Soorin stared at the article on his tablet.
The photo of the rehearsal studio. Annotated. Circled. Analyzed.
Fans were playing detective.
And they were getting closer.
She set down her fork. Stomach churning.
"What kind of help?"
Her dad leaned back in his chair.
"I've already placed four bodyguards around you."
She blinked.
"What?"
"Undercover," he clarified. "One's the barista at the coffee shop near AUREYA. Another's a street vendor on your bus route. There's a janitor inside the building. And the fourth changes appearance daily—pedestrian, delivery driver, whatever's needed."
Soorin's jaw dropped.
"Appa, you can't just—"
"I can. And I did."
Her mom reached across the table. Squeezed her hand.
"We're not taking chances, Soorin-ah."
Soorin pulled her hand away.
"I don't need babysitters."
"You need protection," her dad said firmly.
"I need my life back!"
Her voice cracked.
The room went silent.
Her mom's eyes filled with tears.
"Do you know what it's like?" her mom whispered. "Every night, I dream about obsessed fans finding you. Hurting you. And I wake up terrified."
Soorin's chest tightened.
"Mom…"
"You're our only child, Soorin. Our everything." Her mom's voice broke. "If something happened to you…"
She couldn't finish.
Soorin's anger crumbled.
She exhaled shakily.
"Fine. But they stay invisible. I don't want to know who they are or when they're watching."
Her dad nodded.
"Deal."
Her mom wiped her eyes. Smiled weakly.
"Thank you."
Soorin picked up her fork. Poked at her food.
The kimchi jjigae tasted like ashes.
★☆★☆★☆
Her dad set his tablet aside.
"I've also consulted with a crisis management team. And a lawyer who specializes in celebrity defamation cases."
Soorin looked up.
"A lawyer?"
"If your identity leaks, we'll need legal action ready. Cease and desist orders. Defamation suits. Whatever it takes."
She swallowed.
"How much is this costing you?"
Her dad's expression softened.
"Don't worry about money."
"But—"
"Soorin." His voice was gentle but firm. "This is what parents do."
Her throat tightened.
She nodded.
Her mom refilled her bowl.
"Eat. You look pale."
Soorin forced a few bites.
But the food sat heavy in her stomach.
Her dad leaned forward.
"I have to ask. Is this job worth it?"
Soorin froze.
"What?"
"Your safety. Your mental health. Your future." He gestured at the tablet. "Is working for LUMEN worth all of this?"
She didn't answer right away.
Her mom's gaze was piercing.
"And what about HAEL?"
Soorin's head snapped up.
"What about him?"
"Why hasn't he defended you publicly?"
Her chest tightened.
"It's complicated."
Her mom's brow arched.
"Complicated how?"
"The company has rules. NDAs. He can't just—"
"He's the leader of the group," her mom cut in. "He has influence. If he wanted to protect you, he could."
Soorin's hands clenched under the table.
"It's not that simple."
"Then explain it to me."
She couldn't.
Because deep down, she was asking herself the same questions.
Why hadn't Haejin said anything?
Why did he let Manager Park blame her?
Why did he look at her like she was the problem?
Her mom's voice softened.
"Does the company care about you? Or just their investment?"
Soorin looked away.
"I don't know."
The words tasted bitter.
Her dad sighed.
"If they're not protecting you, we will. But I need you to be honest with us. About everything."
Soorin nodded.
"I will."
But the NDA loomed over her like a cage.
She couldn't tell them half of what happened.
★☆★☆★☆
That night, Soorin lay in bed.
Staring at the ceiling.
Her childhood room felt smaller than she remembered.
The glow-in-the-dark stars she'd stuck up as a kid still clung to the ceiling.
She used to think they were magic.
Now they just felt childish.
A soft knock on the door.
"Soorin-ah?"
Her mom.
"Come in."
Her mom slipped inside. Closed the door behind her.
She sat on the edge of the bed.
"Can't sleep?"
Soorin shook her head.
Her mom brushed a strand of hair from her face.
"Talk to me."
Soorin's throat tightened.
"I feel like a prisoner in my own life."
Her mom's expression softened.
"I know."
"Do you?"
The words came out harsher than she intended.
Her mom didn't flinch.
"When I was your age, I worked at a law firm. Long hours. Terrible bosses. I felt trapped too."
Soorin blinked.
"You did?"
Her mom nodded.
"But I didn't have to deal with leaked photos. Or death threats. Or people dissecting my every move online."
She paused.
"You're stronger than I ever was, Soorin-ah."
Soorin's eyes stung.
"I don't feel strong."
"You are. You're still standing. Still fighting."
Her mom squeezed her hand.
"But you don't have to do it alone."
Soorin's vision blurred.
"I signed an NDA. I can't tell you everything."
"I'm not asking for details. Just… let me be here for you."
Soorin nodded.
Her mom pulled her into a hug.
Soorin buried her face in her mom's shoulder.
And for the first time in days, she let herself cry.
★☆★☆★☆
They stayed like that for a while.
Her mom rubbing slow circles on her back.
Eventually, Soorin pulled away. Wiped her eyes.
"Thanks, Mom."
Her mom smiled.
"Anytime."
She stood to leave.
But paused at the door.
"Soorin-ah…"
Soorin looked up.
Her mom's expression was careful.
"Are you genuinely falling for him?"
The question hit like a punch.
Soorin's breath caught.
"What?"
"Haejin." Her mom's voice was gentle. "The way you talk about him. Defend him. Even when he doesn't deserve it."
Soorin opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Her mom waited.
Soorin's face burned.
"I… I don't know."
Her mom's eyes softened.
"Oh, sweetheart."
She walked back. Sat on the bed again.
"He's awful to you."
"I know."
"He treats you like you're disposable."
"I know."
"And you still…"
Soorin covered her face with her hands.
"I know, okay? I know it's stupid."
Her mom pulled her hands away.
"It's not stupid. It's human."
Soorin's eyes filled with tears again.
"But it hurts. He hurts me. Every time he looks at me like I'm nothing. Every time he blames me for something I didn't do."
Her mom cupped her face.
"Then why stay?"
Soorin's voice broke.
"Because when he's not being awful… when he lets his guard down for just a second…"
She trailed off.
Her mom finished for her.
"You see who he really is."
Soorin nodded.
Her mom sighed.
"Love isn't supposed to hurt this much, Soorin-ah."
"I'm not in love with him."
The words sounded hollow even to her own ears.
Her mom's expression said she didn't believe her either.
"Just… be careful. Okay?"
Soorin nodded.
Her mom kissed her forehead.
"Get some sleep."
She left.
The door clicked shut.
Soorin lay back down.
Stared at the ceiling.
Her mom's question echoed in her mind.
'Are you genuinely falling for him?'
Her heart already knew the answer.
But her brain refused to admit it.