Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 354:

Chapter 354

[We will now begin the 8th ATR Violin Competition.]

A broadcast requested the audience to turn off or mute their phones so as not to disturb the violin performance. 

The audience members moved quietly to avoid interfering with their friends, sons, and daughters who had prepared hard for today.

Soon after, the broadcast resumed as the rustling movement subsided.

An introduction to the ATR Violin Competition, the judging method, and the award section was followed by an introduction of the four judges who would sit on the panel.

A middle-aged man who looked strict, a man who seemed familiar from television, and a violinist who had been most active last year walked toward the panel from the front door.

The audience’s attention was drawn to the judge who followed them.

A woman with reddish hair came in smiling. She looked friendly and seemed to give good scores to all the participants.

“There’s a foreigner too?”

“She’s a professor of violin at Korea National University of Arts and her name is Yulia Winter.”

Kim Hee-sang’s words elicited an exclamation of admiration.

There was also information about the four judges’ careers on the pamphlet that Seo-jun had.

They all had impressive careers and it showed how prestigious this competition was.

The judges took their seats and the curtain that covered the stage went up. 

A black grand piano was placed on the wide stage that was clearly visible and bright lights shone on the stage.

It was an empty stage with no one, but the tense atmosphere before the start was felt.

Seo-jun smiled faintly at the feeling that was similar yet different from theater. 

He suddenly remembered his past performances as ‘Gray Vainy’. 

He looked at his hands that were tingling and saw the abilities he had put in for Subin.

The [(Line) Orchestra Conductor’s Connection-Low] that he used when he dyed his hair brown-black and [(Line) Violin Dream Fairy’s Basic Lesson-Low], [(Line) Goblin Violinist’s Melody-Middle Low] that he used while filming [Over The Rainbow].

He wasn’t trying to use his abilities to make Subin win, but to teach him what he needed to improve after watching his performance.

‘I’ve been teaching his lightly so far, just as a hobby, but…’

Now that he started to participate in competitions, he might want to become a violinist someday. 

Seo-jun wanted to help Subin as his hyung.

He clenched his hands lightly and looked up at the sparkling abilities.

[Elementary Division No. 1.]

The broadcast announced and two people appeared next to the stage.

A pianist in a black suit and a girl in a white dress. The pianist headed straight for the grand piano and the girl with a violin also headed for a small mark in front of the piano.

‘She must be nervous, being number one.’

The first order was almost like announcing the start of the competition. 

The judges and audience who had not heard any other songs were full of attention to the violin performance. 

It was a problem that they became bored with violin performances as they went back, but it was also a burden to receive such attention as the first order.

One of the seats in the audience showed a slight movement. 

The families of the participants who couldn’t cheer out loud clasped their hands tightly so as not to disturb their children.

The girl seemed nervous too, as she exhaled lightly and rested her chin on the violin. 

She looked tense but didn’t forget her performance, which showed that she was quite familiar with competitions.

And then the first note came out.

The three symbols on Seo-jun’s hand sparkled with music.

One ability that looked angry but listened to music, and two abilities that looked happy.

Seo-jun, whose musical ability was enhanced by the influence of three abilities, smiled softly and listened to the violin sound.

***

Kim Han-seok and his friends were listening to elementary division performances with nervous faces.

Originally, they were going to watch a short performance at Eunhasu Center main building next door or visit an exhibition at the art museum across the street. But they waited to see an elementary student who played violin well and was praised by ‘him’, Lee Seo-jun senior, who will appear last in the elementary division.

Clap clap clap.

The first participant came down and applause sounded.

Kim Han-seok and his friends from acting department who clapped for actors on stage after performances also applauded for first participant who showed excellent performance.

“She’s good for elementary division.”

“Right? Is she going to be number one?”

“The kids behind will be good too, right? It’s national scale. And senior’s younger sibling hasn’t come out yet.”

Kim Han-seok and his friends nodded at their friend’s words.

As soon as applause subsided, broadcast came out right away.

[Please refrain from clapping for next participant.]

Oh.

It seemed like they shouldn’t clap during competition.

After second performance ended, Kim Han-seok and his friends held back their hands that were about to clap. 

Other audience members also silently applauded. In the quiet audience,

Clap-!

A clap sounded from somewhere as if someone couldn’t hold back. 

Kim Han-seok and his friends shook their shoulders and laughed quietly.

Seo-jun quickly put his left hand between Eun-su’s palms that were about to clap. 

His hand and hand met and a clap sounded. 

Eun-su tilted his head as if he didn’t know why and Seo-jun explained softly with a smile.

***

Elementary division waiting room.

Unlike other division participants who watched cute elementary division performances on TV connected to stage, elementary division didn’t turn on TV. 

It was obvious that they would be more nervous whether the previous order did well or not.

Fifth and sixth graders sat on chairs and looked at scores or pretended to play violin without making sound while doing image training. 

Pianists who came with kids also helped them quietly.

Among them, nine-year-old Subin who stood out the most sat upright on a chair and read his score. 

He had received a pencil from his mom and checked the places he talked about with Seo-jun hyung.

He looked cute with his legs dangling in the air, but everyone was so nervous that they couldn’t see him except Choi Soohee.

“Number 10 participant! Please get ready!”

