Chapter 3: The First Trap

The following Monday, Ethan arrived at the Harmony School of Music earlier than usual.

The campus buzzed with students carrying guitars, violins, and thick folders of sheet music. Conversations about auditions and upcoming competitions echoed through the hallways, but Ethan barely noticed.

His attention was fixed on one thing.

Changing his future.

Last time, he had lived only for music.

This time, he would learn something even more important.

People.

As he walked toward his classroom, familiar voices drifted from around the corner.

.Jason is incredible."

I heard one of his songs might be entered into the National Youth Music Competition.

"He'll definitely become famous one day."

Ethan stopped.

Those words sounded painfully familiar.

In his previous life, Jason had entered Ethan's stolen composition into that competition.

The victory had been the beginning of everything.

Not this time.

A smile touched Ethan's lips.

He already knew every move Jason planned to make.

All he had to do was stay one step ahead.

Inside the classroom, Professor Daniel Morris entered carrying a stack of music sheets.

"I have an announcement."

The room fell silent.

"Three months from now, Harmony School will select one student to represent us at the National Youth Music Competition."

Excited whispers spread through the class.

"This competition has launched the careers of many famous composers," Professor Morris continued. "The selection will be based entirely on original compositions. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification."

Ethan's fingers tightened around his pen.

Original compositions.

The words carried a different meaning now.

After class, Ethan was packing his bag when a cheerful voice interrupted him.

"Hi."

He looked up.

A young woman stood beside his desk with long black hair tied into a neat ponytail and bright brown eyes filled with curiosity.

"You play the piano beautifully," she said.

"I'm Lily Hart."

"I've seen you practicing after school."

Ethan blinked.

He remembered her.

In his previous life, Lily had been one of the few people who had quietly questioned whether Jason's songs really sounded like his style.

But before she could help him, Ethan had already been branded a liar.

This time...

Maybe things could be different.

I'm Ethan.

She smiled.

"I know."

"The quiet genius."

He laughed awkwardly.

"I don't think anyone has ever called me that."

They will someday.

Those simple words lingered in Ethan's heart long after she walked away.

For the first time since returning, someone had seen him—not Jason.

That afternoon, Ethan returned home and checked the hidden camera in his room.

Hours of footage played across his laptop screen.

Nothing unusual.

Then...

At exactly 4:17 p.m., his bedroom door slowly opened.

Jason stepped inside.

Ethan watched in silence.

Jason searched the desk.

The wardrobe.

The bookshelf.

Even beneath the bed.

His expression became increasingly frustrated.

When he finally gave up, he muttered under his breath.

"Where did you hide it?"

The recording ended.

Ethan immediately copied the video onto three separate flash drives.

One he kept.

One he hid beneath the floorboard.

The third he placed inside a safety deposit envelope at a trusted storage service.

This is only the beginning," he whispered.

"I'll make sure there's no way for you to destroy the evidence."

That evening, Jason called.

Ethan, Dad wants us to have dinner together tomorrow.

Of course," Ethan replied pleasantly.After hanging up, he smiled.

Jason had searched his room twice in two days.

If he was inviting Ethan to dinner...

He was planning something else.

Good.

Because Ethan was planning something too.

He walked to his desk and picked up one of the fake music notebooks.

Inside were intentionally incomplete melodies, clashing harmonies, and lyrics that sounded emotional but made no sense.

To anyone with little musical understanding, they looked impressive.

To a real composer, they were worthless.

Ethan slipped the notebook into his backpack.

"If you're determined to steal from me..."

You'll steal exactly what I want you to steal.

For the first time since his rebirth, Ethan wasn't reacting to Jason's schemes.

He was creating them.

And tomorrow...

His first trap would finally be set.