Chapter 7

It was already ten in the evening, Mike and Saab are totally in their own worlds inside their room. Alex is kinda bored inside our room.

“They shouldn’t have invite us if they’re gonna ignore us like this.” she said lying on the bed and playing with her phone.

“Just let them enjoy.” I said lying in the sofa and staring into space, I’m kinda bored too.

“I’ll understand that if they live miles apart” she pouted. “But they see each other 24/7 and their cousin and bestfriend is back at home after five years.” she said acting like a child throwing a tantrum.

“Don’t be so jealous. You still have the rest of the month to grab their attention.” I said, laughing at her.

“Not funny, Akanishi.” She said, throwing me an angry glance.

“What? I just assumed you’re jealous ‘coz they don’t give you much attention since we got here.” I said sitting up to see her better.

“I’m not jealous.” she sticks her tongue out.

“At least I joined you guys. If I didn’t, you’ll be bored to death.” I said winking at her.

“Don’t ever think you’ll get me with that so-called charm of yours.” she said, totally ignoring my stare.

“I’ll get you soon enough.”I said in a y voice.

“You do know that I’m taken, right? She said.

“Yes...which remind me...” I said, “What are you doing all alone in L.A. when you can be in Korea spending your vacation with your boyfriend?” I asked her, she looks hesitant to answer. This thought came into my mind while I was talking to Mike earlier. “Don’t tell me that you chose Mike and Saab over your boyfriend? I’m sure you’ll choose to be with him when you get a month of vacation especially when both of you are celebrity who rarely gets to spend time with each other.”

“What will you do when your celebrity girlfriend gets a vacation?” She asked totally changing the subject.

“You didn’t answer my question. But to answer yours, I’ll definitely spend it with her.” I said.

“What if you guys fought and you got really mad and she decided to spend her vacation miles away from you?” She asked again, it looks like she’s answering my question through her questioning.

“Well, if that happened, I’ll apologize right away and go to the place where she went and probably spend some time with her there.” I answered.

“You will really do that?” she said, our conversation is getting serious.

“I’ll do that if you’re my girlfriend.” I said, she rolled her eyes.

“I’m serious, Akanishi.” She shouted.

“I’m serious too.” I said smiling. “If I were him, I wouldn’t let you go on a vacation all by yourself when we can be together.”

“You didn’t know what happened.” she said, looking a bit sad.

“So, tell me what happened.” I said, I wanna know why her boyfriend lets her go here and didn’t even run after after her.

“Why would I do that?” she said, hesitating.

“Because I want to know why he made this beautiful girl go all alone to L.A. to ran away from him.” I said, staring attentively at her.

“Don’t start with this smooth talking, Akanishi. And no, I didn’t ran away from him” she said. “I just needed to run away from all the media attention I’m getting these days.”

“So you took over my role as their favourite target?” I said making her smile a bit.

“It looks like it.” She said, laughing.

“The last time I checked, they’ve been aiming at your relationship.” I said, she looked sad again. “I didn’t believe it at first ‘coz I thought that maybe it’s just a coincidence or maybe he’s just a friend who cares. But Kame told me that he looks really worried and anxious while you’re in the hospital.” I said, feeling a bit envious.

“If the media found out about your girlfriend, would you admit it to them?” She started questioning again. I know this is her way of telling me what happened.

“Well...” I said standing up and sitting at her bed facing her. “I wouldn’t bother to explain it to them. It’s my private life, after all.” I said.

“So you would just keep it a secret?”

“Hmmm, not really a secret, sort of just not telling anything about it.”I said, she looks puzzled. “I’ll date her, go around town with her, and introduce her to my friends. I just wouldn’t talk about her in public. It’s like telling ‘yes she’s my girlfriend but that’s it, do not make it a fuss about us.’ kind of thing.” I explained.

“You wouldn’t mind if she gets all the attention from media and your fans?” she asked.

“I’ll protect her from them.” I answered. She looks like those words hit her.

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“I’ll protect her from them.” Jin’s word’s hit straight to my heart. Those are the words I wanted to hear from Yoochun.

“It’s late, Akanishi. Let’s sleep now.” I said, I don’t feel like talking anymore after I heard those words.

“You still haven’t told me about what happened.” he said.

“We’ll talk about it some other time. I want to sleep now.” I said, putting my body under the sheets.

“Sure, good night Alex.” he said standing up and going to the sofa. He looks disappointed that I didn’t tell him about what happened.

“Good night, Jin.” I said. I the lamp, got up to close the light and went back to bed. I pulled the sheets close to my body and felt the warmth from it. I wanted to cry, my conversation with Jin makes me remembered my last fight with Yoochun. Jin’s mind is entirely different from Yoochun’s, I couldn’t help but wish that he had a frame of mind like Jin’s. My time spent with Jin here in L.A. is fun and I have to admit that even if I’ve known him for only three days, I know that he’s not the person the media portrays him to be. He’s so playful and childlike, although he’s a little flirt and smooth talker, I admire his carefree personality. He doesn’t care about the media and just do things he enjoys.

