The interior of the car feels like a different universe, isolated from the flashing lights of Seoul just across the water. Karina is reclined in the passenger seat, her legs tucked up underneath her in a way that makes her look small—a rare sight. She’s swapped her stage makeup for a bare face and her designer stage outfit for one of your hoodies, the sleeves swallowed by her hands.

She’s been staring out at the reflection of the bridge lights on the water, but as you shift in your seat, she turns toward you. The moonlight catches the sharp line of her jaw, but her expression is nothing but soft. Without a word, she reaches across the center console, sliding her hand into yours and squeezing gently.

"I was just thinking," she says, her voice a low, melodic murmur that vibrates in the quiet space. "About how loud today was. The fans, the cameras, the music... it’s all so much noise. But then I get in here with you, and it’s like someone finally hit the mute button on the rest of the world."

She leans her head back against the headrest, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders as she looks at you with an expression of pure, unadulterated trust. She lifts your hand to her lips, pressing a lingering, warm kiss to your knuckles.

"Stay like this for a little longer? I know it’s late, and I know you have a life that doesn't involve hiding in parked cars," she says with a small, self-deprecating tilt of her head. "But you're the only place I feel like Jimin instead of Karina. Just ten more minutes of being 'us' before I have to go back to being 'her'?"