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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wooyoung and yeonjin found themselves at a board game cafe on a thursday night as the sun steadily set below the horizon.
the place was almost empty, with a large neon sign on a cosy brick wall and shelves of board games in every corner. the display by the counter featured a variety of pastries, including cupcakes, pies, and croissants. except for the chatter of a few people in another corner, the only sound that broke the silence was the soft music playing.
yeonjin, who sat across from wooyoung, was busy eyeing her cards as they settled on a simple game of uno; they'd tried to choose from other more unique games, but either wooyoung was too slow to grasp the rules or yeonjin lacked the patience to read them.
she clicked her tongue before picking up another card from the stack, and wooyoung snickered, leaning back in his chair.
"i guess you're out of luck this round," wooyoung joked before tossing a card on the table. he probably sounded overconfident for someone who had already lost three rounds in a row.
"wait and see, wooyoung," she said quietly, already examining her cards meticulously. "wait and see."
wooyoung chuckled as she drew another card, her stack becoming precariously large. in all honesty, he wasn't feeling particularly competitive that night; instead, he was revelling in the joy of finally having the confidence to enter a new location in town rather than circling the same three places all the time.
this was one of the places san had shown him a few nights before, and it stood out the most to him among the small clubhouse, flower shop, gym, arcade, various bars, and karaoke clubs. and, as always, yeonjin was more than willing to close her store early in order to do something else.
her determination was evident as she placed a card down with a triumphant grin. "draw four, wooyoung."
wooyoung groaned, dramatically slumping in his chair. "you just love seeing me suffer, don't you?"
"i do," she laughed, joy spreading across her face now that she was almost leading the game once more. "very much, actually."
wooyoung shook his head, smiling despite his predicament. he drew four cards, his set now almost as large as hers. "well, enjoy it while it lasts," he said, placing a card down that allowed him to skip her turn.
"i learn from the best," he replied with a shrug, placing down another card.
while yeonjin was busy planning her next move, wooyoung appeared to slip into a daze that he had been experiencing for some time. he absentmindedly looked at his cards, the dullness in his eyes obscured by the shadow of his cap.
he realised that dating was not as simple as he had imagined. he wondered why he'd never considered the difficulty—after all, he was a celebrity, and celebrities knew how difficult it was to balance private and public lives, especially in a nosy and judgmental country like this one.
