Chapter 3: Tension

MAL turned around almost immediately, pushing her boyfriend between her body and the wall in an attempt to cover his vulnerable body. She reached for her phone from her purse, which was right beside them on a nearby table and fumbled through the purse to grab the phone.

Then, as quickly as she could, turned on the flashlight and aimed it at the figure before them.

"S-Soul?" Junwon whimpered out, holding his lover against him to cover his exposed waist, and his vulnerable, inappropriate attire. "W-What..."

"That's not a very cool thing to do in front of your group mates, don't you think so, Junwon?" Soul questioned, his voice dark and menacing. "What if one of the younger members walk in on you two?"

"I-I..." Junwon began, his voice trembling and stuck his throat. "I d-didn't-"

"Excuse me," Mal retorted, "how long have you been standing there? A little creepy, don't you think?"

Soul rolled his eyes, and despite how dark it was around them with only the flashlight lighting up the floor beneath them, Mal could see the proud smirk on his face. She could only wish to wipe it off his smug face right then and there.

"I don't care." He snapped back, then turned his attention to Junwon. "We have to start our interview in two minutes and you're the one holding us back!"

"Soul, get out! That's enough!" Junwon sharply retorted, rolling his eyes. "You don't get to interrupt people like that and then make them feel bad!"

"You don't get to make us wait like that so you can get your fun!" Soul yelled back, his palms curling into fists in frustration.

"Get. Out." Junwon's voice came out shaky yet filled with mutual frustration. Mal managed to squeeze his waist from behind her in an attempt to calm him down.

Soul rolled his eyes once again, his heart beating fast between his ribs in pure anger. At that moment, all he managed to think about was how he wanted his group member, his enemy, to disappear for good.

Because it was already enough that Junwon could date while the other members couldn't. Not only did the company let him continue his relationship with his girlfriend after debut, but the fact that his girlfriend's successful company was sponsoring the group made his chest tight with anger.

And it made his brain tick that she could visit him daily in their workplace while the members' families couldn't meet their sons because it was forbidden to do so.

His parents couldn't see him because the company forbade it.

And the thought of seeing Junwon, the leader of his group, making out with his lover in a room where they thought no one could see them made his heart ache, with both anger and heartbreak.

And jealousy.

"You're going to regret it, Junwon. You're going to wish you didn't debut in our group."

Mal's mouth gaped open in shock at his sentence, at how rude and threatening it sounded. Her eyebrows furrowed and her body froze.

Did she really cause a fight between her boyfriend and his group mate?

She immediately shook her head, knowing that Soul was already bothering Junwon since before their debut.

She sighed heavily, glancing at the floor in disappointment. Turning her head slowly to the side to take a glance at her boyfriend, she pursed her lips and waited for him to say something.

He didn't.

"Junwon?" She muttered, her voice that was filled with disappointment and guilt sent shivers down his spine. "You need to go."

Junwon's hands trembled as he barely nodded his head.

"N-Noona," he made his way away from the wall and stood a few feet apart from his girlfriend. "I..."

He bowed, placing his palms against each other in order to apologize. "I'm really sorry, noona. I didn't..."

"It's okay, Junwon," she firmly replied, avoiding his gaze as she crossed her arms close to her chest. "Go. Don't waste your time."

The order broke his heart.

Because the last thing he needed her to know was that she was wasting his time.

And the last thing he wanted was for her to be upset with him over something that his group member did.

"Noona, please..." He whispered, and for a moment, he could've sworn his eyes were almost filling with tears. "Don't-"

"Go, Junwon."

He sighed heavily, the pit in his stomach growing bigger. He nodded his head, not hesitating to bow in apology one last time before he hurried out of the room.

. . .

Junwon sighed heavily, covering his face with his hands in desperation as soon as the camera was turned off. He lightly shook his head, then squeezed his own hands to calm himself down.

"What are you guys planning to do after we're done with our last interview?" Hikaru, one of the group members and another one of Junwon's friends, asked. "Are we all going to go to the dorms, or what?"

"Me, Hanbin and Minseo have to go to my part-time job as a pharmacist's assistant," Soul replied, holding his chin up in pride. "You know, since the idol salary is very low and we haven't even gotten paid yet. Because some of us have to work hard to get what we want."

Minseo and Hanbin, along with the other members nodded their head in sympathy, sending occasional glares at their leader, who was sitting in the back row.

And it took Junwon a few moments to realize that the words were directed at him. He looked up, meeting their jealous gazes.

"Excuse me?"

He knew that they didn't have to repeat the words once again, because he had already heard them.

Were they saying that because they had to stay in the dorms while he didn't?

Or was it because they thought that since his lover owned their gigantic house, he didn't have to pay rent or bother himself with the bills?

Questions spiralled inside his mind, each question worse than the last.

Or did they think that he wasn't working as hard as them overall?

"What happened to setting a good example for the younger members?" He retorted, his voice firm yet his legs were shaking, almost like jelly. "Or does that only apply to me?"

Soul rolled his eyes as he scoffed, then turned to the other members in dismay. "Who said that we were talking about you?" He snapped back. "Do you think everything is revolved around you, Junwon?"

Multiple replies crossed Junwon's head, and for a moment, he needed to say at least one of them. All he could think about was teaching Soul, and the rest of his group members who made fun of him, a lesson.

But he couldn't do that to them, to himself.

"You know what, I'm going to take a walk!" He replied, standing up from his seat. "See you guys in thirty minutes, or whatever."

He soon hurried out of the room, ignoring the other members' glares piercing through him as he did so.

. . .

And as soon as he was standing outside the building once again, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Running a hand through his soft, black hair, he stared at the area around the building, his eyes blinking to adjust his vision.

The same bright green trees, along with the same black limousines parked underneath their shadows, and the same small staff cars scattered around the area.

And to his dismay and heartbreak, his eyes scanned the area once again only to find no sign of his lover's car.

His heart ached at the idea of her getting upset with him because of their interaction with Soul.

The truth was, his lover was doing everything except wasting his time.

Her showing up to the location and trying to reassure him, in every way possible, sent butterflies to his stomach.

For all he knew, he was madly in love with her.

And he appreciated all the different acts of love she was doing for him. Not to mention that she knew him better than anyone. Better than himself. After all, they had been together for nearly five years. She watched him grow into the person he was today.

So the last thing he needed at that moment was for his group members to ruin his relationship with the love of his life.

And just like how she always protected him, he knew that he needed to take a step forward and protect their relationship.

Whatever it took.

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