Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Three Generations in Harmony
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Staring at the three pianos, Himari's chest swelled with emotion.
The day had come when three generations of master and disciple sat together in one place to perform... It felt like a dream.
"Yeonwoo, shall we see your skills? It's been a while?"
"Yeah. Can I play anywhere?"
"Sure."
Yeonwoo dashed over, struck each of the three pianos once, and chose the black one.
Heo Ok selected the white piano by the window where sunlight poured in, and Himari sat at her own original piano.
"What should we play for practice?"
Yeonwoo thought for a moment before saying,
"Chopin."
"Cho...pin?"
Himari looked at Yeonwoo with a puzzled expression. Yeonwoo suggesting Chopin instead of jazz? Unheard of.
What on earth had happened in the meantime?
"Isn't it jazz we should play, not classical?"
"Classical is the foundation of music. Chopin etudes are great for warming up."
"Ugh..."
Himari tried to recall Chopin.
"Sorry, Yeonwoo... I can't remember."
Himari averted her gaze, feeling as if Yeonwoo's eyes were saying, You don't even know that?
"No choice, then. Jazz it is. How about Fly Me to the Moon?"
With that, Yeonwoo lightly danced his fingers.
The quintessential jazz song that came to mind for most people—no one in this room didn't know it.
Heo Ok smiled, took her seat, and began playing after Yeonwoo, with Himari hurriedly joining in.
Aside from Yeonwoo, who lacked stage experience, both women had played this song dozens, no, hundreds of times, so they quickly synced up without difficulty.
But as they transitioned from Fly Me to the Moon into a new piece, Yeonwoo's expression began to frown more and more.
Conversely, Himari looked at him in bewilderment.
Yeonwoo's hands were playing the piece with divine inspiration.
Amid it all, he swung along just enough not to clash with the song or the others' playing, slipping in ad-libs.
And at some point, he took the lead on the piece itself, making the two follow him.
Yeonwoo was leading people who had played piano for at least decades.
'What in the world...?'
Yeonwoo undoubtedly possessed unbelievable skill for a seven-year-old, but even at their last meeting, it hadn't been anywhere near this level.
In that short time, Yeonwoo had grown to the point of leading two seasoned pianists.
"Auntie, you're a tiny bit slow. Please match me."
And on top of that, he listened to the others while critiquing them.
Sure, listening to others during a collaboration and pointing things out—Himari could do that too.
The key was that giving critique meant you were the better player.
The reverse would be arrogance or stupidity, and Yeonwoo was neither.
Which meant...
'He's surpassed me.'
Yeonwoo's piano playing had already soared far beyond Himari.
But no jealousy arose.
Watching his growth, she had known a day like this would come soon enough.
It had just arrived sooner than expected.
In fact, it was the same with composing.
Listening to Yeonwoo's recent songs, she had felt him catching up to her current self.
Close to her prime, if compared?
His skill had surpassed even her peak, but Yeonwoo was still missing one thing.
Experience in crafting a song that could captivate the world?
K-pop had been classified and shown terrifying growth, but music's center was still the Western empires centered on America.
The places K-pop challenged and sought acclaim weren't the Asia it had already conquered, but America and Europe foremost.
This was no easy feat.
They still viewed the East as inferior, still judged Eastern music.
Catering to their tastes wasn't simple.
Himari's entry on the Melboard chart might not have been pure skill—perhaps she had coincidentally matched their needs. At least, that's how Himari saw it.
Yeonwoo needed to do the same.
Target their tastes, make a name in America and Europe—that's how you challenge the world.
If Yeonwoo could tailor to their palate, enter Melboard, and draw their attention...
'I'd be out of sight as he skyrockets.'
"Auntie!!"
"Aaah, sorry, sorry!!"
That was for later.
Himari busily worked her piano.
* * *
"Ah, it's hard. Piano is tough."
Himari's expectation of joyful practice had vanished by day three.
It was pure grueling training.
Any aspiring jazz pianist idolizing her would find it unbelievable, but Himari was despairing over her own skill.
Yeonwoo was a born genius, so she could accept it.
But even Heo Ok was left awestruck.
As she said, counting from her retirement to standing at the podium, it had been nearly twenty years since she had properly sat at a piano.
Plus, she was nearing seventy.
People typically saw a pianist's technical peak around their forties, broadly forties to fifties.
Still robust enough for technique, stamina to play, and years of experience bringing depth and understanding.
