Group: Enhypen - Tumblr Posts

Always Been You - Part Seven [Finale]

❥ pairing: lee heeseung x female reader ❥ genre: mini-series, fluff, romance, angst, strangers (kinda) to lovers, social elite!au, gossip girl!au, ceo!heeseung, assistant!reader, antagonist!jongseong ❥ warnings: mentions of food (let me know if i’m missing something) ❥ word count: 8.1k ❥ synopsis: Five years ago, Y/N’s life changed overnight. To avoid gossip and to see her life destroyed, she left the big city, hoping that she’d be forgotten in time. Five years later, she’s back to start over and take ownership of her life, hoping that no one remembers her after all of this time. Except, Heeseung has never forgotten about her despite their brief and short encounter. When he finds out that she is back in the city, he wonders whether or not the two of them will cross paths again. And they do. But not in the way Heeseung expected. ❥ lia’s note: Hello, how are you? I can't believe this is already the final part of this mini-series. I loved writing it and getting to interact with you week after week made it such a rewarding experience! This is not the end of this universe, though! I hope to work on some more stories featuring some of these characters in the future. Thank you for reading and I'd love to know your thoughts on this mini-series now that it's over! Please, like/reblog this if you enjoy reading it and let me know your thoughts, I’m always appreciative of your feedback! As always, happy reading!

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Desperate times called for desperate measures. You knew what you were about to do wasn’t right, but you couldn’t be a bystander to all of this, not when someone’s world was falling apart and they were someone you deeply cared about.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jake asked, wary. He had come to meet you at your apartment after you called him this afternoon stating this was an emergency. You made it more dramatic than it was, but if you had told me your plans over the phone, all of this could be easily jeopardised.

“I am sure, yes. Can you make it a few hours before he is announced as the new chairman? I want it to have as much of a negative effect on him as possible.”

You didn’t recognise yourself right now. The words that left your mouth tasted foreign when they were put together like this. Since when had you become so cruel?

“It would be more effective a few minutes prior when everyone is already in the room, waiting for him.”

“But that would bring negative attention to the company.” You stood up from your couch and started to pace around your small living room. “I just want Jongseong to suffer, Jake. If the company collapses…” You looked at him, desperate. “Heeseung can’t afford that.”

He nodded, the atmosphere growing sombre between the two of you. You wondered how he was doing. After you got fired, you barely saw each other and you tended to avoid Heeseung at all costs. Not because you didn’t miss him, you desperately wished to be next to him. However, you had caused him more harm than good. Ever since you stepped foot in this city it was a whirlwind of events each one worse than the one before. You were growing tired of all of this.

“Does he know about this?” You stopped walking and looked at your friend. “Does Heeseung know of your plan?”

“He can’t know.” You were certain of that. “He’ll try to stop us both if he finds out what we’re up to.”

Jake crossed his arms and pursed his lips, confused. “Didn’t he also want to get Jongseong out of the company?”

“He… did. To keep me there. Now that I am no longer working for the company… he finds no need to do all of this.” You walked back to the couch and sat next to him, looking into his eyes. “Can you do it or not, Jake? I need you to do this for me. Please.”

“You don’t need to beg, Y/N.” He wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pulled you closer to him. “I’ll talk to her about it. She’ll write the piece and she’ll post it. When is he being announced as the new chairman?”

“Tomorrow morning. Around ten.”

He sighed and bit his lower lip. “That’s… awfully soon.”

It was. “Do you understand now why this was so urgent? Do you think she can write it until tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, that won’t be the problem.” He gulped and avoided your eyes on him. “The problem is… the fact I have been avoiding her. And now I’ll… have to ask her this.”

You moved away from Jake to look at him better. He glanced at everything in your apartment except you. He knew that as soon as your eyes landed on his expression, you’d be able to tell how he was feeling.

“Tell her I am desperate. Tell her I am the only reason why you contacted her.” He finally looked at you, smiling shyly. “Unless there’s something else you want to tell her…”

He nodded, the shy smile fading slightly. Jake pursed his lips, lost in thought for a while before standing up from your couch and fixing his jacket, looking down at you.

“I should get going,” he announced. You stood up from the couch and wrapped your arms around him, pulling him in for a hug he reciprocated. “I’ll text you as soon as she tells me something, ok?”

“Sure.” You moved away from him. “Just don’t make it too obvious. Maybe text me about how your conversation with her goes?”

“I’ll… think about it.”

You weren’t sure if Jake would think about it. The truth was, you didn’t know much about this mysterious woman, only that at some point, she had been extremely important to Jake and that she betrayed his trust deeply. However, and despite his attempts at finding someone else, he still relied on her to gather intel on how to take down Jongseong. As much as you wanted to ask questions, you prevented yourself from doing so. If Jake ever wanted to talk about her to you, he’d do it on his terms, on his own time.

After he gathered his belongings, you guided him towards the entrance of your apartment and you said your goodbyes once again. When you closed the door, you leaned on the wall next to you and took a deep breath, trying to collect your thoughts. Now, there was no going back on this. If she agreed to move with the plan, it was only a matter of time before Jongseong was exposed for his wrongdoings.

You just hoped that it was enough. This was your last chance at this.

To distract yourself from your thoughts, you decided to prepare yourself a homemade meal since it was dinner time. You gathered all the ingredients, put a playlist playing in the background to keep you some company and started to cook.

