My Idol

Chapter 8

They stood there a moment longer, neither quite turning to leave. Then Anna spoke, quiet but clear, her gaze steady on his.

“You know… out there — at work, everywhere else — I’m Anna. But here…” She took a small breath, as if letting something settle. “My given name is Hyejin. Ryu Hyejin. Anna is who I show the world. Hyejin is who I am at home.”

Ace’s eyes softened, warm and gentle, as if she’d handed him something precious. “Hyejin,” he repeated, slow and careful, as if learning it properly. “It suits you. I’m Woo-jin. Jeon Woo-jin. Ace is the stage. Woo-jin is here.” He tapped a finger lightly against his chest.

A small, genuine smile touched her lips — the first one that felt entirely, completely hers all day. “Goodnight, Woo-jin.”

“Goodnight, Hyejin.”

They turned, each to their own door — hesitating just a heartbeat before stepping across the threshold and closing the doors gently behind them.

Inside, the apartment was quiet, warm, still faintly smelling of fresh paint and new beginnings. She toed off her shoes by the door, slipped out of her blazer, and draped it over the back of a chair, letting her shoulders drop the moment she was truly alone.

For some unexplained reason other than a sure gut feeling, she had revealed a part of herself that she never did to anyone.

She padded through to the kitchen, the soft light catching the burnished gold of her hair as she moved. Filling the kettle, measuring out the sweet almond syrup she’d brought all the way with her, frothing the milk — it was a familiar, comforting ritual. Soon the rich, warm scent filled the room, and she wrapped both hands around the mug, breathing it in deeply. Her favourite. Exactly what she needed.

Settling onto the sofa, she pulled up her contacts and dialled — her father’s name glowing softly on the screen. It rang twice before his warm, deep voice came through.

“Hyejin-ah?”

“Appa,” she said, smiling into the mug. “I’m here. I’m safe. I’m home.”

She sank back against the cushions, the phone warm against her ear, her mug warming her other hand. Her father’s voice — deep, familiar, steady — softened the distance instantly.

“You’re settled in safely? Everything as it should be?” Ryu Seong-Gi asked, and she could hear the quiet care beneath every word. “I spoke to Choi Jae-hyun earlier — he says you made quite the impression this morning. Sharp, composed, handled the room beautifully.”

A small smile touched her mouth. “He’s kind. It went well — the meeting, the team, everything. Jiwoo — the Head of Marketing — she took me for lunch. She’s lovely, Appa. Genuine. It’s such a relief.”

“Good,” he said, his tone warm. “Good people matter more than anything in that industry. And you’re holding your own — no one treating you differently? Asking too many questions?”

“Not so far,” she said, and it wasn’t even a full lie — she just kept quiet about the tall, pale-eyed neighbour who’d shared her elevator, her umbrella, her floor. She didn’t know if Woo-jin had put the pieces together yet — if Ryu Hyejin meant anything to him, if he’d connected the quiet new coordinator to the empire behind IBEX. Until she knew, she’d keep that card close. “Everyone just sees Anna. That’s exactly how I want it.”

Her father was quiet a moment on the other end, then his voice softened, gentle and thick with feeling. “Your mother would be so proud of you, Hyejin. Truly. She always said you’d find your own way, on your own terms… and look at you. Doing it.”

Her throat tightened. She curled her fingers tighter around the mug. “Do you… are you proud of me too?”

“Proud?” He sounded almost startled by the question. “Hyejin, I am bursting with it. Every single day. You’ve worked so hard, fought for every chance, refused to let anyone hand you anything just because of my name — that takes more courage than I’ve ever had. You’re braver than me. Stronger than your old man.”

Tears pricked her eyes, warm and soft. “I just want to be good enough on my own.”

“You already are,” he said firmly. “You’ve been good enough for a long time. Don’t ever doubt that. Erin would see it instantly — she’d be beaming right now.”*

She smiled through the quiet warmth in her chest. “I miss you both.”

“And we miss you,” he said gently. “But this is yours now. Make it yours. And remember — you don’t have to carry everything alone. Not here, not anywhere.”

“I know,” she whispered. “Thank you, Appa. For everything.”

They talked a little longer — about the apartment, the drive, the rain — before saying goodbye. When she ended the call, she sat there a long moment, holding the phone, feeling light and steady all at once.

He didn’t know about Woo-jin. And she still didn’t know if Woo-jin knew about her — about the name, the legacy, everything people usually wanted from her. But for tonight, that was fine. Tonight she was just Hyejin — safe, home, and proud of herself too.