I didn't have his phone number, and I didn't have his manager's contact information either.
I couldn't exactly run straight to NOVER's company and say— “Hello, I have a hat belonging to Kang Minwoo on Bai Shijun's head. Could you ask him to give it back to me?”
I'd probably be escorted out by security as a complete weirdo before I even finished speaking.
No. I needed to think of another way.
I sat back down on my bed and started scrolling through my phone contacts. This industry wasn't that big, but it wasn't exactly tiny, either. After working in it for so long, you inevitably knew a few people who knew each other.
I messaged a stylist I'd worked with before.
[Hey, do you have the contact info for anyone on NOVER's staff?]
Two minutes passed.
[Yeah. Why?]
I immediately sat up straight.
[I happened to run into Bai Shijun today. I lent him something and forgot to get it back. Could you ask his manager to pass it along to me?]
Before sending that, I had to make absolutely sure I explained it clearly.
I did not want the industry gossip mill starting tomorrow: “Yin Zhixia is asking for Bai Shijun's contact information.”
I changed it to: [A few days ago, I happened to be filming in the same studio as NOVER. I lent their manager something and forgot to get it back, so I wanted to ask for the manager's number.]
Right. It made more sense for one staff member to contact another staff member.
Not long afterward, she sent me a name and a phone number.
[This is their manager. Just tell him I gave you his number.]
[Thanks~~]
I immediately sent a message.
“Hello, I'm Yin Zhixia. I ran into Mr. Shijun at an event today. Things were rather hectic, so I lent him a hat and sunglasses and forgot to get them back before I left. When it's convenient, could I trouble you to pass them along to me? Thank you.”
Perfectly professional. There was nothing weird about it at all.
Send.
I tossed my phone aside. A little while later, it vibrated.
[Yin PD, of course. I'm sorry—we were so busy today that we forgot, too. The items are with Shijun right now. I'll tell him later.]
I let out a sigh of relief.
[No problem. Thank you for your help.]
I picked up my laptop again and went back to photo 126 of Kang Minwoo.
Less than five minutes later, my phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number.
Could it be a scam at this hour? Did scam operations work overtime now?
I hesitated for two seconds, then answered.
“Hello?”
“Yin PD?”
A familiar voice came from the other end of the line, and an impossible piece of information surfaced in my mind.
“Can you hear me?”
The other person checked again.
I pulled the phone away from my ear and glanced at the screen. It really was an unknown number.
I put it back to my ear.
“Bai Shijun?”
He laughed softly on the other end.
“You recognized me.”
“How did you get my number?”
“Didn't you just message my manager? I asked him for it.”
Right. I had contacted his manager, not him…
“Why did you ask him for it?”
“Weren't you trying to find me?”
“I was trying to find your manager!”
“You contacted him because it was about me, didn't you?”
For once, I couldn't argue.
“Anyway, you have my things, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then please give them to your manager. I'll go pick them up later.”
“The hat?”
“The hat and the sunglasses.”
There was a second of silence on the other end.
“Is that hat important?”
“Very important.”
“So you went through all those people just for that hat?”
“What else would it be?”
Bai Shijun suddenly laughed.
“Nothing.”
I don't know why, but that laugh really rubbed me the wrong way.
“What are you laughing at?”
“I just think you really treasure that hat. Who gave it to you?”
“I bought it myself.”
“Was it expensive?”
I was about to lose my mind. There was no point explaining anything to someone who refused to follow a normal line of questioning.
“Just keep it safe for me. Don't lose it.”
“Got it.”
“And don't crush it.”
“Got it.”
“Don't wash it.”
“Why would I wash someone else's hat?”
Who knew? Maybe washing hats was your hobby. Hadn't you said on a variety show before that you had a mild cleanliness obsession about other people's things…?
“Sigh… Never mind. Are you free tomorrow?”
He suddenly changed the subject.
“Tomorrow? What for?”
“To return your hat.”
“Just have your manager bring it.”
“He has something else to do tomorrow.”
I looked at Kang Minwoo on the wall.
Come back to me soon, for the sake of your hat.
Sorry. For you, I'll go.
“Okay. What time?”
“Seven p.m.?”
He gave me the name of a convenience store.
I frowned.
“Isn't that near your dorm?”
There was a pause on the other end.
“How do you know that?”
Crap. Former-fan occupational hazard.
Back when I was an EVER, I think I'd seen NOVER mention that area on a show.
Of course, I couldn't tell him, “Oh, because I used to know every convenience store near your dorm.”
I had no desire to become the sasaeng I hated most.
“Industry… industry gossip.”
I lied with a perfectly straight face.
“What kind of industry gossip talks about where an idol lives?”
“…You really ask a lot of questions.”
He laughed.
“Okay, forget I asked. Don't be late. See you tomorrow.”
Click.
The call ended.
I stared at my phone, then slowly lowered it a few seconds later.
Wasn't there something strange about this?
