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write-it-good-imagines · 8 days ago

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Nothing More (M) - Eight [END]

(Author's message) Hello everyone! I wish you a happy new year, and may all your wishes come true! This is the end of Mark and Sam's story; endings may often look to new beginnings *wink wink*. Enjoy!

~7k words - fluff, love, mature language, happy ending.

"I'm telling you, I can't get out of the fucking house. They're behind all these trees with the fucking lens pointed at me!"

Samantha's expression was exasperated. Checking her watch one more time, she pointed out that she would definitely be late for her morning surgery if that charade continued. It seemed like it had no intention of ending.

"It's 6 AM in the fucking morning."

"Do you want me to come pick you up?"

"No, Jonathan, did you forget what we talked about last night?"

"I could come pick you up," Leena's voice chimed into the conversation. "Unless they want to write you off as female-oriented or whatever."

In any given situation, Samantha would have laughed at that.

"It's funny, I'll give you that."

"Did you call Mark?" Jonathan picked up.

"I will not bother him on his Tokyo Day concert."

"I have no problem bothering him."

"Jonathan, what can Mark possibly do in this situation?"

"Have a bodyguard army at your door? Just sayin'."

"Yeah, sure, shove the shit while it's warm.��

Samantha grabbed a hat hanging from the coat rack and leaned to the floor to pick Murphy up in her arms. He'd grown larger since her and Mark's first encounter, and he sensed something was off as he started snarling.

"We don't know what to say, Sam." Leena interfered. "Is there anything we can do to help you feel better?"

The Eskie tensed his body at the door when Samantha finished attaching his leash. If not for the fact that he would grow into a medium-sized dog, his black fur would make him look intimidating. "I have absolutely no idea. I have to walk Murphy, and I genuinely hope they will not shove some microphones in my face."

"An emergency case with intracranial pressure just came in. I'll ask Leena to page me in the OR if you need us to get you out of anything."

Samantha put on a mask over her features and shoved the hat better on her head. She opened the door reluctantly, and Murphy took the lead to sniff around for any immediate dangers. "You can't let an open brain hang in the OR."

"I'll page Henry to come in."

Samantha scoffed. "You'd sooner die."

"I promised your mighty knight I'd take care of you. If that means making peace with the enemy, I will."

"Whatever you do, just don't do that. I don't want him to hang any more things over our heads. We have too much on our plate right now." Samantha emphasized and followed Murphy on his well-known morning route around the house. When the morning air brushed against her thighs, did she realize she had gone out in her worn-out shorts.

"Watch me be fat now," she mumbled to herself and felt the pressure of the surrounding eyes on the back of her head. The Eskie started barking, and Samantha had to pet him to ease him. They hadn't passed the 200-meter mark away from Samantha's house and turned back around hastily. The woman caught a released flash aimed at her silhouette and was inches away from throwing both the mask and the hat away to give the paparazzi what they wanted and, highly likely, a middle finger, too.

She refrained from doing so.

While packing for the hospital Samantha pondered over the situation. Caught in an unusual position, neither alleged violence nor friendliness towards the press seemed to be the proper way of moving forward. She laughed to herself, albeit bitterly; being a celebrity’s girlfriend seemed to require PR training. “Comes with the job,” Samantha chose a black suit for the day and hurriedly put all her belongings into the hospital bag. She put on the motorcycle helmet and kicked the gear off to head to the hospital.

The clock in the hospital lobby signaled that she had barely made it in time for the scheduled surgery she had. The lobby was quiet for a week morning, which allowed her to gather her thoughts and get into the zone. Samantha visited her patient for the morning consult to offer the reassurance she had always inspired before any surgery. She assembled her team and instructed the nurses on what routine they had to follow, and then left for the antechamber of the operating room to change her attire and prepare accordingly.

Samantha pushed the door with her shoulder only to be met by a very familiar yet unpleasant figure.

“I haven’t even had my coffee yet, Henry.”

Henry was leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest. Maybe it was Samantha’s imagination, but he was not wearing his endearing expression. He seemed displeased.

“Neither have I. It’s hard to catch you around these parts, Sam.”

“And you figured you’d barge into my C-section.”

Henry sighed. “I didn’t come here to fight.”

The sound of flowing water interrupted their exchange as Samantha kicked the water tank to disinfect her hands. “Lucky me. Then you might as well leave.”

“I’ll ignore this comment for now.”

Samantha was silent, brushing her nails with the betadine sponge.

“How does it feel to be a public person now?”

Ah. So that was it about.

“Why? Jealous?”

