Shibuya, Tokyo
Thousands of lights.
Deafening cheers.
And yet, his mind was on only one person.
Backstage at a sold-out arena, Jinwoo stood before the mirror in a sleek black shirt and slim-fit trousers.
The hair stylist gave his fringe one last fix as a tidal wave of screams washed over the walls.
"Mr. Jinwoo, we're ready."
He nodded and walked toward the stage.
The moment the spotlight hit his silhouette, the crowd went wild.
"JINWOO!!! I LOVE YOU!!""OPPAAAA!!!"
His face lit up on the giant LED screen, and a storm of flashes flickered across the stadium. He waved, smiling like he always did.
But even under all that light—his chest felt hollow.
He smiled, greeted the crowd, said everything he was supposed to say.
But somewhere behind the applause and glitter, he saw her face.
Fan Touch Session.
So many hands. So many smiles. He gave them all the warmth he had.
But in the end, his hands remembered just one touch—the only one that wasn't there.
After the Fan meet – Dressing Room
The event had been a hit. Jinwoo sat down with a bottle of water, sweat still clinging to his shirt.
His body was burning from adrenaline, but his hands moved on instinct—reaching for his phone.
"Just wrapped. This is me right now. God, I miss you."
He snapped a selfie. There was a smile on his lips.
Video Call – 11:03 p.m., Tokyo time
Beep—
Celeste's face filled the screen. His smile came instantly.
He had a towel draped around his neck, damp hair tousled across his forehead.
Fresh from a shower, glowing.
"Were you asleep?"
"No. Still in the study. Just finishing a few things."
Her tone was casual, but her voice wrapped around him like a hug.
"I heard it went well. You crushed it tonight."
Jinwoo nodded.
"Yeah... I thought I'd lose my mind missing you. But seeing you now—makes it a little easier to breathe."
She gave a soft laugh.
"What's tomorrow like?"
"Let's see… fan signing at nine, two interviews, and then a red-eye to Singapore."
He paused, pulling a blanket over his shoulders.
"Jeez… now I feel kind of bad. That's brutal."
"I asked for it," he said with a quiet smile.
"The tour was supposed to be two weeks. I begged them to make it one."
She didn't reply—just smiled at him, that way only she could.
"Get some sleep," she said. "You'll need it tomorrow."
"You too. Finish what you need to and get some rest, okay?"
"I will."
They stared at each other for a moment.
Then he whispered:
"I love you."
"…Me too."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Me too what?"
She bit her lower lip, eyes twinkling.
"I love you,"
she said again, softer this time.
After the call ended, Celeste sat in silence, unmoving for a while.
The room was still, and her gaze lingered on the laptop screen.
Slowly, she reached for the mouse and reopened the photo folder—the one she had left untouched until now.