My little diary 🔞❤️ (ch 3)

By the time I finally got to my new accommodation, my legs felt like they weren’t mine anymore.

Korea was… different.

Not just in the obvious way—but in a quiet, strange way I couldn’t explain. Back home had its own beauty, skyscrapers, busy roads, noise, life… but here, everything felt sharper. Cleaner. Almost unreal.

The air even felt different. Lighter. Like it had been filtered or polished.

The buildings were tall and modern, but some of them had this delicate design around them—rose-like patterns climbing the edges, or floral structures wrapping around glass walls. It almost looked like something between a dream and reality.

Beautiful.

But unfamiliar.

I adjusted my bag and walked forward, trying not to look too lost.

But I could feel it.

Eyes.

Everywhere.

Students were walking around in groups, laughing, talking—but many of them kept glancing at me.

Some stared openly.

Some whispered.

And I hated how quickly my confidence started to slip.

I knew it.

Maybe racism really was a big problem here.

My fingers tightened slightly around my bag strap.

Then my mind drifted.

To him.

The guy from the airport.

The annoying, tall, arrogant one.

And suddenly, I remembered something I hadn’t really paid attention to before.

He never looked at me differently.

Not once.

Not when I was shaking.

Not when I was panicking.

Not even when I was acting weird.

He just… treated me like I was normal.

That thought made something inside me soften.

I didn’t even notice when I started smiling a little.

It’s just one month, right?

One month… and it’s over.

I handled the paperwork at the university office first.

The place was busy—students everywhere, staff moving around quickly, papers being signed, voices overlapping in different languages.

I tried my best to stay focused.

A woman at the front desk welcomed me politely, gave me a stack of documents, and explained the school rules slowly. Another staff member escorted me through the building, pointing out where I was supposed to go.

Everything felt official.

Structured.

Overwhelming.

Eventually, I was taken to the hostel.

My room.

When I opened the door, I paused.

There was already someone inside.

A Korean girl.

She was sitting on one side of the room, staring at me as I walked in.

The room was a twin setup.

Two beds.

Two desks.

But her side…

Her side was already fully decorated.

Pink everywhere.

Neatly arranged. Cute. Soft lighting. Little accessories placed carefully like she had planned everything in detail.

And the other side—

My side—was empty.

Clean.

Waiting.

It didn’t take me long to realize she had already prepared for my arrival.

I gave a small awkward bow.

“Hi,” I said softly.

She didn’t respond immediately.

Just kept staring.

I cleared my throat slightly and walked in anyway, placing my bag down.

I started unpacking slowly, trying to ignore the silence.

She still didn’t speak.

So I didn’t push it.

After a while, I lay down on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

One month.

Just one month.

I repeated it in my head like it was a spell.

Whatever happens… happens.

I just needed to get through it.

My phone suddenly rang.

I frowned slightly and reached for it.

TikTok.

I hadn’t really opened it properly in a long time.

But something felt off.

My notifications were exploding.

Tags.

Mentions.

Hundreds of them.

Confused, I opened the app.

And froze.

My heart literally paused.

Videos.

Me.

And him.

The airport guy.

My eyes widened as I clicked one.

It was an edit.

Slow music playing in the background.

Clips of me holding his hand.

Me panicking on the plane.

Him pulling me closer.

Him helping me down.

All edited together like some romantic movie.

What the—

I scrolled faster.

More videos.

More edits.

Different angles.

Different sounds.

Millions of views.

A MILLION.

I sat up instantly.

No.

No way.

This can’t be happening.

My follower count jumped from barely a thousand to over three thousand in a matter of hours.

I opened another video.

It was just me.

Me pouting.

Me getting flustered.

Me standing beside him.

People had edited my face like I was some character in a drama.

Some captions even called us a “couple.”

I felt my face heat up immediately.

This is insane.

I looked up slowly.

And realized it.

My roommate was staring at me.

Still.

Like she had been watching me the whole time.

I swallowed.

Then another notification popped up.

More edits.

More comments.

I clicked one post.

And froze again.

Comments.

Some were sweet.

Some were supportive.

But some—

Some made my chest tighten.

“Cute couple 😭💕”

“But why is she…?”

I stopped reading.

My fingers stiffened slightly.

I didn’t need to finish it.

I already understood.

I quickly turned off my phone and placed it down.

Silence filled the room again.

Then my roommate stood up.

She walked toward me.

