Let Me Dream || Victon

Chapter Forty-Two: No Apologies

Gayoung rushed through the hallways of Seungwoo's huge house, leading the way even though Chan was the one who actually knew where he was going. Every so often he'd direct her and she'd have to circle back to him, but she still ran ahead. She was filled with worry for Byungchan. She knew how he hated these news articles, and she hated that she was now adding to his pain. 

"Byungchan!" she called, finally seeing him at the end of the hall. He was staring out of a large window and talking to Seungwoo. She couldn't believe it, but the two seemed to be laughing. It was almost as if her eyes were playing tricks on her. 

"Byungchan," she said again, out of breath as she finally reached him. He put his hands gently on her arms, steadying her as she stood in front of him. "I'm so sorry. So, so sorry." 

He just smiled down at her. "You really don't have anything to be sorry for," he told her honestly. 

Gayoung shook her head. "If it wasn't for me-" 

"If it wasn't for the reporters. If it wasn't for the news sites. If it wasn't for the intrusive fans. There are a lot of people who can take the blame for this. You are not one of them." 

She sighed, a small smile finally reaching her lips. She reached forward, wrapping her arms around his waist in what was meant to be a quick hug. But he wrapped his arms around her too, pressing a soft kiss to her hair. "Thank you," she whispered. "I was so scared you'd be mad at me." 

"Thank you," he echoed. "I was so scared you'd be angry too." 

She pulled away from him a little bit. Not enough to be out of his embrace, but enough so that she could look up at him. "What? Why in the world would I be angry." 

"Gayoung," he said gently, his eyes filled with worry. "Do you know how scary it was when I saw the videos of you being attacked by fans and reporters? You lived a normal life before you met me. Now, because of me, you're swept up in all this drama. Because of me-" 

"Because of the reporters," she whispered. "Because of the news sites. Because of the intrusive fans. There are a lot of people I can be angry at for this," she said softly, echoing his own words. "You aren't one of them." 

A world of relief seemed to crash over him, and he gave her a bright dimpled smile. He gave her another quick hug, seemingly thanking her, and then pulled away. 

"Are you the girl Byungchan is cheating on me with?" 

Gayoung was startled by the female voice. 

It was a girl she'd only seen on TV. A girl she'd never expected to see in real life. 

Chaewon was standing a few feet behind Byungchan, her face lit up in an amused smile as she walked towards the two of them. Chaewon and Byungchan made eye contact as she walked over, and the two shared a laugh. 

"I suppose I should say I hate you," Chaewon said, grinning at Gayoung. "Maybe I should slap you. That's what the news people expect, don't they? That would be the kdrama actress thing to do. I bet they wouldn't expect this," she said, holding out her hand. Gayoung was still dazed and wondering how Chaewon had ended up in Seungwoo's house, but she accepted the handshake nevertheless. "I'm Chaewon. It's nice to meet you." 

"I'm Gayoung," she said slowly. "I'm sorry for causing more drama-" 

Chaewon held up a hand. "No apologies necessary. This isn't your fault in any way. Plus, it's not like I care that much. It's not like Byungchan is tied to me anywhere except the drama," she said, turning back and winking at him. 

"Speaking of that, my manager said our CEO's want us to go on a date sometime soon," Byungchan said, rolling his eyes. 

"Damage control?" Chaewon asked, her eyes filled with laughter. 

"Yep," he said, a smile playing on his lips. Chaewon started laughing first and he was quick to follow. 

Gayoung gaped at the two of them, surprised at the fact that they seemed so unconcerned by this whole situation. But before she could ask any questions, Chaewon's phone started ringing. 

"It's my manager," Chaewon sighed, staring at her phone in annoyance. "I guess I should finally pick up. Thanks for inviting me over," she called out of Byungchan as she went down the hall again, picking up her phone call. 

Seungwoo was smiling at Byungchan proudly. "I've never seen you so at ease," he said. 

"If it wasn't for her, I don't think I would be," Byungchan said honestly, laughing and shaking his head at himself. "But because she's able to laugh at the situation, I can too. It's a relief I'm not going through this alone." He looked at Gayoung, his eyes softening. "Thank you Gayoung. For coming over here. For being worried about me."