Suddenly, your apartment’s bell rang and you sighed, wondering what Jake had forgotten this time. You wiped your hands in the kitchen towel, removed your apron and made your way towards the door, trying not to bump against any furniture.

“What did you– Heeseung?” You raised an eyebrow at him, startled that he was here. “Hi.”

You didn’t know what else to say to him. After avoiding him for so long, you expected Heeseung to not look for you, to not come and visit you at your apartment. And yet, here he was, staring back at you, slightly flustered. You had missed him, you had missed him so much. You felt foolish now for staying away from him all of this time.

“Did I come at a bad time?” He gulped and fixed the tie around his neck, looking you in the eyes, softly. “How… have you been?”

That was a complicated answer, one that you didn’t know if you had an answer to. Instead, you offered him a smile, happy to see him.

“I was about to cook dinner.” You bit your lower lip and gestured with your head to the inside of your apartment. “Do you want to… join me? It’s not fancy food but–”

“Of course.” He didn’t waste any time answering you. He cleared his throat and studied your features carefully before adding in a trembling voice, “I’ve missed you.”

You nodded and opened the door more so that Heeseung could step inside. Your heart was jumping in your chest, thoughts rushing through your head in no particular order. Noticing the emotion in his voice, the dedication in his gesture of coming here and checking up on you, you couldn’t deny to yourself anymore that you loved the man in front of you. You loved him dearly.

It didn’t take long for Heeseung to step inside your apartment. His eyes went over the place curiously, his eyes never harsh, his smile not fading. When you closed the entrance door and walked closer to him, his arms wrapped around your waist and his lips searched for yours.

The two of you might have been apart, but the way you felt towards one another hadn’t changed. This was a small gesture that didn’t encompass your love fully. Despite you pulling him closer to you, despite his arms wrapping strongly around you, it felt like this kiss wasn’t enough to make up for the time you had been apart.

It was an I’ve missed you kiss more than anything else. It was one of love and passion, but of worry and fear too. What if you didn’t get to kiss him again like this? What if you didn’t get to hold him again this close?

“I love you.”

This was no small statement, you knew that. It came as a whisper when you parted ways, breathless, but it carried all the emotion, all of the vulnerability, all the strength you would ever allow yourself to show him.

His thumb caressed your cheek and he smiled, planting a soft kiss on your lips before whispering into them. “I love you too, Y/N.”

Heeseung wasn’t sure why he had decided to visit you at your apartment. The truth was, not seeing you at the office had made him realise not only how much he loved you, but how much he missed you as well. Besides, no one could do your job as you did.

“It’s small compared to your apartment.” You opened your arms and spun in the living room, smiling at him afterwards. “But this is where I live.”

It was Heeseung’s first time at your apartment, he suddenly remembered. You had been at his on the same day everything changed in both your lives, but he had never been in yours. He liked it. Your apartment was smaller than his, that was true, but it was cosier, more inviting too. It had the bare essentials - not much else fit here - but it was lovely, nonetheless.

“It’s pleasant, actually.” He smiled at you, softly. “How have you been? It’s strange not seeing you at the office.”

“It’s strange not being at the office,” you admitted. “I still wake up thinking I have to message you the day’s calendar or that I have to call someone to confirm a meeting or something else. But the weirdest part is not seeing you every day. I miss that.”

Heeseung couldn’t help but smile fondly at you.

“I miss that too. You were great at your job. Jongseong lost a great assistant.” He sighed and bit his lower lip, struggling with what he was about to say. “I have tried to see if I could hire you again, but they told me Jongseong blacklisted you from the company and any others that he or his family have connections with. I thought you should know that.”

You slowly nodded, pursing your lips. Heeseung knew that staying in the city was dependent on you finding a job, but after what Jongseong had done, that task had only become even harder.

“Thank you for letting me know.” You stated and glossed over his features curiously. “Was that why you came to visit me?”

“No.” He cleared his throat and walked closer to you, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer. “I came to visit because I want to be with you.”

He might miss you at the office, but he was so glad this was something he could now. After all, Heeseung and you no longer had to hide your feelings for one another and he could hold you closer to him, kiss you softly whenever he wished to do so, and have you near him if he wanted to. It was a blessing in disguise, one he was very happy to have received.

Your fingers traced the buttons on his shirt as you bit your lower lip, glancing at him. “Do you want to have dinner here with me? I was about to cook for myself but I can always make enough for the two of us…”

Heeseung cupped your face and kissed you softly, your arms wrapping around his torso. When he came here, he was considering asking you out for dinner, maybe doing something afterwards. But this suggestion of yours was so much better. After all, what was better than staying with you and having a homemade cooked meal in the comfort of your small apartment?

“I’d love that.” He caressed your cheek and you smiled. “Do you want help with dinner?”

“Sure. But get yourself comfortable first. I’ll be,” you pointed to a small counter a few steps away from you, “over there.”

Heeseung took off his jacket and necktie and hung them on the hanger near the wall. He emptied his pockets as well and checked his phone to make sure no one had contacted him. He only had a message from Sunghoon, one that he didn’t want to read.

Turned in my resignation letter. I won’t work for the company if you’re not the one leading it. My decision is final, Heeseung.

