Chapter 7

The piano accompaniment began, bubbling up in small, delicate notes.

Max Bruch. Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26, Third Movement, Finale. Allegro energico. Fast and powerful.

Sejin closed his eyes and concentrated as he listened to the accompaniment. It felt as if his consciousness was drifting away from the world, everything becoming distant, leaving only himself in the entire universe. He delved deeper into his inner world, and then, at a certain moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and drew his bow with a lightning-fast motion.

A brilliant melody poured out like fireworks.

It started with a powerful quadruple stop, followed by a continuous cascade of double stops.

"..."

The audience, who had been sitting indifferently with little expectation based on the information they had about the performer, were taken aback and opened their mouths in surprise.

How could such a performance be...

It wasn't just that he played well for his age, or that he played well for someone who had only been learning for a short time. This was simply a performance that was possessed, divine.

The sound was truly unbelievable. Anyone with even a little knowledge of the violin would have been stunned by what was happening.

This was also true for Sejin's mother, who had come to see her son despite the difficulty of taking time off from work. She had always heard him play through the door and never realized how extraordinary it was, but hearing him on a proper stage made a world of difference. Even though it was just the school's audio-visual room, not a grand concert hall, the experience was entirely different from listening at home.

The audience's reaction also played a role. Everyone was so amazed that they were listening intently to Sejin's performance, and their reactions alone showed that his performance was truly exceptional.

Sejin maintained a calm expression throughout, though his fingers moved frantically, creating sounds that were anything but calm.

The dazzling dance of notes Sejin played led the audience into a state of ecstasy.

Was the violin's high pitch really this beautiful? Some people disliked the high notes and avoided violin pieces because of them.

But the high notes Sejin produced were as clear and beautiful as the chirping of a nightingale. Given that he was using a cheap practice instrument, it was all due to his skill.

Today, Sejin was the true star of the stage. Even Park Joo-won's mother was captivated by the magic of the sounds Sejin created, her mouth agape.

The performance reached its climax.

Chords followed one after another without a break. Even the most difficult chords, which would sound completely off if even a single note was slightly off, were perfectly executed by Sejin.

An unbelievable level of concentration.

'This time... I will definitely succeed.'

Perhaps it was due to this intense resolve.

Pushing beyond the limits of his body and pouring everything he had into the performance, Sejin experienced a moment of enlightenment.

Something struck him in the head.

'...Ah, this is it...!'

The special experience he had at the end of his life, the manifestation of his strong will, was not a hallucination. He had truly awakened a special ability. It was just that it had been partly unconscious, so he couldn't reproduce it at will.

The mechanism of its manifestation was probably intense will and desire.

It felt like fireworks exploding in front of him, or in his mind.

It was a sensation like wandering through a fantasy.

A soaring symphony of sound.

Sharp and harmonious harmony.

In the midst of it, a grand and rough-textured world shone brightly like the sun.

'Ah...'

Sejin wasn't the only one experiencing this sensation.

Deep emotions and resonance in the hearts of the audience spread like a galaxy. The sensations they experienced varied, but one thing was certain: they were all vividly feeling the emotions and joy in their own ways.

"..."

"..."

Meanwhile, the melody was racing towards its end.

The high notes soared like a bird in flight.

At the end, two heavy chords sounded.

That marked the end of the piece.

"..."

"..."

There was no applause.

Everyone was still reeling from the overwhelming emotion, the catharsis that felt like a hallucination.

"Wow!!"

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted.

Sejin, without even thinking to wipe the sweat from his brow, smiled broadly.

This moment was a miraculous gift to him.

His first stage.

Although it was a small stage, not a proper concert hall, it was an incredibly precious moment.

The first opportunity to perform with his fully functional hands in his new life. The emotion was unparalleled.

"Ah..."

At the sight of Sejin, a parent who had been listening to the performance as if entranced, Kwon Hee-jung, who had once majored in violin, suddenly opened her eyes.

'This kid is the real deal!'

It must have felt like waking up to a new world, like the feeling of opening one's eyes to a new world after a long sleep.

This was a sound that made her eyes widen.

A completely new musical world that she had never experienced before.

To think she could feel this way at a mere elementary school stage.

At one point, it even felt like a fantasy was unfolding before her eyes. Hee-jung wondered if she was dreaming or if the alcohol from last night was still affecting her, causing her to experience both hallucinations and auditory hallucinations.

