He’s decided.

He’s going to push through his plan.

It took Kyungsoo weeks to complete all the requirements needed for moving to a different country.

Seri saw his scrambling through the papers in his hands with a big grin pass by the living room.

“Wow you really are that excited, huh?”

“Of course.”

“Can we visit you there?” Seri asked while puffing her cheeks.

“No.” Kyungsoo said dryly.

“What?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!” Seri ran towards him looking like her chin fell off of her face only to find out that her brother is cackling in silence while holding his stomach.

“Ugh. I hate you! You’re the worst. Always making fun of me.” Seri mumbled.

“But you love me.” He said cheekily.

Seri rolled her eyes dramatically and sat on the couch adjacent to where Kyungsoo is sitting.

“Visit with our parents, okay?”

“Why? You’ll miss us?” Seri asked with a smirk.

“Yeah, I’ll miss mom and dad.”

Seri throws a fluffy pillow towards him and smiled like she won the lottery. She knows her brother was only joking.

“Of course I’ll miss you too, stupid.”

The day finally came.

He’s about to leave his life in South Korea and start anew in a foreign country. He felt giddy yet excited at the thought. He feels scared but also looking forward to it at the same time.

None of his family members could come and say goodbye to him at the airport because his father is on a business trip in China and his mother is in Jeju island for a trip with her friends. Seri couldn’t miss school because they have a long test she couldn’t miss.

His phone vibrates in his pocket as he was striding through the glass doors of Incheon airport.

I actually hate you for picking a weekday for your flight.

He smirked in amusement and was about to reply when suddenly, a female student with a big camera bag bumped into him. His phone almost fell out off of his clumsy grip but surprisingly held on to it very tight.

“I’m so sorry!” The girl apologized loudly and ran quickly towards the group of girls swarming near the airport’s arrival area, the key chains attached to her camera bag making light jiggling noises. Kyungsoo looks confused for a second and then hear the girls squealing in excitement as the passengers started to come out of the arrival gate.

Kyungsoo unlocks his phone to tell her sister about it.

Why aren’t you replying?

Hey!

My test’s gonna start in a while.

Heeeyy

Aish. Fine.

See you soon.

Call us when you land.

Take care.

Kyungsoo stares as the screen in disbelief.

Oh my God, Seri. You’re so needy. Anyway I saw a group of girls swarming here at the airport. I think there’s a celebrity arriving.

And also.. I picked a weekday because I don’t want to see your ugly crying face when I leave.

Kyungsoo wasn’t lying, he really doesn’t want to see them cry while bidding him goodbye. He hates saying goodbye and he probably already had enough experience in that.

Seri wasn’t able to reply to his messages anymore.

Kyungsoo swallowed the lump in his throat as his fingers once again traced the edges of his yellow crystal necklace.

He arrived in Bohol with a happy and giddy heart and immediately started a video call to inform his family.

“Oppa! It was them in the airport!”

“Who?” Kyungsoo’s eyebrows arched in confusion.

“It was Citrine!”

“Citrine? Who’s Citrine?”

“It’s the boy group I really love. Remember? The one I always talk about.”

“Ohhhh, that! I actually like their songs, it’s been playing everywhere these days. Didn’t they just make a comeback? I also see their faces everywhere.” Kyungsoo laughs awkwardly.

“You’re such a weirdo. You know them but you don’t know what they’re called. Ugh. OMG, but you’re so lucky you breathed the same air with them in the airport. Did you see them? They’re gorgeous, right? Especially Baekhyun.” Seri pouts for the nth time.

“Tss. Bacon or whatever. Anyway, I think this is me. I see the driver.”

As he saw the white placard with his name on it, he immediately ended the call to meet the driver. They quickly loaded his things in the van and went straight to the hotel.

The small hotel is conveniently near the land he owns so he just walked to see it. The land was kind of big and he was already envisioning how he would layout his new life here.

“It is a beachfront so maybe.. a café? A restaurant? A bar? An office? Airbnb? Or just a vacation house?”

