The Genius Composer Starts Again - Chapter 95

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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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Creak.

Cho Yun-je pulled out a chair for me and then sat down beside it. The practice room was the perfect place for the two of us to talk privately, away from prying eyes.

-So.

Cho Yun-je’s lips moved slowly.

-You’re saying your hearing is temporarily gone right now?

“Yeah. That’s right.”

I spoke with emphasis.

“It’s ‘temporary.’ It’s not going to stay like this forever.”

A system window blinked in the corner of my vision.

[ Duration : 69 : 26 : 57 ]

In just 69 hours, the status ailment would be lifted, and my hearing would return to normal.

Cho Yun-je frowned and asked back.

-How do you know that? It seems like you can’t hear anything at all right now.

“It’ll come back with time. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Cho Yun-je narrowed his eyes.

He seemed unable to understand how I could be smiling so calmly even in this situation where I couldn’t hear.

That was understandable. Normally, someone would go to the hospital for detailed tests and be anxiously wondering when it might return or if recovery was even possible.

For people who make music, hearing was an extremely sensitive issue.

But here I was, the person affected, acting so nonchalant. Cho Yun-je pondered quietly before asking.

-Has this happened to you before?

It was a reasonable deduction.

-Reading lips. That’s not something you can do after just a day or two of practice.

“That’s right.”

It was only after painstaking effort that I had reached this level of skill.

I chuckled and replied.

“Before. When I was young, my health wasn’t great. It happened often back then too. It got better with time.”

I gave a suitable excuse. There was no other way to explain this ability.

“I practiced back then. So I could roughly understand even when I couldn’t hear.”

Cho Yun-je let out a very long sigh, then slowly closed and opened his eyes.

Then, with a deeply sunken gaze, he asked bluntly.

-Why are you hiding it?

“….”

-If your body is in this condition, no matter if you’ve experienced this before, your first thought should be going to the hospital. How are you just pretending to be fine and taking exams?

It would seem strange indeed.

“It doesn’t really interfere with my daily life. I can roughly understand everything by reading lips, and for exams, I just need to look at the paper and solve problems. It’s just a little inconvenient….”

-You can’t hear the exam proctor’s voice,

Cho Yun-je cut off my words.

-You don’t notice when they call your name three or four times from behind, and you don’t even know when kids are whispering about you as they pass by. How is that not interfering?

I had meant to reassure him. But instead, I seemed to have touched something in Cho Yun-je, as his eyes turned fierce.

-Saying ‘it’s okay, it’s okay’ isn’t always the solution. Your condition right now is definitely not okay.

“I suppose so.”

When I smiled awkwardly, Cho Yun-je sighed once more.

-Do your parents know? You didn’t tell them properly, did you. If you had, they would have insisted on taking you to the hospital right away.

“Mm…. They would have.”

I gave a brief response.

-What’s with that reaction? Tell them properly later. I understand you don’t want to worry them, but this isn’t something that gets resolved by hiding it.

“The thing is.”

Sensing that continuing this conversation would make both Cho Yun-je and me uncomfortable, I began to speak.

“Even if I wanted to tell them, I can’t. Both my parents aren’t here anymore.”

-Are they overseas?

“No.”

-….

Understanding my meaning belatedly, Cho Yun-je’s face turned pale.

-Ah, I’m, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I mean, saying I didn’t know isn’t an excuse. What I mean is, that wasn’t my intention.

“I know. Don’t worry. I wasn’t going to say anything about it.”

-Ugh.

Cho Yun-je swallowed a small groan and showed signs of not knowing what to do.

“You don’t need to comfort me either. It happened quite a while ago. It doesn’t bother me now.”

I deliberately shrugged my shoulders.

Then Cho Yun-je also began to shed his awkward demeanor, carefully reading the situation.

After clearing his throat with a cough, he asked again casually.

-The hospital. Are you really not going?

“Going won’t change anything. It’s probably a psychological issue.”

