Genius Composer Who’s a Dedicated Fan

During the funeral of Baek Yerin’s mother, Lee Yeon-hee, Baek Yerin said this to me:

“I’m moving.”

“Really?”

“Before mom passed away, she told me this. That memories are enough to be buried in photos and memories. So she said she’d like me to leave that house. That if I stay there alone, only sadness will increase.”

“…I see. Anyway, ask the CEO for help with the moving part too. It was a benefit you should have had from the start as an artist of RT Entertainment.”

For some reason, Baek Yerin smiled faintly at my words and said:

“You haven’t heard yet, I guess? It’s a promise decided quite a while ago.”

“Promise?”

“Ah, just talking to myself. Actually, the place I’m moving to is already decided.”

“That’s good. Well, if there’s anything difficult or hard, tell me anytime. Not just me, but the CEO and Manager Lee are there too.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

At that time, I thought it was fortunate.

It would surely be difficult, but it seemed like Baek Yerin was trying to move forward without dwelling on sadness.

But you know.

“Oh my, Yerin. You’re really good at cooking?”

“Thank you! The kitchen environment was so good for cooking because you organized it so well, ma’am.”

“Come on, we’re going to live under the same roof now, so what’s with ‘ma’am’. Just call me comfortably, comfortably. For example, mother?”

“Mo… mother?”

As if a bit embarrassed by what she said, Baek Yerin’s face reddened.

Mom looked at that sight contentedly.

…What’s this.

I couldn’t understand this situation at all.

“How did this happen?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Dad and your sister would have known already.”

“She suddenly went to RT Entertainment saying she was going to compose then, so she probably didn’t hear.”

My sister, who was eating the meal Baek Yerin prepared together next to me, said.

Listening to it, apparently the beginning of all this was when mom hurt her ankle and was hospitalized for about 2 weeks.

At that time, Baek Yerin’s mother and our mom became quite close.

The reason they could become close like that was probably because of me and Baek Yerin.

In fact, we’re living lives a bit far from ordinary middle school students.

They’d have a lot to empathize with, and especially in this life, since Baek Yerin became a singer because of me, wouldn’t there have been a bit of a singularity in that point?

Well… yeah.

I knew this fact well too.

But one day, Baek Yerin’s mother apparently made this request to our mom.

If possible, could she let Baek Yerin live together at our house?

“Did you ask for the reason?”

“Of course I asked.”

“What was it?”

“It’s a secret from you.”

…?

That’s a bit disappointing.

Anyway, it seems this situation occurred because our mom readily accepted that request.

“The room will be next to mine, right? Since that one happens to be empty.”

“All the luggage was already moved from lunchtime.”

“Well… it seems everyone except me already agreed anyway, so I guess it’s fine as long as Yerin isn’t uncomfortable.”

Of course, I’m not fine at all, but.

I looked at Baek Yerin after saying that.

For some reason, she gave me a grin.

…Not uncomfortable at all.

It seemed like she was saying something like that.

* * *

I’ve come to live with the currently most popular singer!

…Who would believe it if I said that?

“But saying that, you’re a genius composer too, aren’t you?”

Ryu Se-ah, occupying my bed in my room.

The person who is precisely my older sister continued with a puzzled expression:

“Actually, Yerin who came to live next door to you said this in an interview. That she could receive so much love and attention from so many people all thanks to the composer named Ha-on.”

“What, did you start speaking informally with Yerin too?”

“We just talked together in my room. There are parts where we unexpectedly match well.”

“Parts where you match well?”

“You don’t need to know.”

…Really, what’s this.

Am I perhaps an outcast in this house?

“But for a boy your age, isn’t this a situation you should rather like?”

“Maybe so. But at least not for me.”

“Why?”

“Because for me, Baek Yerin is too great of a person.”

That’s exactly it.

Baek Yerin is someone who made me dream, and an object of admiration.

Living in the same space as such a person…

“Honestly, it’s an honor. It’s an honor but also burdensome.”

“What a foolish answer. But it’s fun because you’re a foolish little brother.”

“That’s not something I should hear from a sister who suddenly went to Seolhwa Arts High School. So how is it?”

“Seolhwa Arts High School?”

I nodded.

Seolhwa Arts High School.

Currently the highest level and most recognized arts high school in Korea.

And my sister was proudly attending that arts high school with a scholarship.

