Chapter 16

016. Movement (2)

‘Can I have that job, please?’

Han Jigun chuckled, recalling what his son had said yesterday. Although the boy had often been called an old soul since he was young, this boldness wasn’t surprising, but it still made him feel proud and satisfied.

However, it was time to seriously consider it.

Was it right to keep giving such tasks to Seoho, who was only in his first year of high school?

Unlike himself, who could feel the extent of Seoho’s talent, his wife might think differently.

So, he talked to his wife while Seoho was asleep last night.

Surprisingly, his wife laughed and said, “Are you worried about that now? He’s doing well in his studies, so there’s no need to worry. If he has talent, it’s right to support him.”

“And it seems like the manager role suits me a bit~?”

Han Jigun smiled, remembering her cheerful voice.

At that moment, Park Jae-hoon, the team leader, signaled that the meeting was ready.

Han Jigun stood up, enjoying his thoughtful moment.

‘What kind of job should I give him this time?’

Despite his contemplation, the workload was overwhelming.

The piles of work that had burst out like a volcano made the employees’ faces look as if they were covered in ash from the very start of Monday morning.

The most urgent task was “The Boy Who Became a Wolf.”

So far, they had completed 8 songs with the occasional video, but 4 more were still needed. The corresponding video footage finally arrived in the early hours of the morning, even though the release was next month!

“Can we have a rough version by next week? What should we do?”

Team Leader Park Jae-hoon asked, looking like he had a headache. Originally, the composers he was in charge of were supposed to handle it, but the production company kept delaying the video delivery, causing the schedule to be thrown off. Now, there were no available staff.

“We don’t have time, so we need to outsource to freelancers.”

“It’s hard to find composers who are available these days.”

Kim Yun-ju, the section chief, sighed and lowered her laptop.

“Let’s try to outsource to as many freelancers as possible. If the director isn’t satisfied, we need to have alternatives.”

“Understood.”

“Oh, and.”

While checking the freelancer list, Kim Yun-ju added, “Add Seoho to the list of freelancers.”

Han Jigun smirked, looking at the surprised employees.

He had already gotten his wife’s permission and was ready to give Seoho a proper task as he wished.

#

The weekend seemed to have passed entirely with violin practice.

I had asked for a job from my father, so I needed to work hard too.

Thanks to this, I felt closer to the violin. After practicing for 10 hours a day, I could now imagine the sound of the music on the sheet as I played the violin.

Of course, I was still far from being able to play it in my head like a piano.

There’s no need to rush. It’s not like my body is getting stiff...

“Ugh, my arm won’t move.”

...indeed.

Yang Hangeul, who had been lying on his desk like a corpse since morning, suddenly twitched, as if he had a cramp in his arm.

I shivered for a moment at the perfect timing and clicked my tongue at him.

“Don’t lie on your desk like that. It’s not good for your back. You might get a herniated disc later.”

“You sound just like my mom.”

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it?”

Yang Hangeul, who was looking for his nonexistent head, said, “Mr. Seoho, I’m still healthy, you know?”

“So, that’s a blessing, right? There are so many kids who are in pain and can’t even bend their backs.”

Yang Hangeul, who was scratching his head, turned his gaze to my seat. There, Lee Ho-ik was busy with his phone, active in a fan cafe.

“Ho-ik, Ho-ik. Mr. Seoho’s nagging is getting worse. What do you think?”

“Herniated discs aren’t related to age. Among idols, for example...”

“Why are you bringing up idols now!”

In the end, Yang Hangeul shook his head and got up.

I chuckled and asked, “Where are you going?”

“To the bathroom. Why? Do I need to be careful there too?”

“Yeah, a lot. Yesterday, I saw kids making a mess with the mops. It might be slippery...”

He ignored me and walked away.

I chuckled, resting my chin on my hand.

I exaggerated a bit for fun, but it was also mixed with genuine concern and worry. I remembered how we used to complain about turning 30, and with Brinner’s memories, the world seemed full of dangers. The saying that the outside world is dangerous isn’t just a saying.

Thinking about this, I was about to suggest to Lee Ho-ik that we do some exercise together, but when I looked at him, his eyes were elsewhere.

“Oh, a celebrity is here.”

“A celebrity?”

Turning my head, I saw Chae I-yeon entering through the door Yang Hangeul had just left.

She came in, already surrounded by friends like a Pied Piper.

Anyway, it’s the first time I’ve seen her since the filming. Does she recognize me now?

Leaning back in my chair, I watched Chae I-yeon enter with a bright smile.

After a moment, she seemed to notice my gaze and her eyes turned toward me...

