Shadows of the Spotlight

Chapter 51

Jihoon just shook his head.

Jihoon just stared at us, then pinched the bridge of his nose. "You both—" He stopped himself, inhaled deeply, and turned to the medic instead. "Please, tell me something useful."

Arc's medic sighed, clearly accustomed to dealing with stubborn performers. "Arc just needs bed rest tonight, and he should be okay to perform tomorrow—as long as he doesn't push himself."

Arc exhaled in relief, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

Meanwhile, my medic turned to me. "Lila, on the other hand, needs to stay off her foot until it heals. No unnecessary movement, no weight on that foot."

Jihoon groaned, rubbing his temples as he looked between us like we were personally responsible for every single headache in his life. "Fantastic. That means it's a wrap for rehearsals today."

"No," Arc and I protested in unison.

Arc pushed himself up slightly, determination clear on his face. "리허설이 얼마 남지 않았습니다. 벨트로 마무리해도 되고, 어쨌든 사운드 체크 중에는 움직임이 별로 없어요.(There's not much rehearsal left. I can finish it with the belt, and we don't have much movement during the soundcheck anyway.)"

I nodded, just as stubborn. "I just need a seat to do my part. I can still continue."

The crew murmured in agreement, backing us up, and we both turned expectantly to Jihoon. He let out another sigh, clearly outnumbered. "Fine. But be careful."

With that, everyone dispersed, leaving just Arc and me. He stepped closer, studying me with concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," I assured him. "나는 단지... 의료진이 신발을 벗을 때까지 내가 발목을 비틀었다는 것을 깨닫지 못했습니다. (I just... didn't realize I twisted my ankle until the medic removed the shoes.)"

He takes a seat beside me, letting out a small sigh as he settles in. For a moment, neither of us says anything—we just sit there, processing everything. Then, as our eyes meet, the absurdity of the situation hits us all at once.

A slow chuckle escapes me. Arc follows with a quiet laugh, shaking his head. Before we know it, we're both laughing—soft at first, then uncontrollable.

"우리가 정말 동시에 부상을 입었나요? (Did we really just manage to injure ourselves at the same time?)" I gasp between laughs.

Arc leans back, grinning. "보기에. 우리는 역대 가장 조화롭지 못한 쌍일지도 모른다(Apparently. We might be the most uncoordinated pair ever.)"

Our laughter fades into a comfortable silence, but the warmth lingers. Injuries aside, in this moment, it doesn't feel so bad.

Arc raises an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Looks like you've started to take more risks—just like me."

I groan dramatically. "Great. I'm getting influenced by an idol."

He leans in slightly, his voice dropping just enough to send a shiver down my spine. "I thought you were getting influenced by your boyfriend."

I freeze. Boyfriend. The word lands heavier than I expect, catching me completely off guard.

Yes, we had agreed to date for these two months, but hearing him say it so casually—so easily—felt... different. My heart stutters before picking up speed.

I scramble for a response. "I—uh—uh."

Arc leans in further, his voice dropping to a whisper. "여자친구가 상처를 받아서 너무 미안해요. (I'm very sad that my girlfriend is hurt.)"