I wake early the next day with warm arms wrapped tightly around me. It's still fairly dark in the room with the curtains drawn, but I can see the faint light along the edges brightening slowly. I don't move for another hour enjoying the feel of him next to me, thinking about how drastically my life has changed in the past two weeks. I never expected that by looking for my roots in Busan, South Korea I would also find my future.
I roll slowly toward him, trying not to wake him, so I can lay there committing his features to memory. My heart is bursting knowing he feels the same for me and wants me now and forever.
We had continued to talk about the future late into the night, what we wanted, what the next steps were, and what would be coming up in the next few years. I could feel the sadness in him when he spoke of the decisions that would be announced soon, after the concert.
I run my finger across his brows then down his nose softly, barely skimming, to his slightly parted lips. I freeze when his tongue swipes across his lips, but he settles again. Moving once more, I touch down over his chin to his collarbone, which I glide over to his shoulder then down the arm that's laying across my hip. Before reaching his elbow, I dip my fingers to his bare chest, lightly teasing the flat n*pple showing above the blanket he had draped over us when we finally settled for the night.
I feel his arm twitch on my hip as I do that. Instead of continuing to feather my touch there, I slide my fingers under the covers, down his abdomen, over his belly button, finding the light trail of hair going down, seeking what I want to feel.
I watch his face as I trail my fingers down his length, which is hardening as I touch it. I see his lips part as I wrap my hand around him, sliding my hand up and down his sh*ft, then palming his b*lls and moving back up to the tip.
Leaning forward I run the tip of my tongue across his flat n*pple, flicking a few times with it, feeling it harden as his c*ck gets harder in my hand. His hips jump a bit as I start stroking him again.
Saliva pools in my mouth as I have the sudden urge to wrap my mouth around him, tasting him. I shimmy a bit so that I'm able to kiss my way down his body, pushing the blanket down further revealing his bare hip and upper thigh. He rolls over onto his back to give better access for what I want.
I maneuver my body so that I'm now facing down, my knees under me as I wrap my mouth around him, drawing him in deeper. I feel his hand slide up the back of my thigh to my bare *ss cheek, his fingers finding my opening, which is already weeping with the pleasure his touch inflicts on me. Slowly he pushes a finger, then a second one, into me as he slides his c*ck deeper into my mouth, hitting the back of my throat.
"Baby, I want to taste you while your mouth is wrapped around me..." I hear him sleepily rasp. He pulls his fingers from me, sliding them through my wet folds to rub my cl*t, then his hand slides down the inside of my thigh to my knee, only to tug it toward him. I take it as a signal to straddle his upper body. I feel so exposed right now, with my opening so close to his face, but excited at the same time.
I go back to enjoying the taste and feel of him in my mouth, his hard length a slow piston. Pulling my mouth from him, I lick his sh*ft from tip to root, to his b*lls, drawing them into my mouth to suck and lick.
My channel feels extremely sensitive as I feel his fingers parting me, and his tongue licks from my cl*t to dripping entrance before flicking there. Then it's extra pleasure as his tongue stabs deep and his mouth sucks, my channel clenching as a rush of liquid coats his lips. His thumb rubs across my tingling cl*t, as he uses both his tongue and fingers to bring me to the brink, holding back before I go over, prolonging the pleasure.
I continue my own ministrations of him, feeling his heavy c*ck in my hand and mouth twitching and throbbing.
Suddenly I feel his mouth gone and his hands pushing my body to the side, so I let go of him and roll over on the bed. Almost as quickly as I did, he's kneeling between my legs, guiding his hardness into my slick channel, burying himself as deep as he can before leaning over me and capturing my mouth with his own. I lift my hips up to meet each deep thrust, spiraling in the pleasure of feeling him rubbing and hitting the most pleasurable spot over and over.
With just one quick rub of his thumb pad on my cl*t, I have such a hard org*sm that I'm unable to make a noise as he thrusts a few more times before his own release happens.
It takes me some time to come back down from the excruciating pleasure I experienced, small org*sms causing me to clench around his body. His weight is a comfort to me, pushing me into the soft mattress. My arms slowly unlock from around his back and drop to the sides and he lifts his body up a bit to look at my face.
"Good morning, beautiful..."
"Good morning to you, gorgeous," I respond cheekily, the smile of happiness across my face.
"That one has made my top three list for 'Best Ways to Wake Up, Next Level Edition'," he says, the dimple in his cheek showing.
"As much as I hate to ask and break this beautiful mood, what does a concert day look like in terms of schedule for you?"
He moves to the side, laying on his stomach next to me, his head resting on his crossed arms.