“You’ll probably be scrutinized.”

Samantha coked her eyebrow. “Probably.”

“Even with that bartender, though. Was he easy meat?”

Samantha chuckled. “I imagine I hurt your feelings quite badly, ditching the infamous rising star for a handsome bartender.”

Henry angled his body towards her. “Do you really want to become an object?”

Samantha kicked the water tank again to wipe her hands off the substance surplus.

“Oh? I was not aware I was anything else but an object to you.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Samantha chuckled again and grabbed a clean cloth to dry her hands. “We’re a bit late for that, don’t you think?”

Henry’s eyes fell on her face. Samantha knew that not getting what he wanted threw him off. It had always been like that; until she chose to be the bigger person and dropped her guard to bring them both together again. It was a long time coming to this point, but Samantha was happy to have finally reached it.

“I would have understood choosing Jonathan, with you getting intimate and all that. He’s tall, he’s Swedish, he makes a lot of money, and he was truly eating from the palm of your hand. I just can’t wrap my head around why this guy. What does he have to offer you?”

A content smile spread rapidly on Samantha’s face, and she kicked the OR door open triumphantly. “You’d never understand what it takes to be a real man, Henry.”

The surgery ended smoothly, and Samantha felt happy to see yet another family welcoming their precious angel to the world. After introducing the infant to the parents, Samantha took the baby and the family to the NICU to perform a couple of routine tests. All the nurses greeted Samantha with a serene smile and handed the little patients’ charts to their doctor. The image of a new life, of hopeful dreams and futures, reminded Samantha why she chose the profession in the first place. And why she would never give it up again for anything in the world.

“Doctor Stoss, your phone is buzzing,” a nurse called out, and Samantha put the charts down to pick it up.

[From: Mark] good morning, fair doctor

[From: Mark] I hope your day will be as fantastic as you

[From: Mark] the news hit us here, too. How are you? Can I do anything for you?

[From: Mark] I’ll drop my statement today. We’re wrapping up the text

Samantha softly smiled. Despite it being quite an autonomous evolution of things, she was happy that Mark kept her in his thoughts. She knew he was holding on as much as he could, for the both of them.

[To: Mark] good morning rockstar

[To: Mark] I know you’ll kick ass on stage <3

[To: Mark] ah well, you know, being photographed at 6 AM while walking Murphy is not exactly my cup of tea

[To: Mark] I have this impulse to throw up my middle finger but whatever

[From: Mark] thanks love <3

[From: Mark] lol that’s me everyday

[From: Mark] I wish I could say it will get better

[From: Mark] we’ll see each other at the end of the week

[From: Mark] I can’t wait to get back to you

[From: Mark] can I do anything for you in the meantime?

A giggle filled the room and caused one of the babies in the NICU to smile as well.

“Oh? Is the Seoul concert at the end of the week? I should call Jo.”

Samantha decided not to tell Mark she would join them at the venue. She wanted to surprise him and prove to him that she was not scared of the curious public if she had him by her side.

[To: Mark] I’m cool with it, really

[To: Mark] I only care about what you think of me

[To: Mark] can’t wait to have you back, babe

[To: Mark] don’t worry. Jonathan is ready to throw hands if needed

[To: Mark] maybe lmk if I need to speak to the public or something

[To: Mark] Jackson told me I shouldn’t but I want to make sure

[From: Mark] atta girl

[From: Mark] I’d rather he wouldn’t punch anyone, but I’ll give a pass if needed

[From: Mark] let’s wait and see how things go

[From: Mark] gtg we’re rehearsing soon

[From: Mark] I love you

Samantha’s face lit up once more. [To: Mark] I love you too

Mark put his phone to the side to reunite with the group. There was a loud echo in the empty venue coming from the usage of the microphones with Bambam and Yugyeom playing around.

“Hear hear, all of us here?”

Mark picked up his microphone and went to the middle of the main stage, where the rest of the members and some other staff members were.

“Now that we’re all here,” Jaebum started, “let’s give Mark a round of applause.”

“Come on,” Mark rolled his eyes at the cheers and the hoots. “There was no need to do this.”

Bambam snickered and leaned against his shoulder, “Call it initiation.”

“Actually,” Mark continued, “I have something to say.”

All eyes turned to him. “I want to use the speech break we have to initiate our fans as well.”

“Do you think I should put my Instagram on private?”

“Oh, did the hate comments come in already?”

“Not really. A measure of precaution after Mark speaks to the public and whatnot.”

