❝he reeks of cigarettes,❞
❝and i'm simply an infatuated smoker,❞
* ༉‧₊˚ | in which two
stubborn assholes
are expected
to work together
through their
hatred for one
another.
under major editing!
mature content discussed.
reader discretion advised...
"Renjun, it was just a kiss, i swear it was just for the cameras! The media team told us to fake date! I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner! But please understand, you know how much the competition prize would mean to me!" Aeri rambled on once her and her boyfriend had made it to one of the empty dressing rooms, as the boys filmed their solo shots.
Her heart pounded , and every so often when she looked up from her fiddling hands to his soft eyes, it tightened in her chest and she felt terrible all over again.
She watched as he ran his fingers through his two-toned locks— being rough and rigid with his actions. He clenched his eyes shut, before tossing the bouquet of tulips onto the nearby leather couch.
Aeri's gaze shot in the flower's direction, her bottom lip jutted out, as her heart continued to pound against her ribcage— pulsing ever so loudly in her ears.
"Does the prize mean more than me?" He asked monotonously, fluttering his eyelids open, meeting her torn look.
She saw how his brows furrowed together in pain, and the way he threaded his fingers through his hair once again— letting out a hard sigh. His nostrils flared in frustration— his movements making her freeze to her feet.
The woman's face contorted into one of stress, her whole life flashing in her eyes as she pooled her hazel orbs in his.
"Renjun—" She tried again, but it seemed she had spoken enough that he interrupted her.
"I would have never done this to you!" His voice raised making Aeri flinch before hurriedly trying to compose herself. But it wasn't much use. Her head fell— eyes locking with her heels and her chin meeting her chest.
She could feel the hurt radiate off him, and it heated up the entire room— filling the enclosed space with such air she couldn't breathe in.
"I know.." She whispered, desperate to not anger him any further. She glanced up for a second and saw him staring at his phone— gazing intently at his lock screen.
"I don't have time for this," He muttered, shoving his device back into his back jean pocket. Renjun ruffled his hair again, and turned towards his girlfriend.
He advanced forward, leaning down and lightly pressing a kiss to the side of her head as he continued to pass her towards the door. "I'm going,"
"Oh, okay," She turned on her heels, about to greet him a goodbye, but as she parted her lips again, the door had already shut. She was left alone.
"Aeri?" Another voice called out, ripping through the silence. Someone knocked on the door, and immediately the woman composed herself.
"Y-You can come in!" She stammered, rubbing at the skin under her eyes— having not noticed earlier that she began to cry. Almost magically, she was able to conceal the fact that she was, as when the male entered the room, he didn't suspect a thing.
"Aeri, I saw Renjun leave, everything alright?" Jaemin asked, quickly shutting the door behind him to keep their conversation private from prying eyes and nosy ears.
The brunette waved him off, dismissing his worries, and forced a smile to her face. "Yeah, I apologized for not telling him sooner and he understood," She answered, a slight hint of pain had still lingered on her tongue, but as she watched the other grin happily, she guessed he hadn't heard it in her.
"Good, and sorry to cut your break short, but the Next Hit's camera crew is here to interview you and Jisung,"
"Oh," Aeri nodded plainly, not having the energy to fake anything more to the public, but everything was on the line at this point.
"Come out, when you're ready, okay?"
"Thanks, Jae," She grinned softly, and instantly he mirrored her smile before returning to the main set.
. . .
"So when did you guys begin dating?" The interviewer asked, shoving a mic in both Aeri and Jisung's face.
The male noticed the lack of presence from the woman and some sort of uncomfortableness flash in her dark orbs. He opted to stepping forward, casually pulling her a bit behind him by intertwining their fingers together. Then he answered nonchalantly, seeming unfazed by the skin contact, but Aeri was internally in shambles.
"We started dating in the second year of high school, but we took a break just a year ago, but luckily we found each other again, just recently too," His deep, raspy voice cut into the device, making the girl at his back shudder.
No matter what it said, or what tone it held, it would always have an effect on her.
"High School Sweethearts, wow. You've know each other and dated one another for quite a while. I can only imagine that sometimes it's gets hard. Have you guys ever encountered problems?"
Aeri froze into a statue. She didn't know such questions could be asked to a pair and released on the media, but as the interviewer crossed her boundaries and possibly Jisung's as he gave her hand a hard squeeze— he still smiled.
The Park gulped, his adam's apple bobbing as it looked as if he was thinking of the correct way to say his answer.
After a moment, he gathered his words. "Of course, we've countered problems. If there isn't any problems in a relationship, it's not because the couple has a perfect love, but because they simply aren't communicating their feelings," He replied calmly, though Aeri knew he was becoming agitated by the second.
The interviewer pursed his lips as if that wasn't the answer he wanted. And so he tried again. He grinned in a rushed manner and shoved the microphone towards the pair once again, although it was leant more towards Aeri, who could only stare at him with narrowed orbs. The male took a hold of her free wrist, urging her forward. "What are some problems you've had—"
Frustratingly, Jisung pushed his hand away from Aeri and grabbed ahold of the man's wrist— forcing him to move the mic towards him instead. If it wasn't obvious before that the blonde was angry, it was now.
He glared harshly at the older, a heavy scowl plastered on his face. He looked absolute livid and as the interviewer met his stare, the older shrunk.
"I don't think this is professional of you to meddle in our private relationship," Jisung firmly cut him off, his hold on his arm tightening slowly. "Especially since, this show is not about our love lives, but our love for music. So for the love of god, please ask us some legitimate questions or we'll have someone escort you off of the property,"
"And never, touch a woman like that again, especially mines,"