jun, how much do you want? I¡¯ll earn the difference and give it to you. Really.¡± ¡°Money? No. Honestly, I was surprised too. It¡¯s $55,000 for just 5 songs.¡± Coline could note to him senses as he saw Jun Hyukugh. ¡°What? Then why didn¡¯t you okay it on the spot? Are you doing this because you want to see me go crazy?¡± ¡°Ugh, Coline. Trust me. This is how adults make deals. I¡¯m a professional who even released an album in Korea. You tell the LA producer tomorrow that I¡¯ll sign the contract. Ha ha.¡± Coline finally rxed when he heard Jun Hyuk¡¯s arrogantugh. He had just grabbed the handle of the door to sess. Coline threw his now weak body on Jun Hyuk¡¯s bed when his phone rang. ¡°Oh, Mr. Gotez. I was about to call... Excuse me? Airline ticket? Okay. I understand. Please wait one moment.¡± Coline blocked the phone with his hand and whispered, ¡°Jun, Ili is calling.¡± ¡°Why? He¡¯s so impatient. How many minutes have passed.....¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. He said he¡¯ll take care of all of our airline tickets. Something about hating New York because it¡¯s cold? He said he needs an answer right away because he¡¯s personally taking care of the expenses. If you reject this, he¡¯s going back alone.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled brightly and stuck his hand out to Coline. ¡°Deal.¡± Coline¡¯s face also became bright and he high fived Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand with strength. ¡°Mr. Gotez, Jun is signing the contract right now. Thank you for being considerate.¡± When the call ended, Coline jumped on Jun Hyuk¡¯s bed and cheered. Jun Hyuk spoke while looking at Coline, ¡°Stop ying around and get down. There¡¯s a lot to do now. It isn¡¯t a time to y around like a kid.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I got too excited.¡± Jun Hyuk took a guitar case out from underneath his bed. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Go? Where?¡± ¡°What do you mean where? Your practice studio. Tell your members to hurry up ande too.¡± ¡°Why the studio all of a sudden?¡± Coline could not figure out what Jun Hyuk was trying to do. He remembered the promise he made. The promise that he would do as he was told so that Jun Hyuk would not have to exin everything. ¡°You¡¯re asking because you don¡¯t know? We have to hurry up and modify the songs to practice them. You want to get to LA and practice what I arranged? You have to record once you get there.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll arrange it now? There are 5 songs. When are you going to do all of that?¡± ¡°This kid. You still don¡¯t know me. Hey! An hour is enough for 5 songs. Let¡¯s hurry up and go.¡± Coline stuck out his tongue as he followed Jun Hyuk who was already leaving the room. Jun Hyuk had his guitar on his back and was walking the cold New York streets with Coline. ¡°There wasn¡¯t time to tell youst time, but I have to tell you something.¡± Chapter 122 Volume 3 / Chapter 122 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey guys! So I¡¯m off to my X-country trip today. I wanted to leave you guys with a trantion before I left <3 Enjoy!] Jun Hyuk did not look at Coline and spoke quietly, ¡°Your band Violon is a bit old. Hey, don¡¯t get mad. It¡¯s not something bad. Your music has a strong feeling of heavy metals from the 70s and 80s. While the riff and melody are alternative rock.¡± Coline also knew what Jun Hyuk was talking about. Old music. However, Coline loved the old music that showed each yer¡¯s grandiosity much more than he likes the simple and strong alternative rock of current times. ¡°The important thing is that you have to choose. You can do the music you want to and appeal to only the audience that will love your music. But if you¡¯d like to match yourselves to a changed audience, you¡¯ll need to get rid of that heavy metal feel.¡± ¡°We have our own color. Even if it¡¯s old.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but it falls short to be a star with just your band¡¯s color and the music you want to do.¡± Jun Hyuk was known to give frank evaluations. It is also the most precise evaluation. ¡°The song is good. The only problem is what color you give that song. The important thing is that no matter what color you give it, the nature of it doesn¡¯t change.¡± Trees change the color of their leaves ording to the season. A ginkgo tree that is green in the summer begins to yellow in the fall. However, there is no change to the fact that it is a ginkgo tree. ¡°Arranging doesn¡¯t ever change the nature. So you have to make the choice. Are you going to maintain the present color and arranging it so it¡¯s refined? Or do you want to make it refreshing by getting rid of all traces of the old heavy metal? Coline, I¡¯ll do it the way you want.¡± Coline yearning for sess was greater than his desire to stick to his unique color. ¡°As you said... Jun, you take it in the direction you want since I¡¯ve requested it of you. Our band Violon¡¯s producer is you right now.¡± After Jun Hyuk arranged each of Violon¡¯s 5 songs, he even finished ying them himself. Unlike thest time he arranged for them, the band¡¯s guitarist and drummer did not make any objections and started practice ording to Jun Hyuk¡¯s arrangement. They had received a call from a top agency because of Jun Hyuk. With a little more luck, they might be able to debut. They were full of the thought that they could not throw away an opportunity from the heavens just because of their pride. ¡°Coline. I¡¯m going to go first because I have something personal to take care of. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to perform this fine if you practice the arranged songs for two days?¡± Coline and his band members exchanged looks for a moment before nodding. ¡°Then practice today and tomorrow, and let¡¯s go to LA the day after. Tell the man from LA that he can go back first if he can¡¯t stand the cold.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jun Hyuk saw Coline focus on practice before leaving the studio and started walking quickly. Jun Hyuk arrived at the ce where Coline and his band had recorded their first song. ¡°Hello, do you remember me?¡± ¡°Oh! Perfect boy. Of course I remember you. What brings you here? To record?¡± ¡°What? Perfect....?¡± ¡°Ha ha. That¡¯s the nickname the people working at this recording studio gave you.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled and said his reason foring, ¡°May I use one of your recording booths? I¡¯d like to use it today and tomorrow.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll empty one no matter what. It¡¯s a joy to listen to your music. So, is there anything else you need?¡± ¡°We¡¯re only going to y the guitar and keyboard today. I brought the guitar, so just set a keyboard up. We¡¯ll need both source and mixing for the tracks. We¡¯re going to record the drums and bass tomorrow... please set up the bass guitar and drums with these.¡± The engineer¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the note Jun Hyuk handed over. ¡°What is this? How many tam-tams is this? Will his arms even reach?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Is it possible to get this ready?¡± ¡°It is possible... but the bass guitar and the drum set... It¡¯s too expensive. The renting fees will be high.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine since there¡¯s no issue with the fees.¡± ¡°But what are you recording for 2 days?¡± ¡°What else could it be? Of course it¡¯s music. We¡¯re going to record 10 songs. Please pay attention. He he.¡± All of the recording studio staff members¡¯ jaws dropped. It is surprising when someone says that they will record 10 songs over two days, but it does happen. Poor musicians need to record as much as they can in the time that they rent the studio. Their jaws dropped because of the guitar that came out of Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar case. ¡°That... That... It¡¯s a custom. Who are you? Are you royalty in Asia?¡± It is a shabby studio in a New York alley. In this ce where amateur bandse to record, this is the first youth toe in with a guitar worth over $10,000. He had appeared in person with a guitar that everyone had only looked at and drooled over. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from my father. And that¡¯s how I came to New York. Alright, there isn¡¯t much time. Let¡¯s start quickly.¡± Jun Hyuk put the headphones on in the recording booth and started ying. He had asked Coline for a simple intensity, but Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance now was the opposite. He created a grand and explosive guitar phrase. *** ¡°Jun, it¡¯s just 4 or 5 days. Why do you have so much stuff?¡± ¡°Oh, I have to go to Japan from LA.¡± ¡°Japan? Why?¡± ¡°I guess the album I released in Korea is doing well in Japan. I have to attend some promotion event and I¡¯m going to see people I¡¯ve missed.¡± Hearing words like album, promotion, and Japan made Coline realize the reality that Jun Hyuk is a professional musician. ¡°You... really are a star in Korea. You¡¯ve already broken through Japan.¡± ¡°Know that it¡¯s an honor. There¡¯ll be a day when your music goes flying off shelves just because I did the producing.¡± Jun Hyukughed and spoke as if joking, but Coline thought that it could be a prediction of the future. Los Angeles, the other half of American culture from New York. If New York has the New York Philharmonic, New York Ballet Company, and New York Metropolitan Museum as its representatives of traditional art, LA is the ce where innovative and experimental artists gather. LA is the ce that exhibits works that be social controversies and create echos without hesitation. When Jun Hyuk and Coline¡¯s party came out of the airport, there was no space for them on the tform for buses and taxis. There was a surging crowd from all over America,ing to LA to get out of the cold. Jun Hyuk and Coline¡¯s party was also in an ufortable situation because they did not know how they were going to get into the city with all of their instruments. While Coline and his band members were calcting how much it would cost to take two cabs, Jun Hyuk was on the phone. When Jun Hyuk got off the phone, he gave a look to the band to follow him and took lead. ¡°Jun, where are you going? The taxi tform is on this side.¡± Coline called for Jun Hyuk to stop while pushing a cart full of luggage, but Jun Hyuk¡¯s response was entirely unexpected. ¡°Apparently the reserved limousine is here. They said there¡¯s a lot of traffic on the road to the airport. Said it might take over 2 hours to get us into the city?¡± ¡°What? Limousine? What limousine?¡± ¡°Ah, I reserved it. To go to the hotelfortably. We can¡¯t suffer when we have big business to do.¡± The driver of a long 6-seater limousine discovered Jun Hyuk waving his hand and bowed politely. Chapter 123 Volume 3 / Chapter 123 TL: LightNovelCafe [Did you guys miss me?? Sorry for being away so long! I¡¯m pretty pooped from the trip. I¡¯ll try and get back to my regr schedule asap.] Jun Hyuk¡¯s party organized their luggage at a small hotel in Westwood and went to LA Sound on Wilshire Boulevard, the center of LA¡¯s economy. As soon as they entered the building, countless tinum albums and posters of stars that LA Sound created caught their eye. Coline and his members could not hide their excitement and touched their flushed cheeks and wiped their sweat. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally here. What do you think? Isn¡¯t it much better than cold New York?¡± Ili Gotez who had been frowning the whole time he was in New York, greeted Jun Hyuk¡¯s party with friendliness as though that had never happened. Jun Hyuk could feel that as Lawyer Baek Seung Ho had said, they would work as colleagues since the contract had gone smoothly. ¡°First, I¡¯ll introduce you to the boss and then we can discuss your schedule. Boss is waiting too.¡± What caught their eye more than the magnificence of the office was the asional star that passed by. Every time they saw the producers,posers, and stars who had been awarded several times at the Grammys, Jun Hyuk¡¯s party could not take their eyes off of them. When Texas blues guitar great Jimmie Baughan passed by with the smell of cigarettes, even Jun Hyuk wanted to go after him and ask for a signature. However, they hade for business today. They could not be fans and had to act nonchnt. When they got off the elevator and entered a conference room with ss walls, the famous Alex Zakin was waiting for them. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Alex Zakin.¡± ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Jun Hyuk Jang. You can call me Jun.¡± When he held his hand, he could feel the strength. After shaking each person¡¯s hand, Alex Zakin gave Ili Gotez a slight look. ¡°Alright, our band will have to control their condition, no? Let¡¯s record formally tomorrow and warm up today. You can take a look at our recording studio too. Let¡¯s go.¡± Jun Hyuk was about to follow as well when Alex Zakin quickly spoke, ¡°Jun, can we speak for a moment?¡± Jun Hyuk separated from Coline and the band and went into Alex Zakin¡¯s office. Like a leading figure in entertainment, his office could not have been more brilliant and the walls packed with tinum albums caught Jun Hyuk¡¯s eye. They are all albums that Alex Zakin had produced. ¡°Jun, I listened to your album. It¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Did youpose everything yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But the album is a bit of a fusion... The entirety has a ssical form but each song was a different genre, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I mixed it up a little.¡± Alex Zakin lit a cigarette and blew out smoke. ¡°Did you choose ssical in the end? CH School of Music?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. I¡¯m there for now because I think there¡¯s a lot to learn.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t look like you have a lot to learn. It looked like you coulde out as a professional musician immediately without problems from the way you work with various genres.¡± ¡°No, I still need to learn a lot more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re modest. Is that a characteristic of Asians?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not that modest.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Is that so?¡± Zakin who had been sitting back in his chair put out his cigarette and sat up straight. ¡°I did a bit of research and... in Korea, they say you¡¯re a genius. Have you formally learned producing?¡± ¡°I learned a little about the equipment used in a recording studio, but I¡¯ve never learned or done any producing.¡± ¡°I heard that you arranged Coline¡¯s song in just a day. What, is it something where notes fill your head ande out if you listen to music? An alien like Mozart who produces thousands of scores automatically?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr.¡± When Jun Hyuk said that he is a genius like Mozart without a change in expression, Alex Zakin burst out inughter. ¡°Ha ha ha. You¡¯re right. You¡¯re not modest at all.¡± Jun Hyuk frowned slightly at Alex Zakin¡¯sughter. He had note all the way to LA to talk about such useless things. ¡°Mr. Zakin.¡± ¡°Ah, you can just call me Alex. It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Fine. Alex, there¡¯s no need to check to see if I¡¯m a genius or whatever. That¡¯s not important. My schedule is a little tight, so I¡¯d like to talk business.¡± ¡°Business? Isn¡¯t it your business to start producing Violon band¡¯s music tomorrow?¡± ¡°What does he mean business? Alex tilted his head at Jun Hyuk as he said something unexpected. Jun Hyuk took a smartphone with earphones out of his pocket and handed it to Alex. ¡°First, listen to this.¡± Alex Zakin put the earphones Jun Hyuk gave him with interest. Before even a minute passed, his eyes grew wide and he shouted, ¡°What the f.....¡± While Alex Zakin listened to Jun Hyuk¡¯s music for 40 minutes, it was unsure whether the sounds that kepting from his mouth were of admiration or swearing. While he was engrossed in the music, Jun Hyuk slowly went around the office looking at the tinum albums and star photos on the walls, and the awards. ¡°This... What on earth is this?¡± This is the first thing Alex Zakin said after over 40 minutes. ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s music. Did you like it? Ah, I guess it¡¯s something I didn¡¯t need to ask.¡± Alex Zakin sitting deeply in his chair while smoking clearly showed his shock. ¡°Jun. Is this why you came to LA?¡± Jun Hyuk nodded as though it were definite. ¡°Of course. Is there a reason for me toe all the way to LA to record Coline¡¯s songs? There are tons of recording studios in New York.¡± Jun Hyuk had an arrogant expression. It felt like he had done what adults call negotiations, alone. A sessful negotiation at that. He was proud. ¡°I learned how to think while attending school for the first time. If you like Coline¡¯s music, all you have to do is sign him on, so I was wondering why you would call me all the way here. My conclusion is that recording Coline¡¯s band is just coteral and I thought that you wanted to see me as an arranger.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. A good musician appeared, so of course I want to see for myself.¡± Though they are bantering, the music left in Alex Zakin¡¯s ear did not disappear. He had just thought that he is a youth with a talent of bringing out sophisticated music. That youth was living in an old-fashioned castle like CH School of Music. The ssical world is barely hanging on with the support of millionaires who think of ssical as a lofty hobby. On the other hand, the world of popr music is where one can buy a house on the beach in Santa Monica and ride a sports car with just one song hitting 1st ce on charts. He wanted to bring that talent out here. However, he had the thought that he had miscalcted that talent. The music he just heard proved that mistake. ¡°What is this music?¡± ¡°Honestly, I wasn¡¯t really interested in LA Sound and Coline¡¯s band. I only worked on a song because I thought it¡¯d be okay to help out a member of the quintet I¡¯m in. But I didn¡¯t know because I don¡¯t normally checkbels when I listen to CDs... but I did a search and saw that LA Sound released a lot of albums that I like. So I made some tribute music to those musicians.¡± ¡°Are these 10 songs those tributes?¡± ¡°Yes. Show them to the 10 musicians and if they are pleased with it, to have them sing it.¡± Sing? They are perfect instrumentals created with the guitar, drums, bass, and piano. There is no space for singing. However, Alex Zakin is one of the top 3 producers in America. He thought of what he had missed after Jun Hyuk¡¯s exnation. ¡°This piano part is the vocal. Right?¡± ¡°Yes. I put it in as the guide for the vocals. It¡¯s fine for the musicians to change it a bit when they actually sing it.¡± Jun Hyuk stopped walking around the office and sat in the chair opposite Alex Zakin. ¡°Then shall we talk business now?¡± Chapter 124 Volume 3 / Chapter 124 TL: LightNovelCafe [I¡¯ve only been able to update God¡¯s Song for now because I¡¯m so tired from my trip. But at least you guys get your dose! :P] Alex Zakin looked at an ted Jun Hyuk andughed lightly, ¡°What business?¡± ¡°Of course a record business.¡± ¡°Why do I have to release your record? Did you think that if a newbie like you came to me with music, I would release an record for you?¡± Jun Hyuk showed surprise at Alex Zakin¡¯s sharp words. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a definite thing that you release a record if you like the music? I¡¯m positive it looked like you were engrossed in the music.¡± ¡°Real business is releasing music that sells, not good music. And... someone like me can do as I feel. No matter how good your music is, there is enough good music that I can just throw your music in the garbage.¡± Alex Zakin saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s perplexed face andughed. ¡°Ha ha ha. But this would be a waste to throw away. And one more thing. Good music sells of course.¡± Jun Hyuk rxed at Alex Zakin¡¯sughter. He had been teased. Like a newbie. ¡°Look here, Jun. Can I say one thing? It could be a word of caution.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put your feet in business.¡± ¡°Excuse me? What does that mean?¡± ¡°You just do music. And find a real business partner who can sell your music for the highest price. There¡¯s no reason to act like an adult when you don¡¯t have to.¡± There is a high chance that a person who tries to do business with an immature youth is a swindler posing as an adult. On that thought, Alex Zakin is a real adult. ¡°I don¡¯t know business either. I¡¯m just a producer. An ear that selects good music. An eye that finds good musicians. And the ability to bring out the best sound from artists. That¡¯s all I have. Business? The capable people at thispany do that. All you and I have to do is talk about music. Let¡¯s leave the business to the experts.¡± Jun Hyuk only looked at Alex Zakin for a moment without speaking. He felt again that there are a lot of good adults in this world. No, it could be that bing a good person meant bing an adult. ¡°Then shall we start talking about music?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alex Zakin¡¯s mood lifted when he saw that Jun Hyuk¡¯s face became brighter. ¡°Well, I think you understood me clearly. Anyway... there aren¡¯t any lyrics?¡± ¡°Ah, no lyrics yet. I don¡¯t speak English well enough to write lyrics. They can write the lyrics themselves.¡± ¡°Who are the stars of these 10 songs?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have an idea of who they are since you listened to the songs.¡± Alex Zakin recalled the people he had thought of every time he listened to a song. ¡°Can we change it?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Do you mean you¡¯ll change the musician I had in mind?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing to say.¡± Alex scratched his head and exined the circumstances. Jun Hyuk¡¯s tribute targets are bands that debuted with LA Sound and led rock and roll in the 80s. The 80s was the zenith of the recording industry with a worldwide boom as its base. One hit song earned them enough money to buy a private ne. It was normal to live carelessly in a Beverly Hills mansion with dozens of dream cars on disy in the garage, calling pin-up girls every day. Rock of that period was a symbol of decadence and extravagance. The leader of this period, guitarist Randy Rhoads was in the band Quiet Riot. This band¡¯s vocalist, Kevin DuBrown put their daily life into words, ¡°Pop stars enjoy tennis on the weekends and drink beers as they hang out with beauties in bikinis. We hire whores and spend the entire weekend naked with sex and drugs. This is the difference between pop and rock.¡± Most rock stars who spent their daily lives with alcohol, women, and drugs are now in a state beyond recovery. ¡°I see. That is a pity.¡± ¡°Would you like to produce these 10 songs yourself?¡± ¡°Ah, the greatest reason for this work was to get to meet the stars I like.....¡± ¡°What? It was selfish. Ha ha.¡± Alex was able to see the teenager in Jun Hyuk. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but the stars you like are the people 30 years ago, not the people now.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯ll be the case. That¡¯s too bad.¡± Jun Hyuk shrugged and brushed it off. He did not want to see the stars he liked in ruin either. He would just remember their fresh images on the album covers. ¡°Since your n is ruined, what do you think about leaving the cooking to me? I¡¯ll find the artists who are most fitting for these songs instead. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that cooking after I find a great business partner.¡± ¡°You learn fast. Good. I¡¯ll just start preparations. Hurry up and find your partner. I¡¯vee across music that excites me for the first time in a while.¡± *** ¡°Did those kids go?¡± ¡°Yes. I told them not to go out to try and meet girls and rest to be in good condition tomorrow. I let them know we¡¯re going to start recording tomorrow at 1 in the afternoon.¡± When Jun Hyuk¡¯s party left, Ili Gotez joined the staff meeting that Alex suddenly called. ¡°Good. First, listen to this. There are 10 songs, so let¡¯s start the meeting after you listen to all of it.¡± Alex Zakin ced a CD yer on the center of the table in the conference room. He put in the CD Jun Hyuk had given him, pressed y, and sat back in his chair to enjoy the music. The producers andposers gathered in the conference room did not react very differently from Alex. Music that ispletely different from the trends these days. To look at it one way, they seemed to be reproducing the glory of the past, melting the magnificent performance of each part with each song¡¯s diverse themes. It was to the point where they thought that it was not even from the 80s, but from mid tote 70s, the age of the rock renaissance. The young staff were surprised by the ever-changing configurations of the songs, and the older people looked as though they were lost in nostalgia. After more than 40 minutes passed and the music ended, Alex Zakinughed and spoke, ¡°What do you think? Reflections?¡± ¡°Did that Korean boy bring this?¡± Alex Zakin nodded to surprised Ili¡¯s question. ¡°Ili. That Korean boy you brought is a big shot who easily jumps over our expectations.¡± ¡°Did that kide so he could show you this?¡± ¡°Pretty much. It seems he likes ourpany¡¯s records.¡± Alex spoke with a satisfied look. ¡°Well, what are your thoughts?¡± Once Alex Zakin spoke, the conference room became noisy. There was the question of whether it would appeal to the masses though the musicality is outstanding. There was also the contradictory stance that with such outstanding musicality, the masses would not be able to help but like it. ¡°Let¡¯s say we put all 10 of these songs in one album. Don¡¯t you want it?¡± The noisy conference room became quiet at Ili Gotez¡¯s input. ¡°Right? I even want to buy this original with the piano.¡± The result of the meeting came out with Alex¡¯s words. He has the Midas touch that creates mega hits. He wants to create an album with all 10 songs, not just choose one out of the 10 to work with. There would not be a song that tops the Billboard singles chart, but it meant that it has the potential to reach the top of the albums chart. ¡°Did you sign a contract for this?¡± ¡°No. I decided to wait until Jun finds a proper representative. In that time, we need to find the owners of this music.¡± Ili had the best expression in the conference room. There was a reward for having endured the cold in New York. A golden calf had walked in on its own. ¡°Ili, you take over Coline¡¯s recording tomorrow.¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± ¡°Yeah. Isn¡¯t the arranging already all done?¡± ¡°Oh, yea it was. I heard everything in the studio earlier and there was nothing to touch with the songs. I think we can just get out the sound perfectly. But what about the Korean boy?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think we need to give him a small gift when he brought music like this to us?¡± ¡°A gift?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something. Ha ha.¡± The staff in the conference room just stared nkly at theirughing boss. Chapter 125 Volume 4 / Chapter 125 TL: LightNovelCafe [Okay I¡¯m back for real HAHA] On the way back to the hotel, Coline was looking at the sidewalk with his head down when he spoke cautiously, ¡°Jun, what did you talk about with Alex Zakin?¡± ¡°The glory of the past.¡± ¡°Glory?¡± ¡°Yeah. More than that, do well with the recording tomorrow. Alex hasn¡¯t decided on whether or not he¡¯s going to release a record with Violon yet. He¡¯ll decide once he sees what happens tomorrow. Do a good job.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Aren¡¯t youing with us?¡± ¡°Ili is going to do the producing himself tomorrow. I can¡¯t tell if he has a lot of expectations for you or if he¡¯s trying to find your shorings.¡± ¡°Then what about you?¡± Coline¡¯s face became dark as soon as Jun Hyuk said that he would not be producing for them. ¡°Me? I¡¯m going to get $25,000. I need to do that much work.¡± ¡°What are you going to be doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I¡¯ll find out once I get there tomorrow. Alex told me to look forward to it, but I can¡¯t even guess.¡± Everyone left their instruments at the hotel and went to the Santa Monica beach. They were going to each dinner while looking out at the wide and open sea in order to let go of their tension. It would not do any good to worry, and they need to restfortably at least today. Jun Hyuk and his party went to the cafeteria on Santa Monica beach and ate burgers for dinner with beer. There were a lot of women who would join them if they offered, but they only ate. Coline¡¯s eyes flit back and forth, and he dragged everyone back to the hotel. They need to get plenty of sleep to be in the best condition. Jun Hyuk¡¯s first night in LA was tame. *** Violon¡¯s recording at 1 in the afternoon started with conducting by Ili Gotez. His image ofining in New York was gone and he showed the sharp ears he has as a famous producer. Stop. Hey, the guitar tone is high! I told you to bring it down a little. Hey! Drums. Are you going to break the cymbals? You know how much those cost? You can¡¯t y them a little more gently and lightly? Coline. Are you joking with me right now? If it¡¯s hard to y together, record separate tracks. Our engineers are the best at mixing in the world. Of course recording separately would be evidence that you don¡¯t have the skill to be a band? Coline and the band members realized how kindly and precisely Jun Hyuk had done their directing. He gave an exact number like 1.3 when matching the tone, and he would demonstrate things like the drum cymbals himself. When the entire sound was off, he even had the subtlety to point out where the issues were by part. In the world of professionals however, they need to catch what the producers are asking for on their own. They need to understand what the producers are saying to be professionals at the same level. Jun Hyuk said that they would work on one song a day, five songs over five days, but it was looking like Ili would work on one song over five days. ¡°Alex, what am I working on?¡± Jun Hyuk entered Alex Zakin¡¯s recording studio. Two sound engineers were sitting in front of the console box, inspecting the equipment. ¡°Try directing one song today. This song alone is worth $25,000. Do it well because if you don¡¯t, I¡¯m going to charge ims.¡± Alex Zakin winked and seemed ready to watch a fun show. The fun show appeared when the door opened and a musician entered with cigarette smoke. Jun Hyuk did not recognize the ck man in sses who was shaking hands with Alex Zakin. Foreigners all look simr to him. And it wasmon for album covers to have irrelevant pictures instead of the performer¡¯s face. ¡°Jun, you don¡¯t recognize him? Say hello. This is Stanley rke. rke, this is the producer who¡¯s going to kick your ass today. His name is Jun.¡± The kind-looking man who Alex Zakin introduced held out a hand, but Jun Hyuk was standing dumbfounded ever since he heard the name Stanley rke. Stanley rke, a fusion jazz great who has not stopped his activities from the 70s until now. Born in 1951 Phdelphia, he is a bassist known as the starting point for existing electric bass techniques. He learned to y the violin when he was young but he took up the electric bass as he became a high school student. Since his 20s, he began to create his own world of music with the jazz greats. His powerful performances are contemporary jazz achievements that made the bass into an instrument of melody instead of rhythm. Jun Hyuk looked so out of his mind that it seemed he did not believe the reality that he was looking at the real Stanley rke. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? I heard Asians are polite... You¡¯re just looking at the hand this old man¡¯s holding out?¡± ¡°Old man? I can¡¯t forgive that even from you.¡± Jun Hyuk finally came back to his senses after hearing the two men joke around, and quickly grabbed Stanley rke¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Mr. rke. I just couldn¡¯t believe it.....¡± Stanley rke could not know it, but he might as well be a teacher to Jun Hyuk. Stanley rke, Jaco Pastorius, and Victor Wooten. He had taught himself to y the bass guitar while listening to the music of these three eminent bassists. The music that they recorded 40 years ago lept over time to team a young boy in Korea. ¡°Well, well. Isn¡¯t this too polite? Just call me Stanley.¡± Jun Hyuk could not hide his excitement and exined that he practiced the bass while listening to Stanley rke¡¯s music and that he is basically a teacher to him. When his excitement abated, Stanley rkeughed in good spirits. ¡°Ha ha. I heard you y, and it can¡¯t bepared to me in my teens. You didn¡¯t learn, you referenced.¡± ¡°There there. Stop the cheesypliments and let¡¯s get to work.¡± To Alex¡¯s words to start working, Stanley rke frowned and Jun Hyuk blinked. ¡°But what do you mean by work?¡± ¡°What would it be? Since a musician came to a recording studio, it¡¯ll be recording. You¡¯re directing Stanley¡¯s performance today. Do well because it¡¯s a 6-minute song.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Are you saying the song we¡¯re recording today is.....?¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t think you can do it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just how could I do Stanley¡¯s.....¡± Jun Hyuk waved the notion away. If he been told to direct Beyonce¡¯s music, he would have been able to ept it with confidence. Stanley rke is one of the musicians that Jun Hyuk respects. The frowning Stanley rke lit a cigarette again and spoke, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Jun. I already heard the music you recorded. I think your skills will be much better than that of reckless Alex over here.¡± Chapter 126 Volume 4 / Chapter 126 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: JH...show your genius to the world! :P] There was a reason why Stanley rke looked ufortable. Last month, he had prepared a project album with Japanese pianist, Uehara. He returned after recording all 4 songs in Japan when Uehara pulled the brakes. ¡°What? What do you mean you¡¯re pulling the brakes?¡± ¡°He¡¯s saying he isn¡¯t satisfied with one of the songs. He sent back what he yedst week.¡± ¡°Just the piano part?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure you know, but improv on scene is important in jazz... Mr. Uehara likes sophisticated things.¡± Alex looked over Stanley rke. ¡°Actually, Stanley is really annoyed because of that. We barely got him to agree to this because he was angry that they¡¯re not even recording together and that he¡¯ll have to re-record while listening to the piano as a music file. Honestly, the piano version that was redone is much better. I would like to use this piano song.¡± ¡°Is there a recording of what Stanley yed again?¡± ¡°We have that... but there isn¡¯t anything that was done properly. We stopped all of them as he was ying.¡± ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll have to start by listening to the piano.¡± Jun Hyuk put on the headphones and began listening to the piano. His fingers naturally tapped his knees ording to the melody. He took off the headphones, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done. The song is good.¡± ¡°See, Stanley? I¡¯m telling you the piano is good.¡± Alex looked at Stanley rke as he spoke, but Stanley still had a frown. ¡°In short, he¡¯s saying that it¡¯s a jazz performance but there isn¡¯t any hype, right?¡± ¡°Right. This kid knows something. It has to have a good feeling to perform it.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s bring out its feeling first. It¡¯scking, but I¡¯ll y the piano.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk entered the recording booth, Alex Zakin¡¯s gaze changed. It is time to see for himself. Jun Hyuk put his hands on the electric piano and yed the piano by Uehara he had just heard. A gentle melody fitting for fusion jazz filled the booth. It is a song that brought out the Japanese characteristic of piano with a tranquil emotion. Stanley rke looked back and forth between Jun Hyuk in the booth and Alex sitting beside him, and stuttered, ¡°Di... Didn¡¯t he just hear it? By... By chance...¡± ¡°No, you saw. He put on the headphones and listened to it just now. That¡¯s the first time. This... Seeing something I¡¯d only heard of with my own eyes, it seems like magic.¡± ¡°Something you¡¯d only heard of?¡± ¡°That he¡¯s someone like Mozart. I can¡¯t believe it.¡± The two men had a more nk expression than when Jun Hyuk first met Stanley rke. Jun Hyuk lifted his head and spoke to Stanley rke, ¡°Stanley, y it with me. Hurry up ande in.¡± Stanley rke entered the recording booth and picked up the bass guitar. ¡°Record everything from now on. Don¡¯t stop it anywhere and keep recording until they bothe out of the booth. Got it?¡± Alex Zakin warned the sound engineer and began to watch the two. Jun Hyuk yed Uehara¡¯s piano in repetition so that Stanley rke could y the bass with it. They yed it three times and each time, Stanley¡¯s bass brought out a different melody. Jun Hyuk began to change the piano melody little by little when Stanley gave him the eye. Stanley¡¯s bass started to give an entirely different melody as he matched Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano. Two wave tracks on the monitor outside the recording booth were dancing. Melodies were filling theputer hard drive through the thick copper wires running from the bass guitar and electric piano. Alex Zakin felt a deep bliss. This is an improv performanceing from a small recording booth that is not even 400 square feet, that can only be heard at the likes of the Monterey Jazz Festival. On top of that, the entire sound is being recorded without any noise mixed in. ¡°This is why I can¡¯t help but love geniuses!¡± The excited Alex Zakin shouted as he patted the two sound engineers on the back. Directing? Producing? They do not need this kind of stuff. When two geniuses meet and sparks fly, there are unexpected results. Those results be incredible music that no famous producer can bring out. Jun Hyuk¡¯s vision faded until he could not see anything. He could not see Stanley ying the bass or his fingers pressing the keyboard. He could only see the wavelengths created light fireworks from the sound of the piano and bass colliding. Stanley rke did not even realize when his sses fell off of his face because he was shaking his head so much. He could not feel the saliva forming in his slightly open mouth. They were both lost in the music that they were creating together. They performed for over almost an hour before they stopped. Even though he was sitting still and not ying the piano, his fingertips tingled and there was a tremor throughout his body. He had yed jazz properly for the first time after only having listened to it. This is the first time he is feeling something like this. He found out that the bliss felt by someone listening to jazz is iparable to what the performer feels. Stanley rke put the bass down and hugged Jun Hyuk who was sitting nkly. ¡°If I¡¯m asked to choose my best performances, this will be in the top three.¡± They did not know that Alex and the engineers outside the booth were pping endlessly. Jun Hyuk and Stanley rke did not leave the booth because they were talking about music. Alex Zakin checked the recording as Jun Hyuk even showed his happiness by taking a picture with Stanley on his phone. ¡°How many minutes is the entire thing?¡± ¡°ying to Uehara¡¯s piano is 20 minutes. The rest is 48.¡± Alex Zakin got lost in thought for a moment after checking the amount recorded. ¡°Then it means Stanley yed the song to go with Mr. Uehara¡¯s piano three times?¡± ¡°Yes. Which one should we use?¡± ¡°Firstbine each with the piano file that Uehara sent over. We can use the best of those... Or we can use all three. Oh right, try mixing Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano too so we canpare it.¡± Three versions of a song where only the bass is different. Shoving all of them into one album is something that jazz manias would like, but it is better to separate them for the sales of Stanley¡¯s next record release. ¡°What are you going to do with the 48 minutes?¡± ¡°Why are you asking? We need to release a record of course. This is good enough to get a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.¡± Alex Zakin¡¯s words were full of certainty. The $25,000 contract with Jun Hyuk hade back as 48 minutes worth $2.5 million. It could even be $25 million. Alex Zakin would need to receive permission from the two leading men of the record, but he was decided on releasing it. He suddenly thought of something and came out of the recording studio, leaving the two behind. ¡°When they¡¯re done, send them to my room.¡± Alex Zakin quickly went up to his room. When he saw the secretary sitting in front of his office, he spoke quickly, ¡°Call Charlie and tell him to hurry up ande to my room.¡± ¡°Charlie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Charlie Dwayne! Quickly within a minute.¡± Alex sat back in his chair, but he kept shaking his leg. He had only met Jun Hyuk twice, but this is the first time that he is meeting someone who surpasses surprise and shocks him every time they meet. He could not tell where Jun Hyuk¡¯s talents ended. He thought of the existing jazz performers who could maintain a performance with Stanley rke for 50 minutes, but could not evene up with 10. Even if there is musical inspiration, there needs to be solid ying skills to support it. It would be fitting to call him a master already because he is able to take the inspiration in his mind and express it with an instrument on the spot. Chapter 127 Volume 4 / Chapter 127 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: For those who asked about my road trip...it was one of the hardest things I¡¯ve done in my life! LOL but I get to cross it off my bucket list so....anyway, enjoy!] While his mind was busy with thoughts, the door opened. ¡°What¡¯s going on that your secretary is making a fuss? What is it?¡± Charlie Dwayne is the Senior Director of LA Sound, dealing with the real business aspect of thepany. He hade running because the secretary made such a fuss. ¡°There¡¯s a super rookie. He¡¯s an alien.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Charlie Dwayne could tell from Alex Zakin¡¯s expression that he had discovered a big fish. ¡°Quickly write up a contract and bring it to me. We need to get him before he leaves.¡± ¡°The conditions?¡± ¡°1st grade.¡± ¡°He¡¯s that good?¡± He was certain he had heard Alex say that it is a rookie, but he is asking for a 1st grade contract. In the 15 years he had worked at LA Sound, there was only one time where he made a 1st grade contract for a rookie. Though he only released one album before dying in a car crash, it umted over 20 million sales until now. ¡°I met him for the first time yesterday. Today¡¯s the second time, and we already got two albums out of him. Even 1st grade is too low. If there are better conditions, you have to put them in the contract.¡± ¡°What? Are you being serious? Or are you joking? What do you mean he made an album a day?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. If I could, I would lock him in the recording studio. Stop wasting time and write up the contract. I don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll leave.¡± Charlie Dwayne did not need to think about the type of music it was. Alex had said two albums, not two songs. If he said two albums, it indicated music that could top the charts. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get it ready right away.¡± Once Charlie Dwayne left, Alex Zakin paced his office imagining different situations. Should they create a band with Jun Hyuk in the lead? Or should they make an album with multiple bands that Jun Hyuk guest performs with? Should they try making a bunch of albums as a one-man band? However, his happy thoughts quickly ended. He remembered that Jun Hyuk is a student at CH School of Music. The path of a maestro and the path of a star. He did not yet know which path Jun Hyuk wants to take. Whatever path, he was sure that there would be the day when Jun Hyuk earns the title of a Grammy Award winner. Currently, the person with the most Grammys is not Michael Jackson or Madonna. It is 31 awards for Sir Georg Solti who is called the maestro of the century. Following behind him is renowned producer Quincy Jones with 27 awards. When his secretary delivered an envelope with the contract, Jun Hyuk entered Alex¡¯s office with the sound engineer. ¡°Where is Stanley?¡± ¡°He¡¯s with his manager.¡± ¡°Okay. You did well today.¡± When the sound engineer left, Alex spoke while watching Jun Hyuk¡¯s bright expression, ¡°Jun, what did you think about performing with Stanley? Killer, huh?¡± ¡°He he. Yes. It was the best. I don¡¯t know how he brings out that kind of rhythm.....¡± Jun Hyuk gave a thumbs up. ¡°We even exchanged phone numbers. He said that he would make sure to call me if hees to New York.¡± ¡°Great, since his life consists of touring all year. You guys will get to meet again soon.¡± For a moment, Alex Zakin imagined Jun Hyuk standing on stage with Stanley rke. The citizens of New York would be surprised. ¡°Jun, I enjoyed that incredible moment today... Will you do me a favor?¡± Jun Hyuk hesitated because he was not sure what Alex would say, but Alex did not care. It is not an excessive favor. ¡°Hurry up and select an representative. I¡¯d like to make an album with today¡¯s performance as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°As I said, I don¡¯t want to and can¡¯t talk money with you. I¡¯m too impatient of a person to keep today¡¯s performance under wraps.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°And... when you meet a good business partner, show this to them.¡± Alex handed over a man envelope embellished with arge LA Sound logo. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A contract.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Didn¡¯t you say you would make the contractter?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯re going to take care of the CD you gave me yesterday and today¡¯s performance separately. This contract is just a general contract. It¡¯s about how many albums you¡¯ll release with LA Sound going forward. It¡¯s mostly nk. You can fill it in with whatever you want. Your representative will know the details.¡± Jun Hyuk just touched the envelope because he did not know what it meant. ¡°Just keep one thing in mind for me. The conditions of this contract are only offered to superstars who have an umted record sales exceeding 30 million copies.¡± ¡°30 million copies?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m positive that you¡¯re going to exceed that.¡± A contract with great conditions and recognition of his talent. Jun Hyuk packed the envelope. ¡°I understand. Whoever my partner is, I¡¯ll be sure to tell them.¡± ¡°Good. Then you¡¯re done with work here? What are you going to do?¡± Once Alex Zakin saw Jun Hyuk pack the contract, he rxed. ¡°Ah, I have to go to Japan.¡± ¡°Japan?¡± ¡°Yes. I have some personal ns. But.....¡± ¡°Go ahead. Tell me.¡± Jun Hyuk hesitated because he could be getting involved unnecessarily. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to Coline?¡± ¡°Well, Coline is now under Ili¡¯s jurisdiction. Why? Are you worried about him because he¡¯s your friend?¡± ¡°A little. I agreed to do the producing... but I feel a bit bad.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Coline has plenty of potential. What¡¯s left is how strong their will is. If they give up because it¡¯s hard, it¡¯s over. If they grit their teeth and make the effort, they¡¯ll seed.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jun Hyuk got up from his seat and bowed with all sincerity to Alex Zakin. ¡°Thank you, Alex. I had an unforgettable experience thanks you to.¡± ¡°Stop that. That¡¯s what I should be saying to you. The performance you two put on was the best gift for me as a fan of jazz, not as a producer.¡± Alex Zakin hugged Jun Hyuk who had his head bowed. *** As soon as Jun Hyuk got back to the hotel, he made a call to Korea. He told them that his work in LA ended earlier, so he would get on a ne to Japan the next day, and packed his bags. Coline and the band did note back until midnight. Ili had worked them so rigorously that they copsed on their beds and could not get up. Jun Hyuk called Coline and went down to the lounge in the hotel lobby. ¡°Jun, what¡¯s up?¡± Coline started to get nervous when he saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s serious face. ¡°Um... I wanted to tell you what Alex Zakin said today.¡± Jun Hyuk repeated Alex Zakin¡¯s evaluation of Coline verbatim, without any exaggeration. ¡°It means that we¡¯re at a point where I have to make a choice.¡± Jun Hyuk did not feel the need to say anything. Coline¡¯s expression was already speaking for him. The top producer leading the top recordbel in America said that he could seed if he put in the effort. Coline did not start with such a light heart that he would hesitate here. ¡°Thanks, Jun. I was able to get here because of you. I won¡¯t ever forget it.¡± Coline held Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand tightly for a long time. Chapter 128 Volume 4 / Chapter 128 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey guys! It seems like God¡¯s Song is finally getting some more love! I¡¯m so d ?? Enjoy today¡¯s read!] When Jun Hyuk arrived at Tokyo Haneda Airport, Yoon Kwang Hun was waiting with both arms spread wide. ¡°This kid. You have the essence of an adult now. Boys grow up faster once they be independent and live alone.¡± ¡°I was already grown up. You¡¯re exaggerating.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was seeing Jun Hyuk again after only 5 months. He was surprised by how much Jun Hyuk had changed, but did not show it. He was most pleased that Jun Hyuk had gained confidence. His worries that Jun Hyuk might be suffering alone in a far away country disappeared. He could also guess why Jun Hyuk seemed to have matured. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m saying you have the essence of an adult because you have a girl. What do you mean exaggerating.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jun Hyuk was pushing his cart when he stopped in his tracks. Yoon Kwang Hun knew exactly what he had been up to all the way from Korea! ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°If you look at the songs you write recently... Well, they¡¯re so bright. I almost cringed. When did it start?¡± Had he made it that obvious? Jun Hyuk¡¯s face was already so red it looked like it would explode. ¡°At the start of winter.¡± When Jun Hyuk responded with embarrassment, Yoon Kwang Hunughed, ¡°He he. You didn¡¯te back to Korea during the break because of that girl?¡± ¡°Oh, no that¡¯s not it. She went back to Argentina.¡± Jun Hyuk waved both hands to tell him not to misunderstand. Yoon Kwang Hun grinned from ear to ear when he said Argentina. ¡°What? Argentina? She¡¯s Latino?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is she pretty?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun teased him and Jun Hyuk was no longer embarrassed. ¡°Of course. Do you want to see a picture?¡± Jun Hyuk took out his phone and showed him a picture of Amelia. Yoon Kwang Hun saw a few pictures saved on the phone and grumbled for no reason, ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m jealous. She¡¯s really pretty!¡± ¡°He he.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Amelia. Amelia Lamarque.¡± ¡°Amelia... Even her name is pretty.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun and Jun Hyuk had tons to talk about, but they had to stop because of the person standing awkwardly next to Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°Ah, say hi. He¡¯s a supervisor at thepany that¡¯s distributing your album in Japan right now. He speaks Korean well because he works with the Korean end.¡± ¡°Ah, hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Jun Hyuk. We finally get to meet. I¡¯ve really waited a long time.¡± Jun Hyuk was not even surprised when he heard his tight schedule for the next week in the car to the hotel. It was lenientpared to a day at CH School of Music. *** Jo Hyung Joong and Baek Seung Ho were waiting at the hotel. They could not hide their surprise at Jun Hyuk¡¯s matured image either. ¡°But it looks like Teacher Yoon Jung Su isn¡¯ting?¡± ¡°This ovepped with his schedule for entertainment show appearances. Once you go after your promotions, he¡¯s going to make a round with the kids.¡± ¡°The kids?¡± ¡°Yeah. The guest singers. Hye Sung, Na Rae, Hae Jun, and Nam Seung Hee. They¡¯re all benefiting from this because of you since they were able to get a foot in to this Hallyu wave.¡± Jo Hyung Joong felt sorry. Beyond the mary issues, he could not help but feel that the star Jun Hyuk was being forced to share his rising poprity in Japan with other people. In the most extreme example, Lee Hae Jun started activities in Japan with his idol group and the song he participated in for Jun Hyuk¡¯s album is most popr among Japanese fans. When Yoon Kwang Hun told everyone about Amelia as they ate dinner at the hotel restaurant, Baek Seung Ho was most delighted. ¡°This kid. What were you talking about when you were busy dating instead of studying? You said you had a lot of work to get done?¡± Baek Seung Ho and Jo Hyung Joong looked at the picture of Amelia on Jun Hyuk¡¯s phone and admired her beauty. ¡°I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m really studying. And this girl is an incredible pianist too. She¡¯s known as the 2nd Martha Argerich in Argentina.¡± ¡°Hey! Tell me honestly. Did you fall for her because of her piano? Or because she¡¯s pretty?¡± ¡°Well... it was both.¡± ¡°Since Jun Hyuk is handsome too, don¡¯t you think this girl Amelia might be dating him because of his looks? Ha ha.¡± Jo Hyung Joong spoke while looking at a photo of the two of them together, but Jun Hyuk shook his head. ¡°Oy, Teacher. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying. In America, I¡¯m just a tall and skinny Asian kid. Western girls like manly Asians.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s just say the two of you fell for each other because of your music.¡± Jun Hyuk started happily telling them about what happened over a semester at school and in LA. When he said that Phdelphia Philharmonic¡¯s maestro, Bruno Kazel, recognized his talent and that he yed improv with Stanley rke, Yoon Kwang Hun and Jo Hyung Joong looked like they were going to pass out. ¡°Phdelphia¡¯s maestro said that you¡¯re the future conductor of the New York Philharmonic?¡± ¡°The real Stanley rke? The Stanley rke that we know?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t believe it, can you? Ha ha. I still feel like it¡¯s a dream. Look at this. We even took a picture together.¡± When Jun Hyuk showed them his pictures with the two greats on his phone, Yoon Kwang Hun and Jo Hyung Joong showed more excitement than when they saw Amelia¡¯s picture. Only Baek Seung Ho did not know what they were talking about and just blinked. ¡°Who is that old ck man that you¡¯re making such a fuss?¡± ¡°Ignorant bastard. All you have to know is that he¡¯s incredible.¡± While Yoon Kwang Hun made fun of Baek Seung Ho, Jun Hyuk handed over the contract that Alex Zakin had given him. ¡°Please take a look at this for me. It¡¯s the contract LA Sound gave me.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun read through the contract slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t think this has anything to do with what you recorded. It¡¯s about the albums you¡¯ll be recording from now on.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. He said that we need to make a different contract for that... He said this is a general contract. I read it too and I don¡¯t think it looks bad.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun does not know the basics of the entertainment industry, so he exined the contents simply to Jo Hyung Joong. ¡°So LA Sound wants to contract a certain number of records. They¡¯ll pay an advance royalty of $1 million for each record. Of course it doesn¡¯t mean that if he agrees to do 10 albums that he¡¯ll get the entire amount at once, but he¡¯ll get the advance royalties each time hepletes an album for the next album.¡± ¡°So whatever amount he chooses for the albums he¡¯ll release with them, they¡¯re going to give him advance royalties of $1 million for the first album.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh right. He told me to tell you that even in America, these kinds of conditions are only applicable to the top stars.¡± Jun Hyuk did not forget thest thing that Alex Zakin said. ¡°That¡¯s right. You need to be a star with the ticket power to sell out for a world tour at one time to get $1 million.¡± Jo Hyung Joong had already been expecting to some extent when he heard that Jun Hyuk had performed with Stanley rke. But once he knew what was included in the contract, he realized that Jun Hyuk was holding the card to be a superstar at any time. ¡°And the online profit share is also really generous... It seems LA Sound doesn¡¯t want to lose you.¡± Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s concern just now that Jun Hyuk had missed out on an opportunity in Japan becameughable. ¡°Well... It seems we made hime to Japan for nothing.¡± Jo Hyung Joong poured a drink for Yoon Kwang Hun and spoke. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think promoting Jun Hyuk¡¯s debut album here is the issue. The second Jun Hyuk signs on with LA Sound, he is basically reserving a spot as a world star.¡± Everyone became speechless. This is an opportunity that is hard toe by in a lifetime for the average person, but it came to Jun Hyuk in a matter of a semester. The Maestro¡¯s recognition. And an unconventional proposal from a worldwide recordbel. Chapter 129 Volume 4 / Chapter 129 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey guys! I¡¯ll be in vegas this weekend so I am preuploading weekend chapters. Enjoy binging!] He now needs to decide what he will do with this opportunity, but no one could speak easily because everyone had their own thoughts on the matter. Jun Hyuk examined the three men¡¯s expressions and broke the heavy silence, ¡°Can I say something?¡± ¡°Sure since it¡¯s your issue. Say it.¡± Jun Hyuk took the contract from the table and ripped it. ¡°This way, there¡¯s nothing to think about.¡± Everyone looked shocked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s unexpected behavior. The contract ripped to pieces looked to them like a check for $1 million and it looked like the mark of a world star. It had be a piece of paper that clearly showed Jun Hyuk¡¯s position on the issue. Yoon Kwang Hun came out of shock first and spoke as heughed, ¡°Yeah. I guess that makes it simple. Alright... Our food is getting cold. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun knew that he did not have to worry about Jun Hyuk anymore. He is still a bit immature, but he has plenty of volition in deciding his own future. ¡°Wait. There¡¯s still something we need to take care of. The music you yed with that old ck man. And the 10 songs that Jun Hyuk said he made. What are you going to do about that?¡± Baek Seung Ho brought up the issues that had not yet been resolved yet. ¡°It means that you need an agent or representative... And you never know. In my opinion, I think things like this are going to keep happening. Whether Jun Hyuk wants it or not. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± This was again not something that Jun Hyuk had nned. He had just started by trying to help a friend, but it had be a bigger issue. ¡°And if you look at Jun Hyuk, he pretends to be cool but he¡¯s actually really weak when ites to friends. He can¡¯t reject when someone he¡¯s a little close toes with a favor.¡± Jun Hyuk felt guilty while eating and started coughing, and Yoon Kwang Hun took Jun Hyuk¡¯s side, ¡°Hey! Everyone¡¯s like that. We¡¯re all just taking care of each other and helping each other.¡± ¡°Who said it¡¯s a bad thing? I¡¯m saying you need to take action in advance so Jun Hyuk doesn¡¯t have to worry about stuff like this.¡± ¡°Truthfully, there are a lot of great agencies on this side of the industry as well. Companies like Boras Corporation of American major league Scott Boras.¡± Jo Hyung Joong quietly jumped in while Yoon Kwang Hun and Baek Seung Ho were arguing. ¡°If a famous producer like LA Sound¡¯s Alex Zakin says one word about Jun Hyuk to the industry people, everyone¡¯s going toe to Jun Hyuk with a contract. But.....¡± Jo Hyung Joong took a slight look at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s face. He wanted to see if they were thinking the same thing. ¡°That kind ofpany won¡¯t be satisfied with letting Jun Hyuk do what he wants like a hobby. They¡¯ll somehow get him to dedicate all of his time to releasing albums or touring.¡± ¡°Are you saying that they¡¯ll put forth unreasonable conditions?¡± Baek Seung Ho frowned. ¡°No. Since those people are smart professionals, they¡¯ll know that callous tactics like that won¡¯t work. They¡¯ll probably bait Jun Hyuk with something he likes.¡± ¡°Bait?¡± Jo Hyung Joong thew what he thought was bait at Jun Hyuk, ¡°Jun Hyuk. What would you do if I said that you could release an album with musicians like John Mayer, Adele, Metallica, U2, and Stevie Wonder?¡± ¡°Huh? That...¡± Even Jo Hyung Joong was surprised by how easily Jun Hyuk took the bait. ¡°See? They¡¯ll throw this kind of bait. Like Stanley rke. Then he¡¯ll have to quit CH School of Music.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that we need someone like Jerry Maguire?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Movie Jerry Maguire starring Tom Cruise. Protagonist Jerry Maguire bes angry that stars at arge agency are only seen to be worth money. He is fired from thepany and it is a story about how he forms bonds with the only client who will stay with him, a ser yer, and bes sessful. The agent Jun Hyuk needs is this kind of person. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a person like Jerry Maguire out there?¡± ¡°Not an agent, but there is awyer. You know Baek Jung Hun, the actor, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°When he appeared in a Hollywood film, he had a Koreanwyer who took care of him like he was his manager. He apparently took care of Baek Jung Hun like family during the filming. He brought homemade kimchi for him and even had ck goat airlifted for him to take care of his health. I heard that he¡¯s good very good at his job as well of course.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun realized the attraction of thewyer Jo Hyung Joong spoke of, ¡°So you¡¯re saying he did it case by case instead of having an exclusive contract with an agent.....¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Baek Seung Hun only selected him as his representative for that movie. He does live in New York as well... Should I try contacting him?¡± ¡°If you¡¯d go to those lengths for us, we¡¯d be grateful.¡± ¡°Of course. Jun Hyuk is special to me as well. Ha ha.¡± *** When Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun returned to their room, they sat together leaning against the twin beds. ¡°Sir. How is the cafe doing?¡± ¡°I can breathe a bit these days. It was like death until the fall.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun shook his head, not even wanting to think about it. ¡°Oh, I guess business is doing well now.¡± ¡°No. The opposite.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Until the fall, there were a lot of people who came because they¡¯re your fans, but they don¡¯te anymore. It¡¯s much morefortable now that I only have to deal with the regrs whoe to really enjoy music at a music cafe. You¡¯ve already been forgotten in Korea. He he.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s joke. He only needs for the people who are important to him to remember him. Yono Kwang Hun saw Jun Hyuk smile and said what he had not been able to at dinner, ¡°That¡¯s that but why did you tear the contract? It could be a good opportunity.¡± ¡°Because of what Teacher Jo Hyung Joong said. If I really did get the opportunity to coborate with stars like that, I had a feeling that I would quit school.¡± Jun Hyuk spoke with indifference as though he did not regret it in the least. ¡°I guess you like school? No. It¡¯s because of Amelia, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s still a lot I need to do at school.¡± ¡°You have a lot to do?¡± ¡®Yes. I came to realize a lot of things while writing a piano concerto for Amelia.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°About what my piano is.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun put down the can of beer that he was about to drink. Jun Hyuk was talking about his piano, something he had never revealed or been the first to bring up. Yoon Kwang Hun knew what this meant. Chapter 130 Volume 4 / Chapter 130 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Saturday doseing to ya early!] ¡°I emphasized pianissimo to reduce Amelia¡¯s strength... but once I explode, I don¡¯t know what moderation is.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re able to direct pianissimo and fortissimo however you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s not mine. You know that¡¯s just the reproduction of other pianists.¡± ¡°So? Do you now want to properly express your bloody rage?¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Yoon Kwang Hun with surprise. How could it be that there is nothing he does not know? Jun Hyuk¡¯s face suddenly told red. ¡°You knew?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve heard it just once before.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun recalled Jun Hyuk¡¯s moonlight sonata. His face became calm again. ¡°I see. Well... I¡¯m sure you know what I¡¯m going to say since you¡¯ve heard it.¡± He has matured quite a lot. He is able to speak calmly about the anger inside him that he had so concealed. Yoon Kwang Hun had the thought that sending Jun Hyuk to study abroad was one of the best things he had done. ¡°I¡¯ll have to refine my own color during the new semester. I¡¯m thinking of creating a unique color for myself.¡± Famous pianists need to have their unique color. Yoon Kwang Hun could figure out Jun Hyuk¡¯s real reason for ripping up the contract with LA Sound. What Jun Hyuk is seeking is music, not sess. He thought he was going to cry again when he thought of how well Jun Hyuk is growing up. Yoon Kwang Hun quickly spoke to avoid an awkward situation, ¡°Have you met a good professor for lessons?¡± ¡°Everyone at the conservatory is a teacher. When I see their intense efforts, it makes me want to keep doing something.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun recalled something he had been forgetting because of the mention of professors. ¡°Oh right. Do you remember Professor Jeon Hye Jin?¡± ¡°Yes. The chatty old woman.¡± ¡°What? He he. Yeah she is a bit talkative. Anyway, give that professor a gift.¡± ¡°Why? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Every time Professor Jeon Hye Jin has a concert, you know your piano song? Thest track in your album, Close.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°She always performs that song. It¡¯s fixed in her encore repertoire. And she¡¯s been on TV before where she yed that song and praised you a ton. A lot of your albums were sold thanks to her.¡± He could imagine how that talkative and nosy, kind woman acted. ¡°Ah... I see. What do I send her? Should I get her an expensive bag that old women like?¡± ¡°Hey. You think she doesn¡¯t have expensive bags? Not stuff like that, but something she would really appreciate.¡± ¡°What is that? Just tell me. Don¡¯t you know what old women like since you¡¯re an old man?¡± ¡°This brat! It¡¯s not an issue of old women and old men. Make a piano song for her. You¡¯ve gotten a lot from her until now.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk thought of a song that would be perfect for that talkative woman, he startedughing already. He thought of aic ent that would not be appropriate for her powerful and incredible piano skills. Just then, a music video flowed from the TV they had left on without much thought. Both men who were half lying on the bed bolted into a seated position. Two types of music that did not go well together at all mixed to stimte their eyes and ears. There is an odd feeling to the unbnce between the music and video. Yoon Kwang Hun was lost in the screen while Jun Hyuk in the music. When the 5-minute video ended, they looked at each other. ¡°What... What on earth is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. It¡¯s really irksome.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that on the verge of child abuse? Goodness.¡± Their jaws were dropped at the shocking Japanese music. ¡°We saw on TV yesterday. There¡¯s something that a metal band and girl group were mixed to make.....¡± ¡°Oh, that band is pretty popr these days. They¡¯re so popr that they have their own concert. It¡¯ll probably be Baby-Girl Metal.¡± The Japanese supervisor coordinating their work now had an interesting expression regarding Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s question. ¡°The girls are so young.¡± ¡°Two are elementary school students or something and the main vocal is a high school student? Well... it¡¯s prettymon to see idols in elementary school here.¡± It has been said that the age of Korean and Japanese idols has been getting younger because of the increasing number of kidults. ¡°But why is the band in charge of the apaniment wearing masks?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re embarrassed.¡± The Japanese supervisor¡¯s expression changed from that of regret to the affirmative. ¡°They¡¯ve covered their faces because they¡¯re embarrassed that they¡¯re just performing behind a girl group. They perform without their masks as well, but who they really are is shrouded in mystery.¡± The reality is that it is bing more difficult to be a rock band in Asia. ¡°The main vocal of the girl group is pretty good.¡± ¡°Yes. But if you just configure a group with a main vocal, it¡¯s only a female vocalist metal band. And the music needs to change a lot.¡± Jun Hyuk wondered who it was who was able to make this music by a band of a bizarrebination as it was not bad. ¡°It¡¯s just a hit created through the nning of a recordbel. Since it¡¯s abination of a metal band and cute girls, it isn¡¯t awkward no matter what kind of music they touch and it¡¯s a given that they¡¯ll have a fan base.¡± Jun Hyuk remembered that Alex Zakin said ¡®music that sells¡¯. A recordbel has the very important role of ¡®nning¡¯ in order to create music that sells. ¡°It means that the Japanese market for music is that hard. Since they can¡¯t break into the international market through like Korea with its Hallyu movement, they need toe up with all sorts of ideas.¡± Japanese recordbels are most envious of Hallyu. Japanese popr music has not been able to the international realm since the 80s. There was no need to look overseas when domestic demand isrge and robust. ¡°If Mr. Jang were to have activities in Japan, he will really be a superstar. He is able to work with a variety of genres and has outstanding looks. He would have fans of each genre and even old women who love Hallyu... Honestly, it¡¯s just a pity for us. Ha ha.¡± At the end of the supervisor¡¯s expression of regret regarding Jun Hyuk, they began discussing Jun Hyuk¡¯s promotion schedule. There is no way to express how tiring the interviews with the three magazines were. They focused on Jun Hyuk¡¯s unfortunate past rather than on his music. However, the following joint interview with five power bloggers was so fun that his mood lightened. They had the temperament of nerds no matter who looked at them and they relentlessly asked Jun Hyuk about each song in the album. When they even had a sharp question analyzing the variations with the ssical chord hidden in the music, it was suspicious whether these people were just bloggers or music critics. When all of the interviews wereplete, he had to go to a photo shoot for an album package that would be sold as limited edition for promotional reasons. This shoot with meticulous Japanese people was harder than the time he worked with XOR. It was dawn when they finished the shoot. His promotions ended sign meetings in Tokyo and Osaka. The fun aspect was that most of the people who waited on the long line to get Jun Hyuk¡¯s signature were men. Yoon Kwang Hun rejected the Japanesepany¡¯s request to extend Jun Hyuk¡¯s promotion period and basically chased Jun Hyuk back to America. He did not want to waste Jun Hyuk¡¯s precious time in Japan when he had such a clear goal ahead of him. Chapter 131 Volume 4 / Chapter 131 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Your final weekend dose :P] When Jun Hyuk came back to the dorms, he started daily life again. He wrote out notes while reading a book in the library. The only change was that he spent more time in front of a piano. After about a week since he got back from Japan, he got a call from the front desk saying that he has a guest. He thought about who woulde looking for him and rushed to the cafeteria on the 1st floor. There was an Asian woman in her 30s sitting alone in a cafeteria empty because of the break. ¡°Jang Jun Hyuk?¡± Natural Korean. Jun Hyuk could guess who it is. ¡°Yes. Are you by chance awyer?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right. My name is Lim So Mi.¡± Jun Hyuk shook the hand she held out. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the person Teacher Jo Hyung Joong spoke about.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Her business card said Katherine Lim. ¡°You didn¡¯t have my cellphone number? You could have just called me.¡± ¡°I just wanted toe. I would get to see the famous yton as well. I also heard that you were always studying at school. I wanted to check.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Are you watching me?¡± ¡°Not watching, but checking.¡± He had expected her to be warm from what he heard in Japan, but she has a dry tone. ¡°Can I smoke here?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a non-smoking area. There¡¯s a separate room for smoking, but do you want to go there?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s just go out. I saw a nice cafe out front. Smoking rooms are ufortable for no reason. It¡¯s not a crime to smoke or anything.¡± As soon as they sat down in the cafe, thewyer lit a cigarette. She took a delicious puff and her cold expression seemed to rx a bit. ¡°I¡¯ll formally introduce myself. I¡¯m a second generation immigrant and I¡¯m 36 years old. I¡¯m divorced with one daughter. It¡¯s not Harvardw, but I graduated from Columbiaw which is also pretty well known. I¡¯m living in the suburbs of New Jersey and I make enough money to livefortably.¡± ¡°Excuse me... I didn¡¯t ask you.¡± Jun Hyuk was confused as to why she was suddenly revealing her personal information. ¡°Still. I know a lot about you, but you don¡¯t know anything about me. I¡¯m telling you in advance that¡¯s unfair.¡± She talks about fairness of minor things like this. Jun Hyuk started to like this coldwyer. ¡°I don¡¯t have a good impression of Korean study abroad students. I¡¯ve seen a lot of immature kids who are just rich and don¡¯t study, getting into all kinds of trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not like that.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. I looked into you. You¡¯re impressive.¡± Lim So Mi put out her cigarette and quenched her thirst with coffee. ¡°You just have to keep two things in mind if you want to work with me. Don¡¯t get into unnecessary trouble and call me. Drunk driving, drugs, girls. I don¡¯t take care of those kinds of things. And if you left something to me, trust me. Whatever the result is.¡± She seemed to resemble Baek Seung Ho. Is it her confidence? ¡°I was told that I can talk to Lawyer Baek Seung Ho in Korea about anything rted to money. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I can talk to him about contract results?¡± ¡°Yes.There¡¯s no reason to tell me as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She did not want to have to report everything to a young kid. ¡°Then I have something to tell you too.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything other than write songs for the time being.¡± ¡°I guess that means you want me to look over the contract articles carefully?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Lim So Mi smiled slightly and took out a document from her bag. ¡°Very well. This is a contract saying that you¡¯re electing me as your agent. You can sign here. Also, you can be assured with this since Lawyer Baek already looked over this contract.¡± When Jun Hyuk signed the contract, she put it back in her bag. ¡°So the first thing I have to do is to go to LA?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay. Leave it to me. Then shall we get up now?¡± When Jun Hyuk stood up, Lim So Mi gave him a paper bag that was sitting next to her. ¡°And take this.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I heard you like tonkatsu. I made some. There¡¯s sauce inside as well, so get some instant rice from the Korean supermarket and eat it together. Just microwave it. Do you have one?¡± ¡°Yes. We have one in the cafeteria.¡± ¡°Great. Then I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m back from LA.¡± As Jun Hyuk watched Lim So Mi while she stood the cor of her coat and left, he thought that she was simr in some ways to Yoon Kwang Hun. Her cool tone, and even in her pretending to be indifferent. She seemed to be someone with a warm heart. *** Two days after he signed the contract with Lim So Mi, Jun Hyuk received a call from her. ¡°Is this Jun Hyuk? I¡¯m Lawyer Lim.¡± ¡°Yes. Hello.¡± ¡°The contract with LA Sound isplete.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± ¡°But you turned out to be a much more impressive person than I had thought.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You made argebel like LA Sound hang on and ask for favors.¡± Lim So Mi¡¯s voice sounded a little pleased. ¡°Oh, the record contract?¡± ¡°Yeah. They made a fuss asking to make just three more.¡± ¡°So what did you do?¡± ¡°What else would I do? I made it clear that there wouldn¡¯t be anymore. I got to act a bit pompous thanks to you.¡± ¡°Yes .Thank you.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you in New York.¡± Jun Hyuk hung up the phone and ate thest piece of tonkatsu. ¡®Whew ¨C I barely ate all of that. This woman¡¯s cooking is the worst.¡¯ *** As the weather warmed, the students who went to their hometowns starteding back one by one. Jun Hyuk¡¯s roommate, Danny, opened the door to the dorm and came in and showed how happy he was to see Jun Hyuk with an exaggerated voice. ¡°Jun! My maestro! I¡¯m back. Did you miss me? Ha ha.¡± Danny pulled out his violin before he even put his luggage away. ¡°Listen to this. This is the fruit of my efforts during the break.¡± While Danny yed the violin, Jun Hyuk thought about how he would tell him the news. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t it pretty good?¡± ¡°Danny. Sit down for a second. I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it? Why are you so serious? Was it bad?¡± ¡°No. It was really great. It¡¯ll be perfect if you¡¯re just careful with three parts.¡± ¡°What? There are three?¡± Danny thought back to his performance to figure out what three parts Jun Hyuk was referring to, but Jun Hyuk¡¯s words made his mind go nk. ¡°Danny, we have to dissolve our quintet now. You need to make a different team. I think it¡¯ll be better for you to y in a string quartet from now on.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Danny kept thinking about the word dissolve, and could not hear anything else. ¡°First, Coline can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Coline?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s better to hear the details from Coline himself. And.....¡± ¡°And what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to fall out too. I¡¯m going to focus on the piano from now on.¡± Maintaining a quintet when two people out of five dropped out is impossible. Jun Hyuk saying that he was going to focus on the piano rang like thunder in Danny¡¯s ears. ¡°Jun. Are you preparing for thepetition? Since there are 4 years left until the Chopin Competition, the Long Thibaud next year? No. The Chaikovsky Competition this June?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not interested inpetitions. I just want to think about piano a little more.¡± Jun Hyuk needed to tell Danny who was lost in shock, one more thing. ¡°Lastly... I¡¯m leaving the dorms.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving the dorms? You... Are you living with Amelia?¡± The shock on Danny¡¯s face was iparable to what he had shown until now. ¡°Yeah. Amelia and I decided to do that. We already have a condo leased.¡± Thest thing shocked Danny the most. He could not speak for a long time. The first thing Danny said to break the silence was so unexpected that even Jun Hyuk was surprised. ¡°Can I go visit?¡± ¡°What?¡± It is a quintet that cannot be maintained because of Coline, not just Jun Hyuk. And Danny had wanted Jun Hyuk to choose to focus on the piano. Moving out of the dorms is a choice that anyone would make if their rtionship with a girlfriend gets deeper. It is not something to be opposed to just because he is upset about it. Danny knew well that if he had a girlfriend, he would look into houses to live in together right away. A friend should congratte and be happy for him. ¡°Of course. Come over whenever you want. Ha ha.¡± Danny came back to his cheerful state and started talking to Jun Hyuk, ¡°But you need to take some lessons from me.¡± ¡°Lessons? What lessons?¡± ¡°The things you can¡¯t ever do and what you have to be careful with while living with your girlfriend. Things that naive guys like you would never know. Listen carefully.¡± Danny¡¯s long lecture began. ¡°First is the toilet lid.....¡± Chapter 132 Volume 4 / Chapter 132 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Guys....I¡¯m so tired from Vegas but it was so fun. Take me back TT ¨C TT] With three days before school started again, Amelia came back to school. She opened the door to Jun Hyuk¡¯s room and ran to him. She did not pay mind to Danny who was also in the room and kissed Jun Hyuk for a long time before looking at Danny. ¡°Hi Danny. Long time no see.¡± ¡°Hi Amelia. How was your tour?¡± There was no doubt that she had greeted him indifferently. Amelia did not even answer Danny, and turned her head to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun. Did the albume out? The improv performance with Stanley rke?¡± ¡°Not yet. I heard it¡¯ll be out around April or May.¡± ¡°Stanley rke? Improv performance? Album? Jun, what¡¯s this about now?¡± When Danny heard about what had happened with LA Sound, he showed happiness as if it were his own problem. ¡°Jun. A performance album with Stanley rke is a steady seller no matter what. His fan base is really big. You said you rented the condo? Just buy one! Is this the birth of a couple that can sell a million albums? Ha ha.¡± When Amelia heard about renting an apartment, she snapped her fingers remembering something, ¡°Jun. You already leased it? I forgot about it.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s close to the school. Riverside Condo. Do you know what it is?¡± Amelia shook her head, but Danny knew that Riverside Condo is the most expensive in New Jersey. ¡°What? Riverside? Isn¡¯t that ce really expensive? The cheapest rent for a one bedroom should be over $6,000.¡± Danny said it and thought it was funny. This couple is already professional performers. Jun Hyuk who can make an album with Stanley rke and Amelia who is such a famous pianist that she cannot rest during her break and needs to tour. Students like he would need to worry about rent, but it is not an issue at all to these two. ¡°Jun, let¡¯s hurry up and go. I want to see it.¡± Jun Hyuk stood up when Amelia pulled his hand, and Danny pulled on a coat as well. ¡°Danny. Where are you going?¡± Amelia looked up at him. ¡°I was going to go with you to see...... Ah, no. I¡¯m going to get a coffee at the cafeteria.¡± When he saw Amelia¡¯s scary expression, Danny hastily went to the cafeteria. It is an easy walking distance between Riverside Condo and the school. ¡°What do you think? Do you like it?¡± There was onerge bedroom and two small rooms, and the spacious kitchen was great as well. However, it was the living room that caught Amelia¡¯s eye. There were two Steinway grand pianos in the wide living room. ¡°This is too luxe. But that piano is exactly my taste.¡± After Amelia looked at each corner of the apartment, she took Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand and went outside. ¡°Jun. Let¡¯s hurry up and go to the department store. There¡¯s something more important than the piano that we need to buy.¡± ¡°Than the piano? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A bed.¡± *** Professor Randall Poster had never waited for the start of a semester like this one. He had seen Jun Hyuk amongst the applicants for his course. He had trained a lot of pianists until now, but this is the first time he is meeting a nearlyplete pianist. As soon as he saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s name on the list of applicants, he had requested an interview. ¡°Jun, you applied for a piano ss this semester... Can you tell me why?¡± ¡°Ah, there isn¡¯t a special reason. I wanted to do it before, but I just pushed it back because I needed to get adjustedst semester.¡± ¡°By chance is there apetition that you¡¯re aiming for?¡± ¡°Competition? No. I don¡¯t have any thoughts of going out onpetitions.¡± ¡°Why not? With your talent, you could be looking at 1st ce if you prepare well.¡± ¡°I think thatpetitions are for people who aim to be pianists. I still haven¡¯t dreamt of bing a pianist yet.¡± The greatest pianist festival is the Chopin Competition in 4 years. Professor Poster saw Jang Jun Hyuk¡¯s state in 4 years as that of a top ss pianist who would not even need to go out topete. He could see hesitation in Jun Hyuk¡¯s face. ¡°Is there... something else you want to tell me?¡± Jun Hyuk found courage in Professor Poster¡¯s gentle voice. ¡°Professor. May I ask your thoughts on my piano?¡± ¡°Your piano? Why ask? You show the best performances.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Um... Are you being like this because of your simrity to other pianists¡¯ performances?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly it. I was wondering if it isn¡¯t just a simple copy.¡± Professor Poster looked at Jun Hyuk in disbelief, ¡°Copy? Achieving a copy to that extent is no longer copying. You¡¯ve made it your own. How many pianists do you think there are who are able to make the music of great pianists of the past their own?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s concern is unthinkable. Professor Poster wanted to say what Jun Hyuk needs to hear most. ¡°Jun. Do you know what Igor Stravinsky said?¡± When Jun Hyuk shook his head, Professor Poster said, ¡°Lesser artists borrow, great artists steal. You¡¯re so perfect that it doesn¡¯t even feel like you stole it.¡± ¡°Then does that mean you¡¯re satisfied?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you? ¡®If you prepare well.¡¯ That preparation is referring to creating your color. It¡¯s not even hard for someone like you.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s how it works out in the end.¡± ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°The thing is.....¡± When he saw Jun Hyuk hesitate, he thought of the problems that a few pianists had faced. There are pianists who were able to resolve those problems, and there are those who could not get past it and were left behind. ¡°Hm... By chance when you perform something that¡¯s entirely your own, do you break rules?¡± ¡°Excuse me? What do you mean by rules?¡± ¡°A performance that goes beyond the score. Not an issue with song interpretation, but is it that you want to y something outside of the score?¡± ¡°No. If I want to stray from the score, all I would have to do is write a new song.¡± ¡°Right? That¡¯s entirely possible for someone like you.¡± It is a problem that people who feel that something iscking in the original song experience. Those people however, do not have the ability to make a new song that makes up for the shorings. Jun Hyuk is not a pianist who would struggle with this kind of dilemma. Professor Poster needed to bring up something so difficult that his mouth went dry. ¡°By chance... is your piano ufortable? Do you feel naked?¡± ¡°Honestly, yes.¡± ¡°I see. You don¡¯t want to show it to others.....¡± What is it like that he does not want to reveal it? Professor Poster did not speak for a while. He needs to give advice that Jun Hyuk would be able to understand. Something that falls short might even do harm. After thinking for a while, he spoke carefully, ¡°Jun, do you want to hear a story?¡± ¡°Yes, tell me.¡± ¡°There was a man. All he had wereplexes. Rough looks, dark skin, the son of a poor family. He thought that he did not even have a special talent. On top of that, he spent his childhood abused by his alcoholic father.¡± Jun Hyuk could guess who the boy Professor Poster was telling him about. ¡°When he became an adult, his personality was a mess. He was cocky and so cheap that he recorded his ount book everyday. He was prone to firing his housekeeper just because he ate a little too much. Like this, he was never able to date properly. He went around lying, spreading rumors that he had dated someone and that they broke up. Women hated him.¡± If Professor Poster¡¯s story was true, men would hate him as well. ¡°Do you know who this person is?¡± ¡°Beethoven.¡± ¡°Yeah. None other than the great Beethoven.¡± Among Beethoven¡¯s songs, there are those that had explosive poprity and earned him a tremendous amount of money. But no one ys the popr songs now. Those popr songs were written for a special purpose. Music created for nobility. That music just praised them, it did not have Beethoven¡¯s greatness in them. ¡°Beethoven¡¯s masterpieces are those that capture his core. Everyone criticized his most famous Symphony No. 5 Fate when it premiered, saying that it is ufortable. It isn¡¯t music that you can listen tofortably. Because of its violence and rampancy.¡± The symphony Fate was written in 1807 and premiered in Paris, France in 1810. Young Berlioz and his teacher Le Sueur were sitting at this theater. When the concert ended, Le Sueur, a leader of French music, said ¡°music like that ought not to be written¡±. An unsophisticated song that does not have a bit of dignity. This is the evaluation of that song at the time. However, it has be the symbol of western music today. S ¡°Jun. you also need to look into yourself and love yourself. And that¡¯s what you need to express in your music.¡± Professor Poster¡¯s advice ended with him saying that there is no need to be scared. ¡°Who would like a performance that you can¡¯t pour yourself into? Even if people say they don¡¯t like your piano ying, you have to reveal it. You never know. Everyone might hate it now, but people might go crazy for it in 200 years.¡± Jun Hyuk realized that he needs to love himself in order to face his own music. Chapter 133 Volume 4 / Chapter 133 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: I hope you enjoy ?? ] That evening, Jun Hyuk ate the delicious Argentinian food tarta that Amelia made, sat her on the armchair in the living room, and sat in front of the piano. It had taken him a lot of courage to decide to show Amelia his piano. ¡°Now, listen to this piano that¡¯s truly mine. This is the first time I¡¯m ying the piano in front of someone else.¡± Amelia could not understand what Jun Hyuk was saying. His first time? There are a lot of people who have admired Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano until now, including herself. When she heard the first note of Chopin, she realized what Jun Hyuk had meant by ¡®piano that¡¯s truly mine¡¯. Jun Hyuk yed Chopin, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff one after the other. After listening to his y for over an hour, Amelia was weeping with shock and sadness. Jun Hyuk finished ying, covered the piano, and spoke to Amelia, ¡°Do you think you could like piano music like this?¡± Amelia quietly went behind Jun Hyuk and hugged him tightly. ¡°No. It¡¯s not something I can like, but it¡¯s something I can¡¯t help but love.¡± *** A new semester started, but Jun Hyuk and Amelia did not attend any of the concerts opening at school every night. After their sses, they went back to their home and spent long nights in front of the piano. They needed to soundproof the entire apartment because a neighbor could not handle it anymore and reported them. Amelia endured Jun Hyuk¡¯s sharp music and did not get overshadowed at all. Rather, she went further. If a scintiting de is before your eyes, you are unable to appreciate the beauty of the knife and be lost in fear. When a sharp de in hidden in a beautifully crafted scabbard asionally shows its sharpness, the alluring breath of the master is felt. Amelia was resolved to creating a beautiful scabbard for Jun Hyuk. A guy standing proudly in front of Jun Hyuk caught his attention. ¡°You bought this?¡± ¡°Of course. There¡¯s no reason for someone to give it to me for free.¡± A red Lexus convertible was waiting for Jun Hyuk in the condo parking lot. ¡°What do we need a car for? The school is 15 minutes away on foot.¡± ¡°There will be a lot of reasons why we need a car from now on.¡± He could figure out the hidden intentions behind Amelia¡¯s smile when the weekend came. Friday afternoon, Amelia yelled ¡®TGIF!¡¯ and put Jun Hyuk in the car. She left New York and got on the highway. Jun Hyuk sat in the passenger seat because he does not have a license, put on his seatbelt, and enjoyed the incredible speed Amelia went in. ¡°Oh, you know how to enjoy the speed when you don¡¯t even have a license.¡± ¡°Ha ha. I¡¯ve gone 250km on a Ducati. This is nothing.¡± ¡°Really? You want to bet?¡± The two people left their cellphones,ptops, sheet music, and scores at home and traveled every week with just their IDs and wallets. With time, they began missing sses on weekdays to travel instead of just on the weekends. They gradually became delinquent college students. *** ¡°I think it¡¯s time to show the both of you the results.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you realize that we did not nag for 2 months after the semester started, but we can¡¯t just stand back and watch anymore.¡± Professors Randall Poster and Lenny Greenfield gave Jun Hyuk and Amelia a warning. Most conservatories maintain a free atmosphere and focus on each students¡¯ development, but they need to keep basic rules. Especially the concerts that yton prides itself in, are an important factor in assessing students¡¯ abilities. Not only the professors, but the other students are only able to ept the situation if they show as much improvement in their performances as they missed sses. Therge theater in the school was full of students when word spread that the two students would be performing for the first time since the start of the semester. All of the professors took seats as well to listen to Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano. Professor Randall Poster was especially full of anticipation because he thought that this evening may be when he would see a new Jun Hyuk. On the stage, two grand pianos were facing each other. A coborative performance between Amelia who is already a famous pianist, and Jun who is a certified genius. As it was the first time that the two people were performing together, there was a lot of attention as to which song they would y. They walked out on the stage together, bowed to the audience, and sat in front of the piano. The audience began to murmur. They did not sit in front of a piano each, but at the same one. When 20 fingers started dancing on top of 88 keys, the murmuring of the audience grew even louder. A song they were hearing for the first time. As anyone would have guessed, it is a new song that Jun Hyuk wrote. It was a short song that did not evenst 5 minutes, but an incredible cheering exploded at the end. The first reason was that the upbeat marching style of music had brought joy to the audience, and the second was the couple¡¯s brilliant technique. The greatest reason for the apuse was their perfect teamwork, making it seem as though one person had been ying with four hands instead of two people being at the piano. When the apuse subsided, Amelia began to speak, ¡°Jun Hyuk wrote this song. There are a total of eight songs from ¡®Piano for One Hand¡¯ to ¡®Piano for 8 Hands¡¯. You¡¯ve probably already assumed this but the song we yed today was ¡®Piano for 4 Hands¡¯. We uploaded the score to the campus intr a short while ago. We hope anyone with interest will look it up.¡± As soon as Amelia was done speaking, a few pianists left the theater to find theirputers. Professor Lenny Greenfield looked annoyed. He had discovered and led Amelia. It was just a short 5 minutes, but he could see the change in her better than anyone else could. Her piano had be more free and mild. She even showed a warmth that was as if she had spread her wings wide, and anyone could rest under them. She was hiding the passion and strength that Greenfield himself had taught her in a deep ce. Everyone in the audience was cheering because it was such a high standard performance that they could feel what she had hidden even if she did not reveal it. Professor Lenny Greenfield realized with today¡¯s performance that he could no longer say that Amelia is a student that he trained. Amelia had a separate teacher. Professor Randall Poster could not hide his bitter expression either as he saw the excitement of the audience. ¡®Will it be a long time before we get to see Jun¡¯s true self?¡¯ Professor Poster wanted to see a passionate piano performance from Jun Hyuk that isparable to Amelia¡¯s. He had anticipated their explosive piano to ring throughout the theater, but they had given a performance that only showed their fantastic teamwork. ¡®Amelia is the only one who is developing infinitely, thanks to Jun.¡¯ Pianissimo that could be heard throughout a lively march like a faint bell. The average person would have found it difficult to distinguish which fingers the sounds wereing from, but it is possible for an expert like Randall Poster to make a clear distinction. He could tell who it was even with his eyes close. Professor Poster was certain that Amelia had grown to the point where she could leave the school soon. ¡®She¡¯s quite a lucky girl, that Amelia.....¡¯ Jun Hyuk had appeared when she needed someone like him. Then development through a deep rtionship. The best teacher Amelia had met is not Professor Lenny Greenfield, but Jun Hyuk. Chapter 134 Volume 4 / Chapter 134 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey guys! It¡¯s Hump day! Enjoy! ] When May, the queen of the seasons began, two incidents shook the school. It was arge box and a letter delivered to the school. When Jun Hyuk arrived at the school with Amelia, he received arge box from the front desk. It had the LA Sound logo marked on it, so many people showed interest. ¡°Jun, could this be?¡± ¡°I think it is. Did ite out already?¡± She does not have the slightest bit of patience. Amelia could have gone into the cafeteria to open the box, but she sat on the ground in front of the wee desk and opened up the package. There were 30 CDs in the box along with a letter from Alex Zakin. The CD jacket was designed with a simple sketch of a bass guitar and piano, and the title was [JUN & Stanley. The First.] The letter said that the title The First indicated their first meeting, and held Stanley rke¡¯s wishes to continue with a Second and Third. Alex Zakin also said that they nned to start recording the 10 songs that Jun Hyuk made soon. Since there was not an appropriate band, 8 people who led the renaissance of heavy metal from the second half of the 70s to the 80s would be participating. He even joked that if Jun Hyuk knew who those people were, he would be astounded. A booklet inside the package contained Stanley¡¯s interview with such praises that Jun Hyuk was too embarrassed to read through it. When students who saw the CD began to gather and realized that the stars of the album are Jun Hyuk and Stanley rke, they all started holding out their hands for the CDs, and 30 copies disappeared quickly. It is not the case with everyone, but most people who like ssical also enjoy jazz. In modern times, ssical had already started being influenced by jazz and a lot is borrowed from jazz. There was no way that these students did not know Stanley rke, a jazz great. They were shocked that Jun Hyuk had created an improv album with the master of jazz and there was not a single person in the school who did not know about it. After about a week since he received the CDs, the album was everywhere in stores. Jun Hyuk bought dozens of his album and sent them to Korea. The professors were also surprised and happy about the news of Jun Hyuk¡¯s album, but it was pushed back when a letter arrived. The cafe was full of a dissonance-like bass guitar and piano melody. Two part time workers looked upset as they cleaned. The boss had opened the cafe with this music that sounded like noise every morning. On the other hand, Yoon Kwang Hun looked at the CD jacket and drank his coffee with a pleased expression. The employees waited for the first customer to hurry up and arrive. Yoon Kwang Hun changes the music to easy to listen to ssical when customerse in. Their faces brightened when they heard the bell at the entrance. But it had to be someone that Yoon Kwang Hun knew because he got up to greet him himself. The music did not change. ¡°Wee. You didn¡¯t have toe here yourself... It would have been morefortable for me to go to Seoul.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. People like us who are always in the recording studio need toe out once in a while to get fresh air and to know that the seasons are changing.¡± The two employees watched Yoon Kwang Hun carefully as they approached them with a piece of paper. It was difficult to pretend not to notice with Yoon Jung Su, Jang Na Rae, and Jo Hyung Joong were gathered in one ce. ¡°Hey! He¡¯s in the middle of speaking...¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. There aren¡¯t very many people who ask for my signature. This kind of chance is rare. Ha ha.¡± The employees got their signature, took a few pictures, and bowed to leave. ¡°The music that¡¯sing out now is?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Stanley rke.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun handed over a few CDs that he had prepared. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe this even while I¡¯m looking at it.¡± ¡°The only proof that this is Jun Hyuk¡¯s album is the title. He should¡¯ve taken a picture of something. What a waste.¡± Jang Na Rae could not take her eyes off of the CD. Even just a year ago, they had done work together in the recording studio and gone out on broadcast together. But that Jun Hyuk had already gone to a high ce where he released an album with a worldwide great. ¡°Do we have to release this to the media? Should we tell them?¡± Yoon Jung Su held the CD and got lost in thought. He was sure it would be news if they prepared a press release and spread the word, but hesitated because the genre is jazz. Jazz manias would find out anyway, and Stanley rke is just some musician they had heard of to the average person. ¡°Mr. Yoon, what do you think?¡± ¡°Is there a reason to tell them? It could just generate unnecessary gossip. Anyway, jazz is not a mainstream genre in Korea.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I think there would be a better effect to let the Japanese side know and promote it there.¡± Yoon Jung Su had not imagined that Jun Hyuk¡¯s second album would be jazz. He had thought that it would be a piano instrumental, the blues, or even rock and roll genre. He remembered what Jo Hyung Joong had said in passing. It seemed like the time hade where as he said, the album that they produced could be Jun Hyuk¡¯sst one in Korea and that there would be a day when its value would increase beyond their imaginations. ¡°Mr. Yoon. I heard a 2nd album ising out soon?¡± ¡°Yes. Rock stars from the 70s and 80s will be ying Jun Hyuk¡¯s music. I heard that LA Sound is anticipating this song more. They expect Americans in their 40s with purchasing power to open their wallets.¡± ¡°If we know who those musicians are, don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be a popr album in our country as well? They¡¯re targeting the 70s and 80s generation.¡± Yoon Jung Su showed great interest. ¡°Should I tell him to look into it? Won¡¯t LA Sound tell Jun Hyuk if he asks?¡± ¡°Oh, will you do that for me? Truthfully, I would like to make sure to introduce this album in the Korean market. There are a lot of elderly people who think that Jun Hyuk is an idol or something. I¡¯m going to change that perception of himpletely.¡± ¡°Do you have a license agreement?¡± ¡°Not me, but there is a store that is showing interest.¡± ¡°A store?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a store called Tasteful Party.¡± ¡°Ah, Tasteful Party.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun hit his knee. A music store run by an affluent doctor. It is a specialty store that sells music that is difficult to find in the city like rare music, ssical, genres that are unpopr in Korea. It is a store that Yoon Kwang Hun also went to often. ording to rumors, it records a deficit every year but the doctor makes up for the rest of the deficit with the money he earns at the hospital to keep the store going for people who love music. ¡°If it¡¯s that store, I¡¯ll have to help in any way I can.¡± Yoon Jung Su brightened at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s good-natured reaction. He felt he had let go of a little responsibility in getting Jun Hyuk¡¯s music out to the world. Chapter 135 Volume 4 / Chapter 135 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Another crazy ce where JH can showcase his genius!!!] The Festung Hohensalzburg that is easily visible in the city of Salzburg is grand like an iron fortress. Hohen also means fortress. Archbishop Gebhard von Helfenstein began its construction in the year 1077 and with its continued extension over 700 years, it boasts an incredible scale. It is sorge that the citizens of Salzburg used it as a refuge during war. Every July and August when the Salzburg Festival opens, there is a concert here every night. And since the standard is so high, the best vocalist and conductor in the world participate. It is the world¡¯s top music festival with attendance by musicians from over 75 countries every year. It is a music festival that does not bring shame to a ce called Mozart¡¯s hometown. New York¡¯s three schools of music, Juilliard, Eastman, and yton-Hoffman received a bold proposal from themittee of the Salzburg summer music festival. They were asking if they would like to participate in a program called ¡®New York¡¯s Conservatories¡¯. It was a request for students from the three schools to create an orchestra and perform for three days. Of course the repertoire would be Mozart¡¯s works. Upon receipt of this respectful letter, a faculty meeting began with the dean at the center. ¡°Isn¡¯t the idea okay? I do not think it is bad to work with music of other schools.¡± ¡°But this is also apetition between the three schools. Which one has the most students chosen as members will also be something to worry about.¡± ¡°The organizers thoughts are to create enjoyment with this n. The same proposal went to schools in Vienna, Paris, Prague, and Berlin as well. In other words, they¡¯re thinking of making us battle it out by city.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Then what about that? Young people don¡¯t reject these kinds of battles.¡± The professors¡¯ opinions were divided, but they could understanding the organizers¡¯ ns. The gifted at educational institutions all around the world. The chance topare their skills in one ce. They are aiming to gain public attention by putting in apetition, which is not fitting in the festival. ¡°Is there no word from Juilliard and Eastman?¡± All of the professors looked toward the dean. ¡°Since they can¡¯tpletely ignore the Salzburg Festivalmittee... Anyway, I would like to hear all of your opinions first. I need to make the decision together with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m for it.¡± When Professor Hirani agreed to it without hesitation, the other professors naturally leaned toward favoring it. The dean smiled widely in satisfaction regarding the decision. ¡°Professors. By chance. Have you thought of what a good repertoire might be?¡± ¡°Is there a reason to decide it already? It won¡¯t bete to select the songs after putting the orchestra together.¡± How could they already be contemting the repertoire when they just made the decision to participate? It is not an easy feat to choose the songs out of Mozart¡¯s 600 that willplement the students¡¯ passion the most. ¡°Well... It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to say. What do you think of opera?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Opera?¡± The professors started to murmur. An opera involves production, not just music. If dance is included, it bes abination of the arts that requires the direction of a choreographer. ¡°Dean. Why an opera?¡± ¡°I would like to give the opportunity to students who are vocalists, not just the instrumental parts.¡± None of the professors believed the dean¡¯s words full of goodwill. He does not have the personality to pay attention to such details. The deanughed as he received the suspicious gazes of the professors. S ¡°He he. Well this is the formal reason.¡± After he drank the coffee sitting in front of him, he confessed his real reason, ¡°It¡¯ll be an event that the school board will like.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it was.¡± There were low shouts from everywhere. They had realized theplicated thinking behind it when they heard the words school board. ¡°It¡¯s not just me. The deans of Juilliard and Eastman would also like it if we say we¡¯ll perform an opera. They¡¯re in the same situation that I¡¯m in.¡± Then, one professor spoke baldly, ¡°Are you doing this because of the donations?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. Truthfully, this isn¡¯t a festival but apetition. Apetition between schools of Europe and New York. If our New York schoolse out superior, many more resources wille to us.¡± As soon as the dean finished speaking, a professor added a hidden purpose, ¡°It is the perfect set-up for fundraising efforts.¡± ¡°It is. The rich who have too much money are attracted to exciting things likepetitions. And isn¡¯t this an issue of pride? If we do better than the European cities, our rich people from New York won¡¯t hesitate to hand over their money. Hm hm.¡± The dean coughed awkwardly after being so explicit. ¡°As you know, a lot of the school¡¯s finances are riding on donations, so I believe that you¡¯ll understand what I¡¯m saying. And the deans of Juilliard and Eastman will also be saying what I just said at the moment.¡± The dean¡¯sst words put the nail in. ¡°So you¡¯ve already contacted them.¡± ¡°Yes. We discussed the issue together this morning. They both agreed to it.¡± Making the decision may be easy, but the process and predicting the results will not be easy. The professors began to think of the realistic problems. ¡°But there is too little time to prepare. If it is at the end of July, we don¡¯t even have 3 months and it won¡¯t be easy to perform Mozart¡¯s magnum opera. The students who participate in this will probably have to invest 24 hours of their time to this. They won¡¯t be able to do normal lessons.¡± ¡°Dean. Even if we do an opera, will ite out sessfully? This is an issue of the skill of vocalists. Even famous vocalists find Mozart¡¯s opera difficult because there is a lot of singing.....¡± The dean could understand their worries, but he knew that this was the time to push forward. He did not want to lose the opportunity to have a donation party. ¡°Aren¡¯t they in training anyway? Don¡¯t we need to lower the standard for sess? And no matter how grounded the citizens of Salzburg are, they won¡¯t have such strict standards. And an opera isn¡¯t something that is always avable.¡± The professor of conducting had greater worries than the professor of vocals did. He seemed to be fretting the most. ¡°The realistic issue is the conductor. The Salzburg Summer Festivalmittee said that the entire orchestra needs to beposed of students. Do you think there is a conducting major student in the three schools with the ability to lead an opera for two hours?¡± The professors¡¯ worries were flooding in when someone broke out inughter. ¡°Ha ha. This is... well. Dean, you are impressive.¡± The professors all looked at Professor Hirani who had startedughing. ¡°The conductor is surely a student from our school.¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± The deanughed as he met eyes with Professor Hirani. That is when the other professors thought of the same student. ¡°Ah, I see. The future conductor of the New York Philharmonic is at our school.¡± ¡°And I can affirm that no one in Europe will bring an opera as part of their repertoire.¡± The dean¡¯sst words showed hismitment that he could not lose out on the donations. Chapter 136 Volume 4 / Chapter 136 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey Guys! Here is your new installment. We¡¯re getting closer to seeing conductor Jun huh? How do you think he will be?] As soon as the notice came up on the campus intr, the school was flipped inside out. The students who were already sure to be soloists did not pay attention, but most of those who were not had a hunch that another opportunity hade. They could stand on stage for a whole 4 days at this music festival where the greats of each area participate. The vocalist students were most enthusiastic because it is an opera, a rare experience. It is also a golden opportunity to show how they conduct an orchestra in front of the best maestros. However, they need to choose between all of the students that gathered from the 3 schools. They could pick a few students for the instrumental parts, but there is only one conductor. There were also a lot of students who gave up early when they heard that they would be conducting an opera in Salzburg. The judges wereposed of professors from all three schools to ensure fairness. The stage was covered with a white cloth, so they could not know who is performing. The judges just wrote their scores on an evaluation sheet with the participants¡¯ numbers printed on them. The people with the highest scores take the 1st and 2nd instrumental parts. The students¡¯ hopes that each school would have 20 people chosen, came crashing down. Juilliard took most of the spots for an orchestra configured on skill alone, and there were only 10 performers selected from Eastman. Fortunately, the bandmaster who is the concertmaster is from Eastman, so it felt like they had saved face. However, Juilliard was notfortable either. There were not many applicants from yton and their chances to seed in the audition exceeded 50%. When the orchestra configuration ended, the audition for opera vocalists began. This is the audition that surprised the judges most. Most of the applicants showed abilities beyond their expectation.This is especially the case with a soprano who had such surprising skill that themon opinion was that she was suitable to be a primadonna. When participant number 4 started singing Bellini¡¯s opera Norma, Casta Diva, the professors could not hide their shock. A perfect bel canto vocal rang throughout the theater. Bel canto means beautiful song and it is often called ¡®the most beautiful sound that a human can express¡¯. The soprano is as light as a butterfly flying away and expresses the splendor of the treble, but there needs to be a voice like a treble while being able to handle a heavy weight with the treble. Contrary to this, the falsetto is sung with only high notes. Bel canto is considered the ideal technique for Italian operas and Mozart¡¯s opera. It was to the point where the judges thought that they were at a concert instead of judging. ¡°Participant number 4 is of an entirely different level.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that she was born with a good tone, but the stability shown in the treble is key.¡± ¡°The expressiveness is iparable with other participants.¡± As the judges¡¯ praises continued, a Juilliard professor smiled arrogantly. The other judges saw the smile and realized that the participant is from Juilliard. ¡°Good, right? She¡¯s only 19 years old.¡± If the soprano from a 19 year old is to this extent, it is normal to already be famous as a born soprano with rave reviews. However, the professors were sure that this is the first time they are hearing this rookie. ¡°With a student like this, there¡¯s no way we wouldn¡¯t know.....¡± When the professors spoke with suspicion, the professor showed a confident smile. ¡°She was admitted this year. She is not widely known because she was discovered this year.¡± ¡°By chance?¡± ¡°Yes. She had sent an audition video. It was a video where she sang all of the songs in Maria Cas¡¯ best aria album. Without resting.¡± Singing the entire album meant that she had sung aria for almost an hour without resting. It also meant that she had gone through intense practice from a young age. ¡°As soon as our professors saw the video, we all got lost in it and watched it for 50 minutes without even breathing.¡± ¡°She¡¯s very refined for a rookie. Did she go to an art high school?¡± ¡°No. She¡¯s from a normal school... We heard that her family is also average but she grew up listening to opera music because her parents are manias.¡± Not everyone can be like participant number 9 just by growing up listening to the opera instead of popr music. She was born with the voice and has the natural gift of handling bel canto just by listening to it. ¡°Do you know what the interesting thing is?¡± The Juilliard professor did not stop speaking with more to brag about. ¡°She listened to it so much that she memorized all of the Italian and German lyrics without learning it. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Then that means she copied the techniques and embedded them in herself... Well, I¡¯m speechless.¡± ¡°And there is another asset.¡± ¡°Another?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s skinny. Ha ha.¡± Arger woman is more advantageous in creating a rich sound. The body itself bes an instrument because the vessel for the sound to ring isrge. When a female soprano goes on stage to sing a song or opera aria, arge body does not pose a problem. However, it is different in an opera. There is the role to deliver a story in an opera. The person who takes that role must have looks to fit it in order to capture the audience. The heroine of Mozart¡¯s opera Figaro Wedding is a woman awaiting her wedding. If this bride is builtrge and fat, it bes an element that disturbs the audience¡¯s empathy. Regardless of the East and the West, female singers were not highly recognized in the past. No matter how good they were, looks could not matter because there were not very many females dreaming of bing singers. They could be primadonnas on singing alone. However, singers are now the subject of envy and primadonnas are especially top tier in the profession. This is where peoplee gathering first when they have even a little talent, so being thin is also a measure. ¡°Salzburg Festival may be that child¡¯s grand debut stage. We¡¯re anticipating her to be this generation¡¯s Laura Goldberg. Ha ha.¡± *** With thest thing of pride, the conductor selection left, the conductor professors encouraged the students with intense gazes. A person who can conduct in their 20s is only a person called a prodigy in their youth and bes a genius as an adult. Is the person not a maestro? It is just a 3-day performance, but it is a precious experience that does note often to students dreaming of bing conductors. Professor Hirani needed to make Jun Hyuk take the baton even if he needed to force him. He had expected Jun Hyuk to be interested because it is a magnum opera, but he did not show much interest in anything beyond sses and appearing at the asional concert. It is important to be certain with these kinds of affairs. Professor Hirani did not forget to go to Amelia without anyone knowing to warn her. ¡°Amelia. I¡¯m doing this because the school¡¯s pride is riding on this. Jun is too divided. We need to let the world know with this opportunity. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying we should debut Jun at the Salzburg Summer Festival?¡± ¡°Yes. The world is going to be shocked.¡± ¡°I understand. Leave it to me.¡± Amelia had an expression full of confidence. Chapter 137 Volume 4 / Chapter 137 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: So Lorenzo Maria has given a second $10 donation to the site and I wanted to show my appreciation by giving a few extra early releases for God¡¯s Song but I¡¯m not sure if the email was correct. So Lorenzo Maria...if you see this, please confirm whether or not you received my email :D!] ¡°Jun, you need to go out for this audition.¡± Amelia and Danny printed the notice for the Salzburg Summer Festival and chatted while hanging it in his face. ¡°Why? It¡¯s during the break. I need to practice all break.¡± Jun Hyuk had be more free fromst year and had been thinking of traveling during the summer break. Amelia would need to go on tour again and he could not just follow her around. He was thinking of going to Canada, Danny¡¯s hometown, by himself. ¡°The Chaikovsky Competition is in June. When that¡¯s over, the runner-ups tour Europe. Russia in June, July and August in Europe. But there¡¯s a performance at the Salzburg Summer Festival.¡± ¡°Amelia, are you really going out for thepetition? I¡¯m pretty sure you don¡¯t need to go out for it with your talent.¡± ¡°Well... There¡¯s nothing I can do about it. I receive financial support from the government, but an Argentinian enterprise gives major support too. They¡¯re asking me to pay more attention to thepetition this year. I can¡¯t ignore that request.¡± In supporting a young artists, there is nothing better than having a runner-up or winner in apetition. It is the same as when apany that is backing a golfer hopes he will win in a majorpetition. ¡°So you¡¯re saying we should meet in Salzburg?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s spend even a few days together in Europe.¡± ¡°Hang on. Didn¡¯t you just say runner-ups? Only the runner-ups go on tour?¡± ¡°Of course. You don¡¯t think I can be a runner-up? My goal is to win.¡± Jun Hyuk pretended not to see Amelia get worked up and spoke to Danny, ¡°Danny, you too?¡± ¡°Jun, you said it yourself. If I can y the violin song you wrote, there¡¯s no problem for me to be a runner-up in apetition. No?¡± Danny was full of confidence that bing a runner-up would not be an issue. He had seen the Long-Thibaudst year. He knew the skills of violinists who were currently frequentingpetitions. Jun Hyuk wavered at Amelia¡¯sst words, ¡°Jun, there are a lot of Mozart¡¯s handwritten scores at the Salzburg Mozart Museum. Don¡¯t you want to see them for yourself? Mozart¡¯s scores?¡± Salzburg. Mozart¡¯s hometown. Jun Hyuk wanted to see Mozart¡¯s handwritten scores. He even had the thought that he might be able to discover a hidden intent in the scores. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to Salzburg. Even if I don¡¯t get picked during the audition, I can just go for a vacation.¡± Danny snorted at Jun Hyuk¡¯s doubt, ¡°Are you joking? Is there a reason you won¡¯t get chosen when you¡¯re the future conductor of the New York Philharmonic?¡± Because the repertoire is Mozart¡¯s opera, there were only four people trying out to be conductor. Only Jun Hyuk participated from CH, two were from Juilliard and one from Eastman. The students in yton¡¯s conducting major dropped out early on when they heard that Jun Hyuk would be auditioning. Professor Hirani sighed in relief as soon as he saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s name on the list of candidates. ¡®Amelia did well.¡¯ ¡°Jun, what¡¯s up? You¡¯re showing interest in an event like this?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s Mozart¡¯s hometown. I would like to go there.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s basically a holynd for musicians.¡± Professor Hirani was more thankful to Amelia who did him a favor than he was to Mozart. ¡°Yes. And I heard that there are handwritten scores at the Mozart Museum. I would like to see those.¡± ¡°What? Mozart¡¯s handwritten scores?¡± ¡°Yes, professor. Why are you surprised... Could it be that they just store them and don¡¯t reveal them to the public?¡± ¡°Hm... They¡¯ll probably reveal them. Even if they don¡¯t show them to the public, it should be possible if we ask the officials there.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Professor Hirani realized that Amelia had seduced Jun Hyuk with Mozart¡¯s handwritten scores. ¡®Whew ¨C Well... Since it¡¯s true that the handwritten scores are there.¡± Most of Mozart¡¯s scores are stored in world famous museums. Of those, the majority are at the New York Metropolitan Museum near the school. Of course they are not on disy to the public, but they would be able to see it if the school made the request. Salzburg, Mozart¡¯s birthce, only has a few scores that he wrote when he was 5 years old. Professor Hirani felt like he would startughing when he thought of how Jun Hyuk might react upon seeing Mozart¡¯s handwritten scores. ¡°Alright. Anyway, do well with the audition and I hope you be the conductor. An opera isn¡¯t amon opportunity because it¡¯s expensive.¡± Fortunately, the Salzburg Summer Festivalmittee agreed to cover a lot of the costs. They would lend them the set necessary for an opera and Mozarteum University promised their students for the extras. Mozarteum University was founded in 1841 and has 400 prestigious professors. It is also the alma mater of Berlin Philharmonic great, Herbert von Karajan. The audition song to select the conductor was Mozart¡¯s Symphony No. 4 in G Minor, the 1st part of K550. After the four candidates rehearsed for one day, they would audition the next. During the 8 days of the audition, the person who would take the baton became the subject of interest of all students in the three schools. The 1st part is just 7 minutes, but there is an advantage to taking ater turn in the audition. As the conductor changes, the orchestra members get more practice and be used to the song. Jun Hyuk was 2nd to audition and he met eyes with the members, exchanged formalities with the concertmaster, and stood on the podium. Without saying anything, he picked up the baton to indicate that he would start the performance instead. When there was not a conductor introduction or words regarding the song, the concertmaster stood up and approached Jun Hyuk. ¡°Look here. Don¡¯t you need to tell us how you¡¯ll be performing? We¡¯d like to hear your interpretation of this song.¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s hear it. Aren¡¯t we just practicing today anyway? And since this song is so famous and the members practiced this so much, I thought they¡¯d be able to perform this even without a score. I can start right away, right?¡± This symphony does not have the trumpet or timpani. Jun Hyuk started conducting with an orchestra of 57 people. Conducting that is neither explosive nor grand. Jun Hyuk kept conducting calmly like a metronome at a 4/4 beat. When the boring 7 minute performance ended, all of the members looked at Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk put the baton down, scratched his head a few times, and said something so outrageous it was a wonder that the members did not throw their instruments at him. ¡°First, let¡¯s reduce the number. There¡¯s no reason to have so many people. Violin. You, you, 2 people. You on the vi.....¡± As Jun Hyuk called each performer one by one, his face looked full of queries. ¡°Except for the 19 people I called, everyone else please leave.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk finished speaking, yton students took their instruments and left without a word. The rest could not do that. The concertmaster on the 1st violin bolted up and yelled, ¡°Look here. What are you doing?¡± Chapter 138 Volume 4 / Chapter 138 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: blehhhhh! I wish it were the weekend guys] He had reduced the instruments to ?. This is the first time he is experiencing something so absurd. However, Jun Hyuk did not lose his confidence as though asking what the problem is. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Why are you reducing the members on your own? We...¡± ¡°The organization is up to the conductor. Don¡¯t take it the wrong way. I¡¯m not doing this because the performance was bad. Isn¡¯t it definite that there are appropriate instruments for each song?¡± ¡°Are you saying that this is the organization for appropriate instruments? It needs to be twice this size at the least!¡± Using a lot of instruments has the effect of amplifying the sound. In the past when there was no sound equipment, the way to make the sound spread to all corners of the theater was to increase the number of instruments. If there are six 1st violins however, there is the difficulty that they need to y the same note. As there are more instruments, the conductor¡¯s role bes more important in having them y the same notes. ¡°That¡¯s what you think. I think 19 people... Oh wait, this is a mistake. The two r runners, please fall out. I¡¯m thinking of performing to Mozart¡¯s first version.¡± The two r runners mmed their seats and left in disbelief. If they follow Mozart¡¯s score list, this symphony waspleted in July of 1788, but the score that is performed today is a little different. The r is not included in the 1st version, but before this song premiered in Vienna in April 1791, Mozart created a new score with two rs added in. An interesting fact is that the person who conducted the premiere in Vienna was not Mozart, but Salieri. Salieri loved Mozart¡¯s music and cherished him. He also taught Mozart¡¯s son. These facts are in the movie ¡®Amadeus¡¯. The concertmaster red at Jun Hyuk for a while, but the person holding the baton is Jun Hyuk. The only thing they could do was to get everyone to boycott, but they could not do that in an audition. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it in a bad way. This whole orchestra needs to perform in Salzburg anyway. I¡¯m just saying that I¡¯ll do the audition song with the best organization. And the audition tomorrow is for me, not for orchestra members. I hope you¡¯ll follow my wishes.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk finished speaking, the performers took their instruments and left. He is right. They did not know what he meant to show with minimal instrumental parts, but this is the audition to choose the conductor. Some performers even felt relieved that they gained two extra days to practice. Once the practice room was straightened out, Jun Hyuk spoke. ¡°Alright. Now everyone listen well. I can say it nicely, but we don¡¯t have time. Tomorrow is the audition and we can¡¯t practice all night... I have special sses at night and I get in big trouble if I miss them. So I hope you¡¯re not too offended by it.....¡± Jun Hyuk came down from the podium and approached the 1st violin. He flipped through a few pages in the score on the music stand and pointed, ¡°Here, here, and here. You lost strength in your fingering. It¡¯s too weak. And... Here, here, here, you know you went off tone, right? Pay attention to that. And from here, you were a little fast for 6 beats. When you speed up, all the other violins follow you.¡± Starting with the 1st violinist, he went through 17 members to show them the parts where they made mistakes and made special requests. After going through each person, 30 minutes had passed quickly. For those 30 minutes, Jun Hyuk¡¯s low voice was the only sound that rang throughout the practice room and no one even breathed loudly. This is the first time they are seeing such a conductor since they started music. A conductor uses animated descriptions to exin the type of music he is trying to express. He only points out mistakes to individual members when there is a grave mistake. Although the entire orchestra is just an instrument to the conductor, these kinds of criticisms may as well be insults to the performers. However, they were just surprised that he could remember all of the sounds that 57 instruments made for 7 minutes and did not think about their prides. ¡°Alright. Please just fix the parts I asked you about. And the thing to keep in mind is that you need to y the parts I did not talk about exactly as you did before. If not, we need to do this again. Let¡¯s not waste each other¡¯s time.¡± When no one could speak, Jun Hyuk looked at the concertmaster. ¡°And I¡¯ll respond to what the concertmaster said before. If you fix the ces you need to perfectly, the feeling that wille out. The day for your pay at work toe into your bank ount has passed, but it didn¡¯te in yet. You¡¯re nervous and angry, but I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t make a fuss to your boss in case you get on bad terms and get fired. At times like these, doesn¡¯t everyone think in a good direction? You¡¯re nervous, but you¡¯re sure it¡¯lle in. I wonder if Mozart wasn¡¯t feeling like this as well. Then shall we start?¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk picked up the baton, the concertmaster shouted out in a desperate voice, ¡°Wait... wait. Can we take a 10 minute break?¡± ¡°Why? You yed a 7 minute song and rested for 30 minutes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s.....¡± When the concertmaster stammered, Jun Hyuk smirked and said, ¡°Fine. If the concertmaster wants to take a break, we need to take a break. Instead, let¡¯s do it in one go. I don¡¯t want to point out the mistakes again either.¡± Jun Huk left the practice room alone and murmured in Korean, ¡°Kid. Where is he trying not to listen.....¡± ¡°What on earth is he?¡± Students from the other two schools murmured, but yton students quietly looked through their scores and checked the parts that Jun Hyuk had pointed out to them again. ¡°Look here. Tell us what you know. You go to the same school.¡± When someone voiced his frustration to yton¡¯s cellist, the cellist spoke loudly for everyone to hear, ¡°I don¡¯t want to say much... so I¡¯ll just say one thing. Forget it if you¡¯re nning on beingx with this. 7 minutes? This is nothing. It¡¯s a piece of cake to that kid. He¡¯s someone who memorizes a 74 minute choral symphony. He doesn¡¯t leave a single choir behind.¡± Everyone looked as if they could not believe it, but the cellist did not pay attention and continued speaking, ¡°Phdelphia¡¯s Bruno Kazel even said that he could lead the New York Philharmonic now. He¡¯s the pianist in the Stanley rke album that just came out.¡± There were students who finally realized who Jun Hyuk is. It is the first time they are hearing about what Bruno Kazel said, but there are a lot of people who know about Stanley rke¡¯s album. ¡°He¡¯s the future principal conductor of the New York Philharmonic. Do you know how many students there are in our school who try to get his recognition? Everyone is in a craze to try to be on the same team as him. Being recognized by him is the same as being guaranteed a future spot as a soloist in the New York Philharmonic.¡± Lastly, the cellist looked around. ¡°The interesting thing is that he almost never participates in things like this. I¡¯m more curious as to why he¡¯s going out for this.¡± When Jun Hyuk came back, everyone stopped talking. The practice room was full of an awkward silence. ¡°Why is the atmosphere like this? Let¡¯s rx and take it easily. My baton is going to deliver the message exactly, so don¡¯t lose it.¡± After they practiced a few times, he started to hear the sound he wanted. Jun Hyuk¡¯s face was much brighter. They performed a few more times and Jun Hyuk lightly bowed his head. ¡°Then let¡¯s meet at the audition tomorrow. I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Chapter 139 Volume 4 / Chapter 139 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hump Dayyyy! CONDUCTOR JH! Impressing professors everywhere!] Over 10 professors who were acting as judges came to realize that what the students had told them was true. Only 17 people came on stage with Jun Hyuk as conductor. When they confirmed that it was true, their faces were not much different from that of the orchestra members the day before. They had a lot of questions, but they heard the response with music. Jun Hyuk and the orchestra greeted the judges and started performing right away. They yed Symphony No. 40 at a molto allegro (very fast) tempo from the introduction without losing tension. With a breathtaking dire vi as the start to the appearance of the treble and bass as though drawing a parab, it was so fast that they could not feel that 7 minutes had gone by. It is a song from the 18th century, but it broke down existing forms so much that it is as though Mozart left the song for the 20th century. When Jun Hyuk finished performing and looked toward the judges, someone spoke, ¡°Orchestra, please wait backstage.¡± The star of the audition is the conductor. There is no reason for the orchestra to listen to what they think about the conductor. ¡°Jun, can you tell us the reason why you created a 17 member orchestra?¡± It is the first question he had expected. ¡°It was just a measure I took to bring out the best music.¡± ¡°A measure for the best music?¡± ¡°Yes. You presented me with young students with individuality and only gave me a day¡¯s time.¡± They had expected for there to be a special reason, but Jun Hyuk¡¯s response was simple that it was due to a shortage of time. ¡°A day is too little to tune and match tones for 60 students with varying skills of different schools. How can you make extreme changes to Mozart¡¯s symphony? Not even a conductor at the top can aplish this.¡± ¡°Are you saying that¡¯s why you reduced it?¡± ¡°Because we can prevent the same instruments from conflicting at the least.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have the thought that the sound might weaken because there is such an extreme reduction in the instruments?¡± It was hard to distinguish which professor was asking the questions because the seats were so dark. Jun Hyuk looked where he heard the sounding from, and responded, ¡°It is okay. Since the seats arepletely empty anyway, all of the factors that would absorb the sound are gone..... Professors, aren¡¯t you sitting in the very front seats? Even if the sound is weakened, didn¡¯t you all hear it precisely?¡± ¡°Then this is thest question. Your performance sounded like the tempo and sense conflicted a bit. Please exin the reason for that.¡± Jun Hyuk could tell that the question was from Professor Hirani by the voice. Heughed slightly because he remembered how Professor Hirani had asked him his interpretation of songs countless times. Jun Hyuk expressed his interpretation of the song in brief words, ¡°It was because it is an uneasy race.¡± There was the sound of lowmenting to Jun Hyuk¡¯s answer. ¡°An uneasy race.....¡± ¡°Yes. Mozart wrote this song 3 years before he passed away. He was suffering under extreme poverty and he did not even guard his wife¡¯s side. He wrote the song with that feeling so even though it¡¯s a fast-paced song, it doesn¡¯t have to be light-hearted.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s also the reason why you chose Mozart¡¯s 1st version?¡± ¡°Yes. I prefer a Mozart under pressure over a light Mozart. The version with the r has a light feeling to it.¡± After a short silence, someone notified them that the audition is over. ¡°Hm... I understand. You did well.¡± When Jun Hyuk bowed and gave his greetings, a new voice held him back. It must be a professor from another school. ¡°Wait. Sorry, but can you perform again? We can call in the orchestra waiting outside.¡± The other professors must not have expected this because they began to whisper. Jun Hyuk could not figure out a reason to listen to his performance again either. It is not a problem though because it is a short part and not the entire song. The 17 performers came out with puzzled expressions and yed the song again with Jun Hyuk¡¯s conducting. ¡°It was an unreasonable demand, but you did well.¡± At the end of the 2nd performance, there were no longer any questions. When Jun Hyuk and the performers quietly left the stage, the professors¡¯ evaluation started actively. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°His stance on music is different. The first candidate only focused on not making mistakes... I feel like the 3rd and 4th will be the same.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s wishes to bring out the best music possible had left the greatest impression on the professors. ¡°He even considered the seats in his organization. That¡¯s not something we expected.¡± ¡°His interpretation of the song is outstanding. It¡¯s also impressive that he can perform to that interpretation.¡± Professor Hirani could not help his curiosity and asked one of the professors, ¡°Oh right, Professor Neill. Why did you have them perform twice? Is there something that you had missed?¡± ¡°No. The performance was great. I only wanted to check the time.¡± ¡°The time? You didn¡¯t do that for the first candidate.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t need to check the first candidate to know. It isn¡¯t necessary when he isn¡¯t trying to deliver the song and is just trying not to make mistakes. There wouldn¡¯t be a difference in the results even if we heard it twice.¡± ¡°So how did the times of the two performancese out?¡± ¡°Both performances were exactly 6 minutes and 56 seconds. There was not even a 1 second difference.¡± Even a folk artist singing his own song twice with just an acoustic guitar would have a 1 or 2 second difference. Controlling multiple performers while matching the time is not an easy feat. It meant that the conductor had made the song entirely his own by fighting with the score, and that he had interpreted it perfectly. ¡°We had not expected for a perfect concert in just a day either, but to think that he came up with such an extreme method... I¡¯m speechless.¡± ¡°I also found it surprising that he did not think of us as judges, but considered us as part of an audience.¡± ¡°The desire to reduce the amount of mistakes as much as possible and the desire to present the best music. The difference between these is like a river that you cannot cross.¡± They knew which student Maestro Bruno Kazel had praised even if the yton professors did not tell them. Chapter 140 Volume 4 / Chapter 140 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: These next two parts will be a bit longer ?? Enjoy!] Two days after all of the auditions were over, the list of New York¡¯s three music conservatories¡¯ students who were to be attending the Austrian Salzburg Festival was posted. With it, a detailed itinerary of the Salzburg Summer Festival came up. Until May, they would have personal practice sessions with an advisor. In June, they would all meet to practice together. In July, prepare with the students of Mozarteum University. The special team to perform in Salzburg was created, and Professor Roger Neill of Juilliard became the art director for the opera. Professor Roger Neill is a director in the field of operas and musicals. ¡°Won¡¯t Figaro¡¯s Wedding be the best?¡± ¡°Yes. It is the most loved opera in the world.¡± The professors wanted to y the opera that is basically a symbol of Mozart. They looked at the art director as though asking his opinion. He turned his head a bit and started speaking. ¡°I was thinking about Magic Flute.¡± ¡°Magic Flute?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have a particr reason for it?¡± ¡°Because it is the shortest. Considering the ability of the students, shorter pieces will be better.¡± Mozart¡¯s 3 most famous operas, Figaro¡¯s Wedding, Don Giovanni, and intermission Magic Flute are 229, 184, and 150 minutes. They selected Magic Flute just because it is the shortest. ¡°Jun, did you hear?¡± Amelia was lying next to Jun Hyuk on the bed while touching his hair, when remembered something and suddenly sat upright. ¡°What?¡± The Juilliard soprano in the role of the Queen of the Night. Laura something.¡± ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t she a prima donna?¡± The most famous aria that Queen of the Night in the opera Magic Flute sings is ¡®Hell¡¯s vengeance boils in my heart¡¯. There is a rumor that in the whole world, there are only 3 people who can sing this aria. This is not true, but rather to mean that it is that hard to express the difficulty and beauty of the song. First, the Queen of Night calls for the best sound, F6. In terms of transliteration, there are a lot of sopranos who can sing the Queen of the Night. However, there are not very many sopranos who can act out her inner art and hell of revenge. This is why a rumor spread that there are only 3 people in the world who can act out Queen of the Night. However, Magic Flute¡¯s main character and prima donna is not the Queen of the Night. The main character is her daughter, Pamina. ¡°Apparently they made Laura Queen of the Night because there wasn¡¯t anyone else who could handle the role.¡± ¡°I see. But is that girl really that impressive?¡± ¡°Ah, you haven¡¯t heard her sing yet.¡± ¡°All of the vocal parts practice at Juilliard. Why?¡± ¡°Goodness. Everyone¡¯s making a fuss that she can hit a high F without issues.¡± ¡°Really? She can hit a high F naturally?¡± Jun Hyuk sat up in surprise as well. ¡°Yeah. I heard from a vocalist friend that she can¡¯t understand how Laura stayed nameless for so long. I think she¡¯ll be a hot topic at Salzburg.¡± ¡°If this is all true, that¡¯ll happen.¡± ¡°I was expecting your brilliant debut.¡± Amelia pouted in regret. ¡°I already had a brilliant debut. I was even praised by critics. Ha ha.¡± ¡°The album is the only thing that¡¯s brilliant. Can¡¯t you do some interviews? What is that?¡± Even though there are limitations to an on-the-spot jam, Stanley rke and Jun¡¯s album received high praises from critics. There was particrly a lot of interest in a nameless pianist, so reporters from music publications came looking for Jun Hyuk at the school. Jun Hyuk however, said that he would not take personal questions and that there is no need for interviews because all of the music is in the album. Not a single line about Jun Hyuk was released in articles because of a rookie¡¯s arrogant tone, and the news was only wallpapered with articles on Stanley rke. ¡°I think the point hase for you to have a management.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have awyer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a legal custodian, not a management. You would have been a star already if you had an agency that took care of your press releases and private interviews.¡± No matter how Amelia thought about it, it was a waste that he had lost such an opportunity. ¡°But is that Laura not going out for the Tchaikovsky Competition? Why not when she¡¯s that good?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s only been 2 months since she started receiving a formal education. I¡¯m sure she needs to train more to fit the scoring method.¡± Regardless of how impressive a performance is, the person cannot go up to finals if there are a lot of factors to deduct points with. There are over 10 people who aim to enter the finals. It is just that they touch the judges in different ways, but it is difficult to distinguish between who is inferior and superior. ¡°Is that right? Then Amelia, you shouldn¡¯t be spending your time with me either. He he.¡± ¡°Right? I have to go practice.¡± Amelia flipped the bed sheets and ran out to the living room. ¡®So she can handle Queen of the Night after just 2 months after entering school.¡¯ Jun Hyuk anticipated meeting this young soprano, Laura. He wanted to see how amazing her vocals are. ¡°Jun, what are you doing? Can you help me?¡± Jun Hyuk forgot about his thoughts on Laura Goldberg because of Amelia¡¯s voice as she spoke coyly. He put on a t-shirt and pants, went out to the living room to sit in front of the piano, and spoke to Amelia in a low voice, ¡°But... Amelia. What do you think of putting some clothes on?¡± *** Amelia and Danny received Jun Hyuk¡¯s send off and got on a ne to Moscow, Russia. The piano and violin sections of the Tchaikovsky Competition are held in Moscow, and the cello and vocals in St. Petersburg. Thepetition starts with a preliminary assessment that filters through over 600 applicants from 70 countries to about 20 people per part. Amelia and Danny are good enough to pass this stage easily, but they were nervous. In fact, the judges were ready to check off PASS for the two based on the brief history listed on their applications alone. What stood out the most to the judges were their song choices. The preliminary examination is a song of the applicant¡¯s choice, but they brought songs that not even the judges that have been in music for over 30 years recognized. Amelia¡¯s song is Etude for Piano No. 7 and Danny¡¯s is Etude for Violin No. 13. When their performances were over, the judges thought that the strongest contenders for 1st ce in their respective sections had appeared. The songs are glitzy and borate as though they were meant to show off the yers¡¯ skills. The judges checked theposer¡¯s name again to see who had created such an borate song thatsted just 5 minutes, but it is a name that they are seeing for the first time. Amelia and Danny had used the practice songs Jun Hyuk had written for them in their preliminary examination. It was their way of thanking him for his substantial lessons until now. It is a risk to y a song that the judges do not know, but they did not think that they would be eliminated in the preliminaries because of the song selection. They never once thought that the songs fell behind in quality of the famous songs that other candidates would be performing. Due to their song selection, thepetition officer was busy looking up whoposer Jun Hyuk Jang is. There was also someone in the audience who flipped through the program pamphlet whileughing loudly. ¡°Ha ha. Jang Jun Hyuk, this rascal. He threw some weird piano song to me, but gift such great etudes to his friends?¡± ¡°Professor, is this someone you know?¡± ¡°Huh? Who? The pianist?¡± ¡°Ugh. I know the pianist too. She¡¯s Amelia LaMarque, a strong contender for 1st ce. I¡¯m talking about theposer.¡± ¡°Yeah. I know him well. One day, he¡¯ll flip the world around.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin came to Moscow for her student, Han Ye Ji. She is a top student who she taught well. As soon as she heard Amelia¡¯s piano that was tuned from Jun Hyuk¡¯s practice song, she knew that her student would not have enough to overstep her. ¡°Ye Ji, what do you think? Do you think you¡¯d be able to beat her?¡± ¡°Let me see. I think I¡¯ll know once I get up on the stage.¡± ¡°Look at you. Seems you¡¯re really prepared for this. You haven¡¯t lost confidence after hearing that performance.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin felt reassured when he saw her student smiling. Chapter 141 Volume 4 / Chapter 141 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: An extra long release!] While Amelia and Danny were waiting for the 1st round of eliminations after passing the preliminary assessment, Jun Hyuk and the orchestra members were meeting the vocals and executive director together for the first time in the Juilliard theater. The executive director, Professor Roger Neill, approached the members and Jun Hyuk. ¡°I know you, but I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know who I am? I¡¯m Art Director, Professor Roger Neill.¡± ¡°How are you, Professor? I remember your voice. Aren¡¯t you the person who asked us to perform again during the auditions?¡± ¡°Yeah. Didn¡¯t I surprise you? Ha ha.¡± ¡°I was a little surprised.¡± ¡°I did have good enough reason and you did well. That¡¯s probably why we¡¯re here now.¡± The Art Director greeted each member and showed caring. ¡°Our singers have been practicing with the recorded tape... I haverge expectations for the ensemble that wille out with the orchestra today. We need to avoid embarrassment at the least. Ha ha.¡± He has a modest tone, but his confidentughter shows confidence. Jun Hyuk finished the tuning below the stage and waited for the art director¡¯s direction. ¡°Shall we see the Overture first? Jun, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± The director walked to the center of the seats to check the sound. The orchestrapleted a 7 minute 12 second overture to Jun Hyuk¡¯s baton. ¡°I see you¡¯ve practiced a lot. You¡¯re all performing with confidence.¡± The orchestra members knew that their choice had been right because of the director¡¯spliments. A few days ago after finishing personal practices and they gathered for the first orchestra concert, the bandmaster brought up something unexpected to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun, can¡¯t we practice like we did during the rehearsal for the conductor audition?¡± ¡°What? What are you asking to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking you to tell us in a straightforward way. The ces we made mistakes, need to fix, et cetera.¡± ¡°But if I talk like that, people will be offended.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everyone already agreed. Isn¡¯t that the only way when we have a short time to create a great performance?¡± ¡°Good. Well that¡¯s good for me. We can practice easily.¡± Jun Hyuk liked their resolve. ¡°But everyone, don¡¯t forget this one thing.¡± Everyone looked nervous in order to listen to Jun Hyuk¡¯s advice. ¡°We¡¯re just simple apanists. Singers are the leads on an opera stage. When we startbined performances with singers, I intend to match it to her no matter what as an apanist. This means that it may not go as we practice and I might keep changing themand... Follow that well.¡± A section of the members showed disappointment. They wanted to show every mistake that singers make with a perfect performance. They did not want to get pushed back in a battle of energy between the singers on top of the stage and orchestra below the stage. However, it is true that they are disappointed that conductor Jun Hyuk is saying he will maintain the original image of an apanist. ¡°And we¡¯ll practice in the same way. I don¡¯t know when and where I¡¯ll change up the tempo, so please don¡¯t lose focus.¡± The practice that began like this became a chance for everyone to confirm Jun Hyuk¡¯s reputation for being picky. The members even nicknamed him the 2nd Fritz Reiner. Fritz Reiner of Hungary, who led the Chicago Symphony to worldwide fame, is famous as an exact and detailed conductor. It is even said that the finest of soundses from the end of his baton. He is called Chicago¡¯s dictator and has a hard reputation. The only difference between Jun Hyuk and Fritz Reiner is their looks. Fritz Reiner is famous for his charismatic looks that recall a godfather of some mafia. After practicing like this for a few days, the orchestra was not perfect but they had the confidence to stand in front of Professor Roger Neill. ¡°Then shall we get started? Jun.¡± ¡°Yes, Professor.¡± ¡°Act 1, Sheet 1, first song Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe! Let¡¯s go straight from Bein Mannern, to welche Liebe fuhlen.¡± He is telling them to perform 7 songs at 30 minutes consecutively. Before starting to conduct, Jun Hyuk asked Professor Roger Neill something unexpected. ¡°Professor. When the singers were practicing, which tape did you use?¡± ¡°Tape? Ah, Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s Georg Scholte. Why?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯ll be better to y something the singers are more used to.¡± ¡°Yeah that would be better... Hold on. What did you just say?¡± Professor Roger Neill thought that he had not understood exactly what Jun Hyuk was saying. ¡°We¡¯ll perform to Scholte¡¯s tempo.¡± ¡°Is... is it true?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± What is he referring to? This time, Jun Hyuk could not understand Professor Roger Neill¡¯s question. ¡°So what I¡¯m saying is... I ¨C no, the rumor. That Jun, you memorize everything after hearing it once. Is that true?¡± ¡°Basically.¡± The director forgot the starting signal and stared and Jun Hyuk nkly. This was the same for the singers on the stage. This did not mean that he memorized all of Magic Flute. They are sure he asked whose album it was. There are a lot of albums of Mozart¡¯s Magic Flute. Most orchestras have released albums with Magic Flute. And this started dozens of years ago. At the least, there are over 200 albums of Magic Flute. Of those, dozens are famous. How many has Jun Hyuk memorized? ¡°By chance, have you memorized all of the albums?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m a human being, not a monster. Let¡¯s see... It¡¯ll be about 8 albums. My favorite is the one performed by Georges Pretre at the Paris National Opera Theater.....¡± Professor Neill had doubts when he heard the rumors surrounding Jun Hyuk. While serving at various schools including Juilliard, he had seen a lot of geniuses who are able to memorize scores within moments, but this is the first time he is seeing someone who can memorize multiple albums. Professor Neill came to his senses and forgot what Jun Hyuk said. He cannot just stand here in admiration. He cannot be preupied with this talent either. He needs to focus on today¡¯s practice for him to be able to point out any of Jun Hyuk¡¯s mistakes or ws. The director approached Jun Hyuk quietly and whispered to him what he wanted. ¡°Jun, don¡¯t match it to Scholte¡¯s tempo. Do it the way you want to. I want to see your version, not Scholte¡¯s. Of course, don¡¯t tell the singers on stage.¡± Professor Neill smiled a little and went back to the center of the seats. Jun Hyuk¡¯smand started with the first song, ¡®Save Me!¡¯ When the 4th aria, ¡®Youth, don¡¯t be afraid¡¯ began, Jun Hyuk could not take his eyes off of the stage. Genius soprano Laura Goldberg finally entered the stage as Queen of the Night. She came on in a loose t-shirt, and started singing at the 24 second point. The advantages to her timbre do not show yet. They need to get past 3 minutes to see her ability. Jun Hyuk had such high anticipation that the 3 minutes felt like they dragged on. Finally, her voice became an instrument. Coloratura! It means ¡®with color,¡¯ a skillfully decorated melody as a simple aria with a peak of virtuosity, naturally bringing out cheering from the audience. There was not a single error in the rumors concerning Laura. ¡®She¡¯s amazing. Really amazing.¡¯ Even while conducting, the inspiration from Laura Goldberg¡¯s voice did not disappear. The coloratura as a start is D6 (4 octaves), beginning with pianissimo (very low) and bing fortissimo (very loud) without crescendo (gradually growing louder). It looked like she wouldplete the ultra high frequency range coloratura appearing in the 2nd sheet, the art of aria ¡®Hell¡¯s vengeance boils in my heart¡¯ in perfect tone. When the 7 songs were over, Director Roger Neill ran up onto the stage. He gave Laura Goldberg a thumbs up and brought the tenor in the Tamino role and baritone in the Papageno role to point out a few matters they need to work on. ¡°Do it with confidence. You¡¯re plenty capable of handling it. Don¡¯t focus too hard on not making mistakes with the German lyrics and try to deliver the message. Keep in mind that if you don¡¯t deliver the emotion, it¡¯s just a sound even if you¡¯ve got the voice of a pavarotti.¡± Director Neill came down from the stage and pped lightly. ¡°The thing that surprised me most today was your performance. I didn¡¯t know that you would be able to aplish this much in such a short period of time. Alright, let¡¯s have strength and go to the end.¡± The director tapped Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder and whispered to him again. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, but I want your Magic Flute. Stop matching the performance to those guys singing. That¡¯s something you have to do once you¡¯re in Salzburg. Right now, you have to show your true self. You understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Jun Hyuk smiled and nodded. He understand exactly what the professor was asking of him. ¡°Now let¡¯s go straight through to Act 1 sheet 2 without resting. Go all the way and rest for a bit. Jun, let¡¯s start.¡± Jun Hyuk started conducting again. He conducted in the way he had always wanted to. Papageno, theic character even though it is just a supporting role. A performance where this Papageno gets the spotlight. Jun Hyuk did not pay attention to the singers on the stage and kept conducting ording to his own tempo. ¡°Stop!¡± When 3 songs were over, the stage was a mess. The singers could not follow the tempo or maintain the breath requested of them by the orchestra. As they got surprised, they could not act out the emotions and they were even off tone. Professor Roger Neill stopped practice and ran up onto the stage. ¡°What are you all doing right now? Does the orchestra need to cover for your mistakes? There is only one thing that the orchestra needs to fit to you. When you are engrossed in your character and reach the peak, and they y at that exact moment to bring out the emotion.¡± None of the singers could lift their heads at Professor Neill¡¯s sharp reproach. ¡°You have to be used to the difference between a recorded tape and live performance. If you waver with this much, your legs will shake and your voice won¡¯t evene out in a theater with a full audience.¡± Professor Neill went back down to the seats. ¡°Again from the beginning of Act 1 sheet 1! And pay attention!¡± The first joint practice was not able to finish Act 1. Professor Neill was only pleased with the orchestra in charge of the apaniment. The music came out in whatever way the director requested. The director sent the exhausted vocals and orchestra members back, holding only Jun Hyuk back. ¡°The conducting was really scrupulous. Is it normally like this? Or... is it because you can¡¯t trust the students?¡± ¡°It was a request from the members of the orchestra.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s surprising when those are really proud guys.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s frustrating. Honestly, it was a stretch to create an opera with these people in the first ce. Aren¡¯t most skilled students busy withpetitions?¡± ¡°All performances have one or two aspects that are a stretch. The better you ovee them, the better orchestra and team you are.¡± Professor Neill thought that they are plenty capable of oveing it. ¡°Jun. I asked to meet separately because of a personal favor.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Are you interested in musicals as well?¡± ¡°Musicals? They¡¯re good. Aren¡¯t they the contemporary opera?¡± Language barrier is a disadvantage to the opera. A story that the contemporary person can rte to. A background without restrictions like Les Miserables from a small stage to arge scale. The opera moved rapidly toward musicals, and already took up a firm area. ¡°I¡¯m preparing a musical to present on stage this Christmas season. They¡¯re rookies, but good. I wanted to see if you would take care of the performance. If you can¡¯t, I¡¯d like to use a recording of your performance at the least.¡± Jun Hyuk epted it joyfully. He is always happy to get a taste of a new field. And if it is to the point where the famous Professor Roger Neill is creating and producing a show, this means that it is not configured with amateurs. ¡°Then let¡¯s talk again after the show in Salzburg. It¡¯ll be a rewarding experience for you as well.¡± However, they could not know that Jun Hyuk¡¯s time to experience musicals would be pushed back to a muchter time due to an incident that is to ur at the Salzburg performance. Chapter 142 Volume 4 / Chapter 142 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: I know some of you have been hating Amelia...but I think you guys just might change your minds ;)] Everyone was exhausted from the never ending practices. As time went by, Professor Roger Neill¡¯s words became more harsh, and the music that Jun Hyuk conducted ordingly increased pressure on the singers. The unusual aspect was not reproach on whether or not the aria is sung well. Rather than pointing out an uncertain tone or a short breath, most of the criticisms were about expression of emotions. ¡°This is the theater! It isn¡¯t a music concert. The theater where you have to fall into each role to seed! If you do that, the singing wille out naturally. Singinges out naturally when you fall into your character and can¡¯te out. Then, you¡¯ll forget about the tempo, strength, and even the score to have the song flow out naturally.¡± Director Neill was worked up as he gestured to Jun Hyuk below the stage, ¡°You have an orchestra that supports you so your emotions are notcking. This is music that will flow out without problem even if you sing a little differently than the score. Don¡¯t worry about the apaniment being able to follow you.¡± Even in such a tense environment, there are times when the inside of the theater bes ecstatic within moments. It is upon the appearance of Queen of the Night. Even Professor Neill closed his eyes and got lost in the music when she came out. She is a born singer and actress. Her disadvantage is that she iste toe out of an emotion once she falls into it. When Jun Hyuk heard Magic Flute¡¯s winning aria ¡®Hell¡¯s vengeance boils in my heart¡¯ for the first time, he even felt like he wanted to write a song to give her. Queen of the Night who puts a dagger in her daughter¡¯s hand, telling her to kill her kidnapper no matter what. Singing of a splendid art and acting with an overwhelming charisma that is ready to go on stage immediately. When discussing soprano, the famous aria first popera singer ¡®Kimera¡¯ cannot be forgotten. Her real name is Kim Hong Hee. She created her stage name Kimera in abination of herst name Kim and opera, the title song of her 1st album in 1985 ¡®The Lost Opera¡¯ is the aria Magic Flute. For her graduation gift, her wealthy Arabian husband had the London Symphony Orchestra perform her first album. However, this album had the phenomenal sales of 1.5 million albums. The great Le Monde paper in France released the article with headline ¡®Queen of Popera from Korea,¡¯ introducing the term popera for the first time. After this album, ¡®Hell¡¯s vengeance boils in my heart¡¯ became the representative song of the opera aria. Whenever Jun Hyuk listened to Laura¡¯s aria, he knew that Amelia¡¯s prediction was not wrong. Laura Goldberg would have her brilliant debut at the Salzburg Summer Festival. While Jun Hyuk was wrestling with the students in practice, Amelia was fighting with people looking to be the best in the world. Piano finals started in the Great Hall of the Moscow Music Conservatory. The 6 pianists who reached the finals performed 2 people at a time for 3 days and thest race started. While Amelia was on stage for the 2nd day of finals, the first day of finals for the violin started in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall at the same time. It is Danny¡¯s first performance. Amelia started performing Rachmaninoff¡¯s and Tchaikovsky¡¯s with the Russian National Orchestra. Of the 2 greats¡¯ music, the concerto of Tchaikovsky who the Russians love most, is a song widely used for nationals and is considered to only be handled well by Russians. Amelia yed the piano with so much confidence that there was no anxiety to be found. She yed with a feeling of loneliness and expressed theplicated theme with an brilliant art. With the piano¡¯s magnificent octave, she finished the 1st movement with liveliness and a grace apanied with a brief touch and went toward the 2nd movement airily. She expressed the Russian roughness with animation. From the 3rd movement, the key was her depiction like a winter wind sweeping a Russian field, raising the ent with the scale and powerful and fast octave with both hands to create a perfect climax. The audience¡¯s storming cheers and judges¡¯ nk expressions. And the 5th curtain call indicated that she is the winner. Amelia could not even remember how many times she greeted the audience and their never ending pping and cheering, while standing in front of arge picture of Tchaikovsky hanging in front of the venue. Han Ye Jin was waiting backstage when she heard the overwhelming cheers and realized that Amelia had given an incredible performance. She also felt that her luck was getting farther away from her since her performance is to be right after. As the first runner-up of the final, Danny who chose Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky¡¯s concerto, went on stage with a feeling of adversity. Unlike Amelia, it is his first time on arge stage and he even made a few small mistakes because he could not ovee his nervousness. However, he was able to express Shostakovich¡¯s poignant despair as though screaming and Tchaikovsky¡¯s aching bittersweet feeling with an exact and calcted, detailed performance. Amelia and Danny, who hadpleted the final safely, went around Moscow with a rxed mindset. Jun Hyuk finished rehearsal, and went back home to wait for thepetition results toe out out the inte TV. When the final ranking was confirmed after over 3 hours, Jun Hyuk cheered. Amelia won in the piano section and Danny came in 3rd. He considered calling to congratte, but thought that they would be overwhelmed with interviews and just waited for them to contact him. They need to go on tour, starting with a g concert. Winning in thepetition did not promise stardom, but it meant that their lives as professional musicians hadmenced. The point hade for them to decide whether they will be continuing with school or not. Amelia in particr, had entered the ranks of bing a worldwide star with winning this year¡¯spetition. There is no reason for her to continue attending school. When they arrived at the Juilliard theater the next day, orchestra members and singers started pping to Jun Hyuk¡¯s entrance. Jun Hyuk was only surprised because he did not understand the cause. ¡°1st ce for your girlfriend. 3rd ce ranking for your roommate. Congrattions.¡± A yton cellist approached while smiling. ¡°Leave it. Is that something I should receive apuse for?¡± He thought of this kind of fuss as silly, but the pping was not just for that reason. ¡°Did you by chance... see the interview?¡± ¡°No. I only checked the results.¡± ¡°So I guess you haven¡¯t heard the bomb that Amelia set off.¡± ¡°Bomb?¡± The cellist let out a low whistle. ¡°You really have an impressive girlfriend. She needed to end by thanking you, but.....¡± He was positive that Amelia had caused an ident by the way the cellist¡¯s words trailed off. ¡°Why? What did she say?¡± ¡°Did you know that Amelia and Danny yed the practice songs that you wrote for their preliminary assessments?¡± ¡°What? They yed my songs during the preliminary assessments?¡± ¡°Yeah. We didn¡¯t know because the preliminary assessments aren¡¯t broadcasted but some reporter discovered that theposers are the same and asked the rtionship. That¡¯s when it started.¡± The cellist kept talking as if he is having fun with the gossip. ¡°Amelia said that you¡¯re her true teacher. The problem is that Professor Lenny Greenfield was there as well. I¡¯m pretty sure the school flipped out.¡± She had said that to the face of the professor who discovered her and brought her to America. Beyond the betrayal that Professor Lenny Greenfield felt, she had created a headache of a situation that made Jun Hyuk the topic of conversation. ¡°Danny ended up saying something simr too. He said that he couldn¡¯t have dreamed of getting in the ranks if it hadn¡¯t been for you. Don¡¯t go to school for the time being. A ton of reporters will be waiting for you. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk could not join in theughter. He just hoped that the reporters would note barging in all the way here. Chapter 143 Volume 4 / Chapter 143 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey guys ¨C enjoy!] That night however, Jun Hyuk was surrounded by reporters in front of his house instead of the school. The reporters were Korean. They had treated him as a wannabe young star who became famous through an audition program, but they fell in love with a star pianist in America. The girl also dered that he is her true teacher in a worldwidepetition. Stardom, love, winning, sess, music. There is no better material for an article other than a story with a mix of these. When Jun Hyuk finally got past all of the questions that the reporters were asking and into his apartment, a call from Yoon Kwang Hun was waiting for him. ¡°Hey! Are you okay?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mess here. What¡¯s going on? Reporters have been here since this morning to ask about Amelia.¡± ¡°Reporters are outside my house here too. I¡¯m going to go crazy too.¡± When Jun Hyuk told him about Amelia¡¯s interview, Yoon Kwang Hun burst outughing. ¡°Ha ha. What an impressive girl. I don¡¯t think you can handle her.¡± ¡°Well... I¡¯m slowly getting used to her.¡± ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry about it by yourself and talk it over with yourwyer if you¡¯re ufortable with anything.¡± ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t worry. The entrance to this condo is well controlled, so reporters won¡¯t be able toe in.¡± Jun Hyuk needed to drive his car around until the reporters calm down. It was at the same speed as walking because it had not been long since he got his license. *** A week before going to Salzburg, the deans of the 3 schools held a party for sponsored donations. Professor Roger Neill quietly called for Jun Hyuk, Laura, orchestra bandmaster, and the opera¡¯s male and female leads. ¡°It would be good for you to make an appearance at the support party tomorrow. What do you think?¡± It is a party where the rich gather. If they attend this kind of party, they could get an opportunity. If they are lucky, they could end up with a strong supporter. ¡°Since you are the leads of this performance, the supporters will be curious.¡± It is customary for the stars of the school to attend a university party for sponsored donations. In public universities, the students who are called most often to these parties are the football yers. The donors provide the schrships that they receive. The American college football league makes a tremendous amount of money. It is because of game admission fees, college team merchandise, and alumni donations. The star of a conservatory is a promising musician. Laura Goldberg and the other students nodded in resolution. However, it was difficult for Jun Hyuk to ept the invitation easily. Party culture itself is awkward and he felt like he is bing something like a spectacle. When Jun Hyuk could not respond easily, Professor Neill started exining slowly. ¡°Jun, I can guess why you¡¯re hesitating... If you¡¯re not thinking of going back to Korea after graduating from the conservatory, make sure you attend the party. This is part of this country¡¯s culture. Parties are a watering ce in the west, whether it is America or Europe. You need to get used to it. Know that the New York Philharmonic¡¯s standing conductor attends more parties than he stands on stage.¡± These were words that Jun Hyuk could not help but nod to. Jun Hyuk arrived at Pierre Hotel, the best hotel in Manhattan, and entered the ballroom, awkwardly pulling at the hems of his suit. The party scene was not as Jun Hyuk imagined it would be. There were no olddies pretending to be elegant in dresses and old men in suits, chatting while holding champagne sses. The men were in their 30s at the most in jeans and button-down shirts, and the women in dresses were young and beautiful with high heels. The only people in suits are the professors and students of the conservatories. Jun Hyuk grumbled in his ufortable stiff shirt while rubbing his neck. ¡°Damn. What is this? Why are we the only ones in suits? And are those people donors?¡± ¡°Ha ha. Jun. It¡¯s been a while since the type of rich has changed. Those young people are rich IT people. They¡¯re CEOs who make tons of money from creating softwares or websites. They¡¯repletely different from the rich of the past. The amount that they donate is totally different too because there is a tremendous amount of taxes. I¡¯m telling you that they add on one more 0 than the rich of the past do.¡± ¡°And we need to suck up to those young people?¡± ¡°No. Those people don¡¯t even really know ssical. I¡¯m sure they aren¡¯t interested in us.¡± The orchestra bandmaster kindly exined to Jun Hyuk. Only half of what the bandmaster said is right. The rich of the past are still the ones who sustain New York¡¯s conservatories. The schools run on their continuous support. The emerging young rich gather when there is an event to throw their donations and disappear. However, the bandmaster waspletely wrong when he said that they would not be interested in the students. As soon as the students¡¯ introductions ended, a lot of people gathered to Jun Hyuk. ¡°This student is the pianist on Stanley rke¡¯s album, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. Stanley rke featured on this student¡¯s album. The lead in that album is definitely the piano.¡± It could be unfortunate or very lucky, but these people are huge fans of rock, the blues, and jazz. Jun Hyuk saw reassurance on the professors¡¯ faces. They had been worried about what they would do if these people did not take interest in the students, but they showed enthusiastic reactions. The dean of yton gave Jun Hyuk a look of thanks and approached him. ¡°This student is the jazz pianist and the conductor of our performance in Salzburg. He¡¯s yton¡¯s pride.¡± ¡°Conductor? He wasn¡¯t a pianist?¡± ¡°Oho. So he was a maestro.¡± The dean gave continuous praise because there is an increase in donations with an increase in interest of the rich. Right around when the dean was bing boring, Professor Roger Neill went on the stage and took the mic. He gave his lengthy greeting to the guests and called the two students up to the stage. Jun Hyuk and Laura Goldberg greeted the guests with courtesy from Professor Neill¡¯s side. ¡°These two stars are going to shake up Salzburg this summer.¡± When Professor Neill¡¯s introduction was over, they started a short performance that they had prepared. Even someone who is not interested in ssical music would be in awe of Laura¡¯s voice unless they are deaf. As that awe increases, the wallets of the rich open more easily. Laura Goldberg stood in front of the mic and Jun Hyuk sat at the piano. With Jun Hyuk¡¯s calm piano, Laura¡¯s beautiful voice flowed out. ¡°O mio babbino caro~¡± As the representative song of Pini¡¯s opera Gianni Schi, ¡®O Mio Babbino Caro¡¯ started, movement in the banquet hall halted. They do not know the title of the song, but it is one that they know even from listening to the first note. They had followed the golden rule that they need to perform a song that people would know. Jun Hyuk got lost in her voice again and forgot that he is at a party. He shook off the feelings of difort and awkwardness, and focused on ying the piano. As soon as her song ended, people yelled bravo (for male solos) and the people who knew anything yelled brava (for female solos). The interest went from Jun Hyuk to Laura. Thanks to this, Jun Hyuk was able to escape from the theater and enjoy time to himself in the beautifully decorated front of the hotel. That was only for a moment however. An old man with white hair approached the bench Jun Hyuk was sitting on, and sat next to him. ¡°So you like to be alone.¡± ¡°I tend to avoid ces that are noisy.¡± Jun Hyuk nced at the old man through the side of his eye. ¡®He can¡¯t be... a reporter at that age.¡¯ Jun Hyuk looked away from him. ¡°You need to know how to enjoy the limelight... Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get used to it slowly.¡± ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Of course. My introduction iste. I¡¯m Isaac Stern.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jun.¡± Jun Hyuk took the old man¡¯s hand. ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡± ¡°I did, but let¡¯s forget it for now. I became your fan today. Ho ho.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying me and not the diva who is the main today?¡± ¡°Because today¡¯s the first time I was impressed by a piano apaniment. I don¡¯t know about those deaf people in that party, but the piano was far superior than the diva¡¯s voice. It was good to listen to.¡± The old man stood up from the bench. ¡°I wanted to make sure to thank you, but bothered you. Then have a good time.¡± The old man who introduced himself as Isaac Stern, tipped his hat and bid him farewell. Chapter 144 Volume 4 / Chapter 144 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey guys ¨C enjoy!] The ne to Salzburg, Mozart¡¯s city, was noisy like a college dormitory. It is a chartered ne where they did not have to be careful of other passengers. The conservatory deans were pleased with the results from support that were beyond their expectations. One party attendant in particr delightfully lent his private ne to them. ¡°Laura¡¯s song must have been really great. This kind of situation is a first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. I heard that President Stern gave a check for $500,000 at the party as well.¡± ¡°Is he thinking of scouting Laura? He might be since he¡¯s lending out his private ne like this.¡± The professors seemed to be excited by the results beyond their expectations and the overwhelming interest in Laura. ¡°Of course he¡¯ll scout her. He¡¯ll keep an eye on this Salzburg performance. If he confirms that she can ovee the pressure of the stage, he¡¯ll hand over a contract right away.¡± ¡°Stern Corporation is really quick with discovering rookies. Well... I¡¯m sure that¡¯s why a third of ssical greats use it as their management.¡± Jun Hyuk heard what the professors were saying in passing and did not think the name Stern strange, but he did not remember who it was. Due to the private ne, they arrived in Salzburg without stopping in Vienna. Jun Hyuk went to the hotel he had reserved on the day that he decided to participate in the conductor auditions. The school reserved a hotel for the students, but Jun Hyuk wanted to stay on Getreidegasse street where Mozart¡¯s footprintsy. Goldener Hirsch Hotel was built as a motel in the 15th century. It has been preserved well for about 600 years. It was reborn as a hotel through much remodeling, and it is still one of the most beloved hotels in Salzburg. Jun Hyuk organized his luggage in the hotel and went out onto Getreidegasse street to enjoy the free time he was given until the next day. The street was full of tourists because of the summer festival, but the Mozart goods outnumbering those tourists caught his eye more. Chocte was a definite, but there were even irrelevant items like empty water bottles with Mozart¡¯s portrait on them. The first ce that Jun Hyuk headed is Mozart¡¯s birthce. Mozart¡¯s long baptismal name ¡®Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart¡¯ on it was impressive. Amadeus amadera means ¡®God loves¡¯ in French. It is said that Mozart stuck it on himself. Countless items from Mozart¡¯s childhood are on disy in his birthce on Getreidegasse street. Among them are even Mozart¡¯s first vichord (antecedent to the piano) and violin. However, Jun Hyuk did not see the handwritten scores that he had so wanted to see anywhere. He asked the museum curator where he needs to go in order to see the handwritten scores. The curator smiled brightly and started exining amicably in fluent English. ¡°First, go to the airport. At the airport, you get a ticket to London, Paris, or New York. You can see them if you go to London¡¯s British Museum, Paris¡¯ Louvre, or New York¡¯s Metropolitan Museum.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Then you¡¯re saying that they¡¯re not here right now?¡± ¡°We do have a few scores from his childhood, but they have not been conserved very well so they are being restored. It has been a few years.¡± Jun Hyuk frowned. ¡®Damn..... I was fooled.¡¯ *** They did not stop practicing in Salzburg either. The scale is a lotrger because they were joined by the Mozarteum students and Professor Roger Neill¡¯s final inspections would go on until the day before the performance. About a week after arriving in Salzburg, Danny came to the hotel. ¡°Jun!¡± As soon as Danny found Jun Hyuk, he leapt and hugged Jun Hyuk to start dancing. ¡°You saw, right? I got in 3rd ce. It¡¯s all thanks to you. It¡¯s a debt I can never repay. Thank you.¡± ¡°Congrattions. All 6 runner-ups are at simr levels. The condition of that day is the problem. You did well.¡± ¡°Oh right. You got Amelia¡¯s text?¡± ¡°Yeah. She said she¡¯s stopping in Prague for a performance beforeing here.¡± Danny shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you. Even for a South American girl, I¡¯ve never seen such a fiery person like her. Her manager fit in another performance per a sponsor¡¯s request... There¡¯s no Queen of the Night like her. She made a huge fuss that she needs to get to Salzburg immediately..... What are you going to do?¡± Danny¡¯s tone was of serious worry, not in jest. ¡°She¡¯s a tame cat in front of me. She¡¯s only a tiger in front of others.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Danny stared at Jun Hyuk in disbelief and Jun Hyuk¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that¡¯s true. Whew.¡± Danny pat Jun Hyuk on the shoulder as he let out a long sigh. ¡°Right. What¡¯s your itinerary like?¡± The European tour for the over 20 runner-ups for each part in thepetition needs to be over for them to return to America. ¡°I need to perform 3 times while here for the festival, and then I have to go to Vienna. After that, it¡¯s all over once we tour Eastern Europe until August. How about you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over once we perform in 10 days.¡± ¡°Then I guess you¡¯ll join us after that.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be able to not go, will I?¡± Danny smirked. Jun Hyuk will also know well that he has no choice but to go. Danny pat Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder again. Danny went back to the dormitories for the runner-ups, and Jun Hyuk went to a cafe. It is a ce called ¡®Tomaselli¡¯ that has been in business since the 1700s. It is said that Mozart also enjoyed going here, but Jun Hyuk did not believe these rumors anymore. All of the stores on Getreidegasse street say that Mozart was a regr there. ¡°Jang Jun Hyuk!¡± He was walking along the street when he was certain that he had heard his name in Korean. He turned and someone ran into his arms. ¡°Professor. I... Hang on.¡± Jun Hyuk managed to pry Professor Jeon Hye Jin off of his body. ¡°This punk. You should have called. What are you so busy with?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. The thing is.....¡± ¡°Forget it. That¡¯s that, but what are you doing here? Are you here to perform?¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin was genuinely pleased with this unexpected encounter and could not stop smiling. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s for a program called New York conservatory weekly. But why are you here, Professor?¡± ¡°Kid. I¡¯m a known pianist of Korea. I¡¯m invited every year. You underestimate me.¡± ¡°Oh of course not. It¡¯s just so sudden.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin took the hand of a tall girl standing next to her and brought her close. ¡°Oh right. Say hi. This is my student. Ah, she¡¯s also performing this time.¡± ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Han Ye Ji.¡± ¡°Ah, hello. I¡¯m Jang Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°This kid is a rising pianist in Korea right now. She won in the Spain Maria Canals Competition. She was really close in the Tchaikovsky Competition too. She¡¯s a 6th ce runner-up.¡± ¡°Ah I see. Congrattions.¡± When Jun Hyuk greeted her, Han Ye Ji hid her surprise and held her hand out for a handshake. ¡°Thank you. But I had no idea that you would be that Jang Jun Hyuk. I just realized.¡± Han Ye Ji¡¯s eyes grewrger from the first time she saw Jun Hyuk in surprise. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you would be that Jang Jun Hyuk who appeared on that audition program. And... this is actually the 2nd time we¡¯re meeting, but I guess you don¡¯t remember?¡± It is the first time Jun Hyuk is seeing her face no matter how he tries to rack through his memory. He is certain that he has never met a young Korean pianist. Suddenly, Professor Jeon Hye Jin pped her hand. ¡°I see. It¡¯s the 2nd time. Ha ha. What fate!¡± Jun Hyuk did not know what they were talking about, and just looked back and forth at their faces. ¡°Jun Hyuk. Do you remember? The first day I met you?¡± ¡°Of course I remember it.¡± ¡°Then do you remember that a student pointed out the specialty in your piano ying at once?¡± ¡°Yes. I remember. She said that it was as if several people were ying instead of one. I was surprised too. Is this.....?¡± ¡°Yeah. Ye Ji was that student. I started teaching her properly from then. I basically found a hidden pearl thanks to you.¡± Chapter 145 Volume 4 / Chapter 145 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey guys ¨C enjoy!] Professor Jeon Hye Jin was surprised twice on the first day she met Jun Hyuk. Once was because of Jun Hyuk and the other was because of Han Ye Ji. Han Ye Ji had been bold and really came looking for Professor Jeon Hye Jin for the points. ¡°Since you got your A, are you thinking of noting into my ss from now on?¡± ¡°Professor, you told me to.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s tone had been scary, but Han Ye Ji had said everything she wanted to. Professor Jeon Hye Jin was in such disbelief that she did not want to say more. ¡°Kids these days..... Oy. Go.¡± When Professor Jeon Hye Jin waved for her to leave, Han Ye Ji carefully walked backwards. ¡°Oh right. But how did you know? About that kid¡¯s piano?¡± ¡°I just did. It just sounded like the emotions changed too quickly.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin had expected her to say, ¡®I know the specialties of the pianists that Jun Hyuk yed.¡¯ But she said that she just knew. Her heart started beating. Could it be that this student has potential that no one had yet discovered? ¡°Come with me.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin took Han Ye Ji to the practice room. She spoke after having Han Ye Ji sit in front of the piano. ¡°y. Recall the emotions that Jun Hyuk showed before.¡± Han Ye Ji looked like she was on the verge of tears. ¡°Professor, I can¡¯t y the piano like that Jang Jun Hyuk. If I were that good, I would have gone to study abroad already.¡± ¡°This girl! Who said to y it just like he did? I know that much as well that you can¡¯t y the piano like he does. I¡¯m just telling you to y anything while thinking of those emotions. Just do what you can!¡± Han Ye Ji hesitated for a while after Professor Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s scolding, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down. As soon as her piano rang out, Professor Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s heart started beating. After ying the piano for more than 10 minutes, Han Ye Ji took her hands off of the keyboard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Professor. I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯m not a genius like that kid. How could I capture the emotions of multiple pianists?¡± Han Ye Ji looked at the keyboard as though tears would fall from her eyes. Professor Jeon Hye Jin only had one strong feeling from her piano. The feeling that she misses someone dearly was certainly delivered. That longing needs to develop more to end in a different kind of bliss, but she has not reached that yet. However, it just means that she has not learned it yet. Her ability to deliver such a performance with ack of skills means that she is a born performer. Professor Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s hard face loosened and she spoke in a gentle voice. ¡°You said your name is Han Ye Ji?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Listen to me carefully. I only give one person lessons, once a week for 2 hours. I usually don¡¯t give private lessons, but her mother is ridiculously rich. So in the name of redistributing the wealth, I get paid to teach that kid with no talent.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She just blinked because she did not know what Professor Jeon Hye Jin was trying to say. ¡°But I¡¯m going to start teaching you every day for 2 hours a day from now on. I¡¯m your advisor started today. Got it?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Professor, I can¡¯t do that. My family isn¡¯t rich enough to handle such an expensive lesson fee.¡± Han Ye Ji bolted up from the piano bench. ¡°You¡¯ve hit the lotto. I¡¯m teaching you for free.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin sat Han Ye Ji down again and put her hands on the piano. Han Ye Ji developed quickly enough to let the professor feel the happiness of teaching her. ¡°I see. Anyway, congrattions once again. For meeting a great teacher and for bing a runner-up. Ha ha.¡± If Professor Jeon Hye Jin wants to personally teach her, she must be a pianist with potential. Jun Hyukmitted her name to his memory. ¡°My standing is nothing. You do know that you became bigger news than the winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition this year, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the hot topic in Korea as well. There was already a lot of talk because 4 Korean people went up, but you added to that.