Around two in the morning, Iseul gets an Instagram notification.

He rarely uses the app, only opening it up when there’s a notification that he has been tagged in a photo or even when he decides to upload his own photo to ensure his fans that he’s alive. But the last time he logged in was over a year ago.

The message is so unexpected that his phone nearly falls from his grasp.

leekuro has started following you

Iseul’s finger hovers over his username and doesn’t bother following him back. But he views Kuro’s profile out of curiosity and expects that he’ll find photos with captions bordering on inducing second-hand embarrassment.

In his most recent photo, adoration comes in the form of a bouquet of white flowers.

♥ 66,106 likes

leekuro #muse

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Some of the replies are thanking Kuro for his performance tonight, while others are desperate to know more about the source of his inspiration, dreaming that whoever they are must be as lovely as those flowers. It’s when he sees things like this that makes him remember exactly why he avoids social media. He doesn’t care for the rest of Kuro’s photos and navigates to his own profile instead.

Waiting for him are videos of his dance practices and album promotions, with either terse captions or no caption all. He just couldn’t be bothered. But even without words, his fans would still reply to his posts with comments of love and support. There are also photos he was required to share from sponsored campaigns of him wearing high fashion brands that were subjective in taste. There are a few scenic photos as well of night skies and the countryside from when he visited his hometown with Leo.

Kuro likes all of his photos.

He supposes that Kuro isn’t too heartbroken to have his offer rejected if he’s stalking Iseul’s social media like this. It’s not that Kuro can find anything new on his page either when he seems to know about his entire repertoire. Their conversation from earlier echoes in his mind, taking him farther and farther away from sleep.

* * *

When hundreds of notifications flood his phone, something is inherently wrong.

Despite being away from the spotlight for months, Iseul's name seizes headlines on the front page of all the major news sites, and each and every article brings him back to Kuro. Born from the sensational minds of journalists, there’s the curious, impossible idea that they’re together.

If Iseul had album promotions, then he would have expected this to be a poor publicity stunt from Noh Media. But he doesn’t, and each article title leaves him in greater disbelief and confusion than the last—

Kuro’s elusive lover revealed

Lee Kuro and Han Iseul spotted on a secret date—a romance that transcends boundaries

Kuro’s muse is flower boy Han Iseul

Iseul’s heart races in his chest, beating faster, and he needs to remember to breathe. A morbid curiosity compels him to read an article by the most renowned media outlet.

All he finds are secret photos from the concert and the aftermath of Kuro looking in his direction at the show, Kuro gently touching him at the autograph session, and the ridiculous flower and Kuro meeting him at the café, despite that they only met for around fifteen minutes. There are even theories drawn from Kuro's Instagram posts and even more in the comments section.

[+12,457, -3,023] I don’t know who Blondie is, but Kuro’s popularity will surely fall. He can do so much better than this nobody. I’m seriously disappointed in him.

[+9,056, -2,724] He’s into men? Shocking.

[+6,892, -2,978] What’s the point of idols without fans? We’ve invested so much time and money to shower Phantom with love, protected you from getting hate, and stuck by you during scandals. That’s how you’ve made it this far. You dare betray us like this?

[+4,290, -1,421] I’m Kuro’s fan. He’s my idol and I hoped that he’d be different than the rest. I guess not. I guess that now you’re successful, Phantom isn’t as important as your personal freedom. I don’t think I can support you anymore if this continues.

[+1,268, -6,424] If someone like Kuro is flirting with you, then I doubt he’d get rejected. From being a nobody to dating a top star, blondie sure hit it big. Wishing you all the best.

[+1,014, -5,498] I think they’re cute together. I went to the concert tonight and thought Iseul was just a fanboy. No wonder why Kuro looked so happy. You have my support!

[+986, -8,026] Fans shouldn’t feel betrayed. You dumbasses, Kuro isn’t responsible for your lives. Wish him happiness and continue to love him. And if you think he ever liked women, then you weren’t a real fan in the first place. Downvote me if you dare, delusional brats.

