Game Market 1983

"How did you figure that out?"

"Well, because I cleared it with an S rank."

Nakamura hesitated for a moment after my response before asking in disbelief, "You cleared it with an S rank? You, Kanna? How in the world!?"

To be honest, Nakamura's astonishment wasn't entirely unwarranted. I, too, had practiced countless times in training mode to clear every performance with an S rank. Achieving a flawless performance required repetitive practice, much like when handling actual musical instruments.

As I meticulously followed each rhythm bar coming down, I suddenly realized something profound.

"Merely matching the timing by eye on the rhythm bar won't do."

The moment I tried to match the timing visually, I sensed the subtle deviations in the music. It was purely speculative, but the director behind this game, Kang Junhyuk...

"He deliberately offset the timing of the rhythm bars..."

Even when I perfectly aligned the rhythm bars at certain points, instead of a Perfect timing, there were moments of Good timing. Sensing something amiss, I experimented with slightly adjusting the timing, and instantly, the Perfect indication appeared.

At that moment, a realization struck me.

The protagonist's performance wasn't just about matching rhythms in a simple rhythm game. It felt like the protagonist possessed a unique 'interpretation' of the piece, something beyond merely timing the notes accurately.

From then on, I prioritized the flow and mood of the music more than the timing of the descending rhythm bars. And with that shift, the challenging pieces that previously only reached an A rank gradually transformed into S ranks.

"Not pushing too hard to replicate the thrill I felt when I first played Chopin's Nocturne... Just relaxing and feeling the music..."

The rest, I entrusted to the overall atmosphere of the performance.

Oddly, my fingers seemed to move naturally in response to the piano notes coming through my headphones. Was it due to repeated practice that the patterns became familiar?

Upon my assertion that Yukinojo Kaori wasn't the culprit, Nakamura inquired about who the real culprit was, the one endangering the protagonist. With a sip of warm lemon tea, I cautiously replied, "I'd rather not say."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to spoil the emotional impact for you after clearing the game. But I can give you a hint to easily achieve an S rank in the performance section."

"What's that?"

"It's about feeling the music. Instead of solely focusing on the rhythm bars and not even paying attention to the protagonist's flashback scenes, concentrate solely on the music for a perfect performance, and naturally, you'll reach an S rank."

Whether this was the creator's intention or not, there were too many devices in the Gift of the Gods' performance section that captivated the player's attention.

The descending rhythm bars and the timing zones. Additionally, showing the protagonist's flashback scenes alongside initially led to frequent instances where focusing on the flashbacks caused missing notes in the music.

At first glance, the flashbacks alongside the music gave off a profoundly emotional vibe. But for the sake of efficiency in progressing through the rhythm game, wouldn't it have been better to show the flashbacks after the performance?

Nakamura, contemplating my advice to focus solely on the music, wore a perplexed expression and nodded as if understanding. Just then, as the caf door swung open, Mayumi, who had finished her shift, approached us.

"Sorry for the wait. The replacement staff was late..."

"No, it's fine. Nakamura was engrossed in a magazine you brought, so time flew by."

"Are you seriously into 'Gift of the Gods' these days? Is it that much fun?"

Recalling the past month, I smiled faintly, reminiscing about the concerto involving the protagonist and the other four.

"Yeah, it was so enjoyable. And in a way, it's such a heartbreaking story..."

Even just remembering the final scene made tears almost well up in my eyes.

Observing my face, Mayumi opened her mouth in bewilderment. "Are you crying?"

"Oh, no, I was just about to share something about the ending. I'm really curious, gotta rush back."

Nakamura began fretting, wringing his hands in frustration. "I used to think I could clear any game, but with 'Gift of the Gods,' I'm at a loss! Especially with Satzuki-sensei's collaboration part where there are two pianos... My fingers are cramping up."

Watching Nakamura like that, I almost wanted to use the Laon in my bag to show him the true ending. However, I decided to endure it for his sake.

&

"Twinkle, twinkle little star"

Strumming the guitar strings in my room, reminiscing about memories with my mom, I stepped out, guitar in hand.

Despite the chilly winds of January causing shivers, I tightly gripped the handle of my guitar case and headed to my usual spot on the street for a performance.

Maybe it was the cold winter, but unlike last autumn, there was no one performing on the streets.

Moments later, near the station, I found a record store nestled in a shopping area and, damp from the cold, greeted the store owner.

