Finding Trouble

"JayB-ya? Are you there? I'm asking you're up for the role." The director asked again seeing that I became silent over the matter.

It's not that I was shocked or that I was speechless about the offer. It's just that the drama Goblin is one of the most talked about Korean dramas of all time in the previous world. Not only did it strike so much attention because it was popular, it was also because of the casting itself. Even the location selected and the story line were all carefully planned out. It was one of those dramas that their OSTs were all nominated AND awarded. In short, the drama helped the Korean drama industry make its debut in several countries. Especially in Asia. It was the next best thing after Boys Over Flowers.

I knew this because I watched the show myself, and I've got to admit that it was indeed something you'd remember. Going back to the role that was offered to me, I guess the director had it all well thought off since it's a role that didn't require a lot of scenes, but I didn't want to play it. It's because I knew a person who deserved to take this role. He really did a great job portraying the character in the previous world, and based on his acting skills in this world, I think he'd fit the role perfectly. Knowing this, I wasn't planning on taking it away from him.

"Ah! Sorry about that, Kamdong-nim (film director). I suddenly remembered a friend of mine who'll definitely fit the role. After all, our company has prevented us from taking on some projects because of the upcoming tour. Nevertheless, the person I'm going to recommend will definitely surprise you. Do you mind if I make a recommendation?" I tried to convince him.

"Knowing your work ethics and how much of a perfectionist you are, you definitely just don't give recommendations just for anyone. This person must either really be a great actor or is a really good friend of yours." He chuckled as he tried to guess.

I chuckled in response. "He's actually both. So… what do you say, Kamdong-nim?"

He sighed as I could tell that he was disappointed but the recommendation also piqued his interest. "Alright. I'll tell the director who wanted me to contact you that you made this recommendation. So who do you have in mind?"

"Yook Sungjae from BTOB." I replied nonchalantly.

"Oh? That's an interesting suggestion. It really is." His voice sounded like a mixture of surprise and astonishment.

I could tell that the director was really curious about something so I decided to press on. "Is there something that has caught your attention?"

It somehow looked like he snapped from a deep thought since it took him a few seconds before he gave a reply. "Oh! It's nothing. It's just that, one of my director friends recommended him too. And the director who's filming Goblin also had him as a backup actor in case you turn the offer down."

"Really now? That really IS interesting. I guess Sungjae-ya's making a mark in the acting industry." I tried to convince the director further.

He chuckled in response. "If I didn't know any better, I think you're trying to help your friend earn this role."

"I don't know what you mean, Kamdong-nim." I pretended to be ambiguous.

"I'll hear you out and give my recommendation as well. I trust your decisions after all. Is it okay if I ask you to give him a heads up on my behalf?" The director asked.

I hummed in response. "Alright. No worries. I'll call him as soon as we drop this call."

"Alright. I've held you long enough. Thank you for your time, JayB-ya. I hope I get to work with you again someday." He said.

"No problem. Once the tour is done and you want me to do a cameo in one of your films, I'd gladly do it for free." I responded happily.

"I look forward to that. Take care, JayB-ya." The director hung up after that one. I guess Sungjae would owe me big time on this one. It'll help boost his popularity not just in music but especially in the film industry. It's a shame that I chose friendship over career on this one. This would have propelled Alpha's popularity by a mile. Well, I can't be TOO greedy. Plus, I can't juggle filming with the tour for the meantime.

"Who was it, hubby?" Dahyun asked as soon as I entered the car.

"It was the director for the previous drama that I starred in." I replied while pressing the start button.

She gave a curious look at me. "Did he want something? Are you going to be in a drama again?"

I shook my head in response. "It's impossible with the schedule we have right now. Besides, I think Sungjae-ya would fit the role better."

"Really? You recommended Sungjae-ssi for the role? You really do care about your friends more than yourself, don't you?" She giggled while turning the music on.

"I just thought that it would be nice if Sungjae would be in a drama again. He wanted to be an actor after all once BTOB disbands." I answered as I sped upon we reaching the highway..

Dahyun snapped her head towards me. "They're not disbanding, are they?"

"Of course not. Sungjae-ya's just thinking about the FAR future." I replied.

She nodded. "Alright. So what now?"

"Now, I'll try to give Sungjae-ya a call to see if he's up for it." I replied while tapping on the car's call button. "Call Yook Sungjae." I commanded the car's system.

The car speakers rang out a ringing tone. It went on for a while before the system told me that the user wasn't answering. I tried several more times before giving up. He must be busy with practice or filming. I guess I'll try again later. No rush. Soon, we arrived in front of Twice's old dorm. Dahyun's members were already carrying their luggage towards my member's cars. Since their stuff was already at the condo, all they needed to bring was bring their clothes which were all packed and ready.

