Backstage | Kwon Soonyoung

30.

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"The court rules a guilty verdict on the basis of harassment and obsessive behaviour towards victim Yoon Mina and sentences three years in jail with five hundred hours of community service afterwards. Furthermore, the defendant is also found guilty of spreading malicious rumours and slandering a public figure, expending a fine of..."

They'd won. It had taken them over three months just on the case but they had won. While she had been unable to take the spotlight completely off Hoshi, she had severely reduced possible damage with an end to this.

Naturally, her position at the Seoul Broadcasting Station was no longer hers. She'd resigned when she'd decided she would fight him fair. Aside from Hoshi's innocence in the whole affair, not many articles followed her journey to protect a common citizen's privacy. Looking across the room, she met eyes with the one man she'd wished to talk to, his light brown eyes smiling at her in gratitude.

"The court is now adjourned."

::

"How did you get in here?" Mina asked, at the sound of Hoshi's footsteps through her door. She'd been scrolling through the tv channels aimlessly a week after the court hearing, having no job to return to when she heard footsteps.

"I brought food." Soonyoung raised the paper bag with burgers for the two of them, "Your passcode is my birthday anyway. Are you sure it wasn't you that left it that way for me to come?"

Mina grinned, "And what if I did?" She smiled in delight as Soonyoung bent to leave a small kiss on her lips.

"Then you did well." He spoke, sitting down beside her, pulling out food to hand her. Taking the remote from her hand, Hoshi turned over the channel to an entertainment show, "Let's watch this one. I'm going to show up here next week."

Mina raised her eyebrows, "You are? Are promotions beginning?" It had only been a week since they'd won on court. But the opinion on the court of public opinion was still up for grabs. A statement mentioning Soonyoung's innocence in the matter had been explained with Mina being an acquaintance only connected through the GoSe staff. So whether they wanted to push the news down or put him back in the limelight was up to them.

"Where we go from now is important," Hoshi spoke, his eyes on the tv. "They want me on shows with an innocent attitude and Going Seventeen to go on without worry. Jihoon's coming up with his mixtape anyway. The spotlight is his."

Mina nodded, admiring his nape and his hair beginning to reach it. Fingers grasping it, twirling the soft strand, she whispered softly, "You'll have to get it cut again. Its such a shame."

Soonyoung veered, grabbing her hand with his left before she could move away, his eyes bearing into hers, "Should I not cut it then?"

"Mhm," Mina shook her head, "You look good in short hair too."

"Why so far away then?" Soonyoung asked softly, pulling her closer, letting her wrap her legs around his waist. Grabbing onto his shoulders for support, Mina found herself right in front of him, close enough to share the same breath. "Look at me from up here."

Soonyoung's eyes were focused onto hers, she could tell. She could follow his gaze as it veered over her hair, wandered to her ears, pinched at her cheeks and stopped at her lips. He was serious, not frowning or smiling but simply concentrated on the moment, making every other thought on her mind go blank.

"Soonyoung..." His eyes flickered to her eyes for a moment at the sound of her whisper.

The mood was nervous. Her heartbeat was fast enough for her to hear. Yet Soonyoung was silent, unmoving. Mina stilled, "Soon, what's is it?"

He stirred slightly, raising his hand to push a strand away from her face, "You sacrificed for me." He spoke finally. Words barely above a whisper but so intense they almost felt emotionless, Soonyoung spoke, "That documentary, your job, your social standing. You gave it all away just so I could stand on the stage freely."

Memories of the three months spent lonely and in agony flashed by her eyes. It hadn't been easy. Soonyoung's point tingled at the pain she didn't want to remember so Mina looked away. "It was the best course of option."

The hand that had stilled by her ear landed softly on her cheek as he shifted her to look at him, "I couldn't even give you the chance for us to go public. Its gone forever now, you know this."

Mina sighed, "Its over now, Soonyoung. Its all over. All that matters is that we're together."

Mina was worried he was going to apologise. Or worse, thank her. She hadn't done what she had for his gratitude or debt. She'd done it all because she cared about him more than anything else and she knew, she knew he could never forgo his career. It was everything to him. Hoshi was a name Soonyoung was proud of and Mina would never take it away from him. So, she feared that if he apologised or thanked her, she would not take it. She wouldn't want it. She would never—

"I love you."

Eyes wide, Mina raised her head to look at him. What? She stirred, her hair rising at the sound of it, tears forming up in her eyes. The one sentence had been simple. Easy. But it had satiated all her pain, comforted all her hurt and in a second, made it all worth it.

There was only one answer to give, "I love you too."

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The End.