feel me | yeonbin

015

Present day

Working at Alloy & Ink now is a shitshow. Soobin can't even come and go from the shop without being followed, phones and recorders shoved in his face for comment on the tape, on Yeonjun or his plans for the future. Or, his favorite, about Daeul and what he and Soobin think of each other.

Soobin knows what he thinks of Daeul but he'll never say it out loud, and he can imagine what Daeul thinks of him. Especially now.

He shakes off a few reporters and some self- proclaimed sleuths from the Internet on his way back from getting a coffee, all hoping for some kind of inside info from him. It's been like this for days, and every time he thinks he's gotten used to it, someone has to push too far.

There's always at least one idiot who can't shut their mouth.

"You and Choi Yeonjun haven't been together for at least two years, correct? At least, not since he started seeing Lee Daeul," asks one woman, her phone shoved directly in Soobin's face as he tries to dodge around her. Her high ponytail swings as she darts backward, staying in front of him as he walks. She's young. Probably just eager. Still not an excuse to behave like an asshole. "My question for you is this: why would a video like that still exist if you two aren't together anymore? Wouldn't you want to delete things like that?"

Soobin ignores her, his eyes on Alloy & Ink's sign as he approaches. The red string tattoo on his finger seems to tingle as the journalist keeps pace with him.

"Leaks like this usually come from the personal files of one of the two parties involved," she says, a pleasant smile on her face, like she's not asking the most invasive questions ever. "So if it came from one of you, why does it still exist? Were you holding onto memories or was he? And if he was, why? What must Lee Daeul think of that, if it was Choi Yeonjun?"

Soobin freezes with his hand on the front door of Alloy & Ink, his blood boiling, face hot with rage. This shit is already irritating enough. It's already dehumanizing to be looked at like an animal in a zoo, but now they're trying to poke the bear that is Lee Daeul too.

"I don't speak for Lee Daeul, nor do I speak for Yeonjun. But if you're suggesting that Choi Yeonjun isn't absolutely loyal to the people he loves, then you would be wrong," Soobin says as he yanks the front door open. "You might wanna look into getting a new career. With the theories and leads you're spinning, you won't get far in this one."

The girl's eyes go wide and she takes a step back, mouth snapping shut. A few other people linger nearby, obviously listening in, and then Soobin slips inside and shuts the door. He white-knuckles his coffee as he locks the door and heads for the back of the shop.

Can't even go for a walk anymore..

"Hey," Kai says, arms thrown up in the air as Soobin joins him in the break room. He looks winded, like he's been running laps around the shop. "What the hell was that?"

"Exactly what it looks like," Soobin says with a glance over his shoulder.

Kai shakes his head at the sight, hands on his hips. If he could, he would probably go out and physically fight every person who comes poking around. "Why aren't you answering your texts?"

"Shit, sorry, I put my phone on silent. I've been getting bombarded with offers for damn near everything lately," Soobin says as he fishes his phone out. He sees Kai's texts before he pockets it again, but doesn't bother to read them. He would rather talk face to face about whatever it is. "Interviews, TV appearances, modeling, acting. Pretty sure that last one was actually for porn. They were vague, but it was obvious."

"Damn," Kai sighs, falling back on the doorframe. "Well, I just talked to Ahyeon about everything. All the publicity, the people coming by trying to book appointments with you, the influx of attention on social media. It's crazy."