Ch.168Side Story) Dream of China (2)

When I heard the name Irene Yuris, I momentarily furrowed my brow at the sharp sensation that pierced through my mind.

It was a face I had never seen before. I had never spoken with her directly, nor had I encountered her at any competition.

Why did I have such a strange sense of déjà vu? When I asked, Irene looked at Soo-hyun and smiled softly.

“Hmm, I didn’t expect you wouldn’t remember me. Haven’t we met before? In Warsaw.”

“…Ah, Chopin?”

“I’m a violinist so I couldn’t see you directly, but I was watching from a distance. I enjoyed your performance. But… you don’t seem interested in violin?”

I could only answer awkwardly to that question.

Back then, I had just learned my sister was sick, so I didn’t have time to leisurely watch other performances.

However, Irene didn’t seem to mind, as she simply gazed at me with an unchanged expression.

After looking me up and down, she quietly moved her lips toward Chris.

“I’d like to talk with him alone for a moment, if that’s okay?”

“Talk? Well… I don’t mind.”

At the mention of being left alone together, I glanced at Chris, but he nodded at Irene’s words and soon headed outside.

I wanted to stop him, but frustratingly, Chris’s footsteps were much faster than I expected.

After Chris disappeared, leaving just the two of us, Soo-hyun cleared his throat softly.

I had no idea… what we were supposed to talk about.

All I could do was analyze the appearance of this violinist who had introduced herself as Irene, whom I was seeing for the first time.

Her hair was white, almost silver, and her eyes were blue.

Even considering she was a foreigner, it was a somewhat unusual appearance, but it didn’t look dyed.

She must have been born with that hair.

Her hands were slender, but the calluses on her fingers clearly spoke of countless hours of practice.

Honestly, she was beautiful. I thought I had never seen someone so pretty in my life,

someone so uniquely beautiful in my short existence.

Should I say I was attracted, or was it simply curiosity?

Lost in such thoughts, as I stared blankly at her face, Irene narrowed her eyes and quietly murmured.

“…Is there something on my face?”

“Ah, no. I was just trying to remember your face a bit.”

“If you’re interested, it’s better to just say you’re interested. I don’t really like people who aren’t honest.”

“To be honest, I don’t have any particular interest yet. After all, didn’t I just hear your name for the first time?”

At the unfamiliar response that he wasn’t interested, Irene pouted and stared at Soo-hyun.

She thought they had seen each other often at competitions, but was it just her imagination?

Finding that strangely disappointing, Irene gave a cold look toward Soo-hyun, who was staring blankly at her from his chair.

Even though there was no real reason for it. Wasn’t this the first time they were facing each other like this?

But strangely… the moment their eyes met, her cheeks grew hot, and she gently stroked her cheek and sighed.

“This is frustrating. Are you going to just sit there quietly? You don’t seem like someone who hasn’t met women before.”

“Well, I’m sorry, but I’ve never dated before.”

“…Really?”

With that face? She pointed with her finger as she asked, but Soo-hyun awkwardly smiled and nodded.

It couldn’t be helped. His parents had constantly demanded he focus on the piano,

and meanwhile, he also had to take care of his sister. In the midst of all that, dating would have been possible only if he were superhuman.

“So is this your first time being alone with a woman?”

“Well… outside of lessons, yes.”

Irene opened her mouth slightly at those words.

She hadn’t expected him to really be unfamiliar with women, but then again, she herself had never dated either.

She had never even liked anyone before, so it felt a bit awkward to be the one initiating conversation.

Perhaps it was because she was seeing in person someone she had only watched from afar.

After all, she was essentially a fan of pianist Lee Soo-hyun, so perhaps it was that fan sentiment that gave her this courage.

‘…Courage?’

They say that when fans meet stars, they freeze on the spot, but she was conversing surprisingly naturally.

She couldn’t tell if it was because he was easy to talk to, or if it was because she liked him a little.

After staring at the dazed Soo-hyun for a while, Irene rolled her eyes and spoke again.

“Do you have any dinner plans?”

