American Casual

“Where is this party, again?” Julia asked.

“A cocktail lounge called The Griffin,” Shindo replied. “The owner is a related to someone in the choreography department, so we always get great deals for parties.”

They pulled up to the lounge and a valet took Shindo's keys as they walked in. “You look nice,” he murmured in her ear.

“I came straight from work and you know it,” Julia reminded him. “A tee shirt and jeans isn't exactly standard cocktail party apparel.”

The party was on the second floor, in the middle of a sweeping observation deck that overlooked the city. A tall, slender woman waved Shindo over and he nodded at her. “That's my boss,” he whispered in Julia's ear. “Want me to introduce you?”

Julia caught sight of Jin by the bar and shook her head. “I think I need a drink first,” she said, kissing his cheek before heading over to the bar.

“Julia!” Jin yelled, raising his beer at her. He had a large group around him, all of whom seemed pleasantly buzzed. Julia leaned over the bar and got the bartender's attention. “White wine, please,” she called.

“White wine? Where's your sense of adventure?” Jin teased. “Oh sorry, introductions.” He rapidly reeled off everyone's names and Julia didn't remember a single one, but she nodded and smiled anyway. “I'm Julia,” she said, bowing nicely. The bartender handed her a chilled glass of wine and she immediately took a large sip.

“Rough day?” Jin teased.

“Just eventful,” she said evasively, “and no comments about my appearance, Jin. I already know I look like a homeless person.”

“Coming to a party in your work clothes just means you're dedicated to your job,” the woman beside her interjected, “unlike people who left their work early to go home and change.”

The group laughed uproariously and Jin tried to be miffed, but he couldn't resist the joke for very long and he laughed too.

“Thanks,” Julia whispered.

“My pleasure,” the woman said airily. “I'm Yoo Daehwa, by the way. Jin has a way of blistering through introductions like a sandstorm tearing through the Sahara, so don't feel bad if you don't remember anyone's names.”

Julia smiled gratefully and took another sip of wine. “What department are you in?” she asked.

“Public relations,” she said, swirling her drink elegantly. “I've been with SM for nearly three years now, but I worked at YG before then.”

“And do you like it? Working for SM, I mean.”

Daehwa smirked. “Let's just say I've had a lot more to deal with here than my previous place of employment,” she murmured.

“Come on, Daehwa, she's my friend,” Jin whined. “Don't keep her all to yourself.”

“Just because you met me first doesn't mean you've got dibs,” Julia teased. “Why don't you go have some quality guy time and let the women discuss important matters?”

Daehwa chuckled and Julia felt a flush of gratification at making her laugh.

“Speaking of guys, aren't you here with your dancer friend?” Jin asked, craning his head over the crowd. “Where is he?”

“Talking to his boss, last I saw him,” Julia said casually. She finished her wine and signaled the bartender for another. “Don't worry, you'll get to meet him,” she promised.

“Only here a few weeks and already seeing someone? You are determined,” Daehwa commented.

Julia spotted Shindo and waved him over. “There he is!” she said, pointing. Shindo came over and kissed her cheek lightly. “Whiskey, neat,” he called to the bartender. He glanced at her drink and raised an eyebrow. “Want me to get you something stronger?” he asked.

“Hey, I like white wine and you know it,” she said, sticking her tongue out at him playfully. “Do you know Daehwa and Jin?” she asked, gesturing to her friends.

Shindo bowed to Daehwa. “Byun Shindo,” he said smoothly. “I don't think I've had the pleasure.”

“Yoo Daehwa,” she said, returning the bow. “I don't normally come to these things, but never too late to try something new, right?”

Julia turned to Jin and was surprised to see him staring at Shindo with a mixture of shock and unease. “Jin? Are you okay?” she asked concernedly.

“I've met you before!” Shindo exclaimed. “Good to see you again, Jin.” He extended his hand, but Jin just stared at it until Julia elbowed him discreetly. “Yeah, nice to…” he cleared his throat and took a long pull of his beer.

