To Kiss An Idol

234 The Broken House Rule

Everyone was looking at Nivritti waiting for her reply. She immediately looked at Korain and replied, “it’s easy. Just tell them that you are saving them from future headaches.”

“Huh? What, future headache?” asked Young-Chul. No one understood what she was trying to say. Korain was slightly disappointed as he thought she might again knock the problem out of the park.

“You have to go to Seould General for your therapy every Wednesday and Thursday, right?” asked Nivritti.

“Yes.”

“And you hide it from everyone so that you can avoid a scandal?”

“Yeah, that has been established. Get to the point!!” said Korain impatiently.

“What is the best solution to a problem?” she asked everyone. She kept staring at everybody, but all just scratched their head as they had no answer. “No one?”

Manager Park raised his hand like he was in a class and Nivritti was the teacher. “Yes, Manager Park?”

“Get in front of the problem?” he replied.

.....

Nivritti touched the tip of her nose twice and smiled at him, “correct, the answer was to the point. If you want to take care of a problem, get ahead of it. If you are scared of a scandal, control the narrative.” Even though she explained almost everyone was a little confused except Manager Park. She looked at their expression and shouted, “oh, come on! Do I have to spoon-feed you?”

“What she means to say is that we should tell everyone that you are in therapy,” said Manager Park to Young-Chul.

“I am still confused,” said Thae while rubbing his chin with his forefinger.

Nivritti sighed and lowered her head with disappointment. “Okay, tell them to think about this scenario. One or two of you go to Seoul General twice a week. You have done a great job of hiding yourself and doctors too have signed an NDA but what would happen if a nurse or a doctor breaks the NDA anonymously or a common person spots you and records you going to the doctor’s office, that will be a great scandal, right?” Everyone nodded.

So, she continued, “so, wouldn’t it be better if you tell your fans everything on your own, in your own words, controlling the narrative? You have no idea what the news media would say about you or how they will spin the news. But if you start the conversation, they will have to print your words verbatim. They cannot change anything or add anything. That can give you a cause for a defamation suit.

“The company can put the PR to spin the news as they like. Even if you get a little pushback from your fans, I know for sure that your international fans will support you. We can ask PR to say that your decision to go to therapy was a brave one and then telling everything to fans was braver. You can share your experience with everyone. I assure you there will be so many ASDians who will be proud of you to start this conversation in a positive light.”

All kept listening to her words quietly. She could see in their eyes that they were in deep thinking mode. Only Manager Park and Korain were smiling. Finally, she something that Korain was proud of. He knew this was the best argument they could use with their seniors.

“Also, you can ask your fans to share their story about how therapy helped them. If you will talk about it, they will talk about it. You know they love to follow you, they admire you and so many people will relate to you after that. The world needs to stop thinking in a conservative way and open their mind,” said Nivritti.

“But I really don’t know if I have the courage to ask my seniors or talk to my fans,” Sighed Young-Chul.

“You know what I do when I have no idea what to do next?” said Nivritti.

“What?”

“I sleep on the problem. And when I am asleep, my brain keeps working on the solution and when I wake up, I get the answer,” replied Nivritti.

“Then I will do that, Good night,” said Young-Chul, he stood up and walked inside the house without even acknowledging anyone. But instead of walking out of the house, he moved towards Nivritti’s bedroom.

She kept looking at him with widened eyes and an open mouth, “what the hell just happened?” but no one had any answer. They too were quite shocked. “Is he going to sleep in my bed?” she asked again. And again, no one had any answer.

“I will try to find out,” said Korain and walked inside the house.

Nivritti kept sitting in the same position without elevating her feet for long and now it was hard for her to stand up on her own. She involuntarily looked at Kyung-Soo and said, “please help me up.” Kyung-Soo stood up and grabbed her hand. He gave the support to stand up but the moment she lifted her foot, she cried in pain.

“What? What?” shouted Kyung-Soo.

“My… foot!” gasped Nivritti. “I was… supposed to… keep it elevated.”