"Let's see...a quick shower, a light breakfast during our morning meeting, going to the concert venue for a last-minute rehearsal, makeup and hair early afternoon, doing the pre-concert sound check, then backstage to change into our first set outfit." He turns his head to look at me. "Are you ready for this?"
"I don't have a ticket...so I was planning to go to one of the Live play venues to watch."
"Nae, you don't need a ticket to get in. And I want you front and center..."
"But I told you that it would be unfair to all the other ARMYs..."
"Nae..." he sighs, still smiling at me. "Bang PD-nim talked with me yesterday and gave me a pass to give to you to be on the floor. I want you there...I want to be able to see you from the stage." He stops momentarily before saying slowly, "Do you not want to be there?"
I shake my head quickly at that. "I absolutely want to be there. I want to see you in that black outfit...you know the one...?" I roll so I'm on my side facing him, making small circles on his shoulder before I lean in to whisper near his ear, "Mmmm, those lace up pants and that loose velvet looking shirt showing skin... and being there to see it up close? The only thing that would be better than that is to take them off you slowly, one piece at a time..." I take his earlobe between my lips as I run my hand down his back to his muscular *ss, squeezing before running my fingertips up his spine. Letting go of his earlobe I groan then say, "You are so sexy..."
He captures my mouth with his and gives me a deep kiss, his tongue dueling with mine. Too soon he breaks the kiss.
"So why do you not want to be at the stadium? Would the crowd be too much? Would that be a trigger?" he asks with a serious expression on his face.
I flop back on the bed, laying my arm across my eyes and letting out a deep sigh myself. "I'm a bit nervous about it, yes. As ridiculous as it sounds, I think the biggest issue is that I might be shown on the big screen. If Leeza, who will be at the stadium somewhere, sees me there, it's going to raise a lot of questions that I don't want to answer. Especially not to her. She doesn't need to know them. If she sees me, there will be a confrontation. Feelings will be hurt. Plus, I'm still upset with her over a lot of things that have happened since we landed here." I turn my head to look at him. "Basically, I'm a coward."
I turn my head back to stare at the ceiling. "I want to be there more than almost anything. I want to be where you can see me, front and center. I want to be a support for you and the members... because I love you. And I love listening to you sing and watching you dance. You light up when you're up there. I want to experience it with you, even if I'm not right next to you..."
"Then come to the stadium with me. Use the pass. If Leeza actually does see you, just tell her there was a contest for some at my father's café or something and you won one. I know you don't like lies, but...I don't know how else to get around that..."
I hesitate, mulling over what he just said.
"We can also ask that the cameras not be pointed in your direction, so that you won't be shown on the screens. It's not foolproof by any means. It could still happen, but it would help minimize the possibility, right? Would that help make up your mind?"
I look back at him. I roll to my side to face him again. "Okay, yes, I'll go. I just hope that whoever's in charge of the cameras keeps them off me. But I really want to be there...and I'll have to thank Bang PD-nim for the pass. I never imagined to be that close to the stage at one of your concerts!"
"Whenever we have a concert, that's where I want you to be, to watch me." Leaning over, he kisses me again.
After a quick shower together, he shows me a few more things he got the day before. I fall in love with each and everything he chose. This time, we both dress in comfortable clothes. I know it will be a long day, and a majority of it will be out in the open stadium, so I also need to be warm. Fishing out my earrings, I slip the hooks through my ears to top off the outfit.
Grabbing our phones, we walk to the conference room for the meeting, following others in. I see the staff members set up the same way as yesterday, and I spot those three women with the same hostile looks aimed in my direction still. I try not to pay them any heed, secure in my future. They can think what they like, it's not going to matter.
Jimin kisses me with some heat at his chair, his arms wrapped around my waist and holding me tight to his body. Soon, other members and staff start to show up, including Mr. Lee, who's carrying boxes of food. I move to the same chair that I occupied the previous day, sitting down to face the room occupants. Before starting, everyone gets some food, and Jimin brings a plate to me. Thankfully, the meeting lasts less than half the time as the previous day's since today's time is at a premium.
As it wraps up, I see Jimin staring at me. I smile brightly at him as he stands up and rounds the table to stop in front of me. Holding his hand out, I grab it and he pulls me up, wrapping his arm around my waist to lead me back to Hobi's room where the process is repeated once again.
All meetings are finished, and we walk back to our room to grab a few things, then head down to the parking garage to go to the stadium. And just like the day before, when we arrive, I wait for the members to go in before I get out of the vehicle and walk into the building with Mr. Lee.
