Dance With Me (Kim Yugyeom FF)

CHAPTER 17 - HERE COMES TROUBLE

9 years ago (2019)

KAYLA

I couldn't believe that it was almost a year since I moved to Korea. I started to love my routine. If I didn't tag along on tours, I would be in the office with the rest of the team. I started to know more people in the company (read: the idols), aside from GOT7. Apparently, our group wasn't assigned exclusively to GOT7, which was a relief. I would be crazy if I had to deal with them all the time. I was quite happy to find out that Bang Chan and Felix were Aussies. We often joked around and said that we were Ozzies and Kiwis. Even though our accent wasn't the same, but it was nice to hear their accent-thick English. My relationship with GOT7 members was getting better as well. I finally remembered to call the hyung line 'oppa' after being scolded by Jaebeom oppa several times. At first he was lenient because I was just moved there. But after the tour ended, he gave me a strict warning. I could see Jackson smirk when he overheard Jaebeom oppa scolded me. I got several more warnings because I forgot after his first warning, especially if I was talking to Mark. Being a foreigner himself, Mark never reminded me about the custom so I was easily forgotten to call him 'oppa'. But after being reprimanded several times, I finally remembered.

I was confused about the gender difference as well. It took Bambam several times to explain it to me. At first, I called the hyung line, 'hyung' instead of 'oppa, since I've heard the maknae line called the hyung line 'hyung', but after several reminders, I knew that females like me called older male 'oppa' instead of hyung and called older female 'unnie' instead of noona. I also folded in to Sangjin's oppa request as well. I came to their studio to join the dance classes and after several arguments, I agreed to the first month free lessons but after that, I insisted that I should pay. In exchange, Sangjin oppa insisted that I accepted my portion of payment whenever I was included in their youtube videos. I was hesitant about appearing in their videos at first, but after making sure that I could cover my face and they wouldn't include my name in the credit roll, I agreed to it. I've been appearing in their channel for several times now.

As for me and Yugyeom, we've decided to call it a truce. He apologized for stepping over his boundaries but that didn't stop him for showing his excitement when he found out that I've agreed to the dance lessons and the youtube videos. But he didn't show it blatantly to my face. I knew that Mark oppa told him about the videos, but he never mentioned it to me. Perhaps he was afraid that I would bail out the second time if he made any comments about it. As for my housemate, we lived together just fine. She was a good housemate but I felt sorry for her for leaving her for a few months whenever I had to go on tours with the boys.

"Our lease is almost up," she reminded me when I got home the other night.

"Is the landowner willing to renew the lease?" I asked.

"Yes. But they are going to raise the rent," she informed me.

"How much?" I asked warily. With paying rent and dancing classes, I still could save some money for my father, but if the rent was raised considerably, then I would have to stop going to dance lessons. My housemate then recited a certain number and I was relieved. I could still afford the rent with my current wage. "Thank goodness they don't raise it too much," I said. "Do you want to keep living here with me?"

She nodded eagerly, "Of course. This place is small but it's homey. What about you?"

I nodded as well, "I will as well. I can't find another roommate as nice as you."

I was glad that everything started to come together as planned that I completely forgot about my mother. In my defense, I never told her about my plan to come to Korea and since I was busy, I've declined all her calls before. I texted her that I was busy working and usually she didn't pester me any longer. I called my father several times already and he was happy that I could adjust to my new life easily. I've sent him pictures from the tours and he was glad that I was able to see the world now. He felt bad as he didn't have much money when I was growing up, so I stayed mostly in Christchurch, even during holidays. But now, I got to see the world on my own and my father couldn't be any happier. However, even though I took extra precaution regarding my mother, she still found a way to give me troubles.

YUGYEOM

I didn't pay attention to my surrounding when I stepped inside the company. I didn't notice the ruckus that happened at the lobby, until a familiar figure came into my peripheral view. I ripped out my earphones and tried to register what was happening in front of me. I saw en elderly woman, maybe in her 50s, getting into an argument with the security guard. From what I could hear, she insisted that her daughter was working here and she insisted for her to get down at the lobby to meet her. The security guard asked her to call her daughter but she said that she didn't have her number that was why she was coming to the company. As the security guard tried to take her out of the building, I saw a familiar figure lurking in the corner.

"What are you doing here, noona?" Kayla noona jumped when my voice reached to her ear. She didn't realize I was standing behind her until I opened my mouth.

She rubbed her chest and glared at me immediately before putting a finger in front of her lips, "Shuushhh!!" She gestured me to hide behind her so I obeyed but peeked at what she was looking at curiously.

"What are you looking at?" I saw her line of sight and it was on the lady in the lobby. "Do you know her?" I pointed at the lady who was now trying to yank herself free from the security guard's grip.

"No," her lips turned into tight line but she still eyed her carefully. "I'm just curious."

"Then why do you keep watching? I bet the security guard can handle her." Just as those words came out from my mouth, my phone rang. It was Jaebeom hyung. When I picked the call, I saw a flash of worry in her eyes. Did she make a mistake? I put the phone on my ear and answered it, "Yes, hyung? What's up?"

"Do you see Kayla?"

I eyed Kayla noona once again. Did she really get into trouble that was why Jaebeom hyung was looking for her? "Yes, I see her. What's wrong?" I saw her raise an eyebrow at the mention of her name and mouthed what? But I shrugged as response.

"Tell her to come to see me. You too as well."

I turned off the phone and Kayla noona bombarded me with questions immediately. "Who's that? Is that Jaebeom oppa? What did he say?"

I looked at her with the same puzzling look on my face, "He wants to see both of us." I saw her gulped at the news, which made it more suspicious. "Are you getting in some trouble? Is that why he wants to see us?" I questioned but she waved and gestured me to move.

"Come on, we don't want to keep him waiting. It'll be bad for us."

When we arrived at the meeting room, he was already there with Jinyoung hyung and Kayla noona's team leader. Jaebeom hyung motioned us to take a seat before he started.

"I believe you guys know about the ruckus at the lobby?" He paused to see both of us nodded. I noticed Kayla noona's face turned pale at his question. Jaebeom hyung then turned to face noona, "Then, I believe you knew who that lady was?"

I watched in confusion as Kayla noona nodded again. I couldn't help but to interrupt, "Wait, you knew? I thought you said that you didn't know her." Suddenly a thought came into my mind, "Wait a minute, was that your mother? The one that lived in Korea?"

Her face turned even paler now, if that was possible. She nodded again and I heard Jaebeom hyung drew a big breath.

"Well, then let's cut to the chase," her team leader spoke, making our heads turned to see him now. "Do you know why she was making a scene at the lobby? Will she keep doing that? Because if she did, it will disturb the whole company and if that's keep going on, we have no other choice but to.. ," her team leader didn't finish his sentence as both me and her could guess what the rest of his sentence might be. We have to let you go. That was probably what he was going to say. No company wanted a disturbance in their working place. So the only solution to the problem was getting rid the disturbance. In this case, Kayla noona and her mother.