"Aerin--"
He whispered her name like he's longing to see her for so many months and that she's beginning to feel unreal. In that nick of time, Heeseung was stalled as Aerin was stoned. That eye lock took a little longer just as their words wanting to be freed. 
"H-Hee--" 
Aerin got so many words to say but no ways to say them, only his name she hushed. If it were anyone else she would drop her gaze, but with him, she's drawn in a little closer and always wanting more. How she goes frail in Lee Heeseung's stares still remains to be an unsolved mystery.
"I-I didn't expect to see you here. I mean, I'm happy to see you after-- after a long time." Heeseung couldn't get his thoughts properly.
"I-I work as a court side reporter, in here, for--for the Dodgers." Aerin couldn't believe it would take so hard to answer a simple question.
Heeseung nods, eyes are still fixed on her lovely face. Aerin grows more prettier with her new hair streak. And those eyes - god damn, how he missed those eyes - so vivid and bright, like a free passage to look at her soul.
"You still look beautiful." Heeseung whispered unknowingly, as he watched her, spellbound.
He saw Aerin smiled softly, but that time, it was different. Her face smiled but her eyes did not.
"Aerin Choi, you have gotten weird, really. Why are you keep piercing into holes tonight? I have a hard time finding you again. You need to come with me. Mike Travis is making the opponents eat dust and so hyped to do it for the rest of the match! He's so pumped up after you agreed for a dinner date tomorrow night!"
David, when excited, is such a blabber, and Aerin went slow to stop him from saying anything stupid. 
"You got a what--?" Heeseung asked, brows knit fast in bewilderment.
He's not fluent with Western language but he clearly understood what the guy had just said. Heeseung secretly closed his fist as his jaw tightened in a silent fury.
"She got a date." David grinningly answered on her behalf. "You made the first pitch, right? Hi, I'm David. Aerin's workmate. I didn't know you and Aerin knows each other?" David faced Aerin, seemingly waiting for the introduction.
"Yeah, we do. Heeseung is my--" Aerin halts. If she tells the truth it will probably cause a stir. "A colleague. Yes, he's a good friend." she almost choke her own lies.
A colleague. A good friend. Heeseung almost fell on his feet to what he had heard.
"Nice to meet you man. By the way, you did great with pitch. Best of luck for tomorrow's show." Mike compliments him by bumping his fist.
"We need to go." Aerin cuts the conversation fast, avoiding Heeseung's burning stares.
He got so many things to say but Heeseung's mouth cannot translate the words her heart wanted to tell. He can't believe it, he was speechless and burning from the inside. He is very rarely at lost for words but that instance, he was and he hates the feel of it. Aerin is in in the process of moving on, considering a date, while was still stuck in their memories wishing they could have a chance. Heeseung felt like anytime he's going to explode.
"Aerin, wait--" he tried to reach for her but she goes swift, like a leaf taken by wind.
It's undeniable, Aerin looked so heavenly taking his breath away, but that pleasure wasn't for him to take. Heeseung was covered by waves of regret, it comes like a tsunami - a series of pain passed tbrough him causing displacement to every parts of his system. 
How she left him alone in the riddle is agonizing enough. Bet that was she felt when he left her cold and lonely. He loved her still, but how can he show it now? When she got someone new making her glow?
"Was that, Aerin Noona?" Ni-Ki was in disbelief, bringing Heeseung back to his senses.
"Bro, what the hell? You let her away just like that? Without any room for a talk?" Jay sounds frustrated as he was on the inside.
"Tsk! You just blow your chance right in front of your very eyes, Hyung. I think you two need to talk. Your chance is now, while we're still here in LA." Ni-Ki tried to suggest.
"I agree. You talk, you need to do it. For closure." Jay chuckled.
"What?!" Heeseung exclaimed his disagreement.
Jay finally laughed. "Do you still want to reconcile with Choi Aerin? Well, the good news is, you still can. Bang PD-nim already gave us signal to date but just be careful to not get caught."
"I ain't dating." Ni-Ki was fast to dispute, holding his hands up in the air. "Girls will just ruin your life. Better stay single."
"I--" Heeseung was wordless as he gets to straighten his thoughts. "Why are you both talking nonsense?! Let's get the hell out of here."
When emotions are running deep and heavy, the next step to do is run away. It's easy, but not exactly. Those things he learned will surely lose his sanity. The regret is ponderous, goes down in his throat, it caused great frustration that life circumstances couldn't allow them to be together.
Just like that, in a way that goes unexpectedly, he saw her again. Heeseung might be jumping in joy but it goes conflicting. In the five process of moving one, Aerin is clearly in the last stage, that is, she accepted their fate wholeheartedly. But it goes so different for him. Heeseung's still stuck on the first stage, the part of the move where he first hear about it and he still trying to find some sort of loophole to stay where he is, still clings in the memories of him and Aerin.
He can't move on. He just can't. Choi Aerin is still the brightest sunshine that brings light to his gloomy skies.
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She could hear the pounding beat of the music as the atmosphere was filled with excitement. K-Con in LA is an event where everyone is looking forward to see, filled with foreign but catchy music and star studded guests. Aerin can see thousands of people in the whole venue - singing, dancing, screaming as Enhypen takes the finale, burning the stage with their latest hit.
Close by, she was again strained to move an inch seeing the show's nearing it's climax. Not long enough, she'll face Enhypen and Lee Heeseung once again, for an exclusive interview.
"I know it's you even from afar."
Aerin was caught by a familiar voice. She turned around and was covered by surprise.
"Hong Yuki-nim!