And started speaking in Korean.

Fast.

Sharp.

I understood everything.

“How do you know him?”

“Why are you with him?”

“I’ve liked him for a long time.”

“You just came from nowhere.”

Then her voice dropped colder.

“He will choose Korean girls over you.”

My fingers tightened.

“You’re black anyway.”

I went still.

She looked me up and down like I didn’t belong.

“You’re not even that pretty.”

For a second, I didn’t speak.

Not because I had nothing to say.

But because I knew enough about rules here.

About foreigners.

About how quickly things could escalate if I reacted the wrong way.

And I didn’t want trouble.

So I stayed quiet.

I looked away, slowly unpacked my things, and ignored her completely.

She kept talking.

But I didn’t answer.

Eventually, I lay down on my bed.

And turned to the wall.

One month.

Just one month.

I closed my eyes.

And let the silence swallow everything else.

Two days later, school started.

I had already gotten used to one thing—

Staring.

Everywhere I went, people looked at me.

So I started wearing a face mask most of the time, especially outside class. It helped. A little.

Thankfully, my classes were part of the exchange program, so not everyone there was Korean. There were other foreigners too, which made things easier.

Some girls even treated me like a celebrity.

“Unnie, you’re so lucky…”

“I saw the video…”

“You two look so good together…”

I would just smile awkwardly and brush it off.

If only they knew.

A week later, my phone buzzed.

I glanced at it lazily.

And froze.

Him.

White-hair guy.

I blinked.

He actually remembered me?

I opened the message.

Let’s meet.

I frowned immediately.

Me: Hell no.

Did you not see what’s happening online??

I typed fast.

I thought people would forget in like two weeks, but it’s getting worse. And now you want us to meet again??

His reply came almost instantly.

Relax. I know a place. No cameras. No people.

I narrowed my eyes.

Suspicious.

Why?

I need to clear something up with a friend. You might help.

I sat up.

How does your friend concern me??

There was a pause.

Then—

Just come. Please.

And then—

Cute stickers.

I stared at my screen.

This guy…

I sighed loudly and dropped my phone.

“Fine.”

I turned slightly—

And met my roommate’s eyes.

Again.

She had been staring at me for days now.

At this point, I was tired.

So tired.

I sat up properly and faced her.

Then I spoke.

In Korean.

“It’s not my fault your favorite idol was on the same flight as me.”

Her eyes widened instantly.

I continued.

“We met coincidentally. First class. Same row. That’s all.”

I crossed my arms.

“You people turned it into something else. That’s not on me.”

She just stared.

Shock written all over her face.

“And if you have a problem with me,” I added calmly, “remember I still have my rights here as a foreigner.”

Silence.

Then suddenly—

“…You can speak Korean?”

I blinked.

“…Of course I can.”

Her entire expression changed.

Like someone flipped a switch.

“Oh my gosh—I’m so sorry!” she rushed out. “I thought you didn’t understand anything I was saying!”

I raised a brow.

“I understood everything.”

She covered her face.

“I’m so embarrassed… I was just frustrated, I couldn’t speak English properly, and I thought you couldn’t understand Korean so I just kept venting…”

I stared at her.

This girl…

Just like that, she went from cold… to soft.

“I’m really sorry,” she said again.

I sighed.

“…It’s fine.”

And somehow—

That was it.

Just like that, we started getting along.

Later that day, I got ready to meet him.

Nothing too much.

Just a short black skirt, a crop top, a black jacket over it, and knee-high boots.

I let my hair fall naturally and tied a bandana around it, adding a few accessories.

Simple.

But clean.

My roommate stared at me like I had just transformed.

“Wow… you actually have style.”

I smirked slightly.

“Thank you.”

Outside, I wore my mask again.

People were still staring.

Still whispering.

Still recognizing me.

So I kept my head down and took a taxi to the address he sent.

As the car stopped, I looked up.

And froze.

A mansion.

A whole mansion.

I blinked.

“…Nope.”

I turned immediately.

I was not getting involved in this.

Absolutely not.

But before I could take two steps—

“Ma’am.”

I froze again.

Security guards.

Of course.

“Please come with us. We’ve been expecting you.”

I frowned.

“Expecting… me?”

“Yes. Our boss said you might try to leave.”

I groaned.

“I knew it. That guy is so annoying.”

With no other choice, I followed them inside.

The place was huge.

Ridiculously huge.

Everything screamed money.

