Chapter 118: Clip
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 118: Clip
The idle chatter in Closer’s Voicecord group chat increased by the day.
[Unnies! Look what I bought!]
It was Murin, who had made a griptok with her character on it.
We all rushed in, fawning over how cute it was.
[Whoa! Where’d you get it made? Should I get one too?]
[How much are they? To make one? I think it’d be cool to give them away to fans at an event later.]
[Don’t you think griptoks will be included when the official merch comes out?]
I joined the fray and typed on my keyboard.
[They said they’re opening a merch shop soon, so they’ll probably show us first, right?]
Chatting like this, it felt like I was back in high school. It was fun.
The atmosphere at my all-girls high school was just like this.
Of course, there was always a loud, boisterous group of girls, but I wasn't part of that crowd.
In the first place, I was just a quiet otaku.
The kind of girl who always stood one step behind, quietly observing, rather than being at the center of everything.
That was me.
Of course, that didn't mean I had no friends at all.
Quiet kids have their own community, and I think I had a pretty satisfying time within it.
Just last year, I was still eating and chatting with my high school friends.
But after I started streaming and began spending more time at home, we inevitably started contacting each other less.
And after getting into Closer, I became so busy with work that it was impossible to put any energy into maintaining my real-life relationships.
I barely had time to see Oppa, so when was I supposed to see old classmates?
-Ping!
When Manager unnie sent a message telling us to join the voice channel, we all logged on for the scheduled meeting.
[Hello, everyone~ Hope you’re all doing well.]
Her gentle voice flowed through my earphones.
[Ah, of course~]
[Happy New Year~ Unnie~]
[Yes~ Hello~]
We usually had meetings about once a week or whenever there was a special announcement. This time, it was the latter.
And today’s agenda was more than enough to make all our hearts pound.
[The official schedule for the members’ solo concerts has been decided, so I’m here to explain the details.]
Normally, we would have been chattering away, but we were so curious about what she was going to say next that none of us replied.
[So, our contracts run until December of next year, right? And there are five members in total.]
[Since it’s January now, a member’s solo concert will be held roughly every two months.]
[The order! You’re curious, aren’t you?]
Seriously? Why is she trying to build suspense with us?!
The other members must have felt the same way, because they started booing our manager.
[Booo~ Just tell us~]
[Yeah! Just be cool and tell us all at once!]
We’d talked with Manager unnie quite a lot, so we were comfortable enough to joke around like this.
[Alright, alright~ Settle down. I’ll tell you the members whose slots are confirmed!]
I wonder who’ll go first.
The first person would probably perform around March, as spring approaches.
Thinking about it in terms of seasons, spring... Spring is...
Our bubbly youngest, Murin?
If not her, then Clover unnie, with her warm vibe?
Leah seemed to suit winter best, and Jennifer unnie had such a sparkling image that summer felt right for her.
[First up is Luka-ssi!]
[Huh?]
My name was called out of nowhere, and a dumbfounded sound escaped my lips.
Me? Why? Why am I first?
[Wow! Congrats! Luka-taaan~]
[Whoa~~ Luka’s been so popular lately, of course she’s number one!]
[Be honest, unnie. You went and begged them, didn’t you? To let you go first.]
As the envious teasing continued, I wondered if this was a hidden camera prank and asked again.
[Am I really number one?]
[Yes! It’s a decision our Metaverse Team made after very careful consideration!]
What on earth did they talk about in that meeting?
I couldn’t quite understand it, but I didn’t hate it.
A pleasant fluttering in my chest.
We’d done a few event-like things together, but this was the first solo event just for me.
Half worry, half excitement.
[Th-then who’s next?]
I asked, feeling awkward since they kept talking about me without me.
[If Luka-ssi’s concert proceeds in March without any delays, then Murin-ssi is next in May, and Jennifer-ssi is scheduled for July.]
[May sounds great!]
Murin, delighted to hear her name, let out a pterodactyl-like shriek.
Jennifer unnie also seemed pleased with her spot, her voice filled with unconcealable satisfaction.
[Th-then what about us?]
The two whose names hadn’t been called yet.
Leah and Clover.
Clover unnie asked in a small, timid voice.
[You’ll both have yours in the second half of the year, but the order hasn’t been finalized yet.]
[However, the general consensus is to have Clover-ssi in the fall and Leah-ssi in the winter.]
[Winter...]
Leah’s voice was dejected, as if conscious that her turn was the furthest away.
