A Musical Genius Who Plays Memories - Chapter 26

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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 26. Spring Thief (1)

“Then would you like to come to Aunt’s studio once a month? Your aunt is usually a busy person.”

“Is that really okay…?”

“We’ll have to get permission from Mom and Dad. But they’ll allow it. It’s something Heeseong likes to do, right?”

“Hehehe.”

I just smiled.

I thought there was nothing wrong with what Aunt was saying.

A month could be considered a long time in some ways.

However, for me, it was an incredibly short time.

‘If I work hard learning various things at preschool, a month will pass by. I should also compose music in my spare time.’

And so the enjoyable day at the studio came to an end.

Of course, I was also given an unexpected gift.

“Heeseong, next time you come to Aunt’s studio, let’s try composing properly. Aunt will help you.”

“Yes! I’d love that!!”

“Mm-hmm! That’s how excited you should be.”

It was the best gift of all.

Composing at Aunt’s studio.

It would be difficult alone, but with Aunt’s help, nothing would be impossible.

‘What kind of song should I compose? Ah… it’s hard to decide!’

It was the kind of worry that made me feel like I could fly.

Worrying against the backdrop of the road where the sun was slowly setting was nothing short of paradise.

“Oh, right. Mom said we’re grilling meat today?”

“Pork belly? Let’s go quickly, Aunt!”

“This is a school zone, so I can’t drive fast, nephew.”

Composing was good, but I couldn’t resist delicious meat.

Wait for me, pork belly.

The pork belly demon, Yoon Hee-seong is coming!

***

“How is Heeseong doing these days?”

“He’s taking good care of the other children. He has mature aspects too.”

“I do have an eye for people.”

“Hahaha…”

It had been two weeks since Hanseol Preschool started the new term, and a meeting of the 5-year-old class teachers was ongoing.

However, 30 minutes after the meeting started, the principal’s barrage of questions began.

How were the children doing, were they playing well, were they crying?

All questions stemmed from concern for the children.

Of course, Park Jeong-a and Cha Yu-ra were the ones who had to answer those questions.

“But I’m curious about something. Did Heeseong attend another preschool before?”

“I don’t think so. From what I remember, his father said during the consultation that he had never attended another preschool.”

“Really? I thought he had attended preschool like the other children!”

“That means Heeseong is that exceptional.”

Usually, children enter preschool at age 3 and learn a bit, then enter Hanseol Preschool when they turn 5.

There were children like Heeseong who entered Hanseol Preschool directly.

The meeting had somehow turned into a gathering to talk about the children.

There were teachers who wanted to talk about the children in their classes.

Among such teachers, Baek Yang-won, who was in charge of Nari Class, spoke.

“I’d like to see the Moran Class children sometime too.”

“Ah, Teacher Yang-won. We only talked about our children, didn’t we? Sorry. How are the children in Nari Class?”

“It’s okay. Our children seem to have adapted now and are all playing well. Though they do fight sometimes.”

“Our children do that too.”

The teachers’ non-meeting meeting continued like that.

That’s when the principal spoke.

“The weather’s getting warmer now, isn’t it?”

“Yes, according to the weather forecast, the weather is quite nice.”

“Then, how about having classes in the garden behind the preschool?”

“That sounds good.”

Everyone seemed to agree with the principal’s opinion.

However, the principal’s opinion wasn’t finished yet.

“Since we’re doing this anyway, how about having combined classes?”

“Combined classes?”

“Isn’t that still too early?”

“I don’t mean all four classes together.”

The principal raised her thumb and index finger.

“Just two classes. Moran Class and Nari Class. And Rose Class with Plum Blossom Class like this.”

“Then we could have two classes together each week.”

“Right. This week is a bit much, so shall we start next week?”

“That timing should be fine.”

The principal’s suggestions were always for the children.

The opinions she had given so far had always brought good results.

The other teachers naturally nodded their heads.

This was all possible because the principal was a good person.

Therefore, everyone coordinated schedules, thought about supplies, and wrote notices without much complaint.

And so the meeting ended, and when everything was roughly finished.

“Let’s all have dinner. I’ll treat today.”

“Principal is the best!”

Someone who buys meals well was a good person.

Therefore, the teachers thought the principal was the best person of all.

***

Hanseol Preschool in mid-March was chilly.

I’m currently out in the garden behind the preschool.

Perhaps because the preschool was large, the garden was big too.

One garden plot had space left over even when all the Moran Class children sat down.

I was chatting with Aeyeon, Garam, and Ajin where the children were gathered.

“Heeseong, how’s my shovel?”

