The Genius Composer Starts Again - Chapter 74

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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’s eyelashes trembled very briefly. Soon, a smile returned as if nothing had happened.

But her eyes weren’t smiling at all.

“I’m not sure what you mean. I feel sorry about what happened to Se-ah unnie too.”

“I’m sure you do.”

Cho Yun-je spat out sarcastically.

A very brief moment of silence passed.

The instant when Cho Yun-je and Mun Ah-rin’s gazes crossed in mid-air. For a moment, it was so intense that the music playing in the cafe seemed to stop.

Mun Ah-rin tilted her head slightly first.

“Do whatever you want. I’m not sure what you’ll be able to discover anyway.”

Mun Ah-rin readjusted her bag strap.

“You don’t seem to welcome me. I should get going first. I have an appointment later, and it’ll be tight if I need to change clothes.”

Cho Yun-je narrowed his eyes.

“You came all the way here because of me. Sorry about that. Please give my regards.”

Sure. Mun Ah-rin left her greeting and calmly got up from her seat.

Coffee stains spread and made large blotches, but she didn’t seem to care about that at all.

Thud.

Even after the door closed, Cho Yun-je stood there for a while, watching her retreating figure.

Shin Ha-yeon, who returned late, shouted urgently.

“S-sorry! I’m late… huh?”

Seeing Cho Yun-je standing alone in a daze, Shin Ha-yeon tilted her head. It was because Mun Ah-rin was nowhere to be seen.

The coffee stains scattered on the floor proved that Mun Ah-rin had been here just moments ago.

Cho Yun-je stared at Shin Ha-yeon like that and then bluntly said.

“Mun Ah-rin left first.”

“Her clothes must have been a mess…”

“She’ll manage.”

Cho Yun-je waved his hand dismissively. It was a gesture telling her not to worry about Mun Ah-rin.

“Since when have you been close with Mun Ah-rin? Does Seol know?”

“Huh, what?”

At the sudden question, Shin Ha-yeon scratched her cheek and answered.

“We’re not close… Today’s chance encounter at the cafe was all there was. Today was almost the first time we had a proper conversation.”

“Really?”

Cho Yun-je was about to say something but closed his mouth again. His eyes followed Mun Ah-rin’s disappeared figure again.

“Oh! No one touched the laptop while I was gone, right?”

“The laptop? No, I didn’t see anything like that.”

“Thank goodness…”

Shin Ha-yeon hurriedly approached and hugged the laptop.

She made a mental note not to come out alone to work on lyrics anymore.

Cho Yun-je watched her and then ruffled his hair with his own hand. Then he gave a cryptic warning.

“Be careful from now on.”

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

She didn’t know what to be careful about. Shin Ha-yeon couldn’t understand but nodded anyway.

Cho Yun-je just walked away with heavy steps.

Shin Ha-yeon remained alone, packing her bag while muttering.

“What on earth happened…”

Too many things had happened in an instant, and her mind couldn’t keep up.

***

‘…Would it be right to tell her about what happened?’

Shin Ha-yeon looked at Seol’s focused profile and bit her lips tightly.

‘But the song wasn’t actually leaked in the end. What if I just create unnecessary anxiety by talking about it?’

She was finally gaining momentum with her song work. She was afraid it might interfere.

‘Besides, when all is said and done, Ah-rin is Seol’s friend. Seol acknowledged her as her friend too. If Ah-rin is really acting for Seol’s sake, then I’d be driving a wedge between the two of them…’

If Shin Ha-yeon and Mun Ah-rin’s testimonies conflicted, whose words would Seol believe more?

Rather than Shin Ha-yeon, whom she’d only known for a month, wouldn’t she side with Mun Ah-rin, who she’d been close with since middle school?

‘Thinking like that, I just can’t bring myself to speak.’

Shin Ha-yeon clenched her fist tightly.

‘I’ll talk about it later. Seol is busy right now anyway.’

So Shin Ha-yeon decided to postpone it for later.

Just then, Seol, who had been burying her head in the laptop for a while, suddenly stood up.