Jonathan quickly searched for Samantha on Instagram even though he had already been following her. Leena had just arrived with her lunch and blinked confusedly at the gloomy atmosphere.

“What is going on? It feels like someone’s cat died.”

“You have 40k followers. What the hell? Did you have this many before the news broke out?”

Samantha sighed. “I did. Did you forget I used to write travel blogs and give medicine tips and tricks? Besides, it’s mostly people back in America.”

Leena reached out for her phone to look up Samantha on Instagram, too. “Never mind, you just got 1k more.”

“Do you guys think I looked ugly in my posts or something? Am I overthinking?”

“You are overthinking. You have always been smart and pretty,” Jonathan concluded and tended to his soup.

“Sure, watch my cellulite pop off in this morning’s pictures.”

Samantha picked up her chopsticks to drown the sorrow in her sushi.

“Your legs are too toned for anything to be shown in those pictures,” Leena retorted and picked up her salad. “And I thought you only cared for what Mark thought of you.”

“Social pressure,” the other woman sighed. “How can you both be so calm about this?”

“Sam, you’re turning into a 2024 Carrie,” Jonathan laughed. “I can be your Miranda if you want.”

“Fuck off,” both her and Leena laughed. The latter turned to Samantha, “Look, of course this situation is shitty, but I don’t think being depressed about it helps too much.”

“Leena’s right. Did you notice how people look at me in the street? I feel like I’m Loch Ness.”

“I wouldn’t say Loch Ness is a Swedish story.”

Samantha fiddled with her chopsticks and kept on twisting one piece of sushi into way too much soy sauce. She decided she would change the subject. “Henry came into my OR in the morning.”

Jonathan’s face visibly darkened. “Oh yeah? Whatever did he want this time?”

“You know, the usual. Taunting me about the public exposure. And to apologize.”

Jonathan choked on his chicken. “Funny. Next time, warn me, or I could die.”

“I’m serious. He literally said I’m sorry.”

“Mhm. Wanted to return the investment on that engagement ring.”

It was Samantha’s turn to choke. Leena turned to Jonathan abruptly. “What engagement ring? For whom?”

“A couple of days ago, when he confronted Mark in the lobby. I saw this velvety box he was showing Mark, and my guy laughed in his face. I wish I heard what he said.”

“Mark didn’t tell me about this.”

“Can you blame him? It’s just a bad joke.”

Samantha pondered over Jonathan’s words, trying to rake her mind for any such memory. Mark never told her about Henry’s plans, admittedly so, since he had come for her to end things that night. He truly had better things to worry about.

“Bad joke or no, he’s just grabbed his lunch,” Leena signaled and pointed her fork in Henry’s direction. “And he’s coming this way.”

“Perfect. I wanted to throw up this sweet chicken anyway.”

Samantha caught Henry with the corner of her eye as he sat down to her left and subsequently to Jonathan’s right. On the one hand, their behavior towards one another was still childish. On the other hand, Samantha knew Jonathan had many concerns left to address about Henry. With his fists if possible.

“Mind if I join you?” asked Henry, and Leena quirked her brows.

“I do mind,” Jonathan retorted, not bothering to look at the other. “So kindly find another table.”

“But all other tables are busy, unfortunately,” Henry replied calmly whilst opening his lunch box. “And I’d rather eat lunch in this nice company. Isn’t that so, Miss Martin?”

Leena raised her eyes to the other only to see Jonathan put down his fork. “Don’t talk to her.”

“Who are you to speak on her behalf?” Henry challenged, shoving a handful of food in his mouth.

Leena felt Jonathan was being worked up and rested her hand against his forearm. She shook her head in a silent plea not to engage in the other’s antics. Especially since the first hearing for the Neuro attending position would happen later that day. Henry noticed the intimate gesture and a smirk was contoured in the corner of his mouth.

“Sam, we just finished anyway. We’ll see you later.”

“I see that you’re not answering questions anymore, Jonathan. Cat got your tongue?”

Jonathan stretched his body from the table and cupped Leena’s cheek with a tender touch. “I’m sorry if I taste like sweet chili.” He went further to lean down and kiss Leena, who was taken entirely by surprise. Jonathan grabbed Leena by the hand and walked away, dragging the blushing woman with him.

Samantha chuckled and nodded approvingly.

“As flamboyant as usual,” Henry resumed his eating.

“Hope you got the message. Imagine what he'd do for her if he hit you in the face for me.”

Samantha was prepared to grab her tray and leave, but Henry stopped her. He grabbed her by the wrist, his eyes pleading.

“Could you stay until I finish my meal?”

