Chapter 181 - EXOTIC (XIII): Because I Love You

"EXOTIC DISBANDS? ALL MEMBERS TO GO THEIR SEPARATE WAYS"

"KJ Chooses Family Life Over EXOTIC?"

"EXOTIC's Jinhyun to go on hiatus."

"EXOTIC Member Dasom to venture into acting."

"EXOTIC Disbands! No News of Ash Park Amidst S.e.x Scandal."

"EXOTIC is over! KJ accuses ex-member Ash Park of killing his child!"

The newspapers were splashed with the countless scandals about EXOTIC. The news of the disbandment devastated fans. They stormed EXOTIC's social media sites and fansites, expressing their outrage at Ash Park.

"He tried to kill his own member?" one user wrote. "How sick!"

"Ash the snake!"

"Poor KJ and Ms. Jung. They went through so much."

"Ash deserves to die!"

"First Ash and now Jinhyun will leave too? EXOTIC is truly over it seems…"

At Mystic Entertainment, the employees were at their wits end. The phone calls and social media sites were in a chaotic state and Junki spent sleepless nights trying to deal with the media. He had hoped to solve the issue but the media scrutiny only increased.

"What the hell are all of you doing?" he screamed at the employees. "Why isn't the press release out yet? And where is that damn intern? Why isn't he dealing with XYZ News?"

"We're trying our best!" One employee protested.

"Yeah, boss!" Another one piped up. "There's just too many things to do…"

"I don't f.u.c.k.i.n.g care!" Junki cursed. "I want this mess fixed before our CEO is discharged from the hospital! I don't want her to find the company in a mess when she takes up her position officially."

The employees stared at him in disbelief. Just two days ago, he was trying to get rid of her and now he was licking her boots. Before leaving the venue, Mirae had coldly instructed Junki to handle the media and release a statement regarding the upcoming nuptials. 

"Only say whatever is written on the press release," she instructed. "Anything more and I'll make sure you're fired."

Junki gulped and nodded. He felt helpless in front of her. He had thought she was an easy target but it turned out that she was a cutthroat leader. He would be having a torturous time working for her.

KJ, on the other hand, did not even acknowledge him. He walked away as if Junki was invisible. 

"I must fix this!" Junki vowed. "I must get that promotion!"

….

KJ was at the hospital. He brought Mirae back since she was still weak from her surgery but the doctors said that she would be discharged in two days. He was standing by the window, staring at the rain outside.

"You know, even if you stare intensely at the rain, it won't stop," Mirae joked. 

"Why did you do that?" KJ asked, turning around to face her. "Why did you say all that at the press conference."

"Those guys were about to rip you apart," Mirae replied. "If I hadn't stepped up and lied, they would have tarnished your reputation."

"So what?" KJ scoffed. "The media always exaggerates things! I could have handled the scandals."

"No you couldn't have," Mirae said sharply. "You were being punished for something you didn't do! You weren't the one who pulled the trigger that night. You were protecting your friend and what did you get in return? The tag of an abuser?"

"What did you get in return?" KJ asked quietly. "By saying those lies, you've created a bigger mess! Now we'll have to get married and…"

Mirae's green eyes were moist but determined. He could tell that she was trying her best to keep a strong front despite the pain she was feeling.

"You're my friend, KJ," she said clearly. "I took up the task to protect not just you but also everything that's dear to you. I can't sit around and let your image be ruined. If protecting you requires us to...to get married, then so be it. The reporters will then become convinced that we were not lying."

"Mirae, marriage is not some game!" KJ exclaimed. I'd know, he added in his mind. Memories of the original timeline haunted him every night. And after his experience at the astral plane, he was more convinced that Mirae will die if they are reunited even in this timeline. 

"KJ...come here."

She stretched out her hand, ushering him to come closer. KJ strode towards her bed and sat on the edge. Mirae gently took his hand.

"We're in this together," she said. "Ash betrayed us and he's the reason I lost my child. You were betrayed by him as well. I may have loved him once. But now...now I have nothing but plain disgust and loathing for him."

Her eyes flared up as she remembered his betrayal. The pain had now changed into an unquenchable vengeance. She would not stop until he was dead.

"I can't let your reputation be ruined because of him," Mirae said. "If you don't want to go through this, then I'm not gonna force you. But you'll remain my friend no matter what. We're not getting married because we love each other. We're only putting on a show to clear any hurdles which may prevent us from taking down the Cartel."

KJ did not have the heart to correct her. How could he tell her that he did not want their marriage to take place because of the fact that he loved her. But in her heart, he was only a friend and ally. Nothing more.

He slid his hand away from hers. "I can't let you do this," he said firmly. 

"KJ…" Mirae said. "Sometimes, life doesn't go the way we want it to. I know you're upset. But think of yourself before anyone else. Think of the image you've created. You worked hard for it. Please, don't let this take you down. Think logically and don't be emotional."

KJ turned away. "I need to go," he said standing up. He wanted to run away but he knew that no matter where he went, he would end up meeting Mirae. It was as if fate was playing some cruel trick.

"Please, think about it," Mirae pleaded. "It's the only way to save you and preserve the memory of EXOTIC."

KJ did not answer her but walked out, leaving Mirae to her own thoughts. Once he stepped out, he leaned against the wall to calm himself down.

"How can I even explain?" he lamented. "That I can't marry you because I love you."

….

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dasom demanded from Jinhyun. They were back at Dasom's house.  

"I thought that until KJ makes a decision, it would not be wise to bother you," Jinhyun said quietly.

"Bother me?" Dasom repeated. "Bother me? Jinhyun am I not part of EXOTIC? Don't I have a say in this?"

"Dasom…" Jinhyun started but Dasom cut him off.

"I know you're talking about that silly promise!" he exploded. "But Ash was the one who betrayed us! He didn't just leave us! He broke our trust and crushed our hearts. How can you think of that promise we made years ago for a guy who turned out to be a traitor?"

"Regardless of what he did," Jinhyun said. "He was still a member of EXOTIC. We shared our home with him. We shared our food with him.  We opened our hearts to him. Those moments matter, Dasom. It matters to us! We made a promise and we should honor it. If one member goes away then EXOTIC will remain incomplete. It's either all four of us or none of us."

Dasom let out a sigh of frustration. "And none of you bothered to talk to me!" he stated. "No one asked what I wanted."

"What do you want?"

"I want us to remain strong," Dasom admitted. Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke. "I want us to remain like the brothers we are now. I want...I want to go back to those days when we were living in that dingy apartment. We had nothing but we had each other."

Jinhyun did not say anything because he, too, wanted to turn the hands of time. But that was not possible.

"Why did Ash do this?" Dasom asked tearfully. Watching him cry was making Jinhyun tear up a little as well.

"I don't know," he admitted as he hugged Dasom. "I don't know. All I know is that EXOTIC doesn't disband, we will feel his void. We'll never be free of his memories if we go on like this."

"I don't want EXOTIC to disband…" Dasom sobbed on his shoulder. "I don't want you to leave."

Jinhyun felt as if he was transported back in time when the fourteen year old Dasom used to cry on his shoulder whenever he was missing home. 

"I don't want to leave, Dasom," Jinhyun admitted. "But I have to. It's time to let go of EXOTIC."