Page 122 of A World Apart
The group either laughed or held their hands over their faces, Minjae eventually took the mic back as the audience quieted back down.
“We think you’re very handsome as well, Jimmy, but what has that got to do with our music?”
As the audience, Becka and I laughed, Jimmy looked into the camera, eyes wide as he shrugged.
“Well, that’s us told, folks. Speaking of music, I think it’s just about time for us all to watch the guys perform their recently award-winning single, ‘Work Harder’! Put your hands together as they take the stage. GVibes!”
The camera panned over to a raised platform just as all five of them hopped up on it, quickly taking their places before a few seconds of charged silence. Then the opening beats of ‘Work Harder’ pounded out and they began to move, falling into formation in a well-practiced routine, modified for the smaller stage.
“I take it back, Woojin is definitely my favourite,” Becka said speculatively, as we watched the aforementioned man during his dance break solo.
“He’ll be delighted with your praise,” Jihoon commented.
I turned to him and said, “Don’t worry, you’re still my bias.” I blew him a kiss and watched him lift a hand to catch it out of the air.
“You can give him my number.” I turned to Becka, eyebrows raised. She doesn’t look at me, but that doesn’t stop me from seeing the blush creep over her cheeks.
“He wouldn’t know what to do with you, Becka.” Jihoon says. I pinched my lips together, slouching further down into the sofa, but instead of the spicy come back I expected, Becka just sighed.
“He might. Right, well, if we’re done watching your boyfriend hip thrust, I’m going to bed.”
I barked out a laugh, but Jihoon just shrugged. “The fans like it.”
“I’m sure they do. Goodnight!” She took the few steps to her room, waved over her shoulder and closed her bedroom door behind her.
In the sudden silence that fell as I turned the TV off, I felt the pressure of the question I was now determined to ask. All part of my plan of putting myself first. I pulled my phone off the tripod and brought it closer to me so it was just me in the screen now.
“You must be tired.” He and the rest of the group had flown to New York to film the show just this morning, they were traveling so much at the moment.
“I slept on the plane, and then we had some time to rest this morning.” But despite that, I could see how spent he was. It was in the way he rubbed his hand down his face, how deep his voice was and how quiet he was overall.
I chewed on my lip, but before I could lose my nerve again, I found the words. “I know this is going to sound jealous and all sorts of other silly emotions, but I have to ask...”
“You want to know about Lee Hyejin-ssi?”
I must be easy to read. I nodded, even as I cringed.
He nodded, as if he’d expected the question. “The media has always liked to pretend that we’re a couple, every time we’re even in the same city,” he scoffed, hanging his head so that his hair obscured his face.
“We were trainees at the same time, before we debuted. Her group debuted after us, and since then, there have always been rumours about us.” He raised he head back up to meet my eyes. “I barely know her, we met because we’re in the same company. We were at the same assessment performances, but girl and boy groups are always separate.
“We didn’t train together, we didn’t eat together, we only ever spoke to each other at award ceremonies after we debuted. I don’t even have her number.” He lifted his hands before letting them fall. I felt relieved, but at the same time I felt bad that heeven had to justify something that clearly never happened. Dating scandals could, and did, ruin idols’ careers, even ones so well-established as GVibes.
“I’m sorry I asked,” I murmured, but he shook his hands, leaning forward in his chair.
“No, I understand why you did, and I don’t mind.
“It’s not even me that gets it bad. Hyejin-ssi gets a lot of hate online, and I think netizens are more cruel to her than they ever are to me.”
Immediately I recalled some of the hateful things people were indeed typing about Lee Hyejin. I’d been too deep in my feels about Jihoon in that dynamic to give much thought to how it was affecting her. Now I felt like an ass.
“People suck!” The words popped out of my mouth before I could moderate them, but Jihoon just laughed, nodding vigorously.
“Except for us.” He winked at me, causing me to giggle. The effect this man had on me.
“Yeah, not us.”
I yawned suddenly so wide that it cracked my jaw.
