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27 || can't hide

Nayeon pulled her mask higher up the bridge of her nose and hurriedly dashed across the park, hoping that he hadn't left yet. She had so many things to discuss, things that couldn't be said in the apartment. To be honest, she'd rather talk to Dispatch about her problems than let the arguing couple in on any secrets at the moment. At least Dispatch wouldn't get mad at her.

Darting across a small wooden bridge, she traversed the stream and continued deeper into the greenery. If any managers found out about this secret meeting, she'd be screwed. Probably lose all her privileges until the next comeback, which wasn't until summer. Jeongyeon would never let her hear the end of it. Jimin was irrelevant, but she still didn't want to upset him.

Hopefully, the meeting location she'd specified was discrete enough.

After a few minutes of rushed scurrying, Nayeon spied a tall, familiar man leaning against a wide, old oak tree. He waved when he saw her, face breaking out into a boxy grin. She ran over and leaped into his arms, hugging him tightly, before leaning back and smacking him hard in the bicep.

"Idiot. Why aren't you wearing a mask?"

Taehyung chuckled. "I was, but then I removed it. Good spot by the way, I haven't seen anyone since I got here. You aren't trying to murder me and hide my body, are you?"

She let out a dry laugh. "Real funny, Tae." Nayeon swung her backpack off of her shoulder, and reached inside, pulling out a brightly coloured, summery picnic blanket. "Picked this up yesterday when Jeongyeon and I were furniture shopping." She laid it out on the grass, plopped down, and gestured to the empty space beside her. "Care to join?"

The man folded his long legs and sat down next to her. She stretched out and laid her head on his stomach, getting comfortable. "Well, you're certainly not shy."

"Obviously."

A wholesome, vibey silence settled around them, before Taehyung awkwardly broke it. "You said you had something to talk about...?"

Nayeon stiffened. "Yeah... Multiple things actually."

Nudging the girl, Taehyung adjusted himself so that he was spread out like a starfish on the rug. "What are you waiting for? Go on. Spill."

A weighted pause pressed on the pair. Nayeon felt as though the air was being forced out of her lungs. She gulped and took in a deep, measured breath.

"...I'd be a better partner for Jeongyeon than Jimin. And it hurts. Because I have to stand to the side and watch as she becomes more and more miserable every day. It hurts because she's suffering. It hurts because there's nothing I can do to make it better. I can't fix things and make it all better, because this situation is so out of my control. I had plans, you know? After we disbanded, she was the one I knew for sure I would keep in contact with. She's the one I make the most effort for." She stopped and let out an irritated huff of disapproval. "I love her to death, and Jimin's getting in the way of that."

The man's jaw hung loosely for a moment, before he regained his composure. "When you say love, do you mean platonically or romantically?"

She blinked hard and dragged a hand over her face. "I... I don't know anymore."

To Nayeon, this statement was genuinely the truth. She didn't know anymore. What had started as affection between best friends had gotten slightly more intense over the previous year and a half. After Mina's stint with anxiety, the girls had all learned a little more about themselves, each other, and had grown closer as a family. To her, the other members were like sisters. Friends she could count on at any moment from here onwards. But Jeongyeon was different. All she wanted to do was hug the younger girl forever and keep her safe. ONCES may call her friend a tough, feisty, cheeky woman, but she was completely different when the cameras weren't rolling. Soft, kindhearted, and very affectionate towards everyone. Jeongyeon's duality had always amazed Nayeon. She could go from the dominating, girl-crush of the group to a small lil' bean within seconds. She sighed. This whole divide between platonic and romantic love was too vague.

Taehyung picked up on her exasperation. "It's okay, I won't push you. Just know that I'm always here to support you, no matter what."

She felt her heart melt and rolled over to hug him. "You're an amazing friend, Tae."

A boxy grin met her small smile as he hugged her back. "And I always will be."

They released each other and separated, sitting on opposites sides of the colourful blanket.

"Is Jimin really as... as horrible as he's made himself out to be?" Nayeon scratched her temple. "I don't trust him. Like, I was willing to let him redeem himself from his high school reputation, but after the whole choking incident, I'm not so sure..." She winced as she heard a forced chuckle from his throat.

"He's a good person. Just not around Jeongyeon. It's kinda embarrassing. However, he did promise to try and be civil. And he seemed pretty happy a few mornings ago, even though he'd just stayed at the apartment. So maybe things are getting better." Taehyung stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It might be a good idea to keep an eye on him though. Both of them."

She nodded in agreement as she felt a huge, heavy weight heave itself off of her chest. "Of course."

Just as Nayeon began to formulate her next proposition in her mind, a bright flash lit up the little glen that they were sat in. She let out a tiny shriek, and Taehyung clapped a hand over her lips. He locked eyes with her and mouthed something.

Stay put. I'll be back in a moment.

He promptly leapt to his feet and crept to the edge of the glade, being cautious not to create any disruptions. He made it to the rim just in time to watch a figure in a sunny yellow hoody dash off, a polaroid camera swinging dangerously by a worn strap around their neck. The bush next to where he stood was trampled, almost concave on one side. Amidst the shrubbery lay a dirty, faded photograph scrawled over with marker and a used cigarette.

Nice picnic. Wonder how Jeongyeon and Jimin would react if they knew?

"What?" Nayeon's voice rose in pitch as she read the message. "How... I- Ugh!" She let out an exclamation of irritation. "Who did this?!"

Taehyung began pacing back and forth, kicking up the dead leaves littering the clearing. "I have no idea. Clearly not Dispatch. They wouldn't be caught dead with quality as bad as Polaroid." He paused. "Maybe it's a sasaeng."

Panic replaced the girl's peeved expression. "Sasaeng? What makes you say that?"

The man turned to meet her flustered gaze, face grave. "Think about it. How could they imply that Jeongyeon and Jimin know each other if the engagement hasn't been leaked to the press yet? Absolutely no one knows, and yet..."

"They did."

The two gathered their belongings in silence, quietly packing away the blanket into Nayeon's bag and pulling their masks on.

"I'm going to call a company car. We can't risk being seen." She nodded, watching through the trees intently as he pulled out his phone behind her. Tae was right. They'd already experienced a breach of privacy. They didn't need to expose themselves to the entirety of the park either.

A few minutes later, they made a break for the back alley that snaked around the northern edge of the park, jumping fences, and weaving in and out of bushes.

Completely unaware, a camera flashed behind them. Whirring and clicking followed as the polaroid was printed out. A yellow sleeve cleaned the lens, before taking the photograph and covering the bright image with black permanent marker.

You can run, but you can't hide.