On the very next day, Sungjong was seen kicking pebbles outside of Myungsoo’s studio. There were no signs of Myungsoo’s return but it wasn’t going to stop Sungjong from being there first thing in the morning. With his hands clasped behind his back and his head hanging groundward, he didn’t realize that Myungsoo has been watching him.

Myungsoo exhaled, allowing a puff of cloud to expand before him. “Didn’t I say come back in two days?” His question caught Sungjong’s eyes immediately. The boy looked blue from standing out in the cold for too long in his summer wear.

“I, I just came for my phone. I won’t go inside if you don’t want me to. Just give me back my phone.” Sungjong said holding out a palm, awaiting the device in his hand.

Myungsoo who was still paces away from Sungjong heaved a sigh. “Why are you trying so hard to get your phone back? Were you waiting for some kind of news?”

Sungjong clicked his tongue with scoff and lowered his hand instantly. “Why do you think people refers to phones as their personal belongings? What I do with my phone or who I’m waiting for, why do you want to know? I thought you weren’t the type to be interested in someone else’s business?” Sungjong then mumbled the last part, “Especially when you’re always telling me to mind my own business.”

Myungsoo raised a brow, “I guess you’re right. After all it has no use for me anymore, since you did end up being unable to track down my location the whole day yesterday.” Myungsoo walked forward and pull the device from his jacket then he stopped beside Sungjong and held it out to the pretty man. “Here, take it.”

Sungjong grabbed the item from Myungsoo’s gentle grip and quickly open up his phone. In less than a second he let out an exaggerated gasp. “It’s dead!” Sungjong then quickly lowered his hands and glared into Myungsoo’s eyes. “You have to take responsibility for this.”

“What?” Myungsoo asked with a disfigured expression.

“I told you not to let him die! I told you to charge him!”

“Him?” Myungsoo questioned in a calmer tone. Sungjong then held his phone up to Myungsoo’s eyes.

“Yes, him!”

“You don’t mean your phone?”

Sungjong sighed sharply just to lower his hand once more. “Just because he isn’t barking, doesn’t mean he’s not alive. Don’t you know? Phones nowadays has feelings too. They burn up when they’re used too much or covered in between warm crowds. They scream for attention when someone is calling or texting you. They alert you when their batteries are running low. And just like right now, they die when they’re being mistreated!”

Sungjong’s rambled almost earned himself a punch from Myungsoo. But the man shiftly push the front of his jacket back with his hands before resting them on his hips. Myungsoo his lips to show his disbelief before speaking. “I mistreated your phone so now you’re throwing a fit?”

Sungjong flattened his eyes. “A fit? You think I’m saying and doing all of this just because you mistreated and neglected my phone? Because of your selfishness to take my personal belonging, do you have any idea what you may have done? My only chance to become a step closer to my dream may have slipped by thanks to you!”

Myungsoo noticed the looks in Sungjong’s eyes. There was something about it that caused chills to crawl under Myungsoo’s skin. “If your dream was simply a call or text away from reliance of your phone then it’s probably wasn’t that much of a dream anyway.”

The anger and deadly look in Sungjong’s eyes seemed to have vanished and instead replaced with redness. Without a sign of warning Sungjong threw his phone at Myungsoo, hitting the man’s chest. “You jerk.” Sungjong said between shaken breath. “Who are you to judge the worth of my dream? Just because I didn’t laugh at yours, does it make you feel that much better to look down on mine? You don’t even know what sufferings I have to go through to get so close to it. How many times I have to break my parents hearts to get what I wanted just to feel bad for them every time I accomplish a little of it.” Sungjong said with now watery eyes. “I know my dream may seem pathetic to you and my parents….But it’s something I want to do and can only see myself doing in both short and long terms….So, for a jerk, a stranger like you to judge me….You should be ashame!”

Myungsoo could see the tears that slid down Sungjong’s bony cheeks and sharp jaw. And Sungjong couldn’t care less as his tears stain the color of his light shirt. Sungjong then wipe and clean his face with his bare, hairless arm before spinning around and took off running. Once Sungjong was out of sight, Myungsoo squat down to pick up the man’s phone. Over the screen was a visible large crack that ran from one top to the opposite bottom.

Inside of Myungsoo’s dead studio, the lad open a drawer to his desk. Inside he pulled out a wire and hook it up with Sungjong’s phone. While dropping to his chair, he charged the phone beside him. “What just happened…? I can’t understand kids these days at all….” He whispered to himself before looking over to the device.

When the promised day has arrived there were no signs of Sungjong whatsoever. Myungsoo who was dressed casually, dark blue t-shirt and black jeans, and was busy finishing any last touch he could think of. The photoshoot setting was a very white place, with white background paper, furry carpet, and a white chair in the center. Around the setting were cameras and any appliances good for a perfect picture. Then the sound of footsteps caught Myungsoo’s attention, as he looked toward the door, he was disappointed to see the figure.