All I wanted was to get my hat back.
So why did I end up with Bai Shijun's phone number, and why was he the one calling to make plans with me?
Tomorrow, I had to get the hat and leave. Fifteen minutes, tops.
The next evening, at 6:58, I stood in front of the convenience store.
I had even made a point of dressing as plainly as possible. A hoodie, jeans, no makeup.
I had clipped my hair up haphazardly with a claw clip. I looked like somebody's aunt who'd stepped out to take out the trash.
At exactly seven, the convenience store's automatic doors opened, and a tall man walked out and stopped in front of me.
A black mask and black jacket, with a pair of sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose.
I stared at those sunglasses for two seconds.
…Those were mine.
Bai Shijun flashed a little fang and smiled at me.
“Yin PD, you're right on time.”
“So are you.” I held out my hand. “Where's my hat?”
Bai Shijun froze for a moment. Judging by his expression, I'd already imagined the hundred worst possible scenarios.
He raised a hand and touched his head, only to discover that it was bare.
I looked at his head, too.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
“…Bai Shijun.”
“Yeah?”
“Where's my hat?”
He actually fell silent.
I slowly narrowed my eyes.
“Don't tell me you forgot.”
He guiltily rubbed his forehead, his eyes drifting toward the trash can beside the automatic doors.
“You really forgot?”
“I brought the sunglasses.”
“I can see that!”
And he was wearing them right there on his face!
“What about the hat?”
“It should be… at home.”
Oh my God. He actually said should. My heart was about to leap right out of my mouth.
“So you asked me out to return my hat, then forgot to bring the hat?”
“I brought the sunglasses.”
“I came mainly for the hat!”
“Didn't you say yesterday that you wanted both?”
“The hat is more important! It's a limited-edition hat you can't buy anymore. Who wouldn't panic if it went missing?”
“What limited edition?”
“It was just…”
I stopped halfway through.
Bai Shijun had already taken off the sunglasses.
As if he'd suddenly thought of something, he looked at me thoughtfully.
“I think I saw some letters on the back of the hat yesterday.”
The alarm bells in my head went off all at once.
“It was something like…”
“Bai Shijun.”
“MIN…”
“Don't read it!”
I reached out and covered his mouth, moving so quickly that I startled myself.
We both froze. Bai Shijun looked down at the hand covering his mouth, and I immediately pulled it back.
“Just don't worry about it.”
His eyes slowly changed.
It was like he'd finally caught onto something, and that sly, mischievous grin appeared again.
“MIN?”
“Kang Minwoo?”
Oh no. Why did this guy's brain have to work so well right now?
Bai Shijun stared at me.
“Is that Kang Minwoo merch?”
I didn't answer.
“So that's why you were in such a hurry.”
“What else would it be? That hat is impossible to find!”
“So yesterday, when you went around asking the staff to help you find me…”
He pointed at himself.
“It wasn't for this.” He pointed at an imaginary hat. “It was for Kang Minwoo.”
“Of course.”
I answered as if it were obvious. My ult's things were important. Wasn't that just common sense?
“…Of course?”
The smile on Bai Shijun's face paused. His expression turned strange—or rather, slowly dimmed.
I looked at him suspiciously.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“You look grumpy.”
“I’m wearing a mask and you can still tell? You should become a medium.”
I couldn't be bothered to argue with him. If he could still make jokes that lowered the temperature by ten degrees, then whatever I'd just seen had probably been my imagination.
“So what do we do now?”
I returned to the matter at hand.
“Do about what?”
“My hat.”
“Come to my place and get it.”
“Now?”
My eyes widened. Did this man hear himself?
“Weren't you in a hurry?”
“Yes… but I don't have to go to your place myself.”
I immediately refused.
His place being nearby was one thing, but I had absolutely no intention of going near an idol's home. At least I knew where that boundary was.
And if I got photographed, my career would be ruined along with it.
“Just have your manager bring it to me tomorrow.”
“Didn't you say he had something to do tomorrow?”
“He can bring it the day after.”
“A moment ago, it was super important.”
“Important doesn't mean I have to go to your place to get it.”
Bai Shijun paused, then laughed.
“You're overthinking it.”
“What?”
“I wasn't planning to take you to my place, either.”
I instantly felt a little awkward.
“I know.”
“You clearly misunderstood.”
“I did not.”
“You did. It was written all over your face.”
“Stop analyzing my expressions.”
His smile grew even wider.
“As an apology, let me buy you something to eat.”
Though he said he was going to buy me something to eat…
Why were we sitting in front of instant noodles? More importantly, why had I followed him inside the moment I heard the words something to eat?
Bai Shijun tore open the sauce packet, poured it into the noodles, and started stirring. The aroma spread through the entire convenience store.
“Wow, that smells good…”
We'd chosen a corner seat at the back of the store, sitting with our backs to the entrance as we ate one bite at a time.
“Thanks. The noodles are really good.”
