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📍YG Entertainment, Treasure practice room. Early March 2024.

The heavy door to the practice room swung open, revealing Haruto. The younger member, a lanky young man born in 2004 from Fukuoka, who spotted his hyung immediately. "Horangi Hyung," he called out, his voice cutting through the quiet hum of the air conditioner.

Hearing his younger brother's voice, Yoshi looked up from his phone and offered a warm and tired smile. It was a familiar ritual—the two TREASURE members embraced briefly, a silent show of solidarity. The room, usually filled with the energy of ten young men, now felt cavernously empty and still.

"I knew I'd find you here, Hyung, since your studio was empty," Haruto said, his tone softer than usual. He gave Yoshi's shoulder a gentle, reassuring pat.

Then, with a quick movement, Haruto dug into his pants pocket and let out something before pressing it into Yoshi's hand. A lollipop, it was. And the sight of the simple candy made Yoshi let out a low, wry chuckle. Cause how it was a childish gesture for a very adult kind of hurt, and yet, it was so utterly his heart. Yoshi knew this soft spot always there, even if Haruto never really shows it. His dongsaeng always had his own unique way of offering comfort, and Yoshi appreciate it.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Haruto clarified with a wide and playful grin spreading across his face as he dramatically flopped onto the practice room floor. "That's from Jihoon Hyung. He said it's for... energy."

At that, Yoshi could only shake his head. And there, a small and genuine laugh escaping his lips at the obvious lie. Nevertheless, the message, no matter who it was from, had been received.

Then, almost without thinking, Yoshi moved to join Haruto on the cool, polished floor. And the next thing he do was unwrapping the lollipop that said from Jihoon, the crinkle of the wrapper was a loud sound in the quiet room. At last, he placed the candy in his mouth where the sweet artificial fruit flavor bursting on his tongue. The flavor itself was quite a stark cruel contrast to the bitterness coating his heart. Ironic, he thought. The sweetness is a lie and the ache is the truth.

The man from Kobe let out a long, weary sigh then. It sound as heavy as the stillness that settles between them. And his eyes, it remained fixed on the acoustic panels of the ceiling. "Haruto-ya," Yoshi said, his voice soft but clear. "Tell Jihoon Hyung I said thanks, for this."

Lying beside him, Haruto didn't reply with words. Instead, he simply nodded—a small, deliberate motion Yoshi caught from the corner of his eye. It was enough, he thought. In their world, some things didn't need to be spoken.

Yoshi fell silent too then, allowing Haruto’s presence to fill the empty space around him. At least, he thought, there's a small comfort he could feel from his members, that even if my heart is breaking to pieces, I'm not alone.

And so the two Japanese men lay there for what felt like hours, suspended in a shared, comfortable silence. Time stretched thin and silent around them. Above, Yoshi was lost in memories of a relationship that had finally, definitively shipwrecked. And beside him, Haruto kept his vigil, doing nothing more and nothing less than simply being there, accompanying his hyung in his grief.

📍YG Entertainment, Yoshi's private working studio. Mid March 2024.

The next few days bled into one another, each one much like the last. Yoshi became a ghost in his own studio, haunting the space with his quiet grief. With TREASURE in a rare lull between promotions, their schedules clear except for concert preparations where there was literally nothing to forcibly drag his mind away from the heartache that had taken up permanent residence in his chest. And that lack of distraction was a curse. So, once again, like every other days before, the man from Kobe found himself sitting in silence. Drowning in a sea of what-ifs and memories, until a soft knock at the door pulled him back to the present.

Knock. Knock.

The sound was hesitant. The door cracked open to reveal not just random visitor, but another of his Japanese brothers. Of course, Yoshi thought. It was Asahi, offering a thin, careful smile from the doorway, his expression a mixture of concern and a desire not to intrude.

"Yoshi-kun," Asahi said, his voice soft and the words flowing in their native Japanese, his accent a familiar, comforting sound. "Can I come in?"

Yoshi, of course, waved him in immediately, even automatically straightening a pile of notebooks on his small studio couch to make room for his dongsaeng to sit. The gesture was pure habit, a reflex of hospitality even when his own world felt disordered.

For a moment, a stiff awkward moment, silence hung in the air between them. The two men exchanged a look that was a whole conversation in itself. Yoshi, trying his best to mask the profound sadness he knew was visible in his eyes, and Asahi, trying to temper his natural worry, afraid that if he showed too much, he would make his hyung feel pitied or smothered.

