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“Contract bullshit.” I lean against the sink and take a big gulp.

Koh frowns, lingering beside the stove. “It was a good concert,” he says carefully, then takes a drink too.

He’s still wearing the same clothes from the show—jeans and a white V-neck long-sleeve. It looks good on him. You can see his nice collarbones.

His arms are toned, his build lean and wiry. I notice we’re almost the same height—until I realize he’s barefoot and I’m still in my sneakers. So he’s about an inch taller.

“You liked the show then,” I say, trying to fill the awkward silence. “Your girlfriend too?”

“She’s… just a friend.”

“Ah…” I take another sip.

“She’s totally into you,” Koh continues. “I think you guys could’ve played garbage and she still would’ve loved it.”

I like his smile. It’s soft and shows he’s a nice guy. He seems genuinely likable.

Not that I’d thought about that before, but with the rejection he’s shown me since day one… Now I’m caught by his dark brown eyes and realize he has a handsome face. The mix of soft Japanese and sharper Western features is stunning.

Stop it, Aran. The guy is only being polite because you gave him tickets. Deep down he can’t stand you.

“And you guys rehearsed all that in just ten days?”

“Uh… yeah. Couldn’t do it before,” I answer into the rim of my bottle, stealing a glance at him.

“Insane,” he says, then pauses. “Or is it not? I don’t know. Was it hard after so long…?”

Now he’s got me. I smile. Damn it, I smile!

“It was…” I think for a second, replaying the past days in the rehearsal room. “It was fun seeing my bandmates again. We’ve known each other forever. It felt like riding a bike. Once you learn, you don’t forget. It was exhausting, but…” I shrug. “At least I wasn’t doing anything stupid.”

Better to focus on the positive. Talking about the label and their lawyers threatening us if we didn’t play the shows would only drag me down.

Instead, I enjoy the sight of his lips—the pull they have on me surprises even me. And the way he looks at me…

Wait… Is he flirting with me?

I’m no expert at reading body language, but the way Koh runs his hand through his slightly messy hair, tears his gaze away because he stared a second too long, or how he bites his lower lip…

Gay.

Or not?

I step closer. He steps sideways like he doesn’t want to be in my way. Smiling, I set my beer down by the stove and move even closer. Seeing him swallow hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing, makes me grin again.

“Sounds fun,” he says, voice a little rough.

Pfft… like I care about that now. I’m sure he doesn’t either.

He’s just being polite.

But those lips!

How long has it been since I kissed someone?

The spark in his eyes is unmistakable. He wants it too.

If not… well, too bad for him.