What lies ahead for Ri Jeong Hyeok and Yoon Se-ri after reuniting at Grindelwald, Switzerland?
Overwhelming emotions, longing and newfound freedom to pursue their hearts' truest desires - in my ambitious attempt at creating CLOY Season II here in th...
Mother and son sat together in the living room in front of the TV, watching an official video recording of the latter's performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.2 at the Culture and Congress Centre in Lucerne.
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It was a shame that the Director of the General Political Bureau had to grace a cultural event in Pyongyang, and was hence unable to join them for lunch at home.
As Kim Yoon Hee watched her son effortlessly bring a virtuosic piano solo segment to life with his hands, she was reminded of the time when he had first displayed uncanny talent in music.
Mu Hyeok had been taking piano lessons back then at eight years old, and there was once when he was due to sit for his grade 2 examinations.
Jeong Hyeok had only been four years old at that point.
Yoon Hee had been very happy to hear strains of Musette in D Major by Bach, one of his examination pieces, coming from Mu Hyeok's room.
There were hardly any technical errors this time; he has certainly improved from yesterday, she noted proudly. Her elder son had constantly been practicing, she should go check on him and provide some encouragement for his efforts. Going down the hallway in their home to where Mu Hyeok's room was, Yoon Hee received a shock when she saw him exiting the bathroom further down the hallway. She hurriedly walked ahead to the room. Mu Hyeok had been in the bathroom. Then who was playing Musette in D? Their housekeepers couldn't possibly have... Her lips parted in surprise when she saw a similar, but significantly smaller, figure at the piano. "Jeong Hyeok..?" At that point, he had not received any form of formal training in the piano. He was always just sitting with Mu Hyeok, watching his older brother quietly. Yet there he was, playing a segment of the grade 2 examination piece with relative ease.
Then there was the time when she had to convince her husband to allow Jeong Hyeok to take formal lessons.
"He is already showing signs of being overly soft-hearted. I constantly fear for his future in the military." "Why must it be the military for this child? He is barely five. How can we be so certain that he must walk the path of a soldier's?" Her husband regarded her quietly with a piercing gaze, and Yoon Hee knew that deep down, he too, was aware that the military was unlikely a good fit for Jeong Hyeok.
It was just that he was unwilling to admit, or even consider, an alternative. "If anything, Jeong Hyeok is an extremely sensitive child, and has an uncanny sense for music." Yoon Hee continued, aware of the mounting discomfort on Jeong Ryeol's face at the thought of having a son of his pursue a music career. He had already sent Mu Hyeok for piano lessons, but while his older son was progressing well, it was clear that piano was not high in his list of interests. Sending one child for lessons was enough, there was really no need in sending Jeong Hyeok for them too. "I am a former stage actress, I know artistic talent when I see it." Yoon Hee wasn't quite ready to go down without a fight. "Our younger son is something special. You have to believe me. You really have to. He is very, very special." It was with his mother's persistence, that Ri Jeong Hyeok and the piano started what would be a lifelong relationship.
Pride and joy filled Yoon Hee as she watched Jeong Hyeok interact wordlessly with the conductor, skillfully playing a series of rapid, emotional arpeggios.
