Chapter 4 Lies to Mom

SeoJoon's POV

I was working on the song in my studio when I received a text from my mother. I sent her a quick message in response, promising to call her. After some time, when I got home later that night, I called her.

"Hello, Mom," I said

"Hi, dear. How are you?" She questioned.

"Mom, I'm doing fine. How are you doing? And where are Appa and Darim?" I asked.

"We are good. Your Appa is watching the news and Darim is in her room." She answered.

"What are you doing? Have you eaten dinner? She continued.

"Yes, Mom. I had dinner with other members. I am now at my house." I said

"Oh, you must be worn out. Get some rest." She said.

"Mom, it's all right; I can talk," I said.

There was silence from her side.

"Mom? Mom? Are you there?" I thought the call got through disconnected.

"Yes, I am here. I am listening." She confirmed.

"What happened Mom? Is something wrong?" I questioned.

"No... No, there's nothing wrong. Everything is fine." She replied

"Don't withhold anything from me; tell me. What happened? You have been too quiet today." I remarked.

"Nothing specifically... I have nothing to say," She stated

"But you said in a message that you had something to talk about." The question came to me.

"Oh, nothing significant. Simple conversation. However, I do have a question." She said

"Hmm... what?" I wondered.

"Are you dating someone?" She asked, stuttering.

"Huh? What?" I was perplexed.

"Nothing; you go to bed. You must be tired." She said deferring

"Mom... Mom, please don't hang up. Talk with me." I said when she was about to end the call.

"Why did you ask this out of the blue? Have you heard a new rumor about me recently? Or did anyone make a statement?" I enquired

"Not at all. Last week my friend's son got married. So I thought I would ask you about your plan." She said

"Oh... hahaha... That's all. Are you sure? Well, Mom, I don't know. To be honest, I'm uncertain. Considering how busy I am at work, I don't think this is the right time to get married." I explained to her.

"Son, it's alright. Take your time. But give our grandchildren before we get old because I can't keep up with them at that age." She teased me.

"Oh, Mom. You over-thought things. There is nothing to be like that. I will first let you know if I have any girl in my life." I reassured her.

"Alright, son. Now sleep. It's too late now. Good night." She said while disconnecting the call.

I hung up the phone after saying goodbye. I got freshened up and spent some time reading. Although I was in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about the conversation I had with my Mom. Since last week, I have been observing her; her messages and voices were different. She was behaving differently. I was feeling bad also because I lied to my Mom. I was dating a girl, but I had no thoughts of marriage at that time.

******

I was in the meeting room with Jin hyung and Yohan hyung and we were talking about the song lyrics when the CEO, Mr. Kwan Yang Oh, entered the room and asked for a few minutes. He informed us of a project and requested our opinion. He informed us that scientists would be involved in the project.

"Is it collaboration?" Curiosity made me ask.

"No, it's not. I don't know much about this, but I can find out more if you're interested." He spoke.

"What are your thoughts on this project?" Curious, Jin hyung enquired.

"I have a friend who is acquainted with the lab's director. My friend informed me that a lab project requires the unprocessed (raw) vocals of singers." He stated.

"And what benefits will the project bring to us?" Yohan hyung made a query.

"You see, I didn't officially receive this project. I am aware that the project is global and that they are seeking singers with a broad influence. And, DTM fits the best." He said his last words with a wink at us.

"Although I am unsure at the moment, I believe there might be a good opportunity in the future. That's why I am discussing it with you guys." He explained further and then left.

"He doesn't know anything. But still want to talk to us about it. Nothing needs to be discussed in this instance. Let it go." Yohan hyung said to get our attention back to work.

Later Jay and JongSeok also joined us in the meeting room. The whole week passed like this working on songs and their music.

I received a call on my phone while we were all in the recording room to record the song. I initially disconnected the call, but it kept resuming. Even after talking and promising to call later, the call kept coming. We were able to successfully record the song after two to three hours. But as soon as I walked out of the recording room, I received a back hug. I knew who it was, thanks to the scent of the perfume. Ms. Choi Eun Soo, the girl I was dating. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "Since you weren't answering my call, I decided to come and see you." She responded. As other members were already aware of our relationship, they didn't wait for me and left after greeting EunSoo. We talked for a while. I asked her the reason, why did she keep calling me on the phone? She expressed an interest in going shopping with me on weekends. But I let her know that I had already made the reservation on weekends for the filming of an upcoming video and the opening ceremony of an exhibition. I would be extremely busy. She insisted on calling off the scheduled exhibition event and accompanying her on a shopping trip, but I declined because I received a special invitation for the inaugural event. Instead, I invited her to attend the event with me. She declined my offer, stating that she dislikes exhibitions, museums, and galleries. She felt those places are boring. She eventually stormed off in a rage.

When she left, I went to the room where every other member was seated. When I reached the door, I heard that I and EunSoo were the subject of their conversation. Just as I was about to enter, I heard their conversation,

"I don't like her". JongSeok spoke

"Well, it doesn't matter if you like her or not. SeoJoon likes her, and that's all matters." Yohan hyung said.

"Oh... come on hyung, you know what I am trying to say. I don't like the fact that SeoJoon hyung is dating her. She is not his kind." To explain his earlier statement, JongSeok said.

"What do you mean?" Jin hyung asked.

"We've known SeoJoon hyung for a very long time. We have the most familiarity with him. Sometimes I think that she is only with him because he is famous, and blah, blah, blah." JongSeok said with frustration

"What kind of nonsense are you bringing up?" Jin hyung spoke in a slightly raised voice.

"Don't you feel Jay hyung that there is no understanding between them?" JongSeok asked Jay while pushing him a little.

"Woah... woah... woah. You are an over-thinking man. She comes from a reputable family. Even though her family is not well-known, you can't say that she won't comprehend what a celebrity goes through. Let's not pass judgment on her." Jay gave his opinion.

"Maybe I got her wrong. However, I only care about SeoJoon hyung's happiness." With some thought, JongSeok spoke.

"Indeed, everything is good if he is happy. Not to worry." Yohan hyung added.

I entered as soon as they stopped talking. They were all alarmed. They assumed that I had heard everything. But I pretended I didn't. "What happened? Why are you all staring at me so strangely? Is something wrong with my face?" I asked while looking at each of them. "Nothing happened. Why are you so early? We thought you would come back after some time. Did she leave so soon?" Jay asked. "Yes, she left. She had come to tell me about weekend shopping. But because I'm already busy, I declined. She got angry and left." I said while sitting beside Jin hyung.