Chapter 49: I Became the Older Brother of a Top Star

‘I never thought things would turn out like this.’

I suddenly found myself about to perform an orchestral piece.

No, to be precise, I was about to conduct an orchestral piece.

‘And I’m not even in the conducting department.’

I had only composed the piece; I never intended to conduct it myself.

However, Mr. Yang Taehoon strongly insisted that I had to conduct it.

He said it was a necessary experience for becoming a great musician.

“I already have so much to do.”

I was in the middle of preparing an album with Yuna, and now I had to practice with the orchestra.

The schedule did get a bit tight, but—

“It will be interesting.”

When would I ever get the chance to conduct an orchestra and perform a piece myself?

It was worth experiencing at least once.

“So, you’re telling me you’re going to perform this with the orchestra?”

Yuna frowned as she examined the score, then put it down.

“Ugh. I can’t do this. Just looking at it makes me dizzy. Why are there so many notes? And there are so many symbols I don’t understand.”

“But you said you’re going to apply to Jeonho Preparatory School. You need to know this stuff.”

“Huh? R-really? What do I do? Can I not go?”

She was acting as if she had already failed the exam, even though she hadn’t taken it yet.

But I wasn’t particularly worried.

After all, Yuna was going to major in vocals, so her singing skills would ultimately determine her exam results.

And I knew—

Yuna had a voice like an angel.

If anyone heard her beautiful live performance, they would be completely captivated.

“It’s fine. I was just joking. You have a great voice, you know.”

“Yeah, but there are so many people who can sing well in this country. And what if I get nervous and my voice sounds like a frog’s?”

“A frog?”

“Yeah, like this.”

Yuna was making a sound that was somewhere between a duck and a frog.

I tried not to laugh, but I couldn’t help it and burst out laughing.

“This would get at least 5 million views on NewTube. Really.”

I wanted to take out my phone right then and record her to show everyone.

But then—

“Hey! Jung Yoon-sung!”

I thought there was no lesson practice today, but Professor Lee Jang-won entered the practice room.

“Professor? I thought you weren’t coming today?”

“Huh— I canceled my schedule today to come here.”

His face showed a mix of anger and amusement.

“You made an orchestral piece without telling me?”

Sure enough, school connections can’t be ignored.

It seems Professor Lee Jang-won’s network within the school is still active.

“When did you hear about it?”

“I always tell you, you’re in the palm of my hand. I know everything you do at school.”

“That’s a violation of privacy—”

“Don’t talk about violations. Did I have to hear about such a score from someone else?”

“I’m sorry. I thought it would cause trouble if I asked for your help.”

“Tsk. If you say it like that, I don’t have much to say— But, are you never going to show me that score?”

“Of course not.”

I handed the score I was checking to Professor Lee Jang-won.

“This is my first time, so I’m still quite embarrassed, Professor.”

“True. I haven’t taught you this yet. Wait, where did you learn this? Who is it? Who would dare to teach someone else’s student without manners—!”

I calmed down the agitated Professor Lee Jang-won.

He put aside the joke and looked at the score seriously.

“Just take a look.”

If he didn’t like it, he might tear the score to pieces.

Usually, Professor Lee Jang-won would always point out small mistakes and errors, but—

“Hmm.”

Today, he was unusually quiet.

He slowly turned the pages, carefully examining the score.

After a heavy silence, Professor Lee Jang-won called me over.

“Yoon-sung.”

“Yes.”

“Does this piece have a title?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“‘Iyo.’”

That day, when I played the piece spontaneously, it felt like something inside me was screaming to be released.

That passionate voice created a virtual orchestra, and I composed the piece according to the intense emotions.

The title was like a liberation of what was inside me.

“The title is quite fitting, or maybe it’s subtle. I like it. But what did Mr. Yang Taehoon say when he saw this?”

“He said he would put together an orchestra and asked me to conduct and perform this piece.”

“What? Really? Yang Taehoon said that?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not even in the conducting department.”

“I know.”

“But he asked you to conduct?”

The professor burst out laughing.

“Wow. It seems Yang Taehoon really liked it. Usually, he would pass the conducting to someone he teaches.”

I thought he would do that, but Mr. Yang Taehoon assigned the conducting to me.

“Then are you going to learn conducting from Yang Taehoon?”

“Yes. He said he would guide me. And the orchestra members haven’t been decided yet, so we don’t know when we’ll start.”

“Hmm. Jeonho Preparatory School often puts together orchestra members for ensemble practice. The question is how well you can adapt. The most important thing in an orchestra is actually the conductor, not the performers.”

I learned this through my music studies.

The conductor is a crucial figure in an orchestra.

I used to think anyone could be a conductor.

It looked like they were just standing in the middle of the orchestra, waving their arms, and dancing to the rhythm.

But an orchestra can’t function without a conductor.

“I don’t know the skill level of the students in your school, but usually, an orchestra only practices for two to four days when they gather.”

