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Enhypen sat in silence for a bit as Heeseung disappeared to another room and answered the call.
After a couple minutes, the oldest returned and all eyes turned to him, looking at him concerningly as to why Chairman Bang had called.
But Heeseung's eyes immediately traveled to Jake, a sense of urgency present on his face. "Jaeyun-ah, the chairman wants to see us."
Timeskip: 11:50am
After sitting in silence and tension for what felt like a long car ride, Jake and Heeseung finally made it to the agency building.
Stepping into the elevator, Heeseung noticed Jake fidgeting with his fingers and slightly bouncing up and down in an antsy manner. The younger was practically quaking in fear.
"Hey," Heeseung said, taking Jake's hand in his own as the younger looked up at him with wide, nervous eyes.
"It's gonna be okay" the older said, giving Jake's hand a reassuring squeeze. He knew the younger was probably thinking of the worst possible scenarios right now.
Jake nodded, reciprocating the action, but worry was still very much present in his eyes. After all, the last time they had spoken to the chairman was during I-Land, which also happened to be the first and only time they had ever spoken to the chairman.
When they finally reached the correct floor, Jake and Heeseung saw two incredibly huge doors at the end of the hall, the type that could only belong to someone of the highest authority.
Gradually, they made their way over and saw a small plaque to the side of the doors, confirming that it was, indeed, Chairman Bang Si-hyuk's office.
They both took a deep breath before Heeseung knocked hesitantly.
"Enter," a voice said calmly from the inside.
Hearts thumping, Jake and Heeseung pushed past the doors.
Upon entering, Chairman Bang looked up at them and set his papers aside, a small smile forming on his face. "Heeseung-ah, Jakeu-yah, how have you been?"
The two members bowed respectfully as they greeted him. "We've been well, sir. How have you been?" Heeseung responded as their bodies straightened up again.
"Good, good" Chairman Bang said, still smiling as he looked at the two. "I've been watching your performances lately, and I must say I am very proud of where Enhypen has come so far."
Then he noticed the pair's tense bodies despite receiving compliments and thanking him, so he decided to cut to the chase. His smile shrunk to a polite business smile.
"Alright, I don't mean to scare you two by suddenly having you come into my office like this, but there is something that I'd like us to talk about" Chairman Bang began.
He motioned for the two members to come forward before holding up something on his phone for them to see.
"Have you two seen this article yet?"
Jake and Heeseung came closer to read the title of the headline, but then their eyes widened, hearts dropping into their stomachs.
'BREAKING: ENHYPEN's Heeseung and Jake are More Than Just Groupmates?'
Taking a couple seconds to formulate his words, Heeseung swallowed, "N-no sir, we have not" he said, both he and Jake trying their best to mask the nervousness on their faces.
"That's what I thought, but I just wanted to make sure." the chairman said before calmly handing them the phone. "Why don't you two take a look at it for a second?"
The two members swallowed again as they began reading.
BREAKING: ENHYPEN's Heeseung and Jake are More Than Just Groupmates?
Recently, Enhypen's Heeseung and Jake have reportedly been spotted at Seoul International Mall together.
According to Netizens, the two group members looked to have been 'on a date' with each other, and these photos shared by people who reportedly saw them have been surfacing the web lately to back up Netizens' claims.
Jake and Heeseung scrolled down to find pictures of themselves walking around with shopping bags, wearing the same masks and beanies they had worn on the day they went out together during Chuseok. The pictures really were of them.
Then, they nervously scrolled down again to continue reading.
Furthermore, Netizens reported the two members 'buying expensive gifts for each other' and 'acting like they weren't just normal friends'.
Particularly, they claimed the two members 'bought couple bracelets together', sharing these photos of the pair near the front of a jewelry store as well as pictures of them wearing the exact same bracelets during recent solo livestreams.
Jake and Heeseung scrolled down again to see a picture of themselves in front of the exact same jewelry store they had been to, and screenshots taken from their individual livestreams where their matching bracelets could subtly be seen.
