Enchanted by a Superstar

Joon chapter 5

A soft beep echoed from the kitchen.

“Oh—your clothes are done drying,” Sera said, standing up. She walked over to the washing machine and pulled out his pants.

Something red peeked out from the pocket.

“Hm?”

She pulled it out—and froze.

A silk scarf, soft and light, with a delicate floral pattern.

“How did you find this?” she asked, turning toward him, surprise clear in her eyes. “This is mine.”

Joon stood up slightly. “I found it on the hill earlier. I was going to ask you about it, but…”

“I’m so glad you brought it back,” Sera said, her expression softening. “I was going to look for it, but then it started raining.”

Joon felt a small, unexpected sense of pride settle in his chest.

“Good thing I kept it, then.”

He grabbed his clothes and quickly changed in the bathroom.

When he came back, they ended up sitting side by side on the same small sofa.

Too close.

Way too close.

Was this sofa always this small?

Joon shifted slightly, trying to act natural.

“Can I… eat this apple pie?” he asked, clearing his throat. His stomach growled at the perfect timing.

Sera smiled. “Of course. I made it for you, after all.”

He took a bite.

And then another.

“This is really good,” he said, a little more enthusiastically now. “Like… really good.”

Sera’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yeah. I love sweet things, so this is perfect.”

“You should write a review about my cooking on my blog sometime.”

Joon looked up. “Wait—you’re a blogger?”

“Mhm.”

“Can I see it?”

Sera told him the address, and Joon immediately pulled out his phone.

He scrolled through it—and paused.

“Wait… you don’t just post food. You travel too?”

He turned the screen slightly toward her. A photo of Sera stood out—her smiling brightly in a vast green field somewhere in Switzerland.

“That was just luck,” she said with a small shrug. “Back when I was working, I barely used my vacation days. Now…” she let out a quiet laugh, “I’m just a broke blogger trying to get more readers.”

Joon shook his head. “You should still be proud.”

He looked back at the screen, then at her.

“I’m going to read everything you’ve written.”

Sera blinked, then laughed softly. “Hey, you don’t have to be that serious. My writing isn’t that important.”

“Just seeing you already makes me interested—”

Joon stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening slightly.

“…I mean—”

“I know what you mean,” Sera cut in smoothly, a small knowing smile on her lips. “Just read it. Leave comments if you want.”

For a moment, their eyes met—and something unspoken lingered there.

Then—

Her phone rang.

“Ah—hold on, I need to take this.”

Joon nodded. “Sure.”

She stepped into the kitchen.

“Hello? What’s wrong, Jess?”

Her tone shifted—more tense now.

Joon tried not to listen.

Tried.

But fragments still reached him.

“…I can’t take it anymore…”

“…Jay… your ex…”

“…he came to your apartment… drunk…”

Joon’s grip on the book in his hand tightened slightly.

Sera’s voice lowered, more serious. “…I’m not even in contact with him anymore…”

A pause.

Then, “I’ll call you back when I get to Seoul.”

The call ended.

When she returned, her expression was calmer—but not completely.

“Sera…” Joon started.

“Looks like the rain’s easing up,” he added, closing his book.

“Stay,” she said suddenly, patting the sofa.

He paused.

“…Can you pretend you didn’t hear that?” she asked quietly.

“I didn’t hear anything,” he replied immediately.

Sera gave him a look. “Joon. I’m serious.”

He exhaled softly. “…Okay. I heard it. But… whatever it is, I hope it gets resolved soon.”

A small smile appeared on her face.

“Thank you.”

She held out her hand.

Joon frowned slightly. “We already introduced ourselves earlier…”

“Promise,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

He laughed under his breath. “Do we really have to do this?”

“My hand’s getting tired,” she said, pouting slightly.

“…Fine. I promise.”

Their hands met.

Warm.

Brief.

But enough to make something shift.