#( CBG1. )

[ggukkiedae]

delicate.

PART 1

when a rumor about you starts to spread about a previous relationship that kept you from falling for people again out of fear, virtually ruining your career, you fly to new york to escape for a bit. there, you run into a previous co-star who does what he can to take your mind off things and treats you as you and not as the actress with the biggest scandal of the year. god, was he making you feel things, but could you risk falling again?

pairing : choi beomgyu x reader

word count : 9.7K

genre : actor!beomgyu x actress!reader, fem!reader, angst, slice of life, fluff, scared of feelings, miscommunications, kinda slow burn

warning/s : cursing, previous toxic relationship, media manipulation, hate

PART 2 COMING SOON

South Korea’s Angel Y/F/N and Nation’s Boyfriend Choi Beomgyu revealed to be starring in Everlasting Shine together.

A smile made its way to your face as soon as you saw the headline. It was finally out to the public, and you wouldn't have to keep pretending you knew nothing about it. This also meant filming would finally start. Well, script readings first, then promotional shoots before actual filming. 

The whole process for Everlasting Shine was strange to you, since the producers had asked you to keep everything secret and to train in close combat for a while. However, since it was a post-apocalyptic series where you’d be fighting your cast, you just went along with it and got training you thought would suit your character. 

Now that the news was out, things were getting real. You would finally be able to meet your castmates and start with filming. That was one of the things you were looking forward to especially after seeing the cast list. Everlasting Shine had a cast that was well-known to the public, especially your co-star. 

Choi Beomgyu. Also known as the Nation’s Boyfriend and a beloved singer-songwriter, he was starring alongside you as the “good guy” of the drama. He had a sudden rise to fame just a year and a half ago, just after he had played a minor character in a drama you were in. You were interested to see how much he had grown in the workplace. Obviously, from what you’ve seen in his projects, he had become a great actor, but you wanted to see how his work ethic grew to be like.

“What’s got you smiling?” Your manager raised an eyebrow at your excitement. You turned your phone towards Soobin with a grin, making him nod in realization. “Ah, yes. Exactly what my meeting just now was about.”

Soobin had always been the best manager you could have ever had. You both started out quite young in your jobs, which made the company assign him as your manager, but he had grown to be the most competent yet compassionate one there is. He was the best manager in the way Soobin always found you the best opportunities that he knew you’d enjoy while still making sure you didn’t get too worn out. He became your big brother in the way where he’d nag you, bicker with you, watch over you, and listen to you no matter how ridiculous the request as long as it was for your own good. Thank god for that since you didn’t want to attend meetings where they’d just discuss things that don’t need your opinion or input anyway.

You jumped, “Really? What’s up next? Do I still have to train? When’s the first script reading? When next month does filming start?”

The look on Soobin’s face made you want to back away. Not only was he presenting you with an apologetic smile, but it wasn’t the smile where he didn’t know the answer. It was the smile he had when he needed to break bad news.

“Oh no,” you backed away, “I know that look.”

In that moment, Taehyun walked into the room. Taehyun, your best friend and your bodyguard. He was with you throughout your entire career, and even before that. He was like your voice of reason who kept you out of trouble or from getting hurt by your own rash decisions. You trusted him with your life, and he always had your back. Which was why you’d hide behind his back every now and then. Now was one of those times.

“Tyun,” you hid behind him, “manager dearest is about to drop bad news, I can feel it.”

Taehyun shook his head in false exasperation. “Really? Right when I’ve finished parking?”

“Oh, relax,” Soobin began. “Y/n, and you by extension, Taehyun, will be lying low for the next few days.”

“Why?”

“Well,” Soobin began, “some rookie actor has been saying some negative things about you, so we’re going to let that die down first. South Koreans will believe their angel more than some rookie.”

You frowned. How could someone who didn’t know you say bad things about you? But you nodded and looked to Taehyun. “Looks like apartment hangouts will fill our schedule while they deal with… Who was this?”

“Lee Junsu.”

The name made you freeze. It was a name you knew all too well, and one you never thought you’d have to hear again. You exchanged looks with Taehyun. It had been five years since then… It couldn’t be the same person, could it? But who else would try to bring you down?

“You don’t think?” Taehyun looked at her in worry.

You shook your head. “It could just be the same name.”

“But no one else would have reason to go against you.”

“It’s been five years, I don’t think he’d still try.”

“Y/n, he was practically insane.”

“I’m sorry,” Soobin interrupted your mini spiel with Taehyun, “what am I missing here?”

Right. You’ve never told Soobin about your only previous relationship, mostly because it was a time you didn’t like to remember. It damaged the way you thought of yourself and your trust in others so much that you couldn’t even dream of trying to be involved with someone romantically ever again. Even making new friends after that relationship was hard. It took you two years to become close to Soobin, for God’s sake.

“Later,” Taehyun shook his head, “first, tell me. What’s this Lee Junsu trying to say?”

“Oh, um,” the eldest looked at his tablet, “that Y/n isn’t who we think she is. That she’s manipulative and that he’s uncomfortable with her because of some experiences in high school. Not much detail after that. Here’s a picture of him.”

The photo on the tablet he turned towards you sent shivers down your spine. The seemingly warm smile raised the hair on your arms as you remembered how cold the words spilling from it could be. You remembered how tight his grip could get, and how broken he could have your mind within a few minutes.

Taehyun, recognizing the face as well, glared and shut the tablet off. He brought you to sit on a nearby chair and tried to get you to calm down.

“I’m okay, just annoyed,” you looked at Taehyun, but he looked at her disbelievingly, “Fine, I’m kinda scared. But it’s him. Taehyun, I can’t deal with him again. I didn’t think I’d have to—”

Your breath was getting short, thinking back on the times he’d try to keep you from breaking up with him.

“Breathe,” Taehyun looked you in the eye and paced his breathing for you to follow. “Follow my breathing. He won’t get close to you, alright?”

“Hey,” Soobin’s voice was followed by his hurried footsteps before kneeling next to Taehyun in front of you, “are you alright? Stupid question, you’re not. What’s going on? What am I missing?”

Taehyun simply looked up at you as if asking for permission. You let out a long breath before nodding at him. It was about time her manager found out about him. Your best friend nodded then proceeded to help you up.

