Hyunseung successfully finished transitioning between the songs with his mixing, then repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.
It was because his fingertips kept trembling ever so slightly.
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
Was he nervous right now?
Yes.
He must be nervous.
Though Hyunseung had been born with a temperament that rarely allowed him to feel nervous, at this moment, he calmly accepted the fact that he was.
Since this was a stage he had desired so desperately and earnestly, being nervous was, in a way, only natural.
Yes.
It was a stage he had vaguely imagined ever since the day Daniel died.
He had thought that one day, he wanted to bring Daniel’s song back to the stage.
Because Daniel surely would have wanted to stand onstage once more.
However, there had rarely been an opportunity for that. Hyunseung wasn’t a singer. He had no reason to go up onstage.
Of course, he could have stood onstage if he had truly set his mind to it, but he couldn’t quite summon the courage.
Actually, it would be more accurate to say that he couldn’t stand there because he lacked the courage.
He had tried to look away.
From this moment when he would have to face Daniel.
Because then he would have to face the sorrow locked deep inside his heart as well.
But he couldn’t keep looking away pretending not to know forever.
One day, he had to let him go.
He had to face the sorrow buried deep within him and say a proper farewell to Daniel.
Because he hadn’t been able to do that.
Because he had taken it for granted that there would always be one more day to say goodbye to Daniel.
‘Whew….’
He tried to remain stoic, but he couldn’t stop the long-suppressed breath from escaping.
Of course, he didn’t let it show.
If an artist showed signs of nervousness onstage, the audience wouldn’t be able to enjoy the performance either.
Even if Hyunseung wasn’t a singer.
He was a DJ who had made a formal debut in his own right.
He had to show only his professional side.
With that thought, he placed his hands on the turntables.
There wasn’t a single meaningless motion in the way he moved between the mixer and the turntables.
He had no intention of being flashy.
—There’s one thing I want before I die.
Because he didn’t want to mar the song playing now.
Yes.
Even if he was the one who had made it, this was Daniel’s song.
He had no intention of mixing it so heavily that even Daniel’s voice would be diminished. So that no one would forget Daniel’s voice, Hyunseung continued DJing with as much restraint as possible.
—I pray every day that in my next life, I’ll be allowed to sing for you.
Originally, it had been a song filled with intense guitar sounds, but with acoustic guitar melodies taking their place, Daniel’s voice came through even more clearly and vividly.
Was that why?
When he glanced around the venue, many people were listening to Daniel’s voice with their eyes closed and solemn expressions.
His voice.
A voice.
That could never be heard again.
Tap, tap.
As Hyunseung adjusted the headset microphone he was wearing, a faint rubbing sound came through the venue’s speakers.
Since everyone was absorbed in the song, they assumed even that was simply part of the beat.
However, a moment later, the entire venue was turned upside down.
—No, sing it together.
Because the voice coming through wasn’t Daniel’s.
—Will you do that for me?
Nor was it a voice from the recorded track.
—Then even Death will be happy.
It was a slightly less mature voice than Daniel’s, but a faint sadness was embedded in its soft, mid-low tone.
—Let’s not say goodbye.
The owner of that voice was Hyunseung.
—Because it’s tacky.
As the song reached its end, Hyunseung allowed a moment of silence to linger, leaving behind only the faint melody.
At the same time, a terrible silence descended over the venue.
“……”
Sarah stared at Hyunseung and tightly covered her mouth with both hands.
However, whimpers kept escaping through the gaps between her fingers.
Yes.
Sounds like suppressed sobs leaked from between her lips.
Without even realizing the cameras were capturing her, Sarah shed tears, her delicate shoulders trembling.
How could she not?
After Daniel passed away, Hyunseung had quickly brushed it off and acted the same as usual, so she had thought he was okay.
However, perhaps he had simply been enduring everything alone.
Quietly.
Silently.
It seemed he had been accepting his sorrow in his own way, missing Daniel in private while preparing a stage to remember him.
“Ugh.”
Because she could feel immeasurable sadness in Hyunseung’s voice, Sarah cried as though her entire world were collapsing.
Thinking about the comfort and sincerity she had unknowingly received from Hyunseung….
Forget the cameras.
She wanted to run onto the stage right now and embrace all of Hyunseung’s sorrow.
But the fact that she couldn’t made the sorrow cut even deeper.
Ah.
She probably wasn’t the only one drowning in sadness, judging from the sounds of sniffling coming from all around the hall.
Everyone would know.
Who Hyunseung’s words—that he would never forget—were meant for.
That they were words of longing for Daniel Parker.
The man everyone there had admired, envied, and loved.
Soon after, a tremendous round of applause erupted, loud enough to drown out the sounds of crying.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—!
The sight of famous pop stars crying as they gave Hyunseung a standing ovation was broadcast live across the world.
Meanwhile, Kim Woohyun, who had been watching the Grammy Awards broadcast inside the company building, looked as though he was about to faint.
“Guh, guh, huaaaaaang….”
Sitting on the sofa, he buried his face between his thick thighs and cried like a child.
He had cried so much that his pants were damp with tears.
