Oops, Love in Progress

Chapter 10: Unspoken Changes

The next morning, Haneul stood in front of her mirror a little longer than usual. Her skin felt smoother, her hair looked a little shinier, and for once, she didn't just tie it up in a lazy ponytail. Instead, she let it fall naturally around her shoulders. It wasn't anything drastic, but still... it felt different.

Was she really letting some faceless netizens get to her? She clicked her tongue in annoyance at herself, but even so, she found herself reaching for a lip tint—just a little color, something subtle. No one will even notice, she thought.

Wrong.

The second she walked into the office, Hyunjin's voice shot through the room like a firecracker.

"Whoa. What happened? You get abducted by aliens and come back a whole new person?"

Haneul stopped mid-step, giving him a blank stare. "Excuse me?"

Hyunjin had already spun his chair around, eyeing her like she was some kind of unsolved mystery. "Or did you finally get a full eight hours of sleep?"

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

"No, but seriously—" He leaned in slightly, tilting his head. "You look... different."

He didn't mean to stare, but his brain was processing things at a slower pace than usual. She didn't look completely transformed or anything, but something was just... there. Maybe it was the way her hair framed her face better. Or how her skin seemed to glow under the morning light. Either way, it threw him off.

Sunwoo strolled in, setting his coffee cup down. Without looking up, he muttered, "Maybe she just got tired of looking like a sleep-deprived intern."

Haneul groaned. "Wow. Thanks, guys. Really uplifting."

But Sunwoo did glance at her then—just for a second. And for reasons he couldn't quite put his finger on, he felt a tiny shift in his chest. She wasn't that different. And yet... she seemed more put-together. Like she was finally stepping into herself. He didn't comment on it, though. Instead, he just took a sip of his coffee, brushing off the thought before it settled too deep.

"Hey, I'm complimenting you," Hyunjin said, grinning. "If I knew you'd actually start caring about how you look, I would've bugged you about it sooner."

Haneul smacked his arm. "Like I'd ever take advice from you."

Hyunjin chuckled but didn't push further. Though, if he was being honest, his eyes lingered on her for a second longer than he meant to before he looked away.

Sunwoo, still acting like none of this mattered, slid his coffee toward her. "You look fine. Stop overthinking."

Haneul blinked. Sunwoo never gave compliments—not directly, anyway. Her fingers curled around the cup, warmth spreading through her palms.

"Whatever," she mumbled, taking a sip. "I need caffeine."

As she drank, she ignored the small flicker of something in her chest—something that felt strangely... nice.

Maybe... just maybe, she was doing something right.

Chapter 11: Unwanted Attention

Haneul had hoped that after a few days, the gossip about her and Hyunjin would die down.

She was wrong.

The whispers hadn't stopped. If anything, they'd gotten worse.

Walking down the hallway, she could feel eyes on her. Some filled with curiosity, others with barely concealed judgment. Every time she passed a group of trainees, she swore she could hear them lower their voices just a little, their giggles and murmurs carrying through the space.

She kept her head down, gripping the strap of her bag tighter. Just ignore them. Focus on work.

But ignoring things became impossible when she entered the office and saw a familiar smirk waiting for her.

Hyunjin, leaning back in his chair, spinning a pen between his fingers. The moment she stepped in, he raised an eyebrow. "Well, well. If it isn't Stardom's latest celebrity."

Haneul sighed, dropping her bag on the desk. "Don't start."

"Start what? I didn't do anything," he said, feigning innocence. "I'm just saying, people are really interested in you lately."

She gave him a deadpan look. "Because of you."

He grinned. "I have that effect on people."

Before she could throw something at his face, a new voice cut in.

"Enough," Sunwoo muttered as he walked past, setting a stack of files on Haneul's desk. "She's got work to do."

Hyunjin pouted. "Wow. You're no fun."

"And you talk too much," Sunwoo shot back, barely sparing him a glance. Then, turning to Haneul, he added, "Boss wants to see you."

Haneul stiffened. "Wait, what? Why?"

Sunwoo sighed, rubbing his temples like he was already tired of dealing with this. "Something about your 'involvement' with Hyunjin affecting the company's image."

Her stomach dropped.

She barely had time to process before Hyunjin stood up, stretching lazily. "Guess I should tag along."

Sunwoo scoffed. "For what? Moral support?"

Hyunjin flashed a grin. "Obviously."

Haneul groaned. This is going to be a nightmare.

Chapter 12: When Reality Hits

Haneul never thought a simple cup of coffee could cause such an existential crisis. Yet here she was, sitting in the agency's break room, staring at her untouched Americano as if it held the answers to the universe.

It had been a few days since the scandal, and things had started to settle—well, at least on the surface. The netizen frenzy had somewhat died down, but the whispers inside Stardom Entertainment hadn't. Every time she walked past a group of trainees or staff, there was always someone side-eyeing her, as if waiting for her to snap under pressure.

And honestly? She was close.

Hyunjin, of course, acted like nothing had happened. If anything, he seemed to enjoy making her life more chaotic.

"Are you trying to set a world record for the longest time staring at coffee?" his voice cut through her thoughts, and before she could react, he was already sitting across from her, his signature smirk in place.

She sighed, finally picking up the cup and taking a sip. "No. Just thinking."

"Dangerous," he teased. "What's on your mind? Wait, let me guess—how to become Stardom's next viral sensation?"

She shot him a glare. "Hyunjin, if I could go back in time and erase every interaction we've had, I would."

He gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his chest. "Wow. That hurts, Haneul. And after everything we've been through?"

"Oh yes, getting caught up in a scandal because of your nonsense is truly bonding material," she deadpanned.

He chuckled, but then his expression softened a little. "Seriously though, how are you holding up?"

That caught her off guard. She blinked at him, the teasing Hyunjin momentarily replaced by someone... gentler?

"I'm fine," she muttered, looking away.

Hyunjin didn't look convinced, but before he could press further, someone cleared their throat beside them.

Sunwoo.

"Manager Lee is looking for you, Hyunjin," Sunwoo said, his usual calm and unreadable expression in place. But Haneul didn't miss the way his gaze lingered on her just a second longer than necessary before he turned to leave.

Hyunjin stretched lazily before standing up. "Alright, alright, I'm going. Try not to overthink yourself into another existential crisis, Haneul."

She rolled her eyes, but as he walked away, she exhaled deeply.

Sunwoo hadn't left yet.

"You're letting them get to you," he said simply, eyes still on her.

She scoffed. "Easier said than done."

Sunwoo studied her for a moment before pulling out his phone and typing something. A few seconds later, her phone vibrated with a message.

Sunwoo: If anyone gives you trouble, let me know.

Her eyes flickered up to meet his, but before she could say anything, he had already walked off.

Haneul stared at her phone, then back at her cold coffee.

This was getting complicated.