And so, as Bobby and Ruach reached the door to Foca's office, Bobby took a deep breath and braced himself for what was to come.
During the entire walk, he'd been rehearsing what to say—over and over—his mind running on overdrive. Apologies stacked on apologies. Accountability. Responsibility. Every possible version playing in his head.
The moment Ruach opened the door and Bobby stepped inside, he was already opening his mouth—ready to apologize for everything, ready to take full responsibility for his reckless actions.
That was the plan, at least.
What he didn't expect was Lili running straight toward him—crying—and burying her face into his chest.
Bobby didn't even hesitate. He wrapped his arms around her instinctively, holding her close.
"Shhh… don't worry, Lili," he murmured softly, gently patting her head. "I'll take the blame for everything. It's okay. It's okay…"
He kept comforting her—until she suddenly went still.
She'd been crying just moments ago, her soft sniffles still lingering in the air. But now?
Silence.
Bobby froze.
Slowly, Lili lifted her head to look at him. Her puffy eyes and red nose were clear evidence that she had been crying—but now she stared at him with the biggest question mark written across her face.
"Huh?" she asked. "What you zaking zhe blame for? What are we zaking about?"
"Huh?" Bobby blinked. "Aren't you crying because of the articles about us all over the internet?"
"Wha—? No!" Lili burst out, realizing just how wildly off their wavelengths were.
She giggled.
Softly. Warmly.
And just like that, Bobby felt his anxiety ease. Her laughter had that effect on him—soothing, grounding. It wasn't until then that he realized he'd been holding his breath for far too long.
"I was crying because little bread just finished zhe song," Lili explained, smiling. "I couldn't help it—it was so beautiful. Zhe ending… it made me cry. Zears of joy, silly."
She paused, then added casually, "Oh—and I'm not mad about zhe articles on zhe internet. In fact… I'm quite happy about zhem."
"Really?" Bobby asked, stunned, a soft, boyish smile creeping onto his lips.
"Yes, really."
That answer didn't come from Lili.
It came from Foca.
Bobby immediately smacked himself internally for forgetting where he was. The moment he saw Lili crying, everything else had vanished from his mind—which, once again, earned himself another internal kick for being so reckless.
"I—I'm sorry, sir—" Bobby started, already prepared to drop to his knees and beg forgiveness for his lack of manners.
Foca waved it off casually.
"Don't be," he said gently. "You did nothing wrong."
From the moment Bobby walked into his office, Foca had noticed the heaviness clinging to him. Of course he knew where it came from—finding out what the internet had decided to say about something deeply personal.
Something that, frankly, was none of their business.
But alas.
This was the age they lived in—where people didn't just mind their own business.
They minded everyone else's too.
"Lili has been talking nonstop about how cute you two looked in the articles," Foca said with a knowing smirk. "She loved them so much, she even wanted to hunt down the photographer and personally pay them for the pictures."
"Wha—?!" Bobby couldn't help but laugh at the sheer absurdity of it all. "Lili…" he murmured her name softly, the word carrying equal parts gentle scolding and pure adoration.
And yes—they were still clinging to each other like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"If both of you could take a seat," Foca said calmly, "I'd like to discuss a few things."
That was their cue to finally pull apart—though only just. They stayed close, like gravity hadn't quite released its hold on them yet.
Bobby and Lili took the two seats in front of Foca's mahogany desk, while Ruach positioned himself behind them, standing squarely between their chairs.
Once everyone was settled, Foca spoke again.
"Before anything else, I'd like to address the very obvious—and ever-growing—elephant in the room." His gaze shifted to Bobby. "And before you speak, Bobby, hear me out first. Okay?"
He raised a gentle finger, stopping Bobby just as he was about to launch into yet another apology.
Bobby immediately closed his mouth and nodded.
"Good." Foca continued, his tone calm but firm. "Now, I'm going to be completely honest. I do have concerns. First and foremost—this situation doesn't just affect Bobby. It affects you as well, young lady."
He turned to Lili, who—truth be told—looked entirely unbothered by the internet's opinions about her or her relationship with Bobby. She welcomed the well-wishes, the positive shippers, and promptly ignored the rest.
