Chapter 5

005. A Child Born with What Cannot Be Inherited

When our eyes met, Professor Yun relaxed his furrowed brows and slowly opened his mouth.

"That... Who told you that? Or did you just hear it and realize it?"

Still mixed with surprise, I pondered for a moment but then answered briefly.

"I heard it and understood."

"Hmm. Just like that?"

Professor Yun let out a small sigh and slightly adjusted his glasses. Behind them, his eyes, filled with interest, looked at me.

After a brief moment, Professor Yun spoke again.

"...That's one of the reasons why 'The Erlking' is considered a masterpiece. In the past, songs focused solely on melody and lyrics, while the presence of instruments was secondary."

"Amazing."

I genuinely marveled once more,

and Professor Yun chuckled.

"Of course Schubert is amazing. But it's quite impressive that you recognized it on your first listen."

With a gentle smile, Professor Yun glanced at his wrist and then began the formal test.

"Shall we hear your piano skills now?"

Finally, the red wool covering the keys was removed.

Facing the heavy-looking keys, my heart raced.

"What have you been practicing?"

At Professor Yun's question, his appearance, which particularly suited the moonlight, naturally came to mind.

I remembered thinking that it would be nice to hear his compositions and that I should try harder to live a bit more.

But now,

I am about to play his composition.

As if by a twist of fate.

"The third movement of the Moonlight Sonata."

"Good. It's a good piece."

"...I thought so too."

Nodding, Professor Yun let out a hollow laugh.

Did I sound like an old man again?

I don't know. It doesn't matter now.

I need to play music, so I can't afford to worry about other things.

I calmly raised my hands,

and conveyed the condensed emotions through my fingertips.

The keys were pressed down gently.

And so, I began,

recreating the performance of Mr. Ludwig that my past self had never seen.

#

Professor Yun Seok-ho, who graduated from the Eastman School of Music and returned to Korea to pursue a career in education, sat there at the request of an old student, but he was more serious than ever.

This was a place to gauge talent.

To distinguish the truly gifted from the merely talented, the judge had to be extremely sensitive.

In fact, just the fact that Han Ki-joon had continued to compose Han's music clearly indicated musical sensitivity. It wasn't a melody that could be created by chance.

And the discussion about Schubert's 'The Erlking' made the child's talent even more evident.

While it might be premature to judge based on just one or two examples, it was clear that the child had a living sense of music.

But because of this, he intended to speak more candidly.

This place was, in a sense, a battlefield for prodigies.

A place where mediocre talent could only bring unhappiness to a child's life,

a place closer to a battlefield than a sanctuary.

Professor Yun looked sharply at Han Seo-ho.

Beethoven's Op. 27 No. 2, the Moonlight Sonata.

It's a popular piece, well-known even to the general public, and often chosen by elementary school students who play the piano.

Especially the third movement, like most of Beethoven's piano pieces, is a fierce finale. It requires a perfect balance of speed, technique, and feeling.

'Clearly talented.'

Considering he had only practiced for a month, it was certainly a talent to marvel at.

But something was strange. Questions arose.

How is he producing such a feeling?

As the performance continued, Professor Yun's thoughts began to drift in an unexpected direction.

What puzzled him was the 'essence of the performance.'

In other words, the style.

There is a commonly referred to style in playing the piano, which is generally divided into American and European styles.

Having studied in the United States, he naturally had an American style, and Han Ki-joon, who had studied under him, was the same.

But why?

His son, who had only been taught by Han Ki-joon for a month...

'Has a strong European feel.'

No, upon closer inspection, it wasn't just strong.

The style was so perfect that it could be believed he had studied in Europe.

What could it be? He didn't think the student was lying. But being born with it made even less sense.

It's not that the European style is superior.

It's a matter of culture and education.

Unlike the free-spirited classical music of the United States, European classical music was a realm that could not be approached without proper training.

The refined and rule-bound style was something that had to be learned and could not be inherited.

But why is this child...

able to play while effortlessly adhering to the ancient and refined rules?

A child born with what cannot be inherited.

If such a being existed, it would be a rarer talent than the geniuses who soar in the music world...

By the end of the performance, Professor Yun had made this judgment about Han Seo-ho.

'A child who cannot be easily judged.'

#

On the way home,

Father looked a bit excited.

I couldn't tell what kind of conversation he had with Professor Yun, but it was clearly a good one.

As Father hummed a tune while leaving the Arts Center, he casually said,

"Seo-ho, starting next week, you'll be learning piano from Professor here."

So, I passed.

I was anxious because Professor Yun's expression was peculiar, but fortunately, it turned out well. There's probably no better teacher for me right now.

"Then I can't learn from Dad anymore?"

"Of course, Seo-ho, whenever you want, Dad will teach you!"

"Then I'm happy."

Father's face lit up.

This is what filial piety is.

Leaning back contentedly, Father suddenly asked,

"Seo-ho, do you want to become a pianist in the future?"

It was a sudden question, but in a way, it was familiar.

