Ch. 167 - Side Story

When the outing was over and Evan returned to the palace, there wasn’t much for him to do.

Occasionally, he would watch Arthur train, chat with Lobelia, or lie beside Irene and drift off to sleep. That was all.

Now that everything was on track, there wasn’t much Evan needed to personally handle anymore.

It was a lazy afternoon. Autumn was in full swing.

Under unusually warm weather, Evan sat idly on the grass, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

He watched Arthur swinging his sword in the distance, then he leaned his head against the tree behind him and closed his eyes tightly.

It was an oddly tiring day. He had gone about his usual routine, with nothing out of the ordinary. So… why did he feel so exhausted?

Giving up on watching Arthur, Evan sighed deeply, clearing his thoughts.

A short nap wouldn’t hurt, would it? Beneath the cool breeze and warm sunlight, he surrendered himself to the drowsiness creeping in.

#

Beep.

With a familiar motion, I fiddled with his phone.

The alarm, set to go off every 10 minutes to avoid oversleeping. He was grateful that he had woken up on the first ring.

It was still dawn, the sun yet to rise. His vacant gaze at the window shifted to his fidgeting hands.

“… something feels off.”

A question arose in his mind — why was he lying in bed?

It was clear that he had gone to sleep in a bed, but something about it felt unsettling.

The reflection in the mirror was a mess. Disheveled hair and tired eyes.

Hadn’t his professor summoned him today, saying there were things to discuss?

“Brother! Come out and eat!”

As he absentmindedly touched his black hair, a voice called out, and he nodded slightly before getting up.

The room was small. Yet, it wasn’t cluttered; in fact, it was surprisingly tidy, which struck him as odd.

After all, was there even anyone who would call him <brother>? There were many puzzling things, yet somehow, he was accepting them naturally.

When he opened the door and stepped out, he saw a young woman. To be exact, it was his younger sister, Soojin.

She was wearing an apron and stirring a pot of stew. He stared blankly at her before furrowing his brow and asking,

“You’re not dead?”

It was a strange question, even to him. Why would he ask something like that to someone alive?

It was so absurd that he scratched his head awkwardly, dodging the spoon she threw at him.

“What are you saying this early in the morning? Why are you suddenly killing off a perfectly healthy person?”

“… I don’t know. I thought you were dead.”

“If you, brother, hadn’t taken care of me, I would’ve been. Now come and eat. Don’t you have something important today?”

Her words reminded him of a professor he was close to.

A renowned figure in the music world and a globally acclaimed maestro.

Thinking of Chris’ stern face, he squinted.

Now that he thought about it, hadn’t the professor mentioned introducing him to someone today? He ought to get ready a bit earlier.

“He said he’d introduce me to someone.”

“To a woman? Isn’t it about time you got a girlfriend, brother?”

“What are you talking about? I’m married and have kids—wait, what am I saying?”

“… that’s strange. Did you dream about something?”

At the word <dream>, his shoulders flinched briefly, but he shook his head and placed a spoon in his stew.

He couldn’t understand why he was acting this way.

He had never been married or had a child… so what was this strange emotion welling up inside him?

Even looking into his sister’s eyes made his own feel oddly prickly. It was strange.

It was the face he saw every day. She had fully recovered now, perfectly fine.

Yet, every time he looked at her, his heart clenched, and he lowered his head, quietly eating his meal.

In fact, his mind was so muddled that he wasn’t even sure if the food was entering his mouth.

“So, you’ll be back late today? I’ll just order some chicken for dinner.”

“Don’t eat stuff like that all the time. Try eating something healthier.”

“Even if we’re rich now, I still like simple, homely food.”

Even if her brother was a world-class pianist, the sister figured it was okay to keep her preferences modest.

Clearing the empty bowls, Soojin glanced at her brother’s face and chuckled softly.

His face looked particularly absent-minded today, but then again, he sometimes wore that expression.

She owed her life to her brother. It was something she could never forget.

She was able to receive treatment before it was too late, and that was probably why she could be completely cured.

Soojin’s gaze turned to the large trophy hanging in the center of the room.

The sculpture, shimmering brilliantly as if capturing light, stood alone, noble and dignified.

And the name engraved at its center—always the source of her pride—belonged to her older brother.

[Winner of the Chopin International Piano Competition]

#

“Why are you taking so long? I didn’t expect you to be so talented at keeping people waiting.”

