“I wrote that story.”
 

Wrong answer.
 

“Wonderful. Now, tell me the truth.”
 

“I wrote that story,” Sehun repeated himself.
 

Seohyun sighed. “See that girl in the picture? In every picture? The one on the front cover as well?”
 

Sehun nodded. “Yes.”
 

“Tell me about her.” Seohyun sat back and waited. “Since you were there.”
 

He breathed. “Well, she was stunning.”
 

“Dig a little deeper, please.”
 

He looked up and pouted. “Her personality was also stunning?”
 

Seohyun’s serious facade faded away. The innocence in his voice triggered something inside her that was enough to let loose a small giggle. Sehun was taken aback, not sure if it was okay to stare at her or not. The unsympathetic (and ungrateful) person he thought she was was now beginning to disappear before his eyes. Her real personality was starting to shine through little holes in the uneasy atmosphere.
 

Seohyun bowed her head, now looking at him with changed eyes. “I’m sorry, but that was adorable.”
 

“Are you being sarcastic with me?” He raised an eyebrow.
 

“No, no!” Seohyun waved her hands in front of him. “Really, that was cute. Sorry, I can’t do this anymore.”
 

“Do what anymore?” Sehun tilted his head to the side. “I’m so confused.”
 

“Me too. Me too.”
 

With that, there was a sudden pause in conversation. 
 

Sehun inhaled. “You...don’t really hate me, do you?”
 

“No.” Seohyun shook her head. “I tried to, but I can’t bring myself to.”
 

“Why?” Sehun sat forward. “Why do you want to hate me?”
 

“It’s not that I wanted to hate you,” Seohyun clarified. “I just wanted to protect someone.”
 

Seohyun slid the magazine across the table, in front of him. She pointed limply to her picture, then slowly brought that same finger back to herself, pointing to her chin. She said not a word to explain to Sehun the situation, and it took him a minute to bring himself to understand what she was trying to unveil. His eyes traced the face of the model in the perfumed pages underneath him, and he compared those same features to the lady sitting across from him from the table in the corner of the little cafe. The two faces were a perfect identical match. Sehun sat up, mouth hanging open searching for words that didn’t seem to want to come out.
 

“Let’s start over, Mr. Sehun Oh.” Seohyun folded her hands. “I’ll start off with a ‘thank you’, one that you deserved much earlier. I’m sorry for not thanking you properly for saving me. So...thank you.”
Sehun nodded, but words were difficult to find in his situation. 
 

“And,” Seohyun continued, “My name as you very well know is Seohyun. And that’s me in the spread. And the reason why I knew who you were was because your name”—she pointed to the bottom of the page in the magazine—“is right there.” 
 

Sehun looked at her, eyes apologetic now. “I...didn’t write that.”
 

Seohyun smiled. “I know. That’s why we’re sitting here, in a cafe, pretending to be people we really weren’t.”
 

She was right. Both of them had taken on practically different personalities (and identities) ever since they sat down on those very chairs. But now, it was different. Both had confessed, and both promised to be truthful, to be honest. The atmosphere was suddenly a lot less tense. There was no longer a barrier in between them, no longer a competition to outwit each other in their lies.
 

“I’m Oh Sehun,” he said, breaking the silence, “and I’m going to go buy us some lattes, mademoiselle, so please excuse me.”
 

With that quick sentence, he shot up from his seat, leaving behind the alter ego he had tried so hard to protect, the alter ego that was now crashing down and crumbling to a million little pieces, the alter ego he actually didn’t mind giving up for now. It was for a good reason, though. Although Sehun and Seohyun were complete strangers, one thing brought them together. Fate that is. A fate that went by the name of Luhan.
 

______________________________________________________________________________________
 

“There’s no way to put it down simply,” Sehun took a sip from his mug, “but I’ll try to explain to you what I can.”
 

Seohyun nodded. She was eager to learn more about her enchanting stranger.
 

“First thing’s first. Yes. Luhan wrote that story about you in the magazine. And yes. My name is on there. But no. I never wanted to claim credit for his work.
 

“Luhan is my friend, a close friend, so don’t get me wrong. But Luhan is a very curious case. I’m not going to go into his personal affairs, so I’ll leave that up to you when you meet him again someday. ”
 

Seohyun looked at Sehun intently after a quick sip of her latte. “I understand. I won’t pry into someone’s life. I never intended for that.”
 

“Thank you, mademoiselle.”
 

“But can you just explain to me...why he doesn’t want to be credited for his work? I mean, it’s his job, right?” She set her cup down, staring at the swirling of brown and gold coming together to meet in the center. “That...that I just don’t understand.”
 

“Don’t worry, I’m not the one getting paid for his writing,” he assured her. “Luhan works for the company, that much is true. The only thing he requests of the company, though, is his name not to be published for the world to see.”
 

