⌗ it's a bad idea right ? . ⌝

two.

•°. *࿐   TWO     - ,, 🀥 ·˚ ༘ ꒱

⊱┊  real life !
───────── ·  ·  ·  · ♡

"mark?" i replied, my voice tinged with stunned disbelief. it had been years since i had personally laid eyes on mark. time had etched its mark on him, transforming the round, cherubic features of his youth into a more mature, chiseled countenance. as i had mentioned earlier, i was once an sm trainee alongside hannie and mark. back then, he had possessed a certain boyish charm that i had adored, and we had been two of the few who could communicate effectively in a foreign land, both struggling with a language barrier. our friendship had deepened quickly, blossoming into something more profound, only to unravel just as swiftly.

between my departure from the company and mark's ever-increasing number of group debuts, we had drifted apart. it was a combination of factors, including the revelation that, while dating me, mark had a reputation for having a wandering eye. i couldn't entirely fault him; we were both so young and clueless. but deep down, i couldn't wholeheartedly accept that as the sole reason. after all, we were just sixteen, yet mark had already embarked on multiple debuts and inhabited a completely different world that i was not privy to. our connection had simply fizzled out.

"i-i can't believe it, it's been what? almost five years?" he queried, a note of nostalgia in his voice. i simply nodded, gesturing toward hannie, who had been standing there, equally awkward in the unexpected reunion. mark quickly shook his head, as if trying to shake off the haze of surprise. "i'm sorry, hannie, i see you pretty often now," he quipped, acknowledging their labelmate status. i didn't have much to say, and just as i felt myself becoming trapped in the reverie of memories and emotions, we were saved by the director's arrival.

just as mark was about to resume his conversation with me, the director interjected, announcing that they were almost ready and needed everyone to get into their designated places. i wished hannie good luck and gave her a quick, supportive hug before making my way to the front of the room, where a television displayed the live feed from the stage. but if i were completely honest with myself, my thoughts were consumed by mark.

it wasn't that i was obsessed with him, but it seemed that my emotions weren't as stable as my rational mind would have preferred. i couldn't quite pinpoint what it was about this unexpected encounter that had left me so disoriented. after all, mark had been nothing more than a fleeting teenage romance. yet here i was, struggling to focus on anything else. sometimes, the past has a way of rekindling feelings we thought were long extinguished, and i couldn't help but find myself drawn into the whirlwind of emotions that mark's presence had stirred within me. the world of the entertainment industry could be brutal, not only for its relentless demands but also for its ability to resurrect buried memories and emotions.

it wasn't long before hannie had wrapped up her taping, and we were on our way back to her high-rise apartment, a stone's throw away from the company. she was still riding the exhilarating high of her successful shoot, and i couldn't bring myself to burden her with the weight of my emotional turmoil over seeing mark again. i silently hoped that my act of composure was convincing enough. as we strolled toward the elevator, hannie interlocked her arm with mine, her animated chatter filling the air. she rambled on about how her ending fairy moment had been her best to date, and her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she looked forward to witnessing her fans' reactions once the show was aired.