Chapter 10

Unable to keep the standoff going indefinitely, the newly arrived group entered to speak with Seojin.

However, Seojin cut the situation short by standing up.

They would probably try to persuade him with the same old talk. He didn’t want to waste time on such matters.

“I have to go now. I’ll think about it after discussing with my mother and get back to you.”

His unusually decisive attitude left the adults, who had rushed in, unable to utter a single word to stop him, leaving them in a helpless state.

* * *

Seonhee was so proud of her son that she wanted to boast about him to everyone.

Though there was no particular place to boast, her mouth couldn’t help but stay open in recent days.

“Seojin, do you really not need it?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I can borrow a violin from the gifted school, or get support through foundations.”

The new violin was something she had decided to buy for her grateful and proud son, despite the cost.

The existing violin was a cheap practice model, and honestly, it didn’t match Seojin’s level.

Seonhee had saved for years, even breaking her fixed deposit, to buy him a proper violin.

But Seojin insisted it wasn’t necessary and refused.

He knew very well how hard his single mother had worked to earn money. He couldn’t spend such hard-earned money recklessly.

“Still… I just want to do something for you.”

“This is enough.”

As a result, the two headed to Nokwon Market.

Even if not a violin, she wanted to buy him the necessary accessories for practice.

“Strings, rosin, shoulder rest, chin rest… Oh, should we get a new bow? Last time, I saw other kids carrying two as spares.”

Seojin didn’t refuse this time. He knew his mother wouldn’t easily change her mind.

“Welcome!”

The shop owner greeted them warmly as they entered the music store.

Since they only needed a few accessories, they hadn’t looked for a specific store and just entered the first one they came across.

“What instrument are you looking for, ma’am? Is it for this student?”

“Yes. My son got into a gifted school, hehe. He plays the violin.”

Seonhee started talking without being asked.

“Oh, a gifted school… You must be really good, huh?”

The owner asked with an extremely friendly smile, but Seojin silently examined the instruments. Even though they weren’t buying an instrument, his eyes were naturally drawn to them.

“He started not long ago, but he has talent.”

Seonhee answered for him.

“Oh, I see. Which gifted school?”

“He got into several. HanYeong, YeDang, and the one run by the school or the education office….”

Seonhee answered again. Seojin felt a bit hurt, as if his mother was being informal with the owner.

“It’s nothing special.”

He added belatedly, but Seonhee had already said a lot.

The shop owner thought it was just exaggerated praise.

HanYeong and YeDang are prestigious places. Getting into all of them?

Moreover, it wasn’t even the admission or application period, and he wasn’t already attending them, but had just been accepted.

“Hmm. I see. Your son must be very talented.”

People who boast about their children are not rare. The owner just smiled and went along with it.

In any case, it was a good thing for overcharging. The excited parents would happily open their wallets.

“Then… you can look at the instruments over here.”

“We’re not looking for instruments, just accessories.”

Seojin’s words were a cold splash of water.

“Hmm?”

“We want to buy strings, rosin, a shoulder rest, and maybe a new bow if there’s a good one.”

The owner didn’t show his disappointment. A good bow alone would cost a fortune.

Seojin chose the strings first.

“How much is this?”

He picked the Dominant, known as the "people's strings," and an additional E string.

He already knew the price.

But the owner’s answer was different from what he expected.

“Really? What about the shoulder rest? And this rosin….”

Again, the answer was out of his expected range.

Or rather, it was within the expected range of being overpriced.

In his previous life, Seonhee was busy, so Seojin often visited Nokwon Market. He knew these prices well.

“Is this the price for the shoulder rest? Even if it’s Wolf (brand name), it’s too expensive, isn’t it?”

Seonhee’s eyes subtly trembled, though she tried not to show it.

Those seemingly insignificant black accessories cost tens of thousands of won? And a tiny piece of rosin also cost tens of thousands of won.

What about the strings? They cost tens of thousands of won per set, and the E string was separate. The replacement cycle was very short due to the high practice volume.

Even without buying a violin, it was already nerve-wracking.

Not to mention, there were lesson fees and sheet music costs. If the gifted school wasn’t free, it would have been impossible. He understood why support was desperately needed for string instruments, which were so expensive.

“Student, you don’t know…,”

“It’s fine. We can buy these online. Show me the bows.”

Originally, he planned to buy online, but his mother insisted on coming together to choose a bow.

“Ah, ma’am. We have to pay rent and other expenses… We can’t be cheaper than online….”

The owner quickly tried to explain, fearing Seonhee would leave, and led Seojin to the bows.

“Here, take your time. Even if online is good, you should try the bow and instrument yourself.”

Seojin hesitated for a moment about leaving but decided to look around more. He needed to compare prices with other stores.

Seojin carefully examined the bows.

“Student, can I ask what kind of instrument you’re using?”

