by J. S. Lee
“We argued. I went to leave. My father grabbed me and threw me back, but I fell into the chair,” he’d gone quiet again.
I fell silent too. Me… were they arguing about me?
It was MinMin who broke the silence, stepping just into our line of sight. “Let me look at it, hyung.”
“I don’t want you to,” Jiwon snapped. He let go of me and stalked away from us, heading back towards the resort.
“Was this because of me?” I called after him. My voice sounded a lot louder on the deserted beach.
Jiwon turned around. He looked… broken. “No.”
Like he was approaching an injured animal, MinMin carefully made his way over to Jiwon. The high tide was lapping up the beach, repeatedly covering his shoes, but MinMin’s attention was fixed on his hyung.
The look Jiwon was giving MinMin wasn’t that much different. He was frozen to the spot, watching MinMin like he was the hunter and Jiwon was the prey trying to decide if it was time to bolt.
MinMin won out, reaching Jiwon’s side and tentatively lifting his top up. In the light of MinMin’s phone, I saw Jiwon flinch, but he didn’t stop him. I couldn’t see the injury from my angle, but I didn’t want to break the wary truce by moving. Instead, I had to watch as MinMin gently ran his fingertips over Jiwon’s side.
“Be honest,” MinMin said, straightening. “How much does that hurt?”
“It hurts,” Jiwon admitted. “But I don’t think it hurts enough to see a doctor, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
I had to fight with myself not to say anything. These guys were prepared to send me to an ER if I so much as sneezed. The little I had seen, I was sure he’d have knocked his kidney.
Jiwon looked over at me and frowned. He pulled his hoodie free from MinMin, only to pull it off. “You’re shaking,” he told me as he stalked over and wrapped it around me.
“I’m not cold,” I corrected him. “I’m pissed off.”
Before I could knock the hoodie off my shoulders, Jiwon wrapped his arms around me, pinning my own to my sides. “I love you,” he told me, softly. “But it’s OK.”
“It’s not OK!” I snapped, stomping my foot because it seemed to be the only thing that I could move. “Your family hurt you because of me.”
“How many times?” Jiwon cried in exasperation. “It wasn’t because of you.”
“Then who was it?” I demanded. “Why did your father hurt you?”
Jiwon stepped back and scowled down at me. “Drop it, Cupcake.”
No new and random term of endearment was going to stop this rage fueled fire. I doubted there was anything he could say that would do that. “Fuck this bullshit,” I snapped. “Secrets are fine until someone gets hurt – and you got hurt.” I stepped to the side, ready to go back to the chalet and…
I had no idea what I was going to do. I’d work that out on my march back there.
“MinMin.”
My head snapped back to Jiwon. “What?”
Jiwon closed his eyes. “MinMin,” he repeated, so softly, the name almost got carried away on the wind.
“MinMin?” I repeated, looking over at MinMin in bewilderment. MinMin didn’t seem to share my confusion.
“It wasn’t even…” Jiwon trailed off, finally looking over at the younger man. “My mother made some stupid comment. I think she was trying to help me out.”
“What did she say?” The question came from MinMin.
I could see Jiwon about to wave the question away without answering, but he shrugged. “Something about how at least dating Kate was less of an embarrassment than being gay and it would quash any of the fan ships.” He gave MinMin a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “After all these years, she still underestimates our fans.”
“Then what happened?” The wind off the ocean was picking up, but it wasn’t that which sent a shiver down my spine.
Jiwon looked to me, shame in his eyes. “I didn’t argue. I just decided to leave the table. When I did, my dad shoved me back and I hit the chair arm at the wrong angle.”
With his lower lip caught between his teeth, MinMin approached us. He had to bend his neck to look up and catch Jiwon’s eye. “You shouldn’t have to feel like you had to argue back,” he told him. “It is OK that you didn’t.”
I nodded my head in agreement, but Jiwon shook his, looking away. “I don’t care that…” he trailed off with a sigh. “It’s not that I don’t care because I do, but you being gay-”
“Bi.”
Jiwon looked over at MinMin with a frown.
