Time Machines
Grace
He hadn’t come out of his room in hours.
I was starting to get worried.
The rest of the guys were due back in another forty minutes for dinner and to work in their studio, which apparently was another layer of the ginormous apartments they already lived in that I hadn’t even seen all of yet.
At least they didn’t have to go outside.
How sad.
That being trapped inside would be your only escape from the world, the pressures, the constant stares, questions, accusations.
I was thankful I had taken them to the beach at least once then, even if they were grumpy initially.
I yawned as my head fell back against the door with a loud thud. Thinking nothing of it, I did it again. The door jerked open, causing my body to fly back, landing against the floor and on top of something soft.
“Ah, slippers.” Another reminder not to wear my shoes inside—anywhere, damn it, Oppa.
Thankfully, I was barefoot but also… gross, I was barefoot in someone else’s home, just savagely spreading my sweat across the floor.
I almost felt sorry for them.
Living with a barbarian like me.
“You’re up.” I gave him a small wave.
Lucas looked down at me and let out the longest sigh known to mankind—I would know because I stopped mentally counting after an uncomfortable ten seconds.
Ten. Long. Seconds.
He stepped over me like I was roadkill.
And then, like the panicked psycho I was, I launched my person across the floor, scrambling ahead of him in an attempt to block the door, only to notice he was going into the kitchen.
I’d lost all sense of normalcy, hadn’t I? The fear was ruling me now; that and my need to keep him safe at all costs.
I double-checked the lock on the front door, then started my job of stalking one of the hottest guys I’d ever seen in real life as he grabbed a water and something that looked like a can of Pringles.
Now, I don’t remember aggressively walking toward him like I was about to use a shank—everything was a bit of a blur—but before he could put that first chip into his mouth, the can was mine.
I was moaning.
And his jaw was dropped like he’d just seen an alien.
Take me to your leader.
And give me more Pringles!
He jerked the can out of my grip.
Then I reached for it again.
Oh, so we had a battle on our hands.
Keep him alive, keep him alive. Do not hit him over the head with your favorite chip. Don’t do it, Grace.
Self. Control.
I let him have it and held up my hands in surrender. Then I slowly grabbed my phone out of my pocket like I was on a cop show and wanted to reveal it wasn’t a weapon. “Sorry, I’ve been worried about you.” I nodded at the Pringles can. “I’m starving, and it’s my favorite chip, some might say an addiction?”
The app translated it quickly.
Slowly he shook his head and grabbed my phone, then spoke into it. “Dangsineun michin saramiya.”
I waited with great expectations, then frowned when the computer-like voice translated. “You’re a crazy person.”
“Crazy for Pringles,” I mumbled under my breath, sending him a glare and grabbing my phone back. “Wanna watch a movie? Do push-ups? Work out? Build a castle out of toothpicks? I’ve heard coloring can be cathartic, brought my own pencils… Ha, ha.” I will literally die alone.
Had to admit, Lucas had the slow disappointed head nod down like a champ as he grabbed my phone again and spoke into it. “Dangsineun yakmure isseupnikka?”
The voice mocked back. “Are you on medication?”
I frowned. “Well, that’s rude. No, but you can’t leave the apartments, so pick something to do other than mope in your room, or I’m gonna have to turn on Frozen. You know… Let it Go.” It hurt not to sing it, it really did.
It also hurt to see him respond to it like his ears were praying I wouldn’t actually burst out into song and dance.
Safe to say, my lack of sleep, diet, stress was starting to seep into my sanity.
He pushed past me, tossing my phone into the air. I fumbled but caught it and then trailed after him as he sat on the couch and turned on the TV.
I didn’t want to crowd his space, but I was completely unaware of societal norms and personal space and felt weird randomly googling it. So instead, I sat on the opposite L of the black leather sofa and cleared my throat. “Want me to cook you something?” I spoke into the phone.
He said nothing.
Frowning, I looked back down at the screen and tried again. “Do you want me to find a movie to watch?”
And more silence as he scrolled through Netflix and then stopped on something that looked interesting, and bonus, it had English subtitles.
I was just starting to read the synopsis when my phone rang.
It was my “favorite” person.
“Solia, hi—”
“The idols are running behind schedule. How’s Lucas?”
