Chapter 3

However, the one who had made the sound seemed oblivious to the reactions around her and continued to do her work quietly.

The bow, which had been slowly drawn, was now moving again to tune. With her left hand, she tightened and loosened the strings, adjusting them to a perfect fifth harmony.

The bowing of the open strings (strings played without pressing the left hand) was so natural that she couldn't help but open her mouth in amazement as she watched the child.

Then, the perfect fifth harmony finally fell into place.

Rumble—

At that moment, a wave of indescribable perfection spread out, unlike anything heard before.

Choi Ji-hyun, who had been listening in a daze, was deeply moved by the resonance of a single note. Even though it was just a simple fifth harmony, it felt as if someone had touched her heart.

‘...What is this feeling...’

Of course, it's not impossible for a single note to stir the soul, but still, this...

The sound she had just heard seemed to be firmly etched in her brain.

How could such a sound...

It was just an open string, but it was unbelievable.

What was the most difficult part of teaching at the school?

It wasn't managing the unruly students or preparing for classes.

It was enduring the terrible sounds made by absolute beginners.

The unique screeching sound of scraping the strings haphazardly. Even just drawing the open strings, most students could only produce a floating, poorly attached sound.

“Ah, that... Teacher?”

Seo Jin, who had been tuning and slowly practicing scales, scratched his head, realizing the reactions around him.

He hadn't intended to do this, but he couldn't help getting excited...

More importantly, Seo Jin was just as surprised. The tone he produced was astonishing even to himself.

“...Hmm? Ah,”

Choi Ji-hyun, who had been called, snapped out of her daze and answered absentmindedly. Then she asked suddenly.

“Hey, what's your name...”

“Seo Jin. Han Seo Jin.”

Seo Jin, who had also just come to his senses, was originally there to gather information about the gifted school.

“Right. Seo Jin. I have a question...”

“Actually, Teacher, I have a question too.”

Their words came out almost simultaneously.

“Ah, what is it?”

“No, you go first.”

“...Okay. I'm actually looking into the gifted school...”

“Gifted school?”

Choi Ji-hyun nodded, asking herself. Of course, a child like this should be sent to the gifted school to learn properly. It would be a national waste to let such talent go to waste.

“Right. What do you want to know?”

“Yes. First...”

In fact, Seo Jin's reason for wanting to enter the gifted school was simple.

The curriculum taught by top professors was naturally something he expected, but there was something more important.

‘The state-run gifted school is free of tuition.’

At least, that's the case with the National Institute of Music.

Seo Jin hadn't considered the Yedang Gifted Academy from the beginning for that reason. The Yedang Academy had a significant tuition fee.

In response to Seo Jin's question about whether there were other gifted programs he could participate in besides the National Institute of Music, Choi Ji-hyun clapped her hands and answered.

“Right. Starting this year, the Ministry of Education... or some national agency, has set up a new gifted class for arts. It's perfect. The application period is now open. Are you interested?”

“Yes. How do I apply?”

“Hmm, probably each school will recommend candidates, and then there will be a test.”

“I see.”

The mention of tests and selection already made the competitive world sound.

Considering Seo Jin's condition, the intense competition in the arts world wasn't good for stress management.

But it didn't matter.

While it was a hotbed of competition, everything depended on one's mindset.

Seo Jin's goal in joining the gifted school wasn't to compete with others.

He wanted to focus more on the depth of music and his inner self, rather than on external achievements.

He wanted to receive higher-quality lessons at the gifted school for that reason. Even with the memories from his regression, he couldn't learn everything on his own.

While he could quickly catch up to his previous level, what about after that?

He was diagnosed with a rare, incurable disease in the middle of his third year of junior high, just as he was entering his first year of high school.

This was during the period when his musical world was maturing and he was experiencing explosive growth. As a result, his musical growth after that was almost non-existent.

Due to the unfulfilled aspirations from his past life, Seo Jin had a strong desire for musical achievement.

To reach a higher level, lessons were necessary. And it was important to learn as quickly and properly as possible.

“Seo Jin, are you going to apply?”

“Yes.”

“Right. You'll do well. I'll talk to your homeroom teacher. You'll need to tell your parents too. Don't worry about the recommendation letter.”

Choi Ji-hyun was delighted, thinking it was a good idea.

