by J. S. Lee
The police had come and taken my statement – they were much more sympathetic than the guy in L.A had been. Although Xiao had gone chasing after him, Damien had managed to get away. Now there was an alert out for him, including at the airport and the border.
Sungmin had stayed by my side the whole time, staying completely silent. I was waiting for him to fire me but was beginning to suspect that was going to happen when I’d had some sleep. Not that I was going to.
After being discharged and told MinMin would be looked after overnight, we got a taxi back to the hotel. It was just after 3 am, but there was still a police car parked up out front. I stared at it through the window, not wanting to get out of the taxi, not wanting to have to talk to the cops again… not ready to face Onyx.
“Kate?” Sungmin said, gently. “We should go inside.”
I nodded, sucked in a deep breath, and got out of the car. My Converse crunched over the salt that had been spread to counteract the ice as the wind whipped around me. I knew it was cold, but I couldn’t feel it. I was numb all over.
With tears threatening to escape, I turned to Sungmin. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” he asked, peering at me in confusion. Then, he shook his head. “Kate, it’s freezing. Let’s get inside.”
“I’ll go pack my bags,” I muttered, shuffling inside.
“What happened?”
“Are you OK?”
“Where’s MinMin?”
“What happened with the police?”
“Where is your jacket?”
“Are you hurt?”
“What happened to MinMin?”
The moment we walked inside, we were surrounded by Onyx. They must have spent the whole time waiting in the lobby. Sungmin held up a hand, the group silencing quickly. “We’ve just gotten back from the hospital,” he stressed. “Let Kate have some room. Let’s go upstairs.”
Youngbin stepped in front of us both, folding his arms. “Is everyone OK?”
“Kate was discharged with bruises. MinMin is staying under observation: he has a concussion.”
“I’m going to murder him,” Jiwon growled.
“Let’s not be making threats in front of the police, please,” Sungmin sighed, nodding his head in the direction of the police officer at the door. I highly doubted the guy could speak Korean, much less understand Jiwon’s thick accent, but Sungmin had a point.
“My room,” Youngbin said, simply.
Before we could move, Xiao stepped in front of me, pulling his hoodie off and draping it over my shoulders. “You are shivering.”
Was I? I couldn’t tell anymore.
The seven of us moved over to the elevator and I was escorted upstairs to Youngbin’s room. I paused outside the room, then shook my head. “I just want to go to my own room.”
“You can’t,” JongB told me. “The cops don’t want anyone in it. The hotel moved you to another room.”
“You’re not staying alone anyway,” Youngbin informed me, as though I had no say in the matter.
There was a part of me desperate to hear that. I didn’t want to be alone. I didn’t want to talk about anything yet, but I didn’t want to be alone. I shot Sungmin a sideways glance, then shook my head. “I’ll be fine.”
“I don’t give a shit.” Youngbin turned to Sungmin. “She is staying with us,” he informed him with the same tone he had used on me.
“Youngbin-”
“She is staying with us.” Youngbin folded his arms, staring his manager down.
Sungmin rubbed at his temples. “Youngbin-”
“She. Is. Staying. With. Us.”
“Keep your phones on. I need to speak to Atlantis.” In that moment, Sungmin seemed to have aged twenty years. Worried, weary, and aware he wasn’t getting any sleep any time soon, he turned and walked down the corridor to his own room.
I was ushered into the room, the five guys following me in. “You’re going to be in so much trouble tomorrow,” I told them, hanging my head. “You should just let me go stay in my room.”
It was Jiwon who stepped in front of me, tilting my face up to look at him. “Do you want to be in your room?”
The tears were back in the corner of my eyes as I shook my head. “I don’t want to be alone,” I whispered.
“Good, because they still haven’t caught the fucker.” Jiwon enveloped me in his arms. The next thing I knew, Youngbin and Xiao were wrapping their arms around us.
“Don’t leave me out!” JongB cried as he and CX joined in the hug.
