Chapter 5

"Seojin, I'm really sorry... The situation is a bit complicated."

Choi Ji-hyun, who had called Seojin, had a very troubled expression.

"...? What happened?"

"Well..."

To summarize her words, it turned out that there was already a student who had been internally selected to receive the school's recommendation. There was a famous violinist in the 6th grade who had already received the principal's recommendation letter and was set to participate. Seojin had only recently joined this situation.

"This selection process involves first choosing candidates at the school level... So, you need the principal's recommendation letter to apply."

In other words, from the organization's perspective, if anyone could apply, the reception office wouldn't be able to screen them all, so they wanted the schools to do the initial filtering. Given the already strained administrative resources, it was impossible to listen to all the performances of so many applicants.

"Actually, I don't really understand it either, and I want to argue... Limiting the number of students per school is unreasonable. Talented students could be concentrated in one school, and it's unfair that they have to be pushed out without a chance..."

If they allocated different numbers of recommendation letters based on the school district, it would lead to discrimination and chaos.

Seojin calmly replied, thinking to herself.

"That's true. What can we do about the policy? It would have been better if they had made the application process more reasonable..."

The education office, of course.

"..."

Choi Ji-hyun felt even more upset at Seojin's response. It was strange, but seeing Seojin accept the situation so calmly, when it was her own issue, made her feel even worse.

"But, I don't plan to back down easily."

Despite saying that, Seojin must have been deeply disappointed... Ji-hyun's eyes widened, filled with a desire to help and a sense of regret.

"Isn't it worth a try?"

"…!"

That was true. They could demand a formal competition for a fair selection of the recommendation letter.

However, the other student was a 6th grader preparing for a specialized middle school... How could Seojin, who had just started learning the violin, possibly win against someone who had been learning since childhood?

Thinking realistically.

But Choi Ji-hyun had a near certainty. Seojin could definitely do it.

Although she was still like a rough, unpolished gem... This child seemed capable of achieving it.

"Great idea! Let's prepare a piece and do our best!"

Even if Seojin's sound was good, a competition was a different story. Special lessons were necessary to perform on stage.

But that was just Ji-hyun's worry.

* * *

Squeak. Squeak.

Screech.

Squawk.

This was the sound of a violin, made by a beginner who had just started learning.

Seojin genuinely admired the teacher, hearing the endless screeching sounds from all around.

Ah... This is true sound kungfu.

My ears are bleeding. There's no one better than a master of sound kungfu from a martial arts novel.

It would be better to practice alone in a corner, but there was no other place to practice besides here.

Seojin closed her eyes to concentrate and blocked out the surrounding sounds. With determination, she could maintain focus in any situation.

First, scales (scale practice).

The most basic and boring practice, but essential for building a solid foundation.

Of course, for Seojin, it was more about quickly strengthening her fingers.

She practiced the 24 major and minor scales and arpeggios, varying them with slurs, accents, and other techniques, and applied different bowing methods like staccato, spiccato, and saltato.

She didn't skip the scale practice for each position and shifting scales.

Next, double stops.

Thirds, fifths, octaves, tenths... The practice seemed endless.

'That ability. What was it exactly?'

At the same time, thoughts about the 'special ability' wouldn't leave her mind.

Perhaps it was just the result of the common expression in art, a technique of conveying emotion...

But it was different. Seojin instinctively knew.

It wasn't just a matter of technique, but something more.

...She was curious. What exactly was it? How did she get it, and could she do it again at will?

But after a few attempts, she couldn't control it.

She thought about delving into it, but at this point, it felt like it would only hinder her practice, so she put it aside.

It wasn't urgent, and she didn't want to rely solely on that ability.

If her music matured enough, she might naturally realize it as her world deepened and matured.

For now, she was just grateful and happy for the new opportunity.

Seojin truly enjoyed all of this. The chance to make music freely again, the endless world to explore, brought her immense joy.

Even as she drew the bow, her desire grew stronger. She wanted to explore music more deeply and understand it better. It was a deep thirst that no one could quench.

'Maybe the reason I was brought back was this deep, lingering attachment.'

"..."

Watching her, Choi Ji-hyun gave up on understanding Seojin.

It was mind-boggling just to watch. With that level of effort and determination, even a dullard could achieve greatness, let alone a natural genius. The combination of effort and talent would surely produce remarkable results.

Once, she had wondered what a genius really was.

A prodigy and a genius are different.

A genius is a term for the extremely rare, top 0.01% of people, while a prodigy is a broader term for talented students, with a somewhat ambiguous definition.

To her, Seojin was a genius.

Ji-hyun was genuinely curious about the child's future. And at this point, the fact that she was the only one who knew this precious child, the first to discover the child's value, made her feel proud.

