Elli started to really worry about what those two had done to Shin, but she had to join Taehyung. Hyeri told her the whole point of this party was for them to spend some romantic time together, so she didn't have a choice. And she really wanted to see him, too. Hyeri and she started to look for the boy on the crowded beach, trying not to bump into someone who could slow them down. Luckily, they quickly saw Taehyung on the side of the water, looking at the horizon. It was still quite sunny, since it was a summer evening, and the weather was good. Hyeri told Elli to go talk to her crush and that it the perfect moment, because he was finally alone. The girl was shy, but this time, she didn't want to let that chance go. So she decided to go. However, before she could take a step forward, she heard a familiar voice…

"Girls! You two disappeared so suddenly!" 

Elli looked horrified. It was Takuya, the forbidden man. 

"Um, yeah, sorry about that!" Hyeri apologized with a smile. "Elli, you should g—"

"It's so nice that you're here Elli, Taehyung told me so many good things about you!" Takuya continued as if Hyeri didn't exist. "You're an amazing girl!"

Elli was frustrated that she couldn't go to Taehyung, but that last line had aroused her interest. So, despite Hyeri's glare at her, Elli listened to the boy. They started talking, while Hyeri was trying to make Elli go to see her crush. But who doesn't like to hear someone talk good things about themselves? Elli wasn't indifferent to what Taehyung had told Takuya about her. 

However, there was something she was forgetting. And when she saw the menacing Joonjae from far behind her interlocutor, she remembered: she wasn't allowed to talk to Takuya. Joonjae noticed the two and immediately took a shocked expression, before walking towards them with a threatening attitude. Elli started to panic, and Hyeri noticed the girl was now trying to get out of this situation. The scary man was approaching her dangerously, and the atmosphere felt very tense. Hyeri needed an idea to save her friend—again. 

"Elli!" she exclaimed suddenly, cutting off Takuya. "You seem to be a little hot, aren't you? You should go take a dip in the sea!" 

As soon as Hyeri had said those words, Elli immediately turned around and started running towards the sea, as if she was running for her life. At that exact moment, Joonjae arrived right behind Takuya, and he looked at her disappearing in the sunshine. She didn't think much and while running, she abandoned her shoes and her dress on the sand, passing in front of Taehyung in her y bikini. The latter was surprised to see the girl run so fast to the water, and actually, everyone on the beach was looking at her. Finally, Elli reached the water continued running into the waves, thinking only about how fresh it felt, and forgetting about the threat of Joonjae. The latter decided to leave her alone—after all, she had left Takuya alone in the end. Hyeri smiled at herself, because her plan had worked. And Taehyung was just happy to see Elli seem so gleeful in the water. She turned around to him, and smiled. Suddenly, she felt a momentum of courage run through her and shouted to him:

"Taehyung! Why don't you join me?"

The boy was surprised she had called him, but he wasn't displeased. So he took off his clothes as well and run towards her, before crashing in the waves. He splashed her in the process, to which she responded with a splash back. Soon, they were playing like children in the water, splashing each other and laughing childishly. 

Hyeri, Joonjae and Takuya who were watching them have fun from far away were all a bit jealous. However, Hyeri was proud of her friend's courage, and she was very happy that she got to spend some time with him.

Upon seeing the pair in the water, a lot of people had jumped into the sea a bit later. Elli and Taehyung were now sitting in the sand, still half in the water, and they were talking softly about anything. Elli wanted to believe they were really a couple, and that this could be their reality. She was so happy just sitting next to him and talking to him, as he was. Even their silences didn't feel as awkward. It was almost as if they were in a real relationship. The sunset was beginning and it all felt like a dream.

"It's really a nice party," Taehyung commented.

"Yes, thanks to Hyeri," Elli replied. 

"I'm happy you're there," Taehyung added and turned to look at her.

Elli looked in his eye and she couldn't look away. 

"I'm… glad you're here, too."

