Professor, let me tell you.
The truth is, I ended up stranded on a deserted island due to the AC 2505 accident, and there, I met a musician named Mark Miller, who had died 10 years ago.
At times like a friend, at times like a teacher, and at times like an older brother, I spent time with him and learned a lot.
Especially when it came to music, I was greatly influenced by him.
If there's something you’ve felt from me, something you’d call the "air of a master," it’s probably largely due to Uncle Miller’s influence.
However, Uncle Miller respected my unique musical world, so if there’s any 'flair' about me, I think it’s something new that was created between a leader and a follower.
Honestly, since it hasn’t been long since I returned from the island, I’m not exactly sure what it is myself.
Yes, it was Mark Miller.
He was the coolest musician I’ve ever known.
...is what I randomly imagined myself saying to the professor.
What would happen if I actually gave an answer like that?
“…….”
For starters, I’d probably be dragged to the university hospital for an MRI. After that, I'd be forced to appear on "Can You Believe This!" I heard there's a psychic detector abroad, maybe they’d come looking for me, too.
Anyway, it’d probably cause a big headache.
That’s why I decided to answer a bit more cleverly.
"Some time ago... I watched a live performance of the Chopin Competition on NewTube."
“NewTube? On the internet?”
"Yes. As I was looking for videos like that, I found myself getting drawn in without realizing it. Once. Twice. Three times. At some point, I started watching them over and over, countless times."
Since I had been stuck to Uncle Miller's side for about three and a half years, it wasn’t exactly a lie.
"So?"
"Then suddenly, I started having this thought. What if... if I were to have a conversation with one of the 'participants' of the Chopin Competition..."
"And if that were to happen?"
"I began to wonder what kind of performance I should play from now on, and what I should say to 'him.' How should I approach music, how should I view the piano, and how should I move forward in life? I’ve been thinking about this for... I guess over three years. Actually, I'm still pondering it now."
"......"
I’d say my answer was worth at least 80 points.
Beyond that, I didn’t know either.
I had done my best to answer the sharp question that stemmed from Professor Kang Yoo-han's remarkable hearing and insight.
How in the world he managed to catch that 'flair' in my performance... Even when I think about it again, it’s amazing.
And then, the professor’s reaction was...
"Hahaha."
He laughed, for starters.
"Well. So, what’s your biggest concern these days? Could you perhaps share that as well?"
I answered smoothly.
"Rather, at this moment, I just want to play the piano without any worries. It feels a bit awkward."
"Could that be because you took about a month off?"
It seemed Professor Kang Yoo-han knew about my AC 2505 accident.
"That’s probably it."
“The kid who claimed to have played the piano every single day since he was seven took a month off, and now the piano suddenly feels awkward… And the piece he played was just that ‘Moonlight Sonata’?”
“…Yes, that’s right.”
Professor Kang Yoo-han suddenly burst into laughter.
For some reason, it was Teacher Park Ha-seon who started receiving the compliments.
“Ha-seon, when you said you were transitioning to education, I was so upset, but there must have been a reason for it. You did well. Really well. A prodigy has appeared.”
“Yes, I think so too…”
Teacher Park Ha-seon was even on the verge of tears.
I felt a slight pang of guilt for having given such a convenient answer.
But it was true that Teacher Park Ha-seon had helped me a lot up until now, so…
What she said wasn’t wrong.
‘Did I get away with it?’
Judging by their reactions, it seemed like it was more than just that.
Professor Kang Yoo-han lightly patted me on the shoulder and repeated twice, “You’re definitely a talented kid. That was the best ‘Moonlight Sonata’ I’ve heard in a long time.”
Teacher Park Ha-seon secretly gave me a thumbs-up behind the professor’s back.
Even my parents looked really pleased.
In this rather pleasant atmosphere, Professor Kang Yoo-han suddenly remembered something and asked me to sit at the piano again.
“This was supposed to be a lesson, wasn’t it? I forgot to actually teach you. I’ve been so scatterbrained lately…”
As I sat down on the piano bench, Professor Kang Yoo-han pulled up another chair and sat down to my left.
Then, he slowly closed his eyes.
A brief silence followed.
After just a few seconds, Professor Kang Yoo-han opened his eyes and started by asking me a question.
"There were two mistakes... No, there were three. Do you remember where they were?"
Uh... Where was it again...
I tried to recall the performance I had given.
I focused a bit more and replayed my performance in my head.
The sheet music for the 'Moonlight Sonata' popped into my mind.
Numerous instructions and notes.
It felt as if I could see the sound I had played on the piano marked on the sheet music.
Without realizing it, the parts of my performance that bothered me surfaced.
My mistakes.
So, where exactly were they...?
"The 75th, 142nd, and 150th measures*."
"…What?"
"The places where I made mistakes. I wasn’t used to the Steinway piano, so my hand slipped a bit. Actually, I might not have made a mistake in the 150th measure, but I got so immersed in the emotion that I didn’t pay enough attention."
"……"
"It was an unfortunate mistake. Should I try playing those parts again?"
"……"
The professor stared at me blankly. Then he chuckled quietly once again. And he nodded.
