Closing his eyes and letting go of all sensation, he listened as a top-tier orchestra performed a world-famous masterpiece in Carnegie Hall, immersing himself completely in this feast for the ears.
From the impassioned sound that made his muscles tense, he heard its meaning, following the movement as though watching a magnificent epic unfold.
Opening, buildup, sudden change, contradiction, conflict, progress, growth, convergence, grandeur, eruption.
Hearing all those meanings was like undergoing an extraordinary journey, until everything before it converged in one place, and the final climax burst forth like the opening of a century-defining battle!
And then—
"I'm tired of listening. Let's leave now."
Hearing that abrupt decision, Fang Ran was violently dragged out of his immersed state. With a look of Huh???, he turned toward Veronica.
He was speechless at her declaration that she wanted to leave during the climax of the piece.
"It's almost over. Aren't you going to listen until the end?"
Fang Ran glanced at the hundreds of musicians onstage, all focused on their performance, and tried to persuade her with a headache over how anyone could leave at the very climax.
But Veronica, who seemed to have completely lost interest, answered casually and listlessly.
"I don't really like the score for the final chapter, and an ending without applause always feels like it's missing something."
"Then don't book the entire venue for yourself."
Seeing the amusing sight of the young man beside her looking both troubled and helpless, she rose from her seat, leaving him with a dazzling smile full of delight.
"Next time I want the full experience, including an audience, I'll let other people in."
An orchestra of over a hundred people—the instruments in everyone's hands alone were worth tens of millions of US Dollars, not to mention the concert hall, the