Chapter 1
The flashing lights of the paparazzi were usually what Elina woke up to, but this time, it was the sterile, rhythmic hum of a heart monitor. The accident had been a blur of shattered glass and screeching tires—a nightmare that had sidelined the fashion world’s favorite face.
A week later, Elina was finally being discharged. Though her head still throbbed and her movements were stiff, her lead bodyguard, Marcus, was already ushering her toward the blacked-out SUV waiting in the hospital’s private bay.
"Keep your head down, Elina," Marcus muttered, shielding her from the prying eyes of the public. "The press is already circling the main gates."
As they reached the car, a commotion erupted near the emergency entrance.
### The Troublemaker’s Arrival
A group was spilling out of the hospital doors: a frantic mother, two exasperated older sisters, and a boy in a school uniform who looked like he’d just walked out of a war zone.
**Jae-min.**
He was notorious at school—the boy who sat in the back of the class with a smirk and spent more time on his motorcycle than in a library. Now, he looked considerably less cool. His right wrist was encased in a heavy cast, and his face was decorated with fresh scrapes.
"Reckless! Absolutely reckless, Jae-min!" his mother cried, her voice echoing off the concrete. "You could have killed yourself on that bike!"
"It was just a sharp turn, Ma," Jae-min groaned, looking away, though the pain in his eyes was evident.
"A sharp turn at eighty miles per hour?" his oldest sister, **Luna**, barked, waving a finger in his face. "You’re grounded until you’re thirty!"
### An Unexpected Encounter
The lecture stopped abruptly. Luna’s eyes drifted past her brother, landing straight on Elina. Her jaw dropped. Her hands went to her face in a universal gesture of pure shock.
"Wait... no way," Luna whispered. Then, louder: **"ELINA?!"**
Luna didn't just like Elina; she lived for her. Her bedroom walls were a collage of Elina’s magazine covers and Paris Fashion Week posters. Forgetting her brother’s injuries and her mother’s lecture, she sprinted toward the SUV.
"Elina! Oh my god, Elina! Can I please—"
Marcus stepped forward instantly, his massive frame blocking Luna’s path. His hand was up, his expression like stone. "Stand back. No photos, no approach."
"Please!" Luna begged, fumbling with a pen and a crumpled notebook from her bag. "I’m your biggest fan! I have every poster!"
Elina looked at the girl—breathless and sincere—and then glanced back at Jae-min. He was watching the scene, his dark eyes meeting Elina’s for a fleeting second. He looked embarrassed, annoyed, and strangely curious.
Elina reached out and gently placed a hand on Marcus’s arm.
"It’s okay, Marcus," Elina said, her voice soft but firm. "Let her through. It’s fine."
She turned to Luna with a tired but genuine smile, the "popular model" and the "school troublemaker" officially crossing paths in the most unexpected of places.
