The privacy divider was up anyway. As far as he was concerned, whatever happened in the back seat wasn’t his business.

Keonho lounged comfortably against the leather seat, his blazer hanging open and his tie already loosened despite the day barely beginning.

You were curled up beside him with your legs stretched lazily across his lap, your heels discarded beside you.

One of his hands moved absent-mindedly over your calf, his thumb drawing slow circles through your stockings while the other rested securely around your waist, keeping you tucked against his side like he’d decided you weren’t allowed to move.

You tilted your head to look at him, the corner of your mouth tugging into a smile.

“You know…”

“Hm?” His eyes barely opened, already knowing that tone meant you were about to tease him.

“I think you’re becoming clingier.”

A lazy grin spread across his face almost instantly. “Are you complaining?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“You won’t.”

Before you could answer, he leaned in again, closing the tiny gap between you with practiced ease. His lips found yours so naturally it almost felt automatic, like kissing you had become second nature.

It probably had.

You smiled into it, one hand drifting up to cup his jaw while his thumb never stopped tracing slow circles over your leg.

“You’ve got training after class,” you mumbled against his lips.

“I know.”

“And economics.”

Another distracted hum answered you, except this time his lips had wandered away from yours. Gentle kisses were being pressed along your jaw instead, each one making it just a little harder to remember what you were trying to say.

“And…” you sighed as his mouth found the spot beneath your ear, “…a meeting with your father.”

“Uh-huh.”

You couldn’t help laughing. “So why are you acting like we’ve got all morning?”

He finally pulled back just enough to meet your eyes. There was that stupidly handsome smile again, the one that usually got him whatever he wanted.

“Because,” he murmured before stealing one more quick kiss, “I’d rather be here.”

You stared at him for a second before rolling your eyes. “You’re such a flirt.”

“I try.”

“You’ve definitely used that before.”

“Only on you.”

“Liar.”

His laugh was soft, warm enough that it made you smile too, even though you were trying not to. He kissed you again, slower this time, until the gentle chime of the intercom echoed through the car.

“We’ve arrived,” the chauffeur announced calmly.

The two of you froze.

“No,” you groaned dramatically, letting your forehead fall against Keonho’s shoulder. He laughed quietly, his hand rubbing soothingly up and down your back.

“I don’t want to go.”

“I know.”

“Can’t we tell them we’re sick?”

“You’ve already used all your sick days this month.”

You lifted your head just enough to look at him. “Right.” A dramatic sigh escaped you as the car rolled to a complete stop.

The rear door swung open and cool morning air drifted inside. You climbed out first, smoothing down your skirt before slinging your designer bag over one shoulder.

By the time Keonho stepped out behind you, adjusting the cuff of his blazer, you turned to look at him, and immediately burst into laughter.

He frowned. “What?”

“You.”

“What about me?”

You pointed towards his mouth, struggling not to laugh even harder. “You’ve got lipstick everywhere.”

His eyebrows pinched together.“Seriously?”

“Mhm.”

Students were already streaming through the front gates, a few glancing over as they walked past. Before anyone could get too curious, you stepped closer, gently catching his chin between your fingers.

“Come here.”

He obediently leaned down. You carefully brushed your thumb across the corner of his mouth, wiping away the faint stain of your lipstick before smoothing over his bottom lip one last time.

“There.”

He didn’t move. Didn’t even blink. He just stood there watching you with that soft look that always appeared whenever you fussed over him.

“Done?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah.”

Instead of stepping back, a slow, impossibly smug smile spread across his face.

“What?”

“I like when you fuss over me.”

You snorted. “I was saving you from embarrassing yourself.”

“Same thing.”

~

By lunchtime, the school aquatic centre was filled with sounds of splashing water, whistles echoing off the high ceilings and coaches calling instructions across the pool.

You’d long since accepted that Keonho genuinely enjoyed spending hours swimming laps.

You sat cross-legged on the spectator seats overlooking the lanes, an iced coffee balanced on the step beside you.

Keonho’s blazer was folded neatly next to your designer bag, your sunglasses resting on top after he’d insisted you’d be more comfortable if you didn’t have to carry everything around campus.

