Shadows of the Spotlight

Chapter 48

I glanced at Arc, unsure of how to respond. Before I could say anything, Arc spoke up, his voice calm and casual."Yeah," he said, "나는 현지 요리를 먹어보고 싶었고 Lila는 나와 함께 언어를 탐색하는 데 도움을 줄 만큼 관대했습니다. (I wanted to try the local cuisine, and Lila was generous enough to come along with me to help navigate the language.)"Ji-hoon's expression shifted slightly, his gaze darting between us as he processed Arc's explanation. His mouth opened as if to say something, but he paused, his brows furrowing instead."최소한 보안팀은 데리고 ​​갔어야 했는데(You should have at least taken the security team with you)," Ji-hoon finally said, his tone shifting to a more serious one. "보안 없이 외국 도시를 돌아다닐 수는 없습니다.(You can't just go wandering around a foreign city without security.)"Arc gave Ji-hoon a small, almost apologetic smile as the elevator doors slid shut. "알고 있어요, 형 (I know, hyung)," he said calmly. "하지만 우리는 조심했고 예방 조치를 취했습니다(But we were careful and took precautions.)""적어도 나한테는 알려줬어야지(At least you should have informed me)," Ji-hoon replied, his tone firm but not harsh. "모든 것이 안전하도록 조치를 취할 수도 있었습니다.(I could have made arrangements to ensure everything was safe.)"Arc sighed softly, his expression thoughtful. "알겠습니다만.. 도시를 즐기고 싶었어요, 지훈님. 리마는 처음인데, 뒤처지는 보안 행렬 없이 경험하고 싶었습니다. 때로는 평소에 나를 알아보지 못했던 사람들로부터도 보안 자체가 관심을 끌 때가 있습니다. (I get that, but... I wanted to enjoy the city, Ji-hoon. It's my first time in Lima, and I wanted to experience it without the whole parade of security trailing behind. Sometimes the security itself draws attention, even from people who wouldn't normally recognize me.)"Ji-hoon's brow furrowed, clearly torn between his responsibilities and understanding Arc's perspective. "무슨 말씀인지 알겠습니다.(I get what you're saying)," he conceded, his voice softening slightly. "하지만 적어도 경호원 한 명은 데리고 ​​가야 해요. 특히 알려지지 않은 곳에서는 예측할 수 없는 일이 얼마나 발생할 수 있는지 알고 있습니다.(But you still need to take at least one bodyguard with you. You know how unpredictable things can get, especially in unknown places.)"Before Arc could reply, I quickly stepped in, feeling the need to diffuse the tension. "아크 씨, 우리가 떠나기 전에 지훈 씨에게 알려준 줄 알았는데. (Arc, I thought you informed Ji-hoon before we left.)"Ji-hoon's expression was a mix of mild exasperation and concern. "아니요, 그렇지 않았습니다. 그는 단지 오늘 예정된 일이 있는지, 언제 공항으로 출발해야 ​​하는지 물었습니다.(No, he didn't. He just asked if there was anything on schedule for today and when we needed to leave for the airport.)"I turned to Ji-hoon, my tone apologetic. "정말 죄송해요. 나는 솔직히 우리가 떠나기 전에 Arc가 당신의 허락을 받았다고 생각했습니다. 나는 당신에게 먼저 확인하지 않고 이러한 결정에서 그를 지지하지 않도록 할 것입니다.(I'm really sorry. I honestly thought Arc had gotten your permission before we left. I'll make sure not to support him in these decisions without checking with you first.)"Ji-hoon's expression softened slightly as I continued. "그리고 앞으로 우리가 방문할 도시에서는 오늘처럼 택시를 타는 것만큼 간단한 일이라도 Arc에서 번역을 위해 제가 필요할 것입니다. (And with the cities we're visiting in the coming days, Arc will probably need me for translations, even for something as simple as getting a taxi—like today.)"Ji-hoon laughed, his tone light yet sincere. "아크와 함께해주셔서 너무 감사해요. 적어도 그는 당신을 데리고 가서 한 가지 옳은 일을 했습니다.(I'm so grateful you were with Arc. At least he did one thing right by taking you along.)"I smiled as we both turned to look at Arc. He raised his hands in mock surrender, a playful pout on his lips. "너희 둘은 내 편이 될 수 없어! 그건 불공평해요.(You both can't gang up on me! That's unfair.)"Ji-hoon chuckled, throwing an arm around Arc's shoulders. "당신의 안전을 위해서라면 저는 무엇이든 할 의향이 있습니다.(When it comes to your safety, I'm willing to do anything.)"Arc rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "형, 왜 저를 찾으셨어요?(Why were you looking for me, hyung?)" he asked, steering the conversation back.Ji-hoon straightened, his expression shifting to business mode. "일정이 막판에 변경되었습니다. 우리는 그것들을 검토해야 합니다.(There've been some last-minute changes to your schedule. We need to go over them.)"As we reached our floor, the conversation between Ji-hoon and Arc became more focused. Arc gave me a quick glance and a warm smile before following Ji-hoon into his room. I gave them a small wave and headed into mine.Once alone in the quiet of my room, I flopped onto the bed and let out a deep sigh. The events of the day played through my mind like a whirlwind montage—agreeing to date Arc for two months, our first real date, the easy way we'd laughed and connected. It all felt surreal, like I'd accidentally stepped into the plot of a K-drama.Relationships had never been a priority for me. I'd always been so focused on my career and passions that I didn't think I'd end up in something so unconventional. A two-month relationship with a global idol? It wasn't something I'd ever imagined for myself. And yet, here I was.In the late evening, we packed our luggage and prepared to leave for the airport. Most of the crew had already left earlier in the day, so it was just Ji-hoon, the security team, a cameraman, Arc, and me on the flight to Rio de Janeiro.The flight was relatively quiet, save for Ji-hoon occasionally reviewing plans with me. I spent most of the time trying to process the whirlwind of events that had unfolded over the past few days.When we landed in Rio, the vibrant energy of the city greeted us. The sun was just beginning to rise, painting the sky in hues of orange and gold. We checked into the hotel quickly, grabbed a light breakfast, and headed straight to the rehearsal venue.The day promised to be long and demanding, but I couldn't shake the strange mix of anticipation and