A Musical Genius Who Plays Memories - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 21. You Have a Friend (5)

‘What are you doing!’

Aeyeon must have been flustered too, as the piano sound stopped.

However, the most flustered person here was me.

Originally, I was only planning to play the piano myself.

I did give way to Aeyeon when she said she wanted to play in the middle, but I had no intention of having two people perform.

But then Garam disappeared in the middle and came back with a violin in one hand.

A violin smaller than the usual size.

That seemed to be the violin Garam usually used.

‘Or maybe not…? Come to think of it, it might be okay?’

Garam hadn’t made a good impression on Ajin so far.

But what about now?

Aeyeon had said so.

That Garam played the violin well.

So if Garam played the violin, wouldn’t it make a good impression on Ajin?

As if my thoughts were correct, Garam stepped forward boldly.

“Ajin!”

Garam called out to Ajin.

I was worried because the child’s eyes were blazing like fire.

‘…Why are you talking?’

However, Garam called Ajin but didn’t say anything.

After just making eye contact.

Swish.

She turned to look at me.

Then she came toward me.

“I almost made a mistake again…”

“Huh? What mistake?”

“Heeseong said so. That Ajin might be embarrassed.”

“Ah. So that’s why.”

“Yeah…”

Garam let out a “Phew!” as if relieved.

However, she still seemed to have something to say as she swayed back and forth while holding the violin.

‘What is this? This uneasy feeling…?’

Somehow I felt an ominous premonition rising up my throat.

“What are you doing, Garam?”

Just then, Aeyeon approached with good timing.

She had her arms crossed while her sulky expression remained unchanged.

I could see Garam getting slightly flustered at that sight.

Still, after thinking for a moment, she whispered softly.

“I want to play the violin but… I can’t do it alone.”

“Huh? Then why did you bring the violin?”

“Because Heeseong said he was going to play piano. So I wanted to play violin too.”

“And so?”

“I brought the violin and was going to tell Ajin…”

Garam twisted her fingers as she answered my question.

Though Garam was always energetic, she was still a child.

To summarize what Garam was saying, it was this.

She gets nervous by herself.

So she was saying she wanted to do it together.

In other words, she was asking to do a duet together.

‘That’s not something that can be done easily.’

I hadn’t properly heard Garam’s performance yet.

Since Aeyeon said she was good, she probably had some skill.

Even so, I felt uneasy about playing together.

‘I’m not really keen on duets.’

Due to a not-so-good incident in the past, I rarely took the same stage with others.

Very occasionally, playing just one or two songs was the end of it.

‘But what choice do I have? They’re children, so I can play with them.’

At this rate, it seemed like Garam wouldn’t be able to perform.

If I played alongside her, the child would probably relax too.

And with these children, I somehow felt like we could all play together enjoyably.

“Then Heeseong can play together with you.”

“Huh? Is that okay? Heeseong, will you play together with me?”

“Yeah. Let’s do it together.”

Aeyeon expressed the opinion for me.

It was a very grateful assist.

Garam smiled brightly, said thank you, then ran toward where the piano was.

Several children were already sitting and ready to watch.

Looking at those children, I said to Aeyeon.

“Aeyeon. You need to approach Ajin well. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m counting on you.”

“Okay. I’ll do it like Garam.”

After hearing my words, Aeyeon erased her prickly face and made a bright child’s expression.

With what happened so suddenly, I couldn’t grasp the situation.

‘No, how does her expression change so quickly like that?’

She had a cold expression that looked like it would explode if touched, but now she looked like she’d listen to anything you said.

She was wearing a benevolent smile that would embrace anyone.

So expressions could change this easily.

“…Don’t scare Ajin.”

“Yeah! Don’t worry!”

She even changed her voice.

Now it’s really getting scary.

I let out a deep sigh and approached Garam’s side.

Garam was holding the violin and feeling nervous.

Like a performer right before an important concert, she was gulping nervously.

“Garam, don’t worry. I’ll play with you.”

“Yeah. Since Heeseong plays piano well, I’m not worried at all, hehe.”

Garam said with a smile.

At the child’s words, I found myself smiling too.

Garam was a child who had the power to make people smile.

