“Fanperson.”
“Fangirl isnotpejorative.” She picked up his previously offered soondae.
“I’m being inclusive.”
“Why me?”
“Because why not you?” Teddy asked, resuming his coffee drinking. “I’ve been listening to you analyze this band, this comeback, since we landed. I see how passionate you are when you really like something. So why the fuck not you?”
Lia’s shoulders dropped. She wanted to argue that her passion was just her saying a lot of shit, and maybe was just talking out of her ass.
But even as she tried to come up with those reasons, a little voice in her head reminded her of all the people in her job who talked out of their asses too, except their asses had zero knowledge to back it up. God, why did actual impostorsneverhave the syndrome they were named for? Just audacity?
And why the hell would she not say yes to this job?
Because saying this would mean that life was going to go on, that there was something for her to move on to.
Lia didn’t want to admit it to herself, but she also knew that it was silly. Time was going to pass regardless, but it was good to know she had something to look forward to. This was it, this was the thing she’d hoped for and considered. The person Cal Ahn had brought back to life was setting herself up for happiness, and Lia was really looking forward to it.
“Is that why Mon kept talking about this case I supposedly made? About ideas to rebrand CoBOLT?”
“Yeahhh, that was because Cal was joking that he wanted Triptych to sign CoBOLT, and he and I started to talk about all the things you’ve said about them rebranding.” Teddy said. “Which makes me think that he was more trying to flex that you had all these great ideas, than anything else.”
Her brother’s words were said in jest, clearly, but Lia hated that they made hope flutter in her chest, only for her to quickly tamp it down. “Is that even possible, legally? For you to sign them.”
“No idea. But I really enjoyed working with them.” Teddy shrugged. She flinched at him, already speaking about the band in the past tense, as if they weren’t already more than halfway through their trip, as if Teddy was going to run out of things to do in Korea. As if they both didn’t have lives and people and inaanaks waiting for them at home.
Lia set her chopsticks down, already too full to keep eating. She shuddered as a sharp, fierce cold whipped through her body. The weather was turning colder now. Even the trees were barer than they were orange. Things were going to have to move forward.
“I want the job,” Lia told him. “I know what it feels like, to be that fan that’s loved by their artist. Mostly because it makes me like myself, too. So let’s do this.”
Teddy held out a hand to her. Lia shook him on it, and the agreement was made.
COLOR ANALYSIS
Cal
I think we need to talk. Can we talk?
Oh fuck it’s so late.
Sorry, sorry.
Don’t wake up, we can talk tomorrow.
Lia
I’m already in the kitchen, if you want to talk?
Oh, I have that color analysis appointment though. Talk later?
Cal
How did it go? I said you were an autumn, I was right right?
Lia
Just saw the message!