Soon, the atmosphere grew so thick with unspoken words that Yoshi finally broke it with a soft sigh. "What brings you here, Sahi-ya?" he asked, his voice gentle but his mind not. In a split second, it ran through few possibilities in his mind. Maybe he needs an idea or some help with a new song. Or maybe he’s just bored in his own studio. But the most likely reason, the one that felt most true, was also the simplest: his incredibly perceptive and caring dongsaeng had come to check on him. It was the kind of quiet, unwavering support he’d come to expect from Asahi, who held a deep, abiding care for every single of their member.

Unexpectedly, when Asahi spoke, it was full with blunt honesty. "To check on you, of course." Asahi said. "I'm sure you're still sad, angry, and confused about the news. It's okay, Hyung. So am I."

A quick blink and a wry smile touched Yoshi's lips. Damn, this kid really sees right through me, he thought.

Asahi let out a sigh of his own, one brimming with frustration at the entire situation. He had been a firsthand witness to the entire two-year arc of his hyung's relationship with the aespa leader—from the initial closeness and whispered conversations, to the quiet happiness of being together, to the painful fracture that had ended it all late last year. So yes, he was just as bewildered and thrown by the recent headlines as Yoshi was.

"You know, Hyung," Asahi ventured, trying to lighten the heavy mood, "Now might be a good time for you to write a new song. You've got the inspiration for it."

The statement didn't just earn a wry smile from Yoshi this time; it drew a short, bitter laugh from deep within him. Without a word, Yoshi turned in his chair and grabbed a stack of papers from his desk—pages filled with the frantic, scrawled lyrics he'd penned over the last few days. He handed them to Asahi, who quickly began to scan the drafts. The man from Osaka’s eyes widened in genuine surprise at the sheer volume of new material.

With another hollow laugh, Yoshi turned back to his computer, his back to Asahi for a moment as he clicked open several audio files. The soft glow of the screen illuminated his tired face. "Sahi-ya," he said, his voice flat. "I could write a song or two for her, sure. But it would take forever to get approved by YG, and even longer until we actually get another comeback schedule." He gestured vaguely at the screen, at the bureaucracy that governed their art.

Asahi could only nod in agreement, knowing all too well the lengthy, arduous process their music had to endure before seeing the light of day.

Then, Yoshi leaned in a little closer, his voice dropping into a more intimate, pained confession. "But," he continued, the word heavy with meaning. "I think… I think I want to make a subtle response to her. About the news." He finally looked back at Asahi, and his eyes were filled with a deeper sadness than his younger brother had seen all day.

Asahi fell silent for a moment, thinking deeply before he spoke. "Just do a cover song then," he answered Yoshi's indirect plea with a simple, brilliant solution. At that, Yoshi quickly nodded, the idea immediately resonating with him. "A Bigbang song, maybe? Or maybe GD or Taeyang sunbaenim's songs. They must have something that fits," Asahi added, trying to solidify the plan.

Now it was Yoshi's turn to think intently. As a dedicated VIP, his mind easily sifted through the discography of his musical heroes. "'Fxxk It' or 'That XX'... do you think those are too sharp?" he mused aloud, turning to Asahi for his opinion to which he responded with a subtle, thoughtful gesture. A slight tilt of his head that meant maybe, but probably.

"Wait," Asahi gently reminded him, "aint you already covered 'That XX' once before?" He asked and Yoshi nodded slowly as the memory surfacing. "Back when you two first broke up two years ago," Asahi added, his voice growing quieter, almost a whisper.

Yoshi heard him perfectly. Ever since the first syllable leave his mouth. The recollection was a fresh sting to his heart, a painful echo of a past hurt. But he wasn't angry; he knew Asahi wasn't being cruel, just factual, helping him navigate the options.

Lost in his thoughts, Yoshi's mind landed on a different GDragon track, one that felt like it fit the strange, hollow ache of this specific moment. It wasn't about anger or denial. It was about confusion and a fading sense of recognition. "Okay, what about... 'Who You?'" Yoshi suggested, the title hanging in the air between them, heavy with meaning.

📍Aespa's living room, Aespa Dorm. Mid March 2024.

