Idol of the Heavenly One - Chapter 54.2
‘When you speak, let your words be better than silence.’
Right now, no matter what I said, nothing could possibly be better than silence. My face flushed bright red, and I headed straight for the door, intent on making it to the restroom as fast as I could.
“Ahhh…!”
But then Baek Jae-heon wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. The sudden strength of his grip made my body lurch forward, and his body heat pressed hotly against my back. The force of it nearly knocked the wind out of me, and I thought, he really must be out of his mind.
No one had ever approached me this suddenly before, so my hands and feet froze while I flailed uselessly in the air. I knew I should stop him with my voice, but I was too flustered to form words.
Then, like lightning flashing through my mind, one thought struck me.
“You, you’re still a student…!”
I shoved him away and shouted without thinking.
For a moment, Baek Jae-heon’s expression hardened. His face grew cold, almost lifeless—it was like watching it rot away. There was even a trace of ridicule in his eyes, which only made me more dumbfounded.
This kid, he’s still wet behind the ears…!
Even if kids today grow up fast, there are still lines you don’t cross. I glared at him, sweeping my eyes from head to toe.
But Baek Jae-heon let out a faint, almost mocking snort through his nose, as if my reaction amused him. Then he began to walk toward me—slowly, deliberately, without hesitation.
“H-hey, stop, stop…”
My voice trembled. I hated that it did, but I couldn’t think of any way to stop him from coming closer.
In the end, I pushed at his chest with both hands, but his solid frame didn’t budge. Instead, he kept moving forward, step by step, until my back hit the wall. I was trapped between the wall and him.
His face came close—too close. A heavy shadow fell over me as his gaze swept across my face. Then, in a low voice, he spoke.
“Three days.”
“…What?”
My eyes widened instinctively. At a distance so close I could feel his breath, his short words cut through the air and pierced my ear.
“See you then.”
Those few words echoed through the room for a long time. It was impossible to tell whether it was a threat or a promise, but its strange resonance shook me to the core.
Three days later. That would be New Year’s Eve, when the bell rings to welcome the new year. Which meant that Baek Jae-heon had just told me to see him after I became an adult.
Realizing that, I took a sharp breath and turned toward him in shock, but Baek Jae-heon was already gone from the room.
“…He’s insane.”
He really was. Completely insane.
***
There was one hour left before the New Year’s Eve bell would ring.
Gwanghwamun Square was already packed with people. Colorful lights climbed up building walls and shimmered brightly, and despite the cold, the cheers of the crowd showed no sign of fading.
The members of YEARZ were in the waiting room for their final check. The wardrobe team busied themselves with straightening clothes, and the head makeup artist moved quickly, wiping away even the smallest beads of sweat. No one could relax.
“YEARZ, standby in five minutes!”
At the staff member’s call, the members all nodded in response.
I thought of the stage that would soon be lit up, and for a moment, the weight of this honor hit me all over again. It had only been four months since debut. We hadn’t even made a name for ourselves yet, and now we were about to welcome the new year in front of thousands of people. It felt like a dream.
And yet, my heart wasn’t just full of excitement. See you when you’re an adult.
The words Baek Jae-heon had whispered into my ear days ago kept echoing in my mind. I wished I could write it off as a joke, but it hadn’t sounded like one at all. Even now, as I was about to go onstage, the weight of that voice wouldn’t leave me. I had spent nights tossing and turning, barely managing to get any sleep.
I glanced over at Baek Jae-heon.
“……”
He sat with his legs crossed, looking at his phone as if nothing had ever happened. As always, I was the only one losing my mind over it.
“YEARZ, please standby!”
For now, I needed to focus on the stage. This was a performance that my family, my friends, even my relatives would be watching. No mistakes, no regrets. I had to give it my best and make it count.
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