Chương 60: Date

Ch 60 - Date With Stellaris' schedule put on hold after the stadium attack, Yeon-ah found herself with an unusual amount of free time. The endless cycle of dance practice, vocal lessons, commercial shoots, and recording sessions had come to an abrupt halt. After years of barely slowing down and rarely having a moment to herself, the quiet left by its absence felt almost unsettling. Aside from attending the Awakener Training Center in District 11, there was little she actually needed to do.

The center wasn't intended for someone of her caliber. As an S-rank Awakener, she could have received private instruction almost anywhere she wanted, but completing her mandatory coursework there was more than sufficient. The facility was modest in size. It consisted of an outdoor practice field, a classroom building for theoretical lessons, and a spacious forge hall for practical courses.

As Yeon-ah neared the forge hall, the sharp clang of hammers against metal rang through the building, mixed with the clatter of tools and voices of Awakeners at work. She knocked before stepping inside. The hall was bustling with newly awakened trainees. Some stood before blazing forges, shaping glowing metal with swings of their hammers, while others sat at workbenches assembling Artifacts or engraving enchantments.

Watching over them was a woman with short ginger hair, a square face, and light gray eyes that settled on Yeon-ah.

"There you are, Yeon-ah!" Leah Kennedy called.

"I was starting to think you weren't coming today."

"Please don't say that, Instructor. I'm not that much of a slacker," Yeon-ah replied with a smile.

"No, but you're certainly busy." Kennedy gestured toward an empty workstation.

"Let's make the most of today." Yeon-ah took her seat and arranged her tools across the workbench. With her idol activities suspended, she had been using the break to catch up on the Awakener courses she had missed because of her hectic schedule. Most of her coursework focused on developing her practical Artificer skills, from smithing and forging to enchanting.

The training center supplied all the basic materials needed for practice, but anyone who wanted to work with rarer ores or high-grade monster materials had to bring their own.

"Here, we'll be using these today." Kennedy set a medium-sized box on the workbench. Inside, organized compartments held an assortment of high-quality crafting materials.

"Your enchantment has improved a lot, so I think it's time we tried something a little more advanced. How about forging a barrier ring?" Yeon-ah nodded and sorted through the materials she needed. She was one of the few exceptions to the center's usual rules. As an S-rank Artificer, she had signed a special agreement with the government. In exchange for having her tuition, equipment, and materials covered, every Artifact she created during the program would become government property. It had been an easy decision.

She couldn't have afforded the program otherwise, and bringing her creations home would only have upset her father. Yeon-ah got to work. Enchanting a barrier onto an item wasn't particularly difficult, but fitting an entire enchantment into something as small as a ring demanded meticulous care. She first selected several bars of mana-conductive alloy before placing them into the forge.

The metal gradually glowed from dull red to white beneath the flames, and once it reached the proper temperature, she lifted it with a pair of tongs and set it upon the anvil. Each strike of her hammer rang through the workshop as she folded and shaped the alloy, forming it into a flawless band. After quenching the ring and polishing away the remaining rough edges, she secured it beneath a magnifying lens and exchanged her hammer for an engraving chisel.

Slowly, she carved an intricate network of glyphs along the surface of the band, each line flowing into the next until they formed a complete enchantment array. A high-grade mana stone was then fitted into the ring's setting. Using an engraving needle, she connected the crystal to the surrounding glyph array before placing both hands over the finished piece. Mana flowed from her fingertips into the crystal and spread through the engraved glyphs.

One by one, the symbols lit up with a blue glow as the enchantment stabilized. The light traveled across the array before fading, leaving the completed barrier ring in her hands. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she realized she had finished the ring in only a few hours, an impressive feat for any Artificer. Thanks to her Master Artisan skill, however, even such delicate work came naturally to her.

Unlike her idol career, where every performance demanded endless rehearsals and retakes, crafting was the one thing she could do without second-guessing herself. Once she picked up her tools, her hands seemed to know exactly what to do, leaving her free to focus on the Artifact taking shape before her.

"Done?" Kennedy asked as she walked over to Yeon-ah's workbench. Yeon-ah held out the finished ring.

"I think it's usable." Kennedy accepted the Artifact and examined the engraved glyphs before slipping it onto her finger. As she activated it, a translucent blue barrier unfolded around her, forming a protective dome.

"Go ahead," she said.

"Try attacking it." Yeon-ah picked up a nearby hammer and swung it with all her strength. The hammer rebounded the instant it struck the barrier, leaving it completely intact. Kennedy removed the ring with a satisfied smile.

"Excellent work, as always. I'd say this one is perfect."

"You're too kind, Instructor Kennedy."

"At this rate, there won't be much left for me to teach you." Kennedy let out a small laugh before her expression softened.

