The Genius Composer Starts Again - Chapter 94

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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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Scratch, scratch.

The feeling of the pen scraping against paper spread from my fingertips.

The test paper was filled quickly. The other students must have been fully concentrated too, as it was quiet all around.

‘…It is quiet, right?’

Anxiety made me keep lifting my head. Just in case the teaching assistant had said something like “Please stop writing now” and I hadn’t heard it.

‘I’m fortunate that the remaining exams are mostly theory-based.’

The ear training tests and practical exams had ended early, and what remained were closer to written tests.

Thanks to that, not being able to hear didn’t cause much trouble.

Thud. As I put down my pen, the teaching assistant moved their mouth.

‘Everyone please put down your pens. The exam is over… that’s what they said, it seems.’

Reading people’s lip movements was a familiar task. I was clumsy at first, but it was a result achieved through bone-grinding effort.

Thanks to that, people meeting me for the first time often didn’t notice that I couldn’t hear.

After submitting my test paper, I returned to my seat.

There should have been sounds of chairs being pushed around, bag zippers being pulled up, and chattering conversations from the surroundings.

But my world remained silent as ever.

I quietly got up from my seat and headed to the corridor.

Instead of the stuffy indoor air, breathing the outside air mixed with cool wind felt much better.

A world where sound has disappeared has something eerie about it.

Even as people who seem to be chattering noisily pass by, my ears remain quiet. That gap sends chills down my spine.

‘I can roughly understand what they’re talking about by reading their lip movements.’

Looking around roughly, it was like this.

Are you going to enter this competition? I heard if you win first place, you get a contract directly with a major entertainment company. Are you crazy? We’re busy enough with exams, how could we do that? Should I try cutting back on sleep? …and so on.

But concentrating on reading lips was tiring work. I walked down the corridor with my head slightly lowered.

That’s when it happened.

Tap!

Someone grabbed my shoulder and stopped me.

“…!”

Startled, I swatted the hand away and spun around.

There stood Cho Yun-je with a surprised expression.

He opened his mouth.

——.

I couldn’t hear the sound, but

-What’s wrong? You didn’t answer even when I called. Is something the matter?

I could understand the content.

It seemed Cho Yun-je had been calling out to me and approaching from behind.

‘I had no idea.’

Because I can’t tell at all if I can’t see their lip movements.

I touched my ear and tried to answer nonchalantly.

“Ah, sorry. I had something to think about. I sometimes get like this when I’m concentrating.”

As I spoke, I briefly worried about how my pronunciation might sound right now.

When you can’t hear well, your pronunciation tends to deteriorate. That’s why I had practiced many times, watching my mouth shape in the mirror.

I calculated the position of consonants and vowels in my mouth. Exactly as I had learned in the rehabilitation center before my regression.

“What’s the matter? You’re the one who seems off.”

So it probably wouldn’t sound too strange. Hopefully.

Cho Yun-je looked me over for a moment, then smiled briefly.

-What? So that’s what it was? No, your expression looked bad. I thought maybe… you were bothered by it.

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly and turned his gaze aside.

“Bothered by what?”

-Never mind. If not, then forget it.

“Why are you being like this? Now I’m curious.”

-Earlier too, you know. Walking past you and deliberately speaking loud enough for you to hear… Sigh. If you didn’t hear it, then never mind.

What on earth has he been talking about? When I made a puzzled expression, Cho Yun-je continued with a troubled look.

-There’s been a lot of talk lately. About Mun Ah-rin, and about you too.

“Me?”

I had no choice but to ask back like that.

-You transferred in and immediately took the scholarship position, and the professors are full of praise, so there were many who thought it was disagreeable. But now that Mun Ah-rin is rising up, there are some who are projecting onto Mun Ah-rin and comparing her to you.

“Ah…”

I had noticed signs of that. Even before I lost my hearing, similar conflicts had arisen.

-No matter how strong you are, I thought you’d be bothered by it at least a little. But I guess not. I said something unnecessary. Sorry.

“No. I was roughly aware of it.”

It’s just that such talk would have happened behind my back. Having lost my hearing now, it simply didn’t reach me at all.