I hoped that power would reach Ajin too.

Because laughing together is much better than being lonely by yourself.

“Garam, you can play anything.”

“R-really? I can play anything?”

“It’s fine. I’ll follow along.”

“Um… okay!”

At my words, Garam took a deep breath and got into position.

She placed the violin body on her left shoulder and gently rested her chin on the chin rest.

Her right hand holding the bow slowly rose and touched the strings.

Ding♩

Garam began his own performance like that.

***

Ding♩

The first note the child played was bumpy in sound, like walking on a gravel path.

Even when holding the note C for a long time, one second was smooth, then another second strangely broke off.

Originally, the violin is a truly difficult instrument.

I tried to learn it too, but since no one taught me, I attempted self-study but unfortunately gave up quickly.

‘Ah well, instead of practicing violin, I should just play more piano.’

That was what I said to my friend back then.

With the left hand focusing on producing correct pitch, while the right hand controls the close contact sound.

In other words, controlling the sound made when the bow and strings slide against each other wasn’t an easy task.

They tell you to produce consistent sound from the beginning to the end of the bow, but I had no talent for violin and couldn’t do it easily.

Looking back at what happened in the past.

‘Garam has good skills. That’s certain.’

Though there were definitely floating sounds and notes going off-pitch in the middle.

Garam was definitely producing the sounds he wanted to make.

‘Good. I just need to fill in those gaps. I’m really glad I know this piece.’

The piece Garam was playing was called ‘Under the Moonlight.’

It’s a French folk song with very simple melodies that repeat, so Garam should be able to play it.

Ding~ Screech! Ziiing~♬

Listening to the sound, even though he was clearly making mistakes, the notes were still continuing.

Garam tried to keep playing the notes continuously.

Even when making mistakes in the middle, he continued to the end.

He was performing what he could do.

Even though it was a performance full of mistakes, I liked that sound.

‘So I should make it even better.’

Since it was a very simple piece, there wasn’t much I could do.

My role now was as an accompanist.

I had to perform the shadow’s duty of making Garam’s performance stand out more.

My left hand followed the folk song that starts with C.

Very small notes began to follow Garam’s violin melody.

Garam’s performance was slow, but still tried to follow the folk song he knew.

Dan~ Daan~♩

Garam’s melody was like a rope broken in places.

Just as a rope is made of several strands connected together.

Garam’s performance also had several lines connected to make one melody.

But since he was still a young child, there were empty spaces in between.

A rope that broke, snapped, was cut, and precariously continued.

The notes from the small piano I played were like tape connecting those broken parts.

Simple, but with definite effect.

‘When notes stick out, I just need to cover them. When the melody wavers, I just need to guide it. Garam can do it.’

When I filled the empty spaces, Garam continued on.

The first note was like a scream.

The second note seemed hesitant.

But the following notes, though clearly strange, were natural.

Dan!

I tried not to use my right hand as much as possible.

Since Garam was playing the melody, I didn’t want to steal the child’s melody.

I was faithful to helping little by little.

My role was to embellish the melody and keep time with the child so the piece wouldn’t fall apart.

As if understanding my intention.

Garam’s small fingers were moving slowly but surely on the strings.

Mi~ Re! Do~ Do~ Do~♬

The mistakes were gradually decreasing.

Garam was playing very easily.

In other words, he was struggling to play a piece that would be very easy for the future Garam.

His small fingers would hurt, and his back and shoulders would ache too.

Because the violin was originally that kind of instrument.

But even in such pain, Garam was freely performing the music he wanted to play.

The continuing melody was gradually reaching its end.

Because it was a simple piece, it wasn’t very long.

Still, Garam was completing the piece.

Though full of mistakes and the sound was a mess.

Even so, the piece that had a melody captivating enough to catch the listener’s ear was gradually ending.

Do…♩

Garam’s last note continued long then faintly disappeared.

Silence hung over the Moran Class.

“Phew….”

The child had his eyes closed.

Garam put down his violin.

He let out a small sigh and dropped his shoulders.

‘He’s discouraged because he made many mistakes. Oh no, I….’

But it was then that some sound reached his ears.

