episode_0100

Just as I was about to ask if he had been following me, Siwoo came striding over and enveloped me in a tight hug.

“I was worried sick when you disappeared without a word.”

I stood there, stunned, in his large embrace.

No matter how hard I tried to move, I couldn’t break free. Despite Siwoo looking slim, being a man, and with a height difference of almost 20cm, not to mention his regular exercise routine, there was a significant difference in upper body strength.

I was an expert at squats, specializing in lower body strength. When caught like this, I couldn’t even think of escaping.

“Aren’t you being too overprotective? I can take care of myself.”

“Still. Just let me know where you’re going. Or at least answer your phone.”

“You used to find your way back without telling me. Why today?”

“Because I went to a place even I couldn’t find.”

Siwoo had gone to the cafe where I had met with the managers. But he lost track of me there and couldn’t follow me to the restaurant.

Well, since the incident in the early morning was completely personal to me, it was natural that Siwoo didn’t notice.

“Look, you’re still in Seoul. Don’t worry too much. It’s not like I’m being kidnapped.”

Even Kang Hwi had mentioned that I was being guarded 24/7 even outside my house.

The security guards hidden so meticulously that I couldn’t notice were always ready to jump out at any moment.

Of course, in a world where people suddenly go around stabbing others with knives, I had to be prepared to deal with any threats that might arise unexpectedly nearby.

“From now on, always let me know where you’re going.”

“Aren’t you being too nitpicky?”

“Not at all. It’s natural for me to worry about where my girlfriend is and what she’s doing.”

Even though he didn’t need to say it, it was nice to hear him call me his girlfriend.

“I know you’re worried, but there’s no need to worry so much. And you don’t have to report everything just because we’re dating, right?”

But to me, Siwoo’s words felt like excessive interference. We knew each other well enough that I wouldn’t do anything that would cause a problem. As long as Jungsio was sensible, it was only natural.

I gently pushed Siwoo away. He responded to my strength by loosening his grip and stepping back. The sidewalk he had stepped on wobbled. It seemed like the construction work had been done carelessly.

Siwoo, who had taken a step back, didn’t seem pleased with my words.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to dangerous places. I’ll make my own judgments and let you know.”

I poked Siwoo’s cheek with a smile to reassure him and to ease the slightly tense atmosphere.

“Okay… if you say you’re okay, then you must be. Sorry for being overly protective.”

“No, no. Don’t apologize. Thank you for worrying about me. Really.”

“… Well, then I’m relieved.”

“So, where were you going?”

“Hanging out with two guys.”

Was he out of his mind? It sounded like he had really gone to a suspicious meeting.

“Well, it must have looked strange. Sorry…”

“What’s the big deal? You probably just went out for a meal.”

“Oh, right.”

To reassure him that they weren’t bad people, I took out two business cards from my wallet and handed them to Siwoo.

“This one is for the actor I cast. And this one is for the YouTuber I know.”

“You know a YouTuber?”

“Yeah… she used to be the initial editor for Acler Channel. Now she’s doing YouTube.”

These things needed to be clarified to avoid any misunderstandings.

Skipping over, explaining how we knew each other wasn’t difficult. Siwoo quickly relaxed as I explained one thing after another.

Because we had a deep trust, there would be no misunderstandings in the future if we talked face to face.

“Anyway, that’s how it happened. I didn’t introduce you to Baek Cheong… but I had to meet you because Manager Oh Seokjin called you in.”

“Are you going to become a celebrity or something?”

“Me? Ha. What kind of celebrity am I?”

Siwoo’s words made me burst into laughter.

“Absolutely not. I don’t want you to be known to the world….”

It was surprisingly exactly the same as what I had thought, which made me laugh but also made my heart beat wildly.

Why is that? It’s the same as what I thought earlier.

Is the difference between what I think of on my own and what my boyfriend tells me really that big?

“So, are you working hard on preparing for the competition?”

“I’m working hard.”

