Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Meeting the Professor
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“Grandma, who are we going to see?”
“Someone like this old lady’s teacher.”
“Grandma’s teacher? Even you have a teacher, Grandma?”
Heo Ok laughed at his words.
“Of course. Did you think this old lady sprang into existence knowing everything?”
“I see.”
Yeonwoo felt a sense of wonder.
In Yeonwoo’s life, the oldest person he knew was Shuji, and Heo Ok, who was just a bit younger than him, came second.
For such a grandma to refer to someone as her teacher meant this person was even older than Heo Ok or Shuji, and Yeonwoo couldn’t quite picture it.
“So where is this teacher?”
“Probably at home. That’s where we’re headed.”
Since it was his grandma’s teacher, Yeonwoo imagined they’d live in some towering luxury apartment.
Oddly enough, everyone around Yeonwoo—Grandma, Himari, Shuji, and so on—all lived in apartments or mansions.
But when they arrived, Yeonwoo was a little surprised.
A massive standalone house, not an apartment building or mansion where multiple people lived together, greeted him instead.
“Wow, what’s a house like this?”
“They call it a detached house.”
A detached house.
In Yeonwoo’s memories, the only houses were the rundown, old multi-family place where his uncle had lived.
This kind of house was a first for him.
And that made sense—this was Hannam-dong, the traditional upscale neighborhood where celebrities from politics, business, and more had once gathered.
To Yeonwoo’s eyes, it looked just like a castle.
As the parking shutters opened, they pulled into a spot in the spacious area that could hold several cars. Right on cue, someone emerged from the entrance connected to the parking lot.
“Hello, they’re waiting inside.”
She was an older woman, probably the housekeeper.
“Should Jaehoon come in with us?”
“No, I don’t think that’s my place. I’ll wait in the car.”
“There’s a separate reception room inside. Would you like to wait there?”
“Yes, that works.”
At Heo Ok’s words, Oh Jaehoon nodded and followed them in before veering off to the reception room.
Yeonwoo and Heo Ok went up one more floor behind that.
In the middle of a vast space so large it was hard to tell if it was a living room or a field, a grand piano sat prominently, sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows and making it gleam.
And off to one side, a white-haired old man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out the window.
Yeonwoo stared blankly at the blue fairies hovering around the old man.
Proud and aloof ones, distinctive to classical music, swarmed around him in countless numbers.
He’d never seen that many fairies around a person before.
“Professor.”
Heo Ok called out to the old man cautiously from among them.
The white-haired man turned around.
Short and gaunt-faced, with thick eyebrows and a stubborn mouth that suggested he wasn’t one to trifle with.
“Long time no see.”
Despite his advanced age, his voice rang out steady and unwavering.
“Yes.”
Yeonwoo glanced down at his grandma, who gripped his hand tightly.
She wore her usual cool, impassive expression, but Yeonwoo could tell.
She was nervous too.
That was surprising.
To Yeonwoo, his grandma was always the one at the absolute top.
The eldest at home, a respected teacher and pianist in the music world.
Yeonwoo turned his gaze back to the old man, Park Jeonghun.
He approached slowly, hands still behind his back.
He shifted his gaze from Heo Ok, who he’d been looking at, to Yeonwoo.
“You’re Heo Ok’s grandson?”
“Hello, I’m Shin Yeonwoo.”
“Heh, yes, I’m Park Jeonghun.”
As Yeonwoo bowed politely, the old man let out a hearty chuckle.
Even the sternest old man couldn’t help but soften before a grandchild-aged child.
“How did someone as cold as you end up with such a cute kid?”
“Professor…”
“What, did I say something wrong?”
“That’s not it.”
“Heh heh heh.”
Park Jeonghun chuckled and turned to Yeonwoo.
“So, does your grandma treat you well?”
“Yes! Grandma’s my favorite!”
At Yeonwoo’s words, Park Jeonghun glanced at Heo Ok.
“Looks like even you can’t win against a grandson.”
“Well, yeah.”
Park Jeonghun chuckled again and said to Yeonwoo.
“So, Yeonwoo, do you like music?”
“Yes.”
“What’s your favorite genre?”
“So far, jazz.”
“So far?”
“It might change as I grow up.”
“Hmm, yes, quite right.”
For some reason, Park Jeonghun seemed pleased by Yeonwoo’s response.
“Then, what about including classical among the ones you might like later?”
Yeonwoo paused at that.
“Uh… classical is kind of…”
“Why? Don’t like classical?”
Yeonwoo shook his head.
“I don’t dislike it, but it’s boring.”
Park Jeonghun’s eyebrows twitched at Yeonwoo’s words.
“Boring? Hmph…”
He seemed about to say something but held back. Come to think of it, classical could feel monotonous and dull to kids these days.
Especially to a kid who made songs with intense sounds and fast beats—classical might seem boring.
But that was like saying a child who craved stimulating foods, like fast food, found them preferable.
Well, this kid too.
Even Mozart, born in this era, might’ve been hooked on modern music instead during his childhood.
