A Musical Genius Who Plays Memories - Chapter 35

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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 35. If You Stay by My Side (4)

 

Friday came around once again.

 

In the music room, children were gathering one by one.

 

‘Mm, everyone’s here today too. That child couldn’t come today either.’

 

Jeong Mi-rae recalled the efforts the children had made during the week.

 

Most of the children had chosen simple pieces.

 

There were songs they could play solo with just a little practice, and beyond that, some slightly more difficult pieces.

 

The children’s performances she had heard bit by bit were truly adorable.

 

It was nice to see their small hands pressing the piano keys as if they were playing with clay.

 

While some children approached it with fun, others took it seriously.

 

Jeong Mi-rae rolled her eyes to look at two children.

 

‘Aeyeon and Garam stood out the most. Since it’s a combination of violin and piano.’

 

Since they had unintentionally become a duo, she was looking forward to it a little.

 

She already knew Aeyeon’s talent.

 

But Garam’s performance skills were also surprising.

 

Though he was a cheerful child full of mischief, he seemed like a different child when he held the violin.

 

She wanted to quickly hear the performance filled with seriousness.

 

And the other children.

 

These children were so peculiar.

 

‘Heeseong has never performed once. Why is that?’

 

Since saying he would compose, Heeseong had not performed in front of her until now.

 

Instead, he only listened to Bom and Ajin perform.

 

In Bom’s case, since the friend who was originally supposed to be in the same group got sick, she ended up in the same group as Heeseong for a while.

 

Even until now, that friend couldn’t come, so the three of them became one group and practiced hard.

 

‘They get along well, so it doesn’t matter. But how did Heeseong become a teacher?’

 

To be precise, the other children asked Heeseong various things.

 

Only when Jeong Mi-rae wasn’t around.

 

It seemed that his appearance of teaching Bom and Ajin looked like a teacher to the other children’s eyes.

 

The sight of Heeseong busily going around teaching the children was somewhat cute.

 

But on the other hand, it also sparked curiosity.

 

‘What kind of piece did he compose?’

 

She was looking forward to the method Heeseong had mentioned.

 

One person playing the melody, one person playing the accompaniment.

 

This was, how should she put it, what instructors do when teaching students at piano academies, she thought.

 

Since she had learned that way too, it was a natural thought.

 

‘It seems like they’re performing a piece Heeseong composed. When I heard it briefly, it sounded like Canon…’

 

When she heard it briefly, it seemed like a variation of Pachelbel’s famous Canon, but she wasn’t certain.

 

She just wanted to hear it quickly.

 

Creak.

 

Then the door opened and someone entered the music room.

 

“Oh? It’s the Principal!”

 

“Hello, children. Are you listening to class diligently?”

 

“Yes! Oh, but why did you come, Teacher?”

 

“I came to listen because there’s a recital today. Can I listen together?”

 

“Sure!”

 

The children welcomed her.

 

Since the principal always had a warm atmosphere like sunlight, there were no children who disliked her.

 

Though some children were nervous about the small recital, there were also several who became calm upon seeing the principal.

 

“Teacher Mi-rae, are we starting now?”

 

“Yes, you came at a good time.”

 

After answering the principal, Jeong Mi-rae spoke to the children.

 

“Everyone, let’s start the presentations now!”

 

“Yees.”

 

The children stopped practicing and sat with their backs to the piano.

 

Everyone’s gaze turned to the large grand piano in the center of the music room.

 

“Then let’s start the presentation with the first group!”

 

With Jeong Mi-rae’s announcement, the curtain rose on the small recital.

 

***

 

“The children must have practiced a lot. There are few mistakes.”

 

“That’s right. Everyone had a diligent atmosphere. Heeseong did well.”

 

“Heeseong did?”

 

“Yes, when other children asked questions, he would go to their seats and teach them. About performance, sheet music, and such.”

 

The principal was impressed by the news about Heeseong.

 

Teaching various things to the children while also practicing his own performance.

 

No matter how she thought about it, she kept thinking he wasn’t an ordinary child.

