Y/N

"You didn't mean that, don't you?"

I rotated my head to look at France, but he kept his eyes on the road. "I... I'm sorry."

"It's okay, sweetheart." he glances at me with his delicate eyes. Now I feel bad for asking him to go on a date with me for the sake of Baekhyun's career. So I'm basically playing with his feelings, taking advantage of it without the guarantee of returning something.

He must have noticed how bothered I am and decided to initiate the conversation to pull me out of my thoughts. "We only have few hours left, do you think you can still show me around?"

"What do you mean few hours left? I have all the time, I don't have work tomorrow."

"That may be the case, but you have a curfew," he laughs a bit. "Do you know what Baekhyun and I talked about when you found us?"

Confused, I stared at him as if my eyes were asking in behalf of my mouth.

"He told me that I'm allowed to take you out, but should get you home before 10 PM." it was followed by a breathy chuckle. "You think you're the only one who has the manager role in between you two?"

I looked outside the window and smiled to myself. One thing I know for sure is that Baekhyun somehow cares for me despite having to avoid me.

I realized that we're both doing everything just for us to stay the way that we are — the chaotic pair of idol and manager, whose daily quarrels were anticipated by many. Funny how I get annoyed by seeing people fight each other, but I'm so willing to have those petty fights with Baekhyun everyday. If he breathes by ruining my day, I live off of firing back at him.

"So, what made you say that?"

I pursed my lips. "Uhm... I am trying to stay in my job as Baekhyun's manager, but we've been looking suspicious while going out to look some things that he could use for his song. Fans who managed to see us, thought he's dating me. Now those fans were threatening us that they'll spread the photos they secretly took." France attentively listened to my explanation, briefly staring at me or nodding his head to encourage me to go on. "I had to make those fans believe that I'm dating someone, in order not to harass both me and Baekhyun. I'm sorry for using you, I-"

"Hey, it's fine Y/n. As long as it's for your sake, I'd be fine with it."

I sent him a rueful smile and returns a sweet one. I'm sorry if you have to be dragged along with our problem, France.

After a while in the car and walking inside an establishment, we found ourselves standing in front of an arcade's entrance. France was shyly scratching the back of his neck and would anxiously steal glances at me. For a second, I thought he wants to leave and go somewhere else instead.

"Uh, are we going in?"

He breathes out in relief, one hand coming up to his chest. "I thought you'd tell me it's lame. I have always wanted to try going to an arcade but being a busy man, I couldn't."

Right, he dedicated his life into his company that he never had time to go out and have fun, not even dating. I don't think I would last a day if I were to live like France. Not being able to have fun or feeling your heart flutter for someone, just do business in my whole life? A person like me would rather die than do paper works for the rest of my life.

I beamed at him. "It's not lame. I actually thought it's cute."

"I only see it in TV shows, but I will do everything to get you a stuffed fruit from that claw machine." he points a finger at a claw machine filled with fruit plushies.

"Go ahead, no one had ever tried to get me a plushie from them."

Determinedly, he narrows his eyes and nods, then he marched towards the claw machine with his fists enclosed. I followed after him, quietly giggling. It's somehow comforting to see a man like France (who never had time for himself) let loose and and have fun at least for a short time.

"Which fruit do you want me to get?"

I hummed, intently checking the fruits in the machine. "Strawberry!"

"Okay, strawberry it is." he did something to his hands that made a cracking sound of his bones. After inserting the coin to the slot, he sets his hands on the controller and fixated his eyes on the only strawberry plushie inside. "I'm... Getting... The strawberry!"

He didn't.

It took him a lot of attempt but he couldn't get a single plushy. I didn't want him to feel pressured to do such thing, so I tried to tell him it's fine.

But I never thought he could be so stubborn.

"France, it's fine. I swear-"

"No, love. I don't give up that easily." he slams his hand on the button and he still couldn't grab the desired fruit.

"Okay, how about get me something else other than the strawberry?"

He puckered his lips, slightly disappointed but nevertheless tried to play again. One attempt, he gets the peach one. The shock and happiness in his eyes was priceless as he pulled the plushie from where to receive it and hands it to me immediately.

"I know you can do it." I had to reach for his head just to give it a soft tap. France responds by smiling proudly and placing a hand on my back before guiding me away from that machine.

Both of us whipped our heads to look behind when we heard squeals, only to see that someone managed to get the only strawberry plushie from the same machine France tried so hard to do so. I shifted my eyes to his face and could only giggle at the sight of his betrayed expression. While it's lasting, I took a picture of it as a memory to remember.