This time, I feel comfortable enough to wander through the backstage on my own, finding a spot to lean against the wall that I'm sure is out of the way. It's quite interesting to observe what everyone does on concert day, and I find my curiosity at its max.
After a while, I feel a tap on my shoulder, and as I straighten up, I notice the three women talking behind their hands as they keep glancing at me.
Turning around, I see a security guard standing there, the look on his face indecipherable.
"Please come with me, Miss," he states in a hard monotone voice meant to brook no argument.
"May I ask where to and why?" I say with surprise.
"Just come with me," he repeats.
"I plan to do no such thing until I find out why I need to and where we would be going," I reply calmly.
"You don't need to have a reason when you are told to move," he states, reaching out his hand to grab a hold of my upper arm.
Anticipating the movement, I quickly step back just as a hand comes from behind me, grabbing the security guard's own wrist before it can connect with me.
"Excuse me, what is the meaning of this?" I hear Mr. Lee's voice from behind and above me, and as he steps up next to me, I see an expression on his usually stoic face that I hope to never see aimed at me.
"It was reported to stadium security that there was an unauthorized female wearing these clothes loitering backstage. I asked her to come with me, but she refused."
My ire is starting to rise. This situation feels like déjà vu from the night at the studio.
"All I did was ask you where we're going and why, which you chose not to say," I say in a tight voice, straightening to my full four-foot eleven-inch height, my aura leaking out toward him.
"It is protocol to take you to the security office to detain you while we call local authorities, until we get things straightened out."
"Excuse me? And exactly what is the reason I would be detained?"
"Our report says you are unauthorized to be backstage, in fact in the concert venue at all, according to the phone call we received anonymously. The person reporting it said they were asked to call us on Mr. Bang's and the performing group's direction and that you're possibly a stalker of the group here to perform," he says, his deadpan tone starting to grate on my nerves.
"Your office has been told wrong. This woman actually is authorized to be here," Mr. Lee states as he releases the man's wrist, roughly pushing it down. "She is a special, personal guest of the group and Mr. Bang."
"I'm sorry, sir, but I still need to have her come with me until this is figured out. There's protocol that needs to be followed."
Mr. Lee and I look at each other, and I give a small nod which he returns.
"Fine, I'll come, however Mr. Lee will accompany me," I say, gesturing to the security guard to lead the way.
The man goes to grab my arm again, but Mr. Lee intercepts it once more.
"You will not touch her. The next time you try, expect to leave with a broken wrist. And that will be the least of your worries," he says in a hard voice.
The guard drops his arm again, a scowl on his face as he looks between Mr. Lee and me. Crossing my arms over my chest, I arch a brow at him, my gaze frosty.
Pressing his lips together in a thin line, the guard spins on his heel and starts walking away. Mr. Lee falls in next to me as we follow, pulling out his phone. I hear him speaking quickly into it, telling whoever is on the other end of the line to meet us at the stadium's security office as soon as they can.
We are led through a different maze of hallways, each one looking the same as the last. It feels as though we are walking into the bowels of a hellish, sterile institution, one that will drive a person mad if they try to leave, hopelessly getting lost. I shiver at that thought.
Finally, we arrive at a metal door in the middle of the white hallway, one that looks the same as all the other ones we passed. Opening it, the guard steps back and gestures for us to precede him into the room beyond.
When I step in, I see a sparsely furnished utilitarian room sporting a metal table in the center and a couple of chairs on each side. In the wall to the right, there's a big mirror with our reflections in it, and I know it's one-way with more security behind it to observe what happens. I look up to the ceiling and corners and notice the tiny cameras there. My brain tells me it's nothing more than a typical interrogation room.
I walk further in, followed closely by Mr. Lee. The guard comes in, closing the door with a loud click in the quiet space. I stay rooted to my spot, waiting for the guard to say something.
He looks at both Mr. Lee and I, gesturing for us to sit. I give him a hard look while neither of us move.
Shaking his head, he takes his own seat on the opposite side of the table, leaning back in it to regard us with that same indecipherable look.
"I can only tell you what was reported to us. As security for this venue, we take any possible threats seriously for those who come here," he states in the matter-of-fact tone that is definitely grating on my nerves.
"And this call you received, you said was from an anonymous caller?" I ask, my eyebrow raised while waiting for his response.
"Yes, it was anonymous. The caller did not give their name. Just that a female matching your description was unauthorized to be backstage, a possible stalker, and that we were to detain you, call the authorities to have you removed from the venue per the instructions of the performing group and Mr. Bang."
"And was the caller male or female?"
