CHAPTER 009.
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At his response, you nod back and grin.

Thump!

Star has no idea if whether it is from the feelings of disappointment or the pretty sight of your flimsy smile that he felt his heart slightly quiver in his chest.

With an internal struggle, he tears his gaze off you as he reverts his attention to the screen of his phone. Electric-blue eyes suddenly widening in alarm once he perceives the message that was delivered to him just a few second earlier.

He received a message from Dark.

A brief message yet full of enthusiasm and passion.
The content's mostly consisted of him talking on how he dearly misses his presence, on how he constantly fawns over their sweet memories, and how he is here right now at his mansion.

He presses his lips together.

Star doesn't normally curse as he finds it unpleasant, but with what he's feeling right now, only a curse can sum it all up.

So here it goes:

Sh*t.

Star's still looking down at his phone when he suddenly hears the loud screams of his name echoing throughout his residence.

As for you who are just about to push the door open for your departure, you almost stumble once your eyes met contact with striking grey irises.

The smile on his face is so big and bright; it can almost rival Luck's cheshire grins. You instantly catch yourself frozing in spot. Heart thumping rapidly when his jovial attention settles on you.

After an exhausting several weeks of world tour with his idol group, Dark is finally allowed to return to his native country.

Of course, he was very happy for he can finally go meet up with his bestie and hang out with him.. just like those good old times; but the moment he arrived at his friend's mansion and is faced with someone unfamiliar, the man can't really say that he's still feeling that same happiness as he is now left befuddled instead.

A girl?

Dark curiously wonders as he stares down at your form. The smile on his face quickly fading. He is not the only one who checks out your appearance as you also took in his looks.

Dyed black hair, dark gray eyes. His visual has the touch of a cold, detached being when he's without a smile. The man looks like an angel, but the image he wholly exudes feels rather too dark.

Dark...?

At that moment, you finally grasp his identity. Your eyes widen while you quickly find yourself taking a step back to create some distance between you guys.

Dark of the Fallen?

But what's he exactly doing over here? A member of the currently most popular idol group of the nation. The last time you heard them, they were supposed to be having a world tour. Yet what is Dark doing over here?? Are they done touring?

You start to get uncomfortable by the intense stares he is delivering you.

You find him handsome, of course—but being stared at by him for a very long time can be quite very unnerving, especially with the ominous air he unintentionally bears when he has no smiles on his features.

You feel your face flushed from the awkwardness of the present situation.

"Hm? Who are you?" he questions.

"(Y/N)," you say too quickly.

You didn't even bother to think. You just idiotically gave your name to him. Although you're aware that this is the time you should be careful with giving out your name to strangers, something about Dark compels you to answer. Not exactly in a good way.
You actually feel intimidated, scared.

"Oh, okay."

Suddenly his smile returns to his lips. You did not smile back, only gaping at his beautiful smile with a beguiled expression. Dark does not care though as his attention's snatched by someone else.

As if completely forgetting your existence, Dark pushes you to the side like some nonliving object. He excitedly makes his way to the his dearest friend; his arms pulled out as if ready to give some hugs.

"Star! Long time no see! I miss you!!" You watch Dark pull Star closer for a friendly hug, yet unaware of how those striking grey colored eyes slowly dim in shade as the man has his back turned on you.

"—You must have missed me too, right?" Dark quietly whispers; his hold on his friend slightly tightening. Of course Star felt it, but instead pointing that out, he just casually shrugs it off.

This kind of behavior from Dark was nothing new. He is always like this to him... no matter how much he tries to put a wall between them.

Star only nods, just agreeing.

His electric blue colored eyes accidentally meeting your (E/C) ones. The actor immediately averts his gaze away, internally wishing that you would just leave as you had planned to.

Because... why bother staying longer when you are just going to leave in the end. You're only giving him hopes just to shatter it.

Star sighs. "I thought your return flight is scheduled on Friday?"

"Yes, our flight is scheduled on Friday, but I went ahead first," Dark lightly shrugs as he answers back, not really caring about leaving his co members behind.

While they were excited to take the rest of their days on abroad as a break from everything, Dark, on the other hand, was very eager to return and see Star.
But being here.. right now.. in front of his dearest friend, his excitement falters as he can clearly see that Star does not share the same sentiments as him.

