Page 34 of Idol Lives
A vague memory surfaced of a faceless boy Jason had met at one of his parents’ functions. That had been a few weeks after his family had returned from their summer in Seoul. A few weeks after he lost Joo Won. “That wasn’t a good time to meet me. I’m sorry if I was an asshole to you.”
David stepped up to the other sink to wash his hands. “No, you weren’t an asshole. It felt more like you weren’t eventhere.”
“Yeah,” Jason admitted. “I was kinda on autopilot back then. Like I said, it wasn’t a good time for me.”
David slowly nodded, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. “Ah, okay. It probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway. Not with your movie career and all.”
Was that an insult? If so, Jason couldn’t piece together how. He shrugged it off, giving David a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Yeah, you really dodged a bullet there.” He went for the door, turning back before he stepped out. “But you can still avoid the one Naomi’s got aimed at you. Just don’t try railroading her again.”
David nodded, watching Jason in the mirror with a grin that was wide enough to be unsettling. “I appreciate the advice,” he replied. “But I survived working for your father, remember? I’m sure Naomi and I will get along just fine.”
Jason stepped out to the hall before the chill that settled on him would show on his face. What had Seong Woo said about him?Ambitious, cutthroat, would sell his own mother to the devil. It seemed like David Soh, the younger, hadn’t changed much since college. He considered warning Naomi about their exchange, then thought better of it. If anyone in the world could best someone like David Soh Jr., it would be Naomi Bell. He’d just watched her do it without breaking a sweat. No, Naomi would be just fine.
10
“Oppa!” Yun Seo shoved the phone into Tae Hyun’s face as he fussed with the intricate lacing on the side of his black leather vest. “It’s Jason.”
Tae Hyun immediately swallowed his angry retort, grateful that his sister had caught him while he could still talk. “Thanks.” He grabbed the phone and held it to his ear. “Hyung?”
“Sorry if this is a bad time. I wanted to catch you before you went onstage. I know I was supposed to text, but–”
“No, this is fine. Better, in fact.” Tae Hyun grinned, buzzing from the sudden rush of Jason’s voice in his ear. “I’d much rather talk to you anyway.”
Jason chuckled. “Me, too. I know it’s selfish.”
“It’s thoughtful.” Tae Hyun tucked the phone between his shoulder and ear as he resumed adjusting the lacing. The stylists never got it quite right. “How’s everything going?”
Jason quietly huffed. “It’s going. I’d say it’s going well, but I honestly don’t know what that even looks like.”
“Ah.” Tae Hyun switched the phone to his other shoulder. “I’m sorry you have to go through this.”
“I’m sorry I can’t be there with you. I feel like I’m missing all the good stuff. What about you? Everything going okay?”
“Yeah, things are going so well!” Tae Hyun gushed, maybe a little too excitedly. “Mina’s the best. I literally just have to show up and perform. Everything else is handled.”
“That’s just what I wanted to hear.” Tae Hyun could almost hear Jason’s smile through the phone. “And I should let you get back to it. I know you’re gonna kill that stage again!”
Tae Hyun smiled at Jason’s encouragement and the pleasant flutter in his chest it gave him. But a little guilt tugged at the edges of his joy, a lingering echo of the night before. He hadn’t told Jason about the kiss yet. Not that it was a big deal. It was only a momentary lapse in judgment. A misunderstanding, nothing more. He’d tell him, eventually. But the show demanded his full attention for the moment. “Thanks, hyung. I miss you and can’t wait to see you again.”
“I know. And I miss you, too. But you’ve got this. There’s nothing you can’t do. And you know I love you, right?”
Tae Hyun beamed, ignoring the tiny voice of guilt telling him he was a bad boyfriend. He promised himself he’d tell Jason after the show when he had more time and fewer distractions. “I love you, too.”
After several more rounds of goodbyes, Tae Hyun handed his phone back to Yun Seo just as Ren’s laughter echoed through the staging area. He’d given Ren space, as promised, but it hadn’t eased the tension between them. The idol was like a phantom, flitting through the rehearsal space with a polite smile and a carefully averted gaze. Gone was the playful banter and infectious energy that had drawn Tae Hyun to him. Instead, Ren moved through his routines with almost robotic precision, his forced laughter a little too loud. He was obviously overcompensating. Hopefully, nobodywould notice.
But Yun Seo noticed. She always did. “He may be a performer,” she murmured as she stuffed his phone into the bag she carried over her shoulder. “But he’s no actor. Have you talked to him yet today?”
Tae Hyun maintained his carefully neutral expression, hyper-aware of all the crew members surrounding them as they prepped for the show. “It’s fine. He’ll snap out of it when it’s time to perform.”
Yun Seo narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. “Maybe. But I’m not the only one who’s noticed. I heard a couple of the sound techs gossiping about him.”
Tae Hyun couldn’t stop his sigh in time. The gossip mill was already churning. How long before the story reached the hungry ears of the press? “It’s probably nothing. He’s a gay idol. People talk behind our backs all the time. Everything will be fine.”
Yun Seo frowned. “Are you sure? I mean, I know you’re the star. But can you really afford for this to become an issue?”
For a fleeting moment, Tae Hyun regretted his decision to confide in his sister about the kiss. But she was also an anchor for him, a voice of reason in a world that loved to spin out of control. He met her gaze with a determined look. “It’s nothing,” he gently but firmly repeated. “We’re professionals. Everything will be fine.”
Yun Seo briefly held his gaze, then reluctantly shook her head. “Just talk to him, oppa. Or do you want me to do it?”
