A Musical Genius Who Plays Memories - Chapter 39

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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 39. Feel Good (3)

 

Kim Eon-seung’s fingertip was pointing toward a bright red synthesizer.

 

“Th-that thing?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Why? Why are they giving away something that expensive? That doesn’t happen very often, does it?”

 

“You’re right, they don’t do it often. But the fact that it’s offered as a prize means they’re that determined.”

 

“Who is? The company?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Not knowing the story, I could only stand there sucking my fingers.

 

Well, such expensive prizes would only be given at prestigious competitions or contests.

 

Aunt finished her brief contemplation and continued speaking.

 

“Alright. Could I get an information pamphlet?”

 

Kim Eon-seung received a paper from the staff member and immediately handed it to Aunt Sujin.

 

After receiving the paper, Aunt bent her knees so I could see it.

 

‘Lumos Composition Contest?’

 

I pondered what Lumos meant.

 

If I remembered correctly, it was probably Latin.

 

Unlike others, in my past life I hadn’t received higher education, and the only place I’d encountered Latin was during church performances.

 

Still, I had picked up bits and pieces from listening to people.

 

The meaning of the word Lumos was ‘light.’

 

“Lumos? Hmm, I’ve heard that somewhere before.”

 

“You know, that movie about the magic school. The one with the villain who lost his nose from botched plastic surgery.”

 

“Ah, right. Seeing the company name right in the contest title, it looks like they really made a big decision like you said.”

 

“Yeah. Let me explain now. Do you know what our company name means?”

 

“How would I know that?”

 

“Light!”

 

“Right. Light… Huh? Did you answer that?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Kim Eon-seung blinked his eyes in surprise.

 

Oops, thinking about it, I belatedly realized that few children in South Korea would know Latin.

 

I had unconsciously spoken in a loud voice.

 

In my embarrassment, my back began to get soaked as if fine rain was falling.

 

“I guess he remembered from watching the movie together.”

 

“Aha. Well, they do mention it there. Still, that’s impressive. To remember that. He’s quite a smart kid.”

 

“He’s my nephew, so of course. But why do we need to know the meaning?”

 

“So he was your nephew. I thought… Anyway, I mentioned it because this contest’s theme is light.”

 

“Light? Light…”

 

“A lot comes to mind, right? That’s probably why there will be many applicants.”

 

The theme of light could inspire many good ideas or few, depending on how you thought about it.

 

‘Light, light…’

 

Perhaps because it was such a simple theme, it was difficult.

 

How should I put it – many things came to mind, but it was hard to dig deep into any of them?

 

It wasn’t easy.

 

It was as difficult as finding sparkling quartz among countless stones.

 

It might be easy for some, but difficult for others.

 

It seemed like it would be quite interesting.

 

“But I won’t be applying.”

 

“Why?”

 

“If I had known your company was organizing it, I wouldn’t have applied in the first place.”

 

What?

 

What is she talking about?

 

I was at a loss for words at Aunt’s statement.

 

Just moments ago, I had been smiling at the thought of receiving the synthesizer and playing it happily.

 

At this bolt from the blue, I lost my expression.

 

If there had been a mirror, I probably could have seen my disappointed face in real time.

 

Unaware of my desire to apply to the contest, Aunt continued speaking.

 

“Of course, I’m tempted by that synthesizer, but I won’t apply. You know why, right?”

 

“…I know well. I’m sorry about what happened that day.”

 

“You know it wasn’t your fault.”

 

At those words, Aunt said nothing and just looked at Kim Eon-seung.

 

What’s going on?

 

A strange tension was building between the two.

 

“Still, if you change your mind, let me know. I’ll help.”

 

“I should have caught on when they said anyone could participate.”

 

“I feel bad for telling you about it for nothing.”

 

“No, no. Thanks for letting me know. Well, I’ll get going. I want to look around more with my nephew.”

 

“Alright, take care.”

 

The two seemed ready to go their separate ways.

 

But my eyes remained fixed on the contest information pamphlet Kim Eon-seung was holding.

 

‘It’s not good for Aunt to show such a weak side.’

 

I decided to throw a tantrum.

 

Let me use the greatest weapon a 5-year-old has.

 

“Give me one pamphlet please!”

 

“Huh? Uh… Why do you want the pamphlet…?”

 

“See you next time! Nice mister!”

 

“Uh…?”

 

It happened so quickly that neither of them could do anything.

 

Kim Eon-seung looked at his own hand, and Aunt just blinked while holding my hand.