Star didn't even reciprocate the hug, making him feel more bummed out with this useless moment.

Dark pulls himself away from the embrace and instantly fakes a smile, so that Star doesn't witness his displeased expression.

"So how's the project you're currently working on?"

Hearing it, the actor unconciously runs a hand along his golden blonde hair as a gesture of frustration. Oh please, why must Dark remind him of that. It had been stressing him for nights now.

"Not.."

His brows furrows; he exhales. "...exactly going fine for me."

You who have been silently standing in the sidelines had your attention perked. The fanservice from them is fine.. but this new piece of information is more interesting for you to listen.

Project? Star's having a new drama? You weren't aware of that one...! Feeling rather nosy today, you continue to stay and listen to their conversation.

"Huh? Is it still about that?" Dark asks.

Star nods back.

He does not know the reason though. Director Chase has been pressing him to act better since a week ago, and he truly is giving his all. But that director still continues to insist that he hasn't captured the emotions of Travis well enought yet.

He's indeed aware that Director Chase is a perfectionist, but Star never thought that that man would be too much to handle.

Star lets out a shaky sigh.

Dark pats him on the shoulder as if to comfort.
"Don't concern yourself too much on it. Stressing won't do you any good. Maybe you will learn to act like what your Director has wanted in the near future."

"I hope so," he says.

But Star knows that it is far too impossible. The director wants him to perfectly portray a young man who's in the process of falling in love.

Emphasized with the word "perfectly."

Yet that, of course, would be too impossible to perfectly replicate unless he himself had experienced such strong emotions.

... which he never did so.

Curiously watching the two celebrities, you fail to grasp that you have been caught listening to their conversation until Dark made it known.

"You done snooping around?" he calmly asks, smiling at you whose face starts to redden. "Do you need anything more?" You quickly shake your head, having the urge to smack yourself in the head for being stupid to be caught like this.

"I—I'll get going," you stutter.

Dark raises his brow, and you take it as a cue to leave. A fake smile shown on your blushing face; you nod at him and leave in a hurry.

Stepping outside the gates, you take one last glimpse of Star's mansion.

I wonder what was that all about, you think—oblivious to what is currently happening inside the residence. Star had watched your departure with a pained expression on his face in spite of not being aware of it.

And Dark..

Well, he noticed it and wasn't happy.

✭ 𝕿𝖎𝖒𝖊 𝕾𝖐𝖎𝖕 ✭

"So she left huh," the actor murmurs under his breath as he finally sees her disappear from his gaze. His electric-blue eyes, shrouded with little bits of incomprehensible emotions that he himself doesn't even notice.

But Dark noticed it.

He has been observing his dearest friend for awhile now, perceiving the distant look on his handsome face as Star impassively stares at the position where you've been last spotted standing.

Dark can't help but be wary. Such a reaction from Star is perplexing.

Normally, his friend would not really give a damn about girls, but right now, his expression states otherwise. Just who is that girl exactly? A new friend perhaps, or is it—

An ugly frown settles on his face.

Dark doesn't want to dwell on such pessemistic thoughts any further, yet he can't help but be bothered. His friend, after all, was affected with her departure; and obviously, there's something about that.

"Do you know her?" he asks.

His voice slightly quivers, but he sounds calm overall. A question he asked—just an innocent one. He only wants to know the degree of their relations.

While Dark may try to hide his qualms, it is pretty clear that he is not okay. The young man even failed to realize that his cheerful disposition had slipped off while in the course of calming himself.

Pressing his lips in a straight line, the young idol tucks a hand inside his pocket while he also simultaneously tries to soothe his growing agitation.

The man in question snaps out of his daze.

He blinks his electric blue eyes as if it had not processed into his mind yet—and when it did, his eyes widen as he immediately shakes his head to refute.

"No... No! I—I don't know her.." Star nervously glances over to his friend as he tries to explain his non–existence ties with you.

"She's..."

Star averts his gaze away from his friend as he suddenly struggles to say the next word. And when it did, he felt a bitter taste settling on his tongue. "...no one."

