The morning broke with a haze that did little to soften the tension from the night before. Seoul was alive with noise and neon, but in two separate apartments—the hotel suite of Jae Kang and the modest flat of Soojin Han—silence reigned, brittle and suffocating.
Soojin had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, Veronica Seo's message burned against her eyelids: "Meet me tomorrow. Noon. Café Mirae. If you don't, the story runs without your side."
Her phone was still on the floor where she had dropped it, the screen dark but heavy with implication. She'd wanted to block the number, to delete the threat and pretend it was just smoke, but deep down she knew better. Veronica Seo wasn't smoke. She was fire. And fire consumed everything in its path.
Soojin dragged herself to the bathroom, splashed cold water on her face, and forced her reflection to meet her own gaze. Puffy eyes, lips pressed thin, her skin pale with exhaustion. She looked less like the rising actress who'd been called "a fresh star of the screen" and more like a woman on the edge of unraveling.
But she couldn't crumble. Not now. Not when the world was watching.
---
On the other side of the city, Jae Kang stared at his untouched breakfast. A plate of toast and eggs had been delivered to his suite, but his stomach churned at the thought of swallowing anything.
He scrolled absently through his phone, numb from lack of sleep. Then the headline appeared. Bold. Unavoidable.
"Mina Choi Opens Up About Jae Kang: 'He's a Gentleman, Truly'"
Jae froze. He tapped the article, pulse hammering as the words spilled across the screen.
> In an exclusive interview with StarLight Magazine, Hollywood-Korean rising actress Mina Choi shared her thoughts about her recent collaboration with global idol Jae Kang.
"He's a gentleman," Mina said with a warm smile. "He respects everyone on set, he works harder than anyone, and he makes people feel seen. I'm honored to work with him."
When asked about their undeniable chemistry in upcoming promotions, Mina laughed lightly. "Chemistry? Well… sometimes what you see isn't just acting."
Jae's breath caught.
The article continued, weaving Mina's coy remarks into a narrative of sparkling chemistry, late-night rehearsals, secret glances. The comments section was already a battlefield:
"OMG JAExMINA IS REAL???"
"She's perfect for him, better than any idol girl tbh."
"The visuals!!! Imagine their babies"
"Soojin who? Mina's the upgrade."
Jae's grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned white. He wanted to throw it across the room, to smash the story into silence. But it was too late. The storm had already broken.
---
When Soojin's manager called an hour later, her voice was sharp, urgent.
"Turn on the TV. Channel 9."
Soojin obeyed with shaky hands, fumbling for the remote. The morning entertainment show was in full swing, a panel of hosts laughing brightly as Mina's interview played on the big screen behind them.
The clip rolled again—Mina's soft laughter, her casual remark: "Sometimes what you see isn't just acting."
The hosts erupted with delight.
"Did you hear that? She basically admitted it!" one squealed.
"Honestly, I'm shipping them already. They look so natural together."
The hashtag #JaeMina began scrolling across the ticker at the bottom of the screen. Photos of Jae and Mina appeared in a glossy slideshow: him holding a door open for her, her brushing a strand of hair behind her ear while glancing at him, the two standing close at a wrap party.
Soojin felt the blood drain from her face. She muted the TV before the laughter could pierce any deeper.
Her phone buzzed with notifications. She didn't want to look, but curiosity clawed its way in. Social media was flooded with edits, fan art, fancams of Jae and Mina spliced together with romantic music. The "couple" had already been christened with a portmanteau: Jina.
She wanted to scream.
Instead, she closed her eyes and whispered, "It's just PR. Just PR."
But even as she said it, a bitter seed took root inside her.
---
Across town, Mina Choi basked in the aftermath. The interview had been calculated, her words chosen with precision. She hadn't lied—not exactly. Jae was a gentleman. He was hardworking. But the coy remark, the laughter—that was strategy.
Her agency had briefed her carefully: build the image, lean into the chemistry, give the fans something to obsess over. Mina had agreed, not reluctantly but with hunger. She knew what the "Jae Kang effect" meant. Proximity to him meant relevance, fame, power.