“Let’s get you back home, then we can tell Soobin, alright?”

You nodded and were about to thank him when a familiar voice rang through the hallway. 

“Alright, Y/n, time to get you in our magic chair so you can look alive in your meetings— wait. Who do I have to fight?”

A small smile made its way up to your face as your stylist made his presence known. Yeonjun had only joined your team just a year and a half ago, but he was able to join your close circle, which used to consist of just Taehyun and Soobin, in a small amount of time (Soobin and Taehyun liking him a lot was a big help in speeding up the process). He always made it a point to listen to your ideas, try new things, and still keep you looking good while keeping your personality. It wasn’t even two hours into his first day when he started going off about your previous stylist’s bland attempts of keeping your angel image.

Just like Soobin, Yeonjun had become like a big brother to you. He didn’t just care about his job, he took care of you. 

Which was why he was currently frowning, demanding Taehyun and Soobin for answers. The stylist’s mouth was moving in a way where you knew he was rapid-fire asking questions or ranting, and you could hear his voice, but the words were just sailing over and past your head.

“Can we go back to my place?” Your voice caught everyone’s attention. “I promise Taehyun and I will tell you guys everything.”

Yeonjun’s worry lightened as he looked at how upset you look. “Sure thing. I’ll order Chinese.”

Needless to say, by the end of the night, Yeonjun and Soobin were angry and looking for ways to take Lee Junsu down. (Though, if legally or illegally, the answer would depend on who you ask. Unless you ask Taehyun. He says both.)

What was supposed to be a few days turned into a week, then a week and a half, then eventually two weeks. Those two weeks were filled with the media trying to dig up your past with Junsu. That’s all you knew for sure, though, since your circle had decided to keep you from social media. That alone, though, told you things weren’t going too well. That’s why you were ecstatic when Soobin messaged you at the end of the first week that you could get back to working by the end of week two and asked you to come to the company the day before to get ready. 

Well, there you were on the last day of the agonizingly long two weeks of house arrest, at the company bright and early to hear what was in store for you.

“Hey,” you smiled while walking up to Soobin, “what’s on the schedule today, Mr. Manager?”

“You’re too chipper at this time,” he sighed but gave you a smile in return, “good morning, Y/n. You don’t actually have any schedules today, just a photo shoot for Everlasting Shine tomorrow with Choi Beomgyu. I thought you’d want to have breakfast together. It’s been a while, just you, me, Yeonjun, and Taehyun.”

The two he mentioned had just turned into the hallway as their names slipped out of Soobin’s mouth. Their idle conversation was interrupted as soon as you met eyes with Yeonjun. 

The stylist grinned at you before leaving Taehyun’s side to fix your hair. “There’s our Angel. You ready to get out of here? I heard that some American diner-style restaurant with great corn dogs just opened thirty minutes from here.”

“Oh no,” Soobin cut in, “we agreed on breakfast in the building.”

You pouted at that. They had been cooping you up in your apartment or in the company for two weeks, and it was getting suffocating. Even your food deliveries were monitored by Taehyun… Which made sense because he was your bodyguard, but still! 

It’s not like you were an idol with those crazed fans that do anything to be noticed. You were an actress, and actors and actresses never had the same restrictions as idols. But even idols got to receive their own delivery food. Not you, though. This stupid controversy was keeping you from doing anything. 

Yeonjun was about to protest, but Taehyun spoke up. “It’s just not safe. You’ve seen what the people are saying and how the media is reacting. As her friend, it’s my job to make sure she’s okay. As her bodyguard, it’s my job to make sure she doesn’t get hurt. We are eating here.”

The finality in his tone almost made it sound like he was the eldest out of everyone there. 

“This isn’t fair,” you brushed past Soobin and into his office behind him. “The PR team isn’t doing anything about the whole situation, and I can’t even post on social media about it.”

Soobin followed her in with an apologetic look in his face. “Listen, Y/n. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is. They don’t want to release a statement until they gather all the proof to debunk the statements and evidence against you. And, I hate to say this, but Junsu fabricated everything way too well. As for social media, if you go on and make a statement before the proof of your innocence is gathered, all shots will be fired against you. I don’t want you in any trouble.”

“They’re making it seem like I’m a convict.” A disappointed sigh escaped your lips as you slumped onto the chair, quiet mutters following soon after. 

You closed your eyes and focused on your breathing to stop yourself from getting upset. This made you miss the silent exchange between your three friends. Yeonjun gave the two somewhat stricter boys pointed looks, mouthing a ‘she looks so sad’ to them. 

Taehyun had rolled his  eyes, but Soobin pursed his lips. You did deserve some type of break after being cooped up and silenced for about two weeks and running. He would regret this, but he was your friend before he was your manager.

“There’s a small restaurant behind the company,” Soobin’s voice made you look up at him in surprise, “and it’s somewhat hidden. I guess we can go there.” 

“What?” Taehyun’s surprised reaction was drowned out by your and Yeonjun’s cheers.

In excitement of going outside, not even caring that it isn’t the diner you and Yeonjun had originally wanted, you threw your arms around Soobin. “Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

He chuckled but ruffled your hair. Yeonjun got up behind you and pinched your cheek. “She’s literally so adorable, how could anyone believe those rumors?”

Taehyun pushed his way between you and the two boys before anyone could answer the question. “Bodyguard coming through.”

This made all of you laugh, easing the earlier atmosphere. And, as always, it felt like a normal hangout with friends rather than a breakfast run with your circle.

It was a great feeling, to finally be out again, even if it was in a small and secluded place without much people. Laughter filled the small dining area of the restaurant as the four of you joked around. Yeonjun was constantly taking pictures and arguing with Taehyun while Soobin was doing his best to confiscate the eldest’s phone. You, on the other hand, were simply basking in the fact that you weren’t in the company or your apartment.

Sure, there was the occasional group of people double taking and looking through the windows, but Taehyun always made sure to shift himself in order to hide you from the outside. You could tell him a thousand times that he was off duty, but his protective instinct never let up. Of course, Yeonjun had teased him for never exiting work mode. The mood was light and fun, and it felt like everything was back to normal.

That is, until just after you had paid the bill.