"Just a random girl I happened to meet yesterday.. Since she ran away from her home, I can't help but offer her a place to stay."

"Hmm."

Dark stares at him for a very long time as if pondering if he should believe him or not; but seeing that Star doesn't falter under his gaze, he decides to accept it with a grain of salt.

He forces out a laugh. Right, right.

Of course, she's not his girlfriend. Star's far too busy right now to even bother with love matters. Beside, she is way below the standards. His dearest friend won't fall for someone looking so plain.

His nose slightly twitches in disgust.

Shaking that memory of you off his mind, Dark places a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Ah I see. So you're still a gentleman as ever, huh.." He smiles; grey eyes dimming in its shade.

"No wonder I like you so much, Star."

He gives a squeeze—a bit too forceful that it made Star wince. The idol doesn't notice it though as he's currently too occupied with his dark, dark thoughts.

"Dark!"

Star exclaims, pushing his friend away.

"Oops sorry. My bad!" Dark apologized; but is that even genuine when he was also chuckling. Star glares back at his friend, holding onto his shoulder. Sure, he may often tolerate his behavior; but sometimes Dark is pressing too much of his buttons.

While they are friends, Star still can't help but get annoyed.

Receiving his glare, Dark pouts.

He did not really mean to hurt his friend; he just got too absorbed in his own thoughts. Recalling just how many ladies have fallen for his gentleman antics, it's certainly one of his most despised traits of Star.

And yet, he can't deny that it is also one of his most favorite traits of his.

"Here... How about this? As a compensation, let me treat you outside for breakfast," Dark offers with a smile. "Or if you aren't busy, you can hang out in my place."

He sends Star a playful wink.

"It's just me anyways.. We can, you know, watch movies or play some board games."

Dark thoughtfully stares at him. "Just like the old times, Star," he breathes out.

Just like the old times..

The times when he wasn't a full-time actor yet. When he was still striving to be one. When his friend Dark hadn't debuted yet as a member of The Fallen. When their lives were still peaceful...

But.

Thoughts of Director Chase harshly scolding him for his incompetence flood into his mind. The struggles he went through in the past are not enough. His current self is not enough.

Star shakes his head, refusing his invitation.

He can't afford to waste another day again. He has been given the day before to take a break, and he can't spend another day for more moments of leisure.
Star still has some things to do.

"I can't. I'm sorry," he says.

"How about tomorrow? Or the day after tomorrow?" Yet to Dark's dismay, each day he mentions has been turned down without a thought.

Star, sure enough, is busy.

And he certainly is going to more busy with the coming days ahead. He still has to perfect the role he was given with.

Considering he is the first male lead of the drama, we all know just how important his role is. Plus the expectation on him are high; they're all anticipating him to ace it just like how he did to his previous role.
"Then when do you have the time for me?"

Dark grits his teeth; his vexation can't help but slip. Was his friend really busy, or is he trying to avoid him?! This is the first time he was being treated like this by his Star. His striking gray eyes look hard at his friend who simply avoids his gaze.

"I'm sorry," he says.

As much as Star wants to, he cannot really provide a day for him in one of these days.

Dark shuts his eyes. Inhaling. Exhaling.

He opens it not too soon after.

He lets out a fake smile.

"It's fine." No, it fucking isn't.

"Just tell me when you would be available, so I can fix my schedule in advance." He still has that smile on his face. waiting for his friend's response.

Star gives him a look, hesitating. Again, he wasn't sure whether he can spare his friend any day; but seeing his friend's dark gray eyes stare at him so expectantly and directly. Match it up with that big unsettling smile. He allows himself to nod.

Dark cheers, "Great! I'm holding onto that!"

Star nods again.

Seeing that his friend needs to leave, Dark departs first.

The smile instantly dissipating on his lips as soon as he has his back on Star. An annoyed expression replaces it without skipping a beat.

He wasn't dumb. He knows Star was lying just now.

And yes,

He was fucking peeved about it.

Not only with his lies but his refusal. It seems like Star does not really care about him just as much as he does, huh.

Dark places a hand on his temple, letting out a scornful laugh. Tears seem to form from the corners of his gray eyes, but it was all blinked away. Then he laughs again, continuing on his way.