The four girls of aespa were finally relaxing in their dorm, enjoying a rare moment of quiet. Karina was scrolling through her Instagram, reading the responses to the apology letter she had posted two days prior. And around her, the other members were absorbed in their own worlds. Giselle browsed the latest fashion trends, Winter texted furiously with a fellow soloist, preparing for their upcoming collaboration, and Ningning mindlessly scrolled through her social media feeds.

It was a peaceful scene, a chance for the four idols to simply be themselves, away from the relentless glare of the spotlight—especially after the media sensation their leader had inadvertently caused just days before.

The comfortable silence was broken by Winter. "Jimin Eonnie," she said casually, not looking up from her phone as she reached for a snack on the table. "According to Yedam, your ex posted something." She popped the snack into her mouth, completely oblivious to the way Giselle and Ningning’s heads snapped up, their eyes wide with shock.

She said it so casually, Ningning thought, staring at Winter who just kept chewing, utterly unbothered. Now, why do Winter knew this from Yedam? It was because she and him had indeed grown close while preparing for their duet, ‘Officially Cool,’. Close enought that apparently enough to share the latest idol gossip. Especially, about their own friends while her other members, especially Karina, were frozen still.

"Yoshi Gege? What did he post?" Ningning was the first to find her voice, already opening Twitter and typing ‘TREASURE’ into the search bar. Her fingers flew across the screen. She quickly found the post from TREASURE's official account: a new cover by Yoshi. Of a GDragon song. Titled ‘Who You?’.

As a self-proclaimed hip-hop enthusiast, the 2004-born girl was immediately intrigued. Ningning’s hand soon flew to her mouth in a spontaneous gasp of recognition. She knew that song. She knew exactly what it was about. Without a word, she turned her phone screen to show the others.

"Heol," Giselle breathed out, her voice full of disbelief. "He covered 'Who You?'" In a swift motion, she took Ningning’s phone, her eyes scanning the post for a few seconds before handing the device directly to Karina. The Japanese member then picked up a snack herself, her curious gaze fixed intently on their leader. Now, Giselle’s expression was filled with nothing but rapt, nervous curiosity, waiting to see Karina’s reaction.

And just like Asahi who had witnessed the entire relationship from Yoshi’s side, all aespa members had seen it all from Karina’s. They knew the history.

Karina took the phone in a span of two solid seconds. Her movements quick and precise. Then she pressed play, listening to Yoshi's cover with an intensity that silenced the room. Since the song was in Korean, she could easily digest every word, every inflection, every ounce of emotion he poured into it. And as she watched the video—a simple, aesthetically shot clip with the kind of detailed, artistic editing that was Yoshi's signature—a painful understanding dawned on her. This wasn't just a cover; it was a meticulously crafted message.

Being the kindhearted man that he is, Yoshi had even edited out the parts of the original lyrics that could have been too harsh, too directly accusatory. Karina realized that. He had chosen his pain but softened its delivery toward her. Karina noticedall of it, all of that profound act of mercy. It's the little things he would do for me, just like before, some things about him never change, she thought, and the realization was a direct hit to her heart.

Before she could even process the wave of grief, a single tear escaped, tracing a path down her cheek, then another.

Her members shared a collective, sympathetic wince. Winter quickly grabbed a box of tissues. Ningning began to rub slow, comforting circles on Karina's back. And Giselle, ever the pragmatist, offered the advice they were all thinking.

"Know what, girl?" Giselle started, her voice firm yet gentle. "Give it a shot and tell him that you're sorry. Frankly, I don't even care about that new man you have right now." She leaned forward, tapping her finger decisively on Yoshi's frozen image on the screen. "Because even I myself know what this man—" she paused for emphasis, her gaze locking with Karina's, "—What he means to you. So go on. Text him first. Make it up to your mistakes."

Her serious tone was validated by Winter and Ningning, who both nodded in vigorous agreement.

As if under a spell, compelled by Giselle's words and the raw truth they carried, Karina reached for her own phone almost unconsciously. Her fingers, moving with a will of their own, found his contact—a name she hadn't texted in months. Then, she began to type out a message she was certain she would regret by morning.

📍Junkyu's private studio. YG Entertainment. Mid March 2024.

