With his eyes closed, resting his hands upon the grand piano, Sean turned his entire body to look at Geon.
As Geon was making eye contact with the other musicians, conducting them, he pointed his baton at Sean, signaling him to join. At that moment, Sean's piano began to sound, joining the performance so softly and gently that the audience, some with their eyes closed, listening to the music, couldn't even tell the piano had joined. Those watching the musicians felt their hearts ease at the sight of the piano's seamless, flowing performance. The percussion by Damian and the session musicians rhythmically flowed, but it was the beautiful piano play that took the center stage, turning the overall performance into a beautiful, sorrowful melody. Geon led the music tirelessly with his hands, and soon Sean's voice lifted, starting the song.
"Love is like an airplane"
"You jump and then you pray"
"The lucky ones remain"
"In the clouds for days"
"If life is just a stage"
"Let's put on the best show"
"And let everyone know"
Sean's voice was soft and small, like a man whispering in the ear of his lover who had fallen asleep on a Sunday afternoon, her head resting on his thigh. This drew an even more focused atmosphere among the women in the audience, who unknowingly clasped their hands and turned their eyes into hearts. As the song reached its interlude, Geon fixed his gaze on the musicians and placed his hand on the guitar strings.
The signal for the musicians, who had been taking a brief rest, to swiftly bring their keys upon their instruments and start playing together. The sounds merged harmoniously without clashing, with Geon's guitar bringing a slightly different tone over the ensemble, like a breeze over the sound of nature, as Sean's song reached its climax.
"'Cause if I have to die tonight"
"I'd rather be with you"
"Cut the parachute before the dive"
"Baby don't you cry"
"You have to bring me down"
"We had some fun before we hit the ground"
Geon's guitar ended leaving an echo like a brief wind passing through the beautiful evening scenery and the sound of wild animals. Raising both hands again, Geon began to conduct, and regardless of whether Geon was playing the guitar or conducting, the musicians focused on him, nodding together and following his lead.
Captivated by the beautiful sound, Norman murmured, seemingly unable to stand up from his seat.
"The sound of nature... That's what he was trying to express."
Norman watched Geon, who was leading the performance from among the musicians, with trembling eyes.
"Perhaps, he is a genius beyond what I had imagined, Kay."
The sound director, squatting next to the camera and adjusting the broadcasting sound equipment with headphones on, seemed displeased with the recording situation. The PD sat next to him, whispering worriedly.
"Director, is there a problem?"
The sound director gestured for silence and, after a long moment of frowning at the sound coming from the headphones, took them off and said,
"Phew, this is not working. I can't allow this to be broadcasted as it is, PD."
The PD, surprised, asked,
"What? We came here to broadcast. What do we do if we don't air it?"
The sound director shook his head and put down the headphones.
"The greatness of this music you hear with your ears cannot be captured by this equipment. You'll see, but it's capturing less than a third of its essence. Broadcasting this with my name in the credits would be a stain on my 20-year career as a sound director."
The PD was dumbfounded. The director was a veteran who had spent 20 years capturing the sound of classical music performances and documentaries. It was unthinkable for the PD that there was music the director couldn't capture. They had not brought the high-end equipment since it was an outdoor performance and not a large one, but the PD had trusted the sound director completely.
The PD turned and muttered as he saw Dr. Dre, sweating and concentrating with headphones on beside the stage.
"Well, there's nothing we can do but to ask Dr. Dre for help."
The sound director stood up and said looking at Dr. Dre,
"That guy must be having a tough time right now. Managing such control in real-time is incredible. That's so Dr. Dre. But he must feel like he's walking across a cliff without a stick, so precarious that a slight mistake could ruin the entire music. I'm envious. Even for a great producer, producing such a piece will be a tremendous experience for him."
Following the sound director's words, the PD instructed the camera director to focus on Dr. Dre. As the camera zoomed in on Dr. Dre, the beads of sweat on his forehead became visible. Seeing Dr. Dre's intense concentration, the PD nodded,
"The sound director is right. It's an incredibly demanding task."
