Chapter 10

010. Unexpected Problem (1)

5:30 PM.

After school, if I rush straight to the company, I'll arrive right at this time.

I briefly stopped by the office to greet everyone before entering the studio. As I sat down in my chair and put down my bag, my eyes caught the request letter on the piano stand.

<Request for the Soundtrack of the Movie, Yunzart>

It was the stack of papers my father handed me last night.

I stared at the movie title, then shook my head.

"Still don't know it."

Ironically, it's the first time I've seen this title, even though I came from the future. I only found out about this movie yesterday, even though I used to watch a lot of movies. I couldn't remember the lottery numbers, but I enjoyed watching movies.

Did it not do well at the box office?

That could be it, but I'm not sure. I liked movies, but I didn't pay much attention to musical films.

It's not that the movie didn't do well; I just didn't know about it.

When I think about the musical films I remember, the best I can come up with is Begin Again, which I didn't even watch. A friend suggested it, but I refused outright because it wasn't my taste.

'Ironic, isn't it?'

Especially since my past life was as Brinner, a tragic music patron.

And now, here I am, sitting in front of a piano.

It's true that there are many things in the world we don't know.

I chuckled and flipped through the request letter.

Anyway, I love music so much now.

So, let's see.

What do I need to create?

...A socially awkward first-year high school student. And a music teacher who recognizes his genius.

When I read this part, I thought, "No way," but sure enough, it was all there.

This music teacher was a famous pianist in the past, unable to perform on stage due to a hand injury.

It's a cliché, but that's what makes it more interesting. There's a unique charm to such stories, and I read through it quickly.

So, I carefully read the request letter I didn't have time to read yesterday after work and placed it back on the stand.

The last page.

With the concept of "a piano piece composed by the genius protagonist" laid out.

"Father said to give it a try."

My father suggested I try it as practice.

I agreed without hesitation, even eagerly. I had just started thinking about composing for movies.

But I have no intention of treating it as just practice, as my father suggested.

It's not an orchestra piece, just a piano piece. I should be able to do a good job, right?

Enough to convince my father, the employees, and the client.

I'm getting excited.

So, I'm going to do it properly.

The goal is...

To have my piece chosen.

"Alright."

Maybe it's the excitement. A warm breath escapes me.

I stood up and opened the piano bench.

There's no specific piano piece defined, so it's up to my interpretation.

A genius protagonist.

Just a high school student.

His teacher is a school music teacher.

The protagonist, who had no friends, naturally starts to connect with the classical music club members as he begins his music journey.

In that situation...

What kind of piece would you have created?

I raised a question and scanned the sheet music I had collected.

After comparing numerous sheets of music and pondering, I finally picked one.

The first time all my friends gathered after the regression.

Sitting around a desk, chatting, and fooling around. It was a piece I composed at school.

The working title is...

<Friends>

"Really bad handwriting."

I clicked my tongue at the two characters I wrote on the sheet music.

But only for a moment. I stared at the notes, visualizing the music in my mind.

How to make these notes, which barely qualify as music, sound good, using only a piano.

'I can do it.'

I had said I would learn the violin for diverse arrangements, but fundamentally, the piano is a 'small orchestra.' While it's good for producing a rich sound with accompaniment, it doesn't mean the piano can't do anything on its own.

I picked up a pencil and started thinking.

This is a forest.

A forest densely packed with bean sprouts.

My job is to pull out unnecessary bean sprouts, prune the overgrown ones, and water the underdeveloped ones.

Through this process, the range is determined, and the phrases (Sentences) are divided.

Then, I break down the created phrases into smaller units, phrases (Phrase).

'From here to here is one phrase.'

I grouped about four measures with my pencil.

Now, I need to shape the bean sprouts.

After finishing the fine and delicate work...

Rustle.

I picked up the sheet music from the stand.

The forest. I looked at the whole.

The music, now worthy of the name, was complete.

I licked my dry lips.

'So this is how it feels.'

Ludwig, Wolfgang, Franz, and all the other composers who wrote to me.

They must have felt this way while making music.

That's why they kept composing, even when they called it a pain and felt frustrated. Because it's so good!

I feel a twinge of jealousy. How could they keep this to themselves...

I smiled, feeling Brinner's emotions.

It's okay now that I can do it.

I looked at the sheet music again.

It's not over yet.

"Should I slightly vary the motifs in these two parts? Yeah, like this..."

I mumbled to myself, moving the pencil. Occasionally, I played the piano to check if I was on the right track and made adjustments repeatedly.

How long did I concentrate?

After a densely packed time, I put down the pencil, as if declaring it was done.

"Phew."

I stretched and stood up.

My eyes were gritty, and my throat was dry. I shuffled to the break room with the water cooler and was slightly surprised by the unexpected light.

"It's still bright?"

I thought it had been at least 2-3 hours. After all, I had completed a piece. So, I expected it to be dark outside...