Here's what Netizens have to say:
Heeseung immediately closed out of the article before they had a chance to read the comments. He knew the netizens probably didn't have very many nice things to say.
When Heeseung handed the phone back to the chairman, Chairman Bang looked up at the two members with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Now, I don't want to make any assumptions, so let me ask you this first." the chairman said.
"Are the two people in the pictures actually you two?"
Hearts beginning to pound, Jake and Heeseung fought the urge to exchange glances. "Yes sir" they said truthfully, now aware that they were much more recognizable than they had previously thought.
"Ok." Chairman Bang said, his face still unreadable.
"Now, are you two actually dating?"
The couple froze and their eyes widened slightly, as if they fell right into the trap of a trick question.
Without looking at the younger, Heeseung already knew that Jake was probably quaking on the inside. He decided to play it safe, not wanting to add to the younger's snowballing anxiety.
"N-no sir, we're no-"
"Yes sir, we are" Jake interrupted, and Heeseung's eyes fully widened as he finally turned to look at the younger, completely stunned.
Now he could confirm that the younger was trembling in fear, both inside and out, but Jake maintained eye contact with the chairman, not backing down from his statement. Heeseung never expected this kind of bravery from the younger.
He turned back to the chairman and made eye contact as well, fully supporting Jake's decision to be honest and upfront about it. "Yes sir, we are" he corrected himself, taking the younger's hand in his and repeating Jake's words with newfound confidence.
Chairman Bang looked back and forth between the two members, an unreadable expression still on his face despite the revelation and how much time had passed.
Then, he broke into a smile, and Jake and Heeseung froze again, totally not expecting that kind of reaction.
"Congratulations" the chairman said, clapping and smiling warmly and genuinely.
Jake and Heeseung's eyes flickered back and forth between the chairman's in a mix of confusion and relief. "You're.. you're not mad, sir?" Heeseung asked cautiously, causing Chairman Bang to chuckle.
"Why should I be mad? Love is a beautiful thing, and I'm glad you two were able to find it in each other." he said. Then he looked down with a sad smile.
"People often forget that the K-Pop industry is a music industry, and music is supposed to bring joy, healing, and comfort for all—including the artists who make it." he said.
He looked back up at Jake and Heeseung, a smile still on his face.
"I don't want your careers as Enhypen to take away from your love, both for each other and for music. I want you to know that I fully trust and support you in your decision, and I'm incredibly grateful and honored that you've shared this part of your life with me."
Jake couldn't hold back his tears anymore. He bent over and covered his eyes, crying out of pure relief as years of built-up stress and anxiety left his body. Heeseung felt his own eyes tear up as he held the younger's hand tightly.
The pressure was off. There were no more secrets to hide from the members or the agency. Jake and Heeseung would be continuing on as members of Enhypen, and they would be continuing on allowed to openly love each other in their relationship. Life couldn't get much better than this.
Chairman Bang continued to smile seeing the couple look so relieved, but then a serious look appeared on his face again. "I will, however, remind you that it is ultimately your decision whether or not you share this part of your life with your fans. While myself, the agency, and the members may support you, there is no guarantee that your current fanbase will. I advise you to think thoroughly through your decision, and I advise you to be careful in your actions until you reach that decision."
Jake wiped his tears and Heeseung sniffled as they both nodded.
Then Chairman Bang smiled again. "But again, if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to let me know. Until then, you are free to go."
The couple smiled gratefully before bowing once more. "Thank you, sir!"
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a/n:
did i scare you all with the last chapter? haha
this chapter was a rollercoaster of emotions, but i decided to make Chairman Bang a good person since Jake and Heeseung have already been through so much in the story (ˊᗜˋ*)
kind of unrelated, but Heeseung was so clingy in the live i got the picture from, my ramyeonz heart~ (╥﹏╥)♡
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