Chapter 357
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 357
Chapter Title: Concerto for Two Violins
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The first day of practice for "Concerto for Two Violins."
In the living room of Subin's house.
Seojun, with his violin tucked under his chin, smiled at Subin, whose eyes were sparkling.
"Shall we start practicing?"
"Yeah!"
Seojun played the first part of the score. It was a short and easy section, so Subin followed along without much difficulty.
Nodding as he listened to Subin play, Seojun waited for him to finish before playing the next part. And when Seojun finished, Subin began to play.
Like a repeat sign, Subin would follow whatever Seojun played.
Even though they played the same notes, Seojun's melody was skillful and strong, while Subin's was delicate and charming.
Seojun played fast, strong, and even stronger; Subin played slow, soft, and even softer. Just by varying the dynamics, they created entirely different feelings.
"Hyung! This is fun!"
Subin laughed, drawing his bow across the violin in imitation of Seojun.
"Really? Want to try copying this, too?"
"Yeah!"
Before they knew it, Seojun and Subin had set aside their formal practice and were simply enjoying playing together.
When Seojun played a new piece, Subin would memorize it on the spot and follow along. When Seojun played a familiar tune, Subin would continue where he left off.
Kim Heesang, who was filming the two children, watched with his jaw agape.
He could only marvel at Subin's ability to instantly memorize and replicate Seojun's melodies and even recall and continue familiar pieces from memory.
Seojun moved his long bow, playing something more complex and difficult.
It wasn't a part of an existing piece but a melody Seojun had just thought up. Of course, it was too short to be presented publicly.
This time, it was clearly difficult, as Subin's bow faltered. He seemed to remember the melody from a moment ago, but his hands couldn't keep up.
Seeing Subin's struggle, Seojun played the same melody again. His passion ignited by the challenging piece, Subin once again tried to follow Seojun.
After a few repetitions, Subin finally produced a performance that satisfied him. Kim Heesang couldn't help but smile at the overjoyed boy.
"Isn't it hard?"
"It's okay! It's fun!"
Subin, who found more joy in conquering a difficult piece than an easy one, beamed brightly.
After a short break, Seojun decided they should get back to practicing "Concerto for Two Violins" before they got sidetracked again.
"Let's play it to the end this time, Subin."
"Playing around was fun too... but okay!"
Seojun and Subin looked at the sheet music and began to play.
"Good. Here, a little longer."
As Seojun spoke, his violin let out a long, drawn-out note. Subin moved his bow to match.
Slowly, yet forcefully.
It was still a difficult technique for Subin. A displeased sound made his lips pout. But he didn't give up.
"Hyung! One more time!"
"Alright."
Seojun smiled at the highly motivated Subin and replied.
Seojun played, and Subin followed.
The goal of "Concerto for Two Violins" was not only to perform it perfectly but also to use the repetition to correct Subin's bad habits and help him overcome the parts he found difficult.
Watching Subin play again and again without giving up, even after making mistakes, Kim Heesang let out a small laugh.
'I guess he won't need to go abroad.'
After all, he had an incredible teacher right beside him, creating practice pieces just for him.
After practicing the beginning and getting reasonably comfortable with it, Seojun and Subin moved on to the next page.
Unlike the repetitive, call-and-response playing from before, their melodies would now diverge.
"From here on, we play different parts. Let's do our best, Subin."
"Yeah!"
Seojun and Subin smiled at each other, and the bows in their hands moved in unison.
***
An N-tube channel notification popped up.
Having set his phone to silent to avoid interruptions during practice, violinist Jayden Moore only noticed it after he was done.
Finished with his violin practice, Jayden Moore sat down on the sofa to rest and turned on his phone.
There was a message from Professor Benjamin Morton, who was giving a special lecture at a nearby elementary school, asking if he'd had a good lunch.
Popping a piece of bread from the table into his mouth, Jayden Moore sent a reply.
He wasn't lying.
'Even if it was just a small amount.'
Without batting an eye, Jayden Moore sent the reply and turned his attention to another notification. It was from one of the few channels he subscribed to, announcing a new video upload.
[Channel 'JUN' Upload!]
[Concerto for Two Violins]
"Concerto for Two Violins?"
The fact that Jun had uploaded a violin performance to N-tube was interesting enough, but a concerto for two violins made Jayden Moore's eyes sparkle.
"Is it Bach's piece?"
Bach also had a composition titled "Concerto for Two Violins."
Jayden Moore stroked his chin as he examined the video. It must have been uploaded while he was practicing, as it already had many comments.
"It doesn't seem that long..."
After checking the runtime, Jayden Moore connected his phone to his speakers. When it came to music, he spared no expense on his sound system.
"Let's give it a listen."
Jayden Moore hit the play button, and the video began.
On a black screen, the title and the performers' names appeared.
<Concerto for Two Violins>
<First Violin: JUN>
<Second Violin: BIN>
"Bin."
It was an unfamiliar name, but for some reason, it sparked his anticipation.
Bin. Bin. After murmuring the name a few times, Jayden Moore fell silent as the screen changed.
The performers' names faded, replaced by a single photograph.
It showed a blue sky, a large, majestic bird that seemed to be looking up at it, and the back of a small, fluffy fledgling.
