The ride home had been almost unbearably silent.

She was mad; Soyun could tell.  After Bangna got over her initial relief, she began emanating a fury that was almost visible to the eye.  Changwook probably sensed it too; he had been uncharacteristically silent the entire drive home.

As the pulled into the road that would lead to the Lee-Song estate, Soyun bit her lips and shifted in her seat uncomfortably.  She certainly hadn’t expected things to get so crazy when she’d first planned the outing.  After coaxing her father to give the boys a day off, Soyun had made sure that nobody from the estate followed them.  She didn’t think safety would be an issue and had refused the that usually followed Changwook around.  Now, she regretted the idea immensely.  Bangna was probably going to rip her a new one…

As the vehicle pulled up to the estate, Bangna opened her door and stepped out.  The rest followed with bated breath as she led the way up the steps to the front door and into the front foyer.  Handing her coat to the head maid, she paused before turning to Soyun.  In two steps, she was in front of her.  Raising her hand in the air, she brought it down and slapped Soyun’s cheek with a sharp ring. 

Soyun gasped and staggered backwards.  Taking a shaky breath, she quickly regained her footing and stood with her head bowed.  She heard Changwook gasp audibly and call out to his mother in a soft murmur.  Her heart raced in her chest as she squeezed her eyes shut. 

She knew she deserved any scolding she would get.  She had been so eager to get some alone time with Lee Joon that she had dismissed Changwook’s safety.  She was so incredibly lucky that things had turned out the way they did; she couldn’t imagine the grief she and everyone else would feel if something had happened to Changwook.

Her breath hitched as she heard Bangna take another step closer.  Instead of another slap however, she felt herself being pulled into a warm embrace.  Opening her eyes, she blinked in surprise as she felt Bangna sigh against her as the latter hugged her. 

“You foolish girl,” Bangna murmured, “I’m glad you’re safe too.” 

Soyun let out a breath of relief as she wrapped her own arms around Bangna.  “I’m sorry, hwajangnim,” she murmured, “I’m so sorry.”

Bangna pulled away and sighed.  “We are lucky those boys did what they did,” she said, “It was a foolish decision on your part to dismiss Changwook’s guard.  Had I been aware of the situation, I would have never allowed you two to go.”  Taking a step back, she said, “Although I can forgive you for your actions today, I’m afraid I can’t just let it go.”  With a sigh, she said with a firm tone of voice, “From now on, you are no longer responsible for Changwook’s babysitting.  I will find someone to replace you.  You can visit from time to time but you cannot take him anywhere without his sitter and guards, do you understand?”

“Aw, omma…” Changwook whined, but was quickly shushed by a look from Bangna.

“Do you understand, Soyun-ah?” Bangna asked with a frown.

“Yes,” Soyun replied, bowing, “I understand, hwajangnim.”  She felt both relief and disappointment wash over her.  For what she’d done, it was a light sentence.  Still, to not be around Changwook all the time would be something she would need to adjust to.  As much as she complained about it, she liked spending time with the kid.

Bangna nodded.  “Dongmin-ah,” she said, turning to Soyun’s father, “I need to speak with you.”  With that, she made her way to the study with Dongmin in tow. 

As the disappeared down the hall, Soyun sighed and fell into a crouch.  Well that had been quite nerve wracking…  She looked up as Changwook approached her with a guilty face.

“Does it hurt?” Changwook asked, pretending to be uncaring as he stared at her cheek, “You can cry if you want to.  I won’t tell anyone.”

Soyun reached out and pinched both of his cheeks, making him yelp in surprise.  “No, it doesn’t hurt,” she said, “But I might cry because you’re teasing me.” 

Pushing her hands away, Changwook looked at her with a more solemn face.  Gently, he reached out and patted her cheek before saying, “It’s not even red…”

Taking his hand, Soyun smiled and pulled him into a hug.  He squirmed in her embrace but she held on tight and sighed.  “Changwookie…” she murmured, “I’m sorry for putting you in danger.  I was stupid for thinking I could protect you all by myself.”

Changwook stopped his wriggling and placed his arm around Soyun’s neck.  “It’s okay,” he said, “I still sort of like you, even if you do stupid things.”

Soyun laughed and tickled Changwook as the latter squirmed with laughter.  “Little brat,” she said, standing up, “Go to your room.  I’m going to go get some snacks from the kitchen.”

Blowing her a raspberry, Changwook ran up the stairs and disappeared around the corner.  With a chuckle, Soyun made her way to the kitchen. 

It was funny how Changwook could always cheer her up in the blink of an eye.  The kid could be so endearing sometimes that Soyun couldn’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy.  With his innocence, Changwook could blast through her walls in a fraction of a second without so much as breaking a sweat. 