"Female. They stated they were a personal assistant to the performers and Mr. Bang."
I exchange glances with Mr. Lee. The faces of three specific women swim into my mind's eye.
"I think I have an idea who would've made that call, and I will give you three guesses," I say to Mr. Lee. He nods his head in agreement. Taking out his phone again, he calls the same person informing them of this new information. Slipping his phone back in his pocket, he nods. I pull out the chair in front of me and sit, not saying a word. Mr. Lee takes a step back and leans surreptitiously against the wall behind me, waiting.
The guard looks between myself and Mr. Lee a few times, and I see an eyebrow quirk up briefly. It's the only time he's changed his expression since he tapped me on the shoulder. I smile to myself as we sit in silence for the next ten minutes.
There's a knock on the door, and I turn my head in that direction as it opens to show another guard. Stepping back, he gestures to someone to enter, and I see Bang PD-nim step in, followed closely by the three women that seem to be the bane of my existence. I stand and bow deeply to him.
He walks up to me and puts his hands on my upper arms, squeezing gently as he looks me in the eyes. I give a small nod of my head in acknowledgement to the unspoken question I see on his face.
"I'm fine, Bang PD-nim. He hasn't been disturbed with this, has he? This is not the time for any of them to be worried," I ask the one pressing question foremost in my mind. He shakes his head.
"No, I let other staff know to keep this quiet, and it will be dealt with once and for all right now."
He turns to look at the three women who followed him in. He gives them a hard look and they move to line up in front of the wall by the door, eyes downcast. Then he turns to the guard sitting at the table.
"I am Mr. Bang Si-Hyuk. I was told that a phone call was received by your office that this woman," he nods toward me, "was to be detained then removed from the premises. Is this correct?"
"Yes, sir. We received a call from an anonymous female caller. They indicated they were a personal assistant to you and the performing group. They stated you had instructed to have an unauthorized female, matching her description," he points at me, "to be detained while the local authorities were called to have her removed."
"I see. And did this person tell you any specific reason why other than she was unauthorized to be there?" Bang PD-nim asks the guard.
Looking at me then back to Bang PD-nim, he says out loud, "They stated she was possibly a stalker of the performing group, and that was the only reason. It is the protocol of this venue to take all threats like that seriously."
"And what happened when you went to find Ms. Cho?" The security guard's eyes flick back to me then to Bang PD-nim again.
"I tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. She turned around and I informed her that she needed to follow me. She asked where to and why. I restated that she needed to follow me. She did not, saying that she was not going to go anywhere unless she knew where and why. She was being non-compliant, so I was reaching out to take her arm when this man grabbed my wrist, stopping me." He nods to Mr. Lee behind me.
Bang PD-nim turns to look at Mr. Lee, who nods once to affirm the events the guard stated. Looking at me, he puts his hand on my back and holds his hand out toward the chair I had been in prior to his arrival.
"My dear, how about we sit for this next part."
I nod my own head. Though prior to sitting, I pick up my bag from the floor, setting it on the table. I open it and pull out a pair of small hair sticks that I place on the table as well, then set my bag back on the floor. Staring at the guard, I quickly put my hair in a chignon and use the sticks to hold it in place, pulling on my boss aura again. I turn my icy gaze on the three women, and I see the blood drain from their faces. Good. F*ck with me and see what happens...
With that done, I sit and cross my legs, as Bang PD-nim sits down with the proud smirk of a father figure on his face.
Turning to the guard, I start.
"Sir, I understand you were following protocol as is lined out in your procedures for what could constitute as a possible threat. I guarantee you that I was not resisting nor being non-compliant in any way, and if it came across that way, that is on me. However, there is more happening that you and your office are not aware of."
"I can assure you; I made no such request. Neither did any of the performers," Bang PD-nim says. "In fact, your office received a fraudulent phone call by someone impersonating my personal assistant as I do not have one here today, and neither do the members."
The guard frowns at those words.
"I realize that is not knowledge you would know and must take each call at face value when received. It is our belief that it was one of these three women who made the phone call."
Bang PD-nim looks at the women still standing where they were told when they came in. Two of the three's eyes are wide with surprise and fear as they quickly shake their heads in denial. The one on the left does not react except for pursed lips and brows drawn down in anger, staring hard at me. Ahhh, that's the ringleader of this trio!
My eyes flick to meet Mr. Lee's in the mirror. He nods imperceptibly at me, indicating he notices it as well.