As much as he had tried to put some sense into his friend, Sunghoon was set on his decision. He was going to quit his job and invest in small start-ups, hoping that could give him some return in the future. Keeping his job at the company was the best choice, but Sunghoon was extremely proud. He didn’t want to give Jongseong the satisfaction of bossing him around.

After Jongseong took over the company, he would order everyone around, Heeseung was sure of that.

“Do you have a preference in the sauce I add to the dish?” He lifted his eyes from his phone and your smile faded slightly. “Is everything alright?”

“Sunghoon quit his position at the company.” He gestured to his phone. “I was reading his text about it.”

“Oh.” You pursed your lips and studied his expression, wary. “Are there a lot of people doing that? Turning in their resignation letters because Jongseong is taking over?”

“Not that I’m aware of, no.” He smiled at you and walked your way, grabbing your hand in his. “But let’s not focus on that right now. What do you need me to help you with?”

You weren’t fully satisfied with his answer, but right now, Heeseung didn’t want to think about work or the company nor the speech he’d have to give tomorrow to the press. Right now, all he wanted to do was to spend time with you and disconnect from the stress and whirlwind his life was constantly under.

“You can help me set the table. I’ll finish the meal.”

Under your guidance, Heeseung grabbed the plates and cups and started to set the table. Outside, he could see a small patio in the middle of all the buildings, the night setting in as the street lights turned on. Even the view here was calmer, he felt like he was in an entirely new world.

“I should warn you now that I am not that great at cooking. Most of the recipes I know I learned from my grandma but I can never seem to make them justice. There’s always something missing, I don’t know what…”

He made his way towards you and looked at the dinner you were preparing. You tasted a bit of it, deep in thought and turned to look at him, pondering.

“Do you want to have a taste? Maybe you can give me a second opinion on what’s missing.”

Heeseung couldn’t resist but smile at you. It struck him that maybe you were worried he wouldn’t like the meal you were preparing. At the office, even if you were under pressure, you’d never let it get to you. This was the first he had a glimpse at this side of yours. Endearing, as any other glimpse at you you had given him the pleasure to witness.

“I’ll have a taste if that makes you feel better. But I’m not sure what kind of opinion you’re looking for. I usually don’t cook, you know?”

“Well,” you grabbed your wooden spoon and took something from the pan, “even if you don’t cook, you still know what you like, right? Let me know if it has enough salt, pepper, acidity, all of that.”

You extended the wooden spoon his way and he blew on it first before having a taste of what you were preparing. He wasn’t sure what you were worried about because what you had given him was absolutely delicious.

“It has enough salt,” he started, taking the wooden spoon from your hand and tasting some more of the food in the pan. “It certainly has enough pepper.”

“I put too much pepper, didn’t I?” You shook your head in defeat. You were adorable.

“And the acidity levels are nice too. It’s delicious, Y/N. You don’t have to worry about it.” You raised an eyebrow at him and he kissed your cheek, trying to reassure you. “I mean it. I’m not trying to shower you with compliments this time. Although, I’ll find a way to do so tonight.”

You rolled your eyes at him, but he saw the shy smile that appeared on your lips as you took the wooden spoon from his hand. Heeseung liked this. For so long, the two of you had to pretend you didn’t like one another, that his feelings for you were nonexistent.

Now, he could openly tell you how much he loved you, he could smile at you whenever your eyes met his. He didn’t have to hide and neither did you. And right now, Heeseung felt extremely lucky that you loved him. It was wonderful to be loved by you.

“Let’s have dinner now, ok?” You looked at him and smiled. “You can stare at me all you want while we share a warm meal.”

He chuckled, feeling his cheeks warming up slightly. The two of you made your way to the dining table and after sitting down, you got to enjoy your dinner and share how your day had been. As much as Heeseung tried to avoid talking about his time at the office, it was still a part of his day that he couldn’t keep from you.

Still, whenever you were the one talking, he gave you all of his attention and listened to your words carefully. And of course, he’d admire your features one by one, taking in their beauty.

Thankfully, he no longer had to do it shyly.

The light coming from the living room window woke Heeseung up. He blinked slowly and yawned, trying to stretch his arms. However, when he glanced to his shoulder, he found you soundly sleeping next to him, snuggled closer to his chest.

Last night was wonderful. The two of you shared a lovely meal and after he helped you get your kitchen in order, you sat on the couch and watched a couple of TV shows that you thought Heeseung would like. After a few hours, you started to drift into a light sleep and soon enough, you were sleeping by his side. Heeseung couldn’t resist kissing the top of your head every once in a while. And after a while, he also fell asleep.

When his eyes landed on the microwave clock in the kitchen, his eyes widened. It was almost time for his press conference.

“Y/N,” he whispered to you, “Y/N. Wake up.”

He truly wished you could sleep for longer, but he couldn’t get up with you snuggled against him.

“What happened?” You yawned and rubbed your face, lifting your eyes to Heeseung. “Did we fall asleep on the couch?” He nodded and you sighed, disappointed. “Please, tell me you don’t have back pain. This couch is… not the best.”

“I’ll think about the back pain some other time. I have to get ready for the press conference.”

At this, Heeseung watched the sleepiness fade from your expression, a certainty replacing it instead followed by worry. Your eyes scanned the coffee table and you grabbed your phone, quickly unlocking it. After typing for a while, you sighed in relief and looked at Heeseung, gesturing with your head to the bathroom.