Once they reach the level of a symphony orchestra, it’s a professional world.

People often think that orchestra members practice for months before a concert.

But that’s not the case.

They usually finish practice in about two days and then perform on stage.

Is that possible? Surprisingly, it is.

It’s a common practice in the professional world.

“Wow. They only practice for that long? How do they perform? And they don’t just play one piece, right?”

“That’s what makes them professionals. Actually, you don’t have to go far. Even in college, ensemble practices often happen the day before the performance. But the reason this is possible is because of the conductor’s ability to coordinate.”

The conductor, who maintains the balance of the orchestra, makes such an extreme practice method possible.

“The performers can quickly learn a piece in about two days, but the conductor needs to study the piece for at least a few weeks beforehand and interpret it in their own way. If the conductor doesn’t coordinate the orchestra well on the practice day, the performance can be disastrous.”

That’s why, even with a renowned and talented orchestra, the quality changes when the conductor changes.

People with some classical music experience often decide whether to buy concert tickets based on who the conductor is.

The world of music is truly mysterious.

“At first, you’ll experience a lot of panic. Even the most talented and capable conductors find it difficult at first. Everything will feel unfamiliar.”

I was a bit worried, but worrying now wouldn’t change anything, so I decided to just face it.

“In that sense, why don’t we try practicing together?”

“Huh?”

“My precious student can’t go out and embarrass himself. Even though it’s late, I should at least help you a little.”

With that, Professor Lee Jang-won started looking for something in the practice room.

“Let’s see. It should be here— Ah, found it.”

He pulled out a violin.

“It’s been a while.”

Despite saying it had been a while, the case looked clean and dust-free.

“Well, I haven’t played much, but I’ve always taken good care of the violin.”

He then glanced at the score.

Is he really going to practice with me?

“The score shows that the piano and violin parts are the most frequent. Usually, conductors practice this way. They focus on the parts with the most content and practice in a simplified manner. They imagine how to coordinate and how to continue the performance.”

He seemed determined to teach me properly.

“Still, as my student, shouldn’t you learn from me before learning from Yang Taehoon?”

“I’m fine with that.”

I sat at the piano to practice with Professor Lee Jang-won for the first time.

“Brother, the score?”

Yuna sat next to me to watch.

She seemed ready to turn the pages for me.

“It’s fine. I don’t need the score.”

“Huh? You memorized it all?”

“Of course. It’s my piece.”

Professor Lee Jang-won looked at the score a few times and touched the violin—

“I’m ready.”

True to his professional nature, he was quickly prepared.

With a pounding heart, I slowly placed my hands on the keys.

# # #

‘Yang Taehoon must have been tempted.’

I felt it as soon as I saw the introduction of the score.

As Yang Taehoon said, this piece was of a very high level.

I also understood why he suspected Jung Yoon-sung.

For a brief moment, even Professor Lee Jang-won had similar doubts.

Maybe Yoon-sung had a secret teacher—

‘But just because he’s good at composing—’

It doesn’t mean he’s good at conducting.

Conducting is a different role.

That’s why composers rarely conduct their own pieces.

Even the famous Beethoven and Mozart didn’t conduct their own symphonies.

They could give feedback, but the interpretation and handling of the piece were the conductor’s responsibility.

Ding—!

The performance began.

Even while looking at the score, I could feel the grand introduction.

It immediately heightened the immersion.

As I got lost in the introduction, the piece quickly flowed, captivating the listener.

‘Was it intentional, or did he do it instinctively?’

Either way, both were impressive.

‘Let’s see—’

Now it was the violin’s turn.

From the start, it was a fast and passionate performance, but the violin played smoothly, like cooling down a madly spinning engine.

‘What a great title.’

Liberation.

As the piece progressed, Professor Lee Jang-won could feel the sense of liberation it expressed.

But—

‘Huh?’

According to the score, the piano should come in a bit later.

But Jung Yoon-sung suddenly started an aggressive piano performance.

‘What’s going on?’

Caught up in it, Professor Lee Jang-won had to increase his speed.

If he continued at the same rhythm, he would be swept away by the tsunami Yoon-sung created, and the piece would fall apart.

‘Is he mistaken about the score?’

He glanced at Yoon-sung.

But Yoon-sung—

“—!”

Was staring at Professor Lee Jang-won with wide eyes.

From his gaze, it was clear—

Yoon-sung wasn’t mistaken about the score.

He had adapted the score to fit the piano and violin.

‘Is this kid—’

Yoon-sung was conducting.

Conducting doesn’t always mean standing in front and waving a baton.

It can also be done through performance.

Emphasizing his rhythm and music, Yoon-sung’s performance charged forward without hesitation.

‘Indeed—’

I just wanted to show him that conducting isn’t easy, but now I feel like I’ve been hit.

‘This kid knows how to surprise people.’

Although it was the first time playing this piece today, Professor Lee Jang-won desperately continued to keep up with his student.