Y/N

"You're fired."

Those words keeps on lingering in my head, whispering through my ears as I made my way to my apartment. I can't believe I just heard those, now that Baekhyun and I are dating? I longed for that decision when I wanted to leave him for mistreating me and only received them now that he loves me too?

I stopped in the middle of the hallway, in between my apartment door and Baekhyun's. In one spin, Youngmin comes into the view few feet away from me. I in a breath, suddenly losing my courage to speak.

So he did it first. "I just want to-"

"I know. I'll get him." I turned to face Baekhyun's door. "Can you wait for a minute? It won't take long, I just need a word with him."

He nodded once and I took it as a cue to enter.

My worried boyfriend greets me as soon as I got inside, jumping on his uninjured foot to make his way to me.

"What was it all about? Why did he called you in the middle of the night?"

I avoided his eyes and nibbled on my bottom lip, one hand rubbing my arm as I thought of words to say.

Baekhyun senses my hesitation and placed both of his hands on my shoulders, stilling his eyes on mine. "My love, is it something serious?"

Before I could change my mind into not telling him at all, I blurted out, "I'm fired."

I felt how his grip tightened and his body tensing up.

"I told you that we should be careful! Someone caught us and told Sooman that we're dating!" I swung my arms to remove his hold on to my shoulders before stepping away from him. "You got a new manager and he will be the one to go with you to your schedules from now on, since I will no longer work-"

He snapped out of his reverie and breaks my words off. "I'm going to talk to him. Right now." he limps past me to quickly grab his car keys that I had thrown on the coffee table earlier.

"Baekhyun-"

"No! I had enough of this. I don't want our relationship to end up like what happened before. I only want you as my manager and no one else!"

I have expected his reaction to be like this. "Baek, calm down. He already fired me as your manager."

"I can't let him control everything in my life again! How am I supposed to calm down-"

"Because he promoted me to be your non-celebrity girlfriend."

That's all what it took for his rage to come down in an instant. It was as if his world stopped, time comes into halt that he himself was left standing still and everything falls into silence. If it wasn't for his eyes blinking in confusion, I could've sworn this whole situation is like time really had stopped running.

Once Baekhyun recovered, his face went from surprised to confused. "What?" one of his brows ascended.

"I was just playing with you." I tried holding back my laughter and a snort came out instead. "Sooman kicking me out of my job was just an act to scare the hell out of me for not telling him soon-" my sentence was cut short with a shriek when he lifts me up and spins me around in bliss.

His face holds the happiest smile and his lips freed the most delightful laughter of celebration. Baekhyun puts me down, keeping his glistening eyes clinging on mine. I don't know if it's because he's about to cry or it's tears of joy.

"Really?" he asked, his palms finding my cheeks and I nodded to answer his question. "We don't have to keep our relationship a secret?"

I encircled my arms around his waist and pulled him closer. "From him, for now."

"But what's the new manager all about?"

"Sooman didn't want the articles to come out as you dating your manager, if time comes we get caught or we decide to reveal our relationship to the public. Youngmin will be around as your manager number two from now on."

He angled his head to the side, confused. "But you're still my manager, right?"

"Of course. He's a cover up manager- I mean, a bodyguard-like kind of manager. One that drives sasaengs away if he sees one. It's something I can't do so he's definitely needed around."

"So you're like my main manager but no one outside of work knows about that?"

I nodded to answer his question.

"I'm fine with it."

I squeaked when he drops himself on the couch, taking me by the waist and pulling me along with him. The way our eyes locked only made my heart beat wildly against my chest. But what made me the most nervous is the fact that I'm straddling him. Knees planted on his sides, my hands on his chest to keep a steady distance in between us.

Under my palms, I can feel his heart hammering that his ribs and flesh can't hide. And I totally understand why.

Because we've been close, but never been this close.

"As long as you're right where I can see you, I should be fine."

"I'm not going anywhere, Baekhyun."

With this familiar feeling rising in me, my hands started to go up to his shoulders. Each glide of my palm on his clothed skin, losing the only way to keep us apart, it provoked me to lean closer and so did he. Our eyes were slowly closing in sync.

