Chapter Text
Jaechan is only 24, but he has already spent his entire life in the industry. From being an idol who sold ten albums to packing the KSPO Dome for a three-day concert, his career has soared. His latest movie was one of the most viewed, and he has two pending dramas set to air on major networks in South Korea and China. Though his life seems perfect to many, he can barely remember the last time he enjoyed the fruits of his labor. While he lives a comfortable life with homes in esteemed communities in Seoul, he is constantly on the road. His skin is perpetually coated in makeup and sponsored perfumes. He feels like a robot—moving but lifeless.
He has often thought about escaping all of this and leaving without a trace. But how? His life seems to be programmed just the way it is now: under the spotlight, waving to thousands of fans, and smiling as if he has it all together, while in reality, he is on the verge of collapse from exhaustion and dehydration.
His manager, someone twice his age, is busy gathering his things into the car as Jaechan curls into the seat behind the driver. He hears the screams of his fans and his manager’s complaints about how rowdy they are. Who cares? They are the ones keeping Jaechan alive at the moment.
“Your fans are wild!” The manager says as he settles into the front seat.
Jaechan doesn’t reply. He just lets the internal deterioration of his body take over and falls asleep. He wakes up in front of the hotel where he is staying.
“Do you want me to stay over?” His manager inquires again.
“No need,” Jaechan replies, almost crawling out of the car and heading to the front of the building. He is too tired to notice two people discreetly following him from the other side of the building.
His unit is on the eighth floor of the Seasons Hotel Seoul. He booked this place to avoid the cheap hotel his company usually puts him in. The elevator ride was unusually exhausting, to the point where his limbs felt as though they could no longer support him. It was absolutely ridiculous, especially with an early schedule at eight tomorrow. He curses under his breath. He hates this life, especially when it seems to give up on him right after he steps out of the elevator.
He wakes up to the unusual sound of clattering somewhere near his bed. Though the bed is comfortable and envelopes his still aching body, the noise is just so annoying to his ears. He should be alone in this room! What’s that noise all about? He drags himself out of bed and checks the clock right across from it. It’s six in the morning. His manager will arrive anytime soon. He should shower and make himself presentable. And then, the noise disturbs him again.
“Dad! He’s awake!” Dad? He looks behind him and finds two people sitting on the couch. “Good morning, Sir?”
The little one greets him, an extremely tiny creature.
“Who are you? Why are you in my room?” He almost stammers.
“You passed out last night outside our door. I kind of recognized you and didn’t want to alert the whole establishment that someone famous collapsed and almost died in their establishment, so I brought you in,” the other person replies. The other person in question is a man, mature enough for Jaechan to think he is older than him. His form is masculine, defined, and handsome, as far as Jaechan’s half-awake brain can manage to describe.
“What?” It’s more of a question to himself than to the strangers in the room. “This is not my room?” He specifically looks into the other man’s eyes. They are beautiful.
“Of course.” The other man sighs and stands up. “Gather your things. It seems like your manager has been trying to find you. Your phone has been ringing since 5 in the morning.”
“I’m Seojin! I'm four!”
He almost forgets the tiny human being that has been looking up at both of them.
“Actor Idol Park Jaechan Sparks Scandal: Seen with Alleged Husband and Mystery Daughter!”
His schedule was canceled. He got a call from his manager a few minutes after he stepped out from Seojin and her dad’s room. This needs to get addressed immediately! We don't want to offend the whole country by having a controversy with a man who just got divorced, got custody of his child and thrown his wife to Canada. This echoes inside his brain as the two reporters from a big tabloid company sit in front of them.
“None of these is true. I was exhausted last night and I passed out to identify my room! These two were kind enough to help me and now, you’re asking for money to shield me from a scandal? What are you doing in that hotel?” Jaechan is angry. He knows he was being followed by different reporters and sasaengs just to spot an episode of him being in a compromised situation.
“Not the photos that are being leaked right now, Jaechan,” Says his manager. He shows him a photo on Nevaer with him in the arms of a man with a small girl following them. He looked like he was being princess-carried. “This is Mr. Park Seoham. The son of the Seasons Hotel. His wife, well ex, is a daughter of a prime minister. You don't want to offend them, Jaechan!”
“I need the CCTV footage!”
“That photo was from a small clip from the CCTV video. They are investigating who was responsible for leaking it to the media.”
Jaechan knows there is nothing more to discuss; he has definitely been framed! The footage has been released to sabotage him, and they end the meeting by agreeing to pay just to keep the other pictures from being released. Jaechan wants to cry, but he knows that won't solve the dilemma he is in. His manager asks him to check out of the hotel and go home, clearing his schedule for the day.
