Page 12 of Teach Me K-Pop

He actually guffaws, a sound so hilarious it makes me snort in response. “Poppy seed? You ate a poppy seed muffin from that old witch? She’s probably trying to get you drug tested so you won’t pass and will get fired so she can take over.”

Even as my eyes go wide at this frighteningly likely scenario that I had somehow not considered, I appreciate the way he pays attention to what I say. He keeps up with my life and the people in it, remembering details that always impress me. His job and his day-to-day are so much more exciting than anything I will ever have going on, but he’s still invested in what I’m doing and who is around while I’m doing it.

“Damn. Now I’m going to be all paranoid!” I joke, but also, kind of not. “I guess it’s a good thing I’ve got a side hustle, huh?”

“How’s that going? With Nikko?” Kija asks, looking a little despondently at his beer as he notices it’s empty already. “You think it’s good? He said he thinks it’s been going well.”

I’m not even surprised at the way my whole body reacts to hearing his name. As much as I enjoy talking to Kija in general, I’m suddenly more invested in the conversation and very curious about what Nikko has said. I sit up and try to clear my throat in a completely nonchalant sort of way. “Yeah, I think it’s good. I feel like he’s making a lot of progress really quickly. He’s definitely more confident than he was when we started and second-guesses himself less, which makes me happy.”

Kija smiles. “You’re a gifted teacher. Of course your students will do well.”

I want to know what else Nikko may have mentioned about me. Feeling a little like an over-eager middle school girl trying to get the latest gossip on a crush, I try to prompt him to tell me more. “So he’s pleased then?”

“Yeah. We didn’t talk much more about it than just me checking up on him. You know, making sure I’d made a good recommendation.” He gets up from what appears to be a stool at the counter in his kitchen and moves out of frame, coming back with another bottle. “But I knew you were the right guy. For the job.”

“I appreciate your faith in me,” I tell him. I do. I always have. “Thank you again for hooking me up. I just wish this gig came with better hours.”

He chuckles a little. “Yes, the time zones can be a bit of a challenge. I know I never get used to it when we travel. I’m glad I don’t have to do that as often any more. I’m getting too old for that shit now.”

“Hey. Don’t be like that. We’re not old yet.” Kija only has 11 months on me, with not quite a year separating us. I refuse to entertain the idea that we aren’t as young as we used to be. Even though I know neither of us could keep up with the kind of lifestyle we were living when we were spending time together in person. “Although, I feel it some days. I don’t think I’ve gotten a full night’s sleep since I started working with Nikko and it definitely catches up with me.”

Kija cocks an eyebrow. “I’m guessing you don’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“Oh, god, no!” I mean, also, yeah, even if I’m not waking up to have a session with Nikko, there’s a good chance I’ve been thinking about him, but Kija doesn’t need to know that. “I just meant his schedule is crazy for some reason and we keep having to change the times we talk.”

He’s giving me a look that I don’t quite understand, but now I just feel awkward about everything, so it’s time to change the subject. I blurt out the first thing I can think of. “So, have you heard anything more about Dae-Ho’s wedding plans?”

?

NIKKO

“Nikko! Hold the elevator!”

I startle at the sound of my name out in the open, but still manage to jab at the button to keep the doors open for Kija-hyung as he walks briskly toward me. I know no one is around on this floor of the hotel, as the label had reserved it for us to use as we needed while we were in the city for a couple days. We had just spent an hour going over schedules and security—the same reminders we get every time we go on tour. The “do not even think about it” list is so long, and the “feel free to” one so very short. At least Kija is kind enough to deliver the message in a way that does not sound like he’s scolding us like some of the managers do.

Now, I’m basically trapped in my hotel room until we go to rehearsal at the venue, then again when we return after the show until it is time to move on to the next city. Even a short trip to another floor on the elevator seems like a welcome change of scenery sometimes, which says a lot about what touring is really like. Being on stage, being with the fans, is amazing. Those two hours are the highlight of every day, the thing we all look forward to the most. Everything else is… less great.

Kija steps into the elevator with me and presses the button for the rooftop bar. He smiles at me and says, “It’s 10 p.m. in Seoul,” like he needs to justify his destination.

I laugh a little. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Much appreciated.“ There’s a moment where he looks like he wants to ask me something. I’m almost positive I can guess what it is.

“Hyung?” Feeling suddenly bold, I press the emergency stop button like I’ve seen people do in movies and the car lurches to a stop.

He yelps as he crashes into the wall, thrown off balance. “What the hell?”

“Sorry! Sorry!” I bow a little toward him in apology. “I just wanted to talk for a minute, and we are never alone.”

Kija shakes his head. “You could have just asked me to stop by your room.”

“Lux is there,” I tell him. “I need to ask you about Jase.”

He snickers a little, like he knew that’s what I was going to say. Leaning back against the wall, he relaxes his posture, crossing one foot over the other at the ankle and his arms across his chest. “What about Jase, Nikko?”

Now I’m nervous, with him appearing to have settled in for a lengthy chat. We’ve talked about Jase before, but only in the context of how my sessions were going and if we were getting along well. This is different, and he clearly knows it. “What specifically did you tell him about me?”

“Not much. Your name, and that you’d been studying for a while but wanted someone to practice speaking with,” Kija says, then pauses, considering something. “You want to know if he knows who you are.”

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