Two days later, at dawn, JFK International Airport, New York
Geon Kim entered the airport entrance, sunglasses and hat on, face covered with a neck warmer, dragging a large suitcase behind him. Despite the early hour, the airport lobby was bustling with people. Geon spotted Professor Sharon sitting on an eight-seat bench next to the boarding pass exchange, absorbed in her phone, and hurried over with his suitcase. Sharon looked up as she felt someone approaching and waved at Geon.
"Over here."
"Professor!"
Geon placed his suitcase aside and sat next to Sharon, asking.
"You're early. What about Professor Price?"
Sharon showed her phone's message screen and said,
"Professor Corigliano is bringing her. He'll probably have to return right after dropping her off. Professor Corigliano has a schedule from this morning. What about Kiska?"
Geon shrugged.
"Gregory said he couldn't allow her to travel abroad, so I left her behind. She was so upset, I got in trouble for leaving her."
"Ha-ha, Kiska must really like Kay. It's like she's got a real older brother."
"Ha-ha, she does follow me around."
"But Professor Price will be disappointed. She was quite fond of her."
"Ah, I called her yesterday to tell her in advance. She should know."
"That's good. Did you bring your passport?"
Geon opened his bag, took out his passport, and waved it with a smile, to which Sharon nodded.
"Is this your first time going to Ireland?"
Geon nodded excitedly.
"Yes, it's a country I've always wanted to visit. I'm so grateful to Professor Price for including me in her trip."
"Ha-ha, wanted to see because of its beautiful natural scenery?"
Geon made a playful face.
"Ha-ha, actually, I wanted to see the locations where my favorite movie was filmed."
Sharon tilted her head, then remembered the movie and smiled.
"Once?"
"Yes, that's right. It was 2006, so I was very young. I didn't see the movie in theaters but at a friend's house on DVD. I was so hooked I saved up my allowance to buy the DVD and album."
"Ha-ha, I see. Since we're going to Dublin, Ireland, you'll be able to visit the locations from the movie."
"Can we also visit Slane Castle?"
"Slane Castle... where U2 performed live?"
"Yes, the live was outside, but they recorded an entire album inside the castle. It appeared briefly in the music video, and it was so beautiful."
"Hmm.. Since we're renting a car, moving around won't be a problem. Let's go."
"Ha-ha, I'm excited!"
Sharon playfully poked Geon in the ribs.
"This trip is to celebrate Professor Price's retirement, but it seems Kay is more excited?"
Geon scratched his head over his hat and laughed awkwardly.
"Ha-ha.. Is, is that so? Oh! There's the professor!"
As Geon spoke, Sharon stood up reflexively, and her eyes caught Professor Nora coming with a large, white suitcase. Nora's face, flushed with excitement from the rare trip, looked healthier than after her performances, and she wore designer sunglasses and a stylish scarf with dark purple droplets on a light purple background, waving and smiling broadly.
"The plane will be boarding soon! Come over here!"
Sharon and Geon quickly dragged their suitcases to her, exchanging greetings. Even though they had seen each other just two days ago, their greeting was warmly exchanged, and the three of them, holding their plane tickets, lined up to check in their luggage. Despite many people glancing at Geon, whose face was hidden behind sunglasses and a neck warmer, thankfully, no one seemed to recognize him. After waiting for a while, Sharon and Professor Price checked in their tickets and luggage and stepped aside, watching an airline employee open Geon's passport in astonishment. Unable to speak, the employee stared blankly at the photo and name in the passport, then quickly regained her composure, seeing Geon in front of her. Geon leaned forward and smiled after removing his sunglasses secretly, placing his index finger on his lips. The employee, momentarily lost in thought, quickly snapped back to her duties, assisting with the ticketing and luggage check-in.
With the most friendly tone and expression she could muster, the shy employee handed Geon a pen and paper, whispering,
"Could I have your autograph, Kay? My name is Margaret."
Geon grinned, signed the paper for her, and even wrote down her name, leaving the employee with a satisfied smile. She kindly directed them to the entrance. After a brief check of their luggage and tickets by a security officer, the three entered the duty-free shop at the airport. Sharon and Professor Price, despite their age,
couldn't resist shopping at the cosmetics corner, leaving Geon alone to guard the suitcase. He noticed a toy store not far away.