 

“Doyeong and Gaeul did well. Since you both did well without being nervous, Teacher will give you this.”

 

“Wow, it’s a praise sticker!”

 

“Thank you! Everyone! I got one too!”

 

Jeong Mi-rae handed praise stickers to the children who had just finished their presentation.

 

Actually, she was giving praise stickers to all the children who performed.

 

Competition was important, but the experience of performing was also important.

 

That’s why she was giving praise stickers to everyone.

 

“Shall Aeyeon and Garam try next?”

 

“Yes! Aeyeon, let’s go!”

 

“Okay.”

 

The children cheered for the combination of prim Aeyeon and lively Garam.

 

The two children bowed in greeting and then began their performance.

 

“Whoosh-!”

 

Garam took a deep breath.

 

As if that was the signal, the performance began simultaneously.

 

– Ding-♪

 

The piano accompaniment started, and the violin bow gently touched the strings.

 

‘Is it classical? It feels like it.’

 

Children who learned piano at piano academies mostly performed classical pieces or children’s songs.

 

Since they were simple pieces that children could also perform.

 

So she thought Aeyeon and Garam would also perform classical music.

 

“I am-!”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Magical! Girl! Chuchooooo!!!”

 

That was until Garam started singing.

 

What the two children had chosen was the theme song of an animation.

 

Jeong Mi-rae knew that animation.

 

Even without having children, to converse with children at the preschool, she had to know at least Chuchoo.

 

Otherwise, conversation wouldn’t work.

 

So naturally, she ended up hearing the theme song.

 

‘It must have been difficult for the children to perform, but how…!’

 

Now she could see.

 

The roles of the two children were clear.

 

Aeyeon was handling both the melody and accompaniment.

 

Garam was the vocalist.

 

With violin accompaniment.

 

Garam slowly played the violin while singing with a powerful voice.

 

It felt like watching a leaf floating calmly in the middle of a typhoon.

 

“Defeating the villains!!”

 

“I, I am…”

 

“Magic!! Girl!! Chu!! Chuuuuu!!!”

 

Garam shook her short bob haircut wildly as if singing heavy metal.

 

That action seemed to hypnotize the other children as they cheered in unison.

 

Aeyeon sang with a voice that was getting hoarse.

 

Her earlobes were red, showing how embarrassed she was.

 

“No matter!! How hard!!”

 

“How hard!!”

 

“We fight together!!”

 

“Magic Girl Chuchoo!!!”

 

The music room had somehow become a concert hall.

 

Garam’s aura made her look like a world-class singer.

 

Every gesture of stretching her hands and waving her arms had precision.

 

‘I, I never heard them sing before?’

 

During all our practice sessions, I had never seen them sing once.

 

But I was so curious about how they had prepared for this.

 

No, rather, I wanted to know.

 

Jeong Mi-rae turned her head to look at the other children.

 

‘As long as the children are enjoying themselves, I guess it’s fine.’

 

They were singing along like fans welcoming their favorite singer.

 

“Chuchoo~!”

 

Even the principal was singing along.

 

Since everyone was enjoying themselves like this, Jeong Mi-rae thought it was fortunate.

 

While observing the other children, Jeong Mi-rae noticed one child.

 

Who was making a ridiculous expression she had never seen before.

 

‘Heeseong looks flustered. Is it because his turn is next? Hehe, kind of cute.’

 

She was looking at Heeseong.

 

The child’s thoughts were written all over his face.

 

If a speech bubble appeared above his head, it would probably say something like this.

 

‘Probably…’

 

***

 

‘What, what is this!’

 

I was left with my mouth hanging open at the unexpected performance.

 

When I heard it from the side, I thought it was a song I’d heard somewhere, but it was Chuchoo.

 

‘Damn, I should have figured it out when they asked if I liked Chuchoo!’

 

Moreover, it was puzzling how they had coordinated so well.

 

I had no memory of seeing the two of them singing the same song together.

 

But how, how could they be so in sync!

 

“When we’re tired! Even when we want to rest!!”

 

Garam was singing at the top of her lungs.

 

Her passionate singing was so intense I worried she might damage her voice.

