Chapter Text
"Could this have gone any worse?"
Tension hung thick in the boardroom.
“Our brand ambassador got arrested overnight for being involved in an accident. Media houses are swarming, demanding a statement. Consumers are panicking. Stocks are tanking, and—”
“And now you're telling us that you've offered the ambassador contract to Park Chaeyoung?!”
“Why would she even agree? She’s had better offers before—much better.”
“Exactly! Do you even have a Plan B?!”
The voices from the board members echoed through the conference room’s massive screen. They were all attending remotely—shouting accusations and doubts—while the core team sat inside D&R headquarters at midnight, scrambling for a solution.
Unlike the board, they were actually doing something.
“We're aware of the situation, Mr. Lee,” said S.Coups, the Financial Head, voice even. “Her team has been contacted. We’re currently negotiating terms—”
“Negotiate?” Mr. Lee barked back with such venom that S.Coups had to press his tongue to the inside of his cheek to keep from snapping.
Across from him, Jeonghan gave him a calm, knowing look that silently said: Let it go. Not worth it.
The room buzzed with quiet frustration as real decisions hung in limbo—awaiting one woman’s answer.
“I don’t think she’ll agree,” Mr. Han said, eyes sharp as always. “She’s already received an offer from YSL, and she’s worked with them for years. Why would she choose our brand over theirs, especially when they’re paying her more?”
Despite everyone’s dislike for the man, no one could deny that beneath his arrogance, he always spoke hard truths—no sugarcoating.
A heavy silence fell over the room before Mark finally broke it. “We should let her and her company decide. All we can do is wait and see.”
Heads nodded in agreement.
“In that case, we need alternatives,” Mrs. Kim chimed in, representing the rest of the board. “If her team declines, we’ll have to sign someone else. The media’s desperate for an official announcement, and so are our buyers.”
She glanced at Minghao and Jaehyun expectantly.
“We have a couple of backups,” Jaehyun, head of Fashion Design, replied first, earning a small hum of approval from Mrs. IM. “Miss Chaeyoung’s team asked for a day to consider. If they say no, we have two other celebrities who fit our concept.”
“But it would be better if Chaeyoung became the face of our brand,” Minghao added quietly. “She fits our concept the most.”
The room fell into a heavy silence, thick with doubt and hope, every mind racing with the stakes of the moment.
Suddenly, the quiet was broken by a phone notification.
Yuta glanced at his phone, the others barely noticing—except Jeonghan, who watched closely. For a brief second, Jeonghan thought he was imagining things when Yuta’s lips curved into a small, almost-smile before he masked it with his usual poker face.
“There’s good news,” Yuta announced, breaking the tense silence. “Chaeyoung has agreed to be a part of our brand.”
The weight of the last night’s stress seemed to lift instantly. Faces across the room brightened, huge smiles spreading—even Mark cracked one.
For a moment, Jeonghan forgot he was in a professional setting and almost jumped out of his chair to hug Yuta in excitement, completely ignoring the fact that Yuta absolutely hated that.
Luckily, Minghao, sitting beside him, anticipated the disaster and gently held Jeonghan back, preventing him from embarrassing himself.
“That’s great news,” Mark said, regaining control. “Now, let’s get back to work. You all know the next steps. Jisoo, please arrange the press conference as soon as possible—we have to make the official announcement. But first, visit Park Chaeyoung’s management team and complete all the legal formalities.”
Kim Jisoo, Mark’s secretary, nodded with a happy smile and excused herself to get to work.
“You all should get some rest too,” Mark added. “You’ve been here since last night. Take half a day off and restart your work in the afternoon.”
The heads of departments nodded gratefully.
“And please—next time, dress properly for a meeting. Right now, none of you look like you are departmental heads of D&R,” Mr. Lee teased.
A wave of embarrassment swept through the room, heads of departments exchanging sheepish looks, all still in their sleepwear except for Yuta, who wore an oversized hoodie and pants but somehow still looked presentable.
“Have a good day, everyone,” Mark said, standing and bidding goodbye. The board members filed out, leaving the heads of departments behind.
