From Skid Row to Superstardom: An Idol System Novel-Chapter 340: Vacation (2)

As the five people left the building, the train ride to the usual karaoke place where they had been working on making a song for Ari’s project was deathly quiet.

Partly because everyone was exhausted after a long day of filming and performing, and partly because there was a sense of tension between two people in particular.

Levi took one glance between Ari, who was aggressively typing on his cellphone while grumbling in French, Vishal, who looked like he was being forced to come along, Jamie, who was chattering at Ari without a care in the world, and Carlos, who kept staring back and forth with a concerned face, before turning his headphones up.

Whatever was going on there had nothing to do with him.

He was just being dragged along to make a French song for some reason.

Actually, why was he still helping to make the song that had nothing to do with him?

He would rather be sleeping.

As Levi began contemplating his poor decisions in letting a short French kid drag him around, the five of them got off the train and walked to the usual convenience store that they always visited on the way to the karaoke place.

Ari turned to Vishal as they entered.

"Grab a snack and a drink if you want one. I’m paying."

"...I’m good."

"Okay. Suit yourself."

Shrugging, Ari went to chat with the store worker and practice his Korean while Jamie stocked up on snacks, and Levi grabbed electrolyte drinks.

"Hey, Convenience Store Ajumma. How are you today?" Ari greeted casually while avoiding the reflexive newspaper smack launched at his head.

The older woman with a short curly perm immediately began scolding him.

"Ah, you! How many times have I told you? It’s noona, not Ajumma Noona! You’re lucky you’re pretty. Working hard today as well? Practicing your Korean well?"

"I’m trying to."

"Good! I see you brought a new friend today. He’s handsome, too." She peeked at Vishal, who was quietly chatting to Carlos, before whispering to Ari.

"Something like that. How’s work?"

"Slow today. But maybe because so many good-looking foreigners stopped to visit, people might stop by."

"I hope so."

"Well, your total is 60,000 won. And take some extra snacks too. You’re all too thin."

"Thank you!"

After quickly ringing Ari up, they began walking the short distance to the karaoke place while Ari began the tedious process of shoving a protein bar down his throat.

After all, the weight wouldn’t add itself.

But before he had taken a couple of steps, Ari’s phone began ringing.

Glancing at it, he rolled his eyes before answering.

"Allo? Chloé? Quoi? I said I don’t care what I wear. It’s literally just clothes. Stop nagging me. Shouldn’t you be at work? Why are you drinking? No, I’m not having multiple outfit changes; it’s a graduation, not a fashion show. It’s going to be covered by the cap and gown anyway, so I just plan on wearing black slacks. Sabine? T’es où? Please take the phone from her. Or tell her to delete my number. I’m tired. I’m hanging up now. Goodbye."

As soon as Ari dropped the phone, another call came in, and this time he answered in a much more polite tone, speaking rapid-fire French as he walked ahead.

"Bonjour. Oui, c’est Ariel Matisse. Oui. Oui."

"...where are we going?" Vishal finally gave in to his curiosity and asked Jamie, since Ari wasn’t paying attention.

"Karaoke," Jamie answered plainly.

"To sing? Why?"

"Kind of? We’re working on a song for a TV show, and they asked us for last-minute changes, so we’re trying to test some things out before we record the final version to send off."

Hearing that Jamie was working on a song for a TV show, Vishal felt a little jealous.

But what could he do? Jamie had connections in the industry that he didn’t.

"Is that what you guys have been leaving to go do every night?"

"Yep!"

"How’d you get the gig?"

"Oh, Ari got it. He asked us for help, and we agreed since the show looks really good," Jamie replied happily before rushing to hand the gesturing Ari his phone for notes.

Hearing that Ari was the one who got it and that he wasn’t invited, Vishal felt a slight bitterness in his mouth.

As Jamie came back, he forced a smile.

"...really? You’re doing all this extra stuff on the side in addition to the survival show?" Vishal asked as he glanced at Ari, who had switched to English and seemed to be giving a presentation while typing on Jamie’s phone.

