Leona didn't sleep that night.
She tossed and turned on her small bed in the staff room, and every time she closed her eyes, that voice echoed in her mind…
"Let's keep this mystery."
Could it really be him?
"Tae Soul," the K-pop star known by half the world?
Too famous to be staying in a hotel like this, in a neighborhood rarely touched by stars' footsteps, in a dark room, alone?
But who else could speak with that strange calmness, that familiar tone, and the same… sadness?
She grabbed her phone again and opened Tae's fan account.
The last post was from three months ago, showing a photo of him smiling and waving from a car window. He looked normal.
The caption under the photo read:
> "Everything's fine, don't worry about me."
But everything seemed far from fine.
The next morning, while she was putting on her work uniform, the phone at reception downstairs rang.
The hotel manager was on the other end:
— "Leona, you cleaned suite 1703 last night, right?"
— "Yes, sir."
— "The guest asked for you by name to come again today at the same time. Is there anything I should know?"
She hesitated before replying:
— "No, everything was normal."
But inside, it wasn't.
No guest had ever requested her personally before. That alone was a sign.
Still, her heart was not afraid… but curious.
---
In the evening, she returned to the same room.
She knocked lightly. No answer.
She opened the door quietly… the darkness was the same, the curtains still drawn.
This time, she didn't move forward.
— "I'm… Leona. I was asked to come."
She said softly, still at the door.
— "Come in."
His voice came from inside, this time softer, as if silence had become part of him.
She entered, and he was sitting in the same place on the sofa, wearing a gray shirt this time, and the same black sunglasses.
— "I thought you wouldn't come back."
He said without looking at her.
— "I thought I was imagining you were you."
He turned slightly.
— "I am who you think, and I am not."
She looked at him nervously.
— "What does that mean?"
— "It means 'Tae Soul,' the one people know, no longer exists. I'm just a shadow… out of script."
Silence. His words were confusing but sincere.
— "Why are you hiding?"
He chuckled softly, a lifeless laugh.
— "Do you think those who have everything… don't sometimes want to lose it?"
She sat on the chair opposite him, without planning to.
— "But they… love you."
He raised his head and pushed his glasses up slightly.
His eyes…
They were tired, but honest.
— "Sometimes, love turns into a cage. The fans don't want to see me as a human. They want me to be a star only… always smiling, always strong, never breaking down, never making mistakes, never running away."
— "Is that why you did it?"
He nodded.
— "I ran away. Not just from them. But from myself as well."
---
A long silence followed, then a soft whisper from Leona:
— "No one can run from themselves, Tae."
He smiled. For the first time, a genuine smile.
— "Maybe. But we can find someone… to help us face it."
In that moment, Leona felt things were changing.
That she was no longer just a lost cleaner.
And he was no longer just a broken star.
They were something new being born in the darkness… under the fake light.
.
---
To be continued
.
Hello, dear readers!
I recently came across a story in this genre, and to be honest - I loved it.
Normally, I don't write stories like this, but I decided to challenge myself and try something new.
This is Season 1, and it will include 10 chapters.
Five chapters are already available on my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/c/caesar20/posts
You can copy it from the bio
Just pick the K-pop stories membership to access them.
Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy the journey!