[Run-Seo]
The first message came at 1:09 a.m.
Run-Seo stared at the unknown number lighting up her phone screen.
She didn't recognize it.
She almost ignored it.
Almost.
Then another message appeared.
He's changed.
Her fingers stopped moving.
A strange feeling settled in her chest.
She knew exactly who they were talking about.
Kei.
Before she could reply, another message appeared.
If you ever see or hear anything interesting, let me know.
Run-Seo frowned.
Interesting?
Not bad.
Not wrong.
Interesting.
Like whoever this person was...
They weren't looking for proof.
They were waiting for a reason.
Then her phone vibrated again.
A video.
She hesitated.
Every part of her told her not to open it.
But curiosity won.
The video loaded.
And her expression changed.
Kei.
With a girl.
The way he looked at her.
The way his expression softened.
The way he smiled without forcing it.
Run-Seo's hand tightened around her phone.
Because that wasn't the Kei she remembered.
Not completely.
The Kei she knew was always tired.
Always carrying something heavy.
But this Kei...
Looked peaceful.
And she knew exactly who that girl was.
The video ended.
She stared at the black screen.
Who sent this?
Why send this to her?
And why did they want her to notice that Kei had changed?
Then another message appeared.
Don't you remember how he was like before?
Run-Seo froze.
☆ ☆ ☆
The apartment was quiet.
Too quiet.
A movie played on the television, but neither of them was watching.
Run-Seo sat beside Kei on the couch, her head resting against his shoulder.
For once, Kei wasn't practicing.
He wasn't checking schedules.
He wasn't pretending he wasn't exhausted.
He was just there.
With her.
"You're actually relaxing today," Run-Seo teased.
Kei smiled.
"Am I not allowed to?"
"No."
She looked at him.
"It's suspicious."
Kei laughed softly.
A sound she rarely heard.
Then his phone rang.
Kei looked down.
"Oh."
Run-Seo glanced over.
"Who is it?"
"Jae-Won."
His expression changed slightly.
Not negatively.
More like recognition.
An old friend.
"I'll take this."
He stood up and walked away.
Run-Seo watched him.
She didn't think much about it.
Because Jae-Won was someone Kei trusted.
And anyone Kei trusted...
She trusted too.
☆ ☆ ☆
The café bell rang.
Run-Seo looked up.
A man stepped inside.
She didn't recognize him.
But he looked familiar.
Then he spoke.
"You're... Kei's friend, right?"
Run-Seo blinked.
"How do you know?"
He smiled.
"I've seen you with him before."
She studied him.
"You're Jae-Won?"
His eyebrows lifted.
"Oh."
He laughed.
"So Kei mentioned me."
Run-Seo nodded.
"Yeah."
They started talking.
At first, it was easy.
Normal.
He asked about Kei.
Whether he was still working hard.
Whether he was eating properly.
Whether he was still staying late after practice.
Run-Seo smiled slightly.
"You're worried about him."
Jae-Won looked away.
"Sometimes."
That answer felt strange.
Then his expression changed.
"You know..."
Run-Seo looked at him.
"What?"
"He really changed."
Her smile faded.
"What do you mean?"
Jae-Won sighed.
"Before, he wasn't like this."
"Like what?"
"Like he had everything figured out."
He laughed quietly.
"Everyone thinks Kei is perfect."
"The talented one."
"The one who always succeeds."
"But they don't know him."
Run-Seo frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Jae-Won looked down.
"He always thinks he's better than everyone."
The words surprised her.
Because they didn't sound like Kei.
"He doesn't listen."
"He doesn't realize how people around him feel."
"He just keeps moving forward."
Run-Seo didn't answer.
Because something about the way Jae-Won said it bothered her.
It didn't sound like jealousy.
It sounded like resentment.
☆ ☆ ☆
Things started changing.
Slowly.
At first, nobody noticed.
A rehearsal schedule was wrong.
A meeting time was changed.
A message Kei never received.
Small things.
Things that could easily be blamed on mistakes.
But they kept happening.
And every time...
Kei was the one who took the blame.
"I'm sorry."
That became the sentence Run-Seo heard most.
Even when it wasn't his fault.
Even when he had no idea what went wrong.
Then came the performance.
The one Kei had spent months preparing for.
The night before, everything seemed normal.
But when Kei arrived at rehearsal...
Nothing was ready.
The arrangements were different.
The files were missing.
The staff were frustrated.
And everyone looked at him.
Like he was the problem.
"I thought you handled this."
Kei froze.
"I..."
He looked confused.
"I thought it was already arranged."
The room went silent.
Later that night, Run-Seo found him sitting alone.
Not crying.
Not angry.
Just tired.
"Kei."
He looked up.
"I'm fine."
She hated those words.
Because she knew what they meant.
"You always say that."
He looked away.
"What if they're right?"
Her heart sank.
"Right about what?"
"That I've changed."
Then the rumors started.
Not huge.
Not enough to destroy him immediately.
Just enough to plant doubt.
Old clips appeared online.
Moments where Kei looked tired.
Moments where he looked distant.
Moments taken completely out of context.
People began questioning him.
"Was he always like this?"
"Was his kindness just an image?"
Run-Seo watched Kei become quieter.
He practiced more.
Talked less.
Smiled less.
And she never understood why it was happening.
She never knew who started it.
She never knew who was watching from the beginning.
☆ ☆ ☆
Run-Seo stared at the unknown number again.
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
The message.
The video.
The words.
He's changed.
A strange feeling crawled through her.
Because suddenly...
She remembered someone else who had said the same thing.
Someone from years ago.
Someone who had been there when Kei started falling apart.
She looked at the sender.
Still unknown.
Then another message appeared.
This time, only one word.
A name.
Lee Jae-Won.
Run-Seo stopped breathing.
Because suddenly...
Everything connected.
The friend Kei trusted.
The person who complained about him.
The person who appeared right before everything changed.
Her eyes widened.
"No..."
☆ ☆ ☆