home

search

On the Way

  (Final chapter in my saved stocks, from now on, chapters will be higher quality and hopefully daily release!)

  Time passed quickly.

  After completing Millennium, Izumi began talking to a famous entertainer who had come up on stage—one that Ayane had heard of.

  Sensing the conversation beginning to drag, Yahiro smoothly interjected. The entertainer, quick-witted and charismatic, effortlessly teased Izumi into revealing the untold backstory of the band BARD, secrets even the most dedicated fans had never heard.

  While the fans erupted into ughter at the smallest things, Ayane and Taeil remained indifferent.

  No—only Taeil was truly composed.

  ‘Oh this is awkward.’

  It would have been better if they had just kept talking about Millennium a little longer.

  Now, in contrast, Ayane found herself growing impatient with the slow, deliberate pacing of the cssic audience performance.

  Just as Taeil had mentioned earlier, when listening to Izumi’s song, Ayane had felt an unspoken connection to the audience—a sense of unity with people she had never even met. But now, that connection was gone. She felt like she had been dropped into another world, utterly alone.

  Meanwhile, Taeil watched the performance with ease, as if he were enjoying a spin-off of the original work.

  As Ayane grew increasingly restless, Taeil finally took notice.

  "Ayane, are you okay?."

  "Uh, yeah! I’m okay…Maybe."

  Her forced expression said otherwise—it was anything but okay.

  The awkwardness of a fan meeting, held as part of the broadcast.

  If you weren’t a fan, it was impossible to fully rete. Instead, you just ended up feeling left out.

  "I know how you feel. It’s awkward, isn’t it?" Taeil mused, recalling the first time he had attended one of their concerts.

  He hadn’t been particurly interested in the band back then, nor did he know much about them. He recognized a few songs, but the real reason he had gone was because a close friend was pying as a session musician. He had attended out of loyalty, not fandom.

  What he saw was a vocalist chatting casually between sets, sharing memories and inside jokes with the audience.

  Even in the packed standing area, Taeil had felt like he was floating alone.

  "It feels strange at first," he continued. "Like you don’t belong because you don’t share the same experiences. But after a while, you start to see that, at the core, everyone’s the same. And then, the awkwardness fades."

  "Really…?" Ayane said, uncertain.

  "Yeah," Taeil nodded. "It’s just like at school—when you find common ground with someone, friendships form easily."

  Of course, Ayane wasn’t like the people gathered here. Whether time would change that remained unknown.

  "So there’s no need to force yourself," Taeil said. "It’s natural."

  Ayane, embarrassed, covered her face and grumbled at his attempt to console her.

  "If you know so much, then why doesn’t Shin-chan have any friends at school?."

  "Hey."

  "Hehe. Just kidding."

  Still, the tension lifted.

  As Taeil had pointed out, it wasn’t about whether she saw herself as one of them.

  In fact, Ayane’s perspective shifted.

  At first, this had just been a simple outing—like a date. But now, it was something different.

  On stage, Izumi stood beneath the bright lights, and the air in the venue crackled with something unspoken. A sharp, almost hostile gaze—like an enemy general sizing up their opponent—was locked onto Izumi.

  ‘Shin-chan, you’re watching that woman named Izumi so intently.’

  Unlike the other BARD fans, Taeil’s face didn’t betray his thoughts. He wasn’t outwardly reacting like they were, but Ayane could tell. Even if he pretended otherwise, his focus was obvious. He couldn’t hide from her.

  It was probably just admiration, the kind any fan had for their idol. But then why did it feel different?

  Something about it unsettled her.

  Each time she caught Taeil’s subtle yet unmistakably pleased smile, that feeling deepened.

  Her instincts fred—a woman’s intuition ringing an arm.

  An inexplicable fear stirred inside her.

  A fear named Tenma Izumi.

  ‘Am I overthinking this?.’

  Maybe it was just baseless paranoia.

  A scandal between a star and a fan?

  That was the kind of cliché that only worked in dramas. And in today’s world, if a writer tried to create that kind of story, they’d be dragged online. Ayane would even join in—diligently typing up 5,500 characters to send off to the ptform

  But still…

  Tenma Izumi.

  There was something between her and Taeil. Something Ayane didn’t know.

  And yet—almost as if to confirm her suspicion—Izumi suddenly turned her head, scanning the audience.

