episode_0011

“Are you that guy you were bragging about being good at acting?”

“Yes! Hajin is the best actor in the world. Well, she’s so handsome that all the girls only look at her. She has a pretty voice… She tells me I’m the prettiest… She tells me I’m not ugly every time I call her… And… .”

Director Han Jae-ryong was very excited and amazed at the sight of Ha-jin bragging about her daughter.

This was the first time I saw my daughter, who had become incapable of expressing her emotions, let alone conversing with him after separating from her wife, talking about someone else like that.

Isn’t that the reaction of a girl who is completely in love?

‘What kind of guy is he that makes Sora act like that? She’s too young to be reacting like that to a guy.’

I thought I had to see this bratty brat in person.

But there was no connection between himself, a film director, and the child appearing in a kindergarten program.

‘I can’t just ask you to bring me here…’

As I was watching my daughter happily asking the CEO of her agency about this and that, a good excuse suddenly came to mind.

“Sora, is your birthday next week?”

“Yes, Dad.”

Last year, I couldn’t celebrate your birthday because I was filming overseas.

I was thinking about going on a trip together this year, but then a better idea came to mind.

“How about a nice birthday party? You can invite Hajin and all your other friends you like.”

But Sora’s expression wasn’t that bright.

“It would be nice if Hajin came home… but the only friends I can call are Eugene and Jungwoo.”

It’s hard to have a proper party with three or four kids.

I knew she was a very quiet girl and didn’t have many friends, but I didn’t know it would be this much.

“Dad will take care of that. Sora, tell all your friends you can call. Especially, tell Hajin to come.”

Director Han Jae-ryong decided to mobilize his connections for the first time in a long time.

It’s all because of that reckless kid.

Achoo!

Hajin, who was building a castle with the same time block, coughed.

“Who’s talking about me?”

*****

The butterfly effect associated with failing an audition was bigger than I thought.

“Another ad?”

“Yeah. I got a call from Director Lee Joo-young a little while ago.”

Mom is very excited.

Judging from the response, it is clearly bigger than Oseong Techwin.

“What kind of advertisement is this?”

“Oh well… It’s TTN, TTN advertisement!”

Mom would be excited.

Because it was a huge deal that couldn’t be compared to camera commercials.

It was literally a national advertisement, so much so that there was no one who didn’t know about it.

‘If I go out here, the whole country will know my face. So this is why I gave Director Lee Joo-young my seal of approval.’

I wondered why they asked me to act in a commercial that wasn’t even going to be filmed.

I had the opportunity to play in waters much bigger than I had imagined.

“I don’t know if Han So-ra will show up. I’m talking to her parents.”

“What’s the sky?”

When I was talking to Sora about auditioning, she said she had never filmed a commercial before.

How can you convince him when his father said no?

Until then, I had no idea that I was the one who had to persuade him.

KBC Waggle Waggle Kindergarten Recording Studio —

“Hajin, this is… .”

Sora handed me a cute card.

“What is this?”

“Birthday Party Invitation.”

ah.

I grabbed the card, thinking I should take it, and then a bright light enveloped me.

It was the third time, so I wasn’t very surprised and just gave in.

From the bow tie to the overalls, it was the attire of a rich boy.

Sitting in front of the piano, staring at the small stage.

On the stage stood Eugene, looking all dazzling in a gorgeous dress.

‘What’s the situation?’

We are surrounded by people who appear to be the audience.

People of all ages, from elderly gentlemen to children my age, are waiting for our performance.

Eugene nodded and played the piano.

‘This song is….’

It was a famous song that you could recognize just by listening to the intro.

From the introduction, Eugene’s beautiful voice and my low voice are sweetly intertwined.

The harmonies that build up layer by layer smoothly connect, captivating the eyes and ears of the viewer.

My voice also moves skillfully through the meandering range of notes.

The fairytale-like lyrics are accompanied by a restrained rhythm, making the climax even richer.

The ending was capped by thunderous applause, enough to leave a lasting impression.

It was a wonderful stage that couldn’t have been better.

At the end of the light that surrounded me once more, Sora’s face appeared.

He is waiting for my answer with an anxious face.

“Thank you for the invitation. I will definitely go.”

The smile bloomed more beautifully than ever.

*****

The song played in the light was the famous song ‘Magic Palace’ released in 1994.

The version sung by a middle school student in a boy soprano style is the most famous, but the one Eugene and I sang was an a cappella version.

Two years later, a famous boy group remade the song in an a cappella style, which later became a synonym for a group song that people take turns singing.

