Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Orion's Audition
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"[Yuin-chan!!!]"
"[Look over here!!]"
"[Prince! Look this way! Over here!]"
The moment Yeonwoo and his group finished immigration at Fukuoka Port, a massive crowd welcomed them.
Japanese Yuin fans had swarmed the place after hearing that Yeonwoo was arriving by ship.
"Wow... our son......"
Jihoon had already gotten a taste of Yeonwoo's popularity back in Sokcho, but this felt entirely different.
For one, they were overseas, and while encounters in Korea were chance meetings, these fans had come early just to see his son.
And there were so many of them.
Even a rough guess put them well over a hundred.
At this point, Yuin's popularity in Japan was off the charts.
To be precise, it had skyrocketed from the moment Himari's Budokan performance videos started circulating on YouTube.
People who had only caught glimpses of Yuin's genius through news articles or grainy clips were captivated by the crystal-clear footage and audio on JOP's official channel.
The sight of that pretty face, wearing a serious expression as he matched the world-renowned Himari note for note with his genius playing, shook Japan to its core.
The video racked up over 30 million views, drawing massive popularity—and with it, a surge of new fans for Yeonwoo.
And those fans had shown up here after hearing the rumors.
Honestly, considering Yeonwoo's fame, this crowd was surprisingly modest(?).
Tokyo probably would have seen an even bigger turnout.
"What do we do? What should we do, Mother?"
As the flustered Jihoon turned to Heo Ok, who could speak Japanese,
"This way, please."
Someone approached and spoke up.
"Jaehoon hyung!!"
It was none other than Jaehoon, Yeonwoo's manager.
"You've been here already?"
"Yeah, it's an official event, so I came ahead to prepare. Long time no see, Teacher Heo Ok, and sir."
"Yes, it's been a while."
"Thanks for your hard work."
At Jihoon's words, Jaehoon grinned and replied,
"It's my job, so no trouble at all."
Following Jaehoon's lead, they found security personnel and JOP staff waiting—Nanase included.
"[Teacher, it's been too long.]"
Nanase greeted Heo Ok politely first, then bowed to Yeonwoo and Jihoon.
"[Aunt Nanase, long time no see! Where are we headed? Aunt Himari's place?]"
"[With your whereabouts exposed, a hotel might be better than Himari's house. We don't want to bother the neighbors because of the fans.]"
At that, Yeonwoo turned his head.
The fans screaming in delight the moment he looked their way made Nanase's point crystal clear.
That said, he couldn't just ignore people who'd come this far...
"[They're not to be ignored...... How about a quick meet-and-greet?]"
"[Handshakes or autographs would be too risky for safety, but a simple talk should be fine. I'll set it up.]"
Even in Korea, incidents occasionally happened between singers and fans, but Japan took it to another level.
You never knew what could happen.
A deranged fan, or someone posing as one who wasn't—they avoided unprepared signings or handshakes for that reason.
And these fans didn't want that either.
They just wanted to see Yeonwoo in person, so they were thrilled at the chance for an informal Q&A.
In one corner of the port terminal, hastily set up as a meet-and-greet space, Yeonwoo chatted with the fans.
The fans were stunned by Yeonwoo's surprisingly fluent Japanese, while Yeonwoo was amazed at how much these Japanese fans adored him.
Well, more precisely, his dad was the one freaking out.
They treated Yeonwoo like fragile glass artwork—gentle, delicate, full of care.
They worried if their questions might hurt him, make him anxious, or put him off.
But when Yeonwoo flashed a bright smile, they'd freeze for a second before erupting in cheers of "Kawaii! So cute!"
His aunt Jiyeong had said his grown-up smile would break hearts someday, but even now, one grin was enough to strike countless people right in the chest.
Yeonwoo waved cheerfully to the cheering crowd snapping photos, wrapping up the meet-and-greet before heading to their lodging.
"Want to rest a bit?"
As Jihoon unpacked in the hotel suite JOP had prepared, he asked Yeonwoo, who shook his head.
"I'm going to Aunt Himari's practice studio."
"Without resting?"
"Yeah, we've got a lot to talk about. I want to hurry up and do it!! Oh, Dad, you're wiped from the seasickness, so sleep it off. I'll go with Jaehoon hyung."
"You sure you don't need Dad there?"
"It's fine. This is work."
Jihoon lay back on the bed, speechless at his son already drawing such clear lines between work and personal life.
He really did feel like death.
"Yeah...... Dad'll rest. Sorry, son."
"No worries!! I'll call when it's time for dinner later, Dad! Don't put your phone on silent or anything?"
"Ungh...... I'll keep it on now."
Jihoon fumbled with his phone and passed out cold.
Yeonwoo watched his dad for a moment before heading to his grandmother.
"Yeonwoo, what about Dad?"
"He's asleep. Seasickness must still be hitting him. Grandma, I'm heading to Aunt Himari's. You should rest too?"
"Going to Himari's? Mind if I tag along?"
Unlike Jihoon, Heo Ok was full of energy and hopped right up.
And so, Yeonwoo and Heo Ok rode with Jaehoon to Himari's practice studio in Hakata.
