Chapter 44

44. A Person from Another World

However.

The girl's voice seemed somehow familiar. Jang Dong-su was able to quickly figure out the reason for this familiarity.

Song Ha's vocals were embedded in it.

The vocal style was different, but there was something in the tone that reminded him of Song Ha.

Come to think of it.

The girl strangely resembled Song Ha.

It was a single meeting twenty years ago. No matter how intense the encounter, it had been enough time for her face to fade from memory.

But like an old photograph pulled from a worn photo album, the girl's face was bringing Jang Dong-su's old memories into sharp focus.

In that moment, something like a bolt of lightning flashed through Jang Dong-su.

‘Could it be…’

If that were the case, all the pieces would fit together. The young students knowing this song, the girl's tone, her appearance.

Could it be, that child… is Song Ha's daughter?!

‘Swallow.’

Director Jang Dong-su swallowed,

“Wouldn’t it be nice if it snowed—.”

In the meantime, Jin-hyuk's voice, now even more heightened, soared toward the sky.

“But it’s okay even if it doesn’t—.”

Sae-rin joined in, flying alongside Jin-hyuk.

The perfect harmony of the two voices made every nerve cell in the top producer's body react.

And.

“Then, shall we meet then? We don’t need to set a specific time—.”

When the two young voices harmonized.

Jang Dong-su's mind went blank. No thoughts came to him. Only his musical instinct was sensing the song of the two young people.

It was simply.

Beautiful.

Two brilliant singers were shining brightly, piercing the weak stage lighting.

“Then, let’s meet again like this. We—”

Two birds flapped their wings, riding the light.

The birds, having crossed the clouds of Jang Dong-su's memories, touched the transparent sky,

drawing beautiful arcs in their flight.

Like a painting drawn with light, adorning the sky.

“We don’t need to set a specific time—.”

After the brilliant climax burst forth,

the light particles fell onto the stage, one by one.

“Chris—mas—”

Rustle.

“—is.”

At the last moment, Jang Dong-su closed his eyes to fully savor all the emotions that had come over him.

““Wow!!””

The thunderous cheers and applause filled the auditorium.

When Jang Dong-su opened his eyes, which had been blurred with moisture, only one thought remained in his mind.

He had to meet those kids right away.

Jang Dong-su wanted to jump onto the stage immediately if he could.

But there was still a sequence, things he had to do.

Jang Dong-su was anxious.

He was afraid they might disappear somewhere, like Song Ha did.

He knew it was an irrational fear. But the mere existence of these kids, who had appeared before his eyes in such a place, was already irrational.

Magic disappears when the spell is over.

The trembling in his heart would not stop until he looked into their eyes and confirmed that they were real, not just a spell.

***

At the peak of the sky where she had flown,

Sae-rin was walking in a dream.

‘Mom. Mom. Song.’

‘Our pretty daughter. Shall I sing for you?’

‘Yes.’

From the distant past, a face that couldn't be distinguished as real or imagined appeared vaguely.

‘Our Sae-rin likes Mom's song, so Mom is happy.’

‘Happy?’

‘Haha. Yes, happy.’

A drop of water fell, scattering and covering everything.

““Wow!!””

The audience's cheers woke Sae-rin. She finally realized her song had ended.

Sae-rin wiped the moisture from her eyes and looked at Jin-hyuk.

Every time, this big friend brought out a part of herself she didn't even know existed.

Sae-rin felt this for the first time.

The friend standing there seemed like someone from another world.

A world where everything was dark, and it seemed as if a spotlight was only on Jin-hyuk.

Or, was it not a spotlight, but Jin-hyuk's own light?

Star. A star.

A name given only to those who create their own light.

When Sae-rin's star shone brightly with a smile,

“Wow—!”

The audience erupted in cheers again.

Jin-hyuk turned his head and looked at Sae-rin.

Jin-hyuk didn't know how the story of the singer Sae-rin, whom he had seen in his previous life, was supposed to go.

But now, at this moment, that didn't matter.

The swan spread its wings, and in the end, what made the swan fly was not a predetermined fate but its own powerful flapping.

Jin-hyuk nodded at Sae-rin, who was staring at him blankly, signaling her to bow to the audience.

“Ah.”

Sae-rin let out a short sigh and turned to the audience.

“One, two, three.”

With Jin-hyuk's quiet cheer, the two bowed to the audience together.

““Wow!!””

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The cheers and applause didn't stop until the two completely disappeared from the stage.

***

“Hey, stop staring.”

A student sitting next to another student poked him in the side and whispered.

“Why are you staring at someone crying? That’s rude.”

“No, it’s not that. She looks familiar.”

“Hey.”

As the friend scowled, the student who was trying to explain pursed his lips and looked straight ahead.

“……”

Beside the student, actor Yeon Sung-hoon quietly wiped away his tears, barely holding back the overwhelming emotions that threatened to burst out.

The shock Yeon Sung-hoon received was indescribable.

His heart was racing, and a deep, indescribable longing ached within him.

The tears that began to well up from the first note of Jin-hyuk's song started to flow uncontrollably when his daughter's song began.

Sung-hoon was confused. He couldn't sort out where to start his thoughts.

How long had it been since he last heard his wife's song?

“Let’s meet at Christmas.”

Only Sung-hoon himself truly understood the meaning of that song.

‘Sigh. It’s already winter break. High school is almost over, too.’

‘Yeah.’

‘……’

‘Why?’

Myeongsung High School 3rd-year Yeon Sung-hoon, and Na Hyun-jeong. His wife's real name, who used the stage name Song Ha, was Hyun-jeong.

The schoolyard before the break. The face of his wife Hyun-jeong, who had been staring at him silently, was still vivid in his mind.