“You can take a shower here. I still have a clean suit of yours somewhere in this apartment… not underwear, though. I’ll prepare you breakfast in the meantime. Go.”

He wanted to ask you why you had one of his suits, but then he remembered one of your suggestions when you started working for him. You kept one with you so that, if an emergency were to occur, you could quickly grab it for him. Your apartment was closer to the office than his so it made sense. Right now, Heeseung was glad you hadn’t returned it yet. Maybe, he’d find an excuse for you to keep a suit of his at your apartment so he could spend the night more often.

Quickly, you got up from the couch and walked to your bedroom where you opened your wardrobe. After a happy cheer, you closed it and hung his suit on the wardrobe door, smiling happily at it. You turned to look at Heeseung, crossing your arms.

“Go and have a shower. Your suit is here as you can see. You have clean towels in the cabinet below the sink. Anything else you might need, call my name.”

“You’re not my assistant anymore, Y/N.” He stood up from the couch and walked towards you, planting a soft kiss on your lips when he was close enough to you.

“I’m doing this as your girlfriend.” That word made his heart jump in his chest. You patted his shoulder. “Do you think if I was still your assistant I would be ordering you around?”

He laughed and tried to wrap his arms around your waist. You slapped his wrist softly and he raised an eyebrow at you.

“Go shower. You’re already late. We’ll resume this some other time, ok?” You kissed him and started to walk away from your bedroom, your clothes wrinkled from the night of sleep on the couch. “Stop staring at me! Go shower!”

“I wasn’t staring at you.” You turned around and narrowed your eyes on him, a playful smile on his lips. He raised his arms in defeat and started to walk toward the bathroom. “I’ll go shower now, then.”

It didn’t take long for Heeseung to shower and walk into your bedroom to get changed. He put on his clean white shirt, a dark grey suit, and grabbed his blue necktie, stepping in front of the mirror, trying to put it on. As usual, he couldn’t do it.

“Y/N?” He called your name out loud. “A little help, please?”

“What is it?” You peeked inside your bedroom, locating Heeseung fairly quickly. He lifted his necktie slightly and you chuckled softly. “I’ll help. Your breakfast is almost ready.”

Carefully to not bump into your furniture, you made your way towards Heeseung and grabbed the necktie from his hands and got to work on the knot. He bit his lower lip, happy that this time, he didn’t have to keep his eyes from you. And now, he could do something else too.

He wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you closer, stealing a kiss from you.

“Heeseung!” You slapped his chest, your eyes wide open as you looked at him. “I am trying to make your knot look presentable. Don’t do that while I am doing this.”

Just to upset you slightly more, he tried to steal yet another kiss from you but this time, you leaned backwards, a finger landing on his lips. He pouted, somewhat disappointed that his second attempt wasn’t as successful as the first one.

“I want to kiss you too, trust me. But right now, we have to focus on other things. We’ll make up for the time we lost one way or the other.” You finished your work and patted down the tie on his chest, smiling at him. “You’re ready. Let’s have breakfast.”

You grabbed his hand and guided him out of your bedroom. Heeseung sat by the counter and had his coffee with toast. You apologised for not having anything better for him to eat in the morning but he didn’t mind at all. Your company made up for it.

“Do you want me to call your driver?” You asked Heeseung, biting your lip. “I know I am not your assistant anymore, but it would speed things up a little. Unless you want to take the subway, that is.”

“Taking the subway would be nice,” he started, “but on my last day as the chairman, I’d like to arrive with my driver. Could you make the call?”

“Sure.”

As he finished his breakfast, you made the call. Soon enough, he was ready to leave your apartment and head to the office to be at the press conference. Everything would be much better to him if you were present, even if you were in the shadows, but that couldn’t be possible anymore.

Everyone who used to work with Heeseung and was of his trust had left the company at this point. You, Sunghoon, he just wasn’t sure about Sunoo. But he’d probably leave to work for Sunghoon. If that was the case, everyone who would be around Heeseung would be a stranger, an unfamiliar face. A clear sign that the company he started was no longer his.

Your phone rang and woke Heeseung from his thoughts. You quickly spoke to whoever was on the other side, informing them that Heeseung would be with them in a few minutes. When you hung up the call, you slowly lifted your eyes to look at him, your expression a mix of worry, hope, and expectation.

“Your driver is waiting outside.” You announced and made your way towards him, smiling softly. “Can I… give you something for you to take with you?”

“Of course.”

Heeseung followed you as you opened your bag and removed a small envelope from the inside, extending it to him.

“I’ve… prepared you a speech. I know you have an assistant, but I think this one will be more useful to you.” Your eyes met his, anxious. “Read it on your way to the company. You don’t have time to do so here, right now…”

Heeseung couldn’t help but be sceptical at your request. He could sense the nervousness in your voice, see the worry in your eyes. Something told him this wasn’t a mere speech. Still, he didn’t have time to ask you any more questions.

“I should go now.”

You guided Heeseung towards your apartment and sighed, looking at him. He kissed you before leaving, taking with him all the strength he could for what he was about to do.

“Come back later if you want.” You stated when he was on the other side of the door, looking back at you. You cleared your throat, avoiding his gaze. “Or just call me to let me know how it went.”

“I’ll come back. Would you mind if I bought dinner?” You gulped and he let out a soft laugh. “I loved your meal, I just think we could have takeout food this time so you don’t have to cook again. Besides, it’ll take me a while to come back tonight.”

