When I was young, my friends who ate pizza with my father…
“Cheese pizza.”
How was it that you were so envious?
#
After successfully completing the solo recital, Rowoon, who appeared in the lesson room the next day, looked rather stunned than happy. Han Seok-hoon was not surprised. He already knew why Rowoon was like that.
Of course, he didn’t bother to mention the topic. It was a sensitive story, and one you might want to hide. But really, there was no need for that. Rowoon detonated the bomb in an instant without any warning.
“The professor said he was… a friend.”
“…”
“I was a little surprised. Like the professor, both of them are famous musicians in Korea, so I thought we might get to know each other, but… I didn’t expect them to be friends.”
“Did you have a good time?”
“I don’t know if we met well… but I don’t think we met. I was just a little bewildered.”
“It deserves it.”
Han Seok-hoon nodded his head calmly. Then he looked closely at his disciple’s face. It wasn’t too difficult to find the features his friend had on his face, to the point of wondering why he didn’t know until now.
And, her features too.
‘······It must have been a long way, Yeonju Lee.’
How heavy were her steps until she raised her son in a foreign country alone.
“professor. I want to focus only on that music.”
Rowoon said so. He clenched his fists, fixed his eyes on the piano, as if he was strong, but as if he didn’t know that his soft parts were more noticeable because of that.
Seokhoon Han nodded.
“okay. Do it.”
“For now, I’m going to focus on the raccoon stage. And then… I don’t know yet what happens after that, but whatever it is, I have to do it properly.”
Rowoon, who was talking about his plan like that, seemed to subconsciously feel that he would be shaken if he didn’t tie himself up even with that plan.
Han Seok-hoon was proud of such Rowoon, but also salty. So that’s probably what he said.
“It is very difficult to be rich. Isn’t it?”
“…”
Rowoon hesitated. It was because answering this question seemed like admitting that Kim Jin-young was the father. But in the end, Rowoon had no choice but to nod quietly.
“yes. It is difficult.”
#
Rami and Jungwoo’s solo performances overlapped on the same day. As such, the two of them would often ask, ‘Which of us is going to come see the performance?’ ‘, but later he said, ‘We’re both going to be on the Raccoon stage anyway, so if you haven’t seen it, come visit us then.’ I used to talk like that.
In fact, it was very likely. Both Rami and Jungwoo were people who could easily exceed the cut-off line for the Raccoon stage if they did their usual skills. It’s because it’s always a problem to show off your usual skills.
“… uh, Rowona.”
It was in the smoking area next to the school entrance stairs that I encountered Rami.
Rowoon looked at the cigarette between Rami’s fingers. Rowoon said with a strange expression.
“Does your sister smoke?”
“I hung up.”
“…Is it because of the stage?”
“What, what else could there be? Either music or men.”
“Just cut it off. Your lungs will rot.”
“It’s already rotten lungs. doctor.”
Rami answered naturally and brought the cigarette back to her mouth. Looking at Rami like that, Rowoon thought that cigarettes were very strange. Ugly shoes, black two-piece, Gucci belt and beige coat. Despite her fancy outfit in many ways, it was as if a single cigarette instantly dyed her image somewhere in the color of cigarette smoke.
Cigarette burns. red, black. Rowoon looked at the sparks and said.
“I look forward to it today.”
“Ol, are you coming to hear me play? Isn’t it Jungwoo’s?”
“I’ll see Jungwoo hyung on the raccoon stage, and I’ll see you nuna here.”
“Does it sound like I can’t go to the raccoon stage?”
“You think you can’t go?”
“no way.”
Rami laughed. However, after smoking again, he said with a somewhat strange expression.
“But I can’t believe it, George’s case isn’t that rare.”
“He smoked a cigarette and became very sensitive.”
“Why, are you jealous? Can you give me one?”
“Don’t do that. People who offer cigarettes to non-smokers are the worst.”
“Didn’t you know I was a bad sister?”
“Oh, I know, I know.”
“Huh, you say you know that again?”
