Chapter 975: Parents Day News
On the darkened stage, the soft prelude of a piano and violin began to flow.
Pop.
The moment the pin spot fell on Seo Yeon-Woo, a hum began to slip from his lips.
『Mmm~~』
The gentle vibration in his humming was wiping Janus's intense performance from the audience's memory in an instant.
'Yeon-Woo. Not bad at all.'
Behind Seo Yeon-Woo, who was called a genius vocalist, was a veteran among veterans who had been singing since he was fifteen to earn money for ramen. That was why Seo Yeon-Woo knew exactly how to capture an audience's attention.
After drawing all eyes to him, Seo Yeon-Woo took a breath and slowly began to sing.
『The moment I first saw you, this rain was falling.
The memories of walking hand in hand with you are still the same.
That rain from back then is still the same...』
With a delicate voice like flowers being embroidered on silk, Seo Yeon-Woo began to engrave each note of 'Flower Rain' into people's ears. His deeply emotional, persuasive voice was paired with vocal technique that moved freely between chest voice and falsetto, expressing the rise and fall of each note with exquisite control. The listeners were swept up in overwhelming emotion.
As they became completely immersed in the song, it reached the climax before they knew it.
『...
Please, let it stop like this!
Please, stay just as you are!
Please, don't leave me!
...』
Even in the extreme high notes, Seo Yeon-Woo's song rang out cleanly, carrying the desperate plea of someone mourning a farewell.
'Flower Rain' was a song about the sadness of cherry blossoms falling, yet it also carried the double meaning of parting with someone beloved. Because of that, it made everyone recall memories of farewells they had experienced at least once.
The audience members in the seats began closing their eyes one by one and shedding tears. And I, too, forgot Seo Yeon-Woo's vow to settle the match by taking first place, and slowly began sinking into the world of 'Flower Rain.'
Seo Yeon-Woo, who had once belittled himself by saying he would never even debut as a singer because of his looks, had now become a proud contender for first place, making this many people cry with nothing but his voice.
***
The first verse of 'Flower Rain' ended, and the interlude began.
I slowly turned my head again and looked toward the audience seats. The fans seated there had already become Seo Yeon-Woo's fans without exception. Some had turned on LED apps on their phones and written phrases like [Seo Yeon-Woo is the best!] and [When flower rain falls, my heart becomes a sea of tears], raising them above their heads and waving them.
Min Jung-Hyuk, who had said Seo Yeon-Woo would never take first place, was trembling, unable to accept the truth.
"This... isn't right. I'll never accept this," murmured Min Jung-Hyuk.
Just then, the members of Cherry Blossom, who had been resting at the side of the stage, approached the bottom of the stairs.
Sae-Ri kept exclaiming in admiration and shook her head. "Today... we can't beat Yeon-Woo oppa."
Even Yang Eun-Bi, who rarely gave up, declared defeat. "Agreed. Who could beat Yeon-Woo oppa today? That? We couldn't beat him even if we died and came back."
Yoo Eun-Ah also gave a small nod in agreement. "Right."
At that moment, Woo Yeon-Hee shot Min Jung-Hyuk a look before sharing her thoughts. "Today, he's singing like he's carrying resentment because of someone. There's no beating that."
I nodded, agreeing with Woo Yeon-Hee. "Yeah. Seems that way. And thanks. To. That. Someone, I think he's going to take first place."
With every exchange between us, Min Jung-Hyuk looked more desperate to leave his seat immediately. Unfortunately for him, once Seo Yeon-Woo's performance ended, all first-place nominees were required to go up on stage. So even if he wanted to leave, he couldn't. Besides, the area behind us was packed with assistant directors and staff listening to Seo Yeon-Woo's song, leaving him no route of escape.
At that moment, Seo Yeon-Woo began the second verse. Once again, he tightened and released the audience's hearts at will, steadily building their emotions. Then, just before the climax of the second verse, a device installed on the ceiling of the stage began moving along its rail.
Creak.
Dozens of aluminum boxes came to a stop above Seo Yeon-Woo's head, and the moment he reached the climax, they all opened at once.
Flutter, flutter.
Cherry blossom petals poured endlessly from the boxes above Seo Yeon-Woo. The petals piled densely across the stage, then caught the wind and drifted into the audience and below the stage, creating a breathtaking spectacle.
A few moments later, some of the gently falling petals floated over to us as well. The pure white blossom petal that landed in my hand carried a rich fragrance.
After receiving one himself and absentmindedly fiddling with it, Min Jung-Hyuk spoke with a startled expression. "What is this...? Don't tell me... these are real cherry blossom petals?"
I nodded. "Yeah. We gathered every fallen cherry blossom petal we could find from the southern regions and hauled them here by truck."
