Chapter 2 – Ideal Girl

“That was VIXX’s new song. I hope you enjoyed it well. VIXX has just made their first comeback in six months. This is the second time they’ve had such a big break between songs. Let’s find out what the members of VIXX have been up to in the meantime, shall we?”

The six members sat around the table comfortably. The first half of the show had gone very smoothly. They’d talked about the new song, played a game and dealt out the punishment. They’d played a few of their songs during the short breaks from the show and the atmosphere was good. N was really glad.

They’d gotten good at being on the radio. One person talking at a time, others laughing and providing support when it was needed.

“How is your radio show going, N-ssi?” the host asks.

N smiles. “It’s going really well. I’m having a lot of fun and my seniors are teaching me a lot.”

“You’re also going to be appearing in a new drama soon. This will be your second drama correct?”

“That’s right. I’m going to be portraying the lead character’s love interest. Please look forward to it.”

N clasps his hands and bows towards the camera.

“We are,” the host says. “Hongbin-ssi is also in a drama at the moment. Are you enjoying it?”

“Yeah,” Hongbin grins. “It’s a lot of fun and I’m still learning. I hope to continue acting in the future.”

“Good, good. Hyuk-ssi, you’ll be appearing in your second movie soon?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s genre is this one going to be?”

“It’s a romantic comedy this time.”

“Do you get a love interest?”

“Um, yeah,” the maknae chuckles, obviously withholding information he found funny.

“He’s refused to tell us anything about it!” N whines.

The other members agree and Hyuk laughs. He’s been told to keep the plot and characters a secret. The most the public knew about it was who was in it, and that it was a romantic comedy.

“Ah, the youngest is getting the good roles, indeed,” the host nods wisely.

The other members nod as well, feeling proud of each other nonetheless.

“Ken-ssi, you’re in a musical right now? What’s it about?”

“Yep. I’m in a musical about a bunch of orphans who get taken in by a young businessman who later adopts them.”

“Ah, that sounds interesting. It’s a new musical, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s the first time it’s being performed.”

“That’s exciting!”

Ken grins at the host and throws a peace sign towards the camera.

“Ravi-ssi.”

“Yeah?”

“Tell us what you’ve been up to since your last comeback.”

“I’m currently on a show with a bunch of rappers from different groups. We’re split into teams and have to write a rap about that week’s theme. The group that performs the best gets a prize and the losers are punished.”

“Is it fun?”

“It’s lots of fun and I’m learning a lot of different styles from everyone. I hope I can use this to continue writing better raps for our songs and the fans.”

Until this point the host had been okay with Leo being mostly silent. Besides graciously participating in the game and punishment, Leo hadn’t offered much himself. The host had asked Leo some questions earlier on, but for the most part had left him alone with very minimal teasing.

“Leo-ssi, what are you doing right now?”

“I’m in a musical.”

“A different one from Ken?”

“Yes.”

“You’re the lead, right?”

“That’s right.”

“What does your character do?”

“He’s in a number of disputes with different people.”

“Like who?”

“His boss, his family, and his fiancé.”

“He has a fiancé?”

“Yes.”

“What type of girl is she?”

“She’s working hard so that he doesn’t have to feel obligated to pay for everything.”

“Do you like girls like that?”

“Pardon?”

“Is that the kind of girl you like, also?”

The other members have gone quiet now, not ever making small remarks or laughing. N, refusing to let the atmosphere be ruined, laughs and makes a joke about how surprised Leo looks.

“Yes, he did look surprised, didn’t he?” the host laughs too. “What kind of girls do you like Leo?”

The members watch as Leo’s face heats up, struggling to answer as he fans at himself.

“Are you like Ravi? Is any girl okay with you?” the host prompts.

Leo’s eyes lock with N, pleading for help. N doesn’t know why Leo has frozen, he’s answered this question before in the past, always with a sweet and convincing answer.

“Leo said last time that he likes a girl who he can talk to,” N says, trying to use Leo’s most recent response to the question.

The other members nod and make remarks and Leo bows his head and silently thanks N.

“Leo, the other members have all revealed their ideal girl. Do you have an ideal girl?”

“My ideal is someone I can talk to.”

“Ah, that sounds so simple, but for you it must be an important thing. Is that all?”

“Someone I can comfortable be myself around, yes.”

“A celebrity, or?”

“As long as I can be myself comfortably around them.”

“I see. Well, there you have it, Leo’s ideal girl.”

“A girl he can talk to?” the host asks. “Leo isn’t really the type to talk a lot though, is he?”

“Leo is camera shy. He’s more talkative when he’s off camera, or when it’s about something that interests him,” Ravi says.

“He’s still not hugely talkative though,” Ken adds.

“I see, I see. So having a girl you can talk to is your goal?”

“Goal?” Leo asks.

“Is that what you’re looking for, for the future?”

“Ah, something like that,” Leo says with an uneasy smile.

“Well that’s okay too. As long as both you and the girl are happy.”

Leo is withdrawn for the rest of the show but only N and Ravi really seem to take note of it. N starts to worry about it. Was this the same thing that had brought Leo down last time? Leo had never opened up about that. After their talk Leo had put more effort into being with the members, even if it had made him a little uncomfortable. It was like he wasn’t sure how to act or what the boundaries were all of a sudden. N was still dying to know.

They go straight to practice after the show. Their comeback stage was two weeks ago now and they don’t have another stage until next week, but they practice every day anyway.

When they arrive N wants to start group dance practice right away but Leo says he needs to use the toilet first and leaves. The other members gather around Hyuk who has commandeered the sound system, but Ravi says that he needs to use the toilet also and follows the older member from the room.

N watches him go and is tempted to follow, knowing that Ravi is probably going to check on Leo and that Leo was acting weird. But he doesn’t because the other members might start to think something is going on if two of them go after Leo.

Ravi knew that Leo was upset during the show. He’d seen his hyung’s hand clenched on his knee, shaking slightly as the questions kept coming. Ravi had also figured out that N and Leo had had a fight and made up while he and the rest of the members were at the movies. He’d been tempted to ask N, but knew that N had probably tried to talk to Leo about whatever was bothering him.

Ravi had his suspicions about what that might just be too, but didn’t want to ask Leo in case he felt pressured or attacked. Ravi wanted to tell Leo that he was always on his side, but that might just make Leo feel the same way as confronting him, so he wouldn’t unless the time was right.

When Ravi entered the bathroom Leo was washing his face. When he looked up and saw Ravi standing there he seemed unsettled.

“Everything okay, hyung?” Ravi asked, trying to sound cheerful. He could see, despite the water still clinging to his face, that Leo had been crying.

 “Because during the show he said –”

 “Everything is fine,” Leo cuts him off, afraid to hear how Ravi was going to end that sentence.

“Good,” the younger smiles.

He starts back out the door. “If you ever need to talk about anything I’m here, though,” he adds as casually as he can while he leaves.

Ravi arrives back to the others and joins them around the tablet they were now staring at. He pointedly ignores N’s questioning gaze.

Leo looks a lot more composed when he comes back into the room. He’s holding a can of coffee that Hongbin glares at.

“We’re on a diet, you know, hyung,” he says.

“One won’t matter,” Leo mutters.

“He’s right,” N agrees. “We should all have a drink we like tonight.”

“You just want banana milk, hyung,” Ken points out.

N denies it with a passion but they all know it’s true.