‘Is that all?’

‘Huh?’

‘Yeah… Is that it?’

It wasn't that he didn't understand what his wife meant. But at the time, his wife Hyun-jeong was the queen bee of Myeongsung High School, known by students everywhere.

In contrast, he… had a face that required him to compete in acting and performance. It was a matter of inferiority and fear.

Sung-hoon, who didn't respond, saw Hyun-jeong shake her head.

‘What are you doing at Christmas?’

‘I’ll probably just be at home.’

‘Then, let’s meet. Us.’

‘Huh?’

Hyun-jeong suddenly stood up.

‘We’re meeting at Christmas, right?’

‘Where and when?’

‘Just meet me!’

And she disappeared without looking back.

It was only later that Sung-hoon learned that his wife Hyun-jeong had hoped he would remember the time and place of their first meeting.

It was a sentimental thought, typical of a music-loving teenage girl, but Sung-hoon couldn't do it.

He had taken her words as a joke and completely forgotten about the Christmas evening. Suddenly, he remembered her words and called Hyun-jeong's house.

‘Hyun-jeong? You said you went out to meet me hours ago? You didn’t meet?... Well, you didn’t talk about where…’

It was an era without pagers or cell phones. Sung-hoon rushed out of his house, determined to find Hyun-jeong, though he didn't know where to go.

But as he stepped out of his front gate,

‘Wow, we met.’

Hyun-jeong, standing at the door, smiled brightly with a face red from the cold.

‘Hey, what the…?’

Surprised, Sung-hoon tried to say something to Hyun-jeong, but she spoke faster.

‘I got the meeting place wrong. It was in front of your house.’

Fate doesn’t always come to you.

Sometimes, you have to go out to find it.

His wife was like that.

***

“Today, the team that will take the grand prize is!”

The host built up the tension dramatically,

Drumroll.

But no one was feeling the tension. The result was too obvious.

“Participant number 10. Team U. Jin-hyuk and Yeon Sae-rin!”

A team that could only be described as overwhelming.

“Wow—!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The thunderous cheers filled the auditorium.

Director Jang Dong-su's heart started pounding. A minute felt like an hour.

“Now, with this, we conclude all the events. Thank you to everyone who participated! In the future, our city hall will…”

Got it. Got it. Enough.

As soon as the host finished speaking, Jang Dong-su jumped up from his seat.

He quickly greeted the judges and approached the event organizer.

“Phew, Director Jang. Thank you for gracing us with your presence and adding to the prestige of the event. I will take you to the VIP room…”

“Ah, Director, thank you for your hard work. Are the participants in the waiting room? I’d like to meet them.”

“Ah, yes! By any chance….”

This wasn't the time for a long conversation with the organizer.

“Director, I’m short on time. Could you help me?”

“Ah, yes. Don’t worry. I’ll guide you.”

The organizer's steps were too slow. Or maybe they just felt slow to Jang Dong-su, but they were slow.

When they arrived at the waiting room door, Jang Dong-su, unable to contain himself any longer, burst in and opened the door.

“Haha!”

“Ah, really, why did it have to be there!”

“Haha! You, that’s not the only problem!”

“Really? That’s a relief. Haha!”

The teenagers were full of energy. They were so busy laughing and chatting that they didn’t even notice someone had entered.

During the impromptu celebration with snacks, Jin-hyuk and Sae-rin were also among them.

“Everyone, NTN Director Jang Dong-su is here!”

The organizer called out loudly, and the teenagers turned their attention.

“Wow! Hello!”

Starting with one person’s greeting, everyone stood up and greeted him enthusiastically.

“Yeah. Hello, everyone. I really enjoyed today’s performance. You were all amazing.”

“Wow!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

It was a routine compliment, but the participants clapped at the praise from a top agency director.

“Hey! Teacher! Are you casting someone today?”

A student suddenly raised his hand and asked.

This kid. He’s watched too many audition shows.

Under normal circumstances, it would be absurd. But today, the absurd had to happen.

“No, it’s not casting.”

If he could, he would cast them immediately. But he didn’t want to fuel the burning eyes of these kids before even talking to them.

“I’d like to have a chat with Jin-hyuk and Sae-rin for a moment.”

“Wow—!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

These kids clap for everything.

They were energetic teenagers.

“Us?”

Jin-hyuk asked calmly.

“Yes, I’d like to talk to you in a different place.”

Jin-hyuk and Sae-rin had a brief conversation and then stood up.

***

Thump, thump.

Jang Dong-su's heart wouldn't stop. His heart, which rarely raced even in front of top stars, was pounding. Had he ever been this nervous in front of mere high school students?

The boy with the deep eyes and sculpted features, the girl who looked like a doll with big, blinking eyes that carried the scent of Song Ha.

Jang Dong-su, trying to suppress his racing heart with the pride of being a top producer, asked as calmly as possible.

“Are you two trainees?”

There were many things he wanted to ask, but this was the most urgent.

“Trainees? Are you asking about the agency?”

“Yes, I’m wondering if you’re affiliated with any agency.”

Before Jin-hyuk could answer, Sae-rin shook her head.

“No, we’re not trainees. We don’t have an agency either.”

“Is that so?”

Jang Dong-su's face brightened, and a broad smile spread across his face.

“Then, how about joining NTN? If you two are okay with it, and your parents give their permission, I’d like to sign a contract immediately.”

“Really?”

Jang Dong-su observed their expressions.

For ordinary students, the name NTN alone would usually make them ecstatic. But not these two.

Yeon Sae-rin looked a bit surprised, but that was it, and Jin-hyuk.

He didn’t even show a surprised reaction.