180 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.180 #180. Forbidden [So, did you enjoy your meal with Lea!] Late at dawn. Today was the day Luca had a scheduled broadcast, so we had to talk on the phone. [Not really. What's there to enjoy? You know I wanted to have dinner with you today, too.] [Ugh... But isn't Ash Block being too much? I should complain next time.] [Wonder if there will be another offline recording. But.] [I don't know. But I don't think I can do it twice; it's too draining. Go and tell the teacher that Luca's pouting.] [Alright.] I felt most at ease when talking with Doa. I wanted to invite her to stay over at my place, but today wasn’t the right day for that. Tomorrow, both of us had tight schedules. But thinking about it now, maybe we could have met instead of just talking on the phone. It was one of those nights where I longed to wrap my arms around her soft belly and fall asleep. [Lea. How was it seeing her in person?] [Um... just as you described?] [Her appearance?] [Her appearance?] It was exactly as I’d seen in photos. Honestly, apart from Doa, 3D humans aren't really... [Just... like a person.] [No, I'm asking because I haven't seen her myself. We hardly meet offline. Lea doesn't seem keen on showing her face either.] With that, I retraced my memories of the dinner to describe her. [She had a bob cut, black hair, and seemed quite tall.] [Really?] [Yeah. The teacher was so excited today, chatting non-stop, it wore me out. I almost dozed off watching your broadcast at home.] [If you're tired, just sleep. Why watch my broadcast?] [But I have to do what needs to be done.] Even during exam periods, I consistently watched. Skipping Luca’s broadcast just because of fatigue seemed unimaginable. Recalling the times I missed his broadcasts due to drama preparations, my hands and feet still trembled. Should have just watched comfortably back then. [Keep it that way going forward.] [Of course, of course.] [Then, we can have dinner together tomorrow, right?] [If the teacher doesn’t bring anything up, probably?] [Got it. Get some good rest.] [...I love you.] Feeling spontaneously affectionate, I whispered softly. [...I love you too.] Exhaustion must have hit as I hung up the phone and blacked out instantly. * * * [If you've done over double digits of recording sessions, thumbs up~] Murine’s message popped up in the group chat. I stealthily added a thumbs up. More participants joining in. Who could it be? Could there be another villain among us? Having more allies is always delightful, so my thumb moved quickly. To my surprise, the new participant was an unexpected figure. It was Clover Unnie. [What’s up? Why’s Unnie here?] [ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] A flood of consonants instead of words. [No, it’s not that. I’m just doing what I'm told, but they keep saying it’s not right...ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ] I secretly thought Jennifer Unnie was the laggard. Seeing an unexpected name, Murine and I broke out into a festive mood. [Welcome~ First time re-recording, huh?] [Unnie~ We've been waiting for you~] [No way! I won't become a demon like you guys!] It’s not like we wanted to become demons either. We didn’t want it. Jennifer Unnie, who had been observing, shared her recording tales. [Really? But Ash Block is insanely meticulous. Ugh. No way I’m doing it twice.] [How was it for Lea?] She read the chat, the notification was on, but she gave no reply. [Me... I finished in one go...] I only asked Taemin Oppa how the dinner with Lea went, never about the recording condition. We were too tired to discuss anything at length that night. By the way, finishing in one go...? Could she have passed on the first try...? [Lea, did you finish recording in one go?] [Ah, not exactly. I wrapped it up on the spot that day. How could I do it in one go?] For a moment, I almost cried out of despair, mistakenly thinking she did it all in one take. I had heard Ash Block was a composer working with personal agendas, but inserting that into the recording wasn't right! [He pointed out this and that for me too, so I redid parts.] [How many hours did it take, Lea Unnie?] Given that she got to have a meal afterward, it must have ended fairly quickly. [An hour? Maybe around an hour and a half?] ...Grrr. Tempting to swear. [Unnie, you got a meal too, right?] [Yeah. Had it with Ash Block and RKRO together, just us three.] Wait a second. Does Lea know that Oppa is RKRO? Murine knew because I told her beforehand, but how does Lea know? Did Oppa tell her straight up? [Wow, isn't RKRO that person? The one who made Summer Records for us?] [That's right. Ash Block said they started working together.] [Wow, so that's the influence of Closer?] Robber Unnie joking around. I hesitated several times before sending a private message saying, [That guy's actually my boyfriend.] [How did you know about RKRO?] Though surprised, I sent a message feigning nonchalance. [Ah, Ash Block mentioned it over the meal. Called him a budding talent.] Right, my Oppa’s a real rising talent. Hearing praises about my boyfriend made me feel quite proud. [And he’s really handsome.] [...Really?] Hearing that Oppa is handsome—I'm used to that from school. He even got cast by YM and appeared briefly as a drama extra, so it's not surprising. But... but... There's this strange feeling. [Didn’t you guys see him that day?] Murine seemed uncomfortable answering, and after a brief moment of consideration, I tried to respond naturally. [Oh. So the person assisting that day was RKRO, huh? He introduced himself with his real name to us.] [True. He did only use his real name when we first met.] Should I press further with a few more questions? It might give me away if I seem too reactive. Or should I just be straightforward and open everything up? I considered just revealing who the man I love is, rather than dwelling on this dilemma. However, that wasn’t without risks. First, I'd be setting up Jenny, a die-hard Closer fan and fiercely single, with juicy gossip bait. Second, I hadn't asked my brother for permission to disclose his personal information. Just as he doesn’t blurt out my identity as a virtual YouTuber to those around him, I wanted to respect his privacy too. Of course, if I asked, he’d probably consent, but I decided to observe a bit more before taking action. I slyly asked Lea: [Then maybe RKRO can direct our session during Summer Records.] [Could be, right?] [Since it’s at the Biddam studio, they might call us back again.] [Visiting there again would be great.] Ah, this confirms it. Lea definitely has a crush on my brother! Ugh... What do I do... What should I do... [When else would I visit a big place like that other than YM?] The follow-up message made me scratch my nose awkwardly... Was I wrong? [True, true. It’d be a treat if they did. Ah~ I’m so envious! Next time, let’s grab something even better, Murine!] Murine, comfort this silly older sister, will you? [Ah~ How about we time it strategically for dinner, Unnie? Maybe the menu will be more luxurious?] Though Ash Block didn’t say he'd buy us a meal, we eagerly discussed what we’d be treated to. Come to think of it, if my brother’s directing, he might be the one treating us? I should definitely warn him later. Forbidden. No more entertaining female artists, whether they're Closers or not, no more meals with them. With that handsome face and those impressive skills, it’d be weird if women didn’t flock to him. For now, he's an assistant to Ash Block, but if he successfully debuts as a producer, gaining fame will just be a matter of time. Alright. Got it. It’s settled. Having sorted out my thoughts, I left the Closer group chat behind and called my brother. It's half-past noon, so he’s probably having lunch now, right? [Hello.] [Hey. It's me, can you talk now?] [Yeah, I can. Just finished eating.] Perfect timing. [Hey.] [Yeah?] [I’m going to send you something via text, read it three times thoroughly and get back to me, okay? Understand?] [Why? Did something happen?] [No, it’s not that. Just read it when I tell you to!] After abruptly hanging up, I busily typed away with my thumb. [Forbidden from exchanging personal contact information with any other female artists (age doesn’t matter).] [Forbidden from eating meals in private (if necessary, make sure to eat with others).] [Forbidden from joking around with a cheerful smile while working.] [Read it three times, engrave it in your heart, and message me back~] ...This should be fine, right? I nodded to myself, satisfied.