03

"I'm so sorry, Yoona." Jaesung was standing at my doorstep, dressed in a three-piece suit with a bouquet of roses and box of chocolates. "I shouldn't have doubted you. You have always been loyal, I was too blind to see it. I let my anger take over me, but please understand it was out of love."

I rolled my eyes. "Stop it. It's over, Jaesung. Leave."

His dark eyes stared deeply into mine as he took a large step closer. "You're angry. I get it. But, Yoona, it was a misunderstanding. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusion." He put the flowers and chocolates on the cabinet beside the door and took both my hands in his. "Please, I can't loose you. It's always been you and me. It's us, Yoona, come on."

"Oh, please. There is no us." I pulled my hand back from his grip and glared at him. "I can't even remember how many times you've cheated on me. Even that night when you accused me of cheating, you were the one with your tongue down another girl's throat. I'm done forgiving you. We're over."

I didn't realize how close he had gotten until I felt his breath on my face. Large palms came to rest on my waist. I put both my hand over his chest to push him away.

"Come on, Yoona," He spoke so softly as if there were other people who might overhear. "We need each other." His palm started massaging my waist. Frowning, I put pressure on his chest. 

"We only have each other, Yoona. I'll always look out for you. Even if I make mistakes, at the end of the day, it's always gonna be you, my love."

He kissed my forehead, before pulling my body flush against his. My breath hitched as he latched his lips on my neck, leaving wet kisses. "I know how to appreciate you, like no other man." I shivered. Alarms were blaring in my head, telling me to push him away and shut the door on his face. It wasn't that hard, but the thought of being left alone with my thoughts was even more frightening. "Let me show you tonight, baby." He whispered, nibbling at my earlobe.

One of his hand snaked inside my tee, moving from my waist to my chest. My heart accelerated as his thumb brushed the skin under my boobs gently, smirking when he realized I wasn't wearing a bra. I exhaled a long breath, when he started pinching and pulling at my hardened nipple. I could stop him. I could push him, but as sad as being with him was, he was the only one person I have had in my life whom I wasn't paying to keep me company. It felt nice being wanted, it felt nice to be touched. 

"Jae." He bit a sensitive spot on my neck and I let out a moan. His other hand moved down inside my shorts. "I can't." My labored breaths were encouragement enough for him as he pulled my shorts down. He knew I'd already given in, my hands tangled behind his neck, holding him close as his tongue lapped between my cleavage.

"You're all I want, Yoona." He whispered against my skin. "I'll show you tonight."

"Oh, Jae." I moaned loudly, as his finger pushed the fabric of my underwear aside to touch me. 

"You're wet, Yoona." He smirked, stroking me painfully slow as I whined resting my head on his shoulder. "Let me take care of that, princess." He put both of his hands gripping my thighs so tightly, I was sure it was gonna leave marks.

"Jump." He whispered into my ear and I did.

It is a toxic circle. But I needed him. I needed some momentary satisfaction to go on in my unsatisfying life.

***

"Mr. Kim Taehyung called." Sulli informed me as I nibbled the apple slices she brought.

"Why?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at her. Today, she was smiling a little more than usual and had a faint blush on her cheek.

"He sent this over." She slid a couple of passes across the table. They were for his exhibition. 'Singularity' was the title and I'd be lying if I say I wasn't interested. "It's next week. I think you should go."

The thought of meeting him again roused a weird excitement inside me. If Sulli thought I should go, then there is no reason to decline his invitation.

"With Jaesung-ssi." She added.

For a minute, I forgot we'd made up, and as far as other people are concerned, we didn't even break up.

"I will arrange a reporter who will take your pictures together and the rumors will go away. They will see that Taehyung is your friend and your boyfriend has no objections."

I chewed on my lower lip, worried what Taehyung will think of me when he finds out I didn't dump my boyfriend. Most of the people in the industry know about Jae being unfaithful to me, but he is not from this world. What will he say? Moreover, why am I afraid of being judged by him? I barely know the guy.

"That's a good idea." I admitted. "I'll tell Jae."

