Oops, Love in Progress

Chapter 13: The Weight of Whispers

Haneul always knew the entertainment industry was brutal, but living through it? That was a whole different beast. The way people whispered just loud enough for her to catch, the not-so-subtle side-eyes, the way some trainees avoided her like she had the plague—it was suffocating.

She never expected to be Stardom's sweetheart, but she also didn't think she'd feel this... lonely.

At least she had work to focus on. Or so she thought.

"Haneul, can you drop this off at the recording studio?" one of the staff members asked, handing her a file.

"Sure," she said, gripping it like it was some kind of lifeline before making her way down the hallway.

The recording studio was on the lower floor, tucked away from the usual chaos of Stardom's training areas. She knocked before stepping inside—only to freeze mid-step.

Hyunjin. And he wasn't alone.

Standing next to him, way too close for comfort, was Han Yejin—one of Stardom's top female trainees. Gorgeous, talented, confident—the complete opposite of Haneul in every way.

She had no idea what they were talking about, but the way Yejin leaned in, fingers brushing against Hyunjin's arm as she let out a soft laugh, made Haneul's stomach do an uncomfortable flip.

She wasn't jealous. No way. That would be ridiculous.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked, keeping her voice as casual as possible.

Hyunjin turned at the sound of her voice, his signature smirk slipping into place. "Well, well, look who it is."

Yejin's eyes flickered over Haneul, scanning her like she was nothing more than background noise, before she stepped back. "I'll see you later, Hyunjin," she said smoothly, offering him one last dazzling smile before brushing past Haneul without so much as a second glance.

Haneul let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"What do you need?" Hyunjin asked, his gaze still locked on her.

She quickly held up the file. "I was told to bring this here."

He took it from her, but instead of immediately looking at it, he tilted his head. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she blurted out way too fast.

Hyunjin hummed, clearly unconvinced. "If you say so."

She turned to leave, desperate to escape, but before she could reach the door, his voice stopped her in her tracks.

"You know, Yejin's not really my type."

Haneul nearly tripped over her own feet. She spun around, glaring. "Why would I care?"

Hyunjin shrugged, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "Dunno. You looked like you did."

"I didn't," she shot back, crossing her arms.

His grin widened. "Okay."

God, she hated how smug he was. With an annoyed huff, she turned and stormed out, but not before hearing his amused chuckle follow her down the hall.

As soon as she stepped outside, she walked straight into a solid chest.

Sunwoo.

His hands instinctively came up to steady her. "You alright?"

Haneul nodded quickly, stepping back. "Yeah, just—" She hesitated.

Sunwoo didn't push, but his gaze was sharp. "You shouldn't let him get to you."

"I don't," she said automatically, though even she didn't sound convinced.

Sunwoo sighed, then did something unexpected. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small wrapped candy, and dropped it into her palm.

"Eat something sweet. Might help," he said simply before walking off.

Haneul stared at the candy in her hand, her brain short-circuiting.

This was getting even more complicated.

Chapter 14: The Storm Inside

Haneul sat on her bed, phone in hand, scrolling through the never-ending flood of comments under the latest article about her and Hyunjin. She should've known better than to read them, but curiosity—or maybe self-destruction—got the best of her.

"Why is she even around Hyunjin? She's so plain." "This is why staff shouldn't get involved with idols." "She's not even pretty. What does he see in her?"

Her chest tightened, fingers gripping the phone harder. She'd known from the start that beauty standards in this industry were brutal, but seeing it spelled out so bluntly made her stomach churn.

A sigh escaped her lips as she tossed her phone onto the bed. She glanced at the mirror across the room. For the longest time, she never really cared about how she looked—she wasn't an idol, after all. But now... now she wondered. Would things be different if she looked a certain way? If she had fairer skin, bigger eyes, a slimmer jawline? Would they stop scrutinizing her?

A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. "Unnie?"

Hana peeked in, holding two cups of warm tea. She stepped inside without waiting for permission, sitting on the bed beside Haneul and handing her a cup.

"You've been reading comments again, haven't you?" Hana asked knowingly.

Haneul exhaled through her nose. "It's not like I wanted to, but they're everywhere."

Hana frowned. "You know those people don't matter, right?"

Haneul let out a dry laugh. "It's easy to say that. But when it's your name getting dragged every day, it's hard to ignore."

Hana was quiet for a moment before she nudged Haneul's arm. "Then prove them wrong."

Haneul blinked. "Huh?"

Hana gave her a small smile. "If they think you don't belong in that world, show them that you do."

Haneul looked down at her tea, the steam rising in soft swirls. Could she really do that? Could she change herself—not just for them, but for her own confidence?

The idea settled in her mind, not as a desperate act to please the world, but as a way to finally take control.

Maybe it was time to start caring about herself a little more.

Chapter 15: Unspoken Thoughts

Haneul walked into the agency the next morning, feeling... different. Not magically better, but steadier. Like she was done letting other people's opinions dictate how she felt.

But, of course, the universe wasn't about to make things easy.

As soon as she stepped into the staff lounge, conversations died down. People threw side glances her way, whispering just loud enough for her to know she was the topic of discussion.

Awesome. So much for a fresh start.

She ignored them and went straight for the coffee machine, pretending she didn't feel their stares drilling into her back. Just as she reached for a cup, a familiar voice spoke up behind her.

"Well, someone looks different today."

She turned to see Hyunjin leaning against the counter, arms crossed, smirk firmly in place.

Haneul rolled her eyes. "Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?"

He tilted his head, scanning her like she was a puzzle he hadn't figured out yet. "Just an observation. You did something, didn't you?"

She raised a brow. "Like what? Got a whole new face overnight?"

Hyunjin laughed. "No, but you do have this 'I dare you to mess with me' energy going on. It's kinda terrifying."

She blew on her coffee, unimpressed. "Good."

His grin widened. "I like it."

Before she could throw a sarcastic remark his way, another voice cut in.

"Morning."

Sunwoo had entered the room, his usual unreadable expression firmly in place. His eyes flickered between them for a second before he walked over to grab his own coffee.

Hyunjin smirked. "You missed it, Sunwoo. Haneul's officially entering her villain arc."

Sunwoo barely glanced up as he took a sip. "She looks the same to me."

Haneul snorted. "Wow, thanks for the pep talk."

Sunwoo set his cup down, finally looking at her properly. "Just don't let the wrong people get in your head."

Haneul met his gaze, something in his tone making her pause. It wasn't just advice—it was a warning.

She exhaled slowly and gave a small nod.

For the first time in days, she actually felt like she was in control again.