Yuhyeon ran as if his lungs were about to burst.

How long had it been since he last felt his heart race with such excitement?

I can hear music!

Music was everything to him.

It was the driving force that had helped him endure a difficult life, the only thing that had given him hope to keep moving forward.

That was why, after the accident, his life had been as good as dead.

Losing his hearing, being unable to listen to music—it was a death sentence for a musician.

I thought I’d never hear it again…

And yet, now, two miracles had come to him at once.

The miracle of hearing. The miracle of listening to music.

Both had arrived together.

That was why, even though his lungs burned and his breath came in ragged gasps, he couldn’t stop running.

He had to experience this miracle as soon as possible.

“…Anyone have spare potions? Buying cheap!”

“…Hah! So I kicked that bastard right in the ass!”

After sprinting for a while, he finally saw the beginner’s village come into view.

The town bustled with people of all kinds.

Some players, dressed in white shirts and tunics, were deep in conversation, while NPC guards clad in medieval armor patrolled the streets.

Shhhhhh—

Wooden buildings lined the roads, their aged beams worn smooth by time. A fountain gushed clear water, sparkling in the light.

It was like something out of a perfect fantasy world.

The deeper he ventured into the plaza, the louder the sound of instruments became.

This is it!

Finally, Yuhyeon spotted a piano sitting in the square.

A magnificent, elegant grand piano.

A player sat in front of it, hands poised over the keys, as if about to begin playing.

Thump, thump.

His heart pounded wildly.

I can finally hear the sound of a piano…!

Overwhelmed with anticipation, Yuhyeon swallowed hard and fixed his gaze on the pianist.

Tiiing.

A beautiful note echoed through the plaza.

Ahh……

The sound of a piano—after ten long years.

A shiver ran down his spine.

I want to hear it closer.

Drawn in by the melody, he squeezed through the crowd.

Then—

“Hey, don’t cut in line. Go to the back.”

Startled, Yuhyeon flinched and quickly bowed his head.

“Oh, sorry. I just wanted to watch.”

“If you’re just watching, do it from somewhere else. This line is for people waiting to play.”

“…Play? You mean, I can actually play?”

At his puzzled expression, the person scoffed.

“You’re a total newbie, huh? Go to the back and fill out an application. Now move, you’re blocking the view.”

At those words, Yuhyeon turned around.

A long line stretched endlessly behind him, so long that he couldn’t even see the end.

“I can play the piano? For real…?”

It was an opportunity he hadn’t expected.

He had only come here to listen, but now he could actually play?

With a bright smile, Yuhyeon bowed.

“Thanks!”

Following the directions, he soon spotted an NPC handing out application forms.

“You here to apply as a performer? If so, sign here.”
 

Ding!

[Event Quest: Trial for the Ritual Pianist]

Grade: C

Requirement: Must be able to play the piano

Reward: 50 gold, Honorary Devotee Emblem, Participation in the Ritual Performance

Failure: Unable to participate in the ritual

Description: We are seeking a pianist for the upcoming ritual ceremony in one week. The selection process is highly competitive, but those who pass will earn great honor and rewards.

 
“My arm’s gonna fall off. If you’re doing it, sign already. If not, move along.”

“If I sign this, I can play the piano?”

The NPC yawned.

“Obviously. You think we let people play just for fun? Sigh, why did the elder dump this annoying task on me…”

“I can play, right? Then I’m in!”

[Would you like to sign the application?]

Ding!

[You have entered the event.]

[Current queue: 411 players. Estimated wait time: 1 hour 27 minutes.]

The wait was long.

But right now, it didn’t feel long at all.

I can just listen while I wait.

With everything ready, all he had to do was enjoy the performances until his turn came.

I can’t wait.

Yuhyeon slowly closed his eyes.

With his sight gone, his other senses sharpened.

The fragrance of flowers, the cool breeze brushing against his skin—

And his hearing, more sensitive than ever, picked up every sound clearly.