¡± He does not need her to tell him all of this as he already knows. Did the reporters note looking for him in New York? ¡°But where¡¯s that girlfriend of yours? Didn¡¯t youe together? All of the runner-ups should have been gathered here.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin looked around. ¡°She¡¯s performing in Prague right now. She couldn¡¯t get out of it because a sponsor set it up... She¡¯ll be here soon.¡± ¡°I see. This kid... You¡¯re already ying around. Ho ho.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin poked Jun Hyuk¡¯s side and was happy as he blushed. ¡°Looks like you guys are performing Mozart¡¯s Magic Flute. Are you conducting it?¡± ¡°Yes. It happened like that.¡± ¡°What do you think? Is it okay? You¡¯re fine to conduct it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s nothing really special about it, but one of the sopranos is really impressive. I think she¡¯s going to be top news of this festival.¡± ¡°She must be really impressive if you talk about her like that.¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s only just 19 years old. She¡¯ll be able to reign as a diva for the next 20 years.¡± ¡°Hey! Aren¡¯t you just 19 too? Where do youe acting like an adult? Ho ho.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin was going to hit Jun Hyuk¡¯s head, but her hand did not reach. ¡°I¡¯m excited to get to see your conducting. Isn¡¯t it your debut in that field?¡± ¡°No need to be excited. I¡¯m not performing. The actors need to do well.¡± ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s see how our schedules work out and get dinner together.¡± ¡°Yes, Professor. Please call me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Han Ye Ji could not take her eyes off of Jun Hyuk as he said goodbye and walked away. ¡°He¡¯s more than you said.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think much of it when you kept saying that he is good looking, but he really is handsome. He just looked pretty when he appeared on the audition program, but he lookspletely different now.¡± ¡°Ye Ji, don¡¯t take a liking to him. You know he has a girlfriend. There¡¯s no way people couldn¡¯t know since she basically told the world not to touch him on broadcast. That Amelia girl really is impressive.¡± In Professor Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s eyes, Amelia does notck anything. Looks, talent, and a bold personality. ¡°Professor, what did I do?¡± ¡°It looked like your eyes would shootsers out of them. If you want, you should give it a try. Doesn¡¯t a ball go in even if there¡¯s a goalkeeper?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Why do you keep saying stuff like that?¡± Han Ye Ji knows that the professor likes jokes like this, but she could feel her face flush. ¡°It¡¯s weird if a girl isn¡¯t attracted to a boy like that. I would¡¯ve given my all to him too if I were just 30 years younger.¡± ¡°Professor.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Because you need to be 30 years younger for it to be possible.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin poked Han Ye Ji¡¯s side. Chapter 146 Volume 4 / Chapter 146 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey guys ¨C enjoy!] When Amelia arrived after her performance in Prague, it was clear that she was already a known pianist. People asked for her signature while she was walking around in Salzburg and unlike Danny, she had a performance scheduled every night. Jun Hyuk was also in the middle ofst practices, so the two of them felt like they would pass out whenever they arrived at their hotel. ¡°Jun, I think this semester is going to be myst.¡± Amelia started talking when they were lying on the bed tired. She meant that she would be quitting school. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a definite? It would be stupid for you to try to learn anything more at school. I expected it.¡± ¡°When the tour is over in August, I need to perform concerts for at least a year.¡± Amelia is already receiving a rush of invitations to perform with orchestras all over the world. She is not being treated as a rookie who won in apetition, but as aplete pianist who has found her ce. The performance schedule would not be over after a year. If she releases a live concert album and the reaction to it is good, she will have to keep traveling to perform like a nomad. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°With what?¡± ¡°You might not be able to see me for a year.¡± Amelia stared at Jun Hyuk as she spoke. Jun Hyuk knew that the time hade for when Danny had told him to be careful with his words. Jun Hyuk looked at Amelia for a while without speaking. ¡°I¡¯m always going home. I¡¯m always going to my boyfriend¡¯s house.¡± Jun Hyuk recited one line of German poet Novalis¡¯ poem. He changed ¡®father¡¯ to ¡®boyfriend¡¯. ¡°Amelia. Your tour is just another journey for you to return to me. I¡¯ll always be in the same ce.¡± When Jun Hyuk smiled at Amelia, she hugged him with tears in her eyes. Jun Hyuk put his arms around her waist and knew that he had gotten over this dangerous moment safely and well. In thest week of July, the weekly performances ofrge conservatories began. All of the students watched the performances with their eyes wide open. There is no 1st or 2nd ce. It is just a festival without eliminations. However, the audience¡¯s reaction. The evaluation of critics. The articles to be in the festival¡¯s newsletters. These will tell them the clear ranking and who the winner is. This is not a festival but a fight. They had thought that the European conservatories would be traditionalpared to the open-minded American schools, but their performances were beyond expectation. The European conservatories did not perform Mozart¡¯s symphonies or concertos in the traditional way. They performed with such unconventional arrangements that Europe¡¯s nobility would be surprised. Electronic instruments were a given, they used drum sets instead of the timpani, and there was even a school that had the electric guitar next to the violin. The Paris conservatory was the school to receive the most apuse. They put on a European version of an animation of Don Giovanni on the screen behind the stage. The animation was a modern rendition of Mozart as a musical. Unlike Mozart who based the humorous expression on the wrongdoings of the nobility, the animation was modeled after business that exploit Third World workers. It is a very French expression of a national revolution. The unique part was that they performed to the character¡¯s song before the singers entered. There were a lot of arrangements made, and there was even an insertion of an entirely different song. However, the audience apuse let them know that it was a sessful performance. Summer festival newsletters praised the Paris conservatories¡¯ innovative performance highly. Now the focus went to the New York conservatories. On the day of the New York conservatories¡¯ performance, Professor Roger Neill was backstage encouraging the anxious students very differently unlike he did in rehearsals to calm them down. ¡°Everyone calm down and just perform as you did in rehearsals. You have practiced enough to receive a lot of apuse, so the performance is a sess no matter what. Trust me.¡± Professor Roger Neill could not do more after giving his encouragement backstage. Once the performance starts, the students have to get through it with their own power. ¡°Jun, the director of this team is now you. I don¡¯t really have anything to say but... I¡¯ll leave them to you.¡± ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Jun Hyuk had already experienced performing in front of a full audience. He was more rxed than Professor Roger Neill was. He called the members of the orchestra over to him in this rxed state. ¡°Now we need to properly show them what we practiced. Let¡¯s show them a performance that even the singers will be surprised by.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. Jun, just conduct well.¡± The bandmaster was also full of confidence. ¡°Alright. Today is the day that you can¡¯t lose track of my baton. Okay?¡± The students of the 3 New York conservatories went out onto the stage feeling the bond between the schools. With a dark stage, only the bright lights lit up the orchestra under it. When the members appeared, pping exploded from the audience. A few moments after when Jun Hyuk entered wearing a tuxedo, the apuse grew even louder. Jun Hyuk bowed lightly to the audience and met eyes with the members of the orchestra. When the bustle of the audience calmed down, Jun Hyuk brandished the baton with power. He seeded in capturing the audience with the power of Mozart¡¯s original song and the 7 minute overture. When the overture ended, the audience could not take their eyes off of the stage in anticipation for the appearance of the actors. But the first song, ¡®Save Me!¡¯ was heard from the back of the audience and not from the stage. Prince Tamino had appeared while performing from the rear of the audience. He had on a suit that was toorge instead of grand prince¡¯s clothing, thick and full-rimmed sses, a briefcase under his arm, and walked with a slump toward the stage. He had been changed into the average sry man from a prince. Laughter burst out from the audience. From the way he hands out flyers to the people in the audience, he is without a doubt a salesman. When arge, monstrous snake is supposed to appear, the screen behind the stage lit up with aplicated graph covered in numbers. Prince Tamino shook in fear. The prince is afraid of the sales performance and not the snake. At this time, 3 chambermaids of the Queen of the Night appeared in two piece suits. The women looked to be Prince Tamino¡¯s employees. In the original, the chambermaids fall in love with the prince at first nce because he is so handsome. Now, he is a boss who bothers his employees who do not have good performance. The audience became a sea ofughter with the inconsistent stage. The funny new hunter character ¡®Papageno¡¯ entered wearing clothing that bikers who worship Harley Davidson would. The chambermaids who need to get angry with him fall in love at first sight and cling to him. The atmosphere of the entire opera changes with a costume change. Someone who does not understand German would think that this is a story about a weak sryman, female superior who is great at her job, and the biker that the women fall for. Of the people on stage, only Queen of the Night¡¯s daughter ¡®Pamina¡¯ was wearing the traditional dress. The viin Sarastro who kidnapped Pamina was dressed like Steve Jobs in his trademark turtleneck, jeans, and sses. When Queen of the Night appeared on stage, the audience broke out inughter and apuse at the same time. Laura Goldberg was not wearing a scary witch¡¯s outfit, but skinny leather pants and a leather jacket that showed off her figure. The audience¡¯sughter turned into emotion because of her voice. The actors¡¯ tempo changed ording to the constantly changing audience reaction. However, no one noticed the actors¡¯ wavering because the orchestra followed the tempo exactly. When Queen of the Night sang her aria, she handed her daughter a pistol instead of a knife. The audienceughed at the gun, but they became lost in the coloratura that followed. Actors who are beyond the audience¡¯s expectations and an impressionable performance. The actors ran around the audience and became one with them. Laura Goldberg¡¯s wonderful aria. With the finale ¡®The day brightens soon¡¯ that even the supporting actors participated in, the lights on the stage turned off. When the performance ended, the audience exploded in apuse. Most of their apuse was directed to Laura Goldberg. The costumes and stage background alone made Magic Flute, which recalls a myth or fairytale, into the story of amon society sryman. Art director Professor Roger Neill actively utilized the fact that the performers are college students. Even if the performance was too unconventional, it could be made up by emphasizing that it was carried out by college students. And because it is unconventional, it would capture the audience¡¯s attention and it was a performance that is faithful to the original. This performance¡¯s reigning points were Professor Neill¡¯s production and Laura Goldberg¡¯s voice. Jun Hyuk knew that the performance was not a failure when the orchestra¡¯s greetings received a storm of apuse. The students on top of the stage finally rxed and smiled brightly at the audience. Chapter 147 Volume 4 / Chapter 147 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: This one¡¯s a short one. Sorry guys!] Professor Roger Neill went backstage with the students and did not hesitate withplimenting each and every student. Professor Neill changed intofortable clothes and opened his arms wide when he saw Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun, my maestro! You did really well.¡± Professor Neill went to Jun Hyuk and hugged him. ¡°Today¡¯s best isn¡¯t Laura, but you. It was really impressive.¡± Professor Neill whispered something in Jun Hyuk¡¯s ear. Most people who attended the performance remembered Laura, but people with the ear for it would certainly remember Jun Hyuk¡¯s conducting. Laura Goldberg was drinking beer and wine while enjoying the aftertaste of the stage, slowly went next to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun, today¡¯s performance was really impressive.¡± ¡°It was the aria more than the performance. It was a great song that no one could criticize.¡± ¡°No. In the multiple times that I lost control of my emotions and made the tempo a mess, you covered that up. Not everyone can do that. I¡¯m pretty sure I never experienced a performance like this even when we yed at school.¡± ¡°The song was good, so I just followed it.¡± It was not modesty. Jun Hyuk was so moved by Laura¡¯s aria that he could not help but follow it. Just like Jun Hyuk¡¯s expectation that Laura would be a tremendous diva, all of the criticism written in the festival newsletter were about Laura Goldberg. They began with praises and ended in admiration. All that was written about Jun Hyuk was one short line, ¡®An excellent performance so stable that it could have been conducted by a veteran.¡¯ The expenses to have the students of the 3 New York conservatories stay in Salzburg was arranged until August 1st, three days after the performance. It had been nned so they could see the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra¡¯s performance that night. A student who wants to stay in Europe for the remainder of the summer break needs to settle it by their own means. Most students needed to go back to New York. They do not have such rxed lives that would allow them to hang out in Europe for vacation. They are students whose lives are run with lessons and practice. Jun Hyuk packed his bags to meet Amelia who had gone to Eastern Europe first. ¡°Jun, we can¡¯t miss this concert for anything. We need to see it no matter what.¡± He received a sudden call from the bandmaster and went in front of the cafe. The bandmaster and a few students were waiting for Jun Hyuk while drinking beers. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal all of a sudden? What concert?¡± ¡°August 1st Berlin Philharmonic performance. Do you know who the conductor is?¡± The bandmaster could not hide his excitement and his voice grew louder. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s Sir Simon Rattle. He¡¯s the standing conductor right now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a special performance after. There¡¯s a performance by Sarill Petrenko right after.¡± ¡°Huh? Why is he doing it? He¡¯s arranged to be the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic starting in 3 years. Why is he already conducting?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we can¡¯t miss out on an opportunity like this. Two maestros are conducting on the same stage.¡± Just as the bandmaster said, there is no performance more difficult to see. However, it oveps with the main stage of Salzburg Festival¡¯s, the Vienna Philharmonic. ¡°Then we¡¯re giving up the Vienna Philharmonic?¡± ¡°Of course. Can¡¯t the Vienna performance be expected? The repertoire is obvious. But the maestro of the Berlin performance is Petrenko.¡± The bandmaster¡¯s expression showed that he is certain that the Berlin Philharmonic performance is the one that is much better. Sarill Petrenko from Russia debuted first and upon moving to Austria at age 18, he studied conducting at Vienna School of Music. After, he gained experience in famous opera theaters all over the world like in Vienna, Paris, and New York. He beat eminentpetitors like the Boston Symphony, Birmingham Symphony, and Dresden music director, and was selected to lead the Berlin Philharmonic in his 40s. The Berlin Philharmonic is famous for choosing its chief conductor in a democratic way with votes from the orchestra members and debates. Jun Hyuk also leaned toward the Berlin Philharmonic where hepare the two greats on one stage. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll toss Berlin Philharmonic.¡± Jun Hyuk wanted to find something new in the young Petrenko¡¯s music. ¡°But did you buy tickets? Don¡¯t we only have tickets to the Vienna Philharmonic?¡± ¡°Yeah Jun. Hurry up and give me your ticket too. We need to change them. Since the Vienna Philharmonic is popr, we¡¯ll be able to change them easily.¡± On the day of the performance however, there was no point to what the bandmaster said. As renowned as the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics are, they cannot bepared to see who is inferior and superior. Since the 2 maestros are standing on the same stage however, the Berlin Philharmonic tickets are in higher demand. ¡°What do we do? We did get tickets but... they¡¯re standing.¡± The bandmaster avoided looking the other students in the eye and took out the tickets. ¡°We need to stand in the back of the audience to hear the concert.¡± They made it so that they could have more guests in to enjoy the performances. Every concert sells about 30 standing tickets. ¡°Hey! Mozart¡¯s Symphony No. 40, Piano Concerto No. 20. It¡¯s an hour and a half if we want to listen to all of this. And didn¡¯t they say there¡¯s a special performance? So we need to stand for 2 hours?¡± ¡°If the music is good, 2 hours go by in a sh. What¡¯s the problem?¡± The studentsined to the bandmaster, but the tickets were already exchanged. The bandmaster quickly handed out the tickets and went into the concert hall. The center concert hall, which is in the middle of the festival, is where the Vienna Philharmonic performance opened. It can hold thergest audience and it is the location for Salzburg Festival¡¯s main program. They are taking advantage of the power and benefits of their homeground. Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s performance opened in the Hohen Salzburg concert hall. There was even a shortage with standing room, so people were still outside trying to scalp tickets. Jun Hyuk and his group leaned on the wall and waited for the concert to start. Chapter 148 Volume 4 / Chapter 148 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: And it alles full circle.....!] When the standing conductor Simon Lettle slowly walked out onto the stage, there was thunderous pping and whistling in the concert hall. Simon Lettle was appointed as the sessor to the great ¡®udio Abbado¡¯. Sir Lettle did receive a lot of criticism that he had used the Berlin Philharmonic as an instrument to perform in the German Romanticism. However, he transformed the ssical and romantic Berlin Philharmonic into modern music with his skills. The Berlin Philharmonic that he promoted so enthusiastically seeded in the inte broadcast ¡®Digital Concert Hall,¡¯ making it a corporate with a lot of profits. He was assessed exotically as the conductor with the best business mind and that he is a unique person. The first song of the concert, Mozart¡¯s Symphony No. 40, ended and the audience was full of hype. It is the song that Jun Hyuk performed for the conductor auditions. If his performance was an uneasy racing, Simon Lettle only performed the racing without the uneasiness. It allowed them to experience the danger of crashing on the track and the deafening roar of the cars racing by. Sarill Petrenko appeared on the stage to the sound of the apuse. Sarill Petrenko hugged the conductor lightly and sat in front of the piano. The audience broke out in apuse again. ¡°Look. I told you I was right! This is the first time in more than 10 years that Petrenko is ying the piano.¡± The students could not hide their surprise. He once received the high praise as a pianist that he is the seconding of Chopin, but he was rarely seen ying the piano once he went into conducting. Their legs were stiff from standing all the way in the back for about 40 minutes, but their exhaustion disappearedpletely once Petrenko sat in front of the piano. Everyone forgot about the pain in their legs and got lost in Petrenko¡¯s performance. As it is not an ordinary concert, they had selected 2 of Mozart¡¯s songs that would be suitable for a public participating in a festival. When the piano symphony ended, the 2 maestros stood next to each other and bowed to the audience. With thest special performance left, the audience imagined that Simon Lettle might y the piano again. Simon Lettle took the mic that the host gave him. ¡°Next is the special performance, which I¡¯m sure you all are most curious about. I struggled with all of my strength, but this is a monstrous song that is like drinking something bitter. However, our Berlin Philharmonic seeded with the divine maestro Petrenko.¡± The audience did not know what he meant by monstrous, but they apuded to the words that it was a sess. Simon Lettle handed the mic and baton to Sarill Petrenko, and went behind the stage. Sarill Petrenko stood on the podium and the audience got lost in their excitement. They felt like they had been chosen to see what could only be seen in 3 years. Sarill Petrenko calmed down the pping and cheering audience and put the mic to his mouth. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all guessed, but all that is left is a very special performance.¡± The audience was in a stir at the mention of a special performance. It meant that it is not a known song, so that the conductor must take the mic himself and exin it to the audience. ¡°Now, we will be giving a very important performance for the Berlin Philharmonic. It has never been performed and we do not know who theposer is. Maestro Sir Lettle said that it is monstrous, but it is like a map to a treasure ind with only the 1st sheet.¡± When he said treasure ind, Jun Hyuk and the students in the back of the concert hall started cheering, bringing the hall into excitement again. The first performance of this music. The opportunity to see a premiere is a chance that will nevere again. The maestro smiled brightly at the audience and continued his exnation. ¡°Truthfully, this song is a masterpiece that has gone back and forth between many maestros I admire for the past year or so.¡± The audience grew more curious at the word masterpiece. ¡°And I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m allowed to say this, but it was something like an unspokenpetition between conductors of several orchestras around the world. It was about who would be the first to get this song out to the world. That is how difficult this song is to perform.¡± The maestro turned around and signaled to the orchestra members. When they received the signal, more than half of them put on headphones. The audience stirred up again at this strange action. ¡°Listening to this song is pain itself. It is to the point where it is almost impossible for us, the performers, to y the song. That¡¯s why we have to resort to strange methods like this.¡± The audience began to whisper again. What difficult techniques were necessary that they even use the expression of pain? And that from the top ss Berlin Philharmonic. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen. If this song is too hard to listen to, you may get up and leave at anytime. It is not an issue of courtesy. It is a song where I can understand why you cannot stay to listen. I guarantee that there won¡¯t be more than 10 people who stay to listen to this 10 minute song all the way to the end.¡± The audience thought that another type of modern music would appear. Even with the premiere of Igor Stravinsky¡¯s masterpiece, half of the audience had left in the middle of the performance. This is not the 19th or 20th century however. This is the 21st century when even silence is recognized as music. The audience thought that the maestro¡¯s exnation had been severely exaggerated. They just expected it to be that difficult of a song. ¡°The title written on the score is Symphony No. 1 in A Major, but we the conductors created a subtitle. It is ¡®Inferno¡¯.¡± Inferno, meaning hell¡¯s fire. What kind of song could it be that it appears with the subtitle Inferno? The audience gulped. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t it an excellent choice? This is the moment that we are premiering an unknownposer. And by the Berlin Philharmonic.¡± The bandmaster who had exchanged seats at the Vienna Philharmonic into standing tickets felt like his decision had been justified by this moment. Jun Hyuk¡¯s face was full of anticipation as well. It is a surprise and a happiness to listen to a totally new form of modern music. What he could not understand still, was why more than half of the performers would need to wear headphones. What they could expect is the difficulty of the tempo. Is the beat so hard that they need guidance from a metronome like a drummer? Or is it a temporary solution to make up for theck of time to practice? When he had caught the tail of the question, the performance began. Jun Hyuk meant to lean on the wall and rx while enjoying the music. When the first measure flowed out however, he went weak and sat on the ground. The music stirred in his head without having to listen to it. As the performance continued, the music became overwhelmed by the noise. No, the music and noise from the audience mixed to the point of indistinction. The ufortable moaning and swearing that came from all over the audience, and the sound of people mming their seats to leaving grew louder. ¡°Wooo!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Dies ist keine musik!¡± The ones who cover their ears and leave silently are the patient music lovers. They are leaving while showing thest courtesy. Most were ragging and swearing. A few even spit on the ground and left the concert hall. A few people from Jun Hyuk¡¯s group had already left the hall and the bandmaster, who had been showing the most patience, pulled on Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand. ¡°Jun, let¡¯s go. This is insane. This isn¡¯t music. I think I¡¯m going to puke.¡± Jun Hyuk took his hand out of the bandmaster¡¯s. The bandmaster looked at Jun Hyuk for a moment and could not take anymore, running out. Not even 5 minutes had passed when the hall was empty. When the 10 minute performance ended, there were only 5 people in their seats as the maestro had ensured and they were sitting with frowns on their faces. The remaining 5 people are not ordinary people, but reporters on assignment. They had endured the performance in order to write their articles. The performance ended, but conductor Sarill Petrenko was gripping the podium handrails and panting. The performance was only 10 minutes, but the conductor, performers, and reporters could not speak for more than 10 minutes in order to catch their breaths. When the concert hall was full of silence, conductor Petrenko coughed and turned to the audience. When he bowed, the only person standing all the way in the back of the hall pped. Surprisingly, he is a white-haired elderly man. Jun Hyuk, who was still sitting on the ground, looked at the old gentleman, but could not tell who he is. He does look familiar though. When the orchestra members and conductor left the stage, the reporters who had stayed in their seats until the very end also left. The old gentleman who had pped, got up slowly and walked with difficulty. Jun Hyuk could not move until the theater waspletely empty. Chapter 149 Volume 4 / Chapter 149 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: What does JH do now?] The first symphony he wrote. And a song that he had been forgetting. Now, it is a song that he wants to erasepletely. That music had been spread among conductors without him knowing. How had the score been passed around? Its premiere had been by the Berlin Philharmonic, even if it is a failed performance where not many people had stayed to listen all the way through. He was at a loss for what to do. Jun Hyuk felt like a diary he had written in his immature youth had been disyed for all to see. Does he have to say that he is the owner of that diary? It seemed as though it would be better to hide this fact, but he wanted to meet the maestro who evaluated his song so highly and ask his reasoning. He also needed to know where he got the score. Someone says that it is monstrous and someone says that it is a treasure map. Whether it is a monster or a treasure map, it means that it is that rare. Jun Hyuk picked himself off the ground and left the theater. *** ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but only officials are allowed to enter here. What are you here for?¡± The backstage entryway was blocked by 2 sturdy guards. Usually, a lot of fans would have been blocking this passage but even the adoring fans had turned away from them after today¡¯s ufortable performance. ¡°I would like to meet Maestro Sarill Petrenko.¡± Jun Hyuk spoke carefully, but the 2 guards waved him away. ¡°Sorry. Fans cannot enter.¡± ¡°Then can you ry a message?¡± ¡°Sure. What would you like for me to tell them?¡± The 2 guards know everything about today¡¯s performance. Of Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s performance, empty seats is unimaginable. They performed modern music that is that strange and they thought that because of this, the fans are full of anger. Is this young kid trying to say that he is an adoring fan to have them deliver a rotten egg to the maestro? ¡°Tell him that the person who wrote Inferno would like to meet him.¡± The guards blocking the entrance looked at each other. Inferno? They did not know what this meant. ¡°What? Inferno? What is that?¡± ¡°Hm... Then tell them that it¡¯s the person who wrote thest song performed today.¡± As soon as he said the person who wrote thest song, their eyes bulged. They did not know the subtitle of a song called Inferno, but they at least knew that theposer of today¡¯sst song was unknown through eavesdropping. ¡°Is... Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not an idiot who would lie about something that could be caught right away.¡± ¡°Wait... Wait here for a moment, please.¡± One of the men ran in and the other person kept looking at Jun Hyuk in wonder. Jun Hyuk avoided the guard¡¯s ufortable stare and scratched the carpet with his foot. His heart was still beating. He could hear noisy footsteps from inside the passage. Two maestros were running ahead and the orchestra members could be seen behind them. As soon as the guard pointed to Jun Hyuk, Petrenko went so close to him their faces could touch. He put his hand on Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Is it true that you are theposer of Inferno!!¡± He could not calm his excitement and raised his voice as if out of anger. ¡°Yes.¡± Jun Hyuk responded with a trembling voice, and Petrenko pushed his hair away. ¡°How... how... how could this be.¡± Petrenko was not the only one. The members who followed him could not hide their shock either. To think that this Asian youth wrote that monstrous song! Everyone stared out nkly in the lobby of the concert hall. ¡°Maestro. Instead of standing around here, we should go in and talk. There might be other people around.¡± One of the members spoke and Petrenko and Jun Hyuk, surrounded by the members, returned backstage. Someone gave Jun Hyuk a cup of coffee. He wet his dry throat and looked around. Unlike ordinary backstages, there were no bottles of champagne or wine. It is a definite to have things to celebrate the end of a performance with, but there were only a few cups of coffee. It was that difficult of a performance and they did not even have the state of mind to drink and enjoy themselves. As soon as Jun Hyuk drank all of his coffee, Maestro Petrenko sat across from Jun Hyuk. They sat across from each other, but they were encircled by the orchestra performers. The person they had been so curious about... To meet theposer who had caused them so much pain. Everyone had mountains of questions to ask him, but confirmation came before questioning. They did not take their suspicious gazes off of Jun Hyuk. It is a song that brought all of the pain of the world together to explode all at once. The conductor and performers had been certain that theposer was a veteran who was on hisst leg of life. The person in front of them however, was at most a 20 year old youth. Petrenko seemed to have calmed down a lot from when he was in the passage. Sir Simon Lettle watched them quietly from a short distance away. This is the first time that theposer and performer are meeting. There are a lot of questions he would like to ask, but it is right that he waits. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us who you are first?¡± ¡°Sure. My name is Jun Hyuk Jang. I am a student at CH School of Music.¡± ¡°New York¡¯s yton-Hoffman?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They knew that he had participated in the conservatory weekly program of the Salzburg Festival. ¡°Magic Flute? Did you perform? Or are you just visiting?¡± ¡°I conducted the orchestra.¡± A low sound came from the performers around them. He has the basics down. ¡°Can I ask how old you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m 19 years old, a sophomore.¡± Petrenko remembered that it has been over 1 year since he had possession of this score. He knew that the score had been making rounds with conductors for 2 years. ¡°Then when did you write this song? Before enrolling in school?¡± ¡°Yes. I remember writing it about 3 years ago.¡± Phew! Huah! Just 16 years old? There was shouting and whistling from around them. Everything they had expected and had been sure about were wrong. It was difficult for them to ept this nonsensical situation. One of the members was impatient and asked what everyone had on their minds. It is hard to keep their courtesy to Maestro Petrenko. ¡°This is just the 1st sheet. Is this all of it? What about the rest? Is there more? Is it unfinished?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯splete. There are 4 parts.¡± Oh my god. They started murmuring again. They had even used ear plugs and headphones. They only heard the metronome in the headphones. They had barely enduring 10 minutes by blocking out their fellow musicians. But it is just ?. Petrenko looked around, made everyone be quiet, and asked the most important question next. The answer to this would tell them everything. If he really is theposer or not. ¡°How was our performance today? I would like to hear an honest evaluation from theposer.¡± ¡°I learned that theposer is not allowed to say anything once the score has left his hands. You interpreted it as the maestro, and didn¡¯t you perform to that interpretation?¡± It is not the response that they were expecting, and it is too out of the textbook. This is why they cannot get what they want. Petrenko spoke again, ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯ll change the question. If you theposer were a conductor, how would you have performed it?¡± The words were changed, but he is basically asking the same question. Jun Hyuk¡¯s assessment of today¡¯s performance. Jun Hyuk realized that Petrenko wants to hear the response no matter what. Jun Hyuk thought of the performance and spoke after organizing his thoughts for a moment. ¡°Hm... I thought that it might have been too direct. It seems you focused only on the pain itself. I did not hear the desire of the person experiencing that pain.¡± ¡°The desire of the person experiencing the pain? Specifically?¡± Petrenko¡¯s eyes grew wide and the members gulped. Sir Simon Lettle¡¯s heart started beating as well. ¡°I want to hurry up and end this pain. If it won¡¯t end quickly, I¡¯d rather pass out and escape the pain. Those wishes have been left out. I do think that this could happen because you only had the 1st part to go off of. If I had conducted it, I would have expressed the desire to escape the pain rather than the physical feeling of that pain.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk¡¯s response ended, Maestro Petrenko bolted up from his seat. ¡°He¡¯s right. This is the person! This is without a doubt theposer. I¡¯m sure of it!¡± Chapter 150 Volume 4 / Chapter 150 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey guys...sorry about yesterday. I was sick and was stuck in the hospital all day trying to see a doctor so I couldn¡¯t trante. Even today I had to call out sick at work. But I hope you enjoy. I am setting this release for free :D] For most people listening to this song for the first time, it is nothing but extreme noise. This song is noise that is difficult to listen all the way through to the end. However, this kid heard it for the first time and had an interpretation of it. It is an impossible response unless it is from theposer. Petrenko looked behind him and called someone over, ¡°Maestro Giavelli. What do you think? Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Maestro Giavelli approached Jun Hyuk slowly. ¡°Are you Korean?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So you are.¡± Maestro Giavelli is the elderly gentleman who had stayed until the end and pped. That is when Jun Hyuk remembered who the man is. He is the maestro who used to lead the San Francisco Philharmonic. It is no wonder he seemed familiar. ¡°The person who gave me the score for this song first is my student and he¡¯s Korean. He came across your score by chance as well, but he said that he wasn¡¯t able to find theposer.¡± The first source of the score is Korea. The time and location of the appearance of the score matches up exactly. That and Jun Hyuk¡¯s evaluation of the performance. Everyone backstage finally believed that Jun Hyuk is theposer. ¡°You said that a Korean gave you the score?¡± Since he said that it was a student, he is sure that it is not Yoon Kwang Hun. Then could that mean Yoon Kwang Hun threw away his score? There is no way that could have happened. He keeps Jun Hyuk¡¯s scores and considers them worth more than money. He takes care of them and stores them with a humidistat that would only be seen in a museum. He would not have shown it to others either. If he had, theposer would not be unknown. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not the original. He found a printout somewhere and brought it to me.¡± Maestro Giavelli smiled slightly at Jun Hyuk¡¯s surprised expression. The youngposer does not know where his score was leaked either. There is no reason to wonder about that though. Everything was already revealed. There is something that no one backstage had asked Jun Hyuk. That is the background of making this song. No one asked why he had created such a song and what he had wanted to express. It is a question that would havee out if theposer was old. When everyoneid eyes on Jun Hyuk however, they could only guess. They do not know what kind of past he had, but his ability to write such a song is evidence that he has experienced indescribable pain. They could not bring up that painful past on purpose. Jun Hyuk shook off thoughts about the original score and said why he hade backstage. ¡°Honestly... I¡¯m curious about your opinion. There are 3 maestros here and the Berlin Philharmonic members, who are seen as the best in the world, so I think you can solve what I am curious about.¡± When Jun Hyuk spoke carefully, everyone turned their attentions to him again. ¡°Can you tell me what my music is like?¡± The 3 maestros looked at each other. ¡°I guess we can say it like this.¡± Marco Giavelli, who had seen Jun Hyuk¡¯s music first and had thought about it the most, started giving his opinion. ¡°Modern music, which started in thetter half of the 19th century, constantly throws the question ¨C what is music? And little by little, musicians appeared to answer that question... We went past listening to music and enjoying it with emotions, to exploring its nature. But Inferno is....¡± Marco Giavelli stopped speaking as though he had suddenly thought of something. ¡°Oh right, what do you think of the subtitle ¡®Inferno¡¯? Is it okay?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s perfect. When I was writing that song, I did not know the word ¡®inferno¡¯. If I had known it, I think I would have titled it that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± He had a satisfied expression and continued with his opinion on Jun Hyuk¡¯s essential question. ¡°Anyway, I think that Inferno isn¡¯t asking the nature of music but the role of music. The question up until now. The question has moved from ¡® What is music?¡¯ to ¡®Until where is the role of music possible?¡¯ Could there be a role for music that causes pain just by listening to it?¡± Jun Hyuk found Marco Giavelli¡¯s exnation more interesting than his own music. He respected that this man could have such thoughts. ¡°If there is, is it something that is necessary for humans? If it is not needed, is there a reason for creating that music? It brings up these never ending philosophical questions.¡± Jun Hyuk thought of the saying, interpretation over draems. A deep interpretation that he had not thought of. There are times when the value of art is decided on the interpretation of it. As there are more people in tune with that interpretation, the more it is recognized as a work of art. ¡°I think that your song Inferno is important because it causes a cycle of never ending questions. The young maestro, Petrenko, also put this performance on stage to throw that question out to the world.¡± Marco Giavelli was telling Jun Hyuk that the shock surrounding his song will not have disappeared yet. It has been performance and since theposer appeared, it will inevitably be more news-worthy. ¡°So the intentions of theposer are not important. Inferno is a song that I wrote for no particr reason when I was younger.¡± Jun Hyuk was embarrassed that they were giving such a high assessment of his song. ¡°I have another opinion.¡± Petrenko had been quietly listening to Marco Giavelli¡¯s opinions, when he spoke, ¡°Yes. I would like to hear it.¡± ¡°These are opinions that say we cannot say it is not music. There are people who say that it is nothing but noise and no matter what the intentions for making it were, the results are too violent. That¡¯s why there are a lot of people who say that it such not be included in the category of music.¡± Jun Hyuk made it himself, but thought that there is a need to take a look at it objectively. ¡°I see.¡± Neatly solved questions and an assessment of his music. Jun Hyuk forgot about the awkwardness and embarrassment he felt when he first came backstage. ¡°I feel relieved. It¡¯s a song that I hadpletely forgotten about... I don¡¯t know how to thank you for giving me such a clear evaluation of it.¡± Jun Hyuk got up from his seat and owed to the maestros and Berlin Philharmonic members. ¡°I took too much of your time when you¡¯re so busy. Then I¡¯ll be going.¡± However, Jun Hyuk could not go backstage. None of the people surrounding him, cleared a path for him to leave. ¡°Hang on. What are you doing?¡± The person blocking him with his arms was Petrenko. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll be going now. I need to go to Budapest early tomorrow morning.¡± Jun Hyuk spoke in apology, but Petrenko did not get out of his way. ¡°You can¡¯t go now. There¡¯s still a lot that we need to talk about. How can I just send you away like this?¡± ¡°Of course I would like to speak more with you three, but the situation.....¡± Petrenko and Jun Hyuk suddenly became awkward. Petrenko cannot hang on to someone who has a reason for going back. And Jun Hyuk feels bad that there is more to say, but he only asked what he needed to. Sir Simon Lettle resolved this awkward situation. ¡°It isn¡¯t three. What are you going to do if there are 6 people? I mean to include the conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic.¡± Sir Simon Lettle shook the cellphone in his hand. ¡°I told all of the conductors in Salzburg to gather. No one hesitated when I said that theposer of Inferno appeared. Are you still going to leave?¡± Jun Hyuk stared nkly at the cellphone. What could be happening right now? Is he saying that over 10 of the best conductors in the world are gathering here because of him? ¡°If the orchestra memberse as well, that¡¯s hundreds of people. I don¡¯t know what you have going on, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much to disappoint so many people?¡± Sir Simon Lettle smiled at Jun Hyuk in jest, and Jun Hyuk took out his phone. He would need to send Amelia a text. If he tells her that he is with the 3 maestros, she will not be angry but be happy for him as though it had happened to herself. Petrenko looked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s phone through the side of his eye and tilted his head. ¡°Sorry but... are you texting Amelia? The pianist that I know? Amelia LaMarque?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well... Was there a performance with you two scheduled in Budapest? This is ufortable. I wanted to spend a few days with you.....¡± It seems that Petrenko thought they were putting on a performance together as conductor and pianist because he does not know their rtionship. Since they are students of the same school, it is not a far off guess. ¡°Ah, no that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s not a performance, but... she¡¯s actually my girlfriend. We were going to meet in Budapest.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment. ¡°What? Amelia is your girlfriend? Then are you saying that you¡¯re the Jun she spoke about in an interview after the Tchaikovsky Competition?¡± Jun Hyuk is like an onion, withyer onyer. The people backstage gathered to him again upon this new side of him. Chapter 151 Volume 4 / Chapter 151 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: ...] ¡°Yes. Everyone at school calls me Jun.¡± ¡°Ah, you said that your name is Jun Hyuk Jang. I see. I didn¡¯t even imagine that this was the same person.¡± Petrenko looked at Jun Hyuk and thought of the interview that Amelia gave. ¡°Then you¡¯re the Jun who released a jazz album with Stanley rke?¡± ¡°Yes. How do you know that?¡± ¡°What do you mean how do I know? Amelia¡¯s winningments were really fun. That she learned the real piano from her boyfriend. That her boyfriend is her only teacher. It was the most bizarre interview for a winner. The media even introduced you as a jazz pianist because you released an album with Stanley rke. Petrenko looked at Jun Hyuk in a new light upon the realization that he is apetent pianist. One of the orchestra members came close to Jun Hyuk. ¡°I¡¯m your fan. I was so surprised when I heard your piano on that album... It¡¯s hard to hear such a free piano even in jazz.¡± ¡°You listen to jazz as well?¡± This time, Jun Hyuk looked surprised. It is hard to imagine a solemn violinist of the Berlin Philharmonic listening to jazz. ¡°Why? You think we only listen to ssical? We like jazz and pop too. You think we only like Beethoven? We like the Beatles too. Ha ha.¡± The violinist whispered in Jun Hyuk¡¯s ear. ¡°This is actually a secret, but my favorite female singer is Madonna, not a soprano who sings arias.¡± While everyone was surprised by this new side of Jun Hyuk, Simon Lettle said something to hurry everyone, ¡°There there. Let¡¯s hurry back to the hotel. We need to empty this concert hall... Those guys are gathering to the hotel right now. If we make them wait, they¡¯ll make a huge fuss.¡± Sir Simon Lettle kept talking on his phone from a distance, and approached Jun Hyuk. ¡°Maestro, what do you think about going back to the hotel.....?¡± ¡°Yeah. The maestros are going to the hotel that our Berlin Philharmonic is staying at. We reserved one of the banquet halls. Everyone is going to meet there. Oh right, you cancel your flight and switch hotels. Don¡¯t you need to check out in the morning anyway?¡± It is evident that this maestro is the business type from the way that he organizes their matters within moments. ¡°No. I¡¯ll call my manager, so tell him where you¡¯re staying. He¡¯ll take care of everything. You can just move with me.¡± Sir Lettle pushed Jun Hyuk¡¯s back to try to leave when his phone rang. As soon as Jun Hyuk picked up the phone, he heard Amelia¡¯s excited voice. Jun! What are you talking about? What do you mean you¡¯re with 3 maestros? ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll tell you moreter. Anyway, I¡¯m with them now.¡± It¡¯s a good thing, right? Did you meet them because of the Magic Flute that you conducted? ¡°No. It¡¯s because of something else. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to go tomorrow, so I¡¯ll leave the day after tomorrow in the morning.¡± Okay. Since you said that it¡¯s a good thing... ¡°May I intercept?¡± Petrenko came to Jun Hyuk and took the phone. ¡°Ah, Amelia? I¡¯m Petrenko. We¡¯ve performed together before, haven¡¯t we? ..... Yeah. That Petrenko. Ha ha. I think I¡¯ll need to borrow your great boyfriend for a few days. Will it be okay? ..... Of course. I¡¯ll return him very healthy, so don¡¯t worry about it..... Alright, and we should adjust our schedules to perform together again. I think the positions have changed now so I have to ask you for the favor. Ha ha.¡± Petrenko did not stopughing and gave the phone back to Jun Hyuk. ¡°You were going to run away after just one day? We can¡¯t let that happen. Since your girlfriend has allowed it, you¡¯re staying with me for the time being. Are you going to leave after just talking? We have to have a conversation with music. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± The performers who were waiting after the concert were pleased as if they were just now enjoying its aftertaste. They felt like it had been a sessful concert even though not one member of the general audience had remained until the end. There are also people who have note out of their shock. A reporter who had endured the nightmarish 10 minutes had stuck to them, and checked to make sure the recorder in his hand was functioning well. He is not a formal reporter, but a frence college student majoring in journalism who had volunteered for the Salzburg Festival newsletter. While everyone was forgetting about this college student, he was guessing that the recorder he held in his hand is like a winning lottery ticket. *** The Berlin Philharmonic is staying at the Intercontinental, in the center of Salzburg. When they entered the hotel banquet hall, it was already set up for a party as per Sir Simon Lettle¡¯s orders. Even though it was ast-minute request, they had prepared the best champagne, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. They could not tell if it was the power of the Berlin Philharmonic or Sir Simon Lettle as British royalty, but it is obvious that they are receiving special treatment from the hotel. The hotel paid special attention in particr because the guests are maestros who lead famous orchestras. The conductors who came in one by one were only focused on 2 things. Whether or not the Berlin Philharmonic had really performed Inferno, and if theposer had really appeared. This season¡¯s guest conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic, Patrick Quinn, must havee immediately after the concert because he was still in his tuxedo. Strangely, the Vienna Philharmonic does not have a principal conductor. Every season since 1933, the orchestra members select a guest conductor. ¡°Goodness! He¡¯s at least 200 years younger than I had imagined.¡± Maestro Patrick Quinn¡¯s reaction upon seeing Jun Hyuk for the first time was not very different from that of the Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s. ¡°Maestro Petrenko, is it true?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. This young friend is theposer.¡± Patrick Quinn looked at Petrenko and shook his head. ¡°No, not that. I mean, did you really seed in performing Inferno. Is that true?¡± Petrenko scratched his neck and did not admit or deny it. ¡°Since we took shortcuts and Jun theposer said that it was almost a sess, it¡¯s hard to say.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s true that more than half of the performers had to wear headphones. Ha ha. That¡¯s innovative.¡± Patrick Quinnughed heartily and gathered all of the conductors to the center. For Jun Hyuk, it did not seem like reality that he was shaking hands with the best conductors in ssical music. To have 16 maestros gathered in one ce? And that the reason for their being there is none other than himself? There is no doubt. All 16 maestros are looking at him. Jun Hyuk told them everything. Heposed Inferno at age 16 and then enrolled in CH School of Music. The story of how he came to record an album with Stanley rke at LA Sound. About Amelia and Danny at the Tchaikovsky Competition. Lastly, the performance of Magic Flute at the Salzburg Festival to today¡¯s events. The maestros regretted that today¡¯s performance had not been recorded. It is ironic that they could not get a single recorded file in the day of media. It is uncertain who would be able to perform this song again. Everyone had imagined the sound while reading the score, but they had lost the opportunity to hear Inferno yed on instruments. When they tried to move on from Jun Hyuk to Inferno and philosophical questions on music, someone spoke to Jun Hyuk, ¡°Jun, I heard that there are 4 parts to Inferno. Are you going to reveal all of them? I¡¯m asking because I don¡¯t think anyone is able to bring it up. If possible, now would be okay too.¡± Everyone paid attention to Marco Giavelli¡¯s sudden question. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You assessed Inferno highly, but I¡¯m still not certain that it has that kind of worth.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it yourself? Once the score leaves theposer¡¯s hands, he is no longer allowed to interfere. It is up to the performer to pass judgment, not you.¡± ¡°That is true, but it feels like I¡¯m revealing an immature act of my youth that I wanted to hide.¡± Marco Giavelli saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s ufortable expression and did not push it further. He only said something out of experience, ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, there¡¯s nothing we can do. However, think about the people who are gathered here. Inferno is straightforward, but who would havee to see you if they thought that it was immature? There are a lot of cases where music that shows simple emotions are masterpieces. You¡¯ll know that one day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it a bit. Thank you, maestro.¡± Chapter 152 Volume 4 / Chapter 152 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: ...] Even if someone isuded as a maestro, he is just another performer who ys an instrument called an orchestra. He cannot force aposer to release a work that he does not want to. Marco Giavelli could say it because he is speaking from a fan of music who stepped down from active duty. While everyone was clucking at their regret, Petrenko stepped in. ¡°Then I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to hear your songs that are not immature?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Then? You¡¯re just going to keep letting us drink? You have to donate at least $10,000 to have dinner with the maestros here. You have to let us listen to at least one of your songs to make the ends meet.¡± All of the greats in the banquet hall burst out inughter and urged Jun Hyuk as if they had all been waiting. ¡°What are you doing? Isn¡¯t the piano waiting for you? If you don¡¯t want to y the piano, the orchestra members here can lend you whatever instrument you need. Or do you want to conduct?¡± Jun Hyuk went to the grand piano in the banquet hall. ¡°It¡¯s not immature, but I¡¯m worried it won¡¯t be worth $10,000 at the least.¡± ¡°If you think it¡¯s not enough, you can y 16 in a row. Ha ha.¡± When Petrenko was doneughing, Jun Hyuk started ying the piano. A bass ridden with anxiety and fear started and became a grandiose piano. The bass outlined the motif and the treble only yed the apaniment role. The motif moved from the bass to treble and after over 20 minutes, it ended with a high octave. The maestros in the banquet hall looked on in appreciation at first but as time passed, they looked at each other and nodded. They had discovered the hidden meaning in Jun Hyuk¡¯s song and had experience a short burst of admiration as well. When he was done ying, there was not the explosive cheering of a public audience, but the banquet hall rang with genuine pping. ¡°So this kind of configuration is also possible.¡± ¡°Yes. I was fooled at first as well. He¡¯s yed 8 songs of 3 minutes in a row. Most people would think that it is one song thatsts over 20 minutes.¡± ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s okay to say that the entire performance is one song... and it¡¯s okay to separate them. I can¡¯t tell if the configuration is good or if he¡¯s smart... Geez.¡± For over 20 minutes, they had not once felt that the performance was cut off. It is a song where they cannot distinguish whether it is one song that was split into eight, or eight songs that werebined into one. ¡°The more interesting thing is that you can y this on other instruments without arranging it. It¡¯s amazing that you can y this music from a piano on a string or wind instrument as well.¡± ¡°Yes. While he was ying just now, the orchestra members¡¯ fingers started moving automatically. They had an impulse to y it on their own instruments. Ha ha.¡± ¡°I had not expected that a youngposer who created a contemporary song like Inferno would show us a such a romantic song with the essence of Chopin.¡± Jun Hyuk stood up from the piano and lightly bowed his head. ¡°Jun, what is the title of this song? Is it just a piano ditty?¡± Petrenko, who had been known as a great pianist in his youth, showed a lot of interest. ¡°Well... it¡¯s called ¡®Driver¡¯s License¡¯.....¡± ¡°What? Driver¡¯s License? Ha ha. That¡¯s usible.¡± ¡°Yes. I got my driver¡¯s license a little while ago. Honestly, the test was so hard. I trembled during the driving test even though it¡¯s really easy once you get used to it.....¡± ¡°So you captured that experience in music? In beautiful music that is reminiscent of Chopin? That¡¯s innovative.¡± Everyone liked that he could bring out music from the minor happenings of daily life. Theposers who write songs as though fighting a war have short life spans as a musicians. They are forcing the music. Aposer with a style like this can create impressive work, but it is difficult to expect a second piece. On the other hand, the ability to create music from such minor events is a talent that any musician envies. What is more is that if they are able to write a song like ¡®Driver¡¯s License¡¯ that even has a beautiful aspect to it, then a musician cannot ask for more. ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s take a look at Jun as a pianist this time. After all, isn¡¯t he the pianist who trained the winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition?¡± Sir Simon Lettle said it as a joke, but people pped and yelled for an encore. When Jun Hyuk looked ufortable, Patrick Quinn of the Vienna Philharmonic yelled out, ¡°Look here. Forget about modesty. Modesty and courtesy are not fitting for someone who does music. You need to brag about your talent as much as you want to. That¡¯s what a musician does. Ha ha.¡± When Jun Hyuk heard Patrick Quinn¡¯s unexpected words, he burst outughing. ¡°Ha ha. I understand. Then I will show off a bit.¡± Jun Hyuk sat in front of the piano again, shook his hands a few times, and blinked as though thinking about what to perform next. Then he put his hands on the keys. The first melody that flowed from the piano is Intermezzo, the most famous of Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni of the Italian opera. It brought out an atmosphere that made it feel as if they were watching a movie about the Italian mafia. Even until then, there was an art of seduction that did not reveal any special aspects with an exact touch and seamlessly flowing octave. The continuing melody however, was surprisingly the opera¡¯s overture. Everyone doubted it but as soon as the overture ended, it became ¡®O L ch¡¯hai dirri cammisa¡¯. It looked as if he were going to y an entire opera that runs for over 70 minutes. It ismon for pianists to arrange and y the orchestra part of a piano concerto. They even arrange and y one or two great arias. But an entire opera? Of course this song is a short 70 minutes, a part of the opera, but no one has ever tried to arrange the entire song for the piano to y it. When the approximately 50 minute performance omitting the opera¡¯s dialogue was over, there was only the sound of breathing in the banquet hall. They are more surprised by something other than the fact that he yed a whole opera song. For about 50 minutes, they had sensed the touch of great pianists alive and dead, and the finale had definitely been Jun Hyuk¡¯s own touch. Jun Hyuk took his hands off of the piano and looked happy. For a song that he had just arranged, it had flowed pretty well and he thought that the performance had not been bad. Even though he had put himself into the finale, it had not felt ufortable. All of the people filling the banquet hall were having the same thought. A sanctity of pianists had appeared! They were not thinking this because of the reappearance of the greats in his ying. He had connected various pianists together with such a natural flow that only piano maniacs would be able to notice the changes. The opera ends the finale with the great voice of the tenor ringing throughout the theater. The highlight of Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance was that he yed the piano as if the bass and treble are singing the tenor as a duet. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this be enough for a donation?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s joking voice was the only sound in the silent banquet hall. Bravo!! The maestros and performers in the banquet hall got out of their seats at the same time, pping and cheering. This is not apuse for the performance. This is for Jun Hyuk as a musician. Chapter 153 Volume 4 / Chapter 153 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: ...] The ability to cross between contemporary music, ssical, and romantic. A ssical pianist who oversteps the abilities of a jazz pianist. They had also heard that he led students in a sessful performance of Magic Flute. They will have to hold back on premature judgments but since he even has the abilities of a conductor, he is aplete and perfect maestro. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much showing off? We meant to listen to a few more songs but starting now, I think we¡¯ll need to buy tickets. It¡¯s too much to ask to listen to this for free.¡± ¡°Amelia¡¯s interview wasn¡¯t an effort to push for her boyfriend. I see she¡¯s a lucky girl. To think that she receives lessons from a pianist like this everyday!¡± ¡°I can see why you aren¡¯t revealing the rest of Inferno. You have so much more to release. Ha ha.¡± They started to ask about Jun Hyuk¡¯s short life until now. When he started with music, who taught him, and what his ns for the future are. ¡°You all are my teachers.¡± With this sentence as a start, Jun Hyuk thought them briefly about his rough childhood, his encounter with Yoon Kwang Hun, how Yoon Kwang Hun recognized his talent and allowed Jun Hyuk to fall into the world of music. He also told them how he listened to CDs and soaked in the essence of that music. Everyone became lost in this story that could be out of a movie and when he was giving his evaluation of an album with a song as one unit, a few maestros were so shocked they could have fainted. Jun Huk¡¯s evaluation takes into ount every single note and melody from each instrument, which is difficult even for them to remember. There is no way to describe Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent but to say that it is a gift from God. All of the maestros were just thankful that Jun Hyuk who had such a talent was standing in front of them today. There are a lot of youths who disappear without being able to show their talent. After today however, everyone would be expecting the music that Jun Hyuk has created until now and will be creating in the future. ¡°It says that Inferno is Symphony No. 1. So how many have you written after that?¡± Since they had witnessed Jun Hyuk¡¯s abilities, they could not help but be curious about his past works. ¡°The most recent symphony I wrote is No. 14.¡± ¡°14 songs? What about others? Pieces other than symphonies?¡± ¡°I do have sonatas, concertos, and etudes for a few solo instruments.¡± ¡°Can you tell us how many songs there are total?¡± ¡°There should be a little over 60 songs for ssical music. I used to just scratch them out, but I have been controlling myself since I started attending school.¡± The person who caught on to Jun Hyuk pointing out ssical, spoke out, ¡°Wait, you said ssical? Then you work with other genres as well?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s pop music. Like rock, the blues, and jazz.¡± ¡°Do you have 60 of those too?¡± ¡°No, there are more. It has been easy to create those because the instrumentation is easy and they are shorter. I think there are about 100.¡± ¡°Crazy... Didn¡¯t you say that it hasn¡¯t been 4 years since you started music? Are you writing a new song every week?¡± ¡°I guess so. If it¡¯s possible, I try to write music every day.¡± Three or four songs in a year. They had expected him to write at most 10 songs in a year. 10 is a tremendous number, but to think that he has 14 songs that are just symphonies. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you released any of your songs? Looking at your 1st sonata, it doesn¡¯t seem like the rest will be rubbish.¡± ¡°I have performed a few of them at school concerts. But there isn¡¯t anything that I like enough to reveal to the public yet.¡± Everyone startedughing. ¡°Ha ha ha. Look here, Jun. If you¡¯re thinking of releasing songs that you¡¯repletely content with, you¡¯ll never release a single song.¡± This is a mistake that young geniuses make before they go out to the world. They focus on creation until a song that they are satisfied withes out. ¡°If youplete a song, you have developed that much. Then how could that song be satisfying? Unless you stop growing... you¡¯ll never create music that you¡¯repletely satisfied with. We¡¯re the same way. I¡¯ve never had a performance that I waspletely satisfied with. Something always falls short.¡± Jun Hyuk felt like the shorings that the maestros were discussing as if they are nothing, was exactly what he experienced. It had felt perfect when he wrote the note on the sheet, but something seemed to becking when he looked at the song as a whole. There had been many instances when he felt frustrated because he could not find a breakthrough in this shoring. ¡°Release the songs that you feel are beyond okay. And make sure you show all of the music you make to the world from now on. You can¡¯t always receive praises. You need to hear poignant criticism as well.¡± It is a life of creation that is full of the feeling ofcking. Finding out like this, he felt much lighter. Jun Hyuk forgot how tired he was because they were talking deeply about funny episodes and music. He did not forget to take pictures with everyone either. That night, the party went until dawn. Two days after the unforgettable party, Jun Hyuk followed Sir Simon Lettle and Sarill Petrenko to Berlin. He watched the Berlin Philharmonic practice and talked to each of the members, spending his time admiring the world¡¯s top ss. Each of the members of the Berlin Philharmonic are good enough to be active as soloists. They are such recognized performers that in the off-season, they configure trios or string quartets to take on full tour schedules. Since each person is outstanding, the conducting is also different. It is possible to conduct in a way that shows that an orchestra can one perfect instrument. As long as he does not alter the tempo, they do not need to rehearse repeatedly when given the conductor¡¯s interpretation of the song and a few points to pay attention to. The Berlin Philharmonic is always in its best condition. Conductors also visited other cities in order to see Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk was having a great time talking to these people and thinking about how their respectable greats like Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Wagner, and Mendelssohn had an effect on traditional songs. Chapter 154 Volume 4 / Chapter 154 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: I¡¯ve been having some personal issues so I haven¡¯t been able to trante much recently...sorry about the zero ETH updates guys] The cultural and editorial departments of influential Austrian daily newspaper ¡®Die Presse¡¯ listened to the recorder that a college student had brought them, and they knew that this is a scoop. Even outsiders to ssical music be excited about secrets like this. The recording contains the story of a masterpiece called ¡®Inferno¡¯, a mysteriousposer, and world renowned maestros. The only question was whether to put it on the 1st page or to put it in the cultural section. There are no legal issues either. They had not been tapped and this had happened during a reporter¡¯s coverage of an event. They had not given the informant the amount that he had asked for, but they had given him a fair amount for the value of the file. Culture reporters wrote their articles by looking for word on that day¡¯s performance and interviewing a few maestros over the phone. One week after the concert, ¡®Die Presse¡¯ had a headline that was enough to catch readers¡¯ attentions. [August 1st. Events of that Night; Why did 16 maestros gather in one ce?] [A Korean student at yton-Hoffman School of Music, just 19 years old, is the person who made countless maestros rack their brains for about 2 years. A leading philharmonic in the world made an attempt at his Symphony No. 1 and though they failed, he had the honor to premiere with the Berlin Philharmonic. Of course the person who created this symphony was not revealed until it was performed. Originalposer Jun Hyuk Jang, better known as JUN, released an album with jazz great Stanley rke and is winner Amelia LaMarque¡¯s boyfriend, who made news in the Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition.] The daily paper started with an introduction of Jun Hyuk and went on to describe that night¡¯s conversation in detail. Marco Giavelli¡¯s opinion on Inferno and the fact that the audience had to leave the concert hall because of the strange topic of pain in particr, caught the readers¡¯ attention. With this article, other media outlets wrote supplementing articles and the world of ssical music was flipped upside down. Of the subsequent articles, the phone interview that Patrick Quinn of the Vienna Philharmonic conducted put fire to the wind. Patrick Quinn said that Jun Hyuk is ¡®the only person who is able to stand at the top of world music. And that is within 10 years.¡¯ This short statement made Jun Hyuk the musician receiving the most attention in the world. The articles about Jun Hyuk that had started in Austria, soon spread to Germany. The Austrian and German press went to Jun Hyuk¡¯s hotel and the Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s concert hall to ask to interview and film. Like poet Byron, he had woken up a star and Jun Hyuk was having trouble adjusting to this environment that had changed overnight. ¡°Jun, I¡¯m sorry this happened but you¡¯ll be eaten alive by the press if you stay here. I wanted to spend some time with you leisurely, but it¡¯s a pity.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. If I stay here any longer, I¡¯ll be a bother to the Berlin Philharmonic.¡± Everyone was suffering because the reporters camped outside the Berlin Philharmonic concert hall were grabbing all of the members to ask for interviews or about Jun Hyuk¡¯s hotel. ¡°It¡¯ll be better for you to hide out until things get quiet. What do you think? Will you spend some time somewhere quiet?¡± ¡°Somewhere quiet?¡± Sir Simon Lettle thought that it would be best to have Jun Hyuk flee for the time being. ¡°Yeah. What do you think about staying at my vi? My housekeeper is there and if I give them a call, I can arrange to have someone to do the housework for you. It¡¯ll be perfect to rest in because it¡¯s in a small vige called Hohenschwangau, not far from Bayern Fussen. Neuschwanstein castle is nearby and since the Schwangu forest is right there, you can take walks to avoid the summer heat.¡± Neuschwanstein castle is a sight that Jun Hyuk wanted to see as well. It is so beautiful that Walt Disney used it as a model for the Disnend castle. When the articles first went up and the reporters came looking for him, Jun Hyuk had thought of going to Amelia in Budapest. However, the reporters know his rtionship with Amelia and already went to her in Budapest for interviews. Fortunately, Amelia is used to the shing cameras and ignored the reporters, repeatedly saying ¡®noment¡¯. She gave Jun Hyuk an urgent call telling him not to go to Budapest. ¡°Fortunately, people don¡¯t know what you look like yet, so no one in such a small vige will bother you. What do you think?¡± ¡°Would that be okay? I feel like I¡¯m being too much of a bother.....¡± For over a week, they had provided him with hospitality. Fleeing to the countryside means that he will be staying for at least one month. Staying in a quiet ce is what Jun Hyuk likes most, but he thought it would be obnoxious to ept so quickly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is how much I want to keep you here. Ha ha. I¡¯ll arrange for my ne, so hurry up and run away.¡± While Jun Hyuk was borrowing Sir Simon Lettle¡¯s limousine and private ne to go to Hohenschwangau, located 700km from Berlin, Yoon Kwang Hun in Korea still did not know what was going on. *** As always, Yoon Kwang Hun finished preparing the cafe to open, sat in the middle of the cafe, and was enjoying coffee and music while waiting for his first customer. The first customer today was a bit special. The door opened with the sound of a bell, and a white-haired foreigner walked in. Even though it is summer, he is in a suit with a necktie. After ordering a cup of coffee, he started looking through the CDs on the wall. Yoon Kwang Hun left him alone because it is a weekday afternoon when there are few customers. If he made a song request, Yoon Kwang Hun even intended to turn it on for him. The old man looked through the CDs for a while, took one out, went to a cafe employee, and exchanged a few words with him. Yoon Kwang Hun saw the employee point in his direction, and knew that the old man was looking for the owner of the cafe. Yoon Kwang Hun went to the old man and asked if he wanted to listen to the CD in his hand in fluent English. The old man smiled brightly and gave the CD to Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡®I guess this old man knows something about jazz.¡¯ The CD that he chose was the album by Jun Hyuk and Stanley rke. He listened to the full melody of the bass guitar and piano with his eyes closed, tapping his fingers, and then went to Yoon Kwang hun. ¡°Mr. Kwan Hun Yoon. Do you have time to speak?¡± ¡°Excuse me? How do you know me? Sorry, but who are you?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was surprised when the old man called him by his name, and bolted up from his seat. The old manughed a little and handed over his business card. Yoon Kwang Hun could tell that the old man was not an ordinary person when he saw the card. He had met tremendously rich people while working on Wall Street. And those rich even have different business cards. Paper that is sprinkled with a powder of eggshells and ivory, embossed in English font. A material that is nice to the touch, not too slippery but not rough either. This old man has spent thousands of dors on one box of business cards. On the business card, it says Stern Corporation. It says Isaac Stern clearly. It does not reveal his position, but his name is the name of thepany. There is no need for further exnation. Yoon Kwang Hun sat across from Isaac Stern. Stern Corporation is apany that he had not heard of on Wall Street. ¡°Did youe here from New York to meet me? Or?¡± ¡°Of course I came here to meet with you. Actually, this is my first visit to Korea as well.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun asked cautiously, ¡°Have youe to meet me? Or have youe to meet me as Jun Hyuk¡¯s guardian?¡± ¡°You catch on quickly. Is it because you used to work on Wall Street? Yes. I came to talk to you about Jun.¡± If this meeting had been for a deal, Yoon Kwang Hun would have left already. Isaac Stern carefully looked up information on him, but all he had on this old man was his business card. ¡®Well this old man is impressive.¡¯ He felt slightly excited because he was meeting someone who made him tense for the first time in a while. ¡°What would you like to discuss regarding Jun?¡± ¡°Stern is a managementpany. We would of course like to contract Jun as his management.¡± Chapter 155 Volume 4 / Chapter 155 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: A bit of a longer chapter today ?? Let¡¯s see what Isaac Stern has to say!] Yoon Kwang Hun just thought that Jun Hyuk¡¯s jazz album had be fairly popr in America. He thought he could tell why the old man had picked out Jun Hyuk and Stanley rke¡¯s jazz album as soon as he came in. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to meet Jun. Why are you meeting with me?¡± ¡°I already met him once.¡± ¡°Did he reject the offer?¡± ¡°No. I wasn¡¯t able to bring it up. Jun¡¯s piano was so good and that I wasn¡¯t in the mood to bring up work.¡± Isaac Stern did not seem to be lying. That happy smile. He is thinking of the piano performance from that day. ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, I think this is something that Jun needs to decide.¡± ¡°Mr. Yoon. Even in America, parents intervene in issues like this. Sports stars who are far past the age of 20 discuss with their parents before signing onto a pro team. Jun won¡¯t want to have the decision bepletely up to him either.¡± ¡°But... Mr. Stern...¡± ¡°Just call me Isaac.¡± ¡°Alright. Isaac, it¡¯s surprising that you came all the way to Korea to meet me. But Jun is still a student. There isn¡¯t anything going on that would require that he has a managementpany. He just released an album by chance.¡± Isaac Stern fiddled with his coffee cup. He realized that Yoon Kwang Hun does not know what is going on in Europe. ¡°Oh dear. I see you don¡¯t know yet.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun thought of what he might be missing on. Did something new happen to Jun Hyuk? ¡°Jun is already a hot topic in Europe. Articles areing out in America as well. CNN is probably preparing a report as well. Reporters in Germany or Austria will be chasing him around now.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± It has already been over 3 weeks since he spoke with Jun Hyuk. He knew that Jun Hyuk was to participate in the Salzburg Summer Festival. He was not contacting him because he assumed that Jun Hyuk would be busy with preparations. Yoon Kwang Hun had also felt annoyed when he was younger and his parents called when he was busy in America. Isaac Stern exined the article that are circting Europe. Yoon Kwang Hun quickly looked up the articles on Google and found out what was happening to Jun Hyuk in Europe. When he heard about the symphony ¡®Inferno,¡¯ he knew at once which song it was. It is the song that Yoon Kwang Hun had only seen 3 pages of before shutting it. ¡°I see. So this happened. Well geez.¡± Isaac Stern was confused while looking at Yoon Kwang Hun. Normally, parents be ted in situations like this. Could there be a parent who is not happy for his child when he has be a world renowned star? However, Yoon Kwang Hun looked far from happy. He even looked as if they had been put in a difficult position. ¡°You should try calling him. He¡¯ll be very surprised right now.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. He¡¯s not a child... And it¡¯s not like something bad has happened... He¡¯s experienced much worse than this. He needs to handle matters of the press now.¡± Isaac Stern liked that Yoon Kwang Hun drew a line where necessary and kept it. He is a great adult. ¡°You don¡¯t look happy even though Jun, who is like your child, has be a star.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. It¡¯s not really wee news. I wanted him to be able to have a normal life while studying. Since it is his first time attending school, I wanted him to enjoy amon college life.¡± The information that Isaac Stern had received on Yoon Kwang Hun from hispany was not wrong in any way. A Korean who had once seeded in the financial world. Instead of wallowing in anger, he had given everything up to enjoy a normal life. A music fanatic who recognized Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent at first nce. If there is something that Yoon Kwang Hun wants other than to spend the 2nd half of his life with coffee, wine, and music, it is to develop Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent and bring him happiness. The report had said that in order to convince Yoon Kwang Hun, it is not through money but by showing him that they will support Jun Hyuk to help him find that happiness. ¡°I really feel it is a pity as well.¡± Isaac Stern took a sip of his coffee and his expression became simr to that of Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°When I met him just a month ago, I had no idea that his name would be so widely known. If I had known, I would have brought up the contract... Ha ha. Since he is a star now, he¡¯ll think that I am an opportunist.¡± He is not an ordinary old man. Even his timing in using the truth is appropriate. ¡°But Isaac, I don¡¯t know anything about yourpany Stern Corporation. I don¡¯t know its scale...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to know.¡± Isaac Stern did not bring up the matter of money yet and did not talk about the scale of thepany. Just by looking at his business card, it is evident that it is not a small-scalepany that operates with a few musicians. ¡°I don¡¯t need to know... Well.¡± ¡°Severalpanies are going to approach you anyway. You canpare the scale of ourpany then.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re confident that there isn¡¯t apany that will match up?¡± ¡°Not exactly, but we are fairly big in this industry.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun silently admired the old gentleman sitting in front of him. The man had researched him ande all the way to Korea. He did not bring a single secretary and took a taxi here alone, as if he were going to convince him by chatting over a cup of coffee. Yoon Kwang Hun did not want to just turn him away as he had taking a liking to him. He had guessed that something like this would happen one day, and it was just that the day hade sooner than he had expected. Yoon Kwang Hun spoke seriously, ¡°Isaac. What do you personally think of Jun Hyuk?¡± It is a sudden question, but Isaac Stern responded without hesitation. He knows that from now on, it is the real negotiation. ¡°A star who has suddenly appeared in the world of ssical. It is only normal to be standing with other young stars, but he has been in hiding for a long time. If he decides toe out now, he¡¯ll immediately be on their level.¡± ¡°If you do end up managing Jun, what do you intend to do?¡± ¡°If Jun agrees to... I would like to stop all activity.¡± ¡°What? Halt his activities?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun could not hide his surprise at this unexpected response. ¡°Yes. Activities like concerts and album production.¡± ¡°Can you tell me why?¡± ¡°What Jun Hyuk iscking, is experience.¡± ¡°Experience?¡± ¡°Yes. In my opinion, a little outside push is enough to make Jun create music. His ying the piano? Phew-¡± Isaac Stern remembered Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance and whistled. ¡°It is a perfect performance that does not need further effort.¡± ¡°What are you referring to by that experience?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s heart started beating. He thought that the managementpany that he had thought of ideal is just in his imagination, but he started to have expectations that this man might be able to keep that for them. ¡°The intellectual bliss felt from reading a great book. The rapt admiration from looking at a beautiful or innovative work of art. The overwhelming emotion felt from looking at magnificent and mysterious nature. Jun Hyuk needs these kinds of experiences if he is to create greater music.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was genuinely awed by this wise old man. There are a lot of management agencies that coordinate full concert and album production schedules and demand constant activity so as not to lose out on any media opportunities. A management agency is meant to guard a star¡¯s position so they do not lose it. The inherent job of an agency is to manage the fame and money. Isaac Stern on the other hand, is matching his focus to helping Jun Hyuk create better music. It is the exact response that he had wanted. ¡°Of course we would like for him to have a lot of personal experiences. Love, the pain of farewells. We could expect nothing more if once he is older, he can experience life in other countries to understand their cultures.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun nodded vigorously in agreement. Isaac Stern¡¯s response was of such perfection that even though this is a business discussion, he could not hide his thoughts. ¡°Isaac. First, I¡¯d like to say that I agree with all of your thoughts. But there is something that you do not yet know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Chapter 156 Volume 4 / Chapter 156 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Find out how Isaac Stern¡¯s feelings about JH bes elevated through one conversation] Isaac Stern thought that he had halfway seeded since Yoon Kwang Hun is about to tell him something new on his own. ¡°Jun has talent that no one, not even I, can quantify.¡± ¡°Yoon, I also know that Jun¡¯s talent is tremendous.¡± Isaac Stern leaned forward at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s resolute expression. ¡°Jun is not just a talentedposer like Mozart who can produce a song within moments, or an extraordinary pianist like Glenn Gould.¡± ¡°Yes, I know that. He¡¯s more than that.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. He¡¯s not at that level.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun shook his head. How should he express something he does not know the exact nature of himself? His frustration showed in his face as well. ¡°He¡¯s... Well. How should I put it?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun took a sip of water. ¡°In my safe, there are already over 60 songs that are just ssical music. Of them, there are experimental songs like ¡®Inferno,¡¯ but there are also gems that are reminiscent of Beethoven.¡± Isaac Stern¡¯s eyes shifted at the mention of the number 60. He knew that Jun Hyukposed every single day. It is surprising that he has 60 songs already, but if they areparable to Beethoven, it must mean that they are not ordinary. ¡°Ah, I heard. You¡¯re the first person who Jun shows his scores to.¡± ¡°Yes. It is a gift I am receiving from Jun.¡± Isaac Stern saw the frustration leave Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s face for a second to show a smile, and could understand how Jun Hyuk thought of this man. ¡°Do you know why I am not mentioning money to someone who wants to contract as a management agency? Even if I release those scores in the safe, they will bring in so much money that Stern Corporation will not be able to handle the taxes that Jun has to deal with. Money needs to be the bottom-most article in our contract with an agency.¡± ¡°Why have you kept those many songs in your safe?¡± Isaac Stern was genuinely curious. ¡°Because of Jun. He is not satisfied with his work yet.¡± He is a musician who will never know satisfaction. This is a good disposition. Isaac Stern had seen a lot of musicians who in the effort to make a new album, consumed themselves and ended up copsing. Since his curiosity had been resolved, it is time to rectify Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s misunderstanding. Isaac Stern spoke carefully, ¡°There¡¯s something you¡¯re mistaken about. To worry about taxes, he has to make that much money... but reality isn¡¯t like that. ssical music albums don¡¯t sell that well these days. Now, it is the world of performers who are led by conductors. Most of the sources of their iee from concerts and CFs. Of course standing conductors do receive great sries. The certified checks don¡¯te out to much for this album¡¯s sales.¡± It has been a while since ssical moved from the world ofposers to the world of performers. Music fans still love Beethoven and Mozart. The difference is that they now pay attention to who can perform it better. There are just 3 of the certified checks that Isaac Stern mentioned. They are Lang Lang, Li Yundi, and Yuja Wang. Themon factor is that they are all young Chinese pianists. Their concerts sell out all over the world even from putting their posters on the wall. They have the tremendous power of China behind them. Chinese people are their source. The second theye out with new albums, the Chinese sell them out. Due to these circumstances, recordbels do not hesitate to release their albums. Since they keep releasing new albums, they grow more as stars. It is the perfect cycle. ¡°But Jun is Korean. How many ssical albums sell in a year in Korea? You are starting at 0 in a basic market.¡± Isaac Stern went into a long exnation to bring Yoon Kwang Hun out of his misunderstanding of the current market for ssical music. However, the fact that he wants to work with Jun Hyuk means that he has that must trust in Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun needs to be a star who oversteps nationality. And I think that ispletely possible. Even if that¡¯s the case, he won¡¯t be able to bring in an enormous amount of money.¡± However, Yoon Kwang Hun was still shaking his head as he stood up from his seat. ¡°Wait here a second. It¡¯ll be much easier to understand if you see it than by my trying to tell you.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun ran up to the 2nd floor and came back down with his arms full of music scores. It was different seeing the 60 scores bundled together in one ce than when he had heard about them. It is a tremendous amount. ¡°Look through them carefully and let¡¯s talk again.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun gave Isaac Stern another cup of coffee and left him there. He is giving Isaac Stern time to look through them by himself to evaluate them. Isaac Stern could not take his eyes off of the scores until it was long past lunch time. Even though he had been given a slice of cake to hold back his hunger, he did not touch it once. When Isaac Stern turned thest page of the score, he knew that Yoon Kwang Hun had not been saying what he did because he had a misunderstanding or because he has high expectations. As the report had said, Yoon Kwang Hun is someone who knows how to give an objective and honest assessment. There are a lot of the experimental songs that he had mentioned. They are scores that bring up strange feelings as though trying to test people. He was not even able to read through all of the 1st part of the song ¡®Inferno¡¯ that he had only heard about in the media. They bring out different kinds of emotions in people and raise their senese. It is the first time that he realized a score itself could make someone feel emotions as if watching a movie. Isaac Stern stood up without speaking and walked outside the cafe. Yoon Kwang Hun was surprised and was about to run after him, but he stopped when he saw Isaac Stern light a cigar. ¡®Anyone would want to enjoy the aftertaste. He he.¡¯ *** ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± It is the first thing Isaac Stern said when he re-entered the cafe. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was just a bit surprised when you left without saying anything.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I am apologizing for not recognizing your assessment of Jun Hyuk¡¯s abilities.¡± Isaac Stern gave such a respectful apology, that it was awkward. He had only thought of Jun Hyuk as an extraordinary pianist more than as aposer. After seeing the scores however, he even had the thought that the piano is just a tool for Jun Hyuk inposing. He picked out a few scores and showed them to Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°These aren¡¯t ssical.¡± ¡°Yes. Jun likes pop music as well.¡± ¡°Of the 60 songs you mentioned, how many of them are pop?¡± ¡°Ah, you misunderstood me. There are 60 something ssical songs. There are more than 100 pop songs. I picked out a few that I like.¡± He was shocked. The 1000 that Yoon Kwang Hun had said was not calcted simply with time. He hade to the result while thinking of Jun Hyuk¡¯s abilities. The Beatles who had introduced a different flow to pop. Led Zeppelin, who opened the door to heavy metal by putting a ton of adrenaline in the blues. Miles Davis who reigned as the witness to jazz history. Kurt Cobain who opened the doors to the 90s. Isaac Stern looked at the scores and thought that Jun Hyuk would follow simr footsteps to these great achievements. But this is just his thinking. More than that is possible, but Isaac Stern¡¯s imagination is up to here. ¡°So now you understand why I said that it is an ability that we cannot know the depths of?¡± ¡°Yes. These scores say it better than any long exnation.¡± ¡°If you would like to fully convince me for a contract, you¡¯ll need to change the direction of your thoughts. I guess you¡¯re not just trying to convince me. It is something that is absolutely necessary if you would like to manage Jun.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s words are not demands, but a warning. Isaac Stern had no more to say or any more business to do now. ¡°I¡¯ll visit you again. Then, I will show youplete preparations to properly help Jun. Of course... I don¡¯t have a lot of confidence. Ha ha.¡± When Isaac Stern left the cafe, he finally felt his hunger. Chapter 157 Volume 4 / Chapter 157 TL: LightNovelCafe xt] [TN: How much money do you have Jun?] Sir Simon Lettle¡¯s vi is to Jun Hyuk¡¯s liking. He had felt like it would have been too burdensome to stay in a ce like arge European castle. The vi however, is a small 2-story house on a small hill that looks down on the Schwangau forest. Other than the grand piano in the spacious living room, there was no clutter. There was just the expensive wine in the wine cer. The friendly woman who greeted Jun Hyuk is from Eastern Europe, and they could not understand each other. They can just use bodynguage tomunicate since she will only be taking care of his meals. Jun Hyuk organized his luggage and went out into the Schwangau forest. There is just the sound of nature everywhere with nothing to interfere. Since there is such a forest right next to him, he felt like 1 month would go by easily. Until now, it had been a busy 10 days. With time to rx, he remembered someone he had been forgetting. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard you¡¯re a great star now? Ha ha.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s pleasantughter rang over the phone. ¡°Huh? How did you know? Did the news alreadye out in Korea?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s still quiet here. Didn¡¯t I tell you? You¡¯re in the palm of my hand.¡± Sometimes, Jun Hyuk has the feeling that Yoon Kwang Hun might have someone following him around to report back to him. Yoon Kwang Hun will not tell him how he came to know anyway. ¡°That¡¯s that, but where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at Sir Simon Lettle¡¯s vi. It¡¯s a small countryside vige called Hohenschwangau.¡± ¡°What? Simon Lettle? Simon Lettle of the Berlin Philharmonic?¡± This is how Jun Hyuk gets revenge. He imagined Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s surprised face. ¡°Yes. Ha ha. Aren¡¯t you jealous?¡± Jun Hyuk told him about everything that happened over thest 10 days. The shock he felt when he heard his 1st symphony in the concert hall, the party with 16 maestros, and how he showed off in front of them. ¡°But how did your score get leaked? There¡¯s no way it came from me.¡± ¡°Yeah. I was most curious about that as well... I gave Teacher Jo Hyung Joong my score before. He said that he would find out what it is worth from a professor of music. I never did receive an assessment. There¡¯s nothing other than that though.¡± ¡°You did? Hm... I¡¯ll look into it. How is it over there? Is it okay?¡± ¡°Yes. It isn¡¯t a luxurious vi, but it¡¯s small and perfect. Oh, you coulde here. I¡¯m alone.¡± ¡°Hey. Why go over there? I have to run the cafe.¡± He does not even care that much about the cafe. There must be another reason why he will note when Jun Hyuk knows that all Yoon Kwang Hun does is drink coffee and listen to music until it is time to close as if he is a regr customer. It seems he is trying to step by from Jun Hyuk¡¯s life little by little so he can learn to live on his own. ¡°That¡¯s that, but what are you going to do now? Are you going back to school?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll be okay?¡± ¡°How could it be okay when it¡¯s like this? Reporters trying to write about you isn¡¯t even the biggest problem. I¡¯m sure your professors are also going to make a fuss to hand over ¡®Inferno¡¯.¡± ¡°Damn it. I want to keep going to school.....¡± ¡°Why? Is there a lot to learn?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty good. The special sses are good too.¡± ¡°Hm... Then how about this?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Disappear for about a year. Take a leave of absence from school. Don¡¯t you think everyone will forget after about a year? Just reveal the whole score for ¡®Inferno¡¯.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun spoke to Jun Hyuk while thinking of what he had just discussed with Isaac Stern. He is still young. It would be okay for him to travel the world for a year. ¡°There aren¡¯t very many people who know your face. It¡¯s hard for people to differentiate between Asian faces, so I¡¯m pretty sure you won¡¯t face anything too bothersome. I¡¯m positive reporters won¡¯t recognize you even if you were hanging out in the lobby of the New York Times building.¡± ¡°Then what do I do for a year?¡± ¡°You have to figure that out. You want me to tell you how to rest?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°Sure. Anyway, get a lot of rest since you¡¯re in a good ce. Oh right! Send me all of the pictures you took with the maestros. Okay?¡± After getting off the phone, Jun Hyuk thought about the idea that no one would recognize him even if he were hanging out in the lobby of the New York Times building. It figures since the only people who know his face precisely are in Korea, school, and the people he met in Salzburg. His name has risen to stardom, but he himself is just an Asian boy. Everyday, Jun Hyuk walked through the Schwangau forest or went to the morning marketce with the housekeeper to buy food. Other than the asional video chats with Amelia and the calls from Sir Simon Lettle to check up on him, he waspletely cut off from the outside world. This peaceful state did notst over 10 days. A phone call came, which made him realize that he cannot push matters off any further. ¡°Where are you right now?¡± ¡°Ah, hellowyer.¡± ¡°Save the greetings forter and tell me where you are.¡± ¡°Near Fussen in Germany.¡± ¡°Geez... That¡¯s not good since we need to meet immediately.¡± ¡°What is it? Did something happen?¡± Lawyer Lim So Mi was not speaking in her usual dry voice, but had an excited tone. It is a voice that was not fitting for someone who had always been so calm. ¡°You need to save me. I can¡¯t live like this. Even now, reporters are camping outside and making a fuss for me to tell them where you live. I can¡¯t leave my house.¡± For someone asking to be rescued, her voice was bright. She might be enjoying this attention. ¡°Oh no... But how did the reporters find out about you?¡± ¡°How do you think they know! The only ces that are connected to you are CH and LA Sound. The school doesn¡¯t know about me, but LA Sound does. They probably pushed the reporters off to me when they went swarming to their offices.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It happened so suddenly for me as well so...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t call to fight you about it. Anyway, you can¡¯t just ignore it like this. It¡¯s definitely the timing to reveal something or another. And you need to stop by LA Sound.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Your tribute album. They finished recording and are going to release the album soon. But I guess the metal musicians with the long hair are saying they need to meet with you. I¡¯m told they¡¯re pretty famous, but I have no idea who they are.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Jun Hyuk had clearly told Alex Zakin that he would not see his heroes in their aged state. By calling him in now with the musicians as an excuse means that they are using this press as an opportunity to garner more attention for the album. Jun Hyuk hesitated to answer and Lim So Mi realized what he is thinking. ¡°You can ignore them. The contract clearly says that you won¡¯t participate in promotions for the album. But you¡¯re not some kind of mysterious character... I¡¯m telling you though because I thought it was weird that you created tribute songs but won¡¯t even show your face. If you don¡¯t want to do it, I¡¯ll reject.¡± ¡°Yes. Then can you reject it?¡± ¡°Okay. Then this talk amongst the reporters... Hm... Jun Hyuk, let¡¯s do this. Think about it for 2 days and then call me. What you need to make a decision on is what you¡¯ll do with the score for the symphony. And what your future ns are. It¡¯s just these 2 things.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll give you a call as soon as I can.¡± ¡°And this is good news, but LA Sound is celebrating because you¡¯ve beenbeled a young genius in the press. Your album is selling a lot for a jazz record. They also said that there are a lot of pre-orders for the tribute album already. You¡¯re going to make a lot of money very soon. Ho ho.¡± When Lim So Mi brought up the matter of money, Jun Hyuk suddenly remembered something. He hade up with ns ording to Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s suggestion to take a year off, but he would need money for those. ¡°Uh Mrs. Lim. How much have I made until now?¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t know? Lawyer Baek doesn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t ask him. I just use my card and take out cash from an ATM whenever I need it, and he fills it back up to 10 or 20,000 dors.¡± ¡°What? He puts in 10 to 20,000? How much have you made? Hang on. I¡¯ll check for you. I don¡¯t check your ount...¡± From the sound of typinging over the phone, he could tell that she is checking his bnces. Chapter 158 Volume 4 / Chapter 158 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: A millionaire] ¡°What... What! You already have a lot of money!¡± He could hear Lim So Mi¡¯s short shouting over the phone. ¡°This is from album sales, these are track revenues... So this is what copyrights are. Performance fees? But... What¡¯s this?¡± Lim So Mi was murmuring when she spoke again. ¡°Jun Hyuk, what¡¯s Violon?¡± ¡°Violon? Oh, that¡¯s my friend¡¯s band. There¡¯s some music that I arranged for that band.¡± ¡°I see. So that band gives you arranging fees.¡± Lim So Mi looked through the history for a while and discovered something new. ¡°Jun Hyuk. There are investments in the U.S. Treasury and stocks with the money that you made... Did Lawyer Baek do this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that kind of stuff. Oh, that¡¯s actually probably from my boss.¡± ¡°Who? Your boss? Mr. Yoon Kwang Hun?¡± ¡°Yes. He said that he used to be quite sessful on Wall Street.¡± ¡°No wonder... Lawyer Baek doesn¡¯t know about these things. Oh right. All of ites to a little over $3 million. Hey, so you¡¯re rich.¡± Jun Hyuk was speechless when he heard that he had $3 million. ¡°You earned this much in half a year. You¡¯ll be getting royalties from this new album too... They said that album is going to do even better. This is big. You¡¯ll have to get a taxwyer first. I¡¯m not on the tax side.¡± Jun Hyuk had thought that he had made a couple tens of thousands since jazz is not a genre that sells hundreds of thousands of albums. However, America is taking care of its music distribution. The more thorough music distribution is, the greater profits there are for the creator and those profits increase taxes. Though there might be measures from the U.S. protecting the creator¡¯s interests, it makes sure to scrape out taxes to thest cent. In these circumstances, royaltiese in to Jun Hyuk every time Stanley rke performs the songs, and headquarters ofrge franchises like Starbucks sign contracts to use the tracks. Jun Hyuk checked how much money he has, went for a walk in the forest, and thought about matters other than music for the first time. 2 dayster, Jun Hyuk revealed his intentions to release the rest of the score for ¡®Inferno¡¯ to the 16 maestros. He sent Lim So Mi the information she would give to the press, and he sent messages to Yoon Kwang Hun and Amelia as well. When he told them that he would get a camping car and travel around Europe for a year, Yoon Kwang Hun started. ¡°Hey! Won¡¯t it be dangerous? Even though it¡¯s Europe, I¡¯m iffy about you staying on the street.¡± ¡°Sir, who am I? I lived on the streets for 10 years since I was young. I¡¯m telling you there¡¯s no problem. Ha ha.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was at a loss for words. He had not even thought of that and felt like he had said something he should not have. He did feel better that Jun Hyuk talked about that period of his life as if it were nothing. It could be that Jun Hyuk¡¯s wounds from the past have healed and there are now only traces. Yoon Kwang Hun tried to act as if it were nothing andined, ¡°Someone is locked up in the cafe, and you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll be having fun all over Europe? I resent it.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re jealous, do you want to close the cafe and go with me? I have a lot of money. He he.¡± ¡°Forget it. Kid. A man has to make his own means.¡± Amelia also started up, but she had to ept it as she is also tied down with touring. *** Lawyer Lim So Mi faced her first ever press conference with excited tension. Most of the reporters in the conference hall are American. She needed to check the mirror several times to make sure that her makeup had turned out well. She could be appearing on TV. ¡°Hello. I am Catherine Lim, attorney to Jun or full name Jun Hyuk Jang.¡± Her voice kept trembling at the cameras that had been shing ever since she walked into the conference hall. She needs to look at the cameras, but her eyes kept shifting to the side. ¡°I will talk about what you are most curious about first. We have decided to release the score for Symphony No. 1 in A Major, ¡®Inferno¡¯, which was premiered by the Berlin Philharmonic, as soon as possible.¡± The cameras shed again and reporters raised their hands high to ask their questions. ¡°I will take questions after telling you one more thing.¡± Lim So Mi cleared her throat and took the mic again. ¡°Inferno¡¯sposer, Jun, will be focusing onposing for over a year in a quiet ce. He will be taking a year off from yton-Hoffman School of Music... and there may be people who already know, but an 80s heavy metal tribute album he produced with LA Sound will be released at the end of this month. Junposed all of the songs on this album, but he will not be taking part in any of its promotions.¡± She had put in a bit of advertising for the album as per LA Sound¡¯s request. As soon as her announcement was over, questions poured in but there was nothing that she could answer to clearly. ¡°Can you exin the distinction of the song ¡®Inferno¡¯?¡± ¡°I have never heard Inferno and I have not yet seen the score. Only the Berlin Symphony and a few members of the audience who had been in the Salzburg concert hall on August 1st know the song.¡± ¡°To our understanding, Jun only released those 2 albums with LA Sound. Are there ns to release any more?¡± ¡°No. As I said, he will be focusing solely onposition for at least 1 year. Ah, I do know that he released a first album in Korea beforeing to America.¡± ¡°Does he have an exclusive contract with LA Sound?¡± ¡°No. Jun has not yet signed on with any recordbels or management agencies.¡± Lim So Mi ended the press conference with this. She thought that reporters would no longer camp outside her house or ring her phone.¡± However, her phone rang incessantly once more. This time, they were professional music publishers asking to meet. Performers would not be the only people to purchase the score for Inferno, but also people who know how to read scores. No score has ever received such media attention, and tremendous sales were guaranteed. She also received a ton of mail containing simr information. Lim So Mi had doubted that a score could bring in much money, but was shocked by the amount of advance royalties one publisher offered. Eventually, she contracted with the publisher that offered the most in advance royalties and people who could not even read music rushed to pre-order the 1st edition. As time passes, the price will increase because of collectors. *** When one inte media outlet published articles from foreign press, Yoon Kwang Hun grabbed his clothes. ¡°I won¡¯t being in to the cafe for a while, so don¡¯t ck off and take care of business. And reporters mighte swarming in today or tomorrow. If they look for me, tell them I went to Africa to buy coffee beans. And tell them it¡¯ll take a few months.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Are you really going to Africa?¡± The eyes of 2 employees grewrge. They are not even coffee importers, but to go to Africa for a cafe? ¡°Whatever. Just don¡¯t y hooky and work hard.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun red at the employees, left his car, and headed to the bus terminal. He was going to decide on where to go once he was at the ticket box. Reporters went to the cafe as Yoon Kwang Hun had expected, but it was all for nothing. They released articles on Jun Hyuk as if at war with each other. Most outlets used foreign articles to cover the inte with obvious but provocative headlines like ¡®Geniusposer recognized by the world¡¯ and ¡®A young world-renownedposer from Korea¡¯. Thanks to this, Jun Hyuk¡¯s album started flying off the shelves again and people gathered to the Taste Room to buy Jun Hyuk¡¯s jazz album. The low stock ran out quickly and the impatient people ordered it themselves on Amazon. The songs in Jun Hyuk¡¯s first album dominated music charts again. Jo Hyung Joong smiled from ear to ear with the news on the album sales and looked through the inte to read every single article on Jun Hyuk. He could also be certain that the work that all of those maestros abroad were calling impressive was the score that he had seen. Jo Hyung Joong picked up his phone. Chapter 159 Volume 4 / Chapter 159 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: JH out on his own] ¡°Mr. Yoon. This iste, but congrattions. Jun Hyuk is finally being recognized all over the world. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s because of everything you¡¯ve done for us. Oh right, I was going to give you a call anyway.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of Inferno, right?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Because it said that the source was unknown. Is there anyone else you showed it to?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m still taking care of the original. Jun Hyuk said that he showed it to you.¡± ¡°Yes. Jun Hyuk re-wrote it and brought it to me. I scanned it and sent it to a music professor I know. Honestly, it¡¯s just noise when I look at it... Ha ha.¡± It is just noise even to Jo Hyung Joong whose job is music. 99% of the people who buy the score will just think of it as noise as well. ¡°Right? It was ufortable and hard for me to look at as well, but to think that it is recognized by maestros... I guess there¡¯s something special to it that average people like us can¡¯t see. Then the score that Jun Hyuk re-wrote for you.....?¡± ¡°I still have it. Since it¡¯s handwritten by Jun Hyuk, I¡¯m going to keep it as a family heirloom.¡± ¡°Then I guess there¡¯s a high possibility that the leak came from that professor.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the music professor I sent it to.¡± ¡°What did that professor say when he saw Inferno?¡± ¡°That professor must not have been a maestro. He was someone whose standards are not very different from our own. Ha ha.¡± Jo Hyung Joong thought of when Professor Ju Yong Tae had criticized it as garbage. As older professors have trouble with their e-mails, assistants and graduate students often help them check their ounts. He thought that it may have been a student who saw the score. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to look into it.¡± ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s okay. What use is there is finding that out now?¡± ¡°No. I need to say something to that professor as well. I¡¯m dying to hear what he has to say. I also want to take this opportunity to see what he¡¯s really like.¡± Jo Hyung Joong was having fun imagining the reaction of an elder in ssical music who brags impressive prestige. *** ¡°Professor. How are you? This is Jo Hyung Joong.¡± ¡°Oh, Teacher Jo. Are you doing well?¡± He could hear Professor Ju Yong Tae¡¯s calm voice over the phone. He smiled slightly when he thought of how surprised the professor would soon be. ¡°Yes. I just have something to ask you, professor.¡± ¡°Sure. What is it?¡± ¡°Did you see the articles that are making news these days? A song called ¡®Inferno¡¯. The one that a Korean genius wrote?¡± ¡°Of course I know. Isn¡¯t it a song that European maestros are praising highly? I¡¯m also just in waiting for the score to be revealed.¡± ¡°As much as it is being praised, there is also negative feedback.¡± Professor Ju who is supposed to be opposed to innovative contemporary music is anticipating it because European maestros have praised it? He had given his negative opinion in the strongest terms even when he asionally heard contemporary music on broadcast. Had he always been someone with such little conviction? ¡°Since the opinion is divided, I¡¯ll have to see the score to know. But it¡¯s definitely a work of art if one side is praising it highly and one side is saying that it¡¯s not. If it¡¯s half and half, it¡¯s only a matter of differences in taste or opinion.¡± ¡°I see. Oh, Professor. I have one more thing to ask... Do you remember a score I sent you for a symphony written by a rookie about 2 years ago?¡± ¡°Of course I remember. That was the first time I¡¯d seen such an unpleasant song.¡± ¡°Then do you still have the email that I sent you?¡± ¡°No. I deleted it.¡± ¡°Did you look at the score on your monitor?¡± ¡°No. I printed it, but what is it? Is there a problem?¡± Professor Ju Yong Tae started to be annoyed. It sounds as if Jo Hyung Joong is using him of something. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing really. Then that printed score.....?¡± ¡°I threw it out of course. I even deleted the email. Why would I hang on to the printout? But why do you keep asking?¡± Professor Ju Yong Tae finally asked the question. But Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s voice on the phone had be cold. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you would need to wait to see the score for Inferno.¡± ¡°What is that? What does that mean?¡± ¡°Professor, you were the first person to see the masterpiece called Inferno. The score that you said is garbage and threw out is Inferno.¡± There was no sound over the phone. Jo Hyung Joong imagined Professor Ju dropping the phone out of surprise, and hung up the phone. *** Jun Hyuk bought a used camping car for $10,000 and nned his first journey to go in the Bayern area from Wurzburg to Fuissen, and on Romantische Str. This road created from nature, culture, and history originates from ¡®The road to Rome¡¯ connecting Germany and Rome, Italy. The 360km journey wasden with architecture worth thousands of years of history and the rustic atmosphere of rural farmhouses. He met Korean tourists in every city who recognized him, forcing him to change his direction into the countryside. They would take pictures of him and post them on social media immediately, bringing more people to the area. It turned out to be a better choice to change direction into rural areas that are not well-known. There were barely any tourists and he could only see the people of that area living simply within their own fences. There were even ces that looked at him as if seeing an Asian person for the first time. When Jun Hyuk stumbled with his German however, they let down their guards and treated him with a friendly manner. Jun Hyuk visited each vige that the European maestros told him about in order to learn the folk songs of each area. A camping car is good because he can stay somewhere even if the area does not have amodation for outsiders. Of the people that Jun Hyuk met, he spent the most time with gypsies. These nomadic Aryan Indian people are called the Romany people. Most of them have settled, but there are the rare people who still live in ce to ce. Their freedom and optimism held Jun Hyuk back. Bizet¡¯s Carmen is a thing of the past. Gypsies do not make their living off of music, dance, and prostitution, but live off of the subsidies by the government for minority protection. They yed a quaint melody for Jun Hyuk that they did not know the origins of, and Jun Hyukmitted that melody to his memory. He then created a new song with that melody as a background and yed it for them. He felt like living with music in this optimism is another good way of living. When he left Germany and found the Route 4 Lucerne line in Swiss Zurich, it was his treasure. The green fields andke that kept disappearing and reappearing were a superb view that exceeded any tourist attraction. He did not even have a ce to hurry up and get to. Jun Hyuk stopped the car whenever he wanted to. He spent the nights enjoying the dark, calm nights lit up by the stars reflected on theke. It was people who interfered with this calm from nature. They must have thought that no one was around because Jun Hyuk turned off all the lights in the camping car, so an SUV turned up near him with speakers turned up to the maximum volume. As even the sounds of nature grew quiet because of the loud noise, the only sound in the area was that of the music from the car. He was angry and annoyed, but he could not get himself to approach them. He was scared that they could be a danger to him. Jun Hyuk was lying down in the camping car for about 5 minutes after the SUV arrived when he got up all of a sudden. He put his clothes on and walked toward the car with the music. It seemed that there were 4 men in the SUV, preparing to camp out. They already had sleeping bagsid out on the ground and they had brought dry wood to create a fire. When Jun Hyuk appeared suddenly, the 4 men picked up the wood that they were going to use for the fire. They were equally scared, but they put the sticks down when they saw that Jun Hyuk was alone. ¡°Excuse me, but that music.....¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. We didn¡¯t realize that we had neighbors. It was too noisy, wasn¡¯t it?¡± When they heard Jun Hyuk speaking German with difficulty, one of the men rushed to turn the volume down. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that... That music, is it the radio? A CD?¡± ¡°CD.¡± ¡°Can I see the CD jacket?¡± The men were taken aback because Jun Hyuk had appeared like a ghost to ask to see the CD. ¡°Look here. Is your German not good? Can you speak English?¡± Someone spoke in English, though it was British English which sounded like German to him anyway. ¡°What a relief. English is okay. Can we speak in English?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The man who spoke with an English ent retrieved the CD case from the car and handed it to Jun Hyuk. Chapter 160 Volume 4 / Chapter 160 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Whose CD was it??] The music that they are listening to is the tribute album that Jun Hyuk wrote. Disappointment came first when he saw the list of artists who had participated. It is true that top stars had participated, but they are people who are popr for their performances rather than their ying or singing skills. The only person who satisfied Jun Hyuk was Vivian Campbell who was once Ronny James Dio¡¯s guitarist. However, the music he had just heard is not the guitar sound that he had been expecting. It was not a rough and hard guitar, but the blues. When he first heard the music in his camping car, he had thought that it was not his music. He hade running because the theme tune was the same. Whether it was the guitarist or producer, there is no doubt that the song had been arranged. When Jun Hyuk was frowning while reading the CD, someone threw him a can of beer. ¡°Look here. Let¡¯s introduce ourselves even if we¡¯re only neighbors for a night.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I¡¯m Jun. Korean.¡± ¡°Korean? Are you on vacation?¡± ¡°Yeah. And you?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Todd, a guitarist. The four of us are a band. Though we¡¯re nameless. Ha ha.¡± ¡°I see. Then all of that on the car roof is all instruments?¡± ¡°Yeah. You liked this music? Or because it¡¯s noisy?¡± ¡°Both. But it¡¯s not like I liked the music that much.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s the first great album in a while, but you don¡¯t like it? This was created by gathering together stars from the past!¡± Guitarist Todd had thought that Jun Hyuk was a fan because he had suddenly appeared to look at the CD jacket so carefully. When he said that he did not like the music however, Toddunched an impassioned speech to counter it. Jun Hyuk was dragged next to Todd and had to listen to why this album is a great album. ¡°Look here, my Korean friend. We¡¯ll spend the night up if you stay next to Todd. Hurry up and run away.¡± The other band members must have heard Todd¡¯s impassioned speech several times because they shook their heads and headed to the car or sleeping bags to go to sleep. Todd did not listen to his band mates and took an acoustic guitar out of the trunk. ¡°Alright, listen to this. Vivian Campbell is apletely different guitarist now that she was before. If this had been when she was young...¡± Todd yed the song¡¯s guitar solo with variations that are a bit more rough. ¡°Now she¡¯s middle-aged and totally into the blues. That¡¯s why she yed it like this instead.¡± This time, he yed it exactly like the song on the CD. When Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes widened, Todd looked ted. ¡°What do you think? Can you see the difference?¡± The first time Todd yed had been Jun Hyuk¡¯s original version. He had not yed ording to the score, but he had brought out the exact emotion that Jun Hyuk had intended for. ¡°But how did you y the guitar of Vivian Campbell when she was young?¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s because all metal bands at the time were like this. You can tell when you see the album. Theposer Jun said that he created the songs for the metal heros of the 80s. If you look at the flow of the entire song, it needs to be yed the way I did. The way it¡¯s yed now does seem a bit different.¡± ¡°You... have great sense. You can look at the flow of an entire song and find the guitar¡¯s variation.¡± Jun Hyuk was genuinely in awe. ¡°Hey ¨C you know a little something. You can tell I have great senses after listening to just one of my guitar measures, when my band mates don¡¯t even know. Damn it.¡± Todd clucked his tongue and red at the members of his band sleeping in the car. ¡°Todd, y a guitar song. Let¡¯s hear those great senses.¡± ¡°Okay. Listen well. It¡¯s the moment you be my fan.¡± Todd yed Randy Rose¡¯s ssic guitar instrumental ¡®Dee¡¯ splendidly. For a short 51 seconds, the guitar echoed with the sound of theke and fall wind as an apaniment. Jun Hyuk thought that there were as many talented musicians in the world as there are grains of sand. He even thought that he is lucky to have made his own talent known to the world in the midst of all of these other musicians. Jun Hyuk pped quietly and stood up. ¡°Listen carefully, Todd. You won¡¯t be nameless one day. I¡¯m sure of it. There¡¯s no way someone who ys the guitar like this, can remain nameless.¡± Jun Hyuk put out his hand for a handshake and turned around. ¡°Hang on.¡± Todd stopped Jun Hyuk and grabbed a pen from the car. He quickly wrote something on Jun Hyuk¡¯s palm. ¡°This is my Twitter. Let¡¯s keep in touch.¡± Jun Hyuk waved his hand and returned to the camping car. ¡°What am I supposed to do when this kid writes on my hand with a permanent marker?¡± Jun Hyuk grumbled while washing his hand for a while in the sink before going to sleep. He kept traveling while creating small memories with the people he met on the road. But Jun Hyuk had to end these good times before 2 months had passed. *** Controversy was triggered with the news that Patrick Quinn was appointed guest conductor of Vienna Philharmonic this season. After the entire score for Inferno was revealed, Patrick Quinn was overambitious in his decision to be the first person to perform it, and when the season¡¯s schedule became a mess, the orchestra members chose to boycott. They can have interest because it is a revolutionary song, but there is no reason for the Vienna Philharmonic to perform it out of revenge. Patrick Quinn revealed his intention to resign when his rtionship with the members worsened, and the Board of Directors announced that they are selecting a new guest conductor. There were also positive moves. As sales for the Inferno score closed in on bestseller novels, recordbels were quickest to make moves. EMI¡¯s Warner ssic, Deutsche Grammophone and DECCA¡¯s Universal ssic, and RCA¡¯s Sony ssic could expect record-breaking sales for Inferno records. They were offering orchestras tremendous amounts of money to urge them to record. A few orchestras made attempts but failed and even tried to record each instrument in separate parts, but there was no smooth conductor to bring out a quality worthy of this song¡¯s value. The songs that were recorded with a few outstanding people were assessed as just noise, and album sales were canceled. One critic said that something needs toe out of Inferno for this overheating of the current ssical world to settle, whether it is a record or a Blu-Ray of the performance. He also said that because a modern bait had been cast in the world of ssical that has been feeding off of relics until now, it needs to be eaten away in order to make everyone settle down. When Jun Hyuk left Swiss and entered Italy, he heard about Patrick Quinn¡¯s resignation. When he found out that it is because of his own song, he was in disbelief. Inferno is a song that he wrote in his immature youth. He even found itughable that there was such a fuss over this song that repelled some people when there are a lot of songs that are much more refined. However, it was difficult for him to hide this apologetic feeling to a maestro who had shown his such goodwill. He hesitated before picking up his phone. ¡°Maestro Quinn. This is Jun.¡± ¡°Oh, Jun. How long has it been? I¡¯ve been hearing news about you. So you¡¯re traveling where people can¡¯t see you? How is it? Is it good?¡± Patrick Quinn¡¯s voice was bright for someone who had been fired. ¡°Yes. Uh... I just heard the news. Because of my song that¡¯s really nothing...¡± ¡°What are you talking about! What do you mean it¡¯s nothing? And since it¡¯s not because of you, don¡¯t say that. My opinions and those of the Vienna Philharmonic were so different that we could not work together any longer.¡± ¡°I see. I was being arrogant.¡± Chapter 161 Volume 4 / Chapter 161 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Maestro Jun] The media that believed that one of the top conductors in the world would quit an orchestra because of one song and Jun Hyuk who believed it becameughable. Money and their view on music were the factors that split up the conductor and orchestra. The Philharmonic is toorge to fight over one song. ¡°That¡¯s that. Isn¡¯t it around time that your traveling will be boring?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s so good I could do this for 10 years.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He showed a little disappointment when Jun Hyuk said that he likes it. ¡°Is something going on?¡± ¡°I wanted to go to America with you.¡± ¡°America?¡± ¡°Yeah. I epted an offer from the Boston Philharmonic.¡± ¡°Oh, then are you going to be Boston¡¯s maestro?¡± ¡°Ha ha. Why? You thought I would have been out of a job? As soon as the article saying I left the Vienna Philharmonic went out, I got over 10 calls with invitations. I¡¯m that good.¡± ¡°Ha ha. I see. So is Boston your final choice?¡± Boston Philharmonic is in the fall season with regr performances from December to May. There is also a short summer season called Tanglewood that runs from July to the beginning of August. Tanglewood, or Tanglewood Music Festival, is one of thergest music festivals in New Ennd along with the Newport Jazz Festival. Located 2 hours to the west of Boston, Tanglewood is in Lenox where author Hawthorne of ¡®The Scarlet Letter¡¯ wrote ¡®Tanglewood Tales¡¯. In 1936, the Boston Symphony Orchestra opened its first performance on a hill with a small and shabby house. In 1940, Russia conductor andposer, and contrabass yer Serge Koussevitzky established a music summer camp for 300 young musicians. That was the beginning of today¡¯s Tanglewood Music Festival. The zest that can only be experienced at the Tanglewood Music Festival is of listening to world ss music while surrounded by beautiful nature. Finding afortable and appropriate shaded area to lie on the grass while listening to the ssical melody brings a different kind of emotion and awe. Patrick Quinn had be the maestro leading the Boston Philharmonic starting in the beginning of August, once the summer season has ended. ¡°Yeah. Boston is the only ce that epted my condition.¡± ¡°Condition?¡± ¡°Performing Inferno. If performing it is hard, then recording an album. That was my first request, and Boston epted it without another word.¡± Along with New York, Chicago, Clevnd, and Phdelphia, they are the 5 orchestras of America called the ¡®Big Five¡¯. The Boston Philharmonic has an audience of all ages because the citizens of Boston have great interest in the orchestra and there is a high ratio of students in the city. Due to the young audience, there were a lot of experimental performances and they released a lot of contemporary music albums. Since 2009, they even have their own recordbel called the ¡®BSO (Boston Symphony Orchestra) ssics¡¯ that releases records and has a digital track download system. The Boston Philharmonic was expecting a record of Inferno to be a big shot. The Boston Philharmonic and Patrick Quinn¡¯s understanding had fit exactly. ¡°Do you have a second condition? Like an incredible sry. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Of course there¡¯s a second. That¡¯s not money but you, Jun.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Me?¡± ¡°Yeah. The condition was that you could conduct the performance or recording of Inferno. What do you think? Don¡¯t you want to give up your travels? Ha ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk did not understand what Patrick Quinn meant exactly. Could it be? ¡°Jun, I would like to perform this song no matter what. But what I want more is to hear it.¡± ¡°You want to hear it?¡± ¡°Yeah. Not imagining the song while reading the score, but it¡¯s music that I want to hear for myself. That¡¯s why my second condition was you. So I could listen to it.¡± Patrick Quinn is saying that he would lend Jun Hyuk the luxury instrument, the Boston Philharmonic, to perform the song himself. ¡°What do you think? Would you want to fulfill my ambition?¡± How does he need to respond? Patrick Quinn¡¯s suggestion shook Jun Hyuk up. ¡°Take your time to think about it. Since the season begins in December, think about it until then.¡± His hesitation meant that Jun Hyuk was already leaning towards doing it. Patrick Quinn thought that it would not be long before he could hear Inferno with his own ears. Life is a series of choices. After enjoying fall in beautiful Europe and going into winter, he was thinking of going down south. He wanted to go to warm southern Italy and take in the Mediterranean wind to see the Italian opera¡¯s unrealistic true background. But..... Conducting the Boston Symphony. And traveling the Mediterranean as a symbol of freedom. There is of course Amelia as well. He was going to make the decision all on his own. He could start traveling againter. The opportunity to conduct the Boston Philharmonic disappears the moment someone releases a record of Inferno. And there is something that people still do not know. If he adds all of that together, now is his chance. But it is possible that the Boston Philharmonic is unable to perform Inferno. When Jun Hyuk thought that it may be impossible to perform the song, he thought about whether they would be able to release a record. Surprisingly, choosing is not hard. Choosing is only difficult when someone has trouble finding determination. Determination is easy with courage as well. Jun Hyuk took out his cellphone. ¡°Maestro Quinn. I¡¯ll meet you in Boston.¡± Jun Hyuk turned the camping car around and headed back in the direction of Zurich. He sold the camping car for nothing and got on a ne to Boston. Jun Hyuk really was not a star. No one knew his name. The stars were ¡®Inferno¡¯ the song and Jun the name. No one recognized him when he bought his airline ticket, got his boarding pass, or when he went through procedures foring and going. When using the name ¡®Jun Hyuk Jang¡¯, he is just a young Asian boy. When he arrived at General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport in Boston, a woman in her mid-30s, wearing a dress, was waiting for him. She must have used the photo on Patrick Quinn¡¯s to learn his face because she raised her hand as soon as she saw him. ¡°Maestro Jun. I¡¯m Tara Butters of the Boston Philharmonic. Call me Tara.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Maestro? I can¡¯t handle that. Just call me Jun.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that. You are a guest conductor for the Boston Philharmonic. Anyway, I don¡¯t know how long it will be for but I am going to act as your secretary while you are here. It¡¯s an honor. Please let me know if you need anything.¡± There was a limousine waiting outside the airport. ¡°Shall we go to the hotel? We have made reservations for you at the za Hotel. We can move you somewhere else if you find anything ufortable, so just tell me.¡± Do maestros always receive such treatment? He could not tell if it was out of genuine admiration or firmly ced custom, but he did not think he could ever get used to it. ¡°No, let¡¯s go to the hotelter. I¡¯d like to meet Maestro Patrick Quinn first.¡± ¡°Alright. Then we¡¯ll be going to Boston Symphony Hall.¡± If Tara Butters had acted less like a secretary, they would have been able to have a conversation in the limousine. But Jun Hyukpletely shut his mouth and looked at Boston out the window. ¡°Um, Maestro. Can you take a look at this?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A contract. I know you have a secretary, but don¡¯t know her contact information. Look over it and if you give me her information, I¡¯ll take care of it. It is the standard contract for visiting conductors with Boston Philharmonic. I will go over the details with yourwyer.¡± ¡°Alright. This is her phone number.¡± Jun Hyuk found Lim So Mi¡¯s number in his phone and handed it over to Tara. Tara jotted the number down and pressed a few keys on the phone before handing it back. ¡°I saved my number as well. Call me at anytime if you need anything.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Jun Hyuk could not shake the feeling that he might be bothered a lot by this woman named Tara from now on. The Boston Symphony Hall,pleted in 1900, is an impressive building reminiscent of European architecture and was selected as a National Historic Landmark. It is famous not just for the exterior, but as the concert hall with the best sound conditions in the world. He shook when he entered this historical building for the first time. He is not a tourist or someone here to see a concert. He is here as a performer to stand on the stage, and to conduct the orchestra at that. ¡°Maestro Jun. Maestro Quinn is in rehearsal at the moment. He told us to go straight to the concert hall. What would you like to do?¡± This woman¡¯s timing is on point. She even takes away the time that he can stand back to be in awe. His shaking haltedpletely. When they entered the main concert hall, they could see Patrick Quinn conducting a Tchaikovsky piece on stage. He saw Jun Hyuk, put the baton down, and hugged him. ¡°Oh! My friend, Jun. Wee. Do you know how much I¡¯ve been waiting?¡± Past Patrick Quinn¡¯s shoulder, Jun Hyuk could see over 90 orchestra members looking at him. Chapter 162 Volume 5 / Chapter 162 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Maestro Jun] Patrick Quinn put his hand on Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder and spoke to the orchestra. ¡°My fellows, he has finally arrived. The fiend who has made you all suffer through nightmares. Ha ha.¡± After Patrick Quinn¡¯s yful introduction, Jun Hyuk bowed his head. It did not feel like the orchestra members werepletely weing Jun Hyuk¡¯s presence. It is not because he is young. It is not rare for them to have visiting conductors in their twenties. Their expressions are a mix of anticipation and concern. They already know the personality of the song well. Opening the door to another type of music is worthy of receiving rave reviews. However, they seemed to already be thinking that ying the song or holding a concert is impossible. If it had been a song that was possible to y by having theposer show up, they would have put it in the concert repertoire already. Jun Hyuk took in these looks and greeted each member. ¡°This is Matthew Price, the best violinist and our bandmaster.¡± Matthew Price took Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand and greeted him in a friendly manner. ¡°Maestro Jun. Hopefully, you¡¯ll be able to take us out of this nightmare? Or are you going topletely push us into hell? Ho ho.¡± Matthew Price is in his fifties with sparse white hair. Though he is not selected as a top ss violinist, he is a performer who could stand on any stage as a soloist. He joked to Jun Hyuk, but more than half of it was sincere. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Isn¡¯t it just a sound? My thoughts are that you shouldn¡¯t put too much meaning to it.¡± Matthew Price did not show a particr reaction to Jun Hyuk¡¯s response. He could guess how Jun Hyuk thinks of his own music when he said, ¡®just a sound¡¯. When his first meeting with the orchestra was over, Tara approached him. ¡°Maestro, let¡¯s end your meeting here since they¡¯re in the middle of rehearsal. There is another person waiting for you.¡± Jun Hyuk realized that they were in the middle of rehearsal. ¡°Maestro Quinn, I interfered. Then.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s fine. Anyway, let¡¯s meet in the evening again to catch up. Okay?¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± Jun Hyuk was led by Tara again to leave. Tara led him to a well presented office that did not look shy or cheap. There is a namete for Board Chairman Mark Boff on the door. Board Chairman Mark Boff has been on the Board of Directors for 20 years, and he is the person who made the Boston Philharmonic into the pride of the Northeast after rival New York Philharmonic started slowing down in the 1980s. Even though he is about to be 70, he still looks healthy as he is a fan of exercise. He has a close rtionship with New Ennd Conservatory (NEC) In particr, and has made tremendous investments in music education making it easy for him to recruit high level musicians. He is one of the people who frequents the temporary orchestra ¡®Boston Pops Orchestra,¡¯ consisting of many of the orchestra members in the off-season. They do not perform heavy symphonies, but rather arrangements of music like light ssic props, rock, and jazz. They also brought in a good amount of profit by participating in film music. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is the actual head of the Boston Philharmonic. ¡°Maestro Jun, we finally meet. Wee. I heard you overturned the world and then went traveling by yourself?¡± Mark Boff, who looked too healthy to be 70, lightly embraced Jun Hyuk. ¡°Mr. Chairman. Please don¡¯t use the title Maestro. Just call me Jun.¡± Jun Hyuk felt extremely awkward with everyone calling him Maestro. ¡°Hm..... Maestro Jun. You¡¯ll need to start getting used to it. Starting today, more people are going to call you Maestro than they call you by your name. Until you retire I mean. And don¡¯t call me Chairman. Just call me Mark.¡± Mark Boff asked Jun Hyuk about Salzburg and his travels, and then brought up the most important question in regards as to why he brought him here. ¡°What do you think? Do you think it¡¯ll be possible?¡± It is a question that Jun Hyuk could figure out without an exnation. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have nothing to tell you since it isn¡¯t something that I¡¯ve tried before.¡± ¡°Most conductors in the world have made attempts at least once, but it¡¯s a bit funny for theposer to be keeping his hands off of it. Goodness.¡± Mark Boff looked at him with disbelief. ¡°I hope your stay in Boston will be afortable one.¡± Jun Hyuk brought up the one condition that he had. ¡°If I am to befortable, I wish you wouldn¡¯t make it known that I¡¯vee to Boston. I don¡¯t really like to have the press and reporters around.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s something you¡¯ll need to get used to as well. Bing famous means losing that much privacy. You can think of it as an exchange. And it¡¯s already a situation where I can¡¯t do that favor for you. Articles on the concert are going out tomorrow morning. We already sent out the press release. The news of your recruitment will also be going up on our website homepage.¡± Mark Boff shook his head indicating that there is no chance. It is also a piece of advice that it is something he cannot do anything about as long as he has stepped out into the world. ¡°Then the reporters wille swarming to the hotel.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t go up to your room, but they¡¯ll be camping out in the lobby. What can you do but put up with it? Thinking that you¡¯ll have concerts and albums but not have your privacy infringed upon is only a dream for musicians. It¡¯s impossible. Just ignore it. Tara will take care of handling the reporters. Don¡¯t worry since she¡¯s a veteran.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Go to the hotel and get a lot of rest until tonight. You¡¯re going to have to have dinner with the Board members.¡± Even though it is the first time he is hearing about this dinner, Jun Hyuk did not say anything. It is just a step in getting used to this world. He needs to ept it. ¡°Tara, take him to the hotel.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± *** The suite on the 23rd floor of the za Hotel is separated into a living room and bedroom. The living room looked full because it holds a grand piano. It is not a royal suite that goes for tens of thousands of dors a night, but it is plentyrge for a guest room that he will be using alone. ¡°What do you think? Do you like it? If you find anything ufortable, I can look into another room.¡± ¡°No, this is plenty. It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯lle to get you for dinner at 6:30. If you need anything, let me know at any time.¡± When Tara closed the door and left, Jun Hyuk threw his body on the bed and could only sigh at the thought that this stiff lifestyle would continue. He needs to make calls first. Since the press release would be going out tomorrow, he needs to let everyone know because they see the articles and make a fuss. He will need to start with hiswyer, who may have already received a contract in the mail. ¡°Lawyer Lim. It¡¯s me, Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Goodness, Jun Hyuk. Where are you? Are you still traveling in Europe?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m in Boston right now.¡± ¡°Boston? Why? You¡¯re traveling America instead of Europe?¡± ¡°No. I became the visiting conductor of the Boston Philharmonic. The people here said...¡± ¡°What? Visiting conductor of Boston? Goodness! You made such a fuss just 2 months ago and now conducting? Who are you?¡± Chapter 163 Volume 5 / Chapter 163 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Maestro Jun finds a new motivation] Lim So Mi¡¯s startled voice rang over the phone. She does not have a lot of interest in music, but she investigated things like recordbels, the music market, and the world of ssical music while taking on Jun Hyuk as a client and came to understand the scale and social status. She knows that a visiting conductor, and of one of the top 5 orchestras in the U.S. at that, is capable of immediately bing the principal conductor of most orchestras. ¡°It turned out like that. Anyway, they said they¡¯ll be sending the contract over soon so I just wanted to let you know.¡± ¡°Hm. What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°The contract. You want me to make it tight? Or do you want to do it loosely?¡± ¡°Ah, pass on whatever you can. Just try to avoid meetings with reporters as much as you can.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s see. Once this gets out, will I be holding a press conference again?¡± He could tell by her voice that she does not dislike doing the press conferences. She could even be looking forward to it a bit from the slight excitement in her voice. ¡°Ha ha. There won¡¯t be any reason for that. There¡¯s a separate spokesperson for Boston Philharmonic.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°You sound regretful.¡± ¡°Of course. I look pretty good on camera. Ho ho.¡± Lawyer Lim So Mi put her regrets aside and he called Yoon Kwang Hun about this. ¡°Sir. Are you still in the countryside?¡± ¡°No, I already came back. It¡¯s been a while since everything quieted down.¡± The articles about Jun Hyuk after the events of Europe settled after just 2 weeks. Yoon Kwang Hun stayed at a pension on the west coast for a while and came back to his daily life when a cafe employee called him saying that the reporters had stoppeding. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re going to have to pack your bags again.¡± When Jun Hyuk started talking cautiously, Yoon Kwang Hun realized that something had happened. Packing his bags means that Jun Hyuk will be in the news again. He does not even get very surprised anymore. ¡°Why? Is it getting noisy again? What happened this time?¡± ¡°Uh... I¡¯m the visiting conductor of the Boston Philharmonic starting today.¡± ¡°What? Boston? Visiting conductor?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun had not been surprised when Jun Hyuk told him to pack his bags, but his voice grew loud when he heard Jun Hyuk say visiting conductor of Boston. Jun Hyuk exined Patrick Quinn¡¯s proposal and everything that had brought him to make the decision, and Yoon Kwang Hun was so happy he could fly away. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s really good. You¡¯ve finally gotten your hands on a great instrument. Though it is a regret that your first song is Inferno. You have so many songs that are better... Well, I guess there¡¯s nothing you can do about it since that¡¯s all people know.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun imagined Jun Hyuk conduct the Boston Philharmonic and wished for the melody to be that of the beautiful songs in the score safe. ¡°So are you confident? You think you¡¯ll be able to get it on stage? It¡¯ll be hard. Ke ke.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun already knows how hard the performance is, so he can say this. He is half in expectation and half in worry. ¡°I¡¯ll have to find a way to do it. If I can¡¯t find a way to do it, I¡¯ll just give it up.¡± When Jun Hyuk spoke as if it is not a big deal, a shout suddenly rang over the phone. ¡°This kid! You¡¯re being loose. Hey. You have to start this with the thought that you¡¯re going to do it no matter what! This is work! Conducting is work too. What kind of work is there in the world that you can do loosely to give up?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was so loud that Jun Hyuk could picture his angry face. ¡°You think conducting is the same thing asposing? Did someonee to you with a bundle of money and ask you to write a song for them? That¡¯s something you do because you like to do it. But this is something that the Boston Philharmonic is paying you to do. If you didn¡¯t have the confidence to do it, you should have said that from the beginning and not gone near it. You think Boston Philharmonic is feeding you, taking care of you, and paying you because they have too much money? This kid is being ridiculous.¡± In all of the time he had been with Yoon Kwang Hun, he had never seen him get so angry. All he had done was re at him if he said something particrly profane. So when Yoon Kwang Hun got mad, Jun Hyuk was surprised and stuttered, not knowing what to say. ¡°S- sir...¡± ¡°It¡¯d becking to say that you¡¯ll work hard no matter what, but what are you saying? You¡¯ll give up after trying it out if it doesn¡¯t work out? Hey kid. Not even ady who earns a sry of $1000 washing dishes in a restaurant thinks like that. I¡¯ll say it again, but go tell them now if you don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to do it. Hang up!¡± Jun Hyuk sat nkly with the phone that had hung up. Jun Hyuk¡¯s head had be nk with Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s scolding, and even forgot that he needs to call Amelia. Until now, the only thing that he had done with a sense of duty after being paid is modeling for the clothing brand during the audition program. And that was a simple job that ended after just a day. Other than that, he had only done what he liked. Money had automatically followed when he yed the music he liked, made arrangements the way he wanted, andposed what he wanted. However, there is something that Jun Hyuk has not realized hidden in Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s scolding. Instead of doing as he pleases, he needs to make an effort with the aim of ¡®responsibility¡¯ in mind. If he wants to achieve his goal, he needs to do it with other people and not do it alone. Creating a song and throwing it at an orchestra to y it on their own does not work. All he has to do is to show the same amount of effort he showed when he worked with the students of New York¡¯s music schools. But the Boston Philharmonic is different. There are clear aims of a performance and a record. Patrick Quinn said that he did not have to make it happen, but he is receiving money just as Yoon Kwang Hun said. And if it is the amount that is written on the contract, it is a fair amount. Jun Hyuk thought for a while and picked up his phone again. He could not getting himself to call Yoon Kwang Hun when he thought about how he had shouted at him, so he sent a text message. -[I¡¯ll send a VIP ticket for the first performance. Pleasee.] He had worried that he would not get a text back, but it was groundless. Yoon Kwang Hun sent a text back in his usual manner as if he had never gotten mad at Jun Hyuk. -[With a first ss ne ticket?] Chapter 164 Volume 5 / Chapter 164 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: The next few chapters will be longer ¨C sorry so short :P] ¡°Maestro, are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll go down now.¡± 6:30 at night. Tara¡¯s call at precisely the decided time showed how sharp her personality is. When he went down to the hotel lobby, Tara was waiting for him. However, she was frowning. ¡°Maestro. Your clothes.....¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± When Jun Hyuk looked down at the jeans and hoodie he was wearing, Tara brought him back to the elevator. ¡°You need to wear a suit. It is a restaurant where you cannot enter unless you are wearing a suit.¡± ¡°What do I do? I don¡¯t have a suit.¡± ¡°But ¨C whew ¨C You haven¡¯t looked in the closet yet? There is a tuxedo and suit in there.¡± Jun Hyuk saw Tara let out a long sigh and felt bad. She is just working hard, but he felt like he was just giving her a hard time. Thinking that this is all part of the job, he started seeing people¡¯s actions in a different light. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll hurry up and change.¡± Tara followed Jun Hyuk who ran back to the elevator. ¡°I can go by myself. You can just wait in the lobby.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll pick out your tie. Do you...?¡± ¡°I know how to tie a tie.¡± Tara pulled a shirt and suit out of the guest room closet. ¡°There¡¯s just the one now, but someone from the tailor shop will being tomorrow. They will get your sizes and prepared a couple shirts, tuxedos, and suits. It will be the same for shoes.¡± Once Jun Hyuk came out in a suit, Tara looked satisfied. ¡°Your skin is light, so let¡¯s use the red tie.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± When Jun Hyuk took the tie from Tara and winked, she smiled for the first time since meeting him. In the car to the restaurant, Tara did not rest in order to detail his schedule going forward. ¡°Maestro. After tonight¡¯s dinner, you don¡¯t have anything scheduled for tomorrow. From now on, twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you will take over the orchestra. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Maestro Quinn will take over for the regr performances.¡± ¡°So I just do 2 days out of the week?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then what do I do for the other 5 days? Hang out?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯ll have poster photo shoots, press interviews, meals with Boston¡¯s powermen, and attending associations. There will be events like special lectures at New Ennd¡¯s music schools.¡± ¡°It sounds busy just hearing about it. Whew.¡± ¡°This is nothing. Since bing the standing conductor and art director, Maestro Quinn has not been able to rest for a single night. He does interviews with the press as well as power bloggers, and even participates in podcasts. There is nothing he can do until the first season is over.¡± The standing conductor of the symphony is simr to the coach of pro baseball team, Red Sox. He needs to constantlymunicate with the public until the first season¡¯s scorees out. Tara saw Jun Hyuk let out a long sigh and smiled again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ll try to reduce your schedule as much as I can. That¡¯s okay, right?¡± ¡°Tara, you¡¯re my savior.¡± The wall between the two is slowlying down. In the meantime, their car arrived at the restaurant. *** The restaurant that Tara talked about is famous, so all of the seats and tables are full. With the escort of an employee, he made his way through the passage as though getting through a maze. Once he got to the reserved seats, he saw the Board members and Patrick Quinn drinking. Chairman Mark Boff introduced each of the board members to Jun Hyuk and he sat among them. Among these people, there are those who genuinely love music and those who joined the board in order to gain the title of being cultured and refined. What they have inmon however, is that they contemte over realistic matters. Surplus management and a reputationparable to the New York Philharmonic. These two things. Board members also have roles as great donators who give the Boston Symphony about $1 million every year. They want gains from the Boston Philharmonic in order to continue the surplus and save the money to use the donations in other ces. ¡°Maestro Jun. We would like to be the first to put the full Inferno on stage and release an album at the same time.¡± They spoke about the Boston Symphony for a while and finally arrived at the topic of Jun Hyuk and Inferno. They even said why the Board had agreed to invite Jun Hyuk as a visiting conductor on Patrick Quinn¡¯s request. It is now Jun Hyuk¡¯s turn to answer. ¡°This is what I¡¯m thinking. Both are possible. But.....¡± Everyone stopped moving their forks and knives when he said that it is possible, and gave him their attention. ¡°But? What is it?¡± ¡°It will take a fair amount of time.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Until the Inferno score in all of the orchestra members¡¯ heads arepletely erased.¡± When the board members looked at each other without understanding what Jun Hyuk was saying, Patrick Quinn burst out inughter. ¡°Ha ha. How novel. But Jun. Will it be possible to erase a score that¡¯s embedded in their heads along with shock? Even if they somehow erase it, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ll think of it again when everyone gathers for rehearsal.¡± The table conversation became lost in the world of music. It is not a matter of simply enjoying music, but at a standard that only musicians can understand. Thus, it is a ce for just Jun Hyuk and Patrick Quinn. ¡°The album recording will be possible by recording by instrument part. That¡¯s thanks to you, Jun. You¡¯re the only person on earth who can conduct Inferno without a problem. But the performance? Since it¡¯s an orchestra, the members will have significant skill. I¡¯m sure it will only take moments for them to recall a score that they had forgotten.¡± ¡°As I said, it¡¯s just an issue of time. I can think of a couple methods, but we¡¯ll have to test them out to see what would be appropriate for the orchestra.¡± Jun Hyuk quickly chewed and swallowed a piece of steak. ¡°Erasing doesn¡¯t always mean forgetting. There is also the method of changing it by tangling it up and mixing it.¡± Patrick Quinn was silent for a moment, trying to understand what Jun Hyuk is saying. As if he had been waiting for this, Chairman Mark Boff looked at Jun Hyuk. ¡°Maestro Jun, you¡¯re different from when I had met you his morning. You seem to have a lot of drive.¡± ¡°More than drive, I mean to do my duty. I already invited someone toe to the performance.¡± Mark Boff was not the only person who was satisfied with Jun Hyuk¡¯s confidence, and the other Board members were smiling. Patrick Quinn was lost in thought for a while. He could understand Jun Hyuk¡¯s intention, but could not imagine what method he was going to use. ¡°Jun, can I attend rehearsals? I¡¯ll shut my mouth and stay quiet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an honor for me, Patrick.¡± The dinner became a pleasant ce of light excitement and anticipation. They quickly finished their champagne and wine. Chapter 165 Volume 5 / Chapter 165 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: The Maestro begins his challenge] Jun Hyuk left the hotel early the next morning. His invitation to Boston was the top story in the culture column, and his articles were all over the inte. Even the BSO homepage had pictures of him, proving that the articles are true. It is best to get out before the reporterse swarming in. Jun Hyuk went to the park that people of Boston love most. Boston Common is America¡¯s first park. It is 60,000 acres, so there is no one who would recognize him in his sweatpants and hoodie. He hade to the park to get some exercise because he remembered that Phdelphia¡¯s conductor Bruno Kazel said that conducting is a matter of stamina. He repeated running and resting during the morning, ate a sandwich for lunch, and walked around Boston. Other than picking up Tara¡¯s calls every hour to tell her not to worry, he was able to tour the city without interruptions. When the sun started setting, he went back to the hotel, carefully looked around the lobby, and found that Tara was still in interviews. She had gone through the busiest day on Jun Hyuk¡¯s behalf. While Tara acted instead of Jun Hyuk in the lobby, Jun Hyuk had been able to spend plenty of time thinking about how he would hold the first rehearsal. Jun Hyuk arrived at the concert hall early on the morning of the first rehearsal of Inferno, and had a cup of coffee with Patrick Quinn. ¡°Jun, I don¡¯t know if you know but I¡¯m saying just in case.....¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The members are creating performer unions for the Boston Philharmonic.¡± ¡°Unions?¡± ¡°Why? You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°No. I had no idea.¡± Patrick Quinn saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s surprised face and remembered the first time he stood on the podium. He wanted to make it so that Jun Hyuk would not have to experience the incredulity that he had felt. ¡°Since they are employees of the BSO (Boston Symphony Orchestra). They are paid a sry to work.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Upon leaving school, everything revolves around ¡®work¡¯. ¡°The performers meet with the BSO to go over sries and conditions every year, but there¡¯s just one thing that you need to know.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Break times and times you work.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Break times?¡± ¡°Yeah. This isn¡¯t just the case for Boston, but the same anywhere around the world.¡± ¡°Well, I can understand working ties but what are breaks in rehearsals?¡± ¡°After about 1 hour of practicing, you must give them 10 minutes to rest.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s not school. What is this 10 minutes for every hour?¡± ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it like that in Korea?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know the circumstances in Korea... Then does that mean I have to cut off rehearsals in the middle of a song and give them a break? Is that even possible?¡± ¡°Even the orchestra members know that much. Normally, you can say that it¡¯s time for a break once whatever you¡¯re practicing is over.¡± Jun Hyuk heard the word ¡®normally¡¯ loudly. Then that means that there are circumstances that are not normal. ¡°But it¡¯s quite delicate. When the members are having fun or lost in the passion of the song, they don¡¯t ask to take a break. They don¡¯t realize that time is passing either.¡± ¡°Ah, I see how that would happen.¡± ¡°But when the conductor says nonsense, the conducting is boring, and the performance isn¡¯t fun, they¡¯ll keep the break times without any other thought. Since they can¡¯t focus on the music and performance, they¡¯ll keep looking at the time. As you said, they¡¯ll cut it off in the middle of a song. Ha ha.¡± Patrick Quinn chuckled as if it were something funny. When Jun Hyuk heard hisughter, he realized why the members take breaks. ¡°I see. So the reactions of the conductor and members.....¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. You¡¯ll be able to check by looking at the breaks.¡± With more breaks and more punctual breaks, it means that the members cannot trust the conductor or that there are differences in musical views that cannot be resolved. ¡°Maestro Quinn. Then.....¡± ¡°Hey Jun, I told you to call me Patrick. If not, I¡¯m going to make sure to call you Maestro Jun too.¡± Patrick Quinn red at Jun Hyuk and shook his finger at him. ¡°Ah, haha. Alright. Patrick. Then what were the breaks for members like in Vienna? Did they take their breaks on time?¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re asking such a straight question? That¡¯s scary. Ha ha.¡± There is bitterness in hisughter. ¡°There were more breaks as time went by. They never missed a break since we started Inferno. They even made sure to leave work exactly on time. They had sent a signal that they cannot do it while I kept pushing it on them.¡± On the one hand, it is understandable. The Vienna Philharmonic¡¯s roots are as an orchestra of Vienna¡¯s court opera theater. Its unique color is that it focuses on tradition and is against modern music. Their focus on things of the past is not stubbornness. Their thinking is that the Vienna Philharmonic is not the one that needs to be performing contemporary music. Their sense of duty to enrich the ssics is more important to them. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the theater. I¡¯m going to see how many times they rest during your rehearsal. Ha ha.¡± All of the orchestra members were waiting for Jun Hyuk infortable clothing. Their looks did not show any tension and were just full of curiosity. Patrick Quinn had repeatedly said that he is a genius, but the only exposed fact is that he is theposer of Inferno. Other than that, his ims to fame are not in ssical but in jazz and rock. There are a lot of geniuses who leave 1 good song and disappear. Jun Hyuk took in all of this attention and went up to the podium. He left the baton on the music stand and spoke, ¡°Honestly, I cannot understand why this song causes pain. It is not music that I created in order to bring pain to anyone. My intentions for writing it... Well. I think I just made it.¡± Jun Hyuk could not get himself to say that he had written the specific melody about his painful childhood. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you one thing, though I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be helpful in performing. You do not get used to pain. Even if you feel the same pain repeatedly, the power of that pain remains the same. It hurts. But there is something good in its repetition.¡± Everyone listened to Jun Hyuk¡¯s words about his story rather than the music. ¡°That you know when it ends. That bes the strength to withstand the pain.¡± ¡°Maestro. We have never thought that we¡¯d be able to y this song just by enduring the pain. Isn¡¯t there no point in ying it when we can¡¯t express it?¡± Matthew Price is a performer before he is the concertmaster. The sess of the performance and the record are important, but he is more focused on the desire to express music. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But don¡¯t you think we need to do at least that much? I ran a bit in the Commons yesterday. I didn¡¯t run to run well. It was in ordance with Maestro Kazel¡¯s warning that I need to have the stamina to back up my conducting.¡± Jun Hyuk hit his thighs with both of his hands andughed. ¡°Enduring is also a basic fitness to ying Inferno perfectly.¡± However, the members did not stop looking at him in distrust. ¡°If it had been possible to y the song automatically by building the basic fitness, we would not have suffered so much.¡± One of the members yelled and with that sound, everyone started buzzing. Jun Hyuk put his hand up, calmed the members down, and continued his exnation. ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s no way that it¡¯ll be enough. As I told you, the basic fitness is just the first step.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the second step?¡± Concertmaster Matthew Price did not pay attention to the members¡¯ buzzing, and looked only at Jun Hyuk. ¡°The second step is pretty easy. But as you said concertmaster, there is still the problem of expression.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to tell us in detail?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll y mechanically. ying the notes exactly as they¡¯re on the score like a machine ¨C that¡¯s the second step.¡± ¡°Well well. We always y exactly.¡± Matthew Price seemed a bit disappointed upon hearing that the second step he had been anticipating was something that went without saying. They are the Boston Philharmonic, a famous orchestra in the U.S. They are confident that they y all songs with more exactness than machines do. But Jun Hyuk shook his head and spoke clearly, ¡°No. What do you mean the Boston Symphony ys like machines? That¡¯s nonsense. You are ying like people. With abundant emotions.¡± ¡°It means we follow the movement of the baton exactly in order to bring out that emotion.¡± Matthew Price who had seemed patient, frowned. They had not gathered here to hear about meaningless basics. Isn¡¯t exact conducting the basic of basics? ¡°Whew ¨C How do I exin this.....¡± Jun Hyuk had an ufortable expression on his face. He needs to show them the precise difference between an ¡®exact performance¡¯ and a ¡®mechanical performance¡¯ with his body. From the seats below the stage, Patrick Quinn and Chairman Mark Boff watched their conversation with interest. ¡°Maestro. Do you understand what that young conductor is saying?¡± ¡°Yes. He said that the second step is easy, but it is actually the more difficult method.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more difficult?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not easy for people to y a song while taking out emotionspletely. And isn¡¯t it music? Music makes emotions fluctuate.¡± Patrick burst out inughter while looking at Mark Boff who was still lost in puzzlement. Chapter 166 Volume 5 / Chapter 166 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: The Maestro shows them magic] Jun Hyuk scratched his head and mulled it over before having a good idea and looking around. ¡°Tara?¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± Tara, who had been waiting at the entrance to backstage, quickly came out to stand next to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Can you get me a pen and paper?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Paper? Are you asking for music sheets?¡± ¡°No. Just white printer paper.¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± Patrick Quinn smiled as he looked on at what was happening on stage. ¡°Look. It seems he¡¯s going to do something now. I mean something fun.¡± Jun Hyuk wrote notes on the paper that Tara brought him. He filled the white sheet with notes and then spoke to the orchestra. ¡°Oh right. Do you want to take a break? I think it¡¯ll take about 10 minutes.¡± When Jun Hyuk spoke, the members got up from their seats and gathered around him. Jun Hyuk is just writing notes. Since he is writing on a nk sheet of paper, they cannot tell the pitch and there are just mixed lengths of 4 minute notes, 8 minute notes, whole notes, half notes, et cetera. It is boring to watch, so most people scattered to go to the bathroom or get a cup of tea. Patrick Quinn and Mark Boff could not see what Jun Hyuk is doing, so they could not wait and went up to the stage to take a nce at the paper before going back down to the seats. Chairman Mark Boff could not even begin to guess what it was that Jun Hyuk is trying to do because it is the first time he is seeing something so strange. ¡°What is it that Jun Hyuk is doing right now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t guess either because it¡¯s something that I¡¯m seeing for the first time as well.¡± Patrick Quinn was also seeing this for the first time. After learning how to work with scores, he had never written notes on regr paper. Notes written on white paper are unfamiliar. When the break ended and the members returned to their seats, Jun Hyuk handed out 6 sheets full of notes to the violin performers. ¡°There. I¡¯ll start with the violins. As you can see, you can¡¯t tell the pitch of notes and can only see the lengths. Right?¡± The 6 violinists looked at the sheets on their stands in a strange manner. As they are not on scores, there are no pitches to the notes. He did not separate the measures so they cannot figure out the beat, and there is no rhythm because they do not know where to end it. ¡°Alright. Now we¡¯ll decide the pitch of the note. The 6 of you just have to choose different notes. Concertmaster? Would you like to go with C?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Matthew Price had a sour look on his face. He could not see what this has to do with a precise performance, and it seemed like a joke that he is asking them to perform with just notes without pitch. ¡°So Concertmaster has chosen C. Everyone else needs to choose.¡± The 6 violinists each chose a different key. ¡°Alright. Now, I¡¯ll lead. Follow the beat of my conducting exactly. Alright? Do not pay attention to the sounds of the other performers. There are more notes than it seems, and you must make sure to take each of the half notes. If your attention strays even a little, you will lose the beat as well as where you are in the notes. Then.¡± Jun Hyuk signaled the start with the baton, and the 6 violin bows moved in concert. There was no need to move the left hands pressing down on the violin strings. It is just a sound to make with one hand. When the 6 soundsbined however, a fast and light melody like a scherzo flowed out and spread over the theater. The orchestra members who were watching could not hide their surprise either, crying out in shock and Patrick Quinn bolted up from his seat. After the 1 minute performance was over, the violinists held their instruments and could not speak. How is something like this possible? What kind of magic is this? Jun Hyuk did not pay attention to the surprised orchestra members or people in the seats, and took the 6 sheets back. ¡°Then shall we change it and try it out?¡± The aftertaste of the 6 violins was still lingering, and Jun Hyuk started handing out scores again. This time, it was for the violin, cello, r, oboe, trumpet, and horn yers. He had organized one person each from the main instruments. ¡°You can change the scores if you¡¯d like. Take any score and choose a key. You can y like the violinists just did.¡± The performers¡¯ faces were full of interest as if they were young children who had discovered a new game. What kind of music woulde out this time? The 6 performers focused on Jun Hyuk¡¯s baton. When the baton moved, an entirely different music from what the violinists had just yed, flowed. How could this be? When they had only yed with one key? On top of that, different music ¨C pretty great music ¨Ces no matter what key they use, what instrument they select, or how the scores are mixed up! When the performance ended, everyone gathered to the 6 scores. There was even someone who was calcting how many songs woulde out bybining the 6 scores. Then, someone grabbed all 6 scores quickly. It was Patrick Quinn. Patrick Quinn spread the 6 scores out on the floor and sat among them. He moved his finger andbined the notes at random, seeing what kind of melody results from this. As the standing conductor has taken over the stage, everyone had to stand back and watch. Not a single person thought that it was rude. Everyone wanted to look at the scores and see what kind of music coulde out. Eventually, Matthew Price could not resist any longer and went behind Patrick Quinn to do the same thing. Then many of the orchestra members ran out and gathered around the scores. Jun Hyuk watched this and wondered if he should include or take this out of the practice time. ¡°It works! Somehow, this configuration works too.¡± ¡°This is nuts. Really. How is this possible?¡± ¡°I just tried one with 3 instruments. Goodness... A 2-minute song is possible too!¡± The members tried out different configurations with the scores, and started chatting as though going through a treasure hunt. He had not been trying to show them magic. He needed to show them the difference in performing, but they were showing apletely different reaction. There was only one reason why this unusual reaction did not end and kept going. Jun Hyuk went to Patrick Quinn, took the scores, and put them in Patrick¡¯s hands. ¡°Patrick. This is a gift. So go back to your seat and look through them slowly.¡± Patrick Quinn finally rose from the floor after he had been staring nkly at the papers. ¡°Oh... Excuse me. I interfered with rehearsals. I was supposed to just be visiting. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Patrick Quinn could not take his eyes off of the scores even after going back to his seat. When the chatting and admiration of the members on stage did not stop, Jun Hyuk tapped the music stand with his baton. ¡°There there. Let¡¯s stop ying now. Anyway, the people who just yed will know. They yed mechanically, paying attention to just the lengths of sounds and resting notes. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± The performers could only nod. After looking at notes on scores, they really did y mechanically while looking at such a boring score. It is an inevitable method of performing since there is no pitch, speed, or intensity. ¡°Usually, there is no choice but to y a song you are ying for the first time, mechanically. It¡¯s just that before you all y a song, you read the score beforehand andmit it to memory before practice even starts. That¡¯s why a mechanical practice is impossible.¡± If they look at the score and get used to the general flow of the song, they are bound to put emotion to it. The feeling, emotion, sentiment in a score wille out once the performance starts. ¡°Maestro. Then don¡¯t we just need to perform a new song? Why did you use this magical method?¡± Concertmaster Matthew Price dug in to the end. When Jun Hyuk saw this side of him, he realized that the concertmaster really does want to perform Inferno. ¡°That¡¯s because you are all professionals.¡± Now, even if Jun Hyuk stopped speaking for a moment, no one spoke. Everyone listened and only looked at Jun Hyuk. ¡°The moment you all open a score, you speed read the notes on both pages and get an understanding of the flow. That¡¯s why I needed to use this strange method.¡± Everyone finally understood and nodded. ¡°Everyone. This is not magic. They are just notes. You said that it is impossible, but it is possible to y mechanically. It¡¯s because you are full of emotion and you won¡¯t get rid of the thinking that instruments express emotion.¡± Matthew Price had been listening quietly when he spoke again, ¡°Good. That¡¯s good, Maestro. Let¡¯s say that we simply y mechanically. Then does that mean it will be possible to y Inferno?¡± ¡°Yes. Instead, someone will feel awkwardness. The people who can listen to Inferno to the 4th part with patience. Of these people, there will be those that say that it is awkward because they can catch the delicate expression.¡± ¡°Maestro. If our Boston Philharmonic is the first to y Inferno, half of the audience will be made of conductors andposers. They will be sure to feel the awkwardness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re saying that we can¡¯t just imitate, no... that you want to perform it perfectly?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The Concertmaster¡¯s decisiveness showed on his face. ¡°Alright. Then you¡¯ll have a pretty hard time.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled at the Concertmaster. He is middle aged, but he seems to be the orchestra member with the youngest mindset. ¡°If you all had not looked at the entire score, it would even have been possible to record the album tomorrow. It¡¯s not possible to tell what kind of song it is by looking at each instrument¡¯s parts. If I conduct and we record by part, it would be possible.¡± It is toote however. Every member of the orchestra had already seen the whole score. It is as though they had opened Pandora¡¯s box. ¡°So all of this... Repeatedly enduring it and ying the song the mechanically is the way to forget the whole song. I think that if you all forget the score to a certain extent, you can record the album and then prepare for the performance.¡± Chapter 167 Volume 5 / Chapter 167 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: The Maestro shows them magic] The orchestra members started to get excited when Jun Hyuk brought up the album and performance. They had thought that it is impossible, but they now thought that it may be possible if they have the originalposer who can work magic. ¡°Tchaikovsky!¡± The orchestra and Jun Hyuk turned their heads to the direction of this yell. There, Patrick Quinn was clutching the 6 sheets of paper and trembling. ¡°This was Tchaikovsky. ! It¡¯s that song!¡± Patrick Quinn ran up onto the stage. ¡°Jun, I shouldn¡¯t be imposing so much but I keep doing it. Forgive me.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Everyone was confused by Patrick Quinn¡¯s unexpected behavior, but Jun Hyuk was smiling gently. ¡°The notes on this paper are Tchaikovsky¡¯s , right?¡± ¡°Yes. You really are the top Maestro. You recognized that at once.¡± When Jun Hyuk gave him a thumbs up, the orchestra members looked around. No one had been able to figure it out... Patrick Quinn is impressive for figuring it out. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. What kind of magic did you use?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking how you¡¯re able to make music in this way. With just 6 melodies ¨C no, it¡¯s not even a melody. How are you able to make it so that you canbine any sounds to create music?¡± ¡°Well. It¡¯s really not anything.¡± Exining how to create music is much more difficult than creating music itself. It is especially so when making a song in such a method. ¡°I justpletely dismantled a symphony into measures and relocated them. It requires a bit of thought to create decentbinations when putting them back together... but I could only do 6 now because there wasn¡¯t enough time.¡± ¡°Then... Then does that mean you finished all of this in 10 minutes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Patrick Quinn could ask this because he had already seen Jun Hyuk¡¯s abilities. But the orchestra members¡¯ jaws dropped when they heard Patrick Quinn. They had thought that the 6 scores had been prepared in advance. They had guessed that theposer of Inferno would have done a lot of other fun and experimental songs. No one had thought that he had written it on the spot. ¡°Is that why you chose Tchaikovsky?¡± ¡°I thought of when you were rehearsing Tchaikovsky when I first came to the theater.¡± ¡°Whew ¨C I thought that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised by you after meeting you in Salzburg this summer, but I see there¡¯s still a lot left.¡± Patrick Quinn hit Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder andughed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay quiet and won¡¯t interfere anymore, so keep doing your mysterious magic. Ha ha.¡± When Patrick Quinn went back down to his seat, Jun Hyuk looked at the orchestra members who still could not close their mouths and spoke, ¡°You¡¯ll have to y with patience and endurance from now on, and you¡¯ll have to y your instruments mechanically.¡± ¡°Ho ho. Neither of these are easy.¡± Concertmaster Matthew Price thought about their difficult future and burst outughing. ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing more that I can do today. It would be good to practice on your own. As I said, look only at the notes while making the effort to forget theplete song.¡± When Jun Hyuk bowed his head to the orchestra, they apuded him loudly. They showed their genuine eptance of him as their maestro through their pping. Jun Hyuk came down from the podium and looked at the orchestra again. ¡°And I¡¯ll give thest request, no warning.¡± The orchestra members who had been about to pack up their instruments looked at Jun Hyuk again. ¡°Please do note to rehearsals with me with a hangover.¡± Everyone stopped and looked at Jun Hyuk at his unexpected words. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you drank until you were drunk yesterday, but there was a difference in the way you yed Tchaikovsky two days ago and the short song you yed today.¡± Jun Hyuk only said what he needed to and bowed to the two people in the seats. Tara ran out and led Jun Hyuk out backstage. Since he had ended rehearsals early, she wanted to pull his schedule forward and end the day¡¯s tasks early. On the stage, there were 2 members who stared nkly at Jun Hyuk¡¯s back while the rest packed up their instruments. Patrick Quinn and Mark Boff got up from their seats. ¡°He he. I think the orchestra will be more scared of young Jun than they are of me. He caught on to that small difference in breath at once.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Then it was true? Did he really make a distinction between the performers who have a hangover? I thought he had just been guessing because most of the orchestra likes to drink.¡± Mark Boff felt like the short rehearsal he saw today was like watching an exciting movie. On top of that, it is a movie that left a cliffhanger for a sequel. ¡°No. Horn, cello. These 2 people. The horn¡¯s breath was short and the cello was too heavy. There¡¯s no doubt that they drank a tonst night.¡± ¡°You¡¯re impressive for recognizing that as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I heard them y for over 2 months. I already know their abilities and characteristics well. Jun only heard them once, and for a short time at that. But he still figured it out exactly. The orchestra members will be more stung by his recognizing that someone drank rather than the magic he showed us.¡± ¡°He really is a genius as you said. I had my doubts when I just heard about him, but it is such an unbelievable shock when seeing it for myself.¡± ¡°So you understand why I said that he would be standing at the top of the music world within 10 years? In this state, it could be 5 years instead of 10. That is if the western world epts this young Asian genius.¡± Patrick Quinn left the theater after leaving these meaningful words. This is how Jun Hyuk¡¯s first rehearsal ended, like a mysterious magic show. *** Inside the car back to the hotel, Tara kept taking nces at Jun Hyuk. She was also surprised. She had worked for 2 maestros while working for the Boston Symphony for over 5 years. And after jumping into this field due to her love for ssical music, she had been able to see a lot of conductors. There had been opportunities to see their incredible talents for herself, but there is a difference in the abilities that Jun Hyuk showed today. ¡°Tara. Is my schedule over for today with this?¡± ¡°No. You can rest until the afternoon at the hotel and then you have to visit the concert hall in the evening. It was originally scheduled to happen a few dayster, but it¡¯s better to get it over with since there is extra time today.¡± ¡°Concert?¡± ¡°Yes. It is the New Ennd Conservatory¡¯s performance. Maestro Patrick Quinn was supposed to participate.....¡± ¡°But then, why me?¡± The New Ennd Conservatory students asked for you since you are such a hot topic. Since it¡¯s not a ce where you both need to be present, Maestro Quinn was happy to back out.¡± ¡°Do I just have to watch the concert?¡± ¡°There will probably be a time for some light Q&A.¡± The New Ennd Conservatory (NEC) is the oldest independent music school in America and is oriented toward group music. It is particrly famous for orchestra, conducting, piano, jazz, and vocals. ¡°And that¡¯s thest?¡± ¡°Yes. But it will be a bit busy tomorrow. You need to attend 2 sponsor association events. They are fairly important sponsors, and they are highly anticipating their meeting with the young maestro.¡± ¡°The conservatory is a bit better than the sponsor associations.¡± Jun Hyuk let out a long sigh. Chapter 168 Volume 5 / Chapter 168 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Jun has some fun...] NEC is the only music school that has been chosen as an American history monument. Its main concert hall, Jordan Hall, is just 1 block away from Boston Concert Hall. When Tara led Jun Hyuk into Jordan Hall, reporters holding cameras came swarming at them. ¡°We couldn¡¯t avoid this. We need to reveal every part of your schedule on the homepage, and we alertst minute changes to your schedule through social media. Maestro! Smile.¡± When Tara quickly spoke in hushed tones, Jun Hyuk sighed and forced a smile. His awkward face was captured with camera shes. ¡°Please push the questions back for after the concert. There is not much time left until the concert... Then excuse us.¡± Tara got rid of the reporters and went into the concert hall. Even in this short moment, Tara¡¯s working capabilities showed. She cannot prevent the reporters from showing up, but she had kept Jun Hyuk in mind to show up with just enough time before the concert to have his picture taken but not to go through interviews. The orchestra was already in position on the stage. The members were tuning their instruments. Jun Hyuk settled in a seat all the way in the back of the audience. ¡°Maestro, there is a seat waiting for you in the front.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just listen from here. It looks like today¡¯s program is jazz, but the brass instruments drown the other sounds out. This concert hall has a reputation for having a good sound system... And it¡¯ll be fine here since they have mic equipment as well.¡± As Jun Hyuk said, over 20 people were preparing as a big band to perform jazz. For string instruments, there were only the electric guitar, electric bass, and contra bass. The majority of the rest were saxophones, trumpets, and trombones. Jazz originating from New Orleans is usually done with a band made up of one person on each instrument. Then it started to take the form of popr music with wind instruments in the 1920s. This band is a ssical orchestra that is used to ying music like waltzes, so they pushed out all of the members and boomed with those who could y popr music. Thus, the birth of big bands. Even until then, jazz was not music to listen to but music to dance to. Especially with the Prohibition Era, symbolized with Al Capone and the illegal underground Cotton Club. These underground clubs wanted music for the mood in addition to alcohol, and big bands performed music that was exactly fitting for this setting. In this atmosphere, the unique exotic vor ¡®jungle sound¡¯ was showcased or a capable soloist was put at the front to fuse the music¡¯s unity and jazz¡¯s freedom. With improvisation however, all that was done was to show a bit of it at a designated period. Since there are a lot of performers, it is difficult to go into improv, the zest of jazz, for 10 minutes. Generally, they perform to the movement of the conductor¡¯s baton. When the big band¡¯s conductor came out, the audience broke out in cheering and apuse and Jun Hyuk¡¯s expectations also rose. It is the big band¡¯s jazz that he had heard on albums a few times. However, it is the first time he is watching a performance for himself. The students performing wearing jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies rather than dark suits was familiar to Jun Hyuk. He felt awkward as the only person wearing a suit. When the conductor¡¯s baton moved, a light drum started and the brass instruments rang loudly throughout the theater. ¡°Ah, well... Ha ha.¡± As soon as the introduction started, Jun Hyukughed quietly. The song that the big band is performing is Jun Hyuk and Stanley rke¡¯s improv ¡®The First¡¯ album. A song that was yed on just the piano and bass has been arranged to fit a big band. They inserted a new melody at times and there were a few changes, but it is an arrangement that shows the record¡¯s sound. It was a performance that fit almost exactly with the album¡¯s running time. After over 40 minutes, the audience pped and yelled for an encore. After the conductor calmed everyone down, he took the mic. ¡°Ah ah. Was the performance okay?¡± When the conductorughed and greeted the audience, they responded with apuse again. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know well, but this song was made on just the piano and bass. It was a bit difficult to arrange.¡± The conductor coughed 2 times and kept speaking, ¡°There is a very special guest here today. He created a buzz in the world of ssical with music that is like noise and has be the visiting conductor of our Boston Philharmonic with it. He has the title of a young genius without exaggeration. Maestro? Forget it! To us, he is just an envious guy with the sexiest pianist girlfriend in the world, the person who has gifted us with minimalist jazz beats, brought together metal heros of the past, and is a jazz and rock and roll star. The name?¡± The conductor held the mic out to the audience and everyone yelled, ¡°JUN! JUN! JUN! JUN!¡± Jun Hyuk had not dreamed that this kind of scene would ur. He was confused with this situation, so Tara whispered in his ear. ¡°Go up on the stage. I can¡¯t predict with kids...¡± Tara tsked and closed her mouth, pushing Jun Hyuk. She remembered that Jun Hyuk is in the same age group as the students. When Jun Hyuk rose from his seat and walked down the pathway, the students in their seats held their hands out. Jun Hyuk took turns giving each a high five as he approached the stage. When he went on the stage, the conductor holding the mic ran and embraced him. It is an action that does not fit the Boston atmosphere of not showing emotion. Jun Hyuk was passed the mic and the apuse exploded again. Hearing the shout, ¡®Jang Jun Hyuk!¡¯ he could tell that there are a few study abroad students in the audience. Tara was just hoping that Jun Hyuk would not say anything weird. There are a fair amount of reporters in the seats. She could see that quite a few of them already had their voice recorders out. Jun Hyuk held the mic and had an awkward look. ¡°Shit. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have worn a suit.