Chapter 8, Time Solves Nothing (1)

Chapter 8, Time Solves Nothing (1)

Swish—

It’s as if a hole has opened in the dark night sky, and rain pours down.

Even if a hole had opened, it probably wouldn’t be visible.

The sky, as black as ink, is as dark as a heart that has been completely scorched.

Just like that day exactly two months ago.

“Y, Yuna.”

“Mom...?”

I lost consciousness. I was definitely in the car with Dad and Mom, driving on the highway.

Psssh—

Dad, in the front seat, didn’t move at all. Blood from his hair was flowing.

I’m scared.

Mom, holding me tighter, whispered to me, her state no different from Dad’s.

“Yuna... Are you okay?”

I couldn’t say anything.

“Did you... not get hurt anywhere?”

It hurts a little and aches. Mom looked much more hurt than I did, so I couldn’t say anything.

“Thank goodness...”

No words. The tears welling up in Mom’s eyes seemed to speak volumes.

But they were soon covered by her eyelids.

After waiting for a while,

Beep—

Beep—

With the sound that washed away the sense of crisis, I could finally close my eyes.

And when I opened them again,

“Yuna!”

Dad, with bandages on his head and ears, hugged me, and Mom was no longer there.

Mom’s funeral was coming to an end.

“Yuna.”

Dad, who looked decades older, followed me out of the funeral hall.

The mourners had already come and gone,

and only the two of us were left.

“Dad.”

The words I couldn’t say echoed in my mind. If only I hadn’t insisted on sitting in the back seat.

If only I hadn’t been in Mom’s arms.

If only Mom hadn’t taken all the impact alone.

Mom wouldn’t have died.

I...

I killed Mom.

“It’s okay, Yuna.”

A rough hand covered my tangled hair. Despite his roughness, his hand was warm and comforting.

Just like Dad always said.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. Just... just with Dad...”

His voice trembled. The tears I had held back started to flow again.

“We’ll live happily together.”

The tears that had been held back flowed down.

“For Mom’s sake too.”

Including the tears Mom couldn’t shed in her last moments.

* * *

When the memory of the accident had somewhat faded,

I flipped through my memories and took out a photo.

To not forget Mom.

To not lose her.

“...”

In the photo, Mom, Dad, and I were all smiling brightly.

A smile I can no longer see.

“What’s that photo?”

“Hmm.”

The piano Dad bought secondhand. When I played it with my clumsy skills,

Mom always smiled.

Mom, who had given up her dream of being a piano major to marry Dad and have me.

“Dad, is the piano still in the storage room?”

“Y-Yes.”

That’s when it started.

“Can I try playing it once?”

The piano began to play an important role in my life.

* * *

Even though it was an old institution, the reputation of the Seonhyang Arts Foundation was not unfounded. The scale of the foundation was grand enough to impress even a modern person like me.

It might not compare to the new building that would be constructed later, but it was still impressive enough to make my eyes sparkle.

‘Indeed, the saying “old institutions are the best” is not without reason.’

Though this old institution is not the same as that one.

Walking along, Sanggil and I headed to the Cultural Arts Hall.

A place for nurturing young artists within the foundation.

The elegant lobby welcomed visitors, and as I walked down the corridor, I couldn’t control the rising emotions.

A place I couldn’t visit at this time. A place I visited later but could never return to.

I calmed my rising heart and slowly walked down the corridor.

A gentle melody was flowing from the spacious practice room.

“There she is.”

The practice room, too large for one person, was filled with the melody of a girl.

Chopin, Grande Valse Brilliante.

Chopin’s Grand Waltz Brilliant.

A piece commonly known as Chopin’s Waltz No. 1. As the title suggests, it is a brilliant, refreshing, and lively melody.

Clean and refreshing,

like a pleasant walk after a long wait,

an expressive performance.

“...Hyunwoo, what do you think?”

Sanggil, standing beside me, asked softly, almost whispering.

I lightly described my impressions.

“The emotional expression is excellent. But...”

Good, a performance that captures the essence of the waltz—

“...it seems a bit captivated by the emotion.”

The refreshing atmosphere is good, but from the fine details, it occasionally feels off.

Rubato (Ritardando)

Adjusting the tempo according to the performer’s discretion.

Chopin described rubato with a simple metaphor.

Not the entire tree shaking violently in the wind, but only the leaves gently swaying.

