Onyx: Truth

by J. S. Lee

  “What?”

  “What?” I returned, before turning to Sungmin who was busy talking to MinMin.

  He looked up, as though sensing me watching him. “Kate?”

  “The last tour I did involved tour buses. I’m not sure what the process is, and Holly said to ask you about what you needed for photographs and timelines. I know Japan is next on the list, and if you need them before then, I really need to get back to my room and my Mac so I can work on them for you…” I was rambling, but I couldn’t help it. Youngbin hadn’t taken his eyes off me and for whatever reason, he was unnerving.

  “Oh, sure,” Sungmin nodded, not picking up on the fact I was acting like a girl in front of her first crush. He stood up, suddenly frowning. “Oh, I forgot you’re in a hotel. This will be much easier when we’re all staying at the same place. I’ll arrange for a car to drop you off. I’ll also have a look at the schedule to work out when we need photographs from you, but if you could get me a couple of shots later tonight, I can get them out on the various SNS we have.”

  I blinked. “SNS?”

  “Social Networking Sites.” Social media? I nodded. I could do that. He pulled out a business card and handed it over. “This is my email, and my other contact details. If you send them over to that, that would be great.”

  Still feeling Youngbin’s eyes fixed on me, I took the card, muttering that I needed fresh air and would wait outside. I walked out of the room, trying not to look like I was making a great escape, then made my way outside.

  The back of the venue was busy with people loading up various trucks, so I stepped to the side, watching the snow fall. Just as I shivered, hands were snaking around my waist. The only reason I didn’t scream was because I recognized the scent of the owner seconds before he touched me: clean linen. It was Xiao.

  It didn’t stop me jumping. If it wasn’t for the arms around me, I would have fallen. With my heart pounding – either from the surprise or his close proximity, I wasn’t sure – I turned in his arms, finding myself exceptionally close to him. Close enough to kiss.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, unsure as to why I sounded so breathless.

  Xiao stepped back a fraction, enough to remove his arms from around me and undoing the hoodie from around my waist. Then he took a step forward, coming even closer than he had before. My nose was almost resting on his collar bone as he raised his arms, draping the hoodie on my shoulders.

  I sniffed at his neck, wanting to bite it. Lord, I was like a horny vampire. Before I could sink my teeth in, he stepped back. Warmth flooded my face. A horny vampire? What the fuck, Kate?

  “Here,” he said, gently. “It’s cold.”

  “You’re wearing shorts,” I pointed out. It also gave me a moment to stare at his legs without a reason. Wasn’t there a major artery in the thigh…?

  “You’re shivering,” he countered.

  I wasn’t entirely convinced that was just because of the weather. “And yet I need a cold shower.”

  He tilted his head, giving me a small smile.

  Fuckballs! Had JongB taught them everything? Was I going to have to come up with new and obscure euphemisms? I shrugged. “Sue me. You smell good.”

  He smiled again. “I’ll see you at the airport, Kate,” he told me, before throwing something else at me in Chinese.

  “What does that mean?” I asked, suspiciously.

  “Your car is here.”

  “Huh?” I looked where he was pointing, seeing the car with the blackened windows pull up beside one of the trucks. When I turned back to Xiao, he was already retreating into the stadium.

  Well, fuck a duck, I was doomed.

  제 7 장

  Love Is

  I arrived at the airport just before Onyx, the following morning. I was thanking the driver for getting my cases out of the trunk and in the process of raising the handles, when I noticed the enormous crowd waiting. Was that for Onyx?

  Day-um!

  Sungmin had my passport and tickets. I wasn’t sure where I needed to be, and I didn’t want to get trampled by the fangirls and boys when Onyx arrived, plus it was cold. I decided to wait inside the airport where it was warm and marginally quieter.

  I knew the moment Onyx arrived because outside erupted into screams almost as loud as they had been at the concert. Moments later, Onyx was being escorted into the airport, surrounded by a whole heap of airport security.

