Author's note: Fair warning… hecka long chapter ahead with a crazy lemon twist at the end...

Chapter 30: Truly, Madly, Deeply (Party Part III)

I had a feeling I knew what that crazy redhead was going to say before the words even left his mouth, but I hoped I was wrong. God, I hoped I was wrong, but I wasn't.

"Zen and MC should sing a romantic duet!" Saeyoung said, grinning for the big reveal. Jaehee's mouth popped open in surprise, and Jumin's face froze into a puzzled stare, but Yoosung began to clap his hands.

"Oooooh!" Yoosung squealed. "Good one, Seven! MC's voice is angelic!"

Angelic? I thought, feeling a little like puking. I glanced up at Zen. He was smiling.

"A romantic duet? Angelic?" Jaehee said, still looking confused. "What, are you telling me that MC can sing?"
"Can she… damn!" Zen said, squeezing me around the shoulder and pulling me close. "Wait to you hear her, Jaehee… You're going to go mental."

"Yeah," Yoosung added. "She sang for Zen, for us, at Karaoke the other night and well, gosh…"

"Wait, wait, wait…" I said, feeling increasingly more nervous. "I don't know about this… What would we sing exactly? I mean, we haven't even practiced anything before…"

"You don't need practice," Saeyoung said like being prepared was the dumbest idea ever. "All you have to do is go up there and sing a song, any song that's halfway lovey dovey, and you'll have it made in the shade."

"I'm not so sure about that," I said, looking at Zen, but he already had that look in his eye, the one that said I-am-so-down-for-this. I shook my head, feeling doomed. He probably even already had a song in mind.

"Aw, don't worry, babe," Zen said, smiling. "Saeyoung's right… We don't have to perform, we just have to be 'us'."

"Yeah," Lexi Ann said. "It might even be kind of cute if you mess up…"

"Yeah," Yoosung said. "You know, like endearing…"

I looked at Jumin, who was standing stoic and silent next to Mi-Sun. Maybe he'd have some reason for pause, or just plain come to my rescue. "Jumin?" I said, hopefully. "What do you think?"

Jumin looked caught off guard, like a kid in class who didn't want to be called on. "Uh, hmm," he started, and then looked to Jaehee. "Assistant Kang is more the expert in Public Relations… Uh, Assistant Kang?"

Jaehee's cheeks blushed a little pink at the compliment. "Thank you, sir, Mr. Han," she said, beaming, and then turned to me. "If it's true MC can sing, then I do think a romantic song could be a nice touch… Really anything we can do to mitigate the earlier events of this evening would be welcome and appreciated."

I looked at the ground, remembering. Earlier this evening, Echo Girl had shown up to the party with my ex-boyfriend, Pak Kwang-jo, in tow as her date. Zen had recognized him from the pictures recently published in Enquire and confronted him. It hadn't gone well. Both men took an immediate dislike to each other, exchanged some heated words and, before anyone knew it, Zen was choking my ex against a pillar. I shuddered remembering the fiery look in Zen's eyes, and how distant, detached and different he seemed as his anger took over. I'd never seen him that way, and it scared me.

Saeyoung clapped his hands together like a little kid. "Good," he said. "Then it's settled. MC and Zen will win over the hearts and minds of South Korea with song!" The redhead spun around to face the actor. "Zen, what song do you have in mind?"

"You can tell I already have a song in mind?" Zen said. "Am I that obvious, that predictable?"

None of us had to think about it and we all answered in unison. "Yes."

The tips of Zen's ears turned pink and he stammered. "Well, OK then, yes," he said, looking a little irritated. "As a matter of fact, I do have a song in mind…"

The song Zen had in mind was "Best Part" by Daniel Caesar. Luckily I did like it, and already knew it pretty well.

"I know you like it," Zen said, teasing me with his eyes.

"How do you know I like it?" I said. I didn't remember ever saying anything about it.

"It's the look you get on your face," he said. "When it comes on the radio… You get all dreamy and then you always hum along to the chorus." He paused to kiss me on the lips. "God, honestly, it's so cute."

God, was he always paying attention to me, like always? Now that was cute.

The plan was that Zen and I would retreat to one of the second floor office spaces for a quick run-through of the song, while Jaehee and Saeyoung worked to prepare the press statement and coordinate with the band to provide the music. In a half an hour, we'd reconvene. Zen would speak, and then we'd sing.

"No big deal," Yoosung had said, his purple eyes flashing with optimism. "MC," he said, pulling me aside. "They are going to love you, just love you… If there are folks out there in the audience who aren't Team MC, then they will be… I just know it."

I had to smile. Honestly, Yoosung was the sweetest, most earnest soul I'd ever known.

Once plans were set, Zen and I found a business office on the second floor where we could practice. It was the first time we'd been alone together since the incident with Kwang-jo, and I could tell something was up.

"Zen," I said, reaching a hand out to tug his sleeve. He was busy trying to arrange the office tables and chairs into a semi-circle to mimic the shape of a stage, but kept arranging and rearranging the furniture with a dissatisfied look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Pretty Girl," he said, flashing me a smile, all teeth. I recognized it as one of his "theater" expressions. It was hard to believe there was ever a time when I couldn't tell the 'real' Zen from 'acting' Zen, when it was so obvious and apparent to me now.

"OK," I said, moving closer to him, taking both of his hands in mine. "So that's a 'Tei's Tea Leaf' grin, if I've ever seen one." I looked up, searching the features of his face. As my gaze intensified, the Tei Tea Leaf facade fell away, leaving his red eyes looking sad, scared, unguarded. "Come on, babe," I said. "What's up? You know you can talk to me."

"Damn," he said, cracking a real half smile. "When did you get to know me so well, Princess?" He bent down to kiss me and I parted my lips in anticipation. The kiss was soft, warm, slow, and grateful.

"God," he said, pulling his face back from mine, cupping both my cheeks with his hands. "Is it true that you still love me? Even after… damn!" He shook his head as if trying to shake off a memory, and his eyes started to fill up and quake with tears. "Man, Princess… I can't tell you how sorry I am…"

"Shhh…" I said, reaching up to wipe a stray tear as it slid down his cheek. "Babe…" I started. The sad, deflated look on his face made me want to cry, too. What could I possibly say to make him feel better?

