Ch. 168 - Side Story

When the name Irene Yurice was mentioned, a sharp jolt pierced through his mind, causing him to frown.

It was a face he had never seen before. He had never spoken to her, nor had they crossed paths at any competition.

So why did he feel this strange sense of familiarity? As he pondered, Irene smiled faintly while looking at him.

“Hmm, I didn’t expect you wouldn’t remember me. Haven’t we met before? In Warsaw?”

“… ah, Chopin?”

“I’m a violinist, so I didn’t get to see you up close. But I watched you from afar. I enjoyed your performance. But… you don’t seem to be very interested in violins, are you?”

Her question left him responding awkwardly.

Back then, he had just learned about his younger sister’s illness, so there was no time to leisurely watch other performances.

But Irene didn’t seem to mind. Her expression remained unchanged as she continued to look in his direction.

Her gaze swept him from head to toe before she turned to Chris and quietly moved her lips.

“Could I talk to him alone for a bit? Would that be okay?”

“Talk? Uh.. .sure, I don’t mind.”

At the mention of leaving them alone, he glanced at Chris, who nodded at Irene’s words and walked out.

He wanted to stop him, but annoyingly, his steps were quicker than he expected.

And so, with Chris gone, leaving just the two of them, Soohyun cleared his throat lightly.

What on earth… were they supposed to talk about?

The only thing he could do was study the appearance of this violinist, who introduced herself as Irene, whom he was meeting for the first time.

Her hair was white, almost silver, and her eyes were blue.

Even for a foreigner, her appearance was somewhat unusual, though it didn’t seem like she dyed her hair.

She was likely born with that hair color.

Her hands were slender, but the calluses on her fingers spoke of countless hours of effort.

To be honest, she was beautiful—so beautiful that he thought he had never seen anyone like her in his life.

In his short life, she was remarkable, the kind of person who left an impression.

Was he drawn to her? Or was it mere curiosity?

Lost in such thoughts, he found himself staring blankly at her face when she narrowed her eyes and murmured softly.

“… is there something on my face?”

“Ah, no. I was just trying to remember your face a bit.”

“If you’re interested, it’s better to just admit it. I don’t really like people who aren’t honest.”

“To be honest, I’m not particularly interested yet. After all, I just learned your name moments ago, didn’t I?”

At Soohyun’s indifferent response, Irene pouted slightly, staring at him quietly.

She thought they had crossed paths often in competitions, but was it just her imagination?

Feeling oddly disappointed, Irene sat down and shot him a cold glance as he stared at her blankly.

Though, realistically, there was no reason to feel that way. This was the first time they were even meeting face-to-face.

Still, for some reason… when their eyes met, his cheeks grew hot. He brushed his cheek and sighed softly.

“This is frustrating. Are you just going to sit there like that? You don’t seem like someone who’s never spoken to a girl before.”

“Well, I’m sorry to say this, but I’ve never dated anyone.”

“… oh, really?”

With that face? she asked, pointing a finger at him, but he only gave an awkward smile and nodded.

What could he do? His parents had always pushed him to focus on the piano, and he had to take care of his younger sister too.

If he had managed to date under those circumstances, he would’ve had to be superhuman.

“So, this is your first time alone with a girl?”

“Well… if it’s not for a lesson, then yes.”

At those words, Irene’s mouth opened slightly.

She hadn’t expected him to be so unfamiliar with women. Then again, she herself had never dated anyone.

She had never liked anyone before either, so speaking like this felt a bit awkward.

Maybe it was because she was finally meeting in person someone she had only admired from afar.

After all, she was essentially a fan of pianist Lee Soohyun.

Perhaps it was that fan spirit that had given her the courage to start this conversation.

‘… courage?’

Usually, when a fan met a star, he would freeze on the spot. But strangely enough, their conversation was flowing naturally.

Perhaps it was because she felt at ease with him, or maybe it was because he had piqued her interest just a little. She couldn’t quite tell.

