117. ‘Cause I don’t have much time left

“Before you start your next project, Gyuha, please open a restaurant with me.”

“Restaurant…is it?”

“Yeah. Technically, it’s a food truck.”

Han Jeong-hee’s doubts deepened at the words of PD Son Jun-ik, who couldn’t understand.

“What is that…?”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about what to do next. Wanna try something new? Shall we do something unconventional that will surprise viewers? But no matter how many days I thought about it, the answer was fixed. Let’s just keep doing what we’re good at. What do you think I am good at when team manager Han thinks?”

Han Jeong-hee pondered for a while on PD Son Jun-ik’s question, and then answered unexpectedly clearly.

“As a fan of PD Son Jun-ik, speaking of things like travel? Can I just watch comfortably? without thinking? I can’t express what it is, but I just… feel free to just watch it.”

“hahahahaha that’s right. I can’t shoot in a studio. You absolutely have to come out. I also hate excessive settings. Because it’s not natural. I always make programs with the hope that it will be a little bit of healing for the viewers who watch my programs.”

“ah…! healing. That’s right. Healing is the right word for it.”

“Children’s Joy and other programs I directed were in a similar context.”

“So, are you going with that concept again this time?”

“The keyword ‘healing’ will of course be taken, but the contents will be completely different. Gyuha-san, have you ever cooked for the staff on set?”

“Yeah. When we filmed [As The Devil], I made lunch for him.”

“ah! at that time! I remember too. I prepared everything from tableware to ingredients.”

“Ha ha ha yes. I happened to see a picture of food that Kyu-ha made from an acquaintance. The quality was amazing. When I hear from people who have tried it, they say that it is the first time they have tasted it, but that it is very good.”

It was a different dish because it was a dish that Kyu-ha learned while going through the life of the head chef of the imperial palace.

“Then let’s sort it out. It’s true that PD Son wants to hire Kyu-ha for his next variety show, right? My guess is that it will be a program where Gyuha cooks for you?”

“Yes, that’s right. The program name will be [Song Table Truck]. I’m going to set up a food truck overseas. Nothing special. Kyuha will be the president. You can cook for the locals there.”

Han Jeong-hee, who was listening to PD Son Jun-ik’s explanation, expressed disapproval.

“I like that it’s simple… but will that amount to a broadcast…? Wouldn’t it be fun to run a food truck and cook by yourself without any other guests?”

“Of course it wouldn’t be fun. If that’s a normal person. However, it will be different if Kyuha appears.”

“I’m very grateful, but… it’s hard for Kyu-ha to lead the program alone without a guest…”

Han Jeong-hee checked to see if Kyu-ha would feel burdened.

Unexpectedly, Kyu-ha calmly listened to Son Jun-ik’s explanation.

“ah! I didn’t mean to burden you. That’s why I felt a lot through Kyu-ha in The Joy of the Elderly. The manager also said it earlier. I keep seeing it without knowing what it is. Even if things go smoothly, there is no need to worry because we will edit and export as much as possible. You just have to do as much as you can.”

Was it because he felt the sincerity of PD Son Jun-ik?

Han Jeong-hee couldn’t speak any more and just looked at Gyu-ha.

After all, the final decision had to be made by Kyuha himself.

“I heard the explanation well. I understood very well what your intentions were. Um… I’ll think about it until this week.”

“hahahahaha I see. Even if I reject it, I will never feel sad, so please think carefully before making a decision.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

After a brief meeting with PD Son Jun-ik, the two left the restaurant and got into the car driven by Bong-gu.

“If it’s Son PD’s variety show, it’s unconditionally OK, but in reality, Kyu-ha has to lead the program alone, is that okay?”

“I think it will be fun. PD Son is someone I’ve worked with once, so I’m comfortable with it. The shooting period is likely to be about two weeks, so it is not a period of burden for the next film. I will think about it for a few days and tell the team leader.”

“I do. If Kyuha-san is okay with me, I’m definitely OK. You worked hard today. Go home and get some rest.”

“Yeah! Even the manager.”

The eyes of team leader Han Jeong-hee were full of firm trust as he watched Kyu-ha enter the house from the back.

***

A banquet hall full of noise everywhere.

People in smart tailcoats were concentrating on social activities with champagne in one hand.

The time when we focused on conversations according to our own purposes.

A man dressed in a black suit that was larger than his body and looked cheap sat down at the piano in front of the banquet hall with the help of a staff member.

“oh? Could it be that he plays the piano?”

The eyes of the people in the banquet hall quickly turned to the piano.

It was inevitable that it seemed too far away from the piano.

Above all, he is a young-looking black man who does not fit in with this party at all.

People’s eyes stung.

“Where is this place, and such a person is carelessly brought in. Wanted out of level”

“what the. These days, dogs and cows seem to be installed just because they play the piano.”

By the time dissatisfaction rises, as if they thought it was demeaning of a social party.

Ferguson’s fingers, which had been absent-mindedly with his eyes closed, rose to the top of the keyboard.

Ding ding ding ding ding

“Well? What song is this..?”

“huh. Still, it seems like you learned how to play the piano pretty well somewhere.”

“But… isn’t the song quite good?”

