Page 48 of Idol Lives
“Or maybe,” Jason pressed on, cool and razor-sharp, “it’s someone in your inner circle? Someone who stands to gain from these rumors?”
Ren’s breezy smile finally vanished. “Really, Jason?” He took on a wounded tone. “That’s a pretty low blow. Why would anyone in my team want to jeopardize my career like this? That’s just insensitive.” He dramatically sighed. “Look, I get that this whole thing is messy, but believe me. I’m the biggest victim here. Imagine the pressure! My fans are in a frenzy, the media is relentless, and now you’re implying I’m somehow responsible for this?”
Tae Hyun winced. Jason’s accusations were hitting their mark, but this aggressive approach was exactly what he’d feared. He longed to smooth things over, to play the peacemaker, only to avoid everything spinning much further out of control.
Jason casually shrugged. “I’m not implying anything at all. I’m just asking what you think.”
“What I think?” Ren pressed his eyes closed, shaking his head. “I think I want all of this to go away. All I care about is performing and making my fans happy. The last thing I need is this kind of scandal.”
Jason frowned, his eyes narrow. “But is it, though? Someone in your position could really benefit from this kind of publicity.”
Ren visibly flinched. His eyes went wide, glistening from sudden tears. “Benefit? Is that what you think this is about? Some desperate grab for fame?” He angrily frowned. “Look, Jason,” he carefully continued, his cheeks reddening. “I getit. You’re protective of Tae Hyun, and this whole thing has put him under a lot of stress. But there’s no reason to make accusations like that.”
Jason quietly snorted. “I’m not making any accusations.” He casually shrugged. “Like I said, I’m just asking questions.”
Tae Hyun winced. His guilt surged as he watched Ren struggle to maintain his composure. He vividly recalled their conversation in Ren’s dressing room–his tears and vulnerable admissions. Could Jason even be right? Could someone from Ren’s past really be guilty of arranging the potential demise of his career again? It had happened before, yes. But the idea hit a little too close to home for Tae Hyun. Just because one of his own jealous lovers had tried taking him down didn’t mean that happened to everyone. And the last thing he needed was a fight between his boyfriend and his opening act–especially if that fight spilled out of the room and into the blogs.
“Jason, that’s enough,” Tae Hyun said with more resolve than he genuinely felt. But he needed to intervene, to de-escalate the tension before it boiled over. It might mean upsetting Jason–might even make him look like he was defending Ren–but watching this aggressive interrogation was another tabloid disaster waiting to happen.
Jason whipped his head around, surprise registering on his face. “Is it? Because I thought we already talked about this.”
“We talked about asking if he knew anything,” Tae Hyun countered, tight with mounting desperation, “not about making accusations.”
A low, dangerous growl rumbled in Jason’s chest. “I’m not accusing him of anything!”
“Boys.” Mina, ever the diplomat, smoothly cut in. “I think, maybe–”
“Stay out of this, Mina,” Jason snarled, cutting her off mid-sentence before returning his laser focus to Ren. “You want accusations? Fine. Here’s one: I think you’re a manipulative little shit. I think you enjoy fucking with people. And I think this leak, this whole fucking mess, is payback from someone you fucked over in the past.”
“Jason–” Tae Hyun tried to intervene again, but no one paid him any attention.
“I’ve never hurt anyone on purpose,” Ren interrupted. Tears streamed down his cheeks, but his voice was pure ice. “But you?” His gaze hardened. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.” He paused, his expression shifting from disappointment to suspicion. “It almost sounds like you’re jealous.”
Jason erupted. “Jealous?” The word echoed through the room. “What the fuck would I be jealous about? Some wanna-be rockstar riding a real idol’s coattails?”
“Jason!” Tae Hyun snapped, the force of his interruption surprising even him. “That’s enough.”
“What?” Jason whirled on Tae Hyun again, staring at him in disbelief. “Are you seriously taking his side right now?”
Tae Hyun’s shoulders slumped in defeat. There was no use denying he’d crossed the line. “I just want everyone to calm down,” he said, his delivery almost robotic. “I’m not taking anyone’s side.”
“Well, that’s just great.” Jason scoffed, a bitter laugh bubbling up from the pit of his rage. “Because you fucking should be. Just like I’m takingyourside!” The words exploded from him, a raw eruption of hurt and anger. He shoved his chair back, the sound grating against the room’s silence. “But you’re not. And if this is how it’s going to be, then just fucking handle ityourself.”
Blind rage propelled Jason toward the door, each step leaving a wake of tension in the air. The slamming door’s thundering crash sent a shockwave through the room, the reverberations pounding in Tae Hyun’s skull. He flinched, his eyes glued to the empty space where Jason had disappeared like a fading apparition. Guilt and resentment battled within him, a bitter cocktail that churned his stomach. How had things fallen apart so spectacularly? He felt Mina’s gaze on him and a hot flush of shame reaching from his neck to his ears. Jason had promised to go easy on Ren. But he’d let his temper get the best of him again. Just like he always did.
Mina’s voice broke through Tae Hyun’s dark thoughts. “Well, that was–” She trailed off, clearly searching for the right word but coming up empty. “Something.”
Tae Hyun shifted his gaze to the others. A hint of concern creased Mina’s brow–her expression otherwise carefully neutral. Ren was a different story. His cheeks were flushed crimson and stained with streaks from fresh tears.
“Ren,” Tae Hyun began, unsure how to navigate this minefield. “I need to apologize. Jason–” He paused, gathering his composure. “He’s under a lot of pressure, and he overreacted. I’m sure he meant no disrespect, but I’m sorry.”
Ren’s scoff was dark and humorless. “I’ll say. For a minute, I thought he’d actually take a swing at me.”
Tae Hyun bristled, the memory of Jason’s clenched fists and the fire in his eyes making his own hands tremble. “You don’t need to worry,” he insisted, but the words sounded hollow. “He’d never do that.”
Ren plucked his napkin from his lap to finally dab the tears from his eyes. “Well, I’m not so sure about that.”
Tae Hyunswallowed his automatic sigh. Everything would’ve been so much easier if Jason had just kept his temper in check. But blowing up like that in front of his tour manager and opening act–and then storming off–meant Tae Hyun had to pick up the pieces. “I’ll talk to him,” he volunteered. “I’m sure he’ll want to apologize himself when he cools off.”