"I'm only a B-rank Artificer, you know." After a brief pause, she continued more seriously.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider enrolling at Central Awakener Academy? There are Artificers there far more experienced than I am. They could make sure you don't pick up any bad habits."

"Please, let's not bring that up again, Instructor." Yeon-ah shook her head.

"You already know I won't accept the offer."

"I suppose I had to try." Kennedy sighed before smiling again.

"Well then, how about making another Artifact?"

"Sure." The rest of the afternoon passed in the forge hall. Yeon-ah immersed herself in her craft, refining her techniques while producing several more Artifacts. When she finished, the sky outside had turned a warm shade of orange as the sun dipped toward the horizon. After parting ways with Kennedy, she dashed for the departing bus and slipped aboard a second before the doors sealed. The journey carried her home through the fading light, and dusk was already draping the neighborhood when she arrived.

"I'm home!" she called as she stepped inside, rubbing her growling stomach.

"Sounds like someone's hungry!" her father laughed from the kitchen. Their small restaurant was as quiet as ever. Business had been slow for years due to its remote location, and only a handful of regulars from the neighborhood still stopped by. Yeon-ah slipped into her usual seat and happily waited while her father finished cooking. A few minutes later, he emerged carrying a steaming pot of kimchi jjigae alongside bowls of rice and an assortment of vegetable side dishes. She wasted no time digging in.

The warm meal quickly disappeared as she filled the emptiness in her stomach. With Stellaris' schedule currently suspended, Morgan was no longer hovering over every meal she ate or reminding her to watch her diet. She would most certainly gain a little weight, but she was far too hungry to care. Besides, she could always lose it again once work resumed. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"So," her father asked between bites, "how was the training center today?" She slowed her eating, surprised by the question. After swallowing, she said, "It was great. Instructor Kennedy taught me a lot."

"I see." A crease formed between his brows.

"Nobody tried to hurt you there, did they?"

"Father..." She let out a helpless laugh.

"Everyone there is nice. Most Artificers are just bookworms or introverts."

"It's never a bad thing to be careful," he replied. She lowered her head.

"Oh, and you didn't happen to meet any boys there, did you?" her father asked. Yeon-ah nearly choked on her food. After covering her mouth and coughing a few times, she glared at him.

"Stop it! I was there to train, not flirt with boys!"

"That's funny coming from the girl who brought a boy home the other day."

"That was different!" she protested.

"I got him caught up in something troublesome, so I wanted to repay him. Besides, he needed a place to eat, and I thought our restaurant could use the extra business." She folded her arms with a huff.

"And he's years younger than me! I'm not into teenagers." Now, if it had been Evan's older brother... Heat rose to her cheeks as Reid's handsome face flashed through her mind.

"Yeon-ah!" her father exclaimed, leaning forward.

"Who are you thinking about? Who's the boy?"

"It's nobody!" Before he could press her any further, she grabbed her dishes and dumped them in the sink, fully intending to clean them later. She then sprinted to her room and shut the door behind her. With a long sigh, she flopped onto her bed. Was it really so wrong for a young woman her age to dream about having a boyfriend? Between her father's overprotectiveness and the dating restrictions that came with being an idol, the possibility felt nonexistent.

"Life is so unfair..." she muttered. After taking a quick shower, she climbed back into bed and scrolled through her phone. The stadium attack was no longer the all-consuming headline it had been a few days ago, but it still dominated the news. She couldn't blame people. It had been one of the worst tragedies in recent memory, not because of a Beast Wave or a Rift Outbreak, but because one man had slaughtered his fellow humans. Her mind returned to that terrible day.

The terrified screams of her fans echoed in her mind as the stage, meant for music and dancing, became soaked in blood. Then came the image she wished she could forget most: body bags being carried out one after another. Yeon-ah shut her eyes and rubbed her temples, forcing the memories back down. There was no point dwelling on them. She opened Stellaris' private group chat instead. [How's everyone doing?] Several minutes passed, and Olivia replied. [Pretty good! I went out with my sister to this amazing Peruvian restaurant.] A flood of photos followed, each one showing a table covered in colorful dishes. Yeon-ah's mouth watered. [That looks delicious.] She typed another message. [What about you, Ines?] A typing bubble appeared, disappeared, then appeared again several times, until a reply finally came. [I'm fine.] She frowned. It was the same answer Ines had been giving ever since the stadium attack. Of everyone in Stellaris, she had taken the incident the hardest.