The camera director, capturing Dr. Dre's focused expression, brightened up and shifted the camera's position. In the middle of the stage, conducting, Geon was suddenly joined by Snoop, who, in a departure from his usual appearance, was clad in a black suit and sunglasses. The audience, perhaps too immersed in the beautiful melody to cheer, remained quiet even as the superstar Snoop Dogg made his entrance.
Snoop, microphone in hand, reached over to Geon's shoulder and brought the mic to his mouth.
"Let the motion of your body be the key"
"Now you can look to the Sun, and spot the moon"
Snoop's signature smooth, rhythmic rapping seamlessly landed on top of the orchestra's melody. Even though he layered his preferred G Funk style over the orchestra, the integration was so flawless that many experts nodded in approval. Snoop then slightly lowered his sunglasses to glare at Geon, continuing his rap with intensity.
"I come down with the wickedness"
"One rude bwoy coming with the darkness"
Geon couldn't help but let out a chuckle at Snoop's lyrics as he continued to conduct. Snoop then stepped forward from Geon's shoulder to the front of the stage, pointing at the audience.
"I got somethin for them niggaz in the front and the rear"
"So shut the fuck up, and listen while I'm kickin this"
As Snoop turned back after delivering his last line and exited behind Geon, Geon raised his left hand and swung it towards Sean, signaling him to join. Simultaneously, Sean's piano re-entered the mix, this time taking the lead in the performance. Sean began singing as he joined in on the piano.
"Love is like a hurricane"
"You know it's on the way"
"You think you can be brave Underneath the waves"
"If life is just a dream"
"Which of us is dreaming"
"And who will wake up screaming"
As Geon placed his hand back on the guitar strings, the violinists and cellists prepared to play. The guitar's sound was completely different from the first performance; instead of a clear and beautiful tone, it was now gritty with heavy gain. While the audience tilted their heads, intrigued by Geon's distinct playing, Norman Lebrecht, who had been sitting with a drained expression, suddenly stood up with force.
Several camera directors noticed Norman's reaction and quickly turned their cameras to capture him. The camera showed his shocked face, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead as he stared wide-eyed, his mouth twitching as if murmuring.
"The emotions are changing. The song is evolving!"
The PD, watching through the monitor, also closed his eyes to concentrate on the music. If Verse 1 sang of beautiful love, Verse 2 played the fear. As the murky fear of love leaving filled the performance hall, Pai, sitting in front of Geon, began to howl with a sad look. While the audience focused on the singing tiger cub, the sound director frowned.
"Wait, this isn't just one animal howling?"
The sound director adjusted the amplifier and increased the volume in his headphones. From afar, the howling of dozens of wolves could be heard from their enclosure. The sound director, alarmed, signaled the PD, who hurried over.
"What's the matter, director? What's happening?"
The sound director, baffled, handed over the headphones.
"Listen to this."
The PD, with a puzzled look, donned the headphones. After a moment of concentration, he removed them, equally bewildered.
"What's this? Sounds like wolves. Don't tell me the animals from the distant wolf enclosure are howling?"
The sound director nodded and explained.
"Wolves tend to howl along with what they recognize as part of their pack. Kay must have sung to the animals regularly. That's why the wolves recognize Kay as part of their pack. Otherwise, they wouldn't be howling in unison like this."
The incredulous expressions of the PD and sound director were captured on camera, along with their conversation.
Geon's brief guitar performance was enough to stir a change in the emotions of many in the audience. They gripped the hands of their loved ones tighter, not wanting to let go of the love they currently held. This mutual feeling grew as more people began to hold hands or link arms, driven by a vague fear of parting.
Norman was watching the audience's reactions, looking around.
"The audience is responding to the emotional shift! Ordinary people, not just experts!"
Norman glared at Geon, who had put down his guitar and was conducting on stage.
"Show me! Go on, show me more! I must see with my own eyes how far you can go!"