“I’m definitely taking a long nap when I get home,” Jeonghan said, yawning loudly.
S.Coups chuckled, nodding in agreement. The others shared the sentiment, laughter filling the room as they prepared to finally rest.
“Luckily, the problem’s resolved,”
Jaehyun said, smiling as he looked around at everyone.
They were all too tired to stand, so they lingered a bit longer, chatting casually. But Yuta, not really part of their circle, showed no interest in S.Coups’ plans to party at the club tonight. Quietly, he slipped away, followed shortly by Jeonghan and then the others.
“Aren’t you going home, Yuta?” Jeonghan called after him as they approached the elevator.
Yuta pressed the button for the 10th floor—the Marketing Department—and shook his head.
“It all happened so suddenly. I need to make some changes to the PR strategy. I’ll be heading home late,” Yuta said as the elevator doors slid shut.
Jeonghan sighed, having expected as much.
“Fine, if you say so. But you look exhausted. Wouldn’t it be better to rest?” Jeonghan asked, hoping for a different answer.
Yuta shook his head again, cool and steady. “I’m fine. No worries,” he replied before closing the elevator doors, cutting off the conversation.
Jeonghan muttered to himself, “Yeah... can see how fine you are, with those giant bags under your eyes.”
Unbothered by the attention his casual look and ponytail drew from colleagues, and ignoring the ache in his body begging for rest, Yuta pushed through the fatigue, finishing his work before leaving the office at his usual time.
[]
How do people celebrate their birthdays? There’s no single way—everyone does it differently. Some prefer quiet, intimate gatherings with family and close friends. Others love throwing wild party bashes, filling the night with music and laughter. Some celebrate surrounded by children and animals, finding joy in simpler company. And then there are those who spend their birthdays alone.
Among the solo celebrators, there are two kinds: those who choose solitude willingly, and those who find themselves alone because of circumstances—living far from family, or simply having no one to call their own.
Yuta is hard to categorize. He celebrates his birthday alone, despite having colleagues who might welcome joining him. Living away from his family, it’s unclear whether his solitude is a choice or a situation forced upon him.
That night, sitting alone in a dimly lit restaurant, Yuta quietly celebrated his birthday in advance—though the clock hadn’t yet struck midnight. A half-filled glass of whiskey swirled gently in his hand as he checked his phone messages, lost in thoughts too complicated to voice.
After a long, exhausting day—or more accurately, week—spent pushing through work without rest, most people in his place would have taken time off. But Yuta was no ordinary person. Known for putting his health second, he was the kind to show up at a club full of people, even when his body begged for reprieve.
“Being in your position sucks, doesn’t it?” Hoshi said, pointing his chopsticks at Ten, who was busy stuffing his mouth with food at their favorite spot.
“Yeah, sometimes. All thanks to SM. Seriously, being a choreographer isn’t easy,” Ten replied, chewing thoughtfully. Hoshi let out a long hum, fully understanding—being a choreographer himself, he felt the pressure too.
“What about you? How’s it going?” Ten asked, looking up from his food.
“As usual, hectic. The group’s comeback is next month, so it’s non-stop,” Hoshi shrugged, taking a bite of the cold kimchi.
“I heard rumors Pledis might announce a world tour next year?”
“Don’t know,” Hoshi said casually, receiving a nod from Ten.
They chatted a little longer, finishing their meal. Then Ten excused himself to the washroom, leaving Hoshi alone.
He looked around the quiet restaurant, enjoying the calm and the lack of noise—until his eyes landed on a guy sitting alone at a table, back facing him. For a moment, Hoshi’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly looked away just as Ten was returning.
“So... who’s paying the bill?” Ten grinned mischievously, earning a disbelieving look from Hoshi.
“So that’s why you called me here, huh?” Hoshi’s eyes widened.
“Last time I paid, so now it’s your turn,” Ten reminded him, recalling their last hangout three months ago.
“That’s why I don’t like hanging out with you,” Hoshi pouted, but Ten wasn’t fazed. He wasn’t like Taeyong or Doyoung who’d give in to Hoshi’s cuteness.