Seohyun looked up. “Then, what do you do, Sehun?”
 

Sehun shrugged. “Nothing really. I’m only a name in the magazine.”
 

“No paycheck?”

“Nope.”

“No quirks? No bragging rights?”
 

“No. I don’t really care for that.”
 

“So this whole time,” Seohyun continued, “Luhan only wanted an alias?”


Sehun set his empty cup down. “Pretty much.”

The two of them stared down to the empty cups sitting in front of them, once filled with the swirling of flavors and sweetness, now gone. 
 

Seohyun sat up, perplexed. This entire time, it had been a misunderstanding. Sehun was no criminal, no thief, no enemy; he was a friend. The only one who had done any wrongdoing was Seohyun, and she shook her head in disappointment over herself.
 

“Hey,” Sehun smiled at her, “don’t feel bad.”

“I’m really sorry for assuming something I shouldn’t have.”

“No, there’s no need for that.” Sehun waved his hands in the air in front of him. “It’s understandable.”
 

“So...” she continued, “Luhan’s pretty shy, isn’t he?”

Sehun pouted. “Not exactly, mademoiselle.” He looked down, catching a glimpse of his watch. It was now six in the evening; they had spent three hours talking in a cafe.
 

“When will I meet him again?” Seohyun inquired. “Do you know where I could?”

Sehun shook his head left and right. “Sorry, but I can’t promise those things. Luhan’s kind of...a wandering soul. He writes wherever his inspiration takes him.”

Seohyun smiled in understanding, masking her disappointment underneath. Sehun saw through it, however, and walked over to her seat.
 

“But, you know,” he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Le Bistrot Christophe isn’t a bad place to get some lunch on the weekends.”

She looked up at him, only to meet a friendly smile and a wink on the side. She caught on and smiled back. “Where exactly is this Le Bistrot Christophe again?”

As Seohyun stood up from her seat, he replied, “Three blocks down from here, sitting in a cozy, little corner of trees by La Seine.” 
 

The two of them made their way out the front doors, stopping by the sidewalk for a final farewell. Seohyun stuck her hand out, red nail polish dipped at the ends of her slender fingers. Sehun took her hand, and pulled her into a light embrace.
 

Seohyun was too surprised to assess the situation, and before she knew it, she was back to where she was standing, Sehun smiling in front of her. 
 

“Two in the afternoon is a nice time to eat lunch, dontcha think?” She nodded, still in a bit of a haze. “Good. I have high hopes for you, mademoiselle.”

Seohyun landed back on Earth. “Thanks, Sehun.”

Sehun turned around and waved his hand. “See you next time!”

She shook her head. “Bye!”

Seohyun watched him walk down the street until his luminous hair disappeared into the dusk of the evening. What a peculiar friend, she thought. Who was he to get so comfortable with her all of a sudden? All that was wanted was a simple handshake, not a hug. She brushed the thought away from her mind, heading towards home. Maybe this was how things ran in Paris. 
 

Two o’clock on the weekends. Le Bistrot Christophe. Seohyun would definitely not forget. She repeated those words in her mind until she found her way back to Champs-Elysees, back to her home. Greeting the lady at the front desk, she entered the pristine elevator and went up to the very top floor.
 

As Seohyun came through the front doors of her home, she was greeted by the rich smell of food cooking in the kitchen. Dropping her bag to the ground, she went over to the couch to sit, taking her trusty notebook out once again.

The stormy winds - they did blow,

Across the sea, a soul cried, “help!”,

The stormy winds - mercy did not show,

So the soul sank deep, down below.

Rescue came in the appearance of light,

Saved the soul from the ocean’s night.

Up the waves they did come,

Mercy was shown on this one.

“Seohyun?” Suho’s voice rang out from the kitchen. “Is that you?”

“Yup!” Seohyun closed her notebook and set it down beside her.
 

“I thought you were never coming home.” He emerged from the kitchen, two plates balanced on his hands. “What took you so long?”

Seohyun jumped up, all excited. “I found a wonderful, little cafe a few blocks down. Sorry I’m kinda late, though.”

“Nah, you’re just in time.” Suho stuffed his mouth before she could even sit down with him. “Bacon and spinach quiche,” he munched. “Wanna try?”

“Sure!” Seohyun was glad to be back home. She took a bite, a much more civilized bite than Suho’s, and complimented his cooking skills while she was at it.
 

“Thanks,” he swallowed. “So what took you so long at this cafe, Seo?”

“Oh, nothing,” Seohyun smiled. “Just made a new friend.”

A/N:

Updated two chapters in one day! Hope you guys like them ^^
I'm already writing chapter 7, so you won't have to wait too long this time.
 

Please comment down below and give me some feedback!
I would really love that ;u;

Enjoy!