The Tomb.
A woman silently gazed at the box containing the remains.
“…Dad, even after death, you’re living in such a confined space.”
Her tone was stiff, devoid of emotion. However, it also sounded like she was suppressing her feelings to the extreme. Her golden hair flowed under the dim lighting of the space.
Her name was Ham Ah-yoon.
The box was about the size of a school locker. Ham Ah-yoon stroked it with an emotionless expression as if she felt nothing.
“Pathetic.”
It had been quite a while since Ham Ah-yoon’s father passed away.
She had dreamed of playing the piano like her father and worked hard to master it. However, Ham Ah-yoon didn’t feel much attachment toward her father. He wasn’t a great pianist and was poor.
In that situation, Ham Ah-yoon was like salt – she had a striking appearance and innate talent, unlike her father. It seemed as if heaven had bestowed a miracle.
But it wasn’t the reason.
The reason Ham Ah-yoon didn’t feel much for her father wasn’t because of his poor piano skills or poverty.
It was because…
She still couldn’t understand the words he used to say.
“-Ah-yoon.
-Playing until the end isn’t everything.
-Do you think you played well just now?
-No, not at all.”
Ham Ah-yoon still couldn’t comprehend the meaning.
Why had her father never praised her, when he wasn’t nearly as skilled at the piano and had no contest titles?
The First Place award at the Liszt International Piano Competition.
It was Ham Ah-yoon’s accomplishment, and no one else’s.
It took relentless effort to achieve. She practiced as if pursued by someone from behind and always managed to succeed in the end. However, her father always criticized her.
“-Ah-yoon!
-You’re playing again like that!
-It sounds terrible to me!”
Why?
How could someone who never received recognition understand? Why didn’t he celebrate her reaching heights he never could?
Jealousy or inferiority complex. Could it have been such trivial emotions?
“Aha, dad, now I’m acting.”
Ham Ah-yoon said it briefly.
As a pianist, she had reached the pinnacle she desired and now lived as an actor, pursuing a new dream. Unlike those who achieve a peak in one field and then rest for the rest of their lives, she was different.
She was a top talent and had to shine always.
If life were a score, Ham Ah-yoon wanted to fill hers to the brim. It needed to be filled with a radiant melody until the very end to be perfect. Only then would her life become a flawless piece.
“I will be different from dad. I will live brilliantly and dazzlingly.”
Just then:
“Ah-yoon! Ah-yoon!”
Ham Ah-yoon was brought out of her reverie by the director’s urgent call.
“Yes. What is it?”
Ah-yoon was somewhat inexperienced with Korean, having lived abroad for a long time.
“Sorry. I know you’re here to see your father, but the situation is urgent! There’s something I believe I need to tell you right away!”
“Calm down and speak. Don’t panic.”
“Well…”
The director, sweating profusely, said:
“Director Ko Tae-min! You know the role of Kim So-hee in ‘Crescendo,’ right? He wants to cast someone else instead of you! The production team is wavering, and it seems like you need to deal with this right away!”
“…What?”
Ham Ah-yoon furrowed her eyebrows.
For the first time, her face, usually as serene as an artwork, showed a furrow in her brow against her cascading golden hair.
It was a sprint to get into the van.
Ham Ah-yoon spoke first.
“What’s happening here?”
“I don’t know. Could this be someone trying to lower your fee by pretending there’s competition? Is it reasonable to suddenly bring up a new talent and say the role of Kim So-hee is given away?”
It was a common practice in the industry to create artificial competition to lower fees. It was an effective tactic. If someone hears that another person wants the role they are about to take, anyone would become anxious and agree to lower pay to secure it.
But Ham Ah-yoon shook her head.
“Director Ko Tae-min isn’t someone who would do that.”
“…Then, does that mean the newcomer is so great as to replace you? That makes no sense, right?”
“Let’s go. We’ll clarify it once there.”
After speaking, Ah-yoon rested her head against the window.
In her life, Ham Ah-yoon had only one goal:
Radiance.
She would certainly live a radiant life.
“I need to shine more than others. I need to be busier.”
That’s what it meant to be the best. She didn’t want to live a meager life like her father.
That’s why participating in Director Ko Tae-min’s project was absolutely necessary. He was an acclaimed director, and the role of Kim So-hee was perfect for her piano expertise.
“-Playing until the end isn’t the most important.
-Do you really think your performance was great?”
