Nian and Xuanye found themselves surrounded by the boys. Despite the chaos of cameras clicking around them, their faces lit up with joy. The girls had tried to stand up, but DK and Minghao rushed in, gently helping them up.
While lifting Nian, DK asked in a trembling voice, "Nian… what are you doing here, with all these media people?"
Nian tried to hide the sparkle in her eyes, speaking through a smile. "Loudie~ we're here to take pictures of you guys. Our department head assigned this—it's our very first task. We wanted to do it right."
DK chuckled, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
Minghao turned to Xuanye, his tone soft and concerned. "Ye~ are you alright?"
Xuanye sighed with a smile. "I didn't expect it to be this crowded. Now I finally get why you guys hide your faces so much," she joked, rubbing her back.
Minghao laughed, eyes still scanning her face. "Even now, you're cracking jokes, huh?"
The girls stood up properly, brushing themselves off. Jeonghan stepped forward, tilting his head. "Girls, is this really your first assignment?"
The girls smiled proudly. "Look, we didn't break our promise," they said in unison.
Jeonghan smiled and elbowed the other boys, nodding subtly. Instantly, the members lined up shoulder to shoulder, striking their best poses. The bodyguards tightened formation, shielding them on either side, allowing only two very specific people to photograph them.
Nian and Xuanye giggled behind their lenses, clicking away—each photo capturing not just faces, but emotions.
The surrounding paparazzi grumbled in confusion.
"Why are the bodyguards covering them like this?" one man whispered.
"I can barely see the top of their heads," another said, glancing at his screen with disappointment. "I only got three half-decent shots."
Frustrated sighs echoed as the rest of the media continued to fumble.
Meanwhile, the girls finished their shots, showing a thumbs-up. "You guys look so handsome," they praised.
The boys chuckled.
DK turned to Nian with a smirk. "What about me?"
Nian rolled her eyes playfully. "Loudie, if you ever leave your idol life behind, come be my professor. I'll sit in the front row just for you."
The boys laughed, and then, unexpectedly, they all bowed deeply.
The girls froze for a second, eyes widening.
"We'll miss you," the boys said in unison, heads still bowed.
The girls' eyes welled up with tears. "We'll miss you too," they replied. "All the best for your world tour. Let's meet again soon, okay?"
DK looked at Nian and said softly, "Nian, I love you."
She was stunned for a heartbeat before her lips curved into a smile. "Loudie~ love you more."
DK giggled through teary eyes. "Now I can leave in peace."
Then came Minghao and Xuanye's moment. At the same time, they blurted:
"Hao—"
"Ye~"
"I love you and miss you," they said in perfect unison.
They blinked at each other in surprise, laughing softly as their eyes locked. A silent, powerful promise passed between them.
The bodyguards finally stepped back, and the girls gave the boys a final wave. The media, sensing movement, rushed in, cameras flashing in every direction.
As the boys made their way toward the waiting room, DK and Minghao couldn't stop glancing back. Minghao gave Xuanye a small wave and smile. DK, however, just stared—his heart visibly aching.
Nian, sensing something, looked back.
DK's lips trembled.
She took a small step forward, eyes glistening. DK's hand rose slowly, and he waved at her. Cameras caught the moment—a frame of quiet heartbreak beneath a sea of noise.
Jun leaned in and whispered, "DK, the media's watching… turn around. We'll talk to them after we land."
Minghao nodded solemnly.
Reluctantly, DK turned. He glanced down at the bracelet Nian gave him, gently rubbing his thumb over it. A tear fell, landing silently on his sleeve.
"Nian," he thought, "I wanted to hug you so badly… but I couldn't. Still, I'll carry you with me. Always."
The airport doors slowly shut behind them.
Nian and Xuanye stood frozen, staring at the now-empty gate.
"Flutterhao…" Xuanye whispered.
"Loudie…" Nian murmured, her voice cracking.
The media wrapped up quickly, packing away their gear. The once-bustling terminal was suddenly quiet, save for a few lingering footsteps and the hum of cleaning machines.
A police officer gently approached the girls. "Ladies, it's time to pack up."
The girls snapped out of their daze, nodding quietly. They gathered their things and slowly walked out, casting one last look at the closed airport doors.
As they walked toward the car, Xuanye looked up at the morning sky.
"Hao… it's only two months," she thought. "But it feels like a year. If I can't convince myself, how can I comfort Nian?"
Still, she smiled through the ache in her chest.
"I'll wait, Hao. No matter how long it takes. I'll wait."
As the girls sat in the car, Nian scrolled through the photos she'd taken at the airport, her face glowing with joy. Xuanye leaned over to peek at her camera and gasped, "Nian, look at these boys! They're so handsome—and the way they dress just for the airport? I'm genuinely impressed!" She giggled like a schoolgirl.
