CHAPTER 24
I could feel the people around us looking in my direction. When Moon Ah-rin turned toward me with her lips pressed tightly together, she must have thought there was some other reason behind this.
But she soon forced an awkward smile and answered like this.
“No, Professor. It’s my fault.”
“Hm?”
Jung Tae-sung tilted his head.
Ah-rin lowered her eyes as if there were something she couldn’t say out loud.
“I should have taken better care of it. I’m sorry.”
Well, look at that.
Her tone was humble, and her expression looked like that of a sincere student. But there was something strange about the nuance.
It sounded as if I had done something wrong, and she was covering for me.
I could feel a few students glancing back and forth between us.
“Alright. That happens. Just be more careful next time.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Ah-rin bowed her head once more.
‘She’s really something.’
She hadn’t said anything specific, but the way she subtly made it sound like my fault was almost impressive.
Anyone who didn’t know the full story could easily misunderstand the situation.
It almost made me look like the villain who bullied Moon Ah-rin.
“Still, it worked out, right? If it were Professor Baek, she would’ve scolded you a lot.”
As if nothing had happened, Ah-rin looked at me and smiled sweetly.
I forced the corners of my lips up.
“Yeah.”
I agreed, but a part of my heart turned cold.
How many times had this happened? Moments where my reputation was quietly chipped away without me even realizing it.
Things I couldn’t see before my regression were now becoming clear, one by one.
“Yoon-jae!”
At that moment, Jung Tae-sung called Jo Yoon-jae’s name. A male student sitting in the front row answered.
“Yes.”
Jo Yoon-jae—that must be him.
The genius with an incredibly sharp absolute pitch, said to rival Mozart. The professors adored him, and it felt completely natural the way Jung Tae-sung called on him.
“Come up and give us a demonstration.”
At that, Jo Yoon-jae stood and walked forward.
His bleached blond hair was tied into a small tail at the back. He was tall and slim. When his face came into view, it was so delicate that it was hard to tell whether he was male or female at first glance. His slightly upturned, cat-like eyes stood out.
When he sat at the piano, he looked like a painting.
‘With looks that striking and that level of talent, why have I never heard his name in the industry before my regression?’
Had he gone abroad to study classical music instead of pursuing practical music? Even so, I should have at least heard his name.
While I was wondering, Jo Yoon-jae received the sheet music from Jung Tae-sung.
They seemed to be the pieces submitted for this assignment.
“Start with the base composition. Begin.”
As soon as Jung Tae-sung finished speaking, Jo Yoon-jae struck the piano keys.
♩♪♩♬
His touch on the piano was strong and confident. The sound that filled the room was clear and bright.
He was definitely skilled.
“Now, the first arrangement.”
A soft, lyrical ballad-style arrangement followed. The gentle chord progression and stable harmony wrapped around the ears warmly.
“Second.”
This time it sounded almost like jazz. The foundation was the same, but the mood felt completely different.
The students murmured in admiration.
The third version emphasized strong rhythm, giving it a rock-like feeling. The fourth layered harmonies to create a grand, majestic atmosphere.
How could the same melody be arranged into such different moods? It felt like a textbook example.
Clap, clap, clap!
When he finished, the students applauded. For a moment, the classroom felt like Jo Yoon-jae’s concert hall.
“It sounds so different.”
“Well, it’s Jo Yoon-jae.”
“He really is different.”
As the whispers faded, Jung Tae-sung nodded approvingly.
“Did you all hear that? Four distinct themes, flawless application of harmony. You could call it a model case.”
Model. Textbook.
That was exactly the problem.
‘It sounds boring.’
Yes, the four versions were different. But I couldn’t deny that they all sounded like something I’d heard somewhere before.
Jazz as jazz. Rock as rock. Each arrangement stayed safely within the boundaries of its genre.
‘It’s pleasant to listen to, but it’s not new.’
Something too perfect often becomes flat.