Soon, the pianist pressed a key.

Tiiing.

D#.

If his memory was correct, that note was a D#.

He knew instantly.

It wasn’t just his ears remembering—

It was as if the sound had been revived from deep within him.

♬♪

The piano, often called the “king of instruments,” was an incredibly captivating instrument.

Its defining characteristic as a keyboard instrument meant that anyone could produce sound simply by pressing a key.

It also boasted a vast range, allowing it to play both the lowest and highest notes that were difficult for other instruments to produce.

And then, there were harmonies.

Unlike many other instruments, the piano made playing chords effortless. Its structure allowed for virtually unrestricted harmonic expression.

Ultimately, as long as one had the skill, the piano granted complete freedom in performance.

‘So then… why can’t anyone play a full piece?’

Despite being such an incredible instrument, not a single proper performance was taking place.

The real issue was that the performances were ending before they could even begin.

“…Disqualified!”

Some were eliminated after playing just a single note.

“I can tell just by the way you’re sitting!”

Some were disqualified the moment they took their seat.

“I can tell just by how you’re placing your fingers on the keys!”

Some were eliminated just for resting their fingers on the keyboard.

Watching the absurd scene unfold, Yuhyeon’s eyes narrowed into thin slits.

‘Come on, at least let me hear a performance…!’

If this is supposed to be an evaluation, shouldn’t they at least listen to the full piece?

At this rate, I won’t get to hear a single proper performance before the entire test is over.

Just as that thought crossed his mind—

“Ugh, I’m nervous. Oppa, do you think I’ll pass?”

A voice reached his ears from nearby.

A female player was talking to a male player.

“Oh, come on. Of course, you’ll pass. You even made a secondary character just for this, didn’t you? And maxed out the skill too, haha.”

“I leveled it up to 3 just in case… That should be fine, right?”

“You dumped all your skill points from level 10 into performance. No way there’s someone else who did the same.”

“Right? There isn’t, right?”

Skill? Points? What on earth are they talking about?

Yuhyeon couldn’t make sense of their conversation.

However, the other players listening in seemed to find the situation unfortunate.

“That’s hardcore… They actually leveled performance to 3 just for this?”

“What are they gonna do if they fail? If they maxed it out to level 10, they won’t even be able to hunt a single wolf…”

Expressions full of pity.

But Yuhyeon, unaware of the full context, was the only one whose eyes sparkled with interest.

‘Could she be… a skilled player?’

He had no interest in whatever they were saying about hunting or skills.

There was only one thing he cared about.

Hearing a proper performance.

“I’m going now, oppa!”

The female player who had invested in the skill walked toward the piano.

And then, her performance began.

♬♪

A melody flowed from the keyboard.

It was quite beautiful and diverse, causing the other players in the examination room to widen their eyes.

Every note was flawlessly executed, and her sense of pitch was precise. Everything was well-balanced.

“Hmm…”

Even Charles, the judge, had the same reaction.

His expression, which had been indifferent until now, showed the slightest hint of change.

‘Well, at least she’s the best one so far.’

It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but compared to what he had heard so far, it was certainly decent.

Stroking his beard, Charles muttered under his breath, “Alright. At your level, you should be able to at least participate in the ritual.”

“Wait, so I passed? For real? Oh my god!”

The female player jumped up and down in excitement.

‘I’d like her to be as good as Paolo Sento… No, that’s asking for too much. Given how difficult it is just to hold the ritual right now, skill is a secondary concern. The fact that she can participate at all is enough.’

The truth was, she was barely at an acceptable level.

If this had been last year, someone like her wouldn’t have even been considered.

But at the same time, turning her away didn’t seem like the right choice either.

After all, every other participant so far had been completely unqualified.

Just finding someone capable of playing in an ensemble was already a blessing.

‘I wish we had just a few more days…’ Charles continued to deliberate.

