Superstar From Age 0

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: AgRoseCrystal

Chapter 522

“I’m a fan! Jun!”

“Me too! I have a light stick!”

“Over the Rainbow is my life movie!”

The quiet practice room became noisy in an instant.

The violinists were the most passionate, and the performers who liked the movie sparkled their eyes. 

Even those who were not fans of Seo-jun Lee, but had seen or heard of his work, looked at him with curiosity.

They never imagined it.

“As I said before, Jun will join us for the final performance. Please keep it a secret until then.”

“Yes!”

The members answered cheerfully to Jason Moore’s words.

“I’ve never met an actor before.”

“Me neither. I haven’t even met a Korean actor, let alone a Hollywood actor…”

“But he’s grown a lot. He looks different from when he was in Over the Rainbow.”

“That movie came out eight years ago.”

“I recognized him right away! I like Survivors.”

“…Did you watch the Director’s Cut?”

The performers who avoided the two performers who exchanged stories with shining eyes, as if they had found a comrade, made Seo-jun smile.

Jason Moore introduced the performers one by one.

Seo-jun shook hands with the violinists, violists, cellists, oboists, flutists, and various other instrumentalists, smiling.

“Nice to meet you. Actor Seo-jun Lee.”

“You’re Korean! I’m glad to meet you too.”

Who would have thought that they would meet a superstar they couldn’t see in Korea in faraway Paris, France!

The Korean cellist trembled as he shook hands with Seo-jun. He had to take a picture later!

“Please take care of me. Violinist Seo-jun Lee.”

“Me too… Ah!”

Another Korean who was holding a violin in one hand reached out his hand with a smile, and Seo-jun opened his eyes wide. The other person was also surprised and hesitated to reach out his hand. 

The members’ eyes were focused.

He wondered if he should have said that the violinist was an actor. When he was worried, Seo-jun smiled brightly as if he was very happy.

“We met at the Over the Rainbow busking, right? The person who taught me the violin! And the person next to you is the one who lent me the violin!”

Choi Yoo-seong and Natalie, who were next to him, opened their mouths.

They thought it was their own memory… but actor Seo-jun Lee remembered it too.

“Yo, you remembered?”

“Of course! I was really touched then!”

Rather, Choi Yoo-seong and Natalie were touched now. It felt like the little boy who had grown up had met again. Seo-jun held Choi Yoo-seong and Natalie’s hands tightly and shook them.

“Let’s talk more later, okay?”

When Jason took Seo-jun away, the members who rolled their eyes grabbed Choi Yoo-seong and Natalie and asked what the story was. Choi Yoo-seong and Natalie laughed.

“This is Dmitry Vasilyev, a violinist who will play the same part as you, Jun.”

He was Jason Moore’s friend who was in charge of the first three performances out of the remaining four performances.

He thought he was a Frenchman because he was a violinist in Paris, France, but he was a Russian.

Come to think of it, he thought he had heard his name before, and Seo-jun reached out his hand. A thick hand that seemed to catch a polar bear in the snowfield grabbed Seo-jun’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Vasilyev.”

“Dmitry is fine.”

“Please call me Jun too.”

At that moment, Professor Benjamin entered the practice room. 

Seo-jun looked back with a happy expression and noticed the man next to Professor Benjamin. 

Professor Benjamin smiled and said.

“You’re here. Jun. Did you say hello?”

“Yes. Professor.”

“Then let me introduce you to Derek. He’s the conductor of our orchestra.”

…It was inevitable that Seo-jun flinched at the word conductor.

‘I haven’t met a conductor before.’

He had seen a few orchestra performances, but this was the first time he met one in person.

It would have been awkward even if they met in a good mood, but the man who introduced himself as Derek Rutz had a displeased look on his face, and it seemed like he would get PTSD.

‘Can I use my ability?’

It wouldn’t be a minus as soon as he used it, right?

If the Tree of Spirits were human, it would have grabbed the back of its neck and collapsed from high blood pressure. Seo-jun clenched his mouth for a moment as he thought so.

Hmm. He was a little tempted.

Seo-jun came to his senses and shook hands with Derek Rutz. And he used [(Good) Connection of the Orchestra Conductor]. 

He planned to use his ability while practicing and check the members, but the conductor, who was the center of the orchestra, had to be included.

‘I’m glad the conditions have changed.’

Thanks to the change from the condition of slapping to the condition of shaking hands, he could use it comfortably.

[(Good) Connection of the Orchestra Conductor is used. (1/10)]

[Connection of the Orchestra Conductor-Medium-Low-]

The musical skills of the connected beings vary depending on their affinity with the conductor, up to 3 times.

The affinity with the conductor and the affinity of the connectors are expressed in numbers.

Maximum connection: 10 (1/10)

A number appeared above Derek Rutz’s head.

[8]

Since only Seo-jun, the conductor of the ability, and Derek Rutz, the connector, were currently connected, only one number appeared.

‘It’s low.’

It’s usually 10 when you first meet.

He probably didn’t like the fact that an actor suddenly joined the orchestra. But he thought he could build up his affinity anyway, and nodded his head.

