Baek Ye-rin’s final song had concluded.
Normally, after a concert like this, the audience would be clamoring for an encore, desperately wanting to see more of the performance.
But the atmosphere inside the venue now was incredibly solemn.
Even though everyone was aware that the song had ended, there was no applause, no sound, no reaction at all.
Everyone was lost in the deep sadness evoked by Baek Ye-rin’s song, so heavy that it weighed on their hearts.
It was then that people realized why they had come to love Baek Ye-rin, the singer.
How could one not love a singer who moved hearts with warmth and stirred such deep emotions?
In that moment, someone who understood her better than most allowed a soft smile to form on their lips.
That someone was Ryu Won.
He glanced up at Baek Ye-rin, who was standing on the stage. She was looking this way, tears streaming down her face, yet she was smiling simultaneously—an expression filled with contradictions.
Seeing that, Ryu Won felt a small sense of relief.
Ryu Won remembered the bright, smiling face of Baek Ye-rin that she always showed to her fans. He found it incredibly beautiful.
No worry, no sorrow, no regret ever seemed to remain when faced with her radiant smile. But learning that she had battled depression secretly broke his heart.
What had made her so miserable? What had pushed her so far?
As a mere bystander, Ryu Won couldn’t fully know, nor could he even hazard a guess. However, after hearing her recent confessions, he understood a part of it.
Baek Ye-rin had always carried feelings of guilt toward her mother. Perhaps in her previous life, she had never fully expressed those emotions.
This belief stemmed from her place of residence.
In her previous life, she had continued to live in the old apartment she had shared with her mother, even after her mother’s passing and even when she was known as a national singer.
She stayed there, lonely…
Perhaps, she couldn’t leave.
Regret for never truly expressing her love for her mother, along with feelings of guilt, might have turned into a deep-rooted sorrow, preventing her from leaving.
Though Ryu Won wasn’t entirely sure.
Even with the uncertainty, facing her tear-laden smile brought solace to him.
So…
He silently prayed, “I hope some of your sadness has faded.”
So that she would not endure the same regrets as he had.
While Ryu Won was thinking, someone called out to him from nearby.
“Ryu Won.”
Ryu Won slowly turned his head to see Baek Ye-rin’s mother, Lee Yeon-hee, looking at him with eyes filled with gratitude.
“Thank you. From start to finish, all I feel toward you is gratitude.”
Ryu Won merely smiled faintly in response.
“If this concert leaves you with a wonderful memory of Ye-rin, then I’m satisfied. Thank you isn’t necessary.”
Yeon-hee looked at Ryu Won and smiled in the exact same way.
Of course… that’s why Ye-rin fell for you.
Yeon-hee then looked back toward the stage.
“Thank you to everyone who came to my concert today. I hope that you and your loved ones can smile together, and now I will take my leave. Thank you!”
Baek Ye-rin’s first concert came to a successful and resonant end.
Meanwhile…
“Thank you for everything!”
After the concert, backstage, Baek Ye-rin bowed deeply to each staff member she passed, thanking them.
She realized anew just how many people had helped her to perform on that stage.
“Thank you for all your hard work.”
“Actually, you worked the hardest. Go home and rest. I think you’ll have a lot to talk about with someone waiting for you.”
As he said this, Kang Beom-jun glanced past Baek Ye-rin.
Indeed, she heard someone walking toward her in the direction he was looking.
Turning her head, she saw someone approach with her manager, Lee Ha-ri.
To Baek Ye-rin, this person was someone very precious.
“Mom!”
Baek Ye-rin ran to Lee Yeon-hee and flung her arms around her.
It was a truly warm and comforting sensation.
As I sat in my mom’s car, I looked up at the sky.
I thought it was just clouding over, but by morning, thunder was rumbling.
Then, it started pouring as if the heavens had opened up.
“The weather…”
“Isn’t so great.”
“Yeah, seems the autumn rains have started.”
It had already been three months since Baek Ye-rin’s first concert.
Summer’s heat had quickly passed, and autumn had arrived.
Though I was still on summer vacation, only four days remained.
The song “Your Photograph,” revealed during Baek Ye-rin’s concert, received much acclaim from the audience.
