Kiss & Clientele

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine
Lee Felix [1:15am]: I know it's late, but I need to see you.
Lee Felix [1:15am]: I mean, not like you've been gone for two months or anything (:
Nora stared at the messages while she waited out front of her former apartment building.  It had been nearly four months since she moved, but the place still felt like home.  However, it was a home she still couldn't bring herself to enter.
   Having just returned from Japan, she was exhausted and in need of familiarity.  She leaned against the concrete tower and typed away on her phone.
Nora [1:33am]: Well you're in luck, I'm out front.
Pressing send, she imagined the message being delivered by a cyber pigeon that would soon land on the Aussies homescreen.  The visualization made her giggle.  While she waited, dozens of people shuffled by and hurried to their favorite clubs and food stalls.  For the most part, everyone seemed to be happy and enjoying their night out.  Staring down at her phone, she was eager to join them.
   Her phone dinged, lighting up her face in the dark night.  She swiped her finger across the screen to read the full message.
TS Group Chat [1:40am]:
Binna: Ms. H, are you not home?
Halston: No, sorry, I had to run out and take care of something.
Halston: Everything okay?
Binna: Yes, just wanted to borrow some tea. We're out. No biggie!
Ari: You're on a date with that blonde guy from the company, aren't you?
Halston: Binna, my spare is hanging on the key hook. Help yourself to whatever you need.
Halston: Ari, you jealous? ;)
Messages continued to flood in when a deep, warm voice cut through the street chatter.
"Hal, what the hell?"  Felix took her in, noticing all the ways that she had changed.  Her hair, once long and deep brown, had been chopped into a messy shoulder-length bob.  The fiery copper color made her blue eyes come to life.  He jogged over and threw his arms around her.  "I almost didn't recognize you!"  She leaned into him, holding as tightly as she could.  His soft cardigan felt nice against her face as she nuzzled against his shoulder.
"A breakup, career change, and extended stay in another country will do that to you."  She laughed genuinely.  He stepped back and studied her from head to toe, smiling the entire time.  "What? Don't make this weird!"  She joked, blushing from his undeterrable gaze.
"I mean, I didn't think you could get any hotter but here we are."  He came back and wrapped her in another hug, and the two of them stayed swaying and interlocked in the middle of the street.
   After the reassignment, Nora decided it was time to do away with Halston once and for all.  The alter ego had become a burden and was too much to maintain amidst her breakup with Han.  During her first meeting with the girls of Twice Shy, things just clicked into place.  Hana, Nari, and Binna welcomed her instantly whereas Ari took some time to warm up. 
   One night, the leader had overheard her crying from the balcony.  Moments later she showed up with two bottles of soju and a box of expensive truffles.
"I'd know that sound anywhere."  She said after the manager opened the door and invited her in.  Together they sat on the couch, Boys Over Flowers playing in the background, talking about the effects of a broken heart.
"I had been seeing this guy for a long time."  She admitted, popping a whole chocolate into her perfectly pouty mouth. "He dumped me out of nowhere too.  We had managed to keep our relationship a secret for so long despite that both of us were in the entertainment industry."  Nora soon learned why Ari had been acting out and blatantly going against company policy, she was recklessly seeking attention from the one who hurt her.  It was something she could strongly relate to.
   During the group's comeback in Japan, she felt like it was also her time to reintroduce herself.  Hours later, 6 inches of hair were gone and one too many shots of soju had been consumed.  It felt good to take chances and let go, the freeing feeling was like a drug coursing through her veins.  Being back and reunited with Felix was just another reminder that good things could come from tough times.
   Taking a few steps back, she returned the ogling and noticed that he too had changed.  Her lower lip popped out slightly, and she pretended to be upset.
"They got rid of your mullet?"  She bounced forward, messing up his perfectly styled hair..  "You look all grown up, and very handsome I might add."  He beamed, basking in her attention and compliments.
   After finding the least crowded place they could, the two sat and caught up over beer and ramen.  Over the last three months, she felt increasingly thankful that they had managed to become such good friends. 
"So, how is he?"  She asked, looking over to find Felix with a string of noodles hanging from his mouth.  Nora grinned as he slurped it up quickly.  He had been ready for this question, but still found it difficult to answer.
