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When the two of you are finished with grocery shopping, it's already near evening.

You are thoroughly enjoying yourself despite it being a simple shopping trip, Kyungsoo occasionally hitting it up with a few jokes here and there and of course, the way your hands fall so easily together whenever there's a chance to.


However, while paying at the counter, the cashier eyes the two of you weirdly and you can't help but feel something is not quite right.


"What's wrong?" Kyungsoo asks whilst walking back to the car.

You jump a bit, realizing you've just spaced out for a while.


"Oh... Well, I was just thinking if we've missed buying anything."

He lets out a laugh.

You are starting to get accustomed to the melodic sound.


"We can always run back to get it. It's not too far away."


Nodding in consent, you push the thoughts out of your mind.

You're probably just being ditsy because of all these new stuff going on.


 

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The nagging thought however, only intensifies when you reach the house, Kyungsoo pulling up at the garage and the two of you filing out with bags of groceries.

He is just putting in the key when you detect strange movements near his car.


Curiosity pulls you towards the source and Kyungsoo shouts after you.

"I've got everything! There's nothing left in the car!"


"Yeah! I'm just checking!" You yell back, all the while moving stealthily forward and...


You notice it. The unmistakable 200 millimeter black-rimmed lens.

The type that Tao uses.



And you recognize the man behind the camera, who is now cowering behind the side of the car, seemingly wanting to blend in with the vehicle.

He's still an idiot.


"Hwang Kwanghee!" You bellow, and the reporter flinches, expression scared and anxious.

"H-Hey... " He stutters, straightening up a bit from his awkward stance.


"Who is this...?" Kyungsoo has closed the distance to stand beside you, eyeing the other male warily.


"Erm, H-he..." You can't possibly tell him that he's your colleague? But before you can come up with an excuse, the reporter is already rambling on.



"Kyungsoo ssi right? Ah! Congratulations on your wedding with our Gaeun ssi! Shall we take a picture?" He poises his camera again but you yank it right down and hisses.

"What are you doing here?"


The guy has the guts to look annoyed. "The cat is already out of the bag, Gaeun ssi, stop pretending."

You stare at him in disbelief.

What is he talking about?


"Look, you're in private premises and I suggest you move before I throw you out myself." Kyungsoo threatens and the reporter smirks.


"Maybe I won't be the only one thrown out after you've seen this." He hands him a glossy magazine which Kyungsoo reluctantly takes after a few seconds of hesitation. You identify it as a competitor's tabloid.

"No need to thank me, I carry this around because it's a reminder of my pride and glory." He gives that sickening grin again and you can only gape and stare because... Why on earth is the picture of Byun Baekhyun and Kyungsoo in the washroom on the front page?



"What is... This?" Kyungsoo murmurs as he flips through the magazine at a relatively fast speed.

"It was already out this morning, I'm sure you were too busy to notice that, Gaeun ssi..." The reporter gives you a gleeful look. "Just treat it as my wedding gift to you. Remember to look out for the next issue because you're the lead..."



Kyungsoo can see that you're getting very uncomfortable and promptly strides towards the other male, fist raised for a punch.

The reporter yelps and scrambles away, leaving behind an indignant, "Your husband is just as violent as you Choi Gaeun! You two are fit for each other, good luck in fending off all those press later on!"

With that, he gives a manic laugh and you shiver, not only because of the foreboding of what the reporter has just said, but also the unreadable look now on Kyungsoo's face.



"Gaeun ah?" Kyungsoo's voice is shaking, the magazine trembling slightly in his hand. At that point, his handphone rings and you take the opportunity to run upstairs to your room.

You have to find out what's going on.

Once at your desk, you grab your phone and dials Zitao's number.


This time, he answers at the third ring.


"Gaeun noona..." He begins but you cut him off.

"Tao, what's going on? Kwanghee just showed up in front of me just now and he had a copy of 'Gossip' with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo's photo on it?"


"I was trying to tell you that in the morning but you didn't pick up the phone. Kwanghee quit in the beginning of the week. He stole the thumbdrive that I stored all information on the case and joined the rival company."

You feel as if your heart is on arrest.

"W-What?"


