#baemon

He slouched in a chair at the back of the club room, earphones dangling around his neck like a noose he hadn’t decided to tighten. His hoodie, perpetually wrinkled, bore the faint logo of his mother’s DVD rental shop—a relic of a time when people still believed in physical discs. Y/N’s eyes, dark and watchful, scanned the room, cataloging the chaos of his fellow club members: Min-soo, arguing with a tripod that refused to stand straight; Da-in, scribbling shot lists on a crumpled napkin; and Ahyeon, perched on a desk, her long hair catching the projector’s glow like a halo she didn’t mean to wear.

Ms. Kim, their adviser, clapped her hands, her bracelets jangling like a warning bell. “Enough bickering,” she said, her voice cutting through the chatter. “The national contest deadline is in six weeks. You need a film, and you need it to be good. No more experimental nonsense about existential dread.” She shot a pointed look at Y/N, who sank lower in his seat. “This year, I want something accessible. Something with heart. A romance.”

A groan rippled through the room, loudest from Y/N. Romance? The word tasted like cheap candy—sweet for a moment, then gone. He’d spent years behind a camera, framing other people’s stories, because it was safer than stepping into his own. Romance films, with their slow-motion gazes and predictable confessions, were the opposite of truth. They were lies, polished and framed for applause.

“Ms. Kim,” he said, raising a hand, “can we at least make it ironic? Like, a romance about two people who hate romance?”

Ms. Kim sighed, her glasses slipping down her nose. “Y/N, not everything needs to be a critique of the human condition. Sometimes people just want to feel something.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but Ahyeon beat him to it, her voice bright and sharp, like sunlight cutting through fog. “Oh, come on, Y/N. Don’t be such a grump. A love story could be fun.” She leaned forward, her sweater slipping off one shoulder, revealing a paint stain shaped like a comet. “Picture it: the perfect high school couple. Cherry blossoms, longing looks, maybe a dramatic rain scene. We could make it so over-the-top it’s basically a parody.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching despite himself. “What, like you fake-crying over a love letter while violins play?”

She grinned, undeterred. “Exactly. I’d be iconic. You’d just have to figure out how to film it without tripping over your own cynicism.”

The room laughed, and Y/N felt a flicker of something—annoyance, maybe, or amusement. Ahyeon had a way of turning everything into a performance, her words a spotlight she wielded effortlessly. She was the kind of person who could charm a room and then vanish before anyone noticed she was gone. He’d seen her do it before—join a project with a burst of ideas, only to quit when the work got real. Yet here she was, proposing a film she’d probably abandon by next week.

Still, the idea wasn’t terrible. A mockumentary about a fake couple could be sharp, a way to poke fun at the clichés while sneaking in something truer. He leaned back, tapping his pen against his knee. “Fine. But if we’re doing this, it’s a mockumentary. We play it like a documentary crew following the ‘perfect couple,’ but it’s all scripted. Every trope in the book, dialed up to eleven.” Min-soo, wrestling with the tripod, looked up. “Who’s playing the couple? You need chemistry, or it’ll fall flat.”

Da-in smirked, her pen pausing. “Y/N and Ahyeon, obviously. They’re already arguing like an old married couple.”

Y/N choked on air, his face warming despite his best efforts to stay cool. “Me? In front of the camera? No way. I direct. I don’t act.”

Ahyeon tilted her head, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Scared, Mr. Director? Come on, it’ll be hilarious. I’ll do all the heavy lifting—swooning, gazing, the works. You just have to stand there and look smitten.”

“I don’t do smitten,” he said, his voice drier than the chalkboard behind her. “And you’d probably ditch the project before we even get to the fake kiss.”

Her smile faltered, just for a second, but it was enough for Y/N to notice. She recovered quickly, tossing her hair. “Oh, please. I’m in this one for the long haul. Bet you ten thousand won I stick it out longer than you.” “Deal,” he said, before he could stop himself. The room whooped, and Ms. Kim clapped again, looking far too pleased.

“Then it’s settled,” she said. “Y/N and Ahyeon, you’re co-directors and stars. The rest of you, support them. Script, shoot, edit—get it done. And Y/N?” She fixed him with a stare. “Don’t overthink it. Sometimes a story just needs to breathe.”

As the meeting broke up, Y/N lingered, his fingers brushing the worn edge of his camera bag. Ahyeon was already at the door, laughing with Da-in, her voice carrying like a melody he didn’t want to hear. He told himself it was just a project, another chance to capture something true through his lens. But as he watched her silhouette against the fluorescent hallway light, he wondered if truth was the one thing he wasn’t ready to frame.

—

The courtyard of Haneul Arts High School was a riot of pink in late spring, cherry blossoms drifting like confetti caught in a lazy breeze. The air carried the faint salt of the nearby sea, mingling with the chalky scent of the school’s worn stone paths. Y/N adjusted the camera on its tripod, his fingers steady despite the chaos around him. Min-soo was untangling microphone cords with the focus of a man defusing a bomb, while Da-in waved a makeshift reflector—a piece of cardboard wrapped in foil—shouting directions no one followed. The club was in full production mode, and it was, as Y/N had predicted, a beautiful disaster.

At the center of it all stood Ahyeon, her sweater sleeves rolled up, her hair catching petals like a net. She was reading from their script—a spiral notebook filled with Y/N’s neat handwriting and her chaotic doodles—her lips moving silently as she memorized lines. The mockumentary had officially begun, and their first scene was a classic: the “perfect couple” holding hands under the cherry blossoms, gazing into each other’s eyes with exaggerated devotion. Y/N had written it to be ridiculous, every line dripping with irony, but watching Ahyeon practice, he felt an odd twist in his chest. She made even the absurd look effortless.

“Ready, director?” she called, glancing up with a grin that was half challenge, half tease. Her eyes sparkled in the afternoon light, and Y/N busied himself with the camera settings to avoid meeting them.

“Ready when you stop looking like you’re auditioning for a soap opera,” he said, his voice dry but softer than he meant. He stepped behind the camera, the lens a familiar shield between him and the world. “Min-soo, you got the sound?”

Min-soo gave a thumbs-up, then promptly dropped the microphone. Da-in groaned, shoving the reflector into his hands. “Focus, Min-soo. We’re not filming a silent movie.”

Ahyeon laughed, a sound like wind chimes, and Y/N felt it ripple through him, unbidden. He cleared his throat. “Alright, scene one, take one. Perfect couple, cherry blossom moment. Let’s make it painfully cliché.”

Ahyeon struck a pose, one hand on her hip, the other clutching an imaginary love letter. “Oh, my heart beats only for you, noble scholar of Haneul High,” she declared, her voice dripping with mock sincerity. The club members snickered, and even Y/N’s lips twitched.

“Less soap opera, more… human,” he said, adjusting the focus. “And I’m supposed to be in this, so someone grab the second camera.”

Da-in handed him a script page and pushed him toward Ahyeon. “Your turn, lover boy. Try not to trip over your own ego.”

Y/N rolled his eyes but stepped into the frame, feeling exposed without the camera’s weight in his hands. He stood opposite Ahyeon, their sneakers inches apart on the stone path. The script called for him to take her hand and say something nauseatingly romantic, but his tongue felt heavy, his usual sarcasm deserting him.

Ahyeon raised an eyebrow, sensing his hesitation. “What, no lines? I practiced my swooning for hours, you know.”

“It shows,” he said, recovering. “Maybe practice being less terrifying next time.”

She laughed again, and this time it wasn’t for the camera. It was quick, unguarded, her nose crinkling in a way that made Y/N’s stomach lurch. He grabbed her hand—too fast, too stiff—and muttered his line: “You’re… the only star in my sky or whatever.”

The club erupted in laughter, Min-soo nearly dropping the microphone again. “Y/N, that was awful,” Da-in called. “You sound like you’re reading a weather report.”

Ahyeon squeezed his hand, her fingers warm and steady. “Come on, give me something to work with. I can’t carry this whole romance myself.”

He met her eyes, and for a moment, the courtyard faded—the blossoms, the club, the camera’s soft whir. Her gaze was steady, not mocking now, and it made him feel like he was being seen, not just filmed. He swallowed, forcing a smirk. “Fine. You’re the only star, period. Happy?” “Better,” she said, her voice softer, almost real. Then she turned to the camera, slipping back into character. “And you, my love, are the moon that lights my path.”

Da-in clapped sarcastically. “Oscar-worthy. Now do it again, but with feeling.”

They ran the scene three more times, each take more absurd than the last—Ahyeon twirling dramatically, Y/N stumbling over his lines, petals sticking to their clothes. But between takes, when the camera stopped rolling, there were moments Y/N couldn’t script: Ahyeon brushing a blossom from his hair, her fingers grazing his temple; him catching her when she tripped over a cable, their laughter mingling in the air. The club noticed, their teasing growing sharper, but Y/N waved it off, retreating behind the camera as soon as he could.

