'How did this happen?'
In Baeksa Village, where Soo-hyun had brought him, Jaehee met an old man who looked like a factory worker. The man's name was Choi Young-hoo. Soo-hyun introduced Jaehee to the man, telling him that she would be his violin teacher. The man, who at first bowed his head, soon took Jaehee's hand with a bright expression and said,
"Really?! Can I learn well? Hahahaha! Thank you, thank you!"
Jaehee looked at Soo-hyun with a bewildered expression. Soo-hyun, with a vaguely relieved look on his face, sat on a bench with a beautiful view of the hillside village in the background and said,
"The girl is very shy and doesn't talk much. So I'll help her."
'Really? You're going to help me too? You don't know how to play the violin.'
"But I know what the girl is talking about."
'Huh? Without her saying anything? How?'
"I don't know either. I just thought I knew."
'Is there something that pure children can communicate to each other?'
Young-hoo, who had been thinking for a moment, quickly took the violin and got into position before the children changed their minds. Young-hoo noticed Jaehee's reaction and rested the violin on his chin and spoke.
"Shall we play?"
At first, Jaehee was surprised, but after seeing Young-hoo's posture, she shook her head. Then Soo-hyun's voice came out.
"Your basic posture is wrong."
"Huh?"
Jaehee jumped over to the table, pushed Young-hoo's head toward the violin, and loosened the thumb of the hand holding the neck. Soo-hyun's voice followed without fail.
"Hold the violin more firmly with your left chin. The left thumb should only support it lightly, but if you hold the violin well with your chin, the force of your thumb will be released naturally."
"Oh, really?"
'How can the boy understand everything a mute girl says?'
"Press the bow firmly and boldly, use it for a long time from beginning to end, and move it diagonally from left to right naturally and smoothly when going up and down. Relax your right wrist and concentrate the force on your index and pinky fingers."
After that, Jaehee kept holding Young-hoo's posture, and each time, Soo-hyun continued to explain.
'If you say you don't know how to play the violin, do you really understand what this girl is saying? The girl doesn't seem to be deaf, so if Soo-hyun's explanation had been wrong, she would have frowned, but she continues her explanation as if she were explaining it through Soo-hyun's mouth.'
"Just play anything in those conditions," Soo-hyun said.
"Huh? Uh, uh..."
Screeeech~~~
"Oh?"
The sound was different. It was qualitatively different from the sounds he had made so far. Just as Young-hoo was about to play a song he knew, Soo-hyun's words interrupted him again.
"Don't do vibrato. She said to do it after you've mastered the basics."
"Vibrato?"
Soo-hyun winked at Jaehee. When he turned his head to look at Jaehee, he saw the girl shaking her head as she pretended to move her left fingers. This was an action that even young people could understand.
"Ah… Okay, I understand."
Even without the useless techniques, Young-hoo's playing was much better than before. Happiness remained on Young-hoo's face as he played the violin, as if he felt it too. Jaehee, who had been listening to the performance in silence, took out a notebook and wrote something. Soo-hyun, who was staring at the picture, smiled brightly.
"You made a ridiculous face before, but now you're even more excited."
Young-hoo, who had played a song, shouted with excitement.
"Wow! Was that really me playing just now? How can the same violin sound so different? Huh? Who the hell did you bring? Is this little girl a genius?"
Soo-hyun said with a smile.
"Should I say this is a thank you for cooking me the ramen? But the lesson is more expensive than the ramen, so you'll have to pay me back later."
"I don't have any money?"
"Other than money, why would I ask you for money? And you can repay me by giving it to Jaehee instead of me."
'What do you want in return? Should I expect something like the side dishes that the old people in the neighborhood served before?'
At that moment, Young-hoo, who was staring at Soo-hyun, felt the girl's hand tapping his stomach.
"Huh?"
Jaehee, who is short, wrote a note and handed it to Young-hoo.
"Oh, sheet music? Huh? Is this what I just played? Did you draw it right after you heard it?"
Nod, nod.
'Wow, you must be a genius. But what are all these words? Fingerboard, bridge, bow tip, bow bottom, bow amount? When the time signature and rhythm come in, you play in close connection with the bow amount. Does it mean to play by placing the bow on the part that is written here in the score?'
Nodding, nodding.
"Huh? Is it positive or negative?"
When Young-hoo turned to look at Soo-hyun, Soo-hyun, who was sitting comfortably, crossed his arms and spoke.
"The parts marked between the fingerboard and the bridge indicate the position of the violin strings. That's where they should be pressed. The tip and base of the bow indicate which part of the bow will produce the sound, and the intensity of the stroke indicates how much the bow grazes the strings."
"…"
'No matter how I look at it, it's amazing. How do you understand it?'
Young-hoo looked at Jaehee and asked.
"Is that so?"
Nod, nod.
'What wonderful children they are.'
"Okay, let's give it a try."
The sad but beautiful sound of the violin echoed throughout the village of Baeksa. Young-hoo, who was a little clumsy at first, soon gained confidence in the sound he was producing and played while looking carefully at the score. Jaehee nodded at Soo-hyun's tone, which was much better than before, but Soo-hyun was looking at the rusty front door.
'Why are you looking at the door? Is someone coming?'
Jaehee's doubts were soon dispelled. A chorus was heard singing from the other side of the rusty front door. The voices of people singing a melody composed to the rhythm of Young-hoo's violin could be heard.
