A Musical Genius Who Plays Memories - Chapter 91

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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 91. New Future (4)

“What do you mean by that?”

Jang Han-seon, the principal of Hanseol Preschool, said.

Each step she took toward Yang Do-gyeong was heavy.

Yang Do-gyeong somehow swallowed nervously in fear.

“Say it again.”

“I think the chairman is targeting Heeseong.”

“Why on earth? But if it’s the chairman….”

Jang Han-seon searched her memory.

When Heeseong said he didn’t want to take photos.

She recalled a man who had handed a mask to the child.

Even though it was becoming summer, he wore a black suit that looked stifling.

But his face was more memorable than that.

He had a snake-like face, but looked very young.

It was a face that didn’t suit being called a chairman at all.

“Heeseong is right now….”

“Having an interview with the chairman, right? He came looking for me shortly after deciding the winner. That’s when he said it.”

“Said what?”

“That he wanted to interview with the winner as a prize benefit.”

Jang Han-seon was at a loss for words.

If Yang Do-gyeong was right, that was abuse of power.

“Hah…. There was a reason the staff member was so stubborn.”

Yang Do-gyeong remembered the staff member who had taken Heeseong away.

That staff member who was so stubborn it was like talking to a wall.

Yang Do-gyeong finally realized he had made a mistake.

‘I should have noticed earlier that Heeseong didn’t want this!’

The more Heeseong talked with the staff member, the worse his expression had become.

But the atmosphere was so chaotic that he couldn’t observe closely.

Jang Han-seon hurriedly said to Yang Do-gyeong.

“Where is that interview taking place? Tell me quickly!”

“Uh, huh? Follow me.”

The two quickened their pace.

As they hurried through the door that only staff could enter and walked down the hallway.

“Huh? Principal?”

They found the child with the staff member who had taken Heeseong away.

Jang Han-seon hurried over to Heeseong.

“Heeseong! Are you okay?”

“Huh? I’m fine….”

She examined Heeseong from head to toe, regardless of whether the staff member was there or not.

As the child said, Heeseong looked perfectly fine.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

The staff member said this and quickly left the scene.

The three people left behind stared blankly at her retreating figure.

Jang Han-seon, who came to her senses first, asked Heeseong.

“Heeseong, what did you talk about with the chairman?”

“We didn’t talk about much!”

“Really?”

“…Yes.”

Heeseong trailed off at the end.

But Jang Han-seon didn’t notice this.

Before the child answered, she turned her head to look at Yang Do-gyeong behind her.

“Thank you for guiding me here, phew….”

“Uh, huh?”

“I’ll contact you again later.”

Jang Han-seon said this and took Heeseong’s hand.

Then she passed by Yang Do-gyeong and began walking down the hallway.

The competition venue was noisy, but the hallway where the three were was strangely quiet.

‘Not much talk….’

But Heeseong’s mind was not like that at all.

***

Sasinhyeok smiled quietly.

That smile was, how should I put it.

Yes, it was the kind of smile a tiger you’d meet on a mountain in the dead of night would make.

“That’s right. That makes it interesting.”

Sasinhyeok said this and sat back down on the sofa.

Even though there were crispy sweet cookies and fresh orange juice on the dining table, he didn’t even glance at them.

Sasinhyeok and I.

The room with just the two of us was extremely cold.

Despite it being summer, it was so cold that it wouldn’t be strange if our breath was visible.

Sasinhyeok crossed his legs and looked at me as he spoke.

“Does Heeseong really want to do music?”

“Why do you ask that…?”

“I’m asking out of simple curiosity.”

It didn’t seem simple.

Sasinhyeok’s questions seemed to have traps, so I didn’t want to answer.

But I had to.

I wanted to answer quickly and get out of this place.

“Yes.”

“You’re confident. I like that. Good. Now I’ll ask you the real question.”

Gulp.

The sound of saliva going down my throat seemed to echo in the room.

His words certainly seemed light, but because it was Sasinhyeok saying them, they didn’t seem light at all.

“What would you think if you had to stop doing music?”

“Why would that….”

“Please don’t answer a question with a question. I don’t like that.”

His expression suddenly twisted.

Perhaps because he was sitting with his back to the window, only his eyes were visible.

He was making an extremely menacing expression.

‘Hah…. This intimidating presence is no joke.’

But I had seen that kind of expression many times before.

Perhaps that’s why I could maintain my composure.

‘How should I answer….’

Actually, it was a question that didn’t require any deliberation.

It was a very simple question where I just had to speak my heart.

The person asking was the problem, but there was nothing wrong with the question itself.

And I had received quite a few questions similar to this one.

My answer was always the same each time.

“I don’t think about such things.”

I answered firmly.

My life couldn’t be spoken of without music.

Sasinhyeok’s reaction to my answer was far from ordinary.

It seemed like he was holding back laughter.

“…Haha. Good, good.”

Something about that voice felt ominous to me.

And I knew well that this was just the beginning.

“Heeseong seems to love music very much.”

“Yes.”

“How much? Can you tell me specifically how much you love it?”

“…I think it would be really hard if I couldn’t do music.”

“How hard? Like you’d die?”

“Yes.”

I answered firmly.

The five-year-old Yoon Hee-seong wasn’t present in this moment.

Just one human being.

Only one human being drowning in love with music.

