Naeun (2)
Naeun (2)
- Waaaaaaaah!
The cheering of the audience burst out from beyond the screen.
The small speaker couldn't fully contain that sound and rang as if it would tear.
The stage lighting completely went out, and soon the screen showed the faces of the MCs.
- Wow... the stage just now was really amazing, right?
- Yes. It was Sim Naeun-ssi's first solo stage. She really filled the stage with just her voice.
As the MCs said, Naeun's first solo stage was truly perfect.
Even though she was standing alone on the wide stage, she didn't seem to waver, and it looked like she wasn't nervous at all.
- Woongseong-woongseong.
Then a small sound was heard right in front of the door.
- Hey, did you see that just now? Is that really live? Even if they put AR, it doesn't make sense that it doesn't shake that much?
-Sim Naeun, I knew she was originally good, but I didn't expect her to come out like that as a solo. She's not a main vocal for nothing.
- Sigh... what about us. Will our names even appear in today's articles? It'll be plastered with articles like Sim Naeun, proving it with her first solo stage...
- But was Sim Naeun-ssi originally that good? The live—
At this time the conversation suddenly cut off in the middle.
A sudden silence settled outside the door.
And soon after, a voice completely different from a little while ago was heard.
- Seonbae-nim, hello.
- Ah, hello!
- I really enjoyed the stage!
- Thank you.
A calm and distant-feeling voice was heard from beyond the door.
- Today's stage was really good. You worked hard.
- Yes, you worked hard a lot.
- Thank you. I'll see you next time.
Short greetings were exchanged and soon the footsteps of several people started to recede from in front of the door.
Inside the waiting room, only the TV sound remained again.
After Naeun finished, the next idol's exciting stage was proceeding.
But that voice couldn't be heard properly.
My gaze was all directed at the closed door.
- Dalkak.
Soon after the doorknob slowly turned and Naeun entered inside the waiting room.
Her appearance wearing the stage costume was much more splendid than when seen on the screen.
The sparkling decorations bounced small lights every time they touched the lighting, and the long hair that had been flowing down on the stage came down over her shoulders without being arranged.
- Tak.
As the door closed, the noise of the hallway seemed to recede.
Even now exciting music was flowing out from the TV, but even that sounded strangely faint inside the waiting room.
Naeun was standing in front of the door looking at me for a moment.
Perhaps because of the aftereffects of the stage still, her shoulders were rising and falling very slightly.
"......Did you see it?"
Contrary to her appearance on the stage just now, she asked quietly with a calm face without smiling or looking excited.
As I stayed silent not knowing what to say, she slowly approached one step.
Standing in front of me, she was rubbing her own hands together.
Her gaze was looking down at the end of the costume with sparkling decorations attached, not towards my face side.
"I wanted oppa to watch it."
It was a voice much smaller than just now.
"Other people... I don't care even if they say whatever."
She stopped in the middle of speaking and clenched both hands tightly, then soon raised her head and faced me.
"How was it, oppa?"
Her eyes were fixed on me.
It was like a puppy that has the desired answer, and also like she was scared.
"Did I... do well?"
Did she do well?
I think there's no need to even ask that.
The words they said outside the door just now, and the cheering heard from the audience were already substituting for the answer.
But Naeun had no interest in those things and was just looking at my lips.
"......You did well."
The voice came out more cracked and smaller than I thought, but Naeun's eyes became a little bigger.
"Really?"
"Yeah. You really did well. You didn't even shake, and your voice was good too."
At my words, Naeun was clenching her hands so tightly that they turned white.
"I'm glad..."
She slightly lowered her head and spoke in a voice close to relief.
"I wanted to hear that."
"......My words?"
She quietly nodded her head.
"Yes."
"By the way, why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"The solo stage."
Naeun's fingertips stopped.
"If you were preparing, you could have told me."
"......"
She stayed silent for a while with her head deeply lowered.
Soon she, as if she had decided, grabbed my hand.
"I wanted to tell you."
"But?"
"If I tell you......"
"I was afraid oppa wouldn't watch."
I momentarily lost my words.
"What?"
