As they exited the horror movie theater, Ryu Won suddenly had a thought.
So, what was the movie about again?
The movie’s plot didn’t come to mind easily due to Baek Ye-rin, who was clinging to his arm and literally shivering beside him.
Right at that moment,
“I’m sorry. Because of me, you couldn’t focus on the movie, right? So…”
Ryu Won, who was walking beside Baek Ye-rin, noticed her slightly apologetic expression and immediately shook his head, cutting her off.
“Hey, why apologize for such a trivial reason? It’s my fault for picking the wrong genre in the first place. Even if we had watched it properly, it wouldn’t have sparked any particular inspiration. Anyway, let’s call this movie watching experience done for now.”
“Hmm, it’s a little disappointing.”
“Disappointing?”
“It was just a murmur. Now that I look, it’s already evening.”
They both looked up at the sky simultaneously after leaving the theater.
It was 6 PM.
The sun was already setting.
“Well, let’s just have a quick dinner and head back.”
“Good! Let’s eat what you want!”
“Even if I pick something, it still won’t be as good as the cooking you do for me.”
“Then shall we go home, and I’ll prepare a meal?”
“Wouldn’t it bother you?”
“Not at all.”
For Baek Ye-rin, the joy of having Ryu Won compliment her cooking was a source of great happiness, so it wasn’t the least bit bothersome.
And speaking of which, this was also good news for Ryu Won.
Baek Ye-rin often took her mother’s place to cook once a week, and for Ryu Won, that day was like a much-anticipated outing.
And then,
“It’s a waste of money to eat out.”
Ryu Won couldn’t help but smirk a little at Baek Ye-rin’s words.
It’s true… what she said.
Even though it’s true…
‘Then again, neither of us actually think spending money on going out is wasteful since we both earn a decent income for middle school students.’
In fact, it might even be more than “decent.”
But Ryu Won didn’t truly know exactly how much he earned.
He had handed his bank account over to his mother because, after all, how much money could a middle school student possibly need?
While Ryu Won was thinking about this as he walked alongside Baek Ye-rin, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
-‘Through the passage of time.’
-Your smile is slowly fading.
The familiar melody from close by caught his attention.
There was no way Ryu Won didn’t recognize this song playing throughout the streets. After all, he had composed it himself.
“<Misty Smile>.”
The first track of Baek Ye-rin’s debut album.
And it was being sung by someone other than her right now.
Perplexed, Ryu Won turned toward the source of the sound.
There, in the distance, were two men surrounded by a crowd.
One was singing his lungs out while clutching a microphone, and the other was watching him with a surprised expression.
The moment Ryu Won saw this familiar scene, it came to him.
‘A street karaoke event that’s been trending lately…’
It’s a program where a makeshift stage is set up right in the middle of the street, and participants are called up to sing live, interacting with the audience in real time while being judged.
The man holding the microphone but not singing was probably conducting a live stream.
Given the circumstances, Ryu Won was rather surprised.
<Misty Smile> was arranged specifically for Baek Ye-rin, which made it a somewhat challenging piece for the average person to sing.
Moreover, it was even harder considering it was a male singer attempting to perform a song originally written for a female key, and in the less-than-ideal conditions of a street setting.
Still, given how difficult it was, he was doing rather well.
“Not bad.”
But that was about it.
A well-sung piece by an ordinary person.
Ryu Won’s judgment was blunt and ended right there.
He couldn’t help it.
Surrounding him were nothing but extraordinary talents that made comparisons to average individuals a tad disrespectful.
Baek Ye-rin, Ryu Se-ah, Kim Tae-hwan.
Listening to their music up close naturally heightened one’s auditory standards.
So, Ryu Won’s interest quickly waned, and he turned his head away.
But for some reason, his feet wouldn’t move.
Baek Ye-rin had grabbed Ryu Won’s arm as he turned around.
Ryu Won gave her a puzzled look, and Baek Ye-rin replied with a smile.
“Didn’t you say that all the things we’ve done today were part of gathering inspiration for composing?”
“Yeah…?”
“So, did you manage to get some good inspiration?”
“No, unfortunately, not really.”
“In that case…”
Before Ryu Won could respond, Baek Ye-rin walked away on her own.
Toward the spot he had been observing earlier—the location of the street karaoke.
[Chat]*
[This is gonna pass, no question]
[Damn, he’s really good]
[Man, what’s your number?]
