Hyunsik led the way as the two rushed into the building.  He snapped his fingers at a nearby stylist and pointed to Joon.

“Minha-yah, do something about him and make it very quick,” he ordered, “I want him up in my office in ten minutes.”

Joon bowed as the stylist gave him a quick look-over.  He’d never been fixed up by her before; she was a more senior stylist at KTA.  Probably around her mid-thirties, she usually worked with much more seasoned talents.  Her styles were quite famous around the company and rumor had it that the competition was vying for her skills.

“Okay,” the stylist, Minha, replied.  She smiled at Joon and took him by the hand. 

Surprised, Joon followed her as she took him to an empty washing device and sat him down.  She wrapped him in a plastic cover and pulled his chair into a laying position.  Gently, she ran his hair under the tap and began washing his messy hair.  She hummed as she ran her fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp.

Joon sighed as the combination of the warm water and massage relaxed him.  He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the now.  He didn’t want to think about his confrontation with Seungho.  They would see each other again later that night… what then?  Joon frowned and bit his lip.  No, he had to think about his meeting with the sajangnim first. 

Why was the sajangnim so interested in him?  He was only a new talent, after all.  He hadn’t really done anything worth noting… so why the sudden interest?

“Don’t frown like that, sweetheart,” Joon heard a soft voice say above him.  Surprised, he opened his eyes and stared into the kind eyes of the stylist.  “You’ll get wrinkles on your pretty face,” she said, beaming at him.  Wrapping his head with a towel, she brought him over to an empty vanity seat.

Joon stared at her as she bustled about him, gathering her tools and makeup.  Clipping her hair up with a pin, she brought out a comb and hairdryer.  Rubbing some gel on her hands, she ran her fingers through his wet hair and began ruffling it.  Her movements were quick and professional; Joon watched with his mouth slightly agape.

“Don’t so surprised,” she said, winking at him in the mirror, “I’ve been doing this for a long time.”  Taking the comb and dryer, she began styling his hair, occasionally stepping back and assessing her work.  Within a few short minutes, she’d finished up with his hair and had begun taking out her makeup and skincare sets.  Turning to him, she smiled and patted his cheek.  “Close your eyes,” she said.

Obediently, he closed his eyes.  He recoiled slightly when he felt a wet wipe being applied to his face.  She gently wiped his face down, her fingers massaging the muscles surrounding his eyes.  Again, Joon sighed as the pressure from her fingers helped relieve some of the tense muscles in his face.  Soon, he felt her hands on his face, covering it with a light coat of moisturizer.

“Did something happen?” she asked gently as she ran her thumbs over his cheekbones, “You’re all puffed up.”  Joon opened his eyes and looked at her.  She glanced up and met his eyes with a small smile before looking back at her fingers. 

Joon’s gaze fell as he felt a soft ache in his chest. 

“A fight with your girlfriend?” the stylist whispered as she patted foundation onto his face.

Joon looked at her again, surprised at her intuition.  Although it wasn’t entirely accurate, he wanted to think that his situation with Seungho was close enough.  Shyly, he nodded and looked at himself in the mirror.  He was already looking much better.  The puffiness in his eyes had reduced a bit and the makeup helped with the rest.  His dark circles had faded and his skin looked much more glowing.

“Well, make sure you talk to her when you get home,” she said, “It’s such a shame to have your pretty face all sad like this.”  She smiled again gently as she fixed his eyebrows.  “Most couples never bother reconciling anymore… it’s terrible.  What happened to working things out?” she said, mostly to herself.  She smiled as she dabbed some more powder onto his cheeks with a brush.  “You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish by just talking,” she said, standing back and admiring her work, “Be confident and tell her how you feel.  You’ll both appreciate it.”  With a snap, she closed the powder and nodded.

Joon stared at her, surprised at her sudden advice.  Talk with Seungho?  Was it really that simple?  But… how else were they going to get past this?  And how did Joon really feel about all of this?  Sure he was upset… but had he expected more from Seungho?  He had decided that he was fine with whatever Seungho gave him, hadn’t he?  So why did he feel so upset?

The stylist pulled him to the fitting rooms and handed him a dark outfit.  “Try this,” she said, pushing him into an empty room.  “And quickly,” she called, “We have one minute left.”