'Kiska must be mad. I should buy her a doll.'
Entering the toy store, Geon picked up a cute rabbit doll. Smiling at the doll that somehow resembled Kiska, he paid for it and exited the store, where Sharon greeted him with a smile.
"Is this a gift for Kiska?"
Geon took the rabbit doll out of the bag and shook it, laughing playfully.
"Doesn't it resemble Kiska?"
"Ha-ha, yes. It suits cute Kiska well."
"Phew, but why is this doll so expensive? When I was young, even the most expensive robot toys didn't cost more than $50. I don't understand why this doll costs $135. It's cute, though."
"Dolls are quite expensive these days. The doll Kay bought is from a known maker."
Chatting away, the trio headed to the gate and boarded the plane. Having woken up early to prepare, Geon plugged in his earphones to listen to music and quickly fell asleep. Thanks to Sharon booking first-class for Professor Price, Geon enjoyed a comfortable sleep until the plane landed in the Netherlands for a layover. Blending with the disembarking passengers, Geon removed his sunglasses to rub his sleepy eyes.
A young woman in her twenties, walking beside him and dragging a suitcase, caught his eye as she gasped in shock. Geon quickly put his sunglasses back on, but after confirming she recognized him, he approached her and whispered,
"Could you come over here for a moment?"
Geon led the stunned woman to a secluded spot, removing his sunglasses and smiling.
"I'll take a picture and sign an autograph for you, but please don't make a fuss."
The woman, feeling as if she had won the lottery, spent over ten minutes taking pictures and getting autographs. A tired Geon put his sunglasses back on and chased after Sharon and Professor Price, who had moved ahead. Not seeing them, Geon boarded the connecting flight alone and found the two professors already seated, chatting away, looking at them with discontent.
"Wow, how could you board before me?"
Professor Leontine Price covered her mouth with her hand, laughing.
"Ha-ha, I saw everything. You took a young lady to a corner. Thinking Kay found a woman he liked, we didn't want to interrupt and came ahead. You're not upset, are you?"
Geon pushed a small carry-on into the overhead compartment, chuckling.
"What are you talking about? I was just giving an autograph to a fan who recognized me after I took off my sunglasses."
Sharon waved her hand, laughing playfully.
"I won't tell Kiska, so be honest, Kay. Ha-ha."
Geon looked down at Sharon with a baffled expression.
"What? Why is Kiska coming up, Professor?"
"Ha-ha, was it not?"
Geon slumped into his seat, shaking his head.
"Professor, Kiska is only ten years old."
Sharon and Leontine Price looked at each other and said simultaneously.
"Who knows? Will Kiska think the same?"
"What? Hey, stop joking. I'm going to sleep."
Geon plugged in his earphones, pulled his hat down, and lay down as Leontine Price watched him for a while before whispering to Sharon.
"Does he not know?"
Sharon glanced at Geon's profile and nodded slightly.
"He might not know. From the side, it seemed Kay didn't know how to respond to the attention from women. And since Kiska is so young, he probably hasn't thought about it."
"Hmm... It would be bad if Kiska got hurt."
"Ha-ha, love affairs are unpredictable, Professor. Even if not now, things might change when Kiska grows up."
"Ha-ha-ha, this will be interesting to watch. Ha-ha-ha."
Unaware of the conversation between the two women, Geon surrendered to the music flowing through his earphones and drifted into sleep. After a short flight, they landed at Dublin Airport in Ireland, and Geon was mesmerized by the view of Dublin's low houses and nature. As Sharon, driving the rented car, pointed towards downtown Dublin in the distance,
"This is the heaven of busking. Dublin, Ireland. It's where bright, shining musicians first stand in front of an audience."
Excitement surged through Geon as he caught a glimpse of the Dublin cityscape he had seen in movies, unable to hide his exhilarated expression.
"Wow!! I can't wait to see it! I wonder what songs the Irish people will play, and what it will be like to see the places from the movie with my own eyes, Professor!"
"Ha-ha, enjoy to your heart's content."
Sharon raised her hand, flicking her
index finger.