“The audience is almost unanimous, shouting for a pass, meaning you’re through. Now, here comes the important part. If you say Go, you advance to the next round. If you say Stop, we’ll give you 100,000 won and call it a day.”
Following the host’s instructions, the male singer who had just performed confidently shouted “Go.”
Advancing to the next round, where the winners fight it out, could earn him a prize of 300,000 won.
As a reference, not many people would choose to say “Stop” when they have confidence in their singing abilities.
“So, let’s call for the next participant!”
The person in charge of the live stream had announced the location beforehand, so about half the crowd gathering had specifically come for the event.
In other words, there was structurally a high chance of many participants.
But…
“One over here!”
One girl amidst the crowd boldly raised her hand, volunteering loudly and confidently.
She wore a baseball cap pulled down low enough to almost cover her face and sunglasses on top of that, giving off a mysteriously youthful vibe, unmistakably that of a student.
The girl’s demeanor couldn’t help but catch the host’s attention.
“Alright, the student over there! Would you come up, please?”
The girl slowly walked toward the host after being called.
[Oh wow, a student participant, finally!]
[Is she a student? Her proportions are insane]
[Let’s have a face reveal already]
[Perfect jawline without even seeing her face]
As the mysterious girl took the stage, the comment section’s activity rapidly increased.
Amidst this excitement, the host asked,
“Could you give us a quick introduction?”
“I’ll introduce myself after the song.”
“Alright, sounds good. Now, which song will you be singing?”
“I’ll sing <Misty Smile>.”
The host’s eyes widened upon hearing the girl’s response.
Of course, this reaction was justified given that the male singer who had received tremendous applause just moments ago had sung the same song, <Misty Smile>.
Why would someone choose to sing the same song as a previous participant?
There is one simple reason.
If you sing it better than the previous participant, the audience will be even more enthusiastic and cheer louder for you.
However, the male singer who just performed <Misty Smile> was no pushover. His vocal skills were on par with an average professional singer.
It would be no easy feat to change the mood to his competitor’s advantage.
[Where does this confidence come from?]
[This girl just brought the vibe]
The girl’s bold declaration also stirred the live chat room.
[This voice seems familiar somewhere]
[Now that you mention it, I feel the same way]
A sense of déjà vu accompanied the girl’s announcement.
As the backing track for <Misty Smile> began playing once again through the street,
With the music starting,
Swoosh—
The girl promptly removed the cap she had been wearing.
As she did so, her black hair, akin to the night sky, fluttered in the air.
The audience sensed an impending upheaval.
Once the girl also removed her sunglasses, her face was fully revealed.
A singer who stormed the music industry like a comet, causing a sensation, and currently one of the most beloved artists in Korea…
…Baek Ye-rin.
[What the…?!]
[Is this real??]
[Damn it, it’s Baek Ye-rin?!]
[The original singer has appeared!!!!]
[Why is she in such a humble place…?]
Baek Ye-rin’s sudden appearance left everyone in the vicinity stunned.
Ignoring the collective shock, Baek Ye-rin began to sing her own song without hesitation.
-‘Through the passage of time.’
-Your smile is slowly fading.
<Misty Smile>.
A song conceived by Ryu Won in a previous life, while reminiscing about a fading smile.
Ironically, this song was created after <Rewind> and ends with the memory of that smile being regained…
A soft and hopeful song.
Though Ryu Won could say without a doubt that he never, even once, forgot that smile.
Rather, he couldn’t have forgotten it.
Somewhere amidst the crowd, Ryu Won suddenly realized that Baek Ye-rin was looking directly at him as she sang.
Their gaze met naturally, and Baek Ye-rin gave him a faint smile. Ryu Won reciprocated with the same small smile.
Of course…
How could I ever forget that smile?
-If there’s one thing that’s certain,
-It’s that your smile is beautiful.
Just looking at that beautiful smile lifts one’s spirits.
And at that moment, Ryu Won felt he understood why Baek Ye-rin had decided to participate in the street karaoke.
‘There’s no need to look far for inspiration for a song, am I right?’
Somehow, he felt her whispering softly like that.
How frustrating…
‘Really can’t resist her.’
Ryu Won slowly closed his eyes and listened to Baek Ye-rin’s performance.
…Definitely.
The best inspiration ever.
