The Healing Life of a Music Genius - Chapter 111



Only Noblemtl

111 goodbye

* * *

Ettlingen, Germany.

An old-fashioned restaurant with plenty of party food on display.

The blonde girl was puffing out her cheeks and looking in one direction.

It was because I didn’t like the boy talking calmly while surrounded by numerous musicians.

Anna Becker casually blew into a straw and began to boil the cranberry juice in the cup.

Pretty immature behavior.

Louis Wolff said to Anna as he took a bite of his canapé.

“And then it all comes out on the dress. It’s already a white dress. What are you going to do if you don’t have anything to wear to the gala? “You know that fresh fruit juice doesn’t come off easily, right?”

“joy. “You’re worried about everything.”

“I did it because I was afraid an article would appear. Anna Becker won 2nd place in Ettlingen. I was shocked to find traces of juice on my clothes! Like this.”

Anna turned her gaze towards Louis.

Those eyes were quite harsh.

“People who come to listen to music barely care about that? Lewis, aren’t you ignoring the audience too much?”

“It’s just a fun story. Moreover, if the ‘Genius of Munich’ appears jealous.”

“······.”

Lewis was always smiling.

Since Louis had come with the intention of teasing Anna from the beginning, Anna’s pouting expression and the rays in her eyes had little effect.

Anna opened and closed her mouth several times and then drank the cranberry juice in one go.

“ha. Louis. For your information, isn’t that what it is?”

“No? “How long have I been looking at you?”

“You seem to have lost a lot of sense now. “I’ll try to understand the atmosphere more carefully from now on.”

“······?”

Anna took her gaze away from Lewis and looked back in the direction where Han Seo-jin was.

Seojin continues to chat with the masters with a faint smile.

Judging from what I could hear at first glance, the level of conversation was quite surprising.

There is no end to topics such as various stories about music history, piano technique, music interpretation, mind, philosophy, and practice methods.

but.

‘I can talk like that too… I should be there. Why should I be here? why!’

It just made me a little grumpy.

Lewis looked at Anna quietly and gave her some advice.

I was worried that Anna would have an accident if I left her alone any longer.

“Just accept it. It is natural that Ettlingen No. 1 receives attention. Of course, you have received the most attention so far, but you have to have days like this sometimes. okay?”

“······.”

“And it’s Seojin. “If you’re that jealous, Seojin will probably hate you, right?”

“Louis. “I think you’ve completely misunderstood something.”

“I?”

“okay.”

“I don’t think so?”

“······.”

Anna pressed her temples and continued speaking.

“now. I am. It’s not that I’m jealous of Seojin, who is surrounded by teachers. “I thought the teachers who took away time to play with Seojin were mean!”

‘Seojin…if possible, play with me a little more.’

Anna was thinking that way.

“what?”

“By the way, I also know music history well, right? And I know piano technique well. Why does Seojin only talk to teachers? That’s almost over an hour! I was the one who guided him to the teachers! Then shouldn’t you allocate some of your time to me as well? Seojin is too much.”

“······.”

Anna’s pouting expression.

Lewis, who blinked several times, eventually burst into laughter.

The eyes of the people around him quickly turned to Lewis, but he didn’t care.

Since he was the person who knew Anna best here, this situation could not help but be funny.

‘Anna, you’ve definitely changed a bit.’

Perhaps because she was laughing too hard, Anna kept glaring at Lewis, and Lewis had no choice but to apologize, saying he had misunderstood.

“sorry. I thought you were jealous. “It’s because you can’t monopolize the teachers’ love.”

“It’s not like that! Honestly, isn’t Seojin going back to Korea after this gala show? “Then shouldn’t you spend the most time with us?”

“Still, please take a look. It seemed like Seojin was getting attention for the first time this time. She had seen articles saying that she had not achieved much in the past. “This may be her first time talking to teachers like that.”

“······ This is the first time he’s been in the spotlight? “Is this your first time talking to the teachers?”

“Maybe so?”

