Mah-e-Tanha 

Between Two Hearts

Sherri was never meant to be part of the story.

At 31, she leaves behind a life of routines and expectations, boarding a one-way flight to Seoul with nothing but a suitcase and a dream — not of stardom, but of proximity. To the stages, the music, the voices that once lifted her through the darkest seasons of her life. Seoul, she believes, will be her sanctuary. A quiet chapter where she can finally breathe, finally feel, finally live.

But fate, as always, has other plans.

It begins with a chance internship at SKY Entertainment, the powerhouse behind global sensation Slay Kids — eight young idols lighting up the world with synchronized perfection and smiles that hide more than they reveal. Sherri keeps her head down, grateful just to be close to the music. Until a late night in the practice room changes everything.

There, beneath flickering fluorescent lights and trembling breaths, she meets Hyunjin — the group’s most magnetic performer. Beautiful, intense, unknowable. He sees her, really sees her, in a way that startles them both. And behind Hyunjin stands YoungBok, steady and observant. A soft-spoken soul who watches every move Hyunjin makes like it could be their last.

As days turn to weeks, the truth begins to shimmer at the edges of her reality. There’s something between Hyunjin and YoungBok — something old, something sacred, something the world isn’t meant to see. A touch too lingering. A gaze too charged. Sherri feels the weight of it long before she understands it. And when Hyunjin starts looking at her the same way… she knows she's stepped into something dangerous.

She never meant to be the reason Hyunjin hesitates.

She never meant to stir the still waters between two people bound by more than just music.



Between the hearts

The scent of garlic and sesame oil drifted through the small apartment, curling into every corner. The kitchen was barely more than a nook carved into the wall, its countertops cluttered with spice jars and mismatched mugs. A single window above the sink let in the soft, late afternoon sunlight, painting golden lines across the pale tile. 


Sherri stood barefoot in front of the stove, humming a soft melody, the sleeves of Hyunjin’s hoodie pushed up her arms. The fabric swallowed her, sleeves constantly slipping down as she stirred the bubbling stew. 


“Back?” Her voice lifted, and she turned slightly. 


YoungBok’s head popped in from the entry, hair slightly tousled from the breeze outside, a bag slung lazily over his shoulder. 


“Home,” he smiled. That one word made the room warmer. 


Chapter 16: Stay Awhile; Stay Forever