Trrring.

An indescribable emotion wrapped around his entire body.

‘Ah… this sound.’

Yes, this was the sound he had been longing to hear.

The piano, which he thought he would never hear again, reached his ears, sending uncontrollable tremors through his body.

The rough texture of the keys beneath his fingertips, the warmth of the sunlight on his back, the sensation of being completely cut off from the world, as if sinking into an empty void…

Everything was exactly as it had been.

‘This feeling.’

In that deep silence, only two things existed, alive and breathing. Han Yuhyeon and the instrument. Just the two of them.

It had been so long since he last felt this.

For the first time in years, he truly felt alive.

He was reminded that his purpose in life was not merely to open his eyes in the morning and close them at night, but to play music.

Ten years—ten years of existence so empty he might as well have been dead—were now reignited with life.

A man who had once staked everything on music. A man for whom music was life itself.

That was who Han Yuhyeon was.

He turned his head, glancing around.

He saw a few female players tilting their heads in confusion at the sudden performance and the judges watching with interest, waiting for him to begin.

Making an audience wait too long was improper etiquette for a musician.

‘Shall I begin, then?’

Calming his mind, Yuhyeon slowly pressed the keys.

♬♪

His fingers danced fluidly across the keyboard.

At first, gentle—like two strangers exchanging greetings for the first time, he and the instrument met with a touch of excitement.

This was still a time for exploration, for feeling each other out.

Next, Andante. Carrying the desire to get to know one another better, his fingers moved across the keys like a leisurely stroll.

A soft tremor, like a whisper against the ear. The melody was warm and refreshing, like a breeze in spring.

‘This is… fun. So much fun.’

The rhythm that made his whole body move, the beautiful harmonies stacking upon one another, the endless ways to express music through dynamics…

There was not a single element of music he did not love.

But if he had to choose what he loved most—

It was that he could express himself, exactly as he felt.

When he was sad, he could play sorrowfully. When he was happy enough to dance, he could play with unrestrained joy. He could translate his emotions directly into sound.

That was why Yuhyeon loved music.

‘Now, it’s time for dynamics.’

Once the introduction was over, the real performance began.

No matter how good a piece was, if it was played at the same volume, with the same pacing throughout, it would soon become dull.

Just as suspense was essential in thriller movies, dynamics were necessary to infuse music with tension and depth.

Thunk!

Yuhyeon struck the keys with force. The melody shifted instantly, the atmosphere growing richer, more intense.

♬♪

The once soft and sweet tune suddenly grew faster, almost agitated.

If the beginning of the performance had mirrored his brilliant past, then this—the present—was akin to the despair he had faced after the accident.

Like walking alone through a darkness with no end in sight.

His fingers crossed feverishly over the keys—

Like soldiers on a battlefield, charging at one another with their lives on the line.

Immersed in the sound piercing his ears, Yuhyeon surrendered himself completely to the music, his hands never pausing.

Thunk—!

The melody was passionate, precarious, unpredictable, and at the same time, mesmerizing.

With every shift in expression, Yuhyeon’s face changed accordingly. As the tempo accelerated, his entire body followed suit, moving with unrestrained intensity.

As if he and the instrument were one.

His hands moved faster than his thoughts, as if they had a will of their own. His body simply followed, like a marionette, allowing the music to take control.

‘This is it—this is what I’ve been missing!’

Yes, this was the feeling. That intense emotion he could only experience when he was completely immersed.

As he rediscovered that long-forgotten sensation, a wide smile spread across his lips.

Yuhyeon was truly, purely enjoying the performance.

Simply pressing the keys, listening to the notes, translating his emotions into music—this was happiness.

It was the kind of raw, unfiltered joy that a child must feel when encountering music for the first time.

‘This is my music.’

Ding.

At last, his fingers slowed, the movement on the keyboard gradually fading.

The long performance was finally drawing to a close.

Only one measure remained.

Yet, for some reason, Yuhyeon’s fingers hesitated, unable to press the final note.

‘I don’t want this to end.’

He was afraid—afraid that this moment of happiness would vanish the moment the performance was over.

But it had to end.

No matter how beautiful a piece was, if it remained unfinished, it would forever be incomplete.

“Huu…”

Taking a deep breath, Yuhyeon steadied himself and pressed the final key.

The piece was finished.

The intangible space where only he and the instrument had existed slowly dissolved, bringing him back to reality.

His emotions, which had swelled to the brim, gradually settled.

Yet the memory of the performance lingered in his mind.

“……”

A heavy silence filled the event hall.

If there were going to be applause, they should have come by now. If there were going to be boos, they should have already erupted.

Cautiously, Yuhyeon opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a scene entirely different from what he had expected.

“…Wow, did you see that? Did you see him play?”

“Unbelievable.”

Countless people were staring at him.

And their expressions were nothing short of shock.

*  *  *

“…Wow, did you see that? Did you see him play?”

“Unbelievable.”

Countless eyes were locked on him.

Then, Judge Charles spoke in a voice filled with astonishment, “U-unbelievable. To think that an outsider could be such an exceptional musician!”

What he had just witnessed wasn’t simply a performance at a high level.

Even compared to Paolo, the most distinguished musician of the cathedral, Yuhyeon’s skill showed no noticeable difference.

Come to think of it, even the way he sat at the piano had been extraordinary.

