Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Has Yeonwoo Lost Interest in Classics?
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Has Yeonwoo lost interest in classical music?
No, that wasn't it.
It was just that those people had been careless. Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 itself was magnificent.
"Kids, put together an orchestra for me. Let's play Chopin."
After that, Yeonwoo often visited the grand piano in the studio and happily played Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1.
Thanks to that, the Classical Fairies were riding high these days.
With their signature aristocratic, haughty expressions, they gathered atop the grand piano, looking down on the other fairies watching from afar.
Yeonwoo looked at those fairies and said with his characteristic sharp expression.
"Yesterday, the two of you on bassoon were a bit lacking. You need to put more soul into your playing."
At those words, the two fairies summoning the bassoon flinched and looked dejected.
"Don't get too down about it. Truth is, I can't play bassoon either."
At that, the bassoon fairies shook their heads and pointed at the conductor fairy.
Was that to say the conductor fairy couldn't play either?
The conductor fairy got angry at that and created a bassoon in his own hand.
Was he saying he'd do it himself?
"Fine, then you play bassoon. Want to conduct?"
The original bassoon fairy looked troubled.
Fairies apparently varied from one to another. The conductor fairy seemed to be an ancient being who could handle other instruments as well, but the one holding the bassoon could only play that one.
"Ah, then you conduct again..."
That was when it happened.
Someone stealthily appeared in the conductor's spot.
"Grandfather's fairy...?"
It was none other than Park Jeong-hoon's fairy.
When had he followed along?
Yeonwoo stared in wonder at Park Jeong-hoon's fairy, who had appeared like a ghost, but the fairy ignored Yeonwoo's gaze and looked at the other fairies, puffing out his chest.
Even the conductor fairy yielded to this alter ego fairy and stepped back obediently.
Park Jeong-hoon's fairy pointed back and forth between the bassoon fairy and himself, then pointed to his own eyes.
"You want me to watch closely, right?"
Park Jeong-hoon's fairy nodded.
And so, Park Jeong-hoon's fairy joined in on Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1.
Yeonwoo felt like he knew what Park Jeong-hoon's fairy wanted him to see. The fairy stared intently at the bassoon player amid the orchestra of Classical Fairies, urging the child on.
The bassoon fairy somehow managed to follow Park Jeong-hoon's fairy's demands.
"Oh...!"
As Yeonwoo exclaimed in admiration, Park Jeong-hoon's fairy gave him a see-what-I-mean? look.
Just as Park Jeong-hoon was trying to draw Yeonwoo into the world of classical music, his fairy seemed eager to show Yeonwoo what a true conductor was.
"But I find producing more fun than conducting."
A classical conductor was ultimately just someone directing others' songs.
Yeonwoo didn't care much for that.
Unless it was conducting a piece he'd composed himself someday.
Why not compose one now?
Yeonwoo saw the gazes of the orchestra members watching him.
Having grown up receiving more side-eye than anyone since birth, Yeonwoo understood what those looks meant.
Even if he composed one right now, no one would play it with him, and it wouldn't be accepted. Deciding to bide his time a bit more, Yeonwoo held off.
And truthfully, he still lacked the confidence to catch up to classical greats like Mozart, Beethoven, or Chopin, who had defined eras.
Even so, just as he was regaining interest in classical music, learning and studying each instrument in the orchestra one by one, a special offer came to Yeonwoo.
March, the time when a new school year would normally begin.
And the weather had warmed enough that scarves and winter gear were no longer needed.
"Olivia Snow wants to see me?"
"Yeah, she said she loved your songs and wants to chat music with you sometime."
Shin Jiyeong, who shared the news, looked a bit excited.
And who could blame her? It was Olivia Snow, after all.
To Jiyeong, Olivia Snow was like an inspiring muse.
Of course, there were plenty of singers from America or the UK who inspired her, but among the young ones in their prime, Olivia Snow was just about the only one.
Jiyeong made idols for a living, but to her, Olivia Snow was the ultimate idol.
But Yeonwoo wasn't thrilled.
"Do I have to...?"
Jiyeong panicked at Yeonwoo's lukewarm reaction.
"Yeonwoo, it's Olivia Snow!"
"I know. But I'm on a break right now. Why do I need to meet her? And Aunt, it's not just music—I'm busy with YouTube."
With Kim Beomsin holding strong long-term on the Melboard chart and succeeding, Yeonwoo's recognition had skyrocketed in America and across Asia.
Thanks to that, the SSHIM YouTube channel was racing toward 20 million subscribers.
This was due to Kim Beomsin's Rhythmical catching on in the US and Southeast Asia, and Hadas expanding there too, spreading Yuin's name far and wide.
In Southeast Asia, where K-pop was hugely popular, the fact that the owner of these K-pop sweeping hits—being called a whirlwind—was a child genius had drawn massive attention, just like elsewhere.
Yeonwoo diligently kept up YouTube activities, watching his growing subscribers, views, and comments, even if he skipped other work.
"YouTube's gonna feed you...?"
"It is feeding me!"
