SB Ch 4

Maybe it was the effect of the drugs, but getting out of bed felt impossible.

I need to move… Seo Haeyoon closed his eyes, assessing his condition, but eventually gave up on exercising for the day and turned onto his side. It felt as if someone was hiding in his bed, pulling him deeper and deeper into it.

Last night, after leaving the hotel, he had gone to the hospital but turned back at the emergency room’s entrance. If he reported that someone had forcibly administered drugs to him, the police would undoubtedly get involved, and that would likely lead to his father being contacted.

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It wasn’t because he didn’t want to worry his father. It was because he feared his father might storm into the social club, demanding to know who the bastard was. And if that happened, Ahn Yewon would kill him.

The thought of his father crashing a 20-ton dump truck into the club building and Ahn Yewon grabbing him by the collar, yelling, I knew you’d get into trouble eventually, made his already aching head throb even more. Seo Haeyoon frowned and let out a sigh.

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“Haah…”

While massaging his pounding temples, he heard his phone vibrate nearby and reached out. Picking it up from the nightstand, he saw the name “1” on the screen. It was Ahn Yewon.

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Even just seeing that number brought back the endless nagging he’d endured from her yesterday. Still, Haeyoon answered without hesitation. Ignoring it would only make things worse.

“Yeah.”

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— What, still in bed? What’s wrong with your voice?

“I don’t feel well.”

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Mumbling his response, he was immediately met with an outburst on the other end.

— Why? Oh, is it because of what happened yesterday? Wait, did Yeon Juheon actually drug you?

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“Yeah, it was some kind of patch…”

He hadn’t properly explained the situation to Yewon yesterday, prioritizing finding out about the man instead. With his eyes closed and voice weak, Seo Haeyoon recounted what had happened: meeting that older man in the smoking area, heading to the bar, being approached by Yeon Juheon, and then the older man showing up and driving Juheon away.

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After hearing the whole story, Ahn Yewon exploded in anger, scolding him fiercely.

— Wow! You could’ve been totally screwed! That guy’s out of his mind! Seo Haeyoon, how many times do I have to tell you? Eyebrow piercings! Don’t even look at them!

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“I know. I remembered that and tried to keep him from touching me, but I think that’s when he put it on me.”

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been suspicious.

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Eyebrow piercing, beware of dogs.

He remembered Yewon’s countless warnings. That’s why he had tried to avoid Yeon Juheon the moment he encountered him on the fourth floor. But despite ignoring his greeting, Juheon had approached him, draping an arm over his shoulder. Feeling disgusted, Haeyoon had immediately shrugged it off—but it was during that brief contact that the patch had been applied.

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Seo Haeyoon hated drugs and was always vigilant in crowded places. Thanks to this, he had never used drugs, even in the U.S., where they were more common. The same held true after returning to Korea.

Even with the trouble involving someone named Han Wooyoung, Haeyoon had sensed something was off and managed to stay ahead. He’d caught Wooyoung in the act of spiking his drink, poured it over the guy’s head, and walked away. Ultimately, he had never been under the influence of drugs, whether by choice or force.

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But last night, when Yewon wasn’t around, something finally happened. Completely against his will, he had been drugged. It was infuriating.

— What the hell. Is he some martial arts master? Freaking lunatic. Did he practice sticking patches secretly or something?

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“Maybe. I didn’t feel a thing.”

— Seriously, it’s always the oxygen-wasting idiots who put in the most effort.

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Exactly. Briefly agreeing with her, Seo Haeyoon listened to Yewon rant on, spewing a torrent of curses at Yeon Juheon and even plotting violence against him for the next time they crossed paths.

His mood had been utterly foul since last night, but hearing Yewon’s ruthless swearing oddly lifted his spirits. Feeling a bit better, Haeyoon lay back lazily, letting out a bright laugh. Hearing it, Yewon snapped back to her senses, clicking her tongue and raising her voice.

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— This isn’t the time to be laughing. Hey, why are you so clueless when it matters? Isn’t it obvious just by looking at their faces? That Mister and Yeon Juheon—one’s a complete trash heap, and the other’s just a dog in the gutter!

