Fan Service [Chan]

Chapter 47

Chan and I skipped the bus walk. He told Dmitri he was taking me to dinner instead. He offered to come with us, but Chan insisted we'd be fine.

He was lying, of course, in case Dmitri was the one who had recorded us. Instead, he got permission from Mana to use her apartment where we knew we could talk without being overheard. Since she had to go with Seungmin anyways, she agreed.

Chan threw on a hoodie and kept his head down while I guided us to her apartment. He held my hand tightly as I wove us in and out of bundles of fans who had no idea he was right beside them. If they'd found out, all hell would've broken loose.

We made it to the apartment though, and, once in the elevator, Chan finally looked up and pulled the hood down. He continued to hold my hand, and I got butterflies in my stomach when I looked at him. He pressed the button for Mana's floor. I turned away quickly when he glanced in my direction. My face blushed just from being near him.

We left the elevator and took the steps to Mana's apartment. My heart was pounding in my chest. I wondered if Chan was as nervous as I was.

Why was I so nervous? We were just going to talk.

"Here it is," I told him as I opened the door.

"I know," he laughed. "I was here this morning."

"Oh, right."

Chan and I walked inside and got comfortable.

"Speaking of..." I began. "What exactly did you tell Mana that was so convincing?"

"Right, that." While still holding my hand, he pulled me towards the couch to sit with him.

"Ella, you know I've been in this industry a long time...like well over a decade?"

I nodded. That was common knowledge.

"Not once in the past 13 years have I nearly been killed. Not once have I had fans surround me and beat me. Not once have they thrown drinks at me as I left a venue..."

"Yeah, but you're an idol. They wouldn't dare do that to you."

I was just a regular person. I think Chan forgot that fact.

"I know I'm an idol. But...after that night in Florida, I became afraid. Really afraid that something horrible would happen to you, and it would be my fault."

"Chan..." I started to argue but he continued.

"How could I be so selfish that I kept you in that vulnerable situation? How would I live with myself? And so, I had to send you away. I had to make sure that the fans couldn't get to you anymore."