She had just changed her mind. The last time she saw him, she thought he had quite a talent and recommended that he receive proper lessons. But now, she realized he was far beyond that.

Although he had only played a few open strings and practiced scales, that was enough. The importance of scales was a given, and the way he handled the bow and the quality of the sound he produced were clear.

A talented person shows promise from the start. It would be a waste for such a child to go unnoticed in this place.

Although she was currently teaching after-school classes as a side job, she had been a music education major and had been a gifted student herself since childhood. She had the eye to recognize talent, even though she had failed to become a full-time teacher.

“Yes, thank you!”

Fortunately, things seemed to be going smoothly.

* * *

Ding, ting. Ding.

The sound of strings being plucked to adjust the pitch, and then a beautiful melody flowed through the room.

Seo Jin's mother, Han Seon-hee, could tell that the sound was very beautiful, even though she had a tin ear.

However, she couldn't grasp the level of Seo Jin's playing. To her, the sound of a violin was always the elegant sound that occasionally came from the audio system.

She didn't know that the sound of a master's melody was so beautiful, and that the sound of a beginner's playing was nothing like it.

So, her appreciation was simply that her son's playing sounded very good.

It wasn't that she was ignorant. Most people who hadn't heard an amateur's violin playing thought it would be similar to a piano, which can produce a decent sound even when played casually.

‘Is it really that good?’

Recently, her son's behavior was very different from usual.

He spent the whole day wrestling with his violin, and he looked both serious and very happy.

The fact that he could focus on something for so long was impressive. Han Seon-hee smiled proudly, thinking that her son really did have exceptional talent, as his teacher had said.

Meanwhile, Seo Jin, who had been locked in his room for hours, was lost in thought with a serious expression.

‘Definitely something is different.’

The incident during the after-school class a few days ago.

It was surprising even to Seo Jin. His original self was far from being able to produce such a sound.

Even at his peak, it would have been difficult, let alone with his current, less skilled body.

But not only that day, but ever since then, he had produced a different sound.

Did he gain some special ability through regression?

That unique experience at the last moment must have had some effect.

‘What was it, really?’

The imagery created by the sound... the feeling of experiencing the sound not just through hearing, but through all five senses.

Even when he thought back to that day, the unique sensation wasn't just felt by him.

The sound that day had a special effect, touching the heart deeply, and the emotional waves were unconsciously felt by others.

In other words, the sound that reached the other person, the emotional colors it stirred, came back to him completely.

‘Was it a moment of enlightenment, triggered by something at the brink of death...’

Is this what so-called genius musicians experience?

He didn't think of himself as a genius, even if he had gained some special ability, but he couldn't help but think so.

Anyway, he couldn't clearly express it, but he was certain that something was different from before.

‘I wish I could feel it again...’

It was a pity, but the depth of the sound had changed so much that it was already a surprising development.

Knock.

“Seo Jin, it's time to eat~”

It had been four hours. The outside was pitch black, and it was well past dinner time.

“Ah, it's already...”

“Aren't you hungry?”

“I am. I can't play anymore because I'm hungry.”

He hadn't realized he was hungry until now.

“Well, you should eat... Being too focused isn't good either. Take it easy. Come, let's eat.”

Seo Jin just smiled in response.

A short while later, mother and son sat down to a modest meal.

“Is the violin that interesting? Do you like it that much?”

“Hmm... I don't know.”

It was a casual question, but Seo Jin couldn't answer easily. Music was more than just something he liked; it was something more.

People often compare music to a 'world.'

It was the same for Seo Jin.

It had always been like that, but even more so after his regression. For him, music was not just a medium to express the world or a means to communicate with it; it was the world itself.

The world created by music.

Of course, there was still a long way to go to reach that level, but it was a matter of time and effort. He had always been someone who worked hard, to the point where people called him a prodigy.

“I just feel drawn to it. The unique tone.”

“Ha ha. I didn't know our son would get so hooked. I should have encouraged it earlier.”

Seo Jin looked at his mother's apologetic face with a new feeling.

“No, it's fine.”

She was still in her thirties, a young age.

Although she was much healthier than before his regression, she must have gone through a lot of hardship raising him alone.

“By the way, the homeroom teacher mentioned the gifted school. Is that true?”

“Yes. I was going to tell you. The orchestra teacher recommended me strongly.”

He had returned as a genius violinist.