Just as you were handing the bill and your payment to the waiter, there was a slight ruckus outside. Of course, the outer wall of the restaurant being made of glass, you could easily see all the people gathering outside with their phones and, were those cameras? 

“Is that Y/f/n?”

“Y/n! Can we get a statement on the accusations?”

“That bitch, look at her having fun fully knowing she traumatized and hurt so many people!”

A breath got caught in your throat as you turned your widened eyes towards your friends. Taehyun was quick to move by your side while Yeonjun threw his jacket on you, securing the hoodie around your head to keep your face hidden. 

“We’re gonna go through the crowd, alright?” Taehyun calmly whispered while keeping one of his arms around you and the other in front of you. “Yeonjun’s gonna be on your other side to make sure nobody touches you.”

You looked up at him, stopping your progress forward. “You guys might get hurt!”

“We don’t care about that right now,” Yeonjun tightened his grip on your arm. “They’re practically bombarding only you with questions and unsolicited statements. They’re not after us.”

“But–”

“What are you still doing here?” Soobin’s voice was louder than he normally would let it reach. “The crowd’s gonna get worse, let’s go!”

“You’ll be fine,” Taehyun’s voice was firm as he led the pace. 

Then you were out the door.

People were yelling, questioning you whether you actually did know Lee Junsu and all the other people who were speaking up about things you’ve done to them. There were people demanding you to speak up about the whole situation, whether it’s to defend yourself or lash out against the people accusing you. Hands were tugging on your clothes and pushing you around. Was it really this big of an issue? Why didn’t they tell you? But this couldn’t have all resulted from just one article. What weren’t they telling you?

You could feel your chest tightening, the breakfast you had just eaten churning in your stomach. The shouts all became muffled almost as if you were underwater while your vision, although mostly blocked by the hood Yeonjun had draped over your head, became blurry as your three friends helped push your way out of the crowd. You could tell that Yeonjun and Taehyun were yelling, but their words sounded way too far away from you. Suddenly, it felt like they were far away. 

You were drowning, and you couldn’t do anything about it.

The drowning feeling didn't leave, not even when you were sitting outside your CEO’s office while waiting for Soobin to come back from his meeting with the CEO and the PR team. In your stead, Yeonjun had come in to help explain what had happened, leaving you with Taehyun.

Breathing felt like lifting weights, and your surroundings were still muffled. All that you could do was try to calm down while watching Taehyun pace in front of you in worry until his mutters became decipherable to you. 

“I should have said no.” 

“Tyun.” Your attempt to get his attention fell on deaf ears. 

“We were supposed to just stay in here, but no. You just had to give in to them.”

“Taehyun?”

“She could have gotten hurt.”

“Please, Taehyun.”

“Fucking hell, they all could have gotten hurt.”

“Kang Taehyun!” His head snapped towards you at your outburst. “Can you stop blaming yourself? No one would have known that would happen.”

He ran a hand down his face before sitting next to you and handing you his water bottle. His eyes were apologetic as he waited for you to finish drinking water. “Are you okay?”

“I could be better,” a humourless laugh slipped past your lips. “Are you hurt?”

“Don’t worry about me,” he scolded you, “and worry about yourself. I’m debating on packing you up and shipping you off to New Zealand where no one will find you.”

You opened your mouth to speak, but the doors to the office opened. Yeonjun walked towards you, face grim while Soobin’s heated voice behind him carried into the hallway.

“Soobin’s trying to convince them against it, but I don’t think they’ll change their mind.” He gave an apologetic smile before dropping the news. “You’re going on hiatus for the next month at least. They’re pulling you out of Everlasting Shine.”

The air grew heavy since the two boys knew how excited you were to start working on Everlasting Shine. All the hard work you went through while auditioning and physically training for your role went down the drain. You wanted to run away to where no one would find you.

Run away… Taehyun’s last statement made its way to your mind. Going to another country to escape for a while didn’t sound like a bad idea. But everyone would know if you went to New Zealand. It was no secret you wanted to visit the quiet country and surround yourself with nature. You needed somewhere no one would expect you to want to go to. Somewhere loud, busy, and not peaceful at all. Somewhere new to you.

That’s when it hit you.

“What did you just think of?” Yeonjun asked you suspiciously.

“Nothing,” you smiled at him before turning to Taehyun with a smile “I’ll see you soon. Can we go home?”

After everything that happened, how could he say no to you?

Sneaking away from Taehyun seemed almost impossible. 

First of all, since your apartments were directly in front of each other, your noisy door would immediately alert the light-sleeper and make him check up on you. He also tended to check in on you every thirty minutes, casually walking in with the help of his spare keys.

To your delight, at around three in the morning, you heard his door open and the sound of the elevator. He was probably off to workout because he couldn’t sleep (like an absolute monster, in your opinion). You took that as your opportunity and took a cab to the airport. 

16 hours of avoiding phone calls, ducking under hats and masks, watching movies, and reading later, you had arrived.

New York.

Everyone liked to think that they knew you, which isn’t false. You were an open book for the whole of South Korea to read, which is why they know that your idea of escaping would be going to a green country like New Zealand or Iceland. They knew that you would catch a flight there as soon as you needed to destress because you’d want to get away from all the people, skyscrapers, and noise.

Which is why you flew to New York. No one would expect you to go to the busiest city in the world, especially knowing you would get uncomfortable around the rush. It was a pretty smart and foolproof plan, and no one would find you. You adjusted the sunglasses on your face and took a quick look around. No heads turning, no whispering, no chasing. It was perfect.

Until you took your phone off of airplane mode.

You winced when you saw all the notifications rush in. There were hundreds of text messages from your group chat, and from the three boys individually. There were even over a hundred calls, most of them from Soobin. Huh, it looks like Taehyun probably tried to check in on you after his “can’t sleep workout” and told the others you were missing.

A familiar photo of your stylist falling over while playing badminton made its way on screen, requesting a facetime call. That’s what they must have turned to when they realized you must have turned your phone on airplane mode.

Preparing yourself for the scolding you were about to get, you found a somewhat secluded corner, took a deep breath, and picked up the call, keeping the camera off and your phone close to your ear.

“How’s my favorite stylist?”