The sun was slowly disappearing behind the skyline, and Elli's eyes lowered to Taehyung's lips. She didn't know, but his eyes were doing the same to her. For a moment, Elli thought, maybe it was going to happen right then, they were going to—

"Ah!" Elli screamed.

A huge wave had just crashed on the two of them, causing them to fall flat on the sand. Though frustrated that the nature had refrained them to kiss, the both of them started laughing again. They got up and receded from the sea, to avoid another incident. Hyeri approached them, and she was still wet—she had succumbed to the call of the sea, too. She had probably seen the failed romantic scene, and she had probably laughed at them, but she was still feeling a bit disappointed for her friend. Elli wasn't so mad, though. She didn't want to take things too fast. And she had avoided all the other problems she could have encountered at this party—and by that, she meant Shin. Speaking of, Elli still didn't know what had happened to him. While Taehyung was dressing up, she took Hyeri apart and asked her.

"Oh, you know, nothing bad, he's somewhere safe!" Hyeri responded without looking at Elli.

"Are you sure he's not, like… dead?"

Hyeri's eyes widened. 

"Joonjae! You talked to him, right?!" she accused.

"Yeah, I mean he came to me so…"

"So you didn't trust me enough and asked a man's help? J'accuse!"

Elli sighed. 

"Of course I trust you. But, wait—how did you know it was Joonjae? And why did you think of him when I implied murder?"

Hyeri laughed nervously. She had been discovered.

"Okay, you got me. He helped me. We, um… We put him somewhere he can't escape from."

"You mean… Sequestration?!"

Hyeri slowly nodded. But she reassured her friend that Shin was not in danger and that Joonjae had told her he wouldn't hurt him. However, Elli did not trust that scary man. Taehyung came back to the girls and asked what they were talking about. Without thinking, Elli answered she was looking for Shin. 

"Oh Shin… He's your ex, right?" the boy asked. 

Elli realized—it looked weird that she was looking for her ex-boyfriend. Especially in front of Taehyung. Hyeri sensed it was a private matter and faked someone was calling her to go away, leaving the pair alone again. Elli didn't want Taehyung to believe she still cared about Shin that way, so she tried to make up some excuse.

"I—it's not what you think, we are not—"

"What? Why should I mind, don't worry! It's not like I'm actually your boyfriend or anything," Taehyung cut.

But his words hurt Elli a bit. "Why should I mind"… So the girl felt a little bit angry at him. Even though she knew he didn't technically do anything wrong.

"I'm going to go, since I have to find him," Elli dryly announced. 

"Okay…"

Elli left the boy alone on the beach, and she felt hurt and sad. Even though she had no reason to be mad at him, she still was, because she had a little hope that he liked her like she liked him, after what had happened between them. And hearing him say such things had really hit her in the face. They were only friends. 

As if it wasn't enough, she kept seeing couples on her was through the crowd. She decided to walk along the water to avoid people, but they were still there, shoving their love in her face. And then there was Takuya sitting next to Joonjae, just looking at the skyline, not even holding hands. Elli suddenly felt bad for them. They couldn't show public displays of affection, because of celebrity. And Elli thought, that was what was going to happen to her, if she ever actually dated Taehyung. Was she ready to live like this? To fake being friends? There was one thing worse than being a fake couple, and it was being fake just friends. 

The girl stopped in front of the platonic couple, ignoring the fact she had to stay away.

"How can you do this?" she asked with genuine wonder. 

"Do what?" asked Takuya brightly. 

Elli felt tears coming to her eyes. She felt her heart pounding, and she felt knots in her stomach. 

"You're supposed to be a couple, so why don't you act like it?" she asked again. "If I could, I would hold his hand and I would kiss him everyday, and you—you can do that but you—"

"Do you think it's so easy?" Joonjae asked, shocking the two others. "I know you think you would be much happier if you were with him, but do you think it's the truth?"

Suddenly, the atmosphere felt really heavy and Elli wondered why she felt like that. Why was she so overwhelmed right then? She felt as if she had learned something terrible, as if someone had died. 