"This is a personal grudge by one of the individuals standing over there," I state, nodding in their direction. "All three are staff with the agency of the performers. They have the belief that I am encroaching in their 'territory' when it comes to the members." I pause to look at them, then at the guard again. "The fact of the matter, which they don't realize nor understand, is that I am in a very serious, committed relationship of a personal nature with one of the members. Professionally, I am also starting in a consulting liaison position with the agency in two weeks, the legal representative of my firm from New York City. This position is the brainchild of Mr. Bang and set up through a partnership of the boards of both the agency and my firm. I have more authorization to be here than they do."
At that last statement, the guard's eyebrows raise in surprise, and he looks to Bang PD-nim for confirmation.
"That is correct," Bang PD-nim nods. "She is also a personal guest of myself and the members of the group. And if what I was told earlier this afternoon is true, she will soon be a member of our small family."
My head whips in his direction to see a large smile on his face, my mouth dropping open.
"He told you already?"
"Yes," he chuckles at my surprise. "In fact, he told the other members at the same time. He was so happy; he couldn't contain himself very long with that little secret."
I look up to the mirror to see Mr. Lee's smile as well.
"You know too, Mr. Lee?" He nods his head as his smile gets bigger.
"Welcome to the family, little sister!"
"Oh, my goodness!" I can feel the blush rushing up my face. I can only smile widely and shake my head at Jimin's eagerness to announce it to the world. Bang PD-nim grabs hold of my hand and squeezes, and I squeeze back looking at him. Then I see the women beyond, and the smile drops from my face as the anger overshadows the happiness I feel in my heart. Bang PD-nim's smile drops as well when he sees where my gaze goes.
In a very icy, hard voice, I continue as I hold the gaze of the woman on the left.
"It is an internal matter now, and there will be severe repercussions for making a false report, impersonating Mr. Bang's and the members' personal assistant, and for trying to interfere in my personal relationship with Mr. Park and in my professional relationship with the agency and Mr. Bang. I do not take this lightly, and neither should they."
I turn back to the guard, and ask in a monotone much like his has been, "Is there anything else you need clarified or are we finished here?"
He doesn't say anything for a few moments, gaze unfocused, and I realize he's listening to someone speaking over a small in-ear communication device. He gives a curt nod, then gets to his feet. Looking at the rest of us in turn, all he says is, "It has been determined by my superiors that this has been an unfounded and not credible claim, and that you do not pose an imminent threat. Therefore, you can leave and return to what you were doing. Thank you for your time."
He bows and walks to the door without pausing to see our reactions. Opening it, he strides out.
Bang PD-nim, Mr. Lee and I give each other looks of confusion at the abruptness of the guard's action.
I give a slight shrug indicating how odd it was. Bang PD and I get to our feet, pausing to speak briefly about the plans for the next few hours until the pre-concert sound check starts.
Mr. Lee steps up and reminds us in a very low voice about the three women still standing in the room. We turn to look at them.
The two are still looking down at the floor in a respectful manner, however the one on the left is staring me in the eyes, hatred written all over her face.
"NaeYeong, if I may?" Bang PD-nim says softly at my side. I nod my head.
"I am not part of the agency yet, so this is your domain, and I will defer to your decision." I turn and bow to him then step back next to Mr. Lee. I watch as Bang PD-nim steps forward toward the three women. The woman on the left tears her eyes from mine and respectfully drops her gaze to the floor as well when he starts speaking.
"I will only ask this one time and in your own best interest, I suggest you answer truthfully."
He waits for them to each nod their head in acknowledgement of his words.
"Who called the stadium's security office claiming to be my personal assistant?"
Nobody moves, waiting. I see the one in the center take a quick glance in the direction of the one who gave me the hateful glare.
"Ms. Yun," Bang PD-nim says to the one in the middle. She raises her gaze to him briefly then drops it back to the floor. "Are you the one who made the call?"
"No, sir, I did not."
"Do you know who did?"
"Not with any proof, sir."
Turning to the one on the right, he does the same.
"Ms. Jeong, did you make the call?" She shakes her head, her gaze still downcast.
"No, sir."
"Do you know who did?" She looks quickly to her left and back down.
"I did not hear anyone make a call like that, sir."
Turning to the woman on the left, the one I'm beginning to think of as my nemesis, he repeats his questions.
"Ms. Kang, did you make the call?"
She looks up, not at him, but straight at me, then back down before answering.
"No, sir."
"Do you know who did?"
"No, sir."
"I see," he pauses, looking at each one again. "Do any of you know why someone would make that accusation against Ms. Cho so that she would be detained then removed from the venue?"
All three shake their heads, which are still down, but I can see Ms. Kang looking up at me through the curtain of her hair. The hatred is palpable in the air, like a living, breathing serpent waiting to strike its prey.
