The Coma Patient Was a Musical Genius

Coma Patient Was a Music Genius
Episode 001

The piano has the nickname of the king of instruments.

Full name, pianoforte (pf).

Here, piano means weak.

Take the strength out of your fingers pressing the keys.

Gently and softly.

Next is forte.

Apply strength to the fingers pressing the keys.

Hard and intense.

An instrument named after its ability to perform the two above depending on how hard you press the keys.

Piano.

However, life that begins again is forte.

“There’s a change in the patient’s vital signs chart! His brain waves are starting to change too!”

“Patient, patient! Are you awake?”

“…I finally opened my eyes!”

“Come quickly! Hurry up!”

Intensely.

The piano is called the king of instruments.

And I was called the king of the 19th century piano.

That’s how I opened my eyes.

No, to be exact, my eyes opened on their own.

The first thing I saw was the pure white ceiling.

Then, the urgent voices of several people were heard.

But it just buzzed around my ears.

It was because I was completely out of my mind.

I lowered my head with difficulty.

A pure white patient gown was visible.

The hospital name was embroidered on the chest, but I don’t know where it is.

Everything felt unfamiliar.

It was natural.

I had just closed my eyes and was living in the 19th century, and I opened them here again.

However, there was a rare hint of familiarity mixed in with the unfamiliar perception. A fragment of memory.

“Comet student, Comet student!”

Gradually, the five senses become clearer and I can hear.

Fragments of my memories are starting to come together little by little.

… Ah, I remembered.

About the body currently wearing this patient gown.

I was born in a country called Korea.

When I was 13, I fell into a coma.

That period, that period….

‘How much is it? I don’t have any strength in my body.’

The answer to that question came thanks to the doctor.

“I just opened my eyes for the first time in three years. Are you feeling well?”

3 years.

So you’re 16 now?

And my name is Hyesung. I am Yoon Hyesung.

“Student Yoo Hye-seong? If you can’t hear your voice, try closing your eyes and opening them.”

Ah, Yoo Hye-seong.

It was a memory that was still not complete.

First, let’s blink our eyes.

‘It’s confusing.’

There were two memories coexisting in my head right now.

Me in the 19th century, me in the present day.

But what I am looking at now with my eyes open is the present, without a doubt.

So then, what is it?

What were the memories of the 19th century?

Maybe I was dreaming while in a coma.

No. The memory was too vivid to be dismissed as a mere dream.

‘then.’

I wonder if I was remembering my past life while in a coma.

Soon, I had a way to test my hypothesis.

“First, we will measure the GCS score and check the autonomic nervous system response.”

On the overbed table, an assessment form for patients who regained consciousness was placed.

If I were only dreaming, I would not be able to write down the language I used in the 19th century.

German, Hungarian, French, etc.

I held the pen tightly.

I wrote the name at the top.

-Yoo Hye-seong

First of all, Hangul passed.

So next….

I started writing down each European language at the end of the assessment sheet.

Likewise, the hands were moving familiarly.

“……doodle?”

“I think you’re having trouble concentrating.”

“For now, let’s just keep watching.”

The problem is that my hand strength is not perfect, so at first glance it looks like a doodle.

‘Is this definitely a past life?’

Okay, now I’ve decided to just focus on the evaluation.

To be honest, I felt like it was a waste of energy to even worry about it. I had no strength.

It was just as I was about to turn the page to the next chapter.

‘oh.’

Familiar faces visited the hospital room.

There was no need to recall memories now.

From the left, in order, are my maternal uncle, father, and mother.

“… … Hyesung! My little sister!”

My uncle suddenly hugged me and started crying, but I don’t know why he called me little brother.

‘Ah, I think he thought of me as a younger sibling.’

If I remember correctly, my uncle was in his mid-twenties.

That means the age difference wasn’t that big.

It’s been three years, so I guess it’s the latter half now.

Behind them, the mother and father had reddened eyes and soon they too began to shed tears.

“Comet… … .”

“Finally.”

I draw a picture of a bashful, smiling person.

I spoke for the first time with difficulty.

“I’m back… from… here.”

I looked out the hospital room window.

