episode_0157

The contest has ended.

And Siwoo’s heartache also ended.

There was an awards ceremony coming up and we had to go out of the waiting room, but Siwoo had been sitting on the sofa in the waiting room for several minutes and hadn’t moved.

He just held me tightly on his lap, rubbing his shoulders and cheeks and sobbing incessantly.

“Stop crying… .”

“How can you not cry?!”

“Yes, but. Because I feel embarrassed for making such a fuss… … .”

“Ha… … .”

Siwoo’s voice trembled slightly.

How much trouble did you have throughout the contest? Even though he ate properly for three full meals, his cheeks looked sunken.

After the awards ceremony, I’ll go eat something delicious first.

Would it be best to buy beef?

“Just go back. I need to get a report card.”

“… Yes.”

“Don’t be disappointed even if the results are not what you expected.”

“… I won’t disappoint.”

Siwoo patted my shoulder and muttered.

“Take third place or be disqualified. I only need you… .”

“… … … .”

I almost screamed without realizing it just now. I heard that Jeong Si-woo has a knack for surprising people.

“That. Of course! Ahm. Now I’m not alone, but there are two of us.”

“… .”

“Be proud. It turns out that your juniors were that healthy—.”

Siwoo’s hand suddenly flew over and covered my mouth.

With a red face, he looked at me with half-moon eyes and said.

“I know even if you don’t say it… .”

“Bubbung (sorry).”

The host’s voice came softly through the slightly open waiting room hallway.

— Next will be the piano category awards. At the award ceremony was the Chairman of the Dongyoung Cultural Foundation… .

I jumped up and got off Siwoo’s lap.

“Let’s go. It’s our turn.”

“Yes.”

When he took my hand, he pulled slightly and accelerated and asked.

“So. Are you sure you will be first?”

“… no. I think it will be difficult.”

“What? Why?!”

“It’s because of you.”

“… Tsk. If you say that, I have nothing to say.”

“I tried hard. I’m not sure.”

In fact, on the way there, I heard about how the competition proceeded through Professor Baek Jung-eon, and thanks to this, I learned that Siwoo had used his wits to turn the entire program around.

It wasn’t just hard work.

Jeong Si-woo did the best he could. As a result, we created a concert that moved us beyond anything we could have imagined.

Well, even if Professor Baek Jung-eon had not shown me the competition video, I would have believed Jeong Si-woo.

He must have been confident that he would have shown his best performance despite any adversity.

Because he is me.

Because I am the person who knows best.

Because he is unrivaled in his playing skills.

If only you could hold on while thinking of me.

If only a miracle could happen in a concert that lasted about an hour.

Of course, I had no doubt that first place had to belong to Jeong Si-woo.

— Awards will be given starting from 3rd place.

— Candidate Nari Son. Please come up to the stage.

I held Siwoo’s hand and ran down the hallway leading to the stage. Our footsteps echoed in the empty hallway.

And suddenly. Siwoo stopped me, grabbed both my cheeks, and poured out all the emotions he had built up over the past few days through his lips.

It was so sudden, but my body reacted on its own as I had only been away for about a day.

Both arms wrapped around the back of Siwoo’s neck, and his upper body naturally leaned against him.

The affection I felt from him was genuine.

We loved each other so much that no one could separate us.

Love works miracles.

And that miracle sometimes changes a person’s lifespan and destiny.

“I’m glad I have you.”

“Yes. Me too.”

“You are my girlfriend… Thank goodness.”

I smiled brightly and whispered in Siwoo’s ear.

“I’m glad I can be your girlfriend… .”

We hugged each other tightly and smiled with faces that almost made us cry.

— Next runner-up.

— Candidate Hyunwoo Joo, please come up on stage.

At the end of the hallway, the voice of the host announcing the final results of the contest was heard.

###

After the contest ended, the chairman set aside a separate meeting and met with Professor Baek Jung-eon.

A table decorated with a pure white tablecloth and Western-style gold candlesticks was placed under warm lighting that was perfect for dining.

The two people lifted the teacups on the table, greeted lightly and laughed.

“You have good disciples. Professor.”

“That’s too much praise.”

“I thought you could brag about it. The same goes for the friend named Song Seong-hyuk that I showed you before. Because each and every one of his disciples is a very big person. I should go and say hello in advance!”

Baek Jung-eon put down the tea cup and smiled proudly.

“It would be difficult if you were already surprised. I plan to produce two more students of that caliber in the future.”

“Two people each? No then. Are you saying that you have four students now?”

“Yes. How did that happen?”

“That’s surprising. One of them is probably a friend who doesn’t listen to that… . Who is the other one?”