I was squished, warm, and a little bit uncomfortable, but I welcomed the embrace as I fought to keep my tears at bay. It was Jiwon who wriggled out of the mass of bodies first. “You don’t have to tell us anything. I think between Xiao and the police we’ve managed to piece the important stuff together, but how is MinMin?”
“As Sungmin said,” I explained as the remaining guys slowly peeled away from me. Xiao reached for my hand, leading me over to the edge of the bed so I could sit down. I did so, my limbs feeling heavy and awkward. “He has a concussion and a cut on the head. They want to keep him overnight. He’s… he won’t be able to fly. Your concert-”
“That’s not important right now, my tai hou.” Xiao crouched in front of me, his large hands gently brushing tears from my face. I had no idea why I was crying. I was safe. My injuries weren’t painful, just uncomfortable. But they wouldn’t stop.
“You should change into something comfortable and get some rest,” Youngbin said, gently.
“I’m not tired,” I told him. That wasn’t strictly true. I was exhausted, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to sleep.
“Then you should lie down. We should all try and get some sleep,” Youngbin said, to everyone, not just me.
“I don’t…” CX spoke up, but quickly trailed off, looking embarrassed.
“We’re all staying in here tonight,” Youngbin added, firmly.
I could see the relief wash over CX and once more the guilt filled me. He didn’t want to be alone in his room and it was my fault that his roommate was in the hospital. I closed my eyes. Once more, arms wrapped around me, this time from behind as legs slipped either side of me: JongB. His chin rested on my shoulder. “You’re safe now.”
“Am I?” I asked, before I could stop myself.
“If that dick wants to try coming near you tonight, or any night, I will kill him,” Jiwon promised me.
“He’s going to have to get through me too.”
I looked up at the Chinese member and gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about that, Xiao. Are you OK?”
“It’s not my first time.”
I arched an eyebrow at him, but it was Jiwon who responded. “H3RO had a crazy bitch break into their dorm a few months back. Me and Xiao helped stop her.”
“That was you?” CX exclaimed in surprise.
Xiao nodded, but his attention was still fixed on me. “See? You’re in good hands.”
“You’re in good arms,” JongB corrected him, giving me a slight squeeze.
“Oh, please!” Jiwon rolled his eyes. “You couldn’t beat a paper doll in an arm wrestle.”
“Why must you keep wounding me?” JongB fake gasped in my ear.
I smiled, almost feeling normal. It was good to be with friends. That thought warmed me too. We were all much more than friends. But we were still friends. This was the kind of moment I wished I had a camera to… I leaped to my feet, almost knocking Xiao over.
Jiwon stepped in front of me before I made it to the door. “Where are you going?”
“My camera!” I could hear the blood pounding in my ears. At some point while at the hospital, I had accepted I had photographed my last show for Onyx – there was no way they were going to keep me around when I was bringing a risk to them – but I still needed my camera. I hadn’t even taken the Toronto show’s pictures off the memory card yet. “If the police took that, it could be months before I get it back. Your fans will be angry.”
“Woah!
” Jiwon held his hands up in front of me. “That’s not important tonight.”
“Yes. It is!”
“It’s here!” CX called. I turned finding him holding up my backpack. “I grabbed it, and your phone, before the police arrived. I know you keep your passport and wallet in here too.”
Relief washed over me. I flung myself at him. “Thank you!”
“Enough now,” Youngbin said, gently, but firmly. “You’re exhausted, and that shock and adrenaline is starting to wear off which is why you’re acting the way you are.” He got off the bed he had been sat on, scooped me up, and then lay me down in the middle of the bed furthest from the door. “You are safe in here. None of us are going anywhere. Lie down, close your eyes, and rest.”
I looked up at him, feeling like I wanted to cry again. What he said made sense, but I couldn’t get my body to cooperate with me. My mind wouldn’t shut off.
“Here,” JongB climbed onto the bed behind me. He reached over, pulling me to him, and wrapped his arms around me as my head turned his chest into a pillow. The bed dipped behind me as CX curled up into my back, playing with my hair.
