May 2021,

Ryujin: what are you doing?

Me:      in the middle of practice.

           Took a break for a while.

           What about you?

Ryujin: Great! I’m in the SM building.

Me:      Are you serious?

           No kidding!

I slipped my phone in the pocket in rush & ran out from the practice room, almost tripping over my feets, as I bumped into key & jinki hyung entering with food.

“Don’t you wanna eat?” bammie asked seeing me run ahead in the corridor.

“Later” I left waving my hand in the air.

I ran into the elevator. Thankfully, it was empty & so I was soon in the reception area, searching for Kang Ryujin. 

I removed my phone & opened our chat box again.

Ryujin: Yes! Quite serious.

Me:     Where are you exactly?

Ryujin: Behind you!?

I turned to look behind me but she was not there,

Anywhere?

After looking around, I saw her waving to me standing in the balcony of the first floor.

I ran to the stairs & walking up, as she stood in the corridor, wearing a royal-blue long sleeved sweater & white jeans, her long sleek hair, falling free on her shoulder in soft curls, looking as beautiful as ever.

“Wah! What a pleasant surprise!” I was out of breath as I strolled closer.

“It’s changed a lot” she said looking around the space.

She had been here once before with us, when she was really curious about how it actually looked. And this was her 2nd time after almost 7 years now.

“Hmm, it has.” I replied following her gaze.

“Did I disturb your practice, oppa?" she looked at me, raising her eye curiously, as I smiled just happy to see her, "I can wait in the café till you guys finish?” she continued, as she gestured her hand quickly to the exit gate on the ground floor.

“We won’t finish anytime soon” I answered disappointed, knowing that the choreography was still in process, so it was hard to tell how long it was going to take more.

“Do you wanna go upstairs?” I suggested not liking the idea of making her wait in cafe alone.

“There’s less people around today” I looked at her for response.

“Can I?” 

“Yeah! of course!" "Come!” I took her hand in mine moving to the elevator.

I looked back to find her staring at our hands together, her feets stuck to the spot, as I observed her flustered face, “Won’t it be a problem people watching us hold-?” she mumbled softly, looking back at me.

I let go her hand, gesturing her to walk ahead, "Let's go!"

She smiled, before stepping forward, as I waited for her to walk ahead of me, smiling at her satisfied face.

“Any special reason for the sudden visit?” I watched her back, as she turned now to give me a questioning look, “You don’t like coming her?” I added responding to her raised eyebrows. 

She wasn’t much fond of visiting our work-place after she realized it was a whole different world than she thought, and was even more complicated now, when she was well aware of the fact that it could affect me and her together.

“Yeah! It feels like I’m inside the television” She said looking around still somewhat nervous.

I nodded in understanding, that it can be uncomfortable for her, to be at a place where she is always conscious of being watched around by people who work for media.

“And yes, there’s a reason for the visit!” She flashed back a short smile, turning back to walk to the elevator in front of us.

“What?” I stared at her thinking of some clue.

 She was here for a reason?

“You had schedule for entire day, and anyway I don’t think you’ll be much free now with the upcoming album" she continued to talk, as I watched her back, opening my ears to her words consciously now, "So I thought I’ll drop by here for some time" she added, shooting at me a mysterious gaze, taking a puzzled smile from me then.

She barely had any specific expression on her face for me to crack the code, "I wanted to meet the boys anyway!”

“Are you here to tell them about us?” I guessed & she smiled back on my words, as we entered the elevator, “Maybe" she turned to me, answering nervously.

"I’m dying of guilt of not telling them something so important” she added, scrunching her nose in nervousness now, showing her guilty face in explanation.

She was half excited & half nervous, “I need to get it out soon" 

“They already know!” I informed, pressing on the floor number, splashing water on her plan & expectation, as her eyes went wide in the very second, drifting back on me with a stronger gaze, “You told them without me?”

She was disappointed …angry… and was watching me as the traitor now.