But for Mina, it wasn't just about PR anymore. Working beside him had stirred something real. His quiet determination, the sadness in his eyes when he thought no one was watching—it fascinated her. She wanted to peel back those layers, to see the man hidden beneath the global icon.
So when the interviewer asked about chemistry, Mina hadn't hesitated. She had leaned into it. Hard.
Now, scrolling through her mentions, she smiled at the flood of support. Fan edits of her and Jae already trended worldwide. Articles speculated whether theirs was the "romance of the year."
Her phone buzzed—a message from her manager: "Perfect. Keep this momentum. Dinner with Jae tonight. Cameras will be there."
Mina's smile widened.
---
Jae slammed his phone down on the table, the rage boiling over. He called Daniel without thinking.
"What the hell is this?!" Jae barked the moment the line connected. "That interview—did you set it up?"
Daniel's voice was calm, almost smug. "Of course I set it up. You think Mina says things like that off the cuff? This is strategy. Global image, remember?"
"Strategy?!" Jae shot to his feet, pacing. "Do you have any idea what this looks like? What it does to—" He stopped himself before saying Soojin's name.
Daniel filled the silence. "It looks like opportunity. Sponsors love it. Fans love it. Mina's people are thrilled. And you? You come out looking like the perfect leading man. Everyone wins."
"No," Jae hissed. "Not everyone."
Daniel's tone hardened. "Don't start with me, Jae. You wanted this career. You wanted global dominance. This is the price. You think anyone cares about the truth? They care about the story. And right now, the story is you and Mina."
Jae's chest heaved. He wanted to tell Daniel to shove it, to tell the world the truth about his marriage, about Soojin, about everything. But the image of her being dragged, torn apart by tabloids and fans, stopped him cold.
His silence gave Daniel his answer.
"Good," Daniel said. "Dinner with Mina tonight. Don't be late."
The call ended, leaving Jae staring at the floor, fists clenched so tight his nails dug into his palms.
---
By noon, Soojin sat at Café Mirae, her hands wrapped tightly around a cup of coffee that had long gone cold. She had told herself she came here to think, not to meet Veronica Seo. But when the door chimed and the journalist walked in, sharp heels clicking against the tile, Soojin's breath caught.
Veronica's eyes found her instantly. She slid into the opposite seat, her smile thin, professional, predatory.
"You look tired," Veronica said, as if they were old friends catching up.
Soojin forced her voice steady. "What do you want from me?"
Veronica leaned in, her perfume sharp, her tone velvet over steel. "The truth. Jae Kang's secret marriage. Your marriage. Give me your side, Soojin. Before the world eats you alive."
Soojin's heart hammered. The words were a blade pressed to her throat.
"You're wrong," Soojin whispered, though her trembling betrayed her.
Veronica's smile widened. "Am I?"
Before Soojin could answer, a notification pinged on both their phones. A breaking news alert.
"#JaeMina trends worldwide as fans ship new couple."
Veronica's eyes gleamed as she turned her phone to show the headline. "See? The narrative is already running. You either speak… or you get erased."
Soojin sat frozen, the walls of the café pressing in, the noise of clinking cups and laughter distant, unreal. She didn't know whether to run, to scream, or to give in.
---
That evening, cameras flashed outside an upscale restaurant as Mina stepped out of a sleek black car, her dress shimmering under the lights. She smiled radiantly, every angle perfected, every gesture rehearsed.
Moments later, Jae arrived. His expression was tight, controlled, but the cameras only saw what they wanted: a handsome idol walking toward a glowing actress.
Flashbulbs exploded as Mina slipped her arm through his. She leaned close, whispering so only he could hear.
"Relax, Jae. We look good together."
He stiffened, but forced a smile for the cameras. Because that was what the world demanded.
And somewhere across the city, Soojin Han watched it unfold on her television, her hands trembling as tears blurred the screen.