Seeing his charm wasn’t working, Hoshi sighed and paid the bill. Ten left first, but Hoshi wanted to buy snacks for him and Taeyong, so he let Ten go ahead.
“Thank you,” Hoshi said shyly to the convenience store owner, grabbing his parcel quickly before rushing out. He pulled out his phone to book a taxi—his car was in for servicing, so he’d been relying on public transport for the past two days.
After booking a cab, Hoshi found a nearby bench and sat down, scrolling through his phone while waiting. Suddenly, a loud crashing noise shattered the calm. Startled, Hoshi jumped to his feet and looked up just in time to see a car slam into a tree. A thick fog began to rise around the wreck.
Without thinking, Hoshi ran toward the car. It took several tense minutes, but he finally managed to pry open the door. Inside was a man, his head having hit the steering wheel. Carefully, Hoshi pulled him back into the seat and turned his face to the side. A bruise was already forming on the man’s forehead, but thankfully it didn’t look too severe.
“Oh lord, what now?” Hoshi muttered, glancing around desperately. There was no one else nearby—and even if there were, people often didn’t want to get involved.
Panicking, Hoshi’s first thought was to call Taeyong. The older man always knew what to do. His hands trembling, Hoshi dialed, and to his relief, Taeyong answered on the first ring. Before Taeyong could speak, Hoshi rushed through the situation.
Taeyong’s voice was calm but firm, “Check if he’s breathing. If he is, try to wake him up. Stay calm, I’m here.”
Hoshi did as instructed, first checking the man’s breathing by placing two fingers just in front of his nostrils. For his luck, the man was breathing, though slowly. Hearing Taeyong sigh in relief over the speaker, Hoshi gently tried to wake him by lightly tapping his cheeks, but there was no response.
Then Hoshi spotted a water bottle on the passenger seat. As if the universe was on his side, it was still mostly full. Quickly, he splashed some water droplets onto the man’s face a few times, while Taeyong calmly guided him over the phone.
After what felt like an eternity, the man’s eyes fluttered open, finally coming back to consciousness. Both Taeyong and Hoshi let out long, relieved breaths.
“Thank God you didn’t die, man,” Hoshi said, watching the man blink, confused and trying to process what just happened. He stepped back and turned off the speaker, holding the phone to his ear.
“Ask him if he’s feeling okay. If not, call an ambulance and take him to the hospital. Send me your location—I’m coming,” Taeyong ordered.
Hoshi glanced back and saw the man cautiously getting out of the car.
“I don’t think he needs to rush to the hospital, but I’ll check. And you don’t have to come here; looks like our work is done,” Hoshi said, eyes still on the man, who sank to the ground, clutching his head from a pounding headache.
“Fine, but make sure he’s really okay,” Taeyong replied.
“Come on, Tae, I know this much. I’ll see you later, alright?” Hoshi said, ending the call. He knelt down beside the man and offered him the water bottle.
“Are you okay? Should I take you to the hospital?” Hoshi asked.
The man looked up, expression unreadable, but the genuine concern in Hoshi’s eyes seemed to unsettle him. Slowly, he took the bottle and shook his head.
“I’m fine, thank you,” he said in a hoarse voice.
Hoshi awkwardly fumbled for words, struggling with the sudden pressure of talking to a stranger. “Umm, okay… I called a cab for you. I can, like, send you home...” He hesitated, then quickly added, “Only if you want, of course!”
The man glanced at him seriously, then looked down at his hands with a sigh. A silence fell between them—not uncomfortable, surprisingly.
As Hoshi studied him, his gaze caught the earring in the man’s left ear—identical to one he’d seen on someone at the restaurant earlier. He wanted to ask if they were the same person but decided against it.
Before either of them could say anything, a car honked behind them. Hoshi turned to see his cab pulling up.
He glanced back at the injured man and waited quietly for a response. After a few seconds, the man steadied himself with Hoshi’s help and slowly stood up. Together, they walked toward the cab.
Hoshi opened the door for the man to get in first, then followed.
“Where to, sir?” the driver asked. Hoshi looked at the stranger beside him, confused for a moment.
