Encounter

A week had seemingly passed unknown to Chaerin. Time flew when she spent it with Ash. Despite the brief interlude, both members were slowly becoming attached. Any form of free time was now spent within each other’s company. Still, the question that lingered on her mind was the status of their relationship. Were they together or not?

Chaerin’s eyes followed Ash as he maneuvered across the hotel room, preparing for a photo-shoot with Elle magazine. Today was an important day for him since the photos shot today would be displayed across Korea, allowing an introduction for larger designer labels. Nevertheless, she still wanted him to stay.

“Please stay.” She pouted, gazing at him.

“I would love to, but you know I can’t babe.” His voice was raspy and laced with an English accent Chaerin adored. Steadily, he paced towards her, placing a soft peck on her forehead.

She nodded in understanding. “There’s going to be an annual YG staff party tomorrow. Would you mind accompanying me?” She questioned, testing the waters. Were they really exclusive? Her eyes scanned his but she couldn’t read them.

“Of course, love.” His lips curved into a smile and she mentally sighed, reassured. His body turned away and he ran his long fingers across his hair to tame the dishevelment. Reaching for his favorite YSL cologne, he added a couple sprays but paused when he saw her frown in the reflection of the mirror. “Is everything alright?” He stepped back towards her, concern written on his face.

“Yeah.” Her heartbeat rose against her chest as she whiffed in his scent. It was Jiyong’s signature cologne. Chaerin’s body tensed as an artificial smile formed across her lips. “Just upset I don’t get to spend time with you today.”

Any form of worry left his features upon hearing her words. A smile spread across his face as he pulled her in for a kiss. He sighed in contentment while pulling away. His eyes were now confronted with an angelic smile and despite being unreligious, he still praised the gods for creating such a perfect human.

Stepping out of the luxury vehicle, Chaerin marched into the YG building. Many fans and photographers stood outside, capturing pictures and she was grateful of the large-framed sunglasses that obstructed some of the flashes. Her voice held a steady tone as she hummed a melody she recently couldn’t get out of her head. Using it to her advantage, she stepped inside the elevator, heading towards the studios to write down the song.

Her poise was momentarily shaken when her eyes leveled against Jiyong’s. Dropping her eyes to the floor, she inhaled a quiet breath as her heartbeats increased dramatically.

Jiyong cleared his throat and stood up straight, his body immediately tensing. How could she have the decency to deter from eye contact after avoiding him for a ing year? He sized her up. She looked great, amazing even. But, he once again recalled how she left without a single warning, completely throwing away their friendship. “Hi.” He muttered, his voice was monotone and his eyes slowly began growing cold. He hated how she was ing up his mind without even realizing.

Taking a moment to calm herself, her eyes slowly met his only to be taken aback by the coldness. She gulped, gritting her teeth at the butterflies slowly creeping in the pit of her stomach. “How are you?” She asked, her voice was almost too quiet but she silently praised herself for not stumbling across her words. Her hands were held behind her back and she tightly balled them into fists, leaving them a pale white color. Her features were now emotionless, and she forcefully suppressed the ache in her heart, leaving her numb.

He scoffed, clenching his teeth tightly. How was he? He was ing pissed. He hated that she left for an entire year without calling him once. And more importantly, he hated the feelings that dawdled in his heart when he saw her. He was now no longer important to her and it hurt. So how could she have the ing dignity to ask him how he was? “Good, and you?”

His reply was brief and she enforced a small smile across . Chaerin hadn’t realized just how much she missed him until this encounter. She mentally cursed realizing he doesn’t care. Because why would Jiyong ever miss her? Her eyes were now searching his for some form of emotion but to no avail. This isn’t okay. She isn’t ing okay anymore. “Good.” Silence engulfed the hallway and she acknowledged the conversation was over. Seeing him left her conflicted with her heart. Was sh