Kyungsoo thinks he’s so lucky to have very supportive parents who put a silver spoon in his mouth. They weren’t born rich but they really worked hard for what they have now. Aside from the land, his parents also gave him some capital money for starting his new business. Checking his own passbook, he sighs in relief when he realizes he really has enough money to start a small life of his own here.

After a lot of meetings with the architect and various suppliers, his own establishment and new home was built after almost a year.

He decided to open up a beachfront restaurant café that turns into a kind of chill bar at night. He also built a private office for himself at the second floor which connects to his house at the back.

His restaurant exhumes a great mix of Nordic-Morrocan-Asian vibe that looks so light and airy. Looking at it makes him feel so relaxed and skittish at the same time.

It looks exactly like how he envisioned in his mind. Exactly how it looks like when he finally rendered the 3d on his laptop.

Once again, he touched the yellow crystal sitting on his collarbone, thinking it really is his lucky charm.

He wanders through the second floor, admiring the beach view through the gigantic glass windows before unlocking his private office with his thumbprint.

His office kind of feels bare with only a few furniture pieces in sight.

“I’ve got to vamp this up with plants and crystals.”

He proceeds to the washroom to check the water.

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, a hint of smile in his face painted his face.

He finally opened the door connecting to his new home.

His house has the same vibe as his restaurant.

On the second floor, it has a hallway with a few rooms and a mini pantry. He did the layout of his house while thinking of being able to accommodate his family and friends for their vacation.

He went down to check the spacious kitchen-dining-living area and was surprised to see how pristine it looks. It was an open plan that looks very harmonious with all the other elements he saw in his restaurant. An open plan also makes it more inviting to socialize with his incoming visitors. He opened the glass sliding door leading to the garden / pool area and the warm breeze greets his soft dark hair.

“A breath of fresh air.” He mumbled satisfied.

“Oh! I almost forgot. Rooftop.”

Connecting to the rooftop of his house, there’s a gate leading to the small airbnb he built.

He is starting to be a business-minded person, he thinks to himself.

He unlocked the gate and inspected every little detail.

The pool, the water, the rooms, the furniture.

Everything looks spotless and is ready to use. It’s everything he ever wanted.

Learning how to speak Filipino was hard, but learning how to cook Filipino dishes was a piece of cake.

In fact, he almost already mastered cooking his favourite Filipino dishes.

He decides it’s what he is going to serve at his new restaurant.

Managing a restaurant and an airbnb was hard for him, he he managed through it. On the top of that, he is also pursuing his other passion.

Designing.

He had always kept himself busy and didn’t even realize a year has already passed until his mother called.

When are you going to visit us, son? Or when can we visit you?

You’re so busy I think you just keep getting richer and richer.

He laughs at his mother’s text and immediately called her.

“Hi, Mom! Well I can’t visit you guys yet because of all the things I have to manage here. You’re welcome to visit your rich son, though.” Kyungsoo laughs wholeheartedly at his joke and almost cried when he hears his mom’s sweet laugh.

He tells his mom he just bought a small abandoned milk tea shop beside his restaurant but he doesn’t know what to do with it yet.

“Again? You just bought abandoned shops all over the island just a month ago.”

Kyungsoo laughed and explained how he wants to expand his business in the near future.

“Where’s Seri?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Aigoo. That poor child is still locked up in her room and not eating well. It’s been two days, Kyungsoo. Please call her. You know she only listens to you.”

“Why? What’s the matter? What happened to her?” Kyungsoo asked, not even trying to hide the worry in his voice.

“Well she said it’s something about an agency for Citrus or something. Just call her. I didn’t understand a word she said. I just know it’s messy.”

As soon as they hung up the phone, Kyungsoo knew what to do before calling Seri.

He opened the browser on his laptop and without even typing anything, he saw the headlines on the homepage.

