End Game [IARWEB 2]

4 | Interview

Year 2035

Only one camera was there in the room. With only one interviewer. Baekhyun sat on the couch, his eyes crinkled when he smiled. The interviewer couldn't help but notice the once youthful idol in the mature man sitting in front of her.

"Next question. Exo had a lot of achievements and recording breaking songs with stardom, but how was it for you personally?"

The brunette hummed. "It was overwhelming sometimes. I enjoyed the love, but it came with certain disadvantages." There was a far away look in his eyes. "It meddled with a lot of things in my personal life."

"That is there, yes. People made a lot of assumptions about your love life throughout the years." She tilted her head. "It must've bothered you."

Baekhyun shifted in his seat. "I knew it would come with my career choice, but I didn't realise the intensity of it until it..."

"Until?"

"Until it blew on my face?" The former idol chuckled. "I was young. Now that I've grown older I wonder why I cared too much about people you know."

"Do you reflect on your past a lot?"

His eyes turned to the window. "A lot."

"Would you like to talk about it? People were always curious to know who you were behind the scenes. About your love life and different news that came with it."

"That's why we're having this small interview. Aren't we?" Baekhyun smiled. "My Love life... How can I say it. Hmmm.... I hurt people because I thought I was helping them. My fear was my biggest enemy."

"Ji Hera..." The name hung in the air. "It's said that Taeyeon, your ex girlfriend, wrote the song INVU on how people accepted Hera but never her as your partner."

"Hera was my reel life partner in a drama. There's no truth in that as far as I know." His eyes were sharp and he shook his head. "Taeyeon struggled a lot because of me. I would like to keep her out of this."

"We can't talk about your love life without including her and... Hera. The articles and everything pointed out of your affair with your co star."

"I know." He hung his head.

"You're scared it would create the similar buzz like the last time?" the interviewer asked.

Baekhyun looked away. The last time. When he and Hera did the drama together ages ago and then again after his military service. How shit went down. How hearts were broken and trusts and smiles were played.

"You two created even more buzz than Alanna and Suho's beef news."

"I and Taeyeon are colleagues. The photographs were out of context."

She took a deep breath and relaxed on her seat. "Hera said in a recent interview that she's dating someone. What was your reaction?"

Baekhyun nodded, his face blank. "I heard."

"Any message to her?"

"I want her to be happy."

His answer didn't surprise her. She knew the idol would be a hard nut to crack. "Aren't you jealous?"

"No." Baekhyun smiled. "Love is beautiful. I'm glad she's doing good."

The interviewer sighed. "Many people think your relationship with Taeyeon was a publicity stunt. Was it?"

"No. I do have a life outside love thing, you know?"

"You agreed to talk about your love life. No?" Her smile was teasing. "You shouldn't go with such a confident flow. No?"

"Tell me again why I agreed to this?"

The interviewer shrugged. "Let's rewind a bit. After your military service, you were offered the drama 'Inevitable'. Did you accept the offer after the news of Hera's casting?"

"I took the offer purely on the professional choice."

"If you had known how it all would turn out..."

"But I didn't. That's the thing I didn't know." He closed his eyes and then open them. "You aren't letting this go. Are you?" His resigned look met with her triumphant smile. "So from where should be begin with?"

Her smile was wide. "From the beginning. From where it started. Again."