Chapter 305
Kwon In-ah's house, the president of Lee Yeon-jae's fan club.
A solemn atmosphere filled her room.
At that moment, the door burst open without a knock.
“Nuna, can I order pizza?”
It was Kwon In-ah’s younger brother.
However, she neither responded nor even looked at him.
“Nuna?”
“......”
Her puzzled younger brother glanced at the clock and immediately understood.
He apologized for the interruption and carefully closed the door.
Even until then, Kwon In-ah didn’t say a word, her eyes fixed on her phone.
‘So scary...’
Her brother shivered.
‘What is this fan obsession?’
What on earth is it about being a fan that can change a person like this?
Normally, his sister was fairly gentle.
But when it came to anything related to Lee Yeon-jae, she turned into a different person in an instant.
‘The music video is supposed to come out at six, right?’
He couldn’t help but remember because Kwon In-ah had chanted the release time of the music video like a mantra.
Two days ago, she had cried out, wondering why it was only Wednesday.
The sight of her eyes glistening with madness was still vivid in his memory.
‘I wish it would just come out already.’
It seemed better for her to scream than to wait silently like this.
He imagined Kwon In-ah overjoyed after watching the music video.
But at six o’clock that day, what unfolded before her brother's eyes was something he hadn't anticipated at all.
“......What?”
“Ugh...”
“Why are you crying??”
She was crying.
More sorrowfully than anyone else.
* * *
There were two main reasons why she cried.
First, the music video for the title track "Bambi."
The video began in an empty movie theater.
The large theater was completely devoid of people, creating a lonely yet somewhat eerie feeling.
On the stage, a screen suddenly began to play a video.
["Mister! Is that ball yours?"]
It was a scene from the drama "Tail: Tracing the Tracks," where Lee Yeon-jae first became known.
Young Lee Yeon-jae, wearing a yellow hat, smiled brightly.
Caught off guard by the unexpected scene, Kwon In-ah involuntarily held her breath.
‘Oh my god...’
The scene held great symbolic significance.
At the time, many people had been curious about the boy in the yellow hat. Sёarch* The NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But no matter how much they searched, accurate information couldn’t be found.
‘So, what’s this kid’s name?!’
Kwon In-ah recalled her past self, filled with desperate cries.
There wasn’t just the past Lee Yeon-jae but also the past Biyeon.
As she recalled her feelings from years ago, the video on the screen suddenly stopped.
[“......”]
Amidst the silence, someone slowly appeared on the stage.
Lee Yeon-jae, with a slightly tense expression, was dressed exactly like his younger self on the screen.
Adjusting his yellow hat, he glanced around the screen.
After a moment of hesitation, he raised his hands toward the air.
As if conceding, the sound of a mouse click was heard, and the video on the screen shrunk.
Lee Yeon-jae knelt in front of the now smaller video, adjusting to match his size.
After several attempts, he finally achieved the perfect look to replace his younger self in the video.
However, as he awkwardly crouched in the air, his legs began to tremble, gradually turning into a full-body vibration.
Despite that, Lee Yeon-jae kept smiling calmly.
[“Ugh.”]
But eventually, everything collapsed.
[“Haa....”]
The camera followed his gaze as he lay weakly on the stage.
The lights on the ceiling shone unusually bright.
Like walking a tightrope, his face was filled with unease.
The moment that unease turned into despair,
[“......I wanna be the bambi.”]
Finally, the song began.
Dudu―du―dung!
The trumpet sound echoed loudly, filling the screen with gothic letters.
‘Written & Directed by Yeonjae’
At the same time, the powerful drum beat marked its presence.
Then, a clear and pure voice followed.
[“(I want to be the bambi.)”]
The tone was entirely different from the muttering just before.
The image of a boy singing joyfully naturally came to mind.
[“(The bambi that everyone loves. How long can I hide behind that? I’m just scared someone might discover me.)”]
The video on the screen changed rapidly.
Butterflies burning on the zelkova tree, Mission Clear, Killing Horn, Twins, February 3rd.
Lee Yeon-jae reenacted the characters he had portrayed over the years in front of the screen.
[“(Isn’t this enough to not get caught? Isn’t this enough?)”]
He performed passionately, sometimes falling over, other times appearing in different character costumes.
With an embarrassed expression, he hurried to change clothes as cheerful instrumental sounds filled the air.
[“(No, I want to be more reassured. I want to be the bambi.)”]
The opening and the mood were completely different.
The sound of trumpets continued joyously, like fireworks exploding.
The clear tone and excited melody contrasted with the boy moving diligently in the music video.
[“(Will the day come when this play ends? I wonder if I can avoid the end if I truly become Bambi.)”]
At that moment, while the boy was sweating profusely alone, a man wearing a black hat suddenly intruded onto the stage.
It seemed like the man came to help the boy with his performance, clapping the slate or checking Lee Yeon-jae’s expressions from time to time.
Then the man asked,
[“(Isn’t this enough to be satisfying? Isn’t it safe to stop here?)”]
It was clear from the man’s expression that he sincerely hoped this was enough and that they could stop.
But Lee Yeon-jae shook his head.
[“(No, I want to be more ambitious.)”]
Timed perfectly with the lyrics, Lee Yeon-jae smiled brightly.
He then began to act once more.
[“(I hope every part of me is enough to be loved.)”]
His body moved to the rhythm as if he were dancing.
Even as he fell in sync with the trumpet sound, Lee Yeon-jae’s face only held a bright smile.
The cuts matched the lively instrumental sounds perfectly.
Excitement and chills ran through his body.
[“(I want to be worthy of receiving your love.)”]
Despite the sad lyrics, the atmosphere was free and joyful.
