Chapter 67
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: A Sound After Ten Years
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J-Just now.
Yuhyeon repeated, a dazed look on his face.
I-I definitely heard it.
He then brought his hands to his ears.
The ringing was still there.
A mistake
It couldn't be.
If he wasn't mistaken, it was a distinct sound.
One he was hearing in reality for the first time in a staggering ten years.
No way.
Ever since the accident that had completely taken his hearing, he hadn't heard a single thing.
And yet, in that state, he had heard a distinct sound, even if it was just tinnitus.
For a fleeting moment that lasted less than a second.
D-Do I still have Professor Jin's number?
Yuhyeon fumbled, searching his pocket for his phone.
Once he found it, he quickly typed out a text.
To Professor Jin: Professor, it's been a while
Seeing the message marked as read almost immediately, Yuhyeon shot up from his seat.
He hurriedly threw on some clothes and headed out the door.
Hoo.
Yuhyeon took a deep breath as he opened the door.
I have to check.
Because he saw a glimmer of hope that his broken ears might be fixed.
The third floor of Hanguk University Hospital's main building.
Amidst the chaotic bustle of countless patients and their guardians.
Nurse Lee Dajeong could be seen chatting with the head nurse.
Head Nurse, isn't Professor Jin off today? I thought I saw him come in earlier.
He got an urgent same-day appointment.
What? A same-day?
Lee Dajeong replied, her expression puzzled.
Professor Jin?
Professor Jin was famous for insisting that all patients be treated equally, taking appointments strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.
For him to give up his day off to see a patient?
Don't tell me the president's son is coming in or something.
The president? Don't be silly.
The president's son, what an exaggeration.
The head nurse let out a small chuckle at her words.
Well, he used to be as famous as the president nationwide. You've probably never seen him before, Dajeong.
Oh? What's his name?
It's a young man named Han Yuhyeon. The violinist.
Lee Dajeong's eyes widened.
Han Yuhyeon? The musician who lost his hearing?
She was a layman when it came to classical music, but she knew the name Han Yuhyeon.
He was famous enough that even I knew him. His name was all over the TV...
Ten years ago, he had been so famous that his name was plastered across every newspaper and TV channel.
She'd heard he was a promising violinist with a bright future, capturing the attention not just of Korea, but the entire world.
They called him the nation's youngest, a genius violinist.
Violins became so popular among my friends back then.
At the time, violin academies sprouted up everywhere because of Yuhyeon.
Schools started forming violin clubs and instrumental clubs.
Even her own mother had asked if she wanted to learn the violin as a hobby.
He had an accident, right?
Yuhyeon, who had enjoyed such sensational popularity, had been forced to give up music because of an accident.
And at the young age of fifteen, when he was just beginning to shine.
I heard he completely cut ties with the classical music world after that...
The accident was one thing, but what was even more tragic was what happened to Yuhyeon afterward.
The classical star, who had been the subject of countless headlines, vanished without a trace.
It even led to a spate of current affairs documentaries with titles like 'The Vanished Musician, Han Yuhyeon' and 'Where is the Boy Genius, Han Yuhyeon?'
It must have been so hard for him to endure.
The media and the public thrive on sensational topics, after all.
They hounded him about his whereabouts even after he quit music due to the accident; one could only imagine how difficult it must have been for him.
If it had been her, it wouldn't have been strange if she'd become a shut-in.
What was the diagnosis?
Sensorineural hearing loss. But it's a bit unusual.
Unusual how?
The head nurse's eyes narrowed.
He received early treatment, but his hearing never recovered.
Normally, sensorineural hearing loss is one of those conditions where hearing can be restored with early treatment.
Even if not fully, more than half of one's hearing could usually be recovered.
There was probably a congenital issue. A genetic factor, perhaps.
But Yuhyeon's hearing didn't improve, even though he was hospitalized immediately after the accident.