As she gathered fruits from the fridge, Soyun’s thoughts wandered back to her conversation with Lee Joon.  Given everything that had happened, she sure didn’t find out much.  He had been quite interested in Changsun but he hadn’t given her much to go on.  Despite his interest, he had outright said that he wasn’t who she thought he was.  So… why did he remind her so much of Changsunnie?  The way he talked, the way he moved... even the way he would look at her shyly, everything was the same! 

Sighing, she grabbed a bowl and placed the washed fruits into it.  Pulling out a bag of chips and two bottles of iced tea, she made her way precariously back down the hall towards the stairs.

She paused, though, as she passed by the study.  Voices floated through the crack in the door and she could hear her father muttering something in a low voice.

“I was able to get a hold of the chief of police… his wife is a friend of my wife’s friend.  They play a lot of-… anyway, I was able to have a chat with him.  He mentioned something about the incident from a few months ago… an assault case… You remember?  I only heard a little bit about it myself; I didn’t look too much into it either.  Apparently, the boy was the victim.  And this wasn’t released to the media but it wasn’t just a simple assault case.  The boy…” her father trailed off as his voice became much too quiet for Soyun to hear.

Chief of police?  What was her father doing talking with the chief of police?  And who was this boy they were talking about?  The KTA assault case… Soyun remembered hearing something about that in the news.  It hadn’t been a big story due to the fact that the talent was fairly new and not as well-known.  And since KTA was usually exceptional at handling talent scandals, the story came and went without creating much fuss.  But why would her father look into something like that?

“…Mun Hyunsik?” came Bangna’s voice.

Soyun strained her ears to try and catch more of the conversation.  She balanced the food in her arms precariously as she flattened her ears to the door.

“… showed up to the station.  He bailed the boys out.  They kept insisting… Hyunwoo.  They caused an uproar at the station; lots of paperwork had to be done…” her father’s voice floated from between the cracks of the door, “They accused this Jang Hyunwoo of organizing the whole thing but there was no proof…”

“What about his past?” Bangna asked, her voice weary.

“Ah…” her father said, clearing his throat, “We didn’t get to that.  His wife interrupted us and…”

“Find out,” Bangna said, “And while you’re at it, look into the other boy as well.  Changwook seems to be attached to him…”

Soyun gasped as she suddenly jerked her ear away from the door.  Other boy that Changwook was attached to?  Were they talking about Cheondoong?  And the whole thing about the past… were they talking about Lee Joon?  It made sense; if she was suspicious because Joon looked so much like Changsun, it only made sense that her father and the hwajangnim would too!

Swallowing her excitement, Soyun leaned forward to place her ear on the door again.  But before she could get there, she heard the sounds of shuffling feet coming closer to her.  Straightening herself out, she quickly made her way to the stairs.  From the other end of the hall, the head maid turned the corner as she approached the study.  She pushed a tray of tea and bowed politely at Soyun as she spotted her.

Returning the nod, Soyun quickly climbed the stairs and made a beeline for Changwook’s room.  Bursting in, she set the food on his desk and shut the door behind them.  Changwook looked up from in front of his television, his hands holding onto the joystick of his gaming console.

“What took you so long?” Changwook complained as he bypassed the fruit and went straight for the chips.

“I need to use your computer,” Soyun said, pulling his computer chair towards the table and opening his laptop.  

Changwook shrugged and went back to his game.  He munched on the chips as his eyes became glued to the television again, leaving Soyun to do what she’d wanted.

Pulling up a blank search screen, Soyun’s fingers hovered over the keyboard.  Her heart continued to thump loudly in her chest as she stared at the blank screen.  What should she search for?  From what she could guess out of the conversation she’d overheard, the hwajangnim was curious about Cheondoong and Lee Joon.  But… why?  Was it for the same reasons Soyun was curious about Lee Joon?  It had to be; it was the only reason that made sense!  

Soyun’s father had spoken with the chief of police.  Were they looking into Joon’s background too?  And who was this Jang Hyunwoo character?  What does he have to do with anything?  What about Hyunsik?  Soyun’s mind raced as she continued staring at the blank screen.

Biting her lips, she typed in ‘Korea Talent Agency assault’ and hit enter.

Seungho blinked blearily as his alarm buzzed softly on the nightstand.  Reaching out blindly, he turned it off and yawned.  He glanced to his side and sighed as Joon’s soft breathing continued.  He took a moment to stare at Joon’s beautifully peaceful face.  Gently, he ran a finger along the healing cut on Joon’s cheek.

It’d been two weeks since Joon came back with a cut on his cheekbone and a bandaged up hand.  And although he had downplayed the entire thing, Joon had been restless and unable to sleep that night.  