As Soohyun stood quietly, Irene studied him for a moment before rolling her eyes playfully and speaking again.

“Do you have any dinner plans?”

“No, I don’t. But why do you ask so suddenly…?”

“Let’s have a meal together. Actually, I’m a fan of Mr. Lee.”

Irene had a sudden thought — she wanted to talk to him a little more.

#

“This is a bit unexpected.”

“In what way?”

“It might sound rude, but you seemed like someone with a rather cold personality. The kind of person… who’s hard to approach.”

“That’s fair. I used to be like that.”

At his response, Irene smiled faintly. She had been that way when she was younger, but her personality had changed over time after meeting various friends.

What would her best friend Lovena say if she saw this man?

The thought crossed her mind briefly, but Irene dismissed it and quietly observed Soohyun.

Soohyun had helped her once before, although he didn’t seem to remember it.

It was a conversation she had with him that inspired her to start playing the violin.

It was a bit disappointing that he didn’t remember, but Irene was simply grateful to meet him again.

Her request to Maestro Chris to arrange this meeting had been driven by curiosity—wondering if Soohyun might recall that moment.

“It’s lamb rib steak. Do you like meat?”

“I don’t have any foods I can’t eat. I just don’t eat much in general.”

“This is a restaurant I visit often when I come to Korea. Isn’t it funny how an American likes European-style restaurants? I guess it feels a bit fancier than barbecue.”

To be honest, Soohyun found it a little hard to have a natural conversation with Irene.

They had only just met today, and having dinner together already felt awkward.

What about him that had piqued her interest? If it were his looks, he might understand, though.

For Irene, her interest in Soohyun stemmed from memories of a past competition.

“Do you remember the competition held in Brussels? What was the piece you played to win back then?”

“It was Chopin’s piece. Piano Concerto No. 1.”

“I really enjoyed it. Do you remember what you said back then?”

“… I don’t remember the interviews. I don’t think there was any controversy, though.”

She had expected this, so she wasn’t too disappointed. Still, it was a bit disheartening.

Whenever she thought of that time, her heart still fluttered. But for him to not remember.

Irene continued asking questions about Soohyun—his interests, his favorite musicians.

When he shook his head at the question of whether he was close to any violinists, Irene found herself chuckling softly without realizing it.

For some reason, she felt relieved by that.

The elegant restaurant, with its European ambiance and soft piano sonatas, was somewhat unfamiliar to Soohyun.

Though he had money, most of it had gone to his parents, and he had only recently started saving after moving out with his younger sister.

He had only visited such places on rare occasions when meeting famous people, so dining at such a place in Korea felt novel.

“I have a question.”

“What is it? If it’s about me, feel free to ask.”

“Well… are you interested in me by any chance?”

After much hesitation, Soohyun finally asked, but Irene only tilted her head with an awkward smile.

“Pardon?”

In the silence that followed, Soohyun cleared his throat softly.

It seemed he had misunderstood. Just because she was asking questions about him didn’t mean she was interested in that way.

Maybe she was simply curious. Feeling embarrassed, Soohyun rubbed his face and shrugged.

“Can we pretend I didn’t ask that?”

“Nope.”

“Then let’s say I never said it. You… must’ve imagined it.”

“Oh my, did I? I was only asking out of pure admiration as a fan.”

It truly felt strange. Despite this being their first meeting, the conversation flowed as if they had known each other for ages.

There was no nervousness, and the atmosphere was surprisingly comfortable.

Soohyun quickly looked away from Irene, focusing his gaze on something else.

And then he saw it.

A grand piano sitting in the center of the restaurant.

Perhaps a musician occasionally played there.

Thinking it might lighten the awkwardness, Soohyun excused himself and walked over to the piano before anyone could stop him.

As he picked up a fallen napkin and placed it back on the table, his eyes caught the restaurant’s name printed on it.

“… Siren, huh.”

He wasn’t planning to mesmerize anyone with his playing, but the thought amused him, nonetheless.