Chapter Text
Cale Henituse was having a peaceful afternoon at the Henituse estate. He was enjoying a bit of peace and having fun with his family. The white star had been defeated and Roan empire was starting to recover from the war.
When suddenly…
Cale heard the voice of the god of death. He didn’t think he would be hearing from him after the war.
“Cale my child. I was thinking that hmaybe since you are finally getting to enjoy your slacker life that you could enjoy playing some music like you used to as Kim Rok Soo. It’s so sad that your musical talent never got to shine.”
“Hmm… Wait that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Cale taught as he was sitting in his rocking chair while looking out of the window.
Before the apocalypse Kim Rok Soo’s hobby had been music. Anything from listening to music to playing and writing some of his own songs.
It had started when he ran away from his abusive uncle. Between studying and working a part-time job at the nearby grocery shop at evenings. He loved playing the piano at his high school’s music classroom.
Kim Rok soo wasn’t a part of the class but the teacher was kind enough to teach him the basics as he was a quick learner.
The teacher’s name was Gary Diggers though Kim Rok Soo just called him professor. He was a middle aged British man who was teaching English and music at the High School Kim Rok Soo attended. He was a very kind man and always let Rok Soo into the classroom after his classes.
After Rok Soo had learned the basics he refused further help from the professor. Gary was kindhearted and had no bad intentions but Rok Soo was very distant and weary of adults since he had just recently ran away and was struggling. Cale continued learning to play the piano on his own and became very good at it.
After the apocalypse had started Rok Soo was not able to chase after his passion for music since he was too busy fighting monsters and surviving. But every time he heard music from the radio, albums he found or just from a passer-by’s singing he always made sure to record it.
Whenever he got the chance Rok Soo would write these songs down and struggle to find the right notes to match the ones in his records. Eventually he got better at this and was able to translate the songs in his records to paper perfectly and even fill in gaps where he wasn’t able to hear the song clearly.
What Rok Soo wasn’t aware of was the rumours and whispers going around of the team leader’s beautiful humming that he was working on one of these songs.
“Wait you bastard god how do you even know that I could play music. Well whatever. I wonder if this world has pianos in it.”
Well there had to be right. This word apart from magic was still similar to Cale’s original world in many ways.
The next day Cale decided to ask Choi Han if he had heard of anything like a piano existing in this world.
“Hey Choi Han have you ever seen or heard of a piano in this word.”
Cale and Choi Han were sitting in Cale’s room together while the children were playing.
Choi Han seemed to be thinking about it for awhile. “I Think there was one at some bar in Rain City. I walked past it once with the children and we heard music from there. Why are you asking Cale-nim?”
Cale leaned back on his seat. The sofas in his room were very comfortable. “No reason. I was just feeling nostalgic and remembered how I used to play the piano and sing in Korea.”
Choi Han was surprised to hear this. Cale-nim rarely talked about his life as Kim Rok Soo. Choi-Han figured that his life must have been very hard based on Choi Jung Soo’s memories and what he saw in the sealed god’s test. Choi-Han always wanted to know more but didn’t want to make Cale remember bad things.
“Then you should definitely play Cale-nim. I’m sure that everyone would be delighted to hear music from you. Especially the children.”
“Yeah maybe I should ask mother if we could get a piano into the estate.” Countess Violan probably knows Where to get one since she has connections in the art world.”
Yeah Cale will ask Violan at dinner later that day.
Countess Violan was enjoying dinner with her family. It had been awhile since her oldest son had visited them and she was very happy to see him eating well.
Violan was happy for her son for gaining such good allies and finding new friends and family but she couldn’t help feeling sad that she doesn’t see her oldest son so often anymore.
The whole Henituse family had been very shaken by the way Cale finished the war. Although it had already been several months Violan’s dear husband Deruth still woke up from nightmares of their son stabbing himself in the heart. The whole family had gotten very protective of their oldest son and they all were scared he would do something reckless and get himself hurt again.
Violan was currently staring at Cale noticing that he looked more healthy now that the war was over. When suddenly Cale said something very unexpected and gained the attention of the whole table.
“Mother do you think it’s possible to get a piano into the estate?”
That was quite surprising. Pianos weren’t that common of an instrument. People preferred choirs or the sound of magical instruments. The piano was considered a more simple instrument because not many people bothered learning to play the more complex notes on the piano since it was simply easier to play magical instruments.
“Why are you interested in getting a piano Cale? You weren’t ever taught to play were you?” As Violan recalls none of her children were ever interested in music and Deruth never mentioned Cale knowing how to play the piano.
“Well I learned at this one bar. I used to go there often and they have a piano. I thought it would be nice to play.”
Oh so Cale learned to play back in his trashy days. Well that made sense. Violan nor Deruth were often aware of where their oldest son was doing in his teenage years. Cale just always got home drunk and annoyed and there were rumours of his trashy behaviour.
“Ohh big brother can you play for me some day? I didn’t know you could play.” Lily seemed very interested in Cale’s musical ability as well as Basen and Deruth.
“Well Cale I’m sure we can find you a piano. I have a colleague that specialises in music and instruments. I’ll make sure that we’ll get you the best piano we can find.”
Violan noticed a small thankful smile on Cale’s lips.