¡± The audience burst out inughter at Jun Hyuk¡¯s light joke. ¡°Aren¡¯t you honestly thinking that you¡¯d rather have my girlfriend Amelia on this stage?¡± The audience cheered again. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen as well... but American people start with a great joke and greatnguage, but I¡¯ll just speak with music.¡± Jun Hyuk gave the mic to the conductor, took his zer off and put it on the stage floor. Jun Hyuk went to where the orchestra is sitting and asked the guitarist to borrow his guitar. Then, a concert staff member ran up to bring him an electric guitar. The students already saw that Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar ying skills are incredible on YouTube, and started screaming. Jun Hyuk put the guitar on and the staff hung a wireless jack on his belt. Jun Hyuk went to the conductor and after a few words, the conductor seemed surprised and smiled brightly, nodding. ¡°Check the sound now. You need to record this perfectly. There can¡¯t be even the slightest mistake. Everyone got it?¡± The music director¡¯s urgent instructions flowed out through all staff members¡¯ headsets. There was even a stand mic on the center of the stage. When Jun Hyuk saw the mic and looked embarrassed, the conductor brought the audience to apud him again. With the pping, reporters got up from their seats and ran out to the front of the stage. From seeing the mic, they had a feeling that they would get a scoop today. Jun Hyuk tuned the guitar for a moment, shook his head, and stood in front of the mic. When the intro flowed from the guitar, they realized that it is a music that is entirely unexpected. If it is someone who has ever listened to music, the intro of ssic rockabilly tunes is that of a legendary rock and roll song. It is The Beatles John Lennon¡¯s ¡®Rock¡¯ n Roll Itself¡¯. It is Chuck Berry¡¯s song. Chuck Berry is such a legend that it is not an exaggeration to say that he is thepletion to rock n roll. He had a profound impact on musicians like Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. The Beach Boys, called America¡¯s pride to take on the Beatles, even giarized one of his songs. The Beach Boys¡¯ top hit song ¡®Surfin¡¯ U.S.A.¡¯ (1963) is a giarism of Chuck Berry¡¯s song, ¡®Sweet Little Sixteen¡¯ (1958). Jun Hyuk¡¯s intro is ¡®Johnny B. Goode¡¯ from the movie ¡®Back to the Future¡¯. When the guitar intro was over, Jun Hyuk took the mic and started singing, ¡°Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans, Way back up in the wood among the evergreens....¡± He stopped at just 2 verses. Because the students in the audience were following along, the passion did not go down even if Jun Hyuk stopped singing. Jun Hyuk¡¯s improv started with the guitar solo part. The big band took care of a simple chord, and he yed various melodies with the guitar. When the roles changed and Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar and the strings started scratching out chords, the trumpet and saxophone showed a new tune. Jun Hyuk scratched the guitar strings as he admired the school jazz band¡¯s impressive skills. The band showed perfect synchronization as if it had be one instrument, and the conductor did not stop leading them as though ying one great instrument. However, there is a lot of difficulty for a band of over 20 people to continue an improv performance. Their limit was a little over 10 minutes. When the big band¡¯s chord started squeaking, Jun Hyuk gave the conductor a look to signal ending the performance with the drum¡¯s cymbal. Jun Hyuk took the guitar off of his shoulder and shook the conductor¡¯s hand. Jun Hyuk thought that this was much better than holding a conversation with the students, and slipped backstage while the audience shouted for an encore. Tara saw this and also rushed to run backstage. ¡°Maestro, go back out on stage and respond to the apuse. I will take care of the encore.¡± While Jun Hyuk went out and greeted the audience again, Tara told the staff that they cannot stay for an encore because of the next item on their schedule. Tara and Jun Hyuk left the concert hall once he came backstage again. Chapter 169 Volume 5 / Chapter 169 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Weird lunch] ¡°Tara, I¡¯m willing to take on any events like this. Ha ha.¡± Inside the car, Jun Hyukughed loudly with a light heart. He could not remember thest time he had been part of such a fun performance. ¡°Today¡¯s performance is going to go up on YouTube right away. A lot of the students recorded it on their phones.¡± ¡°Vition rights ¨C What, is it a problem that like?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not that sensitive. It¡¯s just.....¡± Tara recalled the concert and had a subtle look on her face. ¡°It¡¯s just? Ah, me singing?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure that will be tremendous news.¡± ¡°The first measure I sang was off pitch, but it was plenty that I could handle. There¡¯s nothing special about it.¡± Jun Hyuk had a nonchnt expression as if it was insignificant. Tara had found out about Jun Hyuk¡¯s appearance on the audition program in Korea while looking up information on him. She also knew that he had be a hot topic because he was the only participant who had not been singing. She had been taken aback when she saw that Jun Hyuk singing on the stage as though it is nothing. She had thought that he did not like singing itself. ¡°What were you going to do if the students in the audience hadn¡¯t been singing along?¡± ¡°Of course everyone will sing along when it¡¯s Chuck Berry¡¯s famous song. Don¡¯t you think I thought that far?¡± Whatever happened, Jun Hyuk was extremely satisfied with today¡¯s performance. ¡°Tara. Forget the other stuff. Today¡¯s schedule was a sess, right?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯ll have 100 times the effect of an interview. ¡®Maestro Sings Rock n Roll¡¯. There isn¡¯t any outlet that won¡¯t use this great headline.¡± When Jun Hyuk saw Tara smiling brightly, he felt good because it was as though he had helped her out a little when she is working so hard for him. Jun Hyuk was praying for the time to go by quickly in this ce with such a different atmosphere from yesterday¡¯s performance. 20 minutes had not even passed in this lunch that had started at 1 in the afternoon. But Jun Hyuk had already cleared his te. More than 10 elderly women were in a small banquet hall in the Boston Symphony concert hall and eating little bits of the catered food. They ate slowly and only wet their lips with their coffees. What frustrated Jun Hyuk more was that he could barely hear them with the way they speak. He would need to use a hearing aid to hear them exchange their thoughts on Inferno and ssical music. However, the lunch took on an entirely different mood with one person¡¯s question. ¡°Maestro, is today¡¯s news true?¡± ¡°Excuse me? What news are you talking about?¡± ¡°The performance with the New Ennd Conservatoryst night.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. It just happened like that.¡± ¡°How did youe up with the idea to perform Chuck Berry¡¯s song?¡± It was not criticism about how Boston¡¯s maestro could perform rock n roll. It was a question with wide eyes full of curiosity. ¡°It fit the mood yesterday. The students drunk in jazz were looking at me, and I couldn¡¯t ssh cold water on them. And I had fun.¡± ¡°Maestro Jun is taking on a variety of genres like rock n roll, blues, and jazz. I don¡¯t know if you know, but his performing skills are on par as well.¡± Tara, who was joining them for lunch, did not lose the chance to grab the sponsors¡¯ attention and praised Jun Hyuk. ¡°I used to like Bill Haley¡¯s music more than I liked Chuck Berry¡¯s.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Buddy Holly was the best at the time.¡± ¡°Ho ho. The conclusion is going to be Elvis Presley anyway.¡± ¡°Elvis is great too, but the Beatles¡¯ musicality is on top.¡± The women left the borate lunch on their tes and talked about old stars and their music. Jun Hyuk was no longer the object of their attention. The topic was their memories. When they were young, America was apletely conservative society. It was a time when rock n roll was considered music of vulgar hoodlums or the devil¡¯s music. They hid LPs from their parents and listened to them behind their backs. The British Invasion, an expression for when British music took over America, started in February 7, 1964. The Beatles zone F. The girls who had been screaming their names when they first stepped foot in Kennedy airport, are now here to sponsor ssical music. Now they may seem to be people with luck as awyer¡¯s wife, banker¡¯s wife, CEO¡¯s wife, but they loved their idols more than the teenagers today and had passionate youths with rock n roll. The memories of their fiery childhoods are better topics of conversation than ssical music or the young Asian geniusposer. Jun Hyuk, now forgotten, did not have much to do but listen to their conversation. While drinking coffee and listening to them speak, he realized that they had experienced the music that he had only heard in albums with their bodies. They are now old women whose blonde hair has turned white, but they are the pioneers who opened the door to popr music. When their time to reminisce ended, the lunch also ended. After reminiscing about their pasts for a while, it was evident that they had a lot of fun. Their refined and elegant expressions have disappeared and they were only left with the passion blushed red in their cheeks. When a restaurant employee cleared the table, the sponsors pulled their checkbooks out of their bags. Then they wrote the amount for their donations on the spot and handed them over. There were no envelopes with bills that hid how much they were donating, and there was no immature battle over who would write arger number on their check. They each wrote an amount that was fitting for their circumstances, and handed the checks over proudly. Jun Hyuk got a nce of the values of the checks and was surprised that they were not that high. Thergest amount was just $10,000 and the rest were just a few thousand. Tara put the checks in her bag and jabbed Jun Hyuk¡¯s side. ¡°Thank you for giving us your precious time today. The donations you made today will be put toward the new challenge that the Boston Symphony will take on.¡± Jun Hyuk recited the words that Tara had written for him politely and precisely. ¡°Ho ho. Maestro, will you put the music that we enjoyed as youths in that new music?¡± ¡°Of course. If it¡¯s possible, I¡¯ll try to create a stage to perform with those people.¡± The meeting ended after Jun Hyuk kissed each of the women on the cheek. The sponsors now head to the concert hall to watch rehearsals. It is a benefit of being a donator. ¡°Tara, drop me off at the park on your way back. I don¡¯t feel so good after sitting still and shoving meat down my throat. I¡¯ll run a bit before going back to the hotel.¡± ¡°You know that you have another appointment in the evening, right? Please make sure you¡¯re notte.¡± Tara started to see Jun Hyuk in a new light because he was handling these situations better than she thought he would. He had handled today pretty well. ¡°Maestro. I know they are difficult appointments, but you are doing well.¡± When Jun Hyuk saw Tara smiling brightly, he remembered something he had been wondering about. ¡°What did you think about the donations today? Is that much a sess?¡± Jun Hyuk was thinking that the donations might have been reduced because of himself. ¡°Of course. There¡¯s someone who donated a whole $10,000. That¡¯s more than 30% of what Maestro Quinn and the former conductor brought in.¡± ¡°Really? Donations are smaller than I thought they would be.¡± ¡°Are thousands of dors a small amount? Ah, well Maestro¡¯s ie is so high..... With royalties, album sales, and everything else.¡± When Tara listed Jun Hyuk¡¯s ie on her fingers, he blushed. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not what I meant.....¡± Tara saw Jun Hyuk quickly waving his hands and burst outughing. ¡°Ho ho. I¡¯m joking, it¡¯s a joke. There aren¡¯t many sponsors in reality who donate tens of thousands of dors.¡± When Jun Hyuk thought of sponsors, he thought that the basic was tens of thousands of dors. But just from today, he realized that it is just the middle, no more no less. ¡°Most donations amount to tens or hundreds in a year. If they go into the thousands, they are entered into celebrated contributions.¡± ¡°Then is it rare to see donators who give that much?¡± ¡°No, there are a fair amount of them. But most of them are private sponsors, not people whoe to these lunches and rehearsal previews. Only the people we saw today want this kind of gathering.¡± ¡°I see. Then is the dinner going to be like those old women as well?¡± ¡°No. They will be women in their thirties. They are not housewives but rather sessful women, so it won¡¯t be boring. And just have a hard time today. For 2 weeks after this, you don¡¯t have anything in your schedule.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wee news.¡± Jun Hyuk had to run in the park again in order to go to dinnerter. Chapter 170 Volume 5 / Chapter 170 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Bigger and better things] Dinner was much more perplexing than lunch was. Tara¡¯s description that it is a gathering for young female sponsors was inurate. It was a gathering for leopards who did whatever they needed to in order to seed, putting in more effort than the men. They are loud and expressive. They poured questions out on him and did not hesitate to make dirty jokes about his beautiful girlfriend. A few were even tantly flirtatious. It was to the point where even Tara was sweating. They could understand why these women who never requested dinner with white-haired old conductors had been quick to ask for a dinner with Jun Hyuk. Once the over 2 hour dinner was over, Jun Hyuk thought that this would be more tiring than conducting all symphonies. Jun Hyuk was thankful to Tara for not scheduling another meeting with sponsors for him for 2 weeks. But Jun Hyuk did not know Tara¡¯s true toils. She was moving quietly on behalf of Jun Hyuk. When a Korean yer enters the major leagues, the first sponsors to appear are from the Korean society abroad. As such, the Korean society in Boston was trying to create a sponsor association. However, Tara respectfully declined. She did not want Jun Hyuk to have to be called away to a gathering to drink at least once a month. ¡°We will respectfully decline having sponsors who have never seen the Boston Philharmonic, but would like to participate just because the conductor is Korean. The Boston Philharmonic only receives donations that are for music. I will let you know the best way to give support. Purchase tickets and watch the concert. Maestro Jun will be most pleased with that.¡± It was not just that. She made sure to block ess from Korean reporters. She did not know why, but she could tell that Jun Hyuk hates the Korean press. Two weeks went by after the first rehearsal. The orchestra members have a goal, but it is not easy to achieve that goal. They still cannot perform even half of the 1st part. They even used the method that the Berlin Philharmonic used. The members put in ear plugs, paid attention to other sounds, and yed the music focusing only on the score and Jun Hyuk¡¯s conducting. However, they only came to know theints of the Berlin Philharmonic for over a year. The Berlin Philharmonic is really persistent for performing in this frustrating method for over a year, and conductor Maestro Saril Petrenko really has extreme patience. Jun Hyuk had been expecting the orchestra to forget at least a bit of the score and started to fret. He was not sure if they would be able toplete the song by next May when the season is over. It is also unprecedented that a visiting conductor can be put up for 2 seasons with the same song. Even if he had Patrick Quinn¡¯s support, the Board would not tolerate it. As Yoon Kwang Hun said, a professional must do as much as he is paid. He finished a rehearsal without development, came back to the hotel, and contemted how they could seed in a short period of time. While lost in thought, he heard the sound of a visitor. When Jun Hyuk opened the door, Amelia jumped into his arms. ¡°Amelia. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t call you so I could surprise you. What do you think?¡± ¡°You seeded. I¡¯m really surprised. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Do you know how much I suffered to switch my schedule around? Ipletely pushed the concert in Japan back.¡± After winning the Tchaikovsky Competition, Amelia was the emerging female pianist. She is about to surpass Yuja Wang who is currently the best in China. A shy appearance with a fitting performance full of charisma and power. Even a fashion that shows the passion of South America. The number of fans she had increased as they admired her videos on YouTube and in Japan where there are a lot of piano fanciers, her poprity is explosive. If she pushed the Japan concert back, it means that she has pushed back an incredible ie. ¡°Then how about in Boston? You don¡¯t have a concert?¡± ¡°Ugh ¨C Why wouldn¡¯t I? My manager won¡¯t let me rest. I have 2 concerts, one at Harvard and one at MIT. And I have to go to Phdelphia in 3 days.¡± ¡°What? You didn¡¯te here to spend Christmas together?¡± ¡°Sorry. Phdelphia is the Christmas and New Years concert. Boston Philharmonic has a concert too.¡± ¡°Then we don¡¯t have time to be doing this!¡± Jun Hyuk picked Amelia up and went into the room. ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take?¡± ¡°What? The performance?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°3 months to record the album. The performance should end with this season? We need to put it on stage in May. That¡¯s the goal.¡± Jun Hyuk leaned on Amelia and spoke confidently. ¡°Oho. It looks like you¡¯re overflowing with drive.¡± ¡°He he. There¡¯s a reason why I have to.¡± Amelia felt like the maestro title brought Jun Hyuk motivation. To her, the most fitting image of Jun Hyuk is as a conductor. Furthermore, a conductor who conducts his own music. ¡°Then what happens once this season ends?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡± As Amelia had worried, Jun Hyuk was not preparing at all. She cautiously brought up what she always wanted to say to him. ¡°Jun. Don¡¯t take this the wrong way and listen.¡± ¡°Yeah. What is it?¡± ¡°Just because you make the world talk doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ll keep getting opportunities like the Boston Philharmonic. You only have Inferno as the one objective data.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°The world¡¯s famous maestros might praise you, but philharmonic orchestras will react coldly. A young genius whose everything is Inferno. That¡¯s it. If you perform and release an album with Boston, other ces won¡¯t call for you. And.....¡± ¡°And what?¡± Amelia hit Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand when he jokingly stuttered. She is in the middle of saying something important. ¡°Since Inferno is experimental and underground, there¡¯s a high possibility it¡¯ll end after this one time. The reason for other philharmonics to perform it disappears.¡± It is what Colin said a long time ago when he quit the cello to do popr music. Experimental contemporary music ends with the premiere and is not fated to be put on stage ever again. The audience, conductor, and orchestras will eventually go back to Beethoven. They can foresee the future of Inferno. ¡°Then I¡¯ll end it. Whatever.¡± Jun Huk spoke as if it is not a big deal. He was intending to end his receiving money to create something he has to take responsibility for with this anyway. He was brought all the way here with Boston Philharmonic¡¯s fame, but it is more fitting for him to live while doing what he wants rather than working for money. ¡°What? End it? Ho ho. Will it be that easy?¡± Amelia pinched Jun Hyuk¡¯s lips and twisted them. ¡°You think you¡¯ll be able to let go of the world¡¯s most perfect andplete instrument when it¡¯s been ced in your hands? Jun, you¡¯ve already experienced it while performing Magic Flute.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It wasn¡¯t attractive to that extent.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. Those kids werecking. But it¡¯s the Boston Philharmonic. One of the best instruments in the world. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll never the thrill of it.¡± ¡°Hm.....¡± He had not experienced what Amelia is talking about yet. Of course he had countlessly experienced the moment when his mind and finger ying an instrument became one. The joy of feeling like 1 hour is 1 second. Would he be able to experience something more than this with the Boston Philharmonic? ¡°Amelia.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Amelia flirtatiously. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The introduction is long. I thought you said you don¡¯t have time. Get to the point.¡± ¡°You need to build your career. It¡¯s something every musician needs to do.¡± ¡°A career... Specifically?¡± Amelia said the fastest way to show the world Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent. ¡°Submit a work to the Queen Elisabeth Competition. In theposition area.¡± ¡°What? Competition?¡± Thepetition¡¯s name is not taken from the British Queen Elizabeth, but from Queen Elisabeth Von Wittelsbach of Belgium. Thispetition started in 1951 and isposed of 4 sections, the violin, piano,position, and vocals. The violin, piano, and vocal sectors are alternated to be held every 3 years while theposition sector opens every 2 years. It is held in May every year. Participant ages are limited to under 27 for the piano and violin, and under 40 forposition. Theposition portion¡¯s age limit is higher because it is thought that maturity from experiencing life¡¯s ordeals will produce better music. Mostposition winners are in their thirties. ¡°Yeah. Submit a song that¡¯s so great it would make someone pass out. A concerto. You¡¯ll win, I¡¯m sure. The pianist or violinist who makes it into finals ys theposition winner¡¯s song in the finals. That¡¯s where you conduct.¡± ¡°Conduct too?¡± ¡°Berlin¡¯s national philharmonic takes the orchestra in the finals, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll give you the baton since you already have experience with the Boston Philharmonic.¡± The unique aspect about thispetition is that the winners who reach the finals, excluding those from theposition section, practice the selected winner from theposition section¡¯s piece for 1 week to perform it. That is why candidates for theposition section need to submit their pieces by December, and the winner is notified in January. It is just that the win is canceled if the winner reveals the fact to the world. It is a measure taken to ensure that the piano or violin participants do not see the score beforehand. Since 12 finalists need to perform this, there can be at least 12 stages. In May of the next year when the contract with Boston ends, the timing is perfect to prepare for the Queen Elisabeth Competition. ¡°The goal isn¡¯t an experimental song like Inferno, but to show them that you¡¯re capable ofposing anything. After that, you reveal all of the songs you¡¯ve written. It¡¯s going to shake the world up. It¡¯ll be iparable to what happened with Inferno. Ho ho.¡± Thepetition is just an appetizer. The main course is releasing Jun Hyuk¡¯s incredible pieces. Ameliaughs at just the thought of it. ¡°If your great works are revealed to the world, you¡¯ll get your first chance to conduct a performance of your songs.¡± ¡°What? You really want your boyfriend to be a maestro? I¡¯m no longer qualified to be your boyfriend if I just have fun and write songs once in a while?¡± Amelia knows that it is a joke, but it is a wee thought to her. ¡°It¡¯s a relief for me if you say you want to rest while writing songs. Then we could always be together. Is that really what you want to do?¡± ¡°Based on how you do.¡± Jun Hyuk hugged Amelia again. Chapter 171 Volume 5 / Chapter 171 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Small ray of hope] When Ameliapleted the concerts at the 2 universities and left for Phdelphia, Jun Hyuk spent thest week of the year alone in his hotel room. The Boston Philharmonic was all for Patrick Quinn because of the special end of year concert including Christmas. Jun Hyuk spent the month of December busy, thinking of new ways to bring out results from rehearsals. He spent all of his time in front of his piano and did not even make it to the end of year party. At the first rehearsal of the year, Jun Hyuk discussed his new method. ¡°My request for you to forget the score was hard, right? You want a perfect performance, but we don¡¯t have enough time. So we¡¯ll have to try out a different method.¡± ¡°Is that method the piano?¡± The concertmaster pointed to the piano that had not been on the stage until now. ¡°Yes. Starting today, I¡¯m going to y Inferno on the piano 3 times every day.¡± ¡°Maestro. That¡¯s...¡± The concertmaster and the other members wore looks of shock. They have not been able to y even half of the 1st part. But the whole song? And 3 times in repetition? That is impossible. ¡°Wait a second. I have a thought. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Jun Hyuk calmed the orchestra down. ¡°You all just need to look at the score well. Focus only on the score since conducting is unnecessary. Since finishing is the goal, please just pass over it even if there is a mistake. You just need to keep the beat.¡± Even though Jun Hyuk told them not to worry, they kept murmuring amongst themselves. ¡°Alright. Everyone quiet down and do as the Maestro says. I think he¡¯ll be showing us magic again today.¡± Concertmaster Matthew Price calmed the orchestra down and spoke to Jun Hyuk, ¡°Maestro. Can we use a metronome? If we are to keep the beat without conducting, I think we¡¯ll need the metronome.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯m sure everyone has a metronome app on their phones.¡± The majority of the orchestra members turned their phones on again and made a buzz to get ready. Jun Hyuk sat in front of the piano. ¡°Alright. Shall we start?¡± With Jun Hyuk¡¯s signal, everyone started ying with the first note. Starting at the 2nd measure, Jun Hyuk came in on the piano. Everyone witnessed magic again. They are sure that they are looking at the same score, but a different music ising out. As the piano increased, the orchestra¡¯s sound just became an apaniment for the piano. Inferno¡¯s terrible melody disappeared and an entirely different piano concerto rang out through the theater. The orchestra did not lose track of the score or go off beat. Instead, there was even a member who almost dropped his instrument in surprise when the song was changedpletely with just the addition of a piano melody. The ufortable sound of Inferno disappeared from the members¡¯ minds and they only heard the piano melody. Jun Hyuk did not look once at the orchestra, did not take his eyes off of the piano keys, and focused only on ying. The 1st part was over within moments. Jun Hyuk did not rest and put his hand up to alert them of the start of the 2nd part. With this signal, the orchestra went into the 2nd part. They understood the maestro¡¯s intent. They are going to go through all of the parts without stopping. After 40 minutes of apletely new music was over, most let out a long sigh. No one spoke. However, there was no time to enjoy the aftertaste of the piano melody or novelty of the magic. Jun Hyuk sent a signal with his hand to repeat the 1st part. Since the orchestra was used to the piano melody, they were confident that they could give a more mature performance. But the magic of the maestro in front of the piano was not over. It was not the same piano melody. If the first piano was like a sad sob, the melody now is solemn and reminiscent of Bach¡¯s Cantus. The 3 performances Jun Hyuk mentioned were of different melodies. After the 3 performances over 2 hours, their mental fatigue was greater than their physical. They had performed while thinking about what melody would be up next, so they were exhausted. Jun Hyuk¡¯s state was not sound either. From the way he wiped the sweat off of his forehead as he stood up from the piano, they could tell that he had performed with much difficulty. For a moment, neither the orchestra nor Jun Hyuk could say a word. Tara had been watching from backstage and fell to the ground without being able to get up even though she needs to gog give Jun Hyuk a towel to wipe his sweat. ¡°Alright. I think we might be able to forget the entire song with this kind of method...¡± Jun Hyuk could not continue speaking. All of the orchestra members suddenly rose from their seats and started pping. It was not passionate like that of an audience, but there was sincerity in their pping. Their pping is not in regards to the piano melody or the disappearance of the terrible sound of Inferno. It is a tribute to Jun Hyuk¡¯s endless talent and his helping them perform the song in such a way. ¡°Why are you being like this. Stop and sit down. I haven¡¯t finished talking.¡± The orchestra members saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s embarrassed expression and sat down to listen. ¡°I think my method worked. First, there won¡¯t be a problem with recording the album like this. Right?¡± In one way, it is just an arrangement. An arrangement where the original song has a twist with the piano. But the result is not that it is a piano song, but that an entirely different song was born. As Jun Hyuk said, they are not forgetting the original song but remembering a new piano concerto. They can listen to the piano melody through earphones in the recording studio. The amazing sound engineer will take care of bncing the variance of the sounds the orchestra makes through their instruments and the piano melody. ¡°From now on when you practice alone, listen to the piano melody. Oh. You only have to use the 3 songs that you heard today, today and tomorrow. I¡¯ll bring a properly made piano song to our next rehearsal.¡± ¡°Maestro. What do you mean properly made? The 3 songs today are perfect. We didn¡¯t think of the original song at all and felt like we were ying an entirely different song.¡± The 3 songs were all perfect piano concertos that did not need anything else. There are a lot of shorings to call them great works, but they have done more than enough to achieve the goal of making them forget the original song. Concertmaster Matthew Price thought that it might be Jun Hyuk¡¯s ambition as aposer to create a better piece. ¡°Oh. The 3 songs that I prepared today were just tests.¡± ¡°Tests?¡± ¡°Yes. They were tests to see how your performance would change ording to the twist with the piano. If we take out the piano in today¡¯s performances, they are just of Inferno. This is also my first time hearing the entire song. But none of them were the Inferno that I want.¡± The skill to listen to a piano concerto while taking out the piano part. It is impressive, but they were no longer surprised. ¡°What is the Inferno that you want?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t express it exactly, but I want to leave a slight room.¡± ¡°Room? What does that mean?¡± ¡°If the 1st part of Inferno that the Berlin Philharmonic performed was a darkness, I am trying to nt a very small light in there.¡± None of the orchestra members had heard Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s performance. But they could understand what Jun Hyuk meant. They had experienced the darkness that Jun Hyuk spoke of with their bodies while practicing the song. With today¡¯s experiment, Jun Hyuk gained a lot of confidence. He felt like he could achieve his goal before the end of the season. ¡°We¡¯ll record the album in January. The secretary¡¯s office will figure out the recording schedule. I¡¯m thinking of increasing the number of rehearsals we have until then. There might not be enough time because we still have the regr concerts... but can we rehearse for a few hours over the weekend?¡± Jun Hyuk brought it up cautiously and examined the members¡¯ faces. Their reactions showed that he need not worry. The concertmaster and members nodded. A challenge is a joy. The next day when Patrick Quinn heard about the day¡¯s events from the concertmaster, he hit his head. ¡°Darn. I missed that great moment. Then that means he¡¯ll bring aplete piano song to tomorrow¡¯s rehearsal. I don¡¯t think I can miss out on that no matter what.¡± ¡°Maestro. Maestro Jun asked me to tell you to refrain froming to rehearsals.¡± ¡°What? Is it off limits for me?¡± Patrick Quinn frowned. ¡°That¡¯s basically what it means. He blocked his secretary, Tara, from entering the stage as well.¡± Patrick Quinn mumbled with a face full of regret. ¡°Well... I guess I made too much of a fuss. I should have just watched quietly.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t a fuss, that was wonderment. Anyone would have done the same.¡± The piano song that Jun Hyuk prepared again could be seen as inferior to the first 3 songs. It is dull and a boring performance continued for 40 minutes without change. Even the membersined that it is so boring it makes the song difficult to y. Jun Hyuk was the only person to look satisfied. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. As long as there aren¡¯t little mistakes, we could record as immediately as tomorrow. Alright. Shall we try it again? This time, y while following my conducting.¡± Jun Hyuk conducted the orchestra while ying the piano. He had the piano at the piano and yed both roles like famous pianist and 10 year conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim. Conducting means constantly leading the orchestra¡¯s sound and urging them to bring out the desired sound. Until now, Jun Hyuk had only said nice things, but he started to be critical. ¡°First violin. I won¡¯t say who it is, but you were half a pitch higher 3 times. I expect that you won¡¯t continue this kind of mistake.¡± ¡°Why are all of the hornste? I¡¯m not talking about the beat. y with a bit more speed.¡± ¡°Hang on. Everyone needs to get used to conversion. In measures 27 to 34, youpletely ignored the dynamic conversion I talked about. It may be a mechanical performance, but that machine is faulty if it cannot keep up with conversions.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s razor sharp criticisms made the orchestra realize one thing. They had only just taken off their trainers. They are just performers who can only y ording to the new score they received, but there is still a long way before they can express the music in the way that the maestro wants. In front of them are not just weekends that they need to give up, but days of practicingte into the night. 2 weeks after the January that Jun Hyuk had expected to finish recording the album, they started preparing to record in Boston Philharmonic¡¯s own recordbel BSO ssics in the middle of February. Over 3 days before recording, Jun Hyuk had meetings with BSO ssics¡¯ producer and sound engineers. ¡°We¡¯re going to use 5 omnidirectional microphones and 3 T stands.¡± Omnidirectional mics are hung in the center of a theater to record even the entire ringing, while T stands are T-shaped stands equipped with 3 mics. It has the role of picking up on even the finest sounds. This method is also known as Da Tree, and was developed by recordbel Da to order ssical music. The producer and sound engineers briefed Jun Hyuk on the overall notes on the recording. ¡°Then that means there will be a total of 14 soundtracks. Won¡¯t mixing be a bother? Since this song isn¡¯t grand like typical ssics, it¡¯ll be easier to work on the 2nd half with just 2 omnidirectional mics and 2 T stands.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Maestro, you don¡¯t need to take that much into mind for us. That¡¯s our job.¡± The producerughed at Jun Hyuk¡¯s unexpected words. He is the first maestro who pays mind to their workload for the 2nd half. ¡°Uh, I have a question.¡± ¡°Yes. What is it?¡±¡¯ ¡°Are you all just engineers? Or are you lovers of music who enjoy ssical?¡± ¡°What¡¯s necessary to say? We chose this job because we love ssical music.¡± Top sound engineers are bound to have a profound knowledge of music. Jun Hyuk is not asking this because he doubts their abilities. He had actually wanted them to be outsiders to music. ¡°Then you know that this recording will be of Inferno, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Isn¡¯t it the top news these days? Our anticipations are very high too because we will be the first to record Inferno.¡± ¡°When Berlin Philharmonic performed the 1st part, the entire audience left. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re so curious?¡± ¡°I was there, and it wasn¡¯t just leaving. The audience ran away.¡± The producer realized what Jun Hyuk is worrying about. ¡°We already heard the terrible reputation that Inferno has.¡± The producer already saw the score for Inferno. Though it was a rough time, his expectations for the music rose. ¡°No. You don¡¯t know. How can you work on something that the performers themselves can¡¯t listen to when you need to listen to it hundreds of times?¡± The producer finally realized what Jun Hyuk intended to do. ¡°What? Then do you mean...?¡± ¡°Yes. I was thinking of doing the mixing myself.¡± When Jun Hyuk was done talking, everyone just blinked speechless. Since they started working in this field, this is the first time they heard a maestro say that he would do the 2nd half of the work. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I basically lived in a recording studio for 2 months. I can work with most equipment.¡± Jun Hyuk saw their frowning faces and did not bring up the work on the 2nd half any longer. They wille to understand when ites time. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not that, you can reduce the number of microphones. And please cover the left and right walls of the concert hall with a thick fabric that can absorb sound. We need to force a light feeling rather than grandeur.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The producer seemed to be ufortable with Jun Hyuk¡¯s increasingly rigid requests and his expression grew darker. ¡°And the earphones?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been prepared already. There are enough for all of the members of the orchestra.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you so much.¡± Jun Hyuk ended the meeting and stood up. They will record over 3 days. He did not say anymore because he trusted that they would know what he is talking about after the first test recording. *** On the day of the 1st recording, the stage was full with 8 microphones andplex wires. The orchestra¡¯s earphones were tangled on the floor, and there was nowhere to step. ¡°So we¡¯re finally recording.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. I had half a doubt at first, but.....¡± ¡°No one knows until the recording is over.¡± Chairman Mark Boff and the Board members are sitting in the back of the audience so as not to miss out on this event. Regardless of the sess of the recording, they want to hear the much talked about Inferno for themselves. Jun Hyuk checked the volume on each and every earphone. The piano sound in their ears and the orchestra¡¯s sound in the theater need to have the same volume. If there is even the slightest difference in sound for the piano, it will inevitably go wrong. ¡°Boston¡¯s young maestro is so meticulous that he checks the sound himself. It isn¡¯t fitting for the appearance of a young genius.¡± ¡°He even said that he would do the mixing himself.¡± ¡°Excuse me? The mixing?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what the producer told me. We¡¯ll have to put an additional article in the contract. Jun will be the producer.¡± Patrick Quinn could understand why Jun Hyuk said that he would do the studio work himself. It is because anyone who can hear will have trouble listening to this song all the way to the end. Patrick Quinn¡¯s thoughts were not wrong in any aspect. They started the rehearsal and test recording and when the 1st part was over, none of the Board members had stayed in their seats. Even the sound engineers who needed to check on the state of the recording, had left. The only people who stayed in the theater were Patrick Quinn and the producer, with the veins showing in their foreheads. When they finished ying through the 2nd part, the producer had left and only Patrick Quinn was left in his seat. He looked much morefortable than he had during the 1st part. As the 2nd part was ending, he could not endure it any longer and was going to leave the theater. There was a greater difference than he thought between reading the score and hearing the song in person. In that moment, Patrick Quinn¡¯s thoughts on Inferno had changed. It has an incredible value, but it is not music. He decided to make the conclusion that they had just used the orchestra to experiment with sound. When he was about to get up, the sound changed. The sound began to change into music. The 1st part was just darkness. There was nothing different in the 2nd either. But as the 2nd part was ending, a very small light came through. At that moment, Patrick Quinn sat down again. The 3rd and 4th parts were the journey to find that weak light. There is anxiety and fear, but that ray of light allows them to ovee that fear. At the end of the 4th part, there is the hope that they have escaped that darkness and can go out into the bright world. But the music ended without showing that bright world. Inferno has an ending that ends with the hope. Chapter 172 Volume 5 / Chapter 172 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Almost done ¨C try reading chapter 171 again...i think i identally didn¡¯t paste a bunch of trantion lol sorry] ¡°You all worked hard. We¡¯ll start the official recording in 2 hours. Is that okay?¡± The orchestra could tell that the rehearsal had gone perfectly. They knew that if it had not been perfect, that young maestro would not have gone straight through to the 4th part. Over the past month, the orchestra could understand how Jun Hyuk could write this devil-like song. It is because theposer is a devil. This is the nickname that stuck with Jun Hyuk. At first, he had been lofty and glossed over small mistakes. But as they kept repeating the performance, he did not lose a single mistake and began to point them out. Everyone had been speechless when he even pointed out the state of an instrument. ¡°3rd horn, you¡¯ll have to go to the instrument premium and have your trumpets taken care of. The crystalline metals are too bunched. There is a lucid sound.¡± The trumpet section of the brass instruments need to be touched up lightly with a wooden hammer twice a year. Just as leather is tanned, it is done to maintain its softness. No matter how Jun Hyuk acted like a devil, they had no choice but to listen. Without the piano¡¯s aid, they would not be able to perform the song properly and the only person who interprets the song precisely is the conductor. Since that kind of conductor ended the rehearsal in one try, it meant that the performance had been to the conductor¡¯s liking. Jun Hyuk came down from the stage and ran to the recording control box. ¡°What do you think? Is it okay?¡± Inside the control box, the producer and sound engineers were red-faced and silent. Jun Hyuk saw their expressions and smiled. ¡°Until where did you hear it?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be around the middle of the 2nd part. Well, I¡¯m really embarrassed. I thought it couldn¡¯t be.....¡± The producer could not look at Jun Hyuk properly and would not meet his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll hear about the circumstancester. I¡¯d like to check it now.¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± An engineer held out headphones. Jun Hyuk listened to all 4 parts carefully before taking the headphones off. ¡°I think it came out well. It¡¯s okay.¡± The producer was even more embarrassed because all he had done was to push the start button to record, but Jun Hyuk was saying that it hade out well. ¡°How is the state of the microphones? That¡¯s all I can do for you right now.¡± Jun Hyuk went back on the stage with the producer. ¡°Please move mic number 1 here. The violin was a bit weak.¡± The producer did not say a word, and sent signals to the control box with his hands. He had not listened to the music and cannot be so bold as to give an opinion. Once the mic was repositioned, Jun Hyuk spoke to the producer, ¡°You don¡¯t need to stay. We just need to get the start and end.¡± ¡°Whew ¨C So this is what you meantst time. I really was confident... I didn¡¯t know it¡¯d be to this extent.¡± The producer shook his head. He had not been able to listen to the music so even he found it ridiculous to produce it. He was going to pass the producer role on to Jun Hyuk and just be an engineer. After Jun Hyuk changed the positions of the mics a little, he looked satisfied. Patrick Quinn had waited until Jun Hyukpleted setting everything up and came on the stage. ¡°Jun. Do you know who the first person to listen to the entirety of Inferno is?¡± Jun Hyukughed and pointed at Patrick Quinn. ¡°Ha ha. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m going to make sure I write this on my Twitter.¡± ¡°Do you have things like that too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a billboard for the Boston Philharmonic. I have to do a bit of everything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. What did you think?¡± Patrick Quinn thought for a moment and started with a firm conclusion. ¡°There won¡¯t be an argument on whether it is music or noise anymore. It¡¯s definitely music.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Um... I want to say that it¡¯s a masterpiece of misfortune.¡± ¡°Ha ha. It would have been perfect if it were just a masterpiece... I see you didn¡¯t like it since you added in the misfortune.¡± Jun Hyuk could understand the hidden meaning in Patrick Quinn¡¯s evaluation. It means that Inferno is fated not to have any listeners. ¡°No. It¡¯s a masterpiece to me, but it¡¯ll be difficult for most people to find the true qualities in the music. They¡¯ll need to listen through to the end of the 2nd part to know that value.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s fine. This song is just a personal constion. I¡¯m satisfied if at least one person gives it a good evaluation. And since that one person is you, there¡¯s nothing more I can ask for.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be the only person who sees this as a masterpiece. There will be various evaluations, but I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t really be bothered by them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I can¡¯t hide the fact that they do bother me a bit.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Are you saying you want more fame? You still don¡¯t have enough?¡± ¡°More than fame, I¡¯d rather receive favorable criticism since it is my first symphony.¡± ¡°Beethoven¡¯s No. 5 Fate symphony, Mozart¡¯s Figaro¡¯s Wedding, Stravinsky¡¯s Rite of Spring. They were all criticized severely. They¡¯ll know one day.¡± He is not looking for an evaluation like those of the works that Patrick Quinn mentioned. He would be satisfied with hearing that it was a decent experiment. ¡°That¡¯s that, but how are the results of the rehearsal? Is it okay?¡± ¡°The producer said that the recording is normally done 3 or 4 times, but I think we¡¯ll be fine with 2.¡± ¡°Since your conducting is precise, it¡¯ll end quickly. Then work hard.¡± Patrick Quinn pat Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder and went back. ¡°I guess you¡¯re satisfied enough that you don¡¯t need to listen to it again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve discovered the essence of this music, so I¡¯m going to enjoy it through the album now. With a freedom of mind.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to thank you. You are my first audience.¡± Patrick Quinn squeezed his shoulder and left the theater. Now, they started the 1st recording without a single person listening. The producer transmitted the piano song on Jun Hyuk¡¯s signal and started the recording. They recorded the performance twice and the 1st day of recording was done. He will check today¡¯s recording and then decide on recording again. The orchestra would go back and rest, but Jun Hyuk went to the BSO ssics studio to work on mastering the album. Jun Hyuk was a savior to the producer and 2 sound engineers. After putting the recording file through all of the systems, Jun Hyuk turned to the producer and engineers. ¡°For now, just go back. I¡¯ll listen to everything that was recorded today and decide on the direction to take.¡± ¡°Huh? All of it? By track? But that¡¯ll take about 20 hours.¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, well. I guess you all didn¡¯t believe me. I told you I lived in a recording studio for over 2 years. Ha ha. Don¡¯t worry and go back. I¡¯ll tell you when it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Maestro.¡± Tara is restless while looking at Jun Hyukugh. The maestro only needs to perform. Spend the night up in the recording studio? It is something bizarre that she has never heard of before. ¡°Tara, you go back too. There won¡¯t be anything for you to do here. Oh, just get me a ton of Chinese food. Plus 3 or 4 pies of pizza.¡± Jun Hyuk quickly put on his headphones and turned his attention to the sound check monitor in order to avoid Tara¡¯s nagging. Chapter 173 Volume 5 / Chapter 173 TL: LightNovelCafe [Hey] When the producer opened the door to the recording studio after a day, he found Jun Hyuk passed out on the sofa. He stepped quietly to sit in front of the console box and look over the console box, but saw a notebook full of writing. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Oh no. I woke you up.¡± The producer gently put the notebook down and looked over Jun Hyuk¡¯splexion. He clearly shows that he is still young. Other than his messy frizzy hair, nothing shows that he is tired. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I justid down to rest for a second.¡± Jun Hyuk rose from the sofa and made a cup on the espresso machine while stretching. ¡°Maestro, this notebook?¡± The producer held the notebook out to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Yes. I organized the 24 tracks. You can just mix the tracks as is written there.¡± The mixing guide written in the notebook makes it so that they do not have to listen to the music. The times to cut and mix are written in detail. He had made it so that all they have to do is look at the track waves on the monitor to mechanically cut and paste. The producer looked through the notes and found a missing part. ¡°The 2nd part is missing. Will you be recording it again?¡± ¡°Yes. There was nothing I could do about the 2nd part. We¡¯ll have to record it again.¡± Jun Hyuk was drinking his coffee when something suddenly came to mind, making him set down his cup. ¡°Oh right. I wanted to release this album only as an SACD (Super Audio CD).¡± ¡°Huh? Just an SACD? Are you saying you won¡¯t release it as a regr CD at all?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just an idea because it¡¯s not something I can make the final decision on. The sound¡¯s range is 110db. The sampling frequency came out as high as 1,400 MHz.¡± An SACD is a HiFi CD. It ys a dense sound firmly and clearly, but it is less smooth than normal CDs to give the sound a sharper feeling. The reason why recordbels try to avoid SACDs is that they can only be yed on a specific yer, which only music manias own. When thinking about the sales, it is right tounch in all forms. ¡°I decoded it a bit and listened, but a normal CD is too soft.¡± The producer could tell that thisposer wants to deliver the vividness ¨C no ¨C the cruelty of the scene. The producer also wants to capture the best sound. Hepletely agrees with Jun Hyuk¡¯s thoughts, but it is a great loss in terms of sales. This album has the value to reach tinum out of sheer curiosity. But if only the SACD is sold, the sales could end with about 1/10. When the producer hesitated, Jun Hyuk spoke again, ¡°It¡¯s just an opinion. The recordbel will decide.¡± It was Tara who saved the producer who was still in an ufortable situation. She entered the room with coffee and a bagel. ¡°You came just on time, Tara. We need to record the 2nd part again, so get that in the schedule for us. Anytime after tomorrow morning is fine.¡± Jun Hyuk took the bagel and chewed off a big bite. Working all night brings hunger. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go back to the hotel first?¡± All Tara wants to do is push Jun Hyuk to bed. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll wash up and rest a bit. Let me know as soon as the recording time is confirmed.¡± When Jun Hyuk left, the producer quickly used the track topare with Jun Hyuk¡¯s notes. He sighed a few times and then started to mumble quietly. ¡°It¡¯s said that New York Philharmonic¡¯s Zubin Mehta (tenure 1978-1991) performed without even a second of error to create the same running time. This kid is worse.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He cut the track into 1/100 second units. What¡¯s more is that the running times for the 3 songs are exact to the 1/100th second. With this kind of dissonance. It means that his analysis of the song isplete, but his listening isn¡¯t on human standards.¡± Jun Hyuk may not have the knowledge of a veteran sound engineer but he does have that of an engineer with a few years experience. Combine that with his natural ability and he is the hardest maestro to work with. *** When Jun Hyuk opened his eyes in the hotel, it was dawn. Looking outside the window, a bright light reflected in the midst of city lights and there was a flurry of snow. He had realized something for sure while working on the recording. It is difficult for the Boston Symphony to hold a concert. When they record, there is no audience. Jun Hyuk is not shameless enough to have the orchestra face their audience with earphones in. Jun Hyuk looked at his watch to check the time in Korea and got his cellphone. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Huh? Jun Hyuk. Why are you calling so early in the morning? No, it must be dawn over there.¡± ¡°Yes. We actually started recording today.¡± ¡°What? Inferno? So, how¡¯s it going? Did ite out well?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s voice is excited over the phone. He is full of anticipation because it is Jun Hyuk¡¯s first time recording as a conductor of an orchestra. ¡°Yes. It came out almost exactly how I wanted it to.¡± ¡°Really? If it came out how you wanted it to, that means it¡¯s really hard to listen to isn¡¯t it? Ha ha.¡± It became more difficult for Jun Hyuk to bring it up when he heard Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯sughter, but he brought up the courage. ¡°Sir. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to keep my word. I can¡¯t send a concert ticket. Sorry.¡± ¡°.....¡± Yoon Kwang Hun did not say anything, so Jun Hyuk imagined his disappointment in Jun Hyuk. But the continued words are his ever warm words. ¡°Alright. You worked hard. It¡¯s okay since you did your money¡¯s worth. Honestly, I thought it¡¯d be too much to expect a performance. And that¡¯s when I can¡¯t even read the score.¡± Hearing Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s bright voice, Jun Hyuk thought of the Yoon Kwang Hun who always encouraged him and teared up but he calmed his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the album as soon as ites out.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll keep that CD unopened. I don¡¯t have the courage to open it. Ha ha. Then are you going back to New York now?¡± ¡°Yes. After the extra recording tomorrow, I won¡¯t have anything else to do.¡± ¡°What are you going to do there?¡± ¡°He he. I don¡¯t have any ns.¡± ¡°Okay. Spend some time doing nothing for now. Just make sure you¡¯re eating well.¡± Once he received Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s understanding and encouragement, his heart felt much more lightened. Chapter 174 Volume 5 / Chapter 174 TL: LightNovelCafe [He¡¯s a real star] When the orchestra gathered again and heard that they would only need to record the 2nd part, they felt assured. They are bound to feel that it had been a sessful performance because it was rare for them to finish recording with just the rehearsal and 3 performances. ¡°The reason why we are only recording the 2nd part again is because my expectations for the 3rd part are a bit low. I listened to the recording several times and it wasn¡¯t an issue of technicality but the strings blocked the oboes¡¯ flow. I thought it¡¯d be okay because of the positioning of the mic... but tricks really don¡¯t work in music.¡± Jun Hyuk spread out the part of the score that he had not been satisfied with and exined what the problem was multiple times before picking up the baton. Unlike the day before, he stopped conducting during rehearsal if anything was off to add in a more detailed exnation. They started recording after rehearsing the 2nd part for 2 hours. After performing, Jun Hyuk checked the recording in the control box and came back onto the stage. Seeing his expression, the orchestra members also became bright. ¡°We¡¯ll end the recording of Inferno with this. You all worked really hard.¡± Jun Hyuk bowed respectfully to the orchestra from the podium. They responded with pping to show their gratefulness. But the pping did notst for long. Normally, the conductor woulde down from the podium, shake the hands of each member, and all go to a bar. But Jun Hyuk did note down from the podium. He still has something left to say. When the pping quieted down, Jun Hyuk began to speak, ¡°Conducting for the Boston Symphony Orchestra has been the best experience. On top of that, it was my song and not Beethoven¡¯s or Tchaikovsky¡¯s. You were all the best yers.¡± Jun Hyuk bowed his head again. However, the smiles disappeared from the members¡¯ faces. They did not hear this as a simple thanks from Jun Hyuk. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the day wille when I will get to conduct for you again, but I would like to tell you that today is thest.¡± Everyone became startled that it would be thest. Why all of a sudden? Their faces all looked to be full of this question. ¡°Maestro! What are you talking about? Thest day? There is still the concert.¡± The concertmaster spoke on behalf of everyone. ¡°Concertmaster. Are you confident?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you have the confidence to perform within 5 months. I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What does that mean? Why are you saying you don¡¯t have the confidence when we¡¯ve even finished recording?¡± Jun Hyuk picked up the earphones sitting on the floor. ¡°Do you have the confidence to perform without these earphones?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s works are heart breaking. No one can respond. ¡°The orchestra listens to earphones, ying a piano concerto while the audience listens to an entirely different symphony? That¡¯sedic.¡± The members remembered what they had been forgetting. The audience makes up the 3rd orchestra members from below the stage. Performing an entirely different song from the audience members to match is trickery. The young maestro reminded them of this. They were all silent when Jun Hyuk spoke again, ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that you arecking in ability. The fact that performing is difficult is just a characteristic of this song. It¡¯s no different from a strange song that asks for an incredibly fast performance or one that requires help unless the yer has extra fingers.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s words that he had never suspected the Boston Philharmonic¡¯s abilities are sincere. ¡°If someone can figure out a way to perform my song properly, that is an undeserved honor. I need to wait for that day toe. Inferno¡¯s premiere is beyond ability. My role ends here.¡± Even though Jun Hyuk was done speaking, none of the members spoke. The conductor andposer had dered that it is impossible, and they have nothing to refute this. It really does end here. Jun Hyuk came down from the podium and held his hand out to Concertmaster Matthew Price. The Concertmaster took Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand but instead of shaking it, he pulled Jun Hyuk into an embrace. He pat Jun Hyuk¡¯s back and whispered, ¡°Jun, you are forever my maestro.¡± *** ¡°Maestro, you can¡¯t do this. You even seeded in the recording. Why are you quitting now?¡± Tara had been waiting outside the stage and made a fuss. She wanted to run out immediately when Jun Hyuk made his outrageous announcement, but she had been pushing back the instinct. ¡°Tara, stop. It¡¯s a fact that even the orchestra has epted. There cannot be the deception of listening to a piano song while performing.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still time left. If you work a little harder...¡± ¡°If it had been possible, the orchestra would have said it first. Everyone knows that it¡¯s impossible.¡± Jun Hyuk urged going to Board Chairman Mark Boff¡¯s office. As Tara followed him, all she thought was that she needs to stop him but she cannot find the words. When he entered the office, Mark Boff and Patrick Quinn were inside drinking coffee. ¡°Good. You are both here.¡± ¡°Oh Jun. The recording is done already?¡± ¡°Yes. It ended early today because it was just the rerecording for the 2nd part.¡± ¡°So the Inferno album is finallying out. You did well, Maestro.¡± Mark Boff looked happier than anyone else. He would have never dreamed of bringing Jun Hyuk, who does not have a single aspect of Patrick Quinn¡¯s career, in as visiting conductor. But it is a sessful gamble. He had created an album that would easily surpass 1 million in sales. If the performance is put on stage, Boston Philharmonic¡¯s fame will go up a step. However, Jun Hyuk¡¯s words made all of his expectationse crashing down. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to say this so suddenly. I will resign as visiting conductor today.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? All of a sudden?¡± The two men simultaneously jumped up from their seats. They could not believe that these words wereing from someone who had justpleted recording. This is something that they would hear if a recording was a failure. ¡°I want to tell you that I¡¯m unable to do the performance.¡± ¡°What? Jun! What on earth are you talking about? What do you mean you can¡¯t do the performance?¡± Patrick Quinn¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°I¡¯ll return the money and expenses spent on me. I don¡¯t know the details of the contract, but if there are penalties for not fulfilling it, I will pay those as well.¡± His clerical tone of speaking to Mark Boff showed that he has no intention of changing his mind. ¡°Wa ¨C wait. Jun. It¡¯s... It¡¯s not time to be talking about stuff like that. You justpleted recording the album. Wh ¨C why are you being like this all of a sudden?¡± Chairman Mark Boff was so surprised that he was even stuttering. ¡°A performance means feeling a realism that is different from listening to the album. But Inferno¡¯s performance will note out as well as the album does. And that¡¯s while using weird shortcuts.¡± Jun Hyuk carefully exined how he hade to make this decision. ¡°Even if we practice in this state for a few more months, we won¡¯t be able to perform without the aid of the piano song. And it¡¯s sphemy if the orchestra performs to the audience with earphones in.¡± It is what he already said to the orchestra and it is a bitter truth that they have epted. What Jun Hyuk is trying to say is that the performance is impossible. Patrick Quinn had been listening quietly when his face started brightening up and he suddenlyughed. ¡°Ha ha. Jun. You¡¯re really interesting. Or is it that you¡¯re smart? No, you¡¯re not shrewd enough to calcte all of this. Is it an instinct? A star¡¯s instinct?¡± ¡°Excuse me? What do you mean by instinct?¡± Mark Boff was bewildered by Patrick Quinn. It would fall short to speak to Jun Hyuk and convince him toe back, but what is this absurdity? ¡°A real star doesn¡¯t hesitate to act. They just move as their hearts tell them to. They don¡¯t n ording to what they think the public will think. But the public bes enthusiastic and follows them constantly.¡± ¡°Patrick. Say it simply. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying. Didn¡¯t you just say that I¡¯m not shrewd?¡± ¡°If you say you won¡¯t perform, I¡¯m pretty sure the passion over Inferno among conductors won¡¯t settle down. Everyone¡¯s going toe running in at the bait of a premiere.¡± Mark Boff finally understood what Patrick Quinn was trying to say. It is not over yet. No, it might even fire up. ¡°Ah, since the album came out.....¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Mark. It means there are 2 references now. The score and album. Each person will look at the score and listen to the album to interpret theposer¡¯s intent.¡± As long as it is still a hot topic, the center of that will always be Jun Hyuk and the Boston Philharmonic. Jun Hyuk with the score, the Boston Philharmonic with the album. ¡°If Jun had done the performance, the drive changes. No matter who performs, they are second. The album came out and the premiere was held. It¡¯ll just be one of many pieces of contemporary music. Even if others perform it, it¡¯ll always bepared to Jun Hyuk¡¯s. This is why the first is so important.¡± It is the same as leaving Inferno as a mathematical challenge. If a mathematical challenge is solved, the world stops caring. When it remains as a challenge, the world¡¯s attention never goes away. ¡°I was the one who wanted to make the first attempt. Honestly when I heard Jun say that he doesn¡¯t want to perform, I became greedy on the thought of making the premiere.¡± Mark Boff and Jun Hyuk were thinking something entirely different from what Patrick Quinn was saying. Chairman Mark Boff was thinking of the incredible financial benefits that woulde in if the world never stopped caring. Jun Hyuk of the incredible situation that was unfolding without his intent. However, he decided not to care what other people thought. It is out of his hands anyway. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you what I want to do, so please handle it that way.¡± The two men no longer discouraged Jun Hyuk. Bringing up the contract means that he has already made up his mind. Is there another person who does as he pleases as a maestro? ¡°Then what do you want to do?¡± ¡°First, I¡¯m thinking of going back to New York. I¡¯ll have to go back and think about it.¡± ¡°When are you going to leave?¡± ¡°I leave tomorrow. Staying any longer is strange.¡± ¡°What? Why are you in such a rush?¡± Patrick Quinn wanted to spend some time with Jun Hyuk freely. This young genius brings him new inspiration just by being together. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t even have anything to do.¡± ¡°We have to throw a farewell party. You can¡¯t just leave like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not used to things like that.¡± He did not back down from resigning, so he would not change his mind from something so small. It is not even an eternal farewell and they would reunite as quickly as possible. Jun Hyuk would be quick to leave, but Tara yed her role until the end. She took care of everything from packing his bags to the hotel checkout, airline ticket, and dropping him off at the airport. ¡°I would like to work with you again. Goodbye, Jun.¡± Tara kissed him lightly on the cheek before he left. Chapter 175 Volume 5 / Chapter 175 TL: LightNovelCafe [Returning home home] Jun Hyuk came back to the New York apartment and started by cleaning. The doorbell rang while he was in the middle of sweeping and scrubbing. When he opened the door,wyer Lim So Mi was holding bags in both hands. She had so many that even the condo security guard hade up with some. ¡°Huh? Ms. Lim. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°What do you mean why am I here? Hurry up and take these. My arms are going to fall off.¡± When Jun Hyuk took the bags, she tipped the security guard and entered the living room. ¡°Wow, this house is great. Even grand pianos. Rich people really are different. Ho ho.¡± She took ap around the apartment and then opened the kitchen refrigerator as though it is her own house. ¡°I knew it. You did leave the house empty for half a year. Tsk tsk.¡± Lawyer Lim So Mi threw out all of the dry and rotten food in the refrigerator, and started filling it with what she had brought over. ¡°Rest a bit. I¡¯ll make food. I went grocery shopping. It¡¯s been a while since you ate tonkatsu, right?¡± Jun Hyuk jumped up from the sofa and waved his hand. ¡°Oh, Ms. Lim. I don¡¯t need tonkatsu. I don¡¯t feel so good because of the flight... I think a stew might be better.¡± ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll make you kimchi stew.¡± Lawyer Lim So Mi made some noise in the kitchen and then put a decent looking stew in front of Jun Hyuk. Kimchi stew, a few side dishes, and even noodles. But there was no difference between the tonkatsu and the stew. Jun Hyuk forced himself to eat the kimchi he was sure she had purchased at the Korean market. Lawyer Lim So Mi watched Jun Hyuk eat and cautiously asked, ¡°But why did you give up all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really have confidence in the performance. And that doesn¡¯t mean that I can be nonchnt with the Boston Philharmonic.¡± ¡°Hm. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you say you don¡¯t have confidence in something.¡± ¡°I could understand better while trying it out. Oh right. I¡¯m sure you were put in an ufortable situation because of me.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s ufortable?¡± ¡°Issues with the contract.....¡± Lawyer Lim So Miughed and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I took the money from Boston monthly anyway. There was nothing more to receive and nothing to pay up. And the recording and performance weren¡¯t mandatory conditions anyway... Actually, the Boston Philharmonic thanked you.¡± ¡°What are they thanking me for?¡± ¡°You recorded the album. I hear things too. They¡¯re saying that¡¯s going to be big.¡± In Korean circles, there is a lot of talk that Lim So Mi caught a big fish. There are a lot of rumors that there will be tremendous contracts going forward. When Jun Hyuk put his spoon down, she cleared the table. She pushed him away when he said that he would help, and told him to go rest. ¡°Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lim So Mi wiped the table as she took a nce at Jun Hyuk. ¡°You look really tired.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. I slept a lot in first ss.¡± ¡°Not that, but I mean to take a break from music. I¡¯m telling you to take a break from work.¡± ¡°I rested while on the Europe trip. For 2 months.¡± ¡°Just like it¡¯s not a vacation if you¡¯re thinking of your work, you need to forget music to rest. How many songs did you write while traveling Europe?¡± Lim So Mi tsked as Jun Hyuk started counting on his fingers. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to Korea to take a break beforeing back? Hasn¡¯t it been over 1 year since you¡¯ve seen Mr. Yoon?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you like father and son? You should see each other at least once a year.¡± He did not really have anything to do, so he could go to Korea. He thought that everything in Korea was over when he left it. However, Lim So Mi¡¯s suggestion made him recall a lot. The coziness of the cafe. The basement studio. Talking about music with Yoon Kwang Hun over a cup of coffee. More than anything else, the tonkatsu that Yoon Kwang Hun makes for him. ¡°And you have to leave anyway. You can¡¯t stay here for very long.¡± ¡°Excuse me? What are you talking about? It¡¯s my house.¡± ¡°The Boston Philharmonic is going to release an official statement in 10 days. ns to release the Inferno album and your resignation. Then reporters wille flooding in.¡± He had done something to receive attention again. Jun Hyuk thought that it would be better to go back to Korea as Lim So Mi said, rather than staying holed up in a hotel somewhere in New York. ¡°You don¡¯t have ns anyway. Go to Korea for about a month and... Oy. I¡¯m no good at talking around the point.¡± Lim So Mi stopped washing the dishes, wiped her hands, and sat next to Jun Hyuk while sighing. ¡°Why do you think I came with all of this food? Mr. Yoon worried a lot about you. He asked me to stop in and check on you.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. No wonder.¡± ¡°What? No wonder? Hey! I¡¯m always this nice! How many times have I made bone marrow soup for you?¡± It was not often, but she did bring him soup and kimchi which is easy to prepare when he does not really have anything to eat. Even though he did throw away about half of it because he did not make sure to eat it on time. ¡°If you want to go to Korea, I could even prepare a private ne for you.¡± ¡°What? A private ne?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes grew wide at this ridiculous statement. ¡°There¡¯s someone who wants to meet you, but it¡¯s business. Mr. Yoon already met him once too.¡± If it is someone who would meet Yoon Kwang Hun, it must be serious business. What could it be? ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Stern Corporation¡¯s president. It¡¯s a management agency. It¡¯s a pretty bigpany in the industry. I looked into it too and it looks good.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve heard about it too. But you¡¯re taking care of my affairs. I don¡¯t need a management agency.¡± ¡°What do I do other than look over your contracts? It¡¯s a world where even an artist needs to meet a good agent to sell his paintings. They¡¯ll take care of youpletely. Look at what¡¯s happening now. It¡¯s even ufortable trying to avoid reporters. They¡¯ll take of everything like this too.¡± ¡°Is that why they¡¯re saying they¡¯ll lend us a private ne? For me?¡± ¡°I heard he needs to go to Japan soon. He can drop you off in Korea and go on to Japan. You can discuss during the ne ride.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s jaw dropped at the convenience of a private ne. It is even possible to drop someone off as though riding a car. Going to Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s cafe, which is like his childhood home, is better than hiding out in a hotel. Jun Hyuk called Yoon Kwang Hun to tell him he would be going to Korea and Lim So Mi arranged the departure date with Stern Corporation. It is the first time he is returning to Korea since he left. Chapter 176 Volume 5 / Chapter 176 TL: LightNovelCafe [Private ne with the Stern Man] Jun Hyuk packed lightly and left his apartment to find a young man waiting for him with a limousine. ¡°Maestro Jun?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m with Stern Corporation. I will apany you until boarding.¡± The young man put Jun Hyuk¡¯s luggage in the trunk and they left for the airport. There is a separate departure area at New York¡¯s JFK airport for private or charter nes. ¡®VIPs do not stop walking¡¯ is an ironw there. They had arranged it so that he would not have to stop moving or wait from the time he got out of the car until he boarded the ne. Private or charter ne passengers only have to have their passport and go through an outbound control gate that not many people can see. Once they board the cart, they glide up to the ne waiting for them. An employee takes care of all of the baggage. People who enjoy these conveniences pay a tremendous amount of fees every time they fly. Once Jun Hyuk passed through airport control with his passport, an airport employee was waiting to escort him to his ne. As this is his first time receiving such treatment, he is just confused. The aircraft is a Boeing 737-700 model worth $80 million, and is a 7-seater. Upon boarding, Isaac Stern was waiting for him with a smile. ¡°So we finally meet again, Maestro Jun.¡± ¡°Huh? Have we met before? You seem familiar.¡± ¡°I guess you don¡¯t remember. At the fundraiser for the New York conservatories...¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. In the hotel garden!¡± ¡°Ha ha. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m still just a fan of your piano, but you¡¯ve changed from a student to a maestro.¡± Jun Hyuk could not close his mouth. The old man who had sat next to him during dinner was the president of Stern Corporation? ¡°I see you were an important person. You even have such a luxurious private ne.¡± ¡°This?¡± Isaac Stern tapped the ne wall. ¡°I barely use this once or twice a year. I don¡¯t really have reason to go abroad. Maestros normally use it. When they tour.¡± The people who use it the most are the greats who have more activity. It is evidence that they constantly receive invitations from all around the world. Settled in a chair that may as well have been a sofa, the ne quickly took off. The only passengers were Jun Hyuk, Isaac Stern, and 2 men who seem to be employees. 2 stewardesses were on standby for the 4 passengers. ¡°But I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no reason for you to treat me like this. I¡¯m aplete rookie with just 1 weird song.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the song that¡¯s known. Don¡¯t you have piles of masterpieces that haven¡¯t yet been released to the world?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not masterpieces.....¡± ¡°I saw them for myself, and it¡¯s alright to call them masterpieces.¡± ¡°Excuse me? You saw them?¡± ¡°Mr. Yoon showed them to me. He said it¡¯s the surest way to know you.¡± President Stern recalled the surprise from then and whistled. ¡°There are very few songs that I would reveal confidently. I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± His face became red with a feeling as though someone had read his journal. ¡°My thoughts are theplete opposite. There were only a few songs that you could forget about.¡± Jun Hyuk felt like they were discussing his journal, and quickly changed the subject. ¡°What did Mr. Yoon say?¡± ¡°He said that you need to know your own thoughts that not even you know.¡± ¡°Do you know? The thoughts that not even I know?¡± ¡°How could I? How would I know unless I were psychic? Ha ha.¡± Isaac Sternughed freely. ¡°I¡¯ll say it simply. We will just help you to do whatever it is you want to do, no matter what it is. Anything else is a bluff.¡± Isaac Stern confessed honestly that nothing is guaranteed, took out a cigarette, and lit it. ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll tell you a really great forte of ourpany. Our contracts don¡¯t have contract periods.¡± ¡°Do you have a hold on people forever?¡± ¡°No, the opposite. We leave the application dates of the contract empty so people can end it whenever they decide that they don¡¯t like ourpany.¡± A contract that they can end at any time. For the management agency, it is an unfavorable term that they can end it at any time they are not satisfied with the management. ¡°I hear that as you saying you have a lot of confidence.¡± ¡°More than confidence, it¡¯s having a heart.¡± ¡°Heart?¡± ¡°Yeah. The heart of having a one-sided love of artists forever. A one-sided love means worshipping the subject of that love and not neglecting it. That¡¯s why I only contract people who I can worship, not stars who will bring me a lot of money.¡± It is an interesting philosophy, but there must be times when the one-sided love does not continue forever. President Stern continued to speak as if he had read Jun Hyuk¡¯s mind. ¡°Most are maintaining their contracts without writing in contract dates. I guess that means everyone is satisfied?¡± President Stern smiled at Jun Hyuk and showed a great confidence. Jun Hyuk started to like this pleasant old man more and more. ¡°Then what do you do if someone signed a contract, terminated it, and wants to be contracted again? Do you still worship him??¡± ¡°There were stars who said that they wanted to sign on to ourpany again, but I never do it.¡± President Stern stoppedughing and spoke emphatically. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I married 4 times and I¡¯ve never re-married an ex-wife. He he.¡± 4 times? Jun Hyuk could not shut his mouth. He thought that this old man is able to maintain a contract for a long time, but might be a yboy who cannot keep a marriage for long. In the beginning of the 1950s when rock n roll spread like fire, white society and the older generation did not look on it kindly. At the time, there were endless incidents for rock stars. Jerry Lee Lewis was criticized by the press for marrying his 13 year old cousin and his fame died down. Chuck Berry was criticized legally and morally and imprisoned for crossing state lines with a minor. On top of that, there were idental deaths one after the other. In 1959, an airne carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Big Bopper crashed. In 1960, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran got on a taxi to go to the airport when the tire went out and they crashed. Eddie Cochran died and Gene Vincent became crippled and died of an addiction to pharmaceuticals. With a continuation of such anxious times, Elvis Presley volunteered for military service even though he was not being drafted. It was to transform his image into that of a youth who loves and is loyal to his country. The song he came out with after his discharge was not rock n roll but ¡®Are You Lonesome Tonight,¡¯ a bad. It was a signal that he is no longer the hoodlum who does rock n roll. This is a scenario created by Elvis Presley¡¯s eternal manager, Tom Parker. When the Beatlesnded in America and the door of their ne opened, they had short haircuts and wore polished suits. This was not an image to show the young female fans gathered at the airport, but to show their parents. ¡®We are not hoodlums. We¡¯re nice.¡¯ It was to ry this kind of message even though the Beatles are youths who used to y roughly in Liverpool clubs. This strategy was that of Brian Epstein, the manager called the 5th Beatles. World-renowned stars are born when they move ording to their managers¡¯ strategies. On the one hand, it is also the manager¡¯s job to get the stars what they want. Piano virtuoso Glenn Gould did not hold concerts. He had mental and physical issues, but he believed that concerts are pianists¡¯ performing their emotional states and the passion of the theater is a distortion. He stopped concerts in his thirties and only revealed his music through albums. Giving up concerts is not only giving up ticket sales. Concerts themselves are the best promotions and advertisements to push album sales. However, Glenn Gould¡¯s manager epted all of this easily in order to help him create the best music. When Isaac Stern said that he would help Jun Hyuk achieve whatever he wants, it means that he would follow whatever choice Jun Hyuk makes, whether it is to be a star or an artist. Giving the condition that he can end the contract whenever he wants even if he does not be a star means that Isaac Stern has full confidence in his eye for choosing the people he signs on. Jun Hyuk, who does not have particr ns yet, threw a yful question, ¡°Mr. Stern. Don¡¯t think about what I want. If I were to do what you wanted, what would you have me do?¡± ¡°Hm... I¡¯m sure the question isn¡¯t about business, but rather my personal ambition?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it. What would I want.....¡± Isaac Stern lit his cigar again and thought for a while. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s right.¡± He suddenly put the cigar down and looked a bit excited. ¡°There¡¯s something I thought of the moment when Mr. Yoon showed me your scores.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°I want to see you take all of the genres at the Grammy Awards.¡± He grew more and more excited as he spoke. ¡°Rock and jazz performances,position, arranging, R&B. And best ssical album and best performance. Of course you¡¯d have to y the piano to receive the award for best performance. You sweep all of those awards in one year. What do you think? Isn¡¯t it thrilling?¡± Jun Hyuk was in disbelief. This elderly President who has gone through all sorts of experiences is lost in such childish thoughts? ¡°Even if I did win in all of those categories, would the Grammy¡¯s give it all to me? They would distribute them.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally getting to know the power of management. If you are qualified to receive album quality, it¡¯s the management agency¡¯s job to make it so you can get all of them. Ha ha.¡± Isaac Stern showed glee like a child and Jun Hyukughed as well. ¡°Mr. Stern, let¡¯s sign the contract. Of course I¡¯ll have to discuss it with Mr. Yoon and mywyer, Catherine Lim, but I like you.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? Did you like the Grammy¡¯s? Or is it the private ne?¡± Isaac Stern must have already expected that Jun Hyuk would sign because he did not show joy but rather rxation enough to joke around. ¡°More than that, the fact that I can call the contract off if there¡¯s anything I don¡¯t like. That itself is my first condition in doing whatever I want to do.¡± Isaac Stern nodded in understanding and showed confidence that he does not mind what Jun Hyuk is saying. ¡°If I make all types of demands like asking to borrow the private ne, saying that I won¡¯t stay in anything but a hotel deluxe suite, or asking for a personal chef... If I keep making these ridiculous demands and say that I won¡¯t reveal a song I wrote because I don¡¯t like it, you¡¯ll have a lot of losses.¡± ¡°Well. I guess I¡¯ll have to leave a special condition in the contract in case.¡± ¡°What kind of condition?¡± ¡°Releasing is up to you, but I can see the score. I¡¯m good with that much.¡± Isaac Stern revealed his longing for Jun Hyuk¡¯s music without any pretense. Jun Hyuk was satisfied with this kind of Isaac Stern. Chapter 177 Volume 5 / Chapter 177 TL: LightNovelCafe [Back in Korea] When Jun Hyuk arrived at the cafe, signs saying that it is temporarily closed stood out to him. ¡°Sir. I¡¯m here.¡± When he entered through the cafe doors, Yoon Kwang Hun was wiping his hands and walking out of the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re here? How was it flying on a private ne? Was itfortable?¡± ¡°It was amazing. It just felt like a house.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun weed Jun Hyuk without making a fuss, as if he is greeting a son who hase home after a day of work. ¡°But why are you temporarily closed? Are you repairing the cafe?¡± ¡°No. Because you¡¯reing. If we open, you need to stay locked up at home upstairs.¡± In contrast to his calm demeanor, he had been waiting for Jun Hyuk. ¡°You must be jegged. Go upstairs and get some sleep. I cleared up your room already.¡± ¡°No. I slept a lot on the ne. Oh right. I heard you met President Isaac Stern.¡± ¡°Yeah. He looked up your background so thoroughly he came to me first. How was it? Did you have a good talk?¡± ¡°Yes. I decided to sign with him.¡± ¡°Really? I guess you liked him.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun did not ask more. Circumstances where he needs to decide and act on his own will increase. Yoon Kwang Hun is thinking that he needs to hold his opinion back more. ¡°He said that terminating the contract is possible at any time. That¡¯s why I said we should do it. I haven¡¯t thought that I need a management agency yet.¡± ¡°Sure. You¡¯ll know if you try it out. If you like it and it¡¯sfortable, keep doing it. If it¡¯s ufortable, terminate it. Oh right, are you hungry? What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Oh. Can you make me a te of tonkatsu?¡± ¡°Tonkatsu?¡± ¡°Yes. I was craving your tonkatsu.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun must have already had it all prepared, because he quickly made a te for Jun Hyuk. ¡°Are there articles of me?¡± Jun Hyuk spoke as he ate it in big bites and quickly emptied the te. ¡°Of course. It came up in a few ces that you were fired from the Boston Philharmonic. It¡¯s not as noisy as before though. You¡¯re not a star. Ha ha.¡± ¡°What? Fired? Not resigned?¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s that. Articles need to be negative to sell. They need to make money too.¡± Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun spent the first day drinking coffee and talking about the Boston Philharmonic. It is true when people say that children who live far away from homee back to their parents¡¯ homes to spend their time eating and sleeping. He kept feeling hunger and he always felt sleepy. Jun Hyuk forgot about music for the first time in a while and rested for 2 days while eating and sleeping. *** When Jun Hyukzily opened his eyes, the cafe downstairs was a bit noisy. He decided to stay upstairs because he thought that reporters might havee for him, but he heardughter and realized that they are not reporters. Downstairs, Professor Jeon Hye Jin, Fine Philharmonic¡¯s Hwang Suk Min, and Han Ye Ji were exchanging stories about how they know Jun Hyuk. ¡°Oh? Jun Hyuk. You¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Yes. Hello, Professor.¡± Hwang Suk Min bolted up from his seat and held Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand. ¡°Wow. Jang Jun Hyuk! No. Maestro Jang! Let me hold this hand that¡¯s held the Boston Philharmonic¡¯s baton.¡± ¡°Why are you being like this?¡± Jun Hyuk tried to take his hand back, but Hwang Suk Min strengthened his grip. His eyes were frozen with jealousy and admiration. ¡°Hey! Why¡¯d you quit? If Inferno is hard, you should have conducted Beethoven. It¡¯s really a pity.¡± ¡°Whew. Stop it Teacher Hwang. Isn¡¯t he a child who has endless opportunities going forward?¡± Jun Hyuk bowed to Professor Jeon Hye Jin who had her back turned to him, but he could not remember Han Ye Ji¡¯s name. ¡°Professor, you¡¯re here as well.¡± ¡°Yeah. Mr. Yoon called me when you got here. I was about to run here right away, but held myself back. I thought I should let you have some father son time.¡± Even though Professor Jeon Hye Jin said ¡®father and son,¡¯ Yoon Kwang Hun and Jun Hyuk did not feel awkward about it. ¡°Hello, Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Ah, hello. We met in Salzburg.....¡± ¡°Yes. You forgot my name, didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s Han Ye Ji.¡± Professor Jeon saw Han Ye Ji smiling and Jun Hyuk scratching his head, took him by the hand and made him sit. ¡°There there. Now let¡¯s here this movie-like story. From Salzburg to Boston.¡± Jun Hyuk told them everything that happened to him over thest 8 months, without leaving anything out. The shock he felt when he heard the Berlin Philharmonic ying the song that even he had forgotten about. Meeting world renowned maestros. And recording in Boston. When they imagined everything Jun Hyuk was telling them, it really felt like a movie. ¡°So, how long are you going to stay here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything nned. I just came. I don¡¯t even really have anything to say.¡± ¡°What about school? Oh, nevermind. It¡¯d be weird for a guy who conducted for the Boston Philharmonic to go back to school as a student.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin asked half in worry and half in expectation, but her heart was not at ease. Hwang Suk Min saw her expression and also frowned. ¡°Goodness. Normally, Korea needs to be in a buzz... It¡¯d be definite for broadcasting stations and newspapers to be praising a 20 year old who was hired to conduct one of the top 5 American symphonies.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s because I came into the country without anyone knowing.¡± Hwang Suk Min tsked and shook his head. ¡°Is that really what it is? I¡¯m pretty sure that even if they know, they¡¯ll write a few lines and that¡¯d be it. Ye Ji. How many articles were there that you came in 6th at the Tchaikovsky Competition? Was it about 100?¡± ¡°Teacher, what do you mean 100?¡± When the direction was suddenly changed to her, Han Ye Ji was taken aback. ¡°Teacher Hwang. Why are you being like that to Ye Ji? Stop.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin knew why Hwang Suk Min is so excited, but she did not want to discuss it anymore. Hwang Suk Min¡¯s indignation is not because of the press or broadcasting stations. When Professor Jeon Hye Jin heard of Jun Hyuk¡¯s return to Korea, she thought that she must put him on stage in Korea since they do not know when he mighte back. She quietly sounded her thoughts to various people, saying that he should leave something behind in Korea with this opportunity. She made requests to leading symphonies in the country because she thought it would be best for him to conduct, but they were apathetic. They regretfully refused, saying that it would be difficult to change their schedules. Behind these refusals, it must also be a big part that Jun Hyuk does not have a link to the Korean ssical world. It would have been possible to ovee these issues if the press had pushed for Jun Hyuk as a national hero, but even this was impossible because Jun Hyuk had built a wall against the press. And Amelia was right. To the greats in Korea, Jun Hyuk has nothing inmon with them and he is just a rookie who only released 1 song of a new contemporary music format. Yoon Kwang Hun spoke up in order to get rid of the awkward energy, ¡°There there. We¡¯re grateful that you care so much, but Jun Hyuk came to rest. Right now is perfect. And... Ye Ji.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Due to the heavy atmosphere, Han Ye Ji was startled when Yoon Kwang Hun suddenly called out her name. ¡°What is it? Why are you surprised? Ha ha. It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that I¡¯d like to hear you y the piano. Would it be okay? Korea¡¯s new star pianist is visiting my cafe and I can¡¯t just let you go back. I do often hear that I¡¯m a fanatic of ssical music.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s.....¡± It was already such a heavy atmosphere, so she was taken aback by Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s sudden request. ¡°Ho ho. Isn¡¯t the audience too scary? Your teacher, 2 maestros, and Mr. Yoon who raised a genius? You¡¯ll have to do well. Even if you make a slight miss, everyone will figure it out.¡± The yful Professor Jeon Hye Jin added this in. ¡°Just yfortably for us. I haven¡¯t heard it yet, but really want to.¡± Once even Jun Hyuk was chiming in, she could not refuse and sat in front of the piano. She closed her eyes for a second to choose a song, and then put her hands on the piano. The song she chose is Rondo A Turca. Chapter 178 Volume 5 / Chapter 178 TL: LightNovelCafe [JH has something up his sleeve...] Rondo is a form of music with a recurring leading theme. It is also simply known as Turkish March. She did not y it in Mozart¡¯s original version, but vored it with her own arrangement. Han Ye Ji used all 88 keys and showed most of the techniques she knows within 2 minutes and 30 seconds. They could tell that she had arranged it in order to show as much of her ability as she could. She showed them the explosive openness that Professor Jeon Hye Jin first showed Jun Hyuk and her own subtlety. She was using all of her power, so much so that they could see the movement of her muscles from the sleeves she had pulled up. Her face was flushed because she had used all of her strength. Her face reddened even more at the sound of the 4 people pping. ¡°Jun Hyuk. What do you think? She¡¯s pretty good, right?¡± When Professor Jeon Hye Jin was looking at Jun Hyuk, the pride of her student was evident. ¡°She¡¯s not just pretty good. How did shee in 6th at thepetition? She could win and then some.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes showed that hispliments to Professor Jeon are sincere. ¡°This kid! Your girlfriend made such a scene right before Ye Ji that she was overshadowed.¡± To Ye Ji, it was the greatest praise that Jun Hyuk was in such admiration that he had even forgotten that Amelia won. ¡°No, Professor. I¡¯m grateful for evening in 6th.¡± Han Ye Ji was modest but Yoon Kwang Hun did not miss the chance topliment her. ¡°No, there¡¯s a shoring in the assessment. That¡¯s really impressive.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun even thought that Han Ye Ji¡¯s piano would soon surpass that of her mentor¡¯s. ¡°Tchaikovsky was the 2ndpetition? It¡¯s ack of experience. You can reach for the win at the nextpetition.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun kept praising her. Hwang Suk Min had a good idea while listening to her y, and pped his hands together. ¡°I have a good idea. What do you think about this?¡± Everyone focused on Hwang Suk Min. ¡°What about holding a performance the day before Jun Hyuk leaves?¡± ¡°Excuse me? A performance?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened at the mention of a performance. ¡°Yeah. Jun Hyuk can conduct for our Fine Philharmonic.¡± ¡°Teacher Hwang, you¡¯re too ambitious. You think Jun Hyuk will be satisfied with Fine Philharmonic after conducting for Boston?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too mean. It is a bit of a poor instrument, but I¡¯m telling you we can perform Beethoven really well.¡± Since Fine Philharmonic normally performs music that the average person enjoys, they receive pretty high reviews for Beethoven, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky. ¡°I don¡¯t think it would be a bad performance if Ye Ji ys the piano for us.¡± As soon as the piano and Beethoven were linked, Professor Jeon could figure out what performance Hwang Suk Min had in mind. ¡°Teacher Hwang. Are you saying we should perform Beethoven¡¯s ¡®Emperor¡¯? ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be perfect? Since the orchestra can¡¯t match up to Jun Hyuk, Ye Ji can cover on the piano.¡± ¡°But why the day before he leaves?¡± ¡°If there are articles criticizing it, it won¡¯t matter. So Jun Hyuk won¡¯t be bothered.¡± If Jun Hyuk had heard this suggestion before, he would have refused it. But after hearing Han Ye Ji¡¯s piano, it is a very slightly attractive offer. He wants to see more of Han Ye Ji¡¯s piano than conduct the Fine Philharmonic. ¡°What do you think? Jun Hyuk, the calligraphy doesn¡¯t cover the brush. And it¡¯ll be a memory.¡± ¡°Teacher Hwang, you¡¯ll have some damage. Is that okay?¡± Professor Jeon¡¯s worry wasparing Jun Hyuk and Hwang Suk Min. If Jun Hyuk conducts, the orchestra members would be the first topare the two. ¡°Well what of it? It¡¯s something everyone knows. And it¡¯s a process without any type of recording. Only the people whoe to the performance will see it.¡± ¡°Ho ho. Anyway, we have to recognize that you¡¯re wry.¡± If there are no recordings, Jun Hyuk¡¯s music disappears in the concert hall. Anyone who does not want to miss it needs to watch. Even those who try their hardest to ignore Jun Hyuk wille looking for the performance out of sheer curiosity. Hwang Suk Min spoke again to prevent any misunderstandings there might be. ¡°Won¡¯t it also look good if we donate all of the proceeds to a charity under Jun Hyuk and Ye Ji¡¯s names?¡± The person who embraced Hwang Suk Min¡¯s idea was Yoon Kwang Hun. He has not yet seen Jun Hyuk conduct an orchestra. He wanted Jun Hyuk to ept Hwang Suk Min¡¯s proposal just so he could watch Jun Hyuk conduct in person. However, Jun Hyuk could not respond to this sudden proposal. ¡°There¡¯s no pressure, so just think about it. Call me if it gets boring to just eat, sleep, and hang out. Ha ha.¡± A meeting that had gathered just to see faces ended with a performance proposal. When the 3 people left, Yoon Kwang Hun tried to find out how Jun Hyuk is feeling. ¡°Jun Hyuk. What do you think about Teacher Hwang¡¯s proposal?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t even decided when I¡¯ll be leaving... It¡¯s ambiguous.¡± ¡°Yeah. Didn¡¯t Teacher Hwang say it before? Call him if you get bored. For now, rest more.¡± However, not even a day passed before he could tell how Jun Hyuk is feeling. He was humming the melody to piano concerto Emperor. There were asionally fun times when people rooting for Jun Hyuk woulde by for a cup of tea or a drink, but Jun Hyuk was still just hanging out. In that time, Lawyer Lim So Mi sent over the contract with Stern Corporation. ¡°Commission is 15%. The other conditions are unconventional. First, President Stern has an apartment in New York that he will allow Jun Hyuk to use, and everything else is the same as the conditions that the maestro of the New York Philharmonic has. As you know, he can terminate the contract at any time, so it¡¯s a bit much to nitpick over more.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll talk it over with Jun Hyuk and call you right away.¡± The standing conductor of the New York Philharmonic receives the best treatment from Stern Corporation. As Lawyer Lim So Mi said, asking for anything more is too greedy. Jun Hyuk signed the contract with Stern Corporation without disagreement, and everything started changing little by little. He had been spending half of his days rolling around in bed, but was now sitting in front of his desk from early in the morning until dawn. The scores umted as much as he spent the time, and he asionally sat at the piano to knock on the keys. ¡°Are you writing a new song? What is it this time?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when it¡¯s all done. This time, it really feels good.¡± ¡°What? It must be no joke if it¡¯s enough for you to say that you have a good feeling.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s heart beat with anticipation because this is the first time he is seeing Jun Hyuk so full of confidence. ¡°Ah. Itcks too much to be called a masterpiece, but it¡¯s really fun to make. It¡¯s to the point where I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t think of it before. He he.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun could not hold back his curiosity and tried to take a peek at the score, but Jun Hyuk freaked out and hid it. ¡°Ugh. Stop it. I said I¡¯d show it to you when it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Hey! Why are you hiding it when I¡¯ll see it anyway?¡± ¡°I told you this is fun. Have patience for that fun.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun needed to say what he had been holding back while watching Jun Hyuk write songs. ¡°But Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°When are you thinking of doing the performance that Teacher Hwang proposed?¡± ¡°Oh that? I wasn¡¯t going to do it.¡± Jun Hyuk was surprised when he saw Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s disappointment. ¡°Were you looking forward to a performance?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not that... I was just wondering when the people who helped you would get to see you conduct if not for this opportunity. And I thought you were thinking of doing it because I heard you humming the melody for Emperor.¡± ¡°He he. I actually got a hint from Emperor and Han Ye Ji¡¯s piano.¡± ¡°Hint? The song you¡¯re working on now?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun could guess that Jun Hyuk is working on a piano concerto or piano sonata. ¡°Yes. I told you it¡¯ll be fun.¡± But he still could not tell what would be so fun. ¡°Then what about the concert?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun did not fold his expectations yet. It is also because there is someone he wants to watch Jun Hyuk¡¯s conducting with. ¡°I¡¯ll finish up the song I¡¯m working on now, and then think about it.¡± Even after saying that he would finish it and think about it, another month passed by. Chapter 179 Volume 5 / Chapter 179 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: Hey guys...we had a donatione in for God¡¯s Song Queue and I realized I haven¡¯t been keeping up with my scheduled releases...which isn¡¯t an issue until I actually get a donation like this. So I want to say thank you to Kirindas $15 and Kagemugen $20 for their donations. Please note that there will be 8 chapter releases this week for God¡¯s Song instead of 7 due to that donation. This is 1 of 8!] Yoon Kwang Hun read the thick bundle of scores that Jun Hyuk gave him several times. It was to figure out what fun Jun Hyuk had been talking about. But before he could find the fun in it, his jaw dropped at its configuration. Just the instrumentation is incredible. There are 29 instruments. It is such arge song that in a real performance, it would require over 100 people to y. The song is long enough that even when yed at an incredibly fast speed, it would take over 1 hour an hour to y. Yoon Kwang Hun was having such fun with the scale and changes of the song that he did not have time to think about the secret Jun Hyuk mentioned. Looking at the number of movements in the symphony, it is not very different from a 4 movement ssical. But the conventionally slow 2nd movement is nowhere to be found and instead retains change and taut suspense until the 3rd movement. Once the radical presentation ends, there is an epitasis of over 180 bars. There wasn¡¯t the typical method of using repeat marks to replicate a constant thematic progression and instead went straight into the repetition and closing. He thought that it was a symphony when he first opened the score, but it transformed into a double concerto. The piano and violin had appeared out of nowhere. As soon as the 2nd movement started, piano and violin solos jumped out so suddenly the person looking could almost pass out from surprise. The 3rd movement did not transform different subjects in a variation format, but kept throwing around one subject. It kept pushing forward through a sweet harmony, a dignified performance, a destructive rampancy, and an explosive timpani. The most bizarre aspect was the 4th movement. The emptiness that could be felt in the first 3 movements appeared in the 4th. Until the 3rd movement, it was like watching a blockbuster movie of a magnificent scale, grand effects, and continuous action. However, the 4th movement changed into a dry art film. He could not guess why Jun Hyuk had created such a configuration. He looked the score over dozens of times to see if the fun that Jun Hyuk had talked about was hidden there, but was not able to find it. ¡°Hey! Give me a hint. What¡¯s so fun about this song that it¡¯s such a secret?¡± ¡°The fun is in finding it. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyukughed proudly. It could be that the fun Jun Hyuk is thinking of is in watching people look for the hidden fun in the score. ¡°And Sir, that score isn¡¯tplete. There¡¯s something I need to add to it. I left it out because if it¡¯s there, anyone can figure it out. Should I give it to you?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m going to figure it out no matter what.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun red at aughing Jun Hyuk and buried himself in the score again. Yoon Kwang Hun got lost in the score as though he had discovered a new toy. He finally found the hidden secret 2 dayster. Once he figured out the secret, he was nk and did not move for a while. Jun Hyuk put himself to a rash challenge for 2 months, and it seemed that challenge had been a sess. He cannot be sure that it is a sess because he has not yet seen the score that Jun Hyuk hid. Jun Hyuk had not gotten enough sleep while doing work, so he did not leave his bed for half of the day. Jun Hyuk finally came down to the cafe when the sun was setting. ¡°Oh, you figured the secret out. Your expression... What do you think? Isn¡¯t it great?¡± Jun Hyuk smiled brightly when he found Yoon Kwang Hun not looking at the score and nkly enjoying a cup of coffee. ¡°Hey! Didn¡¯t you say that it falls short of a masterpiece?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun yelled as though Jun Hyuk had used trickery in a fun game. ¡°I¡¯d be embarrassed to call it a masterpiece.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your standard of a masterpiece? Though, I guess I¡¯ll have to see the rest of what you haven¡¯t shown me yet. Hurry up and hand it over.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s hand and keptughing. ¡°You have to tell me the answer to the riddle first.¡± Jun Hyuk urged Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s answer with sparkling eyes. ¡°Give me the vocal part.¡± ¡°As expected. You solved it in 2 days. Wait a second.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun got goosebumps at the sight of Jun Hyuk running to get the score. He was more surprised by Jun Hyuk¡¯s rash challenge than he was pleased by solving it. He spent another day looking at the rest of the score that Jun Hyuk brought him. Jun Hyuk waited the entire day for Yoon Kwang Hun to finish looking at the score. ¡°What do you think? Sir, honestly isn¡¯t it great?¡± ¡°You said yourself that it isn¡¯t a masterpiece. But what are you saying is so great?¡± ¡°Masterpieces aren¡¯t the only ones that are great. I¡¯m pretty sure this kind of fun configuration is the first.¡± More than fun was the fact that he had done a configuration that no one had ever done before. Even if someone had thought of it first, doing the actual work is a different issue. How many people are capable of creating something like this? Yoon Kwang Hun could only sigh while looking at Jun Hyuk, who said that it was just for fun. ¡°Whew ¨C Anyway, what are you thinking of doing with this? Did you just make it? You want me to store this one too?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m actually pleased with this one. So I¡¯m thinking about it.¡± It had been a while since Yoon Kwang Hun had seen Jun Hyuk with such confidence, and made him realize something. ¡°Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You signed on with a management agency so you don¡¯t have to think about stuff like that. Show them the score and discuss it with them.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m thinking about. It¡¯s what Amelia said about gaining work experience through apetition. I wrote this song with the Queen Elisabeth Competition in mind.¡± ¡°Do you need to do that? Stern would be able to spread this out to maestros all over the world.¡± He is grateful that Amelia worries about Jun Hyuk¡¯s future, but it could be a faster path than gaining experience throughpetitions. Yoon Kwang Hun thought that if it is Isaac Stern, he would be able toy out a highway for the future in front of Jun Hyuk. ¡°Then I won¡¯t be able to conduct it. If I win in theposition part of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, I would be able to conduct it myself.¡± ¡°What? Is that why you made this a double concerto? Because the piano and violin winners perform in the finals?¡± ¡°Yes. Then I¡¯d get to conduct this song multiple times. I thought of how I would perform it slightly differently with the piano and violin.¡± He stated the reason of gaining experience, but it showed that his desire to conduct the song was really greater. It could be inevitable that he has the ambition to do it when it is a song of such a grand scale. ¡°Do you really need to do that? President Stern would make it so that you would be able to conduct the premiere.¡± ¡°Oh, do you think that much would be possible?¡± ¡°You have to end the contract if he can¡¯t even do that. Not being able to do it is one of two reasons. Either he doesn¡¯t have the eye to see this song¡¯s worth, or hispany doesn¡¯t have the ability to get the New York Philharmonic for this song.¡± Jun Hyuk found courage in Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s words and already started drawing a picture of himself conducting for the New York Philharmonic. ¡°Scan the score and try sending it to him. Let¡¯s see what kind of responsees back.¡± The score was sorge that it took a whole day to scan it. If Yoon Kwang Hun is right, Isaac Stern would call the second he opened to the 1st movement. However, a week passed and he did not receive a call. President Stern had been able to recognize Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano ying before Laura¡¯s beautiful singing but did not show a reaction, making Jun Hyuk nervous. Stern is not showing a reaction when he is the type of person who identifies the value of music exactly. There are over 40 maestros signed with Stern Corporation. It could be that he is showing the song to these maestros in order to make a precise judgment of its worth. The fact that he is nevertheless silent could mean that he decided the song does not live up to expectations as much as Jun Hyuk thought it would. Jun Hyuk is restless like a child, but Yoon Kwang Hun is in a rxed state. ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s not saying anything because it¡¯s great. If it was mediocre, he would have called right away. He would have just said things like ¡®I got the score. It¡¯s as good as I thought it¡¯d be.¡¯¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t he showing a reaction if it¡¯s good?¡± ¡°Are you saying you still don¡¯t know? I¡¯ll tell you another thing about the way adults work, so listen well, little one.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun pushed Jun Hyuk into a seat by his shoulders. ¡°President Stern isn¡¯t your fan anymore. That¡¯s a private matter. Now you have a business contractual rtionship. There¡¯s no reason for him to be praising you on your music. Whether he likes it or not, it¡¯s his job to make it into ¡®work¡¯.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun knows from experience that there is no point in business partners saying nice things to each other. ¡°It¡¯s Isaac Stern¡¯s job to look at your score, think about what he¡¯s going to do, create a n, and put that n into motion. He¡¯ll be doing that work now. He can just look for you when he absolutely needs to.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s face finally rxed considerably. ¡°Did you just send the score? You didn¡¯t tell him your thoughts?¡± ¡°No. I also wrote asking what he thought about submitting it for thepetition.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m sure he included that in his n as well. He¡¯ll work in your favor. Keep it in mind. Don¡¯t trust people who only say things you like to hear. You need to put your trust in people who show you results instead of words.¡± Chapter 180 Volume 5 / Chapter 180 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: This is 2 of 8!] Not a single thing Yoon Kwang Hun said was wrong. President Stern¡¯s call after 10 days had passed told him that they had created a n and were currently working on it. ¡°Jun, the score you sent me. Can you send the original or make up another copy?¡± ¡°Of the score?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do you need to modify it anymore?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯splete.¡± ¡°Then send it right away. We¡¯ll submit it to the Queen Elisabeth Competition.¡± When Isaac Stern told him the conclusion, Jun Hyuk was taken aback. ¡°Excuse me? Isaac... I was just asking what you thought of submitting it, not that we need to.¡± ¡°But I think it¡¯s a good idea to submit it.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a time for everything. Competitions are a privilege for the young. Winning with concrete numbers against a lot ofpetitors isn¡¯t something you can do when you¡¯re older. Only because of useless pride. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk gained courage from Isaac Stern¡¯s vigorousughter and told him the real goal. ¡°Uh, Isaac. More than thepetition or winning, I¡¯d like to conduct with the piano and violin soloists.¡± ¡°Really? Then you really must win. Fine. I¡¯ll make you into a winner.¡± He will make him into a winner? It is a surprising thought beyond confidence. ¡°What? You¡¯ll make me? Is that what apetition is? Does that mean it¡¯s a show where a winner isn¡¯t chosen, but where it¡¯s possible to make a winner?¡± Sternughed again at Jun Hyuk¡¯s surprised tone. ¡°Ha ha. Jun, don¡¯t misunderstand me. This piece is certainly the winner. But there will be a lot of controversy. I¡¯m going to block any circumstances where that controversy might prevent you from winning. I mean that I¡¯m going to make it a fairpetition that judges based on the works alone.¡± ¡°There will be controversy?¡± ¡°What? You didn¡¯t think about that while you were making the song?¡± He does not even know what his own song might mean. Stern was more surprised by this. ¡°No. I just thought it¡¯d be fun.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Well this really is fun. I did predict that there would be a lot of cases like this if I were with you. That case came too quickly.¡± ¡°Isaac. Why will this song be a controversy?¡± ¡°Beethoven is the only one in history called an evil. Furthermore, his Symphony No. 9 has been put in the UNESCO World Register. It¡¯s y on the most important day in each country, and is the most worshipped piece. But isn¡¯t your song a challenge thrown at Beethoven¡¯s Symphony No. 9? It¡¯s a miscalction to think that it won¡¯t be a controversy.¡± Isaac Stern¡¯s long exnation made Jun Hyuk realize that this is how people could view his song. ¡°I say let¡¯s see what happens. Let¡¯s see how the judges of Queen Elisabeth and the world will ept this fearless challenge. It¡¯s thrilling just thinking about it.¡± President Stern was stillughing when he hung up the phone with a stunned Jun Hyuk who could not speak. When he first opened the score that came via e-mail, his eyes and ears were disbelieving. When he finished the 1st movement, it felt like he had just gotten off of a rollercoaster. He was dizzy. There had not been a moment for rxation. The music pushed forward so much that 18 minutes felt like a few seconds. When the 2nd movement unfolded and the violin and piano suddenly jumped out, it was shocking. No one could imagine that a symphony would transform into a concerto. Destruction of the form was not all. The piano and violin were like a captain that needs to get through the rough ocean of the orchestra by oveing the rapidly changing melody and sprinting for 12 minutes. As soon as the thick bass and vocal tenor started, it brought up Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony. The orchestra, vocal, piano, and violin blended in harmony and when he closed the score as it ended thest movement in exaltation, he could understand the piece¡¯s intent. Isaac Stern went back to the 1st movement to start checking everything one by one. 18 minutes, 12 minutes, 19 minutes, 25 minutes. 4 movementsbined. It is like the choral symphony of Beethoven that the Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s Furtwangler conducted. He had run for this long time without breathing, and the result is a challenge! Isaac Stern could not decide how to assess this piece. It is too radical of a challenge thrown at Beethoven. There is too much transition in this song that goes over an hour, making it hard to breathe. The 2nd movement that releases the anxiety that appears in normal sonata forms, does not exist. Stern has led a management agency for musicians well until now because of his ability to listen to a piece just once andy down an assessment. Isaac Stern needed to know the true worth behind this song he was reserving judgment from. He had to call a meeting with the top staff of Stern Corporation. They are people with discernment and insight to find the essence of excellent music. 8 staff members sat on the sofa in President Stern¡¯s office and looked over the score for over 2 hours before closing it. Their expressions were not very different from that of President Stern when he first saw this piece. Then a long silence began. ¡°I¡¯m sure this was enough time to enjoy the aftertaste? Everyone, snap out of it.¡± Isaac Stern woke up each person while they were lost in their thoughts. ¡°This Jun. He really is impressive.¡± ¡°Right? I can¡¯t imagine how he wrote such a song.¡± ¡°More than that, my jaw dropped when I first saw the broad mindedness of this song. How could he think of fighting in the same ring as Beethoven? Isn¡¯t this him asking us topare his choral symphony with this piece?¡± The staff¡¯s enjoyment of the song was not different from Isaac Stern¡¯s. They had all loved the song for 200 years, but no musician had ever tried to challenge it. ¡°But don¡¯t you think he¡¯s plenty qualified to go in the ring?¡± ¡°Exactly. He¡¯s reckless.¡± ¡°What do you think? How do you think the world will ept this incredible challenge that Jun Hyuk is throwing out there?¡± ¡°No one will be able to believe it. Who would believe that it¡¯s Beethoven, and none other than the choral symphony?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the challenge sitting right in front of you? What can¡¯t you believe?¡± ¡°Isaac. You know that¡¯s not what I mean....¡± ¡°Forget it. Everyone, say your conclusions first. Who do you think will get the champion belt? Is it Beethoven who has held the throne for 200 years? Or 20 year old Jun?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s challenge is reckless, but Stern¡¯s straightforward question is also reckless. Even if Jun Hyuk¡¯s song is better, how could they admit Beethoven¡¯s defeat? However, it is a question from a boss who pays them a hefty sry. And it is a difficult boss who hates ambiguous answers. The 8 staff members praised the piece first. But the conclusion is that Jun Hyuk loses. 5 of the staff were of the same thought as Isaac Stern. They voted in Beethoven¡¯s favor because it is so fast and there are so many changes that there is not a single moment to take a breath. The interesting aspect is the evaluation of the remaining 3 people. The con of Jun Hyuk¡¯s piece that had made the other 5 people raise their hands for Beethoven. They rather feel a catharsis from the speed and changes. It is not a disadvantage, but the device that will allow it to win Beethoven. ¡°Is that so? I also felt ufortable with how rapid the changes are... but it is captivating to some people. Well that¡¯s interesting too.¡± Silence fell again. They need to assess the grounds for this precisely. People who enjoy art think about it and analyze it constantly after enjoying it. The person who transcends from this thought and analysis is a critic. Stern Corporation needs to have precise praise or criticism from these critics, and they need to have the evidence to refute this criticism. It is a management agency¡¯s duty to prevent its artists¡¯ unnecessary ws. The person to break the silence in President Stern¡¯s office was a staff member sitting in the back. He is young, but he already looks to be in his mid thirties. ¡°Isaac. That¡¯s because of age.¡± Everyone¡¯s attentions turned toward the young staff member who brought up age out of nowhere. Chapter 181 Volume 5 / Chapter 181 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: This is 3 of 8! What does the staff member have to say?] ¡°What? Age? Do you listen to ssical music with age?¡± ¡°No. Should I say there are cultural differences by generation? Anyway, it is the difference between whether or not it is familiar.¡± ¡°Is there anyone here who isn¡¯t familiar with ssical music? It¡¯s your jobs.¡± ¡°What I¡¯m trying to talk about isn¡¯t ssical. I¡¯m talking about the characteristic of this song. Isaac, think about movies.¡± ¡°Movies?¡± The young staff member used movies as a way to express what he is thinking. ¡°Yes. Movies are the icons that represent their generations.¡± ¡°Take out the introduction and get to the point.¡± Isaac Stern lit a cigar and cut him off. ¡°Let¡¯s think about the movie Batman. Compare Director Tim Burton¡¯s 1989 Batman and Christopher Nn¡¯s 2008 Dark Knight. Isaac Stern could notpare them because he had seen Tim Burton¡¯s Batman, but not the Dark Knight. He did not say anything because he thought the staff member would go on about age again. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about arger scale or incredible special effects. Think about the number of shorts or cuts. Today¡¯s movie changes screen every 4 minutes on average. They edit the action parts by second units.¡± The people in the office could understand what he is trying to say. ¡°The people of this generation get bored if there aren¡¯t changes that are this fast. If Beethoven was a modern man, his song would have been more shy than Jun¡¯s. People who are used to the whirlwind of angles used in Spiderman don¡¯t see it as excessive. They are able to enjoy it.¡± The world has changed over the past 200 years. There is more rapid change in 10 years in the 21st century than there is in 100 years of the 18th century. The Porsche that James Dean died in in 1955 boasted speeds of 180km/h, but Porsches now can go up to 300km/h. Speed of change is not something that is learned, but something that bes limatized throughout life. ¡°Your Beethoven wrote a revolutionary song and it was of a diabolical difficulty. It would have been no different from Jun Hyuk¡¯s song at the time.¡± The premiere with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1824 made quite a lot of money but it was not as much as Beethoven thought it would. The 2nd performance saw a deficit and it was criticized. The format of Jun Hyuk¡¯s song is faithful to the ssics, but the style is a ssical matched to the contemporary. It is just that it is a ssical suitable to the modern person. It is too extreme to grab people who are used to the ssical of the past. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure even the youth who don¡¯t go near ssical music will say that they like this song. There¡¯s not a boring moment.¡± ¡°Damn. Am I now too old to find the essence of music?¡± Isaac Stern grumbled, but his face was bright without any doubts. ¡°But Jun wants to submit this to the Queen Elisabeth Competition.¡± ¡°What? What absurdity is this? Why apetition so randomly?¡± The wordpetition is as shocking as this song is. He wants to fight Beethoven in an arena of young rookies? The right ce for it is the New York Philharmonic¡¯s Lincoln Center Avery Fisher Hall. ¡°Yeah, but will anything be bigger news than this?¡± If the New York Philharmonic performs it in Lincoln Center, it fits the song¡¯s character and scale. But they cannot help but agree with the news that Isaac Stern is talking about. How many people in New York know about the philharmonic¡¯s performances? With a worldwidepetition however, Europe and the countries of the finalists receive reports on its progression. Apetition is much more advantageous in bing news. ¡°That¡¯s true, but we need to think about the problems after.¡± ¡°What problem?¡± The staff member looked at President Stern and hesitated, looking for a way to exin. ¡°Are you thinking that the results might not be good?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a problem that can be predicted?¡± He has no question about Jun Hyuk¡¯s work, but he worries about the judges. Not their ethics, but their actual ages. Even the staff of Stern Corporation is out of breath with a music that they are not familiar with, but judges of the oldpetition could be worse. Isaac Stern smiled while listening to the staff¡¯s concerns. He felt good that none of them had read his thoughts. ¡°What I think is ¨C and I¡¯m 100% sure ¨C he won¡¯t be able to win. The reason is that like you all said, the judges are too old to enjoy the music. Like me.¡± When one of the staff members was about to speak up, Isaac Stern put up his hand to stop him. ¡°Isn¡¯t the case where he doesn¡¯t win where we can shine our light best?¡± The staff members¡¯ eyes changed. They realized President Stern¡¯s intention. ¡°I see. If we¡¯re thinking only of bing a hot topic, not winning would be better.¡± ¡°A misfortunate 2nd ce tends to receive more spotlight.¡± The staff started calcting the advantages of not winning. ¡°Right? On top of that, we can mobilize powerful reinforcements.¡± If President Stern shows Jun Hyuk¡¯s score to maestros all around the world and gets their thoughts on it, the spotlight will be even stronger. Isaac Stern is able to have such confidence because he is so sure of Jun Hyuk¡¯s song. However, Isaac Stern needed to change his thoughts. He realized what Jun Hyuk wants while talking to him over the phone. He wants to conduct in Brussels, Belgium. And Isaac Stern had agreed to do whatever Jun Hyuk wants to do. To keep that promise, he prepared to spread the image of Jun Hyuk conducting and his work as widely as possible. *** ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be going now. I rested enough.¡± ¡°Sure. This was a good enough vacation, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jun Hyuk talked about going back to America over dinner. Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s face showed disappointment for a very short moment, but it quickly calmed down. Jun Hyuk¡¯s visit had been like a surprise present. It would be harder to see him from now on. There was something that he did regret, so he spoke up, ¡°That¡¯s that. You don¡¯t have any thoughts on performing with Fine Philharmonic?¡± ¡°No. I do want to hear Han Ye Ji¡¯s piano again, but I don¡¯t know about doing an official concert. I¡¯d rather see her at her own recital.¡± ¡°Alright. There¡¯s nothing to do if you don¡¯t feel like it. Now, I¡¯ll have to go see you when you perform. When do you think your first performance will be? Belgium?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Do you think I¡¯ll be able to win?¡± ¡°I thought President Stern said he would make you the winner? I¡¯m going to go ahead and reserve my flight and hotel to fit the finals period. Oh right. Send me 5 admission tickets to thepetition.¡± ¡°What? 5 of them? Why?¡± ¡°How can I go alone? I need to take everyone. It¡¯ll be boring if I go alone. There¡¯s nothing to do in Europe once the sun sets.¡± ¡°He he. Alright. I¡¯ll prepare them right away if I win.¡± Jun Hyuk finished up hisst meal at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s cafe. ¡°How about the apartment in New York? Are you going to move to the apartment that President Stern prepared for you?¡± ¡°Yes. I was told that they already moved all of my stuff and took care of the apartment I was renting. It really isfortable that I don¡¯t have to mind anything else.¡± Since signing on with a management agency, moving was the first realistic convenience that he experienced. As Yoon Kwang Hun brought up the New York apartment, he thought of someone. ¡°But hasn¡¯t it been a long time since you¡¯ve seen Amelia? Are you two okay?¡± ¡°She¡¯s going toe in the summer. She¡¯s performing and recording with the BBC orchestra right now. Why? You think we might break up?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the saying, out of sight out of mind? It¡¯s an immutable truth.¡± ¡°We FaceTime every day. It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean seeing physically when I mean out of sight. It¡¯s because you lose the opportunity to make an effort itself.¡± Jun Hyuk did not know what Yoon Kwang Hun meant by effort. ¡°Affection is bound to die down as time passes. If you don¡¯t make the effort to fire the affection up again, it¡¯ll eventually die. I mean that if you stay apart this long, it¡¯s impossible even if you make the effort.¡± Jun Hyuk stared at Yoon Kwang Hun and spoke cautiously, ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something that someone who has lived alone forever should be saying. Ha ha.¡± Chapter 182 Volume 5 / Chapter 182 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: This is 4 of 8! Back to the states] Jun Hyuk followed an employee who came to meet him at New York¡¯s JFK airport to President Stern¡¯s apartment. He was astounded when he opened the door and entered. It is grand but also incredibly wide. It is a 2-floor duplex apartment with a staircase to one side of the living room. ¡°Uh... Hang on...¡± Jun Hyuk quickly looked for the employee who had brought him to this apartment, but he had already closed the door and left. ¡°Ugh.¡± There is no problem staying in this big house alone, but he could not imagine how to clean it when the living room alone is the size of a basketball court. There are 4 doors that he can see on just the 1st floor. How many rooms would there be on the 2nd floor? Jun Hyuk took his phone out. It would be better to tell Isaac Stern that he should move. ¡°What do you think? Do you like it?¡± He heard the door open with a familiar voice. Jun Hyuk put his phone back. Isaac Stern walked over to Jun Hyuk and put his arm on his shoulder. ¡°Tell me if you don¡¯t like it. I can look into another ce.¡± ¡°Isaac. I do like it... but it¡¯s too big. Cleaning it is going to be no joke. I think it¡¯d be better to move to a smaller ce.....¡± Isaac Stern looked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s serious expression and burst out inughter. ¡°Well well. Ha ha. Would I really leave you to clean the ce? Don¡¯t worry about it and stay herefortably. A maid is going toe every day to take care of your meals and clean.¡± Jun Hyuk was more surprised when he heard about the maid than he had been when he saw therge house. ¡°A maid? I¡¯ll just do it myself. It¡¯s ufortable.¡± ¡°What? Ufortable? Weren¡¯t you going to demand a personal chef? Why now?¡± President Stern brought up what they had discussed in the private ne. ¡°That was a joke.¡± ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯ll have someonee just once a week to do theundry and clean. Is that fine? Ande this way. You haven¡¯t seen it yet, right?¡± Isaac Stern pushed Jun Hyuk and opened one of two doors standing next to each other. ¡°I made this into your studio. There was a piano here for a maestro in ourpany who used to live here, but we moved the 2 pianos and instruments from your house here. And I prepared some other things I thought you might need. There wasn¡¯t enough space, so we broke into the next room.¡± In that room were Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar, amp, 2 grand pianos, and drum set. ¡°Isaac. Isn¡¯t that recording equipment?¡± He could see wires everywhere with a console box covered in white fabric. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re good at sound engineering too. It¡¯s not studio standard, but I left it so you could use it when you need to.¡± ¡°The sound-proofing is certain... It¡¯s great.¡± ¡°I see you like this room more than the apartment.¡± When Jun Hyuk saw the recording equipment, he suddenly remembered something. ¡°Oh right. What happened with the Inferno album? It hasn¡¯t been released yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going out in stores around mid-June.¡± ¡°That¡¯s veryte. I made it so that there wouldn¡¯t be any problem working on the album.¡± They finished recording early February. Even with package production in mind, 6 months is taking too long. ¡°The record has already beenpleted. It¡¯sing out the next month because of marketing. We¡¯re going after the holiday season.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°The Boston Philharmonic needs to gain some attention from this too. They¡¯ve been receiving public attention since they revealed that you recorded in February, so that¡¯ll continue. It¡¯s all business after recording.¡± When they came out into the living room, Isaac Stern went into the kitchen and skillfully made coffee. ¡°So, did you rest well in Korea?¡± ¡°Yes. I just kept sleeping.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t just sleep. You said you were going to rest. How did you think ofing up with such a masterpiece? You should really rest when you can.¡± Isaac Stern set a coffee down in front of Jun Hyuk, who justughed, and settled into therge sofa. ¡°Then shall we talk a bit about the piece?¡± ¡°The piece? Oh, sure.¡± ¡°The title is Concerto for Violin and Piano in D Minor, ¡®Choral,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just ask one thing. Did you really write it with Beethoven in mind?¡± ¡°I did it thinking about how the Queen Elisabeth Competition has the piano and violin, but I thought of the foundation as a choral symphony. The subtitle is ¡®Choral¡¯.¡± ¡°Why Beethoven? Isn¡¯t it too much of a challenge?¡± ¡°I never thought of it as a challenge. I just started it because I thought it¡¯d be fun to work on... I guess that¡¯s how it turned out?¡± ¡°Fun... That¡¯s good too. Let¡¯s see if the world sees it as fun or as a challenge.¡± Isaac Stern could not stop smiling even as he drank coffee. ¡°Thepetition judges are going to be startled.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°The score itself is huge. Most entries are about 10 minutes. I¡¯m pretty sure this will be the first ever masterpiece of such a length. And... he he.¡± Isaac Stern was about to speak when he startedughing. Jun Hyuk watched him with an expression wondering if senility had set in. ¡°Ah, sorry. I keepughing when I think about the National Orkest van Belgie. I can¡¯t stop picturing them perplexed.¡± ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± Could it be because there are not enough members in the Belgian orchestra? ¡°If this piece wins in December, you¡¯ll have to go to Belgium right away. You need to go into rehearsals.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t thepetition finals in April?¡± ¡°The difficulty is too high. They¡¯ll need to practice for a while in order to perform at the finals.¡± ¡°Surely not. They are the national orchestra.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not ¡®surely not¡¯. I showed this to the maestro of the New York Philharmonic to ask for his opinion.¡± As soon as he said the New York Philharmonic, Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes widened. His heart beat at the thought of it. ¡°He said that he guesses 2 to 3 months. He can¡¯t say that the National Orchestra of Belgium is better than the New York Philharmonic.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the New York Philharmonic, isn¡¯t it Maestro Dimitris Carras? The Greek genius conductor who started at age 25.¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s famous for perfect song interpretations. If he says two or three months, that¡¯s exact.¡± ¡°Did he give you an assessment of my song?¡± ¡°Of course. How could he see a piece like this and not say anything?¡± Isaac Stern saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s sparkling eyes and thought of Dimitris Carras¡¯ sparkling eyes when he first saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s score. ¡°I only showed him the score at first. I didn¡¯t say your name. He didn¡¯t say anything for a while and then after praising it a ton, do you know what he said?¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Jun Hyuk was anxious to hear what the undeniable top maestro of the century said about his own work. ¡°He said that 2 geniuses will lead the world of music in the 21st century. Composer of ¡®Inferno¡¯ Jun and the person who created this new ¡®Choral Concerto¡¯. Ha ha.¡± Isaac Stern saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s flushed cheeks and realized that this young genius still does not have certainty regarding his own work. There must be various reasons, but he thought that the biggest reason might be that his standards for pieces are too high. ¡°I heard that assessment and didn¡¯t tell him your name until the end. He was tremendously curious. He he.¡± This asional child-like appearance from this man over 70 does not seem like that of an industry mogul. ¡°Wait until August, since he has performances abroad right now. When hee back, I¡¯ll introduce you two. Get a chance to talk over dinner or something. Dimitris is also going to be shocked once he finds out that you wrote ¡®Choral Symphony¡¯.¡± Isaac Stern stoppedughing jokingly and his voice became low. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about. Can I ask?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course.¡± ¡°What are you going to do with the pieces you¡¯ve written so far? Are you going to keep leaving them in Mr. Yoon¡¯s safe?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t a song that I really want to show to the world. I like making new songs more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but there¡¯s nothing I can do. Do as you please.¡± He said that it is a pity, but his expression is not so. Artists do not want to reveal their past works the more they excel. Geniuses are those whose future works are more anticipated than their past works are. ¡°Then what are you going to do until December? Do you have any ns? And I don¡¯t mean your intention to put everything intoposing.¡± ¡°I have nothing to say if you put it like that.¡± He had been thinking that it would be good to make music since he has a good studio in his apartment, but there was nothing to include in his ns if he excludes that. ¡°Then I¡¯ll propose 2 things. Pick one.¡± Isaac Stern sat next next to Jun Hyuk. ¡°The first is traveling. I rmend South America. I want to suggest enjoying the freedom and nature of South America.¡± Jun Hyuk did not really want to travel again after traveling Europe for 2 months, so his expression did not change. Isaac Stern watched Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression and spoke again. ¡°The other is studying.¡± ¡°Studying?¡± ¡°Yeah. Didn¡¯t you receive special sses at yton? That¡¯s what the school said. They said that you were very active in that ss. What do you think about starting it again? I¡¯ll invite a teacher toe once or twice a week. Not music but subjects like literature, art, and philosophy.¡± Jun Hyuk showed much more interest in studying than he did in traveling. ¡°Isn¡¯t broadening the width of thought an extremely important element for people who create?¡± ¡°I guess it is.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to make the decision now. Take your time to think about it.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll study. The thing I actually regretted most about leaving yton was not being able to take the special sses.¡± ¡°Great. Then I¡¯ll get it ready. Just keep it in mind.¡± Isaac Stern did not forget hisst piece of advice as he was leaving Jun Hyuk¡¯s apartment, ¡°Jun. Don¡¯t be alone too much, and invite some friends to have some fun. Throw some parties. The best thing about having arge apartment is that it¡¯s great to have parties in.¡± Chapter 183 Volume 5 / Chapter 183 TL: LightNovelCafe [TN: This is 5 of 8! Inferno album and Amelia] When the Inferno album was released in mid-June, another craze came and went. When it sold 400,000 in just 1 month, it was estimated that it would easily sell 2 million and could even go up to 4 million. It is the result of hearing that it is an innovative song that opens the door to a new musical genre, even bringing in a customer base devoted to ssical music. Once there were onlyints in the Amazon reviews online however, it changed to an entirely different angle. The general view and anger that they had spent money to listen to noise started spreading through social media. Due to the severe criticism of the public, the sales graph plummeted starting with the 2nd month. The ssical single album with the highest recorded sales is Luciano Pavarotti, cido Domingo, Jose Carreras, and Zubin Mehta¡¯s live concert album, ¡®The Three Tenors in Concert: Live in Rome, 1990¡¯. It reached 12 million in sales and people do not have to be ssical fanciers to have heard the music at least once. These kinds of stars are necessary in making a ssical album into a hit. Even a person who has never listened to music conducted by Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s Karajan can recognize a picture of him with a face full of anguish. With this level of awareness, he was able to record an incredible sale of 200,000 albums. No matter how much critics give Inferno rave reviews, it could not win the one word ¡®noise¡¯ written on the inte and not even the jazz fans who had epted Jun Hyuk were in favor of it. The Inferno album was not able to surpass 1 million in the end, and was pushed to the corners of shopping malls. Curiosity does not be a driving force for increasing sales. Inferno was forgotten by the public and was only discussed among maestros of their own league. The premiere is still left. *** Amelia returned in the middle of July and was so shocked when she saw Isaac Stern¡¯s apartment that she yelled. The apartment she had heard about from Jun Hyuk was not so luxurious. She had attended many banquets held for people in the music world, and could guess what this apartment was used for. This is not the kind of apartment that they lend to maestros whoe from different areas. It must be one of President Stern¡¯s several houses in New York, and a ce used to hold parties. She could tell how much special treatment President Stern gives Jun Hyuk from the way he gave the whole apartment to him. She was also surprised by the piece he would be submitting to the Queen Elisabeth Competition. She had the same reaction that everyone else had ¡°Jun, anyone who sees this is going to say that it¡¯s crazy. You¡¯re saying you want topare with Beethoven?¡± She saw the whole score and could not stop admiring with ¡®Oh my God!¡¯ ¡°Really? It¡¯s that bad?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s crazy because it¡¯sparable. It would be normal for someone not to match up to Beethoven.¡± Amelia ced kisses all over Jun Hyuk¡¯s face and took the piano part of the score. She yed the 2nd and 3rd movements, and got up from the piano. ¡°They¡¯ll have to change the finals calendar around a lot.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They always give 1 week to practice the finals song. But how can someone learn this in 1 week? There¡¯s no way.¡± It is not a known song. The 5 piano and violin finalists are going to receive a tremendous andrge song, and are going to have to show their ability. Amelia counted on her fingers as she spoke. ¡°I recorded Brahms¡¯ Piano Concerto No. 1 with the BBC Orchestra this time. I had already memorized all of Brahm¡¯s concerto, practiced it hundreds of times, and it¡¯s been included in my performance repertoires dozens of times. On top of that, we still went into rehearsal 3 times.¡± Amelia shook her head and asserted, ¡°1 week? Impossible. I¡¯m positive they¡¯llpletely change thepetition schedule.¡± ¡°They might not. It might look hard in the beginning, but they¡¯ll realize that it¡¯s easier once they get a little used to it.¡± ¡°Really? I couldn¡¯t tell yet.¡± ¡°If you memorize the score, it suddenly gets easy. I kept the performers in mind and didn¡¯t leave any margin for error.¡± Mozart¡¯s songs are not hard to approach in the beginning. Special techniques are not needed, and there are not severe changes. Just as there are a lot of famous songs in pop that use 3 simple chords, Mozart also created great music from simple melodies. As one knows the piano more and more however, it bes harder to express Mozart¡¯s songs. There is a lot of margin for the performers. As difficult as Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano part seems, there is no margin. ¡°And I need to win in order for the schedule to be changed or not.¡± ¡°Are you joking? That doesn¡¯t even need to be said. Of course you¡¯re the winner.¡± The starting point of thought is different. While otherpetitors go up against each other, he is going up against Beethoven. This difference is bound to chase the other participants out. *** Amelia was fascinated by Jun Hyuk¡¯s special sses, which took ce at home. She had never felt interest in anything outside of piano and music. Jun Hyuk on the other hand, kept asking questions and concentrated in his philosophy ss to make it run over 2 hours. ¡°Jun, do you like studying that much? Doesn¡¯t your head hurt enough from looking at scores?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the total opposite. I can forget music when I focus on other things. It¡¯s better the moreplicated it is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how much the melodies don¡¯t stop in your head?¡± She is realizing it for the first time since she started living with Jun Hyuk. There is a new melody and rhythm in his head every waking moment. When she first knew this, she could not hide her envy. But the second she figured that it might not be a blessing, she tried to help Jun Hyuk put his attention elsewhere as much as she could. This was also a factor in her saying that they could not leave such arge house alone and started inviting acquaintances over for simple parties every week. Because she knows Jun Hyuk¡¯s personality well, she did not invite people who are loud or boastful. Since she only invited conscientious people who know the paths that they are on, there were no loud parties that Isaac Stern suggested. Danny was also in the off season and came to New York when he received Amelia¡¯s call. He who had always gone around telling people that he is Jun Hyuk¡¯s roommate and best friend, had changed a lot over 1 year. After the Tchaikovsky Competitionst summer, Danny had finished up the tour with the runner ups and had jumped into the world of professionals. He seemed like an entirely different person. ¡°Damn. I thought everything would work out if I made it into the top ranking of the Tchaikovsky Competition, but that was just the start. There are so many people running in front of me.¡± ¡°Is that so? Amelia¡¯s been doing a lot of performances from even before thepetition.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. Before Tchaikovsky, she was mostly active in her home country Argentina. I¡¯m famous in Canada too. I came out on TV a bunch of times.¡± However, Danny kept sighing. ¡°Amelia is of a different ss from me. How many albums does she have out? And in Europe at that.¡± There is no difference between Danny¡¯s circumstance and in Colin who is going around clubs and small concerts in the western region to make a prospective rock band known. He had only performed with a famous orchestra in a big city twice in 1 year. Even that did not receive the evaluation that it was sessful. Instead, he is taking in a tight schedule of going around in small European towns. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to go out for the Long-Thibaud, Menuhin, and Queen Elisabeth next year and win all of them. I have a lot of experience now, so I¡¯ll be able to perform without being nervous. Jun Hyuk was about to say something when he said Queen Elisabeth, but he shut his mouth. Amelia had blinked at him. For the sake of fairness, a win is canceled if theposer¡¯s score and win are leaked. Even if they are friends, he cannotmit a misconduct. All of the participants are putting their lives on the line just as Danny is doing. Amelia spent about a month with Jun Hyuk. Once the season starts in September, she needs to take in another packed schedule. Chapter 184 Volume 5 / Chapter 184 TL: LightNovelCafe Edited: Stealth At the end of August, there was also a person who came back to New York for the regr season afterpleting a world tour. It was none other than New York Philharmonic¡¯s standing conductor, Dimitris Carras. The first item on his schedule upon arriving in New York was to visit Jun Hyuk¡¯s apartment with Isaac Stern. Dimitris Carras was shocked when he saw Jun Hyuk open the front door and wee them. He had not imagined that this would be the house of theposer of Inferno. ¡°My friends sent me pictures they took with you and said that it¡¯s a face that I must remember. I didn¡¯t know what they were talking about at first, but you don¡¯t know how surprised I was when I was told you¡¯re theposer of Inferno. I was expecting you to be a white-haired old man. Ha ha.¡± Afterughing refreshingly, Carras pat President Stern on the back. ¡°Isaac. You signed on yet another amazing treasure. I guess I won¡¯t receive a good treatment from Stern Corporation from now on. You¡¯ll have 2 young geniuses at the head.¡± When Dimitris Carras debuted as a conductor, the first person to hand him a contract was a 35-year-old Isaac Stern. He did it with the promise to make him the standing conductor of one of the top 3 philharmonics in the world. And 20 yearster, Isaac Stern kept that promise. 5 years have already passed since he became the standing conductor and art director of the New York Philharmonic at the age of 55. The two men are friends who have confided in each other their whole lives. ¡°That¡¯s about right. Even if you say that you want to terminate your contract with us now, it won¡¯t matter to me. He he.¡± ¡°Good. Then that means I¡¯ll have to think differently too.¡± Even while they had been chatting jokingly, Carras kept ncing at the front door. ¡°Isaac. When is the person who wrote the choral concertoing? Jun, have you met him already?¡± Dimitris Carras looked at the two of them in curiosity and Isaac Stern could not hold back hisughter. ¡°Who are you waiting for when he¡¯s already living in the apartment? Isn¡¯t he sitting right in front of you? Ha ha.¡± Dimitris Carras just blinked for a moment. He is not understanding what Isaac Stern means when he says that the person is already living here. His eyes grewrger when he looked at Jun Hyuk smiling at him. ¡°Then... Then is it you? Goodness!¡± No one could speak until the New York Philharmonic¡¯s standing conductor¡¯s surprise disappeared. *** ¡°What do you think? Won¡¯t it be quite big news?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It could be news, but isn¡¯t it apletely different melody and rhythm? The onlymon factor is the timing of each movement ¨C and there¡¯s going to be a bit of a difference ording to the conductor ¨C the vocal appearing in the 4th movement. Isn¡¯t it only this? The song¡¯s subtitle is ¡®Choral¡¯ but other people put Beethoven to it and this concerto was put by theposer himself, so they can¡¯t be seen as the same.¡± Dimitris Carras spoke as if it is insignificant. ¡°They¡¯ll try to find fault with the vocal¡¯s lyrics ¡®Ode an die Freude¡¯ but it¡¯s just a citation of Friedrich Schiller¡¯s ¡®Ode to Joy¡¯.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking at it too lightly? That¡¯s enough to find an issue in.¡± ¡°He he. You¡¯ll win anyway. The judges will realize as well. The more they argue, the more they are proving that this choral concerto is a match for Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony. There¡¯s no reason for it to be a hot topic if it¡¯s just copying because they can just eliminate the submission.¡± He means that the more it bes news and the more disagreements there are, it is the same as their admitting the level of the piece. ¡°Honestly, next year¡¯spetitionmittee is lucky.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure this level of work is going to raise thepetition¡¯s position.¡± Isaac Stern agreed with him, but Dimitris Carras shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. Isaac, assuming Jun¡¯s song wins what do you think will happen? You can¡¯t imagine it?¡± Isaac Stern and Jun Hyuk just stared at Dimitris Carras. They could not think of anything in particr. ¡°They can take care of everything in the finals with this one song. Piano, violin, and even vocals. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be really interesting?? It¡¯ll be important who they be ced in groups with as well. For the first time, the finalists will have to make draws to configure their groups. Like with the World Cup. Ha ha.¡± ¡°I see. So it¡¯s possible to take care of thepetition part with Jun Hyuk¡¯s song alone. I didn¡¯t think about the vocals.¡± Isaac Stern hit his forehead. The finals will be very interesting. Thepetitionmittee will certainly not overlook this aspect. ¡°Jun, don¡¯t worry. If your choral concerto doesn¡¯t win, that itself will be the beginning of a hot topic. It won¡¯t match the public opinion and thepetition¡¯s authority will be groundless. I¡¯ll be the first to criticize them.¡± The maestro of the New York Philharmonic was sure that Jun Hyuk would win. Since a great is this certain, President Stern did not think that he would need to pressure thepetitionmittee. Dimitris Carras brought up what he was more curious about than thepetition. ¡°Jun. From what I hear, you quit the Inferno performance with the Boston Philharmonic because you said that you didn¡¯t want to use shortcuts?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought that and so did the orchestra members.¡± Dimitris looked regretful at Jun Hyuk¡¯s answer. ¡°It would have been better to hold the concert even if you had to use a shortcut. Conducting the Boston Philharmonic would have been a very valuable experience. When you be a candidate for world renowned philharmonics from now on, it¡¯ll be a really important resume. You shouldn¡¯t have been so stubborn.¡± Dimitris Carras had gone through a lot before bing the standing conductor of the New York Philharmonic and knows the process better than anyone else does. Not everyone who takes on the role of operating an orchestra is an expert in music. There are a lot of politics. Dimitris has absolutely no doubt that Jun Hyuk is the future standing conductor of the New York Philharmonic. The reason why he is mentioning the importance of experience is that he wants Jun Hyuk to be standing on the podium right this moment. He did not think that there would be more special cases like the Boston Philharmonic from now on. ¡°Jun, you don¡¯t have any thoughts to conduct Inferno now?¡± ¡°No. The album came out well. I think that most of what I want is in there. From now on, what I want to see is how other maestros interpret it differently.¡± Once Dimitris realized that Jun Hyuk has no lingering regrets for Inferno, his lips curled into a smile. ¡°Really? Then I¡¯d like to put it on stage next year. Do you have any good tips?¡± Isaac Stern was startled and spoke, ¡°Hold on, Maestro. Are you preparing now? Do you think it¡¯ll be possible?¡± ¡°Of course. Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the album.¡± ¡°Of course I heard it. I liked it. It wasn¡¯t that painful or anything.¡± Even Jun Hyuk was surprised by his nonchnt tone. He had seen for himself how much the Boston Philharmonic suffered. The conductor, Patrick Quinn, had said that he barely listened through to the 4th movement. ¡°What is that? Is that for real? This is surprising.¡± ¡°What is? When I looked at the score honestly, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be possible. But it waspletely different when I listened to the album. I understood Jun Hyuk¡¯s interpretation. The subject of Inferno isn¡¯t pain. It¡¯spletely different.¡± Dimitris turned his attention to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun, this might be rude but answer honestly. Isn¡¯t Inferno based on your experiences?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve experienced severe pain in the past, right? Whether you were abused by some severe violence... and you expressed that with music. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s... that¡¯s right. How did you know?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s voice trembled. How could he figure out Jun Hyuk¡¯s experiences by listening to his music? It is something he has not told anyone other than Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°Do you think someone who hasn¡¯t experienced pain can ry the feeling to this extent to the audience? That kind of expressiveness would go beyond a genius, and it would be inhuman. It would be impossible for even you unless you experienced it.¡± Dimitris looked at a surprised Jun Hyuk and spoke carefully. ¡°And the pain in Inferno was definitely physical, not mental. I also grew up under an abusive father. I could tell because I had experienced it to some extent. It¡¯s something I had been forgettingpletely, but the memories came up.¡± He is showing the power of time in speaking of painful memories of his youth in such a calm manner. ¡°Dimitris, why is that important? Just because Jun Hyuk experienced it? No one gets used to violence.¡± Isaac Stern lost interest in what method this impressive maestro knows. ¡°I objectified Inferno as I listened to it. Shall I say I was looking at someone who is experiencing pain? That someone could be me when I was a child, or Jun. It was okay once I changed the perspective.¡± ¡°Is that possible?¡± It is easily said, but the possibility is another issue. Even if Jun Hyuk had not asked it, Isaac Stern would have. ¡°Why? You can¡¯t believe it? I think it¡¯s more unbelievable who created a song like Inferno. I¡¯m sure everyone has their own advantages.¡± ¡°What exactly does it mean that you objectify it?¡± ¡°It means I don¡¯t empathize with it. Hm... like watching a horror movie? It¡¯s ufortable to see the characters tortured and killed, but I can bear to watch it because I¡¯m not the one going through it. And if you think about the set as you watch a movie? It¡¯s easier if you think about the cameras, staff, NGs, andughing actors. I thought I¡¯d be able to maintain that feeling.¡± ¡°Then are the conductor and performance just ying the role of delivering?¡± ¡°Right. That could be a more urate exnation. I¡¯m just a messenger to the audience.¡± Isaac Stern was watching the two men speak when he brought up the question that would not go away. ¡°Then what about the members of the New York Philharmonic? Are you saying that they can objectify it like you can?¡± ¡°No, not yet. But a few are already capable of ying it perfectly. We¡¯re just trying out different ways right now.¡± There are a lot of people in the world with talent. And each of those talents has the color of the person they belong to. Jun Hyuk could understand why Dimitris is famous for his perfect song interpretation. ¡°What is this? I was going to find out if there are any good tips to performing it, but I¡¯ve only told you my know-how. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Maestro, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll seal my lips.¡± ¡°Then can you promise me one thing?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°Once you end thepetition with this great choral concerto, I¡¯d like to put in on stage for the very first time with the New York Philharmonic. What do you think?¡± A proposal he had not been expecting. Jun Hyuk bolted up and grabbed the maestro¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s an honor. I feel like I should be the one asking for the favor.¡± ¡°Listen to the end. There¡¯s one more thing.¡± Dimitris smiled yfully and Jun Hyuk¡¯s heart started beating. Is he thinking of leaving the conducting to Jun Hyuk as well? ¡°Let¡¯s go on stage together. I¡¯ll conduct your choral concerto and you¡¯ll conduct Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony. We¡¯ll perform the two songs together.¡± If they y the 2 songs in session, it will approach 3 hours. If they put in an intermission, it is at least 3 and a half hours. It will be a tremendous event. Perform Beethoven? And with the best in the world, the New York Philharmonic? Jun Hyuk thought his heart would burst. Isaac Stern was even more excited than Jun Hyuk was. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Leave it to me. I¡¯ll make sure this concert happens. I¡¯ll make New Yorke alive for you. Ha ha.¡± Isaac Stern was already drawing a picture of New York City on that day. cards and posters that will be all over the city. The meeting of a young genius and a great maestro. And Beethoven. Chapter 185 Volume 5 / Chapter 185 TL: LightNovelCafe ** This is different from how the Queen Elisabeth Competition is progressed in reality. This was created by the writer in interest of the story. In October, submissions for theposition section of the Queen Elisabeth Competition began. 12 judges gathered in one ce to go over 100 pieces that flew in from over 30 countries. 54 year old judge Marion Cotird is the standing conductor of the Berlin Deutsche Symphony Orchestra. She was given the ¡®Nobel Prize of contemporary music,¡¯ the Grawemeyer, for a 30 minute cello concerto that sheposed especially to perform with a movie to allow the audience to interact with music and film. Most of thepetition entries are contemporary music, so the judges were configured appropriately. They investigated their past statements and actions to rule out anyone who venerates the ssics while disparaging contemporary music. It is to eliminate the concern that they may not be able to evaluate the value of the music due to prejudice. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m sure everyone knows, but I¡¯ll say it again in case. There will be experimental and avant garde music. But we need to keep in mind that we are evaluating music. We cannot choose a winner just because the song is novel. A score that we look at and want to hear the music for! This is the best criteria for judging.¡± The judging began with Committee head Marion Cotird¡¯s greeting words. The judges split into groups of 3 people and begin the trial. The trial is held so that if all 3 people are in agreement, the piece is eliminated. Songs that clear the trial go back to primary screening. In the primary screening, all 12 judges go over each song and must choose between pass and fail. The pieces are ordered in the number of passes they receive, and they choose the top 12 to go into the finals. The judges discuss each song and decide on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ces with thest standing pieces. The majority of entries are short songs of 10 to 30 minutes. There are songs that are entirely ¡®experimental¡¯ and there are songs that squeeze ¡®emotion¡¯ out. Pieces that only seek novelty were filtered out by the 3 judges. 3 judges had theirst and most curious piece in front of them, and scoffed. ¡°¡®Choral¡¯... It can¡¯t be what we¡¯re thinking of, right?¡± ¡°So there are people whopose suchrge works these days.¡± Looking at the thickness of the score alone, they could tell that it is a symphony and would take over 1 hour to perform. ¡°I just hope it¡¯s not a song that¡¯s been stretched out by unnecessarily repeating a thematic progression.¡± Notes filling up the score. And there were so many instruments organized within it that it was hard to see the flow of the song in one run through. They needed to look over this one song with as much time as they had taken to look at over 10 songs. The 3 judges took almost 3 hours to look over the score and only sat in silence. They did not say anything in evaluation during the trial. It is only a ce to state whether or not it will be eliminated. If all 3 decided to eliminate it, not even Mozart could refute. The judges need to be particrly careful because they do not know who theposers of the entries are. ¡°Well. How do we interpret this.....¡± ¡°Criticism isn¡¯t our responsibility. We need to do that in the finals. All we need to do now is make a decision.¡± When 1 judge spoke up, the other 2 shut their mouths. ¡°Then shall we make a decision?¡± The 2 people lightly nodded their heads. ¡°Will you tell me? Does this song need to go up to finals?¡± ¡°Oxi (No).¡± ¡°Nai (Yes).¡± Nai and oxi is Greek and used in official matters to contribute opinion. It is usedmonly in the west and is used when the U.S. Congress passes bills. ¡°So it¡¯s one vote each. Then my opinion doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll put it up to finals.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us your opinion anyway?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Nai.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s song received 2 votes in favor and went up to finals. 20 out of over 100 songs made it to the finals, so thepetition is 5:1. There are less works that made it to the finals than in previous years. There are normally about 30, but it has been reduced by more than 10. This means that either there were a lot of submissions that did not meet standards, or that the judges¡¯ standards had gone up. The judges gathered for the final evaluation and started talking about the preliminary. ¡°There seems to be something influencing youngposers, doesn¡¯t it? Inferno?¡± ¡°Is that so? I found a few in the entries I saw as well.¡± ¡°The attempt to touch on physical sensations as is done in Inferno is good, but it¡¯s not something that anyone can do. Why don¡¯t they know that putting one delicate sound out of ce will reduce it to nothing but noise?¡± ¡°They must know. They just don¡¯t have the ability to express it.¡± ¡°Is that why there are fewer entries that havee up to the finals?¡± ¡°Pretty much. Looking at objective numbers, we could say that at least 10 entries were trying to copy Inferno.¡± Then, themittee head said something meaningful, ¡°What would the results have been if Inferno had been an entry in thispetition?¡± The judges could not answer this sudden question easily. They were all busy recalling the first time they heard the album. ¡°Anyone who could read the score without stopping would have thrown it to the side, saying that it is noise. Anyone who could appreciate it wouldn¡¯t have been able to read the score properly. Then would it be eliminated or would it win?¡± There were people who had turned red. There are those who still think that Inferno is nothing but noise. But no one confessed to this. ¡°We might have eliminated a song like Inferno today. There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. We¡¯re average people who might not be able to recognize a piece by a youngposer who is better than we are. But let¡¯s be that much more careful with the final assessment so as not to make the same mistake twice.¡± Aftermittee head Marion Cotird spoke, the preliminary portion waspleted. They would have to gather the next morning and choose 12 out of 20 entries. The next morning, the 12 judges talked over coffee and prepared for the final evaluation that would soon be starting. They spoke about each entry, but everyone could tell that they were saving their words. It was obvious that they were avoiding any misunderstanding that could arise from something they say. With themittee head¡¯s light greeting as a start, the final evaluationmenced with everyone picking up a score. They looked over the 20 pieces again in silence. Unlike previous years, time passed quickly and progress was slow. Everyone was preupied looking at one tremendous score that they did not realize time was passing. When the 12 judges were done assessing the 20 pieces, it was already dark outside. ¡°Alright. Then shall we see the results?¡± Themittee head received themittee¡¯s sheet and announced the order of pieces by the passes they received. Of the 20 songs, only 3 had received 12 passes. All of the judges had given them passes. ¡°Registration number 67. Title Concerto for Violin and Piano in D Minor, ¡®Choral¡¯... 7 votes. It is in 8th ce.¡± She looked up from the sheet and spoke, ¡°The other works can all be said to be expressions of contemporary music, but this one is ssical. I¡¯ll just call it ¡®Choral Concerto¡¯ from now on.¡± Themittee head continued tallying the results. ¡°So we will decide on the top 11 works. Are there any objections?¡± Everyone shook their heads to indicate that they ept the results. ¡°Then tell us about the two songs that are both in 12th ce with 3 votes each. We need to drop one.¡± No one jumped in to speak. 3 votes. It is an ambiguous number. It is too high to say that someone forced themself to vote, but too low in quality to expect it to go inpetition. The best method in this situation is to look for reasons to pass it rather than to drop it. One of the judges worked up the courage and used this method. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I think. First, I¡¯d like to reveal that I marked pass for both of the pieces. And I think that both are great. If asked to choose one however, I will choose ¡®Spiral¡¯.¡± Once someone spoke up, it became much easier to share their opinions. Another judge¡¯s evaluation was added on. ¡°It¡¯s a sound that is well expressed to stimte visual images. I think that it¡¯s a great attempt to liken the dizziness and dual structure that Spiral¡¯s image gives to human emotion.¡± They all agreed with the evaluation of the song. If they need to choose one of the two songs, the weight tipped to ¡®Spiral¡¯ and there was no opposing opinion. Anyway, being tied for 12th ce means that they are not awarded. It just means that there is a slight extension. No one spoke after the two people gave their opinions. Themittee head looked around at everyone¡¯s expressions for a moment and made thest decision. ¡°Since no one has any opposition, I will assume that everyone is in agreement. Thest song for finals is ¡®Spiral¡¯.¡± The 12 final songs had been chosen. From now on, the true judging will begin. Chapter 186 Volume 5 / Chapter 186 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know, but these 12 songs are now at the same starting point. The ranking is meaningless now. We didn¡¯t choose the best but just had them pass the baseline. Please keep in mind that they are just boxers who have passed the weight test. Now, we¡¯re only thinking of the best regardless of the ranking from yesterday. We¡¯ll be starting the first vote.¡± The 12 judges wrote the song that they think is number 1 and handed it to themittee head. After checking the titles written on the papers multiple times, she looked surprised. The result ispletely different from what she had been expecting. ¡°Well, this is an interesting result. I thought the result woulde out in one try.¡± Marion Cotird put the papers on the conference room table and announced the result. ¡°6 votes, 5 votes, 1 vote. As none of them have over ? of the votes, or over 8, we need to vote again.¡± The winning song needs to have 8 out of 12 votes. They will either debate the songs and vote again until there is a result. If they vote hundreds of times and themittee head believes that they cannote to a conclusion, thepetition rule is to decide on a 2nd and 3rd ce without a 1st ce winner. ¡°6 votes were for ¡®World of Europe,¡¯ 5 votes are for ¡®Choral Concerto¡¯. Thest one with 1 vote is ¡®Deception¡¯.¡± After knowing the results, a few people had looks of disbelief. ¡°I think we need to discuss at this point.¡± In contrast to when they had been choosing the 12th ce, someone started speaking immediately after themittee head spoke as though he had been waiting. It was in a high voice. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t understand. I thought there would be votes in opposition, but 5 votes? Isn¡¯t it a blessing that such arge song has been created so perfectly in the 21st century?¡± ¡°I assume you¡¯re talking about the choral concerto?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the one I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overestimating it? Arge song does not equate with a great song.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m only saying this because of the length of the song and the number of instruments organized in it? If the choral concerto is not a great song, what is?¡± If the interpretation of the work had been different, it would not have been so frustrating. Everyone knew that the cause for opposing the songy elsewhere. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a song following Beethoven¡¯s choral?¡± ¡°Following? Only the vocal is the same. Isn¡¯t it the Schiller poem that everyone knows? They just used the same song. It¡¯s an entirely different music. On top of that, it¡¯s not in German but in English.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only that. This was created with the purpose of beingpared with Beethoven. How could the instrument times be the same by movement? The number of bars is the same as well.¡± The reason for opposition eventually came out. It was the rogue intent to drag Beethoven in for attention. Their sincerity, however, did not appear. ¡°Very well. We admit that theposer¡¯s intention is too obvious. But why are we trying to censorposers¡¯ thoughts as judges? We need to judge based on the music itself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The image that Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony has ¨C arge song, vocal, and Schiller¡¯s poem. You¡¯re dragging this through as though it is giarism...¡± ¡°Who said that it is giarism?¡± Even the opposing side was defending it against giarism. ¡°Just looking at the 1st movement with a subject that is continued perfectly, it is different from the abilities of other participants. And what about the symphony of the 2nd and 3rd movements? I felt like I was looking at the harmony of soprano duet. There¡¯s nothing more to say about the 4th movement. I felt like my heart was copsing around that catharsis.¡± The other judges were only listening. What they had felt about the song had not been very different. They just differentiate between feeling and evaluation. ¡°I can¡¯t remember thest time I felt something like this... Did you get this kind of emotion from ¡®World of Europe¡¯? Isn¡¯t it a song thatbines many European folk songs in order to throw awareness of a problem?¡± As the praises for the choral symphony continued, the real reason for not giving it their votes came out. ¡°Can¡¯t we simply think of it as theposer having some fun? If it hadn¡¯t been for the vocal part with lyrics from Schiller¡¯s ¡®Ode to Joy,¡¯ it would have gotten all 12 votes without argument.¡± ¡°Are you saying that we should go upstream to the era of ssical again?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? What era is there to music? If the work is good, that should be everything for the evaluation.¡± The role of the music¡¯s value changed with changing times. Music has always changed with the times. The judges¡¯ true thoughts for not giving votes are that they believe the choral concerto to be retrogressive to the era. It is an evaluation that is hard to say. ¡°There there. Let¡¯s calm down. Isn¡¯t our selection criteria clear? The song that we want to hear the orchestra y. That is the selection criteria.¡± Themittee head must have thought that the evaluation of the choral symphony hade out with this, and her intense atmosphere settled a bit. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you myst thoughts. I¡¯m looking back at today¡¯s intense discussion. Not a single person gave his or her opinion on the song in 1st ce, ¡®Magic of Europe¡¯. No one said why it is better than the choral concerto or what they felt after seeing it.¡± Marion Cotird¡¯s stern assessment made everyone quiet. The 1st ce song did not have a presence in today¡¯s intense debate. ¡°The sun has already set. We¡¯ll meet again tomorrow to continue the discussion. If the same resultse out in the 2nd vote, we might have a ¡®not applicable¡¯ in 1st ce again for the first time in a while. You all worked hard.¡± Though it was notte, Marion Cotird quickly ended the meeting. She wanted to give them plenty of time to confirm whether their evaluations today were based on music or their individual beliefs. She came back home and got in the bath to relieve her exhaustion when the phone rang. ¡°Madame Cotird. This is Isaac Stern.¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Stern. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Marion Cotird leaned up from her bath. He is someone she cannot ignore as he provides a lot of support to the European music industry. There are a lot of conductors who had been in the Deutsche Symphony Orchestra, which she is currently in, who are rted to him. ¡°I know it¡¯s rude, but I calledte because I figured that you would be busy with your judging duties in the daytime.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°I actually have a lot of interest in this year¡¯spetition.¡± ¡°When did you not? You always kept an eye on it to take any promising rookies.¡± ¡°Ha ha. I see. Then I should say that I have extra interest.¡± She knew that President Stern has a lot of interest in allpetitions, but she also knows that he has never personally contacted themittee head. What could it be? ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. I want to show the 12 final songs to maestros all over the world. I¡¯m going to find out which song it is that they want to y andpare it with the results of thepetition.¡± Marion Cotird bolted up from the bath. What does this mean? What is he talking about all of a sudden? ¡°Mr. Stern. I hear this as you saying that you don¡¯t trust the judges.¡± She could not help but sound on edge. Comparing the results with external factors itself means that he is questioning their fairness. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I just want to know the difference. The difference between the music that conductors want to perform and the music that survives in apetition.¡± President Stern¡¯s voice remained calm. ¡°You put it well, but doesn¡¯t it mean that you¡¯re telling us to do well because you¡¯re watching us?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that inevitable? How many people out there are watching for thepetition results?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll release those results to the press?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to if there is a big difference with thepetition results. Someone will have to exin those results so the people who are watching can understand.¡± It is aplete threat. He does not reveal what he wants though, so it is an ambiguous threat. Marion Cotird did not want to hear anymore. He is basically insulting her character. ¡°Mr. Stern, I¡¯m offended. I will hang up now.¡± After hanging up, she lowered her body into the bath again. Famous maestros all over the world would inevitably choose the choral concerto. She had also voted for the choral concerto. But she still could not know the end result. She thought for a while and came out when she could feel the bath get cold, andid on the bed. Whatever anyone says, there is only one result. She can only enforce one thing with the judges. It is themittee head¡¯s duty. The song that they want to hear in performance. That is the winning song. Chapter 187 Volume 5 / Chapter 187 TL: LightNovelCafe Beethoven¡¯s music is called a perfect building at times. Instead of being chased by inspiration toplete it, it is as though after designing it, the weak parts are reinforced, and beautiful aesthetics are added to fill in any empty spaces to create a full building. The choral concerto is a piece that follows this kind of Beethoven¡¯s thought perfectly. However, the present age wants to see new conversion of ideas that make people think though it may not be perfect. ¡°Committee Head. If we choose this song, it means that we¡¯re undermining the development of the music we¡¯ve advanced until now. Isn¡¯t it difficult as it is to endure with contemporary music? If we choose a song like one of the past, we¡¯ll have music from the Baroque, ssical, Romantic ages flooding in next time.¡± The real reason for being against Jun Hyuk¡¯s song came out. Their desire to block not the music but a retrogression from the flow of time is even making them forget the nature of music. ¡°Is that really what you think? That songs like this wille flooding in? How manyposers are capable of this! That is unreasonable. This may or may note out once in every 100 years. It has been 200 years since the choral symphony came out. This means that one hase out in 200 years.¡± Just as it was yesterday, the opinions that they cannot go back to the past and that they need to simply ept the music by itself are standing against each other. ¡°You will all know that when choosing judges, anyone prejudiced toward modern music was excluded. But now that we¡¯re here, there is someone who really has a prejudice. Is anything that is a ssical form an imitation and impure?¡± It had reached personal attacks. If this is how they are going to speak, they can no longer hold the discussion. Marion Cotird needs to prevent it before the matter grows worse. ¡°Everyone stop! This is all. Everyone stop speaking.¡± Marion Cotird asked thepetition board employee outside for coffee. Once all of the judges calm down, they will listen to what she has to say. No one spoke for over 10 minutes as they drank coffee. Marion Cotird checked everyone¡¯s faces to make sure that they calmed down, and spoke, ¡°Music needs to be more innovative and needs to develop. This is not the case with just music. This is necessary in art because the art we create today is a legacy that is passed on.¡± She spoke slowly and clearly. ¡°However, it is not for us to practice a new challenge. This is what artists and philosophers do. We just encourage them through thispetition.¡± She looked at the judges and started to y her role, ¡°Alright everyone, please close your eyes.¡± Everyone closed their eyes. ¡°Empty your minds. And don¡¯t lose the one melody of the 12 works that is constantly ringing in your head. That is the song that you need to choose. Think about our dear ¡®Pis des Beaux-arts¡¯.¡± The Pis des Beaux-arts was erected by famous Belgian architect Victor Horta in 1922 to 1929, and the beautiful art center is the pride of Brussels. It has the Henry Le Boeuf Hall arge concert hall with 2,200 seats, a chamber concert hall with 476 seats, a studio with 210 seats, and multi-purpose halls. It is called BOZAR in shorthand. The biggest hall, Henry Le Boeuf, is the stage for the Belgian National Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Queen Elisabeth Competition final performance. ¡°The melody that you want to hear ringing out in that wonderful space. The song that you want to hear most. That is the song that you choose.¡± She could tell just by looking at the expressions of the judges with their eyes closed. Their faces show that they are thinking of the same song. Marion Cotird had nothing more to say. The only thing left to do is give an honest vote with what their hearts are telling them. ¡°With the 2nd vote in front of us, I will say onest thing before starting the vote. If you were all conductors, which song would you perform?¡± *** ¡°Then I will announce the results of the 2nd round of votes.¡± All of the judges focused on Marion Cotird. ¡°1st ce, ¡®Choral Concerto¡¯ 10 votes. 2nd ce, ¡®World of Europe¡¯ 2 votes. That is all. If anyone has objections, speak now.¡± All of the judges except for 2 looked relieved. They did not have lingering regrets in the results because they had left everything to the melody and rhythm instead of a belief or rational thought like philosophy. There were no objections to the votes that confirmed 2nd and 3rd ces. ¡°Then check the ballot and if you don¡¯t see anything amiss, sign the final report.¡± Marion Cotird looked pleased as she passed the voting sheet to the judges. ¡°Then shall we check to see whose work this is?¡± Once the board employee received the results of the vote, he checked the 3posers. After more than 10 minutes, the employee pulled out the list ofposers and said, ¡°I will announce theposers. 1st ce, Choral Concerto, Jun Hyuk Jang, Korea. 2nd ce, World of Europe, Marlin Oscar Guggenheim IV, Austria. 3rd ce, Deception, Jipuji Chang, China.¡± The most familiar name to the judges is Guggenheim. The youngest son of a tremendously wealthy family in Austria. He is a young 20 year old showing exceptional talent inposition and the violin. The rumor that the father used an entire orchestra in order to teach his young son the violin, shows how wealthy the family is. ¡°This year is quite peculiar. Normally, people over the age of 30 have good results inposition... I guess they are getting younger as time goes by.¡± ¡°The development of Asians doesn¡¯t stop. It¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°Are the 2 Asian finalistsplete rookies? The name seems familiar.¡± One of the judges kept mumbling, ¡°Jun Hyuk Jang, Jun Hyuk Jang... I feel like I¡¯ve heard the name before. Ah.....!¡± He stopped mumbling and quickly started a search on theptop. Jun Hyuk Jang a.k.a. Jun. Conductor. Composer. Jazz & rock musician. Record: Symphony Inferno, Jazz Album ¡®The First¡¯ ..... ¡°In ¨C Inferno!¡± The judge who read the search results could not continue speaking. The other people who heard ¡®Inferno¡¯ gathered around theptop. ¡°Look at this. No wonder the name seemed familiar. Theposer of Choral Concerto is Inferno¡¯s Jun. How could this be.¡± ¡°What? Are you talking about that Jun?¡± ¡°Could it be two people with the same name? Asian names do sound simr.....¡± One of the judges quickly ran outside. He caught the board employee and gave him an order. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet, so let¡¯s wait. We need to confirm it for sure first.¡± An employee came running into the conference room, panting. ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s right. It is the same person. We just checked with the phone number on the entry, and it was Stern Corporation. They say that he signed with the agency.¡± Marion Cotird finally understood why President Stern had called. She remembered that Jun Hyuk had signed on with Stern Corporation. ¡°The bacsh will be big. The winning song is Jun¡¯s.¡± ¡°Why would someone with such fame enter apetition? Does he want theurels as well.....¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, he is still a rookie. It¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t feel like one because his first song was so famous.¡± The atmosphere in the conference room became excited due to this unexpected truth. ¡°There there. Let¡¯s not be fazed by it. Our work is done. Let¡¯s tell themittee about our decision, and then what do you think about getting a refreshing beer?¡± Everyone left the conference room at Marion Cotird¡¯s suggestion. They went into a pub with a refreshed spirit that they had perfectlypleted their homework. Belgium, the beer capital. All of the judges were thinking that they should drink a lot tonight. The hot topic of the night would of course be Jang Jun Hyuk. Chapter 188 Volume 5 / Chapter 188 TL: LightNovelCafe Jun Hyuk¡¯s score was ryed to thepetitionmittee, the Belgium National Orchestra, and Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra right away. While 2 maestros were lost in the score in each office, the chairman of themittee was looking at the truck that hade with a delivery under his name. ¡°Who did you say it was?¡± ¡°President Isaac Stern of Stern Corporation sent this.¡± ¡°Without saying anything else?¡± ¡°He said that he has prepared so that it can be practiced right away. He said that time would be tight.¡± The boxes unloading from the truck were full of Jun Hyuk¡¯s score, which had already been made into books. ¡°Store those boxes so none of them are leaked, and request a meeting with the maestro quickly. No ¨C tell him I¡¯ll go to him myself.¡± The chairman of themittee ran to BOZAR art center. ¡°Maestro. Have you seen the winning score?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an incredible masterpiece. I¡¯m sure you saw it as well?¡± The two men looked at each other in puzzlement. Rather than an evaluation of the music, they looked at the score with worries about thepetition schedule. ¡°Inferno¡¯s Jun came out with an entirely unexpected song this time. And in our Queen Elisabeth at that.¡± ¡°Maestro. This is a good thing, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Thepetition¡¯s status will change.¡± It is in the form of thepetition, but it is still a premiere. It is hard to premiere a masterpiece that is standing proudly against Beethoven¡¯s symphony on a stage like this. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I keep worrying first. President Isaac Stern must have already been sure of Jun¡¯s win, because he made the score into books and sent them over. I estimate that there are over 300 of them.¡± ¡°Ha ha. His humor is still the same. You must have been surprised.¡± The maestro could onlyugh when he heard that the scores had been sent over already in book form. It is a result that anyone could have anticipated, not just Isaac Stern. Though he heard that there are controversies in the screening process, it is a given that Jun Hyuk¡¯s ¡®Choral Concerto¡¯ should win. ¡°Don¡¯t worry because President Stern isn¡¯t someone who would go around telling people.¡± ¡°He even left a message to start practicing right away.¡± ¡°Yes. I do need a lot of scores right away. We need to hurry because the choir will also need it.¡± The chairman watched the maestro and cautiously spoke, ¡°Actually... We had a meeting as soon as we saw the winning score. We discussed the final performance.....¡± The maestro spoke while the chairman spoke carefully, ¡°Is this because of the winner, Jun? Because he¡¯s a genius who has already gained experience as visiting conductor of the Boston Philharmonic?¡± ¡°Yes. Our honest thoughts are that we would like to create a more exciting stage to bring thepetition more attention from around the world.¡± ¡°Do you want to leave the conducting to Jun?¡± ¡°The piano and violin have to perform with the Belgium National Orchestra and Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra in the final. Thinking of the final stage, isn¡¯t there not enough time until the finals in April as President Stern said?¡± The maestro frowned for a moment and spoke when he made up his mind, ¡°Chairman. Let¡¯s do this. Let¡¯s decide on who will conduct once the detailed schedule is out. And let¡¯s discuss with President Stern. Check Jun¡¯s schedule and ask him to join as soon as he can. Of course include conducting on stage in the cases.¡± The chairman thanked the maestro for his positive answer multiple times and left. *** Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes opened at dawn because of the noisy ringing of his phone. He frowned because he had only been asleep for 3 hours. ¡°Isaac. Are you awake already? So it¡¯s the same in the East and West that older people sleep less.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m still partying with beautiful women. He he. The weird thing is that a young man like you is sleeping at this time. Oh right. I didn¡¯t call to brag. I¡¯ll be at your house in an hour, so be ready.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need beautiful women and I don¡¯t care for parties.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not beautiful women or a party. You¡¯ve been confirmed the winner. I just got the call. Well... It was bound to happen. Ha ha.¡± He was not so happy he felt like he would jump up and down when he heard the fact that he won. Could it be because President Stern and the maestro of the New York Philharmonic had reinforced it in him multiple times? He just felt calm. ¡°Just pack lightly with some clothes. We¡¯ll go to Belgium.¡± ¡°What? Belgium? At this time?¡± ¡°Yeah. Thepetitionmittee will look for you. Let¡¯s go ahead of time and get some touring in. I know a really great pub. You¡¯re going to love it too.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you rushing it too much? We should make our moves once we are contacted.¡± ¡°Jun, isn¡¯t it better to tour Brussels than to stay home alone? And it¡¯s much warmer over there.