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Mom laughs and shakes her head. “Don’t be silly. Anyone would kill for the life you have. You’re a celebrity, Hyeri. The world is obsessed with you.”

“Yeah, and they’re obsessed with catching every single mistake I make. It’s too much. I feel like I’m suffocating.” I pound my fist against my still-tight chest. “Please, don’t make me go.”

Mom looks horrified. Then she shakes her head, her face becoming stern. “Shin Hyeri, you will listen to your mother. I know what’s best for you. Hyejun-ah, start the car, we have a flight to catch.”

“No.”

We both look up in shock at Hyejun’s reply.

“What did you just say to me?” Mom says slowly.

“You heard Hyeri, she doesn’t want to go. Can’t you just listen to her for once?” He doesn’t sound angry, but he sounds firm.

“Oppa,” I rasp out before my throat tightens and I can’t get more words free.

“Fine, I’ll just call a taxi. I will not let you make the biggest mistake of your career,” Mom says pulling out her phone. “You are going to LA with me.”

The airport was swarming with fans. Minseok asked the taxi to drop him off at the far end, but within minutes someone recognized him and shouted his name, which called the other fans’ attention to him.

Though they were all holding signs for Hyeri, they quickly converted to chasing him down. And without managers or security, he was overwhelmed. He had to escape back into the taxi while dozens of screaming fans surrounded the vehicle.

He could barely hear Jaehyung’s voice when he called.

“We got ahold of Hongjoo-noona! Her flight took off already. I’m sorry, Hyeong.”

Minseok knew it had been a long shot, but still, he was disappointed.

Back at the apartment, Minseok curses quietly as he climbs into the elevator. He wanted to see Hyeri before she left. Even if she’s coming back, he doesn’t want her going all the way to LA without resolving their fight.

But maybe this is for the best. He knows that despite what he told Jongdae, if he saw her, he would’ve broken down and begged her not to go. Not to take the role. Not to move away and leave him.

If this is what she wants, then Minseok wants it for her, even though it hurts to think that he lost his chance with her.

He’s punching the code into his door when the lock behind him beeps open. He doesn’t even register it until he hears that familiar voice say his name.

“Hyeri?” He turns to stare at her, somehow standing in her apartment doorway. “What are you doing here? Your flight.”

She steps out into the hallway, letting the door close behind her. “I didn’t go.”

He hurries to her, then stops awkwardly a foot away. What he wants is to take her into his arms and thank her for staying. But he hesitates. “Why not?”

She lifts a brow and says, “I didn’t stay for you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Iwatch as Minseok’s face falls. Then I take pity on him. “I stayed for me. I don’t think that role is what I want. Not right now, at least.”

“Really?” he says slowly with a dubious frown.

“Really,” I confirm. I thought about how to tell him this a dozen times as Hyejun drove me home. We finally convinced Mom to let me stay and sent her to the airport in the taxi with kisses and apologies. She claimed she did not accept them, but I’m certain she’ll get over it. I realize that for all of Mom’s blustering, she always gets over it. “I felt pressured to take this role because everyone was saying what a huge opportunity it was. But to me, I felt just like I did before I was told I was cast inCiPro. The company told me instead of asking. I never had a choice. This time I do, so I said no.”

“And you don’t regret it?”

“No,” I say, and I mean it. Mostly.

Minseok nods. “Good, I’m glad you did what you actually wanted.”

“So, yeah, I guess that’s what I wanted to tell you.” I don’t really know what to say now, but I feel like I don’t have the closure I was hoping for either.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here.…I was at the airport actually,” Minseok says.