"When you're in a relationship and you're famous, you'll realize how different it really is. At least you're a girl and you love a boy. But it's still going to be hard. You will get attacked by fans, you will receive threats and you will suffer. So that's why we do that, because I don't want people to attack my lover and I don't want to see him be the centre of a scandal," Joonjae continued with a serious expression.

Elli was sobbing uncontrollably, because it was true what Joonjae had said, and she had ignored it all along. When, and if she was ever Taehyung's girlfriend, she was sure to receive a lot of hate. And how would that impact on her career? Technically, they weren't even allowed to date. Elli thought, there was probably going to be a moment where she'd have to choose between her love life and her career. And frankly, she wasn't ready to do it like Joonjae and Takuya. She couldn't live a lie. 

"I understand," she finally whimpered with a weak voice. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Joonjae replied. "I was a bit harsh. But you had to know the truth."

Takuya wasn't saying anything. He was just sitting there and listening, and he seemed devastated as Elli. Maybe he was just like her, maybe he didn't want to believe Joonjae. Elli felt so bad for such a bright kid, who would have to live like this forever. But she didn't have much time and she wanted to check on Shin, as she felt bad for him too. So she changed the subject and asked Joonjae.

"There's a shed a bit further. You won't miss it. He's in there," the man answered.

Elli got up and left the couple where they were, wiping her tears away and continuing in her journey to find her ex. 

When she arrived in front of the shed's door, she took a deep breath and opened it. She saw a frightened Shin, duct taped and attached on a chair. When he saw her, his eyes widened and he started twitching. Elli hushed him and set him free, slowly, because she had lost all energy. 

"I'm sorry they've done that to you, Shin," Elli apologized like a robot.

"They're crazy! I never trusted that Joonjae guy! And why the hell are you friends with that girl, Hyeri?! I swear I thought I was going to die in here!" Shin yelled.

He continued complaining, but Elli really couldn't listen to him at that moment. She felt so numb and tired, her eyes were red and her heart was still beating fast. So she simply walked out of the shed, leaving Shin behind, free to go. She had just came to free him, and then she was back to her problems. Elli went towards the sea, thinking about all Joonjae had said, and thinking about Taehyung's words, feeling desperate. First of all, she thought Taehyung didn't want her at all. Second of all, even if he did, their couple life would always have to stay a secret and she couldn't do that. There was no one around and Shin's complaints couldn't be heard anymore, so Elli stopped, looking around. The party was far from where she was and she could hear people laughing and music playing. However, she didn't want to join them. She wasn't in the mood to have some fun. All she wanted was to just—hell, she laid down, on the sand floor, without caring about her hair or clothes getting sandy. She admired the stars, that had just made their appearance, in the fresh summer night. Elli didn't even want to think about all those problems anymore, she just wanted to forget all about it. Eventually, she closed her eyes, trying to feel at peace for a moment. 

After a while, Elli felt the sand next to her move. Her eyes opened immediately, and she turned her head to see someone had laid down next to her. If Elli thought about it, it was truly a strange party. Despite the darkness, she could distinguish Takuya's soft traits. He still had his signature smile, and Elli wondered how he could always look so happy when he was living like this. She turned back to the stars.

"I hope you don't feel too bad, Elli," the boy said. "What Joonjae said was harsh."

"But it was true," the girl replied sadly. "And I can't do it."

"Well… you don't have to."

A little silence followed, but it wasn't awkward. Elli thought this boy was truly an idealist. 

"I mean, I can't because I'm a boy and, you know, it's like a double scandal. But you don't have to be like me. After all, there are plenty of idols who are in a relationship…," he continued.

"But they're getting hate… The woman is always getting the most hate…"

"That's true, sadly. But you know, if I can be honest with you… Joonjae says we have to stay a secret, but I don't think it's true. Even us, we could stop caring about the people who say harsh things on the internet and about the social barriers… So you, for you it would be even easier."

