Chapter Text
"I don't think I need that" Chenle replied politely, yet assertively.
He expected one of their managers to bring up this topic sooner or later. After all he was now of age in China as well as Korea. Although the older members reluctantly talked about sponsors, the young Chinese wasn't clueless. He once overheard Mark talking to Heachan about it when the Canadian just turned 20, Jeno happened to say too much over a glass of wine at Chenle's apartment, he witnessed Jaemin talking over the phone in a low, confidential tone with someone who was certainly not a member of SM staff.
"I don't need additional income. I live comfortably without it" he clarified hoping that would shut down the conversation. The manager ran his hand over his face, it was clear he was as uncomfortable with the topic as Chenle was.
"In your case it's not really about the money. The sponsor offers solo opportunities. Music collaborations, TV and radio appearances... let's be real for a second. You're the least popular Dream member. This could boost your brand reputation rankings and give you a chance to be involved in more projects in the future. The sponsor insists you give it a try"
Chenle brushed his hair from his forehead abashed. Although he wasn't a type to google his brand reputation rankings he suspected he wasn't the most sought after member of the team. His only solo activity since debut was a travel bit filmed in his family home in Shanghai. Meanwhile, Jisung had two dancing shows under his belt, Jaemin debuted as an actor, Jeno frequented many variety shows and Renjun was a radio DJ. The manager pointing it out so blatantly was like a jab to Chenle's pride. Yes, having a sponsor sounded degrading, yet being the least popular member, the weakest link of the team didn't sound much better.
"Who is this sponsor?" He asked hoping he sounded only mildly interested.
"Can't reveal much as I've signed an NDA. All you need to know is that it's an influential entrepreneur with ties to a media giant in East and Southeast Asia" Chenle nodded, cogs in his head turning.
"You don't have to decide right now but I encourage you to at least consider it. It can significantly benefit your career and the team as a whole. After all, your success is Dream's success" the manager added as if providing a closing statement of a speech. The young idol hummed in agreement. He definately needed more time to make up his mind. He was justifiably worried about getting into a shady business relationship with a stranger in a foreign country without his family knowing. He'd never sign anything without consulting his mother first. She was more of a manager to him than the men appointed by the company.
"You should probably go back to your practice" the manager finally dismissed Chenle and he was able to rejoin Deja Vu choreography practice. As he entered the room all heads turned in his direction so he had to make a conscious effort to pull an unbothered face.
"Did you get scolded for spoiling again?" Mark asked during a water break.
"Nah, the company loves it when I spoil shit" Chenle chuckled affectionately patting the older's shoulder "can you come over to my place today?"
Mark seemed hesitant.
"My schedule's pretty tight lately" he replied apologetically but Chenle insisted.
"I wouldn't bother you now if it wasn't important" the leader immediately recognised the seriousness in the younger's tone. He had no choice but to comply.
Chenle's eyes met Renjun's worried gaze. The older Chinese was sat on the floor on the opposite side of the practice room softly massaging Jisung's knee as the lanky teen tried his best to hold back a pained whine. It was starting to become obvious that he wouldn't be able to dance during the promotion period.
Renjun and Chenle might had not been as close as they were at their debut, when the younger didn't know a word of Korean and was completely dependent on his fellow Chinese but they were still like brothers to each other, the instinct to protect Chenle never fully leaving Renjun's system even five years later.
"You good?" came a question in his native tongue as soon as the practice ended.
"Yeah, I'll tell you later" Chenle replied confidentially before gathering his stuff and exiting the practice room with Mark leaving concerned Renjun and baffled Jisung behind.
"So what is it, dad?" Mark asked jokingly as they sat down on Chenle's living room floor.
"What's your sponsor like? What do you guys do?" the question almost made Mark choke on the tea that Chenle poured for him into his new terracotta set.
"W-why are you suddenly curious about that?" He stuttered wiping his chin with the sleeve of his hoodie.