Yeonwoo glanced around the now-familiar Hakata and said to his grandmother,
"Aunt Himari must be stressed."
"Why's that?"
"When Aunt Himari's really stressed, she eats super spicy tsukemen here in Hakata. The main branch is in Tenjin, but she prefers the Hakata one because it's cleaner and more comfy."
"You know everything about Himari, huh?"
"She told me. She shares stuff like this a lot. Must be bored."
"Himari doesn't have many friends, that's true."
Not sure who lacked friends here, but anyway, the two entered Himari's Hakata studio.
"[Look at my guitar! I'm killing it, right?]"
"[I'm a keyboardist, but I play piano great too? Let me in on this.]"
"[No one else can deliver drum hits with this much soul! You herbivore types these days think you can drum like me?!]"
"[Can Japanese bass history really mention you? Think about it, Uesugi.]"
The place was rowdy even before they opened the door.
"Noisy in there, Grandma."
"Sure is. Looks like guests."
Heo Ok recognized the familiar voices and opened the door before Yeonwoo.
Ding-a-ling—
The wind chimes on the dreamcatcher at Himari's studio entrance rang out loudly.
All eyes inside turned to the doorway.
Heo Ok took one look at them, snorted, and said,
"[No wonder they looked familiar. The kids are here.]"
Orion, who had been teasing Himari mercilessly, froze at the sight of Heo Ok. The first to recover was the leader, Takahashi Shigeru.
"[S-Senior!! You're here?!]"
At Shigeru's shout, bassist Maeda Nobuo and keyboardist Kobayashi Naomi stood and bowed.
"[Senior! It's really you!]"
"[Senior, hello. I never imagined...... It's an honor to see you again.]"
Heo Ok turned her gaze.
Guitar—no, drummer Takeo, meeting her icy stare, reluctantly stood and bowed awkwardly.
"[Why are you bugging my busy student during her 20th anniversary prep?]"
"Teacher......"
At that, Himari—who'd been play-acting as the victim of Orion's teasing—teared up dramatically and hid behind Heo Ok.
"Yeonwoo!"
Spotting Yeonwoo behind her, she knelt for a hug.
"Yeonwoo, I missed you!!"
"Me too, Aunt. But who are they?"
"Oh...... They're from Japan's famous jazz band. Heard of Orion?"
"Orion!!"
Yeonwoo had listened to their songs on YouTube.
He scanned them before whispering to Himari,
"But where's the vocalist? They change every time, but no singer today?"
Himari laughed and said,
"Orion doesn't have a vocalist."
"Huh?"
As Yeonwoo's eyes went wide at the news, Takahashi Shigeru spoke up.
"[That's the senior's grandson hiding back there?]"
"[So he's the rumored Yuin, huh?]"
Kobayashi Naomi peeked from behind Shigeru, met Yeonwoo's eyes, and waved.
Yeonwoo bowed politely to her.
"Eee, kawaii!! [Senior, he's adorable!]"
"[Your grandson's quite the looker.]"
Orion watched in shock as Heo Ok smiled softly and patted Yeonwoo's head—something they never imagined from the legendary figure.
Anyone who knew her past couldn't help but be stunned at this doting-grandma side.
"[So this little guy's the one who made 'Mama'?]"
Tearing their eyes from Heo Ok, the Orion members started chiming in one by one.
"[Did this kid really make 'Mama'?]"
"[You saw the YouTube, right? He performed it there. It's him.]"
They murmured until Yeonwoo's sparkling, curious eyes looked up at them, silencing the group.
Then, like with their greeting to Heo Ok, leader Shigeru spoke to Yeonwoo first.
"[Alright, the orchestra guy's here, so let's ask straight up. What do we have to do to join your orchestra?]"
Yeonwoo eyed the four and said,
"[Um...... Uncle Orion—no, auntie and uncles: guitar, bass, keys, drums, right?]"
Shigeru nodded at Yeonwoo's quick correction, after they'd all stiffened at "grandpa/grandma."
"[That's right. You know us well?]"
"[I've listened tons 'cause you're Japan's best band.]"
"[Oho, yeah, we are Japan's top jazz band.]"
Yeonwoo nodded and added,
"[Yeah, back in the day.]"
"[Back...... in the day?!]"
Yeonwoo nodded firmly.
He hadn't just heard their songs—he'd researched them thoroughly.
Sure, time had changed their looks and style so much he hadn't recognized them at first.
And he knew they hadn't done any recent public performances worth uploading.
Meaning it had been ages since they'd played instruments on a real stage as active pros.
"[It's been a while since you performed, right? Gotta see if you're still any good.]"
Takeo bristled, face flushing as he started to retort—until Heo Ok smoothly placed a hand on Yeonwoo's shoulder.
"[Exactly. Our boy's spot on.]"
Yeonwoo didn't see it, but Takeo wilted under Heo Ok's piercing glare.
In the midst of it, Shigeru rubbed his hands together.
"[Y-Yeah, of course. We gotta audition. Been out of practice so long and all. Right, guys?]"
His bandmates were speechless at their leader's fawning display.