“No. But why do you ask so suddenly…?”

“Let’s have a meal together. Actually, I’m a fan of Mr. Lee.”

Irene suddenly thought that she should talk with him a bit more.

#

“It seems a bit unexpected.”

“In what way?”

“You might find this rude, but you seemed to have a cold personality. The kind of atmosphere that’s not easy to approach… that’s what I mean.”

“That could be true. I actually was like that in the past.”

Irene smiled at Soo-hyun’s words. She had been like that when she was younger, but her personality had changed long ago after meeting various friends.

She wondered what her best friend Rofena would say if she saw this person.

The thought crossed her mind briefly, but Irene dismissed it and gazed intently at Soo-hyun.

Soo-hyun had helped her too. Of course, he didn’t seem to remember,

but she had started playing the violin because of a conversation they had in the past.

Although it was disappointing that he didn’t remember, she was grateful just to be able to meet him like this now.

The reason she had asked Maestro Chris to arrange this meeting was because she was curious if he remembered what had happened back then.

“It’s lamb rib steak. Do you like meat?”

“I can eat anything. Though I don’t eat much.”

“This is a restaurant I often visit when I come to Korea. Isn’t it strange that an American likes European-style restaurants? I guess it seems a bit more sophisticated than barbecue.”

In truth, it was difficult for Soo-hyun to converse naturally with Irene.

After all, they were meeting for the first time today, so having dinner together like this felt awkward.

He wondered what about him had interested her; if it was his appearance, he could understand, but…

Irene’s interest in Soo-hyun stemmed from memories of past competitions.

“Do you remember the competition held in Brussels? What was the piece you played and won with?”

“It was Chopin’s piece. Piano Concerto No. 1.”

“I enjoyed it. Do you also remember what you said back then?”

“…I don’t remember interviews. I don’t think there was any controversy.”

She had expected this response, so her disappointment wasn’t too great. Still, it was disheartening.

Her heart still raced when she remembered that time, but he didn’t remember at all. Irene continued the conversation with Soo-hyun.

What did he like, did he have any favorite musicians?

When Soo-hyun shook his head at the question of whether he had any violinist friends, Irene couldn’t help but smile.

For some reason, she found that somewhat fortunate.

The European-style restaurant with its elegant atmosphere and piano sonatas playing in the background was somewhat unfamiliar to Soo-hyun.

Even when he had money, he had given it all to his parents, and he had only started saving after moving out with his sister.

He seemed to have visited such places only when meeting celebrities, so it felt strange to be in such a place in Korea rather than abroad.

“I’m curious about something.”

“What is it? If it’s about me, feel free to ask anything.”

“Um… are you perhaps interested in me?”

It was a question he had pondered for a long time, but when Irene heard it, she awkwardly smiled and tilted her head.

“Pardon?”

In the ensuing silence, Soo-hyun cleared his throat softly.

This didn’t seem right. She had been asking about him so much that he thought it might be that kind of interest.

But she could have just been curious. Feeling foolish, Soo-hyun rubbed his face and shrugged.

“Can we pretend you didn’t hear that?”

“I don’t want to.”

“Then let’s say I never said such a thing. It’s just… you made me think that way.”

“Oh my, did I? I was just asking out of pure fan admiration.”

Something was definitely strange. They were meeting for the first time today, yet why could they converse so familiarly?

As if they had met somewhere before, even if by chance, it didn’t feel like this was their first meeting.

He wasn’t nervous, and finding the atmosphere more comfortable than expected, Soo-hyun hastily averted his gaze from Irene.

And what he saw was a piano.

A grand piano sitting prominently in the center of the restaurant.

Perhaps performers occasionally came out to play there.

Thinking it would be good to break the awkward atmosphere caused by his recent comment,

Soo-hyun excused himself and, before he could be stopped, headed toward the piano.

With a thud, he picked up a fallen napkin and placed it back on the table.

He glanced at the restaurant’s name written on the napkin.

“…Siren, huh.”

He had no intention of enchanting anyone with the piano. It was just an idle thought.