“Sure.” You smiled and waved at him. “I’ll be waiting for you, then.”

Heeseung reciprocated the gesture and stood there as you slowly closed your apartment door. He took a deep breath and glanced at the small envelope in his hand, wondering if he should read it now while he was still here.

Read it on your way to the company. That had been your request to Heeseung.

And right now, he would trust you. He glanced at his watch before heading out of the apartment building.

He had twenty minutes.

And then, he’d no longer be the chairman of his company.

Jongseong would take his place instead, despite him not wanting this change to happen. He didn’t want to see his hard work, his company be turned into ashes under Jongseong’s guidance.

Heeseung tried to relax in the backseat of the car. His heart was pounding in his chest as he got closer to his company’s building, as the minutes got closer to his announcement.

His phone had received a couple of messages all of which he ignored. He focused all of his thoughts on putting his emotions aside and on getting ready to make this announcement to the press. His speech shouldn’t take longer than five minutes, and the press conference should last for another half an hour, but he knew he would leave that room completely overwhelmed with the turmoil of emotions building within himself.

He wondered if he had done enough. He wondered if he had fought for his company, if he had played too clean. Maybe, just this time, he should’ve lowered his standards to match Jongseong’s. He should’ve played dirty to keep his company.

But wouldn’t that make him just as terrible as Jongseong?

The messages subdued but the calls kept coming. For a while, Heeseung ignored them and focused on the tall buildings outside, the sun reflecting on the glass windows, the streets crowded with strangers heading to work. You had been one of these people once. Now, you no longer worked on these buildings and Heeseung wasn’t sure you ever would.

After growing annoyed at the calls, he finally picked up one from Sunghoon. He took a deep breath and placed the phone next to his ear, unsure of what his friend would tell him.

“Have you checked Click!?” Heeseung gulped. The last time Sunghoon had called him to ask him about Click!, it was about your return to the city. However, Sunghoon didn’t sound calm or happy. He was desperate. “Have you checked Click! or not?”

“I’m on my way to the company, Sunghoon. I don’t have time to check up on gossip.”

“I am sending it to your phone right now. Call me after you read the article.”

Reluctantly, Heeseung opened the link Sunghoon had sent him. After the page loaded, he couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Is this real?” He mumbled under his breath as he scrolled through the page, his heartbeat increasing, his mind growing dizzier.

Park Jongseong: the man behind the biggest downfalls and scandals of the social elite.

Heeseung read the article title over and over again, until his mind was numb to the words, until they lost all their meaning. This wasn’t what he expected to find this morning. He never expected Click! to do an exposé on Jongseong.

He quickly called Sunghoon again who didn’t take long to pick up the call.

“Do you know who’s behind this?” Was Heeseung’s first question. After all, he was the only one that could benefit from Jongseong’s downfall and he hadn’t been the one to do this. He had thought about it, he had acted on it, but he never pulled through with his plan.

“I have no idea, man.” Sunghoon took a deep breath on the other side. “What are you going to do now? Do you have time to prepare a speech to tell the press you’re kicking him out of the company? Please, Heeseung, this time get out of your white horse and fire him. This is too much.”

“I don’t…” As his hand moved closer to his heart, he felt something in the inner pocket of his jacket. His eyes widened and he placed his phone in between his shoulder and ear and grabbed the envelope you had given him. “Hold on.”

After pulling the sheet of paper from the inside of his pocket, he unfolded it carefully, glancing at the handwritten speech you had prepared for him. He couldn’t hide his relief, his surprise, and somehow, his delight.

It had been you. Of course, it would have been you.

He cleared his throat and grabbed his phone, trying to keep his emotions to himself.

“I may have something,” Heeseung announced, glossing over the words you had written. “Do you want me to read it to you?”

“Just tell me you’re firing him effectively-immediately. And that you’ll stay as the chairman. That’s all I care about.”

“I… will.” He chuckled. “I will do all of that.”

“Sir,” he lifted his eyes to see his driver staring back at him, “we’re here. Do you want me to drop you by the main entrance or the underground parking lot?”

“The main entrance.” He took a deep breath and focused on Sunghoon on the other side of the line. “I’ll call you after this is all over. I… already have the press here.”

“Sure. And Heeseung? Good luck. I’m with you on this.”

“Thank you, Sunghoon.”

Heeseung hung up the call and saved his phone, his eyes finding the press waiting for him at the entrance of the building. As soon as his car approached, cameras started to flash and the crowd of journalists moved like one, pointing their microphones at Heeseung’s window, asking him questions loudly, hoping he would reply to them from the inside of the vehicle.

“Should I call security?” His driver asked, looking at him through the rearview mirror. Heeseung nodded and the man called the inside of the building while he saved the speech on its envelope and back in his inner pocket, grabbing his sunglasses and putting them on. “They’re on their way.”

It didn’t take long before Heeseung caught sight of the security guards as they pierced through the crowd and demanded the crowd to move away from the car. A small passageway appeared and he took a deep breath. His driver exited the car and came to open his door and, with the confidence the moment allowed, Heeseung stepped out of the car.

As soon as the door closed behind him, the voices around him only grew louder and a lot of cameras were rolling whatever was Heeseung’s reaction. He simply bowed softly to the press outside and, with certain steps, made his way inside the building.

