Oops, Love in Progress

Chapter 24: The Weight of Expectations

Haneul hadn't slept. She had spent the whole night ruminating on the looks, the hushed tones, the panting breaths around her since the controversy erupted. She wasn't even the center of it—Hyunjin was—but inexplicably, she was drawn into the tempest.

She took a deep breath before going into Stardom Entertainment that morning, wishing today would be less confining.

It wasn't.

The atmosphere shifted the moment she walked inside. People fell silent, but not all the way. It was the kind of silence that made it obvious people were attempting not to talk about her. Some of the trainees did not even try to keep their interest hidden, staring openly at her with faces ranging from curiosity to judgment.

She exhaled through her nose, gripping her bag tightly. If she let this affect her, she'd never succeed.

As she reached the practice room, she stood outside. Hyunjin was inside, pacing back and forth. His usual laid-back self wasn't there, instead being overtaken by agitation. He paced back and forth, raking his hand through his hair and muttering something under his breath. The scene made her chest tighten. He wasn't fine.

But was she really meant to go inside? Should they be spotted together, after all of this?

She hadn't even gotten to decide before Hyunjin saw her. His walking stopped. Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither of them said anything.

"Should you be here?" He sounded gentler than usual. Tired.

She breathed in deeply. "I don't know. Should you?"

He let out a sarcastic laugh, leaning his shoulders into the mirror. "Good point."

She opened the door and stepped inside. "Are they giving you crap?"

Hyunjin shrugged. "Not precisely. But there is pressure. Management's pissed. The company's watching my back now."

"And you're still here," she said.

His lips curved into a crooked smile. "And so are you."

She did not reply because, in all fairness, she had not known either. Maybe because dodging him was the same as admitting. To believing the rumor. But to stand there with him. that was a risk.

The silence was going to become too awkward when the door creaked open for the second time.

Sunwoo.

His sharp eyes scanned between them, assessing the situation. He said nothing at first, only stepped in and put a bottle of water on the table.

"If you two keep acting like this, people will keep gossiping," he stated bluntly.

Haneul flinched. "And what do you mean by 'acting like this'?"

Sunwoo raised an eyebrow. "Like two people involved in a scandal who can't decide whether or not to shun each other."

Hyunjin clicked his tongue. "Thanks for the critique, Sunbae. Extremely helpful."

Sunwoo rubbed his temple. "Look, I don't care what is going on between you two. But if you're not careful, things will only get worse."

Haneul frowned. "So what? We pretend like we don't know each other?"

Sunwoo didn't answer immediately. Then, after a pause, he answered, "If it's what it takes to save your career, then yes."

Hyunjin let out a soft sigh, but it was anything but funny. "That's rich, coming from you."

Sunwoo ground his teeth. "Just consider it."

And with that, he turned and left them standing in silence.

Haneul stared at the closed door, her stomach roiling. Maybe Sunwoo was right. Maybe this wasn't worth it.

But why did leaving feel so wrong?

Chapter 25: The Pressure Builds

Haneul barely had time to digest Sunwoo's warning before the world came crashing down on her like a splintering sea wave. As soon as she stepped out of the practice room, she could sense it—the change, the scrutiny, the pressure of a thousand silent criticisms weighing her down.

The agency was not the same today. It was tighter. Harsher.

She wasn't crazy. The way the employees whispered a little too loudly when she walked by, the sidelong glances from some of the employees, the way some of the trainees stiffened when she walked into the break room.

And the worst of all—the silence of the authorities.

Under normal circumstances, there would have been at least some dialogue, some acknowledgement of her presence. But today? Nothing. No single email, message, or directive. It was as if she'd disappeared.

That is, until she hadn't.

"Haneul."

She stood still at the voice, then slowly turned to see one of the top managers, Kang Seokjin, standing in his office doorway, his expression an impenetrable mask.

"Come with me."

Her stomach roiled, but she clamped her jaws together and followed him into the office. The room was pristine, each item meticulously positioned—a stark contrast to the mess inside her head currently.

Seokjin indicated for her to sit. "I suppose you realize why you've been summoned here."

She gulped. "The rumors."

He nodded briefly. "The company is displeased."

Naturally they weren't.

Seokjin stepped closer, putting his hands on the desk. "We brought you in as staff, not as a distraction. Right now, that's what you're being."

Haneul clenched her fists in her lap. "I didn't want this."

"And yet, here we are."

She gritted her teeth. "What do you want me to do?"

Seokjin let out a sigh, as if he had been expecting her to resist longer. "Stay low. Avoid Hyunjin. We cannot allow this to happen more than it does already."

She nodded stiffly, but he continued before she could spin on her heel, "And Haneul. if it continues, we're going to have to revisit your position here."

Her gasp.

She had known it was a gamble. But hearing him say it made it real.

She ran out of the office in a daze, her heart pounding. It wasn't right. None of this was right.

And then, because the universe just had to go and make things worse, she nearly collided with Hyunjin in the hallway.

He caught her wrist, holding her upright before she could stumble back. "Whoa—hey, you okay?"

She pulled away from him quickly. "We don't want to get caught talking."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What—why?"

She shook her head. "They told me to stay away from you."

For the first time, Hyunjin looked genuinely taken aback. His usual playful arrogance was nowhere to be seen. Just concern. And something else—something unreadable in his eyes.

"They think you're a distraction," she muttered.

A muscle in his jaw twitched. "That's bullshit."

"Maybe. But it's my reality now."

Hyunjin exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "I'll fix this."

Her breast constricted. "You can't."

He was, for once, at a loss for words.

So was she.