The audience was speechless at the lingering aftertaste that pounded their hearts. Born into a wealthy family, they had listened to classical music to the point of boredom for socializing. However, they had no way to describe the whirlwind of emotions they were feeling at the moment. It was a short sonata, but it was a spring day that seemed to last forever.
match.
At that moment, Son Yu-ha jumped up from her seat and clapped her hands. It was a rather loud sound for a child's small hands to clap together. It was also because the banquet hall was quiet as if it was filled with silence. Everyone must have been hesitating and anticipating whether another movement would be played.
but.
"thank you."
The violinist with his deep voice,
Only when their sharp gazes fell on me did I realize that spring was over.
The audience's eyes briefly filled with regret, but soon they were filled with deep emotion. Everyone stood up from their seats. When even the elderly founders all stood up, a standing ovation filled the banquet hall. The gray-haired manager who was in charge of the event swallowed his surprise. This was because the tycoons, famous for their heavy butts, were all immersed in a wave of emotion.
"Have you ever learned violin?"
Chairman Wang asked me on behalf of my grandfather. Not only Son Il-seon, but even Samuel Gardner, who did not understand Korean, was looking at me. They were looking at me with burden, but perhaps because I had played in front of so many audiences before, I felt rather indifferent.
"I haven't studied it professionally yet, Grandpa."
Chairman Wang's eyes widened. It's not that I don't understand that kind of reaction. In fact, even I still can't understand exactly how I performed like that. Who would believe that the violin moved as if it was talking to the heart? In the midst of all this, my uncle seemed even more surprised that I called Chairman Wang "grandfather." He said that he was like an uncultured person.
'Chairman Yoo.'
Chairman Wang wiped away his surprised expression and looked at his grandfather. His grandfather had been silent since the performance ended, but he seemed to be deep in thought.
Chairman Wang swallowed his admiration as he looked into Kang Hyun's calm eyes. This young boy will bring a great storm to the music world in the future. I don't know if he is a master, but apart from his musical skills, he felt an emotional resonance that he had never felt in his entire life. His old heart beat fast again and he felt a deep regret that he had forgotten.
'My granddaughter has already been passed on to your grandson.'
Son Yu-ha's eyes were always focused on Kang Hyeon, and her gaze was so intense that even a sunflower looking at the sun wouldn't be as hot as that.
"Look, Hyun-i oppa plays the violin really well, right?"
A proud voice as if to say that what I said was right. There was a mixture of admiration and joy flowing inside, and I couldn't help but snicker at how cute her innocent appearance was. Who would have thought that Ice Queen Son Yu-ha would be the mood maker? It's something you never knew in this world.
"Hyun-ah."
At that time, my grandfather held my hand. It seemed as if his palm was filled with warmth and even a lonely sadness. My mother's childhood must have been projected in the way I played the spring. I hesitated about how to respond at such times. I had lived a middle-aged life, but I had never acted like this before.
"Thank you."
What could he be thankful for? An emotion I had never seen before was radiating from his wrinkled eyes. He was probably thinking of his mother. Instead of giving an unnecessary answer, I held his warty hands with both hands. In place of his mother, who was missing him.
* * *
Spio Spio Mememe─!
"Student Kang Hyeon, are you awake already?"
The housekeeper came up to the second floor, washed up, and faced me with a towel around my neck. The banquet last night lasted late, so I went to bed quite late. The housekeeper must have thought I was still asleep. In fact, I wanted to lie down longer, but I couldn't help it because of those damn cicadas. It was only cozy at first.
"I slept very well, probably because the bed was comfortable."
"Oh, you can sleep a little more, but come down slowly so we can eat breakfast later. I made braised lotus root, which is Kang-Hyeon's favorite."
A side dish that my mother always made for me. It was braised lotus root that I never even looked at in my past life, but now I can't eat it because it's gone. When I first went back in time, I took a big bite of braised lotus root and cried. By the way.
Maybe it's because the air is still less polluted, but the cicadas' octaves rival Mariah Carey's. Oh my, it's so soothing to my ears.
"Father, do you plan on coming to work with Hyeon today?"
An uninvited guest was sitting at the breakfast table. My uncle had used the excuse of visiting my grandfather to sleep over at the Ichon-dong mansion last night, and the reason was obvious. Last night, I received more attention than when I passed the bar exam. My uncle, who had become a sack of barley, must have become anxious every time he felt my grandfather's gaze.
'Tsk.'
Rather than worrying about his young nephew, he should be working on his business skills. Well, he's not the type of person to listen to. At that moment, the grandfather looked at his uncle.
"Why do you ask that?"
"I said this because I saw Hyun-i yesterday and she seemed to be having a hard time. She's at an age where she's growing up, so I thought it wouldn't be bad for her to eat something delicious and get some rest at home."
Oh my, I didn't know you'd think that much of me. I was so touched that I almost cried, but I exhaled. My uncle was so transparent that I could see right through him. I could completely understand my grandfather's worries. If he had been as young as Yoo Jin-seok, I would have grabbed his hair and scolded him. What a pity, what a pity.
"Hyeon-i will go to Chairman Son's house today, so don't worry."
"yes?"