They had been collected solely for Seo Yeon-Woo. We had even gone around gathering them while carefully avoiding the displeasure of the officials at the Jinhae Gunhang Festival, whose event had struggled because the delayed blooming season kept the blossoms from fully opening. Afterward, we had specially treated and preserved the petals. Thankfully, they hadn't discolored, still displaying their beautiful pale pink hue while filling the public hall with a subtle fragrance.
Seo Yeon-Woo's performance of 'Flower Rain' was captivating the audience's sight, hearing, and smell all at once, drawing every ounce of their attention.
A little later, a single tear slipped from Seo Yeon-Woo's eye as he finished the final line of his comeback song, 'Flower Rain.' Yet the stage production had been so unexpected that even the audience seemed to have forgotten when to applaud. Though the song had ended, the crowd merely stirred in amazement.
At that moment, Sae-Ri, standing beside me, cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted with all her strength, "Yeon-Woo oppa! You're amazing!"
At the same time, the audience members rose to their feet as one and began giving a standing ovation.
"Seo Yeon-Woo!"
"Seo Yeon-Woo!"
"Yeon-Woo oppa!"
As a storm of cheers, applause, and praise swept across the venue, Seo Yeon-Woo slowly lowered his head on stage.
***
"Now then, Cherry Blossom and Janus, our first-place nominees, please come up to the stage as well. And we'd like all the other singers to join us too."
At the MCs' call, Sae-Ri struck a confident pose and boldly declared, "Let's go, unnies!"
Yang Eun-Bi let out a small laugh as she looked at her. "Sae-Ri, why are you so confident? Think you're going to win first place?"
Sae-Ri pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Nope!"
"Huh? Then why are you acting so confident?"
Sae-Ri glanced at Seo Yeon-Woo, who was catching his breath on stage, then pointed toward the audience. "Our Bloomings are watching us. They're sitting there with their hands clasped together, full of anticipation. How could I possibly act like I'm not confident?"
During Seo Yeon-Woo's breathtaking performance, Cherry Blossom's fan club had been completely captivated by him as well. But the moment his song ended, the spell broke. The fans finally came to their senses and began chanting the names of the artists they actually supported.
Watching them, Sae-Ri was saying that a professional had to show confidence in front of her fans.
'When did she grow up so much...?'
Ever since the regression, it felt like only yesterday that Sae-Ri had been sleepwalking around while hugging a doll and nearly running straight into a parking garage wall. Now, she had become a complete professional. Even if she lost today, the confidence in her attitude that said she would win tomorrow made me incredibly proud.
Just then, Cherry Blossom's leader, Woo Yeon-Hee, called out, "Yeah. Sae-Ri's right today. The fans are watching, so let's all go up there with confidence!"
Yoo Eun-Ah nodded. "That's right. We should react like we're the ones taking first place."
Yang Eun-Bi patted Sae-Ri on the head and said, "I lost today, Sae-Ri."
I couldn't even remember the last time Yang Eun-Bi had openly acknowledged Sae-Ri like that.
"Then let's go!"
"Yeah!"
All of the Cherry Blossom members joined hands and headed toward the stage with confident strides, looking as though they were already on their way to receive first place.
Meanwhile, Min Jung-Hyuk's Janus had already accepted defeat, climbing the stairs with heavy steps. Seo Yeon-Woo might not have any broadcast points, but the live audience response and real-time viewer voting were already overwhelmingly in his favor.
***
Many people had gathered in the living room of Seo Yeon-Woo's house located in Cheonho-dong, including Seo Yeon-Woo's grandmother, Lee Jin-Sook and Yoo Sook-Ja, the helper who assisted her.
There was also Jung In-Ji from across the street; Writer Lee Ji-Yeon, who still hadn't gone home and had practically settled in; and Lee Ah-Eun, the wife of Han Yoo-Sik, the president of Miraenae Productions.
All of them were gathered together watching MBS' music program.
Normally, they weren't exactly the age group that watched music shows, but today both Seo Yeon-Woo and Cherry Blossom had been nominated for first place, so they had come to watch.
Then the first-place announcement began on television.
"And now, we'll reveal the total combined scores."
When the MC paused for dramatic effect, Lee Ji-Yeon grumbled.
"Seriously, they're always like this. Would it kill them to just announce the rankings already? Bam! Right away? Who cares about the scores? Just tell us the rankings! The rankings!"
Jung In-Ji giggled as she watched Lee Ji-Yeon complain. "Hey. You do the exact same thing in your dramas. Every time I watched them, I was dying from suspense. I think I finally understand now."
Lee Ji-Yeon was considered one of the giants of the drama industry and was famous for ending episodes at exactly the right moment. At that, she immediately protested.
