𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 | blackpink's 5th member

𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟? 𝑝𝑡. 5

the time gd missed aster; two months after the news

Aster

in a conference room in the black label building

I was in a room in The Black Label building working on an upcoming project for the trainees when someone acquainted with Jiyong called me.

"This is Aster speaking." I said to the caller while writing some stuff on my tablet.

"Hello! It's me Kyu-jin from PEACEMINUSONE!"

"Oh, hi! Yes, I remember you. How can I help you?" I immediately stopped what I was doing and listened to one of my former employees. When I dated Jiyong, I was also his brand partner, kind of like a co-owner. I was, and still, close to the brand's employees and staff.

 "Uhhmm...uhhh..."

"Kyu-jin, use your words. I won't understand utters."

"Yes, sorry. We need your help. Could you come to the company building?" 

"What's it for? Is there a problem?" I waited for a while for his reply before I heard him sigh heavily. I started walking out of the room to my car while bowing to the employees and trainees I met on the way. 

"Mr. Kwon is drunk in his office. He's been inside for 5 days already and not once he has left."

"He has a girlfriend. Why call me?"

"He keeps shouting and muttering your name." I sigh heavily and told him I'm on the way.

in the peaceminusone building (a/n: pretend there is one, lol)

When I arrived, some staff met me at the entrance and greeted me.

"Ms. Aster! I miss you!" I laughed at Seok ha and said hugged her back.

"Me too! I miss working with you!" The others joined in and it turned into a group hug. I chuckled and said that I miss them too.

"Stop suffocating Ms. Aster." The employees let go and bowed to me before going back to their work. Kyu-jin walked towards me and bowed and I returned the gesture before walking together to Jiyong's office. 

"Since when did this happen?"

"He came here last Monday to work on a new project but after that, he never left his office. We also heard bottles breaking and him shouting some things. I called his friends and his manager but he threw a bottle at them before they could enter." I told him he could go back to work while I fix this.

When I opened the door, I was taken back by the appearance of his office. 

His bookcases situated on one side were toppled over, there were bottles and glass on the floor, and his favorite chair has one of its legs broken. But what was most surprising is the undamaged centerpiece on his coffee table. It's a half daisy and half aster vase I personally designed and created as a gift for his first exhibition.

I looked at the mess in front of me and because of my dislike of messy places, I picked up a plastic bag and started cleaning up.

Out of all the liquor he could drink, he chose a brand I'm advertising.

In a flash, I finished cleaning up and looked at Jiyong sleeping on the couch. I sat on a sofa across him and picked up the vase, inspecting it. I smiled at the memory of when I first gave it to him. It was the first design I created for his brand and one of the many gifts I gave him.

I heard him grunt and tap the table, maybe looking for the vase. He then shot up and whipped his head looking around.

Then he met my eyes. Was he crying?

We stared at each other for a couple of minutes before he started slapping his head.

"Jiyong wake up! You're hallucinating again. That's not Jineul." 

"Yeah, wake up because I'm here." I told him as I put back the vase on the table. He stopped then looked at me again.

"If you plan on drinking for the rest of your life, do it in the privacy of your home. Do not bother your employees." He sat down, not removing his stare at me. I stood up and headed to the vending machine at his office and bought a water bottle.

"For me to prove to you that I am indeed here, drink this." I offered the water bottle.

"How are you here?" He asked.

"You're employees are worried, said that you've been breaking stuff and shouting like a mad man in here. What's your problem?" He looked down and cried. Back when we were in a relationship, every time he cried, I would comfort and hug him. 

But it's different now. We're just in a junior-senior relationship.

Damn it, Aster! Why you gotta be so kind all the time?

I sat next to him and pat his back. He eventually calmed down and faced me then took my hands in his.

"It's all my fault." I looked at him with wide eyes. After the incident, he never once acknowledged his mistake in our relationship. He fished something out of his pocket and slid it on my finger.

It was my engagement ring from him.

"We could've gotten married and had kids, just like we envisioned. Taking on the world together. But I became an asshole and broke my promise to you." I was staring at him when I felt something drip in my hand.

"I'm such a terrible person. I'm sorry, Jineul."

"Is this how you truly feel? Are you sorry that you broke us up or that you're sorry because your fans are attacking me? At least with this, be honest with me." 

"Wait. My fans have been attacking you? Why didn't you tell me? I could've done something."

"Why would I tell you? We're not close." He fell silent and nodded.

"I figured this would've happened. You ignoring me and shutting me out of your life. As if we've never been in a relationship."

"Ignoring you was my best choice. That way, I won't be reminded of the time you decided to cheat on me. I would have been a bit less harsh on you if you could've said that you just fell out of love."