Shadows of the Spotlight

Chapter 15

Arc's question lingered in the air, his voice still echoing softly in the quiet hallway. "Can you teach me?"

I took a slow breath, trying to steady the rapid beating of my heart. His words had caught me off guard, and I was struggling to find a response that wouldn't sound too hasty or dismissive. I had only known him for a short while, yet here he was, asking me to teach him something so personal, so important to him.

"뭐...무엇을 배우고 싶나요? (What...what do you want to learn?)" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I wasn't sure if the question was for him or for myself.

Arc's lips quirked into a small smile, and for a moment, his intense gaze softened. "나에게 영어를 가르쳐줬으면 좋겠어. (I want you to teach me English.)" His voice was steady, sincere, and there was a trace of something—hope, maybe?

The hallway between us seemed to shrink, and for a moment, everything around us faded. His presence was so close I could almost feel the heat radiating off of him, and I was suddenly hyper-aware of the space between us. It wasn't uncomfortable—no, it was... different. His voice, so low and inviting, had an almost magnetic pull, drawing me in, and I couldn't look away from the depth in his eyes. They were blue, almost unnervingly so, and his gaze never wavered, as if this question, simple as it was, meant something far deeper.

I blinked, trying to snap myself out of the daze I had fallen into. His question was so innocent, so genuine, yet there was a weight to it that I hadn't anticipated.

"너... 영어를 배우고 싶다고? (You... want to learn English?)" I repeated, not entirely sure if I was just confirming what I'd heard or if I was still processing the fact that he was standing so close, asking for my help.

He nodded slightly, his lips curving into a faint, but honest, smile. "네. 나에게 영어를 가르쳐줘. (Yes. I want you to teach me.)"

I hesitated for a moment, searching his face, looking for any signs that this was just some fleeting whim, a passing thought. But no, his expression was steady, serious even, and the sincerity in his eyes was undeniable.

"Arc... 네가 이렇게 바쁜 스케줄을 가지고 있는데, 어떻게 시간을 낼 수 있을까? (Arc... with everything you have going on, how would you find the time?)" I asked carefully, my concern slipping into my voice. "너의 스케줄이 이미 꽉 차 있는데, 이걸 배우는 게 더 큰 부담이 되지 않을까? (Your schedule is packed as it is. Wouldn't this just add more pressure?)"

He exhaled slowly, then took a step back and leaned against the opposite wall, his gaze shifting away for just a moment, as if gathering his thoughts before he spoke again. When his eyes met mine once more, there was a subtle vulnerability to them—a side of him I hadn't yet seen.

"나는 갑자기 유창해지길 바라는 게 아니야, (I'm not asking to become fluent overnight)," he said softly, his voice low, almost uncertain. "하지만 기본적인 대화는 하고 싶어. (But I want to be able to have basic conversations.)"

His expression grew more thoughtful, and I could sense the weight of his words. "그 전에 내 그룹과 함께 했을 때는 멤버들이 대부분 영어를 처리했어. 하지만 이제 혼자니까... (When I was with my group, my members handled most of the English for me. But now, being alone...)" He trailed off, the uncertainty in his voice giving way to something deeper—something I hadn't expected: doubt.

It struck me then. Beneath the polished, confident exterior of Arc, the K-pop idol, was a person just like anyone else—someone who was facing their own challenges, someone who wasn't sure of himself at times. The realization that he was trusting me with something so personal, something he felt he needed to grow in, made me feel both honored and strangely protective.