When I finally stepped into the living area—

I saw him.

Sitting casually, dressed in a fitted outfit that looked straight out of a stage performance.

Stylish. Clean. Effortlessly cool.

I paused.

Okay…

He looked good.

Very good.

“Yo,” he said, looking up.

His eyes scanned me.

Then he smirked slightly.

“You look good.”

I blinked.

“…You give compliments now?”

He stood up and walked toward me.

“Don’t get used to it.”

I scoffed.

Before I could say anything else, I started hitting him lightly.

“Idiot. Do you know what you dragged me into??”

He barely reacted.

“Calm down.”

“I am calm!”

Then—

A voice interrupted.

“Wow… the couple is already fighting.”

I froze.

Slowly turned.

Two guys stood there.

Dressed just like him.

Same vibe.

Same presence.

Definitely idols.

Oh.

So this is what this is.

They grinned at me.

“We were at the airport,” one of them said.

I frowned.

“Unfortunately, we confirmed you’re not dating him.”

I raised a brow.

“Why unfortunately?”

They laughed.

“Because the internet loves you two.”

I groaned.

“It’s not real.”

“Yeah,” one said. “But the fans don’t think so.”

I sighed.

“It’ll die down.”

They exchanged looks.

“…Maybe in a year.”

“A YEAR??”

My eyes widened.

I paused.

Wait.

I’m only here for a month.

Oh.

Right.

I’ll be gone before it even matters.

I looked around the room, folding my arms.

“You all haven’t even introduced yourselves yet.”

The two guys froze.

Then both of them gasped at the same time.

“Wait—are you serious?” the playful one said. “After everything online… you still don’t know his name?”

I shrugged.

“I’ve only seen people call him Min-min,” I said. “And I’m pretty sure that’s not his real name. Sounds like something fans made up.”

They both burst out laughing.

“Damn,” one of them said. “She’s smart.”

I rolled my eyes.

“It’s obvious. Who wouldn’t figure that out?”

They raised their hands like they were surrendering.

“Alright, fair.”

The white-haired guy stepped forward slightly.

“My name is Kang Tae-min,” he said. “And yeah… fans turned it into Min-min.”

I tilted my head, then smiled faintly.

“It fits you.”

He stared at me for a second.

Then nodded once.

“…Fine. I’ll accept it.”

The other two lost it immediately.

“Did you hear that?” the playful one laughed. “He accepts it now?”

“Shut up,” Tae-min muttered.

They stepped forward next.

The playful one went first, flashing a confident grin.

“Han Dae-hyun.”

Then the quieter one gave a short nod.

“Lee Seojin.”

I looked between them.

“Nice.”

I pointed at Dae-hyun.

“You talk too much.”

Then at Seojin.

“And you… you look like the type that just watches everything and says one dangerous sentence when it matters.”

Dae-hyun let out a loud laugh.

“She already figured us out.”

Seojin just watched me quietly.

I smirked slightly.

“Relax. I’ll give you nicknames later.”

That was when Tae-min couldn’t hold it in anymore—he laughed, shaking his head.

I crossed my arms again.

“Now—why am I here?”

He opened his mouth to speak—

But then—

“What’s all the fuss about?”

The voice was deep.

Calm.

And it silenced the entire room.

I turned.

And froze.

A guy dressed in all black stepped in like he owned the space.

Heavy boots.

Black fitted pants with silver chains hanging at the side.

A dark shirt slightly open at the collar, layered with a sharp jacket that sat perfectly on him.

Effortless.

Cold.

He hopped onto the arm of a chair, boots still on, crossing his legs casually.

Like none of this mattered.

I looked up.

And my heart stopped.

Jun-ha.

For a moment—

Everything went quiet.

It felt unreal.

Like staring at something I was never meant to reach.

He glanced at me once—

Then did a double take.

“…You.”

My chest tightened.

He turned sharply to Tae-min.

“You brought her here?”

Tae-min froze mid-sentence.

Dae-hyun’s grin faded.

Seojin straightened slightly.

Jun-ha ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“I can’t believe this.”

I stood there, confused.

Lost.

Then suddenly—

They switched to Korean.

Fast.

Tense.

Tae-min was explaining.

Trying to calm things down.

But Jun-ha cut him off.

“I told you not to involve her.”

My heart dropped.

“I don’t want anything to do with her.”

The words hit harder than anything.

I froze.

Completely.

He didn’t even look at me.