"Sure. That sounds good. How about starting from the 70th measure?"
"That’s where a new phrase** begins, right?"
"Exactly. Now that I think about it, you're better than most of my students."
"What?"
"Alright, let's get started right away. There are a lot of your performances to listen to today, aside from 'Moonlight.'"
Even after the instruction on 'Moonlight' was over, I had to stay with Professor Kang Yoo-han for quite some time.
It wasn’t until I was on the verge of saying that I couldn’t play the piano anymore due to exhaustion that the professor finally let me go.
'Is this what a genius test is like? Is it always this tough?'
I was so overwhelmed by the experience that I couldn’t think straight.
In the end, I practically passed out in the car on my way home.
* * *
Early morning.
I was jogging along the neighborhood path.
One of the common misconceptions people have about pianists is regarding their physical stamina.
A pianist, elegantly playing indoors where sunlight doesn’t reach—at first glance, they may appear fragile.
But pianists are people who can play non-stop for an hour and a half or more during a recital.
There are many powerful, energetic pieces among piano compositions, and some concertos require playing over 30,000 notes on the keyboard in just 30 minutes.
It goes without saying that good stamina improves the quality of the performance.
This was something Uncle Miller always used to tell me when I was on the island.
So, back on the island, I had better stamina than Uncle Miller.
I worked out that hard, after all.
In short, I was a sturdy teenager.
But now, I was just a 12-year-old elementary school student with pathetic stamina.
“Hah... I’m dying.”
Back when I went to Korea University, it was like that.
I only performed for about two or three hours in front of the professor, but I completely passed out in the car.
I heard that my father carried me up to the apartment.
No wonder I saw a familiar ceiling when I woke up in the morning.
But does that even make sense, no matter how nervous I was?
At my age...
Getting carried by my father?
"What on earth... tsk."
That's why I decided to exercise every day. I can't go on living like this, feeling so stifled. It seemed like the best way to quickly regain my lost height and stamina.
"Hey, Seojin! You were here yesterday, and you're out again today? Come here for a second."
The owner of the stationery store on the corner, who was cleaning in front of the shop, called out to me. After greeting him, I approached, and he took out a yogurt drink from the store's refrigerator and handed it to me.
I opened the green foil lid and took a sip.
An exclamation escaped my lips.
"Ah! This hits the spot. Thank you!"
"You're welcome. You're still growing, so eat up. If you're passing by here tomorrow, make sure to call me, okay?"
"Yep! Will do!"
"You look so lively, it's nice to see. Keep it up~"
"Then you have a great day too, sir!"
These little events in the neighborhood were a small joy for me.
After finishing my usual route and returning home, I took a shower. As I did, I briefly thought back to my time at Korea University.
After somehow finishing my performance in front of the professor and returning to the car.
Teacher Park Ha-seon and my mother were both squealing like they had gone back to their college days.
"It's done! It seems like Seojin did really well! Did you see the professor call Seojin a prodigy? I've never seen him speak so directly before! It's amazing! Seojin is a genius!"
"Really? Then my son is a genius?"
"Yeah. I thought he was just smart all this time, but it turns out he's actually a genius! How did you raise him so well?"
"Ahem! Ah, well... I guess I did a pretty good job?"
"Of course!"
Of course, I don't really know how that conversation ended. After getting into the car, I completely passed out. It was a blackout.
"Whew."
After sweating and taking a hot bath, I felt like I could fly.
When I changed clothes and came out into the living room, Suyeon, who seemed like she had just woken up, was rubbing her eyes.
“Yawn. Oppa, where on earth have you been?”
“I just took a shower. Obviously, I was in the bathroom.”
“No, before that. I heard the front door. At this hour, the only one who would go out and come back is you.”
She was like a detective.
“I just took a quick walk around the neighborhood for some exercise.”
“At this hour?”
“I’m trying to be a bit more diligent.”
“Wow... you’re getting more and more amazing... but... Oppa...”
“Yeah?”
“I think I need to sleep a bit more. Yawn. Goodbye. See you later.”
However, Suyeon’s whining didn’t work so easily.
My mother, who was busily making fried eggs in the kitchen, immediately shouted out her disapproval.
"In a little while, you'll have to catch the kindergarten bus! Where do you think you're going, Suyeon? What did you do last night?"
"I just read a book for a bit because I couldn’t sleep..."
"What? Again?"
"…Ah! It’s nothing! Ahh! It’s not what I meant!"
It felt like it might have slipped by, but no such luck.
Mom snatched Suyeon up and immediately shoved her into the bathroom. Judging by the sound of rushing water, it seems she dunked her in. Scary.
When Mom came out of the bathroom, she voiced her frustration.
"Ugh. Why don’t kids ever sleep?"
"Seriously."
"And you, too. What have you been doing lately, staying up so late? What if you stop growing?"
"Won't exercise help with that? That’s why I went for a run today."
"Ugh. Anyway, Seojin, I know you’re excited these days, but don’t overdo it. You’ll burn out quickly if you keep this up. Got it?"
