"She's been serious. Is she okay?" Jimin whispered to Jungkook beside him, as they eyed Hyun Ae through the rear-view mirror, looking stern as she focused on the road.
"Maybe? She hadn't talked with us," the maknae whispered back, pouting as he carefully leaned back into his seat, trying to not make any sound against the leather seat.
"She's just being professional. Right, Namjoon?" Yoongi mumbled, glancing at Namjoon on his side, who also gave him a look.
"Look, someone should inform me that she was there," Namjoon grunted, with his clenched jaw. "It's not my fault that she came into my room during working hours while Seorim was there-"
"Oh, was she there for work? I didn't know that she was supposed to sit on you-"
"Hyun Ae!" Jin suddenly cut her words, and she abruptly stepped on the brake, preventing a collision with the car in front of them.
"Why are you like this? We haven't seen you for months, and then you acted like this on us?" Jin asked, shaking his head as she continued to drive to their next location.
"I'm just doing my job. Even though it's temporary," she pointed out, taking a quick glance at Namjoon through the rear-view mirror. Namjoon, who noticed this, snickered and crossed his arms.
"It's true. Do you have to bring that up again? I'm just stating what's right. Not just you're pretending to be someone else to get in with us; you also flirted with Yoongi hyung while being our 'manager'," Namjoon firmly said.
"We're just teasing each other. It's normal! Why are you mad about that?"
"I'm just reminding you about your job!"
"You also need to remind yourself that you're a leader. Aren't you supposed to be like, when I'm not there, you make sure that they're all ready? Isn't that true too?"
"Oh, so the reason why you're mad now is because I didn't make sure that they were all ready?"
"And also because you're busy snogging with your girl in your room!"
"Stop it, both of you. Now," Jin said, trying to be calm but it was clear how furious is he now. He shot a glare at Namjoon as well as Hyun Ae. "I don't want to take anyone's sides, because both of you are at fault."
The whole trip became quiet. Hyun Ae put all her focus back on the road, but it was obvious to Jin that she was trying to suppress her true emotions. He patted her shoulder, and that didn't get her attention at all. But he could feel her shaking.
"I'm sorry," she spoke, her breath staggering as she took it in."I'm such a drama queen. I shouldn't be playing around, because I'm the 'manager', you guys are the artists. I guessed that's another reason why I chose to be Park Kyung in the very first place. If I was Hyun Ae, I might be playing around with you guys, right? I won't be that pro."
No one said anything in response, so she just nodded right before she spotted an empty lot and parked. After she cut off the engine and unlocked the doors, she took a deep breath, trying to gather herself.
Jin stayed in the car with her for a while as the other got off the vehicle. When he was about to say something, she spoke and passed him their schedule clipboard.
"You guys should go first, I need to go to the bathroom real quick."
***
"Thanks for today. We're so grateful that Sejin-ssi looked for you to fill his place. We really couldn't find anyone who could do this aside from you and him," one of the management staff said to Hyun Ae.
"Nah, it's just nothing. Friends help each other, right?" Hyun Ae politely smiled and bowed to the staff. She then walked back to the waiting room, where the boys were.
Except for Namjoon. That had made her disappointed a bit.
All of them stood up when she bowed down to them before she began to speak.
"It was an honor to work with you guys. Thank you for your care for the past three days. Goodbye," she smiled, giving them another last bow, and then left the room.
"That's it?" Jungkook whispered, feeling confused by her sudden departure. "She just... left?"
Then Jin slapped the back of the maknae's head, causing him to wince. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go get her!" Jin shrieked.
Jungkook rushed out of the room and the building, then he looked around and soon found Hyun Ae walking up the road on his left.
"Hyun noona!" he called out, panting as he ran towards her and stopped at a distance.
She stopped too, with her back still facing him.
"Are you going to leave again? Please, no. Please don't leave again. I..." Jungkook took a few steps forward before he whispered, "I missed you a lot."
It was so silent that his soft breaths could be heard. Then he heard a sniff.
Clearly not from him.
"I... missed you too, Kookie," Hyun Ae whispered, turning around at him with tears already making trails on her cheeks.
He pulled her into a tight hug, as his tears also rolled down his cheeks, and the feeling of missing was finally treated.
"Aw... look. Our soft, sweet Hyun Ae is back," Jin laughed, making her look up behind Jungkook.
