He offered a faint smile and a polite bow. "Annyeonghaseyo."
She screamed.
"HA-EUN!!"
She spun and disappeared inside, socks sliding on the floor.
Seo-jun blinked, startled, then let out a quiet laugh. A cat darted from under a parked scooter. Wind ruffled his sleeve.
Seconds later, the door opened again.
Ha-eun stepped out.
Her hair was half-tied, a scrunchie dangling from her wrist. She wore an oversized sweatshirt and leggings. Not the kind of outfit one wears to meet a global idol. But it was real. It was hers.
She stopped at the top of the steps, eyes wide.
Seo-jun stood at the bottom. Still. Hands in pockets. Sculpted. Silent.
"Hi," he said.
She blinked. Once. Twice.
Was she hallucinating?
"I hope this isn't weird," he said. "I just... wanted to talk."
Still, she said nothing.
Her gaze dropped to his outfit, the tailored hoodie, the Saint Laurent boots, the sunglasses tucked just right. Quiet luxury. Effortlessly curated.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
Before she could answer, the girl from earlier reappeared.
"Yes!" she blurted. "Come in! Of course!"
She flung the door open like royalty had arrived.
Seo-jun bowed and stepped inside, slipping off his shoes and setting them neatly beside worn sneakers and rubber sandals. The contrast was almost comical.
——
The house smelled like sesame oil and fresh laundry.
The living room was small but warm. A beige couch slouched against the wall. A low wooden table. A fan in the corner. Family photos pinned slightly crooked. A jigsaw puzzle in progress on the floor.
It was the kind of home built on routines and ordinary love.
Seo-jun sat politely on the edge of the couch, his posture immaculate despite the soft cushions. He rubbed his palms together, a quiet, nervous habit.
"I didn't send a message first," he said, glancing at Ha-eun, who sat stiffly across from him on a floor cushion. "I thought you wouldn't answer."
"Why are you really here?" she asked, not accusing , just bewildered.
"I don't have a good answer," he said. "But ever since that night, I keep seeing your face. You weren't screaming. You weren't filming. You just looked..."
He paused.
"Different."
Her friend hovered by the kitchen, then marched over with two mugs of barley tea. "Here you go!" she said, too brightly. "I'll be... not spying. Upstairs."
Her footsteps thundered up the stairs.
Silence returned.
"You shouldn't be here," Ha-eun said softly.
"I know."
"If someone sees you—"
"I wore the hoodie."
"That's not a disguise. That's just a fashion statement."
He laughed quietly. "Fair."
A pause. This one, surprisingly gentle.
"I didn't mean to cause trouble," he said. "With the blogs. The rumors."
"I know," she said.
"I thought maybe... I could make it right."
"And how exactly would you do that?"
He hesitated, then pulled out his phone. "Step one: Can I have your number?"
She blinked. "My what?"
"Your phone number. Just... to talk. No pressure."
Before she could answer, a voice shrieked from upstairs:
"010-82-45—wait, should I say it fast or slow?!"
"RINA!" Ha-eun shouted.
"WHAT?! You were taking forever!"
Seo-jun stifled a laugh and typed quickly. "She's efficient."
"She's a menace."
"I like her."
Ha-eun sighed, then looked him in the eye.
"You really want to talk?"
"I do."
"About what?"
"You. Life. Ramen shops. I don't know yet."
She studied his face. No entourage. No cameras. Just a boy , famous, yes , but unsure and quietly hopeful.
"...Fine," she said at last. "You can text me."
He smiled. Just a little. But it lit up the whole room.
"Thank you."
Outside, the wind brushed the window frame. Somewhere, a dog barked.
Inside, a superstar and an ordinary girl sat across from each other, both wondering what they'd just begun.
He stood. "I should go."
She nodded and followed him to the door.
He paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "I'll text you."
"Okay."
And just like that, he was gone, down the steps, into the car, and out of sight.
Moments later, Rina thundered back down the stairs.
"Oh. My. GOD!"
Ha-eun didn't answer.
She stood at the door, fingers brushing her lips.
Because maybe , just maybe , something had started.
*********
Han Seo-jun lay sprawled across his king-sized bed, the room dim but for the soft glow of Seoul's skyline bleeding through the glass wall behind him. The white comforter was rumpled beneath his chest. His damp hair clung to his forehead from a shower he'd taken an hour ago.
Still, sleep wouldn't come.
He shifted again with a sigh, eyes drifting to the phone on his nightstand.
12:43 a.m.
For the tenth time that night, he picked it up. The contact glowed back at him:
🌸 Ha-Eunie
He wasn't sure why he'd saved her name like that. Maybe because it felt... gentle. Sweet. Far removed from the storm that had hit her life the moment the tabloids linked their names.
His thumb hovered over the call icon.
She was probably asleep. Or ignoring him. Or blocking him while they spoke.
Still...
He tapped.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then—
"Hello?"
Her voice was softer than he remembered. Clear. Unfiltered. Like wind chimes in summer.
He swallowed. "Hey. It's... Seo-jun."
A pause. Then a breath. "I know."
"You picked up."
"I was curious," she said, her tone neutral. Careful.
He pressed the phone tighter to his ear, the silence between them filled with all the things he didn't know how to say.
"I didn't mean to break your life," he murmured.
Ha-eun gave a short, dry laugh. "Well... you kind of did."
Her voice wasn't cruel. Just tired. Honest.
"I can't go to school without someone filming me. I can't eat tteokbokki on the street anymore without people whispering like I'm some headline. I used to like walking home alone."
She paused.
"That's gone now."
Seo-jun sat up, guilt prickling beneath his skin. "I know. I saw the videos. I didn't mean to—"
"You didn't mean to," she repeated, a little sharper now. "Yeah. That's always the story, isn't it? No one means to ruin things. They just do."
Silence.
"I just wanted to talk to you," he said finally, voice low.
"Well," she replied after a beat, "you're talking. What did you want?"
Before he could answer, a voice shrieked faintly through her side of the call.
"Is that your boyfriend?!"
Seo-jun blinked, startled.