A scream echoed.
Not from outside, but from deep within him—
a soundless scream reverberating through the hollow of his chest.
The stage was over.
The lights had gone out. The fans' cheers faded into the distance.
And what remained… was an unfamiliar silence.
"Great job today!"
Someone shouted from nearby, but Juwon didn't react.
He tugged his cap lower over his eyes to hide the exhaustion on his face
and quietly pushed open the dressing room door.
Cold air swept across his skin the moment he stepped inside.
He stood before the mirror, blank-faced, looking at his own reflection.
Smudged mascara. Cracked lips. Tired eyes.
The flawless image of a perfect idol had vanished the moment the lights dimmed.
"Guess I'm not sleeping again tonight."
It had been four days since he last got proper rest.
There was no clear reason.
The performance went well. The fans were supportive. The company was satisfied.
But still… when night came, something tightened around his heart like a vice.
Then—
"Mr. Lee Juwon."
A low, unfamiliar voice came from the doorway.
He turned his head—and saw a man standing there.
A crisp shirt. Neatly styled hair. An emotionless face.
And yet… his eyes were strangely deep.
"I'm Seo I-Hyun. Starting today, I'll be your new personal manager."
Juwon looked at him silently.
Clean-cut, cold first impression, and… eyes that seemed to see right through him.
"…Nice to meet you."
He replied formally, but something inside him twisted with discomfort.
---
"We'll head straight to your residence. No other schedule tonight."
Hyun was stiff, but efficient.
He didn't play the radio in the car. Didn't even glance in Juwon's direction.
Yet somehow, that only made Juwon more aware of him.
'Strange… guys like him were never my type.'
Streetlights blurred outside the window as they drove along the quiet highway.
Juwon glanced at Hyun's profile beside him—
and realized what it was.
Those eyes—
they didn't see him as an 'idol'.
That indifference was… unfamiliar. Provocative.
---
🛏 2:00 A.M. – Dorm
"We're here."
Hyun opened the car door quietly and stepped aside.
Juwon dragged himself in, slippers scraping the floor, and collapsed onto the sofa without a word.
He buried his head in his hands.
Hyun followed him in and began unpacking his bags without being asked.
"You don't have to do all that."
"It's in the contract."
"How ridiculous."
A short burst of irritation.
But Hyun didn't flinch as he raised his head.
"…You didn't seem well today."
"What would you know?"
Juwon's voice rose before he could stop it.
Silence followed.
A tense, cold quiet filled the space between them.
Hyun slowly walked toward him, crouching just enough to meet his eyes.
His gaze was steady—unshaken.
"You just… didn't look okay."
One sentence.
And something inside Juwon dropped.
No one else had ever asked him that.
Suddenly, his eyes stung.
He thought such emotions didn't suit him.
Even when he wanted to cry, he couldn't—he wasn't allowed to.
But in front of this man…
for some reason, falling apart felt allowed.
---
💧 A Quiet Night, a Subtle Distance
Hyun looked at him for a moment, then silently pulled a small towel from his bag and pressed it to Juwon's forehead.
He'd been sweating without realizing it.
That touch—so careful, so quiet—
yet undeniably kind.
Juwon flinched and started to pull back,
but Hyun didn't break eye contact as he slowly pulled his hand away.
"…Apologies. That was too close."
"…It's fine."
Silence again.
But the air between them had changed—
something warmer, more electric, was now present.
---
Juwon looked at him.
Those eyes. That breath.
The lingering memory of his hand just moments ago.
Something had started.
He couldn't name it yet.
But whatever it was…
it was the first time he'd ever felt it.