I take a deep breath in, taking in that hatred, and expelling it back out of my system as clear air.
Mr. Lee steps forward and whispers something in Bang PD-nim's ear, who looks at him then nods. Mr. Lee walks out the door. All three women watch him leave, then look at each other with confused looks on their faces. When they look back at Bang PD-nim, they quickly cast their eyes back down.
In a few minutes, Mr. Lee strides back in, a piece of paper in his hand and nods at Bang PD-nim. Stopping back at me, he hands me the paper, which I take a quick look at, then hand it back to him.
"Mr. Lee, please proceed," Bang PD-nim says, continuing to watch the three women.
Mr. Lee steps forward again.
"Move to the other side of the table," he barks out. All three jump and move quickly to stand on the side of the table the stadium's guard had sat on when speaking with us.
"Place your phones on the table in front of you."
They look up at him, then at each other, more confusion showing on their faces as they slowly pull their phones from pockets. Ms. Jeong and Ms. Yun immediately set them down, while Ms. Kang holds onto hers, spinning it between her fingers before setting it down reluctantly.
"Do not touch them unless I direct you to," Mr. Lee instructs in a no-nonsense voice as he steps forward. I move to the end of the table on our side furthest away from the door, while Bang PD-nim does the same closest to the door, giving Mr. Lee plenty of room to work.
Mr. Lee steps up to the table, picking up Ms. Jeong's phone first, opening it to her recent call log. Scrolling through, I see Mr. Lee comparing a couple numbers from the paper to today's sent calls. Closing out of it, he sets it down and picks up Ms. Yun's phone to repeat the process. Setting that one down, he picks up Ms. Kang's phone, only to find it PIN protected.
"Ms. Kang, open your phone then hand it directly back to me."
He hands it over to her, but she just holds onto it.
"Now!" he barks out. All three women jump again. Ms. Kang scrambles to enter the PIN but is slow to hand it back to Mr. Lee. He strides around the end of the table and gets in her face, growling at her with his hand outstretched in front of her. "You are required to hand it over right now as it is the property of the agency."
She complies, but it's quite apparent that she doesn't want to.
Once the phone is back in his hand, he moves back to our side of the table, repeating the process of checking the call log.
He looks up at her, taking the paper and phone to Bang PD-nim to look at.
"Ms. Kang...according to your call log history for today's date, the proof of you making the call to the stadium's security office is right here. Please explain yourself," Mr. Lee states.
She throws another hate filled glance at me, shaking her head when she looks back at Mr. Lee and Bang PD-nim. They both have unsympathetic looks directed at her.
There's nothing but silence in the room. Bang PD-nim clears his throat and addresses the room.
"Ms. Jeong and Ms. Yun, when you started with the agency, you were required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement in regard to everything to do with our employees, which includes both professional and personal information and business. I will allow you to continue your employment with the agency for now, but you are no longer staff attached to this group. You will gather your things and leave the premises immediately. On Monday you will be reassigned to a different group to work with. If anything is leaked about what has transpired today, if any information is spoken or written about any of the members or Ms. Cho, you will be let go and the agency will file legal proceedings against you. Is that understood?"
The blood drains from their faces once again, and with eyes wide with fear, they both say yes, bowing deeply.
"You are dismissed. Please wait outside this room for a stadium security guard to escort you back to the stage area. They will oversee it as you gather your things, then will escort you out of the building and off the premises," Mr. Lee states.
Both grab their phones from the table and rush out the door, a few tears leaking from their eyes.
"Ms. Kang, you also signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement, did you not?" Bang PD-nim states. She looks up at him, squaring her shoulders.
"Yes, sir, I did."
"And you remember what was stated in it, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good, because as of this minute, you are fired from the agency. It has been proven by evidence found on your agency-owned phone that you are the individual that called the security office, impersonating my personal assistant, and tried to have Ms. Cho removed from the venue. Do you still deny that you are the one?"
"No, sir, I do not deny it."
"Explain why you did it," Mr. Lee barks out.
Her gaze lands on me, and a sneer crosses her face as she starts to speak. "Because this b*tch took him from me! She doesn't deserve to be with him, I do! She needs to be removed from his presence!!" she spits at me.
I stand there, barely reacting as she spews her vitriol at me.
"She's nothing but a distraction to him, to the rest of them! Low life, hussy skank thinking she can waltz right in, showing a little thigh and getting him in her bed! He's mine, b*tch! Mine!!"