On that same night, TREASURE's producer line had naturally gravitated together, finding themselves gathered in Junkyu's studio. The room was a familiar chaos of creativity: Hyunsuk, Haruto, Asahi, Yoshi, and of course, Junkyu himself, the host of this impromptu session. The five men had unintentionally converged and decided to pour their energy into their upcoming comeback project.

The studio was a symphony of focused energy. Junkyu, with a producer's intense concentration, expertly sliced and edited layers of their new track. Hyunsuk fired off a constant stream of ideas, his fingers dancing across the beatmaker, searching for the perfect rhythm. Haruto effortlessly matched the emerging beat with a smooth beatbox, his body moving to the pulse. Asahi, meanwhile, let himself get lost in the music, his eyes closed as he absorbed the sound, occasionally offering a quiet, wonderfully weird suggestion. The four of them were in their element, thoroughly enjoying the collaborative process.

Yes, only four of them were. Yoshi had been quietly present, offering only thin, faint smiles that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Okay, I think we need a rap right here... here... and definitely here," Junkyu declared, slicing precise segments of the instrumental to make space for their trio of rappers. He spun around in his chair, flashing a bright, enthusiastic smile at his members. "It's up to you three how you want to fill it. I'll just leave the beat right there for you. I trust you all, as always."

Hyunsuk and Haruto nodded almost instantly, already brainstorming flows. Yoshi, however, was still silent. His attention captured not by the music, but by his phone, which lay screen-up on the table in the middle of them all. Of a new notification glowed on the screen. A message. From his ex, from Karina.

Asahi was the first to notice the shift in Yoshi's focus and the telltale glow of the device. Then with a quick, discreet movement, he snatched the phone from the table and pressed it into Yoshi's hand, leaning in to whisper urgently. His actions were a shield, an attempt to handle this before the others could notice and the mood could break. "Answer her, hyung. Go and do it outside," Asahi urged, giving Yoshi's shoulder a soft, encouraging pat. It was a nudge to prioritize his heart, even here, in the middle of their professional sanctuary.

Yoshi obeyed his dongsaeng, stepping out into the quiet hallway to answer his ex's message. He did it quickly, carefully. After all, she is my ex, he thought, a familiar, cautious mantra echoing in his mind.

But the message he received was, honestly, shocking. It was not an apology he get but rather a request. Karina was asking to meet him, tonight. At the very same park where they had first decided to be together two years ago, and the same place where they had decided to part ways—or more accurately, where she had decided to leave him for real—three months ago.

The request left him reeling. A part of him had craved this very apology, but now, reading the words, he felt no satisfaction, only a deeper confusion. The idea of going to see her was fraught with doubt. He still liked her, so much—a painful, persistent ache that had only sharpened now that she was publicly seeing someone else a mere three months after their one-sided breakup.

📍A park of a thousand memories they shared. Mid March 2024. Midnight.

And, somehow, he found himself moving. His feet carried him with a will of their own, operating on a muscle memory deeper than conscious thought. Before he fully processed what he was doing, he was there.

There, he saw her.

Three months without a single meeting had carved subtle changes into his own heart, building a small wall of protection that he immidiately thought should be taller.

But again, there she was, rendering it all meaningless. She was waiting on the small swing set, shrouded in the deep blue darkness of the night, a solitary figure under the faint glow of a distant streetlamp. Just waiting.

"Karina-ssi."

The name, her stage name, fell from Yoshi's lips in the most formal address he could muster. It was a deliberate wall, built in the space of a single syllable. At the sound of it, she turned to face him, and the sadness he could read in her expression was immediate and profound. The formality was a bucket of cold water, a stark confirmation of the new, vast distance between them. It was a far cry from the warmth of the real name he used to call her by.

A thin, wry smile touched her lips. Given how I treated him, she thought, I should just be grateful he showed up at all. She couldn't blame him for this. "You came," Karina said, her voice soft. She gestured to the empty swing beside her, an unspoken invitation for him to share the space, if not the intimacy.

Yoshi only responded with a silent nod, settling onto the cold swing. He made no move to break the ice, to initiate a conversation. He had arrived here almost unconsciously, but now, in her presence, his every sense was screaming, urging extreme caution. So he chose silence, because it felt like the only safe option he have.