"Honestly, I was scared," I said, finally. "Scared for you…" I paused. "I mean, what if you really hurt him? Or got arrested? How would you feel, how would that affect you in the long run?"

"Yeah," Zen said. "I know…"

"You know, we really have Jumin to thank for that," I said. "I mean, if he hadn't bought Kwang-jo off, he would have made our lives hell."

Zen's red eyes got dark. "Damn, don't I know it," he said. "I hate owing that Trust Fund Jerk anything."

I put my hand on his shoulder. "I don't think you owe him anything," I said. "I mean, we all make mistakes… Do you think I've never done anything I regretted afterwards?"

"Yeah, but…" Zen said. "I doubt you ever… I mean, I can't see you ever, hurting anyone…"

I smiled and bit my lip. "Well, I did punch a girl in the face once…" I said. Zen's eyes popped wide in surprise.

"You did?" he said, disbelieving.

"Yeah," I said. "Back in high school, when I was 15 or 16 years old, I think… Someone was spreading horrendous rumors about me giving blow jobs to all the boys on the wrestling team… I mean, it was awful… Everyone was calling me 'BJ MC' and 'Ms. Swallow-it-all…"

"No! Seriously?" Zen said.

"Yeah," I said. "Well, it wasn't true, of course, and I couldn't imagine who would say such things, and why people would even believe them, you know?" Zen nodded. "Then I found out it was my best friend, Eun-Kyung..."

"No way!" Zen said. "Damn…"

"Yeah," I said. "I was pretty much livid… I mean, I felt totally betrayed and kind of lost it… I mean, she was my best friend!" I paused, thinking wow, I really suck at picking best friends, what with Kira and Kwanjo and all, and then I went on. "Well, one day we met up in the park after school, you know, just to talk...but then the next thing I knew I clocked her in the face…" I paused, remembering the way it felt when my knuckles impacted her skin…the way it sounded when the bones in her face went "crack"... and then the blood, oh there was so much blood afterwards. "Yeah," I said, shuddering at the memory. "I broke her nose… and then I was so scared, I ran."

"Man!" Zen said. "Did you get in trouble?"

"Of course!" I said. "I mean, some kids from school were there, they saw it…" I sighed. "I think I got suspended for like, three days… My parents were pissed…" I looked down at one of Zen's hands, the one I was still holding, and smoothed the inside of his wrist with my thumb. "The point is…" I said, looking up to meet his gaze. "I mean, by far the biggest thing I remember is how scared I felt… Not of her, exactly, but of myself… I thought, wow, I can hurt someone like this?" I searched his face. "You know what I mean?"

Zen nodded. Turning his wrist over, he grabbed my hand, covering it with both of his. "Yeah," he breathed. "I know."

"So," I said, leaning forward until our foreheads touched. "You're not alone." Zen nodded and swallowed, and then I thought I saw a lingering fear cross his features.

"Hey," I said, my brown eyes searching his in earnest. "Don't worry… Doing this doesn't mean you're a monster…" I paused. "It means you're human."

"Yeah, but…" he said, his eyes narrowed and I could tell he was remembering something. "God, I hate that guy for what he did to you…and you know what? I'm not sure I'm sorry."

"I know, I get it..." I said, kind of loving him for loving me like he did. For better or worse, I knew he would protect me. We would protect each other.

"What if I…" He sighed and then buried his face in his hands. "What happens next time? The next time he or someone else threatens you…" He looked up suddenly with fire in his eyes. "Honestly, I'm not going to be able to just stand by and…"

"Zen, honey, let's take it one day at a time, OK?" I said, putting a finger to his lips. "You do have control… I know you do, because I know you…Plus..." I scooted my body closer so I could fit my arms around his waist. "We have each other."

"Oh god, Princess," Zen said, his voice cracking and fresh tears appearing in his eyes. "How is it…" he paused to shake his beautiful head and then he smiled. "Aw man, what did I do to deserve you?"

I leaned my head forward so our foreheads were touching again and I could see deeply into his glowing red eyes. "I could say the same, you know," I whispered. He smiled, leaning down to kiss me once, softly on the lips.

"You know," Zen said. "You are pretty good with your mouth… Are you sure you weren't…"

I swatted him. "Zen!" I said, blushing bright red.

"I mean, the whole wrestling team," he said. "Damn…"

I let him pull me in close and kiss me harder, pressing my body to his with an intensity that made my heart beat like mad. God, I loved this boy. I really did.

Time slipped away pretty quickly, and soon it was show time.

"You ready?" Zen said, his red eyes searching mine. A half an hour is not a lot of time to learn a song, and I wasn't sure I had all the lyrics, but it would have to do.

"Yeah," I said, trying to sound confident, reassuring. "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

Jaehee met us by the stage and handed Zen an index card filled with small font type. "Just a few notes," she said. "But you should say what comes from your heart… The important part is that it rings true."

Zen scanned the card and nodded. "I think I got it, Jaehee," he said. "Don't worry." Then he turned to me. "OK, ready babe?" I nodded.

"OK, I'm going to introduce you," Jaehee said to Zen. "Then you come up…"

"I'll say my bit, and then call MC up for the song…" Zen said, bobbing his silver-haired head.

"You got it," Jaehee said with a tight smile. "Good luck."

A moment later the band stopped playing and the singer motioned Jaehee to the stage.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman," Jaehee said into the microphone. "I trust that everyone is having a good time at the party…" She paused for some faint applause. "As some of you are probably aware we had a little drama play out tonight between one of our members and a guest... Some of you may also be aware of some accompanying drama that's been playing out in the media over the past several weeks… The stories that have been circulating involve two of our members and the pop star Echo Girl. Given tonight's incident we thought it pertinent that one of the involved parties, the musical actor Zen, make an official statement to the press. Without further ado, let's please give a warm welcome to one half of the Korea Now Network's More Than Friends, the RFA's very own Zen!"

"Now why would she have to go blow it by saying that?" Lexi Ann said, whispering in my ear. "'One half of More Than Friends', who's side is she on anyway?"

"Oh, she's probably just nervous," I whispered back. "You know Jaehee hates Echo Girl more than anyone."

