Chapter 33 of "Becoming the Older Brother of a Top Star"

“Huh. To master this piece so quickly...”

Professor Lee Jang-won let out a sigh of exasperation.

He then stared at the sheet music of the Turkish March that he had given me.

Mozart’s Turkish March.

It was a piece with a fast tempo and octaves, making it extremely challenging for someone who had only recently started learning the piano and was not even a major.

“Didn’t you start practicing this just over a week ago?”

“Yes.”

In fact, I didn’t even need a week.

I could have mastered it in just one day.

I have Professor Lee Jang-won’s aura, and absorbing it doubles my abilities, so mastering the piece was no problem at all.

However,

“I haven’t mastered it yet.”

“Huh? If this isn’t mastery, then what is it?”

Unlike Professor Lee Jang-won’s thoughts, I don’t think I’ve mastered this piece yet.

“The Turkish March has a lot of repeated sections, but even a small mistake is immediately noticeable. It’s not for nothing that professors use this piece to test technique. But the piece you just played had no mistakes and was technically perfect.”

To others, it might have looked that way.

But that was only possible because I used Professor Lee Jang-won’s aura, his musical knowledge, and skills.

In other words, I was simply copying his performance.

Therefore, I need to be able to play it in my own style, with my own interpretation. Only then can I play the piece skillfully without Professor Lee Jang-won by my side.

A piece that is truly mine, with my own interpretation.

It was a personal desire, but I wanted to make it my own.

“I’ll practice a bit more.”

“Huh. You don’t look like it, but you’re a real perfectionist. Well, music is all about interpretation, so do it your way. Let’s move on to the next piece when you’re satisfied.”

I liked Professor Lee Jang-won’s style.

He never rushed or forced us.

It felt like he was giving us lessons based on what we wanted.

I always thought I had met an excellent teacher.

“Gulp.”

“Yuna, the professor said not to make any gasping sounds while he’s playing the piano. It gives me goosebumps every time.”

“What can I do? It’s hard. Eek.”

Yuna was also practicing a new piece this time.

Frankly, she seemed to have little interest in the piano but still came to the lessons persistently.

“Phew. Yuna, you do this even when you’re doing well. Come on, try it once. The professor will watch you closely.”

“Ahem. If you say so.”

She was particularly weak when it came to compliments.

At first, the professor was disheartened by Yuna’s poor skills, but now he has completely changed.

I give her private lessons on days when there are no lessons with the professor, and her skills have improved significantly, so she now plays quite well.

“If you play well today, the professor will buy you chicken. Oh! Did the chicken commercial you did come out? I should order from there.”

“Wow! Really?”

“Yes. I’ll buy it, so try your best.”

Yuna stretched out her arms.

“Watch closely. I’ll surprise you.”

“Oh, please do.”

Fortunately, the two of them got along very well.

That’s why the professor always approached the lessons with enthusiasm, even though he only had two students.

It was clear that he was sincere, as he would always try to give lessons no matter what.

“Wow, this photo really turned out well. Haha!”

After such a peaceful lesson, the professor really did order double chicken.

Seeing the friendly image of Yuna and me in the packaging box gave a strange feeling.

It felt like we had really become brand models.

“I’ve never laughed while looking at a packaging box and eating food. Let’s eat quickly before it gets cold.”

“Yes! Enjoy my meal!”

“Enjoy your meal, Professor.”

The professor smiled warmly, looking at us eating.

“By the way, Yuna.”

He asked me,

“Where do you plan to go for high school?”

High school.

To be honest, I hadn’t thought much about it.

“What about your grades?”

My grades... well...

Then Yuna shouted,

“Our big brother is a genius, a perfect score!”

“...What?”

“She seems to be saying her grades are very high.”

“Oh.”

Yuna quickly drank a sip of cola and swallowed the chicken.

“Our big brother was also the top of the class this time.”

“Oh, really? Wow, you’re good at both studies and music.”

“Huh?”

“Have you ever thought about going to an arts high school?”

An arts high school?

“You’ll learn a lot there. Especially at Jeonho Arts High, it’s where the best talents in Korea gather.”

Jeonho Arts High, the best arts high school in Korea.

I know it’s important for both academic and practical skills, but I don’t know much more.

That’s because I’ve never looked into it.

In my previous life, I just went with the flow and entered a regular high school without looking into arts high schools.

It felt like a place in its own league, detached from reality.

“Since you’re good at studies, your academic record should be solid, right?”

Your recent grades are good, but your overall record isn’t great.

