Chapter 196

Chapter 196

After finishing my work at the concert hall, I headed to the small theater designated for the fan meeting.

Honestly, even now as I’m driving, I felt a sense of reluctance. After all, this fan meeting wasn’t for an idol from TwoBear Entertainment, but for me!

Actually, the suggestion for this fan meeting came not now but around three years ago. While I was busily preparing for the launch of a rookie boy group, I received a proposal from Seok Hyun-woo to hold a fan meeting.

Naturally, I declined.

I considered the proposal just a bad joke. I mean, what fan meeting just because I appeared on a variety show a bit?

I thought that would be the end of it, but the proposal kept coming back, popping up every now and then. Not just through Seok Hyun-woo but also from other staff members, Seo Soo-yeon, and Cheon Aram.

By this point, I realized it wasn’t a joke, but I still turned it down. I really didn’t see how having such an event would benefit the company.

Under such a policy, I politely declined all offers, until recently an unavoidable proposal came in.

“Team Leader Seon, hold a fan meeting.”

“President, I’m sorry, but as I mentioned before, this fan meeting of mine won’t really help the company’s image….”

“They insisted during the investment meeting from a sponsor holding quite a significant stake. They said they would cover all the costs.”

“….”

“Just do it. I didn’t mention it before, but your fan cafe keeps putting in complaints through the customer response team.”

“…Why do I even have a fan cafe?”

“Didn’t I mention? It’s quite large. For gatherings like this, we can easily fill about 100 people.”

“Still….”

“It’s not a hidden camera prank and no-shows will be accounted for during work hours, so just do it. I’m saying this as the President.”

Once I heard that, I felt like there was no way out. So here I was.

“Taeyang! I’m such a huge fan! I’ve been following you since ‘Girls to Road’!”

“Can I… possibly have a hug? I’ve wanted to see you since you sang ‘The Duty of Singing’.”

“Wow, it’s really Brother Taeyang! This is the plushie I prepared—could you take it? I drew a lot of fan art based on this!”

“Excuse me, do you have any of those plushies left? I’d love to buy one!”

“I’m sorry. The only ones left are for collection, gifts, or use.”

“Oh, that’s unfortunate.”

“….”

Why is everyone being so sincere?

Anyway, I couldn’t treat all these people who gathered because of their affection for me poorly, so I did my best to sing, play the piano, MC, and show off all my talents to satisfy them.
I tried my best to show off all the tricks that could be seen and satisfy them.

Even though I thought it would be okay to mess up once and still hear cheers, I’m human too and felt grateful, so I wanted to grant them everything they hoped for.

At the gift event, I even used my own money to add some extra prizes.

After finishing the rough schedule of the event and thanking each person in line while signing autographs, a familiar silhouette caught my eye.

I scrutinized the figure requesting an autograph.

It was someone I knew.

“Umm… could you sign here, here, and here? Oh, and this pillow cover too, please.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Huh?”

“Gyeoul, why are you here?”

“…Hehe.”

She was completely covered in sunglasses, a mask, and a scarf, as if trying to hide her identity, but of all people, I couldn’t possibly not recognize her.

“What if I see you like this….”

As I spoke, a staff member at the event interrupted, looking flustered.

“Uh, Team Leader Seon? Sorry to interrupt, but you should know something.”

“Yes, what is it, staff member?”

“That person up ahead ran away.”

“…”

“They ran out the exit without looking back.”

…Oh boy, what a loser.

*

Gyeoul was missing.

She was nowhere to be seen at the accommodation or the company.

She must have been really embarrassed.

In truth, calling it a disappearance felt like jumping to conclusions.

Knowing her personality, she’d probably sneak back in on a day with a schedule.

Still, I believed I had a part to play in her runaway, so I decided to move to find her.

“Well, where else would she have gone?”

So, I visited her family home again.

“Oh, Seon Taeyang! It’s been a while.”

“It’s been a while, Grandpa.”

“Come on, why so stiff? We’re practically family at this point, aren’t we?”

That was a really nice reaction.

“So, what brings you here this time?”

“I came to look for Gyeoul.”

“…I was wondering why that girl was back here, turns out she ran away.”

“Is she here?”

“She went out for a bit. I asked her to do an errand. She’ll be back soon, so just wait a moment.”

I thanked him and nodded deeply.

“If you’re bored, feel free to check out my daughter’s room. I think there’s something Seon Taeyang would find interesting.”
“There’s something in there.”

“Is there anything worth seeing?”

“What is that?”

