Trauma (4)
Trauma (4)
That was worth it.
"Kyaaah!"
"I love you!"
"Fuck— take my money!"
Early morning. The area in front of the performance hall was packed with people.
The restaurant owner running his eatery.
The blacksmith operating his forge.
Even mages researching magic at the Magic Tower, and those rare high-rank adventurers.
Her song had spread throughout the entire city, meaning every single person in the city had heard her singing voice.
And her song contained a spiritual power. A cheat ability that healed listeners and enchanted them.
'This feels fucking amazing......!'
Ga-hee trembled in the waiting room inside the performance hall as she prepared for the show, her body shaking from the cheers echoing from outside.
It wasn't tension or fear. It was ecstasy. Joy so intense her body quivered from toes to scalp—like, was this what an orgasm felt like?
Ecstasy enveloped her entire body, and she broke out in cold sweat, focusing solely on savoring that pleasure.
Da-hee, who had come in to tell her about the showtime, freaked out at the sight of Ga-hee drenched in cold sweat.
"Ga-hee! You okay!?"
"......I'm fine."
"You're sweating buckets...."
"How much time left?"
"Uh, about 30 minutes...."
"I gotta hit the bathroom real quick."
Ga-hee brushed past Da-hee and headed to the restroom. She closed the toilet lid swarming with purification slimes, sat on it, and slowly pulled down her panties.
Jjeoeok, a long strand stretched out. She hadn't even touched it, but it was soaked. Tsk, she clicked her tongue and wiped her crotch with a nearby silk cloth.
She tossed the silk into the trash, then went to the sink to wash her hands. The water gushing from the Water Spirit was cleaner and cooler than chlorinated tap water.
'I can do this.'
Her chest wasn't just tingling—it was sparking. The tips at the ends stood stiff, and every brush against her clothes sent a jolt of electricity snaking down to her waist.
When she returned to the waiting room, Da-hee and Aram were waiting for her.
"...What's up?"
"Da-hee said you were sick, so I came to check... You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"But just in case, want me to heal you?"
"She said she's fine."
Heal this feeling? That'd be harder than getting a gambling addict to quit betting. Already hooked on the thrill, she vowed never to forget this sensation.
"Time to go?"
"Y-yeah."
"Phew... Let's do this."
Ga-hee slowly made her way to the stage. On stage, the accompanists hired by Dojin and Deokgu were waiting for her.
The moment her foot hit the stage, hundreds, thousands of spectators who'd been waiting just for her erupted in cheers all at once.
Deul deul deul, the sound alone made the performance hall shake. Ga-hee savored the pleasure rippling through her trembling body and slowly picked up the mic.
[Hey everyone! Nice to see you!]
In that instant, silence blanketed the hall. She hated this silence. It felt like slipping back to those days when no one cared about her.
[Alright then, first song! Let's go! Save me!]
Doong doong, the accompanists' instruments rang out in unison. In this Otherworld without electric guitars or drums, traditional instruments mimicking those sounds played the backing track for the song she knew so well.
She just poured the lyrics into it.
Every time the lyrics flowed out, people who didn't even grasp their meaning started humming along.
Dojin watched from behind the stage, enjoying the song.
Then he recalled Ga-hee's late-night visit.
—I don't deserve that shit.
With her face slightly flushed, she'd vented about her trauma.
It was a long, long story.
No talent, sky-high pride, couldn't even debut.
Deciding to become an idol in the Otherworld wasn't about chasing a dream.
She was dead certain she could show off her skills as the best here, so it was a practical choice.
—I'm not a beautifully shining star. I'm a mirror reflecting ugly reality....
After hearing her whole story, Dojin pulled her into a light hug.
Then he asked if dreaming of being an idol back in reality was for the same practical reasons.
Watching her shake her head through tears, Dojin whispered that was good enough. He comforted her, sent her back to her room, and put in the work to help her achieve her dream.
'She's singing great.'
Didn't she say she couldn't become an idol due to lack of talent? Yet her voice was heavenly harmony.
To Dojin, her failure to debut wasn't about talent—it was a confidence issue.
Every time her voice poured out, listeners clutched their foreheads and collapsed one by one, some even passing out completely.
For Otherworld folks used to slow hymns or heroic ballads, it was a culture shock intense enough to knock them out.
The pinnacle of 21st-century idol music, said to have peaked with no room left to grow.
And.
The final backing track faded out.
A 0.5-second silence lingered until people realized the song was over, then cheers amplified by that hush filled the hall.
