They stared at the ground. Unsure of the right thing to say. Of the right way to explain. No words emerged from the four's mouths, they stayed sealed shut. The truths locked away to a faraway place behind their pursed lips, their ashamed faces and exhausted eyes.

Arena stared at her shoes, the red converse she had pulled on so hurriedly in the spur of the moment as they had had to step out of that hotel room and the hotel itself. As her eyes rose, she glanced apologetically at Kihyun before clearing her throat.

"It's my fault, I'm sorry. I am the one to blame," she fell to her knees before the CEO, Kihyun's eyes widening as she knelt. The CEO barely lifted a thick black eyebrow with small flecks of gray starting to twine into it.

Kihyun almost lost his shit.

He scrambled down and thrust his hands underneath Arena's, pulling her up with such force she wobbled on her feet. He bit his lip frustratedly, intertwining their fingers and giving them the smallest of squeezes of encouragement. He held their hands behind his back, obscured from the rear view of the pair.

Arena's eyes were red, she didn't dare to look up to the man who held her hand in his nor to the man who's currently held everyone's fates.

"Don't you dare take the blame here," Kihyun turned to look straight into the CEO's ruthless eyes. "That wasn't even near to what's the truth. Want me to tell you 'what we have been doing'?" His tone wasn't the nicest, but still could magically bare the accent of politeness towards his superior.

Wonho and Naha stood a little behind them, Naha's stiff posture stooping ever so slightly with every amount of time that passed. Be it seconds or minutes that were filled with the thick, suffocating silence, she felt herself getting wearier with the passing of all of them.

Kihyun opened his mouth again to tell the truth, to say what had happened, how it had happened, from the very beginning. He spoke of how he had met Arena in the gas station, how he had met her again the very same night at the fan-meet, how he had scribbled contacts into her album.

The entire time, Arena stood with a straight back, her hand strongly gripping his. She was occasionally surprised and/or taken aback as to finding out how Kihyun had felt in the moments they had shared together. He talked about how he had ran to Mrs Park's room the night they had spent time together, how he had felt that after meeting her his life would never be the same.

This earned a nod of approval, or two, from Mrs Park herself who was perched on a small armchair in the corner of the room, listening intently as Kihyun described the day Mrs Park told him Arena had passed the auditions and how cheated he had felt when she had eventually turned up as their choreographer instead.

Of course, he could never out the intimate details or moments that had occurred. He never would. Those little specks of time that had filled their own space of the two them would forever stay that way. Between the two of them. Like how he had burst out in chuckles after Arena had revealed her strong affection for Monsta X's main singer or how he had dropped the little piece of paper into the pocket of her coat months later, only to be found when they had shared a walk in the midnight hours, amongst the falling flakes of snow.

Naha was wiping her eyes, leaning against Wonho to keep herself upright, sleep was heavy upon her and threatening to latch its claws into her skin. Even though in the back of her self consciousness she knew more than anyone, that this was important. And yet Naha still couldn't shake the feeling of exhaustion preparing to take over her completely.

Wonho's warm hand supported her waist, both of them standing up straight as the royal guards in London.

Perhaps they somehow were.

The guards to those they loved.

Royal or not.

"I saw what was coming, I'm not denying it. It was quite obvious, actually. I mean, what can you expect with a country like ours and a media like this and a career like mine. People were and are bound to find out, even if what currently is out there, is far from the actual situation." Kihyun sighed, swallowing before he could continue.

He could feel the girl beside him. Not just the physicality of the side of her body mushed against his or the feel of her always burning hot hands holding onto his own. Kihyun could feel the emotions, escaping from her. He could feel the sadness, the surprise and the fear. All laced within the new feeling of being in love. New love.

Kihyun glanced sideways at her, Arena catching his eyes and smiling the smallest of smiles at their met gazes. After a while Arena's cheeks heated up, painting them a beautiful cherry red. She looked away, the heat still visible in her expression. Kihyun's eyes stayed on her even as hers didn't.

"I know that this, what we have, is not allowed and that I shouldn't have kept it a secret from our company." He turned back to the CEO, his expression pained. "It was a mistake from our side to hide what was happening. But, this is how I feel."

Kihyun's adam's apple bobbed as his mouth closed. Arena squeezed her eyes shut.

Their fingers were white from gripping each other and Kihyun could feel nausea slowly starting to roll over him.

The silence was terrifying.

