Chapter 225

Translator: Dreamscribe

After the performance ended, Gyeo-ul and Seo-ha came out onstage and greeted the audience.

Perhaps the lingering excitement had yet to fade, because both of their faces were flushed.

That magical ensemble.

Through the connection they had shared in that moment, the two had felt with their entire beings just how deeply connected they were. To Gyeo-ul, Seo-ha was also a source of musical inspiration.

‘Maybe we're the kind of people who can only truly become complete when we have each other.’

Clap, clap, clap!

The thunderous cheers and applause erupting from the normally reserved classical music fans seemed to say everything about the atmosphere of today's performance. The two stood side by side and bowed politely to the audience.

It was the moment when the excitement inside the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall reached its peak.

Off to one side of the audience, Tae-jin and Ki-bum, graduates of the Gifted High School, watched the stage and applauded with complicated expressions.

“You kept insisting there was nothing going on.... I knew this would happen.”

Ki-bum nodded at Tae-jin's words.

“They were seriously suspicious even back then. Meanwhile, guys like us still haven't even dated once.”

“A lot of the pre-med students came today too. Why don't you try talking to someone later?”

“You do it. Go say hi first, then I'll casually join in.”

Tae-jin looked at him in disbelief.

“If I could do that, do you think I'd still have never dated anyone?”

“Right back at you.”

Looking around, they indeed spotted quite a few familiar faces.

Their Gifted High School classmates were sitting in groups of three or four. Faces connected to the two of them were scattered throughout the audience.

A sudden wave of nostalgia washed over them.

Seo-ha had been a ray of light that appeared during their high school years. It had been a cutthroat environment where brilliant students from all over the country gathered and tried to climb over one another. It was only natural. Competition had been their everyday life, and they had spent their entire lives believing that their ranking determined their worth.

In that barren classroom, Seo-ha alone had seemed like someone from another dimension.

He was more gifted than anyone, yet never hesitant to share his knowledge. Even with all the dazzling praise from the public calling him the genius of the century, no matter how closely anyone looked, there had never been the slightest trace of arrogance.

Just an endlessly kind and innocent kid.

Without Seo-ha, they could never have looked back on their high school days with such fondness.

‘Maybe it was inevitable?’

That he had become someone who shone so brightly.

“...Jealous?”

Ki-bum poked Tae-jin in the side and asked teasingly.

Tae-jin hesitated for a moment, then shook his head with a faint smile.

“No. Strangely enough, I don't feel that way at all. I think I'd be happy even if Seo-ha became more successful.”

“Same here. I'm ridiculously proud, like our youngest brother went out into the world and made something of himself. Honestly, Seo-ha's too good for her. Han Gyeo-ul's the lucky one.”

Their applause grew a little more enthusiastic.

From the memories of staying up all night studying problems Seo-ha had created during their Gifted High School days to running to the school store after soccer and sharing bread together. Every moment they had spent with him flashed through their minds like a panorama.

They had been lost in nostalgia for quite some time when voices they couldn't ignore came from beside them.

“Excuse me, what's wrong with our Gyeo-ul?”

“This is hilarious! What would STEM guys know about art? Do we need to explain just how amazing Gyeo-ul is?”

Both of their heads turned at the same time.

Two fashionably dressed music college students stood there. They were Su-yeon and Jeong-hwa, Gyeo-ul's classmates and her closest friends since high school.

Su-yeon stepped closer and added.

“Looks, talent, family background. Gyeo-ul has everything, okay? Do you seriously think there's anyone in classical music these days who doesn't know Han Gyeo-ul?”

“Exactly! She's been a legend since elementary school, you know? Just watch! Before long, Gyeo-ul will be even more famous than Yu Seo-ha.”

Ki-bum scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“No, that's not really what I meant.”

“I-I wasn't the one who said that!”

As the two women stepped closer as though demanding an explanation, a wave of floral fragrance wafted over them.

It was a kind of thrill they could never experience in their dreary research lab. Without even realizing it, the two men straightened their clothes and corrected their posture.

The curtain call went on for a long time onstage.

All four naturally turned their gazes in that direction. Tae-jin's eyes softened.

Did that guy know?

That Tae-jin was now doing at university what Seo-ha had once done. Tae-jin quietly helped students who couldn't keep up without drawing attention to it.

