Page 53 of Idol Lives
“I don’t know.” Jason squeezed his hand. The warmth of Tae Hyun’s touch was a grounding force in his emotional storm. “Probably just a rock.” He leaned in as Seong Hyeon took the final turn at speed, then lurched forward as the SUV screeched to a halt.
“Shit,” Carlos muttered from the front passenger seat. “More of them.”
“Run them down,” Jason bitterly growled.
“Hyung–”
“I know, I know.” Jason huffed. “We can’t actually run them over.”
“No, hyung,” Tae Hyun anxiously replied. “You need to calm down. You’re hurting my hand.”
Jason let go and yanked his hand away. “Oh god. I’m so sorry! I–”
“It’s fine,” Tae Hyun assured him, his hand finding Jason’s and gently pulling it back. “We can’t let them get to us. We still have a show to put on.” The words were a simple statement of fact, but the unspoken message was clear. We’re in this together.
A squad of uniformed security personnel–or perhaps Taipei police–soon appeared, swiftly pushing the protestors back from the gate and clearing a path for the SUVs. The angry shouts became muffled as the vehicle finally entered the loading dock, the heavy metal door sealing out the chaos.
Flanked by Carlos and Seong Hyeon, an imposing wall ofmuscle, Jason and Tae Hyun navigated the maze of corridors within the Xinyi Dome. A symphony of movement and sound surrounded them–the thrum of loaders moving equipment, the chatter of technicians, the clang of metal against metal–but it did little to quell the tension in Jason’s chest.
Mina waited for them just inside the arena, her usual warm smile replaced by a tight-lipped expression of concern. “Sorry about all that,” she offered as a clipped apology. “We usually get a heads-up about protests, but this one came out of nowhere.”
“It’s alright,” Tae Hyun assured her before Jason could unload his rage on an undeserving person. “As long as they don’t interfere with the fans.”
“They won’t,” Mina confidently replied. “This is a sold-out show, so the venue is taking things very seriously. Now, your dressing room’s ready. You’ve got about an hour before you’re due onstage for your soundcheck.”
As they followed Mina down a crowded corridor, a figure burst from a side door, nearly colliding with them. It was Ren, his face flushed with excitement. His eyes sparkled with an almost manic energy as he looked up from his phone.
“Tae Hyun! Did you see them?” Ren exclaimed, gesturing vaguely towards the outside world. “It’s insane! They’re actually protesting us!”
Jason immediately bristled. Just last night, Ren had sobbed about the damage this could do to his career. Now, he was reveling in it? Was it an act, or was Ren truly that thoughtless? Jason fought to maintain his composure, reminding himself of his earlier promise. He would observe and gather information but not lash out.
Tae Hyun seemed unfazed by Ren’s outburst. He calmly nodded. “We did. Did you have any trouble getting in?”
Ren shook his head, his playful grin momentarily replaced by a frown. “No. There wasn’t anybody at the loading dock when we arrived. Did you?”
“A little,” Tae Hyun admitted. “But I’m more worried about the fans.”
Ren’s expression turned serious. “Oh, yeah. I hadn’t even thought about that.”
“Everything’s fine,” Mina assured them both. “Trust me.”
Ren’s smile quickly reappeared. “Okay, great! Then, I should–”
“Ren,” Jason interrupted, reminding him that he was there. He was tempted not to say anything, but he’d made a promise to Tae Hyun. He took a deep breath, forcing a neutral tone. “I owe you an apology for last night. I was out of line and shouldn’t have said some of those things.”
Ren’s eyes flickered to Tae Hyun, then back to Jason. “It’s fine.” He shrugged, his attention already back on his phone as he scrolled through a flurry of notifications. “I’m good.”
Ren’s dismissive response was a slap in the face. Jason’s jaw clenched, but he held his tongue. He would play nice, for now, if only for Tae Hyun’s sake. “Okay, good.”
Mina diplomatically stepped between them, her calm smile a gentle nudge. “We should get you to your dressing room, Tae Hyun.” She guided them towards a door marked with a star and a printed sign that saidWoo Tae Hyunin Hangul. “Your dancers should be here any minute, so I’ll round them up. Call if you need anything.”
Tae Hyun offered a grateful smile as he opened his dressing room door. “Thanks, Mina.”
Once inside, the door safely closed and locked behind them, Jason felt the tension in his shoulders finally easing. Tae Hyun,still smiling, reached for Jason’s hands, giving them a gentle squeeze.
“Thank you, hyung. I know that apology couldn’t have been easy.”
Jason shrugged, trying to downplay the effort. “He didn’t seem all that mad about it.”
