Chapter 14
My Bestfriend was all lies.
The moment the whole show ended, Hyunsik darted off through the crowds and bodies of humans trying to look for Da Hye who disappeared amongst the chaos when Taegoon's name was announced as the final trainee going through to the next stage. Hyunsik did not hide his worry from spreading across his face. Despite the festive mood, Hyunsik was not feeling it at all. At the top of his mind - find Da Hye.
As he squeezed himself through the swarm, someone grabbed onto his sleeve.
"Hyung, where're you going? We're all celebrating!" Sungjae cried in delight despite having his own protege eliminated.
Hyunsik frowned slightly in disapproval.
"I'll pass. No thanks." Hyunsik mumbled coldly and left.
Sungjae just shrugged it off without even feeling slightly guilty about his actions.
As Hyunsik left the maknae, he heard the latter's faint question.
"Has anyone seen Eunkwang hyung?"
But Hyunsik was too caught up in his feelings to be bothered about it.
***
Da Hye stood in a daze in front of CUBE's CEO - Hong Seong Sung
In a daze, her legs had brought her straight to that room. She had to find out why she was eliminated straight from the CEO himself.
"S-sajang-nim... what is the reason?" Da Hye held back the tears that were climbing up .
CEO Hong has expected her appearance in his office for explanation when he heard the results.
In honesty, he was surprised himself.
CEO Hong heaved a sigh as he removed and placed his glasses on his worktop.
"I'm sorry Da Hye-shii. But it seems that you were eliminated because..." The CEO hesitated. "Because your mentor disappeared without grading you. So you were at the losing end with points at quite a gap compared to the other participants." Mr Hong finished with a slight apologetic look.
"M-mwo?" By then, Da Hye could no longer hold her tears. They were streaming down her cheeks mercilessly.
"Wh-what should I do now?" Da Hye knew it was a rhetorical question but she could not help it.
Hyunsik has been eavesdropping just outside the closed door of his CEO's office. He clenched his fist in anger when he heard Eunkwang was the cause of Da Hye's elimination.
"That bastard..." he hissed.
Without hesitating Hyunsik barged through the door, shocking the two inside.
Mr Hong displayed a disapproving look at him which made Hyunsik snap out of his fury and bowed in apology.
"I'm sorry, sir. But it seems Da Hye has been unfairly treated. Is there any way we can help her?" Hyunsik tried.
Da Hye snapped her head with her eyes wide toward Hyunsik in surprise.
Mr Hong squinted his eyes and questions Hyunsik as he folds his arms leaning back in his office chair.
"And what has this got to do with you, Lim Hyunsik?"
Hyunsik was caught off guard.
'What has this got to do with me?'
What was he supposed to say?
Because he has the hearts for her and he wants to protect her?
No.
He definitely could not say that. Da Hye was already in enough trouble for him to create another one.
Hyunsik cleared his throat as he thought for an explanation.
"You have no reason to be concern so please exit the way you unpolitely entered Mr Lim Hyunsik." Mr Hong reprimanded him sternly.
In the side of his eyes, he could see Da Hye's shoulders sagging in disappointment. It immediately ignite the fury he had inside him. He clenched his fists and jaws trying to hold it in yet again.
"B-but sir.. please. You saw Da Hye's perfomance with your own eyes. Her potentials were higher than the oth-"
"Lim Hyunsik is there something you are not telling me?" Mr Hong raised his voice interrupting Hyunsik's words. "Something else bothering you aside your own work? Something you were not supposed to perhaps?"
Hyunsik widens his eyes as he felt guilt creeping up his heart.
"N-no sir," Hyunsik lowered his head.
"Then please leave this room." CEO Hong ordered.
Hyunsik did not have any other choice. He took a glance toward Da Hye with a remorseful look.
Da Hye returns his glance braving a smile and shook her head lightly as if indicating she was fine.
With heavy steps, Hyunsik left the room and leans on the wall just by the door. He stayed, waiting for Da Hye to get out which allows him to hear the on-going conversation inside.
"Da Hye-shii, I'm sorry but there is not anything I can do to help you. This has been decided fairly. I believe your mentor must have done what he did for a reason. So thank you for your hard work all these while. I regretfully say, as from now on... Min Da Hye has been let go from CUBE Entertainment."
Another round of tears streams down her cheeks as she nods lightly, acknowledging the dismissal.
She bowed ninety-degrees to the CEO for a long while, biting onto the trembling lips with her eyes shut tight.
"I thank you for your guidance all these while, sir." She managed to croak in between her tears.
As soon as he heard those words slip through Da Hye's trembling lips, Hyunsik slammed his fist in frustration into the wall as he stared into the ceiling to prevent the fall of his own tears that were collating at the brim of his eyes.
Before Da Hye made the step to leave, Mr Hong said his last words.
"Da Hye-shii, don't be discouraged. You do have the talent, in my personal opinion. So don't give up. You will reach your dreams one day..."
Da Hye did another bow of gratitude and left.
Then the clicked of the door was heard and the trembling Da Hye stepped out of the room.
The moment Hyunsik saw Da Hye, he wanted to embrace her and not ever let go, but seeing the devastated expression on Da Hye's face, his legs went frozen.
"M-mianhae..." was all he could manage to say as more tears clouded his eyes.
Da Hye smiled weakly as she shakes her head.
"What are you sorry for Hyunsik? If its sorry then it should be me for not being good enough..." She choked back another round of tears. "*Na... gwaenchaneulgeoya Hyunsik-ah.. Geokcheong hajima. Thank you for all your guidance and care for me." She flashed a final sincere smile to him and bowed in gratitude.
