Min Jae chuckled. “Charming. That’s not exactly how they show us California on TV.”
“California’s big,” Andy countered. “And all that stuff’s on the coast.” He glanced back toward the trail. “How far does this go?”
“About seventy kilometers, all the way around the park.”
Andy nodded. “So, way too far to walk the whole thing. Got it.” He turned around, leaning back against the fence to look at the mountain peaks thrusting up beyond the trees. “I’m glad you suggested this. For some reason, it feels so much realer than the manicured grounds at Sky Village. And yesterday was so amazing. Your grandmother’s the best.” He chuckled. “Sorry, just gushing a bit. Mostly, I’m just happy to be off camera for a few days.”
“That was the plan.” Min Jae slowly exhaled, breathing out some of the tension building since he woke up. “Having a couple days where we could just talk without having to worry about being seen or overheard.”
“Ah.” Andy turned just enough to see Min Jae from the corner of his eye. “Yeah. I suppose we’ve got a few things to talk about.”
Min Jae nodded. “We do, yeah. I’m sure you’ve had a chance to see some of the #MinDy buzz already. It’s really taking off. If we play it right, we could–”
“Wait,” Andy interrupted, turning to fully face Min Jae. “You brought me all the way up here to talk about the show? For real?”
Min Jae frowned. Surely, Andy could understand how important it was to properly strategize. “Why? What else would we talk about?”
Andy’s brows dipped toward his narrow-eyed gaze. He stared at Min Jae for long enough that he almost turned away. “Are you being serious right now? We’re a two-hour train ride away from the show. There’s not a single camera or boom mic in sight.” Hequietly huffed. “This is a chance for us to relax and be real. And you want to talk about the fucking show.”
Min Jae’s frown deepened as Andy pushed back. “I still don’t know what else you want to talk about.”
Andy loudly huffed. “About us, dummy. You and me, and all this fire chemistry we got going. I mean, just last night, you were showing off that tight little body of yours while you threatened to jump into bed with me. But, no. You want to, what? Strategize?”
“And you don’t think that’s important?” Min Jae echoed Andy’s huff, the swiftly building tension already knotting between his shoulders. “We’re contestants on an idol survival show. I think this is a good way to help us win.”
Andy shook his head, his jaw muscles clenched so tight Min Jae could almost hear them. “For fuck’s sake, Min Jae. When exactly do you plan on dropping the act? After you debut? No, that won’t work, will it? How about after you retire?”
“What act?” Min Jae stepped back, spreading his arms. “This is it, Andy. This is me, right here, right now.”
Andy snorted. “I know. I’m not talking about right now. This is obviously the real you. Always has been. I’m talking about all the bullshit from yesterday.” His voice rose as he went, enough that Min Jae almost looked over his shoulder to ensure no one was listening. “You drag me home, throw me into the middle of your family traditions, introduce me to your wonderful grandmother, and flirt with me while you’re practically naked. That’s the act I’m talking about.” He huffed, blowing out his own tension, and looked down to his shoes. “You know what?” He looked back up, meeting Min Jae’s gaze with eyes sparkling from fresh tears. “I’m done with all this. And you. Fucking done. I’m over it.”
Min Jae watched with growing horror as Andy shoved himself off the fence and started walking away. “Andy, wait.” Hereached out, almost grabbing Andy’s sleeve, but Andy yanked his arm away.
“No! I said I’m done.” Min Jae had never seen such naked anger on Andy’s face. Not even the morning after the rooftop. “Don’t follow me,” Andy spat. “I fucking mean it.”
Andy stormed off, stomping down the path they’d taken to get to the overlook, not once looking back at Min Jae. Soon enough, he disappeared around a bend in the path. Then the sound of his footsteps crunching on the gravel path disappeared too, leaving a stunned Min Jae with the lonely soundtrack of distant songbirds and the wind rustling the leaves.
