The company decided to go with your suggestion about the comic. – Jihye Unnie.

"That was fast," Mae uttered as she read the text.

However, we are going to find someone else to do it. – Another text flashed in.

Mae arched her eyebrows to this. She wouldn't mind if they actually find a professional who has a solid fan base and who would actually interact with the boys and take in their opinions. However, if the person they find is not up to the mark, Mae might have to do something she never planned to do. After all, the person whose career is at state is her best friend.

She didn't reply back right away. She contemplated the situation more deeply. The fact that Jihye cared to let her know the decision meant one of the few things: One, she just genuinely liked Mae. Two, she wants Mae to be involved in the project. Three, she wants to keep a good relation with Mae because Mae seemed like to have the potential of a head fan and she will need to contact Mae frequently after Dang Sikyeong debuts. Four, all of the above.

After pondering, Mae asked Jihye: Is the comic artist decided yet?

Not yet. – She replied after a minute.

Mae sighed and headed out of the gym.

She continued to go to the gym for another week, every day during different time periods before she finally got to "accidentally" meet Min Cheol. He was running on the treadmill when she went there. The morning sunlight fell on his skin through the window making him seem surreal. Mae's sleepiness disappeared instantly when she saw him. Her eyes widened as she breathed in, staring at him in disbelief. Truths to be said, she almost lost any expectations she had about meeting him "accidentally". However, here she was, right behind him. Mae thanked the god of luck for being in her favor as she finally stepped forward towards Min Cheol.

"Min Cheol?" Mae uttered, pretending to be surprised as she naturally turned on the treadmill beside him.

"Yeomrim?" he turned to face her, his eyebrows raised, "You workout?"

His questionable tone didn't scare Mae as she looked into his eyes, "Are you questioning my decision to stay fit?"

Min Cheol chuckled while replying, "I thought you hated sports."

"Yeah, hated," she shrugged her shoulders, answering him.

They spent the next 5 minutes in silence before Mae finally parted her lips, "You changed a lot over the years, yet you didn't change much."

Her voice was very soft, so soft that Min Cheol almost thought he was hearing voices. He lightly brushed his nose using his index finger before uttering, "You too."

"How have you been all these years?" Mae stopped the treadmill, now facing him.

"As if you didn't search me up on the internet and stalk my every movement." He was still running with no intention of stopping.

His blunt statement made Mae slightly bite her lips but she still managed to look at him with a straight face, "You know that's not what I am talking about."

"Im Yeomrim," he called as he stopped the treadmill and finally decided to look at her, "You are smart."

He paused for a while, before finishing the sentence, "But I am not stupid either."

She did not avoid his eye contact but did not say anything either. Her face seemed calm yet her heart was in chaos, the sharp change in atmosphere was almost leaving her breathless.

"You knew I was a member of this gym, didn't you?" he asked, his eyes firmly on her.

"Yes," she was very quick to admit her agendas that Min Cheol was taken aback by her reply.

He raised his eyebrows.

She turned back and turned on the treadmill again, plugging her earphone in. Knowing that she didn't have any intention to continue with the topic, he did the same.

The next hour, they worked out on their own. Mae didn't talk to him until he was about to head out.

"Min Cheol," she called.

He turned to look at her.

"Would you mind telling me how to contact you?"

And there she goes, the old Im Yeomrim that everyone used to talk about in high school was finally back, just as Dang Sikyeong wished.

Looking at Mae, Min Cheol couldn't help but let his mind swirl through the memory lane. He remembered how Mae used to put up her bright smile and stand confidently on stage when she delivered her speeches; he remembered how she used to walk through the corridor and everyone used to greet her; out of all these, he remembered how she used to appear in front of him, owning the whole world, yet somehow making him feel like he was her whole world. At that time, Mae was the Sun, who happened to discover him by chance and decided to shed her light in his dark broken world, filling it with colors he never knew existed.

Min Cheol always thought he moved on from her long time ago, yet he couldn't define the stinging feeling when he saw her showing up in front of him again. He thought he passed the shy awkward age a long time ago, yet he felt like he was just another teenager being controlled by hormones.

Blinded by the rays she shone on him, he typed in his phone number on her phone and called himself. His phone lit up as a confident smile climbed up Mae's features, her eyes formed the shape of moons and those dimples on her cheeks became prominent.

Mae took her phone back and uttered in a voice only they could hear, "I'll text you."

She said she would text him but she didn't, not that day. She left him in a confused state, questioning himself about what he actually wants. Good thing was that he could distract himself from thinking too much as he was again drowned in practice for the next comeback that will approach soon. This life he had was both a blessing and a curse after all.

His waiting came to a stop only two days later when he got a text from Mae: What are you doing?

He looked at the message for a while. His gaze fell on the file he just saved on the computer screen. He scratched his chin, pondering. Then, he finally typed in: Just composed a song, want to hear?

I am so sorry for keeping you all waiting for so long! I am still a bit busy but I guess I will still have time to update. I will update one chapter a week until I am completely free. 

Can you guess what's gonna happen next? How's Min Cheol gonna interact with Mae?

If you liked this chapter, please don't forget to vote/comment! Your feedbacks mean a lot to me!