Aeyeon, wearing gym clothes, said.

She was holding a small shovel close to her face with sparkling eyes.

It wasn’t just Aeyeon.

“Ajin! How’s this? Cool, right!”

“Mm-hmm…!”

Garam was also showing off her shovel to Ajin beside her.

“It’s pretty. So colorful.”

Aeyeon seemed satisfied with my compliment and was smiling.

Like the other children holding shovels, I also had a shovel in my hand.

‘What should I plant? Maybe lettuce.’

I felt like eating grilled pork belly wrapped in lettuce.

Playing piano every day was fine, but I needed to get some fresh air like this sometimes.

I played at home every day too.

Since going to Aunt’s studio last week, I’d been wondering what kind of song I should compose.

‘I’ll probably get ideas while taking classes. By the way, when are the kids from other classes coming?’

There was such a message in the notice given last week.

We’re going to have a garden class with both Moran Class and Nari Class together.

Since it was my first time meeting children from classes other than Moran Class, I was a little excited.

“Oh? Here they come!”

At one child’s words, the other children’s gazes turned somewhere.

Children were standing in two lines.

They were quite ordinary and cute-looking children.

‘Huh?’

Except for one child.

It was a girl standing alone at the very back without a partner.

With her arms crossed, she flipped her hair like a wealthy woman from some drama.

‘Something about her… I feel like I’ve seen this child somewhere before?’

She was a child with quite a striking first impression.

She somehow looked difficult to approach.

The child kept looking around as if searching for something.

‘What?’

Then our eyes met.

The child didn’t avoid my gaze and kept staring at me.

What’s this about?

Is there something on my face?

“Now, friends! Today we’re going to plant some plants together with our Nari Class friends. Everyone’s excited, right?”

“We’re excited!”

“After we plant all the seeds, we’ll sing songs to help them grow well. You remember the song we learned last week, right?”

“Yes!”

“Then, now follow the teacher and learn how to plant seeds.”

At Cha Yu-ra’s words, I withdrew my gaze from the child.

Because right now I should focus on the class rather than that child.

“Friends, first watch carefully what the teacher does.”

Cha Yu-ra and Park Jeong-a divided us into two groups.

Aeyeon, Garam, and Ajin naturally became part of the same group as me, listening to Cha Yu-ra’s explanation.

She was kneeling down to meet the children’s eye level.

‘Oh, this looks fun.’

Why did the act of scooping soil with a small shovel, putting seeds in it, and covering it with soil again look so interesting?

It seemed like it wasn’t just me but the other children felt the same way.

Garam seemed like she would naturally enjoy this kind of activity, and Aeyeon and Ajin were also subtly brightening up.

“Now, there are lots of seeds here. Plant your favorite vegetables or flowers!”

“Yes!”

The children looked into the container filled with seeds.

Watching from the side, I could see vegetables like cherry tomatoes and lettuce.

I could also see flowers like balsam and daisies.

‘I should grow lettuce. Thinking of pork belly makes my mouth water…’

I wiped away the drool that was about to flow and spoke to Cha Yu-ra.

“Teacher, I want to plant lettuce seeds.”

“Hee-seong wants to plant lettuce? Here, if you don’t know anything, tell the teacher, okay?”

After I answered that I understood, I stepped aside so other children could choose their seeds.

As I stood quietly, Garam and Ajin, who had chosen their seeds, approached me.

“What’s Hee-seong’s?”

“Lettuce. What about you, Garam?”

“I chose cherry tomatoes! I picked the same as Ajin!”

“Yeah… tomatoes are delicious.”

“Tomatoes…”

Since the taste of tomatoes kept coming to mind, I quickly forgot about it.

“What about Aeyeon?”

“I don’t know, I don’t see her!”

“Earlier… she was choosing seeds.”

Aeyeon, who had been there just a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.

‘I didn’t see her when she was choosing seeds either, where did she go?’

I looked around more and found Aeyeon.

She was with another child at one side of the garden.

‘What? Aeyeon is talking with a child she’s never seen before? But that child is…’

It was the girl who had been standing alone at the back when the Nari Class children were lined up in two rows.

I was curious at this sight I’d never seen before.

I was moved that Aeyeon was talking with a child who wasn’t from Moran Class.

‘That prickly Aeyeon is talking with another child!’

I approached Aeyeon, and Garam and Ajin followed me.

As I got closer.

“Tell me who the kid named Hee-seong is!”

“I don’t want to.”

“Eeek!! Tell me!”

“No.”

…Huh?

Why are they fighting?

