As soon as the clingy girl turned the corner and disappeared from view—
Y/N quietly let go of his hand.
Kim Bum blinked. Wait. What?
She didn't even realize she'd done it.
He stared at his now cold, lonely hand and pouted under the mask.
Y/N, oblivious, turned to the uncle at the mart counter.
"If she comes back, please tell her we already left, okay?"
The uncle raised an amused brow but nodded. "Got it."
Y/N nodded back, then turned to Kim Bum.
"Let's go. We need to hide for a while."
He followed her obediently — partly because she looked adorable when she was being sneaky, and mostly because he wasn't over the heartbreak of the hand-drop yet.
They walked quickly around the block, but—
Y/N suddenly froze mid-step.
Across the road, she saw the girl.
She was back.
Crossing the street.
Eyes locked onto the mart.
"Oh, come on!" Y/N whispered under her breath.
She grabbed Kim Bum's wrist in a panic. "Come on! Hide!"
She scanned the area frantically, thinking like a seasoned pro.
"That counter — pretend you're checking the product," she whispered, pushing him gently toward it. "I'll hide somewhere else. If we split, she won't find out—"
But just then—
The girl's voice rang out, much closer than expected.
"Hey! You guys are still here?"
Before Y/N could react—
She felt it.
A hand wrapped around her wrist.
A sudden tug.
And then—
She was pulled close — right beneath him.
Tucked into a narrow space between shelves, shielded completely by his tall frame.
Her back pressed lightly against the wall.
His hands braced either side of her, boxing her in protectively.
Their masks were on… but barely a few inches of space remained between their faces.
Y/N blinked up, breath caught.
Kim Bum was looking down at her, silent… calm… dangerously calm.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"She almost saw you."
Y/N gulped. "Y-Yeah."
They both stayed frozen, listening—
Footsteps outside.
Then… silence.
Y/N tilted her head slightly, whispering, "I think she's gone."
But Kim Bum didn't move.
He was staring at her.
Not with teasing this time.
With… something else.
She raised an eyebrow. "What?"
He tilted his head a little.
"You don't even know what you do to me, do you?"
Y/N blinked again. "Huh?"
But before she could ask, they both heard a voice call out:
"There you are!"
Both jumped.
Nope — not the girl.
Just the mart uncle, peeking around the corner with a knowing smile.
"She left again. You two can come out now."
Y/N cleared her throat quickly and ducked out from under Kim Bum's arms, brushing invisible dust off her sleeves.
He followed slowly, hands casually in his pockets now, acting as if he hadn't just pulled the girl he liked into a K-drama-level hiding scene.
Y/N shot him a glare.
"You didn't have to pull me like that."
He smirked beneath the mask. "Oh, but I did."
She narrowed her eyes.
He leaned close again.
"You're a very loud runner. She'd have spotted you in three seconds."
Y/N gasped. "Excuse me?!"
He was already walking away, laughing to himself.
Y/N muttered, chasing after him. "Crybaby fox. I swear—"
Now that the danger of clingy fans had passed…
They were finally walking the aisles of the mart like normal humans.
Or well… semi normal.
Y/N cheerfully tossed two packets of Nimko into the basket.
Then a few flavors of Lays.
Then… she frowned and tilted her head. "Should we get ketchup flavor too? Or maybe that cheesy one?"
Kim Bum casually dropped two packs of ramen into the basket behind her, then looked around. "Don't forget juice."
"Right!" Y/N chirped, picking two — one mango, one peach. "Okay, little fox will go check the other snacks now."
Kim Bum raised a brow. "Little fox?"
She nodded, smiling like a proud child. "That's me."
He huffed a short laugh. "Little fox, have you done?"
"Wait, Mr. Kim," she said with a mock bossy tone. "I'm still deciding."
She reached for a product on the upper shelf — some chocolate-covered biscuit sticks — when suddenly—
A hand grabbed her wrist.
Not harshly.
But firmly.
She stumbled a half-step, pulled gently into a narrow space between two shelves.
Close. Too close.
Their arms brushing. His breath warm. His fingers still holding her wrist.
She blinked up at him.
He stared down.
