Episode 122
Even after I said I’d hate to recruit her, Oh Yoori didn’t stop licking her lips until she finally licked my foot just once before falling back.
“Hmm… it’s a bit salty. Still, it was delicious.”
“…Never do this again.”
“…I can’t promise that, since unforeseen circumstances may arise.”
“…”
…What kind of crazy circumstances would make you lick my foot again?
However, since I had also said something wrong, I decided to just seal this incident away in my memories and move on.
“…Haah, with this, I’ve roughly achieved my goal, right? I’m going to see Gyeoul now. See you later.”
As I let out a deep sigh and got up to leave, Oh Yoori tagged along behind me, saying,
“Ah, let’s go together!”
Why are you following me again?
“Can’t we just go home now? Or sit in the trainee-only concert seats over there. Didn’t you come to see the stage?”
“The truth is, I only used coming to see the stage as an excuse to see Team Leader Seon, so it’s fine.”
“…Okay, do whatever you want.”
For some reason, I ignored the clingy Oh Yoori and moved towards my original goal: seeing Gyeoul’s face. The rehearsal was already over, and soon it would be time for the stage performance of the title song ‘My Shine’ by Girl 100. I wanted to take this brief moment before she went up on stage to encourage her.
Surprisingly, Gyeoul didn’t show any signs of nervousness when it was time for her to dance and sing. However, this was the first time she would be showing herself in front of so many fans. Especially since she was the center, the pressure must have been even greater. So, I thought Gyeoul would be feeling unprecedented nerves. While it might not mean much, I wanted to tell her, “Don’t worry, I believe in you.”
In the area where all the trainees were preparing to go on stage, I asked the staff,
“Is trainee Han Gyeoul not here?”
“Well, let’s see… Is she not here? Oh dear, there isn’t much time left. We’ll check.”
Where on earth has she gone?
I wandered around looking for places where Gyeoul might be. After searching mostly in dark corners where people wouldn’t usually go, I found Gyeoul sitting precariously on the railing of the second-floor audience seats, staring vacantly at the sky.
“…”
She looked just like that first time I saw her, sitting precariously on the railing and staring blankly at the sky.
She resembled the first appearance of winter.
“Teacher Taeyang?”
Gyeoul, who had been staring blankly at the stage while turning her head, seemed to sense my presence and looked at me.
“Teacher Taeyang!”
Then she smiled brightly like spring.
From the smile of Gyeoul, radiating charm as if it were approaching like a slice of cake, I felt that time had passed.
This place was neither the past nor the future.
It was the second round.
I gathered my emotions as much as possible amidst the thoughts and memories that floated up like clouds and said to Gyeoul,
“…What are you doing in such a dangerous place?”
“Hehe, it reminded me of the old days when I first met Teacher Taeyang. …Ah, it wasn’t that long ago to call it the old days. But to me, the time spent with Teacher Taeyang until now feels like a really long time. So much so that it feels completely natural to call the time before meeting Teacher Taeyang as the old days.”
I felt the same way. Although it hadn’t been more than a few months in reality, the first round before meeting Gyeoul felt like a distant past.
However, instead of expressing that understanding, I first voiced my concerns about Gyeoul.
“Well, that can be true, but that doesn’t give you a reason to be in such a precarious place. Come down, I’m scared you’ll get hurt.”
Gyeoul chuckled awkwardly and carefully came down from the railing. Then she slightly avoided my gaze and said,
“…Well, I had this strange feeling that if I stayed like this, Teacher Taeyang would come looking for me. Just like the day we first met.”
“What if I can’t find you?”
“Teacher Taeyang will definitely find me. No matter what time, no matter what moment.”
…
I felt a little guilty about that expectation.
After all, I hadn’t become the amazing person who could fulfill Gyeoul’s feelings.
But still, I wanted to become that kind of person someday, even if not now.
“I’ll try. So that your expectations don’t turn into disappointments.”
Gyeoul was so happy to hear that she couldn’t help but blossom like spring again.
Gyeoul, whose laughter bloomed like flowers in full bloom, soon took on a gentle chill, just like her name, and carefully confessed to me.
