Flashback......
"Come on Jade. I'm sure the jeans don't look that bad!" Youngbae yelled hitting the stall in the men's changing room.
He and Jade were out looking for an outfit for Jade to wear to dinner with his mother, Yeah, Tsumugi invited him out for tea and dinner.
Jade was freaking out since he didn't own many fancy clothes so Youngbae took him out to get something, but now 2 hours later they still couldn't find anything.
"IT LOOKS HORRIBLE ON ME HYUNG!" Youngbae held his finger to his ear sighing, "fine I'll search for more. Stay here."
He walked away with a bunch of other jeans and shirts his arms.
The store was basically empty.
It was an expensive men's store and most people can't afford it so the store was always empty. But they made a fine budget.
"What about this one?" Jade stepped out in green and grey color patch jeans and Youngbae scoffed.
"Looks like vomit. Try these." He three black suit pants at him, "a suit?" Youngbae nodded.
"Uhm yeah, we're going to that Italian place in the tower." Jade's face dropped.
"Hyung!~" he whined and Youngbae turned to him confused. "Huh?" "All this time you had me picking out stupid jeans and shirts when we are going to a 5 star restaurant. Do you want me to embarrass you?"
Youngbae shrugged and giggled. "You were excited. So I let you pick what you wanted." Jade pouted and went back into the changing room.
Youngbae kept looking through the racks sighing as everything looked too cheap for his Jade to wear that night.
Suddenly loud voices and clicks of cameras were heard from outside the mall store.
Letting his small ounce of child-like curiosity get the best of him he looked out the glass store windows at a group of paparazzi and reporters walking around talking loudly obviously looking for someone.
He got bored easily and turned back around.
Still looking the door to the men's store was slammed loudly and he irritably looked to see a woman leaned up against the wall catching her breath.
"Damn. Stupid ass sasaengs. Ugh, I should of given up fame years ago." The woman mumbled throwing a hood over her head.
Youngbae didn't bother looking up, because in short.
He didn't care.
"Hyung, I think it's a little tight." Jade came out the room again with the suit pants on.
"Hah I'm sure if you breath out once more your dick will bust through the zipper." Jade blushed and ran back into the room.
"Here. This is a size bigger." Youngbae walked up to the stall and handed him one.
He got a glimpse of his bare chest.
He has no meat on his bones. No muscles no anything.
Youngbae laughed to himself closing the door.
He grabbed a few dress shirts, the pants, a jacket and shoes walking up to the counter.
"Hi, did you find everything okay sir?" Youngbae looked at the woman through his bangs and smiled. "Yes." She started swiping items and Youngbae pulled out a black card.
"Hey, boy! Psst!" Youngbae moved his hair and looked down at the woman with grey eyes bending behind the corner of the counter.
"I don't have any drugs if that's what your asking for." The woman gasped, "do you know who I am?!" "A woman who's creepily talking to a high school student behind a counter. You could be trying to rob me. Are you a gangster?"
The woman stood up and took of her hood. "Oh, your an idol. How much worse." He snickered paying for his things.
"Look I need to borrow a few dollars. To get me out of here." Youngbae took the bags just as Jade ran up besides him.
"Are you ready hyung?" She glanced at Jade.
"Your boyfriend?" She asked and Youngbae rolled his eyes. "Lady, what do you want?" "15 dollars to get a cab and get back to my hotel room please! I'm not supposed to be out right now."
Youngbae looked around before looking at Jade. "Well give her the money, wonder boy." Jade rummaged through his pockets taking out a 20 dollar bill.
"Here you go Noona, I liked your music too!" She smiled and bowed holding Jade's hands.
"Thank you so so much my boy! I won't forget this kindness. For your boyfriend on the other hand over here, keep him on a leash with a muzzle." She glared at him throwing her hood back on and running.
"Muzzle. Hehe." Jade laughed but Youngbae didn't find it funny. "Oppa don't give other girls money! Only to me!" He pouted yelling in the store capturing the register lady's attention.
"I'm sorry hyung just don't yell-" "ARE YOU CHEATING ON ME!" He asked tearing up.
Jade panicked. "No no never! Your the one who told me to give her the money!" "Hahah." Youngbae laughed at his embarrassed state patting his head.
"I only joke jade. Come let's get dressed. Did you like my girl voice though? Was I cute enough?" Jade turned away rubbing his neck.
"Don't ask that so suddenly..." Youngbae smiled wrapping his arms around Jade's small bicep.
"But of course it was cute, I could of died." He confessed red as a tomato.
Youngbae couldn't help but laugh. "Really? I should do it more often then." They exited the mall and walked around the parking lot looking for Youngbae's driver.
They got to the car and they're bags were taken when the clanking of heels disturbed Jade.
He looked to see the former idol he met inside the mall. "HEY!" He yelled making her run to him.
"Omg it's you again!" Youngbae stepped out the car confused. "Oh..and your little boyfriend. Anyways, plan backfired. Can I take a ride with you? Please!"