And despite dedicating a full year to rehabilitation, there were no signs of improvement.
That's a shame
Lee Dajeong wore a bitter expression, genuinely feeling sorry for him.
So what's his relationship with Professor Jin?
The professor is a fan. A huge fan of Yuhyeon's, actually.
The head nurse smiled faintly.
That was the only reason the nation's top authority on ear diseases would give up his day off and rush over.
That's a relief, at least. To think an authority like Professor Jin is his fan
Dajeong. There's a patient waiting. We should probably stop chatting, don't you think?
Ah!
Startled, Lee Dajeong turned her head.
A man with strikingly handsome features stood before the desk.
Wow, he's handsome.
He was so good-looking you could mistake him for a celebrity.
Did I hit the jackpot today? It's not every day you see someone this handsome.
Excuse me, I'm here to see Professor Jin.
Ah, yes.
I've already contacted him, I just wanted to ask where his office is.
Just a moment. Professor Jin is
Lee Dajeong thought to herself as she reached for the intercom.
Professor Jin? He doesn't have any appointments today except for someone named Yuhyeon...
She never imagined that the man in front of her was Yuhyeon.
Dajeong. You can just tell him.
But the head nurse nudged Lee Dajeong with a gesture.
As if to say it was fine to just let him in.
Ah, Professor Jin's office is at the far end to the right. You can go around that way.
Thank you. Have a good day!
The man said with a smile as bright as sunshine.
A face that made others smile just by looking at it.
Smiling without realizing it, she quickly regained her composure and fixed her expression.
But still curious, Lee Dajeong turned to the head nurse.
Head Nurse, do you know him? Is he an acquaintance of Professor Jin's?
That patient is Han Yuhyeon.
Han Yuhyeon? Han Yuhyeon
As Lee Dajeong mulled over the name, her eyes widened.
That... that was Han Yuhyeon?
Yes.
No way!
He grew up well and healthy. You can still see his old face, though, can't you?
She gasped in astonishment.
Whoa.
He spoke so fluently, she never would have guessed he had a hearing impairment.
More importantly, contrary to her preconceptions, he was an incredibly handsome and healthy young man.
Completely different from what the media had portrayed.
Unbelievable
Lee Dajeong's gaze lingered on the spot where Yuhyeon had passed.
It's been a long time, Professor.
Yuhyeon said, looking at the doctor sitting across from him.
Ha, when I got your message earlier, I honestly wasn't sure if it was really you
Professor Jin replied with a gentle smile.
It really is you, Yuhyeon.
Haha, was there another Yuhyeon?
He gazed at Yuhyeon with a look of wonder.
The last time I saw him, he was sixteen...
It had been ten years since Professor Jin had met Yuhyeon again.
His expression is so much brighter than back then.
At the time of the accident, Yuhyeon had been so dark and depressed that no one could get through to him.
To see him return as such a tall, bright young man was nothing short of amazing.
How have you been all this time? Also, I'm curious about what kind of sound you heard.
Well, you see
Yuhyeon began to explain in detail what had happened.
Hmm.
As he listened intently, a flicker of interest appeared in Professor Jin's eyes.
So you heard a ringing in your ears.
Hearing tinnitus was good news for Yuhyeon.
After all, it meant he had heard a sound.
Was there any particular cause for the ringing? Have you been doing anything out of the ordinary lately?
But he was curious as to why a sound he hadn't heard for the past ten years had suddenly appeared.
He needed to know the trigger to find a solution.
I started playing a game recently. It's called Wonderland, and I can hear sounds in there.
After a moment of hesitation, Yuhyeon answered calmly.
I've been hooked on it lately, just for the fun of hearing things. I was playing it right before I came here, actually.
Hoh.
Do you know the game, Professor?
Of course.
Professor Jin nodded vigorously.
Cases of using capsule machines for rehabilitation have been steadily increasing. Wonderland is a prime example.
Wonderland had recently become a huge topic in the medical community.
