First Signs
Broken Promises
“What the hell was last night?” Seung Sung yelled at Kikwang from across the meeting table. The members all flinched at the outburst but Kikwang kept a straight face and gave his explanation without a flick of fear.
“She was a fan, she fainted. I can’t exactly leave her there in the middle of the hallway, which would be a bad image for the company”
“But why did you leave right after your award?” Seung sung asked as he calmed himself and sank back into the chair, crossing his arms.
“I have some left over business I have to finish” Kikwang said bluntly, still not letting any of his emotion slip through to the surface.
“What business?” Seung sung asked, looking at him expectedly.
This time, Kikwang ran out of excuses. He let the question hang in the air, trying to think of a reasonable and reliable answer when Yoseob spoke up.
“He had to finalised his role for the upcoming drama”
Kikwang looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. “Right man? You told me at the table” Yoseob looked at Kikwang.
“Ye...yeah, I had to hand it in last night to score the spot” Kikwang said, composing his face before looking at the CEO.
“And did you get it?”
“Unfortunately the spot was already cast” Kikwang asked, faking a little disappointment. Seung Sung sigh before running his hands over his face.
“Ok, I’ll just send out a segment, but if there's any more fishy things going on about you. You’re going to have to take a long break. You hear me?” Seung Sung said as he looked at Kikwang sternly.
“Yes, loud and clear” Kikwang said, as he returned the determined look. Satisfied with the answer, Seung Sung dismissed the meeting.
“That was intense” Yoseob said as the members made their way out of the office.
“Who was that girl?” Junhyung asked as he brought out his phone to send a text.
“She’s the one that left me” Kikwang said without emotion.
As soon as he said it, the atmosphere around them was awkward. No one knows what to say to comfort Kikwang, not that he needed any. There were different coughs here and there. Kikwang rolled his eyes as they continued down the stairs, heading to the front door.
“Who’s hungry?” Doojoon asked when the members were all seated in the car. There were shouts of yeses.
“Let’s go eat some Samgyeopsal (grilled bacon)” Hyunseung suggested. The members nodded as they told the driver where to go while Yoseob followed them in his car.
“I'm so hungry I could eat a pig” Dongwoon said as he rubbed his stomach.
“We are going to eat a ‘pig’” Junhyung said.
“You guys are weird” Kikwang said at last, with a playful smile.
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“Smells so good” Yoseob said as he sat down in one of the chairs, flipping through the menu.
“Dibs not paying” Dongwoon said, raising his hand.
“Dibs not” Yoseob said, followed by Hyunseung, Junhyung and Doojoon.
“You are paying today Hyung~” Dongwoon sang as he looked at Kikwang. Kikwang smiled as he continues to flip through the menu.
“Araso, order all you want. My treat” he said.
“I should feel bad my dongseng is paying but I really don’t” Doojoon said as he happily flip through his menu.
“As expected from you” Hyunseung shook his head as he mock punch him.
All the exciting mood was broken for Kikwang when the restaurant bell rang and that person walked in the door.
Tiffany laughing at something Jiyong said, until her eyes landed on him.
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“Can you take me to eat something Korean” jiyong asked as he stretched out on the couch, the redness of the setting sun blinding him.
“Oppa, you can eat the Kimchi in the fridge” Tiffany laughed at him.
“No, a proper Korean dish. I saw so many on TV. Now that I’m finally here, I want to try them all” he said.
“Araso, but what do you want tonight?” Tiffany asked, sitting on the couch opposite him in the hotel room.
“Something grilled” jiyong suggested, sitting himself up properly.
“I know just the place” Tiffany said as she got up and grab the car keys before throwing it at him to catch.
“And we need to get more pills for you. I'm running low” jiyong said when he caught the keys perfectly in his hand. Tiffany didn’t say anything but nod as they both made their way out the room.
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“So what's this thing called we’re eating?” Jiyong asked, looking at the sign of the restaurant.
“Oppa, don’t be a stranger. You should know what Samgyeopsal is” tiffany scolded him.
“News flash, I wasn’t born here and the last time I came here was 15 years ago” jiyong pointed out.
