Chapter 20 #2
One of the girls squeaks, somebody swoons, and I’m almost sure I hear someone say they’re about to throw up.
I can’t really tell who’s who because they’re standing so close together, clutching each other for support, that they’re kind of indistinguishable.
“What the fuck?” comes from somewhere in the middle of the cluster.
All six members are smiling, patiently biding their time while their guests try to remember how to breathe as Jase steers the girls toward their favorite idol group.
“RYSING, meet three of my former students,” Jase introduces, pointing to each of them in turn as he says their names. “Girls, meet RYSING. I think you know who they are.”
“I’m going to faint,” Savannah mutters just before she drops into a squat like she needs to put her head between her knees.
The next few minutes are a mix of joy and chaos as the members are their charming selves and the girls express their repeated disbelief and try not to cry.
Eventually, everyone sits down on the floor, in a misshapen sort-of circle.
I stay off to the side, more than happy to just watch this all happening.
Chita, ever the diplomat, eases into a conversation by asking Harper, Alita, and Savannah how they like Seoul and what their trip has been like so far.
The other guys jump when there is an opportunity, attempting to ask questions of their own in English and answering what they can when one of the girls is brave enough to ask something.
It’s fascinating to watch Sun—Lux for the time being—in a situation like this.
He’s comfortable and casual enough, but he’s still ‘on.’ There are little things that are just a bit different between Lux vs.
Yung-Sun, and I’ve never really had the chance to see it in real time.
I’m impressed with all of them, as I usually am, that they are so willing to come to the company on a day off, as a favor for a friend, to meet fans.
Without anything on their schedule, they could have been anywhere, but they chose to be here because Jase asked them to.
Tang and Ryo have to excuse themselves for appointments after a while, and everyone gets up and huddles together for some group photos.
Careful hugs are exchanged and gifts are given—some Seoul-exclusive RYSING merch, now autographed of course—before Tang and Ryo exit, Chita soon behind them to get in some studio time.
Nikko hangs back because of Jase, but I know that Lux and Lalo stay behind for a little bonus bias time for the girls.
I can’t hear the whole conversation from where I’m checking email on my phone, but I see Lux gesture to something Harper is wearing.
She blushes instantly, flustered by his attention and the compliment.
I completely understand; he has that effect on me, too.
Still, even now, when I think I may have adjusted, he’ll turn that smile my way, or look at me, eyes dark and hungry, and I’m reacting the same as a teenage girl being flattered by her idol bias.
“Alita! You cannot ask him that!” I turn in the direction of the exclamation, seeing Lalo looking surprised but amused, with Jase mildly horrified at whatever Savannah was scolding her friend for. Nikko appears to be doing his best to try not to collapse into laughter.
“I’m sorry!” Alita snaps back, then says, “No, I’m not. I’m not sorry. When else am I going to have a chance to ask him to choke me?”
Jase rubs his temples and announces it’s time to let the guys get back to their days, then starts trying to shoo the girls toward the door.
Lux poses for a few selfies with Harper, who is still all kinds of pink, and I can’t help but notice when Lalo stands between Savannah and Alita for one last shot, he places his hand high on her shoulder, about as close to her neck as possible without actually curling his fingers around her throat.
She looks deliriously happy, and, honestly, I’m proud of her for asking for what she wanted.
I wave goodbye when Jase escorts them out to the next stop on their tour, a coffee shop nearby with a lot of cool k-pop memorabilia.
As soon as the door closes behind them and it’s only the four of us left, Sun walks straight into my arms as Nikko and Lalo start immediately rehashing what just happened.
He slips his hands around my waist, head against my chest, seeming content to let me hold him. I press a quick kiss to his temple, thankful for an unexpected quiet moment in the middle of the day. I know we can’t stay that way, not here, and I let him go reluctantly. “So, that was wild, huh?”
Sun steps back, laughing. “They were cute. It was fun to be able to surprise them like that. I like having a chance to talk to fans when it’s small groups and we can actually have conversations.”
“I’m pretty sure you made all Harper’s dreams come true,” I say, wondering how Jase is going to explain that none of them can actually share any of the pictures or stories from today.
“Probably.” He smirks, slow and teasing. “I’ll make all of yours come true tonight.”
Swallowing hard, I am suddenly aware of just how tight these pants are and how long the walk back to my office will be. “Can’t wait.”
???
“She really asked him that? She asked Lalo that?” Grace howls when I nod. “I wish I could have met these girls. They sound exactly like my kind of people!”
I snort, because she’s right. “I fear that you would have gotten along entirely too well.”
Grace is about to say something else when she stops, mouth half-open around a word she doesn’t have a chance to get out, because somehow Chaeji is marching into our happy little space and changing the vibe rather quickly.
“We need to talk,” she says, breezing past me into my office, her hair and dress ruffling behind her.
“Okay…” I exchange a glance with Grace, who looks about ready to jump out of her seat and press her ear to the glass to eavesdrop on our conversation, as if I won’t be telling her everything as soon as it’s over. I close the door behind me and lean against the bookshelf. “What’s going on, Chaeji?”
“We’re breaking up,” she announces, which is about the last thing I would have expected her to say.
I’m sure the surprise is all over my face. “Oh? You’re suddenly done with me? Don’t get me wrong—I’m very fine with this—but it is a bit out of nowhere.”
She straightens the lines of her skirt, like she thinks someone might be watching.
Knowing her, maybe they are. “We’re breaking up tonight.
I just found out I’ve got an audition for the lead in a new drama, but they don’t want me in a public relationship.
I guess the character is very pure or something? ”
The irony of this scenario is hysterical to me, but I simply say, “Great. Happy for you.”
“I know this isn’t what we talked about, but maybe this is better for you, too. I promise I won’t bother you anymore after this,” she tells me, with an expression that seems earnest, though I hate that I still can’t tell if she’s acting or not.
I nod in acknowledgement, then set a reminder in my phone for when and where we’re going to meet later tonight. Apparently I have to tell Sun he’ll be making my dreams come true later than anticipated. “I’ll see you there.”
Chaeji gives me a smile that looks a little bit more authentic than the ones I’ve seen before. “Be prepared to look sad,” she tells me, then turns on her heel and walks back out of my office like the whirlwind that she is.
Grace leaps up the second she’s out of earshot. “Tell me everything.”
“Looks like I only have a boyfriend now, because my ‘girlfriend’ is breaking up with me,” I say, grinning at her.
She throws her hands up in the air and mouths something at the ceiling, then runs off.
Just as I’m blinking in confusion, she comes back with her stack of magazines under one arm, holding the shredder with the other.
She all but shoves me out of the way to get to the outlet, plugging the machine in and flipping the switch to turn it on.
Holding up an issue with a particularly large picture of Chaeji and I on the front cover with something about our plans for the future, Grace says, “I have been waiting for this. But I’m going to let you do the first one in celebration of your freedom. ”
I take the magazine when she holds it out to me and push it down into the waiting metal teeth, taking a perverse sort of happiness in watching the picture get torn apart. It doesn’t even feel like I’m watching it happen to my own face; I don’t know that guy on the cover anyway.
The public version of me that’s been paraded around these last few months goes into retirement tonight. He’s done.
The real Kim Kija just wants to go home to his boyfriend.