"The magazine came out in the morning. I'm pretty sure the press is on Baekhyun now. He's on his way to Taiwan for a concert and it won't be long before they get to the deejay. By the way, noona, I didn't know that you are involved with Do Kyungsoo?"

You pale at the remark.

"H-How did you know about that?"


"It's in the magazine as well. It says that you have been co-habiting with the guy for quite some time. And the article also speculates that Do Kyungsoo is a gay, forced to marry a girl to uphold the family's name."

"That's... That's not true at all!" You exclaim. "And it's not supposed to be published!"


Just when you're about to explain further, you hear a distinct voice calling your name.

"Ga-eun ah..."


You startle and whirl around to see the male standing a distance away, your feet shuffling backwards to hit the desk with a dull thud.


It all happens within split seconds.

The mock copy of your magazine slides out to land on the floor and Kyungsoo is suddenly picking it up, eyes widening when he sees what's on the front page.

, you forgot to keep it on the day Madam Park was admitted.


"This... " He looks up, gaze boring into yours.

The pieces start falling into place.

"You are a paparazzi?"


Your head is spinning from all the stress.

"I-I..."


"Do you want to explain yourself?" His voice is strained, eyes harboring immense pain and betrayal.

And you finally understand why, in all those sappy dramas, the person just stands there looking like an idiot when they can and absolutely should open their damn mouth to talk.

Because now you can't find your voice, all forms of speech abandoned as you break under that stare, bit by bit, chunk by chunk.


He is heart broken, and you don't know how to fix it.

How can you, when you're the source of that heart break?



"I don't believe this..." He shakes his head, hand lowering with the magazine. "You... This is all a lie? You lied to Grandma..."


"No..."

"... And you lied to me?" He points at himself, and once again, you find your heart shattering into little pieces.




"I'm... Sorry..." You utter quietly.


"You should go."


"W-What?"

Kyungsoo peers at you, face aggrieved.


"You should leave this house. Just..." He takes a deep breath, voice clogging up. "Just go."


And with that, he leaves the room, leaving you to pick up all those shattered pieces by yourself.

 

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You finish packing up within half an hour, which is quite a feat since your vision is blurry most of the time.

When you reach your own house at 6 pm in the evening, you stand in front of the doorway for a few minutes, feeling strangely out of place.


This used to be your home. What happened?


Fitting in the key, you twist and open the door to see Youngjae with a young lady sitting beside him on the couch.



"Oh! Noona!"

Your brother is apparently surprised, as is his companion. She stands to bow and you return the gesture.

"She is Minhee, my girlfriend." Youngjae explains with a shy smile.


"Ah... " You are suddenly stuck to the ground, unable to proceed.

"Don't you want to... Come in?" He probes, noticing the oddity.


"Oh... I just... I was around the area and decided to drop by. It's nothing, I'll leave you two to your own now." Mustering your brightest smile, you wave at them and Youngjae is about to speak again, but you quickly shut the door.


Worrying that he will run after you, you scuttle towards the lift as fast as you can and presses the down button.

You don't dare to stop until you are at the bus stand, hopping on the first bus you recognize.



It's night time when you reach Kabloid. The building exceptionally tranquil without the usual sounds of work and bustle.

Scanning your card, the glass doors open and you greet the lone security guard.

He's not at all surprised to see you, considering the late hours you clocked in numerous times before.


As the lift ascends, you feel a quietness stilling you.

The doors open with a ding! and then you're entering the familiar compact office, flipping on a switch to illuminate part of the room.


Lugging along your purple suitcase, you meander through the cubicles until you reach your own. You set the luggage down and plop into your seat, breathing in slightly stale air and ink.


For a long time, you just sit there, staring into nothing.

You consider calling Shinae, but when you hold up your phone, you find that you can't do it.


Not now, when even thinking is difficult.


Looking out of the window, you study the dark skyline and pale moon.

Just one night ago, the same moonlight is brightening up a boy's face.


A boy whose eyes are like crescents when he smiles, a boy who showed you love and concern.

A boy who stole your heart.



And now, you feel a void so great it's aching.

It's aching so much you think it's going to burst through you.


So you sob. For the first time in a very long time, you sob hard, voice choking and body convulsing.

Your crying echoes through the empty office as you realize you're all alone.

You have nowhere to go to.



Because you don't know where is home anymore.

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