Chapter 15

015. The Conductor (1)

"Do you need some time to warm up?"

As I watched the staff members struggling to unload the piano from the truck, Director Park Dong-jin approached and asked.

I shook my head.

"I'm fine. I've already warmed up."

Even in the waiting room, I had practiced about twenty times?

Director Park Dong-jin, who didn't know that I sometimes practiced this way when I didn't have a piano, looked puzzled for a moment.

"Alright, then, do your best."

He soon looked out the window, tapping my shoulder as if in a hurry, and began checking the sound settings.

"Can you hear the sound well? This will go straight into the movie, so we'll record with minimal sound and add a compressor later to avoid any peaks."

Impressive, huh?

As I watched him meticulously check everything, moving around, it suddenly occurred to me that this was a form of conducting.

It's just that the 'sound' that requires everything to be perfectly in sync has changed to 'video.'

While I was marveling at this, the piano was finally set up.

At Director Park Dong-jin's request to play a scale, I immediately sat down and played. Director Park Dong-jin, making a circle with his thumb and index finger, looked satisfied.

-Everyone, get ready.

His voice echoed through the speakers, filling the entire music room.

*gulp*.

I swallowed hard.

Is it starting now?

I turned my head to check if the actors were ready, and my eyes met Cha Eun-yeon's, who was looking at me.

For a moment, I had various thoughts about how to react.

Should I wave and say, "Hey"? No, that's too much like Lee Ho-ik. Should I smile? But if she doesn't recognize me, it would be terrifying.

-This is a stand-in scene, but the camera will still be rolling. Please act as you normally would.

Director Park Dong-jin's voice came just in time, and everyone's attention naturally shifted.

I looked at the corridor where Director Park Dong-jin was for a moment before focusing on the keys.

-Then, let's start. Ready...

It's really starting.

Adrenaline surged, making my heart race. I couldn't afford to lose focus, so I quickly visualized the sheet music in my mind. Countless notes and annotations unfolded.

I lifted my hands slightly. It felt strange.

The well-decorated set, the friends watching, the music teacher walking in from the corridor, ready to be surprised, and my own appearance as the protagonist (sort of).

'It feels like I'm the protagonist.'

...I like this illusion.

It resonated with what Franz Schubert once said about the "essence of a song."

'Play as if you are the protagonist.'

As I pondered the words written in the letter, my mind brightened. An idea came to me, and I decided to follow it.

First, I erased the sheet music from my mind.

After practicing it to exhaustion, it would naturally flow from my hands.

Now, I would play as the protagonist, freely and specially, within the boundaries I set.

Just like the essence of classical music.

Soon, Director Park Dong-jin's voice rang out from behind.

-Action!

I started playing.

As the protagonist.

Despite never having touched a piano before, I never forgot a note I had heard once.

Moreover, I could recombine those notes to create such a magnificent new piece.

Is there really such a person?

Who knows. There might have been many around Brüner.

The Classical and Romantic eras, the age of prodigies. Many names came to mind, but now wasn't the time to list them.

The performance had begun, and I was no longer Han Seo-ho or Brüner.

I was the protagonist of Yooncharter.

I played the piece I had composed.

Pressing the keys, I marveled at myself, entrusting my body to my naturally moving fingers, navigating the piece. No lighthouses or milestones were needed; every place I went became a new path.

I continued this performance.

It was a strange moment.

The piece I had composed, revised dozens of times, and played hundreds more in preparation for the recording.

But today, this piece felt as unfamiliar as if I were meeting it for the first time.

Even though I was playing everything I had decided, a completely new piece was emerging.

Is this it?

Is this what Franz meant by "play as if you are the protagonist"?

...It had been 200 years.

Something Brüner, who had never played, could never have known.

And so, he had misunderstood Franz's letter.

Finally.

It reached me.

#

Director Park Dong-jin suddenly wondered.

If Song had been there, what words would he have used to describe this scene?

Silence? Calm? Quiet?

He couldn't find the answer. Maybe all the words were needed, or maybe a few more were required, or perhaps a completely new word was needed.

If he ever had to shoot this scene again, he wouldn't know how to explain it to the actors.

'Is it something that can't be solved with a script?'

He slowly turned his head to Han Seo-ho, who was looking at him.

Because this is the picture he created.

"..."

Only then did Director Park Dong-jin realize something was off and brought the megaphone to his mouth.

-Cut. Okay...

How long had he been standing there, dazed?

Yet, no one had looked at him. Except for Han Seo-ho, who had created this scene.

Perhaps everyone felt the same way.

At that moment, Seo Chang-gyu, who had been standing at the classroom door, approached Director Park Dong-jin. A sudden joy was visible on his tired face.

"Director Park, you really nailed it. Where did you find such a stand-in? He looks so young, did you bring in a competition winner or something?"

Having seen the previous stand-in's performance, he would have noticed the difference even more. He was one of the top students at the music high school.

"That's true. I knew he could play well, but I didn't expect him to be this good..."

Seo Chang-gyu urged Director Park Dong-jin, who was moistening his lips.

"Let me check the monitor. I was so surprised I couldn't act."

Seo Chang-gyu, seeing his real shock on the screen, said, "Use this, Director Park. You have to use this."

Director Park Dong-jin grinned, as if to say, "I was thinking the same thing."

"But it's not just me. This, all the other takes, need to be used, too."

"We need to use as much as we can. It's so rare to get such realistic expressions."

The assistant director, watching from a distance, burst out laughing and told the crew.

