Byul walks down to the end of the hallway after getting a message from Jeonghan that he wants to meet her. Byul braves up and informs Chanyeol that she will be meeting Jeonghan to avoid fights between them. She knows Chanyeol isn't easily distrusting her but she didn't want anything that kept them away. Their last fight is enough for her to get a mental breakdown. Chanyeol noted on the event and Byul text Jeonghan where to meet. She sees from afar Jeonghan is looking at the floor with his feet tapping the ground. He looks nervous with no expression on his face. She clears when she is nearly him. He looked up and his face brightens up.

"What is it?" Byul asked him right away. Jeonghan didn't say anything but keep smiling at her. Byul frowned before flip her hair and pretend as she wants to walk away. Jeonghan grabs her wrist and stops her from leaving. Byul looks at him before pulling her arms and crosses at her chest. 

"What is it?" she repeats the question. Jeonghan hums before clears his throat and makes eye contact with her. 

"Thanks for choosing me to be your manager, again," he said. Byul scoffs. Two days ago, the second interview has happened without Byul attending the interview. She knows the choice and she let Mr.Lee and Mrs.Yoon choose the rightful manager for a new group. When the result is out this morning, she received text messages from Jeonghan about meeting her. 

"Your welcome. I did change the rules for you." Byul said in an arrogant expression. Jeonghan smiles. He walks near to Byul but stops when Byul straightens her posture to create the distance between them. 

"As promised, I won't flirt with you. But I can't promise about my feelings for you." Byul face starts to show that she is uncomfortable. Jeonghan comes closer and Byul trapped with the wall behind her back. "I need to see if this dude is really making you happy." Jeonghan winks. Byul scoffs and pushes him away. Jeonghan chuckled. 

"Chanyeol is capable enough to make me feel secure. He is the happiest thing that ever happens in my life, Jeonghan-ah." Byul said as a defense for herself. Jeonghan pouts. 

"I thought the one-week thing is the happiest that ever happen to you." Byul face changes. Jeonghan reminded her of the memory that hurt her the most. Jeonghan notices her expression. She sighs and tries to walk away but Jeonghan grabs her wrist. "Did I say something wrong?" Byul shakes her head and pulls her hands but Jeonghan still didn't let her go. 

"Byul-ah." he touches her jaw to make her head lift up to look at him. "I'm sorry if you still hurt by our past. I thought you moved on." Byul stunned by his words. 

"I-I mo-moved on. I-I d-did." she blinks and looked away. Jeonghan tucked her loose hair. 

"But still, I'm sorry for hurting you and making you suffer through our relationship," he added and it seems like adding the salt to the wound in her heart. Byul clenched her fist before pushing him away.

"I'll see you around." she left. Jeonghan let her go. Byul runs to the bathroom and leans on the sink. She gulped and looks herself in the mirror. All the memories with Jeonghan seem to flashback in the mirror. The way he takes good care of her, he feeds her, he spoiled her, he kisses her, he hugs her, their fight, their argument, their misunderstanding. It fulls of rage, attention, and jealousy. They never had a proper love to nurture. They never had a good beginning. They never really focus on love but more on needs and desiring each other. 

Byul washes her face to forget about her past. She didn't want her heart to get wavered by his action. She has Chanyeol now. The love in her life. She only needs Chanyeol and only him. The phone is ringing and it makes her jolted. She smiles in relief after seeing the caller's name on the screen. 'Babe'. Byul swipes to answer. 

"Hey, where are you?" Chanyeol asked in a worried tone. Byul chuckled. 

"I'm in a bathroom. I'm fine. Where are you? I have a meeting with Mr.Lee before I can go back home." Byul said while walking out of the bathroom. 

"Well, I thought you were still with Jeonghan." Byul sighs and wandered her way to the corner where staff can have a rest while watching a view of the big window glass is the high building and traffic. 

"Babe. I'm not with him." Byul answered him after she takes a seat on one of the couches. 

"Are you okay?" Chanyeol asked again in worried. 

"Babe, I'm okay. You sound like you can't trust me on this. It was just a meeting." Byul pouts. 

"What are you guys talking about?" Chanyeol asked again after a sigh. 

"Well, it's nothing. He just wants to thanks me for picking him as the manager again. And compliment me for breaking the rules? Changing the rules?" she chuckled. 

"It was him that want to be your manager again. You were forced to pick him as your manager." Chanyeol scoffs. "If he's not in the picture, you would have a different manager by now. Not him." he sounds different. Byul frowned. 

