The Healing Life of a Music Genius - Chapter 216



Only Noblemtl

* * *

“Hey, look at these guys! They’re so cute! They look so fluffy!”

Suyeon holds onto me and walks quickly.

A doll shop in Brussels.

It was a store I happened to stop by while passing by, and it seemed to have hit Suyeon’s taste perfectly.

On the wooden shelf, a bunch of teddy bears were sitting together.

From palm-sized to huge, too big to fit into a travel carrier.

Suyeon continued speaking, reaching out to one of the teddy bears sitting in order of size.

“What is your name?”

I cleared my throat once and answered shamelessly.

I just came up with the name that came to mind.

“My name is Elizabeth.”

“Oh. That’s the Queen’s name?”

“That’s right. I’m actually of noble birth. There’s a story behind how I came here~”

“Uh, what’s the story······?”

Hmm. Which one would be better?

I made up a story about a princess who was turned into a teddy bear by magic and told it to Sooyeon, and Sooyeon’s eyes sparkled until I finished the story.

She hugs her teddy bear tightly and stares at me intently.

Suyeon, with her hands clasped together and her feet in a cat-like pose, spoke with great earnestness.

“Whew······. Oppa. Maybe this child was destined to come to our house. Shouldn’t we break the spell? Otherwise, this child might have to live the rest of his life as a teddy bear.”

“I guess so? But would one be enough? My brother could buy you a bunch of these guys.”

Since coming to Brussels, Suyeon has had her fair share of hardships.

When we were staying at an Airbnb together, I always acted cautiously to keep an eye on my mom, and I studied hard with her.

Since Sooyeon couldn’t go to kindergarten and had to stay in Brussels, her mother took care of her almost all day long······.

My mother is a very meticulous person, so she taught Suyeon how to study without any hesitation.

When I entered the Chapel, my brother cried out loud at night, saying that he missed me.

Fortunately, it got a lot better after the second or third day, but from Sooyeon’s perspective, it must have been a lot of work.

I wanted to give a nice gift to my younger brother who followed me to Brussels just to look at me.

I wish I could buy all the dolls in this store.

But Suyeon was always mature.

“No, brother. This child is enough for me. I think it would be better to take only this one child from Brussels.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yeah! Actually······.”

Suyeon put the teddy bear she was holding down on the shelf for a moment, then came close to me and whispered.

The teddy bear said he liked it better because I made up a plausible story.

I also really liked how my brother gave a serious answer to something I could have just passed over.

I smiled and patted Suyeon’s head once.

“But Sooyeon.”

“huh?”

“Why do we have to whisper so quietly?”

Suyeon turned around, glanced at the teddy bear, and answered me.

“There is that······. What if that child is actually under a spell? There is a chance of that happening, right?”

“The possibility······. Yeah. It can’t be zero. That makes sense.”

“That’s right! If that’s the case, wouldn’t Elizabeth be upset when she hears us? That’s why you should always be careful what you say in front of the bears. You should only use pretty words.”

“Huh? But wasn’t that something your mom said to Sooyeon before?”

Suyeon smiled and nodded.

“That’s right. That’s why he said that we should treat every object with care.”

“I see. Suyeon has a good memory too~”

“Hehehe. You don’t have to praise me like that. That’s why I’m saying, oppa······.”

Suyeon went to the shelf and brought the teddy bear back, and asked me again if I was really going to buy it.

I nodded willingly.

“Of course. Then let’s take that teddy bear right home. Sooyeon should treat Elizabeth with care like other children, right?”

“Wow! Thank you! As expected, my brother is the best!”

Suyeon hugged the teddy bear tightly and smiled bashfully.

No kidding, I felt like I could buy my little brother a truckload of teddy bears.

At that moment, my mother, who had been watching us from behind, approached us quietly.

My mother smiled brightly as she put her arm around my shoulder and held Sooyeon’s hand.

“Oh my. I don’t know why they’re so close. Just watching them makes me happy. Who on earth are these pretty kids?”

“Hehehe. I am my mother’s daughter after all.”

“I am also my mother’s son.”

“Really! Mom is so, so happy. I feel like I have everything just by being like this.”

“Hey······. Honey. Me? I think you forgot me.”

Father came to us before we knew it.

Thanks to that, we ended up laughing together.

After buying Suyeon a doll, we decided to do some more shopping.

Suyeon, who grows differently every day, was the first to go pick out clothes.

There were people who recognized me from time to time, so it got noisy······.

“I’m sorry. The pianist is on holiday today. Please understand.”

“Ah······! I understand. Good luck to pianist Han Seo-jin! Then have a nice day!”

“The performance was really great!”

“It’s an honor to meet you!”

Thanks to the two people in Belgium who were there to protect me and guide me through Brussels, I was able to move around a little more comfortably.

It was really fun helping Sooyeon choose clothes.

Every time she came out of the fitting room wearing a pretty outfit and asked me for my opinion, I just felt happy.

“How are you, oppa? How are you?”

“The princess asks my opinion. Of course it suits you so well.”

Suyeon bursts out laughing at my joke.

