Genius Composer Who’s a Dedicated Fan

Inside the pitch-black practice performance hall.

Ryu Se-ah, sitting in front of the piano, nodded towards the staff.

The staff turned on the lights in response to that signal, and a deep blue light began to fall on Ryu Se-ah’s head.

Simultaneously, on the stage.

The murmuring in the audience gradually grew louder as they confirmed the sight of Ryu Se-ah sitting in front of the piano.

Half the reason was due to the expectation towards her.

They knew well what Ryu Se-ah’s specialty was.

Piano prodigy.

It had been the nickname referring to the girl named Ryu Se-ah until now, and there probably wasn’t anyone in this practice hall who didn’t know how good her piano skills were.

That’s why they were expecting something, and the other half was curiosity.

Everyone couldn’t help but feel puzzled when Ryu Se-ah first chose the Applied Music Department.

Why did she choose the Applied Music Department when there was a Classical Music Department right there in Seolhwa Arts High School?

The teachers and students didn’t know the reason. Originally, since Ryu Se-ah had never revealed the reason publicly, only a very few people knew this fact.

But among the people looking at the stage from the audience seats, there was one person who knew this fact.

‘Not late.’

It was Ryu Won.

Ryu Won, who entered the performance practice hall just in time, smiled bitterly while looking at Ryu Se-ah.

Because he knew too well with what feelings she was sitting in front of that piano now.

Nevertheless, Ryu Se-ah didn’t run away and clearly made a choice.

Her long-standing lingering attachment and precious friend.

The last performance with the piano.

But…

‘Is it really the last?’

Ryu Won thought this as he focused his gaze back on the stage.

At the same time.

Only Ryu Se-ah’s left hand slowly began to move, and beautiful piano melodies started to resound throughout the performance hall.

The moment they heard that sorrowful yet somehow warm melody, the audience recalled a certain word.

Cantabile.

Play beautifully as if singing.

Soon, along with that beautiful melody, Ryu Se-ah opened her mouth.

– To my precious you.

There’s something I want to convey.

Ryu Se-ah’s calm voice transmitted through the microphone set up in front of the piano.

The audience felt as if someone was whispering to them.

And that expression was accurate.

– It’s a bit embarrassing, but.

I hope it reaches you.

Because the song ‘Cantabile’ was a kind of love letter that Ryu Se-ah was sending to her precious friend who had been with her for a long time.

Ryu Se-ah recalled.

The moments she had shared with her precious friend over the past time.

When she first pressed the keys with her short fingers,

When she started learning the piano properly,

When she participated in competitions and received awards…

Her friend, the piano, was always by her side.

Thanks to that, she felt as if the world became clearer every time her hands touched it.

So she always wanted to be together with a smile.

But starting from that accident, painful, dark, and hurtful days came.

It was so sad that she turned her gaze away.

– I tried to ignore it by lying.

Even though I still kept it in my heart.

Ryu Se-ah’s emotions start to grow gradually.

It was clearly…

Regret for turning away from the piano that had chosen her.

Sadness for the reality where she could reach out but couldn’t touch.

But Ryu Se-ah desperately suppressed those emotions.

Because ‘Cantabile’ was by no means a song that sang of sadness.

Yes. It’s an infinitely bright and happy song.

That’s what her brother… no, the composer Ryu Won wanted from her.

A farewell filled with sadness doesn’t suit Ryu Se-ah at all.

Therefore.

─ !

Ryu Se-ah suddenly stopped playing the piano.

With a bright smile…

Now she reaches out towards a new path for a farewell with her old friend. She pulled out the microphone that was inserted to match the height of the chair.

Ryu Se-ah had always thought that only the piano could properly convey her emotions.

But the moment she heard the song composed by Ryu Won, she realized.

That there was a way to convey her emotions other than the piano.

So now Ryu Se-ah just wanted to sing about her gratitude and happiness for her friend.

『Cantabile』

Just as its meaning.

– You know. I want to be together a bit longer.

With you whom I really like, until the end of this world.

Along with the melody flowing through the speakers, Ryu Se-ah’s pitch gradually rises.

As Ryu Se-ah’s emotions entered her voice, clear and moist like dawn, the atmosphere of the song became infinitely brighter, and the lighting also changed from blue to white accordingly.

“Ah.”

A sound of admiration flowed from somewhere in the audience who were blankly watching that scene.

The harmonies of instruments that began to blend harmoniously centered around the beautiful piano melody. On top of that, Ryu Se-ah poured all the emotions she had been holding back into the song.