[7]

…He seemed to really distrust him.

He felt like he heard a voice screaming ‘Quick! Turn off! The ability!!’ somewhere. It was probably the obsession of the Tree of Spirits.

Seo-jun had a slight headache while feeling a bit relieved.

***

[(Good) Connection of the Orchestra Conductor is deactivated.]

Seo-jun deactivated his ability for now.

Of course, unless it was as malicious as the Spirit of the Baton, the affinity wouldn’t go down to the ground and underground.

‘It’s just…’

If the number went down again, he felt like he would be shocked and fumble.

He sighed lightly and took the violin from Jason Moore and sat in the first violin seat. Dmitry Vasilyev took his place next to him.

Jason Moore and Professor Benjamin Morton sat a little further away.

The conductor, Derek Rutz, looked around the members who were preparing with a stiffer face than usual and said.

“Then let’s play the orchestra only. Since two new people have joined us, let’s practice a simple piece first. As before, we will continue playing until a mistake occurs. Please focus.”

He said ‘mistake’ and Derek Rutz’s gaze lingered on Seo-jun for a long time. It was not just his imagination. Jason Moore noticed it too.

“…I…”

“It’s okay.”

Professor Benjamin, who stopped Jason from cursing, saw the conductor, Derek Rutz (not Jason’s friend), and his student (?) Jun’s eyes meet and smiled brightly. Sometimes, a performance was more convincing than words.

Seo-jun also noticed Derek Rutz’s gaze, but he shrugged it off and opened the first page of the score. If he was not good enough, he just had to show his skills.

The practice piece was Mozart’s Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Variations.

It was a familiar piece, but it could be more difficult because of that.

A strange tension filled the practice room.

It was the first practice with Dmitry Vasilyev and Seo-jun Lee.

After a brief silence.

Derek Rutz started to swing his long baton lightly. The instruments followed and made their own sounds. A simple melody that seemed to call for a twinkling star was followed by a splendid variation.

The melody that filled the practice room was beautiful.

Professor Benjamin and Jason Moore smiled. There was nothing to criticize even for Derek Rutz, who had a picky ear. It was a quality that could be put on stage right away.

It was strange.

There was a new performer who joined them today.

The existing members had practiced for months, matching their sounds and beats, so he understood that they were good. Dmitry Vasilyev was also a former orchestra member and had excellent skills, so he understood that too.

‘But that actor isn’t…’

The eyes of the members and the conductor turned to Seo-jun Lee, who was sitting in the first violin seat. As the performance continued, their eyes became more intense.

Seo-jun Lee, whose main job was an actor, turned the score while playing the violin, and did not lose his concentration even when he moved on to the next practice piece after finishing the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Variations. He moved his bow according to the conductor’s baton and did not stand out.

Yes.

He did not stand out at all.

It seemed like six violins were playing as one instrument, and the melody that came out was one. 

If he only listened to the sound, it seemed like one violin was playing. 

He couldn’t believe that one of those sounds was the performance of an actor who was playing with them for the first time.

The breathtaking ensemble continued in astonishment and surprise.

It was the first practice, and he thought Seo-jun Lee would make a mistake first, and it would end soon, so he relaxed a little, but the members tensed up. 

Derek Rutz, who had the same thought, clenched his baton as the performance continued without a mistake.

Jason Moore snickered.

He knew the feelings of the performers who didn’t want to lose to an actor, but Seo-jun, who held the violin, was not an actor, but a violinist. And a very good one!

Dmitry’s eyes glanced at Seo-jun. Seo-jun noticed his gaze and even showed him a leisurely smile. 

He seemed to understand why Jason wanted to play with him.

On the podium, Derek Rutz realized his mistake. 

The violin performance that came without a single flaw was, undoubtedly, ‘the violin of the orchestra’. And if his eyes and ears were not wrong, the performer was Seo-jun Lee.

Derek Rutz wanted to bite his tongue as he recalled his attitude earlier.

As their thoughts came and went, Seo-jun was still focused on playing and creating a beautiful melody. He looked really happy with his sparkling eyes.

What a waste.

Professor Benjamin and Jason Moore thought at the same time.

-!

Then, a mistake occurred.

It was the violin.

However, it was not Seo-jun Lee.

Derek Rutz stopped moving his baton. The members also put down their instruments one by one. Only the sound of exhaling and inhaling the breath that was stuck in the silence was heard. They were exhausted as if they had performed on stage, even though they had only practiced.

“Anyone want some water?”

Seo-jun, who had fun playing with 40 people and various instruments, was the only one who was full of energy.

***

Lunchtime after practice.

The members who used a lot of energy today because they were focused went outside to eat, grumbling.

Seo-jun was waiting for Jason and Professor Benjamin, who went out for a while to discuss the concert, while talking with Dmitry, who was a fan of [Over the Rainbow].

Then, Derek Rutz, who he thought had left earlier, approached Seo-jun.

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

“Huh?”

‘All of a sudden?’

Seo-jun blinked his eyes at Derek Rutz’s apology.