A Musical Genius Who Plays Memories - Chapter 61

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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 61. The Distant Beyond (1)

 

A strong and powerful morning dawned.

 

Monday had come around once again.

 

I thought it was about time to get used to it by now, but there were no signs of that happening at all.

 

Still, this weekend had been so fulfilling that I didn’t feel regretful even though Monday had arrived.

 

Grandfather Manbok said he wouldn’t teach me violin.

 

Instead, he promised to personally perform the violin pieces I composed.

 

I was disappointed that I couldn’t learn violin, but he must have his reasons.

 

I could understand that.

 

‘Listening is also studying. Besides, if it’s someone like Grandfather, that’s even better.’

 

Grandfather would notice and tell me about all the detailed parts I had missed.

 

If that could make the pieces better, I didn’t mind.

 

With such thoughts, I entered the kindergarten in a very good mood.

 

“Hee-seong, hello?”

 

Today too, I started the day receiving greetings from the children.

 

After taking music class, studying Korean, and taking a nap in between, the day passed quickly.

 

Today too, I headed to the music room for Special Class.

 

But the atmosphere in Special Class when I arrived was different from usual.

 

‘Huh? The Principal?’

 

In the music room were Young Teacher and the Principal.

 

Jeong Mi-rae was always there, but the Principal rarely visited Special Class.

 

I wondered if something had happened, feeling curious.

 

“Come on in! Let’s all sit down first, shall we?”

 

At the Principal’s words, the children promptly took their seats.

 

After confirming everyone was seated, the Principal began writing something on the blackboard.

 

-Baek Music Competition

 

As soon as I read the words “Music Competition,” I was inwardly amazed.

 

Until now, in Special Class we had only practiced piano.

 

Playing whatever we wanted every day and having fun.

 

It felt like we weren’t in Special Class but just in an ordinary music room.

 

But now it was different.

 

The reason Special Class existed was because of the competition.

 

‘Is it starting now?’

 

As if answering my thoughts, the Principal cleared her throat.

 

“Ahem! Everyone, who can read the words written here?”

 

“Me!”

 

“Yes, Garam. Can you read it?”

 

“Baek Music Competition!”

 

“That’s right. From now on, we’re going to participate in the competition.”

 

At the mention of competition, the children became noisy.

 

Through the murmuring sounds, a small voice reached my ears.

 

“Hee-seong, are you going to participate in the competition?”

 

Aeyeon asked.

 

When I turned my head slightly, Aeyeon’s eyes had grown a bit wide, perhaps excited by the mention of competition.

 

It seemed like she was eager to participate in the competition.

 

‘Well, since Special Class is for the competition, I’ll probably participate.’

 

Everything I had played on piano until now was because of the competition.

 

So there was no reason not to participate.

 

“I know that all of you have practiced a lot until now.”

 

“We worked really hard, mm-hmm!”

 

Garam said quietly beside me.

 

At those words, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

 

Since playing with Grandfather on Saturday, Garam had become much brighter.

 

He talked to other children well and treated them warmly.

 

He seemed to have become an angel who showed kindness to everyone.

 

Aeyeon was there beside him too.

 

The Principal continued with her explanation.

 

“But to participate in the competition, you’ll need pieces to perform, right? So today we’re going to choose the pieces you want to play!”

 

“Pieces to perform?”

 

“That’s right. We’ve selected pieces we’d like you to perform at the competition. Find the piece you want to play from here!”

 

So to summarize the situation.

 

There were already predetermined pieces for the competition, and we just needed to choose which piece we wanted to perform from those.

 

‘Hmm. Not bad.’

 

Rather than worrying about what piece to perform, it was better to perform from already predetermined pieces.

 

That way we could practice faster.

 

“Young Teacher here will perform them for you.”

 

“Teacher, Teacher! Can I play the same piece as my friend?”

 

“Of course! That’s perfectly fine.”

 

While the children were excited, Jeong Mi-rae sat in front of the large grand piano.

 

I watched her actions carefully.

 

She was still touching her wrist little by little, as if it still hurt.

 

Something like a bandage was wrapped around her wrist, so I was worried if she was overexerting herself.

 

Ding-♬

 

But when her performance began, I could tell.

 

She wasn’t overexerting herself at all.

 

Though she hadn’t completely recovered yet, it didn’t feel like she was enduring pain while playing as in the past.

 

Her fingers danced freely, and I focused on Jeong Mi-rae’s performance.

 

***

 

“Hee-seong…”

 

“Hm? What is it, Ajin?”

 

“What piece are you going to play…?”

 

The pieces Jeong Mi-rae was performing were all about 1 minute long, so 10 pieces had already passed.

 

But there was no piece I liked.

 

I wished there was a piece that would make me straighten my posture immediately upon hearing it, but there was nothing like that at all.

 

I shook my head and said.

 

“Not yet. Ajin, do you have one you like?”

 

“I don’t know either…!”

 

Ajin also seemed to have many concerns.

 

Ajin was one of the children who practiced a lot in Special Class.

 

I could vividly picture her silently focusing on the piano and moving her hands frantically.

 

Perhaps because of that.

 

Ajin seemed not yet satisfied.

 

The same was true for the other two children.

 

Aeyeon had a bored expression, and Garam had a somewhat dissatisfied expression.

 

It seemed like none of them had found a piece that really grabbed them.

 

All the other children seemed to have chosen, but only we hadn’t, so I felt a bit self-conscious.

 

‘It’s not like I can compose something myself.’

 

According to the Principal, only predetermined pieces could be performed due to regulations.

 

So if I was going to perform anyway, I wanted to do a piece I wanted.

 

I wanted to perform a piece I liked and that really grabbed my attention, but so far there was none.

