"Warning: Graphic content coming up ahead!

"I better let you get back to work." The young woman beside the rapper murmured. The two spent more time chatting in the dance room and time was passing.

"Yeah, I should," he nodded then perked up. "Hey! Would you like to see my private studio before you go?"

"Me? In your private studio?" She couldn't help but feel flustered imagining it. 

"Sure, I'll gladly show you what I do in there," he replied.

Hyun-Ae's mind went southwards and shyly looked away. "I hope it's mostly work you're willing to show me."

There was a moment of silence before Ravi caught on to what she meant and chortled. "Well that could be considered work, too." She then playfully punched his shoulder before getting up to stretch her legs while he continued to laugh.

They walked down the corridor until they reached the entrance to his studio. He opened up and allowed her to enter first then closed the door once he stepped inside. 

"Wow! This is where you work? It's pretty neat."

"Yeah, it's certainly better than working in a cramped space. Both Leo and I have better private rooms."

"Is that so?" And he nodded.

"It certainly helps keep the creativity flowing."

"Oh he writes too?"

"Yep, and he's not bad."

"That's really impressive. Since you're both songwriters, you might as well work on a song together," she giggled scanning the room. Ravi stood there blankly, busy thinking over the idea. 

"A collaboration with Taekwoonie, huh? Hmm..." She may have not been serious about it, but it did sound like a good idea. 

As time moved on, Wonsik was exhibiting his studio. He presented his figurines, his music collection, and other knicknacks. He even with a sample of one of his tracks. As much fun as the two were having, Hyun-Ae decided it was best she let him get back to work.

"I'll walk you out," he offered and she graciously accepted. 

"It was really great seeing you, Ravi," the seeker assured as they stood near the entrance facing one another.

"It was great seeing you, too," he grinned, patting her head. She could feel her cheeks warming up by the gesture then her cellphone went off. She took a step back to take a glance and discovered it was an email from a potential client. Remembering the events of last night, she found it awkward having the rapper standing here observing her receive an offer, so she shuffled the cell back into her pocket and looked back up at him. Ravi wasn't naive, but decided to play it low. "Remember to look after yourself, Hyunnie."

"I will, thanks." After that, they said their goodbyes and she turned away to walk out the doors while he watched until she was out of sight. He nodded to himself then marched off to resume his work. 

...

-September 15- 

Today was the day. Hyun-Ae was out hanging around Namsan Park in the glorious afternoon sun. The sky was clear as it could be allowing the big bright star to soak everyone and everything with its light. Although the sun shone brightly, it wasn't unbearably hot. The gentle breeze kept the heat at bay, therefore, the weather was perfect. The birds sang their songs, the children laughed and played, and everything felt just right. As great as this day was, Hyun-Ae could not find it in her to relax. 

She was not out in this park to read, write, eat, or even look for something lost. If it was for any of the reasons above, she wouldn't have dressed in this manner. The young tracker was wearing a mint coloured peplum top, black jeans and a pair of low heel, warm beige, cross strap sandals. Her hair was tied by the use of a black scrungee with small mint polka dots in order to form a simple ponytail. Her makeup was fairly light, upholding her natural glow having only her lips glisten whenever the sunlight glanced upon them. As for jewellery, she only wore a cherry blossom pendant necklace and a pair of playful earrings most fitted to her favourite hobby. With the effort put into her attire, it was believed that she was meeting someone today. She nearly yelped when she saw him coming up the track and clutched onto the strap of her satchel. It was him. The one with a smile that could light up the sky, a visage that would be at the side of the definition of flower boy. It was VIXX's Visual, Lee Hongbin and he was waving at her when he spotted her on the path.

"How did I end up up here again?"

About a week ago...

"Next Tuesday are you free sometime in the afternoon?" Hongbin asked through KakoaTalk. 

"Uh... I think so. How come?"

"How about holding that day for me?"

"Just you?" 

"Yeah, let's meet up at Namsan Park. Wait... is it a problem if it's only me?"

"No no! I just wanted to clarify. It's not a problem at all. :)"

"Great! So I'll see you then. I gotta run, later."

"Okay, later."

The young woman sat there trying to understand what just happened. She didn't even get the chance to ask for what reason. "He probably just wants to hang out. No need to overthink it."

Once the day arrived, Hyun-Ae was walking around her home anxiously. Not knowing the precise reason for this hang out got to her a lot more than she thought. She was the kind of person that needed concrete answers, because she knew she was the type to think of impractical conclusions. She paced around her bed trying to figure out what to should wear. The weather was going to be gorgeous, but that's not what was worrying her. She didn't know if she should dress casually or someone headed out for a date in the park. Yes, she even considered the possibility that Hongbin was asking her out on a date, but she didn't believe that would be possible or even made sense. If it was anyone in that group who'd ask her out on a date, it would most likely be the last person she was with. It was absolutely no way that Hongbin was asking her out, but the thought plagued her. At long last, she decided to go pleasantly casual, if that made any sense. 

