"How could you be so fucking careless?!" Jinyoung all but shouted at the younger male, their face flushing in surpassed anger. If you squint, you could even make out the veins in his neck on the verge of bursting out to try and strangle Hyunjin.

It was around 7 in the morning, and currently, Hwang Hyunjin was receiving the lecture of a life time (or three) from his manager- while also suffering from the worlds worst hang over (courtesy of Lee Felix).

Park Jinyoung is normally a calm guy, one of the coolest Hyunjin has ever had the privilege of meeting- and he rarely ever lashes out or overally compensates for something so trivial. Rumours were just that, rumours- being a celebrity came with such things; it was practically in the fine print when you sign your freedom away in exchange to follow your dreams.

But rumours did become problems when they had substance behind them, proof, legitimacy. Because then they became facts.

Now it was a scandal. His first proper scandal.

"When you signed a contract you signed to leave all of this in the past, to leave him in the past. So what the fuck am I seeing right now?" Jinyoung continued, arms flailing across the screen behind him, currently on a tab with the headline 'nations prince Hwang Hyunjin is gay'.

But that wasn't the problem, him being bisexual, gay, dating or single had never been the problem- not since Jinyoung became his manager and retired his entire team of bigoted homophobes and replaced them with open minded allies as soon as Hyunjin came out to him a few years ago.

The problem was much worse.

"They know every thing about him." Jinyoung states venomously, "They know the hospital he works at, his favourite coffee shop, his past relationship and the only thing stopping them from leaking his address is a lawyer. My lawyer."

Hyunjin cringes and shoots Jinyoung's husband (also lawyer in this case), Jaebum, a painful and sorry look. He receives nothing in return but a dead look, deep bags under his eyes- proof of how hard he had been working to protect the private information of his ex.

Kim Seungmin I am so sorry, because if the press don't kill you, my managers husband might.

"I didn't think this would happen." Hyunjing softly mutters, but it's weak to even his own ears.

Though perhaps he should have just kept his mouth shut and head down, as it only annoys Jinyoung further, "No Hyunjin, the problem is that you weren't thinking at all. Period. Your lack of acknowledging the consequences has now put the one guy who you've tried to hide in your past the most famous guy in all of Korea!"

Jaebum finally speaks up from the office chair he had been slumped over like a dead body for the last hour and  a half, "He's actually trending number 4 worldwide right now. It's honestly quite impressive."

"Gah! And all this because of a stupid dare!"

"I was drunk!"

"All the more reason for you to have not been on live, in front of three hundred thousand people."

"Can I come out now?" Felix called from where he had been banished into the corner for obvious reasons, as in hindsight, this was all his fault.

"No Hyunjin," Jinyoung cries and Hyunjin realises he had said that all out loud when his manager threw his hands up into the air in distress, "This is your fault as much as it is his. That's it. You're both grounded until this dies down. Or me. Until I die."

"Tragic." Jaebum states.

"But-" Felix starts, only to fall silent when Jaebum challenges him with a glare to keep quiet.

"No drinking or clubbing or even breathing until Kim Seungmin's name is a thing of the past."

Hyunjin just stares at him, the endless pit of guilt in his stomach churning and tightening everytime someone said his name.

Kim Seungmin.

Someone who, up until a few hours ago, he had completely removed from his mind. They had dated for 10 glorious months in their last year of highschool, the pent up energy of two teenage boys finally content with their sexuality blossoming into a highschool-rom-com relationship including everything all the netflix coming of age stories were trying to create.

The relationship was filled with cheesy notes being thrown across classrooms, sleepless nights curled on Seungmin's sofa bed in his basement, talking about everything and nothing. Playing video games with their legs intertwined until 3am, football at the park after school until the sun bled into the sky. Dates to the beach, carnival, concerts- they had even officially met eachothers parents at month 6.

But then reality caught up with them, they were both graduating soon and Seungmin was going to attend an extremely prestigious college on an academic scholarship while Hyunjin was finally up for selection as an upcoming boy group member.

By the ninth month, the relationship seemed to hanging by a thread, Hyunjin spending all his time training and Seungmin studying. And then on the 10th month he was preparing for a debut, aged 17, and all that was left was to sign a contract.

—RULE⁷
DATING BAN: EXPIRES 4 YEARS AFTER CONTRACT COMPLETION.

It was something that was unavoidable, something Hyunjin knew was coming.

Countless older seniors in the industry knew of his relationship at the time, as did many of his members; but all of them gave him the seem advice.

"Not being in a relationship is much better than a secret one you have no time for."

The answer seemed obvious to 17 year old trainee and hungry for success Hwang Hyunjin.

He broke up with Seungmin before they reached their 11th month together, giving him a final peck on the cheek and a hug- leaving the other boy in the cafe. Hyunjin turned and left, and although Seungmin and accepted the breakup without asking any questions, (seeming not even surprised when Hyunjin brought it up) Hyunjin could hear the concealed sniffles of his once lover.

He didn't look back, not wanting to dig the knife deeper into the wound. So Hyunjin left, they graduated with nothing but forced smiles and awkward nods at one another during the ceremony. Hyunjin debuted a few short months later and Seungmin went on to become top of his classes in college and then university.

Hwang Hyunjin became centre of his boy group, and after the disbandment 7 years later; one of South Korea's most successful solo artists. He become the 'nations prince' every brands and magazines 'cover boy'- and Kim Seungmin became a thing of his past.

Well, there is a little grey area with that statement, since eventhough Hyunjin had changed his phone number about 7 times during that comically large time skip, he makes sure to back up all his old contacts- including Seungmin's. So in retrospect, this is partly Seungmin's fault for keeping the same number since they were 15.

"I didn't even know Hyunjin had an ex boyfriend!" Felix attempts to reason when Jinyoung refuses him freedom from the corner of despair, "When I dared him to call an ex I thought he would call Ryujin!"

"Ryujin and I dated for 2 months as a joke 4 years ago," Hyunjin tries, a headache pounding at his skull, "And she's now a lesbian."

"Exactly! It was supposed to be funny!"

"Well it wasn't! Now shut up so I can find a way to hire a hitman to get rid of Kim Seungmin so I never have hear his name again." Jinyoung snaps, not looking up from where he was quickly typing away at his phone.

Hyunjin looks appalled for a moment, while Jaebum sighs tiredly.

The lawyer levels Jinyoung a look of indifference, "You really shouldn't be saying that infront of your lawyer. What I don't know can't hurt you in court." He then turns to Hyunjin, still looking dead to the world, "Don't worry, he's joking."

"No I'm not!"

"Can I please come out of the corner now?!"

hyunjin is definitely
completely for sure
certainly 100% over
his ex boyfriend. everyone
is tried, especially jb.
29/06/20