“It was a misunderstanding, okay? It wasn’t so clear at the time!”

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As soon as he spoke, her scolding resumed. Flustered, Haeyoon tried to argue back, but Yewon refused to take his side.

─ No, it’s not just a misunderstanding. You have this tendency to oversimplify things when you’re in a real crisis. This is serious—you’re going to end up losing an organ at this rate.

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“What organ would I lose?”

─ I’m serious! And do you even know? That mop from yesterday is a seriously dangerous person.

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Dangerous? That didn’t make any sense, and Seo Haeyoon furrowed his brows.

The man who had saved him had been calm and composed the entire time. Even when he threatened that lunatic to chase him off, he hadn’t raised his voice.

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The only time the man had yelled was when he begged, with a frightened look, for Haeyoon to put down the wine bottle. The desperate gesture of shielding his groin came to mind, and Haeyoon couldn’t help but chuckle.

And considering the ridiculous things the man had said—about border collies, of all things—Ahn Yewon’s words were even harder to believe. It was absurd.

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“What’s so dangerous about him? He just seemed childish to me.”

─ See? You’re so clueless! That mister is a gangster!

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A gangster? Tilting his head, Haeyoon asked in disbelief.

“…That mister? A gangster?”

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─ Yeah! That’s why Yeon Juheon didn’t even try to fight back and just bolted. He didn’t want to get stabbed.

If the man was a gangster, it made sense why Yeon Juheon, that cocky kid, had slunk away like a scared puppy. But when Haeyoon recalled how the man had hidden behind a sofa to avoid the wine bottle, he started to think there must be some misunderstanding.

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There was nothing about the man’s sly grin that matched the image of a gangster. Haeyoon couldn’t imagine him wielding a knife or beating someone up. And above all, he didn’t fit the stereotype of someone covered in tattoos and reeking of blood.

Shaking his head, Seo Haeyoon muttered, “You must have the wrong idea.”

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Haeyoon was someone who didn’t believe anything unless he saw it with his own eyes. That’s why he’d been so suspicious of the man yesterday—because instead of claiming innocence, the man had been the only one to touch his margarita and had disappeared with Han Wooyoung.

On the flip side, he’d quickly stopped doubting the man after witnessing his clumsy attempts to clear up the misunderstanding while calling Yewon. If the man had been as terrible as Haeyoon initially thought, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to explain himself. He would’ve done something worse, like commit assault.

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Now, reflecting on the brief interaction, Haeyoon found himself doubting Yewon instead.

Seo Haeyoon was incredibly stubborn and had strong opinions, and knowing this, Ahn Yewon sighed as if she’d anticipated his disbelief. She added more details.

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─ No, he’s not some grunt. He’s the secretary to a gang leader—or more like the right-hand man of the big boss.

“A secretary? What would a gangster need a secretary for? To schedule beatings?”

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─ Hey, this isn’t some small-time gang. They’re practically a corporation now—a massive enterprise. That’s what I heard, anyway. That’s why that little prick ran off.

“Yeah, sure…”

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Even so, he didn’t seem like someone that scary to Haeyoon, who nodded half-heartedly. Noticing his lackluster response, Ahn Yewon clicked her tongue disapprovingly. Then she let out a sigh so loud it seemed to blow through the phone and spoke in a more serious tone, revealing the real reason she had called.

─ Anyway, are you planning to go back to the club? Just pick one guy already. If you keep meeting random guys just for sex, you’re going to run into more weirdos.

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“I’m meeting multiple guys to avoid weirdos.”

─ Does that even make sense? I’m telling you, if you keep this up, you’ll end up attracting even more weirdos. You’ve got this magnetic pull for crazies—I’ve told you before.

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As someone who’d known Seo Haeyoon for a long time, Ahn Yewon was well aware of his unusual relationship history—nine instances of absurd, jaw-dropping breakups that were so ridiculous they made people laugh until they cried.

And yet, here she was, telling Haeyoon to just settle on one decent guy. She believed he needed someone by his side. But Haeyoon was fed up with relationships.

