Chapter 5
Jaeyel sat quietly, absently twirling a bottle of water in his hands while the rest of the group laughed and chatted around him.
They were in the middle of filming for their Metube content, but his mind was somewhere else.
The message.
His grip on the bottle tightened.
Just last night, he received a gift – roses, fresh and fragrant, neatly arranged in a pristine white box.
But it was the card that came with it that unsettled him.
“See you soon.”
It could’ve been from a fan. Probably was.
But something about it felt… off.
A regular fan wouldn’t write something so ominous, right?
The worst part? He still hadn’t told Yang about the message.
Not that he got the chance.
That night at the car, Yang had been… intense.
Overwhelming.
There was no room to bring it up – not when he was busy trying to process everything else.
Jaeyel sighed, rubbing his temple.
Lost in thought, he unconsciously glanced to his side – only to nearly jump out of his skin.
Minseo was sitting there, staring at him intently.
“Wahh—!”
Jaeyel nearly dropped his water.
“Warahek?!”
Minseo snorted, clearly amused.
“Dude, your soul left your body just now.”
Jaeyel scowled, nudging Minseo’s leg with his foot. “Don’t just sit there staring like some creep.”
“You were zoned out.” Minseo’s smile faded slightly. “You good?”
Jaeyel hesitated for half a second before forcing a small smile.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about… something.”
Minseo didn’t look convinced. He was about to press further when a staff member called over.
“Jaeyel! Next shoot – go change!”
Jaeyel gave a quick nod, standing up. “Coming!”
As he walked off, Minseo remained seated, his gaze still on Jaeyel.
Something was definitely bothering him...
…
Shooting wrapped up, and they all made their way to the elevator, their manager falling in step beside them.
Jaeyel kept his head down, lost in thought again – until Minseo nudged him.
“Hey, let’s talk?”
Jaeyel blinked. “Huh?”
“Just us. Before we head to the van.”
He hesitated. “Uh… okay?”
Minseo glanced at their manager. “We’ll be down in a bit.”
The manager sighed, clearly used to this. “Fine, but don’t take too long.”
Jaeyel let out a small breath before trailing after Minseo.
…
“So…”
Jaeyel shot him a suspicious look. “Why are we going to the quiet side of the park?”
Minseo scoffed.
“Because that’s where all serious conversations happen. Do you not watch dramas?”
Jaeyel rolled his eyes. “You’re so dramatic.”
“And you’re so slow. Hurry up.”
They bickered the entire way, their footsteps the only sound in the empty path. But as they reached the spot, the playful air faded.
Minseo let out a deep breath. “Are you okay?”
Jaeyel stiffened slightly. “What do you mean?”
Minseo gave him a knowing look. “You’ve been weird today. Quieter than usual, totally out of it. I know you, Jaeyel. Something’s up.”
Jaeyel stared at him, guilt creeping in. Was he making Minseo worry because of this?
For a second, he debated telling Minseo everything – but then he remembered.
This wasn’t just about him. This involved Yang, too.
And he couldn’t risk dragging his group into something they didn’t need to be part of.
So instead, he hesitated before answering, “I’ve just been… thinking about something.”
“…If it’s about what sunbae said that day. Don’t think about- ” Before Minseo could finish, Jaeyel cut in, his voice firm.
“I’m not thinking about that. It’s not even worth it.”
Minseo hummed. “Makes sense. Even back then, it didn’t seem like it bothered you at all.”
Then, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
“…Is it about the stalker?”
Jaeyel froze.
He hadn’t expected Minseo to bring that up.
It wasn’t the first time Jaeyel had dealt with obsessive fans crossing the line.
The group had worried about him before when strange letters started appearing at their dorm, and when a sasaeng fan had managed to get way too close to him after a schedule.
He quickly shook his head, forcing a small laugh. “No, no. Nothing like that.”
Minseo studied him for a moment, then sighed.
“…Okay, if you say so. But if you ever wanna talk, you know I’m here, right?”
Jaeyel felt a wave of gratitude.
Minseo probably knew something was up, but instead of pushing, he chose to let it go – respecting Jaeyel’s decision not to say anything.
Jaeyel gave him a small smile. “Thanks…”
They lingered for a while, chatting about random things, throwing jokes back and forth.
The tension from earlier slowly eased, replaced by easy laughter.
Then Minseo’s phone buzzed again.
“Ah, crap-”
He groaned, finally checking his screen.
“The manager’s been calling me nonstop. We should head back before he loses it.”
Jaeyel chuckled. “Told you ignoring him wasn’t a good idea.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Minseo rolled his eyes.
They turned, still laughing.
But then, they froze.
Their laughter died instantly.
A few steps away, standing in the dim glow of a streetlight, was…
Yang.
Motionless, eyes locked on them.
Minseo hesitated before greeting him. “He-hello… CEO Yang-“
Silence.
Yang wasn’t even looking at him.
His gaze was fixed solely on Jaeyel, dark and unwavering.
Jaeyel felt the shift in the air, the tension wrapping around them.
He swallowed before asking, “Why are you-”
A sudden vibration cut him off. Minseo’s phone buzzed again.
Jaeyel took the opportunity.
“You should go. Let the manager know I’ll leave with the CEO. He’ll understand.”
Minseo frowned, glancing between the two. “Are you sure?”
Jaeyel gave a reassuring nod, though Minseo still hesitated.
Something about this didn’t sit right. But eventually, he relented.
With a respectful bow toward Yang, who didn’t so much as glance at him, Minseo turned and left.
…
Now, only silence remained.
Jaeyel looked at Yang, waiting.
Slowly…
Yang took a step closer, his voice calm yet firm.
“It’s cold. Why are you standing out here?”
Jaeyel let out a disbelieving sigh.
“Are you seriously acting like you didn’t just appear out of nowhere?”
Yang said nothing. He just watched him.
Jaeyel exhaled sharply, steeling himself. This was a good opportunity – he couldn’t keep it to himself any longer.
“I… I think you need to know something.”
