Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Performing Mama Together
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“Yeonwoo!!”
Himari, who had just opened the front door and come in, spotted Yeonwoo and flashed a radiant smile as she spread her arms wide.
“Himari Aunt!!”
Yeonwoo rushed straight to her as if he’d been waiting and threw his arms around her in a tight hug.
“[When did you grow this much in the time I haven’t seen you? You’re even bigger than you looked in the videos.]”
Yeonwoo beamed with pride at Himari’s words.
Yeonwoo, who had seemed like he was just putting on weight, had suddenly started shooting up in height day by day.
As if he was finally making up for all the growth he’d missed out on from not eating properly as a little kid.
Sure, he’d only just caught up to kids his age, but to Himari, who hadn’t laid eyes on him in months, Yeonwoo looked like he’d changed a ton.
“[But this scent hasn’t changed at all.]”
If there was one thing that hadn’t, it was the baby smell wafting off Yeonwoo. The kind of scent that made people’s hearts feel all warm and fuzzy.
“[Was America fun?]”
Himari paused to think at Yeonwoo’s question before answering.
“[Nah, not really. These days even in America, they’re listening to jazz while acting all highbrow about it.]”
She pictured folks dressed up prim and proper in the concert hall, soaking it in like they were at a classical show.
Not exactly Himari’s idea of a fun gig.
“[Then it’s no fun.]”
“Right?”
Himari scrunched her nose playfully and grinned, then glanced back over her shoulder.
“Teacher!!”
Himari shot up from her seat and hurried over to Heo Ok, who stood behind Yeonwoo wearing a gentle smile.
“[You must be swamped. You don’t look so hot.]”
“Yeah, running all over the place means I haven’t even eaten right.”
“Heavens, you of all people—the one who loves food more than anything—haven’t been eating properly.”
“Tell me about it. Oh? Those folks behind you...? Ah, Yuri and Annosuke?!”
“Yes! Yep!! Ah, hello! Uesugi-sensei!!”
“Pleased to meet you, Uesugi-sensei!”
Yuri and Annosuke stood ramrod straight in front of Himari and bowed a full ninety degrees.
“Oh, no need to go that far... And who’s that in the back? Ah, Yeonwoo’s number-one singer?”
Chae Hayeon, who’d only just started picking up Japanese, couldn’t follow what she was saying, but she could read the room just fine.
Chae Hayeon dipped her head in a polite bow.
“Uh... Hajimemashite. Chae Hayeon desu.”
“Haha, nice to meet you.”
Chae Hayeon shook hands with Himari, who stuck out her hand first.
“[Ah, guess I should unpack a little.]”
“Aunt! Come with me! I’ll show you the empty room!”
“[Sounds good?]”
Himari took Yeonwoo’s hand and followed along as he led the way.
In the meantime, Yuri sidled up to Chae Hayeon, gave her a poke, and whispered.
“Sister, you’re not nervous?”
“Huh? Why?”
“Be-because... that’s Uesugi Himari?!”
Chae Hayeon’s face said, *What’s that supposed to mean?*
And she had good reason.
Sure, Chae Hayeon knew the woman was famous enough in Japan to be called the world’s Himari, but coming from Korea—jazz’s own wasteland—she just couldn’t wrap her head around it.
Yuri and Annosuke, though? Totally different story.
They’d been seeing her on the news since they were kids.
Headlines like “Himari pulls it off” or “Melboard chart entry for the world’s Himari” blasting every day whenever she kicked off a new run of shows.
Or stories about how the Emperor summoned her, or how she went with the Prime Minister to perform for visiting dignitaries and boosted Japan’s prestige on the world stage.
Grown up on a diet of that news, how could they not see her as something special?
Like she was floating high above the heavens in this business?
And yet.
“[Teacher, how’ve you been feeling? I brought this—supposedly great for low blood pressure over in America? All the docs swear by it. Take some, please.]”
“[Teacher, remember that sushi spot in Tokyo you loved? Haven’t hit it up yet? No way...! Company folks don’t even know your go-to restaurant? I’ll take you there today!]”
“[Teacher, my piano playing’s hit a wall. What should I do?]”
There she was, bending over backward and fawning all over one person.
Heavens on top of the heavens on top of the heavens.
“I know she’s a big deal, but seeing her like this... she looks kinda different.”
“Yeah, she really does seem like the real deal.”
“We just didn’t know. Ah, does it feel the same for Hayeon sister seeing Uesugi-sensei as it does for us seeing Grandma?”
“Pretty much, yeah?”
As Yuri and Annosuke kept watching, Himari chattered away at Heo Ok like a sparrow, chiming in busily whenever Yeonwoo piped up.
The cheerful vibe shifted once the piano talk got going.
“You want to do Mama together?”
“That’s right, teacher.”
“Then just get Yeonwoo’s okay—why drag me into it?”
Himari hesitated, then spoke carefully.
“I’d love for you to join in when we play this piece... y’know, together.”
Heo Ok blinked in surprise.
“Me?”
“Yes, you, teacher.”
