The studio for the After School Club set was turning pitch black. Kevin Woo, Jimin Park, and Jae Park were turning in their microphones to the tv production crew, as the techs behind the camcorders were shutting down their equipment from the live episode they just finished.

“Another episode done.” Jimin Park sighed in relief. She slouched her body into Kevin Woo’s shoulder.

“What’s your schedule look like for the rest of the day?” Kevin inquired to Jimin as all three of them headed to the elevators that would lead them to the main floor.

“Mmmmm? Oh...I have no clue. My brain is on auto-pilot. Please leave a message after the tone….Beep!” Jimin said as she started to zone out, making Jae and Kevin giggle in response.

“I’m sure you have some awesome plans, Kevin. Must be nice to have a lighter workload. I’m sure you don’t even know how to act. Too much freedom.” Jae stuck his tongue out as Kevin feigned being shocked.

“I honestly don’t know what to do. I like it, but then again, I’m not used to having so much free time. I feel guilty, like I’m not doing enough…” Kevin trailed off deep in thought. Before he could finish his sentence, the elevator doors opened up. Kevin extended his hand to allow Jimin to go first.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Feeling guilty? Kevin, you know better than that! Being an idol is so time-consuming. Trust me, we live for the moment we can get a break. Sleeping in vans, not getting adequate food, sleeping for 3-4 hours...you should be thankful that you are no longer bound to a contract!” Jimin spoke as the three of them filed into the elevator.

“Yeah...I know...but...it’s so hard when you’ve been doing the same routine for more than ten years. You become like a robot. Now I’m no longer programmed, I don’t know what to do with myself. So many things to think about…” Kevin sighed as the elevator made its descent to the ground floor.

“Well, it will take some time adjusting to this new schedule, but you seriously need to get out and live life, Kevin. I mean, we love you being a host here on ASC, but you’re still so young. You need to do some more traveling and find something you’d love to do. Who knows...maybe the civilian life might be what you need.” Jae said as he nudged Kevin’s shoulder. The wheels started churning in Kevin’s brain. “He does have a point…” Kevin thought to himself. The elevator doors swung open, interrupting the remainder of their conversation. The three of them filed out as their bodyguards were waiting at the main entrance to guide them to their individual cars based on the number of fans that were waiting outside to greet them. Each of them slipped their sunglasses on and braced for the commotion outside.

“See you guys tomorrow...same time. Feel free to message me later on tonight.” Kevin said cheerfully as one of the bodyguards opened the main entrance door. Some of the fans started squealing as the three of them descended the stairs. A path was cleared for all three to make it to their respective cars. Jimin and Jae extended a few waves, but had busy schedules and could not mingle very long before being whisked away to their next appointment. Kevin made sure to take as many gifts that he could hold and pose for some photos.

“Oppa, we miss you! We’re glad to see you still host ASC!” A fan said as she handed him a gift. He mouthed “thank you” to her as he held it.

“Kevin-ah, what will you be doing now that you’re not in U-Kiss?” Another fan pouted as she handed him a handwritten letter.

“I haven’t thought that far ahead, yet. You guys will still support U-Kiss, though, right?” Kevin asked hopefully as he flashed his gorgeous smile.

“Ne!!!!” They all cheered, making Kevin give two big thumbs up.

“I don’t know what I’d do without my KissMes and fans! Saranghae!” Kevin tried his best to make the mini heart symbol with both hands given the amount of gift he was trying to juggle. Seeing this made some fans giggle and talk amongst each other excitedly. One of the bodyguards offered to take some of Kevin’s gifts and place them in the back seat of the car that would transport him home. Kevin bowed slightly and accepted the offer, prompting him to make his way towards the car. The fans started to sigh and beckon Kevin’s attention to them before he left.

“Kevin-ah, please don’t go!” One of the girls cried as other joined in with her plea. Once Kevin placed the gifts left in his hands in the back seat of the car, he turned around and made a heart shape with his arms over his head. Many of the girls took this as a candid opportunity to take a few photos with their phones.

“Bye guys. See you soon! Thanks for your support!” Kevin blew kisses and opened the passenger door and made his way to his seat. Once he closed the door and buckled his seatbelt, he rolled the window down halfway to wave goodbye as the driver pulled away.

“Presents again? Pretty soon you’ll have to buy a new house to put them all in.” The driver chuckled as he pulled on to the main road to head to Kevin’s apartment. Kevin blushed as he felt unworthy of all the gifts he kept receiving.

“I truly have the most wonderful fans. They put so much effort and love into the gifts they prepare. I don’t know what I did to deserve this.” Kevin beamed as his phone chirped to let him know he received a new text message.

“Hyung, when are you coming over? Do you still have time today? I want you to taste my Galbi Tang soup. Have you eaten, yet?”

