Chapter 80: Just the Two of Us in the Closet
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80: Just the Two of Us in the Closet
“Let’s go. We need to go give Kkotbi her praise in person.”
“Hehe, I’m going to gush all over her! I’ll tell her all about how amazing the concert was today!”
With Ahyu’s eyes sparkling, we immediately headed for the location Kkotbi had told us about.
It took a little while to get through the massive crowd heading for the exit, but we managed to make our way there without much trouble.
Just then, we came face to face with someone standing in front of the entrance.
It wasn't Kkotbi. Instead, a woman dressed as a staff member spotted us, checked her phone, and waved.
“You must be Kang Ha-chan and Shin So-ra? It's nice to meet you. I'm Kim Mi-jin, Yua's stylist.”
“Ah, hello. Thank you for taking care of Yua.”
I felt a bit like her guardian, but when I greeted her politely, she smiled.
“Yua would attract too much attention if she came out here, so I came in her place. I'll show you the way.”
“Thank you.”
It seemed Kkotbi had asked her to.
As we followed her, we soon saw a crowd of staff members bustling about, cleaning up.
I wondered if it was okay for outsiders like us to just walk in, but I guess this was one of the perks of knowing someone famous.
I was taking in the fascinating world behind the stage when we arrived in front of a door labeled ‘Blackstar Dressing Room’.
Knock, knock—
“Yua, I brought Kang Ha-chan and Shin So-ra.”
As she spoke, Yua's voice called out, “Yes!” from inside.
The door opened, and there stood the same Yua we had just seen on stage.
Seeing her dazzling pink hair and idol outfit up close was more stunning than I could have imagined.
With makeup accentuating her already beautiful face, even I was momentarily stunned.
“Gasp! Y-Yua is right in front of me.”
So for Ahyu, a true Yua stan, it was enough to take her breath away.
Her legs seemed to give out as she leaned her head against me, trembling.
“A goddess! She's a goddess!”
“Ahyu, stop it, you're embarrassing me.”
Kkotbi covered her cheeks, embarrassed by Ahyu's words.
She glanced my way, and I smiled and said, “No, really. You're beautiful. You were amazing on stage. It's no wonder you're the nation's top idol.”
“……”
Hearing that, Kkotbi's face turned bright red, and she lowered her head slightly.
It seemed our compliments were making her quite shy.
“P-Please, come in and we can talk more.”
Right, standing here in the doorway was a nuisance.
Following Kkotbi inside, I got to see an idol's dressing room for the first time.
Clothes were strewn about, and various unorganized cosmetics were scattered around, likely for makeup.
It felt so intensely like a girl group's dressing room that I almost felt like a guy like me shouldn't be in here.
“Yua, Yua, where are the other members?”
While I stood there awkwardly, Ahyu plopped down next to Yua and asked, her eyes sparkling.
“Oh, they all went to grab a bite to eat. Since the concert's over.”
After dancing so intensely, they must have burned a ton of calories.
They definitely wouldn't last long without eating something.
“Kkotbi, are you okay not eating anything?”
Worried, I asked her, and she raised both hands as if to show how fine she was.
“Yes, I may not look it, but I'm a returnee. My stamina is on a different level from a normal person's.”
True, she was in an idol outfit, but Kkotbi was an A-rank returnee.
Even before being a Word Spirit Art user, the fact that she could wield aura put her in a different league from ordinary people.
“And I want to diet a little more, too.”
“Where's the fat for you to lose!” Ahyu exclaimed vehemently at Kkotbi's words.
I agreed with Ahyu.
No matter how you looked at it, Kkotbi had no fat to lose.
“No. There are places you can't see and other things.”
“There aren't. None at all. You're the prettiest in the world right now, for real.”
Like the hardcore fan she was, Ahyu showered Kkotbi with a torrent of compliments.
Thanks to me chiming in with my agreement, Kkotbi's expression brightened considerably.
