Cov•et - ON HIATUS- K-pop/Multi Group FF

•삼십이•

Monday, October 25th, 2022

"It's so good to see you," Eun-Woo beamed, pulling me into a tight, warm hug. His familiar scent—a mix of cedar and something sharp, clean—washed over me, and I couldn't help but melt into his embrace. His comfort hitting me in a similar way Sonni or my brother's would. I sighed, squeezing him back. "It's been way too long."

Before I could respond, Sonni snorted beside him, crossing his arms dramatically. "Yeah, and whose fault is that?" he teased, raising an eyebrow at Eun-Woo.

Eun-Woo clicked his tongue, playfully swatting at Sonni's arm. "Hey, you know I've been swamped with filming and Astro. Besides, you're the one who always says you can't come to my events." His pout was almost convincing, but I knew better. "And besides," he added, shooting me a grin, "you two are always busy with your boys."

I watched their exchange, my slight frown betraying my amusement. There was more beneath their playful banter—a truth they danced around and joked about but never acknowledged, simply because it was too painful to do so.

The truth was that KQ didn't want a gay manager for Ateez. Even though Sonni was one of the best managers the company had, they believed having an openly gay man working directly with a boy group would... what? Ruin their reputation? Cause some kind of scandal? It was absurd, especially when we all knew the group was anything but a legion of rigid masculinity.

On the other hand, I was technically supposed to be married, according to KQ's standards. Any female working as a manager for a KQ boy group was supposed to be married. But they let it slide as long as I signed a penalty form stating I'd be fined and fired if I ever made a move on any of the Ateez members.

I guess you could say in simple terms, Sonni and I both said, "Fuck the rules."

While we both had restrictions to follow, Sonni's situation felt worse. No, it was worse.

It's not like KQ didn't already know Ateez had an openly (to his members and company) gay member. And two bisexual ones.The rule against having a gay manager made no sense for a group that thrived on breaking norms and embracing individuality. But KQ apparently didn't seem to care.

Sonni had met Eun-Woo the night he found out his boyfriend had been cheating on him. I was supposed to meet up with him for drinks, but he suddenly texted me to "fuck off" and go home. I didn't understand it at the time, but later I found out why. That night, drowning his sorrows in soju at some dimly lit bar, Sonni had met the future love of his life.

And honestly, I couldn't blame him. If I had a chance encounter with Cha Eun-Woo, I'd probably tell everyone to fuck off too.

Eun-Woo grinned, pulling me out of my thoughts. "I got your favorites," he announced proudly, swinging open the fridge. Inside, two bottles gleamed—one of pomegranate soju, the other tequila. "Figured we could use them."

"My hero!" I swooned, dramatically clasping my hands together like some lovesick Disney princess. Then, with a playful smirk, I blew him a kiss and practically skipped over to grab the bottles. Tequila and soju—the ultimate problem erasers.

"Get a room, you two," Sonni teased, giving Eun-Woo a playful pinch on the side as he passed him. Sonni reached for the tequila, snatching it from my hands, and quickly unscrewed the cap, pouring himself an overly generous shot.

"Be a good host and pour one for our girlfriend," Eun-Woo quipped, delivering a light smack to the back of Sonni's head. Sonni groaned in response, but didn't hesitate to grab another shot glass.

"Yah!" he groaned, sliding the shot glass toward me. "I knew her first," he muttered under his breath, clinking his glass with mine before we both tossed back the liquor, the burn quickly turning into a warm glow. "So technically, she was mine first," he followed up his sentence with a chaste kiss to my cheek.