Nian laughed. "Right? And look at DK! In that formal shirt… he looks like a dream professor every student would want." She sighed dramatically.
Xuanye chuckled. "And what should I even say about Hao? He looks stunning in everything. I don't have the words to describe him—I'll just say he completely nailed it."
Nian smirked. "If you can't praise him in words, just send him a heart." The girls burst into giggles, scrolling through their photos like fans and girlfriends all at once.
As Nian drove them to the office, Xuanye leaned her head against the window and drifted into a light sleep. Nian glanced over and whispered, "Xuanye... check if the boys boarded their flight."
Xuanye opened her eyes, grabbed her phone, and gasped. "Hao messaged me! He texted at 5 a.m.—I didn't even notice!" She smiled widely.
Nian gave her a warm look. "He must've been worried. That's why he texted early."
Xuanye, grinning from ear to ear, quickly typed:
"Hao~ did you board the plane? Call me once you're free, okay? 😘"
Then, hugging her phone like it held all the world's happiness, she giggled into her sleeve.
Once they arrived at the office and parked, the girls strolled into their department with proud steps.
"We're back!" they chimed cheerfully.
Their department head looked up and stood from her chair, her eyes lighting up. "How did it go?"
Xuanye beamed. "Mam, it went really well—we even got to meet them!"
The girls exchanged a look and giggled.
Their colleagues surrounded them eagerly. "Show us! Show us the pictures!"
The girls handed over the camera, and as their department head began flipping through the shots, her face lit up in amazement.
"These are incredible," she breathed. "Did they pose just for you two?"
The other staff leaned in, murmuring and giggling.
One colleague whispered, "This looks like a private shoot, not a press event!"
Nian grinned. "Mam, I think we just got lucky."
The department head patted their shoulders proudly. "Girls, this is outstanding work—especially for your first assignment. I'm sending these to the chief right away."
The girls exchanged elbow nudges, trying to contain their excitement.
Their coworkers continued, "We've been to the airport before, and it's always chaos—but you girls really nailed it!"
Xuanye smiled. "Don't hype us too much! We're just Carats who would do anything to see Seventeen." She laughed and hugged Nian, and they both started jumping excitedly.
---
Meanwhile, on the plane, the boys had settled in. Scoups leaned back with his headphones and eyes closed. Mingyu, Hoshi, Jeonghan, and Boo were playing cards. Wonwoo, Vernon, and Woozi were ordering food, while Jun, Joshua, and Dino watched a movie.
DK and Minghao pulled out their phones.
"Hao messaged me!" Minghao announced happily. "She asked if I got on the plane and told me to call her later."
DK immediately snatched his own phone—and sulked.
"Ugh. Nian didn't even open my message," he said, clutching his phone dramatically.
Minghao burst into laughter. "Give it time, hyung!"
But DK, faking despair, shook his head. "She probably forgot me already."
Their bickering grew louder, catching Scoups' attention. He pulled off his headphones and groaned, "You two! Stop fighting over who got messaged first. You've been doing this every day."
The others turned to look at the commotion.
Mingyu smirked. "He's got a point. These two are making us jealous, and now they're arguing over emojis."
The boys laughed while DK dramatically muttered, "Nian~ why didn't you message me?" and continued pouting into his phone.
---
By 5 p.m., the girls wrapped up work and stepped outside. As they walked past a large billboard near their building, Nian froze.
"Xuanye, look!"
There, in bright LED, was a news clip featuring Seventeen's airport arrival—paired with the very photos they had taken.
Passersby stopped and murmured in admiration, smiling at the display.
Xuanye quickly pulled out her phone, recorded the screen, and sent the video to their group chat with the caption:
"Thanks for helping us, guys ☺️"
Nian laughed. "Look at the boys. Even in photos, they radiate positive energy."
Xuanye nodded, beaming with pride. "We really made something special today."
Back in the car, as Xuanye drove, Nian scrolled through her phone and suddenly laughed.
"Xuanye! He messaged me at 5 a.m. too—and I didn't even see it!"
Xuanye raised an eyebrow. "And that's funny why exactly?"
"It's not what he said," Nian replied, grinning. "It's the angry emoji he added at the end!"
Xuanye burst out laughing. "DK's probably fuming right now. I messaged Hao, and I bet he showed it off to the others."
"You're right," Nian said. "If I don't message him now, he'll sulk when I call him."
She quickly typed:
"Loudie~ I'm sorry! I didn't see your message. We just finished work and are heading home now. Did you eat? What are you doing? ☺️"
Then she paused and stared at his angry emoji again, shaking her head with a smile.