  I grabbed my cases and tried to get close but struggled getting past the fans. And then security wouldn’t let me near. In the end, while Onyx’s entourage were checking them into the flight, I called Sungmin. Thankfully, he picked up. “Where are you?” he asked.

  I waved and he spotted me. With a brief conversation with the security team, I was soon in the circle with everyone else. Checking in and getting through security wasn’t as bad as I expected. The airport seemed happy to open a scanner especially for us and get us through as quickly as possible. The escort continued to a seating area which had been cordoned off and remained guarded by security the whole time we were there.

  I was surprised. I had half been expecting it to be calmer on the other side, but I was wrong. Fans had tickets. I had no idea if they were booked onto our flight, or if they even had any intention of flying. Given how they didn’t seem to have any luggage, I doubted it.

  I chose to stand a little way from Onyx, although keeping to the safety of the cordoned area. There were far too many cameras out – and they didn’t stop. Meanwhile, Onyx were acting like they weren’t there.

  No, that wasn’t quite true. All of them were wearing face masks, and all but CX were wearing caps. They also looked far too glamorous for airport travel. I glanced down at my yoga pants and Onyx hoodie. I had dressed for comfort, like I always did when travelling.

  The life of a celebrity.

  It wasn’t until we were on the plane that I finally felt I could relax. I had been expecting to travel coach – I was just the photographer, after all – but Holly had come through and I had a seat in first class next to Sungmin. It worked out because it meant I could discuss the photographs. I pulled out my MacBook and let him look through the rest of the photographs.

  We arrived at the hotel in the late afternoon and I was already exhausted. Osaka’s closest airport, Kansai International Airport, had been full of as many fans as Incheon had been.

  I sat in the minibus limo, which had picked us up from the airport and taken us to the hotel, staring out of the window. Although I’d lived in Japan, it had been just outside of Tokyo, further north on the other side of Mount Fuji. I’d been south but visited Hiroshima, not Osaka.

  That being said, staring up at the signs, I felt more at home here than I had in Seoul. I understood everything. It was great. I found myself smiling as I stared out of the window. The concert was the following day, which meant, hopefully, I would have the evening to myself to go and explore. Japan was so quirky, and I was willing to bet I could find as many bizarre things here as I did in Tokyo.

  “You’re scheming.”

  I turned and found JongB poking his head between the headrests of my seat and the empty one next to me. “Not really,” I told him. “I’m just hoping to get a few hours to myself this evening. I want to go shopping.”

  The door to the minibus opened and Sungmin climbed in. “Who is sharing with who?”

  “Wanna share with me?” JongB whispered.

  “Me and JongB,” Jiwon declared from the other side of the bus.

  “Don’t let me get in the way of your bromance,” I whispered back, trying not to laugh at JongB’s expression.

  Although we had been pursued around the airport, the fans, thankfully, didn’t seem to have worked out where we were staying. Youngbin ended up sharing with Xiao, and the two youngest, MinMin and CX, took the other room.

  I had a room to myself. I had also been expecting to share that, but then I’d realized that there were only two other women here; their makeup artist and a stylist. They’d known each othe
r for years so it made sense for them to share a room.

  Sungmin had said it was likely that I would end up on my own most of the tour, if not all of it. It didn’t bother me. It meant that after a show I would be able to get into my pajamas and get straight into editing the photographs. Sungmin was happy to have them a few days later, but with a concert almost every other night for a month, there wouldn’t be much time for me to work.

  This hotel wasn’t as nice as the one in Seoul had been, but it was still a good hotel. I had just got my MacBook plugged in and charging, ready to go when I got back from exploring, when there was a knock at the door.

  I opened it finding JongB and Jiwon there. “Trick or treat?”

  I stared at him, then arched an eyebrow. “Who is who?”

  “Who do you want to be who?” JongB retorted with a cheeky grin.

  I glanced at Jiwon. “I’m not sure I want to have this conversation,” I told him, uncomfortably, wondering why Jiwon wasn’t saying anything. Perhaps he didn’t understand what we were saying.