Ding dong!

The short lesson ended. Although Seojin had been practicing alone, the time had flown by in her intense focus.

"Kids, make sure to practice for the next class~!"

The children scattered at the sound of Choi Ji-hyun's cheerful voice.

"Wait, Seojin."

As Seojin was about to leave, Ji-hyun called her.

"Yes?"

"Oh, never mind. I'll tell you later."

There was a disagreement with the school about the recommendation letter... It would be better to protest again and see if it worked before telling her.

'Honestly, this is too much.'

Requiring the same piece for competition... With different grades and learning periods, it was a one-sided disadvantage for Seojin.

"Yes. By the way, teacher, can I stay and practice here?"

Her home didn't have soundproofing, making it difficult to play the violin all day. The school was the easiest option.

"Of course."

"Teacher! We're practicing here~!"

However, a group of students entered and took their seats, pushing Seojin out. They were the orchestra students who were scheduled to use the audio-visual room next.

"Hey, kids, can we share...?"

"No, it's okay, teacher."

Seojin didn't want to make the teacher uncomfortable, so she bowed and picked up her violin.

"See you next time, Seojin. Have a good day!"

Seojin's gaze briefly turned toward the stage in the audio-visual room.

A boy who looked to be in 5th or 6th grade.

Seojin recognized him. He was the student she would compete with for the principal's recommendation.

'His name... was Park Joo-won, right?'

As the concertmaster of the orchestra, Joo-won, sitting in the front, began practicing a solo piece.

Bruch Violin Concerto in G minor, 3rd movement.

Not an orchestra piece, but obviously a piece for the entrance exam.

Seojin had once practiced this piece for the entrance exam. It had been tedious at the time, but now, the mere fact that she could do it again made her smile.

As Seojin quietly packed up her instrument, the sound of Joo-won's performance echoed as if to show off.

'Hmph.'

Park Joo-won's gaze was subtly directed at the back of Seojin's head.

His face was full of derision.

He had heard about Seojin. A 5th grader who suddenly appeared, wanting to apply to the gifted program and demanding a chance to compete.

'Tsk, tsk, you'll regret it.'

He could see it at a glance.

Classical music could ruin a life if pursued with mediocre talent.

No matter how much they were praised for their talent from a young age, the reality was that talented children from all over the country competed in this field. Among them, the best competed, and the best of those competed for the top spot...

If one didn't have the ultimate talent, it was better not to pursue it half-heartedly, unless it was a hobby for a wealthy family.

In that sense, Park Joo-won found Seojin amusing.

This field wasn't for amateurs... Starting at the late age of 5th grade, and apparently only able to play a simple aria on the G string...

There was no way she could compete. Confidently, Joo-won played his piece, showing off to Seojin.

The fast and flashy melody filled the empty space.

As expected of a student preparing for a specialized middle school, his sound was quite impressive. The performance showed the effort he had put into technique.

* * *

"That's not fair at all."

"Teacher Choi Ji-hyun. What exactly is unfair?"

Seo Min-jeong, the after-school activities director responsible for arts education, was exasperated.

What right did a mere after-school teacher have to meddle in school affairs? Even if it was for the sake of her students, this was overstepping.

"How can you make a student who has only been playing for a couple of months play Bruch?"

"What's the problem with that? We need to use the same piece to properly compare their skills. Don't you think?"

"Of course, Seojin will be at a disadvantage."

"That's inevitable. We want to select the better student. If we gave different pieces based on how long they've been playing, that would be reverse discrimination."

"This isn't a competition. We should look at the students' potential, not just their current skills."

Choi Ji-hyun jumped up, but it was in vain.

'It seems the parents on the other side are quite influential...'

Choosing Bruch's Violin Concerto 3rd movement as the required piece...

It was the piece Park Joo-won was working hard on for his entrance exam. The immense difficulty, which Seojin couldn't even attempt, was one thing, but the situation itself was suspicious.

'How could they miss such talent... Such a gem!'

In Ji-hyun's eyes, the truly talented one was Seojin. Park Joo-won was just someone who practiced hard and played as much as he practiced.

Of course, it was silly to judge someone's talent based on one performance, but Seojin was definitely an exceptional talent.

However, it was natural for the school to prefer recommending Park Joo-won, whose skills were already verified, over Seojin, who had just started playing the violin. The former seemed more likely to succeed.

* * *

"...So, that's how it is."

In the end, with no power to change anything, Ji-hyun had to tell Seojin the situation as it was.

"That's fine. I'm okay with it."

"Okay? What are you going to do?"

"I can do it."

Seojin said confidently.

She had returned as a genius violinist.