TGCSA 04

Episode 04

“Phew, it’s done.”

I wiped the sweat forming on my forehead with the back of my hand.

“I really broke a sweat setting this up for the first time in a while.”

In the middle of the room, gleaming music production equipment was lined up.

It was a beginner’s set I’d managed to put together by emptying out my bank account.

Instead of the old laptop that could only handle document work, there was a decently specs desktop computer. A soundproof booth was a distant dream, so I’d hurriedly gotten a headset as a temporary measure. Plus an audio interface, a master keyboard, and a budget condenser microphone.

I’d scoured second-hand sites and put in the legwork to get them at reasonably good prices.

‘It’s nowhere near Moon A-rin’s studio, but still… This is something, at least.’

As I hung the headset around my neck, its familiar weight brought a strange sense of stability.

It had already been a week since I regressed.

I still didn’t know why this had happened, but I was continuing to stay in the past, 10 years ago.

This unidentified system was still here too.

I was getting pretty used to it now.

My gaze turned to one side of the room. Piles of sheet music stacked against the wall.

“I need to organize this sometime.”

The first thing I did on the night I regressed.

That was to transfer every single piece of music stored in my head onto paper.

My old laptop’s specs were too low to run a MIDI program, so I ended up drawing them all by hand.

A full 10 years.

Years spent enduring, unable to escape Moon A-rin’s shadow, only composing.

‘I had so many exercises they’d be underfoot.’

It took me all night, staying up straight through, to transfer them.

When I came to my senses, sunlight was already streaming in through the window.

When I lifted my head, an enormous amount of sheet music had piled up, enough to fill half my small studio room.

All of this was my music.

From beginning to end.

Not a single note stolen, all lying there.

“I’ll organize later. First, should I start working?”

I turned on the computer and launched Cakewalk. A familiar interface filled the monitor.

Before the regression, whenever I faced this blank project window, I always felt suffocated.

Because of fear, self-loathing, and the inferiority that gnawed away at me.

But this time was different. My heart pounded with excitement, like meeting my first love.

‘Right. This is how exciting composing used to be.’

I hated competitions with their set scores and cookie-cutter interpretations, so I’d escaped to blank staff paper.

I wanted to be free, wanted to move towards something newer.

‘Maybe I’ll start with this one first.’

Among my countless self-composed pieces, one came to mind.

<Mercury>

A cold, dreamy piece, like the dawn air of a city.

Its characteristic was an unstable beauty, like something slipping and flowing away.

I placed my hands on the keyboard.

First track: a low-tempo kick. A dull but deep kick drum, then layering a synth that spreads softly over it.

-♩♪♬♪….

Yeah.

This is it.

Instead of adding lyrics, I hummed a guide track.

And just like that, <Mercury> was complete.

It was the first piece I’d finished after regressing.

A smile naturally formed on my face.

Just then.

whoosh-.

My phone, which almost never rang, vibrated on the floor.

‘Is it Moon A-rin?’

Glancing at it, I saw a name I was hearing for the first time.

Lee Hyun-ji: Is there anyone who can sub on piano this evening?ㅠㅠ

Lee Hyun-ji: It’s a study group preparing to transfer to the composition dept, and the accompanist bailed

Ah. Come to think of it.

‘Freshman winter break is usually a busy time.’

Some were preparing for practical exams, some for competitions, others supplementing basic theory.

There were also many preparing to transfer departments.

Switching from piano to composition or conducting was quite common. That was probably why I had consulted Moon A-rin about my worries back then.

The number next to the message rapidly decreased from 20 to 15. But no replies came. Everyone seemed to be subtly avoiding it.

Soon, people started replying one by one.

Kim Ye-ram: I have a lesson today, so I don’t think I can make it

Park Dong-min: I have a family event, so I’m out too…

No one readily stepped up for the sudden request.

‘Lee Hyun-ji… She was the class president, right?’