"Hey, sir! How's it going?"

"Oh, it's Kang! Come on in."

"Sir, could I possibly borrow the amp set up outside the shop today?"

"Huh...? You're not planning to sing in this freezing weather, are you?" freew(e)bnovel

"Yes. Is... is that not okay?"

"Well, there's no harm, but you might catch a cold, young lad."

"I'll sing just for a bit. Okay?"

"It's a deal then. I'm letting you borrow the amp with the condition that you sing while it's playing. If you catch a cold, think about how sad your mom in heaven would be."

"Ah... thank you, sir."

"Holding hands like sprouting ferns, you and your mom came to buy the guitar, and now look at you all grown up..."

The store owner gazed at me with a proud smile.

A while later, a small performance space appeared outside the record store, exclusively for me.

Despite the occasional chilly gusts, thanks to the heater placed nearby, my fingers seemed spared from stiffness.

Leaning against the door frame, I smiled softly at the store owner watching me, then plucked the guitar strings gently, momentarily halting the hurried steps of passersby.

"Huh? A performance on the street in this winter?"

"Let's just watch for a bit."

Soon, a small crowd gathered around me. Lighting a candle placed in a tiny glass bottle was my prelude ritual before starting a song.

"As my first piece, I'll share my original song 'Unspoken Love.'"

After clearing my throat, I played the guitar strings, letting my voice ride the cold breeze.

Your lonely figure, for some reason, concerns me...

Before I knew it, my heart was heading towards you.

How should I reflect this heart in your mirror...

With closed eyes, pouring all my emotions into the song, this moment felt incredibly fulfilling.

As I finished the first song and gently opened my eyes, more people than before had gathered in front of the record store, sending applause and cheers louder than ever.

The store owner, with a satisfied expression, was beaming brighter than ever.

"Your singing is great, and your guitar skills have improved. Are you attending guitar classes somewhere?"

"No, I just realized it's more about carrying the mood and flow of the song rather than just playing accurately."

"Oh? That's impressive. Indeed, playing precisely without feeling won't convey any emotions. So, who taught you that?"

With a slight smile to the store owner's question, I plucked the guitar strings again.

Suddenly, among the audience who recognized the song, some exclaimed, "Huh? Where have I heard this song before?"

"Yeah! It sounds really familiar..."

"Wait, could it be? Isn't this the ending song from the game 'Gift from the Gods'?"

"Wow, it is!"

The record store owner, not knowing much about the game, chuckled but nodded approvingly as he stepped back, evidently enjoying the music.

From the moment I first saw you...

I knew of my sorrowful love...

It may or may not come true...

This lonely heart of mine...

&

For days after that, I secretly left home without my dad knowing, singing in front of the record store.

The store owner would prepare a heater and a small chair outside whenever my time was due.

Setting lyrics to the ending song of Gift from the Gods and singing it became a hot topic on the PC communication community. As time passed, more and more people began gathering in front of the record store.

Then, one day, as I was about to leave wearing a warm parka, the phone rang.

Wrapping my guitar case around me, I picked up the receiver to hear Nakamura's voice.

"Kang... I've got one question. Is it true that the true ending of Gift from the Gods comes after a collaborative performance by five characters?"

"Yeah, that's right. Did Nakamura also see it?"

"Yeah... just now..."

"How was it?"

"What's this...? In the end, there was neither a heroine nor a culprit, to begin with. It was just an attempted suicide by a genius musician with multiple personalities... What in the world..."

Returning home after dinner with Mayumi that evening, I hadn't taken out my guitar in quite a while. Since it was a day off for the store and Dad wasn't home either, I carefully retrieved the guitar from its case on the bed and plucked a string.

As the clear guitar notes resonated in the small room, a smile involuntarily crept onto my face.

When I was younger, Dad wasn't particularly fond of my dream of becoming a singer. But Mom was different.

Eventually, Mom secretly gifted me a guitar, and on days when Dad was away from the shop, she would sit beside me, listening to me play and smiling with delight.

"It's quite fascinating. Our daughter. She's never been taught by anyone, yet she can replicate a song perfectly after hearing it just once. Not some Mozart..."

"Mozart? Who's that?"

"A genius musician from Austria. The song you like, 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' is actually a classical piece composed by Mozart."

"Oh, I know that song."

"Really...?"

>

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