episode_0125

“I’m curious about your thoughts on coming in second place in the Chopin Competition. What efforts did you make? How happy are you to accept this result?”

Naturally, I thought I would be in first place.

The performance was flawless. There were no mistakes, and the audience cheered.

Even the conductor of the orchestra, who hugged Joo Jin-yeol tightly after the final performance, was flawless.

But Joo Jin-yeol had an enemy.

A man he met overseas before entering Hanyang University.

His first teacher, rival, and a famous conductor from a renowned orchestra, who chose Joo Jin-yeol among the talented and shining performers. Joo Jin-yeol realized later that it was one of his teacher’s bad habits.

Yes, the man had chosen Joo Jin-yeol with the malicious intention of undermining him and destroying his performance among the country’s competitive young musicians.

Despite feeling disappointed by the pure malice, Joo Jin-yeol did not give up. With the thought that what was broken could be restored, he put effort into his performance once again.

Of course, one cannot live a life of patience forever. Right after graduation, he went to find his teacher and shouted.

That he would resent him for the rest of his life. That he would remember him until he died.

… It was unnecessary to say.

After returning to Korea, he went to Hanyang University and met Professor Baek Jung-eon.

He was immersed in the warmth and kindness that contrasted with the dangerous malice. He was touched by the professor’s awkward yet warm mentorship.

Only then did Joo Jin-yeol understand. His first teacher who had ruined him may have been a bad person, but the time spent under him was not in vain.

Despite three years of despair and frustration, Joo Jin-yeol, like a new sprout, grew into a strong stem. Eventually, under Professor Baek Jung-eon, he blossomed into a beautiful flower.

That’s how Joo Jin-yeol was reborn. He became a bright light and moved forward in the world.

In the Chopin Competition, it finally seemed like the world was acknowledging him.

“In second place, we have Joo Jin-yeol from Korea. Congratulations.”

A narrow defeat with just a one-point difference from first place.

The cause was his former teacher who was sitting on the judging panel.

The words he left after graduating high school came back like a boomerang and ultimately pulled him down from the first-place position.

“What a pity. Just a one-point difference…”

“….”

After receiving the judges’ scores, Joo Jin-yeol let out a deep sigh.

With 10s and 9s filling the score sheet, only his former teacher gave him a single point.

Tragically, that one point determined his fate. It dragged him down from first place to second. It was an irreversible event.

“That gentleman went too far. No matter what happened, that’s not right. How could this happen in a fair judging panel…”

“No, it’s not.”

Facing Professor Baek Jung-eon’s complaints, Joo Jin-yeol simply smiled.

This was also his own doing. He accepted it as the fate of a man named Joo Jin-yeol.

Did he know it was Joo Jin-yeol? That the man he had antagonized would unfortunately reveal himself on the judging panel.

“Art is subjective, isn’t it? My performance could be a 10 for someone, but a 1 for someone else.”

Ultimately, except for one person who had been his enemy, everyone else had a positive response. That was enough for Joo Jin-yeol, he thought.

Because he had felt how difficult it was to make someone who disliked him like him during his entire three years of high school.

“It’s been a while, Jin-yeol.”

“Hello. Have you been well?”

No one wants to make many enemies, but that is truly a difficult task.

Tastes were different, personalities were different, cultures were different, learning was different, parents were different, circumstances were different, languages were different, environments were different, histories were different, ideologies were different.

With so many things different, how could one possibly win favor with everyone on this earth?

People, they can never be loved by everyone in this world.

Knowing that, they still engage in social life to maintain good relationships with many people.

To minimize enemies. To reduce conflicts. Just to avoid someone suddenly stabbing them in the back.

So, they hold hands with those who were once enemies. Pretending to forgive, pretending everything is okay even when they have wronged me.

“I’m sorry for being cold when we first met. I didn’t act maturely, but I don’t get along well with Professor Baek Jung-eon. Please understand.”

“Ah… Yes. That could happen. I don’t mind.”

The meeting with Yoon Kwan-cheol was the same.

The first meeting was almost like a snub because he was a disciple of Professor Baek Jung-eon, but when they met again recently, the warm welcome was almost overwhelming.

Was it because he was not the 2nd place winner in the Chopin Competition back then, and now he is a 2nd place laureate? No, it wasn’t.

Who is Yoon Kwan-cheol? He had already achieved success as a violinist, and his name always popped up when talking about known violinists.

He had nothing to envy about in front of Jo Jin-yeol. That’s why he was confident. He didn’t come off as arrogant.

“Actually, I’m grateful that you called me first. If the opportunity arises, could you introduce me to people you know both domestically and internationally?”

On the contrary, Jo Jin-yeol was just a young child in society who had barely won a single title. He needed more connections, more allies.

