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In a crowd full of stars

Chapter 23 / 71

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Chapter 23 of 71

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Chapter 23: The night everything felt too real

In a crowd full of stars

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Some nights change relationships quietly.

No confession.

No dramatic moment.Full novel: In a crowd full of stars — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠

No sudden kiss in the rain.

Just one conversation… that makes both people realize:

they’re already emotionally deeper than they planned to be.

The days after **Saloni’s** late-night confession became softer somehow.

Not awkward.

Just careful.

Because now both of them knew:

the attachment wasn’t one-sided anymore.

And honestly?

That truth felt equally comforting and terrifying.

Tonight, Seoul was live-streaming another rehearsal preview for an upcoming concert.

**Saloni** normally avoided watching too much.

Not because she didn’t want to.

But because seeing **Kairo** on stage sometimes reminded **her** again:

he belonged to a world too massive for **her** heart to fully understand.

Still… she opened the livestream anyway.

Bad decision emotionally.

Very bad decision.

**Her** room stayed dark except for **her** laptop screen glowing softly against **her** face.

And then— there he was.

Sweaty hair pushed back.

Oversized black hoodie.

Silver rings catching stage lights.

Millions of comments flooded the livestream endlessly.

People screaming **his** name virtually from everywhere in the world.

And suddenly— that strange ache returned inside **her** chest again.

Because moments like this reminded **her**:

he was everyone’s comfort.

Not just **hers**.

She stared at the screen quietly while **her** heartbeat slowly became heavier.

Then **her** phone vibrated beside **her**.

> @kairo.97:

> “You’re watching, aren’t you?”

**Saloni’s** eyes widened instantly.

> “How do you KNOW these things?”

Seen.

Then:

> “Because you go emotionally silent when you watch performances.”

**Her** breath caught softly.

Again.

Always again.

How did he keep understanding things nobody else noticed?

She glanced back toward the livestream. Visit g.com for the full chapter.

He was laughing at something **Jiwoo** said now.

Bright lights surrounding him.

Thousands of people watching him breathe.

And somehow— she suddenly felt very small again.

**Her** fingers moved before **her** brain stopped them.

> “Sometimes your world scares me.”

Seen instantly.

No reply came immediately afterward.

Instead— the livestream suddenly froze for a few seconds.

Then disappeared entirely.

**Her** eyebrows frowned in confusion.

Before she could process it—

**her** phone started ringing.

Heart racing instantly again, she answered.

“Hey.”

Background noise filled the call immediately.

Staff voices.

Movement.

Music somewhere far away.

And then **Kairo’s** voice came softly through the chaos.

“What scared you?”

Straight to the point.

Always.

She looked down quietly while sitting cross-legged on **her** bed.

“I don’t know,” she admitted softly.

“Maybe the fact that so many people love you.”

Silence.

Then faint footsteps.

A door closing.

And suddenly— everything became quieter on **his** side.

Like he purposely left the noise behind just to hear **her** properly.

“You know what scares me?” he asked quietly.

**Her** heartbeat slowed slightly.

“What?”

“The idea that one day you’ll stop letting me be part of your life.”

**Saloni’s** breath caught painfully.

Because somehow… that answer hurt more than anything else could have.

Outside, wind moved softly against **her** balcony curtains while emotions settled heavily inside **her** chest again.

“That wouldn’t happen,” she whispered instinctively.

A quiet laugh came through the phone.

“You sound sure.”

“I am.”

Silence filled the call afterward.

Not empty silence.

The kind where feelings become visible without anyone directly saying them aloud.

And honestly?

That silence felt more intimate than flirting ever could.

Meanwhile, backstage in Seoul—

**Kairo** leaned against the hallway wall while holding **his** phone carefully.

Staff members called **his** name somewhere nearby.

But **his** attention stayed completely somewhere else.

On **Saloni**.

And lately… that fact had started becoming impossible to ignore.

Because somehow— after exhausting schedules, loud crowds, cameras, and constant expectations—

**her** voice had become the one thing that made him feel calm again.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

“You still there?” he asked softly.

She smiled faintly while staring at the city lights outside **her** room.

“Yeah.”

A pause.

Then quietly—

“Good.”

**Her** chest tightened again.

Because no matter how many people surrounded him— he still sounded relieved when she stayed.

The conversation drifted afterward into softer things.

Random topics.

Half-finished thoughts.

Comfortable silence.

Until suddenly— she heard loud knocking from **his** side.

Then **Yahon’s** dramatic voice exploded through the background again.

“Kairo-ah, stop hiding and come eat!”

She laughed instantly.

“Am I interrupting dinner?”

“Yes,” **Yahon** answered immediately from far away.

“No, you’re not,” **Kairo** replied at the exact same time.

She smiled helplessly.

Chaos.

Warmth.

Comfort.

It all felt painfully domestic somehow.

And honestly?

That realization scared **her** the most.

Because somewhere along the way— this stopped feeling like a celebrity fantasy.

It started feeling real.

Too real.

Later that night, after the call finally ended—

**Saloni** stood alone on **her** balcony staring at the dark sky quietly.

**Her** chest still felt warm.

But underneath that warmth— fear remained too.

Because loving someone from another world meant constantly wondering:

> *”What if reality eventually becomes stronger than feelings?”*

And honestly… she didn’t know the answer yet.

Full novel: In a crowd full of stars — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠
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