Unpleasant comments are nothing new to Iseul, but it doesn’t sit well with him that his name is disgracing Kuro’s reputation. As an active representative of the company, Leo could have put an end to the misunderstanding and could have explained that he and Kuro didn’t even know each other and that this was just a poor excuse for journalism. But perhaps he was so inebriated from meeting his new friends that he became enthralled at the prospect of a secret love between him and Kuro.

Leo chooses to immortalize this in a post with two photos that he personally captured from the concert. There's one of Iseul—wide-eyed, flushed cheeks, and enamored from the moment he met Kuro’s gaze, depending on perspective.

The other is of Kuro looking in his direction—looking only at him.

♥ 28,908 likes

managerleo #coupleoftheyear

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The comments are in an uproar. Some fans are threatening to leave the fanbase, while others have expressed their disappointment in Iseul for leaving the industry just to date in secrecy. Iseul scrolls through the stream of comments, encountering a few messages of support, but mostly malicious ones with a complete disregard for respect.

If there's one thing he learns tonight, it's that his career is far from over.

* * *

There are people who never hesitate to apologize—people who prostrate themselves in front of others even when they’re not sure what they’re even sorry for—just to be the better person and minimize repercussions.

Han Iseul isn’t one of those people.

As expected, the early days of his career were rife with attitude controversies. Something as small as a lack of smile toward reporters meant being painted as a narcissist in tabloid articles. Iseul never apologized because being an artist didn’t mean that he had to welcome people with a bright smile every moment of the day, especially when they were infringing on his privacy.

He should be lowering his head in front of Chairman Noh for a scandal as grand as this one, but even now, this isn’t his fault. It’s the first time he’s been in Chairman Noh’s office for months, a wide space with expansive windows overlooking the city skyline and harbor.

The sole chair in front of the desk is where it all began—where he signed his first contract with Noh Media, feeling like he was on top of the world when he looked through these perfectly clear windows. The city lights glittered as though they were stars, close enough for him to reach out and pluck them one by one.

Iseul should have been invited back with news of his comeback. Instead, he returns for a reason he would never expect. Photos and newspaper articles are strewn over what used to be Chairman Noh’s clean mahogany desk, mirroring the images he had already seen on his phone screen.

The silence reprimands him. There’s only the sound of the pages turning in Chairman Noh’s hands as he peruses through the contents of the newspaper. Moments of the prior night are captured on the front page, but the photos aren’t revealing—they aren’t holding hands or kissing as the general public would expect—because they aren’t actually in a relationship.

“I didn’t know you were close to Lee Kuro,” Chairman Noh finally says.

“I’m not.” Iseul evenly meets Chairman Noh’s gaze as he looks up from the newspaper. “I’ve never met him outside of last night.”

Chairman Noh looks somber even with his face half-hidden, more so than he usually would. “The press thinks otherwise. If you have no affiliation with Lee Kuro, then what were you doing with him?”

The accusation is there and Iseul tries to not let it get to him, but it does, making his stomach churn with dread. So much has been taken from him already, and he will not allow himself to be shamed by false allegations.

“We had a quick chat after the concert.” Iseul doesn’t disclose what was discussed because it’s another issue entirely if Chairman Noh learns that Meteor Entertainment scouted him. He may have declined Kuro’s offer, but there’s no telling what his own agency would say if lucrative terms were offered for the contract. “That’s all. Even if we were friends, I’m at a loss for words as to why these speculations would come about.”

The articles feel as though they came from a news satire organization, but they’re absolutely real. Iseul wants to reach over, crumple the pages in Chairman Noh’s hands, and discard them in the trash where they belong.

It shouldn't be unreasonable for Kuro to have a life outside of his entertainment company. It shouldn't be unreasonable for them to even be friends, even if Kuro seems to be so out of reach, so unattainable to the world.

But Kuro's fans love him, even though their vision of love means watching his every move, formulating opinions of his relationships when they've never met him, feeling entitled to his life when they willingly consume images they only know through music and social media. His fans want Kuro to be with them or his bandmates or someone who's on his level.

Not someone like Han Iseul.