It wasn’t because they meant to. It just came out. They really tried to be careful. They didn’t even wear matching rings in public. They pretended to have a platonic relationship and even tried to dodge condemning questions. The members also tried to help. However, they don’t always have the privacy that they needed. There are eyes everywhere.

Leeteuk always worried about D&E activities because if they were left to themselves, anything could happen. It wasn’t their togetherness that pointed out the truth in their relationship. It was the sudden space, and pained detachment that the two displayed when they were out in public.

There is always a truth to the rumors.

~

Eunhae squints through the bright lights. She keeps her head lowered, but there’s just too many bodies pressed up against her, it’s like swimming in mud. Someone keeps a protective arm around her, but it becomes a hindrance from all the jostling and pushing of people from every space there’s possible.

“Eunhae, Eunhae, over here! Tell us the truth!” A phone was jabbed to her face, and she looks at it. A camera flashes at her face.

The taut arm around her steers her away, and she was pushed into a van. The door shuts and she flinches. People or reporters, or angry fans-they all banged on the window. It was so bad that Eunhae thought that they were going to break it.

She couldn’t help it-she bursts into tears. All that training on how to control her emotions went down the drain.

~

“Lee Eunhae, I said no, and that’s that,” Hyukjae snaps, trying to keep his voice even.

“But, appa!” Eunhae protests. “Can you at least explain why it’s a bad thing? You and dad were trainees too! You’re Super Junior!”

“Still no! That’s final!” Hyukjae almost shouts. He never had to raise his voice to his own daughter. This was also their first fight, and Hyukjae’s not sure if this sits well with him. It breaks his heart to say no to her.

Eunhae storms off, all thunder and rage. She did not understand this anger inside of her, but it’s something that she had made her mind up on so it irks her that she doesn’t have the power to make it happen for herself.

“Eunhae,” Donghae calls, rushing down the steps. “Baby, where are you going?”

She ignores her dad, and threw open the front door. Eunhae walks out without looking back. Her hair flies behind her, and her thin frame wobbles down the street.

In the living