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“Exactly. That’s why I’m saying it’s fine as it is. If I just have sex and break things off, I won’t even have the chance to find out if they’re crazy.”

The reason Haeyoon had been casually hooking up with guys at the social club since returning to Korea was precisely that—he had no intention of dating anyone seriously. But Ahn Yewon didn’t seem thrilled about his approach.

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─ Hmm. Is that so?

“You sound like you want me to meet another weirdo.”

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─ No, I’m just worried. I’m not sure you can adjust to the orchestra life without a stable partner. It’s probably going to suck even more than in the States. The hierarchy here is way stricter. I’m planning to quit my corporate job and go freelance after just one more year—it’s unbearable.

It seems Yewon was worried about Seo Haeyoon, who was about to resume his orchestra life tomorrow, rather than wishing for him to complete a tenth disastrous relationship. As if pondering the weight of her words, Haeyoon pursed his lips and hugged a pillow.

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Seo Haeyoon, someone who enjoyed sex, was the type to relieve all his stress through pleasure. As a result, whenever his life became unstable, he tended to seek a regular partner for sex without the burden of constantly finding someone new. That tendency often led to frequent relationships.

However, the “unstable life” that made him reliant on sex wasn’t about financial or housing issues. It stemmed from his career as a double bassist.

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He played in a unique style, and he was fairly talented. However, his abrasive personality and the fact that he wasn’t skilled enough to be a soloist often left him feeling like an outsider in orchestras.

Playing differently from others in an orchestra, where uniformity in performance is key, could be quite embarrassing. Some had even gone as far as to bluntly tell Haeyoon that his playing was subpar.

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When faced with such comments, Haeyoon often wanted to quit orchestra life immediately. Unfortunately, as a performer who needed an audience, the only way he could play in front of hundreds or thousands of people was by being part of an orchestra.

The conflict between his desire to blend into the orchestra and deliver a perfect harmony that moves audiences and his wish to express himself as an individual double bassist constantly clashed within him. When this internal conflict surfaced, his middling talent became fodder for his colleagues’ ridicule.

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An ambiguous musician—this was the exact perception of Haeyoon within the orchestra. He wasn’t exceptional enough to be considered for solo arrangements, nor did he blend seamlessly into the orchestra. His position was awkward.

This led to certain orchestra members particularly disliking and looking down on him. Ironically, even Haeyoon’s middling talent became a target of jealousy for some. They took pleasure in his inability to assimilate into the orchestra and used it as a convenient excuse for their scorn.

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Such people had always been around him since his university days. Due to conflicts with these individuals, Haeyoon changed orchestras frequently after graduating from the Manhattan School of Music. He couldn’t bear the idea that he was negatively affecting the orchestra’s atmosphere when tensions grew.

And to deal with the enormous stress, he turned to sex. Haeyoon needed someone by his side to endure the precarious life of being in an orchestra. Whenever he felt mentally overwhelmed or so angry he wanted to punch someone, mind-blowing sex helped him feel better.

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This tendency sometimes led him into relationships when a partner suggested dating after sex. That had happened nine times already. However, while his partners found him attractive enough to consider dating, he never truly loved any of them.

His love and devotion were entirely dedicated to the double bass, leaving him no energy to share such emotions with others. Haeyoon believed this was the reason his relationships always ended disastrously.

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Aware of his own tendencies to say “yes” easily if the sex was satisfying, Haeyoon had decided not to have even a regular partner anymore as a preventive measure. But Yewon’s concern made him waver.

If he were to face issues with his colleagues at the new orchestra, the prospect of finding a new partner every day with ensemble rehearsals ahead seemed like a daunting task.

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— Should I introduce someone to you, then? Hayeon has some great friends. You’re okay with guys, right?

Yewon casually brought it up as if it were the perfect timing. Park Ha-yeon was Yewon’s girlfriend, currently a graduate student.

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But getting introduced through someone felt odd, didn’t it? Haeyoon had never asked a friend to set him up before. It seemed inappropriate to just have sex with and part ways with someone from such an introduction.

