22 | The Reason
My Perfect Stranger
✗ Kim Rima ✗
"So you're going to perform with piano," President Hong asks me kindly right after I stop playing the piano. I just perform a song in front of him, the one I will perform tomorrow.
While BEAST is doing their rehearsal for the charity event, I meet up with President Hong since he only has time today. It's kind of reckless but he said it's better late than never.
I nod and look at him, feeling uneasy for many reasons. Even after days passed, the threatening letter Eric sent to me on my birthday is still haunting my mind. Junhyung's hurting eyes, Gikwang's concerned look, everything is spinning in my head.
"I don't know, Rima," President Hong comments casually. "Your piano skill is not questionable but I think you lack something important in your performance."
"I know, it's my vocal," I admit calmly, knowing that Junhyung has told me about it before. "I need to-"
"It's not your vocal," he cuts my words quickly without hesitation. "You're not concentrating on your song. You're singing just because I asked you to. It's empty."
His statement hits me hard. Of all critics, I never expected this one to come. My eyes widen in surprise as he continues, "You have skills, I admit it. As a father to all artists under CUBE Entertainment, I just want to give you one advice."
He pats my shoulders with a serious expression, "Be confident with your skills but be humble. Don't let your skill only to control your performance. Let your heart in it."
I purse my lips, not having a word to say. President Hong sighs and says, "You are going to perform tomorrow if you still have confident to do it. If you don't want to, it's up to you."
He then tells me that he still has works to do so he excuses himself from the music room. I stay there alone, staring at the piano in silence.
"How can I concentrate when things are going worse than ever?" I murmur to myself, putting my fingers on the white tunes. "Am I not confident enough?"
For the past few days I haven't talked with Junhyung and Gikwang. I didn't even see them for once. Of course they are busy but I also avoid to receive their phone calls or reply their text messages.
I only sent both of them a similar text message, telling them that I was busy to prepare for my performance. Junhyung told me to call him when I wasn't busy while Gikwang gave me his support through the text message.
Yesterday I went to my house after calling Yujin. My father and Eric was out of Seoul for business meeting, leaving me disappointed without their presence.
I wanted to talk with Eric. I wanted to ask him why he gave me such a threat. I never met him before the engagement party but he acts like a jerk. Seriously.
"Ah, Rima," Yoorin stepped down the staircase and smiled to me. "What a surprise to see you here. Anything I can do to help you?"
I sighed heavily. Yoorin was the last person I wanted to see at this moment. Not that I hated her or else but, like what I said before, she was not my favorite person to hang out with.
"Yujin, why don't you leave me alone with my beloved cousin?" Yoorin approached me, glancing at Yujin. Yujin looked at me and gave me a slight nod before leaving me and Yoorin.
"Happy birthday, cousin," Yoorin said to me in English. She hugged me but I didn't hug her back. "Ah, why are you so cold, cousin? Don't you miss me?"
"I don't have anything to do with you," I turned around, ready to leave the house. If Eric was not here, there was no use for me to stay any longer. "Goodbye, Yoorin."
"Do you enjoy your life now, Rima?" her question made me stopped abruptly. "Are you happy now that an idol falls in love with you?"
I turned and looked at her with wide eyes. I clenched my fists as my brain started to work quickly, "It's not Eric... It's you..."
"Ah, don't get it wrong," Yoorin chuckled and smirked. "I just help him. He is captivated by you even though he only looked at your picture. He wants you, I help him."
"What do you want, Yoorin?" I gritted my teeth, trying to control my emotion. "You have my life already. Why are you trying to mess with me? What's your advantage if I admit that I'm the real Kim Rima?"
"Your father wants you back, Rima," she answered me, stepping closer to me. "If I manage to help you return, he promises to give me everything my family need. You're too stubborn, Rima. You'll never return without this kind of threat."
I scratched the back of my neck impatiently. I couldn't believe that ridiculous reason was the trigger of everything.
"Don't worry. I have prepared myself to be criticized from being your impostor," Yoorin told me. "I'll wait for the news then."
I rub my temple because my head is aching, "I still have two songs to finish... Aigoo..."
What should I do now?