“No, I don’t think I will.”

“Please.”

Curious eyes, having already witnessed Jonathan’s show of power, followed the two surgeons, and Samantha had to compromise to avoid attracting any more attention. Given the circumstances, it was extremely important not to do so.

“I don’t want to threaten you or anything, Henry, but Mark won’t keep quiet if you keep pulling off this bullshit. Didn’t I tell you I want nothing to do with you?”

“I heard you the first time.”

“Then why do you keep following me?”

Henry put down his cutlery. “I missed you. I haven’t talked to you in a long time. I have things to say to you.”

Samantha scoffed. “Even if you did have things to say, it’s too late for me to listen, Henry.”

“Is it really?” Henry turned to her, capturing her gaze. “Are you absolutely sure this guy is not just some bandage for you?”

“Is this why you bought me an engagement ring?”

Henry hesitated.

“You can throw it away or return it. Recycling it on the next girl would be very bad just because you didn’t pull me.”

“Look, Sam,” Henry sighed and brought his hands together. “I admit, I thought I could have you back if I came back into your life. I was selfish and inconsiderate.”

“Are. You are selfish and inconsiderate.”

“Just tell me, it’s all I want to know. I promise I’ll leave you the fuck alone and only see you when we see each other in the hospital hallways.”

“Fine,” Samantha leaned on the table to look him straight in the eye. “I am in love with Mark. He is putting me back together, and he’s healing me after all the shit you put me through. I couldn’t care less if I’m targeted by the media or not because I have him, and that’s all that matters.”

Henry nodded, and his eyes fell to his knees. “I regret ever raising my hand at you. I was stupid and too self-absorbed to know the kind of treasure I had by my side.”

Samantha nodded, too, and pulled the chair back. In the thousand scenarios she made up in her mind of how that kind of conversation would go, she imagined feeling more at peace with herself as if all the lost time would be pouring back. There was no human manner to explain how empty Henry’s apology left her. That’s when she realized that hate was an expensive emotion.

“Is this all?”

Henry chuckled. “Actually, no. You know the attending committee is happening today.”

“I know. And I hope you know who my support is for.”

“There’s an accident that’s happened just now in Jeju and a helicopter picked up two patients for transfer to SMP. The first victim is a female patient, pregnant with twins seven months along, with a severe injury to the head.”

Samantha knew where that was going.

“I’ll gladly pass this up.”

“The other victim is a male patient with severe chest injuries and a broken head, with no immediate identification of brain injury risk. I suppose someone would need to drain some fluid and release his intracranial pressure. Of course this is not an attending level procedure. I recommended Jonathan to operate for the first victim. And, of course, he will need an OBGYN specialist with him to deliver the babies safely. He should have been paged by now.”

Samantha looked at Henry as if she could not understand the words he was speaking. Her pager started beeping too.

“I’d better get ready for surgery, too. I assume Miss Martin is going to be my cardiologist, and I hope we can avoid a pit fight between Jonathan and me.”

“I don’t understand. Why do this?”

Henry rose to his feet just as the emergency signal hit his pager, too. “I’m aware you don’t believe in my words anymore. I hope this will let you know I am not an incurable asshole.”

The delirious acclamations of the fans asking for another encore were still shaking the arena when the boys came backstage at the end of their concert. There was a general frenzy in the group, wide smiles and full laughter mirrored on their expressions. Mark had all the reasons to be happy and hopeful for the future. As promised early in the day, he prepared earnestly to deliver a sincere speech to the audience, announcing he had found his sweetheart. In a solidarity act and more so to display their unwavering support for one another, the members formed a circle around Mark on stage, who could only smile bashfully.

I’m sure many of you have already found out, despite my best wishes, that I have found someone that I cherish with my whole heart.

The stadium burst into a torrent of cheers and screams, all hands brought together to clap for Mark. All of Got7 radiated of gratitude, especially Jackson who had an I told you so expression on his face.

You already know, guys, how much love and respect I have for you and how grateful I am for your support throughout these beautiful years we spent together. I want you to know I’m in good hands now and we are both looking forward to the future. And for this I know that I’ll only continue to grow as an artist and person. I bow to all of you.

“That couldn’t have gone better,” Jackson shook Mark by his shoulders jokingly, then threw an arm around him. “I am thrilled for you, man.”

Jinyoung passed by to pat Mark on the back and met him with a genuine smile of his own.

“Let’s see what’s going on SNS,” Bambam chirped and reached for his phone. “Oh my God, guys, there was a terrible accident in Jeju.”