"If I tell you in advance, oppa might deliberately not watch, right. So I just wanted to make you watch after the stage started."
"......Do you think that makes sense?"
"Yes."
She who answered without hesitation looked at me.
"Oppa watched, didn't you."
Then she smiled small.
"Then that's it."
- Warak.
Naeun approached one more step closer and hugged me.
"Oppa..."
"......"
"I did well today, so. Can't you praise me a little more?"
***
She was continuously listening to my praises while being hugged in my arms.
- The first verse was good.
- Your voice didn't shake.
- There was no empty feeling on the stage.
At first she just stayed still with her face buried in my chest without saying anything, just listening.
But every time I took out one word, I could feel a little more strength going into her hands.
Like that, Naeun was hugged in my arms for a long time.
And when I said she did well one last time again, only then did she slowly raise her head.
The corners of her eyes were a little reddened.
"I'm glad... hearing it from oppa, it feels so good."
Naeun looked at my face while smiling small, then carefully grabbed my hand again.
"Oppa."
"......Why."
"There's something I want to do today."
Her voice was still small, but a little clearer than just before.
"Something you want to do?"
"Yes."
She spoke slowly as if deciding.
"I want to go watch a movie."
"......A movie?"
As I asked back without realizing at the unexpected words, Naeun nodded her head small.
"Yes. The movie theater."
"Now?"
"Yes."
She spoke without letting go of my hand.
"After today's stage ends, I wanted to go together with oppa."
***
"Oppa, what kind of popcorn do you like...?"
Naeun asked carefully while standing in front of the kiosk.
The sparkling appearance from just now on the stage was nowhere.
She had pressed the hat of the thick hoodie deep, and was wearing a black mask on her face.
Whether the stage makeup was completely wiped off, the flashy colors that were visible until just now weren't remaining around her eyes.
Because of that she looked even younger.
She didn't look like an idol receiving the gazes of countless people under the lighting, but just like an ordinary girl who came out to watch a movie late at night.
Of course it was unreasonable to say she was completely ordinary.
Even with the hat pressed down, her eyes weren't easily hidden, and the facial lines revealed above the mask were strangely noticeable.
Whether Naeun knew that or not, she was looking up at the kiosk while tightly holding my hand.
"Just anything."
"Anything is not allowed."
"Why."
"It's something we're eating together."
Naeun turned her gaze back to the menu board.
"Do you like sweet ones? Or salty ones?"
"......Salty ones."
"Then original."
It was a serious face like a person who finished an important decision.
Then she looked towards me again.
"And the drink?"
"That too, anything."
"That too is not allowed. I have to know oppa's preference."
She ordered one original popcorn and one cola.
And after hesitating a moment, she added one warm drink.
"You don't drink cola?"
"Because I used my throat."
After that she immediately took out her card and paid.
"By the way, what movie are we going to watch?"
In front of the screen after finishing the order, she slowly turned to look at me.
"Romance."
"......Romance?"
"Yes."
"I wanted to watch something like that if I watch with oppa."
"Why specifically romance."
"Just because. If I come to the movie theater with oppa, I wanted to watch something like that."
"Since when did you think of that."
When I asked, Naeun didn't answer right away.
"From a long time ago."
"......"
"Oppa might not remember."
- Kkwaak.
The strength holding my hand became a little stronger.
"I kept thinking about it."
"About what."
"Coming to watch a movie together with oppa someday."
The way of speaking was calm. But because of that it sounded even stranger.
This time that looks like an ordinary date, to Naeun it seemed like a wish she had endured for a long time.
But immediately the sensation of the nape of the neck came to mind.
It was the cold sensation of the choker.
"Oppa."
"......Why."
"Before the movie starts."
She hugged the popcorn she received to her chest, and carefully looked up at me.
"Today, can't you just be with me?"
She interlocked her fingers as if not wanting to miss my hand and looked up, waiting for my answer.
The eyes revealed above the mask were quietly yet persistently directed towards me.
I eventually answered shortly.
"......Okay."
Hearing that, the corners of Naeun's eyes curved a little.
"Thank you."
She moved her steps towards the screening room without letting go of my hand.
"Watching a movie with oppa, I really wanted to try it."