***

It was a few days before the garden class.

Park Bom, a student in Nari Class, thought she would have another good day today.

Today was the day for Jeong Mi-rae’s piano class.

Jeong Mi-rae was Park Bom’s idol.

After seeing Jeong Mi-rae’s performance video last year, Park Bom became obsessed with piano.

She diligently attended piano academy and played piano.

‘Young Teacher is the best!’

Park Bom loved the days she went to preschool.

She felt like she could fly, seeing the person she respected at the first preschool she ever attended.

Although Hansul Preschool had the characteristic of being a music preschool, ‘music’ only made up 60% of what the preschool offered.

In other words, there were also children who didn’t learn music.

The test was merely a means to find talented children.

However, Park Bom passed that test that was merely a means.

“Bom plays piano well, doesn’t she?”

Jeong Mi-rae said that.

That she played piano well.

Park Bom loved those words so much.

She loved those words of praise so much.

“Bom really plays well!”

“Right! I think she plays the best in our preschool!”

The praise from the Nari Class children was also very nice.

Everyone was looking up to her.

However, what she heard that day shocked Park Bom.

“What do you think about Hee-seong?”

A conversation between Young Teacher and the Principal that she happened to overhear.

Perhaps due to a young child’s curiosity.

Park Bom secretly focused on that conversation.

“Hee-seong does well. He’s mature. Most of all, he has outstanding talent.”

“Really? Well, what did he do?”

“His basic piano skills were much better than the other children. Also, his understanding of music seems exceptionally good.”

“Should I say he has good sensitivity?”

“I think it’s more accurate to say he has excellent creativity.”

As the conversation continued, Park Bom’s expression grew worse.

It was much more heartfelt than the praise she had received.

She hadn’t known that hearing Jeong Mi-rae praise someone else would be so unpleasant.

Regardless of how Park Bom felt, the conversation between Jeong Mi-rae and the principal continued.

“So I’m planning to test him soon.”

“Test? What kind of test?”

“I have something in mind, but I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Alright, if that’s what you think. How are the other children?”

“In Moran Class, after Hee-seong, Aeyeon has talent for piano. They say Garam also has talent for violin.”

“Really?”

“Oh. Ajin’s interest in piano has increased significantly.”

“I heard from Teacher Yura. Hee-seong is teaching piano to Ajin.”

“Now he’s even taking on the role of a teacher.”

Park Bom secretly hoped.

She wondered if they might praise her too.

However, until Park Bom left her seat in shame, no praise for the child was heard.

‘Who is this kid called Hee-seong!’

Park Bom’s mind was filled only with thoughts of the child named Hee-seong.

She wanted to know who that kid was to steal away the praise that should have come to her.

“Do you know who Hee-seong is?”

“I don’t know.”

“Who is Hee-seong exactly…!”

“Hee-seong? I heard about him when I passed by Moran Class!”

“Huh?”

Park Bom grabbed other children from Nari Class and asked them, finally getting an answer.

Hee-seong is in Moran Class.

And the child thought she would be able to meet him soon in a few days.

So on the day of the garden class.

Park Bom stared intently at the children from Moran Class.

She didn’t know which child was Hee-seong.

“I can just ask them one by one.”

Park Bom spoke to the girl who was closest to her.

“Hey! Do you know who Hee-seong is?”

Park Bom asked somewhat roughly.

She was intimidating like an investigating detective.

However, the person she happened to ask was Aeyeon, the most prickly child in Moran Class, no, in all of Hansul Preschool.

Moreover, it didn’t seem like she had good intentions for looking for Hee-seong.

“Why?”

“You don’t need to know. Just tell me who Hee-seong is.”

“I don’t want to.”

Aeyeon answered very briefly.

She turned her head away as if the other child wasn’t worth dealing with.

Park Bom’s voice grew slightly louder at the attitude that seemed to ignore her.

“Ugh! I need to beat that kid called Hee-seong! Only then will the teacher notice me!”

“What?”

Perhaps because she was still a child, Park Bom’s true feelings just slipped out.

However, those true feelings were heard by the person who absolutely shouldn’t have heard them in Moran Class, no, in all of Hansul Preschool.

Hee-seong’s biggest fan, Aeyeon turned her head to look at the child.

“Want to say that again?”

Aeyeon’s voice contained kindness, which made Park Bom feel slightly scared instead.

However, to hide her true feelings, she became even more aggressive.

“So, so what! What are you going to do about it?”

Though she acted tough, the child thought.

She had a strong feeling that something wasn’t right.

And she wasn’t wrong.

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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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