As promiscuous as he was, Haeyoon did have his own sense of decency. When he hesitated, Yewon added.

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— Don’t overthink it. It’s not like a matchmaking agency. It’s just about meeting at a casual drinking party. After that, whatever happens between you two is your business. Just try. If the sex feels right, meet a few more times. Deal? I’m worried about you.

Yewon was the only one who truly understood Haeyoon’s passion for the double bass and his aspirations for the orchestra. Perhaps it was because of the time they had leaned on each other while living in New York. She had worried deeply about him when she returned to Seoul two years ago, leaving him behind.

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Though unnecessary, Yewon seemed to feel like she had abandoned him. This guilt likely made her more attentive to Haeyoon’s needs lately. Over the past month since he returned, Yewon had accompanied him to clubs several times despite her own hectic schedule with overtime and all-nighters.

Given how far she’d gone for him, Haeyoon couldn’t outright reject her proposal. At least once, he thought, he should give her a chance to do something for him. That was the kind of friendship they shared.

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“…Alright. But he has to be my type.”

— Great! What’s your type? Give me the conditions—I’ll match them as closely as I can.

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After a small sigh, Haeyoon accepted her offer, prompting Yewon to ask excitedly. Thinking for a moment, Haeyoon finally voiced his most basic criterion.

“Well, first of all, he needs to be handsome.”

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— How handsome?

“As you pass by, you can’t help but turn your head.”

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That was the bare minimum requirement. Seo Haeyoon, born with a face so elegant and captivating that it could make anyone stop in their tracks, had incredibly high standards. Most of the men he’d dated thus far were the type to make heads turn as they walked by. This time would be no different.

─ Fine, I’ll match your level.

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“Tall, broad-shouldered, and bigger than me in every way.”

─ Oh, sure, sure. And what else?

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In truth, Seo Haeyoon had only ever cared about one thing when choosing a man: physical appearance. If he liked the way they looked, it was an immediate yes. He wasn’t planning to marry them, so there was no need to spend energy overthinking things with someone he was only meeting for pleasure.

However, after breaking up with his ninth boyfriend recently, he’d made a resolution.

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“Nothing much. There’s just one last thing, and it’s the most important: he must be so innocent and pure that I won’t feel the urge to abandon him. From now on, I’ll only date people like that.”

This was it. Seo Haeyoon had identified a common thread among the men who had betrayed him. Tall, handsome, sociable, and promiscuous. He concluded that their extremely outgoing and extroverted personalities were the root of the problem.

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Although he didn’t feel like dating again, if he ever did, Seo Haeyoon wanted to meet an innocent man who would only have eyes for him. If it was just for casual sex, that was one thing, but he was done with jaded types.

However, when Ahn Yewon suggested he meet someone he liked a few more times, the potential partner naturally had to meet the basic criteria to become his boyfriend.

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“Someone who would never lie to me. And he shouldn’t have skipped military service, so it’d be great if he’s about eight years younger than me.”

As they talked, the list of criteria became more specific. …22 years old? Not bad. Thinking it over, Seo Haeyoon nodded to himself as he imagined his ideal man.

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Tall, broad-shouldered, handsome, and innocent. Somehow, even if he knew nothing about sex, that might be cute.

“No, actually. It’d be even better if he knew nothing about sex. Then there’d be no chance of him cheating, right? If I teach him, he’d only know doing it with me.”

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But then, a lightning bolt of realization struck.

“Hey, Ahn Yewon! Is this why those thief-like people always go for younger ones? If they’ve only had sex with me, they wouldn’t even think about doing it with someone else! No cheating! Right? Wow, I just figured it out. I’m going to start living without a conscience too.”

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There was a reason older guys went for younger ones. It was to tame those innocent people so they would only look at them!

Overwhelmed by this sudden insight, he shouted, but Ahn Yewon didn’t respond. Busy? Already at work? As he waited, she finally spoke again with a short sigh.

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─ …So, to summarize, you want me to introduce you to a handsome, tall, broad-shouldered, well-endowed, innocent 22-year-old virgin, right?