That night, in the dim glow of his bedroom, Y/N uploaded the footage to his laptop. His mother’s DVD shop was quiet downstairs, the hum of the refrigerator a familiar lullaby. He clicked through the clips, pausing on a frame of Ahyeon laughing, her eyes half-closed, her hand still in his. It wasn’t scripted. It wasn’t supposed to be there. But he watched it again, and again, the cursor hovering over the delete button. He didn’t press it.

—

The classroom was a cocoon of shadows after hours, its windows streaked with rain that tapped a restless rhythm against the glass. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly, casting a sterile glow over the club’s makeshift set: two desks pushed together, a prop coffee cup, and a script page scribbled with Y/N’s notes and Ahyeon’s doodles of stars and half-drawn faces. The air smelled of wet sneakers and the faint chemical tang of the school’s ancient projector, tucked in the corner like a forgotten relic.

Y/N’s fingers lingered on the camera’s focus ring as if it could steady the unease knotting his chest. Today’s scene was a “fake fight” for the mockumentary—a scripted spat between the “perfect couple” meant to poke fun at melodramatic teen romances. He’d written the lines to be sharp, petty, absurd: accusations about forgotten dates, stolen hoodies, glances given to someone else. But standing across from Ahyeon now, her sweater sleeves slipping over her knuckles, he felt the script was a flimsy shield against something he couldn’t name.

Ahyeon flipped through the notebook, her lips pursed as she read. “You really went all in on this one,” she said, her voice light but edged with something else. “ ‘You never listen to me’? What is this, a K-drama rerun?”

“It’s supposed to be over-the-top,” Y/N said, stepping behind the camera to avoid her gaze. “That’s the point. Make it so fake it’s funny.”

She raised an eyebrow, her eyes catching the light like sea glass. “Right. So I yell about you forgetting our anniversary, and you… what, sulk about my imaginary fan club?”

“Exactly,” he said, his mouth twitching despite himself. “Give me your best betrayed girlfriend glare.”

She obliged, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes with such exaggerated fury that Min-soo, manning the sound, snorted. Da-in, perched on a desk with the reflector, called, “Tone it down, Ahyeon. You look like you’re about to curse his entire bloodline.”

Ahyeon grinned, dropping the act. “Fine, fine. Let’s do this.” She took her place at one desk, Y/N at the other, the camera’s red light blinking like a heartbeat. “Scene two, take one,” Y/N said, his voice steadier behind the lens. “Action.”

Ahyeon leaned forward, her voice sharp but playful. “You forgot our date last week, didn’t you? I waited at the café for an hour, and you were probably off filming seagulls or something equally pointless.”

Y/N matched her tone, leaning in. “Pointless? At least I don’t spend all day texting my fan club instead of talking to me.”

The lines were ridiculous, and the club laughed, but as they traded barbs, something shifted. Ahyeon’s next line—about him not caring enough—came out quieter, less rehearsed. “You act like I’m just… background noise in your stupid movie.”

Y/N faltered, the script forgotten. Her words stung, not because they were true, but because they felt like they could be. He scrambled for a reply, his voice low. “Maybe if you didn’t keep rewriting the script to suit you, I’d actually know what you want.”

Her eyes flickered, a flash of something real—hurt, maybe, or recognition. The room went quiet, the club sensing the shift. Min-soo whispered, “Are they still acting?”

“Cut,” Y/N said quickly, stepping back from the desk. His pulse was loud in his ears, and he busied himself with the camera, checking settings that didn’t need checking. “That was… fine. Let’s take a break.”

Ahyeon stayed seated, her fingers tracing the edge of the desk. The others drifted out to grab snacks from the vending machine, leaving the classroom emptier, the rain louder. Y/N should have followed, but his feet stayed rooted, the camera still rolling out of habit.

“You’re good at this,” Ahyeon said suddenly, her voice soft, not looking at him. “Making it feel real, I mean. The fight.”

He glanced at her, surprised. “You’re not bad yourself, with that line earlier.”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s easy to sound convincing when you’ve got practice.” She paused, her fingers stilling. “My mom’s always saying I’m too loud, too much. Like I’m a sketch she can’t finish.”

Y/N’s throat tightened. He knew he should say something light, keep the distance, but the camera’s hum was a quiet nudge, urging him to stay. “My dad used to say I was too quiet,” he said, almost to himself. “He was a filmmaker. Documentaries. I watch his old tapes sometimes, just to… I don’t know. Hear him again.”

Ahyeon looked up, her gaze steady now, searching. “Does it help?”

“Sometimes,” he said. “Sometimes it just reminds me he’s gone.”

The rain tapped harder, filling the silence. Ahyeon’s hand rested on the desk, close enough that he could have reached out, but he didn’t. Instead, he glanced at the camera, its red light still blinking. It had caught everything—their fight, her confession, his. A moment too raw for their satire.

“We should probably cut that last part,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah,” Y/N said, but his hand didn’t move to stop the recording. “Probably.”

She stood, brushing past him to grab her bag, her sleeve grazing his arm. “Don’t go soft on me, director,” she said, her teasing tone back, but it sounded fragile, like glass about to crack. She left before he could reply, her footsteps echoing in the hallway.

Y/N sat alone, the classroom dim and cold. He rewound the footage, watching their fight, their quiet truths. Her face filled the screen—open, unguarded, her eyes holding something he hadn’t scripted. He hovered over the delete button, his finger steady, then pulled back. Some moments, he thought, were too true to erase, even if they scared him.

—

The media room at Haneul Arts High School was a pocket of warmth against the evening chill, its air thick with the scent of dust and the faint hum of the projector. The walls, lined with peeling film posters, seemed to hold their breath as the crew gathered for their first screening of the mockumentary’s rough cuts. A single bulb flickered overhead, casting long shadows across the mismatched chairs where the club members sprawled, their chatter a low buzz like cicadas in summer. Outside, the ocean murmured, its rhythm steady but distant, as if unwilling to intrude.

Y/N sat at the back, his laptop balanced on his knees, the screen’s glow painting his face in soft blues. His earphones hung loosely around his neck, a habit he couldn’t shake, as if music might shield him from the vulnerability of this moment. The footage they’d shot—cherry blossom confessions, the staged fight—was meant to be a joke, a satire of love’s clichés. But as he’d edited the clips late into the night, frame by frame, he’d noticed things he hadn’t meant to capture: Ahyeon’s half-smile when she thought the camera was off, the way her fingers lingered on his sleeve, his own gaze softening when she laughed. The truth was creeping into their fiction, and it unnerved him.

“Ready for your big debut, lover boy?” Da-in called from the front, her grin sharp as she adjusted the projector. Min-soo, fiddling with a bag of popcorn, snorted, spilling kernels onto the floor.

“It’s not a debut,” Y/N said, his voice dry but tighter than usual. “It’s a rough cut. And I’m only in it because you all forced me.”

“Excuses,” Min-soo said, tossing a popcorn kernel at him. “You and Ahyeon look like you’re about to write sonnets out there.” Y/N rolled his eyes, but his fingers tightened on the laptop. He glanced at Ahyeon, who was perched on a desk near the screen, her legs swinging slightly. Her sweater was speckled with paint, her hair tucked behind one ear, revealing a single silver earring that caught the light. She was flipping through her sketchbook, pretending to read, but her eyes never lingered on the pages. She hadn’t looked at the screen once since they’d arrived.

“Alright, quiet down,” Y/N said, clicking play. The projector whirred, and the first scene filled the room: Ahyeon under the cherry blossoms, her mock-dramatic confession—“My heart beats only for you, noble scholar of Haneul High!”—drawing laughs from the club. Y/N’s stilted response, all awkward smirks and mumbled lines, earned more chuckles, but as the scenes rolled on, the laughter softened.

There was the fight scene, their voices sharp with scripted jabs, but the camera had caught the moment after—Ahyeon’s quiet admission about her mother, Y/N’s confession about his father’s tapes. The club went silent, the air heavy with something unspoken. Y/N’s chest tightened; he hadn’t meant to leave that part in, but cutting it had felt like betraying the truth.

“Wow,” Da-in said, breaking the silence as the clip ended. “Y/N, did you mean to make it look like you’re in love with her?”

His face warmed, and he busied himself with his laptop, avoiding her grin. “It’s called editing, genius. I can make anything look like anything.”

Ahyeon laughed, but it was quick, forced, like a door slamming shut. “Yeah, relax, Da-in. It’s just a movie. Nobody’s falling for anybody.” She flipped a page in her sketchbook, her fingers gripping the edges too tightly.

Y/N glanced at her, catching the way her shoulders tensed, the way her eyes stayed fixed on her drawings. She was performing again, hiding behind her casual tone, and it stung more than it should have. “Right,” he said, his voice quieter than he meant. “Just a movie.”