Jenna, a girl in from your class wandered over before taking the empty seat beside you. “You seriously watch every training?”

You glanced over at her before nodding. “Yeah.”

She looked down towards the pool where the swim team was halfway through another set.

“Isn’t it boring?”

Your eyes instinctively found Keonho amongst the swimmers. Even with everyone wearing the same cap and goggles, you could pick him out almost immediately.

He reached the end of his lane, pushed his damp hair back as he adjusted his goggles, barely pausing before diving straight back into the water.

A small smile tugged at your lips. “Not really.”

She followed your gaze before letting out a quiet laugh. “Oh.”

“What?”

“I get it now.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “I wasn’t even looking at him.”

“Mhm.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You don’t have to defend yourself.”

“I’m serious .”

She only smiled knowingly. “You’ve been watching the same lane for the last twenty minutes.”

“Have I?”

“You absolutely have.”

You looked back towards the pool, trying not to smile. “Maybe.”

“That’s what I thought.”

About twenty minutes later, training finally wrapped up. One by one the swimmers climbed out of the pool, grabbing towels and making their way towards the change rooms while the coaches called out reminders for the next session.

Keonho had barely slung his towel over one shoulder before his eyes found you in the stands. His entire expression softened.

Without a second thought, he changed direction and headed straight towards you instead of following the rest of the team.

You stood as he approached, already noticing the trail of water dripping from his hair onto the tiled floor.

The second he reached you, he opened his arms expectantly. You placed a flat hand against his chest before he could get any closer.

“No.”

He blinked. “What?”

“I am not getting wet.”

“I’m barely wet.”

You looked him up and down in disbelief.

Water was literally dripping from the ends of his hair, running down his neck and soaking through the collar of his training shirt before splashing onto the floor.

“Keonho.”

“What?”

“Look at yourself.”

He glanced down at his shirt before looking back up again. “I guess I’m a little wet.”

“A little?” You couldn’t help laughing. “You just swam for an hour.”

He frowned dramatically. “I wanted a hug.”

“And a kiss,” he added a second later, as though that somehow strengthened his argument.

You looked at him completely unimpressed. “So?”

“So.” He looked at you hopefully.

You reached over and poked the centre of his chest with one finger. “So go get a towel.”

His shoulders slumped. “I’ve never felt so unloved.”

“You’ll survive.”

“I don’t know if I will.”

Rolling his eyes with an exaggerated sigh, he finally turned and wandered back towards the benches where the team’s bags had been left.

You watched him rummage through his things before pulling out a towel, immediately rubbing it through his hair until it stuck up in every direction.

A minute later he wandered back over, the towel now draped around his shoulders. “There.”

You gave him an overly critical once-over, pretending to inspect him. “Hm…”

He waited patiently.

“Acceptable.”

A grin spread across his face. “Thank you.”

Only then did you step closer.

He didn’t waste the opportunity, leaning down just enough to brush a quick kiss against your lips. It only lasted a second, but he still smiled against your mouth before pulling away.

You rolled your eyes, though you were smiling anyway. You sighed dramatically. “I really should stop rewarding your behaviour.”

“But you won’t.”

“Probably not.”

The dorm was unusually quiet when you arrived. Most of the members were out, leaving the apartment peaceful in a way it rarely was.

You slipped off your shoes and made your way to his room, gently pushing the door open.

The curtains were drawn just enough for warm afternoon light to spill across the floor, bathing the room in a soft golden glow.

Keonho was already in bed. The moment he looked up and saw you standing in the doorway, his expression softened.

The tiredness was still there written all over his face but the small smile that appeared made it seem lighter somehow.

“You came.”

You set your bag down beside the door and walked over, brushing your fingers through his slightly messy hair.

“You sounded like you needed me.”

“I did.” His voice was barely above a mumble.

You barely had time to sit down before he reached for your hand, gently tugging you onto the bed beside him.

The mattress dipped beneath your weight. Almost immediately, he shifted closer. Then closer again. Until there wasn’t any space left between you.

