Chapter 51: Hickey
When I opened my eyes the next morning, the space beside me on the bed was already cold.
I blinked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I sat up. The faint sound of running water echoed from the adjacent bathroom. I was genuinely surprised-after the intense, hours-long "secretary dictation session" we had engaged in last night, I fully expected her to be completely out of commission until noon.
Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I stretched my arms and tiptoed toward the bathroom door, trying my luck with the brass handle.
*Click.* Locked.
A muffled, melodious giggle instantly echoed from the other side of the frosted glass. "Nice try, Executive Seth! I knew you’d try to sneak in here."
I shook my head with a dry laugh, knowing that if I stayed standing outside that door, she’d just keep turning up the heat until my brain melted again. "Yeah, yeah. Enjoy your shower, goblin."
Instead of flinching, a low, playful moan echoed through the door over the sound of the shower. "Oh no~ Please don’t punish me, Executive Seth~ My body is already so weak from last night~’
I shook my head with a dry laugh, knowing that if I stayed standing outside that door, she would just keep turning the heat up until my brain melted again. "Yeah, yeah. Enjoy your shower, goblin."
I walked back to the bed, propped up the pillows, and leaned back to wait for her. About ten minutes later, the bathroom door unlocked and swung open.
Yerin stepped out, wiping her wet hair with a fluffy white towel. She was wearing my oversized grey hoodie, the same one I had worn at the theme park, which hung loosely past her hips, completely swallowing her petite frame with absolutely nothing worn underneath. Her long, bare legs were still glistening with faint droplets of water, and a triumphant, smug grin rested on her lips as she caught me staring.
I rolled my eyes, throwing my hands up in defeat. "You know, at this rate, you’re wearing my clothes more than your own."
Yerin giggled, tossing the towel onto a nearby chair and trotting over to the bed. "Your clothes smell like you, Seth! They’re comfortable."
She hopped onto the mattress, curling her legs up as she pulled her smartphone out of her hoodie pocket. Her expression grew a little more focused as she opened her camera app. "I need to record the official announcement video for my social media right now before Sarah sends her PR team to drag me out of bed."
She took a deep breath, sitting up straight on the edge of the mattress. In a split second, a remarkable transformation took place right before my eyes.
The chaotic, mischievous girl who had just spent the last two days teasing me, eating my cooking, and roleplaying in my room completely vanished. Her posture straightened into flawless elegance, her warm, dark eyes settling into a cool, calm, and distant serenity.
It was the iconic ’Nova’-the legendary ice-beauty idol adored by tens of millions across the globe, possessing a sharp, refined aura that somehow still radiated a gentle, sincere warmth toward her audience.
Watching her slip into the persona so effortlessly, couldn’t help but admire her professionalism.
She hit the record button, holding the phone steady as she spoke into the lens with a soft, melodic voice.
"Hello, everyone. This is Nova," she began, offering a gentle, elegant bow to the camera. "First, I want to sincerely apologize to all my fans and venue partners for the sudden cancellation of my world tour over the past few days."
Her expression softened, carrying a look of genuine regret. "Something deeply important happened in my personal life that required my immediate attention. I know many of you were disappointed, and for that, I am truly sorry. Everyone who purchased tickets will receive a full refund, along with exclusive limited-edition merchandise as a small token of my gratitude for your patience."
She paused, taking a quiet breath as she looked straight into the lens. "Because of these new personal circumstances, I will be taking a hiatus from professional music for at least two years."
Even though the video wasn’t live, I could practically hear the collective gasp of millions of fans echo across the world at those words.
"However," Nova continued, a radiant smile breaking through her cool demeanor, "I refuse to leave without giving you all a proper goodbye. This weekend, I will be hosting my final farewell concert right here in the Capital of Eston."
She leaned in slightly, her eyes shining with warmth. "It will be completely free to stream worldwide, with giant public screening venues set up across major cities. Detailed information regarding locations and access will be updated on my official website shortly. I look forward to singing for you all one last time. Thank you, and I’ll see you soon."
With a graceful nod, she ended the recording.
The second the camera turned off, the ice-beauty persona melted away. Yerin let out a loud, dramatic sigh of relief, sagging back against my chest with a wild, triumphant grin.
"AAAAND SENT!" she cheered, dramatically slamming her thumb onto the upload button.
Within seconds of the video going live, her notification tab completely exploded. Likes, shares, and comments flooded in by the thousands every second, turning her screen into a blinding blur of activity.
Curious, I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder as we read the comments together.
"NOVA IS BACK?!"
"WAIT WHAT?! A TWO-YEAR HIATUS?!"
"A free global livestream?! Is she serious?!"
"OMG she looks gorgeous, but why is she quitting music?"
"Whatever happened in her real life must be huge... I hope she’s okay."
Most of the comments were a mix of heartbreak over her upcoming hiatus and excitement for the massive farewell concert. Of course, scattered among them were the usual internet trolls, but I simply narrowed my eyes and let it slide. It was an unfortunate reality of global fame, and Yerin didn’t even bat an eye, smoothly scrolling past the noise.
People were already uploading frantic memes, screenshotting her expressions, and celebrating the free stream.
However, as the comments continued to scroll at light speed, the conversation suddenly shifted.
"WAIT. ZOOM IN ON HER NECK AT 0:14!"
"HOLY SHIT, IS THAT A HICKEY?!"
"BRO... NOVA HAS A HICKEY ON HER NECK?!"
"NO WAY! THE ICE QUEEN HAS A SECRET LOVER?!"
"WHO IS THE BASTARD?! I’LL FIND HIM!"
"Fake news! It’s just the lighting... wait... no, that’s definitely a hickey."
Yerin’s cheerful smile instantly froze.
She quickly raised her hand, pausing her own video at the 0:14 mark and zooming in on the left side of her collarbone. Sure enough, just above the collar of my oversized grey hoodie was a faint reddish mark.
Yerin slowly turned her head and shot me a lethal, narrow-eyed glare.
"Seth..." she growled softly, reaching up to pinch both of my cheeks and tugging them dramatically. "This is all your fault! You were way too freaky last night! Look what you did to my neck!"
"Ow, ow, ow," I chuckled, completely unbothered as I wrapped my arms tighter around her waist, pulling her flush against my chest. "Hey, you were the one begging me not to stop, Executive Secretary."
"S-Shut up!" Yerin pouted, her cheeks flushing bright pink as she let go of my face.
Even though she kept pouting, she didn’t try to pull away, relaxing comfortably in my arms as we continued scrolling through the wild comment section. Some fan theories were scarily accurate, guessing that she had met someone special, while others were so ridiculously absurd, like fans claiming she had secretly been bitten by a vampire, hat both of us ended up bursting into helpless laughter.
After a few minutes of enjoying the chaotic internet storm, I looked down at her. "Hey, Yerin."
"Hmm?" she hummed, resting her head against my cheek.
Can I come along with you today?" I asked. "I want to help out with the concert prep. Since it’s on my bucket list, I figure I might as well see how a massive production like this actually comes together behind the scenes."
Yerin’s eyes lit up, her pout completely vanishing as a bright smile spread across her face. She spun around in my arms and pressed a quick, energetic kiss to my cheek.
"YES! I’d love to show you around my world!" Yerin cheered. "Come on, boss! Get dressed! Executive Secretary Nova is taking you on a backstage tour."