The days that followed blurred into a whirlwind of activity for Sherri.
She quickly learned that working at SKY Entertainment meant constantly being on her toes. Between coordinating schedules, organizing promotional shoots, and updating fan accounts, there was barely a moment to breathe.
But somehow, amidst the chaos, she found herself slowly carving out a place.
And it didn't hurt that the Slay Kids members were... surprisingly normal.
Sure, they were international superstars on stage, dazzling millions with their music and performances.
But backstage, they were just eight young men — loud, playful, teasing each other mercilessly, laughing over spilled coffee, arguing about who stole whose hoodie.
Sherri grew used to seeing them lounging around the practice rooms — some playing games on their phones, others passed out on the couches between rehearsals.
They treated her with easy friendliness, like a little sister — or sometimes, given the age difference, like a noona — which made her laugh.
"Sherri-noona, help! Hyunjin is stealing my snacks again!" whined Minho, tossing a bag of chips across the room dramatically.
"You ate mine yesterday!" Hyunjin shouted back from the couch, holding up a packet in triumph.
Sherri shook her head, amused, as she typed notes into her tablet.
It was like babysitting a very handsome, very energetic group of boys.
Still, amidst all the chaos, there were moments — little moments — that caught her off guard.
---
One afternoon, Sherri stayed late helping the marketing team set up a livestream event.
As she wrestled with a tangle of camera cords, she didn't notice Hyunjin approaching until his shadow fell over her.
"Need a hand?" he asked, crouching beside her.
She blinked up at him, momentarily stunned by how close he was.
"Uh — yes, please," she managed, handing him the stubborn knot of wires.
They worked in silence for a moment, the only sound the low hum of music playing from the speakers.
Hyunjin was focused, his fingers deftly untangling the cords.
"You're pretty brave, you know," he said suddenly.
Sherri looked at him, confused. "Brave?"
"Moving to a new country," he said, glancing sideways at her. "Starting over at thirty-one. Most people would be too scared."
Sherri flushed, feeling oddly seen.
"Well... sometimes you have to choose between being scared and being stuck," she said quietly.
Hyunjin smiled — that small, dangerous smile that made her stomach do strange things.
"I'm glad you chose to be brave."
Before she could find a response, YoungBok appeared, plopping down beside them with a dramatic sigh.
"Are you two bonding without me?" he teased, bumping Hyunjin's shoulder.
Hyunjin laughed. "She's too busy judging my wire skills."
"Good," YoungBok said cheerfully. "You're terrible with electronics."
Sherri laughed too, the tension melting away.
Moments like this — light, natural, filled with laughter — were becoming more frequent.
And she hated how much she looked forward to them.
---
Another day, while waiting for the members to finish rehearsal, Sherri sat cross-legged on the floor, scribbling updates into her notebook.
Without warning, a bottle of banana milk landed beside her.
She looked up to see YoungBok grinning.
"You looked tired," he said, flopping down dramatically next to her.
Sherri smiled, accepting the drink. "Thank you, YoungBok."
"You like banana milk?" he asked, poking at the label.
"I love it," she admitted. "It reminds me of when I first started listening to K-pop. It was the first Korean snack I ever tried."
YoungBok's face lit up.
"First snack, huh? Then you're basically Korean now."
Hyunjin wandered over then, plopping down on her other side.
"What's this? A snack party?" he asked, stealing a sip of YoungBok's drink without asking.
"Yah!" YoungBok protested, smacking Hyunjin's arm.
Sherri laughed, feeling warmth spread through her chest.
How strange it was — how easy it felt to sit between them like this, like they were just friends hanging out after school.
For the first time since moving to Seoul, she didn't feel alone.
Still, despite the laughter, Sherri couldn't ignore the growing tension she sometimes caught between Hyunjin and YoungBok.
Small looks exchanged across the room. Unspoken words hovering in the air. A lingering touch, a glance that lasted too long.
She wasn't naïve.
She could sense that there was a history there — something deep and complicated between the two boys.
And sometimes, when Hyunjin looked at her — really looked at her — Sherri felt caught in something she didn't fully understand yet.
Something that both, thrilled and terrified her.
One evening, after a long day of planning a fan event, Sherri left the building later than usual.
As she stood outside waiting for her bus, she heard someone call her name.
She turned to see Hyunjin jogging toward her, a hoodie pulled up over his head.
"Are you okay getting home?" he asked, a little breathless.
She nodded, smiling. "I'm fine. Just tired."
He hesitated, rocking back on his heels.
"You're doing a good job, you know," he said finally. "Everyone's impressed."
Sherri's cheeks warmed. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you."
For a moment, they just stood there, the city humming around them, headlights flickering past.
It would have been so easy to say more. To ask why he was really here, standing in the dark with her.
But instead, she just bowed slightly.
"Get some rest, Hyunjin."
He smiled — a soft, almost shy smile — and nodded.
"You too, noona."
As he disappeared back into the building, Sherri turned toward the street, her heart thudding painfully against her ribs.
She told herself it was nothing.
Just kindness. Just friendship.
But somewhere deep inside, a dangerous seed had been planted.
And Sherri knew — no matter how hard she tried to stay professional, no matter how carefully she built her walls — something between the three of them was beginning to change.