God of Piano

“······Well, it might be a bit off-putting already, but honestly, there’s nothing strange about winning, right? No, as long as we don’t make a fatal mistake, aren’t we guaranteed to win the championship?”

Heather could have said that. To be honest, the skills that the California Conservatory has shown so far have been overwhelming compared to other students. Compared to the other three, Eric was only a little lacking, but he wasn’t a hole enough to be pushed by the other students.

“If we win, will our future be different?”

“You don’t know yet, Eric?”

Heather said as if asking for something obvious.

“Already changed, our lives.”

“······ah.”

Hundreds or tens of millions of people already know them. Even if you become the most famous pianist in the United States, you won’t gain that much publicity. In that respect, apart from their skills, they got the ability pianists most need in one hand.

So Eric couldn’t help but think again.

‘······What will be the future of Rowoon?’

I know now. Rowoon was a pianist who would have made it big someday if it wasn’t for this broadcast. His talent was so great that even the word “gift from God” felt insufficient. It seemed that any performer’s song would reveal its true face to the world when it touched his hand.

This expression is a little strange, but I often think of it when I hear Rowoon play.

His playing is just like the answer.

In a world of music where there is no fixed answer, Rowoon’s performance alone had the same feeling as the correct answer.

So, regardless of his skills, it seemed that Rowoon would reach the top someday. It’s not a vague feeling. Rather, it felt like common sense. If you are a person who plays like that, there is no choice but to be loved by the world.

However, Rowoon has now gained recognition.

‘I grabbed everything.’

Eric laughed mischievously. Why is God’s blessing always so unfair? Why is that Asian pianist able to receive his favoritism so much? I couldn’t help but feel empty.

The interesting thing here was that among the things Rowoon was holding, there were things Eric couldn’t even imagine.

practice room. Looking down at the Walkman in his hand, Rowoon swallowed.

[You have scored 60 points for the first movement of Moonlight. ]

[The performance log for Beethoven’s Moonlight 1st movement is unlocked. ]

[ Do you want to play the performance log? ]

This time, as the playing level rose, there was one function that the Walkman unlocked. It would be more accurate to describe it as strengthening rather than expressing it as Haegeum.

[ Reach playing level 8 and fulfill the conditions to unlock the hidden function of the playing log. ]

[ Now you can fully recall the composer’s playing memory. ]

What does that mean?

At least now its meaning was clear.

‘······I can become Beethoven and play.’

You can make Beethoven’s performance completely his.

＜Moonlight (7)＞ End

＜ Moonlight (8) ＞

Beethoven.

Perhaps, along with Mozart, it was the first name Rowoon had engraved on his head.

Could be Beethoven. Not just a human Beethoven, but a pianist Beethoven. He can accept all the senses, thoughts, and memories of the moment he was playing.

Thinking so, Rowoon’s heart was already pounding.

[It’s an undeserved gift. ]

Beethoven grumbled.

[ Do you know what it means to be Beethoven? ]

“What do you mean?”

[ It means that it can be the music itself. ]

If the average person said something like this, they would just be unlucky and end it.

But Beethoven had the right to say this. Beethoven and no one else. Beethoven, who can never be left out when talking about music.

His words that he was music soon were mad, but they were not lies.

“I am always indebted.”

So Rowoon was able to comfortably accept Beethoven’s madness.

Be the Beethoven and play the piano. Become Beethoven and deal with music.

How do you feel? Of course, through Beethoven’s composition diary, Rowoon was able to look into his musical depth to some extent. However, Beethoven was a composer and a performer at the same time, and his musicality was bound to shine the brightest when he played. Especially for Rowoon, the performer.

What was the feeling of Beethoven’s stage? Will it be full of ladies and gentlemen in suits and dresses? How does the structure of the hall resonate with his sound?

Those thoughts constantly tickled Rowoon. In a way, the stage where Beethoven sits may be the stage Rowoon has dreamed of all his life. Although Rowoon is not standing there, Rowoon is now able to understand what it feels like to stand on stage as a complete musician.

“Can I play it? journal?”

So Rowoon’s voice asking that question was full of pure curiosity and desire. To the extent that even Beethoven laughed at the moment.

[ Huh, yes. ]

If Beethoven had a body, he might have stroked Rowoon’s head.

[Feel it. What song is Moonlight? ]

who i am

Rowoon’s actions were quick. As soon as permission was granted, Rowoon manipulated the Walkman to play the journal. The world slowly began to go dark, and another world greeted him.

