Chapter 121
"Should we really call Austria the capital of music?"
Junwoo muttered as he sat on a small garden bench in the middle of a 'ㄷ'-shaped house.
Chairman Park Ki-jun had provided a large house that had been used as a guest house in the past, although it was quite old. As there were many rooms and many guests to eat, the kitchen and dining room were also quite large.
The small garden in the middle was only about twenty pyeong in size, but it was enough for three friends to spend time.
In addition, Austria had a climate where the temperature rarely dropped below -3 degrees Celsius, even in the coldest winter, and was usually maintained between 0 and 7 degrees Celsius, so for the three friends who had lived in Korea, the weather did not seem like February.
But it didn't seem cold, as Jaehee was sitting on a garden bench in a sweater. Junwoo said, seeing Jaehee's eyes as if asking what he meant.
"What about the violin department? Are there any students our age?"
When the three friends who left Korea to go to Austria at the age of sixteen to go to university were treated as prodigies. But when they got here, there were many friends who went to university at about the same age.
When Jaehee nodded slightly, Junwoo asked.
"How many people?"
She shook her head.
"You don't know? Are you not interested anymore?"
She nodded. Junwoo sighed.
Jaehee was a boy who didn't care about anyone but Soo-hyun. In addition, he mostly went to school and came back without a word.
"If you do that, will your German skills deteriorate?"
Jaehee laughed in vain. This was because she had recently obtained a B1 rank, which was higher than Junwoo's. Junwoo also changed the subject, licking his lips as he recalled this fact.
"Anyway, there are three people my age in the piano department. There are seven under the age of nineteen. Phew, we're just one of those students."
Jaehee pouted. I hadn't paid attention, so I didn't investigate, but there was a boy in the violin department who looked younger than me. Of course, I didn't ask how old he was.
Jaehee, who had been quietly agreeing, kept looking towards the door that led from the house to the garden. Junwoo rolled his eyes when he saw that.
'Shin Jaehee, who only thinks about Soo-hyun. Don't look for Soo-hyun for now.'
Jaehee's mouth, which had been quietly assenting until now, suddenly opened.
"Why?"
"Tch, is Soo-hyun's story even worth telling?"
Jaehee's eyes showed the look of someone about to grab her by the collar.
"Tell me. What happened to Soo-hyun?"
It had been just over ten days since the semester began. On the first day, he met with the dean and spent a while looking around the college, and on the second day, he was assigned a professor.
'What on earth happened during this time? Is it possible that you and the professor don't get along? Or is there a student from the same department who is harassing Soo-hyun? If it's the latter, Jaehee is ready to run to the school with a baseball bat full of nails or a large hammer.'
Junwoo crossed his arms with a bitter smile.
"What a relief. Soo-hyun is in complete shock and fear right now. It's the very definition of confusion."
Jaehee, surprised by Junwoo's words, quickly looked towards Soo-hyun's room where the lights were on.
"Tell me more."
Junwoo also looked at Soo-hyun's room and said.
"Soo-hyun, that's what the professor in charge says. In fact, I've also heard rumors about that professor. He's Professor Lech's professor. He's an amazing professor. Could he be a professor at the Vienna Conservatory of Music, which is considered the best in the world?"
"The, the teacher of Professor Lech?"
Professor Lech's reputation alone was already intimidating, but being his teacher was unimaginable. It was hard to imagine the burden Soo-hyun would feel.
"Yes. Soo-hyun had high expectations. He said he felt like he had met a good professor."
"However?"
"I wasn't taught anything."
"Oh?"
Junwoo shrugged and said.
"The professor in charge has been teaching for eight days. But he just sits with his arms crossed, listening to Soo-hyun's performance for the entire class. When the time comes, he just says he'll see us next time and leaves."
"…"
'A professor who has a duty to teach his students with all his heart and soul didn't teach anything for eight whole days? Jaehee sweats profusely every day while taking classes with the professor. This is because even the slightest mistake immediately triggers a stop sign. Even if he doesn't shout, the word "Stop" that the professor says in a dry voice is neurotic to the point of causing me anxiety. The same would be true for Junwoo. But they say that Soo-hyun's professor, who is a great person, doesn't teach anything.'
"Why?"
"Would you be worried if you knew why? Soo-hyun is about to explode. Don't touch him for now. He's very sensitive about it."
Jaehee looked at Soo-hyun's room with a worried face.
'It's hard to see Soo-hyun these days because of the busy schedule and having to go to school on time for lessons. If we went to school together and saw each other more often, I think I would at least be comforted. Don't try to comfort him half-heartedly. That will only make the situation worse.'
"…"
At the same time, in Soo-hyun's room, he was seen sitting on the bed in a daze.
'I've been patient for eight days. I thought that Professor Gruber, who just witnessed the performance without saying anything and then left, had some plan, but now it's really hard to bear.'
"Ha, I miss Professor Lee Chan-ho…"
'Professor Eun-joo Kim and Professor Chan-ho Lee. I miss the two professors who always greeted me with warm smiles so much.'
"If it were Professor Lee Chan-ho…"
Soo-hyun, who was muttering to himself, suddenly began to fiercely activate his thinking circuit. He frowned and muttered.
