Hyungjun knocked on the door again before Jungmin appeared. “Ah you’re here, yum the food looks good.”

“I was wondering when you were going to answer.” His friend rebutted, pushing one of the bags against Jungmin’s chest. “Ok we’ll eat first and then talk business”

Jungmin nodded a little over eagerly. They went to the table and opened the bags, placing the containers and bowls around before taking the chopsticks and rubbing them apart.

“So how are things?”

Jungmin spoke with his mouth full. “Good,” he began to say before having to stop. Fortunately he was successful in avoiding a near choking. “Yeah the Producer and the Sound Engineers have been really helpful especially—“

“—who else is there?” Hyungjun smirked, mixing up his food a little bit before picking a cluster up. “Is it this mysterious singer you have mentioned? The one you say is apparently cute?”

Jungmin swallowed. “Yes it’s her. She’s only going to feature on one song but her vocals really blend well together.”

“That’s good, so what’s her name?”

Jungmin quickly ate the mouthful before answering. “Her name is Moon Chohee.”

“Ah Moon Cho—it’s her?!”

Grinning widely Jungmin confirmed this. “Uh huh, she sung the duet on one of the songs. What do you think?”

Hyungjun was a little more than astonished. “Wow Jungmin, t-that’s great. It’s probably the thing she needs to get into the music industry.”

“I know right? I just hope there will be tonnes of fans wanting to run her fan cafe the moment she goes solo.”

Hyungjun agreed. Jungmin kept eating while his friend paused for a moment, glancing upwards on an angle, thinking something over. “Ah so it’s been about two months and you are now closer with her?”

“Yes are you happy for us?”

“Of course I am,” Hyungjun said beaming. “So now that just leaves me with one question?”

Jungmin prepared his next serving of rice, the spoon just above the bowl. “Ok shoot.”

“Are you going to ask her out?”

Jungmin’s spoon head tilted, the rice spilling onto the table in little white grains. “Whoops, I’ll take care of that.” Using his hand he scooped it into the other before putting it back in the bowl.
 

“So are you going to or not?”

“Actually…” Jungmin stopped, pausing to try and think over his words which he did for about a second. “I’m not going to.”

Hyungjun hit the table making Jungmin jolt. The two just looked at the other, one in confusion, the other frustration.

“Aish… You’ve come all this way from being not interested to liking her and you’re not going to ask her out? What is wrong with you?!”

Jungmin shifted his gaze to an object behind his friend’s head. Just on an inanimate couch in the background. “Hyungjun, as weird as this is… I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?” Hyungjun exclaimed and asked.

“Scared of her saying no… I haven’t exactly appeared interested in the beginning. She probably doesn’t see me in that way anymore.”

Hyungjun wanted to throw his spoon down but he didn’t. He just clutched the handle a little tighter. “Jungmin, where did that confidence go? With the ladies you knew what to do if you liked someone. Your charisma seems to be fading.”

Stirring his rice Jungmin knew Hyungjun was right. “What do I do? What can I do to show her I really care?”

But Hyungjun did not know what to say to his friend. “If I knew that Jungmin then I would have told you by now, I’m sorry you’ll have to figure it out alone.”






Jungmin walked around in a circle. He then sat down on the bench, checked his phone and stood again. After five minutes he gave her a call.
“The person you have called is not available—“

Hanging up he sat down, leaving his phone on his thigh. “This is weird,” he murmured to himself. “She’s almost have an hour late. I was just being lenient.”

He then decided to call Hyungjun. “Hey have you heard from Chohee? She was meant to be meeting me this evening but it’s been half an hour and she hasn’t called or left a message.”

“No, why is she normally late?”

“Well she can be but when I asked her she said she would only be in contact if she wasn’t going to come. I can’t stay here much longer. Sooner or later someone’s going to recognise me.”

“Wait a little more and then leave. Fans aren’t always that quick at recognising.”

“Oh alright, I’m telling you Junnie Chohee really is acting out of—“

“—what am I acting out of oppa?”

Jungmin stopped, spun around and blinked twice. Chohee was standing there, a high collared jacket on and jeans. He hung up without alerting his friend.

“Chohee there you are. I was almost about to leave.”

She showed with a curt nod that she understood. “Yeah about that umm… Things took a little longer than expected so I couldn’t leave like I had planned.”

