My whole body tensed up at the abrupt meeting of Chanyeol's lips on mine. My heart was beating wildly against my chest while my mind struggled to calm the turmoil that was my thoughts. I was confused, bewildered, at a lost-- there wasn't a perfect word to describe how I was feeling at that exact moment. What was happening? Why was Chanyeol kissing me? And why wasn't I letting go?

When I finally straightened my thoughts, I tried pushing Chanyeol away, only to find that he had his large hand firmly secured behind my head. He fought my resistance, drawing me even closer as his kiss intensified on my mouth.

With his other hand, he brushed his fingers against my chin to tilt it upwards, allowing him better access. He moved his lips hungrily, not giving me time to breathe or recover from his touch. The faint taste of mint lingered in his mouth; the smell of his cologne invaded my nostrils and his dark hair tickled my forehead as he continued to my lips with his. He used his hand to guide me towards him, his lips pushing against mine, a low growl rumbling at the back of his throat as he moaned. It sounded deep and y. I was melting against him, butterflies were fluttering in my stomach as he refused to let me escape his intoxicating embrace--

"Oppa!"

My breath hitched as Chanyeol finally pulled away, leaving me breathless and weak in the knees. His eyes locked on mine and I saw that they were shimmering with lust. He smiled at me. He looked like he was pleased with my reaction.

"What are you doing, oppa?!"

Chanyeol turned at the sound of a high-pitched voice. I did too. And when I did, I found that we were no longer alone in the dressing room. There, crowding in front of the door, was Suji and the EXO members. All their eyes were fixed on me and Chanyeol, the expressions they wore were of shock and surprise. Did they witness us kissing just now?

Suji was the only one who was vocal, "Oppa! What were you doing kissing her?" she asked angrily, her face scrunched up and her petite hands balled into fists.

Chanyeol wrapped his arm around my waist, drawing me closer to his hip. He smiled at her innocently, "What? I can't kiss my girlfriend?"

"What?!" Finally, EXO found their voices again.

"L-little Umma's y-your girlfriend?" Kai asked, still visibly shocked. "Since when?"

"Since just now" he replied. He glanced down at me and I looked at him, puzzled at what he was saying. Girlfriend? What? I never agreed to this! But before I could protest, I felt his hand squeeze me tighter against his hip. He looked at me as if he was warning me to be careful with what I say.

"Is this true, Nami-ah?" It was Xiumin. I looked at him and saw that he didn't wear an expression of shock like the others. Instead, he wore an expression of pain. He searched my eyes as if pleading me to say that Chanyeol was wrong-- that what he was saying wasn't true.

I opened my mouth and almost told him the truth, that it was all a hoax and, that Chanyeol was making it all up but, Chanyeol beat me to it. "It's true, hyung," he said to him. "We're dating now."

Xiumin looked from Chanyeol and then back to me. "I want it to hear it from you, Nami-ah." His voice sounded hurt, "Is this true? Are you and Chanyeol... dating?"

Again I opened my mouth but the words I wanted to say didn't come out. I looked at Chanyeol and saw that his eyes were urging me to go along with his lie. If you don't want me to expose your secret, you'll go along with it, his gaze said. I met eyes with Xiumin again. If Chanyeol exposed me now then, Xiumin and the others would find out that I was a reporter. They'd find out that I'd been lying to them all this time and they'll end up hating me. And the thought of Xiumin ever hating me was unbearable.

I had no choice. I had to lie.

"It's true, oppa." The words were out of my mouth before I realised. "I'm dating Chanyeol now. "

The light in Xiumin's eyes dulled in resignation. "Oh..." he managed to say. I watched as his mouth formed into a small smile as he forced himself to look at me once more. "Congratulations," he said. His words stung me like thorns. "Congratulations to both of you."

"This is unbelievable!" Suho remarked. "Yah! You shouldn't be dating. Our no-dating contract--"

"That's right!" Suji wailed. She had traces of tears in the corner of her eyes. "Oppa, you can't date her! She's-she's your housekeeper!"

Chanyeol shrugged it off. "I can't help how I feel." He looked at me lovingly, "And I know you guys are all shocked but I hope that you'll learn to accept us." He pulled me close and planted a kiss on my forehead.

I shot him a warning look, my face heating up with embarrassment.

"We're in love," Chanyeol declared.

Seeing Chanyeol kiss me again, an upset Suji grabbed hold of a stray shoe on the floor and threw it at Chanyeol. He dodged it just in time. "Chanyeol-oppa, you pabo!" she screamed, before running out of the dressing room, crying. The EXO members were too stunned to stop her.

"Wah, you sure are popular" Chen commented as he watched Suji leave.

"Maybe too popular" Baekhyun added.

The EXO members stood in silence for a moment as they continued to stare at Chanyeol and me.

Finally, Kai went over to us. "Well, if you guys are dating then, I'll just congratulate you."

Sehun followed suit. "Yeah. It's still quite a shock but, sometimes, love just happens."

D.O's expression was unreadable. "Take care of Nami-ah, Chanyeol-ah," he told him. "Don't you ever hurt her."

"I won't, D.O-ah."

D.O looked at me and gave me a small smile. His round eyes looked sorrowful, "I'm happy you're happy" he murmured.

Suho sighed, "Well, as long as you two don't cause any scandals, then I guess it's fine."

But as the EXO members all gathered around us, giving us their congratulations and asking Chanyeol how he had won my heart over, there was only one thing I was thinking the whole time.

And that was how I had hurt the one person I loved most with a deceitful kiss and cruel lie.

~*~

I put my hands on my face and sighed. It had been a long day, a draining day, and I just wanted to go to sleep and put everything that happened behind me. I was back at the dorm and it was already late in the evening. I collapsed onto my bed and buried my face in my pillow. It was all a bad dream, I told myself. It was all a bad dream. None of it was real. I'm just having a nightmare. I'm just having a night--

There was a knock on the door.

I turned my head and saw that someone had come in. "What are you doing?"

I frowned. It was the last person I wanted to see. "Piss off, Chanyeol," I told him.

Chanyeol was bemused, "Yah, that's not a very nice thing to say."

I shot him a look and threw my pillow at him. "Go away! Why are you even here? You've already tortured me enough!"

Chanyeol dodged my flying pillow and approached me on my bed. "I'm here because I need to talk to you."

"Oh yeah?" I spat. "Well, I don't want to talk so, leave" I ordered, pointing to the door.

Chanyeol pursed his lips. "Why are you being like this?" And then his lips curled into a smile. "I see. It's about the kiss earlier, isn't it?"

I blushed at the thought of it. I had worked so hard to forget that it ever happened and now, here, in front of me, was the biggest reminder of it all.

The perpetrator himself.

Chanyeol smiled smugly as he traced his finger along the bottom of his lip. His eyes were shiny with mischief. "I gotta say, you at kissing."

If my face was pink, then it must be red by now. I was flushed. I grabbed the nearest throwable object and launched it at him. It turned out to be my slipper. Chanyeol was quick to dodge again. "You're such a prick!" I yelle