Chapter 0. Prelude

 

 

 

December 5, 1791, Vienna, Austria.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's breath was fading away.

My whole body aches like it's been hit, and my head's been throbbing for two days straight. 

I don't have much time left. But I can't die in peace yet. 

I still have debts to pay.

“I still have to return half the deposit to the Count. If I don't finish the Requiem, 'll go bankrupt."

A deep sigh escapes me involuntarily. 

How did I end up like this?

When I was young, things were good.

At three years old, 

I started playing the piano by myself, without anyone showing me how. 

I quickly became a better player than any adult pianists.

At five years old, 

I started getting requests to perform from people all over the world.

I even performed in front of the Emperor in Munich. 

Oh, and I started composing, too, if you are curious.

At seven years old, 

I traveled around Europe performing in palaces and castles, showcasing my talent for playing piano with my eyes closed and improvising on the spot.

At eleven years old, 

I was received by Empress Maria Theresa and was showered with affection. 

I even received a gift of imperial clothing. 

With the emperor's encouragement, I began composing operas, which required expertise in all aspects of art, including music, painting, fashion, and drama.

At fourteen years old, 

I was recognized for my contributions to music and received a decoration from the Pope. 

I had received all the glory the world could offer me.

But life did not end at fourteen years old.

After becoming an adult, I began to look for a job. 

The best profession for a musician was to be a court musician composing for the king. 

However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't land a job. 

I even went to Paris to look for work, but it was all in vain. 

Despite being the best in every aspect, no one chose me. 

The only job I managed to get was to be a court musician  in my hometown thanks to my father who had the job.

However, the small town of Salzburg was too cramped for me to pursue my music. 

So, with great ambition, I declared myself a freelancer, determined to succeed with my own music. 

But my father opposed my decision.

[Popularity fades in an instant! After that happens, there is nowhere to go. Secure your place in the palace my son!]

“No, no, no! I shall make my music as I please.”

For the first time, I defied my father, and after that, it was easy. 

I became an independent freelance composer against my father's wishes. 

At first, it went well. 

I won a piano battle against a famous pianist and gained a reputation as "Vienna's greatest pianist." 

The reputation continued with successful concerts. 

I became a star to the point where the emperor personally requested an opera from me. 

However, as my father warned, popularity vanished like smoke.

The war had broken out and the nobles were called to the front lines, leaving no one to appreciate my music. 

Rumors had spread like wildfire that the Emperor was displeased with my opera, which satirized the nobles. 

As if it were a lie, no one showed up to my concert. 

In no time, I went from being a successful composer to a poor debtor struggling to make ends meet. 

I reluctantly accepted unreasonable offers to compose, only to overwork myself and lose my health. 

The cheers of the audience, 

the affection of the Emperor and the nobles, 

the immense income, 

and the reputation as the greatest musician 

- all of it crumbled like a sandcastle. 

"Vanity of vanities, everything is vanity."

It was then, when I heard a presence next to my bed.

I turned my head to see who it was.

"Antonio...?"

The visitor turned out to be Salieri, my lifelong rival and colleague in music.

He took out a fresh white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from my face.

"I can't believe you let yourself deteriorate this much! I told you to take care of your health."

"I have a deadline to deliver a piece, and there's not much time left."

"Nevertheless! It seems you still can't take care of your own body."

"Ah, the life of a freelance musician. Renowned court musicians like you can’t feel how pitiful it can be. The public discards us at a whim, and the nobles treat us like servants. I should have secured a stable position like you, Antonio!"

Salieri let out a sigh. 

"I envied you."

"Why? I thought you were ignoring me."

…because unlike me, you are a court musician.

"I too yearned for the ability to make the music I desired and travel without restraint. To live a life such as yours was my deepest wish."

A bitter smile appeared on my face.

"There's a price you don't know about. Even if I recover miraculously, if I can't finish the Requiem within the deadline, I'm bankrupt. It's over."

"I am here for that very reason."

Sallieri approached my desk with sheet music and a feather pen.

"Wolfgang, let us hear the Requiem. It is already complete in your head, is it not? Just sing it out loud and I shall transcribe it."

"Antonio..."

"Hurry! There's no time."

Normally, even as a composer, I couldn't fully express the music in my mind with words alone, 

But with Sallieri, my respected colleague, it could happen, perhaps.

