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“Jaehyun-“ Juyeon attempted to say but got cut off.
“See! You don’t call me darling or love anymore! What’s the point of this relationship if you’re too busy and I’m too needy?”
“Jaehyun— love, we can fix this... just don’t give up on me.” Juyeon yelled though he said the last part in a quiet voice. Jaehyun thought for a moment and decided to leave Juyeon despite hearing his pleading. He couldn’t look back at him, because he knows he can't stand seeing Juyeon in a vulnerable state. He knows he’ll regret it, but he’s tired of loving someone who’s unattainable.
—
As years passed by, the memories of Juyeon and him slowly disappear until now.
“What?!” Jaehyun yelled and saw his coworkers are looking at him. He whispered, “What do you mean I need to work with Lee Juyeon? Isn’t there someone better or someone that isn’t my ex from four years ago?”
His boss, Sangyeon, nods no. Jaehyun sighs. He can’t work with Juyeon because first of all, that’s his ex, and second of all, Jaehyun doesn’t want to meet him as it has been years. How can he stay professional when his ex has gotten handsome over the years since they last spoke? “Sangyeon, I beg you. You can choose Chanhee, Jacob, Haknyeon, or Kevin! Especially Kevin because he is a fan of Juyeon!”
“Jaehyun, it doesn’t matter if you had a connection with him in the past, you still have to do this. It is your job technically.” Sangyeon said and Jaehyun left his cubicle and went back to his desk, wondering what he should do. Sitting down, he sees Kevin approaching him. “Hey Jaehyun. I happened to overhear your conversation with Sangyeon… are you ok?”
“I’m not okay, Kevin. I… don’t want to interview him, its already bad that I have to see his stupid, beautiful face plastered on every billboard just as if I were spiderman!”
“I’m sorry Jaehyun… do you think Juyeon will know you’re interviewing him?” Kevin asks.
“I’m not sure, but even if he doesn’t know I’m interviewing him… it still doesn’t change the fact that I just don’t want to see him.”
“Do you regret the decision?” Kevin asks. Jaehyun stayed quiet. “I’m sorry if that’s rude! You don’t have to answer it if you’re uncomfortable!”
“I do… and waited for him at the spot we had our first date at for the first three months. He never came even when I waited for three hours each day. I’ll admit that he probably was too broken-hearted to meet me, or maybe he was angry, but afterwards, I guess I thought I started to heal until three minutes ago.”
“Well, maybe try to talk with Juyeon after the interview?” Kevin says, patting Jaehyun’s shoulder. “I’m sure if you talk about it, you’ll be able to properly heal because you actually have some sort of closure.”
Jaehyun nodded. “I’ll try… but I’m curious about how Juyeon reacts when he finds out that “Hyunjae” is actually Lee Jaehyun, the guy who hurt him almost four years ago. Until then, I’ll watch his prior interviews and content to get to know him better so I don’t ask him stupid questions.”
“Good luck Jaehyun, you can do it! Fighting!” Kevin said and waved Jaehyun goodbye before tripping. Jaehyun laughed as he opened up YourTube.
—
“Juyeon!” Juyeon heard and stopped dancing as his manager, Younghoon, approached him. “You remember you have an interview in less than two days, correct?”
“Yes. Do you know who the interviewer is?” Juyeon asks.
Younghoon says, “I asked the boss of the department, Lee Sangyeon, and his response was rather… rude. He didn’t give me any details about the interviewer, so I have no idea who would interview you.”
“Alright, may I ask who would be the interviewer?” Younghoon asked over the phone.
“Why would you like to know?” Sangyeon asked.
“Juyeon will ask who the interviewer would be.” Younghoon responded back, in an annoyed tone.
“I know you’re the manager of Juyeon and you’re doing your job, however I don’t want to disclose any information about the interviewer.” Sangyeon said. “If there’s nothing else for us to discuss, I’ll hang up.”
“Well, who works under the department?” Juyeon asked.
“Lee Hyunjae, Kevin Moon, Choi Chanhee, Jacob Bae, and Ju Haknyeon.” Younghoon responded. “I heard Kevin Moon is a huge fan of yours, so maybe he'll be the one who’ll interview you? Though I can’t be certain.”
“I would like that, especially because I have a lot of female fans but this can be one of the instances where I get to meet a male fan.” Younghoon nodded. “Is there anything else I should know?”
“That’s all I have to tell you regarding your schedule. Remember that you have a modeling gig tomorrow at 11am, so I would recommend you to sleep. Until then, I wish you a good evening.”
“Have a good evening too, Younghoon.” Juyeon said as he went back to practice as Younghoon left the room.
—
It was the day where Jaehyun will meet Juyeon once again, and he is nervous as it has been close to four years since he has last seen him. He has watched Juyeon’s content and he can’t deny that he wishes he had stayed with Juyeon and given him a second chance.
