“No you have to hang up first.” “No you.” “Okay, on three we will both hang up.” “One” “Two” “Three” There fell a silence, his smooth voice was heard again on the other side of the line. “Babo, you didn’t hang up.” I smiled in the dark. I was laying down in bed, I was lucky Nana had to stay out late recording for her show, since I shared a room with her. “Neither did you.” I replied. He sighed, but I knew he was smiling too. “His voice continued again, “What is your schedule for tomorrow?” I sighed, I didn’t want to think about tomorrow. “I have a interview at about three o’clock, and at six o’clock I have a meeting with Lee So Man.” There fell a silence, “Why?” I knew he was talking about the meeting with Lee So Man, and not about the interview, “I’m not sure.” I paused, “Do you think he could know about us?” He was silent for a moment, “I don’t think so, but if he has, we should just be truthful with him. Then he can decide if we can become public.” I heard the excitement in his voice. I hesitated, “Do you think that would be a good thing, going public?” “Yeah, why not? We can openly walk around, and hold hands. You can come visit the music shows when I’m performing.”

I hesitate, he sounded so happy, “But what if the public doesn’t like our relationship? And I’m mainly saying that for the Exotics, not the B1’s.” I smiled, “You know better than anyone else, how possessive they are.” I could almost hear him smirk. “You have a point, well we’ll have to find out once the time comes.” I heard some growl, “What’s that?” I asked nervously, “You don’t have a dog right?” “No, it’s… AAaaaarg….” My eyes grew large in shock, and I sat op straight in bed. “B-Beakhyun?” The other side of the line remained silent, except for the stumbling and little shrieks of pain. I heard the phone being picked up again, and heard a sound of muffled yelling in the back. Nervously I waited for the other side to speak, then I asked, “Baekhyun?” A light chuckle was heard in response, and a gentle and charming voice was heard. “Lian, I really like you, but I’ll have to cut off your cute talk with Baekhyun. I’d love to sleep quietly, without that stupid idiot talking to his phone.” I sighed in relieve, “I’m sorry Kai.” “That’s okay Lian. You can call that idiot again tomorrow. Sweet dreams.” I smiled, “You too.” And he hung up. I quickly texted, “Sweet dreams x,” to Baekhyun and went to lay back in the bed again. My eyes closing and drifting off to sleep, the last thing I registered was my phone vibrating, indicating I received a message. Probably Baekhyun, but I was too tired to check.

~~~

“Welcome back~ for the new people turning in, we have a special guest with us today in the studio. Please welcome Lian!” “Annyeon, Lian imnida.” “Great to see you again Lian. If I remember correctly you have visited us once before?” I nodded, and then I remembered the listeners couldn’t see me nod. “Yes, I’ve been here once together with the other members from Lian. But it’s my first time alone.” The MC smiled at me. “So everyone probably knows you a bit right now, but for those few people out there who don’t I’ll give you a bit of an introduction.” She inhaled, glanced at her paper before her, and then back at me, smiling reassuringly. “Lian here debuted last September, with the girl group HANA under SM entertainment, with the song Bastard.” I took a small sip from my bottle of water. “After those promotions finished she and the other members of HANA were assigned to try some solo promotion. Am I right?” She looks at me, I smile back, feeling more relaxed by the second. “Yes that’s right. I chose to try composing.” I look back at the MC questioningly, she nods, and I continue. “When I told my boss I wanted to try composing he was way more positive than I expected, and he managed to get a tutor for me. Who happened to be Bang Yongguk.” The MC smiled, “That’s where it get’s interesting. Lian, you do not KNOW how many articles there have been about you the past month.” She smiled even wider, happy to address all the gossip going around.

“Before you tell us a recap of the boring truth, I would like to inform the listeners on the rumors and gossip going around.” She took a moment to inhale and continued. “First of all,” she exchanged a glance with me, and I smiled at her to ensure her I didn’t mind her asking about this, “When you first appeared on a variety show, you admitted that you are a big fan of B.A.P, more specifically Bang Yongguk. Later you got to learn their dance routine from them. How did that feel?” I smiled and bowed closer to the mic, “Well, even though I’m an singer, I’m also a fan. And at that moment, it was just a dream come true. They were really nice, friendly and funny.” The MC nodded again, and continued, “So after that, you got to meet them a few times backstage, and you kind of got to know them and became friendly with them.” “Yes.” “Now comes the exiting part, Lee So Man managed to agree with TS on you training together with Bang Yongguk, with a possibility to promote together.” “Well, I did get to train at TS, but there was never talked about a collaboration. It was said to be a possibility, but never a goal.” She nodded, “So when you left after finishing your training at TS you wrote your own song, and recorded it with Baekhyun.” I nodded again, my cheeks hurting from my smile. It hadn’t exactly been such a clean cut, but well, the public didn’t need to know the details. “There are many rumors about the reason you left TS, the person behind the lyrics, your relationship with Bang Yongguk, and your relationship with Baekhyun. Please enlighten us!”

“It’s actually not that complicated as you make it seem. Lee So Man and TS agreed I would go to train together with Yongguk, and we did. I trained with him for about two months. He thought me the basics, and helped me compose. Yongguk, and all members of B.A.P have become dear friends of mine. Which brings me to the second topic, Baekhyun. I’ve been friends with him since our early trainee day’s. He is one of the few people from my trainee time who actually debuted too, so it strengthened our friendship.” I smiled back at the MC, and she looked back at her paper, crossing some lines. “It’s great to have so much friends. But you haven’t answered all of our questions. Would like you share the story behind the song?” I thought for a moment, and decided to go for the truth. “Well one thing I learned from Yongguk-sshi is that you have to write an earnest song to make a good song. So I’m not going to lie. Yes, I wrote this song because of a boy.” I smiled, “But it’s not as bad as you might think.” I felt strength flow through me, “My first crush has been a unrequited love, but we are still friends and often talk. I can only be thankful to him to make me able to write this song.” The MC didn’t smile anymore, she had a sad distant look in her eyes, “I think we all know how that feels, and that’s why we can relate to the song so well.” She sighed, and whipped a tissue against her eyes. “We don’t have that much time left. Just one more question.” She leaned closer to me, for as much as was possible as she was sitting on the opposite side of the table. “The kiss at the end of the stage with Baekhyun. Was it real?” I smiled, and forced to laugh so the listeners would know too. “Come on unni, you know how those kisses are never real.” She smiled, and continued in a more exited voice, “Well, Lian, please favor our ears, and perform your live solo version of Irony.”

