Page 62 of Idol Lives
“No,” Tae Hyun interrupted. Being alone was the last thing he wanted. “I’d love some company.” He stepped back and gestured for Ren to come in.
Ren went inside, gasping as he took in the luxurious surroundings. “Whoa,” he said as he slipped his shoes off. “Forget what I said about your Tokyo suite. This place is the shit.”
Tae Hyun chuckled. “Jason likes to travel in style.” He gestured toward the bar. “You want some champagne? I’ve got an open bottle.”
“Please.”
Ren followed Tae Hyun to the bar, where he poured another pair of flutes. Tae Hyun handed one to Ren before offering his glass in a toast.
“To a successful show.”
“To a successful tour,” Ren added, clinking Tae Hyun’s glass and taking a generous sip. “Damn. This is good stuff.” He settled onto a barstool, leaning closer to Tae Hyun. “So, how is everything? The story made it sound like this Naomi is important.”
Tae Hyun nodded, a pang of guilt twisting in his gut as he remembered Jason’s sudden departure. “She is. They’re very close. She was Jason’s business manager before. Now she’sthe President of his company.”
“Wow.” Ren softly whistled. “That’s rough. I hope she recovers.” He paused, intently searching Tae Hyun’s face. “What about you? How are you holding up?”
Tae Hyun shrugged, unsure how to answer. “It’s hard to say. This has been a seriously fucked up week.”
Ren leaned even closer. “Yeah, it’s hard to believe that little incident on the balcony was only a week ago.”
Tae Hyun was momentarily taken aback by the reminder of the kiss, the awkwardness of that encounter flooding back. Then he laughed, unable to stop himself, caught up in the strangeness of the moment. Ren’s boldness was disarming and, in a twisted way, comforting. “I can hardly remember it at this point,” Tae Hyun replied, trying to match Ren’s lighthearted tone. “What about you? How are you dealing with the tabloid fallout?”
Ren leaned back, taking another sip of champagne. “Honestly?” He shrugged. “It’s been tough. Jason showing up like he did actually helped.” He offered a wry smile. “I kind of regret how I talked to him that night. I was just feeling defensive.”
Tae Hyun nodded, understanding the impulse all too well. “We all say things we don’t mean sometimes.” He hesitated, then softly added, “But I’m glad you’re feeling better now.”
Ren’s embarrassed smile radiated warmth and kinship as the earlier tension seemed to momentarily dissolve. He reached out, his hand brushing against Tae Hyun’s arm, a casual gesture that felt natural. “Thanks, Tae Hyun,” Ren murmured, low and vulnerable. “You’re a good friend.”
The warmth in Ren’s eyes and the lingering touch were almost enough to make Tae Hyun forget Jason’s doubts about him. But as he returned Ren’s smile, a tiny voice–Jason’svoice–whispered in the back of his mind, urging him to tread carefully.
A comfortable silence settled between them, the shared experience of the scandal creating an unexpected bond. They sipped their champagne, the conversation shifting to lighter topics–music, movies, the upcoming shows in Manila. But beneath the surface, Tae Hyun could feel the lingering undercurrent of tension, a reminder of the delicate balance they were navigating.
Tae Hyun tried to stifle a yawn, but another followed, then another. Exhaustion, the culmination of days of intense emotions and back-to-back performances, was catching up to him. “Sorry,” he mumbled, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. “I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”
Ren’s smile softened into a look of genuine concern. “You should get some rest,” he gently suggested. “We both should. Big day tomorrow.”
Tae Hyun nodded, grateful for Ren’s understanding. “Yeah, we should. But I appreciate you coming by, Ren. It means a lot.”
Ren’s gaze lingered before he finally smiled. “Of course. Anything for a friend.” He gracefully rose from his stool. “Get some rest, Tae Hyun,” he said, offering a final, “Good night.”
With a wave, Ren slipped out of the penthouse, leaving Tae Hyun alone with his thoughts and the lingering echoes of their conversation. As he made his way upstairs, the weight of the day’s events pressed down on him, the earlier reassurance fading into a dull ache.
Tae Hyun considered packing again but decided against it. He still had to clean up, and he was tired, so he’d have to leave it for the morning. Instead, he took a long hot shower beforefinally climbing into bed. He wrapped his arms around Jason’s pillow and pulled it close, but Jason’s smell was gone. Of course, housekeeping had changed the linens. With a wistful sigh, he closed his eyes, hugging the pillow anyway, and tried falling asleep.
19
The familiar LA sprawl shimmered on the horizon, a vast carpet of lights spread out like a glittering spiderweb against the inky backdrop of the Pacific coast. The sky ahead was already dark as the sun set behind them, painting the clouds with streaks of orange and gold. Jason barely noticed. He’d hardly slept at all during the long flight, each passing hour a relentless reminder of his failure to protect the people he loved.
Jason rubbed his eyes, trying to dispel the heavy shroud of weariness that clung to him. He’d tried to sleep, to find a few hours of escape from the storm of anger and worry raging inside, but it was no use. His mind raced with worry, regret, and a growing sense of dread.
Jason’s guilt chewed on him like a hungry beast. Despite his best efforts, he somehow always managed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’d still been in LA when the tabloids broke their scandal about Tae Hyun and Ren. Then he’d been in Taipei when Naomi had her accident.
The jarring images kept appearing every time Jason had shut his eyes. Naomi, his mentor and confidante, lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. And Tae Hyun, standing on the penthouse balcony, glowing in the moonlight. Jason hadleft him alone in Taipei again, vulnerable, surrounded by any number of potential people out to get him.
Jason glanced at Seong Hyeon, seated across the aisle, his eyes closed, his breathing steady, seemingly lost in slumber. But Jason wasn’t fooled. He’d seen the tightness around his Security Chief’s eyes, the subtle tension in his shoulders. They were both carrying the weight of this crisis and their shared concern for Naomi.
“How much longer?” Jason asked, his voice hoarse from a dry throat.
