The black van glided through Seoul's late-night streets, neon signs and streetlights blurring into streaks of color across the tinted windows. The air inside was cool, scented faintly with leather and whatever expensive cologne Yura wore.
Alex sat pressed against the far door in the back row, bag clutched on his lap like a shield, hyper-aware of Kael opposite to him.
Yura was in the front passenger seat, phone glued to her ear, voice a low, rapid murmur of damage-control Korean: "Yes, the clips are from tonight… No, he's not injured… We're handling the boyfriend rumors, just push the 'courtesy to a fan' narrative for now…" Every few seconds her eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror, checking on them.
Alex stared out the window, pretending to watch the city slide by while his mind raced. His phone kept vibrating against his thigh—notifications piling up faster than he could silence them. He didn't dare open Twitter again; the glimpse he'd stolen had been enough.
#KaelBoyfriend was climbing the trends like wildfire.
Kael sat perfectly still, head resting against the seat, eyes half-closed. The passing lights painted shifting patterns across his face: one moment sharp and ethereal, the next swallowed by shadow. Alex risked a sideways glance and caught the faint glow again—those impossible blue irises reflecting light in a way no human eyes should. He looked away quickly, heart giving a very unwelcomed thud.
Yura ended her call with a sharp sigh and twisted around to face them. "Alright. Situation update." Her gaze landed on Alex first. "You're currently the most searched 'unknown male' in Korea. Congratulations. We've got PR drafting a statement that you're a random civilian Kael helped during the chaos. No names, no follow-up. You will not contradict that story."
Alex met her stare. "And if I do?"
"Then you'll have every sasaeng in the country camping outside your apartment by sunrise," she said flatly. "Your employer will get calls. Your family will get calls. Trust me, Mr. Lee, you don't want that."
He clenched his jaw but said nothing. She was right, and he hated it.
Yura's expression softened a fraction when she turned to Kael. "As for you—schedule's unchanged. Dance practice at six a.m., vocal coaching at ten, debut showcase rehearsal all afternoon. No statements, no social media, no leaving the dorm without me. Understood?"
Kale grunted dismissively, his eyes still half closed but Yuri just nodded, not bothered at all by his attitude.
Alex stared at the exchange, something prickling at the back of his neck. No trainee he'd ever met, especially not one a few days from debut , would dare brush off a manager like that. Not without consequences. But Yuri acted like Kael's attitude wasn't disrespect; it was just… him.
The van took a sharp turn onto a quieter avenue, high-rises giving way to narrower streets lined with 24-hour pojangmacha and sleeping storefronts. Silence stretched again, thick and uncomfortable.
Alex's curiosity finally snapped.
"You didn't answer my question earlier," he said, keeping his voice low enough that the driver might not hear. "How long have you been training?"
A beat of silence followed after his question and just right when he was about to repeat himself, Kael answered " That was not the question you asked earlier".
Alex felt heat crawl up his neck and he cleared his throat awkwardly " i-i-i asked a series of questions. That was among…I think". Damn…why does he feel instantly pressured.
" You can ask those questions at the conference after my debut performance. I'll ask Yuri to give you a front seat ticket… if you ask nicely". His eyes opened fully now, fixing on Alex with deliberate intensity. The passing streetlights caught in them again, that faint, impossible glow making them look almost predatory in the dark. A slow, crooked half-smile tugged at one corner of his mouth—the first real expression Alex had seen from him that wasn't calm detachment or confusion.
Alex felt his face burn. The words 'ask nicely' hung in the air between them like a challenge, and the way Kael was looking at him—head slightly tilted, gaze unblinking—made it feel far less innocent than it sounded.
He opened his mouth, closed it, then managed a clipped, "I'll manage my own seat, thanks."
Kael's smile widened a fraction, something quietly satisfied in it, before he let his eyes drift half-closed again and turned his face toward the window, as if he'd just won a round Alex hadn't even realized they were playing.
Yura's phone buzzed again. She answered without looking back, but Alex caught the quick glance she threw at them in the rear-view mirror—sharp, assessing, like she'd heard every word they exchanged.
The rest of the ride passed in charged silence.
When the van finally pulled up outside Alex's building, the sudden stop felt almost jarring. The driver killed the engine; the only sound was the faint tick of cooling metal and Yura ending yet another call.
"You can go now, Mr Lee," she said without ceremony. "And remember…stay low for a while. I don't want any problems before my star debut."
Alex slid the door open and stepped onto the curb, cool night air hitting his flushed face like a slap. He turned back for one last look.
Kael was watching him again, that half-smile gone, expression unreadable once more. But just before the door closed, he spoke—one last time, soft enough that only Alex could hear.
"See you at the conference, reporter."
The door slid shut behind him and he watched the van pull away.
He stood still on the sideway, still shook dif a while before turning into his apartment building.
He didn't go straight to bed when he got upstairs. He opened his laptop, brewed the strongest coffee he had, and started digging.
Because he had a new interest now and he was going to find out everything about the rising star.b.