He sighs as he looks out the window as the car’s radio plays his song– Merry Bad Ending. Hearing the lyrics, he got curious and searched up the lyrics. “ It’s like you’re calling me, From somewhere not far away, Boy you know, my heart beats, my heart beats for you .” Jaehyun reads. “ Under the dazzling moonlight, That shines on us only, Our Kiss fell lightly. Dimly, when the morning comes, You are not a dream that will disappear, One more time, hold me tight .”
Jaehyun looks out the window, thinking about the lyrics, “ Under the dazzling moonlight, That shines on us only, Our Kiss fell lightly .” as it reminds him of a memory. It was when Jaehyun and Juyeon were returning from their first date. It was originally supposed to be a movie date, but they got bored of the movie and left the theater to get dinner early. By the time Jaehyun arrived back at his apartment, it was close to 8 pm and a month before Juyeon got into the entertainment company he is now an idol under.
“ Thank you for the date, Juyeon .” Jaehyun said. He feels ecstatic and was sad to return back to his apartment. “I really enjoyed this, I just wished we had thirty more minutes .”
“ Me too Jaehyun .” Juyeon responded. “ But we can meet again tomorrow if you like .”
“ Of course !” Jaehyun said. As they continued to look at each other, Juyeon gets closer. Jaehyun feels a little nervous as this is the first time he was on a date, so kissing someone was out of the window . But as Juyeon got closer, he felt his soft lips touching his as Jaehyun kissed him back. His lips were still sweet as he drank Coke earlier . It felt like it was just seconds that they were kissing until Juyeon separated the kiss and whispered, “I’ll see you tomorrow .”
As Juyeon left , Jaehyun was blushing and went inside the apartment.
‘ He’s a great kisser .’ Jaehyun thought to himself as the kiss replayed in his mind like a broken record .
“Jaehyun, we had arrived.” Jaehyun heard as he looked outside the window and noticed a huge building. “Thank you for taking me here Jacob.”
“It’s no problem, and call me if Juyeon makes you uncomfortable.” Jaehyun nodded and got out of the car. He entered the building and went up to the receptionist.
“Good morning. I’m Lee Hyunjae from Deobi Maganize and I would like to know where I have to go.”
“No problem.” The receptionist replied. As she typed on her desktop, Jaehyun looked around the lobby. There is a chandelier in the middle of the lobby and at the end of the lobby, he saw a white couch with a fake plant beside it. Jaehyun knows it’s a fake plant as he owns one himself in the office. “Alright, here’s a visitor’s pass badge that states your name, an image of yourself, and the room number.”
Jaehyun grabbed the badge and said a quick thanks as he read, “Deobi Magazine. Lee Hyunjae. Room Number 711” with an image of him smiling. He goes to the elevator and presses the number seven. He feels nervous, but tells himself he’ll be okay when the elevator stops. Jaehyun got out and looked around until he found room 11, and opened the door.
“You’re the reporter?” Jaehyun heard when he met eyes with a handsome guy. He gave a quick bow and nodded. “Okay, can I see a pass?”
“Sure.” Jaehyun said, giving the guy his pass.
“Lee Hyunjae, huh?” The guy said. “Well, my name is Younghoon and I am the manager of Lee Juyeon.” Though he mumbled, “Unfortunately.”
“Nice to meet you Younghoon-ssi.” Jaehyun said, giving out his hand to Younghoon.
Younghoon smiled and said, “The pleasure is mine.”
—
Younghoon went up to Juyeon. “I found out the reporter is Lee Hyunjae.”
“Lee Hyunjae… that’s fine.” Juyeon said. “I can’t wait for this interview, all I want is for the reporter to like me.”
“I’m sure he’ll like you.” Younghoon said. “Remember, the interview starts in five.”
Younghoon left the dressing room and pulled out his phone to search for Lee Hyunjae on Nawer. He reads that his real name is Lee Jaehyun, and wonders, ‘Why does that name sound familiar.’
Younghoon returned to the dressing room and saw Juyeon by himself. He asked Juyeon, “Juyeon, wasn’t your ex boyfriend name Jaehyun?”
“Yeah… Why are you asking?”
“No reason, just a thought.” Younghoon mumbled. He left the dressing room and went up to Hyunjae. “Hyunjae, may I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead.” Hyunjae said while going through his phone.
“You’re Juyeon’s ex boyfriend, aren’t you? Lee Jaehyun?”
Hyunjae looked up to Younghoon. “Is that a problem?” Younghoon shook his head no. “Oh, I thought that was a problem.”
“No, I just wanted to ask.” Younghoon said and saw Juyeon leaving the room. “I wish you luck, Hyunjae.”
