The Secret

Episode 9. The Secret

 

Kang Pi-o receives a phone call from Mr. Kang, his informant, and learns that his mother, Kang Ji-hye, arranged Choi Jeong-yo’s kidnapping nine years earlier at the International Harmonie Competition. Jeong-yo looks at him as he studies the photograph sent to him as evidence. Pi-o confronts his mother and shows her the photo from Mr. Kang. She admits she never intended to have Jeong-yo killed, but only delayed because Pi-o’s finger was hurting. Pi-o says he is ashamed of winning the competition and asks his mother to apologize to Jeong-yo. She instead suggests that they keep it a secret between them because it taints Pi-o’s accomplishments, and threatens to commit suicide rather than admit the wrongdoing.

 

Kang Ji-hye’s joy in Kang Pi-o’s performance overflowed as she spoke to Manager Eden Yoon. She admitted there was chemistry with Choi Jeong-yo, but still believed her son was better than Jeong-yo.

 

Kang Pi-o is frustrated and overcome with guilt, while his mother schemes her next move. Pi-o visits Choi Jeong-yo intending to beg forgiveness for the kidnapping, but instead admits he used the notes in Jeong-yo’s sheet music. He says he won the competition because of the notations and that Jeong-yo should have won. Jeong-yo tells him that his performance in the competition had style and made him win. Jeong-yo shows Pi-o his composition and decides to use it. Pi-o returns home and finds his mother, who asks whether he told Jeong-yo about her crime.

 

Choi Jeong-yo meets Pi-o at his house to offer him the chance to debut his composition, a concerto called Nemesis, which he composed over five years. Pi-o turns down the offer. Jeong-yo tells him that he believes he is the only one he wants to perform the piece with passion. He says the guilt tearing Pi-o apart could be repaid through playing the concerto, and that he is willing to wait until Pi-o says yes.

 

Pi-o recalls that Jeong-yo can no longer play the piano because he was shot in the shoulder, damaging the nerves in his right-hand fingers. He meets with Jeong-yo to say he will do his best to play the piece but could be replaced at any time.

 

Maestro Kang Seung-woon asks Choi Jeong-yo why he showed him his composition. Jeong-yo tells him he wants it premiered at the 80th anniversary concert and wants Kang Pi-o to perform it as soloist.

 

President Yoon Seong-ju comments on the concerto as a beautiful piece and asks about Maestro Kang’s harsh treatment of Pi-o, who has accomplished much. He says they are alike, and that their search for perfection made both self-destructive.

 

Kang Ji-hye remains adamant against Pi-o’s performance with Choi Jeong-yo.

 

At the press conference announcing the music festival, Professor Do Hyun-soo describes Maestro Kang Seung-woon as the tireless, unconventional conductor for the 80th anniversary concert of the Hankook Symphony Orchestra. Choi Jeong-yo explains his choice of Kang Pi-o as soloist because of Pi-o’s fiery passion to premiere his composition. Meanwhile, Kang Pi-o promises to deliver a premiere worthy of the composer.

 

At dinner, Professor Do asks why Choi Jeong-yo didn’t consider him as soloist for the concerto. Hong Jae-in teases Professor Do that it is time he shared the spotlight with Kang Pi-o, since he has been Maestro Kang’s favorite soloist for the longest time. She says that, like Maestro Kang and him, Jeong-yo and Pi-o should be allowed their brilliance. Manager Eden Yoon tells Jeong-yo that he must hurry his compositions because she has lined up musicians to premiere them. Professor Do praises his two students for excelling and reminds Pi-o to take the stage by storm. Jeong-yo tells Pi-o that he would appreciate it if he showed his progress in interpreting the piece. Pi-o agrees to develop the piece together.

 

Kang Pi-o tells Jae-in to cancel all his performances until after the concerto so he can focus on it. She argues, but relents.

 

Professor Do asks the group for a nightcap, then cancels to pick up Kang Ji-hye at the bar, where she is drunk. She cries and tells him she has made a mistake, then rambles about taking Choi Jeong-yo away from Pi-o because she is afraid of him.

 

Maestro Kang tells President Yoon that he is ready to step down as artistic director of the Hankook Symphony Orchestra after the 80th anniversary performance, in favor of Choi Jeong-so, who will bring fresh blood. President Yoon says it is much too soon and asks if he is sick. He says there is nothing more pathetic than an old man who does not know when to step aside. He practices with the orchestra and tells the musicians to play with heart, express emotion, pour their soul into it, own the music they play, and send love through every note. He feels faint as he leaves the empty music room.

 

President Yoon calls Kang Ji-hye and tells her that Maestro Kang is retiring. She asks if he is sick. Maestro Kang asks her why she hates Choi Jeong-yo so much, since he is replacing him. He asks whether she has done him wrong and says that, if so, it would mean karma.

Kang Pi-o practices the piece in Choi Jeong-yo’s presence, but Jeong-yo is not satisfied with the rendition and calls it superficial. Pi-o says the theme is the price of arrogance. Jeong-yo says Pi-o is still hiding behind his armor and not giving it his best.

 

Professor Do introduces Pi-o to the harpsichord. Pi-o asks whether he can practice on it, and Do tells him to notify him when he leaves. 

 

Hong Jae-in is impressed by Pi-o’s interpretation. However, Jeong-yo wants to hear the cadenza again and tells him the speed he is using is not the tempo he intended for the piece. Pi-o tells Jeong-yo that the 160 tempo is what he used, and Jeong-yo tells him that he will not be able to rise above the orchestra if he does not grasp the music.

 

Choi Jeong-yo is told that his father has been missing from the alcohol addiction treatment center since noon. He rides a cab to the hospital and is followed by Kang Ji-hye. Jeong-yo notices her and confronts her in the lobby, pretending to meet with the director for a volunteer performance. She pretends to visit a friend, but Jeong-yo knows she is lying. He tells Hang-yo to keep everyone silent about his father. Jeong-yo knows where to look for their father. Hang-yo brings their father back to the hospital while Jeong-yo watches.

 

Kang Pi-o struggles with interpreting the piece. He finds his mother outside the practice room, and she tells him she doubts Jeong-yo’s amnesia is real. She says she followed him to the alcohol addiction center and comments that he does not know anyone in Korea to call, and that he also wandered off in a room at Seodeom Art Center where Jeong-yo’s mother died. Pi-o tells her to stop making up stories about Jeong-yo. He is stuck on Jeong-yo’s words about facing the problem instead of ignoring it which he once told Jeong-yo. He sees the piece they played as children, drives to the Seodeom Art Center, and recalls how they wrote their names below the window Jeong-yo stared out of, which his mother had mentioned. He sees the note they left still written under the sill and remembers Jeong-yo declaring that he would win the competition, but that they should continue playing four hands together.     

 

#KDrama #NemesisConcerto #KangPio #ChoiJeongyo #MaestroKang #LeeMinsung #DramaSeries #MusicAndConflict #OrchestralDrama #PianoPassion