I nodded my head at Taewoon and Joosuc - the two bouncers - and dashed inside to change for my shift. I barely made it in time, between all the bus changes and train transfers. It was still before opening time, but I had my list of tasks to complete, and I wanted to be there just in case a certain someone actually kept his word and showed up.

I left the washroom and grabbed my apron and started about putting away the new shipment of liquors. Who knew that we would go through this much alcohol in a week. I shuddered at the thought. With Jungkook away for the remainder of the summer, I was promoted to lead bar-tender. I guess I was able to prove my worth, and while it meant more money, it meant more time at the bar working. Which I honestly didn’t mind. It was in these quiet hours that I got a lot of reflective thinking done (even the occasional homework assignment). I usually ran the counter alone Monday thru Thursdays, and had assistants help me on Fridays and Saturdays when the crowds really came. I was knee-deep into three cases of various vodkas, rums, and glassware when I glanced at the clock. It was nearly time to open, and he had yet to show. I hurriedly put away the remaining bottles. I’d be lying it I said I wasn’t disappointed, but I had already prepared myself for this. It wasn’t like I meant anything to him anyway. Yesterday was just an anomaly, his desperate state fueling my need to be a hero.

Doors opened and the crowd slowly trickled in. By 23:00, the bar was packed and while the place was buzzing, it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. Time continued on, and soon it was nearing last call. People started to awkwardly stumble out of the bar, hailing for taxis or ambling towards the subway, while I began the task of bussing the bar and cleaning for tomorrow. It was nearly 4:00 in the morning, now Wednesday, and only a handful of stragglers remained in the bar when I heard shouts from outside. Preoccupied with the trays of dirty glassware and bins of empty bottles, I paid no mind to the voices...that is until I heard my name being called. Not just my name though, a name only one person would know.

“JJ-yah! Are you still there? YoudirtymothereryouGETYOURFILTHYINGHANDSOFFME! Yah JJ-yah!!”

The few coworkers who were left let their eyes drift towards me. I knew exactly who that was. I placed the dish tray down and hurried to the front, where I was met with a crazed JiYong held fast in the built arms of Taewoon, while Joosuc wiped what appeared to be blood from his lips. I stared at JiYong, my eyes glancing to his hands. His pale knuckles were bruised, and his ringed fingers had tinges of red on them. It all seemed manageable until a crowd began to form, whispers going around about the identity of the bound man and what he just did. When the camera phones started coming out, I knew I had to do something. I grabbed JiYong’s narrow wrist from the hold of Taewoon’s muscular grasp and ran back into the bar, calling back over my shoulder about how I’d explain everything later.

Once within the safety of the bar, I sat JiYong down in the corner booth typically reserved for VIPs (no pun intended). My coworkers were all whispering amongst each other as to how he knew me. Areum, one of the waitresses and the one who was closest to a “friend,” approached me.

“My God JiYoung, do you know who he is?” she whispered. “That’s...that’s...aigoo, JiYoung that’s G-Dragon!”

I turned my head to face the slumped body of the idol. Something really wasn’t right. Turning back to Areum, I shrugged. “I know,” was all I offered, and I walked to the booth.

Scooting into the booth so that I sat across from him, I cleared my throat. No response. I tried prodding his foot from under the table. Still no response. I continued scooting so that I was now next to him, and it was then that I heard the sniffling. And smelled the alcohol.

Using whatever (non-existent) upper body strength I had, I hoisted JiYong up so that he was upright. He blinked slowly, revealing two swollen, bloodshot eyes, the result of a combination of intense crying and too much liquor. He smiled weakly at me.

“JJ-ah, please forgive me. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to disappoint you. I only needed an escape, a release. Please tell me you don’t hate me. Please JJ-ah. Please.”

Tears began to trickle down his face and he fought back a sob. What. The. . What have you gotten yourself into now JiYoung? I smiled carefully back at him, desperately searching for the right words to say.

“Hey, JiYong ssi - I...I mean JiYong oppa, it’s ok. I know you never meant to hurt anyone. You were in a place of hurt, and you coped the best way you knew how.” I wanted to ask him where he got the alcohol, but I figured that wouldn’t be a good idea.