Karina didn't fault him for it. The chill of the Seoul night, even the frost in the air between them, didn't make her shiver. Rather, it was the silence of the man beside her that sent a cold dread through her veins. For two years, she had known him as the most cheerful, radiantly warm person. But now, the man next to her now felt like a stranger—devoid of smiles, stripped of that familiar warmth, a quiet statue where her sun used to be. And there, the gentle creak of the swing chains as she moved seemed deafening in the quiet he maintained.

"Ehem. So," Karina began, her voice cutting through the heavy silence and causing Yoshi to turn his head toward her. He merely tilted it slightly and raised an eyebrow in response, a silent prompt for her to continue. The icy facade remained firmly in place, and it made Karina's courage waver. But she took a long, steadying breath, swallowing her pride. "I saw your cover. Just now, after Winter told me about it."

Yoshi was a little surprised but hid it quickly. That fast? Well, it makes sense, since Winter probably heard it directly from Yedam, he reasoned internally. But Karina had already caught the fleeting crack in his composure, and it gave her a small measure of relief. It was proof that the Yoshi she knew was still in there, just… different. "I'm sorry," Karina said, the words finally leaving her.

"No need." Yoshi's reply was quick, sharp, and cold. He clicked his tongue softly, a quiet, frustrated sound. The memories from three months ago came rushing back, and with them, a fresh wave of irritation that made the curt response slip out before he could stop it. "That's what you wanted, isn't it, Karina-ssi? From the beginning, to be out in public, to be openly dating." he added, his tone laced with a sarcastic bite that left Karina utterly bewildered.

Flustered, Karina took a moment to blink rapidly. Because this was a side of Yoshi she had never seen before. The Yoshi who used to weigh every single word, terrified of accidentally hurting her, was gone. And she had to admit, it was her fault he was like this now.

Now, sven her desire to date publicly, which had felt so important then, felt like a terrible mistake in the face of the relentless hate she was receiving from the fans. Yoshi's refusal to go public three months ago, which she had seen as a rejection, now appeared in a stark new light: it wasn't that he was unwilling to acknowledge her. Rather, it was realistic decision as it was protection, not only for her and his image but their hearts as well. He had been trying to shield them both, to shield her, from the brutality of the public eye.

Yet, the painful bitter truth was done. And that she realized it far too late.

Before Karina could even open her mouth to respond, Yoshi spoke again. This time, his words were a direct hit, a cold, hard truth that shattered what was left of her composure. "The reason you ended our relationship back then was because of that, too, wasn't it? Publicity," he stated, his voice devoid of warmth, layered with a formality that felt like a thousand miles of distance.

The man before her was far out of her reach, she realized. The warmth that had once been his defining trait was gone, completely erased. Though a part of Karina still clung to the belief that his feelings for her lingered somewhere beneath all that ice.

At last, she let out a frustrated, exasperated sigh. This was not the reunion she had hoped for at all. "Drop the formality, Yoshi-ya. We freaking dated for 2 years." Karina snapped, her own patience wearing thin. She could understand his coldness, but the formality? No. To her, this formality felt like he was erasing their entire two-year history, reducing them back to strangers.

Yoshi shook his head. A clear sign of refusal. The man who once would have given her anything she wanted was now his complete opposite. "And that's the very reason why," he countered, his gaze steady and unyielding. "I can't be my old self around you, Karina-ssi."

He then rose from the swing, turning his back to her—a physical manifestation of the emotional wall between them. When he spoke again, his voice softer now but no less painful. "Three months is such a short time, Karina-ssi. Especially compared to those two years we had. Truthfully, my wounds haven't even begun to heal, yet, how funny it was that you've seems to already found someone new."

With that, he made a move to leave the park. In that moment, he was utterly confused about why he had even come. His logic and his heart, which had been warring within him, had finally collided on the same precarious line, merging into an indistinguishable, painful mess that was impossible to untangle.

Karina fell completely silent there. Her mind raced, replaying the moment she had ended things with Yoshi, the subsequent waves of regret, and the reckless, poorly-considered decision to accept someone new so soon after. She knew, with painful clarity, how foolish her actions had been, but the milk was already spilled. What was done was done.

Yet, she had decided to come here to apologize, and now she couldn't even do that right. She couldn't properly articulate her apology, let alone her explanation. And now, the man who had colored her world for two years was walking away from her, in the very same park where she had left him three months ago. The irony was a bitter, metallic even, tasted in her mouth.