Min-soo leaned forward, oblivious to the undercurrent. “No, but seriously, you two have chemistry. Like, rom-com level. Are we sure this is a mockumentary?”

“Very sure,” Ahyeon said, her smile bright but brittle. She stood, tucking her sketchbook under her arm. “Good work, director. I’m grabbing a drink. Anyone want anything?”

The club called out requests, but Y/N stayed silent, watching her slip out the door. The projector flickered, looping the last frame—a close-up of Ahyeon laughing, her eyes soft, unguarded. He hadn’t meant to linger on that shot, but his hands had refused to cut it.

Later, in his bedroom, the glow of his laptop was the only light, the hum of his mother’s DVD shop downstairs a faint comfort. He opened the project files, scrubbing through the footage again. There she was, frame after frame: Ahyeon’s teasing grin, her fingers brushing petals from her hair, the way her voice softened when she spoke about feeling trapped. He paused on a moment from the fight scene, her eyes meeting his, raw and real, before she’d looked away. His cursor hovered over the delete button, but he couldn’t press it.

He leaned back, the ocean’s distant sigh filtering through his window. Editing was supposed to be control, a way to shape the story, to keep it safe. But Ahyeon’s face on the screen was a story he couldn’t rewrite, and for the first time, he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

—

The beach stretched before Haneul Arts High School like a canvas painted in dusk, its sand cool and damp underfoot, streaked with the sea’s restless fingerprints. The sky was a bruise of purple and gold, the sun sinking into the horizon as if reluctant to leave. Waves lapped at the shore, their rhythm soft but insistent, carrying the salt-heavy air that clung to Y/N’s skin. His lens trained on Ahyeon, who stood near the water’s edge, her silhouette sharp against the fading light. Her sweater hung loose, the sleeves swaying as she moved, and her hair danced in the ocean breeze, catching the last glimmers of gold.

The crew was filming their mockumentary’s centerpiece: a grand, cheesy confession scene, scripted to be the height of romantic cliché. Y/N had written it with a smirk—lines about eternal love, promises under the stars, all meant to mock the tropes they both despised. But now, as the club scrambled to set up lights and Min-soo fumbled with the microphone, Y/N felt a tremor of unease. The camera, his usual refuge, felt less like a shield and more like a witness, capturing things he wasn’t ready to see.

“Ready, Ahyeon?” he called, his voice steadier than he felt. He stepped behind the camera, checking the frame, though it was already perfect. She was perfect, he realized, then pushed the thought away.

She turned, her eyes catching his through the lens, a playful glint in them. “Born ready, director. Let’s make the audience swoon.” Her voice was light, but there was a tightness to it, like a string pulled too taut.

Da-in, holding the reflector, grinned from her spot on the sand. “Just don’t make us gag, okay? This is supposed to be satire, not a wedding vow.”

“Speak for yourself,” Min-soo said, finally securing the microphone. “I’m ready to cry at their undying love.”

Y/N ignored them, focusing on the camera’s hum. “Scene five, take one. Epic beach confession. Action.”

Ahyeon took a step forward, her sneakers sinking into the sand. The script called for her to gaze at Y/N with melodramatic adoration, to say, “You are my forever, my one true light.” But as she opened her mouth, her expression shifted—less performative, more searching. “I’ve been stuck here my whole life,” she said, her voice quiet, unscripted. “This town, these expectations—it’s like I’m trapped in someone else’s movie.”

Y/N froze, his hands still on the camera. The club exchanged glances, but no one called cut. Her words weren’t in the script, but they carried a weight that silenced the waves. He should have stopped the take, reset the scene, but instead, he stepped out from behind the camera, the lens still rolling. “I know what you mean,” he said, his voice low, almost lost in the wind. “My dad… he left me his films, but they’re all I have of him. Sometimes I think I’m just trying to finish his story instead of starting my own.”

Ahyeon’s eyes met his, wide and unguarded, the sunset painting her face in soft hues. “Do you ever wonder what yours would look like? Your story, I mean.”

He swallowed, his throat dry. The camera’s red light blinked, a silent witness, but for once, he didn’t care. “Every day,” he said. “But I’m scared it’s not worth telling.”

She stepped closer, her sneakers brushing against his, the space between them shrinking. “It’s worth it,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s not perfect.” The air felt charged, the world narrowing to the sound of her breath, the crash of the waves, the faint hum of the camera. Y/N’s heart pounded, and he wondered if this was still acting, if the script had ever mattered at all. The club was silent, Min-soo clutching the microphone like a lifeline, Da-in’s reflector forgotten in the sand.

“Cut,” Y/N said finally, his voice rough. He stepped back, the moment breaking like glass. Ahyeon blinked, her expression shuttering, and she turned to the water, her arms crossed as if to hold herself together.

“Uh, that was… intense,” Da-in said, breaking the silence. “Are we keeping that? It’s not exactly mockumentary material.”

“Yeah,” Min-soo added, scratching his head. “That felt like… real talk.”

Y/N glanced at Ahyeon, but she was staring at the horizon, her profile sharp against the darkening sky. “We’ll figure it out in editing,” he said, though he already knew he wouldn’t cut it.

That moment—her words, his, the way her eyes had held his—was too true to erase. The club packed up as the light faded, their chatter filling the air, but Ahyeon lingered by the water, her figure small against the vastness of the sea. Y/N hesitated, then approached, the camera slung over his shoulder. “You okay?” he asked, his voice softer than he meant.

She turned, her smile quick but fragile. “Just getting into character, you know? Gotta sell the romance.” Her tone was light, but her eyes didn’t meet his, and she brushed past him to join the others.

That night, in the quiet of his bedroom, Y/N played the footage back. His mother’s DVD shop hummed below, the faint clatter of discs a familiar comfort. The screen showed Ahyeon on the beach, her words raw, her gaze piercing. He paused on a frame—her standing close, her lips parted as if to say more. His finger hovered over the delete button, but he couldn’t press it. Some truths, he thought, were too heavy to cut away, even if they burned.

—

The art room was a chaos of color, its walls splashed with half-finished murals and pinned-up sketches that curled at the edges. The air held the sharp bite of acrylic paint and the faint must of old canvases, stacked like forgotten stories in the corner. Y/N stood in the doorway, his camera bag slung over his shoulder, his heart a knot of confusion and something sharper—betrayal, perhaps, though he hesitated to name it.

Ahyeon had been absent from Reel Society meetings for three days, her texts unanswered, her seat at the club’s table empty. At first, Y/N had chalked it up to her usual pattern—starting projects with a blaze of enthusiasm, only to vanish when the work grew heavy. But this felt different, heavier, as if she’d taken something with her when she left. Last night, unable to sleep, he’d opened the shared project files on his laptop, expecting to tweak the beach scene that still haunted him. Instead, he’d found entire clips missing—moments where Ahyeon’s laughter rang clear, where her eyes had met his with unguarded truth. The beach confession, their fight, her quiet words about feeling trapped—all gone, erased as if they’d never happened.

Now, he found her alone in the art room, perched on a stool, her sketchbook open before her. Her fingers moved restlessly, smudging charcoal into abstract shapes—stars, waves, faces that dissolved into shadow. Her sweater was streaked with black, her hair falling loose, shielding her face. The sight of her, so present yet so distant, made Y/N’s chest ache.

“You deleted the scenes,” he said, his voice low but steady, cutting through the room’s quiet. He stepped inside, letting the door creak shut behind him.

Ahyeon’s hand stilled, but she didn’t look up. “You checked the files,” she said, her tone light, as if discussing the weather. “Snooping, huh?”

“It’s my project too,” he said, sharper than he meant. He set his camera bag on a table, the thud louder in the stillness. “Those scenes—the beach, the fight—they were the best parts. Why’d you do it?”

She flipped a page in her sketchbook, her movements deliberate. “They were messy. Didn’t fit the vibe. You said it yourself, it’s supposed to be a mockumentary, not… whatever that was.” Y/N stared at her, the words stinging more than they should. “Messy? That’s the point, Ahyeon. It was real. You can’t just—” He stopped, running a hand through his hair, his earphones tangling around his fingers. “You can’t erase yourself from the movie.” Her eyes flicked up, sharp and guarded, like a door half-opened then slammed shut. “It’s not me in those scenes. It’s a character. The film’s better without the extra noise.”

He stepped closer, his sneakers scuffing the paint-splattered floor. “That’s not true, and you know it. Those moments—when you talked about your mom, the town—they weren’t scripted. They were you.”

She laughed, a short, brittle sound that didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re reading too much into it, director. It’s just a movie. We were playing parts.”

