episode_0251

Soo-ah stared blankly at the elderly man on stage.

She suddenly thought.

‘It’s different. There’s a clear difference between him and Sohee Soo-ah.’

Sohee Soo-ah suffers from ‘Savant Syndrome.’ It’s a condition where, despite brain damage, individuals display exceptional abilities in specific fields, far surpassing those of ordinary people.

In Sohee Soo-ah’s case, it’s piano.

‘Sohee Soo-ah has this unique look in her eyes when she sees a piano, like a switch flips. But this old man doesn’t have that at all. He just feels like a child?’

—Yes. That’s how it seems to me too. That’s probably….

The inner Yoo Han-soo-ah rubbed her chin and continued.

—…Just dementia. I’m sure of it.

Dementia.

It’s often called a curse more terrifying than death.

Since it’s a disease that deteriorates mental function, it’s natural that one can’t maintain daily life independently.

How terrible must it be, the agony of seeing the memories you cherish, slowly scattering like grains of sand in your palm? Soo-ah didn’t even want to imagine it.

‘Huh?’

The question came a beat later.

‘Come to think of it, why is a dementia patient here?’

—I wouldn’t know?

‘What, aren’t you supposed to know everything?’

—I’m not an encyclopedia, I’m human. Of course, I can speculate. First, he was scouted by the broadcasting station. Second, he slipped in among the audience.

Soo-ah looked around and said.

‘I don’t think he was scouted by the broadcasting station? Look at the staff’s expressions. They’re filled with question marks.’

—Then he must be an uninvited guest who slipped in with the audience.

While Soo-ah was talking to the Soo-ah Association.

*Kwaaaang*—

When the old man touched the piano, everyone frowned and made an ‘ugh’ sound.

Soo-ah, whose hearing had become incredibly sensitive thanks to the ‘Musician’ trait, was the same. Unlike her ordinary days, she couldn’t tolerate dissonance anymore.

So it seems the other person really does have dementia. There’s no miracle like Sohee Soo-ah. He just has an innocent childlike quality as he pounds on the piano like a drum.

*Kwang*— *Kwang*—

“Hey, what’s that? Is he from the broadcasting station?”

Some audience members openly expressed their dissatisfaction.

“Hey, even if he’s an audience member, shouldn’t they stop him from rushing onto the stage? Drag him down right now!”

The staff belatedly began to take action.

But of course, it wasn’t easy.

“Sir, you can’t do this here.”

“Don’t mind me! Woo-ah!”

The warnings the staff verbally shouted didn’t work at all, and the old man just kept playing the piano.

They were simply at a loss. Because there were so many audience members watching, they couldn’t deal with the old man aggressively.

*Kung*— *Kung*—

As the old man was wildly pounding on the piano.

‘Huh?’

Soo-ah startled without realizing it.

Until just now, she had been frowning like the other audience members, but now Soo-ah’s eyes were wide.

Because she felt something from the old man.

‘Wait a minute, is he not just pounding?’

The old man never took his eyes off the piano.

That will and determination alone were comparable to Sohee Soo-ah. Perhaps there’s something he wants to play.

*Kung Kung Kung*—

The staff still couldn’t push the old man away aggressively, and the old man didn’t stop his hands. Audience members even started filming this scene with their cell phones.

It would be a rare sight.

Soo-ah realized it at this point.

‘This…. he’s not just pounding.’

The old man’s skill isn’t as outstanding as Sohee Soo-ah’s. No, it probably wouldn’t even reach the level of an ordinary person. But Soo-ah felt it. That the old man had an intended song.

‘Let’s prick up my ears and look at the position of the keys he’s pressing. If I concentrate a little more, I think I’ll know. This is definitely….’

After concentrating like that for 10 seconds.

Soon, a song came to Soo-ah’s mind.

‘A wedding congratulatory song?’

Of course, she couldn’t say for sure.

But when she looked at the position of the keys the old man was pressing sequentially, and when she barely heard and guessed the intervals hidden inside the noise.

‘I think I’m right? Isn’t this something that’s used as a wedding congratulatory song at all kinds of weddings? when a man loves a woman.’

Once she identified the song, it really seemed to sound like that.

In fact, no matter what song it is, what the old man is doing isn’t right.

This is a place where they’re filming entertainment, not a space to play the piano. If you want to play, you should play at home. You shouldn’t cause trouble for others.

However.

‘Dementia, wedding.’