There were five cars all in all including mine. Obviously, Dahyun was riding with me. Nayeon, Jihyo, and Matt-hyung were riding in Seiji-hyung's car. Zee was in charge of driving Zhang, Chaeyoung, and Momo over to the condo. Then there's Jeong Do's car where Mina, Dominic and Sana are riding in. And lastly, Yo Chul-hyung's car would host Jiwoo, Tzuyu and Jeongyeon. This was our car arrangement for tonight until we reach their new place. We loaded up their luggage inside our trunks and got to our assigned places. After making sure that everything was ready, we made our way to their new home.

_______

"You're kidding me." Chaeyoung uttered in disbelief.

Dominic chuckled. "Nope. We're not."

Mina turned to her boyfriend. "No way. I must be dreaming."

Her words made me shake my head. "Of course not. Welcome to your new home."

They were shocked and were overwhelmed at how huge and luxurious their condo was. After all, having two floors as their home wasn't a joke. It may be okay if it's a small place, what we gave them was really huge one. The reason why companies tend to have small dorm houses and apartments for their artists was to allow them to feel close with each other and it would be safer since they could keep an eye out for each other. Larger dorms would usually make the artists feel lonelier and more detached with their members. It was a psychological thing. But the girls also wanted to feel more free this time so it wasn't much of a big deal. They promised to be more transparent with each other this time.

After they've done marveling at the place, I cleared my throat. "So… you guys want to check out the rooms so you can choose which one you'll be taking?"

"That sounds great." Dahyun replied as she caressed my arm while she clung onto it.

We spent about 30 minutes touring the place. With every room we went into, the girls' faces turned bright. I could tell that they were really happy with this move. Their hesitation and doubts were soon replaced with smiles and laughter. It was nice watching them play around in every room while being amazed at the little things like hot showers, massaged chairs, and other things. It was nice to watch Dahyun smile like this after a long and tiring day. We soon went back to the living room to relax. We planned on just staying here for the rest of the night before heading back to our dorm.

"Since we're celebrating your new place. Shouldn't we have jajangmyeon for dinner?" Jiwoo suggested which everyone happily agreed.

Yo Chul-hyung smirked. "I know a great place to buy jajangmyeon."

Jeong Do rolled his eyes. "You ALWAYS know a great place to eat SOMETHING. You taste tested most of these places."

"True. But that doesn't mean that I'm biased with the food." Yo Chul-hyung replied.

Zee laughed out loud. "Yeah. I remember JayB-hyung inviting all of us when he opened his first hotel in Hong Kong. Yo Chul-hyung wasn't pleased with the food so he went to the kitchen and picked a fight with the head chef."

Jeongyeon snapped her head towards Yo Chul-hyung. "You did what now?"

Yo Chul-hyung shrugged. "I couldn't help it. I could taste the ingredients that were used. And most of them were either almost expired or WAY past the expiration date. He was buying off cheaper products to keep most of the money. That idiot got what he deserved when I slapped him on the face."

Chaeyoung shook her head in disbelief. "Remind me not to get on your bad side, Yo Chul-oppa."

Yo Chul-hyung wryly smiled at her. "You don't have to worry about it Chaeyoung-ah. I don't hit women."

I chuckled in response. "Still, imagine a twelve year-old slapping you across the face. I can't even begin to describe the feeling."

"Satisfaction. That's what it felt like." Yo Chul-hyung was beaming proudly with a smile as he seemed to have recalled what happened that day.

Dominic grimaced at the thought. "Speaking of which, what happened to that guy? I heard that that incident caused his license to be revoked."

Yo Chul-hyung nodded in response. "Of course. Any chef feeding garbage to anyone isn't worthy to be called one."

"Did you guys actually make a lot of enemies when you were younger?" Momo bluntly asked.

We all shied away from that question. The answer was an obvious resounding yes. It was either people who were out to destroy us, or us trying to fight corruption against other people. When we became known in our respective fields because of it. We made a pact that we wouldn't use our heads for our own benefits unless it was to defend something important to us. Greed and power never entered in our minds. Especially since we knew that it would come to haunt us again someday once we DID do something to feed our selfish desires. That's why we thankfully didn't cross that line.

"So… jajangmyeon? Yo Chul-oppa, do you have the number for that noodle place?" Jihyo must have seen how uncomfortable the question was for us. She immediately diverted the topic.

Yo Chul-hyung snapped out of his thoughts as he took out his phone. "Ah right. Here…"

We were a mess. Ordering jajangmyeon didn't end with ordering jajangmyeon. I didn't realize that we were THAT hungry until the moment we started ordering our food. We ended up ordering in three different restaurants. It was chaotic but fun at the same time. We had it all. Kimbap, sundae (cow intestines), tteokbokki, jokbal, and many more. We were supposed to prepare for our week-long diet next week. It was in preparation for our tour since we needed to be fit for it. Plus, there would be TV shows and other webTV appearances in different countries that would have us try out their food. So we needed to ready our stomachs for that too.

