Shadows of the Spotlight

Chapter 24

That familiar feeling of embarrassment crept up again, but this time, instead of shying away, I decided to own it. "Yes... and I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have gossiped about your personal life."

Arc's gaze shifted as he looked off to the side, a quiet understanding in his expression. "It's okay," he replied. "당신은 궁금해서 친구에게 물었습니다. 나는 듣지 말았어야 했어요. (You were curious and asked your friend. I shouldn't have listened in.)"

I laughed, easing the tension. "How could you not hear? I was practically talking into your ear."

His lips curved slightly. "True. 하지만 나는 사람들이 내 연애 생활에 대해 추측하는 데 익숙합니다. (But I'm used to people speculating about my love life.)"

There was a flicker of something in his eyes—an openness I hadn't seen before, an unspoken truth in those words that hinted at more than just a passing remark. And as he looked back at me, holding my gaze, I found myself wondering if this was the side of him most people never saw.

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "내 연애생활 검색하면 수백만개의 글이 나올텐데 (If you searched for my dating life online, there'd be millions of articles)," he said, his tone almost wry, as if he'd become somewhat numb to it all. "그건 일의 일부인 것 같아요. 사람들은 항상 이야기할 내용을 찾고 있습니다. (It's part of the job, I guess. People are always looking for something to talk about.)"

He paused for a moment, his eyes shifting slightly, as if considering something. "하지만 그건... 달라요. 사람들이 당신에 대해 이야기할 때 그들은 모든 것을 알고 있다고 생각하지만 실제로는 그렇지 않습니다.(But it's... different, you know? When people talk about you, they think they know everything, but they never really do.)"

I could hear the quiet weight in his words, the layers behind the casual tone. He wasn't just talking about the rumors or the stories—there was a deeper frustration there. And for a second, I felt a twinge of empathy, as if I could understand the pressure that came with living in the spotlight.

"Must be exhausting," I said quietly, almost to myself, but loud enough for him to hear.

Arc's gaze softened just a little, the hint of vulnerability in his eyes quickly masked by the usual composed expression. "It has its moments," he replied. "But I'm used to it."

His words hung in the air between us, and for a brief moment, the conversation seemed to settle into something more personal, more real.

Arc turned away, gazing out at the city for a moment before he spoke again. "But I did tell the truth," he said, his tone a bit lighter now. "I'm not in a relationship."

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief—part of me had wondered, but hearing it from him, made it seem more real. "Thanks for confirming."

There was a slight pause, and as if still curious, I couldn't help but ask, "What about earlier? Any exes I should know about?"

Arc tilted his head slightly, his eyes flicking to mine before he answered in a mix of Korean and English. "I had a few relationships, but it's hard to date in this industry, so they never lasted long enough to be important."

The candidness of his response made me hesitate for a moment, but my curiosity got the better of me. "So, really, no girlfriends? What about the early days?"

His expression softened slightly as he looked away, almost lost in thought. "I was very young when I debuted," he said. "After debut, we were focused on becoming known. No girl would want to continue a relationship with an unpopular rookie artist."