"No-" "Of course!" Jade smiled at Youngbae letting her inside the car in between them.
"Thank you again, you really are a life saver."
"I'm sure he is." Youngbae mumbled crossing his arms and legs looking out the window.
"Where too?" "Oh Starlight Studios."
"So, Noona-" "Just call me Yeona. I'm surrounded by people who call me Noona all day!" She laughed patting his thigh.
"Oh okay! Yeona noona, is it true your looking for idols to sign? Does that mean your managing now, I've seen all the idols that debuted under starlight. Your so cool!"
She smiled thanking him. "And I am, that's what I was doing out today against my press teams wishes. They give me these basics boring looking people and expect me to make them into something they aren't, I mean come on! How hard is it to find a attractive young man to become an idol. He has to sing well too."
She mumbled in defeat. "My hyung can sing! Pretty well too!" Jade shouted pointing to Youngbae who didn't even look at them.
Yeona turned to him, "is that true?" Youngbae sighed and closed his eyes.
"I might have a recording somewhere." Jade tapped her shoulder and took out his phone scrolling through it till he stopped at a video.
"This is the music room inside Hyung's house, did you know he's apart of the Lee family?" She widened her eyes.
"...now I see it. No wonder you look so familiar!" She smiled.
"Okay here." He handed her the phone.
She listened carefully to the voice on the other side of the phone for a moment.
After listening she put the phone down and wiped away a tear. "Oh, my. I haven't heard a voice like that in ages!" She laughed sniffling.
"Boy-I mean Lee Youngbae, can I please-" "this is your stop lady." Youngbae exited the car and held open the door for her.
She looked to jade. "I'll try to make sure he gets in touch, it's was lovely meeting you."
Instead of immediately getting back into the car Youngbae closed the door and leaned on it talking to the woman.
Jade couldn't hear anything but Yeona looked serious and Youngbae looked upset about something.
He hoped he didn't overstep.
She walked away and Youngbae got back in the car.
"....did I do something wrong?" Jade asked and Youngbae shook his head. "I just hate idol bitches. You know it's all fake right?"
Jade tilted his head. Youngbae scoffed in response, "of course you don't you sweet thing. I mean the personalities the bodies the way they talk. Everything it's just a show. The industry is all about money, how they act behind the camera? No one could care less, but once those camera come out, you smile dance and look pretty. I can't be held in a prison like that wearing a fake smile and taking weight loss pills all the time. I'd lose my mind."
He scoffed laughing to himself. "Wow...I didn't think it was like that..how did you know that?" Youngbae looked at him.
"A friend of mine was an idol once. She died overdose from sleeping pills and weight loss pills. They forced them down her throat every day. She was miserable, some say the crime scene looked more like a suicide than random overdose, but I wasn't there so.."
"Where were you?"
"Anything happen while we were gone Youngbae?" His mother asked while they were at dinner.
He looked up and shook his head. "I almost died though." He giggled shaking his legs under the table making them look at him weirdly.
*Ring Ring*
From inside the quiet kitchen the whole family could hear the house phone ring.
After a moment Eui came inside the family dinning room with a heavy heart.
She walked right up to Youngbae and mumbled an "I'm sorry." He confusingly looked at her then the phone, wiping his mouth taking it away.
"Hello?" [Youngbae?] a woman's broken voice asked on the other line.
"Yes, who is this?" [Its me, Quy's mother.] "oh, hi Mrs. Nguyen. Is Quy home yet from training? I think she called me earlier." He giggled a little bit.
The line went silent. "Oh..hello? Mrs.Nguyen?" [Quy is dead, Youngbae. She died this afternoon.]
Youngbae stopped smiling and just sat there emotionless. [sweetheart, they ruled it out as suicide but the tabloids are saying it was a classic accidental overdose. I'm sorry, her ceremony will be held back in the Philippines, I'll let you know of the details soon. Stay safe.] the line went dead and he placed the phone down.
"Bae sweetie are you okay?" Tsumugi asked placing down her silverware.
He stood up and walked away.
The whole family looked to each other.
Youngbae slowly walked up to his room and closed the door quietly. He sat on his bed and stared at the wall.
For a moment that's all he did, till he reached over on his nightstand and opened his messages.
Precious:
4:34am
Hey bae, I uhm I'm not feeling well and I don't know who to tell.
4:50am
I think I did something bad. I just kept getting these weird feelings and this voice was telling me to do it.
4:55am
You always tell me to call you with these kinds of things but you didn't answer.
5:00am
It's been so stressful here. My members don't like me and they force pills down my throat every day and I haven't been able to sleep.
5:13am
If I tell my mom she'll drag me back lol
5:16
Your probably really busy rn or sleeping it's super early. Just uhm make sure to text me!
9:30am
I love you Youngbae. You've been an amazing best friend to me. And lighten up on the Jade kid. I don't know what I would do if my best friend was taken away, so don't do it to him and Dasom.
