The Tutor

by Kelsi Clayton

  “Oh, my mistake,” Miles said with a chuckle that tried too hard to sound innocent. “Must have gotten shuffled back in.”

  “Must have,” She replied, unamused and deadpan as she looked back at her phone.

  “What message do you want people to get from your music?” He moved on to the next question smoothly. The next few questions went smoothly and he figured he’d try to slip something in again. “The pressure to look good in your industry--”

  “Sorry, I’m just going to need to look through those questions you have,” Claire pushed herself away from the wall. “There seems to have been some miscommunications between your team and KXO.” She stood in front of him, hand out and waited until he put his list of questions in her hand. Making a point of starting from the first page, she made her way back to one of the desks behind them and pulled out a large black sharpie she found in the pen holder. Holding the cap between her teeth, she started running the marker across sentences on the pages in long squeaking lines. She stopped after crossing out five questions that had been rejected as topics the company was comfortable with in the interview. Holding the questions out to him after she was finished she added, “If you think you spent more time with these questions than I have, I’m afraid you’re mistaken.”

  “You are really something else.” It didn’t really sound like a compliment when he said it and she flashed him a smile.

  “I really am,” She agreed, walking back to where she had been standing earlier. “Please, feel free to continue.”

  He finished interviewing all the members and felt like he had gotten enough for a good piece, but he wished he had gotten something that might have made a controversial opinion that might have made a better headline to draw in the clicks of the lovers and the haters of the industry. He waved down the photographer so he could come over to collect someone to start getting pictures for the article. There would be group photos taken as well, but they wanted some individual and small group shots. An assistant photographer had been floating around, trying to capture some candid shots as he conducted the interview and came over to run a few of his shots past Miles.

  “Yeah these are looking good,” He agreed, briefly flipping through some of them. “Keep going, I want to get some pictures where they don’t look so polished. Somewhere under there are real people.”

  “Will do,” The younger man said, taking his camera back.

  ***

  “It happens sometimes,” Jihoon said to Claire, who had come over to bring up her concerns about the interview. “But I am glad you jumped in. It can get awkward for the members when questions like those come up. They can’t really answer those questions and they can’t really say the questions are out of line without coming across…”

  “Rude?” Claire gave a scoffing laugh. “That is something I’ve never really minded myself, in situations like that.”

  “I can tell,” He chuckled.

  “Sort of American of me, wasn’t it?” She sighed. “Ah well, better me than one of them.”

  “Yeah,” He said as they drew closer to the area where the members were being photographed. Cheol, as the leader, had volunteered to go first. His individual photographs took about fifteen minutes before they asked FX to join him for a few photos of the Aussie members together. Miles had managed to ask some good questions about them and their experience coming from foreign backgrounds. Aside from his detours, the interview had been good, really, she thought. He was good at his job, he also just happened to be a bit of an asshole.

  Cheol finished and moved out of the photography area to let FX get started on his individual photographs. He stepped out between two of the massive lights, being careful to avoid tripping on one of the dozens of chords that were laid across the floor. He found Jihoon and Claire standing nearby and moved to stand with them as they watched the other members.

  “How did I look?” He asked jokingly.

  “Great, of course,” She gave him a teasing grin as she tisked disapprovingly. “But nowhere as good as FX.”

  “Awwww,” He pouted, sticking out his bottom lip. Claire patted his arm, before turning to walk to the nearest window to look out at the city and get a little break from the bustle of the people and the flash of the lights. Cheol followed, standing a safe distance from her as they both stared out at the sparkling lights of the city.

  “It’s different from Seoul, isn’t it,” She asked him after a moment.

  “Yeah, it’s so flat,” He nodded. “When you get high in Seoul you can see the mountains and the rise and fall of the city where they hit the river or the hills.”

  “Mmm, I was thinking of how patchwork the city feels,” Claire pointed down the line of the street that ran along that side of the building. “There are all these older brick buildings, none of which look the same, then you have the modern skyscrapers, further down in the distance and the lights are so many different colors when they bounce off the buildings. It makes it feel...close and vibrant and busy. Seoul always seems vast and alive, but it’s different.”

  “Which do you like more,” He was curious if this visit had revived her love of the city.

  “I love both in different ways,” She shrugged. “New York is good when you are driven and young. The city is fast and tough and efficient and full of diversity and culture. I love the museums here. They are spectacular. But I think I have gotten a little slower since I left. I love the parks and the mountains in Seoul. I’m not sure I like one better than the other, but I think I fit in Seoul better, at least for now.”

  “I think you fit there, too,” He teased, his hand taking hers for a second.

  “Hmmm, I’m glad you think so, Mr. Park,” She continued looking out at the city, a smile dancing on her lips.

  “Claire-nim,” Hyunwoo greeted her with a hug from behind. “How did I do in the interview?”

  “You did well, I’m so proud of you,” Claire responded, excitement in her voice.

  “I wasn’t sure you were listening until you got mad at him for asking some of those questions,” His face crinkled into an amused grin. “You were cool.”

  “Cool, huh?” She laughed. “Here I was thinking I was a bit pushy, but I’ll take cool.”

