197 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.197 #197. The Final Concert November 28th. Only two days left until Closer's graduation. I had been invited to Doa's studio for the first time in quite a while, and I quietly watched her as she wore a VR headset, holding my breath. “Yes! Great work, everyone!” Today was the rehearsal day for the final concert. Doa had been at it for nearly six hours straight, and it seemed to have finally wrapped up. “Phew.” Due to the warmth of the computer and headset, beads of sweat ran down her forehead. “...Is it okay to talk now?” Turning her head toward me, she gave a bright smile. “Did it go well?” “...Yeah. Really well.” “You’ve improved a lot at singing.” I often heard her hum at home, but seeing her sing more formally was the first since the recording studio. “Because it’s the last one.” Her atmosphere felt noticeably different from a month ago. At first, she seemed quite troubled by the news of the disbandment, but now she appeared resigned in some way. Doa confided in me that she wanted to end this “last dance” of hers in a grand manner. Her desire to be remembered as the prettiest and cutest during her time with Closer will surely remain a treasured memory for her fans as well. “Is there some kind of post-rehearsal celebration... or something like that today? It is the last rehearsal, after all.” “If there was, I wouldn’t have invited you here.” “Is that so?” “We’ll do it on December 1st. Just among us.” “I see.” “Yeah. I plan to go hug the older girls and cry my eyes out.” Picturing each of them in my mind, I nodded in understanding. “...Should I give you my card? You can use it if you want to buy some food for the members.” “No need. Are you ignoring our current sixth place on the charts?” “When did I ever ignore that? I was just saying to have fun.” “Heehee~ I have more money than you~” Firmly rejecting my offer, she wiped her sweat and looked around the studio. “...We need to start packing up here.” “Packing?” “I doubt they'll just let us keep this... It's probably better to sort things out little by little.” There was a hint of sadness in her eyes as she gently tapped the head of Luca's SD figure with her index finger. Moved by her melancholy expression, I hugged her, and although Doa wrapped her arms around my waist, she muttered words that contradicted her heart. “I might smell sweaty right now.” “It’s okay. That doesn’t matter.” We held each other for a moment before Doa neatly arranged the VR equipment and opened the fridge standing in the corner. “First, let’s take these with us.” “...On a day like this, it feels odd to mention it, but why is there so much stuff?” From inside the mini-fridge, snacks and drinks poured out like the bottomless pit of a jar. “You get thirsty and hungry when broadcasting, after all.” “Is that why you’ve gotten a bit plump?” “Hey! Tae-min!” Her glare made me chuckle. “Just kidding. Just a joke~” “You’ve been making comments about my weight frequently. You’re serious, aren’t you! I caught you!" “No, I’m not. How much belly fat could you possibly have?” ...It’s not like there’s none. Since I feel it every day, there’s no way I wouldn’t know. “I’ve made up my mind; I'll dive into a hardcore diet during the break.” “Just eat well. You’re beautiful without dieting.” “Since I’ve been a virtual idol, maybe this is a chance to try being a real idol too.” My girlfriend spoke of an unlikely dream. To bring her back to her senses, I playfully pulled at her cheeks. “Why are you being so cheeky?” “Ugh, I'm gonna be an idol!” As I watched the wriggling Doa, I packed the bags full of snacks and foods and left the studio. “By the way, are you sure it’s okay for you to take two days off in a row?” “I took today off for personal reasons, and tomorrow, the teacher is going on a concert strike, so I took it off without worry.” “Ooh~ Ash Blocks~ How nice~” “Not nice, just a greedy old man indulging his own desires.” There was no fault in what I said. “Ah, I’m nervous. It’s live, so I can’t afford to make mistakes.” “You handled the solo concert well.” “Agh... Even thinking back on all the preparations for that makes me dizzy. How did I do so much alone?” It must have been more than 10 songs. “That’s why you’ll do even better tomorrow.” “But tomorrow, I also have to perform a cute choreography.” “Even if you miss a step, the fans will forgive you because you're all so adorable.” We watch virtual idols not for flawless performances but for their endearing moments. “That makes sense?” “Yeah.” After entering the code and unlocking the door, we tried to spend the day pretending nothing unusual was happening. We played games, both of us joining for a duo game, which we didn’t usually do, and shared a pizza for dinner. Talking