Even now, that voice occasionally haunted her, but…
Ham Ah-yoon shook her head again.
Father, you were wrong.
I am not like you. I yearn.
◈◈◈◈◈
Sua arrived at Director Ko Tae-min’s studio.
The space was neatly decorated, befitting his reputation as a meticulous master. It was less like a studio and more like a music exhibition with various instruments placed around, and it was certainly a refined space.
“Um?”
However, Sua was soon shocked.
It was an unexpected scene.
First, the conference room was very noisy, and at a glance, the atmosphere did not seem good. A woman wearing a blue cap couldn’t hide her flushed face despite pulling it down tightly.
As the production team and Director Ko Tae-min came into view, the woman, with her cap pulled low, raised her voice loudly, standing in front of a blond woman.
“Director! The role of Kim So-hee was finalized with Ah-yoon, right?”
“Just listen to me first.”
“No, if it’s right, it’s right, and if it’s wrong, it’s wrong. Director, all you need is an answer! Didn’t we agree that Ah-yoon would take the role of Kim So-hee? This was settled long ago, right?”
Sua quickly realized.
“Is there also someone named Ah-yoon hoping for the role of Kim So-hee?”
Sua and Kim I-seo quietly observed the situation, unnoticed by those inside the conference room due to the tense situation.
However, at some point, Director Ko Tae-min noticed Sua and turned his troubled gaze.
“Ah, Sua. And President Kim.”
Director Ko sighed deeply as he approached.
President Kim I-seo immediately asked:
“Director, what’s going on?”
“It’s a failure.”
“Failure?”
“Yes. I couldn’t persuade those who wanted to cast Ham Ah-yoon as Kim So-hee. There were people supporting Sua too, but the opposition was too stubborn…”
Sua realized at this point.
“This is why movies aren’t made by just one person.”
There were clearly people from the production team who strongly opposed, so even the director couldn’t push through his decision. Ko Tae-min continued in a voice indicating he felt ashamed.
“Moreover, they had already contacted the parties involved, which is why they hurried here. The blond woman is Ms. Ham Ah-yoon, and the woman with the cap is her agency’s director.”
“Was Ms. Ham Ah-yoon ever announced as the chosen candidate for Kim So-hee?”
“Of course not.”
Ko Tae-min shook his head.
“I haven’t expressed any opinion. It’s just that a significant number of people on the production team fell for Ms. Ham Ah-yoon, and it appears her side was aware of this.”
“…I understand the situation.”
Kim I-seo nodded.
The director hadn’t given a definite answer, but it was clear that with a significant portion of the production team favoring Ham Ah-yoon, her side assumed she would be cast. This was a common occurrence in the industry.
Just then:
“Who are you talking to? Is it the new talent?”
The woman with the blue cap glared fiercely at Sua. Sua carefully examined the woman’s face, now drenched with anger.
Meanwhile, some of the production team members moved.
When Sua came back to her senses, people were standing on both her side and Ham Ah-yoon’s side. In terms of numbers, those gathered around Ham Ah-yoon were definitely more.
Sua immediately understood. Factions.
It seemed people were divided between those supporting Sua as fitting for the character Kim So-hee and those supporting Ham Ah-yoon.
“How could you even consider someone like this for Kim So-hee?”
The capped woman said with obvious disbelief.
“Do you really expect someone with a face like that to act a part like Savant syndrome? And what hidden piano skills does she even have?”
Sua didn’t bother to respond.
In fact, the misunderstanding was somewhat flattering.
Well, she certainly looked very capable on the outside. It was natural for them to think it would be difficult for someone who looked this intelligent to credibly act someone with savant syndrome. The problem was that her level was too high.
[ …? ]
As this was happening, the capped woman smirked.
“On the contrary, this is good.”
She tapped the grand piano in the center of the conference room.
“Deeds, not words. Let’s decisively choose who will be Kim So-hee right here today. It’s not difficult. If Ah-yoon plays again, the answer will be obvious.”
Ham Ah-yoon quietly nodded and took her seat.
Then the piano performance began.
Da-da-dan─
It was magnificent.
The impression most likely shared by all present was that the performance was splendid. As soon as it began, the capped woman crossed her arms as if there was no need to look further. It seemed the result was already decided.
The mouths of the production team opened wide in a moment.
But something strange happened.
“…”
Sua unconsciously knitted her brows.
Because in Ham Ah-yoon’s performance, she detected a minute flaw.
