The Genius Composer Starts Again - Chapter 41

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“…Mun Ah-rin?”

 

The answer came out a beat too late. My hand froze while holding up my bag.

 

Kang Se-a only turned her head slightly while holding her guitar.

 

“I heard you’re close with my junior. Since you’re both second-year composition majors, you’re classmates. You know each other, right?”

 

I steadied my breathing and nodded.

 

“…Yes, that’s right.”

 

“I see.”

 

Kang Se-a chuckled. I asked in as calm a tone as possible.

 

“But how do you know Ah-rin, senior?”

 

“Ah, we needed session musicians while preparing for the campus performance. And that girl volunteered to help. We got close pretty quickly after talking a few times!”

 

Mun Ah-rin and Kang Se-a.

 

Did these two originally have any connection? Before my regression, Mun Ah-rin was active as a scholarship student, so maybe that was it.

 

‘But I don’t remember ever hearing Kang Se-a’s name…’

 

Maybe I simply couldn’t remember. Or maybe something changed as a result of my different actions.

 

“We talked about the scholarship recital a few times, and she said you two were close! But you two don’t seem to have similar vibes, so I was curious and asked.”

 

“Ah, yes. …We’re friends.”

 

For now, at least.

 

I hid my complicated feelings and responded with a short answer. Kang Se-a didn’t seem to have any further interest either.

 

“Hmm. But you know what.”

 

Kang Se-a stared at me intently. Silently, for a long time. A strange tension filled the air.

 

“You should be careful.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“I can read faces a bit. You’re the type who attracts incidents and accidents even when doing nothing.”

 

Are physiognomy and constitution related? That doubt crossed my mind briefly, but I forced a smile.

 

“Haha. I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

It was clearly half a joke. …Probably.

 

“I’m sure you’ll handle things well. I’m not usually the type to meddle in these things. But there are kids who spark fires even when staying still.”

 

Kang Se-a muttered as if talking to herself.

 

Somehow those words seemed to linger in my ears for a long time.

 

“So. Are you practicing? Or not?”

 

“Ah! I’ll be heading out now. Thank you for the advice.”

 

After bowing, I hurried outside.

 

‘…This is chaotic.’

 

My relationship with Cho Yun-je, who I need to collaborate with, has gone sour, and I don’t know what Mun Ah-rin was thinking when she approached Kang Se-a. Meanwhile, Jeong Do-hyun is apparently investigating YULE’s identity.

 

It’s truly one mountain after another.

 

‘I thought if I just composed well, nothing else would matter.’

 

That was a complete miscalculation.

 

***

 

“Mm~. Delicious!”

 

Mun Ah-rin smiled happily while eating the cafeteria food.

 

“Is it really that good?”

 

“Yes! It’s our school’s greatest advantage. The cafeteria cheese pork cutlet is delicious~.”

 

To me it just tasted decent and ordinary. But Mun Ah-rin always expressed the taste in an exaggerated way.

 

Still, it was much better than complaining about bad food. I continued using my chopsticks while subtly probing Mun Ah-rin.

 

“I heard something.”

 

“What?”

 

“You joined Kang Se-a senior’s session. You volunteered for it.”

 

At my words, Mun Ah-rin’s eyes widened.

 

“You told me you didn’t have time for assignments and asked me to cover your part-time job. But you have time for sessions?”

 

I pointed out that contradictory behavior first.

 

I naturally expected Mun Ah-rin to panic and apologize for being caught in her inconsistency, or perhaps go on the offensive asking if I was investigating her.

 

Anyone would react that way when their duplicitous behavior was exposed.

 

But Mun Ah-rin’s reaction was quite unexpected.

 

Instead, she gently curved up the corners of her mouth. A captivating light momentarily appeared on her cute face.

 

“Ah, that?”

 

But soon she transformed into a bright smile, returning to her usual appearance.

 

“What~. Is Seol perhaps jealous? Because I joined a session without you? Hm?”

 

“That’s not it.”

 

“What do you mean it’s not! Your pouty expression is exactly the right answer.”

 

Mun Ah-rin chattered as if strangely excited. Seeing her giggle playfully, I felt like a fool for probing seriously.

 

‘Am I overreacting when it’s nothing?’

 

That thought naturally occurred to me.

 

“Don’t worry. Seol is my only best friend.”

