The enormous mob of reporters, who had been camping outside the courthouse for two hours since the start of the hearing at 6:30AM, swarmed around Cherie and Hyukjae as they stepped out of the front entrance of the city hall. Three security guards tried to keep some semblance of order as they protectively surrounded the couple, jostling and shoving the media folk away from impaling the victims with their heavy video equipment and giant microphones that were constantly ed in their faces. Bright camera lights flashed as all the questions starting flying at them from all different directions. Hyukjae's grip of Cherie's waist tightened, afraid of losing her in the crowd. Breathing in a lungful of the clean, crisp morning air, Cherie gave his arm a reassuring squeeze before stopping their wasted attempt at escaping the hordes of blood-thirsty newshounds.

"I am appreciative of your concern, and I will be happy to entertain any questions as long as they pertain to the issue at hand," she raised her voice to be heard above the din as she looked around at everyone. In an instant, the questioning died down as people started taking out compact recorders and notebooks to document her every word.

"Miss Liu, what are your thoughts on the final charges made?"

"It is befitting of the defendant's crime, but hopefully, Milan's justice system will be able to fully facilitate his successful rehabilitation."

"Do you still harbor any feelings of antagonism towards your stalker of these past few weeks?"

"I believe he is a good man who was temporarily consumed by an otherwise dark burden. If he is willing to change his ways, I am willing to forgive him. Everyone deserves a second chance."

Everyone nodded as they let Cherie's surprising benevolence sink in.

"It is rumored that you no longer hold an official title as one of Vogue's esteemed fashion photographers. What are your thoughts on this matter?"

"I just received a call from Vogue, claiming that my place is still secured, and I want to sincerely thank them for giving me both the patience and fantastic opp-"

"Is it true that you were released from the hospital against the recommendation of the doctors to attend Vogue's private party tonight?"

Cherie threw an annoyed look at the reporter who cut her off.

"Of course not. I would never endanger my health for a social event. The doctors said that the rate of my recovery is rather unprecedented, but I would have no problem managing outside of medical supervision. Last question before I leave."

"What is your relationship with the man standing beside you, Lee Hyukjae, the head captain of the world's foremost airline carrier?"

Cherie gazed up into Hyukjae's eyes and smiled.

"We are romantically involved with one another. He's the best boyfriend I could ever ask for."

A few female reporters awwed as Hyukjae tried so hard to contain his wide grin.

"Alright, you heard the lady, time to scram before we call the big boys in the haul you guys off of this piece of government-owned property!" one of the burlier security guards yelled, waving his hands to shoo away the unsatisfied journalists. The other two guards safely led Cherie and Hyukjae to Hyukjae's white Mercedes parked beside the curb without being stampeded by the press, watching them drive off down the road and disappear after a right turn at the intersection.

"... the final charges were made just a few minutes ago, but the plaintiff, Cherie Liu, has lucidly stated that she is more than willing to move on, and no wonder, what with her speedy recovery from the rat-poisoned coffee, her anchored position at Vogue, and her blooming romance with one of the world's most successful and sought-after bachelor. What's not to love about life? Leaving this breaking news story on a relatively positive note, I'm Rob Marciano from CNN, reporting live from Milan Italy."

~*~*~*~

"Eyeshadow."

Cherie handed the Urban Decay palette to Hyorin, who expertly mixed and blended an array of dark, smoky colors onto Cherie's eyelids.

"Mascara."

Cherie handed the waterproof Yves Saint Laurent bottle to Hyorin, who popped it open and applied a good few coats on Cherie's lashes.

"Blush and Contour."

Cherie handed two huge fluffy brushes to Hyorin, who told Cherie to make a fish face as she dotted the light pink, shimmery powder to the apples of Cherie's cheeks and swept the other brush's bristles across her concaves to highlight and define her facial structure.

"Lipstick."

Cherie handed her favorite Chanel color to Hyorin, who shook her head and replaced it on the counter.

"Hun, we're going all out tonight," she said, taking a crimson lip pencil and a lighter cherry red MAC lipstick from her makeup bag.

Donghae suddenly opened the door and poked his head into the room, only to find Hyorin practically straddling Cherie as she puckered up for the lipstick.

"Ooohh, can I join in?" Donghae asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Hyorin smirked. "In your dreams."

"Had to ask. Listen, Hyuk said that Cherie should be ready to leave in an hour to make it to dinner reservations."

"Gotcha. Now go away."

"Fine," Donghae said sadly, and closed the door with a click.

"Done," Hyorin said as she got off of Cherie's lap. "The red looks super hot on you."

"Wow, is that even me?" Cherie asked incredulously as she checked herself out in the huge vanity mirror. The dramatic makeup made her look twenty times more sophisticated and glamorous than normal. "This, I could get used to."

Hyorin laughed.

"Should I leave my hair down or put it up?" Cherie asked as she played with her freshly washed hair, peering at herself from different angles.