Her wild eyes tell me she is seriously unhinged at this point, lost in her own little delusional world that she's created. I shake my head slowly. I turn to walk to the door, and I hear a banshee scream coming from behind as my hair is yanked hard and I feel strands being ripped out. Before Mr. Lee can react, I take a step back, twist my body around, and hit the b*tch right in the nose with a hard right hook. She lets go of my hair to cover her bloody nose, and when she pulls them away, she shrieks again at the top of her lungs and launches herself at me.
This time I'm more prepared but my martial arts training kicks a second too late as I block her, then hit her in the chest hard enough to send her stumbling into the wall. She straightens up quickly, holding one hand to her chest and comes at me one more time, but before she can reach me, I land a perfectly executed kick to her abdomen, doubling her over as the blood continues to gush down her face, coating her shirt and the floor.
She falls back against the wall, holding her stomach as she slides down to land heavily on the floor.
"You b*tch! You hurt my baby!!" and she starts to cry hysterically, while mumbling about Jimin and babies.
I step back in shock. My heart hurts from hearing those words while my brain tries to analyze and make logical sense of it all.
I mean, Jimin wouldn't do that...right??
No. No, he wouldn't. Damn, what a mess!
But what if she really is pregnant, and I actually hurt a baby? It doesn't matter who the father may be, a child is an innocent no matter what.
I stumble back, right into Mr. Lee's chest, his strong hands gripping my shoulders to keep me steady.
"Don't believe anything she says, Ms. Cho. I've been around Jimin for the past several years, and he's never paid her any attention. There is nothing there, and the love I see on his face every time he looks at you, there's no way anything ever happened between them."
Bang PD-nim steps up next to us, staring at Ms. Kang.
"NaeYeong, I've known Jimin for over ten years. He is not the type to just have s*x and leave. He's too emotional and compassionate to have a relationship like that, and then to just take up with someone else... No, he is not involved with her."
"But..." I start. They both reply at the same time.
"No buts. He wouldn't do that."
"But what if there is a child, and I hurt it? How could I live with that guilt??" By now the tears are streaming down my face and I'm shaking as a few stadium guards arrive in the room.
Mr. Lee pulls out one of the chairs again, guiding me to sit down before I fall. I sink into it heavily, my mind numb now. I cover my face with my hands as my shoulders shake from the silent sobs.
"Mr. Lee, please go and fetch Mr. Park. I believe our NaeYeong needs him," Bang PD-nim says quietly.
"No! No... please, he doesn't need this distraction and drama right now. We can tell him after the concert what happened, but not before. Not a word of this! Please?" I beg both of them, seeing the concern and indecisiveness playing across each of their faces.
I watch as the new guards go and check on Ms. Kang, calling to have the authorities and a stadium medical team come while she pushes at their hands to keep them away from her. Her gaze locks on mine again, the hate just seething out of her pores.
"You did this, you b*tch! You ass*ulted me and m*rdered my baby! Look at all this blood! You m*rderer!!" she yells.
I sit there, just numb to the accusations she's hurling at me, one thought swirling through my head...I may have hurt a baby, baby...baby...
"NaeYeong!" I hear fingers snapping next to my head. My gaze slowly rises to see both Bang PD-nim and Mr. Lee hovering over me, worried expressions on their faces.
"Yes?" I ask, blinking in confusion. "What's wrong?"
I look around at the room we're in, the sterile look of the metal table next to me and the big mirror in the wall.
"Do you not remember what happened?" Mr. Lee frowns at me as I shake my head.
"No...?"
"What's the last thing you remember?" he looks at Bang PD-nim then turns back to me waiting for my answer.
"I was standing backstage watching everyone doing their duties preparing for sound check. Did I miss it?" I panic, making me stand up quickly only to stumble and catch myself on the table.
"You don't remember coming to this room? Being questioned by the stadium's security? The situation with Ms. Jeong, Ms. Yun, or...Ms. Kang?" Bang PD-nim asks.
"No. Should I know who they are?" I tilt my head as I look at them. Looking past them, I see dark red splatters on the floor and wall, my brow wrinkling as a memory tickles deep inside my brain.
I take a step toward it, skirting around both men to take a closer look.
Bending over, I smell the unmistakable scent of copper. Straightening back up suddenly, I turn to look at them.
"Is this blood??" I gasp. Neither man says anything, just looking between each other and me. Mr. Lee nods his head.
"You really don't remember what happened?" Bang PD-nim asks, concern coloring his voice. I shake my head, but when I look back at the drying blood, images start to hit me of a woman crying about a baby being m*rdered.
