Stay | Tao

Three

"Mei, Hana!" Our boss called.

"Yes?" We answered in unison.

"I need you two to go with the boys to their photoshoot after you're done with making them look pretty, just in case there's some kind of makeup or hair related issue," she explained. I couldn't believe my ears. I'd never been asked to tag along.

"I don't want to go though," Hana whined.

"Fine, then, do you want me to ask Eun Sun if she'd like the bonus?"

"No! I'll go!"

"That's what I thought. Now, I need you girls to listen to the boys and help out with stuff on set. No talking back to photographers, managers, or the boys. I have informed everyone that you will be helping and taking orders. If I hear that either of you were misbehaving you will both be in trouble, understand?"

"Yes, Ms. Lee!" We both bowed.

~

"This is so boring," Hana complained, "We already did their hair and makeup and now we have to keep doing hair and makeup."

"It's kind of fun."

"Hey!" A photographer pointed at me, "Wipe his sweat for me!"

"Aren't you a hairstylist? Shouldn't they make the makeup lady touch my face?" Chen asked as I dabbed a towel on his face.

"Well, actually I went to beauty school for hair and makeup, I just prefer hair."

"You seem young though."

"I went to beauty school while I was in high school."

"Chen! Back on set!"

"On second thought, all of this yelling is giving me a headache," I took a bite of the donut I had been eating.

"Hair fix!" Another photographer called.

"The messy look is not agreeing with me today," Tao smiled at me.

"Maybe I didn't use enough hairspray," I did that on purpose so I'd be able to spend more time with him on set.

"You've got frosting on your lip, Mei," Tao grabbed a napkin from the photographers table and wiped my lip with it before I could object.

"Oh, thanks."

"Hurry it up!" The photographer shouted.

"Oh, yes, you have to be super fast, like in the car races when the cars stop all those mechanic guys have to change tires and such in like fifteen seconds."

"I can't reach the top of your head. Sit down," he sat down it the chair as I sprayed and teased at his hair, "All finished. Also, don't compare me to a mechanic."

"Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that, forgive me," He pulled me into an embrace before getting back in front of the camera.

After two grueling hours the photoshoot was finally over, but we still had to wait to be dismissed, "That bonus better be for a lot. That was awful."

"Who's complaining now. Not like you have a reason to complain, getting all lovey dovey with one of the glittery k-pop boys," Hana opened her phone, "Oh no."

"Oh no?" I questioned, "Why are you saying oh no?"

"I'll be right back," she walked over to Chanyeol and Baekhyun, frantically pointing at her phone screen and mumbling things, then proceeded to motion Tao over. I couldn't stand them talking about the "oh no" situation behind my back.

"Unnie? What's so oh no?"

"You're stupid!" she shoved her phone screen in my face.

"EXO's Tao in a relationship with his hairstylist?" I read, somebody has taken pictures of us when he was wiping frosting off of my lip and when he hugged me, "Nobody's gonna believe that! It's just stupid rumors. Why am I stupid?"

"You're both stupid!" Baekhyun butted in, "PDA in a public place is dangerous! You're both going to be in trouble."

He was right. When Ms. Lee came to pick us up she would probably chew my ass. She had told me when I first got this job that it would be wise to not get close to the members, because you never know when there's paparazzi. What if I get fired and never get to see Tao or the other boys  ever again?

"Don't worry, I'll take responsibility," Tao said.

~

"Huang Zitao!" Me and Tao sat next to each other at the salon, being scolded by our managers. His manager spit a lot when he yelled and was yelling at Tao in Chinese.

"Sorry, to interrupt, sir, " I mumbled in Chinese, "But I am fluent in Chinese."

"Really?" he asked, "Are you Chinese?"

"Yes, I was born in Shangzheng."

"This might be good," he switched back to speaking in Korean.

"I don't like my girls being involved in rumors," Ms. Lee pointed at Tao, "You, keep your hands to yourself. Do you understand me?"

"What if I don't?" He smirked.

"Zitao! Show some respect!"

Tao flinched, "I understand, Noona."

"Anyways," Tao's manager continued, "I'm not saying we should confirm the rumor,  but if we were to confirm the rumor we would get a lot of publicity."

"But the rumor isn't true," I stated.

Ms. Lee paced and used a lot of hand motions as she talked, "So what you're saying is, if we confirm the rumor, it'll get more publicity for my salon and EXO?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"I think I may be open to this," she smirked.

"Don't we get a say in this?" Tao folded his arms.

"Okay, you get a say, but if you say no, Mei loses her job," Ms. Lee raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't want that," He sighed, "Fine, confirm the rumor."