"Are you free tonight?" Hyemi asked on Friday as she was driving Siwan back to his place.

 

"I'm afraid not."

 

"Why, where are you going?"

 

"I promised that I would visit a friend."

 

"Which friend?"

 

"One you don't know."

 

Hyemi looked over at him with a crooked smile. "But I know all your friends..."

 

"This is a new friend."

 

"Oh... is it a special friend?"

 

Siwan laughed awkwardly. "You know me... of course not."

 

He said good night to her on the street before the hotel. She told him to have a good night and paused to watch him leave.

 

###

 

As Siwan made his way to the sports club north of the river, he thought about Hyemi and he felt bad for not telling her about this. He didn't tell her because he knew she wouldn't approve and she wouldn't understand (he wasn't sure if he understood it himself). She always put in a big effort to look out for him, and even though that was her job, he felt grateful all the same. Hyemi probably knew him better than anyone, but she didn't know everything.

 

That night Siwan took a seat closer to the ring. He wasn't a stalker tonight, Taeheon had actually invited him and wanted him to be there. Perhaps he even likes me, just a little bit. Over the past couple of days he had recalled with pleasure how Taeheon had blushed when speaking to him, although he had to remind himself that it probably meant nothing. People were often shy when they spoke with a celebrity.

 

The first fight Siwan saw was not Taeheon's. The violence in it made Siwan nervous. One of the men had his head beaten repeatedly, and Siwan shuddered imagining that happening to Taeheon. However, as soon as Taeheon came on to fight, his worries vanished. Siwan's eyes were trained on him as he pulled his shirt over his head and climbed into the ring. He didn't look nervous either; he was somehow more cheerful now than when Siwan had seen him fight before. He bounced on his feet as he adjusted his gloves.

 

Even as the fight began, Siwan was constantly distracted. When Taeheon attacked his opponent to the ground Siwan imagined being pinned underneath him and he started to feel warm and dizzy. I would give anything just to touch him once, he thought, and then laughed to himself. Taeheon was not even particularly handsome, and yet Siwan had fallen for him at first sight.

 

Wrapped up in these thoughts, Siwan barely noticed when the match was over. The referee held up Taeheon's arm. He had won the fight this time, just as he had promised.

 

This time when Siwan found Taeheon on the street outside, it looked as though he had been waiting. He greeted Siwan cheerfully.

 

"Thank you for coming. You must have given me good luck." He held up his fist like a salute.

 

Siwan noticed there was a small cut on his face under his eye. Siwan wanted to ask him if he had been frightened of the fight, but he decided not to.

 

"Do you want me to take you anywhere?" Siwan asked. He'd tried it last time and had been rejected but he had a better feeling about today.

 

"If it's not a hassle, can you take me back to the hotel? I want to get something from my work locker."

 

"Of course. I'm going there anyway."

 

Siwan felt fluttering excitement in his chest as Taeheon crawled into his passenger seat.

 

"Wow, you have a nice car." He looked around it with appreciation, then back to Siwan. "Oh, haha I forgot..." He looked down in embarrassment and Siwan wanted to change the subject.

 

"How long have you been doing martial arts?"

 

"Since I was a kid. I started taking self defence lessons when I was in school, because I'd get beaten up a lot. I did it for a long time so eventually I became good at it."

 

"Do you enjoy fighting?"

 

Taeheon smiled softly and held up the envelope he had been carrying.

 

"To be quite honest I've been doing it for the money. Mixed martial arts are dangerous, and they always want a lot of blood for the spectators. I wish I didn't have to do it... But ah, I shouldn't be complaining. I won tonight. It was a good night."

 

Siwan thought quietly about what Taeheon had told him. He felt guilty for having come to enjoy the spectacle of him fighting, when apparently he had not even wanted to be there. He hated to admit it, but the thought of Taeheon fighting for money just made him seem even more romantic...

 

As they arrived at the hotel Siwan realised that it might be his last chance.

 

"Would you like to come to my room for a bit? I could offer you something to drink..."

 

As soon as he said it he felt foolish for sounding so desperate, but Taeheon seemed happy with the invitation.

 

"You're not like the other celebrities who come here. You seem down to earth." He walked into the room and looked down at the vase of flowers. "To tell you the truth, after we first met I went on the internet to find out more stuff about you. Is it weird to hear me say this?" He chuckled.

 

"I don't mind... Everything you found out was good then?"

 

"Yes! you are just as handsome in real life as you are in pictures."

 

"You can have a seat if you like." He prompted Taeheon to sit on the loveseat, and he took one of the dining chairs. Siwan wasn't sure what to say. "Um... your face is bleeding."

 

"Oh, uh I'll go clean up."

 

"No, wait there. It's not much." Siwan took a tissue and dampened it in the bathroom sink. He came back and pressed to Taeheon's face. It was only a minor graze under the left eye, but there was dried blood on his cheek. He wiped it away gently, cradling Taeheon's face with his other hand.

 

When he had finished cleaning he was still reluctant to let go of Taeheon's face. It felt so intimate to touch him like this, and slowly Siwan began to feel afraid. He was so close to kissing him, and he wanted to do it so badly, but he knew it was dangerous. This man was virtually a stranger and Siwan's reputation was at stake. There was too much risk, but he had already hesitated for so long and now was letting his hands linger.

 

After what felt like an eternity, Taeheon slowly came to stand and he leaned in to meet Siwan's lips with his own. It was like he knew what Siwan was thinking. There was too much risk, so he had to do it first.

 

Slowly, Siwan kissed him back. He moved his hands down from Taeheon's face, across his chest and around his body. Nothing was awkward anymore. Suddenly everything seemed to make a lot of sense.