Episode 62: Heartwarming Story
No matter how startled she was and how her mind snapped to attention, the alcohol deeply ingrained in her body wasn’t going to disappear physically.
“I’ll handle the data collection from here. For now, Manager, you should get some rest.”
At her subordinate’s suggestion, seeing Ailee’s slurred speech, Ailee accepted it.
And the next morning.
“Agent Oh, how did it go?”
Suppressing a hangover that felt like needles pricking her, Ailee entered the office and asked that instead of her usual morning greeting.
“For now, it doesn’t look bad.”
The subordinate, who had arrived a bit early, immediately stuck by Ailee’s side and began reporting what he had seen.
“It’s a heartwarming story, after all.”
Indeed, even when viewed through the haze of alcohol, the post contained content that warmed the heart. For celebrities, where image is everything, heartwarming stories are better the more there are.
But even that has its limits.
A couple on the brink of breakup changes their minds after being moved by one song.
To those who know that the longer the time spent together, the greater the backlash from shifting emotions, doesn’t this story seem more like a novel?
‘This isn’t the first time something like this has happened…’
It wasn’t the first time Han Yujin’s song had led to someone’s major life decision.
There were those who gained courage from his songs,
Revealing hidden talents to the world and even reaching into uncharted territories.
There were those who pulled out buried matters from their hearts, vowing to repay him by unfolding dreams they had nearly folded away.
‘They’re already right beside us.’
The former had been deliberately kept under wraps for greater impact, and the latter wasn’t deemed worth diving deeply into, so the story hadn’t been leaked externally.
Even Ailee, who knew this and was inevitably a blind ally to Han Yujin, couldn’t help but think of the word “viral” the moment she saw the post.
‘Others would be even more so.’
There couldn’t be some viral scheme Ailee herself didn’t know about, so the absurd heartwarming story must be true.
“It’s a relief that the community where the post first went up was ‘that place.’”
“Well, yeah. Anywhere else, maybe, but there, there’s no need for it to go viral.”
As her subordinate reported, the post Ailee had seen yesterday flashed through her mind.
More precisely, the single banner floating above the post’s title.
[Our MBTI is EUJN.]
Once the stage name of a certain singer, now the name of the community where that singer’s fans gathered.
The community where the story was posted was none other than Han Yujin’s fan café.
It was a place that counted down the time until the first release of “Shooting Star” every hour on the hour.
A community made up of people with a positive image of Han Yujin, excluding the so-called minority “trolls.”
It was exactly the kind of place that didn’t need to orchestrate positive viral content—and it was the origin of this heartwarming story.
“The post spread to other major communities within less than 30 minutes of being uploaded, and testimonies are popping up everywhere saying they saw the couple at that recording site. The atmosphere is trending toward it having some credibility.”
“That’s definitely a relief.”
“Of course, there’s quite a bit of negative talk too.”
“What can you do? Whether this turns into good news or bad depends on our singer.”
Contrary to her words, the two were smiling.
“In that regard… I’m not too worried.”
“Right?”
Like it or not, attention was pouring in.
And Han Yujin’s songs, as far as they knew, had more than enough power to turn even suspicious interest into fondness.
“Still, just in case, keep the monitoring thorough. Collect any over-the-line comments right away.”
“Got it, Ailee.”
When you know good results are waiting, it makes the work enjoyable.
***
“Hee hee hee.”
Today, what woke me up was a small laugh echoing from beside me.
“What’s so funny…?”
In the cozy winter blanket, still new.
I pulled the small figure radiating warmth beside me into my arms and asked.
“You’re awake?”
That touch no longer surprised me.
“I was looking at a funny post. That’s what I was doing.”
“What is it?”
“Ahem. ‘Thanks to Han Yujin-nim’s song, we saved a 7-year relationship on the brink of ending.’”
She adroitly adjusted her position, pressing her back firmly against my chest, and recited what she was looking at.
“What the heck is that?”
“Wait, let me read it to you. ‘I wanted to share this joy with others right now, but no suitable place came to mind, so I’m writing here to express my gratitude to Yujin-nim as well.’”
My interest piqued by Zia’s voice, which stirred me not just with her fingertips but her entire soft skin, I lifted my heavy eyelids in one go.
But my eyes, still heavy with sleep, were too blurry to take in what Zia was looking at, so her voice continued.
And a little later.
“’We wanted to listen to Han Yujin-nim’s song that taught our couple the preciousness of each other once more, but sadly, that song hasn’t been released yet. Yes, it’s the song releasing at 5 PM tomorrow. I hope everyone listens to it at least once. Thank you for reading this rambling post.’”
“Ahh, those people.”
As soon as Zia finished speaking, that inner thought slipped out involuntarily.
“You knew them?”
“No, strangers.”
Unlike with Gong Jiu, these were truly people I didn’t know.
Just,
“It was memorable. They bolted out in the middle of my song.”
“You got upset? Come on, give them a break. They had their reasons.”
Zia didn’t know the couple personally either, but her words seeking forgiveness drew a laugh from me.
There was no forgiveness needed to begin with.
‘I wasn’t mad in the first place, so how could I forgive?’
The reason the couple was memorable was that the woman’s expression she was making resembled a bit the one etched in a corner of my memory.
