Yeonwoo's grandmother and Jihoon's mother, Heo Ok, was a woman who went by Eileen, a name she was more familiar with.
She divorced her husband and, for her own ambitions and success, left her child behind to go to America. Just from her background, she might sound like some heartless businesswoman, but she was actually a jazz pianist.
After learning jazz in the United States, she moved to Japan, where she primarily worked. She made a name for herself in the Japanese jazz scene, and eventually, the world.
She's been retired for a long time now, and since jazz isn't very popular in Korea, she's practically unknown there. But, if she were to go to Japan right now and just clear her throat, you can bet there'd be a whole bunch of big shots from the Japanese jazz world rushing over, calling her "Sensei," and bowing down to her.
Ironically, after retiring, she was living almost like a recluse in her home country, where hardly anyone knew who she was.
The only people she ever saw were a few folks from the Korean jazz scene who'd drop by sometimes, her daughter, who she'd gotten back in touch with after retiring, and her grandson, who her daughter had brought over a couple of times.
Ah, but now there's one more.
And not just added, but living with her.
Heo Ok, her face expressionless, crouched down and looked at the child she was now living with.
The child was very pretty, with snow-white skin and delicate features.
If her son hadn't told her it was his grandson, she would have mistaken the child for a granddaughter.
The child was clutching his father's pant leg, peering at her from behind him.
"So you must be Yeonwoo."
Yeonwoo nodded.
Heo Ok had heard about Yeonwoo's situation from her son.
A child who had lost his voice.
Whether it was because of that, or maybe because she'd grown more sentimental with age, even she, who had seemed so cold-blooded, felt a pang of sympathy.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm your... grandmother."
The word "grandmother" didn't come easily. It wasn't a word she was used to saying.
But she had to accept it.
After all, she'd been a grandmother for six years now.
"Let's go inside."
"Okay, could you watch Yeonwoo for a bit? I'll bring in the luggage."
"Need any help?"
"No, it's heavy. It'll be faster if I do it myself. I borrowed a cart, so I can just load it onto that."
Her son, just as blunt as she was, headed out abruptly.
She watched her son for a moment, then turned to Yeonwoo, who was left standing alone, and said, leading the way inside,
"Come on in."
Yeonwoo watched his grandmother's back.
It was strange.
The fairies, who always hid themselves away from his maternal grandmother, uncle, and aunt, and who didn't even linger around his father, were now following his grandmother like children following the Pied Piper.
What was going on?
It was the first time he'd seen anything like this, except with his mother, and Yeonwoo unconsciously followed his grandmother into the house, just like the fairies.
The moment he took off his shoes in the entryway and stepped into the living room, Yeonwoo's eyes were immediately drawn to the grand piano in the center of the room.
Yeonwoo stared at it, mesmerized by its magnificent presence.
"Do you like the piano?"
Heo Ok asked, watching him.
Yeonwoo turned his gaze to his grandmother and nodded.
"Have you ever played the piano?"
Yeonwoo shook his head.
and mouthed the word, "Mommy."
"Ah..."
It wasn't exactly a faux pas, but Heo Ok was hesitant to bring up the subject of his dead mother to the child.
She wondered if it was okay to talk about his mother.
What if he started crying, remembering his mother?
"Why is there a piano in the living room...?"
Just then, Jihoon came in with the luggage.
"Wouldn't you agree it's better than leaving the space empty because there's nothing to put there?"
Jihoon nodded in agreement at Heo Ok's words.
"Yeah... I can't imagine you just sitting on the couch watching TV all day."
Heo Ok let out a cynical laugh and said,
"Besides the master bedroom I use, there are three empty rooms in this house. They're all unused, so use them as you wish, whether as a dressing room or a bedroom."
"Okay. Then... is it alright if I take a look?"
"Sure."
Jihoon looked around the empty rooms.
As Heo Ok said, the three rooms were completely empty.
"Seriously... if you're going to leave them like this, why such a big house...?"
Still, the empty rooms were spotless, reflecting Heo Ok's personality.
"If you need any furniture, let me know."
Her mother's voice carried from a distance.
"I can handle that myself."
"It's my house."
Jihoon was speechless.
His mother was essentially saying that since it was her house, it was only right that she buy the furniture, and that she would get furniture to her liking.
Even though he hadn't lived with Heo Ok for very long, Jihoon understood her perfectly.
"There's an unused wardrobe in the smallest of the rooms. Put your clothes in there."
"Okay."
While Jihoon gathered his clothes and belongings and went into that room, Yeonwoo's gaze remained fixed on the piano.
And Heo Ok was watching Yeonwoo.
Or, more accurately, she was looking at him and her past together.
When she had left for America...
Jihoon was about Yeonwoo's age then, wasn't he...?
Jihoon had been the same age as Yeonwoo.
Thinking of her past self, who had hardened her heart and left that small child, she reassessed her past self.
"You were a really heartless bitch, weren't you?"
How could she have even thought of leaving such a small child?
Though, thanks to that, she had achieved her dream.
Heo Ok smiled bitterly and, without realizing it, reached out to touch Yeonwoo's head.
The child flinched and looked up at Heo Ok.
"Shall I play the piano for you?"
At Heo Ok's question, Yeonwoo's eyes lit up and he nodded.
"Let's see..."
She opened the piano lid.
Suddenly, Heo Ok realized that it had been a very long time since she had played.
She had played occasionally when she felt like it, but even that had been over a year ago.
She had thought she wouldn't be able to stop playing the piano even after retiring, but surprisingly, it had been easy to distance herself from it.
Even though it had been her whole life, something she had staked everything on.
"Ahem, ahem."
She looked at the piano with a wistful gaze and sat down.