“······ Is there a kid who can hit the ⌜Emperor⌟ like that? “If he were born in Germany, would he be so talented that his teachers would have kidnapped him 10 times?”

“I know so. “The media isn’t always accurate, but the interview content is.”

“······.”

“You too, think back to three years ago. How excited I was when I first met the teachers. Seojin is finally experiencing something like that. Look at him. “You’re smiling.”

“······.”

Just as Lewis said, Seojin was smiling brightly.

They chatted endlessly, as if they had a lot of stories to tell.

Chloe Laurent nodded repeatedly, and Seojin Han continued her explanation excitedly while playing the piano in the air.

Anna looked at Han Seo-jin’s bright expression and sighed.

“Is it that good? He’s a total kid too. “I guess I should understand because I’m a year older than you, right?”

“I think we should do that.”

“But only until today! For your information, I also made a promise with Seojin. “We decided to hang out together for a day.”

“Did Seojin make all those promises?”

“huh! Seojin is very kind!”

“that’s interesting. “If it were me, I wouldn’t have bothered to play with you.”

“······ What does that mean?”

Lewis, who felt his life was in danger, sneaked away.

Anna glared at Lewis a little more and then looked at Han Seojin again.

Seeing him having so much fun talking with the teachers, I sighed again.

‘Ehyo. ‘I like it that much, but I have to endure it.’

Anna looked around the inside of the restaurant and found a pretty good next target.

When I bowed my head slightly and said hello as I learned from the Internet, I received a similar response.

Something a little more exciting.

“Guten Abend (Good evening)!”

This little kid said hello in German.

Anna took a seat in front of the child and also greeted her mother next to her.

My mother spoke English very well, so we were able to communicate in a few words.

However, Anna’s English skills were poor, so conversation beyond a certain level was difficult.

‘I guess I should study English hard too. There were a lot of things I wanted to ask. ‘It’s a shame.’

Anna decided to target the cute little boy instead.

Han Seo-jin’s younger brother.

A boy who looked like a doll was hugging a teddy bear.

Anna gestured with her hands and feet and asked the name of the teddy bear.

“Kur! bean!”

“Is that his name?”

Suyeon smiles and nods.

Even if we didn’t understand the words, the meaning was roughly understood.

“I see. “Then, ‘Kur’, does that kid play the piano too?”

Doridori.

“then?”

When I looked at the shape of Suyeon’s hands, it looked like a teddy bear playing the violin.

“That’s amazing. I also have a doll that I sleep with when I sleep. His name is Chopin. “It’s been about three years since you came to my house.”

“······?”

“As Seojin’s younger brother, you have a lot in common with me. I’ll introduce you next time. Our doll is Chopin. Do you understand?”

“Chopin?”

“and. You are so smart! How on earth does a kid who doesn’t speak German understand what I’m saying? “I know everything about Chopin!”

“Frederic Chopin?”

“that’s right! That’s the full name of our doll! Are you a genius? Huh. As expected, he is Seojin’s younger brother. “I will admit it.”

“······?”

Anna smiles brightly.

Suyeon tilts her head slightly.

The child’s mother smiling next to him.

and.

The boy, who was watching this situation from afar, looked at them closely.

* * *

‘What is he doing over there?’

Anna was almost acting like a play by gesturing with her hands and feet in front of Suyeon.

Our good Suyeon is clapping her hands hard.

But Anna sees that and just shrugs…

He even raises his chin and sweeps his hair back.

‘Could it be… Anna, are you acting funny in front of Suyeon?’

I really don’t know.

Even after finishing the conversation with the musicians, I had to watch from afar for a while.

Because it was that amazing.

Looking at Suyeon’s laughter, it seemed like there was some level of communication going on.

I took a look around the restaurant.

The musicians I was talking to were busy sharing other stories with other musicians.

From what I heard a little while ago, it was not easy to get together like this.

There is nothing we can do about it since everyone has their own performance schedule.

It seemed like they were continuing their exchanges through the Ettlingen Competition.

I heard that pianist Laurent has to go to LA soon.

