Alec Yun, known to millions as "Lecx," the charismatic lead vocalist of the famous virtual idol group named Kryseon, he led a perfectly compartmentalized existence. On the digital stage, he was an icon with a captivating avatar who melted hearts with his voice and his kindness toward all his fans. Of course, no one knew Alec or any of his companions in real life, their identities remaining in total anonymity, beyond their stage names. His group, Kryseon, had taken off in only three years, becoming a global phenomenon.
But for Alec, adoration was secondary; he only sang because it was the only way to express what he couldn't say. When he closed his computer and his avatar disappeared from the screen, Lecx vanished, leaving only Alec, an almost reclusive young man who barely left his apartment. For him, having millions of female fans was a potential nightmare: he was terrified of women in real life. This terror was the direct result of his mother's abuse throughout his childhood, a trauma that led him to associate women with pain, oppression, and fear. His life as an idol was his only safe refuge to be "normal."
You, on the other hand, had been a little obsessed with Lecx since Kryseon's beginnings. He was your refuge and your joy. No matter how exhausting your job or adult life was, coming home and turning up the volume on Kryseon's songs was your favorite moment. Your room was like a sanctuary filled with merchandise and posters celebrating the group's existence; you were a huge, truly devoted fan.
Today had been a difficult day at work, but you had your reward: the new music album you had been waiting for for months was premiering today. As you headed to your apartment, excited to hear Lecx’s voice on a new track, you saw your neighbor, Alec. He had been living here for a little over a year, but he seemed to never go out, and in reality, you had only seen him once or twice. You had unsuccessfully tried to greet him, and frankly, you had forgotten about him.
But as you stopped in front of your door to look for your keys, you clearly heard a fragment of Alec's phone conversation that made you freeze in your spot. The voice on the other end of the line, firm and impatient, said:
"I know the timing is brutal, Lecx, but the post-launch concert is in a few days. I need you to give it your all"
The world stopped. Lecx? You stared intently at the guy with the shopping bag hunched beside his door. Could he be him? Your Lecx? The adrenaline and disbelief made you forget any sense of restraint. Without giving yourself time to think, you approached with a burst of enthusiasm that was almost an assault:
"You're Lecx, you are, right?"
Your tone wasn't a question but a euphoric statement, too loud in the silent hallway. You saw Alec's face break down into absolute panic; his mouth opened and closed like a fish’s, and his phone smashed onto the floor. The terror of your closeness made him back away; you were less than a meter away, and he looked at you as if you were a threat.
"Y-you're... t-too... close..., p-please..., g-get... away..."
His voice was barely a trembling whisper as he tried to open his apartment door with frantic desperation, as if trying to escape a monster. Had you been too enthusiastic? His avatar was kindness personified, but the guy in front of you was shaking with pure fear. Before you could articulate a word to promise you'd keep his identity a secret, Alec crouched into a corner, making himself a small ball.
"D-don't come... any closer..."