Exclusive Concert
Solo concert. The girl stared silently out the window, lost in thought. Her mind kept replaying what had just happened. None other than Siyeon's face without her glasses.
I hadn't gotten a proper look at her face, but the vibe was completely different from usual. And yet, that vibe felt strangely familiar and comforting. At first, I figured it was just my imagination. I mean, that gloomy girl. What difference would taking off her glasses make?
But after hearing what that half the boys said, I started thinking deeper.
'Siyeon looked kinda different without her glasses. She definitely reminded me of someone from TV...'
If it was someone from TV, it had to be a celebrity. A familiar vibe and a celeb who shows up on TV all the time. My thoughts narrowed it down, and a silhouette of someone flickered in my mind. Then, as I zoomed in closer on that image...
"Ugh..."
A headache hit me. It was because the image in my head didn't match up with regular Siyeon at all. The feeling was oddly disconcerting, like my brain was spinning from an optical illusion.
"Hmm."
I just couldn't sort out my thoughts. Ga-young turned her head and glanced at Siyeon. She was sitting primly at her desk, staring at the blackboard like always. Not studying or anything—just blankly sitting there. No way to tell what she was thinking behind those glasses.
"Ga-young, what've you been mulling over like that?"
One of my close girl friends from class sidled up next to me.
"Were you staring at Siyeon again?"
"Just something's bugging me a bit."
"You're so weird. What is there to even notice about her?"
The girl shook her head like she couldn't comprehend it.
Glasses Girl Kim Siyeon was infamous at school for having zero presence. If she didn't speak up, you wouldn't even know she was there. Naturally, hardly anyone in class paid her any attention. Except for one person.
Me, Moon Ga-young.
"But she does kinda look like her."
"Who?"
"Ruti."
"Huh!?"
My friend looked utterly shocked, bordering on horrified. The other kids who'd been eavesdropping on our chat all widened their eyes in surprise.
"Ruti and Glasses Girl look alike? No way—where do you see that!?"
Ruti, the youngest member of A-Star. The next-gen star who'd shot up like a comet with her intense presence. Meanwhile, her counterpart had less presence than a speck of dust. It wasn't just that they didn't look alike—their entire worlds were polar opposites.
Ga-young, who knew that better than anyone, hurriedly corrected herself.
"N-no, her voice! Her voice sounds like Ruti's!"
"Her voice...?"
"That girl's voice—it sounds just like Ruti's."
It wasn't just the voice. Even the unique intonation and cadence when she spoke were similar. Maybe that's why she'd been nagging at the back of my mind since the start of the semester.
"I thought it was something big. Come on, tons of people have similar voices in the world."
"...Yeah, you're right."
Even I thought it was ridiculous. Overlaying that Ruti with Glasses Girl? As one of her fans, it was absurd.
But still. Why couldn't I stop wondering what her face looked like without the glasses? It's not like taking them off turns you into a different person.
It's all her fault. What's so bad about just taking off the glasses for a sec?
I'd gone out of my way to escort her to the nurse's office, and she wouldn't even show me that much. It didn't make any sense. And faking sick on top of it.
Thinking about it again just pisses me off. I was even worried about her.
I felt inexplicably irritated.
**
"Yawn."
I covered my mouth with my hand and let out a big yawn. My eyes were watering faintly at the corners. It was only first period, but I was already sleepy. I'd stayed up late practicing choreography.
I was busy enough as it was, but things had gotten even crazier lately. Our new single was dropping next month, and there was a ton to prepare. These days, I practically lived in the practice room.
"...Maybe I should've just skipped school."
Part of me thought so, but I'd come anyway. I'd just restarted school life—I didn't want to fill it with absences. Besides, being sleepy was no reason not to show up. I could sleep at school just fine.
Second period. I naturally face-planted on my desk and dozed off. Arts high schools have a super lax vibe. As long as you're not bothering anyone, the teachers don't care. Sure, some might scold you occasionally, but I'd never gotten in trouble for it.
