“Ah, Dongwoo-shi, over here.”

 

Dongwoo turns his head when he heard his name. A group of staff in managing artist department huddle at the head table. A woman in his late thirties wave to tell him to get closer. Curious, Dongwoo walk to them. He count the head, there are three staff; two women, one man, a team leader and a new face he never see before. They are all standing around the head table.

 

“Dongwoo, this is our new intern,” the team leader says, nudging the new face to Dongwoo.

 

The man bows 90 degrees before he straightens back. “Annyeonghaseyo. My name is Choi Minho. I just got in as an intern this morning. Please take care of me.”

 

Dongwoo smiles. “Nice meeting you, I’m Jang Dongwoo. I’m…”

 

“Dongwoo here is Kim Sunggyu’s manager, has been since his debut,” the team leader says, cutting Dongwoo off.

 

“Wa…Kim Sunggyu-shi. Really?”

 

“Yes, impressive, right?” the woman who calls Dongwoo over chirped in. “Usually an artist will change a manager a year or so after debut. But Dongwoo-shi has been with Sunggyu-shi for  four years,”

 

“Why they change manager? They can’t stay with the same manager when they debut?” Minho asks.

 

“Because we assign manager according to the time frame. Let say, you specialize in debut, so you will be assign to an artist a few months before the debut until after a year. You will be assign to a new artist preparing to debut next. Because managing a debut artist is not easy and only certain manager can do the job, we call them debut manager,” the team leader says.

 

Minho nods his head, understanding. “What happen to the artist I managed then? They got a new manager?”

 

“Of course. A new manager will take over the artist, and will be with them to a certain period of time,” the other lady staff replies.

 

“Oh, so Dongwoo-shi…?” Minho asks, looking at Dongwoo. “Why Dongwoo-shi still manage Sunggyu-shi since debut?”

 

“Dongwoo-shi here is special,” the other male staff says, throwing his arm on Dongwoo’s shoulder. “Sunggyu-shi refused another manager, that’s why Dongwoo-shi had been with him since,”

 

“Wow, you must be a great manager then,” Minho says. “I have to learn a lot from you.”

 

Dongwoo wave his hand to brush him off shyly. “I’m not that great. It’s just Sunggyu hyung is stubborn and hard to deal with,”

 

“That’s why you’re great,” the team leader says. “Only you can deal with Sunggyu-shi.” He looks at the intern. “You have a lot to learn, you need to know how to deal with Sunggyu-shi,”

 

“Yes, team leader,” Minho says, looking at the older man.

 

“Wait, what?” Dongwoo in. “Why did the intern need to know how to deal with Sunggyu hyung?”

 

“Well, it’s obvious, right?” the male staff says.

 

“No,” Dongwoo replies.

 

The staff look at each other, Minho also look at everyone’s faces, confused. “It’s about time Sunggyu-shi got a new manager. Till when will you be by his side? You should give a chance to other people,” the first female staff explain.

 

The frowns on Dongwoo’s forehead clearly shows his own puzzlement. “I’m not an ordinary manager or a debut manager. I am Sunggyu hyung’s manager. You can’t tell me to give my job to another person,”

 

“Hey. Hey. Relax, Dongwoo,” the team leader quickly says. “I’m not saying you will swaps places with Minho right away. Minho will be your assistant and you need to teach him everything. Sunggyu-shi is in the middle of world tour, I’m sure you’re busy and in need of helping hand,”

 

“I have an assistant. Woohyun is helping me right now,” Dongwoo remind them.

 

“Ah, Woohyun? I hate him. How could he be a manager when he is not even in managing department?” the second female staff says.

 

“Maybe because he knows he doesn’t have the chance to debut, he quickly apply for a manager job?” the first female staff says, chuckling.

 

The group laugh, except for Dongwoo and the quiet intern. Dongwoo fist his knuckles as he smiling angelically to the staff, hiding his anger behind his smile.

