Hidden Love [WilliamEst]

Chapter 8

After a week of worsening rumors and a wave of invasive comments on social media, the company had finally intervened. Est and William were summoned to an urgent meeting at the company headquarters.

In the conference room, they were greeted by the solemn faces of P’Milk, P’Off, and an executive from the company, all of whom wore looks of deep concern.

The executive didn’t waste time on small talk. “William, Est,” he began, voice stern. “I assume you’re aware of the current situation online. These rumors are becoming a real issue, not just for you both, but for the company as well. For LYKN’s reputation as a rising group, for Est’s career as an actor—it’s dangerous.”

Est felt a twinge of guilt, but he stayed quiet, glancing at William, who looked as tense as he felt.

P’Milk, Est’s manager, spoke up next, her tone gentle but firm. “Est, you know how much I care about you, and I hate seeing you dragged through this. But we need to be smart about it. We want you both to avoid being seen together in public for a while, at least until things calm down.”

P’Off nodded, echoing her sentiment. “Exactly. The best way to handle this is to let the rumors die out on their own. Any attempt to clear the air could just fan the flames.”

William’s jaw clenched, his fists tightening. “So, what? I’m supposed to just pretend like I don’t know him?” he asked, his voice barely hiding his frustration.

The executive sighed. “William, I understand how hard this must be. But right now, discretion is the best path. Both of your careers are at stake here. Until this fades, you’ll have to be extra cautious.”

The meeting concluded with the company’s decision hanging heavily in the air. Est and William left the room in silence, walking side by side down the hallway until they found an empty corner to talk.

William couldn’t hold it in any longer. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered, his voice tight with anger. “They want me to act like you’re a stranger? Like I don’t care about you at all?”

Est placed a comforting hand on his arm, looking up at him with soft, understanding eyes. “I know it’s frustrating, but maybe... maybe it’s for the best. Just for a while. We’ll figure it out.”

William shook his head, the tension in his shoulders refusing to ease. “But I don’t want to hide. I don’t want to keep pretending. It just... it makes me feel like I’m not being honest with myself. With us.”

Est took a deep breath, holding onto William’s hand. “I get it. I don’t want that either.” He paused, gathering his thoughts, before a small idea struck him. “What if... what if we at least told our friends? Joong, Nut, Hong, Tui, Lego... I mean, they’re our closest people. They’d understand, and maybe it wouldn’t feel so much like we’re hiding.”

William’s expression softened as he considered it. “You’re right. Our friends would be there for us. And it’d be a relief not to keep secrets from them.”

Est smiled, squeezing his hand gently. “Exactly. We’d still be careful in public, but at least with our friends, we could be ourselves.”

A smile crept onto William’s face. “Alright, let’s do it. Let’s tell them.”

Est nodded, feeling the weight in his chest lighten slightly. “Thank you, William.”

***

A day later, William and Est made their way through the quieter hallways of the company building, heading toward one of the more secluded lounges where they’d arranged to meet their friends. The place was tucked away from the bustling areas, a perfect spot to have a private conversation.

As they entered, Est’s heart raced, and he felt a nervous flutter in his stomach. His hand brushed against William’s in a quick, silent gesture of reassurance. Sensing his nerves, William squeezed his hand discreetly, a warm reminder of his steady support, before letting go as they stepped inside.

Their friends—Nut, Hong, Tui, Lego, and Joong—were already gathered around, chatting and laughing. When William and Est entered, the group fell silent, sensing a seriousness in their expressions that was rare for the couple.

Joong gave Est a small nod of encouragement. “Alright, what’s with the secrecy? You two look like you’re about to drop a bomb on us,” he teased, trying to ease the tension.

Est took a breath, glancing over at William, who gave him a small, reassuring nod. “Well… there’s something we wanted to tell you all. It’s… not easy to say out loud, but it’s important to us.”

He hesitated, feeling the weight of the moment, but William took over, his voice calm and steady. “Est and I... we’ve been together. In a relationship,” he clarified, looking around at the faces of his friends. “For a while now. It’s just… been a secret.”

The room went silent, and Est braced himself for any reaction. But before he could dwell on his nerves, Lego let out an amused chuckle, followed by a grin. “Well, it’s about time! I thought I was imagining things whenever you two made eye contact.”

Tui smirked, crossing his arms as he looked between William and Est. “Seriously, though, we kinda had a feeling. But it’s nice to finally hear it.”

Hong laughed, reaching over to give William a playful punch on the shoulder. “And here we were, thinking you were just being extra friendly all this time.”

Tui nodded, offering them both a supportive smile. “We’re really happy for you. We know it couldn’t have been easy keeping this to yourselves.”

Nut smiled knowingly, clearly not surprised and gave William a reassuring nod, his silent way of saying he was okay with everything. “You’ve got our support,” Nut said, speaking for the group.

Joong, who’d been watching Est closely, stepped forward and gave him a quick hug, whispering, “Congrats, you two. You deserve this happiness.”

Est felt a surge of relief as the weight of their secret began to dissolve. “Thank you, guys. Really, it means so much to us that you’re all supportive.”

William smiled, visibly more relaxed, and added, “It’s been tough, especially with all the recent rumors. We just wanted the people closest to us to know the truth.”

Lego grinned, giving them a mock salute. “You’ve got our support, no question. And if anyone messes with you two, they’ll have to answer to us.”

Est’s heart swelled at the show of support from their friends. “Thank you, truly. We didn’t know how you’d react, and it means the world to us that you’re here.”

The group shared a few more laughs, and the atmosphere shifted from one of tension to warmth and camaraderie. William and Est were relieved, knowing they had friends by their side who supported them unconditionally.