His straight posture, the angle of his chin, the precise placement of his fingers on the keys…

These were the hallmarks of a performer who had dedicated their entire life to music.

Suddenly, Charles felt a jolt of realization.

‘Damn it, I made a huge mistake!’

Not only had he failed to recognize such a remarkable talent, but he’d also gone so far as to treat him dismissively, making it clear he could be kicked out at any moment if he didn’t play well.

At this point, they should be begging him—pleading with him to participate in the ceremony. Instead, they had given him the worst possible first impression.

‘If I let this opportunity slip away, it’ll be a disaster.’

Quickly coming to his senses, Charles cleared his throat and adjusted his posture.

His demeanor was now one of utmost respect—though his expression held an unmistakable air of desperation and urgency.

“E-excuse me, but would you be willing to participate in the ritual ceremony? We need your help!”

Gasps of shock spread across the hall.

‘What the hell? Why is he acting so differently all of a sudden?’

With the female player earlier, he had merely hesitated. But now, with Yuhyeon, he was practically begging.

And his face… He looked like he was about to cry if he got rejected.

Given how cold and aloof NPCs usually were, this sudden shift in attitude was downright baffling.

‘What’s going on? How did things take this turn?’

‘I’ve never seen an NPC act so polite before.’

First, an incredible performance. Now, an NPC undergoing a complete personality shift in an instant.

“Please, I beg you. Will you participate in the ceremony?”

Every player in the room held their breath at the dramatic scene unfolding before them. All eyes were on Yuhyeon.

And his response was—

“I’m sorry. But I’m afraid I won’t be able to participate in the ceremony.”

A flat-out refusal.

‘?!’

‘What the hell? Why?!’

Shock rippled through the eyes of every player watching.

‘He’s giving up 50 gold? That’s 500,000 won in cash!’

‘Does he have any idea how valuable the Honorary Devotee Emblem is? He’s going to regret this later!’

Charles was just as stunned.

“Is it because the reward isn’t enough? Or is there another reason?”

“Well, it’s just…”

“If you need anything, please tell me! I’ll do everything I can to accommodate you.”

After a moment of hesitation, Yuhyeon scratched his head awkwardly.

“It’s just that my time is up. I have to go home now.”

“H-home, you say?”

The reason Yuhyeon couldn’t participate in the event was simple.

[ You will be logged out in 1 minute. Please log out from a safe location. ]

His time at the capsule room had run out.

In other words, he had no choice but to log out.

“Yeah, I need to log out.”

“Haah, so this ‘log out’ thing outsiders always talk about… and it just had to happen now of all times…!”

Of course, he wanted to play more. The problem was that he had things to take care of back home.

Hadn’t he left without even finishing his composition deadline? That was his livelihood—far more urgent than some in-game event.

“If I get the chance later, I’ll definitely participate. But for now, I really have to go.”

Charles grabbed Yuhyeon’s hand and shouted desperately, “L-later? The ritual ceremony is in just one week!”

[ You will be logged out in 10 seconds. Please log out from a safe location. ]

“Uh… this is my first time playing, so… if I log in again, then maybe I can…”

Before he could finish his sentence, his figure gradually faded.

“You must return at least by the day after tomorrow! That way, you can practice and perform in the ceremony. Please, just until then!”

Charles’ desperate voice echoed through the plaza.

“Oh, no! Please don’t go! I’ll wait here until you return! Please…!”

But Yuhyeon was already long gone.

*  *  *

“Wow, that was crazy. Did anyone else see that?”

A man gazed at the plaza with a fascinated expression, his eyes lingering on the event hall where Yuhyeon had just performed.

His name was Han Donghoon, better known as ‘Pengkun’—a mid-tier game streamer with a steadily growing fanbase, primarily centered around Wonderland.

“I’m not seeing things, right? He really logged out without even taking the reward?”

– I saw it too, lmao. What a legend.

– LOL, this is gold.

 – I’ve never seen an NPC look that dumbfounded before.

Pengkun had watched the entire thing unfold.

From Yuhyeon basically crashing the stage, to his jaw-dropping performance, to his utterly indifferent exit—ignoring the reward and logging out like it was nothing.

It was more dramatic than any drama. Honestly, it was the most entertaining content he’d seen in a long time.

An amusing idea suddenly flashed through his mind.

“Maybe I should put my current content on hold and track that player down.”

– ??

– Are you serious? LOL.

– Here we go again…

[ ‘C2C’ has donated 10,000 won. ]

– This dude’s actually insane, openly admitting he’s gonna leech off a random player. LMAO

[ ‘Hamdin’ has donated 10,000 won. ]

– I know you’re crazy about streaming, but leeching off a total stranger is a bit much…

Pengkun waved his hands in protest.

“Come on, of course I’ll ask for his cooperation first. What do you take me for? I’m not some no-name BJ trying to mooch off people.”

He had 400,000 subscribers. If anything, he had more to lose. There was no way he’d pull some cheap stunt.

Naturally, he planned to offer proper compensation if he interviewed the player.

– But how are you even going to find him?

– LOL, you talk like you added him as a friend or something.

“Hmm… yeah, that’s the question. How should I track him down?”

Pengkun’s intrigued gaze lingered on the spot where Yuhyeon had vanished.
 

To be continued

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