I'm going to be alone~I never thought of that~I'm alone now~Hey, where did you go and leave me?When we were two~ When we were in love~I couldn't even think of being alone, but now I'm alone~
'What song is it?' Jaehee was too young to know songs for adults.
The door opened and not only the old people but also the young people came into Young-hoo's house and sang. There were black people among them.
'I can't believe I see a black person in this neighborhood. Why is that person here?'
People danced around Young-hoo. Some old people recognized Soo-hyun and greeted him with a warm welcome. Soo-hyun also stood up politely and greeted them respectfully. Jaehee also joined in the greetings, and when Young-hoo's performance ended, people began to praise him.
"Hey! Young-hoo! You've grown so much! Have you been hiding somewhere and practicing in secret?" "Ooh! Young-hoo! Awesome!" "You played last night too, right? How can you change so much in just one day? No joke!"
Young-hoo kept scratching his head, feeling very happy about the praise he was receiving from people, but he sent expressions of gratitude to Soo-hyun and Jaehee in his eyes.
"One more song! One more song!" "Okay! Try singing a cool song!" "No, I like Tae Jin-woo better!" "Oh my God! Trot is a song of great value. What are you talking about?" "Oh, you're going crazy! The godfather of trot is Tae Jin-woo!"
Young-hoo, who was laughing as he watched the old people fighting among themselves, said to the young black man.
"Sambok, are you done with work?"
The name of the black man, who was about 190 cm tall and had a muscular body, was surprisingly Sambok.
"Uh. I worked all night last night and finished a while ago, hyung."
"You must be tired."
"I came home and heard my brother's music, so I came up."
"Aren't you hungry?"
"I'm hungry."
"Wait, I have something to do for you."
The black man named Sambok spoke Korean quite well. He seemed to have lived in Korea for a long time. Soo-hyun also looked at Sambok with curious eyes, as if it were the first time he had seen him, and Jaehee also looked at Sambok with a similar gaze. He smiled, showing his white teeth, as if he were used to being looked at like that or because he liked children looking at him.
"Hello?"
"Hello."
Bow.
Different greetings were exchanged. When the old people saw Young-hoo trying to cook ramen, they ran to the house and brought him kimchi and side dishes. Thanks to Young-hoo, who prepared a lot of ramen, a ramen party was held at his house.
Soo-hyun had only been here once, but he seemed familiar with the place and helped set out the spoons before taking a seat. Soo-hyun tapped the table as if telling Jaehee, who had a bewildered expression, to sit next to him.
'Sit down and let's eat together. Aren't you hungry?''I'm hungry, but it seems like everyone here is poor. Can I eat something?'
"It's okay, sit down. You'll get angrier if you don't eat."
As expected, the old people and even Young-hoo were watching Jaehee. Jaehee looked around and then sat down quietly. Young-hoo, smiling brightly, ran to the table carrying a large, hot pot.
"Alright! Here comes Choi Young-hoo's special ramen!"
People applauded and said, "Wow!" Young-hoo, sitting next to Jaehee, said.
"Our little master also eats a lot. Do you know that the old man is very grateful?"
Nod, nod. Jaehee picked up her chopsticks without a word. Young-hoo divided the ramen into two bowls and gave them to Soo-hyun and Jaehee.
"Well, Soo-hyun, you eat a lot too. I'm grateful that you didn't forget me and came to visit again. You even gave me this opportunity to learn. But how do you know that boy? Even though he's young, I think he plays the violin very well."
Soo-hyun said, holding the chopsticks.
"You go to the same school as me."
"What school do you go to?"
Jaehee was surprised.
'Soo-hyun, didn't you say anything? You're the winner of the International Chopin Competition. But don't these people know what kind of person you are?'
"This is the Center for Musical Education for the Gifted at Korea University."
"Ah, right… what did you say?"
Soo-hyun smiled brightly. Young-hoo, with his mouth open, looked at Jaehee and Soo-hyun alternately and spoke.
"That's why, that's why. Soo-hyun, are you going to that gifted education center where only musical geniuses go? And Jaehee also studies violin there?"
"Yes."
"Oh my God… That, that can't be…"
'Did I teach such a musical genius the meaning of music? What is its definition? If I had a blanket, I would kick it right now.'
Young-hoo, who was pulling his hair, took a look, but Soo-hyun started eating the ramen as soon as he saw the old people picking up their spoons first. As if it were really delicious.
'Ah, the Korea University Music Gifted Education Institute? It's a school of geniuses where only kids who win awards in elite competitions in Korea or internationally go! Did you take lessons with a kid like that? Wait… I told you to pay me back before…''Even if he's a child, a child of that level is qualified to teach others. Above all, it would be easy to teach beginners like you. What the hell does this kid want in return? I feel a little more relieved because you said before that you weren't asking for money, but I'm still anxious.'
"I… Soo-hyun?"
Soo-hyun, who was eating ramen, quickly swallowed the noodles, put down his chopsticks, and spoke.
"Yes."
"Ah… Sorry. You could talk while you eat."
"No, it's okay. Go ahead."
"Hey… I'm talking about reimbursement."
"Oh, that."
"Okay, okay. What can I do for you?"
Soo-hyun looked at Jaehee and smiled.
"It's nothing. Just tell me what you told me last time and tell me about the old man and the people here."
'Huh? What are you going to do with that? It's probably not a pleasant story to hear. There's no one here who hasn't had a hard time. If up-and-coming stars like you hear that, isn't it bad for education?'
Young-hoo, with a bewildered expression, looked at the villagers having a ramen party.