“Yes, I suppose it could be.”
Park Jeonghun straightened up and walked toward the piano.
Heo Ok watched him, more than a little—actually quite a lot—surprised.
Back in the day, even the slightest disparaging remark about classical to young Park Jeonghun would’ve been a death sentence.
He had an ironclad pride in classical music.
For him to let it slide.
“Well… I’ve gotten this old too.”
Even the much older Park Jeonghun seemed to have mellowed.
“Still, this old man wants to play some classical for you, Yeonwoo. Want to give it a listen?”
“Yes!”
As Heo Ok pondered, Park Jeonghun sat at the piano, paused as if thinking, then began to play.
A powerful strike—bam—like slam, kicking off a dazzling performance.
‘Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5…!’
Commonly known in Korea as the Fate Symphony, fairies began bursting out at that intense piano melody.
Allegro con brio, the lively and fast first movement was arguably the most famous among Beethoven’s many works.
Classical pieces, with their long history, were interpreted differently by each performer. Park Jeonghun played it fast as indicated but with extra power and impact—that was his signature.
Of course, compared to his prime, it lacked some force, but it was still an unbelievable performance for an octogenarian.
Even Heo Ok, a jazz pianist of renown, was left in awe. It was a masterwork, the charisma of a giant of the era.
And it wasn’t just Heo Ok who felt it.
Yeonwoo watched the blue fairies gathering around his playing.
The free-spirited ones always buzzing around him sat solemnly now, as if in a concert hall, absorbing the music.
At first glance, he’d thought them so lofty (put plainly, old-fogeyish?) and thus boring. But now, seeing them again, that wasn’t it.
The fairies were showing ‘respect.’
Respect for where they’d originated, giving their all to honor it.
Right—from where did popular songs even begin?
Most—no, nearly all music—traced back across the ocean to the West, and digging into those roots inevitably led to classical.
Sure, fairies were born from music worldwide, but the origins of the countless ones facing Yeonwoo now lay there.
He could feel it from Korea’s oldest classical specialist.
And then, slowly emerging fairies.
Brighter than any he’d seen before…
‘Grandpa’s fairy.’
It was Park Jeonghun’s fairy.
Having scanned the fairies seated in solemn atmosphere, he soon looked at Yeonwoo.
Amid the overwhelming intense blue light that even daunted Yeonwoo.
Then Yeonwoo spotted the silhouette shining behind it.
The blue-glowing figure was unlike any fairy in size.
An immense presence.
A giant of the era, a great musical saint who delved solely into music despite deafness—a death sentence for a musician—and every misfortune.
Ludwig van Beethoven.
It was his avatar.
The avatar of the era-defining figure revealed itself in this world, but its presence was so vast that it only showed a silhouette beyond Park Jeonghun’s performance, gazing at Yeonwoo before vanishing as if to say no further.
Overwhelmed by that fairy’s presence, Yeonwoo could only stare, speechless.
And soon, Park Jeonghun’s performance ended.
“How was it? Classical’s not so bad, right?”
“Hmm… I felt something I didn’t before. Still boring, but I can’t ignore it?”
What was it—music’s roots? That kind of feeling.
“Still boring? Heh, you don’t know how great this piece is.”
“No, the piece is amazing. But it’s not complete on just piano, right? Feels a bit lacking.”
“Heh, you caught that? It’s meant for orchestra.”
“Orchestra?”
“A group where many instrumentalists play together?”
Orchestra sounded unfamiliar to Yeonwoo. He’d heard a few classical pieces and skimmed videos, but never really paid attention.
“I see…”
Yeonwoo nodded and looked at the piano.
As the piece ended, the fairies frolicked excitedly. Some tugged at him, begging him to play.
“Want to give it a try, Yeonwoo? I’d like to see your piano skills.”
At that, Yeonwoo quickly sat in the spot Park Jeonghun vacated.
He pressed a few keys to check they were fine, then began playing.
It was Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, just played by Park Jeonghun.
As the Fate Symphony started, Park Jeonghun’s fairy guided Yeonwoo in his style of the symphony.
Yeonwoo matched it, playing the Fate Symphony with vigor.
At that majestic performance, Park Jeonghun let out a gasp and stared at Yeonwoo.
‘Memorizing the piece is impressive enough, but this kid grasped the intent of my playing just from hearing this old man’s once?’
A true genius.
Having seen Yeonwoo in person, Park Jeonghun was convinced: among all musicians of every genre this era, none matched Yeonwoo’s genius.
“Ahem, ahem, my grandson never forgets a piece—or any sound—he hears once. And he can imitate others’ playing right away.”
At Heo Ok’s words, Park Jeonghun glanced at her.
“You’ve turned into a hedgehog too. Bragging like crazy.”
Embarrassed, Heo Ok tried to avoid his gaze and keep a straight face.
“Fair enough. I’ve never seen talent like that either.”
But she couldn’t hide her twitching lips at Park Jeonghun’s follow-up.