You said that you plan to spend some time in the United States after performing with the LA Philharmonic, and you secretly told me…

‘You said I could follow you anytime.’

An unconventional proposal.

This meant that I could join him on his performance tour.

In reality, it meant that he would accept me as a disciple, and it was no different.

In fact, Professor Yuhan Kang and Conductor Hauser, who listened to pianist Laurent’s words, only laughed.

1st place in competition.

The opportunities that arose as a result of this probably meant something like this.

In addition, more active love calls followed.

Director Jonas Brandt actually recommended that I study abroad in Germany.

And that too with a full scholarship.

They even provide support for all living expenses.

There were people who suggested small chamber music concerts or small recitals, and there were also people who made introductions so that they could receive corporate sponsorship.

‘There are more choices. Surely.’

For now, all answers were postponed.

Since I still had a stage to finish, I decided to take my time and think about it after that.

The musicians also respected my thoughts.

I was thirsty because I had been talking for a long time.

I chose grape juice from the drinks displayed at the buffet and went out to the terrace to cool off a bit.

When I opened the arched glass door, I felt a sweltering heat.

Although the terrace wasn’t as cool as the inside of an air-conditioned restaurant, the fresh air quickly cleared my mind.

The sun had already completely set.

Today seemed to be the first time I looked closely at Ettlingen at night.

I leaned on the terrace railing and slowly scanned the city.

“The timing was right.”

When I thought some time had passed, another person came out to the terrace.

Now I could tell who it was just by their voice.

I turned my head and greeted Mr. Richter, and he waved his hand and took a seat at the table on the terrace.

“Hahyeon (lower 弦). “It’s nice to see the moon and stars clearly in Ettlingen.”

Mr. Richter tipping his wine glass.

I took a seat across the table.

“I think it’s been a while since I’ve been to a place where I can see so many stars. “The stars are not this clear in Seoul.”

“It’s something that can’t be helped if you live in the city. But it seems that there are places in Korea where you can see the stars well. “I see you say it’s been a while.”

“······ Yes.”

I sipped grape juice.

Mr. Richter smiled.

“Maybe someday, when time passes, we’ll have a glass of wine together. “For some reason, I want to do that.”

“It will take quite some time.”

“yes.”

“Then I won’t forget it.”

“okay. “I won’t forget either.”

Professor Richter and I looked at Ettlingen in silence.

A gently blowing wind.

The faint scent of grass.

I could also vaguely hear the sound of grasshoppers.

A peaceful city.

If you stay still, you might fall asleep.

I looked inside the restaurant without thinking and saw Anna walking around here and there.

She was wearing a white dress and had blonde hair, so she stood out easily.

‘You look like some kind of chick.’

Teacher Richter also seemed to have discovered Anna.

“You seem to get along well with that kid. Even though he is a child with a unique personality.”

I knew the exact answer to this.

“But he’s not a bad kid. “He’s a little social, has no sense, only cares about his own business, and speaks without thinking, but he’s basically good.”

“ha ha ha. so. “If only I could think like you, I would make friends easily.”

“I learned it too. “I couldn’t get this far at first.”

“That will do. “If you just take one step closer, musicians will quickly become friends with each other.”

Teacher Richter suddenly had an idea, so he took out his smartphone and searched for something.

He immediately puts the smartphone on the table.

“It’s a good world. You can find and listen to old music with just a few movements of your fingers. “I never imagined a day like this would come.”

Music played with crackling noise.

It was Chopin.

“Oh my. “Do you know this music?”

“······.”

I couldn’t answer right away.

It wasn’t because I didn’t know this song.

Chopin – Nocturne No. 20.

Chopin – Nocturne No 20 in C Sharp minor Op. Posth.

A song dedicated to Chopin’s older sister, Ludvika, along with a letter.

This piece, composed by Chopin in his youth, was later discovered after Chopin’s death and published as a posthumous work.

A chord that rings calmly.

The comma in the middle of the word seemed to represent his sigh.

I know this music exactly.

