“…..”
The theater fell completely silent.
A cold knot twisted in my stomach, tightening with every heartbeat as I stared at the conductor in the distance.
So…?
What’s its decision?
Did it fall for it? Please accept…
I tried my best to keep composed, but the tension was palpable. I could hardly keep my breath in check as I even had a hard time swallowing my own saliva.
It felt as though… every little second felt like an eternity.
I could only hang suspended while the conductor’s stitched-up eyes looked at me.
And then—
The grip over my throat lessened, and I fell back onto the chair.
Thud!
“Fine.”
The conductor’s brittle voice whispered in the air.
“…I’ll give you a chance.”
The conductor moved to the side and pointed at the piano that stood at the center of the stage.
“Show me your perfect piece.”
Silence returned once more as all the heads continued to stare at me.
It felt as though thousands of eyes were on me, making my skin tingle. With the subtle trembling of my lips, I shook my head.
“You’re… misunderstanding something.”
“…..”
“I didn’t mean now. I mean—Ukh!!”
A hand once again reached for my throat, faster than before, with its grip so tight that I almost passed out on the spot.
“Do not play games with me.”
RATTLE! RATTLE!
The entire room trembled violently. Chairs rattled, curtains swayed, and instruments clattered against one another. At the center of it all, the conductor’s voice slithered through the air, venomously… Saturating the space with a palpable and sinister presence.
“Should I just kill you right now?”
The hand squeezing my throat pressed right into my skin, almost as though it was grasping my thorax.
“It’s easy for me.. You are weak. Nothing but a simple weak pest that I can rid with just the slightest of actions.”
Its voice grew more and more brittle as it spoke, my vision spinning as I struggled to keep myself conscious.
“Whatever you are trying to do, I do not… wish to play games.”
So it said, but…
It had yet to kill me.
Very clearly, its ’perfectionist’ trait was preventing it from doing so.
I knew.
I knew that deep down, the conductor wouldn’t kill me.
Not until it played its piece.
Such was how perfectionists were.
And soon…
“Cough! Cough—!”
The grip over my throat loosened, and I fell on the seat once more, the sound of my coughs filling the space.
“Huuurrr…”
Heavily gulping for air, I reached for my throat while staring at the conductor, who started to move towards the podium.
“You stay there and listen to my performance. If you so much as—”
“As… expected. You are scared…”
“…..”
Silence.
Everything fell silent.
But though it was silent, everything felt loud.
All the little sounds heightened in my ears. From the creaking of the chairs, the gentle swaying of the curtains, and the sound of my own heart.
I could hear it all within the silence.
…And it felt loud.
“You’re afraid… that I prove you wrong.”
“…..”
“You know damn well… I am an amateur. It is unreasonable to expect me to play something perfectly without practice.. That is why I ask you for time. Are you that afraid that I’ll prove you wrong? What does it even cost you to accept?”
I took advantage of the conductor’s silence to push all of the right buttons.
Keeping a close eye on it, I gauged its reactions. From the silence to the subtle trembling of its body.
’Yes… I know you’re affected. I know that you care. So take the bait.’
The conductor shook its head, slowly turning to face me once more.
’Take the fucking bait!!!!’
“You… human are a sly one. Don’t think I can’t see through your intentions.”
Hearing its words, I grew tense.
Though its eyes were crudely sewn shut, the way it stared at me made it feel as if it saw straight through my mind.
And yet…
Its own flaw prevented it from doing anything about it.
“Half a year.”
I mumbled.
“Give me half a year and I’ll—”
“Three months.”
The conductor cut me off, its voice raspy.
“I’ll give you three months.”
“That’s not enough time. Give me at least one more—”
“Three months is my limit. Leave it, or take it.”
I opened my mouth to protest. Three months? Although my goal the entire time had been to buy myself more time, three months was hardly enough time for me to think of a way to handle the conductor.
I needed more time.
This was not enough!
But the moment the words were about to leave my throat, I stopped.
Every hair on my body rose in that moment as the faceless figures around me drew nearer to me.
Feeling their gazes, I realized…
This was truly the conductor’s limit.
There was no negotiating. Negotiating any further meant…
Death.
“Alright.”
As such, I could only accept its terms.
“That’s good.”
The conductor moved towards the piano and retrieved a piece of paper before flicking it my way.
Grabbing it, I looked at it to see that it was a music sheet.
“Learn this properly, and when the time comes, I’ll expect you to play this piece perfectly. If you fail to impress me, then…”
Slowly, the conductor’s mouth twisted into a grotesque smile, the torn edges of its lips sagging slightly as its eyes fell on the faceless figures around.
“You’ll become a permanent piece of my audience.”
“…..!”
My thoughts numbed upon hearing its condition.
Become a permanent part of its audience?
That…
I looked towards the faceless figures around and almost felt like screaming. Imagining myself becoming one of them, I almost felt like screaming.
What sort of hell was this?
However, there was no going back.
The decision was set.
“So…?”
And as the conductor looked at me, I managed to force a few words out.
“What about me? What do I get if I win?”
“Ah…?”
The conductor’s head tilted.
“You get to live. What better reward is there for you?”
“That’s not good… enough. It is not a very fair bet, is it?”
“…..”
The conductor fell silent for a brief moment before asking, “Then…? What do you want?”
I didn’t answer, but instead brought my hand forward and pointed directly at it.
“Me?”
The conductor looked stunned by my proposal.
But I simply nodded.
“If becoming a permanent piece of your audience is my penalty for losing, then the reward better be worthwhile. Yes, I want you.”
The conductor opened its mouth, but soon smirked.
“Fine.”
A throaty laugh escaped its lips, its amusement clear.
“I’ll accept.”
Ding!
A notification appeared shortly after that.
[New Quest Activated!]
• Difficulty: N/A
• Reward: <A> Rank Anomalie — The Conductor
• Objective: Prove the conductor wrong.
• Location: N/A
• Failure: The user will become a staple member of the theater.
Description: The conductor has agreed to the conditions of your bet. Three months from now, the two of you will meet. If you fail to prove the conductor wrong, you will be turned into a permanent piece of the audience within the theater. If you manage to prove it wrong, the conductor will agree to serve you.
Time Limit: 3 months.
[Will you accept the quest?]
▶ [Yes] ▷ [No]
I didn’t even hesitate and pressed [Yes].
[Quest Accepted]
[Good luck!]
And with that, the bet was in place.
Three months from now, I had to play a piece it deemed worthy enough to prove I didn’t need its help to be perfect.