Hana paused as she came face-to-face with not one but six boys. Ever since she found out that June was participating in 'Rising Stars,' she started binge-watching the episodes. So, shes well aware of who the other guys are.
She also can't deny that she's become a big fan of June.
Hana has always been fond of June since he was still "Joon-ho," but watching him on the show was a whole other experience, especially when he first revealed his face to the public.
June kept wiping the counters while the other five gaped at Hana, not finding the right words to say.
C-Jay snapped out of his daze and practically bolted to where Hana was.
He looked at her with wide, bright eyes, seemingly falling in love.
Hana Lim, the well-known actress of hit teen and romance shows, was standing in front of him!
C-Jay blinked, almost unable to process the fact that an A-list celebrity was right in front of him, gracing their humble convenience store with her ethereal beauty. It was as if meeting Hana was the kind of opportunity that came once in a lifetime, a chance to glimpse at a world beyond their own.
Jaeyong and Akira, despite being well-known idols in the past, also looked at her with disbelief. Jaeyong blinked several times, trying to make sure he wasn't imagining things. On the other hand, Akira's eyes widened like saucers, his heart racing.
Jisung's mouth hung open slightly. He exchanged a quick, incredulous glance with the others, silently acknowledging the surreal nature of the moment.
Jangmoon had the worst reaction out of them. He stayed still, expressionless, while staring at Hana. Hana glanced at him and took a step back, seemingly scared by his meercat-like reaction.
Meeting Hana Lim wasn't something that happened every day – it was the kind of experience that could make someone pinch themselves just to make sure they weren't dreaming.
June shook his head as he observed his starstruck friends.
"You're here?" June said, breaking the silence.
Hana, still a bit weirded out, stepped to the side to evade the other fives' gazes and went to the counter where June was. She smiled as she leaned her hands against the counter and looked at June with bright eyes.
With how she was looking at him, it seemed like June was the A-list celebrity between the two.
"I saw the news," Hana said. "It turned out just like how you said it would."
June smirked as he punched the gum she usually bought. "I told you, right? I had it covered."
Hana smiled. "Don't lie. You didn't know what to do at first. You were definitely going to get kicked out of the show."
"But I didn't."
"Thanks to that photo," she chimed. "How did you even get such a photo?"
June pursed his lips. Meeting those two loud girls was definitely worth it. The photos they captured were helpful to him in the end.
"Just some fans," June said. "It's over, though. 'Rising Stars' would be a fool not to kick those two out."
"And I'm sure Phoenix would kick them out, too," Hana said. "No other company cares for their reputation more than Phoenix."
"It was long overdue," June said. "They had it coming."
"I couldn't agree more."
"So, why'd you come here?" June asked.
"Should you really be telling that to someone who helped you talk with Alex and Hyunwoo?" Hana asked with a cheeky smile.
June sighed. "Fine. Thanks for the help," he muttered.
Hana smiled, finding him cute. "Well, I just came by to say that I wouldn't be visiting anytime soon. We'll be confined in Gyeonggi-do for the whole month to finish the last set of episodes!"
"Good luck," June briefly said.
Han chuckled as she shook her head. "Still cold as ever. Well, I'll take this," she said, grabbing the gum on the counter and giving him the money.
June briefly waved his hand goodbye while Hana enthusiastically smiled. She passed by the other five, who still looked to be in shock, and gave them a curt smile.
The mere action sent those five into overdrive.
Hana Lim is freaking pretty.
As Hana left, the five of them still haven't recovered.
They glanced at June, then back to the door, where Hana had just exited. They did this for quite some time, trying to comprehend the reality of the situation.
June sighed and clapped loudly, causing them to snap out of their dazes.
"Th—That was Hana Lim," Jangmoon stammered, staring off into the distance.
Akira and Jisung faced each other, their ears red from embarrassment.
"Pinch me, Jisung. I wasn't dreaming, was I?"
Jisung quickly shook his head. "She's real. She smiled at me."
"Holy shit," Jaeyong muttered under his breath.
C-Jay ran to where June was and started shaking his shoulders.
"Hana Lim? You were talking with THE Hana Lim just now, right? Why didn't you tell us you knew each other?" he exclaimed.
"But I did tell you," June simply said.
"No, you didn't," Jangmoon said. "You never told us you knew each other."
June sighed and shook his head, not bothering to explain himself.
"He did tell us," Jaeyong said. "We just didn't believe him."
"I mean—why would Hana Lim come to a place like this?" Jangmoon asked. "No offense to Mr. Chang, but this convenience store is beat-up! Celebrities wouldn't even think of coming here."
"And you didn't tell us you were CLOSE like that," C-Jay said. "She was blushing while talking to you."
"She wasn't," June nonchalantly said. "We trained at Phoenix together."
"That makes sense," Akira said. "Did you keep up until now?"
June shook his head. "No," he deadpanned. "She started visiting on her own."
The five of them felt a new sense of amazement with their friend.
June was definitely like Shrek—he had layers, and all of them seemed to take them by surprise every time.
"So you're telling me—Hana Lim just came here on her own...despite her very busy schedule...just to visit you?" C-Jay summarized.
"Yeah," June shrugged.
Akira sighed and shook his head, grasping June's shoulder. "You're on another level, bro."