SVT NEXT DOOR | ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴ

EPILOGUE

3 years later...

The crisp Seoul air bit at my exposed skin as I stood bundled in my winter coat, scanning the bustling streets, my breath puffing out in white clouds.

A flicker of movement on the horizon caught my eye, and a sleek sports car materialized around the corner. It pulled up alongside me with a throaty purr, and the window on the driver's side slid down with a smooth hiss.

"Areum-ah, here!" Joshua's voice boomed through the car, a welcome sound that cut through the December chill. His face, usually etched with quiet concentration, was split wide in a grin that radiated warmth even from a distance.

Relief washed over me, momentarily melting the ice crystals clinging to my eyelashes. "Oppa!" I exclaimed, a smile mirroring his own blossoming on my face. Without a moment's hesitation, I scrambled into the passenger seat, the plush leather a welcome contrast to the biting wind.

"Sorry, were you waiting long?" he asked, his voice laced with concern as he glanced at me.

"Nah, I just got out from the building, it's okay," I replied, pulling the seatbelt snug across my chest. A comfortable silence settled between us as I turned to face him, his eyes already trained on mine. A warm smile played on his lips.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, his voice a gentle rumble that sent a wave of calmness washing over me.

A grin, hesitant at first, then blooming into a full-blown smile, stretched across my face. "So hungry," I admitted, the nerves momentarily forgotten in the face of a familiar craving.

Joshua chuckled, a rich sound that filled the car. He straightened up in his seat, and with a flick of his wrist, the car purred back to life. The familiar route to his apartment unfolded before us, a testament to the countless stolen moments we'd shared in this very car.

The car pulled into the familiar underground parking lot of Joshua's apartment complex, a place I hadn't visited in months. He'd still maintained the lease, a quiet refuge from the ever-scrutinizing eyes of the public.

Back then, in the early days of our relationship, stolen moments of normalcy, disguised dates, and public outings had been the norm. But as SEVENTEEN's popularity skyrocketed, those stolen moments became a luxury we could no longer afford.

Hotel suites became our rendezvous points, brief escapes that inevitably ended with the relentless flash of cameras and the blaring headlines that followed. "Trainee Dates Superstar: Forbidden Love Story Takes Seoul By Storm" - the media had a field day with it.

For a trainee to date a superstar? It was a scandal waiting to happen, a juicy morsel for the ever-hungry media machine. Especially since we were both under the same roof, Pledis Entertainment. The news had the potential to derail not just our careers, but the carefully crafted image of the group.

When my debut was finally confirmed, a sigh of relief had swept through both our camps. Seungcheol, the ever-pragmatic leader of SEVENTEEN, had offered a solution - an apartment. A place where we could breathe, a haven away from the prying eyes of the world. And so, Joshua had purchased this little piece of normalcy, a quiet sanctuary just for us.

Halfway through our meal, perched on stools at the island counter, Joshua's gaze snagged on my chest. A playful glint flickered in his eyes.

"You're still wearing that, huh?" he commented, his voice laced with a teasing amusement.

I paused mid-chew, fork hovering halfway to my mouth. My hand instinctively drifted to the sunflower pendant nestled against my shirt, the cool metal a familiar comfort beneath my fingertips. "Wearing what?" I asked, feigning innocence, although the blush creeping up my neck might have betrayed me.

"That," he clarified, his smile widening. "The sunflower pendant." His gaze lingered on the pendant for a moment longer than necessary, a silent question hanging in the air.

My eyes darted down, tracing the delicate lines of the sunflower etched onto the silver surface. A strange sense of disconnect washed over me. The pendant, a constant source of comfort and a reminder of bittersweet memories, felt strangely out of place in this modern kitchen, filled with the comforting sounds of clinking utensils and the aroma of our takeout dinner.

"Oh, this?" I managed, my voice a touch higher than usual. I lifted the pendant, the sunlight catching the polished metal and sending a warm glow across the counter. "It, uh, makes me feel grounded," I stammered, searching for the right words. "Especially on days like today, when nerves feel like they might consume me whole."

Joshua's smile softened, the playful glint replaced by a warmth that sent a familiar flutter to my heart. "I still can't remember how you got those," he mused, spearing a piece of food with his chopsticks.

A slow nod escaped my lips, the memory as elusive as the identity of the giver.

"Me neither," I admitted, a hint of mystery clinging to my voice, though the true source of the mystery was buried deep within the recesses of my mind. "But it just feels... right. Like it belongs here." I tapped the pendant against my chest, the sound a delicate chime in the quiet space. "Maybe that's all that matters."

We lapsed back into comfortable silence, the unspoken question hanging between us. The sunflower pendant remained a cherished mystery, a silent reminder of a past tinged with joy and sorrow, a past now softened by the gentle hands of time.

Perhaps, someday, the memory would return, bringing with it the bittersweet truth. But for now, I held onto the comfort of the present, the warmth of Joshua's smile, and the feeling of a new dream about to take flight.

*****