“Then why are you hiding?” The words slipped out before he could stop them, raw and unfiltered. Her flinch was subtle, a tightening of her jaw, but he saw it, and it fueled his resolve. “You’ve been dodging club, dodging me. And now you’re cutting yourself out of the footage like you’re trying to disappear.”

Ahyeon’s fingers gripped the charcoal, smudging a star into a blur. “Maybe I am,” she said, so softly he almost missed it. She looked down, her hair falling like a curtain. “You wouldn’t get it, Y/N. You’re always safe behind that camera, picking what stays and what goes. Some of us don’t get to choose how people see us.”

The words hit like a wave, cold and heavy. He thought of the beach, her voice breaking as she spoke of being trapped, his own confession about his father’s tapes. He’d felt exposed then, but safe, because it was her. Now, she was pulling away, and he didn’t know how to reach her. “Is that what this is?” he asked, his voice quieter now, searching. “You think I’d use you? Like… like what happened before?”

Her head snapped up, her eyes wide, and he knew he’d struck something true. She’d never told him the full story—about the senior who’d taken credit for her art, left her work erased—but he’d pieced it together from Da-in’s offhand comments, from the way Ahyeon flinched when her contributions were praised. “Don’t,” she said, her voice sharp. “Don’t act like you know me.” “I’m not,” he said, stepping closer, close enough to see the charcoal smudges on her knuckles, the tremor in her hands. “But I saw you in those scenes, Ahyeon. Not the character, not the perfect girl everyone thinks you are. You. And I didn’t want to cut that out.”

She stood abruptly, her stool scraping against the floor. Her sketchbook fell shut, hiding the smudged stars. “You don’t get to decide what’s real,” she said, her voice trembling now, not with anger but with something deeper—fear, maybe, or pain. “You don’t get to keep pieces of me just because you like how they look through your lens.” Y/N’s throat tightened, her words cutting deeper than he’d expected. He wanted to argue, to tell her she was wrong, but the hurt in her eyes stopped him. “I’m not trying to trap you,” he said finally. “I just… I thought we were telling this story together.”

She looked at him, her expression softening for a moment, then hardening again. “We were. But it’s not real, Y/N. Remember? It’s just a movie.” She grabbed her bag and brushed past him, her shoulder grazing his, leaving a faint smear of charcoal on his sleeve.

The door swung shut, and the art room felt emptier, the light dimmer. Y/N stood there, his fingers tracing the smudge on his sleeve, the camera bag heavy at his side. He thought of the deleted scenes, her laughter erased, her truths buried. He could restore them—he knew where the backups were—but it wouldn’t bring her back. Not yet.

— The glow of Y/N’s laptop cast a pale halo across his bedroom, its light mingling with the faint flicker of a streetlamp outside. The room was a quiet haven, cluttered with film books and old DVDs from his mother’s shop downstairs, their plastic cases glinting like relics of a forgotten era. The air carried the faint hum of the refrigerator below, punctuated by the occasional creak of the house settling. Beyond the window, the ocean’s murmur was a distant lullaby, steady but indifferent to the storm in Y/N’s chest.

He sat cross-legged on his bed, the laptop balanced on a pillow, its screen filled with the mockumentary’s project files. The deleted scenes—or what remained of them—stared back at him, fragments of Ahyeon’s laughter, her unguarded gaze, her quiet truths. She’d erased them with surgical precision, leaving gaps in the timeline that made the film feel hollow, like a story missing its heart. But Y/N had backups, hidden in a folder on his external drive, a habit born from years of fearing loss—his father’s tapes, his mother’s shop, the moments that slipped away too fast.

He scrubbed through the footage, pausing on the beach scene. There she was, her silhouette sharp against the dusk, her voice soft as she spoke of being trapped. His own words followed, raw and unscripted, about his father’s legacy. The memory of that moment—her eyes meeting his, the waves a quiet chorus—made his throat tighten. He’d thought they were building something together, a story they both believed in. But her absence, her deletions, said otherwise. The Reel Society had met that afternoon, their voices sharp with frustration. “We’re running out of time,” Da-in had said, tapping her pen against a shot list. “The festival’s in two weeks, and half our film is gone. Where’s Ahyeon?”

Min-soo, slouched in a chair, had shrugged. “She does this. Starts strong, then bails. You know how she is.” Y/N had stayed silent, his fingers tracing the edge of his camera bag. He knew how she was—charming, impulsive, quick to laugh—but he’d also seen her in the art room, her hands trembling, her voice breaking. She wasn’t just running from the project. She was running from herself.

Now, alone, he opened the backup files, restoring the deleted scenes one by one. The cherry blossom confession, her laughter bright and unforced; the fight scene, her words about being background noise cutting deeper than the script intended; the beach, where their truths had spilled like ink on a blank page. Each clip was a piece of her she’d tried to erase, and keeping them felt like defiance, a way to hold onto the Ahyeon he’d seen in those moments. But defiance wasn’t enough. He needed her back—not just in the film, but in the club, in the story they’d started. He pulled out his phone, hesitating, then opened their chat. Her last message, from days ago, was a casual “See you at club,” as if nothing had changed. His thumb hovered over the call button, the weight of her words in the art room echoing: You don’t get to keep pieces of me just because you like how they look.

He opted for a voice message, his voice low, unsteady. “Hey, Ahyeon. I don’t know why you’re running, but I’m not letting you disappear. Not from the film, not from… whatever this is. The scenes you cut—they’re the best parts. They’re you. Just… come back, okay? We’re not done.” He hit send before he could second-guess himself, the message vanishing into the digital void. The laptop screen glowed, Ahyeon’s face frozen in a frame from the beach, her eyes soft, searching. He wondered if she’d listen, if she’d hear the plea beneath his words, or if she’d delete this too.

The club’s pressure weighed heavier now. Da-in had texted earlier, her words blunt: Fix this, Y/N. We can’t submit a half-finished film. He knew she was right, but the film felt secondary. It was Ahyeon he wanted to save—not from him, but from the fear that made her erase herself. He closed the laptop, the room plunging into darkness, and leaned back against the wall, his earphones dangling unused around his neck.

Downstairs, his mother was closing the shop, the jingle of keys a faint echo. He thought of her, alone among the DVDs, preserving stories no one rented anymore. He thought of his father’s tapes, grainy images of places he’d never seen, people he’d never meet. And he thought of Ahyeon, her charcoal-smudged hands, her brittle smile, her voice saying she’d rather disappear than be seen wrong.

—

The pier jutted into the sea like a fragile thread, its weathered planks groaning under Y/N’s steps as he approached the water’s edge. The evening air was cold and sharp, laced with salt and the faint tang of rust from the railing. Seagulls wheeled overhead, their cries slicing through the wind, while waves crashed against the pilings below, a restless rhythm that echoed Y/N’s unease. The sky was a tumult of gray clouds, the ocean a churning expanse that seemed to swallow the last light of day. In his pocket, a USB drive weighed heavy, its contents—Ahyeon’s restored scenes—both a lifeline and a risk.

The club had met that morning in the media room, its dusty air thick with frustration. “The film’s a mess without her,” Da-in had said, her pen tapping a furious beat against her shot list. “We’ve got gaps where scenes used to be, and the festival’s in a week.” Min-soo, slouched over a tripod, had nodded grimly. “She’s gone AWOL, Y/N. You’re the director. Do something.” Y/N had stayed silent, his thoughts fixed on Ahyeon’s trembling hands in the art room, her voice sharp with fear: You don’t get to keep pieces of me.

He’d spent the night before in his bedroom, the glow of his laptop casting shadows across stacks of his mother’s DVDs. Against the club’s advice, he’d restored the deleted scenes—Ahyeon’s laughter under cherry blossoms, her raw confession on the beach, the fight where her words cut deeper than the script. The new cut wasn’t just a mockumentary anymore; it was a truth he couldn’t unsee, a story he couldn’t let her erase. He’d transferred it to the USB drive, a gesture he hoped would reach her where his words had failed.

Now, he spotted her at the pier’s end, leaning against the railing, her figure small against the vast sea. Her sweater hung loose, paint-stained and fluttering in the wind, her hair a dark cascade whipped by the breeze. A sketchbook rested beside her, its pages fluttering like trapped birds. Y/N’s steps slowed, his heart a steady drumbeat, the USB drive burning in his pocket. He’d come to give it to her, to show her he’d kept the scenes she’d tried to erase, but the words he’d rehearsed felt fragile now, like lines from a script he didn’t trust.

“Ahyeon,” he said, his voice nearly lost in the wind. She turned, her eyes narrowing, then softening for a fleeting moment before her arms crossed, a familiar shield.

“Out here to film the tragic heroine?” she said, her tone light but edged, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “The wind’s perfect for a dramatic close-up.”

He stopped a few feet away, the planks creaking beneath him. “I’m not filming,” he said, his voice steady despite the knot in his chest. “I’m here because you’re gone. No club, no texts, and you deleted half the film. What’s going on?”

