by J. S. Lee
My hand was what hurt the most. I could almost see the long cut pulsing through the bandages. With a groan, I sat up. It took a moment for the room to stop spinning, then I reached for the water jug and poured myself a glass, finishing it quickly. That felt better.
For the first time in what felt like a long time, I was alone.
And I hated it.
All those times I’d been hoping to have the bed to myself, I was taking back.
I was definitely feeling sorry for myself, but what I wanted more than anything, was to have any of my guys curled up with me, telling me that everything was going to be OK.
Maybe it was the fact the hospital bed wasn’t a narrow gurney anymore, making it seem emptier than it was.
No, I missed Onyx.
Well, fuck.
Less than a day had passed (I think), and I had already decided ending things was the worst idea I had ever come up with. Thank God Jiwon was more intelligent than me.
Of course, it still didn’t mean it was the right thing to do.
Craving company, I stood, clutching at the stand holding my drip. There was still about a quarter of it left, and I was not one of those people who was prepared to rip it out of my arm like they did in the movies. Instead, taking it slowly because everything hurt like hell when I moved, I used it to help me leave my room and walk down to MinMin’s.
I knocked gently on the door, just in case he was asleep, but I heard his “Yes?” through the door, and walked in. He was sat up, watching the news. “Kate? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“Probably.” I shut the door and walked over to him. “Does it have to be my own?”
MinMin gave me a grin, then shuffled over, taking his time to move his injured leg, and then held up the covers. Moving just as quickly as him, I slid in beside him, resting my head on his shoulder.
MinMin reached over for the television remote, hitting the mute button. “Have you heard anything more about Manager Sungmin?” he asked me.
“I’ve just woken up. How are you feeling?”
“Sore,” he admitted. “You?”
“Sore.” I glanced up at the news, seeing the images of the wrecked car circulating with recent pictures of Onyx, the photograph of Jiwon and me entering the room, and my own face. Well, there was no hiding who I was, really. “And worried,” I added.
“What’s done is done,” MinMin, told me, gently.
“Is it, though?” I pulled my attention off the television and to my bandage. “I just don’t understand how things got this crazy so quickly.”
“There’s a lot going on in the K-Pop industry at the moment,” MinMin said. He pulled his arm up so he could wrap it around me, pulling me close. “It’s a huge, trillion won industry, and the past six months have been full of so many scandals, that the press are looking to jump on anything and everything. I don’t know if they’re hoping that it can all be linked back to the same people, or if they just want to drag another group down. Either way, much as I don’t like it, I understand it.”
“What do you think is the right thing to do?” I asked. “I mean is it really that bad for any of you to date? You’re human.”
“I think with this lifestyle there comes a certain expectation. Fans put you on pedestals and expect you to be perfect. Not only perfect, but waiting exclusively for them. Boy and girl groups. The no dating clause gets put into contracts to protect the companies, not the artists. At the end of the day, they are a business and we are the product. If it doesn’t sell, and it doesn’t sell because fans have chosen to leave us, they won’t promote us.” He shifted his weight, and then his hand was in my hair, fingertips tracing along my scalp. “Look what happened to H3RO. They never made it big and then they were abandoned by Atlantis. Most companies wouldn’t have even given them the second chance they recently had.”
“But dating?” I sighed. “I don’t get it. Surely fans want their biases to be happy, and if by being happy they’re in a relationship, so be it.”
“It all comes down to perception. There are so many idols dating. I know guys and girls in some of the biggest groups who are dating and the public never found out. I guess it’s easy to brush away when it’s another idol, but…”
I looked up at him. “But the tall white American stands out, huh?”
MinMin leaned down, kissing me softly. “I love you just the way you are. I love that you stand out and your mind is so open, even if that is a cultural thing. But sometimes, standing out isn’t the easiest of things. I think it was the hotel room, though. Because you stand out so much, I think most of the public would be able to brush it off more easily if you had been photographed going anywhere but a hotel room.”
“Which still doesn’t tell me what I should do,” I pointed out. My eyes flicked up to the screen. “Turn the sound on. That’s Anita!”
MinMin did as I requested. “A source close to the fan site said that she had been messaging Yoon Jiwon for many months, including sending inappropriate images. The source claims she saw the messages when the fan site shared screenshots with her.”
There was a screen shot of the screen shot on the screen. The message was in English and had yet to be translated, and the nude shot was blurred out. I looked up at MinMin with my eyes wide. “Someone else did it?”
“The source shared the same views as the fan site with regards to the gay community. She said she felt that Yoon Jiwon and Onyx had insulted many of their fans with his pro-gay comments. She had been prepared to stay quiet, but when several members of Onyx were involved in the accident, including Yoon Jiwon himself, she felt compelled to share the messages.”