It was helping with the rehabilitation of quadriplegic patients, as well as patients with hearing impairments like Yuhyeon.
There isn't much data yet, but occasional success stories do pop up.
The most promising news was that these success stories were appearing from time to time.
To be honest, I was curious myself. There was no damage to your cochlea, yet you couldn't hear.
Professor Jin slowly continued.
At the time, I concluded that the problem was with the nerves rather than the sensory organs. For some reason, the nerve responsible for hearing and perceiving sound had shut down.
But I suspect that this game, Wonderland, may have reawakened that nerve.
It was a hypothesis, but a plausible one.
After all, an era had arrived where capsule machines could cure illnesses that modern medicine could not.
For the time being, I think it would be best for you to continue playing that game.
Hmm, is there anything specific I should be doing?
Anything specific
Professor Jin's eyes narrowed.
He said he heard something after starting the game that he couldn't hear during rehabilitation.
This meant there was a domain that the auditory training provided by the hospital couldn't address.
He was likely influenced by the extraordinary things within the game.
It's a game, so you must hear all sorts of sounds, right? The clang of a blacksmith's hammer, the slicing sound of cutting something, the clash of swords, the screams of monsters
Oh? You know a lot about games, Professor?
Aha, reading fantasy novels used to be a hobby of mine.
Professor Jin said with a warm smile.
How about trying to listen to sounds in the game that are hard to experience in daily life? If possible, try gliding through the sky, or experience something thrilling. On the other hand, just relaxing and healing would be good too.
The gist was to hear as many different sounds as possible from a wide range of experiences.
For now, let's be hopeful and think long-term. This sound came to you like a miracle, didn't it?
A miracle
Yuhyeon mulled over the word.
I'll think long-term, just as you said, Professor.
The tinnitus had appeared suddenly when he had all but given up.
Even though this was a situation he had dreamed of, he surprisingly didn't feel impatient.
For Yuhyeon, simply having the hope that he might get better was enough.
I'll do some research on my end as well. I'll need to look for similar cases overseas or any related papers.
I'll be counting on you, Professor.
Don't mention it. That's my job.
Professor Jin replied with a gentle smile.
Then, he asked in a very cautious tone.
Ah, by the way, have you given up performing entirely?
He was both a doctor and an ardent fan of Yuhyeon's.
It was only natural for him to be curious about his favorite artist's every move and future plans.
So he asked carefully, but
As things are now, I don't think I'll be standing on a stage again.
Yuhyeon's straightforward answer came back.
Ah
Professor Jin let out a short sigh.
Does this mean I'll never get to hear Yuhyeon perform live again?
It was a truly regrettable moment.
The moment a musician who had moved the entire world officially declared his retirement.
But I don't know about the future.
Pardon?
Doesn't know about the future? What did he mean?
As Professor Jin looked at him with a puzzled expression.
If I can just hear again
Yuhyeon said with a meaningful look.
I might just perform then.
After his appointment, Yuhyeon went straight home.
He told me to listen to as many different sounds as possible.
He mulled over Professor Jin's words again.
The fact that I heard something that couldn't be restored even with the hospital's rehabilitation training means
It was clear that, just as he'd said, my nerves were activated by hearing an unfamiliar sound I hadn't encountered in my daily life.
What exactly could that have been?
Yuhyeon reviewed everything that had happened in Wonderland over the past few days.
I cut down a Treant, drew instrument schematics with a pen, chopped countless logs
I even heard the notification sounds for quest completions and receiving titles.
I heard so many sounds, it's hard to pinpoint just one.
He had literally heard a vast variety of sounds.
Let's do it.
And that meant only one thing.
I'm going to try everything.
From now on, he wouldn't shy away from anything. He would tackle and enjoy any and all content.
Log in.
Yuhyeon muttered, putting on his goggles.
I need to get to the Gald Mountains as soon as possible.
And the first step was to level up.