Geon's expression, as he made eye contact and conducted the musicians on stage, gradually became sadder. Though his hands led the performance faster, tears began to well up in his eyes, lost in the emotions conveyed by the music. This phenomenon quickly spread among the musicians, starting with the female violinists closely observing Geon. Tears from the closest female violinist fell onto her violin. The cellist's grip trembled slightly. When Sean looked up while playing the piano, a tear could be seen streaming down beneath his glasses. He was crying, yet there seemed to be a great joy, as he smiled brightly through his tears. Opening his eyes, Sean saw hallucinations among the few stars in the dark sky.
"Father!"
In Sean's eyes, the image of John Lennon, smiling and laughing brightly from the sky, appeared. Several audience members, seeing Sean laughing up at the sky, unwittingly looked up as well. Immersed in the melody and the emotions the music conveyed, many in the audience began to take out handkerchiefs to wipe their tears.
Norman, having stood up to scrutinize the stage, was surprised at himself.
"Tears? Am I crying? Norman Lebrecht crying?"
Norman was startled as he wiped away a tear that had unknowingly fallen from one eye.
"How long has it been since I've been purely moved by music rather than analyzing it?"
Indeed, since starting his career as a critic, Norman, who used to seek out music simply because he liked it, had shifted to analyzing, dissecting, and listing the pros and cons, as well as the background and emotions expressed in the music. After learning an instrument, when he listened to music, he could hear each instrument separately. From the moment he started analyzing music, the emotional impact music itself could have diminished. Norman trembled his lips, looking at Geon, who had returned him to the emotions of a young man who simply loved music.
"I'll spend the rest of my life following you, Kay. You could be the second act of my life."
From the stage, where Sean was looking up and smiling, the last chorus flowed.
"Cause if I have to die tonight"
"I'd rather it was you"
As Geon grabbed the microphone and added harmony to Sean's song. The harmony, made up of simple "na na na" humming, maximized the sorrow conveyed by the song's emotions.
"Cut the parachute before the dive"
"Baby don't you cry"
"You have to bring me down"
"We had some fun before we hit the ground"
After Sean's last lyrics, all instruments ceased, leaving only the sound of Sean's piano resonating in the concert hall. As Sean's playing dwindled, he stopped and bowed his head. Tears fell onto the keys of the grand piano. Sean, trembling with satisfaction from the performance, stood up and approached Geon.
Geon looked at him and smiled brightly. Raising his hands, he reached out to Sean, who ran to him and hugged him. In the center of the stage, the two men hugged; the beautiful boy's face was filled with a happy smile, while the man with glasses on his pale face had tears of joy. The audience, perhaps too stunned to applaud at the music's end, just stared blankly at the two men.
As Geon hugged Sean, he saw Dr. Dre running towards him and smiled, extending his other hand. Dre hugged Geon's other shoulder and said,
"That was incredible! The best experience of my life, Kay!"
From behind the trio, Snoop, wearing sunglasses, peeked out and said,
"Hey, I was here too, even if my part was small. Include me too."
As Snoop reached out to back-hug Geon from behind, Geon's laughter grew larger. Damian Marley looked up at the sky from in front of his percussion, just as Sean had seen John Lennon in the sky, he too was thinking of his father.
"Father, I miss you terribly today. If only I could have shown this performance to you..."
The musicians gathered around Geon, putting down their instruments. Though it was customary to greet the audience first after a performance, nobody seemed to care about that now. The violinist with tear-stained face, the cellist with mascara sme
ared, all beamed with joy as they crowded around Geon. Dre, seeing the musicians gathering, shouted,
"Let's lift him up in celebration!"
At Dre's cue, the male musicians clung to Geon. A bit flustered, Geon, being lifted, exclaimed,
"Ah! Please, not too high!"
The musicians laughed mischievously and counted,
"One, two, three, up!"
They threw Geon up high with all their might. As Geon screamed from being tossed too high, Pai below growled uneasily. Hearing that, the audience began to wake from their trance. Surprised at themselves for being so absorbed, they looked at each other and opened their mouths wide.
Standing, Norman began to clap slowly until the end of the performance.
"Clap, clap, clap"
As the audience's attention focused on Norman clapping, more and more began to join in, and a wave of applause and cheers swept through the zoo concert hall.
"Wow~~~~~~~~~~ It was the best performance!"
