"ugh, lee jeno–" the door clicks open, cutting off eun hye's words. the couple looks towards the door opening.
their main manager enters, looking up from his mobile phone.
his eyes land and dart between the two of them. jeno hastily pulls away from eun hye.
"h-hyung!"
eyes wide, the manager then pauses his gaze on eun hye with his brows furrowed.
"this isn't what it looks like, hyung–"
"quiet, jeno. i want to hear what eun hye has to say. tell me, is it what i think it seems like?" he questions.
she lets out a slow breath, but does not answer. her mind was blank.
"alright then, kang eun hye. we speak outside. follow me." the manger simply does not wait for a reply and exits the room. exchanging glances with jeno, she flashes a reassuring smile before following.
jeno watches as the door slams shut behind her. he feels fear build up in him.
fear, not of the consequences he might face.
fear, because he's afraid that he'll lose her,
once again.
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"kang eun hye. i believe you have told me before that there was nothing between you and jeno. i recall you even guaranteed that nothing would happen. is that right?" the manager says in a stern voice, crossing his arms.
"that's correct." eun hye looks to the ground, pressing her lips into a thin line.
"would you mind explaining?"
"...sir–" eun hye opens her mouth to speak, but the door slams open behind her. she turns in surprise to see jeno striding towards her direction.
once he arrives, he grabs her wrist gently and pulls her behind him protectively.
"hyung...it is exactly what you think it is. she's dating me." jeno stares right at him.
"oh?" the manager glances at eun hye. "though, seeing as how you marched out of the room, i could tell." he scoffs.
"do you two really think you wouldn't get caught?" with a glare, he looks between us.
eun hye tries to step out from jeno's shadow, but jeno didn't move one bit.
"i'm sorry, hyung. i know this isn't right, but," jeno begins to explain, but is interrupted.
"you know this isn't right, huh?" the manager nods his head. "well then, you know the protocol. one, i report you to the executives, and who knows what they'll do with you? or two," his gaze travels to eun hye.
"she leaves, i won't report you. either way, you'll never see her again."
his gaze remains on her as her eyes widen.
"you make the choice. i'll give you two days," the manager says in a stiff tone. "within those two days, i don't wish to see you around, eun hye." he finishes, before turning away from them and left.
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the door to their practice room bursts open, the members as boisterous as ever, laughing and screaming at the top of their voices.
mark's eyes land on the couple who sat on the ground with gloomy expressions.
"hey! soo, how did it turn out with you two in the room, hyung?" chenle asks cheerfully, but only eun hye responds by cracking a weak smile.
"what's wrong?" mark immediately senses the atmosphere. it didn't take very long before the other members that entered too realise that too.
"you two look...unhappy."
the two say nothing and look to the floor.
"this better not be a prank. this isn't...is it?" haechan carefully asks.
"looks like you two were found out, huh?" renjun speaks up, breaking his silence as all the eyes in the room turned to him.
"what? i saw manager hyung earlier...leaving the room with eun hye with a very, very displeased look. what else could it be?"
"is that true?" mark widens his eyes in surprise and glances at the couple.
they look to the ground, nodding.
the atmosphere in the room immediately dropped.
"...so what will happen to the two of you now?" jisung timidly speaks up.
"i'll leave." eun hye says sombrely.
"what?" chenle exclaims. "you're leaving, noona? i...don't want that." he frowns.
"chenle..." she breathes out.
"no, you're not leaving, kang eun hye. you can't." jeno disagrees.
"it's for the best, jeno! for your best."
"no! how can you make a decision like that without even having a proper talk with me?" jeno seemed angry.
"but, jeno–"
the door clicks open again, revealing another manager poking a head through the room. his eyes land on the two of us, then quickly darts away.
"dream, you have to get ready for your next schedule, now."
upon hearing what the manager said, jeno purses his lips and turns back to eun hye.
"promise me we'll have a proper talk when i get back tomorrow afternoon from my schedule. don't make any rash decisions, okay?" he gently takes her hand in his.
"jeno..."
"promise me, please?"
"alright." she nods, cracking a tiny smile.
"thank you." he squeezed her hand, placing a quick peck on her cheek, then slowly starts to let go. his fingers slip away from hers, and he stands up to leave.
and she watches as he does, the door closing behind him as not a single person was left in the room except for her.
she lets out a soft sigh, then begins to stand.
"i'm sorry, jeno, but you're...too stubborn." she says, reaching for the door knob and left the room.
the door closes shut.
the room with so many memories was left dead silent and empty.
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exam is in a month's time omg