“Back in business, already?”

Myungsoo sighed and continue to wander around to see if everything’s in place, as he had visualized. “What’s the special occasion? It’s been forever since you’ve come to this shabby place after our last depart, which was like how long ago? Ten or twenty years?”

The man at the door chuckled, “That’s stretching it. And since when did you started calling this place shabby?”

Myungsoo paused for a moment. The reason was simple. Lee Sungjong.

When they first met, Myungsoo remembered clearly how many times Sungjong insulted his studio as nothing but a shabby place.  

“Seriously, what do you want, Hoya?” Myungsoo asked and this time the buffer man came into the light of the windowless room.

“Come on, is that a way to greet your long distance friend? You have to know it’s not easy for someone like me to sneak in and out of my home to visit just any places.” Hoya said, looking at the arrangements of the room.

Myungsoo sighed and stopped on the set. “You don’t say. Then I guess I should thank you for coming all the way here. Too bad, you should have let me know ahead of time. I could have prepared a photo or basket of fruits for you.” The sarcasm in Myungsoo’s tone was as clear as crystal and which was why Hoya chuckled.

“I know you hate me for not mentioning you once the moment I got big. But you got to admit, it’s thanks to me being able to keep my mouth shut that you’re still enjoying a free lifestyle. The minute I blabbed your name did you think reporters and the media would leave you alone? They’ll chase you until you make a decision to sign under someone who can protect you from them.” Hoya said, sitting down on the couch that Myungsoo has always used as his bed.

“Is that why you came? To offer me protection in return for my services? Was making you famous not enough?”

Hoya sighed heavily and stood up from his seat. “I knew you wouldn’t agree. That’s why I’ve prepared something else for you. Something even better and more powerful than something like protection.” Hoya said in a cooed voice.

“Like what?”

A smirk crawled onto Hoya’s face. “Your sister.”

Ryosuke abused the buttons on the phone trying to reach Sungjong. “Come on Jong….Where are you? What happened to you? Why aren’t you answering?” Ryosuke had a pillow embraced against his chest, to keep his heart from jumping out of his chest. When Sungjong didn’t answer for the countless times Ryosuke threw his phone onto the seat next to him with a groan. Then he wrapped his arms around pillow and started to remember a few day’s ago incident.

Ryosuke was still watching Hoya’s performance in the screen when a voice of a man appeared behind him. “Envy him?” With a flinch, Ryosuke look over his shoulder to see that it was just his manager.

“E-envy…?! No, it’s just….He looks so cool alone on stage.”

“Sure he looks cool but you look beautiful!” The manager tried to brighten Ryosuke’s mood up with the cheerful tone and two thumbs up.

“Beautiful….Yeah right.”

“Come on, why are you sulking? If it makes you feel any better, should I let you in on a secret about the rising star Lee Hoya?”

“A secret?” Ryosuke asked with wider eyes.

“Why? Feeling better already?”

“What’s the secret?” Ryosuke pushed, ignoring his manager’s playful tease.

The man couldn’t help but revealed an amused smile, “They say Hoya is seeing another idol in the industry.”

“Who?!”

“Top secret stuff.” The man said under a whisper, making Ryosuke frown.

“Tell me who.”

“Alright, alright.” The man said before leaning in to whisper the name, “I heard from the crew members that worked with Lee Hoya. They say she’s Kim—”

“Yamada Ryosuke! It’s your turn!” A man said from the door.

“Oh, let’s go!” Ryosuke’s manager said as he grabbed a hold of Ryosuke’s small arm and pulled him along.

Ryosuke sighed. “Hoya....is taken….”

Myungsoo have become frozen at Hoya’s words.

“Why are you like that, don’t you want to see your sister?” Hoya asked. When Myungsoo didn’t move, Hoya continue to speak. “I know you want to see her Myungsoo. She wants to see you too.”

“What tricks are you trying to pull you bastard?” Myungsoo’s voice was low and unhappy.

Hoya sighed, “You think I came all the way here to pull pranks on you? You should know how well your skills can make a person famous.”

“Famous….?”

“That’s right. Haven’t you been paying any close attention to the media at all? It’s so like you, Myungsoo. This is why I know you would hate me even more if I blurted your name out to reporters and companies. That’s why I came to offer you this deal. Become my personal photographer and I’ll help you meet her, in person.”

Myungsoo had to break his gaze away from Hoya to hide the fact that he was desperately in need and want of seeing his sister. But right now was not the best time for him. He thought he was ready to see her, but he has to prepare himself first. It took him about seven years to fully control and contain the monster inside of him. So to see or meet her again, it would mean he would have to prepare well enough to hide the monster, in order for her not to fear him again. In order to keep her from running away from him again. To keep her from being anyone else’s but his, again.