Meanwhile, the observing players whispered amongst themselves in amazement.

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen him hesitate. The judge is actually thinking it over? Is she gonna win the 50 gold?”

“Well, she did level up her performance to 3 just for this. With that kind of dedication, she deserves to win. Even if they offered me an honorary emblem, I wouldn’t waste my skill points like that.”

Until now, Charles had instantly disqualified every single player within seconds of hearing them play.

The fact that he was actually taking his time meant that, for all intents and purposes, the winner had already been decided.

Realizing this, many of the other players started to leave.

“Tch, looks like first place is settled. Might as well go hunting instead.”

“Yeah, let’s just go hunting.”

As the waiting line emptied in an instant, Yuhyeon’s eyes narrowed.

‘What the… It was almost my turn…?’

It felt like they were wrapping things up and calling it a day.

At this rate, he might not even get a chance to play.

He had waited nearly an hour just to play the piano.

At the very least, he had to try once.

With that thought, Yuhyeon hurried toward the event stage and called out urgently.

“W-wait a second!”

“……?”

At his sudden outburst, the remaining people all turned their gazes toward him.

“Can I play just once?”

*  *  *

“Can I play just once?”

A male voice rang out unexpectedly. Charles turned to Yuhyeon with a puzzled look.

“You want to play the piano?”

“Yes! I’d like to give it a try.”

Charles’ eyes narrowed.

“Well, the test isn’t over yet, but…”

He had already been feeling disappointed with the skill level of the female player earlier.

In fact, he had been hoping for someone slightly more skilled to show up.

“If you play well, I suppose there’s no harm in letting you try.”

If the young man claimed to be good, there was no reason not to give him a chance.

However, if he admitted to being mediocre, there was no need to waste time entertaining him.

They were in a race against time.

“Well, if you say you play well…”

Yuhyeon’s eyes narrowed.

‘What exactly qualifies as playing well?’

At what level did one need to perform to be considered good?

By his own standards, a truly skilled pianist had to be at a world-class level.

It had been ten years since he last played. He wasn’t sure he could confidently call himself good.

“Hmm, if you’re not skilled, I don’t see much reason to let you try,” Charles spoke in a cold tone.

“I-I just want to play once. I’ve been waiting all this time—surely I can play just once?” Yuhyeon responded urgently. His earnest expression made Charles hesitate.

‘Hmm, he’s practically begging to play…’

As a fellow musician, Charles wasn’t so heartless as to flat-out refuse someone’s desire to perform.

However, after listening to so many lackluster performances, he was reaching his limit.

He was already pressed for time and dealing with a headache—he had no desire to hear another subpar performance.

“Fine, you may play. But if your performance is poor, I’ll throw you out just like the others.”

“Y-yes!”

Yuhyeon’s eyes lit up.

“Can I play a different piece instead of the given sheet music?”

“Hmm? A different piece? Well, do as you like.”

Yuhyeon’s heart started pounding wildly.

‘Since I can choose my own piece…’

He had already decided what to play.

No, it wasn’t a last-minute decision—he had chosen this piece ten years ago.

Moonlight.

The very first piece he had ever composed.

If not for the accident, it was the piece he would have performed at his recital.

A piece he had dedicated over three years of his life to composing.

And yet, it had never once been shared with the world.

With a deep breath, Yuhyeon steadied his trembling emotions and slowly took a seat.

“Huu…”

He then gently placed his fingers on the keys.

His hands rested on the keys, his back straight, his posture perfectly aligned.

Even his slightly tucked chin gave off an air of a seasoned musician.

Just by sitting there, he exuded the presence of someone who had spent his life immersed in music.

Yuhyeon pressed the keys ever so carefully.

Diiing.

A beautiful, clear note resonated across the square.

“……!”

“……!!”

For the first time in ten years, the time that had stopped for Han Yuhyeon—

Began to move once again.

To be continued

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