“Yeah.”

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Seo Haeyoon nodded at Ahn Yewon’s perfect summary.

Although he had sworn off dating anyone, he felt he might be able to trust again if it was someone who met those conditions. Someone who knew nothing might not betray him. Not bad. It was a pretty solid plan.

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But as soon as she brought it up, Ahn Yewon suddenly showed an irritated reaction.

─ Excuse me, Mister! Did you leave your conscience behind when you entered Korea? Where on earth would you find a guy like that?

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A unicorn, a unicorn! Yewon added, but Seo Haeyoon shook his head. Just yesterday, he’d met someone who perfectly met all the conditions except for being a 22-year-old virgin, so there had to be someone who ticked every box somewhere.

“Why not? Someone like that exists out there.”

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─ Where? In a mental hospital? Maybe if he’s been locked in a secure ward since he was 10 because of some issues, but among sane people? Not a chance.

However, Ahn Yewon declared it impossible. As he heard her tut like she was dismissing his nonsense, Seo Haeyoon frowned. He wasn’t even a fan of being set up, but he was grateful for her concern and had agreed, so what was with this insincere attitude?

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“Are you going to introduce me to someone or not?”

─ Honestly, it’s unrealistic. Can’t you give up just one thing? Especially the 22-year-old virgin part.

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“No way!”

Give up? Never. If it wasn’t for someone that pure, he wouldn’t date at all. Seo Haeyoon firmly shook his head, resolute in his decision.

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🔮🌙

The orchestra Seo Haeyoon had just joined was the Suseon Philharmonic, based at the Suseon Grand Theater nestled in the foothills of Mount Bukak. Suseon. Curious about its meaning, he looked it up and found the Chinese characters “水仙.” It seemed to mean daffodil or an immortal living in water. True to its name, there was a beautifully landscaped pond on the theater grounds, where daffodil bulbs sprouted along the water’s edge.

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When Haeyoon arrived at the grand theater, he followed the instructions in the text message he had received earlier, climbed to the office on the second floor, and knocked on the door. “Yes,” came a voice from inside. As he cautiously opened the door, a short woman greeted him with a bright smile.

“Ah, hello! You must be Mr. Seo Haeyoon, right? Nice to meet you. I’m Hong Hyekyung, the office manager.”

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“Mr.”? Is that how they address people here? Feeling a bit awkward, Seo Haeyoon nodded slightly and extended his hand.

“I’m Seo Haeyoon, a double bassist. Please take care of me.”

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“Likewise. You can stand your instrument over there. It won’t fall. Would you like to come this way? Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

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“Sure, just a moment. Oh my, you’re much more handsome in person than in your photos. You just gave me quite a surprise.”

Hong Hyekyung’s cheeks flushed slightly as she spoke with a smile. Seo Haeyoon responded with an embarrassed smile and thanked her politely.

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Standing at 178cm, Seo Haeyoon’s height often made him popular with women. With his elegant beauty, though he could be picky with men, he was relatively kind to women, a trait that many found charming and drew them toward him.

So many women had pursued him that there was a time when he briefly considered dating women. Once, he even went to a hotel with a petite and very pretty woman, but he found himself unable to perform, much to his embarrassment. Judging by how things worked with men, it wasn’t that penetration was impossible—it was simply that Seo Haeyoon was a complete homosexual. A man who could only be aroused by men.

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“Judging by your resume, it seems like you had plenty of options. What made you apply to our orchestra?”

Placing a mug in front of him, she asked with curiosity. Seo Haeyoon gave a hesitant smile, not sure how to respond.

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Applying to the Suseon Orchestra had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Two months ago, after hastily deciding to return to Korea, Seo Haeyoon resigned from the New Rick Symphony Orchestra, where he had been since the previous year. That orchestra had made his life miserable since the beginning of the year.

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New Rick was one of the top three largest cities in New Jersey, but it was plagued by high crime rates and poor public safety. As a result, its once-thriving cultural scene had rapidly declined, and the city’s remaining symphony orchestras were barely surviving on grants from the city and corporate donations.