“Rise and shine Miss sleepyhead!” Jin’s voice wakes me as he opened the curtains of our room. I almost blind my eyes with the sunlight. “it’s a beautiful morning, you shouldn’t waste it by sleeping.” he said smiling at me.

“Five minutes!” I shouted, going back to sleep.

“No!” he said, removing the sheets from my body. “We should enjoy the beach and the sun.” he is so hyper today.

 “If you want to enjoy, do so. Don’t disturb my sleep.” I said covering the sheets back to my body.

“Fine!” he said, throwing a pillow on my face and storming out of the room before I chase him to get my revenge.

“Akanishi! Don’t bully me in the morning, I might kill you!” I screamed from the room’s door.

I woke up at ten in the morning, there are no sign of the three inside the house, they are probably in the beach. I’m not in the mood to enjoy today, all night I haven’t been able to sleep because I’ve been thinking about Yoochun. When we talk on the phone about us taking a break and giving each other space, I said it would be good because I thought I can understand why he wanted to keep it a secret, I considered it as his way of protecting me. But I realized that I’m not going to be happy if I just do as he wish, especially if it is the complete opposite of what I want. But I don’t want to lose him, I need him. He’s been there from the start, he understands my job and he gives me that sense of security that I never felt from everyone.

Stop thinking about these things and just enjoy for now. I said to myself. I change to my black two-piece bikini, grabbed a towel and my beach bag and went to the beach. I can see Mike and Saab still having fun in their own world. I looked around for Jin and saw him on the beach bed flirting with two blonde girls. I shook my head, greasy Akanishi on the loose. I thought to myself. I went to his direction and when he saw me coming he asked the girls to go.

“Why do you let them go, I wouldn’t mind their company.” I said sitting on the beach bed beside him.

“You’re a thousand times better than them” he winked.

“Shut up!” I rolled my eyes and lay on the beach chair.

“Kame told me that.” he said. “What?” I asked.

“Kame told me that you’re a thousand times better than those blonde girls that I date.” he said. “He told me that before I met you. But now that I know you already, I have to say that he’s right on target there. You’re indeed a thousand times better.” He continued, I can feel my cheeks blush. , I’m not falling for his smooth talking, no!

“I don’t know if I should thank you or Kame.” I said hiding my cheeks with my oversized sunglasses.

“Well, he’s not here so you only have me to thank.” He said.

“Thank you, Jin-Jin.”  I said, laughing.

“Very funny, I’m not affected anymore.” He said, grinning.

“Woah, I need to think of a new nickname.” I said, looking at him, his eyes are closed and he’s feeling the sun shining on his face. I remove my sunglasses, his face is so soothing, his skin looks soft and his stubbles around his chin makes his face manly, his full lips is pouting a bit making him looks adorable. He opened his eyes and caught me staring at him.

“Are you falling for me now, Miss Lee?” he said, smiling naughtily.

“Don’t be too full of yourself, Akanishi.” I said lying back and putting back the sunglasses on. He laughs and lay back too.

We were silent after that, I don’t know what gotten into me, I don’t know why I find his face soothing or why I stare at it in the first place.

“Guys! Let’s grab lunch!” I heard Saab’s voice, she’s standing at the bottom of the beach bed with Mike.

“Okay!” I said, standing up, Jin stands up too and winked at me. I just stick out my tongue.

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“Thank you for your hard work!” I greet everyone as I passed the backstage. We just ended the Osaka shows of our tour.

“Good job, Yoochun!” I heard the staff say and smiled to them.

I went in into our dressing room and took a shower. The show was a success, it’s wasn’t as great as when we perform as five, but the feeling of being able to perform in front of our fans after all what’s happened is amazing. I wanted to call Alex like what I always do after ending a show but we promise to give each other space and time for ourselves and I respect that.

“Yoochun! The staffs is having a party tonight at the hotel bar, we should come.” Jaejoong said.

“Sure!” I replied.

We went back to the hotel, got dresses and went down to the bar to party. Everyone is having fun and going crazy. Drinks are flowing and everyone’s dancing to the party music. I had quite a few alcohol and felt quite tipsy already.

“Yoochun!!! What are you doing sitting there at the bar!! We should have fun!” Jaejoong said, he’s already drunk, he’s dancing in front of me.

“Sure man!” I replied, I got up and joined everyone in the dance floor.

After quite a while and more than 10 glasses of whiskey, I couldn’t dance anymore, I throw myself on one of the couch seat, I closed my eyes to stop my surrounding from spinning.

“Hey Yoochun.” I heard someone say my name, I opened my eyes and saw a girl.

“Hey...” I replied.

“I’m Yuna.” I heard her say.

“Nice to meet you.” I said, my head is still spinning, I couldn’t see her face well.

“This is for you.” she said giving me a glass of alcohol.

“I think I had too much of that already.” I said laughing.

“Come on! For me.” She said.

“Sure.” I grabbed the glass and drink it. My head is spinning more and more now.

“Another one?” She asked.

“I don’t think I can handle another one.” I said, she ignored me and gave me another glass.

I opened my eyes and see that it was already morning, I was lying in the hotel bed. I look around and notice that this is not my room. And to my horror, I saw a girl lying beside me, , and I’m too.