148 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.148 #148. Are You Quitting Luka? Left alone in the hospital room, I found myself watching a replay of Luka's concert. [Hello~ everyone~] The avatar, which had been sneakily previewed earlier, beamed and raised its hand enthusiastically. [Thank you all for gathering to watch my concert today.] As the camera panned, it showed the avatars of the Pink Heads gathered in front of it, waving their light sticks towards Luka. I couldn’t help but smile at how adorably it all looked. If there hadn't been a shoot that day, I would probably have been among them, doing the same. The VR headset gifted by Doa was meant for just this kind of event. [It's such an honor and my heart is pounding to be starting this solo concert first. Hehe. The first song I'm going to sing for you is...] How great would it have been to see this live? It wasn’t the usual casual broadcast but a properly prepared concert backed by a major company. The avatar quality was beyond my expectations—simply outstanding. With each passing song, the frenzy of the Pink Heads grew. The chat window moved too fast to read. [Everyone! To celebrate my concert, you've made video messages. Shall we check them out together~?] After a string of songs came a break time. Giant screens showed 3D idols unfamiliar to us 2D beings, congratulating Luka on her concert. [Wow~ Guys~ It's amazing that days like this actually exist.] Having watched the video to the end, Doa burst into laughter, genuinely entertained. What followed were short relay video messages from each member of Closer. Every time they proclaimed their love for Luka, the fans' enthusiasm erupted anew. Ah... it felt so wonderful... It was as if a white snowstorm of emotions swirled inside me, like a restless spirit finding peace. -Creak The hospital room door opened again, and soon Doa was seated beside me once more. "How far did you get?" "Up to here." As I tapped the screen to pause it, Doa gently stroked my cheek with one hand. "...Did you enjoy it?" Though it might have sounded like a tease, I was too overwhelmed to care and nodded with unabashed enthusiasm. "It was great." "See? I told you to just get into the Pink Heads." Pulling her chair closer to lean against me, Doa silently watched the rest of the concert with me. She must've already known everything, yet she stayed quietly by my side, not uttering a word. "...It’s incredible." Still caught in the aftermath, I took a deep breath. "If you had seen it live, it would have been twice as touching." "I think so too." The tablet screen dimmed, and we found ourselves facing each other once more. "...Can you tell me now?" Surely there was a lot to tell of what had happened while I was unconscious. Doa averted her gaze, briefly rolling her eyes before calming her breathing and grabbing my hand. "Oppa." "Yeah." "Do you want to keep doing this job?" If it was already certain that I was cut, my answer would've been 'I don't know.' "I'm not sure." "No, not like that. Yes or no." If I must choose one, then... "I think... it leans towards no." "Then just go and say no. That's it." I wasn't sure what 'it's over' meant precisely, so I nodded, seeking further explanation. "What do you mean?" "You haven't signed the extension yet, have you? It's just that three-month contract you have left, right?" "That's right." "And you can cancel it whenever you want." "That's true, but..." Then what about the drama? What happens to the responsibility for the scenes I've filmed so far? "Ending the drama like that seems a bit..." I was aware that it wouldn’t look good. "For that." Doa slowly closed her eyes. "I've taken care of it, so don't worry." "How could you possibly solve that?" Is that even possible? "I did just as much as you've done for me, oppa." Today, Doa seemed to speak mostly in riddles. Why does every statement require further explanation? "You didn’t sign any additional contracts or something, did you?" If she went and made some discreet contract with the company to cover for me... I was ready to rush back to the set to have it annulled. "No way. I'm not you, oppa." She seemed to joke, but there was a faintly sad smile on her lips. "If the company can't take proper care of you, then I..." What came next was the most startling statement I’d heard since waking up. "I told them I'd quit Luka." "What!" In shock, I forgot I was still hooked up to an IV as I grabbed her shoulders. "Hey. What do you mean by that? Why would you quit Luka? I told you to do that, to keep doing well with it!" I was so bewildered that I couldn’t even form words properly. "...You've done it for me too, oppa." She smiled, as if genuinely okay with it. "I can do it too." "No, no. I’m just some minor rookie, whereas you..." "That's exactly why I can do this for you, oppa." Driven by determination, there wasn’t a hint of hesitation in her words. "So, oppa." Doa’s deep brown eyes were filled with my reflection. "Choose freely." I couldn't even begin to fathom what conversations had transpired with the company while I was unconscious. "It’s alright if you want to continue acting. But if you do, I hope it will be for your own happiness." An answer was already there. I'd realized long ago that my happiness didn’t lie in that direction. “If you truly wish to quit here and give up, go talk to the company. They won’t blame or criticize you.” I've always thought highly of Doa, but today she seemed like someone standing in a place so bright that I couldn’t even hope to reach her. “I...” Once again, I find myself relying on you. * * * “With this, your contract with us has been completely terminated.” Just as Doa had said, the team leader didn’t hold me accountable for the accident. “...Thank you.” I thought that saying sorry or thank you both felt inadequate, but if this was the end, expressing gratitude seemed more fitting. Beside me, watching the scene silently, was my manager. “Thank you for your hard work all this time.” The team leader excused himself, saying he had to leave, and left the room, leaving an awkward silence between me and my manager. “I’ll see you off.” “No, it’s not your responsibility anymore.” “It’s fine. I don’t have any schedules today anyway.” As I got into the familiar car, not to head to a shoot but to be driven home, I felt a lump in my throat. My manager turned the radio on softly and pressed the accelerator. “Taemin.” “Yes?” “How are you feeling?” “Well... the doctors said I’ll be okay with some rest, and I don’t feel any pain right now.” “That’s a relief.” I almost wished the radio volume was higher; this conversation made me uncomfortable. “To be honest, this project was quite a large scale for someone like you, Taemin.” Although I didn’t respond, my manager continued to share his thoughts as if he were speaking to himself. “We usually don’t place rookies so quickly, but you, Taemin, were an exception. The production company reached out themselves.” “For us, it wasn’t a bad deal—no upfront costs, and if it finished smoothly, you’d gain a ton of exposure. We thought if you were okay with it, let’s go for it.” “I see...” Now that the contract was terminated, it seemed like he could finally talk about it. “I just feel sorry if I couldn’t support you properly as your manager.” Seeing his bitter expression, I shook my head. “No, it’s okay. If I’d done better myself, things might have turned out differently.” “Doa was quite something when she came by that day.” My manager let out a small laugh. “She practically turned the entire company upside down.” “Doa did?” “Your girlfriend really seems to care about you a lot, Taemin.” What on earth did you say, Kim Doa? I wanted to hear the full story, but it was time to part ways. The car stopped in the alley where I was always picked up. “Thank you for everything.” My manager extended his hand to me. “No, thank you.” “Take care of your health. I wish you all the best.” Bowing my head in gratitude, I watched as my manager’s car drove away into the distance. Standing in front of Doa’s house, I turned towards her door instead of my own, deciding to head there.