She was so thrown she slipped into Korean.
“Your Korean’s gotten way better.”
“Because you’re Korean, teacher. I practiced and practiced.”
“Impressive.”
“Hehe, thank... [No, you’re still a pro at dodging the question!]”
“[Busted?]”
“[Teacher, come on...]”
“Himari.”
“Yes?”
“It’s been eleven years since I retired. Factor in the time since I stepped away from the stage altogether, and it’s over twenty. And now you want me performing?”
“But teacher...”
Yeonwoo, who’d been listening to the back-and-forth, spoke up.
“Aunt, this song’s Mama, right? Is there a reason you wanna do it with Grandma?”
Himari turned to him.
“Yeonwoo, you think only you and I have moms?”
She looked at Heo Ok.
“Teacher had a mom too.”
“……!!”
Heo Ok’s eyes went wide—totally out of character for her.
“Mother...”
Right. She’d had one too.
Heo Ok thought of her own mother for the first time in ages.
“Grandma, what was your mom like?”
“A kind soul. My parents doted on me something fierce. Truth is, they had every reason to. I was a late baby.”
Her folks didn’t have kids until they were well into their mid-forties.
So of course they’d spoiled their daughter Heo Ok rotten.
Loved her like they’d hand her the whole world on a platter.
Even if a car accident took her mom just after Heo Ok turned twenty, that name was etched in her heart forever.
Sure, she’d once resented them for babying her so much that she grew up selfish and self-centered in her youth.
Now that she was older, she just felt pathetic for ever thinking that way. But still.
Their love had been the real deal.
“Yeah, I think I get what you’re driving at, pulling me into this too.”
Mama had started out as a piece for Heo Ok, but somewhere along the line it evolved into capturing each person’s take on their mom. Now she wanted to layer in an old person’s memories of hers too.
“That’s exactly it. So I’m begging you, teacher.”
Heo Ok didn’t have an answer.
That was when Yeonwoo grabbed his grandma’s hand tight.
“Grandma! Let’s do the show together! I wanna play on stage with you.”
Heo Ok couldn’t look away from Yeonwoo’s eyes sparkling with excitement.
Truth be told, she missed the stage herself.
And sharing it with her grandson? Even better.
“Then... shall we?”
Yeonwoo and Himari locked eyes at Heo Ok’s words, and before they knew it, they were high-fiving.
“Does having this old lady up on stage with you make you that happy?”
“Of course!”
“Yes!!”
Heo Ok just smiled, watching her favorite grandson and protégé.
* * *
“This calls for a massive promo push.”
The second Himari and Yeonwoo’s duet was locked in, Nanase sprang into action.
She blasted the news of Yeonwoo’s guest spot at Himari’s Budokan show across SNS and every media outlet under the sun.
Japan’s jazz elite—absolute queen Himari—and the music prince scorching the islands had jazz lovers and Yeonwoo fans losing their minds.
-Getting to see Yuin-chan? I’m there no matter what.
-Budokan, huh... Why not take it nationwide while they’re at it?
-Budokan’s pricey... Guess I’ll prep for an expedition.
-Overnight bus? Maenori? What’s the move?
-Where’s the ticket site?
-Heard it’s Lawson.
-Uesugi’s wild. She’s sold out Budokan how many times already? Do it in a dome or arena already.
-Jazz in a dome lollll nah.
-But this one’s special. Tickets’ll be a bloodbath.
-Yuin’s got fans for days, but don’t sleep on jazz buffs’ power.
-War’s on.
-Saw Yuin-chan at Yuri & Annosuke’s stage and fell hard at first glance. This time I’m catching the live show with both eyes wide open.
Japanese fans dying to see Yeonwoo in person—or who adored Himari beyond reason—swarmed the ticketing the instant it dropped. Sold out in a flash—sokukan.
At this point, even JOP had to rethink the setlist. They’d originally planned Yeonwoo’s bit as a mid-show event gimmick.
Yuin might be Japan’s hottest topic, but this was Himari’s concert. They’d slotted her solo hit Winter Sea for the finale, but now they bumped the collab to the end.
Not just for Yuin’s popularity, either. Heo Ok was joining in.
Himari’s shows split crowds three ways.
Casual fans there for the name, young jazz heads, and the old guard.
Among jazz lovers, “old” meant fifty-plus—heck, even eighty-year-olds showed up.
Most of those vets knew the pianist Heo Ok, who’d quietly blazed trails between Japan and the States back in the pre-internet days.
A stage like this? A gift for them. Perfect closer.
And it’d pay off big in YouTube views and concert DVDs later. (Japan’s still got killer demand for those, unlike Korea.)
While JOP scrambled to prep, Yeonwoo, Himari, and Heo Ok gathered at Himari’s Tokyo studio to rehearse their trio for the big show.
The place was bare-bones—just a sofa for breaks in one corner. Like her Fukuoka setup, it had a grand piano courtesy of Heo Ok’s influence. Now they’d added two more grands so all three could practice together.
“Wow, three pianos!!”
Yeonwoo was over the moon about it.