The Idol's Secret Number
"If you're Su-aKongtteok, maybe I could give you some special fan service?"
Thump-thump. My heart was hammering against my ribs. I was seriously losing my mind. Enduring the embarrassment, I pushed my chest even closer toward Yujun. I hadn't intended for things to go this way from the start. I’d planned to just mumble my way through the fact that I was his stalker and let it all fade into the background. But Yujun had been the one to make me like this.
[No.]
When I’d asked if he would date me if I confessed, he’d answered immediately. The moment I received that reply, my head had gone blank. It was a future I had never imagined—no, one I hadn't even considered. I often fantasized about having a sweet, lovey-dovey relationship with him or being held in his arms, sharing intimate, sticky moments of love, but I never dreamed I’d actually hear an answer like that. I’d naturally assumed he’d say yes... That was the first shock.
[Because you like me as a fan, not as a romantic interest.]
That was the second shock. It felt like I’d been struck in the head with a hammer. I’d been hit so hard I’d actually dropped my phone. Could I just sit still after hearing something like that? And so, here I was. If he didn't see me as a woman, I’d make him see me as one! I knew it was reckless. But is there any woman who could just sit there like an idiot after hearing that from the man she loves?
I was putting my all into self-promotion, despite the shame. I’d spent all night on YouTube studying. "100 Ways to Get Confessed to by the Man You Love," "How to Drive a Man Crazy," "Maxing Out Your Charm." I wasn't sure how useful it would be, but...
"H-huh? Uh... e-eh... yeah?"
Yujun was creaking like a broken doll. His pupils were vibrating violently. I could see him struggling. I’d known his tastes for a long time. I’d researched him through a regular account, not my idol fan account. He wasn't very active, but he’d occasionally like other people's posts, so I’d been able to figure out roughly what he liked and what he hated.
"Just kidding, hehe."
I giggled and straightened my upper body, which had been leaning forward. Yujun let out a disappointed, "Ah." He was so cute. He claimed he didn't see me as a woman, yet he was already about to fall for me after just a little bit of seduction. Honestly, it was worrying. If he was this weak to temptation, what would happen if he got swept away by another woman? I had to make him mine before that could happen.
It was a shame. I’d been sitting there like an idiot, struggling with my thoughts, but deep down, I really wanted to bury my face in Su-a’s chest, rub my nose against her cleavage, and savor the scent of a young girl. Besides, was Su-a always like this? The Su-a I knew was a gentle, docile rabbit, but the Su-a here was like a cunning, seductive fox. The way she gave me those eye-smiles and teased me with touch-and-go skinship was enough to drive a man insane. And then, every once in a while, she’d give me that lovely, bashful smile, and the impact was as powerful as a direct hit to the heart.
...She's cute! ...She's adorable!
"Ahem, let's stop with the jokes."
I cleared my throat to clear the air. Let’s not forget. The reason I called her here was because there was something I needed to hear from her. "The fact that you called me here like this... it means the stalker that night was you, Su-a, doesn't it?"
No excuse would work now. Even if she tried to defend herself, the judge in my head was already holding the gavel of 'guilty.' I had already reached a verdict based on the circumstantial evidence, and I was just waiting for the defendant's final statement.
"So, what are you going to do?"
Su-a tilted her head. Her light brown hair flowed down over her slender shoulders. "Uh... that is..."
I didn't really have a plan. I just wanted to ask for the reason and give her a warning. If it had been anyone other than Su-a, I would have punished them severely, but since it was her, I could consider extenuating circumstances.
"Are you going to hold my weakness over me and try to blackmail me?"
Her tone sounded almost as if she wanted me to find her weakness and blackmail her. If I were a man with plenty of experience with women and a playboy personality, I would have naturally taken this as a golden opportunity to release my urges, but I was a wholesome, healthy man. I would never do such a thing. Of course, Su-a probably didn't mean it for that purpose, either.
"Blackmail, huh..."
Su-a looked straight up at me, her ears perked up. If she had had long, rabbit-like ears, they would definitely have been standing straight up in a posture of rapt attention.
"I won't do that."
Was it just my imagination? For a brief moment, Su-a looked disappointed. "I will never do anything that would harm you because of this."
"Ever?"
"Yes, I swear it on my life as a fan."
