Noelle was sitting on her small couch, in her tiny apartment. She wore her pajamas and drank a cup of hot chocolate. The weather was warm, but she needed a little bit of comfort.  

Why did you have to react like that? 

Ye-Jun was very protective of his career and his privacy, Chloe had explained. She never considered an intern as someone who could get involved with either, but he had a different opinion. 

“Will I be dismissed?” she had asked Chloe. She was worried she couldn't finish her final thesis. She could change the subject, but she was sure she would excel in this one. 

She knew everything about him. He was her obsession, even if she wouldn't admit it to herself. 

Chloe had reassured her that that was out of the question. 

But her bigger concern was something else. 

Will I be able to know you? Will I be able to be close to you? 

She never knew exactly what she expected to get out of meeting him. She was attracted to him, but for God's sake! They were two strangers. He didn't know her, and she didn't know the real him. She was smart enough to know a public figure isn't always genuine. 

Yeong Ye-Jun had something special about him. She wasn't sure what it was and she wanted to find out. 

Noelle got up and started preparing with one percent of the excitement she’d had the day before. She didn't pay much attention to what she wore. She brushed her long hair into a low ponytail, just to be done with it. She put on some make-up, just to look a little less wrecked. Dragging her feet, she crawled out of her apartment door. 

She was the first to arrive at the office and sat at her assigned desk, next to Mi-Suk and facing Chloe's office. She opened her laptop, needing a distraction, and pulled up her thesis plan. Noelle was checking paragraph 2.1. ‘Celebrity as a Brand: Exploring existing theories on celebrity endorsements, brand identity, and brand personality’ when Chloe entered the room. 

"Eager to start writing already? Good morning!" she said, seeing the screen. 

"Oh, hello! Yeah, I should be quick, in case I'm asked to leave early" Noelle responded. 

"I told you yesterday! You are spending three months here, and you are writing the best paper" Chloe reassured her. “We have a lot of work to do, as I will be leaving for a couple of days”. Noelle smiled as Chloe walked to her office. She was her rock. 

"Hi Noelle!" Mi-Suk said cheerfully, waving at Chloe. The flat hello Noelle mumbled didn't satisfy Mi-Suk. "Still concerned?" she asked. 

Noelle just nodded. 

“Well, let’s focus your mind on something else! Let me settle in, and we will start training!” Mi-Suk suggested. Noelle relaxed a bit. Everybody seemed to be on her side. 

Time passed quickly during her training, and soon it was lunch break. "Mi-Suk, can I take a cup of instant ramen from the cupboard? The one you showed me yesterday?" Noelle asked. 

"Of course, honey! Take as many as you like. If you wait fifteen minutes, I can join you" Mi-Suk answered. 

"No, don't worry. Take your time. I want to check my messages" Noelle lied. Everyone who would send her messages was still asleep thousands of kilometers away. She just wanted to be alone, to clear her mind and recharge. 

Mi-Suk smiled. "Ok then. Remember where the break room is?" she asked. 

Noelle reassured her that she did and went to take a cup. There were five different flavours; she picked the plainest one. She wasn't looking for anything spicy. 

She left the office and reached the floor's break room. It was early, and the room was empty. Great! It wasn't very big, just three small tables and a counter facing a bright window with high stools. She prepared her instant meal, took her cup, and sat on a stool, waiting for it to cool. 

The view was not exceptional, unlike the view from Chloe's office. The kitchen was on the back, and all she could see were the buildings opposite. A small opening on the left side of the window frame showed the avenue. She moved forward to watch the cars passing. It was more interesting than the shut windows of the buildings across from her. 

"Anything interesting down there?" a voice asked in English. 

She shivered. She wished she could command her heart and the crazy rhythm at which it was beating. That particular voice was a melody... 

It can't be. I have to be mistaken… 

Noelle wasn't wrong. When she turned around, there he was. 

The K-pop star who had captivated her years ago. 
The actor whose every series and movie she'd watched over and over. 
The celebrity whose social media feeds she craved. 
The artist in whose office she was an intern. 
The man she had met by accident the previous day. 

Everything she desired. And everything she feared.