[Of course, there are advantages to going later! More of our full albums will have been released, so you’ll have more fans and more song options for collaborations!]
Ah... that does make sense...
By winter, we’ll have several albums out...
As that thought crossed my mind.
[...Then what about me?]
Does that mean I, the first one, have no options?
What could this news I’m supposed to like be?
Judging by her playful voice saying she’d tell me when I got home, there was definitely something up.
I reached out and pressed the doorbell, and from inside, I heard the pitter-patter of cute footsteps.
“Come in.”
“Okay.”
I neatly took off my shoes and stepped inside to find Doah looking at me with a very pleased expression.
“Guess what it is.”
“What is it?”
“Ah, just guess. It’s no fun if I just tell you.”
I stood there with my arms crossed, racking my brain, before coming up with an answer.
“It’s about Luka, right?”
“Ding-dong-deng! Correct! So, what about Luka?”
“Don’t tell me she’s getting another new avatar?”
The hanbok one just came out! How could there be another one already?
“Nope. A little bigger scale than that.”
“Hmm... an outside show?”
It’s not something like a debut on public television, is it?
Luka-tan on a national broadcast...?
That would be exciting, but also a little dizzying.
“Nope. No news on that yet.”
Doah stuck her tongue out sheepishly and squeezed my hand.
“Oppa... you know... I...”
Her eyes sparkled brightly.
“I’m having a solo concert!!!”
Ah... a solo concert...
I wanted to act genuinely surprised and happy for her, but since I already knew, my bright smile came a beat too late.
“Wow! Congratulations! Is it just you?”
“Aww, no! Everyone’s doing one, but I think I’m going first!”
“I’m really looking forward to it!”
Just because I knew didn’t mean I wasn’t excited.
In fact, I was so excited and hopeful that she’d do well that I’d even gone and signed a contract for it.
“I know, right? They said I’ll be performing for over an hour by myself... Ugh... It’s great, but I’m so nervous.”
Doah sat on my lap and, like a baby bird, chirped away, telling me every little detail about what had happened today.
How Leah was disappointed to be last.
That CLOSER’s second album would be out around April.
Doah, who was spilling all this honey-pot-like information that only an insider would know, smiled beautifully.
“Ah... I... Do you think I can do a good job?”
“You have plenty of time. If you prepare well, step by step, you’ll be amazing.”
And frankly, even if Luka made a mistake during the concert, the Pink Army would find it adorable.
It would be best if she sang well, but the reason we were all so crazy about her wasn’t because she was the best singer.
It was just the character of Luka.
We fell for the charm of the person named Kim Doah.
“Oh, right. I have something to show you, too.”
Pushed aside by Doah’s happy news, I’d forgotten that I also had an update.
“What is it?”
“Hold on.”
To be honest, it was probably nothing compared to Doah’s news.
It might even seem pathetic compared to a full two-hour concert in front of tens of thousands of people.
The video my manager sent me.
My screen time wasn’t even ten seconds.
“Oh? What’s this? Is this from that shoot you did?”
“Yeah. But it’s super short.”
It was embarrassing, but I figured I should show it to Doah anyway, so I tapped the screen and played the video.
There I was, trudging down an alley.
My face, captured by the professional camera, felt incredibly foreign.
It might have been because of the makeup, but I strongly felt like I was looking at someone else.
I stopped walking and stared into the camera with a haughty gaze.
[A fucking otaku should know his place.]
“...Pfft.”
At the same time, a laugh burst from Doah’s lips.
Hey. It’s even more embarrassing when you laugh.
My ears felt like they were burning up.
“Whoa. You were acting, Oppa?”
“What kind of acting is this?”
“You said you didn’t do much that day! Show me again!”
Doah replayed the short clip several times, rubbing her finger over the screen as if caressing my face.
“You really are handsome, you know. My Oppa.”
I thought I’d become indifferent to compliments about my looks.
But why did Doah’s words make me feel so good?
Unable to hide my expression, I struggled to control the twitching corners of my mouth as I snatched the phone back.
“Ah, stop watching. It’s embarrassing.”
“Says the one who watches Luka videos all the time.”
That’s not Doah.
She always twists things to her convenience.
“But Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Is it really okay for a massive otaku like you to say something like that?”
...So I wasn’t the only one who thought that.
I shrugged as if to say ‘who knows’ and patted Doah’s head.
Back then, I never could have imagined I’d get caught up in the ‘experienced professional’ theory.