A tear managed to slip out her eye as she bends forward.
Immediately, she covered her face and turns around, quick-stepping to leave.
'Kajima... Kajima Da Hye-ah.. '
Was what he wanted to scream to her but all he could do was watch the back of her walking further and further away.
His tears finally failed him. They rolled down his cheeks one after another.
Turning the corner, Da Hye stopped and support herself with her hand on the wall. She felt short-breathed for holding onto her sobbings for too long.
Her legs gave way and she slides down as she finally let out a sob that she has been holding back since the moment she was eliminated.
She let out a cry and choked on her own tears.
Da Hye brings her knees in and buries her head into them. And with that, she started wailing like no other.
Then suddenly a warm embrace came from behind that made her jump out of her skin.
She instantly stopped crying and turn around with the tears and smeared make-up running down her face.
Her eyes went wide in surprise seeing the person embracing her.
***
Da Hye was now sitting at a deserted stairway at the back of the entertainment building holding onto a warm cup of coffee.
She inhaled a deep breath and heaved out loud.
"Feeling better?" The deep voice broke the serene silence.
"What are you still doing here, Yong Guk-ah?"
"Are you feeling better?" Yong Guk ignored her question.
And so did Da Hye.
She left his question hanging and stared down at the flight of stairs below as if she did not hear a thing.
"Da Hye, please..." Yong Guk held onto Da Hye's arm gently.
She tugged her arm away.
"You should go. Your members must be waiting." Da Hye made the attempt to avoid the question again.
She initiated to leave.
What made it so hard for her to answer such a simple question?
It's because she was not feeling any better. Not now, not even later.
Her dreams has been crushed,
and she hates to burden anyone with it. Hence, her stubbornness to answer.
"Okay okay, fine. Please, don't go." Yong Guk pleaded holding onto her arm again, this time to stop her.
Da Hye sighed and gave in, returning back to her seat on the riser beside him.
And then the silence creeps again leaving only their breathings audible in the vast air.
Yong Guk's hands were getting clammy. He wanted to ask and old question to Da Hye but he was suddenly feeling nervous.
He already intended to ask the moment he met Da Hye again as her partner for the mission, but he was waiting for the right time.
And despite knowing this was the worse time ever, he will still wanted to go with it. He did not want this chance to slip.
It's now or never.
He coughed awkwardly trying to gain Da Hye's attention... which he did.
Da Hye gave a quick glance and saw Yong Guk staring at her.
Suddenly her heart was beating a beat faster.
"W-wa-wae?" Da Hye stuttered.
"Da.. Da Hye-ah," Yong Guk started. "Wh-what if I said I am still waiting for your answer?"
Da Hye looks at Yong Guk fully and scrunched her brows together.
"What are you talking about Yong Guk-ah? What answer..." She tried to wave the question away.
She could not figure what answer Yong Guk was talking about.
Yong Guk tilts his head to the side.
'Is she pretending to not know or she is really just clueless..?'
He snaps out of his reverie and decided to give a little clue.
"Do you remember 4 years back? When we were still in college... I told you... Something...?" Yong Guk faded off glancing at her hoping to refresh her memory.
Da Hye's cheeks started feeling warm...
not because of what she remembered but because of the constant staring by Yong Guk.
"S-stop staring at me.." She exhaled covering it in a laugh, turning away as she brings her palms up to her warm cheeks.
"Do you remember?" Yong Guk persisted.
"Remember wh-"
Da Hye turns to face him but she was caught off guard as Yong Guk leans in and catches her lips in his.
Da Hye's eyes went as wide as a fishball feeling her heartbeat sprinting like it were in a race.
Yong Guk deepens the kiss as he rounds his hands around her waist and brings her body closer to him.
He was getting comfortable with the warmth between them. Yong Guk lifts his hand and gently caresses her cheeks.
He then stokes her fringe, tucking it behind her ear as he slowly releases her lips.
He opens his eyes to see Da Hye's gentle and confused eyes looking back into his.
"-at?" Da Hye finished her interrupted question.
Yong Guk gently stares at the whole of her pretty face - starting from her eyes, down to her nose down to her lips - as he slowly regains his breath.
"About being my girlfriend."
And Da Hye's eyes went double the size again.
***
Hyunsik, who heard a cry from a corner actually went on the chase after Da Hye but he was halted when someone else has gotten to her before he could. He felt devastated that yet again, he could not be her saviour.
When Da Hye's saviour dragged her off somewhere, Hyunsik's feet followed.
It's like it has a life of its own.
But it stops when the two entered the door into the stairway.
And from then, Hyunsik has been standing still by the door, overhearing the two.
...breaking his heart slowly into two.
~★~
*Na... Gwaenchaneulgeoya Hyunsik-ah.. Geokcheong hajima.
Translation: I... will be fine Hyunsik-ah.. Don't worry.
A/N_ I make Hyunsik looks so pathetic. Sigh
I'm so sorry Hyunsik. D;
Anyway, should Yong Guk and Da Hye date?? hehehe. ^v^
P.S_*Kneels* Sorry for going hiatus uninformed.
Life just gets in the way alot... not in a good way though. Sigh.
But I hope I can update more from now on. :))
So thank you for patiently waiting, without you guys I won't make it to this stage.
Mani mani kamshamnida! ^^
Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays to those on their break!
Happy New Year!! <3
Tto beoja!!~ XD
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