~~~

I gritted my teeth, Himchan who sat next to me in the car smirked and glanced at my face from the side. I pushed the button to mute the radio, only to hear rage from the back of the car immediately. “Hyung! Turn that back on immediately! I want to hear Lian’s solo live!” I gowned, and obeyed to the maknae, it was easier to comply than to argue with him. Himchan was still smirking, and when I returned his look he resumed his gaze on the passing city. “She is still friends with him.” He chuckled, “She wants to thank him for making her able to write the song.” I frowned as I continued to look at the road, without registering anything. “Shut up” I whispered. “First” “Crush” Letting a pause fall in, deliberate. “Shut up Himchan!” I said, with less effort to lower my voice. I could see the startled dongsaengs look up in the rearview. He smirked again, and continued on a happy and louder voice, “She says the kiss was fake. But I wonder, they seemed to exchange a lot of looks since they came back from the stage.” He turned around to look at the maknae. “Don’t you think too?” Zelo pouted and looked away, out the window. “I don’t like it if they are dating. She will spend even less time with us than she already does.” “But if that means she is happy.” Zelo seemed to be conflicted, “Well, if she really likes him, than it will be okay.” He sighed and looked at my back, I could see it in the rearview. He sulked, as he continued to look out of the window again, “I don’t get why she won’t date Yongguk. Then she would be around us more often.” Himchan sighed too, and turned around too. “You are being selfish Zelo. Yongguk already has a girlfriend.” He whispered something under his breath, and it wasn’t until much later that I realized what he said.