Back when I was coordinating my first party, Echo Girl was already causing problems for Zen. One night, after going to his apartment and basically throwing herself at him, she accused Zen of sexually harassing her. It had caused a huge scandal, and Zen had to give a press conference at that party in an effort to clear his name. I had to smile to myself, remembering. This was also the same press conference where he introduced me to the world as his girlfriend. I'll never forget that moment when he called me up on stage and took me into his arms...

"I just needed the whole world to know you're mine," he had said afterwards. "I love you."

Anyway, the scandal caused a lot of work for the RFA in general, to track down information that would help corroborate Zen's side of the story, but as always, it caused the most work for Jaehee. Not to mention the fact that Jaehee has always been hyper-focused on Zen's image and reputation. To this day, I still don't think she likes the idea of Zen having a girlfriend at all, although I think she's getting used to me.

Back at tonight's party, the crowd started to whoop and cheer as soon as Zen took the stage.

"Zen! You are amazing!"

"I LOVE you Zen!"

Zen held up a hand and waved. He had a cute, boyish smile on his face and I could see the very tops of his cheeks were turning pink. He may be a narcissist and all, but somehow he still managed to become truly humble in the face of his fans' admiration.

"Hello," Zen said, picking up the mic. "It's great to be here with all of you…" The silver-haired actor paused for a roar of applause, shrieks and whistles. "I'd like to give a special shout out to my fans, who I am forever grateful to… This journey, my journey, would be nothing without you." Zen flashed a self-effacing, just your run of the mill boy-next-door actor smile and graciously waved his way through the next round of applause before going on.

"A few months ago, I stood on this stage before you and opened my heart. At that time, I talked to you about a conflict I was feeling between my real self and my public image… I shared with you my desire for honesty and need for transparency. At that time, I was facing sexual harassment allegations from my co-star, Echo Girl… I also introduced you to the new love of my life… Yes, she's out there in the crowd somewhere right now…MC?"

Zen peered out into the audience to a mixture of jeers and applause as a searchlight swept the crowd. When it finally rested on me, I felt my whole body go rigid, a frozen smile pasted to my pink cheeks. I gave Zen a shy wave and then quickly averted my eyes. I was never one for this kind of attention. Yet another thing I was just going to have to get used to if I wanted to continue to date an actor.
"Well, you'll get to see more of MC later tonight, I promise," Zen said, smiling. "But first I've got some important information to share with you."

My stomach lurched in response to the combination of boos and cheers that followed. God, what if I sucked so bad they threw things onto the stage? I mean, really it was Zen they wanted to see, not me. Zen and Echo Girl, that was what was expected. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the pop singer. She was standing with a group of young scowling teens with her arms folded across her chest. She did not look happy. I wondered if she knew that me and Zen were going to sing tonight?

Back on stage, Zen was killing it. He had this amazing way of commanding the room, but yet making his presence feel personal. "Tonight I'm going to ask you again to bear with my need for honest and transparent communication between us…" Zen said, his red eyes open, sincere. Then he gestured to all the people in the room. "You want to know me, right? The 'real' me, right?"

Of course they wanted to know the real Zen! The crowd erupted and roared their approval, and at least one voice stood out among the rest. "Yes! Zen! We love you for you are!"

"Aw, man," Zen said, blushing in response to the fan's words. "That's honestly one of the sweetest things a fan's ever said to me. Thank you for that…"

I looked over in the direction of the fan's voice and saw a young girl of about thirteen wearing a The Jalapeno Topping Was Pretty Spicy tee-shirt and a huge Zen fan button. Her hair was done up in two red ponytails and her face was dotted with freckles. So cute.

"Jaehee must have opened up the party to the fans outside," Saeyoung whispered in my ear. "Good PR move, if you ask me."

I nodded, feeling a little apprehensive. Yeah, more Zen and Echo Girl fans to hear me sing. I pushed the thought from my mind, trying to stay positive.

When the applause died down, Zen continued his speech. "Well I wish could tell you tonight that all the issues from the scandal a few months ago have been resolved, but they have not." Zen paused long enough to let murmured tones of disapproval and surprise ripple through the crowd, and then he resumed. "Unfortunately, those issues are just playing out in a different way… If you've been keeping up with the papers, you're likely familiar with the thing the media's calling the More Than Friends love triangle... Well, that's anything but resolved." Zen had to pause once more as words from both sides, Team MC and Team Echo Girl, were exchanged.

"Aw, come on," Zen said with a pained expression on his face. "There's no need for this…" He gestured from one side of the room to the other where factions of both teams were gathered. "There's no need for sides. In fact, you already know, or should know, anyway, who holds my heart…" Zen paused to look at the crowd, sweeping the sea full of faces. "Am I right? Did I not get up here a couple of parties ago and declare my love for a certain lady?"

That was when one half of the crowd started to shout "MC, MC, MC…" and Zen smiled. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right," he said, chuckling. "At least one half of this crowd knows what's up…"

I looked down at the ground, my face burning bright red. Media darling I was not.

Zen put a hand on his chest and waited for the audience to regain its composure, and then went on. "But what's up with that other half?" Zen said, shrugging his shoulders in question. Zen took a step back from the microphone and looked at the floor. In a rare moment, he didn't bother to hide his irritation. He just shook his silver head and sighed. The audience was dead silent.

"Dang," Lexi Ann said. "Even I feel like shit… and I didn't do anything."

After a moment or two Zen returned to the microphone, hands on his hips. "Look," he said, looking up. I could see his eyes were getting a little misty. God, only Zen could pull off a heart-to-heart with hundreds of people. "In all seriousness, I love you guys. You're my FANS. But I also have a right to a personal life, don't you think?" He scanned the room, his red eyes reaching out to each and every soul. "A personal life of my own choosing, yeah?" The audience was basically quiet, but I could see a lot of people nodding their heads and/or looking at the floor.

"So, then, in all seriousness, for the people who still seem confused about my personal life, let's settle the score once and for all, shall we?" Zen flashed a goofy grin and then leaned forward, cupping an ear with one hand, signaling he was ready to lighten the mood. "Hey, South Korea!" He said, kind of joking, kind of not. "You listening?" The crowd stayed silent, dumbfounded, and so Zen said it again. "I said," he repeated, with a grin. "South Korea, are you listening?"