 

“I want to try this!”

 

That was all I could say right now.

 

I planned to say other things in a more serious setting, not here.

 

‘I have to overcome the past.’

 

I don’t know what happened to Aunt.

 

But I could understand a little.

 

My intuition was telling me so.

 

That her music had been stolen by some large entity that an individual couldn’t fight against.

 

I wanted to throw a tantrum because I could see my own past reflected in Aunt.

 

“Let’s look around more! Aunt, let’s go together!”

 

“Oh my, alright. Aunt will go with you.”

 

A smile was forming on Aunt’s lips.

 

Now was the time to enjoy ourselves.

 

***

 

“Um… One steak set meal, one children’s set meal please. Oh, and french fries too.”

 

“Yes, I’ll bring them right out.”

 

“Thank you. …Hee-seong, is there something interesting over there?”

 

“I’m just looking.”

 

After touring the exhibition hall, Aunt and I came to a nearby restaurant.

 

I was staring intently at the contest information pamphlet I had gotten from Kim Eon-seung.

 

Of course, I wasn’t looking at it for no reason.

 

‘I was checking if there was anything I could use to appeal to Aunt. Sigh… it doesn’t look easy.’

 

Aunt was different from her appearance – she had backbone.

 

She always acted cheerfully, but when she was serious, she was endlessly serious.

 

Everyone around me was like that.

 

Mother, Father – they were all the same.

 

I liked that about them.

 

Being serious was better than being endlessly frivolous.

 

‘But today, she really doesn’t look like she’ll go easy on me.’

 

What could have happened to make such hard horns sprout on Aunt’s forehead?

 

I had never seen Aunt this angry before.

 

The only time I’d seen anything close was when she fought with Father over work.

 

That was probably when I was 3 years old.

 

“How was today, Heeseong?”

 

“It was the best! I want to see it again!”

 

“Hehe. It must have been really good. Come with your dad next time. Your dad is probably crying again.”

 

“Hihi, I will.”

 

The conversation between Aunt and me was utterly ordinary.

 

However, there was one thing that felt different from usual.

 

The competition flyer in my hand refused to let go, as if rubber tree sap was stuck to it.

 

And the same was true for Aunt’s eyes.

 

Aunt’s pupils swayed wherever my hand moved.

 

Up, down.

 

This competition was already deeply embedded in Aunt’s mind.

 

‘But… how do I move Aunt’s heart that looks harder than those bricks?’

 

Right now, Aunt’s heart was like a house made of bricks.

 

One brick might be manageable, but I couldn’t move a house made of hundreds of bricks with my own strength.

 

“Do you really want to try that?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“That thing on the flyer you haven’t let go of even once.”

 

“Uh…”

 

The house made of bricks had legs attached to it.

 

The house was trying to move on its own.

 

Like picking up a spoon to eat, what I needed to do was already decided.

 

“I want to try it.”

 

“By yourself?”

 

“Um… I want to try it together with Aunt!”

 

“Is there a reason why Aunt needs to do it with you?”

 

“Uh…”

 

I could do regular composition by myself.

 

But I needed Aunt’s help.

 

Her presence had been a great source of strength for me in this society.

 

So I couldn’t give an answer like ‘Because I’m young!’

 

That would clearly be the wrong answer.

 

‘A story that Aunt could relate to…’

 

Ah.

 

There was one.

 

Something Aunt knew better than anyone else in this world.

 

Without time to hesitate about what came to mind, I spoke to Aunt.

 

“Aunt, look here…”

 

I placed the competition paper on the dining table.

 

Then I pointed to one character with my caterpillar-sized finger.

 

“Light? Why this?”

 

“I think this is like Aunt’s song.”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“The song Aunt composed that I heard before was just like light!”

 

That song, which would have been nice to have a signpost for, was a journey following the beautiful sun.

 

The sun was light.

 

Light that shines equally on everyone.

 

The song Aunt Sujin composed contained that.

 

Warm and gentle light, that is.

 

“Why?”

 

“Uh… The song Aunt made is warm. Like it’s hugging me.”

 

“Really? That’s an honor.”

 

“Hehe…”

 

Aunt Sujin was smiling.

 

But her eyes weren’t laughing.

 

She was still lost in thought.

 

My words hadn’t managed to move her heart.

 

‘What should I do?’

 

Whether it was 3 million won or anything else, nothing could move Aunt right now.

 

“What do you think light is, Heeseong?”

 

The situation had reversed.

 

Her question caught me off guard.

