Crossing The Line
My Perfect Stranger 
The next week or so was hectic. I could barely step outside my apartment without someone following me. So I've been laying low and staying inside unless I had something important to do.
As expected, the media's been blowing this story way out of proportion. There have been rumors like 'I'm two timer' and 'I used to be an '. The crazy part is people actually believe these stories!
Things haven't been all negative though. Thanks to my medication and limited time outside, my stress levels have really gone down. I feel like I can finally be myself without wanting to scream every second.
I also get to see my boys way more. Since I've been home a lot, they've really kept me company and helped me in this process of recovery. Thankfully, my mom and Jonghyun's mom are gracious enough to drop off and pick up my boys from school. I don't think being seen with them right now would protect them much.
Lastly, Minho's been a huge support to me right now. I actually feel really guilty for dragging him into this. He doesn't deserve to have to put up with the media, but he does for me and the boys. During this past week, his occurrence has become quite familiar with them. I guess I should enjoy the fun while it lasts, because pretty soon I'll have to meet with my lawyer about this case with Jonghyun.
"Uno!" screamed Minho as we all sat in a circle on the living room floor with Jongin and Taemin.
"No fair!" whined Taemin, who sat across from him. "I totally would've won. Your giraffe neck helped you peek at my cards!"
Everyone burst out laughing. Minho countered, "Well, it's not my fault that you're a shorty. And I didn't peek at your cards. You're too far away anyway, bud."
"Noooo. You just have a big head! Umma, tell him he's a cheater!"
I tried to speak through my laughter. "Taemin, let's not be a sore loser. You don't see your brother getting mad now do you?"
Jongin joined. "That's because this is is our third time playing this. Can we play something else?"
I put my cards down. "Sure. Like what."
His eyes widened. "Minho! I beat your score on Soccer 2k14! Wanna try and beat me?"
Minho's eyes widened. "You did what?! How is that even possible? My score was really high!"
Jongin giggled. "That's because I'm better than you."
"Oh, you're so on!" They raced to clean up the cards and hook up the game system. I knew I had no control over this. Guys and their games are something otherworldly to me.
I decided I'd might as well start preparing dinner while they played their souls away. It always brought a smile to my face to see them bonding.
While I was cooking, I the radio for comfort. Talk radio was always my favorite since I could catch up on celebrity scoop. Sadly, I forgot that the scoop was me.
- "In other news, have you guys heard about what's been happening with Kim Kibum, Kim Jonghyun, and Choi Minho?"
- "Yeah! It's a modern day love triangle at its finest."
- "I can't help but to feel bad for Kibum. I mean, he's a single parent in the entertainment industry. That within itself must be demanding. Obviously, whatever caused him to end things with Jonghyun must have been serious."
- "In my opinion, I don't really feel bad for him when dealing with the business side of things. Think about it. He's a celebrity hairstylist and is dating one of Korea's most famous soccer players. On top of that, his ex is Kim Jonghyun. He should've saw this coming! If he didn't want a story like this coming out, he should've did a better job at hiding it."
- "Well, yeah, but you can't always control what stories get published to the public. People seem to forget that he's a person as well. He doesn't just have himself to protect, but his children as well."
- "Then he should've tried even harder to keep this a secret. I have no sympathy for him."
Wow this person was a .
- "Like I said before, we can't control everything that happens in life. I just wish him the best and I hope that others do as well."
Then they moved on to the next topic. I shut off the radio as I continued to cook and think about what was just said. It really pisses me off sometimes that people feel so negative towards me and they don't even know me. It's not like what's going on in my life affects them in any way.
On the other hand, there are people out there who support me. Those people always give me such comfort. It's funny how a complete stranger could make me feel just a tad bit better about my situation. I've received so many supportive tweets on Twitter, it's unbelievable.
The house phone rang and I ran over to see it was my lawyer. "Hello?"
"Hello, r. Kim. How are things going?"
"Good. I'm cooking now while the kids and Minho play games."
"Oh, that's nice. Family time is important." It seemed like he was stalling.
"Is there something you have to tell me?"
He sighed. "Kim Jonghyun was released from his holding cell today on bail."
My eyes widened. "Really?!"
"Yeah. It's all over the news. Haven't you been watching?"
"Minho doesn't want me looking at that. He fears that I'll get stressed out again if I worry about what others are saying about the situation."
"That's understandable, but Mr. Kim, you should watch the news tonight and see this. It comes on in about five minutes so please prepare."
"Ok. Thanks for giving me a heads up."