"First, the hotel. Don't forget that Professor Price is of advanced age, Kay."
Looking at Professor Price's wrinkled hand, Geon calmed his excitement but remained glued to the window, captivated by the beautiful cityscape. The compact houses, closely packed yet harmoniously blending with the natural scenery, freed Geon's heart from any sense of confinement.
Upon arriving at The Morrison, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, located along the River Liffey in downtown Dublin, they each checked into separate rooms and unpacked their luggage. After some time had passed in the evening, feeling tired, they decided to rest in the hotel for the day, each spending time relaxing in their own room. Younger than the other two, Geon soothed his regretful feelings by looking at the River Liffey from the hotel window.
After tossing and turning in bed out of boredom, Geon finally couldn't stand it anymore and abruptly got out of bed.
"Alright! Maybe it's okay if it's just downtown? I'll just go for a short walk by myself!"
Geon, having decided to go out alone, rummaged through his suitcase and picked out clothes after considering taking photos with his phone and changing outfits multiple times to find a suitable look. He ended up wearing dark blue destroyed jeans, a black shirt, and a long khaki parka that reached his knees. Disliking wearing a hat that pressed down on his forehead, he wore a round-brimmed khaki boater hat over his bangs and put on sunglasses, which he took off after seeing it was already dark outside. He then wrapped a thick knit scarf around his neck, covering up to his nose, leaving only his eyes visible. Satisfied with his appearance in the mirror, Geon pocketed his hands in the parka and headed to the hotel lobby.
Waiting his turn, Geon got into a taxi and told the driver.
"Please take me to Grafton Street."
The chubby Caucasian driver started the car and, seeing Geon in the rearview mirror, asked.
"Looking at your outfit, you seem to be involved in music? Are you going to Grafton Street to watch busking?"
"Haha, yes, that's right. I wanted to see it since it appeared in a movie."
"Ho ho, that movie has brought a lot of foreign tourists here. The music store featured in it had so many visitors that they had to expand."
"Oh, the shop where the two protagonists play the piano?"
"That's Walton's. It's on South Great George's Street, not too far from Grafton where we're heading."
"Thanks for the tip."
"Ha ha, I hope you make good memories in Dublin."
After chatting with the friendly driver, when Geon arrived at Grafton Street, it was already dark. Despite the late hour, the bustling street was alive with bright lights from numerous signs, and many people were on their way amidst the performers who were busking here and there. Geon smiled brightly at this sight.
The first artist Geon encountered was not a musician but an elderly mime artist, painted green on his body and face, wearing a ridiculous Irish traditional hat, performing pantomime. Most people just glanced and walked by, but a few, including some children, stopped with interest to watch. After watching the mime for a while, Geon took out 1 euro (about 1,300 won) and placed it in a can in front of the mime, who bowed his head slightly with a comical expression.
Smiling at the mime, Geon spotted another artist about 50 meters away. Following the worldwide hit of the movie Once, many people flocked to Ireland for busking, leading to a rule on Grafton Street that artists perform at least 50 meters apart to avoid interfering with each other. Before Geon had walked ten steps from the mime's performance, guitar sounds reached his ears, surprising him.
"This is... my song?"
The musician busking on Grafton Street was playing the intro of Geon's song, "If I could change the world." Astonished, Geon hurriedly approached and saw a young man in his mid-twenties with a stylish two-block haircut playing the guitar. The passersby seemed interested in Geon's song, stopping to wait for the performance. Making his way through the crowd, Geon stood a bit behind and watched the man with amazement.
"My song is being sung by someone else. Does this happen elsewhere too?"
Geon, not yet fully aware of his global stardom, did not realize how often his song was covered by street performers. Seeing this scene for the first time filled him with wonder. As the guitarist continued to play, the listeners began nodding their heads and moving to the rhythm, prompting a smile from Geon, who found the scene intriguing and satisfying.
Overhearing a conversation among three young Irish women nearby, Geon listened in.
"I always love listening to Kay's songs. Don't you?"
"Yes, they somehow calm me down."
"Did you see the opera performance?"
"Of course! I got goosebumps all over my body. Did you see the ending?"