"No! That's completely different!"
"How?"
"It just is!"
While Jung In-Ji and Lee Ji-Yeon bickered back and forth, Seo Yeon-Woo's grandmother merely smiled warmly.
Then, the MCs continued.
-Janus, 5,212 points. Cherry Blossom, 6,011 points. Seo Yeon-Woo, 6,323 points! My goodness! Mr. Seo Yeon-Woo has taken first place without any broadcast points at all! Congratulations!
Bang! Bang!
Fireworks exploded as gold, silver, and pale pink confetti rained down from above. It was almost as though they had known in advance that 'Flower Rain' would take first place and prepared the effect beforehand.
The moment it happened, Lee Ji-Yeon threw both hands into the air and shouted, "Yeon-Woo got first place!"
At the same time, everyone gathered in the room began cheering and clapping.
"I knew Yeon-Woo would win."
"Grandma, congratulations."
Everyone celebrated and congratulated Seo Yeon-Woo's grandmother. Yet she simply continued smiling gently, unchanged as ever.
While everyone wondered why she wasn't more excited, Seo Yeon-Woo appeared on the television screen holding the trophy and began his acceptance speech.
-First, I'd like to thank everyone at MBS and all the staff at Hoop Entertainment who made it possible for me to stand on a stage like this. Most of all, I'd like to express my deepest gratitude to all the fans who listen to my music.
Even after delivering a performance like a storm, Seo Yeon-Woo continued speaking in a calm voice.
-Lastly... today is Parents' Day, and there's someone I'd like to thank.
The MC, who had thought his acceptance speech was over, along with everyone else, focused their attention on Seo Yeon-Woo.
-I don't have parents. So my grandmother went through every hardship imaginable to raise me. Sometimes she was my father, sometimes she was my mother. So I'm sorry to my fans, but I'd like to dedicate this award to my grandmother.
He paused and took a deep breath.
-Grandma... I... I got first place. I think this honor only came because you never gave up on me and kept raising me all these years. Thank you. And lately, you've been telling me that if the day comes when you can't remember me anymore, I should put you in a nursing home...Don't say that. I'm not sending you away. Just like you never abandoned me. So let's... stay together until the day we die. Okay? And...Grandma, I love you!
Raising his trophy, Seo Yeon-Woo conveyed his heartfelt feelings toward his grandmother.
Watching from home, his grandmother could do nothing but nod repeatedly through her tears. The silent tears streaming down her face brought a moment of quiet to the living room.
A little later, even the MC on television took the microphone with a trembling voice.
-We've just heard Mr. Seo Yeon-Woo's acceptance speech. And with his encore performance, we'll conclude this week's episode of MBS Show! Music Center.
Holding a bouquet in his arms, Seo Yeon-Woo lifted the microphone and began to sing. As the staff credits rolled, the broadcast gradually came to an end.
At that moment, worried that Seo Yeon-Woo's grandmother might not have fully understood because of her dementia, Jung In-Ji gently took her hand and spoke once more. "You must be so happy, Grandma. Yeon-Woo got first place."
Seo Yeon-Woo's grandmother wiped away her tears and smiled warmly. "Yes, I know. That's wonderful, but... there's something even better."
Realizing it wasn't the dementia speaking, Jung In-Ji asked what could possibly make her happier. "Because your grandson said he loves you?"
"That's wonderful too, but there's something even better than that."
Now everyone was curious.
"What could possibly make you so happy?"
"Yeon-Woo grew up without parents. His dream was always to become the greatest singer... And now he's become a singer recognized by everyone. The fact that his dream came true... That's what makes me happiest in the world. Whether he gets first place or not, just seeing him on television already makes me so happy. It feels like I'm living in heaven every single day."
At last, the reason Seo Yeon-Woo's grandmother hadn't looked any different before and after the first-place announcement became clear.
A grandmother whose love flowed endlessly downward toward her grandson had already become the happiest person in the world simply because Seo Yeon-Woo's dream of becoming a singer had come true.
***
After receiving congratulations from all around him, Seo Yeon-Woo came down from the stage.
"Seo Yeon-Woo, your performance today was incredible. Congratulations."
"Yeon-Woo hyung, I want to learn how to sing. Do you give lessons to people from other companies?"
Along with endless congratulations, requests poured in toward him as a vocalist and vocal trainer. Seo Yeon-Woo patiently greeted each sunbae and hoobae artist. Then, his eyes met Min Jung-Hyuk's as the latter finally came down from the stage.
"Jung-Hyuk sunbae. It's thanks to you."
Min Jung-Hyuk clenched his teeth and disappeared without even acknowledging the greeting. In both skill and sportsmanship, Seo Yeon-Woo had achieved a complete victory.
