The following morning came when K-East arrived early at the broadcasting station and the studio buzzed with energy full of stylists adjusting outfits, producers barking cues, and cameras rolling. The boys moved through it like professionals, but an undercurrent of unease threaded through the group.
As the crew prepped the stage, the members huddled backstage for final vocal warmups. With Taeyeon and Joon-wo kept stealing guarded glances at each other, their unease growing more visible with every passing second.
Jaesang narrowed his eyes at them and leaned towards Jiyoo, whispering. “Are those two good?”
Jiyoo blinked, pulling himself out of a fog of thought. “What?”
“Never mind,” Jaesang muttered with a frown, equally puzzled by Jiyoo’s distance and absentmindedness as well.
Of course his mind was miles away back to his recent, unexpected encounter with Valerie, also known as Yon-hae. That meeting had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. Her presence haunted his thoughts and the danger of her situation mixing with guilt and confusion.
Hwan stepped in and clapped his hands loudly to draw their attention. “Snap out of it, guys. We’re going to be live at ten. Jiyoo, I need your head in the game.
Jiyoo gave a small nod, but his eyes remained clouded.
On the other hand, Taeyun’s jaw was clenched tight, his nerves coiled like springs. He wasn’t just dealing with the pressure of the show. He was carrying the weight of secrets that weren’t his to tell. Most of all, Jiyoo’s. The knowledge that Ryung is a covert enemy and being Si-woo’s ruthless right hand will complicate everything.
One misstep, one careless word, and Valerie’s safety could be compromised.
As they stepped into the studio lights, the tension was thick enough to cut through.
Taeyun silently repeated to himself. “Don’t say anything. Protect them. Especially her.”
Hwan repeated again. "Alright, everyone, places! We’re live in ten seconds. Focus up."
Jiyoo said distractedly. "Yeah… right."
Hwan reminded him firmly. "Jiyoo, I mean it. Whatever’s going on in your head, leave it offstage."
Jaesang hissed in a low tone of voice, questioning in distraught. "What’s going on with you? And with Taeyun and Joon-woo? It’s weird today."
Jiyoo mumbled. "It’s nothing. Just tired."
Taeyun repeated to himself calmly in his mind. "Keep it together. Don’t mess this up. Don’t say her name."
“And now, please welcome… K-East!” The host exclaimed with a pleasant smile and hand gesture towards the group where the audience is giving them a subtle applause and cheer.
Once the lights went up in a few different colours, the seven members snapped into formation.
The performance was sharp, their harmonies flawless and the choreography tight. Three minutes later, another applause erupted as they finished, and the host beckoned them over to the couch for the interview segment.
The host was clapping, along with them with a smile, saying. “That was incredible as always! K-East, welcome back to Good Morning! How does it feel performing your new singles live for the first time?”
“It’s always a thrill. We’ve worked hard on these tracks and wanted to share this moment with our fans,” Jaesang grinned when he and the rest of the members sat down on the couch.
“And the choreography? It's intense!”
“It definitely took some bruises and late nights to get it right, but we love challenging ourselves,” Joon-wo replied.
“I have to ask. Who’s the perfectionist in the group?”
The members then chuckled as they looked at each other in amusement and nonchalant.
Jiyoo forced a smile and answered. “I’d say Taeyun. He notices everything.”
Taeyun nodded calmly in agreement: “Only because I want us to be the best. We all hold each other to a high standard.”
“That’s what makes you such a strong team. So, what’s next for K-East after this promo cycle?” The host asked.
“We’ve got more surprises lined up. Maybe even something overseas—I can't say too much yet/ So it’s coming soon, guys” Ryung answered with a smile as he pointed his finger towards the camera and to the live audience.
“You guys love keeping us on edge!” The host teased.
After the cameras cut to commercial, the members gave their final bows and returned backstage. Assistants swarmed around them, offering towels, water bottles, and quick touch-ups before their post-performance interview clips were filmed. Despite the dazzling smiles and casual remarks they gave on air, the atmosphere backstage was anything but relaxed. Jiyoo quietly slipped away to a quieter corner, gripping his phone like a lifeline. His thoughts kept spiraling back to Valerie—Yon-hae. The secret of her identity, the risk she was in, and his part in keeping her safe—it all sat heavily on his shoulders.
