GCSA CH 03

CHAPTER 03

I rubbed my eyes.

But the window floating in front of me didn’t disappear.

I vaguely remembered seeing something like this when playing mobile games before. Was I dreaming after all?

‘Is it only visible to me?’

I looked around, but everyone else was busy with their own things.

Just then, the text changed.

[ SYSTEM – V1.0 ]

Hello, User.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

The backup data restoration process has been completed.

Backup data restoration?

‘Is that related to me returning to ten years ago?’

As I tilted my head in confusion, the message changed again.

[ SYSTEM – V1.0 ]

Analysis result: It has been determined that the user is unlikely to reach the normal ending through their own ability.

Therefore, this system has activated “User Support Mode” to assist the user in reaching the correct ending.

‘This feels like a game tutorial.’

It didn’t feel real at all.

[ SYSTEM – V1.0 ]

Target Ending: □□□□

Step-by-step quests will be provided to help the user reach the correct ending.

Additional rewards will be granted upon quest completion.

‘The target ending is all glitched out.’

What kind of nonsense is this?

Was this really a dream?

“Ow!”

I pinched my cheek. A sharp pain shot through me.

‘Can a dream hurt this much?’

That wasn’t the only strange thing.

The surrounding noise was so loud it hurt my ears.

The long-forgotten sensation of “hearing” pierced through me.

‘Ugh. My ears hurt.’

My mind was a mess.

I had no idea what was going on. I was pressing both hands over my ears and frowning when—

“Seol~! Yoon Seol!”

A familiar voice.

Slowly, I turned my head.

Light brown bobbed hair. Round cheeks that hadn’t yet lost their baby fat. A girl with a cute face.

‘Moon Arin.’

I recognized her instantly.

The one who, ten years later, would make me lose my hearing, steal my songs, and finally take my life.

My heart dropped.

‘Why are you…’

Moon Arin smiled casually and sat down beside me.

“Did you wait long? The next shift was late.”

Her nose was red from the cold.

As if nothing had ever happened.

As if we were still close friends.

The moment I saw her face, a chill ran through me. Reality hit hard.

‘There’s no way this is a dream.’

I reached out and pinched Moon Arin’s cheek. It was soft and warm.

“Hehe, sorry~!”

She laughed, thinking I was joking.

A cold sensation ran down my spine.

Only then did I admit it.

This wasn’t a dream.

It was real.

‘I really went back. Ten years.’

When I stayed silent, Moon Arin smiled awkwardly and continued.

“Oh, right. Did you bring it?”

“…Bring what?”

“What else? Your original song! You said you were thinking about changing majors.”

Ah. That time.

An old memory flashed through my mind.

‘At the end of my freshman year, I was debating whether to switch from piano to composition. I had asked Moon Arin for advice.’

She was majoring in composition, so I had brought her my self-composed piece for feedback.

‘Yeah. It definitely started then.’

Looking back, her life changed right after that.

Her grades had been average, but she suddenly debuted as a genius composer and began rising quickly.

At the time, I didn’t find it strange.

The words she had whispered to me came back clearly.

— Hmm, Seol. It’s not that the song is bad. It’s actually pretty good. But… it kind of feels like I’ve heard it somewhere before? I don’t mean that in a bad way. It just happens subconsciously when you listen to a lot of music…

The face she made, like she didn’t want to say something harsh, now sent chills down my spine.

Had she already planned to steal my song the moment she first heard it?

After that, every time I brought her a new piece, she would subtly criticize it and make me lose confidence.

Why didn’t I realize it back then?

That every time I visited her, she would later release a hit song.

‘She had even warned me not to listen to outside songs, saying I might subconsciously plagiarize them.’

It was my fault for naïvely believing her.

Just then, a new window appeared in front of me.

[ SYSTEM – MAIN QUEST ]

Transfer to Hankuk University’s Composition Department!

Description: This is the first objective given to you after returning to the past. Correct your past failure.

Success Condition: Successfully transfer majors.

Reward: Inspiration (B)

Penalty: Hearing Loss (20%)

‘A quest?’

Before I could process it, Moon Arin urged me.

“Hurry and play it for me. I’m excited!”

Ignoring the quest window for now, I answered,

“…No.”

I immediately closed my laptop.

“It’s still unfinished. I’m embarrassed to let anyone hear it. I’ll let you listen after I polish it more.”

Moon Arin tilted her head, then nodded.

“Okay. Let me hear it when you’re ready!”

As she smiled awkwardly, she suddenly hugged me tightly.

“But you have to let me hear it first, okay? I’m your best friend, after all!”

Then she whispered in a subtle tone,

“I’m just worried about you quitting piano to do composition. You know how it is. You either need natural talent or crazy effort to catch up with the others. I don’t want you to suffer for nothing.”

It sounded like concern.

But underneath, there was something faintly belittling.

“Okay? Promise!”

I forced the corners of my lips upward, suppressing the trembling.

“Yeah. I will.”

Because—

“Promise.”

I needed to stay her friend.

For now.

***

I don’t even remember what we talked about after that.

Just trivial things I can’t recall now. Who was dating whom at school. Which professor assigned too much homework.

I didn’t respond enthusiastically, but she didn’t seem to find it strange.

After barely turning down her offer to have dinner together, I returned to the small apartment I had rented during college.

Click.

As soon as I closed the door, I collapsed onto the floor.

The cold air seeping through the floor felt strangely welcome.

The chill proved this wasn’t a dream.

“Ha…”

Still wearing my coat, I sat there.

It wasn’t a dying hallucination. It wasn’t heaven either. There was no way Moon Arin would be in heaven.

This was reality.

Ten years ago.

Winter of my freshman year.

I had returned to that time.

“They weren’t taken yet…”

The words slipped from my lips.

Right before I played my song for Moon Arin.

Before everything fell apart.

Returning to this exact moment felt too precise to be coincidence.

Maybe this was a second chance to fix everything.

I stared into the air and murmured inwardly.

‘System.’

[ SYSTEM – MAIN QUEST ]

Transfer to Hankuk University’s Composition Department!

Description: This is the first objective given to you after returning to the past. Correct your past failure.

Success Condition: Successfully transfer majors.

Reward: Inspiration (B)

Penalty: Hearing Loss (20%)

‘Just as I thought.’

For some unknown reason, I had returned ten years to the past along with this strange system window.

What worried me most was the “Hearing Loss” penalty. Did that mean if I failed the quest, my hearing would weaken?

‘That can’t happen. I just started hearing again.’

I touched my ears unconsciously.

The thought of losing my hearing again was terrifying. I didn’t know how powerful this strange “system” was, but—

‘I was planning to transfer anyway.’

Fortunately, it wasn’t very different from the path I wanted.

‘I couldn’t see what the target ending was, but it seemed to think my previous death was the wrong outcome.’

If that was the case, the system probably wouldn’t block my path.

It almost felt like a guide telling me what to do.

‘If I use it well, this could be an incredible advantage.’

I didn’t know what it was, but something powerful enough to turn back time seemed to want me to succeed.

It felt like I had gained an entire army on my side.

‘This time will be different.’

I was certain I could climb higher than before.

This time—

under my own name.