Chapter 29

Reincarnation of a Reckless Genius Composer - Chapter 29 (29/482)

"Are you by any chance a contrabass major?"

The owner suddenly felt curious about the young man who had appeared to tune the instrument.

'He looks so young...'

Music, as usual, is a discipline where early education is quite important, so he might be a professional bassist.

"I'm not a major, but I can play a bit."

Surprised by the unexpected answer, the owner was intrigued.

"Could you take a look at it then?"

At that, Hyunseung carefully took the contrabass, cradling it in his arms.

He lightly ran his fingertips over the body, feeling a pleasant sensation.

'It's been a while since I touched one.'

Originally, due to its low pitch, the contrabass is often tuned using harmonics (overtones)...

'But that would be boring.'

Hyunseung, a music enthusiast, wouldn't choose the easy way.

"Wait, wait!"

"Yes?"

"Why are you tuning it..."

Hyunseung asked nonchalantly.

"Using the actual pitch?"

The owner nodded after a moment.

"It's more interesting."

With that, Hyunseung began tuning the contrabass skillfully...

"Wow..."

The owner watched Hyunseung in amazement.

Tuning by actual pitch.

This was the first time the owner, who had been captivated by the contrabass, had seen someone tune it this way.

He had only heard rumors that a notorious conductor would instruct bass players to tune by actual pitch to test them...

But.

How could someone who isn't a major and only claims to play a bit tune it by actual pitch?

As a seasoned player, albeit with only a few years of experience, the owner was taken aback.

Finally.

Hyunseung finished tuning and smiled.

"Alright, it's done."

He added with a smile.

"I look forward to your performance."

With that, he left as if he had completed his task...

'Really done...?'

The owner stared blankly at the contrabass.

'Really...?'

If it was indeed perfectly tuned by actual pitch, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a performer.

The chance to play a contrabass tuned by actual pitch wouldn't come often...

When the owner finally got into position, everyone in the venue stopped moving.

In the next moment.

The owner gently moved his right hand, starting to play the bow.

In sync with that.

He received the vibration of the strings with his left hand, producing a deep, resonant sound.

The performance began...

The guests in the venue nodded their heads to the melody.

Some closed their eyes and immersed themselves in the music...

Others watched the performer in awe.

However.

The owner couldn't fully enjoy the performance.

He realized immediately.

The timbre was definitely different from before.

To exaggerate a bit, it was so good that it made his hair stand on end.

The pitch was incredibly rich, and it smoothly transitioned through the range.

'This is it.'

The sound flowed sweetly even through the difficult range, sending shivers down his spine.

The owner embraced the contrabass as if his soul had entered the resonance chamber and focused on the performance.

Suddenly, he put down the bow and plucked the strings, demonstrating the pizzicato technique.

The resonance decreased without the bow, but...

The audience became even more engrossed in his performance.

Evidence of this was that their bodies gradually leaned towards the stage...

When the performance ended, everyone stood up and applauded enthusiastically.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

The owner's face was flushed with excitement.

'Good thing I had it tuned.'

Contrary to his initial concerns, Hyunseung also clapped at the excellent performance.

The owner bowed a few times to the audience and then approached Hyunseung.

"Sir!"

The title had suddenly changed to 'sir.'

"Thanks to you, I found the answer to the section I was struggling with!"

He added, grabbing Hyunseung's hands.

"Since I've received your help, I won't charge you for the drinks today!"

He had been struggling with a solo piece and seeking advice in various ways...

Thanks to Hyunseung, he found the solution and delivered a satisfactory performance for the first time.

In the end, he had gained something more valuable than money.

"That's fine, I just helped with the tuning."

"It's a small token of my gratitude, please don't refuse."

"Well, then I'll accept it gratefully."

The performer's eyes sparkled as he asked.

"Are you a professional tuner?"

Hyunseung shook his head.

"No, no, not really."

"Then..."

"I do music in other areas."

Hyunseung, a composer in his past life and still a composer, could play the contrabass for a simple reason.

Sessions.

While most composers use tools provided by software to fill in most instruments...

Hyunseung had always hired session musicians or played the instruments himself to record.

His fanatical obsession with perfection.

This consistent pursuit naturally led to knowledge of less mainstream instruments like the contrabass.

"Other areas...?"

Hyunseung answered the owner's repeated questions.

"Just for fun, a bit of this and that."

He gave a vague answer, not wanting to elaborate...

"I see..."

The owner, understanding his intentions, asked again.

"Could you at least tell me your name?"

Hyunseung hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Right now, I'm using the name 'HS'."

The owner repeated the stage name he heard from Hyunseung several times...

"If there's a chance, I'd like to meet you again."

He formally requested a handshake.

"Sure, me too."

Hyunseung lightly shook his hand in response.

Somehow...

It felt like the words 'Please let me enjoy my alone time now' were written in Hyunseung's eyes.

* * *

The owner showed a regretful look as he cleared the spot where Hyunseung had left.

