Chapter 6

Ryu sips on her iced coffee languidly, specs on, face practically buried in her book as she reads through every line of the stupid theme she's determined to finish today. It's crazy how she's read this book at least thrice this year and still keeps finding something new as if the words multiply themselves on their own. It's good that she's done with half of her mid-term exams, god knows she's not surviving this for too long.

It's been over a week since she's seen Minjun and she really shouldn't be thinking about him while studying but it's proving incredibly hard not to by every passing second because couples keep clogging up the library lanes to eat faces.

She misses Minjun.

It's not like they don't talk...in fact, Minjun has been calling her every other day, but she wants to see his beautiful face. Before she can shake the raging thoughts of him aside and dive into her book once again, her phone rings with his name on her screen.

Minjun

As usual, her heart skips a beat. It isn't until she gets glares from the other people in the library that she panics and mutes her phone. She quickly shuts down her laptop and stuffs the pile of books back in her bag, making a run out of the library before she picks up his call, pressing the phone to her ear with trembling fingers.

"Hi, Minjun."

"Am I disturbing?"

No. No. Studies are disturbing her from him. It works the other way around when it's Park Minjun.

"No. Of course not."

"You were studying."

"How do you know?"

Minjun hums on the call. "Your voice. Sounds like it hasn't been used in a while."

Ryu gapes at that. "I could be sleeping."

"No, you couldn't be. Your voice isn't rash enough. But it still took you quite a while to answer my phone so clearly you were busy. Busy enough to keep your phone away. You have exams going on, Ryu, it's simple. You were studying."

Ryu sighs, a smile helplessly creeping up her lips. "Well- spectacular observation." She says sarcastically.

Minjun laughs before it dies down. "I'm sorry. Are you really free?"

"I could use a break."

She decides to sit down in the garden of her campus, taking up one of the empty benches.

"What I'm asking is... you'll be free with your exams by this weekend, right?"

Ryu nods despite being on a call. "Yeah."

"My friends and I were planning to hang out, would you like to join me? They wanted to meet you for so long... they were like 'Minjun-ah bring her' so..."

If anything, Ryu's heart speeds up even more. Friends. The only people she's been mentioned to by Minjun are his manager, Kim Dohyun and Jung Haneul.

Friends. Homies.

The greatest legends of all time.

She gulps. "Friends...as in...?" She still has to confirm.

"Haneul Hyung, Dohyunie, I don't know if Beom Seok will be there. Hyuna noona might come."

"Oh."

"Would you like to?"

"U-Uh– yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Minjun chuckles. "Don't worry too much. We'll have fun."

She hates how he knows that the thought of meeting them is making her beyond nervous. She almost wants to refuse, but in the back of her mind, knows that there's no point in lying.

"Focus on your exams, okay? Study well. All the best."

Ryu wants to scoff because how in the ever-loving hell is she supposed to focus on her exams with this information roaming on top of her head all the time? That she's going to meet the biggest of pop stars this country has ever seen just for a casual hangout? Minjun was big enough of a distraction and now there's Kim Dohyun, Jung Haneul, Jeon Beom Seok...Fuck, didn't Minjun mention Jeon Beom Seok? He did.

But she can't complain, for Minjun has been so sweet. He's always been.

"Thanks."

"Okay, bye-"

"No- wait. Minjun."

"Yea?"

"Where will we go? What do I wear?"

"Ah, they mentioned going to the arcade. We could do bowling there too, if you want. Just wear anything casual."

"Okay. Thanks."

"I'll see you this weekend, alright? Goodbye."

"Bye."

*

The week draws out longer than Ryu's fucking life, every minute feels like an hour except for when she's in the exam hall, where every hour feels like a minute. It takes all her energy and drains her of her blood and soul and she knows that by the time this ends, her burnout is gonna kick in full force and she won't be getting out of her bed for an entire week.

At least she has plans to look forward to.

She's back to smoking though, she doesn't know what's the itch this time. Perhaps the exams. It's not like she puffs all the time, it's just that- the thought lingers for longer than she'd like to admit out loud. Once she has her mouth on the vape, she could be done with one puff.

But she hates it so much that she feels like crying and she hates that she has linked this wretched habit to studying.

This time even Minjun doesn't seem like a strong enough force to keep her away.

But she gets through the exams alive and all so she has to give herself credit.

