XX. This Crazy Guy

Phoenix

 I let myself fall on the floor as my sweat bathe my whole body.  Sol is surely bloody mad at me right now.  We almost fixed it but here it is again.

 If I could only punch my manager for being extra annoying, I already did as soon as I step afoot at the airport this morning.

 We talked about one week vacation but they suddenly sent me back.  This comeback is pretty maddening.  We already talked that we're coming back two months from now and they're suddenly telling me that we will move it in advance.

 "Aren't you going back to the dorm?"  Sujin asked me.  He's the group's rapper.

 We're the only ones who were left in the practice room while the others went back to the dorm already.  He can speak in English because he studied in California when he was in high school but he's a full-blooded Korean.

 "Later. I'll just take a rest for a while."

 My eyes are closed but I felt him sat beside me.  He's the closest member to me.  We trained together and I was the one who taught him Mandarin since my Dad is Chinese.

 "So, what happened in the Philippines? Did you meet her?"

 I let out a heavy sigh before looking at him.  He became my best friend when I moved in Korea.  He knows everything about Sol and sometimes helps me find her whenever we have free time.  Unlike me, he never had a girlfriend but he can understand me because he's a good listener.

 "Say, yes. We almost reconcile but I guess I just made her angrier when I left without a word - just like what I did before."

 He scratched the back of his head and stared at his reflection in the mirror.  He laughed softly as a deep small hole appears on his left cheek.

 "What are you going to do then? We'll be busy for the next three months. World tours will be starting right after they release our album. We need to attend the show this week. Ou5 manager will surely get mad if we're incomplete. "

 I sat and kicked the bottled water which bounced on the mirror.  In frustration, I messed up my damped hair.  I heard Sujin laughed, making me want to break his nose right now.

 "I need to go,"  I said as I gather my phone and jacket on the chair.

 "Let's get back to the dorm together, then."

 I turned to him and held him by the shoulder.

 "No, we won't. I need to go somewhere. Just get back to the dorm safe. See you tomorrow."

 I run out of the building before he can even react.  I put my mask on before crossing the street.  It's quarter to 1 already and the street is empty.  I went to my house and took a quick change before throwing myself on the bed.

 I bought this house two years ago, hoping I can find Sol.  I know he will like it here because the view is beautiful.  Everything inside is also custom.  There's a room full of books which she dreamed of.

 I know this is wishful thinking, but I'm going to do anything to win her back.  Now that I found her, I'm not giving her up again.

 °°°

 At 4 am, I'm back in the dorm just before our manager knocks on our rooms.  I only got a little sleep because I stayed in my place for two hours at most.

 He has this habit of checking on us every 4 am and let us sleep until lunch whenever we have practice.

 Switch is composed of seven members.  I, being the leader, Sujin, the high pitch rapper, Ken, the low pitch rapper, Blue and Yawn, the dancing machines, and last but not the least, Less and Jun, they are twins.  Less and I are the main vocals while Jun is in charge of the high notes.

 Ken is supposed to debut in another group but he wasn't ready yet when they debuted, making him the third member in the group.  He also had the longest training years among us.  He is supposed to be the leader because of it but some changes have been made right before we debut.

 We went to a taping in the afternoon.  I think a lot so I don't talk much on the set.  I should be lively but how can I exactly do it when Sol is all I think about?  Our manager asked me if I was sick and I just pretended to be one just so they would not bother me.

 Sujin returned to the van first so I was left alone while the show manager was talking.  As I went down the building, I saw a familiar guy in the lobby.

 "Excuse me?"  I asked in Korean.

 Only Sujin talks to me in English though the other members know a little bit.

 He's the Korean guy waiting for Sol when we were in the hotel.  He beamed at me and hugged me for no apparent reason.  He's acting as if we're close friends when I don't even know his name.

 "Hi! Phoenix, right? I'm glad you can still remember me. What are you doing here?"

 He's babbling nonsense but I tried really hard to pretend excited about meeting him here.

 I told him that we had some business here and he told me something I'm not interested in.

 "... I'm actually tired because I helped Sol move into her new house today. Her mom cried really hard about the idea."

 He got me there.  So, she's living with Zeck all the time?  I know where to find Zeck's place, why didn't I think of it?  Stupid, stupid!

 "I have something to give her, can you give me her address?"

 "Yes, I can but I won't,"  he answered coyly which annoys me big time.  "Kidding, here."

 He wrote the address on the back of his calling card.  I said goodbye to him and ran to the van with a big smile on my face.  I suddenly felt revitalized.