Taecyeon’s POV

T.O.P. had said Hanul and Jay were together, going to their parents’ house.

Parents… I hadn’t seen mine for a while……

I shook the thought away, I had to focus.
It wasn’t like I could just go to Daegu and seek them out.

South Korea isn’t physically big, but culturally, it’s a very busy place.

Koreans are a very passionate people; if one of them recognized me, they’d wrap their arms around me attempting to hug me, but they’d have end up having Taecyeon meat on sale the next day.

I shivered.

What could I do? I had no idea where to go…
BoA would know what the address was, so would the YG President, I suppose… and Wooyoung…
The problem was:

I didn’t know BoA very well, and she was bound to lie to me.

The YG President would also side with Hanul, and lie to me.

And Wooyoung… was the sneakiest bastard I knew, and although we were in this together, clearly he was very much on Hanul and Jaebum’s side….

I sighed; I guess I’d just have to talk to all three of them and hopefully, strike gold somewhere…

This is how idols spend their days off…. ><

BoA’s POV
I was practicing with Suyeon. Her debut as a solo artist would be early next year at Inkigayo, and she would also be part of the group, 2B3  (To Be or Two Big Three or To Be Three), which referenced how there were going to be two members from each of the Big Three Entertainment Companies (SM, YG, and JYP). The group would debut early next year as well. Since both Suyeon and I were included in 2B3, we had started to routinely practice together, and I found out that… well, she’s all right. Initially, yes, she’s very introverted and cold. But there’s just something very genuine about her…

The door opened. We both turned about to see Taecyeon, of 2pm, enter.

Suyeon and I both exchanged glances of surprise before composing ourselves into nonchalant poses.

“I’m sorry to bother your practice…”, he said formally, bowing.  

I laughed. “It’s okay, you don’t have to be so formal. You’re Ok Taecyeon, right?” 

“Yes, I’m also Hanul’s friend”, he replied.

My internal radar went off; Oh… that was why he was here. He wanted to know where Hanul was…

“Hanul’s parent’s house”, he said.
0.0 What? He knew? Had I said that out loud?

“What’s the address?”
Suyeon glanced at me, confused.

Inside, I was mentally shaken. How’d he find out? I was the under the impression that only the YG President, T.O.P., and I knew where she was. But I had to give a strong impression on Taecyeon. Hanul had trusted me with this information, and I wasn’t going to give anything away.

“I’m not telling you.”

“I need to see her”, Taecyeon said. His face was pleading, and his voice was so… honest.

“I promised not to say anything”, I said firmly. I felt uneasy inside. Did Hanul do something wrong? Was she in trouble? Why was he so desperate?

“Please… BoA… I’m not going there to force her to come back. I just need to tell her something…”
I couldn’t keep myself composed anymore. I turned my back on him, feeling insecure.
“I’m not going to say anything, Taecyeon. Sorry. I promised her, and she’s my best friend”, I tried being as honest as I could. I wanted the amount of guilt I would have to face later, as small as possible.

There was a pause.

“Sorry, BoA… I didn’t mean for you to… it’s all right. Sorry.”  He sounded guilty. And it just made me feel more guilty.

I wanted to explain to him that it wasn’t anything personal, but that I didn’t want to risk Hanul’s friendship.
I hope you find out “, I thought. But it won’t be through  me.

Suyeon mumbled something, and then I heard the door open and leave.

“Unni, can I use your phone to call the YG President? I left mine at my dorm. ”, Suyeon asked.

I nodded, shaking myself mentally to try to focus. I had to practice. 
I am an idol.

Taecyeon’s POV

I left the YG building in a hurry. I would have to come back another day to talk to the YG President…
I could still feel the heat in my face. I blew out a big breath.

I didn’t think I’d upset her that much… I felt bad. Half of me was telling me to go back and apologize, but that other girl, BoA’s friend, had quietly request that I go, at least for today.

I sighed, I wasn’t giving up… I would try to talk to Wooyoung… Maybe I shouldn’t have said it too blunt… Maybe I should be more smooth…

Wooyoung’s POV
I was taking out the trash, when suddenly Taecyeon rushed up and snatched it away from me, and threw it away himself.
I was doing the dishes, when suddenly Taecyeon sprinted to me and grabbed the dishes, proclaiming he’s finish them himself.

I was cooking dinner, when suddenly Taecyeon-

WHAM!

I nailed him in the chest with a frying pan (no, it wasn’t hot |:<)
“Taecyeon! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Helping out.”
“And why would you do that?”
“Cause you’re my dongsaeng.”
“I don’t see you doing this with Chansung.”