“Tsk, tsk.”
Executive Director Park looked at Kim Woohyun and clicked his tongue.
“Hey, stop crying.”
Despite Executive Director Park’s scolding, Kim Woohyun’s tears wouldn’t stop.
When he thought about Hyunseung, who must have been grieving all by himself, his heart felt as though it were crumbling.
Because Hyunseung was such a stoic kid, Woohyun had assumed he would be fine.
But apparently, that wasn’t the case.
Hyunseung had been hurting alone.
He had been enduring.
And he had been longing.
No matter how extraordinary a once-in-a-century genius might be…
No one ever became accustomed to saying goodbye.
He had been too indifferent.
When Woohyun’s thoughts reached that point, his tears burst forth without stopping.
As though it had no intention of waiting for them to fully indulge in their grief, the awards ceremony continued as soon as Hyunseung’s stage ended.
—Let’s take a look at the nominees for Album of the Year through the VCR.
However, even the MC’s voice was thick with emotion.
Still, as the MC, he calmly read out each nominated album.
Since Album of the Year could be called the most prestigious of the Grammy General Field awards, albums created through collaborations between prominent artists and producers were introduced one after another through the VCR.
—Daniel, And Again
Naturally, Daniel’s posthumous album, which Hyunseung had participated in, was among the nominees.
The album had achieved tremendous success, to the point that every song on it had remained on the Billboard charts for dozens of weeks.
Above all, because it was Daniel’s posthumous work, people had sought it out even if only to commemorate him.
Of course.
Public interest in it had gradually begun to fade by now.
But still.
If it received the Album of the Year award, it would become a hot topic once again.
‘Please….’
Kim Woohyun clasped his hands together and prayed earnestly.
He thought that if the album received the award, perhaps Hyunseung’s heart would be just a little more at peace.
“Tsk, tsk.”
Of course, Executive Director Park looked at Kim Woohyun as if he were pathetic and clicked his tongue.
“Even if you don’t do that, it’s going to win anyway.”
However, Kim Woohyun didn’t hear the sarcasm at all.
—Album of the Year….
He simply hoped that the words “Daniel” or “And Again” would come out of the presenter’s mouth.
However, just as the winner should have been announced, a staff member hurried onto the stage and suddenly swapped out the envelope containing the winner’s name.
“What? Can they do that during a live broadcast?”
Kim Woohyun pointed at the screen as an inexplicable sense of foreboding washed over him.
Then he started huffing angrily, asking whether the Grammys were rigging the results.
“Hey, keep it down.”
Executive Director Park, who had been standing there for a while, crossed his arms and snapped at Kim Woohyun.
—The winner of Album of the Year is…!
At that moment, the presenter opened their mouth.
—Daniel’s And Again. Congratulations!
The name he had longed so desperately to hear was called.
As fireworks burst overhead, applause poured from the crowd.
And on the screen, Hyunseung’s calm face was captured in full.
“Aigoo, our Golden Child! I’m so proud, so proud!”
“Hey! I told you to stop making a fuss and let me watch quietly!”
Since the singer, Daniel, had passed away, Hyunseung went up onstage to accept the award on his behalf.
After reaching the stage with his long strides, Hyunseung accepted the trophy and bouquet together and stood before the standing microphone.
Everyone at the venue focused on Hyunseung.
Kim Woohyun leaned forward as though he were about to crawl inside the television.
“Hey, I can’t see. Move.”
Of course, Executive Director Park caught him around the neck with his burly forearm and quickly pulled him back.
But Woohyun’s heart was right there with Hyunseung.
“I wonder if our Golden Child prepared his acceptance speech properly.”
Executive Director Park was just turning up the TV volume because Kim Woohyun wouldn’t stop chattering when—
—I return this award to Daniel.
Hyunseung delivered his acceptance speech briefly while raising the trophy and bouquet above his head.
And then.
In a very calm voice, he added:
—I will never forget.
Without the slightest change in expression, Hyunseung stepped down from the stage just like that.
Various artists caught on camera gave restrained applause with solemn expressions.
However, that short sentence from Hyunseung dug into Kim Woohyun’s heart as though gnawing at it.
In the end, Kim Woohyun burst into tears again, wailing loudly enough to fill the entire office.
“Good grief, I told you to stop!”
Executive Director Park rebuked Kim Woohyun, and at that moment, Woohyun thought Executive Director Park was utterly heartless.
His body had become like a beast, and apparently his heart had become a beast’s as well!
It wasn’t just anyone.
It was their Golden Child!
Just thinking about how much their Golden Child must be hurting inside right now made his own heart crumble like this!
How could that man not even blink or show the slightest emotion?
“Executive Director, hic, aren’t you even sad….”
Just as Kim Woohyun raised his reddened eyes to reproach Executive Director Park…
“E-Executive Director…?”
He cautiously called out to the man, who had turned his body to the side.
“What, punk?!”
A single hot tear was rolling down Executive Director Park’s thick jaw as he tried to shout.
“Don’t you know a man only cries three times in his life?!”
Apparently, one of those three times was right now.
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