I’d been hoping that interest in Minho’s family scandal would fizzle out as the days passed – especially considering how any high-profile student at Seol Chong could easily find themselves in the same position – but it didn’t. If anything, it only got worse as the week came to a close.

It didn’t help that the media outlets were following the situation closely, reporting on every little thing that happened. Apparently shareholders were so alarmed by the situation, what with the company’s successor being so uncertain at the moment, that it seemed possible the whole company would go under.

Thankfully Minho handled the whole thing with an admirable sort of grace. He held his head high and pretended like world wasn’t falling apart at the seams. He still didn’t go home, though. He spent every night at Jonghyuns; he’d practically moved in. The house was so big that it didn’t inconvenience us, though.

“I’m really worried about Minho,” I mumbled. It was Saturday morning, early enough that we were still lounging in bed.

Jonghyun shifted his weight, pulling me closer. I could feel the steady beat of his heart against my ear. “I am too,” he admitted. “But I don’t know what we can do. And even if there was something we could do, I’m not sure that we should. We shouldn’t stick our noses in other people’s business.”

“Oh, you mean like when I stuck my nose in your business to help save your father?” I pointed out dryly.

He made a face. “That is a totally different situation.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “Because when that happened, we were just partners for a project. We could barely stand each other. Minho is one of your best friends. The situations aren’t the same at all.”

He sighed at my logic. “I don’t know what you want me to do, Kitten. It’s not like I can snap my fingers and magically make everything go away. Money can do a lot for you, but it can’t do everything.”

I chewed on my lower lip. He definitely had a point there. No matter how much I dwelt on the subject, I couldn’t come up with a single way we could help Minho other than what we were already doing.

The intercom by the door buzzed into life. It was Mr. Kang, of course. “I apologize for disturbing you so early, Young Master,” he said. “But Kim Kibum is here.”

I could hear Key’s rather whiny voice through the intercom. “You don’t have to announce me, dammit. I’ve been here a billion times.”

Jonghyun groaned and held down the reply button. “I’m not even wearing pants, Key.”

“I don’t care,” Key replied immediately. “I’m not here to see you, anyway. I’m here to talk to Narae.”

“She’s not wearing pants either,” Jonghyun replied, which earned him a smack.

I crawled over my boyfriend to hold down the button. “Come on in, Key. We’re in the bedroom.”

Mr. Kang must have allowed him to go in because a few seconds later Key was sauntering into Jonghyun’s bedroom. “Liar,” he sniffed at Jonghyun. “You’re both wearing pants.”

“Well, I was about to change that in the very near future,” Jonghyun teased, waggling his eyebrow suggestively.

I groaned and threw a pillow at him before climbing out of bed. “Let’s go out into the sitting room,” I suggested. “What’s going on, Key?”

Key sat down on the square-shaped couch and fiddled with the rings on his long, slender fingers. “My mom is coming back into town tonight,” he said. “She’s been away for the past three months.”

“Oh, that’s great news!” I exclaimed. “You must have really missed her if she’s been gone for months. Where has she been?”

“All over Europe,” Key answered. “She’s a fashion designer, and she’s had shows in Paris and Milan and London. She’s also been acting as a guest judge on a reality fashion show.”

I was suitably impressed. I knew that everyone at Seol Chong – well, aside from me – had pretty successful parents, but mostly they were in business. It was cool to hear about Key’s fashionista of a mother.

But Key didn’t seem very excited about his mother coming back. In fact, he seemed pretty nervous. I took his hand. “Is everything okay, Key?” I hesitated. “Do you not like your mother?”

Key finally looked up at me. “I like my mother,” he assured me. “In fact, I sort of idolize her. She’s never been a very good mother, but that didn’t matter to me. I always wanted to be just like her. That’s why I got so into fashion. She’s a huge inspiration to me, and I hope to have my own fashion line when I get a little older.”

“So why do you seem unhappy that she’s coming home?” I pressed. There was obviously something he wasn’t telling me.

“I’m not unhappy,” he assured me. “I’m just…nervous.” He sighed. “I’ve always been so ashamed of being the way I am. You know…” He glanced around to make sure Jonghyun was still in the bedroom. “You know. But you and your friends made me realize that I don’t have to be. I shouldn’t have to hide who I am. To be honest, I’ve been so jealous of your friends, Youngjae and Daehyun. They don’t care. They have no one to impress. I’m so jealous of that freedom. And I started thinking that I want to be like that. I don’t want to care.” He took another deep breath. “I want to tell my mom.”

“That’s a huge step, Key. That’s great,” I told him, giving his hand a squeeze. “Being true to yourself is always the best approach.”

He gave me a weak smile. “The thing is, I have absolutely no idea how to go about doing it. I’ve never come out before. I’ve never told anyone out loud before. You figured it out on your own, and anybody I date can figure it out when I flirt with them. But I’ve never had the courage to say it out loud. I have no idea how I’m supposed to do it. I need your help.”

“I don’t know what I can do,” I admitted. “I’ve never come out before either.”

Key waved my excuses aside. “I know, I know. But I was thinking maybe you and me could meet up with Youngjae and Daehyun? I’d like to ask them a few questions.”

“Youngjae and Daehyun?” Jonghyun said from the doorway, pulling a sweater over his t-shirt. “You know Narae’s friends?”

“I’ve met them,” Key said awkwardly, looking at me nervously.

I nudged his knee with mine and gave him a meaningful look. If he could come out to Jonghyun, who was his best friend, it would be good practice for coming out to his mom.

Key looked like he wanted to simultaneously cry and vomit, but he stood up and looked at Jonghyun. “I’m gay,” he said, so forcefully that it was almost like he was shouting it.

