Shadows of the Spotlight

Chapter 27

He grinned, and we shook on it. With that, we started exploring Seattle like any other tourists—wandering through Pike Place Market, grabbing cups of coffee, and stopping to watch street performers. With each step, he seemed to let go of the "Arc" persona, becoming more relaxed, even playful.As we wandered, Arc pointed out quirky little shops, cracked jokes about the odd souvenirs we saw, and even attempted a tongue twister from a t-shirt he spotted: "Sally sells seashells..." He struggled with the words, and we both ended up laughing so hard we got a few amused glances from passersby.As the evening went on, the playful atmosphere between us only grew. We stopped to get coffee, and Arc insisted on ordering in English, only for him to hilariously stumble over "espresso macchiato," much to the barista's amusement. After some gentle coaching, he got it, looking at me proudly, his success making me laugh all over again.The evening felt like it came alive as we wandered through Seattle, starting at the iconic Pike Place Market. The air was thick with the aroma of fresh coffee, pastries, and the salty breeze from the waterfront. Arc's eyes were wide as he took everything in, and I couldn't help but laugh when he fumbled over the words on a vendor's sign."Cloam... clam chowd-er?" he tried, and I burst out laughing, which only made him smile, clearly enjoying the moment."Close," I teased. "Clam chowder."He repeated it, and we continued, stopping to try samples and browse the eclectic mix of handmade crafts and quirky souvenirs. At one point, Arc tried a caramel apple and managed to get a bit of caramel on his nose. He looked at me in confusion as I stifled a laugh."What?" he asked, clueless."You have something right there," I said, gesturing to his nose. He wiped at it, missing the spot, and I shook my head, stepping closer to help him. I swiped the caramel off with my finger, and he gave me a sheepish smile.Our next stop was the waterfront, where the lights of the city reflected off the darkening water. We found a spot near the edge, watching the sunset together as Arc attempted to say some of the sights in English. Every mispronunciation only added to the fun, and I found myself growing more and more at ease.Finally, we took a ride on the Seattle Great Wheel, the ferris wheel on the waterfront. As the city spread out beneath us, twinkling in the evening light, the whole world felt quiet and peaceful. Sitting next to Arc, I was surprised by the sense of comfort that filled the silence. When he caught me looking at the view and softly murmured, "It's beautiful," I couldn't tell if he was talking about the city or something else entirely.Just as we were talking about heading back, when we stumbled upon a street performance. A small crowd was gathered around as the host explained the concept."Alright, folks! We're going to throw this ball around, and whoever catches it or has it land in front of them has to come up here and perform!"The crowd cheered, and I smiled, watching people nervously looking at one another. Suddenly, the ball went flying up and bounced right at our feet, rolling to a stop in front of Taesung.He froze, looking from the ball to the stage, then back to me, a bit of panic in his eyes. "I don't know...""Come on, Taesung," I encouraged, nudging him gently. "You don't have to sing your own song. Just sing something simple. Have fun with it."He took a breath, nodding slowly as he made his way to the microphone. He looked around the crowd, and then at me, and for a moment, there was a softness in his eyes that felt deeply personal.I pulled out my phone, holding it up to capture the moment as Taesung stepped forward, taking a deep breath before he began to sing 'Just the Way You Are' by Bruno Mars. His voice was rich and tender, carrying an emotional warmth that seemed to fill the entire street. His gaze drifted over to me, and as he sang each line, it felt as though he was speaking to me directly through the lyrics, creating a shared connection that no one else could feel or understand. "Oh, you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change," he sang softly, his voice laced with a quiet intensity that made my heart skip a beat. "If perfect's what you're searching for, then just stay the same." The way he sang, each word was deliberate, as though he meant it just for me."When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change, 'cause you're amazing just the way you are." He smiled softly, his gaze never leaving mine, and the world around us faded. For that moment, it was just us and the music."And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while..."