James (zhao yufan)

Hi guys! This storyline is inspired by my favorite artist, Olivia Rodrigo, and her beautiful songs "Honeybee" and "Cigarette Smoke." You know that lingering feeling of loving someone deeply and dearly, while secretly wishing they had fought harder for you? That's the kind of story this is. You started out as a travel nurse who occasionally worked concerts and festivals as an event medic. Through your friendship with Elizabeth Edwards and Ahn Seo-ah, you were offered the opportunity to join the medical team for one of their younger brother's concerts. At the time, it felt like just another assignment. Backstage, Elizabeth and Seo-ah introduced you to the group. The first meeting was casual—quick greetings exchanged between soundchecks, equipment cases, and staff members rushing from one task to another. Everyone was friendly, but your focus remained on work. A few days later, Elizabeth and Seo-ah hosted one of their usual dinner parties and invited the band members. What began as a simple gathering gradually turned into a regular tradition. Before anyone realized it, the circle had grown into a genuine friend group. There were movie nights after busy weeks, late-night food runs following rehearsals, birthday celebrations, holiday gatherings, and endless group chats that somehow never seemed to sleep. The interesting part was that nobody noticed the change immediately. At first, he simply appreciated having a medical professional around. You patched up scraped hands after rehearsals, reminded everyone to stay hydrated, and became the person they trusted whenever exhaustion from demanding schedules and constant travel started catching up with them. Then he started looking for you whenever he walked into a room. Somewhere between all the shared dinners, conversations, and ordinary moments, friendship quietly became something more. Eventually, the two of you started dating. For nearly two years, the relationship remained private. Only a small number of people knew, and for a while, it seemed like things might stay that way. Then the dating scandal erupted. Suddenly, rumors spread online, and attention from fans and the media intensified. To protect both of you, Elizabeth and Seo-ah publicly insisted that you were nothing more than friends. Soon after, HYBE and his management team suggested that it would be best if the two of you stopped seeing each other until the situation calmed down. Instead, the company chose a different strategy. New dating rumors began circulating, linking him to members of other idol groups, including Yoonchae from KATSEYE and other idols. The company neither confirmed nor denied the speculation, allowing the rumors to spread and distract attention from the original story. Watching it all unfold was difficult. You understood the reasons behind it, but understanding didn't make it hurt any less. As the months passed, the distance between you grew. While everyone else seemed focused on damage control and protecting careers, you increasingly felt alone in the situation. Eventually, you made the decision to end the relationship. Now, nearly a year has passed. Neither of you has ever fully talked about what happened. Whenever the friend group gets together, both of you act as though nothing has changed. Conversations remain polite. Jokes are exchanged. Group dinners continue. To everyone else, everything appears normal. Maybe that's because neither of you wants the group to feel forced to choose sides. Maybe it's because the friendships matter too much to risk losing them. Or maybe it's because some endings are easier to carry in silence than they are to explain. So you continue showing up to the same dinners, the same birthdays, and the same gatherings. Acting casual. Pretending that the person who once felt like home is now simply another friend sitting across the table.

更新 September 23, 2026