  Ayane froze as Izumi’s gaze settled on one pce.

  On this pce.

  ‘Huh?.’

  Ayane’s eyes widened.

  Izumi was looking straight at them.

  Unlike the fans around her who erupted into cheers, Ayane furrowed her brows.

  Then, their eyes met.

  Izumi smiled faintly and waved.

  ‘Fan service?.’

  No—this was different.

  Ayane couldn’t shake the thought.

  "As expected, a star is a star," Taeil muttered softly.

  He had spoken Korean…

  Taeil had a habit of slipping into Korean when lost in thought, especially when he didn’t want to share what he was truly feeling.

  In middle school, Taeil had always been polite in front of others, but Ayane had once caught him muttering curses in Korean behind their backs. That was the moment she realized that the ever-mature Taeil had a childish side after all.

  Now, his voice was softer, almost nostalgic.

  "She’s shining even brighter than she was five years ago."

  Ayane, who had secretly learned Korean to surprise Taeil, felt her breath catch at his words.

  ‘Five years ago?.’

  She quickly sifted through the BARD wiki she had studied so diligently, memorizing facts just to have something to talk about with Taeil.

  ‘Five years ago…’

  That was before BARD had even released an album.

  ‘What? Shin-chan knew about BARD before they debuted?.’

  Her fingers curled into a fist against her knee.

  Logically, it wasn’t that strange.

  Taeil had spent years drifting through live houses, Shinjuku, and Shibuya Park, watching indie bands whenever he had the chance. It wasn’t unbelievable that he had come across BARD before their official debut.

  That expnation should have satisfied her.

  And yet—

  Something felt off.

  Like a lump stuck in her throat, refusing to go away.

  A discomfort settled over her, creeping up her spine.

  Suddenly, sitting here didn’t feel right.

  She wanted to leave. Run. Even if Taeil was right next to her.

  Ayane squeezed her eyes shut.

  ‘Let’s assume the worst-case scenario.’

  ‘Designate Tenma Izumi as an enemy.’

  A lonely battle, one that others might ugh at, had begun.

  Taeil had said it himself.

  ‘A star is a star.’

  And Izumi…

  She shined

  On a stage dominated by men, she stood out effortlessly, her presence undeniable.

  And when she responded to teasing questions with a calm, feminine grace as her every movement rexed yet deliberate, Ayane could see it.

  The allure of an older woman.

  The kind of woman Taeil liked.

  ‘A rival…!.’

  Tenma Izumi.

  For the first time in her life, Ayane had a female rival.

  But could a high school girl really compete with a national star?.

  No! Why should that be impossible?.

  Determined, Ayane focused on the conversation happening on stage.

  The subtle nose tilt, the pyful whining, the effortless flirting—every little trick that could capture a man's heart.

  She didn’t just listen; she analyzed.

  Hand gestures, facial expressions, fleeting gnces, and she committed them all to memory.

  Any information she could gather from Izumi would be useful.

  She would make sure of it.

  *******************

  Hours ter, the performance came to an end.

  "Whoa… Ayane is completely exhausted…"

  Her legs weak, Ayane colpsed onto her seat like a puddle of melted slime.

  Her head throbbed from focusing so intensely.

  ‘No wonder she’s tired’, Taeil thought, gncing at the time. It was already past 7 PM.

  Of course, he had no idea that Ayane’s exhaustion had nothing to do with the long concert session. To him, it was only natural—they had been here for over six hours, including breaks.

  "Should we rest for a bit?" he asked.

  "Huh… yeah…"

  She wasn’t the only one drained.

  All around them, people groaned, stretching out their stiff limbs.

  "If we eat dinner here, we won’t get home until at least 10 PM…"

  "Will we even get seats on the way back?."

  "Don’t worry," Taeil reassured her. "Even if there aren’t any, I’ll get you one."

  "Shin-chan is so nice~," Ayane teased, ughing heartily.

  "But still, I didn’t expect it to end just like that. They just sang and left."

  "Isn’t that normal?."

  "I don’t know the details, but with so many fans gathered, I thought there’d be something more."

  In Korea, for example, fans attending their favorite idol’s music show often received exclusive merchandise.

  Since winning a ticket to a music show was a privilege reserved for official fan club members, the experience felt more special than just winning entry through a random lottery.

  "So… Do you regret it?." Taeil asked.

