Immediately after the shooting of Come to Play wrapped Hyoyeon and Siwon were quickly ushered back to their individual cars.

So much for talking after the show, Siwon thought.

Sunwoo sat with Siwon in the backseat of their van, his expression impassive. Once they’d made their way onto the highway he turned to Siwon.

“I’ll give you points for creativity but you went against my instructions,” he said, “I told you to keep it simple. You made the entire situation very complicated with your overdone back story…”

“Overdone? It took less than a minute to explain.”

Sunwoo exhaled in exasperation, “Its the detail you went into thats the problem. You're breaking up in a few months. But you were fawning all over her, the PDA on screen...it just won't look good when we announce you've parted ways in a few months.”

“Then we won’t break up.”

“What?”

“I said, we won’t break up then.”

Sunwoo shook his head, utter disbelief evident on his features.

“Are you being serious right now? Do you really think that’s your choice?”

Siwon only stared out the window, his jaw ticking as he suppressed the urge to retort.

“Listen, I don’t know if that story you told up there was real or not-”

“It was real.”

“Fair enough. You have feelings for Hyoyeon and I get that. Believe me I do. Despite what you might think I’m on your side. But upper management just wants this whole situation cleared. An idol is just not a product that sells well when attached,” Sunwoo paused as he caught sight of the look on Siwon’s face reflected in the window, “I know that sounds terrible but it’s the truth, Hyoyeon might be getting the majority of the hate right now, but your numbers aren’t doing so well either…”

Siwon turned to face Sunwoo, “Upper management tells me to play up the fan service, I do it. I take the blame when they get into trouble with the censorship boards and I’m fine with that. Then they tell me to play along with a fake relationship, I do it. Now you tell me I’m not selling well because of the relationship you people told me to get into…”

Sunwoo ran a shaky hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair. How could he argue with that logic?

“Well anyway we’ll just wait and see what effect the interview has. For now you can keep playing house.”

Siwon let out a sigh of disgust. How had he allowed himself to be part of such a rotten system? He’d never realised until this moment how regimented his life was. Do this, do that, go here, go there, say this, say that. He was like a robot with no free will, just taking commands from ‘upper management’. Then again, the system had always worked. It was the reason he was as popular as he was now.

It was also the reason he’d cast Hyoyeon aside. And that was the clincher.

But maybe he could use the system to his advantage, he thought.

“Shouldn’t we have taken the same car back…Hyoyeon and I? The illusion seems a bit weak if  the only time we’re together is on camera, don’t you think?”

Sunwoo paused considering his words, “I guess so,” he replied after a moment, “You guys have only been seen together at the press conference and Come to Play.”

Siwon nodded, “A few dates wouldn’t hurt the image.”

Sunwoo looked at him, as though trying to gauge his intentions. After a long pause, Sunwoo pulled out his phone.

“Hello Mr. Kim, it just occurred to me…”

Siwon turned his attention back to the scenery flying past outside. He was sure that Sunwoo had seen through him and guessed that he’d only suggested the dates with Hyoyeon for his own reasons, but the fact remained that their relationship still seemed like a hoax with just a couple of TV appearances to back it up.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8 months earlier

“Hey Hangeng. it’s me, Siwon!”

“Hi! Long time no hear!”

“Yeah I’ve been crazy busy these past few months. That’s why I haven’t called in while. But guess where I am now?”

“Uh…in Taipei?”

Siwon paused in surprise, “How did you know?”

“I may not be a part of the group anymore but I’m keeping tabs on you man,” he laughed, “Even managed to wrangle a ticket for the premiere of your new drama. I arrive in Taipei the day after tomorrow.”

Siwon beamed, “Guess I can give the ticket I saved for you to some fan.”

“Lucky fan. So how’ve you been? We haven’t spoken since you were here filming the drama right?”

“Can’t believe it’s actually been that long. I’ve been good, a lot of good stuff has been happening…a little bad stuff too.”

“Hm…I can guess what the good stuff is, but what’s the bad?”

Siwon let his silence speak for him. Hangeng chuckled on the other end of the line.

“Girl trouble?”

“Woman trouble,” Siwon corrected, “I think that title is more fitting.”

Hangeng laughed, “I have to admit now I’m intrigued, what kind of woman trouble?”

“It’s a long and ridiculous story but…I met her at the SM offices a while ago while filming Poseidon, she’s a trainee, a talented dancer who wanted to switch agencies…”

“Dancer?” Hangeng asked.

“Anyway,” Siwon continued ignoring the questioning tone in his friend’s voice, “So we met a few times.”

“Ooh!”

“Don’t ooh me. It was strictly casual, we got some coffee and had dinner once or twice…”

“I’m listening,”

“I don’t know why but for some reason I really felt like I could trust her…she just seemed so much like-,” he stopped himself realising he didn’t want the conversation to get any more complicated, “She just seemed like a good person. So about two months in, I invited her over for a few drinks at home.”

“Right…”

“We weren’t alone. It was a company party my dad was throwing,” Siwon added rolling his eyes, not trusting Hangeng’s over active imagination, “We ended up on the back balcony on our own at some point and things got a little out of hand…”

“Out of hand? In a good way or a bad way?” Siwon would picture Hangeng’s eyebrows wiggling up and down in suggestion.

“Good way I guess. We kissed.”

“Just kissed?”

Siwon was the one to laugh this time, “We were on a balcony with two hundred guests just a few metres away…but to answer your question, yes just kissed.”