"Please," Foca added with a sigh, "at least pretend to care about the situation. Even if it's just a little."
"Oh, come on, little bread," Lili said casually. "You know I don't concern myself with such zrivial zhings, oui?"
Foca pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Well, then at least care about how Bobby is affected by all this," he said, a hint of sternness creeping into his voice. "You do understand this could greatly impact his career, right?"
Lili's expression softened—just a bit.
"Remember this," Foca continued. "Bobby is still very new to the industry. This situation could potentially damage his reputation before he's even had the chance to take off."
"…Fine," Lili relented. "I'll listen. But only because it's Bobby we're zalking about."
"That's more than I could ever ask for," Foca said quietly. "Thank you."
He then turned his attention back to Bobby.
"Now, Bobby—there's nowhere in your contract that forbids you from being in a relationship. Correct?"
"Y–yes, sir," Bobby answered.
"But what is explicitly written in your contract," Foca continued calmly—though his tone carried unmistakable weight, "are the consequences should a relationship begin to affect your professional commitments."
He paused.
"And that's because, personally, I believe love moves in very mysterious and unpredictable ways. Genuine love isn't something that can be controlled."
Foca leaned back slightly.
"I'm saying this because I've seen it firsthand—in the lives of my parents."
Both Bobby and Lili listened intently.
"You see," Foca went on, "my parents fell in love the moment they laid eyes on each other. I know this generation likes to call that kind of thing cringe—but it happens. And the two of you are living proof that it still does."
His gaze softened as it moved between them.
"The way you look at each other… it's the same way my parents look at one another. As if nothing else in the world really matters."
Bobby's eyes widened.
It felt like he'd been stripped bare—like Foca had reached straight into his chest and pulled the truth out by force.
It was unsettling.
And terrifying.
And painfully accurate.
"Now," Foca continued, "you're both still incredibly young."
He said this as if he himself weren't only in his mid-twenties.
"Professionally speaking, I would advise against entering a relationship. For obvious reasons."
A beat.
"But personally… I support whatever it is you two have going on."
"Really?" Bobby and Lili asked at the exact same time.
Foca raised a hand.
"Before we jump the gun here, boundaries need to be set. Very clear ones. The moment a boundary as stated in your contracts is crossed, consequences will follow—with no leniency. Understood?"
"Y–yes!" Bobby answered immediately, his heart pounding in his ears.
"OUI!" Lili replied brightly, without hesitation.
"Alright," Foca nodded. "First, I want to confirm something. You've only been seeing each other for two weeks. You're still deep in the honeymoon phase—where everything is sunshine and rainbows."
He looked at them carefully.
"Are you both certain about your feelings? Or do you think this is simply hormones doing what they do best?"
"I would marry Bobby," Lili said without missing a beat. "If he would allow me."
She smiled—soft, unwavering.
"And don't zhink for a second I am bullshitting, Ha—little bread."
In that moment, Foca knew she was serious.
Why?
Because she was this close to calling him by his real name.
And the only time his family ever did that… was when something truly serious was being said.
"You've known me my entire life, little bread," Lili continued, her voice steady with conviction. "You know I have never even looked at someone with particular interest. So much so that all of you were convinced I might be playing for the other side."
She shrugged lightly.
"But no. I always knew my heart was simply waiting—for someone to make it whole."
Her gaze shifted to Bobby.
"And the moment I laid my eyes on him… I knew. In that instant. He was the other part of my heart."
Bobby's breath caught.
"Of course," Lili added gently, turning fully toward him now, "I would never force you into something you are uncomfortable with. I know you may find me strange—or creepy—by now."
She smiled again, softer this time.
"But I mean what I said. You are it for me, Bobby."
"Two weeks," she said simply, "was more than enough for me to know."
"As much as it may sound like it, she's telling the truth, Bobby," Foca said with a tired sigh. "I can vouch for that without hesitation."
Bobby, meanwhile, had completely lost the ability to form coherent thoughts.
His heart was pounding so loudly he was sure everyone else could hear it—and then, out of nowhere, tears started spilling down his cheeks. He hastily wiped them away with the back of his hand, sniffling, utterly confused as to why he was even crying in the first place.
