Chapter 130
When Professor Gruber entered the practice room, Soo-hyun, who had chosen the song he wanted to practice as usual, tried to open the score.
But something was a little strange. Professor Gruber, who always sat next to the piano with his arms crossed and watched Soo-hyun practice, took out sheet music from his old leather bag.
"Oh…?"
'What's this? Is he going to assign me a practice song?'
Professor Gruber took out the score and looked at Soo-hyun.
'Is it an illusion that he looks a little evil?'
"Let's practice this song from today."
'What song were you trying to give me to make that expression?'
"What song is it, Professor?"
"The pianist's grave."
'Has there ever been a song with such a frightening title?'
Professor Gruber watched Soo-hyun open the musical score. With Soo-hyun's skill, he would probably know as soon as he opened the score how frightening this song was.
"Ah...."
'Hmm? It's a little different from what I expected.'
This was because Soo-hyun, who should have been extremely surprised and shouted, "How do you practice a song like this? Is this a song that a person can play?", had a bewildered expression on his face.
"But why? Is it because it's too difficult?"
"Haha… No. That's not it…"
"Then?"
When Soo-hyun scratched his head in embarrassment and slyly showed Professor Gruber the score he had originally unfolded, he was surprised. It was because it was the same score he had brought.
"Did you try to practice this piece yourself? Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3, which is said to be extremely difficult?"
"…Haha."
'Not by me, but by another professor besides the professor.'
"Well... something like that."
Rachmaninoff published his first symphony at the age of 24. However, it received overwhelming criticism. Due to the shock, he was unable to compose for the next three or four years and fell into a depression. In addition, during this period, he married his cousin and was criticized by the Russian Orthodox Church, which aggravated his depression.
'Well, there was a time like that for you, master. Could it be that this series of events led him to be so direct?'
"In 1909, he published the Piano Concerto No. 3, known as the 'pianist's graveyard'. It was so difficult and complex that it stunned many aspiring pianists and even professional musicians. Even Josef Hofmann, a contemporary pianist to whom Rachmaninoff himself dedicated this piece, said, 'It doesn't seem like a piece for me'."
Soo-hyun also knew. He must have been shocked when he saw the soundtrack.
"So, is this song the most difficult song in the world?"
"No, technically speaking, Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 is more difficult than Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3. But there is an insurmountable difference between a piece that truly captures the emotion and one that is simply difficult."
'Well, that means it's the most difficult song to properly convey the emotions.'
Soo-hyun nodded and stared at the musical score. Professor Gruber, who was explaining, frowned.
'When a young genius becomes conceited, he becomes a fool, worse than a genius. I was afraid of that, so I brought this song to make him realize his own limitations… This child chose this song on his own. How should I interpret it?'
A side view of Soo-hyun reading the musical score with a serious look in his eyes. Professor Gruber's gaze became more serious as he stared at him.
'How scary! He's a really scary child. He's a hardworking genius who doesn't understand anything about pride. Of all the geniuses, the one who works hard is the scariest.'
That night, in the small garden in the center of Soo-hyun's house, Junwoo and Jaehee, sitting on a bench, were surprised to hear Soo-hyun's words.
"What? You want to go to Africa?"
"Where is Ghana? I've heard the name many times, but I've never looked at a map."
Soo-hyun spoke enthusiastically.
"You know Team H I was in? There was a girl named Abna who played the viola there, and she's from Ghana. She's going to her village this vacation. She said the house is big, so there's no problem if I go and play! Isn't that great?"
Junwoo and Jaehee looked at each other.
"Yeah, that's great. You're in Africa, right?"
"Isn't Africa dangerous?" Junwoo said carefully.
"Yeah, wasn't that a country that was always fighting civil wars?" Jaehee agreed.
"He said it's not. It's a country where people with a safe and rich heart live with nature. Let's go! Let's go!" Soo-hyun began to get stubborn. He even grabbed Junwoo's arm and shook it.
"Hey, stop shaking! I'm going to die if I keep this up!"
Soo-hyun quickly let go of his hand with an apologetic look, but his arm, which had been held so tightly, was throbbing. Junwoo, who was grimacing while clapping, nodded his head towards Ji-ye, who was preparing a snack in the kitchen, and asked.
"Sister Ji-ye?"
"My older sister said she can't go because she has to travel to Korea to give a regular report to Chairman Park Ki-jun."
"Are we going alone without you?"
"Abna's parents are here. Abna has a large family. She has six younger siblings and three older siblings."
"Wow, you have ten siblings? Did your mother only have children her whole life?"
"They say it's like that everywhere."
Junwoo was worried. Africa was an attractive country. A country you dreamed of traveling to your whole life, but since it was not an easy path to travel, you always worried and ended up missing the opportunity.
"Why do you want to go there?" this time, Jaehee asked.
"…"
Soo-hyun, who had been talking excitedly, suddenly closed his mouth like a clam. Jaehee asked again.
"Oh?"
"Hey, what's wrong? Weren't you going on a trip? Is there any other reason?"
Jaehee's expression turned venomous.
"Surely it's not because of that woman named Abna?"
Soo-hyun, who had been hesitating, looked at his friends who were looking at him with eyes that told him to confess, and spoke in a slurred voice.
