159 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.159 #159. RE [Hey! Sis! Can't you signal before changing lanes!?] Having somehow managed to finish the broadcast safely, I voiced my complaint towards Clover unnie on the Voice Code channel. [Sorry, sorry. But I wasn't saying anything weird, was I? I just said you were cute.] [Aww, but still~ I nearly had a heart attack and almost hiccupped!] Had I overreacted for real, it might've led to unnecessary misunderstandings. [Thanks, Luka. For helping with the broadcast today.] Her calm words of gratitude flowed through the earphones. Just when I was about to grumble and whine, her composed attitude made it a little difficult to stay upset. [No problem... If there's anything else I can help with until you feel better, let me know.] [Sure, sure. I owed you a lot back then, and today, the broadcast went so smoothly thanks to you.] [Glad to hear that.] [Imagine if I'd accidentally mentioned my unbelievably handsome boyfriend—now that would've been a disaster.] Her giggle prompted me to double-check if the broadcast had ended. If it hadn't, it would have been a colossal failure, potentially disastrous for the whole group. [Ugh! Time to get some sleep!] [Said your studio's far, didn't you, Luka?] [No? It's just a five-minute walk.] [Does Tae-min come to pick you up?] Exactly, Hoping he might've texted, I fished out my phone. [If he's busy, he doesn't come, but sometimes he picks me up.] [I see. Call him quickly and head home. It's late.] [Sure. See you later, unnie!] [Bye-bye~] With her cheerful broadcast tone, unnie ended the call. As expected, a message from oppa awaited me. [I'm in front of the studio. Come out when you're ready.] What the—when did he get here? Startled by the ten-minute wait he already had, I hurriedly opened the door and stepped outside. “Oppa!” A tall man fiddled with his phone at the entrance. “You're here?” “Ah! Why didn't you call when you arrived? I had no idea you were waiting.” He chuckled softly and tucked his phone into his pocket. “I thought you were running late because you were busy with broadcast stuff.” “I was just chatting with Clover unnie for a bit.” “Today's broadcast was super fun.” He reached out his hand to me. Holding onto his hand, I chattered on about the day's broadcast. “Honestly, I play games better than unnie, right?” “You're pretty much on par. Really.” “Ah! Why won't you admit it? You saw my higher score today!” “You just won one round.” Jeez. Look at him not taking my side despite being my boyfriend. “Why? Do you prefer Clover unnie? Maybe because she took the red pill?” “What are you talking about?” “You could've just said I'm better...” “Luka's cuter when she's not good at games.” I realized my competitiveness, despite not being very skilled, made me a rather wearying person, even to myself. “Admit it, when I started sharing how we met, you got nervous, didn't you?” “I coughed a lot while watching because it got caught in my throat.” “I almost had to stop myself from hiccupping too.” We arrived at my place before I knew it. I was faced with another decision. Should I invite him to stay over? I'd be a bit disappointed to just let him go. But then again, why do I always overthink these things? As we stopped at the front of my building, he let go of my hand as if it was the natural course of action. I looked up at him with wide, questioning eyes. “Go on in. Sleep well.” He stroked my hair, appearing as though he was hastily sending me off. “...Is that it?” Feeling oddly affronted, I asked again. “...Huh? Did I miss something?” Ugh. That genuinely clueless face can be so irritating. As much as I like him, there are times when his oblivious expression just gets on my nerves. “Ah...!” Finally, he seemed to realize and let out a small exclamation. Whew... Fine. If you say it now, I'll let it go. Though I'd resolved to be lenient, what came next was... -A gentle peck on the forehead. “I love you. Sleep tight.” My cheeks flushed with warmth. You'd think I'd be used to it by now after hearing it so often. Yet the expiration date of my excitement shows no sign of approaching. “Say it to me too.” Smiling broadly, he requested that I return the sentiment. Alright. I give in. Feeling resigned, I grabbed his wrist instead of responding. “...Wanna hear it inside?” Should've tidied up the room in advance. I regretted leaving the room untidy as I had stepped out. * * * Why does time seem to pass so quickly only in moments like these? The past week slipped by like sands through a giant hourglass. Time was running out—just one more day until the music submission deadline. “Oh... it's here!” The long-awaited final version had arrived. As Yoon-je suggested, outsourcing was indeed the wiser choice. With a fluttering heart, I downloaded the completed file. “Is it finally done?” Doh-ah, who decided to chill in my room since there was no recording today, perked up her head like a curious puppy. “Yep. This is really, truly the final version.” “Let me hear it!” “But actually, it's pretty much the same content, just with some audio refinements...” “I said let me hear it.” Lying on the bed with her hands propped under her chin like a judge, Doh-ah looked at me expectantly. “Contestant number 12, Lucario. Are you nervous?” In Luka's tone, Doh-ah asked me. There was a time when using that voice startled me every time, but humans are creatures of adaptation. Smiling, I nodded vigorously in agreement. “My heart's pounding like crazy.” “Hm... hm...! Do you have any idea how many applicants there are?” “I can't see it myself, so I don't know!” How was I supposed to know if no one told me? I had a vague hunch there were many, but no way to find out exactly how many had applied. “That's right. I have no idea either.” Doh-ah continued with her mock-serious nonsense. "I did hear that some famous people are participating." "Yeah, I've heard that a composer who's worked with idol groups is making your song, too." It felt like having a pro show up in a neighborhood soccer match. For fans like us, it seemed like we were being told not to even dream of competing, but having renowned people join was certainly a good thing. It meant that Closer could present us with even better songs. I wished it could be mine, but I was well aware that such a desire was a huge leap. For someone who could barely be called an amateur to win with a song made with a friend against professionals seemed like an absurdity. "Still, I think oppa's song is the best." Seeing that I might be feeling down, Doh-ah got up from the bed to hug me. "I'm okay." "I was just hugging, too." We met eyes and couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Oh, by the way, even if oppa's song doesn't get selected, I'll still record a full version and sing it for you." "...Really?" "Of course. It's a song you made for us. Even if I can't get the members to sing it, I should at least sing it for you." Han Tae-min. This crazy lucky fanboy. While dating Doh-ah itself seemed like the ultimate fanboy achievement, sometimes I wondered if I could really be this happy. Just like right now. "I'll listen to it all day by myself." "Yes. Just keep it to yourself, don't share it around." "If I did, I'm sure it would instantly become popular on online communities." "Do you want to see me getting dragged to HQ to write an explanation?" With puffed cheeks, Doh-ah warned against sharing it. "No, of course not! YM HQ is off-limits." I hadn't been anywhere near there, but the one time I accidentally walked past, I instinctively tensed up. "It'd be amazing if everyone could sing it together." As the melody I'd listened to over a thousand times flowed from the speakers, Doh-ah hummed along. "Imagine dancing like this." Despite being an idol, Doh-ah's lack of dance skills was evident as she clumsily waved her arms around. "You really wouldn't make it as just any idol." "I'm a metaverse idol, thank you very much. Plus, I'm on a contract with a term limit." Having reached 100% self-awareness, Doh-ah wasn't fazed by my teasing at all. She had mastered handling the toughest situations. "But you'll make my girlfriend a full-time employee, right?" "I should be asking oppa that." Sitting on my lap, she twisted and nibbled my ear. "I can still be oppa's girlfriend even if Luka gets fired, right?" How could she even ask that? At her audacious question, I gently pinched her side. Giggling and squirming at the ticklish sensation, Luka-tang shifted awkwardly, so I playfully tossed her onto the bed. "Just hand in your resignation, I dare you." ...I really didn't anticipate having another conversation with YM.