Genius Composer Who’s a Dedicated Fan

Can We Stay Like This a Little Longer?

Baek Yerin’s last song ended.

In a typical concert, people would be shouting for an encore, wanting to see the stage somehow more.

But currently, the atmosphere inside the concert hall was extremely solemn.

Even though everyone knows the song has ended, there’s no response, no noise to be heard.

Everyone had fallen into deep sadness after listening to Baek Yerin’s song just now. To the point where their hearts felt heavy.

People only now realize.

Why we came to love the singer named Baek Yerin.

How could one not love a singer who sings such heart-stirring, warm songs?

And the person who takes more pride in that fact than anyone else smiled faintly.

It was Ryu Won.

He looked at Baek Yerin standing on stage.

She, who had literally poured out everything, was crying for some reason while looking this way. At the same time, she was smiling.

Facing that contradictory face, Ryu Won felt a little relieved.

Ryu Won always remembers Baek Yerin’s appearance smiling brightly in front of fans.

He thought that appearance looked really good.

It feels like any worry, any sadness, any regret automatically resolves when faced with that smile.

But the fact that such a Baek Yerin had been suffering from depression usually made Ryu Won’s heart heavy.

What made you so difficult? What drove you to that extent?

Not being the person directly involved, Ryu Won couldn’t know that.

He didn’t dare even guess, but hearing the worry she poured out this time, he realized a part of it.

Baek Yerin had always lived with apologetic feelings towards her mother. And probably in her previous life, she hadn’t been able to properly pour that out.

The reason for thinking that is because of Baek Yerin’s residence.

In her previous life, she continued to live in the old villa where she had lived with her mother.

Even when her mother passed away and she became alone, even when she was called a national singer.

Alone, desolately continuing…

Perhaps she couldn’t leave?

The apologetic feelings towards her mother and the guilt of not being able to convey her feelings in the end. Maybe that remained inside her in the form of ‘regret’ and made her unable to leave that place.

Well… it’s not certain.

It’s not certain, but facing Baek Yerin’s tear-mixed smile, he just felt relieved.

So please.

‘I’ll pray that your sadness has been erased a little.’

So that you don’t experience the same regret as me.

It was when Ryu Won was thinking that.

“Ryu Won.”

A voice calling him was heard from right beside him.

Ryu Won slowly turned his head and met her gaze.

Baek Yerin’s mother, Lee Yeon-hee, was looking at Ryu Won with eyes containing gratitude somewhere.

“Thank you. I only have grateful feelings for you from beginning to end.”

Ryu Won just grinned at her words and answered like this:

“If today’s concert remains as a good memory with Yerin, I’m satisfied with that. So there’s no need for thanks.”

At Ryu Won’s answer as if it was only natural, Lee Yeon-hee smiled the same smile as him.

Yes… It must be because you’re that kind of child that Yerin fell for you.

Lee Yeon-hee looked back at the stage.

Like that.

“I really wanted to convey my thanks to the many people who came to see my concert today. Hoping that you can smile together with the people you love, I will now take my leave. Thank you!”

Baek Yerin’s first concert safely came to an end with the audience’s deep lingering emotions.

…Meanwhile.

“Good work!”

Behind the stage where the concert ended.

Baek Yerin bowed her head and gave thanks to each staff member passing by.

She realizes anew.

How much help from many people there was for her to stand on the concert stage and perform today.

“Good job.”

At that moment, Kang Beom-joon approached Baek Yerin’s side and said so.

“You worked hard too, CEO.”

“Well… you worked the hardest. So hurry back and rest. It seems like you’ll have a lot to talk about with the person over there today.”

With those words, Kang Beom-joon looked beyond Baek Yerin.

Baek Yerin too heard someone walking from where his gaze was.

She turned her head and looked towards where the sound came from.

There, a woman was walking together with Lee Hari, Baek Yerin’s manager.

A person so precious to Baek Yerin.

“Mom!”

Baek Yerin ran to Lee Yeon-hee and hugged her tightly.

Truly…

It was a warm and cozy feeling.

* * *

I, who was riding in mom’s car, looked up at the sky.

Just as dark clouds seemed to be gathering, thunder started rumbling in the sky from the morning.

And rain started pouring down as if a hole had been punched in the sky.

“The weather is really…”

“Not good.”

“That’s right. All the autumn rain is falling.”

The day of Baek Yerin’s first concert.

Already 3 months had passed in an instant since that day.

The hot summer passed in an instant, and autumn had arrived before we knew it.

Of course, I’m still on summer vacation. Well… only 4 days left of that though.

Anyway, the song titled ‘Your Photo’ revealed at Baek Yerin’s concert that day received very high praise from people.