She nodded. "He also apologized to me and so did his friend, the one who threatened me."

I smiled, remembering the innocent confusion on his handsome face at the mention of my crying manager. "That's nice of him."

"Thank you, Yoona." The genuine gratitude in her eyes made me uncomfortable. 

"Alright, now off you go."

A lesson I'd learnt the hard way was to never get too personal with the people I work.

"Okay." She nodded. "See you tomorrow." She was halfway out of the door until she turned around. "He-also-asked-for-your-contact-number-and-I-gave-it-to-him-bye!"

"What? Sulli!" I protested, but she ran out, shutting the door behind her.

***

"You look beautiful, Yoon-ie." Jaesung was standing behind me, arms wrapped around my waist, chin resting on my shoulder, his dark eyes staring into mine through the mirror.

"You're late." I simply stated.

His hair was neatly parted and gelled back to show his forehead. Only if he wasn't smelling like smoke...

"Sorry sweetheart. I will make it up to you." He bit the skin on my neck playfully.

"Not now. Can you please behave for tonight? I need those rumors to die down before promotions." My eyebrows were furrowed. I was so nervous that I had changed three times until finally deciding on a strapless dark blue cocktail dress. Admittedly, it matched one of Taehyung's paintings I googled, result of a silly desire to get his attention.

Jaesung turned me around. "I promise." Cupping my face, he planted a chaste kiss on my lips. "I will be on my best behavior."

Even though Taehyung and I had shared casual texts over the week, I didn't tell him I was going to go to his exhibition, simply because it didn't come up and then it was too late to tell him, so I guess I'll just show up and hope he'd notice me in the crowd.

Anyhow, the main agenda was to get mine and Jaesung's picture clicked so the people would shut up.

Singularity, the words writing in cursive, marked the location of the gallery. It was an elegant place with large white pillars, a space filled with Taehyung's art. 

The paintings held so much emotion telling story of a boy whose voice is silenced. It was sad yet beautiful.

I stopped behind a crowd, in front of a painting that was sparking a lot of interest. A boy staring into a reflecting surface, probably ice, only to find himself trapped under it. The people around me debated which one was the real boy. Some claimed he was actually trapped beneath, and a fake person had taken his place, others claimed he was dead. I turned to Jae wanting to know his opinion only to find him gone.

"He is flirting with an underage girl over there." A deep, husky voice informed me. I turned to face him and gasped.

"Y-your hair." Kill me, please. Why does he have to be so good looking?

He grinned sheepishly. "Is it too flashy?" It was blue. He had blue hair. I couldn't stop staring at him in awe.

"No, you look-" Ethereal. "Great!" I smiled.

"Thanks, we match again, by the way." He giggled.

"Huh?" I stared dumbly into his eyes. He was wearing grey contact lens. It was so hard to take my eyes off his face. With him here all these beautiful paintings rendered pale.

"You, me and my painting." He pointed at each of us with his index finger. "We match."

I felt my heart beat increase and my face flush. He was wearing a blue shirt, a shade lighter than mine, but he was right, we matched.

"Ha, what a coincidence." I laughed, nervously. Where do my acting skill disappear to when I need them?

He gave me a pointed look before turning towards the wall that held his huge ass painting. I could still hear people coming up with theories. "What do you think?" He asked, slipping both hands inside his pockets. "Who is the real one?"

I took a long look. "Hmm...I think they're both him. The one trapped under the ice is his voice, a version of him he has given up. The other one is the boy without his voice staring at the version he could be or maybe could have been." I chuckled. "Sorry, it sounded really corny out loud. But I love the painting."

He was silent. Maybe I was so wrong that he got offended. Worried, I turned towards him to apologize, only to find him already staring at me with an intensity that made me shift my weight on my legs. A part of me wished he wasn't wearing the lenses, so I could see his actual eyes.

"Come with me." He took my hand in his, very slowly, as if he was afraid I was going to pull away or maybe he was giving me a chance to pull away. "I have something to show you." He spoke under his breath.

I nodded and let him take me.

***

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