"Ding."
The sound of a single key, struck without meaning, flowed out, and Heo Ok's performance began.
As the all-too-familiar melody of jazz began to flow, she soon became immersed and continued to play freely.
Yeonwoo watched her, entranced.
Every time she played, fairies burst forth from the keys like fireworks.
Empowered by the sound, they displayed a brightly shining, mystical appearance that Yeonwoo had never seen before, floating and swimming around Heo Ok.
He was lost in the enchanting sight for a moment.
Yeonwoo felt a strange, uncomfortable feeling whenever Heo Ok played a certain key.
And sure enough,
the moment she struck a certain key, a small, reddish fairy popped up and quickly disappeared.
It was the first time he had seen a red-tinted fairy.
Without realizing it, Yeonwoo reached for the key from which the red fairy had appeared.
A dissonant chord, out of place in the enchanting jazz performance, sounded, and her hand stopped.
"Hm? What is it?"
Yeonwoo was silent.
Yeonwoo was momentarily flustered, then pressed the key again.
She tilted her head.
"Do you want to try playing, too?"
Heo Ok said, habitually looking at Yeonwoo's fingers.
She thought, looking at his slender and long fingers for a child,
"Those fingers aren't bad for playing the piano."
"Your piano skills are still as good as ever."
Then, a voice spoke.
Heo Ok turned around and looked at her son.
It sounded like a compliment, but there was an edge to his words.
His voice was a mixture of resentment, anger, and sarcasm.
"This child seemed interested."
"His mother used to play children's songs for him. Not jazz."
Jihoon said, and then, "Yeonwoo, let's get you changed into your indoor clothes," and took Yeonwoo into the room.
Left alone in the living room, she looked at the room her son and grandson had entered.
The closed door.
She couldn't open that door herself.
A bitter smile formed on her face without her realizing it.
Yeonwoo spent a day at his grandmother's house.
"Is our Yeonwoo awake?"
As he stirred and turned over, Jihoon, as if he had a sixth sense, opened his eyes and looked for Yeonwoo.
Yeonwoo looked at Jihoon and nodded.
"Our Yeonwoo is such an early bird. Ouch, my back. Did you wake up early because you were uncomfortable? Sleeping on the bare floor must be hard, right?"
Yeonwoo tilted his head at those words.
Because for Yeonwoo, who always slept on the bare floor with only a thin summer blanket, sleeping on a topper was already plenty soft.
Besides, it smelled nice because it had just been washed and dried in the sun, so he had fallen asleep quickly.
It seemed like even this topper was uncomfortable for his dad.
"Yeonwoo, Daddy's going to go make some money. Be good with Grandma, okay?"
While Yeonwoo was rolling around in bed, Jihoon quickly finished getting ready for work, kissed Yeonwoo on the forehead, and left the house.
After his dad left, Yeonwoo looked around the house.
It was quiet, so it seemed like his grandmother was still asleep.
Yeonwoo's gaze naturally turned to the piano.
Even though no one was around, Yeonwoo, still feeling a bit self-conscious, slowly approached the piano.
Looking at the piano, which made his heart flutter, Yeonwoo found the key that had made the bad sound yesterday and gently pressed it.
When he pressed it carefully and slowly, the piano didn't make a sound.
He pressed it a little harder.
"Ding."
Sure enough, a red fairy appeared and then quickly disappeared.
He felt bad for the fairy, but despite only seeing it for a moment, it looked grumpy and mean.
Rather than being scared, Yeonwoo found it somewhat comical how the fairy huffed and puffed every time it popped out, so he kept pressing the key without realizing it.
The more he pressed it, and the harder he pressed it, the longer the red fairy stayed, greeting Yeonwoo with an even grumpier face.
"Yeonwoo?"
Just then.
Hearing a voice from the master bedroom, Yeonwoo got startled, looked around, and hurriedly ran into his room.
He was afraid he'd get in trouble for touching his grandmother's piano without permission.
Seeing Yeonwoo's reaction, Heo Ok chuckled, then approached the piano with a serious expression.
Heo Ok carefully examined the key that Yeonwoo had been repeatedly pressing.
Heo Ok pressed the key.
Again.
And again.
Listening closely, she could tell that the note was very slightly off.
"...Am I getting old? No, you're the one that's getting old."
This piano had been with her for a long time.
It was a piano she had splurged on before she became famous, when she didn't have much money.
She had cherished and meticulously maintained it every day, but it seemed that problems had arisen in the time since she had stopped playing after retirement.
She had cleaned it every day, but it seemed that, like people, pianos could rot from the inside out, unseen, despite their outward appearance.
Heo Ok called a tuner, an old acquaintance, and sat down at the piano.
Then she looked at the room.
Unlike yesterday, the closed door was slightly ajar.
A small, beautiful child was peeking out, sucking on his finger, watching her cautiously.
Heo Ok raised her hand and beckoned Yeonwoo over.
Yeonwoo carefully approached Heo Ok.
"Our Yeonwoo has a good ear, doesn't he?"
Seeing Yeonwoo standing there blankly, she smiled and played a light tune.
Even excluding the broken key Yeonwoo had found, a fantastic jazz melody flowed from the keyboard.
It might be a bit complex and not to the taste of a young child, but Yeonwoo was watching Heo Ok's piano with an enchanted expression.
Even though they hardly resembled each other, that look reminded her of someone from the past.
"Do you like the song?"
At her question, Yeonwoo nodded and pointed at the piano.
What did he mean?
After thinking for a moment, Heo Ok decided to say what she wanted to say.
"What I played is called jazz."
And she said with pride,
"It's the most sophisticated genre of music among music genres with a long history."