Quickly, Joon shrugged out of his clothes and slipped into the clothes she’d given him.  Pulling on the white T-shirt, he adjusted his jeans and slipped on the navy blue blazer. 

“Times up,” the stylist called, walking in.  Joon mentally let out a sigh of relief that he’d finished dressing before she burst inside. 

She looked him up and down before nodding in satisfaction.  “Alright, hun,” she said, “You’re ready to go.”

Thanking her, Joon looked at himself in the mirror.  He looked significantly different from when he first came in.  His clothes were much nicer, his hair looked clean, and his face no longer bore the shadow of the night before. 

He had no time to think about Seungho now… he had to prepare himself for the meeting with the sajangnim.  Whatever ended up happening… he’d worry about that when the time comes.  Taking a deep breath, he made his way up to Hyunsik’s office and knocked gently.

“Come in,” he heard Hyunsik call.  Slowly, Joon pushed the door open.

Hyunsik stood from his seat at the sitting area as Joon entered, his face visibly relieved that Joon looked presentable.  Kim Dongmin also stood from his seat, his gaze settling on Joon.  His eyes widened a little in surprise at Joon’s appearance.  Clearly, he had not been expecting a dolled up Joon.

Joon bowed at the both of them as Hyunsik waved him over.

“Joon-ah, you remember Kim-sajangnim,” he said greasily, smiling his fake smile. 

“Yes,” Joon replied, bowing to Kim Dongmin.

“Oh…” Dongmin replied, recovering from his surprise, “He looks quite different today.”  He nodded in approval as he gazed at Joon.  “You were right, Hyunsik-ah.  He cleans up quite nicely,” he said, his eyes scanning Joon’s figure.  “Why don’t you go grab a coffee,” he said, turning to Hyunsik, “I’d like to speak with Joon alone for a few minutes.”

Joon looked at him in surprise.  Alone?  He glanced at Hyunsik, who was smiling as his eyes twitched with irritation.  Joon bit back a smile; he knew Hyunsik was trying his best to appear friendly and welcoming.  To be kicked out of his own office… Joon knew he’d be hearing about it later.

“Of course,” Hyunsik replied through gritted teeth, “Did you want anything, Kim-sajangnim?” 

“A coffee would be nice,” Dongmin replied, ignorant of Hyunsik’s wrath, “And grab one for our young friend too.”  He motioned for Joon to sit as he sat back down himself.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes then,” Hyunsik said, his smile slightly psychotic. 

“Yes,” Dongmin dismissed him with a wave, “Take your time.”

With a quick glanced at Joon, Hyunsik his heels and walked out of the office.  Joon mentally congratulated him for refraining from slamming the door.

“So,” Dongmin said, scooting along the couch to get closer to Joon, “Lee Joon.”  His expression had hardened a little, now that Hyunsik was gone.  “Tell me about yourself,” he said quietly, his eyes steely as they stared at Joon.

A bit uncomfortable, Joon shifted in his seat and averted his gaze.  Clearing his throat, he glanced up and met Dongmin’s eyes with feigned confidence.  He pretended as if this was a photo shoot; it was the only way to deal with this without running out of the room.

“I… Was there something you wanted to know?” Joon asked.  He watched as Dongmin frowned.

“Start with where you’re from,” he said, his eyes never leaving Joon.  His eyes flitted briefly to the beauty mark on Joon’s neck before returning to his eyes.

Unsure of what to say, Joon thought quickly.  Where he was from?  How was he supposed to answer that when he didn’t even remember?  Other than Hyunsik, no one else at the company knew of his past.  Was it alright to reveal this to him?

“I… grew up here,” Joon said carefully, “And was scouted by Hy… Mun-bujangnim while I was working at a part-time job at a café.”

Dongmin nodded and waited.  When Joon didn’t continue, he sighed in exasperation and said impatiently, “And?  Do you currently live with your parents?”  He paused, his eyes narrowing as he waited for an answer.

Joon looked at him, unsure again of how to respond.  “No,” he said slowly, “I… live with a friend right now.  A roommate-”

“Yes but what about your family?” Dongmin asked again, frowning slightly. 

Joon looked at him in puzzlement.  Why was the sajangnim so curious about his family?  “I’m… not sure-”

“How do they feel about you entering the entertainment industry?” Dongmin interrupted, making an effort to relax his expression.  Smiling again, he waited.

