Scandalized

Track 3: Cuts & Burns

Track 3: Cuts & Burns

Y

ihwan called it a day at six in the evening, Steven reported.

Anyone who knew the band leader well would say this was uncharacteristic of him, especially when they were in the middle of tour preparations. The fact that he asked Steven and Minchan to leave him at the studio so he could do some writing was even more worrisome, at least to Fi.

“Remind me again why he wanted that music space set up at the dorm,” she said, eyes scanning Steven and Minchan’s faces. Neither of them looked agitated, so she ruled out the possibility of a fight. “Wasn’t it so he could have a place to write his songs?”

Both boys shrugged.

“All right. I’ll stay behind as well. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Both boys nodded and acknowledged Gabriel, with whom Fi was having coffee at the employee lounge, before leaving. She watched them enter the elevator before turning to Gabriel. “I have to go check on Yihwan.”

“You might want to leave him alone for now, Fi.” He picked up the cup she abandoned beside him and dangled it between his thumb and middle finger, to remind her to return to their disrupted conversation.

A sigh. “Fifteen minutes.”

Gabriel smiled when she made her way back to the couch. “Thirty.”

“Twenty.”

“Relax, Filipina. He’s not going to s***h his wrists over this,” he said, handing the cup of coffee to her. “At least not literally.”

Fi took the cup, sat beside him, and frowned. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

* * *

Filipina Legaspi used to blame herself for the tragedy that was Jo Yihwan’s heartbreak.

Her first assignment as an industry rookie was to manage Han Haera’s wardrobe. Although her stint as part of the actress’ entourage was short-lived, it had been a good opportunity for her to learn the ropes. She got to know who was who, what went where, and the basic dos and don’ts when working in the entertainment industry.

It was around that time that she had her first encounter with three trainees who would eventually become her band, East Genesis Project.

The boys had been loitering down the hall that led to the rehearsal rooms, and she found out as she passed them that they had been waiting for her, the “new girl in Han Haera’s entourage.” All because Yihwan, the lanky one with unruly red hair and mismatched pair of sneakers, had a favor to ask.

It felt rather juvenile, and Fi couldn’t help but chuckle softly when she learned of the request. She liked how straightforward Yihwan was, telling her he needed her help in getting a message through to Han Haera. Apparently, no one else in her old entourage had given the trainee the time of day.

Fi found it cute when a folded note was anxiously entrusted to her.

Han Haera thought the same twenty-four hours later, and the rest, as they say, was history.

* * *

“The article isn’t getting released to the press till morning. We still have time.”

Yihwan didn’t look up from his piano playing. Fi suspected he was simmering inside, and the ivories had no choice but to bear the brunt of his frustration. With a sigh, she crossed the room, plopped down on the two-seater couch behind him, and waited.

It seemed that with Yihwan, she was always waiting.

And it wasn’t his fault, really.

Aside from having excellent social and communication skills, another thing a road manager should be good at is waiting. For callbacks, endorsement offers, TV appearance requests. For costume fittings, rehearsals, recordings, and everything else in between.

The only thing not in the job description was waiting for the band leader to fall in love.

You’re like the proverbial moth to the flame, Gabriel told her a while back, as she numbed the pain in her chest with makgeolli. Somehow, the handsome new PR manager transformed into a six-foot-two sounding board where her unrequited love for Yihwan was concerned.

Just my luck that he’s a f*****g bonfire.

Fi was almost convinced she was hungover when she opened her eyes, disoriented and with a stinging pain in her neck. She turned her head and saw Yihwan sitting beside her, writing something in his notebook. The sudden movement aggravated the pain, making her yelp and grab the side of her neck.

“Oh good. You’re awake,” he said. “Stiff neck?”

“Yeah. What time is it?”

“Three a.m.”

“Whaaat.”

Yihwan began tucking things away in a folder, then into a bag. Fi spied Haera’s name scribbled on one loose song sheet before it was filed into another folder, out of her sight.

“Why didn’t you just wake me up?” The light coming from down the hall made her squint, but Fi noted a hint of a smile on Yihwan’s lips. It’s the mischievous sort, one that made her suspicious enough to want to check her reflection in the mirror right that moment.

And as though he had read her mind, Yihwan said, “I didn’t write anything on your face. You were sleeping so soundly, I just didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

“Like you didn’t have the heart to answer a damn question five hours ago?”

The band leader lost what little shade of cheer he had on his face and merely offered his hand to her when he got up. “Let’s go home. I’m really tired.”

Fi stared at his ink-stained palm and took it, wondering how many of the words he spilled on paper tonight spelled out Haera’s name.

[ BREAKING NEWS ] Amethyst Entertainment: “Jo Yihwan and Han Haera never dated.”

July 1 | yesul.co.kr

“Jo Yihwan and Han Haera never dated.”

Amethyst Entertainment released this official statement today, dispelling the quickly spreading rumors about East Genesis Project’s band leader and the National Goddess.

“It’s true that they met while Han Haera was still signed under Amethyst Entertainment, but they only had a senior-junior relationship. Back then, the agency was still small, and it wasn’t unusual to see the artists and trainees going out for impromptu gatherings after a hard day’s work.”

The agency revealed that the band is not taking any legal action against the people who spread the rumors at the moment, as they are focusing their time and effort on their upcoming Asian tour.

“EG Project has always been very thankful for their fans’ support and hope that they continue to show their love as they embark on a new journey.”

COMMENTS

[ +12,690, -2,234 ] The rumors were baseless to begin with. No names, no evidence. Even those photos weren’t convincing enough. Now I wonder if it’s Amethyst that did the stirring up, or Choigo. Both EG Project and Han Haera have projects coming up... they needed ALL the publicity!

[ +8,104, -456 ] THANK GOD IT’S NOT TRUE. Even if Han Haera is a top actress, I wouldn’t want Jo Yihwan to be involved in this mess.

[ +7,005, -898 ] So when are we hearing a statement from Amethyst about YiVen? ㅋㅋㅋ

[ +4,102, -1,987 ] Steven Bae likes this post.

[ +2,125, -2,087 ] Han Haera and Jung Hwichan forever! <3333 JUST GET MARRIED ALREADY SO THESE RUMORS WOULD STOP CIRCULATING!