Shindo seemed unfazed by this and downed his drink in one swallow. “Another,” he called, snapping his fingers at the bartender.

Jin walked away and Julia was torn between her desire to stay and her curiosity. “I'll be right back,” she said finally, and she followed Jin through the crowd until she caught up with him by the windows. “Hey, what happened back there?” she asked in a low voice. “You looked at Shindo like he was a ghost or something.”

Jin licked his lips several times, then downed the rest of his beer before speaking. “When you said you were dating a dancer, I didn't think…” he stared at the floor in consternation and didn't continue.

“Do you know something about Shindo?” Julia pressed. “Tell me.”

Jin sighed loudly. “It's just… a few months ago, I got to help film a music video for one of the younger groups that Shindo was working with. There was some kind of altercation on set, and Shindo… well, he got angry. Like, really angry. He rammed another dancer against the wall and two crew members had to drag him away.”

“So? No one's perfect, Jin.”

“That's not all,” he whispered. “I know the guy he grabbed. Shindo didn't just shove him against the wall; he had his hands around the guy's throat. I saw the bruises, Julia.”

“Did you ask Shindo about it?”

“I didn't, but the director did. Shindo swore he'd grabbed his throat accidentally, but I don't believe it. The bruises were too well-placed for that. I think he meant to throttle the guy.”

Julia couldn't help chuckling. “You saw someone you barely know have a bad day,” she reminded him. “One small scuffle hardly marks a person as violent.”

“I'm telling you, Julia, if I were you I'd keep my distance from him,” he persisted. “Seriously.”

“I don't see how it's any of your business who I spend time with,” Julia said sharply. “We've known each other what, a month? And you're going to give me dating advice?”

“I'm not trying to pry-”

“Good, then don't,” she said abruptly. She turned on her heel and left him alone by the window as she returned to the bar.

“Everything okay?” Shindo asked, nodding at Jin.

“Yeah, everything's fine,” Julia assured him, sipping her wine coolly.


******


Julia rode up the elevator to her apartment, still thinking about Jin’s reaction at the mixer. I've never heard him be negative about someone before. I hope he's not some kind of macho overprotective guy.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't see the person pacing in front of her door until he waved at her. “Jongin?” she said in surprise. “What are you-”

“I just… I need to…” he sighed and raised his arms helplessly.

“Okay, well, I'm exhausted and would like to enter my apartment now,” she said flatly. She attempted to pass him, but he grabbed her arm suddenly and she tensed. “Let go,” she demanded.

“Look, I'm not here to be mean or offensive, so can you just listen for a minute?” He dropped her arm and she sighed. “Fine,” she agreed, “I'm listening.”

“I'm sorry,” he said immediately. “I'm sorry for everything. I got so wrapped up in… and I didn't think…anyway, I really am sorry.”

He bowed his head lamely and Julia actually felt her heart soften a little. “I'm not here to make your life hell, Jongin,” she said, “and I know you're not a bad guy, but you need to give a better explanation than that.”

Jongin sighed quietly. “I'm scared, alright?” he whispered. “I'm scared I'll fail, that I'll let my friends down, but I'm mostly scared that I've let you down.”

“Me?”

“We're always talking about how we want to inspire others to pursue their dreams, but maybe all I really care about is myself. And I do feel guilty, Julia. I feel so much guilt, it's crushing me, and I… I want to make things right.”

He picked up a package that sat by the door and gave it to her. “Open it,” he prodded.

Julia unwrapped it and pulled out a gold metallic jacket accented with silver studs. Her chin dropped as she realized what she was holding. “This… this is… ”

“It is,” he confirmed, “and I want you to have it.”

“I can't,” she said immediately. “This is the jacket you wore in the Mama video! I don't even understand how you have it, let alone why you're giving it to me.”

“The stylist let me keep it,” he shrugged. “I want you to have it, to represent a fresh start. That is, if you can forgive me?”

Julia searched his face intently. He seems genuinely sorry, she realized. I think he really means it.

