"How is this even real?" Woo-Bin scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief as the sensational news of the royal family unveiling yet another hidden prince blared from the screens of every media outlet, including the small television mounted above the vendor cart where he sat. "Is the royal family a joke? First, a twin, and now a cousin? Do they think the public is so easy to fool?" He declared, absently sliding succulent pieces of grilled meat from their skewers, while onlookers passing by cast curious glances at his unapologetic remarks.
"Keep your voice down," Haruto soothed, elbowing Woo-Bin gently as he leaned in closer, his features obscured behind a snug black mask. With a firm grip, he pulled Woo-Bin aside, attempting to shield him from prying ears. "A normal person might be allowed an opinion, but remember you're an idol. One more negative article, and we might as well disband than continue pretending to date." Haruto sighed heavily, adjusting the mask that had become a second skin for him amidst the chaos. "If only Jay hadn't punched me earlier, we wouldn't have been labeled the 'chaos couple'." Gritting his teeth at the memories, he cast a sideways glance at Woo-Bin, who erupted into laughter.
"You laugh now!" Haruto exclaimed, playfully hitting Woo-Bin on the arm as his chuckles only grew louder. "You're the one who jinxed us into this! 'Date me'? You idiot!" he shouted half-heartedly, knocking Woo-Bin back onto the pavement with a dramatic flourish. Woo-Bin's laughter rang out, completely undaunted by their tenuous situation, the title 'chaos couple' echoing in the back of his mind as if it were a badge of honor.
"Chaos couple... has a nice ring to it," Woo-Bin teased, reveling in Haruto's evident discomfort, heightened by the recent leak of photographs captured during their attempts to blend in while trying to find Wuhao's favorite street food. Although Haruto had masked his face due to earlier injuries, within mere hours, the internet had deemed them the embodiment of romantic chaos in the public eye, just as their group faced an array of legal and emotional struggles.
"Anyways, was that the one?" Haruto deftly redirected his focus back to the primary purpose of their outing, scanning their surroundings for Wuhao's coveted snack. They had been on a sprawling quest for days, traversing various vendor stalls in search of the elusive Malai boti samosa that Wuhao cherished, though they didn't know what it was called.
"Isn't that supposed to be more creamy? This one was a bit on the dry side," Woo-Bin remarked, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Haruto's expression, incorrectly interpreting the comment's intention. Haruto shot him a disgusted look, taking a step back while maintaining his usual composure. "Let's keep looking. I know it's around here somewhere," he insisted, determined.
Meanwhile, miles away, Eui-Jin was grappling with his burgeoning anxiety. "When will these kids stop causing me trouble?" he mouthed silently as he paced around his cluttered office, visibly distressed. Mr. Jung watched him with eyebrows raised, perplexed by Eui-Jin's melodramatic antics. "Was the blame for one engagement not enough? Now the entire public's going to blame me for another one!" Eui-Jin howled, launching himself onto the plush couch and kicking his feet against the cushions in a fit of frustration. "Bring it on, old man. Read me the perfect headlines you approved this morning." He instructed Mr. Jung with a dramatic flair, who merely stared back at him with an expression of unfazed patience before picking up the tablet displaying the morning's news.
"LUMINA: A case of passion vs. greed; The royal family unveils another heir while LUMINA announces yet another engagement. Free idols to date publicly or sell them for profit—pick one, Eui-Jin. This one's just amazing," Mr. Jung pronounced with a chuckle, prompting Eui-Jin's dagger-like glare in response. Eui-Jin quickly dismissed himself with an exaggerated cough, glancing down at the comments flooding in from the public.
"User Jaysnosehair wrote: 'It's obvious they're a cash grab. I fell in love with them because of their unapologetic nature. Besides breaking the norms of idol dating, they snagged a prince, which was amazing! But this? This is just excessive, even for the demographic. Clearly, they're cash cows at this point. And to do this to Wuhao amidst all the scandals? It's time to let go.' Oh, wait. The username just changed to Christopherstoehair." Mr. Jung scoffed lightly, trying to ease the mounting tension, placing the tablet on the table as he crossed his legs towards Eui-Jin. "I'm afraid that was the only positive comment." His awkward smile only triggered a wave of defeat in Eui-Jin, who burst into tears, overwhelmed by a sense of selfishness and helplessness.