Jonghyun looked at him, then shrugged. “Great for you, bro. I’m hungry? If we’re going to meet Daehyun and Youngjae, can we at least meet at a restaurant to eat?”

Key was shocked. “Wait, you mean you don’t care?”

Again, Jonghyun shrugged. “Dude, I don’t care who you as long as it’s not Narae.”

“Ew, no thanks,” Key laughed, relieved.

I punched him on the shoulder. “Thanks a lot, jerk.”

“Then, can we meet them?” Key pressed. “Youngjae and Daehyun? I’ll pay for lunch. Wherever they want to go.”

“I’ll call them,” I assured him.

So while he and Jonghyun played a video game in the sitting room, I went back into the bedroom to get dressed and to call Youngjae. I explained the situation to him and he agreed to meet us for lunch – when it came to free food, Daehyun was always willing.

We met at a little bibimbap place about halfway between the rich part of town and the rundown part of town. It wasn’t very crowded since it was still early, so we found a little table near the front window and Daehyun ordered practically everything on the menu.

“What? The kid’s buying,” Daehyun had said when I’d given him a reproachful look.

“So what is it you want from us?” Youngjae asked while his boyfriend shoveled enormous spoonfuls of bibimbap into his mouth. “I don’t really see how we can help you.”

“But you’re…you know…out,” Key said. “Like, people know. And you don’t keep it a secret. How…how did you tell your parents?”

Daehyun finally looked up from his bowl. “We never told Youngjae’s parents. His mom walked in on his getting down and dirty back when we were still in high school. She figured it out on her own after that.”

“What did she do when she found out?” Key wanted to know.

Youngjae made a face. “She kicked me out of the house. My parents were pretty ty to begin with, so it wasn’t a huge difference, to be honest. Luckily I had friends I could stay with and, once I got a job, Daehyun and I moved in together.”

Key didn’t look reassured by how Youngjae’s parents took the news.

“My mom was better,” Daehyun said, pushing away his first empty bowl and patting his stomach. “She was sort of shocked at first, cause I’d always had girlfriends up until Youngjae, but after a few days she was strangely okay with it. Now she loves Youngjae like another son. In fact, sometimes I think she likes him more than she likes me.”

“That’s because I don’t eat her out of house and home,” Youngjae cracked.

“So what kind of person is your mother?” Daehyun asked Key.

Key swallowed audibly. “Well, she’s not home much…” he admitted. “And even when she is, she’s not exactly mother of the year, if you know what I mean.”

“Then why do you care so much about coming out to her?” Youngjae asked curiously.

Key shrugged. “Because she’s my mom and I really admire her.”  

“Well, there’s no easy way to come out,” Youngjae said. “All you can really do is just say it. I’m afraid that’s all the real advice we can give you, if you’re dead set on telling your mom.”

“Can’t you come with me?” Key blurted out, surprising everyone. He blushed. “I mean, I just think it would be easier if you were there.”

“We’ll come,” Daehyun agreed. “Don’t know how much help we’ll be, but we’ll support you, kid.”

Key smiled in relief. “Thanks.”

So the following afternoon, Jonghyun and I picked up Daehyun and Youngjae and we made the drive to Key’s house. It was the first time I had ever been there, but I’d had high expectations considering the fact that Key’s mother was a fashion designer. I wasn’t disappointed, either. The house was like a masterpiece in sandstone, with elegant gardens and a marble fountain out front.

Key answered when we rang the bell instead of a butler, even though I’m sure that his mother employed many servants. He was dressed impeccably, but it was easy to tell how nervous he was.

“Thanks for coming,” he said simply, standing aside so we could enter.

We wasted no time in idle chitchat – I supposed Key thought he might chicken out if he waited too long. So he led us up a back staircase into what must have been his mother’s studio.

At first I didn’t see her. There were mannequins and fabric literally everywhere. Some of the mannequins were dressed in elegant evening gowns with pins still stuck around the edges. Others were only partially dressed or not dressed at all. There were diagrams and drawings of different clothes plastered on every wall, almost like the laboratory of a mad scientist.

Once I managed to look past all the fabrics, I could see Key’s mother. She was a tiny waif of a thing; Key easily towered over her. She was thin and elegant, her hair coiled perfectly around her head and her long fingers dripping in diamonds.

“What the hell do you want?” she demanded, not even looking up from where she was sketching a new design.

Key swallowed. “Um, mother, I’ve invited some friends over.”

Now she did glance up over her shoulder, but her dark eyes were full of such disdain that even I was intimidated. “Friends, Kibum? Perhaps I should monitor who you hang out with more closely.”

“I want to tell you something,” Key said bravely, stepping closer to his mother.

She sighed as though he was a huge inconvenience but she set her pencil down and got off her stool, turning to face him. “What is it? You know I’m very busy. I don’t have time for nonsense.”

I could see that Key was quavering so I stepped up and took his hand. He didn’t look at me, but I could feel him steady beside me. Jonghyun took his other hand.

“Mother, I’m gay,” he said loudly.

His mother was less than impressed. “You think I didn’t already know that, you idiot? I’ve known since you were born. Idiot.”

Key opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words seemed to come out. I’m sure that whatever he had been expecting, it wasn’t this. “Y-you knew?” he finally said.

His mother rolled her eyes. “How could I not know? I’m not stupid.”

Key’s hands were sweaty and he wiped them on his slacks. “O-oh, okay…”

But then his mother grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him in for a brief hug, even pressing a kiss to his temple. Almost as soon as she’d done it, she released him. “Now the get the hell out of my studio, you little . I’ve got a deadline coming up and there’ll be hell to pay if I miss if because of you and your shenanigans.”

Key was smiling as we left his mother’s studio.