Kai's car screeched to a halt by the side of the Han River, frustration etched on his face. For the past hour, he had been tirelessly searching Seoul, hoping to locate Moonji. His fingers clenched the steering wheel as he dialled numbers on his phone, but his gaze was inexplicably drawn to someone he recognized.

"Ra Moonji!" The name burst from Kai's lips, his voice a mix of urgency and relief as he spotted the girl seated on a bench, clutching a cup of coffee. Moonji nodded in acknowledgement but remained silent, her eyes fixed on the tranquil waters of the river.

Kai stepped out of his car, locking it behind him, and approached Moonji cautiously. He sat down beside her, both of them staring out at the serene river and the city lights of Seoul.

"I'm sorry if the charity event upset you," Kai began in a soft tone, searching for words to mend the rift between them. Moonji continued to sit there, seemingly frozen, her grip on the coffee cup unyielding. Kai attempted to break the uneasy silence. "You're not the type to stay quiet, remember? You once told me your face could get ugly if you stopped talking."

Moonji sighed softly, removing her fake lashes and wig as she began to wipe away her smudged makeup. Kai's eyes widened in surprise at her action, not knowing how to react. After months of cohabiting with her, she is definitely not a person who would reveal her real face in the public, but right now, she was doing otherwise. 

"Let's forgive each other and move forward," Kai suggested after a few minutes, reaching for his phone, which had been buzzing for a few minutes, indicating calls from his friends and Dasom. 

"I was never pretty to begin with. None of this matters." Moonji's admission hung heavily in the air, and Kai struggled to find the right words in response. Moonji finally spoke, her voice heavy with a sense of resignation. No amount of makeup will make her pretty, and no amount of words will make her lovable. She was born that way, easily abandoned. 

"I'll wire that money back to your account. Don't worry," Moonji said, her voice trembling with a hint of sadness. Kai remained silent, feeling helpless in the face of the overwhelming emotions between them. He didn’t know what words could comfort her, he knew that the charity event hurt her. 

"Let’s never see each other again, Kim Jongin-shi. I don’t want to be involved with you anymore,” Moonji confessed, her gaze fixed on the river. Kai turned to look at her, but her face was obscured as she turned away.

"If that's what you want," Kai replied, his tone resigned. Moonji nodded and stood up, gathering her belongings. She left her wig on the bench before beginning to walk away, not once glancing back at Kai.

"Let's never meet again," Moonji's voice carried with it a bittersweet tone as she raised her hand in a final farewell, her fingers shimmering in the pale moonlight. The soft glow outlined her silhouette, and her hair, caught by the gentle breeze, framed her like a delicate halo.
As the realisation hit him, he couldn't bear the thought of never seeing her face again in his life. He yearned for one last glance, one last connection, something to hold onto, and so he couldn't help but plead, "Yah, at least look at me one last time!" But Moonji didn't turn back. She began to walk away, her figure gradually blending into the shadows cast by the nearby trees, leaving Kai alone on the bench. The echoes of her footsteps slowly faded into the night, leaving Kai with an overwhelming 

At Kai's house the next day, Baekhyun barged in as soon as Kai opened the door. He was eager to get to the bottom of the situation. Kai, with his dishevelled appearance from the previous day's events, sat on the couch, still wearing yesterday's outfit. He stared blankly at the TV, his shoulders slumped and a distant look in his eyes.

"Kim Jongin, the boys told me what happened. You got into a fight with D.O?" Baekhyun inquired, his voice filled with concern. Kai simply nodded, not tearing his gaze away from the television. His body language exuded exhaustion and frustration.

"What did they do to her?" Baekhyun pressed, concern etched on his face. Kai continued to sit like a statue, his face void of emotion, as if the events of the previous day had drained him of all energy.

"Why didn't you tell them the truth about what really happened?" Baekhyun asked, baffled by Kai's silence. Kai let out a heavy sigh, his gaze still fixed on the TV screen. He looked utterly defeated as if he had lost all hope.

Baekhyun shook his head in disapproval, but his concern remained evident. "Go find her and tell her that you love her," he insisted. Kai turned to him with a stoic expression, his face giving away nothing.