¡± It did seem like charming Brussels would be better thanzing around at home. ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯ll get ready.¡± Jun Hyuk hung up the phone, packed a few things, and waited for Isaac Stern while sending text messages to a few people. ¨C Sir. I won the Queen Elisabeth Competition. We were just told. ¨C I¡¯ll see you the day you conduct on stage for the finals. Don¡¯t forget to send admission tickets. Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s text message was still characteristically dry. Even inside the private ne to Brussels, Isaac Stern did not look the least bit tired. The person who was yawning from tiredness was Jun Hyuk. ¡°Isaac. Isn¡¯t it weird that we¡¯re just going over there when themittee hasn¡¯t asked us yet?¡± ¡°The New York Philharmonic¡¯s maestro was certain of it. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they call for you. And you could show them how you solve the biggest problem that the world of contemporary music has. Thepetition¡¯s end will be anticipating that as well.¡± ¡°Problem?¡± ¡°Unlike in the past,posers and performers are nowpletely separated. Theposition and conducting departments are separated in college as well. One of the reasons why contemporary music has be farther from people is that there is an analysis that theposer doesn¡¯t perform himself.¡± Beethoven yed the piano himself while conducting the orchestra, and Mozart did everything to conducting opera music. In modern day however, music has bepletely separated like an industry. ¡°But you¡¯ve already done it once before. Didn¡¯t you conduct Inferno yourself to record it? There will be a symbolic meaning to your conducting your own song.¡± He wanted to say more, but they both fell asleep. Brussels International Airport is a short distance of 12km northeast from the city. However, the limousine with President Stern and Jun Hyuk did not go into the city. ¡°Isaac, where are we going right now? Aren¡¯t we going to Brussels?¡± ¡°I thought somewhere quieter than the city would be better, so I borrowed a castle. It¡¯s a 20 minute distance from the city, so it won¡¯t be ufortable to go back and forth.¡± ¡°What? Castle? Isaac! Geez! Let¡¯s just go to a normal hotel. It¡¯s totally obvious that you want a huge castle to throw those parties you like so much every day.¡± It is something that Jun Hyuk realized while seeing Isaac Stern over the past few months. He is very serious and refined when he is dealing with music, showing features of an old gentleman. His personal side is humorous and shows signs of a yboy who likes to y. ¡°Party? Me? No. Once I handle the situation with your conducting and thepetitionmittee, I¡¯m going back to New York. I¡¯m a pretty busy person, you know. I can¡¯t just sit back and rx here for months.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to move to a smaller hotel. How am I supposed to spend my time alone in a castle?¡± ¡°Trust me this time. It¡¯ll be just to your liking when you see it.¡± He winked andughed. Jun Hyuk did not feel his trust go to him, but thought that he should just trust him this one time. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t is perfect?¡± Jun Hyuk stared nkly at the castle as the scenery stole his mind. ¡°This is a castle? Ah, it is great. But to be called a castle, it¡¯s a bit.....¡± ¡°It was normally a bit bigger than this. It was still a small castle, not to the scale of Ennd¡¯s Buckingham Pce. That was restored and a small house was created. They just call it a castle out of habit.¡± More than a castle, it is closer to a beautiful mansion in the countryside. The house¡¯s position on a low hill showed that it used to be a castle, and it is a secluded area as if there is a park around it. It is a peaceful ce where a few birds flew around the smallke. ¡°I know your taste well now. Somewhere nothing is around. People, cities. It¡¯ll be quiet.¡± Isaac Stern saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s pleased face and got back in the limousine. ¡°Then get some rest. I¡¯m going to go meet someone from thepetitionmittee.¡± Isaac Stern had only slept a few hours on the ne, but he did not seem tired at all. Where is that vigoring from? Jun Hyuk threw his bags into the living room. He could not leave this beautiful scenery and fall asleep, so he slowly took a walk around the empty hill. Chapter 189 Volume 5 / Chapter 189 TL: LightNovelCafe The chairman of thepetitionmittee and President Stern were having beer and pizza for lunch. ¡°We¡¯re using the scores you sent over, well.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t the timing appropriate?¡± ¡°Ha ha. You¡¯re still the same. I guess you asked to see me so quickly because you have something to discuss?¡± ¡°I think you can already guess what that is. Is that not right?¡± The chairman took a bite of his pizza, a sip of his beer, and examined Isaac Stern¡¯s expression. He knows that it is President Stern¡¯s personality to make what he wants happen. There will be an employee of themittee who acts as his informant so that he knows exactly what is going on with thepetition. Hising to meet him as the chairman meant that he wants to get a definitive answer anyway. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Jun¡¯s conducting, we are keeping it in mind. We haven¡¯t had such a case until now, but since theposer was already the visiting conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, there won¡¯t be an argument.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t be missing as a hot topic either. Isn¡¯t he theposer of Inferno?¡± ¡°We are already thinking of that as well. Mr. Stern, I see you want to put Jun on the stage no matter what.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anythingparable to having this be his debut as a conductor. And it¡¯ll be meaningful for him to premiere his own song.¡± Stern took a sip of beer and said what he wants without hesitation. With his personality, he cannot just sit back and wait with an uncertain statement that they are keeping it in mind. ¡°If the situation is where Jun cannot conduct, he will not attend the awards ceremony. An employee from Stern Corporation will ept the award on his behalf.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh. He needs to discuss the work with the finalists, and theposer must tell us his views.¡± The chairman mmed his ss of beer down. Sending someone else to ept the award means lowering the value of the award. ¡°I have full faith in Jun as aposer. The thought is that the score is the performer¡¯s once it has left his hands. We just look at how the performer interprets it. I will respect Jun¡¯s opinion as his manager.¡± He is not wrong. It is a preferred way of thinking to the pretentiousposers who interfere with performers. The chairman could not think of anything to say in response. ¡°The only time Jun stands on stage in Pis des Beaux-arts will be when he is conducting.¡± Winners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition must attend a feast with an invitation from Queen Fabi of Belgium. If Jun Hyuk does not attend that, he will be leaving a w that cannot be washed away. ¡°There are 6 finalists with piano and violin. If you do the final performance with a choral concerto, you¡¯ll need 6 performances. Ourmittee is nning on having 2 per day, for a total of 3 days of finals.¡± It has not yet been confirmed, but the chairman came clean with what he wants and what thepetition supporters want. As long as it has be a reality, nothing bad wille of telling him in advance. ¡°Piano and violin? Then you¡¯re not thinking of putting the vocals in with the final song?¡± ¡°No. We looked over it several times and the art director is also in opposition. The tenor stands out too much. It¡¯s not fair. We will think about having the winners do special appearances though.¡± Isaac Stern nodded in understanding. ¡°So what do you think about asking theposer Jun to do 3 performances?¡± ¡°If you say 3, you mean for him to alternate conducting with Maestro Pierre Boulez?¡± ¡°Yes. One day each. They¡¯ll stand on stage together on thest day.¡± ¡®He¡¯s really trying to get as much out of this as he can. What a drag.¡¯ Isaac Stern was having a difficult time trying to hold back hisughter. Isn¡¯t this basicallyparing the conducting of two men? He must havee up with such a n with the thought that it would be incredible news. It is something that not even Stern himself thought of. ¡°Alright. Then the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra takes the main performance and the Belgium National Orchestra takes the final performance. Jun conducts 3 times in the finals. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes. Practice will be twice a week. Until March. If possible, we¡¯d like to start next week.¡± ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll prepare so there will be no disruptions. We request that the orchestra members know the scorepletely by next week.¡± While Isaac Stern was returning to the castle, he thought that he had done everything he needed to in Brussels. All he has left to do is stay for 2 or 3 days to show Jun Hyuk a fun time. *** Jun Hyuk spent 3 days with Isaac Stern. They did not just go to Brussels, but also Brugge, a 100km away and retaining a medieval atmosphere. In Brugge, there is an old town that has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is so beautiful that it is called the ¡°Venice of the North¡± and it is a ce where tradition lives. There is also beer to that standard, created with an old know-how. Jun Hyuk spent a few days enjoying beer and getting drunk with Isaac Stern, the pleasant old man. ¡°Jun. I¡¯m going back to New York tonight. Practices start next week, so restfortably until then. Oh right. Someone else ising tomorrow or the day after. This person will take care of you, so just say whatever you need.¡± As soon as President Stern went back to New York, Jun Hyuk spent his days quietly with a maid from Eastern Europe. There were no people in the area, so all he could hear were the winter wind and birds. The weather was warm even though it is winter so theke did not freeze over, but it rained often. It is not a freezing winter but a chilly one. Sunday morning before his first meeting with the Belgium National Orchestra, he heard a knock on his door as he was about to get up to get dressed. He opened the door thinking that it would be the maid telling him toe eat breakfast, but he saw another familiar face. ¡°Good morning, Maestro. Come have breakfast.¡± In front of the door, Tara Butters from Boston was smiling as though they had seen each other yesterday. ¡°Tara! What are you doing here? Are you the secretary that Isaac mentioned?¡± His eyes were wide in surprise and Tara stopped smiling to speak, ¡°Yes. Do I make you ufortable?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I actually wished for someone like you when Isaac spoke about a secretary. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d meet like this again.¡± Tara¡¯s face brightened with Jun Hyuk¡¯s honesty. Tara Butters met a lot of conductors while assisting maestros, and she has never been impressed. Jun Hyuk on the other hand, is a shockingly phenomenal conductor and she could feel that he really needs an assistant from his extrovert personality. When Tara heard that Jun Hyuk had signed with Stern Corporation, she applied to be his secretary and interviewed with President Stern. She had won over President Stern¡¯s favor in the interview when she said that she ¡®wants to see a miracle¡¯. In addition, President Stern had not hesitated to hire her because of her foreignnguage proficiency, a necessity in dealing with conductors from countries all over the world. Her reputation in the industry also yed a role in her hire. Tara took Jun Hyuk by the wrist and dragged him. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll talk over breakfast.¡± Jun Hyuk sat across the table from Tara and spoke, ¡°Tara.¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± ¡°There are 2 things I want right now. Take of those for me first.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Tara was about to take out her notebook when Jun Hyuk waved his hand. ¡°You won¡¯t need to make note of it. You¡¯ll need to do it now. First, tell the maid that she can just make breakfast ande back for dinner. And tell her that she won¡¯t need toe at all on days when I have rehearsals starting next week. I¡¯ll just eat at a restaurant beforeing in since I¡¯ll be in the city anyway.¡± ¡°Alright. And the second?¡± ¡°Call me Jun from now on. Speak to me morefortably. And stop saying maestro and sir when you speak to me.¡± ¡°But....¡± ¡°Stop. If you can¡¯t do it, go back to Boston. What¡¯s there to do if I¡¯m ufortable?¡± Tara looked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s frowning face andughed lightly. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll call you Jun from now on.¡± Tara got up from the table and spoke with the maid in French for a moment. The maid¡¯s face brightened as she said ¡®merci¡¯ to Jun Hyuk and packed her bag to leave. ¡°Whew. Now I can finally rx and eat.¡± Jun Hyuk felt relieved now that the maid who had been standing next to the table to watch him eat, had gone. ¡°Jun, do you know why President Stern hired me as your assistant?¡± Tara was eating a piece of cheese and she seemed to be as rxed as the tone had be morefortable. ¡°Because you¡¯repetent?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean... It means that you¡¯re going to have to handle a really packed schedule. I heard that you have a performance with the New York Philharmonic once thepetition is over. You¡¯ll have less and less personal time.¡± ¡°I know about the performance with the New York Philharmonic, but do I already have a schedule after that?¡± ¡°Not yet. But if the performance is sessful, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be busy.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why he hired you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Jun Hyuk had not experienced a schedule full of performances every single day. It did not look so bad. ¡°One part of my job is to figure out when you need to stop.¡± ¡°When I need to stop? Don¡¯t be a workaholic?¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± Tara took the fork out of her mouth and tapped her te with it. ¡°Thepetition will probably be thest time you have any free time. You¡¯ll only have to work twice a week. If there¡¯s anything you want to do in this time, let me know.¡± There had not been a time that he had spent with free time until now. He was always writing songs and working on them. It is just that the kinds of work changes for Jun Hyuk. He finished his meal and Tara held a CD out to him. ¡°It¡¯ll be good for you to hear this.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Belgium National Orchestra concert album. It¡¯s thetest one, so it¡¯ll be able to check the orchestra¡¯s color and the sound of therge hall in BOZAR. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be good to hear it before the meeting tomorrow?¡± Jun Hyuk held a thumbs up to Tara. She really has no ws. Tara went for a walk in the area with Jun Hyuk, and told him about the people he would be meeting the next day. ¡°Jun, the looks you get might not be very nice.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because you made a tremendous contribution to the development of contemporary music. Choral Concerto is theplete opposite. They¡¯ll also be a bit ill-tempered because they need to give you a part of the conducting.¡± The head of the Belgium National Orchestra, Pierre Boulez, is a Swiss conductor and music theorist. He is such a devotee to contemporary music that he is called a ¡®revolutionary who struggles with the past¡¯. ¡°Okay. I guess I¡¯ll have to avoid conflict as much as possible.¡± ¡°And who knows. Since you are theposer of Inferno. Anyway, don¡¯t mind it too much.¡± He has yet another person to nag at him now, but he could feel a warm sense of caring. Chapter 190 Volume 5 / Chapter 190 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Maestro. Wee to BOZAR.¡± When Jun Hyuk and Tara arrived at the grand theater of BOZAR, an employee escorted them to thepetitionmittee office. Once they exchanged greetings with themittee chairman and members and came out, Tara wasughing. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°Because of those people. This is... They look like they¡¯ve hit jackpot.¡± ¡°Jackpot?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s hard to maintain apetition without sponsors. Something like Queen Elisabeth has a lot of sponsors, but they¡¯ll be tight on funds. But this time, they have you, the hot topic these days. Europe¡¯s cable channels, inte broadcasting. They¡¯ll have more sponsorsing in. They¡¯ll be free from funding constraints.¡± ¡°It¡¯s money wherever you go.¡± ¡°The Chicago Ballet Company was dismissed because it couldn¡¯te up with $200,000. Even though the top ballerina¡¯s sry was $1 million. When that balletpany went under, the top ballerina went to a balletpany in L.A. for a sry of $500,000. ssical music is suffering from the ails of organizations going under while stars be richer.¡± Jun Hyuk listened to Tara and hurried to meet the head leading the Belgium National Orchestra. ¡°Wee, Maestro Jun.¡± ¡°Hello, Maestro Boulez.¡± Contrary to Tara¡¯s worries, Pierre Boulez weed him with sincerity. ¡°I regretted not having been able to see you in Salzburg due to conflicting schedules, but it¡¯s an honor to get to meet you like this. Really.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m more.....¡± ¡°There are a lot of things I want to ask you, but let¡¯s talk over time. Shouldn¡¯t we put out the urgent fires first?¡± It was apparent that he was rushing the day, whether it is due to his personality or because the day really is busy. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The orchestra has been configured of 112 people. I think this is enough to perform your choral concerto. What do you think?¡± Jun Hyuk matched up the Belgium National Orchestra¡¯s performance he heard yesterday with the organization of 112 instruments. ¡°Thinking about the BOZAR grand hall, don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be better to reduce it? By taking the sound stability into ount.¡± Pierre Boulez¡¯s eyes sparked. Is it because of his experience with the Boston Philharmonic? It is not easy for a rookie to think all the way to the theater¡¯s scale. ¡°I think under 100 would be perfect. Aren¡¯t there 2,200 seats in Henry le Boeuf?¡± Even the Sejong Center for Performing Arts has over 3,000 seats. Henry le Boeuf however is an old historical building and is ? of the size, though it may have been of arge scale at the time. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen inside the theater yet. The ceilings are high. It can easily take up to 112 people.¡± Jun Hyuk thought of an appropriate tone when he heard the CD yesterday, but he did not nitpick any further. He did not want to argue over subtle differences. ¡°Ah, I see. Good. I¡¯m sure you know the sound state of the hall.¡± ¡°Thanks. The choir is currently looking, but they¡¯re thinking of 150 people? What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll follow your thoughts on that as well.¡± Pierre Boulez looked at Jun Hyuk for a moment and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re exactly as the rumors said.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I heard that your ability to bring out the best is outstanding, so you don¡¯t really pay much attention to the details.¡± ¡°I¡¯m like that because there¡¯s still a lot that I don¡¯t know, rather than having the ability.¡± Even a disproportionate modesty. Pierre Boulez held back hisugh. ¡°Then can you tell me your view on the choral concerto?¡± ¡°Everything is in the score, including my views.¡± Pierre Boulez¡¯s face hardened a bit at Jun Hyuk¡¯s unexpected answer. ¡°Interpretation is up to the performer?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what I think.¡± ¡°Even if I take your song apartpletely and interpret it in a new way?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it another happiness of music to see another interpretation from you?¡± ¡°What? Ha ha. Well, I¡¯ve taken a hit.¡± When he first heard what Jun Hyuk said, he had thought that he might bepeting with him. Once he saw that Jun Hyuk just wanted to see his music with different appearances, he saw Jun Hyuk in a new light in the way he thinks like a great. ¡°Very good. Then I won¡¯t ever look at your rehearsal. Don¡¯t watch mine either. Let¡¯s see how different our interpretations are. Isn¡¯t that part of the fun?¡± ¡°Yes. That is the fun. Ha ha.¡± Even with the same score, orchestra, and instruments, there are many cases where the music is entirely different just because the conductors, or performers are different. When Impressionist painter M was young, he drew a sunsetndscape with 3 colleagues. They were given the condition that they need to draw as realistically as possible and drew the same scene, but the 4pleted paintings werepletely different. Like this, objects are always different with the way different people interpret them. Pierre Boulez¡¯s heart beat when he thought of how the 2 versions of the choral concerto would ring out on the same stage. ¡°Then shall we meet the orchestra first?¡± Pierre Boulez rose from his seat and led Jun Hyuk to the theater. ¡°Oh right. Don¡¯t be too surprised with the way the orchestra reacts.¡± ¡°What? What does that mean?¡± ¡°There are quite a few people who hate you. Including me. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk followed Pierre Boulez in puzzlement at this statement that was difficult to understand. When they went through the passage for personnel and entered the stage, the orchestra members jumped up from their seats when they saw Jun Hyuk and the maestro. ¡°We have finally met. This is Maestro Jun, who you have all been waiting for.¡± Jun Hyuk bowed to the orchestra and they burst out in passionate apuse. It is a hearty wee, far from the hate that Pierre Boulez mentioned. ¡°What do you think? You were expecting a fearsome demon, but this handsome young man has appeared. On top of that, he¡¯s worn a Beethoven mask this time. Ha ha.¡± The Belgium National Orchestra constantly worked hard to seed in ying Inferno with Pierre Boulez, a devotee to contemporary music. They had thought that it would be possible to perform since the album came out, but they ended up giving up. Pierre Boulez had listened to the album and dered that they would be giving up. He admitted that he could not express the dim light of hope, and the orchestra had epted it as well. The hate that Pierre Boulez had talked about is their respect for the wall Jun Hyuk had created that they cannot get over. ¡°Isn¡¯t today just to exchange greetings? You¡¯re on Tuesdays and Thursdays?¡± ¡°Yes. Then I¡¯ll go back now so I don¡¯t take anymore of your time.¡± ¡°Wait. Are you really just going to go back? I heard that you showed tremendous magic in Boston.¡± It was uncertain whether or not he was joking, but the orchestra members¡¯ eyes looked like that of cats who are asking for snacks. However, snacks are only given in training as rewards. Jun Hyukughed as he spoke, ¡°My powers are at their end right now. I¡¯ll recharge today and show you tomorrow.¡± Jun Hyuk left the orchestra behind him and left the theater. ¡°How was it? Your first meeting?¡± ¡°Hm... Even someone who loves Schoenberg can¡¯t dislike Beethoven. They¡¯re very benevolent.¡± Arnold Schoenberg is the most influentialposer of the first half of the 20th century. He is one of the people who put a stop to the major and minor base, and established the 12 tone technique. Even those who love Schoenberg¡¯s atonal music will cry from the emotion they feel from listening to Beethoven¡¯s piano sonata. Tara let out a sigh of relief. She had worried for no reason. They are also musicians who live for Mozart and Beethoven¡¯s music. *** The orchestra members were excited for their first rehearsal for Choral Concerto. It had been a while since they had performed on such arge scale, and it had been a while since they had performed a masterpiece that went over 70 minutes. They need to perform alternating between 2 conductors a song that does not have pauses and is so full that just by looking at the score, they can tell that there is not even space for a needle to fit in. They were also anticipating theparison between the 2 conductors. The conductor of the first rehearsal is theposer, Jun Hyuk. The members all looked to Jun Hyuk standing on the podium. They were anticipating what his first words would be. ¡°With the performance ahead of us, just keep 2 things in mind. The first is topletely forget Beethoven¡¯s Choral Symphony. It is apletely different song. If you perform this without being able to shake off the feeling of the Choral Symphony, you won¡¯t even be able toplete the 1st movement.¡± He said that they would not be able to do it, but it is the conductor¡¯s meaning that he would not tolerate it. Jun Hyuk needs to embed in them that just as it cannot be said that a hippopotamus and water buffalo are the same animal just because they have the same weight, the songs are not the same because they have the same length and configuration. ¡°The second is the feeling that you must not forget for a second while you perform.¡± Jun Hyuk wanted to exin to the orchestra exactly the feeling he wrote the song with. He thought for a moment because he could not exin it clearly without the words. Then he thought of the moment that any European would understand precisely. ¡°Think about the FIFA World Cup finals. Germany... no... Belgium and Brazil met in the finals. The winner is the winner of the World Cup.¡± Since they are all performers who have gathered on ser¡¯s continent, Europe, the way they are looking at Jun Hyuk became different. Furthermore, half of them are Belgian. It is a situation that they can understandpletely. ¡°The score is 2:2 until the second half. It is now overtime. Though it doesn¡¯t exist now, let¡¯s say that we are following the golden goal rule. The national yers exert their superhuman strength and patience to run the ground. Constant passes, shooting. They are running and running just to score that one goal. The crowd prays earnestly. And 5 minutester, there¡¯s a goal.¡± The orchestra members have already experienced games like this several times, so they could understand it easily. ¡°The feeling of the crowd that had to watch this anxiously for 5 minutes. I¡¯m sure you understand well? We need to maintain that feeling for 70 minutes. Thest verse of the chorus in the 4th movement is the explosive apuse thates from the goal.¡± The orchestra murmured. They do not even need to go all the way to the World Cup. How many games of 90 minutes and not 5 minutes had they watched in anxiety? The orchestra could understand Jun Hyuk¡¯s direction for conducting. ¡°70 minutes of performing felt like it had gone by in 5 minutes. It is a sess if it receives this kind of review.¡± Jun Hyuk picked up the baton and the orchestra members looked at their scores, waiting for the signal. The first movement of the baton was the whistle that starts the game. The vehement overtime of the World Cup finals started. Chapter 191 Volume 5 / Chapter 191 TL: LightNovelCafe *** ¡°I don¡¯t think that Junposed this choral concerto.¡± Pierre Boulez spoke in affirmation. The orchestra members¡¯ eyes grew wide when they heard the maestro say something negative about theposer. ¡°I¡¯m sure that the modern day Beethoven wrote this choral concerto.¡± ¡°Modern day Beethoven?¡± The bandmaster repeated it, asking for an exact meaning. ¡°Yes. If Beethoven had been born now with the same musicality, how would Beethoven of the past be different from Beethoven now? Body? Health? Personality? Fortune? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing that could be guaranteed.¡± Pierre Boulez looked at the orchestra and portrayed Beethoven as if he were in front of him. ¡°I think that the one thing that we can be sure of is the difference in thinking. He would have had a much more diverse amount of thoughts and the depth of his knowledge would have been different. He would have had many different cultural experiences, not just those limited to Europe. But the kind of music that he sought out wouldn¡¯t have changed.¡± He listed the differences as though he wereparing and analyzing two Beethovens standing in front of him. ¡°Which means, a Beethoven with a bit moreplex thought. Due to this, don¡¯t you think that he would have changed the Choral Symphony of the past to the Choral Concerto now with a free expression?¡± His conclusion is that of a free Beethoven instead of a strict one. ¡°The focus of the performance is that it is more grand and free-spirited, but still retaining the elegance of Beethoven.¡± The two maestros¡¯ demands were notplete opposites, but they were not adjacent to each other either. The orchestra thought that they would have a good time preparing for the finals with these two maestros. *** ¡°Maestro, won¡¯t the orchestra members be confused? Their expressions these days during rehearsals is weird. It kind of looks like they¡¯reughing but it also looks like they¡¯re frowning.¡± ¡°Ha ha. It¡¯s okay. Our Belgium National Orchestra is a pretty good instrument. They can bring out a conductor¡¯s request well. It¡¯s just because they¡¯re not in the habit yet. Give them 2 weeks and they¡¯ll be performing both versions as if it¡¯s nothing.¡± Jun Hyuk enjoyed conducting. It is not like with Inferno when it was as though he was forcing a building while looking at impossible ns. Now, he has a perfect building n and is piling the bricks to steadily create a magnificent cathedral. There is fun in seeing the cathedral take shape step by step. While Jun Hyuk was enjoying conducting, the orchestra members were full of regret. They had heard the rumors. They heard that he showed the Boston Philharmonic a mysterious side of him full of brilliant ideas and music. The Jun Hyuk they see however is like every other conductor, and they cannot find anything new in him. The orchestra members even joked around saying that he might be a magician who already used all of his powers. When they started to get used to the two versions of Choral Concerto, the jokes starting to change. Jun Hyuk went from a magician who used all of his power to the Grim Reaper. Instead of a scythe, he is holding a baton. He does not miss a single mistake with his scary listening skills, and does not hesitate to make them y repeatedly until the feeling and sound that he wantses out. When he was realizing that the Belgium National Orchestra is not at the level to reach his aim, Pierre Boulez was changing. The rxed state he had shown until now had disappeared. They started tightening their grips on the orchestra as though two conductors inpetition even though their methods were carried out inpletely differentnguages. *** ¡°Tempo! Faster. Marcato! Break up each sound by the bow¡¯s movement and string them together. This part isn¡¯t a long pass. You¡¯re making short passes up to the front of the goal. Don¡¯t forget this feeling. Again!¡± *** ¡°Cndo! (making the tempo and strength slower and weaker) Smoother. Make the feelings continue as though they might be disconnected. The intellectual pleasure Beethoven feels as he keeps learning new culture. That pleasure is continued endlessly. Again!¡± *** ¡°Fortissimo! Bring out a more vehement sound. The audience already shows a crazy reaction with the first drum sounds of a rock band. The timpani needs to be to a point where it is hitting the audience¡¯s hearts. As soon as the timpani sound rings out, the brass instruments need to follow and hit the audience¡¯s ears.¡± *** ¡°Voce Piena! (full of sound) You cannot lose dignity. It is not the sound of the timpani ringing through the audience, but as though it is a wave from the back of the audience. You cannot lose the elegance for even a moment. We cannot say that Beethoven¡¯s tenacity is very good, but his music is elegance itself.¡± *** ¡°Don¡¯t think about the piano or violin ensembles. I¡¯ll control them. You should all just follow the baton. The soloists need to be pulled in by our storm-like vehemence. I have absolutely no intention on bringing them along. Our performance needs to keep going with the thought that we¡¯ll toss anyone who falls behind.¡± *** ¡°You need to think about the piano and violin ensembles as well. Their music bes a part of us starting in the 2nd movement. We need to wrap them, but it is a bit rough right now. y more smoothly like a mother¡¯s touch, carefully embracing her child.¡± *** The members of the Belgium National Orchestra were about to go out of their minds because they were switching off every day to ypletely opposite performances. It almost felt like they were going back and forth switching 2 buttons on and off. One is ¡®vehemence¡¯ and the other is ¡®elegance¡¯. No one expressed their discontent though. An instrument only brings out the sound that the performer desires, no matter how the performer changes. They have pride that they are an alreadypletedrge luxurious instrument. Their pride wille crashing down the moment they voice theirints. The only time they canin is when they meet a performer who cannot handle the orchestra as an instrument. The two people who are handling them now are two excellent conductors, maestros. It was a bitter than Pierre Boulez had been expecting, but the orchestra became used to the switch in the new year, at the end of January. It was as though the two maestros were conducting separate orchestras. ¡°What do you think, Jun? Has the orchestra gotten used to your conducting?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve gotten used to you as well, Maestro.¡± Pierre Boulez smiled in satisfaction. He had overheard the orchestra members saying that they could feel a clear distinction between a hot-blooded youth and a rxed elderly. Since it is his orchestra that has ovee this difference, he even felt proud of them. ¡°But Maestro, there is something I¡¯m concerned about... Isn¡¯t this apetition and not a concert? Do you think it¡¯ll be okay when the judges need to evaluate the violin and piano finalists?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that something those people need to do? There¡¯s no reason for us to worry about it. And effort, skill, and talent are bound to show themselves in any environment. A person is qualified to be a judge if he can catch those moments.¡± Pierre Boulez did not seem to be worrying too much about thepetition. It even seemed like he was enjoying the situation. ¡°It¡¯ll actually be a bit difficult to judge. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be part of the fun to watch the judges¡¯ ufortable expressions. Ha ha.¡± Belgium¡¯s maestro seemed to be considering thepetition as a concert. ¡°The problem is the finalists. Being paired with a conductor who fits their style will be a keyponent to winning.¡± Chapter 192 Volume 5 / Chapter 192 TL: LightNovelCafe Once it became February, Jun Hyuk seemed much more rxed. Even until January, he had always been brooding in thought. It was hard to talk to him at home, so Tara only watched over him while taking care of his going back and forth between the house and theater. When that period ended, he joked around and hung out with the orchestra to drink beers after rehearsals. ¡°I guess you¡¯re satisfied now? You seem much more rxed.¡± ¡°Yeah. All that¡¯s left is getting used to it. Time will solve that. Honestly, I was really surprised. I even think it¡¯s weird that an orchestra with such skilled members has so few albums out.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be because of their repertoire. They mostly do contemporary or experimental music. There aren¡¯t recordbels that¡¯ll get involved to release albums that won¡¯t sell.¡± There is another reason why the Belgium National Orchestra chooses new music for its repertoire rather than famous songs. They are neighboring Vienna and Berlin. Italy, the home of opera, is not very far either. It is also a choice to show Belgium¡¯s colors instead of choosing the same repertoire as everyone else and being overshadowed by them. ¡°The choir is going to join is March. Is that okay? Isn¡¯t it a bitte?¡± Tara saw Jun Hyuk in a more rxed state and came up with a good idea. ¡°No. The choir is practicing separately with their own conductor. The important thing is the vocal soloist. The choir can practice properly once they have the soloist as well. That part does make me a little nervous because the soloist isn¡¯t decided until the beginning of April.¡± ¡°Then that means you have some time until March?¡± Tara had a yful look. ¡°Yeah. Why?¡± Just in case you start working on new songs because you have free time. I¡¯m going to stop you.¡± ¡°Will it work to try to stop me?¡± Composition happens in his head. Not even Tara can nag about what goes on in his mind. ¡°Since rehearsals are Tuesday and Thursday, let¡¯s rest a bit from Friday to Monday. I¡¯ll make ns, so you just follow.¡± ¡°What ns?¡± ¡°Leave it to me. You¡¯ll love it.¡± Tara¡¯s ns were not very special, but she had very carefully paid attention to the details to create a schedule that would allow Jun Hyuk to see new things. International high-speed rail Thalys is a very convenient transportationwork that connects France, the Nethends, Belgium, and Germany. As it is a high speed rail that makes the trip from Brussels, Belgium to Paris, France in an hour and a half, they were able to go to most ces in 4 days and 3 nights. Tara took Jun Hyuk to galleries and museums all over Europe to discover works. They also went to clubs and cafes with talented youths who have yet to be discovered, so that Jun Hyuk could be around people his age. Jun Hyuk enjoyed spending time with young artists, but he did not show as much interest in art as Tara thought he would. Tara thought that Jun Hyuk would be shocked and moved the moment heid eyes on a masterpiece. Isn¡¯t he the person with such delicate emotions that he even listens to the sound of a single water drop? She realized that he would not have exceptional talent in all aspects just because he is a genius artist. Jun Hyuk saw the art exhibitions in museums, but he mostly just blinked at them. Fortunately, he did seem to understand Tara¡¯s detailed exnations, but the color was still just paint and the background canvas. There were the rare works that he looked at for a long time. Tara tried to find what the pieces Jun Hyuk held interest in had inmon, but it was so inconsistent that she could not figure it out. ¡°Why? Do you like this?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think it¡¯s more amazing the more I look at it.¡± ¡°In what aspect?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s hard to exin.¡± ¡°Then do you want to buy it? You can leave it in your room and continue to enjoy it. This is a new artist¡¯s work, so it isn¡¯t even that expensive.¡± Thinking of the money that Jun Hyuk has made, he would be able to buy a painting for tens of thousands of dors. ¡°No. It¡¯s enough to just see it once. Is there a need to have it to keep looking at?¡± It is what people without interest in art say. But there wille the time when he sees a painting that he wants to keep with him. That moment is when his eyes are opened to paintings. All he needs is to meet that one piece. With a moment of realization, as soon as he meets the piece his head will go nk and he will be lost in it without a sense for time. After that, his vision for paintings will bepletely different. Tara was excited just thinking about how his music would change once he met such a piece. ¡°Jun, if you ever find a piece that you want, tell me. I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± *** There was something good in the traveling every week. Whenever he visited the maestros he met in Salzburg in their regions, he would reunite with them. The maestros were as weing as always, and made a fuss to see the score as soon as they heard that he had won the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s current standing conductor, Sarill Petrenko,ughed for a while after hearing that Jun Hyuk had won thepetition. ¡°What is it? I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t submit something like Inferno. Will the piano and violin finalists be trembling without being able to y?¡± ¡°No. This time, it¡¯s a song flowing with the ssical. Even you¡¯ll be interested when you see it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fascinated by all of your pieces. I¡¯m just waiting for the day you release all of the songs you made until now.¡± Tara shivered a little as she was listening from the side. If Jun Hyuk reveals all of his songs? No ¨C If they could even see it alone before releasing them? *** The Queen Elisabeth Competition opened in March and over 300 performance DVDs flew in from all around the world. Unlike previous years, the council received submissions a month earlier and had been advertising since January that the process would be different. Participants filmed themselves ying or singing in studios and recorded them on DVDs. Each DVD also contained the participants¡¯ earnest desire to have a chance to stand on stage. The judges chose participants who left such strong impressions that they wanted to listen to them in person. The over 90 people who were chosen boarded trains and nes to Brussels, full of happiness and anxiety. Among them were Laura Goldberg from Juilliard who professors ensured a winner, and Han Ye Ji who was holding Professor Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s hand tightly. Danny, Jun Hyuk¡¯s self-designated best friend, also pushed back his tour schedule in Canada and headed to Brussels. Of the people who passed the preliminary round, only 36 people would be able to stand on stage again. They did their best to show beyond their best in the few minutes that were allotted to them. However, the god of music only takes the hands of a select portion of the musicians who hold their hands out to it, coldly shaking off the rest. The 12 people from the piano, violin, and vocal parts who the god of music held the hands of. A total of 36 people went to the main stage. Half of these people would go to thest stage. The Queen Elisabeth Competition is famous for its unique process of having the finalists stay at Brussels Chapelle Conservatory for 9 days and 8 nights. The finalists call this ce where they cannot use the inte or their phones and can only eat, sleep, and practice, as a ¡®luxury prison¡¯. The finalists practice one song of choice and one assigned song for 8 days to perform on the 9th day, and a song that they do not knowes out as the assigned snog. It is to see how the performers interpret the score and express the music on their own. This year¡¯s assigned song is the 2nd ce song in theposition part, Marlin Oscar Guggenheim IV¡¯s ¡®World of Europe¡¯. The 2nd ce song has never before been chosen for the assigned song in the finals. Whether it is because the 2nd ce song ¡®World of Europe¡¯ is that good or through the power of Austria¡¯s Guggenheim family, it became a controversy for the period. Until now, the winner had been decided on the 9th day of training through a contest. This time however, only the vocals followed this and for the rest, only 6 finalists would be selected. Thest winners would be chosen through Jun Hyuk¡¯s Choral Concerto. Chapter 193 Volume 5 / Chapter 193 TL: LightNovelCafe Jun Hyuk did not have rehearsals during the week long finals period because the Belgium National Orchestra and Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra take care of the performance. He was able to watch thepetitionfortably. Jun Hyuk could not miss the performances of the 3 wee faces he saw in the list of participants. The person he had the most anticipation for was Laura Goldberg. He hoped that she would win in the best conditions no matter what song she sings. She needs to sing the soprano part of the Choral Concerto. He had written the song while thinking of her voice. Laura Goldberg¡¯s assigned song was 17th century Frenchposer Charpentier¡¯s Motet. The start and end are difficult in skill, there is a lot of treble while the middle is lyrical, and there is a warm feeling so it is not an easy song in terms of vocals. If she can handle it perfectly, winning is not a problem. He has a feeling that Laura will win easily. Jun Hyuk listened to Laura sing and looked puzzled. She is in no way at this level. He even thought that it could be strategy. The strategy of getting through the assigned song with ease and showing as much skill as is desired in the song of choice is obsolete though it always works. Jun Hyuk broke out a smile as soon as he saw the song she had chosen. Even though it is an obvious strategy, this song is enough to make it work. The song she chose is so unconventional it made the judges create a fuss. It is contemporary music great Gyorgy Ligeti¡¯s ¡®Mysteries of the Macabre¡¯. It is not a song that can be handled just by being able to sing well. The changes are so severe that even the audience that is sitting still cannot get themselves together. It has a difficulty that demands the so-called ¡®ultrasonic range of dolphins¡¯ and incredible acting. However, Laura Goldberg overwhelmed them like a fountain shooting water high and then falling low. The only mistake she made was that the key was slightly rough where it was to be graceful. She brought about surprise with nearly perfect treble technique, strong focus, andmitted acting. With the audience¡¯s standing ovation thatsted for over 10 minutes, they could foresee her win. As soon as her performance ended, Jun Hyuk left the theater. In the 2 years he had not seen her, Laura Goldberg had be aplete soprano. When he thought of the stage he would have with her, his heart beat faster. He regretted not extending the soprano part of Choral Concerto more. The first winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition appeared. As predicted, it was Laura Goldberg of the vocal section. The judges¡¯ evaluations that she has ¡®a strong personality and excellent tone with huge potential and clear professionalism¡¯ and reports in the press of her ¡®crystal clear voice that crosses between several octaves with ease, excellent expression, solid acting¡¯ let everyone know that a new prima donna had appeared. The 6 winners including Laura Goldberg found out something new during thepetitionmittee¡¯s feast. That they had been specially requested for the piano and violin final performances. None of them were willing to turn down the request in such a happy moment. Everyone readily epted. Their curiosity for the song grew as they wondered what it was that it required vocals. *** Jun Hyuk confirmed the finalists and arranged a dinner to congratte Danny and Han Ye Ji. Including Professor Jeon Hye Jin, the 3 people were shocked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s surprise appearance and looked to be disconcerted, but 2 of them could guess why Jun Hyuk is here. Danny was the only one who continued to look befuddled. ¡°Jun, why on earth are you here? You even rented out a house.¡± ¡°Ye Ji, don¡¯t you think he¡¯s a bit daft? Why else would Jun Hyuk be in Brussels?¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jinughed as she spoke in Korean, and Han Ye Ji spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t you think the final song is Mr. Jang¡¯s? I haven¡¯t heard once that Mr. Guggenheim¡¯s ¡®World of Europe¡¯ is the winning song.¡± ¡°Jun, is that true? Your song won?¡± Jun Hyukughed and nodded. Danny continued to look nk. Professor Jeon only looked at Danny pathetically. Contrary to his nk expression, Danny had performed incredibly and had be a finalist easily. ¡®A performance that provides the experience of pure musical bliss and freedom¡¯ ¡®A violinist who expressed an abstract feeling as if there are manyyers of paint and it is impossible to know what is inside¡¯ ¡®An impressive performer with excellent fingering virtuosity.¡¯ Danny received high praises like this in the press and is closest to being the winner, but he has now forgotten his happiness and is nk. ¡°Anyway, congrattions Danny. Ms. Ye Ji, you too. Let¡¯s eat while we talk.¡± Danny and Han Ye Ji had spent 9 days locked up to prepare for thepetition, so they started salivating when they saw the delicious food that the maid and her friends had made. ¡°I wanted to let you know beforehand since they¡¯ll be announcing it from thepetition¡¯s end tomorrow. So you don¡¯t get surprised for nothing.¡± ¡°We really would have been shocked if we found out through the release tomorrow. But how did you think of submitting to thepetition?¡± Professor Jeon never thought that Jun Hyuk would submit his work to apetition. He is not at a level topete with other youths, and it certainly does not fit Jun Hyuk¡¯s personality. Jun Hyuk did not tell them that the start to Choral Concerto was Han Ye Ji¡¯s piano. He thought that it could create unnecessary misunderstandings. ¡°President Isaac Stern suggested it. He said thatpetitions are hard to experience unless you are young.¡± ¡°But for you, Mr. Jun, to submit to apetition is still... What are normal people like us supposed to do?¡± Han Ye Ji swallowed the food in her mouth and smiled. Although they were speaking in Korean, it was evident from Han Ye Ji¡¯s expression that it is not a serious matter, but Danny still had a hard face as he ate. Jun Hyuk looked over Danny¡¯s expression and spoke carefully, ¡°Danny. Are you mad because I didn¡¯t tell you that I entered thepetition before?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry. No. Why would I be? I know what thepetition rules are like.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s with your expression? You¡¯re a strong candidate to win.¡± Danny put his fork down and looked at Jun Hyuk, ¡°Jun, I¡¯m not supposed to ask questions like this but tell me one thing.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s fine, what is it?¡± ¡°Your song that won. Is it a piece like Inferno? Really hard contemporary music?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Honestly, I bought the Inferno album and listened to it... but I couldn¡¯t even listen to 3 minutes and stopped. And that was just once. I couldn¡¯t even think to listen to it again. If the winning song is like that.....¡± Danny¡¯s face was full of concern. Professor Jeon and Han Ye Ji were holding their breaths and listening to their conversation. It was not just Danny. Han Ye Ji had not been able to listen to more than a few minutes of Inferno either. Danny¡¯s worrying is not groundless. ¡°Ha ha. Is that why you¡¯re like that? Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯spletely different. It¡¯s thoroughly in ssical style.¡± ¡°Really? Whew ¨C What a relief. Okay. That¡¯s all I need to know. No need to say more. I don¡¯t want to create any unnecessary misunderstandings. Ha ha.¡± Danny discarded his worries and started eating again with a bright expression. Han Ye Ji¡¯s face had also brightened. If it is a ssical song, there is no need to worry beforehand. ¡°Jun Hyuk. I heard that the finals are going to be conducted in a moreplicated way. Is that because of your song?¡± ¡°Yes. There is that, but it¡¯ll also be because themittee wants a more excitingpetition. But Ms. Ye Ji will have great results. You definitely stood out from the 6 finalists.¡± Jun Hyuk briefly told Danny what they were saying. He did not want Danny to have any unnecessary misunderstandings. Danny stopped eating to give Han Ye Ji a thumbs up to acknowledge her piano. After their small talk about thepetition, the 3 people were going back to the hotel when Jun Hyuk let something slip for 2 of them. ¡°Memorize the scorepletely.¡± They were confused by Jun Hyuk¡¯s sudden words for a moment, but they quickly realized that he was giving them a tip. Danny hugged Jun Hyuk to express this thanks and Han Ye Ji bowed to him lightly. Now, everything is up to their own efforts. Chapter 194 Volume 5 / Chapter 194 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°As you were already told, this year¡¯s final stage will be held differently from that of other years. There will be 2 performances per day, for 3 days.¡± Thepetitionmittee put a box in front of the piano and violin finalists. ¡°We¡¯ll decide on each of your performance times through a raffle. You¡¯ll already know, but I¡¯ll say it again. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t think that it¡¯ll be to your advantage to goter? Looking at statistics, there are more mistakes due to pressure when goingter. So I hope you don¡¯t hold the day and time you go responsible for your performance. Then let¡¯s go through and each pick one.¡± The 12 finalists put their trembling hands inside the box and picked out a piece of paper each. Danny felt his heart beat faster as he unfolded the paper. The performance he chose in the first day, 2nd stage. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all checked your performance times?¡± An employee of themittee checked each paper, recorded the order of performance, copied it, and handed it out to everyone. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll tell you about the final song. Concerto for Violin and Piano in D Minor. It is the song that won theposition section and it is a double concerto.¡± They started murmuring when they heard that it is a double concerto. ¡°The people who have the same performance times will be on stage together. Check who you will be performing with.¡± Danny¡¯s jaw dropped when he saw who he would be performing with. ¡°So we meet again. To think that we¡¯re in the same performance. Let¡¯s do well together.¡± Han Ye Ji held her hand out to Danny. ¡°Wow. How could this happen! I¡¯m lucky since I get to perform with the best pianist. Ha ha.¡± While everyone was busy finding the person they would be performing with, themittee let them know thest important aspect. ¡°This is thest thing we have to tell you. The orchestra you will be performing with is the Belgium National Orchestra. And 2 people will be dividing up the conducting. One person is someone you know well, Maestro Pierre Boulez. The other person is the winningposer. He¡¯s better known as Jun, theposer of Inferno.¡± As soon as he said Inferno, the murmuring grew louder than it had been before. There were even people whose faces had turned white. They were probably remembering Inferno. There was even someone who cursed without thinking. No matter how famous Jun Hyuk had be through Inferno, there was noparing careers. And even if he is theposer, they thought that there is arge gap between him and Maestro Pierre Boulez. Themittee member rose both of his hands to silence the murmuring. ¡°If you think that it is a disadvantage to be paired with the youngposer as your conductor, that is a big mistake. We can say it with thepetition¡¯s honor on the line. It is impossible to distinguish between whose conducting is superior and inferior. The only difference is in their interpretations of the song.¡± Even though themittee was assuring them, there remained people with looks of distrust. These people did not see how themittee members were looking at them pathetically. Those who do not realize that it takes their own skill to survive in a fiercepetition can never win. ¡°The first performances of the first andst days are Maestro Jun. The second day andst performance are Maestro Pierre Boulez.¡± Han Ye Ji and Danny met eyes. Danny was especially happier. The day had finallye for him and Jun Hyuk to stand on a formal stage. ¡°Then do we have to go back to Chapelle Prison ¨C no ¨C Conservatory?¡± Someone raised his hand and asked. ¡°Of course. You will go in turn in considering fairness. Keeping the performance schedule in mind, you can start going in tomorrow in intervals. You will receive the score at Chapelle Conservatory. You will also be informed on the details of your schedules once you are at the conservatory. *** The BOZAR great hall was also full of reporters. The release yesterday of the winningposer being theposer of Inferno is thepetition¡¯s biggest scoop. ¡°Tara. Since it¡¯s a joint press conference, don¡¯t you think I could just slip out? Maestro Boulez is there.¡± ¡°This is the interview for theposition section. Maestro Boulez will only be discussing the final performance. And don¡¯t worry too much. These reporters are all specialized in music. They don¡¯t ask about gossip topics. Anyone who asks something personal or gossip rted won¡¯t be able to enter thepetition starting tomorrow.¡± Tara pushed Jun Hyuk into the press conference room. When themittee released the information that Jun Hyuk is the winner of theposition section, the media predicted that this would be the biggest news in the world of music this year. Themittee had expected this kind of reaction and prepared a joint press conference to hold before the fever dies down. The Chairman of thepetitionmittee introduced Jun Hyuk after a long greeting. ¡°Boston Symphony visiting conductor, Inferno¡¯sposer. I¡¯d like to introduce the winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, Jun.¡± When Jun Hyuk got up from his seat to greet everyone, the reporters¡¯ shes started going off. ¡°The title isn¡¯t Choral Concerto. I heard that it is simr to Beethoven¡¯s Choral Symphony. Is this true?¡± The first question is provocative from the start. ¡°It is true that I wrote it with Choral Symphony in mind, but they are not simr.¡± Jun Hyuk responded calmly to the question because he had already been expecting it. From the way they are talking about the rumors, it seems themittee has leaked some information. ¡°Then can you exin the difference between the two songs?¡± ¡°Wait a little for the answer to that question. I will exin it precisely on the final stage with music.¡± There is nothing to do but hear the difference in music. No matter how it is exined in words, it is difficult to understand until it is heard. The reporter who asked tried to ask another question, but the reporters did not stay still. ¡°Please exin in detail what you mean when you say that you kept Beethoven in mind when you wereposing. Did you keep Beethoven in mind as aposer? Or do you mean that you kept Choral Symphony in mind?¡± ¡°It is both.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Does that mean that you wereparing Beethoven and yourself?¡± ¡°Comparisons aren¡¯t done by the subjects, but by an objective third person. I¡¯m sure someone willpare us when the performance starts and the song is revealed.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk responded, Tara clenched her fists. It is a great response. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask again. What do you think when youpare your music to Beethoven¡¯s? From the perspective of an objective musician.¡± The question is asking him what he thinks of his song inparison to Beethoven¡¯s, not asking him topare himself to Beethoven the person. It is asking him topare the songs as aposer, but it is also asking about his ability as aposer. They used different words, but all of the reporters wanted to hear the same answer. ¡°Hm... The piano sonata can¡¯t follow Beethoven and the orchestral song is within a range to catch up.¡± Tara copsed to the ground before she could even feel the strength rx from her clenched fists. The room fell into a mess when the cameras shed like fireworks and the reporters started asking questions without a thought to others. A few music reporters cursed and left the conference room. Themittee chairman on stage was trying his best to abate the confusion, while Maestro Pierre Boulez was looking at Jun Hyuk in shock. Jun Hyuk¡¯s response meant that he is plenty capable of creating a song like Beethoven¡¯s. This press conference is being aired live on a cable channel and on the inte. This is the moment where Jun Hyuk turned lovers of ssical music all over the world into his enemies. Chapter 195 Volume 5 / Chapter 195 TL: LightNovelCafe While Jun Hyuk was making the explosive statement in BOZAR theater, Danny and Han Ye Ji were looking over the score andining. There are 2 volumes to the score they received from Chapelle Conservatory. One is a full score with the entire song and the other has each of their parts. When Danny and Han Ye Ji saw the thickness, they realized that it is arge song. As soon as they went into the practice room assigned to them, they opened the score without speaking. ¡°Jun, this crazy kid. Beethoven... And a chorus on top of that!¡± ¡°Ugh. This is too much. How are we supposed to do this within 10 days?¡± After almost 4 hours, they both closed their scores and grumbled. Fortunately, they could not understand each other because Danny spoke in French and Han Ye Ji spoke in Korean. They hadined without realizing it, but they just looked at each other and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Mister...¡± ¡°Hang on. Just call me Danny. Aren¡¯t we partners who will have to perform together? I think we need to be frank at least, so let¡¯s not be so formal.¡± ¡°Shall we? Then you can just call me Ashley. It¡¯s my English nickname.¡± ¡°Okay, Ashley.¡± Danny winked andughed. When Ashley saw Danny¡¯s pleasant personality, she became a bit more at ease. It is a relief that the partner she will have to spend a long amount of time with is not dreary or single-minded. ¡°But is this song a challenge to Beethoven¡¯s Choral Symphony? Or is it a tribute song?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s a challenge. If it¡¯s to the point that Jun is revealing it to the world ¨C and through apetition at that ¨C it means that he¡¯s really satisfied with it... If it were just a simple tribute song, he¡¯s not one to reveal it in apetition.¡± There is another reason why Danny is so sure that it is a challenge. ¡°If it had been a tribute song, he wouldn¡¯t have made it so easy topare. I¡¯m pretty sure he would¡¯ve made it so there are just traces of Beethoven. But this song has the same performance time by part and the same number of measures. Even with Schiller¡¯s Ode to Joy. It is an explicit challenge.¡± ¡°Did you know that in each part, the number of measures for the piano and violin are the same?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s proof that he was targeting the Queen Elisabeth Competition. He¡¯s taken the fact that the winners in both parts need to perform the winning song into consideration. Jun is so good it¡¯s beyond expression.¡± ¡°He really is impressive. How could he make a song like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised but it¡¯s not novel. From the surprising things I saw when we were at school together, I knew he would do something great like this someday. Though I am surprised that his first try is Beethoven.¡± They cannot just sit in admiration. They need to perform this perfectly within 10 days. There is not enough time. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first and then start. I¡¯m so hungry I don¡¯t even have the strength to hold up my violin bow.¡± They both thought that they would have to reduce the amount of time they spend sleeping from now on, and headed to the cafeteria. *** There is a statement that has been most talked about in pop history. It is in an interview with John Lennon from March 1966 that a female reporter conducted while investigating for an article titled ¡®Beatles Mania Phenomenon¡¯. During this interview, John Lennon said that ¡®The Beatles are more popr than Jesus¡¯ and shocked the world. The statement, ¡°We¡¯re more popr than Jesus now. We don¡¯t know which is going to disappear first, rock and roll or Christianity.¡± was distorted while discussing the decline of Christianity in Ennd after World War I. However, the media hid John Lennon¡¯s exact words and released articles. Articles with headlines of ¡®The Beatles are Greater than Jesus¡¯ hit America. Radio stations dered that they would not turn on the Beatles¡¯ music, and several concerts were canceled. There was a protest against the Beatles in Mexico, and Africa and Spain banned their music from radio broadcasts. The Vatican also got involved and criticized John Lennon¡¯s words. John Lennon¡¯s official apology could not quell the controversy either. Jun Hyuk¡¯s statement was limited to Beethoven¡¯s symphony and is from someone falling behind who is saying that he is catching up to Beethoven and not that he is better, but the media cited John Lennon¡¯s statement to release the news. They used the same sentence, putting in Jun instead of the Beatles and Beethoven in ce of Jesus. The headline that he is better than Beethoven covered the inte. Thepetitionmittee quickly suspended the chaotic press conference and opened up an emergency meeting. In case of the worst situation, they need to make sure that the theater is not empty on the day of thepetition. ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be that we¡¯re taking it too seriously? How could we think that it¡¯s so absurd for a young musician to want to surpass Beethoven? Isn¡¯t that everyone¡¯s dream?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t such amon meaning. ¡®I¡¯m in the scope to catch Beethoven!¡¯ He said that he and Beethoven are at the same level. Really... It is a statement that people could definitely be averse to.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we funny for having a meeting about such a thing? It¡¯s a personal statement. Why does ourmittee need to make a big deal?¡± The noisy meeting continued for a long time, but they decided not to give anyment or response. As soon as the press conference was over, Tara reported Jun Hyuk¡¯s statement to President Isaac Stern. Heughed when he heard this and only told her to wait because he would personally get involved if a response was necessary. President Stern was reassured that his eye had been precise. Each unintentional word surprises people, and he engraves himself in others. President Stern was going to make an official statement that it was a misunderstanding created by the nuances between Korean and English, but he decided against it. Is there a need to make such a pathetic excuse with poornguage? Jun Hyuk has already showed them enough that he can catch up to Beethoven. He should not have to hide behind words but take responsibility. President Stern believed that Jun Hyuk would take responsibility for the things he said. *** ¡°Jun, that was a bit much. You underestimated Beethoven.....¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Underestimated? Is that how you took it too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s how anyone would have taken it.¡± Tara still had a darkened face in worry. ¡°Ha ha. I really have both my hands and feet up. What? Beethoven is in a category that you can catch up to? You said something so fearsome without hesitation.¡± Unlike Tara, Pierre Boulez no longer had the shock from the press conference and was enjoying the situation. ¡°But why are you taking out everything I said before that? I said that I could never catch up to the piano sonata.¡± ¡°That¡¯s already been erased from memory. The words that came after were too strong. But is that really what you think?¡± ¡°Maestro, what do you think? Since you¡¯re already conducting my song, tell me honestly.¡± Pierre Boulez spoke without even the slightest pause, ¡°It¡¯s plenty. When Beethoven wrote the choral symphony, he was over 50 years old. 20 year old Beethoven was just a punk who trailed behind Haydn. But you¡¯re 20 and alreadypeting with a song that Beethoven created in hister years. Youck nothing to catch up to Beethoven.¡± Jun Hyuk blushed because he did not know he would hear such high praises said to his face, but Pierre Boulez did not show regard for this and asked about the first statement that Jun Hyuk made. ¡°But why do you think that you wouldn¡¯t be able to surpass his piano sonata?¡± ¡°What surprised me most about his piano sonata was his ability to create a song with a simple motive. That technique of using one motive constantly, repeating and using it to form a dramatic nature. I can¡¯t copy that no matter what I do.¡± ¡°Really? Even though there are a lot of pieces that were written with Beethoven¡¯s 32 piano sonatas as subjects in various ways?¡± ¡°I can make songs at any time with different subjects. My personal view is that it is the essence of Beethoven to make a sonata with one motive.¡± Tara however, did not hear the conversation because she was still epassed in worry. ¡°Jun. I still think it was a mistake. The effect is going to be too far-reaching.¡± ¡°Tara.¡± Pierre Boulez did not stop smiling, and turned to Tara. ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Once the finals start, it¡¯ll be deployed with apletely different video.¡± ¡°Excuse me? What does that mean?¡± ¡°Once Jun¡¯s choral concerto spreads, his statement is going to be suppressed. There will be lots of different opinions. The choral concerto is another Beethoven. No. Though it¡¯s great, it¡¯s just a subtype of Beethoven. He can¡¯t surpass Beethoven no matter what. Mentioning Beethoven in the end means that they admit to Jun¡¯s statement. It¡¯ll be noisy like this.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Tara quickly understood why Pierre Boulez was telling her not to worry. Asrge as the scandal is, there are more people who pay attention. While Jun Hyuk slips out in this situation, all that is left is the shing of opinions. Another criticism could be a more shocking opinion than Jun Hyuk¡¯s statement. There is nothing for Tara to do but wait for that moment. Chapter 196 Volume 5 / Chapter 196 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Hey! Why did you talk like that?¡± As soon as he picked up the phone, he could hear Yoon Kwang Hun yell. But the tone did not feel like a scolding. It felt like he was holding backughter. ¡°Are you talking about the interview? You saw it?¡± ¡°Yeah. I saw it broadcast live on the inte. It¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°Well... The reporters asked relentlessly. It was annoying. So I just said what I was thinking... I don¡¯t know why everyone is making such a fuss.¡± When Jun Hyuk answered cautiously, there was yelling again. It was something he had not been expecting. ¡°Of course. You should have just done it. You can¡¯t catch up with his piano sonata? Why so timid? You really don¡¯t think you could?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. It¡¯s a total uncrossable wall.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You have quite a few piano sonatas that could easily be put up against Beethoven¡¯s.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t follow Beethoven¡¯s way of using one theme to create a song.¡± Jun Hyuk forgot that he was on the phone and shook his head. ¡°You still have a long way to go before you¡¯re 50 years old. Work hard at it.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun and the maestros who know Jun Hyuk well were apuding the situation withughter and looking on with interest. ¡°Jun. I guess you are afraid of Beethoven? You have one foot in and one quietly pulled out.¡± Jun Hyuk was exhausted from taking over 10 calls full of jokes. *** While the inte was bing more and more heated over Jun Hyuk¡¯s statement, Jun Hyuk was starting the first rehearsal with the vocal finalists. The vocal soloists gathered around a single piano in order to practice just the solo parts. When Jun Hyuk entered the room, Laura was the first to wee him. ¡°Jun. Congrattions on the win.¡± ¡°Laura! Congrattions. It was the best performance. It¡¯ll be your time now.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯ll be the time of the new Beethoven. Ha ha.¡± Not surprisingly, it came up again. ¡°Whew ¨C You saw the interview?¡± ¡°You think there¡¯s anyone who hasn¡¯t seen it? Where did that confidencee from?¡± ¡°No. That article was exaggerated.¡± They could feel the 5 other soloists¡¯ eyes on them and quickly stopped chatting, blushing. Jun Hyuk quickly changed his expression, and bowed to the vocal finalists. ¡°First, congrattions on reaching the finals. And I apologize for having a personal conversation for so long.¡± Jun Hyuk hastily sat in front of the piano and spoke again to the 6 vocalists. ¡°You practiced yesterday with Maestro Boulez? Then forget everything that you felt during practice yesterday.¡± The finalists seemed to be a bit taken aback. The rumor was true. The rumor that the 2 conductors are performing withpletely different interpretations of the song had leaked little by little through the orchestra. ¡°Of course, also forget Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony. I¡¯ll say it again, but it¡¯s an entirely different song.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk spoke, a thick voice spoke up. ¡°It might be possible for the orchestra, piano, or violin, but it¡¯s hard for singers like us to erase Beethoven. Isn¡¯t the song we¡¯re singing Ode to Joy?¡± A male vocalist who entered the finals as a baritone looked a bit discontented. ¡°The lyrics are Ode to Joy but honestly, there isn¡¯t much meaning to it. There wasn¡¯t really anything else to put in, and I don¡¯t write well enough to put in my own lyrics... But I kept the meaning of the first verse of the lyrics. I¡¯ll tell you about this againter.¡± The first verse of Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony is not Schiller¡¯s ¡®Ode to Joy¡¯. They are lyrics that Beethoven himself wrote. ¡°The important thing is the feeling you have while singing. You¡¯ll know when you join the orchestra for rehearsal soon, but it is really aggressive.¡± During practice yesterday, Maestro Boulez kept stressing ¡®elegance¡¯. It is ¡®aggressiveness¡¯ today? ¡°If I have to express it in one phrase, it would be like a war song.¡± ¡°War song?¡± The baritone¡¯s face became an expression of doubt. It is hard to find war in the first verse that Jun Hyuk had said was important. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not a song that is showing the joy of victory. The entire 4th part is in the midst of a battle. You are all warriors. You¡¯re warriors who be excited at the sight of blood. That¡¯s the kind of thought you have to have while singing.¡± ¡°Is it in symmetry with the 2nd part?¡± Laura watched the other soloists and spoke cautiously. ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes shed as he looked at Laura. ¡°I suddenly thought of it when you said that it¡¯s a battle. The 2nd part is the unrest of fugitives, or retreating soldiers? The fear of people being chased? I got that kind of feeling.¡± ¡°Really? Did you get that feeling like practicing with Maestro Boulez yesterday?¡± ¡°No. Maestro Boulez said that the 2nd part doesn¡¯t forget humor. It was apletely different feeling and what you¡¯re saying is the feeling I got when I first saw the score.¡± Jun Hyuk felt like he had discovered another side of Laura. Regardless of the fact that she has enjoyed singing from a young age, it is a talent to be able to look at a score and figure out theposer¡¯s intentions at once, and not practice. ¡°So you¡¯re saying the 2nd part is retreat and the 4th is a battle?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t? Did I get it wrong?¡± Laura looked over Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression. ¡°Hang on. Before that, can you tell me what you thought of the overall flow?¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t you have to tell us as theposer?¡± ¡°I just want to know how you took it. Everyone, tell me what you thought of the parts before, not just the 4th. There¡¯s no such thing as a correct answer, so please speak frankly.¡± As though they had been waiting to, everyone poured out their opinions but Jun Hyuk was only looking to Laura. ¡°Since you said that it¡¯s a battle... With the analogy to a battle, the 1st part is a fierce battle, the 2nd is retreat, the 3rd reorganizing the battle line, and the 4th is the final showdown. Something like this?¡± ¡°Reorganization? The 3rd part?¡± ¡°Yeah. But it doesn¡¯t seem smooth.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you think it¡¯s going smoothly?¡± ¡°After the trombone in Andante Maestoso in G Major, there¡¯s a vi with a dark and dismal atmosphere. Of course there will be individual differences, I felt an uncanny fear. They¡¯re bracing up for battle, but there¡¯s a dense fear of defeat. I think that the 3rd part is dominated by this kind of feeling.¡± She is impressive. There is no doubt that Laura had a fierce battle with the score in order toe up with an interpretation like this. This ability to interpret muste from her sense of expression, that is easilyparable to that of star vocalists without falling behind. Jun Hyuk however, hid these thoughts and urged the vocalists without mentioning it. ¡°You need to keep the emphasis on the change in the vocal and chorus part. I¡¯m sure you all saw the score and already know, but there is prestissimo and then the speed is suddenly reduced to poco adagio. And then it¡¯s vivace again. You need to handle this change in tempo well.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Laura again and continued with his exnation. ¡°The overall flow is as Laura just said. I only used the word ¡®battle¡¯ to express the vehemence. Lastly, it is about the first verse of the song I talked about first.¡± Jun Hyuk quietly read the lyrics that Beethoven himself wrote, Oh friends, not these sounds! Let us strike up something more pleasant, full of dness. ¡°Think of the sagging shoulders of the soldiers who are participating in the final showdown. Hoping they¡¯ll have courage as they¡¯re taking heavy steps toward death, but the foreboding that they can¡¯t escape death. You need to express thisplex state of mind.¡± The baritone, who needs to sing the first verse, swallowed hard. Starting with a grim resolution instead of joy! It is the first time he is experiencing such a thing. They finished their long discussion on the interpretation of the song, and Jun Hyuk yed the piano. Everyone looked at their scores and created a beautiful timbre along with the piano apaniment. Having lyrics could be the easiest way to express emotions. Happiness and sadness are ryed directly through words rather than a melody and rhythm. But when they are told to deliver an entirely different emotion from the lyrics, it is only an interference. Furthermore, Ode to Joy is a straightforward narrative and not a metaphor. The vocalists try to express the resolution as per Jun Hyuk¡¯s demands, but they keep getting lost in the lyrics. Before Jun Hyuk can saying something, the soloist realizes that he has not been able to bring out the emotion that Jun Hyuk wants, and often stopped the song. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to experience it for yourself, won¡¯t it?¡± After stopping a few times, Jun Hyuk looked mischievous. ¡°Let¡¯s try it out one at a time. First, Laura.¡± ¡°Jun. What are you telling us to do?¡± When Laura came next to the piano, it was evident from her expression that she was nervous. ¡°The same thing. Forget that it¡¯s a chorus and just think that you¡¯re singing an aria. The piano apaniment is going to change, but don¡¯t worry because it¡¯ll match the song perfectly. Shall we start?¡± Laura started singing on Jun Hyuk¡¯s signal, while the piano only picked up the simple chord. But when it slowly started bing moreplex, the other vocalists began to get nervous. If it had been a battle where the piano and voice went back and forth, they would have been able to look on with interest. However, it was more like a scene from a horror movie where the beautiful protagonist is being chased. The surprised expression on Laura¡¯s face heightened this feeling as well. When the song was over, Laura was in a cold sweat and the watching vocalists let go of their breaths. Jun Hyuk took his hands off of the keys and spoke to the vocalists who had been watching instead of Laura. ¡°Alright. You all sang along silently while Laura was singing, right?¡± Everyone had moved their lips and sang along silently. Is that not instinct for a singer?¡± ¡°Keep in mind what you felt while listening to my piano and Laura¡¯s singing. That is exactly what I am asking for.¡± Laura did not know the reason for Jun Hyuk¡¯s words and looked over the expressions of the other vocalists. As soon as they realized that the performance just now was for them, they looked more surprised than Laura did. ¡°So shall we try it again?¡± Jun Hyuk recalled New York Philharmonic¡¯s Maestro Dimitri Carras. He had surprised Jun Hyuk by using the method of being objective to prepare the Inferno performance. Jun Hyuk does not have time to tune the singers individually. He had thought of Dimitri Carras when he was thinking of how to tune these expressive people in one go. When Laura sang the song herself, the tension she had felt was excessive. It had been to the point where her voice was crawling. However, Jun Hyuk watched the vocalists¡¯ expressions and controlled the tempo and strength of the piano apaniment to maintain the emotion he desired. After a few practices, the singers were slowly tuned into the way Jun Hyuk wanted. Chapter 197 Volume 6 / Chapter 197 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Did you memorize the whole score?¡± ¡°Of course. Thanks, friend. I think I know why you told me to memorize the whole score.¡± ¡°Then fine. You¡¯re not having any issues either, are you Ms. Han?¡± ¡°No. I barely memorized the whole thing.¡± Danny and Han Ye Ji arrived at BOZAR theater after being locked up in the Chapelle Conservatory for 8 days to prepare for the rehearsal with everyone excluding the chorus. Their eyes were bloodshot and they looked thinner. But their expressions were bright. Afterpletely memorizing the scores, performing became much easier. They do not know exactly why, but as soon as the score was imprinted in their minds, they did have the slightest hesitation. On the other hand, the expressions of Jun Hyuk, the orchestra members, and the vocal soloists were not bright. They have a strong feeling that the rehearsal with the performers to go up on the first final stage did not go well. Danny had a lot of questions he wanted to ask as he watched Jun Hyuk¡¯s face, but he did not speak up. The first piece of news he heard as soon as he came out of Chapelle Conservatory was Jun Hyuk¡¯s statement on Beethoven. He had intended to have a bigugh about it when they saw each other, but he could not joke around in Jun Hyuk¡¯s current state. They are not friends on stage. Jun Hyuk is the maestro who dominates the stage. The feelings of over 100 people can change with a single word from Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk was at the podium with the piano on his right and the violin on his left. The vocalists need to wait in the back until the orchestra is done up to the 3rd part. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll start with the 2nd part.¡± Jun Hyuk turned his head to both sides, met eyes with both people, and moved the baton with strength. Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony is in a A-B-A 3 part format, but Jun Hyuk¡¯s concerto is continued through A-B-C-D and they head to the 3rd part without hesitation. When the strings were about to be expanded, the speedy piano began. When the pianist¡¯s interjection was about to burst through, the violin created a harmony with its prominent fingering to let everyone know that the concerto had begun. The orchestra created a bass with a molto vivace tempo while the violin and piano deployed counteracting reasoning. The vocalists were seated without roles and were in such excited states that their hearts beat as they listened to the fast tempo and continuing melody. Since they are young enough to participate in apetition, they are not ufortable with the fast changes. The difference between reading the score and hearing the performance in person is the difference because the earth and heaven. How many times had their blood boiled just from listening to some music? Their first thought was that Jun Hyuk¡¯s arrogant statement had not been all wrong. They do not know whether his work isparable to that of Beethoven or does note close to matching up, but it isparable to the innovative and rampant feeling they felt when they first heard Beethoven. Beethoven¡¯s Fate Symphony was also rejected at the time because it was considered too extreme. The first audience for Jun Hyuk¡¯s choral concerto is going to have no choice but to agree that at the least, 20 year old Jun Hyuk is ahead of 20 year old Beethoven. *** Jun Hyuk could not leave Pis de BOZAR until thepetition was over. They could not even count how many reporters there were hiding out near the theater for subsequent coverage. While staying in the temporary residence created for him from the theater, he was constantly visited by the people he would need to stand on stage with. They came with their scores to ask about Jun Hyuk¡¯s interpretation and for advice on where they werecking. The finalists who would perform with Jun Hyuk were surprised by the novel image of him as a conductor over just 2 days. Unlike conductors they had experienced until now who had exined their interpretations, he had used music to help them understand at once. If they exined their thoughts to Jun Hyuk for a while, he would respond with music. He yed the piano without speaking, and the answer was inside that piano melody. Tara on the other hand, was frustrated as she watched Jun Hyuk in this harsh environment. ¡°Jun. It¡¯s okay to go to the hotel. If we just use a few bodyguards, we can block the reporters. You don¡¯t have to stay here like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I feel more at ease here. I¡¯m used to ces like this.¡± Tara could not break Jun Hyuk¡¯s stubbornness, so she moved her own stay to a hotel near the theater. Every time the reporters saw Tara go back and forth between the theater and hotel, they shoved their microphones at her. But she only had one answer, ¡°Watch the performance for yourselves. Jun only said what he was thinking, and it isn¡¯t toote to make a judgment on that statement after listening to his music.¡± There would not have been so much noise if Jun Hyuk had been aplete rookie facing his first stage. No one would have paid attention to the situation, disregarding it as nonsense from an idiot who does not know anything. However, he is theposer of hot topic Inferno and someone who received rave reviews from maestros. And because of President Stern, who moved quickly, many maestros were already able to receive Jun Hyuk¡¯s score. That assessment was giving him a great reputation among musicians as Inferno had. With this kind of situation, it seems like the chaos would continue for the time being. Famous critics in Europe boarded nes and trains, and gathered to Brussels. They swept up all of the tickets to the first day of thepetition as though showing that they are prepared to make a judgment on Jun Hyuk¡¯s statement. Maestros who saw the score for the choral concerto also went to Brussels, full of expectations. They intended to watch Jun Hyuk¡¯s premiere and immediately go back to start preparing to put the song up on their own stages. Contrary to thepetitionmittee¡¯s concerns, tickets for the day Jun Hyuk would be conducting were sold out and the prices of scalped tickets surged. Even those were hard toe by. More attention wasing to the Queen Elisabeth than there was to the Chopin Competition finals. *** ¡°What is this ce? Are you spending your days reminiscing about past days?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better than the little room I stayed in cafe in the beginning?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun arrived in Brussels and went to BOZAR theater, where Jun Hyuk was staying, first. Of course, it is iparably more spacious and pleasant than the small room in the cafe had been. ¡°Did youe alone? Didn¡¯t I send you 5 tickets? Who did youe with? Lawyer Baek? Teacher Jo Hyung Joong or Teacher Yoon Jung Su?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I came with my friends, but they went to look around Brussels since they¡¯re ssical music manias.¡± Friends? Did he have friends who were willing toe this far? Jun Hyuk had almost never seen Yoon Kwang Hun meet up with his friends in all the time that they had been living together. There had only been the 3 or 4 college friends who had stopped by for the first time in a long time when it had been extremely noisy because of his participation in the audition program. Those people had note again after that one time, and no one hade after. But he cannot nitpick and ask what friends, and he does not want to go so far to find out. Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression changed subtly, but Yoon Kwang Hun paid no mind. ¡°Anyway, are you confident?¡± ¡°Huh? In what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have to show that you have the possibility to catch up to Beethoven in orchestral songs tomorrow at the least? There are going to be a lot of people who are just waiting to rip you apart... I¡¯m asking if you have the confidence to quiet thempletely.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t the people who resent me and are out to bring me down, do it regardless of what the performance is like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sess if you can change people like that. Music can¡¯t lie.¡± Jun Hyuk thought for a moment and spoke, ¡°Um. Tomorrow morning¡¯s performance is going to be a little t. The afternoon one will be pretty fun. I want to be judged on the afternoon one.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The 2 peoplepeting in the morning aren¡¯t that great. I tried to conduct the way I want and have them follow, but they seemed to find it difficult. I thought it¡¯d be a disadvantage if we perform like that, so I matched it to them a bit.¡± ¡°Are you matching it to them because it¡¯s apetition?¡± ¡°Whew. I couldn¡¯t get myself to be harsh with them to their faces. Won¡¯t it remain as a trauma forever if there¡¯s a situation where they¡¯re performing and can¡¯t continue?¡± Jun Hyuk could not forget the images of the female Japanese violinist, who cried while holding her violin, and the Australian pianist, who lost track of the beat and was devastated. ¡°Then the afternoon performance?¡± ¡°Han Ye Ji and Danny are performing, and it¡¯s okay. They can follow along with ease, so I can give the performance that I want to give. And I¡¯m sure Danny is going to win. He really improved a lot while touring.¡± ¡°Hm. Then should I skip the morning performance and go straight to the afternoon one? I really don¡¯t like t performances.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too much. There¡¯s going to be a different taste to the morning performance. Aren¡¯t you putting too little faith in me?¡± ¡°Fine. But if it¡¯s not worth listening to, I¡¯ll be the first to pelt you with harsh criticism. He he.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun told Jun Hyuk to work hard, pat him on the back, and went back to his hotel. He has work to do as well. Chapter 198 Volume 6 / Chapter 198 TL: LightNovelCafe The first day of the finals was turbulent. It could be considered apetition to judge Jun Hyuk rather than one to decide on the winners of the piano and violin parts. Even the judges were talking about how Jun Hyuk would conduct the choral concerto instead of the piano and violin finals. ¡°Did you hear what the orchestra members have been whispering about?¡± ¡°Yes. They said that there¡¯s going to be a clear difference between the 2 conductors¡¯ performances.¡± ¡°Not that, but about Jun.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Jun¡¯s conducting?¡± ¡°They¡¯re saying that his conducting in the morning and in the afternoon arepletely different. They said it¡¯ll feel as though 2 separate people are conducting if we listen to just the music...¡± ¡°Goodness. The morning and afternoon are different? Is that possible?¡± ¡°The orchestra says that it is just the tempo changing... but it fits with the violin and piano soloists exquisitely.¡± ¡°The performers aren¡¯t following the conductor¡¯s interpretation, but the conductor is matching himself to the performers? Why do you think theposer made such a decision?¡± ¡°My personal thinking is that it¡¯s because this is apetition.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Since the performers are the main part for the stage.¡± The head of the chair and chair members drank coffee before the final performance started, expressing their anticipations for the performance. The chairperson had been listening to the conversation silently before speaking up cautiously, ¡°We are not critics. We are judges. Our ears need to be geared toward the violin and piano. I hope you will keep this in mind.¡± The chair members cleared their throats at her scolding as their faces turned red. It is evidence of how much their attention had gone to the choral concerto itself. ¡°I expect that you know there is difficulty in judging. The conductors¡¯ influence is different, and the interpretations and personalities of the performances arepletely different. We need to judge the skills and workmanship of the soloists among that. There is a lot of talk, but I hope that there will be a fair evaluation.¡± The judges settled themselves, emptied their coffee cups, and headed to the concert hall. There are a lot of familiar faces in the royal seats. While sitting in the audience, they shook hands and chatted,ughing. It seems they all knew each other well. A few reporters even approached them to ask if they can take pictures. They are maestros who have flown here from different parts of Europe, and there are producers from critical and ssical expertbels. The producers in particr, have appeared to listen to today¡¯s performance before deciding on releasing a record. He is a fearless rookie who bes a hot topic every time he releases a new song. If Choral Concerto is not a song that is impossible to enjoy like Inferno, they are certain that it could surpass 1 million albums in sales. Hadn¡¯t Inferno sold almost 1 million on curiosity alone? The song to go on stage today is a piece that will have the sober assessment of whether or not it is worthy ofpeting with Beethoven. As long as there are no horrible harsh criticisms, it is sure to be a piece that bes news. It is inevitable that thebel that makes this evaluation and releases the album the fastest, will bring it tremendous profits. All of the producers looked anxious with a heavy responsibility. As soon as the orchestra members and chorus entered, the stage became full. The nearly 300 people looked down at the audience and that intimidation was not ordinary. A moderator came out, fitting the scene of apetition, and started with an introduction on the finals. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the finals for the piano and violin portions of the Queen Elisabeth Competition will be starting momentarily.¡± There was formal pping from the audience, and the moderator introduced each of the 12 judges. ¡°The orchestra performing with the participants will be our pride, the National Orchestra of Belgium, and the chorus is the Brussels Royal Choir.¡± When the 270 performers on stage greeted the audience, an apuse that could not bepared with that of what happened just now exploded. The Belgian people were showing them how much they love their orchestra. When the audience quieted down, the moderator held the mic up again. ¡°The first performer is No. 24 pianist Michael Looper, of Australia. The piano is Steinway. And No. 16 violinist Hayakawa Touko, of Japan. The title of the song is Concerto for Violin and Piano in D Minor, ¡®Choral¡¯. Conductor is Jun Hyuk Jang. As a special appearance is the soloist finalist of the vocal portion.....¡± When the moderator¡¯s long introduction ended, Jun Hyuk, 2 soloists, and 6 vocalists entered the stage. They could hear very low heckling, but most of the audience were polite with enthusiastic cheers. The main characters of the performance approached the audience, bended their backs to greet them, and the 2 soloists shook hands with the bandmaster before going back to their respective positions. Jun Hyuk got on the podium wearing the ck suit and white bow tie that Tara had carefully picked out. When the 1st part started, the 2 soloists watched the orchestra with anxiety. Jun Hyuk was conducting and as soon as he red at the 2 of them, they quickly came to their senses. ¡°You should think of yourselves as part of the audience for the 1st part, and leave your body to the flow of the music. If you only brood over the 2nd part, it won¡¯t be natural and you¡¯ll trip up.¡± It is what Jun Hyuk stressed during rehearsals. The 2 people shook their heads lightly to shake off their tension, and started to tune their ears to the orchestra¡¯s music. The maestros in the audience also geared their ears to the music. They got lost in the performance whileparing their own interpretations of the music when they first received the score to that of theposer¡¯s. Once the storm-like 1st part was over, the flow changed with the start of the 2nd part where the piano and violin came in. The gentle yet fast piano calmed the relentless orchestra. But the violin was flexible and powerful as though trying to go out alone, following closely behind the piano. While the two instruments showed a sprint by going ahead of each other, the orchestra ran forward without hesitation again. The music that was so fast that it was impossible to distinguish between the end of the 2nd part and the start of the 3rd, started to change slowly. The piano and violin maintained the exquisite bnce that they had showed up until the 2nd part, and began to encroach upon the orchestra. Now, it is not a sprint of the 2 instruments, but became like a sprint between the 2 soloists and the orchestra. They could not erase the feeling that the soloists were a bit ahead either. The maestros watching this began to fret. Could it be that the ensemble copses? But the back of Jun Hyuk, holding the baton, did not look exhausted at all, and the performers did not show any signs of diposure. Once they realized that this is all the conductor¡¯s intention, everyone sighed in relief. When the 4th part that everyone had been waiting for started, there was not even the sound of a cough from the audience. The theater was especially full of anticipation for how the vocal duet and trio of a 150 member choir and orchestra performing Ode to Joy wouldpare with Beethoven¡¯s. However, the audience was most surprised that the familiar Ode to Joy sounded so different. The first reason is the difference in the sounds between German and English. Unlike the sternness offered by the hard and broken sybles, the flowing and almost rhythmical English made it feel as though they are listening to an aria. Also instead of the Ode to Joy melody that they are familiar with, it is a solemn melody that shows it has influence from hymns. A tragic beauty flowed out with an emphasis on the simplicity of the chorus configuration and sporadic chords. When the performance wasplete up to the 4th part, there was only a light pping full of disappointment rather than an explosive apuse. Of an audience of over 2,000 people, only 1 out of every 10 people ¨C about 200 people ¨C gave a standing ovation and yelled bravo. ¡°That person must be from Italy, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even imagine this kind of result... How much is that young maestro going to surprise us? Ha ha, geez.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. I was expecting Beethoven, but it¡¯s Giuseppe Verdi out of nowhere.¡± The maestros in the royal seats forgot about apuding and faced each other, discussing their thoughts. Among them, just one maestro stood from his seat and apuded with tears flowing down his face. ¡°The answeres from watching him. Isn¡¯t he from Italy?¡± The person who could not stop his tears is a maestro from Italy. ¡°The 4th part felt like we were watching Verdi, so that reaction is inevitable.¡± Another maestro spoke with a big smile. ¡°I¡¯m really anticipating the afternoon performance.¡± The maestros looked to the person they were discussing. ¡°Pierre Boulez said something funny. He hinted that the the morning and afternoon performances are going to be totally different.¡± He did not stop smiling as he looked at the people who could not easily understand that the 2 performances are going to be different. *** ¡°Let¡¯s all get rid of our preconceived notions. It is the finals for the piano and violin. Only think about the soloists¡¯ performances.¡± Themittee head looked at the 11 members and spoke hastily. She is speaking not only to themittee, but also to herself. Everyone who watched the performance will be thinking the same thing. They had been expecting Beethoven, but they had fallen into chaos with apletely different music. They need to evaluate on the music alone. They must not think that the music was bad just because it was not what they had predicted. Strictly speaking, there is no target ofparison. Isn¡¯t it a premiere ¨C something that has never been performed? The moment theypare it with Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony is when it bes toote to make a fair assessment. ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t Jun, theposer, keep saying it? He said that it is different from Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony.¡± ¡°My head knows it, but my heart and ears keptparing the 2 works.¡± The judges shook their heads as though trying to shake the words Beethoven and choral symphony. Just as confused as the judges are, the BOZAR theater lobby was noisy with the audience members exchanging opinions. It was not just the theater lobby that was noisy, but also the restaurants and cafes nearby. The people who epted only the music praised it as a great work, and the people who could not erase Beethoven from their minds, disparaged it saying that Jun Hyuk did not match up to the confidence he exhibited. Three hourster, before the afternoon performance, the people gathered to the theater again. Chapter 199 Volume 6 / Chapter 199 TL: LightNovelCafe The people who knew that the conducting would be different did not lose interest, but most of the general audience were just going to enjoy thepetition. They were full of anticipation for how the new pianist and violinist would perform, and watched the 2 soloists. When Danny and Han Ye Ji greeted the audience and went back to their seats, Jun Hyuk picked up the baton. At that moment, the air in the theater changed. A different atmosphere than that from the morning came from the performers. Their faces showed resolution as though they are yers who have appeared for the World Cup finals. The first verse started with a signal from Jun Hyuk¡¯s baton, and the expressions of the maestros in the royal seats changed. It is fast! The violin and vis move so vigorously that they cannot see the movement of their bows. Even the general audience could tell that there is an iparable difference in speed to that of the morning performance. If the morning performance¡¯s 1st part had been a storm, it now went through the score faster than a tornado. The judges¡¯ hearts beat as they listened to the music. It is so fast that they could not understand how the 2 soloists would follow along. Notes that fill up the piano and violinpletely. Performing those notes properly is not a matter of skill. It is a matter of the basic workmanship to be able to get on this movement that is faster than a tornado within moments. Extensive practice would be necessary even for professional soloists who are already famous, but the soloists who entered the finals only had 10 days. It is excessive to ask them to handle such a speed perfectly in such a short period of time. When the 2nd part began however, they realized that their worries were groundless. Danny and Han Ye Ji joined the tornado perfectly, as though they had been performing together since the 1st part. When the 2 instruments¡¯ melodies flowed out with speed, the judges could not help but express their admiration. It is admiration for the 2 performers who adapted so well, but it is also because they realized that the morning conducting had been matched to the soloists. The judges realized that the young conductor with a strong charisma on the podium now, can be called a maestro without exaggeration. The audience was dizzy from the incredible change between the thematic progression of the 2nd and 3rd parts, and their hearts trembled at the timpani¡¯s magnificent sound. They subconsciously put strength in their hands and clutched onto their chairs as though trying not to fall off. The piano and violin are very different from their counterparts in the morning performance. The 2 people seemed to have forgotten that it is a stage to determine a winner. The morning performance showed the orchestra and 2 instruments going back and forth, but the soloists and orchestra on stage now have be one to go at the audience. They hadpletely hidden themselves and left their workmanship, talent, and efforts to the orchestra. The 4th part began without time to relish in how the 3rd part went by, and the soprano¡¯s scream-like timbre sounded like a trumpet call from a battlefield. Laura Goldberg¡¯s strong technique and scale in particr showed that arge volume does not work as an excuse against ¡®the orchestra¡¯s volume is too big¡¯. She proved here that one great singer can overwhelm the sound made by over 100 instruments. The maestros could understand that it is apletely different performance. If the morning conducting had been like an Italian opera full of tragic beauty, it is now a struggle to win. Jun Hyuk conducting the orchestra, piano, violin, vocal soloist, and chorus while controlling them to maintain tremendous change and speed, looked like themander of a battlefield. The maestros and critics watching this might still be in question and argument over whether he is the next Beethoven, but they cannot deny that another great has been born. When Jun Hyuk put the baton down and turned to the audience, the audience was still silent. They finally realized that the performance was over once they saw Danny run to Jun Hyuk and Han Ye Ji to embrace them with joy. The audience¡¯s roar filled the theater as though they were in a cave, and every single person gave them a standing ovation. The vocalists and main performers left the stage after bowing to the audience, but the apuse did not stop. Reporters tried to keep track of the number of curtain calls there were, but gave up after the 10th. The audience finally left the theater after seeing the chorus and orchestra leave the stage empty. Impatient critics chatted in the theater lobby, and there were reporters everywhere trying to record this with their microphones. ¡°The morning performance started out as Beethoven¡¯s Fate symphony, went through a power symphony, and then culminated as Verdi¡¯s opera... Um. It was a conducting that showed a bit of a confusing configuration.¡± Critics chatted until they were red in the face. ¡°The performance hepleted just now on the other hand... It doesn¡¯t need many words, does it? Maestro Jun acted on what he said with his music. Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m not saying that the performance was like Beethoven. What he showed us is innovative and an aggressive conducting, and can bepared to Beethoven.¡± There were critics who responded to reporters¡¯ questions in calm voices, too. ¡°The hero of the 2nd performance? The violin that was able to express the fine and delicate emotions? The pianist who wascking a bit in musical skill, but able to create an outstanding ensemble with the orchestra? The soprano who easily brought out a forte in difficult circumstances with brass instruments hitting?¡± The critic said the next words after looking around at the reporters waiting for his next statement. ¡°The conductor who controlled all of this is not the hero of this performance either. The hero is the work itself. A great piece that is able to contain all of these outstanding elements. The choral concerto is the hero.¡± The critic whoid out a series of high praises, finished the interview with thest question. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to wait until Maestro Pierre Boulez¡¯s performance tomorrow. How will he express this amazing piece...? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to fall asleep out of curiosity.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun smiled as he listened to all of the praising about Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk had brought all of the people who were out to crush him, onto his side. Thinking about Jun Hyuk, who proved himself with just 2 performances, he felt proud. Yoon Kwang Hun left the theater with his ¡®friends¡¯. Page Break*** ¡°Sister, what do you think of Jun Hyuk?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was sitting in a cafe with a cup of coffee in front of him, smiling gently. He was happiest that the 4 people from Korea had witnessed the audience of over 2,000 people cheering enthusiastically for Jun Hyuk. ¡°It¡¯s not what we were thinking. He still seemed like a child from what we saw on TV, but he has be an adult.¡± The sister who had been streaming tears throughout the performance was drinking a milk tea as she calmed her excitement down. ¡°Jun Hyuk with the baton was... really impressive.¡± The young sister who had fed Jun Hyuk by a bottle had be middle-aged. ¡°Mr. Yoon. I don¡¯t know ssical music, but did Jun Hyuk do well today?¡± The middle-aged couple looked older under the sunlight and did not know music, but were still thinking about the audience¡¯s cheering. ¡°You may not know ssical music, but you¡¯ve listened to Mozart or Beethoven, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Jun Hyuk¡¯s name will be among people like that soon. It means that he is the most superior person in the world of ssical.¡± ¡°Goodness... Jun Hyuk is.....¡± The couple could not close their mouths at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s words. Even when Jun Hyuk came out on TV, they had only hoped for him to seed as a singer in Korea. They had thought that they would be able to wash themselves of the guilt as Jun Hyuk became more sessful and rooted for him enthusiastically, but he did not be a singer. When they saw on TV that he would be going to study abroad in America, they were just grateful. But now, after just a few years, he has be a world-renowned musician. Tears formed in their eyes again. ¡°Mr. Yoon. Then what is going to happen to Jun Hyuk now?¡± The middle-aged sister who wiped the tears from the white-haired director sister¡¯s face had trembling hands, deeply moved as well. ¡°Once thepetition is over, he will probably perform with the New York Philharmonic. Jun Hyuk¡¯s management agency is one of the toppanies in the world. Even after the New York performance, he will get to continue conducting the top orchestras all over the world.¡± The 4 people could understand Jun Hyuk¡¯s current situation when told that he would be conducting all over the world, rather than with a long exnation. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can express how thankful I am, Mr. Yoon. I really am grateful.¡± The director sister bowed her head to Yoon Kwang Hun multiple times. ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s nothing. Jun Hyuk got all the way here on his own. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun waved his hand and sat her down. When Jun Hyuk came out on TV on the audition program, 2 sisters had quietlye to the cafe. They were the 2 sisters who had raised Jun Hyuk at the orphanage. Yoon Kwang Hun tried to have them meet with Jun Hyuk, but they politely refused and went back down to Daegu. They were fine with checking that he was living well after meeting a good person, and did not think that they needed to bring up memories of his past. However, Yoon Kwang Hun thought that the 4 people might be able to wash away the slight guilt they still felt as they watched Jun Hyuk grow up well, and flew to Brussels with them. ¡°Thank you so much for creating this kind of situation.¡± The 4 people bowed their heads to Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°Are you really going to just go back? You came all the way here.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun looked at the 4 people and spoke carefully, but they onlyughed. ¡°Mr. Yoon. We weren¡¯t able to act as parents for even a day, but we have been able ot release some of the guilt thanks to you. Thank you.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s 4 ¡®friends¡¯ got on a ne that night to go back to Korea. Their faces had be considerably brighter since letting go of baggage that had been heavy on their hearts for over 15 years. Chapter 200 Volume 6 / Chapter 200 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°This kid. Isn¡¯t he too much? What are we supposed to do if he shows a performance like this?¡± The maestros who gathered backstage surrounded Jun Hyuk as though to threaten him. ¡°Exactly. Now, no matter who conducts, won¡¯t it bepared to today¡¯s choral concerto? Will we even be able to put it on stage with this fear? Ha ha.¡± The maestrosughed while speaking as though joking, but they were not at ease. There had been a premiere with theposer¡¯s conducting. The countless performances of choral concerto from now on will be continuouslypared to that of today. It is obvious that a performance that is faster and more aggressive than Jun Hyuk¡¯s will be judged as imitating, and they have no choice but to fight it by trying to create a novel interpretation. But would a new interpretation be able to surpass Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance? How would they be able to surpass the brutality that expresses a death-defying beast... They cannot think of a way immediately. ¡°This praise is excessive. I was just hoping you would like it.¡± ¡°When did you be so modest? Where did the person who was arrogant in front of Beethoven go?¡± ¡°Are you still talking about that? It really is a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°No. It was a performance and work that was worthy of that. I¡¯m being serious.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s face was flushed from the maestros¡¯pliments, when Tara came over. Then Jun Hyuk saw Yoon Kwang Hun, who had cautiously followed closely behind her. ¡°Oh, sir. I¡¯m sure you saw the performance? What do you think? You¡¯re not going to be poignant and criticize me, are you?¡± ¡°Hey! Be quiet. Don¡¯t you need to introduce me to those people first?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun looked more excited than Jun Hyuk did, and gestured to the maestros looking at Jun Hyuk and him. He had watched his guests from Korea catch a taxi to the airport beforeing back to the theater right away. When Tara escorted him backstage and he discovered over 10 maestros, he thought his heart was going to stop. His eyes were fixed on the maestros and he already forgot about Jun Hyuk. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right... Sir. Don¡¯t do things like taking pictures with them...¡± ¡°Am I a child? Hurry!¡± Jun Hyuk went to the maestros and spoke to them cautiously. ¡°This is my father... He¡¯s a huge fan of all of you.¡± ¡°Oh, really? You¡¯re saying this is the great man who made a monster like you?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun could not wait any longer and pushed past Jun Hyuk. ¡°This is an honor, Maestro. My name is Yoon.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun shook the hands of each person, and rapidlyplimented each of them with respect and affection. ¡°Maestro, your Mendelssohn during the 2003 Munich concert was really the best.¡± ¡°Bruckner¡¯s No. 8 Symphony was so perfect that it wasparable to Celibadache. I don¡¯t know how many times I cried because I was so overwhelmed.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun does not have Jun Hyuk¡¯s memory. But he did not leave out any praise as he shook the hands of each maestro. How many times had he listened to the albums for him to be able to remember all of that? Jun Hyuk stared nkly at Yoon Kwang Hun. When Jun Hyuk could not wait any longer because of the next item of their schedule and pulled Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s arm, Yoon Kwang Hun had already taken dozens of pictures with the maestros. ¡°Sir, stop and go back to the hotel. I¡¯ll finish up my schedule today and go to the hotel. Your friends are waiting for you.¡± ¡°Huh? Who? Oh, friends? They all went back. I watched them go back to the airport.¡± ¡°What? They went back already?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Those friends aren¡¯t people who love ssical music. Anyway, you have to call me if you get dinner or drinks with these people. Got it?¡± Jun Hyuk had to urge Yoon Kwang Hun out because even after he warned Jun Hyuk, he kept looking back as though he wanted to stay. When the maestros who told him to go to the after party once thepetition is over left, Jun Hyuk went to be interviewed. The reporters finished up interviewing the performers for today¡¯s finals and were just waiting for Jun Hyuk to show up. When he entered the room, the cameras shed. ¡°Are you satisfied with today¡¯s performance?¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk sat down, questions came flooding in. ¡°Yes. It was a pleasant performance because I was able to work with such great people.¡± ¡°The 1st and 2nd performances were clearly different. Was that difference because of the soloists?¡± ¡°I guess that is half right. I wanted to bring out the soloists¡¯ individuality, and I also wanted to try out different types of performances.¡± ¡°I do not understand. Unless you were thinking of 2 different versions whileposing the song, isn¡¯t it impossible to show such stark differences? We can tell just with the length of time for the performances. The 1st was 67 minutes. You reduced the 2nd to 59 minutes. There was the difference of a whopping 8 minutes. Couldn¡¯t this only be seen as a difference in interpretation?¡± Interpreting means that the conductor is building the performer and piece. It is inevitable that a work changes ording to the conductor, but there has never been a case where one conductor presented 2 interpretations, much less on the same day. ¡°Of course it is. The feeling I had when I was writing the song was more like that of the 2nd performance, but a lot of time has passed. It was enough time for a new interpretation to emerge.¡± ¡°Then does that mean that you will be continuing to bring out different interpretations?¡± ¡°I would like to if I can. Isn¡¯t that the appeal of music ¨C no ¨C art? Hundreds of interpretations cane from one piece of art.¡± The reporters became restless. This is a shocking statement. He will be conducting the same song in various versions? Is this possible unless he is arranging it? Is this possible because he wrote it? While the reporters were thinking of these questions, one quick reporter threw out a question. ¡°Then when you conduct otherposer¡¯s songs from now on, do you intend to bring out the ¡®appeal of art¡¯?¡± ¡°If it is in the range of possibility, of course.¡± He had used the phrase he used with Beethoven again. Range of possibility. shes burst. Though this time, the reporters¡¯ reactions were different from then. They were full of the thought that it could be a possibility, and that it is not just nonsense. ¡°We cannot leave this question out. Youpared with Beethoven ¨C do you still think the same thing?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t really pull out now... I¡¯ll leave that judgement to the criticism that wille out tomorrow.¡± Tara was watching next to him, and took the microphone. ¡°As we are out of time, we will take thest question. And please refrain from questions regarding Beethoven. I believe that he has answered questions on this enough.¡± ¡°What are your future ns? Are you going to prepare a new piece?¡± Tara answered thest question on his behalf again. ¡°He is currently preparing for a performance with the New York Philharmonic. We will let you know as soon as we have a definitive schedule. And Maestro Jun is working on a new piece without taking a break. Then we will be wrapping up the interview.¡± Jun Hyuk came out of the room and looked relieved. ¡°I can go home now, right?¡± ¡°Of course. The reporters will be busy writing their articles for tomorrow too. The dorm you were staying in here was already taken care of.¡± ¡°Phew ¨C What a relief. Oh right. Before I go home, I have to go to the hotel...¡± ¡°No. If you¡¯re talking about Mr. Yoon, he was taken to the house. He¡¯ll be waiting there.¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks, Tara.¡± Tara saw Jun Hyuk smile and said what she needs to even though she had not nned on doing so. ¡°What do you think about meeting Maestro Boulez for a moment before you go?¡± Jun Hyuk did not see, but Tara saw Pierre Boulez praising Jun Hyuk to the reporters. ¡°The ability to see a great conduct in apetition gauging rookies is itself a blessing. Though Jun was a participant in theposing portion, he is no longer a rookie if looking only at his conducting. It is not surprising even if he bes the principal conductor of an internationally leading symphony orchestra.¡± She had heard such high praises, and could not ignore it. ¡°He praised you a lot while interviewing with reporters about today¡¯s performance. I think it¡¯s right to talk to him.¡± Jun Hyuk nodded and started walking. When he opened the door to Pierre Boulez¡¯s office and walked in, the 4 soloists for tomorrow¡¯s performance were drinking tea and chatting with the Maestro. ¡°Oh, Jun. Are you done with everything for today?¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro. I finished up the interviews as well.¡± Pierre Boulez went to Jun Hyuk, held both of his hands, and sat him down next to him. ¡°I¡¯m trying to erase the aftertaste of your performance today. Though it isn¡¯t easy because it¡¯s so strong. Ha ha.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s apliment, it¡¯s too much. It¡¯s the same even if it¡¯s a fuss.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m being serious. You went through such arge song that fast, but to think you would finish it within an hour! It was too intense.¡± Pierre Boulez¡¯s worries were not his making a fuss. If not even he can get rid of that aftertaste, how will these 4 finalists who have to perform tomorrow feel? He could tell the shock that the 4 people must have felt in their eyes and fingertips while watching Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance. Their pupils shook throughout the performance, and their fingers did not stop trembling. It is the most dangerous moment in apetition. They need to maintain the unique color they have created until now, but they lose that the moment they try to make a stronger impression than what they saw before. ¡°Jun, do you have anything to say to them? As theposer, not a conductor. I¡¯m saying this because as you can see, they look like they¡¯ve lost confidence.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at the 4 people and scratched his head. Their performance cannot change just from hearing a few words. Pierre Boulez was asking him to say something that would help them exert their skill at the least. ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know that the only thing you have to lean on in tomorrow¡¯s performance is Maestro Boulez.¡± It is not something that the 4 performers do not know. They just have note out of the shock of the afternoon performance. ¡°Hm. You¡¯ve all fallen into the trap of Beethoven¡¯s name ¨C no ¨C the word.¡± Jun Hyuk saw the same thing in each of their faces. ¡°You can¡¯t be caught captive by the one image hidden in his music and what the critics are saying. It is the image of innovation.¡± Beethoven is the first free musician. In the times before him, musicians created music on the request of people like the wealthy, royals in power, and archbishops ruling diocese. In today¡¯s terms, it was a time when music was contracted for delivery. A lot of money was required to perform symphonies and operas, so there was no attempt atposing them unless they were contracted. If they created and performed with their own money and failed, it would only be a matter of time before they lost everything. No one made such a venture. Due to this, musicians were dressed as servants. The tights that came up to their knees were a symbol of this. When Mozart was in working under the archbishop in Salzburg, he even ran away to Vienna because he was lower in rank than the chef at the table. Beethoven on the other hand, rejected this kind ofmissioning. He was freed when he said the famous words, ¡°I write (the songs), they pay.¡± Beethoven rejected the knee high tights, and wore pants. He did not take requests from people higher up, and made the music he wanted to. He rented salons and took money from the audience to reveal his new songs. He had used today¡¯s concert culture for the first time. And he seeded. He earned enough to lead an affluent life. ¡°The song that you will be performing tomorrow has nothing to do with Beethoven. It is just another concerto. There are hundreds of interpretations to this song. It doesn¡¯t need to be aggressive.¡± The 4 performers felt Jun Hyuk¡¯s words were empty. It is because Jun Hyuk had presented a more extreme conducting than Beethoven when he was telling him to erase Beethoven from their minds. ¡°I thought of this song¡¯s interpretation this way.¡± It was uncertain whether he was saying this to the performers or if he was looking for Pierre Boulez to agree with him. Jun Hyuk was looking out into the air. ¡°007¡¯s James Bond was released in various versions. There are more being made now. James Bond¡¯s first actor Sean Connery was sexy and elegant, and was humorous even in dangerous moments. He was always surrounded by beautiful women as well.¡± Sean Connery¡¯s James Bond was created to meet men¡¯s standards as the ideal an rather than a spy. ¡°But what is today¡¯s James Bond, Daniel Craig, like? He runs, rolls, gets hurt... He¡¯s a serious spy who doesn¡¯t even smile much. And most of the Bond girls are tough Amazons. They arepletely different characters, but they are both James Bond.¡± Pierre Boulez smiled. Jun Hyuk is Daniel Craig and he is Sean Connery. ¡°You are all James Bond of the 007 series that Maestro Boulez is making. If your individuality isbined with his directing, a new James Bond will be born. And I¡¯m anticipating being able to see a James Bond with personality tomorrow.¡± Pierre Boulez sincerely prayed that the 4 finalists, who still looked confused, wouldpletely ept what Jun Hyuk said and create a new James Bond tomorrow. Chapter 201 Volume 6 / Chapter 201 TL: LightNovelCafe When Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun went to the theater the next morning, they could only sit in the car and stare at each other because of the reporters that hade swarming to them. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Don¡¯t you need to foster the skill to get through reporters now? He he.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun tapped Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder and got out of the car first. The cameras shed in his face, but they slipped away from him when he pointed to the car. ¡°Jun, all you have to do is walk slowly into the theater. There are no reporters who will block your path. Don¡¯t frown, and smile. You don¡¯t have to respond to questions. There will be reporters who try to get you to answer with weird questions. Just ignore them and keep walking.¡± ¡°Smile and keep walking. Okay.¡± When Tara walked out first, the reporters stepped back and opened up the path. Jun Hyuk saw the reporters split like the Red Sea and thought that Tara would be like Moses if she just had a staff in her hand. He automatically broke out into a smile at this thought. Once he entered the theater, the reporters sighed lightly. Now they need permission from the theater to continue filming. If they do not get approval, they will be kicked out of the theater without being able to cover today¡¯s performance. When Jun Hyuk copsed into his seat, Yoon Kwang Hun wasughing in the next seat. ¡°Seems you did well from your expression.¡± ¡°Yes. It wasn¡¯t hard.¡± ¡°Be good to Tara. I haven¡¯t seen very many people who are good at her job as she is.¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re trying to be friends. Don¡¯t worry.¡± When the audience was packed without any empty seats, the orchestra and chorus entered. ¡°In my opinion, the Belgian National Orchestra is pretty great. What do you think? You¡¯ll know since you conducted them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re significantly undervalued. It¡¯s just an issue of their repertoire.¡± While they chatted, the moderator appeared on stage. When he finished introducing today¡¯s performers, conductor Pierre Boulez, 2 soloists, and the vocalists walked onto the stage. Pierre Boulez climbed on the podium and raised the baton, smiling without the slightest bit of nervousness. *** Unlike yesterday¡¯s performance, the 1st part started with the melody of a slow and sorrowful violin and vi. When the stringed instruments¡¯ bows moved slowly, the audience feltfortable and buried their bodies deep in their seats. Maestro Boulez basically dered that his music is different from Jun Hyuk¡¯s extreme. He could notpletely erase the intensity of the original, but it was enough to feel a cold winter to raise their coat cors. But when the 1st part was ending, the orchestra became an obstacle to prevent the biting winds. The piano and violin dug in happily as though they had discovered a ce to get away from the wind. When the piano and violinpletely melted in with the 2nd part, Jun Hyuk let out a low groan. It was natural as though they had been performing together from the beginning. Since Jun Hyuk too made a lot of effort in this area during rehearsals, he knew what a difficult moment it was. Jun Hyuk nced at Yoon Kwang Hun and saw that he was moving his hand a little and showing that he was lost in the music. When they entered the middle of the 2nd part, Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s eyes bolted open. Jun Hyuk also straightened his hip off of the back of his chair. The 2nd part that he expressed with fear and unrest slowly started to change. The orchestra stirred the fierce winds as though freezing everything, but the piano and violin was maintaining a smooth melody as though still basking in afortable shelter. ¡®Ho ¨C So it¡¯s this kind of performance.¡¯ It is a piano and violin that do not mind the orchestra¡¯s biting winds. A piano with a smooth and light touch, a violin that has a clear and graceful tone and free rubato (not bound to the beat). And a cantabile (as though singing). Maestro Boulez is strict in dealing with the orchestra, but he gave the 2 soloists wings that let them fly freely. ¡°That man, he¡¯s impressive.....¡± Yoon Kwang Hun mumbled without realizing it. He had already looked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s score carefully, hundreds of times. He could tell that the 2 soloists¡¯ performances were breath-takingly straying from the score. ¡°Right? His confidence is impressive.¡± Jun Hyuk mumbled quietly too. The performance flowed freely so they could enjoy each sound. When the 3rd part was over, Pierre Boulez closed his eyes for a fairly long time. The audience¡¯s anticipation for a great 4th part grew. Starting with the 4th part, there is no longer freedom. The performance was faithful to the score and he led everything with strict conducting. The vocal soloists gave them exact sounds, making the audience think that they were cutting each syble. If Jun Hyuk had built the song with loud sound, Pierre Boulez made it so that they could not leave the standard frame. The chorus also sang as though it had been measured with a ruler. That strictness is not very different from Beethoven. Thest chorus was so elegant that it inspired reverence and the restrained sound filled the theater. When Maestro Boulez put the baton down, thunderous apuse filled the theater that the chorus had disappeared from. There were even sounds of ¡®Beethoven!¡¯ bursting from different parts of the audience. They do not know exactly why, but the 4th part was a perfect egress as though Beethoven himself had been conducting. ¡°Wow ¨C He is showing that a choral concerto and choral symphony aren¡¯t very different. It¡¯s killer.¡± Jun Hyuk thought that it was a performance where he had to agree with Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°Ha ha. Well it looks like I¡¯ve taken a hit.¡± ¡°If you look at just the 4th part, today¡¯s performance is much more like Beethoven.¡± ¡°Yes. Even though he was making such a fuss when I saw him yesterday.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay though? He¡¯s brought you a step closer to Beethoven.¡± ¡°It¡¯s 100 times the burden. He he.¡± Tara watched them and stood up. ¡°Jun, Mr. Yoon. We need to hurry out. If we stay like this, I think we¡¯ll be trapped without being able to move in the lobby.¡± The 3 people slipped out among the audience that would not stop looking at the stage and apuding, to go backstage. ¡°Jun Hyuk. Are you going to meet the Maestro backstage right now?¡± ¡°Yes, probably.¡± ¡°This is bad.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was walking quickly, and frowned. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a single CD of Pierre Boulez¡¯s. I¡¯ve never heard him conduct... I can¡¯t pretend I know him.¡± ¡°You heard it today. That should be enough.¡± They urged their footsteps along, Yoon Kwang Hun in his happiness in meeting another maestro and Jun Hyuk in his curiosity concerning today¡¯s performance. Backstage, only thepetition staff were moving busily. It seems the heros of the performance were still answering curtain calls and had not been able to leave the stage. When they heard the apuse die down and the the audience bustle to leave the theater, the performers came backstage. ¡°Jun, what do you think? Was it okay?¡± When Pierre Boulez discovered Jun Hyuk, he asked his opinion on the performance first. ¡°The worrying you showed yesterday really was just a fuss. I¡¯m embarrassed that I babbled like that.¡± ¡°Nonsense! The soloists were able to center themselves because of that.¡± Pierre Boulez¡¯s looked to the Asian pianist. The female pianist who shone most in today¡¯s performance. It was a piano that Jun Hyuk had admired as well. He had carefully anticipated Han Ye Ji¡¯s win until yesterday, but he is not so sure now. He heard that she is Chinese, but the piano that came from her delicate physique was so free that he could not know its end. ¡°I told them to forget Beethoven, but wasn¡¯t that performance Beethoven himself?¡± Jun Hyuk looked back at Pierre Boulez. ¡°Ha ha. Was it? Honestly, I was Beethoven from the beginning. I mean from the moment I saw the score. I thought about changing the vocal part in the 4th part to German, but I couldn¡¯t do that because I was scared of you.¡± ¡°Oh. That would have been good too. What do you think about doing the afternoon performance in German?¡± ¡°I would if I could... but the soloists might try to kill me. Ha ha.¡± The audience must have the aftertaste of the perfect Beethoven performance they heard in the morning. If they sing in German in the afternoon, the audience will be 100 times more impressed. ¡°What is the afternoon performance like? Is it different?¡± ¡°How could it be? I don¡¯t have the ability to y around with music the way I want to like you can. It¡¯s the same as the morning performance. The difference would be the 2 soloists¡¯ influence.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun listened to their conversation and poked Jun Hyuk¡¯s side. ¡°Oh, Maestro. This is...¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you like this, Maestro Boulez. My name is Yoon.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun came forward before Jun Hyuk could finish speaking, and held his hand out. ¡°Oh, Mr. Yoon. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. The maestros yesterday said that you¡¯re a sharp critic. They said they could tell how a genius like Jun coulde out.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s smile widened at Pierre Boulez¡¯s praise. But Jun Hyuk was having trouble trying not tough. He had not been a sharp critic, but more of a groupie whoid out all types ofpliments. Jun Hyuk took Yoon Kwang Hun by the hand and dragged him away as he wasplimenting Pierre Boulez. ¡°Sir. Let¡¯s go since Maestro Boulez needs to prepare for the afternoon performance.¡± ¡°Oh right. What bad manners. Maestro Boulez, once thepetition is over, I¡¯d like to eat together and talk about music.¡± ¡°Of course, Mr. Yoon. It¡¯s actually what I wanted to ask first. Oh, my friends and I will have a simple get together once thepetition is over, and you shoulde with Jun.¡± When he says friends, he must be talking about the maestros. Yoon Kwang Hun was grinning from ear to ear at Pierre Boulez¡¯s answer. Jun Hyuk took Yoon Kwang Hun by the hand when he could not leave, and quickly left backstage. ¡°What are you going to do? Are you going to watch the afternoon performance?¡± ¡°No. He said that it¡¯s the same as the morning performance. I¡¯m going to go check the soloists for tomorrow¡¯s performance.¡± Jun Hyuk is concerned about the soloists who need to perform tomorrow. If they saw the morning performance, they will be shaken. That is how great the performance was. ¡°Alright. Then you go first. I¡¯m going to watch the afternoon performance and then go home.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll send a car for you then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can take a taxi, so don¡¯t go through the trouble.¡± Jun Hyuk left the theater with Tara. ¡°Tara, bring the soloists for tomorrow¡¯s performance. I¡¯ll wait in the car. I think it¡¯ll get noisy again if I run into the reporters. Let¡¯s take the 2 people home.¡± ¡°Home? You¡¯re going to practice at home?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a piano there. Tell the violinist to bring a violin.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The 2 people who followed Tara looked a bit excited. They looked full of anticipation because they were receiving a special lesson for tomorrow¡¯s performance. Chapter 202 Volume 6 / Chapter 202 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°You¡¯re nervous, right?¡± When they arrived at home, Jun Hyuk brought out coffee and tried to put the 2 people at ease. But their expressions were still firm. Their unrest, anxiety, and worries had not gone away. ¡°I¡¯m so anxious. Maestro Jun¡¯s performance yesterday, especially the 2 performers in the afternoon performance, were really impressive.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to express the freedom the pianist performed with in today¡¯s performance.....¡± The 2 performers could not get rid of the image of thepetitors who had surpassed them, and had already lost confidence. ¡°To be honest, I thought that there wouldn¡¯t be anyone to follow violinist Daniel from yesterday¡¯s afternoon performance. I¡¯ve watched his performance since the finals, but he really is in the lead.¡± The violinist who is to perform with Jun Hyuk tomorrow, Michele cido, has an honest personality like the Italian he is. He is blinded by the jealousy he felt while watching Danny. The roommate of the young genius sitting in front of him. The lucky guy who was in the same room for over 1 year, receiving inspiration and enlightenment. ¡°Yes. I also think that Danny¡¯s performance was the best. He showed overwhelming ability among the 6 violin finalists. Looking at skill alone, I expect he will win.¡± The Italian violinistughed despondently. ¡°Ha ha. Well, well. Even so, for you to say it so tantly.....¡± ¡°But the win can¡¯t be guaranteed.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Now what does that mean?¡± When Jun Hyuk became inconsistent, the 2 people could only stare at him. ¡°There were a lot of mistakes. If the judges use a deduction system rather than judging the overall performance when scoring, he won¡¯t have a lot of points. That¡¯s the scoring method of apetition.¡± The 2 people had not even known that Danny had made mistakes. There were parts where he strayed from the score, but it was because he had been so natural that it seemed he had done it on purpose. ¡°Alright. If it¡¯s okay, can I give you a piece of advice?¡± ¡°Of course. Anything you say will be helpful now.¡± The 2 people swallowed. Jun Hyuk is now an indisputable genius maestro. They remembered what he showed them during rehearsals. He is able to tell them exactly how to express a single note. ¡°You are all lucky.¡± ¡°Huh? Lucky?¡± Does it mean that the goddess of thepetition ising for them? They could not understand exactly what he meant yet. ¡°You know who¡¯s in the royal seats of the theater, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. Aren¡¯t they the top maestros in Europe?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyone gathered because I had an ident with the press. And they aren¡¯t judges who check for mistakes to deduct points.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± That is when the 2 people let out low exmations. They understood what Jun Hyuk was trying to say. ¡°You know, right? Your paths as professionals have nothing to do with the judges. The people who will call for you are the maestros.¡± Competition goals are winning, but their real goals are to make themselves known to the world. Their ultimate goals are to show their music to the world and to stand on great stages. There are over 10 maestros who are the tickets to these great stages. ¡°You¡¯ll know if you saw the interview, but I¡¯m going to be performing with the New York Philharmonic once thepetition is over. I¡¯m thinking of Danny as the violin soloist for that performance.¡± A performer who stands out to a conductor heads straight for a great stage like this. They were both extremely jealous of Danny. The New York Philharmonic is not just a great stage, but the world¡¯s best. ¡°Think about it. Showing your talent to a group of Europe¡¯s maestros and showing your talent to 12 judges. Isn¡¯t the conclusion too obvious?¡± The 2 people could feel a sh pass through their heads. They could fully understand why Jun Hyuk had said that they are lucky. ¡°The real winners of thispetition aren¡¯t the people with high scores but the people who receive more calls from maestros.¡± A performance with perfect technique, without error, cannot move the maestros¡¯ hearts. They need to give performances that are full of soul in order to capture their hearts. ¡°So forget any thoughts about mistakes or beingpared to others. You two just need to show your abilities to the fullest. Perform and take the challenge boldly.¡± Their faces looked much morefortable than they had in the beginning. ¡°Then, let¡¯s practice. Forget mistakes and ensembles, and show me your real selves. There¡¯s no orchestra here anyway.¡± The 2 people listened to Jun Hyuk¡¯s advice and focused on practicing until the sun set and darkness settled in. When they were going home, they left smiling after they thanked Jun Hyuk. After seeing them off and returning home, Tara and President Isaac Stern were drinking tea in the living room. ¡°Isaac! When did you get here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I was in the kitchen with Tara because you were in the middle of practice. I have to see tomorrow¡¯s performance since it¡¯s thest one.¡± President Stern spoke as though it was obvious. Is it not the hottest performance in the world of music right now? ¡°It¡¯s broadcast on the inte and on cable...¡± ¡°I need to see it live. And there¡¯s some business I need to take care of.¡± ¡°Business?¡± ¡°Yeah. The Belgian National Orchestra¡¯s tour starts once thepetition is over. Your choral concerto is inevitably going to be the main repertoire... They can¡¯t have it for free. I need to negotiate the royalties. And it¡¯s not just that. He he.¡± Jun Hyuk became curious with President Stern¡¯s sinisterughter. ¡°Is that strangeughter because there¡¯s something else?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a hail of phone calls from the recordbels that saw your performance. They want to schedule recording right away. It¡¯s not just the recordbels. It¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration, but there have been requests from symphony orchestras all over the world to perform your song.¡± It is something joyful, not something sinister or strange. Jun Hyuk also felt pretty good, hearing that countless ces wanted his song. ¡°Then it seems you¡¯ll be pretty busy. Can you be spending time like this?¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t do that work myself. The employees work hard. I¡¯m thepany¡¯s boss. Ha ha.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re basically here for fun.¡± ¡°Watching you perform is also work for me. And there¡¯s something I need to discuss with you.¡± Isaac Stern stoppedughing, and his expression became serious. ¡°Once thepetition is over, are you going to tour as well?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t really want to.¡± He has worked enough with the Belgian National Orchestra. It is also boring to conduct the same song for several months. ¡°Good. Theposer¡¯s participation in the tour isn¡¯t included as a provision for thepetition anyway. Then you¡¯ll be able to start with the New York Philharmonic right away.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m anticipating that too.¡± ¡°But for the soloists... the piano and violin.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Maestro Dimitri Carras wants Daniel, who performed with you yesterday. It seems he was quite impressed.¡± ¡°What do you think, Isaac?¡± ¡°I was surprised too. I thought he was just your roommate, but it was the birth of a great violinist.¡± President Stern is so lost in Danny¡¯s performance that he regrets that he has already signed on with a different management agency. If he performs with an outstanding conductor for a few years and is well conditioned, he is sure to take a top ss position. When President Stern was about to bring up the most important thing, Yoon Kwang Hun opened the door and came in. He must have been drinking because his face was red. ¡°Oh, Mr. Yoon. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Mr. Stern. When did you get here? It¡¯s really a pleasure to see you again.¡± They embraced and showed their friendliness. ¡°Sir, you¡¯rete considering the performance should have ended early.¡± ¡°Oh. I ran into the maestros again when I left the theater after the performance. They asked to eat together so... I had a ss of wine too. Ho ho.¡± Jun Hyuk startedughing when he imagined Yoon Kwang Hun following the maestros around. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was just one ss of wine. Looks like you drank a lot?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s not important. The important thing is that they wanted to be friends with me. They told me not to call them maestro and to just call them by their names. We exchanged numbers too. He he.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun proudly wiping his phone screen was not very different from a man admiring his favorite young singer. ¡°How was the afternoon performance?¡± ¡°Of course it was great? Themittee told me that the morning and afternoon performances were exactly 74 minutes long. There wasn¡¯t a second in error.¡± Once they started talking about the performance, Yoon Kwang Hun stopped joking and became serious. ¡°It¡¯s a perfect interpretation and performance.¡± ¡°The critics said the same thing. The 19th century Beethoven conducted the song that the 21st century Beethoven wrote. I thought that was the most precise evaluation.¡± President Stern spoke,ughing lightly. ¡°The greatest beneficiary in this year¡¯s Queen Elisabeth Competition is Belgium.¡± ¡°Oh. Is that what it is?¡± When Yoon Kwang Hun thought about thepetition from the business end, President Stern could tell what he meant by the greatest beneficiary. ¡°They leapt past cable and inte live broadcasts will have reached the ceiling for advertising rates. It is by far the best in terms of topicality alone. Thepetitionmittee is about to give Jun a medal.¡± Even in the world of ssical music, a hot topic star is changing the field. Jun Hyuk has proved that he is a goose whoys golden eggs that bring in more revenue than the newly emerged stars in China. ¡°Mr. Stern. Go on about the New York Philharmonic.¡± Tara had been listening quietly, but she spoke up so as not to lose out on something important. ¡°Oh right. I forgot for a moment. Jun, do you by chance want to y the piano?¡± ¡°The piano?¡± ¡°Well... Maestro Carras asked cautiously if you might be the choral concerto¡¯s pianist.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an okay thought.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun became excited first. It has been a fairly long time since he has heard Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano. On top of that, it would be him ying the piano on stage with the New York Philharmonic. His heart fluttered just imagining it. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t really want to from the way you can¡¯t answer quickly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that... Is there really a need for me to do it when there are so many great pianists.....¡± ¡°Why? How many pianists are better than you when looking at skill alone?¡± When Jun Hyuk did not immediately reject the idea, President Stern gained confidence. ¡°And we¡¯re thinking of releasing the New York performance as an album. In my opinion, your music is better in concert than in studio.¡± ¡°An album...¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was about to say something, but stopped. He did not want to unnecessarily give Jun Hyuk the impression that he was pressuring him. ¡°Isaac, we¡¯ll think about that issue once thepetition is over. That¡¯s okay, right?¡± ¡°Of course. You don¡¯t have to do it if you don¡¯t want to. There will always be a pianist who is willing to perform if it¡¯s your work.¡± Chapter 203 Volume 6 / Chapter 203 TL: LightNovelCafe All of the broadcasting stations were preparing for livementary for thest day of thepetition finals. Large screens were installed in the lobby and outside of the theater out of consideration for the people who could not acquire tickets. There was especially a lot of anticipation for Jun Hyuk, who had conducted in 2 different ways, in the thoughts that he might show yet another performance. The biggest watching point is to watch conductors with 2pletely different styles in sequence topare them. This kind of unique stage is hard toe by again. The audience filling the seats did not stop apuding when Jun Hyuk appeared on stage. They are an audience that knows that there are manners that they need to maintain, but they were showing how shocked they were by his previous performances and their anticipation for today¡¯s. Eventually, the moderator needed toe back on stage and calm them down. The audience members gripped the edges of their seats and waited for the rollercoaster to take off. The rollercoaster began on Jun Hyuk¡¯s signal. When the suspenseful gallop ended, there was apuse but it showed signs of regret. It was acking performance for the people who had been watching throughout the entirepetition. They had been expecting apletely different conducting, but today¡¯s performance was like that of his 2nd. The only thing that lessened their disappointment was that it was a more aggressive performance with bolder soloists. After a period of time for rest and lunch, Pierre Boulez¡¯sst performance started. A continuous tempo and unchanging conducting, the soloists ying freely. The performance gave them the same emotions. All of the performances of thepetition were over, and all of the finalists went on stage to thank the audience. It was the most dynamic performance of the Queen Elisabeth Competition history, and a sessfulpetition with constant news. It of course brought in the most amount of profit. The 12 finalists could not leave the theater because they were waiting for the announcement of the judging results, while the conductors and orchestra celebrated their finishing up thepetition well. There were also people who needed to think hard and make serious decisions over the next 2 hours. ¡°We are judges right now. I¡¯m sure you all know that the world¡¯s attention is on us.¡± Themittee head¡¯s stiff voice showed that she too is serious. ¡°The Queen Elisabeth Competition¡¯s status could change in any way ording to the results we make. That is why I would like to make a new suggestion.¡± It is a great relief that there is amittee head to align them. If the standard is to deduct, it may befortable for the judges but the audience would not be able to understand it. Furthermore, if they consider the great maestros who watched thepetition keenly, they get in a cold sweat. ¡°Let¡¯s forget all about how many mistakes there were and the perfection of technique. There especially must not be aparison of the 2 conductors.¡± The element that skewed fairness most is the 2 maestros¡¯ overwhelming conducting. They fully know that they need to think of the soloists¡¯ performances while judging, but the pros and cons of the conductors kept popping up in their heads. ¡°So what are you thinking, Committee Head?¡± ¡°I had a question as I watched the 2 performances today. If I get to see Maestro Jun¡¯s choral concerto in concert again, what kind of orchestra would be good for it?¡± ¡°Excuse me? You¡¯re talking about a different orchestra all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought about it for the sake of fairness. A philharmonic that is not the Belgian National Orchestra. I thought of the Vienna Philharmonic.¡± ¡°Vienna?¡± ¡°If it is the Vienna Philharmonic, that is strictly ssical music, how would they interpret and express the choral concerto? Like Beethoven? Or would they reproduce the brutishness that theposer, Maestro Jun, showed us? I had all kinds of thoughts.¡± Themittee head was smiling. Her first smile showed that just the thought of it was exciting for her. ¡°And I imagined again. If it were Berlin? Munich? London? And New York? I became happy just imagining it.¡± ¡°Hm... I see. I understand. You¡¯re telling us to choose the 2 soloists who would be able to appear with all of those philharmonics, right?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s exactly it. My thoughts are that those 2 people are those most suitable to win.¡± There were judges who could not ept themittee head¡¯s thinking as well. ¡°But this isn¡¯t an audition for performers in a concert. It is apetition. We cannot ignore objective evaluations. Aren¡¯t you telling us to make an assessment based on a momentary feeling?¡± An evaluation based on emotion without objectivity. This method is just the most personal measuring stick used when someone repeatedly asks about the evaluation and it is hard to respond. ¡°If it had been a normalpetition like that ofst year, I would not have needed to say this. But isn¡¯t this year a bit of a special situation?¡± Themittee head responded while looking straight at the judge in opposition. ¡°Are you able topletely erase the orchestra and make an assessment based on the soloists¡¯ performances alone? No, Maestro Boulez has already brought the incredible name of Beethoven into thispetition. How would you be able to score his conducting ¨C the 4th part in particr? Do you remember the piano and violin melody exactly?¡± The judges cannot deny what she is saying. If they look at the 4th part alone, they do not remember the piano and violin solos so well that they can recall them exactly. The entirety has just be one piece of music. ¡°And I¡¯ll be honest. Think of the dozens of maestros who are in the theater now. If we judge on a deduction system, we¡¯ll have to face their criticism first. The quality of the show and remotepetition. Aren¡¯t those themon criticisms? I don¡¯t think it would be bad for our Queen Elisabeth Competition to be the first to break away from such obsolete methods.¡± The conference room was epassed in silence again, as though epting themittee head¡¯s words as a conclusion. *** ¡°I don¡¯t think I would be able to do it if I was a judge.¡± ¡°Seems like it, right? There are too many variables to consider. The piece, conducting, the soloists¡¯ abilities, and the ensemble.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one other thing. He he.¡± ¡°Yes. The fearsome Beethoven!¡± ¡°No matter what the conclusion is, opinions are going to be divided.¡± Opinions were even divided among the reporters and critics waiting for the judges¡¯ decision in the theater lobby. The reporters held on to the critics in the lobby and kept asking for analyses and predictions on the results. ¡°If you were to personally give points, who would win?¡± ¡°I want to give the highest points for Jun¡¯s 2nd performance. And that includes the soloists.¡± ¡°I thought Maestro Boulez¡¯s first performance was better. I¡¯d like to give the soloists higher points.¡± The intended 2 hours for judging passed quickly and it was nearing 4 hours. The reporters had known that judging would be difficult, but the fact that it has already been 4 hours could be another topic of news. There are often instances where altercations between judges elevate out of control. In the 1980 Chopin Competition, piano empress Marta Argerich made headlines when she resigned from her position as a judge in protest because apetitor, Ivo Pogorelic, was eliminated in the 3rd round. Marta Argerich is also the very person who won thepetition in 1965. Since this type of altercation can be bigger news than thepetition itself, reporters weed theteness of the results. The 12 judges appeared on the provided tform after almost 5 hours passed. The 12 finalists were trying to calm their anxiety along with their parents, teachers, and managers. ¡°First, we ask that you understand that it was a long wait. That is how difficult it was to distinguish between the finalists¡¯ merits because everyone was so splendid.¡± ¡°The thing that was difficult to distinguish was probably the performance, not the finalists¡¯ merits.¡± One reporter mumbled quietly. People looked at that reporter, but no one told him off. They were all thinking the same thing. When the murmurs quieted down in the lobby, themittee head held the microphone up again. ¡°We will start announcing with 6th ce.¡± The officialnguages of Belgium are Dutch, French, and German. Themittee head spoke in French and there were interpreters for Dutch, German, and English next to her. ¡°Piano, Michael Looper. Violin, Hayakawa Touku.¡± The 2 people who performed in Jun Hyuk¡¯s 1st conducting were in 6th ce. The 1st performance, where the flow and feeling of each part changed severely. The soloists of the performance that the Italians had been so enthusiastic about, were in 6th ce together. ¡°There was no good in the orchestra and conductor hiding the soloists¡¯ disadvantages and attempting to bring out their advantages.¡± ¡°That had been too obvious. The attempt to cover up for their shorings might have been proof that they aren¡¯t able to handle the choral concerto.¡± Critics spoke into the microphones that reporters had out in front of them as thoughmentating a sports match. ¡°5th ce.....¡± Themittee head announced the finalists¡¯ ranking in a dry voice. Each time their names were called, there were those who showed bittersweet smiles and those whoughed in disbelief. There were even people who med the conductors for their not winning rather than their own abilities. Themittee head made up for theirteness by announcing the results quickly. ¡°2nd ce... Piano, Ye Ji Han. Violin, Michael cido.¡± 2nd ce were 2 people who had gone on stage with Jun Hyuk. Michael cido is an Italian violinist who had surprised even Jun Hyuk in today¡¯sst performance by creating a world of his own on stage. He shook the hearts of people listening with a natural melody like flowing water and detailed and subtle representation, rather than sharp and sparking technique. He was not shaken by Jun Hyuk¡¯s aggressive orchestra, and his violin did not prick the ears of the audience or make them nervous. He impressed them with an elegance like flower petals shaking in the wind and a colorless, odorless purity. Han Ye Ji could have been disappointed that she had not won as expected, but she was making the effort to keep herposure. Rather, Professor Jeon Hye Jin had tears in her eyes as she held tightly to Han Ye Ji¡¯s hand. Professor Jeon Hye Jin¡¯s eyes were not glistening with tears because they had lost the win. She had been thinking that the winner is the remaining pianist whose name has not been called yet. It is that she is regretful that she had not been able to meet Han Ye Ji sooner. If they had met when she was in middle school at thetest, she has the qualities to try for the win in the Chopin Competition... It would be shocking since Han Ye Ji had said that she poured all of her ability into the performance. She also worried that Ye Ji might be discouraged and fall into a slump. ¡°Professor, you can¡¯t be like this. I¡¯m okay. I need to try it for real now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Yes. I realized on the stage with Jun Hyuk. The feeling of the piano¡¯s melody riding my fingertips anding into my body. My entire body was filled with notes... The sound wasn¡¯ting through the piano but through my body... It was that kind of feeling.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin wiped her tears with a handkerchief as she watched Han Ye Ji speak firmly. ¡°Did you smoke weed before you went on stage or something? I heard that people who are high feel like the music crawls into their bodies.¡± ¡°Professor!¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking. I see you still have strength from the way you¡¯re yelling at me.¡± Professor Jeon Hye Jin saw that Han Ye Ji was not frustrated, and worried less. It seems that she will not fall into a slump because her core is solid. The image of Han Ye Ji aiming to reach higher is actually beyond what she expected. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m thinking of trying out for the Chopin Competition this time. I need to win.¡± While Han Ye Ji and Professor Jeon Hye Jin wereforting and reassuring each other, the 2 people whose names had not yet been called were cheering. ¡°The winners. Piano, Christine Zhao. Violin, Daniel Laferriere.¡± The piano winner is a Chinese American. In Pierre Boulez¡¯s first performance, she had brought out cheers from the audience with her smooth and light touch, and clear and elegant cantabile. She did not just show a performance that was beautiful, simple, precise, with sensitivity and liveliness, but also an objective response to the orchestra and reverence for the song. When Danny¡¯s manager hugged him and picked him up, he looked around. Before enjoying the moment, he wanted to find Jun Hyuk and send him a look of thanks at the least. But Jun Hyuk was rejoicing his win somewhere else. The moment the winners were confirmed, the general public in the theater lobby cheered. The audience¡¯s cheering showed that the judging had been faithful to the most universal feelings. ¡°It was a wise choice on the judges¡¯ part.¡± ¡°Yes. The ranking will allow them to avoid criticism from maestros, who have the fiercest words.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not a system where they look for mistakes and deduct points. We cannot tell whether it was a mistake or an intended rubato, but it is definitely subject to point deductions in apetition. But the judges epted the rubato. It¡¯s proof that they only thought about the quality of the performance.¡± The judges quietly left the theater as critics chatted. Reporters shed their cameras at the 2 winners and held their microphones out to them. Chapter 204 Volume 6 / Chapter 204 TL: LightNovelCafe Pierre Boulez and Jun Hyuk, who had been monitoring the results backstage, clinked their champagne flutes. ¡°The results show that the judges really tried to reduce the noise. What do you think?¡± ¡°I have different thoughts on the ranking, but I don¡¯t have any disagreements on the winners. I think they had plenty of skill for it. It¡¯s just that I was nervous because Danny made a lot of mistakes, but the judges made a bold choice.¡± ¡°Danny¡¯s disadvantage was a passive way of ying, but he found a broad attitude through this performance. He¡¯ll grow quickly now.¡± While they spoke, the members prepared to go back. The long journey wasplete. Everyone looked lighthearted. ¡°Maestro Jun. I won¡¯t be able to forget this year¡¯spetition for the rest of my life. It was a blessing for our Belgian National Orchestra to premiere such a great piece and to perform with the 21st century Beethoven.¡± ¡°It was an honor for me. You did really well, bandmaster.¡± Jun Hyuk shook hands with over 100 performers and did not hold back on heartfelt praises. ¡°Jun. My friends are drinking and waiting. What do you think? Mr. Yoon will be with them too.¡± The maestros had begun a party of their own as soon as thepetition performance was over. They need to go back to their own cities tomorrow. As it is difficult to all gather in one ce, they were going to spend thest night of thepetition gaily. ¡°Sorry. I have something to do... It¡¯s a pity, but I must go home.¡± Pierre Boulez tapped Jun Hyuk on the shoulder, who had an ufortable expression. ¡°It¡¯s a pity but it can¡¯t be helped. There are still official events left over, so let¡¯s push our time together back.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to see you again before I go back to New York.¡± ¡°Oh right. You said you¡¯ll be performing with the New York Philharmonic, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If I can, I¡¯ll try to make time and go.¡± ¡°Thank you, Maestro.¡± Jun Hyuk went home and Pierre Boulez went to the restaurant where all of the maestros were gathered. He could only hear Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s voice in the restaurant with more than 10 maestros. ¡°Imagine it. A 15 year old kid who has never properly heard ssical music, listening to Marlowe¡¯s symphony and immediately memorizing over 100 melodies. It was phenomenal.¡± ¡°Ohh.....¡± ¡°Goodness. Even if experts could memorize scores, they could never memorize all of them by part.....¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that. He wrote a piano sonata as soon as he started ying the piano. The work that came out after that was Inferno.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was talking about the moment he met Jun Hyuk to each moment he discovered a phenomenal aspect of him, and the maestros were only staring at him as though watching a breathtaking movie. From Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s momentum and the maestros¡¯ expressions alone, it felt like this would not end even if they spent all night like this. *** ¡°No, bend your knees a little more. Move your hands a little more rhythmically and graciously.¡± ¡°This is driving me nuts. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d have to express elegance with my body. The piano would be easier.¡± ¡°Stop grumbling and try it again.¡± Jun Hyuk had to keep moving his wrist as though conducting. Tara taught him how to greet for a while before he spoke to President Stern, ¡°Isaac. Do I have to do this?¡± ¡°Of course. That¡¯s the highlight. He he.¡± President Stern keptughing because he was having fun watching Jun Hyukfortable with his awkward movements. ¡°How about I don¡¯t do it with my schedule as an excuse?¡± ¡°What schedule? Even if you really had an urgent schedule, you would have to push it back. A spokesperson for the royal family called directly to ask that you attend.¡± President Stern waved his hand to tell Jun Hyuk there is no chance, and did not stopughing. ¡°Isn¡¯t the winner¡¯s feast honestly for the old queen who is retired with nothing else to do? It is to sponsor thepetition, but it¡¯s just a hobby that the old royalty gets involved in once in a while, isn¡¯t it?¡± President Sternughed while pping at Jun Hyuk¡¯s sarcastic remark. ¡°Ha ha ha. Precisely. You want to try saying what you just said in front of the old queen? It¡¯ll be an incredible typhoon that gets rid of your statement on Beethoven at once.¡± ¡°My heart isn¡¯t strong enough for that.¡± Jun Hyuk started moving his wrists and knees again. ¡°Then justugh a bit, take pictures, and eat dinner. Even if they¡¯re a royalty without power, they¡¯re the target of envy in America. If you build up a rtionship with them, you¡¯ll stand out in New York social circles.¡± European royalty may not have political power, but it is a symbol of tradition. The white immigrant poption of America wants to protect the European royal family, from which their ancestors came. On the day of the feast, Yoon Kwang Hun could not hold back hisughter when he saw Jun Hyuk leaving all dressed up. ¡°Wow~ This dork¡¯s all grown up. You¡¯re even going to a feast in a European pce. Eat slowly. I heard that it¡¯s going to be an over 10 course meal. Ha ha ha.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun spoke as though making fun, but he wasughing to hide his getting choked up. The scruffy little boy who had appeared in front of him is now wearing a clean suit and getting in a limousine. And he¡¯s been born again as the protagonist of a royal family¡¯s feast. He is proud because it is like seeing Jun Hyuk spread his wings and fly high into the sky in reality. *** Victor Hugo called Brussels¡¯ Grand Pce the most beautiful za in the world, and it was designated one of 3 European zas as UN World Heritage Sites in 1998. As though showing off the splendor of when Brussels was once a trading center in Europe, the za is surrounded inte 17th century Gothic and Baroque style buildings. The beautiful buildings created when city government building and king¡¯s pce, Royal Pce, and Brussels Province of Brabant were the capital of Brussels, excluding Duke Brabant¡¯s house are merchant guild houses. This shows that it was one the 4thrgest trading country. Jun Hyuk¡¯s car went past the guards at the Royal Pce¡¯s front door and into the pce. The inside of the pce, decorated in the style of the Versailles Pce in the Louis dynasty by Leopold II, also acted as a museum disying royal relics and collections. When Jun Hyuk entered the banquet hall called the ¡®Throne Hall¡¯ with a crystal chandelier hanging on its high ceiling, the 20 finalists of each part and thepetitionmittee members had sses in their hands as they were hanging out. Danny discovered Jun Hyuk, quickly ran over to him, and was about to hug him when he stopped. He cannot make a crease in Jun Hyuk¡¯s clothes when he has dressed up so well for the first time in a while. ¡°Danny, congrattions on the win. Be proud of it because the performance really was great enough to win.¡± ¡°Jun, thanks so much. I keep owing you.¡± ¡°Good. Don¡¯t ever forget it. He he.¡± Danny did not let go of his hands, looked him up and down, and whistled. ¡°Jun. Oho ¨C You look good. You look like a runway model.¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Do you by chance know the etiquette for ces like this?¡± ¡°I know to a certain extent because my family is French, but there¡¯s not much to it. Oh right. Eat slowly. It¡¯s really embarrassing if you finish eating first.¡± ¡°Great. You stay right next to me. Let me know quietly if there¡¯s anything I need.¡± Danny chuckled as he watched Jun Hyuk, full of tension. He realized why he had told him to stay next to him. ¡°He he. That¡¯s not up to me. The seating arrangements have already been decided for the banquet hall.¡± ¡°Damn it. What is this? We should just sit wherever and eat. They¡¯re assigning seats?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the problem. I heard in passing that you¡¯re at the same table as the Queen. You and Maestro Boulez.¡± ¡°What?¡± Danny watched Jun Hyuk¡¯s nk face andughed. ¡°It¡¯s a given that the conductors sit at the highest seats.¡± When Jun Hyuk turned pale, the finalists gathered to him. Everyone knows that the most important person here is not the old Queen or Maestro Boulez. Before participating in thepetition, Jun Hyuk was just a youngposer who wrote one innovative song of modern music. He has now be the 21st century Beethoven who shook up thepetition. Everyone who had said that he was apetitor because of his age nowpletely erased those thoughts. They fully recognize that from now on, they must wait on this young maestro¡¯s choices. Jun Hyuk gave bted congrattions to the finalists around him and theyplimented each other with the finalists telling him that they are waiting to perform with him again. Then, people wearing clothes that can be seen in movies came in to escort the people waiting in ¡®Throne Hall¡¯ into the banquet hall. Maestro Boulez pat Jun Hyuk on the back and smiled brightly. ¡°Jun, don¡¯t be so nervous. Just think of her as a pleasant woman. She¡¯s not as formal as you¡¯d think.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t show up wearing a crown, will she?¡± ¡°Ha ha. Probably not. If she does, I¡¯llugh.¡± ¡°Do you know her well?¡± ¡°Yeah. Our orchestra always participates in royal events.¡± While the two were chatting, Queen Favi entered wearing a modest dress. Behind her, Queen Mathilda the current king Rudolph II¡¯s wife, came in as well. ¡°How strange. She doesn¡¯t normally appear at official events.¡± ¡°Who? Are you referring to that young woman?¡± ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s the current Queen of Belgium, Mathilda.¡± The 21 finalists walked to the front of the banquet hall as they were told to do from the royal¡¯s staff. The two queens exchanged greetings with each of the 21 finalists. Queen Favi spoke words of congrattions while Queen Mathilda only followed her quietly. The finalists lightly touched their lips to their white gloves, the queens met eyes with the finalists and held both of their hands, before passing by. ¡°Maestro Jun.¡± The young queen who had only smiled as she walked by, stopped in front of Jun and called him by his name. ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°I saw the broadcast on TV, but your conducting was really surprising. I would like to see you perform for myself one day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡± Jun Hyuk recalled the elegant hand gestures he learned yesterday, and politely bowed. When the two queens sat at their table, the finalists also went back to their seats. Queen Favi stood up and held her champagne ss high. ¡°First, congrattions to all 21 finalists who received high scores in the Queen Elisabeth Competition. And.....¡± Once the queen¡¯s toast was over, the food started toe out. Jun Hyuk did not say a word because of the two queens at his table. Instead, he just ate slowly to the pace of other people eating. He needed to avoid the mistake of eating hurriedly and ending up done with his meal before anyone else. Did Yoon Kwang Hun say that there would be 10 courses? When he thought that nearly all of the food hade out, he started to rx. It is almost over. ¡°Maestro Jun, you aren¡¯t talking very much.¡± Jun Hyuk had been keeping his head down but bolted upright when the young Queen Mathilda addressed him. ¡°When I heard your performance, full of such passion and madness, I felt a thrill that sent chills through by body. Meeting you in person, I can¡¯t believe you conducted like that because you¡¯re so quiet.¡± ¡°Your majesty, Maestro Jun¡¯s true selfes out when he is standing on the podium or in front of an instrument. This shy image is fake. Ha ha.¡± Pierre Boulez spoke in jest instead of Jun Hyuk, who was too taken aback to speak. ¡°Oh right. The Queen said that she was upset because she heard the music of all performers except one.¡± Themittee head, sitting at the same table, spoke as she looked at Jun Hyuk. ¡°Excuse me?¡± What is this out of the blue? There¡¯s no way? Jun Hyuk took a sip of his water. ¡°Maestro Jun, I heard that you¡¯re an outstanding pianist. Can we hear you y?¡± Queen Mathilda spoke to Jun Hyuk as if she had been waiting for this. It seems to be a script well carried out by themittee head and queen. Jun Hyuk waved his hand as he spoke, ¡°There are 6 amazing pianists here. I won¡¯t because I don¡¯t have the confidence to give you a better performance. I might ruin the feast.¡± It was as though time had stopped at the table. The darkness was spreading to the next table. Themittee head¡¯s face had turned sheet white. Even Pierre Boulez, who had been rxed andughing, coughed. No one had expected that Jun would reject the queen¡¯s request. ¡®What? Did I make another mistake?¡¯ Chapter 205 Volume 6 / Chapter 205 TL: LightNovelCafe He was sure that he had made a mistake from Queen Favi¡¯s expression. The feast¡¯s hostess had asked politely. And it is courtesy to request to hear a musician¡¯s music if invited. But Jun Hyuk who had rejected without a particr reason was being ill-mannered. Jun Hyuk looked at Queen Mathilda and spoke up in order to clear the situation, ¡°And honestly, there¡¯s something people like more than my piano or conducting.¡± ¡®Damn it. I¡¯m doing all sorts of things.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it much more than my piano.¡± Jun Hyuk pushed his chair back and stood up. He spoke to the other tables. ¡°Alright. Everyone, look at the 3 sses in front of you. Wine, champagne, and thest is water, right?¡± Everyone¡¯s attention shot over to Jun Hyuk. ¡°When I give you the signal, take your fork and lightly tap any one of the 3 sses. Like this.¡± Jun Hyuk used his fork to tap the 3 sses one by one. ¡°You can¡¯t hit all 3 sses like I did. Just pick one, please.¡± Everyone held their forks in their hands and looked at the sses in front of them, including the queen. ¡°Alright. One, two, three.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk said 3, the sound of forks and sses clinking spread out. Jun Hyuk moved his finger for a moment andughed quietly. ¡°Wine, 24 people. Champagne, 26 people. And water was 18 people. Is that right?¡± Everyone looked astonished. Does this mean he distinguished between the sounds that rang at the same time? Someone needed to check, but Jun Hyuk did not give them the time to. ¡°And...¡± Jun Hyuk flicked his finger. He met eyes with the attendant and spoke, ¡°3 people havepletely empty sses. One person is wine and two people are champagne.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk spoke, the people with the empty sses held them up high. They could see one wine ss and two champagne sses. This basically proved that Jun Hyuk¡¯s numbers were correct. Jun Hyuk smiled when he saw that the two queens¡¯ jaws had dropped. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t this much more fun than a piano performance?¡± The two queens could not respond because they were still in shock. ¡°Then shall we raise the level of difficulty?¡± Jun Hyuk held his fork up again. ¡°This time, we¡¯ll include all of the tableware. Before that, I¡¯ll check to see what sound each makes.¡± Jun Hyuk hit each of the tes on his table with his fork to check the sounds they make. ¡°Alright, everyone. Again. One, two, three.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk¡¯s signal came, a sound with more variety rang this time. Jun Hyuk picked up the tes on his table one by one. ¡°There were 8 people who hit this te. Please raise your hands.¡± Precisely 8 people raised their hands. People started murmuring when they confirmed the number. Jun Hyuk said the numbers by te and ss, and people shouted or whistled when the numbers matched up. ¡°Hm... There¡¯s always that one person who is doing something else. The person who hit the table instead of a te. And there¡¯s someone who hit the chair leg.¡± There was suddenly pping. When Queen Mathilda smiled brightly and pped, everyone yelled bravo and apuded Jun Hyuk. ¡°How is this possible? I saw it with my own eyes, but I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Queen Mathilda was looking at Jun Hyuk, wide-eyed. ¡°Your majesty. Maestro Jun is able to differentiate between the sounds that people in an orchestra of over 200 make. And that¡¯s for a performance that goes over 1 hour. This right now is really easy for him.¡± When Pierre Boulez politely exined on Jun Hyuk¡¯s behalf, the two queens had looks of disbelief again. ¡®Whew ¨C This means I haven¡¯t made a mistake, right?¡¯ The cold air inside had be warm again with Jun Hyuk¡¯s magic show. ¡°Maestro Jun.¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯ll be performing with the New York Philharmonic, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that is right.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to make something to do there if I can, just to go watch you perform.¡± President Stern had said that knowing the royal family will be helpful in the future, but Jun Hyuk had made the two queens into his fans. *** ¡°Jun. Why didn¡¯t you y the piano? Squash the pianists¡¯ energy.¡± Danny spoke in regret in the returning limousine after the feast. ¡°Danny. Will you y the violin if the queen asks you to?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s an honor.¡± ¡°Ugh ¨C Why can¡¯t you get your senses?¡± Jun Hyuk poked Danny¡¯s side, looking at him pathetically. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a professional performer. You need to be paid to perform. Whatever the situation is. What honor...¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I only perform for free if it¡¯s a charity.¡± ¡°Are you saying you refused to y because of that?¡± Danny was shocked in disbelief. ¡°No, not exactly... But now that I think about it, that¡¯s what I should do. Look. They said they¡¯lle for the New York performance. Ha ha.¡± Danny looked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s jokingugh and shook his head. ¡°The Belgian queen¡¯s sry is $2 million. Why should I perform for them for free? From now on, there are no performances except at events where the rich are donating money.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then why did you show them a good time with your perfect pitch?¡± Danny smirked at Jun Hyuk, who looked as though he had made a tremendous decision. Jun Hyuk is greatly mistaken. ¡°I can¡¯t be paid to do that. And the atmosphere had gotten so cold.¡± ¡°So you do know. If you really hadn¡¯t done anything, it would have been a big deal that you have no manners.¡± Danny talked about the tacit etiquette that exists between the host and guest. ¡°Inviting a musician and requesting to hear his music means they enjoyed the music that much. It would have been more ill-mannered if we had only eaten and she hadn¡¯t asked to hear your music.¡± ¡°Really? Then I have to perform at ces like that from now on?¡± Danny sighed. ¡°It looks like you were taught from the way you greeted the Queen. You weren¡¯t told anything?¡± ¡°Damn it. Tara only showed me how to exchange greetings and didn¡¯t tell me the really important things.¡± ¡°No one would think that you would outright reject the Queen¡¯s request. That¡¯s the same for Tara.¡± Danny kept sighing. ¡°If you had yed the piano today and that had been great, the Queen would have donated on her own capacity. She could give it to you... or thepetitionmittee.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You showed them something more incredible just as you said.¡± Danny jabbed Jun Hyuk¡¯s side in revenge. Jun Hyuk looked at Danny and remembered something. ¡°Oh right, Danny. You¡¯re going to tour with the finalists, right?¡± ¡°Of course. I am the winner. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Listen carefully because I¡¯m telling you in advance. Of course a formal request is going to go through your manager.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You know that I¡¯m going to be performing with the New York Philharmonic, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Conducting for the New York Philharmonic. And with your song at that! Amazing.¡± Danny¡¯s heart started beating with anticipation. Jun Hyuk can choose the violin soloist to go up on his own stage. Has he chosen him as the soloist? ¡°No. Maestro Carras is going to be performing my choral concerto. I¡¯m conducting Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony.¡± ¡°Oh! Really? I thought you were doing the choral concerto. The 21st century Beethoven is conducting the choral symphony of Beethoven from 200 years ago? That¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°We¡¯re switching because it¡¯s for an event. Anyway, Maestro Carras is looking at you for the choral concerto violin soloist.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± Danny could not believe that Maestro Carras himself had singled him out. ¡°Yeah. I wanted you to be the one to do it too, but Maestro Carras saw you first.¡± ¡°Jun, you really didn¡¯t arrange it?¡± If theposer is stubborn, soloists can be appointed ording to his wishes. Danny knows well enough that Jun Hyuk is not one to tell such lies, but he wanted to make sure. ¡°I¡¯m telling you I didn¡¯t! He watched you perform and chose you. He called the day we performed. This means he didn¡¯t pick you because you¡¯re the winner. You were chosen on your performance alone.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± He had finally been called by one of the top 3 philharmonics in the world. On top of that, the performance is a special event. It is obvious that it will receive the entire world¡¯s attention. Danny jumped inside the car. ¡°Danny, it¡¯s not something to just be happy about. You need to think hard about it. I just thought that it was a good thing when I first heard, but this could just be twice. It¡¯s a performance that finishes after doing it 3 times at the most. But the tour with the Belgian National Orchestra is 2 months. Discuss with your manager to see which is better and make your decision. Danny quickly shook his head. ¡°Of course it¡¯s New York. It¡¯s a special event, but it bes apletely different matter following the kind of performance I give. And performing with Maestro Carras is an incredible opportunity. Every word he says is a lesson.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll call Stern Corporation now to consult with your manager.¡± Danny could not hear Jun Hyuk. He was already imagining himself standing on stage with the New York Philharmonic. Chapter 206 Volume 6 / Chapter 206 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°I heard you got over something that could have been a big problem? You¡¯re good at handling yourself now.¡± ¡°You already know about it?¡± ¡°Themittee called to say you knocked 10 years off their life. You gave them a great show?¡± President Stern is happy that Jun Hyuk is able to get himself out of trouble on the spot. ¡°I barely got past it.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t barely. You did really well. Anyone can make a mistake, but resolving it isn¡¯t easy.¡± While President Stern was praising Jun Hyuk, employees of Stern Corporation were moving busily inside the house. They were already preparing to go back to New York. ¡°Isaac. Are you going back tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yeah. Maestro Carras is making a fuss for me to hurry back. I think he wants to do the performance as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Oh right, what about Danny? Can you match his performance schedule?¡± ¡°Of course we need to match it. There¡¯s no soloist who will reject the New York Philharmonic. We¡¯re going to make adjustments with themittee. Themittee won¡¯t force a tour when a finalist has a great opportunity either.¡± Tara already has Jun Hyuk¡¯s luggage packed up as well. They will be leaving early in the morning. Jun Hyuk looked at Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I have to go to Korea. I¡¯ll go see you when you perform with New York. Beethoven is ring at you. Do well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make him so surprised he¡¯ll go back into his grave.¡± ¡°This kid is getting worse by the day. You don¡¯t know modesty.¡± A phone rang when Yoon Kwang Hun was about to hit Jun Hyuk¡¯s head. ¨C Kwang Hun? ¡°Huh? Lawyer Baek. What is it?¡± Lawyer Baek Seung Ho¡¯s voice over the phone became urgent. ¨C You¡¯re in Belgium now, right? You haven¡¯t left yet? ¡°Yeah. Why? Is something going on?¡± ¨C Phew. That¡¯s a relief. Baek Seung Ho let out a long sigh and went back to his normal voice. ¨C Don¡¯te here for a while because it¡¯s crazy. ¡°What is? What are you talking about?¡± ¨C What do you mean what is it? Of course it¡¯s because of Jun Hyuk. His winning, his conducting, the critics calling him the 21st century Beethoven ¨C all of it. I¡¯ve been suffering since the morning instead of you and I just ran away. It¡¯s so bad I can¡¯t even do my work. The public shows more interest in the winners of the performance portions than they do in theposition portion. But as thepetition was ending, the international media reported more on Jun Hyuk¡¯s statement, conducting, and song than they did on the performing winners. The Korean media finally realized this Queen Elisabeth Competition¡¯s core and headlines were covered in the ¡®Korean Born¡¯ that the nation is celebrating. ¡°But what? Why can¡¯t I go?¡± ¨C If youe back, they won¡¯t leave you alone. They¡¯ll already be waiting for you at the airport and cafe. Cableworks are already requesting to film documentaries on Jun Hyuk. Considering not just the win but also the next schedule, or performing with the New York Philharmonic, it is an awesome ordeal. The honor of having the first Korean to conduct his own song was enough to bring out the nation¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°Hey! Jun Hyuk is going to perform Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony. The standing conductor of the New York Philharmonic will be performing Jun Hyuk¡¯s song. They can¡¯t even tell the difference between a symphony and concerto?¡± ¨C Is that important? Anyway, there¡¯s only news on Jun Hyuk on TV today. ¡°So? What do you want me to do?¡± ¨C Go to New York with Jun Hyuk for now. You¡¯ll have to hold abined interview with the Korean reporters there. Or it¡¯ll just stay noisy.¡± ¡°What do I do about the cafe? I can¡¯t leave it empty for so long.¡± ¨C Nothing happens with the cafe regardless of whether or not you¡¯re there. When Yoon Kwang Hun had nothing to say, Baek Seung Ho¡¯s yelled, ¨C Ugh! Kwang Hun! I¡¯m telling you to give a refreshing interview in New York and thene back! Let me live. I¡¯m an employee who needs to go to work. If you don¡¯t want to, you cane in right away. Then you¡¯ll be swept over by the reporters instead of me, so that¡¯s fine with me. You don¡¯t understand even when I¡¯m saying this thinking of you. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll talk to President Stern about it.¡± ¨C Do well this time. People can¡¯t buy Jun Hyuk¡¯s 1st album because there aren¡¯t enough of them because of the articles. He appeared on music charts again within a day. Rake it all in for once. Hang up. Yoon Kwang Hun got off the phone and told Jun Hyuk and President Stern about the current situation in Korea. Jun Hyuk was so happy he could leap around. ¡°Good! You can stay in New York with me for the time being.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun is hesitating because Jun Hyuk is staying in the apartment that President Stern lent him. On the other hand, it would be strange to leave a house that has more than enough space for 2 people and stay in a hotel. ¡°You should do that, Mr. Yoon. I¡¯ll take care of the interview with the Korean press you mentioned.¡± President Stern made an offer that Yoon Kwang Hun could not refuse when he kept hesitating. ¡°If you go to New York, you should get dinner with Maestro Carras and talk about music...¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Stern. I¡¯ll make sure there are no inconveniences because of me. Then I¡¯ll stay with Jun Hyuk for a bit.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun quickly took President Stern¡¯s hand. *** Jun Hyuk took out a bundle of scores on the private ne back to New York. ¡°Take a look at this.¡± ¡°When did you write this?¡± ¡°Whenever I had time in Brussels. I made it into a short song.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun, President Stern, and Tara quickly began reading through the score. The 3 people sat with the score on the table between them but were no longer surprised. They are already aware that he can easily write songs like this. President Stern was the only one who had any type of reaction because it is not an abstruse contemporary piece. ¡°These are 5 songs of 5 minutes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What is it? Feels like stringed instruments from the way there is a lot of portamento (sliding from one note to the next).¡± President Stern thought that Jun Hyuk had prepared a solo violin piece for Danny who would be in New York. ¡°No. It¡¯s not the strings, but soprano vocals.¡± ¡°What? Soprano? Are you thinking of Laura?¡± ¡°Yes. I was hoping you would bring Laura Goldberg in.¡± Jun Hyuk automatically smiled while thinking of Laura Goldberg¡¯s beautiful tone. President Stern spoke as he looked at the score, ¡°Then you need to work on the lyrics. Hm... I¡¯ll have to look into a lyricist. Is there anything you¡¯re thinking of? Like a poem.¡± ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t need lyrics.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t need lyrics?¡± ¡°Yes. I wrote each song to respond to one sound. The songs are titled I, A, E, O, U. I¡¯m going to have her sing with just 5 collections.¡± The 3 people had been calm until now, when their expressions changed. They knew it had been too banal. With lyrics, it is just another song. Yoon Kwang Hun in particr thought that considering the melody alone, Jun Hyuk has a lot of other songs that are more beautiful. Jun Hyuk is not one to make a song that is lesser to hand over to them. ¡°So you want to take on another new challenge?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun looked at Jun Hyuk, urging him to confess his secret. President Stern put the score down and spoke to Yoon Kwang Hun, ¡°No, Mr. Yoon. We can¡¯t say that it¡¯spletely new. There are already works that have been created with the human voice without any meaning to them. The difference is that the melody of Jun Hyuk¡¯s song is beautiful.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s expression did not change even after President Stern¡¯s exnation. He fully knows that Jun Hyuk is not one to transform or rehash something that someone else has already done. ¡°Isaac. It is a new challenge. She needs to sing these songs without an apaniment.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re saying it¡¯s an unapanied solo?