Chapter 65: I Became the Older Brother of a Top Star

“Ugh.”

“Huh? Dad, are you okay?”

“Ah, yeah. I just can’t digest it.”

“Again? Did you take your medicine?”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine soon.”

Should I go to the hospital once?

Lately, I’ve been so busy that I’ve kept putting it off, but my stomach feels more and more uncomfortable.

I should find some time to get a check-up and figure out what’s going on.

Surely, they’ll start by telling me to lose weight.

Jung Young-hoon thought this to himself as he headed to the auditorium entrance with his family.

“Wow, there are so many people.”

Jung Yuna’s mouth dropped open as she watched the crowds continue to pour in from somewhere.

For a mere school concert, there are this many people.

“Sure enough, it’s my high school.”

“...If someone sees you, they might think you’ve already been accepted here.”

With her mother’s reprimand, the daughter laughed and went inside.

“Hey? Could it be Jung Yuna?”

Outside, there were many people, but inside, it was also packed.

“This school’s concert must be quite famous. There really are a lot of people.”

“I heard that many parents and famous people in the music industry come to see this concert?”

“Really? That makes sense. There are many graduates from Jeonho Preparatory School in the cultural field in our country.”

Just as they were about to find seats,

“Hey? Could it be Jung Yuna?”

“Are you the one-day siblings?!”

People who recognized Jung Yuna’s face started to approach her one by one.

“Wow! It’s really you! Did you come to see your brother?”

“I really enjoyed watching it.”

“I became a complete fan after watching the broadcast. When will you appear on the next show?”

“Can we take a photo together?”

Despite the sudden requests from people, Jung Yuna didn’t panic.

“Ah, yes. Thank you. Of course, we can take a photo together!”

While taking photos with a few people, Jung Yuna tried to make the cutest poses possible.

The people taking the photos were very satisfied.

“Please cheer for my brother a lot! And give him lots of applause.”

“Haha. Your love for your brother is amazing. I’ll definitely do that!”

“I actually came to see Jung Yunsung conduct today.”

“Me too!”

Now I understand why there are so many people today. It’s not just because it’s Jeonho Preparatory School’s concert, but also because many people came to see Jung Yunsung conduct.

“Our Yuna, you’ve become a full-fledged celebrity.”

“Hehe. Right? Don’t I look like a celebrity now?”

Jung Young-hoon was so proud and delighted by his daughter that he could hardly contain himself.

At the same time, he was worried.

“Yunsung, that kid. He must be very nervous. It looks like there are quite a few people here to see him.”

Then, Mihye lightly tapped her husband’s shoulder.

“Do you still not know Yunsung? He has a really strong heart. He won’t even blink at something like this.”

“Haha. Yunsung got that from you.”

He’s a very sharp kid, just like his mother.

If Jung Young-hoon himself had to stand in that position, his heart would have been pounding so hard that he wouldn’t have been able to walk properly.

But his proud son, Yunsung, would surely be waiting very calmly for the performance, as he always does.

* * *

“...Maybe I should have taken some Qingxinwan.”

I’ve been feeling nervous since yesterday, and my heart has been beating fast.

I was even breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Conductor, please get ready to go on stage.”

“Ah, yes.”

The members had already gone out and taken their seats, and I was standing quietly behind the curtain on the side of the stage.

And as the signal came, I stepped out—

“Please give a warm welcome! The 1st-year orchestra conductor and the composer of this concert, Jung Yunsung!”

“Wowww!”

The sound of loud applause and cheers filled the air.

Glancing to the side, I saw that the large auditorium was packed with people, not a single seat empty.

‘Crazy.’

The tension I felt was different from when I played the guitar and sang.

Wearing a tuxedo and holding a baton, I bowed to the audience.

I wasn’t singing in front of so many people, but I was conducting an orchestra.

It was a new feeling... or rather, it felt like I was going to throw up from the tension rising from my feet.

“...”

I closed and opened my eyes to calm myself down.

‘It’s okay. I can do this.’

If I falter, the entire orchestra will falter.

The music we’ve practiced will come together through my gestures.

I glanced at the members who were looking at me intently.

They were as nervous as I was, but the aura they exuded was the opposite.

They seemed eager to showcase their skills.

I didn’t resist the aura that was creeping up on me.

I knew I had to accept their aura to become one with the orchestra.

“...”

A heavy silence followed.

The auras that were initially tangled together now merged into one and entered me.

I felt a surge of excitement as I slowly raised the baton.

The tension that had turned my hair white was long gone.

# # #

The piano played softly.

Then, the violin, which had been gradually seeping in, stopped—

Bang!!

All the instruments suddenly burst into a loud sound, making the audience jump.

Like Dvořák’s famous “From the New World,” the intense sound and fast rhythm left no room for boredom.