“Ah, hold on, I need the restroom.”
While we were talking with Kkotbi, Ahyu shivered once and stood up.
“The restroom is at the end of the hall to the left. Should I take you?”
“No, no. Yua, you rest! I can go by myself!”
Kkotbi had started to get up to follow her, but Ahyu waved her hands dismissively and left.
Suddenly left alone, I turned to look at Kkotbi.
For some reason, Kkotbi kept her head down, her eyes darting around.
Is she awkward being alone with me?
Well, we talked on the phone often, but this was the first time we'd met and talked just the two of us.
I spoke up to break the awkward silence.
“Come to think of it, it's been a while since we last saw each other.”
“Ah, you're right. I've been busy.”
“No, I've been busy too. How has the self-hypnosis been since then?”
“It's gotten much better. It's all thanks to you, Oppa.”
All I really did was talk to her on the phone a few times.
Still, hearing her say it was thanks to me made me feel proud.
“Are you still using it?”
“How does it look?”
Kkotbi gave a playful smile.
Oh, a challenge?
I watched the peach-colored hair fall across her tilted face for a moment and began to think seriously.
Since it was a concert day, she probably would have used self-hypnosis just in case, to prevent any anxiety.
But, knowing Kkotbi, she might have decided to overcome it on her own and performed without using it at all.
It's hard to tell.
Honestly, I couldn't tell just from her expression.
“Ugh, p-p-please, stop staring.”
Perhaps because I'd been staring so intently, Kkotbi seemed to feel burdened by my gaze and waved her hands in front of her.
She mumbled, her face as red as a beet, so I scratched my head.
She seemed fine on stage, but surprisingly, she seemed weak to being stared at.
Cute.
Kkotbi placed her hands on her own cheeks, looking utterly confused for some reason.
“Sorry, I stared too much.”
Noticing the atmosphere had gotten a little strange, I apologized, and Kkotbi replied in a fluster.
“I-It's not that, it's just that I'm embarrassed.”
“I can see that.”
She looked at me, trying to say something, but then picked up a water bottle as if her throat was dry.
“Kyaa!”
As she tried to open the cap, she must have used too much force by mistake, because water splashed out, soaking her face and clothes.
Kkotbi, her face still beet-red, now looked like she was on the verge of tears.
“Where's a towel? I'll get it for you.”
“Ah, no! I'll get it…!”
The moment she cried out and stood up, there was a loud thud.
Kkotbi had tried to get up too quickly and banged her knee.
“Agh!”
It seemed she'd hit a bad spot, as Kkotbi let out a cry and staggered.
Because of that, she ended up in an unstable posture on one foot, and her body swayed.
“Kkotbi!”
Startled, I lunged forward.
She has a continuous schedule of concerts, not just today's.
An injury was the last thing she needed.
Thump!
I barely managed to catch Kkotbi, twisting in mid-air to shield her as we rolled across the floor.
I'm so glad I awakened my aura.
“Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?”
I lifted my head and saw Kkotbi's face, nestled in my arms.
Her peach-colored eyes, the same shade as her hair, met mine.
“O-Oppa, I-I'm sorry!”
Seeing how flustered she was, I gave a wry smile.
“Why are you so flustered? I'm fine.”
I didn't seem to be hurt, and Kkotbi wasn't hurt either, so what was the problem?
It seemed I needed to calm her down a bit.
Knock, knock—
Just then, a knock echoed through the room.
“Miss Yua? Are you in there? I'd like to get an interview about the concert!”
The knock came from some man.
I looked at Kkotbi, and when our eyes met, her face went pale.
“I-It's Reporter Park. He's really pushy and writes incredibly sensationalist articles…”
As she said that, our eyes met.
It was an accident, but right now, Kkotbi and I were in a tangled embrace on the floor.
If Ahyu were here it might be different, but she had just left for the restroom.
There was no one else in the room but the two of us.