17
Andy blindly rushed downthe path, navigating mostly by vibes since he was totally lost. He hadn’t been paying any attention to their route as they walked, relying on Min Jae to lead the way. Foolishly, it turned out. Because he was stupid to rely on Min Jae for anything. Totally stupid. Completely idiotic. Once again, Min Jae had convinced Andy to lower his defenses, showering him with all this supposed kindness and openness, only to rip off the mask at the last moment to reveal himself as the cold, heartless robot that he really was. Plying Andy with delicious foods, a kind, sweet grandmother, and his mostly naked body until he was powerless to resist. Hell, Min Jae’s grandmother was probably in on the whole fucking thing. No, that couldn’t be true. She was just as fished-in as Andy had been, caught up in Min Jae’s dazzling web of lies and deceptions. She probably had no idea how much of an asshole her grandson really was.
Unfortunately, no matter how justified Andy was to storm off and leave Min Jae behind, he was still lost. He passed enough signage that he should’ve found his way back, except he didn’t actually know where he was headed back to. No address, because he’d trusted Min Jae. Just Suyu. And every sign pointed him to different parts of Suyu-dong, but none of the paths looked familiar.If only that shiny rainbow beetle would come back to show him the right way.
Andy eventually gave up with an exasperated huff and took the next path pointed toward Suyu-dong. He’d never been a nature boy. He was a city guy who maybe knew the way to Min Jae’s house from the subway station. Find that, and he could retrace his steps, collect his belongings and get the fuck out of the ice king’s castle. The production team would still have a skeleton crew at Sky Village, so he could just head back there. Sanctuary was only a quick ninety-minute train ride away.
Andy’s tree-lined path emerged from the park onto a bustling street he’d never seen before. Shit. At least he was out of the woods–literally, if not metaphorically. He crossed the busy road and set out vaguely east, keeping the mountain at his back, knowing that he’d eventually run into the Metro line. If nothing else, he could head back to Sky Village with the clothes on his back. Min Jae could bring the rest of Andy’s stuff with him whenever he finally returned. Or not. That asshole could dump all of Andy’s shit in the trash, for all he cared. At least it would save him from having to see Min Jae again for a little longer. Except he didn’t even have his ear buds with him, just his phone. Blasting some music would’ve really helped to calm him down.
Andy eventually walked past a cute little coffee shop. He paused out front, enjoying the smell of fresh roasted beans and baked goods, wondering if it was even worth going inside to ask directions, when the thumping beat of an all-too-familiar bassline floated by.Kingmaker. Snorting, Andy briefly cursed the universe for being an asshole, too, as he tracked the music to its source around the corner.
A trio of street dancers were performing for an enthusiastic crowd in a small, sun-drenched plaza. Two guys and a girl, none of them older than eighteen, dressed in a mismatched collection of California skatewear, Japanese streetwear, and Londonpunkwear, tied together by pure Seoul vibes. The original DAZ3 version ofKingmakerblasted from a nearby portable speaker.
Intrigued enough to momentarily forget about his fury, Andy leaned against a nearby wall to watch. The group had given the choreo a street-inspired ballroom spin, transforming the sharp, controlled isolations of the official choreography into explosive pops and locks, the smooth transitions into gravity-defying floor work. They were well-practiced amateurs at best, one landing a spin a fraction of a second after the others, another being occasionally sloppy. But their charisma was undeniable, and the small crowd was captivated. Their star was the shortest of the trio, a coiled spring of pure energy, who launched into a blistering solo of freezes and power moves. The others jumped into the crowd as his hype crew, pumping everyone into a joyous, streetside frenzy. Their excitement, and the fact that they were obviously having fun, more than made up for any mistakes.
When Andy turned to leave, one of the group, a girl with cotton candy-pink hair, caught his eye. “Hey, Dandy Andy Dances,” she called out.
Shocked, Andy froze. He thought maybe someone, somewhere might recognize him from Dream Boy Project. But, never in a million years did he expect a random Seoul street dancer to clock his social media handle. “You know me?”
The pink-haired girl laughed. “Hell yeah, I do. We’ve been following you online for a while.” She jabbed her elbow into the side of her taller dance partner. “See, I told you it was him.”