On the weekend, Ryu spends her entire day getting ready until Minjun picks her up from her building. She wears a pair of sage-coloured cargo, a white crop top, and some minimal golden jewellery.

Her heart thrums in excitement at the thought of seeing Minjun after one hell of a week. When he calls her and tells her that he's downstairs, Ryu runs out of the house so fast it startles Irang. But she can't help it, not when her entire body feels giddy. As she gets out of the lift and enters the lobby, she stops in her tracks, for Minjun is right there. She thought he might be waiting for her in the car, but instead, she finds him crouched on the floor, petting Mrs Park's puppy, the ball of fur wiggling his tail happily at the attention.

"Minjun?"

The man turns around on his heels and quickly stands up once he sees her. He's wearing a mask and a bucket hat, yet the way her heart swells at the sight is so uncanny that it leaves her breathless.

"Hey, Ryu."

A smile creeps up her lips and before she knows it, Minjun's eyes are disappearing and his cheeks are spreading adorably behind the mask. He reaches out an arm for her but she's so petrified, she can't seem to move ahead of her spot.

What the fuck is he doing to me?

With much effort, she forces her feet to move towards him. When she's a foot away from him, he gently grabs her upper arm and guides her until she's pressed against his chest, her stomach flipping in response. It all happens in such slow motion, but she knows it ain't that dramatic, she's just making it to be in her head.

Instinctively, her hands wrap around his waist, her ear pressing against his chest to listen to the heartbeat, lungs filling with so much air that she finds her chest clenching.

"I've missed you."

Oh, God.

Her hands tighten around his waist at those words, and she has to bury her face in his chest to conceal the number of emotions surging through her. She thinks Minjun's body is really the best to hold, firm and warm, all the things the word comfort wanted to depict, it's him.

"I..." She tries. She's missed him too, but she's never really said these words out loud...ever. "I missed you too."

She looks up at him and finds bright eyes.

Ryu wants to see his face. She's yearning to see his face.

She reaches a hand up, hovering in the air, just shy of grazing him. She doesn't what stops her, always does, a fear she can't seem to let go of no matter what. Perhaps it's the fact that she promised him that they'll go according to his pace, but every time she wants to take, it feels like she's in no place to ask from someone as bright as Park Minjun.

This isn't anything sexual, she just wants to hold his face...

Ryu gulps. Minjun stares at her, waiting for her to do something, his head tilting a little. Instead, she asks,

"Can I...?"

No one's here. Not even Mrs Park, or else she wouldn't have asked. But Minjun's eyes are still so full of warmth when he should be pushing her away and refusing. Then he inhales a sharp breath and nods.

"Please."

Her stomach flips when he pleads. Ryu pulls the mask down from his face, breath hitching at the sheer beauty she's met with. Slowly, ever so slowly, she inches closer until their noses bump, hesitancy forming a knot in her throat.

"Do it, Ryu." Minjun breathes out, this is all she needs to firmly press their lips together. She feels literal fireworks exploding in her body at the contact, soft but intimate at the same time. It's overwhelming, everything that Minjun makes her feel, everything that he makes her forget.

She wants to be here with him.

She wants to keep him here with her.

Their lips part open in order to lock deeply, Minjun's hand circling her waist as his tongue flicks out to tease her bottom lip. His hand grabs her nape as he boldly licks inside her mouth and a surprised moan ripples past her uncontrollably.

Shit.

He'll be the death of her.

Their tongues mingle together, lips moving in synchronization until Ryu feels her knees melting, head dizzy, breath on the verge of dissipating and all she can think about is his lips and his tongue and...

A ringing sound has them flinching away, Minjun notices it's his phone. "Fuck." He curses under his breath, and heat swirls in Ryu's chest. She's never heard him openly curse in front of her before and it's fucking hot.

He groans once he looks at the caller ID and picks it up with much reluctance.

"What do you want?"

He listens to the person on the call and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah...'m coming. Shut up."

He cuts the call and looks back at her, smiling softly through glistening lips. God, she made them look like this, all wet with saliva.

"We need to go. Beom Seok's whining in the car."

"J-Beom Seok?"

"Yeah, he's acting like a brat again."

She doesn't know what he means by that, but she could care less because this is Jeon Beom Seok he is talking about. The biggest pop star that is known to South Korea, alongside Minjun, of course. She remembers that he's recently been involved in a drinking and driving scandal, he was caught making out with someone in the car or something. But Ryu doesn't care, this is Jeon Beom Seok.

