Chapter 147: On Such a Good Day.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 147: On Such a Good Day.
A pale complexion.
His skin, as white as a vampire lying in a coffin, was so pallid it wouldn't have been strange if he'd stopped breathing at any moment.
When I placed my hand on the back of his, which felt a little cold, tears suddenly streamed down my face.
I had rushed to the hospital after getting a call from Oppa's manager.
With no other way to get here, I had to take a taxi, and I was briefly told what had happened.
Oppa had complained of breathing difficulties during a shoot, collapsed, and was rushed to the emergency room.
They had tried to call his parents to act as guardians, but since they lived out of town, it was realistically impossible for them to come right away.
The manager said he'd seen my call history in his contacts and called me to be his guardian.
The physical examination revealed no particular abnormalities.
The doctor's diagnosis was that it was most likely stress-induced respiratory distress.
"On such a good day..."
The very day that Luka, the one he adores, had her incredible solo concert.
I reached out and caressed his face.
"Why are you like this...?"
The door slid open.
The sound of the hospital room door opening.
Oppa's manager, who had said he was stepping out for a moment, returned.
"...You knew he was in this condition, didn't you."
The arrow of my misplaced resentment was aimed at him.
I knew that a manager wasn't a position with much decision-making power, that he was just a low-level employee who did as he was told, but I couldn't help it.
Right now, I needed someone to vent this suffocating feeling on.
"I knew he was struggling."
His overly calm reply made my anger boil.
"Then why did you push him into a corner he couldn't handle!"
"We made him an offer. It was ultimately Mr. Taemin's decision to accept it."
"So you think it's okay to take someone and leave them in this state? Really?"
He closed his eyes gently, and a sigh escaped his lips.
"Doah-ssi. I need to ask you a question for confirmation."
"You, Kim Doah-ssi, are currently in a romantic relationship with Taemin-ssi, correct?"
"...That's correct."
For a moment, I wondered if I should say anything, remembering that Oppa was a celebrity, but it didn't matter anymore.
Because I'd realized he couldn't be happy within that framework.
"Then let me ask one more question for a more precise confirmation."
"Go ahead."
"Are you, Kim Doah-ssi, currently our YM-affiliated VTuber, Luka-ssi?"
Though I knew no one else was around, I glanced left and right once more before nodding.
"...Yes, I am."
"Then you must also be aware of the contents of the contract Taemin-ssi first signed."
"...Of course."
It was just that thing about trying out the entertainment industry for three months.
"We admit that our artist management was lacking, but we have fully compensated Taemin-ssi for his efforts."
"And I believe you, Doah-ssi, would understand that better than anyone."
What... what does that mean...?
I understand the compensation? What compensation?
"I don't understand what you're talking about..."
"The support for your solo concert. You received all of it, didn't you?"
"Support?"
"It seems Taemin-ssi didn't tell you everything."
The manager glanced at Oppa's face, then met my eyes.
"The number one condition Taemin-ssi presented when he signed with us was..."
Why... for God's sake, why...
Having discovered what that heart-poundingly pleasant thrill was made of, Luka crumbled completely.
"I'm sorry, but only authorized personnel are allowed past this point."
At the guard's words blocking the entrance, I slowly lifted my head.
"I'm Luka."
"Huh...?"
"Luka, the VTuber from YM."
Deciding he wouldn't know who I was and that talking would be pointless, I immediately called Manager unnie.
[Ah, yes, Luka-ssi! What's up?]
Her voice was bright, as if she knew nothing.
[I'm in front of the company building right now. Could you come out?]
[What? You're in front of the building?]
Unnie sounded flustered, but she quickly said she'd be right down and hung up.
"Oh my! Doah-ssi! If you were coming, you should have called ahead. What brings you all the way here~"
"There are some things I need to ask you."
"You could have just called or texted, you know. Well, shall we go to the cafe inside for a cup of coffee?"
"...No."
I'm not in the mood for pleasantries.
"I'd prefer somewhere we can talk quietly."
