Chapter 62

062. Memory (1)

"Hmm......"

Lee Ho-ik, standing in the hallway, narrowed his eyes.

Beyond the window, the playground was visible.

As usual, people were loitering outside the school gate.

At first glance, they seemed to be waiting for someone.

That wasn't unusual. Like any other neighborhood, the school entrance often served as a landmark.

People often made plans to meet "in front of the school."

The problem was that these people were journalists, and they were all waiting for the same person.

There were even more of them yesterday, which is why Hyeon-ju had threatened to call the police.

As a result, the crowd had definitely thinned out, but...

"Is he not coming...?"

Chae Yi-yeon, who had followed him into the hallway, rolled her eyes. Yang Han-gil, who had come to school earlier than his assigned class as a second-year student, sighed deeply.

"He can't come because he's worried about causing trouble for the school."

"Yesterday, it made sense. But today, it's not that bad, right?"

In response to Yang Han-gil's question, Lee Ho-ik shook his head.

"If Seo-ho shows up, they might suddenly swarm in. It happened when the Spita members took their college entrance exams. They were hiding everywhere and then suddenly appeared to take photos..."

Yang Han-gil, who usually looked at Lee Ho-ik with disdain when he talked about Spita, couldn't help but look serious this time.

"Then what do we do...?"

All three of them looked out the window.

How long had they been standing there?

Chae Yi-yean muttered with a gloomy face.

"Starting tomorrow, he can't come because of filming..."

"What are you filming tomorrow?"

"An additional flashback scene...?"

Her small head turned sharply.

Lee Ho-ik and Yang Han-gil also turned to look, and they saw Han Seo-ho smiling.

"Hey-!"

Yang Han-gil was the first to react, draping his arm over Han Seo-ho's shoulder and shaking him. Lee Ho-ik joined in, forming a circle, and suddenly they were playing a game of Ganggangsullae.

Chae Yi-yeon, who had been watching them blankly, finally chuckled.

The students passing by in the hallway either stared or ignored them, but after a while, Han Seo-ho sighed and asked:

"By the way, why are you filming tomorrow?"

"Huh? What? It's nothing. Anyway, how did you get in? I didn't see you come in."

"Through the back door."

"But it's locked. Did you climb over the wall?"

"No, I walked in confidently. The teacher on duty was there, and when I whispered to him, he laughed and opened the door for me."

Yang Han-gil clicked his tongue.

He had been caught and reprimanded a few times for trying to avoid being late by entering through the back door.

"You must be the winner of the competition."

"So, if you want to use the back door, you should win the competition."

"Huh?"

Yang Han-gil playfully nudged Han Seo-ho.

Lee Ho-ik, who had been watching with a chuckle, suddenly clenched his fist.

"Hey, by the way..."

"..."

"This guy didn't go to the military."

"!"

"What? Hey, guys? Wait! I already... It's a bit unfair..."

...Emotion started to seep into the punches.

#

The first period was music class.

We all went up to the top floor of the school. Joining the line felt a bit awkward.

This fresh and vibrant atmosphere...

Sitting down, I continued the conversation from earlier, when a playful voice came from the corner.

"Hey, why aren't you playing the piano today?"

"Shut up."

"Why not? You've been playing since your first year. You're probably the best in the school. Ugh, I'm so embarrassed."

"You... you..."

The boy who was bickering glanced at me, and when our eyes met, he laughed and looked away.

Seeing this, Lee Ho-ik looked at me seriously and confessed:

"I really regret comparing you to him."

"I remember you asking if he couldn't play because he was too difficult."

"Ugh. Honestly, you were just playing a game of strength."

"When? I told you several times that I played the piano, but you always belittled me."

"Who would have thought it would be this serious... Ah, Chae Yi-yeon, didn't you laugh then? You knew he played well, didn't you?"

Lee Ho-ik, having an epiphany, shifted in his seat.

Chae Yi-yeon, smiling slightly, replied:

"Oh, it must have been fun, right?"

"Yeah, it was hilarious."

Lee Ho-ik, squinting his eyes, muttered, "Wait a minute..." and turned to look at me.

"By the way, when I saw Han Seo-ho, I immediately recognized him as a celebrity..."

"Oh, that?"

At this, Chae Yi-yeon's eyes widened as she looked at me.

It seemed like I needed to explain how I recognized him, so I made something up:

"Um... I saw a movie he was in. Yeah, I saw the movie."

"That movie was rated R, and even I, who was in it, couldn't see it."

"..."

I felt dazed, looking at the two of them with their suspicious eyes.

Then the music teacher came in.

"Alright, everyone to your seats... Oh, Seo-ho is here too?"

The teacher seemed genuinely happy. But I was even happier. Perfect timing. Music is the best.

Thanks to this, Chae Yi-yeon and Lee Ho-ik returned to their seats.