"It wouldn't be easy. People would call me a . Maybe I wouldn't ever be able to debut, because I would have anti-fans, and they would call me a . You have homophobia, and I have misogyny. People always find a reason to hate us."

Takuya didn't talk for a moment. 

"Besides, I'm pretty sure he doesn't even like me," Elli added.

The boy gasped. 

"What are you saying?" he asked, shocked. "I even thought you were a couple when I first saw you. He clearly likes you. All these things he told me about you… He can't be just a friend."

Elli chuckled. She wanted to believe him, she really did. But it just seemed so impossible.

"Elli," Takuya called.

He sit up and Elli did the same. He took her shoulders and looked her right in the eye.

"He likes you. I'm certain of it. And you shouldn't be afraid of what others say. And even if you do, even if you prefer to keep it a secret like us, I'm telling you: it's worth it."

The girl felt a single tear rolling down her cheek, but this time she wasn't sad. Takuya's hopeful words felt really good after what Joonjae had said. And she could trust him, as he was part of this relationship. Maybe she was strong enough after all. Was she really ready to give up on Taehyung? Was she ready to lose to those people on the internet? No, she wasn't. Also, she thought about her best friends, Yoongi and Hyeri. They had worked hard to try to make her happy, and she couldn't let their efforts go to waste. Elli couldn't be that person who ruins everyone's hopes, and who ruins her own chances by being negative and not believing in the future. She needed to trust life, and right now, life was telling her to stop being so dramatic and to listen to Takuya. So she did. 

"Thank you for you kind words," Elli said to the boy softly. "It means a lot."

"You're welcome," he replied. "I hope you can be together. But frankly, I have no doubt you will."

After that encounter on the sand, Elli and Takuya were back to the party, with everyone. They were all by a drink stand, talking and laughing, When Elli's best friends saw her, they rushed to her, Hyeri almost spilling her drink on the floor. 

"Oh my God, where the hell were you?!" the woman asked.

"Yeah, we were worried about you!" Yoongi added.

"I was with Takuya," Elli answered with a smile.

She was happy to see that, for once, her two friends agreed on something. And it warmed her heart to see they were worried about her.

After that, she saw Taehyung behind Yoongi's shoulder. He looked at her strangely. He seemed a little bit worried as well, and Elli was happy to see that too. Maybe he was feeling guilty, and that was good news. Maybe he didn't mean what he said. Elli didn't know, but she was full of hope and she really wanted to believe it. She smiled at him to show him she wasn't mad at him, and he smiled back. Elli felt relieved. Yoongi saw that she was looking over his shoulder and turned to see his friend smiling at her. So he turned to his best friend and gave her a mischievous look.

"Looks like it's going smoothly between you two," he whispered. 

"Oh, yes, I think so," Elli agreed, still looking at Taehyung from far away.

The three of them were satisfied with this party, and Elli saw the future brightly. However, she couldn't help but feel bad for the actual couple who couldn't show their love in public. Speaking of, Joonjae arrived in the middle of the guests drinking and partying, obviously looking for something—probably Takuya, since he had disappeared so suddenly. And Takuya was behind Elli, as he had come back with her. When the other boy saw him, he sighed in relief, and Takuya frowned. He didn't even come near him. 

"Elli, I'll prove it to you," he insinuated to Elli before walking towards Joonjae.

"What are you saying?" she asked, surprised. 

But he was already gone. The boy stopped in front of his boyfriend and before anyone could say anything, kissed him passionately, as if no one was looking. But they were. Elli was speechless, she couldn't believe Takuya would do that just to give her strength. What she didn't know was that, in a way, she gave strength to Takuya too. So everyone was cheering, and no one was surprised. After all, telling the truth didn't feel that bad to the couple. They knew they would have to deal with a lot of hate in the future, but it was worth it. You need to start somewhere. And Elli felt, if they could do it, so could she. She looked at Taehyung who was cheering with everyone, their gazes met again, and it was like a declaration of love.