about the concert now would only make us more nervous and regretful, so it didn’t feel like the best subject. “Tae-min.” Doa slurped up a string of cheese. “Yeah?” “Look forward to tomorrow’s stage.” “Of course, I’m looking forward to it.” “I didn’t show you, but the stage is truly magnificent. The avatars are no joke, and there’ll be surprise events in between.” “Yeah, I’ll look forward to it.” “And then... then... what else was there?” Her expression seemed to turn the question toward me, and I shrugged my shoulders. “How would I know, Luka Luka.” “Ah, I forgot. Anyway, be sure to cheer a lot tomorrow, and be active in the chat.” “Don’t worry.” As much as Doa prepared her best, I was ready to cheer my best as well. * * * Even before it began, the number of viewers was already breaking records. Fans were enthusiastically chanting the names of their favorite members and Closer. I grabbed a wireless keyboard and sat on the sofa, continuously chanting Luca's name. [Luca, I love you! Luca, I love you! Luca, I love you! Luca, I love you! Luca, I love you! Luca, I love you! Luca, I love you! Luca, I love you! Luca, I love you! Luca, I love you!] The beautiful group illustration gradually faded out. As the screen turned pitch black, we all sensed it was time. -Dan-dan-dan dan-dandan The familiar drum sound. The song began unexpectedly, striking a chord within the hearts of the fans. Ah, the fact that it started with a song I composed. Of course, the song had been doing well, and it had gained a lot of popularity recently, so it was naturally part of today's setlist, but I never imagined it would open the show. Moreover, today featured the rare occurrence of a live performance with all five members. Holding their microphones inside the screen, the Closer members sang while incorporating charming dance moves. The quality of the avatars was top-notch. Even the trackers that reflected their movements delicately made them appear alive and animated. As the first song concluded, the members lined up in a row. [One, two. Hello! We are Closer, your neighboring idols! Waaah!] Back when they started, even this simple greeting was quite awkward. Jennifer, now skilled at leading, wasn't as smooth back then, and witnessing Humoring forget her lines was quite a sight. [How many viewers do we have right now?] At Clover's question, the members all turned in the same direction. It seemed like a virtual screen displaying something like a chat box was set up inside the stage where they stood. [Oh my... amazing...] Luca's mouth dropped open. The fact that 230,000 people were watching a live performance from a virtual idol group was astonishing. Honestly, I was part of this crowd too, and it was an unbelievable number. [Ugh... I'm so nervous, unnie!] Humoring clung to Leah nervously, but Leah just stared blankly into space. [There are so... so many people...?] This might be a part of what makes them different from real-world idols. One of the main reasons they were loved so much was this realism and naturalness. What current idol would go on stage and say, "There are too many people"? [Ugh... We're incredibly grateful for more people showing up than we anticipated! We hope everyone stays and enjoys till the end! Shall we move on to the next song?] [Yes!] [Play the music, please!] Jennifer, who seemed the most composed, smoothly led the show, and Closer serenely transitioned to the next song. The setlist for today was a feast. Original songs, every track from their albums, and each member's popular cover songs. There were also fan raffles and video messages of support from other virtual YouTubers and real YM idols. Everything was so wonderful, but part of me wished it could stop being so good. It felt like taking the last bite of a saved delicacy. The end of this sweet VR world loomed near. Today’s final song. Only their debut song, "Boundary," which had brought them to where they were, remained. [Everyone.] The moment had arrived. The moment when they would bid us farewell. [Tomorrow... we have our graduation ceremony.] The fiery intensity had vanished, and even the avatars—imaginary shells—could not hide their sorrow. [Thank you so much for joining us today, and thank you immensely for the overwhelming love you’ve given Closer over time.] Jennifer burst into tears. She couldn’t continue speaking, and the remaining members approached her, comforting her. Each took turns offering a brief farewell. The Closer members promised to keep it brief, saving longer messages for tomorrow. From my perspective, it seemed more than half were already in tears—wondering if they could even sing. [Then! Everyone! Let’s go with the last song!] As the vigorous intro of "Boundary" started, Luca sang more passionately than ever before.