Page 55 of Idol Moves

“But why do I–”

“Trust me and be there. I’ll leave a pair of tickets for you. Now, I’ve got to–

“Wait.” Despite there likely being a hundred Woo Tae Hyuns in Seoul, he didn’t want to take any chances. “Put them under my sister’s name.”

So, Tae Hyun was a bundle of nerves. After everything that happened at Yoo Mi’s wedding, he would’ve preferred to keep hiding out at the apartment over being in another crowded public space. But he hadn’t spoken to Min Ji since theDoubleDown Boysrelease party. And the fact that she’d gone out of her way to speak with him directly said something. Except he wasn’t sure what it was. The worst possibility was that KBR had set some kind of trap for him. Except Tae Hyun, Jason, and Yun Seo couldn’t figure out what it might be. Even if KBR had sent the tickets instead of Min Ji, there really wasn’t anything they could do to him during a live international broadcast. So he’d accepted the invite.

Attending the show with Yun Seo was a calculated risk. Tae Hyun would’ve preferred to be there with Jason, if only just for the comfort of having him there. But it was hard enough to go incognito by himself. And there was no way he wouldn’t be recognized with Jason by his side. Even having Seong Hyeon or Seong Min with him ran the same risks. But Yun Seo was still mostly unknown. Sure, people knew Tae Hyun had a sister and who she was. And a sharp-eyedU4could probably piece things together given enough time. But, sitting with the studio audience gave him a good deal of anonymity. People just wouldn’t expect the person they sat beside to be an idol.

Fortunately, audience members frequently wore masks to avoid being recognized if they appeared on camera. So Tae Hyun did the same. But he still fretted. There’d undoubtedly be a commotion if someone recognized him.

Yun Seo huffed and put her hand on Tae Hyun’s bouncy knee. “If you don’t stop doing that, oppa. I’m leaving.”

“I’m sorry. I’m nervous.”

“I know. So am I.” Yun Seo patted his thigh. “But everything’s fine, right?”

Tae Hyun nodded, reminding himself that his sister had been just as hesitant as he was about attending. At least, with all the obvious security present, they were pretty much assured there’d be no tear gas attacks at the show. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

“Then please stop fidgeting. Maybe try having fun?”

Tae Hyun sighed. There was no chance of that. But he didn’t need to drag his sister down any more than he already had. “Okay, yeah. You’re right. Sorry.”

“I know.” Despite calling him out for fidgeting, Yun Seo seemed just as uncomfortable. “I talked to Mom this morning.”

Tae Hyun frowned behind his mask. “You did? Why?”

Yun Seo shrugged. “She called me.”

“Oh.” Tae Hyun huffed. “What did she say?”

“What do you think? She’s upset, oppa.” Yun Seo sighed. Tae Hyun saw her frown in her downcast eyes. “She thinks you don’t love her anymore.”

“She’s upset?” Tae Hyun scoffed. “Whatever. I’m not the one who went on TV to shit-talk her. How does she think I feel?”

“You know that was Dad, right? Mom never would’ve done it if he hadn’t made her.”

Tae Hyun’s low sigh was almost a growl. “As if that matters.”

“So you’re really cutting them off?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Tae Hyun wished Yun Seo hadn’t brought the subject up. Then again, it was the first time the two of them had been alone–relatively speaking–since before the wedding. “We had an agreement. I’d keep sending them money as long as they stayed out of my career. Doing an interview about how disappointed they are with me is exactly the opposite of that.”

“I’m not talking about the money.”

“Oh.” Tae Hyun looked at his lap. “I don’t know. All I know is that I don’t want to talk to them right now.” He turned his gaze toward his sister. “What would you do?”

Yun Seo chuckled. “It’s not the same.”

“I know, but–”

“I mean, I’ve been dealing with this sort of thing my whole life. I’ve never met their expectations. Especially our father’s.” She chuckled. “Remember when I wanted to go to school?”

Tae Hyun nodded. That had been a battle that lasted weeks. Or possibly longer. Maybe even a lot longer. “Oh. Shit.”

“Yeah. This is just the first time it’s happened to you.” Yun Seo chuckled again. “Of course, none of my stories made the news, so–”

Tae Hyun lightheartedly scoffed. “If you’re jealous, I could make a few calls.”

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