The boy who jumped up at the word ‘number 10’ let out a sigh and left the waiting room with the accompanist. There were only four left, excluding Subin, who was the last one.

“It’s almost over, right? Subin. If you get nervous on stage, just look at Seo-jun and Eun-su sitting in the back of the audience and play.”

“Okay!”

He looked a bit nervous, but his sparkling eyes seemed to show how much he was looking forward to it.

‘I’ve never played in front of so many people.’

Subin’s audience had been only Seo-jun’s family, Eun-su’s family, and some relatives.

He felt his heart pounding at the thought of playing for a crowd that listened to his performance. 

It was a happy thing that felt like fireworks exploding. 

The pianist Choi Soohee knew that well.

“Subin. Let’s show them our best performance.”

“Okay!”

Subin’s cheeks turned red as he nodded.

***

Yulia Winter, a professor of violin at Korea National University of Arts, flipped over the score sheet. 

The participants were all good for their age, probably because they were gathered from all over the country. 

It must have been thanks to the increased number of applicants than before. 

Yulia Winter recalled the cause of that.

‘Over the Rainbow.’

The musical movie [Over the Rainbow] that came out six years ago created a trend called ‘Gray Tour’ and sparked an explosive interest in the violin. 

Yulia Winter, who was active in Europe at the time, was also surprised by the performance requests that came from everywhere.

And [Over the Rainbow] was still influential.

The children who watched the movie dreamed of becoming violinists, and the parents who watched the movie encouraged their children to play violin, and the interest in violin continued.

‘Of course, it has decreased over time, but it is still more than before the movie came out.’

If this interest continued, there might be a child who didn’t know his or her talent and accidentally showed off a great talent.

‘When will he or she appear?’

Yulia Winter smiled softly and waited for the next participant.

***

[Elementary Division Number 15]

It was finally the last order of the elementary division.

Eun-su, who had gone out with Seo Eun-chan for a while and came back, sparkled her eyes. 

Seo-jun and the adults also listened with smiling faces. 

Kim Han-seok and the children who were sitting in front also shone their eyes.

On the wide stage.

A small child with a violin and a pianist in a black suit walked out.

The people blinked in wonder at his small stature compared to the fifth and sixth graders who had come out so far. 

The judges who knew the participant’s information in advance also exclaimed silently at his smaller than expected body.

Subin walked dignifiedly to the center of the stage. 

Eun-su, who opened her mouth wide at Subin’s appearance, smiled silently and shook Seo-jun’s hand. 

The adults laughed at Eun-su’s expression, which was quiet but noisy.

‘If it wasn’t a concours but a concert hall, I would have given him the biggest applause than anyone else.’

Seo-jun frowned slightly at the quiet hall, but soon smiled and looked at Subin.

‘Subin, fighting!’

Subin looked around the audience. 

He was a little nervous because there were so many people, but he was happy to think that Gray Vainy had also stood in such a place. 

His heart beat fast as he saw a scene that looked exactly like a movie.

‘Me too.’

‘I have to show them my amazing performance too.’

He breathed lightly and rested his chin on the violin. 

Seeing that, Choi Soohee pressed the piano keys. 

The piano accompaniment sounded and Subin drew his bow long.

The melody of ‘Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 First Movement’, which Mozart made when he returned to his hometown Salzburg after his Italian trip, filled the hall.

***

‘If I think that the violin fairy is flying around, would it be an illusion?’

The fairy of the baton seemed to be annoyed but also listening attentively, and the goblin violinist seemed to be sitting down comfortably and enjoying it.

Kim Subin’s performance was beautiful.

It had power and strength that no one would have thought would come from his small body. 

He played strongly when he needed to be strong, and weakly when he needed to be weak. 

His control of dynamics was also great.

His performance whispered softly. 

The bright melody matched Subin’s bright expression. 

The beautiful melody that flowed from the violin filled the audience seats.

It also matched Choi Soohee’s piano accompaniment.

The judges showed interest in his flawless performance.

The audience who had become too familiar with the 14 violin performances also unknowingly listened carefully. 

Before they knew it, their eyes that had looked down on Subin disappeared and they all focused on his performance.

It was enough to make them admire Subin’s performance that captivated the wide hall.

‘It’s not perfect, though.’

Seo-jun listened to Subin’s performance with one ear and evaluated it coldly with the other.

Thanks to his three abilities, Seo-jun’s musical sense, which had been sharpened sharply, pointed out the places that were lacking. 

He had some habits that he had gotten used to, and some parts that looked like he needed more practice.

It was a great performance as a hobby, but as a violinist, there were many things to be desired.

‘I’ll have to teach him later.’

This part and… this part.

As he recalled the score he had seen earlier and checked it, something flashed through Seo-jun’s mind.

If it was his usual sense, he would have let it go, but the violin fairy who was flying around and the fairy of the baton who had a keen hunting instinct (so keen that he tried to hunt down a whole world) quickly caught it. 

The goblin violinist who was leisurely enjoying Subin’s performance also watched it run around.

A very brief moment.

Seo-jun, who had caught the inspiration that was about to pass by, looked for a notebook and a writing tool in a hurry, but he couldn’t find anything.

‘I can’t help it.’

Seo-jun had no choice but to take out his phone. 

He listened to Subin’s performance and turned his head hard. 

And he wrote it down one by one.