Canto 1: I'm Back

5 months laters ..

"Banisuta, baby banisuta."

Holding their positions at the front of the stage, the girls waited patiently for the lights to dim, their smiles professional and fixed. This was the last stage of their whirlwind Japanese promotion for their new single, "Banisuta," and they had given their all for this final performance.

While sadness tugged at them, saying goodbye to their incredibly supportive Japanese fans in this trying period, they also looked forward to returning to Korea. They missed their families and friends, and not even the prospect of malicious comments and a cold reception back home could dampen their anticipation.

"Arigato Gozaimashita!"

At the signal from their stage director, the girls gracefully moved forward, easing out of their positions and approaching the front of the stage to bid farewell to their cheering fans. Every single cheer resonated deeply; they were now incredibly grateful for this outpouring of support.

After the entire fiasco that had exploded in their faces, they had come to appreciate each fan's support on a whole new level. No one could have predicted how a simple argument would spiral so far out of control, nor had they anticipated the massive controversy their tweets would ignite.

But no matter the circumstances, they had vowed to each other to weather the storm together. Aria's name wouldn't be tarnished without a fight. Even if they fell, they would fall swinging.

Beaming, the girls hurried off the stage after their repeated waves and thanks. The adrenaline from a successful performance still pulsed through them.

"Excellent work, ladies! The fans adored you!" Their manager showered them with praise, giving each member a high five. He paused for a moment of appreciation before ushering them out of the mall.

Their exasperated manager watched as they reached their van, completely oblivious to his impatience and the bodyguards' disapproving frowns. The girls waved back enthusiastically at the devoted fans who had followed them out.

Determined to make the most of their limited time, they signed autographs with practiced ease. Finally, the manager intervened, discreetly ushering them one by one into the van.

"Oppa, can't we stay a little longer with the fans?" Hanako pouted, directing a playful whine at the manager who now shared their van.

"We have a schedule, Hannah. Besides, the CEO wouldn't like excessive fan interaction," the manager retorted, giving the female a small frown which she summarily disregarded as usual. Used to their playful routine, she knew his disapproval rarely held weight. They'd played this game countless times. The manager would feign impatience while the girls said their goodbyes, a silent agreement to bend the rules for a few stolen moments.

The moment Hanako finished pleading for more fan time, Song Yi piped up from the back. Bouncing excitedly in her seat, she shot her hand up in the air, mimicking an elementary school student asking permission to speak.

"Lunch, lunch, lunch!" she chanted enthusiastically, nudging the now-grinning Hanako beside her.

"Unnie, why do you always raise your hand before you talk?" Delilah, the youngest of the group couldn't help but ask. Glancing back, she caught sight of the waving arm that had unfortunately connected with her head on more than one occasion in recent months whenever Song Yi sat behind her.

Her innocent question, posed amidst the celebratory chatter, brought an abrupt silence to the van. Confused, Delilah's gaze darted between the suddenly quiet members and her oldest sister, wondering what had caused the unexpected hush.

"I'm sorry," Delilah stammered, "Is that a rude question to ask—"

Before she could finish, a stifled laugh "PFFT!" – erupted.

Chen Yuqin, the determined and disciplined Lead Vocalist and Lead Dancer of the group, and Melody, the gentle and nurturing Main Vocalist, were the first to erupt in laughter, their amusement causing Song Yi's cheeks to flame red with embarrassment.

The confusion on Delilah's face deepened as the laughter spread to the rest of the members and even the manager. Her simple question, it seemed, was the source of immense hilarity, but she couldn't grasp why.

Melody, still chuckling and wiping tears from her eyes, took pity on Delilah's bewildered state.

"Well, it was because the other time when Kiku-unnie asked a question, but none of us could see her because she was hidden behind the seats? To avoid that confusion in the future, she developed this habit of raising her hand whenever she wants to speak in the van," she explained, snorting with laughter whenever she stole a glance at Song Yi's indignant expression.

"Hey, I'm just being considerate and saving you the trouble of searching for the source of the voice!" Song Yi protested, her voice laced with mock offense.

"We know, we know," Chen Yuqin chimed in, blowing a kiss towards Song Yi. "We love you anyway, shorty!" she declared, grinning as Song Yi wrinkled her nose playfully in response.

