A Thousand Faces (Soon to be Published)

Chapter 52

A brief moment of rest after a bout of commotion.

Yoo Tae-yang, always amongst the crowd of participants, was sitting alone, far off in the distance.

Then, someone approached him.

"Are you okay, brother?"

Yoo Tae-yang slowly lifted his head.

It was Kang Hyeok.

"...Yeah."

It was the first time Yoo Tae-yang seemed so downcast.

Kang Hyeok deliberately glanced over at Junwoo, who was engaged in a conversation with Fabio at a distance on the stairs.

"What did that guy do to make you like this?"

"...I don't know either."

"He must have done something, right? Crossed a line?"

Kang Hyeok didn't shift his gaze, waiting for an answer.

Though he seemed to be taking sides, it appeared he was eager to hear something specific.

Yoo Tae-yang didn't respond.

"It's okay. I think you did the right thing."

It's okay. You did well. How can he say that with such certainty?

"Look. Everyone is applauding him, but being young, he can't distinguish reality and is acting out. I always thought someone like him would eventually do that."

He knew these words weren't meant to comfort him.

Though pretending to be calm, Kang Hyeok's face was etched with undeniable anxiety.

"Brother, you're not that kind of person."

Kang Hyeok looked at him intently as if offering consolation.

"That kind of person?"

Yoo Tae-yang's face twisted subtly.

He had seen everything from the beginning to the end. Now, having realized everything just moments ago, it seemed clear to him.

Usually, he would have said thank you, told Kang Hyeok he was the only one he could rely on, and patted him on the back.

But now, he couldn't do that.

For the first time since arriving here, he felt repulsed by himself and the Kang Hyeok before him.

"Yeah, I am that kind of person."

Yoo Tae-yang recalled the situation from a few minutes ago.

The moment he got immersed in that kid's performance, a wave of the past hit him.

He had a talent for making people feel good.

Outstanding eloquence, wit, sense. A knack for humor.

A single appearance on a variety show by chance, and the response exploded.

That must have been the beginning.

The expectations and responses of the public. The outpour of compliments.

His own image, beaming brightly at the center of it all.

'It's my charm and my place.'

It was a lie.

'You all make me happy.'

Yes, he knew it. It was all pretense.

He had just pretended not to know. After all, isn't everyone living like that?