“Um…” Did I tell her he was binge eating Pringles and watching TV? Wasn’t that better than escape? “He’s, um… relaxing.”
She sighed like she was relieved. “Good, we’ll be another two hours.”
“‘Kay, I’ll just make sure we stay… put.”
“Your only job.”
“And your constant reminder,” I countered.
She was quiet and then: “It’s not always like this.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “He’s safe, and that’s all that matters right now.”
In his spot on the couch, Lucas flinched, his elegant piano playing fingers hovering over the buttons of the remote, and then he pushed play.
And that, dear friends, is when I started to feel at home for the first time in my life.
Who knew it would all be because of a Goblin, a high school student, and a Grim Reaper?
Two hours later…
“But it was her birthday!” I said out loud, then looked away so Lucas wouldn’t see me crying. After a few minutes of my silent sobs, he held out a tissue. “It’s just so sad!” Embarrassed, I wiped my face and kept watching, completely enthralled like a psychopath as the drama played out.
How had I never seen this before?
And why the hell did I ever think language or subtitles could be a barrier when the acting was this good? The writing? Everything.
This might be my new Pringles.
And I had zero regrets as I clutched the couch pillow to my chest and tried not to look too engrossed.
I sniffled into another tissue only to be handed yet another one. “Thanks.”
“Cheonman-eyo.”
“I hope that was a you’re welcome and not a really pretty way of saying I’m an idiot.” I sniffled.
He said nothing.
Not that I expected much.
The lock to the door sounded with the little alarm passcode, and then the rest of the guys appeared, looking tired as hell as they trooped into the apartment, each of them taking off their shoes and putting on the slippers lined up by the door.
Dae-Jung’s words wafted through my memory: Wear the slippers. Damn, he was so right. I’d literally messed up almost from the first time I’d even met the guys. Maybe that was why they were so put off? I had a sudden vision of me looking like some Viking stomping into my safe space with a turkey leg in one hand and a sword in the other. I was probably terrifying—and not the good kind of terror that earned respect, but the kind that made people wonder if they were going to get murdered in their sleep while someone tore into that turkey leg over their dead bodies to appease the gods.
This was not my world, but it was up to me to fit in, not make others fit into mine. Yes, I’d ask Rae about my own slippers later.
Kai paused, his eyebrows shooting up. How did I never notice how long his hair actually was or how he kept it in that perfect half man bun? He took one look at the TV then laughed, his perfect white smile damned intimidating.
Jay was next. “Torture, party of two.”
“Hey!” I almost threw my tissue at him. “It’s so good!”
“Did Lucas tell you he auditioned?” Jay smirked.
Lucas groaned and tossed a pillow in Jay’s direction while Sookie grabbed the can of Pringles and pulled one out, ready to pop it into his mouth when Solia marched into the apartment.
In a blur, Kai grabbed the Pringles and tossed them to Rae, who hid them under a pillow while Sookie dove across the couch, joining Jay, who started furiously typing on his phone like he had a hot date.
What? What was happening?
“Dinner choices tonight from the chef…” Solia was looking at her phone. “Sookie, you’re still overweight. Lucas, you need to make sure you’re adding more protein. Kai, you’re fine. Rae…” She narrowed her eyes and moved on down the list of approved foods that would be delivered and sounded them off. “All right, so you guys need to attempt to get to bed early since you have an early shoot in the morning for promoting the comeback stage… let’s do chicken tonight.” She tapped on her iPad even as she was already leaving.
When the door finally closed behind her, I gulped and said in a low voice, “I’m not against going to the store and buying more Pringles.”
I could have sworn I earned a sexy look from every single member.
Huh, maybe all it took was food.
“Or um, fried chicken? Technically it’s still chicken, so you wouldn’t be lying.”
Sookie threw his head back against the couch and groaned, then put the chip into his mouth and chewed.
“No,” Rae said in a soft voice. “We’ll binge all the fried chicken after our comeback.”
Lucas said something under his breath, earning a death glare from Kai and Rae.
Sookie chose that moment to dive across the couch and intercept the Pringles, putting one last chip into his mouth and chewing. I could have sworn I could see the words worth it plastered across his face as he swallowed.
