Chapter 10: You look prettier when you smile
792 Words
Kai couldn’t stop thinking about Eli’s smile.
Which was ridiculous.
Dangerous too.
Out of all the unsettling things about Eli— the constant watching, the frightening attentiveness, the quiet intensity—
somehow the thing currently ruining Kai’s peace was a smile.
Because Eli rarely smiled.
Not genuinely.
Most of the time his expressions stayed calm, unreadable, almost detached from the world around him.
But earlier—
under those dim streetlights—
Kai had said something careless.
“I think I get disappointed when you’re not there.”
And Eli smiled like those words meant everything.
Kai hated how hard that image stayed inside his head afterward.
—
The next morning, Kai nearly walked into a camera.
“Careful!”
A staff member grabbed his arm before he collided directly into filming equipment backstage.
Kai blinked rapidly. “Sorry.”
“You’ve been spacing out all morning,” one of his members laughed nearby.
Kai forced a smile automatically.
If only they knew.
His phone vibrated quietly inside his pocket.
And immediately— his heartbeat reacted.
Pathetic.
Kai checked the message while makeup artists rushed around backstage preparing them for another music show recording.
Eli.
Eat before filming.
Kai stared at the screen for several seconds.
Then:
how do you always know my schedule?
The typing bubble appeared almost instantly.
You post them online.
Kai snorted softly.
A nearby stylist blinked in surprise hearing the sound.
“Kai?”
He quickly cleared his throat. “Nothing.”
But secretly— his chest felt lighter.
Again.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
—
Filming ended close to midnight.
By then Kai’s social battery had completely died.
His cheeks hurt from smiling. His feet ached. And Manager Lee had spent the entire day hovering near him like a warning.
Kai escaped toward the rooftop of the broadcasting building the moment schedules ended.
Cold wind greeted him immediately.
Peace.
Finally.
He leaned heavily against the railing, staring at the city lights below.
Then:
“You disappeared.”
Kai startled slightly before turning.
Eli stood near the rooftop door holding two canned coffees.
Kai blinked in surprise.
“How did you get up here?”
Eli walked closer calmly. “You left the stairwell door unlocked.”
“That’s concerning.”
“A little.”
Kai laughed despite himself.
Eli handed him one of the coffees quietly.
Warm.
Kai accepted it carefully.
“You really appear everywhere.”
Eli leaned beside him against the railing afterward.
“I told you.” His voice softened slightly. “I worry.”
Kai looked down at the coffee can warming his hands.
No one had worried about him in a long time.
Not genuinely.
Managers worried about scandals. Companies worried about profit. Fans worried about content.
But Eli worried about Kai himself.
The difference felt dangerous enough to become addictive.
“You know…” Kai murmured quietly, “you’re very different from what I expected.”
Eli glanced toward him. “What did you expect?”
“A creepy stalker.”
Silence.
Then Eli laughed softly.
Kai froze.
Oh.
Oh no.
There it was again.
That smile.
Small. Quiet. Real.
And somehow devastating.
Kai stared at him blankly.
Eli’s laughter faded slowly after noticing the silence.
“What?”
Kai realized too late he’d been staring.
“You…” He looked away quickly. “You smile prettier than I expected.”
The words escaped before thinking.
Instantly, silence consumed the rooftop.
Kai’s eyes widened slightly.
Why did I say that?
Meanwhile Eli stood completely still beside him.
The wind blew softly through dark strands of hair while the city glowed beneath them.
Then slowly—
very slowly—
color rose faintly along Eli’s ears.
Kai blinked in shock.
“…Are you blushing?”
Eli immediately looked away.
“No.”
“You are.”
“I’m cold.”
“You’re literally avoiding eye contact.”
For the first time since meeting him, Eli looked genuinely flustered.
Not calm. Not composed. Not frightening.
Just human.
And somehow that affected Kai far more than it should have.
A laugh escaped him suddenly.
Real. Bright.
Beautiful.
Eli stared immediately.
Like he’d never heard something so precious before.
Kai noticed the look and his laughter softened awkwardly.
“What?”
“…Nothing.”
Lie.
Kai could tell it was a lie.
But Eli looked at him so gently now that Kai’s chest hurt.
The rooftop suddenly felt quieter.
Smaller somehow.
Then Eli spoke softly.
“You should smile like that more often.”
Kai’s breath caught unexpectedly.
Because Eli said it like he genuinely meant it.
Not because Kai was an idol. Not because cameras liked it.
Just because he wanted Kai happy.
And maybe that was the exact moment Kai started wanting Eli beside him too.
- Writer