I could roughly guess.

People would have whispered behind me deliberately loud enough for me to hear, and while I couldn’t hear it, Cho Yun-je would have heard it. So he followed me out of concern.

Cho Yun-je closed his mouth for a moment.

He said something, but the lip movement wasn’t clear.

“What did you say?”

This time, he spoke slowly and clearly.

-I asked if you’re really okay.

“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

I thought I answered as if it was no big deal, but Cho Yun-je’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He seemed to think something was strange.

It was hard to say exactly what, but he had noticed a slight sense of incongruity.

‘This is why I hate perceptive guys.’

I deliberately changed the subject.

“I’ve been busy preparing for the competition lately.”

-You’re preparing for that? Are you getting any sleep?

“I’m barely sleeping. That’s why I’m a bit out of it.”

I hope he’ll just let it slide with this. Cho Yun-je made a slightly convinced expression.

-I thought so. The kid seemed a bit dazed. Different from usual.

“Me?”

-Yeah. There’s a bit of that feeling.

I let out a small laugh. Though I quickly suppressed it in case my laughter was too loud.

“Aren’t you preparing for the competition?”

-It’s not that I’m not doing it, but that I can’t. If I tried to prepare for that too, I’d really die.

Cho Yun-je was being dramatic. The schedule isn’t easy though. The competition is the day right after finishing the last exam.

-A concert got scheduled right after the semester ends.

“Huh?”

-It seems my mother mobilized all her connections to pull some strings. Thanks to that, I got an opportunity to showcase my composition. I already don’t have the energy to worry about other things because of that.

“Congratulations! That’s great. Classical music rather than practical music?”

-Yes. That’s how it turned out.

It was a direction that suited Cho Yun-je quite well. Though he pretends otherwise, he naturally exudes the air of a refined young master even when doing nothing.

-But you know.

“Yeah.”

Cho Yun-je pointed to his ear and asked.

-Are you okay?

“…What?”

My heart sank. For a moment, it felt like my breath stopped.

‘Did he find out? Already?’

Cho Yun-je’s gaze swept over my face and passed around my ears.

‘How did he know?’

What did I mess up? It’s been a while since I couldn’t hear, so was there something I missed? Before my regression, I desperately tried to pretend to be normal.

As I was chewing on my lower lip, Cho Yun-je continued speaking.

-It’s noisy here.

He frowned deeply and added this.

-I have a headache. I was asking if you’re okay.

…Ah.

I felt my blood run cold before slowly returning to normal.

“Oh yeah. It is noisy. But I’m fine.”

-Looks like a lot of people finished their semester today. It’s incredibly loud.

Cho Yun-je looked around with a displeased expression.

-I’m going to head out first.

He waved his hand once and turned around. As he did, he muttered quietly.

-If I stay here any longer, I’ll go deaf.

“Right. You should take care of yourself. See you later.”

I shot back casually and was about to leave when Cho Yun-je suddenly stopped. Cho Yun-je slowly turned his head.

-What did you just… say?

“Huh? I said see you later.”

-No, before that.

“That you should take care of yourself?”

I was puzzled, wondering why he was suddenly acting like this. Then Cho Yun-je frowned for a moment before moving his lips.

-I just muttered that with lip movements only. How did you know?

“Huh?”

That’s what it was?

Since I couldn’t hear sounds, I couldn’t tell the difference. I avoided his gaze slightly and replied.

“What are you talking about. The sound was quiet, but you did speak out loud.”

I added a forced laugh.

Cho Yun-je didn’t say anything for a moment. He just quietly looked down at me.

It seemed like he was organizing his thoughts.

-I just spoke with lip movements only again.

“…”

Who would have thought there was such a trap.

I was completely caught.

The moment I realized my mistake, Cho Yun-je covered his mouth.

——.

I had no idea what he was saying. Naturally, I couldn’t respond either.

As I stood there dumbfounded, Cho Yun-je’s eyes trembled slightly.

He lowered the hand that was covering his mouth and spoke. His sharp gaze pierced into me.

-Seol.

After calling my name briefly, he asked directly.

-Your ears, are they really okay?

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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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