The man in the black hat shook his head as if to say he couldn’t help it, then began to assist Lee Yeon-jae again with a smiling face.
The harmonious instrumental sound gradually diminished.
On the now quiet stage, Lee Yeon-jae, with a clear face, uttered the final lyrics.
I wanna be just bambi.
With those words, the lights in the theater went out.
“……”
Kwon In-ah’s eyes were already brimming with tears.
Lost in a complex mix of emotions, she couldn’t speak when the screen suddenly brightened.
Dudu―du―dung!
Once again, the cheerful trumpet sound continued.
Kwon In-ah wasn’t the only one surprised.
Lee Yeon-jae on the stage looked around at the suddenly bright surroundings with a bewildered face.
That was when the people who had been in the screen started to appear.
Han Se-young, Lee Jung-hyun, Kim Seok-jun, Sung Lee-jun, Nam In-hoo, Lee Ho-seop, and others.
Various celebrities appeared one after another, helping Lee Yeon-jae up.
The video played again on the screen.
The other actors performed just like Lee Yeon-jae had, reenacting their past selves in the video.
But they didn’t seem serious about following along.
They struck awkward poses and fell over, mimicking their past expressions and bursting into laughter.
Lee Yeon-jae looked at them in disbelief.
But even amidst the chaotic and clumsy acting, Lee Yeon-jae’s lips slowly curled into a smile.
[“Hyung. Wow, compared to then, you’ve aged a lot!”]
[“Look who’s talking!”]
The music stopped, and the actors began to chat and laugh loudly.
In the midst of the lively conversation, Lee Yeon-jae was laughing comfortably.
People surrounded him.
As the camera panned to the man in the black hat, smiling while watching this scene, the music video finally ended.
‘…Are you kidding me?’
With eyes full of tears, Kwon In-ah stared at the now black screen.
It was clear that this was made to evoke tears.
The reactions of others were similar to hers.
―What the heck, I’m not even a fan of Lee Yeon-jae, but this makes me emotional.ㅠ
―Maybe because he’s such a superstar, I never really felt it before…. For the first time, he looks like a kid. He must have been really anxious all this time.
―Damn, the song is really well-made. As expected of Tom-hyung.ㄷㄷ
└But isn’t Lee Yeon-jae surprisingly good at singing?? His voice is different from what I expected, so I was kind of surprised.
└Right? It feels different from when he’s acting.
―Who’s the guy in the black hat that appeared in the middle? A rookie actor?
└Just saw the news. It’s really Biyeon. He originally came as a staff member, but Lee Yeon-jae recognized his face and asked him to shoot together.
└Crazy, what a devoted fan.
└Congrats on getting a lifelong conversation piece.
―Who made the mouse click sound at the beginning? I desperately need an explanation video.ㅠㅠ
└My guess is a fan? Considering the guy in the black hat (Biyeon) helped Lee Yeon-jae in the middle, it seems like a fan matched the video size because Lee Yeon-jae wanted it.
└If that’s true, it’s incredibly sad.
└Seems right.ㅠ If my favorite idol thought like that, it would break my heart, but I’d still help them if that’s what they wanted.ㅠㅠ
The president frantically checked the community reactions while wiping her eyes.
In fact, she hadn’t sobbed until this point.
She knew very well what thoughts Lee Yeon-jae had when he wrote these lyrics.
‘Bambi was always anxious.’
In live streams, fan cafe posts, and fan meetings.
Bambi always had an uneasy look when facing Biyeon.
As if dealing with someone who could leave at any moment.
‘My dear…’
Though the lyrics confirmed it, it wasn’t an overwhelming shock since she had anticipated it.
‘Bambi is such a warm person.’
He sincerely conveyed his feelings while directing the video to be as warm as possible.
She felt that he was wisely handling his emotions and growing day by day.
So, these tears were more from pride and fondness than from sadness and upset.
“Nuna, it’s eight o’clock now. Aren’t you going to eat?”
“Ah.”
It wasn’t until her brother spoke cautiously that she realized two hours had passed.
It meant it took her two hours to come to her senses.
“Yeah, let’s eat. What do you want to order?”
Kwon In-ah, feeling warmer, spoke to her brother.
Just then, a new notification appeared on her phone.
Yeonjae Lee(이연재) - ‘비연(Biyeon)’ Official MV
What?
Kwon In-ah's eyes widened.
'There was another music video?'
No.
'I thought 'Biyeon' would only be a track on the album!'
Bambi shared everything with the fans.
This news was clearly hidden as a surprise gift.
“I want to eat pizza—”
“Be quiet.”
Kwon In-ah covered her brother's mouth and quickly pressed the play button.
The beginning of the video showed a dark movie theater.
As if continuing from the 'Bambi' music video, Lee Yeon-jae, looking like he had just finished filming, was sitting on the stage.
It was then.
With a whoosh, the sound of the wind, the stage ceiling flew away.
[“...?”]
As a bewildered Lee Yeon-jae opened his mouth, his body floated up into the air.
A surprised Lee Yeon-jae flailed his limbs.
There was someone watching him with a smile.
The man in the black hat from the 'Bambi' music video waved and greeted him.
As he struggled in mid-air, Lee Yeon-jae said in disbelief,
["Hey, don't just wave, help m—"]
Unfortunately, before he could finish his sentence, the wind grew stronger.
Suddenly, Lee Yeon-jae, who was flying upward, faced the blue sky.
After 'Written & Directed by Yeonjae' appeared, just like in the previous music video, the first lyrics began.
[“(Like a kite, you make me rise.)”]
That's right.
The second reason Kwon In-ah cried, and the decisive moment that made her sob, was precisely because of the lyrics of 'Biyeon.