Treasure From The Stars

Chapter 38

Silently, I stood next to Minjun.

We were both leaning against the balustrade of the garden.

Neither of us spoke.

I sighed and he finally broke the silence.

"How do you feel?"

I glanced over at him, "About?"

"Telling the whole wide world that you're siblings with Yujun hyung."

I shrugged, "I don't know. I've kept it a secret ever since... ever since..."

"You never had a reason to tell anyone."

I nodded. "I'm surprised that I said all this in front of everyone. Like literally everyone."

"Surprised?"

"I guess I kinda lost myself in the truth. The Yumi I know would've kept stubbornly silent." I propped up my chin with my hands on the balustrade. "I feel... lighter now. You know, from not needing to carry everything by myself- But I should get ready, shouldn't I?"

"Ready? For...?"

"Not everyone's going to have empathetic reactions and responses."

"You always think one step ahead," Minjun shook his head in joking disapproval. "Just live in the moment for once."

"I do!" I protested. "I just keep space to think ahead in case of... of... things." I took a breath of the cool air to calm myself down. "Sometimes I wonder why Yujun chose Glorious Entertainment instead of OceanGold." I felt Minjun stare at me and so I turned my head to face him. "Why are you looking at me like that?" His expression looked like he pitied me.

"Huh?" His face relaxed, "Nothing." He looked away, "Nothing at all."

I confusedly looked at him before thinking less of it.

"It's almost over..."

"Hm?"

He turned back to me and stared into my eyes as he smiled. "You're so close to debuting now."

"Yeah, I guess."

"And that means our interactions will probably have to stop soon too." His smile disappeared.

I stopped swaying side to side. "Why? We've been doing this for so long now, why stop now?" I truthfully spoke out my feelings. "What's the point of stopping now, Minjun? Nam PD thinks that this is our therapy-"

"Because that's the code of the industry."

"So what?!" I shouted. "We've broken it so many times and are still breaking it- You want to stop now? Was this your plan all along?"

He sighed.

"Minjun, give me an answer!"

He gave me nothing.

"So you planned on revealing who you were to me, then grow close to me and take care of me as if we were more than just acquaintances... And now you want to end it there? Are you kidding me, Minjun?"

"It's just... this is how things turned out to be. Once you debut, you'll be busy and I'll enter a survival show not long after that and I'll be busy..." He massaged his forehead. "I never thought it'd come this far."

"Then you should've drawn the line sooner. Three years ago- No, four years ago you confessed then left. You're practically doing the same thing again!" Before he could say something, I added, "And I know we were only middle schoolers then, but still."

"Look, Yumi. I didn't mean to-"

"No. You tell me, are you really going to end it here?"

He looked down and away.

I awaited a minute, watching him, hoping he'd receive the aura I was expressing. I desperately wanted him to say no, to say that he'd continue spending time with me. But as seconds continued to tick pass, he continued to stay silent. "Fine then. You chose this."

✩☽☆☾✩

Minjun sighed loudly and laid down on the grass. He put his hands over his face and frowned. "What have I done?" he secretly asked himself.

"What have you done?"

Alarmed, Minjun sat up, eyes wide open in shock.

Before him stood Manager Hani. "What did you do now?"

Minjun's shoulders sulked. "I might've ruined it."

She raised her brow, "Might've?"

He put his hands on his head and shook it, "I did ruin it." He looked up, "Auntie, what do I do now?"

Her hands found their way to her hips. A small sigh escaped her lips. "I'm sorry to hear that you just messed everything up, but you can't change what you've already done. And maybe this will work out for the better- After all, it's definitely more ideal that you two don't interact once she debuts."

"Auntie!" Minjun whined.

"I know you two too well, you'll find a way to see each other again. But let her be and let her debut peacefully. You know what they've called her- both in her neighborhood and even amongst the industry staff... A treasure from the stars." And she left her nephew in the dark night.