Chapter 108
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Benjamin Morton
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sarah Rothe sipped her coffee, waiting anxiously for someone. Half the conditions for a box office hit were met with Seojun's casting; the other half would be decided by the music.
The café door opened, and a man walked in. Director Sarah Rothe, who had been nervously watching the entrance, shot to her feet.
“Professor Morton!”
Benjamin Morton, whose name had been called, met Sarah Rothe's gaze. Benjamin Morton bowed his head slightly in greeting and sat down across from Director Sarah Rothe.
A waiter took their order and left.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Professor Morton. I’m Sarah Rothe, a film director.”
“Hello. I’m Benjamin Morton.”
When Director Sarah Rothe first planned this film, there were two people she desperately wanted to work with. One was the actor, Seojun Lee, and the other was the man sitting here now, Benjamin Morton.
Benjamin Morton.
A renowned musician, known both as a violinist and a composer. He had been incredibly active until a decade ago but retired due to personal reasons and was now teaching students at a nearby music college.
Though it was only a special lecture he gave once every two weeks, the number of applicants to the composition and violin departments had increased simply because Benjamin Morton was teaching there.
Benjamin Morton was an exceptional violinist, but it was his compositions that people were truly passionate about.
The pieces composed by Benjamin Morton moved people's hearts and were worthy of becoming the soundtrack to someone's life.
Concerts featuring only his compositions were often held, and they sold out day after day.
Among the many strengths of his music, the one people praised most was its ‘emotion’.
Just by listening, one could easily grasp what the performer wanted to express. And that ‘emotion easily felt by the public’ was exactly what Sarah Rothe needed for her musical film.
After the introductions, their coffee arrived. As Benjamin Morton took a sip, Sarah Rothe began to speak.
“Have you had a chance to read the synopsis and the script?”
“Yes. I liked it. It was a very thought-provoking story.”
Hmm. Hearing Benjamin Morton's gentle voice, Sarah Rothe suppressed the smile threatening to form on her lips.
It seemed things would go more smoothly than she had expected. After another sip of coffee, Benjamin Morton spoke.
“Instead of my work, have you considered other famous classical pieces? I’m sure there are some that would fit well.”
“Yes, there might be. But I need your music, Professor Morton. I want to convey raw emotion to the audience.”
Benjamin Morton paused to think for a moment at her words before speaking again.
“I have a request in exchange for using my music.”
“Yes?”
At his words, which sounded like a tentative agreement, Director Sarah Rothe’s eyes lit up. Benjamin Morton, his graying hair visible, stroked the coffee cup with his thumb. His gentle expression darkened.
“Have you found a violinist to perform the protagonist’s pieces yet?”
“No, not yet. If it’s not too much to ask, I was hoping to ask for your help. Do you know any violinists whose performance style would suit the main character?”
Benjamin Morton let out a sigh of relief.
“That’s what I wanted to ask. I have a student I’d like you to entrust the part to.”
Professor Benjamin Morton’s student!
Director Sarah Rothe cheered inwardly. Benjamin Morton would vouch for their skill, and it gave her another angle for publicity.
“Of course! I’d be honored to have them!”
“Thank you. I’ll send you the music as soon as it’s finished.”
Director Sarah Rothe, who had been nodding eagerly, suddenly remembered something and spoke up.
“Professor Morton.”
“Yes?”
“If you don’t mind, would you be willing to teach our actors?”
“The actors, you mean?”
Professor Benjamin Morton tilted his head.
“Yes. We’ll be using a stand-in for the actual performance, but the actors will have to film the playing scenes themselves. They need to match their posture and timing to the music, and I was hoping you could help with that. We’d like to have about two weeks of intensive lessons before filming, and it would be great if you could assist during the actual performance scenes as well.”
Professor Benjamin Morton thought for a moment before nodding.
“Would it be all right if my student came along as well?”
“Yes, of course!”
“I see. Very well. Please contact me once the schedule is set. I’ll have to coordinate with my university lectures.”
“Thank you!”