 

Instead, I was the one becoming serious.

 

‘Light. What is that?’

 

I didn’t want to think philosophically, but somehow I wasn’t sure.

 

Whether in the past or now, I don’t really understand light.

 

So I spoke my inner thoughts as transparently as glass.

 

“I don’t really know.”

 

“That’s understandable. But you said Aunt’s song was warm. Like light. Do you have a reason for thinking that?”

 

“I just felt that way.”

 

“You felt it…”

 

I couldn’t read her inner thoughts.

 

However, I could tell that a droplet called worry had fallen onto the water surface of her pupils.

 

Such intense ripples were making her eyelids tremble.

 

I was curious about what she was thinking so seriously about.

 

“Your food is ready.”

 

Even after the food came out and some time passed, she continued her contemplation.

 

The look in her eyes as she gazed at me was as soft as butter.

 

“There will be a lot of other people, is that okay?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“There might be people who make music better than Aunt. There might already be someone who’s going to win first place.”

 

“Uh…”

 

“Would it be okay if you can’t get that synthesizer you played today? Do you want to try putting a song you composed into this?”

 

Her questions were as solid as she was.

 

They were so deep that I didn’t want to fathom their meaning.

 

Right now, I just wanted to answer her questions.

 

“Yes, I want to do it.”

 

“…Really?”

 

“Yes! And…”

 

I tried to imitate Aunt Sujin.

 

A firm answer.

 

To a question that so clearly showed she was thinking of me, the answer was already decided.

 

I wanted to try composing with her.

 

I wanted someone else to listen to my music.

 

I also wanted to share my answer about what light means.

 

“I want Aunt to smile.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Your expression looks scary right now!”

 

“Ah…”

 

Aunt trailed off.

 

And then.

 

“Ahahahahaha!”

 

She laughed until tears came.

 

Yes, she looked good when she smiled like this.

 

***

 

“A competition…”

 

The car on the way home was quiet.

 

All that could be heard was the friction sound of wheels rolling on the ground.

 

Hwang Su-jin recalled her conversation with Heeseong that evening.

 

“Who does he take after to be so bold?”

 

The look in the child’s eyes as he firmly said he wanted to do it wasn’t that of a 5-year-old.

 

It was the look of someone who knew what conviction meant.

 

Even for her, approaching forty, it was a rare look to see, so perhaps that’s what drew her to him.

 

Hwang Su-jin looked through the mirror at Heeseong sleeping soundly in the back seat.

 

“At times like this, he sleeps like a baby again.”

 

Watching Heeseong sleep with his mouth cutely open, drooling, Hwang Su-jin smiled softly.

 

Though he could be mature at times, Heeseong was still a child after all.

 

Just a child who was different from ordinary children.

 

That’s why Hwang Su-jin decided to believe in him.

 

“Heeseong is outstanding, but still…”

 

Hwang Su-jin didn’t really want to participate in the competition.

 

But Heeseong wanted to do it.

 

That’s where Hwang Su-jin’s dilemma began.

 

‘It’s not really a matter of whether I allow it or not. But if Heeseong composes, should I help him?’

 

That was her dilemma.

 

She was only a temporary guardian now; the decision-makers for what the child did were his parents.

 

So she decided to leave it up to the child whether to participate in the competition or not.

 

Those two would allow whatever Heeseong wanted to do.

 

Then naturally, Hwang Su-jin would end up helping with Heeseong’s composition.

 

“Of course Yoon Young-hoon would help, but this…”

 

She had a desire.

 

The desire to be the first to hear Heeseong’s music.

 

She felt all too keenly that the child was already not an ordinary 5-year-old.

 

That’s why she couldn’t stop him.

 

Lumos was definitely a huge company.

 

What if he won an award in a competition bearing that huge name?

 

‘Then I won’t be able to stop him. Heeseong will become a greater genius than anyone else.’

 

If so, wouldn’t it be better to watch from the side to see what wonderful music would come out, she thought.

 

“What? I’ve already reached a conclusion?”

 

No matter how much she continued to worry, Hwang Su-jin’s choice was already decided.

 

To help her nephew.

 

That was her choice.

 

‘I want you to smile…’

 

Heeseong’s voice seemed to echo in her ears.

 

It felt like it was gently touching her ears, making her smile slightly.

 

“Right. The past is the past. Let’s write music with smiles, Heeseong.”

 

Heeseong, who had departed for dreamland, couldn’t hear that voice.

 

But as if it didn’t matter, Hwang Su-jin smiled quietly.

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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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