Superstar 827
by CristaeSeo-jun and Tae-woo, having snapped a commemorative photo with the Night Jin background, headed for their next stop: the Sea Save Center.
It hadn’t been long since Seo-jun had last visited to recharge his mana.
The Sea Save Center was still the incredible place it had always been—rescuing and treating marine animals, and hosting interactive programs to educate the public.
So when Seo-jun saw a banner installed on the side of the building, he assumed it was advertising one of those programs.
But it wasn’t.
“Seo-jun, we’re almost there—oh.”
“Whoa…!”
As they neared the center, the banner came into clearer view. Both driver and passenger widened their eyes in surprise.
It was a still from the documentary We Are Now / In the Sea.
At dawn, in what’s called the time between dog and wolf, a baby humpback whale named Woori and a dolphin named Rocky peeked their heads out of the water. Sitting in front of them was Seo-jun, the three quietly facing one another.
Above them, the sky was filled with a massive cloud-whale—Moby Dick.
No matter how many times one saw it, the image was mysterious and awe-inspiring.
“They could use that photo as official promotional material for the center,” Tae-woo said.
“Totally,” Seo-jun agreed with a smile.
It was no wonder he mistook it for a promo banner—it blended so perfectly with the Sea Save Center’s message.
Unlike the Night Jin photo at King’s Market, which had been placed out of sight from the parking lot to avoid crowding, the Sea Save Center’s image was installed where it could be seen from afar.
‘I can see why,’ Seo-jun thought.
The closer they got to the center, the bigger the photo loomed.
More detail came into view—Woori, Rocky, and Seo-jun gazing at each other. The warmth and tenderness in their eyes and expressions seemed to radiate stronger the nearer one came.
Love, like waves, came crashing in.
People who followed that wave would park their cars, look up at the photo, and find themselves swept up in emotion.
Whether their feelings were for whales or for Seo-jun himself didn’t really matter.
Hmm.
It was a little embarrassing since the image featured him, not a character—but more than that, it was satisfying. It made him happy.
Seo-jun stepped out of the car and looked up at the photo.
Because it was so big, the messages left by his fans were easily readable too.
—Hope you stay happy!
—/Please don’t overdo it!/
—/Health first, second, and always!/
A different kind of loving wave washed over Seo-jun, making him giggle softly.
“J… you’re here?”
Jun!
Kate, the head of the rescue team, lowered her voice quickly after calling out.
Unlike the relatively empty King’s Market earlier in the day, the Sea Save Center already had quite a few visitors—tourists and locals arriving as the center opened.
“Hello, Kate.”
Seo-jun and Tae-woo greeted her.
“Isn’t that photo amazing? It made my heart swell when I came into work today.”
Kate, who genuinely loved marine animals and wanted to rush out to see them, made Seo-jun smile warmly.
“If Jun and his fans are okay with it, we’d like to extend the use of the image for promotional purposes. Would that be alright?”
“I’m fine with it.”
Kate beamed at his quick agreement. They decided to follow up formally through the agency later.
“Enjoy your visit, Jun.”
Watching her practically skip off toward the marketing team, Seo-jun turned his eyes back to the photo.
‘I wonder how Woori and Rocky are doing.’
Even after offering his blessings, he couldn’t help but worry. The ocean was vast, deep, and often dangerous.
He made a mental note to check on them once New Eclipse finished filming—he could use his abilities to locate them.
As Seo-jun stood quietly gazing up at the photo, Tae-woo checked the time and spoke.
“Shall we take a photo, Seo-jun?”
“Sure. Please, Tae-woo hyung.”
Among other tourists and locals snapping pictures, Seo-jun found a spot where he wouldn’t get in anyone’s way. Tae-woo stood in front of him, holding the camera.
They looked just like any other local pair.
Click.
With his baseball cap tilted back and a bright smile on his face, Seo-jun posed. Then, they got back into the car.
“Once we upload this, people will freak out.”
“Haha. Yeah.”
Tae-woo chuckled while starting the engine, and Seo-jun laughed softly while buckling his seatbelt.
He could already picture the comments:
—Seo-jun?! What are you doing there?!
—NOOO!! He was right next to me!!
—😭 The real thing was literally there, why didn’t I notice?! 😭
Their next stop was LA College of Music.
As expected of a university campus, it was more crowded than the center.
“Let’s be careful.”
“Got it.”
Seo-jun nodded at Tae-woo’s warning.
Even the relaxed bodyguards grew a bit more alert.
Their destination: Bread Hall.
It was where Gray Biny had played his final scenes in Over the Rainbow 1 and Over the Rainbow 2: For My Friend.
Due to easy access, more people had gathered here than at the previous locations—students going to class, professors, locals, tourists drawn to Bread Hall.
And among them, in a baseball cap—Seo-jun Lee.
