Chapter 4.

“MiiiiNyeoooo.  Wait!  I want to talk to Hyung first!” shouted Jeremy as he burst out the front door of the ANJell dorms still in slippers.  He was about to run down the paved steps when he spotted her sitting in the courtyard.

“Oh.”  He skated to a halt.

He came over and plonked down opposite her.  To his surprise, she averted her gaze.

“Mi Nyeo?  Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she said in a strangled voice.  “I’m fine.  It’s just so warm inside.”

He spotted the tears on her cheeks as she spoke, and Jeremy grew sad.  “I can see that you’re crying, Mi Nyeo.  You can’t hide in the dark from me.”

She swallowed, and looked up at him with her wet lashes and shining eyes.

He sighed.  “Spit it out Mi Nyeo.  You will feel much better, and your shoulders won’t feel so heavy.”

“Hyung-nim doesn’t like me anymore.”  She followed this up with heavy sob.  His heart aching for her, Jeremy went to sit beside her and touched her back.

“That’s total doggie crap,” said Jeremy.  “He loves you.  He’s just busy writing songs.  He’s always had more work to do for ANJell than the rest of us.”

She rubbed her nose on her sleeve.  “He was annoyed with me that I could only come to see him at this time.  When I arrived, he was nice to me, but he asked you to look after me.  He hugs me in the morning, but he doesn’t come to the dates he makes with me at night, and tonight you...”

Jeremy froze “I..?”

“You lied to me because he didn’t come again.”

He slumped.  “I did.  I was kind of hoping that you wouldn’t find that out.”

Mi Nyeo choked on more tears.  “I tried to call him all day, and just now he sent me a message to say that he wouldn’t be able to come to dinner after all.  Why does he do that?  It confuses me.  If he just worked and stopped telling that he wanted to see me then...then.”

“Then?”

“Then it would be worse, because it means that he doesn’t miss me at all.”  She buried her face in her hands.  “What do I do?”

Jeremy ruffled up his hair.  “I don’t know.  I’m not really good at giving advice.  I’m better at the comforting and hugs part.  Hoh!”  He jumped to his feet.  “Neon Naege Banhaesseo!”

“Eh?”

“In Neon Naege Banhaeeseo, the hero, Lee Shin, is hot and cold.  At first he’s all angry like he’s about to burn the college down, and then he’s all ‘Hey, that nerdy girl has stopped paying attention to me.  How dare she?’, and then he breaks his hand protecting her and he becomes all damaged and twisted.”

“And then?”

Jeremy shrugged.  “I didn’t ever watch the end.  It was getting too sad.  I think she becomes famous, and Lee Shin turns into an alcoholic and dies from chronic liver disease or something.  Anyway, my point is that if you watch it then maybe it might help explain why Tae Kyung is being the same way!”

Mi Nyeo looked doubtful.  “You think so?”

“It’s worth a try.  For our plan B I need to go somewhere.  Is it all right if I get something out my room?”

“Okay, but-”

Jeremy put his hands on her shoulders.  “Don’t worry.  You find the drama tape and watch it until you fall asleep.  Tomorrow, everything will be all right.  I promise.”

It was a quiet evening at AN Headquarters.  Tae Kyung had an entire studio to himself for composing, recording and experimenting with sound.  The only people to bother him were the subdued night shift cleaners and the quiet security guard who came to check on him every two hours with his flashlight.

He recognised Jeremy the moment he stepped into the recording room.  He didn’t know why Jeremy was there, but the junior looked peeved about something.  Jeremy walked up to him.  Something silver flashed before his eyes, and he realised that the pointy end of a sword was tickling his very expensive voice box.

The idea of Jeremy using a weapon on him was so unexpected that Tae Kyung, usually never lost for words, was stupefied.

“I have never pulled this thing out on anyone out of anger before.  Anyone!” shouted Jeremy.  “I only bring it out when my Appa comes to Seoul.  He always wants to spar with me because most of his Korean friends don’t like the sport.”

“Sport?”  Tae Kyung tried not to swallow.  The point was scratching his skin.

“Ah, the goal is easy.  You put holes through the other person until they bleed to death.”

“And that’s a sport?”

“Where I came from, it was.  My point is that I’m really angry with you.  Mi Nyeo is miserable because you tell her that you want to see her, and then you change your mind.  You’ve made her sad and confused.  Now you’re going to fix it.”

Tae Kyung’s eyes narrowed.  “Did your brain get punctured while playing death sports with your Abeoji?  I explained to Mi Nyeo about the new album long before she arrived.  I would expect you would know how things work by now, too.”

“Why do you have to work this hard, or fast?” argued Jeremy, pointing at the music sheets in Tae Kyung’s hand.  “I get that music is great, but Mi Nyeo is better than music and she’s back for really short time.  Who cares if the album hits the markets a week or two later?”

“That’s why I run the schedule of this band and not you.  You don’t understand that we’ll only be able to work in music as long as we’re famous.  And we’ll only be famous for as long as we keep working.  We won’t be able to do this forever, and by the end of it I plan to give Mi Nyeo everything she’s wanted, including time.  Does any of that make sense to you?”

“No!”  Jeremy grabbed the paper work out of Tae Kyung’s hand and lowered his sword.  “I’ll compose a song that you can have some free time with Mi Nyeo now.”

Tae Kyung frowned.  “How can I trust you with a song when you’re not even taking this seriously.”

“Yah!  I am!  Tomorrow, I’m going to spend all day and night in this dark vampire coffin they call a studio and compose the most awesome song in the world.  Meanwhile, you and Mi Nyeo are going on a date that lasts for eighteen hours so that you don’t end up turning into a lonely old dude.”