"He's doing well."  He gave her a reassuring smile.  "He's been staying busy with Chan and Changbin.  I actually haven't seen him much lately."  Finishing their drinks, they headed out for a quick walk before calling it a night.  The cool spring air felt soothing against Nora's flushed face.
   Stopping at her building, the golden haired boy pulled her in for another hug.
"I missed you, Hal."  His face was so close to her own that the word tickled her ear.  She returned his embrace and rubbed his back softly.  There wasn't a day where she didn't want to be back with her boys.  She missed all the excitement and silliness they brought to her life.  Yet, it was unfair to try and deny how transformative the past few months had been.
"I missed you too."  She squeezed him tight before they said goodbye, and then made the small journey up to her home.
   The company had been gracious enough to allow Nora and the girls a couple of days to recuperate.  The time was spent sleeping, binge watching Netflix, and mentally preparing to start the madness all over again.  Their next album release was scheduled and required the group to enter a grueling cycle of non-stop recording sessions and dance rehearsals.  The process began at 10am on Wednesday morning.  She caught up on paperwork while she waited for their practice to end.  After a quick lunch in the lobby cafe, the 5 of them headed into a pre-production meeting with the team.
   "Oh shit!"  Ari stopped dead in her tracks at the threshold of the conference room.  Lagging behind, the manager could only hear the expletive exclamation and hurried to assess the damage.  The tall, modelesque singer whipped around with a cautionary expression, barring the doorway.
"What's going on?"  Nora asked, trying her hardest to peer around her client but she was too short.
"He's in there."  She tried her best to whisper but it was never her strong suit.
"Mr. Kim?  No big deal, let's go in."  Trying to generate forward motion, Hana and Binna flanked Ari's sides while Nari waited nervously in the background.  "What's with you girls today?"  Nora questioned their strange game of battleship, trying to determine her next move.  The leader leaned in and directed her full attention at the manager.
"Han.  He's inside."  There was no attempt to lower her voice, she said it bluntly and forced the message to fully sink in.  Internally, her bones had turned to goo and her insides twisted together.  However, she kept a cool exterior and convincingly rebutted with "I don't care."
   Waltzing into the boardroom as a single unit, the girls of Twice Shy made quite the impact.  Chan, Han, and Changbin gawked from one side of the table as they entered and took their seats.  Following, the manager initially warranted no reaction.  That was until she sat down and opened her mouth.
"Long time no see."  She grinned as their eyes widened and mouths dropped open.  Even her ex was so thrown that he had no time to guard his genuine reaction.  Per usual, Changbin was the first to call her out.
"You know, you remind me of someone."
"I get that alot."  She winked, easily keeping up with his wit.  He smiled, unable to formulate a comeback.  All the rapper managed to do was stare.
"You look..."  Their leader paused, trying to find the right thing to say.  "You look incredible.  I mean, Felix mentioned it this morning in passing but -"
"You met up with Felix?"  The feisty rapper interrupted, all the while Jisung remained silently attentive.  The TS girls, mostly entertained by the volley, would occasionally shoot him an unimpressed glare.
"How about we catch up over drinks tonight?"  Taking control, Nora steered the conversation back into the realm of business.  Two out of the three producers nodded, and she moved on.  "I am thrilled that you were brought on as the primary production team for this album.  I know my clients will be in great hands."
   Jisung found himself slightly irritated by how easy it was for Nora to conduct business as usual.  It was the first thing he had felt regarding her since the breakup.  The sensation was almost welcomed, breaking the neverending numbness.  After the split he had expected to process a varying range of emotions.  Yet, he found himself oddly placated.  During the day he was able to be his normal self, laughing and joking around with the others.  At night he spent any free time he had alone, almost instantly falling asleep.  The others, though they were baffled by their sudden separation, were supportive and impressed by his nearly instant recovery.  Minho, however, still questioned him daily and constantly asked if he was okay.
   Seeing her now felt like seeing an old classmate.  He could look back with pleasant recollection without any desire to reconnect.  He could admit that when they were together he experienced a different form of happiness, but he knew life was full of those kinds of things.  He knew that everything seemed to operate in a cycle, and those feelings constantly waxed and waned during his lifetime.  Now, as he sat across from her, he couldn't make sense of the internal gnawing.  There was something that began as irritation and was blooming into another emotion all together.  He looked at Nora with her new, short hair and wondered why she had changed or why he had remained exactly the same.