"Okay, then...I'll try."

I started with the foundation of music, the rhythm section.

My lips trembled, creating an orchestral timpani sound.

Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom boom-boom boom-boom boom-boom

The sound of my lips filled the room.

Sallieri chuckled.

"Is this the path you choose to take? It's a direction I never fathomed."

In my and Sallieri's ears, my lip trembling sound sounded like the grand sound of timpani.

Sallieri transcribed my music with bated breath.

Sallieri's face reminded me of the audience at the Viennese court who cheered for me in the past.

It was so good back then.

But now, no one listens to my music.

When I finished organizing the timpani part, Sallieri urged me on.

"Come now, Wolfgang! Let us press on to the next section. Shall we introduce the cymbals, or leap directly to the keyboard?"

Thinking of the empty seats, suddenly a wave of fatigue hit me.

"What's the point, Antonio? Everyone has already forgotten about me."

Sallieri couldn't say anything.

I continued bitterly.

"No one seeks out my music. It will be forgotten forever. What's the point of all this?"

"Nonsense! Look at me. Don't I remember who you are?"

I felt my strength draining away as I uttered my last words, 

"People are not like you. It's over now... everyone... already forgot… me…!"

As I weakened, Salieri's voice called out frantically, 

"No, this cannot be happening! Quickly, fetch a doctor, anyone, please!"

Salieri's voice grew fainter and fainter.

 

***

 

I had a vision.

Or rather, I don't even know if what I'm seeing is a vision, a dream, the afterlife, or something else entirely.

But my father's words from my youth rang clearly in my ears.

"Popularity fades in an instant!"

My father's advice, which I once saw as confinement, now sounded different.

Why didn't I know?

My father was the one who cared about me more than anyone else.

"I should have taken my father's advice and somehow secured a position as a court musician. I should’ve been satisfied with a stable hometown position!"

I betrayed my father and, on top of that, threw myself down the path of destruction.

Tears blocked my vision.

To my sobbing self, my father's voice came back to me.

"I'm sorry."

Sorry? 

Why?

"Your talent, so great and pure, was born into a time of strife and darkness. It was my mistake."

You mean I was born at the wrong time? 

But it's not your fault.

Or is it, Father?

"Now, my dear Wolfgang, I shall grant you wings to soar high. Your music shall resound across the world. Play with abandon, for your own delight and pleasure!"

Play with abandon?

...But I'm already dead, aren't I?

 

***

 

“Go on, play with abandon!”

'Hmm?'

Suddenly, I felt a familiar sensation in my hand. 

It was the feeling of the smooth polished wood, which was the texture of the piano.

I was sitting in front of a piano.

'Could it be that I'm cured?'

I turned my head to where the voice was coming from.

'Oh?'

It was a strange place.

It was different from the concert hall where I used to play, but it had a similar feeling.

There were more black-colored furniture than natural wood.

Despite being slightly different from the concert hall, it still seemed quite nice.

As I was gazing at the scenery absent-mindedly, the front-row audience urged me again.

"Hey, I understand the nerves can get the best of you, but let's shake it off and show them what you're made of. Give us a tune that will knock their socks off. You got this, kid."

Although it was a language that I did not know at all, I naturally understood it as if it were my native language.

It was fascinating.

The front-row audience bit his lips and ordered me in a lower tone.

"We're on a tight schedule here. Don't worry if you don't have a specific piece prepared. Just play whatever comes to mind. Any song that resonates with you. Show us what you've got!"

Any song that resonates with me?

I had one in mind.

Requiem.

It was already completed in my head, but I could not finish it.

But I could complete it now.

I sat down at the piano and adjusted my posture.

I could hear the voices of the audience.

“Yes, hurry up and play anything, even if you are not confident!”

“Oh, I can barely watch one stage.”

“Isn't that a disqualification if he pauses like that?”

I erased the voices of the audience from my mind.

Instead, I closed my eyes for half a second and focused on drawing the entire Requiem piece in my head.

Finally, I started playing.

As I played the early part of Requiem, which was already completed, I rearranged the next part of the piece in my head to fit the piano.

It was like a piece of cake for me, who had regained my health.

As I played, I could hear the audience whispering again.

“Mozart's Requiem, right? It sounds different from what I usually hear. Did he rearrange it himself?”

