After the shoot-
Author's POV
Raya stepped out first, all poised and polished.
Cameras flashed—
Reporters stirred like sharks catching scent.
Moments later, Rabin joined her, walking with the charisma of a star but the weight of something heavier in his eyes.
The media area was tightly controlled—only four press outlets were granted access.
Bright lights.
Brighter questions.
They both smiled… a practiced one.
Media 1:
"Raya, when did your relationship with Rabin begin?"
She let out a soft laugh, tilting her head like she'd rehearsed it a hundred times.
Raya: "A few months ago. We've known each other from before, so I guess it just… blossom naturally."
Media 2:
"Some fans say this is all a publicity stunt for the upcoming series. Is there truth to that?"
Rabin's smile faltered—just for a second.
Raya chimed in again, "If loving someone is a stunt, then I guess I've been performing all my life."
Media 3:
"There's a photo circulating—someone saw a girl entering your apartment building late at night. Do you two live together?"
That one cut through the air like a blade.
Rabin's fingers twitched, his jaw clenched slightly.
Raya laughed it off, placing a hand subtly on Rabin's arm.
"We're neighbors… it's probably just someone visiting him. Or me."
Media 4:
"Will fans get to see your real chemistry on-screen? Or is it all off-camera now?"
Rabin finally spoke.
His voice low, calm, but… sharp.
Rabin:
"Whatever we show on-screen or off—it's not always what it seems. But we hope fans support .. thankyou..."
And that was it.
"Reporters: Please pose for the headline shot!"
Raya instantly stepped closer, her hand looping around Rabin's arm with the grace of someone used to the spotlight. Rabin didn't flinch—but he didn't lean in either. He stood still, his smile distant, as the cameras flashed over and over again.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Another perfect shot of the "Nation's Couple."
After a few minutes, their smiles dropped. A staff member called them in, and they both walked back toward the building.
But at the far end—
Hidden behind a lighting rig, out of sight from the crowd—
Y/N stood.
Her back pressed against the cold wall, the world suddenly quieter in her ears, except for the rapid beat in her chest.
She clutched at it.
That familiar ache.
Her chest burned—not out of betrayal, but from the cruel helplessness of loving someone you couldn't claim.
A tear threatened, but she blinked it back, shaking her head like it would clear away the weight.
She told herself: It's just for the public. Just for the camera. Just until the drama ends.
Rabin's POV
I scanned the crowd. The lights, the chatter, the endless sea of staff and media—none of them were her.
Where did she go?
Ding.
My phone lit up.
y/n:
hey.. im going first today.. the agency need me.. be careful on the way .. the driver is waiting for you in the parking lot
My grip on the phone tightened.
"Agency?"
I exhaled slowly.
That fake-ass smile I wore like a costume.
That staged moment with Raya.
And worse—the questions. The rumors. The fucking headlines.
I should've stopped it. I should've done something.
But all I could do was stand there while she walked away from me again.
I tapped her message. Typed something.
Then deleted it.
Typed again.
Are you okay?
Deleted again.
What could I even say?
"Don't believe what you saw?"
She's not stupid. She knows too
I slid my phone into my pocket and stormed to the parking lot.
My real girlfriend is hurting.
And I let the world celebrate the wrong one.
I pushed open the door to the apartment.
Dark. Quiet. Empty.
I flicked the switch—still no sign of her.
My chest tightened as I tossed my keys on the table and sank into the couch, elbows resting on my knees.
It was already late.
She should've been back.
I picked up my phone. Dialed her.
No answer.
I waited. Nothing.
I texted.
Where are you? I'm coming to pick you up.
I stared at the screen. Still no reply.
I rubbed my face with both hands. This silence—this distance—it was eating me alive.
As Rabin reached for the doorknob, ready to storm into the night—
Beep. Beep. Click.
The lock twisted open from the other side.
She stepped in.
Hair a bit messy, her eyes unfocused. She didn't even notice him at first.
Her bag slid off her shoulder, landing on the floor with a soft thud.
He stared at her.
Something was off.
She didn't walk straight.
Her shoes scuffed the floor. A soft giggle escaped her lips as she looked up at him—eyes hazy, cheeks flushed.
