Eunjae tossed the vest. He pulled her in close and held her so tight that she lost track of what she was saying. And he didn’t have a clue about tomorrow, but in that moment there was only clarity. A certainty that endured without faltering or fading. Here was a fixed star on an ever-changing horizon. Here was the lamp in the window, leading him home.
Much too soon, their boat reached the shore. The lights and noise of the festival surged up to meet them. They had to get up, return to reality, but the idea of resuming that charade left him sick at heart.
“Yeon-ah. Let’s just run away.”
“Where would we go?”
“Anywhere. The moon. San Bernardino.”
She laughed. “Oh, sure.Ryan Kim: The Origin Story. Good choice.”
Water lapped against sun-bleached boards. On the dock, Jiyeon said, “I know it won’t be easy, talking to Ezra, but Leila’skept enough from him. He needs to hear your side of the story. We can’t control what happens after, but I think we need to trust him.”
She reached with her free hand, pulled the elastic out of her hair, and slid the faded black band onto Eunjae’s wrist. After so many years, the flowers were more pink than red, worn in the sun too often and thrown into the wash by mistake dozens of times. “This thing’s gotten me through a lot. Take it with you.”
Eunjae protested immediately. He tried to give it back, but Jiyeon stopped him, smoothing the band where it had twisted. She tugged at the cuff of his sweater until the elastic was hidden from view. Overwhelmed, driven by impulse, he leaned in to kiss her. "Let's run away," he said again, his mouth on hers. "Let's just go right now."
"I want to. I think about it more than I should." In a whisper, Jiyeon said, "Feels like I'm going insane."
"We're in a forbidden romance. I think we're supposed to feel insane."
"So it's fine, then?"
"It's normal."
Months ago, Jiyeon wrapped her arms around him in a parking lot, saying goodbye. For Eunjae, it was a lesson in two parts. He learned that goodbye could be harder than he'd ever imagined, and he learned that holding her close was the easiest thing he'd ever done. Easier than breathing. This made it difficult to leave her, every single time.
Reluctantly, they stepped apart. Arthur came down the ramp just seconds later. “What are you doing?” he demanded. “How could you be so careless?”
25
Whentheyweresixteen,maybe seventeen, Jiyeon and Arthur helped at a restoration project hosted by the Lemon Grove Historical Society. Back then, a portion of each weekend was for volunteer work. Their service club had a packed schedule. On that particular Saturday, Jiyeon climbed a rickety ladder to scrub a row of windows caked in grime. She did it because it needed doing. Also, she did it because Arthur told her not to.
She still remembered his reaction, when one of the rungs snapped and she'd come close to falling. He’d been worried, yes, but also livid. The same emotions warred in his expression right now. But what right did he have, to be so upset about this, to scold her for being careless? When did any of this become Arthur’s business?
As usual, his presence brought the past into sharp focus, overlapping it with the present in a way that made Jiyeon feel trapped. She was sixteen and Arthur was saying that he lovedher. She was twenty-six and painfully aware that she didn’t love him in the same way.
Fighting to keep her anger in check, Jiyeon said, “Please just stay out of this.”
“I’m supposed to stand by while you get yourself into this much trouble? You could’ve gotten caught, running off like that.” Arthur proceeded to list the consequences of getting caught, as if they weren't well aware. Apollo fans would be furious. The guys could lose the contract they were so close to signing, and the damage to their careers could be irreparable.
“Wait. You said we could’ve gotten caught.” Eunjae frowned, studying Arthur’s face in the gloom. “How long have you known about us?”
Arthur had the grace to look wildly uncomfortable. “A few weeks.”
“Who told you?”
“I promised I wouldn't say.”
“Arthur—”
“I promised!” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “Does it matter? Look, Ari. This came out of left field for me, but… I’ll be honest, man. I thought you’d think twice before getting involved. If your fans find out, they could make Emmie’s life a living hell. Stalking, death threats, harassment. I figured you’d never put anybody through that. I really thought you’d know better.”
Even as this admonition stunned Eunjae into silence, it stoked Jiyeon’s temper into a roaring blaze. “We’re done here. This conversation is over.”
She took Eunjae with her. Arthur jogged to keep up. “Hey, let's just calm down, okay?” He said this in his most placating, most infuriating tone. It made her anger burn higher and brighter, the fury escalating to a fever pitch. How was it that he could know her for over a decade without ever learning whatnotto say?
“I'll calm down when you leave. Go home. Tell them you can't do the show anymore. I'm serious, Arthur. I've had enough.”