When Shin Ha-yeon looked up in surprise, Seol wore a smile that made even the observer feel good.

“…Finished!”

“Really? Just like that?”

“Yeah. I could see the path.”

Shin Ha-yeon couldn’t understand what that ‘path’ Seol was talking about meant, but she nodded anyway.

“Listen to it.”

“Okay.”

After receiving the headset, she began listening to the music.

-♪♪♬♩

As the melody continued, Shin Ha-yeon’s mouth fell wide open.

‘A-amazing…!’

It felt like fireworks were exploding in her head. Starlight danced beneath her tightly closed eyes.

‘I want to record this feeling just as it is!’

With that thought, a path made of bright Milky Way spread out.

Beneath the dark curtain of her eyelids, it seemed to beckon her to come this way.

‘This is it.’

Shin Ha-yeon trembled and realized.

That the ‘path’ Seol had mentioned was unfolding right before her eyes.

***

-♬♪♬…

The last note faded away, leaving a deep lingering feeling. When the music that had filled the room disappeared, it even felt somewhat empty.

A brief silence flowed even though the song had ended quite a while ago.

I held my hands together and held my breath.

I had no time to think of anything else, observing the reactions of the two people who heard my song, Ian and Bella.

Bella was leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed and eyes tightly closed.

When Bella didn’t speak first, Ian cautiously opened his mouth.

“In my opinion.”

His fingertips tapped his thigh, keeping rhythm.

“This song is good. I was totally hooked at the second hook!”

Excitement sparkled in Ian’s eyes.

“The style is a bit different from your previous songs, but I like this too. I’m really into this song!”

He even started pouring out praise in English.

Only then did I finally let out a small breath.

‘System Window.’

[ SYSTEM – V1.0 ]

> This is the interim check result for ‘Build good relationships with A&S’!

> Checking achievement conditions

1. Client1 (Ian)’s satisfaction: 88%

2. Client2 (Bella)’s satisfaction: ??%

> Checking achievement conditions!

‘Nice!’

Ian was in the safe zone at 88. Good, then the remaining problem is this side.

Mine and Ian’s gazes fixed on Bella.

Bella slowly opened her eyes. I still couldn’t tell what she was thinking at all.

When our eyes met, I unconsciously swallowed nervously.

“What wind blew to make your style change so drastically?”

Bella uncrossed her arms and straightened her upper body. Her eyes were quite sharp.

“Well, the song the company actually wants is that style you proposed second. The reason I’ve been letting YULE keep tinkering with the song since then is because I respect YULE. You know that, right?”

“Yes. I know.”

The second version that Bella had praised most highly. Bella had wanted to write lyrics for that song right away and proceed to recording.

But since Ian’s satisfaction had hit rock bottom, I had hurriedly stopped and was asking them to wait just a little longer.

“The deadline isn’t urgent yet either, so it was worth waiting for. It was also cute watching you try so hard to walk the tightrope between me and this little kid.”

Cu… cute… what?

“I understand. It’s an unavoidable hardship for novice composers too. Even knowing you can’t satisfy everyone, you want to try at least once. I don’t dislike that kind of spirit either.”

My eyes widened at this evaluation I was hearing for the first time in my life, but only briefly. Bella’s voice dropped low.

“But those attempts don’t always succeed. Sorry, but the direction the company wants seems to fit better with that second song you showed us.”

Bella’s evaluation fell coldly.

[ SYSTEM – V1.0 ]

> Results of ‘Build good relationships with A&S’ mid-check!

> Checking achievement conditions

1. Client1 (Ian)’s satisfaction: 88%

2. Client2 (Bella)’s satisfaction: 78%

> Achievement conditions not met!

My mind went blank.

It felt like everything before my eyes was becoming distant.

78%.

Quest failure.

That painful result filled my vision completely.

[ SYSTEM – MAIN QUEST ]

> You have failed the ‘Build good relationships with A&S’ Quest!

> Calculating penalty.

Blink. When I closed and opened my eyes, a new message window appeared.

[ SYSTEM – MAIN QUEST ]

> Penalty: 7 days of hearing loss

> The time of silence begins. Once again.

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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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