“Y/f/n!” Yeonjun’s voice sounded relieved, worried, and angry all at the same time, making you sigh. “Do you know how fucking worried we are right now? When Taehyun called us at half past four in the morning saying you and a bunch of your stuff were missing, we all thought you had run off and fallen into a ditch or something!”

Maybe you should have left them a note… Oh well. Too late for that.

“Ask her if she’s hurt,” Soobin’s voice sounded from the phone, followed by Taehyun.

“Tell her to turn on the camera. I don’t think any of us can relax until we see her.”

“Guys, I’m safe.” You quickly connected your airpods before holding the phone further away and turning on the camera with a smile on your face. “See? No scratches or anything, and I have everything I need with me.”

Luggage. Clothes. Shoes. Toiletries. Laptop. Phone. Earphones. Chargers. Petty cash. Credit card. Debit card. Passport. Yup, everything you needed was complete.

Your three friends’ faces appeared on screen as well, looks of relief washing over their faces as they observed you. Soobin’s eyebrows furrowed as he observed you. Or something behind you. You turned around and saw a sign that clearly read “Arrivals'' hanging behind you. A sheepish laugh escaped your lips.

“Y/n,” he began, “I’m going to ask you this once, and I want you to be straight to the point okay?”

“I feel like I already know what you’re gonna ask but okay.”

“Where are you?”

“JFK.”

Yeonjun scoffed, “Well, Jesus fucking Christ to you, too. We just want to know where you are!”

A moment of silence passed in the call before Soobin sighed and Taehyun hit the back of Yeonjun’s head. “That’s JFC. I’m pretty sure she means she’s in JFK Airport. Does New York ring a bell to you?” 

You laughed at their antics. If anything, seeing those two bicker while Soobin judged them would probably be what you’d miss the most for however long you were planning on being gone. 

“Yeah,” a smile stuck on your face, “I’m in New York. I have an airbnb here for the next week, and I’ll probably spend most of my time there. Don’t worry about me.”

“Send me the address,” Yeonjun yelled as he walked towards what looked like his closet, “I’ll be there by tomorrow.” 

“No!” Your call made the three boys on the other end jump slightly, “I don’t want you guys to get in trouble with the company. I’ll be fine on my own for a bit, okay?”

Taehyun looked at you questioningly. “You sure?”

All you did was smile and nod. It’s not like you weren’t an adult who could handle yourself. Besides, it would probably be nice not to pester your three friends for a while. They were the ones who were with you practically everyday.

“Fine,” Taehyun relented, “but at least update us once a day! And say it the moment you need us, you know we’ll fly to you.”

“Got it,” you smiled before turning to your manager who looked wrapped up in thoughts. “Soobin?”

“Hm?” He looked back to the call. “Ah, yeah, don’t worry. If the company tries to hunt you down, I’ll reason with them. It should be easy considering they cancelled all your schedules.” 

“Thank you.”

With the chaos over with, you hung up and went to get your luggage, getting ready to go to your airbnb. But, for some reason, staying in the airbnb was the last thing you wanted to do that night. 

The cab ride going there just showed you how pretty everything was. The buildings were tall enough to the point where the lights from the top floors looked a little like stars. Amidst the traffic and the horns honking, music played throughout the whole route. People in corporate attire headed home while others were all glammed out and getting ready for a fun night. Everything looked exciting, even that one little kid you saw dropping his hotdog by accident.

Seeing all the people experience the city in a way you would have never normally done on your own made you curious. Was it going to be as fun as it looked? Would everything be as pretty as it was from the backseat of the cab? Maybe it was worth a shot to explore.

Slipping on a slightly more but not too formal white tweed set and sneakers, you found yourself leaving the airbnb, looking around for somewhere you could grab dinner. That wasn’t exactly your best idea.

When you said you weren’t made for the city, you meant it. You weren’t prepared for the bustling people pushing past you or the close calls with cars speeding as soon as the light turned green (or before that, even). Luckily, none of your stuff fell out of your bag, and you never actually hit the ground.

But you needed to breathe.

That’s why, the moment you caught a glimpse of a more isolated alley, you stumbled your way over there. A door caught your eye.

It was a brown wooden door with black metal detailing, making it look like the door of some type of cottage. There was the smallest garden (if you could call a few potted plants shoved together with the plants growing into each other a garden) slightly separating it from the street. A wooden sign hung above it in true old fashion.

Magic Island: Bar and Restaurant

The corner of the sign had a modern sticker saying 24/7 on it, slightly ruining the concept, but at least it told you that it was open. After double-checking your wallet, you walked in through the door to find stairs leading up to the rooftop. You climbed up the stairs. .

It wasn’t what you expected a rooftop bar and restaurant to look like. The floor was cobblestone, wooden tables and chairs with the same black metal detailing as the door littered across the whole area. A fishpond in the corner called your attention. On the opposite side of the room from the fishpond, there was an elevated wooden floor separated from the rest of the cobblestone floor with a black metal railing. That’s where the bar was.

“Welcome to Magic Island,” a waiter greeted you as you took in everything, “is there anywhere in particular you’d like to sit?”

Your eyes glanced towards the tables near the fishpond immediately, but they were four-seaters. It would be unfair if you asked to sit there.

A chuckle brought your attention back to the waiter who began to walk, gesturing you to follow. “You can sit there, it’s slow hours right now, anyway.”

A protest made its way up your throat, but you glanced around. There were only three or four other customers there, so there was quite a lot of space. You gave the waiter a grateful smile before settling down and allowing him to explain the menu to you. After ordering some pasta and sparkling lemon juice, you pulled out your phone to snap a selca with the fish pond behind you.

Y/n: *image attached* Y/n: Dinner at the prettiest cottage core place! YJ: Send some over! I don’t want Taehyun’s protein shakes for breakfast TH: You asked for them, excuse me? SB: Send food pics! If you like it, we can go there together! And stay off social media… Y/n: Will do!

You smiled as you looked at the messages. For sure, those three were still worried about you, but they were doing their best not to show it. It was sweet. However, no matter how sweet they were, you still felt the urge to go against Soobin’s wishes and open twitter, especially since you didn’t have anyone to stop you. You did, also searching your name as soon as you touched the search bar. A headline of a shared article caught your attention.