I frowned and pulled out my phone from my pocket to check the time.

...Huh?

6:00 PM.

#

SoundFilm Studio Office.

Han Jigun quietly removed the earphones he had been wearing for a while and looked at the screen. The waveform, recorded on his phone, was crude.

He blinked and tapped his desk. Then, he finally stood up and approached Team Leader Park Jae-hoon.

"Jae-hoon, how's the progress on the soundtrack for The Boy Who Became a Wolf?"

Team Leader Park Jae-hoon, who had been clicking the mouse, turned his chair and scratched his head.

"There's no real progress yet. The composers are at a loss because the film company hasn't sent the video. The film company is also going crazy because the shooting hasn't finished. The release date is approaching, and they're still dragging their feet."

"Is that so?"

Han Jigun stroked his chin and raised an eyebrow.

Contrary to his calm demeanor, Team Leader Park Jae-hoon looked worried.

"Moreover, they said we need to create a piece for Yunzart in advance. That... that..."

"Piano piece."

"Right, that one. It seems we won't have enough time for that."

Han Jigun nodded, looking at the schedule board on the wall.

"It seems so. I'm also working on something, so it won't be easy to create it separately."

"Should we contact freelance composers?"

"..."

It was natural to hand over work to freelance composers when the in-house composers were insufficient, just as manufacturing companies outsource when their production lines are full.

However, Han Jigun hesitated to suggest it. He just tapped the partition, deep in thought.

Team Leader Park Jae-hoon, watching him, asked.

"Why? Is there something you're worried about?"

"Worried? Yes, a well-fed worry."

Han Jigun chuckled and looked at his phone again.

"I didn't expect him to create this so quickly..."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want to listen?"

Team Leader Park Jae-hoon, puzzled, took the phone Han Jigun offered.

He shook the earphones and put them in his ears, asking.

"What piece is it?"

"A piano piece for Yunzart. I asked Seo Ho to try it once."

"Seo Ho composed this?"

Park Jae-hoon, intrigued, played the recording.

Han Jigun leaned against the partition, watching Park Jae-hoon closely, not missing even the slightest change in expression. But he soon realized it was unnecessary.

"Wow..."

The expression changes were so intense, and the reactions were even more dramatic.

Han Jigun couldn't stop his lips from curling into a smile.

Even a hedgehog thinks its own child is beautiful, so it's natural for Han Jigun to feel elated with such an outstanding son.

He watched Park Jae-hoon's dynamic expressions as if watching a silent film, then asked as he removed the earphones.

"How was it?"

"How was it?"

Park Jae-hoon stood up and looked around the office.

"Everyone?"

The employees, who had been focused on their work, turned to look.

Park Jae-hoon smiled.

"Shall we have a meeting?"

A short while later, in the quiet meeting room.

The recording file abruptly ended.

Someone who had been holding their breath let out a sigh. Then, it was quiet again.

Park Jae-hoon, who had heard the piece earlier, rolled his eyes and asked.

"How was it, everyone?"

One of the employees, with a stunned look, asked.

"Seo Ho made this?"

Park Jae-hoon nodded, and sighs of admiration erupted from various places. They were more like exclamations of amazement than sighs.

"I thought it was great."

"Me too. I could picture the scene in my head while reading the request letter."

"Wow, the melody really stuck with me. This will definitely get a good response when it's released as a soundtrack."

Everyone chimed in, and Team Leader Kim Yun-ju spoke up.

"Come to think of it, didn't Seo Ho continue composing a piece for the CEO before?"

Some employees, who had just remembered, clapped their hands.

"That's right, when Seo Ho was in elementary school."

"Seo Ho continued the CEO's piece? What was that about?"

"Oh, you joined after that. It was... like this..."

Team Leader Kim Yun-ju began to recount the story to the new employees as if it were a heroic tale.

The meeting room became lively.

Han Jigun watched with a satisfied smile.

Team Leader Park Jae-hoon raised the topic.

"Well, it seems the meeting result is already clear, doesn't it?"

"Seems like Director Park Dong-jin will approve this, right?"

"Of course. Honestly, I don't think I could do better, and I'm sure the CEO feels the same, right?"

Han Jigun glanced at Park Jae-hoon with a bemused expression.

"Hey, that's... "

His words trailed off. Realistically, it wouldn't be easy, especially with the deadline approaching.

As a father, he felt proud, but the creeping sense of futility was oddly intriguing.

Unaware of this, Park Jae-hoon continued to marvel.

"If Seo Ho starts composing properly after studying orchestration, it'll be amazing, right?"

If Han Seo Ho, who can create such a piece with just a piano, adds orchestration, it will be...

"Right, really."

Han Jigun, who had briefly imagined it, slowly nodded. The sense of emptiness had vanished, replaced by anticipation.

He chuckled and stood up, adding to Park Jae-hoon.

"Let's wrap up the meeting. Send the recording file to Director Park Dong-jin by email. I'll contact him now."