Chapter 6

"…What?"

"Bruch, I can do it too."

It was actually a stroke of luck. Bruch, of all pieces.

"…"

But Ji-hyun thought it was a joke.

Not the first movement, but the third. A piece known for its considerable difficulty, one that would take at least a few years of practice. And even then, only with intense practice if one planned to major in it.

"…Really?"

Ji-hyun's expression gradually changed into something indescribable as Se-jin's serious face became more apparent.

While it was unclear whether this was really possible in reality, there was no reason for Se-jin to lie about such a thing.

"Yes."

"…Not joking? Really?"

Nod.

Of course, the last time he played was several years ago, and his body was different then, so he would need quite a bit of practice. But he was confident.

At least his memory was clear.

'Who hasn't done it for their college entrance exam?'

That day, the condescending look on Park Joo-won's face when he saw him came to mind. He thought, "I'll just think of him as a cute kid," but he couldn't let him win. There was something important at stake for him too.

'The time for practice is a bit tight…'

But he could do it. No, he would definitely do it.

Se-jin's attitude made Ji-hyun really believe it was possible.

On the other hand, he felt really sorry for Se-jin. He was working so hard alone, and he felt he wasn't helping at all.

Besides giving lessons, he wanted to be more of a support….

'Is there anything I can do… Ah!'

Something came to mind.

'I have to record the performance and save it as a video!'

Who knows? Even if Se-jin miraculously gave a perfect performance, the school might still favor the other side.

So, to ensure the fairest possible evaluation, he would record it and post it on the school website or Nertube. If an unfair result occurred, it would be a problem.

* * *

KH Asia Cultural Foundation.

Established with the goal of nurturing geniuses to represent South Korea and cultivating a cultural and artistic foundation for them to thrive, it was also known simply as the KH Foundation.

Although the KH Group, its parent company, was not the best in Korea, everyone acknowledged that no foundation could surpass KH Asia in the cultural and artistic fields.

However…

Bang.

Heo Gwang, who handled all the practical work in place of the chairman's daughter, who had parachuted in and only left her business card, slammed his desk.

Once the foundation that produced the most geniuses in Korea, the situation had changed recently.

"If the discovery of geniuses continues to lag like this…! We'll end up as second-rate!"

"Mr. Gwang, there's… no way. Nowadays, the government is actively supporting it… As you know, since the National Preparatory School for the Arts became the Institute for Gifted Education, all the top geniuses have gone there."

"Still, we have to do something! What will the chairman do!?"

While the National Preparatory School for the Arts has a different nature from foundations, the problem is that other foundations are catching up.

It's not just the chairman of the foundation. Even the president above him is in a bad mood.

"An international music festival is being held in Gangwon Province soon. It's a stage where world-renowned maestros will participate, and we don't have a foundation graduate worthy of being sent there. What a pathetic situation!"

"Mr. Gwang, geniuses can't be discovered and nurtured overnight. Many kids quit halfway…"

"So we need to broaden our scope. If we find a kid with talent…, yeah, what's that. There's something called Nertube nowadays. We should look into it. Nowadays, academies post a lot of videos of their students for promotion. They hype up kids with a little talent and make their parents push them to major in it, making them practice for twelve hours a day. Is that still happening?"

Heo Gwang was so anxious that he was even looking into such things. The pressure from above was immense, and they seemed to think that geniuses would just fall from the sky if they just nagged at their subordinates.

"Nertube? You know about that, Mr. Gwang?"

Now, in the mid-2010s, older people didn't use Nertube much. It was a familiar name to Lee Daeri, who was still young, but he thought Mr. Gwang was from the Stone Age…

"Are you calling me an old fogey!? Anyway, look into it. It might be a long shot, but you never know. Find something quickly!"

"Yes, yes. I understand~!"

While he answered, Lee Daeri didn't really expect to find any usable talent on Nertube.

* * *

Finally, the day of their competition arrived.

To ensure fairness or to show the other side's superiority, the competition was to be held after the orchestra performance and open to the parents.

Se-jin's elementary school was located in a neighborhood as academically competitive as a private school.

In short, an expensive neighborhood.

In some ways, it was even preferred over private elementary schools.

Se-jin, who came from a less affluent family, was assigned to this school because his home was part of the government-mandated public rental housing in an expensive apartment complex.

A national rental housing complex that was awkwardly forced into the area.

It could have been an environment that made a child feel inferior, but Se-jin, who was living his second life, didn't mind at all.