Blink. Blink.

“Huh!?”

Her eyes, which had been blinking, suddenly widened.

I was amazed that eyes could get that big.

While I was marveling, Chae I-yeon asked the surrounding kids to wait a moment and approached me with her short hair bouncing.

Probably, she was going to ask what it was.

“What is it?”

Bingo. I had already known, but it would be strange to say so now, so I started pretending not to know.

“Wow, what a coincidence...”

If I had been an actor in my past life, I would have been in big trouble.

I’m not a good actor.

Naturally, Chae I-yeon narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

“Did you know?!”

“No? If I knew, I would have said so right away.”

“...”

Her suspicious eyes looked at me for a moment.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Really, really?”

“Of course.”

...Somehow, I managed to hold out, and she finally dropped her suspicion and smiled.

“Still, it’s really amazing! We’re in the same class!”

I laughed and nodded, surprised by her enthusiastic reaction.

Lee Ho-ik, who had been watching us, tilted his head.

“...But why are you using formal language?”

#

“Chae I-yeon, do you know where the music room is? Let’s go together.”

Although she had only been coming to school for a few days, Chae I-yeon already had many friends.

It’s understandable. She’s not like Yang Hangeul or the violin teacher, Kang Jun-seo, who are popular, but she’s always bright and positive, so people naturally gather around her.

Moreover, she’s a celebrity whose profile can be found with a simple internet search. It’s natural that people want to be friends with her.

As we watched the girls rush to the music room, we followed.

The music room on the top floor of the school.

The scenery is quite different from the music room set in the Yooncharter set.

Comparing it to the background in a movie is a bit silly, but it definitely needs some cleaning. Dust floats in the slanting sunlight.

Unlike the set, which had only a few props like violins and cellos, there were...

...just a piano, as in any music room.

The kids quickly gathered around the piano. Someone must have learned a new song. A common sight.

Soon, a boy from our class started playing, aware of the surroundings.

“Oh...”

The boy already had everyone’s attention, and the reaction quickly spread to the other kids.

“Wow, he’s good at the piano.”

“His fingers are so fast.”

“Isn’t that from ‘The Secret’?”

I enjoyed the performance too.

Listening to music is always enjoyable, regardless of the skill level.

At that moment, Lee Ho-ik, who was surprised, glanced at me. I read something in his eyes and asked bluntly.

“What?”

“Can you play like that too?”

“What?”

“Isn’t it too difficult?”

As I deflated, Lee Ho-ik chuckled.

...I had a feeling this would happen.

“Ho-ik, why are you trying to bring Seoho down~?”

Yang Hangeul, taking on the role of a protective sister-in-law.

I chuckled, seeing the friends who had been bullying and belittling each other since before the regression.

At that moment.

“Haha.”

A sudden laugh made me turn my head.

Did I hear it wrong? But I saw Chae I-yeon in the diagonal front row, pretending not to notice.

...

After a while, the music teacher came in, and the class began.

As in any school, only a few students were focused on the music class. Some were doing homework, and some were sleeping.

I, of course, was among the few who were listening attentively. I had noticed Yang Hangeul was also listening, which was surprising since he had been sleeping on his desk since morning.

Chae I-yeon, who was new to the music class, was also focused.

She seemed to be catching up on what she had missed, diving into the PPT the teacher had opened.

And a few girls who didn’t interact much. That’s all the students I could see who were listening. The rest were absent.

In this situation, the teacher’s perseverance in continuing the class was impressive.

“We’ve talked about the Classical period, so let’s talk about symphonies now. When you think of symphonies, you probably think of classical music, right? That’s not entirely wrong, but the real characteristic of a symphony is that it’s divided into multiple movements. Usually, it’s divided into four movements. So, what is a movement?”

A movement is ‘Satz’ in German.

In Korean, it means ‘sentence’.

Why is it called that? The answer is simple.

People in that era considered music a language.

The teacher, explaining in a way similar to my thoughts, saw the puzzled faces and explained more slowly.

“Let’s think about it this way. Can we understand the writer’s intention with just one sentence? No, right? We need at least a paragraph to understand what the writer is trying to say. So, it’s the same with a symphony. The composer’s intention is revealed only when the movements come together. And...”

The screen changed, and a small portrait appeared in the top left corner.

“When we talk about symphonies, this person can’t be left out.”

Seeing a familiar face, I couldn’t help but smile.

The teacher, crossing his arms, asked.

“Who is this person, known as the father of the symphony?”

A man with thick eyebrows and a prominent nose. A friend of Wolfgang and a teacher of Ludwig...