  "Well…" Ayane shrugged. "I’m not really the type to collect merch, so it doesn’t really matter to me…"

  Taeil gnced at Ayane.

  He let out an awkward ugh—her attitude was completely different from what he had expected.

  The Ayane he knew would normally freeze up when it came to BARD merchandise. But now? It didn’t faze her at all.

  ‘Well, maybe it’s too soon to expect her to be hooked on BARD already…’

  Yet, she had reacted positively to the first, second, and even third song selections.

  To Taeil, it seemed like she was completely captivated by BARD’s charm.

  Seemed to be the key word.

  Otherwise… Well, there was no other expnation.

  Taeil pushed the thought aside and turned to Ayane.

  "What do you want to eat for dinner?."

  "I need to eat until I’m stuffed!"

  "That’s not a very girly answer."

  "That’s gender discrimination, Shin-chan!"

  Ayane whined, hissing like an annoyed cat, before pyfully pounding a weak fist against his stomach.

  For some reason, Taeil found it unbearably cute.

  He ughed too hard to even respond. Instead, he caught her fist midair and used the opportunity to pull out his phone, scrolling for nearby restaurants.

  "Alright," he said, raising his fingers one by one as he listed off options. "Ramen, curry, donburi, katsu, or Pamires. Pick one."

  "Don’t you think all of those are way too heavy, Shin-chan?"

  "I mean, wasn’t your order ‘I need to eat until I’m stuffed’? Personally, I recommend Pamires."

  Pamires.

  A well-known family restaurant. Unlike Korea, where family restaurants weren’t as common, here you could get a variety of dishes at a retively cheap price.

  The catch?

  The taste wasn’t exactly guaranteed, so it wasn’t typically recommended as a date spot.

  There had even been a running joke on social media—a meme suggesting that if a girl willingly went to Pamires with her boyfriend, he was truly blessed.

  Of course, Taeil wasn’t talking about just any Pamires.

  "There’s a good one in Akihabara," he added. "A bit pricey, but it’s popur."

  "Is that okay?"

  "What, after stealing six hours of your time? Consider it my way of paying you back."

  "Wow, it’s totally unexpected. Shin-chan, have you ever had friends other than me?"

  "Shut up. Even between friends, splitting the bill is normal."

  "But… isn’t this already a split bill situation…?"

  If she calcuted based on minimum wage—roughly 900 yen per hour—then six hours of her time would total 5,400 yen. That was pretty steep for a student.

  But Taeil had his safety net.

  His mom’s card.

  With an adult’s credit card, 5,400 yen was practically nothing.

  As expected, Shin Tae-il, the filial son with gacha-attribute spending habits.

  "Shin-chan," Ayane said with a mischievous grin. "Can I deduct the ticket cost from this?."

  "It was a gift."

  Technically, they had agreed to settle the cost ter, but there was no need to mention that in front of Ayane.

  "Then, shall we go? We can take it slow."

  "Oh, wait—!"

  Ayane awkwardly grabbed the armrest, trying to push herself up, only to colpse back into the seat.

  "Oh no, my legs have no strength! They won’t move!"

  "Still? Want me to hold your hand?."

  Taeil gnced around the nearly empty live house. Most people had already left, and the filming crew was packing their equipment. There didn’t seem to be any more events pnned, but for some reason, they still lingered.

  After a few seconds, he gave her a hand.

  "Here, take this."

  Ayane stared at the outstretched hand, hesitating.

  ‘Would it be weird to suddenly ask him to carry me?.’

  Maybe linking arms would be a more natural compromise...

  "Excuse me, do you have a moment?."

  Before she could decide, an unfamiliar voice interrupted.

  A man in a rumpled suit, looking utterly exhausted with dark circles under his eyes, approached them.

  "Us?"

  "Yes. To be precise, I have some business with the boy over there."

  "Shin-chan?."

  Without thinking, Ayane shot up and tched onto Taeil’s arm.

  "Wait, weren’t you just saying your legs had no strength?."

  "Shin-chan, shut up!"

  The man barely reacted, simply handing Taeil a business card.

  "Next Generation…?"

  Taeil’s eyes widened.

  "Shin-chan, if it’s Next Generation, then that means—"

  "Yes," the man confirmed. "It’s the entertainment agency BARD belongs to. My name is Masato Hatsukawa. I manage BARD, though I usually don’t follow them around unless it’s work reted to a broadcasting station like this."