  “You really knew what the questions were supposed to be,” Wonjung stated as he joined them.

  “Of course,” She scoffed. “I went over all of them with all of you and had to go over them myself before that and then go over the answers you were considering. Like I told him, if he thinks he spent more time looking at those questions than I did, he is wrong.”

  “I always knew you were tough,” Wonjung gave her an approving smile. “I’m just glad you’re our tiger.”

  “Mew,” Claire brought her hands to the side of her face, miming being a kitty at him. Everyone laughed at the contradiction of the cuteness with the characterization Wonjung had given her.

  Tired of being on her feet after the interview, she decided to take a seat in one of the nearby armchairs. She flopped down in the seat, leaning into its comfy softness. Cheol perched himself on one of the arms and Wonjung on the other. Hyunwoo scooted himself between her legs, resting his head on one of her knees. One hand went to the head on her knee while she held her phone with the other. They spoke softly as they watched the hustle and bustle of other members being photographed. Cheol put a gentle hand on her shoulder, discreetly running his thumb in small circles over where her shoulder and neck met. Goosebumps prickled along her skin, making her shiver under his touch. A self satisfied smile flashed on his lips before he suppressed it. He loved that he could affect her like that with just a small touch.

  Towards the end of the evening, all the members gathered together in front of the camera for a group photo. Cheol was positioned in the center with the other members gathered around him and more behind them. Claire stood to the side to watch them, happy to see them having fun with it. They took a few pictures that were serious, and a few more of them having fun and being themselves.

  The
photographer flipped through the photographs for a few moments while everyone milled around, checking that there weren’t any problems, before giving everyone the go ahead to leave the studio. Everyone jostled over to the elevator, being their boisterous selves as they made their way and waited for the large contraption to arrive at the floor. Cheol stood towards the back with Claire, his arm brushing against her shoulder to let her know he was there. When the door to the elevator was opened, he put a hand on the small of her back to guide her in as they all entered. As the doors closed, he reached out and feathered his fingertips against her forearm, catching her eyes with a smile. She smiled back at him for a second before turning away.

  ***

  “Hey Miles, come take a look at this,” James, the assistant photographer called his boss over. “I think there might be something going on between that leader and the girl that you pissed off.”

  “What do you mean?” Miles moved behind the younger man, leaning one hand on the desk and resting the other on the back of the chair as he looked over his shoulder.

  “Here,” He started pulling up images on the screen. “I noticed it when I was going through the pictures. They were careful but look, he’s always there beside her. Everyone else sort of came and went, but he’s always there unless he was taking photos or being interviewed. And look here,” he pulled up a few photos and put them up. Two were images of them sitting with Wonjung and Hyunwoo, Cheol’s hand lightly touching her shoulder as he looked down at her with a little smile. A third was of them in the elevator, eyes locked as they smiled at each other. The last was of the two of them standing in front of the window Cheol’s fingers lightly gripping hers. “Everyone in that group just hangs off each other, I know. They weren’t afraid to hug her either...except him.”

  “Okay, interesting,” Miles leaned in, taking the mouse to zoom in and get a better look at the images. “You might be onto something, but this isn’t enough. Especially when everyone sees the rest of the photos. This whole group is all over each other. It’s sort of one of their charms.”

  “So, then should I just drop it?” James asked, pushing himself back from the desk with a sigh.

  “No, not yet at least,” Miles bit his lip as he considered his options. “Have you ever done any PI work? Paparazzi can be so in your face and flashy, they’ll miss stuff just because they want the clearest shot of some posh moron at a cafe.”

  “A few times to make ends meet, why?” James replied.

  “They’re here for almost two weeks,” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I want you to find more. When these two leave, you follow; when they eat, know the menu; I want to know where they are sleeping if you can, so see what you can do about their hotel.”

  “Sure boss, will do,” James started to pull out his equipment with a little tingle of excitement. “Let’s see what I can find.”

  ***

  “I’ll come by after you guys have finished your vTube broadcast,” Claire told Cheol as they headed to their rooms back at the hotel. “I have something for everyone. A sort of memento for the trip.”

  “Oooo, what is it,” Jaejin asked, drawing up behind her and putting his head on her shoulder.

  “You’ll just have to wait to find out,” She teased him. “I’ll watch it and come by when you are all done.”

  “Tease,” Cheol poked her side with a wide grin. “Fine, go on. We’ll see you soon.”

  “Patience is a virtue,” She waved at them as she made her way down to the end of the hall where her room was. Once in her room, she went to her suitcase and pulled out the packet of boxes she had tucked in towards the back. Pulling one out, she opened it up to see the small pendant inside. It had Hyunwoo’s name and the day they flew out on one side and the band’s symbol on the other side. She found sticky notes in the desk and started tagging the boxes to make it easier to give the right people the right box. With all of them labeled, she stuffed them all in a bag and put it near the door.

  She pulled out her tablet and opened the vTube app to watch their stream. They hadn’t begun yet and she still had some time so she decided to take a quick shower while she waited. Setting her tablet on the little table in her room, she headed into the bathroom.

