Chapter 17

“Even if I’m going crazy, I need ya; I can’t push you away, even if I try – Out of My Mind”

Another picture appeared.

This time of drunk Young K in a norebang with the same two girls.

A caption accompanied the picture this time.

“Where are you hiding, Young K? Are you too wasted not to find your way home?”

However, the perpetrator’s plan backfired this time.

One, because the band were still on the rise and has not reached full fledged stardom for people to take much notice.

In fact, the picture actually piqued the interest of netizens to know more about them.

Second, because the picture looked staged.

Young K actually looked asleep rather than drunk.

And the band’s cult following were ready to defend their favorite rapper bass player.

In a nutshell, JYPE did not need to do much damage control.

However, this time around, the company president called him personally.

“Boy, you’ll be the death of me!” he hollered.

“Those were the girls I met. But I’m telling you, hyung, I don’t know them!”

JYP sighed.

“Yeah, and crazy part is that I actually believe you.”

“That’s cos you know I’m telling you the truth.”

“Yeah yeah,” the more-like-a-brother president dismissed him. “Well, amutean, Prof Kang is threatening to pull his son out of this business, if you must know.”

Young K cringed at the vision of his strict by-the-book father scolding his industry-revered singer-turned-entertainment-moghul president.

“Noo..! Please forgive him,” Young K  apologised. “I’ll call him and explain.”

“No need. I managed to calm him,” JYP assured him. “Explained that you have a bright future in this business, not just as a singer, and that this scandal is just tiny obstacle we can easily get over.”

“Thank you, sir,” Young K said in relief, so grateful of his mentor’s trust in him.

Having worked his way to the top, JYP knew exactly of the trials snd tribulation an artiste need to go through to be successful.

So, in running his business, he preffered to know his wards personally so as to guide them better.

“Anyway, you have to come back. Elst people will really think you’re guilty. We’ll get someone to to pick you up in a day or two.”

“No, please,” Young K said in panic. ” Give me another week, jeabal. Then we can arrange for me to go back quietly.”

“Mwo? Why would you want to stay further?”

“Not long. I’m just helping the family here with something. Let me just finish it up for them. Then I’ll go home.”

In truth, there was nothing to hold him back.

His debts to the Aiharas could easily be paid off.

There was only one thing that was making him stay.

Just a little slip of a girl with a big heart, and an impossible dream.

***

“I’ll be 18 in three days,” Momo announced.

He smiled at her.

“You sound so happy getting older.”

“Not because of getting older, really,” she grinned. “It’s just that Okasan promised I can date when I turn 18.”

“Why do I suddenly feel angry,” he frowned.

He said the words to her in jest, but internally his heart constricted at the thought of her dating.

Dating anyone else but him.

Momo looked at him and scoffed at his words.

“You must have lots of girlfriends already.”

“Umm... only two in high school,” Young K shook his head thinking back. If you can call two tween dates and one ill-fated middle school crush, girlfriends, he added silently.

And now, with the dating-ban clause imposed by JYP Entertainment, dating seemed like such an alien word.

Also with what happened to their previous ousted member, the band was extra careful with this regulation.

“What about after high school? At your university?” Momo broke his train of thoughts.

“Nope, none since then. We’re not allowed to date.”

“Not allowed? What are you? A soldier or something?”

“Yeah," he chuckled, but mentally slapping himself on the mouth for his slip, “something like that.”

“Not allowed to date, forever?”

“No, not forever. Thank god, only for our first five years. I’ve got three more years to go.”

“Wow, poor you. And I thought waiting till 18 is bad enough. You have to wait until… 25?”

Momo gasped at her calculations.

“Such an old man then.”

Young K laughed at her words and grief stricken face. But the fact that she was not perturbed at the idea of him dating was kind of upsetting him.

Isn’t this where the girl gets jealous or something, he thought. Instead, this girl actually looked appaled at him being single.

“So, how do you envision dating would be?”

“I don’t know, but not the normal things.”

“What's normal?”

“You know, holding hands, watching movies.”

“Then what, if not that?”

“I guess, for me dating would be finding that one special person, one you can talk to, share your dreams with, tell your secret thoughts and you know he won’t laugh at you.”

“You’ve been dating me for the past one month, then,” Young K pointed out.

Momo blushed at the thought, making Young K smile af her obvious discomfort.

Hah, you never thought about it that way, did you girl, he smirked.

He did not know why, but he felt a little possessive towards Momo.

Not lately, but ever since he met her.

While she was cute, she was not overly beautiful or anything.

In fact, Momo was the epitome of a country girl.

Not someone as worldly as a professional musician songwriter like him.

Yet, he knew they connected, as different as they were from each other.

So, in normal circumstances, he would be honoured and happy to date someone like her.

“It’s not the same,” Momo protested, frowning at the idea.

The party pooper once again burst his bubbles. Even if the idea was as far fetched as it could be.

A guy could dream, could he not?

So Young K felt obliged to argue with her.

“What’s not the same?”

“My idea of dating and our friendship.”

Shoot me to the friendzone, why don’t you, missy.

“We can make it the same.”

“We cannot. So, let’s not even think of it,” Momo scowled.

“Why not?” Young K suddenly felt agitated at the turn of the conversation. “Am I not good enough for you to date?”

Momo stared at him.

So long it was his turn to feel uneasy.

“You are more than perfect,” Momo admitted softly.

Young K gulped at her confession.

“Then why not?”

“Because you will leave one day.”