You're about to retire from the entertainment industry, yet your concerts are still so popular?

Jin Haiji was stunned. What do you mean by "take me for a ride"?

Before he could react, Ye Chen had already shoved the sheet music into his hand: "Familiarize yourself with the song first, and you'll sight-sing the verses later."

After saying that, Ye Chen turned around and borrowed a gayageum from the band teacher, sat on the edge of the stage, and bent down to tune the strings.

Five minutes later.

He looked up and whispered into the microphone, "Come on, Haiji, I'll harmonize with you, let's sing together."

Kim Hae-gil was suddenly struck by a thought.

He instantly understood that with Teacher Ye Chen's talent, there was no need for a chorus.

It was clearly out of fear that he would make a mistake on his first sight-singing performance and that she herself would lose face in front of a large audience that she used such a gentle approach as "singing together" to support him.

This shows how considerate they are of my feelings.

Teacher Ye Chen's thoughtfulness and care were like a warm velvet, gently wrapping up all of Jin Haiji's anxieties.

Kim Hae-gil was deeply moved.

Clutching the sheet music, his eyes reddened, he nodded emphatically and said, "It's an honor to finally have the chance to collaborate with Teacher Ye Chen on a piece."

Ye Chen smiled slightly, his fingertips plucked the strings, and he hummed softly:

"My baby loves you so much, forever you and I..."

"I love you..."

Ye Chen's humming was like a gentle breeze, paving the way for Jin Haiji.

The moment the melody began, Kim Hae-gil's fingertips trembled. The melody was like a warm river, slowly flowing through all his parched lands.

Ye Chen looked up and nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

Kim Hae-gil took a deep breath and spoke haltingly:

"지나간시간들을모두다되돌릴순없겠죠..."

(The past can never be turned back, can it...)

His Korean voice trembled slightly, yet it was surprisingly sincere.

Ye Chen gently plucked the strings beside him, softly following the rhythm, like an older brother leading a lost younger brother step by step into the light.

Then, Ye Chen brought the microphone closer, and his rap was crisp and clear:

"You x girl friend, have you been..."

Infected, Kim Hae-gil suddenly straightened up, his voice rising several decibels:

「왜나를떠나갔어……」

(Why did you leave me...)

「사랑하는나를두고……」

(Leaving me behind, loving you so deeply...)

As he sang, he started to cry.

He gazed at the sea of ​​waving fluorescent lights below the stage, at Ye Chen's ever-smiling eyes, and suddenly remembered the dream he had made in his heart at the train station when he left Yanbian at the age of sixteen:

I want the whole world to hear our voice!

Today, someone is there to stand with him through it all.

Tears burst forth without warning, splashing onto the ground and the sheet music, blurring everything in their path.

Ye Chen didn't stop, but simply increased the force of his plucking.

At the same time, a more stable harmony sustained his sobs, preventing him from breaking down.

"My baby loves you so much..."

Kim Hae-gil cried and laughed, sang while laughing, and roared the last line towards the dome:

Please tell me why!

After singing the last line, Kim Hae-gil tilted his head back and remained silent for a long time.

The stage lights shone on his face, making his tear tracks glisten.

After a long pause, he took a deep breath and spoke with a heavy nasal tone:

"Teacher Ye Chen... thank you. Thank you for letting me see that my mother tongue can be loved by so many people."

After speaking, he turned to the audience, bowed deeply, and thanked everyone.

At the same time, his voice roared from his chest: "I, Jin Haiji, will certainly live up to Teacher Ye Chen's high expectations! I will become a true Korean of China!"

The audience was stunned by what they saw!

The audience fell into complete silence.

Immediately, laughter, tears, and applause erupted!

The cheers and shouts of encouragement at the scene blended into a deafening wave!

"Waaaaah... Oh my god... Ye Chen, I'm crying like a baby!"

"Ye Chen, are you here to help out with the singing, or to give Jin Haiji a life mission?!"

"Sekida! Our own Sekida from China!!!"

"Kim Hae-gil, don't cry! You've already done it!"

"Holy crap! Ye Shen has taken disrupting a venue to a whole new level, practically turning them into a spokesperson for ethnic music!"

"Is this considered disrupting the event?! I'd say this is a ceremony for bestowing titles upon the gods!"

Laughter and sobbing mingled in the audience; some applauded while others wiped away tears.

But they discovered that wherever Ye Chen went, there were jokes and funny moments!

Ye Chen stood up from in front of the gayageum, patted Kim Hae-gil on the shoulder, and smiled at the audience:

"When he becomes a shining example of Chinese civilization, you all have to come and support him."

The tears that Kim Hae-gil had managed to hold back welled up again.

Ye Chen raised the microphone, took a half step back, and spoke softly yet clearly, cutting through the noise of the scene:

"My guest performance is complete. I should leave now."

His words had a double meaning.

He's performing as a guest artist at tonight's concert. His departure signifies his impending exit from the music scene.

Combined with the previous sentence, it not only clearly states Kim Hae-gil's future goals, but also implies his departure and the possibility that Kim Hae-gil will succeed him in the future.

Kim Hae-gil's eyes were red, but he nodded heavily.

He understood. Ye Chen handed the stage to him, and also the responsibility of "letting more people hear the voice of China."

But offstage.

Ye Chen's words, with their double meaning, brought tears to the eyes of the audience, who were completely reluctant to see him leave.

Then an even more frenzied shout erupted:

"Ye Chen! Don't leave! What will we do if you leave?!"

"Don't leave! You said you 'never left'! You can't lie to us!"

"Ye Chen! Now that you're gone, who will write songs for us to listen to?!"

"Jin Haiji! Hold him back! Hold Ye Chen back!"

A heart-wrenching wail erupted from the audience, as if someone had ripped out their own heart with a knife.

Some cried and shouted, some laughed and cried, the glow sticks blurred into a shimmering sea of ​​light through their tear-filled eyes.

One girl even jumped onto a chair, her voice trembling with rage: "Ye Chen! You promised to write a musical for us! You have to keep your word!"

Ye Chen simply smiled and waved, then turned and walked to the side of the stage, his back straight and resolute.

Kim Hae-gil stood in the center of the stage, clutching the sheet music that was stained with tears.

He stared at that retreating figure, gritted his teeth, and roared into the microphone:

"Teacher Ye Chen! Don't worry about leaving! I'll take care of things here!"

As soon as he said those words, he broke down.

Large tears fell onto the stage floor.

He bowed deeply to that figure, his back bent like a taut bow, and remained bent for a long time.

The songs you taught me, the courage you gave me, I, Jin Haiji, will never lose them in this lifetime!

The entire audience broke down in tears again.

"Jin Haiji, look up! Look up and see Ye Chen!"

"Ye Chen! Look back! Look at him!"

"Ye Chen! Don't go! We haven't heard enough!"

"Ye Chen!!!"

The shouts shook the dome, making it vibrate as if they were trying to lift the entire stadium up, or to drag the person who was about to leave back.

……