BGM： Lonely - Jonghyun & Taeyeon

After ten seconds, Mae nodded at last.

She followed him towards their car, maintaining a meter distance between them.

Min Cheol looked back at her and sighed. She could feel his soft gaze on her as he went up to her.

Mae stepped backwards, surprised at his action.

"You don't have to be too scared." He said while holding her hand gently.

Mae's pupils dilated, she didn't move, staring at their intertwined fingers.

Min Cheol soon realized what he had done and let go of her hand quickly. He sniffed, avoiding any eye contact, and said, "Let's go."

Mae nodded, following him closely. The warmth of his skin still remained. She could hear her heartbeat, loud and clear.

They sat inside Min Cheol's car, he rested his arm on the steering wheel.

She held her breath the moment she was inside a close space alone with him. She hated herself for losing all her confidence in front of him.

"When did you come back?" he asked, voice slightly hoarse.

She didn't answer him right away. Instead, she threw another question at him, "Since when did you start smoking?"

"You didn't answer me yet."

"You answer first." She gave him a stern glare. It had been bothering her the whole time.

"That was the first time, you caught me there."

"You are lying."

"Well, actually, it was the second time." He stared into her eyes, his eyes didn't look like they were hiding anything.

Her eyebrows furrowed, contemplating on whether to believe him.

"The first time was after you left," he added.

She leaned back to the passenger's seat, her eyes now flushed with guilt.

He let out a slight chuckle and softened his gaze. "I don't really blame you, for whatever happened."

His voice was gentle and surreal. She was still feeling guilty but it somehow comforted her.

"We arrived at Seoul the same day," she replied to his first question.

"Hmm?"

"I saw you at the airport, it's just that you weren't really paying attention." She explained, looking into his eyes.

The silence fell on them yet again; he turned his face to avoid her gaze.

"Thank you," he uttered while looking in front of the street. The dim yellow light flickered just like the memories they shared, reflecting a glimmer on his eyes.

She blinked, staring at him, thinking about what made him say that.

"For always supporting me in the dark," he elaborated. His expression was blank yet Mae somehow understood what he meant.

Her lips slightly parted in astonishment.

He knew? He knew the whole time? How much does he know?

"Just think of me as your fan," Mae broke the silence after a minute, trying to sound as cool as possible, "I should have stayed in my lane. It's just that I became greedy. It's my fault."

"I let you to, you don't need to beat yourself up." He interrupted, finally meeting her gaze.

She left him when he needed her the most. She's aware how much he was hurt when she did. His words didn't make all her guilt disappear but still comforted her.

It's funny how they always thought they never really understood each other when they actually did.

It's the distance probably. Mae thought. He was right that time, they just needed some distance in order to see things clearer. The only sad thing is that she realized it only when it's too late.

......

Inside the practice room of TK Entertainment, Dang Sikyeong, soaked in sweat, looked at himself in the mirror, his eyes filled with frustration because of his slow improvement.

"Get a hold of yourself," he uttered under his breath as he pressed his palm against the mirror and looked at himself in the eyes, his voice was quivering as he panted to fill his lungs with air.

He was doing just fine until a few weeks ago, but as his debut approached, he became strained. He kept on making mistakes while dancing; his voice broke when he tried to sing the high note. Everything was a mess.

Sikyeong brushed his hair back to wipe off his sweat. The grey cotton T-shirt was sticking on his skin.

He took out his phone from his bag and texted Mae: Are you waiting for me? I want to sneak out and drink.

Right then, a message popped up from someone he didn't expect: When will your training end? I'm waiting downstairs.

He narrowed his eyes and then got up to pack his bag. He looked at the clock on the wall, it was already 10 p.m. Most of the trainees already left the building, only an idol group who were preparing for their comeback stayed behind in the practice room beside his. He put a towel on his head before heading out, his sweat dripped across his forehead, leaving invisible stains of his struggle and hard work.

Dang Hye Ra already ordered her fifth dish when Si Kyeong finally came down.