MinMin pointed at me. “Bi. I’m still attracted to women, although none more than Kateniss,” he added, for my benefit. It wasn’t needed, but I nodded my acknowledgement anyway. “It’s about time you got that right.”
“I don’t have a problem with you being bisexual,” Jiwon told him. “I don’t have a problem with you liking me.”
“We’ve had this conversation before. It’s OK. I know how you feel.”
Jiwon raked a hand through his hair. “My parents are… I should have argued back because it’s about time they recognized that there’s nothing wrong with it either. I don’t stand a chance in hell of them understanding us if I can’t get them down with basic concepts.”
“It doesn’t mean you should be arguing with your parents,” MinMin told him. “Plus, I get the feeling arguing would have been a waste of oxygen anyway. It’s OK, Jiwon. It’s not worth falling out with your family over.”
Jiwon slowly rubbed a hand over his face. He looked utterly exhausted. And then the flashlight on MinMin’s phone cut out. “I guess that’s a sign we should head back,” I said, quietly.
“Battery’s dead,” MinMin confirmed.
We walked in silence, back to the chalets. As we got close, the rain started falling again. Up until that point, I’d felt damp rather than wet, and I darted up the steps under the walkway, just in time for the heavens to open. I shivered despite Jiwon’s hoodie still over me. Dry clothes and a warm bed were practically calling out to me.
As we got to the fork for my chalet, Jiwon seemed to automatically turn towards the door. I paused and gave MinMin a soft smile. “It’s OK,” he told me before I could say anything.
“Aren’t you coming?” Jiwon called. I nodded at MinMin and then started walking over to Jiwon, but he was looking behind me at MinMin. “I mean you.”
My lips parted as MinMin pointed to himself. “Me?”
Jiwon turned to me. “I’m assuming Sungmin wasn’t a dick and gave you the master bedroom? The bed’s big enough for the three of us, right?”
I was too shocked to even call Jiwon out on calling his manager a dick. This was Jiwon and I knew this was literally the three of us sleeping in the same bed… but I knew Jiwon, and this was the three of us sleeping in the same bed.
Even MinMin looked baffled.
“Yes,” I agreed, waiting for the punchline.
There wasn’t one. Jiwon just shrugged and walked to the door. I shared a look with MinMin and then followed after him.
제16 장
Lost
Even after waking up sandwiched between Jiwon and MinMin, I was still in disbelief that had happened. If I’d have been able to reach my phone I would have taken a picture. That was definitely a once in a lifetime thing that was probably never going to happen again.
Jiwon had woken up not long after I had, pressed a kiss to my forehead, and then left. The door clicking softly was enough to rouse MinMin. He snuggled into me. “Five more minutes, hyungnim?” he murmured, sleepily.
I smiled to myself, running my fingers through MinMin’s hair. The blonde tips were growing out and if he cut his hair now, it’d be completely dark brown again.
I was in no hurry to wake him. This was their vacation and they all deserved to get as much rest as possible. Plus sleeping MinMin was cute as fuck.
Eventually, there was a knock at the door. When Sungmin didn’t automatically stick his head in the room, I called out that he could come
in. He did, barely even arching an eye at MinMin. “Breakfast is being served for everyone today, don’t forget.”
I had forgotten. Atlantis had arranged for some activities for all of Onyx to do so their families could spend time together too: breakfast was one of them. Sungmin left, closing the door behind him. I ran my fingers through MinMin’s hair a few more times before extracting myself from his monkey-like grip.
Leaving him sleeping, I scurried around my room, gathering some clothes together. I had to think about the activity of the day before I dressed. So much was going on that I’d come to rely on Sungmin’s schedule. We’d swapped MinMin and Jiwon around so that Jiwon’s grandfather could return home for a work-related matter.
Good.
The sooner he was off the island, the better.
I was going back to the main island with MinMin’s family. His mother had expressed interest in going to the island’s famous Teddy Bear Museum. I’d agreed. If nothing else, I’d have teddy bears to look at if conversation got awkward. It also meant that I’d have to take my camera with me for cover, but I was OK with that too.