K-pop Boy Group CITRINE has filed a lawsuit against Pink Entertainment

On January 14 KST, Citrine members Kai, Baekhyun, Suho, Chen, Chanyeol, Xiumin, Sehun, and Lay filed a lawsuit against the agency handling them.

According to WYW Law Firm, the members we’re not being paid on time and were unjustly asked by the agency to extend their contracts for an additional 2 years.

Despite the members following their contracts devotedly, they stated that the Pink Entertainment were the ones not following the contracts they’ve written.

Citrine members’ contracts will supposedly end this April 8, 2023 and were planning to start their last world tour this February as a gift of appreciation for their loyal fans.

Citrine has been in the industry for 13 years and has always planned to part ways with the agency and fans in a good way when the time comes.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Kyungsoo was shocked to his core after reading the article released by Koreaborn. Now he understands why his sister’s suddenly acting like that.

He suddenly remembered his abandoned Twitter account and logged in to see more news about the group. He wanted to stay on top of it so he will have enough knowledge before he comforts his dejected sister.

He learned that Moonstones are currently protesting outside Pink Entertainment’s building and sending support trucks for Citrine left and right.

Moonstone is the fandom name for Citrine.

Being a fan of crystals, Kyungsoo remembers the meaning for Citrine and Moonstone crystals.

The combination of the two crystals promotes a smooth energy flow.

Moonstone means “New Beginnings” and Citrine means promoting happiness and good energy.

The names for both parties make sense, Kyungsoo thinks.

Kyungsoo dialled his sister’s number and was surprised she answered it immediately.

“Oppaaaaaa!” She whined.

“Aigoo. Why didn’t you tell me? It’s been two days.”

“I was too depressed to explain it to you..”

She probably needed time to be alone with her thoughts.

“But I know you’ve already done your research before calling so I don’t have to explain anymore.”

Kyungsoo laughed softly at his sister’s wittiness.

“You know me well.”

Kyungsoo will be there for her on her darkest days. Seri might still seem so cheerful now, but he also knows her well. He knows very well that her heart is being shattered into pieces as they talk about it.

“Do you want to visit me for a vacation? To cool off?”

“I want to but I still have school.” Kyungsoo could hear the pout in her voice.

“But on summer vacation we’ll go there.”

“Good.” Kyungsoo smiles as he exits the browser in his laptop.

“Need something else?”

“Uhmm..” Seri sounded like she wants to ask his brother for something but hesitated.

“Come on. Tell me. Maybe I could help.”

“There’s this thing..”

“Let me guess. Want me to help you send out support trucks or something?”

“Oh no, you caught me.” Seri shyly laughs.

“Don’t worry, I’ll do it.”

Kyungsoo called his connections in Korea to inquire for the protest trucks.

Seri. It’s done. I did it.

Kyungsoo sent his sister photos of the truck.

A month later, Kyungsoo saw an article saying that Citrine won the battle and will leave Pink entertainment after their contract ends. They continued with their plan to hold a final world tour before going off the grid.

Seri tells Kyungsoo that the public haven’t seen them anywhere ever since.

She misses Baekhyun.

A few months later, all has passed and the general public kind of forgot about the extreme turmoil that shook the whole K-pop industry.

Including Kyungsoo.

​​​​​​

Kyungsoo hears a soft knock on his office door and yells ‘Come in’ after he clicked a button.

“Sir, there is a customer who was inquiring about the abandoned milk tea shop beside the restaurant.”

“Is she still there?”

“It’s a he, sir.” The staff lightly chuckled and nodded yes.

Kyungsoo didn’t know why he imagined the customer to be an old lady, though.

“Okay, send him in.”

A few moments later, there was another knock on his door and Kyungsoo lets him in.

“Hi. I’m Kim Jongin and I’d like to inquire about the old abandoned shop beside this restaurant.”

Kyungsoo clumsily stood up to shake his hand and welcomed him into his office while trying to hide his surprised face.

“Please, sit down.”

Jongin flashed him a breathtaking smile and sat down.