*His voice grew, hitting those high notes in his signature style that he was famous for. "'Cause girl, you're amazing just the way you are." The last note hung in the air, and the street burst into applause. I joined in, my heart racing as he walked back over, a bashful smile on his face."That was... beautiful," I said softly, my voice barely audible above the cheering crowd. His cheeks flushed, and he ducked his head, clearly a little shy, a side of him I hadn't seen before.Just then, a girl a few feet away frowned, her gaze fixed on him as she murmured, "I swear I've heard that tone somewhere." She glanced at her friend. "Doesn't he sound like... famous?"Her friend began naming a few English singers, but the first girl shook her head. "No, not an English singer. He sounds like... a K-pop idol."Panic flashed in Taesung's eyes, and he reached for my hand. "We should go. Now," he whispered urgently.We quickly turned and slipped through the crowd, but just as we made it to the edge of the square, I heard a voice behind us."It's Arc!" the girl shouted, her voice rising above the murmuring crowd, and suddenly, people began to turn and point, realizing who he was."Run!" he said, gripping my hand tightly as we sprinted down the street, weaving through people and dodging curious stares. The sound of footsteps grew louder behind us as fans began to follow, and with every turn, more people seemed to catch on. Our breaths came in sharp, ragged gasps as we finally ducked into a narrow alley, pressing our backs against the wall, hidden from sight.Our faces were only inches apart, both of us breathing hard, his hand still gripping mine. In the dim light of the alley, his eyes looked darker, his expression softer yet intense. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the adrenaline making every heartbeat feel amplified.Neither of us spoke, caught in the electrified silence. His hand lingered on mine, and his gaze dropped to my lips before meeting my eyes again, a question unspoken but clear. In that close space, it felt like time had stopped, the world outside fading as we stood there, breathless and aware of each other in a way I hadn't been before.His fingers brushed mine, his touch warm and steady. "Are you... okay?" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, the usual confidence in his tone softened."Yes," I managed to reply, my voice shaking slightly, feeling a surge of emotions I couldn't quite name. The way he looked at me, so close, so intense—it was like he was seeing me, not just as someone tagging along, but as someone who meant something more. And as we stood there, the tension in the air between us felt almost tangible, like a bridge just waiting to be crossed.Taesung suddenly took a step back, releasing my hand and clasping his fingers together as if physically restraining himself. A flicker of something intense passed over his face before he looked away, the tension between us dissolving into an awkward silence. He let out a steady breath, glancing around to check if the alley was clear.Once the path was free, we stepped out, and he shot me a teasing grin. "Looks like you lost the bet," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "I got recognized."I crossed my arms, feigning defiance. "No, I didn't lose. It wasn't the disguise that gave you away. It was your high notes, Mr. Famous High Notes," I quipped, a smirk tugging at my lips. "So don't go blaming Clark Kent's glasses."He laughed, the sound warm and genuine, and the lingering tension melted into a more comfortable camaraderie. We walked back to the hotel, exchanging playful jabs, poking fun at his "disguise," and pretending we'd nailed our "normal people" act. As we reached the lobby doors, he nudged me lightly, flashing me a look that was both relieved and teasing, and I couldn't help but smile back, feeling a new, deeper connection between us.The next morning, we were all gathered in the restaurant for breakfast. Laughter and chatter filled the air as the crew swapped stories from the previous shows. I was just sipping my coffee when I heard someone start singing—loudly and wildly off-key."'Cause you're amazing just the way you are...!" Jihoon was practically yelling the lyrics, his voice exaggerated and purposefully out of tune, making everyone at the table stifle laughs. I looked up, caught off guard, and saw Arc just entering the restaurant, his gaze quickly shifting to me with a mix of amusement and confusion, as if asking, Did you tell them?But I shook my head, equally bewildered by Jihoon's impromptu serenade.Arc approached the table, eyebrows raised. "무슨 일이야?