"I got a sponsorship offer today. To be honest, I wish you guys have talked to me about it before. I wouldn't feel so uninformed getting into that conversation with the manager" Mark looked away.
"You were just so young... I know you're mature and responsible now but it's hard for us not to see you and Jisung as kids. I really wish you don't get a sponsor" for the first time in a while Mark sounded like a hyung "you don't need a sponsor anyway, do you?"
"Why do you have one then?" Chenle hated being patronised by his bandmates. He would let WayV or 127 hyungs do that but Dream were his friends and he wanted to feel equal to them.
"She pays for my brother's collage" Mark kept on avoiding Chenle's eyes. He always felt like he was in debt to his brother as he was the one who wanted to audition in the first place and Mark just ended up tagging along. Now that Mark had a stellar career in one of the most influential entertainment companies in Korea it appeared only fair to help his brother establish his own professional path.
"So how does it work, your sponsorship?" Chenle didn't let his guest leave the question unanswered. Mark focused on playing with the strings of his hoodie.
"Well, I get invited to her place for dinner or movies. We just talk about stuff. It's like a private fan meet really" Chenle raised an eyebrow.
"So why are you so against me doing that? We do a lot of fan meets" Mark's ears turned bright red.
"It's just... it's fucking weird, man. It's sketchy. If you don't need to do it, don't do it" the younger nodded, now certain that he didn't want to get into the sponsorship business, the conversation with Mark confirming his suspicions about the practice.
"I'll tell the manager I'm not interested" he assured the older who beamed warmly and ruffled Chenle's frizzy, bleach fried hair.
**********
"No, I'm sorry but I said what I said" Chenle hated the fact that the manager brought the topic up in the car preventing him from walking away from the conversation.
"I get it, usually it wouldn't be an issue. It's just that this is a very powerful person who might not let you turn them down without at least giving it a try"
"What do you mean by 'not let me'?" the manager caught Chenle's frown in the rear view mirror. He worked for NCT Dream since debut. He remembered Chenle as the petite child with a wide, naïve grin plastered on his face and it pained him to betray his still young artist like that.
"I'm sorry, kid" he uttered quietly before driving into an underground parking lot of an apartment complex Chenle didn't recognise. The Chinese man tensed up in his seat but remained silent. He wasn't going to make a scene about it. He was planning to just come in and be as unaccommodating as possible to discourage the sponsor from further meetings.
He followed the manager out of the car and into the lift. During the whole ride up, the older man avoided his intense glare. The lift stopped on the 15th floor. There was only one door in the hallway. The sponsor had to have the whole floor for herself, Chenle figured. The manager pressed the door bell. After no longer than ten seconds the door was opened by a woman in her 30s. At first Chenle thought she was the sponsor but the woman quickly made his mistake clear.
"President Kim is waiting for you in the lounge" even his family didn't have a lounge room.
As he entered the apartment he noticed that the manager stayed behind.
"Aren't you coming in, hyung?" He sounded more desperate than he wanted to. He didn't want to be left there alone. The manager shook his head and mumbled something about waiting in the car. Chenle had no choice but to follow the sponsor's employee down the hall and into a spacious room lit by dimmed LED lights. The glass wall on the right showed a gorgeous view of the Seoul skyline, city lights reflecting in Han River. The minimalistic interior with angular furniture and modern art on the walls seemed cold and uninviting.
"I'm glad I can finally meet you, Zhong Chenle" came a calm voice from the far end of the lounge. The owner of the voice sat on a modernist black leather sofa. To Chenle's surprise the sponsor was a middle aged man. He was wearing all black, a turtleneck and impeccably ironed dress trousers. Something NCT stylists would call a smart casual outfit. His hair was parted on the side, brushed back and held in place by ridiculous amout of pomade. Everything about this man seemed restricted, under control.
"I wish they dressed you in something better for our first meeting" the sponsor critically eyed his guest's baggy sweatpants and a velour hoodie.
"I dressed myself. I'm not a man of refined taste, sir" Chenle almost spat out the honorific. The fact that the person who wanted to take him under their sponsorship was a man made him feel even less safe in this already uncomfortable situation.