“So when does the bad stuff start?” Hangeng asked clearly puzzled.

“Well the next day she called me up. Somehow in her mind that one kiss had catapulted us from friendship to …”

“Relationship,” his friend finished for him.

“Yeah now don’t get me wrong. I like her and I would never have allowed things to get out of hand but she kissed me and it…wasn’t bad but like I told you before I’m not doing the whole relationship thing again…not anytime soon anyway”

Hangeng nodded, remembering how hard a time Siwon had gone through after his last break up. A year on and he was still at the swearing off relationships stage.

“So why don’t you just tell this dancer of yours what you told me?”

“I did. About five times now…”

“Okay…and?”

“Now I have to put in a good word for her with upper management or she’ll kick up a fuss,”

“Wow!” Hangeng was quiet for a long time, “I’m assuming she has proof that you were close?”

“Yeah…like I said, I trusted her,” Hangeng could hear the hurt in his friend’s voice.

Hangeng shook his head. Number three on the celebrity hand book was ‘trust no one’. He had learned that the hard way himself. But Siwon, pampered as he was even by the likes of upper management had probably never experienced the disappointment of betrayal. He felt his friend’s pain but now wasn’t the time for sympathy.

“I’m guessing I’m the only one who knows?”

“I told Eunhyuk and Donghae…they said I should just put in a good word for her. She’s already half way in, she just needs me to get her fast tracked…But I wanted to ask you what I should do before I made any final decisions.”

“I’m with Donghae and Eunhyuk. Get her in. And get her to sign an agreement so she doesn’t get any other ideas later on. I’d talk to Park Junseo, he worked with us as assistant manager for a while before getting assigned to GG…he can work out the details discreetly.”

“Park Junseo?”

“Yeah, just explain the situation and he’ll work out the details for you. He helped me out a lot during that time… so you can trust him not to let PR know and make a huge mess of things. After all…we’re all trying to survive right?”

“Yeah I guess so…” Siwon replied.

PR would most certainly pull something shady to get the girl black listed. He had been hurt and was still hurt by what she’d done but now that Hangeng had mentioned it he realised that they were all just trying to make a living doing what they loved. Everything had practically been handed to him on a silver platter but he knew it wasn’t as easy for everyone.

“By the way I’ve been meaning to ask you…what is it with you and dancers?”

Siwon tensed up, “What do you mean?”

“You’ve dated how many girls now? Ten?”

“It’s actually closer to seven,” Siwon replied defensively.

Hangeng laughed, “Right.”

“It’s true!”

“Relax, I believe you.”

Siwon sighed.

“And of those fifteen-”

“Seven!”

Hangeng chuckled,“Right. Of all those girls, about half have been dancers…I mean I can think of a couple hundred reasons why but I’m curious about yours.”

“Half huh? With the kind of info you have on me I’m tempted to think you’ve been doing more than just keeping tabs on me.”

 “I’m just observant.”

“It’s a coincidence. I hadn’t even realised it until you mentioned it.”

Hangeng didn’t reply for a moment and Siwon shifted uncomfortably. Silence from Hangeng was never a good thing.

“How’s Hyoyeon been by the way? I haven’t talked to her in a ages…”

“Uh…she’s good.”

“That’s good to hear. She was a big hit in Paris if I remember correctly.”

“Yeah she was,” Siwon couldn't supress his smile as he replied.

“Her star's finally beginning to shine.”

Though in agreement with Hangeng Siwon didn't reply, he was confused, Hangeng wasn’t the kind to drop a line of conversation just like that. But he couldn’t say he disliked the new topic of conversation.

“Is she dating anyone?”

“No!”

Correction. He really disliked the new topic of conversation.

“Easy there. I just read something about her really liking some unnamed idol…”

“Well that ended before it started.” Siwon replied with a tone of finality.

“Oh really?”

“Yes. Really.”

“How would you know?”

“I just do…”

“Does she know about everything you do?”

“No, but-”

“So how do you know?”

“Like I said I just do. I know Hyoyeon. I know how she is when she really likes someone.”

“Hm, well it’s been a while since…” Hangeng trailed off.

“Since what?” Siwon asked although he knew what his friend was referring to.

“Since you broke up with her. It’s been seven years now, right?” he continued, “I can’t say I act the same way now as I did seven years ago so she’s probably changed.”

Siwon considered Hangeng’s words but dismissed them after a moment. People didn’t change that much.

“Then again,” Hangeng added, “Maybe they don’t change that much. After all you still like dancers.”

Ah there it was. The connection Siwon had been waiting for. How many times had he and Hangeng had this conversation? This could easily have been the hundredth time. Whenever they talked about women, Hyoyeon’s name always came up, wormed in sneakily by Hangeng who thought there was still something going on between them. There wasn’t though. They hardly even spoke anymore and when they did it was generic and polite chit-chat. It had been seven years now since he’d broken both their hearts. Seven years, 7 months and 17 days. Not that he was counting.

“I told you it was just a coincidence.”

Hangeng completely ignored him, “Hyoyeon’s dancing has really improved over the years though, right?”

“Yeah I guess so.”

“She’s a really good dancer.”

“Yes she is.”

Hangeng’s voice was wistful, “I can see why you like dancers whenever I look at her-“

“Okay you’ve made your point, “Siwon interrupted tired of playing along, “It’s a completely irrelevant point but you’ve made it.”

“Say hello to her from me.”

“I’m hanging up now.”