I finally turned to MinMin and roused him from his sleep. “Can’t we just stay here?” he asked, running a hand up my thigh.
“Tempting,” I nearly agreed as the motion sent a shiver down my spine. “But your parents will probably appear.”
MinMin sat upright, his hair sticking up in all directions. “You know how to kill a mood,” he grumbled.
“It’s just one week where we have to be on our best behavior,” I told him.
“And then we get to go back and start our preparations for our comeback.” He flopped backwards onto the bed.
“If I suggested we cancel our plans and stay in this room, you wouldn’t.”
MinMin sat back up. “No, I wouldn’t. I miss my parents and I won’t get to see them again for ages.”
I waited patiently for him to use the bathroom. When he reemerged, his hair was looking tamer. He yawned and stretched, as though still not completely awake.
Together, we walked downstairs. Sungmin wasn’t there and it didn’t seem like he was in the chalet at all. Given that it was a group activity, he was probably already down at the communal area.
The rain had stopped during the night, but the morning was still gray and overcast. The temperature was still cool, and I was glad I’d picked jeans and a sweater to wear.
At some point, the tables and chairs had been pulled out, this time in one long table, stretching from one end of the opening to the other. On either side were buffet tables with the biggest selection of food. My stomach grumbled appreciatively.
Everyone was there. Some had already sat down and started eating, whereas others were still piling their plates with food. By the looks of things, it was traditional Korean food on one side, and a selection of international offerings on the other.
I spotted Lucky Charms. Normally, I didn’t eat Lucky Charms, but I had a sudden desire for a huge bowl of them. I made a beeline for them, pouring a healthy (enormous) portion in my bowl.
And then I smelled it.
Fresh coffee.
They’d put the coffee table next to the breakfast cereals. I felt like Yogi Bear smelling the picnic and drifting over pulled by something invisible. My mouth watered.
“Fuck my life,” I grumbled, staring at the cafetière with a longing that wasn’t going to be satisfied for another seven months.
Could you drink coffee if you were breast feeding?
“Fuckety, fuck.”
“Now, now,” CX chided me, appearing by my side to mutter in my ear. “You can’t drink the coffee.”
I sucked in a deep breath of the deliciously scented air and pouted. “I know.”
“Kate?”
I looked down and found Mina peering up at me with wide eyes. “What’s up, Mina?” I asked her, setting my bowl down on the side and crouching down in front of her.
“I want to see the rabbits.”
My mind went momentarily blank. “Rabbits?”
“Rabbits,” Mina nodded before doing her impression of a bunny hop. “Rabbit.”
I knew what a rabbit was. I was just clueless as to where the sudden desire to see them came from. “The pool.” When we’d gone swimming the other day, there had been lots of rabbits under the trees on the walk there. “Once everyone has finished their breakfast,” I said, patting her head. “You need to wait and then maybe your brothers can take you.”
She scowled and ran off.
“I think she wanted you to take her,” CX chuckled as I stood back up.
“I know,” I told him, picking up the jug of milk and pouring some into the cereal. “But I’m going off the island this morning with MinMin and his family. It’s a non-stop party of telling parents I’m dating their son. I must admit-”
“Kate!” CX suddenly hissed at me, his eyes wide.
I sensed someone behind me before he spoke. “Just how many people are you dating?”
My blood ran cold. Setting the milk down, I turned. “Good morning Yoon Jihun ssi,” I greeted him, plastering a polite smile on my face. “I wasn’t expecting to see you at breakfast. I thought you were-”
“How many people are you dating?” Jiwon’s grandfather repeated. “How big of a whore did my grandson find?”
“Respectfully, I don’t think you should be talking to her like that,” CX said, politely. From the corner of my eyes, I could see his hands flex into fists.
“It’s OK,” I said, half-turning to CX. “I agree. Let’s just go and sit-”
My bowl went sailing out of my hands, knocked to the floor by Jihun. My intention had been to walk away and not draw attention to us and the conversations, especially considering how many people knew only half the truth, but the shattering of china had everyone turning to look.
