Page 27 of Damian & Jun, Episodes 9-12
“Shifting,” Yohei said. “I can’t do another year of happy summer boys.”
That was met with nervous laughter from Jaewoong. Geun fist-bumped Yohei.
Jun rubbed his forehead. “Lean aggressive. I know we’ve all wanted to. I don’t care if it’s traditional, rock, alternative. If it sparks you up, add it in. I don’t think we’ll be that different from each other.”
“Gloves off, I like it,” Yohei said. “I’m hearing some European gothic symphonic in some of these lyrics you already sent over.”
“Well, damn.” Su-jin laughed nervously. “You mean I could actually use my falsetto?”
“Fuck, I like that.” Jun reached for pen and paper. Su-jin and Geun both had unique falsettos. And Yohei had lower notes he didn’t always use. That had always been one of the frustrating things with Bak, keeping them solidly in the middle and rarely letting them use their full training.
They wrapped up the call just as Habibi started rolling toward the side of the bed. Jun caught him with a hand on his chubby upper leg. Habibi kicked with his free leg and cooed, smiling through the fist shoved in his mouth.
“You make me feel old,” Jun groaned
Habibi gurgled back at him and waved his other hand with a toy in it. He lost his grip. It bounced off Jun’s cheek.
“You’re cute, too, thanks.” Jun rubbed his face. The toy had left baby slime on him. He was getting used to it. “Come on, I think you need another diaper change.”
Mi Hi texted potential rental property listings to Jun’s phone an hour later while he was reading up on business structures in Korean. Habibi had been content to play on his play blanket on the floor, only trying to tummy crawl away now and then. Jun took a look at what she had sent and texted back that they looked good. A few minutes later, she called him.
“I’ll come down. We should look at them in person.”
“I can’t exactly walk around easily.”
“You can’t. But my cousin can. Two girls and a baby? People eat that up.”
“You think I should…” Jun’s voice trailed off. It wasn’t a bad idea. And it meant he could get out of the hotel. “We still have to bring one of the security guys with us.”
“So, two girls, a baby, and a brooding dude.”
Jun laughed. “All right. You could do this on your own or with one of the other guys.”
“I thought we were keeping the other guys out of the spotlight for the moment.”
“We can’t keep doing that.”
“Agreed. But right now, this is keeping the focus on you and limited at that. The more we can keep them in control of their own narratives, the better. Right now, they’re working, anyway.”
“It’s a crying shame you were working in that convenience store, and I’m so damn grateful,” Jun said.
Mi Hi chuckled. “I’ll order you an outfit. See you soon. We’ll go looking for a home base.”
Armada, Howser, Kimbo, and Rue came back to the hotel from school with drivers sent by Damian, but Damian was still at the office. Jun and Cedric laid out snacks for the kids and helped them look at their homework.
“I don’t want to.” Kimbo stuck out his bottom lip, peanut butter sticking to it. He stabbed his finger into his assignment.
Jun, with Habibi balanced on his hip, leaned over Kimbo’s shoulder and looked at the worksheet. It was something like he would have done when he was in Seattle as a kid.
“I didn’t want to do those either when I was your age.” Jun shrugged. “Do you know what’s worse, though?”
Kimbo’s eyes got big. “What?”
“Not knowing things other people know.”
Kimbo’s brows furrowed. “I know the important things. And if I don’t, Armada knows. Or Betti or Howser.”
Jun shook his head. “But someday you’re going to be like Armada or Betti or Howser. And someone little like you is going to ask you a question.”