-Present time-

"Hyunnie! I'm so glad you came," he grinned. Seeing his glowing face had her putting on a wide smile. He was like a stag, standing tall and proud.

"It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"It sure has. How have you been?"

"I've been great! How about you?"

"I could say the same." His smile was shining brightly then it faltered slightly when he studied her attire briefly. He didn't want to look like a creep. It wasn't what he expected, but she looked cute. "Oh! I should have informed you to dress a little more comfortably."

"Huh?" Her smile dipped and she observed herself even though she knew exactly what she was wearing. "You don't like what I'm wearing?" Now she felt embarrassed.

Hongbin saw her content features drop and immediately explained. "N-no! That's not what I meant. You're pretty." He could feel his face heating up and tried his best to keep calm. "But for what I planned for today requires more comfortable wear." He partially turned away to hide the pink that was rising in his cheeks. The compliment and the expression he had had her blushing as well.

"Aw, I see. What did you have planned?" That's when she noticed he was supporting a carrier bag and a round shaped case. Clearing his throat, he pulled down the round one and held it in front of her. "What is this?" she asked, grasping onto it. The case was a little bigger than she thought. Whatever was inside was big enough to cover a portion of her body.

"It's a portable reflector."

"A reflector? A reflector for--" Before she could finish, he fished out a camera from the second bag.

"You're going to be my assistant for today."

"This is what you've had planned from the beginning?"

"Yeah, I thought I..." He trailed off into his memories then gasped lightly. "I didn't. I must have only said it in my mind instead of actually typing it. I'm sorry, Hyunnie, I honestly thought I told you about it. This is a hobby of mine and I thought you'd be a great help to me on my time off." He had looked genuinely apologetic and also a bit lost not knowing how to handle this awkward situation. 

Hyun-Ae didn't exactly know what to do either, but she was quick to respond with something. "It's okay, Bean. Don't worry too much about it. It was a surprise, but I'm not upset. I'll definitely help you out today." She had to admit she was a little disappointed and stupid for thinking he was inviting her out on a date. It wasn't a definite thought, but that little voice in the back of her head was secretly hoping for more than to just be an assistant. She mentally shrugged off the negativity and optimistically figured if this was a chance to hang with one of her new friends then why waste it?

"R-Really?"

"Well, we're already here. So yes, really," she nodded.

His smile returned and he said, "Thank you. I will treat you to a meal later for helping me out."

"Oh, you don't have to," she waved.  "It's really okay, Bean."

"Actually, the meal was originally part of the plan so..."

She laughed a little then replied, "Okay, okay. A meal it is then." 

"So do you know how reflectors work?" He asked once they had found a space to settle their things. 

"Sort of. They're meant to mend the light to your will." The answer made him chuckle.

"That's a funny explanation, but yes that's pretty much what they do." He tilted his head up toward the sky for a moment then focused on her. "We've got a lot of sun today, so you'll be quite active. If it ever gets too much, you let me know."

"Sure." 

Once they set their mat, he pulled out his tripod while she opened up the reflector. It was white on one side and the other was silver. "I'll guess you'll let me know what I side I'll work with." He glanced up and noticed her inspecting the wide band. 

"Yep! I might be using both, so I'll let you know which side I'll use for what," he replied and she nodded. It took a couple of seconds to notice the earrings she was wearing, they had words on them. He moved slightly closer and read, "So many books..."

"So little time." She completed knowing all too well what he was looking at then turned her head to the side so he could read the other for himself. The lad didn't even realize he was reading out loud and chuckled nervously. 

"Y-you like books, huh?"

"I love books!" She clarified. "Reading is my favourite hobby. If I wasn't out here helping you with yours, I would probably be sitting under this tree reading a good book by myself right about now." 

"That's cool. Do you often come out to the parks by yourself to read?"

"When I have time, yes, it's usually just me," she answered then realized he was probably worried about her being lonely so quickly continued with, "And I quite like it. Reading always feels better when I'm by myself and the green space definitely makes it worth the trip. How about you? Do you usually come out to take photos alone?"

"I see, I see. As long as you're enjoying yourself," he beamed then proceeded to answer her question. "Sometimes. Otherwise, I have my other friends help out."

"Ah okay cool."

"Yeah, so are you ready?" She smiled widely and nodded firmly. "Great! Let's get to work then."

Hyun-Ae helped Hongbin the best way that she could. Whenever he needed assistance, she was there and ready. Since there weren't any human models, the reflector wasn't used as much as they imagined. He'd use it on non-animate objects, like a fruit on a tree, flowers and even littered junk in which he would quickly put in a bin once they were done. Right now, they had just worked on getting the shot of an abandoned kite that was lodged in a tree. She was standing on a post not far from the location, shining the reflector up at the object.

