My Playlist

Chapter 14 - Whether to go or not

We were loaded and I was ready to board the plane but some lawyer came to us heavily breathing and he asked me if I could speak with him in a moment. I looked at Jericho and he gave me this look like I should not meddle with it. I sigh, took a time to think and I realized he is my friend. I said we can talk inside the plane and I can see Jericho not feeling any of it but Eli's different because he was laughing at her own jokes which the lawyer seems to be enjoying.

He asked me if I could take a time to be a witness in Archie's case trial but he says it will be my Taipei's concert date. Jericho became more serious and I felt like things aren't going right. I was concerned about Archie but I feel like I can't just cancel my concert just to be at his trial. Mr. Lewis, Archie's lawyer, said if I could postponed the Taiwan concert, it will be a big help for Archie. I thought to myself, why am I a witness? I wasn't even in the scene then I thought he came to me after the supposed murder so I am into this.

Jericho interrupted the conversation by saying "Ian has nothing to do with your case Mr. Kael so please, you need to go." he instructed his secretary to accompany him outside. Before he left, he turned and said "I hope you can consider his future. he said that you know what he is and he didn't mean to kill his brother" then he left. Eli didn't say much regarding the lawyer's remark. Nonetheless, Jericho is still hesitant to oblige.

I told him, we can talk it over in China. The plane took off and Jericho didn't say much though his expression is way too obvious. I was really going over this many times in my head but I need someone's advice. I called no other than my mom.

"Hey mom" I said waving to my mom. She looked tired with her hair still properly intact but her messy hands and eyeglasses full of different colors explains her situation at the moment. "Are you busy?" I asked. She stopped working and told me she's just finishing her hobby. "Looks like you enjoy it too much, mom. Aren't you tired?" she faces the camera and hold it and looked at it intently. I realized she is analyzing every bit of my expressions and told me "Just blurt it our".

"You got me. Archie's in trouble." she suddenly got worried. She asked if he's okay and a lot of question after that. I told her everything that happened and she looks a bit more worried than I am. "He's going to be prosecuted as a murderer then, what are your plans?" she asked worried.

I look away and gaze upon the sky. I went blank for over a minute, my mom had to call me again and that brought me back to reality. "It's okay, if you don't want to go. Just remember that maybe it was a mistake but he killed someone. It's his brother for heaven's sake. God forgive him but he knows that he need to face the punishment for the crime he'd done". She caught me smirking, she thought I was fooling her, of sort, but when she told me not to do that, I laughed. "What? Why are you smiling" she said. "It's just that you should have majored in law than teaching Mathematics".

"I really want to but.... I don't know, son." she said changing her beautiful expression to a sad one. I admit that I always snoop around mom's stuff but I really like how she handles her time. "Why don't you. You'll be great at it, mom". I encouraged her to do it. Mom gave birth to me when she was very young. She was forced to keep quiet in the dark for so long, she didn't even resist. Losing one's lover was mom's biggest regret but she kept fighting to be happy and be on her own ground now.

The look on her face makes me sad, so I encourage her more "Mom, your still too young to just stay on the sideline and gave up the MVP title, you know. I'll be the proudest if you become a lawyer which in fact it's your dream". She laugh and finally took of that colorful gloves she was wearing the whole time. She said she had to clean up her mess and told me "If you can, follow your conscious. Okay?"

I gave her a small smile "Eat deliciously food and don't forget, veggies. Good for the health. Bye mom". After the call with mom, it is time to make a decision. The breeze made me comfortable, at the very least, I decided if we could stop by in the beach since the hotel is near the famous resort. I asked Eli if they could go to the hotel first and just unpack.

I want to be alone for a moment and think a lot of things. Thankfully, there aren't many people here and it was more quiet at the far end. There are couples spending some quiet time here as well. Looking at the vast ocean, I can smell fresh air and look at the blue sky without worry.