Will I ever get enough of him? No. Never. Not when he's being way too irresistible. Not when I love him too much. Not when he's my soulmate.

Once my hands reached the back of Baekhyun's head, I already have my lips ghosting on his, teasing to touch his anticipating ones slightly puckering. My fingers comb through his locks and our warm breaths meeting halfway. His minty, mine sweet.

But before I could press our lips together, something dawned on me so suddenly that my eyes shot open and a gasp slipped out of my mouth.

"Wait... I remember, he's waiting outside." I quickly got myself off him and smoothened out my clothes, then fixing my hair.

Baekhyun looks at me, confused. "Who?"

"Your new manager." I hold out a hand, offering to help him up.

He accepted it and I pulled him to stand. "Why is he here?"

"He's starting as soon as you get back but he really wants to meet you that he couldn't wait any longer." I fixed his hair that was a little messy after combing my hands through them. Maybe I was a little harsher.

"Can you walk, my love?"

With a playful grin, he shakes his head. I know he can at least limp on his own. He literally just spun me around, maybe because of adrenaline rush. But I know he can make it to the door himself. However, I can't seem to think of saying anything and just grabbed his arm and put it around my shoulders to keep him on his feet. And then we made our way to the door to meet his new manager.

Youngmin appears as soon as I opened the door. Standing still and patient that it almost look like he's waiting to finally meet someone so important that he has to impress.

"I'm sorry for making you wait, Youngmin-ssi."

He nods at me, indicating that wasn't a problem and then he moves his gaze a little higher to the side. The moment he's looking at Baekhyun, Youngmin smiles brightly.

"Hi, I'm Noh Youngmin. Your new manager." he extends a hand. "I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Byun Baekhyun."

And Baekhyun took it for a friendly shake. "I bet they weren't all good."

"Not gonna lie on that one."

That made me burst out a giggle but quickly pursed my lips when Baekhyun nudges my side.

However, Youngmin went on, "But that did not stop me from wanting to meet you. I have never believed what I've heard from other people the moment I stepped a foot on SM."

"I think you're meant to see what you believe and met me at the right time. I was that kind of person they told you about." Baekhyun paused to lift his chin confidently. "Right now, I'm totally different from what they say about me."

"I beg to differ, my love." I butted in. "I think it's more like, he went back to what kind of person he really is. Baekhyun had always been good. It's just that... People wouldn't talk about him that way if never happened and he didn't misunderstood things."

"Ah, the story about his manager from before. I heard from Sooman that she's an idol now."

An ephemeral silence falls upon us while Youngmin blinks innocently, not knowing he's opening a sensitive topic. As much as possible, I avoid bringing her up in any conversation about Baekhyun and everything in the past. If we never reached this point, I would say Baekhyun deserves to feel awful for every flashback of his mistakes.

But he said he's sorry and is making up to it. The least that I could do is to remind him that it wasn't entirely his fault. His career and Baekhyun himself was at stake. Although I have never really understood why what Jian did has to be kept from him, when things would've been easier if he knows the truth while it was fresh.

"Baekhyun already apologized for his mistakes but it wasn't that easy to tell people he's not going to do anything to them ever again."

"He used to do something to them?" Youngmin seems to find it amusing when he scoffed, rather excitedly. The moment he realized that we're staring so nonchalant, he cleared his throat. "That's not nice, indeed."

"I was hoping that with you around will help Baekhyun get his identity back." I took a deep breath in. I'm about to briefly bring up the past and it always makes me feel bad. "You see, Baekhyun used to get rid of his managers. If they see that you stayed for more than a day, maybe they'll change their minds about him."

"But aren't you supposed to be enough as a proof?"

"She's one of a kind." Baekhyun interferes, smirking proudly. "I tried to get rid of her, too. Even after finding out that she's my fan, which could fire her in a second, I couldn't bring myself to tell Sooman."

"Looking back, was it because you already like me?" I poked his cheek in attempt to .

And Baekhyun decided to play along when he playfully gasped and feign a surprised expression. "Was it? I think so. I mean, you're cute."

"Okay, okay. I'm going to take my leave." Youngmin backs away, holding out his palms looking like he had given up. "I know you guys have been dying to get rid of me so you can be lovey-dovey and all."