The CEO stood up from his chair, walking around his smooth black table to stand in front of Kihyun. His hands were behind his back, the look on his face was dominant and powerful. He was wearing black suit pants with a smart white shirt.

CEO Ahn was a fit businessman in his early fifties, much unlike the fat, ugly and old CEO that everyone sometimes thought he was. And even if he was strict and demanding, he was still a human being. Jusy like everyone else.

He cleared his throat, smirking.

"So, do you love her?"

Kihyun's eyes widened, Arena's opened. He looked down at his feet momentarily, before his head shot up as he pulled their interwined hands out from behind his back.

"Yes."

Arena's breath hitched, her heartbeat as fast as a racecar with her blood flowing through her veins, heating up every corner of her on its path.

Naha smiled weakly from where she was standing with Wonho. She rubbed her eye, careful not to blink it too long or she'd literally fall asleep right then and there.

The CEO flicked his eyes to the pair, smiling. "And what about you two?" He was obviously joking, seeing as Wonho and Naha were standing next to each other. CEO Ahn wanted to loosen up the situation, to bring light among the darkness.

Wonho chuckled as Naha's mouth fell open. "We're taking it slow, sir," said Wonho and smiled. Naha pursed her lips, nodding silently.

CEO Ahn's face was slack. What? He blinked his eyes, "Wait, you guys are serious?" He loosened the tie around his neck a little, seeing as he had made the entire situation uncomfortable once again.

Naha coughed once and cleared her throat, with the small voice of a young woman escaping her lips. "Actually we are just friends. He was kidding. Right?" She turned her head sideways at Wonho, grinning.

Wonho's face flushed. "Umh Yeah, that's about it." He remember what happened hours ago in the same building, the bathroom only a few yards from where they were standing. He gulped.

A small accidental cough escaped from between Arena's lips, drawing the attention back to the matter at hand. "You're..not mad?" She cringed a little, the feel in her fingers slowly starting to disappear as the blood flow slowed. Kihyun loosened his fingers a little, making Arena's loosen as a chain reaction. The tension flowed out of her hand, now loosely hanging in Kihyun's.

CEO Ahn raked a big hand through his graying hair, smiling as he made his way back to his table. "Not exactly, " he shook his head, "I'm not disappointed either. I'm not the kind of CEO who ignorantly dismisses the thought of his idols ever falling in love. It is rather early in your career I must admit," He sat back down, "But if it really is love, and that is something very hard to find, then it deserves to have a chance to bloom."

Kihyun released a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

***

"Starship Entertainment comments on current dating rumours of Yoo Kihyun: claims that the girl in the pictures turns out to be connected to the idol only briefly by acquaintance and there is no romantic history between the two.

Starship also adds that there might be something going on after all in Kihyun's love life and it will only be confirmed by the idol himself, if he decides to."

"헐 does oppa really have a girlfriend???" - changkyunniee

"i feel betrayed... ㅠㅠ" - monsterrrrexo (this comment has 2,8K likes)

"as long as oppa is happy ㅋㅋ 사랑해요 오빠!!" - shineeisbAck

"you bitches really are stupid aren't you.. we should all be grateful that he has found love.. Kihyun oppa ! Fighting!" - baepsaeseokjin (this comment has 3,7K likes)

***

"Wow you need to see this." Arena chuckled as she thrust her phone into Kihyun's face, making him drop the bags of chips onto the floor. He rolled his eyes and crouched down to pick them up, carefully placing the colorful bags back on the shelves.

Arena jumped up and down slightly, her hand still outstretched with the iphone screen shining bright among the dimly lit convenience store. "Will you just look at it? Please?" Arena's hand was starting to get sore.

Kihyun grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer to him. Arena used her chance and pressed her lips against his cheek, laughing while she did. Kihyun's arms circled her waist for the nanoseconds as he grinned taking the phone from her hands and examining it.

Her heart throbbed, pulling away from the touch of his hands. PDA wasn't exactly something they wanted to be doing this openly. So Arena decided to continue the search for chips as Kihyun leaned against the shelf, his mouth moving along to the words as he read. They had left the company about 20 minutes ago, with articles already swimming out in the vast expense of the Internet.

The final sentiment had been to just let it go with small hints. Obviously they had to get it out there that Naha wasn't dating Kihyun and clear up all of those rumours. It wasn't difficult seeing as it hadn't been a long time since the rumours surfaced in the first place.