What will you do about Jongseong?

Have you heard about the scandals Jongseong is involved in?

Is it true that Park Jongseong will take over the company?

All of their questions Heeseung ignored. Not because he didn’t have the answers, but because all of them would come in due time.

As soon as he stepped inside the building, Jungwon quickly came to greet him, bowing to him, a frightened expression over his features. He kept walking alongside Heeseung who kept a steady pace, removing his sunglasses as soon as he was on the elevator.

“The press is already in the conference room but they are growing impatient over what this whole announcement is about. I…” He gulped and glanced at Heeseung, worried. “I told them this was about the chairman position. Not much else, but enough to cause some damage. I… I apologise.”

“Has Jongseong set foot in the building already?” He glanced at Jungwon who shook his head. “Then, there’s nothing to apologise about. For all it’s worth, this is a public announcement that our company will cut all ties with Park Jongseong. He no longer works for us.” Heeseung removed the small sheet of paper from the envelope and extended it to Jungwon. “From a PR standpoint, is that speech good enough? Anything I should add?”

He knew Jungwon had questions. However, in such a short amount of time, Heeseung couldn’t give him the answers. All he could ask of him was to trust that he knew what he was doing right now. Although, for the first time in a long time, he wasn’t sure of what he was doing. He had spent all of his time preparing to step down from the chairman position so Jongseong could take over. However, he had to do the opposite. Stay as the chairman and send Jongseong on his way.

“This is great for right now.” Jungwon returned the speech to Heeseung, an eyebrow raised. “You didn’t write that, did you?”

He shook his head and sighed. “Y/N did.”

“Always one step ahead,” Jungwon mumbled under his breath, fixing his tie. “She was great at her job. She will be missed around the office.”

Heeseung nodded in agreement and the conversation between the two of them dissipated. When the elevator doors opened, a couple of employees greeted Heeseung with a bow and he reciprocated the gesture before being guided into the conference room.

He slowly made his way to the small platform, glancing at the cameras and microphones in front of him, a crowd of strangers ready to type on their computers, scribble in their notebooks, and take photos with their cameras.

“Good morning. Thank you for your presence.”

Heeseung glanced at the speech you had written for him and somehow felt calmer. You might not be by his side or hiding behind the scenes, but you were still with him. He cleared his throat and fixed the main microphone, getting ready to make the announcement everyone was waiting for.

“I am Lee Heeseung, Lee Publishings’ chairman. Five years ago, I started this company with the support of Park Jongseong’s father, who believed in my vision enough to invest in it and to trust me to guide it to greatness. Five years later, we are one of the largest publishers in the country and one of the fastest-growing companies as well.” He paused and looked at a couple of the cameras, serious. “We don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.”

“However,” he continued, “it’s time for a change. After his father stepped down, Park Jongseong started to work closely with us, something he did for the past three years, out of courtesy for his father’s kindness. He has contributed to key successful moments in our company, all of which we are very grateful for.” Murmurs grew in the crowd and Heeseung calmed them down, trying his best to keep his composure. “Still, no success should come at the cost of people’s lives. After the information revealed today about Park Jongseong, we have decided to part ways as his values do not match those of this company.”

Heeseung allowed for his words to settle in, slowly watching over the crowd as he stated one of the final sentences of his speech. “Park Jongseong is no longer an employee of Lee Publishings.”

As much as you had prepared yourself mentally for the day and what would unfold, your anxiety was over the roof. At first, you thought you could keep away from the computer and your phone and focus on finding a job. But after Jake messaged you saying the article had been posted, you went on a downward spiral trying to figure out the wrongdoings of Jongseong.

The more you read the article, the more your stomach twisted itself. Each story got worse and worse, and you found yourself wondering how he got away with all of this for so long. However, you knew the answer.

Jongseong always had his connections. After the endless hours of scrolling on the internet, you found yourself watching the news as they talked about this newfound information and Heeseung’s reaction to it. When you saw him on your screen reading the speech you had prepared, you couldn’t help but sigh in slight relief. You were sure he’d have a lot of questions and you’d answer them all, but right now, you just wanted to make sure he was ok.

However, despite calling his personal number and sending him a couple of texts, you received no reply. You decided to contact Sunoo who also didn’t give you any updates. Only that he was in a meeting that would last a while. He suggested that you try to call Sunghoon and so, you followed his advice.

You paced around your apartment as you waited for him to pick up your call. When he finally did, you took a deep breath.

“Who is this?” He chuckled. “If this is a news outlet, I have no comments to add to the story. And please, don’t contact me any further.”

“It’s Y/N.” The words left your lips in despair and you gulped. “Sunoo gave me your personal number. I hope that’s ok…”

“Oh… I apologise.” Sunghoon sighed. “I’ve been receiving a lot of calls from news outlets asking for a comment and I am growing a bit impatient.”

“You could always ignore it.”

“But then, I’d miss calls like yours.” He pointed out. “How are you holding up? Do you need anything?”

You bit your lower lip and walked closer to the window, looking at the small patio outside where a couple of children played hide and seek as the sun went down. Now that you were talking to Sunghoon, asking him about Heeseung’s whereabouts seemed inappropriate. You had to trust that he would call you when he got the chance or that, at least, he’d text you something.

“I’m trying my best to stay away from the articles.” Sunghoon laughed softly on the other side. “Other than that, I’m fine.”