'Really... such an unbelievable performance... What was that?'

After a moment of tilting her head, she didn't think much more about it.

When one is deeply moved by something, the sensation can be experienced in other forms of the senses. Like feeling a thunderclap in one's ears when looking at a moving piece of art.

The impact must have been that great. The others also had expressions of being completely absorbed.

'Wait. Is Unhyeon-senpai still at Hanyeong Arts High School...? I think he said he moved to another place... I should contact him soon.'

She could imagine how delighted he would be to hear about this gem, this treasure of a child. Such talent couldn't be missed.

'Come to think of it, no one from the Lee Sung Foundation seems to be here. They would have definitely shown interest if they were here.'

She knew that the granddaughter of the Lee Sung Group, who also played the violin, was a student here, but perhaps she didn't participate in the orchestra, as her mother, the board member, was not among the audience.

* * *

On the other hand, Park Joo-won and his mother were surprised and anxious for a different reason.

They had to admit that the performance was too good. But...

'If he has this kind of skill, he should be aiming for Hanyeong Arts High School, not blocking my son's path!'

Frustration and resentment were unfairly directed at the innocent opponent.

In fact, they hadn't expected Sejin to perform this well. They thought Hanyeong Arts High School was still out of reach.

"Mom, what do we do...!"

Fortunately or unfortunately, Park Joo-won didn't experience the same special sensation that Kwon Hee-jung felt.

The imagery ability Sejin invoked required the listener to be fully immersed, and since Joo-won had been looking at Sejin with a biased and skeptical eye, he didn't experience the phenomenon.

Still, the difference in skill between them was undeniable.

No matter how much he tried to deny it, he instinctively knew he had lost.

"Mom, Mom! What do we do now...! If I can't get into the gifted school...!"

Her lips trembled as she bit them.

She had underestimated him, thinking he was no match. But from the audience's reaction, she realized she wasn't the only one shocked.

'It's okay. It's fine.'

After all, the decision was not in the hands of the parents. Even if everyone thought the other boy was better, the principal would still favor Joo-won.

However, she was mistaken about one thing.

The teachers had ears, and even if the principal tried to favor a particular student, he couldn't make arbitrary decisions about school matters.

* * *

"Sejin, my son!"

"Mom...!"

"I'm sorry, Sejin. I tried to come earlier, but... at least I didn't miss your performance. You did really well, my son!"

Hugging her son tightly, Sejin smiled.

"It's okay. I'm not a child, and I can manage on my own."

This was a neighborhood where mothers would go to great lengths to see their children perform in school events, like art shows and choir concerts.

This time, the parents of the orchestra members had been taking photos and making a fuss before the performance, but Seon-hee couldn't do that. As a childcare worker, it was difficult for her to take time off.

If it were a company, she could have taken a day off, but she couldn't leave a baby who couldn't even speak yet.

She had almost missed his performance, but fortunately, it was the last one.

"Still... it would have been better if I had been here with you."

Seon-hee always felt guilty towards her son. Despite not being able to provide him with the same opportunities as other children, she was proud of how well he had grown.

"No, it's really okay. It wasn't a big stage anyway."

If Sejin were a real elementary school student, he might have been discouraged by the lack of his mother's presence, but he wasn't.

"Still! You performed alone in such a large auditorium!"

"There will be more opportunities. Soon, I'll perform in even bigger venues."

Seon-hee was incredibly proud of Sejin's confident words.

"Our son..."

How could he be so mature? Perhaps growing up in a poor household had made him grow up faster.

Thinking about it made her feel even more guilty, but...

"Mom, I'll definitely succeed. I'll make a lot of money and treat you. Just wait a little longer!"

Sejin was more concerned about his mother's hard work. Taking care of a baby was no easy task...

Seon-hee smiled at his kind words.

"Really, did you record that? I won't forget it, right?"

"Of course, of course."

"Ha ha ha. That's right. Are you hungry, my son? Let's go. I'll make you something delicious!"

The two of them walked arm in arm, affectionately.

* * *

Meanwhile,

After the concert, a faculty meeting was held.

The principal, vice-principal, the head of arts education, the music teacher, and the homeroom teachers of the two students were present.

"Park Joo-won was good, but still..."

The four of them were looking at each other, unsure of what to say, when the head of arts education took the lead.

The prodigious violinist has returned.