“Nearby hospital,” Hoshi said quickly, cutting off any reply. The driver nodded knowingly, already sensing the situation from the visible wound on the man’s forehead and the fog rising from the crashed car.
The man muttered, “It’s not necessary.”
Hoshi glanced at him firmly. “I know, but the sooner the wound gets checked, the sooner it’ll heal.”
The man opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it—he didn’t want to seem disrespectful to the person who had just helped him. Instead, he sank back into the seat and stared out the window as the cab headed to the hospital.
At the hospital, after the driver dropped them off and left, Hoshi sat nervously in the corridor, fidgeting with his fingers while waiting for the doctor to finish examining the man.
Suddenly, he heard his name being called from a distance. Turning around, he saw Taeyong rushing toward him, looking worried. Taeyong quickly scanned Hoshi from head to toe to check if he was hurt too.
“I’m fine, Tae. Relax. And thanks for coming—I was honestly scared dealing with this alone,” Hoshi said, relief softening his smile.
Taeyong returned the smile and sat down beside him as Hoshi recounted everything that had happened.
“Seriously, you scared me with your call,” Taeyong said, shivering slightly as he recalled the panic in Hoshi’s voice. Hoshi smiled apologetically, grateful Taeyong had come so quickly.
They chatted about random things to ease the tension until a nurse appeared, calling them inside the doctor’s cabin.
As they entered, the first thing Hoshi noticed was the bandage on the man’s forehead. The guy was sitting across from the doctor, who was busy writing a prescription. Spotting Hoshi and Taeyong, she smiled politely and gestured for them to take a seat.
Hoshi sat down between Taeyong and the stranger, glancing at Taeyong for reassurance. He was on the verge of freaking out—this night had taken a far stranger turn than he’d expected.
“Luckily, the injury isn’t serious,” the doctor said. “The accident most likely happened because of a head rush from lack of rest. I’m prescribing some medication—make sure to take it on time. Also, eat a normal diet and get plenty of rest. You really need it, Mr. Yuta.”
She handed the prescription to Hoshi, assuming he was Yuta’s attendant. Hoshi and Yuta exchanged a quick, awkward look while Taeyong struggled to hold back a smile.
“Take good care of him,” the doctor added before they stood to leave.
Taeyong finally broke into a smile at the silent awkwardness between Hoshi and Yuta, neither of whom bothered to correct the misunderstanding.
“Uh, yeah, thank you, doctor,” Hoshi said after a gentle nudge from Taeyong.
Once outside the cabin, Yuta gently took the prescription from Hoshi’s hand. “I’ll handle the rest from here. You guys have done enough for me. Thank you.”
Hoshi nodded, unsure what to say, and looked to Taeyong, who smoothly saved the moment from becoming even more awkward.
“You don’t have to thank us,” Taeyong said, glancing at Hoshi, who flushed red from embarrassment—he wasn’t used to compliments, especially not in front of a stranger.
Yuta looked at Hoshi for a long moment, then nodded before bidding goodbye to the two Koreans and heading toward the pharmacy. Taeyong and Hoshi made their way toward the main exit.
“My guess was right,” Hoshi said proudly, earning a questioning look from Taeyong.
“I figured he wasn’t Korean—turned out he’s Japanese. That’s why he looks like an anime character straight out of a manga!” Hoshi flashed a bubbly, childlike smile, showing off his ‘intelligence,’ which made Taeyong chuckle, momentarily lightening their worries.
They chatted on the way to the exit but stopped halfway when the same nurse from the doctor’s cabin rushed toward them. Hoshi panicked, fearing Yuta was in trouble again, but the nurse just smiled in relief and pulled out a phone, handing it to Hoshi.
“Your friend forgot this inside the room. I saw it and came to return it... but where is he?” The nurse looked between Taeyong and Hoshi, confused.
“He’s at the pharmacy, and he’s not my fr—”
“Ah, okay. Please give it back to him, and don’t forget to tell him to take care of his health—he really needs rest. Thank you for your time. I need to go now.”