"I don't even like chips," muttered Arena, her eyes sliding over the many packages of Lays and Cheetos. She cracked her neck from being bored, reading the article was taking Kihyun an awful long time.

He looked over, "Are you kidding me?"

Arena turned back to him, her hair swishing over her shoulder with a small 'whoosh'. "What?" She stared at him straight on, her eyebrow high.

"I hate chips."

Imagine the lazy look of a guy leaning against a shelf of candybars, looking at you from under his dark, hooded eyes, his hand in his pocket and the other holding your phone. That was what was staring right back at Arena in front of the isle of chips. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again.

"I could literally kiss you right now."

Kihyun smiled slowly and lazily, "Then why don't you?"

Arena reached out her hand, it flopping right back against her thigh with a flap at the distance between the two. She blinked her eyes, her red converse squeaking on the smooth stone floor. Arena closed the distance between them, grabbing onto Kihyun's jacket with her both hands. The fabric was balled into her fists as she drew him nearer, their breaths mingling.

Kihyun licked his lips, grinning. His palms caught her jaw, lifting her mouth to meet his own as Arena raised onto the tips of her toes. She held onto him to not fall as he held her face. Kihyun kissed her slowly, savoring the taste of her coconut lip balm. Any onlookers would have thought they were some punks who didn't know proper public etiquette as they kissed, pressed against Snickers and Mars bars.

The convenience store opened and a couple of college guys walked in, searching to buy some triangular gimbap with energy drinks. Arena and Kihyun pulled apart, grinning wildly.

Arena reapplied her lip palm, grabbing two Snickers' and two Red Bulls' as they went.

"This feels so weird, I must admit." Arena stuffed one of the candybars into Kihyun's pocket before opening the other for herself as they made their way out of the store and onto the busy street of people. "What feels weird?" Kihyun sipped on his Red Bull, the caffeine of the energy drink showing on his face as the bubbles exploded on his tongue.

Arena chewed on her Snickers, the caramel and peanuts stuck to her teeth. "This. Us. Walking on the street on broad daylight like this." She licked her lip, trying to get the sticky caramel off. Kihyun smiled at her, searching for her hand.

He found it tangling by her side, closing his own around it and tucking their hands into his pocket. Arena glanced at him, smiling.

These days it seemed that smiling was all she did. Grinning. Smirking. Smiling lazily, smiling shyly, smiling widely.. her heart felt at peace. Arena was happy.

Little did she actually know how soon all of this would be yanked away from her as a raw egg landed on her shoulder. It cracked at the impact, the egg sliding down the side of her arm.

"The fuck?" She looked back to see about 10 teenage girls with cartons of eggs in their hands, their faces flushed with the cold wind and angry expressions covering their eyes.

"So it's you, huh?" "Stealing Kihyun oppa like that?!" "HOW DARE YOU!"

Arena's eyes widened in shock, as more eggs started to fly her way. The can of Red Bull fell from Kihyun's hands as he pulled her behind him, an egg landing on his thigh instead. He looked up from the ground, his mouth a thin, straight line.

[he still has brown hair in the book but i thought this gif really fit here]

"Arena?" said Kihyun slowly without looking back at the girl behind him.

"Yeah..?"

"Call Jaehyun. Tell him to pick us up from the pecan store a few blocks from here. Right now."

As Arena fiddled to find her phone, she realized Kihyun still had it from when they were in the convenience store, looking at the chips. Why had they been looking at chips if they both hated them? OH nevermind that, where the hell was her phone?!

She squeezed her eyes shut, pursing her lips. She could hear Kihyun's voice booming in front of them. Arena checked her coat pockets and the pockets of her pants.

Nothing.

"I understand some of you may feel upset.." Kihyun spoke with calm, ignoring the fact that he could feel the cracked egg on his legs, starting to come through the fabric of his rather thin pants. Arena looked around. Her eyes stopped on Kihyun's back...could it be??

She bit her lip hesitating before stuffing both of her hands into the back pockets of Kihyun's pants. Her face flushed as she pulled her telephone out from one of them, dialing the now familiar number of Jaehyun.

"...acting like this is childish and obsessive."

"Hurrryyy!" whispered Arena into the phone, ending the call. She tapped him on the shoulder. Kihyun looked over, "He coming?" Arena nodded.

"What do we do now?"

"We run."