My heart started to beat faster due to excitement.

Even people from county I didn't know were aware of my name.

I wasn't forgotten….

Somewhere, there are still people who enjoy my music! 

I moved my playing hands with more vigor. 

Come to think of it, my own hands were not weak, but rather my hands were just as sturdy as the hands of my teenage years when I traveled throughout Europe. 

I felt a new pleasure in playing. 

As the performance approached the climax, the audience's reaction grew more intense. 

"Wow... He plays so well! The dynamics, the rhythm, and the ornamental notes he added without the music faltering... It's like he should be competing in a classical music contest." 

"I'm sure about that. It's not just a performance. It's the Requiem of Mozart. He rearranged it himself. It's better than the sheet music reproduced by professionals." 

However, I still couldn't be satisfied. 

More, more, more... Praise me more! 

Until my name spreads all over the world!

If there were fans out there who loved me, even if I didn't know where this was or who those people were, I could dream again. 

Father, can I dream again? 

That dream of shaking up the world with my music. 

Can I spread it out again?

Father's voice thundered in my head. 

"Certainly, my dear son. Have I not already granted you the freedom to play with abandon?"

Despite my body drenched in sweat from the intense performance, I couldn't help but laugh. 

I ran my hand over the piano keys from top to bottom. 

Like this piano performance, I will cover the whole world with my music.

The spark in my heart reignited. 

Baa Baa Baammmm!

I finished the song solemnly, striking the keys like a downpour. 

Thunderous cheers and applause filled the hall. 

"Where has such talent been hiding?" 

"I'm becoming his fan from today!"

 "Bravo! He's like an angelic composer!"

"He's not a composer, he's my oppa~. Hot oppa!" 

The audience who urged me to play jumped up. 

"Why didn't you show your talent before when you can play so skillfully? Did you arrange the Requiem on your own?"

I nodded my head. 

The judges groaned and made a sound close to a sigh. 

"You're in, my friend. Congratulations! Keep in mind that the second round of the preliminary is just around the corner, in a week's time. So, buckle down and get ready for it."

"...Preliminary? What does that mean?”

As I looked around, the audience kept calling me an idol.

Am I an idol?

What a blaspheme! 

I am a good Catholic man, although I enjoyed being a member of Freemason just a little bit. 

I couldn't make sense of it all. 

Where am I? 

Who am I?

And what is this ‘Oppa’?

I thought to myself. 

‘Am I not Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart anymore?’

Suddenly, my head started to ache, as if it was cracking open. 

‘I thought I had recovered, but this feels different from the pain earlier,’ I murmured. 

It felt like an unfamiliar memory was trying to take over my brain. 

The pain became too much, and I collapsed on the ground.

The voice of the audience in the front row echoed in my ears. 

"Hey, are you alright?"

Chapter 1. Limitless (1)

 

 

 

I woke up and found myself lying on the bed. 

"It was a strange dream," 

I said to myself. 

Yesterday, I collapsed due to an unknown illness. 

I remembered talking to Salieri.

Then, I saw my father.

After that, I had a dream.

I flew into the future, and played the piano at the concert hall of the Far East.

The applause of the audience was still ringing in my ears. 

I wondered if I had wanted to perform so badly that I had to dream about it like this.

“Became an Asian? What a joke.”

I laughed and turned around. 

My body felt much lighter. 

I must have slept deeply and recovered. 

As my condition improved, I began to notice my surroundings. 

But something strange happened.

Overnight, my room had subtly changed. 

All the wallpapers had turned white, and my wooden bed had turned into iron. 

It looked like a futuristic space. 

"Is this still my room? Did I really come to the future? So it was not a dream?" 

I wasn't sure yet. 

First, I took a deep breath and headed to the bathroom to check my appearance.

"Whoa!" 

I let out a gasp as soon as I saw my reflection in the mirror. 

I clutched my buttocks with a thump. 

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. 

Instead of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, East Asian boy was standing in front of the mirror. 

With his long hair falling down to his shoulders, he looked so delicate and pretty that one could mistake him for a girl at first glance.

But his body was filled with lean muscles resembling those of a ballerino.

"Is this really me?" 

I uttered, and then I realized. 

My own voice sounded unfamiliar to my ears. 

I scanned my surroundings, barely holding onto my trembling heart.