The boys gathered around Bambam to check the news. Jaebum read the victims’ descriptions scarcely. “They’ve gone to SMP. Look who’s operating on them.”

As Bam scrolled further in the article, Mark noticed that the director of the hospital gave a statement to the press. He described both Samantha and Jonathan as their brightest assets and most priceless talents.

“Oh look, an update came in. Surgery’s done.”

“Do you think it’s live on any news channel?” Youngjae pointed out and sneakily used his credentials to log into the radio station's news portal where he was a moderator. To everyone’s surprise, Samantha was being interviewed live. She was still dressed in her surgical attire, but Mark found her breathtaking nonetheless.

The crowd gathered around the phone. “Turn up the volume!”

“Two patients were brought in by helicopter around 12:30 this afternoon, sustaining grave injuries after an unfortunate accident in Jeju. There was a female patient, 7 months pregnant with twins, who had severe trauma to the head. Doctor Williams and I brought her in for critical tests, and we decided to operate immediately. I am happy to announce that the surgery was successful, and we brought two beautiful boys into the world. It was a bit earlier than expected, but I am doing everything in my capacity to keep them healthy and happy. Doctor Williams saved the mother, and all three of them are out of immediate danger.”

A collective applause could be heard backstage. “Her Korean is so good,” Jinyoung remarked, and Mark felt like the fog between them was clearing little by little.

“Bastards, they are asking her about the dating scandal,” Yugyeom said, and it grabbed everyone’s attention.

“I will only take questions about this family’s situation. I believe that all of us here are professionals, and we should treat the situation as such. I wish to thank everyone for your support in the matter. Another question, please?”

“Get it, girl!” Bambam cheered, and Jackson laughed proudly at the witty answer.

Mark’s lungs deflated with a content sigh.

“Man, I wish I was this cool,” Jaebum chuckled and turned to Mark. “Did you talk about this?”

“Nope. I didn’t tell her what to say. It’s pure skill.”

The rest of the interview went along with medical questions, and Youngjae ended the stream. “Yeah, for real, she’s a star.”

Mark picked up his own phone to dial Samantha’s number. “She truly is.”

“Hey, Mark!”

He picked up a sliver of insecurity in her voice. “Hey beautiful, we caught the interview with the boys. In their own terms, you’re a star.”

Mark allowed her to speak at her own pace. “You think so? I’m scared I messed up shutting them off like that.”

“On the contrary. None of us here could have done better.”

“Damn right we couldn’t!” Bambam shouted in Mark’s ear, making sure his message would come across. “Come on, just put her on speaker!”

Knowing Mark had no way out, he complied with the request. “You’re on speaker, Sam.”

“Oh, come on! I’ve been a celebrity for a day, and I’m already better than you all?”

“Don’t let it get to your head, babe,” Mark laughed, and Jackson chimed in. “You know, Bam asked us a couple of days ago if you have any single girlfriend you might introduce him to.”

Samantha laughed at the expense of Bambam’s embarrassment. “I know who to call first thing then! Lovely chatting with you boys, but I have to go. I need to tend to the twins in the NICU. I’ll text you later, love.”

“Talk to you soon, princess.”

Deeper into the night, when the hectic schedule of the day died down and both surgeries finished with happy endings, Samantha and Leena grasped the chance to take a breather. The two women crowded Leena’s office to enjoy a late-night latte on the balcony.

“Just the thought of me having to tend to the night shift tonight is killing me,” Samantha groaned and leaned against the cold balustrade. “I have six babies to care for, not to mention to monitor the twins 24/7.”

“Didn’t you miss the thrill of this?”

Samantha switched her position to look up to the starry sky. “I did.”

Leena smiled and nudged the other’s hip with her own. “I heard about the interview. You kicked ass!”

The other laughed. “Allegedly. I still don’t know how I came across. Although, being a witch bitch doesn’t sit that wrong with me.”

“If we’re being honest, you’ve always had this aura about yourself.”

“Leena!”

The cardiologist sipped from her cup. “No offense.”

“None taken,” smiled Samantha. “So, you and Jonathan, huh?”

“Oh, shut up about it. I didn’t imagine our first kiss would be like that.”

Samantha leaned closer to Leena. “It was kinda hot.”

“It was! I thought he was dragging me along to have sex, but we got paged.”

“Nah, he would want to make a show out of asking you to be his girlfriend, and then the sex would follow.”

Leena just agreed. “I hope he’d let me prepare. I have a cute lingerie set I saved. We should tell Jo, she would go crazy about this.”

