Chapter 104
Growl, growl.
A performance hall with 20 students gathered. There was still a long way to go until the first day of practice. This was a meeting to get to know each other in advance, so we gathered in a moderately sized practice room with a single piano. The students who knew each other's faces greeted each other warmly and expressed their joy at being able to participate in this event.
"Wow, you came too!" "Oh, you're joining too? This is getting really popular." "Why?" "Look at the members."
A female student said that when she saw the students gathered and talking to each other.
"I'm a member of the orchestra. Although it's a small orchestra." "Um… I see." "I heard the rumor that Nam Soo-hyun composed the song, so I expressed my interest in participating, but I didn't get a response. Then, after a week, I suddenly got a call from him. He invited me to participate. I don't know what that means." "Hmm? I guess you thought it over and made up your mind." "Are you stupid?" "What? Are you kidding?" "That's not it! Nam Soo-hyun is going to compose a piece for the orchestra! Nam Soo-hyun is not even in the composition department, but the piano department." "Oh, really?" "The composition department and the professor were also very interested. There are no composition students, but everyone is paying attention." "Is that possible?" "Nam Soo-hyun is a genius, so he can do anything."
Then the door opened and Soo-hyun, Jaehee, and Junwoo entered. Among those gathered, there were students older than the three of them, but they became quiet and straightened up as if they were professors. This was because everyone knew the rumors about Soo-hyun. Jaehee and Junwoo sat in the front row, keeping an eye on their seniors. Soo-hyun stood in front of the piano. The boy saw many students with shining eyes and high expectations placed on him. It was very burdensome, but he still had to open his mouth.
"Hello, everyone."
Since it wasn't a greeting that sought a response, there was no reply. He put his hands together and spoke politely.
"First of all, I would like to thank so many people for joining this good cause."
The students coughed for no reason. In fact, many of them came in later to build a career or something to show off, such as having played in an orchestra with the genius Nam Soo-hyun, so it was a pricking feeling. Soo-hyun closed his eyes for a moment. He had been trying to organize what he wanted to say, but his mind had gone blank.
'Speaking in front of someone is different from playing a piece. Playing a piece exactly according to the score and with a guide is completely different from giving a speech.'
As Soo-hyun caught his breath, Schubert's words echoed in his mind.
'Soo-hyun is a student, and so are they. Be honest and ask for help. Sincerity will help you.'
Soo-hyun opened his eyes and exhaled from deep within his lungs.
"Hello, everyone. I have something to tell you."
The students' attention was focused. Soo-hyun, who had been silently watching the students, smiled. The students who were nervous relaxed at Soo-hyun's smile. Soo-hyun scratched his head and shrugged.
"Actually, I don't know anything other than playing the piano. I only learned the basics of the cello and violin."
The tension was completely relieved.
'I thought that if Nam Soo-hyun was a genius, he would surprise everyone by throwing out an orchestral piece. They thought they would bring out amazing music that they couldn't even get close to, and they said, "I'm on a different level from you guys!"'
Everyone's expectations were wrong. But when I saw the boy's beautiful smile, I no longer felt like criticizing him for doing such a thing. The senior from the violin department, the one who started the rumor that Soo-hyun was in an orchestra, raised her hand. When Soo-hyun politely gestured with his hand as if asking her to speak, the senior stood up and spoke.
"I'm Choi Young-eun from the violin department." "Please speak comfortably, sir." "Oh, is that okay?" "Yes, we're all the same students here."
Yeong-eun looked around. There was no one older than her. Yeong-eun nodded and said.
"So how are you going to compose the song? How about you change the subject and play the original song even now?"
The students were in an uproar.
'Anyway, as long as we can work together, it doesn't matter what song we play. Of course, playing a song by the genius Nam Soo-hyun will be remembered as a great career, but if that doesn't work, it's right to choose the next best thing.'
But Soo-hyun shook his head.
"No. I'm going to make music."
"How? You know that to compose for an orchestra, you have to know how to play all the instruments, right?" Yeong-eun asked on behalf of the students. "Look at the composition department. Even if they don't play the instruments at a high level, they have to know how to play them all. That's the only way to create the structure of the strings."
Soo-hyun said, nodding at Young-eun.
"Can I call you sister?"
Yeong-eun's heart suddenly sank when she was about to argue. As Yeong-eun nodded, her face reddened without her knowing it. Soo-hyun spoke with a bright smile.
"Is Young-eun a violin major?" "Oh...." "I saw him when I was listening to the lecture."
'Really? Thank you.'
Yeong-eun's face turned red.
'What the hell are you grateful for? Remembering me? You idiot!'
Soo-hyun's voice came to Yeong-eun's ears, who seemed to be blaming herself.
"Sister, do you know how to use the violin in a string ensemble?" "Huh? Well, yes. Because it's my major."
Soo-hyun said, nodding his head at another student.
"Is your older sister in the cello department?"
The female student who was in the second row from the front stood up and said,
"Ah, right." "Do you know how the cello is used in a string ensemble?" "Huh." "Then is that okay?"
The students' faces went blank.
'What the hell is going on?'
Soo-hyun spoke as he stroked the piano.
"Someone I hold dear once told me this. Just as I am a student, you are also students. We can all learn together and find out the true meaning of an orchestra."
Students who still didn't know what they were talking about. Yeong-eun, who had been watching Soo-hyun while biting her nails, suddenly opened her eyes wide.
'Surely… Are you going to involve everyone here in the composition of the music? Each part separately?'
