124 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.124 #124. Best Comments It's already been a full week since I had dinner with those pesky friends of mine. [The scheduled reveal is set for 6 PM today!] In response to a long-awaited message from my manager, I replied while absentmindedly poking rice grains with my spoon. “Hmm...” I couldn't help but feel nervous. The vacation was halfway through. Even though January hadn’t ended, meaning a little more than half was left, I still hadn’t achieved anything noteworthy. Adding to that, I recently quit my part-time job, so my living expenses were solely dependent on the allowance from my parents. Whether my celebrity career will be a massive hit or not is uncertain, but at the moment, I was indeed strapped for cash. “What’s wrong? Who is it?” Do-ah, who was sitting across from me, asked when I let out a sigh mid-meal. “My manager.” “And?” “The bit from the drama I appeared in will be uploaded today.” “Wow! That's amazing! What time?” Excited as if it were her own matter, Do-ah suggested we watch it together as soon as it was released. "I'm not too thrilled about it though..." “Still, you should definitely check it out since you shot it.” “And honestly, the content isn’t that interesting either!” I disliked the idea of gathering fake otakus and was embarrassed by my awkward friends being exposed. “I can't say it'll be entertaining, but as long as you look good, that's all that matters. That’s how it usually is.” Do-ah mentioned she couldn’t spend long in the evening as she had a broadcast today. Thinking we’d just have coffee and then head in, we ended up at our usual café, ordering our usual drinks. “I love matcha lattes.” Do-ah smiled contently, bringing her mug to her lips with both hands. “Aren’t you cold? Always drinking that same thing.” “Just... you know...” It’s not about the taste, more the price. Not that it tastes bad. “By the way, any news about your album?” Last I heard, their goal was to release a total of three albums. Given the remaining duration, songs should be released at least every four months. “Um... I think there are internal meetings going on. But we’re in a rather passive position.” “...Passive?” “I mean, it's like doing whatever the company asks us to. That’s the vibe.” It wasn’t until Do-ah shrugged her shoulders that I understood what she meant. “I see.” “Even though I'm not an aspiring singer, isn’t it the same for everyone? Whether you're an actor or whatever, you do what the agency tells you to.” Looking back, it wasn’t my place to complain, having jumped into a shoot without fully understanding anything. “What I'm really preparing for now is my solo concert.” “Right, the pressure must be immense since you're number one.” Do-ah laughingly shook her head in disbelief. “Ugh... We’re currently working on cover songs to perform then.” “Really?” Our dear Luka. What heartfelt performances she's planning for her fans this time? “Have you decided on anything yet?” “Well... nothing's confirmed yet, but I'll probably do a song from a YM idol and maybe an anime OST.” “Is it awkward to sing songs from other company artists, being in the same company?” “It’s not that strict, but the producer suggested having at least one.” There are many famous songs from YM-affiliated artists. Do-ah would obviously be familiar with many of them. “Is there a song you personally want to do?” “That’s driving me crazy... Like, there are songs I want to sing, but I'm not sure if they suit me.” Kind of like those career guidance classes in middle school. Balancing what you want to do with what you need to do. “Which ones? What about...” From the pocket of her fluffy white fleece, Do-ah pulled out her phone and showed me her playlist directly. “These ones... are my favorites, and these are the candidates I’m considering.” I could imagine Do-ah when I wasn’t around. Sitting in front of a monitor, scrolling and singing to herself. Just picturing it, I found her so irresistibly adorable I was going to lose my mind. “And... I tried this one out at karaoke last time... Are you even listening to me?” Noticing a grin that I found hard to suppress, Do-ah frowned. “Ah. Of course, I am.” “Then why are you smiling? Is it funny that I'll sing this?” Playfully pushing her small fist toward me, Do-ah protested. “Just because you're cute. Thinking of you singing alone in the studio.” “What's cute about that? I'm working very seriously, you know. You wouldn't understand until you've done it yourself. It’s overwhelming when people flood in with questions.” “Should I try it too? As a Vtuber?” Despite