Sihyun stood on the rooftop of a tall building, his feet mere inches from the edge of the railing.
The wind carried a chill as it grazed his skin, tugging at the loose strands of his hair. Above him, the sky stretched wide and impenetrable, deepened by the ink of night.
Yet below, the city thrummed with life. Each high-rise blinked with bright colors and polished windows, as if nothing in the world was broken.
Amid the glittering skyline, his gaze locked onto a massive digital billboard glowing across a nearby tower–his own face blown to cinematic proportions, staring back with an impossible smile.
It was an advertisement for a high-end perfume brand.
There, he wore that familiar, marketable charm. His damp-styled hair clung artfully to his forehead, and his white shirt was unbuttoned halfway, exuding unapologetic sensuality.
Sihyun tore his eyes away from that illusion.
He peered over the railing, watching the streets below, where the people swarmed like scattered ants, weaving between car lights and storefronts. The veins of the city pulsed, uncaring and endless.
A sigh left his lips, his thoughts tangled in loops. But just as he slipped deeper into the fog of his own mind, something glided across the corner of his eye—too fast to catch, too real to ignore.
Startled, he turned sharply, scanning the area behind him.
But there was nothing noteworthy.
Did his mind play a trick on him?
Was the stress distorting his reality?
Then, the vibration of his phone broke through the silence.
He reached into his pocket, lazily pulling it out. The screen lit up with a name: Nam Haeun.
His elder sister.
He cleared his throat before answering, trying to strip the weariness from his voice.
"Sihyun, how have you been? These days, I've been busy to even check up on you."
Her warm voice greeted him as soon as he slid the screen to answer.
"I'm alright."
"Thank goodness. I was worried you'd be holed up in your room again, not eating or sleeping properly."
"My manager looks after me well in that regard," he spoke casually, while his nails anxiously rubbed against one another.
On the other end, the wailing of a baby bled through the speaker, followed by Haeun's soothing voice as she tried to calm the child.
Sihyun felt bad, knowing that his sister had to worry about him when she already had too much on her plate.
They wrapped up the call lightly, promising to talk again soon.
When the line went dead, the rooftop fell back into stillness. The sky hadn't changed. The billboard still blinked with his frozen smile. He stepped down from the ledge and landed with a soft thud on the hard concrete.
Time to head back.
- - - -
By the time he returned to the apartment, both his manager and the CEO of his agency were waiting inside.
Mr. Jeong, the head of management, immediately began scolding him the second he walked in.
"Where were you for twelve hours?! Have you forgotten about all the articles that got published the last time you went out and fought with some random guy?"
"The guy was drunk and started the fight for no reason," Sihyun replied with flat indifference.
"That doesn't matter!" Mr. Jeong's voice rose. "Why go out at all? We told you to lay low. And now you've just added fuel to the fire."
Mr. Kim, the manager, tried to mediate, but Mr. Jeong wasn't done.
"I've had enough. Are you trying to throw away everything you've worked for? Everything we've built for twenty years? You're not a kid anymore, Sihyun. Do I need to babysit you like one?"
Sihyun didn't flinch. He walked past them into the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and took a slow sip.
This made Mr. Jeong run a hand through his neatly parted hair, trying to compose himself. His final warning was blunt:
"Lay low. No more scandals."
Then he stormed out.
Mr. Kim followed after him in a flurry of apology and haste, leaving behind Sihyun alone in the apartment.
- - - -
In the parking lot below, Mr. Kim caught up to the well-dressed gentleman just as he opened the car door.
"If Sihyun disappears again, report it immediately," Mr. Jeong ordered, climbing in. "Keep an eye on him at all times."
Mr. Kim nodded earnestly. "It seems like Sihyun is really having a hard time right now due to all those allegations."
"We're doing what we can," Mr. Jeong replied with a long sigh. "The legal team is working tirelessly with detectives and we're throwing every resource we have into clearing his name."
He added, "Just keep him off the Internet for now. It won't do him any good to listen to all that criticism. Take care of his mental health more than anything."
The car pulled away, and Mr. Kim stood alone in the empty lot until the headlights vanished down the road.
- - - -
Back upstairs, he found Sihyun sprawled on the sofa, playing a mobile game with muted focus.
"What are you craving for dinner?" Mr. Kim asked gently.
"You can pick," Sihyun mumbled, eyes glued to the screen. "I'm fine with anything."
Knowing the drill, Mr. Kim ordered a familiar rotation of dishes from Sihyun's usual list of favorites. It was always the safest bet.
- - - - -
That night, while Mr. Kim lay sound asleep in the guest room, he never noticed the dark silhouette silently entering.
Sihyun tiptoed into the room, careful not to wake him. His eyes went straight to the nightstand, where his phone and a few other confiscated devices were stashed.
After getting what he wanted, he slipped out again before Mr. Kim could sense anything abnormal.
Back in his room, lying flat on his back, he scrolled through the glowing screen.
Headline after headline screamed his name.
The images were all skewed. He was branded as a liar, a cheater, an arrogant disgrace. A has-been. A threat. A fallen star.
In the comment sections, the words were worse.
Most people vented their frustrations; others just jumped on the hate train
* Man, I've been totally duped by his good looks. I didn't expect him to be such a shitty person lol 𓁹‿𓁹
* I gave up on being his fan a long time ago. Best decision of my life. ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧
* I've watched him since he was a child -_- Can't believe he turned out like this. (╥‸╥)
* He should just off himself already.
His fingers stilled.
With a quiet sigh, he finally clicked off his phone.
He lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling.
That was when he caught something pass by, just out of the corner of his eye.