“Get her out of here.”

Something inside me broke.

All those memories—

His messages.

His voice.

His laughter.

I took a step back.

Then another.

Shaking my head.

“…I shouldn’t have come.”

The room went silent.

All three of them froze.

Because they realized.

I understood everything.

Tae-min turned quickly.

“Wait—”

But it was too late.

Tears were already falling.

I turned and ran.

Out.

Out of the mansion.

Out of everything.

Behind me—

No one followed immediately.

Tae-min stopped, his expression darkening as he slowly turned back toward Jun-ha.

Anger clear in his eyes.

I ran out of the mansion without looking back.

The cold air hit my face immediately.

Good.

I needed it.

I needed something to stop everything spinning in my head.

I pulled out my phone quickly, trying to book a taxi.

Nothing.

I refreshed the app again.

Still nothing.

Of course.

Of course this would happen now.

I let out a shaky breath and started walking instead.

I didn’t care where.

Anywhere was better than there.

Anywhere was better than hearing his voice again.

My steps slowed as my thoughts caught up with me.

“I don’t care,” I whispered to myself.

“I don’t care.”

But my chest tightened.

Because I did.

I remembered everything.

Watching him through a screen.

Every concert.

Every performance.

Crying when he cried.

Smiling like an idiot whenever he laughed.

Listening to his songs and imagining—

I clenched my fist.

Stop.

“I don’t care.”

But his voice echoed again.

I don’t want anything to do with her.

My throat burned.

I swallowed hard.

I finally saw him in real life.

I thought—

I thought I would hug him.

Thank God he was okay.

Ask him why he disappeared.

Ask him why he ignored me.

But instead—

“…Why?” my voice broke.

“Why?”

Tears blurred my vision.

Then—

“Hey!!”

I stopped.

Turned.

Tae-min was running toward me.

“Please—wait!”

I didn’t run this time.

I just… stood there.

He reached me quickly, slightly out of breath.

Before I could say anything—

He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him.

I stumbled forward—

And landed against his chest.

“I’m sorry,” he said immediately, wrapping his arms around me.

Tight.

Steady.

“Please don’t cry.”

I froze for a second.

Then slowly pushed back, wiping my tears quickly.

“I’m fine,” I said, even though I wasn’t.

“Just… explain.”

I looked at him directly.

“The way you all reacted… you know something about me.”

He hesitated.

Then sighed.

People were starting to notice us.

Phones coming out.

Whispers spreading.

Tae-min clicked his tongue slightly and gestured toward the road.

A car pulled up almost immediately.

Of course.

I didn’t even question it anymore.

We got in the back seat.

The driver stepped out, giving us privacy.

Silence filled the car.

Then Tae-min spoke.

“After the airport…”

He paused.

“…he changed.”

My fingers tightened slightly on my lap.

“He couldn’t focus during practice anymore. Kept zoning out.”

“They asked him what was wrong, but he kept brushing it off.”

I frowned.

Then Tae-min continued.

“Until one day…”

He looked at me.

“We caught him watching a video.”

My brows pulled together.

“What video?”

“You.”

My heart skipped.

He leaned back slightly.

“You were sitting on your bed. Wearing a night shirt. Talking… casually.”

My breath hitched.

That video.

“That’s when we realized something didn’t add up,” he said. “Because it wasn’t the same version of you online.”

Silence.

“He kept comparing the two,” Tae-min added. “Like he was trying to confirm something.”

My chest felt tight.

“So… you think he knows me?”

“I don’t think,” Tae-min said quietly.

“I know.”

I looked away.

Everything felt confusing again.

Then I scoffed lightly.

“So what? He hates me that much it made him depressed?”

Tae-min frowned.

“…That’s not—”

“Tell him not to worry,” I cut in.

My voice steadier now.

Colder.

“I’m only here for a month.”

I reached for the door.

“Two more weeks, and I’m gone.”

Before he could stop me, I stepped out of the car.

The night air hit me again.

This time heavier.

I raised my hand and flagged down a taxi.

One stopped almost immediately.

Of course.

“Your name—” Tae-min called from behind.

I paused for half a second.

But didn’t turn back.

I got into the car.

Closed the door.

And as it drove off—

I stared out the window.

Feeling everything.

And nothing.

At the same time.

She gets back to her hostel and her roommate began asking what was wrong but she said she wanted to rest for a while and she would be alright.