"If it were Professor Lee Chan-ho… what did he teach me? Ah, stories about musicians. He taught me stories related to songs. And about performance... I didn't learn anything."
The face of Soo-hyun, which he thought would have been taught differently if it had been Professor Lee Chan-ho, became even more distorted. In fact, the reason Soo-hyun was so worried now was not just because of Professor Gruber. Soo-hyun looked at the time with a sigh, then slowly opened the door after catching his breath in front of the room. Behind the door appeared the Pianist's Village, Rachmaninoff's room. Rachmaninoff was still seen sitting in the middle of a dark, dark brown room, painting on a canvas.
"I'm here, Professor."
The giant figure behind the canvas tilted his head slightly and looked at Soo-hyun.
"Are you here?"
Rachmaninoff used a strange tone of voice that he would use with someone his own age, even though he was much younger than Soo-hyun. Soo-hyun looked at him as he focused on his painting again, then brought a chair and sat in front of the window.
'Since I met him, I've never taken a piano lesson. No, I don't even mention the word piano.'
'Will it be like this today too?'
As Soo-hyun was looking out the window as if it were a waste of time, he spoke to him for the first time in a long time.
"Would you like to draw a picture?"
"…?"
'I'm a pianist. You should teach me how to play the piano. Why are you suddenly asking me to draw, professor? I really want to cry. I feel like running to Uncle Beethoven's house and telling him.'
"A picture…?"
Rachmaninoff winked and said,
"The ingredients are over there."
"Under…."
"I'm fine, sir."
"Really? That's a shame."
After saying a few words, he went back to drawing. Soo-hyun, barely able to suppress his anger that was boiling like lava, stood up and greeted them.
"I'll have to go now because I have class tomorrow, Professor."
"Do it that way."
'You can't go home early these days. Do you want to give it a try? If you don't like it, don't do it. Are you here? Well, goodbye. That's all I can say about what he said.'
Soo-hyun, who returned to his room with a sigh, threw himself on the bed and shouted nervously.
"I don't know!!!"
'Let's go to sleep. When I was studying with Professor Beethoven, I really wanted to sleep. Now, I just want to stop sleeping.'
The next day. A practice room that was more than three times the size of the practice room at the Korea University Center for Musical Education for the Gifted. There was only one piano in the middle of the room. A piano of a very expensive brand that was always maintained by professionals. Soo-hyun, sitting in front of him, was also playing the piano today. As always, Professor Gruber came to visit his old friend, sat in a chair next to Soo-hyun, and watched her practice with his arms crossed. Finally, as the promised time passed, the professor stood up. Soo-hyun's expression as he played was distorted.
'I just can't stand it these days.'
Professor Gruber, returning with the music book he had brought, spoke as usual.
"I'll be back tomorrow."
Soo-hyun, who was staring at his back, suppressed his urge to shout and spoke in a trembling voice.
"Excuse me, Professor."
Professor Gruber turned around as he was opening the door and about to leave.
"Hmm?"
Soo-hyun's eyes were trembling.
'Why, why are you doing this to me? If it was going to be like this, it would have been better for me to stay in Korea.'
"Why… don't you tell me anything?"
'Why, Mr. Rachmaninoff? Are you leaving me alone? Why on earth?'
Professor Gruber, who had been silently watching Soo-hyun, approached her again, placed the music book on the piano, and spoke.
"Are you trying to tell me that my teaching style is wrong?"
"…"
Words of a dignified professor. I wanted to rebel. But I held back. But if I left today, I would really explode. Professor Gruber said after seeing Soo-hyun biting his lip.
"Lech has told me a lot about you."
'Professor Lech?'
Soo-hyun, who had been bowing his head, looked at the professor. Professor Gruber said with a smile.
"Did you know? You're the first person Lech has called a genius. Even though he's my disciple, Lech is very stingy with his praise. Hehe."
"That doesn't mean there's nothing to learn, Professor. Please teach me," Soo-hyun said with his eyes wide open.
Professor Gruber patted Soo-hyun's shoulder and said,
"When you're driving a car on a straight road, no one turns the steering wheel of a car that's going well."
Soo-hyun, who didn't have a driver's license, didn't understand. Gruber smiled brightly and said, remembering that Soo-hyun was still young.
"When you're driving, you only turn the steering wheel when you want to go in a different direction than you want to. If you turn the steering wheel of a car that's going well, you'll have an accident."
Soo-hyun's expression relaxed. That meant he was okay, so don't touch him. Gruber turned around with an expression that said, "I guess you understand what I'm saying." Then Soo-hyun asked.
"Professor."
The professor turned around with a face that said, "Do I have to explain more?" He saw Soo-hyun's eyes longing for an answer.
"Yes."
"Hmm?"
"If the professor comes to the practice room and doesn't let us practice the piano, but only makes us draw, is there a reason for that?"
"…?"
'What is this child talking about? But it's not a playful look.'
The professor thought for a moment and nodded.
"If I did that, there must be a reason."
"If someone sits next to you during your piano lesson and asks you to draw something, there must be a reason for that, right?"
"There must be a reason."
Soo-hyun bowed his head.
'Is something wrong with this child?'
Professor Gruber looked at Soo-hyun for a moment, then turned around and said.
"And that teaching must be related to the piano. Sometimes you have to experience something and not judge it by its appearance."