And the person who played this song clearly knew it.

‘Uncle Miller…’

The song he played in the first round of the Chopin Competition finals.

This is a song I listened to countless times after leaving the desert island and starting to listen to his music.

Accompaniment that repeats the same sound pattern.

A pathetic, even melody that comes out from there.

But there was sweetness in that melody.

That was the characteristic of a pianist named Mark Miller.

He always played with hope.

He played healing.

This was a tone that only he could produce.

however······.

I couldn’t understand why Teacher Richter was playing this music to me.

So, I couldn’t easily answer Mr. Richter’s simple question about whether I knew this music.

A melancholy yet sweet melody shakes the emotions as it meets triplet notes.

I barely opened my mouth.

“······ Chopin’s Nocturne No. 20.”

Mr. Richter stared into space.

The moon and stars were shining, but his expression could not be clearly read as it was hidden in the darkness.

It was only visible at a glance, but it was not clear.

I thought I was rather fortunate.

My expression would also be hidden in the darkness of Ettlingen.

It was only after a long time that Professor Richter explained it to me.

His story was very surprising.

“okay. Nocturne No. 20. It’s Chopin’s posthumous work. The pianist who played this performance is my friend. “We learned music together, we spent our childhood together.”

“······.”

“Mark Miller. He was an amazing friend. His playing moved people’s hearts. Even though he showed overwhelming skill, he never lost his tone. He always played healing. How do you feel? Can you also read healing in this Chopin?”

“······.”

The scattered melody suddenly changes into a bright atmosphere.

It expresses the light of midnight, as if trying to overcome grief.

The waves of a river illuminated by the moon and stars.

Drawing light in the darkness.

I answered.

I definitely found healing in this music.

Teacher Richter continued speaking calmly.

“You… No, his music resembles your music in some way. I found that fascinating. Does the music continue like this? Is it possible to transcend time and space? “That’s what I thought.”

“······.”

“Oh my. I was very grateful to meet you. I let go of my little grudge. You saved me when I couldn’t even see my friend off. thanks.”

“······.”

I could now understand what Mr. Richter said.

But the teacher won’t understand my silence.

His wine glass, which was bathed in moonlight, was already empty.

Uncle Miller’s friend.

What can I say to Professor Richter?

My worries deepen.

That time also got longer.

I thought I could only say one word to the teacher.

This was my best.

“I can completely understand this music.”

Teacher Richter’s head turns towards me.

His eyes were shining like stars.

I knew very well what that meant.

“I see. okay. “You can understand.”

Uncle Miller’s Chopin sings of agony and sorrow.

Rich emotions are revealed and the space resonates.

The slow-sounding melody gradually gets louder.

In 1849, Chopin, whose health was deteriorating, wrote a letter to his older sister Ludwiga asking her to come to Paris to see him.

Did Chopin instinctively know that he was on his deathbed?

Among the family, only his older sister Ludvika was able to see Chopin’s last days.

Ludwika collects Chopin’s body and returns to her hometown, Poland, with his heart.

In that way, Chopin’s soul was finally able to come home.

Did Chopin know that Nocturne No. 20, dedicated to Ludwiga, would be published posthumously?

Did Uncle Miller know that his song would later reach #1 on Billboard?

Or here.

With your friend.

Did you know that I would be listening to your music together?

The melody that seemed to be ending is repeated once again.

The introductory melody reappears and the song is sung one last time.

With more gorgeous notes.

Emotions that could not be expressed before are expressed lyrically.

nocturne.

Nocturne (夜想曲) in Chinese characters.

True to its meaning, it was music that suited the night well.

A melancholy yet sweet melody decorates the end.

No more words were needed.

We looked at the sky in silence.

I looked at the moon and stars lighting up Ettlingen.

Remaining quiet and still.

We surrendered ourselves to the comforting music delivered by Uncle Miller.

.

.

.

The morning dawned as always.

All schedules here have ended.

On the train to Berlin, I looked out the window.

A city that left a lot in my heart.

Summer in Ettlingen was passing by.