The air crackled with anticipation, a quiet prelude to the chaos that would soon unfold. This story, though born of imagination, held a strange resonance—a mirror reflecting the fleeting encounters that shape our lives.
***
“You won’t believe what happened at the coffee shop today,” she began, her voice laced with exasperation. “Some guy just… bumped into me, didn’t even say sorry! And then he had the audacity to *brag* about being famous. Like, who does that?”
Her brother chuckled, leaning back against the worn kitchen table. “Famous? What was he saying?”
She settled onto a stool, her chin resting on her hand as she replayed the scene in her mind. “He was tall—taller than both of us, maybe around Haechan-oppa’s age. Definitely younger than you, but older than me. It’s weird, because he looked so familiar. He was wearing a beige coat and a black mask, covering half his face. It’s like I’ve seen him somewhere before…”
“Probably just some attention-seeking fool,” Mark offered, his laughter easygoing. “Let him chase his fifteen minutes.”
A sharp ring of the doorbell cut through their conversation.
“I’ll get it!” Jeno called out, already heading for the door.
“Jaemin-ah!” he exclaimed as he opened the door.
The girl and her brother exchanged a look, their eyes widening in unison.
“WHAT THE—?!”
“IT’S HIM!”
The other boys—a small group gathered for an afternoon study session—turned to stare at them, confusion etched on their faces. “Haejin-ah, what are you yelling about?” asked one of them.
She pointed a trembling finger toward the doorway, her voice rising with indignation. “Minhyung-oppa! *He’s* the rude one from the coffee shop!”