In hindsight, there mightâve been other ways to express herself. Ahyeon is not usually so â insistent, nor is she usually so reckless. If this could be considered reckless. As far as her track record went, both in the group and within the space of her family, this was out of character. Still â there were many things about her life that had become unorthodox since sheâd met â the very man she was barreling through to see right now. Â
She hadnât planned it out, not really. All she knew ( vaguely ) was she had a good chance of spotting him if she coordinated right and if she begged â begged their manager to let her spend her free time in the city away from the girls. Sheâd get an earful for it later; theyâd ask if she wanted to spend any quality time with them and that pictures posted by herself would look suspicious if all the other girls were together. Ahyeon knew for sure that they werenât all spending time in the city together, what she did know was that a certain male was less than excited to spending his night in this city, in a waiting room going over details.
[ sms from: Ę â˘á´Ľâ˘Ę ] I donât see why we have to be here when we could be exploring the city, weâve just been sitting through briefs
[ sms from: Â Ę â˘á´Ľâ˘Ę ] is the stage made of air? are we dancing on water?
[ sms to: Ę â˘á´Ľâ˘Ę ] Ę â˘á´Ľâ˘Ę Ę â˘á´Ľâ˘Ę Ę â˘á´Ľâ˘Ę Ę â˘á´Ľâ˘Ę
There were so many groups in the city tonight, on account of a weekend long concert that hosted several different groups. Her group had been chosen as a surprise guest for Sunday, but Hyuckâs group had been here since Friday, and heâd given texting her all the updates on how tired and annoyed he was. Nothing unusual. Â
Sheâd enjoyed how often theyâd been texting each other throughout the entirety of the tour sheâd been on. Due to the tour, the company almost thought theyâd have to decline the invitation to perform but decided at the last minute that the girls could make it. It involved quite a lot of rushing and flights, and a shit ton of jet lag to deal with during practice but they were prepared for the concert tomorrow and Ahyeon was sure Hyuck was thoroughly unprepared to see her.Â
Especially with how heâd been slyly adding in messages how heâd rather the two of them be home, on their favorite rooftop spot. Ahyeon is really playing with her luck, itâs late and sheâd taken that as her advantage, but she had nothing to prove that the boys were still at the arena they were scheduled to perform at. She would also risk â well any cameras thatâd still hung around hoping to catch a glimpse of them but at least there was little chance of fans that could sneak back here. Â
Given that she was another artist, it wasnât hard to flash a badge, one that the girls had been given prior, and get access backstage, where the waiting rooms were and where soundcheck and stage entrances were. The girls would have their rehearsal tomorrow, but theyâd also been allowed backstage to view todayâs concert if they managed to make it on time. The concert was far from over, the cleaning crew busy getting things clean and then allowing groups with hectic schedules to practice and run through what they needed to. Hyuckâs group was one such group, their schedule even more packed recently than Ahyeonâs own. Â
Sheâs well bundled regardless â and no one should suspect itâs her even if they suspect a girl. Her group was supposed to be in another country. Her knuckles wrapped against the door, thanking her luck that the weather in this country favored colder winds in the nighttime so her being bundled wouldnât be quite as conspicuous. From the last message they were still holed up in the waiting room, waiting for further instructions. Heâd said itâd be quite some time before they could go anywhere. So Ahyeon is praying, silently, that sheâd gotten the timing right, or else this would be a rather awkward meeting.
âAhyeon?â She blinks, unaware sheâd even had her eyes closed. Itâs not â unwelcome person but sheâs sure sheâd rather come face to face with any other member of the group than the demon spawn of hell Minjae himself. The male looks at her, like heâs fresh from a photoshoot as always and the grin that finds its way on his face makes her want to curse. Though â there isnât a look that could cross Minjaeâs face that wouldnât make Ahyeon want to punch him anyway. Sheâs got a lot of opinions pent up about him, so really, he should count himself lucky that sheâs on a time crunch.