¡± The ability to deliver a message will fall because there are no lyrics, and the aria cannot stop because there is no apaniment. She needs to express the emotions with the melody, tempo, and tone alone. ¡°Aren¡¯t there a lot of recitals for instruments without apaniments?¡± Ultimately, Jun Hyuk is trying to implement an instrument that makes one sound. With just the voice of a soprano. ¡°Well.....¡± President Stern bit his lip as he realized the meaning behind Jun Hyuk¡¯s song. He is not concerned about the song. He thought of countless primadonnas. Does it have to be Laura Goldberg? ¡°Instruments don¡¯t say words. Can¡¯t they convey various emotions with just their sound?¡± ¡°Hm. You¡¯re thinking of the human voice as just an instrument?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But why Laura? There are a lot of great soprano singers out there. I can get anyone for you. No. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ll get in line once they hear that it¡¯s your song.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled and scratched his head. ¡°Famous prima donnas wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it.¡± ¡°Withstand what?¡± Tara had been holding back her words but could not hold her curiosity. ¡°There are 5 perfect sounds in my head. They¡¯ll have to sing countless times until that soundes out. People who are already stars wouldn¡¯t be able to take it and I¡¯m pretty sure they would get angry. Oh and that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m underestimating Laura¡¯s abilities. She¡¯ll be able to handle it.¡± Laura has not sung very much yet. Her unique sound will be more firm as she spends more time as a singer. It will be hard to bring out the sounds that Jun Hyuk wants if her sound bes set inpletely. ¡°The sound can¡¯t change even slightly. E with the same pronunciation has a fortis, an ordinary sound, and heavy sound. There are also sounds pronounced in between E and O, and E and I.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t stray even a bit... Hm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s extremely experimental.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun smiled at Jun Hyuk¡¯s idea. It is the kind of music he corrtes with Jun Hyuk. He has the ability to go beyond a simple song with a beautiful melody, to be pioneering and create innovatory music. ¡°That is why I made the melody beautiful. I was actually going to make the melody irregr too... but then people won¡¯t listen to it.¡± Isaac was more surprised by what Jun Hyuk just said than he was by the music. A lot of contemporary music is not created with the public¡¯s tastes taken into consideration. It was always more important to show theposer¡¯s intent, philosophy, and thinking. As a result, a lot of music that is not much more than noise was produced. It could be that they intentionally rejected beautiful melodies. Beautiful melodies pose the danger of bringing out emotions that theposer had not intended to evoke. But what Jun Hyuk was saying meant that he would create music that would sell to the public no matter how experimental it is. It is unbelievable that this is the Jun Hyuk who wrote the extreme Inferno. ¡°So Isaac, try contacting Laura. You have to put in the contract that she¡¯ll have to pay a tremendous amount of penalties if she quits in the middle... Stuff like that so she can¡¯t get out of it. He he.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of releasing an album too?¡± ¡°Yes. Laura won¡¯t be motivated either if we¡¯re just experimenting. We¡¯ll release an album and perform... It won¡¯t be a bad deal for Laura either because the performance will just be one soprano since there isn¡¯t an apaniment.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk was done speaking, President Stern looked for his satellite phone. He needs to take Laura Goldberg out before the tour for the Queen Elisabeth Competition finalists begins. While he was calling various people, the private ne flew through the Antic clouds of sess to New York. Chapter 207 Volume 6 / Chapter 207 TL: LightNovelCafe ¡°Hey. Isn¡¯t this a waste of space? The apartment is too big.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun yelled as soon as they opened the door to Jun Hyuk¡¯s New York apartment. Even the apartment he lived in when he was at his peak was just a small one-bedroompared to this ce. ¡°That¡¯s what I think too. President Stern brings a ton of people to throw a party sometimes. There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± ¡°Parties? What parties? Are they like the parties we see in movies?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun gulped as his eyes trembled. ¡°You just imagined something weird, didn¡¯t you? yboy cover girls... Huh? Ke ke.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t Hollywood. A lot of women doe, but they aren¡¯t models. Most of them are industry people.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jun Hyuk pushed a Yoon Kwang Hun full of disappointment into an empty room. ¡°First, rest. We have to go out for dinner. We might be meeting Maestro Dimitri Carras of the New York Philharmonic.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll have to takefort in that.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun threw his bag on the ground and was about to go to sleep when his phone rang. ¡°Mr. Stern.¡± ¨C Mr. Yoon. I didn¡¯t intrude when you were about to rest, did I? ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s alright.¡± ¨C Then will you contact Korea for me? If there¡¯s a paper or station that wants to interview Jun Hyuk, tell them to call us at Stern Corporation. I¡¯ll text you the contact information for the manager. And we¡¯re thinking of holding the interview in about a week. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell Jun that as well.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun hung up the phone and remembered what Jun Hyuk had said. Though he is over 70 years old, he is a lively old man who never rests. *** ¡°Ugh fuck. Are you guys crazy! I can¡¯t believe this.¡± K broadcast newsroom culture reporter Kim Jong Man looked at his mail and cursed. ¡°Hey. What is it that you¡¯re cursing this early in the morning?¡± ¡°Manager Park, I got an e-mail from Jang Jun Hyuk¡¯s management agency. I¡¯m speechless.¡± ¡°What? You got an e-mail? What did they say? When will he do the interview?¡± Manager Park ran to reporter Kim Jong Man¡¯s desk to read the e-mail on his monitor. ¡°The date is a weekter. Apparently, they¡¯re holding a joint press conference at the Hudson Hotel in New York. They¡¯re only taking the Korean press by broadcast.¡± Manager Park did not finish reading the e-mail and tapped the back of Kim Jong Man¡¯s head. ¡°Hey! Are you joking? What joint press conference? I told you to go get an exclusive.¡± ¡°Listen to the rest. The joint press conference is 20 minutes. Pictures are allowed. Recording is also allowed. They said no recording with a camera.¡± Reporter Kim Jong Man rubbed the back of his head and talked about the rest of the e-mail. ¡°Then what about the exclusive interview? There isn¡¯t one?¡± ¡°There is. The presidential suite of the Hudson Hotel. Camera recording is okay and 40 minutes. No questions about when he used to wander as a orphan. The interviewer needs to be someone who knows ssical well.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s done. What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°They¡¯re telling us to pay for the exclusive interview. $20,000.¡± ¡°What? $20,000?¡± ¡°Hm... How many stations do you think there are that want to record an interview with Jun Hyuk?¡± Manager Park was surprised at the $20,000 amount for a moment, but he immediately started thinking about thepetitors. ¡°3 national broadcasting stations. The small cable channels won¡¯t be trying to spend money to get an interview when they barely have any money... The big 3 cable channels. There will be about 6.¡± One of the culture news reporters counted them off on his fingers. ¡°Hey. Send a response. $150,000 for 1 hour. Ask for an exclusive for our station.¡± ¡°What? Sir! $150,000?¡± ¡°You talk too much. Just do as I say.¡± Reporter Kim Jong Man needed to rub the back of his head again. ¡°Why would Jun Hyuk do an interview for free? To promote his performance with the New York Philharmonic? How many people in Korea do you think will go to see him conduct?¡± Manager Park spoke to all of the reporters. ¡°You don¡¯t know that Hollywood stars get paid when they¡¯re not promoting movies?¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it still a bit too much?¡± Reporter Kim Jong Man was stillining and murmured carefully just in case Manager Park¡¯s hand came flying again. ¡°Too much? This guy here is too uptight.¡± ¡°What? Sir, what does that mean...¡± ¡°Why? Are you jealous that he does an hour-long interview and gets paid over $100,000? Why does how much he makes get you angry? It¡¯s thepany¡¯s money. How much do you think we¡¯ll make after paying $150,000? They¡¯re saying he¡¯s the 21st century Beethoven! It¡¯s an exclusive interview with Beethoven. There are going to be tons of advertisements. Think about it.¡± Manager Park yelled at the culture news reporters again. ¡°You guys listen up too. Unless otherwise indicated, you¡¯re all dead if you say anything bad about Jang Jun Hyuk. You know how the nation is feeling about him right now, right? He¡¯s the first kid to be treated as a hero since skater Kim Yu Na. If you leave any marks on him, we¡¯ll be ground to dust. Keep that in mind.¡± Kim Jong Man needed to hide his sulking and write the e-mail again, and Manager Park ran to the department office to get approval for spending. *** ¡°Hey! Are you crazy? $150,000? You asshole. My sry is only half of that. You want to use all of that in 1 hour? You¡¯re going crazy.¡± As soon as Manager Park said the dor amount, the culture newsroom Director started out by cursing at him. It is a relief that he did not throw anything at him. ¡°Sir, trust me. I¡¯m telling you this is jackpot.¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that? But $150,000 is too much.¡± ¡°Producing a 1-hour drama costs a minimum of $400,000. Do you know how much the fee for an MC of a variety program is? Jun Hyuk is the 21st century Beethoven. And it¡¯s an exclusive interview for 1 hour.¡± Manager Park insisted that $150,000 is not that much money byparing it to the fees of other big shows. ¡°Are we a drama program? The entertainment station? This is the newsroom. The culture news on top of that. You say something like that when you know how much our cover fees are?¡± The Director was about to chase Manager Park out. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, and get 40 minutes for $20,000. I¡¯m giving you that $20,000 after a lot of thought too.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m saying we should hand this over to the entertainment station.¡± ¡°What? Entertainment?¡± ¡°Yes. The entertainment station has a big budget, so they can handle $150,000. Can¡¯t we just use their material? Press time will only be 2 or 3 minutes at most anyway.¡± There is likelihood if it is the entertainment station. The Director¡¯s voice came down a few notches. ¡°I thought you said no entertainment? No tearful hardship stories, no gossip news. I thought you only have to talk about music? Are you going to do an entertainment segment with a documentary on ssical music?¡± He did not mention it, but the Director had another concern. He wondered if the entertainment station has an MC who could handle a the depth of an interview with aposer who tossed Beethoven a challenge and seeded, and is a maestro conducting for the New York Philharmonic. But Manager Park already looked confident. ¡°There is a suitable MC. He can easily talk about music alone for an hour and he¡¯s entertaining. Lastly, we have the best weapon. He¡¯s close with Jang Jun Hyuk.¡± ¡°What? Close? Does Jang Jun Hyuk have close people in Korea... Oh...¡± ¡°He he. What do you think? Isn¡¯t someone like Yoon Jung Su great?¡± The culture Director threw the pen he was holding. ¡°Hey. You should have said that in the first ce. Hurry up and get Yoon Jung Su on board before someone else gets him. I¡¯ll contact the entertainment station.¡± Yoon Jung Su is plenty. The 1-hour interview could be used in different segments: entertainment, newsroom, and even cultural education. $150,000 was starting to look smaller. *** Yoon Kwang Hun prepared a New York Philharmonic CD to get Dimitri Carras¡¯ signature, and was excited to attend dinner. He became silent after getting a signature and picture, while President Stern and Maestro Carras discussed their schedule. ¡°The New York Philharmonicmittee wants 2 performances. Once in Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center¡¯s private concert hall, and once outside in Damrosch Park.¡± ¡°I was going to do both performances outside if it weren¡¯t for the album recording since the capacity is almost doubled.¡± Damrosch Park is one of Lincoln Center¡¯s venues, and is 2.4 acre outdoor theater. It is the main stage of New York Fashion Week, that opens twice a year, and the ce of the Midsummer Night Swing Festival (June 27 ¨C July 16) with dancing and music. Maestro Carras was looking at a calendar in his pocket book and checking dates. ¡°Jun, how many days do you think rehearsals will take? The choral symphony won¡¯t be hard to get together because it¡¯s a regr in the New York Philharmonic¡¯s repertoire.¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s the New York Philharmonic. Won¡¯t 1 week be enough?¡± ¡°Right? I already started rehearsals once I received your score. We should be able to put it on stage after 2 weeks. Since Danny the violinist already performed, there won¡¯t be any problems there.¡± President Stern was reluctant after hearing that the performance would be ready after 1 month. ¡°But we won¡¯t be able to hold the performance until 2 months pass since there are issues of promotions and album recording. We haven¡¯t even decided on a recordbel yet.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no harm in having plenty of time. Isaac, you and themittee can take care of that issue.¡± Dimitri Carras looked at Jun Hyuk again and became serious. ¡°Everything else is okay, but I haven¡¯t heard your response yet. What do you think? You have no intention of ying the piano?¡± ¡°Oh. Is there really a need for me to y the piano? Aren¡¯t there a lot of amazing pianists? They woulde swarming with just a phone call from you.¡± Jun Hyuk was still dawdling, but Dimitri Carras had been set on him as a pianist for a long time now. Unless there is an unavoidable circumstance such as if he broke his finger, he wants to put Jun Hyuk on stage no matter what. Beethoven yed the piano while he conducted... He did not want to miss out on listening to theposer¡¯s piano. ¡°Why are you turning it down? I want to perform with theposer¡¯s piano. It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t y the piano or anything. Is there a reason to keep that incredible talent hidden?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hiding it. I just want to hear how you interpret it. I¡¯m scared that if I y, there¡¯ll be a different color to it.¡± ¡°Your thinking is opposite to mine. I want to perform with a piano and violin on equal footing. I want to hold a performance that is lively and rough.¡± Dimitri Carras showed a lot of confidence. The soloists¡¯ and conductor¡¯s interpretation might be different, but he trusts that the New York Philharmonic will be capable of a great ensemble. ¡°Then shall we try it out? We have a full 2 months to do it.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s consent is more wee to Yoon Kwang Hun than it is to anyone else. He cannot even remember when hest heard him y. And this is a concert with the New York Philharmonic. ¡°Oh! We get to see Jun as a pianist in Avery Fisher Hall? I¡¯m really anticipating it.¡± ¡°Isaac. And Maestro Carras. You can¡¯t say that the performance was ruined because of me. Ha ha.¡± Isaac Stern recalled when he first met Jun Hyuk. He had yed the piano for Laura Goldberg to sing to at yton-Hoffman School of Music¡¯s support association. A piano that erased himself and highlighted the singing. As soon as Isaac Stern heard that piano, he no longer heard the singing. Once he looked into Jun Hyukter, he kept hearing that he is a geniusposer. However, Jun Hyuk remains an excellent pianist in Isaac Stern¡¯s mind. Chapter 208 Volume 6 / Chapter 208 TL: LightNovelCafe The morning after arriving in New York, Tara came to the apartment. ¡°Jun, you¡¯ll be pretty busy all morning. We need to start working on preparing promotions.¡± ¡°Whew. I trust that you scheduled the least you could.¡± ¡°Not the least, but in moderation. Excluding Brussels since it¡¯s apetition, this can be called your debut performance, right? We need to start it in the grandest manner possible and end sessfully.¡± Jun Hyuk fully understood the management agency¡¯s role until now. The most important thing is to trust each other. All he needs to do is trust Tara and President Stern, and go with them in the direction they lead him. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± ¡°One day for shooting the poster. Clips to insert into a promotional video and the remaining interview. Thest interview is with the Korean press.¡± Tara stuck a print out of the week¡¯s schedule on the refrigerator so that Jun Hyuk could check it whenever he wanted to. The photographer in charge of the poster shoot and director taking over the promotional video smiled brightly as soon as they saw Jun Hyuk. They kept saying ¡®good¡¯ even as they were in the midst of shooting. Most conductors are past middle-aged, so they cannot get full shots. It is always hard work because they need to find the angles where they will not shoot their bulging bellies. Jun Hyuk on the other hand, is optimal for shooting a poster with his tall height and lean body. They were able to finish up easily because they could keep shooting without considering the angles too much. As America is the magazine heaven, there was a tremendous amount of magazines and media lined up for interviews. There were the usual magazines with expertise in ssical music like Gramophone, The ssic, Symphone, BBC Music, but also those in various genres like pop music like Guitar World, Billboard, Rolling Stones, Jazz Time. There were also the inevitable press like the New York Times. Fortunately, all of the questions were regarding music and anything beyond that was only about his girlfriend Amelia. The questions he received most were about his statement on Beethoven and his interpretation of the choral concerto. Rather thanpare himself to Beethoven, he made the reporters speechless by delving deeply into Beethoven¡¯s music. He pointed out the sounds of each instrument in the melody of a certain verse of a particr opus and part, so the reporters did not have the ability to refute or add to this with questions. This depth of conversation is only possible with another conductor. Interviews with pop music magazines were much easier and morefortable. They did not care about his statement on Beethoven. Their greatest interest was in his ns in the realm of jazz, rock, and the blues. There are a lot of fans waiting for Jun Hyuk who had released one jazz album and one heavy metal album before going over to the world of ssical. *** Yoon Kwang Hun woke up early every morning and ran ap around the park. He carried out his daily routine, recalling his former life in America. Once he took a shower and had a light breakfast, he disappeared. Jun Hyuk thought he was touring the city, but knew that could not be right because he had lived in America for a long time. ¡°But sir, where do you go everyday?¡± ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t tell you? Lincoln Center.¡± ¡°Lincoln Center? Why?¡± ¡°To watch the rehearsals. New York Philharmonic, New York Pops Orchestra, Opera House. I watch their rehearsals in turn everyday.¡± ¡°What? Is that because Maestro Carras said you could go anytime? You have to stop after going once or twice. How could you go everyday?¡± ¡°Hey hey! I¡¯m not that much of a wretch. I¡¯m going as someone with a premium membership.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun saw that Jun Hyuk was surprised, and waved his hand to tell him not to worry. ¡°If it¡¯s the premium membership, you¡¯d have to pay quite a lot of money.¡± ¡°I was a gold member when I was living in America a long time ago. My records were still there, so they renewed that for me. I didn¡¯t pay as much as I did back then of course, but they made me a premium member even though I gave a little.¡± Most symphony orchestras including Korea¡¯s Seoul Philharmonic provide more services with membership support registration. General members are those who have purchased for the regr performance season. Season passes are discounted by as much as 50%. Premium members are those who have paid more than the amount for the regr performance season in donations. Premium members have the privilege of going to rehearsals whenever they want to. They can watch from afar in the empty seats or watch from outside the room. Higher members are able to go backstage. ¡°Do you know what privilege the person who pays the most for the New York Philharmonic gets?¡± ¡°Privilege? There are things like that?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re going to be amazed when you hear.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun looked at Jun, who was full of curiosity, and looked as if he were telling a secret. ¡°If it¡¯s the New York Philharmonic, you have to pay hundreds of thousands of dors to be the top member. That member... goes on stage for the winter concert.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that true? Does that person watch the performance on stage?¡± ¡°No. If it¡¯s the winter concert, of course it¡¯s Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony.¡± ¡°Yes. Most are.¡± ¡°That person bes someone ying an instrument.¡± ¡°No way. How can a normal person perform?¡± What kinds of people are the orchestra members? They are professionals who would receive hundreds of dors per hour of lessons. There is no way that someone would be allowed to stand among these people just by paying a lot of money. ¡°No. The person really does go on stage with an instrument. It¡¯s the triangle.¡± The triangle is a very important instrument in the 4th part of the choral symphony. It blends in with the polo and that soft sound is superb. It is also an instrument that someone can handle as a runner with enough practice. ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable.¡± ¡°He he. Of course not just anyone does it. They put the sponsor among the top ss that they want, on stage.¡± ¡°Do you want to try it too?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I could do it. I might die of a heart attack.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun is waving his hand, but his expression showed that he was already imagining himself holding the triangle. *** ¡°The Korean press and broadcast interview has been decided. 20 minutes joint conference. An exclusive interview for 1 hour.¡± ¡°1 hour? What do I do for an hour?¡± If there are 3 broadcasts, it is a total of 3 hours. Jun Hyuk¡¯s head hurt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Instead, it¡¯s just 1 ce. There will only be questions on music. There will be bits and pieces of what happened in Salzburg and Brussels, but do itfortably because there won¡¯t be awkward questions.¡± The cumbersome is over after this interview tomorrow. Laura Goldberg, who is still in Brussels for g concerts, will being back to New York after 2 or 3 days. There is 1 month until rehearsals with the New York Philharmonic start. Thinking of the fun he will have writing music during that time, he could not wait to be done with the interview. ¡°Oh right. Since we don¡¯t know Korean, yourwyer Catherine Lim will also be present. She¡¯ll end it right away if something weirdes up.¡± ¡°Then what about you, Tara?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be there too. If there¡¯s anything you need while you¡¯re doing the interview, just tell me. And I was going to ask for the questions in advance, but didn¡¯t. You can just interview confidently as you¡¯ve been doing.¡± Watching Jun Hyuk interview, Tara had seen that Jun Hyuk is capable of getting through the questions as long as they are professional. They no longer need to avoid the press. ¡°But who¡¯s the exclusive interview with?¡± ¡°K station.¡± Jun Hyuk had been thinking that the exclusive had been with a music magazine, and frowned. ¡°Tara. There are a lot of cases with Korean broadcasting stations whereedians conduct the interviews.¡± ¡°Comedians?¡± ¡°Yeah. There are a lot of cases where they aren¡¯t professional and only ask about gossip or overdo it to forceughter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s included in the conditions too. The interviewer needs to have knowledge about music. We¡¯ll cut it as soon as it starts looking like aedy talk show. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± While Tara was reassuring Jun Hyuk, the doorbell rang. When she checked the monitor at the entrance and opened the door,wyer Lim So Mi came in. ¡°Hey Jun Hyuk. It¡¯s been a while for us, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Mrs. Lim. How have you been?¡± Lim So Mi seemed to be surprised with the changes in Jun Hyuk. ¡°You change drastically every year. You¡¯re conducting the New York Philharmonic now? At this rate, you¡¯ll be a standing conductor by next year. Anyway, you¡¯re really impressive. Really.¡± ¡°Maestro Carras is still alive and well. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll stick around for another 10 years.¡± ¡°Oh. Do you have it picked out as your spot in 10 years?¡± Lim So Miughed as she looked around. ¡°But how about Mr. Yoon? He¡¯s not here? We only spoke over the phone and haven¡¯t met before.....¡± ¡°No. He¡¯s stamping his time card at Lincoln Center.¡± ¡°Lincoln Center?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s living for the fun of watching orchestra rehearsals.¡± Tara was watching them speak for a while in Korean when she spoke up, ¡°Catherine. Thank you for helping us like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. This is part of my job too. It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°The interview tomorrow will be conducted in Korean, so we really need for you to be able to react quickly.¡± ¡°Looking at the interview on BBC¡¯s homepage, he¡¯s an expert now. I think he¡¯ll do really well. I¡¯ll just trante for you Tara.....¡± There is just one thing that the two of them are worried about. Often, there are reporters who throw provocative questions to try to raise emotions and get a scoop. They just have to prevent Jun Hyuk from giving harsh responses. Chapter 209 Volume 6 / Chapter 209 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji The joint conference held in the Hudson Hotel went smoothly. To use the 20 minutes efficiently, the reporters agreed on their questions. They avoided repeating questions and asked insightful questions on music. There were just 2 unavoidable questions that did not deal with music, and one was something that everyone wondered about ¨C his money, earnings. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve made. People I trust are handling it for me.¡± After Jun Hyuk¡¯s response, Lim So Mi took the microphone. ¡°You can just think that his earnings are much smaller than what you all are expecting. You cannot imagine him as a pop star or a Hollywood star. The ssical market is small, even in America.¡± Tara checked the time and sent the signal to end it. Then, a question that they had not expected or nned beforehand came out. ¡°Mr. Jang Jun Hyuk, you keep the Korean press at a distance. Is this because of what happened while you were participating in the audition program in the past?¡± Lim So Mi was taken aback by the unexpected question, and when she was about to say ¡®noment¡¯ to wrap the interview up, Jun Hyuk took the microphone. ¡°Yes, that is right. That incident was my first impression of our country¡¯s press, and first impressions are hard to forget. That first impression was one of distrust.¡± When Jun Hyuk answered without the slightest hesitation, the reporter who asked became speechless. But, there were reporters who did not lose this opportunity. ¡°Then, are you thinking of leaving this wall built up?¡± ¡°No. I will participate in any interview that involves questions regarding music like today. I intend to reject any interviews that only show interest in basic questions instead of music, even if it¡¯s the American media. The press just needs to respect that boundary.¡± This ended the joint conference. Jun Hyuk left to the hotel guest room for his one-on-one interview. Lim So Mi told Tara what Jun Hyuk said at the end of his interview, and Tara was relieved because of his clean response. When they entered the presidential suite, the broadcasting station¡¯s staff was already installing lights and cameras. ¡°Jun. We¡¯ll start in 30 minutes. Rest until then.¡± ¡°Why? They¡¯re not ready yet? I¡¯m okay so let¡¯s just start right away.¡± Tara smiled as she looked at Jun Hyuk who had adjusted perfectly for the interview. He will need to handle tighter schedules from now on, and there¡¯s no need to worry at this rate of adjustment. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll get ready right away.¡± When Jun Hyuk sat on the sofa to wait for the cameras to get set up, the producer in charge and interviewer entered the room. ¡°Huh? Teacher! What are you doing here?¡± Jun Hyuk saw Yoon Jung Su and bolted up. He had met an unexpected person in an unexpected ce. ¡°Wow. You¡¯ve really changed so much you¡¯re unrecognizable. You give off the aura of a maestro.¡± Yoon Jung Su was also astonished by the changes in Jun Hyuk. ¡°Are you doing the interview?¡± ¡°It turned out like that. When the call first came in from the station, I rejected it because I thought they were trying to use our rtionship. But, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you and it was a pity that we didn¡¯t get to meet up in Japan. And I thought that it might be morefortable with me if it¡¯s something that¡¯s going to happen anyway. Is that okay? If you¡¯re ufortable, we can change. A culture news reporter is waiting just in case.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I was surprised because I wasn¡¯t expecting it, but I wanted to see you too. It¡¯sfortable. I like it.¡± The producer approached them while they were catching up. ¡°Mr. Jun Hyuk. We¡¯ll be starting the interview now. Is it okay to continue speakingfortably like you both have been doing?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯d be more strange for Teacher Yoon to start speaking formally all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Thank you. Then, we¡¯ll start filming and you should both continue speaking like you¡¯ve been doing.¡± Microphones were attached to their clothing, and 2 solo shot cameras and 1 main camera with a full shot started to run. ¡°Alright. Then, shall we start?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°When¡¯s the performance? Has the date been confirmed?¡± ¡°No, not yet. But, we¡¯re thinking that it will be in 2 months.¡± ¡°It still doesn¡¯t feel real when I look at you. You¡¯re conducting the New York Philharmonic! It¡¯s even funny when I think about it now, how I made you do things thinking that I could teach you... If the world finds out that I told Beethoven to try out mixing, they¡¯ll be astonished.¡± ¡°No, I really had fun then. I learned a lot about sound mixing thanks to you too.¡± The producer liked how Yoon Jung Su started out by reminiscing about their past. Their informal conversation might bring out a better picture than going by a script that the writers put together. ¡°Let me first ask something I¡¯m personally curious about. Why on earth did you go out on apetition? You can put work on stage whenever you want through yourpany. A ce like Stern Corporation would be able to get your score in the hands of conductors all around the world.¡± ¡°It was because I wanted to conduct. I thought that I might not be able to conduct if I release the song through President Stern... and I wanted to get an evaluation on my work.¡± ¡°So? Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°Yes, since I am now able to conduct with the New York Philharmonic.¡± ¡°Honestly, did you also want to brag? Look! I could even write something like this with my feet. Like this?¡± The producer gulped as he watched through the monitor. Getting Yoon Jung Su on was the best move. He must be the only interviewer who could throw such a question as though it is nothing. ¡°Excuse me? With my feet? Ha ha. Hm... I can¡¯t say that¡¯s totally untrue.¡± It is totally expected considering Jun Hyuk¡¯s age. Even Yoon Jung Su in his 40s wants to show off his talent and ability. Yoon Jung Su saw the producer check the time and turned the cue sheet. ¡°Your statement on Beethoven. I looked up what you said exactly and you said, ¡®within a range to follow him¡¯. But you didn¡¯t say ¡®until when¡¯. It seems like this could mean that the final goal is to create a pieceparable to Beethoven¡¯s but also that you could surpass him if you wanted to. What was your true intention?¡± ¡°Is this an official question? Or is it personal?¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s official, the answer is the same. It needs to bepared through music, but we have to wait because I don¡¯t have enough work to be evaluated on.¡± Yoon Jung Su heard Jun Hyuk¡¯s answer and was locked in thought for a moment. And he looked at the producer as he spoke. ¡°Sorry, but can you turn the camera off for a second?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I want to hear the other answer off the record. Producer Park. Aren¡¯t you curious about Jun Hyuk¡¯s real thoughts?¡± Producer Park hesitated for a moment before signaling to the camera man. He is also curious about the 21st century Beethoven¡¯s real thoughts. ¡°Done, right? Tell me honestly.¡± ¡°I can make a piece at a simr level at any time right now. But, I have to catch up to be a musician like Beethoven at his position.¡± ¡°What¡¯s Beethoven¡¯s position like?¡± ¡°Since symphonies can be divided to those before him and those after him.¡± ¡°Then what about you? What changes before and after Jang Jun Hyuk? No ¨C what do you want to change?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t say exactly what it is. But I want to hear that kind of evaluation one day. That something can be separated to before and after Jang Jun Hyuk. I don¡¯t know what that something is yet.¡± Yoon Jung Su is not the only person who is surprised. Lim So Mi and Tara, listening to Lim So Mi¡¯s trantion, were also surprised. Tara was able to confirm once again that she had done the right thing in quitting her job with the Boston Symphony anding to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Wow. The dimension of your goal alone is different. Even a big footprint on the history of music is a big deal, but you¡¯re saying that you¡¯ll be a backbone of music history.¡± The cameras came back on while Yoon Jung Su was admiring him. ¡°Great, then next question. Between your roles asposer and performer ¨C including conducting ¨C which is the one you like more?¡± ¡°Composer. I have yet to experience the bliss I feel withposing while conducting or performing.¡± ¡°Bliss fromposing?¡± ¡°Yes. I said this in my interview with Gramophone too, but it¡¯s a feeling like my head is going to explode as I think of musical motifs. An entire song rings ¡®boom¡¯ all at once. When I thought of the motif of choral concerto, the sounds that woulde from 29 instruments for over 1 hour filled my head in 0.0001 seconds and then exploded like fireworks.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was hard for Yoon Jung Su to understand Jun Hyuk¡¯s words. 1 hour changes into 1 moment? Does this mean that time stops? Or...? ¡°I can¡¯t even express that bliss. I move that musical motif onto a score. I add anything missing or modify the parts I¡¯m not satisfied with as I move it onto the score. And there¡¯s another bang in my head when the song isplete.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you hear that long song at once?¡± ¡°Yes. I think that¡¯s really the sound of heaven.¡± ¡°Well... I don¡¯t even know what to say because I can¡¯t imagine it.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t felt like that before? The song you write bespressed and explodes?¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Yoon Jung Su with sparkling eyes, but he only showed a bittersweet smile. ¡°I¡¯m an average person. I don¡¯t have anything like that. I create a framework with a theme melody and work it out from there. It¡¯s a struggle, an extremely ordinary style.¡± Yoon Jung Su was frustrated that there was nothing he could empathize with in Jun Hyuk¡¯s words when he is also aposer. And he became lost imagining the sound of heaven. But, all he could think of, was the sound of a grand fireworks festival. ¡°That doesn¡¯t happen for me every time either. There are just times when it does feel like that. And there are a lot of times when I make a framework to work off of like you said. Oh right. You have scores you wrote but haven¡¯t revealed, right?¡± Yoon Jung Su snapped out of his imagination. ¡°Yeah. The people who know about them are going crazy because I haven¡¯t released them.¡± ¡°Of those, there are a lot that I wrote in the normal way. And there are other songs where I felt bliss from thinking of a motif andpleting a score.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. You¡¯re not revealing them because the feeling is different?¡± ¡°Not all of them, but there are songs like that. The feeling must have changed because there¡¯s an unnecessary part in there.¡± ¡°Then between the normal way and ¨C what is it? ¨C where it goes bang and it explodes, which do you like more?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t separate them like that. The regr way is just different. There¡¯s an aria that I¡¯ll be working on in a few days, but I did a lot of calctions while writing that. I like that one a lot too.¡± Yoon Jung Su sighed heavily. ¡°Ha ha. Well. I can¡¯t conduct this interview.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°An ordinary person like me can¡¯t imagine or understand... I think another genius needs to interview you.¡± Yoon Jung Su felt the producer shooting daggers at him and spoke again, ¡°Oh right. We shouldn¡¯t be like this. We only have an hour.¡± ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s alright. I like it because this doesn¡¯t even feel like an interview and it feels like I¡¯m just hanging out with you. Hang on.¡± Jun Hyuk spoke to Tara, who was checking the time. ¡°Tara? Do we have anything scheduled for after this? I want to spend more time here. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Jun, wait a second.¡± Tara went into the bedroom with the producer in charge and Lim So Mi. ¡°Mr. Park, let¡¯s do this. Film however you want from now on without a time limit.¡± Lim So Mi was surprised, but she tranted into Korean. She was also so enwrapped in their conversation that she felt it a pity to end it after an hour. ¡°What? Really? Well. Thank you.¡± The producer was so happy he wanted to jump up and down. An exclusive interview without a time limit. There could be no other jackpot. ¡°There¡¯s just a condition.¡± ¡°Yes, anything.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t look at the final edited clip and tell you what to do with it. But, show us everything you filmed andpletely delete any parts that we request. You should be able to edit with the rest.¡± The producer heard Lim So Mi¡¯s trantion and frowned. iming editorial rights is inevitable, but censorship? ¡°It sounds like you want to censor it. Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± ¡°Yes. We need to make sure that anything unnecessary is not left recorded. If you call it censorship, I guess it is.¡± Tara used the word censorship without hesitation. She is certain that it is not an unreasonable demand to erase the parts they are ufortable with when she is making such a great offer. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, the cameras will go off after exactly 1 hour. They can continue speaking after the cameras are off if they want to.¡± ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t matter how much there is after we erase parts?¡± ¡°No. We won¡¯t care whether it goes to 2 or 3 hours. Isn¡¯t this an exceptional offer? If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t even have to think about it.¡± It really is an offer that he does not have to think about. The producer thanked Tara and continued the interview. ¡°Tara. Isn¡¯t it too good? They could just keep speaking personally once the cameras are off.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Catherine. They can record Jun interview so happily as much as they want. He looks great when he¡¯s smiling. His likeability is going to go up when Korean viewers see that.¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯re thinking of the situation in Korea?¡± ¡°Yes. Jun will perform in Korea one day. It¡¯s good to make a lot of fans when he has the chance to.¡± Lim So Mi looked at Tara again. Her business mind is extraordinary. Chapter 210 Volume 6 / Chapter 210 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji ¡°Then, to continue, you¡¯re not going to ever release those scores you have bundled up? You¡¯re still writing songs now, right? You¡¯re just going to keep storing them?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I will one day. He he.¡± ¡°What does thatugh mean? And does that ¡®one day¡¯ really mean something?¡± Yoon Jung Su spoke while examining Jun Hyuk, who kept smiling. ¡°Those songs aren¡¯t that bad, though some of the early ones are cheesy. To say it simply, they¡¯re on reserve.¡± ¡°What? Reserve?¡± ¡°Yes. When it bes hard to write songs and I can¡¯t think of motifs... They¡¯re just on reserve so I can reveal them one by one if I lose inspiration.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. That just means you¡¯re never going to reveal them.¡± It just sounds like a joke. Music matures with time. He could lose inspiration, but music is not written only when motifse to them. As they create music, there are more instances when they start to think up motifs. ¡°You never know. It might just disappear one day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry because that¡¯s not going to happen. Isn¡¯t it better to go through them one by one and release them, except for the ones you really don¡¯t like?¡± They did not realize that the time was passing by because they were talking intensely about music. After 3 hours flew by, Jun Hyuk sent the signal to end it. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m starting to get hungry. Let¡¯s eat together. We can talk while we eat.....¡± ¡°Oh. It went on for too long, didn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s do that. Then,st question: your personal goals? I¡¯m going to do this no matter what. Something like that.¡± Yoon Jung Su posed thest question with the producer¡¯s signal that the interview was over. ¡°Mozart left the world over 600 songs as he died at the age of 36, but I¡¯ll live at least twice that long, right? Then I guess my goal is to leave over 1000 songs?¡± ¡°1000 songs?¡± ¡°Yes. If I keep going as I¡¯m doing now, I think it¡¯s a goal I can meet.¡± ¡°All ssical?¡± ¡°Hm. I didn¡¯t really decide on that. Just as it happens.¡± ¡°Speaking as a fan of yours, I hope you be a great musician, who crosses through different genres.¡± The interview ended with Yoon Jung Su¡¯s meaningful hopes for Jun Hyuk, and Tara approached them. ¡°Jun. The car is waiting, so go first in that. I just made a reservation, so the driver will take you to the restaurant. Mr. Yoon is going to head there too, so eat with everyone.¡± ¡°Why? You¡¯re noting?¡± ¡°I still have work to do here. I¡¯ll call you as soon as I¡¯m done, so don¡¯t mind me.¡± Tara and Lim So Mi need to go through the entire interview footage. Jun Hyuk and Yoon Jung Su left the guest room. ¡°Teacher, let¡¯s go. We can talk as we eat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen Mr. Yoon too. We both live in Korea but meeting in New York.¡± ¡°Oh right. When do you go back?¡± ¡°Tomorrow evening. I have plenty of time.¡± Jun Hyuk enjoyed his dinner with a carefree heart, now that he was done with hisst interview. He is happy that he can concentrate on music again now that the cumbersome work is over. *** Laura Goldberg never thought she would have to sing an aria with just one sound. She had been more excited when she heard that Jun Hyuk had written the song while thinking of her. He is a star and she will be the first person to sing his song. This alone will catch the world¡¯s attention. The mail with the score included said that they would start recording as soon as she arrived in New York, so she should be fully prepared. Laura had not imagined that she would record her first album so soon. She learned the music sheet that President Stern sent her and just waited for the g concert to hurry up and end. When Laura arrived in New York, she forgot her jeg and exhaustion and ran to the recording studio. Only two people were waiting for her in the recording studio, a sound engineer and Jun Hyuk. ¡°Did the g concert go well?¡± ¡°Honestly, I was out of it once I got the score. I was paying more attention to this song than I was to the concert. And thanks.¡± Laura thanked him for choosing her, but Jun Hyuk shook his head. ¡°Push that back until after the recording. If I don¡¯t think you¡¯re up for it, I¡¯m going to get another soprano.¡± Jun Hyuk cut it off coldly and Laura sobered. There is no need to say thank you. Jun Hyuk is theposer and he will be directing her. Her job is to hurry up and end the recording to his standards. They have not gathered in this studio because of recognition or friendship. They havee to work. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll bring out a result that you¡¯ll be satisfied with, Mr. Producer.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled when he heard Laura sound ready to get work done. ¡°Great. Then, do you want to try singing it easily? Let¡¯s see what you practiced over a week first.¡± Laura went into the recording booth, put the score on the stand, and cleared her throat. ¡°Laura. Since there isn¡¯t an apaniment, pay attention to the beat. Do you need a metronome?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll try it out without a metronome first.¡± ¡°Okay. Go.¡± Her voice came out through the recording booth microphone and wrapped the whole studio. Jun Hyuk wrote something on a piece of paper while she sang. Laura sang 5 five-minute songs without resting and looked at Jun Hyuk. ¡°Laura, what did you do for a week?¡± ¡°Huh? Why? Is it that bad?¡± ¡°Your pronunciation ispletely off in the passage (part of a melody where the notes are quickly changed in direction to go high or low). I¡¯m sure you saw the one message written on the score. The pronunciation needs to be precise. You didn¡¯t see it?¡± ¡°That... that.¡± ¡°I have a lot to say about other things, but there¡¯s no need to say it because you can¡¯t do the most basic part.¡± Laura was speechless in the recording booth. ¡°Laura, let me ask one thing.¡± ¡°... Yeah.¡± ¡°This song. You don¡¯t like it? It¡¯s bad?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s really good. The melody is really beautiful.¡± ¡°Then, I haven¡¯t done anything wrong?¡± ¡°R... Right.¡± ¡°If the song is good, it¡¯s okay if the performance is a little off. Contrary to that, if the performance is good, it¡¯s okay for the song to be in. But, there isn¡¯t a crazy recordbel willing to make an album just because it¡¯s okay.¡± Jun Hyuk ignored Laura who could not lift her head, and spoke to the sound engineer. ¡°Will you make what we just recorded into a CD?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Oh... Sure.¡± The sound engineer waspletely lost in Laura¡¯s hair-raisingly beautiful voice and exquisite technique. He could not understand what the producer was so upset about. This is at a perfect standard for a first take. ¡°Laura,e out.¡± Laura came out and Jun Hyuk gave her a sheet of paper. ¡°These are the ces where your pronunciation is off while you sing. Take the CD and check it. We¡¯ll just say that you weren¡¯t in good condition today. If it¡¯s like this tomorrow, it might be hard to keep going.¡± The sheet that Jun Hyuk gave her is full of numbers indicating minutes and seconds like a stopwatch. ¡°And there are a lot of cases where you have to go straight to the concert hall after getting off a ne because your tour schedule is tight. Being off condition because of long flights... I¡¯m sure you know that this kind of excuse doesn¡¯t work in the professional world.¡± Laura gently bit her lip. This was not a ce toe running to out of excitement. She needed to havee withplete preparation. Laura looked up at Jun Hyuk and spoke, ¡°3 days.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet after 3 days. I can¡¯t get ready in 1 day.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s face rxed, ¡°3 days is enough? Do you want more?¡± ¡°No. I need to do it within 3 days. I can¡¯t just keep you waiting.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled widely, ¡°Great. Then 2 in the afternoon in 3 days. Okay?¡± Jun Hyuk sent Laura away and then listened to her song again. ¡°Maestro. I don¡¯t really know what you¡¯re trying to do with this song, but isn¡¯t it pretty great for a first take?¡± The sound engineer spoke up cautiously after listening to the recording with Jun Hyuk. ¡°It is great. This kind of unique sound is rare.¡± ¡°But you were really pushing her.....¡± ¡°You¡¯ll realize when we¡¯re finishing up with our recording. You¡¯ll know what this sound really looks like.¡± The sound engineer was still puzzled at Jun Hyuk¡¯s words. Chapter 211 Volume 6 / Chapter 211 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji Laura¡¯s professor concentrated on the music with headphones on and could not speak for a while. She had already received the score while Laura was participating in the g concert. This will be the ultimate coloratura if Laura¡¯s voice is added to this beautiful melody, even if there is no apaniment. And, her expectation had not been wrong. The 5 songs she listened to just now, shows the zenith of coloratura. ¡°He said your pronunciation is shaky?¡± ¡°Yes. That note is where he wrote each ce where it¡¯s shaky.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even make out half of this with my ears.¡± Laura looked at her professor¡¯s nk stare and could onlyugh. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do about it. Fix what you can make out for me.¡± ¡°No matter how good his ear is, even notes that are hard for people who spent their lives with music can¡¯t discern?¡± ¡°We can only trust Jun¡¯s directing.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re meeting him again in 3 days? Then, let¡¯s adjust the parts that I can do.¡± Laura looked at the score and began bringing out a simple yet beautiful sound. ¡°Laura, wait. What you just did is worse than your recording. Don¡¯t just pay attention to the pronunciation. If Jun were only asking for precise pronunciation, wouldn¡¯t he just use a machine? Save the zest that brings change to the sounds.¡± While Laura spent each day in basic vocal hard training, Danny was finishing up the g concert in Brussels and returning to New York. He knows that rehearsals start in a month, but he ising back to practice in order to work toward a perfect performance. He already discussed the direction of the performance in a meeting with Maestro Carras. ¡°Danny, just stay at my apartment. There¡¯s no reason to stay at a hotel when there are so many empty rooms.¡± ¡°No. I can¡¯t be such a nuisance. It¡¯s okay.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk met up with Danny, he told him toe out of the hotel. ¡°Then what about practicing? You¡¯ll get kicked out of the hotel if you practice there every night because you¡¯re being noisy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to get a studio to practice in.¡± ¡°Then practice at my apartment. It¡¯s made up like a studio, so you can even record. And work on producing music with me.¡± ¡°Producing music? What is it? You wrote a new song?¡± ¡°Yeah. Soprano aria.¡± ¡°Aria? Laura Goldberg?¡± ¡°Yeah. How did you know?¡± ¡°You kept praising Laura. You don¡¯t just pass by people like that.¡± If there is someone who gave him musical inspiration, he always write a song that fits them. Danny regrets that Jun Hyuk has not yet written a song for him. This means that his ying is still ordinary to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Did I do that? Anyway, I¡¯m going to try testing out that song. Oh right. What¡¯s the violin you¡¯re using right now?¡± ¡°Guarneri del Gesu.¡± ¡°What? Guarneri?¡± Guarneri del Gesu refers to Italian instrument manufacturer, Guarneri family¡¯s 3rd manufacturer, Bartholomew Giuseppe Guarneri. ¡®del Gesu¡¯ is his nickname because he carved crosses on the backs of the instruments he made. It is one of the top 3 violins in the world, along with Stradivarius and Amati. If the Stradivarius is delicately carved and polished to be exemry and like a woman¡¯s voice, the Guarneri has the rough look of wood and a masculine tone. It is also famous for the distinctive sounds it makes by instrument. However, there are also aspects they have inmon; they are instruments of high value. Danny waved his hand when he saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s surprised face, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not mine. I received sponsorship because I won the Queen Elisabeth Competition and was a finalist in the Chaikovsky Competition.¡± ¡°Sponsorship?¡± ¡°Yeah. Canadian government lent it to me for free for 1 year. I¡¯m using it well right now because there¡¯s insurance on it too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to go back and forth between the hotel and studio with that expensive instrument? You know that New York¡¯s streets are no joke. It¡¯s fine, soe into the apartment. Let me see it. I want to see what brings in hundreds of thousands of dors.¡± Danny was so grateful for Jun Hyuk¡¯s concern that he could cry. He does not yet have the ie to stay in a first ss hotel without worrying about the costs. It is not an easy ordeal to go back and forth between the studio and hotel either. ¡°Thanks, Jun. Then, I¡¯ll impose on you a bit.¡± ¡°Impose nothing. I¡¯m not just saying it. There really is something I¡¯m working on. I need the sound of a Guarneri too.¡± Jun Hyuk seemed to be full of anticipation for the sound of the luxury violin. *** ¡°Mr. Yoon. I hope I¡¯m not being a bother.¡± ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯m just camping out for a bit too. Don¡¯t mind me.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun is meeting a friend of Jun Hyuk¡¯s for the first time. Even though it has only been a few hours since they met, he is fascinated by the fact that the 2 boys are friends. Bright and cheerful Danny kept chatting, and brought happiness to his surroundings. As for Jun Hyuk, who does not like noise, must have let Danny stay with him because he is really fond of him. They may like each other because they havepletely opposite natures. ¡°Sir. This is the Guarneri del Gesu violin that goes for over 1.5 million.¡± ¡°What? Guarneri? What? Is he from a rich family?¡± ¡°Oh. No, Mr. Yoon. It¡¯s sponsored by the Canadian government. A 1 year lease.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. So the Canadian government invested in a rising star?¡± ¡°I guess you can say it like that? Ha ha.¡± Dannyughed humorously. ¡°Then, shall we hear it? Let¡¯s see what kind of soundes from something worth 1.5 million.¡± Jun Hyuk gave him the score for Laura¡¯s aria. ¡°Danny, try ying this. It¡¯s a song without apaniment, so it¡¯ll go well with a violin solo too.¡± Danny looked over the score for a moment and held up his violin. After ying the 5 songs consecutively, Danny stuck out his tongue and put the violin down. ¡°Jun, this is the song a soprano needs to sing? The singer¡¯s going to die of short breath trying to sing this.¡± ¡°It is good as a solo song. ying skills are important because there are a lot of changes... Danny, you truly are good enough to win apetition. Your technique is academic but rough. It¡¯s amazing.¡± Danny flushed at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s praises. The person with the privilege to be the first to see Jun Hyuk¡¯s scores. He heard that this man has a sharper ear than most critics. It felt like his praise was instead of Jun Hyuk¡¯s praise. ¡°Jun, you said this song doesn¡¯t have an apaniment?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then, it can be yed on any instrument as long as the register is matched up?¡± Danny was already enwrapped in the melody¡¯s beauty. ¡°It is, but didn¡¯t you just say that she¡¯ll run out of breath?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It needs to be done by a performer who can express that feeling of running out of breath.¡± Danny¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked at Jun Hyuk. He was curious as to whether or not he was included among those performers. ¡°Of course, Danny, you expressed that well.¡± ¡°Then are you going to give this song to me?¡± Jun Hyukughed at Danny¡¯s delight. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to give. I¡¯m going to release the score as soon as Laura¡¯s done recording. Anyone will be able to y it.¡± ¡°Oh, really? What a pity.¡± The person who ys this first could be the song¡¯s owner. If Danny performs or releases an album with these 5 songs, any violinist who ys it, is only a second owner unless they give a particrly splendid performance. Danny is regretful because, once Jun Hyuk releases the score, the world¡¯s top violinists will fight to release albums. Jun Hyuk yelled at Danny because these concerns came first, ¡°You prepare for the concert! Don¡¯t think about other things. How many days has it been since you said that you would change your career with the New York performance?¡± Chapter 212 Volume 6 / Chapter 212 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji When Laura went into the recording booth and sang ¡®A,¡¯ Jun Hyuk got lost intensely in thought. Laura thought of her shorings and waited for Jun Hyuk to say something. He contemted for a while and spoke to her as though he suddenly remembered something, ¡°Laura, shall we take a 10 minute break? Have a cup of coffee or something.¡± Laura left the booth to drink coffee, and Jun Hyuk spoke to the sound engineer quietly, ¡°Did you hear the part where her pronunciation was shaky?¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk spoke, the sound engineer sighed. ¡°Whew. Maestro, try listening to this.¡± The sound engineer looked through a folder on the hard drive and opened up several files on the screen. ¡°This sound library is the file we use as a standard when we need precise pronunciation. There are recordings from vocalists and some from vocal guides. Languages are separated by series, so let¡¯s talk after listening to all of them.¡± Since it is America, a showroom of different races and people, there is a wide variety of ¡®A¡¯ pronunciations. Even those who speak English perfectly, show subtle differences in pronunciation by lineage. Jun Hyuk listened to all of the files, took off the headphones, and the sound engineer spoke, ¡°Laura¡¯s pronunciation just now was almost perfect. I honestly think it¡¯s phenomenal that she changed so much over just 3 days. Even if it doesn¡¯t sound precise in Maestro¡¯s ears, the public won¡¯t be able to tell the difference. I would even bet on it.¡± ¡°But, there is a difference in the music if ites to the standard that I want it at. The overall feeling changes.¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro. I understood thatpletely since I can¡¯t believe the difference between 3 days. It¡¯s just that I hadn¡¯t imagined that precise and consistent pronunciation would make such a great difference.¡± The sound engineer saw that Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression remained the same and stressed again, ¡°Take a look at the wave file. There¡¯s almost no difference with the guide sound. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s meaningless work beyond this?¡± Laura had been watching with a coffee in each of her hands, and gently interrupted, ¡°Uh, Jun. How close is my singing just now to the goal you have in mind?¡± ¡°35%.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°35%?¡± The two people cried out at the same time and were speechless. ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised, Laura. I lowered my goal for exact pronunciation. You just have to get to 70%. I heard this song on the violin yesterday, and it was hard even for an instrument to maintain the same sound. 35% is in rtion to the whole thing, including the technique to change tone and expression.¡± Laura¡¯s expression rxed after she heard Jun Hyuk¡¯s exnation. This is only the 2nd recording. If she has aplished half from the beginning, she will be able to follow the rest. ¡°Laura, you¡¯re doing well right now. Honestly, I¡¯m also confused as to where to draw my standards. I¡¯m going to decide after listening to you sing some more, so it¡¯s not to the point where you have to worry. Then, shall we try it again?¡± Laura went back into the recording booth with a much brighter face. Jun Hyuk listened to her singing and changed the standard value of the pronunciation he first thought of, little by little. He directed with the thought that in the worst case scenario, he would release the score alone. If he releases the score and vocalists put the song in their repertoires, he would be able to decide on the standard then. But Jun Hyuk could not shake the feeling of regret. He wanted to be able to hear the bliss of a coloratura thates from perfect pronunciation with his ears, instead of just in his head. *** One month passed with Danny focused on practicing for his choral concerto performance in Jun Hyuk¡¯s apartment, while Laura was waiting in the studio in anxiety like a student who had just finished taking a test and was now waiting for the results. Jun Hyuk, President Stern, her professor, agent, and recordbel executives were gathered in the studio and listening to her recording. There was not a moment when everyone except Jun Hyuk and Laura were not trembling while listening to the song flowing through the magnificent speakers. To put it in terms of pop music, it was like listening to an album full of songs that are 1st on the Billboard chart. When music stoppeding from the speakers, Jun Hyuk stood up from his seat and spoke, ¡°I believe that up to here is the best. No matter how much we work on it, it won¡¯t get better. Oh right. We did not use machines to work on the calibration.¡± Up to here? Better? Everyone looked at Jun Hyuk in disbelief. It was singing that had the essence of Italian opera aria, Bel Canto. And with just one sound! Their fingertips are still trembling from the dramatic tension that dominated all 5 songs. A fresh and beautiful melody, unbelievable tune, frequent changes in a dynamic beat, a rhythm that increases tension, and even a mysterious melisma (a group of notes sung to one syble of text). They had goosebumps the entire time they were listening because of Laura Goldberg¡¯s incredible singing that could handle a song containing all of the essences of arias so wonderfully. Because each of the 5 songs had its own character, there was no way to rank them. One song brought out the listener¡¯spassion and there was another where the part that repeated legato (smooth, flowing manner, without breaks between notes) and stato (each sound or note sharply separated from the others) fluctuated to the point of breathlessness. This song seemed to show theplete abilities of vocalists with a lot of pitch intervals, treble, and scales. There was nothing left to say about it. But, theposer himself sounds as though he feels something iscking. ¡°Maestro Jun. Why does it sound like there¡¯s a nuance that there¡¯s something falling short?¡± ¡°It seems that Maestro is also satisfied since the recording has already beenpleted.¡± The recordbel executives seem to have already made their decisions. Their expressions while listening to Laura¡¯s song looked as though they were ready to hand a contract over immediately. They want to release the album no matter what, despite Jun Hyuk¡¯s negative expressions. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do this.¡± President Stern did not need to hear any more. Since the recordbels seem to have decided already, all that is left is what the two parties are thinking. ¡°Laura, you can decide on matters of releasing an album. Jun is going to release the scores for these songs. That means anyone can release an album and use it as part of their repertoire in their concerts. If you want to release an album in your name, there are recordbels that wouldpletely wee that as you can see.¡± Everyone in the studio looked at Laura. She could not forget thest thing that Jun Hyuk said. She does not know what final shape Jun Hyuk has in mind, but this means that no one can reach it. This is not just applicable to herself, but to everyone. Jun Hyuk spoke to Laura, who could not quickly make up her mind because of various thoughts, ¡°Laura. Why are you hesitating? You saw how the people here reacted. It was really great. The track was so good it wouldn¡¯t have any shorings even as an album.¡± ¡°B... But, didn¡¯t you just say that it didn¡¯t meet up to your standards?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression was bright and Laura was still gloomy. Jun Hyuk looked at Laura and started talking to her deliberately, ¡°If your singing was too much of a mess to release an album with, I wouldn¡¯t have let anyone else listen to this track. The quality of music is more important than my opinion.¡± Jun Hyuk was looking at Laura warmly. ¡°And... let¡¯s try it again after you get a little more experience. It¡¯s not a bad idea to keep it in mind as a goal to take on.¡± Laura seemed to brighten up a bit. The recordbel executive was even brighter at Jun Hyuk¡¯s words to Laura, and smiled. *** Yoon Kwang Hun and Danny listened to the CD that Jun Hyuk brought, and did not even think about leaving the studio in the apartment. Yoon Kwang Hun was lost in Laura¡¯s aria, and Danny was listening to it on repeat because he was thinking of how a violin melody would be able to surpass her expression. ¡°Isaac. When is the album being released?¡± President Stern was rxing with a cup of coffee in the living room. Laura¡¯s first album is enough to make news, but President Stern can be rxed because he is sure that her album will act as promotions for Jun Hyuk¡¯s song. After hearing Laura¡¯s album, all sopranos and soloists are going to try to surpass her. They are going to release albums and Jun Hyuk¡¯s 5 songs will be put on stage. Royalties wille in each time, and this revenue will be greater than that of the Berlin Philharmonic. President Stern snapped out of his joyful thoughts because of Jun Hyuk¡¯s question. ¡°Huh? Album? I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll release it as soon as the performance with the New York Philharmonic is over.¡± ¡°Is that also marketing?¡± ¡°Of course. The recordbel isn¡¯t stupid. Your performance with the New York Philharmonic is going to be a sess, and the album will make headlines. I¡¯m telling you in advance, but you¡¯re really going to be a superstar after the New York performance.¡± President Stern saw that Jun Hyuk was not fazed by the word ¡®superstar,¡¯ and brought up what he had wanted to say in the studio, ¡°But Jun.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I thought Laura¡¯s singing was phenomenal. She¡¯s going to change the way people judge the abilities of a soprano singer. If Bel Canto¡¯s experimental stage of ¡®Lucia di Lammermoor¡¯ had been ¡®Scena de pazzia¡¯ until now, it¡¯ll now be your ¡®I, E, A, O, U¡¯.¡± Donizetti, the Italianposer representing the first half of the 19th century, is a genius who created the opera ¡®Love Potion¡¯ in just 2 days. The aria ¡®A Furtive Tear¡¯ in particr makes the audience¡¯s tremble when love¡¯s dreames true with a lyrical and gently melody. His life was tragic, however. His son could not forget his mother who died during childbirth, was healthy until he caught syphilis and developed an abnormality in the cranial nerve. He spent hisst years in an asylum before a miserable death. The opera that oveps with his tragic life is ¡®Lucia di Lammermoor¡¯. This opera¡¯s Act 3 Part 2 is ¡®Scena de pazzia,¡¯ an aria sung in fear and despair in a blood-drenched wedding dress for 17 minutes inside the madness of a sad destiny. This song has be a way to measure a soprano¡¯s abilities by how they handle expression it. It is also the song that made Maria Cas into the top diva of the 20th century. President Stern was sure that Jun Hyuk¡¯s song would surpass aria ¡®Scena de piazza¡¯. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you satisfied? It was great.¡± ¡°I also think Laura¡¯s is great. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s not the song that I wanted to hear.¡± ¡°So? You¡¯re going to record with Laura again?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see. It could change once we release the score and Laura¡¯s albumes out.¡± ¡°It could change?¡± ¡°Yes. Laura¡¯s album is going to be a guide. Someone else might be able to figure out my intent to use one tone. Then there will be quite a few people who take the challenge... Who knows? There might be a singer who handles it better than Laura does.¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯ll try it with again with that singer? Is that what you mean?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course I have to try it again if there¡¯s someone who shows more promise.¡± No one can follow his ambition to create the perfect music. President Stern tilted his head. ¡°I said it in the beginning, but I thought that there were tons of singers who could do better than Laura can. But after hearing this, I think I could be wrong. Surpassing Laura is going to be hard for anyone. It¡¯s not a matter of being good or not. It might even be impossible to maintain perfect pronunciation in such a mboyant song.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to give up. I¡¯ll be satisfied with 70% sess.¡± He said that he would give up, but his expression did not. His face was saying that he would find a soprano to do a world tour with. Looking at this, even President Stern started to develop an obsession. He wants to hear what Jun Hyuk thinks 100% is. Chapter 213 Volume 6 / Chapter 213 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji There is still 1 month left until the performance, but Jun Hyuk gave up trying to roam the streets freely. The New York Philharmonic and President Stern have covered New York City with cards and posters. He had been able to go around the city pretty freely because his face has not been known until now, but people recognized him and gathered around him even if he tried to go to the park for a run. As the official sponsor of the New York Philharmonic, Starbucks put the poster up in every location. The employees stared at him whenever he went to order a coffee. Due to this, Tara appointed an employee to take care of such errands on his behalf. ¡°Jun, smile for the people if they gather to you. If they ask for signatures, you just have to give out a few. You have to get used to it.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t easy. When people stick papers out at me, the first thought I have is which to take first.¡± Taraughed jokingly while watching Jun Hyuk being ufortable. ¡°Really? Then, we¡¯ll have to train to make you get used to it. Shall we head out?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°You have your first rehearsal today. We have to go to Lincoln Center. 30 minutes by foot?¡± ¡°What? You want to walk there?¡± Tara paid no mind to Jun Hyuk being surprised and got her bag. ¡°Think of it as a walk. If your fans recognize you, smile for them and give them your signature.¡± Tara intended to make Jun Hyuk¡¯s image so that he walks through New York streets to and from rehearsal for the next month. She made the decision so that he could be a walking billboard while getting used to dealing with fans. When they arrived at Lincoln Center for the first rehearsal, Tara gave a towel to a sweaty Jun Hyuk. ¡°You did well. Just keep on like you did today.¡± He had looked a bit awkward trying not to frown under the hot sun and smile at his fans, but he will get used to it with time. While he cooled off, the chorus conductor came to him. ¡°Maestro, it¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± ¡°Hello. It¡¯s an honor for me to get to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera.¡± ¡°About the rehearsal schedule. Is there anything special you¡¯re thinking about for Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony?¡± ¡°Special?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re currently practicing your choral concerto, but it¡¯ster than we had expected. Maestro Carras¡¯ orders are very particr so.....¡± The chorus conductor nced at Jun Hyuk with an ufortable expression. ¡°Oh, that issue. I¡¯m alright. My conducting isn¡¯t an interpretation that¡¯llpletely overturn Beethoven¡¯s symphony. I think it¡¯d be fine to start rehearsing a week before the performance. I already saw the New York Metropolitan Opera¡¯s performance of the choral symphony many times by video.¡± The chorus conductor¡¯s face brightened because this included apliment. ¡°Oh. Then, I will rx as well.¡± ¡°And there will be times when we practice together because I¡¯m on the piano. If there¡¯s anything you need, please tell me right away.¡± The chorus conductor realized then, that the members of his choir have plenty of time. Isn¡¯t Jun Hyuk theposer of choral concerto as well as the pianist? He started spilling cold sweat thinking that both maestros would be watching their rehearsals. *** Jun Hyuk let out a long sigh in front of the door to the room where the New York Philharmonic was waiting to rehearse, and opened the door. When he entered the room, the members weed him with passionate apuse. A middle-aged man with greying hair approached Jun Hyuk with a bouquet of flowers. ¡°Maestro. This is bandmaster Samuel Gilberto.¡± The philharmonic employee who had escorted Jun Hyuk gave him an introduction. He took the bouquet and put his hand out to the bandmaster. ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Bandmaster.¡± ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s my honor, Maestro. I never imagined that I would be shaking hands with the living Beethoven.¡± The bandmaster¡¯s smiling face showed that he was not being sarcastic. Jun Hyuk looked ufortable because he did not understand the bandmaster¡¯s true intention, and the bandmaster spoke, ¡°No matter what anyone says, your choral concerto does not fall behind Beethoven¡¯s work in the slightest bit. It is a blessing for this age.¡± When the bandmaster was done speaking, the members apuded again. They have already rehearsed with Jun Hyuk¡¯s song several times and havee to understand the song¡¯s value for themselves. ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡± Jun Hyuk put the bouquet down, bowed to the members for their praise, and went up on the podium. ¡°Shall we start rehearsal and speak personallyter? I¡¯ll tell you about the choral symphony that I¡¯m thinking about first.¡± The members geared their attention to Jun Hyuk. How had this young conductor interpreted Beethoven, and how would he try to express that interpretation? ¡°There¡¯s amon saying in Korea, I guess it could be called an idiom... It can be tranted as ¡®returning to my hometown in silk clothes¡¯.¡± The members started thinking to try and understand the meaning behind the saying. ¡°Silk clothing in this means societal and material sess. It means that the person goes to a big city like New York to find sess before going back to their hometown. The person is, of course, not going back home to settle. It¡¯s to show off the sess.¡± Everyone nodded. They realized that the saying expresses the human desire to show off. ¡°It¡¯s immature, right? This is how I think of Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not saying that choral symphony is immature?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m saying that it¡¯s immature to go back home in silk clothes just to show off to the people from childhood who knew you as unfortunate and poor.¡± The members know Beethoven¡¯s life well. And they imagined Beethoven in silk clothing. ¡°He¡¯ll be arrogant to the people of his hometown, won¡¯t he? And the wish that these people will envy, praise, and suck up to him. I saw that hope in Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony.¡± ¡°Whew. It¡¯s a different kind of interpretation that I¡¯m hearing for the first time.¡± The bandmaster spoke, and the oboist pulled a bill out from his pocket, handing it over to a flutist. It is obvious what kind of bet they made. ¡°Then.....¡± Jun Hyuk spoke as he picked up the baton. ¡°Let¡¯s hear how you express this silk clothing. Shall we start with molto vivace (very fast and lively) in the 2nd part?¡± Everyone picked up their instruments when Jun Hyuk held the baton high. Furtwangler, who used to lead the Berlin Philharmonic, performed the 2nd part in 12 minutes and Karajan did 9 minutes. The fastest that choral symphony has been performed is 59 minutes by John Elliott, pioneer of Baroque. But, the 2nd part took 12 minutes. The 2nd part¡¯s tempo ispletely different ording to the conductor. The members who know the choral symphony¡¯s wild feeling must have thought that Jun Hyuk would conduct in an incredibly fast speed, and they looked tense. However, he continued conducting so inly that it could be considered average. When they were done performing the 2nd part. Jun Hyuk put the baton down. ¡°Very good. Let¡¯s end it here for today. Until next time, I want you all to think about Beethoven¡¯s wish to go back to his hometown to show off his sess. Also, think about how you will express that.¡± Jun Hyuk bowed and came down from the podium. Someone stopped Jun Hyuk as he was trying to leave. ¡°Maestro.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are the rumors true?¡± The person speaking is the oboist who made the bet. ¡°What rumors are you talking about? There are too many rumors surrounding me.¡± ¡°That you remember everything you hear once... That no matter how vast the instrument organization is, you remember everything as though it is recorded.¡± ¡°Yes, that is true.¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯ll remember all of choral symphony.¡± ¡°Yes. The score and 21 CDs I listened to.¡± The oboist hesitated for a moment before speaking up carefully, ¡°Then, why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± ¡°Ha ha. Are you talking about the prank?¡± Everyone including the oboist looked surprised when Jun Hyukughed. They had no idea what prank he was talking about. ¡°... Yes.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything because I know that it¡¯s a prank. If the 4 people hadn¡¯t been ying a prank, the New York Philharmonic¡¯s fame would be fake... And I would have had to ask Maestro Carras to switch those 4 people out.¡± ¡°Oy, we could have been in trouble. We could have gotten fired.¡± The young oboist smiled and scratched his head. When there is a conductor who is not old and famous, the performers ¨C the younger ones in particr ¨C like to show their curiosity with pranks like this. ¡°It¡¯s alright because I didn¡¯t think it was a mistake. If the part that you had gotten wrong was your true ability, the rest of the performance would not havee out. On top of that, it would not have been easy to make a mistake when your fingers remember it.¡± Jun Hyuk disappeared with a smile, and the bandmaster Samuel Gilberto red at the 4 performers. Chapter 214 Volume 6 / Chapter 214 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji Sponsored: Heather L. and James W. The next day, Jun Hyuk and Tara walked slowly, as though they went out for a walk, to Avery Fisher Hall. It is the day to rehearse choral concerto with Maestro Carras. Jun Hyuk joined as the pianist. ¡°Jun. You haven¡¯t heard us y your song, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Mr. Yoon sitting all the way over there has heard it several times. Ha ha.¡± Maestro Carras gestured to Yoon Kwang Hun, sitting in the audience. Jun Hyuk saw that Yoon Kwang Hun was waving at him. Jun Hyuk shook his head. Yoon Kwang Hun is basically the audience who gives him the most burden and caution. ¡°But, am I alone? Where is Danny?¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯ve be easily scared since I¡¯ve gotten older. It takes too much strength to handle 2 young performers at the same time. I¡¯m nning on dealing with each of you separately first. That should be okay, right?¡± ¡°Is that a characteristic of maestros? Everyone fakes out their difficulties so much.¡± ¡°No no. I¡¯m not faking. I feel like you alone will be hard.¡± Carras waved his hand and Jun Hyuk sat in front of the piano. ¡°Oh right. I didn¡¯t call a page turner because I figured you wouldn¡¯t need one. I thought that would just get in your way anyway. That¡¯s okay, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A ¡®page turner¡¯ is someone who turns the pages of the score, just as it sounds. Pianists do not have a hand to turn the score while performing, and this is where the ¡®page turner¡¯es in. Horowitz said, ¡®The person turning the pages of a score could ruin an entire performance¡¯. Page turners must be present inplex and difficult performances. While the performer is concentrating, if the page turner turns the page too quickly or slowly, the flow could be cut off, ruining the performance. This is why the page turner and pianist¡¯s teamwork is considered so important. Pianists often lose count of the beat during live performances because the page turner did not match the timing, so it is inevitable that pianists look for page turners who they work well with. When the page turner is turning the page, they cannot block the pianist¡¯s view, must dress modestly so as not to upstage the pianist, and they cannot even wear essories. Sensitive pianists are even affected by the page turner¡¯s anxious breathing, so page turners need to self-obliterate themselves. They always need to go on stage after the performer and stay seated while the performers are apuded after. Some call page turners ¡®the cold hand that dominates the performance¡¯ or ¡®the hidden presence on stage, the 2nd performer¡¯. Page turners are another important presence on stage that the audience does not understand. ¡°Jun. You can just enjoy it since it¡¯s your first time and then join in for the 2nd part.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll give a performance that I can¡¯t stay away from to just enjoy it. How could I stay still?¡± The orchestra members tensed up when they heard Jun Hyuk say that he would perform with them. The string instruments started with Dimitri Carras¡¯ baton, and Jun Hyuk looked up to look at the conductor. He had not guessed that it would be such an aggressive performance! Belgium National Orchestra¡¯s Pierre Boulez gave a performance that emphasized elegance. They had received praise for showing aparison of past and future Beethoven through an old maestro and young Jun Hyuk. Thinking of Dimitri Carras¡¯ experience, Jun Hyuk thought that he would give a simr performance, but it was clearly distinct. It was the same as forcing him to choose whether he will challenge such a tight and solid performance, or if he will put his head down and join. When the 1st part was over, darkness enwrapped the theater for over 10 seconds. Dimitri Carras took a nce at Jun Hyuk, smiled, and held up the baton again. Jun Hyuk already had his fingers on the piano. The members all saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s hands. The piano they had only heard of by rumor. When they heard that Jun Hyuk would be joining as the pianist, most of them were so full of anticipation that they bought Jun Hyuk¡¯s jazz album to listen to. The members admired the connected configuration that flows like water and the grand technique that makes dissonance sound like a beautiful melody. This is the moment they get to hear that piano for themselves. Maestro Carras¡¯ baton was firm, as though warning them that they need to be fully prepared. However, Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano was not aggressive or fierce, like a warm sunlight that had seeped in from nowhere. He did not mind the New York Philharmonic¡¯s rough performance and continued ying with a gentle touch on his own. He made the concerto into a solo song, treating the orchestra¡¯s ying as an apaniment. He is showing his ability as a pianist, showing strength only when necessary, precise fingering, flexibility in wrists and agility in fingers. The most surprised person was not Maestro Carras or anyone in the orchestra. It was Yoon Kwang Hun, sitting nervous in the audience. Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano right now is not a copy or reappearance of someone else. It is Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano. But, there was no feeling of anger, resentment, or pain. It is apletely different piano with a gentle peace and mellow touch. He could tell as soon as he heard Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano that what he is ying now is not for the choral concerto performance. It is a performance for Yoon Kwang Hun, the only person sitting in the 2,800 seat Avery Fisher Hall. Jun Hyuk had made the New York Philharmonic into an apaniment so that he could show Yoon Kwang Hun that he has matured and escaped from the despair of the past. The New York Philharmonic¡¯s private theater is being used for a one-person audience. ¡®That kid always surprises people so dramatically.¡¯ Yoon Kwang Hun calm his beating heart and got lost in Jun Hyuk¡¯s flowing song. But, the conductor Carras and orchestra members could not hide their embarrassment. Dimitri Carras in particr had to makerger movements with his arms in order to steady the shaking orchestra. Dimitri Carras conducted until the 3rd part and put the baton down. It would be impossible for him to steady the orchestra and take them through the 4th part. ¡°Jun. Is this the choral concerto you¡¯re thinking of?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of them.¡± ¡°One of them? In detail!¡± Dimitri Carras raise his voice, but he is not angry or excited. It is strong curiosity of a new image of aposer. ¡°The piano I just yed was something I thought of while listening to the 1st part. In a bookcase with 1000 books that are organized well, the one book that is in disorder. In apany where all employees are men wearing ck suits, one woman who appears wearing a red dress. I thought about what this kind of feeling would be.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re ying the role of pianist instead ofposer right now?¡± ¡°I would have done the same even thinking as theposer. I want to y something new every time.¡± ¡°Are you saying that art is always a new interpretation? Like you said in the interview in Belgium?¡± ¡°Pretty much. I actually wanted to do an arrangement or y apletely different song as soon as I heard the 1st part, but I¡¯ll do that next time at ater opportunity.¡± Dimitri Carras and the orchestra members did not hide their perplexed expressions. It was an interpretation and performance that was so unique it could make the ensemble copse. ¡°This is troubling.....¡± ¡°Is it too unfamiliar?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just unfamiliar. Isn¡¯t it? Is my feeling wrong? I felt it in the piano touch that had the faint feeling of an elegant woman¡¯s charm. It would have been much more fitting if it had been like an enchanting woman who is enough to thaw a frozen heart.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s not a flower blooming amidst suits?¡± Maestro Carras just nodded. It is a moment when he should not be pushing it. A soloist is another universe in a concerto. The moment that a soloist¡¯s individual performance creates fireworks with the orchestra is one of a concerto¡¯s highlights. But, if it is to the point where the ensemble copses, there begins a dissension between the conductor and soloist. However, concertos are ultimately for the orchestra. In the end, the conductor and soloist are bound topromise. The soloist right now is also theposer. If theposer himself says that his interpretation is right, there is no solution for even the conductor. The members held their breaths as they watched Jun Hyuk. ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring out more of the feeling he had while writing the song.¡± Conductor Carras let out a long sigh of relief. It is probably his unstubborn free style that shows confidence, but it is also marvelous that he could change his style as he wants in one ce. ¡°Then, shall we start with the 2nd part again?¡± The feeling Jun Hyuk had when he was first writing the song. When Beethoven could not even hear and was obsessed with one melody and clinging to the thematic melody of the 4th part, nearing on madness. He put that feeling into the piano and yed for the conductor and orchestra. They heard Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano melody and the maestro smiled from ear to ear. Chapter 215 Volume 6 / Chapter 215 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji ¡°Why did you change it? The first performance was much better. It was touching.¡± ¡°Can you win the conductor no matter how stubborn you remain? And I liked both of them.¡± ¡°Your piano¡¯s changed a lot.¡± ¡°You only heard how it was different, right? Look at the whole thing.¡± Jun Hyuk knew what Yoon Kwang Hun was talking about. He would not have paid attention to the orchestra because of his changed piano. ¡°I heard the whole thing many times before you joined. Anyway, tomorrow¡¯s the rehearsal for choral symphony? Can I go?¡± ¡°See it during the performance. It won¡¯t be as good if you see it in advance during rehearsals.¡± Jun Hyuk was in a cold sweat just thinking about having Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s eyes on the back of his head in rehearsals. ¡°Oy. Fine. Do well so I¡¯m not disappointed. I like the 2nd part of choral symphony the most.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun wanted to see Jun Hyuk scolding the New York Philharmonic, but he ended up just imagining it. *** ¡°No. A bit more... it could be hard to differentiate between elegance and arrogance. So you have to go deeper into it.¡± The rehearsal for choral symphony was stagnant because they could not get over thest river. He had adjusted the performances of each orchestra member, but there was something of the subtlest difference that was bothering Jun Hyuk. The members were equally frustrated. They had fully understood and grasped what it was that Jun Hyuk was looking for. There were times when they made mistakes on stage, but they were repeatedly giving perfect performances even though it is just a rehearsal. The chorus has not joined yet, but they had performed so well in rehearsals with the vocal soloists that they could say that it was perfect. Though it was not satisfying to the conductor. Jun Hyuk is not greedy. He realized something while recording with Laura Goldberg. Laura is someone who will be the greatest prima donna of this century, but she could not bring out the sound that he wanted. The New York Philharmonic is the best symphony orchestra, but he needs to admit that there is a limit. If he does not admit that there is a limit, it just bes difficult for everyone. Jun Hyuk is learning topromise with other musicians. *** Danny almost clucked his tongue. Maestro Carras does not seem to be a Mediterranean person from Greece who enjoys a rxed life. It is more fitting to think of him as a passive Italian. ¡°Jun, he¡¯s worse than you. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a sharp orchestra. Your conducting at the Queen Elisabeth Competition was like it would swallow the audience whole, but what we¡¯re doing now is going to reduce them to ashes.¡± ¡°I was surprised too. That old man is savage. There was a monster living inside of him. What do you think? Is it feasible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually a bit dangerous. I have to do my own performance, but I feel like I¡¯m chasing the orchestra. We can¡¯t copse like this.....¡± This is how aggressive Maestro Carras¡¯ conducting is. They have not spoken about their performing together since they exchanged opinions on Jun Hyuk¡¯s first piano performance. He silently leads the orchestra with slight mismatches between the piano, violin, and orchestra that seem to be done on purpose. Danny thought that it is a huge relief that he started practicing a month earlier. Furthermore, he is realizing that he is able to follow along with Maestro Carras¡¯ conducting because he is living in Jun Hyuk¡¯s apartment and being coached by theposer while practicing. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it during rehearsals. And when you¡¯re done and go back to the apartment, practice again. Then, you won¡¯t be shaky.¡± ¡°Whose advice is this?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Conductor? Composer? Or performer? Who is it?¡± Danny¡¯s joking question made Jun Hyuk cluck his tongue. ¡°Are you stupid? This is the most basic thing.¡± Jun Hyuk went into rehearsals everyday ¨C one day as a conductor, one has as a pianist ¨C and time went by quickly as he spent his time busily. *** When there was only a week left until the performance, Jun Hyuk¡¯s walking to and from work became such a hot topic that it even made news. Nothing strayed from Tara¡¯s expectations. People waited for Jun Hyuk in front of his apartment building every morning and walked with him to Lincoln Center. There were more and more people who came with concert posters or Jun Hyuk¡¯s album to ask for signatures. The interesting part was that the people who walked with him everyday even took care of his security. ¡°Hey there! You got a signature yesterday, too. Think of other people.¡± ¡°Hey! What outlet are you a reporter for? Why are you blocking the street? There¡¯s only a week left until the concert. Are you going to take responsibility for it if he¡¯ste to rehearsals?¡± People yelling like this enclosed Jun Hyuk to walk with him to Lincoln Center. Jun Hyuk became used to the faces he kept seeing, and expressed his familiarity. And he started getting used to the growing crowds. He realized that fans are not cumbersome, but people who love music or are anticipating his music. With the concert date near, there were no empty rooms in New York¡¯s hotels. Beethoven¡¯s name was the best marketing strategy and keyword. It ovepped with summer vacation, so other maestros arrived in New York and most students of New York music schools did not go back home for break. The New York Philharmonic¡¯s concert had be the highlight of this year¡¯s Midsummer Night Festival. The amount of equipment for recording and live broadcasting increased in the concert hall, and they had reached the end of rehearsals. *** When there was not much time left until the concert, Yoon Kwang Hun stopped going to watch rehearsals. He knows well that everyone has be sensitive and having someone watch rehearsals would just be a bother. While Yoon Kwang Hun was drinking coffee alone in an apartment without Jun Hyuk and Danny, the front door opened with someone entering as though she lived there. A ck haired woman in jeans and a short sleeve t-shirt was so surprised that her jaw dropped. ¡°Are you Amelia?¡± A beauty with ck hair, sharp nose, and big eyes. Yoon Kwang Hun realized that it is the face he saw in pictures from Jun Hyuk and the inte. ¡°Oh! Mr. Yoon?¡± Amelia had put her big suitcase down in the living room and been surprised to find Yoon Kwang Hun, but remembered talking to Jun Hyuk over the phone. He had told her that Danny would be performing with him and that Yoon Kwang Hun was staying at the apartment until the concert was over. Amelia ran to Yoon Kwang Hun without hesitation, embracing him as though seeing an old friend. ¡°I really wanted to meet you, Mr. Yoon.¡± ¡°Yes. I wanted to meet you as well, Amelia. I see you¡¯vee because of Jun Hyuk¡¯s concert.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun pulled Amelia¡¯s arms from around his neck, andughed awkwardly. An old man from Korea is not used to such friendliness. ¡°Yes. I took off time for about 2 weeks. Of course, I need to see the performance. It¡¯s Jun and the New York Philharmonic.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun sat Amelia on the living room sofa and made coffee in the kitchen. ¡°I see you¡¯re really busy even in the off season.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do about it. It¡¯s because of my contract with a sponsor. During season, it¡¯s Asia, Europe, and North America. Off-season, it¡¯s touring South America including my home country Argentina. Fortunately, my contract with the sponsor is over next year.¡± Amelia looked bittersweet that her contract would be over. ¡°Then, you¡¯ll sign on with a new sponsor?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun gave her the coffee cup and she sipped on it. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve had a few offers from sponsors in Europe. I¡¯ve released a few albums and the reactions to my performances are still good... I¡¯m going to make it a condition with the new sponsor that they can¡¯t get involved with my touring schedule, though the money I receive will probably decrease drastically.¡± ¡°Is it because of Jun?¡± ¡°Yes. Even now, we¡¯re seeing each other face-to-face for the first time in a year. I would like to spend some more time with him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Though they had been apart for a long time, Amelia had made great efforts to maintain her affection for Jun. Yoon Kwang Hun heard from Jun Hyuk that Amelia¡¯s sponsor is one of the toppanies in Argentina. The sponsorship would have been immense, but she is giving that up. Yoon Kwang Hun could get a glimpse at how Amelia feels for Jun Hyuk. But what about Jun Hyuk? He did not seem to be making much of an effort and he did not show yearning for Amelia. He lives with satisfaction as long as he has music in front of him. Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s face was not bright, and Amelia did not miss this. ¡°Oh. Did something happen to Jun?¡± Amelia¡¯s face immediately became dark. Jun Hyuk¡¯s erratic phone calls had been bugging her. Amelia looked at Yoon Kwang Hun and asked cautiously. ¡°Something happen to Jun...? Oh ha ha. Don¡¯t misunderstand. There¡¯s nothing like that. And Jun doesn¡¯t have the personality to chase girls.¡± ¡°Phew. I thought... I thought maybe.¡± When Yoon Kwang Hun saw Amelia brighten up again, he realized that even though she is a star pianist who stands under a spotlight on a stage in front of countless people, she is still just a young girl. They talked for a while over coffee. Amelia told him all about how she and Jun Hyuk met because of a harmonica and Bach¡¯s cantata, to the performance at yton and their travels every weekend. ¡°Why did you make such a controversial statement at the Tchaikovsky Competition? You didn¡¯t have to do it.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s the truth. My piano was upgraded all because of Jun.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun saw that Amelia¡¯s eyes sparkled every time she spoke about Jun Hyuk, and could feel how strong her affection is for him. There is something that he had been resolved that he would not tell Amelia even if he were to meet her one day. But seeing her affection for himself, his resolution came crashing down. He thought that this must be how a parent feels. ¡°Amelia.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Old people like me need to use few words. Especially when talking to young people. It¡¯s because we start to give sermons instead of holding a conversation. That¡¯s how people be old.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the type who likes to listen to sermons from old people. It¡¯s okay. You can say it.¡± Amelia smiled. ¡°A young genius is cool and romantic because he shows you things that other people can¡¯t even imagine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about Jun, right?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s cool. I too fell for him when he was 15 and memorized all of Marlowe¡¯s symphony after hearing it once.¡± Amelia remembers the moment she fell for Jun Hyuk as well. The shock and bliss she felt when a skinny Asian boy changed her piano at once. It was the moment when it was just the two of them ying the piano in a practice room. ¡°There is a word omitted before most geniuses. It¡¯s ¡®young¡¯. But Jun is just a person even if he is getting older.¡± ¡°Yes. No one can avoid it, even geniuses.¡± Up to here, Amelia had been expecting the obvious statement to keep their unchanging affection. ¡°What do you think a middle-aged genius will be like?¡± ¡°Excuse me? A middle-aged genius?¡± ¡°Have you ever imagined it? A genius who is 40 or 50 years old?¡± Amelia had never thought about it, but realized that Jun Hyuk¡¯s genius would not change, and only his body would age. ¡°I see. I¡¯ve never thought about a 40 year old genius.¡± ¡°A genius needs to die young to be a legend because it¡¯s tragic but romantic. No one thinks that a middle-aged genius is romantic. No. They don¡¯t call that person a genius.¡± ¡°Then what do they call him?¡± ¡°A madman. Or a monster.¡± ¡°Excuse me? A madman?¡± Amelia looked at him with surprise. He is like a father to Jun Hyuk, but she knew that they are not blood-rted. But he and Jun Hyuk are the same in how they surprise people. ¡°He¡¯s no longer cool or romantic. And since he was a genius since he was young, he will have seeded beyond wanting more by the time he is middle-aged. That includes wealth, fame, respect, and achievements. He won¡¯t need to have a sense of what others are thinking and feeling... Everyone will look up to him and be envious.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun stopped talking and hesitated again. He now needs to say what he really wants to. He does not know how Amelia will take it... ¡°His nature as a monster that wille out from then on. He¡¯ll try to create music that most people could not even imagine. Why? Because he has everything! All that¡¯s left is what he alone knows, and he¡¯ll jump through hoops to make that music a reality. It¡¯ll be like the old kings of the past who tried to live forever.¡± Amelia listened to Yoon Kwang Hun silently. She does not know what he is trying to say yet. ¡°Even though that could never happen. It would only be possible if Jun Hyuk had someone who is like a copy of him. Jun Hyuk will probably need 200 clones of himself. He¡¯ll make music beyond what Inferno was and those clones will be necessary to y that music with an orchestra.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think?¡± Amelia thought that Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s worries were severe, but she could understand. Don¡¯t parents always worry about nothing? ¡°Hm... Do you want to take a look at this?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun took Amelia to the studio inside the house. He turned on Laura Goldberg¡¯s CD and gave Amelia the scores for the 5 songs. ¡°First, listen to this. You¡¯ll be able to understand what I¡¯m saying after listening to this.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun quietly closed the door and went into the living room alone. He had felt from a long time ago that Jun Hyuk is never satisfied. The ecstatic expression he has afterpleting a song starts to change little by little from the moment the score is put in someone else¡¯s hands. And he is in a hurry to hide his disappointment when the end resultes out. Everyone thought of and epted that as another aspect of Jun Hyuk¡¯s genius. The first time Jun Hyuk revealed his true thoughts is regarding Laura¡¯s aria, that it is 70%. If such a great result is 70%, what is the percentage he has been satisfied with until now? It is nerve wrecking just to think about. Yoon Kwang Hun could be sure after Laura¡¯s recording. Jun Hyuk is living without being able to be satisfied with the music in his life. After 30 minutes, Amelia opened the door and came out with a flushed face. ¡°Mr. Yoon. This... Is this Jun¡¯s work? With Laura Goldberg singing?¡± ¡°Yes. How was it?¡± ¡°Laura was this amazing?¡± ¡°Jun wrote it when he had time during the Queen Elisabeth Competition, and the recording was done in a month. Of course, Jun directed it. It¡¯s great, right?¡± Amelia¡¯s expression was one of astonishment. ¡°Jun¡¯s works are always beyond expectations, so there¡¯s nothing left to say about that. But Laura¡¯s aria is really... I now realize why Jun was raving about her. It was a perfect bel canto aria.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s without an apaniment.¡± ¡°Exactly. It was hard to believe that it was without an apaniment.¡± Amelia had still not recovered from the shock. Yoon Kwang Hun needed to say something more surprising to Amelia. ¡°But Jun said that Laura¡¯s singing only met 70% of his standards.¡± ¡°What? 70%?¡± Amelia seemed more surprised about the 70% than she had been with Laura¡¯s singing. ¡°Now can you understand what I¡¯m saying? Jun is the type of person who says that this kind of singing is only 70%. He¡¯ll try to fit in with others now, but thoseints are going to stack up and explode one day. That¡¯ll be when he has gained everything but music.¡± Amelia was speechless for a while. She finally understood why Yoon Kwang Hun was saying that Jun Hyuk might be a monster. She spoke cautiously to Yoon Kwang Hun, ¡°Can you tell me why you¡¯re telling me this?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell you to prevent him from bing a madman, since it might be impossible. But if you love Jun and you are going to continue loving him, I¡¯m asking you to keep loving a Jun who might be a monster. I said that I¡¯m 40 years old, but that time mighte faster.¡± Amelia did not say anything for a while, got up from the sofa, and ced a light kiss on Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s forehead. ¡°Now I know why Jun is so wise.¡± She sat back down and spoke slowly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how wacky Jun will be, but I won¡¯t forget what you said today. And I can¡¯t promise that I¡¯ll root for and love him while he¡¯s being called a monster, but I promise that I¡¯ll make the effort to keep loving him.¡± ¡°That is plenty. Anything beyond that is greedy.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun looked at Amelia¡¯s beautiful face and could not stop thinking that it would be better if Jun Hyuk loved her a little more. Chapter 216 Volume 6 / Chapter 216 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji Jun Hyuk and Danny finished rehearsals, came back home, and threw their exhausted bodies on the sofa. ¡°Did Mr. Yoon go out?¡± ¡°Because he knows New York City well, he must have gone out to take a walk.¡± Danny saw arge suitcase in the living room. ¡°What is this? Did he pack his bags? Is he going back to Korea?¡± Jun Hyuk saw the suitcase and realized right away that it is Amelia¡¯s. ¡°Oh. Amelia¡¯s here. That¡¯s hers.¡± ¡°Oh. I guess I¡¯d better run away. She kind of scares me.¡± Jun Hyukughed and Danny frowned. ¡°Danny, I¡¯m notughing because of you. Imagine it. We weren¡¯t here, so the two of them met. What do you think it was like?¡± Danny startedughing right away. They imagined a middle-aged Asian man and open and lively young South American womaning face-to-face as a scene from aedy movie. The apartment entrance opened while the two people wereughing. Amelia had her arm linked with Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s and entered whileughing, and Yoon Kwang Hun had severalrge shopping bags in both of his hands. ¡°Where did you go when you two are meeting for the first time? Shopping?¡± ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re gifts from Amelia because of the performance. There are a few tuxedos and suits for Danny and you. We also got a suit for me and a dress for Amelia. We¡¯re going to wear them and go to the concert together.¡± But, Jun Hyuk could not respond. Amelia had run to him and was covering him in kisses. Yoon Kwang Hun tossed the shopping bags in the living room and slipped out of the apartment. Danny also hastily followed Yoon Kwang Hun. *** ¡°You still don¡¯t look satisfied, Maestro.¡± When thest rehearsal was over, bandmaster Samuel Gilberto looked at Jun Hyuk and spoke cautiously. The orchestra¡¯s performance was perfect and the vocal soloists had been great. Even the few who had only opened and closed their mouths like goldfish, had mispronunciations, and weak voices had elegant and saintly singing that even moved Maestro Carras. But Jun Hyuk still looked a bit trifled. ¡°No. I¡¯ll tell you confidently that tomorrow¡¯s performance will be a sess.¡± Jun Hyuk quickly changed his expression and spoke loudly while smiling. However, the bandmaster had already seen Jun Hyuk¡¯s uneasy face. There is nothing he can do now though. ¡°Maestro. Is there anything you want to ask us for thest time?¡± ¡°Hm... Oh. There is one thing.¡± The orchestra members and chorus, almost 300 people, looked to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Do you all remember what I said in the beginning about how Beethoven felt? Beethoven needed to withstand an alcoholic father who was trying to make him the next Mozart. But he seeded in Vienna, where even Mozart had failed, and he is full of the desire to brag about this sess. That¡¯s in the choral symphony that we need to perform tomorrow.¡± Jun Hyuk hesitated for a moment and organized his thoughts. ¡°Actually... When he is alone after arrogantly strutting and bragging like this... He¡¯ll be really embarrassed and full of regret. Why did I do that? No?¡± No one responded. Even if someone had that experience, it is embarrassing to respond. ¡°Then, do you think our Beethoven regretted it? Don¡¯t you think he would have?¡± Though no one responded, they knew that Beethoven would not be one to regret it. ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯ll listen to the answer to this question during tomorrow¡¯s performance.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯sst words bewildered the members. He will listen at the performance? When they looked at each other in confusion, Jun Hyuk bowed to them and left the theater. *** Danny focused on practicing with the score in the living room, while Yoon Kwang Hunid on the sofa and enjoyed Danny¡¯s violin. Jun Hyuk came back to the house, saw this and sighed, taking the violin away from Danny. ¡°What is it? Why¡¯d you do that?¡± ¡°Quit it. You think it¡¯ll be helpful to practice right now when the concert is tomorrow? It¡¯s better to just rx and rest.¡± Danny knows this well, but he could not let go of the violin if he wanted to rx. This is the biggest stage he is getting on since he started on his path as a professional performer. Thinking of the concert in a day, he could not rx. ¡°But what about Amelia?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fighting with your score.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun slowly got up from the soda and pointed to the soundproof studio. ¡°What? My score?¡± ¡°I think she was shocked after hearing Laura¡¯s singing. She¡¯s determined to implement beyond that on the piano. Hey, are South American girls always like that? Do they run in without thinking?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that. Amelia¡¯s the only South American girl I know.¡± Jun Hyukughed and sat on the sofa, while Yoon Kwang Hun snapped his fingers. ¡°Danny, Jun. I thought of something fun. What do you think? Do you want to try it?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun seemed excited as though he hade up with an original idea. ¡°Jun ys the orchestra part on the piano, Amelia the piano part, and Danny the violin. What do you think?¡± ¡°What? The choral symphony between the three of us?¡± Danny¡¯s eyes became round. ¡°Yeah. Danny, since you¡¯re nervous as it is, you¡¯ll be doing something different. Amelia hasn¡¯t yed the piano part yet. I¡¯m curious about her interpretation of it too.¡± Jun Hyuk thought that it would be a funbination, and jumped up from the sofa. He carefully opened the door to the soundproof studio, and a piano melody flooded out. Amelia was so concentrated that it was hard to interrupt her, and the 3 men entered the room and closed the door. They quietly sat down and started enjoying Amelia¡¯s piano. ¡°Huh? When did youe in?¡± After she yed the 5 songs one after the other, she got up from the piano. ¡°Jun, what do you think? I yed as the score said but strangely, the emotion doesn¡¯te out.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be like that. The piano isn¡¯t fun, right? One hand does nothing because there¡¯s no apaniment or chord.¡± Piano songs are usually configured with an apaniment and melody. These 5 songs however, are for a person¡¯s voice. It only has one melody. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll have to arrange the whole thing. And I triedbining the 5 songs...¡± ¡°Those 5 songs can never mix. I had no intention of making them a 5-sheet song. Instead, I¡¯m thinking of making a piano concerto that¡¯s yed with one hand. One that¡¯s 30 minutes to y the 5 songs in continuance.¡± ¡°What? A piano concerto?¡± The 3 people shouted at the same time to Jun Hyuk¡¯s words. ¡°Yeah. Why are you surprised? ying the piano with one hand isn¡¯t a new thing.¡± Bolero¡¯sposer, Maurice Ravel, wrote for pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right hand in WWI. Paul Wittgenstein is also the brother of genius philosopher of the period, Ludwig Wittgenstein. does not have any shorings whenpared to normal piano concertos. If one listens to the music without watching a video, it would be hard to tell that it was being yed with one hand. ¡°You already made a concerto?¡± When Amelia looked at him in surprise, Jun Hyuk tapped his head instead of responding. ¡°The configuration is done. I just have to move it onto a score.¡± Jun Hyuk winked and Amelia smiled, thinking that he had created a concerto for her as a pianist. ¡°But why did you alle in here together?¡± ¡°Oh. We were thinking that the 3 of us should y the choral concerto together.¡± Jun Hyuk tapped Danny¡¯s shoulder as he spoke. ¡°He¡¯s so nervous, we should help him rx.¡± Amelia was already opening the score. She had been wanting to y the song too. Since it is a concerto, it¡¯s not a song that she can y on her own. It¡¯s only possible if the maestro picks her.¡± ¡°Mr. Yoon, please.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun dragged a chair to the piano. He sat next to Amelia acting as the page turner, and rxed as he enjoyed their performance. Danny warmed up and rxed with Jun Hyuk and Amelia¡¯s novel performance. *** On the day of the concert, the apartment was busy with people. President Stern, Tara, and three or four employees arrived first, and Danny¡¯s agent came running as well. ¡°Oh, Amelia. I heard you were here. You¡¯re bing more beautiful by the day.¡± ¡°Hello, Isaac.¡± President Stern gave Amelia a hug and then, he took both of her hands in his. ¡°Amelia. Your sponsor contract is over next year, right? Along with your agency contract?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, do you want to sign on with ourpany? I¡¯m willing to make the contract with great conditions.¡± ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ll decline. My agent has been suffering until now and just started getting better sincest year. I can¡¯t turn my back now.¡± President Stern looked at Amelia smiling for a moment and tapped Jun Hyuk saying, ¡°Jun, you have an eye for women. It¡¯s hard to find young woman with such loyalty these days.¡± ¡°Isaac, my loyalty¡¯s pretty great too. Tara, what about what I asked for?¡± Tara took a small box out of her bag and whispered to Jun Hyuk, ¡°I took a lot of care in picking this out. You¡¯re going to have to thank me.¡± Jun Hyuk gave the box to Amelia. ¡°Wear this to the concert today. And... I¡¯ll tell you honestly. I don¡¯t know this stuff, so I asked Tara to help me. It¡¯s okay, right?¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes sparkled as she opened the box. A ne with dozens of jewels was sparkling inside. ¡°I asked her to pick out something that would go well with the ck dress you wore yesterday. I hope you like it.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun saw Amelia¡¯s expression of fascination and mumbled, ¡°Damn it. Do I have to get out of the apartment again? This early in the morning.....¡± Chapter 217 Volume 6 / Chapter 217 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji Sponsored: James W. & Fletcher P. & Chimemerie Jun Hyuk and Danny finished getting ready to go to the concert hall. President Stern sat on the sofa and drank a cup of coffee. ¡°Jun. Your concert is at night, right? Maestro Carras is in the afternoon?¡± ¡°Yes. Maestro Carras is at 4. I¡¯m at 8.¡± ¡°Tara, take care of him. I¡¯ll go with Mr. Yoon and Amelia in time for the afternoon performance.¡± Tara nodded and left the apartment. ¡°Tara, are we walking today too?¡± ¡°No. We can¡¯t do that on the day of the concert. I have a great limousine waiting. Oh, and don¡¯t forget to wave at the fans waiting out front when you¡¯re going out to the limousine.¡± The employees left first with the tuxedo and suit, and Danny¡¯s agent also took his violin. Reporters and dozens of people outside the apartment apuded while Jun Hyuk got into the limousine, and he did not forget to wave as Tara had told him to do. The limousine arrived at Lincoln Center in under 10 minutes. He had not taken the limousine for convenience, but a service for the reporters who would be taking pictures of him. Avery Hall was busy with setting up sound equipment. There were tons of cords, microphones, and small cameras hanging to finish the album recording, live broadcasting, and blu-ray package all at one time. The first thing that Jun Hyuk, Danny, and Maestro Carras needed to do is to stand in each of their positions on stage to set the camera angles to them. When Maestro Carras stood on the podium, Jun Hyuk at the piano, and Danny on the opposite side, the film crew moved busily to adjust the camera angles while radio in to the director. The director okayed everything and the film crew disappeared from stage, allowing the orchestra members to enter. The first rehearsal with sound check under Dimitri Carras¡¯ conducting started. Page Break *** Even though it was early, a lot of special guests were gathered backstage. ¡°What is that? So, all of the harsh critics flocked here. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve alle fully prepared to pour out the criticism?¡± ¡°What are you talking about! We don¡¯t care about your conducting at all. We¡¯vee all the way here to see pianist Jun and maestro Jun.¡± Maestros like Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s Simon Lettle and Serril Petrenko, Phdelphia¡¯s Bruno Kazel, and Boston Symphony¡¯s Patrick Quinn shook hands with Dimitri Carras and joked around. ¡°Jun, is this your first performance as a pianist?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t expect too much. I¡¯m just flowing along with the orchestra.¡± ¡°Well? I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll know who¡¯s helping who once the concert is over?¡± The maestros kept joking to help today¡¯s anxious performers rx. After chatting for a while and it was neared time to go into the theater, the maestros left. They went back to the theater entrance to interview and take pictures for reporters. The audience began to enter with anticipation an hour before the concert. Maybe because Juilliard is inside Lincoln Center and Jun Hyuk is from yton, there were a lot of young spectators. New York press was camped out in front of Avery Hall. Today¡¯s visitors are worth making news. The jazz, blues, and rock musicians participating in New York¡¯s Midsummer Night Festival entered, and maestros took part in interviews. When Amelia arrived in a splendid dress with President Stern and Yoon Kwang Hun on either arm, reporters gathered around her. She could be the main shot of an article just because she is Jun Hyuk¡¯s girlfriend. Her image also makes a good picture. *** ¡°Alright. We have practiced so much that we don¡¯t need to be nervous. What we need to do now is not to give a perfect performance without mistakes, but to show everyone what a great piece the choral concerto is.¡± Maestro Carras was rxed as he spoke hisst words to the orchestra. ¡°Danny.¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± Maestro Carras tapped Danny¡¯s shoulder as he spoke, ¡°When today¡¯s concert is over, your agent is going to be really busy.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Danny had not been able to shake off the anxiety yet and did not realize what Carras was saying right away. ¡°If you perform as you did in rehearsals, the world is going to go crazy. You¡¯re going to have a flood of requests, since I¡¯m already thinking of the violin concerto for next season¡¯s repertoire.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, Maestro.¡± Danny gained confidence from a great maestro¡¯spliments, and was able to calm himself down. ¡°Then, our orchestra and chorus need to go on stage. Please prepare.¡± The theater staff with headphones told them that it is time to start. The orchestra and chorus went out on stage and began to take position. There were chairs for the chorus because they need to wait until the 3rd part. When the chorus is small, there are often cases when they enter the stage after the 3rd part, but it is normal for them to enter with the orchestra when it is arge scale performance like today¡¯s. It¡¯s difficult to have more than 100 people enter the stage in between parts, and it could break the attention. They heard pping from the audience and when the murmuring decreased, the protagonists of the performance walked out. When the conductor, pianist, violinist, and vocal soloists entered, the audience exploded in apuse. Shouts and whistles spread throughout the theater, showing that young people in their 20s were upying the seats. The young are not ones to hide their emotions. They could even boo if the concert does not meet up to their expectations. They bowed to the audience and went back to their positions. Jun Hyuk went in front of the piano, and Danny sat on a simple chair. Maestro Carras smiled and lifted the baton high. The audience became swept in darkness within an instant. Once the baton started moving, the darkness became filled with music. *** The 1st part opened with the string instruments¡¯ rough, rhythmical, and somehow sharp feeling that emphasizes the bass. Continuing on, the violin part yed a faster melody. The flute¡¯s solo, string and woodwinds mixed to increase the music gradually. The roar of the brass wind instruments was enough to shake the audience. It is only the 1st part, but a strong sound started to dominate the audience without giving them time to catch their breaths. The trumpet and trombone joined the timpani to create an intense energy, and the string instruments took control of the stage with a resilient rhythm. The following melodies presented endless new themes to show that they do not follow normal sonata forms and broke all imaginations that the audience had of music. When the 1st part ended, they could hear the audience panting from exhaustion of the changing music. Danny stood from his chair and Jun Hyuk put his hands on the piano to prepare for the 2nd part. Maestro Carras did not consider the exhausted audience at all and brandished his baton after meeting eyes with Danny and Jun Hyuk. Danny did not use intense force. He yed with a romantic and peaceful sensation that is a little gloomy, bringing out the feeling that he was thinking of a ce full of memories. It was like a breeze blowing in on a beautiful moonlit spring day. The single flower in a battlefield that Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano had shown in the 1st rehearsal wasing through Danny¡¯s violin melody. Dimitri Carras found new inspiration when he heard Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano, and tried to put that emotion in Danny¡¯s violin. It was also an appropriate interpretation for Danny, who is better at ssic beauty than he is with something aggressive and destructive. But, being entangled by the orchestra is a challenge that he needs to resolve, and showing sentimentality throughout the performance as young people often do is a homework he needs toplete. Danny had not yetpletely solved that challenge and homework, but it is just partial immaturity and his violin touched the people listening. The violin¡¯s unique nuance, the mncholy that pushes and pulls the sound that goes into the heart of the person listening with direct romanticism, is Daniel Lapierre¡¯s strength. His music is full of emotional appeal that tugs at people¡¯s hearts. The audience could not escape from the orchestra¡¯s violent oppression in the 1st part, and it became difficult for them to even breathe because of Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano as another form of pressure. Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano epassed the audience in the anxious atmosphere of a world that lost equilibrium. One powerful force showed a frenzied dance in an atmosphere dominated by chaos and the unknown. The piano¡¯s force is threatening. The music¡¯s energy was so great that it was as if the piano¡¯s hammer were not knocking on the strings, but on the bodies of the people listening. The audience was taken captive by the tingling feeling in their minds and bodies. Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano was in rhythm, and the subtlety and energy were great. The performance unmatched in terms of strength and technique were bringing the young pianists into despair. However, the audience was able to take a break from Danny¡¯s violin even if it were for a moment. This type of dramaticposition was showing Maestro Carras¡¯ abilities. The violin melody full of the atmosphere of gloom, reminiscence, and moonlight was so beautiful that it epassed even Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk enjoyed the zest of a new interpretation thanks to Maestro Carras, and continued ying. When the theme ended with the orchestra¡¯s heavy ying and solo violin in a calm and seductive atmosphere, Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano reappeared. The melodies that seemed as if they would never end continued in turn, surpassed a simple force and made them feel a destructive atmosphere. As they passed the middle, the harp joined with the piano as a background, and that was like standing between life and death... and somewhat dreamy. The 3rd part progressed in an even faster tempo. The 2nd part¡¯s violin melody and contrastive intensity were intense. The piano¡¯s touch, that was like a piano hammering and lively violin¡¯s double stopping (ying two notes simultaneously on a stringed instrument) showing splendor, came together to dere an equal rtionship. As they passed the 3rd part, the timpani, xylophone, and tambourine¡¯s sudden rhythm released all of the suppressed energy. As they dashed to the end, they became more violent and ended the 3rd part with a sense of urgency. If the 2nd and 3rd parts that Jun Hyuk conducted at the Queen Elisabeth Competition were resolutions of chaos and death, the performance now is a consistent advance. Danny¡¯s violin was expressing a constant lingering attachment and regret that it kept looking back. When the 3rd part ended, the audience breathed heavily. It showed that they had been liberated from extreme tension. But that rxation was only for a moment, and they needed to prepare for the big wave that woulde over them soon. The 4th part started with the woodwinds and brass instruments presenting a confident and resolute atmosphere. The violin¡¯s tragic beauty flowed out in the 2nd motif along with the piano¡¯s appearance to unfold 2 melodies. The vocal soloist presented Ode to Joy with a ssic atmosphere, unlike the unconventional taste shown until now. The timpani, cello, double bass, and horn came together to create a majestic atmosphere. Wind instruments, including the tuba, showed contrast against the vocals, and the following piano and violin melodies gave feelings of deep sorrow. A violent and ominous melody that showed exhausted and tired expressions at times. The soprano¡¯s endless treble came together with the violin and piano to create a grotesque sound instead of the beautiful song in Beethoven¡¯s choral symphony, as if it did not exist in the first ce. The orchestra created a dark and heavy melody with the cello and contrabass ying in a bass that kept going lower to increase tension. After the brass wind instrument and timpani suddenly became more passionate, the chorus¡¯ song finally went forward wildly and spread across the theater. The chorus went for over 10 minutes and kept singing the joy of victory as though putting a stop to a long and rough road. The piano and violin¡¯s splendid technique was at the peak, and 120 instruments and 150 voices filled the theater. Maestro Carras¡¯ arms intersected and stopped as though they had finallye to a full stop. A performance reaching a whopping 75 minutes ended, but it seemed like that aftertaste wouldst for 75 days. The first people in the audience to shake that aftertaste and shout bravo were the maestros. With their standing ovation, the inside of the theater became full of the sounds of passionate apuse and whistling. Young musicians¡¯ honest expression made that fever greater. There was a curtain call that seemed like it wouldst forever. They were showing more enthusiasm than they would at the summer festival¡¯s rock concert. Chapter 218 Volume 6 / Chapter 218 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji Sponsored: James W. & Fletcher P. & Chimemerie Behind the stage, members of the New York Philharmonic Board of Directors could not hide their excitement and happiness while waiting for the performers. They had seen countless reporters, critics, and sponsors p crazily once the concert was over. They were sure that, with this kind of fever and response, the New York Times culture pages would have to be covered with today¡¯s concert. It has been a while since they have had such great sess. They had been a bit nervous when Maestro Carras first requested a special performance. The song had won in apetition and it is by a young man who has been discussed along with Beethoven, but it was true that they had first considered what critics would think. However, today was so sessful that there would not have been such a great response even if it had been the real Beethoven¡¯s performance. On top of that, they had recorded everything, even the sound of breathing. They could expect high revenue from record sales as well. So many people visited the home page that the server went down. The Board of Directors already decided on Jun Hyuk¡¯s choral concerto as part of next season¡¯s repertoire. ¡°Oh, Maestro! Bravo! It was the best.¡± ¡°Jun, Danny. Our young heroes.¡± Jun Hyuk and Danny just smiled awkwardly at the Board of Directors¡¯ intense warm wee. ¡°Maestro Carras and the orchestra performers are the true heroes.¡± When Danny was being humble, Maestro Carras spoke to the Board, ¡°Congratte us once the evening concert is over. Jun will need to prepare for the concert right away.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Well... We¡¯ve been a bother. We didn¡¯t think of it because the concert was so great. Jun, oh no. Now, you need to go back to the maestro position. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be going first.¡± Jun Hyuk bowed his head to the Board of Directors and looked at the orchestra. ¡°Let¡¯s gather in the practice room in an hour. That was a great performance, everyone. And don¡¯t forget to eat.¡± Jun Hyuk left backstage and walked to his personal waiting room. He did not know when she appeared, but Tara was following behind him like a shadow. ¡°Is there anything you need?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s okay. Tara, you rest too. No. Let¡¯s just meet after the evening concert.¡± Tara looked over Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression and realized that he wants to be alone. ¡°Alright. Then, rx in the waiting room. I¡¯ll send dinner to you. Is there anything you want to eat in particr?¡± ¡°No. Just get me anything.¡± ¡°Okay. Then, rx. I¡¯ll tell you in an hour.¡± Tara was about to turn around and spoke up cautiously, ¡°Jun. Was the concert not as good as you were expecting? Your expression isn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, no. I¡¯m satisfied. It was so good it couldn¡¯t even bepared to rehearsals. I¡¯m just thinking about what we just performed again. Don¡¯t worry.¡± From the way Jun Hyuk was smiling, it did not seem like he was lying. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Then, rest.¡± Jun Hyuk went into the waiting room and threw his body onto the sofa. It was true when he said that the concert was good. It may be because of the audience¡¯s heat and the theater¡¯s air that they did not have during rehearsals, but they had created a performance that was much more dynamic. The piano, violin, and vocal ensemble that Maestro Carras had created during the performance was especially something that he had not been able to experience during rehearsals. Jun Hyuk is admiring the skillful conducting that he had experienced while listening to countless performances. His expression does not look good because he is feeling envy for the first time. Dimitri Carras¡¯ skill is not something to achieve by talent, but through experience. Unlike himself, who conducts through perfect calction and change in sound, Carras¡¯ ability to move the performers¡¯ hearts during a performance is hard to copy. A staff member knocked on the door and wheeled a service cart into the room. Jun Hyuk was not hungry yet, but he cleared his te for the performance. *** The orchestra gathered in the practice room and it showed in their eyes that they were more focused on the concert that would start soon rather than the one that ended sessfully. ¡°I guess you might be having more thoughts because of me. Just think about it simply. Our Beethoven would not have regrets or shame. And in a bit, we will show the audience the boldest choral symphony.¡± The orchestra rxed and a few people even giggled because of the conductor whoughed as he spoke. ¡°Ick conducting experience. Because of this, we might not be able to bring out a performance that is so perfect it is like a CD. But I can tell you one thing confidently.¡± The orchestra members were gaining strength from Jun Hyuk¡¯s confident voice. ¡°I promise that it won¡¯t fall short of on the spot live music or the rough taste of a live performance. Let¡¯s... enjoy our freedom on stage.¡± The orchestra encouraged Jun Hyuk with apuse. They thought that today¡¯s choral symphony would show a different side of the New York Philharmonic. Even if it is not a sessful concert, they are certain that no one can deny the emergence of a young Beethoven. The orchestra awaited a new experience and walked onto the stage in turn. *** The audience is full of people who have not stopped admiring the first concert, people who missed it, and critics who intend to fullypare the 2 concerts. Jun Hyuk bowed to them and turned around. Tara was nervous because she saw that Jun Hyuk was anxious, but she stopped worrying when she saw the firmness in his back. When the baton started to move lightly and dissonance started flowing out, the audience began to focus on the stage. The choral concerto they listened to in the afternoon concert is a song that they were listening to for the first time, but the melodying out now is one that they are so used to. When A and E notes came out continuously, an insecure and hazy feeling started to wrap the audience. After a mysterious and dreamy introduction with an uneasy feeling, the orchestra burst into the first motif. The maestros, who know choral symphony precisely, were surprised when the first motif did not have the usual grand and decisive feeling. They sat up in their chairs to listen to how he would carry on. There was no feeling of determinedness, and there was continued danger and precariousness. The audience experienced anxiety again when the first motif ended and the second was not the simplicity they had been expecting. They could not figure out where the young conductor on the podium is taking a motif that is supposed to express a person using his own strength to enter paradise. There was only one person in the audience who was listeningfortably. It was Maestro Carras. He remembered Jun Hyuk saying that he would not be presenting an interpretation of choral symphony, but Beethoven¡¯s tenacity. The first part had expressed the gloom of Beethoven¡¯s childhood to show how his arrogant and crooked character would develop. Choral symphony is a song that distorted one of the forms of conventional symphonies. The configuration is typicallyposed so that the 2nd part is slow and the 3rd part fast, but Beethoven put a fast beat, intense rhythm, and radical change in the 2nd part and changed it so that the 3rd part is slow. There is the interpretation that he switched the order of the 2nd and 3rd parts in order to create a sublime effect in the 4th part by leading up with a slow 3rd. The 2nd part began bypletely flipping the 1st part¡¯s precarious tightrope walking. The strings suddenly switched the atmosphere while the timpani opened up calmly. Jun Hyuk looked at the violin yers and stabbed with the baton. The violin sounds became finely divided following Jun Hyuk¡¯s baton and started spitting out notes in a sh. The timpani repeatedly responded to the violin in octaves. Jun Hyuk condensed his energy and opened a strong performance all at once. He expressed Beethoven¡¯s speeding toward his prime days whilepletely ignored building up the structure of music with borate detail. This is the first time the audience has seen such a fast 2nd part. It is the fastest of the 4 parts in choral symphony, but Jun Hyuk surpassed fast to brandish the baton to the point of breathlessness. The orchestra was surprised that the speed was much faster than it had been during rehearsals, but they felt what he had said before about the rough taste of a live performance with their bodies and moved their hands holding the instruments vigorously. Jun Hyuk¡¯s 2nd part flowed out relentlessly that it could make record as the fastest 2nd part performed in history. The 3rd part is a beautiful tapestry created with a heavenly melody that philosopher Hopper praised as ¡®sublime, as if flying with wings¡¯. The violin¡¯s faint feeling and wind instruments¡¯ echo like the beautiful melody of a grand orchestra¡¯s banquet opening became embedded in the audience¡¯s minds with Beethoven self-admiration. They felt the 3rd part¡¯s melody that showed them a man¡¯s instinct rather than a man¡¯s nobility, and started to see the young conductor¡¯s back and Beethoven start to ovep. That is when they started to realized, little by little, that the song toe soon is not Ode to Joy, but a celebration of sess. They went into the 4th part of a sudden presto. The strings created a more disturbing sound and as soon as the cello and bass said something, ¡®Ode to Joy¡¯ came out. It expanded gradually with the woodwinds as a start, next was the cello and bass, then all of the strings, andstly the orchestra quarter to show an arrogant facade. Finally, the baritone started singing ¡°O freunde.....¡± with a thick voice in recitativo (singing as though speaking). 120 instruments and 150 voices touched the audience¡¯s hearts and continued for 15 minutes without resting. Jun Hyuk¡¯s music of 70 minutes ended with, ¡°Joy, the brilliance of beautiful gods!¡± After a short silence, there was a storm-like apuse and the conductor put the baton down to turn around. Jun Hyuk saw the audience cheering enthusiastically and flying handkerchiefs in the air. It is the scene that Beethoven, who could not hear, had seen after he finished the premiere of his choral symphony and someone helped him turn around to the audience. The handkerchiefs are a visual acim for Beethoven who cannot hear their cheering. Jun Hyuk was seeing for himself the highest tribute that could be paid to a performance of choral symphony. Chapter 219 Volume 6 / Chapter 219 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji Sponsored: James W. & Fletcher P. & Chimemerie ¡°It¡¯s hard to know whether the young maestro is smart or was born with sense.¡± ¡°Will you go into more depth?¡± One critic could not hide his excitement as he spoke into a microphone that a reporter held to his mouth. ¡°You saw the audience today, right? It was mostly filled with youths. These vigorous youths react with their bodies first. They are not ufortable with the young maestro¡¯s interpretation that undressed Beethoven. They reacted to the dramatic and fierce melody first.¡± ¡°How about how he undressed Beethoven?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t feel it? Today¡¯s choral symphony is not Ode to Joy. He showed the rude and arrogant Beethoven. We¡¯ve gone back in time 200 years to see Beethoven for ourselves. Ha ha.¡± There were a lot of different evaluations. There were people saying, ¡®The most rude and arrogant of thousands of performances of choral symphony¡¯, a style of ¡®malignity¡¯ that overburdened Beethoven, and that it showed him as a ¡®rebel¡¯ of the time. Jun Hyuk smiled as he looked at the New York Philharmonic members who could not hide their excitement. Their expressions were a praise that touched him more than the audience¡¯s fierce tribute had. ¡°Maestro. I¡¯ve been ying the violin for 30 years, but I felt like I had gone back to my younger days. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been since I¡¯ve yed with passion rather than emotion and my head.....¡± ¡°That passion was ryed to me. It was an incredible performance.¡± Bandmaster Samuel Gilberto could not hide the flush in his cheeks and embraced Jun Hyuk warmly. While he was speaking with the orchestra including the bandmaster, the maestros encircled him. ¡°That performance was meant topletely undress Beethoven, right? Looks like you¡¯ll be hearing some bitter feedback tomorrow.¡± ¡°Well, what of it? Aren¡¯t they critics who only say negative things anyway? It was work that someone needed to go at least once. Is this one of those things that¡¯s only possible when you¡¯re young? Ha ha.¡± A factor that is considered important when interpreting a song is the background of the song¡¯s birth or the situation that theposer was in. Theposer¡¯s thoughts and psychological state, ording to the circumstances, are bound to be firmly buried in the song. Of Mozart specialists, there are many who perform his light works with expressions of anxiety and restlessness. Though he created a light melody for the public, they are trying to show his thoughts precisely. He always craved love and recognition, and had to go around borrowing money because of his difficult economic situation. The foundation of today¡¯s performance had shown, not just Beethoven¡¯s feelings, but his inner conflicts. There will be a lot of people who are ufortable with the fact that Jun Hyuk has dragged the malignant Beethoven down to the position of average people. ¡°What does the conductor¡¯s intent matter? You all saw how the audience reacted. We¡¯ll know when the albumes out. I¡¯m positive it¡¯ll see tremendous sales. Judged on music alone, it¡¯ll be able to show that it was the most passive aggressive rendition of choral symphony performed in the past 10 years.¡± The party backstage was not long. There is still the outdoor concert in Damrosch Park. The real party will open after the performance tomorrow. *** Danny¡¯s agent shouted gleefully at the endless calls. nners who saw today¡¯s performances were asking to meet for all types of performances, including solo concerts and coborations. Stern Corporation employees kept receiving calls as well. Even though it waste, they were asking about Jun Hyuk¡¯s future ns and showing their interest in preparing a concert. The people gathered in Jun Hyuk¡¯s apartment were celebrating the end of a sessful concert with wine. ¡°You... Is this why you prevented me from seeing the rehearsals? Honestly, it¡¯s not my style. I like solemn and holy symphonies.¡± ¡°If Mr. Yoon had been a critic, we would have had a scathing review.¡± Isaac Sternughed at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s sullen words. ¡°Of course. How should I put it... It¡¯s like he took a noble relic from the depths of a museum and decorated it in a department store window?¡± ¡°It almost sounds like apliment?¡± Amelia put her arm around Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder and interpreted Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s evaluation differently. ¡°No no. It¡¯s not bad criticism, but it¡¯s more so not apliment.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you saying that it was a performance that anyone could approach, not just those who love ssical music? That¡¯s apliment.¡± While everyoneughed and enjoyed the aftertaste of the concert, an employee went to President Stern and whispered in his ear. His eyes widened. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. They are saying that they will send a formal offer.¡± ¡°Did someone from theme to today¡¯s performance? I didn¡¯t see anyone.¡± ¡°Because so many maestros attended today... They say he was secretive so no one would see. They wouldn¡¯t have wanted to get caught up in unnecessary rumors.¡± When President Stern¡¯s expression grew serious, everyone stopped their conversations and looked at him. ¡°Oh, something came up... Jun, can youe with me for a moment?¡± President Stern nced at Jun Hyuk and went up to the 2nd floor bedroom. ¡°It¡¯s actually something we could announce in front of anyone, but I wanted to be sure. I want to hear your honest thoughts.¡± President Stern is being conscious of Yoon Kwang Hun. He is someone who has a great influence over Jun Hyuk¡¯s decisions. He already knows that Jun Hyuk is willing to force himself to do something if it is what Yoon Kwang Hun wants. ¡°What is it? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen such a serious expression.¡± ¡°I just got a call that Seattle Symphony wants you.¡± ¡°What? Seattle? But, what do they want from me?¡± ¡°They want to leave Seattle Symphony to you for 2 years.¡± Jun Hyuk was speechless. It is not a one-time special concert. 2 years is a short period, but his first thought was that it is a reckless decision to leave an orchestra to him when he does not even have a career to speak of. ¡°The music director position with Seattle Symphony is vacant right now. They¡¯re rotating through guest conductors, hm... It could be that your character as a guest conductor is strong since they¡¯ve set 2 years for now.¡± Jun Hyuk was finally able to speak. ¡°But why me? I don¡¯t have the experience... I¡¯ve conducted twice. Isn¡¯t that all?¡± ¡°My guess is... Since Seattle has a strong progressive tendency, they¡¯ll think of that as nothing. They could have looked solely at ability rather than experience and achievements, and there will be something to the show business aspect of it.¡± ¡°Show?¡± Jun Hyuk did not know what he meant by show business. ¡°Truthfully, their situation isn¡¯t good right now... Concert and album sales are at a low. It wasn¡¯t a bad decision for them since they are the friendliest neighborhood to Asians. From Queen Elisabeth Competition to today, you¡¯re at the center of news.¡± Seattle is where Starbucks was first created. It is where guitar hero Jimi Hendrix was born and the ce alternative rock legend Nirvana¡¯s Kurt Cobain chose for his tragic death. The exhibitions change every month at the Seattle Museum, but the Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix corners stay the same even now. ¡°And there¡¯s a good condition. They¡¯ll leave the repertoire entirely to you and not interfere with that. I thought that¡¯s a definite, but there¡¯s another meaning to it. It means you can put whatever songs you¡¯ve made or what you¡¯re going to make from now on, on that stage.¡± President Stern thought that it was an incredible condition that Jun Hyuk would be able to put whatever song he wants to on stage. But, Jun Hyuk did not look happy or excited. ¡°Take your time to think about it since it¡¯s not urgent.¡± ¡°Isaac, what do you think?¡± ¡°Me? Is my opinion necessary? It¡¯s important what you think.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t hurry up and tell me, the empty end date on our contract is going to be filled with today¡¯s date. You would have started making some money too. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk joked as heughed. ¡°Well well. You only say the scariest things. Ha ha.¡± President Sternughed and became serious again. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea to go to Seattle if you think of the Seattle Symphony as an instrument that you can tune up.¡± ¡°But the contract term is just 2 years?¡± ¡°The 2 years in a first contract is meaningless. It¡¯s not a term that they mean to keep no matter what?¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s not the contract term?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure the 2 years doesn¡¯t mean that they¡¯ll say bye to you after 2 years. It¡¯s their demand for you to bring out some kind of result within 2 years. There¡¯ll be an extension if there are results. They¡¯ll be saying bye if there are none.¡± ¡°So, the Seattle Symphony is assessing me.¡± ¡°Right. If the results are unbelievably great, they might try to get you to stay on for another 10 years on the next contract. If you bring end game results, it won¡¯t be hard for them to hand over a lifetime contract.¡± Results he could aplish in 2 seasons. Breakthrough sess in concert and album sales, and raising the orchestra¡¯s level. This is what he needs to show them. ¡°Anyway, the important part of the contract isn¡¯t the term but the details. Aren¡¯t things like your sry, vacations, house, and car more important to you? I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Making the Seattle Symphony into my own instrument. Jun Hyuk thought about the meaning of this thoroughly. He would be the owner of an orchestra, the greatest, grandest, and diverse instrument in the world. ¡°An orchestra¡¯s fame and level are almost entirely dependent on the conductor. The reason why Seattle is so criticized now is because they haven¡¯t had a good conductor in a while and the members¡¯ dissension is great.¡± Since an orchestra changes drastically ording to the standing conductor, it only takes moments to plummet if it does not meet a good owner. ¡°Then, does that mean I can reject if I don¡¯t need an instrument of my own?¡± President Stern¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Of course. To work with something that¡¯s not even mine for 2 years? The difficult part is going through all of the hard work to make them useful.¡± ¡°I see. Then, reject it for me.¡± ¡°Really? I see you aren¡¯t after a standing conductor position yet?¡± President Stern was not surprised by Jun Hyuk¡¯s rejection, and seemed to wee it. ¡°Yes. I would rather experience orchestras right now. Oh, I guess that doesn¡¯t go the way I want it to either.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll let you get experience until you¡¯re bored of it. There¡¯s going to be a line of orchestras who want to work with you from now on.¡± President Stern did not want to leave Jun Hyuk tied up in one ce as a conductor. He wanted to let him be free until his shining talent was known all around the world. ¡°And there¡¯s one more thing I¡¯d like to ask for.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be conducting choral concerto from now on.¡± ¡°What? Why? Do you know how many ces want theposer¡¯s conducting?¡± President Stern jumped back surprised and Jun Hyukughed as he spoke, ¡°I already conducted it with the Belgian National Orchestra and performed as a pianist. That¡¯s enough. I¡¯m more curious as to how other maestros express my music. I think that more, especially, after hearing Maestro Carras¡¯ concert today.¡± President Stern looked at Jun Hyuk and burst outughing. ¡°Alright. I guess it won¡¯t be bad to put your work out to the world and see how it changes either.¡± President Stern stood up. He fully understood Jun Hyuk. ¡°Then rest. I¡¯ll be going. It¡¯ll be good to go to sleep early since there¡¯s the concert tomorrow. You¡¯ll need an acoustic check and rehearsal since it¡¯s an outdoor performance.¡± When President Stern left, everyone went to bed. The concert is not over yet. The real party will open tomorrow. ¡°Jun. What did you and Isaac talk about?¡± Amelia asked cautiously as she dug deeper into Jun Hyuk¡¯s embrace. She is more curious as to why President Stern did not announce it. ¡°Huh? Oh, it was nothing. He said the Seattle Symphony got in contact to sign a 2-year contract with me.¡± ¡°What? Seattle? Goodness! So? Did you say okay?¡± ¡°No, I rejected it.¡± Amelia was so surprised she bolted up in bed. ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it every conductor¡¯s dream to have an orchestra of his own? Even though it¡¯s only 2 years, you don¡¯t know what might happen after.¡± ¡°Hm... It hasn¡¯t been long since I started ying orchestras as an instrument. I want to get more experience. And Isaac is someone who can support me in the experiences I want. There¡¯s still a lot of time left.¡± Amelia stared at Jun Hyuk. ¡°What is it? You¡¯re gaining more confidence by the day. Great. You have to have his much confidence if you¡¯re Amelia¡¯s boyfriend.¡± Ameliaughed andid in Jun Hyuk¡¯s arms again. Chapter 220 Volume 6 / Chapter 220 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji The nning team and New York Philharmonic board were in an intense meeting early in the morning. No one can step foot in Damrosch Park because it is already packed with people. ¡°Are you sure everyone is here because of today¡¯s concert? There could be people taking walks in the park.¡± ¡°From what we hear, they¡¯re all there for the concert. There¡¯s a barrage of questions regarding tickets, too.¡± Reviews on the concert that came pouring outst night made people gather to the park. Ironically, it brought in more people who were criticizing the concert than those praising it. A performance that delved all the way into Beethoven. The criticisms that itpletely ignored the sublime aspect of choral symphony had brought people out due to their curiosity. The New York Philharmonic boardid out their opinions while fighting back the desire tough. They cannot lose such a great opportunity. The more people there are who watch the concert, the higher album sales are bound to be. ¡°What do you think about just opening it up? People who bought tickets can sit in the seats and the rest can enjoy the concert from the grass even though they won¡¯t be able to see the stage very well.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to increase the sound equipment. They¡¯re almost done setting up already...¡± It is an open space as it is. Opening the concert so that everyone can hear is the same thing as saying that they should increase the number of speakers that they are using. ¡°It¡¯s a festival period right now. Though it might be a little tiring, what do you think of preparing it for the citizens of New York?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to worry much if it¡¯s just a matter of increasing the number of speakers. The issue is that it¡¯s difficult to prepare it so that the sound is ryed properly. Don¡¯t you think poor sound quality could be a nuisance to the maestro?¡± ¡°We will speak to the maestro about that. We¡¯ll have to tell him that the sound quality going outside will be a little low and ask for his understanding.¡± If a crowd surges to an outdoor concert, it is difficult to expect great sound. Topare with a theater, it is the difference between the high quality sound of a CD and an MP3 file. Every June in Austria, the Vienna Philharmonic holds its Midsummer Night Concert on an outdoor stage by the Schloss Schonbrunn Neptune fountain. The crowd thates to see this easily runs over 100,000 people. The admission is free. London¡¯s BBC PROMS is the same. The summer festival performances are at the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Music Academy, and Cadogan Hall under a banner for poprization of ssical music. The closing performance on PROMS¡¯st day at Hyde Park in particr, is presented to hundreds of thousands of people. Because these outdoor concerts happen periodically, the fitting sound systems are nned and prepared in advance. Even still, it is difficult to expect great sound quality anywhere that is not close to the stage. With an unexpected situation like today, they need to give up on perfect sound. The only person who can decide on giving up on sound is the maestro. There is no conductor who wees the fact that his music will be ruined by the sound system. *** ¡°Jun, what do you think?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better for more people to be able to hear music? We need to give up on sound quality to a certain point since it is an outdoor concert.¡± ¡°Your thoughts are exactly the same as mine.¡± Maestro Carras and Jun Hyuk¡¯s agreeing opinion put the concert nners at ease. They can give up on sound quality and gear the direction toward doing a service for the citizens of New York. Once this news was out, more people swarmed to Damrosch Park. ¡°Jun. Are you going to put some change into today¡¯s performance too?¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible. Even changing the tempo is scary. I¡¯m thinking of performing like we did yesterday.¡± Jun Hyuk waved his hand as Dimitri Carrasughed softly. ¡°No. I¡¯m not talking about your conducting but your piano. Can I expect a different piano from that of yesterday?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for that as well. You can enjoy a new piano with a new pianist. I¡¯ll perform in the same way.¡± ¡°New?¡± Maestro Carras¡¯ face darkened because he knew what it meant. ¡°Then you¡¯re saying you won¡¯t continue working with the New York Philharmonic? I was thinking of performing with you again in the fall repertoire.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there a lot of pianists who woulde in a heartbeat if you call? Even New Yorkers will get tired of it if it¡¯s constantly the same performance.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to get tired of it if it¡¯s someone like you with a unique sound. It¡¯s hard to find something as fun as performing with you... This is upsetting.¡± ¡°You need to find fun in performing a new song with me.¡± ¡°Oh, I see that confidence? You must tell me if you write a new song. You need to premiere it with our New York Philharmonic. Promise?¡± Carras thought that they would be able toe across a new work by fall at thetest since Jun Hyuk is always writing new music. His face quickly brightened as he thought of experiencing fresh surprise again. ¡°Oh right. Isaac told me that you turned the Seattle Symphony down?¡± ¡°Yes. I think I¡¯m stillcking.¡± ¡°Really? I heard differently. I heard you said it needs to be better than Seattle.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you saying that Isaac said that to you?¡± ¡°Ha ha. I¡¯m joking.¡± Carrasughed at Jun Hyuk¡¯s surprise and then became serious again. He wanted Jun Hyuk to take his next words seriously. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of rmending you as my sessor when I retire from the New York Philharmonic, so don¡¯t turn it down then.¡± ¡°Would the New York Philharmonic ever let go of you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Karajan, so a lifetime contract isn¡¯t possible. It¡¯ll change in 5 years if it¡¯s long-term and 3 if it¡¯s short. They used an old man like me for so long, so they¡¯ll definitely want a young conductor as my sessor... I¡¯m pretty sure if it¡¯s you, the board would unanimously agree. The orchestra is in love with you too, so there¡¯s no issue there.¡± Rather than being surprised by Dimitri Carras¡¯ words, Jun Hyuk first wondered if President Stern had not pushed for Seattle yesterday because of this. He said 5 years at most. If he is certain for Carras¡¯ sessor, there is no reason to spend 2 years with Seattle. The New York Philharmonic¡¯s status has fallen a bit, but it is still the orchestra representing America. Jun Hyuk¡¯s heart began to beat. ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke. If you just gain some more experience from now on ¨C actually the question is whether or not you even need that ¨C no one doubts that you¡¯ll be the greatest conductor in the world. It¡¯s not just me. I¡¯m sure all maestros are thinking the same thing.¡± Hisfortable mindset flowed naturally into his performance. Music of a drowsy weekend afternoon permeated the park through the piano, violin, and orchestra. Maestro Carras¡¯ baton moved in a rxed manner. Right now, the New York Philharmonic¡¯s music is not an art that needs to be focused on but background music for the park. It is a performance that shows another role of music. Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance at 8 did not have less of an audience. The people actuallyid back and rxed as they breathed in the fresh summer air. Jun Hyuk said that he would conduct in the same way he did yesterday, but he conducted in a slightly slower tempo so as not to break the tranquil atmosphere. It may be difficult to notice this minute difference in tempo, but he conducted so that the performers fully knew his intention. The orchestra also performed in a rxed state, and thisfortable choral symphony spread out into the night sky above Damrosch Park. *** ¡°You always show us something new. You changed the vibepletely with such a small change in tempo.¡± ¡°I was surprised again. He said that there wouldn¡¯t be a surprise show. That he would give the same performance he did yesterday. But... Ha ha.¡± After the concert, everyone rted to the production celebrated the end of all of the performances in a Lincoln Center hall reserved for them. ¡°Oh, that wasn¡¯t nned. Today¡¯s performance was totally the orchestra¡¯s stage. I was just faithful to my role in keeping the tempo. We just delivered the orchestra¡¯s feeling of being epassed by the park¡¯s easy going atmosphere.¡± ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re already so connected with the orchestra that you don¡¯t even need words? That¡¯s even scarier.¡± Realizing the conductor¡¯s intent just by looking at his eyes, and recognizing the orchestra¡¯s state from listening to the first note ¨C it is like the rtionship of an old married couple. It is what every conductor wants. That is why there are lifetime conductors. ¡°That¡¯s not just me. Everyone would have had the same feeling. Everyone really melted into thefortable atmosphere of the park today.¡± The difference between the theater and park is not the sound, but the attitude toward the music. It is the difference between appreciating the music and feeling it like a wind that is momentarily warding off the summer heat. ¡°Since the concert is over now, what are your ns going forward?¡± The New York Philharmonic asked as they have a lot of interest in Jun Hyuk¡¯s happiness. ¡°Well. I don¡¯t really have any special ns made yet.¡± ¡°I know those ns well.¡± President Stern appeared out of nowhere, put his arms around Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulders, and waved to everyone. ¡°There are a lot of ces who want our friend. But he¡¯s going to just rest for at least a month.¡± ¡°Is that so? You¡¯ll just be resting for a month?¡± Jun Hyukughed as well and put his arm around Stern¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s summer vacation when everyone is taking a break. If you can, go to my vi in Switzend and rest. And it¡¯d be fine for everyone to go. Mr. Yoon, Amelia, Danny.¡± ¡°Mr. Stern. Thank you, but I need to go to Phdelphia tomorrow. I have a concert scheduled.¡± Danny had been listening to the maestros quietly when he spoke with a flushed face. ¡°It was decided in the morning. My agent told me. A solo concert for 2 days. And a concert with the Phdelphia Philharmonic. We¡¯re nning on performing in September.¡± ¡°Oh, congrattions. So what about the repertoire?¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Yoon. It¡¯s Paganini and Brahms.¡± He had been able to be rxed and give a steady performance today because of the concert atmosphere, but also because he received the request from the Phdelphia Philharmonic. ¡°Then, we should save the young people, shouldn¡¯t we? They¡¯re going to be smothered if they keep hanging out with old people like us.¡± President Stern spoke to Jun Hyuk and Danny. ¡°Jun, Danny. We¡¯ll let you go, so get going. It¡¯ste. Go before Amelia tears me apart. I¡¯ll go to the apartment tomorrow, so let¡¯s go into the details then.¡± Jun Hyuk and Danny said their goodbyes to the people at the party and left. They rushed to the apartment to spend some time to themselves. When they left the party, they saw a familiar face waiting for them outside. ¡°Collin!¡± Chapter 221 Volume 7 / Chapter 221 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji Sponsored: Chimemerie & Sudarsan L. ¡°This kid! What is this? When did you get here?¡± Danny ran over right away and hugged Colin. This is also Jun Hyuk¡¯s first time seeing him after they separated in LA, and took the hand Colin held out to him. ¡°Jun, the show was good. Your talent really isn¡¯t rusty at all. No, I think it shines even more.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Why are you here all of a sudden?¡± ¡°What do you mean why? I came to see the show. Neither of you pick up your phones, so I was wandering for a while.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I left mine with my manager...¡± Danny finally remembered that he doesn¡¯t have his phone on him. He waspletely forgetting about where his agent was because he was surrounded by maestros. ¡°Let¡¯s not hang around here. We should go back home first.¡± Jun Hyuk took Colin¡¯s arm and got in the waiting limousine. *** ¡°Colin! Goodness. What is a rock star doing here?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t miss Jun¡¯s U.S. debut stage. I needed toe yesterday, but I can¡¯t stop time.¡± Amelia saw Coline through the door and also expressed her delight. ¡°yton¡¯s top beauty is still the same.¡± Jun Hyuk saw Yoon Kwang Hun go to Colin, who he was meeting for the first time, and introduced him. ¡°I told you before that there¡¯s a cellist who¡¯s incredible on the bass, right? This is him.¡± ¡°Ohh. So this is the friend who rejected bing Yo-Yo Ma and chose Curt Kobain¡¯s path. It¡¯s a pleasure.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Colin Sabotos. Yo-Yo Ma and Curt Kobain are both remote.¡± Colinughed bitterly and his old friends were busy asking how he has been doing recently. Colin released his first album and started from the bottom, sweeping through California¡¯s clubs with an arrangement by LA Sound. It was the start of a rigorous schedule. ¡°We released the album thanks to Jun and started performing in clubs. I would perform at 3 or 4 clubs a night, be reduced to rags, and go back to the apartment to pass out.¡± Colin shook his head. He was recalling memories of suffering. ¡°The drunk jerks disturb the shows... Ugh, don¡¯t even mention it. I don¡¯t even want to think about it twice.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯ve gotten out of the clubs since you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t want to think about it again?¡± When Yoon Kwang Hun spoke, Colin¡¯s face brightened with a smile. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re fairly well known in the west now. Since we¡¯ve made our band known to a certain point, we hold joint and solo concerts at times now. Of course we can¡¯t do tours across the country yet.....¡± ¡°But, it doesn¡¯t look good from your expression.¡± Amelia looked over Colin¡¯s face and spoke cautiously. It could be that he is exhausted because of a long flight or a concert, but this is not the face of a musician who was working to gain poprity. His dark shaded face shows that he is without a doubt worried about something. ¡°We went east through LA, San Diego, and San Francisco while preparing our 2nd album. We presented new songs asionally and reactions weren¡¯t bad. But...¡± Colin faltered suddenly and his face quickly turned red. ¡°Damn it. The drummer left.¡± ¡°What? He left? How could that happen?¡± ¡°Why after suffering through everything? I thought you guys were doing well.¡± Danny and Amelia shouted at the same time. A drummer who suddenly quits a band that is growing well. It is something that they cannot understand. ¡°He said my music sucks. It¡¯s just really shy and there¡¯s too much that¡¯s unnecessary.¡± ¡°I feel like that¡¯s true. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Jun Hyuk had been listening quietly when he spoke up for the first time. Colin¡¯s face grew even redder. ¡°Yeah. I tried to be cool and it was really shy. That¡¯s my music. But I can¡¯t agree that the shiness and splendor are useless. Anyway, the drummer left saying that he wants to do alternative music.¡± 70s rock music pioneered various genres like hard rock heavy metal, blues rock, southern rock, and progressive rock, and emphasized performances with depth. 80s rock was the golden age for the guitar as a phallic symbol and a macho image of wearing leather jackets. But since the 90s, rock music has been focusing on delivering messages. Concise guitar riffs, drums that are not shy, and meaningful lyrics are the characteristics. Like the shabby jeans and t-shirts that band members wore on stage, alternative music expressed their rejection of existing musicians¡¯ ideas of money, love, and pleasure. Colin wants music with harmonious melodies of the guitar, bass, and drums with each part giving an admirable performance, rather than the delivery of messages in alternative rock. They just have not been able to show that admirable performance yet because they have not found a keyboardist to join them. He had tried to get Jun Hyuk to go into pop music with them in the first ce because he needed Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano skills. ¡°I want to show the kind of music I want to pursue to the public. I¡¯ll turn down the role of ying messenger regarding the circumstances that today¡¯s youth have been ced in and their worries.¡± Colin calmed down again and quietly exined his thoughts. ¡°If you wanted to do music that people like and not music that I want to do, you didn¡¯t need to give up the cello. You can y the Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms that people like.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you think you should listen to your members¡¯ opinions and work together?¡± Band members are equal rtions regarding music. If there are colliding opinions, they need to reach apromise. Though the leader¡¯s views are most important, the leader needs to persuade the others at the least. However, Colin¡¯s response was like that of a dictator¡¯s. ¡°No. I¡¯m doing my music. All I need is a guitarist and drummer who y the music I make. If the guitarist and drummer want to do their own music, I¡¯ll have to find other people.¡± In some way, Colin is like an orchestra conductor and not a band leader. He seems to be thinking of band members as instruments that implement his music. ¡°So did you find a drummer who¡¯s to your liking?¡± Danny pushed a beer towards Colin with a nervous look. Colin took a big gulp. ¡°It¡¯s not easy. And I can tell that the guitarist is conflicted because the drummer position is vacant. It¡¯s a real headache.¡± When the atmosphere became heavy in the living room, Colin hastily waved his hand. ¡°Sorry. I really didn¡¯te here to talk about stuff like this. I came because I didn¡¯t want to miss out on that shining moment when Jun conducts the New York Philharmonic.¡± Jun Hyukpleted a great performance tonight. It is fitting to drink and celebrate. ¡°Colin. Can we listen to your shy and cool music?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Oh, no. It¡¯s too much to do now. How could I when there are so many people with sharp ears here? I¡¯m scared when it¡¯s obvious that all kinds of criticism wille raining down on me. Ha ha.¡± Colin jumped in surprise at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s sudden suggestion, but everyone else pped and weed it. ¡°What of it? Honestly, I¡¯ve never heard your music.¡± Amelia stared at Colin, and Jun Hyuk added in, ¡°We won¡¯t tell you to fix it, so let¡¯s hear it. Don¡¯t we need to see if you¡¯ve been ying around until now or if you¡¯ve gotten better?¡± When Colin sighed and took out his phone, Jun Hyuk turned on the audio system and connected it through bluetooth. Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s eyes were brightest as Colin¡¯s new song filled the living room. This alone shows what kind of music Colin is pursuing. ¡°This is really my style. It¡¯s progressive rock. And the length of the song is no joke. Jun, how long is it?¡± ¡°7 minutes 46 seconds.¡± Jun Hyuk said the time as soon as Yoon Kwang Hun looked at him. ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s barely any lyrics... It could even be seen as an instrumental.¡± ¡°Yes. This is my favorite song. I was going to make it aplete instrumental, but I put in a little for vocals. Like seasoning.¡± ¡°You mixed in Brahms. Can¡¯t hide that youe from ssical music. The configuration is charming too.¡± Danny gave him a thumbs up. Colin only looked at Jun Hyuk, who was not saying anything. He was waiting for the most precise evaluation of whether he has grown, stayed the same, or worst case scenario, gone backwards. ¡°It¡¯s good that the drummer left. Isn¡¯t he just a hindrance to your music? I don¡¯t think he left because of a difference in music styles, but because he¡¯scking the skill.¡± Everyone was surprised by Jun Hyuk¡¯sments and their eyes grew wide, but Colin was the only person tough bitterly. ¡°Well... that¡¯s a part of it. I did push a bit. We did over 100 takes for just the drums while recording this song. We picked the best of those for this recording.¡± ¡°A drummer who can handle a song like this will hear that he¡¯s talented everywhere he goes... I¡¯m sure it isn¡¯t easy to find such a talent. But to tell a drummer like that to shut up and only y the kind of music that you want? It¡¯s one issue after the other.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun nodded at Jun Hyuk¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯ll bet. People in their twenties these days prefer consistency to outstanding performances. It¡¯s hard to find a talented drummer who can perform a colorful drum solo for more than 10 minutes.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Colin and tilted his head. Colin¡¯s music is simr to 70s progressive rock. The difference is that he shows more refinement in terms of technicality, but that derives more from the system than from music. ¡°But can you release an album with a progressive song like this? I don¡¯t think a recordbel would delve into such an adventure, unless it¡¯s an independentbel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I sh a lot with LA Sound. Eli and Alexander okayed the 1st album right away because you got rid of the progressive color with your arrangement. But now... whew.¡± Colin said that it is a sh, but he is telling them that it is not so with his long sigh. They will bepletely rejecting the idea of releasing his album. ¡°I was foolish when we were releasing the 1st album. I asked you for help because I wanted to seed quickly and had a lot of expectations... And thanks to that, we got all the way here. I¡¯ve never forgotten how grateful I am to you. But I really want to fill the album this time around with my own music.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun thought it admirable when he saw Colin¡¯s determination and thought about the fact that he is still in his early twenties. ¡°So Colin, you want to win and seed with your music more than you want to continue your sess now?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Yoon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good attitude to have. You need to do your own music if you¡¯re a musician.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun spoke and quickly shut his mouth. Right now, the living room is full of professional musicians. He is overreaching if he keeps talking as an amateur, and it will be an unnecessary sermon. Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s sheepishness did not show because of Danny. Danny spoke sadly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try a public audition? Didn¡¯t you say that your band is pretty popr in the west? You¡¯ll get a lot of applicants.¡± ¡°We did. LA Sound did a public recruitment, but I didn¡¯t want a single person.¡± ¡°Then are you going to search through New York clubs?¡± ¡°No, I need to go back tomorrow to keep going with my shows. I need to go to San Diego.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened at mention of a show. ¡°How do you perform without a drummer?¡± ¡°We¡¯re scraping by with a session man. It¡¯s okay because we mainly perform songs from the 1st album.¡± Colin barely smiled and bolted up from the sofa. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s stop talking about me and do what we really need to do tonight. Jun, you remember back when we were in a quintet and drank at a strip bar until we passed out, right? We need to get drunk like that tonight, no?¡± Jun Hyuk had not been drinking, but almost passed out. Yoon Kwang Hun and Amelia¡¯s scary res came at him like arrows. Chapter 222 Volume 7 / Chapter 222 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji Sponsored: Chimemerie & Sudarsan L. Danny and Colin were spread out on the sofa, drunk. Danny fell asleep after yelling that his violin needs to be in Colin¡¯s next album. ¡°Isaac asked how summer vacation in Switzend sounds. You¡¯ll go, right?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m good. I should get back to Korea. I¡¯ve rested long enough and my wish came true. There¡¯s nothing more I want since I¡¯ve gotten maestros¡¯ numbers thanks to you.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun stroked his phone in satisfaction. ¡°Reporters might go to the cafe to bother you. Will you be alright?¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be reportersing to bother me after you do your interview. It seems likewyer Lim So Mi threatened the Korean reporters.¡± ¡°What? Lawyer Lim So Mi?¡± ¡°Yeah. She made it clear that anyone who bothers me won¡¯t be able to interview you ever again. It¡¯ll be okay.¡± Jun Hyuk mentioned the reporters because he wanted to spend some more time with Yoon Kwang Hun, but he could not change Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s mind. ¡°When will you be going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving tomorrow. I have the ticketing done already.¡± Next to Jun Hyuk, Amelia could not ovee the alcohol and kept dozing off. Yoon Kwang Hun saw this and smiled. ¡°Amelia still has time, right?¡± ¡°Yes. She goes back to Argentina after 10 days.¡± ¡°Then enjoy your vacation with Amelia. And... don¡¯t forget what I said.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°That you can only maintain affection through effort.¡± ¡°I see you really like Amelia.¡± ¡°I¡¯m growing old alone, but I know a lot of women. It¡¯s hard to find a girl like her. No matter how many womene at you, you¡¯ll only think of Ameliater. Don¡¯t regret itter on.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know well that Amelia is a great girl.¡± Saying more would just be a sermon, so Yoon Kwang Hun just nodded. ¡°Go in. I¡¯m sleepy, so I should get some sleep too.¡± Jun Hyuk picked Amelia up as she was sleeping and went into the bedroom. *** ¡°Mr. Yoon. I hope we meet again.¡± ¡°I hope so too. Oh right. Amelia, it¡¯d be great if you held a concert in Korea.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. I¡¯ll look into it. I¡¯ll perform in Korea even if I don¡¯t get paid for it.¡± The New York Philharmonic¡¯s show was a festival for them too. It is more enjoyable than a festival for people who find it hard to gather together. Everyone went back to their respective ces, and Jun Hyuk and Amelia were the only people left. While they were packing to go on vacation, President Stern came inughing. He was holding a stack of newspapers. ¡°Take a look at the culture section of the New York Times first. They filled a full 2 pages with our show. Especially articles about you, Jun.¡± The culture pages were full of pictures of Jun Hyuk sitting in front of the piano and conducting. ¡°A conductor who must not be stolen away by someone else. That¡¯s you.There are even opinions that the New York Philharmonic needs to make a bold decision. Dimitri will get a little angry if he sees this article. It¡¯s the same as saying they should change to you. He he.¡± Jun Hyuk skimmed through all of the newspapers and looked indifferent, but he could not hide theughter bursting out. There were a few negative articles, but they were all about sound issues with performing outdoors and not being able to handle therge crowds. ¡°Alright then. Leave the rest to me and you two rx in Switzend. The scenery is the best, so you¡¯ll really like it.¡± ¡°Isaac, you¡¯re not going with us?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m busiest during off-season. I need to work on renewing contracts and preparing concerts. Management in this industry is the same as in sports. Off-season is the busiest.¡± President Stern took a nce at Amelia and tapped senseless Jun Hyuk on the shoulder. ¡°And even if I have time, I can¡¯t go right now. Why would I when the two of you are spending some quality time together? You think I¡¯m a senseless old man? Even if I go, it would be after Amelia leaves for Argentina.¡± ¡°Tara left for her vacation?¡± ¡°I forced her to go. She¡¯s a workaholic too. If Amelia hadn¡¯t been here, I¡¯m sure she would have followed you to Switzend.¡± President Stern let out a long sigh thinking about Tara. ¡°There will be someone to greet you when yound in Switzend. He¡¯ll take you to the vi and the house will have been cleaned uppletely. Get a lot of rest before youe back.¡± The private jet left New York and arrived in Lucerne, Switzend. President Stern¡¯s vi is a small 2-story house in Entlebuch, about an hour away from Lucerne. Entrevuch is the first biological preservation area designated by UNESCO, a ce of nature at an elevation of 2,350m. There are endless rivers and forests that looked as though they have never been touched by humans, and it is just a small, beautiful vige without a singlerge building. The Swiss government blocks enterprises byw and made it a ce where residents produce eco-friendly goods. Large multinational chains were not allowed for hotels, and there are only small region-only operated hotels. President Stern rmended a ce that is perfect for Jun Hyuk¡¯s taste. As soon as Jun Hyuk saw the house, he smiled brightly and sat at a window on the 2nd floor for a while to look at the scenery, forgetting about his luggage. Jun Hyuk and Amelia went grocery shopping and cooked for themselves, spending their days simply and calmly. They spent their days getting upte, eating a light breakfast, and taking walks through the grasnds and forests. They spent their time in a perfect vacation, not thinking about piano or music scores and only thinking that they wished time would stop like this. Amelia left after 10 days, but Jun Hyuk¡¯s daily life did not change. The rivers, forests, and grasnds acted as Jun Hyuk¡¯s friends and partners in ce of Amelia. When he went back to New York after spending a full month in Switzend, President Stern and Tara were waiting for him with a thick stack of papers. ¡°First, we organized the ces that requested concerts. Let¡¯s go through them carefully, pick the ones you want to do, and decide on an order for the rest.¡± Jun Hyuk sighed looking at the stack of papers piled high. ¡°Isaac. I told you... I won¡¯t perform choral concerto anymore.¡± ¡°I know. Choral concerto was taken out of all of these proposals.¡± ¡°What? They were taken out? But, there¡¯s so many of them?¡± ¡°Do they request performances while looking at the works? They look at the person. Piano and conducting. Oh right. There¡¯s also a request for you to be a guest at the Monterey Jazz Festival at the end of September.¡± America¡¯s Monterey Jazz Festival was started in 1958 and has been held for a long time. It¡¯s one of the top 3 jazz festivals in the world, called 3M, along with Switzend¡¯s Montreux and Canada¡¯s Montreal. ¡°Whew ¨C So we have to read through all of these. Is there anything you want to suggest in particr?¡± ¡°There is one... Then, do you want to take a look at this one first?¡± Tara exchanged looks with President Stern and handed a proposal over. Jun Hyuk read it and his eyes grew wide. ¡°This is in Seoul.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a bit of a special ce for you, no? But from just the management¡¯s stance, I want to give priority to the Seoul performance. The conditions are the best.¡± President Stern spoke with confidence. ¡°The conditions are good?¡± ¡°Yeah. The guarantee is twice that of your performance this time around with New York. They said they¡¯ll hold a live broadcast and even guaranteed a revenue ie... Other treatment is at VIP standard. From the agency¡¯s point of view, it¡¯s something that we don¡¯t want to miss out on.¡± Tara spoke quickly when she saw Jun Hyuk showing interest. ¡°And... ho ho. I found out recently too that Korea has organization in its cab for a Ministry of Culture. To think that there¡¯s a part of the government in charge of cultural affairs... I was surprised.¡± President Sternughed as he spoke. ¡°Anyway, the proposal came with a request from the Ministry of Culture attached to it.¡± ¡°Is there no designated department in America?¡± ¡°No. There isn¡¯t one organized in the government. Culture is all a private sector. The Department of Commerce handles anything that needs rted measures.¡± In America, the two views that the government must not interfere in culture and that culture is an industry coexist. ¡°Then, let¡¯s start with the performance in Korea.¡± When Jun Hyuk made a clear decision, Tara and Stern looked surprised. ¡°It¡¯s really okay?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. There¡¯s no reason for me to be against it when my manager has analyzed it carefully and decided on it as priority.¡± ¡°Great.¡± If the performance in Korea ends sessfully, it is another chance to create a huge market for Jun Hyuk¡¯s album. It is a proposal that they cannot waste. ¡°But what¡¯s the description for the performance?¡± ¡°The proposal was interesting and it caught my eye too. There¡¯s an album you released before you came to the U.S., right?¡± ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not ssical.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know that too. Performing that album and one piano concerto. So you participate in the piano concerto as a pianist and the tracks you made for your album are going to be put on stage. This will make it a 2-hour show. They said the stage is some kind of football stadium... It¡¯s an outdoor performance.¡± ¡°Ah.....¡± Jun Hyuk picked the proposal up again and checked the location. It is Sangam World Cup Stadium. ¡°You need to arrange the music, too. Your tracks will be performed by the musicians who worked on the album with you and an orchestra. This is a concert too.¡± The proposal says that it will be Seoul Symphony Orchestra. ¡°They want you to do the arrangements since they are songs from your album. What do you think?¡± Jun Hyuk nodded lightly. Even if he is arranging the music, the orchestra is just an apaniment so it won¡¯t be difficult to do. ¡°And I¡¯m telling you in advance in case you worry about it, but you won¡¯t be participating in anything other than the performance.¡± Tara added this note in to reassure Jun Hyuk. ¡°But won¡¯t we need at least 2 months to prepare for the concert in Korea?¡± ¡°Right. A week should be enough for rehearsals.¡± ¡°Then that means I can participate in the Monterey Jazz Festival at the end of this month?¡± Tara and Stern are taken aback. ¡°Why are you surprised? I thought you said there was an invitation?¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think of that. I was thinking of promotion concerts because New York¡¯s performance and Laura¡¯s albums will be released next week.¡± ¡°Then, make a schedule for me including that concert.¡± Tara and Stern are even more surprised. Jun Hyuk seems a little different after getting back from vacation. ¡°What is this? Why are you working so hard all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I got a lot of rest, so I have to work.¡± They could only blink while looking at Jun Hyuk, who was smiling with a cup of coffee in his hand. Chapter 223 Volume 7 / Chapter 223 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji Sponsored: Chimemerie & Sudarsan L. Laura¡¯s album was released as a package including the scores for the 5 songs. Reviews like ¡®Extreme beauty shown by a human voice¡¯ were just regarding Laura Goldberg¡¯s debut album as a rookie, but the album sold quickly as an unexpected change to ssical music. The first promotional concert for the album was held in Carnegie Hall. Carnegie Hall has been praised withments like ¡°The hall itself is an instrument,¡± and has been the representative temple for music in New York even after the construction of the Lincoln Center. It is a stage that all musicians, including those in pop music, dream of so it is not an exaggeration to say that the greatest musicians in the past 100 years have all stood on stage in Carnegie Hall. 599-seat Jenkins Hall in the basement is suitable for chamber music. Laura¡¯s solo recital will be held here and has been news since before the album¡¯s release. An aria without apaniment or lyrics. Tickets sold out early because of people who wanted to see this for themselves. But, the people who entered the theater 30 minutes before the recital were in a state of confusion. There is a grand piano and ssic guitar along with a microphone on top of the stage when it is supposed to be an aria without apaniment. When one spotlight turned on on stage and the audience lights went off, the audience¡¯s murmuring faded away. The sound of high heels clicking rang and Laura walked out wearing a blue dress. Fitting for a small scale concert hall, light pping weed the singer. Laura stood in front of the microphone stand and started singing right away without any special words of greeting. An ¡®ah¡¯ sound rang through Jenkins Hall for 5 minutes. The sound did not stop for even a moment during those 5 minutes, making it suspicious as to whether she was even breathing. The audience was drunk with the beautiful treble and melody, and those 5 minutes felt short to them. If the song had been longer, it would have been difficult for the audience as well. They were all red in the face because they were following the singer¡¯s breath by holding their own. When Laura finished one song, she bowed lightly to the audience and left the stage. The spotlight on stage went off but quickly came back on again. The thin ray of light shone on the piano. The audience had been expecting Laura¡¯s re-entry, but cheered in surprise. Jun Hyuk walked out slowly wearing a suit, bowed to the audience, and sat in front of the piano. The ssic guitar next to the piano got the people more excited. This might be a rare performance where they might get to hear Jun Hyuk y the guitar after he ys the piano. Jun Hyuk¡¯s right hand started moving and the same melody that Laura had just sang, flowed out. There is a clear difference between the piano and the human voice. Even the feeling of the music was different, and a low exmation flowed through the audience. People who enjoy a little more depth wished for Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance to continue not just because of the sound, but also because they could anticipate various emotions ording to the way that the piano is yed. Jun Hyuk finished ying the piano and yed the same song with the guitar. The distinctive smooth ringing of the ssic guitar delivered inspiration of a different color. Laura and Jun Hyuk did not say a word to each other and went back and forth taking turns to sing and y the piano and guitar. Each time the song changed, Laura¡¯s dress changed and the color of the lights changed. There was even a song like a bolero, that presented the same melody with the colors of different instruments. But there was no concert or apaniment on this stage, no variation, and it was only a melody with one color. When all 5 songs were over, the audience in the concert hall could not shake the aftertaste of this strange experience, and could not stop yelling for an encore while pping. Laura came out again for the curtain call and took the microphone. ¡°You were really worked through for just 5 songs, right?¡± The audience burst out inughter at Laura¡¯s joke. ¡°The person who created such a great piece with beauty and fun. Maestro Jun.¡± Jun Hyuk walked out on stage to Laura¡¯s introduction. Cheering filled the theater again with Jun Hyuk¡¯s entry. ¡°I realized today what a fun and delightful asion it is to y a simple performance in a small scale theater.¡± Jun Hyuk sent a light greeting to the audience and the cheering quieted down. ¡°I yed the piano and guitar for this performance. But it is fun to think about what instruments will appear for the recitals over the next 3 days including the 2nd round openingter tonight, and what kind of feeling those instruments will present.