‘I’m glad I learned piano.’

Compared to before the regression, it was like an ordinary person becoming a pianist.

It seems like this has been upgraded, just like his looks and acting skills.

Eugene and I sing a song to celebrate Sora’s birthday.

It’s definitely a scene that came out when I received the invitation.

Up until now, after being enveloped in light, an unexpected relationship has always been waiting.

This is a precious relationship that will open up my future.

This time, he asked me to sing a song for the relationship that would be formed.

‘But there’s no piano in my house.’

We need to check if we can play it like the scene we saw earlier.

I called Eugene, who was going to be my performance partner.

“Did you get a birthday invitation from Sora?”

“Of course. Who else would give it to you besides me?”

Observing from the side, the relationship between the two was quite strange.

Although Eugene is a bit one-sided, he is sometimes a rival who can’t stand to be eaten up, and at other times he is a close friend who takes care of him.

But Sora isn’t really interested in things like rivals or best friends.

“I want to sing you a happy birthday song.”

“We’ll all sing it together while cutting the cake.”

“I want to sing like a performance, not like that.”

“You?”

“You and me.”

“Why me?”

“You don’t like performing with me?”

“Who said no!”

He says he’ll do it if I tell him to, but he always does this.

“I’ll play the piano, so let’s sing together. I’ve already decided on a song.”

“Can you play the piano?”

“A little.”

I guess I’ll have to see how well he plays with that confident voice.

I know you have a talent for music, so take it easy.

“Do you have a piano at home?”

“Of course. Where is a house without a piano?”

“We don’t have it at home.”

“Ah… Well, maybe not.”

The change of stance is Udyr-level.

“So I want to practice at your house, is it okay if I go?”

“You want to come to my house?”

That being said, there was silence for a while.

Is this a place I shouldn’t go?

“Why is there no answer?”

“Mom~”

He suddenly called out to his mother and then his voice faded away.

I waited for my mother to come back, as if I had asked for her permission.

“Come tomorrow!”

After a long time, he came back and said just one word before hanging up.

what?

Two days later —

“Hello, Mother.”

“You’re Hajin. Come in.”

Eugene’s mother is top-class actress Na Hye-ri.

She still had the good looks of her Leeds days, so she didn’t look like a mother with a six-year-old daughter.

“I was already curious. I wondered who the boy was that shook my daughter’s heart like this.”

He looks me over from below and then slightly raises the corners of his mouth.

It was a captivating smile that slowly melted the heart of a 6-year-old woman of 22 years.

“Eugene is so enviable. If he keeps growing like this, he’ll make a lot of people cry.”

“Thank you. Now that I see my mother, I think I know why Eugene is so pretty.”

“Oh my, I shouldn’t be getting the lady excited already.”

Eugene’s eyes kept going up next to me, so I turned on the arrow of praise.

“They say you’re pretty.”

“Huh, I know too.”

We sat in the living room, which was big enough to fit our entire house, and had a snack.

Although Eugene’s father was born out of wedlock, he is a descendant of Daesung Group, one of the top five business groups.

As a child who is far from management rights, he became independent at an early age and is now running a small entertainment agency.

‘He’s an amazing person, having raised the company to become one of the top three entertainment companies without any help from his family.’

She glances at me and nibbles on cookies, as if she feels awkward about me being in her house.

She’s the queen with a proud expression in the recording studio, but when she acts like that, she looks like a cute hamster.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because it’s cute.”

Phew~

Eugene’s mother clicks her tongue as she watches the steam rising above her head.

The sight of my daughter falling for a man looks strange.

“Can I use that piano?”

There was a large grand piano inside, but the upright piano against the nearby wall seemed better for practicing.

“Yeah. I practice with that too.”

I went closer and pressed each piano key.

As the sensation in your fingertips comes alive, the entire keyboard comes into view in your mind.

It was the moment when I confirmed that what I saw the day before yesterday was not a simple prediction of the future.

‘It’s a similar feeling to when I acted during an audition.’

Just like acting skills, musical talent is also being exaggerated dozens, if not hundreds of times.

The more you do something, the more your abilities continue to blossom.

I played the intro and built up the introductory chords with my mouth.

Eugene’s mouth slowly opens as he watches this scene.

Eugene’s mom looks at us with an amused expression.

“Do you know what song it is?”

“It’s the magic palace. What are you going to call it?”

“Yeah. But I’m going to sing it in a slightly different style. I’ll sing it all first.”

He pressed the keys softly, recalling the a cappella version of the four-member vocal group that tore up the competition 13 years later.