Among critics, it’s being evaluated as a song that they dare not evaluate, and on the live video uploaded to YouTube, a parade of comments from numerous people continues.

And for good reason, isn’t there a saying like this?

For good songs, evaluations of the song are attached, but for masterpieces, people leave their own stories.

[It’s not shameful to cry listening to this song. Crying listening to this song is proof that you were loved by your parents.]

[During my time at the training center, I lost my mother. When I heard the news of her death, I cried so much on the express bus going on compassionate leave. Mother, I will finish my military service well and live well. Always watch over me from there. I love you.]

Probably even now, people recalling memories with their families are leaving comments and the view count keeps rising endlessly.

For reference, ‘Your Photo’ was released as a digital single album not released offline, and even now it was in fierce competition for first place with ‘Rewind’.

And after that day, Baek Yerin became much busier.

Various advertisements and pictorials, broadcasts, fan meetings, university festivals, etc.

A rookie singer who debuted just less than a year ago gained national singer-level recognition and was walking a smooth road.

Well…

‘Her steps were so brilliant after all.’

From her debut to releasing her 3rd album, renewing the all-time best stage at Music Save, completely turning the venue into a sea of tears at her first concert, etc.

Fortunately, even though Baek Yerin was busy, she could spend time with her mother, Lee Yeon-hee, in between.

Since that day, the relationship between mother and daughter became even closer, so they must have surely made more happy memories I don’t know about.

So that there are no regrets at the moment of farewell…

“Ryu Won, you’re here. It’s been a while, madam.”

When we visited the funeral home for condolences, a familiar person welcomed us.

Kang Beom-joon.

He was standing near the entrance of the mortuary wearing a black suit.

“You must be working hard. I heard RT Entertainment helped a lot with handling the funeral.”

“It’s only natural. You should go inside quickly too. There’s someone waiting for you.”

I nodded and immediately entered the memorial room.

And I naturally met eyes with a girl next to a portrait photo of a woman smiling brightly.

…Baek Yerin.

She gave me a somewhat bitter smile.

.

.

.

Baek Yerin had no other relatives or family.

Was that why?

“The madam left earlier…”

“She must have had something urgent. So I told her to go first.”

Ryu Won kept staying by her side as she kept watch over the mortuary alone.

With the intention of staying together for the 3 days until the funeral ends.

At that moment, Baek Yerin naturally leaned her head on Ryu Won’s shoulder and said:

“Won’t people coming here suspect your identity if you keep staying by my side?”

“Just let them suspect. And the CEO will handle that part well.”

“…I see.”

Baek Yerin knows.

That he’s saying things he doesn’t mean for her sake right now.

She looked back at Lee Yeon-hee’s photo.

“Come to think of it, my mom talked about you so much… She must have really liked you.”

“I’m honored.”

At Ryu Won’s brazen answer, Baek Yerin was smiling faintly before she knew it.

She was in a very sad state now due to her mother’s death.

She still couldn’t quite believe that fact.

But.

“You know. I cried so much at my dad’s funeral. But in the end, I was barely able to stop those tears because of the precious existence called mom. It’s the same now. I was definitely holding back tears until just now because it felt like they would come out… but now I feel a little better.”

“……”

“So can we stay like this a little longer?”

Ryu Won didn’t bother to answer Baek Yerin’s question.

Because in this situation, he had no option to refuse.

And Baek Yerin, who was leaning her head on Ryu Won’s shoulder, slowly closed her eyes.

A parent’s death creates a huge hole in a corner of one’s heart and memory.

Nevertheless, Baek Yerin will live on.

Because the existence that has now become most precious to her, who will fill that hole, was staying by her side.

Baek Yerin in her childhood was an incredibly greedy child, unlike her current image. A child who had to definitely get what she wanted to be satisfied.

But after her father died in the line of duty, and she matured early, at some point she started not showing that side at all.

But maybe…

That false appearance may have ended now too.

* * *

“Where did my summer vacation go?”

“I don’t know that either. Mine disappeared in an instant too.”

Kim Tae-hwan, who was in front of me during the opening ceremony, let out a deep sigh.

That day was a truly ordinary day except for the end of vacation and going to school after a long time.

The faces of friends I’ve always seen, waiting for the time to go home while taking similar-feeling classes.

But after school, something (?) not ordinary at all was waiting for me.

Usually, I tend to go straight home if I don’t have business at RT Entertainment.

The problem was that as soon as I entered the house, someone was welcoming me with a glad face.

Honestly, at first I thought I was dreaming.

“You’re home?”

The moment I heard that voice which had become too familiar to me now, I immediately realized it was reality, but.

Baek Yerin.

For some reason, she was at our house.

With an apron over her school uniform…

With her bright smile as always.