The rest of the members were walking towards both of them with touches of laughter.
A sight that she had really missed seeing.
"Shut up, come here! I miss all my friends!" she called out, sniffing as they began to gather around the two and hugged them.
A big group hug.
In the hug, Hyun Ae noticed that Yoongi didn't join them, but instead, he stood behind Jungkook, so she reached out and grabbed his hand while still in Jungkook's arm.
Yoongi smiled and walked to her and kissed her forehead as he whispered, "welcome back."
***A week later***
"So I heard she came back," Seorim sneered, crossing her legs as she leaned back on Namjoon's couch in his workroom. "You're sure that you still wanted to break up with me?"
"I told you. No one cares about it anymore. And I don't want to lie to my feeling anymore," Namjoon explained, turning his swivel chair to her. "Isn't it better, being loved by someone who really loves you? I don't love you as I did back then."
"You're still not thinking about what happened back in high school days, are you?" she asked, as she made her way to him. She stood behind him and slipped her arms around his neck. "Look, that's in the past. I'm not like that anymore."
"Then it's the same with me. I'm not that old Kim Namjoon anymore. I'm Kim Namjoon, who loves Park Hyun Ae now," he firmly said, pushing away her arms as he got up from his seat. "I'm sorry, Seorim. No matter how many times you come here, it will not change my true feelings."
Seorim now had hatred in her eyes as she stared at Namjoon, who then opened the door for her to leave.
"Fine," she hissed, picking up her purse from his table, and shot one last glare at him. "You'll see what I will do to her."
"Whatever you're going to do, I will be there for her. I'll do anything for her."
With that, she stomped her way out of the room, finally leaving, hopefully for real.
Namjoon let out a sigh of relief and smiled as he plopped himself back into his chair. He blankly stared at the ceiling.
"Finally..." he whispered to himself, and calmly closed his eyes.
"Knock knock," a voice suddenly rang him, with a knock on the door. As the door opened, Jin sneaked his head in.
"Oh, Seokjin hyung," Namjoon snickered, letting the eldest enter as he sat straight.
"May I know why was she rambling nonsense as she left?" Jin asked about Seorim, sitting down on the couch.
"I broke up with her, for real this time."
Jin nodded to the answer, letting out a sigh as he crossed his arms and leaned back as he asked another question. "So... when are you going to meet her?"
Hearing the question, Namjoon knew who Jin was talking about. He looked down at his hands and bit his lips.
"I... I don't think she would want to meet me now," he mumbled, fiddling with his fingers.
"What are you talking about? It has been a week now."
"I... still don't think she would like to see me."
Remembering back on what happened on the day when Hyun Ae 'finally' showed herself up to them made Jin sigh.
"I don't understand both of you. Whenever you meet, there's always something that makes you guys fight," he nagged, but then he caught Namjoon smiling like an idiot. "Why are you smiling like that?"
"I don't know. I find it funny," Namjoon chuckled, shaking his head. "I guess it's fate."
"So? I'm the cupid who is trying to get you two together now! Go out there and meet her!"
"No. I... I don't think she-"
"But she's really out there now!" Jin screeched, pointing to the door, with his 'duh' expression.
"Huh?"
Completely annoyed, Jin walked towards Namjoon and grabbed his arm as he dragged the leader out of the room towards the lounge area where the rest of the members were.
"Hyun Ae ah!" Jin called out.
"Hyung, no!" Namjoon grunted, trying to free himself from his grip but it was all too late.
Hyun Ae was there, standing at the entrance with Jungkook when she was talking to him. And her eyes then slowly shifted toward the group leader.
It was only for a moment before she looked back at Jungkook and chuckled.
"Oh... Um, I need to go now. Enjoy your food. I hope you guys like it. And see you tomorrow," she shyly bowed and immediately left.
"See? She doesn't want to see me," Namjoon muttered and sighed. "I'm such a jerk."
"Hyung, she invited us to her place tomorrow," Jungkook informed them.
"That's good! You can see her-"
"No, I'm not going," Namjoon stated, abruptly cutting Jin's words before he could finish.
"What? You can't do this."
"I got work to do tomorrow, so I'll be here all day."
With a smile, Namjoon walked back to his room and shut the door behind him, leaving the rest of them baffled.
"Namjoon ah..."
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