“I completely forgot. Jonathan spoke with her, and she bought two tickets for the concert on Friday.”

Leena gasped with a feigned look on her face. “Did she really not think about inviting me too?”

“Maybe I shouldn’t tell you this, but Jonathan planned something for Friday. She sold the other ticket.”

A white lie, Samantha thought. But it was a good occasion for Jonathan to meet Leena in her special lingerie set.

“It’s time for me to clock out. I’m exhausted,” spoke Leena while stretching her back. “I’ll call Jo tomorrow myself.”

As Leena left the office, Samantha quickly texted Jonathan to announce his newly made plans to him. While the phone was buzzing with Jonathan’s messages, she dialed Jo. It did not take long for her to pick up, with an ecstatic voice.

“Last time I saw you, you were gearing up to be a surgeon, and now you’re a celebrity girlfriend!”

“Missed you too, Jo,” Samantha countered with a chuckle. “Quite a lot has happened since we spoke last. Is this a bad time?”

“No, dear, I just finished a meeting with a client. You know it’s morning over here in Manhattan.”

Samantha checked her watch. It should have been early 9 AM for Jo. “You’re flying out here Friday and you didn’t bother to tell us in due time?”

Jo laughed at the other end of the line. “You know me, I love surprises. I’ll be 6 months in Seoul, and we have plenty of time to catch up! I’m going to work on a digital branding initiative with a big skincare company, and they paid pretty money for me to join them there. I rented a place close to yours, thanks to Johnny.”

“I take it you’re a millionaire now, are you not?”

“I’m not too shabby, I’d say.”

The women laughed heartily.

“I missed you, Sam. Can’t wait for us to catch up. Especially about your new lover.”

“Never beating around the bush, huh Jo?” chuckled Samantha.

“You know, maybe you could introduce me to Jackson while we’re at it. I’m kidding, of course.”

Samantha’s pager beeped; the medical team requested her presence in the NICU. “Mhm, might fuck around and kiss Jackson kind of kidding?”

“Come on, honey. You know I am a serious businesswoman.”

Friday came as a surprise to Samantha. She felt as if the rest of the week had passed at the speed of light. She took a well-deserved day off to sleep in and relax properly in the morning for a long, incoming night. Even if the paparazzi were faithfully waiting to catch a glimpse of her while walking Murphy, she paid less attention to them and more to her little guy. Samantha remembered Mark's words; it would not get easier, but she would grow accustomed to the unwanted notoriety. She thought they would have to get bored with her at some point.

Samantha prepared a quick lunch and played an episode of a podcast she liked to try to forget that she did not have appropriate clothes for a concert. Since joining the SMP, she had switched her entire wardrobe to formal and office attire. A long-forgotten box of clothes lay in the attic, and she hoped she would find some decent jeans and a blouse. Samantha was satisfied to find a vintage pair of ripped jeans and a glittery pink crop corset. She paired the corset with a crop black transparent bolero to cover her arms. She ultimately decided against heels and removed her black Air Jordan from an adjacent box.

Just as Samantha finished touching up her loose curls, the phone buzzed with a call.

"Jo, what's up? I'm almost ready."

"Almost ready?!" Jo almost screamed on the other line. "Sam, I'm first in line. To enter the stadium."

"You're crazy. The concert is two hours away from starting."

"You're the crazy one," Jo retorted matter-of-factly. "There's already hundreds of people queuing up behind me."

"Yikes," Samantha laughed. "I'm leaving soon; I'll get there pretty fast, I think."

"It looks like the boys finished their sound check, and they are letting people enter. I'll make sure to get the best spot!"

"When did you even get ready? Didn't you fly in like... three hours ago?"

Jo laughed. "There are many things you can do in a 15-hour flight. I made sure to fly premium to use the cup holders for my makeup."

By the time Samantha arrived, the queue had certainly grown longer than when she spoke to Jo on the phone. She was lucky the venue personnel were professionals, and the queue moved quickly on all six entrances. The stubborn sun would have otherwise ruined her hair and make-up with its warmth. When she finally entered the stadium, she was surprised to find various chairs prepared at key points of the area to rest and enjoy the concert. The suggestive map at the entrance helped her move around fast and find her designated area.

It was not hard to spot Jo in the crowd. A carmine corset hugged her torso, and the endearing side cuts starting at the thigh on her straight-leg fabric trousers left just enough space for the imagination to kick in. Her gingerbread hair, pulled into a ponytail, outlined all her defined features.

