Ji-an
Logan went to change, leaving me alone with his sister.
Emily was here.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady the rapid beat of my heart. It was strange seeing her in person. We'd spent countless late nights chatting online—Emily sharing her worries, me comforting her as Jess—but she had absolutely no idea she'd been talking to Ji-an, the leader of Nova.
She smiled nervously, eyes wide. "So… hi. You're actually Ji-an."
"Guilty," I said lightly. "And you're Emily. Logan's sister, right?"
Emily's cheeks turned pink instantly. "Yeah. Wait, how do you—?"
She stopped, shaking her head with embarrassment. "Dumb question. Logan probably mentioned me. Sorry, I'm just… a bit starstruck."
I laughed softly, immediately charmed. "Actually, I've seen your modeling on Instagram. You're really talented."
Her eyes widened, and panic flashed briefly over her face. "Wait—you've seen my modeling? Oh good lord, did Logan—?"
I shook my head quickly. "Relax, Logan only mentioned he had a pretty little sister who modeled. But I recognized your name when he said it. Your feed is gorgeous—especially the Newtown skincare shoot."
Emily's face turned a deeper shade of red. "You've actually seen my Instagram…"
I smiled, gently amused. "Yes. You're stunning, Emily. Your work caught my attention."
She exhaled shakily, laughing nervously. "Wow. I'm sorry, it's just… surreal. Ji-an from Nova looking at my stuff and calling me gorgeous? I feel like I'm hallucinating. You're literally perfect in person."
"Well, thank you." I ducked my head slightly, genuinely touched. "But don't sell yourself short. You're incredible."
Emily's phone buzzed, and she glanced down quickly, typing a fast response. "Sorry—my boyfriend," she explained with a shy smile. "He's a little clingy."
I tilted my head, intrigued. "Ahh, that can be cute. Are you two serious?"
She shook her head quickly. "Not really. It's still new. My last relationship was...bad. He treated me terribly. When Logan found out, he went ballistic. Pretty sure my ex is still running."
I smiled knowingly. "I understand. My last boyfriend was a disaster."
Emily's eyes widened instantly. "Oh—right. Sorry. Everyone knows about that."
I grimaced. "Unfortunately. But honestly, I should've known better. I wasn't that into him, and he was way too into me. That's always a recipe for disaster. Especially Male Kpop idols. They cannot handle the blow to their egos."
She softened, giving me a sympathetic look. "Truth. Well, I hope you find someone better."
I grinned playfully. "Know anyone?"
Emily laughed, startled. "I could set you up! Can you imagine if I hooked you up with one of my college friends? Heads would explode."
"Exactly what I need," I joked. "Mass scandal. I can already see the headlines."
Emily straightened, mimicking a news anchor. "Ji-an from Nova Causes Mass Casualties on Blind Date Night—Story at 11."
We both burst out laughing, and a loud snort escaped from me.
Emily's eyes lit up. "Good lord, you're adorable."
"Stop," I protested, covering my mouth. "You're making me blush."
Logan reappeared from the bedroom, fully dressed, sliding his phone into his pocket. "Sorry. Had to update the police."
Emily's expression shifted instantly, concerned. "Logan, seriously, what happened last night?"
Logan sighed, expression sobering. "It was an organized attack. Fanatics obsessed with Ji-an. They had knives. It got ugly fast."
Emily's eyes widened. "Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah," Logan reassured her, glancing at me briefly. "Everyone's fine mostly fine. The Agency, management, and local authorities are on edge, though. We're moving Nova back to the Gorge for the second show."
I swallowed, warmth flooding my chest as he glanced my way. "We're safe because of Logan. Honestly, if he hadn't intervened, we might be dead. There were like ten guys."
Emily shot to her feet, horrified. "You fought ten people? Logan, that's insane—"
"Wait," Logan interrupted quickly, holding up his hands. "Five. It was five, not ten—I'm not a superhero."
"Five's not much better," I pointed out, shaking my head.
Emily folded her arms tightly. "Seriously, Logan? Five?"
Logan just shrugged uncomfortably. "It's my job."