  “Can we come in?” Jiwon asked instead, glancing down the corridor.

  Confused, I stood back and let them in, closing the door, and following them. Jiwon took a seat at the small table, and JongB flopped down on the armchair. I stood by the door and folded my arms. “Is everything OK?”

  “Yes,” Jiwon replied.

  I waited for someone to elaborate. When they didn’t, I frowned at them. “What’s going on? Why are you in my room?”

  “We want to talk to you,” JongB replied, vaguely.

  “OK,” I said, slowly. After a pause, I continued. “So… talk?”

  JongB shook his head. “We’re waiting for Xiao.”

  On cue, there was a soft knock at the door behind me. I scratched at the back of my head as I opened the door, beyond confused as to what was happening. I wasn’t surprised to see Xiao there and let him in without a word.

  He walked into the room, nodding his head at the others, then he turned to me. When I stopped at the edge of the room again, he walked over to me, took my hand, and led me to the bed, sitting me down on the edge of it. Even though he stepped back and went to sit on the arm of the chair JongB was in, my heart was pounding against my ribcage. “Guys, you really need to explain because I’ve got several scenarios in my head ranging from panicked to-”

  “Dirty?” JongB offered.

  Fuck, yes.

  “No!”

  “Liar,” he laughed.

  Of course I was lying. Three exceptionally good-looking guys were standing around me as I sat on my bed. Who wouldn’t have a few dirty fantasies running through their head right now? “What’s going on?” I repeated, ignoring his smirk.

  “You had sex with Jiwon,” Xiao stated.

  My mouth fell open and all I could do was stare at Jiwon in disbelief. To be fair, he had said he needed to talk to the others, but I hadn’t thought to take him quite so literally. “Well, yes,” I admitted. Technically, it was oral, but I figured it wasn’t important at this point. “It wasn’t exactly planned.”

  “Here’s the thing,” JongB started, but I shook my head and cut him off.

  “Don’t worry, I know.”

  “You…” he tilted his head. “Really?”

  “Yes,” I said, nodding. “I know all about the no dating rules, and how idols can’t be doing things like this, and don’t worry, I have no intention of saying anything. I mean, even if I hadn’t signed the NDA I wouldn’t, because my sex life is my sex life and I don’t particularly want to broadcast that to the world,” I said, losing steam as I ran out of breath. I turned to Jiwon and pulled a face. “I really can’t believe you told them.”

  “That’s not what I was talking about,” JongB said before turning to Jiwon and translating. Or, at least, I assumed he was translating. My Korean was conversational, and they didn’t quite cover Sex-ed in my Korean class or textbooks. My default was English.

  Jiwon frowned, then looked at me. “I like you.”

  “I guessed you weren’t completely repulsed by me,” I muttered, dryly. That earned me a snort of laughter after JongB translated it for me.

  “The problem is,” JongB continued. “I like you too. So does Xiao.” Beside him, Xiao nodded his head in agreement.

  I stared at him. English was my first language and I wasn’t sure I was following this. “And what? You want me to choose one of you?”

  JongB shook his head, but it was Xiao who responded. “We want you to choose all of us.”

  Earlier fantasies of three guys and me in my hotel room reappeared in my mind.

  “Whatever is causing you to blush like that, you’re going to have to tell me later,” JongB said.

  “No,” I said slowly. “I don’t think I’ll be doing that.” I pushed the images out of my head, frowning. “Wait… So, you’re not proposing the four of us…?” I waved my hand around gesturing to the four people in the room.

  “Hell no!”

  The vehement response came from Jiwon. Apparently he had understood that one.

  Shame.

  “Hear us out,” JongB said, glancing at Xiao, who nodded in encouragement. “We all like you. It’s pretty obvious you like us.”

  “Is it?” JongB gave me a look. One that said, are you fucking kidding me? I sighed. “Maybe.”

  “What we’re proposing is that you be with all of us.”

