Pop Star || Yoongi x Reader

47. Ready to Kill

He moves a little closer before speaking again.

"I take time to become really comfortable around people too, Y/N. And it's good to have a few trust issues. Trust has to be built over time. That's how you find your people."

You nod and lean towards him too, unaware of the little epiphany about you he just went through, "see - you were right about me trying to be honest most of the time - but then, I've got other sides to me - that I keep to myself, that you won't see unless you're really close to me".

"And that takes time," he says.

Both of you are quiet for a minute. "With some people, it doesn't take a lot of it," you think of him as you say this, looking at violet splashed evening sky outside the window.

You hear him pour some more makgeolli into your bowls.

"What made you leave him?" Yoongi probes further.

"Ah, that," you say darkly.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he amends quickly. You can judge from his tone that he's serious.

And he is. He saw you go from frustration to nostalgia to embarrassment to regret. And now you look sad, and a little disgusted too. He's regretting bringing up the whole thing. On one hand, he wants to know - really know you. But not in a way that makes you uncomfortable.

"I think I knew for a good six months before I finally ended things that I just had to end it. He was manipulative and it was suffocating," you pause to breathe, "he would always find ways to discredit me or be condescending in some way. I couldn't just sit around and pamper his ego," you pause again because there's a lump in your throat.

"He sounds like an asshole," he mutters.

"Yeah, well, you've met him. No surprises." You sigh. "But even then, and I don't know why, I didn't want to cut things off completely. Maybe because I knew that it would be a huge, huge pain. We were in it deep," then noticing his look you add quickly, "Legally speaking. I was scared that if I pissed him off I would lose my music, my money - and what was I without those things?"

He nods, though he doesn't quite agree. The way he sees you, you are the main thing. You are everything. But maybe right now is not the time to say it. Meanwhile, you continue.

"Anyway, I met Monica around the same time." Your tone brightens at the first mention of her. "She managed someone I knew, and we just got talking about everything. She offered to manage me. And that woman had more vision for my music than I ever did for myself in my wildest dreams. I should have walked out right then. But neh. I decided to negotiate. It obviously ended in an argument."

You put the bowl down harsher than you intended to.

"Not long after that, I'm taken by my great label exec DK shii to this big party where he introduces me to this promoter. Real shady dude okay. And the man kept following me around the entire night - I'm not scared easily but that night, Yoongi - I freaked out. And then it hit me - how low he could go to dominate someone else. DK just wanted to show me that he controlled me, that he could even pimp me out if he wanted to..."

You pause, your face exhibiting the disgust you felt at the moment.

"The next time I met him was with Monica and a pair of lawyers," you finish with a little flick of your head. Yoongi's expression makes you chuckle.

"Wow, did I shock you that much?" you ask. He has abandoned his drink and is staring at you with his eyebrows high. You haven't got a clue how strongly he feels at the moment. He's surprised at his own anger and at the actual impulse to make some calls that would wipe that - he uses some rare Korean swear words in his head for DK - off the face of the Earth. It would be good to ask for your permission first.

"Are you sure you don't want him dead?" He asks.

"Why? Do you have a plan?" You snort.

"No. But I have fans in the mafia."

You collapse into giggles.

"I didn't think much of him that night at the party, but now I believe I hate him," he ponders, and then adds an impulsive afterthought, "and I don't do these type of things much-"

"-murders?" You interrupt.

"-but if you ever need a hug, I'm here."

You're speechless enough to stare at him with your jaw dropped. His ears are very pink.