No F.U.N | Choi Seungcheol

07.

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Her palpable tension surprised Seungcheol. It was an affirmation that something like this was true and he had known nothing about it. Seungcheol frowned, still feeling the need to ask, "Yuri, is this true?"

Yuri's head snapped in his direction at the hurt in his voice. She'd kept things from him. Deliberately. "It's still in the middle of negotiations. I was going to tell you, I swear. It's just that—that—I don't understand. How did, how did you know?" She looked at Jung Min, shaken. An outsider couldn't know so quick. And to incite the discussion in such a way only made her seem like a liar to her boyfriend.

"I just do, Yuri." Jung Min shrugged nonchalantly to Yuri's fearful response, "There are no surprises in this industry. Plus the disbandment has been in discussion for weeks. Weren't you just about to sign on it a few days ago?"

"I—I haven't signed yet," Yuri spoke. Seungcheol looked at her dumbfounded. Yet. She hadn't signed yet.

"But you were going to, yes?" Jung Min smiled, "I have a new agency with me. Your members seem very enthusiastic to join." The door opened then to show the waiter who'd brought in the dishes ordered. Jung Min was jolly as he was served, Yuri and Seungcheol growing quiet in case the entrant would overhear. But Jung Min didn't have to follow the rules. He wasn't the type to. "You should hurry up, Lee Yuri." He spoke, tasting a bit of the Jajjang sauce with his chopsticks, "Or I'll take everything you adore so much."

Seungcheol was beginning to grasp the head and tail of the situation. It was bad enough to hear that Yuri's group was disbanding but to poach her members? The man was out of his mind. He seemed to be deliberately cornering Yuri. "Why are you doing this, Jung Min? Aren't you Yuri's friend?"

Jung Min stuffed his face with noodles, chewing loudly, "Of course she is. Maybe she should've kept a little bit of that friendship before asking me to shut up." He downed it all with a swift glass of liquor, "You know what? I'll give your lying girlfriend a chance. For old time's sake." He shrugged, pouring another glass of soju for himself, "Join my company. 80% profit and you'll get to keep the I-Doll name. You won't have to disband or change anything. Sweet deal, right?"

Yuri was silent and Seungcheol's worry increased. She was shaken, having lost control over a situation she'd never expected to lose. When had Jung Min bought a company? When had he approached the girls? And the girls were interested? Why? No-no, she couldn't put faith in any bullshit he was spouting. How could she believe him? Why was he doing this? In the first place, Yuri expected him to bring out their past. And she'd been ready to deal with it.

But disbandment news? Who would leak information of ongoing negotiations? From a company like Hybe at that? Then again, if he knew of this, he knew of more.

Yuri wasn't prepared to tell Seungcheol everything. Heck, she wasn't prepared to let I-Doll go. All of her life's work disappeared because of disbandment news—she didn't want it. "And what's with this ridiculous offer, anyway?" Yuri spoke her mind, looking up. "80% profit, keeping the I-Doll name? How did you get your hands on the name? It's patented. My old company would never leave it alone."

"They would," he mused, a little happy that he was heard loud and clear, "If the company I'd bought would be the same one you're leaving."

::

"Yuri." Seungcheol called after his girlfriend who was walking away, disappearing in the streets that led nowhere, "Yuri. Yuri, stop."

Yuri paused in her tracks, her heels no longer clicking in the silence of the gravel road. Her head hung low, Seungcheol could tell she was fighting tears as he approached her. Her face in her hands, she continued to sob silently. Seungcheol sighed. He hadn't expected this when he'd asked Yuri to fix a meeting with Jung Min. He hadn't the slightest idea that the jealousy he'd felt, the annoyance he could smell off Jung Min would result in something like this.

Questioning Yuri's loyalty was out of the question. Whatever Seungcheol had been afraid of, never stood a chance. Surely there was something in Jung Min and Yuri's past that had incited this. Yuri had shown loyalty to it but the present had demanded hostility. If they were such great friends, why was Jung Min behaving like this?

Seungcheol softly pulled her crying figure in his arms, pulling her to his chest, letting it out. "It's okay, Yuri. I'm here for you. You're going to be fine."

"Come on," he urged, "Baby, look at me." He watched her tear-stained eyes as he ran his thumb over the salty liquid, "It's going to be fine."

Yuri looked into his worried eyes, feeling guiltier than ever, "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about it beforehand. I didn't expect Jung Min to bring it up."

"Why didn't you come tell me if it was worrying you so much?" Seungcheol asked, "You didn't have to deal with it all alone."

Yuri shook her head, still buried in his arms, "I couldn't tell you. No, I still can't. Yes, it was brought up in discussion and yes, negotiations were going on. But I'm not Jung Min. Think of all the problems that would begin if I had told you, think of all the legal repercussions—"

Coups tried to wrap his head around it, taking a step back, "So, if Jung Min had never mentioned it, were you never planning to tell me?"

Yuri looked away, not answering him.

Seungcheol sighed, "Yuri, weren't you the one who wanted absolute transparency in this relationship? Whatever the problem, we can fix it together. But you need to be honest with me for that." Taking the car keys from her fingers, he unlocked the car parked nearby, "There is only so much I can do if you don't talk to me, Yuri."

But Yuri remained silent and Seungcheol followed for the rest of the car ride.

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