Moreover, he's...he's Minjun's friend so she is in no place to judge him.

"I'm sorry, I had to bring him," Minjun says, lips pursing in a thin line.

Ryu furrows her eyebrows in genuine confusion. Why is he disappointed that he had to bring him? This is like- the best news ever?! She's going to ride with the Jeon Beom Seok what could even be better?

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because...we met after a whole week so you might have wanted that we spend some time alone, which is valid. But...Beom Seok's not doing well right now so I couldn't let him drive. So I brought him with me. I should have asked Dohyun to take him instead-"

"Minjun, are you kidding me?" She cuts him off mid-sentence, his mouth shutting close. "You don't- no- I don't mind Beom Seok...at all. He's your friend, why would I mind him?"

Minjun doesn't look convinced. "I don't know, I kept doubting...I thought you'd like us to be alone, y'know, for a while."

"We can be alone later. It's a friend's gathering after all."

It makes Minjun smile, and he reaches out a hand to silently caress her cheek with his knuckles, making her stomach flutter.

"I'm warning you, though. He's drunk."

Something sinks in Ryu's stomach, but she does quick work to conceal it even from herself. She inhales sharply and chuckles to make it seem obvious.

"Okay." She says it with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Let's go then." Minjun takes her hand in his, putting the mask back on his face as they start walking out of the building.

Once they reach the car, Minjun opens the door of the passenger's seat for her. She looks behind once she's completely seated to find the man she was expecting to be basically buried in the backseat. Shit. It's Jeon fucking Beom Seok.

The singer straightens up once their eyes meet and quickly bows his head curtly.

"Hello. I'm Beom Seok."

The girl can't help but smile at how polite his voice sounds.

"I know, of course." She informs. "I'm Ryu."

"I know, I know." He nods, tucking his long raven locks behind his ear, the action quite adorable. He doesn't seem to meet her eyes, nibbling on his lip piercing while looking down at his lap. He is the first celebrity Ryu doesn't find intimidating at all, she doesn't feel starstruck, probably because she's had a little practice after spending time with Minjun on how to function in front of celebrities you barely believed to be real until you saw them.

"Minjun Hyung's been on all-"

The car door opens once again as Minjun slides into the driver's seat. Oh fuck. She's in a fucking car with Park Minjun and Jeon Beom Seok, how did her life take such a big three-sixty?

"Hyung, what took you so long?" There's an evident pout in the younger man's voice.

Minjun narrows his eyes and glances behind at Beom Seok.

"What do you think?"

"I nearly suffocated in this car."

When the elder man rolls his eyes, Beom Seok whines and shoots forward to grab Minjun's shoulder and shake him. "You don't believe me? I feel fucking nauseous."

At that, Minjun reaches out for the water bottle placed in the compartment and passes it to Beom Seok. "That's because you're drunk. Don't puke in my car."

"I hate your car." The younger grumbles and falls back in his seat.

He's drunk.

It's just a stupid voice in the back of her mind, something that's always looking for a moment to itch, readying her for fight or flight or something like that because– because Ryu can't be near drunk people. And the knowledge that there's a drunk stranger – not nearly a stranger - beside her is too much. She knows he's harmless, he's not a threat. She knows. But her unresolved demons don't.

She fears drunk people, loathes the smell of alcohol. It's hypocrisy, she knows. She's on the verge of becoming an alcoholic herself so who's she to judge? But that's the thing, she's not judging, she's traumatized. Terrified of something that she can't stop using on her own self.

The smell, the sway of words, everything reminds her of her dad. Every drunk person looks like a shadow of his behaviour, breathing down her neck even when he's buried six feet under the ground.

Ryu can't tolerate drunk people, her heart beating loudly in her chest, something very disgusting settling inside of her.

"He'll be kicking his legs in the next few minutes," Minjun says, she looks over to him and chuckles. She didn't notice it but he has started driving. There's silence in the car, Ryu keeps her gaze trained outside, trying to ignore whatever feelings that are brewing up in her chest.

When she looks into the rearview, she finds Beom Seok looking at her with wide eyes, as if he's observing her too hard but not realising it. Then the guy shifts over to Minjun and whispers in his ear, loud enough for Ryu to hear.

"Hyung, your girlfriend is like- really pretty."

The way Minjun flushes in embarrassment makes the girl snort.