And so we ended up in a small seminar room with a single small table.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Unnie asked me cautiously.
"So... what did you want to talk about..."
"It's about my boyfriend. The rookie, Han Taemin."
At the name Han Taemin, Unnie's eyes widened.
"Ah. Yes."
"I heard that the support for my recent concert came from him."
"That's right. It's true that an additional budget was allocated thanks to Taemin-ssi."
Why is she answering so calmly?
As if she'd told me about it beforehand?
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"...Excuse me?"
"I said, why didn't you tell me!"
Had I ever been this angry at someone in my entire life?
My voice, so full of rage that it surprised even me, echoed off the ceiling.
"It's my business! I'm Luka! So why! Why! Why!"
"Why would you discuss the support for my concert with him...?"
"Doah-ssi, please, calm down first..."
"No? I can't calm down. How can I? Someone collapsed, and you're telling me to calm down?"
Biting my lip hard, I sensed it was time to get to the main point.
"...Let me meet him."
This wasn't a conversation to be had with Manager unnie.
"That casting team leader... the one in charge of Taemin."
He's the one who should be held responsible.
My body felt unusually refreshed.
My eyes slowly opened.
Feeling a sense of unfamiliarity at the strange ceiling, I startled and looked around.
The IV needle stuck in my forearm.
A white hospital gown that wasn't mine.
It seemed I was in a hospital.
What was I doing...
Memories from before I lost consciousness started coming back one by one.
The shoot that had been repeated over and over.
The director, furious, yelling at me.
Remembering that moment, which could only be described as hopeless, I started to feel dejected all over again.
But even in this unfamiliar space, there was one familiar presence: my girlfriend, asleep, curled up beside me.
It was Doah.
I reached out with my arm—the one with the IV—and stroked her hair, and her eyes shot open.
"Are you okay?"
she asked urgently, checking on my condition.
"Ah... yeah. I think I'm okay."
The moment the words left my mouth, tears welled up in Doah's eyes.
"Aheuu..."
She must have been so worried. Doah couldn't form words, just letting the tears stream down her face.
And I pulled her into my arms, patting her back gently.
"What time is it? How long was I out?"
"Two full days."
Doah answered, sniffling.
"Then... what about the shoot...?"
It must have been delayed again because of me...
The fact that my first thought upon waking was about work made me realize just how conditioned I'd become.
"Nn-nnh."
I wasn't sure what she was denying, but Doah shook her head back and forth.
"You don't have to worry about that anymore."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Oppa. You were fired."
Her words—'you were fired'—made a question mark pop up in my head.
I was fired? For real?
Unsure if she was joking or being serious, I asked her again.
"You're just saying that, right?"
"Nope. You're really fired, Oppa. You were cut from the drama."
"For real? Cross your heart?"
"Yep. Cross my heart, and my mom's, and my dad's."
You don't have to go that far.
"Really...?"
Then what happens to me? The contract... and that project...
All sorts of practical concerns flashed through my mind.
"Oppa."
My moment of sorting through my thoughts with a serious expression was brief.
Doah, who had been staring at me intently, opened her mouth.
"Yeah."
"I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember what I hate the most? I think I mentioned it once a while ago."
I wracked my brain at the somewhat random question, then shook my head.
"Sorry. I just woke up, so I can't really think straight."
"I said I hate people who know something but pretend they don't."
Doah's hand grabbed my chin and pulled it toward her.
"Are you trying to make me hate you?"
"...Doah?"
When I said her name again, unable to follow the conversation, my girlfriend kindly added an explanation.
"When did I ever ask you to help with my concert?"
The secret I had hidden from Doah until the very end shattered into pieces.
"...How did you know that."
Sniffling, Doah turned away and pulled a tablet out of her bag.
"Look at you, too busy to even ask if my concert went well."
On the screen she held out to me was a pink-haired avatar holding a microphone.
"Watch this first. We'll talk after."
I could only watch her retreating back with a dazed expression as she pushed open the hospital room door.