Shadows of the Spotlight

Chapter Teaser 1

Here is a teaser for the upcoming chapter...

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Sitting across from him in the hotel café, with warm afternoon sunlight filtering through the windows, it felt like the world had softened just for us. The usual bustle of fans and staff faded into the background, and for a fleeting moment, it was as if we were cocooned in a world of our own.

Arc—no, Tae—had traded his usual polished idol look for something more relaxed. His sweatshirt hood framed his face, his brown contact lens catching the sunlight, making him look less like a superstar and more like a friend, a confidant, someone I could be at ease with. The casual warmth in his expression tugged at something deep inside me.

"So, you really think I can pull off this hair color?" he asked, giving the ends of his blue-dyed hair a playful tug, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

I shook my head, chuckling. "I think it's going to take some time for the fans to adjust. But if anyone can make it work, it's you, Tae."

His laughter came easily, warm and genuine. "You have way too much faith in me," he teased, leaning back in his chair. "But hey, if I manage to start a trend, I'll have you to thank. After all, you're not just my translator now—you're also my stylist, apparently."

"Let's not get carried away," I retorted with a smirk. "I'm just here to make sure you don't say something *completely* ridiculous in English."

He threw his hands up dramatically. "Hey, it's a tough job! You should see how hard I've been practicing!"

Our banter flowed so naturally, as if we'd been friends for years. Watching him talk with such ease, his usual mask slipping away, I found myself wondering about the person underneath the fame and the fans—the real Tae, who laughed at his own jokes and shared silly little insecurities. This side of him, so open and raw, wasn't something I'd signed up to see when I agreed to be his translator.

Even now, listening to him laugh, I felt something in me shift. The more time we spent together, the more he stopped being just a K-pop idol and started becoming someone real. And with each shared joke, each easy smile, I could feel a warmth growing inside me that had nothing to do with my job.

It was getting harder to keep the boundaries clear, harder to pretend that he was just another client. And the way he looked at me now, his eyes sparkling with laughter and a rare hint of vulnerability, only made things more complicated. Each shared laugh chipped away at the walls I'd put up, walls meant to keep my heart safe. But with him, those walls felt so fragile, as if they might crumble any minute.

In that moment, as our laughter faded and our eyes met, I felt a truth settle over me, one I'd been trying to ignore. This was more than just a job for me now. He was more than just Tae the idol—he was someone who made me laugh, who saw me as Lila, not just his translator.

How was I supposed to stop myself from falling for him?

As the thought crossed my mind, I felt a strange, bittersweet warmth in my chest, a mix of excitement and fear. Because in that moment, as I looked across the table at him, I knew I was already halfway there.