Seokjin pushed himself hard as he worked out in Jeon Jungkook's well-equipped home gym. Jungkook, whom he'd met on the set of his first film, had graciously allowed him to stay at his house. Even though Jungkook was only eighteen, he had been on his own for a few years. After Norma's house had been put on the market, she had expected him to move into a small apartment with her. Due to her reduced circumstances, he had promised to pay her rent, but he had no plans to live with her after she railed at him, blaming him for what happened with the film. Jungkook offered to put him up for as long as he needed.

"Hey! Hey!" Jungkook's voice broke into his thoughts. "You keep working out like that, the only roles you'll get are the dumb muscle guy parts. Those are my roles. Slow down."

Seokjin's eyes seemed unfocused for a moment until it seemed he recognized Jungkook. "Oh, ah, yeah. My mind was...elsewhere."

The younger man smiled. "I can tell. Do you miss Norma much?"

When the older man frowned, Jungkook gulped.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I-I wasn't trying to pry. I just—never mind."

"That's okay. I'm not angry," Seokjin said. He wiped his face with the towel around his neck. "I guess I do miss her. I wish things hadn't ended the way they did, but it's in the past now."

"So, it's over then?"

Seokjin sighed. "I don't really know. I think she moved in with her husband. I miss her, and I still have feelings for her, but I don't think it's the same as before. She's not on my mind like she used to be."

"Well, she's pretty fine for an older lady," Jungkook said with a wink of his eye.

"Hey!"

"But, to be honest, no woman's hotter than Annelise. She's too fine for words," the younger man continued. He also stopped working out and wiped his face with a towel. "Again, I don't mean to pry—and you can tell me to fuck off, of course—but I heard that you and she had something going once."

Seokjin shook his head. "No, I wouldn't say that. We're friends, longtime friends, that's all. Don't tell me you're one of her many admirers."

Jungkook turned to him. "I sure am! You think she'd go out with me?"

"She's a bit older than you."

"I don't mind. Just like you, I like them a little older," the younger man said with a grin.

Seokjin got to his feet. "Hm, not only are you barely legal, but you're too late. She's engaged."

"Of course," Jungkook replied with a whine. "The hottest ones always are. Well, that bastard's certainly lucky. Park Jimin told me that she's absolutely delightful—really smart and funny—but she's as innocent as they come. Who'd've thought such a hot model was still a virgin! Not even old Sam Carson could storm that fort. Who wouldn't want firsts on that? I'd die a happy man if I could get in there."

Seokjin closed his eyes as if in pain. He should've believed her. He should've known better than to accuse her of sleeping around. Anna had achieved her success the right way, not the way he had. He had been so angry at her when she'd said that because he knew she was right.

"So who's the lucky guy? Someone we know?"

"Her agent, no less. Kim Namjoon," he spat the name out.

"No kidding?" Jungkook asked. "Kim Namjoon? From the Exemplar Talent Agency? Wow."

"What is it?" Seokjin asked, sensing the change in Jungkook's tone.

"It's none of my business, really," the younger man began, "and maybe it's all in the past, but..."

Seokjin waited, then asked impatiently, "But what?"

Jungkook shrugged. "He used to be part of another agency before he started his own."

"So he's smart and successful. Great," Seokjin mumbled.

"No, listen," the younger man said. "There's talk that he got involved with one of the first models he repped. When she left him, he went a little nuts."

"Define a little nuts," the older man said through clenched teeth. He did not like where this was going. He was worried about Anna.

Jungkook scrunched his nose in thought. "The way I heard it, he stalked her, but she didn't go back to him. After that, he became a real fuckboy, going through all the girls at the agency, trying to get revenge on his ex. Of course, the girls he wham-bammed were crying all over the place. It got so bad that he was fired from his job although the story is that he resigned. That's when he and some others started Exemplar."

Seokjin took a breath to calm himself. "That bastard. You think that's why he's with Anna? She's just another pretty girl to him? Another model to bang?"

"Hey, no, slow down," the younger man said. "I said that's what I heard. I don't know what actually happened. And even if he did fuck his way through all his clients, I never heard anything about getting engaged to them. Maybe it's different with your friend. I mean, if he's popped the question, he must be serious about her, right?"

"Yeah, maybe," Seokjin said, still unconvinced. "I still don't trust him. And I don't like him."

"Maybe because you think the question isn't all he popped, huh?" Jungkook asked. He started to laugh but stopped when Seokjin glared at him. "Bad joke. Sorry. Hey, I'm done here. I have to get ready for my date."

"Oh? Is she nice?" Seokjin asked. He felt bad at his earlier reaction.

"Don't know," Jungkook replied. He got to his feet and wiped his face with a towel. "It's a publicity set-up for my next movie. It'll be you next. Now that you're no longer being held hostage by Norma King, the companies will start suggesting dates for you. You'll see."

Seokjin frowned. "Sounds so last century."

"It's all about publicity," the younger man said with a big-toothed smile. "I'm sure she's pretty, but she's probably secretly engaged or something. It's not like it'll go anywhere. I'll be back early." He picked up his water bottle and walked out of the weight room.

Seokjin pushed himself even harder after Jungkook left, working himself until his muscles felt like jelly and he could barely breathe. He was such a coward. He'd said that Anna was just a friend, hiding behind his cowardice instead of choosing to fight for her. He toweled his hair off angrily. He wasn't fighting for her because he knew he didn't deserve her. He would never deserve her. Anna was also in the past.