And Rowoon couldn’t help but question for a moment.

‘uh?’

In Beethoven’s eyes, the first thing Rowoon saw was a letter. A very old letter with discolored and blurred letters.

The content was simple. It was a letter announcing Julieta’s marriage. The letter was torn here and there as if it had been crumpled by Beethoven’s hand several times, but Beethoven still couldn’t throw away the letter.

Beethoven’s emotions began to fill his heart like Rowoon’s.

The heart of a man who always fails in love, of a man who thought he was abandoned by music.

‘It’s heavy.’

I feel like I’m going to suffocate. It’s to the point where I’m tired of seeing how heavy human emotions can be.

But I had to deal with it. To handle Beethoven’s music, it was inevitable that he had to deal with his life as well.

Beethoven’s gaze looks around. He was still at his villa in Heiligenstadt. The size is not small, but the condition is poor. The wooden pillars were full of scratches here and there, and the furniture was arranged haphazardly, as if showing Beethoven’s confused mind as it was.

Even so, the piano is so clean and well maintained.

As if it indicated that the piano was the last thing left in his mangled life.

So, Rowoon had no choice but to realize. Why is Beethoven’s performance journal set in this place rather than a fancy stage?

“······okay. It should be.”

Beethoven muttered quietly. Rowoon could hear his heart, but even so, he couldn’t quite understand what Beethoven was talking about. There was so much anguish in his heart that maybe even Beethoven himself didn’t know what it was.

Beethoven sat down at the piano. And at that moment, Rowoon felt something strange. It feels like the world is moving away and only he and the piano are left. It is as if the surrounding landscape disappears and all muscles, skin, and even the tips of the hair become aware of only the surrounding sounds.

Beethoven’s world.

‘ah.’

Rowoon let out a groan. The performance hasn’t even started yet, but it seems that the piano is already talking about something. It seems that the piano that Beethoven is just staring at right now is more alive and breathing than the piano that Rowoon was faithful to playing for a long time.

Why and what makes such a difference?

My throat is dry. An unbearable thirst tormented him. Come on, come on, play. Show me, Beethoven. Your playing, your piano.

And, Beethoven did not leave Rowoon thirsty.

Beethoven’s fingers move. The feet also move. Beethoven said so. When you play this song, you must use pedaling to express that delicate sound.

The soft light, like the moonlight, must be expressed through the piano.

And to do so, all of Beethoven’s nerves hit countless signals into Beethoven’s brain without dying.

That’s how the moonlight plays.

‘ah······.’

When the keys were pressed, just by hearing the sound at that moment, and feeling the sound as it traveled through the keys and touched his fingers, Rowoon realized. Even this momentary sound, Beethoven’s sound overwhelms the sound Rowoon has accumulated over a lifetime.

It was a strange play. Beethoven’s ears are hard to hear. Still, more than ears sensed his music. Should I describe it as a soul? Or a sense? thought? I do not know. Beethoven couldn’t even explain how he felt his playing.

But nonetheless, when his fingers moved, Beethoven knew how his playing would sound now.

Even so, you can’t be happy with it. Rather, it was more of a miserable consolation. I wasn’t even sure. It was for that reason that I was immersed in playing without an audience. If this performance he thought was okay, if someone reacted with a shudder… Beethoven would not have the confidence to endure it.

You have to play nonetheless. All he has left is to play. there is only music Julieta is gone. And many women will leave him, as they will in the future. Not many fathers send their daughters to poor musicians who are deaf.

He will grow more eccentric by the day, and people will not understand him. I will point fingers, pity, sympathize.

Nevertheless, if he has a reason to live this damn life,

The reason is clearly contained in this performance.

‘Beethoven······!’

So, at that moment, apart from Beethoven’s playing, Rowoon was overwhelmed by him. He realizes that talent is not always a blessing, and that it may be a heavier karma than anything else.

If I hadn’t had the talent,

If you couldn’t feel this music,

So if, like so many others, I could accept living a less-than-excellent life,

If that were the case, Beethoven would have been a little happier.

In misfortune, Beethoven sings the moonlight. But that doesn’t mean he’s playing miserably. No, on the contrary, Moonlight calmly accepts all the pain and expresses his heart, sense of responsibility, and determination not to collapse in spite of this.

If it had been Rowoon, would he have been able to do it with Beethoven?

If his ears were failing, would Rowoon still try to do music?