“Kibum read your sweet, romantic, morning messages..." I reasoned, making faces expressing the words to , "along with the extra kisses you sent me" I went on, making her face contort in tension now, as I leaned back on the wall of elevator, "How was I supposed to explain him?"

"We all were in the practice room and-" I was interrupted, when I saw her moving to stand in front of me, “And then?” her shocked lips were parted, making me crave for them, but I looked up at her slumped face getting paler now, making me lose the thought and stifle a laugh before continuing

She looked adorable, “He got suspicious & was bugging me to splurt out everything" I answered calmly watching her tense up more.

"You know how he can be stubborn with such things" "So I told him that we decided to date" It was true, the situation happened so that not much was in my control then

"And he ended up shouting loudly making everyone know afterwards then” I concluded, making her pout discouraged by the information,

I was smiling at the memory of Kibum’s smirking face when he shouted, 'Ah! Kang Ryujin!' 'I knew it!' Ryujin’s name was enough to get everyone’s attention in no time.

“I can’t go now oppa!” she started pressing the elevator button hastily, surprising me by the change of her attitude suddenly, “Why?” 

“They’re gonna tease me so much" her eyes were squeezed in embarassment, as she took a moment to look at me,"No I can’t go” She shook her head vigorously, her fingers tapping on the elevator button more consistently now.

“We’re already here” I announced taking a look at the floor number, standing straight and closer to her.

"Argh! Why didn’t you tell me earlier about this?” she growled, giving me dead stare, as I chuckled adoring her cute angry face, “I was practicing" I had a smirk on my lips, making her shut her eyes in embarrassment now in the middle of the complaint, "And you were here before we could talk” 

“Come on! It won’t be so bad” I reached her hand, stepping ahead, as the doors opened, “And I’m here with you” I continued to convince her, intervening our fingers together.

She dragged her legs, still much nervous, as we walked to our practice room.

We were before the practice room already, as I went behind her, pushing her in front of the door, noticing her lost in her own thoughts, “Let’s go!” I declared, before pushing her back with my hands on her shoulders,

She turned back almost getting in my arms now, “I’ll talk to them later" "I’m too nervous now” 

She was really anxious, looking at me like a lost puppy.

“What are you so scared for?” I couldn't help but frown sweetly at her adorable face.

“I don’t know what to say now" "Suddenly I’m just too scared"

"Maybe because I'm imagining minho oppa’s face in my mind?” she confessed, staring in the space behind me with blank expression & suddenly shivering a little, thinking for a second. It was funny to watch her like this.

“Did he said anything to you after knowing?” she asked, snapping her eyes back at me.

I couldn’t stop smiling at my cute nervous girlfriend, panicking over facing our own friends, when she was already here for that, a while ago, filled with confidence.

“Aren't you here for telling them the same?” I was dying to .

“But they already know now" she cooed, giving me a pitiful face, as I ended up letting out a laugh loud finally giving up on helding back, "I didn’t expected that” She looked away, whining cutely.

“Okay!" "Calm down” 

“It’s fine" I was patting her shoulders to relax her, trying to do something to make her less nervous, "Let’s go talk to them first?”

I was waiting for her answer, tilting my head on my side, watching her patiently with my hands on her shoulders, holding her from running away,

I was controlling not to laugh or we may fight today after a long time as I found her reconsidering her plan in her head which was so obvious on her face with that wrinkled forehead.

"I know you wanna laugh" she eyed me with a sad face, "Go ahead!" She mumbled before biting her lips, looking down with a crying face.

And that was it! I lost it there!

We both ended up laughing together as our eyes met each other again.

I’ll be nervous too, if I had to be in her place, all four of them are really going to roast her for keeping this truth away for more than two weeks now.

The week was just too busy for all of us to get together, and so it went on extending, till it was out in such a way.

And I was kind of happy it came out this way, naturally.

I was waiting for her to get ready with her mind, but before that-

The door of the practice room had opened behind us.

We both turned our necks to notice Minho standing at the door, surprised himself, not expecting us there.

He was taken aback seeing Ryujin especially, “What are you doing here?" 

Ryujin was froze