Taecyeon didn’t reply, staring blankly at me.

I raised my frying pan threateningly again.

“OKAY! OKAY! Calm your nuts, Wooyoung!”

I lowered the pan.
“I was trying to be smooth so I could, uh, well, trick you into telling me something.”
“You failed”, I stated, simply, and turned back to check on the cooking.

I was a master chef, and if Taecyeon dared to anger me by messing up the food I was making, the frying pan would forever leave a deep impression on that head of his.

“Wooyoung… why’d didn’t you tell me Hanul left, too?”

“Cause it wasn’t your business.” I carefully set the time to three minutes. It had to be exact.

“I think it was.”
“Well, I didn’t think so, so I didn’t tell you.” I very specifically sprinkled the sauce all over to get a delicate, balanced flavor.

“Where do her parents live?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“I won’t do anything.”
“Good. Stay home.”

I heard him sigh. I turned around to look at him.

“You’re tired, huh? Cause you did so much trying to act smooth.”, I said.

I patted his . “It’s okay, Dongsang will repay you 110% with this gourmet dinner I’m making.”

Taecyeon leveled me with a stare.
“Wooyoung, ramen is not that gourmet.”

Hanul’s POV
“Hanul, it’s been so long. Your hair is so long.”

My mother my hair gently.

“So smooth. So soft…But you’re so strong.”

I felt my heart expand with love, but at the same time, a great wave of guilt washed over me.

“I’m not strong, umma.”, I said.  

She continued to my hair.

I turned to look at her. She just stared back, patiently. Waiting for me to say the truth.

“I’m not strong, umma.” It hurt to admit that to her, to the person who believed in me the most.

“Really? If you knew that, why did you come back?”, she asked.

“For music. I wanted to debut”, I replied, softly. I felt selfish and ashamed when I said that.

“And are you?”, my mother asked.

I turned away and closed my eyes, remembering.

+ I sprinted straight to the President’s office as soon as I got out of Wooyoung’s car, praying he’d be here. It was 1 am. I caught him just as he was about to leave, packing up.  
“Hanul, are you all right?”
The YG President was looking at me, concerned.

I ignored his question; it was too hard to answer that question and keep myself sane.

“I need to visit my family”, I said.
“Is everyone all right?”, he asked.

“No”, I whispered, thinking of Jaebum oppa.

“He did something, didn’t he?”, the President asked, “Park Soo Man.” (SM President)

“I can’t tell who did what anymore”, I answered tiredly.

The YG President cursed. Then, he looked me straight in the eye, “Hanul, you know I was trying to help you defeat him by debuting. You know that was my plan, even if we never talked about it…but I can’t debut you anytime soon.”
I just stared back blankly, feeling like my emotional world was being overturned. “What did I do?”

“You didn’t. I did”, he answered. His composure was breaking down. He looked dead beat.

I simply waited. There were no words of comfort I could offer him. 

He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “YG, JYP, and SM are collaborating to make a new group, 2B3. I’ve already picked the two members from YG, and my side of contract says that we cannot release more than one new group or solo artist for the next year if I were to be included in the 2B3. That solo artist is…Suyeon. I promised her before the contract. But the contract… I couldn’t not sign it. It’ll bring more revenue and attention to our name… and the ones I picked are Suyeon and T.O.P. I can’t deny them their rightful places. They deserve to be up there with the other four. ” 

I should probably be angry right now. But I’m not. I’m touched, that he thought of me when he signed that contract. He actually considered my personal interests against the interest of the entire company he’d worked his life to build.

“Hanul, I’m so sorry.”

I wanted to hug this man, give him whatever fortune I had in me. His generosity was something not of this world. I wanted to cry. Luckily, I’d cried enough for a lifetime, and no more tears would come out.

So I smiled. I gave him my best and brightest smile, and took his hands in mine.

“I eagerly await the debut of 2B3. I’m sure it will be wonderful like nothing else.”

The President gripped my hands tighter. “Are you really okay? Do you really forgive me?”

“For what?”, I laughed. I actually laughed. It felt nice.

“You’ll be at your parents’ house, right? You won’t run off.”, he said sternly.

“I promise I won’t. Thank you.”

I squeezed his hands gently again, and then left.

I walked up to my locker, and grabbed the few clothes I had in there. As I exited the locker room, I came face-to-face with T.O.P.

 Or face-to-chest. He was so tall. -.-

“OMO!”, he yelled, startled.

He looked closer at me. “YAH! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!”
“Do what?”, I asked, also startled.  He had just bumped into a co-worker at the office. What was so scary about that?