The students became noisy when they realized what Soo-hyun was saying to Young-eun.
"Is that possible?" "If there are too many captains, the broth will spoil!" "If you compose like that, you never know how long it will take to finish!" "That's impossible!" "It makes sense if it even has a skeleton!"
Soo-hyun just silently watched the students who were confused and arguing and arguing while stroking the piano. There were several ways to get the public's attention: stomping your feet or making loud noises. But that was not the method I learned from Schubert. It was the method of silently watching. As expected, the chatting students poked each other in the ribs and winked at Soo-hyun, who remained silent. When the room became quiet and people were waiting for his next words, only then did Soo-hyun open his mouth.
"The people in other departments might object if they hear this, but I think the piano is the easiest way to complete the frame of the music."
'There may be some resistance, but it's just pride. Many composers use the piano as a frame for their music. Of course, this excludes pieces composed solely of string instruments. It's common knowledge that popular music composers often use the piano as a frame.'
Soo-hyun told them.
"I will create the overall framework of the song with the piano. I'll do it myself. You can add your own parts to my music to make it even better."
There were cheers among the students, but some still expressed anxiety. Yeong-eun raised her hand again.
"But Soo-hyun, composing is about expressing the story that the composer wants to tell. What if the story you want to tell and the part we create don't fit?"
Soo-hyun laughed shyly. Many hearts ached at that laugh.
"I will fully share with you the feelings that led me to create this song. That way, the music that will be performed will be music for all of us."
'Everyone's music.'
Those words moved the students' hearts. Students in the performance department, not the composition department. They all wished to create their own music, but it was not allowed. This was because they were taking lessons that would help them become performers.
"Our music?" one of the students muttered. "We're also participating in the composition?" another muttered. "If Soohyun creates the frame…" someone took it.
Yeong-eun, who was looking at Soo-hyun with serious eyes, nodded.
"It's possible."
Although it was the words of Young-eun, who was neither the leader of the students nor just a senior, it seemed that everyone was waiting for someone to say those words. The atmosphere changed in an instant.
"I never thought I would get a chance to compose a song." "Is it a dream? Are we really doing it?" "Okay, let's show it to the composers and the seniors who always look down on us, as if they're above us!" "If you work with Soohyun, you can do it! If you have the frame, you can do it!" "Alright! Let's do it!"
The number of students who clapped, rubbed their hands, or clenched their fists was increasing. Mass psychology was scary. There were still students who were clearly anxious, but they were swept away by the atmosphere and changed their mindset to "I don't know, let's just give it a try." Soo-hyun gave a slight bow to Yeong-eun, who had created this atmosphere.
"Alright, everyone. I'll let you know when the frame for a single song is complete. See you then."
The students stood up and packed their bags at the same time, as if the professor had ended the class, even though he was not a professor and was younger than them. Perhaps because there were not many opportunities to see Soo-hyun up close, all the students who passed by and looked at Soo-hyun as they left were gone, leaving only Jaehee, Junwoo, and Young-eun behind. When Soo-hyun saw Young-eun still standing after everyone had left, he approached her. Young-eun stood up and spoke first.
"First, an apology." "Yes?" "I heard the rumor that you were going to perform. I started it."
Junwoo and Jaehee looked surprised. Jaehee's expression turned especially fierce. It was as if she had found the culprit of the incident.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that you got into trouble because of me. It wasn't my intention, but it got bigger than I thought, and I'm flustered too."
Soo-hyun's mouth was tightly shut.
'Junwoo, this boy was the reason the plan to have a simple collaboration with Jaehee went wrong. But it doesn't matter. Thanks to that, I had a chance to learn more from Professor Schubert. Besides, it was Yeong-eun who changed the students' mood to one of hope.'
Soo-hyun held out his hand first, asking for a handshake. Yeong-eun hesitated, slightly surprised by Soo-hyun's thick hand. Soo-hyun said as we held hands lightly.
"Honestly, I'm upset."
Yeong-eun flinched. She had never heard that Soo-hyun was angry. She thought he was gentle and soft-spoken, but he got angry when he did.
"I'm sorry…."
"Therefore."
'So are you telling me to get out?'
"Please work as hard as you can."
"Yes, I can't… Huh? What did you say?"
A boy with a bright smile came and took my hand.
"Please work harder than anyone else. You will, won't you?"
"Of course!"
"Okay then."
Soo-hyun let go of his hand. Yeong-eun, who was quietly looking at the hand that Soo-hyun was holding, asked hesitantly.
"Hey… are you forgiving me?"
Soo-hyun said, as he prepared his bag.
"If you work hard, it will work. Not yet."
Although he said that, seeing his expression, it seemed that he had no intention of blaming her anymore. Was it because she was forgiven easily? Yeong-eun's sense of responsibility grew. Yeong-eun, who was habitually biting her nails, looked at Jaehee, who was still looking at her with an angry expression, and then said.
"Hey, Soo-hyun."
"Yes?"
"Even if the composition problem is solved, there are still problems left."
Soo-hyun said as he carried his bag.
"What's the problem?"
"Conducting. There are no conducting students here. You know how important conducting is, right?"
'The importance of conducting. Of course I know.'
Soo-hyun also nodded, as if he was thinking about this part.
"I'll try to get some help."
"Are you going to see your seniors in the conducting department?"
Soo-hyun smiled brightly and gestured to Jaehee and Junwoo to leave.
"Well?"
- - - - -
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