“I…” Joon started.  Family?  He didn’t have one… but could he tell him that?  Should he just pretend he did?  In case Hyunsik never revealed the fact that he was an orphan?  Deciding to err on the side of caution, Joon replied, “There’s concern… but they respect my decision.”  He thought of the concern Seungho had showed when he’d first mentioned KTA.  Joon knew that if Dara was awake, she’d likely be concerned as well.  They were the closest he had to family.

Dongmin seemed taken aback by his response.  He paused for a second and let the information sink in.  After a brief moment of silence, he nodded.  He seemed both confused and relieved.  He nodded again to himself and muttered, “Yes… they would be concerned wouldn’t they?”

“Do,” Joon asked, feeling brave, “Do you know me from somewhere?”

Dongmin looked up at him, his eyes widening slightly.  “Of course not,” he said, “Why?  Do you recognize me from somewhere?”

Joon hesitated.  He felt the hairs on his neck stand as Dongmin watched him with an eerie expression.  “N-No,” Joon said, inwardly grimacing at the stutter, “I don’t believe I know you, sir.”

Dongmin’s eyes narrowed again briefly before his expression was completely wiped blank of suspicion.  The fake smile graced his face again as he laughed heartily.  “Of course not,” he said, patting his belly, “Although, I am a frequent fan of cafés.”

At that moment, Hyunsik knocked and entered the room with three coffees.  With his own fake smile plastered on his face, he walked over to the two and placed the coffees on the table.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said sweetly.

“I just remembered I need to be somewhere,” Dongmin said, standing from his seat.  He smiled at Hyunsik and Joon before he said, “It was great to chat with you two but, you know me.  Lots of things to do!”

Hyunsik’s eye twitched again as he escorted Dongmin to the door.  “Of course, Kim-sajangmin,” he said through gritted teeth, “Please visit any time.  I trust you know your way?”

With one last glance at Joon, Dongmin gave himself a little shake before leaving the office.  As the door closed, Hyunsik verbally counted to ten before he walked back to Joon.

“It’s a good thing he left before he drank the coffee,” he muttered, “I might have accidentally poured some bleach in.”  Mumbling, he sipped his own coffee as he sat down next to Joon.  With a pointed stare, he asked, “So… what did the fat man want with the greenhorn?”

Joon looked at him in silence.  From the reaction of Dongmin, it didn’t seem like Hyunsik told him about Joon’s past.  But why was Dongmin so curious about him?  It didn’t make sense…

“Hyung…” Joon started, looking at his coffee, “Did you tell anyone about my past?”

Hyunsik glanced at him before taking a sip of his coffee.  “What, that you’re an orphan?” he asked.  Shrugging, he said, “No one else needs to know right?”

Joon nodded, inwardly sighing in relief.  He had never told Hyunsik the whole truth about his memories and his past living with Dara’s mother; only that he didn’t remember his parents.  And although he trusted Hyunsik, Joon wanted to tell as few people as possible.

“Why, was he interested in that?” Hyunsik asked.

“A bit,” Joon replied, “He seemed to recognize me from somewhere.  But I’m sure I’ve never seen him before I came to KTA.”

Hyunsik thought about it for a few moments and said, “Maybe he was a customer at your café?”

Joon nodded.  “I think so too.  He did say he was a fan of cafés,” he said, swirling the coffee around in his cup.

“One of these days,” Hyunsik muttered, getting up from his seat, “He’s going to get himself poisoned.”

Joon chuckled as he got up as well.  “I’ll take my leave then,” he said, taking the empty coffee cups with him.  Hyunsik waived his dismissal and returned to his desk.  Pausing, Joon said softly, “I’m sorry about this morning-”

“It’s over,” Hyunsik interrupted, dismissing it without looking at him, “Forget it and focus on your schedules.”

Joon smiled and nodded.  As he opened the door, he paused again and asked curiously, “Did… did you really poison his drink?”

Hyunsik looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.  With a grin, he said, “Get outta here.”

Joon couldn’t help the small laugh that rose in his chest.  And although he was terrified of going home later that evening, he would, for now, empty his mind of Seungho and focus on his day.

Seungho groaned as he felt a foot nudge his .