“Sure, I can be there. I’m on my way home from ASC. Let me drop my gifts off and I’ll stop by. Sounds delicious! We had a few snacks from the fans today, but I could sure eat something that would fill me up for a few hours. I’ll text you when I’m on my way.” Kevin typed away happily in response. After sending the text, he decided to take a few selcas to add to his Twitter and Instagram accounts to thank those who had gotten gifts for him earlier.

“Looks like you’ll be needing a hand with these.” Kevin’s driver stated matter-of-factly after pulling into a parking spot at his apartment complex.

“That’s an understatement! Very thankful I have an elevator. It comes in quite handy for times like these.” Kevin winked as he tried to grab as many gifts as he could with both hands. His driver did the same and between the two of them, they were able to make one trip inside.

“I don’t know if I’ll be driving for you on your next day of work, but I’ll see you soon. Stay safe.” His driver stated after placing the gifts in the designated room inside Kevin’s apartment.

“It’s always a pleasure seeing you. Don’t work too hard. Get your rest! See you next time.” Kevin bowed slightly and walked the driver to the front door. After seeing the driver leave, he grabbed his car keys and made sure everything would be fine in its designated spot before being gone for a few hours. Upon closing the door and punching in his four digit password, he made his way down on the elevator to the parking garage and hopped into his car.

“On my way. Can’t wait to try your delicious cuisine :P It’s been way too long since we’ve seen each other. See you in about 20 minutes.” Upon hitting the “send” button, Kevin started the ignition and made his journey to his friend’s destination.

 

“It smells delicious in here. Are you planning on going out tonight?” Sehee Shin greeted her husband, Dongho Shin, as she balanced their son, Asher, on her right hip.

“I guess we’ll have to see. Here, take a bite. What do you think?” Dongho gently held out a spoonful in his right hand bringing it towards his wife’s lips. She gingerly opened as he guided the spoon in. Sehee gave a thumbs up sign with her left hand as Asher stared at his mom’s reaction. Just as Dongho placed the spoon on the kitchen counter, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.” Dongho said excitedly as he went over to the front door to look at who was on the camera screen. “Come on up.” Dongho exclaimed, excited as a little boy. He pressed the button unlocking the main door to allow access. Three minutes later, a knock was heard on the outside of their door. Dongho glanced through the peephole and flung open the front door. “KEVIN!!!!” Dongho immediately grabbed him into a hug as they bounced around in a mini circle in his foyer. “It’s so good to see you!!! I have so much to ask you since we last chatted. Come in, come in! Make yourself at home.” Dongho closed the front door as Kevin slipped off his shoes.

“Asher! You’re getting so big!” Kevin grinned as he ran his fingers through his soft hair. Asher stared at Kevin in amazement since he wasn’t used to seeing him often. “It’s nice seeing you again, Sehee. How have you been?” Kevin gave a gentle hug to her on the opposite side where she was cradling Asher.

“I’m doing great, thanks. Dongho has been hyper all day waiting for you to come.” Sehee grinned.

“It’s nice to have a bit more flexibility in my schedule. I’ve missed you guys. Thanks for having me over.” Kevin replied as Dongho motioned for them to come into the kitchen to eat at the small dining table. Sehee placed Asher in his booster high chair so he could have some dinner, also.

“Shall we bless the meal?” Dongho asked after all of them had a bowl of Galbi Tang soup. The three adults interlocked hands and bowed their heads. “Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us this meal. Thank you for giving safe travel to Kevin and for allowing this time of fellowship. Please bless this meal to our bodies and thank You for everything You bless us with. In Jesus name, Amen.” Dongho prayed as Kevin and Sehee echoed their “amens.”

“Yi eumshikyi chaam maatitsuhyo!” (미 음식이 참 맛있어요 - This meal is delicious) Kevin said in between shoveling large spoonfuls of the soup. Dongho bowed gracefully as Sehee wholeheartedly agreed. Dongho excused himself from the table and quickly scurried off to his bedroom before returning a moment later with something behind his back.

“Ta da!” Dongho presented the surprise to Kevin. Kevin put down the spoon and held the booklet in both hands.

“So it’s official?” Kevin asked as Dongho nodded with glee. “WWWWAAAAUUUUUWWWW!” Kevin got up from his chair and wrapped Dongho in a big bear hug. “Dongho...master chef! I’m so proud of you!” Kevin patted Dongho on his back as Asher squealed with happiness. “Yes, Asher...daddy’s now a chef, huh?” Kevin beamed as Asher smacked the high chair table with both hands. “All those times we were on the cooking shows with U-Kiss...who’d have thought that you had culinary skills up those sleeves.” Kevin nudged Dongho as he ruffled his hair.

“I’m so happy. My hard work paid off.” Dongho grinned from ear to ear.

“I get to test all of his creations.” Sehee giggled as she winked at her husband.

“That’s got to be the best job ever! Have you ever lied to tell him he needs to do it over again just so you can have more food to test out?”