 

“You know it’s management’s decision where to put Woohyun, right?”

 

“That’s why we didn’t understand,” the male staff says, retreating his hand from Dongwoo’s shoulder. “He should just focus on being an idol, not doing a job he is not meant to be,”

 

“I told you, Woohyun is not suited to be an idol, that’s why,” the first female staff says.

 

“Suited or not, it’s mine and Sunggyu hyung’s choice if we want to keep him as my assistant or change to another person. As far as I am concern, he did a really good job all this time,” Dongwoo says.

 

“Yes, but Woohyun is not in managing department, he can’t be your assistant any longer. Your assistant should be someone from the department,” the male staff says.

 

“Says who?”

 

“I am,” the team leader says, earning the attention of the group. “Woohyun can’t be your assistant any longer, he should go back to be an idol trainee.” He pointed to Minho. “Luckily we have a new intern, and he will be working under you.”

 

“Did CEO know about this?”

 

“This doesn’t concern CEO. CEO give me an order to assign work to the intern however I want to. And I want him to work with you.”

 

Dongwoo didn’t lose his smiles. With the same happy face, he turns to the still quiet intern. “Minho, right?” Dongwoo asks and the intern nods his head. “I’m sorry, it’s such a mess on your very first day. I need to talk to the CEO first and I will come back to you, okay?” He turns to the group. “Please, excuse me.”

 

Dongwoo turn around and walk quickly leaving the area. The group of staff frown seeing him walking to the direction of the CEO’s office.

 

“Do you think it will be okay, team leader?” the second female staff asks.

 

“Why shouldn’t it be?” the team leader ask back.

 

“Well…every time Dongwoo-shi talk to CEO about something, in the end he will get whatever he want,” the male staff says.

 

The team leader look uncertain all of a sudden, a feeling of worry sprout in his gut. For a moment, he forgot that Dongwoo has the ability to get anything he want. He knows how to talk to the CEO and the management to turn in his favour. That is why, he is Kim Sunggyu’s one and only manager for four years.

 

“Uh…I’m sorry to interrupt,” Minho says softly. He add after he got everyone’s attention on him. “The assistant manager you guys talked about, you said his name is Woohyun…?”

 

“Yes, Nam Woohyun. He is a trainee but we don’t know why he become Sunggyu-shi’s assistant manager,” the female staff groans.

 

Nam Woohyun? No way. It can’t be the same Nam Woohyun, right?

 

------------

 

“Why they want to take everyone away from me?” Sunggyu groans as he plop his bottom on the seat in his personal practise room.

 

Dongwoo shrugged as he take a seat opposite of the singer. “Beat me, I don’t know as well.”

 

“First it was stylist noona, then my second stylist noona, then Bora my makeup artist, and now they want to take you and Woohyun? No way! Over my dead body!” Sunggyu says furiously.

 

Dongwoo sighs. “The first stylist noona is fair, she is getting married and have to move away following her husband. The second stylist too, she was giving birth,”

 

“But why she didn’t come back to me after her maternity leave?”

 

Dongwoo shrugged. “You already have a stylist noona in your team. To have that noona come back would be unfair to the current noona, don’t you think?”

 

Sunggyu pouts as he realize how right the other is.

 

“Thank goodness Sungjong reject Bora-shi, that’s why she can come with us to London. If Sungjong accept her in his team, you will need a new makeup artist and I don’t think it is wise changing team members in the middle of a world tour,” Dongwoo added.

 

“That’s what I don’t understand. Why they want to change Bora and my managers in the middle of my concert?” Sunggyu’s voice raise a pic.

 

“I talk to Donggun hyung, the things about your team is not in his knowledge,” Dongwoo says, trying to clear the name of their CEO.

 

“Of course he is. These petty little things shouldn’t concern the CEO. He has bigger things to think in his plate.” Sunggyu sighs. “Who the hell dare to suggest Woohyun change with the intern?”

