The bright sunlight streaming through the window was what gently woke Baek Ye-rin from her deep slumber on the weekend.
A slight chill filled the air, and Baek Ye-rin rubbed her arms as she listened to the chirping of busy sparrows outside the window.
It was an autumn morning in October.
It silently reminded Baek Ye-rin that a month had passed since she started living with Ryu Won’s family.
Though a short time, she had perfectly adapted to living in the Ryu household.
First, whenever she stepped out of her room in the morning, there were always people to greet her.
“Did you sleep well? Father, Mother.”
“You got up already? You must’ve been tired since the filming yesterday ended late.”
“Oh, I’m fine. Actually, it’s become a habit to wake up at this time.”
“Our children would do well to emulate even half of your habits.”
“Although… calling you ‘Father’ still feels awkward no matter how many times I hear it.”
“Isn’t that better than ‘Uncle’?”
“That’s true.”
Ryu Won’s father, who was brewing coffee, gave a wry smile. He then naturally took a seat at the table and handed Baek Ye-rin a cup of coffee.
“How does it taste today?”
“It’s perfect as always.”
“You may not be a good cook, but you sure know how to make coffee.”
The compliment made his face slightly flush.
He seemed quite satisfied.
It was then that they heard a familiar voice from the TV.
“So, since that incident, have you not been able to play the piano anymore?”
“Yes. My left hand is fine, but my right hand suffers from serious aftereffects. Playing lightly is possible, but making it my profession would be difficult. Naturally, I can’t participate in competitions.”
“…You must be incredibly sad. It’s amazing how you can smile as you talk about it.”
“Haha, thank you! But honestly, I’m truly fine now. In fact, thanks to Ha-on, the composer, I’ve found some peace, if you look at it that way.”
The familiar voice of Ryu Se-ah flowed from the talk show on TV.
“She looks happy.”
“Indeed.”
The two of them smiled faintly as they watched their daughter, bright and smiling, on TV.
When Ryu Se-ah received the verdict that she could no longer pursue piano playing, obviously, the one who felt the most sorrow was Se-ah herself.
And they had witnessed it all by her side.
No matter how often she insisted with her bright smile, they could not help but notice the falseness behind it.
But Se-ah had found her happiness again — that joy from the times she shared with the piano.
For parents, there could be no better news than this.
“Oh, now that I think of it, is Se-ah out again today?”
“Yes, she has an early music broadcast to attend.”
“Then all that remains is our young master.”
At this, everyone’s attention turned to a particular direction.
Ryu Won’s room.
It was now ten in the morning.
Ryu Se-ah, who used to sleep in, had transformed into a morning person due to her recent music activities.
She claimed her work was so enjoyable that it kept her awake.
However, Ryu Won remained unchanged.
Weekends always found him waking up close to noon.
Hence, it was only natural that Ryu Won’s mother asked Baek Ye-rin for a favor.
“Ye-rin.”
“Yes?”
“Could you wake him up? Let him come to his senses before lunch.”
Baek Ye-rin readily nodded her head, as there was no reason to refuse.
But that didn’t happen.
“Please stop saying scary things. Imagine waking up to find Ye-rin right in front of me… it would be quite the shock in many ways.”
And with that, Ryu Won emerged from the room into the living area.
Ryu Won’s mother looked surprised.
“My, isn’t this unusual? You’re up by this time? Do you have plans to go out?”
“Yes, I just feel like going for a walk. I’ll eat lunch on my own. In fact, I might not be back until dinner.”
“That’s convenient. Take Ye-rin with you.”
“?”
“What’s that look for? It’s rare for Ye-rin to have a day off—she might get bored otherwise.”
“Wouldn’t she be more tired from all the activities? Besides, at this point, she’s quite famous, so disguising is basic.”
With that, Ryu Won glanced at Baek Ye-rin.
Oddly, she wasn’t there.
Baek Ye-rin had already dashed off to her room to change her clothes.
Before they knew it, the weekend outing had been decided.
“…?”
To Ryu Won, it seemed a little sudden.
*
Ryu Won waited outside for Baek Ye-rin.
