STOLEN GLANCES

EPISODE TWO

UNDERNEATH THE SPOTLIGHT

The night is electric with excitement as Noah steps up to receive his latest award—Best Global Idol—a prestigious honor that comes with the limelight of flashing cameras and the roar of fans. Noah's smile is dazzling, his charm effortlessly flowing as he waves at the crowd. But to anyone who knows him well—especially Ethan—the smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. It’s a mask, one he’s perfected after years of fame.

Backstage, the moment the doors close, the pressure eases. Ethan watches Noah for a moment, his gaze sharp and calculating, picking up on the exhaustion and quiet unease Noah is trying to hide.

"Quite the show, huh?" Ethan teases, crossing his arms with that familiar grin. He’s standing a little too close for comfort, and Noah can feel the heat of his presence. But Noah doesn’t say anything right away. He’s too busy pretending he hasn’t been feeling off all night.

"You’re just jealous," Noah smirks, brushing past Ethan, clearly still high from the award. But as he turns his back, he lingers for a second too long—his eyes flicking over to Ethan, the moment feeling too real, too personal.

Ethan notices the look, a pang of something both familiar and foreign twisting inside him. He swallows, masking the unease with a laugh. “Sure, let’s go with that.” The way his voice falters is a little too telling. Noah doesn’t pick up on it, or maybe he does, but he brushes it off, turning away to grab his coat.

As Noah heads to the exit with the award in hand, the sudden, quiet interaction lingers in the air like something unspoken.

---

Later in the week, the tension continues to build as Noah heads to a photoshoot for an upcoming magazine spread. As the stylist runs through final adjustments, Noah is at the center of the chaos—effortlessly posing and charming everyone around him. It’s all part of the show, and Noah has mastered it.

But there’s a catch. Noah is pretending not to notice Ethan standing just off to the side, watching him with a look that Noah can’t quite decipher. It’s clear that Ethan isn’t entirely comfortable with the stylist’s attention, but Noah enjoys the way Ethan’s gaze lingers on him. He flirts openly with the stylist, laying on the charm with a practiced smile—but it’s Ethan’s reaction that seems to fuel him.

"You're so good at pretending," Ethan mutters under his breath, his eyes narrowing, unable to hide the frustration in his tone. Noah grins back playfully, as if he knows exactly what’s bothering Ethan.

"You jealous, Choi?" Noah asks, not quite looking at him, though the air between them is charged with unspoken emotions.

Ethan huffs, walking away before he can make a bigger fool of himself. "Not at all." But his voice betrays him, and Noah’s grin widens as he watches Ethan retreat.

---

As the day winds down, Noah finds himself in the studio late at night, working on his new song. His lyrics aren’t coming together the way he wants, and his frustration builds, making him throw down the pen in defeat.

“Can’t get it right?” Ethan asks, appearing quietly in the doorway. He’s the only one left, and there’s a soft, unspoken understanding between them. Noah doesn’t even have to ask him to stay; Ethan just does.

“Nothing sounds good,” Noah mutters, slumping back in his chair. “I want this to be real... but it just feels fake.”

Ethan walks in, closing the door behind him. “It’s not fake if you feel it,” he says softly, the words weighted with more meaning than Noah expects. Ethan stands next to him, leaning on the desk.

"You always know what to say," Noah says, his voice quieter now. There’s an intimacy in the moment, a shared understanding of the years they’ve spent together, the struggles they’ve both faced.

Ethan smiles, but there’s something bittersweet about it. “I’ve been here for everything,” he says, his hand brushing the back of Noah’s chair. Noah’s heart skips a beat, and for a moment, the room feels impossibly small.

They talk for hours, reminiscing about their trainee days, about the struggles they faced together—how Noah was always the one who made Ethan laugh in the darkest times. How Noah always trusted Ethan, no matter what.

There’s a silence that settles between them, thick and heavy. Ethan looks down, avoiding Noah’s gaze. “You’ve grown up a lot,” he says quietly.

Noah nods, his eyes never leaving Ethan’s face, as if trying to memorize every inch of him in the dim light. “I’m just trying to keep it all together... but sometimes, I don’t know what’s real anymore.”

Ethan's heart clenches at the vulnerability in Noah’s voice, but he knows better than to let his emotions take control. This isn’t the time. Not yet.

---

As Noah falls silent, both of them wrapped in the weight of their unspoken emotions, the night lingers on, neither willing to address the tension between them. But in the quiet of the studio, something has changed. Neither of them knows how to move forward, but it’s clear that the distance between them is closing—and with it, everything they’ve kept hidden is threatening to rise to the surface.

---

TESTING BOUNDARIES

It had been a long day of meetings and scheduling, but nothing seemed to phase Ethan as he sat behind Noah in the quiet confines of the manager’s office. It was a space they both knew too well—a sanctuary of sorts amidst the whirlwind of the entertainment industry. Noah, his best friend since they were trainees, leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen between his fingers as he scrolled through his phone.

Ethan, always the attentive one, kept an eye on Noah’s needs. But today, something was different. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but the tension was palpable. Noah had been strangely aloof, almost distant, for the past few days.

“What’s up with you?” Ethan asked, trying to mask the curiosity in his voice.

Noah didn’t look up immediately. Instead, he took his time, glancing at the phone screen in his hand. When he finally spoke, his voice was casual, but the undertone carried something else.

“They’re saying I’m dating Ha-Na Kim,” Noah said nonchalantly, his eyes flicking to Ethan for a brief moment before he focused back on his phone.

Ethan’s heart skipped. He hadn’t expected that, though he knew the rumors were bound to surface sooner or later. Ha-Na Kim, the rising star. Of course, Noah—being Noah—was always a target for rumors, but he couldn’t help but feel a twist of unease.

“It’s just PR, right?” Ethan asked, trying to sound neutral, but even to his own ears, his voice came out a little more tightly than he intended.

Noah gave him a smirk, his gaze still not leaving the phone. “Of course,” he said. “But it’s a good test, don’t you think?”

Ethan’s brow furrowed. “Test?”

Noah’s smirk deepened. “Yeah. I want to see how you react to it. How do you feel about it, Ethan?”

Ethan opened his mouth to reply but closed it again, unsure of what to say. He had always been Noah’s manager and best friend, keeping his emotions in check, even when it came to the smallest things. But now, with Noah deliberately bringing it up like this, something about the situation felt off.

“Don’t overthink it,” Noah continued, leaning back in his chair. “It’s just a rumor, and we both know how these things work.”

But even as Noah tried to brush it off, Ethan could sense the hidden meaning in his words—the test. He felt a slight pang in his chest, though he couldn’t quite place why it bothered him so much. Maybe it was the way Noah was so casual about it, or maybe it was the way he’d practically dared Ethan to react. Either way, Ethan wasn’t about to let Noah see how much it affected him.