3 days before

                “Youjin!” Boyoung, my 35-year old manager, called for me the moment I removed my earpiece. “Your boyfriend’s in the dressing room, waiting.”

                “Stop calling him that,” I shushed her, noticing that some of the staff in the music show gave as curious glances. Unintentionally, I felt the red creep into my cheeks. I gave the staff a polite bow and an awkward smile, hopefully to ward them off.

                Boyoung playfully rolled her eyes at me. “Right, your faithful sidekick, then. What’s he doing here now?”

                “No idea,” I replied but hurried off the stage nonetheless.

                 “I swear Youjin, he’ll be the death of your career if you—“

                “Fine, don’t worry, I’ll tell him off—“ I said as I went past her and into the back rooms.

                That was a lie of course. I never told my best friend Oh Sehun off for visiting and/or going to my schedules. In fact, we had our schedules synchronized through our mails so that we both know whether we were working geographically close to each other for purposes of grabbing a quick lunch together or something. I like that he cares enough to see me even though he’s a lot busier than I am. It makes me feel special.

 Still, that’s not something my newly-instated manager should know, or she and I will both get in trouble.

                “Hey,” Sehun broke into a smile as soon as he saw me come in. He was sitting comfortably on the leather couch, monitoring the performances on a corner wall television.  “Coffee?” he then said, picking up the Starbucks cup on the center table. “I brought pineapple buns as well. I arrived in time to see you perform.”

                “God, thanks I’m starving,” I grinned back, flopping down on the couch next to him. I picked up a bun and started munching. Sehun always brings pineapple ones, because he knows I’m so obsessed with them these days.

                “When are you not hungry?” he laughed as I gave him a pointed glare, unable to speak. He lazily put an arm around me and fixed the baby hairs that escaped my hairspray from performing. “I see you’re still slaying up there.”

                “Home court advantage. Don’t you have a schedule anymore?” I asked out of curiosity. Then, noticing the empty room, I added, “And where are my staff?”

                “I finished taping early,” he answered. “Only did first takes, you know I’m awesome at my job.”

                “Stop being so disgusting.”

                Sehun let out a childish laugh then shrugged. “And your staff always magically disappear when I’m around. Good thing too. They don’t see what a hippo you are every time you eat.”

                I punched him on his shoulder for that. Sehun casually removed his arm around me and played with his phone while he waits for me to finish eating.

See, the thing with Sehun is he’s too good of an actor for me to know whether he’s lying or not. I do know inside me that he’s not telling the full story. He probably talked to my staff or made some crap deal with them to leave us alone every time he’s around. Or maybe, he is just naturally intimidating to make them leave. I don’t fault them. Sehun is just here wearing a plain white polo and denim jeans, yet he’s exuding some superstar energy. I never got over it, since the first time we met. If I hadn’t made a fool of myself talking in front of the bathroom mirror, Sehun would have left Happy Together without exchanging a single word with me, and we would have never been in this position, sitting so close. I feel lucky indeed, many girls would die to be me.

“You?” Sehun suddenly spoke, breaking my trail of thoughts. “You don’t have anything to do after this?”

“Nah,” I said, cleaning up the table. “Why?”

“Can I hang out at your place?”

“You do know my mom hasn’t fully forgiven you from the last incident, right?” I raised a brow at him.

“Hey that’s not entirely my fault. You told me you’d come with me so I told my mom about it and then you bailed out,” Sehun defended. “I had no choice, you know she doesn' t trust Baek.”

                “And for good reasons,” I snapped. “Why did he have to bring you to a club like that? I swear if the police caught you during the raid, you’d be out of job and your pretty face won’t save you. It didn’t help that Dispatch was there. They took a shot of your car, Sehun. One more wrong step and you’re dead.”

                “Okay mum, geez, I know,” Sehun said, suddenly upset. I hate making him look this way, but he really needed to be reprimanded about it.