She turned back to the sea, her fingers gripping the railing, her knuckles pale against the rust. “I told you, those scenes didn’t fit. They were messy, off-tone. The film’s better without them.” Y/N shook his head, stepping closer. “That’s not true. Those scenes—the beach, the fight—they were the heart of it. You can’t just cut yourself out, Ahyeon. Not from the film, not from…” He faltered, the words catching. Not from me, he wanted to say, but didn’t.

Her laugh was sharp, brittle, like glass cracking. “You’re making it sound personal. It’s just a movie, Y/N. We were playing parts.”

“It stopped being just a movie on that beach,” he said, his voice low, raw. “You talked about being trapped. I talked about my dad. That wasn’t acting, and you know it.”

Her shoulders stiffened, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The seagulls cried again, their voices harsh against the waves. “You don’t get it,” she said, her voice quieter now, almost lost. “Last time I let someone tell my story, they erased me. I worked on this huge art project with a senior I trusted. He took my sketches, my ideas, and passed them off as his. Everyone clapped for him, and I was just… gone. I’d rather do it myself first, before someone else decides I don’t belong.”

The confession hung heavy, a truth she’d buried until now. Y/N’s chest ached, the weight of her words settling like damp sand. He thought of the art room, her charcoal-smudged hands, the way she’d flinched when he mentioned her past. “I’m not them,” he said, stepping closer, close enough to see the wind tangle her hair. “I kept every frame of you, Ahyeon. Even the ones you hate. The laughter, the way you looked at me when we weren’t pretending. I couldn’t cut them.”

Her eyes met his, wide and unguarded for a moment, before she looked down, her fingers tightening on the railing. “Why?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. “Why does it matter so much to you?”

He swallowed, his throat tight. Because you’re the story I want to tell, he thought, but the words felt too big, too exposed. Instead, he pulled the USB drive from his pocket and held it out. “Because you’re the only thing in this movie I can’t imagine cutting,” he said, his voice rough with honesty.

She stared at the drive, her expression unreadable, then took it, her fingers brushing his for a fleeting second. The touch was electric, a spark in the cold air, and Y/N felt it linger long after her hand pulled away. “What’s this?” she asked, though her voice betrayed she knew.

“The scenes you deleted,” he said. “I restored them. Watch them, keep them, delete them again—I don’t care. They’re yours. I’m not trying to trap you, Ahyeon. I just want you to see what I see.”

She turned the drive over in her hand, her thumb tracing its edges, her eyes distant. The wind tugged at her sketchbook, flipping a page to reveal a half-drawn wave, smudged and incomplete. “You’re an idiot, you know,” she said, her voice soft, almost fond, but her gaze stayed on the sea. “Maybe,” he said, a small smile breaking through. “But I’m not the one running from a good story.”

She didn’t reply, her silence louder than the waves. Y/N stepped back, giving her space, the USB drive a small weight lifted from him. “The festival’s soon,” he said. “We’re showing the film, with or without you. But it’s better with you.”

He turned to leave, the pier creaking under his steps, the seagulls’ cries fading into the wind. He didn’t look back, but he felt her presence behind him, a frame he couldn’t edit out. The ocean rolled on, its secrets locked in its depths, and Y/N hoped the drive in her hand might be enough to keep her from disappearing.

—

The auditorium thrummed with life, a tapestry of voices woven from students, teachers, and parents packed into rows of creaking chairs. Fairy lights draped along the walls cast a warm, golden glow, softening the room’s stark angles, while the scent of buttered popcorn and instant coffee drifted through the air, mingling with the faint salt of the ocean beyond. The stage held only a screen and a projector, its lens gleaming like a sentinel, ready to unveil the club’s work. Outside, the night was heavy with clouds, the sea’s restless murmur a quiet undercurrent to the crowd’s anticipation.

Y/N stood at the back, his camera bag slung over his shoulder, his fingers restless against the strap. His earphones hung loose around his neck, a familiar weight, but they offered no shield against the knot in his chest. The mockumentary was about to screen, a labor of weeks now distilled into fifteen minutes of flickering light. Against Da-in’s warnings and Min-soo’s nervous shrugs, Y/N had re-edited the film, weaving Ahyeon’s deleted scenes back into the narrative—the cherry blossom confession, the fight’s raw edge, the beach where their truths had spilled like waves. The final cut was no longer just satire; it was a story of something real, and showing it felt like stepping into a spotlight he’d spent years avoiding.

Da-in leaned close, her shot list crumpled in her fist. “You sure about this?” she whispered, her eyes scanning the crowd. “Those scenes… they’re not exactly mockumentary material. If Ahyeon freaks out—”

“She won’t,” Y/N said, though his voice lacked conviction. He’d left the USB drive with her on the pier two days ago, but she hadn’t responded—not a text, not a call. He’d seen her in the halls, her head down, her sketchbook clutched tight, but she’d slipped away before he could speak. Still, he’d made his choice: the film would tell their truth, even if she wasn’t ready to hear it.

The lights dimmed, and the crowd hushed, their faces lit by the projector’s glow. Y/N’s heart pounded as the title card flashed—The Perfect Couple: A Mockumentary—followed by the club’s name in his careful handwriting. The opening scene unfolded: Ahyeon under the cherry blossoms, her voice dripping with mock sincerity, “My heart beats only for you, noble scholar of Haneul High!” The audience laughed, the sound bright and easy, and Y/N’s lips twitched despite himself. His own stilted lines drew more chuckles, his awkwardness a perfect foil to her charm.

But as the film progressed, the tone shifted. The fight scene played, their scripted jabs giving way to Ahyeon’s quiet, “You act like I’m just background noise.” The crowd’s laughter faded, replaced by a murmur of recognition. Then came the beach, the dusk painting her face in gold, her unscripted words about being trapped ringing clear. Y/N’s response followed, his voice low, “I’m scared it’s not worth telling.” The auditorium fell silent, the air heavy with the weight of something too real for satire.

Y/N’s eyes found Ahyeon in the crowd, seated near the front, her silhouette stiff against the flickering light. She hadn’t been there when he’d arrived, and her presence now made his breath catch. Her hands were clasped tight in her lap, her face half-hidden by her hair, but he could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers twitched as if to tear the screen down.

The final scene played—a moment Y/N had added in secret, a clip from the beach after the “cut.” Ahyeon laughed, her nose crinkling, as she brushed a petal from his hair, and he smiled, unguarded, his eyes soft. The audience sighed, a collective breath of awe, and Da-in nudged Y/N, whispering, “You’re in trouble.”

The screen went dark, and applause erupted, loud and warm, but Y/N barely heard it. Ahyeon stood, her movements quick, and slipped out a side door, her sketchbook under her arm. His heart lurched, and he followed, ignoring Min-soo’s call of, “Y/N, take a bow!”

The media room was dark when he reached it, the only light a faint flicker from the projector, left on by mistake. The air smelled of dust and old film, a familiar comfort, but it did little to ease the ache in his chest. Ahyeon stood by the window, her back to him, her silhouette framed against the night. The ocean’s murmur seeped through the glass, a quiet echo of their beach scene. “You kept that scene,” she said, her voice low, trembling. She didn’t turn, but her hands gripped her sketchbook, knuckles pale. “The beach. You weren’t supposed to keep it.”

Y/N stepped closer, the floor creaking under his sneakers. “It’s the best part,” he said, his voice steady despite the storm inside. “It’s you.” She turned then, her eyes wide, glistening in the dim light. “You don’t get it, Y/N. That’s not me. That’s… some version you saw, some story you made up. I told you I didn’t want to be trapped again.”

“You’re not trapped,” he said, his voice softer now, urgent. “Those scenes—they’re not my story. They’re ours. You said it yourself, on the beach. It’s worth telling, even if it’s messy.”

Her laugh was sharp, almost a sob. “Messy gets you erased. You saw what happened out there. They loved it, but they don’t know me. They just see what you showed them.”

“And what I showed them was real,” he said, stepping closer, close enough to see the paint smudges on her sleeve, the tremor in her lips. “I didn’t keep those scenes to trap you, Ahyeon. I kept them because they’re the only thing that feels true.”

She looked at him, her eyes searching, raw, and for a moment, he thought she might stay. But then she shook her head, her hair falling like a curtain, and brushed past him, the door swinging shut behind her. The projector flickered, casting shadows across the empty room, and Y/N stood alone, the applause from the auditorium a distant echo.

—

The media room at Haneul Arts High School was a quiet refuge after the festival’s clamor, its air heavy with the scent of dust and old film reels. The projector’s faint flicker cast shadows across the cluttered space—tripods leaning like weary soldiers, posters curling at the edges, a forgotten coffee mug perched on a shelf. The only sound was the soft hum of the machine, left running by some oversight, its light painting the wall with a blank, trembling glow. Outside, the ocean whispered against the cliffs, a steady murmur that felt like permission to breathe.

