Episode 200
Yoo Gaeul’s vocals filled the vast Concert Hall, sparkling like stars adorning the sky. Just when her voice chose to float instead of soaring with wings outstretched, it was joined by a male voice.
It was Seon Taeyang’s calm and unembellished voice, far from flamboyance.
A voice that complemented Gaeul’s low and shimmering notes, making them shine even brighter. Experts might listen and find various flaws in that voice.
But Jin Yeoreum, watching the stage, was convinced that it was precisely those imperfections that made the stage perfect.
He moved only to illuminate Gaeul, Gyeoul, Yuri, and Yeoreum, regardless of time or moment. Despite possessing the talent to shine brighter than anyone like the sun, he chose to be the light that illuminated others instead of being the center of attention.
Yeoreum deeply held this truth in her heart.
“…Wow, Team Leader Seon is amazing.”
“I told you, it’s Team Leader Seon!”
“Whether Team Leader or Team Member, he really is impressive. He looked so easygoing when he was cleaning toilets at the orphanage.”
“I thought I looked cool back then too.”
“…That’s a bit of a strange taste, isn’t it?”
“Hey! That’s not what Seon is implying!”
“Ah! Wait! I don’t mind getting hit, but save it for after the show! It’s distracting with Team Leader Seon watching!”
As she watched the kids from the orphanage, invited by Seon Taeyang for the concert, and turned to see Jin Yeoreum staring at the man with glazed eyes, Yoon Haneul spoke up.
“Thanks to Team Leader Seon, Jinyoung got into science high school this time, and Seongtae got into a middle school famous for soccer.”
“….”
“It seems like he knew Seol-ah was interested in webtoons; he supported her with related classes and equipment, and Hyesun got to learn from TwoBear’s Promotion Team. And if there are other kids who need help, he reaches out without even being asked.”
“….”
“Does he have a lot of affection? Or does he have a heart so big it’s hard for someone like me to imagine? I’m not sure, but he really seems like an incredible person. Honestly, I’ve never met someone like that.”
Yeoreum turned her head to look at the kids who shared a piece of her youth.
They were all smiling broadly, gazing at the stage with shining eyes.
As she took in that scene, a single emotion filled her heart to the brim like it was being squeezed.
Without hiding that feeling, she said,
“I think I’m really, really lucky.”
Yoon Haneul, who knew Yeoreum’s life story better than anyone else, was taken aback by those words and asked.
Yoon Haneul, who used to be a friend, flinched at those words and asked, “You went through all that?”
“Because I met Team Leader Seon.”
“…Still, Yeoreum, you haven’t exactly lived a normal life, have you? From being the nation’s little sister to the chaebol abuse controversy, legal battles, doping allegations, cyberbullying, fainting on stage… even I find it hard to breathe just thinking about it!”
“That level of misfortune is just 1 or 2 points off. With Team Leader Seon filling me up with 1,000, 10,000 points, I can’t be beaten.”
Yoon Haneul was surprised by those calm words and looked at her again.
Tears were streaming from Jin Yeoreum’s eyes.
“So, I’m a lucky person.”
She then smiled slightly and walked toward the dazzling stage.
“I’m really glad I’m an idol.”
*
“Team Leader Seon, there’s something wrong with Billboard B, screen 3.”
“Send the technicians immediately to assess the situation and try to fix it if possible. Also, take out half of the portable monitors and send them there. Make sure to ask for the audience’s understanding.”
“Team Leader Seon! We’ve found a large number of suspected resellers. What should we do?”
“First, follow the pre-established policy….”
After finishing the stage, while dealing with minor issues and talking to the staff, I felt a presence approaching me from behind.
The moment I recognized who it was, I interrupted myself.
“Now that the general policy is set, please discuss the rest with Seok Hyun-woo.”
After stepping away from the crowd, I addressed the child crouched in a corner where people couldn’t see us.
“What’s wrong, Gyeoul?”
“Teacher Taeyang…”
Gyeoul, with her unique violet eyes trembling, spoke hesitantly.
“I saw Yoon Jeong.”
“….”
“The fact that I saw her isn’t the problem. I knew I’d run into her since I was invited as a guest. I prepared myself. I planned to act like a professional, as you wish, even if I see her. But I didn’t expect Yoon Jeong to speak to me first.”
“What did that girl do to you? …Tell me, and I’ll make her pay.”