Younghoon left to where the director is as Juyeon came and met Jaehyun’s eye. Jaehyun saw his smile turn to frown and said, “Jaehyun?”
Before Jaehyun could say anything, the director yells for everyone to get in their position. Juyeon just sits beside Jaehyun. The tension was tense, but all Jaehyun could do was just smile.
“Alright, I know the air is… quite tense. But if we start the interview, maybe we’ll start getting comfortable?” The director said. “Let’s begin now. Camera, lights, and… action!”
Jaehyun clears his throat. “Good afternoon, I’m Lee Hyunjae from Deobi Magazine and today I’m interviewing…”
“Hello, I’m Lee Juyeon, the beauty that came to steal your heart!”
‘What is he trying to do?’ Jaehyun wonders. “It’s so nice to be interviewing with K-pop’s next rising star!”
“Thank you, Hyunjae.” Juyeon said. “The pleasure’s mine.”
“Well then. Juyeon, you’re currently K-pop’s next rising star, what's it like?”
“It’s nice to know that I have so much love from my supporters— jjyubis! Though it’s a bit tough and tiring, I still manage to make it through. I’m very thankful for the people who believed in me and still continued to stay !”
Jaehyun looked off the camera and locked eyes with Younghoon. It’s as if Younghoon knows what Juyeon’s doing and Jaehyun knows exactly what he's doing. “Well, I’m glad you have jjyubis loving and supporting you! Tell me, and just for the sake of fan service, what’s your ideal type?” Jaehyun asked.
“I like a person who’s nice, caring, and supportive! Someone who wouldn’t make promises they can’t keep, someone who’s willing to see the worst of me and still stay even if we have fights.”
‘Two can play this game.’
“But you have been so busy lately! Do you even think you’ll have time for your partner when you’re occupied by your work?” Jaehyun said, knowing that Younghoon is giving him daggers.
“I’ll do my best to make sure they’ll be showered with love even if I'm busy.”
‘Liar.’
“It takes two to make a relationship work!” Jaehyun said. “We’re getting off track, but let’s talk about your songs. I’ve seen jjyubis and others alike wonder what your new track ‘Merry Bad Ending’ means and if it’s about someone. Is it?”
“It is about someone.”
“I have read the lyrics and they’re quite sad, do you miss the person?”
“Not really, it’s just a song where I guess you can say I wanted them to hear,”
“Well… I’m sure that person heard it clearly.”
“OKAY CUT!” The director said, startling Jaehyun and Juyeon. “I have no idea what’s going on with you two, but whatever it is, cut it out! We’ll take five.”
Once the director said that, Juyeon suddenly got up and Jaehyun decided to go after him. Before he closes the door, Jaehyun puts his foot in front of the door, forces himself in the room, and closes the door. “Juyeon…”
All they can do is just stare into each other’s eyes before Juyeon breaks the silence, “I never thought I’ll see you again. You still look exactly the same as when I last saw you, except you have gotten prettier.”
“I can say the same for you, I’m glad you have achieved your dream.” Jaehyun said, giving Juyeon a small smile. Juyeon gets closer to Jaehyun until they’re merely two feet away.
“I do wonder what that was about.” Juyeon asked.
“I just responded to you with honesty.” Jaehyun responded. “You started it, so I responded back.”
“Is that it?” Juyeon asked. “Because if it is, I would like it if you left me alone.”
“I do want to ask something… hmm, what is a dream you wished you accomplished?”
“There is a dream that I wished I achieved.” Juyeon said. “I wished that you were by my side and saw me accomplishing this.”
They went back to silence. “Let’s restart the interview. Then I’ll give you an answer.” Jaehyun said and left Juyeon alone in the room. It took a couple of minutes for Juyeon to come back to the room, and then they restarted the interview.
“Good afternoon, I’m Lee Hyunjae from Deobi Magazine, and today I have a special guest who I’m thankful agreed to this interview!” Jaehyun said.
“Hello! I’m Lee Juyeon, the beauty who stole hearts.” Juyeon said. “I’m also thankful to be doing this interview with you today.”
“Pleasure’s mine. So tell me how it’s like to be K-pop’s rising star?”
“Well, it feels incredible to be able to feel the love and support from my fans, jjyubi! Thank you jjyubis for all your love and support!”
Jaehyun giggles. “That’s a great feeling, I’m happy you’re able to have so much support in this industry.” Juyeon nods. “I have watched other interviews and I’m glad I can be the first to ask, but how was trainee life? It must be very difficult.”
“Well, it was difficult. I met very talented trainees and it’s sad to see them leave the company or that they’ll never show their talents to the world. When I was told I’ll debut as a soloist, I was happy because I thought, ‘Wow, I finally have made it!’ but at the same time, I felt bad for the other trainees, because we had dreams of debut. It was very emotional. Eventually, I meant Younghoon– my amazing manger who was able to handle me. He became a true friend and always encouraged me to do well. I eventually debuted and treated my friends with fried chicken, though I was wishing for a certain person to come.”