–

BREAKING NEWS: South Korea’s Angel Y/F/N Not as Angelic as She Seems

Six years into her career, Y/F/N is at her peak. The general public always rave about the dramas she is a part of, saying how she is such a great actress for excellently pulling off all those antagonist roles, especially the villainous and psychopathic ones, despite having the sweet disposition that earned her the nickname of South Korea’s Angel. 

It turns out, she isn’t too far from the roles she has played. 

Lee Junsu, a rookie actor in the industry, recently spoke up about what Y/n was like during their younger days. He spoke as both her ex-friend and ex-boyfriend. 

Y/n allegedly was extremely possessive and controlling over her friends and boyfriend, to the point where she’d become both obsessive and manipulative in trying to keep them with her and  doing what she wanted. Junsu reported that she would always stop him from auditioning in companies, claiming she should be the only one to become an actress. He reported that she would guilt trip him for stealing her chances whenever he went to apply and that she’d get angry when he spent time with his other friends without her, especially when he would forget to tell her about it. 

He also emphasized on the fact that she would only keep guy friends around, and never made time to be friends with other girls. She would get angry when they spoke to other girls, but she didn’t control them the way she did her boyfriend. 

Some of their previous friends have also spoken up saying that Y/n was rude as well, always pointing out the worst things and making fun of them. Screenshots of previous conversations with her surfaced, showing how she’d talk about her “friends” behind their backs.

As of this morning, there were additional rumors about her having bought her way into her career since it was revealed that she came from a wealthy family. There are, however, no further details on this additional detail to Y/n’s real character.

Despite all this, she somehow found a way to charm herself into becoming South Korea’s Angel. 

Y/n and Magic Entertainment both are yet to make a statement regarding the situation. However, judging by the silence and the sudden disappearance of the actress herself, the allegories are, in fact, true. 

–

With a roll of your eyes, you throw your phone onto the table in front of you and bury your face in your hands. None of that was true! If anything, it was the other way around. Junsu was obsessed with you and outdoing you in the industry. He literally spent months after you breaking up with him (for good reason, too, since he was hurting you constantly) trying different methods to get you to date him again. Gifts, apologizing, following you around, even gaslighting you by saying he was ruined without you. It only stopped when you blocked him, changed all your social media, and moved away for the rest of senior year and university. You had made your acting debut in freshman year of university, and it scared you, thinking he’d take that opportunity to look for you. But he never showed up, so you thought he had given up on you. You were wrong.

It looked like he still had a vendetta against you, especially now that you’ve definitely outdone him. But it was years ago, couldn’t he let it go?

“Finally in a scandal, huh?”

You jolted up in shock as someone addressed you. To your surprise, the last person who you’d ever expect to see was looking at you with a small smile on his face while he rested against the railing dividing the ground from the fishpond.

Choi Beomgyu.

You groaned. Of all people who could find you, it was who your Everlasting Shine co-star was supposed to be.

“Don’t you have a shoot for the drama?”

“Everlasting Shine?” He tilted his head in curiosity. “They postponed the whole schedule last week, that’s why I haven’t gone back to Korea yet. I opted out of the contract this morning, too.”

“So they didn’t even bother telling me until yesterday,” you muttered before burying your face in your hands once again. “Are you gonna curse me out, too?” 

“Nah. I don’t believe them.”

You lifted your head to see a slightly teasing smile on his face. He gestured to the seat in front of you asking if he could take it, making you raise your eyebrow at him. You nodded, allowing him to settle in the chair either way.

“That makes you, my bodyguard, my manager, and my stylist, then.”

“Which makes no sense,” he rested his elbows on the table, leaning closer and speaking low as if he were gossiping. “More people should be on your side. You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever seen. You're always so respectful to your staff and co-stars and you don’t brag or put yourself on a pedestal. Why would anyone believe some no-name-rookie over you?” 

His description seemed a little too personal to be an observation through the screen. “How would you know that?”

“I’ve worked with you before.”

“I know,” you looked at him, remembering the role from a few years ago. You played the spoiled daughter of a CEO, and Beomgyu played your character’s weird henchman/personal guard. You shook your head. “I just thought you would have forgotten about me after both your acting and music careers skyrocketed, Mister Nation’s Boyfriend.” 

“Why would I forget about you? South Korea's Angel! Especially when you helped me on set and my role with you was what made my career skyrocket?” 

A short silence enveloped you two after the brief round of laughter. You both probably remembered the same thing. Beomgyu had been so nervous on set back then that his few lines were all monotonous. As soon as you could see the director getting frustrated, you had excused yourself, saying you were dizzy. You remember sneaking to his waiting room and giving him a pep talk. 

He had obviously felt stressed, so you took it in yourself to comfort him or even get his mind off of it. Ironically, nearly three years later, it was the other way around.

“Hey,” he leaned back, “can I buy you a drink? My treat since you’re going through all this shit. Actually, dinner’s on me, too.”

You looked at him skeptically. He seemed as genuine as the Beomgyu you worked with from years ago, and he did show no signs of being in any way repulsed by the idea of you. And, despite having only really spoken just then, he was the only person you knew in New York. 

“I can drive you back to wherever you’re staying, too, since I am the only person you know here. So?”

For some reason, hearing your thoughts come out of his mouth made you feel like you could trust him even more. You shrugged.

“Sure.”

“Nice. Kai! Can we get a sangria here, thanks!”

You raise an eyebrow at him once again. 

“I’m a regular here,” he laughed before standing up and looking to where, presumably, Kai was already attempting to put Beomgyu’s food on a tray, “hold on, I’ll just grab my stuff from my table. I’ll be back.”

Dinner with Beomgyu was more pleasant than you thought it would be. He never brought up the scandal again, and he carried the conversation almost the entire night. Not once did he let silence come over you. You didn’t notice until the night was over and he had dropped you off at the place you were staying in, but you were grateful for his company. 

Not once did he bring up the scandal. He didn’t even bring up your line of work, which was something you deeply appreciated. Instead, he told you about why he loved New York and why he loved the small restaurant you were in. (“Not to mention they have the sweetest and most handsome Korean-American waiter who I’ve become close friends with. Right, Kai?” “Forget it. You’re not getting bottomless sangria for the price of one glass.”) 