More precisely, only the happy emotions.

The curiosity that arose when she first pressed the keys and heard a sound like flowers blooming, the joy when she finished her first performance, the happiness when people cheered for her performance.

She learned all these happy emotions through the piano.

It seemed like she was telling the audience that because the piano taught her all these things, the bright and cheerful ‘Ryu Se-ah’ of today could exist.

…So please.

– Even without me.

Don’t stop that resonance.

Ryu Se-ah turned her back on the piano and gradually walked forward.

So that her forever beloved friend,

Could resound in the world alone even without her performance now.

But at that moment, Ryu Se-ah realizes something contradictory.

Even without her performance, familiar piano sounds were resonating in the performance hall, and she was singing along to those sounds.

Only then did Ryu Se-ah realize all the truth.

Why she was so drawn to the song ‘Cantabile’.

Why her brother put such lyrics at the end of the song.

Ryu Se-ah slowly closed her eyes.

As the song approaches its end, the instruments that were harmonizing disappear one by one, and just like at the beginning, only the piano melody remains.

Yes. The piano still hasn’t left me.

But I don’t have to leave the piano either.

Even now when I can’t perform, I was filling the stage together with the piano.

You…

‘You wanted to let me know this fact.’

That even if I became unable to play the piano, I could still be together with the piano that I really like from now on.

With such thoughts, Ryu Se-ah opened her eyes again.

And somewhere in the audience,

She naturally met eyes with the person who created the song ‘Cantabile’.

That person was faintly smiling while looking at Ryu Se-ah.

‘Silly. You just realized that now?’

It seemed like he was saying this.

Thanks to that, a bright smile bloomed on Ryu Se-ah’s face.

From that moment, ‘Cantabile’ was no longer a song about parting with a precious friend with a smile.

It was just ‘gratitude’ for the friend called piano that taught her happy emotions, and.

– As always, from there again.

Watch over me.

Ryu Se-ah’s song ended with words that seemed to hint at a new ‘beginning’.

However, even though the song had ended, the audience was still immersed in silence.

It seemed they still couldn’t quite understand what they had just seen and heard.

What was clear was that Ryu Se-ah singing looked so happy.

The happy emotions she conveyed, her voice, even her brightly smiling expression…

To the point where they wondered if it was possible to feel this happy just from listening to a song.

And what was even clearer was that Ryu Se-ah’s stage had already far surpassed the high school level long ago.

From the production of singing while playing the piano, to the overwhelming quality of the song, to Ryu Se-ah’s outstanding talent that digested all of it.

While the audience was thinking about this and marveling, Ryu Se-ah slowly raised the microphone as if she had something to say.

She too had been observing the audience’s reaction, and that reaction felt exactly the same as when her performance at a concours ended.

Therefore.

“This much means I’m first place, right?”

Ryu Se-ah said with a grin.

The people sitting in the audience literally burst out laughing when they heard those words. There was nothing wrong with what she said, but it was so unexpected coming directly from her that they couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

And in such a lively atmosphere, Ryu Se-ah noticed someone secretly heading out of the performance hall.

Anyone could see that he was wearing a uniform from another school, so Ryu Se-ah could immediately realize who that person was.

Geez…

I still had things to say, but he’s leaving after hearing it all.

What a cold-hearted brother. Does he think it’s over if he just leaves with that satisfied smile?

Still, thanks to him, I got to know a new emotion.

Who knew singing on stage could be this fun…

But if it had been an ordinary song, I definitely wouldn’t have felt this way.

This was all because the song her brother composed was special.

In other words, only songs made by her brother could make her feel this way.

In that sense, I hope he takes proper responsibility.

How?

“Wait, hold on! Is this for real?!”

“What on earth are you making such a fuss about while looking at your phone?”

“Ryu, Ryu Se-ah has joined as RT Entertainment’s new rookie artist!”

“What?!”

As if it had been planned, a big news was released to the world right after Ryu Se-ah’s stage ended.

That shocking news began to spread quickly inside the performance hall.

Moreover, since the very subject of that news was still standing on stage, the people in the performance hall couldn’t help but send questioning looks to Ryu Se-ah.

And not just anyone else…

“What the hell? What did you say?”

Even Ryu Won, who was leaving the performance hall, had to stop in his tracks and turn back towards Ryu Se-ah.

In such a confused atmosphere.

“Well… Somehow it turned out that way. Hehe.”

Ryu Se-ah answered brightly while scratching her head.

As if that news was absolutely not false.