“You’re not going anywhere until you tell me how many beds your gold-digging body has been jumping in and out of!” he snarled.
My face flamed red. A mixture of anger and embarrassment – anger at him, but also anger at myself for feeling ashamed of my relationship.
“What the hell is going on here?” Jiwon asked, appearing at my side.
“And here he is; the fool who has been taken in by a pair of breasts on legs.”
“Don’t you dare talk about Kate like that!” Jiwon snapped.
“Let’s call a whore a whore,” he spat. “Or does this have something to do with your little homosexual friend?” Instantly, Jiwon was recoiling as Jihun backhanded him across the face.
I might have been too stunned at hearing Jiwon’s grandfather calling me breasts on legs, but like hell I was going to stand there and watch that. Only, from nowhere, Youngbin and Xiao, accompanied by Youngbin’s father and CX’s father, seemed to appear, surrounding Jihun. “I think your boat is here,” Youngbin said, coldly.
Jihun looked at his grandson, nursing his chin. “Let’s go, Jiwon.”
Jiwon closed his eyes. “You don’t have to go anywhere, Jiwon,” Sungmin said. I hadn’t even seen him join us.
Jiwon hesitated. And then his grandfather arched an eyebrow. “You would choose these people over your own family?”
I watched as Jiwon looked over at his sister. She had tears in her eyes, staring at her brother. “No,” Jiwon muttered, looking thoroughly defeated.
“Jiwon?” I said.
He shook his head. “Don’t.”
With a smug smile, Jiwon’s grandfather turned around, walking away from us and out towards the awaiting boat. Jiwon, with his chin practically resting on his chest, followed after him.
I started to follow, but Sungmin grabbed my hand. “It’s Jiwon’s choice.”
I glowered up at him, my vision blurry. “That wasn’t a choice.”
“No, but we have a bit of a situation here,” Sungmin said.
Situation? I turned, finding everyone in the area staring at us. It was MinMin’s father who was the first to speak. “You said you weren’t gay?”
“I’m not gay,” MinMin told him.
“Of course he’s not gay. Kate is his girlfriend,” his mother said in agreement. Both of his parents seemed exceptionally relieved at that.
“Yongsik, I thought she was Jongsub’s girlfriend?” CX’s mother asked her son, confused. “Are you really dating Jiwon?” she asked, turning to me.
I stood, rooted to the spot. It wasn’t going to be the most comfortable of conversations, but I was prepared to make an announcement and clear things up; but that wasn’t my call. CX hadn’t even told his parents about us at all.
“Mom, Dad, I think we need to go talk,” CX said, looping his arms through his mom’s and slowly leading her away.
“Are you OK?” Sungmin asked me. He still had hold of me.
I stared at him in bewilderment. Why was he asking me that? It wasn’t my family. My mom had made her decision on that weeks ago. Jiwon was the one who had just been marched out of here like he was being taken to the gallows. MinMin’s parents seemed to be harboring some horror about their son’s sexuality. CX’s parents-
“Mina? Mina!”
The frightened calls seemed to make everyone go quiet.
“Has anyone seen Mina?” Joomi was yelling, looking around the room in panic for the four-year-old.
With all the shouting, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had gotten scared. And there were so many people in here, it would have been easy for a four-year-old to get lost amongst them. I dropped to a crouch, lifting the tablecloth to the coffee table and peering under.
Seeing me, CX and Youngbin did the same. I could see Xiao walking over to his parents on the other side of the room, explaining what was happening. And then they were looking under the serving tables.
“Rabbits!” I exclaimed. I weaved through everyone to get to Joomi’s side, she was wringing her hands, not really seeing anything as her eyes darted around the room. “Rabbits,” I said again.
“I don’t understand,” JongB said, joining us with Tom. “Rabbits?”
I nodded. “She was talking about seeing the rabbits this morning!”
“What rabbits?” Tom asked.
“What rabbits?” Sungmin repeated. He had gone to get some resort employees at some point, because he was accompanied by a man in a suit I didn’t recognize, and two women I’d seen helping around the island.