Come to think of it, the bathroom looked completely different from the one in my memory. 

I decided to open the window to see what’s going on.

But then I froze. 

Not because it was cold.

But because it was hot.

It was supposed to be a cold winter day.

When I met Sallier last night, it was December. 

But as I looked outside the window, I could feel the warmth.

The snow that had covered the empty streets yesterday was nowhere to be seen. 

Instead, the bright sunshine was almost blinding my eyes.

"This can't be real," 

I muttered. 

By now, there was only one possibility. 

The dream I had last night had turned out to be reality. 

I had really traveled to the future. 

"Then does that mean the memories tangled up in my head are not just dreams?"

My mind was flooded with memories that I didn't even know existed, as if a hidden door had been unlocked.

All the memories were about a Korean boy named Mo Chang Mo and his life.

Mo Chang Mo is the name of the boy whose body I have now possessed. 

Until a little while ago, I thought all of this was just an unusually vivid dream. 

But now, I could sense that all these memories were real.

I went back to bed and checked Mo Chang Mo's belongings. 

I took out his smartphone first. 

To me, it was a strange object until yesterday. 

But according to Mo Chang Mo's memories, it was his most precious possession, almost like a duplicate of himself. 

I entered the pattern as my body remembered it, and the smartphone unlocked.

I went into the calendar app and checked the current date. 

"August 25, 2023." 

230 years had passed in just one day. 

I couldn't hold back my bursting laughter.

As I continued to search Mo Chang Mo's belongings for anything that might be helpful, I found an application form for admission to the ‘K-Pop Academy’.

Last night's audition that I participated in wasn't just any ordinary audition. 

It was the first round of entrance exams for the "K-Pop Academy," a specialized school for K-Pop idols. 

I read the application form and compared it to my own memories.

My name is Mo Chang Mo, an 18-year-old, senior in high school. 

I, Mo Chang Mo applied to the "K-Pop Academy" instead of college because I want to become an idol. 

Looking through my records, it seems that I've always wanted to be an idol.

But I've never really excelled in music. 

My parents made a bad investment in the field of ‘coin’(crypto) and went bankrupt.

They committed suicide.

Since then, I've been in the care of an orphanage because I don't have any relatives who can take care of me. 

What a pitiful boy. 

While reviewing my application, I naturally became curious about my own record about ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’.

 

***

 

All of Mo Chang Mo's memories had returned, 

As for the new technology, it left me feeling somewhat uneasy still.

So, instead of searching the internet, I decided to learn about Mozart in a way that was familiar to me. 

I went to the library.

The place where I had collapsed was the infirmary at the 'K-Pop Academy.' 

It seemed that the staff had moved me here as soon as the audition was over. 

After leaving the infirmary, I headed to the library.

I was surprised by the size of the school building.

What kind of school has a classical concert hall, a fitness center, a luxury shop, or even a karaoke room within the school campus?

As soon as I arrived at the library, I opened the encyclopedia.

"Where should I look...?"

synonym of genius,'the greatest composer in music history ever,' and even 'the Jesus Christ of music'. 

All sorts of lofty titles were attached to me. 

My colleague Ludwig left such an impressive comment about me. 

[I have always considered myself Mozart's greatest worshipper and will continue to do so until the day I die. -Beethoven.]

"I wish I had received such praise while I was alive. Well, I guess it's better than nothing even after I died."

Unbeknownst to me, I had become a master of the music. 

This library even had most of the sheet music I composed throughout my life. 

I was still reigning as the most beloved composer to this day. 

I was glad that my music had achieved great success. 

However, as a classical composer named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, I felt no need to pursue music further.

Sorting through my past actually made me feel more calm.

I found myself without any great regrets in my life as Mozart. 

After all, I had already enjoyed all the glory that a classical composer like Mozart could attain. 

"So, what now?" 

I began to check out the latest trends using my familiar method, which is reading the newspaper. 

I opened up all the major daily papers and scanned the headlines. 

I saw all sorts of words such as metaverse, NFTs, climate change, and interest rate, but the most noticeable keyword related to music was, of course, K-pop idols. 

Fortunately, I was suited to take on the challenge in that particular field.

I had already gained admission to the K-pop Academy, a specialized university for nurturing K-pop idols and also the world's largest reality show/audition program. 

