A Musical Genius Who Plays Memories - Chapter 70

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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 70. Mirror Within Mirror (4)

 

“I did post it on People Star, but I don’t think many people will come.”

 

“It would be disappointing if no one comes to a performance. Could I take a look?”

 

What’s People Star?

 

The two of them started talking about something I didn’t know.

 

From what they were saying, it seemed like they had promoted it to gather people.

 

Promotion was absolutely essential when putting on a stage performance.

 

The sadness of performing with no audience was indescribable.

 

“Here.”

 

Kim Sang-jin fiddled with his phone for a moment, then showed it to Mother and me.

 

Now I could tell what People Star was.

 

It was an app for posting content and sharing your daily life.

 

‘He’s more proactive than I thought?’

 

Well, considering Kim Sang-jin’s situation, it might be better to struggle however he could.

 

Even though the promotional post he uploaded didn’t have many hearts, he had to do what he could.

 

Mother, who was looking at the post, said:

 

“Who’s performing?”

 

Mother seemed more curious about the identity of the performer than the performance itself.

 

Actually, I was curious too.

 

Honestly, there didn’t seem to be any benefit to performing at Kim Sang-jin’s shop.

 

It would be more advantageous in many ways to go to that cafe Kim Sang-jin had mentioned was crowded.

 

‘Attention is life for people who do art.’

 

Whether it’s music, writing, or acting.

 

You need people watching you to bloom.

 

That’s why it was fascinating.

 

Whether they didn’t know the situation or genuinely wanted to do it.

 

“It’s someone who plays guitar! They said they wanted to do it because they have a connection with Mother!”

 

“Oh, how interesting.”

 

“Right? I find it interesting too. They won’t tell me the reason even when I ask.”

 

“What an unusual person. I know someone like that too.”

 

The two continued their conversation.

 

Meanwhile, I was still thinking about the performer.

 

More precisely, I was curious.

 

In a way, hadn’t they chosen sentiment over their own popularity?

 

‘Hmm. Could that be it?’

 

Even looking around me, there were many people who would perform out of affection.

 

Just Mother in front of me would definitely do that.

 

Father in the car, absorbed in his game, would too.

 

Aunt, Jeong Mi-rae, and Grandfather Manbok were all that type of people.

 

‘But not everyone is like that.’

 

There were also people who saw music as money and discarded it when it wasn’t needed.

 

I had seen many such people and despised them.

 

‘Anyway, should I ask what I’m curious about?’

 

I originally had something I wanted to ask Kim Sang-jin.

 

I desperately wanted to know the ending of the story I learned about thanks to Ajin.

 

The conversation between the two concluded with purchasing a master keyboard.

 

That was the original purpose of coming here anyway.

 

“I’ll use it well.”

 

“Thank you. Then, this…”

 

“I have something I’m curious about!”

 

At my words, both people’s gazes poured onto me.

 

I slowly and carefully explained what had happened at the kindergarten.

 

At first, I didn’t think anything of it.

 

I was just telling them what had happened.

 

But…

 

‘Why, why are they making that expression!’

 

I felt déjà vu.

 

It felt like some ominous energy was flowing through my entire body.

 

Every time this happened, something always happened to me, but surely not this time?

 

“So you’re curious about what story he told Ajin?”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Heh.”

 

“…”

 

Kim Sang-jin’s appearance, smiling quietly without saying anything, gave me chills.

 

‘Is it okay to do that to someone you’re meeting for the first time? Huh?’

 

I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t.

 

“Make sure to come visit later. Together with Ajin.”

 

“Ajin…?”

 

“Yeah! When the performance starts later, just sit over there and play with Ajin.”

 

His eyes held kindness.

 

I thought he was making a big request, but he wasn’t.

 

Rather, it was a very easy request.

 

“That’s all I need to do?”

 

“Yeah, can I ask you to do that?”

 

“Hmm…”

 

I turned my head to look at Mother.

 

Kim Sang-jin had asked me, but this was something that needed Mother’s permission.

 

When I made eye contact with Mother, she was just smiling.

 

It was a trusting smile that left everything up to me.

 

“Ajin gets bored every evening. I thought it would be fun if he played with friends.”

