Prologue: The Three Stages of Love

“Same as usual today? For an extra six hundred won, you can get a bottle of Peninsula juice.”

After taking the heated tomato rice ball out of the microwave and letting it cool for a few seconds, Xia Xing pushed it to the other side of the counter.

The girl’s hand that picked up the rice ball was fair and slender, her Kuromi-themed manicure matching perfectly with the black and purple varsity jacket she wore.

“Juice? Hmm... too many calories. You know what my job is, right? That sort of thing isn’t suitable for me.”

She hesitated for a moment, then waved her hand—perhaps to show off her manicure—paid, and didn’t hurry to leave.

Xia Xing had been working at this 7-Eleven for half a year now. Because his college classes kept him busy during the day, he always chose the night shift.

By coincidence, the girl across from him was a student at Hanlim Arts High School next door. After school, before heading home, she often stopped by to grab a low-calorie tomato rice ball to fill up.

Over time, they’d become familiar enough to chat now and then—the sort of acquaintance where you’d ask, “How was your day?”

But to tie her to the word “profession”... that was difficult for Xia Xing.

Could she be a model? At seventeen or eighteen, if there’s a job that demands you manage your body, modeling—a career based on image—would be the most reasonable answer.

She was easily over one seventy in height, with excellent proportions, a true seven-head figure, and given her school...

“Are you a print model?” he ventured.

The girl was startled, then her lips curved into a slight smile as she looked down and sized up her own figure.

“So tell me, why do you think I’m a print model?”

“Probably because you’re very pretty. The kind of pretty that makes people feel happier just by seeing you.”

A straightforward, honest answer.

“That’s such an ordinary description... but I like your answer.”

She slipped the rice ball into a plastic bag. Before leaving the store, she looked back at the tall boy tidying up the counter and said,

“But I’m a little upset. I thought you’d know my name.”

“I’m Seol Yun from NMIXX, an idol from JYP.”

Watching her quickly vanish into the evening, Xia Xing scratched his head and muttered,

“NMIXX? What’s that?”

Two minutes later, after closing his browser, he couldn’t help but grumble,

“So it’s them. With works like that, no wonder they’re not popular...”

Not far away, in a business van, the girl was nibbling on her rice ball and examining herself in a compact mirror, replaying her actions.

As a true introvert, she hadn’t expected herself to be so forward with a stranger.

Maybe... it was because she was already familiar with that convenience store clerk?

But even though they saw each other so often, he still didn’t know who she was.

It was enough to make her both angry and disappointed.

“Seol Yun, did anything good happen at school today?”

The manager glanced in the rearview mirror. Compared to Bae, who was quietly scrolling on her phone and looked bored, the smile on Seol Yun’s lips was striking.

“Huh? Is it that obvious?” Seol Yun’s eyes drifted up and to the left, then she explained, “I just met an interesting friend at school.”

-----------------

“That song ‘Roller Coaster’ is pretty good. It’s way better than ‘O.O’.”

Xia Xing handed Seol Yun the rice ball he’d heated in advance.

But unlike before, she didn’t hurry to leave. Their growing familiarity made her willing to linger in the store for a few more minutes, chatting with this blunt part-timer.

“Oh? Really? Pop quiz—can you sing a few lines of the lyrics?”

It was the kind of question that could easily be misunderstood, her tone suggestive enough to spark wild guesses.

Realizing this, Seol Yun cleared her throat and explained,

“I just wanted to check if you actually listened to the song.”

But his silence made her mood nosedive.

Why wasn’t he answering?

Had he never paid attention to those details?

Xia Xing had said before Seol Yun was the only celebrity he knew. Given their acquaintance, shouldn’t he at least remember a few lines she sang? Wasn’t that basic courtesy?

“I... don’t sing very well. I’m tone-deaf.”

“And... those lyrics are just too weird to say out loud.”

The tall boy, whose looks were reminiscent of Takashi Kashiwabara, quickly flushed and avoided her gaze, making it impossible not to wonder what he was thinking.

But, honestly, he had a point.

“Let’s go, just hold my hand.”

“Through every up and down, I’m always by your side.”

Those lyrics really were hard to say aloud.

