Chapter Text
"Winter, it's all because you're late again," Giselle whines in low voice as they enter SM building elevator and she presses 10th floor button, for recording studio. Their manager Unnie left them at the lobby and then went to park their car in the basement, so it's only two of them in the empty elevator. Fortunately they come before lunch break time or else it will be full and they will wait for a long time for the elevator to arrive.
Winter only gives her apologetic smile. "Sorry Unnie, i got carried away when i played game last night. I didn't realize it was already 2 AM. But i finally reached level 3000."
"How many levels are there?" Giselle asks curiously.
"Um, currently they have level 11400 as the highest," Winter checks her phone and answers quickly.
"Then you still have a long, long way to go..." As Giselle says this, the elevator's door opens and the top screen says that they're on the fourth floor.
A man, currently in his early twenties enters, he wears a black cap on top of his platinum blonde hair, almost white, as a disguise but people will still spot and recognize him as a celebrity anywhere. He looks too handsome for his own good.
Giselle shoots a quick glance at Winter but she doesn't realize. Her eyes glued to the man, and her whole body freezes.
"Oh." The man, Na Jaemin recognizes them in a second. "Hi." He stands in front of Giselle and then lean his body on elevator wall. His dark eyes go to Giselle and then Winter, and for a long, silent moment they only stare at each other.
"Hi." Giselle answers, and her voice bursts the bubble in Winter's mind right away.
"Hi." Winter finally replies, and she looks down, pretending to see her white sneakers. But she still feels his eyes fix on her.
"So are you two recording Jet song today too?" He asks in interest.
"Yeah, we can only do this today, because we have our schedule full this week." Giselle explains to him.
Winter feels really grateful for Giselle's presence right now. Because imagine if she was alone here and have to do this conversation with him until the 10th floor...
"Oh, i didn't know that. The producer and my manager didn't tell me..." Jaemin's deep voice stops, seems like he's thinking seriously.
So what if you know that i'm gonna be here beforehand, Winter thinks hotly, her cheeks burned. You will change your schedule to another day? Yeah buddy, guess what, me too.
At last the elevator dings, and it says that they arrive on 10th floor.
Winter lets out a relief sigh and looks up quickly, and she finds that Jaemin is looking at her intently. She gazes back at his eyes.
He always looks at her like that. Like trying to see deep inside her soul.
But why bother, now? It's not the same. It doesn't mean anything anymore.
"Let's go," Giselle grabs her hand and pulls her, realizing that Winter and Jaemin wasn't moving at all. They get out of the elevator as soon as possible, and Jaemin follows them from behind, quietly.
"Eunhyuk and Taeyong Hyung finished their recording yesterday," He says out of the blue. "Who will go first today? Are you two in hurry? I can go last."
No. No. If he goes last, he'll be here for a long time and watch her during recording. Her heart can't stand that.
Winter turns her head and looks at him. "You should go first. Giselle Unnie and me can do it after you." Her tone is almost pleading. She hopes that he will not realize it.
Jaemin opens his mouth, but closes them again. At last he only nods slowly. "Ok. I'll go first."
"Thank you."
"No problem. I'll go ahead then," he walks past them and waves his hand. "See you two inside."
"Good luck." Giselle says and waves her hand back.
Winter watches his back as he walks away, looking at his cap, and then his platinum blonde hair.
Months ago, she used to run her fingers through that silky hair. Lovingly. Affectionately.
It only feels like a dream now. A vivid, lucid dream.
Now, it's all different. It's not the same anymore.
She can't pretend that she doesn't know him. It's the downside now, that they're working in the same company. In some event or schedules, they will see each other anyway and they can't avoid it. And she doesn't know how to act around him. She doesn't know what to call him. She doesn't know how to greet him. She's afraid that she will let out a loving nickname she used to call him, accidently. It will be embarrassing as hell.
"You OK?" Giselle nudges her shoulder. She pats Winter's back slowly.
"Yeah, i'm OK." Winter nods and takes a deep breath.
Together and hand in hand, they enter the recording studio.
Today is going to be a long day.
***
to be continued...