 

Dongwoo shrugged. “The managing department, I guess. They want someone from the department to work with you rather than an idol trainee. Furthermore, I had work with you long enough, and they’re furious,”

 

“This again?” Sunggyu groans. “I don’t understand how you guys manage your artist. Isn’t it better for an artist to have one manager rather than keep changing the manager? It will look like the artist is problematic if he had different managers every year,”

 

“Not really. Who cares as long as they get along good and keep the work flow done?”

 

Sunggyu keep his mouth shut, waiting if his manager want to add or elaborate more. But seeing Dongwoo is also keep his mouth sealed, he think they better move on. Yeah. Who cares about the changing of managers as long as they do their work? And who cares if his manager is someone who should debut as an idol and not from the managing department? As long as Woohyun does his work great in taking care of him and his job, they shouldn’t bother to swap him with anyone. And they better not thinking of touching him. Not his Woohyun.

 

“So, how’s it going?”

 

Dongwoo doesn’t need for Sunggyu to explain the meaning behind the question. “Hyung said they are not to touch your people. If they are unsatisfied, they can wait until the tour is over and we can hold a round table with you,”

 

“And the intern?”

 

Dongwoo shrugged. “They can think for a new task for him. It’s his first day anyway. He should learn the basic of the department first before sending him to an artist to manage.”

 

“That should be.” Sunggyu nods his head. “Anyway, how was that thing?”

 

Dongwoo tsk as he pull a tablet from across the table. Sunggyu ignores him as he wait for the manager to slide the tablet on to show him what he want to know. The tablet changing hands. Sunggyu look at the screen, smiling and humming when he slide the picture after picture.

 

“1000 square feet, three bedrooms, two washrooms, a laundry room, kitchen, dining…And 10 minutes from your apartment,” Dongwoo informed. “With basic furniture.”

 

Sunggyu’s smiles grow bigger. “I like it. And the rent is reasonable.”

 

Dongwoo quirk his eyebrow. “You’re the one who pay for the rent, you wouldn’t care much for the price, right?”

 

“Woohyun want to pay at least half of the rent.” Sunggyu shrugged. “He is uncomfortable to live rent free. And he refused to move if I didn’t let him pay half.” He smiles lovingly remembering the hard headed boyfriend of his.

 

Silent.

 

Sunggyu is absorbed with the device in hands and Dongwoo just watch him with uncertainty. He is debating in his head if he should tell him or not to tell him.

 

“Did Woohyun tell you anything?”

 

Sunggyu lift his head for the first time since he look at the pictures in the device. “Huh? Tell me what?”

 

Dongwoo sighs. “Woohyun ask me about the progress of the house.”

 

Sunggyu smile cheekily. “He can’t wait to move in?”

 

The manager shakes his head. “No. More like he was thinking of not moving.”

 

Silence.

 

Sunggyu stand up abruptly, knocking his chair down on the hard floor, surprising Dongwoo. The poor manager got the second surprise when Sunggyu runs to the door.

 

“Yah! Sunggyu hyung!” Dongwoo runs after the singer.

 

Sunggyu stomp on the hallway to the stairs. He is too mad to wait for an elevator. Sunggyu shrugged Dongwoo’s hand when the manager tries to pulls his hand and stop him. Sunggyu went straight to the practice room, the large room where he knows Woohyun mingle with the left over trainees.

 

The trainees startled when the door open harshly from outside. They froze in their spot seeing the star of the company stepping foot in their lowly practise room.

 

“Nam Woohyun!” Sunggyu calls, looking around the room.

 

The trainees look at each other, mumbling confusedly.

 

“Sunggyu-shi, I’m sorry.” Jung Ilhoon braving himself to step forward. “Woohyun was with your backup dancers and didn’t come here since yesterday.”

 

Without another word, Sunggyu spun around and marching out of the room. Dongwoo had to bow his head, saying sorry for the interruption and thanking them for the information. The manager runs after the singer to another practise room where Sunggyu’s own backup dancer trains. Why they didn’t train in Sunggyu’s practise room is not his concern for the moment.