“Did you make me wait?”
At the sound of a familiar voice, Ryu Won turned around to see Baek Ye-rin, already dressed for outing.
With her good looks and proportions, anything she wore looked good on her — a hallmark of Baek Ye-rin.
However, Ryu Won’s eyes were caught more by something else.
“What’s this? You’re still keeping that?”
The hat and sunglasses she wore for disguise were the ones given by Ryu Won on the day of the first Music Save filming.
In fact, Ryu Won hadn’t bothered retrieving them, finding the process bothersome and the items cheap anyway.
But to Baek Ye-rin, they were far from cheap.
Rather, they were cherished mementos.
“Anyway, where are we really going?”
At her question, Ryu Won paused for a moment before replying.
“Initially, I planned to take a bus, travel from the terminal to another, and return. But I thought that would be a bit boring with you around.”
“I don’t mind?”
“I do.”
Ryu Won sighed.
Who would ask the current, beloved Baek Ye-rin to do such a dumb thing?
Unless…
“But seriously, are you okay with it? I imagine there won’t be many people out this early on a weekend, and people wouldn’t expect to see Baek Ye-rin on a bus.”
Carefully posing the question, Ryu Won watched as Baek Ye-rin smiled and nodded.
She just wanted to observe him this day, by his side.
This kind of opportunity wouldn’t have arisen if it hadn’t been for Ryu Won’s mother.
Thus, the two found themselves seated side by side on the bus.
However, Ryu Won simply stared out the window during the ride.
He gazed at the streets, at the people passing by, lost in his own thoughts.
Having successfully completed his plan of traveling to a terminal and back, Ryu Won’s next destination turned out to be the movie theater.
Surprisingly, he chose one of the most popular movies playing at the time.
It was a comedy, and throughout the film, Ryu Won laughed alongside the audience, thoroughly enjoying the movie.
The moment the movie ended, he said this:
“That… I’m really sorry, but would it be okay if we watch one more?”
“A movie?”
“Yep. Frankly, I want to get some inspiration for composing or for musical ideas.”
When you’re locked away composing, your ears naturally close off.
But when you’re out in the world, you encounter a multitude of sounds, sensations, and scents, all of which provide rich input for inspiration.
Sometimes, those small differences can lead to creating a great piece.
After hearing Ryu Won’s explanation, Baek Ye-rin responded with an intrigued expression.
“It’s interesting.”
“What is?”
“I thought you could just close your eyes and instantly create good music. That seemed to happen a lot.”
“That was just good luck.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I’m not that amazing. Honestly, creating a piece is a heavy burden for me. So… are you disappointed?”
“Not at all.”
Baek Ye-rin answered without hesitation.
Why would she be disappointed?
Rather, it meant that all the best pieces he had ever made, he had given to her, after putting in such effort.
In fact, from her perspective, it was reason to be even more grateful.
With her prompt reply, Ryu Won scratched his head and moved toward the next screening room.
This time, he selected a movie with the least number of viewers — a horror-thriller, completely contrary to the first one.
Thus, Ryu Won checked with Baek Ye-rin again.
“Are you okay with a horror movie?”
“Do I seem like the kind of person who would be scared of such things?”
Baek Ye-rin chuckled, projecting an air of complete ease.
Indeed, it wasn’t common for her to show vulnerability.
Ryu Won knew well that horror and thriller movies were among Baek Ye-rin’s favorite genres.
“KYAAAH!”
However, exactly ten minutes into the movie, his thought was erased.
A sudden scream from beside him caught his attention as he glanced at his left arm.
Baek Ye-rin was gripping his left arm tightly, shivering. She had even buried her face into it.
“Huh… but that scene wasn’t even that scary.”
Could my information be incorrect? Yet she had openly stated how much she enjoyed such movies.
Regardless, Ryu Won had no choice but to let her use his left arm until the movie ended, understanding well that fear wasn’t something one could easily control.
Still…
Throughout the entire movie, as Baek Ye-rin naturally held onto his arm…
‘Should I suggest we watch it again?’
One might question if she truly experienced any fear while watching the movie.