“The Chairman also saw it. There was a friend who didn’t respect audience manners at the competition today.”

The chairman is in the final stages of the piano division. I recalled what happened when Jeong Si-woo’s last song, Dream of Love No. 2, was played.

“You are talking about Siwoo’s girlfriend.”

“… her. How did you know?”

“Siwoo played so mournfully. There was no way I didn’t know. I guess it’s because I recently sent my wife away. For no reason, I thought about it more.”

“Ah. I told you about that back then, but I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay now.”

The chairman’s expression was full of satisfied relief rather than sadness or longing.

“Siwoo comforted me. I was nervous the whole time I was listening… We were also waiting for Si-woo’s girlfriend to arrive.”

It is quite enjoyable to hear a student’s praise from someone else’s mouth.

Baek Jung-eon had raised many disciples so far, so he knew that feeling better than anyone else. And to Baek Jung-eon, Jeong Si-woo was always a sore finger.

He was a person who didn’t say anything harsh even to his students, so it must have been terrible for Si-woo?

It’s good to work hard on your own, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost lost my temper because I’m worried that I’ll ruin my body.

Rather than nagging him to do well, it was more difficult for Baek Jung-eon to dissuade him from doing it properly.

“I’m glad you liked it.”

However, Jeong Si-woo eventually overcame his wall. I spread my wings wide and flew up towards the distant place I had longed to go to.

From the time he first announced that he wanted to play the piano, he was good at playing on his own, so I just gave him direction so he wouldn’t stray too far.

In the end, I never thought I could solve my weaknesses through relationships with people.

‘I can’t do that… .’

Even his teacher, Baek Jung-eon, couldn’t try it. It was possible because it was Jeong Si-woo.

However, when we think of the stars of classical music who shone in the past, Jeong Si-woo’s method was not all that strange.

They also shared a fiery love. The complex love and relationships of that period influenced their music.

Most of the works of popular classical composers include songs dedicated to a loved one or someone close to them.

Songs that reveal anger like a roar were also often related to complicated love.

“Siwoo. I hope to achieve good results at the international competition in two years.”

“With the Chairman’s support, everything will go well.”

“Hehe. I am so grateful that you said that. I really support Jeong Si-woo.”

The chairman closed his eyes and thought back to Jeong Si-woo’s competition performance.

It was like a concert prepared by Jeong Si-woo just for him.

That ecstatic moment.

“Really. I never dreamed that I would be comforted by a performance at a competition.”

By conveying what I wanted to convey while adhering to the competition’s strict judging standards.

Jeong Si-woo was a pianist who had already surpassed the professional level.

***

***

***

After winning the competition, Siwoo became a star at school comparable to Song Seonghyuk.

Unlike his previous life, there were more and more instances of him talking about the piano with Song Seong-hyuk. It seems that the number of students who find that appearance attractive has increased.

In the end, I would have let Siwoo roam around school without any worries, but I went to Hanyang University and watched Siwoo until winter break.

Don’t touch my pregnant wife’s body.

While shooting a menacing look in his eyes.

However, when he walked around Siwoo, showing off his sinister energy, what he returned was gifts and snacks from his female seniors.

Jiyu Yoon must have been jealous, so she wandered around by my side and blocked the useless flirting(?).

What if a pregnant child gets sick from eating anything? They’ve made safe and healthy snacks for you, so they give you various things to eat… .

As you know, things that are good for your health don’t taste good. Most of the snacks Jiyu Yoon worked hard to make didn’t taste very good.

I wanted to eat something sweet, so I avoided Yoon Ji-yu. One time, I even played hide-and-seek with her on campus while she was trying to feed me healthy food.

From then on, time flew by so quickly.

In the second half of my pregnancy, I was so heavy that I couldn’t move around easily.

After giving birth, I was busy with postpartum care, so I stayed at home most of the time.

Another six months to watch over my daughter until she can walk.

In the meantime, I was helping prepare for the Siwoo International Competition, and my daughter was now two years old.

“Wow. Cherry blossoms have already bloomed.”

“… That’s right.”

What I was so worried about.

The day of the most important goal I set after becoming Min Chae-won has dawned.

I smiled at Siwoo as I removed the cherry blossom petals from my sleeping daughter’s head.

“It’ll be okay.”

Ever since Siwoo saved my life, I’ve been thinking about this day.

And I found a way to definitely twist Siwoo’s fate.

It wasn’t as difficult as I thought.

I borrowed the bridge where the accident occurred ‘for a moment.’ All I had to do was check from afar whether the truck was really crossing the median.

“Trust me. Jeong Si-woo!”

Siwoo wrapped his arms around Siwon and me and closed his eyes.

“Yes. Always believe.”