makeup artist°l.dh

chapter thirty-six: better

Ding dong!

Eunwol frowned at the sound of the doorbell. She rarely had visitors so she knew exactly who this one would be.

"May I come in?" The manager of NCT asked when she opened the door for him.

The girl's brows knitted. "For what? You came here last time, already."

"We have more to be discussed," he claimed and Eunwol's grip tightened on the door, reluctant to let him in. "It's about Haechan."

The heart-wrenching name managed to soothe her hostility and she slowly swung the door open for the man to enter.

"Just talk from there while I prepare drinks," she said from the kitchen that's conjoined with the living room where the other sat.

"You already know that your relationship and him has been exposed, right? So I suppose you know what the... fans' reactions are to it."

Eunwol took a spoonful of sugar for the tea. "Yes. It's divided."

The other stays silent for a moment, as if constructing a perfect response towards it that will aid him in leading him towards his main objective of coming here.

"Well, yes but, most don't actually prefer itㅡ"

Clack!

Eunwol harshly put the mug of scorching tea down on the table to silence him and she sat facing the man.
"So? The purpose of my relationship with Haechan was not for the public's liking or gain their favour. If it was, we would've prepared an elegantly manipulative speech. We're not running for presidency."

The venomous detest in her tone and the clear facts in her words would've knocked him out if it wasn't for the fact that he was paid to break them apart.

"Eunwol, listen, I understand. I know you obviously, wouldn't want to split up from Haechan and he too, wouldn't want the same. But, I also, know that you are financially unstable so weㅡ"

He was cut off once again by her abrupt rise from her seat.

"I've heard enough. If you think that I would drop everything and go just for a couple sheets of value then, you're ridiculous. He's worth far, far more than that. Leave. Now."

"Then, do it for his sake!" The manager raises his voice, standing too.

The mention of 'Donghyuck's sake' somehow manages to entrap her. Maybe, it's because he's all that she had been thinking about so the slightest topic regarding his well-being triggers her.

"Look at it this way; Haechan is an idol, loved by people all around the world. The support they give him is unimaginable. His every request- his fans execute," 127's manager began his persuasion. "However, there are certain, unspoken terms and conditions for this. And if they are breached, the link, the strength of their support for him, wavers."

Eunwol clenched her fists. "You're wrong. Remember when Chen from EXO got married? There were so many conflicting opinions about his position in the group. But the good side won and he stayed."

The other scoffs. "No, you're wrong. These are different times. Everyone has become more sensitive. Just a teeny, tiny accusation or scandal can lead to celebrities being kicked out of their companies. I can name a few and I'm confident you can too."

"Still... Iㅡ" her voice got choked up in her throat and she gulped painfully. "I can't. It won't just hurt me, it'll hurt him too and I can't- I can't bear with that."

"Oh, for crying out loud, Eunwol! Is taking his phone away and making him neglect you not enough??"

Eunwol's ears perked and the man's lips sealed at the realization of his confession.

"You took his phone?? You told me he intentionally ignored me!"

"I had no choice! He didn't want to listen to anyone and threw tantrums! He'll only listen to you! So please-" the idol's manager took a breath and sighed. "At least, do it for him. We don't want to lose a bright star like him. But, you know how SM is. They believe ignorance is bliss until the situation dies down.
"But, if it gets out of hand, the celebrity involved in the scandal will be told to present a formal apology to the public."

Eunwol's face contorted with loathe at the said method. Why would Haechan ask for forgiveness for something he has no fault with?

"However, if the boss really thinks that it's too heavy to handle then, he might as well just kick the 'problem' out. It's just like that saying, 'out of sight, out of mind.' Do you want that for Haechan?"

Again, the man's words managed to knock on the tough front she had been trying so hard to keep.

"Please, Eunwol. He'll listen to you. You know hot stubborn he is. If he knows you're still waiting for him and you both can be together, he's going to jeopardize his position- lose focus, get stressed, be in a constant war with the media," the manager adds on.

And eventually, she was starting to show lines of shattering.

After what felt like years of persuasion, talking to a wall for the man, he finally, got his moment of rest when Wollie quietened her voice.

"Fine. I'll break up with him. I'm moving away, anyways. I'll... break him off, by then," she says with a tone as faint as the cold, night air. "Just make sure to take good care of him."