It was a nice experience, and he didn’t pry too much about you or your life. Sure, he was friendly and genuine, but that didn’t mean you would just put everything out on a platter for him. To be fair, you were pretty sure you scared him off with how quiet you stayed for most of the night.

So, when Choi Beomgyu appeared at the door of your airbnb the next day, a big smile on his face and a spare motorcycle helmet in hand, you were surprised.

“Good morning,” his bright and cheery voice made you shrink back just a little, “get ready, quick. We’re going to Sutton Place Park for breakfast.”

“It’s eight in the morning, I just woke up.”

“I know. Your pajamas are cute, by the way. You a fan of BTS? Because I’m pretty sure I can get you an autograph.”

Your eyes widened as you looked down at the BT21 pajamas you were wearing. You ran towards the bedroom, yelling at Beomgyu over your shoulder to come in and close the door. His laugh echoed throughout your place as you pulled some clothes from your luggage. Before heading into your bathroom, you stuck your head out the bedroom door and looked at him. “I’ve got some food in the fridge and the cupboards in the kitchen. Help yourself, I’ll be 20 minutes.”

Sure enough, 20 minutes later, you walked out the door in a white pleated skirt and blazer set, ready to actually face your would-have-been co-star with at least some dignity. But his lips pressed into a tight line when he saw what you were wearing.

“Y/n,” he shook his head, “what are you wearing?”

You gave him an offended look. “Hey, I like sets.”

“They’re cute, yeah,” he shrugged his jacket off, “but we’re having breakfast near Queensboro, not grabbing cocktails at Daniel. Here.”

The navy blue and white varsity jacket felt heavy in your hand, but you put it on anyway, taking comfort in the fact that it at least matched your color scheme for the day. Pretty soon, the blazer was replaced by the jacket, and a satisfied Beomgyu was smiling at you.

“So,” you asked him, “any reason you wanted to kidnap me from my perfectly good airbnb?”

Beomgyu snorted while leaning against the kitchen island. “Please, you came to New York to sit around in your place? When you’ve made a friend with a New York resident?”

“We’re friends? And you’re not a New Yorker.”

“First of all, ouch,” Beomgyu scoffed, “I was befriending you and you just did that?”

Your eyes widened, “No, I’m sorry! I can’t really– Making friends is– I don’t—”

“It’s fine,” he chuckled at you, “I’ve seen enough of your interviews to know you take more than one dinner to call someone a friend.”

“Oh.”

“Anyway, New York resident. Not New Yorker. I studied here for a bit as a kid, you know? And I’ve been staying here for a while.”

You looked at him a little cautiously. His presence was intimidating, but not in the way where it made you want to back away. It was intimidating in a way where it felt like he could rule the world easily with how confident he was in himself. And, somehow, he didn’t make it look cocky or arrogant. 

The eye contact he maintained felt almost too much for you. Yes, you visited a lot of talk shows and did interviews, but those usually had cameras and audiences that you could divert your attention to every few seconds or minutes. It wasn’t like that in real life. Beomgyu’s gaze held yours, never once wavering unless to chuckle or shake his head. It was almost too much, but it wasn’t.

He was so confident and self-assured, so what was he doing with someone so shy? On that note, his career was going amazing, so what was he doing hanging out with someone whose reputation was getting worse by the minute?

“Don’t look at me like that,” he gave you a pointed look. “I’ve made it my own personal goal to become your friend, and, as a good friend would do, I’m bringing you to a nice spot in New York where I know won’t be too overwhelming. You in?”

You looked at the helmet he was holding out to you for a second. Should you go? It felt like he was being genuine in wanting to be your friend. Besides, he was probably hiding from the Korean media as well, so he wouldn’t rat you out, right? 

With only the smallest bit of hesitation because you could hear your best friend’s voice in the back of your head (“Make friends, but be careful!”), you took the helmet and looked back up to meet his eyes.

“Great,” He got off the counter and headed to the door, opening it for you. “After you, Angel.”

You let out a small laugh. “I don’t think I’m South Korea’s Angel right now.”

“You’re not,” he smiled at you, a softer one compared to his earlier grin, as he helped you down the steps and onto his motorcycle. “Right now, you’re just Angel. Not South Korea’s Angel. Forget about that while you’re here, alright?”

“Alright.”

“And hold on tight. Riding a motorcycle is different in real life compared to on set.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong. The wind felt a lot more violent and unpredictable, and you were sure that your hair would have been a billion times more messy if it weren’t for your helmet. But it was a great feeling. The smile never left your face the whole ride there, and the bustling noise of the city seemed somewhat pleasant in a weird disturbing way. You were almost disappointed when Beomgyu parked the motorcycle.

“Off you go, ma’am,” he helped you off the motorcycle and grabbed a little black bag that you didn’t notice earlier. He led you towards a bench. “Come on. Do you like people watching?”

“I… actually do.”

“Good, you’ll like it here.”

The first thing that came to your mind in response to that was to object. You knew you were in a busy city, probably the busiest in the world, so why would you like people watching when there are too many people who could get way too close? But you took a look around the place. 

The sounds of the river flowing filled the area as barely anyone listened. You could hear the car horns in the distance, but it wasn’t enough to bother you. There were probably around seven or eight people walking around the area you were in, so it wasn’t crowded at all.

“This is one of my favorite places to go,” Beomgyu told you.

Looking at him, you could practically feel his peace influencing you to relax as well. He smiled with such fondness, a smile that could only be given to something a person has grown attached to. 

He casually sat on one of the available benches, placing his bag on the floor and helmet on top og it with certain movements, as if he had done it multiple times before. An expectant look reached you as he looked back to gesture to you to follow his lead. You could only comply and sit next to him.

“It shows.”

“What?”

You gestured around yourselves, only getting a little distracted by what you saw around you, “That you love this place. I can see it in the way you take everything in.”

Beomgyu looked at you curiously before turning back to look at the river. “It kinda feels like home, you know? Just without the Dispatch cameras following our every move or the average citizen recognizing who we are.”

You nodded, understanding what he meant completely. Sure, you had an international fanbase, but it wasn’t so big that you’d be recognized almost everywhere you go like in Korea. However, looking at the busy people in their own bubbles whizzing by while the river flowed without hesitation in the background did seem nostalgic to being at the Han River.