Under the leadership of my mother, father, and I, we bought several sets of clothes for Suyeon.

Of course, I paid the money.

“Hey! Mom and Dad are enough for me!”

“I’m buying it in advance with the prize money from the contest that will be held in a few days. I think it will be a souvenir and a memory. This money is meaningful. So I want to use it meaningfully.”

“······.”

“Does what I say sound plausible?”

“Anyway······.”

Suyeon left the store wearing a one-piece dress that was perfect for summer weather.

He walks in front of us, spins around, and shows off to us.

“The clothes my brother bought me are so light! I feel like I could fly!”

“Then what if it’s a big problem?”

“It’s okay~ My brother will definitely catch me!”

Suyeon quickly ran towards me and grabbed my hand tightly.

Soon after, I went to buy clothes for my mother and father.

My parents stubbornly refused, but Suyeon and I worked together to bring him into the store.

It’s not a luxury brand, but it’s a pretty good clothing brand.

There, I was able to safely finish my mother and father’s shopping.

I caught a glimpse of my parents following my siblings and I, carrying a lot of shopping bags. Judging from the smiles and conversation they were having, it seemed like they had bought us nice clothes.

In the end, I went to buy my own stuff.

A few casual clothes and a pair of shoes.

I chose these because I felt like the shoes I wear while performing were getting tighter and tighter······.

“Mom and Dad will buy this for you. So just stay still.”

“No, that’s not it······.”

“Tsk! You’re not going to listen to Mom?”

“······.”

All the things I was planning to buy ended up being bought by my parents.

My mother smiles while rubbing my face with both hands for no reason.

No matter how big I grew and how much money I earned, it seemed like my parents still saw me as a child.

I could no longer just state my opinion in front of my parents, who were calculating and smiling happily.

“······ thank you.”

“What’s the big deal? If you need anything, just tell Mom and Dad. Okay?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Yes. That’s how our son is.”

Eventually, I found myself smiling similarly to my parents.

After dropping off our shopping at our hotel, we went out for dinner.

There were already people gathered at the meeting place, and among them, Sister Lucas was the first to welcome me.

Next up is Yankovsky and his mentor.

Afterwards, I also greeted Professor Kang Yu-han and pianist Laurent.

We walked slowly through the streets of Brussels.

I could have taken a taxi to the restaurant, but I decided to take my time.

On a bright summer evening, watching the orange lights of the streetlights turn on one by one.

20 years ago, I joked with Laurent, the pianist who won the Queen Elisabeth Competition, about how we were now seniors and juniors.

I took in the beautiful architecture in Brussels.

We stopped walking at the same time.

Under the flickering streetlights.

That was the reason I happened to see a cello player playing alone.

A rough yet beautiful melody.

An old, nameless musician filled this street all by himself.

Suyeon gently pulls the hand I was holding.

I could tell what Sooyeon was hoping for just by looking at her younger brother’s eyes as he stared at me.

I got down on one knee and explained the song to Suyeon.

At a very low volume that does not interfere with the performance.

“Bach’s Suite for Unaccompanied Cello, No. 2. Prelude. When Bach composed this piece… it was a solo piece featuring the cello, an instrument that received less attention than the orchestra’s bassoon.”

Suyeon thought deeply for a while and then asked me.

“An instrument that can produce such wonderful sounds? Hasn’t it gotten any attention?”

“Yes. There was a time like that. During the Baroque era, the cello was considered an instrument that had to produce only low, consistent notes.”

“Hmm. I see.”

“Of course, that’s not the case now. The cello is an instrument that is loved by many people. Among them, Bach’s unaccompanied cello pieces are very famous.”

“Wow! So the cello really became the main character?”

“That’s right. That’s what the cellist is playing right now.”

“······.”

Suyeon looked at the cellist with sparkling eyes.

I also watched his performance quietly.

Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello No. 2 had passed the Prelude and Allemand, and now the Courante was being played.

The huge resonance spreads through my whole body.

I closed my eyes and watched the performance until the end before I got up from my seat.

We immediately clapped for the cellist, and he shook our hands one by one as if he knew who we were.

When it was my turn, the old musician bowed his head to me and greeted me first.

“I really enjoyed the performance of ⌜Immortal⌟. It was a performance that allowed me to really understand Beethoven’s intentions and the pianist’s will. Thanks to it, my pain was somewhat relieved······. It was a truly amazing experience······. Thank you.”

“······.”

The rough hands typical of string instrument players.

I shook his outstretched hand and greeted him in return.

“It was a wonderful Bach. It made me stop walking.”

“I’m so glad I was able to play a piece that would please even just one person.”

“······.”

“It was truly an honor, pianist Han Seo-jin.”

“······.”

I gently let go of his hand, which felt rough, and gave him a small nod.

The old musician also smiled and nodded to me in response.

We started walking again towards our original destination.

When I took about ten steps like that.

Behind me, the rough yet beautiful melody of the cello began to be heard again.

The sounds that fill the streets of Brussels.

I felt like this melody would remain in my memory for a long time.