 

He said to me.

 

I didn’t know about other things, but his words moved my heart.

 

“Alright.”

 

“Really? Thank you! The performance starts at 7, so you can come after special class ends.”

 

“I’ll bring Ajin too.”

 

“Ah, could I ask you to do that?”

 

“Of course.”

 

That’s how our conversation ended.

 

Kim Sang-jin had to prepare for opening, and we had to return to the kindergarten.

 

Father probably wasn’t seriously hurt anyway, so I was thinking of playing piano at the kindergarten.

 

“You’re back? That took a while?”

 

“Yeah, but I’m coming back again later.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I’ll tell you about it on the way.”

 

So we headed back to the kindergarten.

 

***

 

“Oh! Hee-seong came back!”

 

Garam, who spotted me, said in a loud voice.

 

The children also gathered around me in clusters.

 

Well, a child they thought was going home suddenly appeared, so the children couldn’t hide their excitement either.

 

And though it was awkward to say with my own mouth, I was somewhat popular in Moran Class.

 

‘Maybe it’s because I taught piano so much.’

 

While Jeong Mi-rae taught piano to one child, I also taught piano to other children.

 

The children saw me teaching Aeyeon and Ajin and came to me.

 

I showed them how to play and played with them, so I became popular.

 

I hadn’t felt this in my previous life, but experiencing it now felt surprisingly good.

 

“But Hee-seong. Why did you come back?”

 

Aeyeon asked.

 

At those words, the other children didn’t hide their curiosity, saying ‘Why did he come?’

 

I glanced at Ajin and said.

 

“Father wasn’t hurt badly. So I just came back.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Shall we play piano?”

 

“Oh! Good!”

 

“Let’s go!! Hee-seong, you too!”

 

The children who realized it wasn’t a big deal dragged me to where the piano was.

 

The children who must have had lessons with Jeong Mi-rae until just before had no intention of stopping.

 

The children who gathered in front of the small piano, wanting to continue playing, were thinking about what song to perform.

 

Aeyeon, Garam, Ajin and I stood behind those children.

 

‘This will take a while?’

 

Looking at the situation, it seemed they had an interesting lesson today.

 

Normally, about half the children would be playing house over there with the dolls.

 

But not today, it seems.

 

‘Then, we’ll play by ourselves.’

 

I tapped the children’s shoulders.

 

“Hee-seong, why?”

 

“It seems like it’ll take a long time, so let’s go play over there.”

 

“Good! The bear doll is mine!!”

 

“Ah…! Me too!”

 

Garam ran over first, and Ajin ran over too.

 

As expected, being with children was always fun.

 

Aeyeon also slowly moved her feet.

 

So the four of us started playing without the other children.

 

“Oh, right. I saw Ajin’s brother.”

 

“My brother…? How?”

 

“I saw him at a cafe.”

 

“Huh…?”

 

Ajin found my words interesting and started asking various questions.

 

After asking everything she was curious about, this time Ajin spoke up.

 

“Right… Uncle is performing today.”

 

“Uncle? Um… The uncle who came to visit before. When Mother was there…”

 

“Huh?”

 

Uh…

 

Something doesn’t seem right?

 

Adults’ mouths were heavy.

 

Children’s mouths were light.

 

So Ajin could tell her story without hiding it.

 

Even facts she never wanted to be discovered inevitably slipped out without her knowing.

 

‘This isn’t good.’

 

I didn’t want to hear Ajin’s story this way.

 

“Our mother is far away…”

 

“Ajin, stop!”

 

“Uh, huh?”

 

“Let’s go home together after Special Class today!”

 

I cut off Ajin’s words and brought up the main point.

 

There was no need to hear it directly.

 

I’d rather hear it through music.

 

I wanted to feel his sadness through Ajin’s performance.

 

‘Because music is deeper than words.’

 

Ajin’s eyes widened greatly at what I said.

 

She seemed quite surprised, dropping her doll.

 

That much?

 

“Really…?”

 

“Yeah. Ajin’s brother said to come together.”

 

“Wow, wow…! I’m really happy…!”

 

Ajin smiled brightly.

 

I smiled along with that gentle smile.

 

As expected, seeing smiling faces was always pleasant.

