The city lights blurred through the glass as Hana rested her chin on her hand, watching the world pass outside the convenience store. It was just another quiet evening shift. Same soft music playing in the background. Same warmth in her smile, even if it didn’t always reach her heart.

“Thanks for coming. Take care!” she called after a customer, bowing slightly.

The moment the door closed, she let out a breath and stretched her back. Her feet ached, and the hours had felt longer than usual. Still, she didn’t complain. She never did.

There was no one left to complain to.

Years ago, in the middle of a rainy night, a single phone call changed her life in a single night. A phone call. A car crash. Her parents never made it home. Her grandmother — the last person who held her close — passed away quietly a few months later.

Since then, Hana has become good at pretending. Pretending she wasn’t lonely. Pretending the silence in her tiny apartment didn’t ache, but she smiled. Every day.

She kept her sadness folded neatly inside her like an old letter she never dared to read.

“Hey, Hana,” her co-worker Seoyun said, leaning over the counter. “That jacket — did you design it?”

Hana looked down at her patched denim sleeves. “Sort of. I just fixed it up.”

Seoyun raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got taste. Seriously. You always wear things no one else would think of, and they look good.”

Hana laughed softly. “I just work with what I have.”

“Well,” Seoyun said, lowering her voice, “my sister works at a talent agency. You know, idols and all that. One of their assistants quit yesterday. They need someone to help backstage — nothing fancy, just managing clothes, schedules, errands.”

Hana blinked. “Me? At an idol agency?”

“You’ve got the eye. And you're organized. I can ask if they’ll give you an interview.”

Hana hesitated. She hadn’t let herself dream in a long time. She was two years behind in school, stuck in part-time jobs, barely staying afloat.

“I don’t know…”

“Think about it. It’s better than here. And honestly, you deserve better than here.”

That night, after walking home with the quiet city around her, Hana curled up under her blanket with a bowl of warm noodles and stared at the small crack in her ceiling.

A part of her heart stirred — the part that still remembered what it was like to want something more.

But before the thought could take root, she whispered to herself, “Let’s not start hoping again. Let’s just eat… and sleep.”

---

Far across the city, in a sleek apartment filled with trophies, schedules, and silence, Minjae stirred in his sleep.

In his dream, she was there again. The girl with the soft voice and the quiet fire in her eyes. She stood on their old school rooftop, laughing like she used to.

He reached for her, but she disappeared into the wind.

Minjae sat up suddenly, breathing hard. He pressed a hand to his forehead and glanced at the clock. 3:12 a.m.

“Still?” he muttered. “It’s been three years.”

He leaned back against the wall, staring into the dark.

She had left without a word. No goodbye. No reason.

And even now, after all the songs, all the stages, and all the lights — her absence still lingered like an echo.

He told himself he didn’t care anymore.

But some nights… she still came back.

In his dreams.

In his silence.

In the parts of his heart he thought he had buried.

He closed his eyes again, letting the quiet take over.

Outside, the city kept moving.

And somewhere in it, two hearts — once close, now strangers — were still carrying the things they never said.

Hana’s phone buzzed just as she finished tying her shoes.

> Seoyun: I’ll be there in 10! We’re going to my sister’s office.

Her heart jumped. It’s really happening, she thought, slipping her bag over her shoulder.

Outside, the air smelled like rain, though the sky was still clear. Seoyun waved from a small silver car parked on the street.

“Ready?” she grinned.

“Kind of,” Hana said, getting in.

“You’ll be fine. She just wants to meet you in person.”

They drove across the city until tall buildings started to rise around them. Billboards with glowing idol faces flashed past the windows. Hana stared, quiet, nervous.

Finally, Seoyun pulled up in front of a tall glass tower.

Hana read the sign:

SG Entertainment.

Her breath caught. “Wait… your sister works here?”

“Yep,” Seoyun said casually, already getting out of the car. “Come on.”

They took the elevator to one of the upper floors. The hallway was quiet, lined with framed photos of award-winning idols and dim overhead lights.

Seoyun led her into a clean, glass-walled meeting room.

Inside, a woman in a fitted black blazer sat at the table, flipping through a folder. She looked up and smiled.

“Hana, this is my sister, Jihye.”

Jihye stood, her voice calm. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard good things.”

Beside her sat a quiet man with a tablet in his hands — Manager Kang. He nodded politely.

“Thanks for coming in,” Jihye continued. “We’re looking for a new assistant backstage. It’s not glamorous, but it’s important work. Clothes, schedules, timing — helping things run smoothly.”

“No personal photos, no asking questions, and no talking to artists unless necessary,” Manager Kang added. “Professionalism is everything.”

“Of course,” Hana said quickly, trying to hide how fast her heart was beating.

Jihye handed her a folder. “This is just a basic agreement. Go ahead and read it.”

Hana flipped through the contract. It looked simple, standard — but something caught her eye.

There was no company name listed. No SG logo. Just blank spaces.

Her brow furrowed for a second. That’s strange…

Then she glanced around the room — the polished walls, the view of the SG logo from the window, the way Jihye and her manager moved like they belonged here.

Well, she thought, it’s obvious I’m going to work for SG Entertainment. Maybe they just use standard forms.

She picked up the pen and signed her name.

Jihye took the folder back with a smile. “Great. We’ll pick you up tomorrow morning. 10:30 sharp.”

---

Back home, Hana sat on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

SG Entertainment, she kept thinking. This is real. I’m going to work there.

She looked at her reflection in the dark window.

What if I mess up? What if they regret hiring me?

She had never been this close to something so big. Her world had always been small, quiet, safe.

Now everything was shifting.

She curled up under her blanket, the signed contract tucked in her bag, her heart racing.

Tomorrow, it would begin.

She just didn’t know how much it would change everything.