Taste | Changbin

Chapter One-Hundred and Seven

Lennon grabbed the glass of red wine that Hana poured her, but she didn't drink it. She sat staring at the blood red liquid, but didn't dare drink it. Whatever Hana had to say, it must have been important. Since she had befriended Hana, Hana had always been a bit silly. 

She was always giddy and delightful. Lennon had never seen her look so serious before. So when she opened her mouth and closed it, when she furrowed her dark brows in brief contemplation, it worried Lennon.  

She was so nervous, her fingers started to sweat while holding the glass. Afraid she'd drop it, and needing a bit of courage, she took a sip. Swallowing the smooth liquid, she placed the glass on the coffee table and looked back at Hana. 

"So I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you don't know about all of their controversies, do you?" 

"They have controversies?"  

"Everyone always does." 

"No, I haven't heard of their controversies. I've never even considered them to have one. They're all really nice and they seem unproblematic. What could they possibly get in a controversy about? Should I be concerned?" 

"The latest controversy, the largest one, was about two years ago and it almost wrecked my life. I don't like bringing it up because it stings. It's a reminder that I almost never had this life. This was nearly not my future." 

Lennon slid back further into the couch and waited for her to continue. 

"You're aware that Changbin had a crush on me, right?" 

"Uh...yeah? I didn't know you knew about it, but yes, I know." Lennon's fingers dug into the soft flesh of her thighs. She had a feeling that nothing good was going to come from this conversation. 

"When I started working for Stray Kids, I was dating my husband at the time. I never mentioned him to the band because why would I need to? It wasn't important and I was just their makeup artist. When I got the job, they were less than thrilled. Apparently, they had been through five different makeup artists in a year and they weren't happy to have another one that was a potential let down." 

"So I kept my distance," Hana continued. "I only talked when I was spoken to. I tried my best to keep everyone comfortable. I let them know what I was doing to them beforehand. I tried my damn best to be a good makeup artist, to get them to believe they could trust me. I was a fan of the band before I was hired. I hated the idea that I might do something to make them uncomfortable. Eventually, it paid off." 

"And that's how you all got really close?" Lennon guessed.

"I suppose you could say that. It took a few months, but soon they were opening up so much more. Changbin hated me at first, but I worked my magic, and he melted too. After I worked there for three months, he bought me a beautiful bouquet of bright red roses." 

"Oh?" 

"I thought they were beautiful. I was still dating my husband and everything. I thought he did it just to be nice, but then came a necklace. It was a golden heart and it was beautiful. He sat in the makeup chair beaming as he pulled it out of his pocket. He looked like the happiest man alive as he confessed his love." 

"You sound like you're describing a stranger. I can't imagine him doing that," Lennon shook her head. "I mean not after the way he treated me at first." 

"And shortly after he made that glorious declaration, I had to announce that I was engaged. I had always worn rings on my fingers, so he hadn't realized the latest silver band that had wrapped around my ring finger." 

"I don't understand," Lennon cut in. "How does thi-" 

"Shush," Hana interrupted. "He was hurt, but he realized I belonged to someone else. He quickly apologized, put the necklace away, and sat quietly as I did his makeup. I felt awful. I just thought we were friends, I didn't mean to string him along. At that time, I got into a fight with the stylist over something silly."