Genius Composer Who’s a Dedicated Fan

In a park located about 20 minutes’ walk from KBB broadcasting station.

A girl was sitting on a bench there.

A girl whose identity anyone in Korea would recognize if they saw her face.

…Baek Yerin.

For some reason, she was sitting there.

Fortunately, she hadn’t changed into her stage outfit yet, and thanks to her keeping her head down, her identity hadn’t been exposed.

Well… at least not yet.

There was no reason for Baek Yerin to be there, taking such a risk.

If she returned to the filming location right now, it might end as just a happening.

“What should I do…”

But Baek Yerin couldn’t go back there, even though she knew it.

Even though she knew she should go back, she just couldn’t take a step.

Is it because there’s something wrong with her body? In a way, this was only half correct.

The fact that she had been feeling stuffy, her hands wouldn’t stop trembling, and she couldn’t even take a step…

This stemmed entirely from a mental issue.

Something that had been sitting in a corner of Baek Yerin’s heart since before her debut.

It had gradually grown and was now holding her ankle.

And that was…

‘Pressure… is it.’

Baek Yerin is receiving expectations from countless people all at once.

It’s no exaggeration to say that it had already surpassed a certain level.

Now people have started to watch her every move and action, and even fellow celebrities were giving her special treatment, calling her a ‘genius singer’.

Nevertheless, Baek Yerin had been doing well so far to meet people’s expectations.

She continued to show a figure befitting the title of ‘genius singer’, and even made this resolution to the infinite expectations people were sending her way.

To not let down their expectations… to do well no matter what.

But that resolution might have acted like shackles instead.

No matter how much of a genius one is, the obsession to do well no matter what can only come as pressure.

Moreover, Baek Yerin was 16 years old, still a middle school student.

She was too young to bear all of that alone.

In fact, up to this point, it might have been really okay.

Because there was a separate existence that was the source of the pressure Baek Yerin was feeling now.

Baek Yerin slowly closed her eyes.

Even now, if she closed her eyes, that person’s voice would clearly…

“Found you.”
“?”

For a moment, Baek Yerin doubted her ears.

Beyond just appearing in her mind, she heard it clearly for real. That person’s voice.

Thinking there’s no way that could be, Baek Yerin slowly raised her head.

And their eyes met.

…Ryu Won.

For some reason, a person who shouldn’t be here was looking down at her.

Baek Yerin couldn’t help but ask Ryu Won with a bewildered expression.

“How…?”
“You mean how did I find where you are? Well. I guess I just got lucky.”

Ryu Won smirked.

But Baek Yerin didn’t have the courage to face that smile at all.

Whatever magic he used, the reason he came to find her was obvious.

Probably Kang Beom-joon or her manager Lee Hari asked him.

To help find her who had run away from the filming location.

So Baek Yerin was ashamed.

Because she had shown an ugly side she didn’t want to show to the person who had the highest expectations for her as a singer.

With such bitter thoughts, Baek Yerin lowered her head again.

And.

Plop-

Suddenly, something was put on her head.

This is…

“A hat…?”

“If you walk around with your face exposed like that, it’s like advertising to people ‘I’m Baek Yerin!’ In that sense, let’s wear this too.”

Ryu Won bent his knees to make eye contact with Baek Yerin sitting on the bench.

And slowly extended both hands to put something else on Baek Yerin.

Thanks to this, Baek Yerin’s eyes gradually began to see a dark world.

It was because Ryu Won had put sunglasses on her.

Yes. Now Baek Yerin’s appearance was clearly that of someone in disguise to hide their identity.

And.

“Well, now that we’re all prepared, shall we go?”

“Wh-What?!”

Ryu Won casually grabbed Baek Yerin’s hand and started heading somewhere.

Just before, Baek Yerin couldn’t take a step due to the pressure…

But her steps, led by someone’s hand, were just light.

This happened exactly 2 hours and 30 minutes before the start of Music Save’s last stage.

* * *

Honestly, Baek Yerin was anxious.

What if she’s led by his hand back to the broadcasting station like this?

But that thought was completely off the mark.

“Mango or strawberry…”

While Ryu Won was contemplating the menu with a serious expression, Baek Yerin looked around.

It was the scene of a common shaved ice shop by anyone’s standards.

“Yerin.”

“Huh?!”

“Which of the two do you want to eat?”

“I… um… mango shaved ice…”

“Oh, I was just wanting to eat that too. Good timing. One mango shaved ice please.”

