[TRIGGER WARNING!! Stalking]

Zico arrived at his apartment complex by 5:07 am. He stayed inside his car until 5:15, making it to his room by 5:25. He yawned widely as he input his passkey. Six chimes—maybe seven. He closed his door carefully behind him, a consideration to his neighbors, disappearing inside the would-be sanctuary of his home.

Sighing wistfully, she walked over, placing her hand on the smoothness of the door, the barrier that kept them apart almost each night. She leaned her back against it, sliding down to the ground as she imagined herself inside with him.

If she tried to unlock the door, she would surely fail. Her Zico had become so careful since the last time she’d tried to enter his home. His passkey became longer and longer, leaving her to wonder just how many tries it would take for her to finally get inside.

She thought back on the days that they would exchange smiles, the memories that made her warm and fuzzy inside. The time when Zico would smile for her camera was long gone, but his smile had been especially bright when she’d aimed her camera lens at him. He could tell her apart from the rest, his favorite fansite master.

He had smiled so brightly and it had been just for her.

Blood Rose still wasn’t sure why Zico had started to hate her. She wasn’t sure what was so wrong about her love for him. There really wasn’t anything wrong with it at all. Wasn’t it normal to want to be beside the person you loved?

She worshiped the ground he walked on, reveled in his breath and his every triumph. No other BBC had given herself as completely to Zico as Blood Rose had. Their betrayal had hurt her deeply until she’d realized that she could have Zico all to herself.

She had loved that idea so much she’d become the phantom of his life, watching him from the shadows, always nearby but far enough that he would not notice—most of the time anyway. Her life was his and his life was hers. Completely, entirely.

She heard Zico’s raspy bass seep through. Smiling, she pressed her ear to the door, ignoring the cold hard tiles underneath her as she shifted her weight. She pressed herself closer, soaking up his voice.

“….no…tries… talked to…”

Blood Rose pressed her ear so hard against the door that it hurt.

“…Song Eun Mi….take care…important…hyung…”

She jumped away from the door as if she’d been electrocuted. Her blood boiled with rage, her fist clenching and unclenching as her nostrils flared with angry breaths.

Again. There she was again!

“That damned ,” she hissed. “I’ll kill her. I swear I will!”

Blood Rose kicked Zico’s door hard, feeling the pain on her toes as she ran away. She heard Zico opening the door, saw him looking around before he spotted her slipping out of the emergency exit.

“Hey!”

Running as fast as she could, Blood Rose escaped. Her mind churned, conjuring up methods that would guarantee getting rid of Song Eun Mi. Scaring her away from Zico hadn’t worked. That was child’s play.

Blood Rose had to step up her game. She had to eradicate Song Eun Mi before Zico cared for her any more than he already did. She was a threat to their relationship that had to disappear.

Taewoon cursed as his phone blasted into life, startling him awake. He reached over, shielding his eyes from the bright glare.

“I thought you weren’t going to answer,” Zico’s voice came through as a hushed whisper.

“I almost didn’t,” Taewoon pulled the phone away from his ear, squinting to make sure it really was Jiho on the other end.

“Did I wake you up?”

“Mm. What’s going on?”

There was a pause. Taewoon rubbed his eyes, propping himself up. He could tell something was going on. His brother became unusually quiet whenever he had really important things to say or when really unpleasant things happened.

It was one of Jiho’s greatest contradictions. On a stage, in front of thousands of people, he could deliver his feelings in swift, near perfect raps. Before his family members and closest friends, he had a harder time saying what was on his mind.

Taewoon sat up, placing his feet firmly on the ground. “Jiho, what’s wrong?”

“Hyung.”

The slight, almost undetectable tremor in Jiho’s voice had Taewoon bursting into action. “Where are you? What happened?”

Taewoon threw on a pair of sweats and a wrinkled shirt. He dug around for his car keys as Jiho told him that the stalker had found him. Again.

“Hyung, I don’t want to stay here.”

“I know. I’m coming to get you.”

