Chapter Text
Yujin first thought the message was a mistake.
She was in the middle of stretching after practice when her phone buzzed, her manager’s name lighting up the screen.
Manager:
We need to talk.
Private meeting.
With Wonyoung’s company.
Their CEO specifically.
Yujin stared at the message for a long time.
Her chest tightened.
“Shit,” she murmured to herself.
She didn’t ask why. She already knew.
The office was quiet, too quiet.
The CEO didn’t bother with pleasantries and manners. He didn’t even offer her a seat until after she’d already stood there for an awkward few seconds.
“You can sit down,” he said flatly.
Yujin complied, back straight, hands clenched on her thighs.
He folded his hands on the table. “I’ll be direct. I know Wonyoung is still seeing you.”
Yujin’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t respond.
The CEO reached for a folder and slid it across the table.
Inside were photos.
Too many.
Wonyoung pulling a hood over her head as she slipped into Yujin’s car.
Yujin’s car parked in a familiar alley.
The two of them entering Yujin’s apartment, close together.
Yujin dropping Wonyoung off near her dorm before dawn.
Each image felt like a punch.
“She’s been careless,” the CEO continued coldly. “Or perhaps she just doesn’t care anymore.”
Yujin finally spoke. “She’s not careless. She’s human.”
The CEO laughed, but there was no humor in it. “That’s the problem.”
He leaned back.
“She’s stubborn. Selfish. Willing to risk everything, for you.”
Yujin shook her head. “She didn’t force this. I didn’t force her. We chose…”
“She chose wrong,” he cut in sharply. “And I almost punished her for it.”
Yujin’s heart dropped. “Almost?”
“I decided not to,” he said calmly. “She’s too valuable. Too much potential to waste.”
Yujin exhaled shakily, relief flickering for half a second, until he continued.
“So instead, I decided it would be better if you ended it.”
Yujin’s head snapped up. “Excuse me?”
“She won’t listen to me,” the CEO said. “But she listens to you.”
Yujin stood abruptly. “You don’t get to decide that.”
The CEO chuckled, eyes sharp. “You’re mistaken. I decide everything about her career.”
He sighed, almost bored.
“I’ll give you time. End the relationship. Quietly. Cleanly.”
“And if I don’t?” Yujin asked, voice trembling.
He met her gaze.
“Then we’ll see if her dream is worth both of your stubbornness.”
The meeting ended just like that.
No handshake. No warning beyond the threat already made.
Yujin didn’t sleep for three nights.
She replayed everything in her head over and over.
Wonyoung laughing on the couch.
Wonyoung falling asleep on her chest.
Wonyoung whispering “I choose you.”
Her chest ached constantly.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered one night, staring at the ceiling.
But then another thought came.
What if I don’t… and she loses everything?
That thought hurt worse.
By the fourth day, Yujin was already on the verge of tears when she dialed Wonyoung’s number.
“Can we meet?” she asked softly when Wonyoung answered.
“Of course,” Wonyoung replied immediately. “I’ll come now.”
Wonyoung arrived faster than she probably should have.
She barely knocked, just two soft taps before punching in the code she knew very well and letting herself in the way she always did. The door closed behind her with a quiet click, and she immediately wrapped her arms around Yujin from behind.
“I missed you,” Wonyoung said softly, her cheek pressing into Yujin’s back. “You didn’t even text me properly today. I thought you were just busy.”
Yujin stiffened.
Her hands, which were usually quick to reach back and pull Wonyoung closer, stayed frozen at her sides.
Wonyoung felt it instantly.
“…Baby?” she murmured, pulling back. “Hey.”
She stepped in front of her, concern already etched across her face.
“You’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”
Yujin swallowed, eyes glassy. “Can you sit down for a second?”
Wonyoung hesitated. “Why are you talking like that?”
Still, she sat on the couch. Yujin sat across from her instead of beside her, and that alone made Wonyoung’s heart sink.
“You’re not even sitting next to me,” Wonyoung said quietly. “Did something happen?”
Yujin took a shaky breath. “I had a meeting.”
“With who?” Wonyoung asked, already bracing herself.
Yujin looked down at her hands. “Your CEO.”
The air left Wonyoung’s lungs.
“…What?” she whispered. “Why would he…”
“He knows,” Yujin said quickly, like ripping off a bandage. “He knows we’re still together.”
Wonyoung stood up so fast the couch creaked. “No. That’s not possible. We were careful.”
