The Genius Composer Starts Again - Chapter 44

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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 slowly switched her grip on the hammer. The cold touch of the metal crept up along her palm.

 

Though she silenced her footsteps, Mun Ah-rin’s shadow stretched long beneath the fluorescent lights.

 

Mun Ah-rin and Kang Se-a’s shadows mingled and swayed ominously. It looked as if Mun Ah-rin’s shadow would devour Kang Se-a.

 

The back of Kang Se-a, about to descend the stairs, drew closer and closer.

 

Mun Ah-rin raised the hammer.

 

The metal tip glinted faintly in the light. For a moment, it seemed to reflect Kang Se-a’s image.

 

If Mun Ah-rin set her mind to it, the heavy steel hammer could strike the back of Kang Se-a’s head.

 

Just like in the distant future, when she would take the life of her dearest friend.

 

Mun Ah-rin’s gaze traveled down along Kang Se-a’s nape. The pale skin visible between strands of hair was utterly captivating.

 

Mun Ah-rin’s breathing gradually quickened.

 

In that hair-trigger moment when something was about to happen,

 

Kang Se-a stopped walking.

 

A spine-chilling silence flowed, and Kang Se-a slowly turned around as if sensing something.

 

“…Junior?”

 

In Kang Se-a’s eyes was reflected the image of Mun Ah-rin smiling brightly.

 

The hammer was still gripped in the hand hidden behind her back.

 

“Ah, senior.”

 

“What? I wondered who it was. Didn’t you say you were going to practice a bit more?”

 

“Ah, yes. But there’s a friend downstairs, so I was going to go see them briefly.”

 

“Really? Should I go down with you?”

 

“Um… I was going to go down, but I think it’s better to finish practicing first. Sorry. Please go ahead, senior.”

 

Mun Ah-rin replied cheerfully with a bright smile.

 

Kang Se-a nodded, but inwardly felt an inexplicable uneasiness.

 

It was because she strangely sensed an alien atmosphere from Mun Ah-rin that was different from usual. But since it was difficult to pinpoint exactly, Kang Se-a didn’t say anything particular.

 

“Got it. Then good luck with your practice.”

 

“Yes~.”

 

Mun Ah-rin waved one hand gently in greeting.

 

Kang Se-a had no choice but to turn around. That must have been the moment.

 

‘Huh?’

 

When she felt as if someone was pulling her bag.

 

But Kang Se-a had already stepped forward to hurry down the stairs.

 

‘Huh?’

 

Her center of gravity suddenly shifted and her body swayed greatly.

 

She reflexively tried to brace herself by putting strength in her opposite foot, but her bag wouldn’t move as she wanted, causing her to lose balance again.

 

“Ah!”

 

Kang Se-a reflexively pressed her hands against the stairs. Sharp pain spread through them.

 

That wasn’t the end of it.

 

Her body spun around from what felt like someone forcefully pulling her bag.

 

As a result, Kang Se-a tumbled sideways down the stairs in confusion.

 

“Ugh…!”

 

She hastily lifted her wrist from the floor, but it was already too late. She could immediately tell she had sustained a serious injury.

 

“Senior! Are you okay?! What should we do…!”

 

Mun Ah-rin immediately rushed over.

 

Kang Se-a quickly turned her head.

 

The end of her bag was caught on the edge of the railing.

 

This seemed to be why she couldn’t maintain her balance and kept swaying. But it was strange.

 

Why would her bag strap, which had been fine, suddenly…?

 

‘Could it be…’

 

Kang Se-a found herself looking at Mun Ah-rin.

 

Whether she knew Kang Se-a’s thoughts or not, Mun Ah-rin looked at a loss with eyes that seemed ready to burst into tears at any moment.

 

“Th-there probably aren’t any hospitals open right now… Should we go to the emergency room? Should I call a taxi? Can you walk, senior…?!”

 

The late practice room.

 

Only Mun Ah-rin and Kang Se-a were alone in the corridor. The east staircase was such a remote place that there weren’t even any CCTVs.

 

‘Right. It couldn’t be.’

 

There was no direct evidence, and her bag strap was clearly caught on the railing.

 

To anyone, it just looked like an unlucky accident.

 

“Senior! Your wrist…!”

 

Mun Ah-rin looked at Kang Se-a’s arm, her face pale.

 

The wrist she had stepped on wrong when falling was now swollen. Even at a glance, it was clearly different from the other side.

 

“Ugh!”

 

When she tried to move it slightly, needle-like pain rushed through.

