Chapter 8
When I woke up with anticipation—
There was no email from JUN.
…Right. They could just be busy. Or asleep.
Meanwhile, countless emails filled with business offers, proposals, and attempts to start conversations sat unread.
I didn’t even open them.
No particular reason.
I just couldn’t be bothered.
But JUN—
Didn’t they say they’d send feedback?
Was I the one who got my hopes up for nothing?
They never promised anything.
I was the one who assumed.
“…Ugh.”
I felt slightly embarrassed.
Or—
Was my reply too blunt?
I opened my inbox again.
[Re: Yes, that’s fine.]
“…That’s not that bad, right?”
If an idol replied like that, it would’ve caused a scandal.
But I wasn’t an idol anymore.
So I thought it was fine.
…Then—
Was the song just not good enough?
[Falling Star] – 2 days ago
Views: 3.29 million
Objectively, it was successful.
But maybe—
It just wasn’t JUN’s taste.
Maybe it wasn’t worth sending a thoughtful email about.
My good mood from the performance and the song’s success—
Dropped instantly.
I could feel myself sinking.
“…Get a grip, Choi Seong-un.”
It’s just one email.
Why am I acting like this?
I hesitated—
Then opened the comments.
I just wanted to confirm—
That people liked the song.
- “This song is insane.”
- “Gives me chills every time.”
- “Nebula’s vocals really carry emotional lyrics well.”
- “The sound is so rich.”
- “I heard it randomly and now I’m hooked.”
“…See?”
There were plenty of people who liked it.
Still—
That strange, unsettled feeling wouldn’t go away.
I even took a bath, dunking my head underwater—
But it didn’t help.
My wet hair dripped onto my shoulders.
Too tired to dry it—
I just collapsed into bed.
I slept for what felt like over half a day.
Strange.
I used to have insomnia—
Now I couldn’t stop sleeping.
“…I’m useless.”
Feeling down—
I gave up thinking.
“Whatever… just sleep.”
* * *
I dreamed of my accident.
People filming it.
Broadcasting it.
“…Tch.”
I woke up feeling worse.
“…I’m tired.”
Even after 14 hours of sleep.
Meanwhile—
My mother was working hard.
And me?
What was I doing?
Other people my age were studying.
Preparing for their future.
And me?
I rubbed my face—
Then I noticed my phone lighting up.
I picked it up with my foot.
My hair was a mess.
[SN1054 – Music Cloud Concert Results]
“…Oh. Already?”
I opened it without much expectation.
[Congratulations – 1st Place]
“…Oh.”
First place.
Unexpected.
But remembering the stage—
I felt a little better.
“…Award ceremony…”
My face stiffened.
A ceremony?
Interviews, questions—
Too much hassle.
Even with an avatar—
I didn’t want to.
I declined immediately.
I tossed my phone aside.
Then—
It buzzed again.
“…What now…”
Wait.
I froze.
All notifications were muted.
Except—
One.
[JUN]
My heart lifted instantly.
The heaviness, the fatigue—
Gone.
I opened the email—
Almost like opening a long-awaited package.
“Hello, this is JUN again. Sorry for the late email. I wanted to properly analyze the song.”
“…No.”
I had been waiting.
“I really enjoyed ‘Falling Star.’ The sub-bass, the EQ balance, and the pluck sound were especially impressive.”
“…Wait.”
They analyzed that?
Was this person a professional?
At least someone knowledgeable.
“On the surface, it feels like a love song.”
I kept reading slowly.
“The buildup from a calm intro into an emotional peak was amazing. If you ever teach composition, I’d like to enroll.”
I chuckled.
That was a bit much.
Still—
It felt nice.
“But like your previous song, this one has dual meaning.”
Exactly.
“The woman is described like a star, but there’s almost no direct description of her. So I interpreted it like this…”
They followed perfectly.
“The woman was originally in the sky but fell because of the man—like a falling star. It looks beautiful, but… was she happy? Or in pain? I wonder about their fate.”
…Impressive.
“Only you know the answer.”
Feedback like this—
Always gave me strength.
“Thank you for making such songs. I’ll send feedback again. Have a great day!”
“…Wow.”
This wasn’t feedback anymore.
It was admiration.
Still—
It made my day.
I started typing.
Carefully.
Sincerely.
[Reply]
“Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. I can’t confirm the interpretation directly, but yours aligns perfectly with what I intended.”
I paused.
Then added—
“Their ending… even I don’t know yet. Their story is still ongoing.”
Because—
That falling star—
It was me.
If someone asked if I was happy—
I’d say no.
But—
I didn’t want to say the star was unhappy either.
“Your emails give me strength. Thank you.”
I sent it.
It felt awkward—
Writing something this long again.
After that—
No more emails came.
So—
I started making more songs.
Faster.
Meanwhile—
Money came in.
9 million won
And the song I sold—
#1 on Melon Chart
“Will You Only Look at “Me”—Yujin
I didn’t even check it myself.
The company contacted me—
And even sent fruit as a gift.
I ate it with my mother.
“Where did this come from?”
“The company. They said the song did well.”
The sweet, sour pineapple melted in my mouth.
A rookie hitting #1?
Rare.
But expected.
Good marketing.
Decent vocals.
No strong competitors.
And—
The song was good.
Even the singer wanted to thank me—
But I refused.
Messages were fine.
Calls were not.
As I finished eating—
A new song appeared on Nebula.