What kind of combination is that?

Soo-ah became curious about the old man’s story.

‘Besides, it’s a song I like.’

Soo-ah had another music-related experience besides Sohee Soo-ah. The life of a singer-songwriter.

The song she played to the point of being sick of it at that time was this very song.

Soon Soo-ah made a decision.

She moved her feet without hesitation.

“Excuse me, just a moment.”

“Soo-ah ssi…?”

When Soo-ah rushed onto the stage, the staff’s eyes widened, and the audience immediately went wild. It was a roar, almost a scream, just from her appearance.

But Soo-ah didn’t pay attention to her surroundings.

She just quietly sat next to the old man who was playing.

“You have to relax. Lightly.”

First of all, he’s pounding too recklessly right now. He has to tap gently for the existing tone to come alive.

“Piano…. Piano….”

*Kung*— *Kung*—

Of course, Soo-ah’s words wouldn’t work.

The old man continued to pound on the piano.

But Soo-ah had her own thoughts.

*Dan*— *Dadadan*—

With one hand, Soo-ah began to play the intervals the old man was trying to play very gently, one octave higher.

Why, like giving him a guideline.

Was it the song that Soo-ah had imagined after all?

The old man flinched when he heard the notes Soo-ah pressed.

“….”

Suddenly, his eyes widened, and looking at Soo-ah.

“Honey…?”

He said that.

Soo-ah didn’t particularly react to those words, and continued the action of giving a guideline with her fingers.

“The start is playing like this, gently. Got it?”

“Uh….”

Suddenly, the old man listened to her obediently.

The noise was much less than before.

*Dun*— *Dun*— *Dun*—

It was still clumsy, but now the audience could tell that the old man’s performance was a wedding congratulatory song.

Three-quarter time.

A melody in which a man sweetly woos a woman.

*Dun*— *Dun*— *Dun*—

*Dararan*— *Dararan*— *Dararan*—

Now Soo-ah’s brilliant accompaniment overlaps the old man’s clumsy intervals. It instantly became a really plausible song.

Soo-ah raised the corners of her lips slightly and said.

“You were trying to play this song, right?”

“Right. This is it….”

The old man slowly nodded his head.

“Well, it’s a song I like too.”

Soo-ah just spat out her honest feelings, but for some reason, the old man’s expression became warm and deep. You could say that the aspect that made him seem like a child had completely disappeared.

“Why…. am I here…?”

When the old man muttered that.

“Oh dear!”

“Sir! You can’t be here!”

Belatedly, people in suits started to cling to the old man and take care of him. They must be his guardians.

After that, the people in suits bowed to the staff several times and started talking about this and that, but Soo-ah wasn’t particularly interested. It would just be a normal apology.

Rather than that.

‘My hands are itching for no reason now that I’ve touched the piano.’

A desire to cleanse the ears dirtied by the noise with her own melody was gradually building.

It was probably the influence of the ‘Musician’ trait.

Fortunately, a way to soothe the confused audience while satisfying her desire to play the piano came to mind.

Soo-ah said to the audience in Japanese.

“There was some commotion before the start of filming. More than that, I know a good piano piece too.”

Is it the influence of Sohee Soo-ah? As she kept her hands on the piano, she didn’t feel any tension at all. Only the thought of wanting to play filled her mind.

Yes, Soo-ah was very impatient right now.

She was going crazy wanting to play the piano!

“Would you mind if I played it for you?”

Fortunately, she was only met with cheers. There were no rejections.

◈◈◈◈◈

“…Suddenly a strange old man barged in?”

“I was just eating, what’s going on?”

The main PD of ‘Celebrity Zoo’ and national MC Yamada Kensuke hurriedly passed through the hallway and returned to the filming set. It was right after they heard the news of the old man’s intrusion.

Soon the main PD grimaced.

“…Really? That’s really an uninvited guest? We’ve never scouted someone like that for our entertainment show.”

On stage, an old man who looked mentally deranged at first glance was wildly pounding on the piano.

This was a huge nuisance.

“That crazy guy! That piano was just for decorative purposes because the set looked too empty! You’re not supposed to touch it!”

“What did you say? Well, we have to drag him down quickly, right?”

“Of course! The audience is all watching!”

It was quite common for uninvited guests to barge into broadcasting stations. It would be fortunate if it was just an ordinary person. Because extreme criminals sometimes come.

The main PD shouted.

“Guard! Go and drag him down quickly!”

