The intense crying had slowly become the occasional whimper.
Still curled in the fetal position Tae tried to calm his breathing . His mind was a jumbled up loop of different tabs open all at once, memories of last night was one, imagined future where he and JK get kicked out was another, a future where JK made everything ok was another., His parents.. His group mates...
He squeezed his hand around JKs ring. Another sob escaped him.
Keeping his hands still in front of his chest he took the ring and slipped it on to his ring finger, a small drop of happiness went through him after finding it fit . "mine!, he thought to himself," he's mine"
He didn't know how long he laid where he'd colapsed but felt he could have stayed forever, what did he have to get up for now any way?, but then his manager came back and demanded he go with him.
Half an hour later he found himself standing in front of his boss.
Hitman Bang had given Tae pretty much the same speach as he'd given JK, except of course the destination.
Bang had decided on Daegu... Not exactly opposite ends of the country like he'd first planned, but far enough away from each other to be sufficient, and they were logical places for them to have gone after finishing a tour..
"my parants house?!" Tae asked incredulously, "but why...? , do they know?" the last sentence was said almost on a whisper, head down and spinning JKs ring round and round.
"no i dont think they do" Bang replied, "firstly you're going to your parents home because I said so, secondly its the end of a long tour what would you usually do?"
"go to my parents..." Tae replied softly
"exactly! ,... And Tae..", Bang said in a deceptively calm, authoritive manor... "You better think on what I've said,.. What ever you think you feel for JK is just an inquisitive infatuation and you are ruining everybody's livelihoods with your selfishness. Including Jk's."
Bang inwardly cringed, he hated this, he hated hurting his boys, but business was business and these boys were threatening his biggest asset, the group, He had to scare them straight he guessed... A horrible saying but in this moment it seemed fitting, in more ways than one.
He stood looking at Tae, remembering when he was barely a teenager, all big eyes, an infectious smile and a heart full of enthusiasm. If he was completely honest with himself he'd always had a bit of a soft spot for Tae, but he couldn't afford to show it right now.
He had spent all morning with the board of directors, they had suggested kicking the two out and sueing them for loss of future earnings, seeing as they had broken their contract his company would have won, but he had defended that saying surely it would be better to try and keep it under wraps and continue as they were?
They, as a group, had award show nominations coming up, they're new album was set for release next month.
The shit storm that would happen if two members were to be kicked out was unimaginable.
Bang had to make the two lads understand so he had to be hard on them.
Tae was now sat in a car being whisked away to the middle of nowhere, he didn't have his phone on him as he hadn't been thinking straight when he left the hotel room, now he desperately wished he had it. Was JK alright, where was he, did everyone hate him now for risking the group?
He twisted his ring around his finger nervously, apparently this seemed to be a new habit he'd developed now,
how was he going to act okay in front of his parents, most especially his mother who could always tell when he lied as a child or when he was sad.
The car journey from Seoul to Daegu took about three hours, the driver asked Tae once if he wanted to stop for food, but he had declined with no appetite.
He just wanted to close his eyes and escape the nightmare he was now in, his manager had said he'd courier his phone to him as well as his luggage from the hotel room but that probably wouldn't come now until the morning, he'd have to lie to his parents and say he forgot or something.
He would think later, he was so mentally exhausted he just prayed sleep would take him for the rest of the journey.
He managed to drift off for the last half hour and woke as the car drove slowly over gravel making a loud crunching sound.
Waking fast his heart thudding in his chest, Tae had to take deep breaths to calm himself as the memories of the last 24 hours caught up with him.
The pain threatened to engulf him but he managed to fight the emotion back just as the car came to a stand still.
He looked out the window, his mother had come out at the sound of the car pulling up and was smiling. He took another deep breath and stepped out of the car.
His mother was a petite women with a neat black bob. She barely came up to Taes shoulders and he engulfed her in a hug.
They stood there for a few moments and heard the car pull away, his mother knew something was up, she could tell, so she waited and patted his back gently as Taes arms held her tightly around the waist. After a lot of effort on Taes part he felt strong enough not to cry and even managed a weak smile as he stepped back from his mums, embrace.
"thank you," he said, " I needed that."
"Are you alright,?" his mother asked gently
"" yeah, just exhausted he said, " not a lie, he thought," the tour has drained me and I just need to recharge if that's OK with you "
" of course Tae bear "she said using a nickname she's given him as a baby. She didn't believe a word but knew her son well enough to know he'd talk as and when he was ready.
She guided him into the house, not asking the questions she wanted answered to and let him go off up to his bedroom..
"time," she thought "ill give him time."
Tae threw himself on the bed and released the tears he'd nearly let flow when his mother hugged him,
That night he cried himself to sleep having never felt so alone in all his life.
*authors note
I had to keep writing even if it's, not read, for myself I need to finish their story, but it would be nice to have you guys come along on the journey with me x
