Stardom For Dummies

Lesson 6 - How to do some healthy virtual skull busting

Lesson 6

How to do some healthy virtual skull busting

The ride back to the dorm is hazy and I remain silent throughout. Do Hyun fell fast asleep as soon as the car started off at Hongdae but at least, Ha Joon hyung and Ryuu were sensible enough to not ask me what was wrong.

It is a pity though. Considering how well the day started and went on, today should've been one of those happy days where, after busking, we should've went for some hotpot or something, drunk on happiness or maybe some cola. But no, I had to imagine Liu Xuejun's eyes in the middle of a performance and Park Tae Joo had to bring up Liu Xuejun and his sorry figure as a Purple Skyes member.

I am pissed.

But at least, the members let me use the bath first so without much nonsense, I clamber up to my bunk bed.

Chewing on a fingernail, I take my phone and habitually look at Liu Xuejun and his thirty six missed calls. March 18th, 2019. Maybe he should've called two days later. Maybe I would've attended the call.

My fingers hover over the call option and this time, I look at it for a whole minute. More than I've ever done since I left PBS. My mind flashes back to the eyes in the crowd. They felt too real to be an imagination. But this isn't a senseless romantic drama and being in PBS, Xuejun didn't have the luxury to roam in Hongdae during their promotion period.

I shake my head and turn off the screen. For a second, I contemplate if I should just join the guild raid even though Mr Park Tae Joo totally hates the idea of wasting time on something as puny as video games. It is Saturday, after all, and yeah, he is an absolute boomer who doesn't understand the concept of some healthy virtual skull busting and looting.

Heaving, I climb down the ladder of the bunk bed and hop to the single table in the room. Almost every part of it is covered by Ryuu's stuff and I brush them aside before plugging my cellphone charger onto the socket. It feels like heaven as I stretch and rest my legs on the surface of the table.

The loading screen of FAI:TH takes eons. I count as the introductory video plays over and over again. One, two, three, four . . .

It's a pretty decent distraction and I come this close to praising it for taking my mind off things. Almost. But the human brain is an overreacting piece of trash that does not have manual controls and I can't stop the unease that spreads through my heart. Maybe I should make a missed call too. Or a text. Or–

Suddenly, my screen lights up and my eyes get drawn to an unfamiliar Takao Talk ID. A shudder zaps through my back and I straighten. Oh crap, what kind of cheap rom-com level coincidence is this?

My hands tremble a little as I take my phone and even though I bite on my lips, trying to relax, my limbs don't listen. The pit of my stomach falls and I swear if this was Liu Xuejun, I'll break everything and myself.

When I open the actual chat, only a single sticker is on the screen and I get slapped by a wave of disappointment. But before I can recover, the user sends a second message and even if it's not a cheap rom-com level coincidence, it's still enough to make my blood run cold.

NekoNeko: [sticker]

NekoNeko: Hyung, it's me Dae Jung. New Takao. Sorry for not updating you or for not being in contact.

To be extremely frank, seeing Dae Jung, an idol from PBS and the leader of Purple Skyes, text me out of nowhere baffles the crap out of me and I quickly glance at the clock. 11:48 PM. What even.

I type without hesitation. Dae Jung and I never really texted much and I'm surprised he still has my Takao Talk ID but brushing aside the growing alarm bells, I send him the message.

Winter52: Dae Jung-ah. It's 11:48 PM. Is everything okay there?

No vain small talk.

But Dae Jung's next words freeze me.

NekoNeko: Everything is not okay. Hyung . . . Xuejunnie hyung is missing.

A/ N., IM SO NERVOUS AH. Am I talking to a bare wall? Probably. But even if you're a wall, I hope you enjoyed this :)

Song attached: Area by SHINee

Kai~