Naturally, top-tier musicians rarely joined an orchestra on the brink of collapse. New Rick Symphony was filled with people like Seo Haeyoon. To put it kindly, they were musicians who couldn’t fit into conventional orchestras. To put it bluntly, they were the rejects of the industry.

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There were many reasons why someone might be rejected, but the main one was often an inability to get along with others. The orchestra was full of socially awkward individuals. Given Seo Haeyoon’s ambiguous talent, strong personality, and stubborn nature, it was no surprise that his life in the orchestra had been far from smooth.

There was one guy who picked a fight with him every time they met, making each day unbearable. Despite this, Seo Haeyoon held on, unwilling to admit defeat. After all, staying there was his only way to perform for large audiences.

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In the end, however, another reason forced him to return to Korea, and this marked a turning point in his life.

As much as he hated to admit it, being repeatedly forced to switch orchestras since graduating from music school had made him realize that he might not be suited for orchestral collaboration. This led him to consider shifting his career to teaching.

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Changing careers wasn’t difficult for him. Having graduated from the Manhattan School of Music, he certainly had the skills to teach young students. Moreover, moving to a new place and drastically changing his environment seemed like it might help him let go of his lingering attachment to orchestras. He’d clung to the dream of playing in an orchestra for so long, but at that moment, he felt so exhausted that he thought he might finally be able to let it go.

However, when he shared his intention to resign with his fellow musicians, their reactions made him miss the opportunity to leave the miserable orchestra for good.

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Instead of expressing regret, most of them said they weren’t surprised. From the beginning, they had felt he didn’t belong there.

Those words struck a nerve in Seo Haeyoon’s pride. He felt like he was being treated as a loser. Quitting the orchestra would have felt like admitting that he was an unfit and worthless musician.

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So, as soon as he returned to Korea, he gritted his teeth and logged onto a musician job site he’d heard about somewhere. At the very top of the listings was a recruitment notice for a double bassist at the Suseon Orchestra.

Unlike the other orchestras advertising positions, Suseon was located in Seoul, which was a major attraction. More importantly, what caught his eye was the blind audition process.

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A blind audition rather than an interview? Intrigued by this unfamiliar approach, Seo Haeyoon decided to submit a recording of himself playing however he felt like it, determined to prove that joining an orchestra wasn’t beyond him. It was an act of pride, pure and simple.

However, a day after submitting his application, Haeyoon began to regret it. Once his excitement settled, he realized that no one would likely take such a careless performance seriously. He should have recorded something more earnest, like Bottesini or another classical piece. Discouraged, Haeyoon started looking into other orchestras in the provinces listed in the same job postings.

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But a week later, unexpectedly, he received notice that he had passed the audition. For a moment, he suspected he might have been the only applicant, but after some online research, he found that the Suseon Orchestra was reasonably well-established. Located in Seoul, it was particularly attractive to musicians who lived in the city, making it unlikely that he had been the sole candidate.

Eventually, Haeyoon decided to chalk it up to his decent credentials. While his performance had been subpar, orchestras often gave preference to musicians with international experience. That reasoning, at least, was one he could live with.

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In summary, his decision boiled down to convenience: the job listing was at the top, and he liked the audition format. But admitting this openly was difficult, especially since it might offend someone proud to work at the orchestra.

“Do you happen to know anyone in the orchestra?” Hong Hyekyung asked, seemingly unaware that Haeyoon was dodging her earlier question. Her curiosity pushed Haeyoon to fabricate an answer, as shaking his head would likely lead to another “why.”

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“No, not at all. It’s just close to home.”

“Ah, I see. That makes sense. Commuting is so important, isn’t it? I’ve been looking into real estate myself, hoping to move closer to work.”

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Thankfully, she didn’t doubt him. Although his home was about 30 minutes away, it was far closer than the nearly three-hour round trips he had endured at New Rick. Smiling, Haeyoon listened attentively to her remarks.

The conversation served as a way to ease the tension. As practice time approached, Hong Hyekyung glanced at her watch and stood up.

