Shelter from the Spotlight

Eunchae frowned at her phone screen. "The lighting's weird here," she muttered, adjusting her grip on the small tripod. She stepped back, glancing around the quiet Yonsei University courtyard, perfect for filming without being recognized. Smoothing her oversized sweater, she started again. "Hi everyone! It's Eunchae, and today I'm—"

Wind blew hair into her mouth. She spat it out. "Today's different. No managers, just me pretending to be a normal student." She gestured at the campus. "Not actually a student, but—"

Thunder rumbled. The clear sky had darkened in minutes. "You've gotta be kidding me," she groaned as raindrops hit her forehead.

She shoved her equipment into her backpack, but the rain came harder. Sprinting to a nearby oak tree, she skidded on wet grass and ducked under its branches. Soaked, she wiped her face. "Great. Just great."

Then she saw him.

Lee Jin a.k.a Luc, the university's star student, was leaning against the tree trunk like he'd been napping. His headphones were crooked, one arm covering his eyes. He blinked up at her, groggy.

They stared at each other. He sat up, brushing a leaf off his shoulder. "...Filming something?"

"Not anymore," Eunchae said, gripping her backpack straps. "Unless you want to be in my vlog about my glamorous life."

Luc snorted, rainwater dripping from his bangs. "Glamorous? Looks more like a wet t-shirt contest." He gestured at her soaked sweater, then turned pink but shrugged. "Bad weather for filming."

Eunchae gaped nobody talked to her like that. Before she could reply, thunder cracked. The rain poured harder.

Luc rummaged in his bag and pulled out a black umbrella. It snapped open with a sharp sound. "Staying here or coming?" he asked, tilting it toward her.

"It's too small for two people," she said.

Luc moved closer without waiting. "It's this or pneumonia. Your choice, Wet T-Shirt Contestant."

Eunchae hesitated. "I could call a cab."

"Sure," Luc said, already stepping into the rain. "If you like waiting 20 minutes in this." Thunder boomed as if agreeing.

With a frustrated noise, Eunchae ducked under the umbrella elbowing him when she realized how close they stood. "There's a shortcut," Luc said, dodging her elbow. "Unless you want the scenic route."

The shortcut was a narrow alley between buildings, hidden by dripping bushes. Luc pushed past the branches, holding the umbrella awkwardly. Eunchae stumbled twice before grabbing his sleeve. "This isn't a shortcut," she snapped, shaking leaves from her hair. "It's a death trap."

Luc’s smirk was annoyingly visible in her side view. "Only if you're clumsy," he said, stepping around a puddle effortlessly like he'd done it many times before. He stopped at an old gate, working the latch with one hand. "Coming or not, Contestant?"

Eunchae's comeback vanished when she saw the house. It was tall and modern, with huge windows, sitting behind a perfect garden that somehow wasn't wrecked by the storm. The gate opened quietly, showing a big driveway that could fit expensive cars.

Rain dripped from Eunchae's eyelashes as she stared. "This is yours?" she said without thinking—then hated that she sounded impressed.

Luc shook the umbrella like shaking off water. "My parents'," he said, pushing the gate wider with his hip. "They're in Geneva for work." He acted like this was normal, like everyone had a spare mansion for rainy days.

She paused at the doorstep, suddenly noticing her wet shoes and clinging sweater. "I should—"

"Dry off?" Luc cut in, already walking ahead. "Yeah, obviously." He stopped halfway to glance back. "Unless you want to stay out here judging my house."

Eunchae frowned but followed. The front door opened to a fancy foyer—clean wood walls, a floating staircase, and a chandelier like lightning made into glass. Luc kicked off his shoes, leaving wet marks on the floor. "Bathroom's down there if you need to..." He waved at her soaked clothes.

She hugged her backpack. "I'm fine."

Her teeth were chattering. "I'm fine," she repeated, even as water dripped from her sweater onto Luc's clean floor.

Luc didn't answer. He walked away and came back with two thick towels, throwing them at her chest. "You're as fine as a drowned cat," he said, pushing her toward the hallway. "Bathroom's second door. Go."

Eunchae almost tripped, grabbing the towels. "Excuse you—" she started, but Luc was already heading to the kitchen.

"And leave your clothes outside the door," he added over his shoulder.

Eunchae froze. "*What*?"

Luc turned back, looking both amused and annoyed. "Your clothes," he said slowly. "Unless you want hypothermia."

She held the towels tighter, suddenly aware how see-through her wet sweater was. "I'm not undressing in a stranger's house!"

Luc blinked, then laughed hard, almost bending over. "Oh my god," he gasped, wiping his eyes. "You thought—no. No. I have a dryer." He pointed to a door near the kitchen. "Unless you like looking like a drowned cat?"

Eunchae's face burned. She opened her mouth, closed it, then stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door. Through it, she heard Luc mutter "*drama queen*."

Eunchae sank into the hot bath until the water touched her chin. Her knees stuck out like little islands. The bathroom was fancy—marble floors, soft lights. Way too nice for someone who'd just been caught trespassing under some rich guy's tree in the rain. She blew bubbles out her nose. How did I end up naked in this stranger's tub?

Her wet clothes were probably spinning in Luc's expensive dryer. She'd hesitated before tossing them into the hallway, but being practical won. Now she floated in lavender-scented bubbles, listening to rain hit the skylight.

A knock made her jump. Water sloshed over the edge. "Left clothes outside," Luc said through the door. "They might be big on you."

Eunchae glared at the door. "I'm not wearing your clothes!" The words sounded childish as soon as she said them.

A pause. Then Luc's amused voice: "You'd rather walk around in a towel?"

She sank deeper, blowing bubbles angrily. This is why idols have managers. Managers who carried spare clothes and knew how to avoid ending up in strangers' mansions. She'd wanted to film this vlog alone no handlers, no scripts but now she was trapped in some guy's tub, defenseless against his teasing.

Eunchae stepped out wrapped in Luc's huge clothes. The shirt slipped off one shoulder. The shorts pooled around her thighs, barely staying up. She padded barefoot across the hardwood floor, lavender scent still in her hair.

Luc looked up from arranging cups. His eyes flicked over her for half a second before he looked neutral again. "Tea or coffee?" Steam rose from both pots earthy tea smell mixing with strong coffee.

Eunchae eyed them suspiciously. "You're giving me caffeine after calling me a drowned cat?" She flopped onto the couch, pulling her legs up. The shorts rode up, showing thigh. She yanked them down with a scowl.

Luc smirked as he poured coffee. "Actually, caffeine doesn't dehydrate you." He slid the mug toward her. "Thought you'd want something bitter to match your mood."

She wrapped her hands around the hot mug. "You're impossible."

Eunchae took a slow sip, then glared. "You're the type who corrects teachers in class, aren't you?"

Luc leaned against the counter, swirling his coffee. "Only when they're wrong." He grinned at her eye roll. "Which happens about thirty percent of the time in undergrad classes."

"Ugh." Eunchae rubbed her face. "Of course you'd know the exact number." She reached for her bag then froze. "Shit. My manager." She hadn't texted since before the rain. Her Manager would be—.

Her phone stayed dead no matter how many times she pressed the button. She shook it uselessly. "You've got to be kidding." More button presses did nothing.

Luc watched, amused. "Let me guess," he said, sipping coffee. "Someone's about to send out a search teams for Korea's lost idol?"