It felt strange, though, being there with Beomgyu. You originally designated going to the Han river and people watching to either be an activity done alone or on a date. You haven’t even gone to the Han river with any of your friends. It felt strangely intimate…

Although, it probably didn’t count because you weren’t sitting by the actual Han river.

A quick motion to your left brought you out of your thoughts as Beomgyu had practically snapped himself forward to reach into his bag. Why he didn’t just lift it up, you would never know.

He sheepishly takes out a container that looked like a chemistry experiment gone wrong and handed it to you.

“I thought you’d like a little dessert to start your day,” he smiled, “I love starting my day with something sweet. I hope you don’t mind that it’s all smushed, though. It got a little tossed around during the ride to your place and here.”

It was wholesome, the way he was sharing something similar to a tradition with you, but you didn’t eat most desserts with frosting. You didn’t want to disappoint him, so you opened the container, bracing yourself for the overly sweet smell, only to be met with a tamer fragrance.

“Carrot cakes,” you smiled down at the pastry, trying to figure out a way to eat the one dessert you would absolutely never say no to.

“Carrot cupcakes,” he nodded, “with cream cheese frosting. I heard on an interview that you prefer these over traditional cupcakes or cakes, so I got these.”

“Thank you,” you accepted the fork he handed you and immediately went to get a piece.

Beomgyu pulled out his own container of tossed carrot cupcakes and got ready to eat it before turning back to you and asking a question.

“So, what’s up with that? The whole avoiding-sweets-as-much-as-possible thing?”

The hairs on your arms stand upon remembering the overwhelming smell of sweets from whenever Junsu would lovebomb you to keep you from leaving him. You unconsciously stabbed a muffin harder than you have been.

“I bet you had the worst cavity ever,” Beomgyu hummed in a teasing manner, eating a piece. His eyes widened as he looked at the container in pleasant surprise. “I don’t blame you for liking this, though, this is amazing!”

“I like to think I have good taste when it comes to most things,” you laughed as he stuffed more of it into his mouth, handing him a tissue from your bag. “You’ve got a little something on your, well, everywhere.”

“Good food usually means messy eats,” he winked at you. “Speaking of good food and messy eats, I have actual food in my bag, not just dessert, don’t worry. It’s some chicken from a Korean place near mine.”

You simply grinned at him, nodding in thanks as you both turned back to watching the people walking by and making up stories of their lives to entertain yourselves. You were halfway through the box of boneless chicken when Beomgyu broke the topic of people watching and asked you what you had planned for tomorrow.

“I literally came here without a plan on a last minute decision.”

“Nice! I have a meeting with my manager this afternoon and a social call tonight, but tomorrow’s free. I’ll pick you up at 9AM? I can take you to a few good spots in the day then for some touristy things at night. You have to see the view from Empire State, I swear. We can have dinner after at Magic Island.”

He laughed at your curious look, making you sigh and shake your head. “You’re really spending your day tomorrow on the most disliked person in the current Korean media right now?”

“Hey, they don’t know you, and I’m trying to know you,” he held his hands up in mock surrender. “I want to know what goes on in your brain, you know?”

The blatant overuse of the word ‘know’ made you shake your head once more at the wiggling of his eyebrows, but a small laugh did escape you. Beomgyu leaned back, crossing his arms in satisfaction at making you laugh.

“You’re trying to know me by showing me your favorite spots in New York?”

“Something tells me I can learn more about you in those spots.” The look he gave you was genuine and not the same joking and playful look her had before. Though there was still a hint of mischief in his eyes. “So? You down for the Beomgyu Special Tour tomorrow?”

You made an exaggerated thinking face, laughing at his attempt of convincing you through looks, before answering, “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

“Great, I’ll pick you up at 10AM.” He gave a nod of approval before launching into another convoluted life plot he made for a random stranger. 

Before you knew it, Beomgyu had dropped you back off at your airbnb, and you were making yourself some tea to get ready to facetime with your friends.

There was no doubt they’d all be surprised when they found out who was in New York as well as spending time with you and convincing you to hang out. In fact, you were surprised yourself when you realized that the only time you felt uncomfortable with Beomgyu was when something related to Junsu was on your mind.

You honestly did not know whether to be proud or scared.

With all other actors you’ve previously worked with, you would have had to be two weeks into filming (not even counting the production meeting and table reading) at least before you felt even remotely that connected with someone the way you seemed to be doing with Beomgyu.

“Y/N! MY CHILD, I MISS YOU!” “Yeonjun’s blaring voice was the first thing you heard as soon as the call connected.

A small laugh slipped past your lips as you watch your three friends bickering, each trying to be the main person in the frame.

“Will you guys knock it off?” Taehyun made his way to the middle, elbowing an offended Yeonjun and Soobin to the sides. “Y/n is grinning not just her amused grin and I need to know why! Spill.”

You just shook your head. Taehyun was always able to read you well, and the grin on your face hasn’t left since Beomgyu took you out anyway. “I had a pretty good night. And morning. And I think I’m gonna have a good day tomorrow, too.”

That seemed to catch the attention of the two boys who were still bickering behind Taehyun. Soobin raised an eyebrow while Yeonjun leaned forward, much to Taehyun’s dismay.

“And why is that?” Yeonjun was quick to ask.

“You guys know my would-have-been co-star on Everlasting Shine, right?” Once all three of her friends nodded, she smiled.

There was a moment of silence while the context caught up to the three boys before Yeonjun’s jaw dropped.

“No way?” The stylist had practically pushed Soobin out of frame in surprise at his realization.

Taehyun, the ever protective best friend, narrowed his eyes with suspicion. “Choi Beomgyu? You’re hanging out with Choi Beomgyu?”

Your nod seemed to have pushed Yeonjun back through the screen as he stepped away and grabbed a pillow from the couch, hitting the two other boys with it. Out of the three of them. Yeonjun seemed to be excited rather than suspicious or pensieve. 

“I kinda ran into him by accident,” you mess with the cuffs of the jacket you were wearing. His jacket. “It’s like some huge coincidence, given the circumstance. We talked for a bit, then it kinda evolved into us hanging out today and, well, he’s taking me on a New York tour tomorrow.”