Taeyun noticed immediately. He walked over, careful not to draw attention. His voice was low and steady. “You alright?”
Jiyoo nodded, avoiding his eyes. “I’m fine.”
Taeyun hesitated before adding, “She’s not safe, you know that. And they’re are still watching.”
Jiyoo’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t ask for this.”
Taeyun’s expression didn’t change, but his voice grew even quieter. “None of us did. But we’re in it now. So just… don’t lose it on camera.”
A few feet away, Jaesang leaned against the wall with a bottle of water, watching the two with a slight frown. He nudged Joon-woo, who stood beside him silently scrolling through his phone.
“You feel that?” Jaesang asked, nodding toward Taeyun and Jiyoo.
Joon-woo didn’t look up. “Yeah. They’re hiding something.”
Jaesang narrowed his eyes. “Do you think it’s serious?”
“Serious enough for Taeyun to act like a security guard and Jiyoo to forget his lyrics during rehearsal.”
Just then, Ryung reentered the room, clapping his hands to get their attention. “Alright, guys, focus up! We’ve got two more interview segments and a backstage vlog to shoot. Let’s keep the energy up and the tension down, yeah?”
He looked pointedly at Jiyoo.
Jiyoo straightened. “Got it.”
But Taeyun glanced away, the weight of the secret pressing heavier with each word they didn’t say.
Back in the interview zone, the mood tried to rebound. The host rejoined them for a lighthearted segment—“Who’s Most Likely To”—complete with cards and laughs. On camera, the group shined again.
“Okay, next card—who’s most likely to accidentally spill a group secret?” The host clasped his hands together with an exciting grin at them.
Everyone laughs, but Taeyun’s smile is slightly stiff.
Jaesang nodded with a grin. “Definitely Jiyoo. He gets nervous and blurts things out.”
Jiyoo laughed nervously. “Hey! I’ve kept all of your secrets.”
“Not all of them,” Joon-wo said dryly.
“You probably spilled one of them,” Min-Jun teased.
Taeyun pointed out quickly. “He’s better than he used to be. Let’s just say we’ve all learned to trust each other more.”
“Ooh, mysterious. I sense some behind-the-scenes drama,” The host became intrigued.
Hwan interjected with a smile. “That’s K-East for you. What happens offstage, stays offstage.”
Despite the playful tone, everyone felt the subtle shift in energy when secrets were mentioned. Jiyoo’s smile faded ever so slightly. Taeyun’s foot tapped anxiously beneath the table. And even Jaesang now watched the two with sharper interest. The show went on, as it always did—but underneath the music and media buzz, something was quietly unraveling.
After the cameras stopped rolling for good and the crew began tearing down the set, the members of K-East finally exhaled. The show had gone off without a hitch, at least on the surface. As soon as they got back to their dressing room, everyone began to peel out of their stage jackets and loosen up—everyone except Taeyun and Jiyoo. The tension between them still lingered like fog, heavy and unmoving. Hwan glanced at the two of them but chose not to push—he’d learned by now when to step in and when to let things play out.
“Anyone hungry?” Jaesang offered, trying to lift the mood. “I heard their green room has decent snacks.”
“Yeah, go without me,” Jiyoo muttered, already half-distracted, his fingers scrolling through his phone, checking for messages that didn’t come.
Taeyun leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed. He looked calm, but inside, his mind was racing.
“We need to talk,” he said quietly.
Jiyoo sighed, finally meeting his gaze. “I know.”
“Not here. Hwan’s watching, and so is Ryung.”
“I know, Taeyun.”
Just then, Ryung glanced up from his seat and raised a brow. “Is everything cool between you two?”
Taeyun offered a tight-lipped smile. “All good. Just tired.”
Jiyoo added with a half-laugh, “We’re always like this. You should see us on tour.”
The answer wasn’t convincing—but it was enough to stop the questions for now.
Outside the studio later that afternoon, as their van pulled up to take them to their next schedule, Taeyun pulled Jiyoo aside.
