106 - Upki Girl

< If You Say Not to Do It, It Makes Me Want to Do It More > Silver, who was sticking close to me, shouted while checking our heart rates together. “Yonah unni is the best! Seventy-seven!” “Wowww!” There were no surprises. Yonah, the top contender, had narrowly edged out Seowon by a single point. A stark contrast in reactions between the winner and the runner-up: Seowon let out a disappointed "Aww!" while Yonah sighed in relief. “Hey, do you want to beat your unni that badly?” The leader deflected her companion's grumbling with a smile. “For the team's image, we definitely have to block Gollum-level stuff. I looked it up, and it’s totally weird.” Such a clever trickster. The nuance was that she could win anytime she wanted. Now I understand why everyone keeps chanting “our Yonah, our Yonah.” Attorney Gattaktak chuckled heartily like a passionate coach in a sports manga, as if to say, ‘See, what did I tell you? Once she’s ignited, there’s no stopping her! Hahaha!’ Reluctant to let go of the sweet taste of the crown she briefly wore, Seowon muttered, “Tch, what’s so wrong with Gollum? He’s cute.” “If it’s so cute, you do it,” I said, provoking a momentary glare and almost a ‘Shut up’ before she simply rolled her eyes. “Who’s side are you on, Manager?” “Me? The winning side, always.” “Ugh, you’re so annoying.” Such spunky behavior was rather endearing. Yona Bap Ajae, who had just delivered an unscripted drama with Yonah, returned to the audience after receiving a signed photobook from the five of us and a hotel stay voucher. By now, Silvery was acting more like an in-house announcer as she called the next act. “The fourth heart-stealer that wouldn’t hurt even if you put her in your eyes, our youngest, Jin! Li! Ya!” When Liya gracefully spun into the center of the stage, a roar that evoked a military consolation performance erupted. “Yiaaa!” In the past few weeks, Liya's popularity among fans had notably surged. It seemed like she gained more fans willing to take her as their secondary favorite rather than an increase in her base fans. This was thanks to a meme created by a PR team employee. ‘The Usual Mischievous Hands of a Girl Group’s Youngest’ It was a one-minute clip from occasions at live events and a currently airing reality show that featured Liya’s mischievous habit of touching or groping other members, sometimes with exaggerated captions. This became a sensation among fans. Liya would often toy with her sisters — poking or fondling their hips or sides when they were awake, and when on stage, she would slyly make contact under the guise of choreography with a sneaky smile. A thrill-seeker. Much like how Hong’s snoring had become familiar to the others, Liya’s hand antics too seemed to be treated as mere pranks, but compiled in the video, the frequency and intensity bordered on harassment. Honestly, I was a bit taken aback by the video as well. If someone was nearby, chances were Liya's hand would be touching some part of their body. Yonah and Silvery were frequent targets. But, being same-sex, combined with the youngest teasing her older sisters, it seemed to come across as an amusing form of reverse power-play to fans. Perhaps there was a same-sex fantasy at play, as fans paired members by GL codes in fanfics, calling them Riri couple (Liya + Leader), Makdoong couple (Liya + Silvery), Suri couple (Seowon + Liya), and Yahong couple (Liya + Yeonhong). “I don’t mind even if she’s a pervert!” shouted a male high school fan clad in a school uniform, yet his fervor wasn’t well received by those around him. “Ugh, what was that?” “Excuse me, Liya is still a minor, so please refrain from such comments.” Liya didn’t seem fazed by it. She gave me a knowing look and nodded meaningfully. I acknowledged her with a brief nod of my own. Before the fan signing event, she had made one request of me. ‘I’d like Muno to come out during Aliya’s turn.’ ‘Why?’ ‘I’m not good with male fans. What if they start touching me?’ ‘But it’s you who always attacks, not the fans.’ ‘Even so, I don’t like it. It scares me.’ ‘Then you can choose from the girls.’ 'Is that okay?' ‘Are men the only fans?’ ‘Ah, if that’s possible, I’d prefer so. But if no girl fans step forward, Muno, you have to step in. Okay?’ But that didn’t happen. While most were male fans, some females did apply during the previous members' turns. When Liya called for a partner, a few female fans raised their hands, and Liya selected the most striking one among them. She resembled Edward Furlong in Terminator 2, with a blonde pixie cut, eyebrow piercings, and a thick bomber jacket layered over a blue checkered shirt and tee. She wore black skinny jeans and rugged boots. Her style was so boyish that, were it not for her smoky brown makeup and long eyelashes, she could have been mistaken for a man. But her face was decidedly feminine and particularly beautiful. With a confident stride, she joined Liya on stage with a shopping bag that hinted at a gift. She stood about mid-160cm, with proportions that could compete with Yonah, Liya, and Hongi. Despite lacking a star aura, she had a compelling charm that drew people in. Our members admired her as if they met a senior they idolized. “Wow, so cool.” “Is she a model?” “Yeah, looks like it.” “Wow, so cool. Her style is amazing.” Responding with a cool smile and a polite nod to Liya’s greeting, she pulled a blue snapback from the bag and placed it backwards on Liya’s head. It was a flamboyant cap, with a signature “RIYA” embroidered in rainbow colors on the front in cursive. “I designed this for Liya, and I hope you like it.” Her voice radiated confidence and self-assuredness. “Really? Are you a designer?” “No, I do illustrations. Do you know webtoons?” “Webtoons, I know.” Liya swept her gaze from the woman's face to her legs and back up, then gave an approving nose wrinkle and a thumbs-up. “You’re really cool, unni.” “You’re so cute and pretty, Li Ya. I want to kidnap you and carry you in my pocket.” “Wow, you got me all fluttery now.” What is this strange atmosphere? Can two women create such a sweet vibe? Perhaps it was because of her style, but from the sidelines, it even made my own romantic cells tingle. “We’re going to start the heart rate check now. Please place your finger on this lens.” “Like this?” The way she gazed intently into my eyes was mesmerizing. Her hands were so delicate, with short-trimmed nails. “Starting now.” The heart rate check began. Since this was the first time competing with a female fan, everyone was curious about how it would play out. Meanwhile, Liya asked a somewhat cliché question. “What’s your name?” “Sung Ah. Jeong Sung Ah.” “Even your name is pretty. How old are you?” “Twenty-five.” “Really? My ex-girlfriend was twenty-five, too.” “Oh, you dated someone older?” Yikes! What was that just now? Not boyfriend but girlfriend? I mean, it would be more serious if it were a boyfriend, but even a girlfriend is significant enough. Thankfully, the conversation wasn’t over the mic, and it got drowned out by the surrounding noise. Still, my fellow members nearby and I were all startled! I wasn’t the only one wondering—everyone thought the same. Could it be… Liya’s a lesbian? Once that word flashed through my mind, her past avoidance of men, her excessive affection, and skinship towards the members intertwined and—gahhh… Finally, the fan’s style that I had dismissed as simply boyish now struck me, and information flew into my mind. Huh? Why is Brother Bocheong showing up here? ―――――― ★ The Three Forbidden Zones for Rookie Idols: Political Beliefs, Religious Statements, Sexual Orientation. ★ Code Blue: Be cautious of airing Aliyah’s sexual preference! ―――――― Ahh… the information is sealing it. It seems Liya is indeed gay. Glancing over, I looked at the microphone gripped in Liya’s hand. Better to remove it, just in case. Silvery seemed to think the same way. Ahead of me, she discreetly took the microphone from Liya’s hand. Good job. The conversation between Liya and the fan had ventured too far into personal territory now. “I sent a message on Tinsta.” “Really? I don’t really use it.” “I noticed. I was also at your Yeouido fan signing.” “Really? Why don’t I remember you?” “I didn’t line up in front, stayed at the back.” The game wasn’t the issue. With about ten seconds left, I gently removed the phone from the fan’s finger and navigated the situation smoothly. “Time’s up.” “Oh, why did it end so quickly? What’s my score?” “Forty-two.” “Ugh. Not that high.” As Liya sulked, the woman leaned in to whisper something in her ear and passed her a note. However, Liya handed the note directly to me without even checking it. Upon reading it, I found her contact information and some details. ‘Rainbow Comics. Youngest daughter of Hive.’ So she was a webtoon artist. Is this her work? The site name and title already screamed queer. Clearly, she came prepared to win Liya over. But aren’t idols expected to keep their contact information private, no matter their fame level? “Manager Muno, aren’t we supposed to keep fans’ contact info confidential?” Liya asked, and I diplomatically provided a firm response. “Of course not. Mr. Jang Woo, please give this lady a photobook.” “Yes!” Silvery deftly wrapped up the situation. “Jin Yi-ya has recorded a heart rate of 42, currently placing third! Let’s give a round of applause to our model force unni who worked hard with us!” —Clap clap clap clap clap! The woman received a signed photobook from Liya and the others. And Liya ended her signature with: To. The cool Jeong Sung Ah Unni♡ Thanks for coming today. I’ll be grateful if you come again next time. P.S. I am no longer L. but I♡U I am no longer L? What does that mean? It sounds like some lingo specific to lesbians—could it refer to something like a feminine role or a masculine role? Not Left? Not Large? Not Lady? “Oh...” The woman who read Liya’s message smiled widely with distinct satisfaction. Her teeth were remarkably perfect. “Cheer up.” She