“Sorry, Professor. I’ll be there shortly.”

“I understand you’re tired from preparing for various performances, but haven’t I emphasized several times how important today’s meeting is? You’re dressed appropriately, I assume?”

“Of course. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Hanging up the phone, he checked his attire. While driving as usual, he glanced at his reflection in the window — impeccable as always.

After all, wasn’t he more famous for his looks than his piano skills?

It wasn’t something he actively sought, but he couldn’t deny the overwhelming popularity that came with it.

Just today, he spent 30 minutes clearing love letters left on his car.

Since winning the competition, he had taken some time off—not just to look after his younger sister, but also because he had lost interest in music for a while.

Now, he wanted to return to music. And, as his sister suggested… meet new people.

A girlfriend? He wasn’t particularly interested. To begin with, he doubted there was anyone who he could get along with.

Someday, maybe. For now, he lived each day with that thought in mind.

He didn’t believe in fateful encounters. Recently, he came to realize how rarely life followed one’s expectations.

If such a connection existed for him, wouldn’t it have appeared by now?

Someone who, at first sight, would leave him speechless, mouth agape—like the expression <love at first sight>.

He had met countless people, but never had he felt such an emotion.

‘… I’m not a robot or anything.’

Perhaps that was why he was mildly intrigued about today’s meeting with the professor.

He didn’t know if the person he was being introduced to was male or female, but he hoped it would at least be an enjoyable encounter.

Screech—

The car came to a halt. Stepping out, he felt the gaze of numerous people turning toward him.

Some blushed, while others trembled nervously, hurrying off in different directions.

At first, such attention had been overwhelming. But now, he was used to it, walking naturally toward the entrance.

“Whoa, no way. Is that Lee Soohyun? What’s he doing here?”

“I heard he’s close to our professor. Apparently, they’re teacher and student.”

His overwhelming fame acted as an invisible shield, keeping people at bay.

Pushing through the crowd of hesitant students, he reached a familiar door.

Opening it, he stepped in to find the white-haired professor glaring at him.

“Five minutes and twenty-one seconds late.”

“This time, you’re not timing me with a metronome? Not telling me how many beats I’m off? You’ve mellowed.”

“Someday, I’ll sew that clever mouth of yours shut. Unfortunately, I can’t do that today because we have a guest.”

Soohyun smiled faintly, noticing how the professor’s face frowned as if he didn’t like his expression.

His wrinkled face distorted.

But what guest could make this temperamental man hold back his anger?

As he tilted his head in curiosity, Chris spoke slowly.

“As you know, I’m a conductor. What skills are essential for a conductor?”

“Well… I’m not sure what answer you’re looking for, but a conductor must master every instrument. Only then can they coordinate the performance.”

“Poprawny (Bingo). You’re aware that I taught you everything you know about piano, correct?”

“… wasn’t it all due to my talent? You said there was nothing to fix when you first saw me.”

Soohyun shrugged, dodging the baton that flew at his head. Chris sighed deeply, wiping the sweat from his furrowed brow.

When they first met, Soo-hyun’s pale face had been far from manly. Now, he was so cheeky.

Recalling the guest he had brought today, Chris felt a twinge of unease, but he had invited them, so an introduction was in order.

“You’ve seemed disinterested in music lately, so I brought someone—a violinist I’m quite close with. I believe you’ve heard of her. She recently won a major competition.”

“A violinist? Surely not a woman?”

“Hmm. Would you prefer it to be a man? If so, you might want to leave my office immediately.”

“Of course not. I was just caught off guard.”

He had assumed it would be a man. But a woman? Startled, he glanced at the slightly ajar door.

Through the gap, a woman peeked in, leaving him momentarily stunned.

Her long, silver hair cascaded elegantly, and her blue eyes sparkled as they met his.

Dressed in a dark-colored gown, she seemed to radiate sound in this silence, commanding attention without effort.

Even in this warm room, she exuded a uniquely cool aura.

An impression neither alien nor awkward but harmoniously fitting, like a masterpiece by an Impressionist painter.

“This is the violinist I brought. So, what do you think?”

“… uh, well… I…”

As he mumbled incoherently, the woman smiled and extended her hand.

Greeting him warmly, she introduced herself in a soft voice.

Though she seemed German or Italian, her nationality was surprisingly American.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Irene Yurice. Have you heard of me?”

The name <Irene Yurice> struck a strange chord within him once again.