“No, she didn’t do anything weird. She just… just…”
She spoke with a confused expression, as if she couldn’t comprehend her own words.
“I apologized.”
“….”
“I said I was really sorry for what happened in the past, and I kept apologizing while kneeling down. I said that if it’s okay with me, I want to get along well in the future. …But, you know what’s really strange? When Yoon Jeong said that, I had truly wished for it even in the other future where I debuted in Alcest, far away from Teacher Taeyang. But…, but….”
Tears flowed down Gyeoul’s cheeks.
“Right now, I felt like I hated that.”
“….”
“I’ve apologized enough, and they were considerate, and clearly, it was something I wanted, so why did I feel such bad emotions? If I just said I understood and that I get it now, I could erase any rumors of discord with Alcest and do more collaborations that help TwoBear, but why couldn’t I say that?”
She hung her head low, as if she didn’t want to look at me.
“Why am I so pathetic?”
“….”
I knelt down on one knee to match Gyeoul’s eye level.
And even though I had become the idol everyone admired, I hugged that small child in my arms.
“It’s okay to hate me.”
“….”
“It’s okay to be unreasonable, and it’s okay not to think about the future of the company. You just have to dream the best dream you want.”
I comforted the small Gyeoul in my arms, shielding her from the chilly air of the world so she could feel warmth.
“And I’ll solve all those troublesome things and make your dreams come true.”
Gyeoul buried her face in my arms, rubbing against me as she said.
“…Then who will make Teacher Taeyang’s dreams come true?”
“That’s my dream.”
“….”
I wanted to show something good. No, I wanted to show only good things. I didn’t want her to experience the painful growth of a messy struggle or to end up being called a worn-out adult, but rather, I wanted her to remain just a dream-filled girl.
So I wanted to be her fence.
“Will you help me achieve my dream?”
“…Hic, hic.”
Thinking ‘I need to redo my makeup,’ I wiped away her tears.
Still cradled like a baby, Gyeoul rubbed her face against my touch and looked at me with unwavering eyes.
“I’m glad you became an idol.”
With unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
“In my next life, in any future, I will become an idol again and….”
The child blossomed a smile reminiscent of spring.
“I will be Teacher Taeyang’s idol.”
“It will become a stone.”
*
On the collaborative stage with Alcest, the idols of Girl Revolution showcased a performance by swapping their signature songs and dancing to each other’s hits.
Given that Alcest had been my favorite girl group in the previous seasons, the sight felt quite strange.
I gazed at the kids, each radiating their own light. Then I looked at Alcest. Turning my gaze back, I focused on Yeoreum, Gyeoul, Yuri, and Gaeul.
Perhaps it wasn’t just my illusion that the four girls of Girl Revolution shone brighter than the group called Alcest.
As I looked at the stars shining brightly, as if to captivate the world, I smiled.
*
After the stage ended, I remained alone in the empty concert hall, staring at the vacant stage while the artists, audience, and even the staff finishing a rough clean-up had left.
Sitting next to me was Oh Yoori, who had changed from her stunning stage outfit into comfortable pink sweatpants.
“What are you doing without clocking out?”
“What does it look like? I came to have a drink.”
With that, Oh Yoori flicked her pink hair and handed me a can of familiar beer.
I chuckled at her audacity and naturally opened the can, clinking it with hers.
Amid the sound of the wind and the view of the empty stage, we silently finished our cans.
When I set my empty can on the floor, I saw Oh Yoori pulling another can from her pocket and handing it to me. I spoke calmly.
“I’m going to stop running away now.”
Oh Yoori froze, her movement stopping abruptly.
“What do you plan to do then?”
“On the day my contract ends, I’ll face him not as a manager but as a man.”
“So, what does that mean…”
“I’ll confess. And if he accepts my feelings, we’ll become lovers… even if it hurts the other girls who aren’t chosen.”
“….”
Oh Yoori’s hand, which was handing me the beer, froze in silence. After she opened it herself and took a sip, she said,
“Have you already decided who that one person is?”
“Uh, I have.”
“….”
I turned my gaze to the black sky.
Stars were shining.
“It won’t be easy, you know?”
“Even if it’s not easy.”
“You might collapse.”
“Even if I collapse.”
“….”
“Even if it’s ugly and immature, I’ll be honest… like that.”
The sound of the wind was the only thing heard.
Eventually, when the wind that filled the hall faded into complete silence, she spoke.
“I hope you find happiness at the end of it all.”
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