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Jason frowned. Seong Hyeon had just asked him that. Why would he ask him again? Unless, of course, he meant something different the second time. “I feel like we already covered that. ”
“Providing personal security requires me to always be mentally present and highly observant. Sometimes, that puts me in situations where I have to witness things that are none of my business without comment. But, mostly, it means I get to know my clients very well. I doubt most people would notice, but you seem more distracted than usual lately.”
Jason considered the implications of Seong Hyeon, a man who’d rather say two words than twenty, wondering if he was alright. Of course, he was alright. How could he not be? Tae Hyun’s album and tour were practically guaranteed to be successes. And his own career was on the verge of taking off again. He’d never been happier in his life.
Then again, Jason still hadn’t responded to Tony asking if he’d read the script yet, even though he’d read it the same day it had been delivered. And then again a few days later. While ostensibly a political thriller,The Devil’s Detailwas also a meaningful conversation about the outsized influence corporate interests had in politics. It featured a lot of clever, sharp dialogue that Jason knew he’d really sink his teeth into. And the main character’s arc included coming to terms with the moral gray areas he’d had to live with to be accepted into an elite political circle. It was the perfect role for him and could realistically put him in the running for a second Best Actor award. But committing to it would mean diverting some of his attention from Tae Hyun, which he wasn’t willing to do at the moment. He knew he should just explain that to Tony. Surely, he’d understand. But he still hadn’t. Hell, he hadn’t even told Tae Hyun yet. That was probably his biggest sin. But he wasn’t officially thinking about it. It was just a conversation he’d had with his former director. There was no need to distract Tae Hyun from what he was doing.
“Yeah,” Jason finally replied. “Of course, I’m alright. I’ve never been better.”
Seong Hyeon nodded. “If you say so, sir. I’m sorry to bring it up.”
“No problem.” Jason quietly chuckled. “As long as you realize that makes us friends, now.”
Seong Hyeon actually snorted. “Alright. If you say so, sir.”
03
Tae Hyun’s triumphant dance practice left him feeling weightless. He practically floated on air when he finally arrived home. It was an intoxicating sensation he hadn’t truly realized was missing until he’d finally caught it again. He couldn’t wait to share every moment with Jason when he returned in just an hour. That left him enough time for a quick shower and a change of clothes before he lovingly prepared a meal for their evening together.
Tae Hyun delighted in so many things about Jason’s Hollywood Hills home, including its generous size, breathtaking view, and downstairs gym. But nothing could touch the enormous, slate-tiled main bathroom. Like the rest of the house, its grand size was almost decadent. The shower alone was larger than the entire bathroom in his last Seoul apartment. And he wasn’t sure, but the bathroom may have been bigger than his entire dorm bedroom back when he was a KBR trainee.
Stepping out of his clothes and into the shower, Tae Hyun luxuriated under the chrome rainfall showerhead as a cascade of steaming-hot water wiped away the sweat and aches from his long day of movement. As he bent under the water, one arm braced against the slate-tiled shower wall for balance, the delicious memories of what he and Jason had gotten up to in there earlier resurfaced again, still fresh on his mind from dance practice. His breath quickened at the thought of Jason’s tanned skin glowing from an early morning run. His heart pounded as he smoothly caressed his soap-slicked body just as Jason had done, starting at his sensitive nipples and meandering south across his flat stomach toward his cock. But he quickly pulled his hand away. It would be so much better to wait until he was with Jason again and entice him into an encore session. And, recalling with a wicked grin how Jason reacted to seeing him dance, Tae Hyun knew just how to make it happen.
Sex with Jason was so easy and carefree. He was such a thoughtful, attentive, and experienced partner who was nearly always ready to do it but never tried guilting or shaming Tae Hyun in those rare moments when he wasn’t in the mood. In his last relationship, he was lucky if they managed once per week. Even then, it was rarely more than a handjob or blowjob. The demands on their time and being under near-constant watch made it challenging to do much more. And they’d often had to get creative just to do that–sharing a bathroom or shower stall or some other similarly cramped space where they found a few moments away from prying eyes.
After drying off and dressing in simple shorts and a t-shirt, Tae Hyun headed for his other favorite place in the house: the kitchen. While the shower may have dwarfed his old bathroom, the kitchen would’ve encompassed the entire main room of his old apartment. It was more space than any couple—let alone a single person—would ever need. And the giant marble-topped kitchen island was angled so that whoever used it would be treated to a panoramic view of the Los Angeles skyline via the expansive window wall on the back of the house. Tae Hyun doubted he’d ever grow tired of it.
