The Genius Composer Starts Again - Chapter 80

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

I could be certain. This wasn’t Mun Ah-rin’s composition.

Composers inevitably let their habits seep into their pieces.

Just like how people express the same diary content differently, the same musical ideas inevitably turn out differently for each person.

In the piece that was just performed, I couldn’t glimpse even a trace of Mun Ah-rin.

Was it really possible to abandon all one’s habits overnight and transform completely anew? Well. At least in my opinion, it was close to impossible.

My coldly settled gaze reached Jeong Tae-seong. He was explaining the characteristic parts of Mun Ah-rin’s piece to the students.

“The timing of the modulation is quite excellent. The balance between anxiety and stability is perfect. When you lean too far toward either emotion or technique, the piece’s balance collapses.”

Yes, that was the strange part.

The piece I just heard was too smooth. In Mun Ah-rin’s compositions, emotion was always just an empty shell.

There was a hollowness as if emotions were imitated by applying formulas. But that piece just now was even emotionally fulfilling.

“Now, let’s give another round of applause to student Mun Ah-rin who showed us a wonderful demonstration!”

Clap clap clap clap!

As applause erupted, Mun Ah-rin wore a shy smile.

Jeong Tae-seong patted Mun Ah-rin’s shoulder a few times and had her return to her seat.

Even as Mun Ah-rin walked back step by step, the students’ gazes wouldn’t leave her.

“Hehe. You were surprised, right?”

Mun Ah-rin sat down next to me with a bright smile. Her slightly flushed cheeks looked as if she was embarrassed by the sudden attention.

But that wasn’t the color of embarrassment. It was the excited look peculiar to someone who had finally gotten what they’d been longing for.

I quietly looked at Mun Ah-rin.

Though she had come down from the stage, Mun Ah-rin’s face still seemed to have stage lighting on it. Her eyes sparkled, and her fingertips twitched, unable to hide her excitement.

“I was really surprised.”

I spoke first.

“When did you write a piece like this?”

Mun Ah-rin’s smile wavered for a moment. But soon a pretty smile hung on her lips again.

“I put some effort into it this time. Suddenly inspiration just struck me like bam bam bam. Strangely, it flowed smoothly. That was a first for me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. When emotions came up while writing, my hands just moved on their own.”

Even that answer was subtle.

The piece she showed clearly had thoroughly calculated structure and harmony. And she said it was a piece written so spontaneously?

What Mun Ah-rin was describing seemed more like…

‘The working method an imaginary genius would have.’

Aren’t there those scenes commonly depicted in creative works? Actual composers’ work is quite far from such romance.

“How was it, Seol? Do you think the piece I wrote this time was pretty good too? The professor praised it so excessively that I’m embarrassed. Tell me honestly.”

“It sounded really good to me too.”

The piece was really good.

Surprisingly so.

That’s why it was even more puzzling. I had never felt such outstanding talent from Mun Ah-rin until now.

Even skill-wise, Mun Ah-rin didn’t have that brightly shining something like Cho Yun-je did.

“You brought out the emotions well while also structuring it cleverly and intelligently.”

“Really?”

Mun Ah-rin fidgeted with her hair with her fingertips.

She was trying to act nonchalant, but the corners of her mouth were slightly raised.

“I feel a bit relieved since you said that, Seol. I was so nervous when they suddenly called me up to demonstrate. Seol, how did you usually handle it?”

She laughed cheerfully, then spoke in a subtly suggestive tone.

“But it’s a bit disappointing that Seol didn’t demonstrate today. I like your pieces, Seol.”

It sounded like a compliment, but I felt a strange sense of superiority from her.

“The professor too. He should have just called on Seol as usual. Why did he call on me instead?”

Between her curved eyes, a gaze observing me followed.

“Seol’s pieces were always first place until now… but this time my piece must have been somewhat fresh. I’m sure your assignment piece was good too, Seol. It’s disappointing I couldn’t hear it.”

I tilted my head slightly.