For an idol, a dating scandal is a serious problem.
It was obvious what would happen if a reporter saw us like this.
It would be the end.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, Kkotbi moved first.
She grabbed my hand and threw herself into the closet.
Was it because, despite her appearance, she was a returnee?
I was pulled along as if I were a feather and ended up inside the closet with her.
The closet was packed with clothes, making it extremely cramped.
Because of that, Kkotbi and I ended up pressed tightly against each other.
Kkotbi had buried her face in my chest, so even when I looked down, all I could see was the top of her head.
What in the world is this situation?
Maybe because we were in a closet, the warmth of Kkotbi in my arms felt even more intense.
It seemed her base body temperature was higher than most people's; she felt incredibly warm.
And despite just having finished a concert, a very pleasant scent wafted from her.
T-Too close.
Are idol outfits this thin?
I was completely flustered, able to feel the shape of Kkotbi's body pressed against mine.
“I'm coming in!”
Just then, the man called Reporter Park promptly opened the door and came in.
He must have left his manners at home, barging into a female idol's dressing room like that. Just as Kkotbi said, he seemed incredibly pushy.
“Hmm, what? No one here?”
Reporter Park's voice came through the thin crack of the closet door.
I could sense him looking around inside.
“Phhh.”
Just then, Kkotbi, who had her face buried in my chest, tilted her chin up as if she couldn't breathe.
Her eyes met mine, and her pupils dilated.
Her face, now beyond beet-red and closer to a tomato, mumbled something. I smiled to reassure her and made a ‘shhh’ sound, telling her to be quiet.
I was incredibly embarrassed too, but given the situation, I had to endure it.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Just then, Baeksan stuck only his head into the closet and spoke to me.
I was so startled I almost screamed.
I desperately tried to explain with my eyes, and Baeksan sighed before pulling his head back out.
“I'll let you know when that bastard leaves, so just wait.”
Our regressor is the best.
As I sighed in relief, I felt Kkotbi's body tremble.
Her eyes looked like they were about to start swirling like something out of a cartoon.
But come to think of it, did Kkotbi really need to hide with me?
She could have just dealt with that Reporter Park guy herself and sent him away.
“What the. Mister, who are you?”
Just then, Ahyu's voice came from outside.
Damn it, did she have to come back right now?
“Huh? And who are you? Judging by your visuals, are you a new idol?”
“Oho, mister, you've got a good eye, don't you?”
“Haha, you have to if you want to survive in this industry!”
Why were the two of them getting along so well?
“So, why are you here?”
“Ah, ahem, I'm Park Tae-yeon, and I came to get an interview with our dear Yua.”
“…Park Tae-yeon, Park Tae-yeon, Park Tae-yeon?”
Ahyu started repeating the reporter's name.
At the same time, for some reason, a murderous intent crept into her voice.
“Hey, you're that trash reporter who wrote that bullshit article about our Joy dating, aren't you?”
“Uh, huh?”
Ahyu's sharp voice was met with the reporter's flustered one.
So that's what happened.
It seemed that was why Kkotbi remembered him, too.
“You came here to write some bullshit article about our Yua too, didn't you! You're so dead! Seriously!”
“W-What, what is with this crazy woman!”
“Get over here! Today's the day you die!”
“Aaaaaaaah!”
With a loud clatter, the sound of the reporter kicking the door open and fleeing echoed out.
So this is the power of Diamond-tier Ahyu.
As I cheered for her internally, the noise outside died down, and I let out a sigh of relief.
“Kkotbi, I think he's gone.”
“……”
For some reason, Kkotbi didn't answer.
The moment I lowered my head again to check on her.
Creeak—
Suddenly, the closet door opened.
I closed my eyes for a moment against the incoming light, and when my vision recovered, I was face to face with someone.
It was Ahyu, who I thought had chased after the reporter. For some reason, she was staring at us with a completely blank expression.