"Up. That way you can show off your back in the dress," Hyorin said as she went to the closet and took out the slinky gown, placing it on Cherie's bed. "Hyukjae's going to die when he sees you in this."

"You think so?" Cherie said as she turned around on her stool. "Should I go braless since it's backless?"

"Definitely. It's Vogue, not some small-town prom. I freaking can't wait to see the expressions on the guys' faces when we're done with you!" Hyorin squealed. "Now hold still while I do your hair."

Using a spiral curling iron, Hyorin twisted Cherie's golden brown locks into loose waves, piling it all on top of her head in an updo and securing the gorgeous Chignon with a ton of bobby pins. Leaving Cherie's sideswept bangs down along with a few wisps of curls to frame her face, Hyorin stepped back and admired her handiwork.

"You look absolutely stunning. I feel like a wrinkly troll beside you right now."

"Girl, please," Cherie said, eyeing her best friend, who still managed to rock a camel-colored, oversized cashmere sweater with ripped jean shorts with just BB cream and a coat of mascara. The girl didn't top beauty polls for no reason.

Getting up, Cherie stripped down to her thong. Slipping on the luxurious satin dress, she felt as if the fabric moulded impeccably with her curves. Seamlessly finished, the divine tailoring finely enhanced the radiant silhouette of her body, adding an ornate, alluring shape to her outline.

She could essentially taste the lust, feel the drama, and breathe the romance.

Tonight was going to be magical.

Finally, stepping into a pair of Christian Louboutin stilettos with their signature red soles, Cherie completed her look for the night.

"Ready?" Hyorin asked, who was close to peeing her pants in excitement.

A little too over the extreme in Cherie's opinion.

"Ready."

~*~*~*~

"Gingrich didn't get enough signatures to appear on the ia primary ballot," Leeteuk said from the living room couch as he quickly scrolled through the news updates on his phone.

"Well, that certainly says a ton about his campaign's organization," Hyukjae rolled his eyes as he casually leaned against the railing of the staircase, his tux feeling surprisingly comfortable. "How much longer did the girls say they were going to take?"

"Any minute now," Donghae replied as he chugged down some Evian water beside Leeteuk on the couch.

Hearing the click clack of high heels on the hardwood stairs, Hyukjae straightened his composure as the other two stood up.

Seeing Cherie descend was like a form of inhumane torture for Hyukjae as she came into full view, as delightful as it was at the same time. Holding the train of her gown with her left hand, her perfectly manicured right hand gripped onto the railing to keep her balance. When she finally became eye-level with him, he couldn't bring himself to look in her eyes.

"I bet Hyuk's drowning in his own sea of saliva right now," Donghae whispered loudly as Leeteuk whistled beside him.

Hyukjae cleared his dry throat. "I... you... y- uhh, wow... um, you're so beautiful."

Cherie giggled as Hyukjae scratched the back of his neck, unsure of where to look or where to place his hands.

The moment he flickered his eyes down into hers, Cherie felt her lungs constrict. There was no air to breathe. All noise ceased to exist.

His sun-kissed dark-brown black hair was effortlessly tousled and styled to perfection, his buttery tan from the Milan sun was shown off by his pristine, white dress shirt, contrasted with an adorable black bowtie and tuxedo, which Cherie noticed fit his broad shoulders very snugly, and his adams apple bobbed ily up and down, up and down as he tried to swallow.

This man was hotter Brad Pitt. Hotter than Ryan Reynolds. Even hotter than David Beckham. , he was hotter than a Brad and Ryan sandwich with David filling. Cherie caught a whiff of his clean, musky cologne and felt her legs weaken incredibly. If she wasn't leaning against the railing, she would've crumbled onto the ground.

"You're stuttering again," she said.

"You... k-kinda have that effect on me right now," he replied.

"Aaaaaannnd he's a goner. Hand it over. I told you he was going to stutter," Leeteuk shook his head in triumph as Donghae reluctantly fished out five dollars.

"You guys aren't really helping the situation here," Hyukjae muttered.

"It's still me, the ugly hospital zombie from yesterday," Cherie laughed, fixing a stray piece of his hair that had irresistably flopped down near his eyes.

"If you put it that way," Hyukjae smiled, tapping her nose with his finger.

"It's picture time!" Donghae yelled enthusiastically, interrupting them. "Right now is definitely a Kodak-worthy moment."

After taking about a dozen or so group pictures of everyone looking radiant, their arms strung around each other like a gorgeous, happy family on Hyukjae's porch facing the mountains, where the setting-sun's rays bounced off of the natural landscape, Hyukjae made eye contact with Hyorin, who simply gave him a thumbs up.

Everything was set.

~*~*~*~

Tossing his keys to the valet in front of the 5-star hotel portico, Hyukjae got out from his side of his treasured black Lamborghini and jogged to the passenger side to open the door for Cherie.

"Thank you," Cherie said as she slid her hand into the crook of Hyukjae's forearm.