Critics deemed it beyond evaluation, and on the Nertube live recording, countless comments flowed in.
Good songs get evaluated, but great songs are where people leave their personal stories.
“Listening to this song and crying isn’t embarrassing. Crying to this song means you received love from your parents.”
“In the military camp, I had to say goodbye to my mother without attending her funeral. I cried a lot on the bus during my compassionate leave. Mom, I’ll finish my service, live well, and see you there. I love you.”
Even now, people must be leaving comments recalling their family memories, increasing the view count.
Incidentally, “Your Photograph” was released as a digital single only and has been fiercely competing with “Rewind” for the top spot.
Since that day, Baek Ye-rin’s schedule became very busy.
Advertisements, photo shoots, TV appearances, fan meetings, college festivals, etc.
A rookie singer who hadn’t even been in the industry for a year was walking the path of a national-level celebrity.
Well…
Her journey had been dazzling from the start.
From debut to the third album release, record-breaking performances on Music Save, and transforming the concert venue into an ocean of tears.
Thankfully, even though busy, Baek Ye-rin could spend time with her mother, Lee Yeon-hee.
Their mother-daughter bond became even stronger since that day. They must have created more happy memories that I’m unaware of.
To avoid regrets at the moment of parting…
“Ryu Won, you’ve arrived. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Mother.”
Arriving at the wake to offer condolences, we were greeted by a familiar face.
Kang Beom-jun.
He stood at the entrance to the chapel in a black suit.
“You’ve worked hard. I’ve heard RT Entertainment helped a lot with the funeral arrangements.”
“Of course. You should go inside. Someone is waiting for you.”
Nodding, I entered the incense room.
And there I met Baek Ye-rin, standing next to a bright smiling portrait of a woman.
She gave me a slightly melancholic smile.
…
Baek Ye-rin had no other relatives or family.
That must be why…
“Your aunt just passed by…”
“It seems she had something urgent. So, she left early.”
Ryu Won continued to stay by her side as she remained at the chapel alone.
Planning to accompany her for the three days of the funeral.
At that moment, Baek Ye-rin naturally leaned her head on Ryu Won’s shoulder and said,
“Will people suspect who you really are if you keep staying close to me?”
“Just let them suspect. The CEO will handle it properly.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Baek Ye-rin knew.
That he was speaking words that didn’t come from his heart, just for her.
She looked back at her mother’s portrait.
“Speaking of which, my mom talked about you a lot and really liked you, it seems.”
“An honor.”
Ryu Won’s shameless answer brought an involuntary soft smile to Baek Ye-rin’s face.
Though deeply saddened by her mother’s death, she wasn’t able to fully believe it yet.
Still…
“Back at my father’s funeral, I cried a lot. But because my mom was there, I managed to stop my tears. And even now, until just a moment ago, I was trying really hard not to cry…but now, it feels a little better.”
“…”
“So can I stay like this for a little longer?”
Ryu Won didn’t reply to Baek Ye-rin’s question.
He simply couldn’t refuse in this situation.
Leaning her head on Ryu Won’s shoulder, Baek Ye-rin slowly closed her eyes.
The loss of a parent creates a gaping hole in the heart and memory.
Still, Baek Ye-rin would live on.
Because someone—the person who had now become most precious—was there to fill that hole.
During her childhood, Baek Ye-rin was quite different from her current image; she was a greedy child who insisted on obtaining what she wanted.
But after her father’s death and her early maturation, she stopped showing that side.
But perhaps…
This act of pretending to be something she wasn’t might finally be over.
“Where did my summer vacation go?”
“How should I know? It disappeared in the blink of an eye.”
During the opening ceremony, Kim Tae-hwan in front of me sighed deeply.
It was an ordinary day, the only special part being the end of summer vacation and returning to school after a long time.
Familiar faces, repetitive classes, waiting for school to end…
But after school, something completely unusual awaited me.
I usually head home directly if I don’t have plans to visit RT Entertainment.
But the moment I entered the house, someone greeted me with a smile I had grown to recognize.
I thought I was dreaming.
Baek Ye-rin.
She was there, in my house, wearing an apron over her school uniform.
With her usual bright smile.