“Teacher Taeyang, before meeting you, I was just an utterly common extra. A faint child that you wouldn’t notice, sitting in a corner of the classroom, or a gray child whose presence you might not even remember at the bus stop. If I were to be given a role name, it would be something like ‘Girl 1.’ …That was me.”
The child who could be called ‘Girl 1’… That was me.
I couldn’t agree.
“No, Gyeoul, you’re not that kind of person. Even if it’s not me, you would definitely shine.”
“No, I could never do that. Han Gyeoul is that kind of person.”
“…”
“I’m powerless and passive. I lack confidence and I’m dependent. A child like that being an idol… anyone would have laughed. Even I would have.”
Just as I was about to refute that statement, Gyeoul approached, smiling, and took my hands.
“But even someone like me, if Teacher Taeyang is watching over me, I will become a brighter idol than anyone, not just ‘Girl 1.’ I can fly. Even if I lack talent, I will give it my all. One day, I will be the best idol you talked about, Teacher Taeyang.”
Gyeoul spoke, as if she would shatter with brilliance at any moment.
“Will you please watch over someone like me?”
There was only one thing I could say.
“I already promised. To be with you.”
Gyeoul looked at me and said.
“Until when?”
“Forever.”
“How far?”
“As far as it takes.”
“…”
We faced each other behind the stage, away from the spotlight.
“…Teacher Taeyang.”
Gripping my hands tightly, Gyeoul filled her amethyst eyes with me and said.
“I like you.”
Silence flowed.
Gyeoul seemed flustered, as if she didn’t know she’d say something like that, her eyes trembling in embarrassment.
“…”
I couldn’t answer.
Yet, knowing that silence could be irresponsible, I forced myself to speak.
But Gyeoul hurriedly continued, as if she wouldn’t let me talk.
“…Hehe, as your manager.”
*
After Gyeoul left to go on stage, a little time passed, and Oh Yoori, who had been hiding in the corridor, timidly appeared and asked me.
“Are you okay not telling Older Sister Gyeoul?”
“What about?”
“The Girl 100 voting results.”
I knew the gist of what she was saying, but pretended not to understand.
“The Girl 100 voting was canceled due to vote manipulation controversy, right?”
“Wasn’t it canceled?”
“Come on, you know. The fans who were disappointed made their own online voting page, right? If you tell Gyeoul about that, she might like it and gain more confidence!”
“But that voting was made by the fans, so it doesn’t mean much, does it?”
“Still, the number of votes is no joke! With Girl 100 trending both domestically and internationally, it’s just for fun among the fans, but they really voted a lot. It’s been a hot topic on social media too.”
“….”
The truth was, I knew it too. That voting had far too significant results to be simply called fan-made. However, I pretended not to know, trying not to bring it up with Oh Yoori. But with questions like that, it seemed I couldn’t keep pretending.
So I honestly confessed.
“Yeah, I knew about that voting too, but I can’t tell Gyeoul yet. At least not until this stage is over.”
Oh Yoori asked with a look of pure curiosity.
“Why not?”
Instead of looking at her, I turned my gaze to Gyeoul, who was starting to step on stage, and replied.
“She might be too satisfied with it. Well, it could be my stubbornness talking, but as a manager, I shouldn’t do anything that could take away even the slightest chance. Especially if she wants to aim higher.”
As all the lights went out and silence enveloped the stage, brilliant spotlights shone on the trainees.
All the trainees were beautiful, sweet, and radiant. So stunning that you’d want to chase them even if you went blind. That’s why they are called idols.
And in the center of those shining trainees, Gyeoul began to sing.
[My shine, I'll be the light for you.]
Watching that scene, I smiled with utmost satisfaction and said to Oh Yoori.
“Gyeoul will shine even brighter, to the point where she’ll feel the current result is just ‘barely’ enough.”
*
[Girl 100 Online Fan Voting Results]
[Total Votes from Around the World: 2,724,002]
[Final Voting Trainees: 20]
[Vote Share: 21.74%]
[Han Gyeoul: 1st Place]
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