Jason’s kitchen had everything. Once Tae Hyun had settled in, he’d spent many hours exploring the contents of the kitchen’s glossy, smokey gray cabinets. Most of the small appliances they contained were restaurant-grade, like their larger counterparts. And nearly all of them were totally unused. Jason obviously didn’t cook much. So Tae Hyun promptly claimed the kitchen as his domain, much to Jason’s delight.
Tae Hyun took a quick inventory of the refrigerator and decided on tteokbokki and dakgalbi for dinner. Then he grabbed the ingredients he needed and set the rice cakes to soak while he chopped the chicken thighs. He’d learned to make both dishes during his trainee days since they were simple, cheap, and delicious. He hoped Jason would enjoy them. Tae Hyun always had to do some guesswork with Jason when it came to his Korean heritage. Although his parents were Korean immigrants to the US, it seemed like they’d given him a very American upbringing. Not that they’d insulated him from Korean culture. The fact that Jason spoke Korean with near-native fluency was evidence enough of that. But he drank bourbon instead of soju. His favorite food was Mexican. And his favorite sport was American football.
One of the reasons being an idol initially appealed to Tae Hyun was the opportunity to see more of the world. Debuting meant he could travel and experience other cultures firsthand. Seeing the Americas and Europe opened his eyes to how different other parts of the world were–and how much those cultures influenced his own. It wasn’t like he didn’t know fried chicken had come to Korea from the US. But seeing the same familiar fast-food fried chicken outlets in Los Angeles that he knew from home was a stark reminder of how pervasive Western cultural influences were. And Tae Hyun was excited to see how the reverse was also becoming true. K-pop was a verified global phenomenon. And even just scrolling through BigCloud’s streaming app on Jason’s giant TV, he’d come across dozens of movies and series he knew from back home.
The rich, spicy dakgalbi sauce had just started to simmer when Jason messaged to say he was nearly home. Tae Hyun smiled, gave the sauce one more stir, and headed to the bar cart to pour Jason a neat Kingston and mix himself a gin and tonic. Jason hardly drank as much as he did when they’d first met, which Tae Hyun appreciated since he rarely drank. But a celebration was in order. And drinking with Jason could be fun–especially when things turned raunchy. He chuckled as he set Jason’s drink on the kitchen island and brought his with him while he finished preparing the food.
Tae Hyun did a final taste test of the dakgalbi–perfect–just as Jason and Seong Hyeon came inside. Hopefully, Seong Hyeon had other dinner plans. Tae Hyun didn’t make enough for three.
“What is that gorgeous smell?” Jason poked his smiling face around the corner from the main room. “You made dinner?”
Tae Hyun grinned as he nodded. “I did. And welcome home.” He pointed toward the hall leading to the main bedroom. “Now, go wash up so we can eat.”
Jason nodded. “Yes, sir. I just need to grab something for Seong Hyeon first.”
Jason’s head disappeared as Seong Hyeon wandered around the corner from the main room. He briefly sniffed at the air and nodded. “That smells like my mother’s dakgalbi.”
Tae Hyun smiled. “I hope that’s a good thing.”
Seong Hyeon nodded. “Definitely. My mother’s from Chuncheon. Based on the smell alone, I think she’d approve.”
Tae Hyun smiled. “That’s good, then. I’m sorry I didn’t make enough to share.”
Seong Hyeon politely waved off Tae Hyun’s apology. “No need, sir. I have to check in with Seong Min now so he can take a dinner break.”
Jason reappeared a moment later after changing into shorts and a t-shirt and handed Seong Hyeon a thumb drive. “Here you go. And thanks again for everything today.”
Seong Hyeon pocketed the thumb drive before offering Jason a quick bow. “Just doing my job, Mr. Park, sir. Good night, Mr. Woo.”
Seong Hyeon saw himself out as Jason helped himself to his waiting bourbon. Despite sounding happy, Tae Hyun also saw Jason’s fatigue. The first fingers of guilt crept into his thoughts, but he quickly pushed them away. If Jason didn’t think what he did was important, he wouldn’t do it. It’s not like Tae Hyun wasn’t working his ass off, too. And Jason still looked good, his muscular form nicely filling out the thin fabric of his tight t-shirt.