Without wasting a single moment, Kyung-Soo placed his hand under her thighs and lifted her in his arms. He carried her to the bedroom, but Young-Chul was under the covers and already laying on her bed.

“We need to go, Youngie. Ritti, needs to rest too,” scolded Korain.

“I am sleeping here today. This is my safe space, she said it. She can sleep next to me,” replied Young-Chul.

“I am not. Place me on the couch please,” requested Nivritti.

Kyung-Soo shook his head in disbelief after seeing Young-Chul acting like a child and carried Nivritti to the living room couch. Jae-Hwa immediately placed two cushions under her foot and brought another pill for her to consume. Her eyes were closed due to pain, and she kept massaging her thigh.

Jae-Hwa fed her the pill, gave her the water, and immediately brought an ice pack for her foot. When the blood started moving away from the injured toe, her pain relaxed.

“Okay, Ritti, where do you keep your extra bedding and blankets?” asked Jung-Hwa.

Nivritti opened her eyes with a jerk and looked at him shocked. “Um… you are staying here?”

“Yes, obviously!” replied Jeong-Eun.

“No, no, no, no, no, noooo… no man is staying in my house. None of you,” yelled Nivritti.

“Okay, so I take it that you don’t have extra bedding. Hmm, I will go with Manager Park and get some,” announced Jung-Hwa.

“Pillows too,” added Thae.

“Right!” Jung-Hwa nodded.

“And don’t forget the blankets,” said Kyung-Soo.

“I won’t,” replied Jung-Hwa. He grabbed Manager Park’s arms and started pulling him out of the house.

“Did you not hear what I just say?” scolded Nivritti.

“Do you want us to die from stress and worry?” scolded Him-Chan.

“Huh?”

“Youngie Hyung is staying here. You know he is not going to leave. We will all night worry for him. Do you want to keep coming and going to your house all night? And now we caused you pain. We will be worried about you too. Do you want us to keep phoning you every hour?” said Him-Chan.

Nivritti looked at him, then at Jae-Hwa and then looked back at Him-Chan defeated. “So much for the no boys in my house rule,” she murmured to Jae-Hwa.

“I am sorry, Ritti, I tried but he is not ready to leave this house. He is adamant that he will sleep in his ‘safe space’,” said Korain by air quoting ‘safe space’.

“Great!” Nivritti rolled her eyes.

Jae-Hwa innocently raised her head, and everyone looked at her.

“What, Jae?” asked Kyung-Soo.

“Where will I sleep?” she asked.

“Right! I will ask JJ to get a bed for you too,” replied Kyung-Soo. And immediately he messaged Jung-Hwa.

“But we don’t have much space here,” said Jeong-Eun while looking at every corner of the house.

“Well, I will sleep next to Youngie, and if we slide the couch to the kitchen wall and these single couch chairs and table under the TV, we will get a nice open space and you all can sleep nicely. Jae can sleep next to Ritti who will obviously sleep on the couch. Sorry, about your foot,” said Korain.

Nivritti had no choice but to accept that ASD were sleeping in her house tonight. She just completely surrendered. Kyung-Soo and Korain pushed the couch with Nivritti on it and placed it near the kitchen wall. Jeong-Eun and Him-Chan took care of single couch chairs and Thae dragged the table near the TV wall.

“Downstairs neighbour will kill me tomorrow,” groaned Nivritti.

Within half an hour, Jung-Hwa and Manager Park returned with beddings and blankets and pillows. Boys had to run downstairs and with a joint effort, they brought everything in one turn. By the time they were done with their beds, Nivritti was already asleep due to the medicine.

Korain went inside the bedroom and slept next to Young-Chul while the rest of the ASD and Jae-Hwa slept in the living room. After making sure that everyone was comfortable, Manager Park went home with the promise that he will return in the morning, and he will bring their clothes.

He assured them he will get them a meeting with Hu Bong before their Live session, and they can discuss everything with him then.