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Chapter 12

No. He had to stay calm. He had to control the situation.

"Anvi—"

"Listen-"

"Anvi-"

She spoke first, her voice trembling, frantic. She fired off questions, too fast, too many at once. His jaw clenched. It was too much. Too loud. His thoughts were already spiraling, trying to find a way out of this mess, and her panicked voice wasn't helping.

"Anvi, shut up!"

The words slipped out before he could stop them. The silence that followed was deafening.

She froze, stunned into quiet. Jungwon immediately regretted the harshness in his tone. He exhaled, forcing himself to soften. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that," he muttered. "You're just... you're asking too many things at once."

She still looked shaken, her hands clenched into fists. But she didn't speak this time. It gave him a moment to collect himself, to try and explain, even though he wasn't sure how much he could reveal.

"We're on hiatus," he finally said, keeping his voice level. "The members are taking a break. We decided to come here for some time. We didn't want to be recognized. That's why we kept a low profile. But now—"

He stopped himself, biting back his frustration. What was the point in saying anything more? She had already seen too much.

"Please don't tell anyone," he said instead, his voice quieter now, laced with something close to desperation. "I don't want this to get out. Not now."

He saw the moment realization dawned on her. The way her breath hitched, her eyes widening as something clicked in her mind. She whispered something under her breath, a thought meant only for herself, but he caught fragments of it.

His voice.

She had recognized it. Too late, but still—she had recognized it.

Jungwon's hands curled into fists. He had been so careful. How had he let this happen? He had spent years perfecting the art of blending in, of avoiding situations like this, and yet, here he was, standing in an alley with someone who could unravel everything.

His fingers twitched under the weight of his own mistake.

"Are you even listening to me?" he asked, frustration creeping into his voice.

She still didn't respond.

His own voice echoed in his head. The English. The familiarity she hadn't caught onto until now.

Jungwon's lips parted slightly, but he didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to fix this. He wasn't used to being caught off guard. But for the first time in a long time, he felt exposed. Vulnerable.

She finally spoke, though it was barely more than a breath. "I won't tell anyone. I promise."

Jungwon studied her face, searching for any signs of dishonesty. But she looked sincere—too sincere. It unsettled him more than it reassured him.

Still, what choice did he have?

His shoulders slumped slightly. "We just wanted peace," he admitted. "We didn't want anyone to find out."

She nodded quickly, as if trying to prove her understanding. "I get it. And I swear, I won't tell a soul."

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken thoughts. Jungwon's mind was still spinning, still trying to figure out what to do next. He was about to say something when—

"Hyung?"

His body went rigid. His head snapped up, eyes wide, breath caught in his throat.

No.