“Yeah, but you don’t know what it’s like. You just don’t know. The company wants me to go on hiatus to ‘reflect on what I’ve done.’ They’ve known since August but didn’t tell me until now. Why? Where is the ethic in that? I’ve slaved my off for them, and I make one mistake, and now this? My lawyers say that because it’s a first offense, I won’t be charged, but the fans, JJ. The fans. There are so many projects I’m working on, and award season is approaching. I’ll be disappointing every VIP if I don’t make a comeback.” He wiped his eyes on his shirt sleeve and shook his head. “Who am I kidding, I’ve already disappointed them. There’s nothing for me now.”

With that, JiYong broke into a sob. I was all-too familiar with the emotions he was experiencing. Granted I wasn’t an idol whose every move was documented, but emotions are emotions, and they’re part of the collective human experience. I wrapped my left arm around his bony shoulders and pulled him towards me. He buried his face into my shoulder and cried harder, muttering apologies and regrets and explanations into my sheer black shirt. Coworkers stared at the scene, and I could have sworn Areum’s jaw hit the floor when he tucked his face into my shoulder. God, was I going to have a lot of questions to answer tomorrow…

I shifted my focus back to JiYong. Still muttering away, I lifted his head from his chin and made him face me. He sniffled loud when his eyes met mine, and sighed heavily, breathing alcohol into my face. I tried to fight back a grimace, because seriously, I’m a bar-tender after all, I should be used to the smell of alcohol, but for some reason, in that moment, I couldn’t stand it. Maybe because I knew he used it as a negative coping mechanism, maybe because I had walked the path before and knew where it led, I don’t know. But I stared at him straight-faced and told him straight-up what I felt he needed to hear, inebriated or not.

“Kwon JiYong.” He contorted his face at the use of his full name. I sighed. “JiYong oppa.” I was never going to get used to that.

“JiYong oppa, I need you to listen to me. Yes, an unfortunate mistake was made, and I am so extremely sorry that you have had to endure all you have. But all is not lost. I told you yesterday. You are still the same brilliant, talented, hand-”

I caught myself...I didn’t really want this to turn into a subliminal confession, but in my defense, they were honest words, felt by many people other than myself, so I continued.

“...handsome, witty, charming, empathetic, respected, and loved person. I know I am a nobody to you, and these are probably just chance occurrences, but please believe me when I say that nothing you can say or do will ever make me think less of you. I have walked a path very similar to yours. I have experienced my own versions of Hell. But the greatest novelists have their heroes go through hellfire only to emerge forged by the flames, with hearts stronger than steel and compassion that knows no bounds. I don’t know if this means anything to you, and I don’t know how much of this you’ll remember, but if you remember anything at all JiYong oppa, it’s that I care for you, and that I will always have your back. Arraso?”

I swallowed hard. I had just bore my soul to one of my all-time idol biases. More tears started streaming down JiYong’s face. JiYoung, here you go again. Open mouth, insert foot. Pabo.

JiYong’s glassy eyes stayed focused on mine. “JJ-ah...no one has ever said that to me. I mean...I know my members and my family will be there, and I hope my fans will too. But what you’ve said...you say it so well. Like song lyrics actually. And with so much truth. Nothing speaks to me like honest lyrics, so...thank you JJ-ah. Neomu komawo.”

A small smile broke on his lips...and then he proceeded to lose the entire contents of his stomach...on my lap. I bit my lip and exhaled heavily, rubbing his back gently as he continued retching. When he finally appeared to stop, I propped him upright against a cushion and left to get some towels to clean up, water for him to hydrate, aspirin to prevent a hangover, and bread to ease his stomach. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a change of clothes with me like I would on a Friday or Saturday, so I was stuck in these vomit-stained shorts for the remainder of my shift. Luckily there wasn’t much left to be done. I returned to the table and saw him semi-consciously leaning against the cushion. He smiled weakly and I handed him the glass.

“Water. I know you probably don’t want anything, but you need it. You’re dehydrated. Drink this and take four of these. But eat this first, it’ll prevent you from getting stomach cramps, arraso? You rest here and I’ll be right back.”

He weakly nodded at me, making a move for the bread. I patted his shoulder and his hair gently, then turned to finish the last of my tasks. The bar had completely emptied save for the custodian. I knew I would get questions about this tomorrow, but I guess everyone was too tired to stick around. I ran the last few loads of glassware and put them on the drying racks, sorted the laundry into aprons and towels, emptied the remaining recycle bins, and made sure the bar was prepped for the hump-day rush tomorrow.

With my backp