It had been a recurring theme for me ever since the trip.

"..."

"Was it too early to ask? Dad was a bit excited, hahaha."

I smiled and turned my gaze to the window.

At this very moment,

the sound of the wind rustling,

the vibrations from the road,

all these things stir up delicate inspirations.

It feels like if I reach out, I could create something.

#

Time passed quickly.

Reflecting on it, any period of time might feel that way, but this time, it was especially fleeting.

Every day was filled with thoughts of the piano, and I worked hard to improve my performance.

When had I ever been so engrossed in something, and even enjoyed it?

It was the first time, both for Han Seo-ho and for Brenner.

Even at school, my mind was preoccupied with the piano. I drew a keyboard in my textbooks and practiced in my head, listening to the sounds only I could hear. I might have looked like a weirdo, but I didn't really care about the attention.

As I moved on to middle school, the topic of attending an arts middle school naturally came up between my parents and Professor Yun.

But...

"I just want to attend a regular school."

I firmly expressed my intention.

I felt that Professor Yun's lessons were sufficient, and I had heard about the intense competition there, which didn't interest me at all.

I just wanted to hone my performance. I didn't want to be constantly evaluated and challenged by others. There was nothing to regret.

Father, who had experienced that competition firsthand, understood me, and Mother, who always prioritized my wishes, agreed.

Thus, I was able to attend a regular middle school.

My alma mater from before the regression!

But many things were different this time.

I, who had always done things half-heartedly, became even more absorbed in the piano.

...And so, another three years passed.

"Let's take a photo together."

In the bustling graduation ceremony hall, I walked briskly, looking for a familiar face.

The student who saw me looked a bit awkward. It was understandable. I had only spoken to him a couple of times a few years ago, so it was strange for me to suddenly ask for a photo.

This chubby kid's name is Lee Ho-ik. He was supposed to become a very close friend when we were in the same class in the first year of middle school. But this time, I was so engrossed in the piano that it didn't happen. The regret lingered, so I approached him today.

"O-Okay."

"Is it you, Ho-ik? We were in the same class in the first year, right? I..."

"I know, you're Han Seo-ho."

"Oh, you remember?"

I was surprised, but Lee Ho-ik's expression became even more peculiar.

"Who doesn't know you in our school?"

No one doesn't know me?

I didn't do anything particularly outstanding when I came to middle school?

Shrugging, I posed at the request of my parents. It didn't really change much; we both just went from stiff to slightly less stiff.

"Do you still like Spica?"

Lee Ho-ik was a huge fan of girl groups. A die-hard fan. He eventually became a manager, following his passion. He was the most passionate person I knew in my circle.

Sure enough, when I casually asked, he turned to me with interest, his expression changing.

"How did you know?"

"You really liked them in the first year."

"But that was before Spica debuted, right?"

"Oh... Was it?"

His expression became even more peculiar.

Scratching his cheek and laughing awkwardly, Lee Ho-ik said,

"Back then, I liked Citrus."

"What, so you switched?"

"Citrus disbanded."

"...Sorry."

Sigh. I tried to act friendly with a vague memory, but it backfired.

"But, do you like Spica too?"

"Huh? Oh... Yeah, I like Seo Beom."

"You're a Seo Beom stan! Nice to meet you!"

The awkwardness was quickly resolved. He's a simple kid.

After chatting excitedly for a while, I said in response to my parents' gestures,

"See you later."

He looked puzzled. He probably didn't know we were going to the same high school.

I didn't want to explain and risk being seen as even stranger, so I just turned around.

Approaching my parents, I saw some parents who were close to my mother.

"Seo-ho, Yeeun wants to take a photo with you."

"Our Hyejin wants one too?"

I was moved around like a scarecrow, taking photos here and there.

And then,

"Hey, Seo-ho, where are you going to high school?"

A girl I didn't recognize asked,

"Hey, Han Seo-ho! Here, take this."

After receiving a letter,

I left the gym with my parents.

"Our Seo-ho is so popular~."

Seeing my mother's content smile, I awkwardly smiled. Come to think of it, it was the same before the regression.

'Could it be that Ho-ik was right when he said no one in this school doesn't know me...?'

I've never been called ugly anywhere.

Sitting in the car, I indulged in the fantasy (or delusion) that maybe I was popular without knowing it, when my mother, who was arranging the flowers, asked,

"Is today the last day of Professor's class for the semester?"

"Yes."

The arts program at the Arts Center followed the school semester system, and today was the last day.

Nodding, my father spoke this time.

"I'm going to talk to Professor today."

The excitement from the graduation ceremony subsided.

The lingering regret surfaced, but my resolve was firm.

"I'll talk to him."

"Are you sure?"

I had already discussed it with my parents.

I had a clear next goal.

The inspirations I had ignored for the past three years were now overflowing.

They were clamoring to be captured and turned into something.

"Yes, I'm sure."

So, today, the last class of the semester, I had to tell Professor Yun.

That I was going to stop playing the piano.