Distance Between US

This is an incomplete love story set in Seoul about two people living in parallel worlds that touch for a moment, then pull apart.

Her:An international student from a noble Muslim family, studying in Korea on a 4-year visa. She works as a ghostwriter for a company and takes part-time shifts in cafés and restaurants to pay her expenses. None of her novels are published under her name. She faced criticism when she first arrived , the kind every outsider learns to live with. She runs every morning at sunrise, wears a coat over her workout clothes, and keeps twenty candies in the pocket for panic attacks. Her dream is to own a café one day. She respects every K-pop group, but the one that changes her life isn't her favorite.

Him: A main vocalist from a five-member K-pop group. Known, but not at the top. Seen by millions on stage, known by none off it. His days are ruled by contracts, cameras, and the price of public image.

The story: It follows the near-misses. She writes stories no one credits. He sings songs no one believes are his. Both are surrounded and alone. Both are loved incorrectly , her family's love is far away, his fans' love is conditional. Their paths cross again: in cafés at closing time, on empty streets at night, through panic attacks and stage fright.

It isn't a story about winning love. It's about being seen, once, by someone who cannot stay. About first love that doesn't break , it just never begins. About keeping eight candies for yourself and giving twelve away, and spending years wondering if they went to the right hands.

Theme: Some are not unloved. They are never loved enough. And still, they make prayers for the ones who couldn't choose them.