"Shut up, Beom Seok." He mutters

Some of her fear dissipates by seeing Beom Seok because his eyes are too big to be harmful and his voice is so, so gentle. The ride was lighter after that, silent except for a few exchanges and chuckles. It was a fifteen-minute drive until they reached the arcade. Beom Seok had gotten a call from Haneul at some point that they had already reached there, which had added to Ryu's brewing nervousness.

As they enter the large place, Minjun and Beom Seok start looking around, trying to spot the rest of their friends. Ryu looks around as well and her heart jumps out of her chest once she spots three very familiar faces. She feels like screaming but stifles her emotions, tugging Minjun's sleeve to get his attention and pointing at his friends.

Minjun's eyes catch Dohyun's and the man smiles, eyebrows shooting up. They make their way to the group. There's Hyuna with her Gumiho hair, Jung Haneul and Kim Dohyun standing in all their glory. Once they have joined the group, it's Haneul who comes to them first, squealing and making excited noises at Minjun.

"Our Minjunie finally found someone!" The man with brown hair chimes, shaking the younger man by his shoulder. Minjun gets shier by the second, his eyes squinting close to the point that his nose is scrunching and he has to put a hand on his face to conceal the face-splitting smile adorning his lips. Ryu thinks she has never ever seen anything brighter than the expression on his face. The girl stands there frozen as she stands so close to all of her idols, everyone's eyes on her.

"Hello. Nice to meet you."

And then-

Then Jung freaking Haneul is offering a hand to Ryu.

If anything, it's only Minjun's hand around her waist that's keeping her on the ground, because it tingles wherever he touches her. Ryu blinks and then takes his hand to shake. She is never washing her hand ever again in her entire fucking life.

"Nice to meet you too."

"Hyung," Minjun says, smiling slyly at the elder. Haneul looks over at Minjun in question. "Hyung, she likes you."

The girl nothing but sputters at the man. Haneul laughs and slaps Minjun's shoulder.

"What the fuck Minjun, she's your date."

"Oh but Hyung, she likes you perhaps even more than she likes me. You had to see her face when I mentioned you-"

"Minjun-ah, stop teasing the girl." Haneul defends, making Minjun grin as he looks over at her and tightens the grip around her waist in fondness. She kind of wants to yell at him for exposing her like that in front of her idol, but she can't be angry with him, not when he smiles like that.

"Is it true, though? You like me?" Haneul asks her.

"O-oh, I admired your music a lot growing up. You were such an inspiration to me."

"Would you trade Minjun for me?"

Ryu's eyes widen at the question, but she doesn't have to answer, for Minjun is already pushing Haneul lightly on the shoulder with a scowl. Haneul laughs and he looks like he's gotten what he wanted by invoking this response from Minjun. The other three are laughing too.

"Hyung, no, why would you ask that?" Minjun whines through a pout, tugging her closer to him, making her neck and ears prickle with heat. "Hyung, stay away."

"Oh, now you act possessive?"

At the realisation, Minjun pauses before he looks over at Ryu. She thinks Minjun is acting a lot more freely than he does with her, his words are lighter, and they're not carefully chosen. She can't blame him, they barely know each other, these people over here know Minjun through and through. She loves to see Minjun like this though, makes it easier for her to fall for him more.

Fall.

Minjun huffs out a breath. "She wouldn't do anything like that. You're stupid to ask that question."

Of course, she won't.

It's been a while since she has separated her true feelings for Minjun from her being simply starstruck. She's still starstruck, surrounded by the greatest celebrities of all time, but she can point out her feelings for Minjun so easily, like a mirage in a desert. She doesn't feel this way for anyone, doesn't think she ever will. This level of intensity of emotions, they're not normal.

A lot is happening suddenly, Hyuna comes towards her with a kind smile and touches her shoulder lightly.

"Well hello, talented lady, nice to see you again. As Minjun's date this time."

Heat rises in Ryu's cheeks as she can't help but grin at the woman, hands clasped in front of her in nervousness.

"I love your hair. Didn't get a chance to say it the first time."

Hyuna smirks at Ryu, eyes raking down the girl's form. "Why, thank you, I love your outfit."

Oh fuck.

Hyuna is so cool, Ryu wants to befriend her so badly. She has this confidence that could only come from self-actualisation and if that isn't the hottest thing in the world, Ryu doesn't know what is.

"Hyung."

