Chapter 1

Ever since I was a child, I loved music.

Rock, ballads, hip-hop, dance, pop…

No matter the genre, I loved all kinds of music.

Even though I had to listen to it on an old MP3 player kept at the orphanage, I was still happy whenever I could hear a song.

As time passed, I naturally began to dream.

“I’ll become a composer.”

I wanted to become someone who could create beautiful songs like the ones I loved listening to.

I was still very young, but I truly meant it.

Whenever I listened to music, I could forget all of my pain.

And so, after becoming an adult…

I really challenged myself to become a composer.

It wasn’t easy.

Creating songs itself was already a huge obstacle.

I had only graduated from high school and couldn’t afford to attend a practical music academy, so I had no choice but to teach myself. For someone like me, making proper music was incredibly difficult.

Even so, I never gave up.

I worked as hard as I could, making song after song while studying MIDI composition through whatever materials I could find online.

Eventually, I managed to create enough songs to build a portfolio and sent it to entertainment agencies.

I emailed them, visited agencies in person to hand over my work, and even left demo CDs on the windshields of company cars.

After all that effort, I finally got hired as an official composer by an entertainment company.

Arme Entertainment.

That was my first home as a professional composer.

It was a tiny agency, but I was still happy.

After all, I had achieved the dream I’d had since childhood.

Of course, becoming a composer didn’t suddenly make life easy.

I had been too poor to attend a music university, and I’d never received proper training in composition. Creating great songs was still extremely difficult.

To put it bluntly, I had only just learned basic music theory and how to use MIDI software.

Even so, I kept trying.

Because I had to survive.

I never became successful, but I managed to earn enough to get by.

During that time, I got married.

And I was blessed with a beautiful daughter.

Yoo Sion.

That was the name of my precious daughter.

I gave her the family name “Yoo,” after my own name, Yoo Tae-oh.

To protect the daughter I loved, I worked harder than ever.

Sometimes I practiced at the piano until my nose bled onto its pure white keys.

But that life didn’t last long.

“Let’s get divorced.”

My wife’s sudden request for a divorce.

At that moment, it felt like my whole world had collapsed.

No matter how many times I asked why, she never gave me a real answer.

She only kept saying that we weren’t compatible anymore.

In the end, after going through mediation, we got divorced.

Only afterward did I learn the truth.

She had another man.

She divorced me so she could start a new life with him.

“…You heartless woman.”

When I found out, I hated her.

Leaving me was one thing.

But abandoning our beloved daughter, Sion, just to be with another man…

That was something I could never forgive.

Even so, I never went to see her or demanded an explanation.

I was simply tired of everything.

I had no lingering feelings left.

After selling the house we’d lived in and going our separate ways, I won custody of Sion and found us a new place to live.

“Wow! It’s a new house! A new house!”

The moment we stepped inside, Sion cheered excitedly.

It was just a small two-bedroom rental apartment.

There wasn’t even a proper living room.

What was there to be so excited about?

Watching her happily jump around made me smile, but it also broke my heart.

“Sion, do you like it?”

“Hmm? Yep! I love it!”

“Really? Even though it’s much smaller than our old house?”

“Yep! Because it’s a new house! Daddy, can I ask you something?”

“Sure. What is it?”

I smiled gently as I waited for her question.

“When is Mommy coming?”

The moment I heard those words, my smile froze.

Out of all the questions she could ask…

This was the one I couldn’t answer.

“Well…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence.

I still hadn’t told Sion that her mother and I had divorced.

I’d kept putting it off.

“Mom will come later. Later.”

“Later?”

“Yeah. Mommy’s very busy with work right now. She’ll come when she’s free.”

“Hehe. Really?”

“Yeah. So why don’t you go play for now? Mommy will come later.”

“Okay, Daddy! Hehe! Then I’ll go choose which room will be mine!”

With that, Sion happily ran toward one of the small bedrooms.

“…Sigh.”

Once I’d barely escaped the situation, I let out a long sigh.

How long could I keep telling this lie?

Someday I’d have to tell her the truth.

When that day came…

Would Sion be able to bear the pain of our divorce?

Or should I just tell her now?

My heart felt unbearably heavy.

The thought that my innocent daughter would suffer because of my failed marriage hurt me more than anything.

“More importantly… how are we supposed to live from now on?”

I looked around the cramped apartment and sighed again.

How was I supposed to live here?

Especially while raising Sion by myself.

“This is driving me crazy…”

The thought of having to earn a living while also taking care of the house and raising my daughter alone felt completely overwhelming.

Just as despair was beginning to consume me…

[Congratulations! You have received the Blessing of Awakening!]

A triumphant fanfare echoed through the room, accompanied by a brilliant golden light.

At that very moment…

A strange holographic window appeared before my eyes.