A sob finally broke free, and then another, until her tears flowed uncontrollably. Yoshi, unfortunately, who had been about to leave, stopped dead at the sound. He turned back to see Karina crumpled on the swing, crying her heart out. Immediately, he cursed himself. He couldn't go to her, he couldn't comfort her, he couldn't pull her into an embrace like he used to. All he could do was stand there, a frozen statue, watching her fall apart.

"I'm sorry, Yoshi-ya," Karina choked out between sobs. She was so lost in her grief and self-reproach that she didn't even realize he was still there, watching. The words tumbled out, raw and unfiltered, spoken to the empty night air without any care for whether her ex-lover was listening or had long since gone. "I don't know what to say, besides I'm sorry. I don't even know why I came here today. Maybe because I miss you, or maybe just because I wanted to apologize." She was just speaking her truth, a torrent of confusion and regret, utterly oblivious to his presence.

"I don't even know why I accepted Jaewook that easily," Karina confessed, her voice breaking. The tears fell harder now, and she had to sniffle, trying to regain some composure that was long gone. "I don't know why I left you that easily back then. I don't understand why I was so obsessed with having a public relationship, and now that I have one, I'm miserable. I don't know why I swallowed my pride and asked for this meeting."

Yoshi was still there, a silent statue, but now tears were tracing silent paths down his own cheeks. He listened, absorbing every word.

"I didn't expect a warm welcome from you, Yoshi. But for god's sake, at least you could just call me Jimin," she pleaded, her voice a raw whisper. "I really feel the distance with you, Yoshi-ya. God, this hurts. Your cold attitude hurts me more than all the netizens' hateful comments about my dating scandal combined. It truly, truly hurts me, Yoshi-ya." She finally broke down completely, weeping for everything that had been lost.

Yoshi listened to it all with an aching heart. Every word from the girl he had once guarded so carefully to ensure she never felt a moment of sadness. The girl he had loved so deeply. The girl who had recently thrown him into such turmoil that he made that cover. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to go to her, to pull her into his arms and comfort her. Just like how it was before.

But tonight, his mind was the stronger force. He could only let his tears fell in silence, holding himself back with every ounce of will he possessed.

"Yoshi," Karina murmured again, his name a sob on her lips. She had lost count of how many times he had crossed her mind tonight. The cover and its hidden message replayed in her head. At first, she thought it was his way of saying he was still there for her. But now, she understood. It felt like a farewell. Knowing Yoshi, she knew he would genuinely wish for her happiness, even with her new boyfriend. But in the deepest, most secret part of her heart, Karina wished for the opposite. She wished he would be selfish, that he would ask her to come back to him. Something the kind man from Kobe would never, ever do.

"Your cover," she mumbled, still lost in her tears. "The one I just heard... it made me hesitate, Yoshi. It felt like you still had feelings for me. Even after all I did. I caught myself wanting you to want me. Like before. So I'm sorry, please, forgive me." She still hadn't looked up, hadn't for a second glanced around to see that Yoshi was still there, hearing every raw, honest word that spilled from her lips. She took a long, shaky breath and said, the words filled with a heartbreaking resignation, "But you don't, do you? I know you too well to know that that's not you."

This time, Yoshi couldn't hold himself back any longer. He took a step, then another, closing the distance between them until he stood directly in front of the crying girl. "Yoo Jimin," he called out, his voice soft. It was the tone he had always reserved just for her. The tone Karina now realized she had missed so desperately. The very same tone that had made her fall for him two years ago. It was the voice of her Yoshi from the past, and it was so familiar it made her wonder if the man who called her was just a figment of her grief-stricken imagination.

Still, she didn't lift her head. That even if this was just a cruel mirage, she would let herself drown in it.

Frustrated and a little irritated by her lack of response, Yoshi spoke again, his voice firmer, willing her to hear him. "Yoo Jimin, I do."

The words made Karina's head snap up. Her tear-filled eyes met his—those deep, dark, familiar eyes she would know anywhere—and in an instant, she knew. This was real. The Yoshi she missed was real. And he was right here in front of her. Without realizing it, she began to cry again, but now it was a silent, stunned stream of tears.

"I still like you so much, Jimin-ssi," Yoshi said, still clinging to a shred of formality. But this time, Karina offered a faint, watery smile. He had used her real name. That was a start. He was still a world away from her reach, but now he felt a little closer. And for that, she was grateful. Especially knowing that he still held feelings for her.