Even after that, they both shot me a suspicious glance, but the class started, and that was the end of it.

"Since Seo-ho and Yi-yeon are here, and it's been a while since we've all been together, let's review what we've learned."

The music teacher, with an excited voice, opened the textbook.

"Look at page 62. There's a list of the main figures of the Classical and Romantic periods."

Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Wagner, Verdi...

A list of names that one might have heard of at some point.

I had missed out on meeting some of these musicians because I started loving music too late, while I had maintained a close friendship with others through frequent letter exchanges.

And the rest were those I never met, even in my dreams.

Seeing this list, which had squeezed its way into the timeline, I felt both joy and a touch of sadness.

These names were not here because of a lack of ink or space.

Most of the musicians I met while traveling across Europe in my wheelchair are not listed here.

Were they not inspiring enough to someone?

"Absolutely not."

I could guarantee that.

Some showed extraordinary talent at a young age like Schubert, others had a broad understanding of music that could be introduced to Haydn, and some were as genius as Mozart.

Their musical abilities were by no means inferior to those listed here.

"..."

So, I will remember them.

I create my own timeline in my mind.

Louis Diabelli, Tuenen Barisov, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Fer James...

Filling in the blanks, I remember them.

Some names came easily, while for others, the melody of a piece or the sound of an instrument came to mind first.

But eventually, each one came to mind, and the conversations I had with them became vivid in my memory.

[Wanting to sit by the fireplace and talk about music...]

[Looking forward to meeting again...]

[My lord, I have a son today.]

[Thinking about writing a symphony for the first time...]

[...Last month, my wife passed away.]

[Wanting to leave to play the music I just performed for you...]

[Now, I am going to rest. Please stay healthy, my lord...]

I felt like I might cry.

An 18-year-old boy getting emotional over a music textbook.

It's awkward, but I don't mind this melancholy.

Because I miss them, they are remembered.

So, I will continue to remember them.

Thinking of those I can't meet again might sting a bit, but it's okay.

Because I...

I have a knack for enduring pain.

#

"Hey! Mr. Seo-ho!"

...Mr.?

M&ACT's CEO, Kim Gwan-woo, greeted me with his large hand.

Director Park Dong-jin, who was with him, raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"What?"

"Why 'Mr. Seo-ho' all of a sudden?"

"Hey, you're a world-class pianist now. How can you just call me that?"

I approached with a bewildered look.

"That's not true. If I walk down a street in a foreign country, no one would recognize me."

Of course, except for Moscow...

"Hey. No, Mr. Seo-ho. True talent is known only to a select few."

"Please, just call me by my name."

Smiling, I said this, and CEO Kim Gwan-woo grinned.

"Okay? Then 'our' Seo-ho, let's go in and have a meeting. What would you like to drink? Orange juice?"

"Ahaha... Yes."

"Okay. Hey, I'll serve it myself. Everyone, get back to work. Get back to work."

He headed towards the refrigerator, telling the employees this.

No one seemed to have any intention of getting up.

Director Park Dong-jin chuckled and shook his head.

"You're all the same, materialistic."

"You're funny."

"Your energy is even higher these days."

"Why?"

"Because all the other projects have passed the break-even point. And 'Soprano' was already a hot topic, but thanks to you, it's become the most anticipated project of the year."

I had heard that the news of me composing the OST for the movie 'Soprano' during the competition had caused a stir, both here and at Sound Film.

The buzz is still going strong, and my previous OSTs are being mentioned, fueling the anticipation.

"I hope it all goes well."

I said this, a statement filled with many thoughts. I had contributed to all the songs, and I knew how hard Director Park Dong-jin and writer Song Eun-hye had prepared. It was also a crucial turning point for Chae Yi-yeon, whose future had changed.

"Hmm."

Director Park Dong-jin smiled approvingly and opened the meeting room door. Writer Song Eun-hye, sitting at the long table, typing away on her laptop, looked up.

"...Oh, Seo-ho is here? I thought it was noisy outside."

"It was just the CEO being noisy."

Director Park Dong-jin said this, and Writer Song Eun-hye chuckled. I smiled and went inside, facing her.

"Are you well?"

"Of course. How about you? You seem taller. And more handsome. Sit down. Let's talk."

"Sure. I had a lot of questions too..."

Director Park Dong-jin quickly took his seat.

...A little later, we drank the orange juice brought by CEO Kim Gwan-woo and chatted about various things.

Director Park Dong-jin, being an expert, asked detailed questions. What to do in this situation, what to do in that situation.

Writer Song Eun-hye, on the other hand, asked more emotional questions. How you felt right before going on stage, what you thought once you were on stage. Of course, I couldn't tell everything.

Half of what I felt came from my past life as Brinner.

From the Tchaikovsky Competition to becoming a Steinway Artist, and even the White Nights Festival, the conversation flowed.

There were many questions, and even