She sighed and folded the jacket neatly before giving it back to him. “I forgive you,” she said, “but you really should keep this, like in a bulletproof case or something.”

Jongin grinned, a sincere grin that lit up his entire face. “You sure you don't want to at least try it on?” he offered. “It's pretty comfortable.”

The temptation was too great for Julia to resist. “Oh alright,” she relented, holding her arms out. Jongin helped her slide it on and she felt chills run down her spine as she looked down at the gold fabric. I'm wearing the jacket, she thought, running a hand over it. Today must be Christmas and my birthday all in one.

“Nice, right?”

Julia nodded. The faint smell of cologne and sweat caught her attention and she sniffed the lining.

“Sorry, it may not have been cleaned since I last wore it,” Jongin said apologetically. “I should've thought to-”

“It's nice,” she interrupted, then felt embarrassed and took the jacket off quickly. “Thanks,” she whispered, “that was really cool.”

Jongin smiled again and folded the jacket over his arm. “I heard you've got a whole room of KPOP swag in there,” he said, nodding at her door. “Think I could see it sometime?”

“As long as you don't make fun of it,” she said pointedly.

“Never,” he swore, “unless you've got some poster of me with hearts around it, then all bets are off.”

“Get out of here,” Julia laughed, shoving him in the direction of the elevators. “You've got a lesson tomorrow, remember?”

“I'm ready!” he called, waving at her as he headed back down the hallway.

She unlocked her door and kicked her shoes off the moment she was inside her apartment. She could still catch a trace of his cologne on her shirt and she smiled. What an amazingly weird day.


******


A week passed and Julia still hadn't talked to Jin since his outburst at the mixer. He seemed to be avoiding her, but whether it was due to anger or embarrassment she didn't know. I hope things aren't going to be weird between us now, she worried as she pushed the elevator button. Today was EXO’s first livestage performance of Power, something Julia had been greatly anticipating since the music video dropped. Watching them perform live from sidestage will be even more surreal than being on set, she thought, stepping into the elevator.

Once she was on their floor she went straight to their door and knocked. There was no answer, so she knocked again. Still nothing. That's weird.

She tried the doorknob and it turned, so she decided to let herself in. “Who's ready for their livestage?” she called, then froze on the threshold, her eyes widening in shock.

Chanyeol and Jongin were on the couch, huddled under blankets, while Baekhyun sat at the table with an untouched mug of tea, resting his head on his arms. Jongdae gave her a wan smile from the kitchen, clutching a sports drink in his hand. “What's going on?” Julia asked, setting her bag down. “Are you all sick?”

Vomiting noises came from the bathroom and Jongdae grimaced. “We think it's a stomach flu,” he said, leaning heavily on the counter.

Julia put a hand to Baekhyun's forehead. “You've definitely got a fever,” she said grimly. “Is everyone sick?”

“I think so,” Jongdae replied, “but Junmyeon’s the only one throwing up at the moment.”

There was more retching and Julia frowned sympathetically. “Did anyone call Youngjun to cancel the livestage?” she asked.

“He knows we're sick,” Baekhyun moaned, “but we can't cancel the performance.”

“We have contracts with the network and the venue,” Chanyeol added from the couch.

“But… but none of you can move, let alone perform!” she exclaimed. “He can't possibly make you do this!”

“He's not making us,” Kyungsoo said as he emerged from the hallway. He had made an effort to get ready, though his face was pale and sweaty. “We're professionals, and professionals push through.”

“This isn't the sniffles!” Julia retorted. “What happens when one of you vomits onstage, or faints? There's got to be a way!”

“We can make it,” Jongdae promised her, “if you help us. Will you?”

Julia sighed. “You know I will,” she muttered. “Where do we start?”

Jongdae pulled a plastic box off the top of the fridge and set it on the counter. “Here's our medicine box,” he said, rifling through it. “Go around and…” he groaned and leaned against the counter again.