She hurried away before Hoshi could reply, leaving the two men exchanging a look.
“I’ll give it back. You call a cab,” Hoshi sighed, wondering what he’d gotten himself into, and headed off—unaware of the amused smile spreading across Taeyong’s face.
It was rare for Hoshi to take charge in situations like this; usually, he’d let his friends handle talking to strangers. It was both surprising and refreshing.
Walking toward the pharmacy, Hoshi spotted Yuta standing at the counter. Smiling in triumph, Hoshi pulled out Yuta’s phone from his pocket just as it vibrated with notifications, accidentally lighting up the screen. He saw birthday messages from someone named Kun.
Pausing, Hoshi couldn’t help but smile at the sweet gesture—wishing a friend happy birthday exactly at midnight. It reminded him of his own friends—Taeyong messaging him, Doyoung to Taeyong, and Hoshi to nearly everyone except Mingyu.
Looking up from the phone, Hoshi noticed Yuta heading toward the second exit door. Nervous he might miss the chance to return the phone, Hoshi quickly ran after him and called his name.
Seeing the confused look on Yuta’s face, Hoshi held up the phone, making the Japanese man realize he had left it behind in the doctor’s room. Taking the phone from Hoshi, Yuta bowed in thanks and started to walk away—but Hoshi stopped him again.
“Actually, I... by mistake saw your text notifications and—”
“It’s alright.”
“No, what I wanted to say was... because of those messages, I realized it’s your birthday today, so…” Hoshi trailed off, feeling a thrill rush through him, wondering why he was even doing this instead of just leaving. Yuta looked away, embarrassed for interrupting the younger guy.
“Umm… all I want to say is—happy birthday to you,” Hoshi said, bowing politely, catching Yuta off guard.
Not wanting to space out, Yuta quickly gathered himself, bowed back, and said, “Thank you.” Without wasting another moment, Hoshi turned and left, leaving Yuta to contemplate the strange but meaningful encounter.
Could this day have ended on a more surprising note?
To be continued.....
Chapter 2
“So you’re telling me that you first got into an accident, got saved by a stranger, he took you to the hospital, and then you lost your phone and he gave it back to you—and knowing that it’s your birthday, a stranger who knows nothing about you and vice versa wished you a happy birthday? What kind of fanfiction is this?”
“Come on, Qian. Stop being so over-dramatic. I know it seems all too good to be real, but it is what it is—and it’s not a fanfiction,” Yuta said, rolling his eyes at his one and only friend named Qian Kun, who lives in China and hasn’t been able to meet Yuta for the past few years but is still his best friend.
After a second of silence, Yuta heard the Chinese man laugh softly, making Yuta furrow his eyebrows in a questioning manner. As if Kun sensed it through the call, he gave an explanation for his laugh.
“I find it cute.”
“Shut up.”
“What shut up? It’s true, man. I find it absolutely heartwarming and cute. I mean, who does this much for a stranger? That guy must have a heart of gold. You should feel lucky that you got saved at the right time—or we can’t even imagine what could’ve happened to you,” Kun said, getting serious.
Yuta nodded, placing the dishes in the sink. He decided to wash them in the morning, as he just wanted to sleep—it was already past 1 a.m.
“What’s his name? I find it awkward to address him as ‘that guy,’” Kun asked, to which Yuta paused for a second and realized that, during all the mess, he forgot to ask for the name of the person who had helped him—far more than he’d ever expected.
Feeling a little stupid now, he sighed. “I didn’t get to ask his name,” Yuta admitted, embarrassed.
Kun scoffed. “Couldn’t have expected any better from you.”
“Seriously, among all that chaos, how do you expect me to spare some time to get his introduction?” Yuta defended himself, earning a tired sigh from the other end of the call, followed by Kun giving Yuta an earful of nagging and lectures about how he missed a good opportunity to get to know someone.
Yuta sighed again. He wanted to defend himself, but he knew cutting Kun off in the middle of his rant would do more harm than good—the Chinese man would just extend his lecture.
So, letting Kun speak his mind, all Yuta did was listen patiently, giving short hums as responses here and there, while his mind drifted off to flashbacks from his unexpected encounter earlier that day.