"Yes! The high note, right? I screamed so loud I got scolded by my mom. But the funny thing is, when
I showed it to her, she screamed too, ho ho."
"It was truly a performance of the century. But it was titled Leontine Price's retirement concert, and all I saw was Kay."
"Ho ho, girl, that's because you have a crush on Kay!"
"Oh my, look at you? Don't you have one?"
"Ho ho ho, yes! I'd date Kay even if he asked me for just an hour."
"An hour? Really?"
"Of course! Wouldn't you?"
"Um...if it were me...I guess so? Haha"
"See! Ho ho."
Although they didn't realize Geon was there, hearing their conversation made him slightly embarrassed. Just then, the artist finished the intro, and his song began. The man sang at an amateur level, but it was good enough to keep more people staying than leaving. Although Geon had covered others' songs before, this was his first time hearing someone else perform his own. He quietly sang along to the lyrics.
"If I could change the world. (If I could change the world.) Back in time, I'll be back then. (If I could turn back time, I'd go back to then.)"
Even though he sang softly, the three women next to him turned with surprised expressions. The woman who had been focusing on the performing artist now glanced sideways at Geon, her eyes widening as they exchanged looks and focused their attention.
"When I had to hide in a place where no one knew. (When I had to hide and could only watch from a place unknown.) If you can go back then and save you. (If I could go back and save you.)"
The eyes of the three women twisted in shock. They huddled together and whispered urgently.
"Did you hear that just now?"
"Yes, yes!! It sounded exactly like Kay's CD!"
"Isn't it even more amazing than Kay? The voice is incredible!"
The three women turned back to look at Geon again. The man, stylishly wearing a boater hat on his head with black hair falling to his eyebrows, was mostly covered by a scarf up to his nose, but even the glimpse of his eyes was enough to recognize his incredible handsomeness. The most confident among the three women blushed slightly and brushed her long blonde hair behind her ear. The other two pushed her forward, whispering.
"Vernin, you've fallen for him, haven't you?"
"Go talk to him. You're the best among us."
Vernin pushed back against her friends' urging arms, saying.
"Oh, stop. What should I say all of a sudden?"
"You're good at this kind of thing. You even managed to charm that handsome American at the Temp bar last time!"
As Vernin glanced at her friends, she heard the man's song again. But as the busking artist's voice drowned out the sound, she looked at the stage with annoyed eyes and muttered.
"That's supposed to be singing?"
Unaware of the situation, Geon continued to sing softly. As the performance reached its climax, his voice grew slightly louder, causing the people around him to step back a bit and start watching him. The artist, noticing the attention shifting, stopped playing and spoke into the microphone.
"The man wearing the boater hat?"
As everyone's gaze focused on Geon, he took a step back and smiled awkwardly, looking around. The street performer called out again.
"The person with the scarf. Could you come up here for a moment?"
Seizing the opportunity, Vernin approached Geon, gently tugging at the sleeve of his parka, and said with a shy expression.
"Go on. We all heard you singing."
Geon looked at Vernin with a puzzled expression, but feeling the collective gaze upon him, he stepped onto the stage, not wanting to disrupt the performance. The guitarist extended his hand for a handshake.
"I'm Beamard."
Geon was about to introduce himself but hesitated. After a moment, he smiled and said.
"I'm Geon."
"Geon? Like the gun? Is that a nickname?"
"Haha, no. It's just a name from my country."
"Ah, a traveler. I thought your black hair looked unfamiliar."
Beamard glanced around at the roughly twenty spectators and said to Geon.
"People seemed more interested in your song than mine. Are you a musician?"
"Yes, I'm a student."
"I see. I'm not a singer but a musician. I know my singing is just so-so. Today is my last day in Ireland before I leave. Would you give me the chance to sing with you?"
"Oh, you're leaving?"
"Yes, I'm going to study in England. Tonight is my last night in my hometown, Dublin."
Geon looked around at the people, hesitant. About twenty people were watching, but with the street bustling with passersby, the number of those just walking by seemed to be in the thousands. Watching the
street filled with the leisurely pace and bright smiles of the Irish people, Geon smiled at Beamard.
"Sure. It would be an honor to be part of your last night here."