Page 18 of Fallen Starboy

It was no skin off my back or money out of my pocket to give the woman I didn't think I'd ever have to look at again a fraction of the karma she should get.

I didn't feel ashamed in the least that my actions were petty or childish. A better man might've just let things go and let her do her job.

I'd rather watch her squirm.

I'd been back in Korea, raising a daughter while balancing tours, studio time, interviews, guest appearances, and everything else that came with idol life. And she'd been here, playing proverbial leapfrog with her career. She headed her own department, for fuck's sake. That took a hell of a lot of dedication . . . or a lot of time on your knees.

I viciously wondered if she'd put that mouth to use to further her career once she came back home.

And in my next breath, I hated myself for that thought.

She'd never been that kind of person before. I doubted a change in location would have warped her so much.

"Mr. Kim? We're ready for you now."

I glanced up from my phone, which was conveniently dead, a heavy sigh settling in my lungs. "Right. I'll be right there."

Yejin was sitting near the backdrop, her eyes glued to the photographer and his magical cameras that made her daddy look so good. From the moment I started bringing her on set for shoots and filming music videos, she'd been enamored with the videographers and photographers and how they managed to make things come to life with a single click of a button.

Well, okay, so I knew there was a lot more to it, but she was enamored, and if it kept her entertained, I'd let her have her fantasies.

The photographer, a woman with kind, wide-set eyes and a generous smile, had taken to Yejin instantly and spent the time between photos and poses showing my daughter what she did and how she did it. She had an eager assistant now, though too short to actually man the camera, and between Yejin's giggles and the photographer's praise, I managed to make it through the shoot pretty quickly. So quickly, in fact, that I had a free hour and a half between this and my next appointment—with a stylist.

New location, new agency, new look, new me. At least, that was the idea. In theory, it was solid. In practice, I didn't know what to expect.

I just hoped things panned out fast, for Yejin's sake.

"Daddy?" she asked me as we headed to the waiting area where Arista paced back and forth with her trusty tablet in hand, "can we go eat?"

"I think we have time for that." My eyes followed my temporary assistant, watching her skirt swish around her legs as she moved, remembering the times she'd worn a skirt around the old group as she flitted from station to station, filling role after role as needed. Her steps had been more unsure back then, filled with the eagerness of youth and inexperience. Now, her stride was purposeful, the walk of a woman who knew what she wanted and was determined to get it.

Her eyes lifted from the tablet for a second, and she spotted me and Yejin almost instantly, her expression going blank as she pointedly held my gaze. "You're already done?"

She acted surprised, but I doubted a lick of it was genuine. I shrugged. "Yep. Photographer says she's got everything she needs, and she'll send the photos over to the company later tonight." I tucked Yejin behind my leg subconsciously, wishing I could avoid dragging her around to listen to business day in and day out. "So we have time to grab some breakfast."

I didn't want to ask her to take us, but I didn't have a car yet. That was on tomorrow's schedule—driver, car, and security. Today was photos, stylist, and a few interviews, none of which I was looking forward to.

The only thing that could make this day worse was if something went off the rails.

And then, Arista's phone rang, and she stared down at it with a frown that only deepened as she answered it.

"This is Arista." Her discontent at the caller only grew, lines forming on her forehead as she started pacing again, this time in a tight, controlled circle in front of us. Everything else was forgotten as she argued with the person on the other end of the phone. "No, we agreed on noon. Unfortunately, I can't reschedule that far out. It's urgent that we —" Her eyes shot to me, before she started dragging her finger across her tablet angrily. "Let me take a look at the schedule."

I knelt beside Yejin and handed her my phone. "Why don't you go on over to the couch and watch some videos while you wait for Daddy to finish?"

Like the good girl she was, she obliged, her feet kicking back and forth as she giggled and rocked to the theme song of her favorite show.

Arista turned to me and sighed. "Your noon appointment with the news outlet the company approved has been pushed up. They're not giving me much to work with, and the stylist can only bump you forward on his schedule, not back. Which means?—"

"Which means I have to go now, don't I?" The subtle droop in her shoulders told me all I needed to know. "Fuck."

"It's your call, but that means?—"

"It's fine." My eyes drifted to Yejin, still sitting on the couch. "She's used to her schedule being bounced around."

Her gaze softened as she watched our daughter sit and watch cartoons for all the world like she'd been born into stardom. In fact, it had taken all my efforts over the years to keep the entertainment industry's filthy claws out of her innocent life. They saw me, a successful idol, and immediately pushed for her to join the life early.

I didn't want this life for her unless she wanted it.

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