Jiho gave a shaky breath. “I can’t go home, hyung. What if they follow me there?”

“Did you tell security? We won’t come home. We can use the apartment.”

“No!”

Taewoon nearly lost his balance as he struggled to get into his shoes. “No?”

“I won’t go there.”

“Jiho.”

“No. Not the apartment. They can’t know about the apartment. I’ll go…I’ll go to Leader HQ.”

Taewoon cursed as the cool, early morning breeze chilled him. He jogged to the car, arguing with Jiho all the while.

“There’s no privacy in that place.”

“That’s exactly why it’s a good place to hide.”

“Dammit, Jiho, cameras will be on you. I know your work ethic is ironclad, but even you need to be human every once in a while.”

It was a thirty minute drive from their family home to Jiho’s place. They argued the entire time. When Jiho jumped into Taewoon’s car, their argument picked up right where it had left off. By this point, Taewoon had given into Jiho’s demands, though he knew that arguing with him would keep him from a breakdown.

“How’s mom?” Jiho changed gears. “You’re making sure she’s okay, right?”

“Of course I am.”

“It would have been nice if we’d had a sister. She could have kept her company.”

Taewoon sighed. “We would’ve driven the poor girl crazy.”

“She would have hated to have us as brothers.”

Taewoon turned into the alley that would lead them straight to HQ. Jiho had fallen silent beside him, his head hanging. He wondered when his brother had last slept. Neither of them were the best at keeping a clean health record, but at least Taewoon tried to sleep.

Ahead, a sleek black van stopped. Taewoon sighed, wondering who would be arriving at HQ as early as his crazy brother. The lack of movement roused Jiho.

“Oh. We’re here. Thanks, hyung.”

“Jiho, are you sure you don’t want to go to the apartment?”

Jiho gave him a weak, tired smile. “I’m sure. I’ll see you later, hyung.”

Taewoon watched as Jiho shuffled up to the front door. The van had gone on its way. Eun Mi stood on the side of the road, watching Jiho make his way up to her.

Her eyes traveled from Jiho to Taewoon, holding his gaze. Jiho stopped, looking from Eun Mi to his brother. Eun Mi took a step towards him. Taewoon nearly jumped out of the car. He longed to go to her, comfort her. He wanted to hide her away from the world.

In fact, Taewoon wanted to take both Jiho and Eun Mi and hide them in a place where no one would ever find them. Their faces were a reflection of one another’s, exhausted and sleep deprived. Their shoulders hung, the near unbearable weight of their circumstances pushing down on them.

Eun Mi made as if to run to him, stopped, glanced at Jiho, and then, with a herculean effort, turned and disappeared inside HQ. Taewoon exhaled, understanding. Jiho looked at Taewoon, his expression pained.

“Go.” Taewoon waved him away. He stuck around until he was sure Jiho had made it inside before driving away.

Zico’s soul nearly left his body when he found Eun Mi lingering just beside the front gate.

“Holy !” Zico pressed a hand to his chest. “Eun Mi, what are you doing here?”

Eun Mi’s lip twitched in an exhausted attempt to smile. Her eyes, plagued by dark circles, latched onto him. All the joy and life seemed to be missing. She played with her fingers, picking at the tiny rhinestones on her nails. Zico watched her, confused.

He waited for her to say what she was struggling to ask. Zico yawned as Eun Mi continued to wring her hands.

Their phones chimed simultaneously, making them jump at their loud chime. Zico, losing his footing, smacked into the front gate. Eun Mi reached out to steady him, pulling him upright.

“Are you alright?”

Zico rubbed his head, cursing under his breath. He grumbled as he checked his phone, his words fading.

“Hey. Check your phone.”

Eun Mi did as he said. “O-oh.”

On their screens, they both had the exact same message from Taewoon: Get some sleep. Or else.

Yawning again, too tired to care about the deeper meaning of the chatroom’s existence, Zico threw his arm around Eun Mi’s shoulder. She staggered under his weight, staring up at him.

“Do you want to find out what that ‘Or else’ is?”