Of course, not everyone was the same.
But after retiring and over ten years without proper practice, it was a different story.
Even a thirty- or forty-something pianist taking ten years off couldn't return to activity.
Yet Heo Ok had quickly regained her touch and was keeping up with Yeonwoo.
Her fingers and stamina weren't what they used to be—no flashy flourishes—but she filled the gaps with depth.
Himari had known her master was extraordinary, but never dreamed she'd show this level post-retirement.
'Truly my role model.'
Her teacher made her want to learn even into old age.
"Auntie!"
Himari, icing her fingers fearing cramps, startled at Yeonwoo's voice and turned.
"Yeah? What?"
"What should we have for dinner tonight?"
"Dinner? Hmm..."
Himari pondered seriously. Yeonwoo beside her did the same.
"Monjayaki? Nah, getting stale. Yakitori? Yakiniku? No... Sushi? Feels off too."
"How about ramen or noodles?"
"We had tsukemen for lunch today."
"Right!"
Yeonwoo scratched his head and said,
"Should we ask the others?"
"Asking those amateurs for opinions is a waste!"
Himari's words made Yeonwoo shake his head.
"Even a three-year-old has lessons to teach. And Yuri sis or Annosuke bro eat a ton, but not thoughtlessly."
"Even a three-year-old...! Wise words. Mind asking for me?"
Yeonwoo nodded and pulled out his smartphone, seemingly contacting Yuri and Annosuke.
Heo Ok, passing by and watching, chuckled and said,
"Aren't you two more serious about this than practice?"
"T-Teacher, we need fuel to have strength!"
"Yeah!"
Heo Ok just laughed at the slightly embarrassed Himari and earnest Yeonwoo.
"So, what're you eating?"
Yeonwoo, having chatted with Yuri and Annosuke, suddenly perked up as if enlightened.
"Kaisendon...!!"
"Seafood rice bowl...! Indeed, answers aren't just with experts?"
"Right? Grandma, kaisendon?"
"Sounds good."
Heo Ok, who liked seafood, nodded.
That day, Yeonwoo and the team all enjoyed kaisendon together.
In Korea, where October meant summer dying, Tokyo was still hot.
* * *
October.
Himari's Budokan concert loomed near.
Special? Not quite, but meaningful for her.
It officially wrapped her album promotions.
"Album activities ending—any plans after?"
Nanase asked Himari.
"Well..."
Mid her pre-show routine of loosening fingers and body, she paused, thought, and said,
"Rest first."
"Rest?"
Nanase nearly blurted, Don't you know how many years you rested before this album?
Himari chuckled.
"Rest for a bit. I'm not as young as I used to be. After touring America like that, I need a break."
"Ah... if so."
"This break, maybe in Korea."
"Korea? For Yeonwoo-kun?"
"That too. Korean food's delicious. Time to conquer it."
"...I see."
Has a demon possessed our JOP?
From Himari to Yeonwoo, Yuri, and Annosuke—all dead serious about eating.
"Did you send sushi to Yeonwoo?"
"Probably eating it now."
Himari nodded.
Now, the duet approaching.
Just once, but you needed a decently full belly for energy.
From one of Tokyo's top sushi spots—he'd love it.
"Alright... I need to focus now, so could you head out?"
"Ah, yes. See you."
Nanase bowed, turned off the light, and left the waiting room.
Being alone in the darkened waiting room was Himari's routine.
Here, with no one around, Himari closed her eyes and meditated.
She pulled out painful, sad memories one by one—mostly dredging up her sorrowful past.
She was an emotional person.
The type where just thinking of the past brought tears to her eyes.
Even now, tears threatened to well up.
At that moment, she clenched, holding them back. No crying here.
Hold back the tears, suppress the emotions.
Approach the piano with restrained feeling.
Of course, holding back tears didn't automatically restrain emotion or perfect the piano, but this was her routine.
Finishing it, she opened her eyes at a knock from outside.
"Open the door."
With an icy voice like frost, the door opened, light spilling in.
Staff she passed hastily cleared the way, her charisma silencing them.
Waaaaaaaaah!
As she appeared onstage, about 18,000 audience members cheered briefly.
She gazed down imperiously, bowed her head, and sat at the piano.
To Yeonwoo, just a good aunt who loved food and taught composing—but now, she was the world's Himari.
Queen of Japanese jazz.