He had expected to see a video of Seojun and Bin playing, but the use of an image instead seemed to imply that the focus should be solely on appreciating the music.
With a small smile, Jayden Moore focused his attention on the melody flowing from the speakers.
The opening was Seojun's part.
An unfamiliar melody flowed from the speakers. It wasn't the familiar Bach piece.
'Is this Jun's original composition?'
Jayden Moore smiled with satisfaction, leaned back against the sofa, and closed his eyes.
Within the unfamiliar melody, he heard a familiar atmosphere. Although it was a slow and simple performance, something one might expect from a child, Jayden Moore could still discern Seojun's skill within it.
'Still as good as ever.'
Given how well Seojun played, Jayden Moore was a little worried about how well the other performer, Bin, would do.
'...Jun wouldn't have brought just anyone.'
After all, even if not as much as acting, he loved the violin.
Just then, a new violin sound reached Jayden Moore's ears.
"Mm."
An involuntary sound of admiration escaped him.
Leaning back on the sofa, Jayden Moore sat up straight, moving closer to the speakers.
The second violin was mimicking the slow, simple melody the first violin had just played. It had a different feel from Seojun's, but the skill was palpable.
Jayden Moore's eyes gleamed.
After Bin's part ended, Seojun's began again. It was slightly more difficult than before. When Seojun finished, Bin followed, and when Bin finished, Seojun continued.
The performance continued in this manner, growing progressively more difficult.
Suddenly, Jayden Moore's gaze shifted to the video.
He saw the two birds looking up at the sky.
Ah.
He thought he understood.
Jayden Moore let out a soft laugh.
The big bird (first violin) was teaching the little bird (second violin) how to fly.
From the simple act of spreading its wings to the difficult tasks of leaping and soaring through the sky.
The experienced, large bird was demonstrating the steps for the young bird, freshly hatched and still waddling, and the young bird was mimicking the large bird's movements.
The repetitive melody continued until, finally.
The young bird began its first leap.
A strong, bold melody led the way, and a smaller melody followed. It played powerfully, like two fluffy wings beating with all their might, but the first attempt seemed to end in failure as the second violin's sound faded.
The big bird encouraged the little one.
Buoyed by the encouragement, the young bird flapped its wings once more.
Stronger, stronger, stronger!
At last.
The young bird was flying.
A leisurely, long note followed, like the big and small birds soaring in the blue sky. The melodies exchanged back and forth, as if the two birds were sharing their joy.
The deep melody of the big bird (first violin) and the charming melody of the small bird (second violin) blended together like the chirping of birds.
The harmony brought an unconscious smile to Jayden Moore's face.
"Now I see why they used a picture of birds."
Thanks to the image in the video, "Concerto for Two Violins" naturally evoked an associated image, which would then become more concrete and leave a lasting impression on people.
<Professor. You should listen to this.>
<Jun composed it.>
<(link)>
After sending a message to Professor Benjamin, Jayden Moore replayed the video from the beginning. He felt a strange tingling in his fingertips.
***
[JUN - Concerto for Two Violins]
-I was wondering why a violin concerto randomly popped up in my notifications... right, Lee Seojun is a violin prodigy.
=When the notification came up, I didn't see what channel it was from, and I was like, when did I subscribe to a classical music channel? lol
=Me too lol
-Who is the second violinist, Bin? Aren't they amazing?
=I'm curious too. They'd get famous if they used their real name here, so why a pseudonym?
=22 Maybe a friend of Lee Seojun's?
=333 Lee Seojun's friends are prodigies too, holy cow.
-Did Lee Seojun compose this?
=The composer is listed in the description.
=As expected of our Seojun!!
-At first, I thought it was just a violin practice video because of the simple playing, but it got amazing as it went on.
=Yeah, it got progressively harder, and I loved how the two parts harmonized at the end.
-The picture really helped create a clear image for the song. A little bird following a big bird.
=Big bird: Twang.
Little bird: Twing.
Big bird: Twang-twang.
Little bird: Twing-twing.
That's the vibe lol
=Exactly! That's the feeling!
=What kind of feeling is that lol
=LMAO
[Actor Lee Seojun's Second Composition! 'Concerto for Two Violins']
[Big Bird and Little Bird. A Concerto That Naturally Evokes Imagery!]
[A Concert Someday! The Music World Sends Love Calls to Actor Lee Seojun!]
[Cocoa Entertainment Releases Sheet Music for the Concerto!]
[Who is the Second Violinist, Bin?]
***
>Jayden: The concerto was great. Send me the sheet music.
>Jayden: But who's the second violinist?
>Jayden: The charming atmosphere suited them well.
>Jayden: Is it someone I know?
It hadn't been long since he'd released it, but Seojun chuckled at the flood of messages from Jayden Moore, who must have seen it right away, and sent a reply.
<Bin is a kid I know.>
<He's still only 8, so I tried to compose something that fit his style.>
<Our Bin is good, right?>
At Seojun's message, the cascade of texts from Jayden Moore abruptly stopped.
>Jayden: ...8? Eight years old?
Seojun burst out laughing at Jayden Moore's message, which clearly conveyed his bewilderment.