In the front seat, their head of security watched the exchange through the rearview mirror, shaking his head in amusement. At the same time, a choked laugh crackled through the earpiece nestled in his left ear.

"You caught that too, Bro?" Hyun-woo asked, amusement echoing in his voice.

He glanced again at the rearview mirror, the sound of the girls' laughter a welcome change. He was grateful they could still bring a smile to his hyung's face.

Despite the Japanese company providing professional security for Aria, Kwon Kyung Sik had insisted on Hyun-woo accompanying them as head of security. This move ruffled feathers with the Japanese team, but KKS's strong will left them with no choice but to accept Hyun-woo as their superior. The battle over the girls' schedule, however, continued even in Japan.

Hyun-woo pulled their vehicle to a stop in front of a ramen restaurant, spotting his hyung's car zoom past and park a short distance away.

"Bro, come eat with us," Hyun-woo called out. "You haven't eaten all day."

"Nah, I'm good," came the muffled response. "Go ahead, I snagged a bun earlier."

Disappointment gnawed at Hyun-woo. Since his return, his hyung had refused every offer to share a meal, preferring isolation to company.

His hyung was a shell of his former self. The cheerful smile Hyun-woo cherished was a distant memory. Since his return, a genuine smile hadn't graced his hyung's face. Forced upturns of his lips revealed only emptiness in his eyes, a chilling emptiness that haunted Hyun-woo's dreams. It was as if his hyung had surrendered to life, merely existing rather than living.

What the hell happened the past few years? Shouldn't he be happier leaving everything behind?

The first signs of emotions he glimpsed were at the mention of Aria. He spotted a flare of recognition in his hyung's eyes whenever they discussed the girls and even a hint of affection.

Hyun-woo noticed a slight thawing in his attitude over the past months, as though the continual exposure to the girls was having a healing effect on his hyung. He could have sworn he even heard him humming a song the other day over his earpiece.

'Well, one step at a time I guess. Impatience will get me nowhere.'

Rolling his tight shoulders, Hyun-woo fiddled uncomfortably with his tie, wondering who on earth invented the rule that bodyguards had to wear suits. If he could fish that person out, he would give him or her a few hard knocks on the head for this ridiculous rule that was constantly irritating him.

The only draw of this suit was that it attracts females to him like bees to honey. What they say about women unable to resist men in formal wear had been proven time and time again.

With a small sigh, he glanced longingly towards the restaurant at his back with the cute waitress he had caught a glimpse of before stiffening his shoulders, marching towards the street vendor by the side instead.

Purchasing two big packets of fried Japanese pizza, he strode towards the grey sedan, knocking on the window sill by the passenger seat. He slid in when he heard the distinct click of the car doors being unlocked, thrusting the food unceremoniously to the man inside.

"What's this?"

"It's been a while since we had a meal together, Bro."

Hyun-woo replied as he smiled, retrieving the bag of food from his hyung's lap, pulling out a box of pizza and a pair of chopsticks.

"There you go. Masissge deuseyo."

With only a raised eyebrow at the sudden intrusion, he accepted the offerings, shaking his head at the enthusiastic way Hyun-woo had begun digging into his food.

"Ne, Chal mokget-ssumnida"

Responding as an afterthought, he set aside the small laptop on his lap and began picking at his pizza bit by bit.

"So, how's everything now? Are preparations ready?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I've worked out the contract details last week, and if there are no problems, everything should be more or less settled."

"What about the er..."

Hyun-woo's words trailed off as he gestured vaguely towards the older man's face, not knowing how to breach the topic regarding the scar on his face as he guessed that it was something of a sore topic.

'Well, who wouldn't be sensitive about such a long scar on the face?'

"Don't worry, I've undergone surgery for that. It's not that prominent unless you stare at my face at extremely close proximity."

Understanding the man's concern, he pulled off his cap and shades, showing Hyun-woo the wonders of technology nowadays. The younger man scrutinised his hyung's face closely, surprised that from his position, there was no sign of any scarring.

If anything, the older man's face seemed as flawless as ever, as though nothing had ever marred its perfection before. Only when he moved closer, so close that his nose was almost bumping that of the latter, that he caught a glimpse of the thin, white line of the once ugly scar.