"Noona!" Si Kyeong called, pulling a stool and sat across her.

"How is everything going?" she asked while closing her iPad and putting it into her bag.

Si Kyeong didn't reply, he focused on the ramen in front of him, using his chopsticks to pick up the noodles and shoved it into his mouth. He took a mouthful to avoid the conversation. Dang Hyera simply sighed, knowing that it's his habit since childhood.

"You are still a child." She uttered, looking at him as she rested her chin on her palm.

"You know that I won't let you die starving, but I never really supported this decision of yours." Her voice was gentle, yet Sikyeong could see the disappointment she hid under her eyes.

"You still have time, you can still come back home if you want. I am pretty sure father will forgive you. Blood is thicker than water after all," she persuaded.

Sikyeong's eyebrows twisted together, he put down the chopsticks, the metal creating an audible "bang" as it hit the table.

"Take back your card, noona!" he breathed out, pulling out his wallet from his bag, sliding the card to her.

"You can keep it, how will you live without this?" Hye Ra looked at him, startled. The brows on her pretty face furrowed.

"Don't come to see me again if you can't support me. I know what I'm doing." He stood up with his face grim and left the stall.

He didn't turn back even when Hyera kept calling him. She hesitantly looked at the stall owner and then Si Kyeong, her mind delayed while making the decision. When she finally paid for her food, Dang Si Kyeong was already long gone.

Hyera sighed, her eyes leaked mixed emotions, filled with worry and distress.

Dang Sikyeong didn't go straight back to the dormitory. Instead, he loafed around the park near his dormitory.

He sat on the swing, aimlessly looking at the elementary school children playing football. He kept turning on and off his phone. Within a few minutes, he became bored, he searched for Mae's number in his contact and called her.

It rang beside his ears for a moment, he felt like years went by as he waited for her to pick up, but no one was there to pick up the phone. In fact, no one there to comfort him; no one was there to gently brush his hair and tell him "you did well"; no one was there to tell him that he is someone that can make his friends and his family proud.

The swing swung back and forth, the friction between metals composed a melody of loneliness. Then, the night allowed its darkness to slowly swallow the inner turmoils that corroded his nerve cells, leaving no trace of the hidden emotions that swirled through the mind of a troubled soul.

......

Min Cheol dropped Mae off at her house in Apgujeong Dong. She didn't tell him that she is currently living in CJ International Hall, her university dormitory. It will be too risky for him to drop her off near campus.

"Thank you," Mae slightly bowed her head before heading out.

Min Cheol followed her out of the car.

This time, she didn't bother to hide him. Her house was in a quiet area with high security, there was not a chance that any paparazzi or sasaeng fan could break in; unless the sasaeng fan is extremely rich that is.

"Don't hide from me anymore," he said before she went into the building.

Her lashes trembled, she nodded slowly.

"Lancome," he uttered suddenly, leaving her flabbergasted, "You still use the same perfume."

His expression didn't change at all, but it all made her heart flutter like crazy.

How can he remember all these details? How can he say this so suddenly? How can he be so smooth?

A slight pink flush crept on her cheeks. It was always her who used to confidently blurt out these kinds of words, but now that the tables turned, she did not know how to respond anymore. She stared at him holding her breath.

"Goodnight, Yeomrim." His voice finally pulled her back on Earth.

"Good... Goodnight." She turned her heels and paced, almost ran, towards her house. She could still feel her ears burning.

Before entering the house, Mae stood in front of the door for a good amount of time, breathing in and out repeatedly, trying to calm her pounding heart.

Slowly, she turned the doorknob and walked in. To her surprise, Caroline was sitting on the sofa, with her legs crossed.

"I thought you said you didn't have a boyfriend," Caroline muted the television and turn to Mae with her eyes narrowed, trying to study her expression.

Mae bit her tongue, Caroline must have seen them through the window.

"So, are you planning on becoming the next Lin Xia?" Caroline asked, picking up an apple from the side table.

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