*Bing* her email announced the arrival of an important email that Zaina had been expecting for days. Finally, it had arrived. She opened it with a lot of patience and curiosity and hoping that it would be very good news. The email reads:

Dear Ms. Spence,

We are very glad to let you know that your contract with us has been finalized, approved and singed by our chairman and the board members. We are looking forward to working with you and your team. Congratulations!

We expect you to be set up in Seoul by next month the latest as this project is of high importance. Our local team in Bangkok and home ground will get in contact with you for logistical matters.

Thank you very much,

Mr. Eun- Pyong Ho.

After reading the email, she was so happy and very excited that she got the deal with the Korean company. She came out to the office space where her colleagues were working busily. She said, “Everyone, can I please have your attention for a minute?” all looked up at her.

“I have the pleasure to announce to you that we have indeed got the South Korean deal and we will have a team setting up our second office in Seoul. So congratulations you all. It’s all your hard work and team spirit! So thank you!!!” everyone cheered with applause. She was so happy that she wanted to go home and tell Junsu that she would be moving to Seoul soon. But she could not wait. She called him up.

“hi Junsu? Hope you’re not busy..but I’ll make this quick. I’ll be moving to Seoul soon! The deal got oked and now we will be setting up our second office there. wow I’m so happy. I’ll be moving to Seoul where ‘a lot’ of wonderful experiences exist” she said with soo much happiness and love in her voice.

“wow, I’m glad.” Is all that came from the other side.

“Junsu why are you sad?” Jae asked a very teared down Junsu

“hyung, she is moving to Seoul. She got the deal.”

“that’s good news Junsu. Now she can be much closer to you and us.” Yoochun said.

“but……….yeah……b..but”

“you have not told her about the American contract have you?” Jae asked angrily.

“i…….i mean….its not like that.”

“Just answer me Junsu. Did you tell her or not?” Jae was furious.

“ no I have not told her.” He confessed.

“that’s it. Today you are telling her no matter what happens.”

“no hyung. don’t do this to me. I can’t see heart broken.”

“Junsu why don’t you understand? Even if you don’t tell her, it will break her heart. At least tell her and we will be there for the both of you.”

*you home baby?* a message came from Zaina in the evening.

*yes…..we were waiting for you. I need to tell you something.* a reply came. The next moment, the door bell rang.

“Hi Zaina, come in. how are you?” Yoochun invited inside with a hug.

“hi Yoochun, I’m doing good. Thank you. How are you?” she asked at the very tensed looking Yoochun.

As she walked in she saw Jae and Junsu who were sitting on the couch very tensed. “guys, you ok? You are scaring me.” She went to hug Jae. She sensed something was seriously wrong.

“sit down babes. How was work?” Junsu asked hugging Zaina.

“what is this about Junsu? Is it something I did?” Zaina asked worriedly.

“no nothing. Don’t worry.” Junsu assured her by wrapping his hands around her shoulder.

“do you want some juice or water to drink Zaina?” Yoochun asked her.

“yeah some juice would be great, thanks. The humidity is killing me today” she joked to make the situation ease out. There was absolute silence in the room and she could feel it form the three boys.

To further the conversation, she started, “guys I’ve got good news. The Korean deal, for which I went to Seoul, it has been oked and I will be moving to Seoul soon. So when you guys, finish your promotions and planning or whatever you guys are doing here, I will be waiting for you at the airport, with a zillion other fan girls!” she joked. But no response came from the other side. She further continued, “ so…the chairman is a really nice guy and the people in tha…….” She was interrupted by Junsu “Zaina, we have….no I have something to say.”

“yes baby.”

“we recently got an offer from an American Entertainment company FPA Entertainment who want to scout us as their artist and train us for the American market. They wanted to debut us as an American pop group and not as Korean group making a debut in America. They offered us a good financial package with shares in the profits, training with amazing choreographers and all that. It is a pretty good deal.” Junsu said.

“wow that sounds amazing. What did your company say?” Zaina asked eagerly.

“they are ok with it and they do want to accept the deal. We will maintain our contract with our Korean company but we will be a complete different artist with FPA.” He said.

“so will you be producing Korean albums and musicals and all of that, right?”

“uummm…. about that, we wont be doing that for a while.”

“for a while?..what does that mean? For how long?”

“for about 4 to 5 years.”

“oh my god! Why?” she exclaimed.

“ its because we will move to LA and be trained as American pop artists and debut there. so we will be busy with that schedule and…”

“wait hold up. Did you say move to LA?”

“yes baby..but listen…”

“how long will be staying in LA?” she became very serious and all three boys knew the situation was taking a turn.

“for about three to four years and then the debut……and….”

“your not sure? For how long you will be gone……………………………or if you would even come back. Am I right Junsu?” she asked in a very furious way

“no its not like that Zaina, you don’t understand.”

“fine then make me understand Junsu.”

“it is an important decision for us too. We have been Korean artists and no matter what we love our fans here. They are the ones who made us who we are today. but let’s face the fact, we need to find a new ground for us as there are so many new bands coming up every day.”

“what kind of reason is that Junsu? Your fans love you and you will be forever DBSK for us. But you know what, you want to go to the US and become American Artist. Just accept it.”

“Yes!, I’m not denying the fact that it is a good opportunity for us. But….it will be difficult for us to move to an entirely different industry and make a debut when we are already established here. We will have to leave everything behind and start all over again.”

