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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on sunday morning, everything felt different.
wooyoung, who was up and out of bed by 10 a.m., felt almost obligated to go to yeonjin's music store—he knew she wasn't an early riser, and given that she'd gotten drunk the night before, there was a good chance she was still knocked out.
when wooyoung noticed the empty store with the lights turned off and the door locked, he decided to look after it until yeonjin regained consciousness. so, using the extra set of keys she'd given him in case he ever wanted to visit the store while she was away, wooyoung opened the doors and propped himself up on the stool behind the counter.
this time, he hadn't felt self-conscious enough to wear a cap and mask, allowing his smooth black hair to fall freely over his forehead and sides of his face. as he waited for customers, he fidgeted with all the tiny figurines stuffed into a corner on the table, his mind still elsewhere and a smile appearing on his face at the most unexpected times. last night had been a rollercoaster of events, and it was a relief that he awoke feeling complete rather than nauseous.
the minutes passed in yeonjin's cosy music store, with the deafening silence broken by the soft hum of music, the chirping birds on the windowsill and the quiet rustle of leaves on the sidewalk out front. the soothing atmosphere was soon broken by the sound of aggressively loud stomping outside, just as wooyoung was about to doze off.
wooyoung glanced at the door, watching as an exhausted and angry yeonjin burst through. her new hair was neatly tied into a bun, and her clothes were different from last night's, implying she'd had a shower and freshened up—but the deep eye bags on her face and the unwavering frown made wooyoung wonder.
"yeonjin?" he called her name, but she didn't even look in his direction. she simply slammed her phone against the counter before stomping all the way around it and sitting up on the stool next to wooyoung.
wooyoung straightened his posture, now slightly concerned. "are you okay?" he asked.
"wooyoung," yeonjin's voice was a low growl, her eyes squinting in annoyance. she rubbed her temples. "what time is it?"
wooyoung glanced at the clock on the wall. "almost noon," he replied, his voice filled with amusement.
yeonjin groaned, burying her face in her arms. "my head is fucking killing me," she muttered, her voice muffled by her arms. "thanks for opening the shop."
"is that all that's bothering you?"
"what else could it be?" yeonjin reacted almost immediately, however, wooyoung became significantly more intrigued because he wasn't convinced at all. he looked at her slumped shoulders, the way her head was still buried in her arms, and her phone, which she had placed face down, and then came to his own conclusion.
he scooted towards her, leaning in. "did something happen last night?"
yeonjin raised her head slightly, her eyes bloodshot, and glared at wooyoung. her gaze was intimidating, but wooyoung, being wooyoung, refused to back down. a teasing grin threatened to emerge on his lips.