He wrapped both arms around your waist with a quiet sigh, burying his face against your shoulder like he’d been waiting to do exactly that all day.

His hoodie smelled faintly of fresh laundry and the familiar cologne you’d stolen more than one of his hoodies because of.

You smiled to yourself, your hand instinctively finding his hair. His entire body relaxed beneath your touch.

The tension in his shoulders seemed to disappear all at once as your fingers slowly combed through the soft strands, scratching lightly against his scalp.

His breathing steadied. You felt him melt against you, his weight becoming heavier as he let himself completely relax.

There was something so vulnerable about him like this. On stage, he always looked composed. Confident. Even playful.

But here, tucked against your chest with his arms securely around your waist, he looked impossibly soft.

Like all he wanted was somewhere safe to rest. His thumb absentmindedly traced tiny circles against the fabric of your hoodie, the movement slowing more and more until it eventually stopped altogether.

You glanced down. His eyes were already closed. His eyelashes rested against his cheeks, his breathing slow and even as sleep quietly began to take over.

You smiled, unable to stop yourself. “So this is why you made me come all the way here.”

He didn’t answer. Instead, his arms tightened around your waist just enough to pull you impossibly closer, even in his sleep.

A quiet laugh escaped you. You adjusted the blanket over both of you before settling back against the pillows, careful not to disturb him.

He made the faintest sleepy sound, his face instinctively tucking further into the crook of your neck. Your fingers continued to play with his hair in slow, absent-minded strokes.

Every so often he’d nuzzle closer without waking, almost as if he was making sure you were still there.

Time seemed to slow.

You watched him sleep for a while, taking in the softness of his expression, the way his eyebrows were finally relaxed instead of pinched together with exhaustion, the gentle rise and fall of his chest against yours.

He looked comfortable. Content. Like this was exactly where he wanted to be. You leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against his temple. He didn’t wake.

His grip only tightened around your waist for a brief moment before settling again, holding you like you were his favourite place to rest.

You stayed exactly where you were, one hand carding through his hair while the other rested over his arm wrapped around you.

You, meanwhile, stood in front of your vanity, trying to fix the front pieces of your hair for what felt like the hundredth time.

"You've redone that like eight times."

You didn't even bother looking at him. "I haven't."

"You definitely have."

"I've done it," you pausedm thinking, "maybe four."

He let out an exaggerated scoff. "Same thing."

“You’re so dramatic,” you say, too focused on sliding a bobby pin into your hair to look at him.

"I'm dramatic?" He pushed himself up onto his elbows, staring at you in disbelief. "Baby, we've— you've been getting ready forever."

You laughed. "It's literally been fourteen minutes."

"It feels like an hour."

"Poor thing."

"I know," he sighed dramatically. "My life is so hard."

Rolling your eyes, you picked up another bobby pin before trying to tuck a loose strand behind your ear.

"Nobody's forcing you sit there," you said. "Go ado something else while you wait."

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"'Cause you're in here."

You ignored the tiny flutter in your chest, focusing on your reflection instead. A second later you hissed quietly. "Ow." The bobby pin had caught your finger.

Behind you, Seonghyeon frowned immediately. "See?" he muttered. "That's a sign we're supposed to leave."

You laughed under your breath. You smoothed your hair down one last time before tilting your head from side to side, trying to decide if something still looked off.

You didn't notice Seonghyeon getting off the bed until warm fingers wrapped gently around your wrist.

You looked over your shoulder. "Seonghyeon—"

Before you could finish, he gave your hand a tiny tug. Not enough to pull you hard, just enough that you stumbled back a step until you were standing right in front of him.

"You done now?"

You couldn't help laughing. "You're so impatient."

"I know."

There wasn't even an ounce of shame in his voice. His hands slid naturally to your waist, thumbs rubbing absent-minded circles through the fabric of your top as he stood behind you.

You both looked at your reflections in the mirror.

"We're not even going anywhere important," he mumbled, resting his chin on your shoulder. "We're literally just getting lunch."

"I still want to look good," you shrug, looking over your hair once more because you couldn’t help it.

"Yeah, and you already do."

"You only said that because you want to leave."