¡± The audience stirred. All the performance guide said was that it is Laura Goldberg¡¯s solo recital and that there is to be a special performance. But if it means that each recital is going to include solos with different instruments, these recitals have be an event that they cannot miss a single one of. The audience only had thoughts of getting tickets for the remaining performances. ¡°As it is the 1st performance, we will leave after giving you a special gift.¡± Jun Hyuk sat in front of the piano again and Laura stood in front of the microphone again. The music that flows out of the piano is Jacques Offenbach¡¯sst opera, Barcarolle of ¡®Tales of Hoffman¡¯. Offenbach died before he couldplete this piece, so it remained unfinished. It is called a living opera because producers and conductors can perform it with different context and configurations each time because it is unfinished. The boating song is a duet in act 2, but Laura¡¯s voice and Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano mixed exquisitely and rang throughout the theater. This song in particr became a message in the movie ¡®Life is Beautiful¡¯ that showed how hope survives even in despair. He snuck into the broadcasting room while in Auschwitz to y the song loudly over speakers to let him wife and son know that he is alive. The 2nd performance that night became news again because New York Philharmonic¡¯s bandmaster and lead violinist, Samuel Gilberto, took Jun Hyuk¡¯s role and yed a sad violin melody. Laura¡¯s 4 days of 8 performances was like a box of choctes. There was more and more interest because just as it is impossible to know what vor it is before taking the wrapper off, they could not know who the performer would be. When news of Laura¡¯s first performance got out through the media, there were requests to hold more recitals and for sales of the record and scores. Laura¡¯s performance was a user¡¯s guide showing people how to develop Jun Hyuk¡¯s 5 songs. *** ¡°Jun. You¡¯re not thinking of a solo performance for Monterey Jazz Festival, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t even have a band.¡± ¡°I was asking just in case. The festivalmittee sent this, and there are 2 things that they want.¡± The document that President Stern showed him listed participating in rke and Lee L. Carlton¡¯s joint performance and ying the piano as part of European Jazz Big Band¡¯s performance. ¡°Isaac. Big Band rehearsals will be no joke.¡± Jazz Big Band has over 20 people and is not much different from an orchestra. They need to perform with perfect configuration and it is hard to expect improvisation. But the fine performance that Big Band presents is another vor of jazz. ¡°I can just do the Stanley rke and Lee L. Carlton joint performance, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± President Stern grinned when he saw Jun Hyuk smile. ¡°I see you¡¯re happy to be meeting Stanley rke again?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, but I¡¯m really looking forward to standing on stage with Lee L. Carlton, too. It¡¯s rare to find guitarists who can follow through with such clean and well-presented phrases as he can.¡± ¡°Great. Then, I¡¯ll tell the festivalmittee that. And... the performance in Korea.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying to prepare for a live album. What do you think?¡± President Stern is asking about the album because he cannot make a determination on Korean musicians. He has heard enough of Seoul Symphony¡¯s performances through albums, but all he knows about the musicians who participated in Jun Hyuk¡¯s 1st album is that one album itself. Jun Hyuk thought for a moment and then nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. Each individual¡¯s abilities are great. There won¡¯t be anything bad to say even if the albumes out. Oh right. I don¡¯t know how those musicians have changed since then... so I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have to check that.¡± Jun Hyuk spoke confidently, but President Stern shook his head. ¡°Jun. I¡¯m not thinking of the Korean market when I talk about the album, but the global market. We¡¯re even thinking of changing the lyrics to English. That¡¯s why the participating musicians need to be up to standard for the global market.¡± If they substitute the musicians and change the lyrics to English, it will be apletely new album. Then the people who participated in the 1st album lose all rights to this performance. ¡°We can take session men from here if we need to. And for the singers.....¡± ¡°Yes. How many were there? Various people sang on the album.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m thinking of picking the singers separately.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re going to change them?¡± It does not mean that he will see what the Korean singers are like now, before making a decision. President Stern did not want the Korean singers in the first ce. ¡°Of course. We need to take people who are fitting for the global market. Oh, don¡¯t take it the wrong way. I¡¯m not saying that I can¡¯t trust those Korean singers. It¡¯s just that the singers need to be world stars when thinking about album sales. This is with keeping marketing in mind.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at President Stern for a moment andughed as he spoke. ¡°Isaac.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°From now on, you don¡¯t need to exin all sorts of things to me or ask my opinion. You can just tell me what I need to do, whether that¡¯s a stage or studio. Anything is fine. And you can do whatever you want for the people I will be performing with.¡± President Stern was speechless at Jun Hyuk¡¯s unexpected words. He fully understands what Jun Hyuk is saying. Jun Hyuk is not talking about the efficiency of the work they do, but that he trusts him. When President Stern spoke again, he was smiling brightly. ¡°Fine. Then, I¡¯ll have to really work you hard from now on. I¡¯m going to treat you like a ve. Ha ha.¡± Chapter 224 Volume 7 / Chapter 224 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji John Steinbeck, famous for ¡®The Grapes of Wrath,¡¯ was from Monterey penins, the oldest city in California. It has cliffs and sand dunes formed through waves and winds and a coast covered in rocks. Monterey once flourished but traces of it can only be found in museums. Now, it is only a symbol of John Steinbeck and the 3 day 2 night jazz festival. The jazz festival opens at Monterey Fairgrounds on a total of 8 stages with more than 500 famous jazz artists participating from Friday night at 6 to midnight and over the weekend from 11 in the morning to midnight. They offer soul-stealing melodies for almost 12 hours. 2 jazz greats were having a ss of wine early in the morning in a studio in LA, in order to participate in the festival. ¡°Trust me. You can just leave it to where Jun¡¯s piano leads. Then, I¡¯m telling you that time passes really quickly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s to that point? Listening to the album, it felt like it was your bass that was leading the music.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the really fascinating thing about it. When you y with Jun, you lose a sense of who is leading whom. And when you look at him, you can tell that he¡¯s forgetting where he is and is just lost in the music.¡± Stanley rke recalled the day that he spent a great time lost in jazz with Jun Hyuk. ¡°But, look at the result. I was the only one running with it and Jun¡¯s piano matched the bnce perfectly.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he the type to calcte everything when he performs? Like me?¡± Lee Carlton is a fusion jazz musician who mixes rock into his music, rather than ying traditional free jazz. His style was to add a little improv intopleted music rather than performing in improv. So, he ys music that is easy for anyone to fall for, even those who are not jazz fanatics. ¡°No. Jun told me after we yed that he tasted the first peak moments.¡± ¡°Then, does that mean his ears are just open? Regardless of his will?¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t called a genius for nothing. Honestly, no matter how others call us genius musicians, we know. Weid our abilities as a base and got here through effort. But that¡¯s not the case for Jun. Every single cell in his body is made with talent.¡± Stanley rke kept praising Jun Hyuk. ¡°Anyway, do as I say. Jun will bring out the potential in you that you didn¡¯t even know about.¡± As the two men slowly got drunk, Jun Hyuk opened the studio door and stuck his head in.¡± ¡°Oh my God! Jun!¡± ¡°Stanley!¡± Stanley rke put his wine ss down and hugged Jun Hyuk. ¡°It¡¯s been a really long time, hasn¡¯t it? Every time I performed in New York, you were abroad.¡± ¡°Is that so? Are you sure you didn¡¯te when I wasn¡¯t there on purpose? Ha ha.¡± They have only met once but shared a precious experience that left them as though they are friends forever, so there are no walls of skin color, age, knowledge, or meetings between the two of them. ¡°When did you get here? You should have called in advance.¡± ¡°I just got here. I¡¯ming here directly from the airport.¡± Stanley rke was so d to see Jun Hyuk again that he forgot Lee Carlton was next to him. When he saw Jun Hyuk smile as he saw Lee Carlton approaching them, he snapped his finger as he spoke, ¡°Oh right. Look at me. It¡¯s the first time you two are meeting, right?¡± ¡°Mr. Carlton, it¡¯s an honor.¡± Lee Carlton took the hand that Jun Hyuk held out to him and shook it. ¡°Leave the Mr. out. You can just call me Lee. Is it okay if I just call you Jun? Or do I have to say Maestro Jun? Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk remembered the picture on the album cover he released 25 years ago. A gentle, manly, and handsome young man has be a middle aged man with thinned out blonde hair. Stanley rke handed Jun Hyuk a ss of wine as well, andplimented him on all of his aplishments since thest time they saw each other. ¡°I felt like a fool because I had been so happy thinking that the next jazz god had appeared. I almost pushed Beethoven to go on the path of jazz. It¡¯s a good thing we haven¡¯t met since that day.¡± ¡°The most thrill I felt while in the U.S. was when I was performing with you. I didn¡¯t even get that feeling when I was conducting the New York Philharmonic.¡± ¡°Really? Then, let¡¯s forget all of this about being a maestro and go on a ying tour with me. What do you think?¡± ¡°Well... You don¡¯t know me yet. Both are possible. He he.¡± ¡°What? You lost all of your modesty ever since you picked up a baton? Ha ha.¡± The 3 of them joked around and kept drinking wine. When the new bottle of wine was about to be empty, they started discussing the performance approaching them. ¡°You know the performance schedule?¡± ¡°Yes. From Saturday at 5 in the afternoon. I heard that it¡¯s an hour and a half. Did you decide on a repertoire?¡± ¡°No, not yet. We waited to pick with you.¡± Lee Carlton looked at Jun Hyuk, who was a little flushed because of the alcohol. ¡°Is there something you like about my music?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear everything to the live performances, but I know everything that was released in an album. I did watch the live performances that weren¡¯t included on albums through YouTube, but not all of them. Anyway, I don¡¯t know if I can ask this, but I would like to perform Early A.M. Attitude and Room with you.¡± Jun Hyuk said the 2 songs he likes most out of Lee Carlton¡¯s. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s okay. Those 2 songs can be yed on the piano too. Your piano will make them shine.¡± ¡°Oh right. I should have told you in advance, but I wanted to y the guitar this time instead of the piano. What do you think?¡± ¡°The guitar?¡± ¡°Right. I was forgetting that Jun¡¯s great at the guitar too. Ha ha.¡± Lee Carlton was surprised by mention of Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar, but Stanley rke cut in. After making the decision to y the guitar, Jun Hyuk also worked with the men to select their repertoire. Stanley rke and Lee Carlton wanted to arrange the songs on Jun Hyuk¡¯s rock tribute album, but Jun Hyuk shook his head. ¡°I decided to participate in this festival because I wanted to perform your songs. I don¡¯t want to arrange my songs and perform them.¡± They chose 8 of the two greats¡¯ songs and then decided on the order. And they also nned to y more than 6 songs at the least even if the improv performance got too long. ¡°Then, shall we do 2 songs lightly? It¡¯ll give us a chance to listen to your guitar. That¡¯s okay, right?¡± Lee Carlton felt rushed because he wanted to hurry up and hear this young genius¡¯ music. ¡°I¡¯m always up for it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go really lightly. It¡¯s hard to even hold up my guitar because I feel drunk.¡± Stanley rke made a fuss as he put the heavy bass on his shoulder. Jun Hyuk picked the Gibson of the guitarsying around the studio, and started tuning it. Stanley rke¡¯s bass guitar started dinging and a light guitar riff came from Lee Carlton¡¯s guitar for the first song, Room 335. *** When they were done ying Room 335, the alcohol almostpletely wore off from Lee Carlton, Stanley rke, and the drummer was hiding the sweat on his forehead. Even though the drummer who will be performing with them is a skilled drummer who has a great sense of rhythm and a sturdy foundation, he felt like they had yed for over an hour when they had just yed one song. The drummer looked down at his watch and understood why he felt like that. 25 minutes had shed before their eyes. Stanley rke shook his head andughed, but Lee Carlton looked nk like the drummer. Jun Hyuk alone looked refreshed as he drank water. ¡°Lee. You know what I meant before? Whew.....¡± Lee Carlton did not hear Stanley rke¡¯s words. He had only one thought since they finished ying. The First! The title of the album that Stanley rke recorded with Jun Hyuk. The First did not indicate the first time they met, or their anticipation for the next meeting. Pleasure regarding music that they experienced for the first time. That is what the title is showing. He has never yed like this before. Pleasure of jazz? Spontaneity of improvisation? Unity of a perfect ensemble? He has seen this before. He would not be considered a jazz great or legend if he had not had such experiences. But the pleasure he just experienced while ying with Jun Hyuk is a different kind of pleasure. A feast of endless melodies. What would this kind of melody be like? Should we try a melody like this? It had felt like someone was whispering things like this into his ear. New phrases, melodies, and fun codes kept buzzing around his head. Lee Carlton only picked at his guitar strings as he thought of it. When the melody inside his head stopped, 25 minutes had passed. Stanley rke put the bass guitar down, plopped down on the sofa, and lit a cigar. He took a long pull, let out white smoke, and looked at Lee Carlton standing in front of him. ¡°What are you doing? You want to do another song? Then, you two do it. I¡¯m so tired I can¡¯t.¡± Lee Carlton finally came to his senses and leaned on the sofa. ¡°At this rate, we won¡¯t be able to do 3 songs, much less 6.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard during the performance. They could at least appreciate it if it¡¯s an indoor performance. It¡¯s outside though... The audience will be so tired that they fall away first.¡± The drummer had not said much until now, but spoke up cautiously. ¡°I don¡¯t think that this kind of performance is fitting for a stage either.¡± Jun Hyuk put down his guitar as well, and agreed with the drummer¡¯s opinion. ¡°Then, let¡¯s try ying together again after adjusting our conditions. We¡¯ll figure out when to cut the 8 songs too.¡± Stanley rke had just been looking at Lee Carlton, and looked to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun, you must be tired from flying. What do you think about going to your hotel to rest? Let¡¯s really have a drink after rehearsals tomorrow.¡± Stanley rkeughed as he winked, and Jun Hyuk nodded. ¡°Yes. Then I¡¯lle back at noon tomorrow. You should both get a lot of rest too.¡± Lee Carlton could not shake the shock so much that he did not hear Jun Hyuk or realize that he left. Stanley rke watched him as he lit a cigarette and handed it over. He took 2 puffs and let the rest burn before he finally snapped out of his nk state. ¡°Stanley. Is this the talent that you were talking about? That he can find bnce perfectly?¡± ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t to this point when we were recording together. He changed a lot in the time we haven¡¯t seen each other. Ah, is it because of his experience conducting an orchestra?¡± ¡°Stanley. I¡¯m not thinking wrong, am I? That kid Jun just dragged us around and made us y, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Was there ever a time it was like this when it was just the two of us ying? There¡¯s an instantaneous change when Jun joins us. Then it¡¯s because of Jun.¡± It is not something he wants to believe, but it has already happened and his whole body remembers it. It is not something that he can deny. ¡°How is this possible? Letting the people he is ying with the melody... no, he made us realize it. I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Stanley rke only smoked the cigar, and did not respond. He wanted to give a refreshing response if he could exin it. But even if he knew what has happened, he does not know how to exin it. ¡°There¡¯s one thing that¡¯s certain. Jun conducted the 3 of us as though conducting an orchestra. He showed us how to y and how to progress. Jun¡¯s guitar melody was the baton. We just yed the way he told us to.¡± ¡°Is that possible? Is it possible for a song that we haven¡¯t practiced before with new melodies and phrases that we don¡¯t know and were just brought out?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me that? You experienced it for yourself. And... I told you, didn¡¯t I? That he would bring out the potential in you that you didn¡¯t even know about. Of course I didn¡¯t know that we¡¯d be able to prove what I said so soon.¡± Stanley rke could not hide his dazed expression either. A few years ago, Jun Hyuk was a young pianist with tremendous talent. Now, though, he has be an unimaginable monster. Chapter 225 Volume 7 / Chapter 225 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir ¡°What did you think? How was it to meet your childhood idol in person?¡± Tara smiled as she spoke in the car to the hotel. ¡°The Lee Carlton I know is the Lee Carlton from 20 years ago. The feeling I get from taking a time machine to go back 20 years. He¡¯s totally different now because he has a subtle mellowness. How should I put it? I think he¡¯s be much more rxed and gentle.¡± Jun Hyukpared Lee Carlton from when he was young to his image now. It was a great decision to participate in the Monterey Jazz Festival. He cannot exin in words the pleasure he felt when he went into the midst of music as melodies of different instruments mixed. Heid himself down on the hotel bed, but he could not fall asleep. He was not very tired and he kept thinking about how they would y the 8 songs during rehearsal tomorrow. The next day, Jun Hyuk picked up a lot of coffee and went to the studio, but felt ufortable at the strange way Lee Carlton was looking at him. Lee Carlton finally spoke up after they just yed 3 or 4 songs consecutively without another preparation in particr. ¡°Jun. Well this is... I can¡¯t hold back. Let¡¯s talk for a moment.¡± Stanley rke smiled. He knows that Lee Carlton, who is known for his sophisticated performances, cannot just let it go. He has been very patient even until now. ¡°What on earth did you do yesterday? Why did our performance flow like that?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Yesterday? Oh... That?¡± Jun Hyuk scratched his head because of the difficult question. ¡°Um... That¡¯s because I¡¯m a huge fan of you two...¡± ¡°What? Fan? What does that have to do with the performance?¡± ¡°I just matched it to the way you y because I know it well. And adequate stimulus? That¡¯s the only way I can exin it. To put it simply, it¡¯s a feeling. A feeling that should I y like this, then you will ept it like this?¡± When Jun Hyuk could not exin it properly, Stanley rke looked at Lee Carlton. ¡°See. I told you that you wouldn¡¯t be able to get a refreshing answer even if you ask. How could a talent he was born with be exined?¡± This showed the difference between the two men. Stanley rke is more prominent in the talent he was born withpared to Lee Carlton who is such a hard worker that his mantra might as well be, It seems that Stanley rke understands a little more that talent that one is born with is difficult to exin in words. ¡°Are you saying that you can¡¯t exin music?¡± ¡°I think you can just understand it as a synergy effect.¡± ¡°Synergy effect... I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know why that synergy onlyes out dramatically when performing with you, right?¡± Jun Hyuk just scratched his head with an ufortable expression, and Lee Carlton did not ask any more questions,ughing. He is a talent who has already heard that he is Beethoven at the age of 21 and has released a song that is called a milestone in ssical music. When he was in his 20s, he enrolled at USC to receive a more systematic and deeper education. He listened to lectures like that of Christopher Pakning and fell more and more into the unfathomable world of the guitar. It is an iparable talent in the first ce. He just thought that the more they dug into a primitive and deep ce, the more he would hear things that he could not understand. ¡°Alright. Then shall we start again? Oh right, Jun. Did you know that the entire Monterey performance is recorded?¡± ¡°Yes, I know that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really different from recording a ssical performance. ssical is filmed from a distance through zooming, but in this case, the cameraman is on the stage and sticking his camera in your face.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Something he saw in performance videos ¨C cameramen moving more busily than the performers themselves. They film not just the face, but also the fingers that guilt through the guitar neck. ¡°Of course they do it well enough that they don¡¯t interfere with the performance, but it is true that you¡¯ll pay attention to it. There are times when the camera wires and cameraman¡¯s movement gets in the way. Just make sure you take it all in during thest rehearsal on stage.¡± Jun Hyuk nodded and put his hand on the guitar strings. They started ying the 8 songs that they chose. They enjoyed the vor of jazz with a little change each time. *** There were alreadyrge outdoor stages all over Monterey Fairgrounds. Each stage has arge screen and another screen installed at a distance so that people can check the situation of any stage at any time. With snack corners and restaurants for 1.5 million people to eat and drink for 2 nights 3 days, the concert hall was another vige inside Monterey. People had already started to gather on Thursday, the day before the festival. They found spots in front of the performances they each wanted to see and listened to audios of jazz music as they waited. Their waiting throughout the night is another free part of jazz. Big Band started in the LA club scene and became famous throughout the U.S. enough to go on a world tour after entering Hollywood. The Monterey Jazz Festival started with their opening for the ¡®Brian Setzer Orchestra¡¯. ¡®Brian Setzer Orchestra¡¯ is the best American jazz orchestra as a regr guest at the White House, with 9 nominations at the Grammy Awards. Emeli Sande and John Legend¡¯s opening stage began for the 2nd performance, and prominent musicians like Jackson Browne, The Chemical Brothers, Tony Bet and Santana, Lenny Kravitz, James ke, and Aloe took over 8 stages to fill Monterey Fairgrounds with music. Crowds of tens of thousands of people surged to each stage and got drunk on the music of the jazz, blues, and rock greats. Jun Hyuk was one of those people as well. ¡°Jun, what are you talking about! What are you going to do about the performance if something happens and you get hurt? You can meet the musicians you like. Why do you want to be in the midst of the audience...¡± ¡°Tara. Jazz and rock music is different from ssical, which you listen to calmly while sitting down. It¡¯s a festival. Half of jazz and rock music is the stage and the other half is the enthusiastic audience below. I mean that¡¯s how you enjoy it properly.¡± Tara did not hide her anxiety when Jun Hyuk was leaving the hotel early in the morning in casual clothing. ¡°And you should go out and have fun too. You like music. There are a lot of people in Korea who can¡¯te to this jazz festival even if they want to. You¡¯re luckypared to those people.¡± Tara quickly got changed and followed Jun Hyuk out. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about following me around at the venue. If that¡¯s what you want to do, you should just rest in the hotel. It won¡¯t be easy to find me in a ce with over 1 million people.¡± Even with Tara¡¯s wrangling, Jun Hyuk wandered around the venue among countless people and cheered as another fan. There were the asional people who approached Jun Hyuk in disbelief to confirm his identity, but all he had to do was lightly shake his head. It is an advantage that people are unable to distinguish between faces of people of other races. ¡°Look here. You really aren¡¯t? I think you are.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m not. If I really were that Jun, you think I¡¯d be crazy to be here? I could be enjoying all of this backstage.¡± A young man standing next to him asked him persistently. ¡°I¡¯m telling you I live in New York. I¡¯m sure I saw your face on cards and posters during the New York Philharmonic performance. I think you look too much the same to say that you just look simr because you¡¯re both Asian.¡± The man who says he is from New York, handed Jun Hyuk a can of beer and did not give up. ¡°Tall, thin, and curly hair. It¡¯s the same.¡± Jun Hyuk took the beer, took a sip, and wiped his mouth with his hand. ¡°Is every tall Asian with curly hair Jun? Say something that makes sense. Thanks for the beer, but stop. The performance is starting.¡± Latin rock great, Carlos Santana¡¯s 2007 single ¡°Into the Light¡± flowed out. He stopped caring about the man¡¯s bothersome attention. Jun Hyuk went back to the hotel after midnight and threw his body on the bed. It is much more tiring to be part of the audience than it is to be the performing musician. Chapter 226 Volume 7 / Chapter 226 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir ¡°Think of us as people who don¡¯t exist. There won¡¯t be any reason for us to get in your way while you perform. You bump into the camera more as you pay more attention to it.¡± Jun Hyuk listened to the cameraman¡¯s friendly exnation as he went into sound check with the other 2 musicians. A lot of people were already gathered below the stage, holding up their phones and recording the musicians they love. ¡°Look here! Jun! Jun! Hey, Maestro! Do you remember me? I gave you a beer yesterday. You¡¯re the person I watched the Santana performance with yesterday, right?¡± Someone was yelling from the bottom of the audience at the guard line as security held him back. Jun Hyuk turned at mention of a beer and saw the young man who had given him a beer yesterday. ¡°Ha ha. I¡¯ve gotten caught. Thanks for the beer yesterday.¡± The man frowned once Jun Hyuk confirmed for him who he is. It is a pity that he lost the chance to get a signature and take a picture together. Jun Hyuk put his guitar down and took off the t-shirt he was wearing. He signed his name in big letters on the shirt and gave it to a security guard below, saying, ¡°This isn¡¯t a lot, but it¡¯s for the beer. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s okay because it¡¯s not an expensive shirt.¡± The young man took the shirt from Jun Hyuk and howled. ¡°And look closely. I¡¯m not that skinny.¡± He flexed his bare body, but the man justughed at him. The young man who got Jun Hyuk¡¯s shirt, took his shirt off and threw it to Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk saw the man¡¯s body and quickly put the shirt on. He had just confirmed that he is skinny again. Afterughing for a while, he went into rehearsal for 3 songs. They practiced enough and jazz does not always follow the flow of rehearsals, so it was fine to do just 3 songs. Jun Hyuk returned backstage and drank the water that Tara handed him. ¡°Jun. You look reallyfortable today. You feel really different.¡± ¡°I need to enjoy the festival. Today¡¯s goal is to make people have fun, not to presentpleted music.¡± Stanley rke was listening to Tara and Jun Hyuk¡¯s conversation when heughed as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m really nervous, but you¡¯re really rxed.¡± ¡°Stanley, why are you nervous? You¡¯ve done a lot of performances like this.¡± ¡°Oh... Well... I¡¯m always nervous when faced with a stage.¡± Stanley rke was taken aback and gave an evasive answer. When his face even flushed a little, Jun Hyuk had a strange thought. Is he worrying that he might bring out improv that they had not practiced during rehearsals? ¡°We are starting in 10 minutes. Everyone, please get ready.¡± He did not continue his thoughts because of the staff member¡¯s loud voice. The 3 performers waved their hands as they walked out on stage. When they walked out, loud cheering shook the stage. Stage 1 is the biggest stage, so it had thergest number of spectators. It seemed that there were easily over 20,000 people standing so close together. His hand trembled as he looked down at the endless amount of people rippling in a crowd. It was a different experience to feel the pressure of a tremendous number of people through his body. ¡°What do you think? Incredible, huh? You¡¯ll automatically rx once you start ying. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Lee Carltonughed as he patted Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder and walked by. Then Stanley rke came. ¡°The first song is a gift from us, so we hope you like it.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Stanley rke turned away without even listening to Jun Hyuk, and the bass guitar started ringing without any signal. It is a rhythm he never heard during rehearsals. What song are they going to y? Jun Hyuk had no choice but to put his hand on his guitar and wait for a signal. But as soon as he heard Lee Carlton¡¯s guitar, he was taken aback and his eyes grew wide. His guitar melody is one that Jun Hyuk is very familiar with ¨C his own song. The first song ¡°Ah¡± of ¡°A, E, I, O, U¡± is flowing out of therge speakers, filling therge venue. The rhythm and speed was a little different and with Stanley rke¡¯s bass, it became aplete guitar song and hit Jun Hyuk¡¯s ears. A short whileter, a light snare drum and high hat cymbal joined and it became jazz. That is when Jun Hyukughed, loosened his fingers, and enjoyed the amazing gift of his music. The audience was surprised because it is overly elegant for jazz performance, but everyone¡¯s shoulders started moving once the drum¡¯s light rhythm came in. When did they arrange and practice this song? When Jun Hyuk imagined the two elderly gentlemen sleeping less and practicing in secret in order to surprise him, he found it funny and touching. He could also understand why Stanley rke had been nervous backstage. Their arrangement was great. The light rhythm, appropriate tempo, and dramatic melody brought the audience¡¯s spirits up. He could dimly hear the sound of Stanley and Lee giggling. ¡°How many days did you practice this?¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like it? We had a pretty rough time of arranging this.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do the evaluation after the performance. Tens of thousands of fans are waiting.¡± Jun Hyukughed at Lee Carlton and then started picking out the melody of the first song on his guitar. The first verse of ¡®Room 335¡¯ came out through therge amps, but the roaring sound of the audience cheering swallowed the sound of Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar. Once they performed Lee Carlton¡¯s famous Room 335 and Early A.M. Attitude, 20 minutes had quickly gone by. They continued with varying music, keeping the time as they had promised and practiced. While Lee Carlton showed an overall tight performance, Jun Hyuk showed the effect of contrast with a very fast and passionate performance. Stanley rke¡¯s bass fingering, which at times feels cold, worked like a gear with the drums without a single error. Lee Carlton¡¯s solo in the typical bad style brought a cool feeling and Jun Hyuk¡¯snguid andzy guitar melody made small veins quiver. The next song was lively to break people out of their rxed states. The dull and dark atmosphere characteristic of jazz was nowhere to be found. With the two guitarists¡¯ jumping melody and the bass¡¯ heavy and cold rhythm. The drums even show a sturdy configuration without any mistakes. When Lee Carlton started to repeat the rock music¡¯s guitar riff he likes to use, Jun Hyuk started a melody that led with a long breath. If Lee Carlton showed masculinity with precise and strong intervals, Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar was bringing out a sad melody like Laura¡¯s aria. White, ck, and Asian. Entirely different emotions flowed through the 3 people¡¯s DNA, but it is true that there is no race or ethnicity in music. The different emotions of the 3 people fused well through music and brought out the best chemical reaction. That surprising result brought in more people of Fairgrounds. As the performance went on, people kept gathering to Stage 1. Countless spectators were in a frenzy over the one power prating the entire performance. 2 guitars and 1 bass y in breathtaking ad lib as through fighting each other, and that melody is the essence of jazz and the power that made the people¡¯s blood boil. A single jazz album. And that was with the piano and not the guitar. Jun Hyuk disappeared into the ssical world with a symphony after that, but this performance showed his abilities as a guitarist. With this, it was a precious moment for jazz manias to have discovered another outstanding guitarist. *** ¡°Today wasparatively okay, right? I didn¡¯t even do anything ungainly like being narcissistic and getting lost in my own music.¡± Jun Hyuk changed out of his sweat-drenched shirt backstage and was satisfied with his moderated performance. ¡°Today¡¯s show was good. The performance was amazing, too. But it was music with a lot of regrets. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Stanley rke spoke to Lee Carlton and not Jun Hyuk, who is satisfied with the show. ¡°I still have a fresh memory of my first time performing with Jun, so of course I¡¯m left with a lot of regrets. If it hadn¡¯t been a stage where we had to show a variety of songs, I really would have performed however I wanted to.¡± While the managers packed up the instruments, the 2 men smoked cigarettes and discussed their regrets regarding the music. Jun Hyuk watched them and put down the water he was drinking. ¡°Then shall we have a festival of our own? It¡¯ll be cozy.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the studio and y however we want to like we didst time. Without restrictions on time or song configuration. What do you think?¡± The 2 men¡¯s eyes sparked at Jun Hyuk¡¯s proposal. They each rushed their managers. The managers quickly packed the guitars and ran to get the cars ready. ¡°Tara. I¡¯m going to stop by the studio first, so you go rest at the hotel. I¡¯ll call you when we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll finish up preparations to go back to New York tomorrow, so have fun.¡± When Jun Hyuk got into Lee Carlton¡¯s car, Lee Carlton took his cellphone out. ¡°Jun. I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen, so I¡¯m going to record everything. Okay?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. I want to keep the time I spend with the two of you as well.¡± Lee Carlton called the studio on his phone. He told them to set everything up perfectly to record multiple times. The 3 people arrived at the studio and were more excited as they set up their guitars and amps than they had been during the show. This is a secret show that they are doing for themselves and not for others. ¡°It was incredible when you performed my song during the show. I can¡¯t forget it so... what do you think about trying that?¡± ¡°That¡¯d be great.¡± ¡°Did you by chance hear the rest?¡± ¡°Of course. We heard all of it.¡± The 2 men sent the okay signal with their fingers. ¡°Then I¡¯ll start with those 5 songs as the theme. Come in when you feel it¡¯s right. I¡¯ll mix all 5 of the songs, so let¡¯s run with it all we want.¡± The 2 greats saw that Jun Hyuk was excited like a child and were nervous at the words that they can run with it. They first worried if they could keep up with him if he went along as he pleased. Lee Carlton turned and spoke to the sound engineer, ¡°Jimmy. Press the record button now and go rest. Don¡¯te back into the studio until I contact you.¡± Once the engineer left, the 3 people started bringing out music to the drummer¡¯s signal. *** Jun Hyuk finally came out of the studio after almost 3 hours. Tara had been waiting for his call and had to start by giving his hands an ice massage when he got in the limousine. He kept blowing his fingertips as though he had gotten injured. ¡°Tara. Do you know how old those two men are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Aren¡¯t they both over 60?¡± ¡°They have 130 years between the two of them. But we only took 1 break in 3 hours. And that was because of me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve yed the guitar, so I felt like my fingers were going to rip. For old men who drink a lot, their stamina is no joke.¡± ¡°Did you really not take a break for 3 hours? Just once?¡± 3 hours is like an opera. Forget the music, that time needs to be supported by stamina. ¡°Yeah. I honestly think it was because of me. My fingertips still tingle.¡± ¡°How was the session? Was it okay?¡± Jun Hyuk took off the towel wrapped around his hands and put his thumbs up. ¡°Tell thepany that those two men are thinking of releasing an album no matter what.¡± Tara counted off on her fingers, ¡°New York Philharmonic performance, Laura¡¯s album, the session you just did, and the Seoul performance. How many is that? Aren¡¯t you overdoing it this year?¡± ¡°There will probably be 1 more.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean another one?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something. You can expect something good.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled secretively at Tara. Chapter 227 Volume 7 / Chapter 227 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Sponsored: Sudarsan L. & James W. While Jun Hyuk was participating in Monterey Jazz Festival, President Stern was preparing the Seoul show. And now, he is in front of the most important person in that performance. ¡°It was incredible, Isaac. The 1st album that a 17 year old Jun made. I got goosebumps.¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no catch, right? All genres are in one album.¡± Alvin Lee-who looks much too old to say that he is 39 years old-was admiring Jun Hyuk¡¯s album without exaggeration. Alvin Lee is the bassist and vocalist of a rock band that appeared like aet in the 2000s, but released 2 albums and disappeared. He had to spend 5 years in a rehabilitation center because his drug addiction had gotten to the point where it was difficult for him to continue doing music. There were a lot of rumors that he would reform the rock band aftering out of rehab, but his first album was surprisingly the blues. And that was solo instead of with a band, with a simple song and serene lyrics. Alvin Lee overcame that 5 year period and was awarded a Grammy for hiseback album, showing that his genius musicality remained. But focused on making studio albums instead of concerts, and was a hermit singer who only appeared asionally in small-scale concerts. So it is surprising to propose a concert to him, and arge-scale Korean one at that. President Stern thinks highly of his vocals, which express his arched life, and firmly believes that he will present a great concert with Jun Hyuk. ¡°It is iffy to say that is an advantage. From the position of the fans buying the album, they would rather have an album full of the genre that they like. This album just feels like it¡¯s been filled with the best of charts songs.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that. It might not be easy to understand because the lyrics are in Korean, but it contains the 2 years where Jun started living a stable life for the first time and learned music. You know about his childhood too, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I saw the lyrics. There were a lot of waves in his life.¡± Alvin Lee put a cigarette in his mouth. He could not shake the thought that he was incredibly immature and foolishpared to Jun Hyuk because he spent his 20s wasting away on drugs. ¡°That¡¯s why the lyrics have meaning. I had the Korean lyrics tranted, so look over those first and then write the English lyrics...¡± President Stern handed over the papers with the tranted lyrics, but Alvin Lee did not even look at them. ¡°I¡¯d like to write my lyrics based on how I feel regarding Jun¡¯s music that on the original song¡¯s Korean lyrics. I don¡¯t want to force meaning on the emotions of the original song. We can just forget it if you don¡¯t like that.¡± He was a little surprised by what Alvin Lee said, but heughed. ¡°Then that means you¡¯ll do it?¡± ¡°Yes. It means a singer would be stupid to miss out on a song like this.¡± ¡°Phew. What a relief. I was worrying that you might reject because you only release your own work.¡± ¡°Ha ha. It¡¯s not like that. I just made my own songs because there wasn¡¯t a song I liked. It¡¯s not important who made it if I like it. I¡¯m just a singer.¡± ¡°Then when can you be done working on the lyrics?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already writing them. It won¡¯t take long. There was something I thought of when I heard the music.¡± Alvin Lee put the cigarette out and did not hide something that was bothering him. ¡°But what are you going to do if Jun doesn¡¯t like the lyrics that I wrote?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± President Stern spoke nonchntly, telling him that there is nothing to worry about. ¡°Aren¡¯t you trusting me too much? I¡¯m not a poet like Yates. I can¡¯t create incredible lyrics. I just write my thoughts.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean. Jun doesn¡¯t pay much attention to lyrics. He thinks of a singer as an instrument. He ces more importance on the singer¡¯s voice than he does in the lyrics. He thinks more highly of the ability to handle a song well with the voice.¡± Alvin Lee snapped his fingers and nodded. ¡°Aha! So that¡¯s why Laura Goldberg¡¯s incredible voice was on that album. It¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t care about lyrics?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the music that Jun wants, and the reason why I chose you. You¡¯re the only vocalist who came to mind when I was listening to Jun¡¯s album.¡± Isaac Stern set Alvin Lee up, but he justughed. ¡°No way. There are so many great vocalists. Aren¡¯t you Isaac Stern, master of the box office? If I sing, the box office element just gets a little stronger. Reappearance of the hermit? Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re going after?¡± ¡°Well... I can¡¯t say that¡¯s not a part of it. Ha ha.¡± He shook his head as he watched President Sternughing slyly, but he did not stop smiling. ¡°Then I¡¯ll create a demo as soon as I¡¯m done writing the lyrics and send it over. I hope Jun likes it too.¡± President Stern smiled widely in satisfaction of the results of today¡¯s meeting. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting in anticipation. Then we¡¯ll meet with Jun soon.¡± ¡°Are you going back to New York?¡± ¡°No. I need to go to LA to get a bassist on board.¡± Alvin Lee showed interest at the mention of a bassist because he himself is an outstanding bassist. ¡°LA? Who is it?¡± ¡°Colin Sabotos.¡± President Stern winked andughed as he left. *** ¡°Mr. Stern. Did youe to LA because of me? You could have just told me over the phone.¡± ¡°Would I really havee all the way to LA because of you? I came to see my 4th girlfriend who lives here. You¡¯re just a side note.¡± Colin was speechless because he could not tell from Stern¡¯s serious expression whether or not he was joking. It seems like the girlfriend is true, but it is hard to believe that she is the 4th one. ¡°You can change your show schedule around, right? Jun¡¯s concert in Korea is next month, and I was hoping you would join as bassist.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Me?¡± When Colin heard President Stern¡¯s sudden proposal, he had thousands of thoughts. ¡°Why? Do you not have the confidence? Or does it not fit into your schedule?¡± ¡°Oh, no. It was just so sudden... Did Jun....?¡± ¡°Why? Are you thinking of turning this down if Jun had asked for it? Out of a matter of pride?¡± ¡°Of course. You have to fill the concert with the best musicians. It needs to be perfect so that no one is falling behind Jun¡¯s standards. And not too long ago in New York, I told Jun about the difficulty I¡¯ve been having. It might be because of that.....¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I heard you¡¯re Jun¡¯s friend. Then I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t think that Jun is the type of person to take care of such small details like this.¡± ¡°Yes, well that is true. No, no. Jun isn¡¯t good at expressing it, but he does take good care of the people around him.¡± President Stern squinted at Colin and washed him of his concerns. ¡°I came to know about you after Jun signed on with our agency. There was an item for arrangement among Jun¡¯s ie, so I looked into it and it was your album. I came to meet you because the way you yed on that remained in my memory.¡± Colin¡¯s face became brighter when he realized that he had been judged on ability. ¡°Then can you by chance tell me who the vocalist is?¡± ¡°Alvin Lee.¡± ¡°What? Goodness. Alvin Lee on the vocals?¡± A genius hermit with diehard fans. He was excited by the possibility of being able to perform with such a musician, but he is also surprised by President Stern¡¯s ability to get him on board. ¡°Then have you decided on a drummer as well?¡± Colin¡¯s expression showed that he was expecting another tremendous musician¡¯s name. ¡°Oh. The drummer is the original drummer. You¡¯ve heard Jun¡¯s Korean album, right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t he great? I got a file of his ying sent from Korea, and he¡¯s gotten even better. So we¡¯ve decided to use him.¡± Colin lightly bowed his head to President Stern. ¡°Anyway, thank you for giving me this opportunity.¡± ¡°Check the details on the contract. Your manager...¡± ¡°Oh, you can just give it to me. I don¡¯t have a manager, so.....¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t have a manager?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bitplicated.¡± Colin looked embarrassed and gave a rough exnation of how his music career has been copsing ever since the drummer quit. ¡°Hm... Then just clear your schedule. You¡¯ll need to keep at least 2 weeks before the concert free. 1 week of rehearsals with a temporary band. Then 1 week of rehearsals with the orchestra in Korea. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be preparing.¡± ¡°Great. Let me know as soon as your schedule is fixed.¡± President Stern shook Colin¡¯s hand and returned to New York. Chapter 228 Volume 7 / Chapter 228 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Sponsored: Sudarsan L. & James W. President Stern was reading articles about Monterey Jazz Festival in the car to Jun Hyuk¡¯s apartment and frowned. Ibrahim Maalouf¡¯s bass performance was selected of the 2 night 3 day show. All of the reviews said that he showed his genius and artistic talent with performances that were not just romantic and delicate, but also ingenious. Trumpet performer Ibrahim Maalouf is popr for creating unique music by mixing Arab and electronic music with jazz. He is gaining more fame at the moment because of his soundtrack for the movie . It is not that there are no articles regarding Jun Hyuk. But they were mostly in articles. ¡®It is difficult to handle falling a little short if your expectations are too high.¡¯ President Stern folded the paper he was reading. He could tell what kind of performance Jun Hyuk gave just from reading the articles. The First, the album where he yed with Stanley rke nonstop for an hour. Because of The First, critics will have expected an endless spirit of jazz from Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar, but they just got a reproduction of Lee Carlton and Stanley rke¡¯s hit songs. This difference will have brought disappointment to critics and die hard jazz fans, and pleasure to people enjoying the festival. Critics and jazz fans will be enthusiastic about another of Jun Hyuk¡¯s performances anyway. President Stern heard the file that Lee Carlton¡¯s exclusive recordbel sent over. Jun Hyuk¡¯s true Monterey Jazz Festival performance is in this 3 hour file. The first 20 minutes contains the 3 people talking andughing, and then 1 hour is Jun Hyuk leading the session. They discussed a new style while resting for 30 minutes, and the following performance was Lee Carlton and Stanley rke going back and forth as though in conversation with Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar presenting themes. Lee Carlton¡¯s recordbel wanted to edit just the performance parts to create 2 albums, but President Stern¡¯s thoughts were different. Their conversations are another part of jazz. He cannot find a reason to go out of their way and omit these gem-like opinions on jazz, music, and performing. He wants to reveal the entire thing as long as Lee Carlton and Stanley rke are okay with it. As soon President Stern walked into the apartment, Jun Hyuk held a score out to him. ¡°Isaac. This is the score I¡¯m going to use for the show in Seoul. It¡¯s the arranged score with orchestration, so you can give it to Seoul Symphony. This is the score for the piano concerto. ¡°Piano Concerto? What is this? You wrote a new song?¡± ¡°No. I arranged AEIOU into a piano song. Oh, just make sure that Amelia ys the premiere.¡± ¡°Is this a gift for your girlfriend? Ha ha. Fine. I¡¯ll hang on to this... Oh right. It¡¯s okay if you conduct, right?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯ll be a better gift if I conduct. But is it the New York Philharmonic again?¡± ¡°No. The New York Philharmonic has a full schedule through the end of the year. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll check Amelia¡¯s schedule and look into it separately.¡± Isaac Stern gave Jun Hyuk a CD. ¡°More importantly, listen to this.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what the singer who will be performing at the show in Seoul sent over. He wrote the lyrics himself, too.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you listen to it.¡± When Jun Hyuk turned the CD on, a song from his 1st album ¨C already a thing of the past ¨C came out with an acoustic guitar apaniment and a man¡¯s rough voice. ¡°Alvin Lee? Is this really Alvin Lee?¡± Jun Hyuk yelled in surprise as soon as he heard the voice on the CD. President Sternughed without saying anything and only nodded. He put his finger on his lips and signaled to Jun Hyuk to listen to the end. Alvin Lee¡¯s lyrics arepletely different from those of the original song. Yoon Jung Su¡¯s lyrics contained each day of Jun Hyuk¡¯s daily life spent in the cafe. But Alvin Lee¡¯s lyrics are about life. It is a session of anxiety, washed over in rough waves, but has the meaning that there is reason and value to go on living ¡°even so¡±. The CD track ended and President Stern turned to Jun Hyuk, ¡°What do you think? Do you like it?¡± ¡°This man is really impressive.¡± Jun Hyuk was already standing up in excitement, pacing the living room. ¡°What are you talking about? I asked if you like it?¡± ¡°He tried to sing without touching the original song at all, even though his vocal color is so different from that of the original singer¡¯s. His ability to control emotion while controlling the tone of his voice is outstanding. He really... is the embodiment of a legend.¡± President Stern¡¯s prediction had been on point. Jun Hyuk does not seem to care about the lyric¡¯s message. When President Stern first listened to the CD, he thought of when Alvin Lee said that he is not Yates. He is not a top poet like Yates, but the lyrics are thoughtful with his reconsiderations on life. However, Jun Hyuk is lost in Alvin Lee¡¯s voice and tone. Isaacughed. ¡°Jun. You¡¯re really strange.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care much about the lyrics even though lyrics have incredible power in pop music.¡± ¡°Oh.....¡± Jun Hyuk calmed down bashfully. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do about it. You need to enjoy lyrics, but I can¡¯t do that. They don¡¯t get ryed as words and sentences but as sounds.¡± This aspect of Jun Hyuk is an advantage that he can catch music precisely, but also a disadvantage that he will never be able to write lyrics. This also means that President Stern needs to keep looking for lyricists who can create lyrics that fit with Jun Hyuk¡¯s music. ¡°There¡¯s another strange thing.¡± ¡°He he. What¡¯s so strange?¡± ¡°Your expression and attitude towards ssical and pop music. It almost looks like you love rock, jazz, and the blues more than you do ssical.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. I love all of them. It¡¯s just that the happiness I feel with each is different.¡± As an average person, President Stern will never know what happiness Jun Hyuk is talking about, so all he could do was shrug. ¡°Who decided to take on the bass and drums?¡± ¡°They¡¯re both people you know. The bass is Colin and the Korean drummer from the 1st album is on the drums.¡± ¡°What? Colin?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Yeah. It worked out for his schedule too. Why? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I know Colin¡¯s bass well.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s sealed. Does this mean that Jun¡¯s first band has been formed? Ha ha.¡± The part that President Stern is looking forward to most for the show in Korea is not the orchestra and piano¡¯s joint performance, but the band. What will thebination of Alvin Lee¡¯s voice and Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar be like? It is abination where anticipation is inevitable. ¡°Alright, now decide where the band rehearsals will be. Here in New York? Or LA? Or... do you want to just go abroad and have fun while you practice?¡± ¡°Isaac, will you be there too when we do rehearsals?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be different by the location. I¡¯ll go along if it¡¯s abroad.¡± President Stern did not hide the excited expression of someone preparing to travel, and Jun Hyuk smirked. ¡°Since the drummer needs toe from Korea anyway, I guess somewhere in the middle like Hawaii wouldn¡¯t be bad.¡± ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s say Hawaii and I¡¯ll prepare it.¡± *** ¡°Hawaii?¡± ¡°Yes. I sent a ne ticket too. We leave in 3 days.¡± He is holding the ne ticket to Hawaii in his hand, but he feels like it is a dream and not reality. Kyung Min Ho, who was the drummer of the band Steel de, had also thought that it was a dream when he found out that he had been chosen as the drummer for Jun Hyuk¡¯s Seoul show. But all the way to Hawaii just for rehearsals? This really does feel like a dream. Kyung Min Ho left the band after he and Jun Hyuk were done with the audition program. He needed to be a little more selfish for his future. If he stayed in Steel de, which Jun Hyuk had said was not progressive, he would be done in music. He looked for a new band, but that was not easy either. Thankfully, there was no end to ces looking for him because they saw how he yed the drums on the audition program. Many studios called requesting drum sessions. He participated in various types of music, from girl group dance songs to movie soundtracks, and did not stop practicing. Then this amazing opportunity with Jun Hyuk hade to him. Chapter 229 Volume 7 / Chapter 229 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Sponsored: Sudarsan L. & James W. When Jun Hyuk, Tara, and President Stern arrived in Honolulu, the biggest city in Hawaii, they were not on Oahu Ind. Kailua-Kona is a big ind with a beach and has rtively less tourists. After going through a front entrance with security guards and driving for a while, they could see arge mansion. The front of the mansion is decorated like a park and the beach spreads out in the back. Jun Hyuk¡¯s jaw dropped at the incredible scale of the ce. ¡°Isaac, is this your vi too? It¡¯s insane.¡± President Stern¡¯s eyes widened as he waved his hand. ¡°Oh no, you think I would have such a luxurious vi? You saw the small house in Switzend, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s more my type. This is borrowed.¡± ¡°Borrowed? Who?¡± ¡°Kirk Hammett.¡± ¡°Kirk Hammett? You¡¯re not talking about Kirk Hammett, the guitarist for Metallica, are you?¡± ¡°Yeah. This ce has aplete studio. You can work on music and it¡¯ll be nice and quiet since it¡¯s far from the downtown area.¡± The pictures hanging on the walls inside told them whose vi this is. Metallica and Kirk Hammett¡¯s pictures are hanging everywhere. ¡°Alvin Lee wanted a quiet ce too. Oh right. Two maids will be here, so it¡¯ll befortable.¡± They followed President Stern into the basement and saw a studio that could hold at minimum, a 24-person band. The studio is soplete that they could record an entire album with the equipment filling the room. ¡°Then rest until the other people get here. Tara and I will be at a hotel in the city, so call if you need anything.¡± ¡°The house is big. Why don¡¯t you just stay here?¡± ¡°When we came all the way to Hawaii? No thanks. I¡¯m going to rx while watching beautiful women in bikinis under the hot sun, so the musicians can spend their time preparing for the concert.¡± The first member arrived not long after Tara and President Stern left. Colin¡¯s reaction was not very different from that of Jun Hyuk¡¯s. ¡°Kirk? Kirk, the Kirk from Metallica?¡± ¡°Yeah. There are even a few guitars he uses in the basement, though we can¡¯t touch them.¡± ¡°Wow. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in Kirk¡¯s vi right now.¡± Colin examined all corners of the house and basked in the presence of Kirk Hammett. ¡°Alvin Lee isn¡¯t here yet?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll arrive soon.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it incredible? Alvin Lee is going to be singing your song.¡± ¡°Colin, don¡¯t make too much of a fuss when Alvin Lee gets here.¡± ¡°Of course I won¡¯t. I¡¯m a member of the band, not a fan from now on. And Jun, that¡¯s your band.¡± When Alvin Lee entered with his manager however, Colin and Jun Hyuk immediately became fans. Colin, who is also a bassist, is meeting his idol and seemed to have no thoughts of letting go of Alvin Lee¡¯s hand. ¡°Jun, my maestro! Since I started music again, this is the first time I¡¯ve been so excited. Let¡¯s have fun together.¡± The 3 people drank refreshing beers and talked about each other¡¯s movies until the sun set. Kyung Min Ho was thest to arrive and was escorted by an employee of Stern Corporation from the airport, and wandered around the house until he found Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun Hyuk! Geez. How long has it been?¡± ¡°Min Ho. It¡¯s nice to see you again. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d meet again like this.¡± Kyung Min Ho was more surprised now than when he was when he was first contacted about joining in the concert. He is surprised that Jun Hyuk remembers his name and is speaking to him in such a friendly manner. A few years ago when he had told Jun Hyuk to speak to him informally, Jun Hyuk had been a tough teenager who refused to do so, but he was now doing it so naturally. His thorny side was gone and he seemed to be much more rxed. ¡°Hey... I¡¯m touched. You remember my name.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Honestly, I didn¡¯t remember it. I found out your name after you were confirmed to join the concert.¡± ¡°Of course you did. He he. Anyway, you¡¯re really something. You¡¯ve got the stance of a great now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve gotten older. Oh right. Say hi. This is Colin, who will be on the bass. He¡¯s a friend from school. And I¡¯m sure you know this person without my having to tell you? He¡¯ll be singing for the concert.¡± Kyung Min Ho did not even realize that Alvin Lee was holding his hand out to him. He was just frozen, staring at him. One of the heroes who took over his childhood is standing in front of him, smiling. He did not hear Alvin Lee¡¯s blues album, but the 2 he recorded before were masterpieces that shook Kyung Min Ho¡¯s soul as it did for countless other youths at the time. ¡°What are you doing? You have to take the hand first. This kind of opportunity is rare.¡± Kyung Min Ho quickly took Alvin Lee¡¯s hand and shook it as he stuttered, ¡°Mr. Alvin Lee. I ¨C I ¨C Nice to.....¡± ¡°Jun, this friend can¡¯t speak English, right? Tell him not to worry about it. I can tell what he¡¯s trying to say just by looking at his face. Ha ha.¡± Kyung Min Ho never thought that the day woulde when he regrets not learning English. He had not studied English because he could not even guarantee sess in Korea. At this moment however, he was extremely jealous of Jun Hyuk speaking English fluently. While the three spoke in English andughed, Kyung Min Ho could only drink his beer. ¡°Jun Hyuk. I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s enough for me that I¡¯m drinking beer with Alvin Lee like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be okay when we start ying for the concert tomorrow. Music doesn¡¯t need words.¡± Kyung Min Ho was more concerned about Jun Hyuk who kept taking care of him. He is happy just watching these people right now. ¡°Min Ho, how have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯m living off of doing drum sessions.¡± Jun Hyuk started topletely talk to Kyung Min Ho. He is also more curious about the situation in Korea. ¡°What about the band? You¡¯re incredible.¡± ¡°The ces that want me aren¡¯t to my liking and the better bands already have great teamwork, so I can¡¯t fit myself in.¡± ¡°Did you ever think about making your own band?¡± ¡°How could I? Band leaders need to know how to create music like you. I only y. If I just have people float together, the band will be no good.¡± Kyung Min Ho let out a forcedugh. ¡°Are sessions doable?¡± ¡°I actually make a lot more money than when I was in the band. There are so many recordings to do. There are a lot of dramas and a lot of movies. And you know there are a ton of girl and boy bands. The music is simple too, so it¡¯s quick work. Anyway, that¡¯s what it¡¯s like.¡± Kyung Min Ho took a gulp of his beer and his face hardened again. ¡°But do you think I¡¯ll be able to do well? I got really scared once I saw Alvin Lee¡¯s face. I don¡¯t have the confidence either.¡± ¡°I heard you y. It¡¯s plenty. I¡¯m sure Alvin will be surprised too.¡± He felt a little better at Jun Hyuk¡¯s encouragement not to worry. ¡°But do you know what you¡¯re like in Korea right now? It¡¯s no joke.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There are a lot of Koreans who got on the world field in sports. But in music, especially in ssical, this is the first time anyone¡¯s gotten as famous as you have.....¡± Korean TV is currently full of news about Jun Hyuk in real-time. There was even news on the Monterey Jazz Festival not too long ago. ¡°Even people who have never seen ssical concerts know that you challenged Beethoven and seeded. The Korean press releases articles just say that you¡¯ve gained recognition as the 21st century Beethoven.¡± There were times when Kyung Min Ho saw these kinds of articles and found it hard to believe that he had participated on Jun Hyuk¡¯s album. ¡°You don¡¯t know how much your album has sold, right? It was sold once this concert was announced and promotions started. I¡¯m telling you there¡¯s no stock.¡± Jun Hyuk hesitated slightly and asked cautiously, ¡°Did the tickets sell at all?¡± ¡°What? You didn¡¯t know? It sold out in a day.¡± ¡°Huh? How many seats are there that it got sold out?¡± ¡°Sangam ser stadium alone has over 60,000 seats. It¡¯ll be over 80,000 including the field standing seats. Oh right. Your agency is really great. They used the single ticket policy.¡± ¡°Single ticket? The seats aren¡¯t assigned?¡± ¡°Yup. The price is $100. It¡¯s firste, first served. There¡¯s no distinction between A, B, S, and VIP or anything like that. You just have to enter the venue first. People saw that in an even better light.¡± One of the requests that President Stern drove at thepany doing promotions in Korea, was the ticket policy. He insisted that the performance with Alvin Lee is the main event, not the orchestra and piano concerto. He thought that the way to fill good seats in a pop music concert is through passion, not money. It was the result of Stern¡¯s insistence that there would be plenty reward for waiting for a long time on line. Kyung Min Ho forgot his exhaustion from the long flight and his jetg, and stayed up until the morning, enjoying this time that feels like a dream. Chapter 230 Volume 7 / Chapter 230 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Kyung Min Ho woke up early in the morning, walked around near the house, looked at the exotic Pacific Ocean, and really felt like he is in Hawaii. He went down to the basement before the others got up, and started warming up on the drums. The 3 people woke up after noon, and gathered in the studio while waiting for their bodies to wake up. ¡°You know that this show is different from that of an average band, right? It¡¯s a joint performance with the Seoul Symphony. It means we can¡¯t perform ording to how we¡¯re feeling during the concert.¡± Jun Hyuk gave Colin and Kyung Min Ho the score. ¡°Jun, what about mine?¡± ¡°Alvin, do you need one? You can just sing along to the apaniment. It¡¯s actually us who need to avoid being overpowered by your singing.¡± Kyung Min Ho started by worrying because it is his first time performing with an orchestra. ¡°Jun Hyuk, but what about the orchestra¡¯s performance? Don¡¯t we need to start matching our tempos now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s prepared. We recorded the orchestra part on the piano, so y while keeping bnce in mind.¡± ¡°Then shall we get started?¡± Alvin Lee cleared his throat a few times and stood in front of the microphone. When a hoarse, thick, and low voice came out from the amp, the 3 young men also made quiet sounds. Kyung Min Ho in particr was in such awe that he let go of his drum sticks. A heavy voice iparable to that of Alvin Lee when he was in his 20s. A vocal that is much more mature with a feeling of depth. Kyung Min Ho felt like he could cry while he was ying the drums. It was not the image he had always seen through videos. He is looking not at his front, but his dependable back. The drummer is the only person who can see the vocalist¡¯s back. Kyung Min Ho filled his eyes with Alvin Lee¡¯s back and could really feel that he is Alvin Lee¡¯s drummer. When the first song was over, Lee looked at Kyung Min Ho and spoke, ¡°Jun, tell the drummer to loosen up a bit. He¡¯s too stiff.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay since he¡¯s just nervous because of you, Alvin. With a little time, his true self wille through. Once he explodes, you¡¯ll be able to hear a thunderous sound that doesn¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°Jun, what do you think of this?¡± As bassist, Colin could pick up on the drummer¡¯s problem quickest. ¡°Let¡¯s go without the piano so the drummer can rx. He¡¯s too conscious of the piano¡¯s tempo.¡± Jun Hyuk nodded at Colin¡¯s suggestion. Kyung Min Ho has never yed with an orchestra. They need to slowly get him ustomed to it. ¡°Min Ho, let¡¯s try it again without the piano part. And don¡¯t look at my score now, just find the tempo yourself. Rx a little.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. It¡¯s as though I was ying ser on a neighborhood field and am suddenly ying for the English premiere league.....¡± ¡°He he. Looking at your skill alone, you have plenty right to be here. And let¡¯s start with the 4th track. It¡¯ll help you release tension since it¡¯s heavy metal.¡± Kyung Min Ho quickly thought of all of the songs on Jun Hyuk¡¯s album. Of a total of 10 songs, there is 1 piano solo, 1 heavy metal, and 3 songs without guitars. The orchestra will y a great role in the songs without guitar in particr. He paid more attention with the thought that unless he hurries up and gets used to an orchestral apaniment, he could be the reason why their performance is ruined. It is not a time for him to just be in awe. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s start with the 4th track. Alvin, the original song is heavy metal. Shall we get the mood up?¡± Alvin Lee did not look back, put up his finger, and signaled his okay. Kyung Min Ho sent the start signal with his drumsticks, and yed the drums. When Colin¡¯s fast bass fingering increased and Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar riff began, Alvin Lee¡¯s rough and husky voice started going up. While ying the guitar, Jun Hyuk listened to the harmony between Colin¡¯s bass and Kyung Min Ho¡¯s drums. As the peal grew, he could tell how much Kyung Min Ho¡¯s sense of rhythm had advanced. It seems that ying sessions for all different genres was the driving force. When the much freer drum performance ended, Alvin Lee turned and pped lightly. ¡°Great. Just keep ying the drums like this. Your sense of rhythm is good and the hits are exact.¡± When Jun Hyuk tranted, Kyung Min Ho blushed and bowed his head. With more confidence, his drumming gradually showed its true manifestation. Even with the orchestral piano apaniment, his drumming did not waver and their preparation for the concert went on favorably. Isaac, who disappeared after the first night they arrived in Hawaii, appeared again after exactly 1 week. He must have been lying around on the beach for a really long time because he has clear tan lines. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all ready to go? Shall we go to Korea now?¡± ¡°Rock n¡¯ roll!¡± The 4 people facing President Stern look like aplete rock band. They got on a limousine to the airport and boarded Stern¡¯s private ne. When the private ne was flying over Korea, Tara quietly called Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun. There are a lot of people gathered at the airport right now. We¡¯re going to go to the hotel after a little photo time. You¡¯ll do your interview at the hotel, so just know that¡¯s happening. And change into this.¡± Tara had been meticulous enough to pack a shirt and suit, loafers, and neck tie. ¡°A suit? Why all of a sudden? Everyone¡¯s dressed casually. I¡¯ll stick out too much.¡± ¡°In a broad spectrum, it¡¯s part of creating your image. You¡¯re building your image as a modern maestro. The details are from sponsors. You especially need to wear the watch. When you wave to people at the airport, do it with your left hand so the watch stands out.¡± ¡°What is this? We¡¯re doing all this stuff we normally don¡¯t do. Are the suit and shoes advertising too?¡± Taraughed and nodded. ¡°We need to ept it when the conditions are good. The amount of money we got to have you wear that watch while in Korea is more than the amount you¡¯d make for selling 100,000 copies of your album. That¡¯s something we need to do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re slowly using me as a billboard.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Do you know how many proposals you¡¯ve gotten as an advertisement model from Korea? Each of the model fees match up to the guarantee for the Seoul concert. We turned all of those down.¡± Jun Hyuk stopped buttoning the shirt and smiled. ¡°If it¡¯s that much, let¡¯s shoot a few while we¡¯re in Korea. Is there need to turn them down?¡± ¡°Hang on. You need to take care of your image until the real big shotes in. There¡¯s no reason to shoot an advertisement for some Korean press agency and miss out on something bigger.¡± ¡°What on earth is the bigger thing? Tell me in more detail.¡± ¡°We¡¯re working on Aston Martin and Bugatti right now. We¡¯re looking into an exclusive contract with one of the two. Beethoven¡¯s car! It¡¯s bigger than all of the Korean adsbined.¡± Jun Hyuk realized that President Stern had not been joking entirely when he said that he would be working Jun Hyuk hard. He was working him appropriately and expensively. *** When the door for the arrivals gate opened, there was tremendous cheering from the people greeting the 4 men. Beyond the reporters¡¯ camera shes, there were people waving signs of various colors with Jun Hyuk¡¯s name written on them. ¡°Jun. Don¡¯t forget to wave with your left hand.¡± Tara whispered to Jun Hyuk and he smiled brightly, waving his left hand. Then he turned to Kyung Min Ho beside him, ¡°Min Ho. There¡¯s something you didn¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°What? What didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± ¡°That I have a lot more male fans.¡± More than half of the fans cheering for him in the airport are males. ¡°The guys aren¡¯t here to see you. Men aren¡¯t fans of good looking men. They¡¯re all here to see Alvin Lee.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? News about Alvin Lee¡¯s participation hasn¡¯t been revealed yet.¡± ¡°You need to get on social media. There¡¯s no such thing as a secret. The whole world already knows about Alvin Lee joining the concert.¡± They got out of the arrival point and went to a temporary wall with the Seoul airport and sponsor logos to smile and wave. Alvin Lee whispered among the endless camera shing, ¡°Jun, am I famous in Korea? Are those guys really my fans?¡± ¡°Not as much as Nirvana, but you have a lot of followers. Smile for them a bit.¡± Jun Hyuk and his party took photos for a while and then left for the hotel. There were a lot of fans waiting at the hotel as well. ¡°Jun. I didn¡¯t know you were such a star in Korea.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know either. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the power of the press.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s group waved to the fans again and went up to the hotel¡¯s royal suite. Yoon Kwang Hun and Lawyer Baek Seung Ho were waiting for Jun Hyuk in the royal suite. Fortunately, the two men did not make a fuss after seeing Alvin Lee. Alvin Lee was born toote to be one of their heroes. Yoon Kwang Hun and Baek Seung Ho¡¯s heroes are the already old Led Zeppelin, ck Sabbath, and Ronnie James Dio who had already passed away. Baek Seung Ho was pleased to see Jun Hyuk for the first time in a while, and handed him a couple papers after catching up. ¡°This is a statement regarding the ie you¡¯ve brought in in Korea until now. Look over it carefully.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you took good care of it.¡± Baek Seung Hun handed the papers to Jun Hyuk again when he did not even look at them. ¡°Jun Hyuk. At least check the quarterly financial statements yourself. It¡¯s not a difficult ount book. I¡¯m telling you to take a look at how much you made, how much you spent, and how much you paid in taxes at the least. Even if your management agency takes good care of you, make sure you do a final check. All adults do it.¡± Jun Hyuk listened to Baek Seung Ho. He looked over 4 sheets filled with numbers and realized one thing. ¡°I thought I used money freely, but I was actually saving a lot.¡± ¡°Hey. You spend a lot! You just earn more. He he.¡± He could tell that Jun Hyuk had not just skimmed through it without paying attention from the way he talked about his spending. Baek Seung Houghed wholeheartedly and kept giving Yoon Kwang Hun a weird look. ¡°Jun Hyuk. I¡¯m going to talk to Tara for a second, so learn how to spend from Lawyer Baek. You need to know how to save, too.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun gave a pat to Jun Hyuk on the shoulder and left the room to look for Tara. He called Tara out quietly and she went pale after talking for a while. ¡°It¡¯s my mistake. I didn¡¯t check on the situation in Korea at all. I was forgetting that it¡¯s Jun¡¯s mothend. What do I do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you in advance because I thought that would be the case. Just wait for now, I¡¯ll talk to Jun. It¡¯s something he needed to go through at least once.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start by canceling the interview.¡± When Tara was about to walk away, Yoon Kwang Hun stopped her. ¡°Tara. There¡¯s no way for Jun to avoid it while he¡¯s in Korea. He¡¯ll know as soon as a reporter puts a microphone to him and asks a question. It could be better to just have him face it head on.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun calmed Tara down, took a deep breath, and went back to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Did you learn a little on how to spend your money?¡± ¡°I know the easiest way. You just don¡¯t.¡± Jun Hyukughed as he spoke, but he had felt that something was weird between the two men. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do I need to keep looking at these documents? If there¡¯s something you need to say, hurry up and say it like an adult!¡± Yoon Kwang Hun looked at Jun Hyuk and cautiously spoke, ¡°You have 2 interviews today, right? One joint press conference with all 4 people and one by yourself.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°An ufortable question mighte out in that solo conference.¡± ¡°Sir. Don¡¯t go in circles, and just say it. What¡¯s the problem?¡± Baek Seung Ho spoke quickly when Jun Hyuk looked frustrated. It is easier to reveal these things quickly. It just bes harder to say if they keep dragging it out. ¡°It actually began when you started being treated like a hero in Korea... but it came out when this concert became news and there was talk about your guarantee amount and money.¡± ¡°So what is that?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s voice rose in frustration. ¡°There are a lot of peopleing out to say that they¡¯re your biological parents. There¡¯s no better gossip, so the press is pouring out articles like this too.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun spoke calmly in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ll ask about it during the press conference. Are you going to meet the people who im to be your biological parents or if you¡¯re going to do a DNA test.....¡± Baek Seung Ho could not say anymore. Jun Hyuk¡¯s body was frozen and his expression had not changed at all, and he was just looking at the document on top of the table. Yoon Kwang Hun gave Baek Seung Ho a look at got up. His thinking is that it is better to let him be alone in such a time. When they came out of the hotel room, Baek Seung Ho looked at Yoon Kwang Hun in worry. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be okay? I think the shock is big.¡± ¡°Of course it was a big shock. Let¡¯s leave him alone. He¡¯s not a kid anymore. He¡¯ll cope with it well. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll say something once he¡¯s done thinking. Let¡¯s wait until then.¡± Tara came to them. Her face did not look good either. ¡°Mr. Yoon. Did you tell him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a huge shock. I thought it¡¯d be best to let him be alone for now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my mistake. I should have known if something like this was going on... First for the press conference... I had it pushed back due to exhaustion from the flight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. And Jun needs to know about this anyway. Jun needs to make the decision himself when ites to matters regarding his biological parents. And you can leave him to us to take care of him.¡± Tara bowed her head and turned around. ¡°This won¡¯t do. I¡¯ll have them proceed with the joint press conference without Jun. The reporters will understand as well because Jun has his press conference.¡± ¡°Then you can do that.¡± Tara needed to get moving busily. Chapter 231 Volume 7 / Chapter 231 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji The press conference at the hotel was a feast for the reporters. Alvin, who became a star after just 2 albums before meeting his downfall with drugs and bing a hermit blues musician. A ssical cello major holding a bass guitar. A nameless session drummer who is like Cindere, getting the chance to perform with a world renowned star. There seemed to be no end to the interview because Korean and foreign reporters gathered to flood Alvin Lee with questions. Tara did not end the interview. The content was still good and she needed to buy more time for Jun Hyuk to ovee the shock. ¡°Is Jun still the same?¡± ¡°Yes. I checked in on him for a second, but he is sitting in the same ce without moving.¡± It was hard for Tara to forgive herself for not knowing about this situation. ¡°Tara. It¡¯s something that would have happened at some point or another. It¡¯s just that we didn¡¯t have time to prepare... Actually, it¡¯s a question as to whether or not we would be able to prepare for something like this.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun saw that Tara was being hard on herself andforted her. ¡°Is the interview wrapping up?¡± ¡°Yes. Now, we need to end it. The reporters will think something is strange if we keep it going.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s cancel the solo interview. We can¡¯t push him into a press conference in this state.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun made the final decision. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Tara tried to go to the press conference hall, but she could not take a step. ¡°What are you taking care of? Tara, I¡¯m a littlete, right? Let¡¯s hurry. I¡¯m sure everyone else is having a rough time because of me.¡± Jun Hyuk burst through the door, took a surprised Tara by the arm, and was smiling. ¡°Jun Hyuk. There¡¯s no reason for you to overdo it, and we can push the interview back.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun felt bad that Jun Hyuk was forcing himself to smile, and his own expression continued to be hard. ¡°Why? I¡¯m not overdoing it. And I heard what you both said. It¡¯s something that I¡¯ll experience sooner orter, and it just happens to be today. Of course that ¡®something¡¯ won¡¯t disappear on its own.¡± Jun Hyuk spoke in English so Tara could understand. His waved his left hand and pointed to his watch. ¡°Don¡¯t I need to show this watch a lot during the press conference? I know that much too, Tara.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun saw the smile on Jun Hyuk¡¯s face and knew that his worries were unfounded. ¡°Tara. Go ahead.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun nodded to Tara. It means there is no reason to worry. It is Jun Hyuk¡¯s personal problem. Eventually, Jun Hyuk will make the decision. *** When Alvin Lee and the others left the conference hall, the reporters just murmured in waiting for Jun Hyuk to enter. If Jun Hyuk does not show up, they will need to write articles guessing about why that is. The entrance was a little noisy, and Jun Hyuk entered the conference hall without losing his smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you wait. I was resting because I was not in a great condition, but I made this runte.¡± After Jun Hyuk¡¯s greetings, the reporters began asking questions. They even showed the courtesy to start with easier ones. ¡°You chose Edvard Grieg as your repertoire with Seoul Symphony. Is there a particr reason for that?¡± ¡°Seoul Symphony chose that song, and I also wanted to perform it because it is a wonderful song. There won¡¯t be a different reason for it.¡± ¡°Two of the people in your band are not famous. Is there a special reason as to why you chose them?¡± ¡°Once the concert is over, they will be recognized for their abilities and they will be famous. Colin, the bassist, is already performing actively in America in the west coast, and Kyung Min Ho, the drummer, is famous in the music industry.¡± ¡°Since Alvin Lee got back into music, this is his first concert of such arge scale. How did you convince him to join?¡± ¡°Someone else was the one to convince him, but... I¡¯m sure that means that¡¯s how great my song is? That it would even make a hermite out? Ha ha.¡± The reporters¡¯ response to Jun Hyuk¡¯s joke was not good. They were all thinking of thest question they would ask. ¡°The new solo song that you released is creating a lot of news. There are a lot of versionsing out with arrangements in different instruments. If they want to create an aria with lyrics or arrange it into pop music, would you allow it?¡± ¡°I already revealed the score. If someone wants to make a song, whether it is pop or even a song for children, it does not matter to me.¡± The interview questions continued to be about music. It seemed to be a normal atmosphere with intermittent joking and asional questions with depth from music magazines, but an unknown tension was staining the air. After a fairly long amount of time and it felt that they had reached the end of interview questions, reporters began to clear their throats awkwardly. As though it was a signal, one reporter bravely asked the question. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know, but people have begun to appear, iming to be your biological parents.¡± ¡°I see.¡± They had been waiting for a longer response, but Jun Hyuk just nodded. ¡°What does ¡®I see¡¯ mean?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ask a question just now, so there¡¯s nothing for me to say.¡± The reporter thought that Jun Hyuk had been avoiding the question, and took the microphone. The arrow is already flying, so it needs to hit the target and that target is what Jun Hyuk is really thinking. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll modify the question. Of course, there have been people who are just trying to gain attention outrageously, but there are those who could quite possibly be your biological parents. Do you have thoughts of confirming if they are your biological parents with blood tests? And if you do find your biological parents, please tell us what you will do.¡± The cameras began shing again because Jun Hyuk had been smiling until now, but his face had hardened. He sat for a while and took in the shing cameras before slowly opening his mouth. ¡°I will check one thing first. You said that there are ¡®people¡¯ iming to be my biological parents, but I can¡¯t have multiple parents so there¡¯s a high possibility that they are all fake.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we can¡¯t rule out that possibility.¡± ¡°My biological parents left me my name and birth date, so that alone would be able to eliminate a lot of people impersonating my biological parents.¡± ¡°Does that mean you will look for your biological parents?¡± ¡°Sir, will you let me speak to the end?¡± When Jun Hyuk spoke with a hard face, the other reporters shut their mouths. ¡°With ill intentions... well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s money? Anyway, if anyone tries to falsely im rights from now on, I don¡¯t know if this is possible, but I will take legal action. They approached me with intentional fraud? Well... something like that.¡± Jun Hyuk took a sip of his water. ¡°My legal representative, Mr. Baek Seung Ho, is at one of the topw firms in the country and I believe that they are capable of finding grounds for punishment. I won¡¯t be concerned with how much it costs. I think that they will understand from what I said.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s anger was ryed to the reporters through his determined voice. ¡°But there is still the possibility that someone is your biological parent.¡± ¡°I only attended music school, but I learned a lot beyond music. There are important things among them, and it is that greed is bad.¡± ¡°Do you mean to say that those iming to be your biological parents are showing greed?¡± ¡°No. I mean that I will not be greedy.¡± Jun Hyuk still had the microphone in his hand, so the reporters just waited for him to go on. ¡°I already have a parent. And a parent who loves me excessively at that.¡± ¡°Are you referring to Mr. Yoon Kwang Hun?¡± ¡°Yes. I still call him ¡®Sir,¡¯ but since the moment I first met him, I have never forgotten that he is my father.¡± Up to here was what the reporters had been expecting. It also means that he is drawing a line with the people iming to be his biological parents. ¡°And I have a lot of mothers.¡± The reporters had thought that he was done but when he kept speaking, they all put their hands down. ¡°Teacher Go Sae Won, who led me so that I would not gain bad habits while ying the piano. Professor Jeon Hye Jin, who desperately wants me to truly express myself and grow as a proper pianist. Lawyer Baek Seung Ho, who went out of his way to interfere with the press¡¯ malicious articles. Teachers Yoon Jung Su, Jo Hyung Joong, and Kim Jong Suk, who showed me the various possibilities of music.¡± Jun Hyuk started to talk about each person who worries for him. ¡°Lawyer Lim So Mi, who never forgets to make me tonkatsu in America. President Isaac Stern, who treats me like a prince and creates an environment in which I can create music that¡¯s better than money. And Tara Butters, who never leaves my side and takes care of me like a real older sister.¡± Jun Hyuk felt better after recalling the good people around him, and started to smile. ¡°Lastly, there¡¯s even my girlfriend, Amelia, who understands and loves me regardless of the problems I have due to my personality. All of these people are my mothers. But to look for more parents? That would be greedy.¡± All of the names flowed out in order. The reporters know Jun Hyuk¡¯s precise thoughts, however,they did not want a metaphor, just his exact wording. ¡°Can we interpret that as you¡¯re saying that you will not be looking for your biological parents or going through DNA testing?¡± ¡°Yes. And if you meet anyone iming to be my biological parents, please be sure to tell them not to make a fit and continue living as they have been.¡± There was no reporter who did not feel Jun Hyuk¡¯s deeply hidden resentment and anger when he said ¡®make a fit¡¯. ¡°Mr. Jang Jun Hyuk. Of the people iming to be your biological parents, they might actually just want to apologize and ask for forgiveness.¡± ¡°Forgiveness? If they really want to be forgiven for abandoning me as a newborn baby, it¡¯s not toote. They can go to the orphanage immediately and adopt a child, helping him or her grow into a great adult. Isn¡¯t that the most suitable way to be forgiven for their past wrongs?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun watched the press conference and tranted everything for Tara. But he could not keep tranting when the word ¡®father¡¯ came out. Jun Hyuk was not able to hide how worked up he is, but looking at the way he rys this thoughts calmly and exactly, Yoon Kwang Hun just had one thought. He is all grown up. And he grew up well. When Jun Hyuk was done speaking, Yoon Kwang Hun said to Tara, ¡°Tara, it¡¯s all over. End the interview.¡± Tara had beenpletely silent and did not know what had been said during the press conference. Yoon Kwang Hun saw that she was nervous and smiled as he spoke, ¡°Tara, you don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯ve never seen a better interview. Jun handled it really well.¡± Tara saw him smiling brightly and calmed down as she went out into the conference hall. Jun Hyuk saw here in and stood up to say his goodbyes to the reporters before leaving. ¡°You heard the whole interview, right?¡± When Jun Hyuk found Yoon Kwang Hun waiting outside the conference hall, his face flushed red. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What did you think?¡± ¡°You were a little cool today. Kid, you¡¯re all grown up. Makes me proud.¡± He hit Jun Hyuk¡¯s back and stopped walking for a second. ¡°Oh. The ¡®make a fit¡¯ at the end was a little much, but... ugh, damn whatever. Anyway, you did well.¡± Tara saw that both of their expressions were bright and felt as if a burden had been lifted. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s go eat something.¡± Tara locked arms with both of them and headed to the restaurant. Chapter 232 Volume 7 / Chapter 232 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji ¡°Wow ¨C Jang Jun Hyuk! You were really cool yesterday. So much charisma.¡± ¡°My looks have always worked out a bit. Even the top camera men in New York admired it. He he.¡± Lawyer Baek Seung Ho quietly called Jun Hyuk out early in the morning while he was still half asleep. Jun Hyuk held his yawn back and took the coffee that Baek Seung Ho held out to him. ¡°You didn¡¯t call me out this early in the morning topliment me on my charisma, did you? Oh, I included Lawyer Bae ¨C oh ¨C uncle¡¯s name yesterday as well. So you wouldn¡¯t be sad.¡± Baek Seung Ho red at him when he saidwyer, and Jun Hyuk quickly changed it. ¡°Yeah, uncle. How great is it? Much friendlier. Anyway, there¡¯s something I need to tell you from yesterday¡¯s press conference. I¡¯m talking to you alone so that we can handle the legal matters tidily.¡± ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t it all settled?¡± ¡°It has been with the press and socially. I¡¯m sure most of the people iming to be your parents will shrink back. Since you revealed your end of it, they¡¯ll know that they¡¯ll be in big trouble if they keep hanging on.¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Money.¡± Baek Seung Ho tried to speak as calmly as possible. He is trying to talk about deciding through reason and not emotion. ¡°You¡¯re an adult. No one can touch the money you¡¯ve made. Not even your biological parents.¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s the problem? Isn¡¯t it over?¡± Jun Hyuk knows fully well that this has happened because of money. That is why he revealed that not even his biological parents will be able to im rights to his money during the press conference. *** This situation is notfortable for Baek Seung Ho, but he needs to forget his personal feelings. He needs to be loyal to his role as awyer by advising his client in the best way possible. ¡°The problem is when you die. You...¡± ¡°So the problem is who gets the inheritance in my will.¡± Baek Seung Ho was surprised by the calm way Jun Hyuk spoke. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Yoon Kwang Hun be the heir?¡± ¡°Kwang Hun is just a legal guardian. This lost all validity once you became an adult. Strictly speaking, he¡¯s a stranger now.¡± Jun Hyuk could tell what Baek Seung Ho was trying not to say. If something happens to him, his biological parents are able to im all rights. ¡°I see. Then, it¡¯s clear what method is left. I can write a will.¡± Jun Hyuk talked about a will as easily as he would a score. Baek Seung Ho was the one surprised by Jun Hyuk¡¯s attitude. ¡°Well this... money is scary, isn¡¯t it? Even a middle-aged man like me who could die and it would be normal, hasn¡¯t had to think about it, but you¡¯re only in your 20s and you need to write one.¡± A will is only a record of who will be receiving the inheritance he has saved until his death. It is just a document that is unnecessary if there is nothing to leave behind, but if that inheritance isrge, age is irrelevant. ¡°It¡¯sughable, but I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s good to be prepared just in case. Leaving a will written up could be the best thing to do. Of course you can change the content whenever you want to. You can change it when you get married or have kids.¡± Baek Seung Ho spoke with difficulty while there was no change in Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression. ¡°And this is included in client attorney confidentiality, so I won¡¯t tell anyone about what you include. Right now, I¡¯m talking as yourwyer and not your uncle.¡± ¡°Great. Lawyer Baek! Then, I¡¯ll tell you after thinking for a bit. It won¡¯t take long. I¡¯ll resolve it before we leave Korea after the concert. That¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Of course. Take your time. And there¡¯s something I heard from people writing their wills.¡± Baek Seung Ho smiled for the first time. ¡°They said that they don¡¯t think about their deaths when they¡¯re writing their wills. Instead, they imagine the people around them and can know their real thoughts on those people. How much they love those people and how much they hate them. Thates out in the will.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that means they¡¯re looking back.¡± ¡°Yeah. Vividly.¡± Jun Hyuk looked refreshed andughed. ¡°Seems like it¡¯ll be fun. He he. And it seems I really am unique. I have to do such strange things.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d have to say something like this so early in the morning.¡± Theyughed for a while and then went to eat breakfast. *** As anyone could guess, the word that dominated the search engine immediately following the interview is Jang Jun Hyuk. People who appearedte as his biological parents were already being hit by public opinion and Jun Hyuk¡¯s interview brought results with public support. Therefore, it seemed that this problem had sunk and would be difficult to bring up again. The attention to Jun Hyuk¡¯s personal history was moved to the concert, but the Koreanpany responsible for promotions felt like they could have cheered in joy. The broadcasting station that nned to record and air it changed the direction. The time of the recording was not decided, but the live broadcast was confirmed for a golden time over the weekend and sponsors got in line to secure ad space on the billboard inside the concert hall. ¡°Jun. What do you think about resting today? I¡¯ll ask the Seoul Symphony about it. They¡¯ll understand if they saw the interview yesterday.¡± Tara felt bad for Jun Hyuk, who was busy from early in the morning. However, Jun Hyuk had already gottenpletely dressed and left the hotel without seeming tired at all. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can¡¯t just sit nkly in the hotel. Seoul Symphony doesn¡¯t have just 1 or 2 people, but dozens. I don¡¯t want to cause an inconvenience. And it¡¯s good because I don¡¯t think about anything else when we perform together.¡± The first day of rehearsals at the Arts Center began with Grieg¡¯s piano concerto. While Jun Hyuk was in rehearsal, Alvin Lee and Colin went looking around Seoul and handled their promotion schedules. Colin is not known at all in Korea, but it was not enough time for Alvin lee who once made news all over the world. ¡°How are there no female fans?¡± ¡°Alvin. I get treated like I¡¯m a session man for Alvin¡¯s band. Just be satisfied.¡± While they were arguing, Jun Hyuk was acting as the Seoul Symphony¡¯s conductor and music director. ¡°Maestro Jun, so we meet like this. Oh right. I¡¯m sure using Jun is better than Jang since it¡¯s moremonly used all over the world?¡± ¡°Hello, sir. Just call mefortably by my name.¡± ¡°Nonsense. Don¡¯t undermine the minimal way I can express respect.¡± Jung Sae Myung¡¯s hair is spotted with white and he smiled and drank tea while sitting across from Jun Hyuk. Jung Sae Myung was active in Europe, including France, so Seoul Symphony Orchestra is special to him. It is the first ce that gave him the title of standing conductor and he has held that position for 7 years while developing the Seoul Symphony into a great instrument. Seoul Symphony is also where he was able to fully take on his role as conductor. They had been able to consistently release albums in Korea, where the market for ssical is small, because of Jung Sae Myung¡¯s power. However, he also knows that there is a limit to the Seoul Symphony¡¯s ability to be at the level of world-renowned orchestras. Jung Sae Myung can never be A+, but the effort he put into being A- exceeds A+. So to him, Jun Hyuk is a phenomenal presence. He conducted the New York Philharmonic without any special school or effort, and there are a lot of orchestras that would love to take him on if he agreed to do so now. Looking at Jun Hyuk who achieved what he can never do even after working his whole life in 2 to 3 years, he could not hide a strange feeling. ¡°But sir, why did you choose Grieg¡¯s song? I was expecting you to choose Tchaikovsky.¡± ¡°Why Tchaikovsky?¡± ¡°Because I felt regret.¡± ¡°Regret, you say.....¡± Jung Sae Myung looked at Jun Hyuk with hooded eyes. ¡°I went to watch Seoul Symphony a lot before I went to the U.S. It¡¯s something that I felt then, but it seemed like you love Tchaikovsky most.¡± ¡°But why did you feel regret? When as you say, I love Tchaikovsky most?¡± ¡°Because for the audience¡¯s sake, Seoul Symphony needs to perform more Beethoven or Mozart than Tchaikovsky.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Well. You¡¯re a regr profiler. You¡¯re saying you realized all of that through the music alone? But why did you think that we would do Tchaikovsky for this concert?¡± Jung Sae Myung felt burdened when Jun Hyuk said that he hade to watch his own performances often. If he is not able to show that he has grown over time, his abilities and the orchestra will just be frogs trapped in a well. ¡°This might be the first time that the Seoul Symphony is performing for an audience of 80,000. I thought that you would want to show all of those people Tchaikovsky, since this kind of opportunity is rare.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But I¡¯m not an amateur who can only perform the music that I like. Since it¡¯s a job with a high sry, the priority is to satisfy the audience.¡± ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t Beethoven or Mozart have been better?¡± ¡°No. There isn¡¯t anyone who doesn¡¯t know that the main event of this concert isn¡¯t Seoul Symphony, but your band. We¡¯re just supporting performers.¡± ¡°Is that the reason why you chose Grieg?¡± ¡°Most of the people who will gather in Sangam-dong are not interested in ssical music. Even so, ying Beethoven or Mozart is tired out so I chose Grieg¡¯s concerto. They don¡¯t know Grieg very well, but everyone moves along to the music with the piano concertoes out. It¡¯s a song that people have heard often before.¡± ¡°If they weren¡¯t expecting it but hear a song that they¡¯re familiar with, they¡¯ll concentrate. Is it a strategy?¡± ¡°Since a concert is all a show. Don¡¯t you think it needs to be fun? Oh, and there¡¯s another advantage to this song.¡± It had not crossed Jun Hyuk to keep the entire concert with pop music in mind when choosing the song. Jung Sae Myung¡¯s selection after considering multiple variables is surprising. ¡°This song is short. It¡¯s over after just 30 minutes. The audience wille prepared to have fun. We can¡¯t bore those people out. Dragging it out any longer is selfish.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very different from what I had thought?¡± ¡°What had you thought? Old-fashioned? Full of a sense of authority?¡± Jun Hyuk did not respond. An image that everyone has, one of aristocratic authority where they are lost in their own worlds. Jung Sae Myung, on the other hand, is almost overly honest. ¡°A visiting conductor can keep his pride. But the moment you be a standing conductor, there¡¯s something more important. It¡¯s a professional band, so you can¡¯t ignore money. You need to find adequatepromise with money in one hand and music in the other.¡± Seoul Symphony are just supporting performers for Jun Hyuk and the band. Money is heavy in this concert. Jung Sae Myung¡¯s face is smiling, but he does not look like he is entirelyfortable. ¡°Then, shall we go? The orchestra is dying to see if your abilities are really as the rumors say.¡± Chapter 233 Volume 7 / Chapter 233 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji Grieg, representing Norway, is called the ¡®Chopin of the North¡¯. Piano Concerto in A minor, his greatest masterpiece, was written when he was 25 years old and is full of gentleness and richness; but, it also has the unique color of the north. This piece, overflowing with grand and dramatic beauty, is also his only piano concerto. Grieg wrote this piece to show his talent in performing. It allows performers to exert all of their piano techniques, so it is a concerto preferred by soloists. Harmony of the piano and orchestra. The pure intention and freshposition technique of the piano and orchestra beautiful harmony also includes Norway¡¯s national sentiment. If it is a minor, it ismon to be sad and depressing, but this song is forged with clean melodies of Norway folk, fresh harmonies along with vivid and youthful passion. As soon as the song started, Jun Hyuk brought out a piano melody like a waterfall. The performance ability can be evaluated from just the first verse of this song, so Jung Sae Myung and the orchestra members could fully understand that Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent on the piano does not stray from the rumors. However, the first verse was all of it. After the strong first verse, the piano started to jump around as if dancing alone and there was no harmony with the orchestra to be found. They had expected a cool melody and youthful rhythm of northern Europe, but it exceeded this and felt almost like a dance song. When the first part was over, Jung Sae Myung put the baton down and the orchestra members were sending sharp criticism with their eyes. ¡°Maestro Jun, hang on.¡± Jung Sae Myung took Jun Hyuk and left the practice room. ¡°What are you doing right now? You showed us a wonderful introduction. Why are you performing like an amateur?¡± ¡°Oh. I thought of something else all of a sudden and tested it out. I¡¯m sorry if it was ufortable.¡± When Jun Hyuk bowed his head, Jung Sae Myung was incredulous. A sudden experiment? But before he could say anything else, Jun Hyuk said something more ridiculous. ¡°Sir. Let¡¯s end the rehearsal here for today, and you and I should have a meeting. No. We should have a meeting with everyone.¡± Jung Sae Myung was speechless and stare nkly, while Jun Hyuk took out his cellphone. ¡°Tara, I¡¯m going back to the hotel now. Can you get the car ready? And tell Isaac and the band members... No. Just tell the drummer toe. Also, I need to see the Korean manager for the concert and the music director right away. Call them quickly. I¡¯m going to the parking lot with Maestro Jung.¡± Jun Hyuk hung up the phone and bowed to Jung Sae Myung again. ¡°Sir, just trust me ande with me. And tell the orchestra members that today¡¯s rehearsal is up to here. I¡¯ll tell you the details in the car.¡± Jung Sae Myung glowered at Jun Hyuk for a moment and then let out a long sigh. ¡°Fine. But, you¡¯ll need to show me that you didn¡¯t waste today. If you don¡¯t, I might get really mad.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen. I¡¯m actually pretty sure you¡¯re going to enjoy it as well. Trust me.¡± Jun Hyuk winked and put his hand on his chest. Jung Sae Myung smiled and went back to the practice room. ¡°Everyone, I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s a severe disagreement with the pianist regarding the music. I¡¯ll need to tune it a bit with the pianist. Let¡¯s meet again at this time tomorrow. That is all.¡± Jun Hyuk took Jung Sae Myung by the arm and ran to the parking lot. As soon as they got in the car, he put his hand out to Tara. ¡°Tara. Can you give me the score for the drums?¡± Tara gave him a score and he started to draw out lines for the drums. Jung Sae Myung was looking at the score and when he realized that it is an allegro molto moderato, he knew that it was Grieg¡¯s piano concerto. ¡°Are you arranging it right now? And you¡¯re going to put drums in there?¡± ¡°Sir, hang on. It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± After more than 10 minutes, Jun Hyuk closed the score. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, you have to exin what all this fuss is about.¡± Jung Sae Myung¡¯s preposterous feeling has calmed down a lot. Jun Hyuk had drawn out the drums that would go into a 30 minute piano concerto in a little over 10 minutes. He has just confirmed the rumors with his eyes and thought that it is worth it to invest a day. ¡°My thoughts changed a little. I don¡¯t think we need to perform Grieg¡¯s piano concerto by the book for this concert.¡± ¡°So you arranged it and added in drums?¡± ¡°Yes. What do you think of making it a little more modern so that the 80,000 person audience can enjoy it? Isn¡¯t it a ser stadium?¡± Jung Sae Myung realized Jun Hyuk¡¯s intent and immediately disapproved. ¡°You want to arrange it now? It¡¯s hard. We need to practice your 1st album with the band for a week. There¡¯s no time to practice the arranged version of the piano concerto.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I just yed the piano like a crazy person. Seoul Symphony can perform in the original way. It¡¯s perfect if the piano is a yed a little violently and an instrument is added in. We can change the stage effect to be more grand too.¡± Jung Sae Myung could tell that Jun Hyuk already heard thepleted music in his head. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re the main. Speaking in terms of a band, it¡¯s like if the first guitarist is also singing.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m the guitar and vocals? What are you.....?¡± ¡°You¡¯re ying the piano and conducting. Like Daniel Barenboim.¡± Daniel Barenboim is a Jewish pianist and conductor born in Argentina. He was such a piano prodigy that he was able to open a piano recital in Buenos Aires at a young age of 8. In 1967, he debuted as a conductor for London¡¯s orchestra and was concurrently Chicago Symphony¡¯s music director, and Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra¡¯s music director. He is currently Staatskapelle¡¯s conductor for life and is acting as visiting conductor for various symphonies. When he ys the piano as he conducts, he is reminiscent ofposers in the Romantic age. ¡°What are you going to do if I¡¯m ying the piano and conducting? Are you saying you won¡¯t perform?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m thinking of being on a synthesizer keyboard to foster more excitement.¡± First, he said that he wants to add drums into a piano concerto, and now electroacoustics? Jung Sae Myung is more and more curious about thepleted song in Jun Hyuk¡¯s head. However, the burden is also great. He finds Jun Hyuk¡¯s sense of music and his having to y piano out of nowhere, burdensome. ¡°Since you were a pianist before you were a conductor... Didn¡¯t you release albums as well?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s unconventional behavior and proposal were not entirely wee to Jung Sae Myung. On top of that, is this not an improvised thought? ¡°Can I see the drum score first?¡± With Jun Hyuk¡¯s score, Jung Sae Myung had Grieg¡¯s piano concerto is his head while he read the drum line with his eyes tobine the two. He closed the score and met Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes. ¡°And the synthesizer?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to make a separate score for that.¡± Jun Hyuk tapped his head with his finger. Jung Sae Myung still looks undecided, so he spoke again, ¡°It¡¯d be better to hear it for yourself before you make a decision. Tara, get us a studio with drums and a synthesizer... Nevermind. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Jun Hyuk rushed to call Jo Hyung Joong. ¡°Teacher. This is Jun Hyuk.¡± ¨C Look who it is! Are preparations for the concert going well? We need to meet up before the concert..... Jo Hyung Joong¡¯s weing voice came out of the phone. ¡°Teacher. I¡¯m in a rush, but can I use your studio for a moment?¡± ¨C Of course. I¡¯ll empty it out, so use it as much as you want. ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll head over right away. I¡¯ll tell you in more detail once we¡¯re there. Can you tell me the address?¡± ¨C Sure. I¡¯ll text the address to this number, so go there. Soon after, the phone rang with a text message. ¡°Tara. Tell the people you just called toe to this address.¡± Seeing Jun Hyuk so distracted out of excitement, Jung Sae Myung spoke to Tara, ¡°Ms. Butters, it must be hard to work with this friend.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Whenever there¡¯s an uproar like this, Jun has fun and presents new music. Maestro, you can anticipate that it¡¯ll be something good.¡± Tara smiled at Jung Sae Myung and busily got on the phone. *** ¡°Me? I¡¯m going to be ying drums for the piano concerto too?¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t think you can? Your sense of beat is incredible, so you can do it if you just focus on the drums.¡± Kyung Min Ho was looking over the score without being able to hide his uneasiness. In the studio, the people in charge of administrating the concert were confused because they didn¡¯t know what was happening, and the only people who could not smile were Kyung Min Ho and Jung Sae Myung. ¡°First, listen to it. Min Ho, prepare the drums. We¡¯ll rece the piano concerto with a CD... Just see the overall feeling of it.¡± Jo Hyung Joong made a fuss to quickly download Grieg¡¯s piano concerto. When the concerto came on with Jun Hyuk¡¯s signal, Kyung Min Ho focused on the score and started ying the drums while Jun Hyuk yed the keyboard. He did not know that he would use what he had learned during the audition program regarding electric sound, like this. The newly arranged version of the piano concerto filled the studio and after 30 minutes, it ended with a sharp sound of the drums. ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s not precise, but it¡¯ll be this kind of feeling.¡± Jun Hyuk looked over Jung Sae Myung¡¯s expression. He has no intention of pushing this any further if Jung Sae Myung, the subject of this concert, is not satisfied. ¡°Maestro Jun. Is this the new version you were talking about?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Sae Myung was the most surprised. He already knew what the drums would be like because he saw the score. He had imagined how grand Jun Hyuk¡¯s keyboard would be, but it was unexpected. With more electroacoustics, the music bes something with more and more MSG. People¡¯s bodies move to the new color that the electroacoustics bring, but the music is no longer there. This concert is not for a club. On the contrary, Jun Hyuk was tempered and only appeared in the moments when a little was needed and only yed a role in filling in the empty spaces. The most important is the piano. It can be seen as a failed arrangement if the piano is overwhelmed. However, the piano melody stays sharp and it is the main of this version. ¡°Maestro, did you arrange it like this because of what I said? That we need to find an appropriatepromise between money and music?¡± ¡°No. The tickets are already sold out and the guarantee is decided, so the money doesn¡¯t change with the arrangement.¡± ¡°Then, why? Isn¡¯t this a song for rock maniacs?¡± ¡°I wanted to show people that they can easily enjoy ssical music like they do pop music. The drums and synthesizer are actually bait. Bait to approach ssical music.¡± Jung Sae Myung perfectly understood the meaning of bait through music. If they bring out this bait, they can show the real image of ssical music. When the concert is over and they hear Grieg¡¯s concerto in the original version, they will not say that ¡®ssical music is a drag¡¯. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we can show them that conductors and pianists can look as cool as vocalists in rock bands do?¡± Jun Hyuk gained confidence from Jung Sae Myung¡¯s slowly brightening countenance. ¡°I want to show people that a maestro in a tuxedo is cooler than a rocker wearing shy clothing.¡± Jung Sae Myung burst outughing when he said cooler than a rocker. ¡°Well that¡¯s a relief. I was wondering if I would have to wear a leather jacket or something. Ha ha.¡± Jung Sae Myung¡¯sughter indicated his agreement. Jun Hyuk started writing something on paper again. He wrote out what looked like a timetable for a long time. ¡°This is the piano concerto¡¯s impact timeline sheet. Reference this and think of the stage effect.¡± Concert officials took the paper that Jun Hyuk held out to them, and finally realized why they had been called to the studio. ¡°Alright. Is the music you¡¯re ying with the band changing as well? We already received the score for the orchestra.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no change to that part.¡± The concert officials took the CD that recorded the music they just yed, the timesheet Jun Hyuk made up, and left the studio to prepare the stage. Jo Hyung Joong had rushed to the studio in a state of emergency and finally started greeting the people he was meeting for the first time, now that the noisy show time had passed. And isn¡¯t Jo Hyung Joong the producer who created Jun Hyuk¡¯s 1st album? Jung Sae Myung was lost in other thoughts over talking to people. As soon as he saw the piano in the studio, he sat in front and settled in. When he was young, he swept all of thepetitions and was the best pianist in Korea. As soon as he sat in front of the piano, the studio that had been full ofughter and conversations fell into silence. Chapter 234 Volume 7 / Chapter 234 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji Jung Sae Myung began with the introduction, also called Greig¡¯s Sign. He showed unbelievable dignity and the melody he brought out of the piano was overwhelming. The explosive and steeply descending chord brought out the lyricism of northern European Norway. The solid configuration and thought out tone provided venttion for Norway¡¯s nature where the great wilderness and fjords breathe. However, the original song¡¯s pure melody, fresh harmony, and vivid and youthful passion were nowhere to be found. Human¡¯s craving and taboo is shown in the movie , and Greig¡¯s piano concertoes out during a moment of destruction of the person who breaks that taboo. But, Jung Sae Myung changed it into a scene of love. In the long time that it took him to go from a young pianist to a conductor, Jung Sae Myung¡¯s piano technique may have gone backwards, but the texture is deeper. ¡°Is this enough?¡± Jung Sae Myung finished ying and turned around to cheering. Jun Hyuk was included in this, but he did not look 100% satisfied. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s too sharp. It¡¯s frightening. Will the orchestra be able to endure it?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I need to perform more wildly?¡± A single word has different meanings for different people. Jun Hyuk did not say more because it is an interpretation and personal domain. Jung Sae Myung also shut his mouth when he saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s shaking eyes. He could tell from Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes that it was not the color that he had wanted. But Jung Sae Myung is not Jun Hyuk and he cannot y piano while copying him. Jun Hyuk will understand that those aspects that cannot bepromisede together to create a musician¡¯s personality. ¡°I¡¯ll have to go out and practice the piano a bit. I¡¯m starting to get scared because I¡¯m touching a keyboard for the first time in a while.¡± Jung Sae Myung said goodbye to the people in the studio and left. He was not joking when he said that he was going to practice the piano. ¡°See me for a second?¡± When Jung Sae Myung was leaving the studio, he called Jun Hyuk out and went to the roof where there were no people. He took out a cigarette, held it out to Jun Hyuk, and put it in his mouth when Jun Hyuk rejected it. He took a few drags and then spoke carefully, ¡°Was the wildness you were referring to in terms of a dance song?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought you would already know.¡± ¡°I know that the sharp and wildness you were talking about in the studio is different from me. I guess it¡¯s right to say that I know but can¡¯t do it. It could be the difference of a sheet of paper to me, but that difference will feel like a gap to you. But, what can we do? It¡¯s a difference in ability.¡± ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not to that point. An issue of direction.....¡± Jung Sae Myung shook his head. ¡°Not everyone can create the sound they want as freely as you can. That¡¯s reality. I don¡¯t know if you know, but there are a lot of people who don¡¯t look kindly on you. And that includes me.¡± Jun Hyuk thought that Jung Sae Myung has an honest personality, but this is too honest. Heughed bitterly. ¡°Is that so? I didn¡¯t feel it in the way you look at me... Is it because I¡¯m not connected to the Korean music industry?¡± ¡°Is that what you thought? Of course, there will be such narrow-minded fools, but most of those people aren¡¯t performers like us. They¡¯re full of a privileged consciousness for enjoying ssical music. People who mistake themselves for nobles in Europe.¡± Jun Hyuk has a general idea of the type of people Jung Sae Myung is describing. But the thoughts and attentions of those kinds of people do not have any weight on Jun Hyuk right now. ¡°That¡¯s not the real reason. You give people like us a taste of despair.¡± ¡°Despair?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s bitter smile disappeared and there was surprise in its ce. ¡°Yeah. Music that only someone chosen like you can show us. It¡¯s domain that average people like me yearn to reach for all of our lives but can¡¯t. It¡¯s because you¡¯ve gone into that ce so easily.¡± Is it because of what he just said, ¡®I know but can¡¯t¡¯? The bitter smile went from Jun Hyuk¡¯s face to Jung Sae Myung¡¯s. ¡°No. I¡¯m not trying to talk about music, so don¡¯t mind it. So there¡¯s one thing I want to say. There¡¯s no way of knowing what shape that despair or jealousy people like us feel will take. You didn¡¯t feel it from first ss European maestros, right?¡± ¡°No. It seemed like most people thought of me as interesting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a difference, but they¡¯re in the same bracket as you.¡± Jung Sae Myung let out cigarette smoke and the color of his face was not much different. ¡°Hm... this idle talk went on for too long.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°This is what I wanted to say. Change the way that people like me look at you. From despair and jealousy to awe. With music that brings such awe that there¡¯s no room for something like jealousy. That¡¯s what I wanted to say to you when I was watching you today.¡± Jung Sae Myung put his cigarette out. ¡°Anyway, I have as much expectation as I despair. Choral concerto, Inferno, aria solo song. It felt like I was falling into despair when I heard those songs, but they fall a little short to bring all people to awe. The experimental side is strong. Make sure you create a masterpiece that jumps over all of this.¡± Jun Hyuk could not understand Jung Sae Myung, who was confessing his thoughts on him. It could have been what he wanted to say when they met, or his true thoughts of what he felt today. ¡°There will be a lot of talk regarding our concert. There are a lot of people who like to pick on faults. They won¡¯te to the concert because there isn¡¯t VIP seating and they¡¯ll curse us out in front of a TV screen. Or will they curse on the inside? There¡¯s no one willing to curse you out with the atmosphere these days. Ha ha.¡± Jung Sae Myung pat Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder andughed. *** During rehearsals over a week, Kyung Min Ho¡¯s drums became more refined and Jung Sae Myung¡¯s piano sharpened. When rehearsing the tracks on Jun Hyuk¡¯s 1st album, Alvin Lee did not hold back his praises for the Seoul Symphony. It is thanks to Jun Hyuk¡¯s arrangement, but also, because the orchestra blended perfectly into the band¡¯s music. Because Jun Hyuk¡¯s 1st album holds a variety of genres, severe change was necessary for each song, but the Seoul Symphony handled that change easily. A week¡¯s time flew by like an arrow. Mapo was full of noise from early in the morning on the day of the concert. There were a lot of people who did not hesitate to wait more than 10 hours to find a spot close to the stage. They started entering the venue 3 hours before the concert, and a fierce battle for positions began inside the stadium. The field inside the stadium was covered with a thick fabric to protect the grass. When they exceeded the maximum limit for people on the field, security guards used all of their strength to control the entrance while they neared show time. When darkness started to set over, there was an announcement notifying them of the start of the concert and the stadium was just full of the sound of 80,000 people breathing. The 80,000 people in eager anticipation pped loudly when the orchestra appeared on the stage. The members had never performed in front of so many people and were both happy and surprised because of 80,000 people pping, but they also started feeling nervous. The orchestra members came up on therge screens installed all around the middle of the field.Jun Hyuk, Jung Sae Myung, and Kyung Min Ho entered soon after. They bowed to the audience and went to their respective positions. People had been expecting Jung Sae Myung to stand at the podium, but he went to the piano, and Jun Hyuk went to the synthesizer. There was momentary gabbling, and then, greater apuse exploded. With the audience¡¯s cheering as a signal, the lights on the stage went off. Jung Sae Myung started Greig¡¯s Sign and numerous lights starteding on from above the stage. The lights above the dark stage felt like shooting stars, and expressed the piano melody as a visual. When Jun Hyuk¡¯s electronic sound and Kyung Min Ho¡¯s drum grew strong, the audience began to scream. When they had entered the stage, people had expected elegant ssical music because of the suits they were wearing. When the strong drum came out, however, they realized that their expectations had been off. When a crossover version flowed over the stadium instead of traditional ssical music, colorful lights shot out to the rhythm of the piano, drums, and electroacoustics. It is a piano concerto that continued into a 3rd part, but the audience thought that they were listening to 3 songs in session. Not a single person felt like they were listening to a ssical music show for 30 minutes. Jung Sae Myung finished ying and his face looked flushed. People near him thought it was because of the lights, but his face was red without the lights. He had enjoyed an entirely different vehemence through the piano than he had during rehearsals. This is because of a differently colored performance due to the excitement and cheering of an 80,000 person audience, and Jun Hyuk on the keyboard. He put in the effort to let the audience enjoy the music through the best performance, and he was rewarded for that result through the pping. However, the young people in the stadium are not enjoying the music with their ears and heads. They follow the music with their hearts, and Jung Sae Myung felt a new kind of excitement from such youthful fans who react in real-time. The orchestra members got up from their seats and bowed to the audience. When they were about to leave the stage and let them know that the first part of the concert was over, there was sudden cheering that felt like it would explode out of the stadium. Alvin Lee had run out onto stage. ¡°Maestro, throwing cold water on this passion would be stupid. We need to keep going without taking a break.¡± Alvin Lee whispered in Jung Sae Myung¡¯s ear. Jung Sae Myung was also taken aback because of the sudden appearance, but startedughing. ¡°Drag it out for just 2 minutes. We need time for the orchestra to change their scores.¡± Alvin Lee, as the leader of a rock band, knows how to lead the audience. A greeting starting with ¡®Good evening, Korea,¡¯ a few light jokes ¨C something like saying that the song might be a mess because he ispletely sober, but he never makes a mistake. And he kept checking Jung Sae Myung for a signal. Alvin Lee held his hand high and counted on his fingers. ¡°One! Two! Three!¡± The violin and Jun Hyuk¡¯s guitar yed at the same time, Alvin Lee took the microphone stand and started running around the stage. Jun Hyuk had not been wrong when he had anticipated most of the 80,000 people in the audience to be Alvin Lee¡¯s fans. When Alvin Lee¡¯s singing came out of the amps stacked like a wall, the same song came out onto the seats and field in Korean. When the spirited metal music ended and the blues began, the orchestra filled the song¡¯s loose parts and showed the strength of arrangement. The orchestra did not differentiate between genres, and showed perfection of magnificence and weight and the audience was overwhelmed by that scale. He does not reach the power of his heyday, but the depth of his passion has gotten deeper in his vocals. There was an atmosphere that Jun Hyuk would express as pale, and there was a performance with tempered technique. The bass solo that came in for moments as a time, were full ofplex fingering and shy technique as though showing Colin¡¯s thoughts on music. Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano solo was fusion jazz that used stringed instruments, including the violin instead of the guitar. The acoustic guitar and even a bad with Alvin Lee¡¯s voice. 10 songs finished within moments, and the performance had been like a storm. There are few songs to include in the concert repertoire, so 1 hour 30 minutes just flowed by. The subjects of the concert, including Jun Hyuk, stood in one ce, bowed, and after greeting the audience a few times, left the stage. However, it was out of the question for the people who had waited for over 10 hours to leave like this. They pped and stomped, shouting encore to the dark stage. There were those who folded and left the spectator seats, but not a single of the people filling the field leave. Then, a spotlight came on and a chair and microphone stand appeared on stage. The audience swelled with anticipation. They are imagining Jun Hyuk singing while ying the guitar. When the person wearing the tuxedo appeared on therge screens however, there was murmuring rather than cheering. Colin walked out with a cello and sat down without saying anything. He set the microphone up and then started ying the cello. A song that came out in countless TV advertisements. Bach¡¯s unapanied Cello Suites. He yed Cello Suites without stopping for over 10 minutes from number 1 Prelude (Moderato) in G major to Gigue (Vivace)¡¯s 6 songs, cooling the audience¡¯s warmed up hearts. Without shy lighting, intense drumming, or a grand orchestra apaniment, the cello¡¯s beautiful and calm melody filled the huge stadium and ended the first concert in Seoul. Chapter 235 Volume 7 / Chapter 235 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: adkji ¡°Jun. How was the concert? Did you enjoy it?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not only the audience that thought it was a pity that the concert was short. I regret it even more.¡± When thest concert was over, President Stern handed a sweaty Jun Hyuk a towel. When he saw that Jun Hyuk looked satisfied, he also felt satisfied. ¡°There¡¯s going to be a party with the concert officials. There¡¯s something I want to check before then.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll release today¡¯s performance as a live album, but what do you think of releasing a studio album? Without the orchestra. The Korean version is the original, but I want to create a global version with Alvin Lee¡¯s vocals.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thought. I¡¯ll arrange it again so it fits the band, so let¡¯s start as soon as we get back to America.¡± Jun Hyuk wiped his sweat with the towel and epted President Stern¡¯s suggestion without a moment¡¯s hesitation. It is obvious that he really regretted the end of the concert. ¡°One more thing. The same 2 people for the bass and drums?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think we need to? We performed together so we can¡¯t tell them to fall out.And, there¡¯s no reason to tell them not to do it when they have the talent. Why? Isaac, you don¡¯t want to keep them?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m satisfied, too. Okay. Then, leave it to me.¡± With Jun Hyuk¡¯s response, President Stern had the employees go back. Rather than something for the concert¡¯s leads to enjoy, the party in the hotel was for the people who worked hard in silence to create 2 perfect concerts. The organizers on the Korean side worked really hard to meet President Stern¡¯s difficult requests, but they did earn a lot of money. Even if they paid Jun Hyuk and Alvin Lee huge guarantees, they made 3 to 4 times what the top idol groups in Korea would have made for them, so it is a night they could get drunk. Jun Hyuk showed his face at the party, and then, he went into his room with his close acquaintances to drink wine and throw a party of their own. ¡°For me, the best was Colin¡¯s cello at the end. Even the audience didn¡¯t make the sound of their breathing. It was the best finale.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun did not hesitate to praise him. It was the best configuration for the end as the passion in the concert hall settled. ¡°Whose idea was this finale?¡± ¡°Isaac¡¯s. We only had 10 songs to perform with and it¡¯s obvious that the audience will think that¡¯s too short, so he decided that we need to cool their passion down before sending them away. That¡¯s why the calm bass of the cello came out.¡± While everyone was discussing the concert and having fun, Kyung Min Ho was just drinking beer. It was heavy on his heart that the concert was over. Performing with world-renowned stars felt like a dream. It was hard to ept the reality that he now needs to go back to being just another drum session man. He felt even more sullen that no one seemed to care that he felt like this. ¡°Tara. Where are Isaac and Alvin?¡± ¡°Oh, I think Isaac had something to say to Alvin¡¯s manager. And, Alvin should be sleeping in his room. This is the firstrge-scale concert for him in a while, so it seems he was really tense. He said that he¡¯de after a nap.¡± *** ¡°Studio album? Of course we¡¯re down for it. Alvin won¡¯t refuse it either. He¡¯s already a fan of Jun. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Will there be any problem proceeding with it as soon as we get back to America?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Then, ourpany will figure it out when we can start working in New York. I¡¯ll write up the contract and send it over right away.¡± President Stern ended his conversation with Alvin Lee¡¯s manager and went back to Jun Hyuk¡¯s room. ¡°Good. Everyone¡¯s already here. I have news for everyone.¡± When President Stern smiled brightly and announced the n to produce a studio album, Kyung Min Ho was the most surprised. ¡°Jun Hyuk. So, you¡¯re making another album with this concert? With me on the drums?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s exactly as President Stern said. He said we¡¯re recording in New York, so you¡¯ll have to pack up again.¡± This dream did not end. It¡¯s continuing. Kyung Min Ho slowly got up and went into the bathroom. ¡°He¡¯s not going to cry of happiness, is he? Why is he going to the bathroom all of a sudden?¡± Yoon Kwang Hunughed as he spoke, and Baek Seung Ho clucked his tongue. ¡°Oy. He¡¯s emotional for the drummer of a rock band. It¡¯s not cool.¡± Yoon Kwang Hunughed for a bit and then got up. ¡°I¡¯ll be going now. Everyone must be tired, so get some rest. Jun Hyuk, you leave tomorrow in the afternoon, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Will youe with us? Until the holidays...¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not good to follow a kid who¡¯s all grown up around. Just send me the album when ites out.¡± It is a separation they always go through, but they¡¯re still not used to it and still regret it. Jun Hyuk eased his regrets by holding Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s hands tightly. ¡°Oh. Kwang Hun, you go first. I still have stuff to talk about with Jun Hyuk as hiswyer.¡± ¡°Really? Alright. Don¡¯t bother him too much and hurry.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun left and Baek Seung Ho took Jun Hyuk into the bedroom. ¡°Did you figure out what we talked aboutst time?¡± ¡°Yes. Hang on.¡± Jun Hyuk opened a drawer next to his bed and took out a sheet of paper. Baek Seung Ho read through it. There is not a lot of content, so it took less than a minute to understand all of it. Baek Seung Ho put the paper down and let out a long sigh. ¡°So this is what you want?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well... I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be alright. And don¡¯t forget that you can change it whenever you want to. Call me as soon as possible when you do change your mind..¡± ¡°Yes. But, I don¡¯t think it will change.¡± Baek Seung Ho returned the paper to Jun Hyuk and said, ¡°I¡¯lle back tomorrow morning with an official will.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Official?¡± ¡°Yeah. A will is invalid if it doesn¡¯t follow the legal process precisely. And you need a witness. It¡¯ll be over quickly because it¡¯s not anything difficult.¡± Baek Seung Ho was about to leave the bedroom when he turned around all of a sudden. ¡°Oh right. I¡¯m sure I¡¯lle to know, but I¡¯m curious... Can I ask how much the guarantee you got for this concert is?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll find out anyway. I heard it¡¯s $4 million.¡± ¡°$4... 4 million? Wow!¡± Baek Seung Ho¡¯s jaw dropped and Jun Hyuk giggled. ¡°Why? Is it too much? Should I change what¡¯s on the will? He he.¡± *** Early the next morning, Baek Seung Ho came back to Jun Hyuk with 2wyers. When they made a fuss setting up a camcorder, Jun Hyuk looked puzzled. ¡°You need 2 witnesses for a will. There¡¯s really no need to record it, but we¡¯re just trying to keep all grounds covered. Are you ready?¡± Baek Seung Ho turned at the 2wyers and they pressed the record button on the camcorder. ¡°Alright, Mr. Jang Jun Hyuk. Please say the content of the will out loud.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at the sheet and said what is on his mind, and Baek Seung Ho wrote everything Jun Hyuk said verbatim. Baek Seung Ho handed theplete will over to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Please read the content again loudly.¡± Jun Hyuk took the sheet and read through it slowly. ¡°Is this aligned with your thoughts?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, please sign at the bottom.¡± After Jun Hyuk signed, Baek Seung Ho and the other 2wyers signed as witnesses. Baek Seung Ho took the tape that had recorded this and the content of the will, put it in an envelope, and sealed it. ¡°It¡¯s over. You did well. You guys as well. You can go now.¡± When the 2wyers stood around awkwardly, Baek Seung Ho tapped his forehead. ¡°Oh right, I forgot. Jun Hyuk. Can you give them each a signature? And take a picture. I promised them this.¡± The 2wyers held out Jun Hyuk¡¯s CD and, after he signed and took pictures, the 2 men bowed their heads and left. ¡°But, who are those people?¡± ¡°Lawyers I work with. You need 2 witnesses, other than me as the person writing your will, to sign. And you don¡¯t need to worry whether they¡¯ll tell the others what¡¯s on the will because they¡¯re bothwyers.¡± ¡°Thank you for everything.¡± ¡°Thanks for what. It¡¯s my job. Don¡¯t hesitate to call me if you need anything. Got it?¡± Baek Seung Ho gave Jun Hyuk a big hug and left. The airport was full of reporters and fans to see Jun Hyuk and his group as they were leaving the country. They gave a short interview, thanked the fans, and boarded the private ne to New York. Chapter 236 Volume 7 / Chapter 236 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Hungry Panda ¡°Mr. Stern. The calls haven¡¯t ended since the concert in Korea. There are a lot of promoters who say they want to push Alvin¡¯s performance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s the firstrge-scale performance since Alvin¡¯s resurgence.¡± As soon as Alvin Lee¡¯s manager got back to New York, he looked for President Stern. Since the concert in Seoul ended, foreign press put up articles titled Alvin Lee¡¯s perfect resurrection. Excluding the distinctiveness that it is Korea, it is a definite that the attention would go to Alvin Lee who is already a legend in the pop music industry, than to Jun Hyuk. Since the concert in Seoul ended, foreign press put up articles titled Alvin Lee¡¯s perfect resurrection. Excluding the distinctiveness that it is Korea, it is definite that the attention would go to Alvin Lee who is already a legend in the pop music industry, than to Jun Hyuk. ¡°The sess of the Korean concert is from a coboration between Jun and Alvin, but Alvin¡¯s ticket power is greater in Europe and America.¡± ¡°Yes. The concert nners are also thinking of a big-scale show like there was in Korea.¡± ¡°Then you can go ahead and proceed as long as Alvin epts. Why are you going through the effort to tell me.....?¡± ¡°Well... Alvin said that he wouldn¡¯t turn down a concert if it¡¯s with Jun. He says that he doesn¡¯t want to do a solo performance if it¡¯s going to be so noisy.¡± President Stern had guessed why Alvin Lee¡¯s manager hade looking for him, so he showed a little smile. ¡°Hm... What exactly does performing with Jun mean?¡± ¡°Well. First is that it means Jun¡¯s performance is perfect. He was the only guitarist who brought out a sound that he could be satisfied with, and didn¡¯t he arrange the configuration of all the songs? And it means that Jun¡¯s music is good.¡± ¡°So that means he wants to keep doing concerts with Jun and his music.¡± ¡°Yes, but we don¡¯t know Jun¡¯s future ns. The show in Seoul was a one-shot event... And Jun is a maestro no matter what people say.¡± ¡°Ha ha. It¡¯s not like that. Jun isn¡¯t a maestro, but a musician. He is a free musician, who is not tied down to any one genre. Alright. I¡¯ll ask Jun what he thinks. I just y the role of a mother who does whatever Jun wants.¡± *** ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a really interesting proposal. But Isaac. How many times do you think we need to do that performance?¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing at least 3 times? After that, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be based on how the performances go? If all 3 are sesses, we need to consider a world tour.¡± When Jun Hyuk spoke up again after thinking for a while, President Stern pped. Jun Hyuk had given the response that he had wanted. ¡°I have a condition. Turn it down if they want to perform with Alvin¡¯s old songs. I have no intention of acting as the band in the background while Alvin sells memories with his fans as targets.¡± ¡°Great! That¡¯s it. That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll create an album with Alvin to release. We can do the performances with that album.¡± ¡°Then we can create the global version of your 1st album and a new album. Great!¡± President Stern took the calendar on top of the table and started checking off dates. ¡°When can you be done with what you¡¯re recording now?¡± ¡°One month maximum.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re thinking of writing all of the new songs within that period?¡± ¡°I can finish up theposition by tomorrow if I need to. The lyrics are the problem.¡± ¡°Alvin for the lyrics?¡± ¡°Yes. Alvin is better for lyrics than the songs.¡± Jun Hyuk revealed his thoughts on Alvin¡¯s blues songs since he made aeback. This is why he had not wanted to perform with Alvin¡¯s songs. ¡°Fine. Then we¡¯ll release what you¡¯re recording now and then release the new album. I¡¯ll make both into mega hits, no matter how much money goes into marketing. The performance wille after. Okay?¡± President Stern put his palm out and Jun Hyukughed as he gave him a high five. *** ¡°Colin. I¡¯m releasing an album with Alvin.¡± ¡°What album? The one we just finished recording, that you¡¯re wrapping up... Oh. Is it a new album?¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re going into the new one as soon as post-production is done for this one.¡± When Colin heard about the new album, he felt excitement and was worry at the same time. He knows that Jun Hyuk brought it up to him because he wants to work on it together. The music he created with Jun Hyuk always brought him a new kind of happiness, but this also meant that it pushed back the time he works on his own music. ¡°New work... Isn¡¯t it done if you write the songs and record? It¡¯s an honor for me if I participate in that album.¡± ¡°No, we need to think about performing after releasing the album. Alvin can¡¯t perform alone after releasing the album.¡± ¡°Then that means I can¡¯t do my personal work until then?¡± ¡°Yeah. And you¡¯ll have to leave your musical views aside. I¡¯m going to make the music the way I want to. Of course I¡¯ll interfere with the way you y.¡± ¡°Then that means you¡¯re going to produce the album, too.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Alvin said he¡¯ll follow your directing as well?¡± ¡°He actually weed it. It seems he thinks he¡¯ll be able to take a thorough look at me.¡± Colin epted without another thought. This could even be a great opportunity in forming his own band. His name needed to have more value in order for him to be able to recruit members with the ability he was looking for. Amateurs may not, but professional performers gather in because of the name. This was evident just from looking at Jun Hyuk smiling in front of him. With Jun Hyuk now, there was no musician who would note running at a single motion from him. ¡°What did the drummer say? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll say okay.¡± ¡°Yeah. He won¡¯t miss out on the chance to show himself outside of Korea.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Colin for a moment and said what he had felt faintly, ¡°Colin. If you like the drummer, say what you feel honestly and make a proposal. His drum skills are developing even now. He isn¡¯t famous because of the barrier of being Asian, but I¡¯m sure thoughts on him will change if he gets to do a world tour. Then you¡¯ll just be one out of several options. If you want to get him, this is your chance.¡± ¡°I want to do that, too. But I¡¯m just one of many bands that can¡¯t guarantee him anything. Do you think he¡¯ll take it?¡± ¡°Well you won¡¯t know until you ask.¡± Jun Hyuk silently tsked at Colin as he hesitated. Colin was so bold as to quit yton, which was extremely difficult to get into, but he was being timid with such matters. He couldn¡¯t understand. *** ¡°Alvin. There are 2 ways for us to write the songs. The first is for you to write lyrics after I¡¯m doneposing.¡± ¡°And the 2nd?¡± ¡°You give me key phrases or approximate lyrics first. I¡¯ll write a song that fits that. Then you createplete lyrics with that song.¡± ¡°So the difference is whether we write lyrics that fit the songs or songs that fit the lyrics.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alvin said that he would follow Jun Hyuk¡¯s lead while writing the songs in everything except lyrics, so he frowned at this inevitable situation. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°I like the 2nd.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll write the song to the lyrics?¡± ¡°Yes. But I want honest lyrics. If you want to make songs that are fluffy andfortable for people to listen to, it¡¯s better for me to focus on the melody.¡± ¡°Honest lyrics... What is it that you want?¡± Jun Hyuk had said that he would leave the lyrics entirely up to him. But it felt like he just said he was rejecting average lyrics. ¡°The sound of the honest truth that¡¯s hidden in your heart.¡± ¡°The sound that¡¯s hidden in my heart?¡± Alvin¡¯s heart felt a little twinge at the way Jun Hyuk was looking at him. ¡°The forgotten sound that¡¯s the buried and hidden truth. If you have the will to hear that sound, you can hear it whenever you want to. And you¡¯ll be wanting it toe out.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes wanted him to create lyrics with the truth that only he knows. ¡°I want to release the album quickly. While you write the lyrics for several months, I have to hang out during that time... I don¡¯t really like that. Try listening to the sound that¡¯s hidden in your heart. Then you¡¯ll be able to write multiple lyrics in a day.¡± ¡°You want to expose my face to the public buying the album? Isn¡¯t that too much? Do you have the confidence to do that?¡± ¡°I already showed mine. Through music.¡± ¡°Well well. Isn¡¯t that too shrewd? How many people out there are able to figure out someone¡¯s true self through an instrument or orchestra? I have to do it through words, that everyone can understand. With words and sentences! It¡¯spletely different.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think of it as being too unfair. Everyone just uses the method that works best for them. I do it through melody and you through words and sentences.¡± ¡°Look here. I know how to create great melodies, too.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we can switch roles.¡± Jun Hyuk kept smiling, and Alvinughed as well. ¡°You¡¯re more sly than I thought. I think wanting to release the album fast is just an excuse, and you really just want to see the true me?¡± Jun Hyuk nodded and whispered, ¡°An honest sound is the standard for the birth of a great song.¡± A long story was already swimming around Alvin Lee¡¯s head from his heart. ¡°1 week. Okay?¡± ¡°3 days is enough. It¡¯s easy if you just write down what your heart is saying. If you hang on for no reason, you¡¯ll just edit it for the remaining 4 days and damage the original meaning. Alvin, this could be thest opportunity.¡± ¡°Wait. Last opportunity? What does that mean?¡± ¡°If not now, when will I be able to work with you on music? Take this chance to let the public hear your real story. I¡¯ll put your story into incredible music.¡± Jun Hyuk tapped his heart and winked. After Alvin left the studio, he reappeared in exactly 3 days. Alvin handed over a stack of handwritten papers rather thanputer printouts, but his expression was not bright. ¡°Jun, don¡¯t say anything about the lyrics. Nothing is for show and there¡¯s no pretense, and it just has what I wanted to say.¡± Jun Hyuk did not say anything, and slowly read through Alvin¡¯s story. Alvin¡¯s lyrics did not follow the conventional format of a song at all. It was too long to say that he only wrote the key topics yetcked a format like a chorus and refrain, and was more like apleted poem. There are some forms of prose and even what look like short proverbs. Jun Hyuk read over 15 pages of lyrics, sighed, and mumbled in Korean. ¡°Damn. Life is fucked.¡± They were words that Alvin couldn¡¯t understand, but he could tell how Jun Hyuk felt from his expression and tone. ¡°Stop saying things I can¡¯t understand, and hurry up and write the song. You have to do that so I can trim the lyrics appropriately.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m going to make the song so not a single word is added or taken out. We need to preserve the entire coarseness. You wrote this over 3 days? Then I¡¯llplete it within 3 days as well.¡± Jun Hyuk took the sheets with the lyrics and locked himself in the studio in his apartment. Chapter 237 Volume 7 / Chapter 237 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir What I remember is that I did not drink even a drop of water. All that went into my mouth was cheap whiskey and I took the rest in through my nose. When the white cocaine powder on my mustache fell, I realized that the woman with the smooth skin lying next to me was not my wife. My wife¡¯s skin is not tight and ck, but crisp and white. ..... My wife held back her vomit as she washed me, washing away not only the vapors of my body but also her love through her fingers. She started to enjoy washing the smooth body of a friend who loved her more than she liked washing my dirty body. Alvin Lee sang slow and calm to Jun Hyuk¡¯s acoustic guitar fingering. When the song ended after 3 minutes, Alvin Lee¡¯s manager was clenching both fists. Of Alvin Lee¡¯s songs up to now, none were so alluring. The lyrics did get to him a little, but he is sure that Alvin Lee¡¯s voice and the melody dominating the music will be able to cover that drawback. The following 11 songs were over, but no one could speak for a while. President Stern was the one to break the aftertaste of the music. ¡°Jun. You didn¡¯t make all of the songs with just an acoustic guitar apaniment, did you?¡± ¡°No. This is the acoustic version. Of course there¡¯s a band version.¡± Alvin Lee could guess why he created 2 versions. ¡°Isaac, don¡¯t be too surprised. I think Jun created the acoustic version for me. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard you like small shows, so I wrote it to fit that so you can perform it in the future. What do you think? Did you like it?¡± Alvin Lee hugged Jun Hyuk instead of responding. He has not heard the band version yet, but his story has been captured with just one guitar. A feast of verses; where a hook should have followed the intro. There were times when the songs ended at the climax (bridge) and those that went into the outro. They are songs that are difficult to get used to, but not music that will sh poprity and then fade away. When the aftertaste of Alvin Lee¡¯s voice disappeared, the people who quickly came back to reality were those at the recordbel. ¡°Alvin. Do you have any intentions to edit the lyrics a little?¡± Everyone had been lost in the music and remembered something they had all been forgetting. The references to drugs, swearing, and sex pose great disadvantages when receiving TV ratings for the music video. Getting a rating of TV-MA (programs that are inappropriate for children under 17) poses a big minus to marketing. ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. Jun wrote the music without touching a single word, so we can¡¯t change it for a music video.¡± The recordbel officials seemed not to have much expectation when they asked. They shrugged and smiled bitterly without asking any further. ¡°Fine. With a song like this, the music video can¡¯t act as an excuse for low sales. Jun, when can you be done with recording?¡± President Stern spoke fervently. He has certainty from experience. ¡°We can be done by November.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s release it in December for the Christmas season.¡± People are reluctant to release albums in December in America. The Grammy awards, which open every February, announce the candidate list in November. Albums released after the nominations are announced can be considered for the next year¡¯s awards, but they are normally buried because attention has withered over time. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t sometime around March be better? It¡¯s hard for anything other than carol albums to get popr in December...¡± ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ll make it so we¡¯ll be preparing for a world tour starting in March.¡± No one spoke further because of President Stern¡¯s confident voice. When Colin and Kyung Min Ho were exhausted from Jun Hyuk¡¯s constant criticism and directing, a whopping 3 albums came out to the world. The jazz album with Lee Carlton and Stanley rke ¡®The Second,¡¯ , came out as a double album, and the Seoul concert was released as ¡°JUN & Alvin in Seoul¡± with a live video. The English version of Jun Hyuk¡¯s 1st album came out with just his name ¡®JUN¡¯ on the album jacket. One part of why President Stern nned to release in December was because of the effect that having Jun Hyuk¡¯s albumse out in session could have, but also because it is a big event. *** ¡°Maestro! It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Jun. I heard you¡¯ve been busy these days working on your album. Are you home now?¡± The wee voice heard on the phone is New York Philharmonic¡¯s standing conductor, Dimitri Carras. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be going to the studio soon. Do you have anything in particr that you need? Should I go to Lincoln Center?¡± ¡°No. I would have gone to your apartment if something was up. I called to let you know of something in advance. Don¡¯t be surprised when you leave your house today. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Excuse me? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you go out. Then let¡¯s both wrap up our busy schedules and meet up soon.¡± Jun Hyuk left the house with Dimitri Carras¡¯ughter and talk about their busy schedules running through his mind. He greeted the few fans waiting outside the apartment and got in the car waiting for him. As the car went through New York City, he could see cards stuck all over the city. The cards and posters are what Carras had been talking about. ¡°Alright... Hang on! Stop the car for a second.¡± Carras¡¯ warning not to be too surprised was of no use. Jun Hyuk stopped the car and examined a card hanging on a streetmp. The date of the concert is December 23rd, and it clearly says that it will be performed in the work¡¯s entirety. There was even a fine print at the bottom of the card that said ¡®Orchestra members will not be utilizing expedients such as headphones or earphones.¡¯ Jun Hyuk got back into the car andughed, and the driver spoke as he looked at Jun Hyuk through the back mirror. ¡°They started popping up on the streets startingst night. The New York Philharmonic¡¯s concert will be a performance of your song, right Maestro?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a performance that I failed as well.¡± ¡°Is it really as the rumors say? There¡¯s nonsense that the music causes pain... Oh. Sorry, Maestro.¡± The driver cleared his throat and hastily took a look at Jun Hyuk, but Jun Hyuk shook his head andughed. ¡°No no, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m starting to hear nonsense as well. It could just be noise for all we know. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk thought of a good holiday gift to give the driver in his 40s. ¡°If I give you tickets, will you go with your wife to see if it¡¯s true or nonsense?¡± ¡°Oh, is that for real? Thank you, Maestro. Actually, I also bought the CD and listened to it out of curiosity... but it was just full of weird sounds. I was wondering what the difference would be in the actual performance.¡± Jun Hyuk saw him smiling brightly from the surprise gift, and took out his phone. ¡°Isaac. Did you know about the New York Philharmonic¡¯s Inferno performance?¡± ¡°Of course. What do you think? Isn¡¯t it impressive?¡± Over the phone, Isaac¡¯s voice was delighted as though there was nothing better. Following the the New York Philharmonic¡¯s official announcement this morning, the press¡¯ calls went to Stern Corporation instead of the New York Philharmonic. Even though it had been announced that the conductor will be Dimitri Carras, they asked about whether Jun Hyuk would be conducting and forments. There were even reporters who asked about the backstory of Jun Hyuk¡¯s role as the originalposer. Each time, they were able to promote Jun Hyuk¡¯s album, saying that he would be focusing solely on that album for release on the 23rd. It seemed that the New York Philharmonic¡¯s concert and Jun Hyuk¡¯s new album would fill the news. ¡°Isaac, did you see rehearsals? Did they reallyplete the whole song?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t allowed to enter either. No one is watching rehearsals. But there¡¯s no way the New York Philharmonic would be releasing false advertising.¡± ¡°Maestro Carras is really impressive.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m skeptical. I heard that the interpretation is unconventional. It¡¯ll likely be very different from your Inferno album.¡± Jun Hyuk liked it more that the New York Philharmonic¡¯s music may note out the way he intended for it to be. The attention of a great maestro is an honor in itself. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it, however they perform it.¡± ¡°Anyway, the New York Philharmonic¡¯s concert is providing amazing promotion for our album. Watch the news tonight. I¡¯m pretty sure there will be more talk on the new album. Ha ha.¡± Chapter 238 Volume 7 / Chapter 238 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Colin and Kyung Min Ho waited for Jun Hyuk in the studio while focusing on practicing. Alvin Lee worked untiltest night, finishing the recording for all 12 songs. Alvin Lee¡¯s lyrics started with his suddenly rising as a star while not being able to adjust to the change in his surroundings, and continued into an unstable time. With making more money than he could handle as the background. The time he spent in the madness of alcohol, sex, and drugs as well as his time in rehabilitation with pain and ruin. Then his return as a normal person. The 12 songs were made with his true thoughts as a musician. The music needed to be light rather than shy to truthfully deliver the lyrics¡¯ contents, so the result was blues, folk, and alternative rock. For the 2 performers who long for the shiness however, Jun Hyuk created 3 bonus tracks. Drums, bass, and guitar. The music ced each instrument at the front. ¡°Min Ho. You¡¯re ready, right?¡± Kyung Min Ho, alone in the recording booth, had headphones on and held up his drumsticks to signal okay. ¡°Then the music is going out. We¡¯re starting now.¡± As it is said that recording each instrument separately to mixter is not true band music, they recorded the 12 songs all at once. But to preserve each person¡¯s individuality for the instrumentals, Jun Hyuk did not even create scores for the bass and drum parts and left it entirely up to the two of them. Today¡¯s recording was for them to y as they want to, and they were pouring out all of their workmanship to their liking. If they just finish today¡¯s recording and the mixing, Jun Hyuk and Alvin Lee¡¯s album will be revealed to the world. President Stern and the recordbel need to spend their days busily from now on. *** The new director from Ennd, Louis O¡¯Connell, had swept up all of the major film festivals with an experimental independent film. He listened to a CD with written on it, on repeat all day. He had been opposed when he first received the proposition to produce the music video. He wanted to dedicate his attention to the Hollywood masterpiece he was currently in thest shooting of. However, he could not refuse the recordbel when they even came directly to his house to ask if he would at least listen to the music. When he heard the CD in the car on his way to the filming location, he was so shocked that he could not focus on driving. He had a gut feeling that the record would upy Billboard charts through the first half of the next year and would take over the global market. Not a single song had been inserted for assortment, and they were all so good that each could be promoted as the title song. On top of that, the honest lyrics tugged at his heartstrings so much that he had the desire to make them into a movie. He spent the entire day lost in Jun Hyuk¡¯s music, and called the recordbel. ¡°Did Alvin Lee make the songs for this album himself?¡± ¡°No. Alvin only wrote the lyrics. Theposer is Jun... Do you by chance know who he is?¡± ¡°Jun? The person who conducted the New York Philharmonic... the Korean kid who wrote Inferno? No, Maestro?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s theposer and took over the producing as well. Would you believe it if I told you he made the album¡¯s 15 songs in just 3 days? He yed the guitar himself as well.¡± It is not rare for people to find sudden inspiration and write amazing songs within 1 or 2 hours. But he has never heard of someone making an entire album in 3 days, and finds it hard to believe. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that Jun in ssical music? Oh right. He released a jazz album too, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s the only maestro who isn¡¯t tied down by genres.¡± ¡°I heard he¡¯s one of the geniuses who may or may not appear every 100 years... I guess it was true.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell recalled how he felt when he first heard the CD for Inferno. He had not been able to get past the 1st part due to his fear or the unknown rather than pain. ¡°Ha ha. I see you like the album, Director. We have tremendous expectations as well.¡± The recordbel official seems to be anticipating Louis O¡¯Connell¡¯s consent to directing the music video because of the way he is stuttering. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll direct the music video. And I don¡¯t need a cent for the production fee. Instead, I have a condition... no, a request.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell slowly voiced his request, not condition. *** Jun Hyuk¡¯s band members finished up the studio work and started their busy schedules with the album jacket shoot, promotion, and press interviews. ¡°Jun. An interesting proposal came in.¡± Tara quietly called Jun Hyuk out in the middle of a promotion poster shoot. ¡°We¡¯re nning on making 3 songs into music videos, but the director is saying something unexpected. He¡¯s asking you to take on the music for the movie he¡¯s directing right now.¡± ¡°Huh? Movie?¡± ¡°So you¡¯d be the music director for that movie. It would take about a month and a half because the filming is going to end soon and then they¡¯ll be editing. Then work on the music would start because you¡¯ll have to make the music while watching the movie.¡± Jun Hyuk listened to Tara¡¯s exnation and just blinked because he did not understand. ¡°Well... That director turned down the music videos at first because of his own movie, but he fell in love after listening to this album. And when he heard that you¡¯re theposer, he made a formal request.¡± ¡°Why me? There are a lot of greats for film music.¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s because he fell for your music. And there¡¯s the effect of Inferno.¡± ¡°What about Inferno all of a sudden?¡± ¡°The movie that he¡¯s making now is a horror thriller. If he¡¯s heard Inferno, is there any musician more appropriate? And the movie¡¯s attribute music needs toe out quickly. I¡¯m sure the fact that this albuming out in 3 days yed a factor.¡± The first item that a movie producer makes demands to a music director is time. The music needs to be created within the given time no matter what, because allocation and release schedules have already been decided. Most cases of shooting are when they do not follow the schedules. The edited film goes to the music director in a tight moment, and the music director needs topose, y, and record with a time limit. Ennio Morricone handled this kind of murderous schedule to create music for over 500 films, and they were all famous. He is a great who can be called a great. ¡°A movie... Tara, what do you think?¡± ¡°Me? It¡¯s simple. Watch the movie first and then make your decision. Isn¡¯t it obvious? If you watch the movie and you want to make the music, do it. If not, you can turn it down. Like I always tell you, do what your heart says.¡± Tara showed curiosity, but she told Jun Hyuk the best way to decide. *** ¡°I took a hit. He wants to make up his mind after watching the movie?¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s it? If he decides to do it, we need to pay up a ton of money. And Stern Corporation will take all of the copyrights. Jun gets millions for a single concert. We need to give him an amount that¡¯s proportional to that.¡± Director Louis O¡¯Connell¡¯s manager recalled the amount that Stern¡¯s side demanded and shook his head. ¡°What did the productionpany say?¡± ¡°Of course they¡¯re for it. They were prepared to ept any conditions. They¡¯re probably thinking that they¡¯ll make back the money in promotions if Jun is the music director. And.....¡± The manager looked over Louis O¡¯Connell¡¯s expression. ¡°Louis. If you look from an objective viewpoint, it¡¯s right that you ask him. He¡¯s easily called the 21st century Beethoven, and he¡¯s already a verified maestro. You¡¯re just a promising new director with a sense of production. You know who needs toe in bowing, right?¡± Louis O¡¯Connell let out a long sigh at the reality that his manager said. ¡°Damn it. I hate clinging to others.¡± ¡°Then look for a different music director. Aren¡¯t there are a lot of good people?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t listen to Inferno, did you? That music is scarier than hundreds of horror movies. I thought Jun took years to create a piece because he rarely releases music as aposer. But that wasn¡¯t the case. He¡¯s incredibly prolific, and he just doesn¡¯t release the music. How can I look for someone else when he can make the music for my movie in 2 or 3 days?¡± His manager is right. As he spoke, he was able to figure out why he needs to be the one clinging to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Shall I set up a meeting? Oh right. First, ept the music video no matter what. The meeting needs to be a ce for us to ask him to be the music director. Don¡¯t ruin it by talking about a give and take situation or something like that.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell decided to listen to his resourceful manager. Hadn¡¯t he made it all the way to Hollywood thanks to this manager? A few dayster, Louis O¡¯Connell went to Jun Hyuk¡¯s apartment. He was surprised that it was simplepared to therge Beverly Hills houses that stars live in. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re still filming the movie. I¡¯m sorry to have made youe all the way to New York.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Aren¡¯t you busier than I am? There isn¡¯t much time left before your albumes out, is there?¡± ¡°Fortunately, we have Alvin who does the other activities heartily. The fans want Alvin more than they want me.¡± Director Louis O¡¯Connell praised him on the new album and then started bringing up the movie. ¡°Do you watch movies often?¡± ¡°No. asionally? I watched them often when I was in Korea, but I haven¡¯t gone to the movies since I came to America. All I do is watch a few times on cable TV.¡± ¡°What¡¯s thest movie you saw?¡± Jun Hyuk touched his chin to think for a moment and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the title... but it was a movie with Angelina Jolie. Something about a group of assassins that could make bullets bend?¡± ¡°Wanted?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Wanted. It aired on cable TV a few days ago.¡± When Director Louis O¡¯Connell found out that Jun Hyuk rarely watches movies, he started to get nervous. Could his request to watch the movie before making a decision be his way of a mild refusal? ¡°And if you review that movie¡¯s music?¡± ¡°The overall configuration was good, but the use of the full orchestration was a bit immature. Seven theme songs were made into four variations, but the orchestra version fell short. The piano and electric sound were good.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell had been expecting a simple answer of good or bad, and let out a low exmation. ¡°Ah... Musicians really do analyze the soundtrack when they watch movies.¡± Chapter 239 Volume 7 / Chapter 239 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Louis O¡¯Connell¡¯s eyes were full of curiosity when he spoke, ¡°I heard that you remember all music if you hear it once. Do you remember for movies as well?¡± ¡°Ha ha. No. I can remember the music, but not the movies. So I have trouble remembering scenes with only dialogue and no music.¡± ¡°Then you remember all of the music in the movie?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s easy. If the music and video are not in harmony, it¡¯s hard to focus on the movie because of the bothersome music.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell felt his heart pound faster. Jun Hyuk brought up the perfect harmony between video and music that all directors seek. He asked Jun Hyuk the most important question, ¡°Do you have standards on film music?¡± ¡°Hm... I¡¯m sure the audience can¡¯t feel the music when they watch a movie. Music is a way to support the video message. The visuals be overwhelmed if the music is too strong. But it needs to be good to listen to as a separate track.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell realized that the perfect music director is sitting across from him. He spoke cautiously with a trembling heart. ¡°Filming ends soon. I¡¯ll end the editing quickly and send it over. I hope you won¡¯t turn it down even if the movie falls short a bit.¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re an incredible director. You¡¯re being too modest. I¡¯m also anticipating it because it seems like it¡¯ll be fun work.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s response basically means that he hase halfway to epting. Louis O¡¯Connell¡¯s face brightened. ¡°But can you tell me who the main actor is?¡± ¡°I guess you don¡¯t want entertainment programs on TV. It¡¯s all been announced. It¡¯ll be Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Robert De Niro.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes sparkled. Louis O¡¯Connell knew what it meant. ¡°Shall I arrange for a dinner or something? If you would like that, I mean.¡± ¡°Oh, is that for real? Is that possible?¡± The seriousness had gone away and his excitement at the possibility of meeting Hollywood stars is him as an average person in his 20s. Louis O¡¯Connellughed and took out his phone. ¡°Hang on. Let me ask about Anne¡¯s schedule.¡± ¡°What? Anne? Anne Hathaway?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jun Hyuk grimaced and waved his hand. ¡°Oh no, I don¡¯t know that woman well. I was talking about Robert De Niro. ¡®Raging Bull,¡¯ ¡®Godfather II,¡¯ ¡®Goodfes¡¯. And the real masterpiece, ¡®Taxi Driver¡¯!¡± When Jun Hyuk started listing movies that came out before he was born, Louis O¡¯Connell¡¯s eyes widened. Most people in their 20s do not remember Robert De Niro in ¡®Taxi Driver¡¯ unless they are film fanatics. There is no way for Louis O¡¯Connell to know that Jun Hyuk¡¯s cultural life began with Yoon Kwang Hun, a man in his 40s. *** The synopsis and script that Louis O¡¯Connell provided, created waves in record marketing. His ns were done with special effects for a documentary, filming outside without a set. Since there was not much time for the recordbel and director, there was a way to work as quickly as possible. It took 2 days to film a music video that was barely 4 minutes long. Jun Hyuk and the band had to stand in front of a blue screen and keep changing their clothes while singing the same song dozens of times. Excluding Alvin who has a lot of experience, the 3 of them had fun in the beginning but started to get tired and annoyed after a little time passed. ¡°Jun Hyuk, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°About what?¡± Kyung Min Ho suddenly apologized to Jun Hyuk in the middle of filming. ¡°I secretly cursed you for your meticulous directing while we recorded. But you were nothingpared to that director.¡± *** There were 2 big events in New York on December 23. One was the New York Philharmonic¡¯s year end concert and the other was the showcase for Alvin Lee and Jun Hyuk¡¯s album . The main person for the album is Alvin Lee, so Jun Hyuk made sure not to miss out on the New York Philharmonic¡¯s concert. Half of the interest in the New York Philharmonic¡¯s show is about Jun Hyuk, so it is also a good opportunity for promotion. Reporters were camped outside Lincoln Center Avery Hall, waiting for Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk is the only person that they absolutely need to get an interview from today. This is because each city¡¯s maestros had not been able to attend because of their own year end concerts. When Jun Hyuk¡¯s limousine arrived at the concert hall, reporters encircled it and started pressing the camera shutters. The middle-aged couple that got out first took in the shing cameras with confused expressions, and the reporters did not look much different either. ¡°Are you with Maestro Jun?¡± ¡°Excuse me, but what is your rtionship?¡± The couple hesitated and could not respond to the reporters¡¯ questions, while Jun Hyuk and Tara got out of the car and the microphones were directed to them. ¡°Maestro. Will you first tell us your thoughts on today¡¯s show?¡± ¡°First, I¡¯d like to thank Maestro Carras and the New York Philharmonic. Though it¡¯s a song that I wrote, I have never been able to perform it properly. I did record it, but that was through shortcuts.¡± Jun Hyukughed and looked around at the reporters. ¡°I¡¯ll be sitting back andfortably enjoying that song for the first time today. Of course I am happy.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a showcase going on in Manhattan today. Please say something about your new album.¡± ¡°Um... You¡¯ll be able to hear Alvin¡¯s honest singing. The music is as great as today¡¯s performance will be.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s group got through the reporters and went into the concert hall. There was not a single empty seat, and it was evident that the hall was full of curiosity regarding the music rather than expectation. The orchestra members¡¯ expressions were bright as they walked out on stage. As it said on the cards, they were not wearing headphones or earphones. Momentster, conductor Carras entered to passionate cheering. Dimitri Carras smiled and greeted the audience before standing on the podium. At that moment, most of the audience gulped and held their armrests tightly. They are preparing to face and endure the music. As soon as the conductor¡¯s baton moved, the stringed instruments¡¯ uneasy sound started toe out lightly. As soon as the strings¡¯ melody began, Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyebrows wriggled. After almost 3 minutes, Jun Hyuk realized exactly what Dimitri Carras meant when he said that he is looking at the music objectively and from a third party¡¯s view. Looking around, people in the audience were frowning. There were also those staring nkly with their mouths open, focusing on the stage. It is an entirely different scene from when Petrenko conducted the 1st part with Berlin Philharmonic, and everyone left their seats without being able to withstand it. The music did not cause pain. It was just ufortable. There were times when everything in front of them looked blood red or as though a demon form was present, but the audience seemed to know precisely that that is an illusion. When the 1st part was over after more than 10 minutes, sighing could be heard from everywhere in the audience. However, not a single person left their seat. When the 2nd part began, Jun Hyuk wanted to p loudly. Since Inferno was revealed to the world, this is the first time that the 2nd part is being performed in a concert hall. Unlike Jun Hyuk¡¯s recorded CD, the tempo changed. Unexpected parts were speedy, and moments that needed to pass by like a storm were weak and slow, changing the parts that needed to be endured with difficulty. It even felt like he was breathtakingly following the limitations of permissibility from the score. Conductor Carras finished performing until the 4th part, and did not move while holding onto the podium handrail. The orchestra members also had their heads down and were panting. When the conductor did not turn around, there were short bursts of pping among the silent audience, and then everyone stood up to start pping. It is not an enthusiastic cheering however. It was encouragement for the toil that the New York Philharmonic had gone through. This reaction is the general audience¡¯s evaluation of Jun Hyuk¡¯s Inferno. It is difficult and interesting music, but there is no philosophical message or emotional charge. It is as though they decided that is sound, not music. When the apuse faded, Dimitri Carras turned and greeted the audience by bowing. The orchestra followed suit, getting up from their seats to bow before quietly leaving the stage. As though they had waited for the New York Philharmonic to leave, the audience quickly left. There was no curtain call. Jun Hyuk did not move until everyone had left. When the couple who hade with Jun Hyuk also left and the theater waspletely empty, Tara cautiously spoke up, ¡°Jun. You¡¯re not going to go to the waiting room?¡± ¡°No. I think it¡¯ll be better to just go. I need to join the showcase too. And... Maestro Carras will want to be alone.¡± ¡°Why? You think the concert was a failure?¡± ¡°He performed up to the 4th part. This in itself is a sess. I thought it was okay, but I think critics are going to give bad reviews when theypare it with the album. He chose a method that was too safe.¡± Tara did not miss the ray of disappointment that passed over Jun Hyuk¡¯s face. Chapter 240 Volume 7 / Chapter 240 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir New York Times Review ¨C Howling Lion. And Tamer. Is it an overreaction if I thought of Marvin Gaye the moment I listened to the first track on Alvin Lee¡¯s new album ¨C though it may need to be called Jun¡¯s album ¨C ¡®My Wife¡¯? From white society¡¯s view of 60s ck music, rhythm and blues, it was an evil to be defeated. However, ingenious Marvin Gaye put gospel in rhythm and blues and made it into something respectable instead of something depraved. Though his incredible vocals had also been a great weapon. Marvin Gaye is the first great musician to make white adults dly open their wallets to buy an album. This does not mean that his album went over the racial barrier. Alvin Lee¡¯s album woke up the passion of white middle-aged people in their 40s and 50s, who had been fans of his when they were in their 20s in the 90s. Of course it cannot be denied that those wrapped in passion now in their 20s will be enthusiastic about this album as well. If Alvin Lee¡¯s image until now had been that of a rocker who came back as a sessful blues singer after falling into a drug addiction, Alvin Lee after this album will be a true musician creating another legend. And there is a name that we cannot leave out here. It is Maestro JUN. Simply calling him a musician is not enough as heposed all of the songs on this album and even produced it. This great musician is also the tamer. He breathed life into the ashes of a forgotten pop metal band, that had been sleeping in a grave. He even brought out what could be considered one of Stanley rke¡¯s top 3 songs during their first meeting. Something more surprising took ce at the Monterey Jazz Festival. After a performance with Lee Carlton and Stanley rke in front of a huge crowd, they yed in a rxed state as a dessert, resulting in a double album that quenched the thirst of jazz fans all over the world. I can say this confidently about him. Musicians who meet him say that they basically put in a reservation for the top masterpiece of their music lives. Therefore, all musicians rmend meeting him quickly. The gate, Greatest, is waiting in front of them. Oops! It seems like you do not need to hurry. Maestro JUN is only in his 20s, so there is still a lot of time. New York Post Review ¨C An Important Lesson The word ¡®first¡¯ has the power to focus the attention of the world. This is because behind the word ¡®first¡¯ always stimtes a primordial desire for conquest. New York Philharmonic was the first to conquerst night. And Inferno, the never ending hellfire, at that. Wait! They conquered the mes of hell? But why is it so t? It was unstimting and has no remembrance of watching a heated drama involving a journey through adversity. This is like hearing that someone had climbed Mt. Everest for the first time, so you turn on the TV and see him ride up in a helicopter to touch his feet down. Is this the first conquest? The album that Maestro JUN released is a sessful experiment that shows music¡¯s influence on the senses. The sad fact is that there are not even 1000 people on this earth who can enjoy this incredible result. It could be that the New York Philharmonic and Maestro Carras are unlucky because JUN, the sniper who aimed at Beethoven¡¯s heart, is alive. He already set the standard for Inferno through a record. Because of this, he has drawn a line to prevent people from performing the song on stage if they cannot go beyond that or provide a different type of sensation. (Whether JUN wants it or not) Last night, the New York Philharmonic¡¯s show gave a clear message to other symphony orchestras. They should not go at it without thought. If they do not have the confidence to surpass the record, they should not even make an attempt. Maestro Carras delivered this message and came down from the podium. *** Jun Hyuk read the two contradictory reviews and put the tablet down on the table. ¡°Maestro Carras¡¯ shock must be great.¡± ¡°This is actually pretty gentle. The rest sting so much that you can¡¯t read them.¡± ¡°He is still the first person to perform the entire part, but no one discusses that fact.¡± ¡°It¡¯s be a meaningless first. ording to the criticism, I mean.¡± President Stern also frowned and lit a cigarette. ¡°Don¡¯t you think he himself will have thought that it was reckless as well? But there would have been pressure from the board of directors too...¡± ¡°Maestro Carras is now.....?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be resting at home. Don¡¯t worry too much. He¡¯s doing better than you think.¡± President Stern let out a long puff of smoke and erased his serious expression, smiling as he spoke. ¡°Oh Jun, today is a happy Christmas Eve. You don¡¯t have much to do until the new year, so enjoy that time all you want. Shall we leave together?¡± Though President Stern urged Jun Hyuk, Jun Hyuk did not seem to want to go outside. ¡°Isaac. I can get out of January promotions next year for the album, right?¡± They already have several talk shows with nationwideworks CBS, ABC, and NBC prepared and dates decided. President Stern carefully looked over Jun Hyuk without awkwardness. ¡°Why? Is it because you don¡¯t want to go out on a TV show?¡± ¡°Yes. I just want to rest at home until the tour starts.¡± ¡°Is it because of yesterday¡¯s show?¡± ¡°No, I was satisfied. And I learned the true meaning of objectification thanks to it. It¡¯s meaningless for critics when theypare my record and the show. Even this coffee cup changes from the different angles we take to look at it...¡± President Stern did not make any expression, and did not ask the reason any further. ¡°Hm, alright. Rest until the tour. I¡¯ll even ban Tara from entering. All good?¡± ¡°Yes. Tell Tara to go on vacation. She¡¯ll have a lot of work once the tour starts.¡± ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do, but don¡¯t forget to eat all of your meals.¡± President Stern pat Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder and left the apartment. When Jun Hyuk was alone, he threw a stack of sheet music on the table and picked up a pen. His first thought after the New York Philharmonic¡¯s show yesterday, had been about a revised version of Inferno. Until now, he had not revised apleted version even if it was not to his liking. He thought that it would be better to create a new piece rather than to make revisions. However, Inferno is the first symphony he wrote. There is nothing to be ashamed about it looking back at it now, but it has already been revealed to the world and he thought he should evaluate it objectively and fix the shorings with fresh eyes. He had been locked in thought regarding the orientation of his pen, when Kyung Min Ho came. ¡°Min Ho.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back. I stopped by to see you before I left. Did I interrupt you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Are you going to Korea today?¡± ¡°Yeah. President Stern got me a flight ticket. In first ss. I¡¯ll be back early February. I¡¯m getting to ride a private ne and first ss because of you. Thanks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because of me. You got here on your own abilities. Musicians can¡¯t be too modest. Korea¡¯s going to be chaos.¡± ¡°Yeah. I think an article came out. The first Korean drummer to go mainstream globally. They¡¯re saying that¡¯s me. He he.¡± Kyung Min Ho gave an embarrassedugh and took 2 CDs out of his duffel bag. ¡°But Colin.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°He gave me this after the showcase yesterday.¡± The CDs that Kyung Min Ho is holding out are Colin¡¯s records. One is his 1st album, a full length one, and the other seems to be the 2nd album he is currently working on. ¡°Did you listen to them?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good. And it¡¯s my style. That kid looks mild, but he seems to implicitly like shy performances.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything else?¡± ¡°He said some stuff, but how am I supposed to understand?¡± Kyung Min Ho scratched his head and flushed. ¡°He¡¯s saying he wants to be in the band together. In other words, you¡¯ve been scouted.¡± ¡°What? With me?¡± ¡°Yes. It means he¡¯s telling you to listen to his music and join him if you want to. This music on this CD is what he¡¯s trying to put in his 2nd album. We¡¯re just a project band and we¡¯ll all go our separate ways once the tour is over. You¡¯ll have until then to make up your mind.¡± He looked surprised, but he did not seempletely pleased. He is carefully taking steps to a new path now. He knows that he cannot move too quickly. He had reached this opportunity with difficulty. Chapter 241 Volume 7 / Chapter 241 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Jun Hyuk spent the holidays in peace before the new year. He asionally sniggered as he watched Alvin Lee on talk shows, but all he thought about was Inferno. While he worked on revisions, he had a vague idea of why there were no traces of modifications from Mozart in the score. It is not difficult to write the song that fills his head in one go. And even if the song that was written like that is wed, it was already apleted score. Everything needs to be reconfigured in order to fix one drawback. This is his first attempt at revisions, and it is iparably harder than writing a new song. He still had not finished the 1st part after an entire month, and his head was full ofplicated thoughts. When he had thrown his pen multiple times and progress was crawling forward, an unexpected person came looking for Jun. ¡°Director?¡± ¡°Oh, did you not get a call? The edited movie is being sent...¡± Louis O¡¯Connell scratched his head when he saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s surprise. ¡°No, no one told me. I thought it woulde by mail.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that. We need to watch it together so I can tell you my thoughts as well.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell had a bottle of wine and a blu-ray title in his hands and was fittingly drunk for a director in thest stage of work. The two of them sipped wine and started watching the movie together. When the opening title came on the screen, Louis O¡¯Connell held the remote control in his hand and started exining the movie by taking turns pressing the pause and y buttons. ¡°This is where the music needs to starting out. The overall tone is gray, right? It starts out a bit dismally.¡± The movie is called a horror thriller, but it is more like a detective story. A fierce battle of wits among the characters with money and personal history entangled to pave a double plot with murder, that brings a fight against the audience through intelligence. ¡°The music here will be lyrical, the 1st theme song...¡± ¡°Director.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jun Hyuk wanted to stop the director¡¯s incessant chattering. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about the music, and just tell me about the emotion that you wanted to convey in each scene. What do you think about talking about revisions to make after I make all of the music?¡± They got through the movie quickly once the director¡¯s thoughts were not included. It ended without ending credits. ¡°We¡¯re going to add in an 8 minute ending credit. Then the entire running time will be about 126 minutes.¡± ¡°So 2 main theme songs cane on for the ending credits?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jun Hyuk took the remote control from the director¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll watch it again. This time, I¡¯ll watch it straight through.¡± Following Jun Hyuk¡¯s warning not to talk, the two of them rewatched the movie, focusing without saying a word. When the movie was over, Jun Hyuk spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s all done. I¡¯ll give you the score tomorrow, so prepare the orchestra as 2 parts. Guitar, bass... Oh, I¡¯ll record the rest, so all you have to do is prepare the orchestra.¡± Jun Hyuk drank the rest of the wine in his ss on the table. He felt much better because he will be able to rest his head from hisplicated thoughts on Inferno. ¡°I¡¯d like to record in New York if possible... If not, I guess I¡¯ll have to go to LA?¡± Louis O¡¯Connell gulped and spoke clearly, ¡°Does that mean you just finished creating all of the music? Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes. Excluding the parts where you don¡¯t need music, it wille out to 98 minutes. You can listen to the theme songs for the ending credits and decide if you want to use them as soundtracks for the movie.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell¡¯s face went back and forth between surprise and amusement. Keeping the quality of the music as a second thought, he has just met the world¡¯s best music director if evaluating him on speed alone. ¡°It would be better to record in LA. I will go back immediately and prepare the studio.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send you the score tomorrow. Oh right. Please have the orchestra be well-acquainted with the score. I¡¯ll go to LA in 3 days, prepare so that we can record right away.