“You can’t afford to crack,” he said in a low voice. “If you slip even once, Ryung will know. And so will Si-woo.”
Jiyoo stared at him. “What if I already did? What if she’s in danger because of me?”
Taeyun’s eyes hardened. “Then we both fix it. Quietly. We can’t let the others get dragged into this.”
The lights, the applause, the rehearsed answers—it all felt like a blur to Jiyoo. He smiled when he had to. He laughed when the others laughed. But inside, his head was a hurricane. Valerie—no, Yon-hae—was all he could think about. Her voice. Her eyes. The way she looked at him like he was the only one left who could help her. And the guilt. The guilt was unbearable.
He kept replaying the last thing she said to him.
“Be careful who you trust. They’re closer than you think.”
Every time Taeyun looked at him with that silently urgent stare, it just confirmed it. Something was coming. And it was coming fast.
When the host asked who was most likely to spill a secret, Jiyoo nearly flinched. He laughed it off, but his heart pounded in his chest like a warning bell. Don’t react. Don’t give them anything. He could feel the others watching. Jaesang was catching on. Joon-woo already suspected something. And Hwan—Hwan always knew more than he let on.
After the show, Jiyoo wanted to disappear. He didn’t want to talk, eat, or keep pretending everything was fine.
When Taeyun said “We need to talk,” he knew the moment couldn’t be pushed any further. He was tired of lying. But he was more tired of being scared.
“How did things get this bad? When did singing and dancing turn into espionage and secrets?”
And yet, he knew there was no turning back.
That afternoon inside the private base, the Narrow Squad; Beom, Luke, Sunghoon, Max, Byung-seok, Woonjae, Julong, Moonki, Henry, and Yuki, joined a tense conference call with several members of Thirteen, including Victor, Jace, Jaeyong, Hiro, Dongyul, and Dongsun. The conversation was serious with both groups aligned on one goal: to prepare a strategic backup plan to dismantle the K-pop industry by exposing its hidden corruption and darkest secrets. There was an air of quiet fury and purpose on the line. These weren’t just rebellious artists; they were insiders with access, knowledge, and motive. Names of powerful executives were exchanged, alongside encrypted files, audio recordings, and stories the public had never heard. It was more than revenge, it was a mission.
"We all know what they’ve done. The manipulation. The cover-ups. The exploitation. This isn't about making noise, this is about taking the whole system down," Victor said sternly.
"And we have the receipts. Contracts. DMs. Footage they thought they deleted—we kept it all," Beom pointed out.
"Once we go public, there’s no turning back. We’ll be risking everything," Yuki said.
"Then we make sure it counts. One clean strike, and the industry won’t know what hit them," Jaeyong stated.
"So what’s the trigger? Who gives the signal?" Sunghoon asked blankly.
"We wait until the right moment when the industry is most vulnerable, according to what boss Kain and Jason said. Then, we burn it all down," Hiro instructed.
“Wait, where are they?” Dongsun wondered.
“They’re in a private meeting with Eugene on the phone call upstairs and then in about twenty minutes, they’ll come here to discuss the plans with us,” Byung-seok noted.
Luke gazed calmly but coldly, saying. "Good. Let’s finish what they started and what they tried to silence."
All of the members nodded in agreement as they continued on for their preparation.
After finishing their rehearsals that evening, Jiyoo and Taeyun went to Bryan’s apartment to check in about Valerie’s whereabouts. Bryan, who seemed relaxed and chatty, welcomed them in along with Sally and Ava.
“Hey,” he greeted casually.
“Hi, can we come in?” Jiyoo asked.
“Of course,” Bryan said, gesturing them forward to enter.
“Sup,” Taeyun gave a nod at him with a thin smile.
The two best friends settled down in the living room while facing each other as the music from the TV was playing.
“So how was the interview and performance and where’s the rest of the group?” Bryan asked in puzzlement.
Jiyoo sank on the couch, saying. “They’re busy doing their own things as of now and honestly, I thought I was gonna mess up the chorus. My mic felt like it was slipping the whole time.”
“You did stumble a little on that first line. Don’t think we didn’t notice,” Taeyun chuckled.