That face that looked like it could burst into tears at any moment.
‘The moment I saw it, somehow someone with mascara all smudged came to mind.’
After the song ended.
As I slowly reflected while gazing at the two empty seats, I could sense that her tears and Zia’s tears were different in some indescribable way, though I couldn’t put it into words.
In any case, the man’s obliviousness to her desperately holding back tears
‘Was just like seeing myself before the regression.’
It made him seem pathetically endearing, and I’d shown a bit of impatience, like ‘What the hell are you doing right now?’
‘But he turned out to be a pretty sensitive guy after all.’
He’d said the final verse of “Shooting Star” felt like it was cheering him on.
That was exactly my intention.
“I’m glad it ended on a good note.”
And fortunately, it seemed my intention had worked.
I knew well how much courage it took to take that one step.
“I’d only seen heartwarming stories like this online, never thought you’d be the protagonist, Yujin. That’s why it was fun.”
As I was lost in those thoughts, Zia set down her phone and turned her head slightly to look up at me, reaching out to gently stroke my face.
“Your songs definitely have that power to tug at the heartstrings.”
“Ah, what are you saying?”
Adding Zia to Taeoh and Gong Jiu.
There are people who occasionally say ‘Your songs have the power to move hearts.’
Even just since the regression, millions must have heard my songs, but the fact that only three people—including this time—have had such an impact says more about them being special cases than me being amazing.
Feeling awkwardly embarrassed, I slightly dodged her touch, and Zia puffed out her cheeks, extending her other hand toward my face.
“You lure me in with your singing and now you say no?”
Unlike the gentle caress on my cheek moments ago, her fingers firmly gripped my face, not allowing me to look away, followed by a resolute voice that brooked no denial.
“If you say it like that, I have nothing to say.”
“Pffft.”
Her strong pressure on my cheeks turned my lips into a carp’s pout, mangling the pronunciation, making Zia laugh once more.
I just smiled back.
Smooch.
In that shared laughter, our lips met without either of us initiating, and we returned to our original position, comfortably enjoying the blanket’s warmth once again.
“Excuse me, Han Yujin-ssi.”
“Yes? Woo Zia-ssi.”
“There’s something poking into my back.”
“Hmm? I have no idea.”
“Ah, why are you like this first thing in the morning!”
And after the coziness built up with increasing heat, completely transforming the serene morning atmosphere.
“Hoo.”
As I replenished my fluids in place of the sweat I’d shed,
Ding-dong.
Right on cue, the doorbell rang again, and the intercom, which had been off, revealed a face.
It was a very familiar face, but given my current state.
I hurriedly threw on some clothes and rushed to the door to open it.
“Good morning, Yujin-ssi!”
The energetic greeting came from Lee Ahjeong, the owner of this building and my senior colleague.
As I warmly welcomed her visit—her first since the housewarming with Seo Yoonje and his wife, and the Hylliy members after their activities ended—
“Hello.”
Seeing Zia, who had followed me out after quickly dressing, Lee Ahjeong soon gave a wry smile and said,
“Did I time this poorly…?”
With her freshly washed appearance and still-flushed face.
She’d immediately caught on to what had happened between us, but.
Fortunately, the deed was done.
“Ah, come in first.”
“It’s a quick story, so it’s fine.”
“Still, come in…”
“No, really, it’s okay. I don’t want to interrupt your intimate time either?”
Politely declining Zia’s invitation, Lee Ahjeong got straight to the reason for her visit.
“Yujin-ssi, did you see that?”
“See what?”
“There’s a huge buzz about you right now. You haven’t seen it? At Midnight Café…”
“Ah, that. I saw it.”
My response brightened Lee Ahjeong’s expression.
As my head tilted in confusion over why, her words continued.
“The atmosphere is pretty positive right now. I think your song this time is going to blow up big…”
Well, yeah, probably.
“Shooting Star” was a song I could call my own creation.
Even if listened to half-heartedly, it was the kind that would grab attention instantly.
The issue was that I couldn’t understand why Lee Ahjeong was bringing this up.
“So, you can’t ignore the fan who shared that story, right?”
“Yeah, well.”
“But there’s no easy way to repay Yujin-ssi properly…”
Yeah, that makes sense.
In cases like this, the easiest way is to invite them to a concert, but I don’t have enough name value to hold a solo concert yet, nor a rich repertoire.
Right now, it’d have to be something like sending a separate album later or promising to sing a congratulatory song.
But a fundamental question still lingered unsolved.
‘Why are you worrying about that?’
That was something for Ailee or Jeon Seonwoo to fret over, not Lee Ahjeong.
As my brow furrowed involuntarily at that doubt,
“So, I thought of a pretty good way… How about inviting them to my concert?”
“Pardon?”
Her words drew an involuntary retort from me.
But the absurdity was short-lived.
I quickly realized her true intent.
“And Yujin-ssi comes out as a guest at my concert. How about it?”
So, this proposal was…
“Ah, I need a quick yes or no. Time’s running out.”
She was using this incident as an excuse to push the guest appearance offer I’d forgotten to respond to.
‘I was planning to accept the guest proposal anyway, since she said she’d send Zia an invite too…’
At this point, I should be grateful instead, right?
TFTC
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