From the very beginning, the harmony of the instruments captivated the audience.

Most of the people at the concert today often attend classical performances.

For their children’s education, their own hobbies, or to cultivate their cultural knowledge, among other reasons.

By frequently attending such performances, they naturally developed a discerning ear.

They could tell which pieces would resonate with the audience and which ones were too profound and had the opposite effect.

In that sense, this piece was—

“Very outstanding.”

The harmony of the notes, the balance of the instruments, and the meaning the piece aimed to convey.

It felt as if the piece was liberating a life that had been suppressed and suppressed, and achieving freedom.

It was hard to believe that such expressive ability came from a 17-year-old student.

As the storm of the piece raged on, it eventually—

Ding—

Gently settled with the conductor’s concise hand movements.

“...”

Despite the cold winter, I was sweating from the effort of conducting.

As the conductor put down the baton and bowed to the audience,

“Wowww!”

“Bravo!!”

The audience, who had just regained their composure, gave a warm round of applause.

Among them, one person stood out—

“Bravo! Wonderful!!”

Professor Lee Jang-won, who had jumped up from his seat, was cheering more enthusiastically than anyone else.

# # #

Even after the 1st-year orchestra and the conductor had left the stage, the audience’s cheers did not stop.

The requests for an encore were so overwhelming that it made it difficult to proceed with the next performance.

In the end, the school broke the tradition of having the 3rd-year students perform the final encore and assigned it to the 1st-year students.

“Even though they played the same piece, the encore requests must have been quite a challenge for everyone.”

“But thanks to that, we enjoyed a fulfilling performance until the end. Especially the piano solo by Jung Yunsung as the representative was a great way to wrap things up.”

The atmosphere didn’t cool down even after the 1st-year’s encore performance, and eventually, Jung Yunsung came out alone to play a piano solo.

It was a perfect performance, from start to finish, with a clear beginning, development, turn, and conclusion.

“Our professor, you look like you’re about to have a facial spasm.”

“Huh? Haha. For this?”

Professor Lee Jang-won of Seoul University had his shoulders tense and his face full of smiles.

“What do you all think? Our Yunsung, isn’t he amazing?”

“Yes, he’s really impressive.”

“Tsk. If he hadn’t done well today, I was going to tease him for life, but I guess that’s not going to happen.”

“Exactly.”

“Haha. It’s a shame to have such a bad heart.”

“It’s a joke, a joke.”

The professors from various music universities who attended the concert today made comments that were half serious and half joking.

They had come here, like Professor Lee Jang-won, to see their own students.

But it seemed they were more focused on Jung Yunsung than on their own students.

The performance today was flawless in every way.

“Did Jung Yunsung really compose that piece entirely?”

“Did the professor help at all?”

That’s why they had doubts.

How could a 17-year-old create such a piece and give such a performance?

“Everyone, what are you talking about? Of course, Yunsung composed it from start to finish. I didn’t help at all. In fact, he didn’t even tell me he was composing the piece for the concert, for fear that this kind of talk would come up.”

“Wow... So he’s really a genius.”

“The songs he sang before were all his own compositions, right? He really composes everything himself.”

They say that when your in-law buys land, your stomach hurts.

Seeing someone take in a talent-filled student like that, the professors couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.

“But it’s a pity.”

“Huh? What is?”

“Jung Yunsung. As a singer, he’s already achieved great success. Looking at the audience today, there were quite a few people who came to see him. Plus, he’s incredibly handsome. With his composing and singing skills, he might not delve deeply into this field.”

“That’s true. It’s a shame. I thought we might see the birth of a world-class conductor in our country.”

The professors had a point.

With the success of topping the music charts and achieving high ratings on variety shows, the popularity of the one-day siblings was sky-high.

Would someone at the center of such attention delve into the stuffy world of classical music?

Especially when he has already achieved great success in the pop music industry and has a bright future ahead.

“That’s because you don’t know our Yunsung.”

“...What?”

“Our Yunsung is a very ambitious kid. Even if he doesn’t show it, I can tell. Just the pop music industry? No, he won’t be satisfied with just that. He’ll surely try to conquer everything else too.”

“...”

“So, just wait and see how far our Yunsung will go. Haha!”

Is it just boasting, or is it genuine?

It’s not easy to excel in the pop music industry while also aiming for the top in other fields.

Especially in this field, it’s not an easy task.

But since it came from Professor Lee Jang-won, it couldn’t be dismissed so easily.

“Ah! Our Yunsung will be coming out soon. I’ll go first. See you all later.”

Before anyone could say anything, Professor Lee Jang-won hurriedly left the concert hall.

“Is it that good?”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen the professor act like this.”

Just from his hurried steps and expression, one might think he was Jung Yunsung’s father.