Yeon-ah had tried comforting her more than once, but some wounds couldn't heal overnight. [That's good. Have you eaten dinner?] [Yeah.] [Remember to get some sleep, okay?] [Okay.] They chatted for a little while longer, though Ines mostly gave short replies. After saying goodnight, Yeon-ah was just about to lock her phone and head to sleep when a notification popped up. A message from an unknown number. Her thumb hovered over the Report button, but curiosity got the better of her. She opened it. [Excuse me, Ms. Lim. This is Reid Whitfield.] She jolted upright, sending her phone flying from her hands. With a startled yelp, she scrambled across the bed, nearly tumbling onto the floor as she caught it. Only then did she realize she'd sent a message consisting entirely of keyboard mashing.

"Oh no!" Her face burned as she deleted the embarrassing gibberish and typed a proper reply. [Sorry about that! Yeah, this is Lim Yeon-ah. Is there something you need?] The moment she hit send, regret washed over her. Had that sounded too serious? Too official? The more she reread it, the more it felt like she was replying as customer support instead of a normal person. She reached for the edit button, only to freeze when the "Read" mark appeared beneath the message. Too late.

"Oh God..." She buried her face in her hands. This is horrible. Why was talking to guys so difficult? She silently cursed her father's overprotectiveness. If he hadn't sheltered her so much growing up, maybe she would've had at least a little experience talking to men. Another notification popped up. [I was wondering if you're free this Sunday?] Sunday? Free? Her breathing quickened. Was this… Was Reid asking her out on a date? Her trembling fingers typed out a reply. [Yeah, I'm available.] His response arrived almost immediately. [That's great. If you don't mind, would you like to meet with me in the afternoon? There's something I'd like to talk to you about.] Her heart pounded so loudly she could hear it in her ears. [Of course! Where do you want to meet?] [I'm not very familiar with the Southern Sector of the Outskirts. Perhaps you can pick the place?] [No problem! I'll send you the details!] The instant she sent the message, she buried her face in her pillow.

"Aaaaaaaah!" She screamed into it, kicking her legs against the mattress as her face turned beet red. Was she actually going on a date? Her? The ultimate virgin with absolutely zero dating skills or experience? Was she going to bag that big fish?

"Finally something is going right in my life!" Her mind went into overdrive. What outfit should she wear? Should she style her hair differently? What kind of makeup would suit her? Did she have the right perfume? Should she buy a new one? Would a dress be too much? Maybe something casual? No, casual might make it seem like she wasn't trying... Then reality crashed into her. She was an idol. Morgan would never approve of her getting into a relationship. Dating was the number one taboo in the industry.

Even if she somehow got past her manager, there was still her father. He already hated the idea of her getting close to Awakeners, even if Reid was just a Healer. Her excitement deflated almost instantly.

"Damn it... I..." Before she could sink any deeper into despair, her phone buzzed with another message from Reid. [Sounds good. I'll be waiting then.:)] The little smiley face shattered every rational thought left in her head.

"Fuck it." Come hell or high water, she was going on that date! Several days passed in a blur as Yeon-ah found herself constantly thinking about her upcoming date with Reid. She spent every spare moment trying on different outfits, experimenting with hairstyles, and debating what makeup would suit her best. By the time Sunday arrived, she still hadn't made up her mind. In the end, she settled on a casual chic outfit.

She paired a satin blouse with straight-leg jeans and black Mary Jane shoes, then slung a small shoulder bag over her shoulder. After applying a light touch of makeup and a bit of lipstick, she gave herself one last look in the mirror and slipped out of the house. Her father had already gone out, giving her the perfect chance to leave without being interrogated. Their meeting place was a small café tucked away on a quiet street corner.

She arrived an hour early, ordered an iced coffee, and settled into a seat by the window, where warm sunlight spilled across the table. The moment she sat down, one of the worst parts of being an idol came rushing back to her. She had spent hours getting ready, only to cover half her face with a mask so nobody would recognize her. For a brief moment, she considered taking it off and risking everything, but reason got the better of her. Letting out a defeated sigh, she sank into her chair and waited.

Her gaze kept returning to the clock. The longer Reid took to arrive, the more her imagination ran wild. What if he had canceled and forgotten to tell her? What if he'd changed his mind and decided not to come? Was she really about to get stood up on her very first date? With five minutes remaining, she'd already imagined a dozen disastrous scenarios. Then the café door swung open. Reid stepped inside wearing nothing more than a fitted white T-shirt, black trousers, and casual sneakers.

The simple outfit did nothing to hide how strikingly handsome he was, and several customers turned their heads the moment he entered. Too bad for them. This guy's mine! She raised her hand.

"Mr. Whitfield!" Reid turned toward her with a smile.

"Ms. Lim." His smooth voice nearly made her swoon. She watched him walk toward her table, her heart beating faster with every step, until another figure emerged from behind him and brought it to a screeching halt.

"Hi, Ms. Lim," Evan said with a cheeky grin.