  I stared at him, opened my mouth to say something, then realized I had no idea what to say. Instead I closed my mouth and continued to stare at him, pulling a face. Be with all of them, but not at the same time? The English language was failing me again. “Oh!” I said, having an epiphany. “Is this one of those things that is something in Korean, but doesn’t translate well into English?”

  JongB sighed and looked at Xiao. “I told you this made no sense.” He looked to me. “This was their idea,” he said, using each hand to point to the other two. “They seem to think that it’s possible for you to see all three of us at the same time. But also, separately.”

  “This definitely isn’t you guys asking for a foursome?”

  “Hell, no!” Jiwon exclaimed again.

  I held my hands up. “Message received.” I frowned and looked at Xiao and JongB. “Then what? Three couples, with me as the only girlfriend?”

  Xiao shook his head. “You’re with all of us.”

  Algebra, which I barely passed in high school, made more sense than this. “And you’re all OK with this?”

  Without a word, Xiao got off the arm of the chair, strode over to me, and placed his hand on the back of my neck. The next thing I knew, he was teasing at my lips with his, urging me to let his tongue in.

  Wondering if what was really happening was that I was still on the plane, and we had experienced a drop in cabin pressure so I was now hallucinating, I parted my lips. His tongue ran over mine, falling into a rhythm that had my toes curling inside my sneakers.

  And then he pulled away.

  Stunned, I sat there, watching as he went back to his spot on the chair arm. I slowly ran my tongue over my lower lip, before looking at JongB and Jiwon. “Are you honestly telling me you’re both OK with that?”

  “It depends on your definition of OK,” JongB shrugged. “Because, no, I don’t mind, but equally, I’m feeling a little left out right now.”

  “Oh,” I mumbled while JongB translated the question for Jiwon.

  “It’s OK,” Jiwon agreed. “I’d just rather it was me.”

  I stared at the three of them, my mind empty. “I’m going to need a minute,” I said. Before they could stand, I flopped back on my bed and stared up at the ceiling.

  They wanted me to be with them. Date them, I guess.

  At the same time.

  But not be a foursome.

  I propped myself up on my elbows and looked at them, finding them all watching with their own amused expressions. I ignored it. “You say it’s not a foursome, but it is. Just not in a sexual way.”

  Xiao and
JongB looked at each other. While JongB once again played translator, Xiao shrugged. “I guess. Yes.”

  I flopped back onto the bed.

  Maybe the plane had crashed and I had died.

  Wait.

  Was this heaven or hell?

  I propped myself up again. “Just to be clear, sex with the four of us is a no-no, but we’re good if it’s one on one?”

  All three of them nodded.

  “And you’re definitely all OK with that?”

  Once again, they all nodded.

  I flopped back again.

  Heaven, right?

  I had been saying that I really needed to get laid, and here were three smoking hot guys giving me the go ahead to sleep with all of them. The idea of getting my brains fucked out really appealed to me.

  Could I do this?

  If it all went badly, there was the fact that technically, we would only be working together for a couple of months, so if needed, I could give it a time limit.

  Oh!

  That was an idea.

  I sat up. “OK,” I declared, before the world suddenly went woozy. I got up a little too fast. The next thing I knew, Jiwon was in front of me, holding me upright. “I’m OK, I muttered, but he only moved to the side. “I’m willing to give this a try,” I told them. “But we have to be honest about it, so if anyone is starting to feel weird or left out or uncomfortable, we speak up.”

  “This only works if we’re honest,” Jiwon agreed.

  “And the others?” I asked.

  Xiao shook his head. “They don’t know.”

  I looked at them and sucked in a deep breath. “How is this going to work? Do we need a timetable?”

  JongB laughed. “No, I don’t think we do. But I do think we need to let each other know, so that we can cover for each other. We’re on tour and there are a lot of eyes on us.”

  “And you’re really all OK with this?” I asked once more.

  “Are you?” Xiao asked.

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I’m sure as hell willing to give it a go.”