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“Does Seong Woo know about this?”
“I don’t know, sir. But, if we found it, I’m sure Yu Min Kyu will find it, too.”
Jason nodded. “Is there any chance of finding out who that is?”
Seong Hyeon shook his head. “He’s masked, sir.”
“Alright. Keep this between us for now.”
Seong Hyeon frowned. Then he nodded. “If you think that’s best, sir.”
Jason huffed. “Of course I do.”
After the Songs left, Tae Hyun–none the wiser about what Jason and Seong Hyeon had discussed–said he was hungry and rummaged through the kitchen cabinets for anything to eat. There wasn’t any fresh food, of course. But he found an unopened box of crackers that had only recently passed its sell-by date. Jason went to the bar cart. He really needed a drink, and it didn’t matter that the liquor wasn’t fresh.
Jason glanced over his shoulder at Tae Hyun. “You want something?”
“I’ll have one of those.”
Jason took the two bourbons to the living room and sat beside Tae Hyun on the chocolate brown leather sofa. It was pointed toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that offered an expansive view of Gangnam, including a partial view of Seonjeongneung, a historic park that contained the burial sites for some of Korea’s Joseon dynasty rulers. The apartment was nice enough, with two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and an open kitchen. It was luxurious by local standards but paled in comparison to the penthouse they’d just been thrown out of. Not that Jason cared. It was only meant for short-term stays. It wasn’t his home.
Tae Hyun took his bourbon from Jason and swallowed a mouthful. “I’m glad we’re out of that place.”
Jason turned to look at Tae Hyun’s handsome profile, dimly lit and ringed in golden light from the entryway–the only light they’d bothered turning on so far. He couldn’t ignore the image of the protest sign reminding everyone of the idol who’d committed suicide under mysterious circumstances. It made him furious that someone wanted to hurt the man he loved. But, more than that, it terrified him. And the idea that someone could get past the security of one of the most well-protected men in Seoul–seriously, the wedding security would’ve made a royal family jealous–meant that there was next to nothing Jason could do to prevent that from happening. That was why he didn’t want to tell Tae Hyun about the sign. He was worked up enough as it was. Jason would tell him, but it could wait.
“I’m sorry that happened.”
Tae Hyun nodded before sipping from his drink again. “I was gonna be mad at you for attacking Yoo Mi.” He sighed. “But then you turned out to be right. How do you do that?”
Jason shrugged. He didn’t know how he was so good at reading people. “Childhood trauma?”
Tae Hyun chuckled. “How long do you think before she apologizes this time?”
“You’d know that better than me.” Jason gave Tae Hyun’s thigh a gentle squeeze. “Will you forgive her this time?”
Tae Hyun sighed again, setting his glass on the coffee table before laying his head on Jason’s lap. “I probably will. I’ve pushed her so far outside her comfort zone that I’m surprised she took this long to push back.” He found Jason’s free hand and threaded their fingers together. “The hardest part is that she’s really my only friend. Everyone else I know has either abandoned me or been banned from speaking to me.”
While that technically wasn’t true, Jason still understood what Tae Hyun meant. Everyone imagined that being famous would bring all their problems to an end. They only saw the fancy houses, star-studded events, and exotic vacations. And the glitz and glamor were nice. But most people never saw the dark sides of fame–the objectification, fetishization, and often bone-chilling, soul-crushing loneliness. Some stars, like Jason, coped by shutting themselves off from the world–only showing the world what they wanted to see after convincing himself that he didn’t need the rest. But the lie to that notion was lying in his lap. Jason needed the love and companionship as much as anyone else. Fame’s biggest drawback was being a job. And keeping that job sometimes meant giving up the connections that ordinary people often took for granted.
“Well, you’ve still got me.”
Tae Hyun smiled as he gazed up at Jason, his golden face pale in the city lights dimly filtered through the windows. “And you’ve got me, too. Forever.”
Jason nodded. “Forever.”
15
Tae Hyun anxiously fidgeted in his seat while waiting for the broadcast to begin. He knew it bothered his sister since she’d repeatedly scolded him for it. But he couldn’t help it. He hadn’t been to SBN’s Vision Center in Sangnam-dong since the last timeXTCappeared on the weekly music showChart Mastersthree years prior. But he wasn’t there to perform as K-pop idol Woo Tae Hyun. He was in the audience courtesy of Min Ji fromCherry Squad, who’d reached out to him about it during a cryptic phone call the day before.
“Tae Hyun? It’s Min Ji.”
“What? Oh my gosh! How are you? How did you get this number?”
“Never mind all that. I haven’t got much time to talk.” Min Ji sounded harried and nearly out of breath. “We’re appearing onChart Masterstomorrow, and you need to be there.”
“What?” As much as Tae Hyun enjoyed hearing from a friend and longtime peer, he was reluctant to agree. Especially given the unpredictable nature of his recent public outings. “I don’t know, Min Ji. It might be better if–”
“No.” Min Ji quietly huffed. “Just trust me.