Thus, the two ended up eating shaved ice together across the table.

“You must be tired from just waiting all day. I thought you might crave something sweet.”

“……”

“You’re not thinking of not eating when I’m buying, are you? That would be quite disappointing.”

Ryu Won made a genuinely disappointed expression.

Originally, the picture of Ryu Won fawning over Baek Yerin was often drawn, but now it’s completely the opposite.

Therefore, Baek Yerin urgently picked up her spoon with a very bewildered expression.

And she took a bite of the shaved ice Ryu Won bought, and her eyes widened.

…It was delicious.

In fact, since she hadn’t eaten anything from the morning until now, it couldn’t help but taste good to Baek Yerin.

Moreover, because it was a sweet snack.

After quickly devouring one shaved ice like that, the two immediately headed to the next place.

“Ah, ah, Ms. Yerin. I’ll choose the song first. Is that okay?”

…It was a coin karaoke.

Leaving Baek Yerin with a blank expression behind, Ryu Won checked the popular chart through the remote control.

As expected, Baek Yerin’s songs, or to be more precise, their songs, were dominating the top ranks.

Ryu Won selected one of them and started singing.

A moment later, when he finished singing one song, silence fell in the room for a while.

That silence was broken when Ryu Won passed the remote control to Baek Yerin.

“Now, it’s your turn.”

“…?”

“Usually, the rule is to take turns singing one by one, right?”

At Ryu Won’s words, Baek Yerin looked at the remote control in her hand.

And just like him earlier, she went into the popular chart to check the song list, and as if possessed by something, she selected one of their songs and started singing.

Perhaps a special song selection method that only they in this world could do.

“…!”

Baek Yerin was surprised.

As they took turns singing songs, before they knew it, an hour had quickly passed.

But unlike Baek Yerin who showed signs of bewilderment, Ryu Won’s expression was nothing but peaceful.

Like someone not chased by time at all.

Rather, after the karaoke, he even stopped by a claw machine shop and gave Baek Yerin a rabbit doll as a gift.

And as they left the shop, he naturally turned around and asked Baek Yerin like this:

“Where should we go next? Is there anywhere you want to go?”

Baek Yerin didn’t answer immediately to those words and looked up at the sky for a moment.

The sunset was already falling.

“…Is it okay?”

“What is?”

“I’m not sure if it’s okay for me to be doing this now.”

Baek Yerin answered in a slightly trembling voice, hugging tightly the rabbit doll Ryu Won had given her.

The current time is 5:20 PM.

Music Save’s live broadcast has already started, and there’s only 40 minutes left until Baek Yerin’s stage.

In simple terms, this is the last chance if she wants to stand on stage.

However…

“If you don’t want to appear on Music Save, you don’t have to.”

“What…?”

“Of course, you’ll get scolded a lot in many ways. But you know. I’m your accomplice now too.”

Ryu Won said this with a grin for some reason.

“Since we committed the crime together, shouldn’t we get scolded together? So don’t worry too much.”

“W-Wait! Why should you suffer because of me?! There’s no need for that at all!”

“Hm? There is, though? You said it yourself at the regular meeting at the end of last year.”

Baek Yerin’s eyes widened.

The regular meeting at the end of last year.

He said this then.

That he was a bit worried that things might get big due to his greed, and that I might feel a lot of pressure because of it.

And Baek Yerin answered that question like this.

─Then you can just lighten that burden for me. How about that?

…she said.

Now Baek Yerin understood why Ryu Won had been dragging her around various places today.

He was just doing his best to lighten the pressure I’m feeling now, even if just a little.

At the same time, a new question arises.

“Hey. There’s one thing I want to ask you. I’d like you to answer as seriously as possible.”

“What is it?”

“If I say I don’t want to stand on stage in the future because of the pressure… if I say I can’t sing your songs in the end because of that, what will you do?”

Baek Yerin knows.

That the composer named Ryu Won sincerely likes the songs she sings.

So it was quite a malicious question, and yet she had to ask it.

Because she thought she wasn’t qualified to sing his songs in her current state.

He probably noticed by now that there was sincerity in that question just now.

‘He must be disappointed…’

Because he would have realized that the singer you like is just this kind of person.

With such thoughts, Baek Yerin smiled bitterly.

But you know…

Baek Yerin might have thought too lightly of it.

“Then I’ll quit being a composer.”

The sincerity of the composer named Ryu Won.