The Contract // Ricky X OC // ZB1 ✔️

28. Dad?

We were back in Korea. We were currently getting ready for our next comeback. We'd gone to the Hanteo Awards and it was the worst smelling event we'd ever been too. I hope next years one isn't like that. Today I was out shopping for some accessories to see what there was. It was getting up to our one year in a few months and I wanted to get everyone something. "Oh, my god. Aella." I heard someone say and I looked around. I was glad that I had my manager with me. I then landed my eyes on a teenage girl.

"Hi, are you a Starlight?" I asked her with a smile and she nodded at me.

"I am. Your my bias can you sign a photo card for me?" She asked and I looked at her with a smile. She started to get her photo card out. It was me.

"Of course I can." I said to her with a smile. She gave me a pen and I signed it for her with a smile on my face. I liked having interactions like this.

"Thank you so much. I can't wait for the comeback. I'll be listening and voting for you guys." She said as she walked off and I continued with my shop. When I left to go to a coffee shop that's when I heard my name again.

"Aella. Ae!" I heard a man shout and that's when I looked around. "It is you." He said and that's when it took me a few seconds. That's when I realized who it was.

"Dad?" I asked and I saw a smile on his face. He was currently stood outside the coffee shop I was heading too.

"Aella, it's been too long since I saw you. Let me buy you a drink. We should have a catch-up." He said to me and that's when I looked at him. I didn't know what to say to him. I ordered my drink and we sat down. It was silent. No one knew who to speak first. "I saw you on a billboard early. I didn't realize you'd become an idol or that you were even training." He said to me and I looked at him.

"Well it's never been a secret. People knew for a few years. I'd been auditioning since I was 15." I said to him and he nodded at me. Trying to work out what he was doing.

"I'm sorry I didn't know. I was listening to some of your songs earlier. They're good." He said to me and I nodded at him.

"I'm glad you think so." I said to him and he looked at me.

"I take it someone writes and makes the songs for you guys and you just sing it." He said and I let out a laugh.

"No, we make it all ourselves. Which is why our lyrics are all very personal to us all." I said to him and he nodded trying to take that in. "Why did you leave?" I asked him and he looked at me. That was the one question that he didn't want me to ask.

"I had no choice. I needed to continue with my business in Hong Kong. You must understand that. You wouldn't give up your whole career to move for your family would you?" He asked me and I shook my head at him in disbelief. I couldn't believe it. He left us for work. For work.

"I would give it up because family is more important. But I'm to young for that yet. And I know that if I ever had to choose between the two I'd pick family. Because no job would be worth it." I said to him and he looked down. He knew that whatever he was going to say next. I wouldn't pay attention to it. It wasn't for me. I showed no interest.

"I see. I promise I tried to make it work when I moved over there but it just wasn't home. I didn't take to it like your mother did so I went back. You can't say that since being here you haven't wanted to go home." He said to me and I looked at him.

"I did for a week. Because I didn't debut when I was supposed to but I waited it out. I knew it was for a reason. That's when after my hard week was over, I got to work harder for what I wanted and it worked out. I was casted on a survival show. Fought for weeks to get to where I needed to be and came first. But you wouldn't understand that." I said to him and he looked at me. Leaning forwards.

"But I want to understand. So please tell me all about it." He said to me and I looked around the cafe.

"It's funny how for years you never wanted to show any interest now calls. No letters or anything but now you come waltzing into my life. You've had years to do that. But you choose now. Have you even gone to see Soren, Aziel or Zion yet?" I said to him and he could tell this wasn't going to be the conversation he thought it was.

"No, I wanted to come see you first. My little star." He said and that's when I could understand what he's intentions were.

"No, that's it. You only came here because you saw me on a billboard and wanted to come and get seen with me. You only came here because of that." I said to him and he didn't even say anything. "So I am right? That's the only reason you came." I said to him and he looked down.

"I didn't want this to happen this way." He said and I stood up. Making my manager look over to me.

"Well I did and I'm leaving. I can't believe you. I thought you were meant to be my dad." I said as I started to leave the cafe. With tears in my eyes.

"Aella! Aella please!" He shouted but it was too late. I was already gone. I kept walking that's when the manager got me into a car and we went back to the dorm. That's when I saw that Zion was calling me.

"Guess what." He said when I answered the call.

"Tell me. I won't be able to guess." I said to him and I could hear the excitement in his voice.

"So two months ago if you remember. MOD was hosting auditions for the new boy group. Well I didn't tell you but I'd auditioned and now I'm currently in my dorm room near the company. I start training tomorrow." He said to me and I was in shock.

"Zion I'm so proud of you. Hopefully you get to debut soon." I said to him and he sighed.

"Well if I do get to debut it'll be in a couple months." He said to me and that's when I knew he'd be worrying.

"And you are a ridiculously good singer. You will get it." I said to him and we kept talking. I knew that he would be worrying but he was talented. More than anyone. Sometimes more than me. But his chances of debuting would be higher than anyone.