He shook his head immediately. "No."

"You did."

He turned his head just enough that you could see his expression in the mirror. "I'm saying it because my girlfriend looks good all the time."

A tiny smile grows on your lips, and you duck your head away from his gaze for a second, rolling your eyes before turning around to face him.

He always knew how to make you blush in a second with just the smallest things.

You sighed dramatically, slipping your hand into his. "Come on."

He intertwined your fingers without hesitation. "Finally," he said with a grin. "Only took you... what, three hours?"

You stopped walking and stared at him. "Do you want to wait another fourteen minutes?"

His eyes widened. "I take it back."

"I thought so."

Digging around in the pocket of your hoodie, you pulled out your lip balm and twisted the cap off.

The familiar vanilla scent filled the air as you swiped it across your bottom lip before rubbing your lips together.

Keonho watched the entire thing. His eyes followed the little tube in your hand, then your lips.

You caught him staring from the corner of your eye. “What?” you laughed.

He didn’t answer right away, eyes dropping to your lips again. “My lips are really dry.”

You looked down at the lip balm in your hand.

“Oh.” You held it out towards him without thinking. “Want some?”

He hummed, but instead of taking it, his fingers wrapped gently around your wrist. Without saying a word, he tugged you closer.

His eyes flick down to your lips for a split second before he closed the gap kissed you. It was slow. Gentle. Just enough for your lip balm to transfer.

Your brain short-circuited.

When he pulled back, he stayed close, lips pressing together once, then again, as if testing something.

“Hm,” he murmured.

You were still frozen, staring at him. He smiled to himself before nodding.

“Tastes good.”

“Did…” you finally managed, blinking at him. “Did you just use me instead of the lip balm?”

“You offered.”

“I offered the lip balm!”

“But this was better.”

You couldn’t even argue because he looked far too pleased with himself.

“I think…” he said, pretending to think very hard, “…it wore off.”

You stared at him. “It has been five seconds.”

“Exactly.”

“Can I have more?”

Your heart skipped. You opened your mouth to answer, but he didn’t give you the chance.

His hand slid from your wrist to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing lightly across your skin before he leaned in and stole another quick kiss.

You couldn’t help but laugh into it. “Keonho—”

He was already smiling when he pulled away, though he didn’t go far. His face stayed only inches from yours, his hand still cradling your cheek.

“You just wanted an excuse to kiss me, didn’t you?” you said, giving him a knowing look.

He tried to keep a straight face. “I have…” He leaned in, pressing a quick peck to your lips.

“…no idea…” Another kiss.“…what you’re talking about.” And another.

By the third one you were giggling so hard you couldn’t even pretend to look annoyed anymore.

Your economics classroom overlooked the central courtyard, the morning sun spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows while Mr Kim spoke to a room that was only half listening.

"...which means that monopolistic competition—" A knock at the door cut him off. The room fell quiet almost instantly. Seonghyeon stood in the doorway.

It wasn't unusual for conversations to stop when he walked into a room. At Jooshin everyone knew who everyone was, and everyone knew exactly which families held the most influence. The Eoms were one of them.

His blazer sat perfectly over his shoulders, tie slightly loosened, and his dark hair falling over his forehead. One hand remained tucked inside his trouser pocket while the other held the classroom door open.

Mr Kim looked up from his notes. "Mr Eom?"

Seonghyeon gave him a small nod before looking straight at you. "I just need her for a minute."

A few people exchanged glances. Neither of you had ever officially announced you were dating, but Jooshin wasn't the kind of place where secrets stayed secret for very long.

Nobody said anything anymore, they just watched. Seonghyeon walked down the aisle without a hint of hesitation and stopped beside your desk.

You looked up at him. "Yes?"

His lips twitched. "Are you busy?"

You let out a quiet scoff. "I'm sitting in economics."

"I noticed." A couple of people nearby giggled.

"So why are you asking?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "Come outside for a sec."

You stared at him in disbelief. "That's your explanation?"

"I'll explain outside."

"You sound suspicious."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "Do I?"

Before you could answer, Mr Kim cleared his throat. "Mr Eom."

