Denial || Taemin & Naeun

We meet again

Naeun's POV

The audience and the people around greeted me with a warm welcome. I smiled and waved to the audience a little as I came on the set.

But when I walked closer to the table, I could feel my heart almost wanting to combust because of a certain someone.

I would be lying if I said I actually wanted to be here. I was forced to by my management and I had no other choice.

They gave me the details of this episode of the show and when I read his name I almost screamed my lungs out.

But here I am.

I'm just going to do my best today and get on with my life. This isn't going to change anything.

"Naeun from Apink, welcome." One of them said. Everybody started clapping loudly once again.

Taemin just gave a half hearted clap. He didn't even look at me.

"So how have you been Naeun?"

I smiled. "I've been well. I've actually been travelling all around the world lately. It's been an amazing experience."

"Oh, tell us about that." One said.

I started to talk about my experiences in those countries, the different things I learnt when I was there, the interested places I've been to and some embarrassing moments.

"So when will Apink's next comeback be?" Another asked.

"Very soon. We're working hard on something. So soon." I nodded my head politely.

The show went on with more questions about me and stuffs. I carefully glanced at Taemin every now and then to see if he was paying attention but I realized that he's been looking down the entire time.

He never once looked at me when I was talking. It's either he stares at random places or looks down while nodding his head so it doesn't make him look like he's avoiding me at all.

But nobody noticed anything at all and everything was going well.

And then this happened.

"I just realized this but Taemin ssi, weren't you on WGM with Naeun? What year was it? 2013? 2014?" One asked.

"2013." Another corrected. "I remember"

"Right?"

Taemin was taken aback for a second.
"W-what?" He asked confusingly with a smile to cover up his nervousness.

"You and Naeun were both together on WGM right? You guys played husband and wife right?" They asked again.

I could see the discomfort in his eyes. "Oh... Yeah that's right." He replied hesitantly. "She was my... fellow partner back then."

"No wonder I knew I've seen you guys together somewhere before."

"Have you guys stayed in touch since then or something? Like after the show?"

I stuttered for a moment. "Uh..."

"Oh, not at all." Taemin cut me off. "Because we were so busy we couldn't meet or keep in touch. Right?" Taemin looked over at me.

That was the first time he's ever made eye contact with me. I looked at him and our eyes finally met. It was kind of a weird feeling. A feeling that I haven't felt for a long time.

A feeling that only one person has ever succeeded in giving me. It felt like home.

Somehow or rather we didn't need words to communicate our thoughts. We understood each other even just by those little gazes.

And I know what this gaze meant.

I forced a laugh. "Actually we lost contact with each other since we're so busy with our work. We don't meet at all."

Thankfully nobody questioned us anything further. In the end everything went smoothly. I mean it's not like we were lying.

We literally don't meet at all. We're so busy with our work. We don't have any time to talk or text or hang out.

And it's not because we can't. We don't want to.

We still had each other's contacts.

We last texted 5 years ago.

And I still had our photos together in my wallet.

But we are nothing more than just strangers with a sad past.

That was what he wanted. That was what he promised. And he has never broken that promise ever since.

After the show ended everyone took a group photo together and wrapped everything up.

I was supposed to call my manager after the show was done. I was getting ready to go back to my holding room when I felt my arm being grabbed onto from behind.

I turned around in discomfort to see who it was and I was completely stunned.

It was him

Lee Taemin.

[🥀]- This was a really bad chapter but thank you for reading if you did.