After what felt like hours, Kun finally hung up, making Yuta heave a sigh of relief.
He made his way to the bed while scrolling through his emails and messages to check if there was anything important—but there was none.
Just some emails from the company, and a few unread messages from people—including one from Jeonghan, who had taken his sweet time to wish Yuta a happy birthday.
Smiling softly at Jeonghan’s message, Yuta replied with his typical formal tone before scrolling further to see a text from his sisters, who had also wished him a happy birthday—just like they did every year.
After replying to them, Yuta was about to close his phone when a notification popped up on the screen. Checking it, Yuta saw it was a message from his older sister, who was surprised that he’d replied on time, since he usually didn’t. She asked how he was doing.
Replying to each of her texts, Yuta waited for a moment before getting a response, and the two of them continued texting for a few more minutes—teasing each other and laughing through the screen—until she suddenly asked a serious question that caused Yuta’s mood to drop.
Did you receive any text from Mom or Dad?
Looking up from the phone screen, Yuta sighed bitterly, shaking his head before typing back:
You always ask me this question. Why? You know they’ve stopped talking to me for years now. Why would they contact me?
Then why can’t you contact them?
*You know well I can’t.
Yu, it’s been years already. Why can’t you guys let go of the issues you have with each other?
It’s not about the issue, Ane. It’s about the fact that I can’t afford to make them more disappointed in me.
They’re not disappointed in you. Why would they be? They never were, and you know that.
Let’s just not talk about it.
Yu, you can keep ignoring it, do you really think ignoring Mom and Dad is the solution to this problem?
Yuta stared at the text for a long moment, memories from the past swirling in his mind. Shaking his head, he decided to end the conversation, not wanting to ruin either his or his sister’s mood by stretching the topic any further.
Goodnight.
He typed the text, sent it, and placed the phone down.
Letting out a long sigh, he lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in the dim light of the room, lost in thought—until a voice from the past echoed in his mind, one he couldn’t ever forget.
“Did I send you to Korea for this? You said you wanted to pursue your career as a K-pop idol, and even though your mother and I weren’t sure about it, we let you go to chase after your dreams. And this is what you’ve done? Getting kicked out of the company right after getting selected for the final line-up?
If it was because of any other mistake, I wouldn’t have felt this bad. But this?
Do you have any idea what would happen if anyone else came to know about it? You really didn’t think twice before getting into a relationship with a boy? You’ve brought shame on me and your mother, Yu. This is the last thing I ever expected to face in this lifetime… that my son turned out to be a… to be gay.”
Closing his eyes, letting a tear slip from the corner, Yuta couldn't help but feel the same piercing pain he had felt six years ago—when his father had said those words to him.
Back then, Yuta had been kicked out of SM Entertainment after the revelation that he was dating his fellow trainee, who had also made it to the final lineup. The company had taken swift and harsh action, cutting short the careers of both Yuta and his trainee mate, Winwin, before they even had the chance to debut.
When Yuta returned home, he couldn't bring himself to lie to his parents. He knew how much they loved and supported him.
He still remembers—his parents, not his sisters—being the first to question what had happened in Korea to lead to such a decision, especially considering how Yuta had always been regarded as one of the best trainees in his batch.
After gathering up the courage to tell them the truth—after coming out—Yuta had already braced himself for disappointment. But nothing could prepare him for the moment his father uttered those words. It had crushed him. In that moment, Yuta had truly felt like he was the source of his parents' shame.
His mother was against it. She wanted him to come back and talk things through. But Yuta knew better.
Any attempt to settle the situation would only result in pressure to marry a woman—something Yuta could never do. As much as he loved his parents and was willing to walk away to avoid making things harder for them, he would never let the world dictate his life. He wasn’t ashamed of being gay.
Years passed, and Yuta became increasingly occupied with his work and life in Korea. The pain slowly began to fade in the warmth of a new environment and routine.
Within his family, it was only his sisters who remained in contact with him—and they became the bridge, passing on information between Yuta and their parents whenever needed.