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“It seems about time. Shall we head over? I’ll show you the way. Today, practice will be in the concert hall instead of the rehearsal room. Someone important is observing.”

Someone important? That didn’t sound ordinary. At New Rick, even if the mayor came to observe, rehearsals were held in the practice room. The main concert hall was reserved exclusively for pre-performance rehearsals and the actual performance.

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Who could it be? Puzzled, Haeyoon grabbed his double bass and followed Hong Hyekyung.

“The deputy director is coming. Since it’s your first practice, he made time in his busy schedule to see you.”

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The deputy director? Someone who acted on behalf of the orchestra’s director? And that person was coming to see him?

“…To see me?”

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“Yes, he was the one who insisted we bring you in after the blind audition. He praised you highly and even requested to have all the recordings you submitted sent to him by email.”

“Oh….”

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It was rare for someone to single out Haeyoon’s performance like that. Regardless of whether it was the director or deputy director, the fact that someone had gone so far as to request his recordings left Haeyoon feeling both flustered and thrilled. Was it possible he had been accepted not because of his resume but because he had genuinely left a good impression? Blushing, Haeyoon gave a sheepish smile.

“Could you please pass along my sincere thanks?”

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“Oh, you might get to meet him after practice! He always makes sure to personally meet and talk with new musicians. So today, you’ll have your own private waiting room. Here we are.”

He had assumed he would never get the chance to meet someone so high-ranking, yet they were coming to see him in person. Such a thing had never happened during his time in orchestras. Recalling Ahn Yewon’s stories about hierarchical structures made him briefly anxious, but everything here felt promising so far.

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This was a good start. Unable to hide his joy, Haeyoon entered the waiting room.

🔮🌙

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The first program Seo Haeyoon participated in with the Suseon Orchestra was the Halloween special performance. Thanks to receiving the sheet music in advance and practicing before his first day, Haeyoon managed to join rehearsals without issue. Of course, “joining” and “successfully rehearsing” were two different matters.

After the first piece ended, silence filled the grand theater.

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“Hmm….”

The elderly conductor adjusted his glasses and looked toward Haeyoon. Haeyoon licked his dry lips. Feeling sweat on the palm of the hand holding his bow, he wiped it on his pants before gripping the bow again.

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“Are you nervous because it’s your first time?”

“A little,” Haeyoon replied with an awkward smile, causing the conductor to grin. It was a reassuring smile, meant to indicate that there was no need to be nervous. Considering that most conductors are notoriously difficult, this was a relief. Haeyoon relaxed his stiff shoulders and nodded, indicating he was ready.

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“One, two.”

After a brief moment, the conductor raised his hand again, and the second piece began. Haeyoon tried to relax as he began playing his part.

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Due to its low register, the double bass forms the foundation of the harmony, supporting the entire piece. Supporting the piece means that the sound it produces is essentially the ground, the foundation, of the orchestral composition.

If the double bass isn’t played stably, the cello, violin, and viola, which are built upon it, can’t stand straight. Thus, even the smallest mistakes were not tolerated.

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“Um…”

As the second piece ended, the conductor tilted his head, looking thoughtful. He glanced in Haeyoon’s direction and smiled, then picked up his baton again without giving any feedback.

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For Haeyoon, the lack of any comments was more frightening. If he had criticized or pointed out mistakes, he could have tried to correct them, but not knowing what he thought left him in the dark. He had no idea how awful his performance might have been.

With eyes cast down in a melancholy gaze, Haeyoon moved his bow carefully, trying not to stand out during the practice. As time went on, his shoulders seemed to stiffen more with tension. He swallowed a sigh. The confidence he had when he sent the haphazardly played file was long gone. He remained silent, consumed by the insecurity that had gripped him like a vice.

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In front of the double bass and the orchestra, Haeyoon always felt diminished. That was Haeyoon’s only weakness.

“See you next time. Good job, everyone.”

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The first practice session after joining the private symphony orchestra at Suseon Grand Theater ended like this. The conductor went in first, followed by the musicians who stood up to pack their instruments.

“Great work. See you next time.”

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“Please take care. You did well.”