 

And so the 10th piece also came to an end.

 

“Now! The next piece is called ‘Little Flower’. Shall we listen to it?”

 

Little Flower?

 

It’s a title I’ve heard somewhere before.

 

But I had heard so many pieces up until now that I couldn’t remember it clearly.

 

I’ll know once I hear it.

 

Ta-dan-♩

 

The piece began.

 

A gentle piano performance.

 

It was plain.

 

I focused on the performance while thinking of the title, Little Flower.

 

The current performance without any conflict was like the birth of a flower.

 

The slowly growing sprout entrusted itself to the warm sunlight and breeze.

 

The sprout quietly swayed as it observed the world.

 

But now it was different.

 

Ta-da-da-dan-♪

 

Jeong Mi-rae’s performance suddenly became fast.

 

As if it had suddenly accelerated, the notes began to speed up one by one.

 

I thought that fast performance probably expressed pain.

 

It could be a storm, or wild beasts or people tormenting the young flower.

 

Whatever it was, the young flower was suffering.

 

But the pain was very brief.

 

The storm passed, and the wild beasts quickly disappeared too.

 

The piano performance became calm again.

 

The piano performance expressing the young flower basking in warm sunlight was gradually coming to an end.

 

I slowly turned my head to look at Ajin.

 

Then I turned my head the other way to look at Aeyeon and Garam.

 

All the children had sparkling eyes.

 

It seems everyone liked it.

 

‘What should I do.’

 

I didn’t like it.

 

There was a bit of disappointment remaining.

 

‘It would be nice if it were a longer piece.’

 

But all the pieces I had heard so far were around 1 minute in length.

 

Tap tap.

 

Then I felt a hand tapping my back.

 

When I turned around, Park Bom was looking at me.

 

“What?”

 

“Have you decided what piece to perform?”

 

“Um… No, I haven’t decided. What about you?”

 

“Me neither.”

 

The child was in the same situation as me.

 

While the other children were gradually deciding, Park Bom seemed anxious about not being able to choose a piece.

 

“Wasn’t the piece just now pretty good?”

 

“It was okay, but it wasn’t really a piece I wanted to perform.”

 

Park Bom said that while shrugging her shoulders.

 

I thought that was understandable.

 

When I first saw Park Bom’s performance, it was full of mistakes, but after practicing hard in the Special Class.

 

‘Her skills have improved tremendously.’

 

She was a child with outstanding talent.

 

That’s why she would be able to get good scores no matter what piece she performed.

 

“I want to perform a piece that I want…”

 

“The rules are like that, so there’s nothing we can do.”

 

“Is playing piano about performing pieces I don’t like?”

 

“That’s…”

 

I couldn’t answer the child’s question.

 

I haven’t experienced much of the performer’s world, so I don’t know well.

 

I’m talking about people who only perform other people’s pieces.

 

It’s hard enough to understand one’s own pieces, so there wasn’t time to understand other people’s pieces too.

 

But I knew this one thing.

 

Even pieces you don’t like, you might come to like them if you perform them.

 

“Just try performing it. You might come to like it, you know?”

 

“Really? Well… I guess so.”

 

While we were talking, all the performances ended.

 

Jeong Mi-rae wiped her sweaty forehead and said.

 

“How was the teacher’s performance?”

 

“It was really good!”

 

“It was the best!”

 

All the children said Jeong Mi-rae’s performance was good.

 

I did too.

 

Perhaps pleased by the children’s praise, her expression was melting like butter.

 

The principal, who was standing next to Jeong Mi-rae, spoke on her behalf.

 

“Today’s class ends here! Instead, the teacher will give you sheet music, so practice with it!”

 

“Huh? Principal! Weren’t we supposed to choose our pieces?”

 

“We were originally going to do that, but there were too many pieces, so we wanted to give you time to think.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“So everyone practice at home. Or you can practice in your respective classes.”

 

Everyone whispered quietly at those words.

 

Probably suggesting they practice together in class.

 

“Then shall we line up in a single file to receive the sheet music?”

 

At the principal’s words, the children hurriedly lined up in a single file.

 

The children and I leisurely got in line.

 

‘What should I do?’

 

I had gotten in line, but there was no piece I wanted to perform.

 

I thought about what I had told Park Bom.

 

Even pieces you dislike will become likeable if you perform them.

 

That would surely be the case.

 

But that was from a performer’s perspective.

 

I’m a composer.

 

Performing existing pieces was comfortable and good for me too.

 

But I could create pieces.

 

I had the ability to create.

 

‘Is that allowed? Seeing how they said to only perform designated pieces, there seems to be a rule…’

 

If there are rules, there would be some punishment for breaking them.

 

There’s no need for me to step forward and receive punishment.

 

Right, there’s still plenty of time, so let me think about it more.

 

‘Should I ask first?’

 

Composing was a lower priority, but if possible, I wanted to compose.

 

That would be more comfortable for me.

 

While thinking about various things, it became my turn to receive the sheet music.

 

“Heeseong is the last one? Here, take the sheet music.”

 

“Thank you! Teacher, but I have something I’m curious about!”

 

“Hm? What is it?”

 

Jeong Mi-rae said with a slight smile.

 

Her wrist seemed to be hurting, as she was massaging her right wrist while speaking.

 

I glanced at her wrist for a moment before speaking.

 

“Is it okay to compose at the competition?”

 

“C-compose?”

 

At my words, Jeong Mi-rae looked flustered.

 

Her eyes widened and she was stuttering, like someone who had heard something completely unexpected.

 

Was that really something to be so shocked about?

 

“Who said anything about composing? Heeseong?”

 

Just then, the Principal approached.

 

There was a smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

 

Why are you smiling so ominously, Principal!

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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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