185 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.185 #185. Token “Gasp” The instinct of the Pinkduduk crew alerted me that now was the moment to type this chat. Even though it had been a few days and I merely wanted to share a funny story involving the teacher, I felt like something was significantly wrong. [Uh... Didn’t I tell you about this?] I decided against bringing it up, thinking it was better to let it slide. I feigned ignorance as best as I could. [No, you didn’t tell me.] A cold response. There was no escape. [Ah... It's not a big deal. Like I said, she just wrote her number on a note and left.] [Why didn’t you tell me that!] Because I thought it would stress you out. [Geez... Come over to my place before you head home today.] [...Okay.] Without even waiting for a reply, Doah abruptly ended the call. I scratched my head furiously in frustration over my own foolishness. “Ah... Why do I always end up saying unnecessary things.” Still, I didn't think an overly harsh punishment awaited me. After all, I had explained how I disposed of the note, and I hadn’t saved her number in my phone. As I let the subway carry me to my stop, nerves crept in as I approached the hill leading to my neighborhood. I trust my Doah. Of course, I believe in her. How cute and kind she is. Drawing upon positive memories as if I were casting a spell, I hovered my finger over the doorbell. The sound of footsteps approached. Doah swung open the door and glared at me. “Uh... Hi?” Any naturalness vanished, and I greeted her awkwardly as if I were a friend reconnecting after three years. “Hi?” There was something unusual in the way she intonated the end of her greeting, her expression suggesting a silent, “Are you seriously greeting me right now?” “Ah... I'm sorry for not telling you sooner.” It was better to apologize properly when it was warranted. Not intending to evade, I quickly bowed as if folding in half. “But really, nothing strange happened. She offered to give me her number, so I jotted it down on a notepad and turned it into a paper airplane. I considered throwing it away but thought it might be useful, so I gave it to the teacher.” In a rapid-fire manner like a rap, I explained everything without lifting my head. “Han Taemin.” “...Yes?” Raising my head slightly, Doah gestured with her finger for me to come closer. Doah, having seized my wrist, led me to the bed. “What should your punishment be?” “But... I didn’t do anything weird, to be honest. Also, it was kind of hard to refuse given the context.” “When did I say it was about you getting Lea’s number?” “...No?” “No! The issue is that you hid it! Why would I get mad at you over someone giving you their number?” Frustrated, Doah punched her chest with her tiny fists. “If you had just said that something like this happened on the day it happened, I would have let it go!” “Would you really let it go?” I wondered if she was just saying that since it was already done. “Of course, I wouldn’t let it go unreprimanded! But it would have been better than now!” So, it seemed I was always destined to hear something about this. “Ughh...” Doah raised her hands and pinched my cheeks. “You’re incorrigible. You need to get uglier.” “I don't think pulling my cheeks is going to make me uglier.” This was just painful. It wasn’t the kind of expression of love I showed to Doah. Continuing might cost me the elasticity of my skin, I feared. “Argh! Being needlessly handsome like this!” No... I write great songs now... I used to seem rather useless, but that’s not the case anymore... Doah didn’t let go of my cheeks until she could confirm there was no contact from Lea in my phone, freeing me only then. Peace returned. Doah, leaning against my chest, fiddled with her phone. “Doah.” “Hmm?” “Are we going to keep our relationship a secret from Lea forever?” When you think about it, it didn’t make sense. If it’s so worrisome, shouldn’t we just disclose it to Lea too? After all, Fumiring and Clover already knew. “Well... I thought it was inappropriate to be the first to just announce it.” “Really?” “Right? It’d be weird if I just went ‘This is my boyfriend!’ when no one asked. Mu-Ring or Robo unni directly addressed you because I brought you along.” “True.” Both instances were for double date plans, though one ended with a bitter note. “Plus, if I tell Lea, I’d have to tell Nipper unni too. If only Nipper unni doesn’t know, it feels like we’re excluding her.” I realized I might have been shortsighted; maybe this was just how girls managed their relationships and interactions. “So, it’s secret for now?” “Oppa, you even got a number from Lea, and if I suddenly go, ‘Haha~ Actually, Lucario-chan is my guy~’, do you think Lea would take it well?” Doah shook her head as if even imagining it was unpleasant. “Hmm... Alright. Then it’s best to go with what you think.” Deciding internal matters within the group should fall to Doah, a member herself. “Lea punk... She does have an eye for handsome guys...” “You just said I was useless aside from being good-looking.” “No! Just stay still, alright? Stay still!” Doah raised her arm, lightly patting my thigh. “This is why you get reprimanded for not reading the room and saying silly things!” “Sorry.” “Ugh... I'm vexed, come here.” Doah turned around and seized my cheeks once again. Oh no... It’s still sore, and now she’s pulling again. Expecting pain, I tightly shut my eyes but was met with a different sensation. Doah's soft lips tenderly pressed against mine. Holding me with determination, she pulled on my lips more fervently than usual, and I submitted to her unspoken request, wrapping my arms around her waist. “This won’t do.” “What now.” “What time do you finish work tomorrow?” “Um... It's not fixed, but probably around the usual time? Four-ish?” "Then don’t head home after work tomorrow. Wait for me at the office." I nodded in agreement, understanding her instruction. * * * On the first day of officially signing the contract with Bitdam, I joined the CEO and several producers for a meal. While there were familiar faces I'd encountered occasionally, there were also individuals I was meeting for the first time. The meal was at a nearby traditional Korean restaurant, and I couldn’t help but twitch my eyebrows at the exorbitant prices. A meal like this near the campus could get you ten servings. "By the way, Taemin. Are you sticking with the stage name RKRO?" The CEO asked, pausing his eating. “Uh... Is it not preferable?” "It's not that, but it might be better to have something that rolls off the tongue more easily. In Korean, it’s Alkayaloh, right?" “That's true. Taemin, come up with something new,” the teacher interjected decisively. "What do people usually go for?" "It's up to you. You can choose something catchy like others here, or go for a completely different feel. But don’t just string together four alphabets and expect people to pronounce it." I considered using Lucario, but I was aware of a VTuber named Luka and other similar associations, so I decided against it. "Once the studio allocation is sorted, you’ll be given a space. Use it as needed. As for your work..." The CEO’s gaze shifted to the teacher. "I’ll be guiding him. We’ll consider opportunities as they come, and when he seems ready, we’ll transition accordingly.” "Alright. Let’s proceed that way, then." With fewer staff, there was definitely a sense of closeness. It was a stark contrast to YM, where everything was kept strictly professional. “Oh, when Taemin moves downstairs, what will I do to pass the time?” the teacher sighed wistfully after our meal and return. “You handle being alone well enough. What are you fussing about?” This wasn’t just politeness; it was the truth. In my life, I had never seen anyone enjoy their own company as much as this gentleman. He was recognized by the public, had ample wealth, worked freelance, and had no spouse. Could there be a better environment for immersing in hobbies? “I’ll drop by whenever I’m bored.” “Sure, anytime.” There were still a lot of things I wanted to learn. “Let's finish with the mastering details I taught you before.” “Got it!” After an hour-long lesson and two hours of hobby talk, I headed to meet Doah at our designated spot. She had asked me to meet at the department store, hinting she had something to buy. “Oppa!” Spotting me, Doah trotted over with her short-legged stride. “You're early?” “Just arrived.” “Really? Why did you want to meet here? Are we eating here?” “Yes, and there’s something to buy.” “What is it?” Doah placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest proudly. “Our couple rings!” Hiss... I suspected the prices here might be outrageous... This was just my naive misconception, having no idea how much world-class Doah’s revenue actually was.