“Yes!”

“Don’t use force in front of the audience. Behave appropriately politely. You know what I mean?”

“Yes, yes!”

MC Yamada Kensuke clicked his tongue.

“I’m worried about the old man’s family. He’ll be cursed out a lot because he came during Soo-ah ssi’s highly popular special.”

The audience members, who were slowly grasping the situation, whispered.

At first, they just hated it, but now some people took out their cell phones, saying that an interesting sight had appeared.

But at that time. Just one person.

Soo-ah approached the old man.

‘Huh? Soo-ah ssi?’

He wondered if she was going to drag him out herself, but no. Soo-ah rather put her hand to her chin and began to explore the old man’s noise very seriously.

‘What is it? Why would she need to examine that?’

While Yamada Kensuke was wondering.

“Huh?”

The noise disappeared.

To be exact, it changed into a performance.

Thanks to Soo-ah.

*Dun*— *Dun*— *Dun*—

*Dadan*— *Dadan*— *Dadan*—

‘Wait a minute, this song is….’

Yamada Kensuke listened to the flowing melody. Before long, something came to mind.

‘A wedding congratulatory song? That crazy old man, he was playing that all along?’

No way.

That annoying sound was actually a congratulatory song.

What’s more, he couldn’t help but be amazed at Soo-ah. How did she find the origin in that trashy sound?

“Oh dear!”

“Sir! You can’t be here!”

Just when he was starting to think it was getting tasteful, people in suits ran up and took the old man away, and Yamada Kensuke felt a little disappointed.

Piano performance. It would be nice if I could listen a little more.

Right then.

“Would you mind if I played it for you?”

Soo-ah started to seriously play the piano.

The audience focused on Soo-ah, and Yamada Kensuke also wore a slightly expectant expression. It was curiosity.

“There was an unexpected commotion, so Soo-ah ssi is suffering for nothing, is she trying to fix this atmosphere?”

He burst into a chuckle and walked towards the stage.

Why? Because he is the national MC.

It would be his job to bring back the chaotic atmosphere. He couldn’t make Soo-ah do even this.

Just as he stepped onto the stairs leading to the stage.

—♩♪♬

Precise rhythm.

A ticklish melody pierced his ears.

“Wait….”

Yamada Kensuke doesn’t particularly like piano music. Therefore, it was the first time he was hearing the song, but he couldn’t help but stop walking.

It didn’t matter if he didn’t know the piano music. Because he could feel that the performance was excellent.

.

.

.

.

.

—♩♪♬

When you listen to it, distracting thoughts disappear.

Could this really be the piano that the old man used as a tool for making noise? It’s like he’s hitting different equipment entirely when Soo-ah’s touch is on it. A soft and warm melody.

—♩♪♬

That melody captured everyone’s ears.

“PD-nim, this, Soo-ah ssi is playing…?”

“What is it? Piano? I’ve never heard of it….”

“Crazy.”

“What are we listening to?”

“Camera! Camera first!”

“It’s already rolling!”

Audience, MC, Main PD, Staff. Everyone was the same. Everyone pricked up their ears and opened their mouths blankly.

Because something completely unexpected was happening.

In fact, Soo-ah, after finishing her piano performance.

‘Phew! I feel so refreshed. Like I scratched an itch? I couldn’t pass by because of the musician trait.’

She had just satisfied her surging desire.

‘Was Kim Sun-il’s mysophobia like this? It’s sudden, but I might be able to sympathize a little now?’

As Soo-ah was smiling to herself with silly thoughts.

“Excuse me….”

National MC Yamada Kensuke, whose eyes were three times bigger than usual, approached Soo-ah and asked.

“Soo-ah ssi, why are you so good at playing the piano…?”

“Huh?”

Why am I so good at playing the piano? Well, it’s because I got the ‘Musician’ trait as a perk, right? More than that, why are you suddenly asking me that?

Soo-ah was thinking according to her stream of consciousness like that.

A beat later, she realized.

‘Oops! This isn’t a place for playing the piano, it’s entertainment!’

Did I cause an accident? Did I do something unnecessary?

Belatedly, she felt worried, but it didn’t last long.

Clap clap clap clap clap clap—!

Starting with the applause that belatedly burst out.

“Lee Soo-ah! Lee Soo-ah! Lee Soo-ah!”

“Lee Soo-ahhhh─!”

“One more song! One more song!”

The cheers of the audience instantly filled the scene.