**Kael's POV - Day One**
The new assistant quit in three hours.
The next one lasted until afternoon before walking out mid-photo shoot.
By day three, I stopped learning their names.
None of them were her.
The practice room had been cleaned. New mirror. But a faint bloodstain remained—a shadow I stared at every day, hating myself more.
---
**Sunshine's POV - Day Three**
My phone buzzed.
**Salary Deposit: ₩3,500,000**
I sat up, confused. That was my monthly pay plus hazard bonus. But I'd only worked ten days.
Another notification.
**Message from Director Han: Your pay for this month. You earned it.**
I stared at the number, hands shaking.
New deposit: ₩3,500,000
Enough. More than enough for the apartment deposit.
I could leave. Could walk away from KDX. From him.
My chest felt tight.
**Day Five**
Mom and I stood in the empty apartment. Two bedrooms. Small kitchen. Sunlight everywhere.
"We're taking it," I told the landlord.
That night, surrounded by his posters in my old room, I made my decision.
I had the money. Had the freedom.
But I texted Director Han anyway: **I'm ready to come back.**
Not because I needed to.
Because I wanted to.
---
**Kael's POV - Monday Morning**
She stood in my dressing room holding coffee.
My heart stopped.
"You—you came back."
"It's my job." Her voice was steady, but she wouldn't quite meet my eyes.
"Sunshine, I'm so—"
"Can we just work? Please?"
So we worked.
But nothing was the same.
---
**Sunshine's POV - Week Two**
It started small.
I was reviewing his schedule when I felt it—that prickling sensation of being watched.
I looked up.
Kael was staring at me. Not at the tablet. At me.
Our eyes met, and my heart slammed against my ribs.
He looked away quickly, clearing his throat. "The—the schedule looks fine."
Had he been...? No. I was imagining things.
But then it happened again.
During a recording session, I glanced through the studio glass and caught him staring. His eyes on my face like he was memorizing something.
When he noticed I'd caught him, his ears turned red. He fumbled with his headphones, nearly dropping them.
My stomach flipped.
---
**Kael's POV - Week Three**
I couldn't stop looking at her.
The way she bit her lip when concentrating. How she tucked hair behind her ear when nervous. The curve of her neck when she looked down at her phone.
During a late-night session, she stretched to reach a high shelf. Her shirt rode up slightly, exposing a sliver of skin at her waist.
My mouth went dry.
She turned and caught me staring.
Time stopped.
Her eyes widened. My face burned.
"I was just—" I stammered. "You needed help with—the shelf is—"
"It's okay." Her voice came out breathless. "I got it."
But her cheeks were flushed pink.
And neither of us looked away immediately.
---
**Sunshine's POV - Week Four**
I started noticing him too.
How could I not?
The way his hands moved when he composed music. Long fingers dancing across piano keys. The concentration on his face when he sang—raw and beautiful and completely unguarded.
One afternoon, he was reviewing lyrics, and I found myself staring at his mouth. The shape of his lips as he mouthed words silently.
"Sunshine?"
I jumped. "Yes?"
"I asked if you liked this verse." His eyes searched mine, and something in his gaze made breathing difficult.
"I—yes. It's perfect. You're—it's perfect."
The corner of his mouth lifted. Almost a smile. "You're staring."
"I'm not—" My face went hot. "I was reading the—"
"I stare at you too."
The air left my lungs.
"What?"
He looked down, suddenly focused very intently on his notebook. "Nothing. Never mind."
But my heart was racing so fast I could hear it in my ears.
---
**Kael's POV**
Why did I say that?
*I stare at you too.*
Idiot. Complete idiot.
But it was true. God, it was so true.
I stared at her constantly. When she wasn't looking. When she was looking. When she smiled at her phone. When she handed me coffee. When she existed in the same room as me.
I was obsessed.
No—I was in love.
And I had no idea what to do about it.
---
**Sunshine's POV - Month End**
My phone buzzed with another bank notification.
**Salary Deposit: ₩3,500,000**
I frowned. Double pay again? But I'd already gotten paid after the incident.
This was my actual monthly salary—and it was still doubled.
I found Director Han. "There's a mistake with my salary—"
"No mistake."
"But it's double again. I already got paid—"
"Kael insisted." She finally looked up. "Every month. He says you deserve it for staying when everyone else runs."
My chest felt tight. "Every month?"
"His exact words: 'She deserves everything.'"
I left her office in a daze.
We'd already moved into the apartment using the first payment. But this...
That evening, I bought furniture. A couch. A proper bed for Mom. Kitchen supplies.
The rest, I gave to my mother for her catering business dream.
"What's this for?" she asked, crying.
"Your fresh start. Both of ours."
Later, in my new room, I stared at my phone.
*She deserves everything.*
He'd doubled my pay. Not once as an apology. But permanently.
My heart wouldn't stop racing.
---
**Kael's POV - The Next Day**
She walked into my dressing room, and something was different.
She looked at me—really looked—and didn't look away.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "For the salary. I... my mom and I moved into our own place. Away from her husband. And I used the extra money to help her start a business."
"You don't have to thank me—"
"I do." She stepped closer. "You didn't have to do that. But you did. And it changed everything for us."
We were standing too close. Close enough that I could see gold flecks in her eyes. Could smell her perfume—something soft and sweet.
"Sunshine—"
Her phone rang.
We both jumped back like we'd been burned.
She answered it, cheeks flushed, not meeting my eyes. "Hello?"
My heart was pounding so hard I thought she could probably hear it.
---
**Sunshine's POV - That Evening**
It happened during a late shoot.
Kael was changing outfits, and when he came out, our eyes met across the room.
And held.
Five seconds. Ten. Fifteen.
My pulse thundered. My skin felt too hot.
Someone called his name, breaking the moment.
But as he walked to the set, he glanced back.
And I was already looking.
Our eyes locked again, and this time, he smiled.
Small. Private. Just for me.
I forgot how to breathe.
---
**Kael's POV**
That night, I couldn't sleep.
All I could think about was the way she'd looked at me. The way her breath had caught when I stepped closer. The flush on her cheeks when our eyes held too long.
She felt it too.
This pull between us. This magnetic thing that made it impossible to look away.
I wanted to touch her. Wanted to know if her skin was as soft as it looked. Wanted to hear her say my name in that breathless way again.
But I was terrified.
Because what if I was reading it wrong? What if she was just being professional and I was the one making it weird?
What if I scared her away?
I grabbed my phone.
Typed: *I can't stop thinking about you.*
Deleted it.
Typed: *Do you feel this too?*
Deleted it.
Put my phone down.
Tomorrow, I'd see her again. We'd exchange glances that lasted too long. We'd stand too close while reviewing schedules. We'd pretend we weren't falling.
Even though we both knew.
Even though every look said what our mouths couldn't.
*I want you.*
*I need you.*
*I'm falling and I can't stop.*
---
**Sunshine's POV**
I lay in my new bed, in my new room, in the apartment his money had helped make possible.
And all I could think about was the way he'd looked at me today.
Not like a boss. Not like an idol.
Like a man who wanted something he was afraid to reach for.
My phone lit up with a message from Mom.
**Thank you for everything. For saving us. For being brave enough to stay and strong enough to leave. I'm proud of you.**
I smiled, typing back: **I love you, Mom.**
But as I set my phone down, I thought: *I didn't just stay for the money.*
*I stayed for him.*
*And now I don't know how to stop falling.*
Tomorrow, we'd stare again. Stutter again. Pretend our hearts weren't racing.
But eventually, one of us would break.
Eventually, looking wouldn't be enough.
And I was terrified of what would happen when that day came.
---
**END OF CHAPTER 8**