"Sorry, sir." Seonghyeon finally looked away from you. "I'll only borrow her for a minute."

"You said that last time."

"And this time I'll actually mean it."

The class laughed again. You looked between the two of them before raising your hand slightly.

"Can I...?"

Mr Kim pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly deciding whether this was a battle worth having. Finally he sighed.

"Two minutes."

"Thanks." You stood, pushing your chair back before walking around your desk.

As you passed, Seonghyeon's hand brushed lightly against the small of your back, only for a second. You glanced at him. He only smiled.

The classroom door slid shut behind you, and suddenly the hallway felt almost too quiet. You folded your arms.

"So?"

"So?"

"You interrupted my class for what exactly?"

Instead of answering, he started walking. "Come with me."

You stared at the back of his head before following anyway. "You've become really bossy lately."

"You still follow."

"Unfortunately." A laugh escaped him.

The two of you walked side by side through the empty corridor, passing a couple of students returning from the administration office. They greeted the both of you before continuing on, and once they were out of earshot, you nudged his arm.

You looked sideways at him. "Seriously. Where are we going?"

He nodded towards one of the empty classrooms near the end of the hallway. "There."

You slowed. "Why?"

"Because no one's using it."

"That's still not an answer."

He pushed the classroom door open and stepped aside with a small grin. "Ladies first."

You looked at him, then at the empty room, then back at him again before walking inside.

The room was empty apart from neatly lined desks and chairs. The blinds were half open, sunlight stretching across the floor.

You turned around to face him. "Can you finally tell me what—"

The door clicked shut behind him. Your sentence died halfway through. He leaned back against the door for a second, watching you with the faintest smile.

"Seonghyeon," you voice was quiet as you folded your arms across your chest. "You heard what Mr. Kim said."

"I could care less what Mr. Kim said," He took a couple of slow steps towards you until there was barely any space left between you.

"I missed you, and I wanted to see you."

You stared at him. "You're kidding."

"No." He shakes his head, his hands snaking around your waist.

"You interrupted economics for this?"

He simply hums.

"Did you not remember how we spent the entire morning together?" You looked at your watch before looking back at him. "That was, what, thirty minutes ago?"

He shrugged. "Felt longer."

You laughed, shaking your head. "You're actually ridiculous."

"I've accepted that."

"You interrupted my class because you missed me after thirty minutes?"

"When you say it like that..."

"That's exactly what happened."

"Pretty much."

You laughed, shaking your head. "You've become so clingy."

"I know."

"You weren't like this when we first started dating."

"I was." His hands settled naturally on your waist. "I just did a better job hiding it."

You smiled despite yourself, reaching up to brush a strand of hair away from his forehead before straightening his slightly crooked tie.

"So your image's just gone now?"

"My image's fine."

"You dragged your girlfriend out of class to an empty classroom because you missed her."

"I'll recover."

You rolled your eyes, but your smile gave you away. Your fingers were still smoothing his tie when he gently caught your wrist.

He didn't say anything. He simply waited until you looked back up. Then he leaned in, giving you every chance to pull away. Instead, you met him halfway.

The kiss was slow and familiar, the kind that came naturally after months of dating. His arms tightened around your waist while yours rested against his blazer.

When you finally pulled back, you let out a quiet laugh. "You seriously skipped your own schedule for that?"

"Worth it." He grins, placing light kisses against your jaw.

"I cannot believe I fell for 'come out for a sec.'"

"You'll fall for it again."

"I won't."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

You opened your mouth to argue, then stopped. Because the annoying part was, he was probably right.

You sighed dramatically. "I hate that you know me so well."

"I don't."

"No?"

"I think you would've come even if I'd just looked through the classroom window."

"Don't get cocky." You laughed again, giving his tie one final straightening tug.

"Come on. we should get back before the teachers send out a search party."

He reached for your hand as you headed for the door, giving it one quick squeeze before letting go.

The two of you stepped back into the hallway as if nothing happened.

By the time you slid the classroom door open again, every pair of eyes turned towards you. Your teacher glanced from you to Seonghyeon standing in the hallway.

