Before Baek Ye-rin sang her last prepared song:
“Perhaps this will be the final track. Everyone might be expecting a fitting finale with ‘Rewind,’ but unfortunately, it seems ‘Rewind’ won’t be performed tonight.”
Sighs of disappointment were heard throughout the concert hall.
The audience, no doubt recalling the version of ‘Rewind’ from Music Save, had anticipated her rendition of that song.
But there was nothing to be done.
‘Rewind’ was one of Ryu Won’s emotionally draining songs.
Singing it would highly likely prevent her from delivering the last song at her best.
Instead…
“I plan to present a new original song I created with composer Ha-on.”
The mention of a new song stirred the audience into a ripple of excitement.
An unreleased track, one that would be premiered live at this concert, held an even more special meaning than ‘Rewind.’
“Oh, and before I play the new song, I’d like to introduce someone.”
Upon these words from Baek Ye-rin, spotlights shifted away from her to reveal a male figure stepping onto the stage from behind holding a guitar.
As he appeared, the audience immediately recognized him.
The current CEO of RT Entertainment, once an active singer-songwriter, a familiar figure to fans.
“Yes! As you all know, this is Kang Beom-jun. I, as a special guest, will be helping our label’s singer, Ye-rin, perform the closing number. It’s been a while since I’ve performed on stage… Oh? You want me to leave? Hehe. If I go, you won’t hear Ye-rin’s new song. Should be fine, right?”
As Kang Beom-jun took the stage, the atmosphere brightened immediately.
And in that lively atmosphere, he went on to say:
“But I’m really here just to play the guitar. Ye-rin is the true star of this stage.”
This remark only made the audience more curious.
Whoever thought of it, bringing Kang Beom-jun as a guest only to use him as a backing guitarist?
The audience was thrown into a flurry of confusion for a moment, still ruffled by the sudden turn of events.
But that didn’t matter.
Baek Ye-rin closed her eyes slowly, thinking:
Once the final song started, the audience’s initial chatter would dissolve almost instantly.
Gradually, in the dimmed hall, a bright spotlight singled out Baek Ye-rin alone.
Under the spotlight, she took a deep breath, an effort to steady her emotions before the performance.
Baek Ye-rin thought of the face of the important person—her mother.
And the words that were unspoken, the feelings that she hadn’t conveyed.
Why haven’t I said those words to her yet?
Out of shyness? Or perhaps out of not wanting to worry her?
She wasn’t quite sure.
There was, however, one thing certain.
—I really hope you share this song with your aunt. At least so there’s no regret left inside you.
Yes, his words were accurate.
He had given her this opportunity.
So…
‘Let me pour everything into this.’
In that darkened space, only Baek Ye-rin existed on stage.
Even Kang Beom-jun seated nearby, along with his guitar, faded into the shadows.
But the stage setup stayed as it was.
There were no extra, flashy effects.
Only a giant screen behind Baek Ye-rin displayed a video.
As the familiar whirring of film reels echoed throughout the auditorium, attention naturally shifted to the screen.
It showed a photograph of a young couple and a little girl.
Audience members gradually realized the significance.
It was a family photo of Baek Ye-rin’s, filled with moments of happiness.
From a certain point onward, however, only the young woman and the little girl appeared in the pictures.
At this point, the music began.
It was the sound of Kang Beom-jun’s guitar.
Simple. Plain.
Nothing else was needed.
Even Ryu Won thought that the 1st verse was more than enough like this.
Above all, the focal point here wasn’t the sound of the instrument.
-One day I saw
A photo of my mom, with me there.
Baek Ye-rin sang along with the melody, her voice tinged with a sob, clenching her fists tightly to suppress her emotions.
Actually, Ryu Won hadn’t spent much time composing this song.
A predictable progression of melodic chords, straightforward lyrics.
Predictable but… a story that resonates.
And the protagonist of that predictable story was none other than Baek Ye-rin.
The song titled “Your Photo,” which Baek Ye-rin was currently singing, was her personal story.
By chance, she had come across the family photo on the wall. The picture captured her mother smiling brightly in her youthful days. It conveyed the knowledge that her mother had experienced a beautiful era, dreamt her own dreams, and sacrificed all of that to raise her.
Songs that touch on family always feel somewhat predictable.
Gratitude and appreciation for the efforts of loved ones—usually the main theme.
But precisely because the story is predictable, it strikes a deeper chord.
In life, we sometimes face questions like:
Who is the person you love the most?
Most would instinctively answer:
Mother or father.
Parents are by nature the epitome of such unconditional love.
We, who see their efforts from up close, understand them more than anyone else. And we see how much they love us.
Even through conflicts and heartaches, we can’t help but love our parents deeply.
Baek Ye-rin surely feels that way.
Of anyone, she loves her mother deeply.
Of anyone, she knows the hard work and sacrifices her mother made raising her.
In some way, she wants to pass that on.
To live without regrets, like us in a previous life…
The guitar accompaniment is joined by the sound of a piano, and further enriched by the sound of drums.
In this melody, Baek Ye-rin continued to sing.
The live cameras captured her image, broadcasting it live on TV.
But Baek Ye-rin had no time to think about the cameras.
She was fully focused on containing her emotions.
For Baek Ye-rin, the image of ‘mom’ had always been tinged with guilt.
It was hard to imagine raising a daughter alone after losing her husband.
Yet, her mother never once showed her the strain of it.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, she sacrificed her youth and life for her.
And then slowly, her mother’s body began to weaken.
Her life has little time left.
In that case, how am I supposed to repay the youth and sacrifices you gave?
How do I ever thank you for such endlessly warm love?
If it weren’t for his help, she couldn’t have possibly conveyed these feelings in any manner.
Knowing all this, Baek Ye-rin sang desperately.
But she knew this song could never fully repay the love her mother had given. It was far too immense.
Still, there were words she wanted to say.
Words she must deliver.
Thank you.
Thank you for raising me, for making me so happy as your daughter. So, I want to express all these feelings candidly in front of everyone.
Baek Ye-rin’s eyes started to redden. The audience began to empathize with her conveyed emotions and stance.
The initially unsettled atmosphere gradually dissipated, leaving only deep emotion.
Some remembered deceased parents, shedding tears. Others thought of their own parents, whom they had neglected amidst familiar routines.
The once energetic crowd of Bai Ye-rin’s first concert was now absent.
In its place stood an individual, like Baek Ye-rin, who cherished important parents.
The moment to feel those emotions was fading.
As Baek Ye-rin’s voice grew deeper with emotion, the crowd realized something:
The song was approaching its end.
It saddened them.
They wanted to hold on just a little longer to the reverberations experienced through Baek Ye-rin and Ha-on’s song.
But a song reaches its conclusion; it’s only then does it truly achieve completion…
Baek Ye-rin took her final breath.
She tried to control her emotions as much as she could, but tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes were streaming down her cheek.
Still, Baek Ye-rin didn’t wipe them away.
She simply gazed towards someone precious in the audience.
…Has it reached you?
My sorrow? My gratitude? And that secret I never got to say that day?
Soon after, Baek Ye-rin smiled as if she had realized something.
Relieved, she slowly raised the microphone and began to speak.
Because the smile on the photograph displayed on the screen…
-Your smile in that photo.
It will bloom again.
Baek Ye-rin’s mother, Lee Yeon-hee, looked up at her daughter on the stage with a smile.
A smile acknowledging the message had been received…
No, a smile as if she’d known it all along.
As always, a smile filled with love for her daughter.
A warm, tender smile.
