"Hello, Ahn Hae!"
Ahn Hae froze, staring at the person in front of her with wide eyes and an open mouth, utterly speechless.
Her heart nearly stopped. No way. Was this really Leo standing before her? It felt like the entire world around her had vanished, leaving only him and that radiant smile.
The small store suddenly fell into an eerie silence. The soft golden light illuminated his familiar handsome face, making this moment feel even more like an unreal dream.
All of Ahn Hae's attention was fixated on Leo, so she didn't even notice the film crew standing behind him.
"What on earth…?"
Unable to handle the shock, Ahn Hae collapsed onto the floor, covering her face as a whirlwind of emotions surged through her—excitement, confusion, and fear. Was she so exhausted that she had started hallucinating?
Leo was momentarily taken aback by her reaction but quickly regained his composure. He stepped forward, gently helping her up, his deep voice carrying a hint of apology.
"Sorry for disturbing you at this hour. We're filming the reality show 'You Worked Hard Today.' Have you heard of it?"
Ahn Hae could only cover her mouth and nod repeatedly, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she might end up screaming. It was only now that she finally noticed the production crew behind Leo—the cameras, the lighting, and the staff members smiling as they observed her reaction.
Oh my god, was this really being filmed?
The show Leo mentioned was a surprise-visit program where idols would meet a random fan to bring them positive energy. But no matter how many times she had watched it, Ahn Hae never dared to dream that one day, she would become the main character.
This was absolutely insane!
Leo continued watching her patiently, his gaze warm and gentle.
"Can I borrow a little of your time tonight?"
"Y-Yes…"
Of course! How could she possibly say no?
Though her mind was still foggy, as if floating between reality and fantasy, she was at least clear-headed enough to know that she couldn't let this opportunity slip away.
Noticing a dustpan nearby, Leo eagerly offered his help.
"Are you cleaning the store? Let me help you!"
She jolted in alarm and immediately stopped him. Even if she had ten lives, she wouldn't dare let Leo sweep the floor for her! Not only would she be criticized by the fandom, but she herself would scold herself first.
Leo chuckled at her panicked reaction but stubbornly insisted,
"Then I'll mop the floor instead. You're not allowed to stop me!"
Before she could refuse again, he had already grabbed a mop and started enthusiastically cleaning the floor.
Ahn Hae stood frozen, struggling to process the situation. Everything was happening too fast, like a dream.
Was she dreaming?
Thinking that, she pinched her cheek—hard.
"Ouch!"
Hearing her soft whimper, Leo immediately let go of the mop and rushed to her side. But when he saw her grimacing and rubbing her cheek, he quickly understood what had happened and burst into laughter.
"What happened?"
Hearing her tiny yelp, Leo had instinctively dropped everything and rushed over. But the moment he saw her pained expression and how she was rubbing her cheek, he immediately figured it out and laughed.
"You're not dreaming."
Her face flushed red as she awkwardly turned away, pretending to busy herself to avoid his gaze.
"N-no, it's nothing. Don't mind me…"
Leo, knowing she was embarrassed, decided not to tease her any further and simply continued with his task.
The store's speakers were still playing Secret M's playlist, and as the upbeat melody faded, a soft piano tune took its place.
Leo listened intently, narrowing his eyes as if trying to confirm something. A second later, he realized—
It was that song.
A forgotten track he had composed back when he was still a trainee. A song that had faded into obscurity. He never thought anyone would remember it.
Yet here, now, Ahn Hae was unconsciously humming along to it.
"It's been a long time since I last heard this piano."
Leo's voice lowered, tinged with nostalgia.
Ahn Hae snapped her head up in shock. Only then did she realize she had been singing along. Seeing the surprised look in Leo's eyes, she suddenly felt nervous—afraid he would think she was a weird fan who dug up old, forgotten parts of his past.
She quickly explained,
"I just stumbled upon this song and thought it sounded nice, so I saved it…"
Noticing how flustered she was, as if she had done something wrong, Leo let out a small chuckle and shook his head.
"I never thought anyone would like that song. I was so inexperienced back then, and the lyrics were pretty naïve."
"But I like that naïve version of you."
Ahn Hae blurted the words out with a soft smile, making Leo freeze for a moment.
It had been so long since someone had told him they liked that part of him—the youthful, raw version of himself. A version even he had long forgotten.
But to Ahn Hae, that side of Leo was the one she cherished most. Because back then, he wasn't Leo of Secret M. He was simply Kim Seung Joon, a young dreamer who fearlessly poured his emotions into his music.
For a brief moment, Leo's gaze lingered on the small girl before him, a flicker of surprise and something else he couldn't quite place.
The space between them fell into silence.
Behind the camera, the cameraman cleared his throat loudly to break the moment and bring Leo back to reality. Startled, Leo awkwardly laughed and turned toward the staff, quickly changing the subject.
"I just finished mopping the floor. What should I do next?"
Honestly, just sitting there and letting me admire you would be enough…
Ahn Hae wanted to say that so badly, but knowing Leo's personality, there was no way he would just sit still and watch her work. So, she searched for the lightest task possible to assign to him.
"Could you help me stack the ramen on the shelf?"
She lifted a large box of instant noodles and walked toward Leo.
Seeing her tiny frame struggling with the heavy box, Leo couldn't stand it. He immediately stepped forward and took it from her hands.
Before filming, the production team had given him a brief background on Ahn Hae. He was surprised to learn that, like him, she was also an immigrant.
As a man, he had faced countless challenges living in a foreign country. So how much harder must it have been for a petite girl like Ahn Hae?
Leo couldn't help but feel curious about this resilient girl.
* * *