𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝑨𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 | 𝐻𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑙𝑖𝑥

Strings Attached

The sun filtered through sheer white curtains, painting quiet lines across the hardwood floor of a private apartment — one the fans didn’t know about. Not yet.

Hyunjin sat at the edge of the bed, brushing his damp hair back with his fingers, fresh out of the shower. Felix was still wrapped up in the blankets, only his head peeking out, cheek pressed against a pillow as he watched him.

There was no scandal in this room. No judgment. No eyes.

Just two people — tired, finally breathing.

“You’re staring,” Hyunjin said softly, not even turning.

Felix smiled. “I’m memorizing.”

That got Hyunjin to turn around. His gaze softened.

“You already know me.”

“I want to know you again. Like this. When everything’s... quieter.”

Hyunjin moved back toward the bed, crawling under the blanket and letting Felix curl into him automatically. Like muscle memory.

The scandals had burned through everything. The storm had come, loud and ruthless. Headlines. Fan wars. Interview questions that weren’t really questions. Stage performances where cheers turned into murmurs.

And then the silence.

But they didn’t run.

They stayed.

The company tried to tame them, distance them, silence them. But there was nothing left to hide when they’d already burned the veil down themselves.

At first, it was terrifying — waking up not knowing how bad things might get that day. Whether a job might disappear. Whether a friendship might vanish. Whether it was worth it.

But then, slowly, the world adapted.

Some fans left.
Others stayed.
A few became louder than ever — not out of obsession, but support. Real support.

“Do you regret it?” Felix asked quietly.

Hyunjin didn’t hesitate.

“No.”

He brushed his fingers through Felix’s soft hair, letting them tangle there. “I only regret not choosing you sooner.”

Felix closed his eyes, pressing closer. “Even with everything?”

“Especially with everything. I wouldn’t have survived this without you.”

They lay there for a while in silence, letting their hearts beat in sync. No noise. No chaos.

Just truth.

Eventually, Felix lifted his phone and opened their shared photo folder. They'd kept it hidden, all this time. A collection of moments behind closed doors — messy ones, funny ones, beautiful ones. Photos of takeout containers on long nights. Videos of Hyunjin dancing in Felix’s hoodie. A voice recording of Felix humming while cooking.

Strings of memories tied together… quietly.

“Let’s post one,” Felix said softly. “For real this time.”

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”

Felix nodded. “We already jumped off the cliff. Might as well fly.”

So they did.

It wasn’t a dramatic post — no captions, no explanations. Just a photo of their hands — Hyunjin’s thumb brushing over the rings on Felix’s fingers. Simple. Raw.

Within seconds, the world noticed.

Within minutes, chaos.

But this time, they didn’t watch it alone.

They sat side by side, phones in hand, reading the comments together. Laughing at memes. Smiling at the support. Ignoring the hate.

Because for once… they were the story and the authors.

And in the end, that’s all they ever wanted — not a love story behind closed doors, not a secret worth suffocating for. Just this.

Love with all its strings attached.

Not perfect.
Not quiet.
But real.

Because their story was never meant to be a fantasy. It was meant to be fought for.

And they’d won.

Together.

The End

Final Chapter...
I’m so grateful for all the attention this story received. I honestly didn’t expect much—I was just writing what came to mind.

Thank you for supporting it. Once I’m feeling better, I’ll start editing a new one.
Much love,
~💕