The international competition is held every 2 to 4 years, while in Korea, there are two competitions each year waiting for young artists on the stage of the test.

The Joonhyun Music Competition, held in March, and the Dongyoung Music Competition, held in October.

Even though the competition is held every year, the recognition among the general public is somewhat lower compared to international competitions, but winning is not easy.

As Korea rises as a classical music powerhouse, the level of competition is high due to the wide range of challenging pieces required.

Even though Korea produces many young musicians, the number of competitions is still limited compared to abroad. Therefore, the competition rate is high.

In my past life? I was eliminated in the preliminaries.

I couldn’t even dream of making it to the finals. Even though I may not have been as skilled as others, there were many performers with excellent appeal to the judges.

“I’m focusing on the Dongyoung Competition until October… and then I’ll try the Chopin Competition.”

Siwoo had the exact same goal as me in my past life.

There were no injuries after breaking a rib in my past life, but this time, things might be a little different.

I’ve handled all the problems, so if he successfully finds his own style, we can expect good results….

“I’ve memorized all the required pieces, and I’ve planned out my solo program for the finals….”

“… The problem is still.”

“Yeah.”

Color. That damn color is the problem.

We are still in the process of finding our own color.

Unlike Siwoo, who has not completely broken free from himself, I am immersed in Min Chaewon’s color to an astonishing degree.

I’ve thought about what the problem might be in various ways, but neither I nor Siwoo can come up with an answer.

“For now, we’ll just have to keep playing together as we have been.”

“That’s what we have to do.”

“Does the professor have any special instructions?”

“It’s always the same. He says that once we find our color, everything will work out well.”

To the poor young soul who has the skills and techniques but struggles to express his color, the professor’s words are limited.

The answer must be found by ourselves. I opened the path first, now it’s Siwoo’s turn.

“Still, the frequency of removing color is increasing little by little….”

Like carefully removing one Jenga block at a time, Siwoo had succeeded in removing black water from unexpected places every day.

I still can’t predict the timing, so I can only hope that the pattern will become clear someday and wait with my head in my hands.

“Only three months until the competition….”

Will we be able to find it by then?

If we can’t see any changes in the Dongyoung Competition, challenging the Chopin Competition would be meaningless.

As I barely made it to the main stage, I’ll have to face the sharp feedback from the judges and step back.

“I’ve almost finished organizing everything around me.”

I need to wrap up things with Yoon Ji-yu by June and focus on Si-woo.

No matter how much I exclude the problems, if Si-woo doesn’t achieve results, it’s all meaningless.

“Should we go home for now?”

“I’ll walk you there.”

“Thank you—.”

Thud.

I reached out to grab Si-woo’s hand, but the pavement block shook violently.

“Huh?!”

It was the pavement block Si-woo had stepped back on earlier. I hadn’t paid attention while walking and almost tripped.

As my body leaned forward towards the hard ground, Si-woo grabbed me and spun me around.

Thud.

With a loud noise, I opened my eyes in surprise.

Si-woo had fallen to protect me, landing under me.

“Are you okay?!”

How long has it been since I broke a rib? Startled, I gently pressed Si-woo’s chest to check his response. If he wasn’t okay, I planned to take him to the hospital immediately.

“I’m fine. Nothing’s broken.”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t see the ground properly…!”

“It’s okay. I’m fine!”

Si-woo lay flat on the ground, arms spread out. Even as he waved his arms up and down, he seemed fine.

“Well… that’s a relief.”

I sighed and rested my face on Si-woo’s chest. That was a close call.

Thump, thump.

Listening to Si-woo’s heart beating loudly, I silently prayed for him not to get hurt again.

“Hey. Wait a minute.”

Suddenly.

Like Archimedes finding the embezzler, Si-woo jumped up with a wide smile.

It wouldn’t be strange to shout “Eureka” right now.

“I think I’ve figured something out.”

“You did?”

“How to find the color.”

He said confidently.

“Let’s go on a pension trip. To the place where you always film videos.”