 

“Is your assignment time. Really okay?”

 

“Se-a unnie is surprisingly strict about keeping time. When we practice, we focus completely on practice, and when we rest, we rest. So it doesn’t take as much time as I thought.”

 

Se-a unnie. Have they already become that close?

 

With Mun Ah-rin’s social skills, she’d get along well anywhere, so it wasn’t particularly strange.

 

“You must have heard about it when you met Se-a unnie.”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

“I was actually wanting to talk about it too.”

 

Mun Ah-rin glanced at me.

 

“You fought with Yun-je, right?”

 

“…We didn’t fight.”

 

He was the one who got angry unilaterally.

 

After parting with Cho Yun-je like that, even when we ran into each other in the lecture hall, Cho Yun-je would pass by pretending not to see me.

 

We weren’t the type to exchange greetings originally. But his blatant ignoring made me angry too.

 

Time was passing relentlessly and the scholarship recital was gradually approaching. But I was starting to feel anxious since Cho Yun-je and I hadn’t talked separately.

 

‘To find session musicians, we need to discuss the instrument arrangement. We should at least coordinate what kind of composition we’ll do.’

 

I’d wonder if I should contact him first, but then seeing his rude attitude, I’d think, fine, do whatever you want.

 

“Se-a unnie was very worried. She said the two of you need to reconcile quickly so we can all practice together.”

 

I paused for a moment. My mouth felt bitter from a subtle sense of unease.

 

“She said that?”

 

“Yes. She said you look like you’re having a hard time lately.”

 

Mun Ah-rin smiled brightly as she responded.

 

“…Really?”

 

“That’s what she said. But are you really okay? I didn’t hear the details.”

 

Mun Ah-rin immediately showed me a worried expression.

 

“Our Seol has always been clumsy at building relationships with friends. Even in high school, I often mediated because of that. Remember?”

 

I slowly nodded.

 

Of course, there were no friends who became close with me again after her mediation.

 

“I thought you’d gotten a bit better since coming to university, but you’re fighting again so quickly. Seol really needs a lot of attention~.”

 

Mun Ah-rin smiled playfully.

 

She seemed strangely pleased too.

 

“If you need my help, just tell me.”

 

“Are you close with Cho Yun-je?”

 

“No, not really. But since Seol’s way of speaking is stiff, if I go and smooth things over well, wouldn’t we be able to communicate? Then I’ll arrange a meeting for you two.”

 

She naturally gave off the nuance that if she stepped in, things would be resolved favorably.

 

I wonder. Would that really happen? Cho Yun-je didn’t seem favorable toward Mun Ah-rin.

 

“…No. I’ll handle it myself.”

 

“Alright, then.”

 

Mun Ah-rin didn’t persist further and withdrew cleanly. As if she had simply offered her goodwill for my sake.

 

‘I need to come up with some kind of plan.’

 

After finishing our meal with Mun Ah-rin, we each went our separate ways.

 

“I have session practice! I’ll see you later~.”

 

“Yeah. I reserved a practice room too.”

 

As soon as I arrived in the practice room, instead of standing in front of the piano, I widened my eyes.

 

‘If I just stay idle like this, we’ll look like a ragtag bunch during the scholarship recital.’

 

I have no choice.

 

‘System window. Show me the reward I received last time.’

 

After muttering to myself and blinking once, the system window filled my entire field of vision.

 

As a reward for the previous main quest of getting Lee Ha-in’s new song into the chart TOP 10, I could choose one from three options.

 

1. Inspiration Acquisition (B+)

 

2. Connection Free Pass (A)

 

3. Trend-Reading Ear (C+)

 

Among these, the reward I had chosen was none other than…

 

[ SYSTEM – V1.0 ]

 

> Stored Quest Reward

 

: Connection Free Pass (A) – Ready to activate

 

This one.

 

It was the only A-grade option, and I thought it would be the perfect card to compensate for my weakness in interpersonal relationships.

 

‘I was thinking of saving it a bit longer. But this is exactly the kind of situation I chose it for.’

 

I don’t have confidence in untangling this tangled web of relationships on my own.

 

In the end, I decided to rely on the system’s power.

 

‘Connection Free Pass, activate.’

 

As I muttered to myself, the system window sparkled with bright light. What appeared next was…

 

“Huh?”

 

Enough to make me flustered.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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