CHAPTER 10

Accusations, Stalkers and Memories

I don’t know how long I just gaped at the girl in front of me holding her bag like she thought I was going to attack her. Then I took in her fiery eyes and her mane like hair. I didn’t know how long it was when I first saw her earlier. Up close it was even more majestic, her curls reaching well past her back. But soon my curiosity turned into anger and confusion.

‘What are you doing here! How’d you get in?’ I asked eyes scanning the room for any other fans that might be hiding behind display cases ready to take pictures of me or goodness knows what else.

The girl before me just blinked several times before lowering her bag and gazing up at me.

‘The receptionist let me in,’ she said after a long moment, eyes spinning in her beautiful head, looking just as confused as I felt.

‘Oh yeah, and what you do to make her do that, did you bribe her? Did you follow me here to take pictures and put them all over the internet?’ I heard myself accusing her and the look on her face made me regret it immediately, she looked as hurt as if I’d struck her. But I had to know, I had to be certain.

‘You’re barking…why would I do any of those things?’ she said firmly but I could see her bottom lip trembling and she busied herself by strapping her bag around her body. She looked like she’d come from the gym with running shoes, a heart monitor on her wrist and a water canister strapped to her bag. There was no camera on her not even a mobile phone.

‘How’d you get in then, its about to close?’ I asked more calmly as I saw the mist forming in her eyes. Geez am I making her cry?

‘She let me in because my father called ahead and told them I’d be here to see his exhibit.’

‘Your father?’

She gestured to the photo on the opposite wall of a family of 5. Then my eyes snapped back to her immediately as the shock registered on my face.

‘You’re Doctor Blackwood's daughter? You’re his daughter Gelilina?’

'Wait, what? How do you know my name?’ she asked. Now it was her turn to be suspicious of me. I could see her taking a step back.

I took off my hat, and shook my hand through my damp wet with sweat hair. Feeling somewhat at ease, but also feeling like a complete shit for accusing her of being a stalker. Knowing who she is, the roles could have definitely been reversed.

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'I've been following your father's work for years,’ I said, replacing my hat.' He said he named his daughter after his favourite astronomer.’

' Galileo.' We said in unison, causing us both to laugh awkwardly.

'No one calls me it, not even him. I go by Gel.'

The name stirred something else in my memory.

'I didn't even know you were interested in astronomy Brendan Choi.'

'No one knows,' I said my walls going back up. ‘Look, Sorry for having a go at you earlier. It's just… Ah.' I didn't know what to say or how to feel.

'It's okay, I guess,' she said. Her voice broke, and I tried to approach her, but she turned from me.' I'm sorry for disturbing you. I won't tell anyone I saw you.'

Then, before I could say or do anything else, she raced past me to the stairwell and out of sight.

'Fuck, what have I done?'

***

I didn't speak to Manager Cho the whole way back. I don't remember getting into the van, driving back to the dorm, or even getting in the lift. I was just suddenly standing in front of our apartment door on the top floor, and punching our code into the keypad.

The first to greet me was Minho, calling from the kitchen. He was diligently doing the dishes after the big dinner we had. I walked behind him and ruffled his hair. He playfully swatted my hand away, but I saw the big smile on his face.

I sauntered over to my bedroom, I didn't want anyone else to see me. I walked in with my head down, ignoring the star charts and the telescope in my room and just collapsing onto the bed. As I lay there, I was finally able to feel it. In a span of about 10 minutes, I scared the shit out of a Dear Astra, accused her of being a stalker, accused her of bribery, and to top it all off, when I found out who her father was, I tried to backtrack it. Failed miserably and made her cry and run away from me.

All because I wanted to protect a secret. I stared up at the ceiling and her name came to my lips. ‘Gel,' I whispered. ‘Gel?’ The memory from earlier coming back to me. I knew that name and it had nothing to do with her father. I read that name many times over the past two years. Before I knew it, I was rummaging through my side table to a box of fan letters. There they were. My confidence boosters. The letters that kept me believing we'd get a comeback after the long hiatus. Hers were distinctive because she always used starry stationary. The signs were there I just hadn't seen them. Flipping through the envelopes, I noticed how she never wrote her full name on the return address. It was either ‘Gel Angel or Gel A.B.’ How was I to know it was short for Gelilina Angel-Blackwood? The Cardiff address was a hint too I hadn’t noticed.

I wanted to punch something, namely myself. The person who had always been a source of comfort to me I’d yelled at. A person whose fiery eyes lit up when she saw me on stage. Who caught my attention the moment I saw her. Who made my heart leap at the joy I produced in her.

'Would she ever look at me like that again? Would she give me a chance to apologise.'

I didn't have a chance to really give it some thought before Tony's voice was outside my door.

‘Hyung Come quick. You gotta see this.’

'Gotta see what?'

He ratted on the locked door, but I didn't let him in. ‘Look at your phone, hyung we're blowing up.'

'Were what now?'

'We got a roof hit!' came JT's voice joining Tony's.

'Our song is number 3 on the chart!'