“Oh my god!” Yeonjun sat back down, leaning in closer to the screen. “A coincidental New York run-in with the charming actor you were supposed to star alongside with? Y/n, my darling child, my angel, you’re literally living a full-blown rom-com!”

A small lifeless laugh escapes your lips despite the feeling of heat creeping up your neck, “Yeah, well, my rom-com’s kinda missing one big part. The part where the audience actually roots for the main character.”

“Hey,” Taehyun’s voice caught your attention, “you still are the main character. Just… don’t worry too much, okay? We’ve got you. We’re making progress.”

“Progress?”

“Progress.” Soobin nodded in confirmation. His voice was careful in the way he spoke, breaking his unusual silence. The expression on his face softened as he noticed your confusion and the hints of anxiety regarding the scandal creeping up on you. “Some people who knew you are starting to question Junsu’s story. Old classmates, people you’ve worked with, just anyone who’s been around you actually. They’ve been quietly reaching out to the company.”

“The truth is coming to light,” Taehyun added, his eyes sharp. “Pretty soon, that sorry excuse of a human being is gonna face the repercussions.”

You took a deep breath, closing your eyes for a moment. The tightness in your chest that came with thinking about the whole scandal eased the slightest bit. People were on your side. There was a chance that maybe, just maybe, this wouldn’t be the end of you.

“Speaking of truths,” Yeonjun inserted, lifting the mood with a mischievous smirk on his face, “Can we circle back to the fact that the Nation’s Boyfriend Choi Beomgyu is playing New York tour guide for you? Honestly, it sounds suspiciously… romantic.”

Your cheeks heated up as you shook your head. “It’s not like that, though. He’s just… He’s easy to be around.”

“And hot.” 

The way Yeonjun wiggled his eyebrows made you look at him and let out an exasperated sigh. “Yeonjun”

“What? I’m just saying, there’s nothing wrong with some romance as your redemption arc kicks in, right guys?” He looked at Soobin and Taehyun, both who just gave Yeonjun judging looks.

Despite your best effort to remain stern about it, you laughed. The same laugh you haven’t been able to do with your friends in a while. It felt like a fresh breath of air being able to laugh like that with them again, even through a screen. The chaos of everything brought back a sense of normalcy.

But as the warmth of the chaos faded at the end, a complication in the back of your mind came forward, sending chills throughout your body. 

Because as the room fell into silence, the gravity of the things Taehyun, Soobin, and Yeonjun were doing for you—not just as your bodyguard, manager, and stylist, but as your friends— settled on your shoulders. The fact that they were risking their names and careers to help you weighed down on your chest.

And somehow, Beomgyu’s kindness felt just as heavy.

The way he chose to believe in you, to get to know you before following the public’s opinion on you, to spend time with you despite your reputation being at its worst.

It scared you. Because if you let yourself get used to that kind of warmth—what happens when it’s gone?

And worse—what happens if you ruin him too?

that's the end of part 1! delicate has been something in my drafts for more than a year, and i was never satisfied with how things were rolling out in the plot, but beomgyu's mixtape is giving me motivation (i say a few hours before panic's release). i haven't posted here in a while, but this is my comeback, i'm claiming it! i missed writing~

see you in part 2!

~ cia 🫶🏼

[boba-beom]

THE CONCEPT PICTURES? BEOMGYU UR ABOUT TO BREAK MY HEART

WHERE ARE MY BAMTORIS AT?!

[dawngyu]

four pics one word @biteyoubiteme @luvsicktyun

[loserwithacrown]

Behind the Scenes of BEOMGYU of TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s ‘Panic’ Promotions

[pagelets]

Beomgyu 😭😭

[filmsbyun]

I AM PANICKING GOOD LORD

[jak-ey]

CBG1 I'M GONNA CRY 🥹🥹🥹🥹

Wdym it's out on Thursday..... I'M SO EXCITED 🫶🏻🫶🏻

[starchaptertogether]

Yes 😂 they did actually post the last one. I have it pinned

they're so pathetic (endearing) 😭 i only saw some of those pictures and i was like "there's no way they're teasing a comeback on april fools, this is probably just a prank" and it turns out i was right ��� i still think we'll get something in may though, they've been teasing it since the last concert in incheon

[aduh0308]

cbg1 is gonna kill me

[beomiracles]

Can't wait for your fic!! Also can't wait for CBG1 IT'S HAPPENING SERENE IT'S HAPPENING

- 💫

I SAW OMG OMG OMG IM LITERALLY FLOORED

[razsberrie]

CBG1 announcement and i’m packing for London to see TXT

[boba-beom]

rock band sound?! why am I hoping it has similar vibes to thursday’s child / skipping stones??

WE ARE SO BACK CBG1 HELLO?!

and beomgyu’s message about his upcoming mixtape 🥺 I love this man too much

[dawngyu]

WAKING UP TO CBG1 ANNOUNCEMENT 😭😭😭

[loserwithacrown]

Panic lyrics 📝

“leave for…

left alone in a silent room

ㅇㅇㅇ pain that was…

and couldn’t be gathered back

still remains the same these nights

if it were you, how would it have been?

beneath the dark night,

let’s not stay too long

in these bruised days,

with every step we take,

you and i, because we’ll make it through

this is my answer

even the freezing weather will change in the end,

hold on tight to your ㅇㅇㅇ heart

i don’t want to ㅇㅇㅇ anymore

in this ㅇㅇㅇ

i’ll take ㅇㅇㅇ

this is my answer”

Cr: Translation TXT

Source: X

Edited:

as always this is only what i can make out from the images (so there might be mistakes) and just for fun while we wait

Cr: Translation TXT

[inbyulhq]

꒷꒦ CHOI BEOMGYU, THANK YOU FOR SIGNING UP !!

INBYUL ADMINISTRATOR @USER_INBYUL

welcome !! thank you for joining us. now that you have downloaded the app, you’re almost there. but before that, have you read the terms of agreement? if you have, you may proceed and the admin team will guide you through the next steps. the link below will expire in 48 hours, so better be quick !!

                               AGREE TO PROCEED ➔

[love-and-hisses]

Good night innernets. ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CbG1-4gNlJ6/?utm_medium=tumblr