  ***

  “Thank you everyone,” Cheol waved at the camera they had propped up on the top of the television. “We can’t wait to see all of you soon! Thank you all!”

  FX hopped up and ended the video, taking the camera and stuffing it in its case. The boys chatted animatedly about the fan comments and how excited they all seemed to be for their upcoming appearances. They heard a light knock on the door and Changho jumped up to answer the door. He greeted Claire with a smile, letting her into the room.

  “Okay, surprise time!” Claire said, opening her bag. She handed out the boxes to everyone, then sat down beside Cheol as everyone opened them. The members made sounds of surprise and delight as they opened the boxes and examined the pendants.

  “Where...how did you get these,” Cheol asked as he flipped the little silver piece over in his hand.

  “I had someone make them,” She replied, giving Cheol’s cheek a kiss. “You don’t have to wear them but they are just a little gift to help you all remember the trip.”

  “This is great,” Hyunwoo came over and had her help him slip it on the thin chain he had around his neck. “Thank you.”

  “Thank you,” Kitae gave her a brilliant grin and a giant hug.

  “You’re welcome,” She hugged him back. “You’ve worked so hard for all this, I’m so proud of you.”

  “Did you make one for yourself?” Cheol pulled her back into his lap.

  “No,” She replied softly, leaning her head back against his chest. “But it was meant to be a commemoration of your first big tour.”

  “But you were here too,” He pointed out. “You were a part of it with us.”

  “I’ll remember, don’t worry,” She teased him, kissing his cheek.

  “You keep acting like you aren’t one of us,” He complained, squeezing her more tightly.

  “Because I’m not, 자기야[62],” Claire soothed. “I’m like a little walk-on role in your world and it was so much fun while it lasted.”

  “You make it sound like you’re planning on disappearing on us,” Changho observed quietly from beside them.

  “Not disappearing, but we know things are going to get harder,” She put a hand on his knee. “I won’t be able to see you all the time or just visit when I want, but I’m still here for you. You just might only see me now and again. You aren’t getting rid of me that easily.”

  The mood in the room fell at her words. It was something everyone knew but had pushed to the back of their minds in the excitement of the moment.

  “Hey, now,” Claire chastised the room. “No pouting. Nothing ever lasts forever and you never know if things might even be better after, anyway.”

  “It’s not better if you aren’t around,” Seunghoon disagreed from his seat on the other bed.

  “Well maybe not, at least not that part,” She conceded. “But you’ll be working on new things and working hard on new projects. I’ll see you all when I can but maybe I will be busy myself. But it will be fine, you’ll see.”

  “Maybe we can just make a secret room in the basement and hide you there,” Jaejin offered, mostly joking.

  “I appreciate the offer,” Claire laughed. “But I’m guessing I might like a little more than a cot in a basement.”

  “What if I moved down there with you?” Cheol offered.

  “Mmm, I could live anywhere with you, but...no,” She answered after a pause. “Oh, that reminds me. Cheol, Changho, Minjun and Wonjung are invited to a party with me and some friends on Thursday if you want to come with me on the free day.”

  “Wait why only them?” Jaejin protested.

  “Because I know there will be things like wine and beer there,” She explained simply. “Even if none of you have any, it’s a legal issue if anyone finds out.”
<
br />   “No fair,” Jaejin protested.

  “Yes fair,” Cheol agreed, knowing what damage any minor legal misstep could do to their reputation. “We won’t be drinking anyway but I agree that no one under 21 should go.”

  Some members grumbled, annoyed that they would be missing out, but the grumbling faded into questions about what she used to do in the city when she lived here. She promised to tell them stories another time, pointing to the time. It really was starting to get late and everyone had had a long day.

  “You going to sneak over after lights out?” Claire asked Cheol quietly.

  “Yeah,” He nodded, his cheek against hers.

  “Do you just want a copy of my key?” She offered. “They gave me two when we checked in.”

  “Ooo, please,” He grinned, holding out his hand. “I’ll come by once Jihoon is asleep.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” She handed him the key and moved out of his arms. “Night everyone.” She headed back down the hallway to her room. It would probably be an hour before he could safely join her so she decided to find something to entertain herself while she waited. She had brought a book with her, intending to read it on the plane, but had barely had time to read it. Pulling out her book, she changed into her nightshirt and crawled onto the bed to read. As interesting as the book was, tiredness won out and she fell asleep after a dozen pages or so.

  Cheol found her stretched out on top of the still made bed when he was finally able to sneak over. His hair was still damp from the shower and he was dressed in the loose, comfortable clothing he usually wore to bed. He had been so looking forward to being with her and to getting some time alone with her and things just kept getting in the way; watchful eyes, old friends, jobs, and now, sleep. Really, he was glad to have met Roz now, and she seemed nice, but when he’d come in expecting to get a moment alone and didn’t get it… Now, here she was, already curled up and looking precious fast asleep. For a moment he considered heading back to his room and going to sleep, but she had obviously been expecting him and he didn’t want to miss the chance to at least hold her for a few minutes while he could.