“Of course, it’s not just about academic records. This place puts a lot of emphasis on practical skills. In fact, there have been cases where students with average grades got in because of their excellent practical exams. Music isn’t directly tied to academic performance.”

Still, they must look at academic records to some extent.

And you’d have to prepare for both written and practical exams...

It was a bit daunting, but,

“Going there would be beneficial for you. If you want to pursue music, meeting diverse and talented people is very important.”

Listening to Professor Lee Jang-won, his words made sense.

Diverse people.

Especially diverse geniuses.

Jeonho Arts High is where the best talents in Korea gather.

I became curious.

What kind of auras do these people have?

What happens when their auras meet?

My curiosity grew, stimulating my interest.

“I’ll try to prepare for it.”

“Great! Good thinking. Who else would go to an arts high school if not a genius like you? There’s a lot to learn there. It’s also great for building connections. Of course, studying abroad is good too...”

“Huh? Does big brother have to go abroad?”

At that moment, Yuna dropped the chicken leg she was eating.

Her face was filled with shock.

“Well, if you want to study music further, you might go abroad.”

“...”

Yuna, with a very serious face, asked the professor earnestly,

“Professor, do you think I would have a hard time getting into an arts high school?”

“...Huh? Haha.”

The professor scratched his head, looking flustered.

“It might be tough with the piano.”

Yuna’s shoulders slumped.

However,

“But you can also try for vocals. Jeonho Arts High has a practical music vocal major, which is rare in Korea. So, it’s very competitive.”

Yuna’s eyes sparkled at this.

“If you aim for that, you’ll need to study hard from now on. Vocals require a lot of academic performance.”

“I see.”

Yuna nodded and tore off a piece of chicken.

Her jaw, chewing vigorously, showed determination.

“And from the current trend, it seems like you two will debut as singers soon. Many students at arts high schools become celebrities. But even if you debut, you can’t neglect your studies.”

That was true.

We didn’t plan to slack off in our studies even if we debuted as singers.

I certainly didn’t plan to pressure Yuna with a busy schedule.

Our father would probably oppose that too.

“Ah, it was delicious. I enjoyed my meal!”

Yuna patted her full stomach.

“I enjoyed my meal, Professor.”

“Yeah, you didn’t leave a single piece. Were there two chickens?”

“Hehe. I was really hungry.”

After finishing two chickens, we quickly prepared to leave.

The professor looked at us with surprise.

“Huh? No extra practice today? You usually stay late to practice after the lesson.”

“Ah, we have something important today.”

“Something important?”

“Yes. So, we need to leave now.”

Yuna and I had planned something.

We were going to do it today.

“Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing I can do.”

The professor didn’t try to stop us.

He knew we would do well on our own without being told.

“Then we’ll go.”

“Be careful.”

“Yeah, big brother. Let’s go quickly.”

We quickly left the practice room, gathering the equipment we had brought.

With our stomachs full, we felt like anything we did today would go well.

# # #

The streets of Hongdae, always bustling with people.

Couples, friends, students, and dreamers.

As night fell, the signs lit up, and the neon lights colored the streets, filling them with music.

Loud music from shops, bands busking and sharing their music with a few people, and BJs gathering crowds for live broadcasts.

The charm of this street was the joy found in the noisy and chaotic atmosphere.

“What should we listen to today?”

“I saw on NewTube that a few places are broadcasting today.”

“Hmm. I don’t like it when it’s too crowded. How about we walk around and see if we find a good busker?”

People wandering the streets to watch street performances.

They would look for buskers and stop to enjoy the music that matched their mood.

If they liked it, they would record a video to keep.

“Hmm?”

Then, in the distance, two people were seen setting up chairs and a guitar, preparing to do something.

They looked like they didn’t have much busking experience.

Under normal circumstances, they might have just walked by.

“Should we go check it out?”

“Yeah, I was about to suggest that.”

“Don’t those two people catch your eye?”

Even from a distance, their silhouettes seemed unusual.

It’s said that beautiful and handsome people can be recognized from afar.

These two were especially so.

And as they got closer,

“Oh... Oh...”

People’s eyes widened as they recognized the familiar faces.

“Is that... that brother and sister?”

“Right? The chicken lovers. That brother and sister?”

“Wow! It’s really them?”

The brother and sister, Jeong Yoon-sung and Jeong Yuna, who started a craze with their cute song about chicken lovers in a Hongdae karaoke room.

The two were shyly drawing people’s attention on the street.

Chapter 34