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell came to New York, watched his movie twice, and went back to LA. He had nned to discuss the music with Jun Hyuk as the music director for at least 2 or 3 days, but they had finished it within half a day. As soon as the film production staff and Louis O¡¯Connell received the heap of scores that Jun Hyuk sent via e-mail, they ran to the LA Pops Orchestra. Louis O¡¯Connell does not know how to read music and the curiosity over Jun Hyuk¡¯s music was driving him mad. The art director of the LA Pops Orchestra stared at the score for a long time. His only question told Louis O¡¯Connell what the standard of the music was really like. ¡°Which of these 16 songs is the main theme song?¡± ¡°Excuse me? What do you mean?¡± The art director spread the scores out and shook his head. ¡°Look here. These 16 scores are surely theme music. It is written from No. 1 Theme to No. 16. The other 60 are imitative music.¡± The official name of normal theme songs is program music. This program music is released as a single album with soundtracks. It is configured with the songs with the emotions that the major characters and director think symbolize the subject. Imitative music is not in the form ofpleted music, but is used as background music in every scene. Modernmercial movies are made up of 130 to 150 scenes, and music is needed in at least 100 scenes. Louis O¡¯Connell could not understand the art director¡¯s question. ¡°Isn¡¯t it definitely No. 1?¡± ¡°No. This is just the series number. I¡¯m saying this because there¡¯s no way to distinguish which are superior and inferior.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that they¡¯re all good?¡± ¡°Yes. Are you really saying that he created this much of such great music in just 1 day?¡± Director O¡¯Connell is a living witness to something unbelievable. ¡°So there was a reason why everyone is so crazed over Maestro Jun. It¡¯s not like this is Mozart... You said he¡¯sing the day after tomorrow?¡± The art director of the LA Pops Orchestra felt slight excitement. He is eager to meet the living Mozart. ¡°Yes. He requested that the orchestra know the scorepletely by then.¡± ¡°I understand. Of course we¡¯ll bepletely prepared.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell¡¯s expression however, was not just bright. ¡°But it does bother me a bit that the music is very good. Won¡¯t it stand out too much.....?¡± ¡°I think so as well. The music could overwhelm the film in some aspects... Oh, don¡¯t misunderstand me. I¡¯m not deprecating the movie. It¡¯s just that the songs¡¯ perfection is incredible.¡± This kind of opinion means that Director O¡¯Connell¡¯s worries are not severe. ¡°It¡¯s better than having in music. Let¡¯s think about it positively.¡± *** It felt like California¡¯s warm weather was helping melt Jun Hyuk¡¯s ufortable heart a little.Tara had been on vacation when she got a call from Jun Hyuk and quickly flew to LA. When she met Jun Hyuk in the LA airport, he looked different from the way he had a month ago. His always smiling face was gone and he was now expressionless, only giving her a formal wee. This is not very different from the way he looked right after the New York Philharmonic¡¯s concert. Even inside the car from the airport to the studio, Jun Hyuk looked out the window and barely opened his mouth. The car went through LA in an awkward silence. Director O¡¯Connell, film production executives, and the orchestra members were all waiting for Jun Hyuk in arge recording studio. After making introductions, they were going to chat over tea, but Jun Hyuk shook his head. ¡°It is a fairlyrge workload. It might take a few days, so let¡¯s hurry up and start.¡± When the opportunity to cautiously check whilefortably drinking coffee disappeared, Louis O¡¯Connell looked impatient. ¡°Uh, Maestro. The theme song is too good. Do you...¡± Jun Hyuk frowned slightly and cut Director O¡¯Connell off. ¡°Director. I know what you¡¯re worrying about. But didn¡¯t you agree as well? Film music needs to be good to listen to separately, without being prominent whenbined with film and supporting it. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¨C that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°This music does not stand out at all whenbined with the film. Whew ¨C I don¡¯t understand. Why do we have to waste time talking about this? I keep what I promise. Listen to the music once it¡¯s added to the film and if you don¡¯t like it, tell me. I¡¯ll make it again whether it¡¯s 100 or 1000 times.¡± He was not yelling in rage, but anyone could tell that he is holding back his irritation. Tara was most surprised by this behavior. Until now, she has never seen Jun Hyuk reveal his ufortable thoughts externally. She had felt that Jun Hyuk had changed a little when she saw him at the airport, but this moment is when she is reaching certainty. Tara fell out of her thoughts at Jun Hyuk¡¯s following request. ¡°Then everyone except the orchestra, please leave the recording booth.¡± Everyone left the booth as though being chased out, and the performers looked at Jun Hyuk with expressions full of tension. Chapter 242 Volume 7 / Chapter 242 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir ¡°We¡¯ll start with Theme No. 1. This song is dominated by woodwinds. The strings and brass winds need to y short and strong at the precise timing.¡± Then they heard Director O¡¯Connell¡¯s voice over the recording booth speakers. ¡°Maestro. You need to tell us which part of the film No. 1 is, so that we can y the monitor.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re going to turn the movie on?¡± ¡°Yes. That way, you¡¯ll be able to match it with the video...¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need it. I¡¯ll match the time exactly. It¡¯ll just take attention away from the performers.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at the surprised orchestra members. When they had recorded music for movies up until now, the conductor conducted while watching the videos. The music and film do not match up if there is even the smallest mistake, so Jun Hyuk¡¯s intention to conduct without the video sounds absurd. Jun Hyuk felt their apprehension and spoke firmly, ¡°All you have to do is focus on my baton and the score. Then there will be no problem. Alright then, we are starting.¡± When the baton moved, the performers realized that it is not the time to be worrying about the conductor. As soon as the first sound came out, Jun Hyuk tapped the music stand with his baton. ¡°Oboe! Your breathing was short. Again!¡± This signaled the start of a rough day for them. ¡°Trombone. You know you came inte, right? Is it so hard to match the tempo? Again!¡± It took 2 hours to record a 2 minute 45 second song. Jun Hyuk turned around and spoke after the performers had sweat through their clothes. ¡°Director. Try putting the recording of No.1 Theme we just did on the video. The video starts at 18:24:16.¡± Jun Hyuk put the baton down and looked around at the performers. ¡°Let¡¯s take a short break. I ask that you focus more when performing the next song.¡± The recorders bustled to match the video time to the music, while Jun Hyuk left the studio to get fresh air. Tara quickly got a bottle of water and followed him out. What Tara saw as strange in Jun Hyuk was his nerves. He is bristling like a hedgehog covered in spines, so the studio atmosphere is down. The ruler of the studio right now is the conductor, Jun Hyuk. The energy that his body is giving off is infecting everyone. ¡°Jun, what¡¯s up? What do you think about calming down a bit? Let¡¯s go a bit slower.¡± Jun Hyuk drank the water that Tara gave him, and rinsed his mouth. ¡°Pops Orchestra? The name is a waste. What orchestra.....¡± ¡°Jun. They¡¯re not the New York Philharmonic. You can¡¯t expect that standard from them.¡± Tara cautiously coaxed him, but he said something that she was not expecting. ¡°You think the New York Philharmonic is something amazing? They were just one level higher than those people. They¡¯re just a little better off because they¡¯re older and have more experience. They physically performed more, so of course they¡¯ll be better but they¡¯re really all the same.¡± Jun Hyuk threw the water bottle in his hand. ¡°Ugh. Damn!¡± Tara could not understand what Jun Hyuk was saying in Korean, but she could tell from his expression that he is swearing. And she thinks she knows where Jun Hyuk¡¯s current state came from. Ultimately, it is because of the Inferno that Dimitri Carras performed. He must feel terrible because he was at the scene where his first symphony was ruined. But Tara¡¯s thoughts are half right and half wrong. Inferno is the cause, but it is not because of the New York Philharmonic or Dimitri Carras. Jun Hyuk is angry because for the first time, his music is not going the way he wants it to. The revision work for Inferno is noting out like a spider web as apleted melody in his mind. Mostposers use methods of configuring notes, fixing, and carving. This slow progress tested the limits of his patience, and the anger is being directed at the wrong ce. Jun Hyuk went back into the studio and Tara quickly got her phone out. ¡°Isaac. This is Tara. There¡¯s a bit of a problem.¡± Tara told President Stern about Jun Hyuk¡¯s condition, and confessed what she is most concerned about. ¡°There isn¡¯t much time before the tour with Alvin. I think performing will be impossible with the way Jun is now. I can¡¯t imagine him performing on stage like this.¡± She heard President Stern sigh over the phone. ¡°This is a big problem. The album is 2nd ce on Billboard charts right now. It¡¯s obvious that it¡¯ll go up to 1st ce next week... A total of 4 songs went up in Top 10 for the singles chart. The 12 songs that aren¡¯t instrumentals are speeding to the top of charts. We can¡¯t cancel the concert tour.¡± They stayed on the phone and neither could speak for a while. *** After recording 16 theme songs over 3 days, the LA Pops Orchestra gave uppletely. The productionpany eventually had to ask for Jun Hyuk¡¯s understanding. ¡°Maestro. The major theme songs are done, so we¡¯ll work on the rest on our own for the remainder. It seems you won¡¯t have to conduct the imitative music yourself.¡± Jun Hyuk felt a twinge when he saw the people being careful around him. He knows that he has been severe, but he had not been able to control the anger he felt whenever he heard the orchestra ying in the recording studio. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do that then. Oh right. Did you work on what we recorded until now and the music that I yed?¡± ¡°Yes. It all matched up as though they had been measured with a ruler. We were really surprised.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell spoke up when the studio engineers were admiring him. ¡°I apologize for being doubtful for a moment. I¡¯m just a rookie director, but I can assure you that there is no film music that is more perfect than this. If my movie gets an Oscar, it won¡¯t because of the film work but because of the music.¡± Director O¡¯Connell praised Jun Hyuk until he was red in the face. They said their goodbyes and Jun Hyuk left for the airport. Tara spoke up first on the ne to New York. ¡°Jun. We need to start the tour in a month. Will you be okay?¡± ¡°Of course. Why are you asking that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not asking because you don¡¯t know, are you? You need to start tours with excitement, anxiety, and happy expectations. But there¡¯s nothing like that in you right now.¡± Tara looked Jun Hyuk straight in the eye and spoke firmly. ¡°Forget the sess of the tour ¨C I¡¯m saying this because if you start the tour in your current state, your condition might worsen.¡± When Jun Hyuk was about to say something, Tara put up her hand to stop him. ¡°Ask yourself. Are you in perfect condition mentally? If not, act like you are or cancel it. I don¡¯t have the confidence to watch you perform in difficult conditions.¡± Jun Hyuk sighed and turned to look out the window. *** ¡°Is Jun okay?¡± ¡°He says he wants to be alone until the tour. And he told me to tell you not to worry too much. He said he¡¯ll get through the tour schedule without problems.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the New York Philharmonic¡¯s concert, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. I think he¡¯s just not saying much because of Maestro Carras. He doesn¡¯t want to me him.¡± President Stern listened to Tara and remembered what he had been forgettingpletely. There are no artists who do what they do not like to do in order to make money. There is no need to say more with sessful artists. Musicians who handle the murderous schedules of tours do so because they love the passion thates from the audience. A mistake is inevitable if they are so exhausted and tired that they evene to hate the hot air in the concert hall. The manager is the person who needs to get a grasp of this state and be able to read it. The manager also needs to be able to make the bold decision to cancel a tour schedule for his exhausted musician. When President Stern realized his mistake, he felt a little sore. How could he make such a mistake? He should have realized when he met Jun Hyuk on Christmas Eve..... When he thought that he needs to settle it before it is toote, the first person he called was Alvin Lee. When he exined the current situation, Alvin Lee surprisingly started out byughing. ¡°Ha ha. Jun really wasn¡¯t a rocker. Isaac. Are ssical guys normally that sincere? Do they on go stage and take on tour schedules even when they feel terrible?¡± Alvin Lee talked about when he was young. He talked about not showing up for shows, getting into fights with the audience and making scenes. ¡°Isaac, take Jun out of this tour. I¡¯ll look into a guitarist to take his ce. A private audition would be fine too. We can just adjust the schedule.¡± Alvin Lee did not worry about Jun Hyuk¡¯s absence at all. Or he was hiding his concern thoroughly. ¡°You think the fans are going to make a crazy fuss because a member changed all of a sudden, right? Not at all. Everyone ps and fawns over the new member if he does well. It looks like fans love and worships stars, but that¡¯s a mistake. What they love and worship in the end is the music. Of course if the band¡¯s symbol is changed, it¡¯s not a member change but a dissolution.¡± If even bands with long histories be intertwined with problems of changing music or money, there are often member changes. ¡°And isn¡¯t Jun a maestro? He became inspired and is putting all of his time into a new project. He isn¡¯t participating in the concerts in order to create an even better album. No one will be suspicious. People like us only have excuses like going to jail because of drugs or health issues, but Jun has a lot of excuses to give.¡± Alvin Lee saved President Stern from his worries. ¡°Everyone understands if a great artist like Jun acts however he wants to.¡± ¡°I get youpletely, but as you said, Jun is sincere. He has a strong sense of responsibility. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t fall out of a tour because of his own issue.¡± ¡°Then create a way to justify his falling out. That¡¯s what a manager¡¯s for. Something that will make Jun want to back out of the tour. If he still wants to participate, there¡¯s no reason to worry.¡± When President Stern was about to end the call with Alvin Lee, he got an idea. ¡°Alvin. Get the best guitarist you can think of on board. As a guest.¡± President Stern thought of what could be enough justification and something Jun Hyuk would like most. He thought of what Amelia said before. Jun Hyuk is happier when he is creating music than when he is ying it. When he thought of this as well, he started moving busily. He made calls to dozens of ces and even met with a few people in person. And after 2 days, he made hisst call to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Isaac, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Jun. I didn¡¯t interfere, did I?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡± President Stern felt a little better when Jun Hyuk¡¯s voice was brighter than he had been expecting. ¡°Can you get lunch with me tomorrow? It¡¯s something important.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s okay. But what¡¯s so important?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow when we meet. I¡¯ll go pick you up from the apartment, so wait.¡± Chapter 243 Volume 7 / Chapter 243 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir The next day, he went with President Stern to a shabby restaurant on a street in Queens. He asked who they would be meeting with while in the car, but Stern had not exined in detail, saying that he would know once they met. Though it is lunch time, there was only one person at a table in the restaurant, waiting for Jun Hyuk. ¡°Ohh, Maestro. It¡¯s an honor.¡± Sergio Castellitto introduced himself as a Wall Street investor and looked to be an old man over 70. He held Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand for a while and did not look like he would let go, so President Stern sat him down. ¡°Sergio. Let¡¯s eat first. We can talk while we eat.¡± Sergio Castellitto sent a signal to the kitchen and the chef nodded before starting to cook. ¡°This restaurant¡¯s T-bone steak is as good as that of a Michelin 3-star restaurant. Only people who know of this cee and go quietly. They aren¡¯t usually open at lunch time, but I asked them to open it up specially so that we could have some quiet time to ourselves.¡± Jun Hyuk took a bite of juicy meat. As Castellitto said, this is a ce that cooks its meat very well. ¡°I own a very smallpany and make some money. Then, I saw your show with the New York Philharmonic and became a huge fan.¡± Sergio Castellitto pushed away a te that he had finished clean, and spoke quietly, ¡°Since the day I heard music that takes on Beethoven, there is just one thought in my head. That¡¯s why I asked Isaac to let me meet you in person.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Castellitto. Then will you tell me what that thought is? I can¡¯t ignore it when you¡¯ve allowed me to taste steak this great.¡± The elderly Italian man¡¯s face brightened so much to Jun Hyuk¡¯s response that his smile made the wrinkles on his face straightened out. ¡°I was hoping you would be our Italy¡¯s Verdi or Pini rather than Beethoven.¡± President Stern and Jun Hyuk understood the small Italian man¡¯s words at once. Giuseppe Verdi, whoposed over 30 operas in his lifetime, and Gio Pini, the best Italianposer after Verdi who rose to international fame. Pini was born in La in Tuscany, thend of wine and music, into a parish that handled the music for La over 150 years. He was an organ runner in a cathedral from a young age, and a genius who took the pipe out of the organ to sell in exchange for cigarettes, performing with a different chord to hide the missing pipe. He decided to be an operaposer after watching Verdi¡¯s opera, ¡®Aida¡¯ when he was young. Verdi had a great influence on Italy¡¯s independence movement, and is the musician who the people love most. The song in the 3rd act of his opera, ¡®Nabo,¡¯ expresses the oppression that the Israelites suffered from Babylon. The Italians moaning under the yoke of Austria thought that this song of the Hebrew ves was expressing their feelings. Verdi¡¯s song spoke for the Italian people, and Verdi¡¯s name became the code of revolution. Viva! Verdi! It is because the first letters of the name of the leader of the movement to unify the government, General Vittorio Emanuele Re D¡¯Italia, be VERDI. was called the unofficial national anthem at the time of the independence movement. ¡°Are you asking me to write an opera?¡± ¡°Yes. But I¡¯m not talking about a frivolous opera like Mozart¡¯s. Resurrect the traditional Italian opera.¡± A descendant of Rome to his bones, this old man does not hide the fact that he does not like Mozart¡¯s operas which were created in the Germannguage. ¡°Traditional Italian... Then Italian for thenguage as well?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sergio Castellitto drank coffee as he watched Jun Hyuk¡¯s reaction. Jun Hyuk is already showing a great deal of interest. ¡°I already shared my thoughts with my friends in Italy, and they also sent their ardent support. As a result, we gathered $70 million.¡± ¡°What? $70 million?¡± $70 million for an opera? Jun Hyuk nearly spilled his coffee. ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything up to you, Maestro. I believe that you have the capability to reality mine and my friends¡¯ dream. And of course we¡¯re thinking of having the premiere in Mn¡¯s opera sanctuary ¡®Teatro A Sc¡¯.¡± The old Italian man¡¯s face is full of pride. Italians think of the opera as the mainstream of ssical music. There is basis for their pride since ssical music¡¯s representative format, the symphony, was originally the opera¡¯s overture. ¡°Instead, there is a condition.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes shined as he listened to the old man. ¡°Love, betrayal, revenge, death. Please include these in the opera. I ask that you don¡¯t create it based on a light and fun scenario that is reflective of the times. You must bring out the tragic beauty of love, betrayal, revenge, and death in order for it to be a true Italian opera.¡± A giant opera worth $70 million. He can make it any way he wants to and he can cast the best vocals in the world. Jun Hyuk has never even attempted to write an opera before. An opera is a y because a script is necessary. Writing is not an area that Jun Hyuk had in mind. Sergio Castellitto watched Jun Hyuk as he was lost in thought, and spoke up cautiously, ¡°I heard that you¡¯ll be touring soon.¡± ¡°Yes. It starts next month.¡± ¡°I could be overstepping my boundaries, but I wish you wouldn¡¯t waste your abilities in such affairs. I do think that it is good to create great pop music, but there are a lot of musicians who can take your ce in performing. I ask that you put all of your heart into creating music that will shine for 100, 200 years like Verdi¡¯s opera.¡± ¡°Mr. Castellitto, I understand what you¡¯re saying. It¡¯s difficult to say anything at the moment... Will you give me some time to think it over?¡± ¡°Of course. We are ready to wait for as long as it takes. But an old man like me doesn¡¯t know how long I have left to live. Please allow me to see the performance before I die.¡± The old man held Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand tightly again with sparkling eyes. *** ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t it an interesting proposal?¡± ¡°It is. An opera... I didn¡¯t even imagine it. Isaac, did you know?¡± ¡°No. We have known each other for a long time now... He just asked me to let him meet you because he¡¯s a fan. That was it.¡± In the car back to President Stern¡¯s house, he kept watching Jun Hyuk. ¡°Will there be a good story if you were to write an opera? I kept thinking about that while we were eating. Love, betrayal, revenge. There aren¡¯t stories like that these days. Even the slightly immature Italian tragic beauty? It would have been better if he brought a good scenario to you.¡± President Stern shook his head negatively, and Jun Hyuk smiled. ¡°No. There was something I thought of as soon as he said traditional Italian.¡± ¡°What? What work is it?¡± ¡°Godfather.¡± ¡°Godfather? Oh my God!¡± It was something that had not once crossed President Stern¡¯s mind. Is it not one of the top masterpieces in the world, epassing crime, family, and drama of the times? It is the first movie where all the 3 parts of the series were nominated for Academy Awards. It is a piece that would be news just by being called the modern ssic Godfather. ¡°Isn¡¯t it good material? Family, revenge, sess, death. There¡¯s even a bit of love. Italians like family.¡± ¡°The material is good, but isn¡¯t the story too vast?¡± The time in the 3-part series Godfather is chronologically over 90 years. It is ambiguous where to begin and end. ¡°I¡¯ll have to mix Godfather part 1 and 2. If you think of Vito Corleone as the main character, the story can have young Vito Corleone, from Robert De Niro as the Godfather in hisst years and Marlon Brando¡¯s lifetime.¡± Jun Hyuk showed a bit of fervor and discussed the opera¡¯s configuration. ¡°We can reduce the role of the son, Michael Corleone, yed by Al Pacino. If there isn¡¯t a time limit, it can have the story of 2 generations.¡± The character in all 3 parts of the series is the younger of the 2 sons, but Marlon Brando¡¯s charismatic image is most deeply embedded in people¡¯s memories. President Stern looked at Jun Hyuk and thought of something. ¡°You haven¡¯t already started it, have you? In your head?¡± ¡°No. The real scenario needs toe out first for an opera.¡± He waved his hand, but he was already thinking of how he could use the movie¡¯s main theme song. ¡°Jun, tell me honestly. Do you really have thoughts of taking this on?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re willing to invest the whole of the production costs, so there¡¯s no reason not to do it. It is a bit funny to think of writing an opera.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with an opera?¡± ¡°Since the opera is disappearing now. There is a great alternative in musicals, so why do operas? It¡¯s a bitughable to use a huge sum of $70 million to satisfy the hobbies of rich old Italians. Or... is it because they¡¯re Italian people?¡± He had a momentary look of disbelief, but he did not seem to mind. ¡°If you think of the time it¡¯ll take to prepare the scenario, won¡¯t it be right when the tour is over? The original novel and movie are already out, but it¡¯ll take around 1 year since there are a lot of limits to operas.¡± President Stern frowned. ¡®Damn it. I invested $15 million to give him a reason to drop out of the tour.....¡± Chapter 244 Volume 7 / Chapter 244 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir He had not heard that Jun Hyuk wrote an opera yet, so he thought Jun Hyuk would be happy if he heard a proposal for an opera with a huge production budget. Jun Hyuk will need to concentratepletely on creating a masterpiece if he epts the proposal, and Stern even calcted that he would drop out of the tour. President Stern used the name Maestro Jun and contacted rich people with free lives, especially rich Italians, to propose the opera and people immediately filled in the other $55 million funding. The n up to here hade along without issues, but he wants to continue with the tour? President Stern spoke quickly and inly, ¡°Jun. Can I say what I¡¯m thinking?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Why are you like that all of a sudden? You can just say whatever you want to.¡± Jun Hyuk found the way that President Stern¡¯s tone changed, unfamiliar. ¡°The tour with Alvin. What do you think about dropping out?¡± ¡°Yes. Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°3-month cross country tour. A world tour would be at least 6 months. I think it¡¯d be better for you to spend that time creating.¡± ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re saying this all of a sudden... Then, can you tell me what makes it better than the tour?¡± ¡°Acting however you want. You¡¯re not being in the mood to perform because of Inferno. Is that right?¡± President Stern watched Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression carefully. A bitter smile passed his face. ¡°That is right. But don¡¯t worry because it¡¯s not enough to give up the tour.¡± There¡¯s a promise I made to your father. I told him I wouldn¡¯t make you do anything that you don¡¯t want to do just because of money. The reason why you¡¯re doing the concert isn¡¯t 100% because of the money, but don¡¯t do it if there¡¯s any part of you that doesn¡¯t want to do it.¡± He is speaking in a decisive tone. Jun Hyuk is used to President Stern always speaking as though joking, and is hearing him speaking as though giving amand for the first time. ¡°It¡¯s better to use that time to write a song. And if you really are going to take on the opera, you¡¯ll have to work on the scenario too. You¡¯d be the chief of this work, so let¡¯s make sure the scenarioes out perfectly from the beginning. You have to create it with the writer.¡± Jun Hyuk hesitated for a moment before speaking, ¡°Is it really okay for me to back out?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll make sure there are no problems with the tour, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡± He automatically sighed in relief. It worked. There are times with auspiciousness is necessary. President Stern said what he had been feeling. ¡°And forget Inferno now. I know you didn¡¯t like the New York Philharmonic¡¯s performance, but what are you going to do? It is that difficult of a song. No one will think about performing itpletely for the time being. It isn¡¯t a bad idea to leave it as homework for a while.¡± When the New York Philharmonic was mentioned, Jun Hyuk realized that there had been a misunderstanding. ¡°What? What are you talking about? The New York Philharmonic¡¯s performance wasn¡¯t bad. I was able to discover a new side, too. Did you think I was like this because of the concert?¡± ¡°What? It isn¡¯t? Then?¡± ¡°You misunderstood. I¡¯m creating a new version of Inferno right now... but it¡¯s a lot harder than I thought it would be. It was giving me quite a headache.¡± ¡°A new Inferno? Well I¡¯ll be!¡± President Stern¡¯s first thought was that the opera proposal was a great idea. Inferno again? ¡°Jun. Sometimes, the solution is to leave a problem unsolved. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re trying to fix it, but I heard the Inferno album and looked over the score carefully. No matter what anyone says, Inferno is a masterpiece.¡± Jun Hyuk did not say anything and only nodded. It is hard for him to exin to someone else what he is working on now. Isaac Stern could be right as well. It could be an assignment that he needs to solve alone for the rest of his life. *** When Alvin Lee¡¯s cross country tour was about to start, the press shouted for joy again. It was because of Jun Hyuk not participating as well as the reason for that. ¡°Currently, we have obtained the copyrights for the original novel and movies. We are also searching for production staff including a writer to take on the opera scenario and an art director to handle the set. We will create a crew that is the best fit for Maestro Jun. Please look for exciting things toe.¡± Stern Corporation¡¯s public announcement was included in all press outlets. A young genius who always creates newsworthy music is making a traditional Italian opera worthy of exhibition in a museum. Furthermore, that opera is of a masterpiece of a movie that has continued to gain new followers over thest 40 years. Though all they did was to reveal their ns, they were pelted with phone calls from all respectable management agencies and organizers. They asked about audition schedules to get their agencies¡¯ vocals included, and discussed their intentions to promote additional performances following the premiere in Mn¡¯s Teatro A Sc. It seemed that no one thought the opera would be a failure. Half of this was because of the power that the movie ¡®Godfather¡¯ has, and half is that they trust Maestro Jun¡¯s abilities. *** Tara flew to California with Jun Hyuk and was in awe by the endless vineyards spread out below them. Proprietor of luxury wine brand Inglenook produced in Napa Valley, the main source of America¡¯s wine, is Grandfather¡¯s director Francis Ford Copp. ¡°Tara. Is Director Copp the owner of this ce?¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard he now feels more pride in being the owner of Inglenook Winery than he does as a movie director. I¡¯m pretty sure he invested most of the money he made through film in this.¡± When they arrived at the winery building, Director Copp was waiting for Jun Hyuk. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be anything in particr that I can be of help with... You¡¯vee to me since Mario Puzo, the original author, has passed away.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. The opera¡¯s original will be the movie. That¡¯s why we purchased the rights for the films as well.¡± ¡°And how did youe to such a nonsensical thought? Ha ha.¡± Director Coppughed as he offered Jun Hyuk wine. He did not taste anything special, but he drank each sip as though he were melting it on his tongue because the 1941 Inglenook wine is currently worth $30,000. ¡°Godfather was the only original that met the demands of the investors. I don¡¯t know much because I haven¡¯t read much.¡± ¡°Alright. Then let¡¯s see what you were so curious about that you flew all the way here. I honestly looking forward to it too.¡± ¡°Is the Italian mafia really elegant upper ss gentlemen as they¡¯re shown in the movies? The things they do and their natures are that of gangsters, but they¡¯re drawn out asplete businessmen.¡± Director Copp did not put his wine ss down, and only smiled silently. It seems he is looking back into a distant past. ¡°Of course not. Do you want to know something funny? The real boss of the mafia at the time of the movie¡¯s release and the boss of New York¡¯s 5 families, George Bonanno, himself came to see it. I heard that he changed the way he dressed and spoke to be like that of Marlon Brando or Don¡¯s Vito Corleone after that. I didn¡¯t draw the mafia, but they copied the movie. He he.¡± A movie really is just a movie. It was what he expected, but the illusion was shattered. The young and old artists discussed movies and music for a long time. ¡°The scene where Vito Corleone dies of a heart attack while ying in a tomato field with his grandson. What kind of scene did you want then? And were you able to capture it the way you wanted to on camera?¡± ¡°Since you said you watched it too, why don¡¯t you tell me first?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool until the very end. That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Jun Hyuk watched Director Copp as he responded, but the old great was not fooled. ¡°Nothing t like that, but the truth. A musician, and someone called a genius at that, can¡¯t express his thoughts about that scene as something cool.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s already wine-flushed cheeks grew even more red. Why are these old people so perceptive? This director and Isaac Stern. Jun Hyuk scratched his head and spoke slowly, ¡°I felt like it wasughing at something. Wouldn¡¯t it have been more like the godfather of a mafia if he died with bullets all over his body from the opposing family? An old man whose everything is ying with his grandson after retirement. It ended with a humbel death as an average old man, with the only difference being his wealth.¡± Director Copp emptied his wine ss and recalled the passion of filming at the time. ¡°You¡¯re right when you say average. But it wasn¡¯t humble orughing at anything.¡± ¡°Then....?¡± ¡°I just wanted to draw the death of an average old man. Vito Corleone¡¯s life was really tumultuous. I didn¡¯t want to condemn or praise his life. He was just the head of a household supporting his family, and he¡¯s just an average old man after retiring. You can¡¯t say an old man is average if he¡¯s shot to death.¡± Jun Hyuk was thinking of ending the opera with Vito Corleone¡¯s death. The expression of his death will decide the opera¡¯s sess. He needs to avoid having it called a second decoction of the movie no matter what. Chapter 245 Volume 7 / Chapter 245 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Colin was on the cross-country tour of his dreams and gaining a reputation as a bassist with overflowing personality. Kyung Min Ho felt like this tour was a dream even while he was ying the drums. After about a month passed however, they realized that stamina is most important when trying to handle a nomadic lifestyle of constant movement. They finally felt the true nature of touring when there were neverending days spent sleeping on buses and nes. The concert nning agency fell into a panic when they found out that Jun Hyuk was dropping out, but sighed in relief when a prominent star guitarist was brought on for each changing performance. It was also a great factor in the show¡¯s sess. Once the fans started enjoying the curiosity of who the next guitarist would be, there was no longer anyint regarding Jun Hyuk¡¯s absence. While they were handling a busy schedule, Jun Hyuk was spending his days in leisure, meeting each of the major characters of Godfather. He met with people like Al Pacino who is of Italian immigrant lineage like Director Copp, Robert De Niro who acted the role of young Vito Corleone, James Caan of the older son role, and Robert Duval of the attorney role in turn to get feedback on casting. He had wanted to be able to meet Marlon Brando of the Vito Corleone role and original author Mario Puzo, but they had already passed away. The chief director of an opera needs to materialize the image in his head. Jun Hyuk is systematically building out the visual image and the emotional flow of the y. ¡°Jun. These are the profiles for the scriptwriter candidates. Look over them and pick. It¡¯s fine to have one or two, since they can do a coboration.¡± The document that President Stern gave him had the various writer¡¯s records and major works. There were various experts in the field, from movie scenario writers, poets, novel writers, to musical script writers. Themon factor was that they are all Italian. There are those who are also active in British Columbia, and those who never left Italy. He needed to have an English trantion for the people who were only active within Italy. ¡°And we got an interesting proposal. Director Martin Scorsese proposed making a documentary.¡± Jun Hyuk was so surprised he almost threw the papers he was looking at. Martin Scorsese, symbol of Hollywood gangsters and noir film, is the son of Italian immigrants. As shown in his filmography, he likes heavy masculine drama and has a strong passion for music in particr. movie series is a 7-part documentary created under Martin Scorsese¡¯s chief directing. The beginning of a tremendous project going across the American continent to Africa and Europe stemmed from Martin Scorsese¡¯s affection for the blues, and his desire to get its history and story out to the world. The journey depicted in series became a beautiful and emotional tribute to the great directors in music. His production skills are also so great that he was able to film a Rolling Stones live show documentary ¡®Shine A Light¡¯. There is no reason for such a man to hear about a gangster ssic with music ¨C much less an Italian opera ¨C and stay still. ¡°A documentary?¡± ¡°Yeah. He said he wants to capture everything from the scenario production to the La Sc show.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to capture? All there will be is me staring out nkly and then writing on sheet music.¡± ¡°Jun, a great producer is able to capture that nk staring in an emotional manner. And it could be a documentary about creating the opera or about you. Is that okay?¡± If it had been a different director, Jun Hyuk would have rejected it without a second¡¯s hesitation. But it is Martin Scorsese, one of his favorite directors. President Stern could see that Jun Hyuk is conflicted, and gave advice that would help him make up his mind. ¡°What do you think if we don¡¯t film anything personal... like shooting at home or taking away from your personal time? It¡¯ll be hard toe across a project like creating a traditional opera again, so I¡¯d like to have a record like this as well.¡± ¡°Then one more thing. Turning the camera off no matter what when I want. We can go through with it if that condition is included.¡± President Stern took his phone and gave the order to write up a contract regarding the documentary production first. *** Jun Hyuk, Tara, and President Stern looked through documents for several hours in order to choose scenario writers. ¡°Giuseppe Ung? Ungaretti? Who is this person?¡± ¡°Oh, Ungaretti? Why? You like him?¡± ¡°Yes. First, this poem tranted into English is good, but I don¡¯t know what the original Italian will be like...¡± Jun Hyuk shook a poem in his hand and Tara took Ungaretti¡¯s poem from him. She read slowly through the original text on the back. ¡®Does Tara know Italian? I¡¯m confused.¡¯ Jun Hyuk was trying not to be surprised. It is really not something to be surprised by because he heard that she is good at most Europeannguages. Jun Hyuk listened to Tara reciting the poem and focused on the sound of thenguage. The distinctive rolling that does not seem to end in Italian was nice to listen to. Giuseppe Ungaretti broke traditional writing styles and drew out the devastation of the modern world using a wild rhythm. After releasing that first poem, he dedicated himself to his works and reaped sess. Jun Hyuk did not know anything about him, but there is music inside his poem. The music moved with variety and density inside the poem, but was also a tool that brought out the beauty of sound like a 1-person opera. ¡°It¡¯s good. Let¡¯s go with this person.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll need another professional screenwriter. Ungaretti will only be able to write dialogue. He can¡¯t configure an entire scenario.¡± ¡°Then Isaac, find an appropriate person. I¡¯ll just prepare the dialogue with this poet.¡± President Stern looked over Ungaretti¡¯s profile and frowned. ¡°You¡¯ll have to go to Italy if you want to work with this poet. It says that he barely leaves his house. Traveling abroad in particr is impossible. Apparently, he can¡¯t ride nes. Who is this guy?¡± Jun Hyuk stopped Isaac Stern from making a call. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Going to Italy is better anyway. No, I need to go. I need to see the operas they enjoy watching for myself. That old Italian man, Sergio, said that it needs to follow Verdi. I¡¯ll take this chance to see the Italian people.¡± President Stern startedughing when Jun Hyuk said that he would go to Italy. ¡°If you¡¯re going to go, go fully prepared. There will be chaos from the airport.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Will there be an Italian who does not like a young genius who wants to resurrect the traditional opera? You¡¯re a daring young man who has thrown a challenge at not just Beethoven, but Verdi and Pini now. Of course this is different from when you took on Beethoven.¡± ¡°Oh, I guess they could see it like that. Have I made another mistake?¡± ¡°Oh, no. You¡¯ll be cheered on passionately this time. You¡¯re a hero in Italy right now. Their expectations for you are next level. Ha ha.¡± *** When Jun Hyuk on President Stern¡¯s private ne, a man he was seeing for the first time greeted him. ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Maestro. I¡¯m looking forward to working with you.¡± ¡°Oh, sure. Are you filming the documentary?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And Director Scorsese?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the middle of filming his movie. I¡¯ll be taking over for now. Maestro, you can treat me like I don¡¯t exist, as though I¡¯m a shadow. You¡¯ll have to get used to the camera rolling at all times. That¡¯s how a natural side of you wille out.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡®Damn. I guess I won¡¯t get to see Director Scorsese. Did I say I¡¯d do this for nothing?¡¯ Jun Hyuk needed to make an effort to hide his disappointment in front of the cameraman. Countless reporters and fans were already waiting for Jun Hyuk at the entrance in Peret airport in Firenze, Italy. Fans who were anticipating the opera held posters that read ¡®VIVA VERDI! VIVA JUN!¡¯ and cheered when they saw Jun Hyuk. ¡°Thank you for weing us. We will be going somewhere quiet to work on the scenario. I hope you will understand that I cannot reveal the destination. And we will hold interviews when leaving the country. Ciao!¡± Tara gave her greeting and they quickly left the airport. Jun Hyuk¡¯s group headed west for a city on the coast of Firenze. Chapter 246 Volume 7 / Chapter 246 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Giuseppe Ungaretti was living in a small house on thekeside in La, Pini¡¯s hometown. ¡°This is great. It feels like inspiration for poems wille out of here automatically.¡± Jun Hyuk was in awe of the scenery. A hugeke and reed field, a river leading to the ocean, and an ind. Everything beautiful in nature is gathered in one ce. ¡°Is he someone who secluded himself here and doesn¡¯te out?¡± ¡°Pretty much. He only meets with the publishing staff.¡± He had imagined a hermit, but the poet waiting for him at the house was a smartly d handsome man. Tara even blushed as she shook his hand. His behavior was typically intrinsic and shy. He barely spoke and even his movements were quiet. Even while Jun Hyuk discussed the form of the opera he is thinking of, he did not speak and only listened. Jun Hyuk thought that it was a relief that he is not a chatty Italian. All they did for the day was watch the movie Godfather. Jun Hyuk picked out the scenes he would use for the opera, and Ungaretti expressed the dialogue again poetically. Jun Hyuk could feel the difference between poems and music. Though he is a genius poet, he is unable topress the movie dialogue like music on the spot. After about 10 days, the introverted poet created dialogue for 5 scenes. Tara did not spare on her admiration as she read Ungaretti¡¯s dialogue. ¡°Jun, this person really is a genius. How could he change a movie script like this? It¡¯s really great.¡± Jun Hyuk could not feel the difference that the details give because of anguage barrier, but he was satisfied with the rhythm delivered through the sound. ¡°Tara. For dinner tonight, let¡¯s go to a famous restaurant around here that has the most people.¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯ll get noisy if someone recognizes you. Didn¡¯t you not like ces with a lot of people?¡± ¡°A ce with more people is better for tonight.¡± They went into a cafe full of a positive aura characteristic of Italy. They did not recognize Jun Hyuk, who entered quietly. Jun Hyuk ate a few slices of pizza and walked over to an upright piano sitting in the cafe. No one paid attention to Jun Hyuk because they were focused on their food and conversations. Quiet spread through the cafe when the piano melody changed to the aria ¡®On love¡¯s rose-colored wings¡¯ from Verdi¡¯s opera ¡®Il trovatore¡¯. At first, the calm piano melody could not be heard because of the noise in the cafe. Once the people closest to the piano started to quiet down to focus on the piano melody, the cafe soon became filled with the sound of Jun Hyuk ying the piano. There was the asional murmur of people wondering who the pianist is, as they could only see his back. When the song was over after about 4 minutes, there was pping but the piano melody did not stop and continued to flow on. He continued with the most popr aria from Verdi and Pini, and the chefs working in the kitchen came out to listen. After ying 4 arias consecutively, Jun Hyuk got up from the piano and turned to bow to the cafe customers. There was an urgent cry from somewhere. Maestro Jun! Mamma Mia! Jun Hyuk responded to the yelling customers with a bright smile and waved Tara over. Tara was also smiling when she approached Jun Hyuk. ¡°Si si. You¡¯re right. This is Jun.¡± The cafe became full of the sound of cheering and pping. The documentary cameraman stood on a chair to film the cafe. He had not been expecting such a surprise show. He had just followed along to capture an insert cut of Jun Hyuk eating, but he had hit jackpot. ¡°I gave you a present in order to ask for a small favor. Did I interfere with your meals?¡± Everyone shook their heads and shouted ¡®No¡¯. Tara bowed again, looked around the cafe, and gestured to an elderly gentleman. She whispered into his ear and the man¡¯s eyes grew wide as heughed. The white-haired elderly gentleman cleared his throat and slowly read through the script that Tara gave him. He was unable to hide his trembling hand and voice while on the first page, but he started following a poetic rhythm at some point as though he was an actor, adding emotion and bing enwrapped in the script. Each passage is a lyric. A lyric is a verse and that in itself must be beautiful. Jun Hyuk examined the expressions of the people in the cafe. How will Italian people react? They need to experience the beauty of the verses and their expressions need to change ordingly in order for Ungaretti¡¯s work to be a sess. When the old man was done reciting, he could tell that there was no exaggeration regarding Ungaretti¡¯s talent and fame. The people¡¯s pping, whistling, and cheering shook him of hisst worries. ¡°I¡¯m sure you already realized, but this beautiful verse is a lyric from the opera Godfather. You have been the first to hear a part of it.¡± This kind of idental luck brings people happiness. They cheered again because they had be protagonists of an unexpected situation. ¡°Then please enjoy Maestro Jun¡¯sst gift. We trust that you all will keep this a small secret between us. Jun will need to leave if the press finds out and it bes noisy.¡± After Tara spoke, Jun Hyuk started ying the piano. As this is Pini¡¯s hometown, he yed ¡®O Mio Babbino Caro¡¯ for the end. No one having lunch at the small cafe in Italy thought that they would be the chorus for Pini¡¯s song. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t that a great reaction?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Italian people don¡¯t hide their feelings. We wouldn¡¯t have been able to see such expressions if they hadn¡¯t liked it.¡± Jun Hyuk and Tara could fully trust Ungaretti¡¯s abilities. The cameraman could not hide his light excitement either. ¡°Maestro. I got vivid close-ups of the people¡¯s reactions. You can take a look at it when we¡¯re back at the hotel.¡± Jun Hyuk did not know that the filming he had found so bothersome woulde in so handy. The cameraman was thinking that he was lucky not to have missed filming Jun Hyuk ying the piano. *** Jun Hyuk carefully chose the scenes to put in the opera over 2 months, and left La. Ungaretti promised that he wouldplete his work on the script in the remaining 5 months, and he is someone who takes responsibility for what he says. Jun Hyuk visited small cities in Italy with Tara, and watched all of the operas showing in each city. They were shows without huge vocal stars or famous orchestras, but he tried hard to find the true essence of Italian operas in them. Operas that do not rely on the vocals¡¯ ability to sing or the orchestras¡¯ ability to perform, but touch on emotions. He did not even turn down a show at a small bar to look for themon factor in those emotions. Once Jun Hyuk got used to the camera lens and stopped paying mind to the filming as the cameraman told him to do, he went back to New York. And summer was already starting in New York. The peak summer season in which Hollywood blockbusterse out one after the other is a time for movie producers to rest. They cannot restfortably because they are conscious of box office performance, but they do not have to work. When President Stern and Jun Hyuk arrived in Hollywood to meet with several directors before choosing the one to join the project, many directors who were spending their time in a leisurely manner showed interest. They needed to be especially careful when selecting the art director and sound director. There was no recording technology in the time of Verdi and Wagner, so they could not use sound effects, but it is different now. They are already utilized in musicals and they bring up the level ofpletion in ys. Jun Hyuk intended not to spare on using modern technology for special effects, and it was the same for sound. They cannot leave out the sound of bullets in an opera in which the foundation is the mafia world. Hollywood¡¯s powermen including Martin Scorsese introduced him to people with incredible ability, and Jun Hyuk started meeting with them. He checked their filmographies and after having thorough discussions about their imaginations and thoughts, he ended up only meeting with 2 people in a day. ¡°Isaac. I finally realize how tiring it is to meet with people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the work of a chief director. You have to meet people and choose a good person. Are you already missing the time when you only focused onposition?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, but there¡¯s no change in the fact that it¡¯s tiring and exhausting work.¡± ¡°Then shall I tell you something that¡¯ll give you strength?¡± President Stern was looking at hisptop, and went to sit next to Jun Hyuk who was spread out on the sofa in the hotel room. ¡°You want to take a look at this?¡± There were numbers all over the screen that President Stern showed him. ¡°Jun, it¡¯s ¡®A, I, U, E, O¡¯ that was releasedst summer.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised too since this is the first time something like this has happened, but..... Chapter 247 Volume 7 / Chapter 247 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir President Stern took his sses off and exined the numbers. ¡°There are already over 700 ces that say they want to arrange and use the songs. They¡¯re ces like recordbels, agencies, and management agencies.¡± ¡°700?¡± Jun Hyuk bolted up and stared at theptop. ¡°yers who want to hold concerts with instruments. Composers who want to arrange it with lyrics as pop music. Vocals who want to sing it the way it is as an aria. This is a first for me too.¡± Jun Hyuk moved the mouse cursor around to figure out the total of the numbers, but the list of numbers was never ending. ¡°There are already several amateurs who arranged or added lyrics without our permission. There¡¯s a lot on YouTube too.¡± Stern Corporation¡¯s legal team already proposed sharing ad revenue from the YouTube users who uploaded the song without permission. They included discussions on copyright infringement issues as well. ¡°Of these, there are those who released formal albums and there are those who are preparing. We contracted the use of this song at $10,000 to $50,000. It¡¯s case by case.¡± ¡°And there are still this many people who say they want to use it?¡± Even Jun Hyuk thought that $50,000 is too expensive. ¡°Because it¡¯s hard for them to find such great material. ¡®A, I, U, E, O¡¯ isn¡¯t just a melody. That¡¯s why there¡¯s less burden for how the arrangementes out. It¡¯s actually just a remake if the arrangement is done and there¡¯s a songplete with an apaniment and lyrics. There¡¯s no room for the arranger¡¯s abilities to intervene.¡± A remake needs to be better than the original to be the main song. If it falls even a little short, criticism is a given and the album does not sell. ¡°But the important thing is that this isn¡¯t the end. Royalties andposition feese in every time albums and singles that have lyrics or are arranged sell. Honestly, I can¡¯t even guess how much that will be or how high it¡¯ll go. Our staff had to stop after trying to estimate the sales.¡± There is already a return of $30 million in revenue. This amount is just the start though. President Stern¡¯s expression was so subtle that it was indiscernible what it meant, whether he was happy about it, surprised by the tremendous amount, or worried that he cannot handle it. ¡°So that means it¡¯s much better than releasing apleted song as a record?¡± ¡°Iparably. The biggest advantage is that people of different countries put in the lyrics and emotions that fit each respectively so it¡¯s suitable to the people of that country and there is a variety ofpleted songs. There¡¯s no end to this.¡± All of this started with the beauty of the original song¡¯s melody. ¡°We already got a call from the Guinness Book of World Records. They want us to add it up and let them know. It¡¯ll go up as the song with the most variations.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s really unexpected.¡± To Jun Hyuk, it is just a song that he made to bring out Laura¡¯s voice. He never thought of results like this. ¡°I¡¯m cautiously expecting that this will bring in way more than any of the other songs you¡¯ve released until now.¡± Fees and royalties, shows, TV broadcasting, insertion in dramas and movies. These are all areas to expand into as different versions. ¡°This is basically like a gooseying a golden egg.¡± Jun Hyuk thought hard for a while and snapped his finger. ¡°Isaac. Should we just make a farm?¡± ¡°What? A farm?¡± Isaac Stern saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s face full of jest andughter, and could guess what he meant by a farm. ¡°Yes. As long as there¡¯s a beautiful melody, people use it to make pop music and instrumentals. And there will be all genres depending on how the arrangement for pop music is done. Since the lyrics are written ording to that nation¡¯s emotions, the sales rates will be beyond the basic.¡± It is as he expected. ¡°So you¡¯ll only create and release melodies? It is a good idea but wouldn¡¯t it be too hard for you? Why don¡¯t we slowly revisit that issue afterpleting the opera? You¡¯re not bored withposing the opera, are you?¡± He felt his stomach drop because he thought that Jun Hyuk might say that he will focus everything onposition because there is nothing better for making money, it is what he finds the most fun, and it is easiest for him. Jun Hyuk waved his hands and got up from the sofa. He slowly paced the room and spoke, ¡°Working on the opera is fun too. As you said, there¡¯s no time to create a different melody. I¡¯m just saying that there¡¯s no reason to wait until then. Didn¡¯t I tell you before? All of the songs I haven¡¯t released yet are in storage. Let¡¯s just release all of those at the same time.¡± Storage? Is he talking about the songs he has not released yet? President Stern recalled the tremendous amount of scores that Yoon Kwang Hun showed him when they met for the first time at the cafe. ¡°Hang on. The melodies that are between 3 and 5 minutes... Oh right, the ones that are preferred most are the 2 songs, A and O, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, since the range for those 2 songs isn¡¯t high...¡± ¡°The ones I made are easier on the ears. Like Mozart.¡± The word ¡®Mozart¡¯ echoed in President Stern¡¯s ears. ¡°How... how many songs are there? The ones that are easier andfortable to listen to.¡± ¡°A little over 100? Probably?¡± President Stern¡¯s jaw dropped. Songs with major copyrights like that of the Beatles or Abba receive $30,000 in fees each time they are used in movies or on TV. However, it is rare for these to have been remade into songs that fit each country. Over 700 versions will be created from just 5 songs. How many songs will result from over 100? Jun Hyuk surprised President Stern again. ¡°If we¡¯re making melodies that are just moderately good to listen to, I could make dozens on the spot. If I put them on a score, it means that they are prettyplete.¡± President Stern¡¯s hands trembled as he watched Jun Hyuk talk about it as though it is no big deal. He does not think that Jun Hyuk really understands the weight of revealing those scores. A little over 100 songs could be thousands and tens of thousands of songs, hit the world hard, and keeping on 50 years after he dies like those of the Beatles and Abba. If they are songs that are of high standard as Jun Hyuk said, the pop music industry could be filled with the music of oneposer the moment they release all of the scores. He remembered what he had said as a joke to Jun Hyuk before. That he wants to see him as the person with the most Grammy Awards. President Stern realized that this dream was too simple for Jun Hyuk. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll make a call to Korea and ask for copies of the scores.¡± ¡°Al ¨C alright. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t want to reveal, you don¡¯t have to...¡± ¡°What is it? Why are you being like that all of a sudden? You asked me a bunch of times when I would release the scores I had stacking up. He he.¡± Jun Hyuk thought it was unexpected that Isaac Stern seemed strangely nervous, but he acted without hesitation. ¡°Sir, this is Jun Hyuk.¡± ¨C Yeah. How¡¯s the work on the opera going? ¡°It¡¯s going well thanks to you.¡± ¨C Of course, of course. Of course it¡¯s thanks to me. You saw the Godfather series with me multiple times. If it weren¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t havee up with the idea to make that movie into an opera. ¡°Oh sure. Of course.¡± They went back and forth bragging in such seriousness that it did not feel like they were joking. Jun Hyuk chuckled. ¡°Sir. You have a separate collection of my scores with just melodies, right?¡± ¨C Yeah. Why? ¡°Can you send me a copy of those?¡± ¨C Copies? You can rewrite them if you need to. Don¡¯t you remember all of them? ¡°I do, but we¡¯re thinking of releasing all of them. How am I supposed to write all of them again?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s voice started shaking over the phone. ¨C You¡¯re going to release all of them? Finally? ¡°Yes. Interesting things are happening with these.¡± Jun Hyuk told him about how his original song is changing and developing. ¨C Goodness. There was that much of a reaction? ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m told. I was thinking of just making it into a piano or string instrumental, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to use them as sources of various genres either.¡± ¨C I see. It¡¯s really a surprising method. So it¡¯ll be impossible to get all of your songs in an album. There will be hundreds ¨C no ¨C thousands. Ha ha. His voice could not hide his excitement that Jun Hyuk¡¯s music would spread out all over the world. ¨C Let me know where I need to send the copies. I¡¯ll send them by tomorrow. President Stern was still shaking until the end of Jun Hyuk¡¯s phone conversation. Chapter 248 Volume 7 / Chapter 248 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir The art director who Jun Hyuk looked forward to meeting with the most, was Paul Kieve. He handled the special effects for the ¡®Harry Potter¡¯ movie series and showed an overwhelming music in the ¡®essence of the science of the stage¡¯ in the musical ¡®Ghost¡¯. The set kept moving, LED lights poured out colorful images, and a few holograms added on even implemented ghosts as though in a movie. He used various techniques in the mechanisms of modern musicals that caught Jun Hyuk¡¯s eye. A fixed stage set is a factor that interferes with immersion for people who are already used to the movie Godfather. An opera with a moving and changing stage, and a background screen with video that makes a car chase scene possible. Jun Hyuk is dreaming of a dynamic stage like a movie. To him, Paul Kieve¡¯s stage effects and techniques are perfect. Once he chose the stage art and sound directors, and brought on a writer who would make Ungaretti¡¯s lyrics into aplete scenario, all of the people left were those who would take on the most important roles. These are the lead vocalists and the director who would lead the acting. The triplex dancing, singing, and acting need to be in harmony for it to be an opera and a musical. Jun Hyuk¡¯s opera however, does not have dancing, but the major axes are acting and singing. President Stern was busy starting vocalist auditions and selecting a director to lead the acting. Already famous star singers simply expressed their interest in participating instead of auditioning. What they need is to coordinate those stars and casting. Everyone wanted the role of the hero, Vito Corleone, but Jun Hyuk shook his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t he too old? Will he be able to take it on when he¡¯s over 70?¡± The card that Jun Hyuk held out for the role that needs to take on the whole 2nd act and middle of the 3rd act, or half of the entire opera, would seem irrational to anyone. It is natural that President Stern is worried. If the opera is a sess, it will not end after a few performances. The actors will need to handle doing at least 50. Jun Hyuk¡¯s card, Dario Argento, is not young enough to take on such a rigorous schedule. Dario Argento, a vocalist from Spain, was born in 1941. There is no need for him to be the same age is the role, but he cannot make the same sound that he made during his heydays. He made his official debut as a baritone in 1961 and after, he raised his range to tenor and became active. He is the opera singer who has taken on the most roles in human history and he has almost nonguage barrier, so though his nativenguage is Spanish, he was also able to take on roles innguages including Italian, French, German, English, and Russian. Though he is more than 70 years old, he is not thinking of retiring and is still active. The old man is still expanding his repertoire by starring as baritone and in new roles in forgotten works or premieres. He cannot beat the wall of time though, and rejects main roles on his own and mostly takes on supporting roles. ¡°Even if we offer it, he¡¯s likely to turn it down. It¡¯s a big burden.¡± ¡°I chose him because of his age. I don¡¯t want someone who sings too perfectly with a clean voice. He really needs to seem ill especially in the 3rd part where the old man barely recovers after being shot. We need to show the retired boss¡¯ deterioration, and a young tenor won¡¯t be able to express that.¡± It is a given that a great singer wants to fully show his talent on stage. But what Jun Hyuk wants is someone who fits the role perfectly. ¡°His acting is like that of a movie actor, so there¡¯s no need to change that and since there is ¡®spinto¡¯, there¡¯s no better person.¡± Spinto is Italian for ¡®push¡¯. It refers to the strength and weight of a tenor that can intensely push a high pitch while being sustainable. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll arrange a meeting. What are you going to do? Are you going to meet him with me?¡± Whatever happens, Jun Hyuk is the person in charge of this opera. President Stern has no choice but to follow his lead. ¡°I¡¯ll have to, won¡¯t I? We need to show that we¡¯re asking this of him earnestly.¡± There is a character more important to Jun Hyuk than the protagonist. The female vocalist barely appears in the original. But the soprano who expresses the tragedy in the introduction is a very important role. Vito Corleone¡¯s mother. Vito¡¯s father was killed for disobeying the area¡¯s mafia boss Don Francesco Cio, and Vito¡¯s older brother was shot to death at his father¡¯s funeral for swearing revenge. Vito¡¯s mother went looking for Don Cio and begged for him to save the second son, Vito, but he said that he could not let him live because he will, without a doubt, try to get revenge if he grows more. So Vito¡¯s mother takes out a knife, holds Don Cio hostage to let Vito escape, and she takes a bullet to her death. The soprano needs to leave after just 2 songs that express this powerful motherhood and a tragedy that leads to the death of the entire family. She needs to sing the devastating situation of having to beg the enemy, who killed her husband and oldest son, to save herst remaining son. On top of that, her son will die if she shes the mafia boss¡¯ neck with the knife, but she cannot push the knife in if she wants to save her son. In this incredible situation, she holds him hostage until her son gets away and she needs to sing while crying out for her son to be safe. It took Ungaretti over 2 weeks to write the script for these 2 songs alone. Jun Hyuk was strangely fussy and obsessed over it, repeatedly demanding edits. When he was pleased with the lyrics, he told Ungaretti with confidence, ¡°These 2 songs will be the representative songs of the opera.¡± They are called the representative songs, but it is a supporting role that needs to sing just 2 songs before exiting. There was no one who wanted to audition for this role. Andalucia is the 2ndrgest district in Spain, located in the south of the country on the Mediterranean Sea. The climate is hot even for warm southern Europe, so it is a top vacation spot for Europeans. ¡°What? By myself?¡± ¡°Yeah. He said that he wants to talk with you alone. I¡¯ll be at the hotel, so call when you¡¯re done.¡± President Stern left Jun Hyuk in front of a big mansion, and briskly went back to the hotel. With white hair, a face without wrinkles, tall height, and brawny build, Dario Argento does not look like he is over 70 years old. He weed Jun Hyuk who came in looking around at the living room that is asrge as a gym. ¡°Wee, Maestro.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Mr. Argento.¡± When Argento took Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand, he could feel vigor. ¡°Why does it have to be me? Isn¡¯t there Salvatore Licitra who is at an appropriate age and is the best tenor?¡± Argento slowly enjoyed a ss of wine as they exchanged greetings before he asked in a straightforward manner. ¡°You¡¯re still vigorous. There are 3 acts but young Vito Corleonees out in the 1st, so you¡¯ll be able to handle it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know, but I can¡¯t even do a C5 (3 octave, high C) right now.¡± ¡°That is one of the biggest reasons why I want to work with you.¡± ¡°What? Well, ha ha. You¡¯vee determined.¡± Argentoughed good naturedly. It is the work that is currently receiving the most attention, and the fact that the musician at the center of it all wants him helps to momentarily get rid of the sadness of growing older. ¡°No. It¡¯s not just something I¡¯m saying. A singer who does a high C perfectly needs to take the role of the son. I want a treble that feels like it is worn out. It¡¯s thest me.¡± Argento drank thest of his wine and stared at his empty ss for a while. He spoke again when there was an awkward silence and it was about to be ufortable. ¡°You... Did you notice?¡± ¡°Yes. I realized after I heard you in the London charity concert in the Spring. There¡¯s someone wrong with your throat, right?¡± ¡°From hearing that?¡± Argento almost dropped his wine ss. ¡°Did you get surgery?¡± ¡°Last year. It wasn¡¯t a big procedure.¡± Dario Argento¡¯s dropped voice showed his feelings. ¡°I see. That¡¯s why your voice changed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised. This is something that only my family and the hospital know.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have noticed either if you had an average voice. I was able to catch that subtle difference because your voice is so delicate and it has strong character.¡± Argento filled his ss and buried his body deep in the sofa. ¡°I need to retire now. Singing lightly at a charity concert is okay, but it¡¯s possible for me to sing passionately in an opera.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what exactly does impossible mean? Does it mean you can¡¯t sing at all? Or does it mean that your voice isn¡¯t smooth?¡± Jun Hyuk did not mind at all even though Argento said that it is impossible. ¡°It¡¯s closer to thetter. As I go higher, I¡¯m sure my voice will crack.¡± ¡°So... it doesn¡¯t mean that your life would be at stake or there would be damage to your vocal chords if you sing too much in an opera... right?¡± Chapter 249 Volume 7 / Chapter 249 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Argento was in disbelief when he saw Jun Hyukughing in jest. ¡°You¡¯re... cruel. Do you really want to show my damaged image to my fans?¡± ¡°Of course not. Damaged? I think of it as the opposite. The cracking is the sound that I and the opera needs. If you still had the sweet voice from the past, I wouldn¡¯t havee all the way here. You¡¯ll be able to express the exact sound that I want.¡± ¡°What sound are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not making an opera where beautiful arias flow out. There are countless works like that. I¡¯m going to make an opera where the characters, singing, and voice match up perfectly.¡± Argento felt passion in Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression. ¡°A sweet voice for an aged big boss? Isn¡¯t that funny? This protagonist isn¡¯t a handsome prince or a king ruling a single country. He is an old man who has been shot before and always has death beside him. A person like that with a beautiful voice?¡± Argento could not drink his wine and got lost in Jun Hyuk¡¯s passionate words. ¡°A young Corleone who sings in a cool manner will fill the 1st act. The sound that is necessary in the 2nd act where we can feel the flow of time is you, Mr. Argento.¡± Argento started as the tenor in the Alfredo role of Verdi¡¯s ¡®La Traviata¡¯. The powerful, beautiful, and grand voice that had touched the audience at the time is changing into the cracking voice of an old man in his st work. It is as though he is revealing to everyone that his life is in decline. ¡°You would be facing death in yourst work. Is there a better exit than this? Are you going to disappear after performing lightly at charity concerts like you¡¯re doing now?¡± Argento had dly epted meeting with Jun Hyuk because he wanted to see the genius that the world was abuzz about, but also to give a mild refusal. However, could it have been a desire hidden deep within him to find a reason to stand on the stage with this opera? Jun Hyuk did not pay mind to Argento¡¯splicated thoughts and bolted up from the sofa, holding a stack of scores out to him. ¡°It is the aria that Vito Corleone needs to sing. If you look at it, you¡¯ll want to stand on the stage. I¡¯ll be waiting at the hotel. Just give me a call.¡± Jun Hyuk put the score on top of the table and left the living room, leaving hisst words, ¡°Oh right, Mr. Argento. I can keep a secret. I won¡¯t tell anyone that you got a procedure done.¡± Argento kept looking at the score even after Jun Hyuk left. After staring nkly for a while, he picked up the score instead of the wine ss. ¡®Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer¡¯ ¡®An offer you can¡¯t refuse¡¯ The song titles are Vito Corleone¡¯s most famous lines. Argento started to read through the sheets slowly. President Stern was waiting anxiously for Jun Hyuk at the hotel. He felt better when he saw Jun Hyuke in smiling. ¡°How did it go? Did he ept?¡± ¡°No, not yet. But he will. I left the aria score with him. If he sees that and rejects it, he¡¯s done as a singer. We¡¯ll have to look for someone else.¡± He gains more confidence over time. He means that he gave Argento music that he cannot reject, not an offer that he cannot reject. ¡°How long are you going to wait?¡± ¡°Just until check out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s next if he turns us down?¡± Jun Hyuk said a few names and President Stern made the order to check on their schedules. ¡°Alright, then shall we enjoy this sweltering heat until tomorrow? Let¡¯s look out at the Mediterranean and watch beautiful women on the beach.¡± President Stern dragged Jun Hyuk to the beach where heid under a parasol and drank a refreshing drink. But unlike Stern who was happy, Jun Hyuk could not get rid of his weighted expression. ¡°What? Because Argento might turn you down?¡± ¡°No. Because of the other roles.....¡± Jun Hyuk did not seem to think that Argento might refuse. President Stern saw this and spoke nonchntly. He knows what Jun Hyuk¡¯s heavy expression means. ¡°Jun. Don¡¯t think more about it and ask for help.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Who?¡± ¡°Who else? Laura.¡± ¡°Oh, Laura Goldberg?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a supporting role, but it leaves an impact, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯ll be the top aria of this opera? With something like that, Laura will do you this favor.¡± He hesitated several times, but he could not get himself to contact her. She is already rising rapidly as a star. Her name has gotten too big for her to take on a supporting role. ¡°She didn¡¯t even apply for the audition. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s how busy she is.¡± ¡°No. She could have not participated because there isn¡¯t an appropriate role and she could have thought that you would contact her first if you needed her. She could even be disappointed that you didn¡¯t call her.¡± President Stern took his cellphone out and gave his employee another order. ¡°I¡¯ll ask her to contact you, so wait. If she calls today, it means she¡¯s been waiting for your call.¡± President Stern was positive that Laura would call, and started looking at women in bikinis again. The phone in the hotel room started ringing as it neared midnight. ¡°Jun? Wow. I was really surprised that you called me first.¡± ¡°How are you?¡± She called that day. Had she really been waiting for him to contact her? ¡°Oh, I¡¯m in the middle of an opera in London. Once the London show is over, I have a solo concert in Frankfurt.¡± Since releasing an album with Jun Hyuk, Laura is considered the most powerful rookie soprano and is ranked at the top of casting. When he heard how busy she is, he could not get himself to bring up his opera. How could he ask her to take on a supporting role when she is someone who needs to be doing solo concerts? While Jun Hyuk hesitated, Laura became frustrated and spoke up first. ¡°What is it? Didn¡¯t you leave a message to call you because you have something to say to me? I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t call to ask how I¡¯m doing.¡± Laura knows that Jun Hyuk does not have the personality to call just to ask how she is. She thanked him many times because he basically brought her sess, but he had only ever responded gruffly. ¡°It¡¯s just hard to say because it¡¯s a bit of an unreasonable request. Your schedule is so full.....¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Tell me. Didn¡¯t you call because of the opera?¡± He felt much lighter because of what Laura said. ¡°Do you want to audition at all? No... There¡¯s no reason to audition.¡± ¡°I want to, but how could I reach out first? All sopranos around the world are going out. I assumed there wasn¡¯t a right role for me because you weren¡¯t calling me.¡± ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s almost all filled up. There¡¯s one role, but it¡¯s a supporting role.¡± ¡°Supporting role? Is it the chorus.....¡± ¡°Oh, no. Would I have called you to join the chorus?¡± Jun Hyuk rushed to exin the role to her. He told her how important it is although it is a supporting role. ¡°Let me know once the show schedulees out. And send me the score right now.¡± She blurted out her response without even the slightest hesitation. ¡°What? You¡¯re epting?¡± ¡°Of course. Did you think I would turn it down because it¡¯s a small role? Who was it who helped me get here? I always repay my debts. And I¡¯m telling you in advance that it¡¯ll be the same going forward. Tell me any time, no matter how small the supporting role is. If you call, I¡¯ll go.¡± Jun Hyuk ended the call and felt he had let go one of his big worries. ¡®She¡¯s more loyal than she seems.¡¯ *** ¡°How much time is there for me to practice on my own?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°How much time is there left until rehearsals?¡± ¡°There is about 2 months.¡± When Jun Hyuk picked up the ringing phone early in the morning, Argento¡¯s questions poured through. ¡°Fine. Then will you be able to direct for me for 2 months? At my house?¡± Jun Hyuk bolted up from his bed and adjusted the phone. ¡°Of course. That¡¯s actually what I wanted to ask of you.¡± ¡°What? Well, it seems like you¡¯re really out to get me. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyuk went to check on his schedule with President Stern. ¡°2 months is too much. You can¡¯t just cling to Argento. Starting in a month, you need to check on everything including from the singers, stage sets, to the lights. You¡¯ll be so busy you won¡¯t even have time to lift your head. End it in a month.¡± ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll spend that time at the least at Argento¡¯s house.¡± President Stern went through his entire schedule and stated firmly that he cannot stay with Argento for more than 1 month. ¡°We¡¯re almost done working on the songs, so it¡¯ll be enough time for the cast to practice on their own.¡± Jun Hyuk packed a bag that day and went into Argent¡¯s mansion. After spending just 1 day with Jun Hyuk, Argento began exercising again. He realized right away that this youngposer would push his limits to get what he wants. And those limits were only getting higher. *** After 1 month, the major cast and officials for the Godfather opera gathered in Mn, and the stage in La Sc Teatro was full of advanced equipment. La Sc Teatro was remodeled under Toscanini¡¯s direction in March of 1946 and there is an orchestra that is well-tuned to Toscanini. They had the most rigorous conductor they met since Toscanini, and was not able to spend a single dayfortably. How long has it been since there has been a premiere at La Sc? Everyone memorized and practiced the scores that they were seeing for the first time, but Jun Hyuk, the youngposer and conductor, did not seem to know satisfaction. They thought the opera would have the feeling of the movie because they heard that the movie¡¯s main theme song would be used, but the movie theme song was just an intermezzo. The opera Godfather is a true Italian opera that expresses the tragic beauty of death. Chapter 250 Volume 8 / Chapter 250 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir In , Aristotle defined tragedy as representing men ¡°as better than in actual life¡± andedy as ¡°representing men as worse¡±. The opera is the closest art form to ssic Greek tragedies in format, and the ruin of a noble and elegant is the mostplete tragedy. The argument thatsted over 2000 years of boundaries drawn between tragedy andedy in the history of western culture of opera buffa edy) or seria (tragedy) argument came crashing down with Mozart¡¯s Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni freely surpassed that boundary and formally used the title opera buffa to mock and break apart human rtionships to expose tragedy. Jun Hyuk¡¯s opera ¡®Godfather¡¯ did not hesitate to use elements of total tragedy, but he made all of the characters into normal people, not people who are better or worse. A group of people working toward their ambitions. They are modern people, not those of tragedy oredy. He also used a dissonance method of song and acting to take the pole in verismo (extreme realism) opera. ¡°I don¡¯t know about singing. I¡¯m telling you to express your spirited determination with just song. Don¡¯t overdo it with serious expressions for no reason. You need to kill the person in front of you, but will that person stay still if all of that shows on your face? Make your expression temperate. Okay?¡± The director in charge of acting kept shouting in order to suppress the exaggerated action of operas. He emphasized elegance and moderation in order to bring out the dry andposed mafia of movies. Star ss singers, who had only heard praises until now, were notfortable with these stinging words. This is the first time they needed to sing an exploding aria with in expressions, so it was a difficult period for even those with confidence in their abilities to act. ¡°What is this? Why is the sound going down? Are you filming a movie right now? Are you reciting a dialogue? You need to sing!¡± When singing with a in expression as requested by the director, Jun Hyuk started yelling. They still have the shock that they felt when they first received the script. The first thing they thought of was Mozart. Before Mozart, all dialogue in operas were not made in song. There were a lot of normal parts that were as though in dialogue, but Mozart put his thought that ¡®music should always be flowing¡¯ in his operas. They wereplete banquets of music, that the singers evenined that there were too many songs that made it too difficult for them to perform. Jun Hyuk¡¯s opera does not fall short in any way whenpared to those of Mozart. It is packed with songs, so that it feels like an endless feast of arias. They thought it a relief that it was just 3 acts. But between these 2 directors who are telling them to act like Hollywood actors and sing with the essence of Italian operas, it was hard for cast members to endure each day. But time did not care and passed fleetingly. Two days before the performance, Laura flew to Mn from Frankfurt and finished rehearsals fastest. She is a supporting character who just sings 2 songs and unlike the other characters, her role is the only one where the songs and acting are aligned. The cast members who listened to her sing could not deny that Laura would develop another level again. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard until now.¡± Jun Hyuk, the acting director, and staff members bowed to the singers and orchestra. Acting, singing, frequently changing lights, stage equipment, and sound effects. This is a genuine gesture toward the cast members who tossed their images as stars and did their best in order to implement an opera where all of this falls together perfectly. All of the cast members went to Jun Hyuk and embraced him with strength. Dario Argento in particr even showed a tear in his eye as he held Jun Hyuk in his arms. ¡°Thank you, Jun. For giving me the chance to spend thest of my life in such a grand manner. Thanks a lot.¡± This work has the special effects of musical ¡°Love and Soul¡±, the narrative of ¡°Les Miserables¡±, and the magnificence of ¡°Turandot¡±, and the opera singers could not stop their beating hearts with the work¡¯s opening tomorrow. *** That day, it is not an exaggeration to say that all of the reporters in Mn gathered. ¡°Godfather¡± actors including Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall, James Caan, and director Francis Ford Copp came in for this and and documentary director Martin Scorsese was busy filming their arrival. Hollywood stars praised the opera ¡°Godfather¡± with anticipation that it would continue the legend of the movie they filmed 40 years ago. Maestros who know and those who have never met Jun Hyuk before pushed in endlessly, and singers who had not been cast along with their die-hard fans paid the expensive airfare to get to Mn. All of the stars entering the theater needed to talk in front of cameras and microphones for over 10 minutes. The person who did not fall short in any way whenpared to these stars in front of the cameras was Yoon Kwang Hun, who entered with President Stern and Tara. Reporters considered Yoon Kwang Hun the father of today¡¯s star, Jun Hyuk, and kept asking him questions. Of them, there were those who mistook him for Jun Hyuk¡¯s biological father and asked when Jun Hyuk¡¯s talent started to show. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time you get used to it? A star¡¯s family is inevitably exposed to camera shes. Ha ha.¡± President Stern whispered to a flustered Yoon Kwang Hun and Yoon Kwang Hun responded to interviews with a trembling voice. He became more and more stable, and started to enjoy the shing cameras in a rxed state. The front of La Sc Theater was like the Academy Awards red carpet, and received the world¡¯s attention. *** Everyone who prepared for today¡¯s performance with Dario Argento at the center gathered and prayed to perform safely and sessfully, and orchestra members went into the theater first. The audience¡¯s murmuring stopped when the lights went down. Everyone held their breaths as they waited for the conductor to enter. The 18th century opera theater was a ce where nobledies could bring their dogs. ¡®Dog apaniment¡¯ was allowed by society. Since they could not dim the lights to quiet the audience as is done now, the atmosphere was not much different from that of the streets. That is why they needed a device to tell the audience that the opera was starting, and that was the ¡®overture¡¯. Before the opera¡¯s curtains really rose, the light overture was called a ¡®sinfonia¡¯ and that is how the history of the symphony we enjoy today began. The only light was a small ray that lit up the scores for the orchestra right under the stage. pping started from the very front of the audience and spread out throughout the entire theater. They had discovered Jun Hyuk, the conductor, walking out quietly among the orchestra members. He bowed to the audience and held up his hand in response to the apuse, and then raised his baton high. As soon as the baton started moving, there was a low exmation from the audience. The music of Nino Rota that they have heard so much. It is the movie Godfather¡¯s main theme song. Jun Hyuk was only thinking of using this song as an intermezzo, but everyone rted to the box office convinced him to do otherwise. When they emphasized the emotion and immersion that people would feel when music that they are used toes out, Jun Hyuk also epted it. He could not deny that the movie¡¯s main theme song is great. After the overture and before the curtain rose, 2 gunshots rang through the theater. Then, a woman¡¯s shriek. ¡°Oh! My son, Paolo!¡± Paolo had been swearing revenge at his father¡¯s funeral when he was murdered by Francesco Cio¡¯s underlings. Whether one saw the movie or not, anyone could tell that Paolo had been shot to death. As the curtain slowly rose, there was a man sitting on a rocking chair in the middle of the stage. His face was full of arrogance, as though he dominates over this entire vige. He is the boss, Francesco Cio, who cannot wear a belt because of his full stomach and is wearing a shoulder strap. A woman is begging with her head down, below his arrogant feet. The violins¡¯ tender melody began and when the oboes and rs intensified this, the woman with her face in the ground, Laura Goldberg, stood up. Tears were already flowing down her face. The violins and vis worked together to y a melody of amented atmosphere. Then, the cello followed in. As these 2 melodies crossed and changed, the introduction was flowing. With a darkening melody and the vis and cellos left in the background as if mumbling, Laura¡¯s heavy and deafening aria began. Chapter 251 Volume 8 / Chapter 251 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Don Cio, I ask you in tears. As the Lord did Magdalena, have pity on us. I am just a widow, And he is a young child smaller than an olive. Please protect your noble honor And protect a young child¡¯s life. Please tell me. That you will save Such a miserable mother and son. A mother¡¯s cry to save her son, filled the theater. A few emotional people were already taking out their handkerchiefs to wipe away their tears. Laura¡¯s song ended and the 2nd aria¡¯s music flowed out. Don Cio stood up without a word and turned his back to her. His turning his back indicates his cruel intention to ignore the mother¡¯s earnest wish and kill her other son. When the tune went up an octave and expressed urgency, Vito Corleone¡¯s mother, Laura, took a dagger out from her chest and pointed it at Don Cio¡¯s neck. The orchestra hit the bass with the love, anger, and despair of a mother trying to save her son. That moment of passion and the orchestra, that felt like it was smothering the person listening, were used as a foothold and another of Laura¡¯s arias began. Oh Lord, I am holding a knife To the neck of this pig Who killed my husband and son. When I think of the pain he has caused me My heart pledges revenge But when I think of the danger facing my son My heart wavers again. It is a song that expresses the feeling of being at a crossroads for choice. A song is a better method of expressing one¡¯s feelings than practical dialogue is. Another of Laura¡¯s emotional arias came to an end, and the audience could not suppress their sentiments and exploded in apuse. This is the moment where the actress and conductor need to match up. They cannot make it seem like the flow has been cut off by the sound of the audience pping. Laura took a nce at Jun Hyuk¡¯s baton, and let out a big cry when the baton moved again instead of singing. ¡°Corsa (run) Vito. Corsa!¡± The sound of a child running came out through the speakers and gunshots sounded again. The stage grew darker as Laura clutched her chest and copsed, and Cio¡¯s underlings yelled after Vito. The stage did not brighten because of the lights. The lights on the screens taking up the 3 sides of the stage came on, and the scenery of New York in the 1910s filled the screens. People walking quickly, a street with horse carriages and cars. It is a New York street where gentlemen wearing top hats and Italian immigrants with impressive mustaches live together. The young Vito Corleone escaped Cio¡¯s bright eyes to New York, and had be a young man in his 20s. He is gazing at infant Michael Corleone lovingly, and his wife Carm is smiling next to him. The two of them sang solos and duets for 15 minutes without rest. They are living in poverty, but they endure it with their love for each other and scrape by, drawing out the image of immigrants. Three-fourths of the way through the overall dark atmosphere, 2 contrabasses brought out the theme and started to mix in with the two people¡¯s songs. With young passion My heart is burning like fire What gave mefort Was only the smile of love! From the day he whispered In my ear that he loves me, The moments I am with you Are like heaven. I live in heaven. This moment that I am spending with you, I am living in heaven. When his wife Carm¡¯s song ended, her seemingly sickly husband Vito Corleone sang. At that moment, low exmations of pity came out from all over the audience. He is one of the young first-ss tenors but his voice did not have strength, technique, or high-frequency. It is just a rather soft lyricism. He showed that he is just someone of lower ss in New York where he is living without power or money. One day, You shined a light on me. From that day on, I came to live in great love. A wave of great love Came over me. I¡¯ll give you happiness And take the pain and sadness myself. Their duet continued without rest. The orchestra apaniment also continued along with the faithful lyrics and songs. My happy days Are all because of you. Everything is empty without you. The joy of love disappears in a moment, Flowers bloom beautifully, When the moment passes, They do not bloom again. Feel great happiness While our lives are burning. The beautiful melody was enough to take over people¡¯s souls and whispered to the audience, a love full of gentleness and affection. As soon as the opera began, Laura¡¯s tragic aria flowed out and the beautiful serenade of love continued to flow out as a duet, and the audience was already mesmerized, unable to take their eyes off the stage. Vito Corleone became unemployed because of Don Fani, the area¡¯s boss. He met Peter Clemenza by chance after that, and went into the dark path with Salvatore Tessio. The cello and contrabass yed with a heavy and solemn feeling. Continuing, there was the violin¡¯s somehow nervous and chopped apaniment, and woodwinds yed a sad melody. As though foreshadowing Vito¡¯s future in which he cannot live normally under the sun, the tenor and baritone in the orchestra¡¯s sad music went on continuously. The stage¡¯s background changed within moments with just the screen and lights. An empty house robbed from the street, a coffee shop in a New York alley appeared and disappeared. The background switched so quickly that it was difficult to determine whether they were watching an opera or a movie. The audience could not stop admiring how the sound effects, orchestra, and singers mixed together without a single error. A rare few knew that all of this began from the end of the white baton that Jun Hyuk is holding. The gunshot that rang when he assassinated Don Fani, this street¡¯s boss, went along with the timpani¡¯s sounding and embedded in the ears of the audience as if an instrument and Vito Corleone¡¯s image gradually changed. He showed confidence and his voice was no longer sickly or weak. He was an image fit for the dominator of New York streets and he had taken his first step into the mafia family looking out for Italians. When the sign of ghostpany ¡®Genco Trading Company¡¯ went up, more than 20 singers gleefully sang a song, ¡®Ruler of the Street¡¯. When the pleasant woodwinds melody stopped, the cello sand the 2nd theme. The chorus¡¯ joy and cello¡¯s gloom intertwined, and the song showed thest development right before exploding. At some point, New York changed into Vito Corleone¡¯s hometown and the chorus changed into Don Cio¡¯s underlings. When an old Don Cio rubs his dull eyes and looks at the young Vito Corleone, the orchestra¡¯s swelling music explodes. Jun Hyuk put all of his strength into bringing out the climax with his baton, and the young hero showed all of his true skill, power, technique, and range to explode with Jun Hyuk. Revenge Approaches like sweet wine. Revenge Will be stuck in my flesh Like a bitter olive seed. A sweet revenge for me A sharp de for you. The knife in my hand That will cut open an old pig¡¯s stomach. You will have to spill more blood Than my father, mother, and brother spilled. Your children and wife will have to fill The blood that falls short. When Vito Corleone cut from Don Cio¡¯s chest to stomach, blood sttered and Don Cio¡¯s guts spilled out through special effects. When the overall color of the stage was stained red, there were even sharp shrieks from the audience. But the young avenger¡¯s song continued without a single rest. Oh, mother. Are you looking at this blood-stained de? Do you see his bowels, cut open on this de? Rest peacefully now. Your son will protect you forever. While the bloody tenor holding a de wet with blood boasted an explosive voice overwhelming the audience, the stage grew dark again. The audience could not ept the fact that the 1st act ended in shock and emotion. They finally exploded in apuse once the word ¡®intermission¡¯ came up on the stage screen. Robert DeNiro in particr had been watching the actor who handled the role he had when he was younger, was not even able to stand up as he was moved to tears rather than apuding. *** When the 2nd act came up, Dario Argento as 55 year old Vito Corleone and his daughter Connie Corleone were dancing on stage. It is the highlight of the wedding reception, the bride and father¡¯s dance. Joyful noises of the wedding came out through the speakers and this bumbling melted into the orchestra¡¯s music as though it were just a part of the music. People appeared one by one near the two people dancing until they were no longer visible. Connie Corleone disappeared from the stage as though by magic, and the dancing floor changed into the boss¡¯ office. Vito Corleone, his guest, and his underlings sang in low tones. He is directing mafia rted violence such as with undertaker Bonasera crying out singing for the murder of his daughter¡¯s attacker, and producer Jack Woltz, who refused Johnny Fontane¡¯s appearance in film, being put in his ce. As conductor, Jun Hyuk¡¯s attention did not stray from Dario Argento. When the voice that Jun Hyuk had demanded, the old and thick yet weighty voice, added on to the orchestra¡¯s melody to fill the stage, Jun Hyuk let out a sigh of relief. Contrary to Jun Hyuk¡¯s relief however, the audience even felt strange about thispletely different voice that sounded as if it were scratching on metal. For people who had been waiting for the tenor¡¯s clear sound, the introduction to Argento¡¯s ¡®Irrefusable Proposal¡¯ is music that they cannot hear in operas. This song reaching 6 minutes 30 seconds is still a minor song, but it is deployed powerfully with a configuration that changes frequently between B major and G major. Argento showed the skill of handling the bouncing modtion perfectly, and his thick voice was overall dark and heavy. He took care of all impediments with that heaviness and showed his strong will to achieve his purpose. When the song was over, only non-Italians had expressions of surprise. Argento¡¯s voice is only an Italian¡¯s aria, and ties the song and meaning together perfectly. When Corleone got into a shootout on the street with the Tattaglia family over drug matters and Vito Corleone was in danger of dying, he started singing ¡®Oh, What a Shame! How Embarrassing¡¯ with regret. I have made a big mistake! Faith of friendship in vain, Not a shameful belief Is just an unscrupulous dream. I have been toofortable. Oh, how can I Correct this mistake? I need to wash away this disgrace. Oh, how shameful! This is embarrassing. While the 2nd act went towards the end, Al Pacino¡¯s expression from the 2nd floor VIP seats was not good. It is because the scene in the movie where he pulled the trigger against his father¡¯s enemies in a small restaurant and escaped to Sicily, which was crucial and dramatic in the film, was reduced to just one song and the orchestra¡¯s fast tempo music. Those underhanded Tattaglias... I won¡¯t forgive you. I will get revenge before the day ends. I need to see blood. My body trembles in rage. All that is left is rage! I¡¯ll kill the traitors like dogs And throw them out on the ground! Hyenas will gnaw up their bones and flesh So there is not even a trace of them left behind. New York, frozen in the winter wind Will be ovee with a gruesome silence! It was evident that Michael Corleone, the young son who led the movie ¡®Godfather¡¯ and the role he took on, was minimal and the opera followed Dario Argento¡¯s view. Chapter 252 Volume 8 / Chapter 252 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir The 3rd act showed what quintessential stage effects really are. The war between 5 New York families with the de of revenge and drug business before them showed excitement beyond that in movies. The confused image of citizens on the street, avoiding the terror of this war, was shown via video and their movements and the actors on stage created a perfect bnce. It was to the point where the audience could think that the actors spent more time practicing their timing than they did on rehearsing their songs. Shots from the endlessly sounding automatic rifle surpassed sound effects and mixed in with the woodwinds as though a new percussion instrument, and the verbal argument between family executives surpassed Mozart¡¯s techniques to provide a chorus ofic relief. Vito Corleone rose from his sickbed and arranged peace talks between New York¡¯s 5 families, which resulted in the end of the war. The 3rd act, which was the shortest, was trying to end the long journey with one person¡¯s death. The image of a young grandson running around and ying, implemented through a hologram, looked like an apparition to the audience and 64 year old Vito Corleone chased that apparition around whileughing joyfully. However, he soon grabbed at the left side of his chest and came to a stop, feeling his stopping heart and sang hisst song full of sorrow. Oh, Lord! A life full of sin is dying! Oh, my trust and hope All of this was just a dream. My heart, my long faith. All of it was a waste! Happiness and all pain will disappear. The tomb of death with end everything! I can no longer water this wilting flower And only the cross on this bell tower is looking at me! Oh, this wasted body, forgive me. Look down on my poor soul! It is all over now..... As though trying to show that the opera¡¯sst song is thest song of his life, Dario Argento sang passionately with all of his strength. It seemed like the tempo was wavering because he got lost in emotion, but he did not care. He sang faithfully to his feelings. Jun Hyuk followed this shaking tempo exactly in order to light up this great¡¯sst stage, and led the orchestra. It is exactly 5 minutes. When these 5 minutes are over, the opera and Argento are La Fin (The End). The two people on and below the stage did their best. And 5 minutes passed. A silence without music or singing dominated the theater, and all of the lights went out. It felt like darkness and silence would press on ¡®La Sc¡¯ forever. The slow lowering of the heavy curtain notified the end of the performance, but no one moved. Below the stage, Jun Hyuk came down from the podium and quietly left first, while the orchestra members followed suit backstage. With the bustling sound of the members moving backstage, a storm of pping and cheering exploded. And their faces are wet. If possible, operas are often embellished with chorus finales. Ending with magnificent music is the best way to leave the audience with the greatest emotion. However, it ended with a tenor¡¯s song screaming in sadness. The audience can only hold on to a sad sorrow instead of intense emotion. Their tears were expressing that sadness. Cast members smiled brightly with the following curtain call, entering the stage one by one, and Dario Argento enteredst. The audience¡¯s cheering grew louder and a new cry was added in. ¡°Bravo! Don Argento! Bravo!¡± Argento was a perfect big boss to the Italians in the audience. It was the sess story of a young immigrant from Sicily who came to dominate New York. His death was natural, but it is a pity that there is still business toplete. And the audience is not stupid. They are people who love the opera. They realized that Dario Argento had handled an immense amount of practice in order to express a perfect Vito Corleone, and had purposefully made his voice sound rough. They do not know how many times this show will be performed, but they could also guess that this is thest time that they are hearing Dario Argento¡¯s beautiful and elegant voice with Vito Corleone¡¯s end. It is because that roughly transformed voice cannot be applied to any of Dario Argento¡¯s other roles. The audience pped expressively for the old tenor who would remain as the eternal Godfather Don Vito Corleone. Lastly, the old and young Vito Corleone embraced Jun Hyuk as he walked out slowly. ¡°Viva! Jun!¡± Before he could even bow to the audience, apuse for him exploded. The cheer ¡®viva¡¯ instead of ¡®bravo¡¯ is their way of showing respect to Jun Hyuk. A feast of an aria that contains Italy¡¯s essence. At this moment, Jun Hyuk is the audience¡¯s Verdi, Pini. After several endless curtain calls that they could no longer respond to, the theater speakers yed the movie¡¯s main theme ¡®Pa piu piano¡¯. It was a gesture to the audience to leave the theater while listening to the music, but not a single person left their seat. People finally began to leave once the theme song ended. Reporters were camped out waiting outside the theater. They were just waiting for stars toe out in order to get interviews from those with the closest rtionships to this opera. The first person that reporters held their microphones out to was the director of movie ¡®Godfather,¡¯ Francis Ford Copp. The director is the only person who they can speak about the opera inparison with, since the original novelist has passed away. ¡°I had goosebumps the whole time I watched it. The music? Direction? Singing? Of course all of this was absolutely amazing, but the most surprising aspect while watching this opera was Maestro Jun¡¯s sharp eye digging into the characters. It is surprising that he analyzed Vito Corleone and Mr. Argento¡¯s character so closely.¡± Director Copp gave hisposed thoughts on Jun Hyuk. ¡°He did not capture the mafia¡¯s politics or war, but a single person. Before calling Maestro Jun a great, I felt like he is an observer.¡± Al Pacino, who had been the main character in the movie,id on the praise but he did not hide his disappointment. ¡°Maestro Jun created another opera for Michael Corleone¡¯s life. Before I even die. Ha ha.¡± ¡°I hope more aren¡¯t made. This friend can¡¯te out better. I wish people would be satisfied with me.¡± Robert DeNiro smiled into the camera toward Al Pacino with a fully satisfied expression. *** While the cast members were holding their champagne flutes high, celebrating the sessful performance and recognizing each other¡¯s toil, the singers¡¯ managers, theater officials, and the performance promotionpany were gathered to discuss the follow-up ns to this sessful performance. ¡°It does feel a bit early, but can¡¯t we start discussing additional performances?¡± President Stern is this performance¡¯s top investor and producer. Additional performances is referring to those that would be opened once leaving Mn¡¯s La Sc, in other cities and countries. He had already finalized contracts with several ces, but they always included ast condition that the final decision would be made after the first performance. The decision will be made with the evaluation once all of Mn¡¯s performances are over, but if they consider the reaction of today¡¯s audience or the criticism that will fall tomorrow, it is not a decision to rush even if it is a huge sess. ¡°Twice a week, for a total of 10 performances. This is Mr. Argento¡¯s condition, but have you confirmed to see if he intends to continue?¡± ¡°Yes. There is no change in his decision to retire after the Mn performances.¡± Argento¡¯s manager did not hesitate even for a moment in responding to President Stern¡¯s question. ¡°How is Maestro Jun?¡± ¡°This is the same for him. The Mn performances will be thest in which he conducts himself. Every opera house has a great orchestra and conductor anyway. And there will be preparations being made to perform the Godfather opera as a symphony right about now.¡± The others¡¯ expressions were not bright in response to President Stern¡¯s positive answer. The original cast is copsing after just 10 performances. And it is the 2 most important people who are busy, the conductor and main character. As President Stern said, the conductor can be reced at any time. But Argento, the main character? Who could reproduce his rough tone in his ce? Everyone was frustrated, but no one could me Argento. He publicly announced that this would be thest performance of his music career, so they cannot beg him to extend his performances. ¡°First, take a look at this.¡± Names filled the sheet of paper that President Stern held out. ¡°Choose one of these tenors who would be able to handle Vito Corleone¡¯s role. I will take responsibility for signing them on.¡± The officials looked over the tenor list and went into a heated debate. Such a great performance is something that might or might not appear once every 10 years. And it is sure to have a long run that they cannot see the end to yet. The show must go on. Chapter 253 Volume 8 / Chapter 253 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir The short but powerful evaluation of Jun Hyuk in Italy¡¯s influential daily newspaper, ¡®La Repubblica,¡¯ said everything. The view of Jun Hyuk changed after the opera. Now, no one res at the work that Jun Hyuk releases. Instead, they are full of anticipation for what Jun Hyuk will start from now on and what other surprising image he will show them. It felt like a festival was being held twice every week in Mn. Once it became known that Jun Hyuk and Argento would only perform in these 10 shows, all famous people trying to see it used all possible methods and contacts to acquire tickets. One Italian ser yer even posted on Twitter that he is willing to pay $100,000 for a ticket. In the midst of all this, Yoon Kwang Hun was the only person with the honor of watching all 10 performances. However, someone appeared who he had no choice but to give up hisst 2 tickets to. Amelia had announced that she would be resting for 1 year as soon as her sponsor contracts expired. She quickly came over to Mn and took away Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s tickets. ¡°Daddy. You already saw it 8 times. You can give 2 to me.¡± When the Mn performances were over, President Stern took the cast and producers to Rome. The 2nd round of performances began after 2 weeks and they needed to go around the Europe area for 6 months. Jun Hyuk wanted to hurry up and have a sweet and rxing time with Amelia, but he could not leave Mn. He still has work to do. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I need to do before I leave Mn.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°An advertisement shoot.¡± ¡°Advertisement?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? Was it around the time of the concert Seoul? I said there was a big deal as an exclusive model.¡± ¡°Oh, I remember. It was some car advertisement, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Aston Martin, a British sports car.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun and Amelia¡¯s eyes grew wide at the name Aston Martin. It seems the conditions were pretty good from Tara¡¯s bright expression. ¡°It¡¯s actually a British brand, but a private equity in Italy took over it. They considered for a bit over the modeling fee, but the opera was the decisive factor. Fund investors saw the opera and signed the contract.¡± When they were first negotiating the contract, even Tara thought that President Stern was demanding too much. But thinking of the money that Jun Hyuk makes now, it made her think that it was too little. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a 2 year exclusive contract. 4 photoshoots. 2 advertisement filmings. Of course the modeling fee wille in 4 installments. ¡°How much is the modeling fee?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun asked cautiously and Taraughed heartily. ¡°It¡¯s simr to Tom Cruise¡¯s fee to film a movie. What do you think? Isn¡¯t it incredible?¡± ¡°What? Tom Cruise¡¯s guarantee?¡± Even Amelia who had been listening casually, could not hide her surprise and bolted up from her seat. She heard that Tom Cruise makes about $40 million per film. But with an advertisement? She thought of the money she makes in a year spent in nes and cars to handle a tight tour schedule. It was difficult to even calcte how many times the difference was. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s really a big shot.¡± Tara thought of the words ¡®big shot¡¯ and shook her head. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s not a big shot considering Jun¡¯s royalties right now.¡± ¡°Why me? For that money, Tom Cruise woulde running too.¡± ¡°Their target is the young and rich in Asia. I¡¯m sure they want to bring in the rich who are fawning over Porsches and Lamborghinis.¡± ¡°That means we truly can¡¯t get over this ethnic wall. Does that mean that I, as an Asian, am not appealing globally?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Don¡¯t take it the wrong way.¡± Tara quickly waved her hand. ¡°Aston Martin is Bond¡¯s car.¡± ¡°Bond¡¯s car? Oh, 007?¡± ¡°Yeah. The 007 Bond edition is plenty of advertisement in the global market. This is a special case. With such a tremendous fee, they can choose any Hollywood star or sports star, but they chose you.¡± Tara recalled the negotiation table where they created the tremendous guarantee. ¡°Oh right, they signed willingly because of what Isaac said at the end of negotiations.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°4 photoshoots and 2 advertisement filmings is over at least a week in total turnaround time... but 1 week is enough time for Jun to create 7 albums. There¡¯s no reason for him to shoot the advertisement when thinking of his album sales and royalties.¡± Everyoneughed, but Tara continued to look serious. ¡°It¡¯s true. There¡¯s no reason to shoot the advertisement. We considered it a lot before we decided on it too because of his image.¡± ¡°Image?¡± ¡°Yeah. Jun¡¯s image has been made too much into that of a hermit. So we¡¯re trying to make him more of an active young genius.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun had been listening quietly when he could not hold back his curiosity. ¡°But what¡¯s the model?¡± ¡°Oh yes. It¡¯s the Aston Martin Vanquish Vnte. Of course he¡¯ll receive a model vehicle as a bonus.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a convertible since it¡¯s the Vnte.¡± The convertible sports car that James Bond drives. Yoon Kwang Hun blinked. Jun Hyuk smiled at this. This is the person who taught him what a Ducati bike is. Since he is someone who thinks more of design than performance, he will already know the car lineup. ¡°Sir. Throw that junk car away now and ride a Bond car.¡± Even with an ount with tens of millions of dors, he is someone who does not even take a single dor out to use. But he is sure to ept a car that he wants ¨C especially one that is free. And Jun Hyuk was not wrong. Yoon Kwang Hun was already smiling from ear to ear. Yoon Kwang Hunughed at Jun Hyuk¡¯s Korean. Tara and Amelia watched their faces in curiosity, so Jun Hyuk told them. ¡°Tara. It¡¯ll be work, but make it so we can receive that bonus car in Korea.¡± The 2 people finally realized why Yoon Kwang Hun was smiling, and burst out inughter. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s not hard. It¡¯s okay.¡± Tara checked their schedule and looked happy. ¡°You¡¯re going to Napoli tomorrow to film, and the studio shoot will be in New York. You can go directly to New York from Napoli... Do you want to take about a week¡¯s break? It¡¯s not that busy.¡± Amelia was happiest with what Tara said. There isn¡¯t anywhere in Europe that she has not been because of her concerts, but it had all been work. There would be nothing better than to be able to spend a rxing time with Jun Hyuk. ¡°That sounds good. Oh right. Is Sicily far from Napoli?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that far. Sicily is in southernmost Italy... so about an hour and a half by ne?¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go to Sicily. It¡¯s the mafia¡¯s hometown. I made a mafia opera, so shouldn¡¯t I try visiting it?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s something more famous in Sicily than the mafia.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun had beenughing when he spoke up quietly. ¡°For Sicily... it¡¯s the food.¡± It is not an exaggeration to say that Sicilian cuisine is representative of Italian food. In the west, Sicily is even called ¡°God¡¯s kitchen¡±. Sicily is influenced by Greek, African, and Arabic ingredients due to its geographical factors andplex history, and hase to establish its own style. This was introduced to Italy and bes the root of Italian cuisine. It is particrly famous as the origin of pasta, from the saffron of the Arab world to the tomato from the New World, many foods symbolic of Italy were first implemented in Sicily. Tara listened to Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s exnation and looked at him in fascination. ¡°Mr. Yoon. I¡¯ve felt this from before, but you¡¯re like an encyclopedia.¡± Jun Hyukughed at Tara¡¯s admiration of Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°What he does all day at the cafe is listen to music and watch documentaries. National Geographic and Discovery are the channels that taught him that vast knowledge. He he.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s look of satisfaction quickly flushed. *** Napoli, a long coastal road following the Mediterranean with stunning scenery and a lot of cultural heritage, is called one of the world¡¯s 3 greatest harbors along with Australia¡¯s Sydney, Brazil¡¯s Rio de Janeiro. Jun Hyuk filmed on that coastal road and harbor, going back and forth from the ind of Capri from sunrise to sunset, unable to even count how many cuts they had done. The 4 people spent their time leisurely once their work was done, looking around Napoli and Sicily. They enjoyed a rxing time eating, drinking, and talking like in the movie ¡®Eat Pray Love¡¯. Yoon Kwang Hun went back to Korea with the excitement of receiving an Aston Martin. Jun Hyuk and Amelia, who went back to New York, forgot about music and enjoyed their long-needed break. Amelia in particr spent more than half her days in bed as though determined to reward herself for the busy way she had spent thest few years. When the two people were about to spend the year at home, President Stern and a few employees came to Jun Hyuk¡¯s apartment. Chapter 254 Volume 8 / Chapter 254 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir ¡°Isaac. Why are you here instead of the operas?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. The performing team is entirely settled. We¡¯re done with the shows in Italy, including the ones in Rome. I saw them off to Germany, so there¡¯s no problem even if I¡¯m not there. Our employees are always with them, so they¡¯ll contact me if there are any problems.¡± The recordings of Jun Hyuk¡¯s opera ¡®Godfather¡¯ are selling out every day and is trying to reach record breaking sales. Once the European performances are over, there is a tight schedule waiting for them in North America. ¡°And once the world tour is over, we¡¯re going to work on the album and film with the original cast. We¡¯ve already finished discussing it with Mr. Argento. He wants to leave a record of hisst work. Jun, that¡¯s okay, right?¡± ¡°Of course. We have to do Argento¡¯sst work together.¡± ¡°But you haven¡¯te all the way here with your employees to talk about that, have you?¡± Amelia blinked her sleepy eyes and put coffee down on the living room table. ¡°Oh, right. That¡¯s what was important.¡± President Stern looked at the employees he came with, and they prepared a portable beam projector and several documents. ¡°Listen well to what these people are exining. It¡¯s a headache for me, too. Because of you. Begin.¡± The beam projector filled a side of the wall withplicated numbers. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just Maestro¡¯s ie for this year. This is a first for us as well, so we¡¯reing up with a n with our taxwyers......¡± The Stern Corporation staff member shook his head and smiled mysteriously. This strange expression could be understood by his following exnation. ¡°First is the item rted to Maestro¡¯s album and concert with Alvin Lee.¡± Various records on the album appeared on the white wall. ¡°These are Billboard standards. The album was charted 1st ce for 16 weeks. 4 songs hit No. 1 and all 12 songs took 1st ce in turn in the online store.¡± President Stern looked satisfied while thinking of next year¡¯s Grammy Awards. ¡°Also, Alvin¡¯s band finished their concert in 32 cities and they¡¯re still in the middle of their tour.¡± He brought up an Excel file full of numbers on the monitor. ¡°Just look at thest item. It¡¯s the amount you made on the album and shows alone.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at the wall and did not get a real sense of the size. The staff saw Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression of surprise and smiled because it is not yet time for him to be surprised. ¡°Surprising, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s the peak sales volume for single albums of the recent 10 years. You¡¯ve brought back the wind towards buying records instead of downloading tracks. And.....¡± A new number appeared and the staff continued his exnation. ¡°This is your ie for the music you released before and album sales. It doesn¡¯t fall behind Alvin Lee¡¯s album.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s jazz album in particr is settling as a steady seller. ¡°Lastly... First, I ask you not to be surprised.¡± There was a list of 25 songs with clear sales ranking. The top 5 songs were A, E, I, O, U. And the other 20 were the scores that Jun Hyuk revealed. It is about the original song fees and royalties. ¡°First, we only revealed 20 songs as a test. We chose 20 at random. You probably noticed, but these numbers are the sales for right of use and royalties for each.¡± Amelia looked at the numbers with the most surprise and almost spilled her coffee. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since we revealed the 20 new songs. Though it was just the scores without even albums or shows, all producers and agencies that seeded with the 5 songs before all signed on without exception.¡± The previously released 5 songs had Laura¡¯s album and a show at Carnegie Hall, and had be news. There were a lot of ces that wanted to use the original songs because there is a record that they can confirm for themselves. However, no one had expected that there would be such a reaction from just releasing scores with melody lines. ¡°Hang... hang on. This number isn¡¯t wrong right now, right?¡± ¡°No. It is exact.¡± The staffughed at the surprised Amelia, and continued exining. ¡°Maestro, you have surpassed Madonna and be the top earning musician. It is $7.4 billion in total, though there is still 1 month left for the year to end.¡± Madonna and Michael Jackson, who are the same age, lived entirely different lives but their final goals were the same. They are both icons of American culture. Michael Jackson became a legend and Madonna is continuing to create her legacy. ¡°Madonna is including her merchandise sales, perfume business, and the money she made in investments. Maestro, that¡¯s what you made through just music. Even still, you¡¯re 7 times Madonna in 2nd ce.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overwhelmingly ahead of all stars in film and sports, too.¡± President Stern already knew the number, but he even felt fear whenever he saw it. The staff member exined where the fear stems from. ¡°The biggest problem is that this is just the start. Thepanies that pay for use haven¡¯t been able to finish arranging or recording yet. There will be a lot of music that uses these original songs next year.¡± The staff is saying that the true revenue is starting next year. Next year when music that uses Jun Hyuk¡¯s original songes pouring out, a tremendous amount of royalties wille in and it is easy to predict that the ie will be iparable to what hase in now. ¡°So we¡¯re going to dy on releasing the rest of the scores. Hitting jackpot has to be to a certain point to be fun, too. This is to the point where it¡¯s scary. We might be able to do something if it were apany, but this is just personal revenue.¡± This is why President Stern said that he had a headache. It is thepany¡¯s job to help its musicians reduce tax payments. Jun Hyuk barely spends his money, so there is a tax bomb that follows the revenue bomb. ¡°We estimate that it¡¯ll be over $20 billion next year. Your ie can bepared to that of a recordbel instead of other musicians.¡± ¡°So, what are you going to do with this money?¡± President Sternughed as he asked, and Jun Hyuk was speechless, only looking at Amelia. She blinked her big eyes and just looked at Jun Hyuk. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do really.....¡± Jun Hyuk stammered and Amelia startedughing. ¡°Right? It¡¯s such an unrealistic amount that you don¡¯t get a feel for it. And you really don¡¯t have anywhere to spend it.¡± ¡°But you have to spend some before the year ends. It¡¯s good to buy a mansion or something. Though that won¡¯t make a big difference or anything.¡± Even if he purchases a giant mansion, it wouldn¡¯t chisel away at his money. But Amelia¡¯s eyes sparked at the mention of a mansion. ¡°There is one thing that doese to mind for me.¡± ¡°What? Whates to mind?¡± Amelia bolted up and opened the door to the recording studio. Jun Hyuk bolted up and hugged Amelia as he smiled brightly. ¡°Isaac. Make a studio for me. One big enough to record a choral concerto. A studio with a perfect sound system. I want a recording studioparable to Carnegie Hall. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?¡± Amelia and President Stern shouted out at the same time. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s not it? You weren¡¯t talking about creating a perfect studio?¡± Jun Hyuk was puzzled by Amelia¡¯s surprise. Amelia¡¯s action had clearly referred to the recording studio. ¡°I was... but not to that scale. I just meant for you to make a normal studio.¡± There needs to be a recording booth that fits at least 200 people for Beethoven¡¯s choral concerto. When thinking of the microphones necessary for this, it is basically like creating a stage performance. ¡°Do you really want to create a recording studio that can fit an entire orchestra?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s it.¡± Jun Hyuk looked like a child with a new toy. ¡°Arge studio... That looks like an investment and not like you¡¯re spending money. Ha ha.¡± With the kind ofrge studio that Jun Hyuk is asking for, there will be a fair amount of orchestras requesting to use it. Of course requests won¡¯t be frequent enough to earn back the amount invested. However, President Stern¡¯s first thought was not that it is an investment simply to make money, but that it is a cultural investment for music overall. Of course Jun Hyuk had not said that he wanted the studio with this kind of deep thought. It is so that he can call in the New York Philharmonic if he needs to in order to create the music he wants. Recording in studio instead of in live performances makes it possible to re-record at any time. President Stern started fleshing out Jun Hyuk¡¯s request in his head. He is thinking of something like the Performing Arts Center facilities at the Kennedy Center. As he was imagining it, he had an ominous foreboding. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of living in that great studio to just spend the rest of your life creating music there, are you?¡± Jun Hyuk could not answer President Stern¡¯s sudden question immediately. The jaws of Amelia and thepany staff who saw this, dropped. ¡°Whew. I thought so.¡± President Stern frowned and let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll make that perfect studio that you want. But you can¡¯t think of it as a home.¡± President Stern look Jun Hyuk straight in the eyes and became resolute. ¡°I have no intention of watching you be like a music-producing machine, locked up in the studio, looking only at sheet music. My skin crawls just thinking about it. Live like a normal star. If it¡¯s hard to live like a star, live like a normal person.¡± Jun Hyuk flinched at President Stern¡¯s seriousness, and pat his shoulder as heughed. ¡°Oh, okay. Well... You¡¯re so scary I can¡¯t say anything. Rx, Isaac. I¡¯ll live like every other star.¡± Jun Hyuk had suddenly be light. ¡°Alright. Then tell me. What do Americans do when they get rich?¡± ¡°What do you mean what do you they do? They use it. They build a giant mansion, get a private ne, buy dozens of super cars, buy artwork... If there¡¯s still money left, they donate it.¡± President Stern spoke heartily as he always does. ¡°Of course not everyone is like that. There are those who live in normal houses instead of grand mansions and drive Toyotas, living life like average people. It¡¯s just a matter of individual philosophy.¡± Chapter 255 Volume 8 / Chapter 255 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Jun Hyuk nodded to the private ne. He is already using President Stern¡¯s ne as if it is his own. He is already used to its convenience and doesn¡¯t feel anything against purchasing one. ¡°Since there are several ufortable aspects of living in this apartment, let¡¯s look into a house first.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯ve never felt ufortable in this apartment. The location is good and something like this is like a pce to me.¡± President Stern shook his head. ¡°Alright then. Forbes reveals star ies in June. A lot will change after that. You can¡¯t live here any longer.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a young musician right now, but you¡¯ll be a billionaire musician after the Forbes release. There will start to be dangerous and bothersome things happening. We need to find a ce for you where you can be safe.¡± ¡°Hm. Then I¡¯ll have to buy a house first.¡± Jun Hyuk decided to throw away his preconceptions of America¡¯s rich. He has already made an enormous and unimaginable amount. He thought that it would be better to enjoy his wealth, rather than bing an oddball who insists on living a normal life. ¡°Right. A house could have no meaning to you though. You won¡¯t have a normal life ofing home every night. You won¡¯t be able to live in it half the time, but there¡¯s a feeling of security in simply knowing that you have a home.¡± He might live like a nomad, but it is a good thing to have a home that he maintains and embellishes. The only problem is where the house will be. Since Jun Hyuk has already left Korea, it is okay for him to think of any ce in the world that he wants to as his hometown. ¡°Where would you like it? America? Europe?¡± ¡°I like New York. It feels like my hometown because it¡¯s where I¡¯ve been living since I first arrived in America.¡± ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯ll look into houses in New York. What kind of house do you want?¡± Jun Hyuk quickly pointed to Amelia, ¡°We have to follow what the woman wants rather than what the man wants when choosing a house. Don¡¯t we? Amelia?¡± Amelia could not speak for a while. Jun Hyuk said it as if it were nothing, but the meaning hidden behind it is not simple. He has never said anything about marriage. And it does not seem like he will say the word in the future either. Amelia knows why Jun Hyuk does not talk about their future. There is a fully understandable reason for this in his past. But asking to choose the house that they will live in together is the closest way Jun Hyuk will get to proposing. It¡¯s okay even if they do not marry. Amelia has nothing more to ask for if they can just keep going as they are now. Amelia wiped a tear from her eye and turned her attention to President Stern. ¡°We need to decide on a location first. Isaac, where would be good?¡± ¡°The East Hamptons in Long Ind is the best.¡± The seashore full of the vis and yachts of famous people like designer Calvin Klein, singer Billy Joel, and film director Steven Spielberg. The best beach in America, Cooper¡¯s Beach, is located in Long Ind. As much as it is the ce where New York¡¯s rich are gathered, it is a ce with safety and security. ¡°It¡¯ll be adequate because it takes a little over 2 hours from Manhattan to Long Ind by highway. There are a fair amount of houses on sale too.¡± ¡°2 hours? I think that¡¯s too far.¡± ¡°What of it? You can take a helicopter when you¡¯re busy.¡± Jun Hyuk learned of another way that rich people think. Helicopters are just another form of transportation to the rich. ¡°Amelia. What do you think? Will Long Ind be okay?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s the dream ce for New Yorkers. You¡¯ll fall in love with that sea too.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do that.¡± Once they made the decision to buy a house, Amelia who had been rolling around in bed became busier than she had been during her tour season. She went around the Hamptons with a real estate agent for several days, but became exhausted when she was unable to find a house that was perfect for them. Jun Hyuk massaged her swollen calves and spoke like a billionaire. ¡°Amelia. What do you think about just building a house? Buy a house in a location you like first. Then we can bring the house down, design what you want, and build it new.¡± Amelia flowed with energy again with Jun Hyuk¡¯s idea. President Stern introduced her to several of the best architects. When they found out that they were faced with building a house for a couple of rising musicians, with Jun Hyuk being one of them in particr, they created blueprints with the best conditions. It seemed that the architects seemed to consider it a great career to have Maestro Jun¡¯s house included in their records. However, not even the best architects could satisfy Amelia. Jun Hyuk even started to think that at this rate, they would never be able to own a house. ¡°Isaac. I¡¯m thinking of just resting with Amelia until next summer. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Next summer? Hm. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be okay. The only confirmed thing you have on your schedule is the opera recording. The opera tour will be over by around next summer too.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll go to your Switzend vi. We¡¯ve also matched Amelia¡¯s schedule to start after the next summer season.¡± ¡°Okay. Get a lot of rest before youe back. Oh right. How¡¯s the house going?¡± ¡°At this rate, I don¡¯t think we can get a design even after 10 years. I think I need to cut it off at an appropriate line.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Of course she¡¯ll be like that. She¡¯s still a young woman. It¡¯s impossible to bring the house of her dreams into reality.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I want to go to Switzend. I¡¯m sure we canpromise Amelia¡¯s dream.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk threatened to go to Switzend alone, Amelia approved the architect¡¯s blueprints with an attitude as if she were giving in a lot. They went back to enjoying their peaceful and quiet life. This time, in the beautiful winter of Switzend. When the new year came around, they were surprised with President Stern and Tara¡¯s surprise visit, but more so with the news that President Stern brought with them. ¡°Jun. You know Amsterdam¡¯s Gebouw in the Nethends, right?¡± ¡°Yes. The Royal Concertgebouw orchestra?¡± Concertgebouw means ¡®concert hall¡¯ in Dutch. The Concertgebouw opened in Amsterdam in April 1888, an orchestra was created, and Willem Kes was invited as standing conductor. Until it received the royal title from the queen of the Nethends, Beatrix, it was called the Concertgebouw orchestra. Royal Concertgebouw is one of the best venues in the world regarding its acoustics and in 2008, it beat the Berlin Philharmonic to take 1st ce of 10 orchestras chosen by Gramophone. Of course Gramophone¡¯s judgement cannot be taken as an orchestra¡¯s skill because thergest item in deciding the ranking is ticket sales. There is an advantage to having a lot of sponsors for ticket sales. Sponsors are enterprises. Thosepanies purchase season tickets to give out as gifts. Because they buy the expensive seats like R and S, ticket sales are guaranteed. Amsterdam was a trade city that took over Europe in the 16th century and can still be considered a center of finance and trade, so there are a lot of sponsors. ¡°A proposal came in from that Concertgebouw. They want to leave the orchestra to Dimitri starting next season. They made a proposal for standing conductor.¡± ¡°What? Maestro Carras?¡± ¡°Yeah. Concertgebouw always has sessful shows but the album sales aren¡¯t that good. They¡¯re just selling show albums.¡± Jun Hyuk was curious as to why he is being told of Dimitri Carras¡¯ circumstances. Isaac Stern would not have flown all the way to Switzend to tell him someone else¡¯s news. ¡°Dimitri put your Inferno on stage. It seems they considered that bold experimental spirit highly. And they think it¡¯s great that he has a record of releasing entire albums with Tchaikovsky and Marlowe.¡± ¡°Does... this call for congrattions? The New York Philharmonic and Concertgebouw are both top-notch... I¡¯m sure he has a lot to think of.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Dimitri is asking me to find out what you think.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean what I think?¡± A great maestro who has gone through all of the hoops to reach the peak is asking for him opinion? When President Stern continued, Jun Hyuk was surprised. ¡°If you want to go to Amsterdam, he says that he¡¯ll really push for you. And if you like New York, he¡¯ll go to Amsterdam and rmend you as sessor to the New York Philharmonic.¡± President Sternughed in satisfaction at Jun Hyuk and Amelia¡¯s surprised and nk faces. There was also something that Dimitri Carras had asked him to be sure to ry to Jun Hyuk. ¡°There¡¯s only half the chance that you would be the standing conductor for Concertgebouw, but he made a big fuss saying that he could put you on the podium for the New York Philharmonic.¡± A young Asian in his early 20s bing the standing conductor of a top orchestra. Even without a distinction between East and West, it is unimaginable. Chapter 256 Volume 8 / Chapter 256 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Amelia hugged Jun Hyuk with happiness and surprise, and President Stern was unable to hide his joy. However, Jun Hyuk himself just seemed to be surprised. It would have been normal for him to cheer out in happiness. He quickly changed and just looked like someone who had received an offer for an ordinary job. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to do it? Your expression doesn¡¯t look that happy about it.¡± President Stern looked over Jun Hyuk¡¯s expression and felt something strange. ¡°No. I¡¯m happy. It¡¯s a good offer, but.....¡± ¡°I guess you don¡¯t want to do it from the way you said ¡®but¡¯.¡± ¡°Since being a standing conductor has a big role as a yer. Regr performances need to be put up each season with an orchestra as an instrument, but I think I¡¯m more of aposer.¡± No matter how much of an issue Jun Hyuk¡¯s songs be in the world, performance repertoires need to be filled with Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, and Marlowe¡¯s songs in the end. Jun Hyuk cannot ignore the audience, who is the consumer, and perform the songs that heposes. No matter how great Jun Hyuk¡¯s songs are, no symphony board will tolerate the use of a top orchestra as a tool to release new music. ¡°So you want to y the role ofposer?¡± ¡°Yes. The New York Philharmonic can¡¯t just y my songs if I write 20 symphonies in a year, but if orchestras around the world y one out of those 20 songs in a season, all 20 can be put on stage.¡± President Stern¡¯s jaw dropped at Jun Hyuk¡¯s bold statement. Jun Hyuk¡¯s intention to erase a masterpiece list that has beenpiled over 300 years to fill with new songs. He is thinking of standing shoulder to shoulder with the ssical greats from Monteverdi, who made modern opera¡¯s season orfeo in 1607, to Shostakovich... He might even mean to create more masterpieces than they did. It is impossible for a standing conductor who is in charge of one orchestra, but if various orchestras y Jun Hyuk¡¯s songs or invite him to conduct, it is entirely possible. If Jun Hyuk says that he will perform the songs he writes at this point, most if not all orchestras will invite him. No orchestra will miss out on the chance for a premiere. It is not a foolish dream. But Tara cannot sit back and watch Jun Hyuk toss away the chance to conduct for the New York Philharmonic. ¡°Jun. It¡¯s okay to perform the songs you write yourself. But it¡¯s not bad to show your abilities as a conductor for 1 or 2 years either. Of course you can intermittently release your work in that time as well. Can¡¯t you go on with your work like that?¡± When Tara rushed to say how she felt, Amelia nodded. Bing the standing conductor of Amsterdam¡¯s Royal Concertgebouw or the New York Philharmonic means standing at the vertex of the ssical world. Though the New York Philharmonic has received damage to its status in recent years, tradition and power cannot be underestimated. It can take over the top again if it meets a great conductor. It is the best position that everyone cannot help but long for. But it did not seem like Jun Hyuk saw it as a high ce. ¡°I already conducted Beethoven¡¯s No. 9, Choral Symphony with the New York Philharmonic. If my abilities don¡¯t show in the performance, album, and live video, then that¡¯s more of a reason not to go. No?¡± Jun Hyuk isughing as he speaks, but he has already made up his mind. ¡°But Jun...¡± ¡°Tara, let¡¯s stop.¡± President Stern had been listening to Jun Hyuk, and gave Tara a signal. ¡°Don¡¯t forget our jobs. Tara, it¡¯s priority for us to achieve whatever Jun wants. Jun conducting for the New York Philharmonic is what we want to see. The order is wrong.¡± President Stern looked back at Jun Hyuk. ¡°Jun. It¡¯s a really interesting thought. But there needs to be one premise to do what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s that conductors all around the world need to want to y the songs I write.¡± President Stern snapped his fingers. ¡°That¡¯s it! You can do it, right?¡± ¡°Should we try testing it?¡± Everyone looked at Jun Hyuk as heughed jokingly. They start to have joyful imaginations whenever heughs like that. ¡°Test?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll give you 5 of the songs I think are okay of the ones that I¡¯ve made until now. Show those.¡± ¡°Show them? To who?¡± ¡°The conductors most suitable to y the 5 songs.¡± ¡°What? Did you think of the conductors while writing the songs?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not that considerate of a person. I just thought about who would be best at expressing them after writing them.¡± Jun Hyuk said thatposer is his job, but it is not the right expression. He is trying to supply orchestras all over the world with music. Just as he created a fuss in the music market by revealing scores with melodies, he intends to bring the same shock to the world of ssical music. It seems that the offer of bing a standing conductor had be an opportunity for him to think about what he is better at. ¡°This sounds like it¡¯ll be fun. I¡¯m already curious to see what expressions maestros will make when they receive your scores.¡± Unlike President Stern, Amelia was unable to hide her disappointment. Being a standing conductor is the most grand and varying position, and it would mean that he has in his hand an orchestra, the hardest instrument to handle. There is a happiness and bliss that a conductor feels after trimming that instrument and it bes all his own. It is a bliss that not even visiting conductors can experience. Amelia witnessed that moment of bliss while performing with an orchestra. Jun Hyuk is giving up that happiness. However, she did not voice her thoughts. Her boyfriend is someone who lives in another world. She already knows from plenty of experience that it is impossible topletely understand him or persuade him. Amelia was lost in her own thoughts, but came back to her senses when President Stern spoke. ¡°Oh right. Can youe back in February for a bit?¡± ¡°February? Why? Is something happening?¡± ¡°The Academy Awards. We received an official notification that the film music you made has been nominated for an Oscar.¡± Jun Hyuk thought for a moment. ¡°Aha. I forgot about that. You¡¯re talking about that thriller, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. You were nominated for 2 categories: Best Original Score and Best Original Song. Isn¡¯t it a definite that you¡¯ll win? Ha ha.¡± President Stern¡¯s boasting could really be a given. The OST strangely rose in the top 10 in album charts, and it rose in ranks for New Age and Pop music ranks. Jun Hyuk¡¯s music was called the best film music since Eminem¡¯s ¡®Lose Yourself¡¯ in ¡®8 Mile¡¯ in 2003, so there is no doubt that he will win. The Best Original Song award is not selecting the film¡¯s main theme song. It is selecting the best single song out of all film music. That single song could be an instrumental without a singer. The person who sings the theme is not the award receiver. It is evaluating the entire music used in the movie. The award is not given if each song is outstanding. It evaluates how harmonious it makes the movie and whether itplements the movie. That is why theposer and lyricist are in 2 categories. ¡°It¡¯s a bit much to go all the way to LA to get that trophy. We don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll win. If I do win, can you just go and speak on my behalf?¡± ¡°Me? The film¡¯s director can speak instead.¡± President Stern waved his hand. The Oscars is a festival for people rted to the film industry. The Grammy Awards following soon after is the stage that President Stern wants. ¡°We need to go to LA anyway. Don¡¯t even dream of having someone ept the award on your behalf at the Grammys. Alvin and your friends will be flying over from Europe as well. You need to attend. Didn¡¯t you promise me?¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s music is nominated for various categories and there is a high chance that he will win, so President Stern is dreaming of Jun Hyuk with his arms full of trophies. *** The Oscars began in 1929 and members of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted and chose among the movies of that year. It is the award show that represents the world of film and show business and is broadcast live regardless of time zones like the Super Bowl, Grammys, and Golden Globes. The awards ceremony is held in Dolby Theater, which used to be called the Kodak Theater, with musical actor Neil Patrick Harris as host. It is a grand show where Hollywood stars can be seen in one ce. Comedians introduce the nominated movies and reveal the winners with ¡°And the Oscar goes to...¡± Chapter 257 Volume 8 / Chapter 257 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir As President Stern assured, Director Louis O¡¯Connell received the awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song on behalf of Jun Hyuk. ¡°Two. This number has special meaning to me. The two movies I made. Two Oscars.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell¡¯s debut indie film won the ¡®Short Film Award¡¯ and the thriller he made this time won the Screeny award. ¡°And it¡¯s the number of times I saw Jun who wrote the music for this movie ¨C just two times. The time it took for him toplete the entire OST after watching the movie ¨C just two seconds. And the two trophies we received today. Oh right. The number also includes the times I¡¯ve been married.¡± Lightughter came out inside the theater with Louis O¡¯Connell¡¯s joke. ¡°Jun. He is this age¡¯s maestro, who does not need words to describe him. It is an honor that the first movie he made music for is mine. Of course the way he rejected my earnest wishes for him to take on the music for my next movie is embedded in my heart, I have not yet given up.¡± The host joked that someone appearing on behalf of the winner should not have such long remarks, so Louis O¡¯Connell said hisst words and left the stage. ¡°His music is a gift from God. I am one of the countless people who wait happily and anxiously for his gift. Just like you do.¡± Louis O¡¯Connell was not the only person who had been rejected inmissioning film music. As soon as the rumor spread that he couldplete the music in just a day, film producers chased by production periods knocked on Stern Corporation¡¯s door with arge bundle of money, but they just received cold refusals. They were given the absurd response that it is boring work because the creative process was too easy and all he had to do was move the music onto scores. The 2 Oscars Jun Hyuk received through Louis O¡¯Connell¡¯s movie would be the only Academy Award trophies that would decorate his house. *** When Jun Hyuk came back to LA for the Grammy Awards, the first people he met with were Alvin and the members. Kyung Min Ho in particr had changed so much he was unrecognizable. His unsure and anxious look waspletely gone, and he looked like a rxed star musician. ¡°Jun. What do we do if our album sweeps up all the Grammys? I feel like I¡¯m going to go crazy just thinking about it.¡± ¡°Huh? Min Ho, why are you speaking in English? And your English has gotten a lot better.¡± ¡°Oh right. It¡¯s be a habit. Alvin hit me if I didn¡¯t use English.¡± Kyung Min Ho scratched his head and behind him, there was someone in a cold sweat who Jun Hyuk was seeing for the first time. ¡°Jun, say hi. This is our guitarist. As soon as Alvin spoke, the guitarist held his hand out and waited for Jun Hyuk to take it. ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Maestro. It feels like a dream that I¡¯m in the same hotel as you. I¡¯m Todd Hill.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an admirer of yours. He owns all of your albums. Even your Korean debut album, which I heard is really hard to get your hands on.¡± Colinughed as he pointed to Todd, and Todd¡¯s face flushed even more. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure. I¡¯m sure you have tremendous ability if you¡¯re able to satisfy picky Colin and Alvin.¡± Jun Hyuk shook Todd¡¯s hand and stared at him. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen you before... Have we met before?¡± ¡°Oh, of course not. I wouldn¡¯t have forgotten if I met you before. I just have amon face.¡± Alvin had not been able to find a guest guitarist with the Germany tour ahead of them. The German office held auditions to find a guitarist, and the audition acted as incredible promotion for the show. Alvin, Colin, and Kyung Min Ho held final auditions again for the 3 candidates that the promotion agency chose, and Todd was the guitarist who came out in the end. The guitar melody he let out can transform to various genres, starting with the blues. He is a guitarist who is faithful to the basic idea that ¡°guitar is yed by feeling¡±. He was only supposed to y with them through the Germany shows, but the potential he showed as a guitarist captured Colin and Alvin saw it as the birth of an outstanding guitarist, so they decided to go through the rest of the tour together. It was a Cindere story. ¡°He does look very average. Alright, let¡¯s go. You¡¯ll be surprised too when you hear him y the guitar in rehearsals.¡± Alvin stood up from the sofa and put his hand on Jun Hyuk¡¯s shoulder. There will be a special star performance at the Grammys. They are all nominees, and the main hero cannot be missing. *** Staples Center is home to the LA Lakers, and where this year¡¯s Grammys is being held. Stage and seating for the Grammys had already been set up, and musicians were bustling around. Introductions went smoothly because Alvin is familiar with them, and they did not let go of Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand as Todd had done. No one forgot to say that they would like to work on music with him. The song that they will be ying in the special performance is the biggest hit in ¡®The Life of Alvin¡¯ album, ¡®Wife¡¯. It became a twin guitar with Jun Hyuk participating, and the song arranged to fit 2 guitars together would be a new side for this special stage. ¡°Ha ha. Wait... wait. Ha ha.¡± They stopped mid-performance because of Jun Hyuk¡¯sughter and everyone was confused, but Jun Hyuk could not stopughing for a while. He looked at Todd once he finally stoppedughing, and Todd shouted in surprise. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I just remembered something from a long time ago. Sorry. That was my mistake. Alright. Let¡¯s start again.¡± He cannot remember exactly where it was, but he thought of the guitarist of an unknown band who ying Randy Rose¡¯s ¡®Dee¡¯ on a dark road. The sense to go into the flow of the song he made and find the guitar¡¯s variation. The musicality to find theposer¡¯s intention and y the music in 2 versions within moments. Jun Hyuk had been right when he said that he would one day break away from his namelessness. That nameless guitarist, Todd, is standing on a special stage for the Grammys. Jun Hyuk could not stop smiling through the entire rehearsal. *** Stars arrived at Staples Center at 5 in the afternoon. They walked the red carpet, waved to cheering fans, and posed in the photozone for reporters. CBS is live broadcasting the ceremony, and its reporter was holding short interviews with the entering stars. Today¡¯s Grammys is strangely excited. This atmosphere was created because it is normal for several albums to share the awards but this year, one album is going to sweep up all of them. It even felt like the watching fans and musicians themselves were betting on how many trophies this masterpiece album would take home. When Amelia got out of the limousine, wearing a red dress that shows all of the curves of her body, cameras started shing like fireworks. Behind her, Jun Hyuk came out in ck and all of the cameras near the red carpet gathered in. They greeted the cheers while affectionately holding hands, and slowly walked the red carpet. ¡°Maestro. Will you tell us how many trophies you will be taking home today?¡± The station reporter held a microphone out to him and asked what everyone is wondering. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s not a question that I can answer. And I¡¯m not the main person for the album, but Alvin. The album is Alvin¡¯s.¡± When Jun Hyuk gave a boring answer, the reporter moved the microphone to Amelia. ¡°What does it feel like to be dating the 21st century Beethoven?¡± ¡°You left out the part that he¡¯s a handsome Beethoven. How does it feel? Like I experience a miracle everyday?¡± The reporter had nothing to say in response, so the couple went into the center. The Grammys curtains went up with hip hop legend artist LL Cool J as MC. There are 4 parts to the Grammy Awards¡¯ core. Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. Song of the Year is awarded to theposer and lyricist. Record of the Year is awarded to everyone rted, like the singer,poser, lyricist, yer, and engineer. With each nomination announcement and award, and special performance, the passion in Staples Center grew hotter. Jun Hyuk¡¯s name was first called for Best Instrumental Composition and Best Instrumental Arrangement. There areposition and arrangement awards for performance. 4 nominees were announced and the name called after ¡°The winner is...¡± was Jun. One of the 3 songs in ¡®The Life of Alvin¡¯ had won forposition and arrangement. ¡°I am just thankful to Alvin, who gave me this lightning-like inspiration. His voice, his story, are the origins of this music.¡± Jun Hyuk finished his short eptance speech and left the stage, but there was no time for him to sit for even a moment. He was up for Best Rock Performance, Best Metal Performance, and Best Rock Song, and took all 3 trophies. Fortunately, he was able to pass the eptance speeches on to Alvin Lee, who had gone on stage with him. Jun Hyuk gave the trophy for Best Engineered Album to the engineers who worked with him on the album. They gave a modest speech in his stead to say that Jun Hyuk is the one who should be receiving the trophy. Director Louis O¡¯Connell needed to receive Best Music Video, but he had not attended, saying that he needs to pay Jun Hyuk back for not attending the Academy Awards. He also said that a festival for musicians should be full of only musicians. Alvin Lee had to run on stage again. Awards for film soundtracks are in sections like Best Music Film. The host quickly announced winners without nomination announcements. They have to go through over 80 awards. The winner is the album that gave Jun Hyuk Oscar trophies. When even the trophy for Producer of the Year went to Jun Hyuk, all attendees stood up and pped. Chapter 258 Volume 8 / Chapter 258 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir They are cheering for Jun Hyuk who was able to achieve all of these amazing feats, and not the number of trophies he took. For singers in particr, it is a blessing to meet this kind of producer. Their cheering also includes their envy over Alvin Lee. The female singer who won Best Pop Solo Performance raised her hand and gestured to Jun Hyuk. ¡°This trophy is thanks to Maestro Jun. My album is an arrangement of his ¡®A, I, U, E, O¡¯. I give the honor to him.¡± There was pping again for Jun Hyuk, and CBS cameras shot a close up of Jun Hyuk¡¯s embarrassed face. Jun Hyuk has not yet listened to this album, which is an arrangement of his songs. The ceremony kept heading toward the end. Once Best New Artist was given out, Alvin Lee¡¯s special performance began. This performance felt like it was telling everyone who the winner of the remaining 3 awards would be. The musicians attending the show seemed to have given up on trying to win the awards, and were enjoying the show. It is evident from album sales even without the critical acim. Musicians up for the 3 major awards also know that their albums cannot bepared to ¡®The Life of Alvin¡¯. Song of the Year went to ¡®Wife¡¯ and Record of the Year and Album of the Year went to ¡®The Life of Alvin¡¯. As what President Stern had said it in jest was unfolding, his eyes started turning red as he sat behind the audience. Alvin Lee and the members gave their eptance speeches for Album of the Year with both hands full of trophies as they enjoyed the shing cameras. Jun Hyuk dominated today¡¯s Grammys as he took a total of 10 awards. Michael Jackson with ¡®Thriller¡¯ and Santana with ¡®Supernatural¡¯ had the most awards in history with 8 each, but Jun Hyuk had broken that record today. The ending performance for the Grammys was up to Metallica, the ¡®God of Metal¡¯. They are distant from a Grammy award because they did not release an album this year, but they showed the stance of a great by embellishing thest stage with an incredible performance. Everyone stood up and cheered when they entered. When they discovered another great entering, their cheering near that of astonishment. It was Jun Hyuk. This surprise show that started with a word from Metallica¡¯s guitarist, Kirk Hammett. When they had met in rehearsals, Kirk Hammett jokingly asked Jun Hyuk when he would be repaying him for using his mansion in Hawaii. The program producer had seen this and proposed a joint performance. And that joint performance hade to be the ending show of the Grammys. The special performance was created in 2 floors, and there was a grand piano on the top floor. Jun Hyuk sat in front of the piano and yed the keys. The song that flowed from his fingertips was Metallica¡¯s ¡®One¡¯. *** Kyung Min Ho was not the only person who was stroking the 10 trophies in disbelief. This was the same for Tara and President Stern as well. ¡°Jun, take all of these trophies. That¡¯s only right.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. It¡¯s your album, Alvin.¡± Though the album has his own name on it, Alvin spoke of it as Jun Hyuk¡¯s work and showed that he has no thoughts of taking the trophies. Neither gave in and kept talking noisily when President Stern interjected. ¡°Leave it to me. I know where these trophies will look best.¡± With a look from President Stern, the staff started to carefully pack up the trophies. ¡°Isaac. Where is the ce that you¡¯re so confident?¡± Alvin looked at President Stern in suspicion, wondering what the old man had up his sleeve this time. ¡°We¡¯re actually in the middle of creating a music hall right now. It¡¯s something Jun wants.¡± ¡°What? A music hall?¡± ¡°Yeah. Jun said he wants aplete studio, so I¡¯m working on it.¡± ¡°Isaac, I just talked about a studio. I wasn¡¯t thinking about a music hall.¡± Jun Hyuk was confused by something he was hearing about for the first time as well. A music hall? In his mind, he thought of Avery Hall, the home of the New York Philharmonic. On the one hand, he even started to feel excited when he imagined a theater. A studio and theater of his own. It is perfect with just one more thing. ¡°The basement will have the perfect studio Jun spoke of, and the ground with have arge concert hall that can seat at least 6,000 people and theaters of various sizes. There needs to be an outdoor music hall too... It¡¯ll have all facilities.¡± A passionate heat came out of his eyes as he exined it. ¡°Anyway, It¡¯s a huge project that we¡¯re putting $5 billion into. $3 billion from Jun, and I¡¯m investing $2 billion. There are a lot of outside people who want to invest too, but I turned all of them down. They might start bothering us with something like a Board of Directors.¡± Alvin¡¯s jaw dropped at the mention of $5 billion, and Kyung Min Ho was converting it to the Korean won on his fingers. ¡°What... 5 trillion won?¡± Kyung Min Ho always tried to speak in English, but he could not help but burst out in Korean right now. ¡°I already talked to New York¡¯s mayor, too. New York City is going to take care of the infrastructure construction. We¡¯re working on purchasing the site and designing right now.¡± ¡°Isaac. I feel like this is the first time Jun is hearing about this too from his expression... Are you doing all of this without discussing it with him?¡± Alvin barely came back to his senses and spoke as he looked at Jun Hyuk. ¡°Arbitrarily taking care of it when $3 billion of Jun¡¯s money is going into it... You really are a wicked manager. He he.¡± President Stern waved his hand at Alvin¡¯s joke. ¡°You say that because you don¡¯t know. $3 billion? That¡¯s nothing to Jun. He must have made over $20 billion this year. It¡¯s actually a bigger deal that I invested $2 billion. My band ount ispletely empty.¡± Jun Hyuk did not show any reaction to the number, as though proving what President Stern was saying. Before President Stern could even finish, Kyung in Ho was counting on his fingers again. When he was done converting from dors to won, his mouth would not close. Money in the trillions! Isn¡¯t that the kind of number in government budgets or conglomerate families like Samsung? An individual making trillions of won? ¡®He¡¯s on a different scale.¡¯ Kyung Min Ho¡¯s earnings increased dramatically while participating in Alvin¡¯s album and the concert tour. He had been making in the thousands or ten thousands range in Korea, but the money he now had in the bank was in the hundred thousands. But a number in the billions is not something that he can wrap his head around. President Stern did not mind the other people being surprised, and kept talking about his n with a heated expression. ¡°The music hall¡¯s name is Jun Center. It¡¯ll be andmarkparative to Lincoln Center. We¡¯re also working on a program that¡¯ll allow young and promising artists with nowhere to perform except on the streets, to perform at the center for free. We¡¯re going to find the hidden gems.¡± Jun Hyuk had only been listening until now, when he finally spoke up. ¡°Then when will that project be done? I want that studio quickly... Will this take years?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re going to finish building the studio first. You¡¯ll be able to use it by the summertest.¡± He still looked full of concern. ¡°And change the name.¡± ¡°The name? Why? Do you want to write it in Korean?¡± ¡°No. You invested in it too, so it needs to be Jun & Stern. Why is my name the only one on it. JS Center. That sounds good.¡± President Stern burst out inughter. ¡°You really always exceed my expectations. I would have cried out of sadness if you hadn¡¯t said that first. I get upset with the smallest things as I get older.¡± President Stern took the trophies that the employees had packed up, and left for the hotelughing. Alvin¡¯s group went to Detroit to continue with their tour, and Jun Hyuk went back to Switzend with Amelia. He did not forget to ask for a favor before leaving. ¡°Tara. Get all of the albums that were released by arranging my music. I want to listen to them.¡± ¡°What? All of them? That¡¯ll be easily over several hundreds.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can tell what they¡¯ll be like just by listening to the first part anyway. If I listen to the entirety of an album, wouldn¡¯t that be an incredible album?¡± It is something he thought of as he saw the pop singer who won a Grammy with an album arranged with his music. He provided original melodies, but never thought about the results. He wants to see the diversity. It is fun to see how his music changed while passing through various people¡¯s hands. Chapter 259 Volume 8 / Chapter 259 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Jun Hyuk and Amelia stayed in Switzend until the end of summer. They started each day while listening to the CDs Tara sent over as they ate breakfast and talked about the music. There were terrible songs and great songs. There were even songs that were so surprising they forgot that they were eating. They enjoyed the Switzend spring and summer at noon and when it got dark, Jun Hyuk drew notes on scores and Amelia yed the piano ordingly. When they arrived at the airport in New York, the first ce they went was the studio. The only moving elevator in a music hall under construction. That elevator only went to the basement. Jun Hyuk entered the studio on the 3rd floor basement and burst out in admiration. The studio of his dreams was before his eyes. The regr recording booth was good too, but the booth that could fit more than 200 performers was made as if a theater stage had been moved into a booth with a high ceiling and sturdy walls and floor so that not a single sound could escape. There were 2 people waiting next to President Stern, who was making sure that Jun Hyuk was satisfied. ¡°Jun, say hi. This is the manager who will take over operations for the studio and the senior engineer. They¡¯re the best in New York ¨C no ¨C America.¡± The first thing that Jun Hyuk said after exchanging brief greetings showed the 2 people their rough future. ¡°Then shall we start this studio¡¯s historical first recording?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Now?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re keeping it in a state where we can record at any time?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s just that this is so sudden.....¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to be used to this kind of abruptness if you¡¯re to work with me.¡± The 2 men were flustered as they began to prepare for recording. ¡°But what will you be recording?¡± ¡°Amelia, are you tired?¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m always ready.¡± Amelia shook her fingers and went into the recording booth. ¡°Okay. Then how about Piano Sonata D Minor?¡± President Stern was also flustered. ¡°Jun, what piano sonata? What song is that?¡± ¡°Oh. It¡¯s a series I made while in Switzend with Amelia. 8 piano sonatas. They express Switzend from January to August.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise you would forget music and rest?¡± He frowned because it is not even 1 song, but 8. ¡°Isaac. This is a gift I made for my girlfriend. I don¡¯t think of such things as work.¡± Jun Hyukughed and was looking delicately at Amelia in the recording booth. ¡°These 8 songs are subtitled Amelia in Switzend. We¡¯ll record first, so discuss matters over albums or shows with Amelia and her manager.¡± When the engineer signalled okay, Amelia started ying the piano. An expanded chord appearing at the start, arpeggio. The first theme showed a scattered chord, and flowed into a second theme that was more melodious. It started with a slow and lyrical 1st act, with a continuing breath of pianissimo of cold Switzend covered in snow. The frozen Alps spread out before them and the jazzy 3rd act ended the song. When Jun Hyuk checked the recording with a satisfied expression, the engineers let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Amelia. The 2nd act was a little strong, right? Let¡¯s try it again a bit more softly.¡± He repeated doing it again five times before they finished recording. ¡°Let¡¯s go with the 4th take of the Act 2.¡± When a piano sonata waspleted all of a sudden, the studio staff were able to witness Jun Hyuk¡¯s abilities, which they had only heard rumors about. It is hard to believe that a new record mighte out everyday, but it is something that they have to ept. ¡°It¡¯ll get noisy if thises out as a record. I think this will be part of the fixed repertoires of all pianists all over the world.¡± President Stern showed no traces of getting mad that Jun Hyuk had worked instead of resting, and pped for Amelia as she came out of the recording booth. ¡°No pianist is going to just listen to this kind of music. Their fingers will be tingling because they¡¯ll want to y it too.¡± ¡°Isaac. I told you these songs are a gift I¡¯m giving Amelia. Does it make sense to share a gift with the world?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No one other than Amelia can perform these. Same for albums and shows.¡± President Stern burst out inughter. ¡°Damn. It would have been nice if I had a boyfriend like you too. I wonder what it feels like to receive a piano song that only I can y. I can¡¯t imagine it.¡± ¡°Do you want to start learning the piano now? I¡¯ll take care of lessons.¡± Amelia smiled heartily and pat President Stern¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Oh right! And I want to meet these people.¡± He took 3 CDs out of his backpack. ¡°This is... The albums I sent you?¡± When Tara saw the CDs, her eyes grew wide. They are singers who released albums with Jun Hyuk¡¯s music. Looking at the CDbels, two are women and one is a band. ¡°They were great. I listened to them with Amelia over breakfast, and we focused until the end of the CD tracks. We even forgot we were eating breakfast.¡± President Stern took the CDs and looked all over them. ¡°Honestly if they had met proper producers and a good session, they could have won the Grammy award for Best New Artist this year. They¡¯re much better musicians than the winner in the pop section.¡± ¡°Are... Are you thinking of recording again?¡± ¡°No. How can we do it again when the albums are already out? I prepared some songs that are perfect for these people.¡± President Stern frowned again. How many songs did he write while in Switzend? ¡°Oh, rx. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. I only worked on it for about 2 days. We really did get rest in Switzend.¡± ¡°We need to dy working with these people we don¡¯t even know. We need to go to Berlin.¡± ¡°Berlin?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t remember your symphonies? The 5 pieces.¡± ¡°Aha. They got back about that?¡± ¡°Of course. Everyone was over the moon about them. I lied a little. That Jun created these symphonies especially for them. The 5 maestros were happy like children. He he.¡± Jun Hyuk shook his head. How old will he get before he stops joking like that? ¡°But Berlin¡¯s Serill Petrenko said that he would rather see you conducting. What do you think?¡± ¡°No. I want to work on these albums first. And I won¡¯t be conducting orchestras for the time being.¡± Jun Hyuk cautiously announced what he had decided while staying in Switzend. ¡°Isaac. Once this music hall isplete, what do you think about making an orchestra that will represent it?¡± Everyone in the studio, including President Stern, were shocked. They are smart enough to understand this as his saying that he wants to create an orchestra that he can call an instrument of his own. ¡°Orchestra? Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes. We can¡¯t let JS Center stay idle.¡± Jun Hyuk was saying it in a roundabout way, but President Stern knows what he truly means. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to get a recruiting advertisement out first. We need to hurry up and hold auditions.¡± ¡°Oh, no. Didn¡¯t you say that it would easily take 3 years for JS Center to bepleted? I don¡¯t think we need to recruit members yet.¡± ¡°There are 2 and a half years left now. And we need to hurry up and gather them. They¡¯re people who will have to learn songs that they¡¯ve never heard before, no?¡± Jun Hyuk was unable to respond and his face flushed. He looked like his true thoughts had beenpletely found out. ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t that the purpose? That you want to y your songs as much as you want? The desire to hear the melodies that are only in your mind?¡± Jun Hyuk scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± ¡°Yeah. Anyone here could tell that much. Ha ha.¡± President Sternughed refreshingly and pat Jun Hyuk on the back. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll get started on it as soon as possible. But you need to know one thing. You¡¯ll need to promise incredible conditions because they¡¯ll need to be prepared to perform in front of empty seats.¡± This time, everyone except Jun Hyuk blinked at President Stern, not understanding what he said. No audience at Maestro Jun¡¯s show? Isn¡¯t he the person who made top news every time he performed? ¡°Aren¡¯t you thinking of giving the soft songs people tend to like, whether they¡¯re songs you already made or ones that you will make in the future, to other philharmonics and putting out only the works that you want to perform? Theplex, sophisticated, even violent ones?¡± Jun Hyuk did not deny it when he had already been found out. ¡°We¡¯ll need a lot of money.¡± ¡°Of course. If you can¡¯t take care of bonuses for album sales and shows abroad, you need to offer that additional payment. On top of that, you¡¯ll act like a dictator with your high standards until you get the results you want... Thinking of theints including all of that, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ll need to give twice as much?¡± ¡°Twice.....¡± ¡°Is there a need to worry? There are still 80 songs that you haven¡¯t even released yet. If you release all of those, there will be enough money to pay all of the orchestras in the world.¡± President Stern did not worry about money from the beginning. He just feels burden that it will be an orchestra of different character than the others existing all around the world. Will fitting people try out for it? Will people gather in out of curiosity and quit because it is too difficult? President Stern tried to get rid of hisplicated thoughts, and smiled ¡°Money won¡¯t be a problem even if you say that you want to go out into space and perform on the moon. The only problem is that the science can¡¯t keep up.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s face changed for a moment. He blinked with a new thought, and President Stern quickly yelled. ¡°Look here! Don¡¯t look so serious. It¡¯s a joke!¡± ¡°Oh, I know. What performance in space where there¡¯s no oxygen... I know that much about the transmission of sound.¡± President Stern pushed Jun Hyuk and Amelia. ¡°There there. That¡¯s enough for today. Isn¡¯t it too much to get to work as soon as you get back from Switzend? Go home and rx. Amelia, you worked hard too.¡± When they left the basement studio and came to the ground floor, a helicopter was waiting for them. ¡°Is there a helicopternding pad on the apartment building¡¯s roof?¡± ¡°No. Not the apartment, but our new house. There¡¯s still some small construction to finish up, but it¡¯s enough to live in.¡± She must have had the construction of the new house in mind the entire time that they were in Switzend from the way she appears to know everything going on. Jun Hyuk wrapped his arm around Amelia¡¯s waist and they boarded the helicopter. Chapter 260 Volume 8 / Chapter 260 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir The house was much simpler than expected. He thought that it might be a tremendous mansion because it is in an area where only the super rich live, but there wasn¡¯t even a swimming pool. Instead, there was arge forest reminiscent of a park. ¡°But Amelia, what¡¯s that other building on the side?¡± Jun Hyuk was pointing at a building far from the main house. ¡°Oh, your studio. I put all of the audio, recording, and instruments in there. Oh right. The audio system is a gift from me to you. I spent all the money I made ying piano all year until my fingernails fell out, so treat it how you treat me. And I made the basement into a recording studio. I won¡¯t even go near it, so it¡¯spletely a ce of your own.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled from ear to ear and walked toward the annex building when Amelia yelled. ¡°You want to die? You¡¯re going to go to your studio without seeing our bedroom first? I¡¯m going to bulldoze it.¡± Amelia was not able to spend even 10 days in the bedroom she loved so much. She went back to her routine and had to start living like a nomad with her manager again. What had changed was that she was getting around morefortably without having to take longer routes with Jun Hyuk¡¯s private ne. After Amelia left, Jun Hyuk¡¯s life was just him going back and forth between his studio at home and the studio at the JS Center. Unlike Jun Hyuk¡¯s simple life, the outside was noisy with his news everyday. When it was revealed that they would be establishing an orchestra for JS Center and the details came out, professional musicians and conservatory students in ssical music were stirred up. Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped at the sry that was three times the amount of other orchestra and Jun Hyuk was said to be the conductor for life, but it was also because of the recruitment ad that obviously showed who the owner of the orchestra is. It hinted that the main repertoire would be Jun Hyuk¡¯s works and the best treatment and working environment would be provided, but they need to agree to the condition that they can be fired at any time if they do not show improvement and development if they want to apply. It was unconventional that there will not be any separation in aspects like 1st or 2nd performer, and positions will change frequently with the pieces they perform. It was also unusual that the audition will not look at names or experience, and progress with registration numbers. The intent to look only at current ability showed clearly. Applying was just leaving an e-mail and instrument part on JS Center¡¯s temporary homepage. The purpose of the e-mails was only to notify applicants of the audition date and time. Tens of thousands of people applied, including the truly strong musicians, those who call themselves exceptional, performers who are not that great, and those who applied because of the money. ¡°This is troublesome. It¡¯ll take 1 year to audition all of these people.¡± ¡°Isaac. We would need to see 100 people every single day to make it in a year. It was reckless not to look at experience.¡± ¡°100 people in a day? That¡¯s not realistic either. We¡¯ll need to hold auditions for at least 2 years.¡± ¡°Exactly. Even though it¡¯s Maestro Jun¡¯s orchestra, we should have persuaded him.¡± President Stern and the staff racked their brains for a method, but nothing clear came out. There was something that they were forgetting however. That is Jun Hyuk himself. ¡°What are you thinking about so hard? We should be done in a week at most.¡± ¡°What? One week? How?¡± ¡°200 people can fit in the basement studio. We can have rounds of 200 people perform for 10 minutes by instrument parts, and pick from there. I¡¯m just worried there won¡¯t be able performers in the entire number of applicants.¡± At first, no one knew what Jun Hyuk was talking about. However, they all hit their knees and startedughing. ¡°I see. We were forgetting the maestro¡¯s incredible listening skills.¡± The first day of auditions was the violin. The thousands of people who gathered at JS Center with their violin cases were surprised by the number of people auditioning. There was even bustling when they discovered a known violinist among them. The first 200 people were called in numerical order and took the elevator down to the basement studio. Their jaws dropped at the tremendous scale of the huge studio. Staff members escorted 200 violinists into the recording booth, and they looked at each other bustling. At first, they thought that they were going to be told how the auditions would proceed. However, the way they were evenly spaced out in the room felt like they were in position as an orchestra, so they felt even more nervous. Shortly after, the recording booth door opened and the famous young maestro came in. Jun Hyuk stood on the podium and spoke in a businesslike manner. ¡°A score wille up on the screen momentarily. When I send the signal, y ording to that score. If you miss my signal and startte or early, you will be eliminated automatically. Missing the conductor¡¯s signal is a mistake that not even amateurs make.¡± When Jun Hyuk raised both of his arms, the applicants put their violins to their chins and prepared to move their bows at any time. As Jun Hyuk said, a score came up on the screen. But it is music that they are seeing for the first time. While they tried to read over the score quickly, Jun Hyuk¡¯s baton moved. The applicants did their very best not to lose the score and Jun Hyuk¡¯s baton. However, they quickly realized that the baton would simply help them keep the beat. When the 10 minute performance ended, Jun Hyuk used his baton to sort out the applicants. ¡°Number 4, 36, 168..... These people stay behind and the rest can go back. Thank you.¡± The 200 people were in a state of confusion after Jun Hyuk¡¯s dry announcement of the results because they could not figure out what was going on. The 3 people whose numbers were called were also bewildered. ¡°Um Maestro. I¡¯m sorry, but is this the audition?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± While the eliminated violinists were packing their violins and leaving the recording booth, someone burst out in discontent. ¡°Of course it is right that the decision is made based ording to the maestro¡¯s standards... but isn¡¯t this too much?¡± ¡°What¡¯s too much?¡± Jun Hyuk frowned and looked at the applicant who was objecting to his method. ¡°200 people yed a song that they saw for the first time and you choose from among them? Honestly, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen an audition like this. It¡¯s hard to ept its fairness.¡± ¡°Fairness... What¡¯s your number?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Your number.¡± ¡°143.¡± ¡°Then you performed from that spot, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You missed 2 notes, 3 fingering mistakes, you lost the tempo once. Even if it¡¯s the first time you¡¯re seeing this score, you made all of these mistakes in a short 10 minutes... If I were you, I¡¯d disappear quietly out of embarrassment. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being shameless?¡± Number 143 gulped under Jun Hyuk¡¯s sharp reproach. While he could not say anything, the other applicants had looks of disbelief. It may be difficult if all of the instruments are different, there are conductors who are able to pick out where mistakes were made. But they are all violins with the same timbre. He not only pointed out that something was strange, but how many mistakes were made and how many times. The impossible was happening in front of them. ¡°And Number 143, you¡¯re left handed?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Yes. That¡¯s... that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Left handed people need to hold the elbow of the hand with the bow 3 to 5 centimeters higher than right handed people do. That¡¯s how a clear soundes out. Unless you fix that, you won¡¯t pass any auditions.¡± The candidates froze as they were leaving the recording booth. He picked up on not only mistakes, but that the performer is left-handed? ¡°The audition is fair. And I hope the people who passed understand that this is just the 1st round. Not even I know how many rounds there will be. If there is anyone else who has a problem with the way our auditions are being held, speak up. Just keep in mind that you might hear something more harsh.¡± Everyone except the 3 people whose numbers were called, left the studio as though running away. The 3 who passed were so tense that they wanted to follow after them as well. Performing under a conductor like that? Their burden reached its peak. When the 2nd group of candidates came down, there were far less people. ¡°Huh? Why are there so few people?¡± Less than 100 people were holding their violins and waiting for him. ¡°They all left. The people who were just eliminated told them how the auditions are held... and one candidate revealed that he used to be with the Munich Philharmonic. It seems they made a fuss and ran away.¡± ¡°Then these are all of the violin candidates left over?¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± This was not just the case with violinists. When talk of the 1st day of auditions spread on the inte and social media, only a little over 100 people out of tens of thousands of applicants showed up for each instrument. Due to this, they were able to hold higher quality auditions with great performers. 82 people passed the auditions until the 3rd round, and they became the founding members of Jun Hyuk¡¯s orchestra. They moved to New York a monthter and stepped back into therge studio in JS Center again. Chapter 261 Volume 8 / Chapter 261 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir When Jun Hyuk came through the recording booth door, the waiting orchestra members bolted up from their seats. Jun Hyukughed and waved his hand so they could sit back down. When the person closest to the door got up to close the door to the booth, Jun Hyuk waved at him to leave it alone. ¡°First off, congrattions on bing official members.¡± Jun Hyuk pped lightly and everyone finally realized that they had be members of this incredible orchestra, and their faces brightened. More than half were veterans of other famous orchestras, and there wereplete rookies. However, they had something inmon as well. Not a single person had gray hair. The members were feeling it dimly as well. Older people had not even bothered to audition because it is difficult for them to follow this scary maestro¡¯s rigorous directing. ¡°The first thing I can tell you is about money. If you be an orchestra to the standard that I want and those who are able to withstand it until that happens, you will be sitting on money.¡± The members had been expecting more agreeable and warm words, so their faces hardened. This young maestro is too straightforward and coarse. ¡°I¡¯ll give incentives for each show¡¯s ticket sales and each album¡¯s sales performance.¡± The members already know that Jun Hyuk¡¯s choral concerto album is a million seller. It is not an exaggeration that they will be sitting on money if they release dozens of albums like that. ¡°First, I¡¯ll give you a taste of the money. After one month, you all will be recording my opera . We¡¯re working on the first album with the premiere¡¯s original cast.¡± The members¡¯ jaws dropped. A world tour that went over a year. It is a work that sold out each time and rewrote the history of opera. If ites out as a record, it will sell at least as much as the audience was mobilized. It is normal for the audience who witnessed the show in person to purchase the album in order to experience that emotion again. And how many people are manic about the movie ¡®Godfather¡¯? They are positive that this album is going to be a collector¡¯s item for the millions of people around the world who love the movie. Recordpanies are saying that the opera album is going to sell at least 10 million. Karajan sold 200 million albums while serving as life conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. That was called the Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s Golden Age. The orchestra members all earned a ton of money from album sales and performances abroad through incentives. However, Karajan released over 1000 albums with the Berlin Philharmonic. Jun Hyuk¡¯s orchestra will sell 10 million with just one album. Compared to Jun Hyuk¡¯s orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic¡¯s Golden Age is just like a poorborer devoting himself to mass production. The members all realized that therge sry they would be making is no longer considered a lot of money. ¡°And if I want to, I could make it so that not a singlebel could release the album for the opera . Then your performance would be the only album out there.¡± The members all had trouble trying to hold back theirughter. A performance that will continue for dozens of years after. And just one album. If it is a steady seller for that long, it is basically another pension. With just one recording. ¡°You can¡¯t be so happy about it already. We¡¯ll be working on it in this studio recording booth. It¡¯s not a performance on stage.¡± It took a while for them to understand what Jun Hyuk was saying. ¡°Here, there are a total of 10 people to take on 1st and 2nd violin.¡± Jun Hyuk raised his hand to motion to the violinists. ¡°If I only like the way one out of all of these people y, that person will end up ying 10 times. Why? Because it¡¯s a recording. All we have to do is mix the 10 times they y. And that person will take all of the incentives of 10 people.¡± The orchestra members had been too quick to be happy, and they looked like an audience watching a horror movie. Until now, most operas were recorded in performance and released as live albums. If there is even a single person for each instrument in this recording booth that is like a performance stage, it would even be possible to record a choral symphony. This ce is not a temple of music, but a coliseum that they need to survive. When the conductor had said that they would sit on money if they withstood it, he was not just talking about them remaining as members. They need to survive as people with abilities up to standard to participate in the recording. ¡°A worse situation coulde out. If no one is to my satisfaction, I will have no choice but to call in a violin soloist. Um... Daniel LaPierre, my friend and someone getting the most spotlight at the moment. He cane and record 12 times.¡± There was a chill in the studio as if cold water had been thrown on them. How insulting are his words? He picked them and could end up not using them! ¡°This is not just with the violins. It is the same for all of the parts. I brought you all here with 3 times the sry of the Berlin Philharmonic. Is anyone here able to say that they are 3 times better than the Berlin Philharmonic in ability?¡± The chill became a freeze with Jun Hyuk¡¯s fastball. A symphony that can follow the Berlin Philharmonic will note out right now. ¡°There are 2 years left until JS Center¡¯s opening. My goal is to give a performance that is as great as ¨C no ¨C at least twice as great as that of the Berlin Philharmonic in 2 years.¡± Everyone¡¯s hair rose. This means that they will just practice rigorously for 2 years. ¡°It¡¯s possible if you trust me and follow my directing. Of course that process will be more than 3 times as rigorous as that of the Berlin Philharmonic.¡± Jun Hyuk came down from the podium and walked toward the open door. ¡°I can direct your performances but not your legs and feet. Anyone who does not have the confidence can leave through this door. We will pay you for the work you did today.¡± No one rose from their seats. No one wants to leave this golden pond. Jun Hyuk smiled at them and got back up on the podium. ¡°Great. Then shall we get started? Everyone, open your scores.¡± The members opened the score to opera , sitting on the music stands in front of them. The members were like diators battling to stay alive in a coliseum as they picked up their weapons. Their instruments. *** While Jun Hyuk waved a carrot in front of the orchestra to whip them into shape, President Isaac Stern was more busy than he had ever been in his life. ¡°Oh my God! Mr. Stern, what are you doing all the way here?¡± ¡°Mr. Yoon, it¡¯s been a while. I wanted a coffee from your cafe.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was surprised when he opened the cafe early in the morning and President Stern walked in. And he could guess that the man had note to see him himself for something small. President Stern had a coffee with Yoon Kwang Hun and enjoyed Jun Hyuk¡¯s music as they exchanged greetings. President Stern chatted for a while before handing Yoon Kwang Hun a thick document. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°First, take a look. Let¡¯s talk after you read through it.¡± The documents recorded theplicated rtionships of variouspanies, the flow of funds, and Jun Hyuk¡¯s ie in detail. Yoon Kwang Hun looked through them carefully and then put a cigarette in his mouth. ¡°This is impressive. What a map.