Coffee Idol / kim taehyung (#29)

십오

DongMi

I returned back to work the next day like what Kim Taehyung wanted me to do, he wanted me to stay on as his employee and he promised that he would allow me to stay as long as I don't cause him any trouble but I feel bad for betraying his trust when he trusts me so much. I am actually thinking of wanting to quit even more after what he had said to me that day where I learned a huge secret about him, something that is not related to why he decided to leave the industry for a while to do his own business but something that is not supposed to be brought up ever again.

I can't believe that I am working with someone who is indeed TaeEun's older brother and he knows exactly what happened and he has a reason to hide it but I just don't understand why he wanted to pretend that he didn't have any siblings and that he is an only child when he first debuted, when interviewers brought up the topic of his family, he would always mention that he has 2 loving parents and 6 other male siblings which are the members that are with him throughout his youth, other than that he doesn't mention that he has a younger sister who looks exactly like him and they have similar names like how most siblings have in common.

TaeEun as well, I have always thought that she was an only child and she has a protective male friend who is 5 years older than her and they live in the same hometown, she was clearly referring to Kim Taehyung but at that time, I wouldn't believe that she would have an older brother who is a famous idol and revealing it would create unnecessary attention to our group. We would only get popular because a fellow member is the younger sister of a famous boy group member then it wouldn't be unfair that people are only searching us on search engines because of that.

If it is like that, I would suggest that we reveal that TaeEun has an older brother in the industry and that would help us to gain popularity, it is better to grab connections from all places for us to succeed but TaeEun chose not to, she wanted us to succeed in the way where we work hard to get ourselves known without any connections and only hard work and effort to succeed in the industry. But unfortunately we didn't and I deeply regretted the moment when I wanted her to tell everyone that she had been sexually assaulted by our manager, I wished that I didn't do that.

The reason why TaeEun died is all because of me, if I hadn't wanted her to tell everything that our manager did to her in order for us to debut, she wouldn't have died and she would still be alive today, going to classes with us and we will hang out with the other members like how normal university students hang out and I have ruined all that. I should've been the one who has been sexually assaulted so that TaeEun wouldn't have suffered in silence in order for us, or I will be the one who will report the manager to the public for what he had tried to do.

And with them, I am ashamed to face Kim Taehyung because of what I did a year ago. Why am I so assertive in everything? I should've handled this matter a little more discreet and civil, I should've brought this matter to court but no one would believe that a manager would ever do that to a girl group member that he is managing, and plus our group is not popular, no one would ever care if a member of that group gets molested or get injured. It is only till the news of TaeEun's death and the disbandment of our group that followed right after brought a little attention to us but our group is already over, there is no use being a little popular if we are not active anymore.

I entered the doors of the café and he is there, taking orders from a customer who looked vaguely familiar from the back but it could be anyone from the looks of it. So I get ahead with what I am supposed to do and greeted my boss with a smile but I got called back by someone, it was the customer that Kim Taehyung was tending to. "DongMi?"

I turned back and I froze immediately, not knowing what to say to that person in front of me. "You're DongMi? Yang DongMi, the one whom I lived together for almost 5 years."

Those shocking eyes suddenly were filled with tears as I continued to stare at that person. "Shin HanNa... It has been such a long time..." And I started crying just like a little child because I hadn't met her ever we terminated the contract, she hasn't really changed much since then but I could tell that she is happier not being an idol.

Kim Taehyung knew that we needed some time to catch up with each other so he allowed me to start work an hour later which means that I will be starting work a little later, I couldn't disobey him because he is my boss and his words are final and there is no changing it.

So I decided that we move to this bookstore next to the café and we would talk about our lives, nothing major had happened in our lives but HanNa has gone back to studying as well but in a different course from me  and she is also working part-time at the acting agency where she would take up minor roles but she is gaining experience for bigger roles that she would take in the future. It is way better than what I am doing right now, I am just studying so that my mother would be proud that I completed university and look for a regular job and stay in that job for the rest of my life while earning a stable salary.

"That is still better than performing on stages all week and earning nothing from it, I'm so glad that we ended this stupid idol dream before we get too old for the industry." And she brought up the topic of our past but we are careful to never bring up anything that is related to TaeEun, it is still too much for us to handle and a very touchy topic to be talked about.

"Have you ever regretted not being an idol?" I started the question very carefully.

She shook her head. "Why would I? If it would mean that we will never succeed in the industry, we will never succeed. Besides I am very contented with what we are doing right now and she will be glad that we are doing the things that we will like. Have you?" I shook my head. "I thought so."

She let out a sigh. "Let's put this behind us, shall we? It is an ugly part of our lives and we are back to being normal people again, it is best that we enjoy with what we have and not yearn to go back there."

I nodded and sighed. "I'm glad that we have met like this, I didn't know that you lived in this neighbourhood."

"I moved into an apartment not too long ago and today is my first time visiting this café and I was shocked over who I was being tended to. Why is Kim Taehyung working here? I thought that he should be performing on stage? And how are you even working for him knowing that he is your bias?"

I let out an awkward laugh, I can't tell her too much about it. "It is a long story and it somehow happened to turn out like that, he is quite normal as a boss and he teaches me well."

"I'm glad to hear that, good for you." She nodded, taking in the lie and she clears her throat, looking a little serious. "I have been thinking about this for a long time and I am more certain about my decision after I have met you today, should all of us go to visit her on her death anniversary?"