[15]

 

Contracts

 

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'I swear these crazy pop stars are stalking me.' I thought as I sat opposite of Kim Jae Joong whom I'd met less than 3 weeks ago, yet I'm already having coffee with a complete stranger. \when the waitress came to retrieve our orders, she openly gasped at Jae Joong's beauty. I saw identical fright in Jae Joong's eyes as mine as we prepared for ambush. But this was America, definitely not as likely.

 

"Did you want anything?" Jae Joong asked after he ordered. I tried to make sense of the situation as I shooed the waitress away.

 

"Did Young Saeng Oppa send you to chase after me or something? Why is it that after I had just ran away from home do you appear here out of all places?" I asked in suspision. I made note to record this encounter in my journal, whenever I get my laptop back that is. 

 

"You ran away from home? How did that happen, I thought they were staying at your place." He replied as he stared at me with his now purple eyes.

 

"Well yeah. But the main point being, why're you here?" I asked him. About half an hour ago, I had run into him on the main street outside my mother's house where I had moved to. He seemed utterly lost as he attempted to contemplate which direction to head so I went up to his all to familiar face and brought him to coffee.

 

"Me and the guys have a show here in a few days. Me and the manager went down to get food but I lost him along the way." I shook my head at him in disappointment.

 

"Enough about me. Why'd you run away? I thought you and the guys were on good terms." He said as the waitress came with his mocha. Shee seemed unwilling to return to work.

 

"I don't want to talk about them, they're all heads. All them and their crazy celebrities cares about is the money." I grumbled under frustration.

 

"What about me?" He asked, his voice, nothing more than a tease.

 

"Meh...you're okay. I'd rather live with you." I replied as I stared at his brown, milky drink. "Is that stuff any good?"

 

"Yeah, it's not bad." He took another sip of it before speaking again. "You still didn't tell me though, why did you run away?"

 

"Because they're all money craving fags that don't give a about how I live as long as they get the money." I said in a straight foward manner. "Everytime they make me promise to stay by their side, they only get paid more if I do."

 

He rolled his eyes impatiently, "that's it?" He said. My eyes automatically widened when he said that. He almost laughed when he saw the expression on my face. "You're all upset because the guys were hired babysit you?"

 

"No."

 

"Then?" His eyes were amused and nearly triumphant but regardless, I am the more stubborn one.

 

"I'm mad that they didn't tell me." I replied.

 

"What difference would it make if they did?" He asked as he stood up and placed a bill on the table, I followed him out.

 

"The differemce being..." He left me speechless. Well of course, the difference would be that I knew in the first place. "The difference being if I had known, I would've just ran away earlier on."

 

"Would they want you to leave?"

 

"Of course not, they just want the money." I replied, it was about 3 in the morning at this time.

 

"Really now?" He said as we rounded the corner to my mother's house where a black Mercedes Benz was parked. It belonged to my father. Why was my father here?

 

I invited Jae Joong in as I took in the number of shoes at the door way.The maid's closet was pretty much empty because it was this early in the morning but other than that, another 5 pairs of shoes were in the enterence hall. I almost felt sick at the mere thought of "5." 

 

"Min Hee..." A voice called out to me in relief. It was a voice I was hoping to never hear in my life again. Immediately, my heart throbbed at the sound of it.

 

"Mother, I have a friend over." I told her, ignoring the voice that had called out to me. "I'll show him to the guest room if you don't mind." 

 

"Sara, your friends have come asking permission to speak to you." My mother replied.

 

I turned to the guys and bowed. "You may leave now, there's nothing left fo us to talk about." Pausing, I turned back to Jae Joong. "Let's go." I saw in the reflection of his eyes, a brief image of a miserable Young Saeng as they seeed to communicate through eye contact.

 

When we arrived at the guest room, he told me to go in with him. he held me in comfort and encouragment that night as I fell asleep with tears falling from the corner of my eyes, each marking another shard of pain leaving from me.

 

The next day, I woke up only to remember that I had fallen asleep in the arms of a man of whom I had only met for the second time in my life. By the time we had completely gotten out of bed, it was 11 o'clock and I could smell food from the kitchen.

 

I felt my mother and father's eyes on us when we enterred the kitchen at the same momet. I could only think what would've been going on through their mind, seeing the two of us together like this. Especially since Jae Joong wasn't paid by my father to be forced to be in the same room as me unlike the others. 

 

Less than seconds later, I felt another pair of eyes on the two of us. I met the eyes of Kim Hyung Joon before turning to Hyun Joong. "I see you've spent the night here." And then I looked around at my surroundings. "But where are the other 3?"

 

"I've actually come to ask your father of something." my cousin spoke. Hyung Joon remained staring at the two of us to no end.

 

"What's he doing with you?" I asked my cousin as I avoided eye contact with the youngest member of the two.

 

"We're here to bring you back." I unwillingly turned to face the one who had spoken. He grabbed my hand and tugged me towards the door.

 

"What the hell are you doing?! Let go of me!" I screamed at him. "Kim. Hyung. Joon. Let. Go!"

 

"On the contrary dear cousin." I froze at the sound of Hyun Joong's voice. "You officially belong to us now."

 

"Who?!" I screamed as I marched up to face him. Hyung Joon followed closely behind. My parents simply watched emotionlessly.

 

"To us. SS501." He replied. in his hand held a full scabbed paper. On the front was a long list of rules and conditions along with 7 signatures on the bottom followed by a stamp which read DSP Entertainment. The names were more than what I expected.

 

Kim Hyun Joong

 

Heo Young Saeng

 

Kim Kyu Jong

 

Park Jung Min

 

Kim Hyung Joon

 

All of which that bought my rights with 15 000 000 dollars along with a 13 month trainee and debut period for DSP until I was 16, of age to live by myself. Otherwise, these 5 members were to be my legal guardians. 

 

The last two signatures were: Heo Seo In, Lee Seuk Hyun. My mother and father who just traded my life away for a large wad of money.

 

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August 21st

 

I don't know what to say anymore. I was wrong. I'd never be able to fit into a life like this. I feel betrayed, worthless and yet still, regardless of the pain, my passion for the 5 only unwillingly get stronger...?