After practice, Soorin stayed late.
Cleaning up the glitter disaster.
Most staff had left.
The building was quiet.
She swept sparkles into a dustpan.
Muttering curses at Doyun.
Footsteps echoed.
She didn't look up.
"If you're here to yell at me again, save it."
"I wasn't planning to."
Not Haejin's voice.
Jisoo.
She glanced up.
The maknae stood in the doorway.
Pink hair messy from practice.
"Need help?"
"I'm good."
"That's a lie."
He grabbed a broom anyway.
Started sweeping.
They worked in silence.
Finally, Jisoo spoke.
"Hyung's been weird today."
"When isn't he weird?"
Jisoo laughed.
"Fair. But like, extra weird."
He glanced at her.
"Did something happen between you two?"
"No."
"Another lie."
Soorin sighed.
"It's complicated."
"Everything with Hael-hyung is complicated."
True.
Jisoo continued sweeping.
"For what it's worth, I think you're good for him."
Soorin blinked.
"What?"
"He's been different since you started. Less... robotic."
"Pretty sure he hates me."
"Nah. If he hated you, he'd ignore you. He can't stop watching you."
Her heart did a weird flip.
"You're imagining things."
"Am I?"
Jisoo grinned.
Mischievous.
"I see things, noona. I'm the maknae. Nobody pays attention to me. But I notice."
He dumped glitter into the trash.
"He looked at you during practice. Like, a lot."
"He was probably glaring."
"Maybe. But there was something else too."
Soorin didn't know what to say.
Jisoo patted her shoulder.
"Just... don't give up on him yet. He's an idiot. But he's our idiot."
He left before she could respond.
Soorin stood alone.
Surrounded by glitter and confusion.
★☆★☆★☆
She finished cleaning around midnight.
Exhausted.
Covered in sparkles that would probably never fully disappear.
She grabbed her bag.
Headed for the exit.
The hallway was dark.
Emergency lights casting long shadows.
Her footsteps echoed.
Then stopped.
Someone was sitting on the floor.
Back against the wall.
Haejin.
Head tilted back. Eyes closed.
He looked... tired.
More than tired.
Worn.
Soorin hesitated.
She should walk past.
Ignore him.
But her feet betrayed her.
"You okay?"
His eyes opened.
Focused on her.
"Fine."
"Liar."
His lips twitched.
Almost a smile.
"You've been calling me that a lot lately."
"You've been lying a lot lately."
He didn't argue.
Just looked at her.
Glitter still sparkled in his hair.
"Why are you still here?" she asked.
"Could ask you the same."
"I was cleaning up Doyun's mess."
"I was thinking."
"About?"
He didn't answer.
Just kept staring.
Soorin shifted her bag.
"I should go."
"Wait."
She stopped.
Haejin stood.
Slowly.
Like it hurt.
He stepped closer.
Not too close.
But close enough.
"I'm sorry."
The words shocked her.
"For what?"
"Earlier. In the washroom. I was out of line."
She blinked.
"Are you feeling okay? Did you hit your head?"
"I'm serious."
His voice was soft.
Genuine.
"You're right. Your life doesn't revolve around me. And I... I shouldn't have said those things."
Soorin's defenses wavered.
"Why did you?" Soorin asked quietly.
Haejin looked away.
Jaw working.
"Because watching you laugh with them..."
He trailed off.
"What?"
His eyes met hers again.
Dark. Unreadable.
"Nothing. I just wanted to apologize."
He stepped back.
Put distance between them.
"You should head home. It's getting late. Not safe to be out when it's so dark."
Soorin blinked.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
He turned.
Started walking away.
"Haejin—"
"Go home, Soorin."
He disappeared around the corner.
Leaving her standing there.
More confused than before.
'What the hell was that?'
★☆★☆★☆
A week passed.
Slowly.
Painfully.
The fake relationship continued.
Yura clung to Haejin at every opportunity.
Photo ops. Award shows. Brand events.
Soorin watched from the sidelines.
Doing her job.
Styling. Touching up makeup.
Pretending her chest didn't ache.
Haejin barely spoke to her.
Polite. Professional.
But distant.
Like that night in the hallway never happened.
Maybe it was better this way.
Simpler.
Less complicated.
But it didn't feel better.
It felt hollow.
★☆★☆★☆
Thursday afternoon.
Soorin was in the makeup lounge.
Taking a break.
Video calling her mom.
"You look tired, baby," her mom said.
Soorin shrugged.
"Just work."
"Are they treating you well?"
"Yeah. It's fine."
Liar.
Her mom didn't look convinced.
"Your father's been worried. He hasn't heard from you much."
"I've been busy."
"Too busy to call?"
Guilt twisted in her gut.
"Sorry. I'll call him soon."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
They chatted for a few more minutes.
Her mom rambling about the neighborhood gossip.
Soorin half-listened.
Nodding at the right moments.
Then she heard it.
A crash.
From the hallway.
Soorin frowned.
"Hold on, Mom."
She walked to the door.
Peeked out.
Security was tackling someone.
A man.
Thin. Twitchy.
Wild eyes darting everywhere.
Track marks visible on his arms.
"I'm not paparazzi!" he screamed. "I was following orders! Just following instructions!"
Soorin's blood ran cold.
Security dragged him toward the exit.
But he suddenly froze.
Staring at something across the lobby.
Soorin followed his gaze.
A figure stood in the shadows.
Long coat. Wide-brimmed hat.
Oversized sunglasses.
Indoors.
'Who the hell—'
The man's expression transformed.
Terror melting into manic joy.
"BWAHAHAHA!!!"
He started laughing.
High-pitched. Hysterical.
The sound crawled under Soorin's skin.
"THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!" he shrieked.
The figure bolted.
Disappeared into a stairwell.
Security shouted.
But the man broke free.
Lurched toward Soorin.
She stumbled back.
But he grabbed her leg.
Iron grip.
"I'M JUST A PAWN! TELL THEM!"
His mouth moved.
Swallowing something.
Then foam.
White foam spilling from his lips.
His body began seizing.
Convulsing violently.
Soorin screamed.
Tried to kick free.
But his grip tightened.
"Mom! MOM!"
Her phone clattered to the floor.
Her mother's frantic voice echoing.
"Soorin?! SOORIN!"
Chaos erupted.
Someone called an ambulance.
Manager Park appeared.
Shouting orders.
Security finally pried the man off.
But he kept seizing.
Body jerking.
Foam bubbling.
Soorin collapsed against the wall.
Legs shaking.
Chest heaving.
'What the fuck. What the FUCK.'
Paramedics rushed in.
Loaded the man onto a stretcher.
His eyes rolled back.
White. Bloodshot.
As they wheeled him away, Soorin glanced up.
The figure.
Standing at an upper floor window.
Watching.
Then gone.
Like a ghost.
The man's last words echoed.
"Just a pawn..."