Chapter 1
Reunion, European Style
Audition Hall of the Gyeongseong Changgeuk Troupe
Tak—.
At the sound of the master drummer’s strike, her thick, lush eyelashes trembled and slowly lowered. Holding a folded fan, her fingertips drew a graceful line through the air, drawing the attention of the judges. Her eyes, filled with a sorrow so deep they seemed almost hollow, glistened as though tears might fall at any moment.
“Will I go… will I go….”
Blue veins rose along her pale, delicate neck. With a voice that sounded as if it were melting through bitterness, she cried out, and a wet, mournful melody burst from her parted lips, breaking the silence of the hall.
Beads of sweat formed and rolled down her flushed face without pause, and her desperate longing for a distant beloved filled the auditorium where she stood.
“Even if it’s a thousand miles, I will follow… even if it’s ten thousand miles, I will go….”
When her voice came to an end, silence lingered for a moment.
And then—
“Good!”
Applause followed. The sound of a table being struck echoed through the room.
Only then did Baek Jinju (Baek Jinju) exhale deeply, wipe the sweat from her forehead, and bow.
She wore a neatly arranged hanbok painted with wild roses, her long hair tied into a bun secured with a hairpin. In her hand was an old fan, a gift from her teacher Nam Aesoon (Nam Aesoon).
“Is there a reason you wish to join the Gyeongseong Changgeuk Troupe before even graduating university?”
“To perform on stage with the great masters I have admired since childhood has been my dream.”
The audition room for recruiting new members of the Gyeongseong Changgeuk Troupe—an institution leading the future of Korean traditional opera by blending classical gugak with modern popular music—held about six judges seated at the panel.
There was no one present who did not know Baek Jinju.
Born to a master pansori singer father and a mother who inherited folk songs, Jinju was a prodigy who had swept top prizes at major traditional music competitions. Trained by renowned masters of pansori and skilled in multiple traditional instruments, she was already a well-known figure in the Korean traditional music world.
She had lost her mother at a young age, and at seventeen, her father—Master singer Baek Giju—had suddenly passed away, leaving her an orphaned prodigy.
“If you allow me to pass, I will do my utmost to learn and perform without bringing shame to my seniors.”
At that moment, a deep voice was directed toward her.
“Working here means not only domestic tours but overseas performances as well. If you get married, wouldn’t that restrict your activities?”
A man seated among the judges leaned back with his arms crossed as he asked. Though she was briefly startled by the unexpected question, Jinju answered without hesitation.
“I have no plans to marry yet.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. I have been taught that singing requires endless practice. If I join the Gyeongseong Changgeuk Troupe, I intend to devote myself entirely to training under my seniors.”
“Hm.”
Their eyes met once again.
Where have I seen him before?
No… maybe not. Perhaps he just looked like someone else because he was strikingly handsome.
He was clearly not someone from the traditional music world. If he was sitting on the judging panel, he must be involved in performance-related work.
His large frame and sharp, intense eyes left a lasting impression.
* * *
As soon as the audition ended, Jinju hurried out of the venue. Checking the time, she realized she would not be late for her next appointment.
Why did they have to be on the same day, at the same time?
Under pressure from her teacher, she had agreed—reluctantly—to attend what was either an arranged meeting or a blind date. In her rush, she had misunderstood the audition schedule for the Gyeongseong Changgeuk Troupe.
Worse still, she only realized that the blind date and audition overlapped that morning, and had sent a message to the man she was supposed to meet.
“Hello, this is Baek Jinju. I sincerely apologize, but something urgent has come up. Would it be possible to delay our meeting by three hours or reschedule to another day?”
She had assumed he would be quite taken aback.
But the audition is obviously more important than a blind date.
Still, changing plans so abruptly just hours before the meeting made her uneasy.
Fortunately, the reply came quickly.
“Alright. It’s difficult to change the date, so let’s meet three hours later.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Will I recognize him right away?
She didn’t know what her blind date partner looked like, so she worried she might not recognize him. Fearing she would be late again, she rushed into the café after getting off the taxi.
She scanned the interior.
Her teacher had said, “He’s Jihoon’s son, so you’ll recognize him immediately.”
And then she saw a familiar face near the window.
The same striking features, the same unforgettable eyes.
When their gazes met, the man raised his hand slightly in acknowledgment.
Huh? Why is he here—the judge from the audition panel?
Had her blind date not arrived yet?
Assuming he was simply someone she knew, Jinju approached the man.
“Hello, I was just at the Gyeongseong Changgeuk Troupe auditi—”
“You came to a blind date still wearing the hanbok from your audition.”
Jinju’s eyes widened in shock.
“Pardon? How did you—?”
How could he possibly know that?
A strange feeling crept over her.
“Weren’t you the one meeting me for the blind date?”
“…!”
Startled, Jinju closed her slightly parted lips.
She had thought he looked familiar at the audition. Now, up close, she could see traces of Jihoon (Jihoon) in his face.