“It’s been tempting, but sometimes he can spend hours in the kitchen. He tends to be a bit of a perfectionist. Doing this line of work, it’s mostly about presentation. So, I don’t want to wear him out unnecessarily.” Sehee stated as Asher grunted, vying for some attention.

“What do you think, Asher? Do you like Appa’s cooking?” Kevin asked as Asher rocked in his booster high chair. Sehee brought another spoonful over to Asher’s mouth and he opened up eagerly to swallow.

Forty minutes later, all four of them were done eating in the kitchen. Dongho had cleaned up the dishes and stove while Sehee watched over Asher. “I think I’ll take Asher outside for a stroll and maybe go to the playground area for a bit. Do you guys want to tag along?” Sehee asked after wiping Asher’s face with some baby wipes.

“I think Kevin and I will take a little while to catch up from last time. We might join you a bit later, but not right away.” Dongho said as he helped his wife put the shoes on Asher while she had him on her lap on the couch. He then gave both of them a kiss as she got him situated in the stroller by the front door.

“So, how’s married life treating you and fatherhood?” Kevin asked as both of them sat on the couch after Sehee left with Asher.

“It’s great. I couldn’t be happier! I have new meaning and joy to my life.” Dongho said with all sincerity. “I guess I should ask you the same. To be honest, I was a bit shocked when you told me the news. For some reason, I guess I always thought you’d be with U-Kiss forever.”

“I don’t know how to explain it. It’s hard to describe. We had a lot of good times together, but I guess it was just getting to be too much for me to handle. Including Xing, I’ve been doing this for about 10 years now. I know that being in the entertainment industry is no guarantee. I wanted to be able to have something to fall back on and acquire some skills in case something happened. I didn’t want to miss out on some opportunities just because I was too consumed with my schedule of being a KPop idol.” Kevin sighed. Dongho knew exactly where Kevin was coming from.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Kevin. Life shouldn’t consist of working 24/7. You know as well as I what that schedule was doing to us physically and mentally. It’s exhausting. Don’t feel guilty. Is it the fans you’re worried about?” Dongho pried as he spoke softly to show empathy.

“Yes and no. I know that I’m not going to be able to please every fan, but I can’t just walk away from them either. We invest so much of our time into them. They’re like family to me.”

"I understand completely. I think what shocked me the most is seeing the support from fans after I left. Don’t get me wrong, I had plenty that were cruel and vicious in their comments when they found out I was getting married. But, to see the ones that are happy for me in my marriage and being a father as well...they gave me the strength to continue to pursue new ventures in my life.”

“Yeah, I heard a lot from Eli as well regarding his marriage and son in the same aspect. Do you guys get to hang out every now and then?” Kevin asked as Dongho pulled up his legs on the couch to sit cross-legged,

“I think Sehee and Yeonsoo chat more than Eli and I can. But, that’s just women in general, right?” Dongho laughed as Kevin agreed.

“If time allows, I think playdates with Asher and Minsoo would be so cute!”

“Definitely! I think Asher would like that a lot.” Dongho grinned daydreaming about the possibilities. “But, do you have any idea of what you’ll be doing any time soon, or are you still trying to figure that out?”

“Well, I have been doing a lot of hosting with ASC. I just finished doing ‘Maybe Happy Ending.’ So, it doesn’t feel like that much of a difference to me since I’m still involved with doing things in the entertainment industry. Sometimes I just want to not have to face those responsibilities and just do my own thing.” Kevin trailed off.

“So, what’s stopping you? You’re not under contract anymore, right?” Dongho inquired, making Kevin pause and think.

“Not under NH Entertainment, no.”

“Are you under obligation to anyone?” Dongho looked at Kevin, noticing a dazed look in his eyes.

“I don’t think so...nothing comes to mind…”

“So, maybe you should take a break. Who or what is stopping you?”

“You know...you’re the second person who has said that to me today. That must be a sign…” Kevin shook his head in disbelief. Too many thoughts were swimming in his head.

“If you had that choice or freedom to do whatever you wanted, where would you go?” Dongho asked as Kevin got up and started pacing around in Dongho’s living room.

“Maybe a break from Korea would be nice. I can’t even remember the last time I went back home to California. Take in the culture, not worry about the entertainment business...just went on a mini vacation…”

“Sounds like you’ve been wanting to do this for a while. Look at plane tickets. Try to book something in advance so you’re not paying an exorbitant amount for a last minute flight. Give yourself some time to let whoever needs to know of your plans and then go for it. There’s no reason you need to seek other people’s approval. Go explore and do what you need to do, Kevin. Don’t look back to realize you regretted not doing something.” Dongho said as Kevin nodded. Getting up from the couch, Dongho went into his bedroom and retrieved his laptop. He motioned for Kevin to sit next to him and for the next half hour, the two of them came up with a list of goals that Kevin wanted to achieve within that year. Kevin was extremely thankful for the friendship he had with Dongho. A lot of pressure and anxiety was melting away as he was able to come up with some ideas to give him direction for the new few months.