Jaehyun glups. “I’m sorry for asking, but who is the certain person?”
“If you listened to my songs and saw jjyubis say, they know that some of those songs talk about a person. Those songs were inspired by that certain person. They… he always encouraged and comforted me. He gave me strength that I can achieve my goals and still embrace him in my arms. However, I messed up and I haven’t seen him in years. I hope that’s he doing well and hope that one day, I can see him again even if it means he’s with someone else.”
“I also hope the person is happy.” Jaehyun replied, trying his best not to cry. “Let’s move on from sad questions. I heard you’re supposed to do a song for the webtoon solo leveling, can you reveal anything?”
“The song is cool! I’m excited for it to be released.”
“What made Merry Bad Ending stand out from the rest of the songs?”
“When I heard it, I immediately fell in love with it. I had to beg the CEO like this.” Juyeon says and stands up to get in his knees and starts bowing with Jaehyun laughing. “It was an embarrassing five minutes, but he was convinced so that’s all it matters.” Juyeon got up and sat back on the chair.
Jaehyun stopped laughing and composed himself, “Well, since I have no more questions, any final words?”
“I LOVE YOU JJYUBIS!” Juyeon yelled out loud.
“Well, thank you Juyeon for coming to the interview!”
“And thank you for interviewing me, I hope we get to meet again soon.”
“Me too Juyeon, you’re fun. Well, thank you for watching this interview, hope you enjoyed this interview!”
—
Jaehyun arrived at a restaurant where the note he received from Younghoon was.
“ Hyunjae ?” Jaehyun heard , and turned around to see Younghoon behind him.
“ Yes ?” Jaehyun responded back.
“ I know that Merry Bad Ending is about you… and I know Juyeon still misses you . So I’m here to give you an opportunity to make things up .” Younghoon gave Jaehyun a flashcard, and turned it around to see an address .
“ Are you sure ?” Jaehyun asked .
“ Yes, I don’t want to hear Juyeon complaining how he misses you… again .”
Jaehyun nods and places the card in his pocket .
The restaurant was small and was more like a place students will go, not celebrities. Regardless, he takes a deep breath and enters the restaurant to meet with Juyeon. He’s nervous, however, maybe this can be the day where they’ll mend fences. He spots Juyeon and sits across from him. Juyeon looked up from his phone and was surprised to see Jaehyun sitting across from him. The waitress comes, and hands them a menu. “Good evening, how can I get started today?”
“I'd like to order a soda, you?” Jaehyun said, looking at Juyeon.
“I too like soda.” The waitress nods, leaving Juyeon and Jaehyun alone.
“Why are you here?” Juyeon asked.
“I just want to order food here, and happen to see you.”
“There are more tables available though.”
Jaehyun shrugged, “But I want to sit with you, if it really makes you uncomfortable, I’ll sit somewhere else.”
Juyeon shakes his head no, “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable, it’s just weird to sit with someone who broke my heart nearly four years ago. Like do you know what you did to me?”
“I-”
“Lee Jaehyun, you stole my heart like a criminal and left. I yearned for you for a long time and to be frank, I still do. It’s just I love you so much that nobody can ever compare to you. I deeply regret not being able to convince you to stay, but mainly that I couldn’t be the home you needed. I truly believe that we are meant to be!”
“But you’re unattainable. It seems like no matter how much I chase you, I just couldn’t have you for myself. You are meant to shine and meet someone who can be more patient and embrace you wholeheartedly.”
“I want you though, and I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t feel neglected.”
“How can I believe you?”
“Jaehyun… when we met, you always showered me with affection and I wasn’t able to do the same but you still love me. I’ll always choose you no matter what.”
“I don’t doubt you there.” Jaehyun says until he noticed the server coming back.
“Have you decided on what you would like?”
“We’ll have pork cutlet, fried chicken, and kimbap.” Juyeon says. The waitress takes the menus, leaving them by themselves again.
“Well…” Juyeon says. “If you want me to give you time, I can get you time.”
“No, I don’t need time. If we are getting back, you have to promise me that you’ll do your best to take care of me. I understand that your career is a priority, but don’t let it be so much of a priority where I’ll feel neglacted.”
“I, Lee Juyeon, promise to make sure Lee Jaehyun feels loved and cared for until the end.” Juyeon said, with a proud smile.
Jaehyun chuckled. “Pinky promise?”
“Still the same when we were fifteen, I guess you didn’t change as much.”
“Just do the damn pinky promise.” Juyeon laughed and intertwined his pinky with Jaehyun’s.