“You're first,” she said, feeling his forehead. She grabbed a thermometer and handed it to him, then grabbed the Tylenol and a handful of Pepto Bismol tablets and stuck them in her pockets. The thermometer beeped and she glanced up. “Well?” she asked, grabbing cups and a bottled water from the fridge.

“A hundred and one,” he said. Julia gave him two Tylenol and a cup of water. “Take this, then go shower,” she ordered, washing the thermometer before going to Baekhyun. “Do you feel nauseous?” she asked.

“A little,” he said, “but my head is the worst thing.”

His temperature read a hundred point five and she handed him meds, then went to the couch. Chanyeol didn't feel warm, but sweat was rolling down his face and soaking his hair. “Take a Tylenol now, and tell me if you feel worse,” she murmured, squeezing his hand. He smiled at her and swallowed the pill obediently.

Jongin was shivering on the other end of the couch and Julia put her hands on either side of his face. “Jongin?” she said gently. “Look at me.”

He opened his eyes and she saw they were completely bloodshot. “Have you been throwing up?” she asked, already unwrapping a tablet.

“Since last night,” he croaked. “I got sick first.”

She helped him take the medicine, then stood up and sighed. “All of you need to shower, and I’m afraid that’s not within my professional duties,” she said loudly. They all smiled, until they heard more retching from the bathroom.

“I'm going to check on the others,” she said, hurrying down the hallway. She peeked into the first bedroom and saw Sehun curled up on his bed, trash can stationed near his head.

“Hey,” she called softly, “do you want some medicine, or something to drink?”

He shook his head and groaned into his pillow, so Julia continued on to Kyungsoo and Jongdae’s room. “Soo, can I bring you anything?” she asked, poking her head in.

“Tylenol,” he growled. She gave it to him and he managed a small smile. “Thanks,” he said, nodding at her appreciatively.

Julia finally made it to the bathroom where a haggard Junmyeon was kneeling by the toilet. “You shouldn't be here,” he groaned, trying to wave her away, “you'll get sick. Besides, you shouldn't see us like this.”

“And who should, a bunch of random interns?” she replied. “I'm your friend, Junmyeon. Let me take care of you.”

Two of the showers were already running and she saw Minseok’s hoodie on the floor. Minseok must've made it in here on his own, she thought.

Junmyeon heaved again and Julia rubbed his back soothingly until he finished. “I know it sounds awful, but you must try to shower,” she murmured. “Can you stand?”

“In a minute,” he mumbled.

His phone rang and before he could stop her she pulled it out of his pocket and answered. “Hello?” she said, continuing to rub his back.

“Julia!” Youngjun exclaimed. “You're with the boys, then?”

“I am,” she replied, “and they're in pretty bad shape. Isn't there any way to get them out of this performance?”

“I'm afraid not,” he sighed. “Breaking these contracts would not bode well for them as a group, and they're determined to do it, regardless. I was able to get them a later time slot, however, so we won't pick them up until three.”

Julia checked her watch. “That's only two hours from now!” she said in dismay.

“Better than twenty minutes. Do what you can for them, will you? I'll see you then.”

Julia hung up and set Junmyeon's phone on the counter. “Ready?” she asked him. He nodded and with some effort she helped him get to his feet and stumble to the last unoccupied shower, then she went into the nearest bedroom. She went through each of their closets and gathered clothes for them, creating a little stack for each member beside the bathroom door. “I have clothes for you!” she called, knocking on the door.

The door cracked open and Minseok peeked out, his black hair dripping.

“Your skin!” she exclaimed, touching his neck. “You've got a rash!”

“I'm okay, it's just the fever,” he said quietly. “Do you have any more of those tablets?”

Julia opened one and gave it to him, along with his clothes. “Here's Junmyeon's and Jongdae's too,” she said, handing him two more stacks.

“Thanks,” he whispered. He closed the door and Julia went back to the living room. “Chanyeol, it looks like you and Kyungsoo are the least sick, so you're going to have to help me,” she said, crouching beside him.

Chanyeol nodded bravely and with an effort he pushed the blanket aside and stumbled to his feet.