Both the girls turn to the voice to find Beom Seok standing in front of Dohyun with an unreadable expression on his face. He looks like- fuck, is Beom Seok about to cry? Ryu can't really process what's happening but the next moment, the youngest man is throwing himself into Dohyun's arms, the elder's hand circling Beom Seok naturally as he stumbles a few steps backwards.

"Hyung, I missed you so much." He mumbles, burying his face in Dohyun's neck. The sight is so adorable it's making her melt on the spot, it's like watching a drama scene. "Where were you? You didn't come to meet me."

"I was busy, Beom Seok-ah. I'm sorry." Dohyun says, pats the man's back to soothe him. "I know you were going through a hard time. I'm here now, yeah?"

She still doesn't understand what's going on so she looks over to Hyuna with a questioning gaze. The girl shakes her head. "They're just dramatic."

"Let's go bowling" It's Haneul who interrupts

Minjun takes Ryu's hand again and they all make their way to the bowling alley, Ryu and Dohyun share a brief smile when their eyes meet but they don't talk much, mostly because Beom Seok is clinging onto the guy like a damn koala.

Once they enter the alley, Hyuna prompts, "Let's team up, it'll be more fun that way."

"Noona, you just wanna get over with this," Haneul says.

"I'll be with Dohyunie Hyung," Beom Seok mutters from where his chin is propped onto the said man's shoulder, hugging him from behind. Why are they so...

"They're not dating. Beom Seok is a love-struck fool and Dohyun's oblivious." Minjun clarifies to her before turning towards the group. "I'll be with Ryu, of course." He announces.

"Then I'll be with noona," Haneul says. "God knows no one can play for shit here anyways. Except for Beom Seok, but he's drunk."

"We'll still win." Dohyun defends.

They start the game. The first is Haneul and Hyuna's chance, the orange-haired woman going first. She knocks down six pins at once, then three in the second chance.

"Woah, Noona have you gotten better at this?" Dohyun asks in amazement. The woman smirks at him.

Haneul goes next, hyped by his teammate's good start, but perhaps in over excitement, he throws the ball slantly and it slides into the gutter instead, knocking none of the balls. Several disappointed voices come from the group and Haneul stomps his foot on the ground.

Hyuna looks like she's about to yell out a curse but Haneul says, "Just watch this time, I'll do it."

He goes over and throws the ball again and manages to take down three pins.

"Jung Haneul, you better not make me lose." Hyuna fumes.

"It's the first round, calm down!"

The next is Dohyun's chance, he goes over and spins the ball in his hand dramatically, slapping it obscenely which makes everyone gag. He throws the ball and it knocks down seven pins at once. Beom Seok jumps up in excitement as Dohyun does a little dance on his spot.

The second time, he knocks down two more pins.

Then It's Beom Seok's chance and there are already mutters about how he's gonna eat it up and he does. There's only one ball left before a spare, cheers erupting before everyone realises that they're on different teams. He throws the ball again but it misses the one leftover pin by just an inch.

"Don't worry, Beom Seok-ah. We're still on the top."

It's Ryu's chance then. Minjun pats her shoulder in encouragement as she looks for a ball that would be good according to her weight. She fits her fingers in the three holes of the ball and goes towards the starting line before the lane. She crouches a little, her heart thrumming in nervousness because of all the eyes on her.

"Ryu, let's go, you can do it."

Ryu throws the ball, watching in anticipation as it rolls with much force towards the pins and then-

"Yes! Yes, It's a strike!"

She hears Minjun scream from behind. Yes, it is a strike, all the pins are knocked down at once in the first fucking try.

"Wow, we have a pro here," Haneul says.

She turns around and is enveloped in a bone-crushing hug before she knows it. She can help but grin as Minjun nothing but jumps and yells in sheer happiness.

"Oh, I am so glad I recorded this." He says as he draws away from the hug. "You're so good at this, Ryu."

"Go, it's your turn."

"We are so winning this. Just watch, bitches."

Minjun goes over and takes a ball of his choice, and Ryu's mind nothing but short-circuits when he slides his fingers into the three holes of the ball. He's not that bad either, manages to take down eight pins in two chances. They play over and over, and by halfway through, it's already an established fact that Beom Seok and Ryu are the only ones that are good at the game. So there's a charged energy between them as they compete to hold the first place, out-numbering each other again and again.

They hit in spares and strikes, rarely missing any pin.

