Page 48 of K-Pop Double Life

Min-kyu looked over his shoulder. “Not the concert. Jin looking at Sang-hoon.”

Silence settled over everyone, and Woo held up his phone so everyone could see. The video replayed, Jin’s eyes drifting toward me, my smile back.

Then again and again. Someone had edited together nearly thirty separate moments from concerts across Europe.

None of them meant anything by themselves, but together they looked like a love story. One between an idol and his stylist.

Tae let out a low whistle. “Fans notice everything.”

Sun-hee-noona stepped into the room. “Phones down.” The members obeyed immediately. Then she looked directly at me. “Sang-hoon. A word.”

I followed her into the hallway, where Jason, Aidan and Liam were waiting. Jason handed Sun-hee-noona another phone.

“This arrived five minutes ago.”

I read the Korean, but Sun-hee-noona translated for Aidan and Liam. The center has forgotten where to look.

Another line appeared beneath it, once again in Korean, and once again Sun-hee-noona translated. Perhaps we’ll teach him.

No signature, no number.

Jason slipped the phone back into his pocket. “The police already have it.”

Liam frowned. “I’m sure that’s going to be from another burner phone. They’re watching the performances and studying behavior.”

“They could simply be fishing,” Aidan said. “Trying to make the idols suspicious of each other, cause trouble for Jin and Sang-hoon without actually knowing what’s going on.”

“Maybe,” Jason said. “But they know what this is going to do. Fans will go crazy, creating a relationship between Jin and Sang-hoon. And we can’t fight that, because it’s true.”

“Starhouse management is going to be very upset,” Sun-hee-noona said. “With me first. I’m supposed to manage the team.”

Jason put his arm around his wife and hugged her. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I can stop watching him.” The words sounded ridiculous the moment they left my mouth.

Jason didn’t smile. “No. You can’t. My wife says you’ve been watching him for years now. And he watches you. This was going to come out eventually.”

“I was hoping we could hold off until the end of the tour,” Sun-hee-noona said. “Control the narrative back in Seoul.”

I opened my mouth to argue.

Sun-hee-noona spoke softly. “The fans are beginning to identify you by name. It isn’t hard, your name is all over the Starhouse website along with the other stylists, the wardrobe mistresses, the makeup artists. It was a strategy to make fans think we are all one big family. But now it’s going to backfire.”

“What are we going to do?” Liam asked.

“I don’t know,” Sun-hee-noona said. “I need to coordinate with Eun-ji. See what she thinks is best.” She looked at me. “You stay in your own room tonight, okay? Don’t give these people any more ammunition.”

“What will I tell Jin?”

“I’ll take care of him. He needs to rest and focus on the music. If Eun-ji has to get involved, I’m sure she will have stronger ideas.”

I felt deep shame. My actions had brought problems to the very people who had helped create my career. And I’d put Jin in an uncomfortable position. “Whatever you wish, Noona,” I said.

That night, alone in my hotel room, I opened my laptop. The cursor blinked, but I could barely see it through the tears in my eyes. But I typed anyway.

Sun-hee-noona,

After careful consideration, I believe it would be best if I stepped away from the tour...