Three minutes later, Dongyeon found her in line and asked her to follow him in. There was no time for Lia to worry that she looked like she was being called off to be scolded for something—she just smiled at the girl who gave her the Soobin photocard, and followed Dongyeon inside. He handed her a staff lanyard, slapped a wristband on her wrist and led her down into the basement venue.
Lia quickly noticed the entire venue was standing-room-only. Not very thirty-year-old-friendly, but she understood what the vibe was. She found her brother at the sound booth, quietly observing whatever musical setup was happening there.
“Ate!” he exclaimed when he saw Lia. “You’re here!”
“Everyone is so shocked?” She chuckled. But upon seeing her brother, she remembered something and frowned. “You didn’t tell me the album was done.”
“It’s so not done.” Teddy snorted. “But it’s enough. We need to go home, Ate. I have Andi, and work, and our entire lives back there.”
He was right. There was no edge of Seoul she felt the need to explore, still. The self she’d been trying to find here was a person she liked, she wanted to be, and stick around. Money was spent, shopping lists were checked off. They were done.
“You should probably head backstage,” he suggested. “Cal was looking for you.”
“I’ll wish him luck,” Lia told herself more than him before she headed backstage, even as her heart fluttered at the title. It was easy enough to find the green room, and the security in front of the door let her in after she flashed him her staff pass. She could get used to that.
The green room was way more chaotic than she had pictured. In one corner, someone from the agency was piling fan gifts that included flowers, balloons and in one case, a basket full of…was that pancit canton? Fan letters were being gathered and neatly placed aside. Lia would later learn that Siwan made it a point to read as much as he could—because the man had always been a secret softie.
There were stylists making adjustments to accessories, debating the merits of a belt or a jacket, some busy, fluttering around Siwan to style his hair while he took a photo for his socials. Soobin was holding court with the styling team, offering pizza while he had some. Minseo, the band’s second manager, was there, and he intervened when the security tried to bar Lia from entering.
“Noona!” Soobin exclaimed, picking up a box and holding it up to her. “You came! I got you a shirt!”
“What?” Lia asked, confused as Soobin waved a CoBOLT shirt at her, the kind she hadn’t been able to afford when she saw them on tour years ago.
“It’s a gift from me, because Cal hyung said we needed to show you we love you.”
“Oh my god.” Lia wanted to crawl into a hole, and turned to Siwan. “Is that why you bought me a ticket?”
“Yes, because we love you. Duh. And our collective love language is gifts.” Siwan said, blowing her a fake kiss, which Lia grudgingly accepted. “Hyung is with Minji’s team. There were a few last-minute things they wanted to discuss, but he should have five minutes to talk. Is that enough time to lay out your entire heart to him?”
“I am not?—”
“Have a pizza!” Soobin offered her the box as he pulled her into a chair to sit next to him. “Hyung should be?—“
Speak of the devil. A door Lia hadn’t seen at the back opened, and out stepped Cal. Tonight was a big event for the band, a chance for them to reestablish themselves to their fans, and the industry as a band that was here to stay. Lia wanted to give their styling team props—they conveyed that perfectly.
Cal was wearing a vintage band tee whose sleeves had been ripped off. The collar was ripped too, showing off his collarbones and the bare hint of his chest, silver jewelry at his throat. His makeup was delicate but made him seem more formidable. Every gaze seemed to be intentional when one had winged liner. Thankfully they seemed to have abandoned the Byronic vampire hero concept, and just stuck with the band as who they were—rockstars. Absolute rockstars.
Lia’s stomach flipped as her heart fluttered. She’d forgotten that it was possible to be both kilig and anxious at the same time.
“Lia,” Cal exclaimed, striding—because there was no other way to describe it—across the room to her, and Lia tensed, because it was absolutely everything she had delusions of, having someone feel the need to stride across the room for her. She felt it too, that pull in her heart to him, one that made her step forward, want to close the gap faster. “You’re here.”
“I’m here,” she said. She wanted to hug him. She wanted to cry. But she could feel the weight of everyone’s curious gazes in the room, could feel the beginnings of trouble and scandal. Cal must have seen her get distracted because he stopped too, putting polite, Holy Spirit-approved distance between them, his hands squeezing her arms instead.
“Hi.”
“Aigoo.” Siwan groaned from the makeup chair. “He’s hopeless.”
“Hyung, there are no good conversations happening in a green room.” Soobin shook his head, surprisingly serious. “Don’t talk here where we will listen.” He glanced at Siwan. “And meddle.”
Cal turned to Siwan. The leader and the band’s bassist exchanged no words, but seemed to understand each other perfectly as Siwan shrugged and waved a hand before his stylist descended on him with hairspray.
“Come with me,” Cal said like he could read her mind, walking confidently out of the green room and deeper backstage.
They kept walking until he spotted a huge stack of storage cases randomly left out in the hallway. He ducked behind them, pulling Lia with him, the cases and a light curtain the only things shielding them from the rest of the world. Lia’s back pressed against the storage cases as Cal placed both hands on either side of her head.
His eyes were dark and almost hungry as he looked at her, and an unexpected thrill of attraction made Lia shiver. To be attracted to Cal Ahn was a given. To physically desire him, and have him in such touchable distance was a gift.
He nibbled at his bottom lip. Lia couldn’t tear her eyes from it.