"I'll be more careful from now on."
After Mom's gentle nagging ended and Dad came out of the room after changing his clothes, Suyeon emerged from the bathroom, drying her hair. Our family had breakfast together.
We were lively from the start of the morning.
We talked about everything: my visit to Korea University, Suyeon's novel exploration, and both Mom and Dad’s stories from their workplaces.
While chatting, time flew by.
I hurried toward the city bus stop. While waiting for the bus, I picked out a few songs to listen to on my smartphone. Most of them were songs composed by Uncle Miller.
The bus arrived in 9 minutes, and I rode through downtown Seoul. Even though it was early, the roads were already packed with cars.
As we sped along the heavily congested road, the stop announcement played. I pressed the button to request a stop, and the bus came to a halt. I tapped my card, beeped it, and got off the bus.
Countless people walk down the streets. Everyone seems busy, too occupied to even make eye contact with one another. I, too, have now become one of them.
This time, I skillfully opened the map app on my smartphone. Following the GPS directions, I made my way to a specific location.
The place I arrived at was on the second floor of a pretty neat building.
It was a Korean music studio.
As I stood in front of the door, the glass door automatically opened. A young woman at the counter greeted me cheerfully.
"Hello~ Is this your first time here?"
"Yes. But just a moment..."
I pulled out a business card from my bag and handed it to her.
"I came on Professor Kang Yoo-han's recommendation. He told me to show this."
"Oh! So you're the one! I thought it was odd for a kid to be visiting at this hour! You should've said so earlier!"
"I did tell you right away..."
"Hey! Wait just a moment! I'll make you a membership card right away. Or, should I get you a drink first? Is Coke okay? Or would you like to check out the practice room first? Oh! By the way, no eating or drinking is allowed inside the practice rooms, got it? And also..."
"........."
In short, she was all over the place.
From her continued explanations, it seemed she was a part-time student from Korea University.
The place I visited today was a kind of piano practice room. A practice room with private spaces.
Someone might think, ‘How is that any different from a neighborhood piano academy?’
But this place...
“Wow!”
“Do you like it? For now, we only have Yamahas here, but still, it's something, right?”
It was a soundproof practice room where you could practice with none other than a grand piano.
Professor Kang Yoo-han must have heard about my situation, as he said it was okay for me to use this practice room.
He mentioned that since it’s a franchise practice room run by a company affiliated with Korea University, things would go smoothly if he put in a word for me.
Just like Uncle Miller said, it was the exact moment when I fully understood that, after blood ties, academic ties come next.
“Noona, I have a question.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“It might be a bit of a worldly question…”
At my question, the part-timer sister laughed brightly and eagerly explained.
“This Yamaha grand piano costs 130 million won. The practice room rental fee is 15,000 won per hour for the general public. But for Korea University students, it’s 10,000 won per hour. The rooms with upright pianos are a bit cheaper. But for someone like you…”
It’s free! Totally free!
In one word—amazing!
And on top of that...
Professor Kang Yoo-han must have liked me because he also offered to give me private lessons.
Twice a month.
And all for free, too.
The system was that I would go to Korea University to receive lessons from Professor Kang Yoo-han, and I heard that even the transportation and meal costs were covered. Was it about 30,000 won a day? My affection for my mother’s alma mater was growing rapidly.
It might seem like I’m obsessed with money, but I now know that you need money to learn music.
Because of that, each and every one of these things was precious to me.
While the part-timer sister went to make my membership card, I sat in front of the grand piano.
Unlike the usual black pianos, this white-painted Yamaha piano seemed like it wouldn’t take long for us to become friends.
* * *
I slung my guitar over my shoulder, got on the subway, and moved my steps along a path that already felt familiar.
Unlike the last time I visited on a weekday, Hongdae on this Saturday was quite bustling.
Here and there, I saw people busking, and some were performing magic tricks almost at the level of a circus.
"Wowww!"
"No way! Did you just see that?"
"Crazy! Is he breathing fire over there? Is he a dragon or something?"
"Definitely a dragon!"
The audience's reactions were quite intense.
At that moment, I felt my phone vibrating in my hand. With all the noise around, I almost missed hearing the ringtone.
I covered the mic part with my hand as best as I could and pressed the answer button.
"Yes, Dae-sung hyung. I just arrived in Hongdae. I should be there in about 10 minutes. Yeah, to Star Live House. No way I'd head to the instrument store instead. Even an elementary school student wouldn't make that mistake... Hyung, I’ve even been called a genius before, you know. Uh... I’m serious."
Music Terms:
*A measure (or bar) in music is a segment of time defined by a specific number of beats, which is determined by the time signature of the piece. Measures are separated by vertical lines on the staff, called bar lines, and they help organize the rhythm and structure of the music. For example, in a 4/4 time signature, each measure would contain four beats, with each beat usually represented by a quarter note. Measures make it easier for musicians to follow and perform a piece in a coordinated way.
**In classical music, a phrase is a short, complete musical idea, like a sentence in language. It usually spans a few measures and ends with a natural pause or resolution. Phrases help shape the melody and structure of a piece.
