God of Piano

‘If it’s not just playing, but even telling me to cure that insomnia with playing… I think it’s actually a more difficult homework than a puppy waltz.’

‘I’d rather play in front of a few people. It would be more comfortable with this kind of homework. Then I can do street performances or whatever.’

If you’re happy that way, you’ve been thinking about being happy.

However, the homework given to him by the Goldberg Variations was unexpected in many ways.

[Send three nights with open eyes. ]

It was an absurd homework, but Rowoon accepted it. Not only was there no choice in the first place, but the reward was too good to get after staying up all night for four days. Even if it was not four days, but a week, it was a case of staying up all night.

However, that thought had to change as soon as I stayed up the first night.

‘······ I will die.’

Worried that Walkman might think he was asleep, Rowoon couldn’t even close his eyes for more than a minute while the soma was pouring. No, regardless of Walkman’s judgment, if I closed my eyes like that, I might really fall asleep.

Being sensitive is like a double-edged sword in many ways. My body reads all kinds of stimuli applied to me more delicately than ever before, but my mind can’t properly hear the voice of the body.

Needless to say, taking classes was hard work. To be precise, rather than taking classes, the biggest problem was not falling asleep during those boring classes. As I pinched my thighs so much, at some point, I started not feeling the pain properly, and it went without saying that I couldn’t practice properly.

[You’re very wise to think of giving me a performance that you haven’t woken up from. I wasn’t just deaf. A piece of sh*t. ]

No wonder Beethoven was so sarcastic. So Rowoon decided to temporarily stop recording his performance and seeking feedback from the Walkman. I was embarrassed. I wondered if there was any meaning to playing in this state when playing with sober mind would not be enough.

For now, I had to focus on holding on for four days. It was only natural that Rowoon always had coffee in his hands. My heart raced because of the overdose of caffeine, but thanks to that, I was able to avoid the misfortune of falling asleep.

“······what. you. what’s the matter?”

And it was Sunday after staying up two nights like that. Looking at Rowoon who came out for the accompaniment, Mila made a sad face. Rowoon was a character that could not be said to be okay even with empty words. Her dark circles were as low as a finger, and her face looked messy due to skin problems.

In addition, compared to the usual performance, the exquisite sense of beat was definitely blurred. Of course, even so, it wasn’t to the extent of ruining the mass, but Mila still had to worry about Rowoon.

“It’s because I can’t sleep.”

“You said you couldn’t sleep? Did you practice all night long? You know very well that managing your condition is the most important time right now. It doesn’t matter how many more hours you practice.”

“know. What do you mean? And it’s not like I was up all night practicing.”

“Then what is it? It’s not like you went to a party because of your personality.”

“I had to stay up all night.”

I had to stay up all night, so I stayed up all night. Those words, which sounded philosophical at first glance, left only a question mark for Mila.

“I don’t know what the hell you are talking about. Are you really okay?”

“are you okay. anyway are you okay Your throat seems to be in a bad mood lately.”

“If you hear my voice now, you won’t know.”

The neck, which had been quite rested for a while, seemed to be pretty well now. Her characteristic beauty had returned. Rowoon nodded his head in relief.

“I’m glad you’re well. I was worried that it might affect the entrance exam.”

“Thank you for that.”

When she said she was worried, Mila paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded. It was a smile that seemed to contain a lot of things somewhere, but Rowoon didn’t care. To be concerned with such trivial things, his head felt as if it would turn off any moment.

Rowoon desperately raised his voice.

“Thank you, help me. I need something to do. Even though I don’t really need concentration… Something that keeps me awake without sleeping. Is there anything like that?”

“I know you’re a weirdo, but… is that question particularly strange?”

“Weird things don’t matter. Aren’t you going to do something?”

“I think it would be better to just sleep. Just looking at you, you’re not normal.”

“You can’t sleep.”

“……Didn’t you do something?”

At this point, Mila looked at Rowoon’s complexion as if she was a bit suspicious. Judging from the fact that the pupils weren’t particularly dilated, I didn’t think it was drugs, but I didn’t know just in case. Rowoon sighed.

“It’s not like that, so don’t think about it. When did you see me interested in such a thing?”

“Well, you wouldn’t be like that, but… well, okay. You want to stay awake. Then, can I tell you something that will brighten your mind?”

“What?”

“I met Chris a while ago.”

“······Well, it’s a small school, so we should be able to meet anytime.”

“We even had a conversation.”

“her······.”

It definitely worked. It felt like my sleepy mind was waking up for a moment. Rowoon shook his head as if he couldn’t stop it.

“How long have you been?”

“Ten days.”

“Somehow, he’s been in a weird mood lately.”

Chris was armed with the mindset of not stopping girls coming and not catching girls leaving, but if there was one opponent Chris wasn’t cool with, it was Mila.

When Mila said they were breaking up, Chris had been visiting Mila for days, trying to distract her. I said I was wrong, and I got angry. But in the end, Mila’s attitude didn’t change… maybe it was because he regretted the incident at the time that Chris was so unrepentant with a woman now.

