[Dispatch=Reporter Gu Min-ji] "Aren't you all going too far? I can't hear right now!" (Kim Jae-hwan)

Kim Jae-hwan playfully complained to his fans. The cheers from the audience were extraordinary. It was an atmosphere hard to believe at a ballad singer's concert. Fans stood up from their seats and jumped, shouting "One more!"

He answered the applause with song. High note after high note after high note. He dominated the venue with explosive vocal power. Each song took on a different color. He revealed the true nature of a vocalist through stable live performance and controlled pacing.

"I'm going crazy too. This is what performing is all about!"

He was not simply a singer who could hit high notes well. He added fullness by playing guitar himself. Delicately, sometimes without hesitation, he poured out his emotions. Literally, he sang with his whole body. He put sincerity into every single phrase.

Kim Jae-hwan titled this concert 'Emptiness.' The meaning was that one must empty out in order to fill with new music. On this day, that emptiness was filled with Kim Jae-hwan's voice and the cheers of his fans.

Kim Jae-hwan held 'Emptiness' at Blue Square Woori WON Banking Hall in Seoul on October 31st and November 1st. He stood before fans for the first time in about three years after completing his military service. Dispatch was present at the meeting between Kim Jae-hwan and Wind.

◆ "Love Has Bloomed"

Kim Jae-hwan wore an acoustic guitar and stood before a standing microphone. Blue pinwheels were waved uniformly from the audience seats. From the first verse of "I'll Come Pick You Up Now," he painted the concert hall with his sweet voice.

He sang "My Star" and "Those Days, We" back to back. Living up to his nickname of having an "innocent face with dissolute tone," he displayed an attractive vocal color. He built emotion gently, then burst at the climax.

"I was so nervous I couldn't sleep. I was anxious because it's been three years since my last concert. But I'll complete the stage beautifully and with confident eyes for all of you until the end."

A section of bliss followed. He selected "Hello" and "Some Days." Gripping a hand microphone, he poured out high notes with his whole body trembling. He sang while making eye contact with each fan.

The fans matched their singer. For "Like That You," fans sang sweetly along with Kim Jae-hwan's playing. Kim Jae-hwan removed his in-ear monitor and listened to the audience's voice. He gave a thumbs up.

"That's good. Ah, I'm so happy. Today's response is really great. I have fun songs left to jump around to, and I'm looking forward to it. Let's play!"

◆ "I Wanted to Stand on Stage"

"For this concert, I thought most about what Wind would want to hear and see, and what kind of appearance I, Kim Jae-hwan, would like to show you."

The traces of his deliberation were evident in his song selection. He presented drama OSTs in succession, including "What Will Happen," "What If," and "Black Sky." Though difficult songs followed one after another, he showed no signs of fatigue. He moved across a wide vocal range.

Kim Jae-hwan used different expressions for each song. He started carefully, then burst with emotion at the peak. When Kim Jae-hwan passed the microphone, the fans received it right away. They expressed their affection through improvised lyrics such as "Wind, we love you."

"My voice got a bit deeper in the military." (Kim Jae-hwan)

It was said jokingly, but that confidence was felt on stage. It was the result of consistent practice even in the military. "Who Am I" extended a powerful high note at length. He freely displayed his honed voice.

"During military service, I spent my time with the heart of 'I want to do a concert quickly,' 'I want to let Wind hear my refined voice soon.' Let's enjoy today's performance happily. (That much)"

◆ "A Jumping Ballad Concert"

This time, Kim Jae-hwan started moving the audience directly. For "It's You," he appeared in the audience seating. He made eye contact and handed prepared gifts directly. He held out the microphone to hear the fans' singing.

The cover stages were full of twists. He crossed genres with FINKL's "Now," TVXQ!'s "Spell," BTS's "I Need U," NewJeans's "Ditto," Lissenung's "Deja Vu," and more. When he even showed dance, screams erupted.

It was a stage difficult to explain with only the modifier "ballad singer." The atmosphere heated up at "We Have No Limits." "Blow Me" and "Is This a Flower" had fans jumping from their seats. Group singing erupted in every part.

The fans shouted "One more" as soon as the song ended. Kim Jae-hwan broke into laughter. He asked if they were confident they could jump more than before. At Kim Jae-hwan's signal, the band immediately began playing.

The fans jumped even louder and sang in unison. The entire venue resonated. Kim Jae-hwan smiled and said, "Aren't you all going too far," and "I can't hear right now, your voice is really loud."

"I feel that today's emptiness is gradually being filled, and I'm very happy."

◆ "Wind's Love Knows No Limits"

Kim Jae-hwan stopped singing moment by moment and listened to the audience. "Become Light" and "I Need Time" were the same. The sound of singing flowed from the audience seats. The fans' voices became another instrument.

A special landscape unfolded at "Voice of Stars." Phone flashes were turned on one by one among the blue lightsticks. It was like a starlit night sky. Fans sang, "I will reach you, my destiny, a star."

"When we sing together like this, some songs seem to resonate more. I feel a sense of accomplishment when my story told through music reaches someone, and it becomes a great driving force. If you are happy, I am happy too."

Familiar faces were there too. Wanna One's Jisung, Hwang Min-hyun, and Lee Dae-hui visited the concert hall. Holding lightsticks, they cheered harder than anyone. Kim Jae-hwan greeted them with Wanna One's greeting. Park Woo-jin was there on the first day.

He sang "Hello" and "What I May Call Love." In the encore, he released an unreleased song made for this concert, "In the Next Life." It contained a promise to love the fans even if they meet again in the next life.

He pledged to continue with fans through new music going forward. He closed the concert with "Snail" and "Winter Fairy Tale." Kim Jae-hwan conveyed his heart to fans by saying, "Waiting is also part of love."

"Emptiness. The reason I wanted to empty out is because I gained confidence to fill the void that much. You have filled not just this concert hall but also my heart."

"With joy, happiness, and positive feelings as nourishment, I will create new music and bring it to you. Then the emptiness in my heart that will arise then can be filled with new things, right?"

"Thanks to Wind, I can always look forward to what's next. Keep being with me. I love you."

<Photo=Reporter Jung Young-woo>