Wait a minute... Even when my Instagram had been set to private after discovering that sasaengs found it, I think some of them managed to sneak in. If I were to post photos of me with France, enjoying each other's company and looking like a couple, then it will be more convincing that I'm not dating Baekhyun. I am really not dating him, but they're suspicious...

Eureka! I just had to post photos of France looking like my boyfriend or us being in a relationship, to clear suspicions. And then I will proceed with messing with the sasaeng's materials in attempt to threaten me, which are the photos. If those photos were to appear meaningless, then I'm out of threat.

And I just had the perfect idea to carry it out.

----

I spent the whole night thinking about this thoroughly. Ha, now those sasaengs lost the only thing they held against me. That means Baekhyun and I will soon be back to normal.

With overflowing confidence in me, I made my way inside the SM building. Chin held high, slight smirk etching on my lips, my hands were tight around the folder I'm holding. It's now or never, fighting with Baekhyun is better than feeling those chills down my spine because of his silent treatment towards me.

Once I reached Sooman's office, I knocked on the door and waited to hear his permission that I'm allowed to go in. I heard nothing, but Baekhyun suddenly shows up, being the one who opened the door for me.

Just wait there, my love. I'm going to get us back to the way we used to be. I passed by him and went straight to Sooman's desk, then placing down the folder in front of him without saying anything.

"What's this?" he asked, taking the folder in his hands and then opening it to check what's inside. "What are these?" his brows furrowed once he saw the contents and pulled them out one by one.

I just showed Sooman the photos that the sasaeng sent to me.

"Are you crazy?!" Baekhyun exclaimed from behind me.

I ignored him and casually said, "Some sasaengs are threatening me with those photos."

"Which I guess are the same set of photos that Baekhyun was about to show me?" he laid each photos on the table, intertwined his hands and did his usual pose when he's suspicious of me and Baekhyun.

"Wait, he was about to?" I looked back at Baekhyun. "You received those photos too?"

"Of course they'd send it to me, I was in it!"

I waved a hand off to dismiss him. "Whatever, that's besides the point. We all have one goal in here and that is to prevent the spreading of those photos."

"I know that, but first of all, how did you two have such kind of photos-" I have predicted that he's going to say those, and I have prepared a perfect defense that will surely clear his suspicions of me and drop what the photos actually meant.

"I'm dating someone," Sooman's eyes instantly bugged out at my interruption, his lips parting in disbelief. Okay, this is going to the way I've planned. Except, I never thought he'd react like he failed an important task. However, I exhaled and carried on, "My boyfriend would find it disrespectful if those photos were to spread when it means nothing at all. We just did that amusement park date for Baekhyun to precisely describe the those of what he wants to be included in the song."

"You're dating someone?" he stuttered, ignoring my long explanation.

"Yes, so I would like to ask for help-"

"You're really dating? Like really, really dating?" Sooman was unconvinced, looking like a student who couldn't believe he failed a test which he thought was so easy.

Weird, but I reluctantly confirmed anyway. "Yeah...?"

"Oh," his eyelids fluttered rapidly, uncertainty still visible on his visage. "Of course we don't want the photos to spread. Incase the sasaeng who sent you the photos decided to cause rumors, how should we address that?"

"I was thinking that Amusement Park was supposed to have a music video, but SM suddenly decided not to push through with that and ended up with the simple live one." Sooman nods his head, amused with my idea. "So, we were spotted at an amusement park to supposedly film the alleged music video."

"That's so intellectual of you," he claps his hands. "I like how you know what to say or do to save Baekhyun from malicious rumors."

We were dismissed not long after that and as soon as I stepped out of Sooman's office and the door closed, I never felt so relieved that I started doing my victory dance. I mean, I just got myself out of the sasaeng's threat against me and my job as Baekhyun's manager, of course I'd be dancing to celebrate that. I'm staying, yes!

I snappily twirled to face Baekhyun with a huge grin and offered a hand, encouraging him for a handshake. "You don't have to be scared now. I can do everything so I won't be fired."

He took one step back, looks at my hand with disgust and then back at my face, wiping off my smile. "I am more scared than I was before."

"Huh?"

Baekhyun didn't answer and glares at me instead. I tried to read through his expression, hoping to find something that may help me understand his statement, but he trudged past me figure and leaving me confused. What does he mean by being more scared than before? What's still there to be afraid of when I will make sure I get to stay beside him?

Everything is confusing me! From the moment he started ignoring me and up until now that he's scared of something that I don't know about. I just want us to go back to the way we used to be, is it that hard?

"Baekhyun!" I ran after him and he hastened his steps. "You can't leave me, I'm you manager! I won't tell you your schedule for today." he abruptly stops at that, still