said while giving me a curious look, though it seemed like the words were meant for Liya. Cheer up? What are these two up to, really? “With Yonah unni leading, now it’s just Hong Hong unni left! Will it be a victory for Yonah unni or an epic comeback by Hong Hong unni? If you want to be Hong Hong unni’s partner, raise your hands boldly!” After the woman exited, Silvery naturally continued the game, while I, after entrusting the referee role to Yonah, led Liya to a spot backstage out of the fans' view. She followed without a word, as if she’d been expecting this. “What does it mean when you say you’re not L? Was that girl a lesbian? Are you into that too?” I tried to ask as coolly and calmly as possible, but found myself more flustered than I intended. Liya replied with a nonchalant expression. “Ugh, this is too much to process at once. Ask me step by step.” “Liya, are you a lesbian?” “No.” “You’re not?” “No, not now.” “...Not now, you say?” “I am no longer a lesbian.” So L stood for Lesbian. But what kind of nonsensical statement is that? “Does that mean you were a lesbian but can control it?” “Aliya doesn’t like men.” “But that doesn’t necessarily mean you like women, does it?” “I do like women.” “Like, romantically?” “What do you mean by romantically?” “Well, it’s more than just liking them as colleagues or friends; it’s a sexual attraction.” “Yeah. I thought that was all there was to it, but it seems I can like both women and men.” “Bisexual?” “Yeah, seems like it. I didn’t know that I could be this way.” “So... to summarize, you thought you were a lesbian but realized you’re bisexual, and currently, you’re attracted to men, not women?” “That’s right.” “Hooo...” “Are you disappointed in Aliya...?” “No. It's not something to be disappointed about. It’s just... if it gets revealed in the idol industry, it might be problematic since our country is sensitive about such matters. It's not about right or wrong, just...” “Aliya understands. That’s why I kept quiet about it so far and will continue to do so.” ‘If that’s the case, you shouldn’t have hinted at it earlier,’ but there’s no use pointing fingers now. From the woman named Seong-Ah’s reaction, it seemed like lesbians already knew about Liya’s sexual orientation, even without coming out. It’s often said that there’s a silent signal through clothing or behavior in the queer community. The problem was, due to the earlier incident, the other members caught wind of it too. I made sure no one was watching us before whispering to Liya. “For now, let’s tell the girls once we’re back at the dorm.” “No, no. The unnis already know.” “Oh? The girls know?” “Yeah, I thought I should tell them, so I already did.” “And? What did they say?” “Seowon unni was a bit upset at first, but she said she respects Aliya’s liking. Just asked me not to touch her so much. I was really touched by that.” So that’s why you didn’t mess with Seowon often. “But being told not to touch makes me want to touch more. Seowon unni’s waistline is so nice, I just want to keep touching it. Her frowning face excites me even more.” “Okay, okay, let’s stop talking about that. Other than the members and me, does anyone else know?” “Cassie.” “Other than her.” “No one else.” “Then don’t tell anyone from now on.” “Got it. I won’t tell anyone.” She queried again with a slightly worried look. “You’re really not disappointed, Muno...?” “No, seriously, I’m not. It's not a crime or anything, so why would I be disappointed?” “Thank you. I was going to tell you someday, but I was a bit anxious about how you’d react.” Her face finally relaxed, and I realized how much she had worried over this. What slightly bothered me wasn’t that she was bisexual now, but the self-absorbed thought that maybe I was part of the reason for her change. Liya, no, that can't be. I’m not some irresistible charm; there’s already enough drama with Silvery, Seowon, and Hong… and if even you fall for me, I truly wouldn’t know how to manage it all. —They announced the results... “Oh, Hong must've done well.” While I was chatting with Liya, it seemed the results of Hong’s heartthrob revolution had been announced on stage. Yonah, who had taken on the role of judge for me, directly made the announcement. —...is the winner! “What? What did she say?” “Aliya didn’t hear it either! Let’s go check!” —Wahhh! —Uuuu! The cheers and groans mixed more than ever before. By the time Liya and I returned to the stage, we still didn’t know who had won. All we saw was a giant, long-haired man in leather pants lying flat in the middle of the stage, ostensibly Hong’s partner. He looked like the Undertaker. Meanwhile, Hong stood frozen in front, her face a deep shade of red. It was as if she had pulled off a finishing move. What on earth happened? Did she knock him over and stomp on him or something? Judging by the laughter erupting from both the children and the fans, it didn't seem to be anything disastrous. < If You're Told Not to Do It, It Makes You Want to Do It More > End