It was a good performance, but not without flaws.

That’s all I said, but...

Before I could finish my explanation, Sanggil’s eyes widened, and the performance had already stopped.

“...”

A cold gaze was directed at me.

Could she have heard...?

“Hello, teacher.”

Damn, she definitely heard.

The girl, or rather, Yuna, approached me with a fixed gaze.

Though she greeted the teacher, her eyes remained on me.

“Eh, eh. Yuna, this is Hyunwoo. This is Yuna.”

The flustered Sanggil hurriedly introduced us, but the eye contact had already begun.

Her clear eyes blinked, taking me in.

I couldn’t tell if the look in her eyes was curiosity or hostility.

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

Fortunately, there was no strong reaction. From the atmosphere, it was clear she had heard me, but she seemed to take it lightly.

“Teacher, are we starting today?”

“Yeah, Seongwoo is here too?”

Before he could answer, a person burst out of the A private practice room.

Jung Joon-woo, with a deliberately solemn expression.

Following him was a well-groomed young man.

His appearance, with his ears dripping with talent, clearly showed he was a piano prodigy, Yoo Seong-woo.

“Hello, teacher.”

I greeted Jung Joon-woo as well.

Thus, the three key figures of this project, or rather, the three children and two adults, gathered.

“Today, as I mentioned earlier, we will compare the performances of the three of you. Let’s start the lesson now.”

Amidst the strange atmosphere, the first lesson began.

* * *

‘Yuna’s performance is indeed emotional.’

Sanggil, recalling the known fact, remembered Hyunwoo’s earlier evaluation.

‘It seems a bit captivated by the emotion.’

It was accurate. Despite only a few minutes of performance, he had made a diagnosis.

And after Yuna’s performance, he could even delve deeper into her thoughts.

Hyunwoo, pointing to the score, gave concise feedback.

“Using rubato to create a refreshing feel is good, but for this part and this part, maintaining the original rhythm would have given a more stable and pleasant sound.”

Unlike Seongwoo, who gave technical criticisms like which part of which measure was wrong,

Hyunwoo not only pointed out the mistakes but also explained the reasons and their connections.

‘Ha, and he’s a kid who has never had proper training...’

Even using terms like rubato, his explanation was smooth and professional.

Before coming to the foundation, he had mentioned studying a few books on his own, but what exactly did he study?

“...Now, shall we have Seongwoo perform?”

Hyunwoo, who also objectively evaluated Seongwoo’s performance,

and when it was Hyunwoo’s turn to perform,

the two children, eager to compete, waited with bated breath.

Though he would give very harsh criticism, this competitive spirit was exactly what Sanggil and Joon-woo had hoped for.

Joon-woo asked, full of anticipation.

“So, Hyunwoo, what piece will you play?”

Hyunwoo must have practiced as well, like the two children.

Since he had announced the tasks for the day to all three children.

However, both Sanggil and Joon-woo were taken aback.

“I will play the Grande Valse Brilliante.”

The most surprised was Yuna.

Her usually indifferent expression visibly twitched.

* * *

‘It seems a bit captivated by the emotion.’

Yuna, trying to push away the words that had bothered her, muttered to herself.

Just how well do you think you can play...

Let’s see.

Seongwoo also seemed to be grinding his teeth, just like her. Though they weren’t close, she could feel that he, like her, had a strong sense of pride.

However, an unexpected situation arose.

“The Grande Valse?”

“Yes.”

...What bad luck.

Perhaps it was the same piece he had been practicing, or for some reason, it made her feel bad.

‘No, no, it might be good.’

A piece she had practiced many times and felt she knew best.

It would be easier to find flaws.

With anticipation, Yuna lifted her head, and the performance began.

♬

The prelude started with a series of rapid notes, softer and more stable than expected.

Leaves fluttering over the keys.

‘Oh...’

The subtle rubato swayed like leaves.

Ticking her ears, it gave the illusion of walking down a small path,

like a single flower of rest blooming in a monotonous daily life.

The melody soon whispered, moving to the next theme, passing through a quiet and eerie valley,

and returning to the small path.

Eventually.

When the swaying leaves finally settled on the ground.

‘...’

In the frozen atmosphere, only one girl murmured softly.

Unconsciously, she muttered to herself.

“Good...”

Startled, Yuna quickly covered her mouth.

It was too late.