TGCSA 01

Episode 01

Life doesn’t fall apart because of a single wrong choice. It only begins to waver when you turn over a series of bad cards in a row.

Like me.

What was my first bad card?
Was it when I couldn’t be by my mother’s side as she passed away? When I decided to quit piano and pursue composing?

No.

It was the starting point of everything.
The tinnitus that began one day. That was the moment I started to lose my hearing. It all began then.

At first, I thought it would pass.
But the tinnitus that started suddenly one day only grew worse. The hospital said they couldn’t find a specific cause, only that it might be sudden hearing loss.

I received as much treatment as possible, but it was useless.
And finally, I lost my hearing.

For me, a pianist and aspiring composer, it was a thunderbolt. It felt like my world was collapsing.

‘But still… I couldn’t give up.’

Even though I was deaf, I kept writing music. Whether it was lingering attachment or obsession.

There I was, clinging to life pathetically, relying on a friend’s kindness. It was laughable.
If I turned my head, a sophisticated living room came into view. Cozy indirect lighting, high ceilings, luxurious marble counter tops, and bright curtains. It was just like a pictorial.
There was only one thing disappointing. None of this was mine.
It had never been mine, and it never would be.

The owner of this house was,
Moon A-rin.
A composer absolutely indispensable in K-POP history, a sure bet for box office success.
My proud and precious friend.

‘…Can I even call her that?’

These days, I’m not so sure.

Moon A-rin had reached out a hand to me when I lost my hearing and all my will. Thanks to her, I was living in this house.
Moon A-rin said I didn’t need to do anything, but I took care of various household chores at her place, reading the room.

A-rin often said this to me:

• I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you. What would I do without our Seol?

But the reality was closer to a housekeeper than a roommate.

‘Still, it’s better than a semi-basement.’

I shouldn’t complain. I should be grateful for this much.
“Right? Nuri?”

Meow-.
Even though I can’t hear, I can tell from the shape of her mouth. Nuri was answering me.
“Looks like your owner is late again. She seems busier than usual lately.”

Nuri, the yellow cheese-colored cat.
Because Moon A-rin was often away due to her busy schedule, I was the one who took care of her most of the time. She felt like my cat now.
Moon A-rin thought Nuri was cute when she was little, but once she grew up, she said she’d become ugly and wouldn’t even look at her.

‘…Well, she’s busy. She can’t even come home often.’

I made excuses like that.
Nyaa-omg-
“Huh? Nuri. Where are you going!”

That was when it happened.
Nuri suddenly turned and slipped into the next room.
“Hey! I told you, you can’t go in there!”

Of all places, it was Moon A-rin’s studio.
This darn cat!

“You know A-rin is sensitive about her composing equipment~. She said never to go into her studio, even if anywhere else is okay. What if you go in? Nuri, come on out!”

I called out desperately from outside, but Nuri wouldn’t come out on her own. I stamped my feet anxiously.
If she damaged the expensive equipment, she might really kick Nuri out.

“Ha, seriously. I’m sorry, A-rin. I’ll just go in for a second. Just a moment!”

Why did she leave the studio open today, when she usually keeps it locked?
I grumbled to myself and gently opened the studio door.

“Nuri~. Where are you~.”

Maybe Nuri had meowed in response to my call. But since I couldn’t hear, I had to rely entirely on my sight.
Without meaning to, I glanced around Moon A-rin’s studio.
“Wow.”

The space, packed with cutting-edge equipment, was truly a dreamlike place.
State-of-the-art audio interfaces, synthesizers, and pad controllers. All top-tier brands with enormous price tags.
I hadn’t meant to look, but there on the computer screen, left on, was a project she was working on.

I tried to look away, but then it happened.
“…Huh?”
I stared intently at the screen.
Familiar chord progressions. Track names, chord notations, rhythm patterns…
Too familiar.

“This… this is my song.”

With trembling hands, I moved the mouse.
When I clicked on the audio clip, the waveform appeared. The length of the waveform, even the placement of rests, matched mine exactly.
Although I had lost my hearing, I could still read sheet music and wave forms with my eyes.
So I was certain.
This was my song.

Even after losing my hearing, unable to give up my dream of composing, I kept writing new songs.
And I would ask Moon A-rin for her evaluation. Her reaction was always the same.
Whenever I played her a song, Moon A-rin would hedge with a troubled expression, saying, ‘Hmm, it’s not bad, but…’
I couldn’t possibly argue with the evaluation of a successful composer like Moon A-rin.

But now, the MIDI tracks listed on the monitor overturned all of that.

‘Wait. Could it be not just this song…?’

As I turned my gaze, I saw a bundle of sheet music scattered on the desk. The moment I picked up the first page, my eyes widened.

‘This one too. And this one. And the ones behind!’

With every page I turned, my songs appeared one after another. Only the titles and composer names were changed, attached with copies of contracts and release schedules.

My breath quickened.
All strength left my body, and I staggered involuntarily. Leaning on the desk as if collapsing, to keep from falling.

Crash!
Miscellaneous objects spilled onto the floor.
Among them, one thing was particularly noticeable. A white pill bottle.
The lid was open, and yellow capsules rolled out.

‘That’s the vitamin A-rin used to give me.’
It was the very vitamin that Moon A-rin said she had a hard time getting, and gave me one pill a day.

A chill ran down my spine. I picked up the pill bottle.
Moon A-rin always said this with a smile.

• You seem to have no energy lately. This will make you feel better.

At that moment, the words printed on the side of the bottle caught my eye.

Warning: Long-term use may cause damage to the inner ear and auditory nerve.

My heart sank. I stood there dumbfounded, unable to speak.
My mind was a mess.
But amidst the chaos, various puzzle pieces slowly fell into place.

Moon A-rin, my only friend since childhood.
Moon A-rin, who used to look at me with concern as I lost my hearing.
Moon A-rin, who meticulously gave me vitamins while asking if I was writing any songs lately.
And…

[Composer of the Year Award – PRISM]
Composition: Moon A-rin

• Thank you. To everyone who loved my songs, thank you so much!

…Even that brightly smiling face filling the screen.

A-rin. Was it really you?
I swallowed the unanswerable question.
I didn’t want to believe it. The smiles you gave me all this time, the kind words, the voice that whined about being tired. Was all of it, everything, a lie?

Nyaa-.
Something soft brushed against my ankle. Startled, I looked down to see Nuri rubbing her head against my leg.
But that wasn’t all.
A long shadow stretched across the floor. Not mine, but a shadow cast from behind me.
“…”
Slowly, I turned around.
It was Moon A-rin.
She was leaning against the door frame of the studio, looking at me. Her face was so calm it felt like this situation was a dream.

The scattered sheet music, the pill bottle in my hand. Moon A-rin glanced at them and then smiled faintly.
I involuntarily held my breath.
The Moon A-rin I knew until now completely crumbled, and in her place stood a different person.

Moon A-rin, who secretly fed me medicine.
Moon A-rin, who laughed behind my back as she watched me suffer while losing my hearing.
And Moon A-rin, who stole my songs to build her wealth and fame.

My knuckles turned white.
How.
How could you do this to me?

I don’t clearly remember whether I said those words out loud or not. Because rage had consumed me entirely.
Though I couldn’t hear the sound, her lip movements were clear. With a gently curling corner of her mouth, Moon A-rin answered this:

“Guess I got caught?”

I thought I heard something crumbling.
Even though my ears had long since stopped hearing anything. I was sure I heard it.
The sound of my life crashing down.