A few people who participated in the ensemble for the first time greeted him. With his face still flushed from shyness, Seo Haeyoon greeted them back, tightening and loosening his bow hair for no reason.

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After hearing the news of his admission, he had received the performance lineup and practiced, but maybe because he hadn’t participated in an ensemble for a few weeks, today’s practice was really a mess. He felt too embarrassed to face the other double bass players, as they had all wavered because of him.

He thought that he should stay home and practice all day tomorrow. Just as the stage was nearly empty, the double bass sub-principal, who had sat right next to him, started talking to him. It was the person who had interrupted practice for a long time, saying that the tuning was off. Considering the conductor waited without saying anything, he seemed to be quite senior.

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“Mr. Seo Haeyoon.”

Didn’t the musicians call each other “teacher”? Did I hear it wrong? Haeyoon nodded, puzzled.

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“Yes, teacher. Please go ahead.”

But the sub-principal widened his eyes and asked back.

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“Please go ahead?”

“Yes?”

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“No, ha ha. I was wondering if you needed permission to speak.”

“What…?”

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Seo Haeyoon blinked at the incomprehensible words, then realized a moment later that the sub-principal had taken his “Please go ahead” sarcastically.

Is it really necessary to make someone feel so awkward when meeting for the first time, even if it’s overboard to be polite?

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Haeyoon noticed that the old man in front of him didn’t have a very pleasant feeling towards him. However, he wasn’t flustered or hurt by that fact.

In every symphony orchestra he joined, there was always at least one person who didn’t like him. It seemed that here, it was this sub-principal. Although it seemed a bit early to do this from the first practice day, it was a familiar situation, so Haeyoon just thought that he must be an impatient person.

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“You were in New York, right?”

“Yes.”

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It’s best not to talk too much with this kind of person. Nodding, he answered briefly, and the flounder-faced sub-principal fixed his gaze on Haeyoon’s double bass. Then, without permission, he reached out and stroked the smooth body of the double bass with his blunt fingers.

At that point, Haeyoon abandoned his resolution from earlier in the waiting room to get along well with the other members. He couldn’t possibly converse with someone who touched another person’s instrument without permission with a smiling face.

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“Did the New York Phil pay you well? You use something expensive.”

The sub-principal seemed to have heard that he came from New York. But Haeyoon had only commuted from Newry, an hour away, and had never been near the New York Philharmonic.

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Moreover, Haeyoon knew, and the sub-principal knew, that if he had been with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, there was no reason for him to join such a small private symphony orchestra. The question was asked knowingly. The ulterior motive was obvious.

“Bertoni? How much does this cost these days?”

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“I don’t know, it was about 1.8 billion when I bought it.”

Haeyoon wasn’t easily fooled by such nonsense. Casually responding to the question about the price, he lightly shrugged and let the sub-principal’s words pass over him.

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Unlike when he said “Please go ahead,” his tone now suddenly became disrespectful, and the sub-principal glanced at him.

“Wow. You paid a lot. You know all the stuff about luxury instruments is lies, right? There’s research that modern instruments sound better.”

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“Yes, well. True. These are just used for investment. They’d probably go for around 2.8 billion now.”

“…Really? Is your family rich?”

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At the rude question that followed, Haeyoon wanted to shout in the sub-principal’s face. Yes, we’re disgustingly rich, so mind your own business. But he couldn’t cause such vulgar trouble. Given that he was already bound to be disliked, fighting with the sub-principal in front of others would nullify the very reason he applied here. So instead of picking a fight, he tilted his head and asked innocently.

“Is this the second interview?”

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“Huh?”

“No? I asked because I’ve never heard such questions. Normally, you wouldn’t ask such things to someone’s face, right? In America, this would be extremely rude, but is the atmosphere different in Korea?”

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However, Haeyoon’s self-esteem was high, so even if it shrank a little in the orchestra, it was still larger than most people’s. Acting as if he knew nothing, he asked with a troubled expression, and the sub-principal scratched his cheek and turned his head, looking embarrassed. It seemed he hadn’t expected such a response.