“He hired someone,” Yujin continued, voice breaking. “He showed me pictures, Wony.”
Wonyoung’s hands shook. “Pictures of what?”
“Of you sneaking out. Of my car. Of my place.” Yujin finally looked up, eyes red. “Of me dropping you off.”
Wonyoung laughed once, hollow and disbelieving.
“So… he stalked me?”
Yujin didn’t answer. She didn’t need to.
Wonyoung dragged a hand through her hair, pacing.
“That’s insane. That’s illegal. He can’t…”
“He can,” Yujin said quietly. “And he will.”
Wonyoung stopped pacing and turned to her. “What did he say?”
Yujin closed her eyes for a moment. “He told me to end things with you.”
Silence.
Then Wonyoung shook her head hard.
“No. We talked about this. You promised me we’d do this together.”
“I know,” Yujin said, standing up too. “I remember every word.”
“Then why does this feel like goodbye?” Wonyoung’s voice cracked.
“Because he threatened your career,” Yujin whispered. “Your group. Everything you worked for.”
Wonyoung stepped closer, tears forming.
“So what? You just decided for me?”
“I'm deciding to protect you.”
“By leaving me?” Wonyoung snapped. “That’s protecting me?”
Yujin’s shoulders trembled. “I told you I can’t be the reason you lose your dream.”
Wonyoung grabbed Yujin’s sleeve. “You’re not. He is. And I don’t care.”
Yujin gently pulled her sleeve free. “But I do.”
Wonyoung stared at her like she didn’t recognize her.
“So all those nights, all those promises… were they just temporary to you?”
“No!” Yujin cried. “They were real, they were everything to me.”
“Then don’t do this,” Wonyoung begged. “Please. We’ll figure it out. We always do.”
Yujin turned away, pressing her palm to her mouth.
“Yujinnie, look at me, please…”
“I can’t, I won’t be able to do this.”
“Then don’t,” Wonyoung said, sobbing. “Don’t do it.”
“I’m not worth your dream,” Yujin said through tears.
That was when something in Wonyoung broke.
She stepped back slowly, wiping her face, her voice turning cold, not because she stopped loving Yujin, but because it hurt too much.
“So that’s it?” she said bitterly. “You’re choosing them.”
“It's not like that...”
“You’re letting them scare you away,” Wonyoung said. “You’re letting someone else decide for us.”
Yujin turned to her. “I love you, I care about you way too much. That’s why I’m doing this.”
Wonyoung shook her head, tears streaming.
“If you loved me, you wouldn’t hurt me like this.”
She took another step back, as if distance might keep her heart from breaking further.
“If you really loved me,” she whispered, voice shattered, “you wouldn’t break my heart.”
They stared at each other, both crying, both wanting to run back into each other’s arms, neither able to move.
Then Wonyoung turned.
She reached for the door, paused for half a second like she might look back, but didn’t.
Yujin watched Wonyoung’s hand close around the door handle.
That was it.
Something inside her snapped.
If you do this, you won't ever see her again.
If you do this, you'd lose the only person you care and love the most.
If you do this, you'd break her...
“Wony…wait.”
Before Wonyoung could even turn the handle, Yujin rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her from behind, pulling her back against her chest like she was afraid Wonyoung would disappear the moment she let go.
“Don’t go,” Yujin sobbed. “Please… don’t go.”
Wonyoung froze. "Yujin...please, if you're going to change your mind again later, just let me go now."
Yujin buried her face against Wonyoung’s shoulder, shaking.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I can’t do this. I can’t let you walk away thinking I don’t care about you, because that’s not true. It’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
Her grip tightened, almost desperate.
“I was stupid. I panicked. I thought letting you go would protect you, but seeing you cry like that, seeing you walk away from me,” Yujin’s voice cracked completely. “It almost killed me.”
For a moment, Wonyoung didn’t move.
The pain from seconds ago was still fresh, raw, sitting heavy in her chest. Her hands trembled at her sides as tears slipped down her cheeks again.
“…You really hurt me,” Wonyoung whispered.
“I know,” Yujin cried. “I know, and I hate myself for it. I hated myself the second I said those words. I don’t want a life where you’re not in it. I don’t want to be brave without you.”
Slowly, Wonyoung’s shoulders began to shake.
She reached up, gripping Yujin’s arms where they were wrapped around her, finally leaning back into her.