Finally getting that they were supposed to play along, and probably a little relieved to be beyond the "seriousness", the crowd roared in the affirmative.

"OK, then, good..." Zen said, laughing, and then he pointed to the press in the front row. "Now this goes for you guys, too, right? No more excuses, no more speculation over who I love because I'm getting ready to tell you right now, once and for all, OK?"

Zen paused to walk the length of the stage and wipe his brow. I think he was having fun with this, even if it was also starting to get kind of awkward. I glanced over at Echo Girl. She was white as sheet and looking mortified… So mortified I almost felt bad for her. Then almost as if he had heard my thoughts, Zen stopped at the north end of the stage, near where Echo Girl was standing.

"Oh," Zen said, looking up and addressing his co-star in an I-almost-forgot kind of way. "You too, Loveyhunny," he said with a sardonic smirk just for her. "Better make sure you're listening, too… This is definitely for you, babe."

"Damn," Saeyoung said. "Turns out Zen's got some balls on him…"

"Or perhaps a career suicide wish," Jumin said, and then he smiled. "Although I would be telling a mistruth if I said I didn't find this entertaining."

Echo Girl's face went from sheet white to beet red in a matter of seconds. "Oh, is that so?" Echo Girl spat the words back at Zen best she could, a valiant effort to try and save face. "Why don't you just go fuck yourself, Loveyhubby, and then we'll see you on the home shopping network real soon."

Luckily, neither Zen nor Echo Girl had a microphone in their hands at the time, so only the people in the immediate vicinity heard the exchange. Looking around, I didn't see any reporters or paparazzi, just some shocked looking fans and those of us from the RFA. I sucked in a was likely going to be some fallout from this encounter, but maybe the fact that it was somewhat contained would minimize the damage.

I glanced over at Jaehee, who hadn't said a word. She was just clutching her clipboard to her chest with white knuckles. The look on her face made me hope that she wouldn't burst a blood vessel.

Back on stage, Zen was moving away from Echo Girl and returning to the mic. "OK, then," he said, beaming to the crowd. "Now that I think we have everyone's attention, I think we can move forward and settle this More Than Friends Love Triangle thing once and for all, yes?"

At this point, most of the audience, not all but definitely more than half, started to chant "YES, YES, YES…" Then, Zen, in the manner of a rockstar, raised both arms to signal silence and they stopped.

"They love him," Mi-Sun said, sounding shocked. "They really love him."

"That's my baby," I said. "He does have a way with an audience."

"This is getting ridiculous," Jumin said, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "Such a narcissist…"

"Yeah," Saeyoung said, beaming. "But he's our narcissist…"

Back on stage, Zen was getting ready for the big reveal. "OK, then for the record…" Zen said, pausing for dramatic affect. "For the record, again, actually since I already declared this two RFA parties ago… You all need to know… The whole world needs to know that, forever and always, MC is my girl… She's the only one who holds my heart, the only one my heart beats for, end of story." Zen faced forward and threw his hands into the air. "That clear enough for you, South Korea? Coming in loud and clear?"

More than half the crowd went wild in response to this, while the other side (presumably the Echo Girl side) sulked in silence, knowing enough to at least keep their jeers and catcalls to themselves. I looked for Echo Girl, but I didn't see her. If I were her, I'd probably disappear, too.

"Anybody else think that maybe Zen took that a little too far?" Jaehee said, wiping her forehead with a handkerchief. Her voice was an octave higher than usual and she was still clutching that clipboard as if her life depended on it.

"Typical Zen," Jumin said, straightening the sleeves on his jacket. "So emotional. Always so emotional."

"Did he even reference the note card I gave him?" Jaehee said. "Why does he think I gave it to him?" Jaehee raked a hand through her hair and sighed. "Oh, why do I bother?"

"Well, I think it's sweet," Debbie, Yoosung's new girlfriend said. "It's so romantic don't you think, Yoosey?"

Yoosey? I thought. Ugh.

The RFA members weren't the only ones who couldn't stop talking about Zen's performance. The entire crowd was abuzz with Zen's grand romantic gesture. All around me, I could hear fans and non-fans alike all chattering about Zen and pretty much nothing else. I couldn't help but catch little snippets of conversation.

"Wow!" one fan, blond about sixteen, said to another girl with purple hair about the same age, or maybe a bit older. "Can you believe that! He must really love her... "

"I know," the friend replied. "That is so sweet… You know, I knew he would be that kind of guy…"

"Right?!" The blond friend said. "He's so dreamy! Oh my god, I wish I had a Zen…"

"Me, too…" said purple hair. "Sigh."

Zen was still standing on stage, perhaps hoping that the hubbub would die down on its own. When it didn't, he finally had to wave everyone quiet again.

"Sorry, folks," he said. "But I've got to get serious again. I have a serious confession I need to make here…"

"Oh god," Jumin said. "He's not done?"

"He hasn't even addressed the incident yet," Jaehee said.

The room responded by getting deathly quiet. I mean, you could hear a pin drop. Zen did that thing again, where he sweeps the audience with his red gaze in a way that makes you feel like he's talking to you, and you alone.

"I lost my temper here tonight…" Zen started slowly. "Like a lot of you, I saw that article in Enquire magazine this morning, the one with pictures of MC and some other dude…" Zen paused to wipe sweat from his forehead. "Yeah, well I'm not proud of it, but I have to admit that, yeah, I let the media get the better of me…"

My mouth dropped open. Zen purposely made no mention of Kwang-jo's past relationship to me. He was completely taking the rap by offering his own jealous impulses as motive, and leaving me out of it. My heart swelled with gratitude and relief.

Zen waited as hushed murmurs made their way through the audience, and then went on. "Well, guess what?" Zen said. "That dude showed up here tonight…" Hearing this, the audience let loose a collective sound of surprise and Zen had to use his rockstar move again to get them to quiet down. "Yeah, I'm not proud of it, but I lost my temper with that gentleman… I lost my temper, and now I'd like to apologize… to that gentleman, to you my fans, to my friends, and most of all to MC." Zen looked at me again from the stage in such a way that made me my soul cry out to his. "Babe, I'm so sorry I let myself fall prone to that media bullshit... I love you and I swear never to doubt your faithfulness again."