But still, I wondered, 

"Can I become an idol when I don't even know anything about K-pop idol music?"

At that moment, it hit me. 

Suddenly, fragments of memories of Mo Chang Mo flooded my mind. 

When I tried to recall, I realized that he knew pretty much everything about K-pop.

"Of course, that's why he applied to the K-pop Academy. I should check it out. Come to think of it, there was a karaoke sign on the way to the library, wasn't there?"

 

***

 

"That's interesting," 

I thought to myself as I checked out the memories of Mo Chang Mo, who seemed to be a die-hard fan of karaoke. 

As soon as I entered the karaoke room, it felt like I had returned to where I belonged.

My mind was at ease all at once. 

Without even searching, I entered the song number into the karaoke machine that my body seemed to remember.

And the song started.

It was a song that I had never heard before, but without realizing it, I had already memorized the lyrics, melody, and even the accompaniment and dance moves.

"Is it because of my abilities?" 

I had always been somewhat different when it came to music since I was a child. 

I occasionally demonstrated abilities that were almost like extrasensory perception. 

To differentiate my musical talents, I had labeled them with my own titles.

One of them was labeled [Palace of Music].

Thanks to the [Palace of Music], I could memorize every song that I had ever heard. 

Moreover, Mo Chang Mo, who was obsessed with idol music and was an "all-fan" (a fan who likes all idols, but not necessarily equally), could recite pretty much all the idol songs that had ever made it to the top 200 on the music charts. 

As a result, I had become a master of idol music without even realizing it. 

What if I merged this with my Mozart-level musical talents?

I sang the hit song once more.

"Wow...!" 

I was surprised by my own singing. 

I had only sung this song twice, but it sounded much better than before thanks to my own interpretation. 

Furthermore, the multitude of instruments and voices employed in the song - over a hundred, it appeared - materialized as sheet music within my mind.

If I had just a little more time, I could have copied the song exactly right now.

While still a classical style of dance and song, I could envision how to execute it if I were to perform to the tune.

"I'm good enough to challenge myself as a K-pop idol," 

Normally, it takes years of research to become an expert in a particular genre of music. 

I, Mozart, began composing at the age of 5, but it wasn't until my 30s that my creativity started to rise.

I had to invest many long years of hard work.

However, compared to that, I was already primed to acquire idol music with a disproportionate level of proficiency.

I improved my skills just by singing the song twice.

What would happen if I start practicing?

In addition, thanks to the gift given to me by Mo Chang Mo, who had been collecting various idol-related information from fan pages every night, I became a doctoral candidate of K-Pop. 

“I suppose neglecting your health ultimately led to your sudden demise. And I don’t know why, but now I am you, Mo Chang Mo."

I remarked.

It was then that I sensed the LORD's strength.

Or perhaps it was my father's desire for me to become a K-pop idol.

Furthermore, according to the news article I checked, K-pop idols were making big money all over the world. 

It was a natural result, as they were receiving great love from fans worldwide. 

Right now, I'm in a desperate situation where I need to make money quickly. 

I took out my smartphone and checked the message I received from the government. 

[You have turned 18 years old. Now your protection has ended.]

Mo Chang Mo was kicked out of the orphanage just yesterday. 

He had been too focused on being a fan of idols.

So his grades were a mess, and he didn't have any skills to speak of. 

His bank account held a paltry sum.

With no backup and no money, the only way for Mo Chang Mo to achieve success through music was to become a K-pop idol.

I took a deep breath. 

"When I think about it, it's not such a bad condition." 

I could challenge myself as an idol in this favorable situation. 

Besides, hadn't we already received notice that we passed the first round of auditions? 

I was more than capable of giving it a try. 

Above all, I had already died once, so there was no reason to hesitate when given a second chance.

I recalled my father's voice from yesterday. 

[Your music shall resound across the world. Play with abandon, for your own delight and pleasure!]

The only way I can play freely in my current situation is through the K-pop academy. 

I longed to savor once more the warm cheers of the audience that I had basked in last night.

After making up my mind, I moved on to the next step.

I checked the ‘Second Exam’ admission guidelines that were in Mo Chang Mo's luggage. 

"Let's see." 

It said, 

"The second exam is a 'group interview.'"

 

<To be continued in the next chapter>