"Byun Baekhyun, stop talking nonsense," Kai chuckled dismissively, but there was a hint of pain in his eyes.

"Stop lying to me, and stop lying to yourself. I know you love her. How did she become your girlfriend if you don't love her?" Baekhyun probed, looking at Kai intently. Kai's shoulders tensed slightly, and he averted his gaze, unable to meet Baekhyun's eyes.

"You don't know the whole story, Baekkie. Just stay out of it," Kai retorted before leaving the living room and retreating to his bedroom, his body language reflecting his need for solitude.

Baekhyun sighed in frustration, his worry evident as he watched Kai disappear into his room. "I'm going home!" he called out before heading out, leaving Kai alone in the house.

The truth about how Moonji became Kai's girlfriend and about the one-million-dollar arrangement was known to only one person – Do Kyungsoo. Kai pulled out his phone and dialled Kyungsoo's number. He needed to have a conversation with his friend, and his body language indicated a hint of urgency.

Kai arrived at the club later, greeted by Kyungsoo's warm welcome. As he saw Kai approaching, Kyungsoo's face lit up with a genuine smile. Kai reciprocated with a warm smile of his own and hugged his best friend. The tension from their recent altercation had dissipated, and their body language was relaxed.

"It's my fault, Kai. I took it too far, even though I knew the truth about your relationship," Kyungsoo admitted, placing an arm on Kai's shoulder. Kai's posture eased, and he seemed more at ease.

"Yeah, you shouldn't have done that," Kai agreed, smiling at his best friend. He even seemed more relaxed as he chuckled in response to Kyungsoo's words.

"Well, I just wanted the guys to be convinced about your relationship with her so that nobody would suspect it's all an act," Kyungsoo chuckled, thinking about how clueless the other EXO members could be. But the truth is Kyungsoo did the revenge plan as he, too, believed that Moonji caused his two best friends, Kai and Baekhyun, to be distant from each other. "But it's all in the past now," Kai sighed.

"I don't want to dwell on the past. Let's forget about what happened. Let's forget that girl named Ra Moonji! Forget her ugly face!" Kyungsoo cheered, taking a sip of his drink. "D.O., don't call her that," Kai replied, his voice monotone.

"What? Why not? Don't tell me you have a soft spot for her in your heart," Kyungsoo teased, placing a hand over his chest, feigning shock.

"She helped me, right? So, let's not call her that," Kai said, remembering the email he received from the bank.

"What? She gave back the money?" Kyungsoo asked, genuinely surprised.

"I know, right? She always seemed so money-oriented, but she returned it. I can't figure out why," Kai mused, his brow furrowing. Maybe if she didn’t return the money to him would make him feel a little less guilty. He used her to his benefit and discarded her as if she was not a human with feelings. 

As Kai and Kyungsoo sat in the club, the conversation took a turn that hinted at Kai's inner turmoil and his unique connection with Moonji.

"Did she fall in love with you?" Kyungsoo asked, his eyes widening as a realization dawned upon him. He had known Kai for a long time, and he could sense that there was more to the story than met the eye.

Kai's response was laced with a certain confidence that seemed to hide deeper emotions. He smirked and raised an eyebrow as he admitted, "She confessed to me a few times."

Kyungsoo was taken aback by this revelation. His eyes darted back and forth between Kai and the dance floor, and he fell into an uneasy silence. He had never imagined that Moonji's feelings might have extended beyond a mere arrangement.

"Are you sure you don't have a soft spot for her in your heart?" Kyungsoo probed, leaning closer to Kai. His voice held a hint of concern, and he wanted to get to the bottom of his friend's feelings. The atmosphere between them grew more intense as they exchanged meaningful glances without uttering a single word.

"No, I hope not," Kai replied with a chuckle, trying to downplay the idea and mask his emotions with humour. He didn't want to confront the possibility that he might have developed deeper feelings for Moonji.

Kyungsoo shook his head, but he couldn't let go of the nagging suspicion. He leaned back, studying Kai carefully. Finally, he couldn't deny what he saw. With a sense of certainty, he concluded, "Oh no, Kai. You already do." His words hung in the air, acknowledging the unspoken truth that Kai had been trying to avoid.