Jungmin made a small relieved smile. “Still it’s good that you came…” He hadn’t seen it before. Her face had been in the shadow but now it became a little more noticeable; the blue purple mark just on the jawline.

“Chohee… Your cheek it’s…” Chohee put a hand to her face, wincing a little. She moved her other hand behind but Jungmin grabbed it.  He saw some small cuts on the top.

Before she could free herself he pulled down the sleeve of her jacket all the way down to her elbow. There was a patch of red, freshly rubbed off skin already starting to scab slowly.

Shocked Jungmin lowered her arm, releasing her hand. “Chohee… Who did this to you?”

She couldn’t face him, she kept her gaze averted, her hands held in front of her, the un-injured one in front of the other. “It was no one oppa… I just fell.”

“It must have been a pretty hard fall!” He snapped and then regretted his tone of voice. Chohee was starting to move away from him, turning as if to sprint away when a chance came.

“Chohee I’m sorry. I just want to know.”

Hesitating Chohee swallowed, tight as she said. “It was that friend… That guy I sung with the other time.”

“It was him?!” Jungmin began to sense unwanted presence. Quickly coming beside Chohee he led her towards his car, urging her to run. They got in just as a few fans ran to the vehicle.

“Oppa who is she?!”

“Yeah oppa we didn’t know you were dating!”

He popped his head out of the window. “It’s not like that!” He then stepped on the accelerator, allowing the car to speed off down the road.
 

He covered her as they ran up the stairs. They couldn’t be too careful in case fans had already arrived to catch a glimpse of his mystery woman.

“Sit down,” Jungmin motioned for her to take a seat as he locked the door and disappeared somewhere. He came back with his small first aid kit.

Chohee shifted back into the chair. “Oppa I’m fine I don’t need—“

“—stay still.” Taking out some cotton wool he sprayed a little antiseptic on it and then held her hand. Chohee tried to let go but he clung onto her, his grip firm but not painful on her fingers.

Chohee took a deep breath, her hand starting to gather perspiration. He carefully dabbed her cuts waiting after every wince she made.

When that was done he asked her to take off her jacket so he could do the graze. She slipped it off, holding it in her lap while he had to reach around to the spot.

“This could be taken as abuse.” He put the cotton wool on the table beside him, slowly stretching his legs. “You should tell the police. Report him before he does this to someone else.”

Chohee acted as if she hadn’t heard him. As he was about to repeat himself she then spoke. “I can’t do that oppa.”

Jungmin sat down on the edge of the table sighing. “Chohee the last time I saw him he was yelling and about to hit you. Why do you hang around with him?”

She fiddled with the buckles on the sleeves of her jacket. “Because… Because he’s the only chance I have.”

“Do you mean only chance at becoming a singer?”

“Yes, I came to Korea because of him. We used to be close when we were younger, then his parents separated and he came here.”

Jungmin was beginning to understand. “So you think he can help you?” He was suddenly faced with her piercing gaze when she was sure of herself.

“I know he can. His father is the Creative Director in one of the biggest companies here. He said he’ll help me, why would he lie? Just what would he gain from me who has…?”

Jungmin had grabbed her hand in his, forcing the fingers to interlock. Chohee sat motionless, frozen by the sudden contact.
“Don’t sell yourself short of better Chohee.” He said with his voice soft. “You have me. Where I am at is not one of the major companies but it would be a start wouldn’t it?”

Though she appeared uncomfortable Chohee allowed their hands to stay together. “I don’t know, wouldn’t it be a little weird for us?”

He ran a hand through his hair with the other hand. “When I left DSP with the others, it was hard, very hard for me. Even now I’m having difficulties and I want to leave.” Jungmin squeezed her hand before continuing. “I don’t want you to be the same as me. You deserve more, you’ve worked hard I can see it every single time you sing.”

The words felt like they were being sifted through the holes in his heart. Holes that had been bored into it the moment he heard her sing, the first close call he’d intervened and there with her, more vulnerable than he’d seen before.

Oh boy, this isn’t good for Chohee hey? And I've had it up to here with the seperators. Darn you Microsoft Word darn you! Why won't you seperate from the text and just centre!? Oh yeah I didn't edit so if there are some obvious mistakes then yeah :/