“The press hasn’t called you yet?”

You shook your head and moved away from the window. As you sat down on your couch, you turned off the TV so you could listen to him better.

“The press hasn’t contacted me yet. I’m not sure why they would, though.” You smiled, somewhat pleased. “I’m not important to them now.”

That was a fact no one could deny now. And you were so glad you weren’t important to the press, that your words and actions weren’t scrutinised constantly and that you could simply live. Besides, the person who had information about you had written their big piece and now, you were hoping you could live a somewhat normal life. That was until Click! found out you were dating Heeseung.

“Well, I’m glad they aren’t bothering you. Also, how is your job search going? Found anything you like?”

You were startled by Sunghoon’s casual way of talking to you. Still, you were no longer an employee at the company and neither was he. All you had in common now was the fact you were important people to Heeseung.

“I haven’t found anything.” You bit your lower lip. “What about you? Heeseung told me you quit the company.”

Sunghoon sighed on the other side of the call. “I did, yes. I am thinking of starting a company. Are you interested?”

You narrowed your eyes to a point in the distance, confused by Sunghoon’s statement. “Are you asking me to work for you?”

“I am asking if you are interested in working with me. Not for me, but with me.”

For the next couple of minutes, Sunghoon and you got distracted by his ideas to start his business. It all stemmed from Heeseung’s engagement party and how Sunghoon was pretty surprised by how you organised and handled everything from start to finish in such a short amount of time. He realised that so far, there wasn’t a company offering these kinds of services to the social elite of the city and so, he was thinking of starting a business that offered these services.

“I can only do it with you, of course. After all, I don’t know anyone else who could organise, plan and keep these kinds of events in check. And you don’t have to worry about clients,” Sunghoon reassured you. “I’ve got my connections and people know they can trust me.”

You didn’t doubt that. Sunghoon knew almost everyone and was always invited to every party that was thrown in this city. It surprised you how he was never tired.

As you were about to answer him, your doorbell rang and your heart jumped from your chest. You glanced at your microwave watch and bit your lower lip.

“Would you mind if I thought some more about it? Maybe we could even schedule a meeting and talk this through?”

“Sure,” He answered. “I’ll wait for your call. Have a rest of a good day, Y/N.”

“Likewise, Sunghoon.”

You quickly hung up the call and walked towards the door, opening it to find Heeseung on the other side. He lifted a plastic bag and smiled at you.

“I’ve brought dinner.” You sighed in relief and he stepped into your apartment, kissing you softly. He caressed your cheek afterwards, looking into your eyes. “I’m sorry it took me so long.”

“How are you?”

Are you mad at me? That was the question you wanted to ask him. After all, you went behind his back and pulled this stunt on him, after he told you he was fine with Jongseong taking over the chairman position.

He placed the plastic bags on the kitchen counter and took off his jacket and necktie, walking back towards you, his eyes studying your features carefully.

“How are you?” He repeated your question. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

You gulped, worried. “You’d try to stop me and I’d… stop. But I’d probably end up regretting it.”

He nodded and wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you into his embrace. You closed your eyes as you hugged Heeseung, feeling the comfort of his presence, of knowing he was next to you now. It was nice to be with him after all of the chaos of today.

“I’d regret it too.” He whispered, kissing your cheek softly. “I almost gave my company to him, didn’t I?”

You hummed and he pulled you even closer to him, making you smile. The truth was, you knew Heeseung would always be too proud to admit he didn’t want to give his company away. It wasn’t so much the power associated with the chairman position or the prestige, but it was the idea that he could oversee and guide the company he built from the ground up. That was what he loved about his job, seeing everyone come together for something greater. And maybe, in a twisted way, you had also brought people together for something greater, even if that involved someone’s downfall.

“Let’s eat.”

The two of you parted ways at Heeseung’s suggestion and quickly set the table to have dinner together. With the TV off, you chatted about your day and Heeseung updated you on everything that had happened at the company because of Click!’s article on Jongseong. Despite the stocks having gone down, they were already recovering and everyone on the board was ok with Heeseung keeping the company’s chairman position. Still, the company had suffered great losses when key employees left which meant it would take a while for it to fully recover.

“I could hire you again,” he suggested with a smirk. “We’d get to see each other every day.”

You nodded and he leaned closer to you, planting a soft kiss on your lips.

“Do you think you’d be able to not kiss or stare at me every time you saw me?”

He pursed his lips and shrugged, giving you a playful smile. “I could always add curtains to my office so we could kiss in private.”

You rolled your eyes at his comment and he laughed, happy with your reaction.

When you finished your meal, it was your turn to tell Heeseung about your day. It hadn’t been as eventful as his, but when you shared what you and Sunghoon talked about over the phone, he was more ecstatic for you than you could ever imagine. He encouraged you to talk to Sunghoon and hear what he had to say to you because he knew you’d be great at it.

“I’ll miss you at the office but if you’re working with Sunghoon, then I am more relieved.”

Knowing that you had his full support, somehow made you happy and even more excited about this business idea Sunghoon had. You were sure to schedule a meeting with him as soon as possible.

Slowly, the euphoric state of your busy day started to unwind and you started to drift into sleep. You snuggled closer to Heeseung on the couch as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, kissing the top of your head.

“Do you want to go to bed?” He asked softly and you yawned, nodding at him. “Let’s go to bed, then.”

