Episode 1: The Charity Ball

The paintbrush trembled in Haneul's hand as she added the final touches to her canvas. Through the dusty window of her tiny studio apartment, the setting sun cast long shadows across her work – a dreamy landscape of stars scattered across an indigo sky. Her grandmother always said she painted the heavens as if she'd walked among them.

"Aigoo, I'm going to be late!" Haneul exclaimed, catching sight of the clock. The charity art auction at the Seoul Metropolitan Museum started in an hour, and she still hadn't changed out of her paint-stained clothes.

She rushed to the bathroom, nearly tripping over her easel. The dress her grandmother had altered for her hung on the door – a modest blue silk piece that brought out the amber flecks in her eyes. As she slipped it on, her fingers brushed against the jade pendant at her throat, her only inheritance from parents she barely remembered.

"Watch over me tonight," she whispered to the pendant, a habit she'd developed over the years.

The taxi ride to the museum felt eternal. Haneul clutched her portfolio, containing her most prized painting – one she hoped would fetch enough at auction to help pay for her grandmother's medical bills. The piece depicted a lone star, brighter than all others, seemingly reaching down to touch the earth with tendrils of light.

The museum's grand entrance loomed before her, all marble and glass, intimidating in its elegance. Wealthy patrons in designer clothes milled about, their jewelry catching the light like artificial stars. Haneul felt small, out of place, but squared her shoulders and remembered her grandmother's words: "Your art speaks the language of the soul, my dear. Let it speak for you."

She was so focused on not stumbling in her borrowed heels that she didn't notice the young man until they collided. Her portfolio slipped from her grasp, sheets of artwork scattering across the polished floor.

"I'm so sorry!" they exclaimed in unison.

As Haneul knelt to gather her work, she found herself staring at hands that seemed too elegant to be real – long fingers carefully collecting her drawings with surprising reverence. She looked up, and her breath caught in her throat.

The young man before her was beautiful in an otherworldly way – high cheekbones, deep brown eyes that seemed to hold galaxies within them, and a gentle smile that made her heart skip a beat. He wore an impeccably tailored black suit, but something about him seemed to shimmer, as if he was touched by starlight.

"These are extraordinary," he said, studying one of her sketches. His voice was soft and melodic . "The way you capture light... it's like you can see beyond the veil of our world."

Haneul felt her cheeks warm. "Thank you. I'm Haneul," she managed, accepting his help to stand.

"Joon-Oh," he replied, still holding her drawing. "Tell me, Haneul-ssi, what inspired this one?" he asked

To be continued.....

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