"Let's pack up. It looks like today's shooting is over."

#

The staff, who looked as if their blood vessels had suddenly widened, were packing up.

As I watched them, I thought.

This is how it feels.

If I had known earlier, I could have talked more with Franz...

With a sense of regret and lingering aftertaste, I stood up, and a voice came from beside me.

"Hey, hey."

When I turned around, thinking it was for me, Cha Eun-yeon was blinking her big eyes at me.

"Yes?"

As I replied, I realized something was off.

Why am I using formal language?

No, she used formal language with me, too.

This confirmed one thing.

She doesn't know me.

"Have we met somewhere before?"

"..."

Staring blankly, Cha Eun-yeon muttered to herself, "Maybe at a music school?"

Feeling playful, I pretended to think.

"I don't know. I don't go to a music school."

I thought she would make some other guesses, but she suddenly groaned and bent over.

"I'm sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else."

"Uh..."

"Anyway, your performance today was amazing! Are you going to be the stand-in for this movie?"

"Maybe..."

"Wow, great! See you next time!"

"..."

Caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, I left the music room with a stunned expression.

A short while later, in the waiting room.

Even though I had said it was a short makeup session, removing it was a task.

It took even longer than putting it on.

But since my performance was heard and praised, it wasn't boring. It could have taken even longer, I suppose?

Now, with my bare face revealed.

'At first, I thought it was too much, but now it looks plain.'

So, once you start, you have to keep it up, it seems.

I smiled wryly and left the waiting room.

As I walked past the equipment, sharp sounds echoed from all around. The atmosphere was still chaotic, but I thought I should greet Director Park Dong-jin.

He smiled widely as soon as he saw me, as if he had just woken up from a long hangover.

"Choosing your piece was a stroke of genius, but seeing you today, I think even that was not enough."

The assistant director, standing behind him, added.

"Will Min-jae's stand-in be this guy for the rest of the shooting? Even I, who don't know much about classical music, got chills... The actors' facial expressions were so natural. Is it not acting, then?"

Despite being overwhelmed by the praise, I managed to bow calmly.

"Thank you."

"We should be the ones thanking you. I'm getting death threats from the writer these days, so I'll have to bring Song to the next shooting. Let him see this."

The assistant director smacked his lips.

"What? Then it will be his last work?"

"So what? Are you sad?"

I don't understand. Why is he getting death threats from the writer, and what is a last work?

Anyway, since it seems to be praise, I should smile. Ha ha.

With the promise to see each other at the next shooting, the greetings were quickly over.

The shooting was over, but the cleanup was no small task. As I walked to the car, I thought.

"Nothing is easy, huh."

Mom, who was in the driver's seat, clicked her tongue.

I nodded and got in the passenger seat. It had been six hours since I arrived.

"Are you hungry?"

"Very!"

I had eaten the lunch box at the shooting location, but it wasn't satisfying.

Mom chuckled and tapped the navigation.

"Let's get some food nearby and then go home."

"Yes. Oh, but please drop me off at the studio."

"Studio? Aren't you tired? You didn't sleep and just looked at sheet music while waiting. You need to rest."

"I'm fine. I'm going to rest there."

Mom shook her head, saying, "Of course you are."

The car started moving slowly with a laugh.

I turned my head slightly to look at the building, still bustling with people.

The set, which had been my stage today, was gradually fading from view.

#

I am now sitting in the SoundFilm Studio office.

Here, where I stopped by to say hello before going to the studio, I am facing eyes full of question marks.

"Director Park called. He was so impressed with you, he said he could make a whole movie with just your praise."

Starting with my father's words.

"Looking at the photos with makeup, I wouldn't have known you were an actor."

"How did you play so well that everyone was surprised?"

"Everyone, calm down. How can he answer if you keep asking like that? Seo-ho, tell us what happened today in chronological order."

Questions from the staff poured in.

From the information they had, it seemed my mom's live broadcast had spread to the staff.

So, I briefly recounted what happened today and answered their questions before escaping to the studio.

"Phew."

After a hectic day, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

I still feel dazed. Reflecting on what I told the staff, it seemed so surreal that this was my day.

I tapped the piano lid for a moment, lost in various thoughts, and then picked up my violin.

I checked the time on my phone screen and got into position.

The sun had already set, and my father would be off work in a couple of hours, but I still had to practice.

The sound that came out was still far from Paganini's tone.

But I couldn't keep focusing on the tone forever, so I decided to move forward.

Scales.

It was a process of practicing which notes come out based on the shape of my fingers.

Usually, beginners use stickers to familiarize themselves with the notes, but I could do it right away, probably because I had seen a lot of performances.

Of course, when I mentioned this at the last lesson, Kang Jun-seo looked incredulous.

'Can you really do that just by watching a lot?'

...It turns out you can. Anyway.

After finishing the scale practice for all keys and a simple melody, my father came to the studio. He had a similar look to Director Park Dong-jin and Seo Chang-gyu from the shooting location.

"Still here? Do you want to practice more?"

"No, I'm tired today."

I got up from my seat, groaning.

Actually, I'm a bit disappointed. I want to practice more, but what can I do? My father needs to rest, too.

I tidied up the room and turned off the lights, then went outside and got into the passenger seat, slightly lowering the window.

Numerous sounds overlapped and flowed in. As the car started, the sounds changed unpredictably, tickling me.

I looked out the window for a while and finally couldn't hold back my thirst, opening my mouth.

"Dad."

"Yes?"

"Can you give me that job?"