Spending some quality time with myself, I thought of Archie's lawyer and came to a decision not to show up as Archie's witness. I realized that I am going to lie for him to be able to be free but my conscious tells me, he needs to be punished. I was still in the middle of the equation, I can't finalize my decision.

I was startled when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I thought it was a reporter or some sort so I wore my cap and sunglasses. I was shocked to see Sophie standing in front of me smiling without a hint of hatred, it was genuine. She is wearing a simple white shirt and a denim short. she was probably having some quality time since we love to watch the cast ocean with silence.

She was silent since she sat down right next to me. "Are you on vacation?" I asked her still looking at the ocean. She didn't reply but after a while of silence she uttered her first word to me in a very long time. "Ian..." she was hesitant to continue the next word or is it a sentence. "...I heard you are one of the witness for Archie's case?". I looked at her puzzled knowing that she wouldn't be here for no reason.

"Archie's my bestfriend, remember?" I rewind some of our moments before and all it gave me was she was never absent when we stroll outside our house. "All those times, you weren't there for me but you want to get close to Archie. Is that it?" I asked her. She gave me just a poker face "Didn't you know that a long time ago already?".

I was asking her for confirmation and she didn't just disappoint me, she made me fall in love with her and here I am thinking that she was there for me as my girlfriend but all along she wasn't thinking of being with me but instead she was looking at someone else.

I was baffled and she asked me again if I will attend Archie's trial and I said "I can't go". I know that I am being childish in these kind of answers but I can't help but get annoyed by her. She said she'll fly to Jeju Island in three to attend and "....if you change your mind, we can go there together. I'll see you around Ian".

She started walking away from me but she stopped when I told her "Did you even love me?" she didn't say anything and she started walking again until she's out of sight. I wonder why we lasted before. I asked myself why she can't answer me on my questions and all I got is "I don't know". I wanted to stay more but Eli came to the beach to say that I need to go back to the hotel.

I was welcomed by the staff and others. Fans already on the hotel's entrance made it much hard for the hotel's security to handle them so police are there to help. I couldn't really smile like always, Sophie was in my mind for the whole time and I realized that I was in my room when Jericho is handing me bottle of water.

"You okay?" he kept on calling my name. I was back when he tapped me and shake me. "Yeah? What was that?" Jericho looked concern that I went blank again. "Are you okay? Ian?" he kept asking me so I answered "I am fine. Little bit jetlag, I guess. Why are you here?" he laugh saying "so you were in space then" I gave him the "I am serious" face and he said "the korean prosecutor called me and they want you there as a witness to Archie's case".

I remember Sophie so I asked Jericho "Did you know that Archie and Sophie are bestfriends?" he was shocked with the sudden question and I think he didn't knew by the way he reacted. I knew that I was just wrong questioning everything right now but I need to talk to Archie.

"Jer, can we fly back to Jeju?" He looked at me and asked if I wanted to go his trial. "Nah, just wanted to talk to him first. Can we go tonight?" he seem hesitant but told me "Relax first and finish your rehearsal today then we can talk later, allright?" I sighed in relief and nodded.

Rehearsal started and I actually forgot about Archie. Singing and dancing makes my day even at its worst so I like it like that. I ended practicing more for it to be perfect. I am not a perfectionist but I am almost there already with the way I do things lately with my music. Since I am a superstar now, or what they say, I have to be the perfect person for everyone with no flaws and is a candidate for a perfect behavior but since I am always a talk of the world, I am still the bad kid with the perfect life and a the world at his feet.

It was almost 11 pm when we finished with a lot of arrangement and perfection with the way my back up dancer move, how they line up perfectly. Through monitoring the whole stage, I get to see the smallest flaw on the stage. Eli came back from her appointment and reminded me of my flight tonight.

I hurriedly finished what's left to be perfected and after that we went directly to the airport. I was tired for the whole day but I have to go there to see things on my own and decide whether to attend the trial or not. Archie, the way I know him, wouldn't push me to something dangerous so I want to clear something to him, face to face.