Her voice rang louder than she'd meant it to.
Bouncing off the mirrored walls. Echoing.
A few crew members glanced over. Startled.
One stylist stifled a laugh behind her hand.
But Haejin didn't stop walking.
His back retreated like a smug punctuation mark to his insult. That low chuckle still curling in her ears.
Soorin's fists curled at her sides.
'One day in and I already want to strangle him.'
★☆★☆★☆
When she got home later that night, she was not ready for what waited.
"Surprise!"
Confetti exploded in the living room.
A banner hung crookedly across the ceiling—'CONGRATS SOORIN!' A cake sat on the table, frosting spelling out 'Welcome to LUMEN!' in bright blue letters.
Her mother beamed, blonde hair bouncing as she clapped.
The resemblance between them was undeniable. Same blue eyes. Same soft features with just enough mischief underneath.
"Baby girl! Our Soorin is officially part of the big leagues!"
Her father stood beside her. Tall. Impeccably dressed even at home. The kind of handsome that screamed old-money CEO.
He raised his glass of wine.
"Uri ttal," he said with a proud grin—using the affectionate Korean term for 'our daughter.' "Working with Korea's brightest stars. I knew you'd make it."
The confetti on the floor. The balloons. The streamers taped awkwardly to their luxury chandelier.
It all mocked her.
'If only you knew the hellspawn dragon I had to face today. If only you knew the piglet jokes, the insults, the constant jabs. If only you knew I wanted to strangle that handsome face with his perfect mic cord.'
But instead of venting, she smiled.
Tight. Forced.
"Wow. Party. Just for me."
"You met them, right? HAEL was there?" Her mom's eyes twinkled with mischief.
Soorin stiffened. "Y-yeah…"
Her mother leaned closer, whispering loud enough that her father could definitely hear. "So… did you make out with him yet? Like you wrote in your diary?"
Soorin's jaw dropped. "Mom!"
Her father choked on his wine. "Diary?"
Her mother smirked. Shameless. "Don't act innocent, sweetheart. You wrote about his abs, his eyes, the way you wanted him to pin you against—"
Soorin choked on her own spit. "Mom!" Her face turned crimson. "You—YOU READ MY DIARY?!"
Her mother blinked innocently. "You told me to. Remember? That girls' night we had last month? You were tipsy on wine, and you shoved it into my hands saying, 'Mom, you have to read about my bias fantasies, they're so good.'"
Her father sputtered. Nearly spilled his wine. "Bias fantasies?!"
Soorin buried her face in her hands. "Oh my god. I was drunk! That doesn't count! And Mom, you weren't supposed to tell Dad!"
Her mother only laughed. Shameless. "Honey, you should've seen her. She described his abs in more detail than her college textbooks."
Soorin's mouth snapped shut.
'Damn it.'
She 'had' said that.
"I'm never drinking with you again," Soorin groaned.
Her father was already wiping his forehead with a napkin, muttering, "Aigoo… blonde genes, blue eyes, and a shameless mouth. Dangerous combination."
Her mother flicked his arm. "You married me, my love."
He coughed into his glass. "Mistake or destiny. Still deciding."
Soorin groaned, covering her face.
But despite the fury bubbling in her chest, laughter broke through.
Her parents fussed over her like she was a puppy that had just learned to roll over. Irritating. Embarrassing.
But also… safe.
They were wealthy.
Her father was CEO of a fashion brand. Her mother was a part-time consultant who spent most of her days indulging in hobbies.
They lived in luxury. Marble countertops. A view of Seoul's glittering skyline. More imported wine than they could drink.
Soorin wasn't from a struggling background.
Her job wasn't survival—it was passion.
And that passion had turned into a nightmare.
Her mother stirred a pot on the stove. Her father chopped vegetables with the kind of precision that would shame professional chefs.
The smell of kimchi jjigae filled the room. Spicy. Comforting.
They chatted. Voices warm.
"So," her father asked, "how was the first day? Was it everything you dreamed?"
Soorin wanted to scream.
'Dreamed? It was a horror movie. A dragon breathing insults instead of fire. My dream idol turned into my worst enemy.'
But the NDA loomed in her mind like an iron chain.
She couldn't tell them a thing.
One breach, and she'd be sued into oblivion.
So she smiled sweetly. Tilted her head.
"It's everything I could dream of, Appa."
The words tasted like ash.
But they bought her freedom.
Her father nodded proudly. Her mother clasped her hands, eyes misty.
"That's my girl," she whispered. "See? Dreams do come true."
'Yeah. In dreams only.'
Soorin cursed every lawyer who'd drafted that damned NDA.
They ate together. Laughter filling the room.
The familiar taste of kimchi stew warmed her tongue. She leaned into it, letting the comfort wash away the memory of Haejin's smirk.
Then the TV chimed.
'EntertainmentTonight' splashed across the screen.
Suddenly LUMEN's logo flashed.
Her mother lunged for the remote. Cranked the volume.
The anchor's voice was crisp: "In forty-eight hours, global sensation LUMEN will take the stage for their highly anticipated live performance…"
Her mother gasped dramatically. "Soorin, that's your team! You'll be backstage! Oh my god, do you get to powder HAEL's nose? Touch up his lips? Touch his—"
"Stop," Soorin cut in quickly. Forced a laugh.
Inside, dread coiled in her gut.
The dragon was waiting.
★☆★☆★☆
Trying to lighten her own mood, she set her chopsticks down.
Looked between her parents.
"Okay, serious question. Which one of you is volunteering for smoky-eye practice?"
Her father froze mid-bite. "Not me."
Her mother burst out laughing. "Come on, you'd look fabulous!"
"Aniya(Informal no)," her father said firmly. Pointing his chopsticks like a gavel. "No. Don't even think about it. I am the CEO of a fashion brand. I cannot show up to work looking like a failed idol trainee or some runway experiment."
Soorin leaned her chin on her palm. Grinned wickedly.
"But Appa, your cheekbones are perfect for it. You'd look fabulous at your board meeting tomorrow."
Her father groaned.
Her mother clapped, tears in her eyes from laughing.
The three of them collapsed into giggles.
For a while, Soorin forgot the dragon waiting in her future.
This—this warmth—was what she lived for.
But in the back of her mind, the countdown ticked.
Forty-eight hours.
Then she'd be back in the dragon's den.
★★★☆☆☆
Author's Note (^～^;)ゞ
I do apologize if this chapter felt a little "slice-of-life boring," but I had to sneak in some good old-fashioned parental chaos to show you the dynamics of our FL and her family. Yes, there was food, yes, there was embarrassing diary talk (sorry, Soorin), and yes, Mom is that shameless. Think of it as the calm before the dragon-shaped storm. Thank you for bearing with me—and for laughing at Soorin's pain.