Seeing her beaming face, Dojin realized she'd blown away every bit of trauma from failing to debut.
She felt it too. What couldn't she do now?
Then, Ga-hee glanced back at Dojin behind the stage and slowly opened her mouth.
[We are one.]
"......?"
The show ended. As Dojin tilted his head, not getting her message, Ga-hee came backstage and asked him.
"W-what's your answer?"
"......To what?"
"To what— Argh, annoying!"
She yelled that and stormed into the changing room. Dojin couldn't figure out why she was pissed.
That night after the show, Dojin woke up to the blindingly bright full moon. Figuring he wouldn't sleep, he went for a walk.
A walk meant strolling the mansion garden. Something he couldn't dream of back on Earth or during his inn days.
Cool dawn air brushed his lungs. Dojin took a deep breath of the clean air impossible on Earth and headed to the back yard.
—♬
Someone was already there. Ga-hee was by the mansion pond, singing. Dojin blinked at the sight of her singing.
'...What the.'
Tiny spirits fluttered around her. Unbelievable. Even the elves who dungeon-crawled with Dojin couldn't handle spirits....
As Dojin approached slowly, the rustling startled her into stopping. The spirits vanished the moment her song ended, and she had no clue her voice could summon them.
"......What're you doing up at this hour?"
"No more formal speech, huh?"
"Hmph, that was before debut. I'm a superstar now? Power dynamic's flipped."
"Oh dear, should I use formal speech then?"
"...Do whatever."
She said that and started twirling her hair. Dojin chuckled lightly and sat on the bench beside her.
The moment Dojin sat, Ga-hee scooted her butt away a bit.
"S-so? What's up?"
"Couldn't sleep. You?"
"Same, couldn't sleep."
She glanced up at the night sky. The moon, so bright it was hard to believe it was real, stimulated her eyes.
Today's events felt just as unreal as that oversized moon.
That's why she was tossing and turning. The afterglow of the show lingered.
"How's it feel to achieve your dream?"
She side-eyed Dojin. Dream, yeah. She'd become an idol. A superstar with hordes of fans.
Something she'd longed for, dreamed of every day.
But if asked if it felt good...
"...Eh, it's alright."
"Just alright?"
"Yeah. Kinda like... after taking the college entrance exam?"
"You took that too?"
"...You think I didn't?"
She meant a sense of relief. Makes sense. With trauma so deep her cheat ability was singing well, achieving the dream wouldn't send her flying with joy—it'd just feel like closure.
Unreal, like it hadn't sunk in.
"That thing."
"Hm?"
"The last thing you said. What'd it mean?"
Asking here? Ga-hee's heart pounded as she looked at Dojin. Her throat dried up, lips parched.
Gulp, she forced down saliva. Finally, her voice worked.
"W-well... exactly what it sounded like."
"What?"
"Exactly!"
She yelled, making Dojin plug his ears and step back. Then he asked again.
"...No, I meant what does it mean?"
"...What?"
"'We...' whatever. What's that mean?"
"Wait, hold up. You... don't know what that means?"
"Nope."
Ga-hee glared at him in disbelief. TV dramas, song lyrics—she figured with all that exposure, he'd know.
Unfortunately for her, Dojin had no time to leisurely listen to songs or watch TV. If he did, he'd have slept.
"Sigh... Me and this guy."
"This guy? What about me."
"Never mind."
Brush brush, Ga-hee dusted off her pajamas and stood. Then she slowly turned and pointed at Dojin.
"You said it back then."
Old memory surfaced. The time he'd badmouthed her straight-faced.
"Idols are all whores selling their bodies to succeed."
"Oh... Yeah. Sorry about that."
"Hmph, too late for apologies now? ......Superstars are the opposite. Sponsors beg to let them sell their bodies for ads."
"Yeah? Impressive."
"I'm a superstar now too! Got it? Superstar!"
"Yeah, congrats?"
Whether he heard or not, Ga-hee stared intently at Dojin. They say hate is interest, interest is love.
She couldn't even hate him anymore if she tried.
"I won't forget that. Got it? ...I'll never forget you, ever."
"Even if I'm sorry."
"...Gonna sleep."
She left those words and headed to her room. Dojin watched her go, then turned to the pond.
Splash, fish darted around reacting to their voices.
'She's grown.'
To Dojin, she seemed fully over her trauma. Maybe it wasn't a big deal to begin with, or her mental resilience was top-notch.
Point is, she did it. Successfully shed her trauma. So he could too.
Beating a ghost that only lived in memories? Easier than succeeding as an idol in the Otherworld.