Brilliant conservatory student Cha Yoo-jin, gaining a bad rep, finds himself assigned to a new teacher, who forces him into performing a duet with an extremely sloven but instinctively brilliant pianist (who turns out to be his neighbor).
Through their Mozart duet, Nae-il falls for Yoo-jin, which messes her up for Il-rak's performance and creates conflict between Yoo-jin and the incognito Maestro von Stesemann.
Professor von Stresemann finally gives Yoo-jin the chance to conduct, under condition that if he fails to lead he must give up trying to change his major. Meanwhile, Nae-il finds herself being maliciously pranked.
The fall concert arrives, but instead of casting his vote, von Stresemann continues to shake things up by entering several unlikely students in a prestigious master class.
Well beyond the benevolence of Prof. Ahn, all but Yoo-jin finds the unyielding strictness of the Yoon Yi-song Music Festival intimidating, unpleasant, unrewarding and painful - but a new friend/rival emerges.
Pressured to remove one of the orchestras, Dean Song surprises the faculty by eliminating both and putting Cha Yoo-jin in charge of assembling a new one.
The new, self-christened "Rising Star" orchestra excludes many of the privileged students, which infuriates the Chairwoman. She plans to scuttle it right then and there, but a cleaver move from von Streseman blocks her.
With their latest concert about to begin, several students face personal demons: Nae-il with remaining a child, Yoon-hoo with his ailing hand, and Yoo-jin with his strict and unyielding perfectionist father.
As a scheduled TV appearance splits Rising Star between former S and A orchestra members, Nae-il asks Professor Do to help her prepare for her first piano competition.
While Nae-il progresses rockily through to the piano competition finals, Yoo-jin struggles to surmount Rising Star's decision to deliberately select a weak player as their soloist.
As the school board convenes to decide Rising Star's fate, Nae-il endeavors to see that nothing holds Yoo-jin back from reaching his full potential, scaring her friends.
A difference in English spelling may cost Nae-il a place in the international piano competition in Salzburg, Austria, unless one of the five secret judges can vouch for her identity.