The sound of his stomach rumbling overshadowed the actors talking on screen. The guy needed more food, but when I opened my mouth to say something, Rae was already shaking his head at me, silently telling me to drop it.
Poor Sookie slumped into the couch and crossed his arms, staring straight ahead, his ears turning slightly red as Lucas pressed play again.
Jay mumbled something about the studio, Sookie remained frozen in place, Rae went into the kitchen, and I didn’t trust anyone else to make sure Lucas didn’t sneak off to the roof.
So, there I sat, attempting not to cry as the show kept going. Lucas didn’t look away from the TV. Kai finally sat down, still on his phone, then looked up and scowled.
Sookie’s stomach was still grumbling.
“You know, if you like vegetables, you should be able to eat as many as physically possible without gaining weight,” I said it all into the app, waiting for it to translate, then continued when Sookie turned toward me. “You could also intermittently fast for the next few days, then at least you won’t need to do so much chicken—isn’t Korea notorious for seafood dishes? I’m sure if we just make sure we don’t add salt, and you’re drinking plenty of—”
“Jungji.”
It instantly translated to stop.
Sookie gave me a sad smile and then shrugged while Kai peered around him at me and made a cutting motion across his neck.
My jaw dropped in horror. What sort of Dateline episode with hot guys did I just get dropped into?
And then laughter sounded behind me. I whipped around to see Lucas laughing his butt off.
He had a nice laugh—even though it was most likely directed at me.
Soon Sookie joined in, then Kai even.
What had I missed?
Lucas snatched my phone and spoke quickly into it, then hit translate. “He’s not actually going to slice you across the neck; it’s a gesture—sarcasm?”
I cleared my throat and carefully grabbed my phone. “I knew that…”
Rae strolled back into the room and frowned. “Are you sick?”
“No, just getting sarcastic death threats.” I glared at Kai and then did the whole I’m watching you motion with my fingers.
He didn’t look afraid.
If anything, he was more amused than ever.
But hey, at least it made Lucas laugh, so I’ll just count it as a win.
Rae said something to the guys, who stopped giggling like schoolgirls and then jerked his head toward the kitchen like he wanted me to follow him. I could still see Lucas if I didn’t go all the way in, and even though he’d been laughing a few seconds ago, I knew how quick the anxiety could creep back in—choking, suffocating, shaming.
“Management’s fighting to get Lucas taken off all of the upcoming press, stating stress and sickness.” He cleared his throat. “They’re even thinking about taking him off the comeback stage.”
My eyes snapped open in horror. “Why the hell would they do that?”
Rae’s expression fell as he pulled me farther away from the group. “Fans aren’t happy.”
“This is ridiculous!” I was so frustrated I wanted to throw something. After everything he’d been through? The stress? The practicing? Even I was tired on his behalf, and now he was going to have to sit out? That was like practicing for the World Series then having your coach pull you for no reason other than you spit out your gum and someone accidentally stepped on it.
I dug my fingertips into my temples, trying to alleviate the growing pressure from a tension headache that had pretty much existed since landing in Seoul. “Okay, think… so bear with me here. In the States, you’d just pull a publicity stunt, call in a favor, wait for another celeb to check into rehab, start fake dating your co-star, or well, fake something even bigger, then say no comment and let it blow over…”
Rae crossed his arms over his chest, bringing my attention to how sculpted he was. Heat swamped my face, and I suppressed the urge to fan myself. And was his shirt tighter today?
Crap, focus, Grace!
“Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed… you’re in Seoul, not Hollywood…” He leaned in with a sad smile.
Yeah, he didn’t need to remind me how vastly different things were. Every day was a new learning experience with a severe learning curve.
Think Grace, use your brain! If I could make this better—by some miracle, cheer Lucas up and show that I was a team player—maybe they’d start trusting me more or at least drinking my coffee and allowing me to make them a snack without wondering if I was poisoning them. I felt like I finally had a tiny foothold in developing a relationship with the guys, and for some reason, this felt like a potential catalyst.
And personally, I was terrified of what would happen to Lucas’s mental state if he suddenly wasn’t allowed to go on the comeback stage. It actually made me sick to my stomach. He wasn’t okay, truly. I think he was trying in his own way, but when nobody was paying attention, it was like this darkness washed over him.