Y/N stood near the door, his camera bag still slung over his shoulder, his earphones dangling loose around his neck. The auditorium’s applause still echoed in his ears, a distant triumph overshadowed by Ahyeon’s absence. He’d followed her here after she’d slipped out during the screening, her silhouette vanishing like a frame cut too soon. The restored scenes—her laughter, her truths, their shared moment on the beach—had played to a captivated audience, but her reaction, her flight, left him hollow. He’d laid their story bare, and now he waited, hoping she’d choose to stay in it.

The door creaked open, and Ahyeon stepped inside, her sketchbook tucked under her arm, her sweater streaked with paint. Her hair was loose, framing her face in soft waves, and her eyes, still raw from the screening, met his with a mix of defiance and uncertainty. The projector’s light caught the silver of her earring, a small glint in the dimness. “You’re still here,” she said, her voice low, almost accusing, but there was a tremor in it, a crack in her usual armor.

Y/N shifted, his fingers tightening on the camera strap. “Didn’t feel right leaving,” he said, his voice steady but soft. “Not after… everything.”

She glanced at the projector, its light flickering like a heartbeat, then back at him. “You showed them,” she said, her words clipped. “The beach, the fight. All of it. I told you I didn’t want that.” He took a step closer, the floor creaking under his sneakers. “You told me you didn’t want to be trapped. But those scenes—they weren’t trapping you, Ahyeon. They were you, the real you. I couldn’t cut that out.”

Her laugh was soft, almost a sigh, and she set her sketchbook on a desk, her fingers lingering on its worn cover. “The real me,” she echoed, her voice bitter but quiet. “You think you know what that is? I’ve spent years trying to figure it out, and all I know is that every time I let someone see it, they take it and make it theirs.”

Y/N’s chest ached, her words pulling at the memory of her confession on the pier—the senior who’d stolen her work, erased her from her own story. “I’m not him,” he said, his voice firm but gentle. “I didn’t show those scenes to claim you. I showed them because… because they’re the only thing that made sense. You made sense.”

She looked at him then, her eyes wide, searching, the projector’s glow catching the shimmer of unshed tears. “You’re an idiot,” she said, but there was no venom in it, only a softness that made his heart lurch. “You’re supposed to be the director, not the guy who risks everything for a stupid moment.”

He smiled, small and unguarded, stepping closer until the space between them was just a breath. “Maybe I’m tired of directing,” he said. “Maybe I want to be in the frame for once.”

The air stilled, the projector’s hum a quiet pulse. Ahyeon’s lips parted, as if to argue, but instead she laughed—a real laugh, light and unguarded, the kind that crinkled her nose and made the room feel warmer. “You’re terrible at it,” she said, her voice teasing but warm. “You’re all awkward lines and bad timing.”

“Yeah, well,” he said, his smile widening, “you’re not exactly Oscar-worthy yourself. That beach confession? Total improv disaster.”

She swatted his arm, her touch light but lingering, and the tension between them cracked like thin ice. “Disaster?” she said, mock-offended. “I carried that scene. You were the one mumbling about your dad like a sad documentary narrator.”

He laughed, the sound surprising him, and for a moment, the media room felt like the beach—open, unguarded, theirs. “Okay, fine,” he said. “But we’re keeping it. All of it. No more edits.”

Her smile faded, but not into fear this time—into something softer, more certain. “No more edits,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But if we’re doing this—this story, whatever it is—you don’t get to hide behind the camera anymore.”

He nodded, his throat tight. “Deal. And you don’t get to disappear.”

She held his gaze, her eyes steady, and for the first time, he saw no trace of her usual defenses. “Deal,” she said, and the word felt like a beginning.

The projector flickered, its light catching a forgotten camera on a tripod, its red light blinking—a silent witness to their laughter, their promises. Neither noticed, too caught in the moment, and Y/N thought that some scenes didn’t need a lens to be real.

—

The rooftop shimmered under a canopy of fairy lights, their soft glow weaving a net of stars against the night sky. The ocean’s breath carried a faint salt tang, mingling with the scent of grilled skewers and soda cans clinking in the cool evening air. The club had claimed the rooftop for a celebratory party, their laughter rising like music over the distant murmur of the waves. Tables were strewn with snacks—crinkled chip bags, half-eaten tteokbokki, a thermos of instant coffee gone cold—while a portable projector hummed, casting a flickering light across a makeshift screen of strung-up bedsheets.

Y/N leaned against the railing, his camera bag resting at his feet, his earphones looped loosely around his neck. The mockumentary had won a small award at the national contest—a certificate and a modest cash prize, enough to keep the club’s equipment from falling apart—but the victory felt secondary. His eyes kept drifting to Ahyeon, who stood near the projector, laughing with Da-in over a shared joke. Her sweater was paint-splattered, her hair catching the fairy lights in glints of gold, and her smile—unguarded, real—made his chest ache in a way that was no longer unfamiliar. A month had passed since the festival screening, since their quiet agreement in the media room to stop hiding, to let their story unfold without edits. Their relationship was new, tentative, a series of small moments—shared glances in the hallway, texts sent late at night, her hand brushing his during club meetings. It wasn’t the grand romance of their mockumentary, but it was theirs, and that was enough.

“Oi, director!” Min-soo called, waving a USB drive like a flag. “Time for the outtakes. You can’t hog all the glory forever.”

Y/N rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips. “It’s not glory, it’s torture. Those clips are embarrassing.”

“Exactly why we’re showing them,” Da-in said, plugging the drive into the projector. “The audience deserves to see you trip over your own lines.”

Ahyeon joined them, her sketchbook tucked under her arm, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Oh, come on, Y/N. You’re not scared of a few bloopers, are you? I mean, you survived my acting.” “Barely,” he said, his voice dry but warm. “Your dramatic hair flip almost took out a tripod.” She laughed, the sound light and unguarded, and nudged his shoulder. “And your attempt at a love confession? I’m pretty sure the seagulls did it better.”

The club gathered around the screen, their chatter fading as the outtakes began. The projector flickered, showing Y/N stumbling over a cherry blossom petal, his muttered curse drawing giggles from the crowd. Then Ahyeon, mid-scene, sneezing so hard she knocked over a prop coffee cup, her laughter infectious as she tried to recover. The beach scene followed, a moment they hadn’t used—her teasing him about his “sad documentary voice,” him retaliating by splashing her with seawater, both of them collapsing into laughter as the camera tilted, forgotten.

The rooftop crowd cheered, their voices mingling with the ocean’s hum, but Y/N’s attention was on Ahyeon, who stood close now, her arm brushing his. “You kept that one too?” she asked, her voice soft, meant only for him.

“Couldn’t help it,” he said, his eyes meeting hers. “It’s you. Messy, annoying, perfect.” She raised an eyebrow, her smile teasing but warm. “Careful, director. You’re starting to sound like you mean it.”

“Maybe I do,” he said, and the words felt easier now, no camera needed to make them real. Da-in’s voice cut through, sharp with mock exasperation. “Okay, lovebirds, save it for the sequel. Some of us are trying to enjoy the snacks.”

Min-soo tossed a chip at them, grinning. “Yeah, get a room. Or at least a better script.” Ahyeon laughed, tossing a chip back, and Y/N felt the moment settle, light and sure, like a frame that needed no editing. Later, as the crowd thinned and the fairy lights swayed, they slipped to the edge of the rooftop, the ocean stretching dark and endless below. She leaned against the railing, her sketchbook open to a new page—a rough sketch of the pier, waves curling like promises.

“You know,” she said, her voice quiet, “you’re not half bad when you’re not hiding behind that lens.”

He smiled, leaning closer, the fairy lights casting soft shadows across her face. “And you’re not awful when you stop trying to vanish.”

“High praise,” she said, her eyes glinting. “Should I put that in the sequel?”

“Only if I get to direct this time,” he said, and her laughter was a sound he wanted to keep forever, no delete button required.

— The beach at sunrise was a quiet hymn, its sand cool and damp under Y/N’s sneakers, streaked with the ocean’s gentle etchings. The sky bloomed in soft pinks and golds, the first light kissing the waves with a shimmer that felt like a promise. The air was crisp, laced with salt and the faint tang of seaweed, and the horizon stretched wide, an invitation to begin again. Y/N adjusted the camera on its tripod, the lens trained on the sea, but his hands hesitated, less certain now of the barrier it once provided. His earphones hung loose around his neck, unused, as if silence were the truer soundtrack.