There were just over 20 freshmen in the piano department. Everyone knew each other by face, but friend groups were divided into several.

Among them, I was…

‘A complete outsider.’

Except for Moon A-rin, I barely talked to anyone. Lee Hyun-ji occasionally contacted me for official class business as the president.

‘She’ll figure it out herself.’

Eager to try out my new equipment, I was about to turn off notifications and toss the phone aside when…

Once more, whoosh, my phone vibrated.

This time it was a personal chat.

Lee Hyun-ji: Seol-ah!! If you have time, would you like to come this evening?

Lee Hyun-ji: I remembered you were worried about transferring to the composition dept last time, so I’m contacting you! Come check out the atmosphere, it might be good to see how others are preparing

Lee Hyun-ji: The piece is easy too! Just need you to hold down the chords and rhythm

Lee Hyun-ji: It requires a tiny bit of improvisation, hehe, but it’s not a difficult level

Lee Hyun-ji: Let me know if you’re interested!

It was clearly a rushed request for a substitute, but honestly, it wasn’t a bad opportunity.

‘I never properly took the exam since I ended up dropping out before the regression. Since I’ve decided to apply for transfer this time.’

It would be good to check what kind of exam I needed to prepare for.

Rather than bother looking it up later, I figured it’d be best to hear about it directly.

Finally, I slowly typed out a reply.

What time?

Lee Hyun-ji: 7 PM!

Okay. I’ll go.

Lee Hyun-ji: Ooh!! Just come to practice room #3 then!

She even added a bouncing puppy emoticon.

Seeing it, I unexpectedly let out a small chuckle.

I didn’t know it back then. Looking back now, I thought, everyone was really young.

‘Works out well. I can check the sound at the school practice room while I’m there.’

Thinking that, I saved <Mercury> onto a USB drive.

“Wow. This brings back memories.”

I muttered to myself as I walked through the university. I never dreamed I’d come back here again.

After I lost my hearing, I lived isolated from people. Moon A-rin was the only person I talked to.

I was practically a hikikomori.

I wasn’t particularly close with people from school anyway, but my few connections were completely cut off around that time.

Just as I was reminiscing.

On the narrow alley leading to the practice rooms. Suddenly, a familiar window popped up.

[ SYSTEM – SUB QUEST ]

> Create a chance encounter!

> Details: Sometimes a little coincidence is needed for destiny. Try for a fated encounter using the USB containing your excellent piece. This encounter will later become the connection that leads you to the true ending.

> Completion Condition: Leave the USB in the designated place

> Reward: Unlock connection with Key Figure (□□□)

> Penalty: Block encounter with Key Figure (□□□) (※ May receive disadvantages in progressing subsequent Main Quests.)

My hand stopped.

‘A sub-quest, not a main quest?’

The content was simple compared to the main quest. Just ‘leave the USB.’

The reward and penalty seemed oddly vague too.

‘Who exactly is this key figure?’

With the name obscured, I couldn’t even begin to guess.

‘They want me to just leave this here?’

I took the USB out of my pocket and held it. Then, as if showing me the spot, a corner of the floor began to glow brightly.

‘This feels unsettling.’

What if I just left a piece I’d worked so hard on, and it ended up in someone else’s hands?

It felt mostly irritating. If someone else claimed this piece as their own, it would be another headache.

Honestly, I wanted to just ignore it, key figure or not, and walk past.

‘…But that warning message bothers me.’

Saying I could receive disadvantages in later main quests.

That was an equally unsettling phrase.

“……Huh.”

Frustrated, I ran my hand through my hair and placed the USB on the glowing spot.

And before any more regrets could linger, I hurried my steps. I tried hard not to look back.

‘It said it would become the connection leading to the true ending.’

I consoled myself with that thought.

A dark shadow slowly fell over the USB.

Long, neat fingers brushed the floor.

“……USB?”

The man picked it up. The small USB, resting on his palm, sparkled quietly.

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