With these words, the crowd burst into applause and then melted in a cacophony of responses … Everything from "Oh, how sweet" to just plain "Awwww!" Again, like a middle school teacher, Zen had to call them back to attention.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Zen called. "Hang on… I'm not quite done yet, folks…" Eventually the noise started to die down and Zen continued to speak. "There's one more piece of information I'd like to share with you and then I promise you I'm done…" He waited until the crowd quieted more and then he spoke. "As I said, there's one more piece of information I feel obliged to share with you and, once I do, I'll let you come to your own conclusions about everything that was said tonight…"

"Finally!" Jaehee muttered under her breath. "Something from the fricking note card!"
Zen paused to lock eyes with members of the audience to imbue the seriousness of what he was about to say next. "As I said earlier, The Mystery Man from the Enquire article was here at the party tonight, but one more thing that you need to know is that he came here with Echo Girl…" A shockwave of dismay rolled through the audience and Zen went on. "Yeah, Mystery Man was Echo Girl's date… What do you all make of that? What does that make you think about who's behind the More Than Friends love triangle rumors now?"

Zen turned away from the microphone and walked the length of the stage almost like the news was even too much for him to bear as the audience roared their surprise, shock and awe. Zen let them have their moment, maybe a full two or three minutes, before returning to the microphone.

"OK, ladies and gents," he said, smiling. "That's all I'm going to say about it… I, for one, would prefer not to give Echo Girl any more of my stage time…wouldn't you agree?" Again the audience roared their approval. God, they loved him. They really did.

"Now, on an entirely different note," Zen said, switching gears. "My lady and I have a special surprise planned for you…" There were "oohs" and "aahs" all around. "Now you might have been expecting a different kind of duet, but recently I learned something new about my awesome girlfriend…" Zen paused and smiled, leaning in toward the audience like he was sharing a secret. "She's a singer… an incredible singer… like maybe even better than me…" Zen blushed slightly, looking a lot like a little boy in love. The crowd "oohed" and "awww-ed" again. "So MC & I are going to sing for you now…" Zen motioned for me to come up on stage. "Come on up, Pretty Girl…"

The crowd, again, started to get wild as I made my way I towards the stage. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yoosung and Debbie, both of them smiling big Yoosung smiles. Wow, I thought, they sure do belong together, a true pair. As I passed, I felt Yoosung reach down and squeeze my hand. "Knock 'em dead, MC," he said, winking one bright purple eye. "I know you will."

"Thank you," I said, squeezing back. I took a deep breath and kept on walking, pushing my way through the crowd on my way to the stage. When I reached the stairs, Zen was there, holding out a hand to help lead me up. I was so nervous I felt like a newborn lamb finding its feet for the first time, encumbered more so by the fact that I was wearing these damn high heel shoes.

"Hey Princess," Zen said, steadying me with both hands. "You OK? I got you…"

I'd never been a big fan of being on stage, performing. Even playing with my band in high school had been hard. Now, standing on stage with Zen in front of a sea of people, I felt the familiar fear begin to kick in. My heart was hammering hard in my chest, my breath was coming too fast and catching in my throat... Looking out into the audience, there were just so many faces...

"Princess," Zen whispered, squeezing my sweaty fingers. "Look at me. Don't look at them. Look at me."

I forced myself to turn my head away from the blinding stage lights and the audience and look at Zen. Yeah, we were on stage, in front of probably hundreds of people, but there was my pretty boy, smiling at me, making me feel like I could accomplish anything.

"You're beautiful," Zen said, squeezing my fingers again. "God, so beautiful." His eyes were looking into mine with nothing but adoration as he touched my cheek and lifted me to him. I had to stand on tiptoe for the kiss. When my lips touched his, I felt my body involuntarily shudder. In the background, from somewhere that sounded far away, I thought I heard the audience roar.

When the kiss was over, Zen reached over to position the microphone between us. It was show time.

"Keep looking at me, Princess," he said, indicating his eyes and then mine with his two fingers. "It's just us here, only you and me."

I nodded, taking in a huge, calming yoga breath, and then I swallowed. In the business office, we agreed that I'd sing the first verse, then Zen would join in midway to the chorus, then he'd sing the second verse, and so on. That meant I was up first. I held my breath as the band picked out the first few notes of the melody on guitar and waited for my cue… Then I missed it. I was so busy being nervous that I completely spaced.

"Shit," I said, under my breath.

"It's OK," Zen whispered as he signaled to the band to play the intro again.

This time, when the cue came around, Zen nodded and squeezed my hand. This time, I didn't think about it, I just opened my mouth…

"You don't know, babe… When you hold me… And kiss me slowly… It's the sweetest thing…"

As I sang the first lines, the audience was silent, almost like they were holding their breath, almost like they couldn't believe what they were hearing. I was still feeling nervous, but less so… Zen's hands had shifted from my hands to my hips and he'd moved closer to me. He was looking at me the way he'd looked at me when I sang for him the first time, a kind of cross between hypnotized and mesmerized, and it was easy to get pulled into the moment. I was just thinking about how beautiful, how perfect he was, when Zen started to sing, too joining in with me mid-verse and harmonizing...

"You're the coffee that I need in the morning... You're my sunshine in the rain when it's pouring… Won't you give yourself to me... Give it all…"

Singing with Zen like this was like kissing him, only better... that's the only way I could think to describe it... Like kissing but all around you in the air, a way to share your souls like you share your lips. My heart was beating madly now, no longer because I had stage fright, but because Zen was near me, so close to me in a way I never imagined possible…

"I just wanna see how beautiful you are… You know that I see it… I know you're a star… Where you go I follow… No matter how far…"

Our voices were mingling together, our very inner beings intertwining, his touching me, mine touching him… We were exploring each other, tasting each other, feeling each other's hearts. Honestly, it was like sex, but on another next level, maybe even another dimension…

The second verse was Zen's, and so I got to watch, listen and just drink him in. God, here was singing to me and I couldn't stop looking at his face… The chiseled, sweet, sincere nature of his features… I just wanted to dive deep into his eyes, pull myself inside him, make him a part of me...

"It's the sunrise… And those brown eyes, yes… You're the one that I desire…"

As he continued to sing, Zen put a hand in my hair, twirling a lock around his finger, returning my adoring look of affection triple-fold. I was feeling love struck, going weak in the knees, and so I stepped closer, wrapping my arms around his waist as he sang on...