"You guys really are beasts when you're hungry." Seiji-hyung shook his head in disbelief.

Nayeon raised her eyebrow at him. "You're one to talk. I even saw you eat ten bowls of ramen all by yourself once."

"Ya! Im Nayeon! That happened once! Just once!" Seiji-hyung rebutted.

"Okay. That's enough, you two. Break it up. I don't want to see a broken table today." Sana separated the two. They usually bicker a lot. I don't really know why but they do.

Suddenly my phone started ringing. I checked to see who it was and saw Joy's name in the caller ID. Dahyun turned to see who it was. "Sooyoung-unnie? Why is she calling?"

I was confused as well. "I have no idea."

"Aren't you going to answer it?" She asked.

"I don't know. For some reason, I feel nervous." I replied honestly.

Dahyun held my hand. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"I'm not quite sure either. It's a gut feeling. Is it okay if I take this call here?" I asked Dahyun.

She smiled as she caressed my hand. "Of course. She's your best friend after all."

I gave her a nod before I answered the call. "Sooyoung-ie? I thought that you're busy with filmi-"

"Jin-ah! It's Sungjae-oppa! He's not picking up my calls!" Sooyoung worriedly said from the other end of the line. She seemed to be crying.

My heart started beating fast for some reason. "Calm down, Sooyoung-ah. I tried calling him earlier today. He didn't answer my calls either. I'm sure he's busy with practices or something."

"I tried calling his members. Peniel-oppa said that he wasn't with them. It's their day off. I'm scared, Jin-ah…" She started crying loudly again. I could hear her members from the other end who were trying to comfort her.

I sighed. "He must be out with some of our 95 line friends, or with his other friends."

"Don't you get it?! I tried calling everyone! They didn't see him nor have heard of him today! Even Jimin-oppa told me the same thing that you did. He didn't respond to any of his calls!" Sooyoung was starting to panic. She was extremely worried about something. Then it hit me.

"Sooyoung-ah… is there something that you're not telling me? You wouldn't act this way without any particular reason." I bluntly asked. My question suddenly made my members and Twice turn to me with a worried expression.

Sooyoung suddenly quieted herself before she gulped. "Earlier today… Dohwan-ssi and I were rehearsing for our… kissing scene. After we shot the scene, one of the producers approached me asking if I already saw Sungjae-oppa. She said that she was looking for me earlier today."

"So? Sungjae-ya isn't dumb enough to mix work with personal life. He knows your head over heels for him and this drama is plainly work for you. Why is he making a big deal out of this?" I angrily asked which Dahyun tried calming me down as she slowly started rubbing my arm.

Sooyoung then spoke which sounded almost as if it was a whisper. "We didn't practice our kissing scene on set. We were practicing it in our dressing room. Sungjae-oppa must have seen it and must have misunderstood it."

I tilted my head away from my phone and sighed heavily. Dahyun reminded me again to relax. I slowly placed the phone back. "Where are you?"

"I just got back to our dorm. Why?" She asked.

"Get dressed. We'll look for him. I'm also going to ask help from our friends. I'll pick you up in a few minutes." I told her before hanging up.

Dahyun worriedly held my hand. "What's wrong?"

I gave her a reassuring smile. "Sungjae-ya's missing. Sooyoung-ah's worried that he might have misunderstood something. I'm going to help her find Sungjae-ya."

"We'll go with you." Jeong Do suggested as he stood up.

I shook my head in response. "You guys stay here and enjoy the rest of the night. I'll be back before you know it."

Dominic grabbed my shoulder with a worried expression. "But JayB-ya…"

"Zee-ya, can you help me run some facial recognition from the floating cameras around the city? There's a PC in the guest room downstairs. You can use that." I told Zee before turning my attention to Dominic.

"It's better if a handful of us look for him. We don't want unwanted attention especially since our tour's almost here. People might be wondering why we're roaming around with Twice while looking for Sungjae-ya. It's safer if we do it." I told him before he responded with a hesitant nod. I gave Dahyun a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out.

I immediately went into our 95 line group chat…

JayB: Who's not busy?

Wheein: Music video filming Zzzz

S.Coups: In the company… recording with the rest of the members.

Jimin: I'm good to go. Are we going out to drink? Hang on. I'll get ready.

Eunbi: We're in Singapore for a tour. I can't make it. T.T

Jisoo: What's all the fuss about? I'm about to start filming soon. Can't talk. Sorry.

Johnny: We're in the States right now, JayB-ya. Can't make it. Enjoy though!

Yuta: Sorry about that.

Minhyun: Shinwon-ie, Dowon-ie and I are at the Treehouse. You guys want to come over?

Seolhyun: Pass. Some of the girls are with me here in one of the clubs of Itaewon. We're having a girl's night out. Are you guys coming or what?