Clap clap-

He heard the sound of clapping, and looking there.

“Ajin…?”

A timid child was standing there.

***

“Let’s go closer to listen.”

Ajin was flustered.

The prickly child was smiling brightly as if he had changed masks, so he couldn’t help but be flustered.

No, rather, it was scary.

“Th… that….”

Ajin wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out well.

Still, his will to speak was definitely there.

Because he was curious about why Garam called his name while holding the violin.

So he wanted to get up from his seat and walk near the small piano.

But other children were already there, making it very difficult.

Ding♩

That’s when it happened.

A small melody fell over the noisy Moran Class.

That melody was so rough that it was uncomfortable to listen to.

Like gravel, some parts were sharp, hard, and rough.

But other parts were soft and tickling.

‘Ga… ram?’

Garam was holding a violin and performing.

Though clumsy, it was still a piece that made you feel happy.

Ajin wanted to see that child playing the violin from closer up.

“Let’s go closer to listen.”

Aeyeon said.

As if that small voice had some kind of power, Ajin had already risen from her seat.

And little by little, slowly, she headed toward where Garam and Heeseong were.

Ding~ Diing~♩

The sound of the piano began to be heard as well.

Heeseong was playing along with Garam’s melody.

If Garam’s performance had been like a pebble in an empty desert.

Now it was like a small pebble by the seashore.

Whatever notes Garam played, Heeseong’s piano embraced them.

Little by little, the notes that had been off-key and broken began to connect, forming one melody, one song.

‘I want to do that too…!’

Even though there were clearly many discordant and jarring parts, Ajin could only see the two children.

She didn’t mind the sound.

Because Garam’s violin and Heeseong’s piano had already become one.

Ajin thought she was merely a listener.

Even so, she wanted to hear more and more of Heeseong and Garam’s performance.

No, she wanted to perform like that herself.

Because the children were shining, she too wanted to shine.

“Wow…”

Ajin’s exclamation was so small it was buried in Garam and Heeseong’s melody.

However, there was definitely someone who heard that small exclamation.

Aeyeon casually glanced at Ajin.

The child who had been drawing was now watching the music.

Her empty eyes had somehow filled with blue, as if they could contain anything.

But the child’s joy was brief as the song was coming to an end.

Do…♩

The song ended.

Garam put down her violin and lowered her head.

While Heeseong was worrying about Garam.

Clap clap.

Ajin quietly clapped her hands.

With the best expression she could manage, she praised the two’s performance.

Ajin had things she wanted to say, but she finished with just clapping.

Because she thought she couldn’t speak.

Because playing pieces like Heeseong, Aeyeon, and Garam didn’t seem easy.

Having never learned music, she thought she couldn’t fit in with the other children, so she just quietly clapped.

That’s when it happened.

“Ajin.”

Aeyeon, who had been behind Ajin, spoke.

It was a tone that was prickly but tinged with kindness.

Ajin was flustered by that awkward-sounding tone and turned around.

“Huh…?”

“Go try playing.”

“…Ah, ah.”

“Heeseong is calling you.”

Aeyeon didn’t say much.

Ajin turned around as Aeyeon had said.

Heeseong had already risen from the piano chair.

He was gesturing for her to come quickly.

With his usual bright smile.

Step.

Ajin’s feet took one step forward.

Like that, one step. One step.

Ajin found herself sitting in front of the piano.

“Here, I’ll teach you.”

Heeseong took Ajin’s hand.

His touch was both confident and delicate, embracing Ajin’s nervousness.

His finger gently pressed down on a key.

Bong~♪

That small vibration flowed through Ajin’s fingertips and struck her mind.

The piano she hadn’t even touched during music class.

Playing it on this small piano in the corner of Moran Class felt special.

At this unforgettable experience, Ajin.

“Heh, hehe…! It’s fun…!”

Couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

It was laughter filled with happiness.

“Ajin! Let me join too!”

“I’ll play with you too.”

“Yes. Let’s perform together.”

Garam, Aeyeon, and Heeseong were performing together with the child.

Laughter, piano key sounds, and violin melodies echoed through Moran Class as the orange light of sunset streamed in.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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