Éphémère 「HEERINA」

0:3

It was a nice Monday morning. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and the air was fresh.

Karina was heading towards Sunoo's office, as requested by him.

She knocked on the tall door, receiving a 'Come in!' from the other side.

"Karina, you made it!" Sunoo said as he put down a file.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" She asked as she got closer to his desk.

"Ah, yes! Please, have a seat." He gestured towards the chair in front of the desk.

As soon as Karina sat down, Sunoo's face became serious.

He cleared his throat before speaking:

"Last week, you and Heeseung asked if it would be okay to reveal your relationship to the world, right?"

Karina nodded as she remembered doing the exact thing.

"Well, I've talked this topic through with your managers, and we've decided that it'll be for the best if we keep it a secret for a little longer."

Karina's face dropped after hearing the news.

"But why? I know our fans will be supportive, so why?" She questioned.

"It's not just about the fans. It's about brand deals, upcoming events, and sponsorship opportunities. We could lose all of them if we risk announcing your relationship." Sunoo declared, more serious than ever.

Karina's good mood from this morning turned dull due to the decision.

"Don't get me wrong, I support both of you. You are both grown adults who can very well choose what's good for them, but I have to be the one that chooses what's good for your careers and the company." He assured the girl in front of him.

"We won't restrict your relationship in any way whatsoever, but you'll have to make sure that you won't be caught by paparazzi." Sunoo made sure that Karina understood.

She took a deep breath and stood up.

"Okay."

That was the only thing she said before leaving the CEO's office.

She was so frustrated that she started crying. She cuddled up into the corner that led to the janitors room and let her tears flow.

Although she was hidden quite well from the eyes of the people, someone still spotted her.

"Karina unnie?" Minjeong's unmistakable voice echoed through the hallway.

Karina rose her head to see her younger member heading towards her.

"Do you feel alright?" She asked, concerned about her friend.

"Not really." The older girl responded sincerely.

"What's wrong?" Minjeong turned into her comforting side as she sat on the floor next to Karina.

After Karina explained everything to Minjeong, she seemed to be able to calm down.

"I know what'll make you feel better!" Minjeong said with a small smile on her face.

"Let's get some ice cream!"

Karina seemed to brighten up a bit after hearing about her favorite snack of all time.

They were able to enjoy such snack ever since Sunoo became CEO. He loosened the diets and allowed idols to date.

You can say that Sunoo saved the idols from their terrible past CEO, who would exhaust every resource that the idols had.

He isn't perfect, but he is better. Far better. And Karina knew it. But she couldn't help hating him for his decision about her relationship with Heeseung.