âIs - is Hyuck here?â Even as the words leave her lips, even though she knows thereâs really no other reason she would be here, her face heats up. Â
âOh? Youâre looking for Hyuck?â Minjae is so damn smug, the way he puts emphasis on Hyuckâs name, the way he has no reason to really repeat it except to embarrass her. Ahyeon understand her sisterâs compulsion for liking to get her point across with her fists.
âYes Minjae, is Hyuck there?â
âWhatever would a lady need with my friend this late at night? You wouldnât be sneaking him out to doâunsavory things-â
âThe only unsavory thing will be what Iâm going to do to your face.â Minjaeâs words are cut off by Hyuck appearing, not from behind Minjae in the room, but from behind Ahyeon, a soda in his hand and annoyance on his features. He makes a show of pushing Minjae so far into the room that the door frame and his body block Ahyeon from seeing, and really hearing anything the male has to say.
Sheâs almost missed the way his eyebrow twitches when heâs clearly annoyed with his best friend. But thatâs quickly overshadowed by how much sheâs missed him in full. Even when he looks like heâd rather be anywhere but here and the sleeplessness in his eyes shows more than she thought. Hyuckâs yelling something inaudible toward Minjae that results in laughter and howls from the rest of the members, but Ahyeonâs too focused on him. They havenât seen each other in well over six months â and once his eyes fall on her â really fall on her, sheâs at a loss of words.
Hyuck too â seems to have forgotten that leaving the members to face her meant he was facing Ahyeon and not just another friend. Ahyeon â and all that her name carries in its meaning to him, and their relationship. The way sheâs sure her heartbeat triples when he smiles, shy and a surprised.
âYouâre hereâŚâ
âBad time?â Â
âNo! No, I was -â Hyuck pauses as if he needs to take a moment to come back to earth and remember what was happening. As if Ahyeonâs presence makes him forget everything around him, it makes her stomach flutter. âI was getting an energy drink.â The said drink sits rather awkwardly in his hands, Hyuckâs so caught off guard that he thinks he should hold it out to her.
âYouâre not gonna invite your girl in?!â Whatever move Hyuck was going to do, is overshadowed by his reaction to Minjaeâs words. That is, effectively throwing the energy drink in the room, slamming the door and grabbing Ahyeon to drag her far, far away from Minjae and whatever he likes to insinuate. Ahyeon lets her laughter glide through the breeze that passes her as Hyuck pulls her wherever he wants. She didnât have a plan for where they would go, what they would do, hell she didnât even know how much time they had. Just the fact that his hand is in hers, she lets him pull her anywhere.
It turns out to be rather far up on the arena, past the higher bleachers where no one would be able to spot them unless theyâre looking. Hyuck didnât let go of her hand, except to pull some hot chocolate from a vending machine even though she insisted she was fine.
âTour diet â I have to watch the sweets.â
âGonna be hard to do if youâre with me isnât it?â
Her brain short circuits at this and Ahyeonâs struck with the fact that this might be a very, very bad idea. Thereâs something about how she gets when sheâs around him, how silly and calmly she lets her say things that arenât characteristically her. How easily she becomes someone less shy, bold in what she wants and how she responds and even more bold in how she lets these things show on her face. Because sheâs sure her face is warming up when the implications of the words settle in, and sheâs grabbing the hot chocolate from him, diet be damned. Itâs still useful in hiding the way she flushes at every damn thing this boy does. Â
âYouâre still annoying six months later.â
âIâve gotta remain the same guy you fell for right?â
âI - what - who said I fell for â Lee Donghyuck.â
âI hope you donât sneak out to see just any boy.â
That effectively shuts her up. For a moment. Heâs right though, she wouldnât even offer to speak out with her own members when the option came. She would barely entertain Areumâs many messages to ditch practice and spend time â yet here she is. Sheâd been so quick on her feet after their practice ended, everyone had thought sheâd just been excited to explore the city. Ahyeon truly wouldnât sneak out for just anyone. Sheâs sure though, that she doesnât need to confirm it for him to know, especially with how easily he smiles and says it. Thereâs a surety to that, it makes her glad that sheâs been able to express herself in such a way that he can have that, and she knows she has it as well.