nervousness that buzzed in my chest. Standing in the audio room, I focused on checking the equipment, double-checking every wire and control panel to ensure nothing went wrong during rehearsal.I had just finished inspecting one of the microphones when Arc walked in, his easy confidence filling the room as he greeted everyone with a smile. A female crew member quickly approached him to help adjust his headpiece. They exchanged a few words, and then she laughed, her bright voice echoing through the room.I told myself to stay focused on my task, but my attention drifted. What had he said to her? What could've been so funny? I felt a pang of irritation at myself for caring, but my curiosity won over as I strained to hear their conversation."Lila?"The sound engineer's voice snapped me out of my daze. I blinked, realizing he'd been talking to me."Uh, sorry! What was that again?" I asked, flustered.He gave me an odd look but repeated himself. I quickly confirmed the equipment settings, silently scolding myself for letting my mind wander. Once he seemed satisfied, the sound engineer left to check on the speakers, leaving me alone in the room with Arc.I turned back to the microphones, adjusting them one by one to keep myself busy, but I could feel his presence lingering behind me."You looked a little lost earlier," he said, his voice soft, with just a hint of teasing.I glanced over my shoulder to see him leaning casually against the console, his head tilted slightly as he studied me. His expression was playful but also concerned, the glint in his eyes making it impossible for me to ignore him."Just a little tired from travelling," I replied, trying to sound casual."응, 넌 비행 내내 불안했지(Yeah, you were restless throughout the flight)," he said, his tone shifting to something gentler as he stepped closer."How would you know? You fell asleep the moment we got on the plane," I replied, genuinely curious.A mischievous smile tugged at his lips. "How would you know that? Keeping tabs on me?" he teased, raising an eyebrow."Everyone knows how quickly you fall asleep during flights," I shot back. "사실 지훈이가 큐시트 변경사항에 대해 얘기하고 싶었는데 이미 나가셨더라고요. 그래서 대신 우리는 행사장 배너의 번역을 검토하는 데 시간을 보냈습니다.(Ji-hoon actually wanted to talk to you about some changes in the cue sheet, but you were already out. So instead, we spent some time reviewing the translations for the venue banners.)"His playful smirk faded slightly, replaced by a frown. "내가 지훈이랑 얘기 좀 할게. 비행 중에 그 사람이 당신을 방해하면 안 됐어요. 그는 당신이 그렇게 쉬지 않고 일할 것이라고 기대할 수 없습니다.(I'll talk to Ji-hoon. He shouldn't have disturbed you during the flight. He can't expect you to work nonstop like that.)"I shook my head quickly. "아뇨, 아뇨, 괜찮아요! 나는 이미 깨어 있었기 때문에 할 일이 생겼습니다. 솔직히 그 일을 하지 않았다면 책을 읽는 데에만 시간을 보냈을 것입니다. 게다가 그때 그것을 처리한다는 것은 오늘 처리할 일이 하나 적다는 것을 의미했습니다.(No, no, it's fine! I was already awake, so it gave me something to do. Honestly, if I hadn't worked on that, I would've just spent the time reading. Besides, handling it then meant there was one less thing to deal with today.)"He studied me for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he stepped closer, his presence suddenly overwhelming in the quiet room.His right hand lifted, and before I could react, he gently brushed a strand of hair that had slipped loose from my ponytail, tucking it neatly behind my ear. His fingers lingered for a moment, warm against my temple, before his hand shifted to cup my cheek.I froze, caught off guard by the unexpected intimacy. His thumb moved softly beneath my eyes, brushing lightly over the faint dark circles I'd tried to hide earlier.For a second, I couldn't find my voice. His touch was so gentle, so unexpectedly tender, that it left me rooted to the spot.He started to lean in, and my breath caught—but then, a voice crackled through his headset, breaking the spell in an instant.I blinked, grounding myself as the moment dissolved. "I'm fine," I managed to say, though my voice was softer than I'd intended.He didn't respond right away. Instead, his thumb lingered for one final, fleeting moment against my skin before he let his hand fall back to his side."Take a break if you need it, Lila," he murmured, his gaze holding mine for a beat longer than necessary.I nodded, still too stunned to speak, my thoughts tangling with the warmth of his touch.As he stepped back, the weight of the moment lifted, and I quickly turned my attention back to the microphones, desperately trying to steady my racing heart."I'll see you after rehearsal," he said, his usual easy smile returning as he headed for the door.And just like that, he was gone, leaving me alone in the quiet room. The door clicked shut, and I was left alone with my thoughts.I pressed my fingers lightly to my cheek where his hand had been, the warmth still lingering. It wasn't the touch that caught me off guard—it was the ease of it. The way he tucked my hair back, the way his thumb brushed under my eyes—it felt... natural. Like we'd done this a hundred times before.And that's what startled me the most. How easy it was to fall into this rhythm with him. How natural it felt to share these small, unspoken moments.When I agreed to this two-month relationship, I thought it would feel strange, forced even. But here we were, slipping into something that felt anything but.I shook my head, trying to focus on the equipment in front of me, but a small part of me couldn't ignore how seamless it had all been. How, despite everything, being around him didn't feel complicated—it just felt right.