“Bach?”

“That’s the father of music.”

Someone’s wrong answer made Chae I-yeon raise her hand in confusion.

“...Haydn?”

She was right. The teacher’s lips curved up. I probably looked the same.

Praising her for being correct, the teacher turned to the screen.

Franz Joseph Haydn.

It had been a long time since I saw this face.

Not because I’m Han Seoho, but even as Brinner, it had been a long time since I saw Haydn.

...Because I couldn’t see him anymore.

“Haydn wrote 106 symphonies. Considering that Beethoven, whom we know well, only wrote 9 symphonies, we can say Haydn was a prolific composer. But we can’t listen to all of them, so let’s listen to one of Haydn’s representative works before we finish today’s class.”

The teacher, looking excited, clicked the mouse cheerfully. The music started playing from the speakers.

The subtle sounds of violins, using a mute, slowly but steadily created a melody.

“By the way, can anyone guess the subtitle of this piece?”

Even the kids who usually answered well were silent.

It was a difficult question.

I didn’t speak up to show off or to feel superior.

The reason I spoke up.

Why? Because I had supported and admired him, I couldn’t pretend not to know?

I still don’t know, but my mouth had already opened.

I answered.

“‘The Mourning’.”

Instantly, many kids, including Yang Hangeul in front of me and Chae I-yeon in the diagonal front, turned to look at me.

The teacher, of course, looked surprised and pleased.

“Oh, that’s right! Impressive. So... do you know why it has that subtitle?”

His eyes sparkled with excitement. He seemed very pleased. It’s understandable. The class, which had always been a Q&A session, was finally having a real exchange.

I hesitated for a moment, not because I couldn’t think of the reason, but because it came to me too easily. For a moment, it was almost overwhelming.

Is this too difficult...

The teacher mumbled, and I spoke again.

“He asked for this piece to be played at his own funeral.”

“Right, right. This isn’t even in the textbook. How did you know?”

Seeing the teacher’s excited reaction, I couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable.

This piece.

Symphony No. 44, 3rd movement,

...was the funeral march of Haydn that I had missed.

#

“What is all this?”

When I arrived at the company, Section Chief Kim Yun-ju led me to the meeting room and sat me down. She then handed me four stacks of papers and an iPad.

The cover was similar to the request form for the Yooncharter piano piece from last time.

<OST for The Boy Who Became a Wolf>

I immediately understood. It was because I had asked my father for a job that day.

So, is this the job?

But what’s this iPad for?

While I was wondering, Section Chief Kim Yun-ju took two McCol drinks from the fridge. Taking one, she opened the can and said,

“It seems the CEO is planning to give you a proper job.”

I just smiled, thinking there was no need to mention that I had asked for it.

She smiled back and continued.

“So, this is... We’ve been handling a troublesome project since last month. It’s not right to call it a headache, but the filming didn’t seem to be ending, and we were in a difficult situation. But finally, the filming ended yesterday. They set the release date for May. It’s crazy-.”

She took a deep breath, explaining as her acute frustration rose.

“...Sigh. Anyway, we’ve managed to produce the music, and now only 4 songs are left. But even these are tight, so we’re planning to outsource to freelancers.”

“Am I a freelancer?”

“Yes, you’re on the list.”

I smiled, looking at the list on the iPad. Section Chief Kim Yun-ju smiled and added,

“You’re cute. Anyway, choose one song and try to create it. The song selection will be decided through an internal meeting, like last time. And this iPad...”

She tapped the iPad with her long fingers, and a list of videos appeared. There were exactly four.

“It contains the movie scenes sent by the production company. Watch them and choose which scene you want to work on.”

Section Chief Kim Yun-ju finished her explanation. She said she would be working in the office and left the break room, telling me to look at the videos and request forms and choose a song to work on.

Left alone, I opened the can.

First, I read the request form, which contained a brief synopsis of “The Boy Who Became a Wolf.” Then, I brought the iPad closer.

So, I need to create music for these videos, right?

In other words, these scenes will be the source of inspiration for the music I create.

The creaking floor, the rustling wind, the accumulating snow—these are all sources of inspiration.

But I’ve never been inspired by a ‘story’ before. That’s why I’m looking forward to it?

I calmed my heart, which was beating like it was urging me, and put on the earphones. I tilted the screen to a good angle and started the video.

But only for a moment. I stopped the video and pulled out the earphones, looking around for a moment before getting up and heading to the studio.

Like a person hesitating to pour a bottle of water on their head.

‘Sheet music... sheet music...’

I’m going crazy.

The inspiration is pouring in.

Like an endless fountain.