The owner subtly asked.

“Why?”

It was a natural question. The bow should match the instrument’s level.

Of course, the owner had his own intentions.

Seojin had brought his violin to try the shoulder rest, and the case looked cheap to the owner.

If it were an expensive violin, the case would be a well-known brand worth at least a hundred thousand won.

“Why not buy an instrument? If you buy together, I can give you a good bow. Buying just a bow is a waste of money.”

The owner subtly handed him an instrument.

“Here, try it out.”

Seojin silently took the instrument. To properly assess the bow’s quality, it was better to use a good instrument rather than his cheap one.

* * *

“…!”

The moment Seojin drew the bow once,

The owner was startled and forgot what he was about to say. Just a single stroke produced an incredibly clear sound.

He had seen many music students in his business. He could tell the skill level just by a single stroke.

But in 30 years of running the shop, this was the first time he heard such a sound.

“Eh, eh….”

Good. It’s in tune….

While the owner muttered a slightly inadequate compliment, Seojin took a proper stance.

What piece should he play? He didn’t need to think long.

Monti’s Czardas.

The slow melody carried a deep sorrow.

The heart-wrenching melody of the gypsy, the violin’s sound that evoked a sense of tragedy, tore at the heart.

The owner was stunned by the sudden wave of melody.

This expression, this emotion… It was not something a child could produce.

Seojin’s fingers moved along the strings, sliding up and down, sometimes softly, sometimes mournfully, creating waves of sound.

The poignant melody that moved between low and high notes.

Tears welled up in Seonhee’s eyes as she listened in a daze.

Why did he suddenly come to mind?

While listening to her son’s violin, Seonhee vividly recalled past memories.

The cruel man who died suddenly before their wedding.

She was already pregnant with his child…

Strangely, while her eyes were moist, a smile bloomed on her lips. The deceased was no longer a painful memory but a cherished one.

It was all thanks to her well-grown son.

After sending away her fiancé, she did everything to raise her child. She lived diligently enough to be proud of herself.

Her son had grown up to be so mature and admirable.

The slow melody ended, and the fast-paced second half began.

Seojin, finishing with a brilliant finale, noticed his mother’s tears and approached her in surprise.

“Mom…! Why are you…?”

Seonhee quickly wiped her tears.

“No, I’m just so proud of you. You’re so good… Our son is so admirable.”

She waved her hands, saying she was fine, but her voice was choked with emotion.

“Mom, are you suddenly not feeling well?”

“No, really, I’m fine. Son, it’s not that…,”

“I can’t. Mom. Let’s go out… um, let’s rest and have a good meal.”

Shocked by his mother’s tears, Seojin only thought about comforting her. He put down the bow and everything else and led his mother out by the hand.

Ding.

The small bell on the door rang as the two left.

“…Oh, no…!”

The shop owner, who had been stunned, finally came to his senses and regretted it.

Thinking only about selling at a high price, he missed recognizing such a treasure… If he had made a good connection, he might have had a loyal customer for a long time…!

The owner’s regretful gaze followed the corridor where the two had disappeared.

It was truly the first time he had heard such a performance.

He was even more regretful that no one else could hear it because the door to the corridor was closed.

* * *

When Seojin returned to school after the weekend, Choi Ji-hyun, who had heard about the competition, greeted him warmly.

“You did really well, didn’t you?”

“It’s all thanks to the teacher. Thank you.”

Seojin decided to go to HanYeong. It was a much better outcome than initially planned.

Thinking about the education office’s gifted program, he realized why it didn’t immediately come to mind—it was a half-forgotten, half-failed program.

Actually, the reason Seojin thought it was worth trying was that it was a new program run by the education office, not a prestigious institution, and seemed to have less competition.

In any case, thanks to that, he ended up going to HanYeong, a very satisfying result.

‘The curriculum at HanYeong is unparalleled…’

Not only does it offer one-on-one education with famous professors, but graduates can also apply to HanYeong’s arts program through a special admission process, among other benefits.

“Starting next week, right? You won’t come after school anymore?”

“I’ll still visit occasionally.”

The HanYeong gifted program runs separately on Saturdays, so it doesn’t interfere with school life.

The after-school classroom was originally a place for him to practice alone, so there was no reason to stop going.

“Okay. Work hard.”

“Yes, I really want to learn properly this time.”

He had no intention of becoming complacent just because of his special ability. Instead, he wanted to use it to deepen his music.

“This time?”

“There is.”

Seojin smiled.

His handsome face and charming smile created a warm atmosphere. It was a prematurely mature and handsome look for a fifth-grader.

* * *

“Is that kid the one?”

“The new fifth-grader?”

“What’s his name… Han Seojin, I think.”

“He’s only been learning for a short time, but they say he’s really good.”

The prodigious violinist has returned.