“Do you think that’ll work?” I asked.
Beneath me, MinMin shrugged. “I don’t know. It almost seems too easy.”
The voice in the back of my head was in agreement. Yes, it shed light on the credibility of Anita. I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at the images on the screen. Maybe I had been speaking too soon when I thought the shit had hit the fan. Maybe it was about to.
Maybe things were going to get a whole lot worse before they got better.
If they got better…
“Kate, there’s no sense worrying about it right now. We’re not going to find out anything more tonight. Just let it go, for now, and know that there are six of us who love you and will do anything to protect you.”
That was the part I was worried about.
Time would tell.
To be continued…
… Apparently, Onyx’s story is not over yet! There’s more to come, a wedding to attend, and some mischief and sexy times in Latin America.
If you have enjoyed the story so far, please considering leaving a review where you bought this book. Reviews really do help authors out, and I (like Onyx) would be exceptionally grateful for your comments.
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CHAPTER TITLES
The chapters in this book are all named after song titles.
Aquaman by Jay Park
Now by Trouble Maker
Please Don’t by K.Will
That XX by G-Dragon
Bad by Infinite
Hot Game by A-JAX
Dynamite by VIXX
Growl by EXO
Honestly by Eric Nam
Don’t Close Your Eyes by Lee Gikwang
One Of Those Nights by Key
Loved by Highlight
Rumor by KARD
Believe Me by Cross Gene
1, 2, 3 by B.I.G
Better Together by Se7en
Mic Drop by BTS
Fly by GOT7
Headache by High4
Danger by Super Junior-D&E
Message by MYNAME
Dramarama by Monsta X
Noth
ing Better by Seven O’clock
YouTube Playlist
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Oh my goodness – the end of another book! But… not the end of another series #sorrynotsorry! OK, in all honesty, this was supposed to be a trilogy, but I just couldn’t stop Onyx. (Honestly, they took on a life of their own after Osaka and I’ve been trying to keep them to something resembling a World Tour…
While I am not sorry for there being another book, I must apologize for the short wait that will be coming for it. It was unplanned and I do have commitments that I have to meet before I can write it. But I will do my best to keep you waiting for as short a time as possible!
Which leads me to first of all saying thank you to you reading this. The fact you are, that you’ve read another of my books – it still amazes me! I will forever remain eternally grateful to you for that!!
This book took longer to write than planned (like the last one did), and that’s because it’s nearly 50% longer than planned. What this did mean was when it came to edits, beta reads, and ARC reads, everything got pushed back and there are several people who astounded me at the speed in which they turned this around!
Because the last thing I did before uploading was work through the comments from my beta readers, I’m going to say thank you to you first. Even in a short timeframe, over a holiday weekend (and I will do everything in my power for that to not happen again), you got feedback to me so quickly. I love reading your comments, and while I still cringe at the typos you catch, I am beyond grateful to you all. Heather, Melinda, Adena, and Courtney, you are my heroes! Thank you so much!
And then there is Sarah who honestly put her dissertation on hold to go through this! Girl, you cray cray – but I love you! Sarah is still the one pulling me out of my writing cave and reminding me to relax. Honestly, this girl keeps me sane! She definitely deserves some credit to how much she had helped this growing universe. Plus, one of my greatest joys is reading along with her (alpha reader, right here), and watching her rage at me. What can I say? I’m evil like that. If there wasn’t an ocean between us, I’m sure she’d be throwing things at my head!
My soon to be co-author, Cheryl, who sometimes feels like she had taken over my brain, thank you for… everything! There’s not much more to say, but I owe you so much!
Have you seen the covers? That of course, is a rhetorical question. I’m surprised if you answer no to that! But look at them – aren’t they beautiful? Natasha Snow of Natasha Snow Designs is a goddess of book covers. Keep scrolling and you’ll see the next Onyx cover too! I have the days marked in the calendar for the ones scheduled for the year and I get excited every time it comes close. Thank you, Natasha, for constantly providing me with the beauties!
My mighty ARC team, who this time around could almost be called the RC team for all the time I’ve given them. And I’m willing to bet several will have this read in less than 24 hours of receiving it. Seriously, that still astounds me. And your kind words humble me. Thank you for being so 대박!! (Awesome!)
I have also been told to let y’all know Yori is a real restaurant in London, and if you’re there, you really need to try to get a table. Not only is the food exceptional, but the staff are amazing and friendly!
As always, 고마워, 너를 사랑해! (Thank you and I love you!)