Drunk?
Rabin immediately stepped forward.
Rabin: "Hey… where were you all this time?"
She blinked at him, trying to balance herself as she leaned against the wall near the entrance.
Y/N: "Oh… Manager told me to attend a gathering with her… so I went…"
She waved a hand like it was nothing, like she hadn't disappeared on him the whole evening.
He exhaled sharply, jaw clenched.
But instead of snapping, he reached for her arm gently.
Rabin: "You should've told me. I was worried. I tried calling—"
Y/N: (cutting him off with a laugh) "Phone died, I think…? Mmm, I drank a bit … just a bit."
She pinched her fingers together with a squint, almost proudly.
Rabin caught her before she stumbled again.
Rabin (softly): "Come on. Let's get you changed first…"
He supported her gently, guiding her towards the bedroom.
Author POV
He gently laid her down on the bed, careful not to wake her.
The soft rustle of the blanket as he tucked her in, pulling it up to her chin like shielding something fragile.
Her breathing was steady now—slow, soft, unaware.
Rabin sat at the edge of the bed.
One hand rested lightly on hers, the other reached out to brush aside the strands of hair clinging to her cheek.
The tips of his fingers lingered just a little longer than necessary.
As if memorizing the shape of her face.
He leaned forward, close enough to feel her warmth.
"Sorry…"
His voice cracked into a whisper—one only the silence heard.
"Are you sad… because of me?"
He didn't expect an answer.
The only response was her quiet breathing and the slight twitch of her fingers as they shifted against his palm.
He laced his fingers with hers slowly, brushing over her knuckles with his thumb.
A pause.
And then—
"I hate that I'm part of what makes you hurt," he muttered.
Still, she didn't stir.
Ding.
His phone lit up
Raya:
"Rabiniee, are you asleep?"
He didn't type.
He didn't even unlock the screen.
Just stared at the notification, jaw tightening.
Ding.
Another one.
Raya:
"Rabinie.. as you know my agent didn't confirm the rumours, right? And I know you live together… with your little gf. What if someone finds out? Don't pull down my reputation."
Rabin scoffed quietly.
"Your reputation?" he muttered under his breath.
His thumb hovered over the reply button.
But he didn't press it.
He locked his phone.
Tossed it onto the table with a soft thud.
Then lay down beside Y/N.
Wrapped his arm gently around her waist, burying his face into her shoulder.
The soft morning light filtered through the half-closed blinds, casting slanted golden lines across the bed.
Y/N stirred first.
The exhaustion from the past weeks still tugged at her limbs, but something warmer, softer, and far more magnetic kept her still.
Rabin.
He was there. Still asleep beside her. His breath calm. His arm lazily draped over her waist like it was where it always belonged.
She blinked, slowly taking in the peaceful look on his face — his messy hair falling slightly over his brows, his lips parted just barely, the faint shadow of tiredness under his eyes.
Without thinking, her fingers lifted.
A gentle touch traced along his cheek.
A quiet whisper escaped her lips like a secret never meant to be said aloud.
"I can't believe that I will be in love with him…"
And yet she was.
Not just with the nation's boyfriend, not just with the devil boss persona.
But with the Rabin who made midnight noodles.
The Rabin who sulked like a boy but kissed like a man.
The Rabin who chose her — even in silence, even against headlines.
"I think im really falling for you.."
She leaned forward, pressing the lightest kiss to his temple.
And just as she pulled back, his raspy morning voice cracked through the hush:
"If you're done confessing… can I kiss my girlfriend good morning now?"
He peeked open one eye, smirking.
Y/N flushed instantly.
"When did you.."
"From the moment you said you love me," he said, pulling her back into his chest.
"Best alarm clock ever."
He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, his voice still husky with sleep.
"Good morning, babe."
Breakfast Table
They sat across from each other, the quiet clinking of cutlery filling the space.
Rabin looked up from his plate.
"Where did you go for the meeting last night?"
Y/N stirred her spoon in silence for a second before answering.
"Ah… it was about a new web drama."
He blinked.
"For me again? Tch, I'm so tired already."