“I thought… I really thought you were choosing to leave me,” she said between sobs. “I thought I wasn’t enough for you to fight for.”
Yujin turned her around, hands cupping Wonyoung’s face urgently.
“Look at me. Please look at me.”
Wonyoung lifted her eyes, red and swollen, meeting Yujin’s tear-filled gaze.
Yujin dropped to her knees in front of her without hesitation.
“Please don’t leave,” she begged, voice breaking. “I was a coward. I let fear speak louder than my love, and I’ll regret that for the rest of my life if you walk out that door. I love you, Jang Wonyoung. I love you so much it scares me.”
Wonyoung gasped, hands flying to cover her mouth.
“Yujin…don’t…what are you…get up…”
But Yujin stayed there, holding onto Wonyoung’s hands like they were her lifeline.
“I don’t care how hard it gets. I don’t care how careful we have to be. I don’t care how long it takes. I just don’t want to lose you.”
That was when Wonyoung broke.
She pulled Yujin up by the shoulders and crashed their lips together, the kiss messy, desperate, full of everything they were too scared to say. Yujin kissed her back immediately, like she had been waiting for permission to breathe again.
They pulled apart only when they were both breathless.
“I’m sorry,” Yujin whispered, forehead pressed to Wonyoung’s. “For being stupid. For being scared. For hurting you. I was wrong to ever think my love for you meant letting you go.”
Wonyoung shook her head, wiping Yujin’s tears with her thumbs.
“I forgive you,” she said softly. “Just…please never do that to me again. I don't think I'll survive it.”
Yujin nodded quickly. “I won’t. I promise. I’ll fight with you next time, not for you.”
Wonyoung hugged her tightly, holding on like she never wanted to let go again. “I got so scared,” she admitted. “I don’t ever want to lose you, Yujin.”
Yujin kissed her temple, then her cheek, voice trembling but sure. “You won’t. I’m here. I choose you.”
They stood there for a long moment, holding each other in the quiet apartment, no more ultimatums, no more running away, just two people choosing each other again, even when it was terrifying.
They ended up on the couch without really remembering how they got there.
Yujin sat first, then pulled Wonyoung into her arms, holding her so tightly it was like she was afraid the world might try to take her away again.
Wonyoung curled against her chest, arms wrapped around Yujin’s waist, fingers clutching the fabric of her shirt.
Neither of them spoke at first.
Only their breathing filled the room.
Yujin kissed the top of Wonyoung’s head again and again, like she was trying to make up for every second she almost lost her.
“Wony…” Yujin whispered. “You’re not mad at me, right?”
Wonyoung shook her head slowly, still not looking up.
“No,” she said quietly. “I was just… really hurt.”
Yujin swallowed. “I know. And I deserve that.”
Wonyoung’s voice stayed soft but honest.
“It hurt that you even thought about breaking up with me. I know you were trying to protect me. I know your heart was in the right place. But hearing you say it… it felt like you were giving up on us before we even tried.”
Yujin’s arms tightened. “I hated myself the second I said it. I still hate myself for it.”
Wonyoung finally looked up at her.
“Don’t hate yourself. Just… don’t make decisions about us alone again. We’re supposed to face things together.”
Yujin nodded quickly. “I promise. No more deciding for you. No more deciding without you.”
They went quiet again, foreheads touching.
After a while, Yujin spoke carefully.
“So… what do we do now?”
Wonyoung sighed, long and tired.
“I don’t know. But I do know one thing.”
She shifted so she could look at Yujin properly.
“I’m tired of hiding you. I’m tired of pretending the happiest part of my life doesn’t exist. I’m tired of sneaking around like I’m doing something wrong when I’m just… in love.”
Yujin’s heart started beating faster. “Wony… your CEO…”
“I know,” Wonyoung cut in gently. “He’ll be angry. The company will be angry. People will talk. But they already are. And they always will. No matter what I do, someone will always have an opinion about my life.”
She rested her head back on Yujin’s shoulder.
“This time, I want to be the one who decides what’s good for me.”
Yujin was quiet for a moment. Then she said, low and steady, “Are you sure? Because once we do this… there’s no going back.”
Wonyoung nodded. “I’m sure. I don’t want to lose you just because other people think they own my life.”
Yujin’s chest felt tight.
“I’m worried for you,” she admitted. “Not because I doubt us. But because I know how cruel people can be.”
Wonyoung reached up and cupped Yujin’s cheek.