 

She had definitely injured a ligament or gotten a hairline fracture.

 

‘What should I do? The scholarship recital is coming up soon. I haven’t finished composing yet.’

 

To compose, the process of playing instruments directly while making revisions was essential. Even when working with MIDI, she needed her wrist to input each note by hand.

 

A wrist injury at such a crucial time.

 

‘I was almost there. Just a little more and I could have perfected it…!’

 

Thinking this made her bite her lip involuntarily.

 

“Senior. Let’s hurry to the emergency room. If you can’t walk, I’ll support you!”

 

With Mun Ah-rin’s help, Kang Se-a barely managed to stand up. Even while leaving the practice room, taking a taxi, and heading to the emergency room, Kang Se-a’s expression remained tense.

 

‘Of all times.’

 

Kang Se-a’s gaze turned to Mun Ah-rin.

 

‘Of all times, when it’s just you and me alone.’

 

She had the face of a good junior who seemed to know nothing. But Kang Se-a felt chills.

 

***

 

“Again.”

 

At my brief instruction, Cho Yun-je placed his hands on the keyboard again. It was a passage he had repeated dozens of times just now.

 

-♩♪♩♬

 

Only the final ending was slightly different; the chord progression was almost the same.

 

I listened to the piece and immediately waved my hand to cut it off.

 

“No. This isn’t it.”

 

“What’s wrong with it?”

 

Fatigue and irritation were evident in Cho Yun-je’s voice.

 

“It’s perfect. The chord progression is clean, and the harmony is fine too.”

 

“That’s the problem.”

 

I tapped Cho Yun-je’s sheet music with my fingertip.

 

“Is this the only musical idea that comes to mind when you see the theme ‘Birth’? It can’t be, right? Think about the moment you were born. What that moment might have been like.”

 

Cho Yun-je gritted his teeth and rewrote the score. However, his pen tip only circled in the air before drawing the same pattern again.

 

A typical, safe musical idea.

 

I let out a deep sigh.

 

“You’re running away again.”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re running away from your emotions.”

 

Cho Yun-je stopped, gripping his pen.

 

“Birth isn’t just a happy and beautiful moment. It could be the most chaotic, disorderly, and painful moment.”

 

“…”

 

“Crying, the pain of a child breathing on their own for the first time, sudden light, loud noises. All of that should explode… but I don’t feel any of that in your piece.”

 

“What specifically do you want me to do?”

 

“If I told you that, it would be my piece, not yours.”

 

“Ugh.”

 

Cho Yun-je let out a pained groan.

 

“Break it down. The framework you’ve built up.”

 

I grabbed the sheet music, crumpled it up, and threw it in the trash. Cho Yun-je frowned with displeasure for a moment, but didn’t stop me.

 

“Haah… I stayed up two nights composing this.”

 

“The time you put in isn’t what matters. You said you wanted to break through your limits and gain your mother’s recognition.”

 

Cho Yun-je nodded weakly.

 

“Then I need to push you to your limits. So you can move beyond them.”

 

“I wasn’t told it would be this harsh.”

 

“I said I wouldn’t go easy on you.”

 

“No, I mean…”

 

Cho Yun-je let out a deep sigh and shook his head back and forth.

 

“I’m taking back everything I thought about ‘geniuses having it easy since they can just whip out songs in no time.'”

 

Of course. I also spend a long time pondering when musical ideas don’t come and I hit a wall.

 

As I stood leaning against the wall with my arms crossed, watching Cho Yun-je, I noticed the dark circles that had dropped down to his chin.

 

Still, maybe I went a bit too far.

 

“Should we take a 10-minute break?”

 

“No.”

 

Cho Yun-je gritted his teeth.

 

“Keep going. You said you’d push me to my limits.”

 

He picked up his pen again and pulled out a fresh sheet of staff paper.

 

“I have to try. Let’s see who wins and settle this today.”

 

Good, that’s the attitude. I smiled slightly. It seemed like it was time to move on to the next step.

 

“Then this time,”

 

Buzz-.

 

Just then, my phone vibrated.

 

What? At this late hour? I tilted my head curiously and took out my phone, only to see an unexpected caller.

 

[ Professor Jeong Tae-seong ]

 

‘Not Producer Min Chan-hyeok, but the Professor?’

 

Wondering what was going on, I hurriedly answered the phone.

 

“Hello?”

 

And the news that followed was quite shocking.

 

“…What?”

 

So much so that I found myself asking back without realizing it.

 

“Kang Se-a sunbae is in the Emergency Room right now?”

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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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