"When we wake up… And then we make love… It makes me feel so nice…"

I had become unaware of the audience at this point, oblivious to the fact that they were even there… until Zen got to the "and then we make love" part of the song, and then the fans lost their minds. It was almost if those words alone were enough to conjure the image of what Zen must be like in bed in the minds of the audience, and I realized, smiling to myself, that I was lucky enough to know. Thinking of this made me conscious of a hot giddiness building deep in the pit of my belly and a growing heat between my legs. There was just something about the whole audience wanting to see Zen naked, or just wanting him, period... and then knowing he was mine, all mine. Such a major turn on.

Midway through the second verse, it was time for me to start singing again, and so I started harmonizing with Zen like he did with me during the first.

"You're the Tylenol I take when my head hurts… You're the sunshine on my life… I just wanna see how beautiful you are… You know that I see it… I know you're a star…"

We continued to sing, our voices melting together like candy, in each other's arms. The last lines of the song repeated and, during the final go around I gasped... Without warning, Zen picked me up, his hands holding me tight around his waist. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck, my legs around his back. Touching foreheads we sang the last words of the song into each other's hearts...

"If you love me won't you say something… If you love me won't you… Love me, won't you…"

...and then he kissed me.

The crowd exploded with roaring applause. Along with the clapping came shouts, hooting and hollering and the thunderous sound of pounding feet... but all the adoration and appreciation in the world didn't matter. The audience, the press, our friends, even Echo Girl mise well have been a million miles away because here it was only us. Only us that mattered.

"I love you, MC," Zen said, after the kiss. Our foreheads were still touching and, at least for the moment, we will still locked in our own special little world.

"I love you, too, Ryu Hyun…" I said, stroking the back of his neck. "I love you so much, I think I might explode…"

After the performance, I couldn't wait to get Zen home and all to myself, but when we left the stage, it was impossible to get away. We were immediately accosted by swarms of people. Adoring fans, eager to congratulate, over-effusive and smiling with tears in their eyes… The reporters and paparazzi, asking for comments and flashing their cameras… Our friends, smiling and full of praise... even Jaehee seemed pleased.

"Well played, Zen," Jaehee said. The press conference and performance over, she was looking more relaxed, even sipping a glass of wine. "Maybe not exactly the way I would've done it, but I think it had a good outcome."

"You killed it, dude," Saeyoung said, slapping Zen on the back. "I can't wait to get home, start culling the media and spreading it around the internet…" Then Saeyoung turned to me. "Didn't I tell you this Echo Girl thing would practically take care of itself?" He grinned. "You just wait… She's finished. I'm telling you, she's history."

We could only hope, I thought. I looked at Zen. Yes, the best thing for all of us would be if Kyungju would just silently disappear, vanish for good, never to interfere in our lives again. Although, honestly, after tonight, what happened to Echo Girl didn't matter to me as much. The only thing I knew in that moment for sure was I was feeling good about myself and solid about my relationship with Zen. Together we were unstoppable, impervious to whatever madness Echo Girl had in store. Tonight had proved it.

Finally, we were in the car and on our way our way home, and I was feeling anxious. Couldn't Driver Kim drive any faster? Ever since we sang together on stage, I had been burning for Zen, like even more than usual. Something about the way it felt up there together, sharing more than just our physical selves made me want to complete the circle by just fucking his brains out.

"Hey," I said, a thought occurring to me. "Is that how it always is… I mean, to sing with someone?" I held my breath, hoping that I knew the answer. I didn't think I'd be able to take it if he told me it was even a little bit like that with Echo Girl.

Zen shook his silver-haired head definitively. "No," he said. "I've never felt that way before singing with anyone, ever."

He pulled my chin around to face him and then I was staring deep into those red eyes again about ready to lose myself.

"Zen..." I said, pulling his face to mine for a kiss. I had meant to just kiss him once, and save the bulk of my passion for when we got home...but once his lips were on mine, my body got greedy all at once. Moving closer, I wrapped my arms around his neck, in his hair, all the while kissing him harder, more urgently. His mouth returned the favor and I felt his hands running up and down my bare back.

"MC," Zen said, his breath hot on my ear between kisses. "Tonight...you were...amazing…"

"Mmm…" I murmured. Then, suddenly remembering Driver Kim, I pulled back. "I know I started this..." I whispered, indicating Driver Kim with a nod in his direction. "...but we should probably hit 'pause' until we get home…"

"What? You don't want to give the old man a show?" he whispered back. The naughty look in Zen's eye was almost enough to make me reconsider, but I contented myself to nuzzle and fit myself into the crook of Zen's arm and hold his hand. Maybe if I continued to look straight ahead and not at Zen, I could make it home without embarrassing both of us.

"Driver Kim," he said. "Can you possibly drive any faster?"

As soon as we got inside the apartment, Zen pushed me up against the closed door. Without a word, he entangled his fingers in mine and pinned my arms to the door on either side of my head. With a beast-like urgency, he pressed his lips to my mine, pushing his tongue through my parted lips. His lips were hungry for me, and mine for him, so we basically inhaled each other, both of us grunting, gasping, only coming up for air between kisses.

"Damn, Princess," Zen whispered in a hot, throaty voice. He had pulled back and was looking at me now with red, wolf hungry eyes. "You in that damn dress…" He let go of my arms to run his hands over the curves of my body, and then reached around for the zipper in the back. "You know," he said with a mischievous grin. "As much as I like seeing you IN this dress, I'm ready to see you OUT of it…"

I felt his warm hands on my bare back and then fumbling with the zipper until the dress loosened. I let him help me wriggle out of the fabric, feeling his hands slide slowly over my bare breasts, my hips, my thighs, until finally, the dress fell to the floor around my ankles. Zen's red eyes popped wide. There I stood, nearly naked, in nothing but a black lace thong and my high heels, pressed up against his front door.

"Damn…" he breathed, sucking in a breath. "Gorgeous." It was like he could barely get the words out. Then he dropped to his knees, eyes fastened on my belly button. I closed my eyes as I felt his wet mouth first on my navel, tongue swirling slowly around the edges, and then his lips suckling on the skin of my bare stomach.