By the time they're on their last round, Beom Seok and Dohyun are two points ahead of them, Haneul has accepted defeat and Minjun's jumping over her shoulder and telling her to make them win. Ryu goes over to the lane, securing the ball in her hand before rolling it down the lane with as much force as she can exert while still making it roll in a straight line.

The ball hits the pins and then all of them are falling back.

"Yes! Yes, we won!"

Ryu turns around and Minjun is already running towards her, and before she knows it, he's hugging her so tightly that she is being lifted from the ground. She has to wrap her hands around his neck to secure herself and the way he giggles in so much excitement feels like a dream. She did that. She made him so happy.

When Minjun realises what he's doing and that there are people around, he lets go of her, a visible crimson flush on his cheeks. "You were so good." He compliments and she can only grin in return. They turn to the rest of the people and notice that everyone is either smirking at them or giving them mirthic eyes. Only Beom Seok is scowling, but he brightens up once Haneul mentions food, so they go to a nearby place to eat something.

As they sit around the table and order their food, Ryu feels quite exhilarated. This is the most comfortable she's ever been around celebrities, perhaps because they are in a group and they're laughing and having a good time as normal people do, but Ryu doesn't feel like she doesn't belong there. It's quite the opposite. Once in a while Dohyun cracks a joke which has Minjun falling on her by the way he laughs with his entire body.

They talk about music production which gets her completely immersed, they even ask her stuff about how it works in her university, it's similar to their work. Almost all the students in the university have signed labels, are influencers and whatnot. Ryu usually works in the background, never really getting directly involved in anyone's songs. She invests more of her time in songwriting though.

Minjun jumps in the conversation and plays the background vocals she had sung for his song on the table, which has her face heating up so hard it's not even funny, stomach stirring up. The greatest legends of all time are listening to her voice like that.

"Minjun-ah, you seriously saved her voice in your phone?" Haneul asks.

Oh.

Oh.

Ryu hadn't thought of it that way.

She looks at the man beside her whose neck is now dusted pink as the entire table stares at him. Then he flushes and looks down, tapping recklessly on his phone to pause the melody and close his phone.

"Ah, Hyung, I shouldn't tell you anything, seriously."

Ryu chuckles and somehow it makes Minjun look at her, lips curving into a soft smile, eyes warm.

"Ryu," It's Dohyun who calls. She looks back at him. "Your voice is amazing. Hurry up and graduate, then I'll collaborate with you."

"Ooh, is this an official offering?" Hyuna teases.

"Could be," Dohyun replies wittily. "Do you accept?"

"I-" Ryu is rendered speechless. How could she ever refuse-? He's Kim Dohyun, this would be a dream come true. "It would be such an honour."

When they all finish eating, Minjun excuses himself to the bathroom, and Beom Seok follows after him as well. A silence settles around the table, which isn't supposed to be uncomfortable but it's just the girl's nerves, Minjun is the only familiar figure to her over here so not having him around does make her feel a little on the edge. It's funny how when she and Minjun are alone, the way she feels for him becomes so intense that she gets on the verge of melting, always self-conscious, reminiscing her words around him. But when they are in a group, he becomes a comforting figure, someone she can lean onto.

"You make him really happy."

She looks up from the table at the voice to Haneul's face, holding a soft expression towards her. Everyone is so kind here, it's kind of hard to believe. She wouldn't say they are down to earth, no, but they don't make her feel poor in any way. Be it knowledge, experience or money.

A knot forms in her throat at those words. How is she supposed to reply when she barely believes this all is real?

"He makes me feel as if I'm living in a dream."

"I'm rooting for you two."

The girl smiles in response. Shit. How did her life get like this?

"I'm going out for a smoke." Hyuna declares suddenly, standing up from her seat. She walks towards Ryu and gives her a hand. "Girls' time?"

Ryu grabs her hand with a chuckle and stands up from her seat. It's always good to have a female around, men become unbearable after a while.

They go towards the balcony and Hyuna takes out a packet of cigarettes from her pocket, she offers Ryu one but the girl shakes her head and politely declines. The elder woman frowns, tucking a cigarette between her lips.

"You don't smoke?"

Ryu shakes her head once again. "Not usually."

"You're a baby." Hyuna coos at her.

"I vape."

"Oh my God, you're an adorable baby."

The younger chuckles at the irony. Only if Hyuna knew how bad her adorable habit has gotten.

"You want me to tell you something about Minjun?" The orange haired asks, puffing out incoherent patterns of smoke in the air.