Shin Jiyeong was speechless at Yeonwoo's words.
Yeah, YouTube was feeding him.
Yeonwoo was raking in scary copyright fees, but YouTube couldn't be ignored either.
After deducting funds for independently running the label, payments to affiliated singers for appearances, and Wakana's cut for editing and uploading (contracted as YouTube revenue share instead of a raise), all SSHIM channel profits went straight to Yeonwoo.
He was basically running it solo.
And that was just the start.
Yeonwoo's lives caused a frenzy.
Fans dying to throw money at him were everywhere.
Yeonwoo didn't need the money and initially told them not to, but subscribers didn't always listen.
In the end, he donated every penny from Super Chats to kids his age.
This helped many from broken homes, near-poverty lines, and low-income families, ensuring they never went hungry.
Not just Yeonwoo, but other kids were getting fed too.
"Got nothing to say to that... Still, it's Olivia Snow! What's to lose from meeting her?"
Reacting so indifferently to the honor of meeting one of the world's top singers.
Normally, Yeonwoo would show interest.
"There's nothing I can learn from that sister."
"Nothing to learn? From Olivia Snow?"
"She's predictable. Song-wise, I make better ones."
Jiyeong was at a loss again at Yeonwoo's pumpkin-headed firmness.
She couldn't argue back that Olivia Snow was better—thinking it over, Yeonwoo's words weren't entirely wrong.
"If I debuted as a singer and sang like her, she couldn't even hand me her business card."
"Where'd you pick up 'can't hand me her business card'...?"
"The Invincible Uncles use it a lot?"
...Time to stop hanging out with those uncles.
"Ah, right. You can't sing! Olivia Snow sings great!"
Yeonwoo conceded that point.
"Yeah, her singing's really good."
"Then just meet her once and give her a song!"
"I heard she only sings her own compositions. Would she even take one from me? If mine outsells hers later... Nah, it'd hurt her pride, and she'd refuse even more."
Jiyeong realized anew she couldn't win in a war of words with her nephew anymore.
All that voracious reading and dealing with adults had sharpened his tongue beyond normal.
"Yeonwoo."
"Yeah?"
"This aunt's dying wish: let's meet Olivia Snow once. Please?"
"Then you meet her!"
Yeonwoo said that and jumped up from his seat.
"Or tell her to come here. I'm not going anywhere."
Jiyeong decided to back off here. Once Yeonwoo dug in, he never budged.
"But is Olivia Snow really that meh?"
At Jiyeong's question, Yeonwoo looked at his aunt and said.
"No, she's not meh. She's good enough to top Melboard. But nothing to learn. I dissected all her songs..."
"And?"
"Nothing to learn, I said? From some point, the chord progressions and patterns are all the same. If she keeps this up, a slump's coming. Could be soon."
At Yeonwoo's cool analysis, Jiyeong wondered and pulled up her laptop to dissect Olivia's songs herself.
Yeah, come to think of it.
She was pushing what sold, but limits would hit eventually.
Truthfully, Jiyeong was in a similar spot now, Himari had agonized over it too, and it plagued most composers.
Sure, many overcame this era's slumps and bounced back, but most faded away.
In that light, Yeonwoo was truly amazing.
Cranking out entirely different songs every time.
'Will our Yeonwoo ever hit a slump?'
Who knows.
How could you tell with no limits in sight?
Plus...
"Yeonwoo, not making songs lately?"
"Sometimes."
"How many you got stockpiled?"
"About 100? But only around 30 are usable."
By Yeonwoo's current standards, usable meant fit for top idols like Hadas.
Songs like Fly High or Rising.
30 of those, released with tweaks here and there...
'10 years? No worries there.'
Money worries? None either.
"Yeonwoo, your aunt is so jealous!"
"Why, Aunt? Need a song?"
"Huh? Not exactly... but I'd love one! Hehe."
Composing was tough lately, but she still wanted to produce.
"Then take one from the usable songs folder!"
Usable songs folder?
Jiyeong turned on Yeonwoo's studio computer.
Clean desktop with folders galore.
Top-tier, Usable Songs, Practice, Chae Hayeon, Invincible, Lee Si-eun, etc.
"Top-tier?"
Better than usable?
"Yeonwoo, can I listen to the songs in the Top-tier folder?"
"Sure! But I can't give those away! They're for when I produce someday!"
"Got it, no greed here!"
One usable song was plenty.
Thinking that, Jiyeong played one of the five tracks in the Top-tier folder.
"No way..."
Was this kid, on break, secretly grinding like mad?
Yeonwoo's songs had evolved even further in the meantime.
Now beyond familiarity, pioneering something utterly alien—impossible to pinpoint or comprehend exactly, but one thing was crystal clear.
He was forging new genres without alienating or repelling listeners.
It just...
"Sounds... good..."
was all she could say.
Jiyeong cracked open the studio door and checked on Yeonwoo.
Seeing him at the table assembling and transforming his Super Force robot, she thought.
'No wonder he says there's nothing to learn from Olivia Snow...'