“Not really.”

Zico nodded. “Me either. He punches really hard.”

“Does he still hit you?”

“Should that surprise you?”

Eun Mi walked beside him, her arm tentatively around his waist. “You probably deserve it.”

Zico gave her a gentle shake. “I am the best little brother in the world. I don’t deserve anything but love.”

“Good little brothers don’t steal their hyung’s chicken.”

“He told you about that?!”

Eun Mi opened the front door, slipping inside with a tiny laugh. Zico followed her, arguing about his merits as a little brother. Eun Mi listened to him, contradicting every point with one of Taewoon’s.

They settled on the sofa. Eun Mi refused to share her blanket, leaving Zico to wrap his hoodie closer around him.

Sometime during their argument, they fell asleep, the fears and worries of the idol life momentarily forgotten.

Eun Kyung paced back and forth, biting her nails. She could not believe she was back walking the length of the street on which MBK Entertainment was located. She’d sworn never to do this ever again, especially now that Taewoon no longer spent his days within the company’s walls.

She’d considered this her last resort. Eun Kyung had gone to the police station several times; they hadn’t taken her seriously, in fact, they had straight up told her that unless she could prove that Blood Rose was up to no good, they wouldn’t do anything. More than once, Eun Kyung kicked herself for never asking the girl’s real name. If she had known, maybe they would have taken her seriously.

She thought of taking to the internet, but that could easily be dismissed as a mere rumor unless she executed it just right. She messaged several fansite masters about her encounter with Blood Rose. They’d been more willing to listen than the police. They had promised her that they would do their best to contact the company and warn Zico. Still, Eun Kyung felt it wasn’t enough.

The sun shone brightly overhead, warm but lacking the heat of summer. Passerby gave her odd looks, some elderly even stopped for skipping school. Eun Kyung got away from them by saying that she was out on a research project. By noon, Eun Kyung sat on the curb of the road, defeated.

“What am I doing? Woo Taewoon oppa doesn’t even work her anymore.” She pounded on her head with her fist. “Get yourself together, Nam Eun Kyung.”

A small commotion across the street made her focus. She could see two young men arguing just behind the glass doors of the company building. A handful of fans dashed across the street, whispering amongst themselves.

Eventually, Kim Jungwoo exited the building. He thundered down the stairs, swinging on a jacket as he went. Expecting someone else, the fans dispersed. Jungwoo did not stop as he gave a sharp turn, disappearing from Eun Kyung’s sight as he left MBK behind.

On a whim, Eun Kyung chased after him. Her clumsy footfalls alerted him of her presence. Clearly perturbed and angry, Jungwoo’s handsome face contorted into displeasure at the sight of her reaching for him. He sidestepped her and she very nearly tumbled over.

“Listen, I’m not in the mood for this today.” His voice was tight, not at all like the sweet sound she had gotten used to.

Eun Kyung righted herself, catching her breath. “P-please listen to me. I-I have something important to say.”

Jungwoo rolled his eyes. “I doubt it.”

Worn and exhausted from days of worry, pushed to her limits, Eun Kyung’s eyes swelled with angry tears. She stomped her foot, spreading her arms to keep him from walking away. Jungwoo took a step back, startled.

“Listen to me! If the police won’t, then at least you can!”

This gave Jungwoo pause. Placing his own struggles and anger aside, Jungwoo took a moment to analyze her. Recognition flickered in his eyes.

“Nam Eun Kyung.”

Eun Kyung’s breath caught. The sound of her name validated her efforts. “Jungwoo oppa.”

And just like that, she burst into tears. Her sobs, though quiet, still drew the attention of pedestrians. Jungwoo, the most startled of the lot, attempted to comfort her. Taking her gently by the arm, he led her to a small coffee shop. Once Eun Kyung calmed down, he relaxed.

“What are you doing here, Eun Kyung? Didn’t you say you would be too busy studying to be a fan?” A tiny smile playing at the corner of his lips. His hair had grown long enough to be caught in his lashes between blinks.