Seungho had spent the night up with him talking about what had happened.  He’d learned that although nearly five months had passed since Joon’s own kidnapping experience, it was still a dark memory that occasionally floated up to the surface.  Lee Changwook’s kidnap attempt had reminded him once again of the terrors of being alone and abused.  It was a memory that could never be completely erased… something that Seungho was desperately trying to achieve.  He knew he wouldn’t succeed but… he so desperately wanted Joon to forget the hurt.

In the two weeks that passed, Joon’s wounds healed and, slowly, the darkness from his eyes faded again.  Seungho couldn’t help but wonder when, again, it would show itself.  A few months from now?  A few years?  Decades?  When would the next trigger appear?  When would Joon be, once again, reminded of the pain and suffering he had experienced in that warehouse?  It hurt Seungho to think that there was little he could do to prevent it; not unless he really locked Joon up in a padded room and surround him with stuffed animals.

Sighing, he gingerly rolled out of bed and stretched.  It was just six in the morning and the sky was still dark.  But after three months of training, Seungho was already used to getting up at an ungodly hour.  In a week’s time, the trainers and managing teams would make the final judgement on the current batch of talent recruits.  They would decide whether or not the trainees continued their training or got cut and sent home.  It was an important time for all the new trainees and everyone had been getting up extra early to practice.

Seungho had been doing the same… except he was also approaching the examination period at school.  It was absolutely exhausting to get up early and practice dancing and singing all day, then attend night class and spend a large part of the night studying for exams.  But he was managing, somehow, and he would continue to manage.  He needed to make the cut at KTA to continue living with Joon; he wouldn’t let anything get in the way of that.  

Washing up and dressing in sweatpants and a hoodie, Seungho shuffled into the kitchen and began digging around in the fridge.  Finding some leftover pizza, he grabbed a slice and took a bite.  Grabbing the milk, he closed the door gently and poured himself a cup.  Shuffling back over to Joon, who was still sleeping peacefully, Seungho sat on his own bed and enjoyed the view as he munched on the cold pizza.

Tossing back the last of his milk, he quickly washed his cup in the sink and rinsed his mouth before grabbing his hat from the table and shuffling over to his shoes.  He paused briefly before turning around and tiptoeing back to Joon, who was still fast asleep.  Quietly, he leaned forward and brushed Joon’s hair back from his face.  Seungho leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Joon’s forehead and then his lips.  

“See you later,” he whispered before adjusting Joon’s covers.  Nodding in satisfaction, he pulled on his sneakers and left the dorm with a soft click of the door.

The air outside was still crisp for early April.  Jogging across the road to the agency, Seungho bowed at the receptionist before walking through the halls and into the practice room.  It was no surprise that there was already two other trainees practicing with their headphones.  Taking out his own, Seungho his music and let it flow through him.

Although Seungho had always known he’d wanted to be a computer programmer, he did love music.  And although it was true that he didn’t want to work in the entertainment industry, it didn’t mean he didn’t love to sing and dance.  When he heard a good beat, he could feel his muscles jiving to the rhythm and soon, he’d be lost in the music.  He felt the same way when he sat atop a piano bench.  His fingers would move across the keyboard effortlessly and the music would flow from him naturally.

Like this, he became lost in his practice and soon, the sun was high in the sky.  Covered in sweat, Seungho walked over to towel and wiped his face.  Taking a seat, Seungho leaned against the wall and waited as his breathing returned to normal.  The practice room had filled up considerably in the three hours that passed and was filled with sounds of sneakers screeching on the floor as they danced.  On the opposite side of the room, he spotted Cheondoong working away at his own routine.  Seungho hadn’t noticed him coming in but then again, Seungho barely noticed anything when he was focused.

Cheondoong finished his own routine and grabbed his towel.  He spotted Seungho too and walked over with his water.

“Good morning, hyung,” he said as he dried his face, “You were practicing when I came in…”

“Yeah,” Seungho said, taking a swig of his own water, “I didn’t even notice you coming in.”

Cheondoong smiled and nodded.  “Final selection is next week…” he said, watching the others practice, “It’s going to be tough.”

“You’ll do great,” Seungho replied, nudging him in the shoulder, “You have a pretty slick routine.”

“Thanks,” Cheondoong said, leaning against the wall too, “When did you get here?”

“Six,” Seungho grimaced, “Joonie was still passed out when I left.”  He smiled as he glanced at the clock on his phone.  It was nearly nine… Joon was probably up and at his photo shoot already.  He knew Joon’s schedule by heart; the two posted their own schedules on the wall so they could figure out when they would have free time to spend together.  Seungho had memorized Joon’s schedule for the day; the latter had a photo shoot for the spring/summer catalogue for Critique, and then a trip to the clinic to see if there was something that could be done about the scarring on his body.

