Page 78 of A World Apart
“Little bit,” I quipped. “Just a smidge. A tiny fraction.”
“A wee bit,” Becka supplied.
“Tis but a flesh wound.” I grasped my chest for dramatic effect and Becka laughed.
“But in all seriousness,” I said, “I don’t even know how we’d reconcile being in an actual relationship right now.
“I mean, we can’t exactly date. We’re not in close proximity and it would have to be in secret anyway.”
“Does his contract have a dating ban?” She asked, surprising me.
“You’ve been looking into KPop!” I accused, laughing.
“Do you blame me? My roommate and best friend is dating Korean Usher!”
“Okay, I’m not mad about that comparison,” I laughed, “but no, not anymore. The group did have a dating ban in their original contracts, but since they re-signed last year, they don’t anymore.”
“Ooh, any special reason?” Becka waggled her eyebrows at me.
“I think it was more to do with how established they are as a group now,” I said, “they’re so successful that they have a bit more bargaining power. And they’re all older now, not teenagers anymore. Well, all but one of them,” I said, thinking of Seokmin, who was still only nineteen.
“Oh, okay, sure, that makes sense,” Becka nodded, taking another bite, “although it’s still batshit,” she mumbled around the mouthful. I couldn’t disagree.
Just then, my phone buzzed with an incoming video call on WhatsApp. My dad’s cheerful face filled the screen, taken from a photo this past Christmas.
“Hi, Pops,” I said as I accepted the call, a smile already tugging at my lips.
“Hi, Mr. Thompson!” Becka called, pushing in next to me.
“Hi, girls!” Dad waved, peering down his nose at the screen.
“Dad, your glasses are on top of your head.”
“Ah, so they are.” He chuckled, sliding them down onto his nose. “Thanks, kiddo. That’s better − I can see your beautiful faces now.”
“Aww, Mr. Thompson, you’re too cute!” Becka gushed, putting her hands under her chin.
“Am I?” Dad laughed. “Val, I’m cute!” he called off-screen. From somewhere in the house, Mum’s voice rang out, “Cute bum!”
“Argh, Dad, can you two like, not, while I’m on the phone?” I groaned, while Becka just cackled and retreated to the sofa.
“My work here is done,” she said, waving over her shoulder.
I rolled my eyes at her before turning back to my dad.
“You alright dad?” I asked. Normally I called them, it was unusual for my parents to call, especially my dad.
“Well,” he started, leaning in a bit like he was sharing a secret. “You know your mum’s birthday is coming up. I was wondering if you could come home for it.”
I immediately felt a burst of guilt, because not only had I forgotten my mum’s birthday was soon, but I also knew I wouldn’t be able to get the time off. Not because I was busy, I thought with a twinge of frustration. Just that I seemed to recall my temporary contract did not allow for leave.
My dad must have seen the answer on my face because he sighed.
“That’s okay love, we know how busy you are. And it’s only for the year.” He shrugged.
“Dad, is everything okay?” I’d begun to feel uneasy. Call me paranoid, but I had a niggle…
“Of course it is!” He grinned at me, a wide smile that on any other occasion would have been reassuring. “No biggie,” he continued. “We were only thinking it would be nice to go somewhere fancy, but that’s it. No need to fuss.”