Jisoo: And you didn't invite me… how thoughtful of you.

Seunghee: Didn't you just say that you were filming something?

Namjoo: (Sent a pic of Seolhyun, Sowon, and Seunghee with her)

Jimin: It would be weird if I go there without some of the guys. It would be super awkward. Plus, people might think that I'm dating one of you.

Sowon: (eyeroll emoji) As if. That would NEVER happen.

Nayeon: Sungjae-ya's missing. JayB-ya's going to look for him. He's not asking you guys to drink with him. So get a grip.

Jimin: What the heck?! Is that why he hasn't answered any of my calls?!

JayB: I need you guys to help me look for him. I'm picking up Sooyoung-ah and will head to BTOB's dorm. We'll start the search there. If you guys can come, that would be great.

V: Just woke up from my nap. I'm getting ready now with Jimin-ah. We'll meet you there.

Namjoo: Now I'm sober. We're quite a ways from there. But we'll search the area here instead. Just tell us where you're heading next and we'll meet you there.

Shinwon: We'll also go around the area near the tree house too. You know Sungjae-ya. He must be drinking somewhere new again.

JayB: Great. See you there. I'll text you guys later.

I got inside my car and breathed out the nerves. After sending BTOB's dorm location to the chat, I started heading to Red Velvet's dorm to pick up Joy. Hopefully Sungjae's fine and we're not too late.

________

"Are you sure? It would definitely raise suspicions." I asked the Red Velvet members who were insisting on coming with us to help find Sungjae.

I was in front of Red Velvet's apartment. They recently moved to a better and more secured apartment ever since Joy and Irene had some stalker issues. Thankfully, the company was able to find the people who were following them around and took legal actions. Now, not even one week has passed and they already have a new issue at hand which was finding Sungjae.

Wendy-noona nodded. "It would help widen the search perimeter."

I sighed in response. "It would only alert people and it would cause the media to snoop around. Besides our friends are also coming with us, so it's better if you guys stayed behind."

Seulgi-noona folded her arms. "JayB-ya, we're also doing this because it's weird for Sooyoung-ie to be alone in the car with you. After your little fiasco in Hong Kong days ago, I thought you'd be a little bit more cautious by now. Imagine what Dahyun-ie would think when she sees you two together."

When Seulgi-noona mentioned that, I suddenly thought about what Dahyun would feel. She must have been worried as well. Especially since Sooyoung was really in an emotional state right now. Maybe it's better if I brought some of her members for this. "Okay. But it would be great if some of you stayed just in case Sungjae-ya would show up at your dorm."

Irene-noona nodded. "Alright. Yeri-ya and I will stay behind. The rest of you guys will do the search."

"But I want to go with them." Yeri pouted.

Seulgi-noona glared at her. "Just stay put for now. Besides, weren't you tired after hanging out with your friends today?"

Yeri shook her head in response. "Nope."

Wendy-noona sighed. "Well, whatever. Just stay at home and help Irene-noona take care of the unpacking. Call us if ever Sungjae-ya shows up."

"Alright. Let's not waste any more time." I urged as I got inside the car. The rest of them followed suit. We soon made our way to BTOB's dorm. It was a quick ride since their dorm wasn't that far. Jimin's car was parked outside their dorm. He was standing outside the car while talking to Eunkwang-hyung. Taehyung was also beside him.

"Any luck?" I asked as soon as I got out of the car.

Jimin shook his head. "No, they haven't seen nor heard from him."

Eunkwang-hyung turned to see Seulgi-noona come out of the car. He narrowed his eyes. Seulgi-noona just raised her eyebrows at him in response. "Eunkwang-ssi."

"Seulgi-ssi." Eunkwang-hyung greeted back.

I alternately stared at the both of them. "Am I missing something here?"

Wendy-noona leaned in to whisper something. "Oh. They dated for a while about a year ago."

"It was a really short relationship though!" Eunkwang-hyung defended.

Seulgi-noona glared at him. "Why are you being so defensive? You weren't the one who was dumped, you know?"

I scoffed. "You dumped a girl? What is wrong with you?"

"So not cool." Taehyung shook his head in disbelief.

Eunkwang-hyung's jaw fell. "That is no-"

"Can we PLEASE focus on the problem at hand?!" Sooyoung angrily interjected. Seeing that she had our attention she then sighed. "Thank you."

"We should search the area first." Jimin suggested.

Eunkwang-hyung shook his head. "We already did. Our members are still searching for him as we speak."

Sooyoung then hugged herself. She was beginning to worry even more. "Do you at least have any idea where he could be? Any idea at all?"

He pondered for a while before he spoke. "He always drinks when he has a lot on his mind. I think he might be in one of these bars."

Taehyung took a look at one of the names of the bars and his eyes widened in surprise. "Three bars to check. I know where this one is though. I guess we can head there."

