"The story that we paint, I'll be wishing on a star so that it comes true. I'll continue to hope, like tracing the stars, I'll wish, again and again, I can't wait."

0:00 |───────── 4:32

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The balustrades of the deck were decorated with fluorescent lights underneath, giving the boat more of a festive feel, and topped off with even more wreaths and holly, it really felt like a Christmas wonderland on water. Celebrities held sophisticated conversations with equally sophisticated-looking wine glasses in their hands. They paid the pair no heed as they made their way to a relatively private area, where they were covered by the elaborate decorations in place.

Rein checked her watch. 11:47 PM. Close to New Years.

"How are you enjoying the party?" Rein asked, turning towards Namjoon.

"Truthfully, I still don't like big events," he said with a chuckle, "but I heard you got an invitation, and my vacation isn't for another few days, so I thought it was only right that I go."

"You came for me?" Rein asked, touched. She noticed how rosy his cheeks were, how red his nose was from the cold.

I'm sure his lips are cold, too.

"I suppose," Namjoon said as he put his hands in his pockets.

Rein turned away, and clutching the railing, looked up at the moon in wonder. It cast pearly white light down, delicately framing the picturesque night sky. Away from the bustling city life, she could see the stars clearly, and she was almost ashamed to realize she had forgotten how bright they were.

"Look how full the moon is tonight. Isn't it beautiful?" she said, pointing. Namjoon didn't follow her gaze and looked towards her instead.

"Yes, it is."

There was something about seeing the stars on the water that made the heavens that much more mystical. Though they were far superior in her cabin in Colorado in size and luminosity, the company and the almost nostalgic feel of the atmosphere made it all the better. They were everything she wasn't, broken from the shackles of societal norms and free to stay or fall. Plummet toward earth in a fiery blaze of glory, its final resting place. But she couldn't fall like she so wanted to.

She had to rise.

After a few moments, Namjoon grabbed her hand, causing her to look down in shock.

"What are y-"

"Can we talk?" he asked, a note of desperation in his eyes that Rein could not ignore and frankly painful to see; it was unusual to see him this serious. However, she tried to brush it off with light humor.

"We've been talking!" she said with a laugh. As he opened his mouth to reply, they turned to see two drunk men lumbering towards them, arms around each other. When the pair got closer, Rein recognized them to be Jimin and Jungkook.

"What are you guys up to?" Namjoon asked, hastily letting go of Rein's hand. They giggled, glancing at each other with coy smiles.

"We need the, um..." Jungkook hiccupped, looking nervous now. Jimin pulled Jungkook closer and put his hand on his lower back.

Or somewhere lower. Rein wasn't sure.

"Do you know where we could find a bathroom?" Jimin asked as dignified as possible.

"Or anywhere private," Jungkook piped, blushing. Namjoon raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Are you guys going... Together?" he asked. After a pause, they both nodded their heads. Rein stifled her laughter as realization dawned on Namjoon's face.

"The bathroom should be all the way down the hallway and to the left," he said, eyes trained on the pair. Jungkook gave Jimin a shy smile and took his hand in his own. They were about to leave when Namjoon pulled Jimin back.

"The key card to your room should be at the front desk," he hissed. Jimin nodded, and with a thank you, hyung, the two of them left, leaving no trace of them ever being there. Rein turned to Namjoon as soon as they were out of earshot.

"I fucking knew it!" she exclaimed, throwing up her hands in a sign of victory. Namjoon held his head like a worried mother.

"I mean, I knew there was something going on, but now I'm gonna have to think about..." He stopped, then shook his head, cringing. Rein laughed.

"Damn, you get to live with them, too... Can you imagine what they've been doing before this?" she said, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Hey!" he cried, though it was apparent he was fighting a smile. "Now you're just antagonizing me."

"That's what friends do, right?" she said, the laughter slowly dying from her voice.

"Yeah. That's what friends do," he replied. "But maybe I don't want to be just friends anymore."

"H-what?"

He swallowed. His voice was barely above a whisper as he asked, "Do we have to keep pretending?"

Ohgodohgodohgod. Rein was afraid he could hear her pounding heartbeats as he came closer. Her surroundings didn't feel real anymore, like she and Namjoon, the person who was practically confessing to her, were the only things that were genuine in a sea of grey.

He was so vivid now, so alive.

People chanted around them as the countdown began to the new year, but Rein couldn't hear any of it through the white noise in her head.

"Namjoon..." she breathed, looking up at him as her breath hitched. Their bodies were too close. Their faces were too close to be an accident.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted this..." He hooked a hand under her chin and leaned down, locking his lips with hers in a final move.

And that's when the surreal world around her shattered into a million pieces, falling at her feet like intricate crystal glass.

Her chest felt tight, filling with the ache for more. She reached up to touch his face, so warm against her frozen hands. Namjoon pulled her closer, and it was the first time she had felt safe in a long time, like home.

Fireworks exploded at zero, the thunderous sounds shaking her to the very core. Yellow, blue, red sparkled around them as Rein realized she was living in her very own fairytale, like the ones in storybooks.

Except it was real. Everything was so real, the taste, the smell, the feel of him.

She grasped his arms as Namjoon pulled away, his hands on her waist. Though they were on the corner of the deck, a few people glanced their way, curious as to why the pop stars were acting so friendly towards each other.   

"So, what's next?" Rein said, clasping his arm as she pulled him away from the scene and inside the ferry. The fewer people looked, the better.

"We get our key cards and... Maybe you can visit my room at some point?" he suggested with a wink. Rein reddened at the innuendo.

"That sounds, um, great." Though they caught the attention of more than a few people now, it didn't matter. No amount of extenuating circumstances mattered when he was involved.

They said their goodbyes (having spent the night in one room) just as the sun threatened to rise, the inky black sky giving way to the shades of darkened blue and orange. The kiss burned on her lips, something she could never wash away even if she wanted to. And not in a million years would she have wanted to.

Namjoon lingered at the doorway of his room as he greeted her out.

"When are you leaving?" he asked. Rein bit her lip.

"A few days from now, I think. Maybe a week at most."

"Oh." He shuffled his feet. "Will you visit sometime?"

"Of course I will," Rein said. She reached up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, but he held on, hugging her like it was the last time he would get to hold her.

That's a possibility.

"I don't want to let you go," he murmured against her hair, breathing in her scent.

"You have to," she said, and pulled away before he could object. He stood there for a few seconds, dumbfounded until he snapped out of it and nodded.

"I'll make you stay somehow." He had that determination in his eyes that Rein liked so much. But it was painful this time, as no amount of determination could get her out of a terminated contract.

"I hope you can, Mr. Kim," she responded.

Rein turned and walked toward her room before she could crack in front of him, leaving Namjoon to stand alone.

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A/N: 안녕 여러분! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day, and I hope everyone liked this update! SOMETHING FINALLY HAPPENED! I know. I'm as surprised as you are. Now, onto the QOTD!

QOTD: Would you rather sing a duet with Jungkook or write music with Yoongi?

I'd obviously rather write music with yoongi because he's my bias! I bet he's such a genius when it comes to that... ugh fangirling about imaginary scenarios again! Yay!
Let me know what you guys would do in the comments!

Until next time, happy reading!

- Haneul xoxo