As someone turned the overhead light off, allowing the room to be lit by one of the dimmer lamps, JongB started singing. His voice was low and rough, but despite being a rapper, he could sing too. I closed my eyes, listening to the acapella version of their latest song, the melody soothing my troubled thoughts. Slowly, I drifted off.
When I awoke again, I was certain only a few hours had passed, but I was also certain I wouldn’t be able to sleep any more. I wiggled out of the CX and JongB sandwich I had been mushed between, trying not to wake them. JongB stirred, flung his arm over CX, then snuggled up into him. Otherwise, my escape had been a success.
Taking my backpack with me, I tiptoed to the bathroom, wincing as my tired eyes were assaulted by the bright lights. I stared at my reflection in the mirror and winced once more. I looked like crap. The last time Damien had hit me, I had lucked out without a mark. Now, there was already a bruise forming. Fucking marvelous.
I ran my fingers through my hair, teasing out the knots as best I could without a brush, and then wound it up into a knot. My grip went back to the sink as I continued to stare at my reflection. My makeup was in my suitcase, which was in my room…
I was done crying, and I was done feeling sorry for myself. The police might not have taken me seriously back in Los Angeles, but I was going to make sure they did here. I chewed at my lip, considering my next steps.
I needed help with this.
I wasn’t sure I was going to get it, but I was going to try.
With my resolve set, I pulled my backpack open. It was mainly electronic things – wires, cables, chargers, spare batteries, my laptop and camera kit; all the things that needed to come out when you went through airport security but were too valuable to check into the hold.
At the bottom was a spare t-shirt I kept in there to cushion my belongings. I pulled it out, swapping it for the one I had been wearing. It was wrinkled, but it smelled a little better, and it certainly didn’t have blood on it. Everything else would have to wait until later.
I left the bathroom, grabbed a hoodie from the back of the door, and left the room. The hoodie belonged to CX. I could tell from the sweet smell – it had lingering traces of vanilla, and he was the only one who smelled edible. The rest all had manlier scents.
I got three steps down the corridor when a door opened behind me. “Kate?” I blew out a breath and then turned back to find Xiao walking towards me. “Where are you going?”
“To the hospital,” I admitted as I continued walking towards the elevator.
“Are you feeling OK?” he asked, alarm setting in.
I nodded. “I am fine. I’m going to see MinMin.”
“At this time?” Xiao frowned as the elevator pinged open, but followed me in.
“I don’t like the idea of him being there all alone when it’s my fault,” I explained as I pushed the button for the lobby. When I turned around, Xiao was right behind me, his chest taking up a lot of my personal space.
His arms settled on the wall either side of me as he lowered his face towards mine. “MinMin is not in the hospital because of you,” he said, slowly, unblinking as he stared into my eyes. “MinMin is in the hospital because some psychopath broke into a hotel room and attacked the both of you. And if your intention is to go there to apologize, I’m going to stop you.”
His words gave me warmth, but I wasn’t sure how much I believed them. No matter how he dressed it up, the reality was Damien had followed me to another damn country. “I was, and I am going to apologize, but I also need to ask MinMin for his help.”
Xiao stared at me, then stepped back as the elevator pinged open. He offered his hand and I eyed him warily. “I’m coming with you,” he said, simply.
I accepted his hand, allowing it to envelop mine. I’d been prepared to go by myself, but I wasn’t going to turn his company down. Until we got close to the hotel entrance. Outside, the sun was rising. There was also a small crowd of reporters. I pulled my hand free and took half a step away from him, thankfully before anyone noticed. “You can’t go,” I told him. “Sungmin will kill me.”
Xiao ignored me, moving over to the check-in desk. “Could you arrange for a taxi to the hospital and do you have a back entrance we could use?” he asked the concierge.
“Of course,” the man replied. He disappeared into the back, reemerging a few moments later with another guy. “Neil has finished his shift. He is happy to give you a ride to the hospital on his way home. You can use the employee entrance.”
“Oh, you don’t have to go to that much trouble!” I exclaimed.
