Chapter 3: Unexpected Connections
The days that followed blurred into a whirlwind of activity for Sherri.
She quickly learned that working at SKY Entertainment meant constantly being on her toes. Between coordinating schedules, organizing promotional shoots, and updating fan accounts, there was barely a moment to breathe.
But somehow, amidst the chaos, she found herself slowly carving out a place.
And it didn’t hurt that the Slay Kids members were… surprisingly normal.
Sure, they were international superstars on stage, dazzling millions with their music and performances.
But backstage, they were just eight young men — loud, playful, teasing each other mercilessly, laughing over spilled coffee, arguing about who stole whose hoodie.
Sherri grew used to seeing them lounging around the practice rooms — some playing games on their phones, others passed out on the couches between rehearsals.
They treated her with easy friendliness, like a little sister — or sometimes, given the age difference, like a noona — which made her laugh.
“Sherri-noona, help! Hyunjin is stealing my snacks again!” whined Minho, tossing a bag of chips across the room dramatically.
“You ate mine yesterday!” Hyunjin shouted back from the couch, holding up a packet in triumph.
Sherri shook her head, amused, as she typed notes into her tablet.
It was like babysitting a very handsome, very energetic group of boys.
Still, amidst all the chaos, there were moments — little moments — that caught her off guard.
---
One afternoon, Sherri stayed late helping the marketing team set up a live stream event.
As she wrestled with a tangle of camera cords, she didn’t notice Hyunjin approaching until his shadow fell over her.
“Need a hand?” he asked, crouching beside her.
She blinked up at him, momentarily stunned by how close he was.
“Uh — yes, please,” she managed, handing him the stubborn knot of wires.
They worked in silence for a moment, the only sound the low hum of music playing from the speakers.
Hyunjin was focused, his fingers deftly untangling the cords.
“You’re pretty brave, you know,” he said suddenly.
Sherri looked at him, confused. “Brave?”
“Moving to a new country,” he said, glancing sideways at her. “Starting over at thirty-one. Most people would be too scared.”
Sherri flushed, feeling oddly seen.
“Well… sometimes you have to choose between being scared and being stuck,” she said quietly.
Hyunjin smiled — that small, dangerous smile that made her stomach do strange things.
“I’m glad you chose to be brave.”
Before she could find a response, YoungBok appeared, plopping down beside them with a dramatic sigh.
“Are you two bonding without me?” he teased, bumping Hyunjin’s shoulder.
Hyunjin laughed. “She’s too busy judging my wire skills.”
“Good,” YoungBok said cheerfully. “You’re terrible with electronics.”
Sherri laughed too, the tension melting away.
Moments like this — light, natural, filled with laughter — were becoming more frequent.
And she hated how much she looked forward to them.
---
Another day, while waiting for the members to finish rehearsal, Sherri sat cross-legged on the floor, scribbling updates into her notebook.
Without warning, a bottle of banana milk landed beside her.
She looked up to see YoungBok grinning.
“You looked tired,” he said, flopping down dramatically next to her.
Sherri smiled, accepting the drink. “Thank you, YoungBok.”
“You like banana milk?” he asked, poking at the label.
“I love it,” she admitted. “It reminds me of when I first started listening to K-pop. It was the first Korean snack I ever tried.”
YoungBok's face lit up.
“First snack, huh? Then you’re basically Korean now.”
Hyunjin wandered over then, plopping down on her other side.
“What’s this? A snack party?” he asked, stealing a sip of YoungBok’s drink without asking.
“Yah!” YoungBok protested, smacking Hyunjin’s arm.
Sherri laughed, feeling warmth spread through her chest.
How strange it was — how easy it felt to sit between them like this, like they were just friends hanging out after school.
For the first time since moving to Seoul, she didn’t feel alone.
---
That weekend, the whole group gathered in one of the company’s larger rehearsal studios for a content shoot.
Chris had ordered fried chicken and pizza. Jeongin and Seungmin were bickering over toppings, while Jisung recorded everything with his phone, providing a loud running commentary.
Sherri stood off to the side, amused, until Chris waved her over.
“Noona, you’re not escaping this. You’re part of the crew now.”
They set up a chaotic mukbang livestream, complete with Minho scolding everyone about their messy eating and Changbin trying to freestyle while chewing.
Sherri ended up between Seungmin and Jisung, trying not to laugh with her mouth full as the boys bantered non-stop.
“You know, I used to think idol groups were all serious and intimidating,” she said, wiping her hands. “But you guys are like a sitcom.”
“That’s because you haven’t seen our real chaos,” Changbin said, eyes gleaming.
Jeongin leaned in. “Like when YoungBok and Hyunjin locked themselves in the dance studio for three hours last month.”
“They said it was choreography practice,” Seungmin added dramatically, raising an eyebrow. “But no one heard any music.”
Sherri blinked, surprised.
“Yah,” Chris cut in smoothly, shooting a warning glance at the younger ones, “Don’t tease. They just work hard, that’s all.”
But the look that passed between YoungBok and Hyunjin — quiet, lingering, too long — was enough to set something fluttering in Sherri’s chest.
---
Later that night, after everyone had gone home and the building quieted, Hyunjin and YoungBok stayed behind.
They stood by the studio mirror, side by side, bathed in the glow of dim overhead lights.
Hyunjin leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his voice low. “You should’ve said something earlier.”
YoungBok sat on the floor, back to the mirror, fingers tugging at the loose threads of his hoodie.
“I didn’t know how. It was easier to pretend everything was fine.”
There was a silence — not uncomfortable, but heavy with memory.
“I missed you,” Hyunjin said quietly. “Even when you were right beside me.”
YoungBok’s head dropped, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Yeah. Me too.”
Hyunjin slid down beside him, their shoulders touching.
“I don’t want to keep pretending. Not with you.”
YoungBok turned slightly, their eyes meeting.
The vulnerability there — raw, open — was something Hyunjin rarely showed anyone else.
“I still love you, you know,” YoungBok said, voice barely a whisper.
Hyunjin didn’t respond with words.
He just reached out, threading his fingers through YoungBok’s.
And for a moment, the world shrank — no lights, no stage, no fans — just the quiet pulse of something real, something aching and beautiful between them.
---
A few days later, Sherri passed Hyunjin in the hallway. He paused, hesitating, and then offered her a soft smile.
“You’re doing okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “I am.”
There was a pause. A flicker of something in his eyes.
“Thank you for… being part of this chaos,” he said, almost shy.
Sherri smiled back, heart tugging painfully.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
But as Hyunjin walked away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this — whatever this was — was only just beginning.
And she wasn’t sure if her heart would survive the journey ahead.
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