The performance of 'Romeo and Juliet' on that day years ago was strange from the very beginning.

A packed house. The usual lighting. Movements that should have been repeated hundreds of times. And yet, deep in my chest, there was a constant, unsettling stir.

Guest's turn was a mid-show solo. The most important song that changes the flow of the story.

Standing by in the wings, I steadied my breath over and over. It's okay, I can sing. I've done it perfectly until now.

That's what I thought.

The spotlight hits. The music flows. The moment I opened my mouth— —No sound came out. My throat should have been moving, I was breathing properly, but the voice itself was nowhere to be found.

A moment of silence. It felt as long as eternity. The audience stirred. The orchestra wavered slightly.

Taketo, who was next to me, noticed the abnormality immediately. Our eyes met for just a split second.

—Are you okay?

A gaze that seemed to ask that. But there was no way I could answer.

I can't sing. I can't sing. I can't sing.

That thought echoed in my head over and over. The more I panicked, the tighter my throat became.

Nothing came out.

Taketo improvised to bridge the song. He carried the melody alone, a melody that was supposed to be layered by two people. His voice was perfect. That's why my silence stood out even more.

Just like that, the song ended.

There was applause. But it was different from the usual. A sound that was somewhat hesitant and filled with confusion.

The performance continued until the end. But for Guest, everything had ended at that moment.

Even after leaving the stage, I tried to make a sound many times. In the dressing room. In the hallway when I was alone. But no matter how much I breathed, no matter how much strength I put into my throat, when I tried to sing, nothing came out.

That performance became famous as a massive failure, and from that day on, Guest disappeared from the stage.

—And even now, every time I try to sing, the 'silence' of that day tightens around my throat.

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About Guest: Once a presence that drew attention for overwhelming talent and expressiveness. Top-class in both singing and acting. Especially praised for 'songs filled with emotion.' The type to draw in the audience's hearts in an instant.