"Anytime. Also, when are we going to meet to set a trial?" I was silent. "Mr. Kim, you can't keep avoiding the topic. Obviously, negotiating with Kim Jonghyun won't work because history has shown that he'll revert back to his old ways. We need to proceed with the charges against him. He's left us no choice."
"But wouldn't that just add more fuel to the fire with the media?"
"Mr. Kim, who's more important? The media? Or your children? I think you know what you should do."
I sighed. "Ok, when do you want me to come to your office?"
"Is tomorrow fine?"
"Yeah it should be. I've stayed home long enough. I guess it's time to face the music."
"You'll be fine. I'll make sure cops are there to keep paparazzi out of your way, just in case."
"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow then." Then we hung up.
I cut off the stove then went to the living room. Those three dorks were still playing that game like their lives depended on it.
"Excuse me, boys, I need to see something really quick. Can you turn off the game for a few minutes?" They ignored me. "Yah," I tried again. Still nothing.
Annoyed, I walked to the back of the TV and pulled out the cords that connected the game to it. There were whines and groans from them as I turned to the news.
"Thanks for tuning in. It's been reported earlier today that Korean idol, Kim Jonghyun, has been released from his holding cell. When asked about the situation, he chose not to comment as he swiftly headed towards his vehicle. Sources say Mr. Kim continuously asked to speak to Kim Kibum, the person many say is the reason why he was behind bars. Bizarre right?" I scoffed. Way to make him sound innocent.
"This news has created an uproar on social media sites. There have been hate groups against Kim Kibum on Facebook, anti-fans bagging him on Instagram, and even death threats on Twitter." But why not talk about the support I've received as well? Why must they only focus on the negative side of things? "I don't know how Kim Kibum is handling this, but if I were him, I'd run for cover."
"Ok, that's enough," said Minho as he changed the channel to cartoons.
"Yah!" I snapped. "I was watching that!"
"Kibum, what have I told you about watching the news? All of this negative attention is not good for you to focus on."
"I need to know what's going on, Minho. I can't continue living under a rock."
"Umma," said Taemin, "Appa's in jail? I thought you said Appa was on a vacation. So you lied to us?"
I quickly went to him and Jongin. "No, baby. Your appa was on a vacation. He had to take time away for himself, though it may not be a normal vacation. But he's back home now."
Jongin piped up. "Really?! Can we see him?"
I shook my head. "I don't think now is a great time, baby. Appa needs some rest ok?" They nodded. "Now, go watch tv upstairs. I need to speak with Minho." They ran towards the stairs to their room.
After watching them disappear, I turned to see Minho giving me the look. "What now, Minho?"
"How long are you going to keep sugar coating this to them? Key, they may be young, but they need to know what's going on."
"I did tell them."
"What, about his little 'vacation'? Key, they need to know the severity of the situation. When will you let them know?"
I closed my eyes and sighed before opening them. "Minho, I'm done talking about this."
"No!" He surprised me. "I'm sick of you running away from things! We need to talk about this!"
"If I don't want to then I don't have to!"
"You need to tell your kids."
"Look, I know what's best for them because they're my kids! So before you try to tell me how to parent, how about you get a pair of your own!" Things went silent after that. It was then that I knew I went too far. "Minho, I-"
"Save it. You're right. I don't have my own kids so I shouldn't have a say-so in things that happen with the boys-"
"Minho-"
"I'll never understand, right? Never understand what it means to love a child so much I'd give my own life to save theirs. I'll never understand, huh?"
"You know that's not what I meant-"
"Because after all of this time I spent with those boys, those were the feelings that built up inside of me. I would do anything for them. I make that pretty clear everyday. But I guess since I don't have my own kids, I'll never understand." He gave me a lingering look before heading towards the door.
I quickly went after him and grabbed his arm to turn him around. "Minho.....I'm sorry, ok? I didn't mean that. It's just.....I've been holding in a lot lately to avoid getting stressed out. Just the thought of telling my boys about the situation gives me anxiety. So I tried to avoid it as much as possible because I knew that situation would be very stressful for me. Honey, I'm very grateful for you. You treat the boys as if they're your children, and I really appreciate it. I just need you to trust me on this."
He sighed before engulfing me into a hug. "It'll only harder for you to tell them the longer you wait."
I tightened our hug. "I know, honey. I just can't bring myself to do it."
"Do you want me to help?"
"I would really appreciate it."
"Ok. We should do it now." I groaned. "Come on, Key." He took my hand then led the way upstairs to the boys' room.
"Hey, babies. Me and Minho have something we want to talk to you two about." They both sat on one bed while me and Minho sat on the other.