the playful tone, Do-ah's response was blunt. “No, you'd probably have no fans.” “...That’s harsh.” “And honestly, if you're going to stream, just show your face. Why waste money buying a panel when you have a perfectly fine face?” Caught off guard by Do-ah’s unexpected realism, I was lost for words. “Look, now the company does everything for you, but back when I started broadcasting on my own, I saved up bit by bit and arranged it all myself.” I never underestimated the world of broadcasting, but my comments seemed to have upset Do-ah, making her speak passionately. “Alright, alright. I knew how much you went through even before we talked at school.” Wasn't I one of those early fans who occupied Luka's chat room during her humble beginnings? I took pride in being a supporter of Luka. “If when I first confessed, I’d said I’m Kim Luka, would you have accepted right away?” That was a tough question. If Do-ah had said from the start, “I’m Luka, date me”... "Probably not." "Why not?" "Well, we started talking and hanging out together, and that’s how we became close." No matter how much I liked Luka, if I knew nothing about Kim Do-ah as a person, it wouldn't have worked. "Knowing that you're Luka is a big deal to me, but... hmm... I would’ve probably said something like 'let’s get to know each other more' or even ended up rejecting you." "You really like that phrase, 'let’s get to know each other'." Suddenly reminded of my own words, I felt my ears heat up. "Well, now we know each other well enough." Feeling a bit awkward, I took a sip of cold coffee, and Do-ah, finding me adorable, playfully tugged at my cheeks. "Oh, come on~ really~" I couldn’t imagine living without Do-ah anymore. * * * It wasn’t quite a drama premiere, but all the same. We turned off all the lights and lay side by side on my bed, propping up a tablet. 6 PM. Do-ah mentioned she had to head to the studio right after watching just this. "Oh...! It's up! It's up! Let’s watch it!" As Do-ah tapped the center of the tablet, Episode 3 of [Love Surfs the Waves] appeared on the screen. Oh man... this is embarrassing... I guess this is how she feels when I constantly replay Luka clips. I began to understand why Do-ah sometimes felt exasperated watching Luka videos. As expected, the setting was a high school. Watching on the screen, the familiar main cast was chatting energetically in the classroom. These kinds of shows are best watched without overthinking, but I couldn’t help staying tense, wondering when I’d appear. After the mundane back-and-forth, the after-school scene came up. The camera zoomed in on new character Shin Gyumin, who I found utterly unbearable. Instinctively, I could tell. Once he gets into that alley, I’d appear. Do-ah's round eyes were glued to the screen. The sound of my nervous gulp seemed unnaturally loud. As Shin Gyumin and the male protagonist casually conversed, they wandered into an alley. It was the very alley where I had filmed. [Hey, Gyumin. Couldn't you have just returned the workbook yourself?] [But doing that might upset Hae-rin...] [What’s all this fuss about Hae-rin! Man up!] [What do you even know!] For the first time, Shin Gyumin, who was supposedly a meek otaku, raised his voice. [No! Even before this, I said I didn’t want to do it, and you...!] Footsteps echoed. Oh... damn... hold on... The heads of those conversing turned toward the camera. And there I was, on screen. [A measly otaku should watch his step.] Honestly, could I make a more cliché villain entry than this? Do-ah was struggling not to laugh the moment I appeared. [Run! It's Oh-jin!] The main cast scattered as soon as I appeared. Only now was I piecing together the story that I hadn't known. The reason I didn’t have more lines was that everyone ran away at the sight of me. Originally, my role didn’t have any lines at all, they had said. Anyway, as a cameo, I seemed to have made my mark. Since I showed up at the closing part, the video ended in about five minutes. I let out a short sigh and looked at Do-ah’s face. "Aww~ You did great, didn’t you?" Much like how she coddles her fans, Do-ah ruffled my hair and then planted a kiss on my forehead. "Ah, hey, don’t overdo it." “I’m sorry for being an annoying otaku, dear. Sniff sniff." Her sudden act of pretending to cry left my head spinning. "Geez, Kim Do-ah." "What? I'm going to leave a comment too." As if actually planning to do so, Do-ah opened the comments section. And what awaited us there as the top comment was... [Kim Oh-jin is ridiculously handsome;; what’s that actor’s name?] A comment strikingly unrelated to the storyline.