Chapter 59

059. The Star of the White Night (1)

"......An original composition?"

Pavel couldn't help but laugh at Gregory's reaction.

He thought Gregory's surprised expression was similar to his own when he heard the same story from Han Seoho. Despite their completely different appearances and personalities, they were still brothers.

"Yeah. Seoho wants to perform an original composition?"

"So? You, don't tell me......"

As Gregory's eyes narrowed, Pavel casually said,

"I gave him permission."

"Are you crazy?"

"I don't think so. The performance I heard before coming here was too vivid to call it crazy."

Pavel, who had been smiling playfully, then became serious and shrugged.

"Once I heard it, I couldn't refuse."

At his excuse (or defense), Gregory, who had been calmly writing, finally put down his pen. He looked at Pavel and said firmly,

"The organizers won't be pleased. They wanted the performance of a competition winner, not an unverified composer's work."

"Wouldn't they be if I vouch for it?"

"......"

Gregory frowned in silence.

Though he often looked down on his brother, he knew the position Pavel held in the music world was significant, especially in Russia. Pavel was the pride and hope of Russian classical music.

If Pavel vouched for it, the organizers, like the St. Petersburg City Hall, would likely understand, just as Rossconcert did when Pavel wrote a recommendation for Han Seoho to participate in the competition.

But Gregory still found it hard to understand. Was this matter important enough to risk his hard-earned reputation?

Before he could express his dissatisfaction, Pavel continued,

"Seoho is already an outstanding performer. You can't deny that, can you?"

Gregory had no intention of arguing this point. If he said Seoho, the winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition, wasn't outstanding, most performers would have to bite their tongues.

Pavel's lips were twitching as Gregory stared at him. It wasn't a playful expression but one of slight excitement.

"But what if his performance ability is just a small part of his musical talent?"

"......"

Gregory fell silent again.

Pavel's words were shocking, and his expression added to the impact.

He knew from countless clashes that Pavel had a stubbornness that couldn't be broken, even if beaten to death. And he always made that same expression when he was being stubborn.

......Though they look nothing alike, in moments like this, they do seem like brothers.

Pavel's expression reminded him of when he defied their parents to pursue music.

"......If you're that confident, I'll try to persuade the organizers."

"Really? You? So easily? What's up with that?"

Surprised by his sudden compliance, Gregory responded with a dry, stiff tone.

"I've always been the one to do the persuading."

Creak—Bang—

When Pavel returned to the office, Lim Jin-gyu was waiting, wondering if he should call an ambulance. He immediately scanned Pavel from head to toe.

"......You didn't get hit, did you?"

"Fortunately, no."

Pavel smiled, and Lim Jin-gyu smiled back, recognizing the smile of someone who had achieved his goal.

"Looks like you persuaded them well?"

"Still need to hear the organizers' stance, but since they said the choice of piece was free (though they probably didn't expect an original composition), and since my brother offered to persuade them, it should be fine."

"Is it the board chairman who's impressive, the maestro who got the permission, or the kid who created this situation?"

Pavel chuckled and looked around.

"Speaking of which, where's Seoho?"

"Yes, he took the ticket and said he wanted to give it to someone, so he left early."

"Would have been a disaster if he didn't have an extra ticket."

"Indeed. I wonder if he made a friend here."

Lim Jin-gyu, who had been nodding loosely, suddenly glanced at Pavel and tilted his head, a slightly curious look in his eyes.

"By the way, Maestro, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"You know why I watch and support Seoho, right?"

Pavel nodded. He had understood this through their conversations.

He had shown Seoho a new direction, helping him achieve his dream indirectly through the competition victory. And he was changing the perception of classical music in his country.

Listing these points, Lim Jin-gyu agreed.

"Exactly. Honestly, I love that kid. He's still surprising and proud. It feels like being friends with Mozart. But I'm curious why you support Seoho so much."

"I'm similar to you."

Pavel's answer made Lim Jin-gyu chuckle and joke,

"Do you also want to be friends with Mozart?"

"No."

Shaking his head, Pavel waved his hands. Conducting.

"I wanted to conduct Mozart."

Lim Jin-gyu laughed, but his laughter didn't last long.

When he first saw Seoho,

the performance felt like a tidal wave.

'......That impossible thing, it might really be possible.'

This thought, like a tidal wave, came back to him.

#

Leaving the foundation building and stepping onto the street.

After two months in Moscow, the streets were no longer unfamiliar. It was still daylight, even though it was past 8 PM.

'When I return to Korea, I'll have to get used to the sunset first.'

In Korea, it gets dark by 6 or 7 PM in the summer.

......Thinking this, he walked, following the sound of music as he did last time.

Of course, this time he had a destination, so he occasionally checked the roof of the Kremlin.

After walking for a while, the problem that had been nagging him filled his mind.

Can I express this street through my performance?

Like the unknown musician who said the street was full of inspiration?

......He took a hint from the musician's words and set out, eventually completing the piece.

But it was only the completion of the piece, not the completion of the music. Music is only complete when it is performed.

That's why he walked whenever he had the chance.

The streets of Moscow......

More precisely, to play the summer of Moscow, which begins and ends with the white nights, more perfectly.

To let everyone experience the inspiration he felt.

Then his phone rang.

Thinking it was his mother, he saw it was a group chat. They had been noisy earlier, talking about the upcoming school year.