“Good,” Julia said approvingly. “Help Jongin to the bathroom and both of you get showers. I've put clothes beside the door for you.”

Minseok came in, looking very unsteady on his feet as he went to the kitchen. “Can you tell me who got sick when?” Julia asked, grabbing a notepad and pen from the coffee table. “I might be able to triage better if I have some idea.”

“Jongin started running a fever around nine last night,” Minseok said, “then vomiting around midnight. Sehun, Jongdae, Kyungsoo and I started between four and five. Chanyeol and Baekhyun showed signs after breakfast, and Junmyeon started vomiting not too long before you got here.”

This recitation seemed to exhaust him and he leaned over the sink for a few moments, taking deep breaths.

Julia finished writing this down and scanned it quickly. “When did Jongin last throw up?” she asked.

Minseok shrugged. “Maybe around six?” he guessed.

“That means the vomiting doesn't last very long,” she mused. “We might be able to make it, in that case.”

There was more retching, this time from Sehun's room. Julia went in and found him bent over his trash can, heaving painfully. “It's alright,” she whispered, rubbing his back gently. “I've got you. I'm so sorry.”

He sat back against the bed and gave her a haggard smile. “What?” she asked.

“It's just… my mom used to do that,” he rasped. “Rub my back when I was sick, I mean. I'd forgotten until just now.”

“Don't get used to it,” she teased. “Do you think you can shower in a minute?”

“I think so,” he said bravely. Julia helped him to his feet, but he refused her help to the bathroom, so she went back to Kyungsoo’s room. “How are you?” she asked him.

“I'm okay,” he said, as if trying to convince himself of that. “I only threw up once, so I think I've got a lighter case than the others.”

Julia nodded. “We've got ninety minutes before Youngjun gets here, so we should get moving. Can you make it to the living room?”

“Yeah, but why?”

“I'm going to disinfect this entire apartment,” she said, “and try to keep all of you comfortable.” She offered her hand, but he waved it away and hauled himself up. “It's really nice of you to do all of this,” he said as they walked down the hallway.

“Hey, someone's gotta keep you morons alive,” she quipped.

Twenty minutes later all eight members were gathered in the living room, fully dressed and completely miserable. Julia gave each of them a trash bag and another round of tablets before pulling the cleaning supplies out from under the kitchen sink.

“What are you doing with those?” Jongin asked.

“I've gotta get this apartment sanitized, or you could all get the virus again,” she said, rolling up her sleeves.

“You don't have to do that,” Junmyeon mumbled. “Call a maid service.”

“And expose more people? No way,” she said firmly. “Just rest for a while and I'll handle it.”

She worked her way through the kitchen to the dining room, spraying and wiping every surface she could think of, then started on the bedrooms. She pulled the sheets off the beds as she worked and put new ones on, dumping the used ones in the hallway. The bathroom was the worst, but she held her breath and cleaned it quickly, making sure to rinse each shower thoroughly.

Finally in the hallway she checked her watch again. Two-thirty. Not bad.

She went back to the kitchen and scrubbed her hands and arms thoroughly in the sink. The guys hadn't moved at all, only able to watch as she went back and forth.

“What time is it?” Baekhyun croaked.

“Two-thirty,” she replied, getting the medicine box down again. She loaded her bag with any kind of medicine she might find useful and several water bottles. “Does anyone need anything?” she asked. “Youngjun will be here soon.”

They all shook their heads, so Julia continued her preparations. She went back to the bedrooms and gathered coats and cell phones and passed them out to the members. “Tell me how to help once we get there,” she said briskly.

“Just keep us medicated,” Kyungsoo said, “and hydrated. We're all pretty depleted right now, but you'll have to make some of them drink.”

“I'm perfectly capable of staying hydrated,” Baekhyun mumbled.

“Coffee doesn't count,” Chanyeol responded, making a few of them chuckle.

At least they still have a sense of humor, she thought with a smile.

There was a knock on the door and Julia answered it. “Youngjun!” she exclaimed. “Is it three already?”

