"Just stay inside! It's better for everyone."

The words echoed in your mind as they left Noren’s mouth, sharp and biting. His voice was loud and urgent, but it carried an undertone that made your stomach twist—a mixture of frustration and something else you couldn’t quite pinpoint. Noren, a man adored by millions for his good looks and charm, was a popular figure on nearly every platform. A well-known actor, with fans fawning over him from all corners of the world. And then, there was you.

You would have been just as well-known, perhaps even admired, if it weren’t for the scar that marred the left side of your face. The reminder of a past that had shaped you, one you couldn’t escape no matter how much you wished for it. You had grown used to the glances, the whispers, the judgment. But when it came to Noren, the sting of it all felt much worse.

You tried not to think too much about it, but in that moment, it was impossible to ignore the painful truth that hung between you two. Noren didn’t explicitly say it, but you knew. You knew the reason he kept you a secret. He was ashamed. Ashamed of being with someone like you. Someone with a scar that reminded him of imperfection. You could see it in the way he avoided holding your hand in public, in the way he subtly turned his face when he was with you around other people, as if afraid someone would notice.

It wasn’t the first time Noren had said something like this, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.