“That’s the most insane line of reasoning I’ve ever heard.”

Jeremy pointed the sword at Tae Kyung’s heart.  “Lonely.Old.Dude.  That’s if I don’t turn you into a dead dude first for breaking Mi Nyeo’s heart.”

Having said what he wanted to say, Jeremy withdrew his sword and left with Tae Kyung’s latest composition clenched in his fist.

Unwilling to continue working on his song without his notes, Tae Kyung got to his feet and frowned.  “Aish!  I thought Pig Rabbit understood.”

The next day, Jeremy had his old composition notes from college spread out on the kitchen bench while he ate his breakfast.  He’d dug them out from his boxes of stuff in the garage, bringing a sense of nostalgia to his morning.  He thought back to all the fun he’d had with Princess Amy and his friends during college breaks, and smiled.

He remembered that as a college student, he dreamed that one day he’d write a song that would be so life changing for people, that he’d win a Nobel Peace Prize for it.  Warlords would shake hands to the sound of it playing in the background.  Elton John would be doing a cover of it at the Queen of England’s funeral because it would be that good.

“So,” said Shin Woo, interrupting Jeremy’s thoughts. “I heard that today is the day that you’re going to write the most ‘awesome’ song in the world.”

Jeremy grimaced.  “Why couldn’t Tae Kyung keep his mouth shut?”

“Because I couldn’t believe my ears when you said you’d write an ‘awesome’ song in twenty four hours,” mocked Tae Kyung, appearing from behind him.  “I had to ask Shin Woo if he thought it was possible.”

The guitarist hid a smile while boiling hot water for his tea.  “My opinion was that Chopin would turn in his grave if he’d heard you say that Jeremy.”

“Beethoven would throw a tantrum.”

Jeremy scowled.  “Mock away, Hyungs!  You’ll be swallowing it all at this time tomorrow.”

“He’s so confident,” teased Mi Nam, going over to the fridge to get some leftovers out.  “The poor guy will have no pride left if he stakes it all on this one itty bitty little day.”

“Don’t psych me out!” said Jeremy.  “As my bandmates, you should be cheering me on.”

Tae Kyung, Mi Nam and even Shin Woo sniggered.

“I’m all ready to go, Oppa-nim!” announced Mi Nyeo.  She beamed at Jeremy like a lamp, and then schlomped down on the stool next to him.

“Hy-Oppa-nim says that you’re going to help him with work by writing an awesome song today.”

Jeremy was inundated with more sniggers, but they did not come from Mi Nyeo.

“I know that you will be able do it.” she said.  “Hyung-nim and I will cheer you on.  Won’t we Hy-Oppa-nim?”  She didn’t wait for an answer from Tae Kyung.  “Also, I think that you should be able to sleep in your own bed after working so hard, so I will sleep on the couch tonight.”

“Awww.”  Jeremy resisted the urge to pinch her cheeks.  “You’re an angel.  I wish my Hyungs would be as nice to me as you are.”

“Blech,” gagged Mi Nam.  “I’m not your Hyung.  I owe you nothing.”

“And you’re not mine, you double-lidded fake,” countered Jeremy.

“Jeremy.”  Mi Nyeo tugged his sleeve to get his attention.  “I hope you don’t mind, but I only watched the last hour of Neon Naege Banhaesseo.  I really had to know what happened.”

He nodded in understanding.  “So...what happened?  Did it, you know, help?”

“Lee Shin broke up with the heroine to keep his secret.  He didn’t want to hold her back,” said Mi Nyeo in a low voice.

Jeremy leaned closer so that they could whisper.  “So he thought he was doing the right thing.  And-and?”

“She found out that he was doing it for her, and after a while, she forgave him.”

“So it was a happy ending?”

“Yes,” she smiled.

“That’s so great!” shouted Jeremy, celebrating as if Mi Nyeo had been talking about her own life.  He reached over to give her a hug...and then changed his mind when Tae Kyung and Mi Nam scrambled around the kitchen bench to stop him.  Tae Kyung twisted one of his arms back so that it hurt.

“Aya!  That’s my writing hand.  I can’t work without it!”

Tae Kyung let him go.  “Then don’t let her get used to your UK habits.”

Jeremy scrunched up his nose and mouth like a rabbit, and grabbed his notes.  “It’s called a hug,” he muttered as he retreated.

On his way to the studio, he paused to check on Jolie.  The retriever sniffed his face as he hugged her.

“You don’t mind my UK habits, do you Jolie?  Nuuuu.”

“Jeremy.”

He looked over Jolie’s head and smiled.  It was Mi Nyeo.  She’d snuck on some soft pink lipstick while waiting for Tae Kyung to get ready, and she looked really pretty.  However, she seemed torn about something.  kept opening and shutting like a goldfish.

“It’s okay,” he said, guessing that she was worrying about her date.  “Talk to Hyung about all your problems and you’ll see.”

She still looked uneasy.

“I’ll leave my phone on.  Yes?  In case a friend has an emergency and needs to talk,” he hinted.

Mi Nyeo bit her lip and gave him a grateful smile.  “Yes, for an emergency.  I will also leave my phone on...in case a song writer is having an emergency.”

They both wavered on the spot.  Jeremy wanted to say something more to her, but he couldn’t think of anything.  Shin Woo Hyung was always the one that gave good advice.

He hesitated, and then went down the paved stairs, aware that Mi Nyeo was watching him the entire time.  He hoped that she wouldn’t have to ring him.  Despite his feelings for her, he only wished her the best with Tae Kyung.