"Little fox…" he said softly, but his tone was dangerous. "It's Mr. Actor for you."
She blinked, half amused. "But didn't you tell me not to—"
Before she could finish, he leaned a bit closer.
Voice barely a whisper. But it hit like thunder.
"I told you not to call me that…
Because if you keep calling me 'Mr. Actor' like everyone else…
I'll forget I'm not supposed to want to be someone special for you."
Y/N's lips parted slightly.
Her brain short-circuited.
Heart?
Doing the taal pe taal mila remix in her chest.
He didn't move.
Didn't smile.
Didn't flirt.
Just said it.
Calmly. Honestly.
Like it had been sitting in his chest too long.
She stared at him, caught somewhere between speechless and suspicious.
"You're confusing," she whispered.
"I know," he replied.
And just like that — he let go of her wrist, turned, and walked to the counter with the basket.
As if he hadn't just emotionally roundhouse-kicked her heart.
Y/N stayed frozen for a moment.
Then slowly walked after him, eyes wide, voice small.
"…Did he just soft-threaten me with romance?"
Outside the store, Y/N handed the cash at the counter before Kim Bum could argue.
"Nope. My treat," she smirked, already walking out with the bag. "You're the guest."
Kim Bum sighed but followed. "I'm never fast enough with you."
As they stepped into the evening air, she adjusted the bag handles — but before she could walk ahead—
He grabbed her hand.
Again.
Like instinct.
Like his fingers just knew where they wanted to be.
She blinked at their joined hands.
He blinked too.
A little dazed. A little surprised at himself.
"…I keep doing that," he muttered, more to himself than her.
Y/N stared at him, confused but soft. "Then maybe… stop?"
He shook his head lightly, lips twitching in disbelief.
"I swear I don't plan it. It just… happens."
She huffed a breath, amused, letting him hold on. "Fine. But next time you do this, I'm charging you rent."
That made him chuckle.
As they walked, a girl passed by on her scooter and waved.
"Y/N unnie!" she beamed. "Didn't see you at uni today!"
Y/N forced a tiny smile and waved back. "Yeah, I was busy."
The girl didn't stop, just called back over her shoulder:
"See you sooooon bestieee~!"
Kim Bum raised a brow. "Bestie?"
Y/N groaned. "She's not. Just an annoying university student who met me twice and acts like we braid each other's hair every Friday."
He burst into laughter. "You attract strange people."
She sighed dramatically. "Don't I know it."
---
They finally reached home, stepping inside with arms full of bags.
Y/N called out, "We're back!"
Her mom and dad, watching something in the lounge, simply nodded with smiles.
Kim Bum greeted them politely, then followed her to the room.
Y/N placed the bags on her desk and grabbed her notebook.
Kim Bum sat on the edge of her bed, tilting his head. "You still have work?"
"Yeah…" she said with a sigh. "Deadline tomorrow. I'll be up for a while."
He laid down on her bed, hands behind his head. "Sleepy already. I'll just nap then."
Y/N smirked faintly, flipping a page. "Sleep, Mr. Actor. I'm not done being a nerd yet."
He closed his eyes with a small smile.
But sleep didn't come.
The room was quiet except for the faint ticking of the clock and her pen scribbling across paper.
She sat at her study table, headphones in, laser-focused — mouthing along to whatever music played in her ears.
Doodles in the margins of her notebook. Hair tied messily. One sock half off her foot.
He peeked at her from the bed.
Something about her in that moment…
So unaware. So real.
He couldn't look away.
Minutes passed.
Then a little more.
And finally—
Her pen slipped. Her head tilted. Her breathing slowed.
Still in the chair.
Still with the headphones in.
She'd dozed off.
Kim Bum sat up quietly, walked over, and crouched beside her.
She looked so peaceful.
Her lashes fluttering faintly, lips slightly parted, the tiniest frown on her forehead from where she'd tried too hard to stay awake.
He stayed there for a second.
Two.
Maybe more.
Then whispered, voice too soft for her to hear:
"…You're impossible."
And yet — he didn't move.
Just watched her.
Like she was the final scene in a movie he didn't want to end.