“You’ll know when you see it in person. I highly recommend checking it out.”

“….”

For now, I sat on the living room sofa, waiting while catching up on work on my laptop.

But I couldn’t focus on the work.

Winter’s grandfather’s words were weighing on my mind.

“Highly recommend checking it out? What on earth could it be?”

He wouldn’t say something harmful; there must be something worth suggesting.

But the thought of looking into Winter’s private space without asking for permission nagged at me.

I even put down my laptop and found myself in a fierce inner battle between my conscience and curiosity. Soon enough, I gathered my thoughts.

“Just take a look and apologize later. I’ve done much worse things than this.”

What a truly frivolous judgment.

I stood up and headed up to the second floor, opening Winter’s door.

And then I faced a sight I never expected.

“….”

The tiny room was simply furnished with a bed, a gaming computer on the desk, and a closet that was surprisingly small for an idol. Every inch of the walls was covered with photos of me.

Photos of me playing the piano on stage, a side profile of me driving in a car, me talking as a panelist on a variety show, me scratching my messy hair in a composing room, me secretly vaping on the terrace, and a clear photo of my smiling face.

Those countless photos seemed to be arranged meticulously, covering the ceiling and walls patterning in some order.

Startled by the overwhelming scene, I stumbled and bumped into a drawer.

I instinctively opened that drawer.

Inside were bags, ties, accessories, business cards, and other seemingly ordinary junk.

Except that they were all items I’d lost somewhere before.

I also found some jars that looked like they contained various things, but I couldn’t muster the courage to look closely, so I looked away.

Then I recognized that the hugging pillow I thought was Ryuuko-chan was actually something different.

Hesitantly lifting the blanket to check, it was indeed a picture of me.

…Wow, this isn’t even surprising anymore.

I carelessly pushed aside a picture of me in a suit, smiling awkwardly. In the process of clearing, the pillow rolled over, revealing the illustration on the back.

It was an illustration of me in a sexy pose, barely wearing clothes.

“….”

Um, let’s incinerate that.

Such a thing shouldn’t exist in this world.

Personal privacy and Winter’s belongings didn’t matter to me at all right now.

All I felt was a sense of duty to erase this monstrosity from existence.
The only thing driving me was the sense of duty to erase this monstrosity from the world.

Just as I was peeling off the pillowcase, the door swung open.

“…Teacher Taeyang?”

It was Gyeoul.

“No, this is… Aah… Aaaah… This is my secret collection… no, I mean, that’s not it.”

Gyeoul, who turned pale with fear at the realization I’d discovered her hidden secret, quickly noticed me holding the pillowcase and yelled.

“Ah, ahh… Tae… Teacher Taeyang! You can’t! That’s my treasure number one!”

“What shouldn’t exist is this monstrosity in the world. Don’t worry, Gyeoul, I’ll erase it.”

“Aah, no! I can’t sleep without that!”

“Gyeoul, I seriously thought about you during the fan meeting. So, I’ve concluded that it’s not my place to judge your hobbies. I’ll respect it. The photo stuck here and those things over there too.”

“Th-then?”

As Gyeoul, who had been trembling in nervousness, looked up at me as if she found hope, I crushed her dreams.

“But this, I absolutely cannot allow.”

A sexy dakimakura with me drawn on it?

Tearing my own shirt to expose my nipples and sneakily drawn panties… What the hell.

How could I overlook this?

As I tried to peel off the entire pillowcase and leave the room, Gyeoul leapt like a cat, grabbing onto the pillowcase tightly.

“I-I’m sorry, Teacher Taeyang. But this really can’t happen! It’s my dream!”

“You’re dreaming the wrong dream. Let’s change it now.”

“If I don’t have it, I can’t even eat alone! I have to keep it next to me to eat!”

“Turn on some variety show! Don’t depend on a pillow!”

As we wrestled over the pillowcase, it couldn’t withstand the straining and ripped.

“…Ah.”

“…”

Gyeoul, sitting in front of the torn pillowcase, let her tears fall.

She looked as pitiful as one could be.

Feeling an intense pang of conscience, my mind started to spin, and I seriously contemplated whether I should apologize and stitch the cover up right away.

At that moment, Gyeoul suddenly got up from her seat and headed for the door.

Click.

And she locked the door.

“…Gyeoul?”

With trembling hands, Gyeoul looked at me with crazed eyes and said,

“Since this is how it’s turned out, you have to become my dakimakura, Teacher Taeyang.”

“…”

I just hoped it would end with me jumping out the window and breaking my legs.

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