He just… couldn't stop.
There were too many emotions crashing into him all at once—relief, joy, fear, love—so much love—and his body simply short-circuited.
But through the haze, one thing rang painfully clear.
He loved Lili.
Just as fiercely as she loved him.
That much, he knew with absolute certainty.
"I-I feel the same way, Lili…" Bobby said between sniffles, looking at her like she hung the damn stars. "You're it for me too."
That was all it took.
Lili let out a delighted squeal and launched herself straight onto Bobby's lap, nearly knocking the air out of him. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him so tightly it was almost ridiculous—almost.
Bobby hugged her back just as hard.
Two hearts, finally clicking into place.
"Alright, you two—settle down," Foca said, though the fond smile on his face completely betrayed him.
They did settle down. Technically.
They simply chose to remain exactly as they were—Lili comfortably perched on Bobby's lap, arms still around him like that was her assigned seat from now on.
"I'm genuinely happy for the both of you," Foca said. "But let's be very clear—no one is getting married," he added sharply.
"Wait at least a year or two. If you still want to get married then, we'll talk. For now, take it one step at a time. This industry is already brutal—and the two of you went ahead and chose hell mode," he said. "Still… I hope you stay strong. Communicate. Learn from each other. Lift each other up. Don't be the reason the other one falls."
"Yes, sir," Bobby said earnestly. "I'll keep everything you said close to my heart."
Lili, instead of answering, suddenly rushed forward and threw herself at her cousin, hugging him with all her strength.
"Merci infiniment, mon petit pain. Je t'aime tellement,(Thank you so much little bread! I love you so much!)" she said, her voice wobbling.
"Moi aussi, je t'aime, espèce de petite canaille,(I love you too, you rascal.)" Foca replied softly, patting her back.
After a few moments of warmth just hanging in the air, everyone returned to their seats—well, everyone except Lili, who clearly considered Bobby's lap her permanent residence now.
"I trust that you'll both be responsible—devoted to each other, and devoted to your work," Foca said, his voice turning serious again. "Because if that trust is broken…" He paused. "Let's just hope it never comes to that."
The chill in his tone was enough to make Lili, Bobby, and even Ruach swallow hard.
"Now that your love lives are settled, we won't be releasing any official statements for now. The internet will do what it does best. What matters is that you've confirmed each other's feelings," Foca said. "As for me—I'll do everything in my power to protect you both as artists under Bread Music."
"Wait—what?" Bobby blurted out. "Lili, you signed with Bread Music?"
"Oui!" Lili replied proudly. "Honestly, I'm quite offended little bread didn't sign me sooner. So much for family," she teased.
"Lili, we talked about this," Foca groaned, sounding ten years older. "I told you I was busy. I was going to sign you—you were just impatient."
"Hmph…" Lili pouted, then immediately cuddled closer to Bobby. "Bobby, he said I'm impatient," she whined, clearly poking at Foca.
"Sorry, Lili—you're on your own," Bobby said, chuckling. "I know better than to fight a battle I'm guaranteed to lose."
"Oof… It hasn't even been that long since you two confessed your love, and Bobby's already abandoning you. Poor. Little. Rascal," Foca shot back.
"Hey! At least Bobby is self-aware!" Lili countered, laughing. "We love a self-aware king in this house!"
And just like that, the room filled once more with warmth, laughter, and the unmistakable glow of two idiots very much in love.
****
Author's notes:
(And maybe—just maybe—we'll never quite reach that part of the story. But for the sake of spoilers and soft hearts: Bobby and Lili did get married two years later. Against the odds, against the noise, against every raised eyebrow.)
(They stayed married. Not just stayed—thrived. Twelve years of love, laughter, fights that ended in apologies, and kisses stolen in quiet moments. They built a life together. A real one.)
(They even had twins—a boy and a girl—tiny miracles born from something the world once called "too fast" and "too cringe.")
(So yes, maybe it was quick. Maybe it was embarrassing. But pure, genuine love doesn't ask for permission.)
(I'm a hopeless romantic. I believe in love that hits hard, stays stubborn, and refuses to let go.)
(I'm cringe—but at least I'm free.)