 

He pant slightly when he caught on Sunggyu at the doorway of the practise room. He peek behind Sunggyu’s shoulder to scan the faces inside the room and found no sight of his assistant. Hoya is standing on Sunggyu’s toes to whispers that Woohyun had indeed stay with them these two days so he can left early. And now the subject of their talk had just left since he had nothing to do in the practise room and he refused to go back to the left over room.

 

Sunggyu turns around, almost knocking on Dongwoo. He grow furious than before as he runs downstairs. Dongwoo closed behind his tail.

 

“When everything is doing better, we’re back to square one,” Sunggyu says angrily as he jump two steps on the stairs, ignoring anyone he sees on his way down.

 

“Ah, Sunggyu-shi, let me introduce you…”

 

The voice of the team leader of the managing department pass by like a wind. Sunggyu fail to recognize him as how the team leader ignores Dongwoo who runs after the singer.

 

“Uh…is he okay?” the intern beside the team leader ask.

 

The team leader shrugged. “Who knows?” He look at Minho. “He is known to have mood swings. One second he is smiling, one second he is mad, one second he is calm. If you work under him, you have to know how to tackle his mood and take care of him properly.”

 

Minho shudder at the thought. “Thankfully I didn’t need to.”

 

The team leader pats Minho’s shoulder. “For the meantime, you’re safe. But who knows?”

 

----------

 

Sunggyu knows Woohyun’s house that he shared with Hoya and Sungyeol. He had come over to send Woohyun home multiple times since their arrival from London. He knows which one is the house even though he never go an inch pass his car, for security purposes. He grabs his black mask and put it on as he runs to the stairs to the door. He knock harshly on the poor wood, half hoping he got the door number correct and Woohyun is home.

 

It was not Woohyun opening the door. But Sunggyu is still right though.

 

“Sunggyu hyung?” Sungyeol asks, shocked. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Where is Woohyun?”

 

Sungyeol move to the side as he give room for the singer to enter their house as an answer. Sunggyu take off his shoes and mask harshly and dash inside the house. He stops in the middle of the house, looking around the room for the first time. Slowly, his rage tune down when the realization of his boyfriend’s living state kicking him. The house have a basic furniture. The living room only have a small old fashioned television without any seater to sit. From the living room, he can see two doors; one at his right and one in front of him, and an open kitchen and dining. Thankfully there is a dining table with four chairs, and a few kitchen utensils with running stove and small refrigerator.

 

Sungyeol walk pass the elder to the door at the front. Without knocking, he twist the door knob and push the door open to sneak his head inside. Sunggyu is still looking around the house and immersed in his own sadness at the poor looking living quarters. The house reminds him of his own harsh trainee days until a year after debut. He lived in the same state as Woohyun is right now. He knows how hard that time is and he won’t let his beloved experience the same difficult life as him.

 

And that reminds him of the main reason he came here in the first place. His sour mood come back and his face slowly showing his anger when Woohyun stepping out of the door.

 

“Sunggyu hyung?” Woohyun tilted his head as he paddled closer. “What are you doing here?”

 

“You…” Sunggyu says trough gritted teeth. “What’s wrong with you, Woohyun?”

 

“Huh?” Woohyun blink his eyes, obviously confused.

 

“You told Dongwoo you doesn’t want to move.”

 

Woohyun gulp his saliva as he take a step back but before he can move, Sunggyu grab his arms, surprising both Woohyun and Sungyeol.

 

“Why? You agreed you will move out. We had prepared everything and yet, you suddenly backing out? Why?” Sunggyu half shout.

 

“Hyung…” Woohyun trembled. “I…I’m sorry you have to hear it from Dongwoo-shi. I want to tell you personally...”

