Epilogue: Taemin

“Yah! Did you know I almost fell off that damn tree!” Kai’s complaints greeted him the moment he answered the video call. He could hear Ravi’s laughter in the background.

“Araso araso. I will buy you dinner,” he consoled.

“Yah!” Timoteo appeared on the screen. “I spent thousands on those string lights. You better pay me back. Double the amount.”

He frowned. He was about to argue about the price but then his eyes landed on Naeun’s sleeping figure. She was currently sleeping in the back of his car. It will soon be midnight. When that time comes, she will be twenty-five.

“Yah, are you listening?! I said you owe me!”

Turning his attention back to the screen, he gave his friend an unbothered look. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay you.”

“You need to pay me too!” Kai chimed in, pushing Timoteo aside. “I told you, I almost fell trying to hang those damn lights.”

Taemin shook his head. “Okay. I will buy you two meals.”

“Deal!” Kai grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

Before the conversation leads to somewhere nonsense, he quickly ended the call. “Those idiots,” he murmured.

Leaning against his car, he stared blankly ahead as he patiently waited for Naeun to wake up.

He was feeling a little guilty. Once again, he got too caught up in his dance practices that he forgot about her upcoming birthday. Moreover, he felt bad that she even had to personally go to him after her busy day. He wanted to make it up to her so he organized a little surprise for her with the help of his friends.

Since he was short of time, his friends did most of the planning and organizing. The plan was for them to set up a picnic spot by the Han River. Naeun had been wanting to go there with him years ago but they never got the chance to. He figured it was about time he fulfilled that wish.

The area that his friends picked was quite secluded and therefore offers a little bit of privacy. However, there was nothing romantic about the place. It looked plain and uninviting.

That was why his friends had to hang string lights on the surrounding trees, which lifted up the mood of the place. His friends even bought all the essentials needed for a picnic like a mat and a picnic basket. And lastly, he had a little surprise waiting for her in the trunk of his car.

It was a good thing Naeun fell asleep so he was able to put everything together last minute. He really wanted to make it up to her for all the things he had not done for her in the past.

This time, he would love her harder and better. He would protect her and look out for her.

That was why he secretly followed her on that day they were scheduled to fly to Da Nang.

The original plan was for him to go and pick her up from Apink’s apartment as part of the surprise. However, when he saw her leave looking really bothered, he decided not to show himself. He followed her to a cafe near the airport where she met with a girl.

He stayed outside and secretly watched them through the glass walls. Minutes later, he saw the girl pass an envelope to Naeun. Naeun looked calm upon seeing the envelope’s contents. However, he could tell that something was amiss.

“What is going on?” he murmured to himself.

Moments after Naeun left, he went inside the cafe. The girl was about to leave when he sat on the chair that Naeun was previously sitting on.

There girl’s eyes widened upon seeing him. For a moment, she looked confused and unsure what to do. He could detect the fear and panic in her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” She asked in a low whisper, looking at him in disbelief.

He raised a suspicious eyebrow. Those were not the usual words someone would say to a stranger. He considered the fact that she could have known him as he is a public figure. However, her words and actions were telling him that something was really off.

Not bothering for a friendly greeting, he went directly to the point. “Can you tell me what is going on?”

The girl was silent for a while. She seemed to be contemplating.

After a moment, she opened to speak. “I know you guys were dating,” she said, her voice carrying a hint of apprehension.

Her direct statement caused a slight panic within him. However, years of experience earned him the ability to mask his emotions. “So?” He asked, keeping a straight face. “What if we are? What did you tell her that made her upset?”

He could not remember exactly how he did it, but the girl cried and ended up telling him everything. He was actually surprised that she didn’t bother to deny anything.

“You did what?” he asked through gritted teeth.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed to calm himself. Learning about how the girl threatened Naeun and the involvement of a paparazzi made his blood boil.

Keeping a serious face, he stared at the girl. “Tell me about that man,” he said, his words dark and heavy.

After thoroughly talking to the girl, he finally managed to let her see where she did wrong. By the end of their conversation, she was apologizing nonstop. She even promised to apologize to Naeun in person.

After he left the cafe, he contacted Apink’s manager and explained to him what happened. It did not take long before they got the authorities involved. As soon as the report had been filed, the search for K had officially commenced.

“O-Oppa?”

He smiled at Naeun’s astonished reaction. She sure did not expect to see him sitting next to her on that plane.

Taking off his glasses, he leaned towards her. “Miss me?”

Somehow, he felt a little relieved knowing that they were doing something in the background to catch that scheming paparazzi. For now, he would enjoy being with her. Their schedules had been busy like usual. They both needed this getaway.

Things had been smooth sailing following that vacation. They were finally back together and were rediscovering dating life. Like usual, they had to play a game of hide and seek with the cameras on several occasions as they were public figures.

Years of experience might have finally paid off for they had successfully gone to many dates without being caught. It was now easier for them to date in secret compared to before.

However, there were times when he was strongly compelled to reveal their secret. One instance being the night of the Korea Music Festival.

Watchi