"It's good. I got it!" He announced, waving her down then went to check the last few shots. 

"Whew!" She released the tension in her arms by finally setting down the reflector on the grass, but lost her footing and tried to rebalance. The effort wasn't enough and she was going to fall over, but before she could, Hongbin caught her and set her on the ground.

"I got ya!" Once she was steady he released her. "I think you're getting the hang of how photography works. Lots of awkward stumbling and falling just to get the perfect shot." He chuckled and she looked up at him. "Would to see you getting hurt though. You are okay, aren't you?" 

"I-I'm fine. Thanks for the hand." His smile grew, his dimples flashing in her vision causing her heart to flutter.  

"Anytime." Then he continued to scroll through the photos. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you that these are great shots. You're doing a fantastic job," he complimented. Not hearing a response, he glanced up to see that she was blanked out. "Hyunnie?"

The sound of her name woke her and she responded to the compliments. "You think so? I'm glad they're turning out great." Then shook herself out of her daze completely and he noticed.

"Hm... You seem a little out of it. I hope I'm not overworking you. Maybe we should take a break," he suggested and she accepted. They packed up their stuff and marched to the settlement they occupied earlier.  Once they settled, he said, "I'll go get us lunch. Wait here." If she wanted to say anything more she couldn't, because he was off.

Hyun-Ae sat under the tree recalling the moments where she blanked out and it was all because of Dimples. It was silly, there was no reason to be so flustered. He was a gentleman who broke her fall and that was it, yet here she was thinking about it. She groaned then dug into her satchel to find anything to occupy her mind. Her cellphone was a good choice and she was already scrolling through the notifications. There were new emails requiring her assistance and lucky for her, none of them were urgent; she'd go searching for them at a later time. As she scrolled through, a couple messages from Seojin caught her eyes.

"Hey! I'm sorry it took so long. There was a bit of a lineup." She looked up from her phone to spot Hongbin hovering above holding two boxes of hot dogs. Seojin was erased from her mind, she smiled and responded to him. 

"It's quite alright. No need to apologize." He returned the smile and sat next to her then handed her a box.

"I forgot to ask what you liked on your dogs, so I brought everything in case." She looked in the box to find two hot dogs and packets of all the condiments for her to choose from.

"I'm fine with anything." She dug into the box and squirted all of them onto her food. "Jal meokesseumnida!" The tracker exclaimed before munching down on one. "Mm... it's good!"

"Isn't it? I always enjoyed food from vendors," he expressed also taking his first bite. Hearing him saying so and watching him eat, brought up a thought.

"Can you even eat this stuff?" She knew a great deal about idols and their controlled diets. Especially with their comeback on the way, was he even allowed to eat this?

"Ssh!" He replied then snickered making her giggle. "I don't eat this all the time but once in a while is fine; it won't affect me greatly," he explained. Hyun-Ae didn't care if he wasn't allowed. She was glad enough to know that he didn't starve himself for the perfect image.

"It must be tough sneaking this kind of food especially being the Visual of the group."

"You have no idea. All of us have to maintain our bodies, but it's still slightly tougher for me than it is for them when it comes to these things and I'm not talking just about food." He finished the first but stalled before reaching for the second. "Being VIXX's Visual, I have to keep up with all of my features such as my weight, build and particularly my face. I'm constantly in the gym to keep everything ideal and now with the comeback on the way, I'm working even harder, because I'll be showing a lot of my skin."

The seeker nearly choked on the last bit of her hot dog when he mentioned revealing his skin. "Y-Your skin?" Her face was practically on fire just imagining it.

"Nothing below my waist except for my feet, babo!" He teased, gently poking her head, knowing all too well her mind went too far. This only caused her to blush more. 

"I-I figured that!" She fibbed, grabbing her water canteen to cool herself off and he cleared his throat.

"It's my responsibilty to keep my body in shape. It doesn't look like it, but I've got a lot of muscle building up." He hadn't meant it to sound cocky and he had hoped she didn't think that way of him.

"Is that so?" She responded then without thinking about it, she poked his arm. He automatically flexed and her eyes widened. "Oh!" She could not deny that she was impressed and continued to poke at the bulging bicep. He couldn't help but blush at her touch and the awkwardness made him chuckle. That got her to snap out of it and she backed away.

"Oh! Sorry." She freaked in her head at how carried away she got and decide to move the conversation further. "So the other guys won't be as revealing?" 

"They will, but my body will be focused in the music video more. AH! I'm saying too much." He dug into his second hot dog to shut himself up and that made her giggle. She didn't realize he was zoning out until he spoke. "To be honest, I never planned to take this position," he started, pausing on his meal again. 