"If you planned to seduce any of the single members tonight, you have a high chance of success. With the eyeliner and the red lipstick, I would make out with you now."

Jo turned around at the familiar voice and pulled Samantha into a hug. "You think so? Maybe the corset was a bit too much?"

"You wouldn't have it any other way."

Jo gestured for Samantha to do a pirouette so she could admire her friend in her entirety. "You are so pretty! I missed you so much, Sam. And look, just as I promised, we can breathe in their perfume here!"

Indeed, as Jo pointed out, the two women were inches away from the main stage. Samantha was confident that she would grab Mark's attention and at least make a heart for him.

"How are you? How's life in Manhattan? I swear you just dropped off the face of the planet."

"I'm sorry," Jo took Samantha by the hand and brought her closer to the metal prompt where her carmine office jacket was. True to her image, "The last couple of months were absolutely insane for my firm. I booked in 5-figure contracts and brought many people to the team. I was drowning to do it all alone. My dream is coming along pretty well."

Samantha squeezed her hand. "I'm so happy for you. I can't wait to see what seeds you bring to life."

"We have all the time in the world now," Jo smiled. "How are you, girl? I think you finally found your happy place here."

Samantha nodded. "I think so, too. There's a big chance I'll become an attending soon. And I think I finally found someone after my own heart."

A loud, rhapsodic noise broke into the arena when all lights suddenly turned down to cue the band's entrance to the stage. "I booked a table at Timber House after the concert to catch up and drink to the morning, just like we used to do."

Samantha agreed with the other's proposition and turned her attention to the stage. All the boys were dressed in deluxe concert attire. Samantha's eyes immediately found Mark. He was excited but collected, happy but professional. His eyes were refreshed, and he had a beautiful vitality about him.

I am coming home tonight, love. Just one more stop.

"You're home," Samantha whispered as the music started playing and the concert kicked off.

The atmosphere was simply dynamic. All the fans in the venue cheered tirelessly to show their support for the band. Jo and Samantha had a great time together, dancing and singing their hearts out to the music. The first half of the concert passed in the blink of an eye, and a small costume break was due for the second part. To keep the spirit alive, Jackson rejuvenated the full stadium. "How are we doing tonight, Seoul city?"

An outburst of joy saturated the arena.

"This is Page."

"Oh, this is my favorite song of theirs!" Jo cheered and indulged in the warmth of the concert lights.

Now that they could see better into the crowd, all the boys got closer to the fans. They pointed to funny banners in the crowd, got closer to take selfies with the fans, and spread their joy to the depths of the stadium. Mark got closer to where Jo and Samantha were and shared smiles and waves everywhere, but his mouth dropped in surprise. The all-familiar figure shared a hand-shaped heart with him, making him laugh. Samantha was, too, while grooving to the music.

Mark lost no time to run down from the stage into the crowd where his lover was. She looked so different in her laid-back attire, cheerful in pink, with a beam that could light up his whole world. Except she already did. Jo lost no time to get out her phone and prepare it for what was to become the best picture she had ever taken. Samantha was unprepared for the passionate hug Mark pulled her into, so bare and so bold in front of sixty thousand people, to declare their young love once and for all.

"I think I love you," Mark whispered along to Jackson's verse. He touched Samantha's face gently to pull her into a kiss, and a white spotlight now protected their love. As the boys realized what was happening, they gathered around the part of the stage where the couple was; Bambam and Yugyeom were taking their picture from all possible angles, Jaebum was singing his verse, and Jinyoung playfully interrupted their moment.

"Mark, you have to sing your part now."

And Mark sang his part, looking into his lover's eyes, his hand holding tightly onto hers. It was safe to say Samantha was as proud as she was embarrassed. Before leaving, Mark left a loving peck on her cheek and reluctantly departed from her to return to the stage. Most members cheerfully spread to other parts of the arena; only Jackson trailed behind.

To the untrained eye, Jackson seemed to be waiting to reunite with Mark. To Jo's eyes, he seemed enthralled by her feminine aura and by the alluring glint in her mahogany irises. The woman gave him a playful wink and a graceful smile, and she could swear he returned the favor. It was further clarified when Jackson returned to the same part of the stage to sing his next verse while stealing glances at Samantha's mysterious friend. When the song finally ended, and a rupture of applause echoed in the stadium, Jo turned to Samantha.

"You will not believe how beautiful these pictures are!"

"What just happened?" Samantha was still confused about Mark's sudden daring gesture, so she wrapped her friend in a hug.

"I am so ecstatic for you, Sam! This was so fucking romantic."