Mirroring her faint smile, Yoshi also tried to suppress the storm of his own sadness and the overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her. He knew it wouldn't be right, not now, at least. So, the man from Kobe said the only honorable thing he could. "However, I won't interfere with you and your new boyfriend. Just know that I have my best wishes for you." The words were accompanied by a wry, pained smile as he reached out, gently wiping her tears away with his thumb. It was a gesture of care that contradicted his words, a final, tender goodbye from a heart that still cared too much.

Karina was, of course, shocked. It meant Yoshi had heard everything. All of her raw, unfiltered confession. She was equally stunned to see the traces of dried tears on his own cheeks. Almost instinctively, she raised her hand to gently wipe them away, an attempt to bridge the gap, to show she still cared.

But Yoshi gently caught her wrist, stopping her immidiately.

"Right now, you belong to someone else," he said, his voice firm yet gentle. "And I won't overstep that boundary. You have the public relationship you always wanted, the one I couldn't give you. So, I hope, truly hope, you are happy now." He offered her that forced, heartbreakingly handsome smile—the sweet, painful smile that shattered Karina's heart into a million pieces.

Then, he turned to leave. Without thinking, Karina's hand shot out, her fingers closing around his wrist to stop him.

"Until next time, Jimin-ssi," Yoshi said, his voice soft as he slowly, deliberately pried her fingers loose. Stunned, Karina could only stand frozen, watching him walk away. "And that's if there is a next time for us," he added in Japanese, a quiet, bitter hope that she wouldn't understand immidiately, before finally disappearing into the night.

📍SM Entertainment. A few weeks later, 2024.

Five weeks after Karina's relationship had gone public, both SM Entertainment and the actor's agency released a joint statement announcing the couple's amicable separation. This was, of course, entirely Karina's request—one that had been deliberately delayed for over three weeks by SM, who argued that breaking up too quickly would also damage her public image.

Ever since that night in the park, Karina could no longer look at Jaewook the same way. She had realized, with painful clarity, who it was she truly wanted. The relentless public scorn certainly played a part, but the biggest factor was that her heart was no longer in it. That it had irrevocably changed. She had immediately decided to end things with Jaewook and asked SM to announce their split. But, true to form, SM had held back yet again, prioritizing her carefully curated image.

And Jaewook, upon learning the real reason, was furious. The knowledge that he had been little more than a rebound, that all his efforts had been in vain, was a bitter pill to swallow. He was livid about the breakup, but at the end, there was nothing he could do. Karina's mind was made up, and she no longer cared about his reaction.

Her entire focus was now on trying to create that next time Yoshi had vaguely alluded to. It was a long shot, far from certain, but she was willing to try. And so, Karina began the slow, arduous work of fixing her mistakes, one by one.

Her hope was that by making amends, Yoshi would slowly begin to see her again as the Jimin he had known for those two years. The Karina who was happy just being with him, even if it was hidden from the public eye, living in the shadows. She was okay with that now.

She was fully aware that the path ahead was difficult. She had to start back from zero to win back Yoshi's trust, and it would undoubtedly take a long, long time. But Karina didn't care. Even if it meant swallowing every last bit of her pride. For the first time in a while, she knew exactly what she wanted.

And she was going to fight for it.

For Yoshi.

Just like now, as she reached for her phone, her fingers steady with newfound purpose, to send a message to the man who had never really left her heart.

📍YG Entertainment, Yoshi's private studion. A few weeks later, 2024.

In another place, a small, almost imperceptible smile touched Yoshi's lips as he read the headline about Karina. He knew he shouldn't find happiness in someone else's breakup. But for once, he couldn't help himself. It was true, he had rigorously held himself back from contacting her all this time. But that restraint didn't mean his feelings had vanished. Please, he thought, just this once, let me have this moment. Because, unknown to Karina, he had carefully guarded his feelings for her all along.

Not long after, his phone vibrated on the table. A KakaoTalk notification lit up the screen. It was the message he had been unconsciously waiting for these past weeks. A message from his former love. From Karina.

He hadn't opened it yet, hadn't crafted a reply. But the smile on his lips grew a little wider, a little more hopeful, as he looked at her name on the screen.