“It’s not quite right, but it’s really good, isn’t it?”

[liberation]

It was the title of a song Ferguson was playing.

Longing for true freedom, he wrote it at the age of 14.

The soft and delicate melody pierced people’s hearts.

The fantastic intensity control in the first introduction melted people’s heartache.

The arbitrary interpretation of the beat, which shows the personality of the performer, gave people a fresh feeling.

The buzz in the banquet hall gradually stopped, and only the sound of the piano playing sounded like a lie.

Smiles gradually appeared on people’s faces, and they felt that something that was empty was gradually filling up.

Ferguson’s piano playing had something that moved the hearts of the crowd beyond mere virtuosity.

By now, the performance had passed 5 minutes.

The audience was intoxicated with the performance, standing in a daze with their eyes narrowed.

As I entered the last chapter, I struck the keyboard with a lingering sound as if I was savoring the melody.

Seeing it, people felt an unknown thirst.

Ferguson’s performance, which did not seem to end, came to an end.

There was only a heavy silence that made it hard to believe that it was a noisy banquet hall.

clap clap clap clap

whee profit

“Wow! The best! It was the best performance of my life.”

“Oh my gosh. A song like this and a performance like this. It feels like my ears are being washed.”

The praises of those who despised Ferguson followed.

“One more song!”

That’s how Ferguson sat and played the piano for two hours without a break.

Ironically, due to these near-abusive performances, Ferguson was moving closer to the title of greatest pianist of his time.

Addicted to the taste of money Ferguson earned, Wilkins harassed Ferguson with an even more murderous schedule, as if he did not tolerate rest.

Because of this, Ferguson’s physical condition was at its worst.

If the doctor had diagnosed it, I would have fainted.

Due to de Kervain’s disease, every time I struck a key, I felt intense pain in the area of my wrist below my thumb.

As well as epicondylitis, which causes pain on the inside of the elbow.

Carpal tunnel syndrome due to median nerve damage, etc.

It was safe to say that he had all the diseases that could be caught in his fingers and wrists.

“I have to move to Canada from tomorrow, so don’t freak out and get ready!”

Ferguson had no freedom to reap the rewards of his brilliant talent and performance.

Wilkins did not share a penny of his profits with Ferguson, and hung a pile of gold pieces from his body as if to show off his wealth.

Ferguson was now out of slavery.

Apparently, as Ferguson’s popularity grew, more and more people claimed to be fans, so it was uncomfortable for Wilkins to keep Ferguson as a slave.

Instead, he was packaged as a guardian who took care of the blind man, and Wilkins had a very good image externally.

“I… I’m in a weird physical condition right now. I can’t even move my fingers well, and the speed hurts too much.”

Wilkins raised his ax eye at Ferguson’s cautious attitude.

“her! Are you crazy Ferguson? Ohh? Having escaped slavery, I am now full. is this? Wake. A life that would have ended after farming all my life, I fed you, put you to sleep, and even taught you to play the piano. But I can’t repay the favor, so what!?”

Ferguson, who sighed inwardly at Wilkins’ angry and angry attitude, finally gave up.

“All right.”

Ferguson entered the waiting room holding his right hand, which caused excruciating pain.

Fellow musicians flocked to Ferguson’s side.

“Hey Ferguson!? it’s okay? What the hell are you going to do with that hand? Mr. Wilkins really thinks this is too much.”

Since they were all musicians, they knew how serious Ferguson’s condition was now.

“Okay, it’s okay. I do it because I like it.”

“Nonsense! He said he was going to perform in Canada right away. If we keep going like this, we will end up losing our hands.”

“Then what should I do? Shall we come and run away now? Or are you accusing me of playing too hard?”

At Ferguson’s words, there was only heavy silence in the waiting room.

They knew too.

That Ferguson’s situation is a single shot with no way out.

Even if he ran away, how far could he, who was blind, run away, and what else would he be able to earn and live on besides music? Nor was it a situation where they could take care of Ferguson.

Above all, Wilkins’ influence was considerable throughout the United States.

Read at noblemtl.com

No matter where I went, I couldn’t escape his surveillance network in the end.

“It’s just… frustrating and pitiful. Ugh.. Even the sky is indifferent. A musician like this from heaven…”

Fellow musicians looked at Ferguson with pity.

I knew them well because they were musicians too.

What an incredibly gifted pianist Ferguson is.

When I listened to the songs he composed and played, I felt that there was an insurmountable wall of talent.

However, the fate given to him was too harsh to be jealous of Ferguson’s talent.

“Let me know if you need any help from us. We will help with anything we can.”

“Well then. Isn’t it a relationship built on camaraderie? ha ha ha.”

“thanks. I guess I’ll have to ask for something soon. Time is running out.”

“yes? What’s left?”

Ferguson didn’t answer, just smiled.

Perhaps if Ferguson had his eyes open, he would have read his sad eyes at once.

“By the way, is the song you’ve been working hard on lately completed?”

“Yeah. I finished it yesterday.”

“Ohhh!! what’s the title? Haven’t you ever composed a song with such painstaking effort?”

Ferguson’s lips parted in a light smile with his eyes closed.

“The Last Wish”