Rami raised her finger and poked Rowoon’s side. Rowoon groaned and stepped aside. It was time for Rami to extinguish a cigarette that had burned out, leaving only the filter in the ashtray.
“Irami, are you blood again?”
“ah.”
It was Jungwoo. Rami looked at Jungwoo with a cold expression. Jungwoo tut tut and clicked his tongue.
“I must remember that your New Year’s goal was to quit smoking.”
“I am not smoking. Only when the stage stress is too much…”
From noble mtl dot com
“If there is an exception, it is already a failed quitting.”
“Are you here to stress me out?”
“But don’t worry. Because I already knew it would fail. When I quit smoking, none of the kids who loudly boast about quitting are successful.”
“don’t worry. Because today is the last day.”
“Yes, I look forward to the next one too.”
Jungwoo twirled around and teased him. Seeing Jungwoo like that, Rami crossed her arms and said with a triumphant expression.
“Do well on stage. Although Rowoon, whom you cherish, decided to come to my stage.”
“······Really?”
“No, I did it to see you on the raccoon stage.”
“What if I can’t go?”
“Why are you imagining that? I believe that I will go, so I am not going today. And Rami-nuna’s already missed the Violin Concerto once…”
“All of them are going to go on the raccoon stage anyway, so why don’t you just come and see mine today? Would that be more fun?”
“Huh, how can you be sure?”
“I did this while sharpening my teeth.”
“If you grind your teeth, get implants. Don’t fill up your self-confidence.”
“…brother, older sister. stop it I’m going?”
“Uh huh, where are you going? I’m here with my sister. You need vitamins.”
“I don’t think I can take vitamins…”
“It’s way better than that Omega Three guy over there.”
“Isn’t that as good as vitamins?”
Their conversation flowed without a clear topic or meaning. However, Rowoon eagerly participated in such a conversation. Even so, all the unorganized thoughts in their minds will disappear.
And Rowoon was also caught up in that thought. Fortunately, he wasn’t on stage right away.
It was that evening. Rowoon headed to Rami’s stage with Chris. All of the other piano classmates had no choice but to go see Jungwoo’s performance. There weren’t many people close to Rami among them in the first place.
“It’s a really long festival.”
In the audience, Chris muttered quietly. Rowoon agreed. As the festival lasted for a month, it seemed that Rowoon now clearly knew what it felt like to live buried in music.
“Is it possible to live with this feeling even after graduation?”
The stage follows the stage. Musicians are tested every day, and audiences always find them with anticipation and joy. Sometimes there are mistakes, but everyone tries to stand up based on those mistakes. A life in which such things are naturally incorporated into every daily life, a life of music.
Rowoon seemed to understand why the first reason for wanting to attend the California Conservatory was the California Music Festival. After this one month passed, I felt like I could live with a rough idea of what a musician’s life should feel like.
‘Jungwoo hyung. Actually, hyung’s stage was scary to go to.’
Jung-woo has not completely overcome his stage fright. And in fact, that was the decisive reason Rowoon chose Rami’s stage instead of Jungwoo’s stage today.
I don’t want to see Jungwoo collapse. I don’t want to see stage fright destroy his performance.
In a way, it was a selfish heart, but that heart was there because Rowoon liked Jungwoo that much. I wanted to see Jungwoo shining. That way, looking at Jungwoo like that, Rowoon seemed to be able to move forward with more strength.
‘Please be nice to me. everyone.’
Rowoon put his hands together. Away from the many thoughts that plagued him, he began to empty his mind to prepare music to fill the audience.
And when Rami stood on the stage,
She responded wonderfully to Rowoon’s wishes.
Paganini’s Caprice No. 24.
Representative piece of Paganini, the legendary violinist who made Liszt cling to ‘virtuoso,’ virtuoso pianism.
The woman, who had been fighting the pressure placed on her while holding a cigarette and grinning, now took a bow in her hand and drew a string. Then the violin will reward you with a wonderful melody, making you wonder where in its small body it hides such a beautiful and sharp sound.
If people understood why the piano exists after coming to Rowoon’s recital, Rowoon realized the significance of the violin’s existence while listening to Rami’s performance. It was such a stage.