"I didn't even do anything, Christopherstoehair!" he screamed, hurling the pillow onto the floor before snatching another one to bite down on in frustration. "Two members in a dating scandal, one physically abused two others, another tried to escape an engagement and ended up failing miserably, and one just got engaged to a new prince..." He sighed dramatically, his gaze flickering to Mr. Jung and then out the window as despair consumed him. "I think it's time to jump off." The sudden swell of embarrassment colored his cheeks as he reconsidered, "Maybe I should wait another two minutes. Someone might throw a brick in." Barely finishing his thought, a brick suddenly hurtled through the air, crashing through his window and striking the leg of his desk, scattering his stuff everywhere. However, instead of recoiling in shock, Eui-Jin felt a surge of regret as he rushed to peer outside, searching for the culprit. "You missed, bastard! I'm right here! Hit me again!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs, as Mr. Jung rushed over, pulling him away just in time for yet another brick to come flying in, smashing into the trophy shelf with a resounding crash. "Oh Lord... just take me already!" Eui-Jin cried, wrapping his arms around his head in dramatic surrender. "Amen to that."
"How's the public receiving this?" Jae-Yul inquired, glancing up from the mountain of documents piled high on his desk. His secretary, visibly anxious, adjusted his glasses before providing a detailed report.
"The general sentiment among the public seems to be leaning toward Mr. Xeng, with a notable wave of sympathy for Prince Seok-Hwan. However, tensions are escalating against Mr. Park. Earlier today, several office windows were vandalized with bricks, some specifically aimed at Mr. Park's office," the secretary explained, his tone grave. Jae-Yul nodded absently, dismissing the man with a wave, his focus shifting back to his phone. He began scrolling through a series of speculative articles that had surfaced in light of recent events.
One article caught his attention, its bold headline proclaiming Eui-Jin's unexpected connections to the royal family. It discussed the controversial engagement initiatives involving the prince and how the king had formally proposed to Ha-Neul on Jae-Yul's behalf. "The king's choice of Ha-Neul was predictable, given that he's considered the most desirable bachelor—even now," the article read. Jae-Yul's eyes narrowed as he continued, "However, the immediate announcement of another heir and the timing surrounding this engagement raise eyebrows. Prince Seok-Hwan, being eight years older than Wuhao, suggests that this announcement wasn't spontaneous. It's clear the king orchestrated it to coincide with Wuhao's eighteenth birthday. The question remains: why Wuhao?"
The article delved deeper into Eui-Jin's personal ties to the royal family, mentioning his close connection with his former colleague Jay, who had turned down lucrative offers from major corporations to join Eui-Jin's startup. Speculations circulated about what Eui-Jin and LUMINA planned to achieve by drawing the royal family into this web of engagements.
"Is that so?" Jae-Yul scoffed, a sardonic smile creeping across his face as he turned off his phone. He leaned back in his chair, feeling a sense of triumph. The royal family's reputation and power were at stake, leading the public to speculate that they were being blackmailed, all thanks to the chaos Seok-Hwan and Wuhao had caused. "They should know who pulls the strings," he declared, beckoning for his secretary once more. As the man reentered the room, Jae-Yul produced a USB drive from his desk drawer and placed it deliberately on the table. "I think it's about time I considered marriage, wouldn't you agree?" His smirk was pronounced, yet his weary eyes hinted at deeper concerns. "Another member has entered the fray. It's time for us to seal the deal—permanently."
In his dorm room, Ha-Neul was distracted by the sound of persistent knocking. Turning off the kettle, he made his way to the door, where Rui, his personal stylist and confidant, stood looking unusually anxious. Rui had been assigned by Eui-Jin to handle Ha-Neul's personal mail, a responsibility bestowed upon him due to his sincere and trustworthy nature.
"It's quite rare for me to receive personal mail directly," Ha-Neul joked lightly, noting that most of his correspondence underwent stringent security checks. He smiled, trying to lighten the mood, but Rui remained tense, his hands fidgeting with a mysterious envelope.
"This arrived from an anonymous sender," Rui finally said, pulling a USB drive from the envelope. He set down a laptop and connected the device, his expression grave. "Normally, I would disregard something like this, but there was a letter attached," he continued, handing it to Ha-Neul. As Ha-Neul read the letter, the smile faded from his face, replaced with worry as his brows knitted together with each alarming detail.
The letter meticulously listed Ha-Neul's visit to the nightclub when he was sent to bring the prince, complete with timestamps and the names of accompanying individuals. Rui opened the recording, and Ha-Neul's heart sank as he watched the scene unfold—footage of him engaging in an intimate action with another man whose face was indistinguishable, a moment that could easily be taken out of context, though only Ha-Neul knew about the truth, since Jae-Yul didn't remember that night.
Overwhelmed with panic, Ha-Neul slammed the laptop shut, his pulse racing. Desperate to obliterate any evidence, he dashed to the bathroom, swiftly disposing of the USB in the toilet and then tearing the letter into sections before dropping them into the sink. Frantic, he searched the room for any leftover traces of the incriminating material and abruptly grabbed Rui by the arm.