"Huh? As Visual?" And he nodded.

"Yeah. I went into training to become a singer or even an actor, but being Visual wasn't one of them."

"Then how did you end up getting that role?" Not getting a response, she glanced at him and realized his hand had lowered and he looked hesitant to speak. "You don't have to tell me."

"It's okay, I don't mind talking about it with you. The reason I got the role was because I wasn't a good enough singer, but the executives liked the way I looked." He wasn't looking at her at this point but kept going. "Heh... I suppose they didn't want to miss the chance to lose this precious face of mine." He was chuckling in a pathetic way that made her feel like sinking to the ground. "It's a silly position if you think about it. I'm just meant to stand there, sing of couple lines and look pretty."

"I don't think that's it at all." He faced her, interested in hearing what she had to say. "Would they bother to put you in the group just for your charms? I don't think so. They must have seen great potential in you. Have you listened to yourself from debut until now? I can tell how much you've improved. You've also got yourself into the acting division and that's fantastic! You're being recognized for your talents. You're more than just a Visual, you are Lee Hongbin!" All of it just came pouring out and she didn't know how effective her words were. They were so powerful that his heart skipped at her seemingly endless compliments making him unable to figure out how to react. "You'll only get better and better. Just believe in yourself more and soon you'll be unstoppable." The corner of his mouth twitched then it crept into a genuine grin. "And if no one sees how great you've become or becoming then they'll hear it from me."

"Hyun-Ae..."

She didn't realize she was getting herself carried away again and finally gazed at him. "Huh?

"Thank you," he conveyed.

She stared at him for a moment longer then smiled along with him. "You're welcome." He turned away to finish eating, his smile never fading and she did too. After that, they continued working together.

"Hongbin oppa?" A timid voice interrupted. They both turned to find a girl looking at him as if he were a prince. It didn't take long to figure out that this was one of his fans then it struck her.

"What if their fans find out someone like me has been hanging with them?" She had a fair knowledge of how possessive Kpop fans can get when it comes to their "Oppas." She clutched the reflector nervously and remained quiet while they spoke. As she watched, she noticed how calm the atmosphere was. They spoke as friends rather than fan and idol.

"She's working for you?" She heard her ask making her tense up again. Hongbin peeked at her then back to his fan.

"Yeah." Once he confirmed, the fan studied her then gave a small smile. "Annyeonghaseyo, eonni!" She bowed taking Hyun-Ae by surprise. She kindly returned the gesture and once that was done, she and Hongbin continued their mild conversation then she was gone.

"Wow! That's it?"

"Mhm... St★rlights are a good group of fans. They don't cause as much chaos as other groups, but of course there are an exceptional few that step over boundaries, but nonetheless, they're generally sweet people."

"Aw, that's great. I guess it helps when they have sweet idols like you guys."

"I suppose." They laughed it off and resumed their business. 

The sun was slowly setting and the park was clearing out bit by bit, making the area feel even bigger. The day was good and all, but Hyun-Ae's feet were finally getting to her. When her partner wasn't looking, she quickly massaged her ankles then slipped back on her shoes. This time, however, he noticed. 

"I really do apologize for not being clear about today. It must be hard helping me with those shoes." Realizing she was caught, she gaped up at him. 

"I'm fine. No need to apologize. I should have worn better shoes for the park period. I made the dumb choice." He didn't feel any better about the situation then an idea came. With a loud sigh, he looked up at the sky and said,

"It looks like our sun is going to sleep, Hyunnie. So your job isn't really needed anymore for the day. You can go rest up at the tree while I grab a few more photos down by the lake." Not buying his lame story, she rebuffed.

"I told you I'm--"

"I'm your boss for today." He reminded, not betting to lose this battle. "So you must listen to what I say." He motioned over to her, turned her around so he was behind then gently nudged her forward. "Now go sit," he ordered, snickering while doing so and she joined in the joy.

"Okay, okay. I'll go rest a bit, but I'm keeping my eye on you. If you need any assistance boss, don't hesitate." They beamed at each other then parted ways. The tracker sat under the tree and set her back against it, making sure he was in her sights.

Hongbin went by the lake that wasn't too far from her in order to take photos of some of the wildlife floating around the area. There was a family of ducks that caught his attention and he positioned himself and his camera to capture them. As he took snapshots of them, he thought of his day with her. "It was truly a great idea to call her out." They were able to get to know more about each other, well, she was mostly learning about him. Being his assistant wasn't the only reason he brought her here. He, too, wanted to be more acquainted with her and possibly develop their friendship and it proved to be successful. However, he was feeling slightly unsatisfied, he wanted to learn about her. He was always the curious fellow and knew it sometimes got him into trouble, but he couldn't help it. Ever since the night Ravi exposed his experiences, he was eager to learn more. He wasn't aiming for her to have a panic attack in his presence, he just wanted to know more about the person who popped into his life. He at least knew, without a doubt in his mind, that she was a good-natured young woman. He peeked up from his camera in order to steal a glance of her behind him.