"Oh, god, oh Zen…" I moaned, leaning my head back helplessly against the door as his kisses worked their way down. His hands grasped the sides of my panties, pulling them over my hips.

I gasped when I felt his breath hot on my thigh. "Zen…" I said, feeling weak in the knees. It was getting harder and harder to stand, and I was still wearing those damn high heels... Impulsively, I started to try and kick them off…

Always anticipating my needs, Zen hoisted me up easily with one hand, and used the other to the to slide down the length of each my calves to slip off each shoe, one at a time.

"There, Princess…" he whispered. "That's better… and now for somewhere more comfortable..."

Zen carried me off in the direction of the bedroom. He laid me down on the bed, and I watched as he kept his red eyes fastened on me and began to undress. He unbuttoned and removed his jacket, untied and discarded his cravat, and then pulled his shirt up over his head. I sighed looking at him now naked from the waist up. God, I was never going to get sick of this view... the beauty of his chest, his muscles hard and rippled like carved marble, his skin soft and smooth like porcelain. Completely entranced, I let my gaze move downward to the now oh-so-obvious bulge in his pants.

"Go on, then…" I said, tossing my head in the direction of his hardness to convey my intention. I watched eagerly as Zen complied, reaching down to unbuckle his belt and remove his pants until, finally, he was standing gorgeously naked at the foot of the bed.

"Beautiful…" I breathed. Just looking at him made my heart beat faster and now I could hear it pounding in my ears.

"Princess," Zen said, drawling out the words. "I'm all yours." Hearing those words sent a sizzling shiver up my spine. I was remembering back to tonight, exactly how the fans had cried out for him, literally swooned when the words "...and then we make love" came out of his sweet mouth… that delicious mouth and the rest of him at the end of the bed. All mine.

"Hyun…" I said, beckoning him with a finger.

Zen hadn't taken his wolf eyes off me for a second. Now, moving slowly, he crawled his way over my body, leaving little kisses on the way, until he was positioned above me and we were looking at each other face to face. Never breaking his greedy gaze, he purposely leaned down, allowing his marble chest to just brush the tips of my nipples. I moaned and writhed beneath him as he rocked gently back and forth, making the sensitive tips grow harder with the friction.

"Fuck, I love you and the little noises you make," he said.

With that, he put his mouth on mine, swallowing me with ravenous kisses. I could feel his erection, hard and pressing into my thigh. It was making me squirm with need. I was already hot and dripping for him, our whole night together acting as some kind of extended foreplay, and I didn't know if I had the patience to wait any longer to feel him inside me. In a conscious effort to move things along, I rocked my hips back and forth, spreading my legs and pressing myself into him.

"Babe," I moaned between kisses. "I… I can't…" I lost my train of thought as Zen's mouth dropped from my mouth to my neck, sucking at the space near my collarbone. One of his hands was on my breast tweaking a nipple, and then it was on its way down between my legs. I sucked in a breath as I felt one of his fingers touch my slick folds. My whole body shuddered hot in response.

"Aw, man…" Zen moaned. I can only imagine how wet I was, and I felt his cock twitch with need against my leg. He stopped kissing me for a moment and sighed. "I'm so sorry, Princess," he said, meeting my eyes. "I've been aching for you so badly all night, I don't think I can wait any longer..."

I wanted to explain how I was also aching beneath him, how the fire between my legs was so terribly unbearable, but all I could do was nod and eek out the words "yes, same…" and "please…"

Zen wasted no time in reaching over to open the bedside drawer and retrieve a condom. I watched eagerly as he raised himself up on his knees, tore open the package with his teeth and rolled the rubber down the length of his beautiful dick.

"God, I love you," he said, lowering himself back down on top of me and positioning himself at the dripping entrance between my legs.

I reached up, lovingly touching the back of his neck. "I love you, too, Hyun," I said, and then, on impulse, I dug my fingers into a mass of hair on the back of his head and pulled. I watched as his red eyes rolled back into his head and he moaned, kind of half growled. "Now fuck me," I groaned, and then remembering my manners added, "Please…"

Zen needed no other prompting. He tilted his face forward, so that his beast red eyes could penetrate mine, and then thrust his whole length inside of me, filling me at once. I gasped and he waited as my body took in the whole shape of him.

"God, you... feel...so…good," he said. The words came out as syllables, breathy and hot. I nodded and bit my lip as he began to move, slowly and with intention as my sex closed in around him.

"I love you, Hyun," I whispered, feeling suddenly sentimental. I held his steady red eyes with my own. I was thinking about what it felt like to sing with him, how I felt like our souls were mingling together. As I raised my hips up to meet his and rock with him, the words of the song we sang as a duo came to mind again… "When we wake up… And then we make love… It makes me feel so nice…" Mmmm… I felt that way now, and I realized how much I wanted him like this, deep inside me, making love to me forever. God, I loved him, just loved him… Truly, madly, deeply.

"Ooooh," I cried, losing my breath as Zen thrust himself deeper into my core. He'd hit my most sensitive spot, the one deep inside me that makes me lose myself. Without thinking, I raised my hips up off the bed, my body clenching and shuddering around him in response.

"Oooh Princess..." Zen said with a low, knowing chuckle. "So what do we have here?" He buried himself in me again, directing his hilt to what he hoped was the same spot, and was rewarded with another broken sigh, twisting of hips and spasm of walls.

"That's my girl," he growled, his red eyes narrowing to dirty slits. Now that he knew where to hit me, he hit me there again and again, each time thrusting more deliberately, more slowly, deeper. I responded in different ways, as each new sensation offered a different opportunity to express my gratitude… A whimpering mewl, a pleading of guttural grunts and tones, his true name on my lips mixed with a mashup of curses. All the while I was white knuckling anything I could get my hands on, the sheets, the smooth skin on Zen's back, handfuls of his hair... God, I just didn't know it was possible to come apart in so many ways, and Zen was eager to explore all of them.

"So. Cute." Zen whispered, thrusting yet again, going for gold and getting it. It felt so good I wanted to cry and more little sounds escaped my mouth, emanating from places I didn't even know existed. My whole body was humming, responding to his touch like some kind of interactive toy.