“Pull a prank on me like that! Hide yourself where you knew I was coming and dress up like a ghost!”

“I look like a ghost?”, I asked, faintly amused.

“Did you not mean to look like one?”, T.O.P. asked.

I shook my head.
“Oh, well, um, I mean, you just look, uh, tired, that’s all! You look… you know, beautifulasalways. Um, I mean, whyareyouheresolate?

… I knew he could talk fast, he was a rapper. But what was that?

“Did you just… rap something?”
He sighed. “Why are you here right now? It’s late. Shouldn’t you be home?”  

I smiled wryly. “That’s where I’m going. I’m going to visit my parents in Daegu with my brother. I came to tell the President.”  

“Oh. You’re… coming back, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

…

…

Well, then…

“Why are you here this late?”, I asked. Between T.O.P. and I, we’d had enough awkward silences to create a population of gay babies. <3

“Me? I just finished recording.”

“How’d it go?”
“Good. I think 2pm will have a hard time beating us this time.”, he said, grinning.  

Then, he instantly said, “Sorry. I forgot you’re related to them.”

“It’s fine”, I replied,”Oh, hey, can you do me a favor?”

“What’s up?”, he asked.

“Can you let BoA know where I am?”

“Um. Sure.”

“Thanks.”

 “I’m glad I saw you before you left”, he said. Then, he patted down my hair.  

“You should, um, look in a mirror before your parents see you.”

And he was gone.

:3 +

Taecyeon’s POV

“The YG President isn’t in right now?”, I squinted at the guard. “Are you lying to me?”

“No, I’m not.”

“How do I know you’re not lying to me?”, I questioned, keeping my face stern. 

“Because I’m a security guard.”

“Are you really? You sure you’re not lying?”, I asked, pretending to study his face.

“I’m not.”

“But… that’s what the liar says.”, I replied.

A muscle jumped in the security guard’s face.

I almost laughed. I don’t know what about this man makes me want to mess with him, I’m usually not that kind of person. 

I decided to come back after practice; it was lunch break right now.

I left the building and headed towards my car, when-

“Wait! Taecyeon-sshi.” Someone had latched onto my hand.

I turned around, fearing it was a fan.

But it was the girl from yesterday, BoA’s friend.

“Oh. Annyeonghasseo.” I bowed.

She bowed back, and then handed me a piece of paper, with-.

“I got it from BoA’s phone yesterday. It’s the address you were looking for. She doesn’t know I gave it to you.”

She bowed, and left.

I stared at the piece of paper in my hand.
Wow, I’d actually.. got it.

Smooth, Taecyeon, smooth. *toothy grin*

JYP President’s POV

“It’s been a while.”, the YG President said, by way of greeting.
“I know, how’ve you been?” I answered, and blew out a puff of air. I was smoking a cigar. He had politely declined. 

“Managing, of course.”, he answered lightly. “You?”

“Confident. I think 2B3 was the right choice.”, I said.  

 “What do you think about the Park Soo Man?”, he suddenly asked.

I stubbed out my cigar. “Why?”
“I’m just curious.”
I laughed. “Is this an interrogation, or something?”
“No”, he shifted slightly.

I smiled and said, “I think Park Soo Man’s a right old hag… but he’s damn cunning, and good at what he does.”

The YG President hesitated and then went on, “I need your help. You don’t have a prepared artist to debut next year. I’ve got someone I need you to take under your wing.”

“Fine.”

“Tha-“

“I have one condition, though.”
“What is it?”

“I want a trade. I get two from YG, one I choose, the other, you decide.” 

“Name the person you want.”
“Park Hanul. Jaebum’s sister.”

“That’s the person I was going to request you to take.”

“Really? I would’ve thought she was last person you’d wanted to give up. She’s damn brilliant.”

“I know that. But I can’t debut her.”

“Don’t you want her as a backup dancer?”

“Sure I do.”
“Then…”

“Look. Just take her. I don’t want to have to explain myself to you.”

“All right”, I said. Then I smiled, “Who would’ve thought the great YG President would have a soft side?”

He turned away, annoyed.

“All right, all right”, I said. “I was only joking. Don’t get uptight, hey. Anyways, we’re… what’s the saying? Killing one bird with two stones?”

“It’s killing two birds with one stone.” , he sighed.

“Exactly. Less loss for you, more gain for me.”

I stuck out my hand.

He delicately, using three fingers, shook it.

I grinned at his uptight personality. “Deal.”

a/n: i wrote a lot. 0.0
familiar picture, hellopanda23? :3
mayvin, can i steal your profile pic? it's so fitting for this story. XD