"Maybe I should have asked for his contact information..."

At that moment, a man with neatly combed, faded hair entered the bar and waved.

"I'm here."

His eyes behind round glasses were gently wrinkled.

He seemed to have come from an important event, dressed in an uncomfortable suit.

His name was Sakamoto Taichi.

Originally, he was a genius musician who played various instruments and was known as a composer.

Then...

During the downturn in the music industry, the album he produced for 'Man Records' set an incredible record.

Eventually, he became the CEO of Man Records.

The business continued to thrive...

Now, he is one of the top five record company CEOs.

Today, he was coming to fulfill an old friend's request, which he had postponed due to his busy schedule.

"Since I have the time today, I came to fulfill the request from last time."

"Tuning, right? I'm not sure how to thank you for coming all this way..."

The owner replied with a troubled expression.

"A young man just gave me the answer."

Taichi, puzzled, asked, "A young man?"

The owner continued excitedly.

"He suddenly asked if he could tune it, and then he tuned it by actual pitch."

"By actual pitch?"

"Yes, when I asked why, he said it was more interesting."

He then took out a bow and added.

"Thanks to him, I could freely play the bow in the section I was struggling with."

He added a few more words.

"It was mesmerizing, I felt like I was being rewarded for all the struggles and fully immersed myself in the performance. The professional tuning really enhanced my skills..."

Taichi asked.

"Was he an old professional bassist?"

"No, he said he wasn't a major. He looked young."

"Really? But he tuned by actual pitch?"

"He said he does music in other areas..."

"Did you at least get his name?"

"I got his stage name."

The owner, as if trying to recall, said, "So... Ah, right, HS!"

"HS?"

"HS, he said."

Taichi, who had met all the professional bassists, had never heard of a bassist with that stage name.

"Seems he's not a major, then."

"Maybe he gave a pseudonym."

"Maybe, but it didn't feel that way..."

Taichi shrugged and added.

"Still, he must be a serious musician."

As the CEO of a famous record company, Taichi had been more disappointed than hopeful with the current generation of musicians.

Perhaps it was an old-fashioned way of thinking...

But he was disillusioned by composers who relied solely on software, creating sessions with tools and copying songs by sampling.

When he composed in the past, he approached it with a much more serious and passionate mindset. Now, it felt like a massive music factory.

In this context, the challenge of tuning a difficult instrument like the contrabass by actual pitch showed that this person was a true musician.

"Was it a wasted trip, then?"

"It won't be a wasted trip."

"The tuning is done, right?"

"Instead, the drinks are on the house today."

The owner handed him a glass of whiskey...

"Hmm?"

Taichi listened to the music playing.

It was a popular song.

A hit from a foreign country, riding the wave of the K-pop craze.

'Wait...'

Upon closer listening, it wasn't a virtual instrument but a live performance, with the raw sound of the instruments fully captured.

The composer seemed to show off their skills, subtly changing the playing technique with each take, closely following the singer's voice.

However.

It never interfered with or overshadowed the singer's voice. Instead, it provided solid support.

Judging from this, the composer was likely a perfectionist and a music enthusiast.

As Taichi's thoughts lingered, the owner spoke.

"Not your style, right? I'll change the track to something more to your taste..."

Taichi quickly waved his hand.

"No, let me hear more."

The owner, surprised, tilted his head. He knew Taichi didn't enjoy popular hook songs.

He always listened to jazz or blues in private, finding popular songs unbearable.

Regardless...

Taichi was now deeply immersed in the music, eyes closed.

'The combination of the song and the voice is incredible.'

The calm voice of the female singer in the music soothed like a gentle breeze calming a fierce storm.

Though he couldn't understand the lyrics...

It felt like a soothing breath of comfort was blowing towards him.

"It would be great if someone like this joined our company."

"Xiaozhi, the diva who became famous with this song..."

"No, not the golden egg, but the goose that laid it."

The owner smiled.

"The composer?"

Taichi nodded and asked.

"What's the name of the composer who wrote this song?"

The owner, moving to the computer connected to the speakers, clicked a few times and said.

"Given your company's size, you might be able to bring him in easily. The composer's name should be here somewhere..."

The owner found the composer's name in the album credits.

"HS."

The owner, frowning, repeated.

"Wait? HS?"

"HS?"

"Yes, definitely..."

A moment later.

"Definitely HS..."

"Then..."

"The young man who tuned it earlier..."

Their eyes met in the air.

"Wow..."

Taichi smiled.

"You were right."

It felt like finding a pearl in a pile of sand.

Not only had he tuned the contrabass by actual pitch...

Even from the original composition, his obsession with perfection was evident.

A composer like a pearl.

Rare in the current generation of young people.

Possessing noble professionalism and a fanatical obsession with perfection...

He had found a top-priority composer to recruit.

"It wasn't a wasted trip..."

His eyes began to sparkle with enthusiasm.