Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
Daera bit her lip when she swatted her ID card over the glass doors in SM's Communication Center. Her whole body was shaking when the doors opened and she stepped through them on her way to the elevator. She couldn't believe the occasion she was here for today.
It's been a few days since Donghyuck had told her about the article. They had met in her house and he had apologized for at least two-hundred times. "It's not your fault, Donghyuck!" Daera had said and held his body closely. She was sure there was an explanation to all of this, and she was sure SM would clear this situation.
But now that she was standing in the elevator and moving towards the rooftop, the nervousness was making her thin form almost vibrating. She didn't even bring moral support, nor legal support. She has never been in a situation like this.
Suddenly the elevator pinged and the door slowly opened. She has reached the sixth floor but was nowhere near the CEO's office. "Ah, I'm glad I meet you here!" A familiar voice called and Daera looked up to see her uncle. "Ari!" She let out and took a deep breath. "What are you doing here?" - "I knew you would come along. I heard of the meeting from Donghyuck and decided to join you as your support. I've been in relationship meetings a lot so I'm trying to help you."
The man hugged his niece and softly patted her head, while the doors to the elevators closed again. "How have you been?" Ari asked and Daera sighed. "I've been on the edge, to be honest. Every time someone approached me on the street I was afraid they knew of mine and Donghyuck's relationship." She sighed. "I tried not to show it in front of Donghyuck, because he felt very guilty, but I'm very afraid."
Daera fumbled with her fingers and pressed her lips tightly together.
The elevator opened again and Ari softly patted Daera's back. "We're here." The girl nodded and left the elevator and walked up to the reception that was in the corner of the hallway. A strict looking woman was looking over the rim of her glasses and clicked her tongue.
"So you're the secret girlfriend? I expected you to be ... more classy." The woman said and Daera looked down at herself. She wore her school uniform since the appointment was straight after school. "Saeyeon, thank you for your opinion but would you stop bringing my niece down and tell the boss we're here?" Ari asked and looked at the woman who only clicked her tongue once more.
Daera was getting annoyed with the woman. She just wanted to get this done and see where she would be after this meeting. "He already knows she's coming so go straight in, Ari-sshi," Saeyeon spoke and sat down on her chair, continuing to type on her keyboard, while Ari led his niece to a ceiling-high white door.
"Ready?" He asked and Daera shook her head. "Actually I'm not." She sighed and Ari chuckled softly before looking at her. "No matter how this ends, remember that Donghyuck loves you, okay?" Ari said and knocked on the door, before softly pressing the handle down.
Rays of Sunshine were painting the room in warm colours. The long desk was polished and decorated with little bouquets of flowers and cups filled with pink-white pens. On the other side was a big panorama window with a wonderful sight of Seoul's skyline.
On every other day, Daera would have loved to stare out of the window and look through the room that was decorated with Posters of SM Idols on their walls. But today the room was giving her the chills. She quietly sat down on one of the free chairs.
She and Ari were the first ones. Daera was glad Lee Soo Man wasn't here yet. She had the greatest respect for him.
A knock on the door, made her body freeze but once she heard Donghyuck's voice she relaxed and turned around. The door slightly opened and Donghyuck entered the room, followed by one of his managers. He was intensively talking to his manager, so he didn't realise that his girlfriend was already in the room.
"Donghyuck!" Daera called and the singer turned around and eyed his girlfriend. The way he locked his eyes with her and send her a weak smile, made tears welling up in her eyes. She tightly pressed her lips together, when Donghyuck walked up to her and daringly pressed a kiss on the top of her head.
"I'm so sorry, love", he whispered and sat down opposite of Daera while Ari and Hamin were quietly talking. "It's okay. We should've been aware that this kind of situation would happen sooner or later." The girl answered and Donghyuck nodded. "I just thought we could keep it a secret until we marry." He chuckled and Daera tilted her head. "What if they force me to break up with you?"
Donghyuck quickly shook his head. "In no way, I am letting my company getting between us. I love being a singer, but if that means I have to break up with you, I would stop being an NCT Member!" - "Don't be selfish, Donghyuck!" Daera lifted her finger. "You would break SO many hearts if you would leave NCT and SM behind. Plus, I don't want to be the reason you stopped living your dream!"
The two teenagers looked at each other when the door opened with a slight bang and none other than Lee Soo Man entered the room. His eyes landed on the girl that was sitting on one of his chairs. "Oh, you're indeed a student..." The CEO whispered and quickly scanned Daera.
"So the insider wasn't wrong when they said you're not a celebrity." Lee Soo Man greeted the two managers with a handshake, before sitting down in his chair. His eyes were still on Daera and it sends a shiver down her spine. "I'm Lee Soo Man, SM Entertainment's founder and CEO." He introduced himself and Daera nodded. These were information she already knew.
"I'm aware of who you are, Sir." The girl said and Mr Lee nodded. "But I am not aware of who you are and where you came from. And I am not aware of how you ended up dating Haechan." Lee Soo Man stared at Daera with fierce in his dark brown eyes and the girl gulped. He was intimidating.
"So who the hell are you? And why are you dating Haechan?"