 

But perhaps because of that.

 

“Ugh…”

 

Ajin’s shoulders shrank.

 

I could see her gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, probably from nervousness.

 

After preparing so hard, she had lost her confidence to Garam and Aeyeon’s performance.

 

‘Compared to that, Bom doesn’t seem particularly nervous…’

 

Bom’s hands were trembling slightly.

 

‘No, they’re both nervous.’

 

Seeing the two children’s reactions, worry began bubbling up inside me like a spring.

 

The children had earnestly followed my instructions and worked hard.

 

It must have been difficult music, but they still listened to me patiently.

 

‘I could play it myself, but then the meaning of the piece would be lost.’

 

A piece that children could play.

 

But difficult for one person alone, requiring two children to play together to complete.

 

That’s what I had intended.

 

That’s why I asked Bom.

 

To play the accompaniment.

 

‘Of course I lost my snacks, but it doesn’t matter. As long as they can play happily.’

 

Playing while nervous was never a good thing.

 

Performance was about speaking with emotions through your fingers.

 

In such an act, the emotion of nervousness was useless.

 

So I had to get rid of it.

 

“Hey kids.”

 

“Huh…? Heeseong, why…?”

 

“Why are you calling us?”

 

I took a deep breath.

 

This action had various meanings.

 

I thought of what to say and what not to say.

 

I exhaled while thinking of the children’s reactions.

 

With that breath, the words I needed to say flowed out like a boat.

 

“I’ll give you chocolate if you play well.”

 

“Eh? Why chocolate?”

 

“Because you seemed nervous.”

 

“Hmph! I’m not nervous about such a boring presentation!”

 

“Right, right. But if you get nervous, think of the watching children as chocolate.”

 

“Why…?”

 

“Because chocolate is sweet.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

 

“Chocolate… Yeah…”

 

In some ways, it might be obvious advice.

 

The advice to think of people as something you like is something you see and hear a lot growing up, but.

 

The children were young.

 

This was their first presentation at kindergarten, and that first memory shouldn’t end badly.

 

Besides, if other children did well but they didn’t?

 

‘That would be very sad.’

 

I was filled with thoughts of wanting the children who were playing with my intentions to perform happily.

 

“Chuuuuu!!!!”

 

“Wowwww!!”

 

“Garam! Garam!”

 

“Aeyeon! Aeyeon!”

 

Just then, the two children’s performance ended.

 

The reaction was so good that even after their performance ended, the other children cheered while calling their names.

 

I don’t know whose idea it was, but it was a good choice.

 

Indeed, the key to winning is to target the judges.

 

“How was it? Our performance.”

 

Then Aeyeon returned to her seat.

 

Cold sweat was flowing down her cheeks from playing earnestly, but with a small smile on her face, Aeyeon asked.

 

I spoke sincerely in response to the child’s question.

 

“It was very good.”

 

“Right? I knew you’d like it!”

 

“Garam, you sing really well.”

 

“What about me?”

 

“Aeyeon, your performance was good too. You must have practiced a lot.”

 

Garam said while panting.

 

“Yeah! My academy is on the same floor as Aeyeon’s academy!”

 

“So that’s how it was.”

 

“Hehe, we got scolded by the teacher while practicing though.”

 

“But we won.”

 

“Right! We’re the ones who won!”

 

The two were full of confidence.

 

It was clearly just a small recital, but the two children seemed to perceive it differently.

 

It made sense since there was a prize of praise stickers at stake.

 

But I had no intention of losing either.

 

Playing music should be enjoyable.

 

But if competition is added to it.

 

Winning would be even more thrilling.

 

“Bom and Ajin will play well too. So we’ll win.”

 

“Huh? Uh…? Yeah. Since Heeseong taught us.”

 

“What’s the big deal…”

 

Ajin and Bom’s reactions to my words were mixed.

 

They were nervous, but even so, their determination to do their best was visible.

 

“Finally, Ajin and Bom, please come out!”

 

The two children stood up from their seats.

 

Their steps toward the grand piano looked resolute.

 

The moment to show everyone my first composition was approaching.

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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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