 

‘But Aeyeon, why are you…?’

 

The problem was that Aeyeon’s eyes next to Ajin looked ominous.

 

Why are you making the eyes of a villain from a drama?

 

She was a child with attractively drooping eye corners, but now she was too scary.

 

Should I say her pupils were burning?

 

I had never seen such eyes before.

 

“Can I go too?”

 

When Garam spoke then, our heads all turned simultaneously.

 

Even with the suddenly focused attention, Garam yawned nonchalantly.

 

“Uh… It would be fun if we went together?”

 

“Then I’ll go! Aeyeon, let’s go together!”

 

At my words, Garam started getting excited by herself.

 

Aeyeon, whose eyes had been burning, was rather flustered.

 

“I, I don’t think that would work?”

 

Look, how flustered must she be to even stutter?

 

I immediately said to Garam.

 

“Right. Like Aeyeon said, I don’t think that would work.”

 

We needed the adults’ permission, and going suddenly didn’t seem polite.

 

And if there were many children, the performer wouldn’t be able to concentrate either.

 

If they were sensitive, even small whispers would be distracting.

 

‘So I should say it nicely.’

 

That she can’t go.

 

***

 

“….”

 

“…Hee-seong?”

 

Haha, damn.

 

Kim Sang-jin and I awkwardly made eye contact.

 

He looked at me for a moment, then looked behind.

 

“I didn’t know there was a place like this. I like the atmosphere.”

 

“Right, Ji-eun? We did well to come?”

 

“Yes. We did well to leave work early.”

 

I turned my head slightly to the left.

 

Mother and Aeyeon’s Mother were chatting and laughing together.

 

I turned my head again to look to the right.

 

“Is it okay to move around?”

 

“Yes, sir. It doesn’t hurt that much.”

 

“Still, it’s better to be careful.”

 

Grandfather Manbok and Father were having a conversation.

 

What kind of chaotic mess is this?

 

Why did Aeyeon’s Mother and Grandfather Manbok have to come to the preschool at the same time?

 

The two readily agreed to Garam and Aeyeon’s request.

 

-Hee-seong is coming too? That sounds fine.

 

-A music cafe? Do they have classical music?

 

The two said this while waiting for Father and Mother.

 

-Oh, that sounds wonderful!

 

-I should go too.

 

Mother and Father suggested to them that they all go to the cafe together.

 

Thanks to that, everyone ended up coming to Kim Sang-jin’s cafe.

 

What is going on here?

 

“Well, um… I didn’t expect so many people to come.”

 

“I heard about you. You’re Ajin’s older brother.”

 

“Ah, yes! I’m Kim Sang-jin. Please take care of me.”

 

“I’m Lee Ye-eun.”

 

“I’m Choi Man-bok. Please take care of me.”

 

“Please take care of me as well.”

 

He said this while hurriedly preparing drinks.

 

The children and I occupied one table.

 

The adults also took a table and started talking among themselves.

 

Just like how we quickly became friends, the adults seemed to get along well and were having an enjoyable conversation.

 

“Here, drink up.”

 

A little later, Kim Sang-jin brought the drinks and joined the adults’ conversation.

 

Seeing everyone chatting happily, my unnecessary worries and concerns began to fade.

 

“But who’s performing today?”

 

“Uh… it’s the guitar-playing uncle! He always wears black glasses.”

 

“Black glasses? Sunglasses?”

 

“That’s right…!”

 

Ajin kindly answered Aeyeon’s question.

 

When she described the performer’s characteristics, someone came to mind.

 

‘Hmm, who is it? It sounds familiar somehow?’

 

A person who plays guitar while wearing sunglasses.

 

I dismissed my idle curiosity.

 

Whoever comes will make it fun.

 

‘Speaking of which, there are no other customers.’

 

I turned my head to look around the shop.

 

No other people had come.

 

The atmosphere was quite different from the cafes I knew.

 

It would be nice if more people visited a place like this, which made me feel a bit disappointed.

 

Ding-

 

Just then, a cheerful bell sound announced that someone had arrived.

 

The gazes of both adults and children focused on one spot.

 

‘Huh?’

 

And I tilted my head in confusion when I saw who had entered.

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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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