“I'll be waiting for you in the guest parking area,” His manager says as he drives away from the company building. Jaechan doesn't respond.
“The doctor's appointment has been postponed until tomorrow. Your anemia must have been acting up lately—that's probably why you passed out last night.”
That is likely the reason. He is anemic, and his low iron levels make him extremely exhausted. He hardly has time to balance his sleep, and his meals are always instant because of his fast-paced job.
Jaechan gathers his things from his hotel room and checks out alone. It is already late at night, and he realizes he has forgotten to eat dinner. He curses under his breath. The elevator ride down to the guest parking is just as exhausting as going up. He thinks to himself that he should just rest today in the comfort of his own bed at home instead of in this luxurious but worthless hotel.
He is immediately met with camera flashes as soon as he steps out from the lift. Reporters bombard him with questions about his alleged affair with a recently divorced chaebol named Park Seoham. He tries to keep his growing panic at bay as he frantically searches for their car, but it is nowhere in sight.
“Jaechan, can you comment on your relationship with Mr. Park Seoham?”
“Jaechan, are you involved with him?”
“How long has this been going on?”
“Are you gay?”
“Why are you gay?”
Jaechan wants to curse them out in every language he knows. So what if he is gay?
His calls to his manager aren't going through, and he finds himself cornered in the empty parking lot.
"This hotel's security is absolute garbage!" He mutters under his breath.
He runs toward the exit with the paparazzi close behind, snapping photos as they chase after him. Just as he is about to reach the nearby elevator, a car suddenly screeches to a halt in front of him. Without a second thought, he jumps into the open passenger door and quickly shuts it behind him.
“Fasten your seatbelt; I’ll be driving dangerously fast!” Says the man in the driver’s seat.
Jaechan mindlessly tosses his bag into the back seat and quickly fastens his seatbelt. As he does, he glances over at the person holding the steering wheel.
“What the hell!” He exclaims.
“Nice way to say thank you,” Seoham smirks.
Still catching his breath, Jaechan feels his head get lighter and his vision blur slightly.
“What are you doing here? How did you find me?” He asks, trying to calm down and keep himself from passing out again. He can't afford to faint in front of Seoham a second time.
“First of all, I was at the hotel and saw you checking out while your manager left without you. I figured you might be in trouble, and I was right,” Seoham replies. They are already speeding down the main street, heading somewhere Jaechan couldn’t care less about.
His manager left without him?
“My manager left?” Jaechan repeats, still in disbelief.
“Yeah,” Seoham confirms.
Silence falls between them as they speed along the wide city street. Only Seoham seems to know where they are headed. The last thing Jaechan remembers is how comfortable the seat in Seoham’s car feels against his aching back. Before he knows it, he has dozed off.
When he wakes up, he finds an IV attached to his left hand. He is lying on the most comfortable bed he has ever been on, feeling slightly more energized. Glancing around, he realizes this isn’t a hospital room. Sitting comfortably across from him, Seoham watches him with a concerned expression. Seoham asks, “How are you feeling?” as he rises from his seat and walks toward the bed.
“Better. Thank you,” Jaechan replies.
“If you’re wondering, you’re in my house,” Seoham explains.
Jaechan mentally accepts the fact that he is in Seoham’s home. He realizes that while Seoham has saved him, the media has twisted everything into a much bigger scandal. The chaos he is facing right now is because of that.
“I’m sorry for involving you in this mess,” Jaechan finally says, voicing the thought that has been weighing on his mind. Seoham must be equally troubled by all of this—maybe even more than Jaechan can imagine.
“Don’t worry about it,” Seoham reassures him. “By the way, I suggest you avoid contacting your manager for now.”
As Seoham speaks, Jaechan’s gaze lingers on him. He suddenly realizes, or maybe it just finally hits him, how much Seoham’s mature appearance compliments his sharp features. His striking nose and deep, husky voice add to his strong presence. He is gorgeous.
“Because?”
“I might be suspecting him of being the one behind everything. I had someone who moved and worked to check his business.” Jaechan shakes his head in disbelief. He has been working with his manager for seven years. He is one of the people he trusts the most. It doesn't make sense to him if he indeed sabotaged him to ruin his career.
“You’re suspecting him? I have work tomorrow. It’s an important photoshoot for my upcoming drama!” He replies.
“You can take some of my staff.”