"Listen, am I delirious, or did Jackson wink at you?"

Jo looked at the stage as the boys prepared their free speech segment.

"I am sure he did 'cause I did it first."

Samantha smirked at her friend and turned her attention to the group. Bambam was the first to speak.

"Mark, you should have warned us we would be full of love tonight!"

Jackson looked at Bambam more closely and started laughing. Yugyeom pointed that out to him. "It was too much love that his zipper broke."

"It's not our first time, don't worry," Jinyoung continued. The group gathered around to shield Bambam and tie his jacket around his waist.

Jackson made sure his microphone was further away from his mouth and leaned over to Mark. "Who's the lady with Sam over there?"

"I've never met her. She mentioned a friend from the States was coming over to Seoul for a while. It could be her."

The leader heard their conversation, and Jackson anticipated that he would possibly make a joke on the matter. Jackson laughed and pleaded with his eyes.

"We're set now," Bambam broke the moment, and Jaebum was happy to skip away. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

A loud and almost angry What inconvenience? scream came from the audience, causing the group to snicker. The seven men formed a line to salute the crowd and do their intro.

"Now that we all witnessed this beautiful moment," Jaebum started, "I'm sure Mark would like to say some words."

"I'm sure Mark wouldn't," he joked, and Samantha giggled. "There's no turning back now, I guess."

Similar to what the group did in Japan, the boys gathered around Mark, who cleared his throat.

"First things first, we're happy to be back here in Seoul," Mark said, waiting for the cheers to subside. Personally, I'm very happy to be back here, back to the person who stole my heart and ran away with it."

Mark pointed in Samantha's direction, and the latter funneled her hands around her mouth to reply. "I'm right here, Mark!"

The members approved joyfully.

"So, uh," Mark continued with a satisfied smile, "I hope you'll treat us well and cheer for us in the future. We've all been together through the good and bad, and I hope you'll keep us in your prayers from now on, too. As Jinyoung once said, we did not come together to release an album. We decided to release an album to be together. And I don't know what else could speak more about the family that we are."

The concert ended in high spirits, with the energy growing by the minute until it reached its peak and kept on going to the end. The two women were escorted by security backstage, where the group retreated. They witnessed a celebration more intimate than the one prepared by the fans onstage for Mark's upcoming birthday early the following week. Jinyoung noticed the women and silently guided them closer to the group, where Mark and the lovely cake were. Jo remained in the back between Jinyoung and Jackson, and the boys made way for Samantha to get closer to her lover.

"That was an amazing concert, guys," Jo congratulated the group, not addressing anyone in particular; another person speaking fluent Korean took Jinyoung and Jackson by surprise. "I am not sure you know how fast those tickets were selling, but I am happy I got them."

Bambam once again assumed the role of the photographer when Mark swept Samantha off her feet to hug and cherish her. Jackson's attention was captured by the mysterious woman, and could not help but notice the jasmine scent she wore.

"Thank you," Jackson offered and turned her body to her. "Yours was a pleasant surprise, too."

Jo noticed the subtlety and gave back a smile. She did not manage to reply as Mark and Samantha approached them. "Where are my manners?" Samantha said and gestured to her friend. "This is Jo."

Jo dipped her head in a bow, keeping her stature composed. The way she carried herself was that of a woman confident in her femininity. It did not go unnoticed by Jinyoung how Jackson looked at her. Mark caught it as well.

"She is going to be with us for the next six months. At least."

Jo chuckled. "It's nice meeting everyone. We'll see where life gets us, eventually."

Mark cleared his throat. "Do you want to go anywhere to celebrate? It's on me. It's been a while since we got together like this."

"Jo booked a table at a very nice restaurant in town."

"I don't think it's suitable for so many of us, but I will call immediately to request additional chairs."

"Tell you what," Jinyoung deftly moved over to Bambam, who was puzzled by the other's subtle silencing words, "Since we're all going to be in Seoul for a while, and for Mark's birthday as well, we can plan and rent something nice in the city. Let's give the lovebirds the night off."

Jo looked at Samantha with a serene expression. "I completely agree."

Jaebum was in on Jinyoung's plan. "But if it was your reservation, why not go together? Jackson can hop in to be the second third-wheel."

Bambam's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Jackson did not manage to protest, or otherwise, when he realized he had become the center of a quickly executed plot. He recognized the guys were fighting against their worst demons not to burst out laughing.

"It sounds like a plan," Jo turned to Jackson, knowing she had reeled him in when she met him with her charming smile.

"Sure, let's change into something more comfortable."

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