"Babe, are you okay? You sound unlike you." Byul's body leans forward. 

"Look, Byul. Who will be okay if your current girlfriend manager is her ex? It's not cool at all but I have to accept it since you want to help him with something? I-I don't get it." Chanyeol becomes more subtle with his words. Byul is stunned. "Today is his first day. In fact, he was just appointed to be your manager but already request to meet you secretly, again... in your special place." Byul blinks and feels hurts with the last words. Special place? That hallway isn't their special place although they are always meeting there, secretly or not. 

"Who knows, today or tomorrow he will bring you to somewhere else to be the secret place between you-" Byul ends the call. She can't take it. It was like cursing words coming out from Chanyeol. She never thought Chanyeol will think further like that. She is speechless. He never opened up about Jeonghan and her like that, so this is the first move but it hurts. Byul should accept whatever he was saying but it's too much. Byul feels hurts but at the same time guilty and understanding of his feelings.

She walks away from the corner to take the elevator to Mr.Lee's room. She pushes the button and waits for the elevator to reach her level. Once it opened, Chanyeol is in there with a worried face. Byul looked up and turn around to get away from the elevator after seeing his face. Chanyeol hurriedly pulls her inside and close the door with the button. Chanyeol trapped her between the wall and stare at her. Byul didn't look up but her eyes are getting glassy with tears. Chanyeol didn't need to see her face that she's hiding because he knows her too well now. He hugs her and rubs her back. 

"I didn't mean those words. I thought I want to make a joke about it but it caught me." Chanyeol said it softly. "I'm sorry if you hurt by my words." Chanyeol rubs her hair. 

"It's okay if you mean it," Byul said after wiping her tears. She looks up. "I like to hear more. It might hurt me but at least you are being honest with me about your feelings." Byul sniffs. Chanyeol smiles. He wipes the balance tears in the corner of her eyes.

"Half of it was true but another half is me trying to make a joke about it," Chanyeol said. 

"No. I accept all of your words as the truth. I don't want you to feel like you are not special to me. You are special to me, Chanyeol. That hallway means nothing. It was not special at all. I nev-" Chanyeol caught her lips before she can finish the words. He breaks the 5-second kiss and stares into her eyes. 

"You are special to me too, Byul. I love you and I know you love me back. Otherwise, you won't be telling me about your meeting with him. I trust you." Byul narrowed her eyes. "Might feel a little bit jealous." he chuckled. Byul tightens her hugs on him. 

"You don't need to. There's nothing to be jealous of. He is nothing to compare with you." Chanyeol pinches her cheeks. 

"You really good with your words." the elevator door opens at good timing. They both going out and walks to Mr.Lee's office. After half an hour of meeting, Byul and Chanyeol excuse themselves. But before they both stepping out of the room, Mr.Lee calls them. 

"Byul, tomorrow Jeonghan will come to the office first before report to you. Anything that you want him to know? I can let him know." Byul tapped her jaw. Chanyeol looks at her. 

"Just the basic. After that, tell him to come to my house. Chanyeol will do the rest for me." Byul looks at Chanyeol, playfully. His eyes widen. Mr.Lee is shocked.

"Me?" Chanyeol points to himself.

"Yeah! You know me the best. You know the house. You know my time, my schedule, my rule. That house is also your house, right?" Byul shows her kitty eyes. Chanyeol shakes his head. 

"I don't want to show off." Byul rolled her eyes. 

"I know you want to do that. And anyway, he is just a manager. I'll be in our bed, sleeping while you, explaining the extra information to him." Byul emphasizes the word 'our' just to make Chanyeol feels happy about showing off. Mr.Lee shakes his head seeing her still being a kid. 

"I'll do that, Mr.Lee." he is shocked to hear the acceptance from Chanyeol. They both kids. 

"Okay, then. Have fun for your tour tomorrow." Mr.Lee said. They both giggled and out of the room. Byul and Chanyeol holding hands walking to the elevator. While waiting for the elevator, someone is calling her name and they turned around. It was Sowon with Yejin and Yuju and their manager Oppa. Byul shows her smile as she is surprised to see Sowon especially. 

"Sunbaenim. Are you going to do a comeback?" Yejin asked as she is the friendly one among them. Byul smiles and tightens her hands-on Chanyeol. He rubs the hands as he understands her feelings right now. 