There was the tree and under it she was, but she was far from being awake. "That girl..." he grumbled then smirked. He got up from his spot and crept up toward her. He was aiming to awake, but as he got there, he ceased from doing so. She had looked so peaceful and thought he'd be a real jerk to ruin that. He continued to gawk, just realizing the opportunity he had to get a really good look at her.  Her head and back were resting on the trunk as her hair fell, partially covering her face like a curtain and a soft smile on her countenance. His eyes ventured down to her outfit and he was truly impressed with her style. She looked really pretty--no--beautiful. 

He crouched and carefully placed the reflector on the grass right near her, casting some light onto her then reached for her face. He gulped and cautiously tossed some of her strands behind her ears, leaving the rest to create a natural look. Once all the finishing touches were done, he inched back a bit, lifted the camera to his face, and took a photo. He checked the test picture and was satisfied with the outcome then continued to snap more shots. He'd shift the reflector every now and then in order to capture all the perfect angles of her pose. His smile grew as he scrolled through the playback feed. "Ah, there's an angle I missed." For the last time, he focused the lens on her and was met with eyes looking straight through them. He yelped and pulled it away from her face.

At long last, Hyun-Ae sensed a presence in her space and took a peek to make sure it wasn't a creep. Her vision was a little fuzzy, but she could see that it was her friend who had practically dropped his camera. "H-Hongbin?" She blinked her eyes in order to clear the haze. "What are you..." Then it hit her and her eyes widened. "Were you taking photos of me?" His hands were shaking while he tried to explain things, but she wasn't fooled. "You did. Let me see them!"

"N-No, you can't! I don't let anyone see my raw footages," he declined, standing up.

"No fair! I didn't even ask to have my picture taken and you won't let me see them?" She also stood up and reached for the object in his hands, but he held it high. "Give it to me!" She demanded. His embarrassment soon turned into amusement and he smirked at that. 

"No way! Do you remember whose camera this belongs to?"

"Do you remember whose face is inside your camera?" she retorted, hands on her hips.

"Yeah a sloth," he teased.

"YA!" she jumped at him, but he dodged. 

"No one touches the artwork." Now she grinned.

"Oh ho! Are we talking about your camera or you now?"

"Well obviously I was referring to myself," he replied, dimples glinting. 

"Why you cheeky..." she mumbled. "If you don't let me see those pictures right now, Hongbin, then I'll make sure you won't be Visual anymore."

"Ah, is that so?"

"Yeah!" She assured. They stood head to head then out of nowhere, he flickered her nose.

"Show me." Right then and there, the seeker charged getting him to turn and run. 

"If you don't give me your camera or delete those photos Dimples I'll--"

"Dimples?" He repeated out loud, still jogging away from her. Hyun-Ae realized her mistake, but wasn't phased.

"Yes, because that's what you are, Dimple Freak."

"Haha! I don't think... anyone's openly called me... a freak before. I usually get the common, adorable... handsome... lady killer..." he panted then skidded to a halt to hide behind a pole. She followed him right there, but every time she made a move he switched sides. Now they were at a standstill. 

She took a minute to catch her breath before responding. "Oh... and I bet you're expecting... to hear that mush to come out of my mouth, too?"

"Hmm.. Well, don't you think I'm attractive?" 

"I don't want the compliments to go to your head."

"Haha! Something else I wasn't expecting. So you're saying, you do think I'm attractive."

"Yes! I mean no-- I--" Getting lost in her mind, she tripped and fell to the ground. He immediately stopped joking around and went up to her.

"Hyunnie, gwenchana?" He asked, bending down to her level.

She smirked and said, "I'm fine." Then took the chance to swipe the camera. 

"Hey! What did I say--" She moved up to his face making him freeze then stuck her tongue out.

"I win." She cackled then turned for the camera. The Artwork crouched there in awe, recalling her sudden proximity to his face. She had backed away, but he was still surprised by the act. The next few seconds, pink rose to his cheeks and he mumbled, "cheater" watching as she looked through the photos.

"These are actually pretty good. I mean you took them while I was sleeping--without my permission--but these are great." He shifted until he was seated then looked over her shoulder, the blush still apparent. 

"You think so?"

"Yeah, these are beautifully taken," she affirmed.

"Well, it couldn't have worked out without the beautiful person in them." Then his mouth dropped open at what he just said. 

"Huh? Sorry, I didn't catch that." Bean thanked his lucky stars she didn't hear and responded with a different answer.

