178 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.178 #178. Lea "Taemin! Make sure to be back by 4:30, okay?" "Yes, yes." "Ruka and Humuring, thank you both for your hard work today! I'll be in touch." As the two Closers bid farewell, our teacher headed to the smoking area, leaving the three of us to exit the company building and enter a nearby café. "Wow, Taemin oppa. It's been a while~" Humuring laughed heartily, perhaps not having had her fill of laughter earlier, as she alternated her gaze between us as a couple. "Ah, Gahi. Stop laughing already." Doa, as if fed up, gave her thigh a resounding slap. "I mean, getting a signature while having a meal... It's just too funny." She clutched her belly, completely lost in laughter. Honestly, if I were a third party, it probably would have been— Not just a little, a lot funnier. "Anyway, Gahi and Doa, you both did well today." "Ah... Oppa... but really... I can't hit the high notes..." Having watched Doa struggle through her recording, I knew better than anyone that she was giving it her all. "Let's go see a singing teacher." "But oppa, I took lessons for a while already because everyone kept saying I'm bad at singing." "From what the teacher said today, it seems like you might need to go back." Whether it was because of some gaslighting or not, it didn’t seem like Doa would make any progress at this rate. "Hee..." With round eyes, Doa looked up at me. Humuring, perhaps annoyed by our display, frowned. "Ugh... I should take a picture and post it on the fan café." As soon as she said this, Doa retaliated. "Sure~ If you do that, I'll leak all of our chat conversations." "Why? What's in those chats?" While I knew the Closers often chatted, I had no idea what the content was. "Oh, oppa, if you knew how cheeky Humuring is." "Kim Luka! Don't say it! Oh, unnie!" The two virtual idols tried to silence each other. I thought it was nice that they had such a playful chemistry even in real life. Their collab streams often had a real sisterly vibe, and if all of this were just business, wouldn't that be a bit chilling? Of course, their act of having no boyfriends had already surpassed the domain of professionals. "Try this cake. It's delicious." The café I brought them to was a hot spot for trainees, recommended by our teacher. Though I received this recommendation ages ago, this was my first visit. Rumor had it that you'd often see famous celebrities or trainees here, but honestly, I couldn't care less. Having gone through something similar once before, it didn't hold any special allure to me. In fact, it would be more of an issue if some weirdos, mistaking me for a trainee, started to approach me. "Mmm~ It's really delicious~" Not one to disappoint, Humuring's reaction was as exceptional as you'd expect from a streamer. "I'm jealous, unnie. Your boyfriend takes you to places like this all the time." "Ah... yeah... right..." Unable to spit on a compliment, I answered, but both of us knew it was a lie. Because, fundamentally, we were extreme introverts who loved staying home. "Aah, but I still need to go home and re-record. Aaaaagh!" "True, but getting feedback right then and there did help a bit, I think." It seemed more effective than dealing with text feedback. If something wasn’t working, the teacher would demonstrate directly, and he gave clear guidelines on how to sing with a certain feeling. "Sis Lea must be doing great, right?" "Of course. She's probably recorded much more than us." As the topic shifted to Lea, I asked things I was curious about. "But what is Lea like in person?" Normally, I avoid talking about other streamers or women when chatting with Doa. Show a little interest, and she immediately thinks I'm ready to jump ship. Is Luca old news now? Is that it? The response always had this kind of vibe, so I rarely brought it up. However, today was an exception. And I also thought it was genuinely necessary information. "Lea unnie? Hmm... Do you watch her streams, oppa?" "No, not really, except for when we collab." "Honestly, um... She’s really quiet. Maybe because we've never chatted face to face, but even when we chat among ourselves, she's super quiet." "...Really?" Doa, perhaps not in the mood to nitpick today, generously shared this information. "Lea is super calm. The way she speaks, the way she streams, it's like a late-night radio vibe." "Oh! You're spot on with that comparison, unnie. Late-night radio suits her perfectly." Though I've rarely listened to late-night radio, I could sort of imagine the vibe. "Got it." "But when it comes to music discussions or work, she's incredibly passionate." "Right. She doesn't say much ordinarily, but once the conversation turns to music, she just goes on and on." With that explanation, it really sunk in that I was about to collaborate with a professional singer for the first time. After all, she did mention she was preparing for a musical. In terms of expertise, she likely surpassed someone like me, who's been learning for less than a year. "Okay, thanks. I'll keep that in mind for later." "Eh? Oppa, are you leaving already?" "You said you'd hang out together. I also need to go back and finish the work the teacher gave us." "Oh, oppa. Then we'll hang out a bit more and head back. Don't worry, feel free to go ahead." Doa’s considerate words lifted my spirits, making me want to give her a quick peck, but instead, I settled for patting her head. "Okay. Keep in touch." "You too, oppa." I put down my empty coffee cup and left the café to head back to the studio. There was the teacher, snoozing away with his blindfold on. Initially, it was hard to get used to, but now it was a familiar sight. "Where did he save it..." Just earlier, I had labeled the files that Luca and Humuring recorded and listened to the backing track with my headset once more. Hmm. There definitely were some parts that felt lacking. I'll have to let Doa know when I get home. As I was jotting down notes and working intensely on my own, the teacher woke up and tapped my shoulder. "Oh? You're awake?" "Yeah. Hey, it's almost 5 o'clock." "Right." Having had lunch around 2, 5 o'clock had indeed arrived swiftly. "Ah. Why am I so nervous about meeting Lea?" "Come on. At your age, getting nervous over something like this?" "Hey, it's weird not to be nervous when collaborating with an artist you like. Now that I think about it, it's true." The teacher eyed me suspiciously. "Why... what?" "Why do you seem so relaxed when meeting Luca in person despite always singing Luca Luca's songs?" ...It's because I see them all the time. The truth is a secret only I know. "It's just... you know that feeling when you're so nervous you become calm?" "Ah, I see." The teacher clapped, as if he had expected this. "Want me to give you some advice?" "Ah... yes... well... if you don't mind." Getting relationship advice from this person seemed pointless, though. "Listen up." -Knock, knock, knock- "Hey, you go." The teacher, who had straightened up like a top-notch instructor, panicked and pushed me towards the door. "Huh?" "I'll just grab some herbal medicine to calm my nerves. Greet the guest for me, will you?" "What?" The teacher dashed to the next room in a hurry. With a somewhat dismayed expression, I grasped the doorknob. "Ah... hello..." A sleek, jet-black bob. Maturity that felt somewhat different from her avatar. She certainly resembled the Lea depicted in the red pill photo circulating somewhere in the past. "Are... are you Ash Block?" She asked, resembling a girl about to confess, and I motioned for her to come inside and take a seat on the sofa. "Well... I'm not... Ash Block himself. I'm Taemin Han, working as an assistant under him." "Oh... I see." For someone who was never great with words, this situation was pure poison. The silence was unbearably excruciating. "Just a moment." I dashed to the next room and dragged the teacher out. "But Taemin, I'm not ready yet." "The guest is here, teacher. Aren't you going to work?" Why is an older man acting like this! Seriously! "Oh... ah. Nice to meet you! I'm Ash Block!" The teacher scratched his head and extended a hand for a handshake. "Oh. Yes. I'm Lea." With an awkward gesture, Lea shook his hand. "Well... before the recording." "Yes." "Could I get an autograph from you?" Lea looked at me, bewildered. Her bright eyes seemed to ask if this was the norm, but instead of responding, I simply handed over a sheet of A4 paper. "Then, please!" If it weren't for Luca, would I have reacted the same way in an offline meeting? A shiver ran down my spine at the thought.