Chapter 4

The boys started promotions and wrapped-up their 3-day concert without a hitch.

At the celebratory company dinner on the last day, everyone seemed to be having a good time, except Hoseok who was nursing a glass of beer in a corner, not participating in the conversation and looking totally depressed.

“Hoseok-ah,” I called up gently, walking up to him, “this is a party; you should be celebrating.”

“You of all people should know why I’m not.” he told me, not even looking up.

I sighed and sat down next to him. “No new development on the baby-daddy situation?”

He looked up at me, with the saddest eyes and then shook his head, looking back down.

“Actually, yes, there is.”

I looked up at him in surprise, waiting for him to go on.

“She said she definitely won’t have an abortion. I tried to convince her, but she won’t have it.” he said, despondently.

“Of course she won’t have it… it’s her only card against you. She knows you’ll toss her away if she does.” I replied, trying to keep the snarkiness out of my voice.

“Yeah but why? Why does she want this? Does she seriously think I’ll fall in love with her in time?!” he exclaimed, with wide, pathetic eyes.

I sighed, patting his hand, “Who knows, Hobi… girls, when they’re in love… or think they’re in love… they can believe crazy things…”

He shook his head again, like that was beyond belief.

“Let me try talking to her again…” I proposed, and he looked up at me, eyes full of hope.

“But I can’t promise anything.” I warned.

***

The next day, I was waiting for J-Hope’s maybe-future-bride in a coffee shop in Apujeong, wondering wtf I was doing there. Why was I even helping him? He didn’t deserve it, to be honest… and he did deserve to suffer, for being such a cold-hearted playboy jerk. But I guess, I just didn’t think he deserved to pay the price for the rest of his life.

The girl arrived, looking in a much better mood than anyone had the right to be, given the situation, and sat down in front of me.

“Unnie, thank you for meeting me.” she greeted me.

Actually I’d let her believe that I agreed to meet as a favor to her, to give her some news about Hoseok.

“So how is he?”

“No good.” I answered truthfully, and she frowned. “Our management found out about the situation and put him on house arrest. They are furious.”

“Oh.”

“Hun,” I said, reaching for her hand, “I understand how you feel, really I do, but please understand that if you do this to him, you’ll ruin his life.”

She extricated her hand from under mine and scrunched up her nose unpleasantly. “Ending up with me would ruin his life?” she asked me, obviously insulted.

“Yes.” I answered flatly. I was fine if she wanted to play that game.

She looked back at me, eyes condescending but said nothing and only flicked her hair behind her shoulder as she said, “well, I guess we’re all lucky the decision is not up to you then. Maybe if it was you who was in my place, you’d understand…”

“I doubt it. I would never force someone who doesn’t want to be with me into a relationship with such a dirty trick.”

She scoffed.

“You really want to spend the rest of your life with someone who despises you?”

“He doesn’t despise me!” she shouted, a bit too loudly and a few other customers turned around.

“Sweetie.” I said, in a honeyed b*tch-voice as I narrowed my eyes at her.

She stared back defiantly.

“Fine,” I pretended to dust my hands off, “think what you want. I guess living in your little fantasy world is better than facing reality anyhow.”

She was so offended by my comment that she stood up. As she turned to leave I grabbed her arm and said “Wait!”

She turned to look back at me with her eyes full of contempt.

“Before you leave, I need you to do something for me.” I said, and fished into my bag for a small box, which I tossed at her. Her eyes grew even wider when she saw what it was.

It was a pregnancy test.

“I don’t freakin’ owe you anything!” she snapped back, throwing the box at me.

“You’re right. You don’t. But if you don’t do it now, it’ll be our lawyers coming to your house and waiting outside your bathroom door while you pee. Your choice.” I bluffed.

She looked at me, eyes shooting fire, and then grabbed the box out of my hands and stormed into the ladies’ room.

She was in there a loooong time. I’d almost thought that she’d found a way to run off without my noticing her, but she came out finally, nearly 40 minutes later and deposited the stick softly on the table in front of me, before walking away without a word. I watched her exit the café in a kind of stunned awe before looking back down at the object in front of me. But then my eyes widened in surprise as I saw the results it displayed: one little blue line. One.

She was not pregnant.

***

Hoseok was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, headphones in his ears, as he looked at his phone with a passive expression when I walked in the practice room less than an hour later. I walked towards him without greeting anyone – eyes intent on my target – and tossed the pregnancy test onto his lap.

“Wtf is this?” he asked, fuddling with the small object as he looked up at me.

I didn’t say anything and nodded towards the stick in his hand. He looked down at it, then back at me, confused.

“She’s not pregnant.” I stated, restraining the urge to roll my eyes.

“What?!?” he exclaimed, trying to stand up and nearly dropping his phone to the ground in the process, but managing to save it by holding on to his earphone cord. By that point all eyes in the room where on us.

“She was faking so you’d be with her.” I added, since he still looked at me in total disbelief.

“but… but…” he started, and then he let out this squeal of pure, unabashed joy, running up to give me a hug that was so tight, it was far from being pleasant. “Nari, thank you!!” he said, eyes shining with unshed tears and the look of most sincere gratitude that I’d ever seen on his face. That alone made the corner of my mouth perk up into a tiny smile, though I tried not to let it show. Then he barked another hyper laugh-squeal, and kissed my cheek violently, before running off towards the door.

“Where the heck are you going?!” I asked him, baffled.

He stopped in his tracks and turn to shine his bright “J-Hope” smile in my direction before saying, “to tell Bang PD!”

***

Hoseok’s radiating happiness was short-lived. The minute we walked into the boss’ office, the smile was wiped right off his face. Although he was glad that it was a false alarm, Bang PD was still furious about the whole thing and yelled at him for a solid 15 minutes. When he was finally done, he told Hoseok to let this serve him as a warning, and to “keep it in his pants” until further notice.

Hoseok walked out of there looking totally deflated. I tried to give him a smile to cheer him up, but he had the look of a puppy whose owners had suddenly decided to abandon it in the woods.

“Come on, cheer up, kid.” I told him, throwing a fake punch at his shoulder, trying to make him laugh but my voice lacking true enthusiasm.

He looked up at me, like he didn’t know what he was supposed to do with his life from now on and I felt a little pang in my heart. Then he willed himself to smile, and said “Thanks, Nari.” in a quiet voice, starting to walk towards the elevator.

“Hey,” I said, “at least you’re not getting married.”

He turned towards me, narrowing his eyes in an expression that said he really didn’t think that was funny, and I laughed. The elevator pinged and the doors split open. He scrunched up his nose and made that little hamster face he always did when he was annoyed and I chuckled more. I guess we were going to survive this.