Because I'd never been caught.
My presence is so low that even when I sleep out in the open like this, no one notices. It let me catch some sweet Z's every class.
...But today, for some reason.
"Did you come to school just to sleep?"
Someone kicked my desk lightly. I looked up to see Ga-young standing there, arms crossed, glaring down at me. With a seriously annoyed look.
"Hup!"
I arched my back tiredly and stretched my arms high. Checked the time—it was lunchtime already. Everyone else had gone to eat, leaving just me and Ga-young in the classroom.
"You woke me up for lunch?"
"Who said I woke you for lunch? I meant don't sleep during class."
"Why?"
Obviously you shouldn't sleep in class. I knew that. But my why was pointing out how this wasn't like Ga-young at all. She'd always ignored me before.
"If you're sleeping, the other kids might wanna join in. It could mess up the whole class vibe."
She had a point—too good a point to argue back. Not that I had the energy anyway.
"...I'll try. But it's lunchtime now, so I can sleep more, right?"
"Lunchtime? Aren't you gonna eat?"
"...Nah."
For the record, it wasn't that I didn't want to eat—I couldn't. Weight management is an idol's fate. Gain even half a kilo, and hellish dieting starts that day. To avoid it, I had to stick to my strict meal plan.
Ga-young, who had no clue, grumbled beside me.
"Now that I think about it, I've never seen you eat lunch at school. Are you a picky eater? At our age, you gotta eat balanced or you won't grow right?"
...Huh?
I stared at Ga-young blankly. Silence stretched out.
For reference, I'm way taller than her. Height and... elsewhere too.
Realizing the slip in her words a beat too late, Ga-young silently compared her body to mine. Her pale face gradually turned beet red.
"You just laughed at me inside, didn't you!"
...She's jumping to conclusions on her own again and taking it out on me for no reason.
**
After classes ended, I headed to the school gate, where the agency van was waiting as usual. I climbed in with an extra weary face.
Manager unni in the driver's seat looked at me with concern.
"You look extra tired today. Something happen at school?"
"...Just a bit."
All because of Ga-young.
'Did you do your homework? If not, finish it before the teacher comes.'
'Wanna skip PE? You were fine this morning. Faking it again?'
'I told you not to sleep in class. Do it one more time, and I'll tell the teacher.'
She'd been on my case all day, like she couldn't wait to chew me out. I hadn't gotten a proper break, and the fatigue was piling up.
...She'd barely paid me any mind before. Ever since the dodgeball incident last time, she'd been weirdly fixated. Guess she pegged me as a faker. Talk about getting on the wrong person's bad side.
For the sake of my peaceful school life, I needed a countermeasure ASAP.
"Ah."
Then a great idea hit me.
"Manager unni."
"Yeah?"
"Can you get me something I ask for?"
"Our Siyeon-ah making a request? Sure, anything you want."
When in doubt, bribes work best. Especially something the target would love.
**
"Wh-what is this...?"
Ga-young's eyes went wide as she stared at the paper scrap in my hand.
It wasn't just any scrap. It was a ticket to A-Star's first-ever solo concert for our new single. Sold out in three minutes online—you couldn't buy it for any price. For an idol stan, nothing could top this gift.
"...You're giving this to me?"
"Yeah."
"I-I can't possibly accept something this precious!"
Her mouth said no, but her hands were already clutching the ticket.
"My cousin got it for me, but I'm not that into it. If you don't want it, I'll give it to someone else."
"Wh-who said I don't want it!?"
She hugged the ticket to her chest with both hands like a treasure. Honey was practically dripping from her eyes in real time.
"There're two tickets, though?"
"Gonna go with a friend."
"I guess that's fine, but..."
Ga-young glanced at me sideways.
"This ticket was yours to begin with."
"So?"
"Come with me."
She handed one ticket back to me. I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
I'm the star of that stage—how could I skip it? It's not like we're some Hong-chul-less Hong-chul Team.