"Nose, elephant..."
"OK?"
"What?"
My friends looked at me in amazement.
"You want to go to Africa just to see elephants? You can see them here at the zoo!"
Soo-hyun swallowed hard and said.
"When I was six, of course…"
Soo-hyun paused for a moment and exhaled.
"That's right, that's when the accident happened."
Junwoo and Jaehee had sad faces. Soo-hyun added that he didn't want his friends to get depressed because of him.
"When I left Korea for Switzerland, my mother bought me a picture book to read on the plane."
"A picture book? What was it?"
"The Little Prince."
'Was there an elephant in The Little Prince? I remember the fox and the rose.'
"I know there are elephants at the zoo, but I've never seen one…" Soo-hyun spoke hesitantly.
"Huh? You've never been to a zoo?" Junwoo asked in surprise.
"Oh...."
As Soo-hyun scratched his head and spoke, Junwoo's and Jaehee's expressions hardened.
'As soon as I returned to Korea from Switzerland, I went to Poland to enter the school, and while attending school, I also visited Germany. Soo-hyun, who had been busy with his life, had not been able to visit the zoo even once because his life was centered entirely on his growth as a pianist.'
The two friends who realized that fact reproached themselves.
'Ha, my friend doesn't even know that…'
'Can I call Soo-hyun a friend? Sigh.'
Soo-hyun watched the two friends who were lost in thought in silence. Jaehee, who had been thinking for a while, asked in a quiet tone.
"So, what did you see in The Little Prince?"
Junwoo also looked at Soo-hyun with curiosity. I don't think he had ever seen an elephant among the characters in The Little Prince.
"The boa constrictor that swallowed an elephant…" Soo-hyun said, pouting.
The two friends' expressions became blank.
"What?"
Soo-hyun explained with gestures.
"It looked like this. The adults say it's a picture of a hat, but to a naive person, it looks like a boa constrictor swallowing an elephant. You don't see things like that at the zoo, do you?"
Junwoo screamed inwardly.
'Not even in Africa is there such a thing!'
But the two deep friends didn't seem to want to ruin their innocent friend's dream. Jaehee, who had been thinking silently, looked at Junwoo.
"You're not going to Korea during the summer vacation, are you?"
"Oh, mom said to practice."
"Well, I can't go either because my dad is going to China to start a new business."
Then he decided not to say, "There's nothing to do." Junwoo, who was thinking for a moment, patted Soo-hyun's back, who was still looking at him.
"Okay, let's go, you punk."
As Soo-hyun's face brightened and he turned his head towards Jaehee, she also nodded silently.
"Wow! You guys are the best!"
As Soo-hyun suddenly hugged his two friends' necks, Junwoo and Jaehee, who were out of breath, began to beat Soo-hyun's arms.
"Phew, phew! Hey, I'm dying! I don't want my mom to prepare my memorial table next year! Let go of me, Inma!"
"It hurts, Soo-hyun. I feel like I can't breathe. Let me go."
The two friends' faces turned red as they wrapped themselves around Soo-hyun's thick arms. Junwoo, who barely escaped, jumped up and took three or four steps back as he spoke.
"You bastard! Are you trying to use all your strength just because you're a little bigger? Violence is a method of the ignorant! If you do that, I'm not going to Africa with you!"
"Hehehehe! Got it! Thank you!"
I didn't do it on purpose, but I always felt bad when my friends got hurt. But that was that, and right now I was happy. I was going to see a real wild elephant! It might be the most exciting moment of my life. Soo-hyun was so happy he was even humming a song. Jaehee, who had a happy face after seeing Soo-hyun, who felt like he was flying, asked about his recent news.
"I heard you got an A+ this semester?"
The question was asked to Soo-hyun, but the answer came from Junwoo.
"You were there, what are you asking? If Team H doesn't get an A+, who else will? Wow, Brahms! I would never have thought of it."
Jaehee nodded in agreement and asked Junwoo.
"What did you get?"
"B-, tsk."
"What? Me too. That's enough."
Junwoo said, sticking out his mouth.
"I was talking to my mom on the phone when I told her I got a low grade at first, and she was happy that I was doing well, even though I couldn't speak well in the first semester. But Soo-hyun asked me what I got. So I told him I got a high grade, so she told me not to come home during the vacation and just practice! You don't even want to see your only son! What are you talking about?!"
Jaehee covered his mouth and laughed. Jaehee was still shy with other students, but when the three of them got together, he smiled brightly and talked excitedly. That's how close the three friends became. Junwoo looked at Jaehee, who was smiling, and said with a wicked expression.
"But when I told you that Jaehee got a B-, Mom's voice got a little better."
Jaehee's smiling face hardened.
"Why are you telling me my grades?"
"I have to live too!"
"Hey, come here! I haven't told Dad anything yet!"
Junwoo ran away from Jaehee, who was trying to pinch him, and shouted.
"What do you mean you have a good friend? Huh? Even going to Africa with Soo-hyun! I'm saving my friend's life, so please be lenient, huh? It hurts! It hurts! Don't pinch me!"
Junwoo ran around the garden to avoid Jaehee. Soo-hyun looked very happy today, sitting in the garden under the bright moonlight, smiling as he watched his two friends.