after a scandal, wooyoung, a defunct k-pop idol, runs away to his sister's hometown. he craves anonymity, yet his quiet routine is disrupted by a chance encounter- a local with a warm presence, who offers him a glimpse of a life beyond the spotlight...
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by 6 a.m., wooyoung was awake.
he sat upright against the sofa deck, a hot bowl of noodles in his lap. he was as aimless and unoccupied as any other day, so there was no reason for him to be up so early; nevertheless, here he was, staring blankly at the television screen. the weather announcements began as soon as the clock struck six, and wooyoung tuned in, despite having more to worry about than the weather outside.
yeonjin was sprawled out like a spider on the sofa behind him, deep in slumber. wooyoung almost envied her for how calm she appeared while sleeping. even the sound of his dishes scraping against each other in the kitchen a few minutes ago hadn't woke her up.
wooyoung would be lying if he said his brief encounter with yeosang didn't affect him in some way, because it did. in multiple ways.
all he could think about were the cruel but true words he had spoken. wooyoung brought the chopsticks to his lips, blowing on the strands of noodles before dropping them back into the bowl. even having an appetite in this situation felt wrong.
seven years ago, when wooyoung suddenly realised that dropping out of school was the only way to fully focus on his career, he was so preoccupied with his own pursuits and the desperation to persuade his parents that he had completely forgotten about all of his friends who cared for him. he'd only sent them one short text message, and it wasn't even a proper goodbye—more of a heads-up.
following that, wooyoung never saw them again. throughout countless nights of training, recovery, and practicing until his vocal chords gave out on him, the thought of his friends hardly crossed his mind. all of the introspection raised another question: was this behaviour justified because he was busy, or was it absurd to think that way because it was clearly an act of selfishness?
only a small amount of helplessness had been relieved by the sigh that escaped his lips, and he looked down at the bowl of noodles, feeling empty inside. however, overthinking would not fix whatever he had broken. only getting back on his feet and doing something about the things he'd ruined would result in change. but wooyoung could only do so if he could devise a suitable solution.
undaunted by the heat that reached his throat, he gulped down the noodles. yeonjin mumbled something to herself and groaned from behind him before going back to sleep.
wooyoung simply shook his head at what he saw. his gaze lingered on her for far too long as he reflected on how he would undoubtedly stay here for a little longer after his term ended. he had no choice, after all. but what would happen to his friendship with yeonjin when his stay finally ends?
or, as yeosang had implied, would his stay ever end? was wooyoung truly ready to give up on his former life, which he had worked so hard for? was he content with his quiet, uneventful life?
for now, this was all he could ask for. a break was all he needed.
the faint sound of chattering outside jolted him out of his reverie, and wooyoung slowed his pace of chewing on his food as he looked up at the window behind the sofa. there was little reason to be curious; it was early morning, and most people with jobs were on their way to work. nonetheless, wooyoung had nothing left to feel; curiosity would provide a brief respite from the thoughts that occupied his busy mind.
