Chapter 3

Or so I thought.

The reception was soft-lit and buzzing clicking glasses, a slow song humming in the background. I found my seat next to Soyoung at the banquet table, hoping to disappear into the noise.

And then —

A shoulder brushed mine.

I turned.

Dongmin.

Not a dream. Not a memory. Not a hallucination my mind conjured out of longing.

He didn't leave. He was sitting beside me. "Surprise", Soyoung whispered into her glass, her lips barely hiding the smile she wore.

My gaze was frozen.

Dongmin – right beside me.

I didn't know what I expected. Maybe a nod, a smile, or just the ghost of a greeting. But instead, he was simply there.

I started ahead, too aware of the space between us. Too aware of the silence.

He didn't say anything.

Not yet

But I could feel it, his presence like a warmth against my side, calm and constant. He shifted slightly in his seat, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him glance at me just once.

I didn't meet his gaze. I couldn't.

Instead, I focused on the music. The clink of a spoon against glass. A few seconds passed and then, like light pouring into a room too quickly, people started coming toward him.

"Dongmin! Oh my god, it's really you!"

" Can I get a picture? My sister's obsessed with your last album!"

" When is the next comeback?"

People flooded him with one question to another.

And him– he handled it all with a soft smile, the kind he always wore in interviews. He bowed lightly, signed autographs with ease, answered questions like he'd memorized the answer.

I stood quietly beside Soyoung, my hands clasped together under the table, a polite smile fixed to my lips.

I didn't say anything. I didn't move. I just... Listened.

And somehow, his voice– it did something to me, like hearing a song you once cried to in secret, a memory that slipped through my chest and settled somewhere deep.

I couldn't look at him

Not when everyone else could.

I was just beginning to build up the courage to say something, maybe tell him I was a fan. That his lyrics made me feel less alone, like someone had written down my thoughts and turned them into melody.

But before I could speak, he glanced at his phone, then quietly stood.

"I should get going." he said.

Junghwan raised an eyebrow "You're always running away."

Dongmin smiled faintly, brushing invisible dust off his suit jacket. "Not running – just ... schedule to the brim."

" You idols." someone muttered with a chuckle.

" Do you ever sleep?"

He didn't answer, just tucked his phone into his pocket and gave Soyoung a short, fond hug.

" Thank you for inviting me", he said. "It was really beautiful."

She smiled back." Thank you for coming even when you're busy."

And then....

His gaze flicked towards me.

Just briefly.

Not long enough to say anything.

But long enough to feel everything.

I leaned close to Soyoung as the others laughed softly behind us, their voices blurring with the music.

"I think I'll head out," I murmured.

She looked up at me concerned. "Are you okay?"

I tried to smile, but it faltered.

" Just .... a bit overwhelmed. I'll be fine. Enjoy your night."

Slipping out of the reception, the music echoing faintly behind me. I made my way through the quiet hallways of the hotel. The moment I stepped inside my room, I closed the door and let my back press against it, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor.

My knees folded close, I wrapped my arms around them, breathing in slow, shaky bursts

.

Everything played back in my mind– like scenes on an old projector.

I felt foolish.

Foolish for thinking I could just walk up to him and start a conversation – tell him how I've been a fan ever since his debut... Or even before that, quietly cheering from the shadows, holding onto every stage, every lyric, every moment he shone.

Maybe I was just delusional.

I let out a small breath, shaking my head at myself as the thoughts kept flooding in, one after another, louder than I wanted them to be.

I finally pushed myself up, freshened up and changed into something comfortable.

The bed welcomed me like a quiet friend. And before I even realized it, sleep pulled me under. A deep, dreamless kind of sleep– the kind that comes when you've felt too much and can't feel anymore.

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