Matter of Harmony || Oneus Seoho

The Hypocrite, the Manipulator, and the Delusional (11)

Yuri PoV

However hard I try I can't stop daydreaming about Xion. I know it's dangerous for my heart to fall for his flowery words but however many times I repeat that to myself I seem to be unable to wipe the silly smile I get imagining our date. I jump as someone taps me on the shoulder.

"Hello Yuri," the guy grins. It's a familiar face but it takes me a while to remember from where."I'm Sungho. Your greatest fan." I gave the guy an autograph and a photo a few weeks ago. "You looked really happy just now, I thought you were smiling at me." He scratches the back of his neck. There's something wrong with his vibe. I can't put my finger on it but it feels like his actions have a weird fervor. He smiles a bit too hard. His breath comes short as if he ran and...

I don't have too much time to contemplate because Seoho comes between the two of us and drags me back to the set, saying the director's looking for me. "What's the hurry?" I ask "What do you mean? Mrs. Park asked to see you urgently. Who was that guy?" "He's a fan." Seoho pushes me toward the director's direction but I turn back before I leave "Seoho, I think there's something weird with that guy..." "Jeez, our superstar! Already looking down on the common folk." He shakes his head as he rushes off to do another task.

Xion's PoV

It doesn't take much effort to find the high school Seoyeon goes to. "It's surprising someone with her social status attends the Yeon high school." "Find out who finances it." The private investigator smiles knowingly "I thought you might ask me to so I already did, her brother pays. He works multiple jobs but it still doesn't add up, the monthly rate of that school..." "I know," I cut him off "You did a good job, I'll handle things from here."

Seoho's PoV

Sitting between Hyunwoo and Junghoon in the meeting room I read the articles of the contract. The lady who scouted our band is in the room too but the ones in control seem to be the executive and the lawyer. I pull the cuffs of the suit jacket I'm wearing, it's so rare for me to dress up like this.

"Can we talk in private?" Asks Hyunwoo the drummer. The wheels of the chairs scrape the marble ground as the group gets up to leave. Junghoon seems ready to sign already.

"I mean the majority vote article seems ok. Any decision we'll make will need at least two of us to vote yes. But I don't like the clause about terminating the contract." "What? Are you planning to leave the band Hyunwoo?" Junghoon chimes "It's not about planning to do a thing, things can go wrong..."Hyunwoo replies. They start bickering as I'm pulled into my internal dilemma. If I sign I can finally relieve myself and my family of financial burdens. I could even cut my ties with Kang Yoonah completely. I could tell Yuri. But Hyunwoo is right. The clause bothers me as well. We asked for a change but they were firm about it. Naturally, they want to get the most out of the contract. All this time I've been the one to turn down the offers we got and now... My heart seems to have made a decision already.

"You're both fine with the majority vote rule so let's vote on it." "Sounds good, let's vote," "I vote yes." I raise my eyes to look at the two men and talk before Hyunwoo can answer "I say yes as well." Both of them look surprised by my haste. I shrug "This is an opportunity of a lifetime, besides, don't you want to get the reward for all the hard work we did all these years? They gave us full creative freedom so they should get something out of the contract. They want to know that we are a stable investment." We sit there in silence for a while.

Finally, Hyunwoo speaks "I know the majority vote's been established already but I vote yes. You have convincing points. As long as we watch out for each other what could go wrong?" Junghoon clasps our shoulders and leans in "Let's give ourselves a cheer." We stack our hands on top of one another's as we always do before performances "Let's do this!" "Let's do it!" I cheer while we raise our hands in unison.

We celebrate all night. It's past midnight when I finally arrive at my apartment and check my phone. A missed call from Seoyeon and a voice recording: "Hey Seoho, you wanted me to let you know if I see that handsome guy from last week again. He came to visit Kang Yoonah. They left together."

Just as I guessed... It wasn't a one-time thing. Xion is scheming something with Kang Yoonah.

...

I am talking to Yuri about our weekend plans as we walk into the set together. Xion comes out of nowhere and snakes his arm around Yuri's hip casually. "So after dinner, we can go to a karaoke bar." I continue.

Xion looks into my eyes as he runs a teasing finger down the side of her face. He tilts her head to look up at him. How childish do you need to be? Not like I come between their relationship in any way... "What day are you talking about?" he pulls some puppy eyes off like it's second nature "I was hoping we'd spend the weekend together." I can only stand so much of his pointed skinship so I walk away.

When I finally get Yuri alone she keeps talking about him. I'm walking her home and she has a skip in her step. Xion this—Xion that, how he took her to dig time capsules, how the seafood restaurant his family owns is fantastic, how she loves it when he gets shy, how he gets angry when she reminds him that he's younger than her. I stop in my tracks. It takes a moment for her to realize.

When she turns toward me there's a pure brightness in her eyes. It may be just the reflection of the streetlight but all I see is her love. Her love for another man. Her love for someone who's deceiving her...

I squeeze my fists. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Alright," "I don't think he's the person you think he is. I think he's putting on a front." "I thought we already discussed..." "This is not the men are dangerous speech, Yuri. I saw him. When I went to the Kang manor to drop Seoyeon off, he was there... He met with your mom." The smile that lingered on her face until this point is wiped away so fast, I get whiplash.

"Don't call her that. You know more than anyone..." "Sorry, I meant to say Kang Yoonah. Old habits. She said some weird things to him, and I can't stop thinking that he's planning something with her. Why would he go there otherwise..." "Because she invited him Seoho. I don't know why you're so suspicious of him.

Old habits die hard indeed, you did this when I started dating Keonhee as well, you hated him at first and oddly now you two seem to be getting along just fine... It's as if my relationships annoy you. As if you don't want me to be happy." I take her hands in mine "No—Yuri. You know I think you deserve the world, it's just that... She told him to think about an offer."

"How do you know she wasn't offering him something to stay away from me?" Because I've seen the confident look in his eyes when he walked past me that night. Because Kang Yoonah reprimanded me for asking about their conversation, because he went to her again. Because he keeps making a show of marking his territory when I'm around...

"He's keeping secrets from you, he didn't introduce himself, and now this.." "He told me." Her face is as cold as a December night as she pulls her hands away "Please don't ever bring this up again." "But he.." I start to say, he went there again. "No! Why—why do you assume he's the bad guy and not Kang Yoonah? Anything else you say on this will only make me angry at you. So please stop."

Then she turns to leave "I'll walk the rest of the way alone. It's only a few minutes from here." I watch as she disappears from my sight. I watch as my chance to protect her from Kang Yoonah's schemes disappears. What a hypocrite I am. I'm the one with the big secret after all. He told her as he said he would. I handled that terribly, but I can't begin to imagine what I should have done differently.