Page 57 of Damian & Jun, Episodes 13-16
“It was pretty hot.” Jun mimed fanning himself.
Pink bloomed furiously on her cheeks. She thanked him and skipped back to her friends. Two more people, emboldened, came up after that. He straightened up from the third photo to see Damian, Jamal, and Thomas had appeared. Holden signaled that their car was ready.
“I have to go,” Jun waved at his fans. “5N is on air tonight, please watch us.” He rattled off the station, streaming service, and time. A chorus of promises followed him through the door to the street.
Damian squeezed his hand as soon as they were in the car with the door closed. Holden rode point, Jamal and Thomas in the back, putting Damian and Jun in the middle, as usual.
They stopped at the hotel, a different one from the last time, only long enough to touch base with everyone else and dress for the TV appearance. Yohei had even laid Jun’s clothes out for him. All he had to do was shower off, put them on, do his hair, and rush through makeup. The guys crowded in around the bathroom, catching up with him. They had everything well handled and had even toured the venue for their first concert. Rehearsal would be the next day with light and sound tests, and the day after was the tour kick-off performance.
Mi Hi sat in the car with them, going over questions she anticipated.
“That’s it. You boys are ready.” Mi Hi smiled at all of them. “I can’t believe we’re here.”
Su-jin offered her a hug. And then it was time. The car stopped and they got out to a shower of camera flashes, then hurried into the studio. Damian and their security joined them inside. There was a quick meeting with the host, then last-minute makeup and sound checks. Jaewoong showed Jun his microphone, a free handheld device. “I think they gave me the same one as last time.”
“How so?”
Jaewoong flipped it over and showed Jun two crossed thumbnail prints in the rubber. “I did that last time when I was trying to keep my temper.”
Jun shook his head. “That’s not how we’re playing this time.”
“I know,” Jaewoong grinned and rolled his shoulders. “This is going to be fun.”
A few moments later it was lights, camera, and then they were live. The five of them were seated in a row with the host, a round man in a pink suit and a bowtie, perched on a stool to their left and a little in front. He sat sideways to the studio audience so he could dialogue with 5N.
The greetings and announcements started. Jun went through the motions, waving, smiling, bowing, shaking hands. It was easy. Easier than he’d imagined. This was something he’d done hundreds of times, and this time he wasn’t looking over his shoulder at Bak Gyeong. The only ones he was thinking about off stage were Damian and Mi Hi, both watching from the wings. Mi Hi was practically glowing with excitement, clutching her pad to her chest, looking every inch a successful K-pop idol group PR manager in her pink dress suit, silver silk blouse, and matching heels. Damian stood behind her in his three-piece suit and dark blue dress shirt. He looked so damn good. Jun trained his focus back to the interview. Now was not the time for those kind of thoughts.
The host had started with Su-jin, going through catch up questions with each member, and now he was onto Jun.
“So, we’d like to ask; there’s been some photos, some questions, a recording from when you first were in Chicago. I’m sure there’s a lot of fans who want to know, are you gay?”
Jun raised an eyebrow and looked towards his bandmates. Geun smirked. Yohei raised an eyebrow in return. Jaewoong rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling and lifted his palms. Su-jin hid his mouth behind his hand. Jun turned back to the interviewer. “Are you a dating service?” He looked around, as if looking for potential dates waiting in the wings, then waved, self-deprecating. “Apologies, I’m not looking.”
The host shook his head. “No, no! Just, we have that clip of you with the lawyer Damian Sathers in Chicago and it was…very suggestive.” He adjusted his glasses and looked to Jun expectantly.
Jun leaned back, putting his hands in his pockets. “Oh? We were trying to keep it safe for TV. Sathers is proper like that.”
“So you are gay?”
“Let me think…” Jun jumped up and walked off the stage. Damian and Mi Hi made eyes at him. Jun shook his head and grabbed Damian’s hand. Without asking permission, he dragged Damian out onto the stage. He pointed his microphone towards Damian. “Sathers, am I gay?”
Damian gave Jun the most exasperated look. “I thought we answered that question almost three years ago.”
“Oh, yeah, we did.” Jun smirked.
Damian gave Jun the most disapproving look.
Jun raised both eyebrows. “What can I say, Sathers? You’re pretty.”
Damian groaned and walked off the stage, shaking his head.
“So I think we can take that as a yes?” the host said, hesitantly. Jun raised two eyebrows at him.
The host twitched, nervously. “So, um…how has that worked with all of you?” He waved in the general direction of the other four members of 5N.
Geun spoke into his microphone. “Have you seen our comebacks? The new album? We’re making our best work.”
The host looked at the rest of 5N guys. Su-jin shrugged. “Why are you looking at me? I just haven’t been asked out by the right guy yet.”