"What?"

Hyuna chuckles to herself. "When he first saw you, y'know, that day in the studio- he looked like he saw a fucking unicorn. He was so mesmerized by you, he just couldn't stop staring. And then he couldn't speak anything to you either, everyone in the studio noticed. When you left, I was like- someone just fell in love, so he got shy and when the whole team started teasing him, he left."

Ryu listens to Hyuna intently. So that look in Minjun's eyes that she caught that day, the one she was so convinced to be a fragment of her delusions- it was real? It's kind of hard to believe, she's still getting used to it all. It will take time, she knows. But what if time is running short for them? What if by the time she gets used to Minjun being around her, he's already gone? Because how can something so good ever last? That too, in Ryu's life.

"I'm afraid to lose him." She blurts out, hoping it would vanish the lump in her throat.

There's silence for a while, one where Ryu just stares ahead of her. She doesn't know why she said that, but she knows there's nothing truer in her life right now. She's so afraid to lose Minjun, it will drive her insane.

"Why do you think you'll lose him?"

There it goes again. Ryu knows the answer to this question, it burns in the back of her throat, but admitting it would mean unleashing a caged beast she is so afraid to set free. The beast would eat her, and tear her apart into shreds. She would lose Minjun because he's very different from her and fuck- this isn't about interests. He is a good person, the kind that serves a purpose on this planet. He's kind, compassionate, and gentle despite his position in this world. He could be an asshole, yet he chooses to be sweet.

But he's also someone who is assertive and won't hesitate to cut anyone off who crosses his boundaries. Ryu admires that a lot about him, and respects it even more. But what if one day she unknowingly crosses them and then Minjun leaves?

Ryu also thinks Minjun might be used to getting people all the time, kissing the ground he walks on. He deserves it, Ryu would do it too. But he looks like he wants someone who is easy and Ryu is...not easy. She's difficult, she has layers and it takes her time to peel them one by one for someone. For Minjun, she would do it in the blink of an eye, that's what scares her.

What if she loses herself amidst this hurricane of emotions?

It all reduces down to one thing, doesn't it?

"I-" She purses her lips. It's as clear as day, but admitting this is embarrassing. "I don't belong to his world."

Yeah, this one sentence almost covers everything. Almost. But saying it out loud makes it too real for Ryu's liking. She's never felt like this before. And it hurts because it tarnishes her years of hard work that she put on herself.

She doesn't even have the guts to look at Hyuna. Before the orange-haired woman can say anything though, the glass door of the balcony slides open and she turns around to see Minjun coming towards her. Her heart jumps slightly. He didn't listen to what she said, did he? But he looks like he just arrived, so Ryu smiles.

"Am I interrupting?"

Hyuna spares a glance at Ryu before turning to Minjun and smiling. "No, you're not. I'll leave you two alone." She says, leaning off the railing of the balcony and walking towards the entrance.

As she leaves, Minjun makes his way towards her with a soft smile, one hand in his pocket.

"Noona didn't tell you something embarrassing about me, did she?"

The girl chuckles. "You have no idea."

Minjun laughs, a small thing before he lets the silence settle between them. Even though she is getting used to Minjun's presence now, it's also settling a fear in her heart. The more irreplaceable he becomes in her life, the more she is afraid to make a mistake. The more she longs for him.

"You enjoyed today, yeah?"

She nods. "Yes. A lot."

"I'm glad."

His voice is sweet, but his eyes aren't looking into hers anymore, they've dipped lower, staring at her lips instead. Oh. She feels his hand holding her waist, making heat lodge in her skin. His body now too, is just shy of grazing hers.

"You can kiss me...if you want."

Maybe he doesn't want to.

That maybe claws at Ryu's skin, and curls around her throat to choke her. So when she has Minjun's lips on hers, she feels this sick feeling brewing up her chest.

I'll go according to him. I'll go according to his pace. I won't give him a reason to end this. I won't make a mistake if I don't take things into my own hands.

She lets Minjun decide the pace of the kiss, just following his movements. Trying not to move her lips any faster in the fear of him pulling away. She fists his shirt in her hands. God, she wants this. Minjun kisses so nicely, even his lips taste sweet. He's so gentle, yet so passionate in his actions.

So, letting go of the control she has on herself doesn't sound half as bad of an idea when it's for Minjun. She'll do anything to keep him with her a little longer.