Strings of Fate

Hana had barely gotten any sleep the previous night. Every time she closed her eyes, the memory of Jimin’s voice whispering “Miss suspicious, we meet again” replayed like an endless loop in her head. Her heart refused to calm down. She had convinced herself it was all a dream, but the faint warmth on her wrist where he had held her proved otherwise.

By morning, she was a mess dark circles under her eyes, her hair refusing to cooperate, and her chest buzzing with restless energy. She wasn’t prepared for another encounter. Surely, today she’d be tucked away in some office corner, managing schedules and sending emails. Surely, she wouldn’t have to see him again so soon.

But fate, as always, had other plans.

The BTS team meeting was scheduled at 10 AM sharp. Hana arrived early, clutching her files to her chest like a shield. The conference room was already buzzing with staff, stylists, and managers. She busied herself setting up, trying not to think about the fact that somewhere in this very building, Park Jimin was walking, breathing, existing.

At exactly ten, the door opened. Hana didn’t even look up. She kept her eyes fixed on the documents, pretending to be invisible. But the sudden shift in the atmosphere told her everything she needed to know: they had arrived.

The seven members walked in casually, their presence instantly commanding attention. Hana’s eyes betrayed her and flicked up just for a second and landed directly on him.

Jimin.

He wore a loose white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a silver chain glinting at his collarbone. His mask was tucked under his chin, revealing the soft curve of his lips. His eyes scanned the room lazily until they stopped right on her.

Hana’s breath caught.

And then he smirked.

Not just any smirk. The kind that was playful, deliberate, and entirely too dangerous.

She quickly looked away, heat crawling up her neck. She forced herself to focus on the documents, silently chanting, work, work, work not him.

The meeting began, with managers and staff discussing schedules, travel plans, and upcoming promotions. Hana jotted down notes mechanically, but her mind was barely processing the words. She could feel his gaze, like a gentle weight pressing against her skin.

When the meeting finally ended, Hana let out a small sigh of relief. She gathered her things quickly, determined to make a clean escape before anything could happen. But as she turned toward the door, she heard it

“Miss suspicious.”

Her entire body froze. Slowly, she turned, and there he was, leaning casually against the wall, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Jimin.

Her worst nightmare. Her secret dream. All rolled into one.

“Y-you ” she stammered, gripping the folder tightly.

He raised a finger to his lips again. “Shh. Remember? Our little secret.”

Hana’s throat went dry. She swallowed hard, trying to muster professionalism. “Mr. Park, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to ”

“Mr. Park?” he interrupted, his smile widening. “That’s what you’re going with? Cold and formal? After you called me a burglar?”

Her eyes widened in horror. “I didn’t well I didn’t know it was you!”

“And that’s what made it fun.” His voice dropped lower, playful yet oddly sincere. “You weren’t looking at me like the world does. Just… like a guy on the street. I liked that.”

Hana’s heart hammered in her chest. Why is he saying things like this? Why is he looking at me like that?

“I’m just doing my job,” she muttered, clutching the folder tighter. “Please don’t don’t tease me.”

“Tease you?” He tilted his head, stepping a little closer. “But you make it so easy, Miss suspicious.”

Her eyes darted around the hallway, praying nobody noticed the way her face burned. “If anyone sees ”

“They’ll think I’m just being friendly.” He leaned in just slightly, his voice warm and low. “Unless you want them to think something else?”

Her mouth fell open in shock. “I what no!”

He chuckled, clearly enjoying her flustered state. “Relax. I’m kidding. Mostly.”

Hana could barely breathe. She wanted to run, but her feet were glued to the floor. His presence was overwhelming, intoxicating even.

Finally, she managed to whisper, “Why are you doing this?”

Jimin’s gaze softened, though the teasing glint never left his eyes. “Because you’re interesting. And it’s been a while since something or someone felt that way.”

Before she could respond, a staff member called out his name, and just like that, the spell broke. He winked at her, then walked away as if nothing had happened.

Hana stood frozen, her heart pounding, her thoughts a complete mess.

Later that day

Hana buried herself in work, desperate to shake off the encounter. She focused on travel itineraries, hotel bookings, performance schedules anything to ground herself. But no matter how much she tried, her mind betrayed her, replaying his words.

“You’re interesting.”

She shook her head violently, slapping her cheeks. “Focus, Hana! He’s your client. Your idol. Untouchable. End of story.”

But the universe wasn’t done torturing her.

During a break, she headed to the vending machine down the hall. As she waited for her coffee to dispense, someone appeared beside her.

“Do you always scold yourself out loud?”

She nearly dropped the cup. “Oh my god!” She spun around and of course, it was him. Jimin stood there, grinning like he had just caught her committing a crime.

Her face turned crimson. “W-why are you here? Don’t you have… idol things to do?”

“I wanted coffee.” He shrugged, pressing a button on the machine. Then he glanced sideways at her, his lips twitching. “And maybe I was curious if you’d run into me again.”

Hana groaned, covering her face with her hands. “This is a nightmare.”

He chuckled, leaning closer. “For me, it’s pretty fun.”

“Why are you like this?” she muttered through her fingers.

“Like what?”

“Teasing me all the time.”

“Because you react.” His tone was playful but gentle. “You’re not pretending. Most people I meet… they wear masks. Not the kind on your face. The kind that hides who they really are. But you you’re honest. It’s refreshing.”

Her heart thumped painfully. She didn’t know how to respond.

Then, as if deciding she’d suffered enough, he changed the subject. “So, Miss suspicious, are you always this nervous around people, or is it just me?”

Her hands dropped from her face, eyes widening. “I’m not nervous!”

He smirked knowingly. “Sure you’re not.”

The machine beeped, and he grabbed his coffee. He handed it to her instead. “Here. Yours looks like it’s about to spill anyway.”

She blinked in surprise. “Oh. Uh… thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He leaned in just slightly, his voice dipping again. “But next time, you owe me one.”

Before she could protest, he walked away, leaving her clutching the coffee like it was some kind of forbidden treasure.

That evening

By the time Hana returned home, she was completely drained. She collapsed onto her bed, hugging her pillow tightly.

What is happening? she thought miserably. First he calls me suspicious. Then he teases me. Then he smiles at me like that. What am I supposed to do?

Her phone buzzed with messages from her friends, gossiping about BTS being in town. She bit her lip, tempted to spill the truth. But she couldn’t. Nobody would believe her anyway.

She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling.

“Park Jimin,” she whispered. “Why does it feel like you’re pulling me into something I can’t escape?”

Her heart answered before her mind could.

Because it was fate.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***