"Let's split up. You take that one. We'll check this one. I know the owner of the bar as well." Eunkwang-hyung suggested.

"Great. I'll check the last one. I'll just have to use the GPS to find it." I told them.

Jimin nodded. "Taehyung-ah, let's go."

Sooyoung then pulled me in. "We'll handle the search alone. Wendy-unnie, Seulgi-unnie, you should go with Eunkwang-oppa to search."

"Didn't you hear what I told you earlier?" Seulgi-noona angrily asked.

I sighed. "There's no time to think about this now. We'll be careful and wear disguises. If it fails we'll deal with the consequences later. Something might already have happen to Sungjae-ya the longer we wait."

Wendy-noona grunted. "Fine! Just be careful. Let's go."

We got into our cars and started heading to the different bars on the list. Hopefully, we'll find Sungjae. It was troublesome to go out these days since there were a lot of sasaeng fans who became more bold in acting out their plans ever since the Hong Kong incident. Apparently, the fan who stabbed me told the people who interviewed her that she only did it because she "loves" me. It must have given hope to the other sasaeng fans when they saw the interview footage. The past few days, the number of reports against sasaeng fans have increased. All the more reason to become more worried about Sungjae. I just hope that we're not too late.

________

"He's not here." Sooyoung said as soon as we met up again at the entrance of the bar.

"Let's check again. I'll check the bathroom this time." I replied to her.

Sooyoung and I were at the Boombar which was one of the classiest and most popular places in Seoul. This was definitely where most famous people and rich kids go to hang out. Although it wasn't packed since it was a weekday, there were still a lot of people coming over to hang out and have fun. Partying and drinking was actually common among the people of Seoul after all. It wasn't uncommon to bump into your favorite artists or actors here in this club. After going around checking every booth in the place. I went to check the bathroom again. Seeing that there was no sign of Sungjae, I went back out and spotted Sooyoung coming out of the bathroom as well.

"Still nothing?" I asked her.

She shook her head in response. "No sign of him."

"There is one place that we didn't check." I told her before staring at the area where we didn't check. Well, it was more like we COULDN'T check it.

After seeing where I was staring at, she snapped her head towards me. "No. No way. We can't go in there without revealing our identities."

"I thought you wanted to find him. I'll go check it out. You come with me. I can't just leave you here with guys who're eyeing you right now. I agreed to split up earlier since it would help us search faster. But seeing how these perverts are lusting over you, I'd rather have you near me." I bluntly told her.

Sooyoung turned around to see guys staring at him while whispering and smirking. "Alright. Let's go."

We both head to the upstairs VIP lounge. As soon as we got there, two large men wearing suits blocked our path. I told them that we were just looking for someone and wouldn't take long. They could even accompany us if they wanted. Still, they persisted in telling us to go back down and not come back. I was beginning to get irritated. I didn't want to reveal our identities since I wanted it to be the last resort. Unfortunately, we couldn't go through.

"I'm telling you, we'll be quick. You can even go with me." I tried again.

The bouncer shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir. But you have to leave or we'll force you to leave."

"Sooyoung-ssi?" A voice came from behind the two tall guards.

Sooyoung was surprised to see who it was. "Dohwan-ssi? What are you doing here?"

"I'm hanging out with my highschool buddies. I didn't know that you come to these kinds of places." He gave a cocky smirk at her as two of his friends that were with him laughed.

"I don't." She suddenly took my hand as we started heading for the stairs. "Let's go. I'm sure that Sungjae-oppa isn't here."

The guy named Dohwan stood in front of us to stop us from leaving. "Hey, why the rush? Why don't we have some fun now that you're here. Hmm?"

He was about to caress Sooyoung's face when I caught his hand. I forcefully threw his hand away as he scoffed. "And who might this be? Is this your boyfriend? Does he know that we… kissed earlier?"

"Stop it!" Sooyoung yelled. Seriously, this guy is getting on my nerves.

The two bouncers approached us as one of them asked. "Is there a problem here, Dohwan-nim? Do you know these people?"

Dohwan had an evil smirk on his face. "I DO know the girl. But I don't know the guys she's with. You can do whatever you want with him."

"Yes, Dohwan-nim." Both of the guards replied as they started taking me by the arm. Dohwan then took Sooyoung by the wrist as she tried hard to escape his grip while calling out to me.

This idiot really is asking for it. Isn't he? Well, since he's practically begging to be killed, I won't settle with just killing him instantly. He needs to suffer slowly. But first, I need to get rid of these two dudes.

"It's your fault for messing with Dohwa-" I didn't let one of the bouncers finish his sentence as I slip pass the first bouncer and kicked the other guy at the back of his knee to make him kneel, before slamming the side of his head on the handrail of the stairs making him pass out instantly.

"You-" The other guy tried grabbing me from behind. He didn't know that I was also paying attention to him. I spun around and kicked his temple and knocked him out. Three hits. That's all it took to knock out these two guards. No wonder jerks like Dohwan could easily get in.