"Like what umma," asked Jongin.
I sighed. "Remember when I said your appa was on a vacation?" They both nodded. "Well, it was something a bit more serious than that. You guys have heard of jail right?"
Taemin said, "Yeah! It's the place where they send bad people."
I sighed. "Right. Your appa was there."
Their eyes widened. Jongin spoke, "But Appa's a good person. Did he do something bad?"
Minho piped in. "Your appa hurt your umma. Many times actually."
"He hits you, umma?" Taemin said.
I quickly shook my head. "No, sweetie. It's a bit more complicated than that. Honestly, you guys are a bit too young to understand, but you need to know. Your appa is not a bad person. He's just made some mistakes in his life that he needs to fix on his own."
"So Appa's in jail to fix his problems?" Asked Jongin.
"Well, he's out of jail now, but may go back. He should use that time to fix his problems, but it's up to him."
"When will we be able to see him? I miss him, umma," said Taemin as he gave me sad eyes.
I looked towards Minho for strength before saying, "I don't know, baby. Just be patient, ok? You'll see your appa soon enough. I promise."
"Minho?" Asked Taemin.
"Hmm?," Minho answered.
"Will you be our appa if Appa goes away to jail again?"
Minho's brows scrunched as mine widened. I was really caught off guard by that question.
"Umm....well... I don't think I could ever truly replace your appa. I mean he did help in birthing you after all, but I promise to the two of you that I will never leave your sides. I will always be here for you, no matter what. I love you guys as if you're my own."
I smiled slightly after hearing that. My appreciation for Minho grows more and more everyday that I get to spend with him.
Taemin and Jongin got off the bed and ran to hug Minho. He engulfed them both lovingly.
"So," I interrupted, "You'll be ok about your appa not being around?"
Taemin spoke. "We'll miss Appa of course, but as long as we have Minho, everything will be ok."
"Umma, I have a question," said Jongin. "Why were there people taking pictures of us at school?"
Then my heart dropped. "What?! There were people at your school taking pictures? How did they look?"
"Well, they were tall with fancy looking cameras. When we were at recess, they took pictures of me and Tae while we were playing. First I thought they were for the yearbook, but the people kept asking questions about you. I didn't know the answers to them and they scared me so I ignored them. My teacher told the principal and then the scary people left."
Please don't tell me they were paparazzi. After all I've done to protect my boys, those sleaze bags somehow found out where my boys go to school! Now they have pictures of them and are probably going to be all over the Internet!
"Don't worry about that, Jongin. Umma, will take care of it. Now get ready for bed, boys."
Me and Minho walked to my bedroom and closed the door.
"Key-"
"I know. This is ridiculous! Do those s not understand privacy?! I mean, if it was me, I wouldn't give a damn. But these are innocent minors! They have absolutely nothing to do with anything, yet they're getting exposed to the world!"
"Key, your blood pressure."
I inhaled and exhaled deeply through my nostrils. "I'm just really upset. I don't want my boys in this. They don't deserve this. Why am I such a ty parent?"
Minho walked up to me and engulfed me into a hug. "Yah, you're not a ty parent. You know this. Key, you can't control everything, ok? Though it's sad that the paparazzi has gotten to your kids, you shouldn't blame yourself. You didn't make this happen. All we can do is pick up the peaces and protect them even more now. "
I melted into his embrace as I let his words sink in. "You're right, as always. I just wish I could hit a reset button and all of my problems would vanish."
"Just stay inside like you've been doing. The storm will blow over."
I pulled back. "I can't. I have to go see my lawyer tomorrow about the case."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"You have practice."
"I can skip practice."
"No, Minho. You have a job and a team to make proud. I'll be fine."
"Just know I'm here for you." He leaned in and kissed me passionately for a few seconds. "I'll see you tomorrow if I can."
Then he left and headed home. I texted Nicole about the situation because I haven't been able to see her much lately because of my problems. I'm happy I have a friend like her though. Tomorrow's surely going to be hell for me. If I could temporarily go deaf, I would in a heartbeat to avoid those offensive questions they love to throw out.
Though it seems pretty stupid, I decided to leave a message on my Twitter.
'Leave my kids out of this. '
Short and simple, but it said everything I wanted. I'm sure social media would get a kick out of this. I'm pretty sure I just dug my own grave, but I could give two s at this point. All I'm worried about is this meeting tomorrow and surviving.
Sorry for the long wait! I would've updated last week, but I was busy packing for GA Girls' State. I just got back today and thought of yall :). Please leave comments ^.~
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