Yesterday’s enemy becomes today’s ally. It was easier to eliminate future enemies as much as possible.

“Hehe. That’s right. Young people these days know their manners.”

Accepting Yoon Kwan-cheol’s content proposal was because there was no reason to refuse it.

However, when the judge was replaced and he realized that person was a close relative of Yoon Kwan-cheol, he understood.

What was happening now was no different from what he experienced at the competition.

The target was not him, but the young girl he was preparing to perform with.

Aclerct. The pianist with the highest recognition in subculture among games and animations. She was the star that Yoon Kwan-cheol was trying to extinguish.

“All right. Let’s decide the performance order by drawing lots. Please choose one each.”

At the same age as Aclerct, Jo Jin-yeol played the piano with passion.

Trying to escape from the tyranny of a bad teacher. Trying to convey that his teachings were wrong. He continued stubbornly, even when criticized and ridiculed. To avoid further damage. Even if the teacher was bad, there was something to learn, so he tried to absorb it somehow.

Maybe she was in a similar situation now? Why did she pretend to be distant from Yoon Kwan-cheol?

“It must have been a trivial matter.”

The one who harbored ill intentions was an adult, and the young girl resisted those ill intentions. That’s why she must have been targeted.

Just like Jo Jin-yeol.

“Would you like to choose first?”

Bright emerald eyes looked up at Jo Jin-yeol, full of passion for the piano.

It was pure innocence, not malice, that emanated from her.

Should this innocent future star be left to fade away like this? Is that truly the right thing for the future of the music industry?

… Absolutely not.

“No. We should consider the junior.”

“Hey. Aren’t we competitors on equal footing today?”

“There’s no point in winning and crying later.”

“Oh, I won’t cry.”

“When I was around Aklerk’s age, I participated in numerous competitions and contests. I saw many girls crying after losing.”

“I won’t cry.”

The girl, who had been pondering with her chin in her hand, smiled brightly, flicking her finger.

“Let’s play rock-paper-scissors. The winner gets to draw first.”

She was bold. She seemed so carefree, as if she never even considered the possibility of losing.

But if things continued this way, she would lose.

No matter how difficult the situation was, it was impossible for Jo Jinyeol to show any favoritism towards her opponent in front of the piano.

“I won. I’ll draw first!”

…So she took out insurance. It was such a minor insurance that no one could notice that Jo Jinyeol had any involvement in the program production.

“Oh. You’re the winner.”

Min Chaewon unfolded the note and showed Jo Jinyeol the drawn circle. Jo Jinyeol nodded without unfolding the note.

The host who brought the lots and was Jo Jinyeol’s close senior nodded and collected the lots before leaving.

‘This is going smoothly.’

No matter what was chosen, the winner would be the one to perform first. That way, after Aklerk captivated the audience with her performance, Jo Jinyeol could enter the competition.

It was a minor manipulation. The only reason for doing this was…

‘Both professors will support their respective candidates…’

Today, the game director of Aosora Memorize, who was confirmed to participate, was an ordinary person, even though he enjoyed music.

For lesser-known pieces in Korea, the judgment could vary depending on the performance of the first player.

“Judges, I will start with Chopin’s Etude Op. 25 No. 5! The order of players for each piece will remain the same. The first player is up!”

The 5th piece from Chopin’s Etudes, which is considered a textbook for all piano majors today.

Known as ‘Wrong note’ in the West, this piece starts with a lively introduction full of dissonant chords. Depending on the feeling the performer wants to convey, the mood of the piece can vary greatly.

Jo Jinyeol had listened to Aklerk’s performance over and over again. He knew that she was skilled at expressing rich and lovely emotions.

Therefore, contrasting with her, who was good at playing with a somewhat cold and poignant emotion, he believed he could leave a stronger impression on the judges.

Now, move forward as the winner. And engrave your color on the judges.

Show them that you are not an inferior performer to me—.

— ♪ ♪ ♪, ♪ ♪ ♪, ♪ ♪ ♪, ♪ ♪ ♪….

Jo Jinyeol couldn’t help but be surprised by Min Chaewon’s performance that had just begun.

In the girl’s usually bright performance, one could feel the pain and suffering of a resurrected soul who had experienced the twists and turns of a harsh life.

And it was like a challenge thrown at him.

‘On the stage I prepared, you won’t play as I intended…?’

The Jo Jinyeol of the past, who had stood up against the strict control of his master and tried to show something of his own, rose up.

He even muttered to himself that his consideration might have been interference to Aklerk.

Even though he had prepared several measures to protect Min Chaewon stably, he had to slightly weaken his performance in the first round.

How could he possibly deny the challenge in front of this confident girl? He absolutely couldn’t.

‘Then.’

Jo Jinyeol clenched his fist.

He would face that challenge head-on.