"Everything sorted?"

You nodded with the most innocent smile you could manage. "Yep."

He looked unconvinced. A few classmates snorted, and Seonghyeon hid a smile before offering your teacher a polite nod.

You loved your job, you really did, but by the fourth consecutive twelve-hour day your shoulders ached from holding poses and your social battery had completely disappeared.

The only thing getting you through it was the fact that Seonghyeon was in Paris too. Not with you. Just in the same city.

Cortis had flown in for a schedule that happened to overlap with yours by two days. Between rehearsals, filming and interviews, neither of you expected to actually see each other.

Which made his text at eight that morning almost unbelievable.

What time is your break?

You smiled so hard your makeup artist caught you. “Boyfriend?”

You looked up innocently. “What boyfriend?”

She rolled her eyes. “Mhm.”

~

By one o’clock your shoot had moved into an old Parisian townhouse converted into a studio. Huge windows flooded every room with natural light.

Clothing racks lined the hallways. Stylists hurried past carrying shoes worth more than your rent. You’d finally been given forty minutes before the next setup.

You practically melted into the makeup chair, sighing dramatically as one of the artists touched up your lipstick.

“I’m not moving,” you declared.

“You have to.”

“I actually don’t.”

“You literally do.”

You closed your eyes. “I live here now.”

The room laughed. Just then someone knocked lightly against the open door. One of the production assistants looked over.

“I think someone’s here asking for—” She stopped mid-sentence. “Oh.”

You opened one eye. Standing awkwardly in the doorway was Seonghyeon. Baseball cap. Black hoodie. Mask pulled down beneath his chin.

One hand held a cardboard tray with two coffees. The other, a bouquet of white peonies wrapped in cream paper. Your entire face lit up. “Seonghyeon!”

You were already halfway out of the chair before anyone could stop you. He barely had time to set the coffees down before you wrapped your arms around him.

He laughed quietly, hugging you with one arm while carefully keeping the flowers from getting crushed. “I missed you too.”

“You weren’t supposed to actually come.”

“I know.”

You pulled back just enough to look at him. “What if you’re busy?”

“I had an hour.”

“So you spent your only free hour coming here?”

He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “I wanted to see my girlfriend.”

Your heart practically folded in on itself. “You brought flowers.”

“I figured Paris seemed like the place to.”

“They’re beautiful.”

“And coffee.”

“You remembered my order.”

“I always remember your order.”

Half the room was pretending not to watch.

Seonghyeon stepped closer again. “You look pretty.”

“I’m literally covered in hairspray.”

“You still look pretty.”

“You have terrible standards.”

“I think they’re pretty good.”

You smiled before instinctively reaching for his hand. “I missed you.”

“I missed you even more.” Without another word he leaned down. His hand rested against the side of your face as he kissed you.

The kind of kiss that only happened when two people had missed each other.

When he pulled away you blinked at him for a second before bursting into giggles. “What?”

You reached up, lightly grabbing his chin. “Don’t move.”

“What?”

“You’ve got—” Using your thumb, you wiped the glossy shimmer from the corner of his bottom lip. “My lip gloss.”

He froze. “Oh.”

You rubbed the gloss away with a tissue before smiling. “There.”

Then you leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, baby.”

He visibly blushed. Actually blushed. The tips of his ears turned pink almost instantly.

~

Twenty minutes later the photographer announced they needed another fifteen minutes to reset lighting. Perfect.

“You’ve got time,” your manager smiled. “Go.”

You looked at Seonghyeon. “Wanna walk?”

“Definitely.”

Five minutes later both of you had masks on. Caps pulled low. You’d swapped your heels for white sneakers.

The two of you slipped quietly out the side entrance and onto one of the quieter Paris streets. For a while, you simply walked.

No cameras. No managers. No schedules. Just the sound of traffic in the distance and your shoulders occasionally bumping together.

He reached for your hand. You intertwined your fingers immediately.

A little further down the street you stopped beside the Seine. For a second everything felt normal. He rested his elbow against the railing.

“You know…”

“What?”

“It’s nice.”

“What is?”

“Being somewhere no one really expects us.”