"You're most certainly welcome."

As he led her through the main foyer of the hotel and into a corner with a row of sleek, metallic-gold elevators, Cherie let her eyes wander, taking in the opulent decor of the interior of the hotel. From the lavish oil paintings to the million-dollar chandaliers made of real crystal and diamonds, everything screamed of sensuous class.

"Are you kidnapping me?" Cherie whispered to Hyukjae as a door dinged and slid open.

"I'm taking you out for dinner. Not what you had in mind?" Hyukjae said with a coy smile as they walked in. He pressed the button for the 54th floor and the door closed quietly.

"Definitely not. I was thinking more along the lines of maybe a burger and some fries with ketchup," Cherie teased.

"Dang, did I burst your bubble?"

"Nah, I could settle for a touch of luxury, but just for tonight."

"Perfect," Hyukjae smiled as he leaned in to kiss a delicate area right underneath her jaw.

Cherie felt a pleasant shiver run up and down her body.

"Does that come with the expensive meal too?" she breathed.

"It's free of charge, just for you love," Hyukjae said, his eyes smouldering with desire.

The elevator gave a ding and the couple were immediately greeted by two uniformed waiters who ushered them through a dimly lit hallway out onto the rooftop gourmet restaurant.

"Woah, now I don't feel so out of place," Cherie said as they walked past people who were similarly dressed in their elegant coutures and designer suits, chatting over the romantic candlelight with flutes of bubbling champagne in their hands.

"Lee Hyukjae, you never fail to impress me," she said in awe as they were finally seated at a cozy table near the edge overlooking the view, with the twinkling lights of the streets and zooming cars illuminating the whole city in a haze of breathtaking beauty.

"It's my favorite restaurant in Milan," he said. "I had to bring you here before we left for Korea tomorrow."

"Good evening Mr. Lee, It's great to see you dine here with us again tonight. As per usual, our menu consists of a wide array of the finest seafood, first grade red meat, and of course, only the freshest salad and pasta selections for the signora," a waiter greeted Hyukjae as he handed them heavy menus.

"Thank you Raul. What do you suggest we order? I want to try something new," Hyukjae said, giving Cherie a wink.

"Ahhh, trying to have a new experience with your beautiful date si?"

Cherie blushed.

Hyukjae blushed even more.

Once they got their orders in, another waiter brought over a completely new set of menus with the hugest variety of drinks, from French scotch to fruity, tropical drinks.

Hyukjae whispered in the waiter's ears, who gave a nod.

"Very good sir."

He quickly returned with a large wine glass filled to the brim with a frothy light pink and blue icy drink.

Two twisted straws stuck out of the glass.

"You're so cute Hyuk," Cherie giggled as she took a sip. The cool, sweet liquid tickled her taste buds before sliding down .

"I don't know if I was going for cute..." Hyukjae laughed as he took a sip the same time as her.

Their eyes locked.

'Try to breathe. Try to breathe,' Hyukjae thought to himself.

'He's so dreamyyyy,' Cherie thought to herself.

The trill of the notes of the mellow grand piano with it's exotic Blues tune filled their silence as they continued to bore into each others' eyes, the wordless connection between them passionate yet mysterious.

"Your entrees are served."

~*~*~*~

All throughout the meal, the couple chatted and laughed under the carefree, full round moon. Cherie was having the time of her life, nearly forgetting that they still had a party to go to later on. But she honestly didn't even care about it anymore. All she cared about was spending as much time with her man as possible.

Towards the end, Hyukjae took her hand tightly in his across the table.

Tilting his head, he sighed.

"What's wrong honey?" Cherie asked.

"Everything. My brain. My heart. My mind. My body. I'm crazy in love with you and I don't know how to fix it."

Then, as if on cue, the current song on the piano ended, replaced by a slower ballad. A violin joined in the melody with it's dulcet tones as a soothing male voice started singing Lionel Richie's song, Endless Love.

Endless Love - (YouTube)

"My love, there's only you in my life
The only thing that's bright"

Scrunching her eyebrows, Cherie thought she recognized that voice.

"Kyuhyun?!"

Turning around in her seat, she searched around the vicinity of the piano and saw Kyuhyun slightly nod at her.

Stepping into view in a simple Chanel little black dress, Hyorin responded in her own uniquely distinct R&B singing.

"My first love, you're every breath that I take
You're every step I make"

Mixing their voices together, they created a haunting harmony that could've reached the gods of the high heavens.

"And I, I want to share all my love with you
No one else will do
And your eyes, they tell me how much you care oh yeah
You will always be my endless love"

Hyukjae stood up from his seat and walked around to Cherie.

Kneeling down on one knee, he opened up a Tiffany's blue jewelry box.

"Cherie Liu," he started.

"Will you marry me?"  

"And, yes, you'll be the only one
Cause no one can deny this love I have inside
And I'll give it all to you
My love, my love, my love
My endless love."

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