When I first opened my eyes here, the tree branches were definitely covered in autumn leaves.

But today.

The day I was discharged, all I saw outside the window were bare tree branches.

The rehabilitation period to return to daily life ended only when the season changed and winter arrived.

“Adul, congratulations on your discharge from the hospital!”

“Ugh, it’s cold. Let’s get in the car quickly.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Hyesung.”

As soon as I came out, my family members congratulated me.

Still, I was staring at the scenery in silence. It was a modern winter. It was a street in the 21st century.

Looking at it like this, it felt real.

I really opened my eyes to Yoo Hye-seong.

Actually, I still felt confused when I was living in the hospital.

Because my past life was so vivid.

Even in terms of film length, the 19th century was much longer.

But now I understand.

“Why, I feel so emotional now that I’m finally outside?”

“Haha, I can’t move.”

Before I knew it, a red muffler was wrapped around my neck.

Sigh- laughed.

A faint puff of breath rose.

“Let’s go now.”

Now I really get it.

I got in the car and headed to the restaurant.

Upon arrival, the interior boasted quite a luxurious feel.

It looks like he overdid it a bit to celebrate his discharge from the hospital.

‘I don’t think it’s worth coming to a place like this.’

Not living well, but not living badly.

My family fell into the middle class category.

First of all, my mother ran a piano school.

And my father ran a small business… .

“You’ve had a hard time too. Taking care of Hye-seong.”

Yes, that was three years ago.

The company’s operations are currently suspended.

Because you take full responsibility for my care.

As the confusion was creeping in, my uncle said.

“… … I also took care of her. I told her a lot of stories just in case she was listening.”

Oh, now that you mention it.

‘What is your uncle doing now?’

Even during my rehabilitation period, my uncle was the only one who never spoke about work.

I asked out of curiosity.

“uncle.”

“ok?”

“Are you still a job seeker?”

“… … .”

My uncle stopped using his chopsticks, and my father burst into hearty laughter.

I guess that’s right.

Even after 3 years, still.

“I could have done it if I wanted to, but I ended up looking for a place with better conditions. Still, I definitely want to get a job next year.”

Then should I have opened my eyes a year later?

No, if you put it off like that, you might have gone to eternal sleep.

‘By the way.’

I clenched and unclenched my fists repeatedly.

When I first opened my eyes, my finger muscles were rusty.

Now move flexibly.

It was thanks to the hard work I put into rehabilitation.

Before I knew it, all ten fingers were resting on the table.

At first it was just a hard sound, but gradually it became a sound and rang in my ears.

The sound soon became a scale and resonated in my heart.

‘rendition.’

Yeah, I wanted to be a musician.

The hardest thing to endure during the rehabilitation period, and the thing I desperately wanted.

I’m finally able to do that now.

Then where… .

“Oh, sis. I heard that your academy promotional YouTube channel recently reached 1,000 subscribers?”

“Hey, that only makes sense if it leads to enrollment in an academy. It doesn’t really make a big difference.”

“Still, gathering 1,000 people isn’t an easy task… Hyesung, why are you laughing all by yourself all of a sudden?”

Here.

The next day, I went to see my uncle.

By the way, my uncle lived in this house.

His hometown is in the countryside, but he said he would definitely get a job in Seoul.

“Can you help me film YouTube today?”

“What filming all of a sudden? And I’m writing my resume right now.”

“I just watched everything you were watching on YouTube.”

“… … .”

My uncle slyly covered his phone and said.

“What are you filming?”

“This is a performance video.”

“Oh, are you starting to play the piano again now?”

I, Yoo Hye-seong, originally played the piano.

I couldn’t remember at first, but I found out while talking with my family during my rehabilitation period.

But that wasn’t just a simple hobby.

“You’ve participated in a lot of competitions, haven’t you?”

I majored in it.

So, was your dream to be a pianist?

Because my memory was hazy due to the aftereffects of a coma, I couldn’t remember that much.

“Yes, my only sibling is asking me to do something, so I have to do it. I was writing my personal statement though.”

“I was watching YouTube.”

“… No.”

My uncle coughed.

“So have you thought about where to film it?”

“It must be a school. There’s a piano there.”