"UUUUh...ohhhh….holy damn!" I breathed as yet another aspect of this deep intrinsic hot spot of myself was uncovered.

Encouraged by my noises, Zen continued to abuse that spot with precision. Over and over again, he pumped me full with his length. Over and over, my body responded, becoming progressively more unglued with each thrust. Keeping a good rhythm, Zen smiled wickedly above me. He was so proud of himself. It was like he'd found his own secret key to my body and was now hell bent on using it against me… and, god, I only hoped he wouldn't ever stop.

"Please, please, please…" I said as I lifted my hips higher, muscles of my inner walls contracting, sucking him in deeper. Like an addict, I kept chasing the feeling, pushing for more colors, more sensations, more of anything that would get me closer to the mind bending climax I was determined to reach.

"Hyun, Hyun, Hyuuuun…" I whimpered, tears leaking out the corner of my eyes as my face contorted into several involuntary expressions of pleasure.

"So. Fucking. Sexy." Zen said. Sweat was breaking out on his forehead as a result of his work and his red eyes were half-lidded with lust. He was completely in control and he knew it. He was taking every advantage, playing my body like an improv play, reading my every move with intuitive acuity and responding with the perfect "yes, and…" for the circumstance. Teeth on nipple timed with burying the hilt of his dick. Circular motion on my clit in response to my erratic breathing. Hot breath whispering sweet dirty nothings into my neck or directly into my ear...

"You're so fucking hot...so hot and so perfect…"

"I just love being inside you...damn..."

"God, you taste...so...good..."

The colors in my mind were getting bigger and brighter… I was getting close, so very close and I said so. I had my arms around him, pulling him down, pressing him further into me from the small of his back, all the while at the same time raising my hips to meet him...all with the hope of fitting him more deeply inside me. Sensation was building, increasing in intensity with every thrust of his hips, but I needed something, just a little bit more to get me where I needed to go… I was panting, moaning, whimpering, nothing short of desperate in my need to cum…

When I called out for more, Zen was there to answer. He picked up one of my legs, bending it back to give himself more access and then pounded into me, picking up the pace as he continued to punish that spot that was making me burn so mad with need.

"Come on, Pretty Girl," he urged. "Cum for me, baby…" I could feel his cock start to twitch inside of me and his stomach begin to tighten, so I knew he was close.

All at one once I looked into his beautiful face, so hot, so far gone, just as lost in me as I was in him… Then my name on his lips, a broken plea, before his whole body began to shake…That and one more thrust was all it took to send me over my edge, vibrant colors exploding behind my eyes, every nerve, every coil coming undone… There I was a quivering mess, babbling guttural, primal nonsense as I attempted to ride out my orgasm completely… Was it one or two or more? I couldn't even tell because it just kept going on and on and on, all the sensations running together like an exploding kaleidoscope… "Hyuuunnnnn..." I called from somewhere low in my gut. I was completely and utterly losing my mind... my whole body convulsing, shivering, shaking, simply vibrating from a stream of near constant spasms…

Zen was losing himself, too, he'd been trying desperately to hold on and keep up the pace as long as he could… but his movements were becoming more erratic and ragged, he was grunting and cursing, and once he even bit me on the shoulder to try and maintain control … Then as soon I started to cum, he allowed himself to let go… As soon as my walls started clench and pull around him, he practically howled my name and let loose… He pumped and slammed into me one, two, three more times before finally releasing his load…

"Shiiiit…." Zen groaned as I felt his cock pulsate and then explode inside me.

We held on to each other as wave after wave of what felt like one reverberating orgasm continued to shudder and ripple through our connected bodies with profound intensity. Finally as the endless string of sensations began to subside, Zen collapsed on top of me a quaking, shivery, sweaty mess. I wrapped both my arms and legs around him, holding him to me. I did not want to let him go.

"Wow," Zen said a moment or two later as we pulled our sticky bodies apart. "What the fuck was that?"

I smiled, feeling the lazy afterglow start to sink in. "Mind blowing," I said, blinking my eyes a few times. I think I was still seeing colors. "Insane."

Zen rolled off my body to lie beside me. "Mind blowing," he repeated. "Damn..." He was quiet for a minute, thinking, and then he spoke again. "So is that how it always is… I mean, do you always have mind blowing sex with someone you love?"

I could tell he was holding his breath, bracing himself for the possibility of me saying I'd had anything even half as good with anyone else…God forbid Kwang-jo come up in this conversation… But the truth was, Zen didn't have shit to worry about... I'd never had anything, not even a fraction as good as what just happened in this room… This was new territory for me, and I wasn't sure what to think, other than I couldn't wait to do it again.

"I don't know, Zen," I said smiling and rolling over to put my elbows on his chest so I could stare into his bright red eyes. "I don't know because I've never felt that way with anyone else before, not even close…" I reached up to stroke his pink cheek still slick with sweat. "In fact, I'm pretty sure that tonight, what just happened here with you, with me, was the best sex I've ever had…like, in my life."

Zen's face broke into a huge grin. "Really?" he said. I loved that boyish look on his face… It reminded me of Yoosung… and now of Debbie, too... Innocent, vulnerable, decidingly NOT narcissist… Pure.

"Ya, babe," I said, tousling his silver hair. "Even though I'm channeling Seven right now, I'm being completely serious… I think you're a GOD in bed."

Zen cocked his head to one side, flashing a vainglorious smile. "A god?" he said, eagerly. "So basically I look like a god and I fuck like one, too?"

I bit back a smile. Well, that sure didn't take long ... Zen's ego was obviously back in force. I shrugged my shoulders. "Basically," I said.

Zen fell back against the pillows with a smug, self-satisfied smirk on his face, hands behind his head. Then all the sudden, I heard Jumin's warning voice in my head. "God, MC... Don't encourage him."

I turned my head to admire the gorgeous god-man-angel-being in my bed. OK, so maybe telling Zen he was a "god" in bed probably wasn't the wisest thing to say to a narcissist, but, then again, he's MY narcissist, right? Besides, it was true.

Author's note: Oh man! Sorry this took so long to get up, but heck, it is a lengthy chapter… Stay tuned for how the world reacts to the RFA party… How do you think Echo Girl's going to take it? I don't know… Thanks (always) for reading, reviewing, commenting, etc. :-) :-) :-)