 

“It doesn’t matter how or who I heard it from. My question is why you don’t want to move? After what we did, when everything is doing better, you’re back to square one,”

 

“Sunggyu hyung, I’m…I’m sorry,”

 

“I don’t want to hear your sorry, Woohyun,” Sunggyu says angrily, his nails dig in Woohyun’s flesh. “Why you don’t want to move? Tell me, why?”

 

Hoya and Dongwoo rush into the house in the time Sunggyu shout his temper with Sungyeol just standing still not far from the two not knowing what to do like a deer caught in the headlight.

 

“Sunggyu hyung.” Dongwoo quickly went to their side, to pry Woohyun away from the singer. “Stop it, you’re hurting him.”

 

Realizing he had indeed marking his nails on Woohyun’s skin, Sunggyu calm down, slightly, and loosen his grasp but his hands still on Woohyun’s arm, not letting him go. He hold in Woohyun’s eyes. “Woohyun, why…?” His voice softer this time, above a whisper.

 

“I’m sorry, Sunggyu hyung…” Woohyun replies, he is shaking, both from the fear of Sunggyu’s wrath and hurt. “I…I don’t want to move,”

 

“But why? Tell me why?” Sunggyu shake Woohyun’s body to make sure his question went through Woohyun’s thick skull. “You agreed to move out, you’re excited when we go house haunting, you’re happy and counting the days. So tell me why?”

 

“I…I…” Woohyun found the word stuck in his throat.

 

He wants to go, to move in the new house Sunggyu promised him. After coming back, Woohyun did his job as an assistant manager and a trainee as well. He spend his time at the practise room with the left over trainees when he doesn’t have any managing work to do. He will left the room to take care of Sunggyu or helping Dongwoo when they needed him. He got paid handsomely, thus forcing him to quit his night job at the convenience store since managing Sunggyu is time consuming and he will be late to go to the store. The distance of Sunggyu’s apartment and Woohyun’s is bigger than they thought when they are in a rush or when they were caught in a traffic jam. After two days touch down in Korea, Sunggyu make a suggestion, Woohyun will move in with him to cut the time of their trip. Woohyun will need to pick him up or send him home, or Sunggyu himself will send Woohyun home. So it is wise if Woohyun live closer with Sunggyu to save their time.

 

Live closer means living together.

 

Of course, Dongwoo won’t let him and Woohyun also reject the idea.

 

Sunggyu retrieving his hands, breaking Woohyun free. He is furious and he is disappointed. Above all, he is hurt, greatly hurt. He knows Woohyun is hiding something from him and he is mad he fail to make Woohyun trust him to fill him in.

 

“I…I’m sorry,” Woohyun cries, holding in his tears from flowing out. “I…”

 

“Save it,” Sunggyu says. “If you just want to say sorry, forget it. I don’t want to hear.” He turns around, back facing the younger. He fist his knuckles to collect himself and calm his raging heart.

 

Woohyun lift his hand, in attempt to touch Sunggyu. But he knows no matter what, Sunggyu won’t listen to him unless he told the truth. But he can’t. He shouldn’t trouble Sunggyu with his problem. He doesn’t want to make Sunggyu worry, not when he is supposed to stress free and focus on his tour.

 

A hand grab his from the side, Woohyun turns his head to meet Sungyeol’s face.

 

Are you okay?

 

I…I don’t know.

 

You just told us two days before you’re going to move. But now you’re not?

 

I…I can’t move.

 

Sunggyu turns around when he realize it was too quiet in the room. His eyebrow twitch when Sungyeol take his previous position and standing too close to Woohyun to his liking. Dongwoo frowns watching the two best friend. They look like they’re sharing secrets, talking with no words. He and Sunggyu exchange glance before he peek at Hoya but the dancer is looking quietly. He has lines on his forehead as well but he just observe and waiting an opening to in. If he even understand what is going on between the two.

 

Sungyeol’s eyes widen. He came, didn’t he?

 

Huh? Who?

 

-----------------------------------

 

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