"About to. Just finish a discussion with Mr.Lee about my song. I'm still organizing it." they nodded and the elevator door is opened. All of them get inside the elevator but unfortunately for Byul, their level is the same. The basement, 

"We also are getting ready for our comeback. Hopefully, our date is not at the same time." Yejin said. 

"We will lose, definitely," Yuju added. Byul shakes her hands to them. 

"Don't think like that. You guys have your own trophy now. Your own fandom. You guys will do just great." Byul said as their seniors. She noticed that Sowon didn't want to get involved in the conversation. 

"Oh, Oppa. I heard you will be quitting next month. What's up?" Byul asked the manager as she gets along with almost all the staff in the company. He smiles bitterly hearing that. 

"Well, I don't want to quit but my fiancee doesn't like me doing this job." her eyebrows raised automatically hearing that. That is the first real reason for resigning. 

"Didn't she understand your job? Like, why she didn't like it?" the manager sighs. 

"Well, she feels jealous of me being around 6 pretty girls." the manager points to GFriend. Byul nodded. Chanyeol scoffs. 

"She's definitely not trusting you enough, Hyung. It's not like you even have time to talk with these girls personally. Right?" Chanyeol said. Byul looks at him when he is suddenly added into the conversation. 

"Right. She didn't understand. I'm more like a runner rather than a counselor. I keep their schedule and their schedule is tight nowadays. They didn't have time for dating." Sowon gives the manager a stare and Byul notices the nudges she gives to the manager. "Oh, I'm sorry Sowon-ah. But, I mean it. I try to explain to her already but she didn't listen to me." 

"But maybe after you quit, you will get a stable job," Chanyeol said. 

"Nah, I'm still in the company. Mrs.Yoon offers me to do work in the office. So I'll be working as a normal staff here, working office hours. My fiancee likes it." the manager said. 

"It's time, for me." Chanyeol agrees. 

"So I'll be seeing you around, Oppa?" Byul asked. He nods. 

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere actually. But I'll be sitting my here in the office." the manager said and the couple laughing over his words. 

"But we will be missing you, Oppa. We didn't know if the new manager is okay or not." Yejin said while pouting. 

"Don't worry. I've selected the best candidates to be your manager. They'll be in training for a few weeks before being introduced to you guys. In two weeks, I guess as Oppa is leaving so soon." Byul winks at the manager. 

"I'll be around Byul-ah." she chuckled but quickly look at Sowon who is showing an annoyed expression. The elevator finally arrives at the basement and they part at the lobby. Sowon steals a glance at Byul but she gets caught. Byul winks at her and hugs Chanyeol's arms. Sowon is stunned but at the same time still feeling annoying with Byul about Jeonghan being her manager despite the rules. She starts to think something bad will happen in her relationship with Jeonghan after hearing that from her manager. 

This morning, Sowon received news from her manager about her resigning from being their manager. They are all sad but she told her that Jeonghan is going to Byul's manager again. The decision is against the rules in the company but she breaks it just because she wants Jeonghan to be her manager. Sowon remembers the day Mr.Lee calls her to the office. He told her about Jeonghan and Byul secret relationship. At first, she didn't believe it because she thought it was his strategy to break her relationship with Jeonghan but when Mr.Lee told her one by one the little action between them, Sowon breakdown.

She did ignore those little sign that she can see it. The way Jeonghan prioritize Byul. The way Jeonghan treats her. The way Jeonghan left her for Byul. She notices all of them but she didn't want to overthink it. She ignores those signs and it was true. Her instinct is correct. But she didn't want to let him go. She stays and she can see after Byul left for Italy, Jeonghan focused back on her and treat her the way he used to do. But without passion. He was no longer passionate about his love for her. Sowon is devastated. 

When Byul is back and their first encounter is on the rooftop, she observes their behavior. It looks like Byul tries hard to avoid him but not Jeonghan. He shows the aggressive side of his that she never knows. After the meeting, Jeonghan is happier than in the past 5 months. He is more energetic and making plans in his life. He involved her in his plan but Sowon knows that is Byul and not her. She wants to wake him up but after the first interview to be a manager, they met. Jeonghan seems off and upset. She didn't know why. She didn't want to know why. She wants to fight for her love even though Jeonghan didn't love her anymore. She wants to fight for this relationship.

 

 

Write - 5/3/2021 | 11:23AM

Re-check - 12/4/2021 | 4:01PM