episode_0058

“I’ll acknowledge you as my private tutor, ma’am.”

The OK notification popped up immediately.

The absurdity was on my side.

“Really?”

“Yes. You passed.”

No matter how much influence the madam had, this quickly?

I thought it would be a tough quest and was nervous, but it turned out to be easier than I thought.

“Ha. Jung Siwoo… your taste is really strange.”

“…Where?”

“Do you never listen to your own performances, the ones you record?”

“Even if I do, what I feel and what you feel are different.”

“If you really want to listen to it.”

Swiftly sending Chaewon away, I regained Jung Siwoo’s true self.

Even though Chaewon is resistant to hate comments, I can’t make her listen to harsh criticism.

I crossed my arms and looked at her sharply, without hesitation.

“Do you want to play the piano, or do you want to play the violin?”

Hmm, it’s still ambiguous this time, but it’s not a negative comment.

No, maybe it is for a piano player.

Even I’m confused.

“Intentionally emphasizing the violin line in the original piece and maintaining it until the end is really impressive… But still. Isn’t this destroying the original piece?”

Nonsense.

I don’t remember emphasizing a specific note to the point of destroying the original piece.

Even though I gave Chaewon the lead for a moment, I clearly remember how I played the keys.

Although the sound was a bit unstable while playing La Campanella due to Chaewon’s lack of physical strength—.

‘Wait.’

It wasn’t unstable.

That’s right.

“Your point is, I emphasized only the violin part in the violin version?”

“Yes. You definitely played like that, ma’am. And not only did you emphasize it. The dynamics felt like pulling the violin bow.”

I thought the volume of certain notes was irregularly fluctuating, but even that was part of your intentional performance.

The reason why the original reproductions of all the music arranged and uploaded by Aclerct were so outstanding was because of the magic that only Min Chaewon, who could finely adjust each of her ten fingers like different instruments, could perform.

The elasticity and bouncing energy contained in Min Chaewon’s body created a truly miraculous result.

No, maybe.

‘Was it all thanks to No. 1 to No. 25… helping?’

Wasn’t it possible because Chaewon, who pursued one musical world with several split personalities, was playing together?

Although I used to leave bland evaluations every time I tutored Baek Cheongha, today I couldn’t help but praise her.

Didn’t she clearly reveal the uniqueness of Chaewon that I didn’t even know?

“You are a professor’s daughter.”

“… Why are you suddenly saying that? Did you hear it because of dementia?”

“No. I think it’s amazing that you can hear the difference.”

“Ha.”

Baek Cheongha spoke confidently with her arms crossed.

“If anyone listened to Siwoo’s performances for nearly 10 years, they can’t help but notice. Siwoo’s performances are so precise that it’s strange to make a mistake.”

It’s strange.

The things I had sown for twenty years are coming back to me in the form of Chaewon.

Did the god who resurrected me intend this?

Did he want me to look back on the life I’ve lived through the eyes of others?

“I’ve been listening to your performances for years, and if you can’t distinguish one difference, that person should quit playing the piano.”

“… That’s true.”

“Do you agree? It’s surprising that we’re on the same page for once.”

I was full of intentions to scold Baek Cheongha, but.

After hearing the story, I felt a bit relieved.

“You really like Siwoo, don’t you?”

Baek Cheongha blushed at those words.

“W-when you say it so directly… it’s a bit embarrassing…!”

“You should at least talk to Siwoo.”

“T-that… um…”

Now she looks like a 15-year-old middle school girl.

She always acts like a disobedient princess in front of me.

‘Was it all just a reflexive behavior because she likes him so much…’

Even if I call her an old lady, is she still an older sister to me?

I feel a strange sense of dependence from her.

“Now think about it. Our dad is a professor at Hanyang University. And not just any professor, but an exaggeration.”

“Yeah.”

“But Oppa learned under that professor for 14 years. He’s like an unopposable master himself.”

“That’s true.”

“And on top of that, I’m that professor’s daughter. What do you think?”

Uncomfortable. Difficult. Words like awkwardness come to mind first.

“When I say I like him, will he think, ‘If I reject her… will she get hurt?’”

Listening to Baek Cheongha’s words, my head went blank.

“If I were to force him to accept, even if he does, will the relationship really work out? I like him, but he won’t. I’ll be demanding, and he’ll be serving. It’ll be like a master-servant relationship. What’s the point.”

This guy.

Why is he so needlessly kind?

Why did he endure without confessing until the end?

“In short, it’s boring. There’s no meaning in dating. Oppa and I have to meet on equal terms.”

Baek Cheongha’s fingertip pointed at me.

