The next morning arrived quickly.
At Lumina Studio, the atmosphere was already busy as the collaboration teams prepared for another day of work. Assistants moved around organizing equipment, photographers checked lighting setups, and designers reviewed their sketches and fabrics.
Yerin stepped into the studio with a folder tucked under her arm, trying to appear calm and professional.
But the moment she entered, her eyes instinctively searched the room.
And there she was.
Dahye stood near the main shooting area, discussing camera settings with one of the photographers. She looked as composed and confident as always, dressed neatly and focused on work.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
A small smile almost appeared on Dahye's face.
But she quickly hid it.
Yerin looked away immediately, pretending to check her notes.
Their relationship was still a secret.
And they both intended to keep it that way for now.
A few minutes later, Yerin walked over to the work table where Dahye was standing.
"Good morning," Yerin said calmly.
Dahye glanced at her and nodded.
"Morning."
Her voice sounded completely normal, as if nothing had changed between them.
But under the table, Dahye's fingers briefly brushed against Yerin's hand.
Just for a second.
Yerin stiffened slightly before pulling her hand away, trying not to react.
Dahye suppressed a small smile.
"Are the outfit adjustments ready?" she asked professionally.
"Yes," Yerin replied, flipping through her folder. "I finalized the concept for So Hyun's shoot."
Dahye leaned slightly closer to look at the designs.
"Looks good," she said quietly.
Their shoulders almost touched.
To anyone watching, it looked like a normal work discussion.
But the tension between them felt completely different.
Yerin cleared her throat and stepped back.
"We should start the fitting soon."
"Agreed," Dahye said.
As Yerin turned to leave, Dahye spoke again in a low voice.
"Miss Popular."
Yerin froze.
She quickly glanced around to make sure no one heard.
"Stop calling me that," she muttered under her breath.
Dahye's eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Why? You looked pretty jealous yesterday."
Yerin glared at her.
"I wasn't jealous."
Dahye leaned slightly closer again.
"Sure."
Yerin quickly walked away before her face could turn red.
Behind her, Dahye quietly laughed.
Across the studio, Cho Yu Na was reviewing a lighting setup when Lim Jiyeon walked over.
Jiyeon leaned casually against the table beside her.
"Good morning."
Yu Na immediately straightened her posture.
"Morning."
Her voice was slightly stiff.
Jiyeon tilted her head, studying her.
"You look nervous."
"I'm not," Yu Na replied quickly.
Jiyeon smiled playfully.
"Relax. I don't bite."
Yu Na forced herself to focus on the equipment in front of her.
"Please review the pose references for the shoot," she said professionally.
Jiyeon leaned closer to look at the tablet Yu Na was holding.
Their shoulders brushed slightly.
Yu Na's heart skipped.
She quickly stepped aside.
Jiyeon noticed but didn't comment.
Instead, she suddenly spotted Seo Min Ah, their designer, walking toward them.
Jiyeon waved.
"Min Ah!"
Min Ah smiled.
"Good morning."
Jiyeon walked over to her immediately.
"Have you finalized the outfit concept?"
Min Ah nodded and began explaining the details.
Jiyeon listened closely, smiling warmly as she spoke.
"You always have great ideas."
Min Ah laughed.
"You're just saying that."
"No," Jiyeon replied smoothly. "I mean it."
Yu Na watched the interaction quietly.
Jiyeon leaned slightly closer to Min Ah while they talked, casually brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
The gesture was small but clearly flirtatious.
Min Ah laughed again, slightly flustered.
Yu Na turned away, pretending to focus on adjusting the lighting.
Her expression remained calm.
Professional.
But inside, she felt something uncomfortable tightening in her chest.
She reminded herself of one thing.
Jiyeon flirts with everyone.
It didn't mean anything.
Still… she couldn't stop noticing it.
So instead, Yu Na focused harder on work.
Meanwhile, on the main set, Park So Hyun stood in front of a mirror while Yerin adjusted the details of her outfit.
"This neckline should sit slightly higher," Yerin explained while fixing the fabric.
So Hyun nodded obediently.
"Okay."
But her eyes weren't on the mirror.
They were on Yerin.
She watched every movement carefully, her gaze lingering a little longer than necessary.
Yerin didn't notice.
She was too focused on the design.
But someone else noticed.
Dahye.
From behind the camera, Dahye observed the interaction silently.
So Hyun's expression.
The way she kept looking at Yerin.
The small smile on her face whenever Yerin spoke.
Dahye's grip on the camera tightened slightly.
She took a slow breath and reminded herself to stay professional.
"Alright," she said calmly. "Let's begin the test shots."
So Hyun immediately straightened.
"Yes."
But even during the shoot, Dahye kept noticing the same thing.
So Hyun's attention was always on Yerin.
Whenever Yerin gave instructions, So Hyun listened carefully, nodding eagerly.
At one point, she even smiled at Yerin with clear admiration.
Dahye adjusted the camera lens quietly.
Her expression remained calm.
But internally, something was definitely bothering her.
She wasn't used to this feeling.
Jealousy.
Still, she refused to show it.
Their relationship was secret.
And this was work.
So she stayed silent and continued taking photos.
Meanwhile, across the city, the restaurant had just opened for the day.
Go Eunseo had just finished preparing the tables when Kwon Nari walked over.
"Good morning."
Eunseo immediately straightened.
"Good morning, boss."
Nari smiled.
"You can drop the 'boss'."
Eunseo blinked.
"Sorry?"
"Just call me Nari."
Eunseo hesitated.
"…Okay."
Nari seemed pleased.
"I'll be guiding you today."
Eunseo's eyes widened.
"You?"
"Yes."
Eunseo looked genuinely surprised.
"I thought Hae Rin would show me around again."
Nari crossed her arms casually.
"I decided I'd do it myself."
Eunseo nodded awkwardly.
"…Okay."
As they walked through the restaurant, Nari kept glancing at Eunseo.
"You learn quickly," she said.
"Thank you."
"And you're very hardworking."
Eunseo smiled politely.
"I'm trying my best."
Nari tilted her head slightly.
"You don't need to try too hard."
Eunseo blinked.
"Huh?"
"You already look perfect working here."
Eunseo awkwardly laughed.
She assumed Nari was just encouraging her as an employee.
"Thank you…"
They continued walking around the restaurant as Nari explained different tasks and responsibilities.
But every few minutes, she kept adding compliments.
"You look nice in that uniform."
"Oh… thank you."
"And your smile is very charming."
"…Thank you."
"And you have beautiful eyes."
Eunseo blinked again.
"Uh… thank you?"
She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
Maybe she treats all her workers like this.
Nari watched her reactions with amusement.
"You're very interesting," she said suddenly.
Eunseo looked confused.
"Interesting?"
"Yes."
Eunseo laughed nervously.
"I'm not sure why."
Nari leaned slightly closer.
"You'll figure it out."
Eunseo simply nodded, still completely unaware that her boss was flirting with her.
To her, it just felt like friendly boss behavior.
Nari, however, was clearly enjoying herself.
And she had absolutely no intention of stopping.
Back at the studio, the day slowly moved forward with work, photoshoots, and quiet tension.
Hidden glances.
Unspoken feelings.
And secret relationships that no one else had discovered yet.