¡± President Stern would not havee all the way to Korea just to show him this map. Yoon Kwang Hun could already guess why President Stern hade to him. Jun & Stern Foundation. A foundation that possesses Isaac Stern¡¯s personal shares of Stern Corporation, and shares for the recordbel and online distributor which will be newly established. A foundation that will be responsible for JS Center¡¯s operations and tremendous funds. The recordbel to be established ns to create Jun Hyuk¡¯s music of course, but also the albums he will act as producer for, and music he will make for singers. The offline distribution of music is working with existing distributors, but there will be abel dedicated to online music distribution. The conclusion is simple. The foundation¡¯s objective is maximizing revenue through Jun Hyuk. The Beatles also created their own recordbel because they did not want to waste the money that was going to their formerbel. Their recordbel¡¯s name is . Of course it has nothing to do with Steve Job¡¯s Apple. It was an era without online however, so Apple copsed when existing recordbels and distributors united to block the distribution of Beatles albums. The Beatles submitted to an existingrgebel again. However, the situation now is moving in an entirely different paradigm that it was then. A music productionpany is just another name for an agency and management agency. They y the same role, and unity is no longer possible. ¡°Mr. Stern. This is a good n, but isn¡¯t it meaningless to Jun no matter how much you maximize his revenue?¡± President Sternughed. ¡°You¡¯re right. Jun isn¡¯t buying a castle in Europe or collecting artwork worth millions of dors like other stars. He won¡¯t say that he wants to buy dozens of super cars or inds in the South Pacific either. And it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯ll marry multiple times and have to pay enormous alimonies like I did. Ha ha.¡± ¡°But why are you thinking of such a huge project?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a waste.¡± Chapter 262 Volume 8 / Chapter 262 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir ¡°Excuse me?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s paused with his coffee in his hand. It¡¯s a waste? ¡°Arge portion of what Jun makes goes to otherpanies. Where do you think they¡¯ll spend the money they¡¯re making because of Jun? It¡¯ll be money thrown away for the whims of executives of music productionpanies and distributors.¡± President Stern lit a cigar and started to talk about his vision. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to spend that tremendous amount of money in Jun¡¯s name? He could do anything. He could help third world countries, fund the development of music. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to donate a piano to every elementary school ssroom?¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you thought of a foundation. It¡¯s an incredible idea.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know, but the people joining this endeavor all have great characters. They will run the foundation with integrity and always think of something better.¡± President Stern looked at Yoon Kwang Hun with his cigar in his mouth. ¡°Mr. Stern. Jun¡¯s money isn¡¯t something that I get involved in. You can discuss this idea with Jun and decide with him. It isn¡¯t something to get permission from me for.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun spoke inly because he thought that President Stern was still under the impression that everything regarding Jun Hyuk needed to go through him. He is no longer Jun Hyuk¡¯s guardian. And Jun Hyuk is not a child. ¡°Ha ha. Well well. You misunderstood me.¡± President Stern blinked in confusion for a while becauseughing. ¡°I didn¡¯te here to get your permission. As you said, it¡¯s something that I can proceed with after talking to Jun.¡± ¡°Then why are you showing me this n?¡± ¡°I wanted to ask a big favor of you. Will you be the Chairman of the Jun & Stern Foundation?¡± Chairman? The foundation¡¯s representative? His surprise upon seeing President Stern early in the morning had been nothing. Yoon Kwang Hun forgot that he was even holding a cigarette, and froze. What is this out of the blue? ¡°No matter how I think about it, no one is more appropriate than you, Mr. Yoon.¡± ¡°Mr. Stern. What are you talking about? I¡¯m just someone who¡¯s retired, enjoying coffee, wine, and music in this small cafe. But take on a foundation that will be moving billions of dors? I can¡¯t handle it.¡± He was so surprised that he put his cigarette out in his coffee as he waved his hand. ¡°What do you meanmon? You¡¯re too modest. I know about your experience in Wall Street and Korea well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all in the past. I¡¯m not like that now.¡± However, President Stern¡¯s expression did not change in the slightest. ¡°Will you listen to what I have to say?¡± He lit his cigar again and spoke slowly. ¡°The foundation¡¯s chairman needs to meet 3 conditions. First, not being greedy for money and being frugal. What I mean by greed here is that the person can¡¯t be interested in money at all. The person can¡¯t be greedy when there are billions on the line.¡± It is a prerequisite that he needs to consider. Yoon Kwang Hun nodded. ¡°Second, having the ability and intuition to understand all movement just by looking at numbers on a document. We need to see it clearly ifpanies involved with the foundation are ying around with money. People in the entertainment industry are used to luxury and pleasure.¡± President Stern let out a long puff of cigar smoke andughed. ¡°There are people who think of parties full of models, singers, and entertainers all the time. They think of all of that as required expenses. It is something we need to tolerate to a point, but we need to bepletely aware of the extent.¡± ¡°Mr. Stern, America is full of human resources. Won¡¯t there be someone who meets those conditions? You¡¯re thinking about this the wrong way because of the rtionship between Jun and myself.¡± ¡°Of course. There are a lot of human resources. People with the right philosophy and mind of sacrifice. And it¡¯d be possible to find a ton of people who are good at administration who are good with numbers.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s settled. There¡¯s no reason that it has to be me.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun sighed in relief, but President Stern was stillughing. ¡°The problem is that no one meets the 3rd andst condition.¡± ¡°What? A 3rd condition?¡± ¡°There are a lot of great people out there as you said, but no matter who we bring, they will think more of the foundation. How can we spend money in a ce with more value? What method do we need to use when using money? Lastly, how can we grow the foundation?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that inevitable?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s something to think about before that. It¡¯s that we need to think of Jun before all of that.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun closed his eyes. He finally realized the reason why President Stern is trying to make him the chairman. The foundation must note before Jun Hyuk. If the foundationes first, an endless amount of money is needed. Not just the money made frompanies affiliated with the foundation, but it is normal to get external contributions. The best way to get donations is to put Jun Hyuk forward. It could be endlessly bothersome. Jun Hyuk is the foundation¡¯s owner, but the chairman who is in charge of operations could think of Jun Hyuk as an affiliatepany. This is President Stern¡¯s concern. Yoon Kwang Hun opened his eyes and spoke cautiously, ¡°Mr. Stern, you¡¯re the person most suitable for the chairman position. It¡¯s not me.¡± Doesn¡¯t he meet all of these prerequisites? Furthermore, didn¡¯t he invest Stern Corporation stocks and a huge amount of money? There is no better match. However, President Stern looked at Yoon Kwang Hun in disbelief. ¡°Mr. Yoon, look at me. I¡¯m an old man, already over 80. It wouldn¡¯t be weird if I died now. Going out to do something would be silly.¡± President Stern looked all over his body. His wrinkled hands, his white hair. He is an old man. ¡°If you don¡¯t ept, I¡¯m not going to establish the foundation at all.¡± ¡°That would be better. It¡¯s the choice ofpany officials if they want to waste the money they made through Jun by ying around with models. Not everyone needs to be moral. I don¡¯t have the right to pass judgement on other people¡¯s actions. Let¡¯s end this discussion here.¡± President Stern¡¯s smile grew when he saw how decisive Yoon Kwang Hun was. He really had picked the right person. Yoon Kwang Hun does not care about anything. Billions of dors is just a number to him, and he will remain indifferent to that money. He became more entrenched in his thought that there will be no better person for the job. President Stern took out a few documents from the man envelope. It is the contract for Jun Hyuk and Stern Corporation¡¯s management. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know, but the termination date for the contract was left nk.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an incredibly reckless and free condition.¡± ¡°Yes, it is reckless. It seems like a nk termination date is an advantage for the artist¡¯s side, but it can be used in the reverse as well. I¡¯m writing in a date to release the burden. If you don¡¯t ept, that date will be today.¡± Yoon Kwang Hunughed in disbelief. This old man is really something! ¡°You¡¯re incredible. I wavered. Ha ha.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t all. There¡¯s more.¡± ¡°The decisive hit?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯ll be the KO punch.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun looked at another document that President Stern handed over, and was surprised for the 3rd time today. Then, he lit a cigarette without saying anything. While Yoon Kwang Hun smoked, President Stern looked ted. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ve won. With a KO.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun put his cigarette out, let out a long sigh, and looked at President Stern. ¡°A small apartment in New York. You have to put an audio system of the highest quality in that apartment. Oh right. I can expense my costs for moving on the foundation, right?¡± *** After the orchestra members gathered in the studio to practice everyday for about 1 month, their first result was revealed. ¡°We will begin recording for the opera ¡®Godfather¡¯ tomorrow.¡± The orchestra members gulped. Will all of the members get to participate together? Or will there be people eliminated? This moment was more tense than when they had auditioned a month ago. ¡°It is a pity, but there is a fair amount of people who do not meet my standards. And I matched these standards to those of other orchestras. The people who participate in the recording must keep in mind as well that they can be taken out at any time during the recording.¡± This means that in the end, he only selected a section of them. The members all looked disheartened. ¡°The list for participants is hanging outside. And the recording period is 3 days. The people who will not be recording should practice individually for the 3 days. It is not a break.¡± Jun Hyuk looked over the orchestra and said something even more shocking. ¡°Second r.¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± The r yer had his instrument in his hand and was startled when Jun Hyuk called on him. ¡°You¡¯re fired starting today. The office will give you more detailed information. You worked hard until now.¡± Chapter 263 Volume 8 / Chapter 263 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir ¡°Does life turn out the way you n? You looked better with a guitar or drums than you did with a baton.¡± ¡°But why are you here so suddenly? All the way to New York from LA?¡± The 2 men hesitated before taking out their business cards to hand to Jun Hyuk. ¡°Huh? This...?¡± ¡°It was a decision to work with the great Jun. First, know that we¡¯re not doing this because of the incredible sry. Ha ha.¡± The business card said CEO and Chief Producer. The JS Foundation affiliate recordbel¡¯sst selections were Alex Jenkin and Eli Gotez. ¡°Mr. Stern worried that it would be abel specialized in ssical music. Our Maestro is working in all areas, so he wanted us to maximize the advantages.¡± ¡°I like it whatever the reason is. It¡¯s ufortable for me to work with people I meet for the first time, too.¡± ¡°What is it? Then are you saying that your familiarity with us is more important than our qualifications?¡± ¡°Qualifications are important to someone like Isaac. I like people I¡¯mfortable with.¡± It sounded like a joke, but the 2 men had nothing to say. He is right. There is no reason to be concerned with ability when he is able to handle all processes of producing a record. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m d you¡¯re here. I needed help with organization so you came at exactly the right time.¡± ¡°Organization? What?¡± Jun Hyuk pulled files saved on the studio server up on the monitor. ¡°This is music I¡¯ve been creating. I left the ones that need orchestration apaniment separate. They¡¯replete other than those, so look at all of them and let me know what you think I should do.¡± ¡°What is this? Sing? Did you sing?¡± Alex Jenkin pointed to a folder titled ¡®Sing¡¯. ¡°No. I yed the singing part on the piano. The song can be sung ording to that melody. They need work on lyrics, too.¡± Eli Gotez checked the number of folders and his jaw dropped. ¡°64? I¡¯m sure this means there¡¯s a total of 64 songs?¡± ¡°Yes. I just made them as I thought of them, so I haven¡¯t configured albums yet. You two can ssify these songs, make them into album units, and bring on singers who fit them.¡± With this many songs, they can make at least 7 albums. They heard that he had already created 4 albums... They could not even imagine how he was handling this incredible workload. ¡°What are you doing? You should hurry up and get started.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Of course. Call in the recordbel employees if you need to as well. You think Isaac is giving you a huge sry for nothing? This is a ce where you need to get to work no matter what, starting on the first day. I don¡¯t know how much you¡¯re making, but you¡¯re on the losing side.¡± *** ¡°This is Mr. Yoon. We brought him on as JS Foundation¡¯s Chairman. And these are the people on the Board of Directors.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun met the 4 people who would be directing the foundation with President Stern. They are well achieved in their respective areas and they have worked to create a better world than they have for their own wealth and glory. As the 4 directors enjoyed the restaurant¡¯s steak and wine, they passionately debated the business JS Foundation would need to focus on going forward. ¡°Mria is a bigger problem than AIDS in Africa. AIDS just gets more attention because it has spread to western society, but the death rate from mria is actually overwhelming.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying we need to figure out the drinking water problem. Water is directly connected to hygiene. Since pipes are impossible, the best resolution for now are wells.¡± ¡°We need to work on the expansion of medical staff as well. How long are we going to rely on volunteer work for? They need a sry at least to support their families. Even with just that, there will be more people applying to work.¡± While the directors were discussing the business that took priority to each of them, Yoon Kwang Hun said nothing, eating his steak and drinking his wine. Yoon Kwang Hun finished eating, wiped his mouth, and turned to President Stern to speak. ¡°Mr. Stern. But are you sure these people are the foundation¡¯s executives?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± The chatty 4 people also stopped talking at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s obvious provocation. ¡°Ordinary businesses all think about how they can make money. On the other hand, foundations like us think about how to spend money. But isn¡¯t it strange? A foundation isn¡¯t a bank, so doesn¡¯t someone need to make that money? Does that money fall from the sky?¡± ¡°Aha. It seems the Chairman doesn¡¯t know JS Foundation¡¯s structure yet...¡± One of the directorsughed and spoke, but he was unable to finish his sentence. ¡°No, I know it well. Mr. Stern and Jun put up the base funding and aren¡¯t we operating on that money?¡± ¡°And Maestro Jun promised to donate a lot of money every year. In addition, arge portion of profits from the foundation¡¯s affiliated businesses wille in as funds.¡± ¡°Aha, so you¡¯re saying that we don¡¯t need to worry about making money.¡± Yono Kwang Hun snapped his fingers and spoke as though he just realized it, making the 4 directors¡¯ faces brighten. President Stern¡¯s stony face however, did not rx. Isn¡¯t this all what Yoon Kwang Hun already knows? ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask again. If we don¡¯t need to worry about money, aren¡¯t executives unnecessary? The business team brainstorms and ns out how to use money. Then are the 4 directors here and I just in our positions to give approval? Our sries seem to be pretty big.¡± None of the directors could respond. It is a reproach about whether they are going to be in their positions without working. ¡°Listening to you all today, it seems you would fit better on the business team than as directors. You¡¯re full of thoughts on how to use the money in a better way for better causes... There is no one more eligible for the foundation¡¯s business team.¡± The directors¡¯ faces flushed. They worked on the business teams of various foundations until now. They are people who have cried with starving people in barrennds and people suffering from diseases. And they know too what the role of a foundation¡¯s director is. ¡°A foundation¡¯s director needs to bring in money from outside or be an investor, one or the other. That means this needs to be a person who makes money. Isn¡¯t this the most basic concept?¡± One person who could no longer bear to listen to Yoon Kwang Hun say the obvious,ughed and spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr. Yoon, but to my understanding, you¡¯re someone who doesn¡¯t fit into either category either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something you should be concerned with. The Chairman is appointed by the investor, and Mr. Stern who invested in this foundation appointed me. I just evaluate the directors as the Chairman. I can assess you four, but no one here other than he can assess me. Are you now thinking of overstepping your authority?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s voice had gotten a little higher and it pricked their consciences. They thought that he had put in the Chairman position solely because he is Jun Hyuk¡¯s father. And President Sternmitted him as someone who would check the flow of fundspletely. Looking at it now however, isn¡¯t he saying that he willpletely y the role of Chairman? The 4 directors kept their mouths shut at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s firm tone. ¡°Let¡¯s get up since it seems like we¡¯re done eating. And I hope you¡¯ll think about it deeply. Whether you¡¯re going to fulfill all of your responsibilities as directors, or if you¡¯ll work on the business team. I¡¯ll hear that response tomorrow.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun looked at the 4 people without moving, and they slowly got up to leave. President Stern had been watching them without saying a word, and let out a low breath. ¡°I misjudged you, Mr. Yoon.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you a little while ago? The person who can assess me is you as an investor. You can fire me whenever you want to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I thought you were just a sleeping bull but now that you¡¯vee out of the pen, I didn¡¯t realize that you were a savage beast. Ho ho.¡± ¡°Then shall I go back into the pen?¡± President Stern shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m quite a happy old man. I got something wrong, but that was a treasure chest. Now not only the son, but the father will get involved to surprise me, so could there be a more joyful ending period to my life? Ha ha.¡± President Sternughed for a while. ¡°But those 4 people are people we need. Meet with them again.¡± However, Yoon Kwang Hun lightly shook his head. ¡°Mr. Stern. A foundation doesn¡¯t need to scout talent.¡± ¡°Excuse me? What does that mean?¡± ¡°Social activists look for ces where they can act on their ideals. If their ideals are different, they don¡¯t move even for money. If they move with money, they are already srymen and not activists. We don¡¯t need srymen. If our foundation¡¯s ideals are high, the talent will automaticallye to us.¡± The rxed cafe owner did not show in this Yoon Kwang Hun, full of confidence. ¡°Let¡¯s push back organizing the board. We don¡¯t even know if rich people who are synchronized with our intents will demand director titles once the foundation is formallyunched. Let¡¯s leave the positions empty for them and wait.¡± ¡°Mr. Yoon, it looks like you¡¯re not going to move in the way I talked about.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m going to move exactly the way you talked about. I¡¯m not going to burden Jun, and the foundation needs to use its own power to create business. I¡¯m going to push that to the limit, too.¡± ¡°What does the limit mean?¡± ¡°Money always needs to becking for the business started. That way, we¡¯ll do our best to raise the necessary funding and the staff will make more effort to save on expenses. A rich life makes everyonezy. Andziness will bring the foundation to copse.¡± President Stern¡¯s jaw dropped. He did not know that he would ever hear thiszy man say such a thing! ¡°Which is the real you? Cafe owner? Or the foundation chairman who¡¯s saying all of this incredible stuff right now?¡± ¡°Is any person just one thing? They¡¯re both the same person.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun drank the rest of his wine and smiled. Chapter 264 Volume 8 / Chapter 264 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir It had been long since Jun Hyuk had seen Dario Argento, but he was still lively. He never made a public appearance after the premiere of opera ¡®Godfather¡¯ so it was hot news that he was in New York. He only had one response for the reporters pouring questions on him at the airport. ¡°Opera ¡®Godfather¡¯ is myst performance and the album I¡¯m working on with Maestro Jun will be myst album. I will not being out with anything from now on.¡± He is the only person who could know if the reason why he dered that hisst voice is the opera ¡®Godfather¡¯ is a marketing tactic to raise album sales. When Argento arrived at the studio, his jaw dropped at its size. ¡°A full orchestra? No, it¡¯s bigger.¡± ¡°It¡¯s big enough to amodate a chorus as well.¡± ¡°Well well. Are you intending to be secluded in here? Like a dragon locked up in a dungeon. Ha ha.¡± ¡°I intend to be that dragon for the 2 years until JS Center opens.¡± ¡°What about that incredible orchestra? Is it good enough as your instrument?¡± Argento knew about his recruitment of orchestra members, since it made noise all over the world. ¡°We¡¯re tuning it first. There¡¯s a lot to fix up.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to tell when we¡¯re recording.¡± These are songs that he is singing for the first time in over a year, but Argento did so well that he got the OK sign from Jun Hyuk in one go. It was clear that he had practiced a lot with the recording ahead of him. The short time period of a year brought a lot of change to the old man. His voice got rougher and it made a metallic sound. This kind of voice is more like that of an old mafia¡¯s. Opera viewers, who had been unable to hear Argento¡¯s singing, will listen to the album and think it a pity that there will never be a casting so perfect for the role. Unexpectedly, the entire recording process took over 6 months. All of the singers had different schedules, so it was difficult to gather people for their duets and trios. Even 6 months was only possible by recording singers and working on the mixing separately. If they had done it properly, it would have easily taken over 1 year. For 6 months, Jun Hyuk not only worked on the opera album, but he produced a total of 4 albums. The 3 musicians who made his ears perk up while he was vacationing in Switzend, the musicians who arranged Jun Hyuk¡¯s album to release albums. The female singers from Ennd and America, and the rock band from Northern Europe¡¯s Find put lyrics to the music that Jun Hyuk made for them and flew to New York. ¡°The lyrics are in English.¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro. It¡¯d be stupid to put Finnish lyrics to such an amazing song.¡± The Finnish rock band did not want to miss this perfect opportunity to get out of their country and be known worldwide, so they put English lyrics in for all of the songs. ¡°Hm... I liked the special characteristics of Finnish. And I didpose the music with that in mind.¡± They all became ufortable. If they receive this maestro¡¯s touch, they are bound to be stars. Didn¡¯t the mediapare them to Cindere as well? They were given media attention for the first time with just the fact that they received Maestro Jun¡¯s music. But they cannot keep ying around in Find¡¯s small market. ¡°Sing in your mother tongue so you can deliver your message exactly. Even if people in other countries can¡¯t understand the lyrics, they¡¯ll get your sincerity.¡± ¡°Maestro, our English is perfect too. There isn¡¯t anguage barrier.¡± They cried out quickly. They want to be like the global band from Find, Nightwish. They were dreaming of bing the 2nd Nightwish, cing on Finnish charts for half a year whenever they release albums and selling out world tours. And it felt like they had their hands on the door to achieving this dream now. But they can¡¯t use English? ¡°You¡¯re still foreigners. I¡¯m sure you can write, speak, and hear in a different country¡¯snguage perfectly. But in order to express your personal deep area, the mother tongue is better. You didn¡¯t write the lyrics without thinking, did you? And I¡¯ll say it again, but I fell for the Finnishnguage.¡± ¡°But Maestro, in order to get your great music out to the whole world, isn¡¯t it better to use English?¡± The band members made great effort to persuade Jun Hyuk, but Jun Hyuk grew even colder. ¡°I think you¡¯ve misunderstood... but I don¡¯t care whether your band reaches worldwide stardom or the best band in Find. I gave you the music and proposed creating an album because I wanted to bring out your musicality, potential power, and the zest of yournguage.¡± All of the band members could not respond to Jun Hyuk¡¯s determinedness. They realized what they had mistaken. The young maestro is not a star making producer like Quincy Jones. He is someone who does not care about anything beyond creating perfect work like poprity or money. ¡°Eithere back with Finnish lyrics or let¡¯s just say this didn¡¯t happen. Since I¡¯ve prepared the airline ticket and hotel, take a tour of New York and go back.¡± ¡°Oh, no. We¡¯ll rewrite the lyrics in Finnish.¡± They quickly shouted out while waving their hands. ¡°I¡¯ll extend the time that you stay in the hotel. Take your time and create great lyrics. Then.¡± When the band members left with their shoulders slumped down, Jun clucked his tongue. ¡°Kids don¡¯t know whatte bloomers are.¡± *** Thest record was Colin band¡¯s 2nd album. Once the world tour was over, Alvin Lee went back to his hometown. He is a musician who ys the blues with just an acoustic guitar and his voice in a small theater for 2 hours every night. Countless agencies gave him calls to sign on with them during the tour, but he refused all of them. ¡°I¡¯m still a drug addict. I¡¯m just restraining myself. The life of a big star will inevitably test my resolve, and I don¡¯t have the confidence. I don¡¯t want to start snorting cocaine again.¡± He chose the path of seclusion. Jun Hyuk looked over the score and demo CD that Colin gave him, and did not hide his admiration. ¡°Great. You¡¯ve even be tasteful and restrained now. There really is a difference after swimming in big waters.¡± ¡°Todd¡¯s influence was big. It¡¯s not the Colin band anymore. It¡¯s just Violon.¡± ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Will you be the producer? Just like this without arranging it.¡± Colin showed his confidence. It could be better with Jun Hyuk¡¯s arrangement, but it is also his will to show their own music. ¡°You know I¡¯m really expensive, right?¡± ¡°I hope you have a good alumni discount.¡± Jun Hyukughed and Colin put his hands together to ask politely. All of the albums including Colin¡¯s will be released through JS Music, an affiliate recordbel that will be established under JS Foundation. Until JS Foundation¡¯s officialunch next February, Jun Hyuk was busy with producing music and training his orchestra, while Isaac Stern was busy focusing on establishing the foundation. *** The sound engineers were unable to spend their time idly at the studio even on days when there were no official album recordings. Jun Hyuk recorded the orchestra¡¯s practice sessions everyday,pared the sound heard through speakers and the sound heard in real life, and tuned the equipment. When orchestra practice ended in the giant recording booth, Jun Hyuk was always recording something while ying the drums, guitar, and synthesizer by himself. They even had to spend all night working whenever the hard disk waspletely full with music files and they needed to mix the tracks ording to the order Jun Hyuk gave them. Songs ranging from guitar riffs that are easy on the ears, drums with concise tempo, to symphony rock songs that are over 10 minutes long, kept stacking up without indication of where they would be used. Today without fail, Jun Hyuk yed alone in the recording booth. When he came out, 2 people were waiting for him. ¡°Alex! Eli! Goodness.¡± LA Sound¡¯s top producers Alex Jenkin and Eli Gotez bowed to Jun Hyuk in exaggerated noble gestures. ¡°My Maestro. It¡¯s an honor to get to meet you like this again.¡± ¡°What is this? Stop ying around and get up.¡± The 2 men straightened their backs and hugged Jun Hyuk. ¡°We thought you¡¯d be the leader of a top band like U2 or Metallica, but you went beyond our imaginations. Who knew you¡¯d be Beethoven?¡± He realized that a lot of time had passed by looking at them. Alex Jenkin¡¯s sharp eyes had be gentle and Eli¡¯s hair was starting to grey. ¡°No way. I was a yton-Hoffman student at the time. I was more in ssical music than a band.¡± Chapter 265 Volume 8 / Chapter 265 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Yoon Kwang Hun and President Stern focused on their work with the foundation. President Stern in particr, was intent on creating ast big st and mobilized his entirework. That st however, did not go for long. He fainted at a fundraising event and was taken to the hospital. Jun Hyuk was contacted that President Stern had fainted and was about to go to the hospital right away, but Tara held him back. ¡°You can¡¯t meet him anyway. He¡¯s in aa, so he¡¯s not allowed visitors. The hospital said they would call us after a thorough examination, so let¡¯s just wait.¡± The call they waited for, came after 10 days. For those 10 days, Jun Hyuk had not been able to do anything and was just checking his cellphone. All he could think about was what if President Stern was leaving the world without even saying goodbye. When Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun rushed to the hospital, they went through the doors to a VIP ward and heard the spirited voice of President Stern that they were so used to. ¡°Oh, Jun. Good, you¡¯re here. Save me. I¡¯ll die within 10 minutes if I stay here with these women.¡± There were 4 women next to President Stern, from one woman who looked to be past her 70s to a woman who looked to be in her 30s. When the women saw Jun Hyuk, they gave President Stern light kisses and left the ward. ¡°Isaac. Are you okay? How do you feel?¡± ¡°Ack! Jun! Look behind you!¡± When President Stern suddenly yelled, Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun looked behind them in surprise. But all they saw was the closed door to the ward. ¡°Why? What is it?¡± ¡°He he. Neither of you will be able to see it, but I can see the Grim Reaper holding a big sickle.¡± They let out sighs of relief. He¡¯s joking even at a time like this? However, his words also had meaning beyond a joke. President Stern is facing his death confidently. ¡°What is this? You¡¯re totally fine. The Grim Reaper must run away because he¡¯s surprised.¡± Yoon Kwang Hunughed in disbelief as well. ¡°But who were those woman just now?¡± ¡°Oh, my ex-wives. They all came running here because they heard that I¡¯m dying.¡± When they hade through the door, the room had been full of the sound ofughter. It was difficult for Jun Hyuk to understand because he thought that ex-wives would have the attitudes of enemies. ¡°What? There was one woman who looked to be in her 30s. She wasn¡¯t your daughter?¡± On top of that, there had been a woman to young to have been married to a man over 80. It would have been more appropriate to say that she was his granddaughter. ¡°No. Is she 32 now? She was myst wife. Was she 23 when she married me? Or 24?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun grabbed his head. It is hard to believe that this hearty old man is in critical condition. ¡°You¡¯re on good terms with your ex-wives. What¡¯s the secret?¡± ¡°There¡¯s really nothing to it. You be good friends if you give them much more in alimony than they were expecting. Jun, keep that in mind. Don¡¯t hold back on money when you get a divorce from Amelia. ¡°I haven¡¯t even gotten married yet.¡± They are supposed tough, but theughter does note out. He spoke up slowly instead. ¡°Did the test resultse out?¡± ¡°They did. They kept me tied up here for 10 days ¨C there better be results.¡± Jun Hyuk could not ask about the results. President Stern did not say anything either, and just smiled bitterly. Yoon Kwang Hun however, red at President Stern as he spoke. ¡°I can¡¯t believe whatever the results say. The report on the diagnosis you sent me while I was in Korea said that you had 6 months at most. But weren¡¯t you fine for over a year? The results now are the same. You¡¯ll live for another 10 years at least.¡± ¡°What? You saw it a year ago?¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Yoon Kwang Hun in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s why I took the position as Chairman of the foundation. I thought it¡¯d be a big deal if Mr. Stern passed away all of a sudden.¡± He finally understood why Yoon Kwang Hun hade flying to New York so suddenly. He was someone who never interfered and got involved. ¡°But you¡¯ve been fine for over a year. Isaac, hurry up and get discharged. This hospital¡¯s just full of quacks. We can¡¯t believe them.¡± President Stern shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s real this time. The doctors said something about my illness, but the name of it was so hard I can¡¯t remember it. Damn, there are so many diseases.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t any incurable, is it?¡± ¡°Of course it is.¡± Their smiles disappeared. An incurable illness for someone of that age means he is a terminally ill patient. He basically has a death sentence. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I know clearly of the endless amount of illnesses out there. And it¡¯s the most fatal. It¡¯s age. Aging.¡± Time is the incurable disease that no one can avoid. Isaac Stern knows that he is standing on the end of that time. ¡°I¡¯ve lived a long life. I¡¯ve lived more than 80 years, so that¡¯s enough.¡± President Stern smiled brightly. It looked like he is entirely satisfied with his life. ¡°But it¡¯s a relief, right? If I had died before meeting you ¨C no ¨C if I hadn¡¯t had the chance to be your agent, I would have died without experiencing that miraculous moment, wouldn¡¯t I have? I watched everything with my two eyes without missing anything, so no one is as fortunate as I am.¡± President Stern held Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand tightly and spoke to Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°Mr. Yoon, it¡¯s the same with you. It could have been that I lived longer because I had the chance to work on the foundation with you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the fortunate ones. Isaac, we¡¯re living while doing everything we want to because of you.¡± Everyone thought of the first times they met each other, and got lost in the memories of the past. It was like pulling out the memories of someone who is about to die. ¡°But why are we talking as though I¡¯m going to die at any moment? Look here. Stop!¡± Yoon Kwang Hun looked at President Stern shouting, and clucked his tongue. ¡°From the way you¡¯re speaking, it looks like you¡¯ll live at least 10 more years. You¡¯ll get married another time, too.¡± Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun left the ward, worrying about President Stern who was having difficulty breathing. The path to meet his doctor felt long and their footsteps were heavy. ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises. He¡¯ll lose consciousness several more times going forward and if he can¡¯t wake up... there¡¯s nothing our medical staff can do.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the minimum term for survival?¡± ¡°He could lose consciousness and pass away even now. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that he won¡¯t be able to make it past 1 month.¡± They left the doctor¡¯s remarks of cautious confidence behind and left the hospital. ¡°Jun Hyuk. There¡¯s 4 months left until the opening ceremony for JS Center, right?¡± ¡°Yes. But before that.....¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll need to. He needs to see his incredible heritage before he closes his eyes.¡± They had tears in their eyes as they sat in the limousine. ¡°Therge theater isplete, right?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no issue putting on a show in that theater. The small theaters aren¡¯t ready yet.¡± ¡°Then there won¡¯t be a problem for the opening ceremony show. The problem is preparing for the song.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to be ready within a month. The song isplete, but I heard that the ballet troupe has just finished casting.¡± It had been President Stern¡¯s idea to put on a ballet for the opening ceremony show. It was to show that JS Center is not just for music, but aprehensive space for art. XBC (Xavier Ballet Company), which is currently recognized as the best in America, showed a lot of interest in Jun Hyuk¡¯s first ballet song. They brought on choreographer Matthew Powell, who is the top choreographer of modern dance. Matthew Powell is an Englishman, praised for being the choreographer to lead the 21st century with his unconventional choreography of Romeo in jeans and Juliet in a miniskirt. ¡°Then we have no choice but to put a different piece on stage.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the show, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take care of the other problems.¡± The other problems Yoon Kwang Hun is talking about include getting XBC¡¯s understanding, exining the situation to the VIPs invited to the opening ceremony to let them know about the sudden change in date and asking them to attend. This includes Belgium¡¯s Queen Matilda. Yoon Kwang Hun made various calls to give out orders, while Jun Hyuk¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Jun, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Maestro Carras.¡± ¡°I heard you just left the hospital. Are you on your way back to the studio?¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± ¡°Then can you make some time for me? There¡¯s something I want to talk to you about.¡± ¡°Of course. Shall I go to Lincoln Center?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re much busier, so I¡¯ll go to JS studio. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Dimitri Carras¡¯ voice could not hide his anxiousness. Chapter 266 Volume 8 / Chapter 266 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir When articles about JS Foundation¡¯s officialunch came out, the focus was not on the foundation but on the funding and Jun Hyuk¡¯s ie. It is partly because the foundation¡¯s detailed business information had not been released yet so they did not have much material to write about, but it was mostly because the amount of initial funding was incredible and most of that hade through Jun Hyuk. The details of the contributions were what could be considered Isaac Stern¡¯s entire life savings, 42% of Stern Corporation stocks, affiliated businesses including a recordbel, JS Center, andstly, the $2 billion that Jun Hyuk invested. Jun Hyuk is at the center of all of this. Forbes magazine already announced musicians¡¯ ies and with an annual revenue reaching over $2.5 billion, he even earned the nickname of One Net Company. A Forbes article that described it as the onlypany that can grow 100% annually, ended with ast line briefly mentioning that JS Foundation might be able to receive more than $2 billion in donations from Jun Hyuk every year, garnering much interest. JS Foundation¡¯s homepage became covered inments requesting aid, and the office phone rang constantly. After the foundation¡¯s officialunch date, business team leaders, the 4 directors who were appointed as temporary directors, and Chairman Yoon Kwang Hun held a marathon meeting to decide on their first order of business. They debated passionately again regarding their ims to the ideal business and priority issues, but everything was urgent from an objective viewpoint. Everything from medical treatment, drinking water, food, housing, animal protection for endangered species, and even support for music and art fitting to Jun Hyuk and Stern¡¯s names were discussed. Yoon Kwang Hun only listened quietly for a few days until no new projects were brought up before finally speaking up. ¡°I heard your opinions well until now. But there¡¯s still a question that has not gone away.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun slowly got up and slowly paced the conference room while exchanging looks with everyone. ¡°Aren¡¯t they businesses that the super rich like Bill Gates and big corporations have poured money into for decades? But why hasn¡¯t the situation in Third World countries improved? The death rate is actually increasing. Isn¡¯t that true?¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s because everything until now have just been temporary measures. Unless the respective countries be politically and economically stable, these are issues that can never be resolved. Charitable foundations will just forever be temporary measures.¡± ¡°But it is because those temporary measures exist that millions of people survive.¡± ¡°A foundation cannot get involved in a country¡¯s internal affairs.¡± The people participating in the meeting came forward to respond to Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s question, but the 4 directors did not speak. They have already experienced Yoon Kwang Hun. They know that the Chairman did not ask because he does not know, and it is just an introduction to bring up his opinions. ¡°Right? We¡¯re just a temporary measure. Countless foundations are working on being that temporary measure right now. But do we need to do it too? Can¡¯t we get a little closer to the fundamental problem?¡± ¡°Chairman. It looks like you have something you¡¯d like to say... We¡¯re listening.¡± One of the directors spoke up cautiously. Yoon Kwang Hun frowned. ¡®That guy. This needs to go ording to scenario to have dramatic effect... He¡¯s cutting it short.¡¯ Yoon Kwang Hun coughed twice, went to the whiteboard, and wrote a word with an exmation point. HIGHWAY! When he put the pen down, some looked bewildered, some looked astonished, and some just looked confused. The directors let out long sighs and spoke as they shook their heads. ¡°Chairman, that¡¯s just a dream.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s thought about it at least once, but it¡¯s work that everyone¡¯s given up on. Realistically...¡± ¡°Realistically... Yes. That¡¯s an important word. Realistically.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun cut the director off and quietly smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on an ugly reality. Will you listen to me and tell me your thoughts?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun wrote numbers on the board. The first number he wrote was 100. ¡°If a foundation with $1 billion in funding is established, do you know where the greatest cheerse from?¡± African refugees? Doctors Without Borders? UNICEF? They each came up with different groups in their heads. ¡°It¡¯s Wall Street. The $1 billion funding will go into Wall Street and they¡¯ll operate that money. And they¡¯ll make business with just the proceeds since they can¡¯t use all of the fundings.¡± Once the foundation distributes the money into bonds, stocks, and funds as investments, business starts with the proceeds. ¡°The people on Wall Street raise and lose tremendous amounts with this money. And they throw it anywhere. And that¡¯s 2 to 4% of the proceeds. The ce that profits most is Wall Street.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun thought of his past and smiled bitterly. He yed with funds like this countless times, and the money he made was much more than the amount that was used as funding. Yoon Kwang Hun wrote the number 2 in front of the 100. ¡°Isn¡¯t it so ridiculous? There¡¯s $1 billion, but you can only use about $20 million every year. And the attainment rate is only 10%. There¡¯s going to be the unbelievable transformation of $1 billion to $20 million.¡± Thest number was 0.2. Attainment rate is when someone donates $10 and there is a value that the relief case receives. A 10% attainment rate means that when a charity foundation donates $10, ailing refugees would receive $1 in aid. That is because of the enormous cost to transport. There is no path to the remote wild of Africa. There are also a lot of ces where workmen must be hired to carry it on their backs. If there arendslides and rivers that cut the path off, emergency medicine needs to be transported by helicopter. Often times, there is the ridiculous situation where $1,000 worth of medicine needs to be transported for $20 million. Yoon Kwang Hun wrote HIGHWAY because he is saying they should create that path. ¡°Chairman. Then are you saying that instead of operating our foundation¡¯s funding, it should all be poured into clearing up roads?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s start with the $200 million that Jun gave us in cash. And let¡¯s put in all of the funding we get every year. There¡¯s no way we could do it with $20 million, but we can start if we have $200 million.¡± He means to construct roads all over the African continent. But $200 million can only begin the project. A heavy silence lingered in the conference room. To think of such a reckless business. Yoon Kwang Hun broke the silence. ¡°Let¡¯s start being honest. Do you think no one started this because there isn¡¯t enough money?¡± There were people whose faces turned red. ¡°We can¡¯t brag about building roads, can we? They only look at the logo and name on the box of relief goods they hold in their hands. They could never know the existence of JS Foundation.¡± It is also a reason why enterprise foundations do not like road construction. It is human instinct to want not just the right hand but the entire body to know what the left hand is doing. Enterprises cannot help but think about image enhancement. ¡°Let¡¯s think about the results. If bridges and roads are created, there will be significant savings in transport costs. Attainment rates will raise to 50%. Mria vines will increase by fivefold. Food support will increase by fivefold.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t have nearly enough funding for that. No matter how much money we pour into it, we won¡¯t see results.¡± ¡°Do you think awork of roads throughout an entire continent can be achieved through us alone? We need to start it and gather people who share our thoughts. That is ultimately what our JS Foundation will need to do.¡± The meeting participants thought of the term ¡®ideal mind¡¯. They are people who dream of an ideal society. It felt like they had rediscovered a term that reality had been pushing away. ¡°Then what do you think about starting with research? We can look into the details of the areas that are most urgent first.....¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯d be a mistake to push through recklessly. Putting aplete n togetheres first.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun quietly watched the directors share their thoughts and nodded. This much means that he has achieved his goal. It is enough that he has nted the seeds in their minds that HIGHWAY is not an impossible project that they cannot even look at. If he slowly persuades them and advances step by step, it will be a dream and goal that they all share. 6 months from the day that Yoon Kwang Hun first brought up HIGHWAY, JS Foundation¡¯s official announcement set the world abuzz again. ¡°..... Our JS Foundation could construct a 10,000 mile road and stop the project because we run out of funding. Then, we believe that someone will share in our thoughts and follow suit to help us advance even 10 more miles.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun exined the project in front of countless reporters and bowed his head, after which the reporters did not hesitate to apud him. President Stern was also in the conference room, and realized again that he had made the right choice. This Korean father-son duo had made his older years the most plentiful and honorable. When this project became known via the media, the top people of Africa did not hesitate to express their gratitude toward JS Foundation¡¯s decision and they began to sign on in order to support the cause in any way that they could. As Yoon Kwang Hun had expected, wealthy people from all over the world who were in agreement with their n began to donate funding. It is a moment in which ideals are bing reality. Jun Hyuk watched Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s press conference from the studio recording room. He burst out inughter and shook his head. ¡°You really can¡¯t stop him.¡± Jun Hyuk knows where Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s project began. An American TV show! He remembered an overwhelming scene. He is executing a project that has so many realistic barriers that it can be included in a dramatic TV show. It is reckless, but he is someone who is difficult to hold back. Chapter 267 Volume 8 / Chapter 267 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Yoon Kwang Hun and President Stern focused on their work with the foundation. President Stern in particr, was intent on creating ast big st and mobilized his entirework. That st however, did not go for long. He fainted at a fundraising event and was taken to the hospital. Jun Hyuk was contacted that President Stern had fainted and was about to go to the hospital right away, but Tara held him back. ¡°You can¡¯t meet him anyway. He¡¯s in aa, so he¡¯s not allowed visitors. The hospital said they would call us after a thorough examination, so let¡¯s just wait.¡± The call they waited for, came after 10 days. For those 10 days, Jun Hyuk had not been able to do anything and was just checking his cellphone. All he could think about was what if President Stern was leaving the world without even saying goodbye. When Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun rushed to the hospital, they went through the doors to a VIP ward and heard the spirited voice of President Stern that they were so used to. ¡°Oh, Jun. Good, you¡¯re here. Save me. I¡¯ll die within 10 minutes if I stay here with these women.¡± There were 4 women next to President Stern, from one woman who looked to be past her 70s to a woman who looked to be in her 30s. When the women saw Jun Hyuk, they gave President Stern light kisses and left the ward. ¡°Isaac. Are you okay? How do you feel?¡± ¡°Ack! Jun! Look behind you!¡± When President Stern suddenly yelled, Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun looked behind them in surprise. But all they saw was the closed door to the ward. ¡°Why? What is it?¡± ¡°He he. Neither of you will be able to see it, but I can see the Grim Reaper holding a big sickle.¡± They let out sighs of relief. He¡¯s joking even at a time like this? However, his words also had meaning beyond a joke. President Stern is facing his death confidently. ¡°What is this? You¡¯re totally fine. The Grim Reaper must run away because he¡¯s surprised.¡± Yoon Kwang Hunughed in disbelief as well. ¡°But who were those woman just now?¡± ¡°Oh, my ex-wives. They all came running here because they heard that I¡¯m dying.¡± When they hade through the door, the room had been full of the sound ofughter. It was difficult for Jun Hyuk to understand because he thought that ex-wives would have the attitudes of enemies. ¡°What? There was one woman who looked to be in her 30s. She wasn¡¯t your daughter?¡± On top of that, there had been a woman to young to have been married to a man over 80. It would have been more appropriate to say that she was his granddaughter. ¡°No. Is she 32 now? She was myst wife. Was she 23 when she married me? Or 24?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun grabbed his head. It is hard to believe that this hearty old man is in critical condition. ¡°You¡¯re on good terms with your ex-wives. What¡¯s the secret?¡± ¡°There¡¯s really nothing to it. You be good friends if you give them much more in alimony than they were expecting. Jun, keep that in mind. Don¡¯t hold back on money when you get a divorce from Amelia. ¡°I haven¡¯t even gotten married yet.¡± They are supposed tough, but theughter does note out. He spoke up slowly instead. ¡°Did the test resultse out?¡± ¡°They did. They kept me tied up here for 10 days ¨C there better be results.¡± Jun Hyuk could not ask about the results. President Stern did not say anything either, and just smiled bitterly. Yoon Kwang Hun however, red at President Stern as he spoke. ¡°I can¡¯t believe whatever the results say. The report on the diagnosis you sent me while I was in Korea said that you had 6 months at most. But weren¡¯t you fine for over a year? The results now are the same. You¡¯ll live for another 10 years at least.¡± ¡°What? You saw it a year ago?¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Yoon Kwang Hun in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s why I took the position as Chairman of the foundation. I thought it¡¯d be a big deal if Mr. Stern passed away all of a sudden.¡± He finally understood why Yoon Kwang Hun hade flying to New York so suddenly. He was someone who never interfered and got involved. ¡°But you¡¯ve been fine for over a year. Isaac, hurry up and get discharged. This hospital¡¯s just full of quacks. We can¡¯t believe them.¡± President Stern shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s real this time. The doctors said something about my illness, but the name of it was so hard I can¡¯t remember it. Damn, there are so many diseases.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t any incurable, is it?¡± ¡°Of course it is.¡± Their smiles disappeared. An incurable illness for someone of that age means he is a terminally ill patient. He basically has a death sentence. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I know clearly of the endless amount of illnesses out there. And it¡¯s the most fatal. It¡¯s age. Aging.¡± Time is the incurable disease that no one can avoid. Isaac Stern knows that he is standing on the end of that time. ¡°I¡¯ve lived a long life. I¡¯ve lived more than 80 years, so that¡¯s enough.¡± President Stern smiled brightly. It looked like he is entirely satisfied with his life. ¡°But it¡¯s a relief, right? If I had died before meeting you ¨C no ¨C if I hadn¡¯t had the chance to be your agent, I would have died without experiencing that miraculous moment, wouldn¡¯t I have? I watched everything with my two eyes without missing anything, so no one is as fortunate as I am.¡± President Stern held Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand tightly and spoke to Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°Mr. Yoon, it¡¯s the same with you. It could have been that I lived longer because I had the chance to work on the foundation with you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the fortunate ones. Isaac, we¡¯re living while doing everything we want to because of you.¡± Everyone thought of the first times they met each other, and got lost in the memories of the past. It was like pulling out the memories of someone who is about to die. ¡°But why are we talking as though I¡¯m going to die at any moment? Look here. Stop!¡± Yoon Kwang Hun looked at President Stern shouting, and clucked his tongue. ¡°From the way you¡¯re speaking, it looks like you¡¯ll live at least 10 more years. You¡¯ll get married another time, too.¡± Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun left the ward, worrying about President Stern who was having difficulty breathing. The path to meet his doctor felt long and their footsteps were heavy. ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises. He¡¯ll lose consciousness several more times going forward and if he can¡¯t wake up... there¡¯s nothing our medical staff can do.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the minimum term for survival?¡± ¡°He could lose consciousness and pass away even now. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that he won¡¯t be able to make it past 1 month.¡± They left the doctor¡¯s remarks of cautious confidence behind and left the hospital. ¡°Jun Hyuk. There¡¯s 4 months left until the opening ceremony for JS Center, right?¡± ¡°Yes. But before that.....¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll need to. He needs to see his incredible heritage before he closes his eyes.¡± They had tears in their eyes as they sat in the limousine. ¡°Therge theater isplete, right?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no issue putting on a show in that theater. The small theaters aren¡¯t ready yet.¡± ¡°Then there won¡¯t be a problem for the opening ceremony show. The problem is preparing for the song.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to be ready within a month. The song isplete, but I heard that the ballet troupe has just finished casting.¡± It had been President Stern¡¯s idea to put on a ballet for the opening ceremony show. It was to show that JS Center is not just for music, but aprehensive space for art. XBC (Xavier Ballet Company), which is currently recognized as the best in America, showed a lot of interest in Jun Hyuk¡¯s first ballet song. They brought on choreographer Matthew Powell, who is the top choreographer of modern dance. Matthew Powell is an Englishman, praised for being the choreographer to lead the 21st century with his unconventional choreography of Romeo in jeans and Juliet in a miniskirt. ¡°Then we have no choice but to put a different piece on stage.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the show, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take care of the other problems.¡± The other problems Yoon Kwang Hun is talking about include getting XBC¡¯s understanding, exining the situation to the VIPs invited to the opening ceremony to let them know about the sudden change in date and asking them to attend. This includes Belgium¡¯s Queen Matilda. Yoon Kwang Hun made various calls to give out orders, while Jun Hyuk¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Jun, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Maestro Carras.¡± ¡°I heard you just left the hospital. Are you on your way back to the studio?¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± ¡°Then can you make some time for me? There¡¯s something I want to talk to you about.¡± ¡°Of course. Shall I go to Lincoln Center?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re much busier, so I¡¯ll go to JS studio. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Dimitri Carras¡¯ voice could not hide his anxiousness. Chapter 268 Volume 8 / Chapter 268 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir ¡°Jun, what about JS Center¡¯s opening ceremony.¡± ¡°Yes, we decided to hold it earlier. Within a month.¡± ¡°Thanks. Isaac will be really happy too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Of course we should do it.¡± When Carras came to the studio, his eyes were puffy and they were tearful. He has walked through life with Isaac Stern. They are lifelongpanions and friends. It could be that Dimitri Carras is the saddest person right now. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll need to change the opening performance?¡± ¡°Yes. The ballet won¡¯t be possible. We¡¯re thinking about what song we need to do.¡± ¡°I actually asked to met because I wanted to talk about that. Will you do me a favor?¡± ¡°What? What favor?¡± ¡°Do you know what music Isaac loves most?¡± He thought it would be a question he could answer easily, but he could not think of the answer. Isaac Stern is a person who loves music, but the music he loves most? It seems like he has never thought about it or talked about it. When Jun Hyuk could not respond, Carras smiled slightly. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s your music?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Nothing stands out in my mind because of the word ¡®most¡¯. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my music.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Isaac worshipped your music since you appeared at the end of his life.¡± Carras paused for a moment and spoke quietly. ¡°The music that has apanied Isaac throughout his entire life has been Schubert.¡± ¡°Franz Schubert?¡± He had not guessed this. Isaac¡¯s character and behavior are bold and grand, but he loved Schubert most when his music is calm as an admirer of Beethoven? ¡°He¡¯ll have listened to Schubert¡¯s Symphony No. 8 in B minor, Die Unvollendete every day without fail.¡± Schubert followed in Beethoven¡¯s footsteps as a romanticist and developed it more. He is so great particrly in German music that his achievements are unfinished. However, he died at 31, at a younger age than Mozart who died at 35. His talent showed freely in not only vocal songs but also in symphonies, but the song with the most poprity is ¡°Die Unvollendete¡±. The beauty of the melody that appears in this symphony is so melodious that it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a heavenly song. Symphony No. 8 is named ¡°Die Unvollendete¡± (¡°The Unfinished¡±) because ssic-romantic symphonies are generally configured in 4 parts, but this song is the only one that ends after just 2. After Schubert¡¯s death, respect for his music increased and there was increased attention for his works. In 1865, Vienna¡¯s conductor Johann Helberg discovered this unfinished score and held its premiere in December of that year. In the score that Schubert left, 3 parts areposed in 9 measures and the rest of the parts seemed to be sketched out to some extent on the piano, so he must have been trying to configure it in 4 parts like other symphonies. But why did he only write until the 2nd part and then throw his pen away? There is no decisive evidence to solve this riddle. There are various theories, and even an absurd im that says Schubert suffered from extreme forgetfulness and he forgot topose the rest after writing 2 parts. Currently, the most probable theory is that Schubert said everything he wanted to in these 2 parts and put his pen down with genius-like intuition. Since the 20th century, many musicians and schrs hung to this song¡¯spletion. People like Frank Merrick, Gerald Abraham, and Brian Newbould arranged the song with Schubert¡¯s draft as a foundation toplete the normal 4 part system. But only the 2 parts are performed in most shows. It is because thepletion is remarkable. The famous 1st part¡¯s melody is often used in movies or dramas, and is used in the TV animation ¡®Smurf¡¯ whenever Gargamel¡¯s dreary house appears. Jun Hyuk could tell why Dimitri Carras had rushed here. He is here to ask Jun Hyuk for a favor. ¡°You haven¡¯t conducted Schubert¡¯s ¡®Die Unvollendete yet, right?¡± ¡°No. Not yet.....¡± ¡°If you who he worships most ys the song he loves most, won¡¯t that be the greatestst gift?¡± When Carras said the word st,¡¯ tears began to flow again. Jun Hyuk embraced him and pat his back. ¡°Let¡¯s do that. I¡¯ll prepare the best gift. Thank you, Maestro.¡± *** ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know, but the opening ceremony will be earlier. And the program will change.¡± None of the orchestra members had a problem with the sudden change. It is a reason that anyone could understand, and everyone thought that it was a definite. It is just that they hoped that brutal conductor would choose an easy song for the short amount of time they have left. ¡°We¡¯ll be doing Schubert¡¯s symphony, Die Unvollendete.¡± The orchestra members¡¯ faces brightened. It is a piece that they have practiced at least 100 times since they started ying their instruments. They thought it an appropriate choice for the tight schedule that they are on. ¡°We have 15 days. Please work hard so that we can bring out a perfect performance in that time.¡± The orchestra thought that 15 days would be plenty, but thought it strange once they received the scores that Jun Hyuk passed out. The score of a symphony that is only made of 2 parts is a bit thicker. ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®Die Unvollendete¡¯ this time. Iposed until the 4th part. It falls short a lot because I wrote it quickly, but don¡¯t curse me too much for ruining the piece.¡± He is not just speaking out of modesty. He wrote the song quickly within 2 days, and he himself was not satisfied. But it was a choice he had to make because he does not have time. ¡°We need to finish the 1st and 2nd part over 3 days. That should be enough, right?¡± The orchestra members were already not listening to their conductor. All they wanted to do was look through the 3rd and 4th parts, but they had to push it back because their conductor had already lifted his baton high. ¡°Get used to the 3rd and 4th parts on your own over 3 days through individual practice.¡± The allegro part began with Jun Hyuk¡¯s baton. When it went over to andante within moments, the orchestra members looked at each other. Why isn¡¯t this picky conductor nagging at them? He did not say a word during the 1st part, when they are ying it together for the first time. Schubert¡¯s music runs with a storm-like delightful feeling until that melody goes toward serenity. And only the 1st violin yed toward an octave leap inside that stillness without an apaniment. It is the best part of the 2nd that shatters the listening person¡¯s expectations. Schubert repeats these 4 with a faint sound and brings the listener to heaven. ¡°Wait. Pianissimo again for just the violin!¡± The violin part gulped. How many times will they hear ¡®again¡¯ today? ¡°So weak we¡¯re not sure if we can hear it or not. But the sound can¡¯t die or drag along slowly. You have to leap the octave so the audience doesn¡¯t feel that it is hard or painful.¡± He only gave the okay sign twice. The hand with the bow epts the conductor¡¯s demands before the head does. It is a strange practice that the orchestra members cannot understand, but it changed their arms, hands, fingers, and mouths before their minds. Their bodies are reacting with familiarity rather than ying with understanding. The 80 orchestra members sitting in the recording booth had be the perfect instrument, ying the way Jun Hyuk wants them to. *** On the day of JS Center¡¯s opening, Jun Hyuk went to President Stern¡¯s ward. ¡°Oh, you still look fine. You¡¯re still cool.¡± President Stern was in a suit, sitting in a wheelchair and waiting for Jun Hyuk. His robustness however, was gone and all that was left were bones. People age quickly when they ept death and wait. His energy is already so low that he cannot endure the treatments. It could be that hested this long just for this day. ¡°You said there are going to be a lot of Hollywood actresses at the opening ceremony today, right? Who knows? I might get my 5th wife. Ha ha.¡± His loose limbs may be colorless, but there is no change to his lively spirit. ¡°Stop marrying now. You¡¯re going to waste tons of money on alimony again? Just date.¡± ¡°What? You make lots of money for me. I¡¯m not even scared of Angelina Jolie.¡± ¡°That woman hasn¡¯t gotten divorced yet.¡± Jun Hyuk and Yoon Kwang Hun joked around with President Stern as they left the hospital. Jun Hyuk arrived at JS Center and pushed President Stern¡¯s wheelchair once they got out of the limousine. A magnificent ancient Greek shrine was in front of them. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t it awesome?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s much greater than the aerial view.¡± President Stern looked at the magnificent hall in admiration. The proof that he lived in this world is in front of him. This magnificent building, the foundation, and Jun Hyuk. All of these are traces of him. When Jun Hyuk pushed the wheelchair toward the music hall, the hall¡¯s delicate beauty came into clearer view. ¡°Oh... That?¡± Chapter 269 Volume 8 / Chapter 269 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir President Stern¡¯s jaw dropped when he saw the logo and name written boldly on the center¡¯s building. ¡°I changed the construction a bit. Fortunately, the architects assured me that it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.¡± The music center¡¯s name is not Jun & Stern. Isaac Stern Center. When he saw that his name is the only one on the building, he turned his head. ¡°Why¡¯d you do this? You took your name out?¡± ¡°Instead, therge theater¡¯s name is Jun¡¯s Hall. That¡¯s plenty for me. And I¡¯m thinking of making a few centers that only have my name on them. This is too simple, and it isn¡¯t fitting for my name. It needs to be 3 or 4 times bigger than this.¡± President Stern did not stop crying even with Jun Hyuk¡¯s joke. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go in. Wipe your tears. If Angelina Jolie sees you, she won¡¯t evene near you because she¡¯ll say you¡¯re whining.¡± ¡°Angelina Jolie didn¡¯te. She¡¯s in Spain to film her movie. You think I don¡¯t even know that much?¡± Jun Hyuk looked at the back of President Stern¡¯s head as he stole tears, and pushed him to the Isaac Stern Center. ¡°I knew it. Why did you make the opening ceremony earlier when construction isn¡¯t even done yet?¡± The small theaters inside the center are still covered in white cloth. ¡°Therge theater is done. And the banquet halls and facilities like cafes areplete. Only 3 medium and small theaters are left, so it¡¯s fully functioning.¡± President Stern looked disgruntled, but Jun Hyukughed. ¡°We¡¯re going to clear the white cloth away when the guests arrive. No one will notice. Why are you being like this when you like it?¡± ¡°But.....¡± President Stern sounded ufortable. He wanted to see the center in itsplete state. ¡°If you can say for sure that you¡¯ll live 4 more months, I¡¯ll cancel it.¡± ¡°4 months? That¡¯s going to be a little hard. He he. Oh right. You can¡¯t cancel. Didn¡¯t you say the president ising as well?¡± ¡°Yes. He should have arrived at JFK right about now. But I was really surprised. I never imagined that you knew the President.¡± ¡°Know him? I don¡¯t. I¡¯ve never met the President. And the President is a Democrat. I¡¯m a Republican supporter. I don¡¯t even like him.¡± President Stern frowned. He is remembering the Republic loss duringst year¡¯s elections. ¡°But why is he attending?¡± ¡°I heard he¡¯s a big fan of yours. I heard that he loves your piano sonata in particr. The President himself ys the piano a bit as well. Oh right, I heard that he was after rumors of your piano ying skills. He wants to hear it for himself.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing you don¡¯t know for someone who is staying in a hospital ward.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t know. The President said this a few times during interviews. He was hoping you would hear. He he.¡± Jun Hyuk giggled for President Stern to hear. ¡°It¡¯s a pity. He he.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the right to vote because I¡¯m not an American citizen.¡± President Stern realized that Jun Hyuk was unable to vote for the President, and pped in joy. He headed to the banquet hall like a child. When he entered the banquet hall, President Stern¡¯s old friends were waiting for him. Many maestros including New York Philharmonic¡¯s Dimitri Carras surrounded him and congratted him. Their sadness did not show in their faces and they treated him as the healthy and lively Isaac Stern instead of an old man. The VIPs began to gather in the banquet hall one by one. Hollywood stars came in with Director Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, and Robert DeNiro at the lead, with New York¡¯s mayor and senator following behind. When Belgium¡¯s Queen Mathilda entered however, they were all pushed to the edge. Queen Mathilda gave President Stern a light kiss on the cheek, congratted him on the opening, and went to Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk put his lips to the back of the queen¡¯s hand, and the queen whispered quietly into Jun Hyuk¡¯s ear. ¡°If you want, you can create your own concert hall in Brussels in Belgium. Think about it.¡± She is clearly confessing that she is Jun Hyuk¡¯s fan. When Jun Hyuk was about to thank her, it became noisy outside the banquet hall. President of America, Butler, was walking into the hall faster than his bodyguards. He smiled wide when he discovered Jun Hyuk and tried to run over to him, but his secretary general whispered to him, making him quickly change his steps. ¡°Mr. Stern, congrattions. This is the first time I¡¯ve been in such an incredible music hall. Now, the Isaac Stern Center will represent New York instead of Lincoln Center.¡± ¡°My body is not well as you can see, so I¡¯m sorry that I cannot get up, Mr. President.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I hope you recover quickly.¡± President Butler could guess just from President Stern¡¯s expression that he is an ardent Republican. ¡°Oh, my Maestro. We finally get to meet.¡± ¡°Mr. President.¡± The President held Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand tight and did not let go, bursting out inughter. ¡°I¡¯m asking in advance, but will you attend the White House year end Christmas dinner party?¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re supposed to spend Christmas with your family.¡± ¡°Of course your entire family needs toe with you.¡± The President hugged Jun Hyuk and whispered to him, ¡°I could step down from my presidency right now if I could y a piano duet with you, Maestro.¡± The President is such a fan that he wants to y the piano with Jun Hyuk. *** Jun Hyuk, President Stern, the President, New York¡¯s mayor and senator, Belgium¡¯s Queen Mathilda, and New York Philharmonic¡¯s Dimitri Carras cut the tape and the President¡¯s speech followed. He talked about Isaac Stern¡¯s devotion behind the maestros and ended by appreciating Jun Hyuk¡¯s hard work. ¡°..... Now instead of going to Avery Hall to listen to Beethoven, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky, we cane here to the Isaac Stern Center to appreciate newer and unconventional masterpieces. Maestro Jun will be waiting for you as someone who will leave greater footsteps than Beethoven, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky left behind.¡± Isaac Stern went up onto the dais after the President¡¯s introduction. ¡°I¡¯m telling you in advance President, but I did not vote for you duringst year¡¯s elections. But my mind is changing now. If you run again during the next election, I will give you my vote. Oh right. I don¡¯t think think I¡¯ll be alive until then.¡± Not only the guests, but the Presidentughed loudly. Isaac Stern started his speech as a joke, but ended by showing his gratefulness and praise for Jun Hyuk. ¡°... It is meaningless that Maestro Jun is of Korean nationality. It is also meaningless that he is living in New York. It is meaningless that he is Asian. He is an earthling and a true Santa us, giving a gift to all mankind.¡± President Stern gestured to Jun Hyuk with his hand, and apuse exploded. ¡°Humanity needs to repay him. There are now 2 things that mankind needs to protect and guard. It is the Earth and Maestro Jun.¡± It was the only part of President Stern¡¯s speech that was made known through the media. Jun Hyuk became something that all of mankind needs to protect. *** The first program of the opening ceremony was the documentary on Jun Hyuk that Martin Scorsese made. The documentary filmed the entire process of creating the opera ¡®Godfather,¡¯ and it was interesting that they could get a glimpse into Jun Hyuk¡¯s process of making music. The improv performance in a small cafe in particr was enough to bring out the audience¡¯s admiration because even if they could not understand, the rhythm characteristic of Italian caused fine changes in expression and buried a page of a score. Jun Hyuk had been watching the documentary from box seats on the 2nd floor for more than 10 minutes before he slowly stood up. ¡°Why? Where are you going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird to see myself on such a big screen. I¡¯ll be in the studio until it¡¯s over.¡± Jun Hyuk went down to the empty studio, put a few pages of sheet music on the desk, and looked at them for a moment. ¡®Should 10 songs be enough?¡¯ The sheet music began to be filled with notes. After about 1 hour, Jun Hyuk looked over the scores again and smiled satisfied. When Jun Hyuk left the studio and went back to therge theater, the documentary was nearly over. A few scenes from the opera were going by rapidly on the screen. ¡°Did Amelia go somewhere?¡± ¡°To prepare to perform. She¡¯s probably backstage.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go prepare as well.¡± Jun Hyuk held Isaac Stern¡¯s hand tightly and then left the box seats. Amelia and the orchestra were chatting backstage. ¡°Jun, where did you go?¡± ¡°The studio. When is the documentary over?¡± ¡°The R/T is 90 minutes, so it should be over soon.¡± Jun Hyuk kissed Amelia lightly on the cheek and walked toward the orchestra. ¡°This is your first performance. How do you feel?¡± The orchestra felt light excitement and tension, but they looked bright and did not seem to feel uneasy. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Somehow, I feel morefortable than I did during rehearsals with you, Maestro. Ha ha.¡± Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Volume 8 / Chapter 270 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir The orchestra members recalled the terrible past 2 years. They were more tense everyday than they were for performances as they waited for the conductor inside the studio, and hung onto individual practices without enough time to sleep. However, there were things that they could not endure as well. The theater was under construction, so it was understandable that they could not hold performances. However, their conductor created a new song each month. They expected to work on recording the songs even if they did not hold performances, but all he did was to release the scores. It is Jun Hyuk¡¯s orchestra, but they have never yed Jun Hyuk¡¯s song. Other orchestras performed and recorded Jun Hyuk¡¯s songs as soon as they came out. When this ridiculous condition continued, the orchestra¡¯s dissatisfaction reached its extreme. When 1 year passed, the orchestra members could no longer endure it and brought the bandmaster forward to tell him all of theirints. ¡°Maestro. Are we not qualified to y your songs? Or does our ability fall shortpared to other orchestras? How could you do this to us?¡± ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t think that you all fall short in ability.¡± Jun Hyuk epted the orchestra¡¯sints as though they were nothing. ¡°But how can we be the only ones who don¡¯t perform your songs, Maestro? We¡¯re your orchestra.¡± ¡°You just said the reason. It¡¯s because you¡¯re all my orchestra.¡± The orchestra members kept sighing because of Jun Hyuk¡¯s hard to believe words. ¡°The songs that I release are ones that I am not satisfied with, but they are songs that the public will like. Also, there are a lot of orchestras that are able to perform them even if you don¡¯t.¡± The orchestra members became even angrier. Why is he handing songs that the public will like, over to other orchestras? There is no issue if they release the album first and then reveal the score. ¡°I want you to y music that I am satisfied with. And I¡¯m sorry to say this, but you¡¯re a little insufficient to y the songs that I would be satisfied with.¡± The bandmaster remembered something when he heard Jun Hyuk bring up music that he would be satisfied with. ¡°Are you by chance thinking of Inferno?¡± ¡°No. I gave up the thought of performing Inferno early on.¡± Jun Hyukughed and waved his hand. He got locked in his thoughts for a moment and took the baton in his hand. ¡°Um... Let¡¯s do this. It¡¯d be fastest to exin with music. Alright. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Fate. You all have the score, right? Get ready.¡± The members were surprised when he brought up Beethoven so suddenly, but they were excited just by the fact that they could get away from their strange practices. They rushed to get the score out of their bags. ¡°I¡¯m telling you in advance. If you¡¯re all satisfied, we¡¯ll work on recording the album right away.¡± The orchestra became excited at the mention of working on an album. They were sick and tired of only practicing to the death. Now was the time to see the results. And Jun Hyuk¡¯s Beethoven, which they had never seen before. The orchestra got fully prepared and then focused on the baton. When the 1st part was ending in a bold introduction, Jun Hyuk put down the baton and only looked at the orchestra. The orchestra members¡¯ faces were stony. Jun Hyuk saw this and smirked as he spoke, ¡°You¡¯ll all know very well that the songs that I¡¯ve released until now aren¡¯t more outstanding than this Fate symphony. But what do you think?¡± None of the orchestra members spoke up. Jun Hyuk needed to answer his own question. ¡°It¡¯s not that fun, right? You can¡¯t feel the happiness of performing, the joy of being in concert, right?¡± The members kept their silence. That silence also meant that they agree. Jun Hyuk did not stop smiling, and spoke in a low voice. ¡°If you y the songs that I¡¯ve released, it will be more boring. Then, do you still want to release an album?¡± Jun Hyuk looked at the orchestra members who were still unable to respond, and left the recording booth. ¡°Damn it. How did we get like this?¡± One of the members shouted out in disbelief. ¡°No wonder. I haven¡¯t been feeling much inspiration when I listen to music.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. I even thought that Mozart is too light.¡± ¡°Right? I was the same. Mozart is a bit frivolous... Beethoven is heavy but feels like it doesn¡¯t fall out of its own category?¡± When each person started to speak up, they even started to judge Mozart and Beethoven. But everyone became quiet again when one person spoke up. ¡°Damn is right. We¡¯ll have to quit thinking about being able to move to another orchestra.¡± They could not shake the uneasy feeling that they could no longer y regr ssical music. *** ¡°Think lightly of today¡¯s performance and just hang on to the warm thoughts. It¡¯s just a gift for one person.¡± The members nodded. If they do not forget the thoughts they are sending a respectable man facing death, the performance is a sess. Amelia¡¯s piano sonata ended and there was a short break. The audience enjoyed the refreshmentsid out in the lobby and waited for thest order of the day. When the audience went back to their seats, chairs for the orchestra and a podium were set up on stage. The program introduction only states Jun Hyuk and his orchestra¡¯s performance. There are no details. Most thought that they would be able to hear Jun Hyuk¡¯s new songs, and were full of anticipation. When orchestra members appeared on stage with Jun Hyuk following behind them, the audience¡¯s cheering grew louder. Isaac Stern also lifted his lean hands and pped with strength. Jun Hyuk bowed to the audience and held up the microphone in his hand. ¡°I believe that a man¡¯s life is simr to writing out notes on sheet music. One person¡¯s actions, words, thoughts, and his rtionships with others. In that, they have influence and are influenced. All of this bes notes and are drawn out on sheet music.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Isaac Stern sitting on the 2nd floor. ¡°When we y the notes that are filled out like that, someone¡¯s life bes a fascinating melody and someone else¡¯s bes a noise that is hard to listen to. Like Inferno.¡± Laughter came from the audience. Isaac Stern and Dimitri Carras in particr were twice as loud and long as others. ¡°However, all scores have a simrity. A feeling of regret lingers after thest note is written. It¡¯ll be because people wish they could write out greater notes.¡± The audience could tell who Jun Hyuk is talking to, and turned their heads to look at the day¡¯s star, Isaac Stern. ¡°Lingering regret means it¡¯s unfinished, but music can be evaluated as masterpieces because of that regret. Schubert¡¯s Symphony No. 8 Die Unvollendete is like that.¡± Cheering and apuse came from the audience. They knew what performance woulde next. Isaac Stern forgot to p for Jun Hyuk¡¯s surprise show, and could not close his mouth. Dimitri Carras watched this from his side and held Isaac Stern¡¯s thin hand tightly. When the sound of pping died down, Jun Hyuk went on speaking. ¡°For today however, it is not Die Unvollendete. We are taking off the tag ¡®unfinished¡¯ so that it¡¯s just Die Vollendete. He is my manager, my friend, and someone who is like a grandfather to me. Like Isaac Stern¡¯s life.¡± Jun Hyuk raised his hand to gesture to Isaac Stern, and the audience including the President and Queen Mathilda stood up to p passionately for Isaac Stern. Isaac Stern, who was sitting in the box seats, got up from his wheelchair with difficulty and responded to that sound. ¡°1st part Allegro moderato. 2nd part Andante con moto. 3rd part Scherzo, Allegro. 4th part Allegro vivacissimo.¡± When Jun Hyuk stated until the 4th part, the audience members¡¯ jaws dropped. They thought that saying the iplete isplete is a way to show Isaac Stern respect. But to think that he reallypleted Schubert¡¯s song? The reporters who had not been able to enter the hall with their cameras were full of regret. To think that they cannot record this historical moment. When Jun Hyuk stood on the podium and turned his back to the audience, the inside of the theater becamepletely silent. When the white baton started moving, the cello and contrabass yed an introduction of a heavy and solemn atmosphere and the violin rode an uneasy apaniment for a sad melody from the woodwinds. There was a short silence after the orchestra¡¯s tutti, and then the cello sang the 2nd theme. These 2 themes tangle with each other to show that music is a tragic deployment as they swell up. When the 1st part was over, the maestros upying the VIP seats needed to breathe heavily. How on earth are they able to perform without a single shaky note? More than half of the members did not look at the score properly, and only looked at the end of the baton. The ideal orchestra that maestros dream of. Chapter 271 Volume 8 / Chapter 271 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir An orchestra that can bring out music with just the fine movements of his eye and baton. While over 80 orchestra members acted as Jun Hyuk¡¯s fingers for more than 10 minutes, they did not show a single irregrity. One maestro shook his head. A performance like this is impossible even with endless rehearsals. It is not a performance that is possible through practice. It is only possible if each member is trained individually. But to train musicians with strong pride? There is not a single musician who is willing to withstand a whipping just because of a high sry. An orchestra is a group, but each member is his own universe. Each musician is someone who ys his own instrument. As the maestros looked at the stage in disbelief, Jun Hyuk¡¯s baton began to move again. When the lyrical 2nd part ended with an irregr 3-part form, everyone held their breaths. What kind of Schubert will a great maestro with a perfectly tuned orchestra show them? When the first verse flowed out, the eyes of the maestros in the audience grew wide. It is different. Completely different. The score that Schubert left behind isposed until the 3rd part 9th verse, and the rest is generally sketched out on piano. Average people don¡¯t know well, but maestros remember this precisely and most have even performed it. The dreamlike chord and bass in picato however, was entirely Jun Hyuk¡¯s music. Jun Hyuk ignored the score that Schubert never finished writing, and was performing apletely new Schubert. A pleasing theme came out through the violin and the theme kept developing. The violin¡¯s quiet melody worked with the oboe and r to y a sweet song, and the audience yelled out ¡®Schubert!¡¯ subconsciously. The song¡¯s atmosphere changed for a moment with the oboe expressing a longing as though aspiring to something, and they returned to the 1st theme again to end with the 3rd part. There was the sound of light sighsing from everywhere a tension rxed. Isaac Stern enjoyed the aftertaste of this new Schubert with his eyes closed and waited for thest part. Allegro¡¯s 4th part started and introduction¡¯s sad song and sweet and flexible melody shook his heart and passed through the audience¡¯s heart as though Schubert came back from a long vacation to show them the music on stage as the inside of the theater filled with joy. The audience felt like they had been chosen by Schubert. Schuberting back after 200 years to perform on stage himself. They feel as though they are watching that performance. It was an affectionate whisper in the gentle and familiarnguage of love, and also a melody that captures the human spirit with endless love. It did not make the mistake of forcing romance too much to lose convention, and it was ssical without being too rigid of a rendition. It was a very high performance on top of solid German tradition, maintaining the external convention that Schubert¡¯s piece has while expressing the rich nuances of the inner aspect of the melody through emotion. It is very romantic overall and Jun Hyuk¡¯s music, which is overflowing with poetic mood, shows Schubert¡¯s melody flowing as though springing out of the underworld. When they finished ying until the 4th part, Isaac Stern, who loves and understands Schubert more than anyone else does, could tell the true meaning of that Jun Hyuk¡¯s gift holds. Jun Hyuk had epted the pending death and embellished the travel to eternal rest beautifully. Jun Hyuk gifted Isaac Stern with apanion so he would not be lonely in his eternal travel. He had given a gift in the form of Schubert that contains his heart. Jun Hyuk turned on the podium to face the audience, and the name ¡®Schubert¡¯ rang throughout the theater with enthusiastic apuse. When Jun Hyuk came down from the podium, a staff member quickly gave him a microphone. ¡°I won¡¯t worry whether I dirtied Schubert¡¯s name. This is something I started with full determination.¡± The audience shook their heads vigorously and started to p again. ¡°I felt it while performing. This song is obviously iplete stylistically but by content, it is not in any way iplete. That essence of this song is here. Like that someone¡¯s life.¡± He is saying that today¡¯s performance was the perfect tribute. And the subject is Isaac Stern himself. A few elderly audience members had eyes full of envy. It is envy for thisst gift he received ¨C a Schubert song that will never appear again. ¡°Dimitri. If my life is the 2nd part, meeting Jun was the 1st part and everything after is the 2nd part.¡± Isaac Stern held onto Dimitri Carras¡¯ hand tightly as he spoke. ¡°What? Then what about me? It wasn¡¯t me dominating the 1st part?¡± ¡°He he. You¡¯re something like the main theme of the 1st part? About that.¡± As theyughed for a while, the curtains slowly came down on stage. *** Once the official program was over, the Isaac Stern in the party room looked young again. He keptughing while surrounded by Hollywood actresses, and asionally showed his bad hand manners. The President needed to go back to Washington because of his busy schedule, and held onto Jun Hyuk while making hisst appeal. ¡°Maestro, you promised me. You have to attend the year end ceremony at the White House. Got it?¡± ¡°Mr. President. I need to hold a year end show here, too. I¡¯ll try to adjust my schedule, but I can¡¯t guarantee anything.¡± Jun Hyuk handed a roll of paper tied with ribbon over to a disappointed President. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can give you this instead.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A piano song. It¡¯s a total of 10 songs, so y it in the order they¡¯re numbered. If you y them perfectly until the 10th song, I¡¯ll hold a special performance. I¡¯ll bring you in as a pianist in thisrge theater. You¡¯ll y a duet with me.¡± The President smiled more widely than he had when he was announced as the next President on election day. The maestro wrote songs just for him and even promised that they would go on stage together. More surprising was what Yoon Kwang Hun said. ¡°Mr. President. This is the first time Jun¡¯s handwritten score has been leaked out. The scores for these piano songs are the first.¡± The President¡¯s Secretary General must have understood the scores¡¯ value as well because he chipped in. ¡°Mr. President. Right now, Maestro Jun¡¯s handwritten score is simr in value to those of Mozart. I don¡¯t know much, but it¡¯s enough to get museums all over the world calling you for those scores.¡± The President embraced Jun Hyuk. ¡°If I fail in the re-election, that will all be your fault, Maestro. I would have neglected my duties to the state to practice these songs.¡± The President held the scores in his hand as he walked away with regret, as the night of the party ripened. And after 1 week, Isaac Stern left the world. *** Isaac Stern. He was a giant iceberg. If the tiping out above the water is a musician, he was the one hiding his giant body while sustaining the person on top from under water. My friend Isaac was humorous and positive, an elegant man who loved music. It was also part of his charm that he was an old man who liked beautiful women. The over 100 musicians he found are now ying fascinating melodies all around the world and hispanion, friend, Maestro Jun who is like a grandson, is covering the world with his music. He did not keep a single cent in his hand, and gave it back to society. He gave everything away and is going back into the earth. Dimitri Carras gave the eulogy at his funeral, which was held in a New York cathedral. And he left hisst words. ¡°I hope you have a chance to say yourst goodbyes to Isaac Stern, who was a friend to us all.¡± As people said their goodbyes to Isaac Stern, Dimitri Carras conducted the JS orchestra. Schubert¡¯s unfinished symphony flowed throughout the cathedral. It is a requiem for Isaac Stern. The people who attended the funeral formed a line in front of the coffin in order to see Isaac Stern in his death. Everyone cried and prayed for him. Jun Hyuk put a score inside Isaac Stern¡¯s coffin. It was the 3rd and 4th parts to Schubert¡¯s unfinished symphony. This song was made just for Isaac Stern and it was a deration that he would never y it again. Isaac Stern was buried in the Isaac Stern Center Park. *** People who leave the sadness of someone who has left them, must go on living. Just as happiness does notst forever, neither does sadness. Before Jun Hyuk couldpletely erase his sadness over losing Isaac Stern, he wanted to bring happiness to someone who is alive. ¡°Jun. This is too grand of a birthday party.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a party. It¡¯s a birthday present.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s a gift or party, it¡¯s still too much.¡± Tara and Amelia looked happy as well as they listened to how well Jun Hyuk¡¯s n worked out. It was even better that they were able to forget about Isaac Stern¡¯s death even for a moment. ¡°And there¡¯s no change to the fact that you deserve a tremendous birthday present.¡± The 2 women nodded in agreement. Yoon Kwang Hun really is someone who deserves it. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll look into a performance that matches up perfectly.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look into a few performers and ask them, too. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to mobilize a fair number of them.¡± ¡°Amelia, Tara. Tell them that I¡¯llpensate them fully for my gratitude. Then I¡¯ll make a show that wasn¡¯t there before.¡± ¡°Compensation? How?¡± ¡°Tell them that they can use my music in any way that they want from now on. I won¡¯t take royalties.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re giving up royalties?¡± Being able to use Jun Hyuk¡¯s music as much as they want just by doing him a favor once. It seems that if they don¡¯t pay the royalties thate with the number of performances and record sales, everyone wille out to try to get involved. ¡°Yeah. We need to show at least that much sincerity.¡± Tara looked at Jun Hyuk smiling brightly, and let out a low whistle. ¡°Whew. This isn¡¯t just a grand present, but an incredibly expensive one. It¡¯d be much cheaper to buy and gift an ind in the South Pacific.¡± ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll leave it to you. Tara, Amelia.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any problems with conditions like these. Don¡¯t worry.¡± The 2 women took out their cellphones and started calling different ces. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir ¡°Sir,e to the house. You¡¯re turning 60 tomorrow. You should get your birthday dinner.¡± ¡°Hey kid. Who gets a birthday dinner for turning 60 these days? They get the feast when they turn 70 or 80.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun startedining as soon as he heard ¡®60¡¯. He is now in his heydays again, so he does not want to admit that he is in his 60s. ¡°Ugh. An adult needs to admit he¡¯s gotten older. He he.¡± ¡°Did I say something about it? It¡¯s sad enough that I¡¯m getting older, but I need to check that fact with my own eyes? Let¡¯s just eat at a restaurant. 49 days haven¡¯t even passed since President Stern¡¯s death.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t Korea, it¡¯s America. And Isaac is Christian.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying. It¡¯s not time to get a birthday dinner yet.¡± Jun Hyuk waved the hidden card that would get Yoon Kwang Hun to stop being so stubborn. ¡°Amelia and I are doing the cooking ourselves. Forget me, but if you don¡¯t eat the food Amelia prepared, you won¡¯t be able to handle the blow back after.¡± When Yoon Kwang Hun heard that Amelia will be making the food herself, he jumped. If he says that he won¡¯t go, she is someone who will go to him at that moment and drag him away. ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re such a bother. Alright. I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Come tonight. Since tomorrow¡¯s your birthday, sleepover and have some seaweed soup in the morning.¡± ¡°I said alright! Hang up.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun yelled and hung up the phone. Jun Hyuk put down the receiver and giggled. ¡°Why? He¡¯s noting?¡± ¡°Of course not. He¡¯s just being like that for no reason. He just wants it to feel like he¡¯sing over reluctantly because he has no choice. Korean men are kind of like that.¡± The 3 people were gathered under one roof for the first time in a while as they got drunk off of wine and chatted away to their heart¡¯s desire. Yoon Kwang Hun could not believe that it has been 15 years since he met Jun Hyuk. The boy who had gobbled down tonkatsu, is now a maestro standing at the top of the world. And he put him at the head of a giant foundation. A lot of thoughts passed through Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s head and they fell into a deep sleep under the influence of alcohol and rxation. *** Yoon Kwang Hun opened his eyes to the smell of Korean food he was smelling for the first time in a while. When he drank a cup of water to ease his hangover and went downstairs, Amelia had her nose blocked with all of the windows open and Jun Hyuk was nowhere to be seen. ¡°What¡¯s Jun doing? All of the soup is gone.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun turned off the boiling pot first. ¡°He¡¯s talking to the President.¡± ¡°The President?¡± ¡°Yes. Since he gave him the piano songs, he calls everyday. He always asks about the parts that are hard to y.¡± Amelia is sick of the President who calls everyday and shook her head. When Jun Hyuk shuffled into the kitchen, Yoon Kwang Hun started by yelling. ¡°What smells so fishy? What is this?¡± ¡°You like fish seaweed soup. That¡¯s why I put it in, but.....¡± ¡°Ugh. Is this seaweed soup? You made fish stew! Why did you put so much fish in?¡± He could barely see any seaweed, and there were just 2 fish heads the size of a person¡¯s arm boiling inside the pot. Yoon Kwang Hun only had 2 spoonfuls of the seaweed soup, and then ate the soup and sd that Amelia made instead. After a light breakfast, Yoon Kwang Hun was sitting in the living room and lighting a cigarette when Jun Hyuk and Amelia came out with a pretty cake. ¡°What is that? A cake first thing in the morning? You¡¯re supposed to eat something like this in the evening. I¡¯m so hungover. I feel sick just looking at it.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s 10:00 in New York, it¡¯s midnight in Korea. It¡¯s your birthday in 5 minutes on Korean time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing all kinds of weird stuff. This early in the morning.¡± The smile spreading across his face however showed that he was not only displeased. ¡°Alright. Now let¡¯s open your birthday present. Wait for it.¡± Jun Hyuk turned on a screen taking up a wall of the living room. The screen showed an orchestra under the stage and curtains that had yet to go up as though rying an opera show. ¡°What is this? My birthday present is just watching a performance? And through a screen at that? Isn¡¯t this the Inte?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s broadcasting live over the Inte. Don¡¯t rush me and just wait. There¡¯s still 1 minute left.¡± Jun Hyuk started the countdown on his fingers. At exactly 10:00 when it became midnight on Korean time, the stage curtains went up. All of the opera cast members were standing up in the middle of the stage. ¡°What opera is it that all of the singers areing out at the same time? Huh? Isn¡¯t that opera ¡®Godfather¡¯?¡± As it is an opera he watched many times, Yoon Kwang Hun was able to tell right away what the show would be just by looking at the stage set and singers¡¯ costumes. When the orchestra conductor¡¯s baton began to move slowly, all of the opera singers started singing in chorus. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday Dear Father. Happy Birthday to you. The singers finished singing and left the stage as they waved to the camera. Soon after, two gun shots rang and the real opera began. Yoon Kwang Hun pointed to the screen and stuttered, ¡°That... That... That song... wasn¡¯t for me, was it?¡± ¡°It was. It¡¯s the Italian Napoli Opera. They sang the birthday song right before their show just now. What are you doing? You need to blow out the candles.¡± While the opera singers sang in chorus, Jun Hyuk lit the candles on the cake and brought it out in front of Yoon Kwang Hun. Yoon Kwang Hun was not able to blow out the 6 candles in one go. He was unable to let out a long blow because he cried out in the middle. ¡°You can¡¯t be like this already when this is just the start of the present.¡± When he barely blew the candles out, Jun Hyuk put the cake down and hugged Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°Happy birthday, father.¡± Jun Hyuk stopped calling him ¡®sir¡¯ as he had done for the past 15 years. And he said ¡®father¡¯ for the first time. He thought of Yoon Kwang Hun as his father from the beginning until now but Yoon Kwang Hun himself always said that he has no right to be called his father as he set their rtionship. Jun Hyuk¡¯s calling him ¡®father¡¯ means freedom for Yoon Kwang Hun. The two of them defined their rtionship and it meant that after today, he had decided what he would call Yoon Kwang Hun regardless of his thoughts. Emotional Amelia cried more than Yoon Kwang Hun did, so he pat her back as he spoke, ¡°There there. Stop that now. We need to enjoy the opera. It¡¯s my birthday present. It¡¯s nonsense that we shouldn¡¯t be able to watch it because of something like tears.¡± After 1 hour passed, the opera¡¯s 1st act came to the end. Suddenly, the screen turned off. ¡°What is it? Did the Inte get cut off? Why isn¡¯t iting out?¡± ¡°Hang on. It¡¯s the next present.¡± When the screen became bright again, the orchestra came on. ¡°What is this all of a sudden? What about the opera?¡± ¡°This is London, Ennd. The BBC Orchestra. Watch it.¡± When both of the conductor¡¯s arms moved powerfully, the Happy Birthday song came out. When the song ended, they started ying the 1st act of Jun Hyuk¡¯s choral concerto. After another hour passed, a pianist sat alone on stage to y the birthday song, and waved. Then, he began to y Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano sonata. ¡°That¡¯s Portugal. He was the only person performing at this time over there.¡± When the piano sonata ended, Danny who is on his European tour appeared and congratted Yoon Kwang Hun on his birthday. ¡°Happy Birthday Mr. Yoon!¡± Colin¡¯s band was much funnier because of Kyung Min Ho. They must have learned from Kyung Min Ho, because they bowed deeply to the camera and then yelled in Korean, ¡°Happy Birthday on turning 60, father.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was unable to hold back hisughter because of Colin and Todd¡¯s sloppy Korean. And he realized what his true birthday present is. ¡°This was matched by parax. We¡¯re going to how you 24 performances by going around the world in 1 hour intervals. Everyone is ying my music. And before each performance, everyone is congratting you on your birthday.¡± ¡°You still remembered?¡± While the audition program was running in Korea, they had to hold a press conference because of the agency¡¯s tricks. On the night they held the press conference, Yoon Kwang Hun got drunk and talked about his dream. Back then, it had seemed like an impossible dream. ¡®Your music ying constantly as the world makes a turn. Your musicing out anywhere at anytime for 1 year, 365 days.¡¯ ¡°Yes. How could I forget that?¡± Jun Hyukughed as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s not to 365 days, but my music won¡¯t end for at least the 24 hours of your birthday today. This much doesn¡¯t make your dreamplete, but isn¡¯t it achieving just about the tail end of it, father?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun did not sleep and after 23 hours, he watched all of the performances including Rome¡¯s. He cannot miss his dreaming to life by sleeping. Chapter 273 Volume 8 / Chapter 273 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir 3 monthster, all of Isaac Stern Center¡¯s smaller theaters opened and a lot of programs were held in the center. Due to the center¡¯s program which did not consider genres, there was a strange mix of rock manias with tattoos on their arms and ssical viewers in suits. Everyone anticipated Jun Hyuk¡¯s performance each night, but there were only 1 or 2 performances in a month. And only 6 months had shows. The other 6 months were nailed in off-season. Amelia¡¯s tour onlysted 6 months out of a year as well. Jun Hyuk and Amelia traveled for 6 months and rested. During off-season, the orchestra members formed string quartets, trios, and quintets to create new musical worlds or go on world tours. Jun Hyuk¡¯s shows became incredible news. His performance music was not just the elegant and beautiful symphonies he had released until now, but also sophisticated music that was even avant-garde. All media outlets tried to write articles at the same time. Jun Hyuk and his orchestra were Explorer. He threw the music that was for easy listening to other orchestras, and they only yed the strange andplex music that endlessly explored music and sound. It had been difficult to get tickets to Jun Hyuk¡¯s shows at first, but the empty seats started to increase. Only ? of the seats filled, and the people in that ? were always the same. Juilliard, Eastman, yton Conservatory¡¯s lovers of music and professional musicians, orchestra conductors, critics, and music professors always took those seats. Since he released a new piece after just 2 shows, they could only listen to the music in albums if they missed a single how. There were orchestras that put on Jun Hyuk¡¯s experimental songs, but they always led to being scorned. Not just anyone can train a perfect orchestra. There was no change to Jun Hyuk¡¯s life as though running on clockwork. He went back and forth from his house and the center, put his all into his music activity, released most of his new songs as scores, and did not y the music himself. Jun Hyuk enjoyed listening to the albums that musicians created with his music. At times, he would discover brilliant talents for whom he would create songs for and produce albums with. Endlesslyplicated and experimental contemporary and ssical, romantic, and inherited ssical. And pop, rock, jazz, and blues, which the public goes crazy for. It was mysterious that all of this music came from the head and fingertips of a single person. In the end, Rolling Stones magazine created Jun¡¯s Chart. They created a chart for albums and singles created with Jun Hyuk¡¯s original songs as the base. The interesting part was that those ranking in the top of Jun¡¯s Chart usually ranked in the top of the Billboard chart. People gave the one elevator in JS Center a name. Elevator to Star! People who get a call from Jun Hyuk to meet, take the elevator down to the studio, and be stars. When this phenomenon repeated, there were more and more rookie musicians who released albums and singles with Jun Hyuk¡¯s music. *** Jun Hyuk¡¯s travels to find new sounds and music did not end. If he got information of an instrument that he never heard before, he immediately got on his private ne to go see it. He only came back after hearing it and on the asion he discovered an instrument that he liked, he needed to have it even if he needed to pay a fortune for it. New sound, new music. Jun Hyuk was wandering around in search of this. ¡°Tara, let¡¯s go to India.¡± ¡°India?¡± ¡°Yeah. I found an instrument that¡¯s believed to be in the family of sitars.¡± The sitar was originally a Persian lute-style stringed instrument, but it went over to India to develop. It is representative to India with its unique and subtle tone, so it gives off the atmosphere of India just by ying it. ¡°The sitar¡¯s shape ispletely different. It isn¡¯t round, and it looks like a hip. It¡¯s showing that the sitar was formed after the female body.¡± ¡°It makes sound? If it¡¯s the original form, isn¡¯t it really old?¡± ¡°120 years. I heard the restoration work is done and they¡¯re looking for strings based on old documents. I want to see it before it¡¯spletely restored. We need to attach different strings to it and hear their sounds.¡± Judging from Jun Hyuk¡¯s excited voice, it looks like they cannot avoid getting on the ne to India. Tara put a few staff members and bodyguards on standby, and reserved a hotel under staff name. They always went quietly when traveling like this. The day that Jun Hyuk spoke, he went to Mumbai in India. *** Jun Hyuk was locked in the procession of terrible traffic, and ignored the children pushing their faces up against the window of his limousine. Though the children could not see the people sitting inside the car because of the tinted windows, they kept yelling help and begging. He donated astronomical amounts of money until now, but it looked like the numbers of these kinds of kids did not go down. All of the staff members sitting inside the car were holding their breaths because of Jun Hyuk¡¯s ufortable face. When the sound of begging children came through the car windows, they started sounding like solos to duets, trios to choruses, and Jun Hyuk smiled bitterly. It was a moment when he began to dislike his ability to hear even this tragic cry of young children as music. Jun Hyuk¡¯s eyes suddenly opened wide. ¡®Did I hear wrong?¡¯ Jun Hyuk¡¯s mind heard a solo sounde through among the loud chorus. No, it seemed like it was not his mind but his ears hearing the sound. However, it was neither a mistake nor a sound he heard in his head. The solo sounding weakly through the thick window is clearly a girl¡¯s voice. Jun Hyuk quickly rolled the window down and within moments, a few children¡¯s hands came inside the car. And the sound, ¡®help,¡¯ came flooding into the car all at once. ¡°Jun, what are you doing?¡± Tara gave the staff a look to roll the window back up, but Jun Hyuk put up his hand to restrain them. ¡°Leave it. Don¡¯t roll it up.¡± Jun Hyuk started to be nervous with his fingers interlocked, stuck in a traffic jam. Why can¡¯t he hear it? Was it really a mistake? Then when the car began to move little by little, Jun Hyuk quickly shouted, ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t move.¡± When Jun Hyuk¡¯s limousine stopped moving, cars began to honk behind them but Jun Hyuk did not budge an inch. Even a single moment is good. Whether he heard it in his head or with his ears, he wants to hear it once again. Jun Hyuk suddenly opened the car door and got out. The doors to a van right behind opened and 6 sturdy men came out to surround him. ¡°What is it? Maestro, are you okay?¡± The bodyguards first checked on Jun Hyuk¡¯s state and then blocked the children swarming toward him. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Don¡¯t push the children too much.¡± He is sure. The sound is not something he made up in his head, but a sound he heard outside. At that moment, he heard another weak sound ¡®help¡¯ among the kids begging. Jun Hyuk pushed through the children and chased that sound. Unlike the children group of children swarmed together, there was a small girl a footstep away with her back turned. That young girl wore a t-shirt and skirt more ragged than the clothes of the other children, as she looked far away and yelled ¡®help¡¯. ¡°Jun, let¡¯s just go. It¡¯s dangerous here.¡± Tara rushed out to look around Jun Hyuk and rushed to speak, but Jun Hyuk did not move. ¡°Did you hear that voice just now? It¡¯s that kid¡¯s voice.¡± The girl must have heard the buzz behind her because she turned her body in the direction of the noise and put out her hand. When Jun Hyuk saw her, he was so surprised he stumbled and his bodyguards needed to support him. Her skin was scarred from a severe burn. She is blind. Jun Hyuk steadied himself and spoke to the trantor standing next to Tara, ¡°The song that this girl sang just now... No, tell her to say ¡®help¡¯ just as she did before. Tell her I¡¯ll give her money, too.¡± Before the trantor could finish speaking, the little girl said ¡®help¡¯. It was not just the sound of her saying a word. It was a strange sound as if a sound is on top of an odd tone. Jun Hyuk felt a thrill as though electricity ran through his whole body. ¡®There¡¯s a child in the world with a voice like this... It wasn¡¯t a mistake.¡¯ When Jun Hyuk put out his hand to touch the child¡¯s head, the trantor quickly yelled, ¡°Stop!¡± Jun Hyuk stopped and the trantor quickly spoke, ¡°Look carefully. She¡¯s blind. That was done on purpose to get pity from foreigners when she begs. Look at those kids begging over there. Aren¡¯t several of them disabled?¡± There were children without a hand or a leg standing a step away from them because of the bodyguards. ¡°What? Then are you saying that they did this to these kids on purpose?¡± Everyone became speechless because of the trantor¡¯s shocking words. Crippling children just to have them beg? He was so furious his whole body began to tremble. ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re all children of the lowest ss. They¡¯re sold off for nothing to be crippled like this and then sent out to beg. Then when little girls are old enough, they are sent out as prostitutes. There will be dangerous people behind her. And you¡¯ll suffer if you touch someone of the lowest ss.¡± Chapter 274 Volume 8 / Chapter 274 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir People of the lowest ss who are called the dalit or hari kap in Hindi. People who are so low that they are outside the Indian caste system. This means that they are treated like beasts or livestock, no, even less than that since people are not believed to be unclean just because they touched animals. These people are banished as though they have a contagious disease. These dalits are usually a group of workers who take on the work despised by Indian society like corpse treatment, leather repair, street cleaning, and toilet waste disposal. They face contempt, prejudice, and religious, cultural, and social discrimination in their lives of poverty. In the past, they regrly had their eyes taken out just for looking at sacred scriptures, their tongues cut off for talking about the scriptures, and any body parts that touched the scriptures cut off. Though a lot of these inhuman discrimination and acts have disappeared in modern times, there are still remnants of unimaginable discrimination. There is a child who lost his vision when his teacher beat him just for drinking water at school, and they are not even able to receive the lunch rationed out by the state. These children have lunch by eating the other children¡¯s leftovers even though they are students of the same school. Dalits need to take on manure treatment, but they cannot use machine but must use their bare hands. They also need to clean out manholes, but a lot of people die due to toxic gas. These are not old stories, but stories of today in the 21st century. The interpreter did not allow Jun Hyuk to touch the little girl because of her social rank. And before the interpreter could finish speaking, dozens of rough men were alreadying toward Jun Hyuk¡¯s group. There were so many of them that the bodyguards looked tense. The scumbags looked at the interpreter and spoke roughly. ¡°They say that we should leave if we¡¯re not going to give the children money.¡± The terrified interpreter was barely to speak. ¡°Tell them we¡¯ll meet with this child¡¯s parents.¡± Jun Hyuk spoke with his teeth clenched. If he could, he wanted to kill all of these people on the spot. ¡°What? Parents? Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? The parents already sold them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense and hurry up and tell them!¡± Before the interpreter could ry Jun Hyuk¡¯s entire message, the men burst out inughter. ¡°They say they¡¯ll sell this girl if you like her. They¡¯re asking for $10,000.¡± ¡°What? $10,000? These fucking assholes!¡± The interpreter was able to understand up to the word ¡®dor,¡¯ but unable to understand the rest. The interpreter does not know Korean. Jun Hyuk breathed roughly, thought of people who would be able to kill these guys for him, and yelled to Tara. ¡°Tara. Call the White House. I need to talk to the President.¡± ¡°Jun, don¡¯t do this. Don¡¯t make this bigger...¡± Before Tara could finish speaking, Jun Hyuk shouted, ¡°Shut up and do as I say! Who else can help me right now?¡± Tara took out her phone with an anxious expression. She became even more nervous when she thought of the time difference. It must be the middle of the night in Washington. ¡°Oh, Maestro. Why are you calling me all of a sudden? I was actually trying to decide whether I should call you or not. I mastered the songs up to the 5th one. Ha ha.¡± The President spoke over the phone in a pleased voice. ¡°Mr. President. I am calling about an urgent matter. I ask you to forgive the rudeness.¡± Jun Hyuk pushed down his anger and spoke in a well-mannered tone first. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. A call from you would always be wee, even if we were in the middle of war. Ha ha.¡± ¡°I have a personal favor to ask of you, would it be alright?¡± The President stoppedughed and became silent before speaking calmly. ¡°First, tell me what it is. I¡¯ll decide if it¡¯s alright or not after that.¡± Jun Hyuk gave a brief ount of his current situation. That bastards who cut off young children¡¯s hands and feet are bustling here. ¡°I see. Then what is the favor?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care whether it is the Indian Prime Minister or the head of the police, just anyone who can catch these bastards in front of me.¡± ¡°Well... Is that all? I was nervous thinking you were going to ask me tounch a nuclear missile or something. Ha ha.¡± Even as Jun Hyuk heard the Presidentughing, he felt nervous. But he heard the President¡¯s refreshing response right away. ¡°I¡¯ve got it. I¡¯ll do that personal favor for you. It seems like this is urgent, so I¡¯ll take action right away.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. President.¡± He heard another voice before Jun Hyuk could even finish his greeting. It seems the President was connected over speakerphone. And the voice he hears now is not the President¡¯s. It must be a staff member. ¡°Maestro, will you tell me your current location?¡± Jun Hyuk told him what thepass on his phone said. ¡°Don¡¯t move and stay in that spot, please.¡± When the call ended, the interpreter had be pale and was looking at Jun Hyuk. Goodness, to mobilize the American President. Jun Hyuk looked at the interpreter and spoke coldly. ¡°You can go too. I don¡¯t even want to look at you. What? I¡¯ll suffer if I touch the child? Your face is dirtier and uglier!¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk spoke, a bodyguard dragged the interpreter away. That bodyguard¡¯s face was distorted in anger as well. After Jun Hyuk¡¯s bodyguards and the rough men held off in confrontation for about 10 minutes, a loud helicopter and siren sounds rang with the arrival of dozens of motorcycles. They used the fastest method of transportation because of the terrible traffic jam. A special task force in the helicopternded on the ground and the police on the motorcycles ran over. They aimed their rifles and blockaded the surrounding area, with a middle-aged man in a suit running over. He saw Jun Hyuk standing in the middle of his suited bodyguards, and took his hat off. ¡°Maestro Jun?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you hurt anywhere? I¡¯m from the Mumbai office. I¡¯m Commander Farhan Akhtar. I received an urgent call that you are in danger.¡± Commander Akhtar introduced himself in fluent English as he looked over Jun Hyuk¡¯s body. ¡°First, please take care of those guys.¡± Jun Hyuk gestured to the swarm of rough men. Their faces were severely distorted. ¡°Leave it to us. But beyond that, it¡¯d be best for you to leave this ce. We¡¯ll escort you to your hotel. But this child?¡± The little girl was frightened by the sound of the helicopter and sirens, and held tightly to Jun Hyuk¡¯s pants. ¡°I¡¯d like to protect her for a while. I¡¯ll tell you in detailter. And Commander, are you also averse to this child because of her social standing?¡± Jun Hyuk tested the Commander who was trying to help him. He became strangely sensitive while looking at the poor child. ¡°Hm. You¡¯re saying she¡¯s a dalit? I¡¯m embarrassed that you saw the bad habits left over in our culture.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s face flushed red with the Commander¡¯s courteous words. ¡°Oh, no. I was harsh, forgive me.¡± ¡°Maestro. Let¡¯s talk about stuff like that slowly, and let¡¯s start moving first. With this little girl.¡± The Commander took the little girl¡¯s hand and showed effort to calm her down. Jun Hyuk¡¯s group arrived at their hotel with a police escort. ¡°Maestro, rx here. I¡¯ll take care of what happened today and call you.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you. I¡¯ll be waiting for your call.¡± The Commander saluted Jun Hyuk and quickly went back. *** Tara took fast measures to find a hotelier who could speak in English perfectly, and she and a maid took the little girl shivering in fear into the bathroom. The girl sat in the bathtub full of warm water and when she heard thenguage she was familiar with and the hotel maid¡¯s touch, her fear began to subside little by little. Before they knew it, there was even the sound of giggling and ying with the water. There was no way to know whether it is because she is a child or because it is her nature, but she quickly started adjusting to the sudden change in environment. She seemed to be rather enjoying it. The girl bathed, changed into new clothes, and started to eat the food that the maid brought her,pletely leaving her fear behind her and filling her empty stomach. Her face lit up with joy. Jun Hyuk watched her bright face with satisfaction, and picked up the receiver. ¡°Mr. President. Thank you for listening to my strange favor. It was figured out well thanks to you.¡± ¡°Maestro, can you tell me exactly what¡¯s going on? I asked the Indian office to help you because you were in danger... but it seems that wasn¡¯t the actual situation.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled brightly and told the President what he just did. ¡°You basically rescued me. I discovered a little girl who is like me, or maybe even rarer to find than I am. We¡¯re together right now.¡± ¡°What? Someone simr to you, Maestro? You don¡¯t mean... How could that be?¡± Chapter 275 Volume 8 / Chapter 275 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir A girl who is like Jun Hyuk. The President found it hard to believe. Isn¡¯t he someone who might or might not appear once every 100 years ¨C no ¨C someone who is called the greatest genius in the history of music? But another person to appear in one generation? Are geniuses thismon? ¡°Until now, I thought that the human voice is iplete. Even the greatest singer sounded unstable to me and the sound wasn¡¯t that impressive, and that thought hasn¡¯t changed yet. But this little girl next to me is a perfect instrument with a perfect voice.¡± The President could not give any response to Jun Hyuk who was speaking excitedly. This is because he could not understand the difference between an iplete human voice andplete voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything beyond her voice... but this girl will turn the world over with just her voice.¡± It was hard to believe, but Maestro Jun is sure. He is not someone to talk nonsense. ¡°Mr. President. Thank you for doing me this strange favor. I don¡¯t know how to repay you.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re saying that I listened to your strange favor and helped rescue a girl with the voice of a century, no, a perfect voice?¡± Jun Hyuk thought he should have bit his tongue when he heard the President¡¯s voice full of jest. This man is not one to miss out on a perfect opportunity. The President is a politician who takes advantage of opportunities well. ¡°Well. I¡¯m not trying to brag, but what I asked you for a few times... What do you think about that? Oh, I¡¯m not saying this expecting payment for my help. It¡¯s a request I gave you whenever I had the chance to. Ha ha.¡± Jun Hyukughed out loud at the President¡¯s simple request. ¡°What? Oh, ha ha. I got it. Prepare a seat for me at the White House year-end dinner on Christmas Eve this year. I¡¯ll be sure to attend. And of course I¡¯ll y a piano duet with you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Maestro. Tell me if something like thises up again. I can¡¯t do anything with nuclear missiles, but I would be able to end the Delta force. Ha ha.¡± When Jun Hyuk ended the call and looked at the little girl, she was still chewing on food and filling her stomach. Jun Hyuk sat at a piano in the room. When he started ying the piano without looking away from the young girl, a strange melody flowed out. Tara and the staff members are not used to it as Westerners, but the Indian maids looking after the young girl shouted out at the same time, Saabun! Jun Hyuk was ying a melody unique to India. Western music, especially ssical, uses aposition system of 12 majors and 12 minors. Each group centers around its own keynote, and a series of notes form a group called a scale. One keynote uses a melody or harmony as a center and other notes have a dependent rtionship on that note in a group of sounds, and forming those kinds of group sounds is whatposition is. No matter how grand andplicated ssical music looks, in the end it cannot get away from the 12 majors and 12 minors, or theposition system of 24. Theposition of traditional Indian music however, exceeds 2,000 and there are hundreds ofpositions that are used often. And most of thesepositions are named after ancient Indian gods. From the view of Indian music, Western ssical music is just music that is too simple and boring. The hotel maid shouted out Saabun because Jun Hyuk is ying the Saabun scale. The little girl was eating cake when the movement of her mouth slowed down and she began to focus on the piano melody. Jun Hyuk saw this and started to change the melody. He yed various Indianpositions in alternation, and ssical melodies flowed out as well. The melody grew increasingly discordant and the piano song became more and moreplex. The little girl swallowed the cake in her mouth and was slowly led to Jun Hyuk by the piano sound, touching the table with both hands, and started focusing on his song. She moved her fingers and moved her hand, eventually moving both arms, waving lightly to the rhythm. Jun Hyuk¡¯s piano stopped after going for more than 30 minutes. When Jun Hyuk stopped suddenly, the excited girl spoke rapidly in Hindi. ¡°She is asking you to keep going. She said that she doesn¡¯t need to eat something sweet ¨C she must be talking about the cake ¨C so she would like for you to keep ying.¡± The hotelier looking after the girl also spoke excitedly. They are hearing the maestro¡¯s piano for themselves, which is known to be an extremely rare urrence. This kind of luck does note everyday. ¡°Ry my message exactly. Tell her to sing just as I yed the piano. Then she¡¯ll be able to experience another kind of music.¡± He is sure that she will have memorized the piano melody that he yed for over 30 minutes. The hotelier ryed the message slowly and exactly with an expression of disbelief, and the girl opened her mouth as if she had been waiting. The girl started to make a thin sound, and that sound was exactly the melody that came from the piano. The more interesting aspect is that she recreated the perfect harmony of the left hand¡¯s apaniment and the right hand¡¯s main melody. Tara was watching this when her legs went weak and she plopped down. She loves music more than anyone else does, and she has lived listening to incredible music from Jun Hyuk¡¯s side. She must know the value of the sounding out of the girl¡¯s mouth. She could only think of one thing: Voice of an Angel Tara realized that Jun Hyuk¡¯s behavior until now had been because of this unbelievable voice. The ability to remember the music precisely on top of that. This has not been discovered in anyone other than Jun Hyuk. Tara looked at Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk looked so blissful it seemed he could not feel more joy as he watched the girl and then put his hands on the piano again. Their music continued for another hour and everyone in the room felt so much like they were dreaming as they listened to the sweet music that they did not even realize that time was passing by. Someone was standing outside Jun Hyuk¡¯s door with an ecstatic expression as well. It was Commander Akhtar who had helped Jun Hyuk. The melody of India, the mothend he loves. The beautiful voice that is bringing out that melody. The Commander realized that the voice¡¯s owner is the blind girl. And he also understood why that famous maestro had made such a big deal. When he could no longer hear the music, he came to his senses and knocked on the door. ¡°Oh Commander,e in. Thank you again for helping us.¡± Jun Hyuk discovered Commander Akhtar, bolted up from the piano, and shook his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Maestro. I¡¯ll tell you what happened first. Those brutish men were all arrested. And we sent the poor children to facilities for now.¡± But the Commander¡¯s face was not bright. Another gang and different children will fill that emptied space. It is the endless repeat of this shady society. ¡°Did you hear this child¡¯s story?¡± ¡°ording to our investigation, this child¡¯s name is Jina. We estimate that she¡¯s around 10 years old. There was andslide in the vige she lived in 3 years ago, so half of the people died and the other half scattered... They said that Jina¡¯s parents probably died since they say that they brought her when they found her wandering around by herself. Jun Hyuk clenched his teeth to hold back his tears. Commander Akhtar saw Jun Hyuk suddenly flush red, and flinched. He should have spoken with more care... He recalled an article that said he used to wander the streets 15 years ago though he is a great master of music now. To this great maestro, his past self and this blind girl will ovep. Commander Akhtar was at a loss for words and looked elsewhere. ¡°Commander, I¡¯d like to take this girl to America right away. Would that be possible? I¡¯ll even adopt her if necessary.¡± Everyone except Jina¡¯s jaws dropped. Tara in particr, had no idea of how to handle this incredible statement. ¡°When this child bes an adult ¨C no ¨C before that, she will be a singer who shakes up the world. An incredible soprano... No, she¡¯ll be a singer who is limitless and can¡¯t be ssified.¡± ¡°Yes, it seems that there¡¯s plenty potential for that. I heard this girl¡¯s voice from the door as well.¡± Commander Akhtar spoke quietly as he smiled. He does not know music well, but the girl has a tremendous voice that makes ears ring. A world-renowned genius maestro who says that he will adopt her. It would be weird to say that she cannot be a limitless singer. ¡°Maestro. I¡¯ll try to work on it so you can take legal action. Will you wait until I call you again?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll wait for good results.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The world¡¯s ¡®Jun¡¯ is saying that he wants to adopt. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to skip over the minor procedural steps.¡± Commander Akhtar left the hotel with thoughts of skipping those minor steps. Chapter 276 Volume 8 / Chapter 276 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir No one could speak. Jina became nervous because of the sudden silence and turned her head from side to side, hoping for someone to speak. ¡°Tara.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I live in the U.S., but I¡¯m Korean. Will you tell the foundation legal team to act on this so I can adopt this child?¡± ¡°Sure. There won¡¯t be any issues since this girl... Jina doesn¡¯t have parents either. I¡¯ll take care of it right away.¡± ¡°Thanks. Oh right, Tara. I¡¯m sorry for yelling at you earlier. Truly.¡± Tara winked and smiled with the phone to her ear. Jun Hyuk sat in front of Jin and spoke calmly and affectionately. ¡°I¡¯m going to teach you. You have the voice of an angel, no, of heaven. I¡¯ll create heavenly music for you, so you sing. People will think of the songs you sing as heavenly music. What do you think? Incredible, right?¡± When the hotelier hesitated because she was not sure whether Jun Hyuk was talking to himself or not, Jun Hyuk kept talking. ¡°You hear the drynd barking that it¡¯s thirsty, right?¡± With a nce from Jun Hyuk, the hotelier quickly started speaking in Hindi. ¡°And the sound of flies flying around in the bathroom is beautiful? You want to express the passioning from the hot sun? With your voice, I mean.¡± Jina nodded her head vigorously. And she started to chat away again. ¡°She says that there are no songs. She wants to sing about the sound of thend crying, flies batting their wings, and the hot sun, but she says that there are no songs.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll gift those songs to you. I¡¯ll make whatever you want to express, so sing as much as you want. What do you think?¡± Jina nodded her head again and smiled brightly. ¡°Then do you want to live with me? I¡¯ll make songs for you like I just did, let you eats lots of delicious things, and make it so you can sleep in a cozy bed, soe with me.¡± When Jina got the trantion of what Jun Hyuk was saying, she got surprised and shook her head. ¡°She says that she can¡¯t. She¡¯s saying that she can¡¯t leave without the permission of her owners, the men from before.¡± Then, one of the maids held Jina and started speaking rapidly. When the maid was done talking, Jina got on the floor with the maid¡¯s help, bowed over to kiss his feet and would not get up. ¡°Excuse me. What on earth did you say to her?¡± Jun Hyuk was surprised by Jina¡¯s sudden actions. When he yelled toward the maid, she bowed to ask him for understanding and spoke, ¡°Sir. This girl doesn¡¯t knowplicated things like that. She only knows that she¡¯s a ve and that she has an owner. I told her that her owner has changed. I understand your intention to protect her, so just say that you are her owner for now. That is how she¡¯ll follow you. You can help her understand that she¡¯s not a ve once you get to America.¡± Jun Hyuk felt embarrassed that he had thought he and Jina ovepped even for a moment. He was an orphan, but this girl is a ve. The weight of their pain will have beenpletely different. Jun Hyuk stood Jina up, kneeled in front of her, and slowly embraced her. ¡°You¡¯lle to realize on your own that you¡¯re not a ve. I¡¯ll make it so that happens soon.¡± *** The Commander had left as though he would be able to handle everything quickly, and came back after only one day. ¡°That child Jina was someone that didn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°What? What does that mean?¡± ¡°First off, Jina¡¯s parents didn¡¯t have birth registration. Of course that was the same for Jina. That¡¯s why it took some time.¡± Commander Akhtar handed a man folder over. ¡°But we quickly created documents. Her name is Jina, her age is 10. We made her birthday yesterday when she met you, Maestro. Will you be going back to America today?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to. I¡¯d like to take her back as soon as we can and see her ability.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring over someone from the adoption agency. Jina will be that person¡¯spanion. She will be your daughterpletely once everything is settled in America.¡± ¡°Thank you, Commander. I won¡¯t forget all you¡¯ve done for us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. What I¡¯ve done for you? It¡¯s overwhelming for me to even think of Jina bing a world-renowned singer through you. And I¡¯m happy with just the fact that I was able to help.¡± Jun Hyuk handed a small envelope over to the Commander who looked pleased. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°The kids you talked about yesterday. The ones you said were sent to a facility first.....¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please use this for those children. And JS Foundation will continue to provide sponsorship.¡± Commander Akhtar dropped the envelope when he saw that the check inside was written for $5 million, and sat nkly for a while. He had heard rumors that Jun Hyuk would have made enough money to buy entire countries if he didn¡¯t donate so much. The Commander thought that those rumors could be true. Commander Akhtar put the envelope away and bowed his head. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll do my best so those children can live like people.¡± That was not the end however. Jun Hyuk¡¯s continuing gift was more surprising than the amount that he was donating. ¡°We¡¯ll invite you for the first day that Jina stands on stage. Come see for yourself how the girl you rescued yourself grows up.¡± *** Yoon Kwang Hun looked at Jun Hyuk and the little Indian girl he brought, and just blinked. ¡°¡®Father, didn¡¯t I always say that the human voice is an iplete instrument? But this child is the only exception.¡± ¡°So... so you¡¯re saying that this child has a perfect voice?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s beyond perfect. It¡¯s better than any instrument created by humanity. She can create various tones and changes emotions within moments. The range she can cover is beyond imagination.¡± A child who is just 10 years old? It was unbelievable, but Jun Hyuk is speaking with confidence. He cannot not believe this. ¡°And her ability to remember notes is the same as mine. She memorized a piano song that I yed for around 30 minutes perfectly.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun remembered his first meeting with Jun Hyuk when he said that he memorized Marlowe¡¯s symphony in its entirety. If Jun Hyuk felt even a little of what he felt back then, it is inevitable that he would be so excited. ¡°When will I be able to hear this child¡¯s voice?¡± ¡°Listen for yourself once Jina gets a bit more stable. You¡¯re really going to be surprised.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll adopt this child?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright, then do that.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun did not say much else. Jun Hyuk did not bring it up to get permission either. It would beughable for him to say something about a decision that an adult over 30 made. ¡°What can I do?¡± ¡°First, get us a teacher who can teach Jina English. And make a school for her too.¡± ¡°What? A school?¡± ¡°Yes, a school for Jina to attend. A school for children who can¡¯t see like Jina. Young kids need to grow up among their peers in order to avoid bing wicked like me. We need to make it so she has a normal childhood.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun frowned. ¡°I¡¯m against it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said it needs to be normal. Is it normal to make a school for Jina? Wouldn¡¯t it be normal to just enroll her in a special school in New York? It¡¯s already abnormal for you to think about making a school for her and bringing friends to her. Shouldn¡¯t you be a normal parent too?¡± Jun Hyuk imagined himself dropping Jina off at school every morning and attending parent teacher conferences. Like a normal parent. It wasn¡¯t a bad picture. ¡°Alright. Then look into a school.¡± ¡°Fine. Until now is an issue of our family... What¡¯s going to happen to Maestro Jun?¡± He is reading the situation clearly. There was an aftertaste left in Jun Hyuk¡¯s words and heughed when Yoon Kwang Hun noticed this. ¡°Well it¡¯s as you already guessed. I¡¯m only going to focus on teaching Jina for at least 5 years from now on.¡± ¡°Alright. Do as you want.¡± He is dering that he will halt all activities for 5 years. Yoon Kwang Hun did not say much about this decision either. Since it is something that he has already decided, he needs to settle the matters after. ¡°First, we¡¯ll have to look around for a conductor to take over JS Orchestra. Is there someone you have in mind?¡± ¡°Yes. I was thinking of Berlin¡¯s Serill Petrenko. If he doesn¡¯t want to do it, the Board of Directors can decide.¡± ¡°Petrenko?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s the first conductor to put Inferno on stage. Whether he used a shortcut or not, it¡¯s true that he¡¯s the person who delved deepest into my music.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be sure to bring him.¡± ¡°And.....¡± ¡°What? Is there something else?¡± Jun Hyuk scratched his head and spoke up cautiously. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to tell Amelia about this yet. She¡¯sing back next month... Be there when I tell her.¡± ¡°Ke ke. Are you scared?¡± ¡°Yes. If I say I want to adopt when we haven¡¯t even gotten married, she might kick me out.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun could not stopughing for a while. Jun Hyuk watched this and frowned. ¡°Are you having fun?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not because of that. It¡¯ because of her name.¡± ¡°What? Name?¡± ¡°Yeah. When you adopt her, her name is ¡®Jina Jang¡¯. That¡¯s okay, but it¡¯s ¡®Jang Jina¡¯ in Korean. Isn¡¯t the nuance a little strange? He he.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun did not stopughing, ignoring Jun Hyuk¡¯s burning up. There was another reason why he could not stopughing. He and Jun Hyuk do not have a drop of the same blood, but he is walking in the same path. The fate of taking in a child off the street with no rtion to himself. Will Jina take the same path when she grows up? However, he stoppedughing when he remembered something he had been forgetting. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m bing a grandfather all of a sudden.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun had be aplete old man. Chapter 277 Volume 8 / Chapter 277 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir For 1 month, Jina only ate and slept. They could tell how starved and tired she had been. After 1 month, her skinny cheeks and hands became fleshed out. She was taken back and forth to the hospital to check on her health, and they heard something to despair of. ¡°Maestro. Jina will never be able to see.¡± ¡°Nothing like a cornea or eye imnt will work?¡± ¡°It¡¯spletely damaged. It¡¯s the same as if arms and legs were cut off. Just as arms and legs cannot be attached even with donors, it is difficult even if she has an eye donor.¡± The doctor was also regretful and his voice was weak as he exined Jina¡¯s state. ¡°And about Jina¡¯s age. What age do you think she is?¡± ¡°I heard she is 10.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. By the state of her teeth, she seems to be at least 13 years old. Fortunately, it¡¯s not toote.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean toote?¡± ¡°If she eats and rests plenty at least now, she will be able to recover a normal physique. She can¡¯t just stay inside the house too much just because she cannot see. She needs to run around like other children and build up her stamina.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s decision to make sure that she would never experience unhappiness even if she will never be able to see again. And after Jina had been living with Jun Hyuk for 1 month, the feared day came to them. Amelia finished her tour and came home with a stony expression. She already knew through the media that Jun Hyuk had brought a girl home from India. ¡°Adopt?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Amelia sighed lightly and Jun Hyuk was just watching for her reaction. ¡°What if I say no?¡± ¡°Then... then I guess I¡¯ll have to be her custodian.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re her custodian, doesn¡¯t that mean she¡¯ll live here with us?¡± ¡°Ye... yeah.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s just a difference in the term. How is that different from adopting her?¡± ¡°Is... is that right?¡± Jun Hyuk wasn¡¯t even able to lift his head and was only resenting Yoon Kwang Hun. He had note even though he knows that Amelia was returning today. ¡°Alright. Then that child, what was her name?¡± ¡°Jina.¡± ¡°Yeah. Jina will call you dad and what about me? She¡¯ll call me mom anyway. No?¡± Amelia¡¯s voice grew increasingly sharp. ¡°Goodness. I¡¯m still a Miss who hasn¡¯t gotten married. But mom!¡± ¡°Then... then you can marry me.¡± As soon as Jun Hyuk spoke, sparks flew from Amelia¡¯s eyes. ¡°You... you asshole! Get out of this room, no, this house you jerk!¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes were already full of tears than anger. *** ¡°Oy, you idiot. How does it make sense to propose so you can adopt a kid? You think of that as a proposal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that. I think of Amelia as the only girl in my life.¡± Tara came tofort Amelia who had been crying all night, and Jun Hyuk who had gotten kicked out just drank with Yoon Kwang Hun. When Yoon Kwang Hun found out about Jun Hyuk¡¯s mistake, he wanted to give him a smack. How women take children men bring home from outside ismon knowledge found in soap operas. ¡°Then what of it? You already told her you guys should get married to make a mom for the kid. Did you think she¡¯d like it if you proposed like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go crazy. Really.....¡± It really was not because of Jina. Marriage is a scary thing to him but if he does do it, he thinks that the only person he would marry is Amelia. He could not imagine another woman. ¡°This is a really serious situation. You guys could break up now because of this.¡± ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Why is this jerk yelling? You did it to yourself!¡± Yoon Kwang Hun only said things that would annoy him as though enjoying the situation. He did not worry because he knows what kind of person Amelia is. ¡°Hey, think about it. With those looks and the fame of a world-renowned pianist. How many guys do you think follow her around because they like her? But she only looks at you. She endured it even if you didn¡¯t propose to her. But you bring a little girl from India and...¡± Jun Hyuk yelled at Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s unnecessary words. ¡°Ugh! Stop andy out a solution.¡± ¡°What do I know? I lived alone all my life. And I¡¯m taken aback too. I have a granddaughter all of a sudden. I¡¯m bing a grandfather all of a sudden... How will Amelia feel when I¡¯m like this?¡± This wasn¡¯t it. He thought that he would be able to persuade her but spitting out a proposal at this appropriate timing because of his dumb mouth was the biggest mistake. Jun Hyuk drank his beer. ¡°Amelia probably would have fully epted adopting the kid. She¡¯s open-minded. But she exploded when you asked to marry because of the child.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun emptied his beer bottle and told Jun Hyuk the only way he knew. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be best to show her your sincerity?¡± ¡°Sincerity?¡± ¡°Yeah. Amelia is the only woman in Jang Jun Hyuk¡¯s life. There¡¯s only you in the past, now, and in the future.¡± Jun Hyuk imagined buying a diamond ring and getting down on one knee to propose. It is a method with a 100% sess rate in the movies. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about a diamond ring the size of a baseball. You¡¯ll get beaten with that.¡± Sincerity. Jun Hyuk just drank while thinking of a way to express his sincere feelings. The next morning, Jun Hyuk pushed a piece of paper under Amelia¡¯s door and spoke as he knocked, ¡°Amelia. Make sure you look at that. I¡¯ll wait in front of the door.¡± After he had been waiting at the door for about 20 minutes, the door opened. Tears were running down Amelia¡¯s cheeks. Her hand trembled as she held the paper Jun Hyuk had given her. She looked at Jun Hyuk and suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Will you marry me?¡± When Jun Hyuk whispered into Amelia¡¯s ear, she hugged him even harder. ¡°Yes!¡± *** When Jun Hyuk proudly talked about his sessful proposal, Yoon Kwang Hun let out a low whistle in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re better than I thought. How did you figure it out?¡± ¡°You told me to show her my sincerity. So I showed her.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s eyes grew wide. He had just said that because he had nothing else to say, but it worked? ¡°You just told her? Your sincerity? She believes that? Amelia¡¯s dumber than I thought. She believe¡¯s a man¡¯s words.¡± How great would it be if people could show their sincerity with just words? Words can hold truth and lies, so it is difficult to tell what the truth is. This is especially true when people are angry. ¡°Even I know that words aren¡¯t enough. Fortunately, I had a document that would let me show my sincerity. In Korea. He he.¡± ¡°Korea? Document?¡± ¡°Yes. I showed her my will.¡± ¡°What? Will? You already made something like that?¡± He hadn¡¯t even dreamed of something like that even though he is now 60, but Jun Hyuk already wrote one? Yoon Kwang Hun looked at Jun Hyuk in disbelief andughed. ¡°Almost 10 years ago? You don¡¯t remember when strange people appeared saying that they¡¯re my biological parents?¡± ¡°Oh, when you had your concert in Seoul.¡± ¡°Yes. Lawyer Baek Seung Ho created a will then to put out any fires. He said that no one would try to go after money that already has an owner.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun could guess why they had written the will without saying a word to him about it. His name will be in that will. ¡°Amelia was the heiress in that will?¡± ¡°Yes. Just two people, you and Amelia.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun hit his knee. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. You were the only woman from 10 years ago. There¡¯s nothing more sincere.¡± Jun Hyuk did not know that he would use his will like this. Yoon Kwang Hun couldn¡¯t not say something. ¡°But why is my name there? You thought you¡¯d die before I did?¡± ¡°Just in case. I was young then... he he. I thought geniuses die quickly.¡± Jun Hyuk flushed in embarrassment. Yoon Kwang Hun saw this and startedughing again. ¡°You don¡¯t smoke, you only drink sometimes, and you go jogging every morning, but die quickly? You¡¯re going to live longer than Jina.¡± Not all geniuses die premature deaths. Einstein lived 76 years. Living like Jun Hyuk, he will live for more than 80 years. Chapter 278 Volume 8 / Chapter 278 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Jina slowly epted and adjusted to her daily life which had bepletely different. She no longer had to starve, could eat until she was full, and had a cozy ce to sleep. Not only was there no longer the smell of dirt bad enough to make her throw up, a pleasant smell came from her clothes and bedding. Jina evaluated everything by sound since she cannot see, and felt warmth in the voices of the people surrounding her. She still thought of Jun Hyuk as her owner. She just thought of him as a kind and warm owner unlike the one she had before. She thought of him as an owner who enjoys her singing instead of her begging, so she was happy about the fact that she just needed to sing for her owner. And she was happy that everyone including her owner listened to her singing and enjoyed it. The middle-aged woman who taught her English was ecstatic that she hade across the greatest blessing of her life. It provided her with an incredible sry and the chance to meet a legendary maestro every day. And she is the only person who can listen to a child with the voice of an angel and Jun Hyuk¡¯s music a performances. ¨C Alright, again. The part where you did ah-ah! was a little high. Lower it a little. ¨C You need to make it a little longer than that. About 0.5 seconds? Yeah. That¡¯s it. Jina was living in the same way Jun Hyuk did when he first met Yoon Kwang Hun. She spent all day buried in music, listening to all genres from ssical to pop and falling in love with new music. And the first song she is learning from Jun Hyuk is ¡°A, E, I, O, U¡±. As the song does not have anguage like English or Italian, it seemed like a song created just for Jina. ¡°Jun Hyuk. What do you think about teaching Jina vocalization first? Isn¡¯t that song a little hard?¡± ¡°No. She doesn¡¯t need basics like that. Jina¡¯s a child who absorbs while singing. You can¡¯tpare her to ordinary singers who were born with great voices.¡± A world that normal, ordinary people cannot understand. Absorbing at once and learning on their own, it is apletely different world that they cannot exin. Yoon Kwang Hun was able to gauge the size of Jina¡¯s ability byparing it to Jun Hyuk¡¯s past. Yoon Kwang Hun could not understand and just shook his head as he spoke to Amelia, ¡°Just watch. And enjoy the wonderful world that people like Jun can show you.¡± *** Jun Hyuk and Amelia held their wedding at President Stern¡¯s vi in Switzend. It was a secret wedding that only family members attended. Jun Hyuk¡¯s best men were Colin and Danny, and the people Jun Hyuk met most nervously weren¡¯t Amelia¡¯s parents but her 7 older brothers. ¡°Oh! Maestro. No, it is brother now? Ha ha.¡± The 7 men were neither scary nor threatening. They are just cavalier cowboys who raise nearly 1,000 cows. There were other truly intimidating people. Amelia¡¯s nieces and nephews. There were nearly 30 of them ranging from those in their teens to infants, and the sound of them chatting away made Jun Hyuk crazy. No matter how hard he tried to change it into music, it was just impossible noise. Jun Hyuk and Amelia exchanged rings, were wed by a priest, and had a deep kiss. And the child everyone looked at with great curiosity held their hands and appeared on the aisle. As Jun Hyuk and Amelia wed, they became parents. ¡°Alright, Jina. Today¡¯s your first performance. There are a lot of people in front of you right now who will listen to your song and cry of happiness. Sing to your heart¡¯s desire.¡± Jina sang ¡°A, E, I, O, U¡± for about 30 minutes and Jun Hyuk clenched both fists with his entire body trembling. The music he had expected from Laura Goldberg. 13 year old Jina hadpleted that music to 100%. *** ¡°Jina, listen well.¡± Jun Hyuk started to y the piano and not long after, Jina¡¯s hands started to move. Her hands hesitated at times as it moved to the piano melody, but her hand did not stop moving naturally like water flowing. Jun Hyuk finished ying after more than an hour and turned around, asking Jina, ¡°What do you think? Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes. But a few parts are a little weird.¡± Jun Hyuk¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Really? How many parts are weird?¡± ¡°4 ces.¡± Jina vocalized the parts that she had found strange with her beautiful voice. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a little weird, right? Then how should I change it?¡± ¡°Dad! You did it on purpose again? Just y it. I can¡¯tpose and arrange.¡± Jina was wearing dark purple sses and pouted, while Jun Hyuk sighed. Jina became apletely different person over the past 2 years. Her familiarity with English and bright expression. She has be a girl in her teens, grumbling to her parents. Shepletely understood that Jun Hyuk and Amelia are her adoptive parents and not her owners, and she also realized that her adoptive parents are world-renowned musicians. She was also growing used to the attention she received because of this. The school she began attending not too long ago was a different world. She felt the joy of learning and learned what having friends means. Music was the only time she had to learn alone. She could not participate in music sses ording to Jun Hyuk¡¯s request. The school¡¯s principal thought of this as a reasonable request. What could the school say when he is saying that he would like to teach her music himself? What Jina considers the greatest blessing is her father who lets her listen to new music everyday. To her, Jun Hyuk is a magician. He makes everything she hears, feels, thinks, and learns into music. But if Jina could see, she would have been surprised by how the magician changed over 2 years. Jun Hyuk did note out of his studio at home. He came out a bit when Amelia was home, but there were more and more days when he spent nights in his studio. There were no scores either. Unintelligible notes just kept stacking up and he became thinner and thinner. *** If Amelia had just stayed at home without touring, it would have been hard for her to watch Jun Hyuk. But since she was away from home for more than 6 months, she just pitied Jun Hyuk as he wasted away. She was also more sorry that she could not be by his side. Amelia kept the promise she made in the beginning that she would not step foot in Jun Hyuk¡¯s studio at home. This meant that while he was in the studio, he was neither a husband or lover, but a great musician. And there were many times when she fell asleep with Jina when Jun Hyuk spent the night in his studio. ¡°Jina.¡± ¡°Yes, mom.¡± ¡°Will you sing for me before we go to sleep? I sleep well if I hear you sing. Hm... Sing Bellini¡¯s Casta Diva.¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯re supposed to sing the luby.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have nightmares if I sing a luby.¡± Jina buried her head in the pillow and couldn¡¯t stopughing. Once she finally stopped, she spoke with an embarrassed expression, ¡°Sorry, mom. I can¡¯t sing. Dad told me not to sing outside of my lessons. I don¡¯t even sing at school. I keep my promises.¡± ¡°Can you tell me why?¡± ¡°He said my voice is still too weak, that it¡¯ll be ruined if I use it too much. He said I need to build it up slowly...¡± ¡°Then how many hours a day do you have lessons?¡± ¡°5 hours? 6 hours?¡± ¡°What? You sing that much every day?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Unbelievable. He is telling her not to abuse her voice but making her practice as much adult vocalists do. ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard?¡± Jina looked regretful and spoke in a strange voice, ¡°Mom. I want to sing all day. I¡¯m just really sad that I¡¯m only allowed to sing that little in a day.¡± ¡°Then what songs do you sing?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not songs but sounds. Dad said he hasn¡¯t finished making the music yet. So I¡¯m just making sounds.¡± It was hard to believe that he had not been able to finish creating the music. 2 years for him is enough time for him to write 10 symphonies. He would have written hundreds of arias. ¡°No way. You guys have been practicing for over 2 years. What on earth is he making?¡± ¡°He just said that it¡¯s the best music. He said that all of the songs he¡¯s ever writtenbined won¡¯t be able to follow this one song.¡± Jina chatted away excitedly. ¡°Dad¡¯s first symphony expressed pain, but he said that this one is going to express bliss. This must mean it¡¯s standing opposite to Inferno.¡± Amelia bolted up in bed. What is Jun Hyuk trying to do to this young child? To make her feel that pain! ¡°Did you hear Inferno?¡± Amelia asked cautiously and Jina sat up in bed as well. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t feel anything while listening to Inferno?¡± ¡°How could I feel nothing? It felt like electricity was running through my body. I never get tired of Inferno no matter how much I listen to it.¡± There¡¯s another person. Another person who can enjoy Inferno. Amelia suddenly felt dizzy. ¡°But what do you mean by 1 song?¡± ¡°The song Dad is making now. He said that it¡¯ll be a really long song.¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t sleep that night. There were so many questions she wanted to ask Jun Hyuk. Chapter 279 Volume 8 / Chapter 279 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir Amelia dropped Jina off at school and went to Jun Hyuk¡¯s studio right away. When she went in quietly, she wasn¡¯t able to move a single step. Other than the path to walk to the basement studio, there were pieces of paper stuck to the floor and all of the walls. Jun Hyuk must be in the basement because she could not see him anywhere. When she looked up at the ceiling, it was the same. ¡°Amelia. What are you doing here?¡± She was so surprised that she did not even notice Jun Hyuk had appeared. ¡°Jun. What... what... on earth...¡± When Amelia couldn¡¯t even speak properly, Jun Hyuk slightly frowned. ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯m working on. It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Amelia was about to say something, but stopped. It is a scene that is hard for her to understand, but Jun Hyuk said that it is his work on music. She knows that there is no point in saying anything to him about music. ¡°Yeah. I came because of something else.¡± ¡°Something else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of Jina.¡± ¡°Jina? Why? Did something happen at school?¡± When she said Jina, Jun Hyuk jumped in surprise. This was so unbelievable she almostughed. She realized again that to her husband, she is not there and he only cares about Jina and music. ¡°No. It¡¯s not school but you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Jun Hyuk did not understand and his eyes grew wide. ¡°Yeah. What on earth are you doing to the kid? Jina¡¯s just 15 years old now. Her body is weak too. How can you make a girl like that sing for 5 or 6 hours everyday when that¡¯s even difficult for adults to handle?¡± Jun Hyuk sighed in relief. ¡°Oh that. It¡¯s okay. Jina¡¯s plenty capable of handling it.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Even if she was born with a great voice, this could ruin her body.¡± Amelia¡¯s voice became sharp and Jun Hyuk frowned more. ¡°Amelia. There¡¯s a world that you don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t make hasty conclusions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about geniuses right now. I¡¯m just saying that it¡¯s difficult physically.¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Jun Hyuk put up his hand and stopped Amelia from speaking. ¡°When Mozart created his opera, a 1 person opera was being created in Korea. Thoughts on the song might be different but looking at just the singer, Western vocalists are young kids. The singer of the 1 person opera in Korea performs 3 or 4 hours alone. There are songs that are nearly 8 hours too. The only prop is a fan and the only apanying instrument is a drum.¡± ¡°What, what nonsense.¡± Amelia was hearing such an unbelievable thing for the first time. A 1 person opera performing an 8 hour opera? ¡°It¡¯s true. And I know Jina¡¯s condition best. She¡¯s able to do an 8 hour performance even now.¡± The long song that Jina talked about, 1 person opera, and 8 hours. Amelia became scared when shebined these words. Is the song Jun Hyuk is writing now, one that is over 8 hours long? And does he think of Jina as just an instrument to bring out the music that he wants? Couldn¡¯t it be that he is thinking that it¡¯d be okay to ruin Jina if it means that he could listen to that music even just once? Amelia ran out of the studio and looked for Yoon Kwang Hun. If what she is imagining is true, she needs to stop it now. And the only person who can stop Jun Hyuk is Yoon Kwang Hun. *** When Yoon Kwang Hun went into Jun Hyuk¡¯s studio with Amelia, he was speechless. Pieces of paper stuck everywhere, even to the ceiling. Those papers created a giant maze and notes filled up the maze¡¯s pathway. ¡°Father, what is it? It¡¯s so early in the morning.¡± Jun Hyuk had beenying on the ground and staring at the ceiling when he bolted up. ¡°I wanted to have a coffee with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little busy...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have time for a coffee?¡± Jun Hyuk flinched under Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s prickly re. ¡°Oh, no.¡± Jun Hyuk looked at Yoon Kwang Hun and Amelia, and made coffee. ¡°What is that? Are you creating a maze?¡± ¡°Yes. I made it like that because I can¡¯t organize it.¡± ¡°With notes inside a maze?¡± Yoon Kwang Hun shook his head. It is a world he cannot understand anyway. There is no point in discussing a maze right now. ¡°You can think of that maze and those notes as the inside of my head. And I need to solve it.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it your style to write things out on a piece of paper. Being able to write out the music in your head within moments?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But that¡¯s not working for this song. I¡¯ve drawn out exactly what¡¯s in my mind through that maze. I need to find a path within that.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun took a nce at Amelia and spoke again, ¡°Are you teaching Jina pansori?¡± ¡°What? Pansori?¡± ¡°Yeah. Your wife said that it looks like you¡¯re making a 1 person opera that goes for over 8 hours. I realized right away. That¡¯s Chunhyangga.¡± Jun Hyuk blinked for a while and suddenly burst out inughter. ¡°Amelia. What misunderstanding was there? I don¡¯t know what kind of music ising out. Look at this maze. The form wille out once I solve this.¡± Jun Hyuk gestured to the pieces of paper stuck everywhere. ¡°Then why are you working Jina so hard? Does 5 to 6 hours make sense for a young girl like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. Jina¡¯s an instrument that exceeds our imaginations. I actually shortened the time because I was worried. If you leave her alone, I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll sing for 24 hours straight.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun was silent. It seems Amelia had misunderstood. This is Jun Hyuk as he is. He is just bringing out the music that is inside his head. It is just that this time, it is taking more time. ¡°Amelia. Father. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, but Jina¡¯s my daughter. I don¡¯t do anything that would harm her in any way.¡± Amelia seemed reassured as well. Jun Hyuk took a deep breath in and out. And then he spoke slowly and calmly. ¡°It is true that I¡¯m sensitive because this is hard work for me. And I can¡¯t think of anything beyond this maze. This is music I¡¯ve kept with me my whole life. I can¡¯t say how happy I am that I¡¯m able to make a try at it because of Jina.¡± ¡°What? Music you¡¯ve kept with you?¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°It asionally tangles up like thread... It was music that showed that a little. I was just giving up on it because there isn¡¯t a tool or way to express it anyway.....¡± Jun Hyuk grew more excited. ¡°The music I¡¯ve made until now is just one piece of this thread. I¡¯ve expressed the tangled thread through that maze. I¡¯m anticipating what kind of form it¡¯ll take.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun spoke cautiously, ¡°You¡¯re... you¡¯re okay, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m done with more than half now. You know, right? No matter how tangled a thread is, it bes easier to untangle as you go forward. I¡¯m going toplete it.¡± Jun Hyuk squeezed Amelia¡¯s hand. ¡°Amelia. I¡¯m going to retirepletely once this song isplete. And I¡¯ll stick to you 24 hours a day. There¡¯s no need to make more music.¡± Amelia and Yoon Kwang Hun jumped in surprise. What retirement all of a sudden? ¡°Jun, you¡¯re saying you won¡¯t create music? What on earth are you talking about?¡± ¡°Because no matter how long I continue making music, there¡¯s never going to be one better than this. All of me is in this.¡± Jun Hyuk smiled brightly at Yoon Kwang Hun. ¡°When this is all over, I¡¯m going to tag along behind Jina and Amelia like you did and be jobless. I¡¯m living out your life. The only difference is that I have a lot of money? Ha ha.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun took Amelia out of the studio. ¡°Do you think everything Jun is saying is true?¡± ¡°Amelia, don¡¯t worry.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun pat Amelia¡¯s back. ¡°He¡¯ll find the music he¡¯s been seeking all his life. That¡¯s an inevident reaction. There was a song you practiced like crazy too, right? Music that you practiced so much even eating seemed like a waste of time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that. The only difference is time. Jun is just taking a few years. No, for us it¡¯s years but for Jun, it¡¯ll be a short moment.¡± Chapter 280 Volume 8 / Chapter 280 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir After 5 years passed since Jina was adopted, Jun Hyuk called a few people to JS Center¡¯s studio. He showered, shaved, and appeared at the studio in a clean suit. Next to him, Jina was grown up wearing a white dress and smiling lovingly. ¡°What is this? It looks like a performance.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun brought up what everyone else wanted to ask. Inside the studio, Yoon Kwang Hun, Amelia, Tara, recordbel Chairman Alex Zenkin, and the senior engineer were staring wide-eyed at Jun Hyuk and Jina. ¡°I know that you all have been worried about me. And thank you for waiting without saying anything.¡± Jun Hyuk bowed his head to everyone. ¡°And Amelia.¡± Amelia and Jun Hyuk exchanged looks. ¡°I¡¯m particrly sorry to you. You must have been getting tired of watching me and waiting... I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it. Thank you. And I love you.¡± Amelia wiped the tears from her eyes and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Are you all done now?¡± ¡°Yeah. Completely.¡± Everyone rxed and sighed in relief. ¡°We¡¯re going to record now. Everyone, listen. This is music that holds my everything.¡± The studio became wrapped in silence. The music he had shown them until now. The single song that holds the essence of those incredible results. The 5 people felt beyond anticipation to thrill at Jun Hyuk¡¯s deration. The senior engineer broke the silence in the studio. ¡°Maestro, will you wait for a moment? I need to call in the sound engineers. I can¡¯t control it on my own.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. All you have to do is set Jina¡¯s microphone to the piano. Then once you press record, it¡¯s done.¡± The senior engineer ran into the recording booth and started setting up the microphone. ¡°Father. Tara. I¡¯d like to perform in 1 month, no, as soon a possible. In therge theater of the Isaac Stern Center.¡± They could finally hear Jun Hyuk¡¯s new music. Tara was so happy she felt like she might cry. ¡°Oh right. It¡¯s okay to broadcast live all around the world with a station too. It¡¯s a piece that I really want to show off for the first time.¡± Jina had been silent until now, but smiled as she shouted, ¡°No, we need to do it. It¡¯s a song that the whole world, no, all of humanity, needs to listen to.¡± ¡°This girl is being so arrogant. She¡¯s so confident in herself.¡± Jun Hyuk tapped Jina¡¯s head, but Jina¡¯s smile did not go away. ¡°Dad. This song...¡± ¡°Stop. We¡¯re going to listen to y it for them now. In front of the people I love most. For the first time.¡± ¡°Jun, is it just the piano?¡± ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s perfect. It¡¯s enough with just the piano and Jina¡¯s voice.¡± Tara had been expecting a magnificent orchestral part and could not hide her disappointment. It is too simple to say that it holds Jun Hyuk¡¯s everything. Amelia was impressed again that all that is needed is a piano. Even if Jun Hyuk had not done it on purpose, this is music that she can y as well. Her blood as a pianist began to boil. Jun Hyuk and Jina went into the recording booth and took their positions in front of the microphone and piano. ¡°You¡¯re ready?¡± With Jun Hyuk¡¯s signal, the senior engineer pushed the record button and Jina nodded. The first powerful note came out at the end of Jun Hyuk¡¯s fingertips on the piano, and a faint melody continued in pianissimo to drag it out. After about 1 minute, Jina started singing in a lovely voice. It was a vocalization without lyrics. The music had Jun Hyuk¡¯s philosophy that lyrics with meaning force emotions from the listener and limit the imagination. 3 hours passed with an endless sound where they could not tell where she was taking breaths, and Jun Hyuk and Jina were wet with sweat as they breathed shallowly. Jun Hyuk stood up from the piano, held Jina¡¯s hand, and came out of the recording booth. ¡°Jina. Shall we go home first to shower?¡± ¡°Yeah, Dad. But why is it so quiet? The song must not have been that good. No one is pping.¡± Jina needs to get a sense of everything through sound but looked disappointed when she did not hear admiration, pping, or praise. ¡°They¡¯re still not able toe back down from heaven. They¡¯lle back after the day passes. You did well.¡± She cannot see, but she could imagine the state inside the studio from what Jun Hyuk told her. Jina squeezed Jun Hyuk¡¯s hand and did not let go. ¡°Oh right. Hang on.¡± Jun Hyuk turned off the recording and left a note in the sound control box that they would be going home first. When Jun Hyuk and Jina left, the 5 people in the studio were crying so much that their shirts were wet. They did not even know that the song was over and that the two had left, and were just staring at the recording booth. *** ¡°Jina. How much time has passed?¡± ¡°5 hours.¡± Jina followed after Jun Hyuk¡¯s ability as if she were his biological daughter. There is a precise watch and metronome in her head. While she does not have his ability to create music, she has her voice. A voice that humans cannot have. ¡°They should being around now, but why aren¡¯t they here yet?¡± ¡°They must not being back because they like heaven.¡± While Jun Hyuk cut fruit and put it in Jina¡¯s mouth to ease their hunger, Amelia snapped out of it at the studio first and tapped Yoon Kwang Hun and Tara on the shoulders. That is when the other people began to look around. ¡°Where did they go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. When did they leave the recording booth?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Did they go outside?¡± While everyone was finding it difficult to believe that this is reality, the senior engineer went to check on the recording. A recording file that goes over 3 hours. The engineer finally saw the time and almost shouted. ¡°Goodness. 9 hours have gone by.¡± ¡°What? 9 hours?¡± Alex Zenkin looked at his wristwatch and held his head. ¡°What about the music? When did the music end? Goodness... This... This is music? How could we dare to call this music?¡± No one could get a grasp of reality when they heard another sharp yell. ¡°Shit! I don¡¯t remember. Damn it. Why!¡± Everyone realized when Tara yelled. They do not remember a single verse. Beautiful, holy, trendy, and elegant... No, it was music that they could not describe with the humannguage, but they do not remember a single bar. ¡°How... how could this...¡± When everyone was devastated and unable to leave the studio, Amelia found the note that Jun Hyuk left behind, and went home alone. ¡°Jun! Jina! Where are you guys?¡± As soon as she came through the front door, Jun Hyuk put his finger to her lips. ¡°Sh. Jina just fell asleep.¡± Jun Hyuk was holding a bundle of scores in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure you were looking for this, not Jina and me?¡± Amelia took the scores and kissed Jun Hyuk. Then, she ran to Jun Hyuk¡¯s home studio. After that day, the studio became Amelia¡¯s and Jun Hyuk was not allowed inside. *** Once Jun Hyuk¡¯s new song was announced, headlines of media outlets all over the world were the same. HE¡¯S BACK. Jun Hyuk used to release 3 or 4 albums in a month but since he has reappeared with a song for the first time in 5 years, the media would not be more interested if a war had broken out. They only knew that there would be a performance in 2 months, and it was not yet decided if the performance would continue after that. In addition, their live show through all broadcasting stations showed Jun Hyuk¡¯s confidence in the music. After another week, a detailed introduction to Jun Hyuk¡¯s new song came out people could not stop talking. It used the great word ¡®God¡¯. However, people were mistaking the god in the title. It is not regarding the song¡¯s value, but because it is considered to be configured through music of ancient myths or bible content. Instead, it was more surprising that the configuration is simply a performance reaching over 3 hours with just a piano and one singer. How will this simple configuration carry out 3 hours? Jun Hyuk¡¯s daughter Jina, who received attention in particr for these 3 hours, is under intense interest for what kind of song she will sing. New York residents trying to purchase tickets were angry. It was difficult because so many people were trying to purchase tickets, but it was already after hundreds of tickets had disappeared for VIPs. On top of that, the public was not told who the VIPs are and there was just a warning notice that there will be strict parameters for security and searches upon entry. Chapter 281 Volume 8 / Chapter 281 TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir ¡°Jun. We¡¯ll be broadcasting live through ABC, NBC, and CBS. And they¡¯ll be streaming it on the 120 broadcasting stations that they¡¯re contracted with.¡± ¡°Tara, tell the people in charge of producers responsible for broadcasting not to bring multiple cameras to edit the film from different views. Tell them to just bring one camera and get a full shot of the stage.¡± ¡°What? What is it? Ah!¡± Tara quickly nodded. She realized what state the cameramen and producers would be in once the performance began. The broadcasting stations will not be able to think of delivering different angles, and will need to settle for filming just the music. ¡°And about the VIP.....¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I sent invitations to a little over 100 orchestra conductors and a little over 100 famous performers. The problem is.....¡± Tara look ufortable. ¡°We¡¯re okay up to a few heads of state like the President and Queen Mathilda, but the Queen of Ennd sent an official letter that she has to attend.¡± ¡°What? The Queen of Ennd?¡± ¡°Yeah. But her age.....¡± ¡°Oh, right. Well... this is a problem.¡± ¡°Yeah. She could listen to the Song of God and really meet God.¡± ¡°What? Meet God? Ha.¡± Tara looked at Jun Hyuk as heughed. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. It¡¯s a big deal if something happens to her.¡± ¡°I know that too. Just make something up. Yeah! Tell her the song is simr to Inferno. That it¡¯s hard to listen to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the best way, right?¡± It is music where even a young man cannot snap out of a confused state for several hours. But an old woman over 90? They need to avoid the dangerous. This is for the rtionship between America and Ennd. With the performance a few days ahead of them, Isaac Stern Center was surrounded by a boundary of police. All of the facilities inside the center had to go through thorough inspection and investigation, and everyone entering needed to pass a search. Finally on the day of the performance, reporters and broadcast cameras had taken position outside Isaac Stern Center from early in the morning. It is just a performance that was open to the public as well, but a photozone and red carpet had been prepared as if it were a premiere for a Hollywood blockbuster movie. Fans standing near the red carpet began to take pictures of anyone who walked the carpet, whether they knew the subject or not. The lucky people with tickets enjoyed the feeling of having be stars as they entered the theater. After the public entered, maestros, top performers, singers, and stars began to enter with their invitations in hand. They entered the center after makingments about their anticipation for the concert in front of reporters¡¯ microphones. After, the police and bodyguards appeared to the sound of loud sirens. The true VIPs including the President of the United States appeared. *** Jun Hyuk in a ck tuxedo and Jina in a blue dress and sunsses with a light color, walked onto stage holding hands. Everyone in the audience stood and pped. The apuse was a tribute to Jun Hyuk¡¯s return and their respect for him. And it also contained their anticipation for today¡¯s performance. Jun Hyuk and Jina bowed toward the audience. Jun Hyuk stood Jina in front of the microphone, squeezed her hand, and sat in front of the piano. The audience became so silent that they could hear the sound of a pin drop, and a tension reaching explosion enwrapped the theater. For a very short moment, Jina turned and smiled at Jun Hyuk. Jun Hyuk smiled back and Jina ¨C though she cannot see ¨C must have felt his warm smile. Jun Hyuk took a deep breath and lifted his hands. At that moment, the audience members held tightly to their arm rests subconsciously. What kind of music wille out the moment those fingers touch the piano? Will they really be able to hear God¡¯s melody? It felt as though anticipation, excitement, and tension would explode in the theater. At that moment, Jun Hyuk brought his fingers down. *** When the 3 hour song ended, it felt like time had stopped in the theater. The audience could not move and the cameramen looking at the stage were frozen, unable to turn their cameras off. This was the same for Commander Akhtar, sitting in the front row. Jun Hyuk stood from the piano and took Jina¡¯s hand. ¡°Jina. No one realizes that your song is over, but the camera is going. Let¡¯s greet the viewers watching TV.¡± Jina smiled widely and bowed toward the audience. The audience was still frozen in time. Jina thought of her family sitting in the front row and waved her hand. Since she cannot see, she has no fear of the people looking at her from the audience. None of her family members were able to react however. Even they who had already heard this song multiple times, were frozen in time. Jun Hyuk took Jina¡¯s hand and left the stage. Backstage, the staff members who had heard the music were frozen and did not even realize that Jun Hyuk and Jina had passed them. The staff members who had not been able to listen to the music could not understand the situation, and were just utterly confused. ¡°Just leave it. Don¡¯t touch the lights and don¡¯t open the theater doors. You can just maintain this state so the audience can enjoy the aftertaste fully.¡± ¡°Yes, Maestro.¡± The staff members needed to guard the theater ording to Jun Hyuk¡¯s orders without knowing why. ¡°But Maestro, are you leaving? What about the curtain call?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait over 5 hours. Just tell them that we waited for a while and left.¡± The staff needed a lot of time before they could understand what Jun Hyuk had said. After 5 hours passed, the audience members began toe to their senses one by one and then fell into chaos. Screaming, sighing, and crying filled the theater, and some of them even got down on their needs to recite the Lord¡¯s Prayer. They started shouting for Jun Hyuk and Jina, and then broke out in thunderous apuse. It was already past midnight, but no one left the theater. They kept cheering as though they would spend the night there if they did not get to see Jun Hyuk and Jina. However, all of the apuse went toward an empty stage. This was the same for viewers who had watched the concert on TV. They were not able to hear the music as vividly as the people who were there had, but that was only a small difference. That day, the countless people who had watched the performance experienced the magic of disappearing for several hours. It was a day in which Jun Hyuk and Jina created a miracle. The next day, people who watched the performance and those who didn¡¯t looked up articles first. However, there was no writing on the concert in the morning newspapers or online. None of the music critics and reporters could remember and no one had the ability to express miracles and magic. Everyone just shook their heads and kept asking ¡®how could they dare?¡¯ The onlyment could be found in The New York Post, the most innovative and bold press outlet. They ced the title inrge font in the middle of one page, and only left a short note under it in small print. This short sentence was the only record of the day. Epilogue Epilogue TL: LightNovelCafe Editor: Isleidir ¡°Find a pianist now. Your mom isn¡¯t your exclusive pianist or anything like that.¡± ¡°You think I perform with mom because I want to? Try being with her 24 hours a day. I¡¯m going to go crazy because of all of her nagging.¡± Jina held Amelia¡¯s hand and trembled. ¡°What? Nagging? Bring a proper boyfriend, see if I nag. You don¡¯t remember that idiot you brought 2 months ago? The world¡¯s best pianist? That¡¯sughable. You only date guys like that moron who saw your dad and couldn¡¯t do anything, so how could I not nag?¡± ¡°Again... again. What guy in the world is good in front of dad? Oh, right. There are the natives living in the Amazon jungle. They¡¯ve never heard dad¡¯s music and they don¡¯t know who he is.¡± The mother daughter pair walking toward a helicopter kept arguing, but they did not let go of each other¡¯s hands. Two years ago, Jun Hyuk announced his retirement immediately after the 1st performance of . It was a deration ofplete retirement that he would not release albums, perform, orpose any longer. However, Jun Hyuk¡¯s deration of retirement also made Jina¡¯s performance impossible. The best pianists of the time lined up to perform with Jina, but no one could y the song all the way through. The pianist who yed longest was unable to go over 30 minutes. It is because they were unable to control their emotions to continue ying. The only person other than Jun Hyuk who could y the song all the way through was the dominator of the piano, the piano queen, Amelia. It also helped that she had listened to Jina¡¯s voice for a long time and they practiced together after canceling their performance schedule. Jina wanted to perform in front of an audience and there was no alternative to Amelia. Jina, who performed as many as 20 times a month, needed to listen to her mother¡¯s nagging all the time. Until now, Jun Hyuk had followed Jina and Amelia around to their performances. He felt with his entire body what difficult work it had been for someone to be by his side at all times, taking care of him. The 2 womenid out their demanding requests endlessly, and Jun Hyuk had a harder time handling all of that than he did with his performances. He had not decided to stop following them around because of this though. It had been a happy time to take care of the women he loves. But the attention went to Jun Hyuk rather than the concerts, and the obsession of the persistent press and fans in particr made it difficult on their private lives and their performances. There had been a time when they spent an entire day locked up inside of their hotel because the hotel had been encircled by the press and fans. The way to resolve all of this difort was for Jun Hyuk not to go on tour with them, and Jun Hyuk did not stay stubborn either. And today is the first day that the 2 women are going on their own. Jun Hyuk watched until the helicopter disappeared before going home. The mother and daughter pair would note back until 3 monthster. He needs to spend that time alone until then. Jun Hyuk sat nkly in apletely empty house, and then picked up the phone. ¡°Father?¡± ¡°Huh? Son, what is it?¡± ¡°Amelia and Jina left for their performances today. It¡¯s a 3-month tour.¡± ¡°Really? Then you¡¯ll have to be alone.¡± ¡°Yes. So...¡± ¡°Hey, let¡¯s hang up. I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°No... So I¡¯m telling you toe over. Why don¡¯t you stay with me?&rd quo; ¡°I can¡¯t. I told you I¡¯m busy.¡± Yoon Kwang Hun¡¯s annoyed voice grew louder over the phone. ¡°What are you so busy with?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at a fundraising party with the winners of Miss Universe! I don¡¯t have time to y with you. There¡¯s not even enough time to take pictures with all of these pretty women. Hang up.¡± ¡°Hang on. You cane once the party¡¯s over.¡± Jun Hyuk rushed to speak, but all he got was a cold response. ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re being such a bother. I¡¯m going to keep doing fundraising events with these beautiful women. All around the world for a whole 6 months. Am I crazy to spend that time with you? I¡¯m hanging up.¡± There was only the hang up dial over the phone. Yoon Kwang Hunpletely filled the empty space Isaac Stern had left behind. He worked hard on JS Foundation, Stern Corporation, their affiliatedpanies, and the recordbel, and brought more power to them than they had before. The problem was that his behavior was bing more like Isaac Stern¡¯s as well. He had bescivious and sly old man. ¡°Miss Universe... Geez.¡± Jun Hyukughed in disbelief. The fact was that he would not see Yoon Kwang Hun for the next 6 months. Jun Hyuk picked up the phone again. ¡°Tara?¡± ¡°Goodness, Jun. What¡¯s up? It¡¯s been so long.¡± ¡°Um... Amelia and Jina left for their tour. So...¡± ¡°Oh, you said you¡¯re not going with them anymore, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do you want to get dinner or something? With your husband.¡± Tara handed in her resignation when Jun Hyuk announced his retirement. If she can no longer see the miraculous events she had seen with Jun Hyuk, working was meaningless. And she lived her own life instead of as Jun Hyuk¡¯s shadow. She fell in love, married, and livedfortably with a tremendous bonus. ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m on vacation with my husband. We¡¯re in Bali right now.¡± ¡°Oh, really? It¡¯s okay. Have a fun time.¡± Jun Hyuk quickly hung up the phone and called a few people he knew. But his friends are all busy people. Colin was in the middle of his South American tour, and Danny was working on an album in Europe. He is the only retired person without a job. Jun Hyuk went into his room andid down on the bed. He decided to sleep for a bit and then decide on what to do. Jun Hyuk had beenying on the bed for about 30 minutes when he bolted up. This strange feeling. This empty feeling. What could this be? Jun Hyuk focused on this feeling for a while and then thought of a word he had never considered before. It is boredom. A feeling he had never experienced until now. Boredom. It has been a long time since the endless music in his mind topped. Since he wrote , music no longer pops up in his mind without external stimulus. He became a dried upke whose ground always shows if it does not rain. This boredom that feels as though his whole body ispletely empty. He sat up in bed and his eyes sparkled. ¡®Boredom? Emptiness? Tediousness?¡¯ Jun Hyuk went to his home studio for the first time in 2 years. He wiped the dust off of the desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down. He opened the drawer, took out a single page of sheet music, and picked up a pen. And he began to look at the nk sheet. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!