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“Back off,” he says through gritted teeth. It takes everything Minseok has not to grab that finger and give JD another broken limb.

“No, you’ve been calling me selfish all summer for wanting a relationship outside of this group.” Jongdae shoves his sneering face into Minseok’s. “Guess you’re no better than me, huh?”

“I said back off.” Minseok pushes Jongdae away. Not hard, but with his boot, JD can’t catch his balance, and he stumbles into the couch.

“Hyeong!” Jaehyung races to Jongdae’s side. “He’s still hurt.”

“Then he should be more careful.” Minseok scowls. “You have no right to get into my personal business. Not when you worked so hard to keep me out of yours.”

Jongdae shakes his head. “Yeah, well at least I’m not a hypocrite.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Minseok growls.

“You act like you’re doing everything you can to save WDB. At least Sooyeon didn’t have a reputation that could hurt us. Can you say the same about Hyeri?”

“You should stop talking,” Minseok warns through teeth clenched as tight as his fists. He’d like nothing more than to hit that smug look off Jongdae’s face, but he knows he has to hold back. He always has to hold back.

Jongdae doesn’t listen. “Have you ever thought about how her reputation could blow back on us? Can she even survive another scandal if this gets out?”

That pushes Minseok over the precarious edge he’s standing on. He can take all the jabs and criticisms for himself, but hearing Jongdae talk about Hyeri makes him lose his control. He grabs his friend’s collar so forcefully that he hears the material rip. “Don’t fucking talk about her like that.”

Jongdae’s fist is like lightning, a brick-hard blow to Minseok’s jaw.

The surprise of the attack and the anger behind the hit makes stars explode behind his eyes.

“Hyeong! Stop it!” Jaehyung’s shouting now, something that rarely ever happens.

It’s enough to bring Jun and Robbie into the living room.

“What’s going on?” Jun asks.

“Hyeong? You okay?” Robbie goes to Jongdae’s side.

“Minseok-ah?” Jun asks, worry creasing his brow.

“It’s nothing. It’s over,” Minseok says, wiping at his lip; it comes away with a smear of blood. “Just keep him the hell away from me.”

As he escapes into the hallway, he stares at Hyeri’s door. He wants to go to her. To hide away with her. But Jongdae’s angry accusation echoes, too fresh in his mind.

Can she even survive another scandal if this gets out?

Instead, he turns to the elevators. He needs fresh air and time to think.

Ihaven’t seen Minseok the last four days. The first day he didn’t come over, he texted me that he had a headache. The next he said he needed to help Robbie with recording. And the third he didn’t even give an excuse. Just said he was busy.

I tell myself that it’s fine. This doesn’t mean he’s growing bored with me. This isn’t the beginning of him ghosting me. He’s an idol; idols have busy schedules. I know that better than anyone.

Still, I wanted to see him before our schedule today. Because we were invited to be guest hosts on HBS’sMusic Showdown, which means my return to a weekly music show for the first time since Helloglow disbanded.

I was already freaking out about the show and then I got the schedule last night, and Pink Petal and Kim Ana are both promoting new music. So, we’ll all be in the same place for the first time since the midsummer festival.

My phone buzzes as I walk back from the restroom. I’ve already had to pee twice this morning, probably because I nervously gulped down two Americanos.

I pluck the phone out of my pocket, but the message isn’t from Minseok like I’d hoped.

Sohee:Eonni! I can’t believe you’re the guest host for our debut week! Make sure you take care of us!

I can practically hear her squeals through the text and it eases my nerves a bit.