“No, it’s a nice day today. Would you like to go to Nodeul Island? There’s an outdoor piano there.”

Rather, I’m excited.

Thinking about going on an outing.

“It looks prettier when you play outdoors than indoors.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Well, that’s what happened.

It was around lunchtime when we left the house.

“Wow, there are a lot of people today because it’s the weekend.”

A decent crowd for 1pm on a Saturday.

Suddenly my uncle looked around.

“So where is the piano?”

Nodeul Island is so large that it could be confusing.

But to me, it was as if I was hearing a faint star.

As we focused on the sound, the faint stars began to twinkle brightly.

“starlet.”

A song composed by Wolfgang Mozart, who called himself Amadeus.

The first topic is the easiest among them.

I walked towards where the melody was flowing.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Maybe.”

My uncle’s muttering disappeared as the piano’s resonance became clearer.

Wow, your ears are still sensitive.

“This place would be perfect.”

Finally, I finished setting up the tripod.

First, the man sitting at the piano stood up awkwardly.

“Are you going to film?”

When I tried to give up my seat, my uncle waved his hand.

“No. It’s not like I paid for it, just wait and then shoot.”

“Anyway, there are no more songs I can play.”

The man looked at the camera mounted on the tripod and at me.

“Seeing that you’re even filming, are you by any chance a piano major?”

“Are you a major?”

My uncle chuckled.

I majored in piano until elementary school, but after that I was in a coma, so I guess it’s ambiguous.

“Just making memories?”

That’s why I ended up like this.

As if to say, don’t have high expectations.

I was watching it and it was fun.

After a while, I wonder how my uncle will react.

“Oh, memories. Isn’t it so nice to see brothers together?”

At the word brother, the uncle smiled happily.

I wonder if it feels like I’ve become more difficult.

“He’s my younger brother, but more accurately, he’s my nephew.”

“Oh? I thought you were brothers. You two look alike.”

“I hear that often. … Don’t frown, Yoo Hye-seong.”

At that moment, a commotion was heard from behind.

“Oh, I guess they’re filming a performance.”

“Let’s just take a look around.”

“Hey, guys. Don’t expect too much. You’ll be a burden to your little brother.”

“Your younger brother is really handsome.”

People are already flocking in.

There weren’t that many, maybe five or six?

When the performance is over and I turn around, how many people will be standing there?

Enjoying their gaze.

I sat down on the piano bench.

I ran a quick glance over the keyboard.

A cold sensation running up to the fingertips.

A keyboard permeated by winter air.

My heart is pounding.

While I was in the hospital, how much I wanted to play.

No one will know.

How I have been looking forward to this moment.

“under.”

A single word filled with emotion burst out.

The rising breath touches the keyboard and flies away.

Carefully.

Try pressing down on a single key.

The warmth of your hands is accompanied by excitement.

The keyboard melts as if warm spring has arrived.

It has a slightly different tone from the pianos I played in the 19th century, but its essence has not changed.

We have not forgotten each other’s language.

Swish, my hands lifted faintly from the keyboard.

I quickly spread my palms wide.

Now the recovery is complete.

However, the hands of a 16-year-old are not yet fully grown.

But, it doesn’t matter.

People at the time thought my hands were as big as a giant’s, but that was a huge mistake.

My hands are just the right size to handle 9 or 10 degrees.

Still, such a performance was possible.

It wasn’t the size of my hands, it was my sensory skills.

So, it didn’t matter with these hands either.

Even more so if it’s my song.

‘What song would be good?’

Countless songs I’ve composed.

Among them, one appropriate song just came to mind.

An epic of a hero, connected to my current longing.

After deciding on the song, I close my eyes tightly.

A scene unfolds through a closed field of vision.

A chandelier with a soft light streaming down.

The smell of perfume filled the room.

The roar of the nobility and royalty.

In the middle of that stage, I am standing.

April 1851.

Weimar Court Theatre.

That day was the day of the song’s premiere.

As I gently run my hands over the keyboard, the past and present overlap.

Go back to that day and press the first note.

My past life.

He has the nickname of the king of piano.

―Franz Liszt, Mazeppa.

It was Franz Liszt.