Ahyeon stood nearby, her sketchbook tucked under her arm, her sweater flecked with paint and sand. Her hair danced in the breeze, catching the dawn’s glow, and her eyes held a quiet resolve, brighter than the morning itself. The Reel Society was on hiatus after the festival, their award—a modest certificate—pinned proudly in the media room. But Y/N and Ahyeon had started something new: a short film about their town, not a satire but a portrait, capturing its imperfections—the crooked streets, the weathered pier, the people who stayed despite the pull of elsewhere.

“Ready, director?” Ahyeon called, her voice light but warm, a tease that carried no edge.

She stepped into the frame, her sneakers sinking into the sand, and pointed at a distant fishing boat bobbing on the waves. “That’s your opening shot, right? Old man, old boat, timeless struggle?”

Y/N smiled, adjusting the focus, though his eyes were on her. “Maybe,” he said. “But I’m thinking more… you, standing there, looking like you belong.”

She laughed, the sound clear and unforced, crinkling her nose in the way that still made his heart skip. “Smooth, Y/N. You’re getting better at this whole ‘in front of the camera’ thing.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he said, his voice dry but soft. “I’m still better behind the lens.”

She raised an eyebrow, stepping closer, her sketchbook brushing against his arm. “Not true. You’re not half bad when you let people see you.”

He met her gaze, the camera’s hum a quiet pulse between them. The past months had woven them together—late-night texts, shared coffee in the media room, her sketches pinned beside his shot lists. Their relationship wasn’t the grand romance of their mockumentary, but it was real: messy, imperfect, theirs. They’d talked about the future—college applications looming, the town’s pull versus the world beyond—but here, now, the beach felt like enough.

“Speaking of seeing,” she said, flipping open her sketchbook to reveal a drawing of the pier, its lines soft but sure, waves curling at its base. “I thought this could be our poster. Something simple, honest.”

He leaned closer, his shoulder brushing hers, and studied the sketch. “It’s perfect,” he said. “No filters, no edits. Just… us.”

She smiled, her eyes softening. “You’re learning, director. But you’re not allowed to hide back there forever, you know.”

He laughed, a sound lighter than he’d thought possible. “Fine. But only if you stop trying to delete yourself.”

“Deal,” she said, her voice steady, certain. She reached out, her fingers grazing his, and tugged him gently toward the camera. “Come on. Get in the shot with me.”

Y/N hesitated, the old instinct to stay behind the lens flaring briefly, but her touch was an anchor, pulling him forward. He stepped into the frame, the sand shifting under his feet, and she stood beside him, her shoulder warm against his. The camera’s red light blinked, capturing them together—him with his awkward smile, her with her sketchbook, the ocean stretching endless behind them.

“You’re terrible at this,” she teased, nudging him. “Smile like you mean it.”

“Only if you do it first,” he said, and her laughter rang out, a sound he wanted to keep forever, no delete button needed. The camera panned slowly to the sea, the sunrise painting the waves in gold, no edits required.

The town lay quiet behind them, its imperfections a story worth telling, and Y/N felt, for the first time, that he was part of it—not just the director, but the one in the frame.

-

Yeah, you still couldn’t wrap your head around it after a few weeks.

Every time you walked back into your shared dorm room, it was like stepping through a portal. One second, you’d be on campus watching Ahyeon glide through the quad with her designer bag slung over her shoulder like another fashion show. The next, you’d be in the dorm, watching that same girl trying to microwave three-day-old rice while wearing a hoodie so big it practically dragged on the floor.

It was bizarre. Fascinating. Terrifying. You weren’t sure which version was the disguise anymore. It definitely would make any sane person go nuts.

On campus, Ahyeon was all poise and polish—spine straight, tone clipped, giving out head nods like royalty. She’d barely glance at people who greeted her. You once saw her shut down a classmate’s flirting attempt with a single look. No words. Just a raised eyebrow and an “I’m so above this” expression that could’ve ended dynasties.

But back at the dorm?

“Ya, where’s my ramen pot—the one with the tiny scratches on the bottom, not that ugly shiny one—have you seen it?!”

You looked up from your laptop, eyebrows slowly rising. “You have a favourite ramen pot?”

“Don’t judge me, it hits different,” she muttered, already rifling through the cabinet like a raccoon in distress.

You said nothing. You were still mentally buffering from seeing her thirty minutes earlier in lecture, where she’d answered a professor’s question with the kind of smooth, articulate delivery that made people blink twice.

You, meanwhile, were still trying to process why you saw her walk past the philosophy building like she was starring in her own perfume ad, only for her to come home and slap down a jumbo ramen packet like it owed her money.

Still, you didn’t say anything. Not out loud, at least. You weren’t suicidal. You just sat there, quietly perplexed, sipping your water while Ahyeon victoriously yanked her precious ramen pot from under a stack of mismatched pans. “Found you, Bobby.”

She patted it. Patted it.

You glanced at her. “You name your pot Bobby?”

“I name things that bring me joy,” she replied smoothly, already tearing into the ramen packet with intense focus. “You should feel glad I still remember your name.”

You opened your mouth to respond but she didn’t give you the chance.

Instead, she plopped down onto the floor like it was instinct, ramen boiling away in the corner. Then she turned her head with that look—one you’d learned to recognize. “Game time.”

You blinked. “Huh?”

“Mario Kart. You’re player two. I’m not letting you escape again.”

"I have assignment-" Before you could protest, she grabbed your wrist and physically dragged you down next to her like a lazy cat staking claim on a sunny spot. Your body hit the rug with a soft thud as she shoved a controller into your hand and "tossed" over a bowl of freshly made ramen (she didn't actually toss it, thankfully).

“You didn’t even ask if I wanted to—”

“You’re eating my food. That’s consent.”

“That’s not how consent works. Plus you just shove me the bowl.”

She just grinned at you, clicking through the menus. “You talk too much for someone who always comes in last place.”

Your jaw dropped. “Oh, excuse me?!”

“Shhh. Choose your character. And if you pick Toad again, I’m destroying your controller.”

You sighed, defeated, but your lips twitched despite yourself.

And it become smooth sailing from now on. Sharing ramen with the off-duty queen bee while getting thrashed in Mario Kart. Not that you’d ever say it out loud, but… it wasn’t so bad. Still confusing as hell. But not so bad. Eventually, you just… got used to it.

The duality. The whiplash. The fact that Ahyeon basically lived two lives like some ramen-slurping, Mario Kart-playing Hannah Montana. (Live the best of both world~)

You simply just adapted.

It started small. Like how you stopped getting flustered when she flopped onto your bed uninvited and scrolled through your texts like she paid rent. Or how you casually shoved her laundry basket toward her with your foot when it blocked the door. No dumb excuses whenever you disturb her, no tiptoeing around her moods.

She noticed. (She's sharp, after all)

“You’re getting real comfortable, huh?” she said one night, lying upside down on her bed with her feet propped against the wall.

You didn’t even look up from your laptop. “I mean…It’s my room you're randomly laying on.”

“Ooh, feisty.”

“Just fair.”

She let out a soft snort. “You didn’t use to be like this.”

You shrugged. “You didn’t use to scream at your Switch when you lost in Tetris.”

“Hey, rude,” she huffed, flipping over and hugging her pillow. “But seriously… most people just treat me like… I don’t know. A statue with eyeliner.”

“Nice statue,” you offered without batting an eye.

She narrowed her eyes at you. You just chuckled.

“…But yeah. Guess I stopped treating you like a campus icon once I realized you drool in your sleep.”

“YOU SAW THAT?”

“I have eyes, Jung Ahyeon.”

She threw the pillow at your face, screaming, “DELETE THAT FROM YOUR MEMORY!”

You caught it midair, laughing, and tossed it back. “Nah, too late. I’m printing it on a mug.”

Yeah, pretty much that.

She was still Ahyeon, sure. But because you got used to that version of her, you stopped treating her like an important figure on campus.

What surprised you most wasn’t how easy it became to live with her. It was how natural it felt to stop pretending she was something unattainable. Like, yeah, she was still objectively cool and kind of intimidating when she wanted to be—but you had seen her (dramatically) cry over a dropped dumpling. You had witnessed her scream when she accidentally clicked on a jumpscare video while trying to find a ramen recipe.

You eventually got more laxed and bold around her as well.

You’d tease her when her eyeliner was slightly crooked. You’d steal the good snacks (sometimes packets of ramen) from her drawer. You once made her sit through a documentary about frogs just because you had the remote and wanted to see how long it’d take for her to lose it.

(Answer: 12 minutes. “WHY ARE THEY PEELING THEIR OWN SKIN OFF—TURN IT OFF.”)

Every time you didn’t flinch at her glam, or didn’t praise her for just existing like some worshippers, you’d catch her looking at you out of the corner of her eye.

Not annoyed. Not smug. Just… a little curious. Like she couldn’t decide if she liked being treated normal or really liked it.

You never asked.

But the next time she made ramen, she poured you a bowl before you even sat down. Didn’t say anything. Just nudged it toward you and picked up the controller.