The old Tae-jin would have thought he alone was brilliant and basked in a sense of superiority. The year he had spent with Seo-ha had completely transformed his values.

He murmured as though speaking to himself.

“Good for him. Really.”

“I know. Gyeo-ul had been looking forward to this performance so much.”

Su-yeon responded to Tae-jin's words.

They were talking slightly past one another, but all four felt the same way.

Heartfelt congratulations and blessings.

Clap, clap, clap!

The lights came on in the hall, and the audience began rising from their seats one by one.

Murmuring voices and laughter filled the hall.

The four walked out of the hall together and crossed the lobby.

Ki-bum kept giving Tae-jin meaningful looks. Understanding what he meant, Tae-jin hesitated briefly before nodding.

“Um.... do you happen to like jeyuk?” [TL: Asking someone out for jeyuk is a well-known awkward date-invitation meme in Korea.]

“....”

It was truly the season when flowers bloomed all across the world.

***

That evening, the front pages of every portal site were plastered with similar photographs.

[Han Gyeo-ul's Homecoming Recital Was More Cinematic Than a Movie]

[Spring Comes to Classical Music, Too.]

A red dress billowing through the air.

A beautiful pianist had run down from the stage and embraced her lover in front of thousands of spectators.

In particular, three exclusive photographs captured and published by the classical music magazine ‘Monthly Performance’ received praise from netizens for looking like scenes from a movie, to the point that they flooded the top of online communities.

Everything from eyewitness stories about the two during their high school days to videos of their performance with the New York Philharmonic resurfaced, igniting a massive craze.

However, the staff at Gyeo-ul's agency couldn't hide their discomfort.

Originally, this recital was supposed to be a stage that introduced the wider world to the musical artistry of pianist Han Gyeo-ul, who had finally come into her own as a true artist.

“Why did you do that? No one's talking about the performance anymore. It was such a wonderful recital.”

Team Leader Shin Ah-young, who was in charge of Gyeo-ul's management, clutched her head as she spoke.

“Are you really okay with things staying like this?”

They had a dream.

Emotional expressiveness and performance skill capable of captivating both the public and experts, looks so striking that even most girl group members would rather not be caught in the same camera frame with her, and on top of that, the ticket-selling power proven by that day's recital.

Pianist Han Gyeo-ul's commercial value extended far beyond the limits of the classical music fandom. They had already drawn up a blueprint for the next twenty years.

“Huh? I don't mind. Besides, now we've definitely made it official.”

Apparently she liked the thought even upon reconsideration, because Gyeo-ul's face loosened into a broad grin.

Gyeo-ul could become a star. Not merely a popular pianist, but a real star. If she continued to grow like this, enormous concert revenue and countless advertising contracts were practically guaranteed.

Yet the person in question was sitting there with that expression. Ah-young pressed her fingers firmly against her temples.

“Gyeo-ul. Right now, there are ten times as many articles about your dating rumors as there are about the recital. Can't you think about the company's position just a little?”

“...I'm sorry.”

Even Gyeo-ul knew the company was investing a great deal in her.

Venue rental, procuring and tuning the instrument, lighting, sound, publicity....

The cost and effort required to put on a single performance were beyond imagination. Even a world-class performer couldn't shoulder all of it alone while building a career.

“We land sponsors on the strength of your name too. You remember that luxury brand sponsorship we barely managed to secure last month, right? Their representative already contacted us after seeing today's articles.”

“What did they say?”

“Why do you think they invest in classical performers? Prestige. Han Gyeo-ul's cool, refined image matched their brand, which was why they wanted to sponsor you. But just look at today's headlines.”

“....”

[When's the Wedding? Yu Seo-ha and Han Gyeo-ul Dating Rumors Spread Like Wildfire]

She chewed at her lip.

“We need to get this under control somehow.... Gyeo-ul, you said you've known Yu Seo-ha since you were little, right? If you have any photos together, could you show me?”

“Yes!”

Gyeo-ul smiled shyly and pulled out her phone.

“I like this one.”

The first photo had been taken at a boutique near Boston Symphony Hall.

Ah-young's eyes lit up.

‘They're both ridiculously cute!’