“Yah,” he heard someone say as the foot kicked him a few more times.  “Wake up, I have to get to class and you have to leave,” someone said as they side stepped him.

Seungho squeezed his eyes as his head pounded like a drum.  It felt as if his head would explode any second…

“Yah!” the voice said louder.

“Oh shhh,” Seungho moaned, covering his ears as the sound reverberated through his skull.  Peering through one eye, he glared at Byunghee as the latter bustled about the apartment.  “How are you fine right now?” Seungho muttered, “You drank just as much as I did.”

“I can hold my liquor,” Byunghee said as he packed his laptop and books into his bag, “Unlike the little girl crying on the floor.”

“You… you’re lucky I can’t get up right now,” Seungho muttered, rolling onto his back with a grimace.  The sun was blinding him.  His entire body felt stiff; he realized he’d slept the entire night on the floor.  

“Actually,” Byunghee frowned, “I’m not.  I need to get to class so get your up and go home.”

Slowly, Seungho pulled himself up to a sitting position.  He held his head as he glared at his friend.  “I can’t believe you let me sleep on the floor,” he mumbled.  

“Well by the time I’d finished cleaning up, you were already passed out so…” Byunghee grinned his cheeky grin as he pushed a chair under the kitchen table.  The scraping sound had Seungho almost writhing in pain.  “At least I covered you,” he added, shrugging.

Seungho sighed as Byunghee handed him a bottle of water and some medication.  Downing the thing in one go, Seungho leaned against the bed and pinched the bridge of his nose.  He’d never drank so much before in his life and after he survived his hangover, he never planned to drink that much again.  He glanced at Byunghee, who was rummaging through the fridge for breakfast.  

“I thought your class didn’t start until two in the afternoon?” Seungho said, his voice a bit hoarse.

Byunghee looked up with a deadpan expression and pointed at the clock.  “It doesn’t,” he said simply before returning to the fridge.

Seungho looked at the clock and groaned.  It was nearly 1:30 PM.  He couldn’t remember the last time he slept past 10:00 AM.  “Oh man,” he sighed, standing gingerly to his feet, “I slept right through my nine o’clock programming class.”

“As if you’d have been productive,” Byunghee said, eating a piece of bread and handing another to Seungho.  “Now, back to the current problem,” he mumbled with a full mouth, “Go home.”

Seungho sighed as he accepted the bread.  Go home?  Sure, Joon was probably at work and wouldn’t be home for at least another eight hours… but could he step back into the bedroom without drowning in the memories of their love making?  And how was he supposed to act when Joon did finally come home later that evening?  

Seungho glanced at Byunghee, who was staring at him as he ate his bread.  The advice he’d received from his personal counsellor was fuzzy.  All he could remember was how Byunghee had talked like a mix of Yoda and the Cheshire Cat.  In other words, it was all riddles and none of it made sense.  If it did, Seungho couldn’t remember it.

“Stop looking so dazed,” Byunghee said, stuffing the rest of the bread into his mouth and grabbed Seungho’s arm, “Go home.  Make up with your boyfriend, and have crazy .”

Seungho frowned as he tried to process the words that were coming out of his friend’s mouth.  “Joon… he isn’t my boyfriend,” he said softly, puzzled at the dull ache that had now spread to his chest.  

“So make him your boyfriend,” Byunghee said as he ushered Seungho out the door with him, “And then introduce me to that hot friend of yours.  You know, the short one with spunk.”

Seungho looked at him with confusion.  “Who….?  Soyeon?” he asked, a little blown away from the random topic.

“Yeah her,” Byunghee said, grinning, “I’ll just think of it as a thank you for being a great friend.”

Seungho shook his head in exasperation but quickly froze when his brain rattled in his skull.  He sighed as Byunghee handed him a pair of sunglasses. 

As the two of them made their way down the complex, Seungho felt the dread creep into him at the thought of meeting Joon later in the evening.  He didn’t know how it would go, but he knew that whatever happened, he would have to deal with the aftermath of his feelings.  He just hoped that he hadn’t completely ruined his relationship with Joon.  He couldn’t bear it if he lost Joon too.

Author's note:

Not a very exciting chapter, but a chapter nonetheless :)  I'm in the home stretch in terms of school and will soon be FREE!  In the meantime, I apologize for the long stretches of absence!