She shook her head slightly.
"Umm… this time it's not for you."
"Huh?" Rabin's brow furrowed.
"Then for who?"
She hesitated.
"It's for… Frost."
The silence between them shifted.
He leaned forward, frown deepening.
"Why would they involve you in another drama? You're my assistant."
Y/N sighed.
"Rabin… the manager told me…"
Her fingers curled into her palm.
"You'll be getting a new assistant soon."
The air dropped.
Rabin sat up straighter.
"What the f— Why?"
She met his eyes this time.
"They know about us."
A pause.
"I think… it's Raya's doing."
He stared at her for a long moment, lips tightening.
A dangerous calm settled on his face.
Rabin turned toward her again.
"No."
"No…?" she echoed.
"I won't accept it."
He walked up to her, eyes locked on hers.
"They can't just take you away and make me play pretend with someone I don't care about."
"Rabin, if we fight back, it could ruin everything—your reputation, your contract—"
"Let it." he cut her off.
"Let them ruin it. I'd rather lose a role than lose you."
She grabbed his hand, steady but firm.
"Don't say that. You've worked too hard to throw it away in a moment of anger."
His expression softened. His breathing slowed.
"Then I'm going to the agency today."
"Rabin—"
Y/N took a hesitant step closer, watching Rabin storm into the living room and collapse onto the couch, frustration pouring off of him like heat.
Rabin — "Shit… shit… shit! It's making me insane!"
He pressed his fingers hard to his temples, chest heaving.
The air was thick—too thick with words unspoken and emotions they could barely name.
Y/N walked to him slowly, kneeling beside the couch. She gently reached for his hand, holding it in both of hers.
Her voice came out soft, trembling but honest.
Y/N — "Rab… actually… I didn't want to be your assistant from the very first day."
She took a breath.
"I have my own dreams, my own goals too. But now…"
Her fingers tightened around his.
"Now, my goal is to be someone who can stand next to you—who fits into your world."
Her eyes glistened, but didn't break.
"Right now… I feel small. I want to grow. I want to be the kind of girl you deserve."
Rabin looked down at her, the anger in his eyes replaced with something softer—pain, maybe… and something dangerously close to love.
He didn't say anything.
But he pulled her up to sit beside him.
And held her like the only thing anchoring him.
He pulled her into his arms—not forcefully, but with the desperation of someone afraid to lose what grounds him.
Rabin — "Y/N… what am I gonna do now? Watching you walk away from my sight like this?"
His voice was hoarse. Low. Wounded.
She placed her hand on his chest, right above where his heart thundered.
Y/N — "I'm not walking away, Rabin."
She looked up into his eyes, unwavering.
"I'm pursuing my dreams."
He blinked, looking at her like he wanted to memorize everything about her—her voice, her strength, her stubborn fire.
Y/N (softly) — "Just because I'm moving forward doesn't mean I'm leaving you behind."
Rabin — "But I want you here… with me… beside me…"
Y/N — "Then wait for me there. At the top. I'm on my way."
Silence wrapped around them, heavy and intimate.
He leaned his forehead to hers. Eyes shut. Breathing her in like she was the only thing keeping him whole.
Rabin (whispering) — "Don't take too long, babe… this devil might go crazy without his angel."
She cupped his face gently, her thumbs brushing across the edge of his jaw where his stress lingered.
Y/N — "Give me only two years… babe."
Her voice was steady, but the softness in it cracked the storm in his eyes.
Y/N (smiling faintly) — "Just two. Let me prove to myself that I can stand beside you—not as your assistant, not in your shadow… but as your equal."
Rabin's lips parted slightly, no words coming out. His gaze searched hers, torn between pride and aching.
He finally let out a long breath, nodding ever so slowly.
Rabin — "Two years."
His voice was deep, restrained.
"But don't expect me to wait quietly."
Y/N — "Good."
She chuckled softly.
"You never do."
He pulled her into a hug, burying his face into the crook of her neck. She held him tighter, like two worlds that didn't want to split—but had to, for now.
Rabin (muffled) — "Two years. Then I'm stealing you back… in front of the whole damn world."