"Hi! We haven't seen each other for quite a while. Courtside reporter for LA Dodgers? Wow, I'm so impressed." Yuki said it without animosity, but all praise for her.
"Thanks! It's nice to see you, manager-nim." she shyly replied back.
"The guys are just going to do a quick rest then you can proceed to the interview. But I'm afraid there's some kind of changes with the exclusive."
"Changes?" Aerin was confused at some point.
"You're going to interview only six. I need to pull out Heeseung. He needs to do another commitment and it's a priority.
"Commitment? L-Like what?"
Yuki smirked and Aerin felt stupid for asking such personal question.
"To be honest, I don't want to repeat another mishap. Don't get me wrong, I trust you now. I know you already learn from the past mistakes--" Yuki stopped and looked at her, face up and straight into her eyes. "I need pull to out Heeseung because he's going on a date."
"A date?! When the hell did a date becomes a priority for him?!" Aerin cannot control the flare-up.
Seeing her covered with such annoyance, Yuki finally let go of the crack up. Aerin was fast to cover her explosion.
"I-I'm sorry. I don't mean to be abrupt, Hong Yuki-nim. I was little stressed out with work and stuff. But yeah, Lee Heeseung can definitely have a good time. He deserves it." 
"Sure. Hee deserves it, as well you, Ms. Choi. Better have fun on your own dates tonight." 
The way Yuki said those words sounds unscathed and a little goad but Aerin's emotions goes unruly after the divulgence. She heaved a deep sigh as she cloaked herself with her thin overcoat. Strangely, the atmosphere becomes chilly than the usual LA climate when it's not even winter. 
"By the way, it's nice to see you again. Carry on, Aerin."
Yuki went out but his words still lingered around. Aerin aid herself to finally sit down. How she felt dopey going out with Mike Travis. 
She's diminishing. The truth slaps, hitting her harder tham anything. She's still in love with Lee Heeseung and he's not anymore. That's the truth. She knows because it hurts. Everything hurts. Every damn thing hurts.
__________________________________________
That blind date is something he didn't see coming. After the K-Con performance, Yuki pulled him out on the scheduled interview and sets him to a very ridiculous thing. Going on a date, to a lucky fan, and plainly for entertainment purposes only, is the last thing he wanted to do but Heeseung made himself to follow.
Thinking about Aerin spending the night with Mike Travis, is squeezing enough. He needs a diversion and that date will probably ease the hurt away, or so he thought.
The camera man is giving him ideas on what to do, where to face, what to say to the lucky fan and Heeseung was so stuffed by the suggestions. Just when they're about to begin his solo takes, something unusual caught his sight. The bearish built man on the other table isn't familiar but by the looks of it, he's somehow illustrious too, being served with pleasure and the lady he's with. He don't intend to eavesdrop but the waiter blurted his name out of nowhere, catching his fine hearing.
"That Dodgers win is surely because of you! Well done, Mike! And for that, the drink's on the house for you and to your lovely date!"
"Ah, really? That's cool, man!"
"Anytime. It's not everyday we got Mike Travis here in the house!"
Heeseung was utterly dumbfounded. Mike Travis? But why the hell is the dude with somebody else and not Choi Aerin?
He got up, making the director confused by his sudden twitch. He looked at Yuki from a distance and was surprised by his calmness, it's as if he knows what he's trying to do, but he had enough and decides to just keave him alone.
In the corner's edge, right down in the now empty arena, in the exact place where she saw her last night, Heeseung found himself standing still and wishing for another encounter. He was a fool to turn down the interview. He could've tried.
The sound of the keys jangling awakens his crashing thoughts. Unbelievable it is, the heavens answered his prayers that facile. He faced her as his heart begins to thump.
"H-Hee?" Aerin was at lost for words.
Seeing him again is something she didn't see coming. Why on earth does Lee Heeseung standing in front of her when he got some kind of a rendezvous? Aerin thoughts goes crazy, defeating her stance to stay solid in his dazed eyes.
"H-Hi." he said and was stupefied.
"Don't you have a--"
"I just want check on you if you're okay--" he knows he sounds like an idiot for saying those words.
Aerin was confused by the sudden break of the clouds. She could dance in happiness seeing him again but stopped herself to be swept away.
"I'm okay. The interview went well."
He's not thinking straight, just as the way he was so into her. "Your date?" he asked.
Aerin shook her head and shrugged. "It didn't go as planned. I--" she stopped to gain some air. "I ditched him."
That was the most beautiful statement he'd ever heard for the rest of the night. The arena was dark and empty but fastly, the pole lights goes bright, and he finally got to  see those beautiful eyes.
"Why are you here?" Aerin asked again.
"I ditched mine too." he chuckled. 
Aerin took a swallow. Looking at Heeseung, pretty close, is taking her breath away. It's unbelievable. He can just stand there and do nothing making her in awe. The power only Lee Heeseung holds.
"W-Why?" she asked for continuous time, The trembles are impossible, she's out for air, as she watched him stepped a little closer.
"I realized, those blind dates doesn't make sense at all. I'd rather spend my time with no one else--"
He looked at her and how fast everything to put into place. Aerin is his happy place, the sanctuary he thought he'd never find. He's rather be with her than any place in this world.
He finally took that lazy feet to stride, much closer, and could hear her heart thump next to his.
"Hee--" she gasped when he finally reached for her face.
"Aerin--" he hushed back, touched her face softly, skin to skin. He gasped out, breaking for breath, as he whispered the words out.
"There's no place I'd rather be, but here. I'd rather spend my time with no one else. No one else, but you."
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