“Pick Toad again and I break your thumbs.”

“You’re not strong enough.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Try me.”

And just like that, you grinned, sat down beside her, and picked Toad as usual.

It felt good to be normal with her.

Even if she still wore lip gloss to class and snored like a chainsaw at night.

-

You came home one afternoon carrying what could only be described as a small mountain of pastel-coloured envelopes and glittery cardstock. The entire bundle was threatening to explode from your arms like a confetti cannon if you so much as sneezed.

You kicked the dorm door open with your foot and groaned.

"Ahyeon-ah. You’ve got mail.”

From the beanbag in the corner, she groaned back without looking up. “Is it bills?”

“Worse. Your fan club.”

That got her attention. She peeked over the edge of her hoodie like a sleepy meerkat, her hair shoved into a lopsided bun held together by what looked like a single pen. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” you said, dropping the pile onto her desk with a dramatic thud. “And some of them smell like perfume. I think one might be…spritzed with…Chanel? Or whatever this is.”

Ahyeon let out a strangled laugh and rolled onto her back, covering her face with the sleeve of her hoodie. “Why do people still send letters? This isn’t a historical drama.”

You started sorting through them half-heartedly. “Let’s see… ‘To our dearest muse Ahyeon,’ blah blah blah, ‘Your eyes shine brighter than the morning dew,’—okay, yeah, this one’s definitely from the theatre major guy with the poetry blog.”

“Please burn it.”

You ignored her. “And here’s one with a party invite. Ooh, fancy. Hotel rooftop, live DJ, open bar, black only. Sounds expensive.”

She sat up slowly like a ghost rising from the dead. “Do they seriously expect me to show up at a rooftop party like I’m a chaebol's daughter?”

You raised your brow. “You kind of look like one.”

Ahyeon squinted at you, unamused. “Wow. Nice compliment, dude.”

You shrugged, then casually tossed a glittery invite onto her lap. “Still rude not to go to any of these. You keep ignoring them.”

“I AM ignoring them,” she said, already pulling her blanket back over her head like she was done with the conversation.

But you weren’t.

You folded your arms and leaned against her desk, giving her the patented “I’m annoyed but trying to be reasonable” stare. “I’m not saying go to all of them. I’m just saying maybe show up to one. For like, an hour. Eat a snack. Wave. You don’t have to even speak.”

From under the blanket came a dramatic sigh as she peeked at you. “Ughhh. Do I have to?”

“No,” you said. “But if someone invites you to something with actual calligraphy and gold foil, maybe don’t ghost them like they’re spam mail. Just go to one. For the PR. Or karma. Or whatever reason gets you off this beanbag for once.”

You expected more whining. Maybe another pillow to the face. But instead, there was silence. Then, slowly, the blanket peeled back.

“…Which one’s the least annoying?”

You blinked. “Wait, you’re actually considering it?”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t look at you. “Well, you’re the only person who talks to me like I’m not some fashion icon sent from the heavens, so yeah. I’ll think about it.”

Pause.

“You know,” you said, the corner of your mouth twitching, “you’re way too obedient for someone who ignores professors and deletes emails from event planners.”

“I don’t delete them,” she muttered, pretending to look through the invites. “I just… pretend they don’t exist.”

You nudged her with your foot. “You literally hid a letter under your bed last week.”

“That was an accident.”

“That one had a wax seal. And you were gonna burn it until I told you not to.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Okay, now you’re being dramatic.”

You just laughed and plopped beside her, watching her shuffle through the stack of over-the-top invites like she was picking which new movie she wanted to commit to.

Eventually, she held one up—a simpler one. A quiet evening rooftop mixer hosted by the arts faculty. Less noise, fewer flashing lights. Free food.

“…This one. But only if you come too.”

You blinked. “I—no, no, no. I said you should go.”

“You dragged me into this.”

“I nudged. Gently. With logic.”

Ahyeon squinted. “You literally made a moral argument about kindness and public image.”

“Yeah, but not for me. I’ll just be chilling, thanks.”

She stared for a long beat. “…Fine,” she sighed, retreating back to her blanket. “Don’t come then. See if I care.”

-

The door slammed open.

Not hard enough to shake the walls, but enough to announce a very specific kind of Ahyeon mood: dramatics, irritation, and maybe slight regret. You didn’t even flinch from your spot on the rug, legs stretched out, controller resting on your lap as the familiar "Game Over" music from the console played for the third time in a row.

“Hey,” you greeted lazily, not looking up. “How was the red carpet?”

“Don’t,” she snapped instantly, heels already off and tossed somewhere in the vicinity of the door. “Do not ask me how that went.”

You spooned another bite of ramen into your mouth, still unmoved. “So, amazing then?”

“Literally kill me.”

“Can’t. I’d have to do your laundry if you die.”

“Then let me suffer.”

She stomped past the couch, tugging her earrings off and mumbling curses in between. You didn’t even bother pausing the game as you heard her unzip her jacket and toss it onto her bed with what you imagined was Olympic-level flair.

“You’re back early,” you said between chews.

“They had a red velvet carpet,” she deadpanned, walking back into the room like she’d aged ten years. “RED. VELVET. Who the hell chooses red velvet for a party floor? My heels got caught in the fabric three times. I almost faceplanted into a cheese fountain.”

You turned your head at that. “Wait—cheese fountain? Woah they're going big.”

“Don’t get excited. It looked like someone melted a candle and gave up halfway through.”

"Oh."

She flopped onto the floor beside you, clearly over it all. Not in her usual runway way—no makeup touch-ups, no fixing her hair. Just a girl whose soul had been partially devoured by small talk and camera flashes.

You casually nudged the ramen pot toward her with your knee. “Eat. You worked h-”

She didn't even hesitated. Her hand grabbed the chopsticks from yours without asking and started eating like a starving child.

“Oh my God,” she moaned, “this is much better than therapy.”

“You’re welcome,” you said, leaning back against the couch. “I cooked it up like five minutes ago. Thought you’d come back either angry or starving.”

“Turns out it’s both.” She pointed the chopsticks at you mid-bite. “And you’re disgusting for eating while I was out suffering.”

“You’re disgusting for letting me eat your private stash,” you shot back. “What happened to ‘don’t touch my Shin Ramyun unless you have a death wish?’”

“Death sounded preferable the second some finance major started rapping at me.”

You turned slowly. “…You’re lying.”

“I wish,” she grunted, mouth full of noodles. “He said his name was Chase but spelled it ‘Chayceu’ on the name tag. He freestyled. At me.”

You put down the controller. “I take back everything I said. I’m sorry for not coming. You did not deserve that.”

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, looking absolutely done with social interaction. “The DJ stopped the music to let him do it.”

“Oh, that’s vile.”

“There was beatboxing. Beatboxing. I think I blacked out.”

You tried not to laugh. She scowled at you, but didn’t stop eating. The ramen pot was halfway gone now and you’d had maybe… three bites total?

“I hope you’re happy,” she muttered, slurping. “This was all your fault.”

“How?”

“You made me go.”

“I said you should go to one, not walk into the Cringefest.”

“I trusted you.”

“One, you picked that invite. Two you also trusted that one girl on Youtube who said you could dry your hair with a salad spinner.”

“…Okay, touch.”

"You mean touché?"

"Ugh stop being so annoying!" Her words were muffled by the slurping of the ramen.

You snorted and leaned your head back, letting the sound of her eating fill the room. It was kind of funny, seeing her like this. Not glammed up, not striking fear into underclassmen with one stare. Just a girl sitting cross-legged on the rug in a hoodie again, stealing bites from a pot of ramen and telling you about her night like you were her unofficial therapist.

And as usual, you didn’t point out that she was now spooning the last of the broth with an empty expression, completely ignoring the fact that it had once been your dinner too.

You just pressed your lips into a thin line as you looked down at the pot, now hollow and echoing.

“…So. You gonna apologize for eating all of it?”

“Nope.”

“You know I cooked that, right?”

“You also said I needed comfort. So I’m comforting myself.”

“That’s not how that works.”

“Should’ve eaten faster.”

“Screw you, Jung Ahyeon.”

She smiled into the empty pot, clearly satisfied with herself. “And you still made me ramen.”

“Correction: that was for me” You grabbed a packet nearby, tossed it at her. “Go make the next one. I had like three bites.”

Ahyeon stretched her legs and cracked her neck like she’d just finished a battle. “Fine. But I’m putting extra egg in it for protein. You're hearing all my rants tonight.”

"I bet you gonna eat the damn eggs-" You raised an eyebrow before you just slumped back to the couch. "Ugh. Do what you want, Ahyeon-ah.”

She didn’t answer.

She just stood up, ramen packet in hand, and headed toward the tiny kitchenette—grinning quietly to herself.

----------------------------------------------------