"Did you tell anyone about this?" Ha-Neul demanded, urgency etched on his face. Rui shook his head vigorously. "Good. I need you to go to Mr. Jung immediately and explain the situation. Mention my name and insist for an urgent meeting. Make sure no one else hears about this," Ha-Neul instructed, releasing Rui and watching him dash off, trusting in his discretion. But even that assurance didn't quell Ha-Neul's anxiety; he needed a plan, and fast.
"Mr. Lee is here," the secretary announced, breaking the heavy silence that enveloped Jae-Yul as he sat with his chin resting on his hand, immersed in thought at his desk. With a subtle nod of his head, he ordered him to send Ha-Neul in. A fleeting smile tugged at the corners of his mouth; however, it vanished the moment he laid eyes on Ha-Neul as he entered the room, breathless and visibly disheveled.
Rising from his chair, Jae-Yul approached Ha-Neul, his expression shifting from mild amusement to stern disapproval.
"I don't recall granting you permission to come here unannounced," Jae-Yul said coolly, his grip tightening around Ha-Neul's left hand. He yanked at the ring finger, drawing attention to the faint, ghost-like mark that remained where a ring had once rested. "Especially now that you've become irrelevant to me." He pushed Ha-Neul back, retreating to his desk with an air of cold finality. "You can leave," he added, casually waving his hand as if he were brushing away an insignificant fly.
Ha-Neul scoffed, irritation bubbling beneath the surface as Jae-Yul's brash behavior reminded him all too well of why that ring finger lay bare. Yet he was not in a position to retaliate; the stakes were too high, and he couldn't afford a confrontation.
Adjusting his sleeves nervously, he stepped closer, attempting to find the right words. But before he could articulate his thoughts, Jae-Yul abruptly slammed an envelope onto his desk—its appearance eerily reminiscent of the one Ha-Neul had recently received, causing a jolt of alarm to surge through him. "If you're here to talk about this," Jae-Yul interrupted, his tone dismissive, "you should definitely leave. I have nothing to say to you."
Ha-Neul quickly snatched up the envelope, his heart racing as he revealed a USB drive nestled inside, identical to the one from earlier. Confusion twisted his brow as his gaze darted back to Jae-Yul, who had returned to his work with an unsettling nonchalance, appearing utterly unfazed.
"How can you be so calm?" Ha-Neul stammered, his voice laced with disbelief. "There's a video of us..." He trailed off, eyes widening as Jae-Yul met his gaze with an unsettling intensity. In one swift motion, Jae-Yul snatched the USB from Ha-Neul's trembling hand, swiftly plugging it into his computer and turning the monitor to face Ha-Neul.
"Us?" Jae-Yul raised an eyebrow, an infuriating smirk playing on his lips as he observed the panic spread across Ha-Neul's face. "All I see is you cozying up to a man whose face is unrecognizable in the video. Are you attempting to drag me into this mess?" He leaned back, watching with amusement as Ha-Neul's breathing quickened, the anxiety consuming him.
"What do you think would happen if the world discovered that you've been fooling around with other men behind my back?" Jae-Yul taunted, inching closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper in Ha-Neul's ear. "What would become of your precious image?" He chuckled, standing upright and casually slipping his hands into his pockets as he witnessed Ha-Neul's composure crumble.
"You know damn well who the person in that video is..." Ha-Neul finally managed to say, his fists clenched tightly as he fought to hold back the tears threatening to spill. "How could you...?" His voice cracked, revealing the fragility beneath his anguish. As he turned to face Jae-Yul, his heart ached anew at the sight of Jae-Yul's carefree smile, utterly unconcerned for Ha-Neul's turmoil. The realization struck him hard once more: it was precisely such indifference that had led him to break off their engagement. Yet, desperation clawed at him. In the current climate of scandals, he could not afford another public disgrace, and Jae-Yul was his only ally capable of protecting his reputation.
"I'll..." Ha-Neul hesitated, the anger boiling within him battling with his sense of urgency. He steadied himself and met Jae-Yul's self-satisfied gaze, feeling the weight of his predicament. "I'll..." After a moment's reflection, he placed his hands cautiously on Jae-Yul's shoulders, gripping the fabric of his shirt as if trying to anchor himself, even as regret washed over him for the words he was about to utter. "I'll do anything." The phrase escaped his lips, heavy with resignation, and Jae-Yul's face lit up with a predatory grin. He gently took Ha-Neul's hand, his fingers brushing against the ring finger, a silent reminder of their past bond. "You're not going to back on that," he said, his eyes glinting with malice. There indeed was no going back from that.