Zaina got up from the couch and asked him,

“leave everything huh? So where do we stand Junsu? Where do I stand?” she asked with angry tears forming in her eyes.

“Zaina don’t be like that, I love you and you know that.”

“Junsu stop…just tell me what is it between you and me now? Where do we stand?”

“baby please dont do this to me. Even if I’m gone we can still be in contact over the email, text messages and all. I will call you every day no matter what.”

Zaina scoffed with ridicule at his argument.

“so you want to have a long distance relationship?.”

“no its, not how it sounds Zaina. I will be true to you. You are the only woman I love.” Junsu came forward to hug her, but she stepped back.

“this is not fair……this is not fair” she mummeled.

“you will be gone for 5 years Junsu, to the US with no assurity of you returning….and you want to have a long distance relationship with you when you all held up in work. Does this even make sense to you?”

“baby, move in with me…come with me to the US.” He offered

“Leaving my career? When it is perfectly taking off to where I want it to be. Are you insane?” she asked angrily.

“why are you doing this to me Junsu? Why?” she asked for which she did not get a reply.

“have you all decided on going?” she asked looking at Jae.

“no Zaina, we have not decided anything yet. We in fact have the contact with us. But we are hesitating.” He told her showing her the contract.

Zaina picks up the contract and reads through he papers briefly. She stops for a minute and with a very confused face and eyes with tears she asks Junsu, “ this contract is dated two months ago. Did you know it then?”

“did you know about this contract two  months back Junsu? Answer me! Did you know about his contract when I was with you in Seoul?” she demanded as tears rolled down her eyes with the smallest hope he would say no.

But, “ Yes” is the answer she got.

“what?” “Junsu…Junsu look at me and say…did you know about this contract way before we went to Seoul?”

“Yes.....”he confessed shocking and disappointing Zaina.

“Junsu, what are you saying?” she was fighting hard to hold her tears back. He was helpless, but just watched her fight her tears.

“Junsu I trusted you! I trusted you soo much! Damn it, I slept with you! I loved you more than anything else!” she broke down completely . Watching her cry to heavens, it made Junsu tear up. Jae and Yoochun we equally torn apart to the confession she made and how distorted she was.

“ Zaina….please..i love you and I will always love you only.”

Zaina pushed him away and yelled, “ if you loved me, you would have told me about this contract the first day you received it. We could have done something about it.”

“gosh Junsu, I trusted you soo much..you knew everything about me. I thought you were different..not like the other men I meet who just want to take advantage. Oh god I trusted you so much. I let you be the first man to kiss me, to make love to me. Do you know how special that is for a woman? Now I just feel dirty! So dirty!” she completely broke down in tears falling on the floor.

Junsu, Jae and Yoochun came running for her. She held Junsu’s collar and asked him, “why did you do this to me? Why did you like me? Why did you kiss me? Why did you make me sleep with you? The first time, I stopped you from moving further, but you told me two words…two words that made me think, he is my man. You told me to trust you. it is only after that I let you touch me. But now you betrayed me! You’ve just betrayed me! You’ve just betrayed me Junsu!!!.”

Jae held her tightly so that she could cry on is arms. “Zaina, no..its not like that. Please don’t tell me something like that. I would never betray you. I can never stand betraying you.” Junsu was in tears watching the love of life breaking down into pieces because of him.

She turned around to Yoochun and asked him with her red teary eyes, “Yoochun you guys know about the contract too?”

“yes” Yoochun asnwerd.

“then why did you not tell me about it? What wrong did I do to you all? Even you guys betrayed me!”

Zaina was completely lost and did not know what to, than just cry. She felt terribly betrayed and felt horrible for the fact that the man she thought was her ‘The one’ disappointed her. The men she thought as her brothers betrayed her. She felt like she had lost all hopes in life and just wanted to die. She felt a deep heartache. She cried on Jae’s armed till they were drenched in her tears.

 She then got up on her feet, wiping her tears, feeling dizzy and her head spinning and walked towards the door.

Junsu pulled her hand and asked her, “where are you going Zaina?”

“let go of my hand, you have no more rights to touch me.” She said coldly daggering his heart.

She put on her shoes and she looked at tears filled Junsu one last time and said, “ I hate you.” and walked out. he watched her go.......

It has been three weeks and there has been no replies to the messages or the zillion phone calls Junsu made. He went to her apartment which she never answered. He went to her office, where they informed him that she has not been coming to work for the past two weeks. He went to all of her favorite spots in town, but he could not find her. He spent every night at the same bench he first saw her, the same bench were he fist kissed her. But she never came.

Things were getting tighter at the studio. There were constant pressures from the American company for acceptance.

Mr. Steve who was furious, came stomping to the Bangkok studio, “ ok guys, I don’t have the time to take all your crap. It’s a yes or a no. I want an answer today.” he said very angrily.

He threw the contract paper in from the three guys wanting an answer………..

“come on guys, you will not get a better opportunity than this.” Their manager insisted handing them his pen.

So with a lot of regret an unassurity, Yoochuh signed. Unstable Jae, tossed the pen for while without a word and signed. The contract and the pen were in Junsu’s hands. His signature would finalize the deal and from that day onwards, they would no longer be Korean artists, but American artists. The ball was in Junsu’s court.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ok honeslty an emotional chapter. As a wiriter, it kind of was sad for me, but the stroy has to go on. 

Did this chapter make you cry?..............................................like me?