âYouâd sneak out for just about anyone?â
âYeah, but I wouldnât ditch my members for just anyone.â
Theyâve perched against the backs of two arena seats, with all of the stadium spread out before them. Hyuckâs presence is a warmth she knew she missed but didnât know she missed this much. Ahyeonâs fairly certain she doesnât need to be bundled in such a heavy jacket if she could just spend her coldest days with Hyuck by her side. Â
âYouâre awfully cheeky tonight.â
âIâm just making up for lost time.â
âThatâs a cute way to say you missed me.â
âYou sneaking out is your way of saying it right?â
Thereâs a small amount of his cheeky responses she can take in person. Itâs easy over the phone, when she has time to think, to recover and give a good comeback. Itâs not the same right now, when sheâs bare and she doesnât have enough time to both hide her face and formulate a quick response, things she used to pride herself on. She wants to shove him away with how his shoulder is bearing against her own and how she can practically hear his smile in his words. Sheâs struck with a reminder then. A reminder that â as theyâre standing overlooking the stadium, both putting themselves at the mercy of their members or managers if theyâre found out â they risk these things because they donât have to hide.
Hyuckâs long since been able to tell Ahyeonâs mood from whatever shape her mouth forms when he sees her, and now even more so by how she responds to his messages. All because heâs determined and sheâs allowed it. Sheâs put herself in these situations where she feels vulnerable and warm all over with nowhere to hide and nothing to deflect it on because she wants to. Because she feels safe.
Sheâd nearly ran here at the prospect of seeing him because she wants to. There are very few things these days that sheâd wanted to do. But she had wanted to see him and she figures that should be something she stands proud on.
âI did miss you.â
âYeah yeah, say you didnât all you w- wantâŚâ
âI did miss you. A lot.â This time when she says it she faces him fully despite how she knows the burn in her cheeks is escaping the cover of her scarf. Hyuckâs face is blank for a moment, in that dumb face he makes when he processes things and Ahyeon has to will herself to look away or sheâll do something stupid. Whatâs so wrong with her being bold all of a sudden - god he makes it seem like sheâs declared her love or something.
Stupid things like kissing him when she turns to the sound of his voice. And she does anyway, because Hyuckâs voice is always holds a promise of something thatâll leave her smiling or with butterflies at the end of it. Always. Something sweet and gentle follows it and it continuously has a way of disarming Ahyeon in a way that feels more like a hug, a hand in her own. She sighs into the kiss and is immediately overwhelmed with how warm she is all over. Sheâs struck by the fact that his hands are no longer pressed against the chair but one is pulling her closer, the other is against her cheek and that â that is enough to consume her completely.Â
Lucky for Ahyeon, sheâs always sure in the fact that whatever she feels, Hyuck despite all his show always feels it tenfold. So to make matters worse, she doesnât shy into the kiss, she leans in, lets her hand rest by the collar of his jacket. That - short circuits him for sure because when he pulls away his eyes are wide and his cheeks are red.
âDidnât know you missed me that much.â
âIâm leaving -â Sheâs not, and even if she was - she canât go anywhere with how quickly Hyuckâs arms move to wrap around her. Her back pressed against his chest and his chin on her shoulder.
âWho knows the next time Iâll get to annoy you in person.â
She canât argue with that, and she also wonât admit how much sheâs missed being this close to him. On their rooftop, in their little own bubble that they can magically create within moments. Tomorrow, theyâll be back to their obligations and their dreams but right now the only future theyâre thinking about is one where they can remain this warm and this at ease.
âGive Minjae a punch or two for me.â
âAnything for my girlfriend.â
Ahyeon makes to jab him in the side, and even though he dodges, even though she chases him through the seats and the top floor - she doesnât deny that she is and her smile shows just how happy she is that itâs true.