Eunsuh's POV

It was hard to make time with them, since everything happened so quickly. Literally, it felt like my life, and their life, fast-forwarded by an entire two months. Except, while everything else moved on, there was still one thing that remained the same.

Seunghyun.

How was I suppose to just forget about him like that?

It took time. It always took its time for the heart to heal from such wounds. However, this just seemed too much.

Did I really want this? Is this how it really is going to end?

Minhwan waved his hand in front of my face. I must have dazed out even with the four guys in front of me.Yes, there were only four. The one that was missing was, of course, Seunghyun. Although they tried to make it seem like he had some schedules to attend, in the end, they were all excuses. "Hey, do you want to hear something funny?" He asked, in an attempt to divert me from my gloomy, depressing state. 

I immediately snapped out of it, blinking a few times before facing the members in front of me who gave me some looks of worry and sympathy. 

"First of all, before we hear anything funny, how much sleep do you normally get?" Jonghun asked before he removed a strand of hair in front of my face.

I shrugged it off before rubbing my eyes and answering, "Enough."

Hongki let out a scoff before putting out his smarky remark, "Dude, you look like a panda."

I slapped his arm before my attention turned back to Minhwan again, "You were saying? I'm listenting. It's just these two like to make rude comments about my life." I playfully glared at both Jonghun and Hongki, who sheepishly smiled back at me.

Minhwan cleared his throat before he continued, "Well, you know how we originally didn't know that you were the Heiress, herself?"

Jaejin's interest sparked as he knew where this was going, but his expression showed that it was not to his favor. Around the table, Hongki's eyes widened while Jonghun's lips curled into a smirk as they let the maknae continue talking, "So, the night before your announcement, we made a be--"

Hongki interrupted as he tried to avert the entire attention away from that conversation, "Hey! let's get ice cream. I want ice cream."

Jaejin suddenly got up to agree with Hongki, "Yeah! Eunsuh, you know you want ice cream." 

The two looked at me sheepishly as I eyed them in a weird way, "Um...you guys can go get me ice cream, I kinda want to hear what was so funny."

"But but but, we want you to go with usss," Jaejin tried pulling at my wrist, but I didn't dare budge. In fact, I grabbed hold of my wrist before I pulled Jaejin down back to his seat next to me as we were all sitting in a booth.

Meanwhile. when I looked over at Jonghun, he seemed to be enjoying himself as he chuckled at nothing. This made me even more curious at what was going on because something wasn't normal.

"WELL ANYWAYS!" Minhwan asserted a little louder, "So, we made a bet about whether or not the heiress is cute, and..."

As soon as I heard that, I glared at Hongki before he hid his face behind the two hands he held up. "I'm guessing you started this?" 

Hongki playfully whimpered a bit before suddenly recieved a boost of confidence from nowhere, "I had no idea it was you. I mean, who would think the Heiress would be someone as clueless as you." 

And that deserved another slap on the arm. "Hey, hold on, hold on. You are SO mean!" I whined before looking at the other members. "Am I really that clueless??"

THe other members merely smiled sheepishly before I turned  my attention back to Hongki, "So, I'm guessing you stated that I wasn't cute."

Hongki scratched the back of his head before he defended himself, or rather ratted the other members out, "Hey, I'm not the only one who declared you weren't cute. That kid right there and the other kid at home also voted that you weren't cute."

"Wow," I relaxed my shoulders as I leaned back. "You guys are so stereotypical. You know what? I'll take Jonghun oppa and Minhwan oppa out to lunch one day and you three can stay behind the glass." 

"What?? Hey, that's not fair!" Hongki argued.

I lifted my eyebrow with a questioning expression, "Oh?" 

"Jonghun already KNEW who you were. It's not fair!" He ratted yet again, another member.

Jonghun's smirk wiped off his face when everyone's eyes turned to him. 

"Wow, oppa, you can stay behind the glass too. I'm only taking Minhwan oppa out. Screwwww youuuu!" I playfully huffed a breath as I linked my arm with Minhwan's. Minhwan sat there feeling proud of himself for making such choice while Hongki and Jaejin grumbled in their seats.

It was getting late and they had a flight to catch tomorrow. I let out a sigh as I thought to wrap up my feelings and move on as soon as possible. Regardless, I smiled at the four members, who had finally gotten that ice cream that they were nagging to me earlier for, and thanked them for coming out.

"Hey..." Hongki started as he rested his hand on my shoulder, "Don't give up just yet. He's just being stupid right now."

I chuckled at his attempt to make me feel better before I responded, "Perhaps it was me with stupid intentions..."

"The great Choi Jonghun once liked you, and had to go through a good beating. It's gonna take this kid a lot more than that to make him completely give up on you" Jonghun said, ever-so confidentally. 

The other members slapped their foreheads at the leader's comment.

I couldn't help but smile at his statement before I sarcastically replied, "Okay, your greatness..." I patted his back twice before continuing, "Go get some sleep, guys. You guys are going to America...LA right? Definitely have a safe trip, and say hi to LA for me. Keep me updated."

They looked at each other, exchanging some kind of telepathic message towards each other, before looking back at me. Jaejin took out a card from his pocked and placed it at the palm of my hand.

"We'll be at this airport tomorrow..." He reported.

"And we're leaving in the evening, 7:00 flat." Minhwan followed up.

"Be there...we'll take care of the rest. Operation: Public Calls is about to commence." Hongki smirked, in which the rest of the members stood behind him, hands to their foreheads at the lame name of their quote-end-quote mission.

