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 boutique Sherri and Hyunjin walked into was tucked into a quiet alley of Seoul, far from the bustling districts and flashy windows of high-end showrooms. This place was known only to a few—where celebrities and public figures came for discretion, privacy, and perfection. The warm scent of vanilla candles drifted through the air, and the space was filled with muted classical music and soft ivory fabrics fluttering like clouds along the walls. 


Sherri wore a mask and a low cap, her long hair braided loosely over one shoulder. Hyunjin had on oversized sunglasses and a casual hoodie, his hand gently guiding her toward the private section of the shop. 


“No cameras. No stylists. Just us,” he murmured, giving her a soft smile as the boutique attendant led them to a secluded room. 


“Feels like we’re doing something forbidden,” Sherri whispered with a small laugh. 


Hyunjin grinned. “We kind of are. But only in the best way.” 


Chapter 24: Rings, Ruffles, and Jealousy