“Nah, you guys pulled it off. It actually looked clean on-screen, especially Min-junie,” Sally complimented and blushed.
“Except that one camera guy zoomed in way too close during Jaesang and Hwan’s wink,” Ava added in.
“Oh for sure. Our golden maknae always has that charm,” Taeyun nodded and slightly grinned.
For a moment there, the smile from Jiyoo’s face was slowly faltering as he was fidgeting his hands together carefully with his back hunched over and his elbows resting on his lap.
As soon as Taeyun noticed it, he exhaled and gently asked them. “Actually, we also came here to ask you guys about something.”
“What is it?” Bryan blinked in surprise.
“Um.. well, we want to know if you guys are still in contact with Eugene,” Taeyun mentioned.
There was a long pause when Bryan, Sally, and Ava became slightly tense.
“Do you know where he is?” Jiyoo stared at them in worry.
“Wait. What about him?” Sally raised her eyebrow skeptically.
“We just want to know if he already found out,” he implied.
“About what?”
“That Valerie is alive,” Jiyoo mentioned simply in reassurance.
Just then, the trio hitched their breaths with their eyes widening in bewilderment.
“You both knew?!” Sally gawked.
“Since when did that happen?!” Ava asked ghastly.
Jiyoo sighed and explained his story deeply. “It was the other night when the rest of our group members and I snuck out of the Big Prime headquarters, then we were trying to track down Hyun-Aera’s imposter on the highway road. Then somewhere along the way, we ended up on the other side of the forest and I volunteered to go and capture her in the empty crack house. I was fighting her to get the Platinum object from her hands, and just when her mask fell off her face, I was too stunned and in disbelief to find out that the girl was Yon-hae Lockhart, who is now known as Valerie.”
“Wait, what?” Sally blinked twice shockingly.
“Valerie is who?” Ava repeated.
“Yon-hae… Yon-hae Lockhart,” Jiyoo said and continued on. “Taeyeon and I have known her way back in high school, but she was also from my childhood past…”
“Oh shit…” Ava breathed
“That is crazy…” Bryan stood up from his spot and was flabbergasted, then turned to look at them in perplexity. “But how could this be?!”
“I don’t know, I guess it was fate…” Jiyoo said softly as he stared absentmindedly at the mug on the table in front of him.
“We also found out too,” Sally stepped in.
“You guys as well?” Taeyun was surprised.
“Yeah, I met her at a coffee shop,” she murmured despondently.
“How?”
“From Eugene. He texted me saying that there is a special friend who wants to see me because I haven’t seen her in a while right after the New Year’s Eve party,” Sally said.
“It was Valerie the whole time … Two years ago, right?” Taeyun pointed out.
“Mmhm, the whole time,” Sally nodded in response.
“Even Min-Jun figured it out, but he didn’t want to assume right away,” Taeyun muttered.
“Unbelievable,” Ava was speechless.
“I know, it’s so much to process and I still feel awful after I left her back there,” Sally said.
“But why?” Taeyun furrowed his eyebrows in deep worry.
“It’s hard to explain with all the things that's been happening lately. I’m sure she’s the only one who can tell everything herself to you,” she bit her bottom lip intensely.
“So do you guys know where she could be?” Jiyoo asked.
“From what we heard so far, she’s at some Patio Night Bar & Grill,” Bryan replied.
“Where exactly?”
“The 100 Baek Terrace, like near the Sky Kingdom building. She’s with-” he pointed out.
“However, just as he was about to reveal who Valerie was with, the two girls, who were sitting beside him, immediately caught on and stomped hard on his foot, silencing him with a sharp glare.
“Gah!!”
“She’s with another friend,” Ava blurted out quickly with a forced smile.
The sudden move made Bryan wince and retreat awkwardly, leaving Jiyoo and Taeyun in puzzlement and confusion.
“Y-yeah, she’s just hanging out and trying to ease her mind,” Sally half-smiled, but they noticed that they were being suspicious about their answers.
“Ah… Okay, I see…” Jiyoo said, nodding slowly in observation. He raised his eyebrows and went on, saying. “But yeah, I just wanted to give her something as my sincere apology for all those years that I’ve said and tormented her.”