[Chae Yeon: I'm done now......]

It seems the soprano filming is over.

He chuckled at the resigned message and, suddenly curious about various things, called her.

As soon as the ringtone ended, a cheerful voice came through.

-What, what. You're calling first, what's up~.

"I was curious if the filming was going well."

-Oh, that's it. You were curious about the filming......

Her voice seemed oddly deflated, so he asked,

"Disappointed?"

Then a lively voice came through.

-Oh, yeah? No? I'm a bit tired now......but it's not like I can't talk! The filming is going great! You'll be surprised when you see it?

"Really?"

-Yeah! We're filming the protagonist's childhood and adult versions simultaneously, and I'm almost done. Only a few more to go. And......

Listening to Chae Yeon's chatter, he got a sense of the progress of the soprano and what he would need to do when he returned.

"It'll be very busy when I get back."

-You're pretty busy now, too.

"Who said that?"

-A lot of articles are coming out. Not as many as during the competition, but sometimes they even make the main page. It says you're preparing for the White Night Festival. Be......Be......

"Beinoff Symphony."

-Yeah! That place! But it seems they won't be live-streaming this time......

"Still, a few days later, the video will be uploaded, right?"

-Oh, then I'll watch that~.

Then, Chae Yeon, satisfied, asked,

-So, what are you doing now?

"Just walking."

-Oh... Walking in a foreign street, that sounds great.

Her words made him naturally scan the surroundings.

The quiet street, the leisurely people, and the music that seemed to have been composed for the background.

"Yeah, it's good. The problem is how to express this goodness."

-What? What are you trying to express?

"The street right now. The piece I have to perform this time was inspired by the streets of Moscow."

-The street as inspiration......Wow, that's tough.

He laughed along with her, and Chae Yeon added,

-But you'll do well. I saw you when you were filming Yunchart.

"Huh? What did you see?"

-The spring petals flying.

#

Heading to the square after receiving unexpected encouragement, he recalled his performance.

At the school playground, a village festival was held, and the awkward performances of the classical music club, including the protagonist, followed by Chopin's Waltz No. 5 Op. 42.

At that time, he wanted to shake the spring. The flying petals seemed to match the lively waltz perfectly.

'To make the audience feel what I intend, this is the feeling.'

Although only Chae Yeon might have felt it, he didn't mind. If he developed that sense in his performance, he might be able to make three or four people feel it this time.

And, among those three or four......

I hope that person is included.

──.

The square. As always, Grandpa Viktor was performing.

'There are quite a few people today.'

Compared to the first time, it seemed to be two or three times as many. Apparently, the video of the duet with the grandfather that circulated on the internet gradually became known to people.

At first, many people came wondering if he would be there today. Now, most people come to listen to Grandpa's performance.

That's why he stood at a distance, watching the performance, hoping it would be a stage solely for Grandpa.

Wearing his cap low, he listened to Grandpa's cello performance for a while.

After the performance ended and the audience dispersed, he approached Grandpa, who was tidying up.

The closer he got, the clearer Grandpa's happy face became.

"Grandpa."

"Ah! The performer."

"Please call me by my name."

"How can I do that? We met through music, didn't we? I'm trying to call you 'teacher.'"

"......Just 'performer' is better."

'Okay, performer.' Grandpa smiled. Feeling like he had been tricked, he asked,

"By the way, there were a lot of people today, right?"

"Thanks to you, performer. I'm enjoying the luxury of being cheered for with my meager skills."

"You deserve it."

"Across the street, famous performers' music is played."

"How can a recording from a speaker compete with a live performance? Especially a wonderful middle-aged performance."

Grandpa burst into laughter.

"Are you taking revenge by calling me 'performer'? Well, it feels good. Middle-aged...... If that were true, it would be great. I wish I hadn't worked so much and had taken cello more seriously...... I have such thoughts."

"You're doing that now, so there's no need to regret it."

"That's true. I'm taking it more seriously than ever. Even though it's just a hobby."

At his words, I unconsciously shrugged and spoke my thoughts.

"Who says a hobby can't be serious? It's a hobby that you make time for amidst a busy schedule, so it should be taken seriously. That's what I think."

Grandpa stared at me intently.

I licked my lips, thinking I might have been too preachy.

Just as I was about to apologize, Grandpa slowly spoke.

"Maybe I should call you 'teacher.' I've lived for over 60 years and never thought about these things......or perhaps I ignored them. But you see them clearly."

Ha ha. I just laughed and quickly changed the subject. I couldn't say it took two lifetimes to get to this point.

"I... I'm performing at the White Night Festival."

"I know. I wanted to go with my wife, but......the stars of the White Night (a music festival within the White Night Festival) are already sold out."

"I'm glad."

"......?"

"Then you can come."

I quickly took out a ticket and handed it to him.

Grandpa, who received the ticket unexpectedly, looked at me with wide eyes.

After a moment, the slight redness in his eyes gave me another inspiration.

"......Thank you, performer."

Actually, that was what I should have said.

"I'm the one who should thank you."

......The short night ended, and the day broke.

As the days repeated, I gradually felt the nights getting longer.

And when I realized this, we finally finished our last practice and headed to St. Petersburg.

The summer without a sunset.

To play its end, we stepped into the heart of the festival.