Chapter 48

161011

***

Ten was awakened by the light coming from the sun that passes through the window of his room. He opened his eyes and immediately looked for his phone on the side table while rubbing his right eye with his free hand. He yawned and opened his phone. It's already 6:32 in the morning.

He put back his phone on the table and stared on the ceiling. He smiled as he remembers what happened last night. It was quite ruined when Star's co-member called her and commanded her to go home. Ten didn't let her go alone so he sent her to their house. They just bid goodbyes and separated.

Last night was relieving. Hearing Star's side cleared everything for him. And hearing that she still loves him was magical.

He rolled over his bed, left to right to left, while smiling. He stood and pinched his cheeks to stop it from smiling. It's like he is smiling involuntarily.

He went to the kitchen to look for breakfast. There's a bowl of stir fried sausage, onions and potato with kimchi on the table. Taeyong and Jaehyun are cooking.

"Good morning!" He greeted with a bright smile while looking for his box of milk in the refrigerator.

"Good morning." They said in unison without bothering looking at him.

"This smells good." Ten said pertaining to the food then drank his milk.

"Ten, can you put rice on our bowls?" Jaehyun asked.

"Yes. Yes." He responded immediately and did what Jaehyun asked.

"You seem energetic. You probably slept well." Taeyong said while getting the butter from the refrigerator.

"What kind of dream did you have?" Jae asked.

"A dream come true." He said with a wide smile. They both looked at him and they got shocked seeing him smiling brightly alone while putting rice on their bowls.

**

NCT went to the company first before proceeding to the music show. They went to Sejoon's office as they are summoned. When they entered the room, they saw Sejoon and their manager hyung talking and they look serious.

The two looked at the boys. Their manager sighed and looked down while Sejoon shook his head and reached for his laptop. He turned his laptop facing the members. They read the headline and looked at the pictures.

"What the heck?" Yuta said then looked at Ten.

It was an article about an allegation towards Ten. The headline says, "NCT's Ten and Spade's Star secretly dating". The first pcture is showing them the scene yesterday at the parking lot where Star is holding his hand while they are running. The second is the scene from last night in Hangang where Ten is hugging Star. The article fastly spread to social networking sites and gained a lot of reactions from different netizens, mostly from NCT fans. Most are negative comments.

Ten balled his fist and clenched his jaws. "Someone followed me last night." He thought.

"Now, Ten, could you please explain this to us?" Sejoon asked.

Everyone stared at him, waiting for him to speak. They want him to deny the allegation, but the pictures are a concrete evidence. He bit his lip and gulped. He doesn't want to deny Star. He doesn't want to lie. But he's doomed once he confirms it. He is still under the "No Dating Contract". He can be sued and be kicked out of the group. He thought of Star. This is what she protected a year ago.

Star might have known this now too. The article is posted two hours ago. He doesn't know what may happen to her. He doesn't know Blue Entertainment's rules.

"Ten?" He looked at their manager who's also waiting for his answer.

"I..." he started then licked his dry lips. He looked at his co-members. They look unhappy and disappointed. He looked at Yuta and he just nodded at him. He smiled faintly at Ten to cheer him up. Ten looked at Sejoon and gulped before speaking, "I am not dating Star."

They all exhaled after holding their breaths. They all don't know what to feel but relief is the dominant feeling.

"We're not yet dating." Ten added.

"Yet?" Sejoon asked.

"Ten, what are you saying?" Taeyong said from behind.

"You know you can't or else," Sejoon was stopped by Ten.

"I will be out of this group, right?" He said.

"Don't try this company." Sejoon said firmly. "We will deny the allegation."

"But how will we explain the pictures? Damn." Their manager said, worried. "What have you done?" He asked Ten.

"If not of the pictures we won't give attention to this sh*t but the pictures are strong enough to conclude that you two are in a relationship." Sejoon stated, "So we have to butt in in this scandal before it gets worse."

"We are not dating but we have something. Please look at the difference." Ten said.

"Damn!" Sejoon slammed his table and it roared in the room. He looked at the time on his digital clock, "You go to your schedule first. Say nothing about this. Understand?"

No one answered but they silently agreed.

**

If Ten is interrogated in SM, Star is being sympathized in Blue. They are disappointed, but they chose to take Star's side. Quarelling won't cause anything good for them.

They don't have the "No Dating Contract" but they are encouraged to focus on their career first.

Star is under Sara's right arm, rubbing her shoulder to put Star at ease. They are sitting on the back seat of their car. They're going to the music show for their sched.

"Don't open any SNS for now. All of you." Their manager oppa who is sitting on the shotgun seat said. "Give no comments at all. Ignore their questions. For sure, there will be raging fans in there. Ignore them and keep going."

"Ne." They all answered.

Star thought of Ten's situation. Knowing SM? He might be given disciplinary actions. She's worrying a lot. She wonders who captured them last night. And who from the six girls from yesterday got a picture of them running away. The picture may be from the same person.

At the venue, a crowd of fans were waiting. Most of them are NCT fans.

"As expected." Jez said.

"Will you be okay, Star?" Hyoah asked.

"Ne." She answered and sighed before getting out of the car.

"There she is!" Someone shouted, pointing at Star. The guards served as human barriers to control the commotion.

"Hey b*tch! Leave Ten alone!"

"She does not deserve Ten!"

"This rookie is Ten's girlfriend?"

"This is frustrating!"

"Go home and stay with your mom!"

"Stop dating Ten!"

Those were continuously thrown against her. They went inside the building fastly to get rid of them.

"Oh God! Oh God! They're too much!" Hyoah exclaimed.