After making sure that the two bouncers were completely unconscious, I turned my attention to Dohwan's friends who were staring at me in fear. I knew that they wanted to impress Dohwan but were also hesitant in attacking after what they just saw.

After giving my neck a few cracks and stretches, I gave a small sigh. "Let's get this over quickly. I need to deal with your friend."

Both of his friends turned to each other before they faced me. One of the guys gave out a straight punch which I easily dodged. The other guy went low and decided to tackle me. Unfortunately for him, I saw it coming and kneed his face before grabbing the side of his head and slamming it against the wall. The guy who tried punching me earlier didn't learn from his friend's mistake, and decided that it was a good idea to tackle me from behind… while screaming. Idiot. I didn't prolong his agony as I dodged it while kicking the wall to elevate myself before giving him a hard blow to the side of the head.

After seeing his friends knocked out, I slowly approached Dohwan. "No one to do the bidding for you now, huh? Let's see what you've got."

"N-No wait. Wait just a second!" Dohwan tried to wiggle his way out this time as he stalled.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the stairs. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Jinsu-ya! Finally! You're here!" Dohwan excitedly said. He then turned his attention back to me. "You're in trouble now!"

"I don't know who you are, but you have to leave. Otherwise, we'll be using… Is that Sooyoung-ah? What the hell are you doing with her?" The guy named Jinsu, who was the owner of the place, said before he turned worried afterwards. He was with a bunch of security personnel with him.

Dohwan raised his eyebrow out of curiosity. "You know, Sooyoung-ssi?"

Sooyoung turned to Jinsu. "It's been a while, Su-ya…"

"What are you doing here?" He sighed while facepalming himself. "Why are you causing trouble for me?"

"Dohwan-ssi started it." She replied while glaring at Dohwan.

Jinsu sighed loudly again. "Dohwan-ssi… I thought I told you not to cause any more trouble while being under my roof. I can only do so much." He then turned to me. "And who is this guy?"

I took off my face mask and my cap to show him who I was. "How have you been, Su-ya? I didn't know you owned a bar."

"Jin-ah… What are you doing here? And yes, I do own a bar. You're the one who's been busy enough not to call." Jinsu said. Jinsu, Sooyoung and I were childhood friends before I met the prodigies. I had two other childhood friends aside from Jinsu and Sooyoung, but that story's for a different time.

I chuckled in response. "Sooyoung-ie and I came here to find his boyfriend. These guys tried to stop us."

Jinsu grimaced. "Sooyoung-ie has a boyfriend? Ugh…"

"Shut up! Or do you want to get hit?!" Sooyoung retorted as she forcefully got out of Dohwan's grip.

Jinsu gave a wry smile. "I'm kidding. I'm kidding. So… why don't you have a look around? I won't stop you this time."

Sooyoung scoffed. "Don't bother. I'm sure that Sungjae-oppa's not here. Not when this guy's around."

"What do you mean?" I snap my head towards Sooyoung.

She sighed in response. "This idiot didn't just ask to practice our kissing scene in the dressing room, he also confessed his so called 'feelings' to me. He also wanted me to break up with Sungjae-ya."

I rolled my tongue on the inside of my cheek. "You know what? I was planning to let you go tonight. But since you just harassed my best friend. You won't be leaving this place unscathed."

"No wait. I-Im sorry." Dohwan tried to apologize but I already made up my mind.

"Wait, Jin-ah! Please. Not here." Jinsu tried to plead.

I tilted my head backwards and groaned. "Jinsu-ya… five hits. That's all I'm asking for."

"What do you mean five hits?" Dohwan was getting nervous.

"Really?" He looked at me with a pleading expression.

I turned to him with a serious look. "I'm just asking your permission since we're friends. You know what would have happened if we weren't."

Jinsu sighed. "Okay. Five hits."

"Woah! You're agreeing to thi-" Dohwan couldn't finish what he said as I punched him across the face making him fall on the floor.

I cracked my knuckles. "That's one."

"W-Wait. L-Let's talk this out, huh?" He begged.

"Not a chance." I kicked his stomach making him writhe on the floor. I didn't make him crawl away as a second kick came and hit his face breaking his nose. Good thing that they finished filming his drama today. Otherwise, they'd find trouble in looking for a replacement.

After he stopped moving, I pinned him down while sitting on top of him. "I know you're under Pledis Entertainment. I'll make sure you suffer before they kick you out of your company. It's a shame. I was actually rooting for you."

"P-Please… I won't do it anymore. I swear!" He was starting to cry.

I shushed him playfully as I placed my index finger on his lips. "Shhh… don't cry. You're going to receive two more hits."

"No… Please stop. I'm so-" As she tried to beg, I punched him again making him spit out blood.