Sarah Rothe left with a bright expression, and Benjamin Morton also returned home. He left a text for his damn student and turned off his phone. They were sure to cause a scene.
* * *
“Professor Benjamin Morton?”
Seojun stared at the laptop screen, his face filled with surprise. As if she had been waiting for that reaction, Director Sarah Rothe smiled and nodded.
While learning the violin, he had heard stories about various violinists from his teacher, Jeong Iseul, during their breaks.
Among them was the story of Benjamin Morton. The pieces his teacher played for him were incredibly moving and beautiful.
‘She said he was the professor she admired the most…’
Wouldn't she faint if she heard this? Seojun chuckled to himself.
-Yes. He’s going to give lessons for two weeks and help out during filming.
“That’s great. The music was completed really quickly, though.”
-I thought it would take longer, too. I was surprised by how fast it was. And for such a wonderful piece to come out of it!
The piece performed by Benjamin Morton’s student was so good that Director Sarah Rothe felt as if the professor had reached into her mind and pulled it out. She never imagined she would get a piece that perfectly matched the image she had in her head. What a stroke of luck!
“So all the music is ready?”
-That’s right. All that’s left is to practice.
“Have the other actors been cast yet?”
-The first and second rounds of auditions are over; only the final one remains. Now it’s time to build the sets and for the art team to suffer.
Sarah Rothe chuckled lightly. Still, the production budget was generous, so everyone was working with a smile.
-We’ve roughly decided on the filming schedule. Since the other actors and you, Jun, have school, we’ve decided to film during next year’s summer break. Of course, you’ll have to come to the US before the break starts.
Seojun already knew, having heard it from An Daho. An Daho, King’s Agency, and Whale Studio had discussed his school attendance. *Naeuiwon* was filmed in Korea, and he could manage by leaving school early and using weekends, so it didn’t significantly affect his attendance. But this shoot was different.
‘I can’t get held back a year.’
The adults and Seojun all thought the same.
Since they were filming in the US, he would miss a lot of days. An Daho had gone to Maesil Elementary School to confirm the number of days Seojun needed to attend and relayed the information to King’s Agency. After some adjustments, a rough schedule was set.
“Okay, I understand. Please let me know when it’s finalized.”
-Will do. Practice hard!
After hanging up, Seojun printed the sheet music. His ability to read sheet music had improved over the few months he had been learning the violin.
As Seojun’s eyes followed the notes, his fingers, imprinted with violin patterns, moved along with them.
“Wow.”
Seojun breathed out in admiration as he read the music.
The calm performance swelled into a storm before finally shining brilliantly. Having practiced diligently for months, he felt like a real violinist.
He wanted to play this piece. His hands tingling with anticipation, Seojun fiddled with his violin case.
“Seojun. Time for dinner!”
“Okay!”
But it was time to eat.
‘I’ll have to play it tomorrow.’
Swallowing a sigh of disappointment, he got up to have dinner.
* * *
“This is Professor Morton’s piece?!”
“Yes. He’s helping with our movie.”
“The class of Hollywood really is different!”
Jeong Iseul’s eyes sparkled. Her favorite pieces to play on the violin were composed by Benjamin Morton.
Jeong Iseul read through the sheet music. Having looked at sheet music her entire life, she read it much faster than Seojun.
Just as Seojun had felt, it was a magnificent piece—calm, then intense, and finally, radiant.
Jeong Iseul, who had been imagining herself playing it, snapped back to reality. This was a piece for Seojun to play, not her.
“So you just need to play this?”
“Yes. They said I just need to get the hand movements and bowing timed correctly. A real violinist will do the actual performance.”
“I see. Alright. Let’s try it.”
Seojun, with his violin tucked under his chin, called out to Jeong Iseul.
“By the way, Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“If the practice goes well, let’s try to learn it for real. So I can actually play it.”
Jeong Iseul nodded at Seojun’s words. She had only been teaching him the violin for a few months, but Seojun was incredibly good.
He never forgot what she taught him and mastered it immediately. Jeong Iseul was tired of being surprised by Seojun’s daily progress.