“But I agree with you Zelo. But I guess it’s impossible now.”

~~~

While I walked down the hallway to Lee So Man’s office, I quickly checked my phone, and it didn’t disappoint me. Three new messages, two from Baekhyun, and one from a unknown number. I decided the unknown number could wait, and checked the first message of Baekhyun first. “Hey Baby. Did you sleep well? Good luck on you radio interview. I’ll be thinking of you! xBaekhyun.” I continued to read the second message, “Yah, I’m just a old friend of you? Aish, I’m friend zoned T^T. You did great on the interview (k). The live was pretty good, you could have recorded the song on your own. I have to get ready for the performance, later!” I smiled as I read his little tantrum. “Thanks Baekhyun. Good luck on your performance, say hi to the other members from me too! And I couldn’t have done it without you! We gained this much popularity together!” I hesitated, I wasn’t one of those girls to write overly loving texts. I quickly added, “I can’t wait to see you again.” before I pressed send, and I knocked the door to Lee So Man’s office.

I heard a muffled answer, and I opened the door. I was surprised to see two people inside. As I carefully closed the door behind me, I noticed Lee So Man was sitting behind his desk, looking formal, and his eyebrows furrowed. The other person I didn’t recognize. He was smiling a gentle smile, but I immediately realized it didn’t reach his eyes. I looked at Lee So Man’s eyes, questioningly. He gestured me to sit down, and I did. He looked back at the unknown person. “Lian, I don’t think you have met Park Sanghyun?” I shook my head, and raised from my seat to bow to him, and shake hands. “Well he is the CEO of TS, and he has come to me with a request, or rather proposal.” I looked at the man in front of me, and he stopped smiling. “Lian, it’s nice to meet you.” I nodded in reply, “I have come to talk about the settlement regarding Irony.” I furrowed my brows, “Settlement, what are you talking about?” He placed the papers he had been holding on the desk. “This is the proposal, you can look it through before you make a decision.” When I continued to look at him, puzzled he continued. “It’s about a settlement for the part Yongguk had in the production.” I furrowed my brows even deeper. “What do you mean? I composed this myself, he didn’t help me.” He smirked now, damn I didn’t like him. “He did practically learn you compose.” His smirk became wider, “Don’t you think it’s only fair to replay him for his help.” “How?” He whipped the hair out of his face, and his gaze was steadied on my eyes, piercing me.

“Well there are several options and proposals, as you will read in the official proposal. For one you can include him in your list of credits, though you also have to pay a sufficient percentage of the profit from your single.” He seemed to think for a while, then he pointed his finger in the air, as if he had just come up with the perfect idea. “Of  course we will forget about all this financial mess, if you agree to promote the song.” My face lightened up, there was a simple option. But hope was burned with his last words, “If you promote the song with not Baekhyun, but Yongguk.” I heart stopped, the only thing I managed to say, “What? With Yongguk?” Sanghyun grabbed his bag and coat, “Think about it, this offer stands till tonight,” he glanced at his watch, “eight o’clock.” He smirked, with his hand on the door knob, “I look forward to your decision, miss Ginger. No, mr. Lee, you don’t need to show me out, I can find the door myself. Goodbye~”

The door clicked behind him, and I looked up at Lee So Man, “What should I do? I don’t want to fight this out in some legal fight?” Lee So Man sighed as he sat down on the couch besides me. He had never seemed more human, “Lian, I know you said you didn’t want to perform in your solo time, but if you would agree it would make things easier, way more easier.” I sighed too, looking down on my fingers, scratching on the nail polish Nana had applied just that morning. “How many nights?” Lee So Man looked up shocked, “You will consider it?” I nodded, not looking up, what am I getting myself into?

~~~

After I had discussed the details of the agreement I was given the rest of the day off, and I wandered around the building, unsure of what to do. I had texted Baekhyun to tell him about the agreement we had decided on, but he hadn’t texted back, and I guessed he was busy with the show. I realized I was in the dance department and I entered the empty room I was standing in front of. I plugged in my phone, and the song I was going to promote with Yongguk, only would it be with him instead of Baekhyun. I hugged myself as I thought back to the last time I had performed this song on stage, and about the ending, I felt a smile creep on my face. This time practicing with Yongguk was going to be different. I wasn’t the same girl I had been. I had let go of my first love, he was only a friend of me now. A incredibly hot and talented friend of mine. I smirked at the thought of Yongguk singing Baekhyun’s parts. This was going to be amusing.

~~~

Damn why didn’t she answer anymore? Furious I stared out of the window, looking at the passing lights of the city. After she had texted me about her agreement to promote the song with Yongguk I had been in a foul mood. I was angry with everything and everyone. Why had she agreed to promote with him, but not me? And that annoying bastard had found a way to snatch her away from me. I tightened my grip on the phone, I almost jumped when it vibrated. Clumsily I checked the screen, her clumsiness seemed to be infectious. My heart sank as I recognized the number to be from one of my trainee friends, who had never debuted, but continued to be part of the dance department.

The moment I picked up I knew something was wrong. “Baekhyun?” “Yes?” “Where are you right now?” The boy asked, his voice was hushed and high, like he was scared. “I’m in the car.” “Are you driving?” Getting more suspicious with the second, “No, our manager is though. What’s wrong Minho?” He sighed, but it wasn’t a relaxed or tired sigh, it was an nervous sigh. “Ask your manager to drive to the central Seoul Hospital. Lian had an accident while she was practicing.” My heart literally stopped. “WHAT?!”

~~~***~~~

Wohooo yet another update! And it’s a pretty long one too!

How do you like the progression of the story? Do you think Lian is getting more personality?

I hope you do think so, cause I spend a great deal of time thinking about her character T^T

We are slowly reaching the . I think this story might end around the 60 chapters!! Way more than I expected, but I hope you don’t mind.

Love my faithfull and loyal readers! Don’t be afraid to comment!

Happy new year everyone! Sorry I haven’t updated in a while, this is my little new year’s present for you!