Secret Superstar (INFINITE L FANFIC)

Chapter 30

"Hey, Nana. Could you help me move these boxes?" SaRang called out.

"Sure," I got up from my place at the counter and went to help SaRang.

It's been a month since the last visit from Myungsoo. As SaRang promised, the news soon died down and I could go back to my job at the bookstore. I would still receive some hateful glances from Infinite's fans but it was better than the physical abuse that I was receiving previously.

"Oof! These boxes are heavy," SaRang warned as she passed me the boxes. A new shipment of books just arrived and we had to move them to the back room to sort them out.

Just then, one of the heavy boxes slipped out of my hands. I gasped as I realized the box was going to fall on my feet.

Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out and grabbed the box before it landed. "Whoa, that was close!" a voice that was vaguely familiar broke the silence.

I looked up and saw two weirdly dressed men standing at the entrance. They were dressed just like how Myungsoo normally dresses, with the sunglasses, masks and caps. I stared at them trying to see past their disguise.

The guy who caught the box  lowered it gently to the ground. "Are you okay?" he said, pulling off his mask. I stared as Sunggyu looked at me, concern etched on his face. "Nana?"

"Y-Yes. I'm fine. Thank you..." I stammered. "W-what are you doing here?"

Before Sunggyu could answer, the other guy stepped forward, yanking off his mask as well. "We're here to talk...about Myungsoo," Woohyun explained.

I shook my head. "There's nothing to talk about. Myungsoo and I are through. He never loved me. All I was to him was just a distraction. Someone he could use to pass the time."

Sunggyu and Woohyun exchanged glances. "I knew this would happen. Don't say I didn't warn you," Woohyun told Sunggyu. Sunggyu simply shook his head.

"What? You knew what would happen?" I asked Woohyun. "Did you know Myungsoo was just using me?"

At that, Woohyun turned and glared me. "No," he said, sharply. "I knew he was going to fall in love with you."

I stared at him in disbelief. "What...are you talking about?"

Sunggyu cleared his throat. "What Woohyun is trying to say is that Myungsoo did not see you simply as a distraction. You were so much more to him. There's just been a misunderstanding about this whole issue. Woohyun said that you might have been upset with everything that happened."

"Well, that's an understatement," I rolled my eyes. "If I meant that much to Myungsoo, he wouldn't have lied about our relationship."

"He was trying to protect you!" Sunggyu explained. "I know it doesn't seem like it but he did what he thought was best at the time. Myungsoo thought that he had to lie about your relationship so that the reporters will leave you alone. He was afraid that the reporters would dig up whatever they can about your personal life and expose it to the public."

I let what Sunggyu said sink in. "W-well, even if he did do it to protect me, he failed. His fans were horrible!"

I could see the blood drain from Sunggyu and Woohyun's faces. "What do you mean?" Woohyun asked, quietly.

"Your fans! Inspirits!" I said, exasperatedly. "They're calling me 'Attention Seeker', that I stuck close to Myungsoo even though I was not his girlfriend just to gain attention. They threw rotten eggs and pebbles at me wherever I went. They vandalized this bookstore because they knew I worked here. They stood outside my house, calling me all kinds of foul names whenever I opened my door!"

"I-I'm sure Myungsoo didn't know about this. Did you tell him about it when he went to talk to you?" Sunggyu asked.

I shook my head. "I didn't want his pity."

Woohyun sighed. What he did next took me by surprise. Woohyun gently stroked my head and bent down so that his brown eyes looked right into mine. "Now do you understand why I was so cold towards you?"

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

"I was afraid that if you started dating Myungsoo, you would get hurt in the process," he said, quietly. "When you date an idol, it's not easy to keep your personal life a secret. Whatever you do, wherever you go, people will be watching and waiting for the moment you make a mistake. I tried to warn Myungsoo but he wouldn't listen."

"Is that why you were so upset on the day I visited him at the dorm?" I asked.

Woohyun nodded. "Myungsoo should have known the risks he was taking, calling you to his dorm like that. What if one of the reporters were close by and wrote an article about an unknown girl entering Myungsoo's dorm? Not only was his career at stake...but you as well. He should have thought about how an article like that would effect you."

Woohyun paused and cracked a small smile. "I treated you coldly to make it clear that I did not approve of your relationship..but I ended helping you guys too, didn't I?" he smiled.

"Yeah, you helped me get into the fan-meeting," I remembered.

"I thought that you should know the truth about him. About what he did," Woohyun said, gently. "And if you truly loved him, you would have stayed by his side no matter what he does."

I nodded slowly as I thought about what Woohyun said. "But I didn't stay by his side. Once the article was released, I was so upset that I chased him away," I said, sadly.

Sunggyu laughed. "Well, that was as much of his fault as it was yours. He should have explained things clearly instead of assuming you would understand everything that was going on."

I sighed. "Yeah,but I said some pretty hurtful things to him. He might never want to talk to me again."

Woohyun smiled. "On the contrary, Myungsoo actually asked us to come here today. He wants you to meet him at this address at 8pm tomorrow night. I guess he wants to talk things through with you," Woohyun said, handing me a card with an address written on it.

"He wanted to come himself but he was afraid it will only draw more attention to you. Since talk about the article has been dying down lately, Myungsoo thought it will be best if he stayed away for the time being," Sunggyu explained.

"We should better get going too. We don't want the fans to catch us here and make a fuss," Woohyun told Sunggyu. Sunggyu nodded and proceeded to put on his mask and sunglasses again.

"Wait!" I called out. Sunggyu and Woohyun paused and turned back to look at me. "I just wanted to say thank you. For taking the time to come here and explain things. And for rooting for me and Myungsoo."

Woohyun smiled and nodded before pulling on his own mask and sunglasses. Sunggyu acknowledged my thanks with a thumbs up since I couldn't see his face. 

I looked down at the card I was holding as both of them left the shop. "So...will you be going to meet Myungsoo?" SaRang, who had been observing the whole exchange quietly, suddenly asked.

I tucked the card into my pocket and nodded.

"Yes."