I wasn’t unable to hear because there was a problem with my ears. It was a problem caused by the system.

If I went, all I’d hear would be ‘everything looks normal.’ Then it would lead to psychiatric counseling. I didn’t want that.

-A psychological issue?

“Yeah. I told you. It’ll be fine once time passes. I’ve been pushing myself too hard lately with exams, assignments, and preparing for the competition.”

-I see….

Cho Yun-je made a strange expression.

-I always thought nothing bothered you. I guess that’s not the case.

“What?”

-Never mind. Forget it. But while the exams end tomorrow, you’re planning to keep preparing for the competition?

“Yeah.”

-What if your hearing doesn’t fully recover by then?

“I’ve already finished sketching the score. I just need to refine it a little more.”

-How are you going to refine it.

I grinned.

“I can do it.”

I tapped my temple with my fingertips.

“Because I can hear it in my head.”

It was a technique I had learned before my regression, when the sense of ‘hearing’ became distantly far away.

Just by looking at sheet music, I could draw out the same melody in my mind. Then I didn’t need to hear it directly.

“It won’t be as good as hearing it directly. It’ll just take a little more time.”

Cho Yun-je fell silent for a moment after hearing that.

He seemed to have a lot he wanted to say. I could see complex thoughts flashing through his mind.

At first, his gaze seemed to be looking at something incomprehensible, then it held a hint of pity, and then again seemed to be looking at something infinitely distant.

Like scenery passing quickly beyond a window, that entire process was clearly revealed.

After a brief silence,

Cho Yun-je opened his mouth briefly.

-…Alright.

I had expected him to tell me to quit or ask if I’d consider giving up. His calmly spoken words of acceptance were unexpected.

The sentence that followed was even more so.

-I’ll help you this time.

“What?”

-You can write the music, but refining it is difficult, right? If you bring the score, I’ll play it. I’ll listen with my ears and tell you how it sounds.

He continued speaking calmly.

-The flow breaks here, the tension is excessive, it’s loose. I’ll tell you from the audience’s perspective like that. Wouldn’t that make it much easier to revise?

“Well, it would.”

-And try to stay with me as much as possible. If you look closely, it’s obvious there’s something wrong with your ear. Sharp kids will think it’s strange.

I stared at him blankly.

-It’ll be troublesome if weird rumors start spreading. We don’t know what the competition regulations might be like. It’s better if the professors don’t know.

He was right. It would be problematic if I got pushed to focus on treatment and it interfered with my competition participation.

-How about it. This way the handicap should be a bit less, right?

“Huh? Yeah. That’s true, but.”

I muttered quietly.

“There’s no reason for you to go that far…”

-Seol.

My name reached me clearly through the shape of his lips.

-Who just helps for nothing? Of course there’s a condition.

Cho Yun-je had a serious expression.

-If your ear keeps acting up even after the competition ends, go to the hospital with me for an examination.

“….”

-How about it. Will you do it or not.

I looked at the hand he extended for a moment, then carefully grasped it.

“Thank you.”

-Fine. To be honest, I’m completely against this. You already overexerted yourself and lost your hearing, and now you want to overdo it even more by preparing for a competition? From my perspective, you’re shortening your lifespan. It’s ridiculous.

Cho Yun-je poured out his words as if he’d been waiting.

-But even if I told you to quit, you wouldn’t listen anyway.

“I can’t hear it anyway.”

-That’s not what I meant!

My lame joke earned a fierce reaction.

Cho Yun-je lowered his eyes then raised them again.

-I know that feeling. The sense that if you give up here, you’ll regret this moment forever.

He added quietly.

-Because that’s how I felt during the last scholarship recital.

“….”

-Right. I’m okay with you entering the competition. But I can’t stand watching your current condition get worse.

Cho Yun-je spoke firmly.

It was as if sparks were flying from his eyes.

-What if your hearing never comes back? So…

Cho Yun-je let out a short breath.

-I’ll help you. 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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