Seo-ha had been so uncomfortable with the clothes and makeup that he stood rigidly like a wooden plank. Gyeo-ul was smiling brightly beside him, apparently amused by his awkwardness.

The human, youthful sides of the two seemingly perfect geniuses had been captured perfectly in the photograph.

“A friend took this without me noticing and sent it to me later....”

This was also a photo from when they were younger.

The two of them, dressed in school uniforms, sat in front of a piano solving math problems. Gyeo-ul looked close to tears because the problem was apparently difficult, while Seo-ha wore a serious expression.

Ah-young suddenly grabbed Gyeo-ul's hand.

“We can release this, right?”

“What?”

“You two were so adorable together, weren't you? I think this could restore your image!”

The agency immediately changed its strategy.

Instead of trying to defend against the dating rumors, they focused on the story of two geniuses who had inspired each other and grown together over many years.

[Side by Side at the Piano in School Uniforms. Yu Seo-ha and Han Gyeo-ul's School Days Captured]

[Han Gyeo-ul “Seo-ha's Piano Skills? He Was My First Student.”]

[Yu Seo-ha “We Are Each Other's Muses. Gyeo-ul's Playing Inspired Me to Solve the Four Color Theorem.”]

[Han Gyeo-ul's Parents Testify “Our Daughter Might Have Given Up the Piano if It Weren't for Seo-ha.”]

[What Happened at This Boston Boutique That Day?]

Once the articles went out with the photographs, public opinion began to shift.

Up until then, the photographs from the recital had been seen as a scandal involving an adult man and woman. But now the public understood.

It was the coming-of-age story of two geniuses who had supported one another for years since childhood. The embrace at the recital that day had simply been the result of that journey.

└Ahh! It's too dazzling! I can't look directly at the photo.

└Yu Seo-ha is way too cute ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Come to think of it, they skipped middle school, right? Guess those two only had each other as peers their age.

└There's something almost sacred about this. My son is in middle school too, and if he had a relationship like that, I'd support it.

└What a beautiful story.... Reading the article and then looking at the recital photos actually made me tear up. I wish someone would turn this into a movie.

└The music room vibes are insane. The boutique photo is hilarious too ㅋㅋㅋ Is that wooden-plank pose for real? Even Han Gyeo-ul's mocking grin makes it perfect rom-com material.

Once the situation reversed, the companies that had been hesitant about sponsorship changed their attitudes as well.

The photograph of the embrace in the red dress, which had been at the center of the controversy, was now remembered less as a scandal and more as one scene from a beautiful coming-of-age story.

Someone stitched together photographs of the two and added an explanation beneath them. The post, titled ‘Soul Mate’, racked up an enormous number of views and spread overseas as well.

“That actually worked.”

Ah-young let out a sigh of relief as she checked the reactions on the online communities.

Results far beyond what she had expected.

A blessing in disguise, perhaps? Gyeo-ul's commercial value had actually risen even higher than before.

The public was going wild over the story of the two of them. The reaction was far more fanatical than it had been during the scandal. Ah-young thought she understood why.

“Because it's real.”

A real story ten years in the making.

Because reality was always more moving than fiction.

***

“You can be discharged now.”

“Really?”

At Professor Kwon's words, Seo-ha sprang upright from the bed.

Before he was finally approved for discharge, Seo-ha had been required to undergo numerous detailed examinations. From the country's perspective, his very existence was an irreplaceable asset. A single paper he published could potentially determine the future of an entire industry.

Professor Ezra kept his promise and maintained the secret, while Seo-ha succeeded in completely concealing his condition.

“But you absolutely must not overdo it.”

“Of course!”

Naturally, he had no intention of following that advice.

Like any other patient, Seo-ha was indulging in self-serving logic.

‘As long as I don't pass out.’

Equations were piling up inside his mind.

Wasn't there a saying, ‘All streams return to one source’? Everything he had done until now, including the proof of the Riemann Hypothesis. His 13-Step Hypothesis and the equations now visible to him were all flowing in a single direction.

‘Theory of Everything.’

If the 13-Step Hypothesis could be proven, would it be possible to replace the uncertainty of quantum mechanics with perfect order?

One thing was certain. He could see that it was possible.

Seo-ha wanted to get those equations out of his head and test them as soon as possible.

*****

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