14 missed calls from: Precious
10 voicemails from; Precious
To listen to voicemail press 3
[3]
Precious:
Uh hello? *giggle* this is so weird man, it's mad late too, uhm I don't usually leave voicemails but I thought I should. I wanted to let you know, that uhm..even though your..cold to me..your extremely selfish and most definitely a narcissist. I still love you and all your flaws and scars from trauma no matter what. And even when I'm gone I want you to try and become a better person. For your sake, I don't think I'll be there to stop you from making reckless decisions. So I'm leaving it up to jade *laugh*.....really cherish that guy, he might be the only one to put up with your twisted crap. Again I love you and be good.
*BEEP*
Youngbae stood up and threw his phone across his room.
"God dammit you dumbass!" He yelled kicking the air till he was tired.
All this time.
And what the fuck was I doing? Chasing motherfucking Jade and dealing with Dasom.
Instead of catering to her.
I killed her.
Youngbae looked out his window from the floor laying his head on his bed.
You killed her.
You killed her.
You killed her.
You killed her.
You killed her.
You killed her.
He climbed on his bed and covered his ears with pillows closing his eyes tightly.
"I didn't. I didn't. I didn't. I didn't. I didn't kill her. I loved her."
He spoke to himself repeating it over and over and over and over.
Riko listened from the other side of the door walking away into her mother's office.
"How is he?" She asked in tears. Riko shut the door behind her.
"We should probably take him somewhere. For his own safety." She shook her head crying into her palms.
Riko patted her mother's back sighing. "I-I just-I hate seeing my baby boy like that you know?" She asked cracked voice bouncing everywhere.
END OF FLASHBACK...
"I was doing something that seemed important at the time. Now when I look back at it, it was only foolish and selfish. If I could I'd go back and never even...never even get involved. But now that she's gone I have no choice but to at least do one thing right. Right?" He asked.
Jade nodded. "That's good hyung. If it means anything I'm sure she'd be proud." Jade smiled and looked out the window as they drove.
Youngbae smiled to himself.
Nah. She's probably rolling in her grave.
He giggled a little to himself covering his mouth.
A DAY LATER.....
"Yes that's fine, just make sure the contract is legible and no one is liable. It's the last thing we need right now please." Yeona spoke while sitting in her director chair on the phone flipping through pages.
"Uhm. Mrs. Ahn, you have a Youngmae here for you." She stopped talking on the phone.
"Hey Unnie, I'm gonna call you back." She hung up the phone. "You mean, Lee Youngbae?" The assistant nodded. "Yes, should I send him up?" Yeona nodded eagerly.
"Yes yes! Please hurry!"
Within a minute a knock was heard on her door. "Come in!" She excitedly stood up walking to meet Youngbae in the middle of the room.
She shook his hands. "I'm glad you changed your mind Mr. Lee." Youngbae stared at her bored. "Yeah..sure. Do my parents have to sign something for me to do this?" Yeona laughed.
"Why don't you leave that part to me yeah? Let's get you a contract and a few of your Noona's to show you around."
"I won't sign any bogus stupid ass contracts without my lawyer or parents. I'm not an idiot, Yeona get your lawyers as well so we can do this."
She smirked and chuckled. "You got it kid."
PRESENT DAY....
"Wow. I haven't been here in so long.." Jade mumbled looking up at his high school.
Youngbae was besides him leaning on the car smoking a cigarette. "Right? Heard they're tearing it down soon. Well they were tearing it down."
Jade looked to him. "I wonder who brought this place then. It was a nice school! I wonder why they even closed it down." "Low community funds. If you look around it isn't as lively as when we were in high school."
Jade agreed looking around. "But that's all about to change." Youngbae spoke flicking the cig someplace.
"Why do you say that?" Jade asked still looking around. "I brought this whole street." Jade choked on air turning to face him.
"What?? Really how?" "Easy, I brought all the owners out of their leases and took over, they pay me rent now." "Wow hyung..how many people is that?" He shrugged.
"About 50 buildings in all..and this school. I'm renovating some shit but other than that it's staying the same. I don't know why, even though I hated this place, every-time I read about it being torn down I thought about you and how upset you'd be so I brought it and Riko suggested to buy out the neighborhood so I said why not. Not like it could be any worse."
Jade laughed. "Hyung. You really are a great person, I'm proud of you." He hung his arm around Youngbae who kept his emotionless face.
"And I need someone to oversee the construction and administrative board of the school now." He looked up at jade who was shocked.
"Y-you want me??" Youngbae shook his head. "No idiot. Your friend, what's her name? Leo, she's a teacher right? Or something." Jade thought before nodding.
"Yeah she is. I could give you her number." "Nah you do it. I don't like talking to people. Let's go, I'm hungry."
"Okay!" Jade shouted getting in the front seat.
"You know tomorrow I go back to work right? No more spending the day all alone."
Jade sadly nodded. "I know. But it's okay I'll see you everyday anyways." Youngbae hummed.
"Isn't that a treat for you."