It was another busy day at Shinhae's Law Firm, and the day I was to take care of the press. Though rumors have spread, they are merely "rumors". At the press, I had spoken the truth. That what the clip caught was true. We did meet at the coffee shop the other day. We had known each other for quite a while. Relationship wise was a bit personal and I simply stated that I did not want to talk about it publicly. How will this affect me? What goes on at work and what goes on in my personal life are two different matters. I will still take the responsibility of taking on Shinhae. Nothing is changing. Everything is going as it should. 

With that, I stepped away from the media and headed inside the building. Of course, the press was always brutal and wanted to know more, but my responses should quell them down for the time being. Regardless I had another conference at 6:00 where I had to present my case as well. I sat at my desk, leaning back on the chair while spinning. After I finally felt that I was dizzy, I stopped the momentum and placed my elbows on the desk, leaning forward as I massaged my temporal lobes. I took a look at the digital clock on my desk and it indicated 5:12 PM. 

Be there...Operation: Public Calls is about to commence.

After what seemed like an eternity in contemplation, I checked the time once more, 5:29. I ruffled through my own hair, before gaining my posture back and grabbing my phone. The phone rang as I paced the office. As soon as the other line picked up, I immediately started, "Oppa, I need your help."

"What is it? I'm busy at the studio," Minho, my reliable, older cousin, claimed, which made me have second thoughts and curse at myself that I hadn't considered that he would be busy. Although he was one of the only ones who knew what I needed to present at the conference, it was selfish of me to even ask him.

"Gah, nevermind, I'll ask Minjae." I followed up but on the other line I heard Minho smirk, "the airport?"

My eyes widened as he had already connected the lines together. But, I never told anyone about Operation: Public Calls. 

As if he had read my mind through the phone, he answered, "I got a text from Jonghun, go. The car is waiting out front."

"But, I still have--"

"I'll take care of it." This voice was not through the phone, it came from the entrance of my office. My prosecutor uncle stood at the door with a smile plastered onto his face. I looked at him, stunned, as I was not expecting him there."

"Sam-choon (uncle) ..." My voice trailed off as I put my phone down.

He walked over to where I was standing as I bowed out of courtesy. He immediately dismissed it before he responded, "Listen, professionalism is important, but you said it yourself earlier, there is a fine distinction between professionalism and personalism. And right now, you don't have time so GOOO!" He pushed me out the door before I could even register what he had just said to me.

Seunghyun sat in his seat in the car, his head resting against the palm of his left arm as it was propped against the window. Frustration hased his mind as He held his other hand into fists. He's been a coward all this time but what good does realizing that do now? He watched the TV that was in the car, which showed the press questioning Eunsuh. And the way she answered was laconic and to the point, yet candid. She sympathized with the curiosity of the entire country but she mentioned that she also needed that privacy that the people value so much. That she will keep her profesionalism and personal life separate. She never disagreed or refuted the claim that they were together. Did that mean something?

Yunho heaved out a sigh as he took a look at the furious maknae. He was ordered to keep Seunghyun on watch. He was the reason this was happening and FNC did not want more rumors going about. Regardless, Yunho knew this wasn't right. Just running away like this. However, he couldn't do anything about it.

When they arrived at the airport, there was a wave of fans screaming and reaching out behind the restricted zone where FT Island were to walk. Hongki, Jonghun, Minhwan, and Jaejin all jumped out of the car before waving here and there to the fans. They tried to keep it low profile, as Seunghyun was still on the watch. Hongki nodded at Minhwan, in which Minhwan quickly dialed something into his phone. The younger member nodded back at his elder before Hongki let out a smirk and made a scene at the airport.

"Primadonna! Thank you SO much for comming to wish us off! We'll be back soon and we definitely hope to see you guys then!" He announced, in which the crowd volume escalated. Meanwhile, they scattered so that neither the manager nor the guards really had control over their clients. All except for Seunghyun. Signing autographs, shaking hands, taking pictures was what every other member did before Hongki finally announced, "PRIS! We want your opinion!" Minhwan and Jaejin soon joined Hongki in announcing, "As you know, our maknae, Seunghyun, is having trouble with his love life...what do you guys think?"

It was a huge risk announcing it, but they thought they'd take it. Besides, they had enough confidence that Operation: Public Calls would work. The whole point of going away was to put all this behind, but they figured that it would only anger the fans if it really was due to this. So they wanted to clear it with everyone, get it through Seunghyun, and have their support to continue rather than jsut slip away.

There was a group of people who did leave the scene once the subject came up. However, suddenly, there were signs saying "EunHyun 4ever", "WE SHIP YOU", "Congratulations", "We love you!" all presented amongst the crowds. Majority of the fans stayed to congratulate him, to treat her well, and that she'll take good care of him. 

"Chookha haeyo! (Congratulations!)" 

"Hangbok hasaeyo, Seunghyun-goon! (Be Happy!)"

Witnessing all this, Seunghyun couldn't believe his eyes. What was originally considered a mistake ended up being a huge support to him. And here, he was being selfish, hurting her all this time. 

And here, I wasn't looking at the bigger picture. She...She's back...no...she never left. 

He felt a jolting pull on his wrist as he entered the airport, away from the ravenous fans. The fans were held back by security as FT Island were securely brought into the airport. 

"The whole point was to leave to avoid this...you guys just started a whole 'nother thing." Yunho pointed out, a bit frustrated. However, deep inside, he couldn't help but say thank you.

The rest of the four stood awkwardly as they pretended to stretch or act innocent before Hongki let out, "Heh, but it's something that needed to be done."

And there's that. Operation: Public Calls was a success. 

"Come on, we need to get you checked in, " Yunho claimed before he pushed his clients to airport security. 

However, there was one person who was still declared not present.

Eunsuh, hurry...

Edits: Wow, I just realized how idiotic it sounded when I decided to go back to read through this. Sorry for all the "dudes". I only meant to put it once when Hongki pointed out that she looked like a panda. Ugh, okie it's fixed now x_x