Bai Shijun turned to look at me. After staring for two seconds, he created a slightly strange atmosphere.
I quickly started a new topic.
“I… I’m starting to suspect you forgot the hat on purpose.”
The moment I finished speaking, Bai Shijun's eyes widened slightly.
“Forgot what on purpose?”
“Forgot to wear the hat on purpose.”
He propped his chin on his hand.
“Maybe. I wanted to eat instant noodles with you.”
I nearly spat out the noodles in my mouth.
“You…”
“I’m kidding.”
I glared at him.
“That wasn't funny at all.”
“Your reaction was funny.”
I lowered my head and continued eating. Bai Shijun picked up his phone, staying quiet for about thirty seconds.
Then he suddenly asked, “So you really like Kang Minwoo that much?”
“Of course.”
“How much?”
“Why are you asking?”
“Just… curious? Think of it as making conversation.”
I wasn't planning to make conversation. I was going to finish this bowl of noodles and leave.
But looking at his intensely curious expression, I thought about it. He already knew, so there was no harm in telling him.
“I like him a lot?”
“Why?”
“He's cute.”
I launched into an endless stream of praise for Kang Minwoo. “He sings beautifully, he looks amazing onstage, and he's really good to his fans.”
“Is that all?”
“What do you mean, is that all?”
He didn't answer, just took a sip of water.
“He's twenty, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh… He's younger than you.”
“So?”
What was that supposed to mean?
Was there some rule that your ult couldn't be younger than you…?
“I just think your type is… pretty young.”
“Following idols isn't the same as looking for someone to marry. And what's wrong with being twenty?” I immediately defended my ult. “Young, cute, full of energy.”
Bai Shijun's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly.
“I’m not full of energy?”
I froze.
“…Huh?”
“Never mind.”
“Were you just comparing yourself to a twenty-year-old?”
It reminded me of the sight of Bai Shijun trapped behind the door.
“Bai Shijun, you're twenty-eight, and Kang Minwoo hasn't locked himself inside a security door.”
Bai Shijun's expression instantly collapsed.
“How long are you going to keep bringing that up?”
“Maybe forever.”
“Yin Zhixia.”
His ears turned red from being teased. He reacted the same way whenever the other members teased him.
So cu—
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Did my brain just come up with a word it absolutely shouldn't have?
I picked up the bowl and swallowed the last mouthful of broth before springing to my feet.
“Thanks for the meal. It's getting late, so I should go. I'll arrange another time with your manager to pick up the hat.”
I couldn't stay with this man any longer. This was dangerous!!
“Yin Zhixia.”
As I hurried away, Bai Shijun called my name. I turned back toward him.
“We'll be seeing each other again very soon.”
Bai Shijun rested his head on one hand as the light fell from above.
He looked at me.
“Be careful on your way home.”
This time, he wasn't deliberately provoking me or grinning like a jerk. It was just an ordinary sentence.
I turned and walked out of the convenience store.
A cold wind blew past me. After taking a few steps, I inexplicably thought about what he'd just said again—
We'll be seeing each other again very soon?
What did that mean? Was he joking with me?
With Bai Shijun's personality, he liked teasing people whenever he got a reaction out of them.
Don't overthink it. Once I got my hat back from his manager, Bai Shijun and I probably wouldn't have anything else to do with each other.
…Probably.
How did things turn out like this?
Monday morning, 9:40.
I sat in the company conference room, drinking coffee while flipping through today's meeting materials.
After I got home last night, I kept sorting through Kang Minwoo's photos until almost three in the morning.
At this point, my soul was probably only half intact. You really couldn't stay up late once you got older. I'd make an Americano later.
“Zhixia.” KARA, my senior colleague, set a file in front of me. “The meeting for the new project is at ten.”
“I know.”
“This one's a big deal.”
I waved her off. “When have you ever not said that?”
I took a sip of coffee.
Seeing how unconcerned I looked, KARA raised an eyebrow. “It's a long-term travel variety show. The plan is to follow that group all over the world. Not constantly overseas, of course—probably one trip per season, with everything else filmed domestically.”
My hand stopped.
“Follow that group all over the world?” I instantly woke up halfway. “Who's in charge?”
My coworker looked at me.
“You.”
“Congratulations.”
“Don't look so delighted by my misfortune.”
“This is the company's way of showing it trusts you.”
“I’d like to thank the company.”
I picked up the file and flipped through a few pages. The scale of the project really was huge. If it went well, it would definitely be an interesting production.
I'd worked my way up from being a nobody intern in college, the kind of rookie everyone summoned and dismissed at will, to someone who could independently take charge of a major project.
There was no reason to turn down an opportunity like this.
“Have they confirmed the artists?”
“They have.”
“Who?”
“The last page.”
I flipped to the very end.
The moment I saw those five English letters—
My coffee stopped halfway to my lips.
NOVER
I stared at the name.
A deeply ominous feeling suddenly rose in my chest.