✗ Yong Junhyung ✗
"So we have finalized the artists who will be collaborating for the project," Doojoon repeats the conclusion of the meeting. "There will be BEAST, A Pink, MBLAQ, Rainbow, Infinite, and KARA."
My heart skips a beat when he mentions the last group. KARA is not supposed to join the collaboration project due to their schedule overseas but after a lot of considerations, they will join the project.
Yes, I will meet Hara in person again after months.
Can things become any worse now?
We are sitting in circle in our main room after returning from the meeting with the other agencies. We also had our rehearsal for tomorrow's event where Rima will perform after us.
I wonder what she is doing right now. I still remember her crying face that day after I kissed her. Maybe I really have went too far with kissing her. I shouldn't do it.
"Ah," Hyunseung responds when we hear knocks on the door. He stands up and opens the door. "Come in, Rima. It's been a while!"
Rima?
She steps in and bows to all of us politely. Her eyes stop on me, "Can I talk with you, Junhyung?"
"S-Sure," I quickly stand up despite feeling really confused. I give her a sign to follow me to my room.
After I close the door, I feel extremely nervous now. My heart beats fast even though we haven't even started to talk. I take glance at Rima but she looks really calm. Actually she doesn't look really good.
"I'm sorry," she breaks the silence. She looks at me with a sad smile. "I'm sorry that I slapped you that day, Junhyung. I was just... surprised."
"Ah, I'm the one who needs to apologize," I bow to her. "I wasn't supposed to... Well... you know..."
Instead of blushing, she smiles to me. She touches my cheek, "I'm sorry, Junhyung..."
I frown and take her hand, "What's wrong, Rima?"
I don't know why but there is a hint of sadness in her smile. I caress her cheek gently, "Is it because of my confession?"
"Don't, Junhyung," she pulls her hand from me but her smile stays still. "Don't love me. I don't want to hurt you."
"Eh?" I blink in confusion, trying to figure out what she means. "What do you-"
Rima suddenly hugs me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I freeze when she murmurs softly, "In the end, we're going to be strangers, aren't we?"
Hearing those words, I quickly hold her shoulders so I can see her face. I stare at her, hoping that I misheard what she just said, "Why did you suddenly say things like that?"
"Nothing," she answers calmly. "I need to return now. I need to practice for tomorrow. You don't want your cousin to mess the performance, do you?"
She walks to the door and opens it, "See you tomorrow, Junhyung."
Why do I have a feeling that she is hiding something from me?
✗ Lee Gikwang ✗
When Rima steps out from Junhyung's room and excuses herself from our apartment, I quickly rush to follow her, telling the others to continue the discussion without me.
"Rima!" I call her name to stop her right when she is going to step inside the elevator. She looks at me with unpredictable expression. "Did something happen between you and Junhyung?"
After her birthday I never met Rima again. She convinced me that she was busy to practice so I didn't want to bother her. Now that she has appeared right in front of me, maybe I need to talk with her.
"Nothing," she answers me calmly. "I just talked about the songs we need to create."
I study her face and I don't know why but I'm sure that she is hiding something. I step closer to her and pull the ribbon which she used to tie her long hair, "You don't use the hairpin today... Why?"
Her cheeks turn into pink shades in instance. I cup her left cheek so our eyes can meet, "You can talk to me if you want to. You know that, right?"
Rima heaves a sigh and then takes my hand away from her face, "I'll talk to you after tomorrow's performance. Is it alright?"
"Sure," I assure her with a smile. I pat her head and grin, "Good luck for tomorrow, Rima."
"Thank you," she replies shortly. She was going to enter the elevator when she stops all of a sudden and asks a question to me, "Gikwang, when I... when I kissed your cheek, why do you think I did it?"
My heart skips a beat upon her question. I rub the back of my neck and clear my throat nervously, "It's a 'thank you' manner, right? It's western culture, isn't it?"
"I see...," she drops her gaze and forms a weak smile. She enters the elevator and mutters, "See you tomorrow, Gikwang."
I look at her until the door closes. An uneasy feeling strikes as a thought crosses my mind.
There is another reason why she kissed my cheek.
A reason that I don't know. Perhaps the reason why she acts really strange since days ago.
She will tell me tomorrow, right?
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