“Samgyeopsal is bacon, grilled but we don’t have to eat that. We could eat Bulgogi or Galbi” Tiffany gave him some options.
“So Samgyeopsal is basically pig’s ” Jiyong asked as he opened the door of the restaurant. Tiffany laughed at his pathetic comparison when her eyes landed on Kikwang. Her laughter got caught in . She couldn’t look away from his burning eyes on hers, he wasn’t here alone either. All s were there, none of them seems to notice her.
“Kanchana?” Jiyong asked her as he steered her head towards him, breaking her eye contact with Kikwang.
“Yeah, can we sit at the back?” Tiffany pointed at the farthest table away from Kikwang. Jiyong nodded and reached for her hand. Letting him take it, Tiffany somehow felt guilty, like she was cheating on Kikwang, even though they were nothing to each other.
“So what are we going to each chief?” Jiyong asked, flipping through the menu, eyes widened at the selections.
“What ever you order, as long as you don’t refer Samgyeopsal to a pig’s ” Tiffany said trying to keep her voice calm. Jiyong was sitting with his back to Kikwang so he didn’t know he was there, but Tiffany, however was right in his line of vision. Even when she tries to ignore it, she could feel his glare.
“Ok, I won’t” jiyong said jokingly.
Tiffany pretend to look at the menu, but her mind was focused on Kikwang a few tables away, burning a hole in her head. Why do they have to be in the same restaurant, why tonight, Tiffany thought.
“You ready to order?” the waitress asked as she looked at Jiyong seductively. Jiyong smiled at her politely before telling her his order.
“What about you, Tiff?” Jiyong asked, studying her closely, she hadn’t look good all day.
“I’ll just order the same as you” Tiffany said tiredly as her vision started to blur. She hadn’t taken any pills for 3 days and her prescription require 2 servings a day.
“Ok, then double the orders” Jiyong said to the waitress, who was giving Tiffany a look of envy, before nodding and wondered off to the counter.
While waiting for their food, Tiffany’s vision was becoming more blurry and she couldn’t really see what was going on, let alone hear properly, there was a loud buzz that's going around her ears. Jiyong’s words just went completely through her as she didn’t even know what he was talking about. Then just as she thought things couldn’t get worse, she could taste the blood in the back of as it rose up to her nose.
“Oppa, oppa” Tiffany reached out blindly on the table, searching for his hand shakily. Jiyong looked at her worriedly but when he saw the blood seeping from her nose, he reached right away.
Tiffany’s vision went turned black just after she saw jiyong getting out of his chair.
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Kikwang was trying to tear his eyes away from tiffany and to the conversation that was going on at his table, where the guys were reminiscing about their ideal type.
“Mine has to be Goo Hara” Junhyung said before stuffing meat in his mouth.
“Of course, what about you?” Yoseob nudged Kikwang back to the conversation.
“I dunno hyunA?” he threw out the name without thinking, causing the members from his table to cat call in surprise.
“Who would’ve thought” Doojoon stated before taking a big gulp out of his drink. After answering their question, Kikwang’s eyes automatically moved to tiffany again.
His heart made a little flip when he saw she started to sway, her hand reaching out shakily to hold onto Jiyong’s hand like her life depends on it. He was on the verge to get up and out of his seat when her eyes rolled to the back of her head and blood started to leak from her nose. Jiyong went around to her side of the table and caught her before she fell off her chair. Swiftly, he got her out of the seat and cradled her. Slapping money on the table, he grabbed Tiffany’s purse before hurriedly out the restaurant.
“Yoseob, give me your keys” Kikwang demanded, as he trailed Jiyong with his eyes.
“Again?” Yoseob whined. Kikwang shot him a look that made him reached in his pocket and brought out the keys.
“I need to go, Hyung, you pay then I’ll pay you back” Kikwang said to the confused looking Doojoon before getting up hurriedly and rushed out to see Jiyong’s car getting out of its parking spot with Tiffany in the passenger seat, blood dripping out of her nose as her skin turned pale, even from outside the car.
Hoping into Yoseob’s car, Kikwang stepped on the accelerator as he tried to catch up to Jiyong’s car. Don’t leave me Tiffany, I just got you back, he found himself whispering as he followed Jiyong’s car.
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