"They're judging her so well eventhough they don't know anything at all." Sara said while shaking her head.

"You know better, Star." Jez said to comfort her.

Star remained silent, holding back her tears.

"I believe I did nothing wrong." She said in her mind, "I just have to accept that the world is a little cruel."

Everyone stopped talking when a group of people entered the vestibule of the building. It was NCT and their staffs. Star looked for Ten and she saw him looking at her too. He was about to go to her when their manager stopped him. Ten frowned at him and looked at Star. He mouthed 'later' and continued walking.

She also looked at Yuta and he seemed worried. He pointed at Star and did an OK sign, asking if she's okay. Star just nodded timidly.

**

Their recording is already done. Star went first to the open parking lot to go to their car. She saw there Yuta and Chanwoo.

"Yuta, Chanwoo." She called them.

"Noona!" Chanwoo ran towards her and hugged her tightly. She pulled out the hug and cupped her cheeks, "Are you okay? Are you okay? Eomma doesn't know the issue yet. It might cause her stress so I didn't tell her when she called earlier."

"Don't worry. I'm okay."

"Liar." Yuta commented.

"Yah. I'm maturing and I'm not always lying!" Star said to him and hissed. "How's Ten?"

"It's so awkward to be with him now. No one dares to comfort him except me. I can't understand our members. I think they just have high expectations on him, knowing that he's not fond of girls ever since. Plus we're just a fresh group."

Star sighed, "I'm sorry sorry sorry."

"Naega naega naega meonjeo nege nege nege ppajyeo ppajyeo ppajyeo beoryeo baby." Yuta sang. They just laughed at him. "Yes! She smiled!" Then he pointed at Star.

"Things will be alright, noona." Chanwoo said.

"Look who's here!" Someone from the boys' back said. They saw two girls, one with crossed arms and one with a camera. They are both wearing black dresses and thick make ups. They're different from the girls from yesterday.

"What are you doing?" Yuta asked the girl with the camera. He covered Star.

"Stop that please." Chanwoo begged.

"Before, Ten. Now, you're flirting with Yuta? Geez! I must warn my Doyoung." The girl in the left said.

"My Mark too." The other said.

"You're misunderstanding us. We're not doing anything bad." Yuta said calmly, trying not to be rude to their fans.

"Get out of their lives, falling Star! They don't need you! You're a distraction!" The girl in the left said.

"Quit playing with our boys." The girl with the camera said.

"Chanwoo-yah," he whispered, "Get her out of here." He commanded, keeping his eyes to the girls.

Chanwoo nodded and held Star's wrist.

"Yuta..." Star said, worrying about Yuta.

"Go." He mouthed at them.

"And where is this Star's other man bringing her? To a date in Hangang during a schedule? Such a flirt." The girl with the camera asked and took a video of them.

"Geez! Stop calling my sister a flirt!" Chanwoo shouted. "Guard!" He called a guard nearby, "They're disturbing us!" Then she pointed at the girls. The guard immediately went towards them.

"What?! We're not! My Yutaaaa!" The guard pulled them away from them.

Yuta looked at Star who's looking down the floor. She's breathing heavily.

"I'm really sorry." She whispered.

**

Ten is walking on the vestibule of the building, on his way to the parking lot. He stopped when a girl called him.

"I'm sorry but I'm in a hurry." He said while smiling awkwardly to the fan.

"You have to hear me out, oppa. It's about Star." She said with a smirk.

Ten looked around and saw a quiet corridor, "Follow me." Then he walked.

The girl smiled widely while following Ten. When they reached the corridor, the girl immediately spoke, "I am Park Jinhee, oppa. A big fan of yours!" She smiled sweetly.

"What about Star?"

"Ah, that..." she flashed first a smirk, "I am the one behind the article, oppa. Hihi."

Ten clenched his fist and stopped himself from doing anything unto her. She's a fan and a girl. He should keep his temper.

"Why did you do that?"

"She's such a flirt, oppa! She does not deserve you."

"And you're saying you deserve me?"

The girl was taken aback, "Well, I spent a lot of money for you already." She said.

"She spent a lot of tears for me." He said directly, looking at her eyes.

Jinhee winced, "She doesn't love you as much as I do."

"I don't think you know love." He said, "Please delete the article and clear our name."

"No!" She immediately shouted, "Oppa, I have done series of surgeries to be attractive for you, I spent a lot of wons to follow you everywhere and give you gifts on special days, and I fought those who are against you. But why can't you give me even a single attention? Attention, that's all I want from you!"

"I appreciate everything you did but please understand our situation and the reality." He said in the same volume as she did.

"I can't! Cause you can't understand me either!" She pointed at her self, "I know you better than she does!"

"You don't. 'Cause if you do, you will understand me. I can't love all of our fans the way I love a special person. That's a reality that you should understand. I care and cherish all of you, but not the way I can for a special one." He sighed, "Please do what I ask."

"I can poison her, cut her car's brake, anything to get rid of that Star! But I won't if you will give me what I want from you, oppa. I will delete the article and clear your names out."

Ten shook his head and heaved a sigh. He's clenching his jaw and it's already hurting.

"Sorry, I can't."

"Then I'm sorry too." Jinhee said firmly.

"I'll just protect her from you." He started walking away, "Please stay safe." He said before leaving.

Jinhee screamed in frustration, "What's with that Star? She sucks!" She said then slammed the wall with her palm.

She heaved a sigh and calmed. She placed her hair behind her ears and smirked, "I'm not giving up. I will have you, Ten. Wait for me."

***