“Why did you break up with Chris then? You guys seemed to be getting along well.”

As far as Rowoon knew, Chris hadn’t made any mistakes. Mila thought for a moment, then shrugged.

“just.”

“…is that the reason?”

“Not a reason. lets think. If it’s someone you can just break up with, isn’t it right to break up? It’s not that much of a heart and a relationship.”

It was a logic that I couldn’t understand, but there was no strangely wrong corner. Rowoon sighed.

“I don’t know. I want to understand your thoughts, but when I think of Chris, I don’t really want to understand.”

“If I’m going to meet someone, I want to meet someone I can’t part with and never want to part with. I don’t want to hear that you’re right. I just want to, and I will.”

“Well, whatever you think, it’s up to you. What can I say?”

Even if we continued, I thought it was a conversation that would not be good for each other. Fortunately, Mila understood Rowoon’s reluctance to discuss this topic. As hot as the conversation was, the silence that followed was even cooler. Feeling the chill befitting December, they took their own steps home.

After returning home, Rowoon sat down and thought. Moment by moment, Mila’s attitude of trying to do her best with all the emotions and feelings I had could not help but feel strange to Rowoon in many ways.

For him, the present has always been a springboard for a better future. That’s why I was able to live without complaints about the life I spend practicing just like that.

However, seeing Mila faithful to reality like that, honestly, I couldn’t help but feel complicated in many ways. It was like that even now. Rowoon pondered the differences between Mila and him. I decided what was better. I fell into a swamp of thoughts,

After that, I fell into the water.

“…”

I closed my eyes for a moment and thought. However, the moment he faced the sunlight coming through the bars, Rowoon’s whole body got goosebumps. He jumped up and turned his head as if denying reality. Then I looked out the window, took out my phone and checked my watch. And despaired.

“Oh, f*ck…”

fell asleep

In an instant, all that I had endured through all sorts of hardships for the past four days was gone. The thought of having to go through all that hardship again made me feel like my heart was breaking down. But there were no other options. have to repeat

For now, Rowoon slept soundly. If I had to stay up all night again for four days anyway, I had to get enough sleep this time to replenish my stamina.

And when he started staying up all night again, Rowoon’s attitude subtly changed from before.

‘Why does Bach give me this kind of homework?’

The homework on the performance log may seem ridiculous at first glance, but it has always been closely related to the origin of the song. It was obvious that the reason why the puppy waltz performance log homework was ‘parting with a loved one’ was because we needed to understand the relationship between Chopin and Sande more clearly, and that the performance log homework for Prelude No. 4 was about going on a date with a lover by the sea. It was for the same reason.

Then, what is the reason why the homework assignment for the Goldberg Variations was ‘not to sleep’?

Rowoon was troubled. Even if I got my own answer, there would be no way to check if it was the right answer, but I didn’t stop thinking about it.

Bach did not give this homework to annoy him.

Then why. Why did he give this homework? Why did you make him sleep? By not sleeping, what the hell did he gain? what did you find out

‘The importance of sleep…?’

I was certain to know that. While not sleeping, what Rowoon longed for the most was sleep. and questioned at the same time. What was Count Kaiserlink’s worry about that prevented him from achieving something so sweet?

And what kind of song was the Goldberg Variation that was able to wash away those worries?

Thoughts and thoughts followed. His fingers touching the keys may have been duller than usual, but his consciousness of accepting and following the notes was sharper and more sensitive than ever.

Bach does not give the right answer. But thanks to Rowoon, he was able to think endlessly. I was able to continue exploring the meaning and value of his songs.

The night has passed. one. two. And the third and last night…

At the end of the night, Rowoon was sitting in front of a digital keyboard in his dormitory. Touching the keys, which were decidedly less weighty than on a real piano, he played the Goldberg Variations. A pianist who wanted sleep more than anyone else played a song for sleep.

‘Strange. I feel like I’m playing fine.’

As much as his consciousness collapsed, did the door open for the ability that was latent in his unconscious to flow out? Or am I just simply delusional?

Turning on the Walkman and recording would be a simple task to get the answer. But Rowoon didn’t. I don’t always want to leave it to others to judge my own performance. I had to be able to judge for myself. I had to learn to take responsibility for my performance.

The playing continued.

So that the night that never seemed to end comes to an end,

So that a handful of sunlight enters the narrow practice room,

So that the sunlight that entered it would strike the sleeping face of the pianist who could not sleep.

#

[ You have completed the performance log homework for the Goldberg Variations, ‘Never Sleep’. ]

[The Goldberg Variations performance log is unlocked! ]

[ By majority consent, Bach bless you! ]

[ The special ability, ‘Eye of Music (bottom)’ has been unlocked. ]

[If you want to grow your specialized skills, get recognition from the adults of music! ]

＜ Music of the Deaf (3) ＞ End

＜ Bach’s World (1) ＞

Rowoon woke up after dozing off in the practice room and was horrified, wondering if he had missed the journal again. But Walkman let me know that he had not only obtained Bach’s diary, but also his blessing.