His phone buzzed again, and he glanced down, sighing. "I have to take this—it's Sonya." He stepped out again, leaving us alone.
I blinked.
Sonya? Who the hell is Sonya? And why would Logan interrupt this for her?
Emily exhaled, visibly relaxing now that Logan had stepped out. "Sorry about him. He's...a lot."
"Yeah," I muttered, distracted. "I've noticed."
She glanced at me apologetically. "If Logan's been difficult—"
"Excuse me?" Logan's voice echoed back from the other room. "Why are you assuming I caused problems? Ji-an, maybe tell Emily how you tried to seduce me."
"WHAT?" Emily and I shouted simultaneously.
"oh don't be shy," Logan called, clearly enjoying himself. "It's a funny story."
My face burned.
"I'm going to kill him," I whispered fiercely.
Just then, the suite door burst open, and Jisoo, Min-ji, and Hye-won stumbled in, chattering loudly until they noticed Emily.
"Oh," Jisoo blinked, curious but confused. "Hi. Who are you?"
Emily stood nervously. "Oh. Wow. yeah. Of course. The rest of Nova. I should have thought of that. Um, Hi! I'm Emily. Logan's sister."
All three girls froze, eyes wide.
Min-ji gasped dramatically. "Logan has a sister? And you're her? Oh my—hi!"
Hye-won squealed excitedly. "You're Logan's sister? We have so many questions!"
Jisoo leaned forward eagerly. "Has he always looked like that? Was he always so—"
"Hot?" Hye-won supplied helpfully.
Emily flushed crimson. "Um, he's my brother, so…"
"Right. Awkward," Jisoo conceded quickly. "But does he have a girlfriend?"
Emily laughed awkwardly, glancing briefly toward me. "No girlfriend. Logan's... not really a relationship guy."
Min-ji leaned forward, shy but insistent. "Really? He's single?"
Emily nodded hesitantly. "As far as I know."
Min-ji blushed fiercely. "Does he have a type? Like, does he prefer cute girls or sexy ones?"
Emily looked overwhelmed but thoughtful. "Honestly, Logan's dated all sorts. Tall, blonde, busty girls. A Japanese exchange student in high school. A half-Indian girl in college. He has a childhood friend or two out there. But none of them lasted. Since starting his security firm, he's been all work and no play."
"Boring," Hye-won sighed dramatically.
"Guys, seriously," I groaned, rolling my eyes. "Ease up."
Jisoo smirked knowingly at me. "Don't pretend you're not interested too, Ji-an."
Emily's eyes widened mischievously. "Wait, so you actually did try to seduce him?"
Her voice was playful, but the damage was immediate.
All three members of Nova froze, staring at me with open mouths. The silence was deafening.
Just then, Logan walked by, glancing in casually. " Em, don't cause rumors. I was joking. Obviously Ji-an's out of my league. Girls, I need you downstairs in half an hour. Your security team is expecting us within the hour." He left before I could respond.
Min-ji gasped dramatically. "Ji-an, you and Logan?"
I buried my face in my hands. "Don't even start."
Emily laughed apologetically. "Sorry. Logan's kind of stupid around normal women, let alone famous ones."
Min-ji huffed, crossing her arms. "I don't know, I think he's pretty smooth. He should really be doing something else though. His face is totally wasted in security. He's practically a walking K-drama lead."
Emily laughed softly. "You know what? You're not wrong."
I nudged Emily excitedly. "Enough Logan talk. You have a boyfriend? And he's clingy?"
Emily blushed brightly. "Yeah, he is. Honestly, it's embarrassing how much he worries."
"Ugh, jealous," Jisoo sighed dramatically.
Emily's phone buzzed again, and she rolled her eyes affectionately. "See? He never stops."
I smiled, watching the easy banter between them. Emily relaxed, the awkwardness finally fading.
Logan leaned in from the doorway, eyeing us suspiciously. "Did something happen?"
Emily grinned sweetly. "Just girl talk. Your favorite."
He sighed dramatically. "Fantastic."
His eyes met mine for a heartbeat, warmth fluttering in my chest. He frowned slightly, clearly sensing something, but he let it go.
And for now, I wanted to keep it exactly that way