CHARACTER BIOGRAPHIES
Name: Onyx (온익스)
Fandom: Black Gems
Colors: Black and Silver
Debut: 2016-06-13
Onyx consists of 6 members: Youngbin, Xiao, Jiwon, JongB, MinMin and CX.
The group debuted on June 13th, 2016.
Stage Name: Youngbin (영빈)
Birth Name: Kim Young-bin (김영빈)
Position: Leader, Vocalist
Birthday: September 29th
Age: 27
Zodiac sign: Libra
Height: 176 cm
Weight: 65 kg
Blood Type: A
Youngbin facts:
Born in Seoul, South Korea
Father, mother, younger sister and younger brother
Speaks a little English and Japanese
Gets on best with Jiwon
Has produced several songs for Onyx and H3RO
Can be very strict when stressed, but only because he wants what's best for the group
Regularly named as worst dancer in Onyx
Stage Name: Xiao (샤오)
Birth Name: Peng Xiao (彭晓)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: November 11th
Age: 28
Zodiac sign: Scorpio
Height: 177 cm
Weight: 72 kg
Blood Type: B
Xiao facts:
Born in Shanghai, China
Father, mother, older twin sisters
Speaks Chinese, Korean and English fluently
Cannot cook
Hello Kitty
Works out regularly
Other members vote him as Best Body
Stage Name: Jiwon (지원)
Birth Name: Yoon Jiwon (윤지원)
Position: Main Vocalist, Dancer
Birthday: August 9th
Age: 24
Zodiac sign: Leo
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 68 kg
Blood Type: A
Jiwon facts:
Born in Busan, South Korea
Father, mother, baby sister
Loves spicy food
Gets on best with Youngbin
Understands more English than he will admit to
Fashion terrorist
Dad of the group
Stage Name: Jong B (종비)
Birth Name: Im Jongsub (임종섭)
Position: Rapper
Birthday: April 25th
Age: 23
Zodiac sign: Taurus
Height: 179 cm
Weight: 69 kg
Blood Type: O
JongB facts:
Born in Chicago, North America
Father, mother, two older brothers
Appeared on 'Show Me The Money' prior to debut
Favorite food is burgers
Very particular about his pizza
Loudest member - even when he sleeps, he snores
Very affectionate
Moodmaker of the group
Stage Name: MinMin (민민)
Birth Name: Gong Minhyuk (공민혁)
Position: Rapper, Dancer
Birthday: July 3rd
Age: 23
Zodiac sign: Cancer
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 61 kg
Blood Type: B
MinMin facts:
Born in Seoul, South Korea
Father, mother
Quietest member of Onyx
Fluent in Chinese
Speaks some English and Japanese
Gamer (particularly Overwatch)
Onyx's best dancer
Ideal type: I'll know when I find them
Peacemaker of the group
Stage Name: CX (시엑스)
Birth Name: Ren Yongsik (렌용식)
Position: Maknae, Dancer, Vocalist
Birthday: April 1st
Age: 22
Zodiac sign: Aries
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 65 kg
Blood Type: AB
CX facts:
Born in Ilsan, South Korea
Father, mother
Is a former member of Bright Boys.
Replaced Oh Bohyun in Onyx in December
Fluent in Japanese
Learning English
Loves reading (books, not comics)
Very intelligent - would have been a doctor if he wasn't an idol
Big Game of Thrones fan
FORMER MEMBERS
Stage Name: Bohyun (보현)
Birth Name: Zhen Ming (真明)
Korean Name: Oh Bohyun (오보현)
Bohyun facts:
Born in Beijing
(Officially) Decide
d the life of an idol was not for him and chose to return home to his family in China.
(Unofficially) Kicked out of Onyx for having a relationship with his step-sister.
ATLANTIS ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Would you like to be kept up to date on the antics of the idols and artists at Atlantis Entertainment? Sign up to the Atlantis Entertainment Newsletter, managed by the silent Chairwoman of Atlantis Entertainment, Ji Soo.
Ji Soo will keep you updated on the Atlantis Roster, as well as providing you with a healthy dose of K-Pop, some Korean culture, and if she can persuade her 할머니 (that’s Korean for ‘grandmother’, pronounced halmeoni) to part with some cherished recipes, some of those, along with some reading recommendations. There may even be a few insights into her crazy life. But probably not, because her life is very boring…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ji Soo Lee is the Korean name of this Texan-born Korean-American author. She spends most of her days lost in a K-Pop haze, which inspired her to start writing stories about her idols at Atlantis Entertainment.
Under the name Ji Soo Lee, you will find YA contemporary romances, with romance levels like a K-Drama.
Under J. S. Lee, Ji Soo writes steamier stories, mainly of Reverse Harems.