“I think about that too but I’d be scared of waking up one day and realizing I let everyone else decide my happiness.”
Yujin leaned into her touch.
“Then we’ll face it together. Every rumor, every headline, every ugly comment.”
Wonyoung smiled sadly. “You sound so sure.”
Yujin smiled back, small but firm.
“Because I am. I don’t care who tries to get between us. I’m not letting anyone try to take you away from me again.”
Wonyoung hugged her tighter.
“And I’m not hiding you anymore.”
They stayed like that, wrapped around each other, not knowing what the future would bring, but knowing they would walk into it side by side, no matter how hard it got.
— — —
It started with a blurry fan photo.
The caption said:
“Guys… is that Jang Wonyoung in an FC jersey???”
Wonyoung was sitting two rows behind the bench, hair tucked under a cap, hoodie zipped halfway, Yujin’s number printed boldly on the back.
She wasn’t hiding. She wasn’t performing either.
She was just… there. Clapping too loud. Smiling too big.
When Yujin’s name was announced, Wonyoung leaned forward, elbows on her knees.
When Yujin scored, she jumped up without thinking.
“AN YUJIN!” she yelled, hands cupped around her mouth.
People turned.
Cameras turned.
Yujin looked up, searching automatically.
Their eyes met.
Yujin froze for half a second, then grinned like an idiot and pointed straight at her.
Wonyoung laughed and pointed back. “That’s my girl,” she muttered.
Fans clipped that moment.
The pointing. The smile. The timing.
“Coincidence?”
“Absolutely not.”
A week later, Yujin showed up backstage at a music show.
She stood awkwardly by the wall, holding a bouquet in one hand and a paper bags of food in the other.
A staff member asked, “Who are those for?”
Yujin smiled nervously. “My… favorite person. And her team.”
When Wonyoung came out of the hallway, tired and still catching her breath from pre-recording, she stopped.
“Yujin?”
Yujin stepped forward, handing her the bouquet.
Wonyoung took the flowers, eyes shining. “You came all this way just for this?”
“I came all this way just for you.”
Liz peeked out and laughed. “Leader’s girlfriend is here!”
Yujin bowed quickly. “I brought food for everyone.”
“Where’s the flowers for us though?” Rei teased.
“Oh, uh…”
Gaeul took the paper bags and smiled. “Ignore Rei, we’re grateful for the food, Captain An.”
Leeseo approached from behind, nudging their leader. “Girlfriend of the century.”
Wonyoung slipped her fingers into Yujin’s sleeve. “She is.”
That photo, Wonyoung holding flowers while Yujin fixed a strand of hair behind her ear, spread everywhere.
People wrote:
“She looks like she’s being taken care of.”
“And she looks like she loves doing it.”
They started going out in daylight.
No hoodies pulled too low. No rushing.
Sometimes it was just the two of them.
Yujin would order first. “She wants the sweet one but will say she doesn’t.”
Wonyoung would glare. “Why are you exposing me?”
Yujin would grin. “Because you’re cute when you pretend you’re not.”
Wonyoung would steal Yujin’s drink anyway. “Yours tastes better.”
One time, a fan whispered, “Is that them?”
Leeseo leaned over from their table and said loudly, “Yes. My parents. Please don’t stare, they’re shy.”
Wonyoung nearly choked. “Leeseo!”
Yujin covered her face, laughing. “You raised her.”
Leeseo posted a photo later: two cups, one hand reaching for the other.
Caption: “Family outing.”
Fans started seeing Yujin’s car near Wonyoung’s dorm.
One video showed Wonyoung running out, waving to someone inside.
Yujin rolled down the window. “You forgot your jacket.”
Wonyoung leaned in. “I left it on purpose.”
“Why?”
“So you’d have to come back later.”
Yujin laughed. “Just say you want me to stay.”
Wonyoung smiled. “Then, stay.”
Photos flooded social media.
Wonyoung in Yujin’s jersey.
Yujin holding Wonyoung’s bag.
Matching bracelets.
Same sunsets.
Same songs posted at the same minute.
They never posted each other directly.
But everyone knew.
“Professional lovers.”
“Soft launch but forever.”
“This isn’t hiding, this is trusting.”
Some comments were cruel.
“She belongs to fans.”
“Yujin is ruining her.”
Most comments were warm.
“She looks alive.”
“This is the happiest she’s ever been.”
“They look safe together.”
IVE members noticed too.
