Frozen Memories➔ps.ff

Chapter 23

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Airports never felt real to Sunghoon anymore. It had always been a blur for him.

Arrival. Security. Fans. Paparazzi. Cameras flashing. The constant noise of people calling his name, screaming for attention. It had all become routine—a part of his life that he no longer paid much mind to.

They were just another stop in his endless schedule, a place he passed through without a second thought. 

The flashing cameras, the echo of footsteps, the distant chatter of travelers—it all blended into meaningless noise.

He kept his head down with his cap pulled low, his gaze fixed on the floor as he walked alongside his members, hands tucked into the pockets of his designer coat. 

His manager had reminded them to move quickly. Security was already handling the fans and paparazzi, guiding them toward the private exit.

"Sunghoon! Over here"

"ENHYPEN! Look this way!"

He heard his name being called from every direction, but he didn't react. 

He never did. 

Not anymore.

He let his feet move on autopilot, let the security do their job, let the world around him remain a blur. His manager and security guards surrounded them, keeping the crowd at a distance as they made their way toward the private exit.

He didn't have the energy to pay attention today. His body was exhausted from their last overseas schedule, his mind numb from hours of rehearsals, recordings, and interviews.

So he just kept walking. Kept staring at the floor.

He exhaled, glancing at his phone. A few unread messages from Jay, some from his sister, and a reminder about his schedule tomorrow. Nothing interesting.

Same routine, different day.

Until something shifted.

A strange, unexplainable pull in his chest.

It happened in an instant.

He didn't know why, but his fingers twitched inside his coat pockets. His breath hitched, his steps slowing for just a fraction of a second.

And then—instinctively, almost as if something was forcing him—he lifted his head.

His entire world stopped.

Sarang.

She was standing just a few meters away.

His mind blanked. His breath caught in his throat.

For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating. That maybe, just maybe, his exhaustion was playing a cruel trick on him.

But no.

She was real.

She was there.

The last time he saw her, they were just kids. Barely seventeen. She was bright and full of life, with that familiar spark in her eyes and the warmth of childhood still lingering in her smile.

But now—

Now, she was even more beautiful than he remembered.

Her long dark hair framed her face perfectly, her features more refined yet still unmistakably her. There was something softer in her expression, something more mature in the way she carried herself. But the moment he looked into her eyes, he knew.