I hated it so much that I was even okay with him projecting all the negative feelings in my direction—anything to keep him from that roof.
Frowning, I looked down at the phone in my hands. “Do you have a clear picture of her? What’s her social footprint look like?”
Rae looked over at the couch. Lucas was still fully focused on the TV, his snack, and a notepad that he kept scribbling on resting on his lap. Rae snatched his phone, tapped the screen, and handed it over. He moved behind me, blocking me from Lucas’s view while crowding my space as his arm came around. His finger pointed, and it took a ton of self-control to focus on the phone and not how close he was standing or how good he smelled. “The picture is really blurry. All we really have are fan pictures posted online, in chats, and a name that’s clearly not a real person on social media…”
A smile spread across my face. “Text me everything you have. I think I have an idea.”
He barked out a laugh, and corresponding chills ran up and down my spine. I cleared my throat and stepped away from him, putting much-needed space between our bodies.
He ran a hand through his thick blond hair. “What? Are you gonna make a scrapbook?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, and add tiny little kitty stickers because nothing cheers someone up like some—” I stopped myself. “Cats.”
“Yeah, because that’s what you were going to say.” Jay suddenly appeared behind me like a ghost.
I jumped a foot. “How are you so quiet when you walk?”
He looked down at his slippers and grinned. “How are you not? Plotting world domination over here?”
“Yes. Maybe.” I put my hands on my hips then brought my right hand to my mouth, ready to chew off a fingernail only to have both guys give me disapproving looks. See? I couldn’t win. “You’re going to need to trust me.”
That earned me an eye narrowing from Jay and a long, intense stare from Rae before he exhaled. “Fine, so what happens when I send you everything? You just call up some brilliant hacker and…” His voice trailed off as I grinned triumphantly. “That’s exactly what you’re going to do, isn’t it?”
“Look…” I held my hands out in front of me. “What if Lucas releases an official apology, one that talks about how much he loves his fans and is working on a song just for them, get on their good side… and in the meantime, we find out who this psycho is and exactly why she’s trying to ruin his life. Maybe if we find out the why, we can fix it.”
“You can’t fix delusional.” Jay had the nerve to look me up and down as if to say, I give you exhibit A.
I glared. “I’m grabbing my laptop, and you’re going to be here and give as many details as possible.”
I ran into my room, grabbed my MacBook Pro, then came back out and set up in the kitchen connecting to the Wi-Fi, tapping my fingers on the counter while waiting for everything to wake up.
I didn’t realize how embarrassing it would be for the guys to look over my shoulder and see the picture of my best friend and me on the desktop in our graduation robes eating hot dogs until that exact moment.
Or the crazy number of songs I’d mixed on Ozone just for fun and for some of my assignments for senior year.
I quickly opened up FaceTime. “What you guys need… is a Kevin.”
“Eh?” Sookie repeated “Kevin” in a heavy accent, then added something in Korean, probably asking the guys for the tenth time if I was sane.
“A Kevin,” I repeated, then clicked on his name.
It rang five times before his rumpled sandy blond hair appeared on screen. He was one of the basketball players at UW I’d helped survive the first day of freshman orientation when girls kept asking him why he was so tall.
Literally, that was their pick-up line.
I told him the only way to get through that day was to pretend to be my boyfriend so I could scare them off.
Worked like a charm.
And I inherited a gorgeous, tatted-up athlete who actually kept it in his pants and liked my mom’s lasagna more than he liked me.
Boys.
“Why?” was all he said when he answered. Not hey, or what’s up, how’s Korea? You alive? Just… why?
I smiled.
“Oh, hell.” He wiped his hands down his bronzed face. “I hate that smile. I nearly went to prison because of that smile.”
“He exaggerates.” I waved him off with a nervous laugh.
“No.” Kevin’s green eyes narrowed in despair. “He. Does. Not.”
“So, we need your help,” I said quickly before he hung up. When he paused, I added, “You owe me. Remember?”
Ah, I had missed it when his face paled like that.
Think I had a Polaroid of it somewhere in my suitcase—you know, for moments I needed cheering up.
This was going to be great.
I just knew it.
Finally, I had a chance to help them, a real chance.