"I said, it couldn't have worked out without the reflector." He cleared his throat then stood up. "After that game of tag, I think we should have something to cool us down. That time she heard him clearly then rose to her feet. "I'll go get us ice cream. You like ice cream, right?"

"Yeah, of course. Vanilla is fine for me," she answered.

"Great! I'll be back!"

"Alright, while you get those, I'll be back by our spot waiting." He gave her a nod then sped away. "Hmm..what the's matter with him?" She shrugged then left. 

Once he got as far away from her as possible, he let out the deepest breath he was holding. "What was that back there, Kong? Pull yourself together." He went up to the gentleman serving ice cream and placed the orders. As he waited, his mind travelled back to the moment she was in his face and it made him blush again.  She was cute, he could not deny that. Cute, funny and sweet, that's who she was. 

"Here you are, my boy."

"Thank you," he replied.

"Make sure you get to her before it melts, alright?" The man winked making him fumble about with the change. 

"N-ne..." he nodded, bowed then left. "Calm yourself. You're overreacting to everything." He continued to argue with himself until he spotted her sitting on the bench instead of the tree still looking through his raw snaps.  His tripod and reflector were repacked and resting against the back of the bench and the rest of their things were at her side. He took a deep breath then made his way over. "Switched places?" Still looking through his photos, she hadn't noticed his return and glanced up at him.

"Hm? Yeah, the ground's starting to get cold."

"Oh right. Here," he handed and she took her cone with a smile.

"Thank you."

"No. Thank you," he corrected sitting next to her. "You were a great help to me. You deserve a treat. I wish I could give you more." She shook her hand at him and responded,

"No no, you don't have to give me so much. You didn't even have to give me anything, hanging with you was satisfying enough." Then she got to work on her dessert while he started thinking about what she said. He felt warm. He turned away and began away at his cone to cool himself down again.

The park was emptying out as the sun was practically gone, but she and Dimples remained there enjoying their hard-earned treats. 

"So how much time do you have left before you go back to real work?" She asked with the cone at . 

"Why? Are you eager to get rid of me so quickly?" She nearly dropped her cone as she gasped and zipped in his direction.

"That's not what I meant at all."

"I know, I know," he snickered and she realized she was duped by one of the members again and turned away. "Well, I should be getting back to the studio in a bit."

"Yeah, Ravi's told me you guys work the rest of the evenings."

"That's right. Practice could go overnight sometimes. It depends on our personal schedules."

"That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. Aren't you busy with your stuff?"

"Photography is part of my stuff. That's why I chose this specific day. From now on, I don't think I'll have time to. I don't think we'll even see each other much I'm afraid."

"Huh?" she stopped eating and felt her heart skip a beat and faced him again. He also paused but didn't look at her.

"Yeah, our comeback is so close, so there's a lot of things to prepare for."

Hyun-Ae thought back to the conversation she had with N at the restaurant. "So it's that time already, huh?" She thought with a weak smile. "I know, Bean."

"You can call me Dimples."

"Really?"

"It's kind of growing on me." Then he continued eating when he felt the cream drip over the cone and she giggled. 

"Alright, Dimples it is then."

"That's just between us though. I don't want the whole world to call me that."

"Of course, of course," she promised, getting started on eating up the cone. 

"I had a really good time with you today," he expressed.

"I did too," she agreed while munching.

"And I'll miss this."

"Miss what?" She just swallowed the last bite, wiped her hands clean with the napkins and dusted her clothes off.

"Hanging with you." And there went her heart again. His hands were empty and he was already gazing at her, hoping she did turn to him. She recovered and replied. 

"That's sweet of you. I'm going to miss this too." A soft smile appeared then his eyes scanned her face then snickered.

"You're a messy eater. You've got crumbs all over your face." She gasped and turned away to wipe herself clean, totally embarrassed. Hongbin dug around his pockets for more napkins to find no more. "Aw, I should have picked up more." She put up her face again in front of him.

"Is it better?" And he snickered again. 

"You still got some here." He pointed to his face to where she could find it on hers, but the silly girl kept missing. " Babo, it's here." Without thinking twice, his thumb came up to wipe it away. When his finger rubbed over her cheek then to the corner of her lip, her face burned up in seconds. She observed his eyelids lower in focus making her heart thump loudly in her chest.  His shaky thumb briefly passed over her lips and that's when he gasped and pulled back. "Oh sorry!" He turned away not believing what he just did and wanted to yell. Now he was completely embarrassed and had no courage to look her in the eyes or so he thought.

"It- it's okay. Are the crumbs gone?" And that's what made him glimpse at her again.

"Yeah..." He wanted to look elsewhere but got caught up in her gaze. The last person, who was a tall man, in their area glanced quickly at them then disappeared. The night sky had begun to take over, causing the park lights to switch on, but neither of them paid mind to anything or anyone else. 