I hear the entrance exam is very tough, but apparently she entered as the top student.

“I worked hard in my own way. To sing some foolish guy’s songs.”

“Wait. Is that foolish guy perhaps me?”

“In that sense, make sure to keep your promise, little brother. It seems a good opportunity will come soon.”

“…?”

“Anyway, I’m leaving now!”

Ryu Se-ah, who just said what she wanted to say and left my room like that.

I blankly watched that sight and couldn’t help but blurt out these words:

“Shit… really, what’s this?”

I can swear.

I haven’t made any promises with my sister in the past few years. I don’t particularly intend to either.

Don’t tell me…

─ Okay. Let’s put this talk on hold for just a moment.

Is it about when I played ‘Cantabile’ for her at that time?

Suddenly, I felt a throbbing in my head.

My sister is someone I can’t quite grasp.

So I started to have a feeling that something related to that will happen to me soon.

So what can you do?

It was an expression that perfectly fit my current situation.

“Let’s just go to sleep quickly…”

I sighed and lay down on the bed.

My conclusion is that just sleeping is good for mental health.

Honestly, quite a lot of things happened suddenly today.

Thanks to that, I feel fatigue rushing in rapidly.

As I lay down on the bed to sleep like that, I heard a sound from the door direction.

Knock knock-

It was a knocking sound.

Did my sister come again?

No.

There’s no way that could be.

From the start, my sister is someone who just enters my room without knocking.

Then is it mom or dad?

That doesn’t seem right either.

They do knock occasionally, but they’re the type to come in right away without waiting for an answer.

Ah, how can I say this is a house where privacy doesn’t exist at all?

So I couldn’t help but realize even more who was knocking now.

“You can come in.”

As I gave permission, the door slowly started to open as if they heard my voice from outside the room.

As expected, Baek Yerin in pajamas was standing there.

And.

“Just for tonight… can I sleep together?”

…?

Excuse me?

* * *

‘Who am I, where is this place.’

Ryu Won fell into deep self-reflection while looking at the ceiling of his room.

The reason he fell into such a state was because of the existence of a girl lying next to him.

Baek Yerin.

─ Just for tonight… can I sleep together?

When he heard these words from her a little while ago, Ryu Won doubted his own ears.

He couldn’t help but doubt because there were only stimulating words.

But in the end, Ryu Won couldn’t refuse Baek Yerin’s request.

In fact, it was almost close to begging rather than a request.

Ryu Won saw it.

The somewhat bitter and lonely face Baek Yerin was making while saying those words.

The moment he faced that face, Ryu Won couldn’t help but soften.

Think about it.

Baek Yerin is still 16 years old.

Such a child just recently sent her precious mother to heaven, and she has no other family.

In other words, it means she’s now completely left alone in this world.

How lonely must that fact feel?

Ryu Won couldn’t dare imagine.

And no matter how well our family treats Baek Yerin, it’s a completely unfamiliar environment.

Wouldn’t these points have overlapped and she needed somewhere to rely on even for one night?

‘But am I that much…?’

Ryu Won fell into another dilemma.

He didn’t deny the fact that he had treated Baek Yerin well until now.

But those were such natural actions for him that he couldn’t feel any strangeness at all.

Still, Ryu Won realized one clear fact.

If the fact that Baek Yerin slept alone in the same room, even the same bed, with a male middle school student became known to the world…

‘I think I’d seriously be captured by Baek Yerin’s fans and quartered.’

With such a chilling imagination, Ryu Won slowly closed his eyes.

Meanwhile.

“……”

Baek Yerin turned her head and quietly looked at Ryu Won’s face.

Thanks to the moonlight shining, she could see his face in detail.

He had his eyes closed.

Quietly, as if nothing had happened.

Actually, she knew.

That he was definitely not someone who would refuse her request.

So Baek Yerin just used that fact in reverse to create this situation.

There’s no special reason.

Because she wanted to get closer to him even a little.

But paradoxically, she didn’t want him to notice a certain emotion she was holding now…

This emotion that had become too huge.

If she runs away scared(?), it would all be for nothing.

So.

‘Let’s endure a little longer.’

The time will surely come.

Baek Yerin was certain that a situation where he must face her properly would definitely come, in whatever sense.

And only for that day, Baek Yerin was thinking of pressing down this huge emotion she was holding now.

To pour it all out at that moment.