“Almost,” he said, stepping into the apartment. He saw the guys huddled on the couch and frowned. “You weren't kidding,” he whispered. “How are they?”

“Well, no one's vomited in the last hour, so that's a good sign,” she replied. “Most of them are running fevers, however, so you'll want to be careful with the staff being exposed.”

“They're fully prepared,” he assured her. “Well boys,” he said loudly, “are you ready?”

They all groaned, but dragged themselves off the couches and started putting their jackets on. They slowly made their way to the elevators, then on to the parking lot where the van awaited. They climbed in and Julia took the passenger seat. “I have more trash bags if you need them,” she called.

Youngjun started the van and it pulled away smoothly. Once they were in traffic, he glanced in the rearview mirror. “The apartment smelled like disinfectant,” he commented. “Was that you?”

“I just didn't want-”

He waved for her to be silent. “Thank you,” he murmured. “Not many people would go so far above their duties like that.”

“They're my friends,” Julia replied, “and I'll do everything I can for them.”

They arrived at the venue and made it to the dressing room without incident. Julia waited outside while the boys changed, then followed them to a waiting area backstage.

“How are your voices?” Youngjun asked. “Anyone need tea or a cough drop?”

“I'm gonna hurl right here if you say that again,” Junmyeon groaned.

Julia waved a stagehand over. “Do you have any Gatorade around here?” she asked. The stagehand pointed at a refreshments table and Julia went straight over to it. Sure enough,there were a few bottles at the bottom of a cooler, so she took them and poured a little Gatorade into a cup. “Drink,” she ordered, handing it to Jongin.

He took it and sipped it slowly. “What about Junmyeon?” he asked.

“He'd probably vomit it right back up, and he can't afford another dry heaving session right now,” she murmured. “How do you feel?”

“I'm okay,” he said, pretending she couldn’t tell he was lying.

“Five minutes,” Youngjun said, rejoining the group. “Chanyeol, you're sweating your makeup off!”

“I can't help it,” Chanyeol said despairingly. “I've been a human humidifier since breakfast.”

“Here,” Julia said, grabbing a napkin off the table. She dabbed at his face and tried to dry his dripping hair. “It's too bad you don't have a hat,” she muttered to herself.

“Is it that bad?” he asked anxiously.

“It's fine,” she said, smiling at him. “You're gonna be fine. Just get through this performance and we'll go home.”

He nodded and she dabbed his face again as the countdown started. “Places!” the stage manager called.

Julia followed the guys to sidestage and watched them take their marks. Please let them make it through, she prayed.

The music started and she chewed her nails as she watched them, but they pushed through staunchly. From this distance, you can't even tell they're sick, she thought wonderingly. There were a few moments when she saw one of them teeter slightly and her heart would leap into her mouth, but they always recovered and found their places again. Her own stomach churned with worry and she popped a tablet in her mouth to stave it away.

After what felt like hours the song ended and the lights when down again. Julia breathed a sigh of relief as the guys came off stage, all of them pale and shaking. “Good job,” she said, patting Junmyeon on the arm.

Sehun ran right past her and threw up in a nearby trash can. Julia rubbed his back comfortingly, frowning at anyone who stared at him. She gave him some water to rinse with and another napkin. “Better here than onstage, right?” she quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Youngjun waved for them to come backstage and they all filed past her, except Minseok, who was leaning against the wall. “Min? Are you okay?” Julia asked concernedly. She took his hand and nearly dropped it immediately. “You're on fire!” she exclaimed. “We need to get you home.”

“I'm… I'm…” his knees buckled and Julia barely managed to catch him before he hit the floor. “Minseok!” she exclaimed. She lowered him down and patted his cheek. “Minseok! What's wrong?”

His eyes rolled back into his head and he started spasming violently. “Help! Someone help!” Julia screamed, trying to keep hold of him.

“What happened?” Youngjun called, running over.

“I think he's having a seizure,” she said in a choked voice. “Call an ambulance!”

Notes