Hongbin was someone who was awkward with women, but he found himself to be somewhat more relaxed around her. He was even able to share his troubles and had her ease him out of them. She was something else and the thought made him grin. "You're remarkable," he admitted, his voice low.

"What? Me?" And he nodded. "Oh no I..." she lost the thought over the sudden suffocating atmosphere between her and Dimples, but this wasn't a new feeling. A red flag popped in her mind and she pulled away and stood up. "Uh... I'll uh... I'll throw this stuff away." He snapped out of it then shyly looked away.

"No problem," he said, scratching the back of his head. She took the opportunity to distance herself and marched over toward the garbage bin.

"My goodness, Hyunnie, that was getting too close. Focus!" The bin wasn't far and she got to it quickly then raised the tray to toss the toss the rubbish, but as she did, something caught her eyes.

Bean remained on the bench mulling over all his inept situations. "What the heck is up with you?" He was calling himself crazy repeatedly and even went to the extent of slapping his cheeks then a sound from his cell broke him out of it.  He pulled it out to find a text from the leader and read it. "That hyung..." He replied and was ready to leave until he heard a shrill scream and when he turned to look, it was from her. His eyes flew open wide watching as she fell to her knees, grasping her head, still screaming. He bucked forth and dropped in front of her.

"Hyun-Ae? Hyun-Ae?! What's the matter?" His hands were at her shoulders trying to get her to look up at him, but she didn't hear nor see him and kept screaming. Soon her cries turned to hacking like she was going to throw up. "! Is this her going through one of her psychological episodes?" He looked around to see if anyone was near but failed to find a single person. This isn't what he wanted. He shook her lightly trying to snap her out if it then the rapper came to his mind. He remembered what Ravi told him he did and so started utilizing his methods. "Hyunnie, Bean-- I-I mean Dimples. Dimples is right here for you." She still kept crying and shaking violently in his hold. He wasn't as patient as Ravi and was beginning to panic himself. "Call me Dimples, call me Freak, just please come back to me!" He shouted. That did it. Her cries stopped then she finally looked into his eyes.

"Hong- Hongbin I--" She turned over gagging and he patted her back, doing what he could to help. The next moment, all she digested in the park came up. His patting turned to gentle rubs. 

"Are you okay?" He asked when she finished.

"Water please," she weakly requested.

"Right away." He got up and ran to the bench to dig for her canteen in her bag then raced back to her. "Here." She nodded gratefully, washed what was left in then drank. "What happened? Was it an attack?" She shook her head then shuddered, it was worse.

"You have to call the police... Call Seojin... Call them all..."

"Huh?"

"Please... you have to call them... I can't- I can't do it right now." He didn't understand what was going on but he shakily pulled out his phone to dial.

"Why? What do you want me to say?" He inquired already dialing.

"There's been... another homicide." Once she revealed that, his heart skipped. 

"W-what?" They soon heard voices on the line and held it against his ear, his hands shaking.

"What's your emergency?"

"I'm reporting a homicide," he told them as calmly as he could then gave the location and was done. Once the line cut, the phone slid out of his grip. "M-murder? W-where did you--" She leaned close to his ear and exposed it all. His eyes and mouth dropped open then he turned to the trash bin. He was staring like a deer caught in the headlights; he couldn't believe it. He pulled her and himself up then once she was steady, he motioned toward it but didn't get far.

"No," Hyun-Ae mouthed, catching him by his wrist. "Someone like you has no business seeing something like that." His eyebrows dipped.

"And you were?"

"Lee Hongbin," she called. "Listen to me." They stared each other down until she inhaled sharply. "You should get out of here."

"Now you've completely lost it. Do you honestly think I'm going to leave you alone and especially w-with that?" He remarked, pointing at the offensive object. She looked away to scan the area.

"You have to. If the police catch you here, they'll do nothing but ruin your life."

"You're using that reason again. I heard about what you did with Ken and Ravi. Haven't you learned anything from them?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her so she could look at him. "Stop going through everything alone when you've got help right-" She harshly flung his hand away and snapped.

"You don't get it! I'm not just talking about your idol life this time. I just don't want you to turn into me!" 

"Wha?"

"Someone as precious as you don't deserve to go through this torment."

"Wait a minute. You're speaking as if..." he paused to study her. "You've witnessed something like this before, haven't you?" She took a deep breath then nodded.

"Worse than you can even imagine. I didn't just witness it, I lived it." She held her arms and shivered.

"Hyunnie..." he was about to question further until the sound of sirens caught their attention.

"You have to get out of here," she insisted, moving to the bench to hand him his things. "Take your stuff."

"But..." he began, slipping on his bags. She gave him her satchel next and this stumped him.

"Take my bag too, then once you're far from here, call Detective Seojin and tell him absolutely everything. His number will be on my cellphone. The code is 3457."