Then, Seo Yeon-Woo suddenly staggered as the strength left his legs. After all, he had poured every ounce of energy he had into that stage.
I hurriedly reached out and supported Seo Yeon-Woo. "Yeon-Woo! Are you okay?"
Smiling, Seo Yeon-Woo nodded. "Yeah. I just got a little dizzy."
I quickly handed him a sports drink. "Here. Drink this first."
After taking a few sips, Seo Yeon-Woo smiled and said, "Hyung. I got first place."
"Yeah. You worked really hard today."
"No. I only got first because you made the stage look so amazing. If it weren't for you, I never would've even dreamed of this. Cherry Blossom was competing too, and somehow I got first place..."
"What do you mean you never would've dreamed of it? You absolutely deserved first place. And Yeon-Woo, let's call your grandmother first."
"Oh.."
I pulled out my phone and started a video call with Seo Yeon-Woo's grandmother. When she answered, Jung In-Ji and everyone else were gathered around her.
Looking at the screen, Seo Yeon-Woo called out, "Grandma. I got first place."
-Yes. We've all been watching together on TV. I'm proud of you, Yeon-Woo.
After talking with her for a moment, Seo Yeon-Woo handed the phone to me.
"Hyung, could you hold that for a second?"
"Why?"
Without answering, Seo Yeon-Woo took a step back. Once I held up the phone, he looked into the screen and spoke.
"Grandma. It's Parents' Day, but I had to leave so early this morning that I couldn't properly greet you. Thank you for raising me all these years. Please stay healthy."
After expressing his gratitude, Seo Yeon-Woo bowed deeply toward the phone. On the other end of the video call, his grandmother was too busy wiping away the tears that kept falling, but she couldn't hide the joy overflowing from her face.
"I'll see you soon, Grandma."
-All right. Hurry home. We need to eat.
Jung In-Ji had volunteered to prepare dinner for tonight's gathering, so everyone was planning to head back to the house together.
Just then, calls and Kk Talk messages began flooding my phone.
Buzz.
They were advertising inquiries and interview requests looking to book Seo Yeon-Woo.
***
The next morning, when I arrived at the office, the entertainment news pages were completely covered with stories about yesterday's events.
[Seo Yeon-Woo's 'Flower Rain' Stage Used Real Cherry Blossom Petals from Jinhae!]
[Seo Yeon-Woo Takes First Place on MBS Show! Music Center Immediately After His Comeback]
[Cherry Blossom to Challenge for First Place Again Tomorrow with Their New Song 'Cherry Blossom.' "We Won't Lose This Time."]
[MBS Show! Music Center Delivers a Fantastical Stage. "The music show stage that bloomed brilliantly with Cherry Blossom's 'Cherry Blossom' came to a magnificent close with Seo Yeon-Woo's 'Flower Rain.'"]
[Boy Group Janus Finishes in a Disappointing Third Place]
[Major Artists Announce Comebacks. Petite More's Justified Complaint After Reaching Tenth Place]
[Seo Yeon-Woo Expresses His Love for His Grandmother with Dementia Through Song (Reporter Choi So-Hye)]
[Devoted Singer Seo Yeon-Woo Lives with and Cares for His Grandmother with Dementia]
...
After Seo Yeon-Woo's first-place victory, stories about his life caring alone for his grandmother with dementia once again began appearing as major headlines. As a result, his character and personality were receiving widespread praise, and advertisements centered around family love were pouring in.
"Seven Stars Insurance? A solo campaign with Mr. Seo Yeon-Woo? Then of course we'll do it. Three hundred million won?"
"You want both Mr. Seo Yeon-Woo and Cherry Blossom together? Seven hundred million won? Come on, that's way too low. This isn't some buy-one-get-one-free promotion!"
"You'd like Cherry Blossom for an advertisement? Yes, yes. That's definitely possible."
Because the cherry blossoms around Seoul hadn't bloomed until the previous week due to the unusual weather, Cherry Blossom was also receiving a flood of advertising offers.
I was holding my phone, taking calls and organizing the advertising list when the meeting room door flew open and Team Lead Ju Yung-Hoon rushed inside.
Bang!
"Chief Jung! Th-this is bad!"
His face had gone completely pale.
Startled, I immediately asked, "Did something happen with Project I.O.A?"
There was only one thing scheduled today that could possibly qualify as a disaster.
However, Ju Yung-Hoon frantically shook his head. "N-no, it's not that... The Minister is here! The Minister of Culture is personally here at our company! Hurry and come with me! Right now! He's in the lobby asking for you, Chief Jung!"
'The Minister of Culture had come to our company in person looking for me? What in the world is going on?'