Her roommate gave her her privacy while she just closed her eyes taking a deep breath.

The next day was Sunday.

She wore her sport outfit to go for a lil jug around the field wearing her headphones(a red jumper, red tight and a sport short over it, packed her hsir in ponytail, wore her red runningshoes).

She smiled as she admired the beauty of the school knowing it would all spon be just memories to her in a matter of weeks she sighed thinking that it's not like she had lots of good memories here anyways.

She saw a building she haven't yet visited and decided to check it out after all everyone were busy with their day so the school hard have students around.

She stepped into the building and began climbing the stairs up.

She was already doing exercise so the stairs could help, instead of taking elevator.

She got to the top and walked through the building corridors admiring the frames on the wall and plants that were around.

Humming as she walked.

She saw one of the doors opened and she began wandering what's up.

She peeped in and saw alot of guys sitting in for lectures and a lecturer teaching them.

The man stop and looked at her, all eyes did actually and she immediately tried to run but unfortunately for her, the man that was teaching her knew her from the exchange program class, he normally took her her courses and they got along well because she could speak Korean.

He told her to come in, in Korea and she replied back in Korea saying she wasn't properly dressed to stand before him or the class.

The middle age man cheerfully kept insisting that he wanted to introduce his best student to the whole class.

She sighed wondering why students would be attending classes on Sunday.

She stepped in slyly while their whole eyes followed her.

She smiled bowing and greeting them in Korea saying its nice to meet

"Name?" Someone from the corner of the class said and she puffed her cheeks saying there was no need for them to know her name.

That alone sent chuckles around the class muttering words of her being pretty and really cute.

She bowled to the teacher again wishing him a wonderful day. As she walked out, her eyes fell on one particular pink haired guy.

Their eyes locked "Jun-ha?" She muttered to herself wondering what he is doing hear as she felt a little bit of anger surging in.

She looked around the class noticing that all the guys sitting for lectures were just to handsome to be true, plus their outfits didn't look like "just" any brand.

She rushed back to the teacher whispering to him asking why a celebrity is being thought here.

He says that all of them are young celebrity and above that, they still had their live to live but they couldn't live a normal life like before especially attending college so they have to have their own classes when others aren't having theirs or if they find out celebrity studies here what do she think might happen?

She remembered the thousands of people from the airport and nodded.

The msn told her to keep it a secret and she nodded then excused herself as she walked out trying to avoid Jun-ha stare

I didn’t even bother taking the stairs this time.

I was too irritated.

Too tired.

Too… everything.

I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button, crossing my arms as I leaned back slightly.

The doors began to close.

Almost.

Then—

A hand slid in between.

The doors stopped.

My eyes lifted slowly.

Jun-ha.

Of course.

I looked away immediately.

Like he was nothing.

Just another person trying to use the elevator.

He stepped in.

Silence.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

I kept my gaze forward, pretending he didn’t exist.

Then suddenly—

He moved.

Before I could react, he had me cornered.

One hand braced against the wall beside my head.

The other on the opposite side.

Trapping me in.

My back hit the wall lightly.

My eyes snapped up to his.

Anger burned instantly.

“What are you doing?” I snapped.

He looked at me.

For a moment—

He said nothing.

Just… looked.

“I’m sorry,” he said finally.

Then went quiet again.

I frowned.

“What?”

He didn’t continue.

My irritation spiked.

“I said what are you doing?” I repeated, sharper this time.

He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.

“Everything that happened at the mansion…” he started, “…it was a misunderstanding.”

I stared at him.

Then laughed dryly.

“A misunderstanding?”

I tilted my head slightly, eyes cold.

“Really?”

“If I didn’t understand Korean, you all would’ve gotten away with it, right?” I continued. “I would’ve walked out like a fool, thinking nothing happened—when in reality you were just there—”

My voice tightened.

“—talking about how much you didn’t want me there.”

His jaw clenched.

“I wasn’t—”

“I heard you,” I cut in.

Silence.

Sharp.

Heavy.

I folded my arms.

“So don’t call it a misunderstanding.”

He exhaled slowly.

“Listen to me,” he said, quieter now. “I can explain.”

I shook my head immediately.

“No.”

My voice was firm.

“I don’t want to hear it.”

I looked away.

“It’s fine. Really.”

I shrugged lightly, forcing calm into my tone.

“You don’t owe me anything.”

I paused.

Then added—

“I understand.”

Something in his expression changed.