“Huh? No. Your piece was really good this time.”

“…Really?”

“Really. The professor didn’t choose your piece for no reason. The content we learned in the last class was well incorporated too. It’s close to being an exemplary case.”

I acknowledged it cleanly, but somehow Mun Ah-rin’s expression became even more subtle.

‘I call a good piece a good piece. What’s with her reaction.’

That’s why I wanted to ask even more.

‘Whose piece did you steal this time?’

If it wasn’t a piece Mun Ah-rin had written, then whose piece was it?

‘Could it be a piece by an unknown composer posted on SAPL? Or did she slightly arrange music from a little-known indie band?’

Wasn’t that Mun Ah-rin’s specialty?

Smoothly polishing existing pieces and pretending they were hers.

It was like that before my regression, and at the Scholarship Recital too. There was plenty of possibility she had done the same thing this time.

‘But it’s too dangerous.’

If she plagiarized a publicly released piece and got caught, Mun Ah-rin’s reputation would be finished.

It didn’t seem like Mun Ah-rin would take such a risk.

‘If she was going to do that, she would have plagiarized other pieces long ago and pretended to be a genius. The assignment pieces she submitted so far seemed to be made by herself.’

What could be the reason for suddenly changing direction so drastically now?

‘…What if it’s not dangerous? What if, like I did before my regression, she’s exploiting pieces by deceiving someone who would absolutely never betray Mun Ah-rin?’

A scene suddenly flashed through my mind.

‘Park Hee-jae.’

The freshman with eyes that seemed completely smitten with Mun Ah-rin.

I didn’t know when they had become close, and Mun Ah-rin hadn’t breathed a word about Park Hee-jae in front of me.

She might be deliberately hiding it.

I quietly looked at Mun Ah-rin’s profile as she focused on the lecture, then casually said,

“Come to think of it, I’ve seen a style similar to the piece you composed this time.”

“Huh?”

“You know Professor Cha Moon-ho’s 【Aesthetics of Experimental Sound】? There’s a freshman taking that class with us…”

The more I spoke, the more Mun Ah-rin’s face stiffened.

“What was the name again. Park Hee-jae? Right. That was the name.”

“Really? My style is similar to theirs?”

The corners of her mouth began to tremble. I stared intently at Mun Ah-rin and nodded.

“Yeah. To be precise, not your previous pieces, but only that piece you showed today.”

“Wow, that’s interesting. Introduce me next time we meet.”

Mun Ah-rin acted as if she didn’t know Park Hee-jae at all. Even though I had clearly seen them having a friendly conversation.

‘She’s hiding something.’

In the worst case scenario, she might have stolen Park Hee-jae’s piece. Just like she did to me, with some ridiculous excuse.

-Hee-jae, don’t you want to have your piece formally evaluated by the professor? I can help you. I’ll lend you my name.

I could almost see it without looking.

She would have lured them in with that innocent face, as if she were doing them a favor.

‘Did Park Hee-jae also thank her? Like I did before my regression?’

Remembering my stupid past made my stomach churn.

Mun Ah-rin used to push all sorts of assignments onto me under the pretext of giving me opportunities to be evaluated by the Composition Department professors.

And she would find ridiculous faults while claiming they were the professors’ feedback. I even felt sorry for seeming to cause trouble for Mun Ah-rin due to my lack of skill.

Because she seemed like a kind friend who was helping me even while sacrificing part of her own assignment grades.

‘It’s still absurd when I think about it again.’

Looking back now, it was nonsense, but at the time I believed it completely.

How grateful I was that Mun Ah-rin was my friend. It was nauseating.

I answered with a forced smile.

“No. I’m not that close with them either.”

“Really? That’s too bad. I’m curious about a freshman producing a similar feel to a song I poured my heart into~.”

Mun Ah-rin replied nonchalantly, as if she had never shown wavering eyes.

Watching her, I muttered inwardly.

‘Things won’t go your way.’

Not this time.

I couldn’t just let the same thing repeat itself again.

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