"Sit down" the sponsor gestured towards an armchair opposite of the sofa.
"I'm perfectly fine standing here. Hope we can make this meeting brief" Chenle didn't even realise that he took a step back towards the door.
"It's your official schedule, I payed for your time" the man smirked perfidiously and the young idol had no choice but to comply to his request taking a seat opposite him.
"I've been interested in you for quite some time. Ever since I've seen you on TV dancing in that sailor outfit. How very sweet" the confession sent a shiver down Chenle's spine. How old was he back then? 16?
"I'm not the same person I was back then" he asserted, disgust lacing every word.
"Of course you're not. You're a charming, mature young man. It was a joy, watching you grow" if Kun said that to him, Chenle would probably pretend to throw up just to pull his leg.
"Why do you want to be my sponsor, sir?" Chenle finally dared to ask.
"You can call me Sunghwan hyung" the man encouraged him, a soft smile stretching his narrow lips.
"I'd prefer not to" came Chenle's cold reply.
"I insist" there was something dangerous in the man's eyes that were scanning him like a specimen from behind the frames of his Prada glasses.
"So why does hyung want to sponsor me?" he sent his interlocutor an ostentatiously fake beam.
"Let's not get too bratty, we're both adults here" the man spoke calmly "I can provide you with opportunities you might be interested in. That's all"
"And what do you want in return?" Chenle asked this time more politely.
"Your company. Not much different from any other sponsor" he didn't trust what the man said. Not at all.
"And if I decline?" He really wanted to leave this room and never have to see this creep again, forget all of this happened and tell Mark he did as he promised by opting out of the deal.
"You won't decline" the answer was cold and sharp like a blade of a knife. Chenle remembered what his manager said about the sponsor being an influential figure in the media industry. He could probably end his career with a phonecall if he wanted to.
"Can I go now? I need to practice. My team's waiting" the younger man asked standing up.
"Sit down, you have no practice today" Sunghwan saw through Chenle's made up excuse so the Chinese reluctantly did as he was told "You're going to get pretty busy soon though. A feature on IMLAY's new album, becoming a radio host and a solo photoshoot for Elle... and that's just for the first half of 2021. Hyung worked hard to boost your brand reputation rankings" the boy blinked in disbelief at the lengthy list of activities. This man was indeed a force to be reckoned with.
"I'll also contact your stylists regarding how I want you dressed next time I see you. This is unacceptable" Chenle felt like a product since early years of his life. Acting cute for the cameras, singing show tunes on demand, he was a full package. A perfect child star. This was different though. This man made him feel like a toy. He wanted to have him so he bought him. He didn't like what he was wearing so he would simply change it. Like playing dress-up.
"Come here" Sunghwan patted the space next to him on the couch. Chenle really didn't want to sit there but did he have a choice? No. As he came closer he could smell the man's cologne. A bouquet of spice, rose and velvet. Way more sophisticated than the Old Spice aftershave he used.
"You smoke?" Chenle shook his head. He could feel his heart beat out of his chest. His manager betrayed him, left him here with this man who could do anything to him and noone would hear him calling for help "want a drink?"
"No, thank you" he mumbled. He didn't think it was beyond Sunghwan to spike his glass.
The sponsor sighed and turned to face him. Chenle quickly dodged the hand that reached to stroke his hair.
"I don't bite" the man chuckled amused at the idol's reaction. The young Chinese froze in place as the sponsor brushed a strand of hair behind his ear "See? You can be good if you want to" the hand slid down, a finger traced along Chenle's jawline and stopped at his chin "my sweet kitty" there was nothing the singer wanted more than to push the man away. But he just stayed there. Eyes empty. Hands resting on his thighs.
"You forgot about something, Lele" hearing the nickname from the sponsor's mouth felt like a violation. His mother used to call him that. He didn't want the memory to be tainted by this man.
"About what?" He asked in a monotone.
"A thank you"