boy in seoul

chapter eight

Kien sat there in awe.

They all sat in awe. Staring at their phones. Witnessing how the revelation about Kien's friend spread. Everyone sat except Dang.

He was walking up and down the room staring at his phone. It irritated the others but Kien didn't even register. He was mesmerized by Marc's little interview.

Where did Marc learn that? As far as Kien knew he wasn't trained to speak like a professional. He was a manager. As a manager, you probably had to learn how to deliver things in a certain way as well, but Marc delivered their story like an actor. Like it was the most normal, unspectacular event in history. A nice one but nothing special.

With one sentence he obliterated almost all the rumors that something romantic was going on between them. The conservative and religious groups disappeared from the stage and the word gay only fell in the past tense. Like the time he stepped into the dressing room at KBS Marc pulled focus. So much so that Kien's name only appeared in connection with him.

The tone on social media changed completely. It mesmerized everyone that a normal man could become an idol's friend that easily. Especially the fans were clinging on to that small string of hope telling them that their dream of knowing their Idols one day was not impossible. They described it as the friendship between a 'commoner' and a 'royal', which didn't sit well with Kien. He was a normal person, too and Marc was no 'commoner'. Marc was his friend.

Marc was his savior. Kien's manager had taken so long that he and his teammates had been going crazy with worry. They saw their career imploding. The little meeting they had with their manager in the morning hadn't lessened their worry. It had amplified it.

That's the reason why Kien's nerves were raw and why Dang was carving a trail into the floor. Although Kien suspected Dang was not just so restless because of this. He was the only one who knew Kienwas actually gay. He was the only one that knew how they just dodged a complete irreversible disaster.

Now with Marc's statement, the news would speak of this little misunderstanding for a few days but then something else would take its place. It was the entertainment industry. A new scandal was just around the corner.

Suddenly a ring disrupted the tense atmosphere of the room and everyone stared at Kien who stared at the phone in his hand.

"Who is it?" Jong-Hun asked. It was obvious that he wanted to know if the call meant bad or good news.

"Marc," Kien said. He could see Jong-Hun relaxing whileDang contorted his face. Uncomfortable to take the call in the room with the others, Kien stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Then he took the call.

"Hi," he said his voice wary. Before Kien could take the next breath in Marc asked:

"Did it help?" Marc came through eager sounding hopeful.Immediately Kien found himself smiling despite his dark mood. Just by hearing his voice, Kien felt better, safer.

"Immensely, thank you," Kien said.

"That's good. I hope I didn't say too much. It was kind of an impulsive decision to make that interview. You know the rumors became pretty wild and your company didn't do anything. I just couldn't take it anymore. Thinking that you would sit at home reading all this. I had to do something."

For a moment both fell silent. Kien was watching the waterdrops running down freshly washed dishes. His mind at the fact that Marc did really care about him. Almost like a boyfriend. Or was that just the rumor that put these thoughts in his head.

"Why didn't your manager do something?" Marc asked suddenly. Kien thought he could hear some kind of anger but he just couldn't picture Marc being angry. Maybe he was just frustrated the same way he and his teammates were.

"We don't know," Kien sighed, „After the meeting, we had with him, he was called somewhere and since then, we haven't heard from him."

"An amazing manager he is." The comment dripped from all the sarcasm Marc put in it.

„Yeah, he is," Kien laughed but the moment he noticed he forced himself to swallow the laugh. He looked around and listened for a moment if the others had heard his laugh. This was not the time to laugh. They wouldn't appreciate that. He knew Marc had heard it but he hoped Marc hadn't noticed the sudden stop of his laugh because he was sure Marc would want to talk about it.

"You know, I like it when you l..."

"Thank you again," Kien quickly interrupted Marc.

"You're welcome. I just hope that no real damage was done."

"I don't think so." Quickly he went over everything that the rumors said and ascertained that Marc's story had left no loose ends for speculation. But then he remembered the moment just a few hours ago when Jung Lee had mentioned his parents in the meeting. What they would think of all the rumors. As if he had to put more guilt onto the massive pile Kien was already accumulating himself.

„I just hope my parents didn't get wind off the rumors," Kien said quietly more to himself than to Marc.

"You mean because of the boyfriend thing?"

"Yes, that too. This was also the first time I was involved in a rumor. I don't know how they would react."

"Don't worry," came Marc's unbothered voice, „Everyone is dealing with me right now."

"I guess. But won't your friends and family from Vancouver be surprised?"

A second of heavy silence followed. "I don't think so," Marc said his voice hard and sad.

„Sorry, I didn't ...," Kien started to apologize.

„Don't worry. I see you."

Kien was expecting Marc to hang up immediately but he didn't hear the end signal. Then suddenly Marc whispered:

„Be safe. I'll text you."

Then the call was disconnected.