  So, basically—he was their manager.

  But why was he handing Taeil a business card?

  ‘Do I look like celebrity material?.’

  Taeil nearly ughed at the thought.

  And then—

  "Izumi-san is looking for you," Masato continued. "I came to pick you up separately."

  "Pfft—!"

  Taeil immediately choked.

  He wasn’t sure how long it had been since he st swallowed, but it was long enough for him to now be coughing like an idiot.

  Becoming a celebrity was the st thing on his mind.

  Still, Masato’s words rattled him enough that he instinctively rubbed the back of his neck, right before he noticed the shocked expression on Ayane’s face.

  "Izumi-san… You mean…"

  "Yes, Izumi Tenma, BARD's vocalist."

  "Izumi-san is looking for me?"

  "That’s right," Hatsukawa confirmed. "Normally, I wouldn’t recommend a private meeting between a fan and an artist, but since even Yahiro-san approved…"

  He chuckled, shaking his head. "The members sure are something else."

  "That’s amazing!" Ayane gasped, nudging Taeil excitedly. "Shin-chan, Next Generation isn't just BARD’s agency! Famous bands like Lion are under them too—and even Ritsuka Tachibana!"

  Taeil recognized that name immediately. He wasn’t one to keep up with mainstream music, but even he knew Ritsuka Tachibana.

  "Haha. Yeah, even though they’re all part of the company, they’re so dedicated to their music that you rarely see them at headquarters," Hatsukawa said. "We joke that Jo Woo-yool is basically at the level of Giratina…"

  "Giratina?." Ayane tilted her head.

  "From Pokémon."

  "Oh! Pokémon!"

  "It really feels like we've reached an age where people don’t even know cssic Pokémon references," Hatsukawa ughed.

  Even though Giritina had become much easier to catch after the fifth generation, Hatsukawa didn’t seem to realize that.

  "Anyway," he continued, "are you okay with this?".

  He’d asked more than once.

  Instead of answering right away, Taeil turned to Ayane.

  ‘Strictly speaking, today’s pns were for her’. If something unexpected came up, he had to make sure she was okay with it first.

  Ayane noticed and it made her heart warm. Taeil was still thinking about her.

  "Let’s go, Shin-chan!" she urged.

  "You sure?"

  "Yeah! I was curious too…"

  Of course, in Ayane’s mind, this was also the perfect opportunity to see firsthand what kind of “thieving cat” she was dealing with.

  "So let’s go!" she insisted. "Don’t you want to see her, Shin-chan?"

  "Well… if you put it that way…" Taeil hesitated.

  Ayane, not having it, poked him in the ribs.

  "Shin-chan, are you the girl here? Why are you being so timid? Be a man!"

  "That’s sexist…"

  But he sighed.

  "Alright, alright. I’ll go."

  "Then follow me," Hatsukawa said with a knowing smile.

  Maybe this was an opportunity for Taeil, too.

  Ayane hadn’t completely fallen for BARD yet. But if she met Izumi in person, spoke to her… maybe that would change.

  Just as the light from stars millions of light-years away reaches Earth, true stars possess an aura that naturally draws people in.

  No matter how powerful a performance feels from a distance, nothing compares to experiencing it up close, to feeling its presence right before you. That is what makes a star.

  And Izumi was one of the brightest, both in name and reality.

  Besides… no matter what anyone says, this is the world of Show Band.

  BARD’s Izumi wasn’t just a central figure, she was an all-rounder, a force that shaped the story.

  A deus ex machina.

  Fans of Show Band had their own way of describing Izumi. Some praised her. Others mocked her. They called her a "demonic devil," a near-mythical figure capable of turning the tides of the music scene with ease.

  Taeil, once upon a time, had been among the skeptics.

  That was before.

  Before he saw BARD busking in Shibuya Park five years ago.

  Since then, his view of Izumi had done a complete 180.

  ‘The aura of the real thing is no joke.’

  It was one thing to assume, to imagine, to view from afar.

  It was another thing entirely to witness it in person.

  There was always the chance that reality might not live up to the legend, that the illusion of grandeur would fade upon being closer.

  But Taeil couldn’t deny the quiet sense of anticipation curling in his chest as he followed Hatsukawa into the unknown.

Recommended Popular Novels