For those who did not know of its presence beforehand would have attributed that white line as a trick of the light. Besides, how many would even move this close to his hyung to be able to spot it?

"Ahem, Hyun-woo, do you think you have seen enough?"

Frozen at the intimacy of their positions, the man muttered as he became discomfited with the way his dongsaeng was looking at his face. No matter how close their relationship is, it was awkward for two grown men's faces to be this near each other.

"Wow, that's amazing, bro! The scar, it completely disappeared! Like poof!"

"Uh huh."

"And all these even without makeup! This is definitely not an issue anymore."

"Right..."

"How about the other members?"

"What about them?"

"What did they have to say about your return?"

"Er... Yay?"

"Bro, c'mon."

Hyun-woo chastised as he slanted his eyes in disbelief at the man beside him.

"Well, what do you expect them to say? I did plan my departure in advance didn't I? We parted on relatively good terms."

"I don't believe they will just accept your departure to the group this easily,"

"Believe it or not, that was what happened. Besides, this is beneficial to all of our careers."

Shrugging nonchalantly, he replaced his cap and shades, the pretense of eating forgotten. A bitter laugh escaped him, twisting his lips into an ugly smile. Memories flooded back, a physical ache settling in his chest.

"Bro," Hyun-woo spoke, concern lacing his voice, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Sure?" The man scoffed. "Never been more uncertain in my life."

"You don't have to do this, you know. It wasn't easy for you to leave all those years ago."

"Believe me, I know," he sighed, the sound heavy with regret.

"Bro, there's still time to back out."

"No." His voice hardened with resolve. "If this comeback, even a sliver of it, helps her, then it's worth it."

"It won't be easy, Bro. A year and a half's absence is a long time in the industry."

"Easy? When has anything been easy for me?" A wry smile played on his lips. "I've considered other projects besides the group stuff."

"Beyond music? Does that mean you're staying for good this time?"

He answered after a poignant pause, the weight of his decision settling on him. "I will. I owe her that much at the very least."

Sensing the starkness in his tone, Hyun-woo averted his eyes, a pang of sympathy shooting through him. He knew his hyung despised any display of vulnerability.

In his heart, Hyun-woo disagreed with his hyung's decision to leave all those years ago. He believed his hyung had suffered enough. If anyone deserved a break, it was him. His unwavering dedication to everyone's well-being had come at a heavy personal cost.

Over the past five months, Hyun-woo had become Chen Yuqin's silent guardian, following her discreetly, ensuring her safety from paparazzi and unwanted attention. He had even purchased an apartment in the same building as hers, solely for her protection. Yet, despite his unwavering efforts, a nagging doubt remained. Wasn't it enough?

"Bro, there has to be another way to help her..."

"Believe me," his hyung sighed, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes, "There's no more effective way. If I can influence our fans to accept her, accept them as a couple, their path forward will be smoother."

Giving up on his futile attempt, Hyun-woo could only heave an exasperated sigh. A mixture of exasperation and admiration for his hyung's unwavering loyalty warred within him.

"You're an idiot, bro," he muttered, a hint of fondness lacing his words, "Babo Li Wei!"

"Yah, who gave you permission to address me informally? Come here, you brat!" Li Wei's voice boomed, though a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.

Hyun-woo stuck his tongue out mischievously as he dodged out of the car, slamming the door with a playful thump. "Bro, finish up the pizza alright! First one out gets first dibs on Yukee-ssi!" he called back, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Waving a cheery goodbye to the scowling Li Wei, he disappeared into the crowd, a smile playing on his lips. That playful banter, the way Li Wei's eyes softened for a brief moment it was proof that the warm, caring Leo-hyung he remembered was still in there, buried beneath the layers of stoicism. There was hope.

Li Wei grimaced at the barely touched pizza on his lap, a wave of conflicting emotions washing over him. He shoved the cold slices back into the box, tossing it onto the passenger seat with a sigh. His gaze drifted towards the restaurant entrance, where a group of girls emerged, their laughter echoing in the air. His heart ached as he spotted her among them – Chen Yuqin. The girl who had haunted his every thought, his every dream, even after all these years.

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