I'm going there again? My uncle seemed more surprised than when he heard that I was going to the company with him. When my grandfather didn't elaborate, he glanced at me with a look of astonishment. What should I do? I don't know why I'm going to Chairman Wang's mansion. Did Yuha throw a tantrum because she wanted to see me?
* * *
"Student Kang Hyeon, everyone is here."
With the help of Mr. Kim, I arrived at the mansion in Pyeongchang-dong. The high walls always felt oppressive. I thought I knew why Son Il-seon had come here when his business was not going well in his past life. The mansion itself had an indescribable energy. Could money really buy a place like this?
"Come in."
An unexpected person greeted me. It was not Chairman Wang, but the CEO of Jeil Electronics, Son Il-seon. Since it was a weekday and not the weekend, I thought he would naturally be at the office. In his old days, he was known for being a hard worker who would even give up his weekends to work. But in a way, I felt a sense of urgency because he was my old boss.
"Thank you for inviting me."
"Haha, I'm glad you came. Our Yuha is following you very well. She's been begging me to let her learn the violin with her during this vacation. If Chairman Yu hadn't given permission, this old man would have been in a lot of trouble."
Ah, the moment when the whole story of the incident is revealed. I somehow thought that Yuha would have been upset. I thought that it wouldn't be bad to learn the violin at this time. I thought it would be really ecstatic to experience another heart-pounding experience. But when Son Il-seon called himself an uncle, I got goosebumps just as much as when I heard Son Yuha call him oppa.
"Brother!"
The nobleman is not good. Son Yu-ha, who I wondered when she would appear, ran barefoot to greet me. At first, I felt goosebumps on my body because the famous ice queen was treating me so kindly, but what can I do? Dostoevsky was right. Humans are creatures of adaptation.
"Yes, Yuha."
"Brother, come here quickly."
It hasn't even been a day since we met again, but I wonder what she has so much to say. I briefly comforted Yuha, who was pulling my hand, and then bowed my head toward Son Il-sun. Even in the midst of all this, Son Yu-ha's voice kept ringing in my ears. The little one must be eating something to grow up, but his strength is not ordinary. Meanwhile, Son Il-sun's expression as he looks at the two children moving away is mysterious.
"Teach me this!"
It's a math problem. I guess my skills have improved, because the level of the problems I saw last time was quite high. Since I had solved all the problems before, it was hard to say that I didn't know. Suddenly, a private tutor? I had no choice but to pick up the problem. I thought I should kill time with this until the music teacher came.
"Yuha, do you understand?"
"huh!"
Once I taught him, he absorbed water so quickly, like a sponge. At first, I thought it was because he was so smart.
'I already know.'
Son Yu-ha knew how to solve the problem. He was trying hard to hide the fact that he was relearning the formula he had already learned from me. Of course, he would later become the president of Jeil Trading Company, who was famous for being picky and proud. He really didn't know, so he wouldn't have asked me to teach him. Could it be that he really likes me?
"Yuha, solve the last problem by yourself."
"Yeah, I really don't know what this is."
I told him what I really thought, but Yoo Ha forgot even that. He's really cute at times like this. But he's a born competitor who's competitive, and his bloodline never goes away. When I told him I wouldn't help him, he started solving the problem by himself, staring at the problem paper, and he became so engrossed in it that it was scary.
How much time has passed?
"I solved it all, brother!"
Son Yu-ha smiled bashfully and handed me the test paper. Looking at the last problem, I saw that he had solved it over and over again, so much so that the eraser was covered in black charcoal dust. Of course, it was the right answer in the end, but for an 11-year-old to focus on one problem for thirty minutes is an unbelievable level of concentration.
"Yuha, but wasn't the problem difficult?"
These are difficult problems that seem too difficult for an 11-year-old child to solve. I know that the chaebol family is passionate about education, but I wonder if it really has to be this hard. I wonder if the once cute child ended up becoming a synonym for cynical after living so fiercely.
"My father said that the moment you give up, it's over. So he told me to hold on tight and not let go. Then, in the end, it will be mine."
Son Il-seon, what on earth did this man say to his young daughter?
no way.
Yeah, around this time.
At a time when Son Il-sun was competing for succession with his younger siblings, Chairman Wang weighed his children without letting go of management rights until just before he died. It was literally the law of the jungle, and in line with his business philosophy, the strongest one would eventually take over the Jeil Group. It was like a war without gunfire.
"Yuha, you don't need to have everything you don't need."
The era that requires selection and concentration is approaching. The industries of the old era are going downhill and the new industries of the present era are emerging. Semiconductors were like that, and in that respect, Chairman Wang is a person with truly outstanding foresight. He is a businessman who knows that something old is not necessarily good, and that if you force everything, you will eventually get into trouble. Compared to Chairman Wang, the current Son Il-seon is still just a tiger cub.
"You don't have to have everything you don't need."
At that moment, I suddenly turned my head at the sound of a voice.
There.
"That's a good point. Then, in your opinion, what does this old man need the least right now?"
Chairman Wang was looking at me with his characteristically bright eyes. I swallowed my saliva without realizing it. For some reason, that gaze overlapped with the gaze I had felt from Son Il-seon all day yesterday.