“Ma’am, it’s the least we can do after what happened in our hotel,” the concierge said, slipping me a business card. “If you call this number when you’re ready, I will arrange for you to be picked up too.”
제 20 장
I’m OK
We followed Neil out through the kitchen to his truck. The cab only had three seats in the front, including the driver’s, but we squeezed in. Xiao insisted on sitting in the middle, even though there was more space where I was.
The ride was spent in silence. I didn’t mind. I had nothing I wanted to talk about. Not in front of Neil, anyway. The only words were “thank you” when he dropped us off. I turned to the building when an arctic blast of wind whipped around us, cutting through the rips in my jeans and the material of CX’s hoodie. I glanced at Xiao, shivering. “How are you not cold?”
I hadn’t paid much attention to what he had been wearing until that point, but I wasn’t even surprised he wasn’t wearing a jacket. “It’s colder in Siberia.”
Considering the early hour, the hospital was quite busy. We hurried inside to get out of the cold – or I did, at least. Xiao just followed me. And with the heavy foot traffic acting as a shield, we sneaked up to the private room MinMin was staying in.
I knocked gently, then walked in. MinMin sat up, wincing gingerly as he blinked. “Who is it?”
“Xiao and Kate,” Xiao replied. He walked over to the window, raising the blind to let some of the early morning sunlight in.
I watched Xiao, then turned to face MinMin. He was watching me carefully. “I’m sorry,” I said.
“Are you OK?” he asked me, at the same time, then frowned. “Why are you apologizing?”
“I told her not to,” Xiao sighed, rolling his eyes. He walked back to the bed, and then sat down on the foot of it.
MinMin shuffled upright. Being the smallest member of Onyx, there was already a decent sized space for Xiao, but the older member brought his legs up, getting comfortable against the footboard. “Someone broke into your room. It’s not your fault.”
“Didn’t anybody tell you?” I asked, surprised. When MinMin looked at me, his nose wrinkling up in confusion, I knew they hadn’t. I hadn’t seen MinMin myself when he had been brought in either. “The guy who attacked you is my ex-boyfriend.”
“The one from L.A.?”
I nodded. “Thankfully, I don’t have a lot of exes. That asshole makes up for that.”
There was a loud noise outside the room, and then a mass of bodies flooded in: the remaining members of Onyx, fronted by Sungmin. Seeing me and Xiao, Sungmin let out an exasperated sigh. “Really?” he demanded, as Jiwon, bringing up the rear, closed the door. “MinMin was left here for observation and rest.”
“MinMin!” JongB greeted the younger member cheerfully. “I was going to bring grapes, but Sungmin wouldn’t let me. So, I brought myself instead.”
MinMin’s cheeks were suddenly tinged with pink. “That’s OK.”
Hold up. Did MinMin really like JongB? I thought he had been joking. My gaze slid to Jiwon. Did that mean he really liked Jiwon too?
No.
MinMin had been under the effects of anesthetic.
It was also not the important issue right now.
Surviving Sungmin’s wrath was… And Youngbin’s, too, judging from the death glare.
“You were attacked, and you thought the smartest thing to do was go out by yourself when the person who attacked you is still running around, free?” Youngbin exploded.
“She wasn’t alone,” Xiao said, calmly.
“Last Action Super Hero at her side,” Youngbin rolled his eyes. “Why am I not surprised?” Xiao just shrugged at him, the words bouncing off him.
“Why are you here?” Sungmin demanded. He folded his arms, continuing to glower at me.
“I wanted to apologize, and I wanted to say goodbye. I didn’t think you would let me see him later. And I wanted to thank him for giving a statement to the police.”
“What do you mean, goodbye?” JongB demanded.
“Do we have to put up with this bullshit again?” Jiwon grunted, angrily.
I turned to face him, shaking my head. “This isn’t the same. I have a crazy ex-boyfriend who has hurt several people now. I don’t mean hurting reputations, I mean actual bodily harm.” I gestured to MinMin in the bed.