For an otaku, that was a massive oath.
"In return, tell me one thing. Why did you do such a thing?"
"Are you curious?"
"Ugh."
Su-a stepped one pace closer. The distance between us was now so small that if I lowered my head just a little, we could share a hot kiss. We could hear each other's breathing clearly. I took a step back.
"Of course I'm curious."
Su-a sat comfortably on the toilet with the lid down. Her already low eye level became even lower. "Because I was curious about what kind of person you were."
"What?"
"It's only natural to be curious about someone who likes you."
Huh? Then, does that mean...? Does she actually like me? For a guy who’s never dated, a woman's words and actions are so difficult to decipher. How many times have I been crushed by those kinds of words and actions before? Talking to me as if she’s having fun, saying things that make me misunderstand, and engaging in subtle skinship. Come to think of it, that’s exactly what Su-a does, isn't it? When she talks to me, she acts like she’s enjoying it, and she’s been engaging in subtle skinship, pressing her chest against my arm. It was like that at the fan signing, and it was like that just a moment ago, too.
Get a grip! Don't be fooled. I’ve been burned by women enough; I can't let it happen again.
"You don't happen to be faking your feelings for me, do you?"
"N-no way!"
I immediately denied it. "I like you sincerely. You're my favorite person in the world!"
I wanted to make sure she didn't misunderstand. I liked Su-a as an idol. Not as a romantic interest. Besides, now wasn't the time to be saying such embarrassing things.
"A-anyway! Are you saying you did that out of curiosity?"
"Yes."
Su-a admitted it readily. If that was the case, I guess it was understandable? Since there wasn't any malicious intent, maybe I could let it slide. "Even so... what were you going to do if someone else had caught an idol doing something like that?"
"I didn't think I'd get caught."
That was true. Because of what happened at the fan signing, I had suspected the existence of a stalker, but eventually, I would have just dismissed it as a suspicion. If the instructor at the academy, Kim Yeji, hadn't told me, I never would have realized a stalker existed.
"Ha... anyway, don't do it again in the future."
I said to Su-a seriously. "You're an idol, so you have to be careful. If weird posts start floating around the internet, it hits your image hard, whether it's true or false. What would happen if strange rumors started spreading while you're at the peak of your popularity?"
Su-a swayed her body back and forth. "But I'm still curious about more things."
"That still doesn't make it okay."
I was truly grateful for her interest in me. But if it got out on the internet that my idol was a creepy stalker, it would be a fatal blow to both the idol and to me. Su-a pouted, looking displeased. She still had some baby fat, so it looked like she was puffing out her cheeks.
"Okay."
Su-a complied easily. "In return..."
Su-a held out her hand to me as if asking for something. "Give me your phone for a second."
"Why my phone...?"
"Never mind, I'll take it."
Su-a snatched the phone right out of my right pocket. Her movements were so natural, it was as if she knew exactly where I kept it. Even if she took it like that, my phone was locked, so she couldn't do anything.
"Huh?"
But Su-a began to unlock my phone as if she were used to it. She pressed the third digit and hesitated for a moment before pressing the last one. "...What's the password for this?"
Right, there was no way she’d know.
"Unlock it for me."
Su-a held the phone out to me. As if I’d unlock it for her. A phone is something you don't even show your family, let alone anyone else. And I definitely couldn't show it to Su-a. If she saw the photos in my album, I might have to jump out the window. Because... well, there were some... rather suggestive photos of Su-a in there... Ahem, ahem.
"No."
"It unlocked!"
"What?"
"You have facial recognition set up."
Ah, right.
"Wait, wait, wait...!"
Just as I reached to grab the phone back, Su-a handed it straight to me.
"Pick up when I call."
A new contact had been saved.
[My Idol♡]
I knew instinctively whose number that was.
"I still want to know more about you, Su-aKongtteok."
Su-a hopped up from her seat. She pushed me aside and unlocked the bathroom door. "So you have to pick up when I call, okay?"
Su-a gave me a bright smile. I felt a pleasant, fluttering sensation in my chest.
"Uh... th-that is...?"
While I was stammering, Su-a opened the door and stepped out. And before the door closed, she poked her head back in and said it clearly to me one more time.
"Make sure you do!"
The sound of her running footsteps faded away rapidly.
"............Eh?"