"For someone who's filming a lot of fighting scenes, you're pretty weak." I said as I helped him up and locked his arms behind him. "Sooyoung-ah, the last hit is for you. Give him a good one."

Without warning, Sooyoung punched him good, instantly knocking him out. "I'll make sure you'll be fine by the time promotions come. And don't bother reporting this to your company. I'm sure they'll side with JayB-ya on this one." She then turned her attention to me. "Let's go."

I gave slight nod to Jinsu. "Yoo Jinsu."

"Kim Jinbo." He nodded back.

Sooyoung and I both made sure to wear our masks and caps before heading downstairs. We started making our way through the crowds in a hurry since people were already wondering what happened in the VIP lounge. Thankfully, they didn't seem to mind us as we headed straight for the exit. As soon as we arrived inside the car, we took off our disguises and gave a sigh of relief.

Sooyoung then shook her hand as she hissed. "That was one hell of a punch! He actually gritted his teeth. I think I sprained my wrist when I punched him. It's been a while since I practiced Taekwondo with you guys."

"Let me see." I leaned in and took her hand to check it. Right then, I felt a camera flash from a distance. It gave me a weird feeling afterwards. After checking that there was no one, I immediately shrugged it off.

She pulled her hand away. "I'm fine. Do you have relief patches on you right now?"

"Check the compartment." I replied as I started the car. What was that weird flash of light earlier?

"Are you okay?" Sooyoung asked as she looked at me while putting on the patch.

"Hmm? Yeah… yeah. All good. Any news from the other search parties?" I asked to divert the topic.

She then shrugged it off as she took out her phone and scrolled through her messages. "Both search parties said that he wasn't in either clubs. Jimin-oppa also said that your friends from the 95 line didn't see him either, but they are continuing the search."

I nodded. "Alright. Tell them that we he isn't here."

"Already did. So what now?" She asked.

I sighed. "Let's try the nearby park. He might be inside one of the pojangmacha (drinking tents) over there."

"Alright. I hope that he's okay." Sooyoung said as she covered her face with her hands.

I started driving towards the main road. "Me too."

_______

"Sungjae-ya! Yook Sungjae!" I called out.

We were now in a nearby park continuing our search for Yook Sungjae. There were no people here so it was safe to call out to Sungjae. Sooyoung and I were desperately trying to find him at this point. We even tried calling his phone again. But to no avail, his phone was turned off.

"Where in the world are you, oppa?" Sooyoung worriedly muttered to herself.

I approached her and patted her shoulder. "We'll find her, Sooyoung-ah. Don't worry."

She nodded in response. Just then my phone started ringing. "It's Dahyun-ie."

"You should answer it. I bet she's worried." Sooyoung said before she walked away while calling out to Sungjae.

"Hey, wifey. Have you guys eaten yet?" I asked as soon as I answered the phone.

"Y-Yeah. We did. Are you with Sooyoung-unnie right now?" She asked in what seemed like a sad tone.

I turned to check on Sooyoung. "Yeah. We're at a park near Yeomchang station."

"I see." She replied.

"What the hell?! Give me that!" I heard Jeongyeon argue with Dahyun as I could hear them quarreling from the other end. Suddenly Jeongyeon's voice boomed from the other end. "Ya! Kim Jinbo! What's this picture that we're seeing online?!"

"What picture?" I was clueless as to what she was talking about.

"Don't play dumb! Did you just bail on us just to have a date with Park Sooyoung?! Huh?!" Jeongyeon yelled.

Yo Chul-hyung took the phone from her and tried calming her down. Afterwards, Yo Chul-hyung spoke on their behalf. "JayB-ya... There's an article online that's popping up. 'JayB from Alpha and Red Velvet's Joy spotted coming out of Boombar. Is this a secret love affair?' That's the title of the article. There's even a picture with you holding her hand inside the car. Tell me. Is this true?"

"No." I answered plainly.

He hummed. "Okay. Something must have happened while you were looking for Sungjae-ya. I know you wouldn't cheat on Dahyun-ie."

"Can you give the phone back to Dahyun-ie please?" After Yo Chul-hyung handed the phone back to her, I explained to her what happened. That's when she realized that she was jealous for nothing.

"I'm sorry for even doubting you. Zee-oppa has already taken down the sites that were spreading these rumors. He also planted a virus that'll delete the photos from the source." Dahyun said.

I sighed. "Dahyun-ie… I'm sorry for not asking how you felt about me and Sooyoung. I know that it's making you uncomfortable."

"No! It's okay! Really! She IS your best friend after all. You guys have known each other since forever. Besides, she needs your help in finding your OTHER best friend." She chuckled but I could still sense a hint of sadness from her voice.

"No… it's not okay. I don't want to keep hurting you unintentionally. I know that I can be dense, but I don't want to come to a point when I'd become numb to your feelings too. I love you, Dahyun-ie… And I don't want to lose you." I sincerely said.