Sally and Ava made a nervous glance at each other and nodded in silence.
“Don’t worry, she will accept it and will understand you…” Sally said, but was a little hesitant.
The tension in the room spiked and suspicion lingered in the air felt heavy with something unsaid.Still unsettled by the awkward silence and Bryan’s obvious reluctance to reveal who Valerie was with, Jiyoo exchanged a sharp look with Taeyun. The vibe in the room had shifted and Sally and Ava were clearly hiding something, while Bryan was too timid to go against them.
“Alright, then… Um, we’ll be heading there now,” Jiyoo stood up from his spot, including Taeyeon, who turned around and thanked them before the two of them excused themselves. As soon as they stepped out into the hallway and closed the door, he pulled out his phone and searched for directions.
His best friend was quiet, but alert and they weren’t just going out of curiosity anymore.
Something about Valerie’s sudden absence, and the fact people were protecting the truth, made Jiyoo’s chest tighten and his mind reeling fast.
Taeyun was also thinking too, not only about Valerie, but about what he knew… and what he couldn’t say. The night air was cool, but tension between the two of them was growing warm and sharp.
“You felt that, right?” Jiyoo said in a peculiar way.
Taeyun nodded. “Yeah. They were definitely hiding something.”
“I’m going. I don’t care who she’s with, but if they’re acting like that, I need to see it with my own eyes.”
“Are you sure it’s a good idea? What if she just needed space?”
“Then she can tell me that herself. Not through whispers and foot-stomps.”
Taeyun doesn’t respond immediately. He looks conflicted, biting the inside of his cheek.
Jiyoo glanced at him in question. “You know something you’re not telling me?”
“...It’s complicated.”
“So is everything with Valerie. But I’m not just going to sit around while people play games.”
He starts walking faster and Taeyun sighs, then catches up.
“Fine. Let’s go. But be ready—whatever you see tonight… it might not be what you’re expecting,” he stated, which made Jiyoo stare at him blankly.
That night, the warm glow of the terrace lights wrapped around the rooftop of 100 Baek Terrace Bar, nestled near the towering Sky Kingdom building. Seoul’s skyline glittered beneath them like a sea of stars, and the subtle hum of the city below made the moment feel quietly alive. Valerie and Eugene sat side by side at a corner table, their drinks in hand, laughter fading from their lips as they slipped into a comfortable silence. The air between them wasn’t awkward—it was full of familiarity, like a favorite melody they both knew by heart.
Eugene glanced at her, a soft smile playing on his lips. “You know,” he began, his voice calm, “I still remember the exact moment I asked you out.”
Valerie turned to him, amused. “When you could barely look at me and started rambling about ramen and relationships?”
Eugene let out a laugh. “I was so nervous. I practiced the line like, ten times in my head, and still managed to mess it up.”
“You were sweating bullets,” she said, giggling. “I thought you were gonna faint right there in front of the vending machine.”
He grinned. “But then you said yes… and suddenly everything felt right.”
Valerie’s eyes softened. “Of course I said yes. You’ve always been more than just my best friend.”
A gentle breeze swept across the terrace, and Eugene reached for the guitar leaning near the outdoor stage. “Let’s sing it. For old times’ sake.”
“Seriously?” Valerie raised a brow, but her smile betrayed her excitement.
“Come on,” he said. “You always said this was our song.”
They stood together near the edge of the terrace, the city lights twinkling below them.
As Eugene grabbed his own guitar, he strummed the opening chords and Valerie joined in. Their voices blended in sweet harmony as they sang “Lucky I’m in Love with My Best Friend.”
“Verse 1: Do you hear me? I'm talking to you
Across the water, across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my
Baby, I'm trying
Boy, I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard…”
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLS2BZLAKji
A few heads turned their way, but the world felt far away—this was their moment.