“Mr. Park, do you hear yourself? People might have figured out that I rode in your car when I tried to escape from the paparazzi. And now you want me to take your staff? Do you really want to be entangled with me?”
Seoham sighs. He grabs the nearby chair and sits on it, facing Jaechan.
“I’m just trying to protect you. Don’t worry, the car wasn’t registered under my name.”
A string of silence follows after that.
“Bring the car with you. You can drive, right?”
“You can’t?” Seoham blurts out when he realizes that Jaechan, despite being an adult, can't legally drive. “So that scene in your drama where you were driving, chasing a criminal down the main street in Seoul—was that all CGI?”
Jaechan can’t help but find this amusing. Seoham remembers a scene he filmed four years ago?
“I was barely legal when that was filmed, sir,” He replies, feeling entertained. “How do you even remember that? Are you a fan?”
“Well, that’s not the issue here. I can ask someone to drive the car for you, or do you have someone trustworthy who could help you?”
Jaechan thinks about it. He does have someone who could help him.
Ji Oh can’t believe her eyes as she settles into the new Bentley that Seoham used yesterday.
“Girl, this is dope!” she exclaims.
Jaechan chuckles beside her. They are on their way to the location for the photoshoot. Seoham had warned Jaechan that someone would be tailing them to prevent the media from causing any disturbances.
“So, this is what it’s like to have a sugar daddy?” Ji Oh teases with a playful grin.
Jaechan rolls his eyes but laughs along with her, glad for a moment of levity amid all the chaos.
“He is not my sugar daddy! I barely know him.”
His manager calls him multiple times, but Jaechan lies and says he escaped and went to Ji Oh. Seoham advised him to be a bit secretive and cautious. The idea that his manager might be sabotaging him still doesn’t make sense.
The photoshoot goes smoothly, and his manager is all over him, checking if he’s okay. Jaechan tells him to cancel the doctor’s appointment because he’s already feeling better. Seoham’s housekeeper has packed a good amount of snacks and meals for him for the day. Ji Oh is enjoying driving the Bentley and waiting for him.
“Where are you staying now? How did Ji Oh suddenly get an expensive car, and are you sure you’re safe?” Jinwoo, his manager, asks during a break.
“Hyung, I’m fine. I’ll let you know once I get settled into my new place,” Jaechan replies.
The photoshoot ended and Ji Oh was already waiting for him, and true to Seoham’s words there were no strange people following him. The other man sends him a text to ask if he is feeling better. Well, he asked the other man’s number before they left this morning. Seoham was elated.
Seoham’s daughter was with his parents, that’s why they were alone in the other man’s house. He finds it funny that he felt a little bit sad when he finds out that the kid was not home. She was adorable.
Jaechan’s Manager Exposed as Mastermind Behind Scandal and Location Leaks.
Jaechan wakes up to the shocking news that Jinwoo, his manager, was the one who tipped the paparazzi about his location and tried to set him up with various scandals. It finally makes sense why he found himself in the news almost annually for false dating celebrities or alleged drunk driving incidents. Each time, he narrowly avoided losing his job, and he’s grateful he managed to dodge those situations.
He wonders how Seoham was able to complete the investigation overnight. He called his company but was told that he will be notified about the changes of his schedules. Maybe he will be free for the next few days.
He booked his friend’s dance studio. He will exhaust himself with practicing today.
Days passed and he got a new manager. A woman in her forties, she used to manage idols before and took a break from managing artists when she got married and gave birth. At least she was nice. He heard his company tried to set his past manager free behind his back, but he noticed it before they could even make a move.
“Should I sue this company and terminate this contract?” He voiced to his manager.
“What are you talking about?” His manager named Eunsoo replied while fixing some of his things inside their car.
“They still employed that bastard after setting me up for failure. Are they being serious?” He continues.
“Do you think the cost of contract termination is worth it? Will you be able to manage on your own?” She walks to the driver’s seat and signals him to take the seat behind her.
“You won’t come with me?” He settles himself in the back seat and looks at her through the rearview mirror. She smiles.
“Of course, I will come with you. Jaechan-ah, my loyalty lies with you. Let’s talk this over with a legal team. I can set you up with the best lawyers I know.” Her voice suggests she’s prepared for this situation.
Despite his lingering doubts and the trauma of being betrayed before, Jaechan tries to shake off his fears and thanks her instead.
True to her word, Jaechan meets with the lawyers two days after his conversation with Eunsoo about the contract termination. He is amazed at how they manage to find a loophole in his contract and analyze his current situation. The lawyers confidently assure him that they can win the case with ease. The following week, they initiated the legal process for the contract termination.