The incident happened barely three weeks ago. His management had time to hush it all up, but who knows when the media decides to blow it up all over our faces. I was working late at night then on a Web drama. It was my mom who first told me what happened. Apparently, Sehun’s mom phoned in to ask if Sehun’s at home with me. Only my mom knew I was working, and Sehun’s mom figured out his son was out with someone else. Of course I immediately knew who he’s with. Byun Baekhyun.

Baek was Sehun’s co-child star. However, his career did not go as steady sailing as Sehun’s. Baekhyun ended up doing business ventures instead of earning money through dramas. He occasionally contacts Sehun to hang out with him. Sehun’s mom doesn’t approve of this friendship because Baekhyun’s involvement in some shady business was previously reported on the night news. Sehun, being too nice however, still does him occasional favours. In fact, that particular night, Baek invited Sehun to one of his clubs. There was some sort of event going on there and he wanted Sehun to appear for his, and I quote, "more important, rich guests". Being his bestfriend, Sehun invited me to tag along. I promised him I’d go, but something came up with my schedule so I had to cancel at the last minute. Sehun didn’t tell me however that he’d still go, and that’s why he got caught up in the mess.

Apparently, some of Baekhyun’s guests were black market dealers, and party drugs were circulating in the club. Someone probably tipped the police, and so a raid was conducted. Sehun was lucky he got away from the police, and right before the media arrived. Only, there was a Dispatch reporter permanently assigned to tail him and knew about his presence in that place. Sehun’s management did some damage control and so we in the close circle came to know that they’re keeping a photo of Sehun’s car parked near the club when the raid happened. Dispatch couldn’t release the photo because it was the only evidence they have. It couldn’t establish anything for certainty, a small relief if you ask me.

 Sehun implored, “But I swear I don’t do drugs, Youjin. And I already explained to my management and to my mom and your parents—“

                “Well, of course you better not, or we’re not friends anymore.”

                “What--?” Sehun said, shocked.

                “Look, I hardly care if you use me as an excuse for your night outs, and God knows I’ll be your first line of defence for any horrendous scandal out there, like the time Soojin painted you as a jerk when she was the one who cheated on you and I just really had to slap that ,” Sehun’s gaze suddenly turned warm.  He probably remembered what a big step back that was on my career and I had to swallow my pride and publicly apologize for it. “I’m okay with my mom berating me, plus she would never believe I’m a drug addict, but you…you have to promise me. You’ll never do anything dangerous like that. You can’t destroy yourself. For anything.”

                “Of course I wouldn’t—“

                “You promise?” I insisted.

                “Promise,” Sehun said firmly. “Youjin, you know I wouldn’t.”

                “Okay,” I said, letting out a breath. “Good, that was out of my system.”

                “Why you had to hold that back, I appreciate you telling me things. I’m sorry, for scaring you then.”

                “I needed to, or I would have punched you into nothingness,” I said. Sehun tried hard not to crack, but he did anyway. The warmth in his eyes as he looked at my face was still there, and I knew he really loves me as his best friend.

                “Fine, you can stay at my place, but we’re going to watch Spiderman, and that’s not up for negotiations.”

                “Again?” Sehun sighed. “Okay, okay.”

                Sehun went to get his car as I changed clothes and went to ask permission from my manager to go home earlier than them. Boyoung nodded while frowning, but I didn’t give that so much attention. I then met Sehun on the basement exit and we quickly drove off.

                Sehun played my whole album on his car’s stereo. I honestly don’t know if he genuinely liked them, but still it was a show of his support. I do know that he’s a hiphop kind of guy and he likes to dance to them. We fell into this quiet streak after he spoiled me the contents of the next episode of his drama. He knew I wouldn’t be able to watch it tomorrow since I had a Chanel event to attend to at night. I watched as the light posts cast playful shadows on his face as we went by them. I really like sitting with him in the car peacefully like this. I do think he feels the same way. He also never forgets to spare me glances when we hit the red light, probably checking if