The Genius Composer Starts Again - Chapter 68

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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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The fluorescent lights of the cafe seemed to flash before my eyes. A ringing sound echoed in my ears and my breathing naturally became rough.

 

My fingertips turned cold.

 

The applause that poured down under the lights,

 

Me, always hiding like a shadow and looking at Mun Ah-rin with envy.

 

Unlike Mun Ah-rin who wore a bright smile, my insignificant self felt so pathetic that I would close my eyes.

 

Everything was coming back.

 

Like a nightmare.

 

-Seol. Please be more aware of the situation. Well, you’ve been like this since you were young.

 

-I’m Ah-rin. Your one and only friend, Mun Ah-rin. What’s the big deal about just a few songs.

 

-What can you do about it now? Can you live without me? When you can’t even hear properly. How are you going to make a living.

 

I could feel my face turning pale. Mun Ah-rin was still smiling brightly.

 

I needed to say something in response. Even though I knew my long silence would seem strange, I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

 

I looked at Mun Ah-rin with wavering eyes.

 

“….”

 

I tried to move my lips but no words came out. Something seemed firmly stuck in my throat, making it hard to breathe.

 

At that moment,

 

A voice from beside me broke the silence.

 

“You, you shouldn’t say things like that…!”

 

Our gazes turned simultaneously.

 

Despite trembling at the sudden attention, Shin Ha-yeon clutched her laptop tightly and stepped forward instead.

 

She stood between me and Mun Ah-rin.

 

Her fingertips were trembling finely, but her back looked steadfast.

 

“…Who are you?”

 

Mun Ah-rin tilted her head slightly. Her smile remained, but her eyes seemed sharp as she tried to figure out who this person was.

 

“I, I am…!”

 

Shin Ha-yeon took a breath and then shouted.

 

“Seol’s friend!”

 

My eyes widened.

 

Friend?

 

That word felt very awkward to me. Because for me, friend had always been synonymous with Mun Ah-rin, I had never imagined becoming friends with anyone else.

 

‘I see.’

 

Even while doing assignments with Shin Ha-yeon and having conversations.

 

I hadn’t been aware that Shin Ha-yeon was my friend. I hadn’t expected that Shin Ha-yeon would step up for me when confronting Mun Ah-rin like this.

 

But Shin Ha-yeon had stepped forward without hesitation.

 

Just because I looked troubled.

 

“A friend…”

 

Mun Ah-rin’s smile wavered slightly.

 

She looked back and forth between Shin Ha-yeon and me, then soon burst into a short laugh.

 

“How interesting, Seol. You’ve gone and made a friend other than me.”

 

Unlike her gracefully curved lips, there was a hidden dagger in the eyes that looked at me.

 

What briefly flashed by was a kind of sense of betrayal.

 

“That’s a relief. I was always worried that you only hung out with me. But I’ve never heard you mention this person?”

 

“We only got to know each other recently.”

 

Shin Ha-yeon answered.

 

“We became close quickly while working together.”

 

“Really? Seol is usually quite shy with strangers, so I’m surprised. She’s never kept anyone close by for long except me.”

 

Mun Ah-rin swept her hair behind her ear and spoke to me.

 

“When was it? High school?”

 

“…Yeah. That’s right.”

 

“From then on, she stuck to me like glue, like a cicada on an old tree, you know? We were always together, so sometimes when Seol wasn’t around, people would ask where your partner went.”

 

Mun Ah-rin laughed cheerfully as she reminisced about high school memories.

 

There were definitely times like that. My school days were completely filled with Mun Ah-rin, so even after becoming an adult, I didn’t know there were other options for me.

 

“Do you know how surprised Seol’s homeroom teacher was in senior year? She could have gone to Korea National University of Arts instead of Korea University. Korea National University of Arts, you know it, right? But she turned down Korea National University of Arts because she wanted to go to the same university as me.”

 

That happened too.

 

Originally I was planning to go to Korea National University of Arts, but after going through a series of incidents, I wanted to lean on someone.

 

So I followed Mun Ah-rin to Korea University.

 

Generally, both Korea University and Korea National University of Arts are good schools, but there was an atmosphere that regarded Korea National University of Arts slightly higher.

 

‘That didn’t really matter though.’

 

At the time, such things weren’t important.