Eun Kyung suddenly felt very self-aware. She could smell the sunlight in her hair, the wind on her skin, and car exhaust on her uniform. She half-hid behind her bangs, hoping that Jungwoo didn’t come too close to smell the entire city of Seoul on her.

“Oppa, do you know Zico?”

Jungwoo blinked. “Zico?”

Eun Kyung nodded. “Taewoon oppa’s little brother.”

Jungwoo waved her explanation aside. “Yes, yes, I know who he is. But why do you want to know? What’s going on Eun Kyung?”

Exhaling, relieved that someone finally seemed to be taking her seriously, Eun Kyung sat at the edge of her chair, pouring out the past month’s events, starting with the encounter with Blood Rose and ending with her desperate attempt to reach Zico through Taewoon.

“I know it sounds awful, but I was desperate. Blood Rose is not in her right mind.”

Jungwoo rubbed his jaw, his eyes narrowed. He’s been listening attentively to her tale from the start, his expression growing darker with each word she uttered.

“Oppa,” Eun Kyung panicked at his expression. She reached over to take his hand in hers without thinking, grasping it pleadingly. “Please believe me. Zico’s in trouble.”

Even as she spoke, Eun Kyung heard the ridiculousness of her pleas. Blood Rose was crazy, but she had not said that she would do anything to hurt the object of her obsessive love. The look in her eyes had been what had sent Eun Kyung in a desperate search to find help.

“Calm down, Eun Kyung-ah.” Jungwoo held her hand gently, reaching over to her cheek. “I’ll talk to Jiho and tell him what’s going on, okay?”

“You will?” Eun Kyung’s entire face lit up at his promise.

“Mm. Give me your number, and I’ll stay in touch. Or will it be okay if I gave it to Taewoon or Jiho if they need to ask you some questions?”

“O-of course!”

Eun Kyung couldn’t believe that Kim Jungwoo had just asked her for her number. She also couldn’t believe the circumstances that had led to his asking. She fumbled with his phone for a moment before managing to input in her contact information.

Jungwoo smiled at her, kindly ruffling her hair as he stood up. “Don’t worry, Eun Kyung-ah. Leave this to us, alright?”

The way he said it made her feel as if she had been intruding, forcing her way into a world that she didn’t belong in. She had the sudden thought that idol business was idol business and even though she had been trying to help them, she’d crossed a line that she was not aware existed.

Jungwoo smiled at her again, promising that he’d pass on her message. She watched him walk away then double back and ask for her cellphone.

“You need to have my number, too. In case you see Blood Rose, you need to have a way of contacting me.”

Eun Kyung nodded.

Jungwoo stood beside her, seemingly indecisive about something. He rubbed his finger over his lip, deep in thought.

“Oppa?”

“Eun Kyung-ah. Blood Rose, does she own a Block B hoodie?”

“Yes. She carries it around with her everywhere. She said Zico gave it to her personally during a fanmeet.”

Jungwoo inhaled sharply. Again, he patted her head. “Thank you, Eun Kyung-ah. You’ve worked hard. Now go home, go to school, and live like a normal student.”

Something in his voice made her heart ache. He looked defeated and torn.

“Oppa.” She stood, hugging him before she changed her mind. “Thank you for giving us so much of your youth. Please, be happy now.”

Jungwoo stood very still in her embrace. He could feel the eyes of several other patrons on them. He swallowed hard, returning her hug ever so briefly. In a whisper so soft she almost missed it, he said, “It was all for DEEPS.”

Then he was gone, walking out the door and hailing a taxi.

Eun Kyung sank into her chair. She sat there, watching people come and go just outside the coffee shop, staring at the spot Jungwoo had disappeared from. Eventually, an employee asked her if she needed any help.

“No,” she whispered. “I’m alright.”

But she wasn’t alright. She was tired, worried, and tense. Eun Kyung knew it was too late to go to school and too early to go home, but she needed rest. With a heaving sigh, she took her backpack, thanked the staff in the shop, and headed out in search of the nearest sauna.