"Yep."

"Why?"

"Why not?" Jamie asked innocently, his blue eyes wide as if he couldn’t understand the question.

"Shouldn’t you focus on the show? Resting, recovering, and putting your best foot forward to make sure you do your best? Or if you’re getting other work, maybe you don’t need the show?"

There are lots of people who don’t have half the opportunities you do. Don’t you think it’s a bit greedy to take both? Some of us are really struggling, yet here you are raking everything in by yourself. Vishal thought silently.

"I am focused on the show. But there’s other stuff I want to do, so I’m doing that too. They’re not mutually exclusive, and I’m not half-assing either of them; regardless, I like making music, so even if it’s tiring, I don’t mind."

"Oh."

Seeing that Jamie missed his point completely, Vishal just stayed silent.

Yet Jamie continued speaking, glancing between him and Ari.

"Also, I kind of overheard a bit of your discussion the other day, and I don’t know why you two are fighting, but he’s not lying. Ari is pretty busy these days. He’s dealing with the survival show stuff, being the producer and leader for his team, school stuff, the PD, making multiple songs for a lot of things, and also organizing a lot of things in the background." Jamie answered as he counted everything Ari had been caught up with on his fingers.

"He hasn’t really been sleeping well, and he’s been forcing himself to eat more these days, and you know how he feels about food, so honestly, he’s been more stressed and grumpier than usual. I think you guys should talk, but...mmmm" Jamie’s eyes rolled around as he tried to figure out a kind way to say it.

"If he bites your head off, don’t act shocked. And truly, you probably deserve it, messing around and trying to fight the day before our performance." Levi muttered as he lifted his headphones.

"I was messing around? Mind your business." Vishal asked coldly while Levi scoffed at him.

"Or what?"

"Hey! Hey, guys, let’s not gang up on him. That’s not why we’re here. Let the two of them talk peacefully and stay out of it, okay." Carlos immediately became the mediator when Vishal’s face turned stiff.

"This is the problem. Everyone always takes his side, makes excuses, and defends him even if he’s wrong." Vishal muttered bitterly even as Ari came back.

"Wrong about what?"

"Nothing."

"Oh."

Nobody said anything, and the rest of the walk to the karaoke place.

Ring!

"Hey, Team French Vanilla! Welcome back." As they walked into the karaoke place, the female worker with bleached hair at the front greeted them familiarly, then glanced at Levi and blushed.

His wolf-type look was completely her type, and any time she saw that stoic face and sharp eyes, her heart fluttered, and she wanted to confess.

"Yo Nari. Stop making heart eyes at kiwi head. Also, we need 2 rooms today. Give us the usual and the second one for just half an hour."

"I’m not making heart eyes at anybody!!"

"Ohhhh. If you say so."

Nari glared at Ari before checking Levi’s reaction.

Thankfully, he wasn’t paying attention, making her both relieved and a little sad.

Looking back at the boys, she noticed that they had increased once again, "Oh, are you another person from the show. Hiii! Sorry, but I don’t know your name." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

As Nari excitedly waved at Vishal, Vishal looked a bit bitter, but waved back.

"I’m Vishal."

"Hello. Are you on Ari’s team as well?"

"No. He didn’t choose me."

"Oh."

The temperature at the front desk immediately dropped.

Feeling awkward, she glanced back at Ari, eyes screaming for help in changing the subject.

"Weren’t you supposed to get out of work and come to the performance today? What happened? You missed seeing us go crazy."

Thankful for the line, Nari dramatically collapsed on the counter.

"Soo-ahh is sick, so they called me in on my day off! Can you believe it?"

"Well, I’m looking at you, aren’t I?"

"You’re not funny. This is why I’m not voting for you."

"Traitor."

"Anarchist."

"Minimum wage worker who was to come in on her off day."

"Survival show wanna be idol who’s getting slandered on the internet as we speak."

"Touché. You win today, madame. I must retreat and train to come back stronger."

