Eye of the public | Seo Changbin

Chapter 13

"Hey Ry, how are you?" Sora asked when she entered Riley's office monday morning, a few days after Harry had left.

"Hm?" Riley asked and stopped staring off into space.

"How are you? And please don't lie to me."

"I'm...not fine but I'll manage, I always did. Besides, have you met the new manager yet?" Riley had bags under her eyes and looked like she had been crying but Sora didn't point that out, not wanting to upset the girl.

"No, I haven't, what's his name?" Sora took her place opposide of Riley's desk and handed the latter the coffee she brought. "Yuto Kobayashi, he is from Japan, a real gentleman. You'll like working with him" Riley answered after thanking Sora for the coffee.

"How are things with Changbin?"

"Why are you asking? We're good"

Sora tilted her head, not believing her friend one bit. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

"That's what Changbin said."

"So, have you talked to him about how you are feeling?" Sora asked while flicking through the folders, knowing Riley doesn't like being stared at while talking seriously.

"No, I pushed him away the first days and now I am too ashamed to face him. I don't want him to think I only use him as a distraction. I couldn't even explain to him why I pushed him away."

Riley felt like crying but she already used up all the available tears. Instead she just started getting a bad headache and the urge to throw up.

"You should go home, rest, and then call him. I'm sure he would never think any less of you, he loves you, just how you love him"

"That is exactly the problem" Riley mumbled and rubbed her eyes in an desperate attempt of getting rid of the drowsiness.

"What is?" Sora wondered and placed Riley's coffe cup a little further from the edge of the table so she wouldn't accidently knock it over.

"I feel bad, like I don't love him enough, not as much as he loves me at least, and he deserves better than that."

Sora truly didn't know what to say. This was the first time Riley mentioned something like that and she didn't know what it meant.

"But you do love him a lot. How would you know that it is not enough?"

"I want to feel like being here in Seoul with him is enough but it somehow isn't. I want to go back to London, to my family and everything I left behind when my parents one day suddenly announced that we were moving. I am being selfish, I feel like I don't appreciate Changbin enough but I don't want to hurt him."

"Oh" Sora breathed out. Was Riley hinting at ... a possible break-up? But she had always thought, no, she was sure that the couple were soulmates, destined for each other.

"I really should talk to him, huh?" Riley let out a laugh to hide the upcoming urge to cry.

"Yeah, probably. Go home for today, I'll cover your stuff and train our little newcomer. Don't worry about anything" Sora packed Riley's things and shoved the bag onto her lap, pointing at the door afterwards.

Riley chuckled, sincerne this time, and stood up to leave the company building.

•

Back at home she sat down on the couch and pulled out her phone. Her thumb hovered over Changbin's contact for a few seconds before she pressed it.

"This user is not available at the moment. Please try again later or leave a message after the beep-"

Frustrated, Riley rubbed her temples and let herself fall on her back. Of course Changbin wouldn't answer right away, he was probably busy. And Riley was just bothering him again after pushing him away for two weeks.