"The best performance of my life!! Whew!!"
"Kyaaak!! I was so happy!"
As the audience erupted in cheers, the musicians gently lowered Geon back to the ground. While it would have been appropriate for him to acknowledge the applause, all the musicians silently watched Geon, adjusting his attire before stepping forward. As Geon stepped forward and raised his hand, a broad smile spread across the faces of the musicians as they finally bowed in gratitude to the audience's louder cheers and unending applause until the curtain slowly closed. Reluctant to disturb the rest of the animals despite wanting an encore, the audience simply applauded.
Even after the curtain had fully closed, the audience continued applauding for a while before starting to leave the zoo, with the animals, still awake from the night's performance, watching them. Cameras and reporters swarmed around Norman, who was staring blankly at the departing audience.
A reporter handed a microphone to Norman and asked, "Mr. Norman, could you share your thoughts on tonight's performance?"
As Norman continued to stare blankly at the closed curtain, the reporter prompted, "Mr. Norman?"
Glancing briefly at the reporters and cameras surrounding him, Norman said, "Didn't you all hear it? What more is there to say?"
The reporters hesitated, searching for words, but persisted in pushing the microphone closer to Norman, who frowned at the encroaching mics and declared, "Without a doubt, it was the best performance. This is Norman Lebrecht speaking. Dare I say, the best performance I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. That's all."
Handing off the microphone bundle to a nearby reporter, Norman quickly made his way backstage, where reporters were already filling the area, but were being held back by zoo security guards who were preventing them from entering. As the security guards loudly urged the reporters to leave for the animals' rest and stated that interview requests would not be accepted as they had been previously discussed with the performers, the reporters reluctantly began to disperse after being told to submit formal interview requests through their companies.
Approaching the security guard, Norman was stopped with an extended hand. The guard asked, "Did you not understand what was just said?"
Norman nodded calmly and asked, "Could you please relay just one message to Kay?"
After a moment of confusion, the guard inquired, "What message would that be?"
Norman, with a serious look, said, "Please tell him that Norman Lebrecht, whom he met in England, said, 'I will follow the future that the musician Kay will tread for the rest of my life.'"
The guard looked at Norman for a moment before slowly nodding, "I will make sure the message is delivered."
After thanking the guard with a handshake, Norman left the zoo. As the performers, still buzzing from the excitement, heard that the audience and reporters had all left the zoo, they began to pack up their instruments. Amid the hustle of clearing the stage, Snoop announced, "It's late today, but let's rent a club and have a party tomorrow! It's on me!"
"Wow!!!!"
"That's awesome! Wow, I'm going to a party hosted by Snoop Dogg! Can I bring my girlfriend?"
"If you're bringing your girlfriend, bring a friend too! Then you're welcome!"
"Hahahaha!!"
As Snoop laughed, he turned his gaze to Geon, who flinched upon noticing. Snoop approached and looked down at Geon, saying, "Don't disappear to Jamaica after the show like last time, or I'll load my private jet with machine guns and head to Jamaica."
Geon awkwardly stepped back with a nervous laugh, "Ah, ah, haha, okay, Snoop. I'll be there for sure."
After scrutinizing Geon for a while, Snoop finally left the stage with Dre. As most of the performers had departed, Sean, who had been standing by Geon, touched his shoulder.
"Kay, I'm sure you're an angel sent to me by my father. That's what I believe."
Geon smiled and shook his head, "Well, I'm not that good of a person, haha."
Sean hugged Geon again, whispering quietly, "Thank you, Kay. If there's anything you need, contact me anytime. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need help."
Geon patted Sean's back, "Sure, Sean. And no pretending not to know me later, okay?"
After releasing his hug, Sean smiled at Geon before leaving. Left alone on the stage, Geon picked up Ricky and Pai, who were sitting at his feet looking up at him.
"Up we go! My little ones. It's late, isn't it? Let's go to bed, and since the other animals haven't slept yet, I'll sing for you first. Don't worry. I'll make sure you're asleep before I go. Let's go~"
Carrying Haku, Geon was the last to leave the now-empty stage.