(What's going on?)" he asked, his tone edged with curiosity.Jihoon grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "아, 아무것도 아니야. 어젯밤의 어떤 깜짝 공연을 재현하는 것뿐입니다. (Oh, nothing. Just reliving a certain surprise performance from last night.)"Arc's face shifted from confused to slightly alarmed, and he turned to me with a questioning look."어떻게- (How did you—)", Arc begins to ask.Jessica leaned forward with a smirk. "우리는 어떻게 알았나요? 온 세상이 다 안다고 합시다, 아크. (How did we know? Let's just say the whole world knows, Arc.)" She chuckled, scrolling on her phone. "아무래도 관중석에 있던 팬 중 한 분이 공연 전체를 녹화해서 올려주신 것 같아요. 밤새 입소문이 났습니다. 일부 음악 블로그에서도 이 내용을 인용했습니다. (Apparently, one of the fans in the crowd recorded the entire performance and uploaded it. It went viral overnight. Even some music blogs picked it up.)"Arc's eyes widened in surprise, and he reached out to take her phone. The video was playing on her screen, showing him singing Just the Way You Are in front of the small crowd, pouring his heart into every word. He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head with a soft laugh, looking slightly embarrassed yet clearly amused.Jihoon leaned over, clapping Arc on the back, still grinning. "어젯밤에 네 방에서 방해하지 말라고 했을 때 작업하던 곡이 이거였어? (Was this the song you were working on when you told me not to disturb you in your room last night?)", he teased, wiggling his eyebrows. Arc's expression shifted, and he chuckled, clearly trying to defend himself. "나는 그 일을 할 계획이었지만 아무런 영감도 얻지 못했습니다. 그래서 약간의 신선한 공기가 도움이 될 것이라고 생각했습니다. (I did plan to work on it, but I was feeling uninspired. So, I thought maybe a little fresh air would help.)"Jihoon raised an eyebrow, his smile fading into a more serious look. "네가 밖에 나가는 건 상관없지만, 나한테 알려줬어야지. 아니면 적어도 경호원을 데리고 가세요. (I don't mind you going out, but you should've let me know. Or at least taken the bodyguards with you.)"Arc waved a hand dismissively. "저는 잠시 동안만 나갈 계획이었습니다. 그 일로 경비원들과 소란을 피우고 싶지 않았습니다.(I was only planning to step out for a few moments. Didn't want to make a fuss with the guards for that.)"Jihoon shook his head, giving him a mild scolding. "적어도 누군가에게 함께 가자고 요청할 수도 있었습니다. 내 말은, 당신은 언어도 사용하지 않는 곳에서 돌아다니고 있다는 것입니다. 만약 길을 잃었다면? (You could've at least asked someone to go with you. I mean, you're roaming around in a place where you don't even speak the language. What if you'd gotten lost)?"Arc smirked, lifting his chin a little. "나는 어린아이가 아니다. 게다가 번역을 위해 Lila를 데리고 갔어요(I'm not a kid. Besides, I had Lila with me for translation)," he said, nodding toward me.At that, everyone turned to look at me, and I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. "Um... yes, I went with him," I said, giving a small, shy nod.Jihoon sighed and shook his head with a chuckle. "Lila를 데려가서 다행이네요(That's nice that you took Lila with you.)" He looked at the video again and complained, ""하지만 온라인에 있는 그 비디오는 너무 흐릿해요. 누군가는 그 사람들에게 제대로 녹음하도록 가르쳐야 합니다. 안타깝게도 명확한 버전이 없습니다. (But that video online—it's so blurry. Someone really needs to teach those people to record properly. Too bad we don't have a clear version.)"I paused, suddenly remembering the video I'd taken the night before. "사실... 공연 영상이 있을 수도 있어요. 그런데 품질에 대해서는 잘 모르겠습니다.(Actually... I might have a video of the performance. I don't know about the quality though.)"I pulled out my phone, found the video from last night, and sent it over to Jihoon. He took out his phone, his face lighting up as he opened the video."이제 아크의 카리스마를 담은 영상입니다 (Now this is a video that captures Arc's charisma)," he said, grinning as he watched. "팬들은 이것 때문에 열광할 것이다. (The fans would go wild over this.)"Jihye, who had been watching the video over Jihoon's shoulder, looked up with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. "그런데 그 안경이 너한테 정말 잘 어울리는구나, 아크. 그 괴짜 남자 친구 분위기를 제공합니다 (The glasses, though—they look really good on you, Arc. Gives that whole nerdy boyfriend vibe)," she teased. "다음 뮤직비디오에서도 그런 모습을 꼭 시도해 봐야겠습니다. (We should totally try that look in your next music video.)"Arc rolled his eyes with a playful smile, trying to brush it off. "응, 맞아. 이 모습에 비슷한 반응을 얻었습니다(Yeah, right. I did get a similar response to this look)," he replied, throwing a smirk in my direction.I felt my cheeks warm under his gaze, and tried to keep my expression neutral. Jihoon raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really?" he said, he went through the comments on the videos and continued, "안경은 미리 줘야 할 것 같군요, 아크.(Seems like we should definitely give the glasses a go, Arc.)"Arc gave a half-shrug, still smirking. "내가 무엇을 말할 수 있습니까? 좋은 스타일이 눈에 띕니다. (What can I say? Good style gets noticed.)"