“Rabbit and Alice, Romeo and Juliet, Beast and Beauty.”

“That’s... about it.”

He mumbled as he sang, picking up a store flyer and crumpling it absentmindedly.

He didn’t sound bad, but certainly not good either. Yet Seol Yun felt things were heading in a direction she’d never imagined.

Her heart raced, her body flushed...

Seol Yun realized she couldn’t let this continue; she needed to escape right now.

And as she vanished once again into the evening, Xia Xing finally let out a long breath.

He subconsciously touched his burning cheeks and noticed how fast his heart was pounding.

It had to be because singing was his biggest weakness, and being forced to do it in front of someone he knew had thrown him off.

That had to be it.

But... was his singing really that bad? Did it make Seol Yun run away so fast?

Sure, he was tone-deaf, but his voice was decent, wasn’t it?

In the nearby van, Bae Jin-rye dropped her phone and teased her sister, who had dashed back into the car,

“Did you just run an eight-hundred-meter sprint? Why are you out of breath? Your face is so red.”

“Huh? Is it? I just didn’t want to keep you all waiting, so I ran from the convenience store.”

“No rush, really. Running on the street is dangerous. As your manager, I have to be responsible for your safety.”

-----------------

“Don’t you think you’re being a little unfair?”

“Huh?”

As usual, Xia Xing handed Seol Yun her rice ball.

But faced with her sudden, offbeat question, he was at a loss for words.

“You know so much about me, but I only know your name.”

How much did he know?

True, Xia Xing had learned a lot about Seol Yun online. Their relationship was a bit “one-sidedly transparent.”

If friendship was the measure, it did seem a bit unfair.

“So what do you want to know? If I can share it, I will.”

What was this... Was Seol Yun that eager to get to know Xia Xing?

She just thought it was unfair—they should balance their knowledge of each other.

“Do I have to ask? That’s no fun.”

She picked a seat near the counter, sat down, and leisurely sipped her Peninsula juice she’d bought for six hundred won.

“You tell me about yourself. That should be more interesting.”

“But that... feels a bit weird.”

Seeing Seol Yun’s ambiguous expression, Xia Xing pursed his lips and offered tentatively,

“My name is Xia Xing. I’m a senior majoring in Business at Seoul National University. My dad is Chinese, my mom is from Daejeon, and I have a younger sister in middle school.”

A self-introduction fit for an elementary schooler.

But... it was unexpectedly charming.

“So, can you speak Chinese?”

“Even more fluently than Korean.”

“Keep going. I’ve got plenty of time today.”

More introductions? About what?

As someone who didn’t like socializing, Xia Xing was rather inexperienced at talking about himself.

“My hobby is gaming, though I’m not very good. I only play a few games—definitely the type who enjoys playing but isn’t skilled.”

“Overwatch, Minecraft... those are my main games.”

“Really? Add me as a friend, then.”

Seol Yun’s eyes lit up as she shook her phone, showing him her Battle.net account.

“I can carry you. When I’m not busy, I have plenty of free time.”

“Uh, sure...”

“What’s with the reluctant look? Forget it if you don’t want to.”

-----------------

In the NMIXX dorm, Seol Yun finished a two-hour gaming session that night.

She often played with her old friends from middle school, so her teammates weren’t surprised.

Stretching contentedly, she came out of her room, glancing at her groupmates who were engrossed in a documentary in the living room.

But her mind was still on the game she’d just played.

That Xia Xing... he looked over six feet, but in-game he was so cautious and timid—she had to play Reinhardt and tank damage for him.

And his skills really were average. Teaming with him, Seol Yun finally felt the thrill of dominating in low-ranked matches.

“What are you watching so intently?” she asked, sitting beside Oh Hae-won, who was glued to the TV.

“Oh, we’re watching a documentary about love.”

“There’s such a thing?”

Because of their profession, idols theoretically aren’t allowed to date. Of course, veterans who’ve been around long enough can sneak around a bit.

But for a girl group that’s only debuted a year, romance was a distant thing.

“Yeah, it says love is a product of hormone secretion.”

“The documentary says love usually has three stages.”

“Curiosity, speculation, and companionship.”