She stared into my eyes.

“So, you have to tutor me, ahjumma.”

“… How does that even connect?”

“So that Oppa doesn’t feel indebted to our dad. Quitting tutoring is the beginning of that.”

Who are you? You weren’t like this before.

You used to go crazy asking why I didn’t tutor you more often.

The power of a mother’s influence is really effective.

You should have at least asked me to support you.

… Oh, maybe back then, I couldn’t join in the girls’ talk with the mother.

“So, let’s compete fairly, ahjumma.”

“Fairly… compete?”

“In exchange for tutoring me, don’t meet Oppa whenever you want like last time.”

Ah. That’s what you’re talking about.

But what if Siwoo wants to see me from his side?

And if it’s Jeong Siwoo’s schedule, he might be following me, so if I go to school, I can meet him anytime.

Well. If promising means I can tutor, then I’ll do that.

“When can we meet then?”

“On weekends. Other than that, unless Oppa comes to see you or contacts you to meet, don’t meet him.”

I chuckled and muttered.

“Then you’ll definitely be at a disadvantage, right?”

No, that’s not it.

Will Jeong Siwoo contact Baek Cheongha first? That’s impossible.

On the other hand, if I want, I can call Siwoo anytime on weekends. Even though I have to be absent one day every two weeks due to video recording, it’s definitely advantageous for me.

“Why do you think that way?”

“….”

“You underestimated me too easily, ahjumma.”

However, Baek Cheongha surprised me with an unexpected response.

With a devilish smile, she showed me a contact on her phone.

[Dad]

I immediately understood her intention.

Is she trying to schedule weekend lessons?

Is she thinking of keeping Siwoo locked up in this house all weekend?

Baek Cheongha’s request will surely be accepted by the professor. And Siwoo won’t refuse the professor’s lesson request.

Therefore, Siwoo’s weekend lessons are an inevitable future event even without observation.

“I didn’t say you have to call me with my number, did I?”

“R-really!”

“Why. Is it too much?”

“Why. Should I reschedule the tutoring time to weekends?”

“That would be nice.”

“Ah. Then I should schedule a lesson at a different time on the same day~.”

Is the one to be careful of really Yoon Jiyu, or is it Baek Cheongha?

Maybe I’ve been targeting the wrong person from the beginning?

“Why do you look at me like that? You should use everything you can.”

The sudden declaration of war by Jung Siwoo.

I must secure victory without fail.

It’s obvious because Chaewon likes Siwoo. I even promised myself to somehow connect them within 3 years, even going as far as mentally putting a ring on my finger.

I even asked Mom for help. I can’t afford to lose like this.

“You said it yourself. It’s out of the question for Siwoo to contact you first to meet.”

“Well. I don’t know how you managed to persuade Oppa to go out with you on the weekend, but….”

Baek Cheongha proudly raised her chin.

“Oppa is naturally kind to everyone. He even shows mercy to ugly pumpkins like you!”

Who’s the pumpkin? If we’re going to compare, you’re the pumpkin gorilla.

This is Siwoo’s evaluation, so it’s 100% accurate.

“It won’t be easy, you know? Where are you good at?”

Baek Cheongha chuckled as she sipped on her strawberry soda.

Gulp, gulp, after a few sips, she even let out a refreshing sigh.

She’s acting as if she’s already won in our war.

Her teasing is too quick.

In the end, the one who laughs last wins the war.

“Yeah. Well… I guess I passed the tutoring interview, right?”

“Yes.”

Baek Cheongha squeezed the empty soda can and declared.

“From now on, every Saturday at 9 a.m., we’ll meet here. Is that okay?”

“Is it in the morning?”

“Well, I can’t take care of you like Siwoo Oppa did, can I?”

Even if you say that, Mom will take care of everything.

‘…Dragging this out won’t be good.’

Reluctantly, Dad, who can’t help but fulfill Baek Cheongha’s request, and Mom, who wants to block an impossible dream and stop her daughter’s antics.

If this fight drags on, they might end up arguing for no reason with the professor and Mom.

Even if they’re not my real parents, aren’t they the ones who have taken care of me for 20 years? I don’t want them to argue over such a trivial reason.

‘Aim for an early end.’

I declared war on the enemy leader, Baek Cheongha.

“Be prepared, Baek Cheongha.”

Show the fear of the person who knows Siwoo the best in this world.

Even if I don’t contact you.

Even if we don’t make plans to meet.

I can know where Siwoo is, what he’s doing, what he’s eating. I can even know who he’s thinking about.

“I’ll definitely crush you.”

I can know everything.