Minho insisted on picking me up on Saturday night and I accepted, not really eager to walk around Hongdae all by myself. Everyone was already there by the time we walked in, and they greeted us with drunken shouts and cheers. And for once I played fast and loose with the alcohol, glad that for once my thoughts were not focused on a tall charismatic and y man. 

“Hey, did you see the news today?” Sunny asked as we sat around a booth
“There were pictures and all”
 
Minho nudged me with his elbow “I told you the press wasn’t going to keep quiet for too long”

“What kind of pictures” I asked “I haven’t had a chance to follow the news.” Honestly I hadn’t  Tablo had me on a short leash, not much time to surf the net, even today I had training seasons and it was the weekend. 

“Well, there are pictures of Seungri after he spent some time with a hooker” Sunny said

“Hooker?”

“We don’t know if it was a hooker” interrupted Minho 

“She is a hooker in my book, she slept with him, sold the pictures and gave details to the press.” continued Sunny “but rumor has it there are pictures of the others enjoying Japan’s nightlife too, not as hardcore as Seungri’s but that’s why they all are on lockdown”

My heart was pounding wildly even as I told myself that Seunghyun and I had maintained  good communication up until the lockdown I’m sure the press doesn’t have anything on him. “So they got dirt on all of them?”

 Looked up at Minho who was nodding solemnly “looks like it, though we are not sure though”

The conversation then moved to discuss the pros of being in Korea on YG territory. I stood up “excuse me guy, I need to get some fresh air.

“Are you ok?” sunny asked 

I swallowed hard, feeling my chest tighten “Yeah, its just the smoke is getting me a bit dizzy” I said and excused myself before they could ask any more questions.

Minho accompanied me outside, standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets as I paced the sidewalk. 

“You should go back inside” I told him, taking deep breaths to calm myself “it’s more fun inside”

He gave me a side smile “I’m not about to let you stand out here by yourself”. He kicked a discarded bottle on the ground “You must really care about the sumbes after all you were their manager right?”
 
 I nodded “yeah, they are great, I don’t want them to suffer after al their hard work:

“They really care about you too, when I was there and they found out we had been practicing together, they asked a lot about you, and how you were doing, they talked about you a lot”

“They talked about me?” 

“Yeah, all the time” Minho said “Even Top Hyung, he doesn’t talk much to us but when they were talking about you he would talk too.”

That brought an unexpected smile to my face

Minho came closer and rubbed my shoulders. A touch that seemed comforting at first, until it went on a little too long. I frowned up at him and opened my mouth to ask what he was doing, when he bent down and touched his lips to mine. 

I pulled away as if electrocuted. “What”

Minho held his hands up and took a step back “I’m sorry”

“What were you doing?”

“I think I was trying to kiss you”

“I know that” I said “But, why?”

“Because I like you?” he said, the end of the sentence lilting up as is he was asking a question

I paused, “you know Minho, Seunghyun and I are together”

His eyes widened, all color draining from his face “, I didn’t know” he stuck his hands back in his pocket “, sorry no one mentioned anything”

“It’s our fault, we haven’t told many people, and we would like it to remain like that”

“Yes, I understand, . I’m sorry” he said his head hanging low.

“No harm done, let’s head back inside”

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