Sasinhyeok’s expression became increasingly difficult to read after hearing my answer.

“What if I were to take away that opportunity?”

“…What?”

He was smiling.

With a slight flush on his face, he looked like an excited beast.

His expression was truly disgusting.

If there had been a huge bass guitar next to me, I would have struck his head with it.

But I couldn’t do that.

So I had to answer.

“I’d be sad. But I’d manage somehow.”

“Hee-seong. I’m someone who absolutely does whatever I set my mind to.”

“I can see that.”

“I have to get whatever I want to feel satisfied, and I want to find out whatever I’m curious about, no matter what.”

I maintained my silence.

Sasinhyeok’s way of addressing me had changed from ‘child’ to ‘sir’ at some point.

It was as if he was treating me like an adult.

It made me even more anxious.

I couldn’t understand why he was addressing me that way.

‘Does he really mean what he’s saying…?’

Sasinhyeok’s words didn’t sound like lies at all.

I thought that perhaps the foundation of his work lay in that desire.

‘Is that why he raises people?’

Grandfather Manbok was a prime example.

But there had been discord or unavoidable circumstances along the way.

Because of that, Grandfather Manbok had to pay a price.

The price of never performing on stage again.

‘Is his desire to teach someone?’

Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad…?

But if he were that kind of person.

He wouldn’t have thought to separate me from the principal, my guardian.

“And I tend to make sure that if I can’t have something, others can’t have it either.”

“….”

“Was it a few years ago? I made a proposal to a pianist. I asked them to perform at Lumos. What do you think happened?”

“…What happened?”

Instead of answering immediately, Sasinhyeok sipped his coffee.

Slowly, very slowly, savoring it.

Each of his actions felt like it was strangling my heart.

“Well. I don’t know about that either.”

He didn’t answer.

This was nothing short of a threat.

Giving me room to imagine.

In other words, telling me to imagine the worst of the worst.

This confirmed it for me.

‘That bastard doesn’t see me as just a child.’

He was treating me as a person.

That made it even more frightening.

He showed no intention of going easy on me.

“Hee-seong doesn’t seem to want to work with me. That makes me so sad.”

“….”

“Won’t you come to Lumos with me? If you refuse….”

“If I refuse?”

I asked boldly.

I knew what he was going to say, but I didn’t stop.

“I’m curious about what you’re planning to say to take me with you.”

“Haha! You really aren’t an ordinary child. Good. Then I’ll tell you in detail.”

Sasinhyeok stood up from his seat.

Then he raised his finger and slowly approached me.

His voice resonated very quietly.

“First, I’ll make sure you can’t participate in any competitions.”

“….”

“So the benefits from this competition will be canceled too.”

“….”

“There were many musicians around Hee-seong, weren’t there? They’ll all face disadvantages too.”

“…Ha.”

I let out a hollow laugh because it was so absurd.

Click, click.

He slowly approached me.

Before I knew it, he had come to my side and bent his waist down.

His face up close looked truly menacing.

“If it comes to it, I could make it so you never play piano again.”

“Is that all?”

“…What?”

“The president of Lumos can only do that much? How disappointing.”

But I wasn’t a child either.

His threats were nothing more than child’s play compared to the past.

I also stood up and spoke.

There was quite a difference in our eye level, but I still spoke boldly.

“I don’t care if I can’t participate in competitions. The people around me aren’t weak either.”

“Does that mean you’ll resist until the end…. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Of course. I don’t want to perform under an adult who threatens children.”

“Keu, ha, hahahaha!!!”

Sasinhyeok grabbed his stomach and started laughing like a madman.

I frowned and watched him slowly.

“Ah…. Interesting, very!”

He said that and.

Bang!

He slammed the dining table violently.

And thrust his snake-like face forward.

In my field of vision, only his eyes were visible.

“Hee-seong, let me make you a proposal.”

“…What is it?”

“I’ll give you time. Time to prepare to face me.”

“That means….”

“That’s right. I’m proposing a duel to you. The purest and most beautiful raw gem I’ve found!”

I had a feeling I knew who he was talking about.

I muttered quietly.

“Sa Hye-jun….”

But even though I spoke quietly, there were only two people in the room—me and Sasinhyeok.

He heard my muttering and opened his mouth.

“That’s right.”

Sasinhyeok raised his bent torso and continued his story.

“I’m going to make that child into the most brilliant jewel. For that to happen, he’ll need to be broken quite a bit.”

“…That’s.”

“I’ll strike the child relentlessly with the hammer called money. And Hee-seong, you’ll be the final hammer.”

“Why should I play such a role?”

He smiled wickedly and said.

“Because you’re the one who surpasses Hye-jun. Just look at today, for instance.”

“That was just what the judges decided…!”

“They have ears too. Experience can’t be ignored either. That’s why you’ll make a very powerful hammer.”

Sasinhyeok knelt on one knee.

Now our eye levels were perfectly aligned.

He was smiling softly.

If I looked at my expression in a mirror right now, it would probably show someone trying desperately to contain their anger.

“Will you accept my proposal?”

He asked.

At the same time, he extended his hand as if requesting a handshake.

I felt disgusted by that gesture.

Absolutely.

An absolutely unforgivable rage was slowly boiling up inside me.

“I….”

I looked at him and spoke.

In a voice I had never used before, throughout both past and present.

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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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