"Pbbbb."

As she stuck her tongue out at him, Ari rolled his eyes before taking the keys.

"See you later, Nari."

"Byeee! Should I send the usual to the room?"

"Yep."

"Got it. Good luck!"

"Thanks."

When he got to their usual room, Ari tossed his stuff in there and handed the key to Jamie.

"I texted you the notes. Give me an hour, please. And thanks for coming. All three of you. I really owe you." Ari could only apologize to them for not only dragging them out and delaying their sleep, but also for delaying it even more for a conversation.

"Got it!"

"Don’t care."

"It’s fine."

But the three people simply agreed while Carlos patted both his and Vishal’s back, whispering for them to have a good conversation.

"You. Come with me."

Leading Vishal to the other room, Ari locked the door before setting a timer and placing his phone on the table.

"Sit and get comfortable. We have 30 minutes to talk, so let it all out. What’s your problem with me?"

Ari asked in a calm tone as he could manage.

Truly, right now, he was a bit angry.

Since their original conversation, after Vishal accused him of being selfish, he evaluated himself and appropriately distanced himself from the other boy.

That way, his actions wouldn’t negatively affect Vishal, which was what the other boy wanted.

Yet somehow that wasn’t enough.

He let Vishal’s snide comment about being scandal-free slide and continued treating him politely.

Yet somehow that wasn’t enough.

Vishal would leave the room when he saw Ari and avoid talking to him.

Ari didn’t take it personally, didn’t yell or ostracize him, but that still wasn’t enough.

After doing all that, Vishal somehow had it in his head that Ari was avoiding him and secretly had a problem with him, when he was simply juggling so many things that a non-urgent, private conversation with someone who wasn’t a teammate didn’t rank too high on his list of things to do.

And to make matters worse, he was looking at things online and then internalizing them even though Ari hadn’t looked at, said, or even acknowledged those things.

He was twisting Ari’s words, then going to talk to Benjamin, and who knows what else, to get them on his side of whatever fight he thought they were having.

And now, making snide comments to the karaoke worker?

Ari couldn’t respect it.

Not at all.

If you have an issue, take it up with me instead of an outside party.

Don’t make slick comments, don’t have an attitude.

For Ari, who truly believed he had done his best to be a good person and accommodate another person’s demands to the best of his ability, seeing Vishal try to bring in an outside party when he told him they would talk later, when he was less busy?

It pissed him off!

With his personality, he would usually just cut the person off and ignore them, and live his life.

I don’t have a problem with you, and you crafted an imaginary problem with me?

Ignore.

We don’t need to have a conversation because you will simply no longer exist in my world.

I have enough going on that taking on unnecessary problems is a waste of my time.

But he was trying to change.

Vishal was a good person.

He was calm and nice, and he had come to celebrate Ari’s birthday when he didn’t have to, and even got him a present.

There was a chance they would debut together; nothing egregious had been said yet, and Ari knew the situation they were in wasn’t normal.

The survival show, the PDS, being forced to live with strangers for an extended duration, having an artificially created version of you being shown to the public, and having them rip you apart online.

It was a hard situation that could get on anyone’s last nerve.

Theoretically, he understood that.

Which is why he decided to have a conversation even though he was angry at the unfair statement from someone he considered a friend.

Let’s clear the air, one way or another.

Staring at Vishal’s face, Ari gave him a tight smile before speaking his mind.

"Look. I am a very straightforward person. If I don’t like you, you’ll know. If I’m avoiding you, you’ll know. I will tell you how I feel directly to your face, and I don’t care if you’re the president or the pope. My behavior has been consistent all of my life, and while I admit it can rub people the wrong way, that’s me.

You wanted to talk before the performance, and I told you I was busy. You didn’t believe me, but I don’t really care. I’m less busy now, so let’s talk. Get whatever you want to say off your chest because I really want to know: from A to Z, list it all out. What the hell is your problem with me, or what do you think I’ve done to you that you’re acting like this? Huh?"