A Lucky Day 2
"Please crank up the lighting intensity a bit higher than usual."
After wrapping up a rough chat with the staff, I slowly stepped out of the backstage area. The downpour was still raging outside. The moment I took one step beyond the tent, thick raindrops plummeting from the sky splattered across my skin.
I was drenched in an instant. My stage outfit grew heavier as it soaked up the water, and the hair the stylist had meticulously styled lost its shape in no time. I could even hear the other artists crying from here.
I swept the hair clinging to my face back and made my way to the center of the stage. Through my blurred vision from the rain, I felt the gaze of tens of thousands piercing me. Then the lights blazed on, and my image appeared on the giant screens.
A roar erupted from the audience seats.
———!!
They said there were a whopping 60,000 people in the crowd. The cheers matched that number in sheer volume. The pounding rain, once so loud, was completely drowned out by the noise.
I grabbed the mic—waterproof, of course—and approached the edge, closer to the fans.
"It was already hot, but this rain is really cooling things down nicely."
Soon, the music swelled.
~♪
From the very first verse, a powerful beat exploded. It wasn't Love and Thunder, the song I'd prepped with my senior. That one's an emotional ballad—too much of a stretch for conditions like these. So I switched it up.
The track was Breaker, the strongest-beating song I knew. My intent was to deliver a performance that wouldn't bow to the storm.
~♪
To cut through the rain, I pitched my voice higher than usual. Once the energy was pumping, I launched into the choreography.
Tak—!
The instant my foot slammed the ground, water pooled on the stage sprayed everywhere. Every step sent splashes flying, refracting off the lights for a dramatic effect. Each droplet sparkled like a diamond.
A rain-fueled performance. I'd drawn inspiration from Step Sound, a fun movie I'd watched as a kid. The scene where the protagonists danced using water had stuck with me. I recreated those moves as realistically as possible.
———!!
The crowd's roars pierced the rain and hit my ears. Thankfully, they were loving it.
...Nice.
Buoyed by the cheers, I geared up for even bigger moves.
"Ah......"
My foot slipped, and right in the middle of the stage, I lost my balance. I'm screwed, I thought, squeezing my eyes shut.
At that moment——someone wrapped their arms around my waist from behind. I managed to stay upright thanks to them.
...Who?
Just seconds ago, I was alone on stage. When I opened my eyes, there was Senior Yu-na's face.
I'd told her earlier not to join me—I didn't want to drag her into my stubborn solo act. But somehow, she'd made it up here.
"...Senior?"
She flashed a grin and winked. She was soaked through, just like me.
"This is our stage together. We share the hard parts too."
She steadied my wobbling body, and it felt so seamless, almost like intentional choreography. The audience exploded.
Senior Yu-na and I exchanged a quick glance, then dove right back in.
Since Breaker wasn't on the setlist, we improvised the whole dance as free-style. No rehearsal, pure spontaneity—but our synergy was uncanny. She was perfectly matching my rhythm, leading unilaterally.
She's got my breathing and tempo locked down. As expected from someone who'd seen through my glasses syndrome. The way she'd caught me earlier? Kinda cool, actually. If my heart were fully a girl's, I might've fallen for her.
Just kidding.
"And that's it for the joint performance by Yu-na and Ruti!"
The impromptu rain show ended amid thunderous applause. Back backstage, Manager Unnie rushed over, frantic, wrapping me in the towel she'd been clutching. She didn't care about getting wet herself.
"I must be crazy! What if you'd gotten hurt pulling off a show in this storm?!"
I got an earful for going ahead without a word. Senior Yu-na was catching similar flak from her own team nearby. We locked eyes and smirked.
Hey, it was fun—that's what matters.
"Hurry to the dressing room and change. You'll catch a cold like this."
"I'm fine."
This body's tough—never sick, even through killer schedules. A little rain won't do squat. Summer colds? Even dogs don't get 'em.
**
The next day, I sensed something off the moment I woke up in bed.
"Ugh......"
My head throbbed dully, and my limp body felt heavier than usual.
"......No way."
I stripped off my top and tucked a thermometer under my armpit. Beep——
One look, and a sigh escaped me.
...37.7°C.
Payback from yesterday's rainy performance. I'd caught a summer cold after all.
First thing, I reported it to the CEO.
"......Sorry."
"It wasn't some big event, so no worries. Have you seen a doctor? Want me to send Su-ah unnie as a caretaker?"
"No need for a caretaker. Having someone around would just stress me out more—I wouldn't rest properly."
Yesterday was my call to push through. I didn't want to burden anyone else with the fallout.
...I hope Senior Yu-na's okay?
I checked her Byulstar account. The latest post was a gym mirror selfie. #MorningWorkoutDone. Rocking those abs, smiling casually, dumbbell in hand, sweat beading on her forehead. Looked perfectly healthy, unlike me.
"......Good."
Real relief washed over me. If she'd gotten sick because of me, I'd have felt awful.
Switching to my account, I posted a photo with a caption. #ICaughtACold(T_T) I included the thermometer pic and apologized to fans waiting for my schedule. I was supposed to hit a radio show tonight.
I left separate apologies for the fans and the broadcast team. Right away, supportive comments flooded in.
Everyone must've caught yesterday's show—they were genuinely worried. No hate comments, luckily.
"Phew...," *cough*!
The words triggered a cough. My voice was a bit hoarse too. Fever and a sore throat?
Dragging my aching body to the kitchen, I threw together a meal from the fridge and popped some emergency cold meds.
"Ahh......"
The medicine hit hard—my body melted into drowsiness, head spinning, barely able to stand. I staggered back to bed and collapsed.
Someone once said sleep was the best cure for a cold.
"......Oh, right."
I didn't forget to text my teacher for sick leave. A quick "Rest up" reply came soon after. With that checked, my consciousness faded into haze.
**
The girl lingered in front of the door for a good long while.
Is it really okay for me to come here? What if this is just meddling...?
She hesitated to ring the bell. She'd been agonizing there for almost an hour already. Her heart couldn't settle.
Sunset was creeping in outside. Time to decide.
"......Yeah, this is just a sick visit, nothing more."
She mustered her courage and reached for the doorbell. Right before pressing it, doubt surged again.
We're not even that close—showing up out of the blue like this...?
What if she annoyed her? If that girl ended up hating her because of it...... Her heart would shatter.
"......I'll just go home."
As her finger pulled away, thunder cracked—Kraka—boom!!
Startled, she accidentally hit the bell.
Ding-dong♪
"Ah!?"
Soon after, someone opened the door from inside.
"S-sorry for dropping by unannounced......"
The flustered girl blurted an apology, but words failed her at the sight before her eyes.
"Cough... what brings you here......?"
"You... your glasses......"
Siyeon wasn't wearing her glasses, unlike usual. It was the first time facing her bare face. And it was just as expected.
Why no glasses...?
The reason became clear fast.
"Sick visit... you came?"
Glassy eyes, flushed cheeks, unsteady stance—she was delirious from the cold, oblivious to her glasses-less state.
"......Come in first."
"Huh? Uh......"
The girl stepped inside almost against her will. Her body was stiff as a robot, but her heart pounded harder than ever.