N-no way…
“May I ask your name, sir?”
“Lee Yoonjae.”
Lee Yoonjae (Lee Yoonjae)—the only son of Jihoon, her father’s friend and fellow pansori colleague.
Jinju stared at him in disbelief.
His first gaze, his low voice—it all carried a coldness that made her flinch.
The man who had casually brought up marriage during the audition was her blind date partner.
Her thoughts became tangled.
So that’s why he asked those questions…
She lowered her head unconsciously.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize the audition and blind date overlapped until today. Since I was told it couldn’t be rescheduled, I… I’m truly sorry.”
She sat down. Even after fixing her posture and lifting her head, his wary gaze did not leave her.
Yoonjae rested his chin on his hand, legs crossed, observing her silently. The longer he studied her, the more uncomfortable Jinju became.
“Don’t you have a personal manager? I heard you do quite a lot of broadcast work.”
He sounded somewhat rude.
Even if she was young, this was still a formal blind date arranged by elders. Yet from the way he looked, he seemed entirely uninterested in marriage—which, oddly enough, made things simpler.
“I am not a celebrity. I only perform where I am needed.”
She lifted her gaze slightly.
Unlike her expectation, his face showed no warmth at all. Unlike Jihoon, who always smiled gently, this man was expressionless.
Lee Yoonjae—the only son of the chairman of K Entertainment (K Entertainment), one of the largest entertainment companies in the country.
Born into privilege, surrounded by people who had always indulged him, he naturally carried an air of confidence. His flawless looks alone were comparable to celebrities.
Sharp eyes, a straight nose, pale skin, and a well-built frame. His gaze was filled with arrogance, as if he lacked nothing in the world.
Jinju unconsciously clenched her fist beneath the table.
“I work in performance production, as you know. And you are quite famous in the traditional music world.”
She glanced at him again.
Then she bit her lower lip slightly.
She had hoped—because he was Jihoon’s son—that he might be somewhat warm-hearted. That expectation had clearly been misplaced.
“May I ask why you are on the Gyeongseong Changgeuk Troupe judging panel, Director Lee Yoonjae?”
That question had been bothering her the most.
“My role is overall directing for the troupe’s next production.”
“…!”
Jinju straightened immediately.
If she passed the audition, this man would be her director. Worse, he would oversee the entire production—meaning absolute authority over the troupe.
What do I do?
She had only come because she didn’t want to defy her teacher. She had also been curious about Jihoon’s son.
Now, things were more complicated.
“Um… Director.”
At her changed tone, Yoonjae narrowed his eyes slightly.
Director…
He had already heard her voice during the audition and knew one thing for certain: Baek Jinju was a genius vocalist with immense passion for performance.
A woman who cared only about singing and the stage.
After a brief silence, Jinju spoke firmly:
“I came today only because my teacher insisted. As I said at the audition, I have no intention of dating or marrying. Since we are in the same field, I believe you understand my position. If I am accepted, I will focus solely on troupe activities for the time being.”
Yoonjae finally spoke.
“That suits me perfectly. I don’t have time for relationships or marriage either.”
“Understood. Then I would like to settle the matter of the marriage discussion between our families here.”
“…Hm.”
He should have felt relieved, but something felt oddly off.
“So should I tell your teacher that we have different views and will go our separate ways?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will take my leave.”
“Do as you wish.”
Jinju stood up abruptly, as if the matter was settled.
Sitting face-to-face with someone who might become the troupe’s director was far too burdensome.
She bowed politely, like a final stage greeting, and quickly left the café.
* * *
The following Saturday afternoon.
Does this woman think this is an actual date? Why did she choose a place like this?
On the blind date day, she had clearly said she had no intention of marrying.
Still, it made sense that she had been forced into it by family pressure—he was in the same situation.
But the meeting place she had sent… was a crowded amusement park on a weekend afternoon.
Yoonjae stood at the entrance.
As the time approached, he saw Jinju walking toward him, her long wavy hair tied and draped over one shoulder like a girl.
Their eyes met.
Hm?
She seemed to tighten her gaze at him before walking faster.
“…!”
Before he could fully react—
“—!”
Jinju suddenly ran straight at him.
Thud.
She threw her arms around his waist.
His eyebrow shot up sharply.
A faint, sweet scent he had never experienced before surrounded him.
“W-wel—”
Yoonjae’s face twisted in shock.
“What are you doing? Baek Jinju, are you… insane?”
“W-welcome.”
She said it with her eyes tightly shut.
What is this woman doing?
Then he felt her trembling hands around his waist.
Yoonjae narrowed his eyes slightly.
She was not someone who would behave lightly—she was a disciple of Master Nam Aesoon, a traditional performer known for strict discipline and etiquette.
There was no way she would act like this toward a man she barely knew.
Something’s off.
Yoonjae’s low voice fell over her head.
“So you wanted a European-style reunion? What exactly are you trying to do?”
He leaned in closer than he had ever allowed before.
“I can do anything well.”