 

I was in a state of mind where I would grasp at any straw. I felt like I would collapse completely if I was alone. So I headed toward the only support I knew.

 

“Please take care of her.”

 

Mun Ah-rin took a step forward.

 

After approaching right up to Shin Ha-yeon’s face, she smiled brightly and added.

 

“Seol may seem easygoing, but she’s actually quite tender-hearted.”

 

It sounded like kind advice, but it was also a warning to Shin Ha-yeon.

 

A warning not to dare covet her position.

 

She was showing off the time she had built up with me, and while pretending to entrust me to her, clearly revealed that she was in a closer relationship.

 

‘Is it necessary to go this far?’

 

As if Shin Ha-yeon’s appearance had become some kind of stimulus.

 

Maybe it’s because it would be more convenient to have no one around if she wanted to steal my songs. Or maybe she does have feelings that cherish me after all.

 

“Don’t worry.”

 

Shin Ha-yeon replied calmly.

 

She didn’t back down at all from the childishly obvious line-drawing.

 

“Who to keep close by, that’s for Seol to decide…! It’s not something for other people to interfere with by asking favors or whatever.”

 

Though she stammered, the content was very resolute.

 

Shin Ha-yeon straightened her back and stiffly raised her neck as if she wouldn’t back down at all.

 

At that sight, Mun Ah-rin’s eyes wavered slightly. Soon she tilted her head at an angle and smiled.

 

“You’re right.”

 

In Mun Ah-rin’s briefly touching gaze, there was something that flashed momentarily.

 

Before I could examine what it was closely, Mun Ah-rin looked at me standing behind Shin Ha-yeon and continued speaking.

 

“Don’t worry, Seol. I turned down the sponsorship too.”

 

“What?”

 

“It would be stealing your spot. How could I accept that sponsorship? Besides, I told you. There are rumors that he uses sponsorship as an excuse to seduce young people.”

 

I was dumbfounded.

 

‘Mun Ah-rin turned down the sponsorship?’

 

I never imagined such a thing would happen. I thought Mun Ah-rin had made up the rumors about Jeong Do-hyun, but did she really believe them?

 

‘Whatever the reason, I suddenly felt at ease.’

 

Just the fact that it was different from before my regression made me feel relieved.

 

“Anyway. I should get going first. See you in class, Seol.”

 

Mun Ah-rin gave her farewell and leisurely disappeared.

 

Once Mun Ah-rin’s figure was no longer visible, the tension finally eased.

 

I barely managed to squeeze out my voice.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Don’t mention it!”

 

Shin Ha-yeon jumped instead.

 

“Sorry if I interfered unnecessarily. I just, I couldn’t stand it.”

 

She awkwardly touched the back of her head and even added one more thing.

 

“It’s strange. I was more angry. I couldn’t just stand by and watch.”

 

“Thanks to you, I survived.”

 

I opened my mouth with difficulty.

 

“Strangely, I was completely tongue-tied and couldn’t say anything.”

 

“J-just say it! I’ll protect you!”

 

Shin Ha-yeon clenched her fists as if steeling her resolve.

 

“But who was that person just now?”

 

Shin Ha-yeon frowned slightly.

 

She seemed to be mulling over the conversation with Mun Ah-rin.

 

“She talked like she knew everything about you! Her tone was strange too. Like she was taking jabs at you.”

 

“That’s Mun Ah-rin, she’s a friend. We went to the same middle and high school, and now we’re classmates in the same department.”

 

“Is she really your friend?”

 

That question left me speechless.

 

In the past, I probably could have answered with certainty.

 

Before I realized all the truth, Mun Ah-rin was a friend more precious than my own life, and in the end, she was the enemy who completely destroyed my life.

 

Now, I’m not sure.

 

“A friend… I guess. For now.”

 

When I gave that awkward answer, Shin Ha-yeon immediately objected.

 

“What kind of friend is that!”

 

I smiled faintly.

 

“She suddenly barges in and scratches at people’s hearts with talk about scholarships and sponsorships. Then when I said I was your friend, she suddenly started showing off about being closer to you.”

 

What was all that about, Shin Ha-yeon grumbled.

 

“That’s not what friends do.”

 

“You’re right.”

 

I wore a bitter smile.

 

“But I thought she was a friend. All this time.”

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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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