He was incomparable to the other children she had tutored. His skills improved so rapidly that she even wondered if Seojun and his mother had deceived her.
But Jeong Iseul quickly shook her head. A quick search on the internet would bring up countless stories about Seojun’s talents.
[Title: I played soccer with actor Lee Seojun!]
My friend is a really promising soccer player, and when I asked him to play this weekend, he said he had plans. When I asked what, he said he was meeting a younger kid he knew to play soccer. So I suggested we all play together. He said OK, so I gathered some guys from the soccer team and went to the school field, and Lee Seojun was there. At first, none of us even recognized him lol. It was so random lol. Like, why are you here?
Anyway, the coach, who was in the team room for work, was so surprised he came running out, and other team members who heard about it came running over too lol. We didn't tell any outsiders, so there weren't many people there lol. We got his autograph, took pictures, played a match, and had a great time lol.
---He said it was okay to post this.
>Choi XX, thanks! I never thought I’d see Lee Seojun in person!! I even got his autograph!!
>I can't believe I played a match with Lee Seojun! He's really good.
>Choi XX: Better than MS lol
<…I admit it. He’s in 4th grade, but he’s better than me, and I’m in 9th. Acting, soccer… is there anything he can’t do?
>Choi XX: Probably not lol
>Did you see the coach ask him if he’d consider soccer as a hobby? lol
>lol Seojun was funny too lol. He said he’d think about it if he ever filmed a soccer movie lol.
-The only soccer player who’s close to Lee Seojun is Choi Sihyuk. They even did a cameo together.
-Choi Sihyuk, a 9th grader, his friend says Lee Seojun is better!
=Friend who played with Lee Seojun admits it!
-The coach asking him to take up soccer as a hobby lol.
-A soccer movie lol. Everything always leads back to movies for him, huh? lol.
-lol That’s so Lee Seojun, getting scouted for the national team in everything he tries lol.
It wasn’t just in violin that Lee Seojun’s talents shone. Soccer, horseback riding, Taekwondo. His outstanding talent crossed so many fields that it was hard to even feel jealous.
It was as if the heavens had poured every talent imaginable into the person named Lee Seojun.
Having long since reached a state of enlightenment about it, Jeong Iseul spoke.
“First, let’s go over what we practiced last time.”
“Okay!”
Seojun raised his bow. He pressed his fingers firmly on the violin strings and drew the bow across them. The violin patterns imprinted on his fingertips shimmered.
[(Good) Basic Lesson of the Violin Dream Fairy is activated.]
[(Good) Basic Lesson of the Violin Dream Fairy - Low Grade]
The Violin Dream Fairy seeks out children with exceptional talent.
Understanding of the violin increases.
Finger movements become more fluid.
Sense of pitch and rhythm develops.
A dream fairy who visits talented children in their dreams to teach them. The lessons learned in the dream remain in the child's subconscious, providing great assistance when they play the violin.
A similar fairy was the Composition Dream Fairy, who made one feel as if they had 'received inspiration in a dream!'
In short, it was an ability that made learning the violin easier. It was the perfect ability for Seojun, who had to learn the instrument.
‘I had to search through six bookshelves for this.’
Seojun gave a weary smile and moved his bow.
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Spring. 1st Movement.
A cheerful violin melody filled the air. What was supposed to be a lesson just for practicing posture had turned into a serious violin lesson.
Jeong Iseul watched Seojun move with precision, listening to the beautiful sound of the violin. Seojun, now fully immersed in the music, was playing with a serious expression.
Who would look at this child and think he had only been learning for a few months? Even if it was only for a few specific pieces, this level of growth was truly remarkable.
‘His comprehension is fast, and his learning speed is even faster. If he were to learn the violin properly from the beginning, he’d be incredible.’
Faced with such dazzling talent, Jeong Iseul felt a sense of regret.
‘He would be so good if he learned… but he won’t, will he?’
Knowing that Seojun was only learning the violin for a movie role, Jeong Iseul had no choice but to give up on the idea.
#