Chasm.| Seo Changbin

Eight.

Third day of shooting the music video and Stella was done. She was so tired and so worn out. She had slept only three hours in the past two days. It was the last day of shooting, but she was making mistakes because of how tired and distracted she was. The director saw how terrible she was doing and decided to pause the shooting so she could rest a little. But that was useless too.

It was only an hour break and she couldn't even rest properly cause they were shooting in an open location with no rooms, so she was using a campervan. A campervan in the middle of an open location, under the hot sun that refused to set, with people walking up and down the location, talking and yelling. In conclusion, her eyes didn't even close. She huffed and pushed herself up from the sofa she was resting on. She looked around at the contents of her campervan. It was a mess all around with her outfits, seats, mirrors, boxes of makeup and hair products, and so on.

Her eyes landed on the small window and she smiled. It had a very little lock that Changbin installed from the inside to make sure no one could use that window for any sneaky actions. Without even trying to find out, she was sure that if she opened the door of her campervan, she would find him planted by it as if he were a tree, eyeing people up and down as if he were an eagle.

Stella stood up and walked to the door, ready to open it and exit the campervan since it was useless to stay inside. She wasn't sleeping anyway. As she approached the door, she heard Changbin's voice from behind it.

"I can't show you around the location, buddy." Changbin talked.

"But, whhhhhyyyy?" A little boy's whining echoed. It sounded like Changbin was having a phone call with some kid and the call was on the speaker. Stella inched closer and stuck her ear to the door.

"Cause I'm not allowed to disclose anything that happens here for their security." Changbin replied.

"And what kind of threat may a twelve-year-old kid do for your lovely idol?" The boy whined for more.

"Stop the hell being childish!" A female yelled through the phone. Stella jerked and leaned to the door for more. The voice seemed young but not childish. "When are you coming?" She asked.

"I'm working." Changbin huffed.

"And when does this work end?" She demanded.

"It doesn't, Naeun." He replied in an annoyed yet kind tone. "You know what my work is and how I have to stay with my client all the time."

"But you promised you'd visit!" She snapped. "You promised we'll meet and that you being away doesn't mean abandoning us!"

"And I kept my promise of keeping contact, Naeun! I'm trying here. But you know, especially you, how I work. Plus, I just met you a month ago before you traveled abroad. Now you are back and you want to see me the first thing? It's not fair."

"And it is fair to leave us alone?"

"You have each other. You always had. With or without me, you are not alone." Changbin talked calmly and sweetly as if he was trying to absorb her anger.

"Can't you just take a couple of days off? I want to tell you what happened on our vacation." She sounded like a child now.

"You can always tell me over the phone." Changbin replied. "And I can't take days off."

"She's an idol! Not some nuclear scientist. She can do without you for a couple of days."

"An idol, a nuclear scientist, or even a kid," He stressed his words. "She's still my client that I'm devoted to and it's my duty to serve."

Stella scoffed. She didn't know who the hell was that one speaking to on the phone, but she really seemed to be childish and whiney. Was she his girlfriend? If so, he really needed to reconsider this relationship where he wasn't given a break.

Deciding not to eavesdrop for more, Stella stood back. If you think she stood back to give him privacy, you are wrong. She stood back to open the door and jump outside and hear this stupid conversation clearer cause she just felt involved since that female looked down on her profession and couldn't see the need for Changbin to be with her.

Poor Changbin jolted when the door opened like that and Stella jumped out of the campervan. Just then, she noticed that Changbin was actually on a video call. And her curiosity just peeked up to see who the female was.

Changbin was looking at Stella with wide eyes as she walked closer to him and looked down at the screen of his phone.

"HOLLY MOLLY!" The whiny boy cheered through the phone. "Is that Stella herself?"

Stella flinched, she didn't know that boy was still on the line. Changbin snapped out and lifted the phone to his face, making Stella out of the front camera range. "I have to go, buddy."

"Hey, wait!" The boy yelled. "Let me say hi! Pleeeeeeease."

Changbin looked from his phone to Stella who nodded at him. Sighing in defeat, he handed her the phone. Stella received it with a smile and lifted it up to her face.

"Hello there," She waved at the screen. There was the loud boy and a pushy girl beside him. A girl! A girl who was nothing more than a high school student. Stella gave Changbin a weird look and then looked back at the screen. That can't be his girlfriend, right? No way!

"OH GOD!" The boy yelled. "I love you soooo much. I have all of your albums. I have the lightstick and subscription to the official Fanclub. I even attended the online concert last March. Legally, for sure. I watched all your dramas and I'm really looking forward to your next one. You look GORGEOUS, Oh God!"

"Oh, wow!" Stella chuckled, taken aback by how the boy almost rapped. "You look like a loyal fan." She smiled sincerely at him. By his side, there was the girl who poured daggers into Stella's face. "Hello to you too." Stella waved at the girl.

The girl scoffed, stood up, and walked away.

Stella blinked and looked at the boy with an awkward smile.

"Sorry about her," The boy smiled sheepishly. "She's just pissed cause she misses Changbin sooooo much. But it's okay. We understand how his line of work is tough and how it's ESSENTIAL for him to stay by your side." The boy buffed his chest proudly. "I can guarantee that you are in good hands and protected at all costs. Changbin is the best of the best. He once managed to suppress an attack o-"

"Hey, hey!" Changbin yelled and snatched the phone. "That's confidential, buddy!" He glared at the boy.

"Sorry! Hehe!" The boy chuckled.

"I have to go." Changbin said. "See you soon, bud!" Before the boy could protest, Changbin cut the line. With a loud sigh and dropping shoulders, Changbin looked at Stella. "He's so chatty. And he's a big fan of you." He then gave her a little smile. "Thank you for talking to him. It really means a lot. He would be happy for the next five years at least." Changbin smiled gratefully. "Thank you, ma'am."

Aside from the irritating formalities that he was still using, he smiled at her.

And that was a first.