"I told you before I don't want to leav--"

"Please!" She begged. "Just go!" Then shoved him forward. He nervously looked between her and the direction of the incoming sirens then cursed the situation.

"You better stay safe." She assured him with a nod then he ran off. Glad that he listened, she turned back to the bin. 

"Seo-Seojin," she mumbled beginning to tremble. What was inside that bin was going to ruin him. The next minute, cops flooded the area and she was pulled further away from the garbage to be spoken to. The cop who had her frowned. 

"Getting yourself tangled up in this Ms. Hyun-Ae? Are you involved with this murder?" She immediately shook her head. "You know we can't just let you go without thoroughly questioning you."

"I know," she answered already raising her hands up in surrender. The stubby looking cop moved around to cuff her and recited her rights she knew all too well. 

"You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law..." As he was manacling her, she looked around hoping her friend wasn't still around to see this. She didn't see him and the next thing she knew she was put in the backseat of the police car.

"Hongbin, I hope you follow my instructions exactly," she thought then was carried off, leaving the rest of the cops to investigate the crime scene. Little did she know, Hongbin was in fact still around and had seen everything. He was hiding behind a tree many meters away, but he saw. 

"No, Hyun-Ae..." He had watched the policeman arrest and whisk her away. She was in trouble and had no idea how to help, he was quivering. Then he remembered what she wanted him to do and quickly dug in her bag for her phone. "What was the code again?" It took him a moment then he remembered. He searched for detective Seojin's number and found the contact in no time. Beside his name, in brackets, was "Oppa ^^." Not interested in that matter, he called him. Hardly a ring went by and he was introduced to a deep voice.

"Hyunnie! I've been trying to get in contact with you. Where are--"

"D-detective?"

"Who's this?" The sound in his voice fell deeper.

"I'm Hongbin, her friend. Hyunnie's in trouble," he informed.

"What happened to her?"

The wait wasn't long until Hongbin felt a tap on his shoulder. It surprised him and he turned to face a man a little taller than he was, glaring at him. At first, he thought it was a cop, but he wasn't wearing the uniform. He was a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, but his maturity exceeded him. He was dressed in a dark blue blazer with a white button down shirt and black jeans.

"D-Detective?"

"Thanks for the call." Hongbin eased up and faced him completely.

"Hyun-Ae's been-"

"I'll take care of it. Now go," he ordered. The Visual didn't hesitate to obey then left, carrying his and Hyunnie's bags with him. Seojin watched him sneak off then made his move. One of the cops noticed him coming around the corner.

"Aw well if it isn't detective Yoo. It's been a long time." 

"Yeah, I wish it were longer," he replied, strolling closer alerting more officers.

"What are you doing around here?"

"Don't waste time on evitable questions, officer Chang."

"Ah, then I'll quickly inform you that we have an investigator on the scene." Seojin searched for this other detective then smirked. It was the old friend of his.

"Detective Yoo, I knew you'd come here." A woman dressed in a navy blue blazer with a grey top turned to face him as he came up from behind.

"I missed you too, Detective Kim." They greeted each other then got down to business. "So what we got here?"

"If you're here, I'm sure you know," she answered, turning to the bin. Seojin had briefly mentioned his latest case to her and they were secretly working it together. "But who the victim is, may surprise you." She handed him a pair of gloves while the CSI was at work. "Remember that lass you've sent away that's recently gone missing?"

"Damn!" He cursed already knowing where this was going. He let out a heavy sigh because when he peeked inside, he was met with the head of Min-Ji. The serial killer had got to her.

"Looks like we've got something here." The crime scene investigator alerted. Both detectives moved in closer and from what they made out, they already knew, Min-Ji was murdered early in the day, but her head was placed fairly recently. What they didn't know was what was placed inside that the CSI was pulling out from under her tongue.

"Let me take a look," Detective Kim requested and he placed it in her hands. "It's a note." She lifted in front of Seojin and he sighed once more. 

"I have returned."

There was no doubt in his mind. The one criminal who slipped through his fingers, the one who hurt Hyun-Ae and now Min-Ji. It was Callimachus and he was indeed back in Seoul. 

End of chapter

Wooohoo!! I have finally finished this chapter! I started it a while ago(August), but got caught up in so many other things, that I fell behind on my writing. I am terribly sorry, I didn't want to turn into that writer who updates slowly. I'm working to my greatest abilities to update as quickly as possible.  I'm glad to have updated, at last, and just before VIXX's comeback! Are you all excited for it?

I am!! :D 

Now about our latest chapter, what do you all think of it? I am going to share this one thing, this chapter is officially the opening to the real drama. So there will be dark, moody, and still some light moments. Just prepare yourself. The next chapters are already in the works, so stay tuned ;)

Now happy reading and have fun supporting VIXX with their latest comeback, Chained Up!