"Glad you know."

"Baekhyun." I nagged and elbowed him.

"Kidding. Nice meeting you, Youngmin. Can't wait to have you around."

Although I get this feeling every time I see that people aren't showing horrified faces when Baekhyun's around anymore, I just feel like from now on, every days will get even more better.

----

As soon as Baekhyun recovered, we continued going to his schedules, which are mostly rehearsals for his upcoming world tour. Now that we have Youngmin around us, it's making me and Baekhyun feel awkward and reluctant to interact the way we do at home. Which should be a good thing, actually. It might help practice our professionalism and stop us from flirting when at work.

After getting caught being intimate in the middle of Baekhyun's schedule, by a sasaeng. Baekhyun and I thoroughly talked about the problem and decided that we'll have to strictly leave the intimacy at home the moment we step out of our apartments. With Youngmin following us as the second manager, we shouldn't do things that'll make him feel left out and awkward.

I arrived at SM first and waited for Baekhyun by the lobby. To avoid getting spotted together, I have to leave earlier than Baekhyun and take a different ride to work. It's almost making me lovesick when he's not around me so early in the morning. And the fact that it's my idea is making this temporary separation worst.

It shouldn't take them long to arrive, I told myself while eyeing the entrance. A minute or two, Baekhyun turns up and immediately found me patiently waiting for him. He pulled his mask off, probably just to show off his handsome smile to tell me how happy he is to see me, like it's been a long time we've seen each other.

Yet I tried to make it seem like it didn't have any effect on me and went through his schedules on my iPad. "Now that the concert is fast approaching, you'll have to rehearse longer than before. Do you want me to reschedule your vocal lessons a little later?"

"No. Tell him I won't be attending lessons for few days to make up to those missed rehearsals."

"Okay." I did a little hand gesture for us to go and Baekhyun led the way. As we walk, I was preparing to call his vocal teacher when he stopped all of a sudden and I bumped against his back.

"I think it was a lie when they told me that you two were flirting at work."

We immediately bowed at Sooman to show respect.

"We aren't taking advantage of the privilege given to us, Sir." I answered casually, whilst fighting the urge to steal a glance at Baekhyun or I'll start blushing madly.

"Y/n and I agreed to keep everything professional if we're at work. Considering our state when we were caught by someone." Baekhyun continued and I nodded my head to support that.

Sooman inclined his body to the side, just to look at Youngmin behind me, waiting for his turn to speak. "Are they telling the truth?"

"Certainly, Sir. There was a sasaeng outside the apartment building earlier. They didn't have any choice but to be cautious."

The elder nodded. "It's a bummer I can't see how you two do cute things. Just to let you two know..." he squinted his eyes. "I 'ship ship' you." he whispered and even made a kissing gesture using his hands. That totally made me blush and Youngmin sneaking a laugh isn't helping.

"I don't think anyone would mind to see you getting flirty and all."

"They won't but we will." Baekhyun clicks his tongue. "I appreciate you trying to talk us out of this, teacher Sooman. We're firm with our decision, though. I don't want to put Y/n in any trouble and put her privacy at risk."

Another nod as he tried to hide his disappointment over Baekhyun's rejection. "I see. At least I had a glimpse of you being a boyfriend to someone."

And then Sooman leaves a knowing smirk at me before walking out.

BAEKHYUN

I don't know how Y/n's cute, little squeals echoing in every corners of my apartment first thing in the morning were enough to have me mesmerized. Sitting across me for breakfast, the prettiest girl. Her fists were shaking beside her head, face scrunching up adorably as she blissfully talks about getting her driver's license today.

"And next week, I'm gonna tell people I got my driver's license last week!" and was followed by a baby giggle. How on earth is she always this adorable?

Y/n gasped all of a sudden. "I'm driving us home." she pointed a finger, as if threatening me. "You can't say no."

"I'm not planning to, love."

"Great! That's settled. Tomorrow, we will use my car." just when she's about to take another spoon of her food, a beep interrupted and her phone screen lit up.

"I should go." Y/n jumps off the stool and rounded the island to get to me and press a chaste kiss on my lips. "Love you! See you later!"

She runs to exit the kitchen but stopped few steps aft