It took you a while to realise what was happening right now. And it took you a second longer for you to finally process who the man you were snuggling closer with was to you.

When you first met, you didn’t think he would become so important to you. You were completely oblivious to the past you both shared, unaware of what the present had in store for you but now, you looked forward to a future with him. No matter how many times your life would change, these moments of realisation would always hit you at the strangest of times.

“What is it?” Heeseung whispered, glancing at your features carefully. “Is everything alright?”

You nodded, smiling fondly at him.

“It is. Now that I’m with you, it is.”

— THE END —

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When the Days Were Better \\ Lee Heeseung

pairing: boyfriend!Heeseung x reader

genre: slight angst, a fluffy ending

warnings: none really, one curse, an argument

word count: 1,047

synopsis: You miss the way your relationship used to be, before Heeseung had to work so much ~ inspired loosely on the song 2011 by 5SOS

You tossed and turned before finally sitting up. It was nearly 4 am. Sighing, you flicked the light on, giving up on getting any sleep. Heeseung was supposed to come over hours ago and you hadn’t heard a single word from him, not even a text. You worriedly sent your tenth message in a row to him asking if he was okay and headed into the living room to find some late night tv to watch.

You jolted awake on the couch half an hour later to the sound of keys jiggling in the lock of your apartment door. Heeseung walked in, his eyes lighting up with a mixture of happiness and surprise upon seeing you awake and waiting for him at such a late hour. He approached you and swept you up into his arms, carrying you back to bed. You couldn’t help but smile being in your boyfriend’s arms. Almost four years later and he still makes you feel like the only girl in the world.

He told you he was going to take a quick shower and headed into the bathroom. Listening to the sound of the shower, you were suddenly more awake again and remembering your thoughts from before you had fallen asleep. Heeseung came out of the bathroom dressed for bed when he noticed the look on your face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, kneeling down in front of you.

“Nothing, I’m just tired” you stated, not making eye contact with him.

“I know you better than that, babe, come on what is it?” He turned your face to look at his. “Is it because I’m so late again? I’m sorry you know how carried away I get trying to get everything to look and sound perfect. I know I should have texted so you wouldn’t worry but I was so focused and lost track of time and-“

He stopped short when he noticed the singular tear rolling down your cheek. He rushed to sit next to you on the bed and grabbed your face with both hands, rubbing away the growing stream of tears with his thumbs. “Baby, please tell me what’s going on” he begged. Staring into the eyes you loved the most, you took a shaky breath before trying to put how you felt into words.

“I… just feel like I miss the old me, the old us” you started. You watched as his brow furrowed at your statement and continued. “We used to talk about this incredible future where you achieved your dreams and debuted and I would be working towards my dreams and be happy and content because we were together and now that’s happening but…” you were just about sobbing now, trying your best to say what you wanted to say. “I just can’t stop wishing we were back there, back when the days were better. When I didn’t feel like everything was so complicated, like I’m standing in the way of your dreams.”

You noticed Heeseung was crying now too, which broke your heart even more. He suddenly stood up and started pacing the room, and you could see the thoughts running through his head. You tried to call out to him to get him to settle down. “Hee-”

“I’m sorry I’m not making enough time for you. I’ll stop practicing all night long and missing dates and not answering your messages. I’ll be better, you deserve me to be better”

You shook your head. “No, Hee, you’re missing my point. You shouldn’t have to do any of that for me. This is your life, this is your dream, you shouldn’t have to give any of that up for me and I could never ask you to. Maybe we were just meant to stay in 2018, when everything was easy and perfect and simple.”

He suddenly stopped walking and stared blankly at the wall.

“No”

“What?”

He finally turned to face you and the fiery look in his eyes caught you off guard. “No. This isn’t supposed to be easy. Relationships shouldn’t just end because things got difficult or some things changed. We’re not who we were 4 years ago, and that’s okay. You have to put in work to make it work, that’s what a real relationship is; you have to work for what you love. And I love you, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to not lose you. I guess the only question is, are you?”

The two of you existed in silence for a few minutes, eyes locked on one another, neither breaking the silence as you processed what he had just said and he waited for your response.

You took a deep breath and stood to walk over to him. “I just don’t want you to have to start giving things up for me, like practicing until 4 in the morning if that’s what your crazy ass wants to do. I’m worried I’m standing in your way and that’s the last thing I want to do. I just want you to be happy” you whispered as you took his hands in yours.

He dropped your hands and you gasped slightly, preparing for him to say the words you feared the most. He didn’t though, instead he pulled you into him and held you close. “I am happiest with you in my life” he whispered into your hair. You relaxed into him and wrapped your arms around his torso.

“I would rather come back at 4 am after a long day and see you, even fight with you, than not come back to you at all…. But I’ll start trying to be home by 2 am.” He laughed and pulled away, looking at you as if to say ‘okay? Are we done now?’

You sighed and ran your fingers through your hair, nodding. The two of you finally climbed into bed and cuddled close together; it was 5:15 now.

“Stop getting wrapped up in the past. All we need is each other and we’ll be alright.” Heeseung sleepily assured you. You giggled at your boyfriend and his eyes fluttered open in response. “What?” He asked. You just smiled before replying, “nothing. I just love you a lot.” “And I love you even more,” he kissed your lips gently, “Now can we please get some sleep”