You nodded.

“We can just…” He gestured vaguely. “Walk.”

“I know.” You leaned against his shoulder. “I wish we could do this all the time.”

“One day.”

“You think?”

“I do.”

Before you could answer, a faint clicking sound echoed behind you. Then another. And another. You both looked over.

Three girls stood further down the riverside path. One lowered her phone slowly. “Oh my God…”

Another covered her mouth. “I think that’s…”

“No way.”

Your stomach dropped. Seonghyeon’s fingers tightened around yours. One of the girls spoke hesitantly. “Seonghyeon?”

He stayed calm. Didn’t let go of your hand. Didn’t panic. He simply smiled beneath his mask and gave them a small wave.

They bowed excitedly. He bowed back. Then quietly turned to you. “We should head back.”

You nodded. The girls thankfully didn’t approach. They simply watched the two of you walk away together.

By that evening, the photos were everywhere. Blurry. Taken from across the riverside. One showed Seonghyeon holding two coffees. Another showed your fingers intertwined.

The last, the clearest one, captured you looking up at him while he looked down at you with that unmistakably soft smile.

Within minutes fans were zooming in.

Who is she?

Isn’t that the model from the Paris campaign?

That’s Y/N.

No way.

Someone found a photo from one of your runway shows. Someone else matched the handbag you’d been carrying to an Instagram post from earlier that day.

Within an hour, your name was trending alongside his. The internet practically exploded.

“SEONGHYEON HAS A GIRLFRIEND???”

“WHO IS THE MODEL??”

“WAIT THEY LOOK SO CUTE.”

Edits appeared almost immediately. People comparing your airport photos. Realising you’d both unknowingly posted sunsets from Paris within minutes of each other.

Finding tiny details that suddenly made sense in hindsight. Your matching phone charms. The bracelet he’d started wearing months ago.

The white peonies you’d posted to your story that afternoon with nothing but a tiny white heart. By midnight everyone knew.

Not every comment was kind. Some people questioned it. Others insisted it had to be a misunderstanding.

But the overwhelming majority couldn’t stop talking about how normal the photos felt.

Just two people walking through Paris, hands linked together like they’d completely forgotten anyone else existed.

Back in your hotel room, you lay across the bed scrolling through the chaos while Seonghyeon sat beside you eating room-service fries.

“So…” You held your phone up. “I think they know.”

He glanced at the screen. “Yeah.”

“You’ve gone viral.”

“So have you.” You sighed dramatically.

“Our secret lasted, what…” He checked the time. “Ten months.”

“Not bad.”

He reached over, taking your phone from your hands before setting it on the bedside table. “You know…”

“What?”

“I’m not actually upset.”

“No?”

He shook his head. “I liked keeping us private.”

“Me too.”

“But…” He looked at you with that familiar, impossibly fond smile. “If the whole world knows you’re my girlfriend now…”

He tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “…that’s not exactly the worst thing that’s ever happened.”

You smiled despite yourself. “You’re cheesy.”

“I’ve been told.”

“You rehearsed that.”

“I absolutely did.”

He wore nothing more than a pair of grey sweatpants hanging low on his hips and an oversized white T-shirt that had gone slightly translucent around the collar from his wet hair.

His eyes immediately found you. You smiled. He barely had enough energy to smile back. “Hi.” His voice was rough with exhaustion.

You could see it written all over him. The slight droop in his shoulders, the way his eyes looked heavy, the faint pout on his lips.

“Tough day?”

“Mhm.” He didn’t elaborate. He never really wanted to talk straight away after days like this. Instead, he walked over to the couch.

You lifted your legs so he could sit. He ignored the invitation completely. Instead, he simply climbed onto the couch and then onto you. “Keonho—”

His entire body collapsed against yours with absolutely zero warning. You laughed as his weight settled over you. “You’re crushing me.”

“I know.”

“You don’t care?”

“No.” His answer was muffled because he’d already buried his face into the crook of your neck. You felt him breathe out one long, content sigh.

Like every ounce of tension he’d been carrying all day had finally left him.

“This,” he murmured.

You smiled to yourself.