Joon had talked about it only briefly the night before but apparently, his brands were starting to complain about Joon not being able to model their upcoming summer clothing.  So Hyunsik had booked Joon an appointment at a reputable plastic surgery clinic to see if they could help remove or minimize the scars.  Joon had been nervous about going but had refused to let Seungho skip his dance lesson in the afternoon to accompany him.  Well… Seungho would be sure to ask him about how it went later.

“Hyung…” Cheondoong said suddenly after a brief moment of silence, “You and Joonie-hyung… you’re really close, right?”

Seungho looked at him in surprise and said, “Yeah.  We’re pretty close.  Why?”

Cheondoong shrugged and took a swig of his water.  “You just… seem special to him,” he said, glancing at Seungho warily, “You know?”

Seungho chuckled and nodded.  “Yeah,” he said, “He’s special to me too.”  He blinked in amusement as Cheondoong nearly dropped his water bottle.  “What?” he laughed as he patted Cheondoong’s back.

“He… He’s special to you?” Cheondoong asked, staring at him with wide eyes.

Seungho blinked, a little puzzled.  “What… why are you-” he began but was interrupted as a staff member poked his head inside the practice room.

“Yang Seungho-shi,” he called, beckoning Seungho over.

“Ah, yes,” Seungho replied, standing.  “I’ll be back,” Seungho muttered to Cheondoong before jogging over to the staff member.

“Mun-bunjangnim wants to see you in his office,” the staff member said.

“Now?” Seungho asked.  Dance class would be starting in just a few minutes… what could Hyunsik want from him at this time of the day?

“Yes,” the staff member said irritably, “Now.”  With that, he turned around and quickly rushed down the hall.

Scratching his head in confusion, Seungho walked back to Cheondoong and began gathering his stuff.

“What did he want?” Cheondoong asked, standing up as well.

“Hyunsik-hyung wants to see me,” Seungho replied, “Weird…”

“Now?” Cheondoong asked, looking at the time, “Class starts in a few minutes.  That’s weird…”

“Yeah,” Seungho shrugged, “Anyways, I’ll be back later.  And… what was that about anyways?  The whole thing with Joonie…?  You were acting kind of strange.”  He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Cheondoong in puzzlement.  That had been a rather strange topic of conversation. 

Cheondoong paused before shaking his head.  “Nothing,” he said, “I was still half-asleep.”  

Seungho nodded and patted him on the shoulders.  “I’ll see you later then,” he said, before quickly making his way to the stairs.  

It was strange that Hyunsik was calling Seungho to his office.  Could this possibly about the upcoming final selection?  Was it about their deal that they had made?  There was no way he would be cut before he could even participate in the selection right?  Seungho didn’t want to even think about having to look for an apartment soon…

Adjusting his sweatshirt, he knocked on Hyunsik’s door.  

“Come in,” he heard Hyunsik call.

He pushed open the door and stepped inside with a bow.  “You wanted to see me?” Seungho asked as Hyunsik got up from his desk with a heavy sigh.

“Figures you’d look like that first thing in the morning,” Hyunsik said, “How’s your liquor tolerance?”  He walked over to a wooden cabinet and opened the door.

“Er…” Seungho said, confused and a little thrown off at the random topic, “Good?”

“Good,” Hyunsik said, pouring something inside the cabinet and walking over with a glass, “Drink this.”

Seungho took the glass in his hands and looked at the liquid.  The smell told him it was scotch, though he had no idea if it was good scotch.  He stared at it briefly before looking at Hyunsik with confusion.

“Drink it,” Hyunsik said, motioning with his hand, “And toss it all back.  None of that sipping .”

Completely confused, Seungho tossed back the scotch and let it burn down his throat.  He grimaced as he handed the glass back to Hyunsik.  “Um,” he said, his throat a little hoarse from the alcohol, “Why…?”

“Don’t ask me,” Hyunsik muttered in irritation as he closed the cabinet doors, “I have no idea what the hell she’s thinking.”  Sighing, he leaned against the cabinet and said, “Go back to the dorm to shower and change.  Come back in half an hour; Minah will be waiting downstairs to get you styled and dressed.”

“Why…?” Seungho asked.

Hyunsik sighed and took off his glasses.  He rubbed the bridge of his nose and finally dropped the bomb, “Song Bangna has requested that you visit the Lee-Song estate and spend the day with her.”

Author's notes:

Sorry for the long lag in update time guys!  To make up for it, this chapter is quite long :)  Hopefully I'll be getting back into the swing of things!  Things are getting exciting!