"A baby?" I ask slowly. They both clear their throats looking uncomfortable. "What about a baby?"
I look back at the blood, staring at it. I tilt my head.
"Jimin is mine...baby m*rderer...Jimin is mine...you're a baby m*rderer...you took him from me...you b*tch you k*lled my baby!"
My eyes widen when the whole memory rushes in all at once.
"I k*lled a baby??" my voice rises as the panic hits.
"No, NaeYeong, you didn't!" Mr. Lee says, trying to calm me down as I keep saying it over and over.
"But she said I k*lled her baby! Jimin's baby..." I stop, confused at that. "But Jimin doesn't have a baby, he hasn't been in any kind of relationship for a long time. He told me he hasn't been."
A phone rings, breaking through my muttering. Mr. Lee answers, each response short yes or no answers. He hangs up and slides his phone back in the pocket of his jacket. He pinches the bridge of his nose as if he's exasperated with the news.
"Who was that Mr. Lee?" Bang PD-nim asks.
"One of the officers who went with Ms. Kang to the medical center. She was raving the whole way there, very combative. Crying for Mr. Park the whole time. Swearing about Ms. Cho. When they arrived, she had to be restrained and sedated for examination. They did a pregnancy test." He looks at me, relief on his face. "She was not pregnant. NaeYeong, you didn't k*ll a baby. She's delusional, that's all."
I raise my eyes to his, unsure if what I had heard was correct.
"Really?"
"Yes, NaeYeong," Mr. Lee grabs my hands in his, the size engulfing mine, squeezing to emphasize the next words. "You did nothing wrong! You were defending yourself against an attacker. Even if she had been pregnant, what you had to do was appropriate."
I pull my hands from his, a bit uncomfortable with his words. Instead, I start to wring and rub them together in agitation.
"Even if it was self-defense, a child is innocent and should not pay with their life if the parent makes the mistakes Ms. Kang made. I shouldn't have done what I did."
Bang PD-nim steps up to me then, clasping both my hands within his.
"My dear, it was either you or her. When you have to defend yourself physically, those are the chances you take. You reacted instinctually in the only way you could in those circumstances, and you defended yourself appropriately. Although, it appears she may have been able to slip through your defenses briefly..."
He lifts a hand to my cheek, turning my head to the right.
"Mr. Lee, can you find a medical kit we can borrow?"
His gaze is intent on my cheek and he doesn't turn to see Mr. Lee leave, but I watch out of my peripheral vision. He returns shortly, setting it on the table to open, handing things as Bang PD-nim takes extra care to clean the cuts near my ear.
"If she had been another couple centimeters to the left, she would have ripped the earring out," he says quietly, almost to himself. Once finished, he holds my chin between his thumb and finger like a father making sure his child will focus and listen to his words.
"Now listen, NaeYeong, you did nothing wrong! Do you understand me?"
I can only stare at him as he waits patiently for me to respond. Finally, I try to nod my head, which is hampered by his hold.
"Yes, I understand Bang PD-nim," I whisper as a lone tear escapes, rolling down my cheek slowly. His gaze softens and he pulls me into a quick, fatherly hug. Drawing back, he holds me at arm's length to study me.
"Let's go back to the stage area. We've been gone much longer than I would like. We don't need to stay here anymore than what was necessary."
He ushers me toward the door. I look back to see Mr. Lee closing up the kit as we turn into the hallway. There's a stadium guard standing just down the hallway by the next door. That must open into the observation room.
The guard steps forward, bowing, and lets us know he will escort us where we need to go. When we are halfway through the hallway maze, I turn to look in the direction we came from, frowning.
"What is it NaeYeong?" Bang PD-nim asks.
"Is Mr. Lee not coming with us?"
"There are a few things that he needs to speak with the stadium guards about, then he will be along."
I nod, falling silent for the rest of the walk. Arriving to the backstage area again, I feel like I've just been hanging out in a dream state, the noise and chaos of this area waking me up. I suck in a sharp breath as the energy hits me all at once. I place my hand on my companion's arm to stop him.
"Bang PD-nim, I don't know if I can be around this many people right now. Is there some place I can hang out that's a bit quieter?" I cast my eyes down in embarrassment having to ask, but I don't want to have a panic attack around so many people.
He must see the worry on my face because he leads me to a different hallway in the opposite direction we came from. Passing several open doors where staff are milling about doing jobs with wardrobe, food, or makeup, he stops in front of the only closed one. Turning the knob, he pushes it open to reveal the room beyond. I'm surprised to recognize the room as the one I woke in when I had that first panic attack here. It seems so long ago now, though it's only been two days.