“This?”

“This right here?” He nuzzled closer. “Is my favourite place.”

“Oh?”

“Mhm.”

“You sure it’s not your bed?”

“No.” His nose brushed gently against your neck. “You.”

Your heart practically melted. He wrapped both arms around your waist, hugging you impossibly tighter. “I missed you today.”

“You saw me this morning.”

“I know.”

You laughed. “Oh, poor baby.”

“Mhm.” He sounded completely serious. You reached up, slipping your fingers into his damp hair. Still warm from the shower.

“So spoiled.”

“I learned from you.”

“Excuse me?”

“You spoil me.”

“I absolutely do not.”

He finally tilted his head enough to look at you. One eyebrow raised. “Really?”

“Okay maybe a little.”

“A lot.”

“A little.” He smiled. A sleepy, crooked little smile. The kind that only was reserved for you. You couldn’t help smiling back.

Your fingers slowly combed through his hair again. The damp strands slipped between your fingers as you gently scratched at his scalp. His entire body relaxed even more.

“Feel good?”

“Don’t stop.”

“You like that?”

“So much.” His eyes had already closed again. “You know, ” he mumbled.

“Hm?”

“You always know exactly where to scratch.”

“I’ve had practice.”

“You should open a hair salon.”

You snorted. “I don’t think that’s how salons work.”

“They should.”

You continued gently massaging his scalp. He made another tiny, satisfied sound against your neck. “So comfy.”

“You sound like you’re about to fall asleep.”

“I probably am.”

“You haven’t even eaten dinner.”

“I’ll eat later.”

“No.”

“Hm?”

“You need food.”

“I need this first.” He squeezed you tighter for emphasis. Your hand moved from his hair to gently rub circles over his back through his T-shirt.

“You worked hard today.”

“Mhm.”

“I’m proud of you.”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, you felt him smile against your skin. “Thanks.”

“So…”

“So?”

“What made today so exhausting?”

He stayed quiet for a moment.

“Everything.”

You giggled. He shifted slightly until his cheek rested against your collarbone. Then he inhaled quietly.

“You smell good.”

You blinked. “What?”

“You smell really good.”

He took another exaggerated breath. “Like” He frowned thoughtfully. “Vanilla.”

He buried his face even further into your neck. “It’s nice.”

“You’ve been smelling my neck for like five minutes.”

“I’m appreciating it.”

“You little weirdo.”

“Nuh-uh.”

His voice was sleepy now. Without thinking, you leaned down and kissed the top of his damp hair. After another quiet minute, you noticed his breathing had slowed.

The rise and fall of his chest became steadier. “Keonho?”

“Mm?”

“You awake?”

“Maybe.”

“Liar.”

“I’m listening.”

“You were snoring.”

“I don’t snore.”

“You absolutely do.”

“I breathe enthusiastically.”

You laughed so hard the couch shook beneath both of you. He groaned dramatically.

“You’re laughing at me. So mean.”

“You’ll survive.”

You brushed a few strands of hair away from his forehead before kissing it softly. “I love you.”

His eyes opened just enough to meet yours. Sleepy. Completely full of affection. “I love you more.”

“You always say that.”

“‘Cause it’s true.”

“You can’t prove it.”

“I can.”

“Oh?”

Without another word, he lifted himself just enough to press the gentlest kiss against your forehead. Then your nose. Then your cheek. Finally, your lips.

Slow. Lingering. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours, smiling with that drowsy, boyish grin that always made your chest ache.

“There.”

“What was that for?”

“Proof.”

You laughed quietly, brushing your thumb across his cheek. “I think you’re just looking for excuses to kiss me.”

“And?”

“And I don’t mind.”

“Good.”

He settled back into the crook of your neck almost immediately, one arm wrapped securely around your waist while your fingers returned to playing with his hair.

Within minutes, his breathing evened out completely. Fast asleep.

You smiled to yourself, continuing to gently stroke his damp hair long after he’d drifted off, listening to the peaceful rhythm of the rain outside and feeling his warm weight against you.

There were plenty of places in the world Keonho could have chosen to rest after a long day.