Of course, before his regression, Se-jin had felt inferior when comparing his circumstances to those around him. But now, he was just grateful for the chance to live his life again.

"Oh, Joo-won's mom~"

"Su-ji's mom, hello."

Parents who came to see the children's performance gathered in groups and exchanged greetings.

At first glance, the parents seemed to be dressed in extravagant attire.

Not only in appearance, but the actual backgrounds of the attending parents were impressive.

The parents of this elementary school were mostly professionals, CEOs of large corporations, executives, and wealthy individuals. Even the famous Lee Foundation chairman was a parent, making the group truly formidable.

The parents gathered in the audience seats watched their children, who were sitting together, perform with pleased expressions.

In fact, it wasn't a particularly impressive performance. Even in a neighborhood with strong private education, the level of students learning instruments as a hobby was predictable.

But a parent's heart finds their child's achievement adorable.

Among them, the mother of Park Joo-won, who was leading the orchestra with outstanding skills, was especially proud.

'…But they're going to have a selection test right after this?'

In other words, a solo performance stage for the two children.

The opponent was a fifth-grader who had suddenly appeared, and according to rumors, had just started learning the violin.

The school's decision was absurd. While fairness in selection was important, it was unclear why they were going through with this when the outcome was obvious. This could have been resolved by the teacher's discretion.

'Let's see.'

Somehow, the news had spread, and the competition between the two was a hot topic among the students.

"Hey, do you know that fifth-grader?"

"Who? Oh, Han Se-jin?"

"Yeah, the sudden Mozart."

"What's that?"

"They call him that because he suddenly became so good. I saw him play once, and it was insane. Really gave me goosebumps. The sound was amazing."

"Really? I heard him practice, but it was just boring. He was just playing scales. And isn't the violin sound always the same?"

"What? Scales are like that, but watch other kids. It's crazy, just noise pollution. I've played the violin, and he's really good. He's insane."

"Oh, yeah. When you actually hear it, it's really wow. Some kids even go to watch him after school."

"Really? Maybe he'll become famous later. I should get his autograph!"

"Come on, he's still a beginner. He can't surpass Park Joo-won."

"Hey, that's not true. Where's he going to shine?"

"No, I think he's better?"

"Come on, no way. Park Joo-won is preparing for a specialized middle school."

Even among children who had no interest in classical music, Se-jin was quite famous. Some kids even came to watch him perform after the orchestra.

"Se-jin, don't be nervous."

"Yes."

"Are you nervous?"

"No."

"It's okay. Take a deep breath."

Ji-hyun was restless and worried even on the day of the event.

It was understandable, as there hadn't been enough time to give him proper lessons. Time had passed quickly, and after a holiday weekend, it was already today.

"…Yes."

Why is the teacher more nervous? I'm not nervous at all.

Se-jin was the type who, once on stage, didn't care about anything else.

He naturally fell into his own world, and no other thoughts entered his mind. He even enjoyed the moment, rather than feeling nervous.

What would be a good analogy… Yes, it's like the stories of friends who get absorbed in games. When they are immersed in playing, they don't feel nervous or aware of their surroundings, just focused on the game.

Even when playing technically difficult parts, others might feel a moment of tension, but Se-jin just played as he had practiced, letting his hands move in a state of flow.

"Se-jin, get ready now."

Meanwhile, Park Joo-won's performance had ended, and it was Se-jin's turn. Following the teacher's guidance, Se-jin stood at the door leading to the stage.

The applause from outside was still loud.

From what Se-jin could hear, it was quite good. Glancing out, he saw Park Joo-won's mother, sitting in the audience, shedding tears of joy.

Seeing this, Ji-hyun had a worried expression.

Of course, performing second was a disadvantage. The evaluators would hear the same piece twice.

But Se-jin didn't care at all.

He had worked so hard.

To make an unfamiliar piece his own, he practiced day and night without rest.

He didn't feel any stress. Instead, he enjoyed it, almost like a madman.

So today, it was time to show the results.

'My mother is here too.'

I have to do even better.

"Next, it's the turn of fifth-grader Han Se-jin."

Step by step.

Se-jin, who was not at all nervous, walked onto the stage. Ji-hyun was with him.

Ji-hyun was to accompany him on the piano. She could play the piano as well as the violin, and with just one rehearsal, she perfectly supported Se-jin.

Se-jin quickly scanned the audience and then lifted his violin.

He had returned as a genius violinist.