“Chorus: Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh,
ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh, ooh-ooh…”
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTyKgsLHjW
Valerie and Eugene twirled and smiled at each other as they swift over to the other side of the table and stood in the center outside of the terrace with the others watching them perform.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9n1jfUG9C
“Verse 2: And so, I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair
Though the breezes, through the trees
You move so pretty, you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning 'round
You hold me right here, right now…”
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡls1tj5DQXL
Eugene then put his guitar away to the waiter, whereas his friend came in and played it for him instead. He took a couple of steps in front of Valerie while looking at her.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8DPHXM2RL
“Chorus: Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday…”
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJD663w7lKQ
The two of them stepped closer a few inches from each other, looking deeply into their eyes, singing in harmony.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNeTVUOonS
“Outro: Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh…”
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo5SXZqtwN
When the song ended, Eugene looked at her again, more serious this time. “You’ve been my safe place, Val. Even when things around us feel unstable… being with you feels like home.”
Valerie didn’t say anything right away, but she reached out and gently squeezed his hand softly. “And I feel the same...”
The music faded into the background, and as they stood there—just two people above a bustling city, wrapped in something honest and unspoken—it was clear: theirs was a connection rooted not just in history, but in something real.
“Valerie,” he said, his voice low but steady, “I know we’ve always said we were just best friends. And honestly, that’s been one of the best parts of my life. But I don’t want to just be your best friend anymore.”
Valerie blinked, her breath catching slightly as her smile faded into something more serious, more present.
Eugene continued, his eyes locked with hers. “I want to be the person who walks beside you through all of it—through the chaos, the spotlight, the quiet moments like this. So… will you be my girlfriend?”
For a second, Valerie was silent. Not out of hesitation, but out of sheer surprise and emotion. Her eyes shimmered slightly under the soft terrace lights. Then, slowly, she broke into a smile—warm and genuine.
“Yes,” she whispered at first, then louder, clearer. “Yes, Eugene.”
The small crowd at the rooftop bar erupted into spontaneous claps and cheerful whistles. A few people raised their glasses toward the couple, and someone from the bar even called out, “About time!”
Eugene laughed, a little shy but clearly overjoyed, and Valerie covered her face briefly in embarrassment before leaning in and hugging him tight before they kissed.
As they stood there—wrapped in each other’s arms, applause surrounding them—it felt like Seoul paused for a brief second just to celebrate them. Their friendship had brought them this far, but now it was something more. Something real, and beautifully new.
Unbeknownst to them, just beyond the warm lights of the 100 Baek Terrace Bar, standing near the rooftop’s corner stairwell, Jiyoo stood in the shadows. He had come quietly, unsure of what he’d find—unsure even of what he wanted to say. In his hand, he clutched a small bouquet of white and blush-toned flowers, slightly trembling from the late evening chill and something heavier in his chest. He had rehearsed his words the entire way there: an apology, a confession, maybe even a second chance. But the moment he arrived, his steps slowed, and his breath caught.
There, under the fairy lights and against the backdrop of the glowing skyline, stood Valerie, who wrapped in Eugene’s arms, the two of them glowing with a happiness Jiyoo hadn’t seen on her face in a long time. He heard the tail end of Eugene’s voice, full of hope.
Eugene said softly. “Thank you… for saying yes.”
Valerie teased with a giggle. “You didn’t think I would?”
The sight cut through Jiyoo sharper than any words could. His fingers loosened around the bouquet until the flowers slipped from his hand and landed softly on the pavement with a muted rustle. The petals scattered gently, unnoticed by the couple.
His smile, which had been faint and hopeful, slowly vanished. His eyes, once determined, turned glassy with disappointment. He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to make sense of what he was seeing—of what he’d lost. And then, without a word, he turned away.
His footsteps echoed quietly as he descended the stairs, leaving behind the rooftop, the flowers, and the moment he was too late for.
Jiyoo said quietly to himself. “Guess I really was too late, huh?”
Valerie rested her chin lightly against Eugene’s shoulder, her eyes closed in contentment, while Eugene gently held her close, his hand brushing through her hair with affection. Neither of them noticed the quiet presence that had once been there… nor what he left behind. Just a few feet away, partially hidden beneath the glow of a nearby lamp, lay a bouquet of fresh flowers—now bruised from the fall. Next to it, slightly crumpled by the breeze and damp from the cold ground, was a small paper sign in uneven handwriting that read: “Please forgive me.” The words were simple but aching, penned with hope that was now gone.
ns216.73.216.78da2