Not being able to live in the same house any longer, Yuta decided to pursue his Master’s in Marketing & Business. He got selected at Osaka University and moved into the hostel to avoid making things even more awkward between himself and his family. Fortunately, his parents didn’t stop him.
Time passed.
Yuta managed to complete his Master’s in Marketing with high scores and eventually landed a job at a small company near his university. By that time, communication between Yuta and his parents had completely stopped. Neither party made any effort to reconcile.
After serving under the company for a year as an assistant to the Marketing Manager, Yuta applied for a job at D&R in 2019. Once selected, he made the decision to move to Korea permanently—and that was the last time he spoke to his parents, informing them of his decision.
To say that Yuta never met his parents again after everything would be wrong. They had crossed paths once more—two years ago—on the occasion of his older sister’s wedding. The Nakamoto family had managed to put on the perfect image of a happy, united family in front of the guests. But once the ceremony ended, Yuta didn’t waste a single minute. He left quietly. No one questioned him, understanding that—for him—work always came first.
“Guess... Happy Birthday to me,” he scoffed bitterly, rolling to his side as he turned off the lights. The room, along with his thoughts, was swallowed by darkness—silent and still.
It wasn’t long before sleep took over, pulling the Japanese man into a dreamland equally as quiet... equally as dark.
[]
Months passed, and everything slowly fell into place. D&R were able to protect their brand from collapse—thanks to their new Global Ambassador, who created an international buzz the moment she stepped onto the runway at Paris and Milan Fashion Week.
Representing their newest brand, Park Chaeyoung proved to be an absolute fashion powerhouse, elevating the company’s image and driving massive profits overnight.
Meanwhile, Hoshi and Yuta had almost forgotten about each other. Both were far too occupied with their respective lives and demanding schedules to think about something that felt like chaos from two months ago.
Things had been especially hectic for Hoshi after Taeyong exposed how he helped a stranger, practically becoming a knight in shining armor. That revelation earned Hoshi a full week of nonstop teasing from Haechan, Seungkwan, Ten, and Joshua—but thankfully, the hype eventually died down.
Currently, Hoshi was drowning in work, focused on preparing the perfect choreography for the Pledis Entertainment boys' upcoming world tour, which had been officially announced to kick off in February next year.
And while February might seem far off, the end of the year was already knocking on the door. Within a week, the world would bid farewell to 2025 and welcome 2026.
As if things weren’t already exhausting enough for the entire company and staff, Pledis decided to drop the tour announcement out of the blue—catching not only the boy group members but the entire company off guard. Hoshi couldn’t help but curse the CEO internally. Over and over again.
"I swear to God, I am losing my mind right now—and I want to kill PD-nim," Hoshi said, clearly pissed off, addressing the CEO with barely contained frustration.
He looked deadly serious, his expression scary, as he stepped out of the company building alongside his colleague and friend, Woozi—who was widely regarded as the genius music composer of Pledis.
"You can't do anything about it now," Woozi said, the hint of teasing in his voice evident. "Just focus on your work and drop the idea of killing our CEO."
Hoshi shot him a side-eye but couldn’t help letting out a soft chuckle. No doubt, his friends knew exactly how to lighten his mood.
"It's Shua's birthday in two days, you remember that, right?" Woozi asked, as they both stopped in front of their respective cars parked beside each other in the company lot.
Hoshi squinted in confusion—of course, he remembered Joshua's birthday. They’d already made plans for the celebration.
All their friends were taking half-days from work, and they were going to throw a party—a wild one, at that. What was there to forget?
As Hoshi explained, Woozi let out a disappointed sigh, confusing the older male even more.
Then, Woozi fixed Hoshi with a long, firm glare—holding eye contact in such a way it felt like he was trying to telepathically communicate the answer.
And as if the signal was received, Hoshi's eyes suddenly widened in realization. A beat later, his expression dropped.
In that exact moment, all the anger and complaints he had toward the company disappeared like smoke. Because now he realized what kind of chaos he had unknowingly signed himself up for.
"Now I want to kill myself. Oh GOD!"
To be continued.......