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Then, I was outside. The cold hit my skin, sharp and biting. My pulse raced as I walked faster, the city buzzing around me.

But just as I turned a corner—

“Seo-yeon!”

Baekhyun’s voice.

I kept walking.

“Seo-yeon, wait.”

Footsteps behind me. Quick, determined.

Before I could take another step, a hand wrapped around mine, warm and familiar.

I stopped. With no other choice, I turned to face him, my pulse unsteady. Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The sounds of the city faded, leaving just the two of us standing in a quiet alley—not in Paris this time, but in Seoul.

A voice in the back of my mind whispered doubts. Maybe she’s not his ex.Maybe they got back together. Maybe that’s why she’s here tonight—why she thought the song was about her.

Baekhyun finally broke the silence, his tone firm but laced with emotion.

“You know the song is about you.”

When I didn’t respond, he said it again, softer this time.

“You know that.”

I let out a shaky breath, but I still couldn’t bring myself to speak.

Baekhyun’s grip on my hand loosened slightly, like he was afraid I’d pull away. His eyes searched mine, waiting, but I wasn’t sure what for. An answer? A reaction?

The night air was cold against my skin, but my thoughts were louder than anything else.

You know the song is about you.

His words echoed in my mind, but I didn’t know what to do with them.

I swallowed hard, still staring at the ground. “Then why didn’t you call?”

It was the only thing I could say, the only thing I could think about. If I had meant something—if Paris had meant something—why had he disappeared?

His jaw tensed, and for the first time, he looked away. “Because I was scared.”

I frowned, lifting my gaze. “Scared?”

Baekhyun exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “You said it yourself, Seo-yeon. What happened in Paris… stays in Paris.” His voice was quiet, measured. “I didn’t want to ruin it.”

I stared at him, my heart twisting in ways I didn’t know how to stop. “So you just let it end?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he took a small step closer. “I tried to move on,” he admitted. “I thought maybe you wanted me to.”

The honesty in his voice made it hard to breathe. I felt a lump in my throat. “And now?”

His gaze held mine, steady. “Now, I just want to know… if I was wrong.”

I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I just looked at him—reallylooked at him.