He looked up.
A photo had been installed on the wall of Bread Hall—not as big as the one at the center, but larger than the one at King’s Market.
Gray Biny.
Two of them, actually.
Young Gray in a suit (Over the Rainbow 1) and older Gray in an identical suit (Over the Rainbow 2), leaning back-to-back with gentle smiles as they played violin.
“Whoa! That wasn’t here yesterday!”
“They must’ve put it up overnight!”
“Looks like they could start playing any second…”
With so many people around, reactions were audible.
Even after all this time, the work and the character were still beloved—Seo-jun’s smile deepened.
“What’s that writing?”
“They’re messages from Jun’s fans.”
“Wow… That’s amazing.”
Seo-jun couldn’t help but puff up with pride.
Look at how much my sprouts love me. And of course, I love them just as much—no, even more.
“Gray! You’re awesome! Right, Mom?”
“That’s right.”
Among the crowd, a young child held a tiny violin case—clearly here for this.
“I can play!”
Before their parents could stop them, the kid had taken out the violin and drawn the bow with gusto.
♬-!
Over the Rainbow.
The beautiful tune flowed from the small violin—though with lots of missed notes, as the child was still learning.
When the crowd began to notice, the startled parents tried to stop their child—but then—
♪–
A second violin joined in—strong, clean, professional.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
A man in a baseball cap was playing. His face was hidden, but his skill suggested he was an LACM student.
Beside him, a female friend stood frozen, mouth agape in shock.
♬-
The performance pulled everyone in.
The child, now reinvigorated by the accompaniment, played with renewed excitement.
It felt like watching young Gray and adult Gray play together.
“I… I can’t take it anymore!”
Someone nearby opened a case and pulled out a flute.
Over the Rainbow was a violin piece, but lovers of the film had long adapted it to their instruments. YouTube was full of arrangements.
This flutist had practiced it countless times since childhood—and had played it in ensemble with violins.
♬-♪-
Now the two violins were joined by a flute.
The sound grew richer and more beautiful.
Students around couldn’t help reacting.
This was LACM—a place filled with students who loved music.
Violas, oboes, more violins.
Starting with the flute, other students began to join.
Pianists could only sigh in regret; those without instruments felt helpless.
It was a movie-like moment. A beautiful ensemble.
People took videos with phones and cameras alike—including a certain superstar’s manager. But no one recognized him.
—!
The performance ended with a thunderous round of applause in front of Bread Hall.
“Mom! Dad! I did good, right?”
With red cheeks and a bright smile, the child held the violin proudly. Their parents smiled too.
“You were great!”
“Dad thought you were Gray himself!”
“Hehehe!”
Hand in hand, the family turned to thank the man who’d joined their child’s performance.
But he was nowhere to be seen.
“Thank you for letting me borrow your violin.”
“……Gasp!”
A short distance from Bread Hall.
The man returned the violin to the stunned girl, who finally breathed in.
“……Seo-jun Lee!”
She let out the name she hadn’t been able to say earlier—practically screamed it.
Seo-jun laughed.
“I’m a fan! I’m a sprout! For real! I started learning violin because of Over the Rainbow! I even came to LACM because of it! Oh! I wrote a message on the wall photo!”
“Really?”
Seo-jun widened his eyes in surprise. The girl nodded furiously.
She’d come to see her own message… and ended up meeting her idol.
‘Now I can… no, wait—autograph! Photo!’
“Would it be okay if I asked for your autograph or a photo?”
“Of course. I’d be happy to.”
Her voice careful, Seo-jun replied warmly.
Tae-woo took the photo for her on her phone.
“Please keep this a secret just for today. I’m planning to visit a few more places, and if it spreads, there might be a crowd.”
With a wink, Seo-jun explained.
The girl, now clutching a signed photo and wide-eyed, replied:
“I’ll take it to my grave.”
“Haha. Just until tonight is fine.”
And with that, the brief but unforgettable meeting with a sprout ended.
Seo-jun and Tae-woo headed for the next stop: the nearby park where Seo-jun had once done a promotional busking performance for Over the Rainbow 1.
“Hm?”
As they neared the busking spot, they heard music.
“That’s a violin, right?”
“Sounds like wind instruments too?”
A performance was underway.
The piece?
Gray’s Violin Piece No.1—played to express gratitude to the kind students earlier.
Following the melody, they arrived at the busking photo site—only to find the most heartwarming scene.
People were performing with the photo of young Seo-jun busking as a backdrop.
Most seemed to be locals or tourists, not students. Word must have spread from Bread Hall, and people—musicians, neighbors, visitors—had gathered here.
Seo-jun let out a sigh tinged with regret.
“I should’ve brought my violin.”
♬-♪!
The park overflowed with music, rich with gratitude and joy.