❝ chapter eight

e r i c ’ s

We walked backstage together after our speech. I smiled a little thinking about Gukjoo noona who repetitively asked me to kissed her on the stage and at how Yongsun dusted my shoulder subconsciously then pretended it didn’t happen. We were given a box each to safely stored our awards and our manager took the flowers first since the staff still wanted to capture a few second of us sitting at the table with the award cases on it. Yongsun’s manager showed her the screen of her phone that was constantly buzzing with texts and they both shook their heads at each other. I swear I saw Hwasa’s name on it. 

    “Let’s go back to our seats.” 

    “Wait.” Yongsun said and I abruptly stopped. “Just a moment. You got all of these artificial snows in your hair.” 

She leans in and gently brushes off the little pieces of snows from my hair. I stand still although my ears are completely on fire on its own again. She smiles in satisfaction when she’s done and urges us to go back outside. I follow her suit from the back and smile at how surprising she will always be. I’m suddenly not even exhausted anymore. Several more stages in and Yongsun leans into me after checking that the cameras aren’t filming us. 

    “I have to leave early and go back to KBS. I have another performance to finish with the girls.” 

I nod so that it won’t be obvious that I’m slightly disappointed. In a few moment, I’ll be presenting an award with Park Narae sunbaenim and parts of me wish she could stay and watch but we both know how hectic this whole thing called schedules could be. 

    “Come backstage for a moment. ” She whispers and at the corner of my eyes, I catch Jota grinning teasingly at us. “I’ll be waiting in WGM’s Second Waiting Room.”

She bids good bye to everyone else and runs backstage. I wait for a few minute before I get up and excuse myself to backstage so it doesn’t have to look so obvious to everyone else. I walk toward our waiting room and Yongsun is the only one there. The MBC staff and our managers are monitoring the show outside and none of us bring our stylists along. The new couples get another Waiting Room so we’re safe for now. 

    “What is it?” 

She sighs then looks over at the clock on the wall then out of the blue, she gives me a hug. A big bear hug that isn’t Yongsun at all, or at least the Yongsun with her members. I frown confusedly, deliberating whether I should hug her back or not but I eventually do and she seems to relax a little. 

    “I miss you.” She said. “You never text anymore.” 

    “You never reply.” 

God, I didn’t mean to sound this bitter but that was one of the reason, actually. I confessed and she never really answered that question and it was hard to talk like nothing happened at all between us so I thought it was best to just gradually let everything go. It’d be better for both of us that way. Also, because she probably had a lot on her mind already so she never replied me and I didn’t want to come off as bugging her when she already had enough to deal with. 

All of sudden, her lip is on mine.

I blank out for a few second. What is this for? I mean, all of sudden? Why? I don’t get this.

Heck, screw that.

I kiss her back and she smiles a little against my lip then wraps her arms around my neck. I wrap mine around her waist and gradually, we find ourselves against the wall of the Waiting Room. She runs her fingers in my hair. For a split second, I wonder how am I going to fix this when my stylist isn’t even here. Screw that two hours my stylist spend, I’ll just find a way later. We pull away for a breath and laugh, her face flushes and my ears go completely out of my control again as if they’re on flame. 

    “What?” I asked, completely failed to hide the grin that’s slowly creeping onto my face. 

    “That’s your answer.” She mumbles. “I’m sorry it took me so long.” 

I laugh and lean in to kiss her again. She accepts it gladly with her arms still wrap around my neck and we’re lost again. Nothing seems to bother us anymore, not even the television that is left running the show from  the outside since god knows when. Not even the fact that anyone could walk in on us right at this moment. Not even the fact that Park Narae sunbaenim actually walked in looking for me to prepare for our hosting segment a few second ago and ran back outside. Just nothing at all. 

    “Don’t you dare look at other women when I’m not here. I saw that picture on the red carpet.” 

I laugh and it comes off more freely than ever. God, this woman is incredible. I can’t believe I get so lucky and have someone as amazing as her as mine. 

    “Go, you’re going to be late.” I said, tracing my finger along her cheek gently. 

She removes her hand from around my neck and moves it to my hair, fixing a few part that go completely disarrayed from a while ago. 

    “There you go.” She smiles. “You’re good to go now.” 

I take a quick glance at the mirror on the wall and spot a pink lipstick stain on my lip. Yongsun giggles, staring at my reflection. 

    “Come on, Yongsun. Do you want me to go outside wearing your makeup for the rest of the event?” I playfully grimace and she giggles then cups my face in her hands. “You know, I don’t mind going public right away.” 

    “No, not today.” 

In the midst of giggling, she wipes my lip with the wet wipes on the table gently and applies her lip balm on my lip. I have the urge to check myself in the mirror for the last time when I see her holding her laugh back but decide against it, she probably doesn’t want it to be that obvious too. 

    “I’ll call you tonight.”