She sighed. "You won't lose me. It just takes some time to adjust. Okay? We're fine. I promise you. Now, focus on finding your friend and come home. Okay?"

I was about to answer when I heard Zee scream in the background. "Yes! I finally found him!"

"Wifey, can you please put Zee-ya on the phone please?" I told Dahyun which she happily obliged. I called Sooyoung to have her listen to what Zee found out.

"Hyung, are you there?" Zee asked.

"We're listening. Where did you find him?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

Zee went into overdrive as he started clicking and reviewing the footage he found. "The last time the CCTV footage saw him was this afternoon when he was walking past Mapojung High School at around 2:46PM. That's the only lead we have."

Sooyoung gasped. "That's the time we were preparing to film. He must have really seen us."

"That's more than enough, Zee-ya. We can ask everyone else to meet us there and search the area. Thanks, Zee-ya! You're the best!" I told him. When I turned to Sooyoung, she was looking at me as if she realized something. "What's wrong Sooyoung-ah?"

Sooyoung covered her mouth. "I think I know where he is."

_______

"Sungjae-oppa!" Sooyoung ran towards Sungjae who was drinking at the side of Han River.

I nearly forgot that Sungjae likes to come here when he needs to cool off his head or if there were a lot of things in his mind. He mentioned it to me once and I completely forgot about it. Some friend I am. Good thing Sooyoung remembered it. As soon as we arrived and saw Sungjae, I immediately told everyone where he was and told them to head home.

"Soo… Sooyoung-ah? What are you doing here?" Sungjae asked in a drunken voice. He must have started drinking in the afternoon. It was obvious since he reeked of alcohol. Plus, there were a lot of soju bottles beside him. How could I forget this spot? Sungjae told me all about this place saying that he liked drinking here because there were no people that would pass by here.

"What do you mean? We've been looking everywhere for you!" Sooyoung yelled as she started crying.

I handed the keys to my car to Sooyoung since Sungjae was too drunk to go home by himself. It would be best if I leave them here to talk. "Sooyoung-ie… I'll leave you two alone. Call me when you guys get home safely. I'll take a cab."

"Oh? JayB-ya! You're here too! Join me for a while! Let's have a drink!" He started laughing.

I gave him a smile. "Sungjae-ya… don't drink too much, okay? Sooyoung-ah's taking you home."

He gave me an okay sign. "Okaaaay. Where is she anyway?"

Not willing to talk to him, I left them to talk while I headed to the main road to look for a cab. Suddenly, Dominic's car parked in front of me. Zee must have told him the location and sent Dominic to pick me up. That's what I thought before I saw someone else coming out of the car.

"Dahyun-ie? You know how to drive?" I was surprised to see her here.

She rolled her eyes as she slowly approached me. "You taught me how to drive, remember?"

I nodded rapidly. "Yeah. I did. But I don't recall you ever getting your driver's license."

Dahyun took out her license and showed it to me. "How's that?"

She made me chuckle as I clapped my hands in amazement. "Waaa. Kim Dahyun, you really surprise me everyday. What can't you do?"

"Apparently, I can't keep my man all to myself." She turned her gaze away from me.

I took one step closer and now our faces were just inches away from each other. I nodded in agreement as I pretended to see this from a third-person perspective. "I see. This man of yours must really be a jerk to be running off to some other woman?"

She turned to me as she tried her best to hold her laugh while biting her lip. "Yeah. I guess he is. I'm probably not good enough for him to love me."

"Ya! Kim Dahyun! You know how crazy I am-" I couldn't finish my sentence as Dahyun crashed her lips into mine. We stayed like that for a while before we slowly pulled away. I cleared my throat. "So… we should go home… Dominic might want to use his car."

"Oh he's letting me use it for the night." Dahyun replied nonchalantly.

I raised my brow at her. "You? What for?"

She twirled her fingers on my shoulder. "Well, I was thinking that we should drive for a while before heading back home."

I shrugged. "Sounds like a plan. Let's not take too long and get you back home soon. It IS your first night at the condo after all."

Dahyun narrowed her eyes at me. "God, you're REALLY dense. I meant our 'couple home'."

My eyes widened in surprise. "You're kidding, right?"

She sighed before turning around. "Fine, let's go ba-"

"No! No! No! Let's go NOW!" I tried stopping her before she tossed me the key.

"Go on, loverboy. Drive. My foot's still injured, you know?" She smirked.

I shook my head in disbelief. "You know, you're being weirdly aggressive."

Dahyun fastened her seatbelt as she gave me a blank stare. "Because if I don't go on the offensive, I might lose you to somebody else."

"You know, you're the only one for me." I tried to calm her down.

She scoffed. "Yeah right. We'll see about that."

"We'll see indeed." I replied with a chuckle before driving through the streets of Seoul.

________