“Bye, noona!” Seob waves as I leave the café. I have an assignment to hand in in my later class so I have no choice but to go back to school. When I turn back, I see Seob scratching his head over his next set of homework.

 

It’s not a long way to school but I pull up my playlist anyway to listen to some music on the bus. Reaching my destination, I hurry to class so I can hand in my assignment and leave on a lame excuse of not feeling well. Everything goes accordingly to plan until a group of reporters burst into class just as my professor receives my document.

 

“Are you Lee Byeol-ssi?”

“What is your relationship with BTS’s Rap Monster?”

“You’re Rap Monster’s girlfriend, aren’t you?”

“How did you two meet?”

“For how long have you two been together?”

“Please say a few words.”

 

Cameras flash as mics are pushed into my face. What situation is this? From behind, my arm is tugged on and someone pulls me toward the back door where we run to… somewhere I don’t know where. My mind is blank, and I struggle to breathe. Entering an empty room, I am pushed to sit on something that feels like a beanbag.

 

“Here, drink up first.” A bottle of water appears in front of me. Where have I heard this voice before? I look up.

 

“Woong?” Looking around, I see that this is our used-to-be clubroom.

 

“Did you drop your phone into the toilet?!” He suddenly raises his voice, scaring me. As I try to make sense of his words, I pull out my phone and only now see the notifications for twenty-four missed calls and seventy messages.

 

“Sorry, my phone was on silent mode…” I click open the messages.

 

From: Soo

[Situation just got worse.]

[They found out about you.]

[Seob says you left.]

[Where are you going?]

[DON’T GO TO SCHOOL.]

[COME BACK NOW.]

[WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHY AREN’T YOU READING YOUR MESSAGES?]

 

From: Jun oppa

[Byeol, where are you?]

[Byeol, please answer your phone.]

[Lee Byeol!]

 

From: Yoongi oppa

[Oi, kid, where are you?]

 

From: Woong

[Where are you?]

[It’s a chaos in school now, don’t come.]

 

From: Jin oppa

[Byeol-ah, are you okay? Everyone’s worried they can’t reach you.]

[Call back when you see this.]

 

From: Seob

[Noona!]

 

From: Ray

[Are you trying to make us die of worry?]

[What on Earth are you doing, please pick up your phone!]

 

“But how did they…?” I call up my internet app and the first thing I see is Namjoon reigning over the real time search charts.

 

“Apparently someone in school tipped them off, sent in a picture of you two at the library. Your face was captured very clearly.”

 

I glare daggers at him.

 

 

And below the headline is a secretly taken picture of me sleeping with Namjoon looking down at me.

 

“At least I came out looking good,” I joke. This could end up so much worse if I were drooling with my mouth hanging open.

 

“Now’s not the time to play around, Byeol.” Woong is unusually serious… Woong!

 

“What are you doing here? Don’t you have practice?”

 

He answers with a weird look on his face. “I’m still having classes.”

 

“Oh.” Whoever said that trainees can’t go to school, right?

 

“Hello?” Woong picks up a call probably from Soo. “She’s with me, we’re in the clubroom. Idiot had her phone on silent. Soo says to put the idiot on the phone.”

 

Scrunching up my face, I take the phone from him.

 

“LEE BYEOL!” I can hear her before I even bring the phone anywhere near my ear.

 

“I’m not deaf.”

 

“How are you so calm! Do you not see the chaos everywhere now?”

 

“What am I supposed to do then?” I’m frustrated too but what can I do?

 

“You should call Namjoon back first. He’s worried sick.” And then she hangs up. I return Woong his phone and reach for my own, swiftly dialling in Namjoon’s number. I let his line ring until it directs me to voicemail before ending the call.

 

“He must be busy…” Disappointed that my call didn’t get through, I keep my phone into my bag.

 

“I don’t suppose you’re going back to class, are you?” Woong asks, his eyebrows raised.

 

“No, I was going to leave straight after handing in my assignment anyway.” I stand but my legs betray me by turning into jelly. Losing my balance, I fall and hit my arm on a nearby table as I try to steady myself.

 

“Tsk, tsk.” Woong shakes his head at me in disapproval of my current state.

 

Swearing, I rub at the bruise slowly appearing. “I give up. I’m just going to sleep here until I die.”

 

“Don’t be such a drama queen.” Now it’s his turn to roll his eyes. “I called for a cab, it should be here soon.”

 

“I don’t even feel like leaving this room.” I hug myself in failed comfort.

 

“Come on,” Woong pulls me up and I notice his subtle effort to keep me on my feet. Leading me to the door, he opens it ajar and peeps outside first to check if the coast is clear. He then pulls me along and we walk down through the emergency exit instead of taking the lift.

 

“Where are we going?” I ask when I realise we’re not heading in the direction of the back gate.

 

“I called for pick-up at the front gate.”

 

“What? You’re crazy!”

 

“No one would think you’d be in the right mind to leave so openly. The reporters are probably camping at the back gate now.” True to his words, there are barely any cameras waiting at the main gate. I spot a couple of suspicious looking people, but Woong drags me quickly to the cab and tells to driver to speed off. Only when the school is out of sight do I let go of the breath I didn’t realise I’d been holding.

 

Curious at how my notifications is piling up, I pull out my phone once again. SNS, text messages and even emails, my notifications are churning at bullet speed non-stop.

 

“Wow, you really hit the jackpot, huh?”

“How did you do it?”

“How dare you steal my oppa away!”

“Who do you think you are trying to date our oppa?”

“Are you blackmailing him? There’s no way our oppa would fall for someone like you.”

“Stay away from our oppa or I will kill you!”

“Bitc-“

 

“Stop reading already,” Woong mummers as he confiscates my phone but not before a particular message catches my eye.

 

 

I shiver involuntarily as a chill attempts to consume me. Woong clears his throat and when he speaks again, his tone is soft and filled with concern.

 

“You’ll probably have to stay with Soo for a while. Want me to help you grab anything from home?”

 

I don’t want to admit this but I’d be lying if I say I’m not in the least fearful for my life now. Young fans these days are known to do all sorts of things, and there’s no telling what their limits are.

 

“Byeol?” Woong calls me to get my attention.

 

“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks.” I close my eyes and lean my forehead onto the cool window glass. Throughout the remaining ride, I mentally slap myself many times out of guilt for the thoughts running wild in my mind.

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