Rei said, “Wonyoungie smiles in her sleep now.”
Liz said, “She hums when she texts.”
Gaeul said, “That’s love.”
Leeseo said, “They’re gross but I like it.”
Wonyoung just smiled.
The CEO was furious, until he saw the numbers.
Streams up.
Sales up.
Global buzz exploding.
He called Wonyoung in for a quick meeting.
“You’ve… attracted attention.”
Wonyoung bowed politely. “I know.”
He cleared his throat. “Perhaps… this whole dating think isn’t a mistake.”
She nodded, not expecting an apology. “I didn’t choose it for business. I chose it for me.”
He didn’t argue but still warned her to be careful.
Yujin played better than ever.
Her teammates teased her.
“Your girlfriend gave you superpowers.”
Yujin grinned. “Obviously.”
After every game, she ran straight to the stands.
Wonyoung always waited.
Sometimes with flowers.
Sometimes with snacks.
Always with that look that said: You’re home.
One night, Yujin hugged her tight and whispered, “We survived.”
Wonyoung whispered back, “We chose each other.”
And this time, they didn’t whisper because they were scared.
They whispered because it was theirs.
— — —
It happened on a quiet morning.
Wonyoung was in the makeup chair, eyes half-closed while a stylist fixed her bangs. Yujin was at training, tying her shoes when her phone started buzzing nonstop.
“Why is everyone calling me?” Yujin muttered.
Her manager rushed in. “Yujin. Have you seen the news?”
Yujin opened her phone.
Dispatch.
Big bold headline.
Photos of her and Wonyoung, walking hand in hand, laughing at a café, Yujin carrying Wonyoung’s bag, Wonyoung in her jersey at the stadium, the two of them in Yujin’s car at night.
The title read:
“The Real Score: Idol and Soccer Star’s Two-Year Love Story.”
Yujin swallowed. “So… it finally happened.”
— — —
Wonyoung’s phone vibrated in her lap.
Leeseo peeked over. “Unnie… why does your face look like that?”
Wonyoung opened the article.
She didn’t flinch. She didn’t panic.
She just sighed.
“So they followed us this long,” she murmured.
Her manager unnie came rushing in too. “Wonyoung, Dispatch released photos.”
Wonyoung nodded calmly. “I know.”
“You’re… not surprised?”
“No,” she said quietly. “I think the world already knew.”
Dispatch wrote everything.
How they met.
How they supported each other secretly.
How they were careful but not distant.
How they chose love even when it was risky.
The tone wasn’t cruel.
It was almost… soft.
And the comments?
“Dispatch is late.”
“We’ve known.”
“They literally show up together everywhere.”
“This is old news.”
“Just say congrats already.”
One comment went viral:
“They didn’t get exposed. They slowly introduced themselves.”
Yujin called Wonyoung immediately.
“Did you see it?” Yujin asked.
Wonyoung smiled through the phone. “Yeah. You look good in the photos.”
Yujin laughed weakly. “You’re not scared?”
“I was scared before,” Wonyoung said. “Not now.”
There was a pause.
“Are you okay?” Wonyoung asked.
Yujin exhaled. “I think… I’m relieved.”
“Me too,” Wonyoung said softly.
By evening, both agencies released statements at the same time.
Wonyoung’s agency wrote:
“We confirm that Jang Wonyoung has been in a relationship with athlete An Yujin for approximately two years. The two developed feelings through mutual respect and support. We ask for warm encouragement.”
Yujin’s agency wrote:
“An Yujin and Jang Wonyoung have been carefully dating for nearly two years. They have always respected each other’s careers. We appreciate your understanding.”
Fans froze.
“Two years???”
“How did they hide that long?”
“They were dating during all that?”
“That’s actually impressive.”
Some fans cried because their beloved idol was no longer available.
Some screamed because they were happy for Wonyoung's happiness.
Some said, “Finally, our princess found her ultimate bias.”
That night, Yujin went straight to Wonyoung.
No sneaking. No hiding.
She knocked like a normal girlfriend.
Wonyoung opened the door and ran into her arms.
“It’s really over,” Wonyoung whispered.
“What is?”
“Being scared.”
Yujin held her tight. “We made it.”
Wonyoung smiled against her shoulder. “We didn’t get exposed.”
“We just stopped pretending,” Yujin replied.
And for the first time in two years, they didn’t worry about who might be watching.
They just held each other like they always wanted to, open, honest, and finally free.
—END—