It lacked individuality. The emotional line was shallow. It wasn’t enough to make a listener’s heart tremble.
I could tell the moment I heard it.
Why Jo Yoon-jae never made it beyond being a “genius within this school.”
‘The world wants something that resonates intensely, even if it’s imperfect, more than it wants textbook-perfect melodies.’
Imitation is always the mother of creation.
Unless he someday breaks that framework and creates his own style, his growth will remain limited.
“Thank you, Yoon-jae. You can go back.”
Jo Yoon-jae bowed slightly and returned to his seat. He looked used to receiving attention. And yet, despite all the praise, his expression was oddly blank.
As if he wasn’t satisfied with his own performance but was forcing himself to endure it.
“This is what I wanted you all to do. See? Some of you just tweak the chord progression a little and call it a different song. That’s not it.”
“Go easy on us~.”
“We had so many assignments this week!”
Students close to Jung Tae-sung joked playfully.
“Let’s see. Anyone else worth calling up?”
He flipped through the sheet music. Then he stopped at one.
“Oh…”
He let out a small exclamation and grinned.
“This is interesting.”
Then his eyes sparkled as he scanned the classroom.
Our eyes met.
He smiled widely.
“Yoon Seol.”
My name was suddenly called.
Sharp gazes pierced toward me. Especially the one from Moon Ah-rin beside me.
“Come up.”
“…Yes.”
When I sat at the piano, my compositions were laid out in front of me.
“Start with the base piece.”
♩♪♩♬
I played the song I had examined countless times while arranging it. The sound flowing from my fingertips was beautiful.
“First arrangement.”
A simple chord progression, with a melody full of space.
That space deepened the piece, drawing out the listener’s emotions.
“Second.”
The atmosphere changed completely. I twisted the harmony cleverly, creating an unstable yet seductive air.
It carried the distinctive tone used in and.
“Third.”
This time, I pushed and pulled the rhythm slightly. My left hand pressed down heavily while my right hand bounced lightly.
The textbook harmony wavered, but the melody built on top of it jumped freely.
“Last.”
I boldly shattered the frame.
Distorted harmonies, forbidden chords stacked high, and progressions that felt illogical.
Yet the more complex it became, the more the simple melody shone.
I unraveled the original theme clearly and finished the piece.
♪
Even after I pressed the final key, the classroom remained frozen in silence.
When I lifted my head, the students were staring at me with wide eyes. Their mouths hung open, as if they didn’t know what to say.
‘Was that too extreme?’
Feeling slightly awkward, I scratched the back of my neck. Maybe it hadn’t suited a harmony class assignment.
‘I did push it on purpose because of the sub-quest.’
Maybe that had been a mistake. Should I have gone more textbook instead? Just as that thought crossed my mind, a quest window appeared.
[ SYSTEM – SUB QUEST ]
‘Complete your first assignment successfully’—Completed’!
Reward: Reputation Increase – ‘Better than expected?’ (Professors and classmates now view you more favorably.)
[ SYSTEM – V1.0 ]
Congratulations!
You have exceeded the quest requirements and obtained additional rewards.
Additional Rewards:
- Rapid increase in professors’ and students’ interest
- Professor Jung Tae-sung’s interest: +1
- New connection event probability: +10%
‘Exceeded the requirements?’
At that moment—
Clap clap clap clap clap!
Thunderous applause erupted, loud enough to make my ears ring.
“Wow, that’s insane.”
“You can even do it like that?”
Praise and admiration poured in. The students’ eyes shone as they looked at me.
Stunned, I turned to Jung Tae-sung. He was smiling brightly.
“See? Isn’t it fun?”
My cheeks grew warm.
This scene felt so unfamiliar—and yet it was something I had always wanted.
Before my regression, I had never received praise like this even once.
My chest swelled as I looked around at the crowd.
Everyone was cheering.
Everyone except one person.
Moon Ah-rin was staring at me with a completely expressionless face.
