Page 18 of Wish Upon a K-Star

It’s a flower. The dark red petals so full and lush that it’s as big as my hand. A pin sticking out the back pokes at my palm. Did it fall off someone’s outfit?

And just at the thought of that, I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere. But where?

“What are you doing here?”

I spin around, forgetting about the wires piled around me, and I trip over a coil behind my foot.

My scream is cut short as Minseok lunges forward and catches me around the waist. My shoulder falls hard into his chest and he lets out a surprised grunt.

“Oh crap,” I gasp out, forgetting my carefully controlled manners when I’m at an event.

“Shit, Hyeri, that fucking hurt.” Minseok clearly isn’t as worried with vulgarity as I am. Though the harsh English words sound posh in his light British accent. He always did have the habit of cursing in English instead of Korean.

“Stop groping me,” I demand, pushing away from him. But as I do, I grab onto his lapel, where a flower is pinned. The red calla lily.

This is where I’ve seen it before.

Why would it be here when Minseok is already wearing his?

Then I realize that this isn’t Minseok’s flower. It’s Kim Ana’s. She wasn’t wearing one onstage. This must be the missing part of her costume. Which means…

“Oh crap,” I say again. This time, I don’t care if someone catches me cursing. That’s nothing compared to being caught with this flower.

“What is it?” Minseok asks, but I just shove the flower into his hands. Then fast walk back toward my dressing room.

“Wait, Hyeri!” Minseok calls after me.

Don’t follow me, I think.Just stay away and let me get to safety.

But unfortunately, I’m not telepathic.

He continues after me. “Hyeri, what were you doing back there?”

“What wereyoudoing back there?” I counter even though it sounds childish.

“I saw you running down the hall and thought something was wrong.” He finally grabs my arm to stop me.

I eye his other hand, still holding the lily. “Keep that thing away from me.”

“What? This?” And of course, he lifts the flower out toward me. Like a guy presenting a bouquet.

But I don’t want it; it’s probably poisonous for all my luck.

I can’t let anyone see me with this flower. It would look like proof that I am actively sabotaging Kim Ana.

“I said keep away!” I grit out, smacking at the flower, and in the process slapping Minseok’s hand too. The flower goes flying. But when I turn again to leave, he grabs my wrist.

“Wait.”

No, I’m still too close to the evidence. I need to get out of here.

Minseok lets out a surprised shout as I push him away. There’s a clatter that leads to a thud and then a crash. I turn in time to see him grabbing the cart holding the confetti guns before it tips completely over.

But I watch in slow-motion horror as a box slips off the top. A confetti shooter falls out, going off on impact with the floor.

Without the wide-open space of the stage, the confetti shoots into some of the stored equipment like paper shrapnel. It shatters a row of stage lights beside us.

Minseok tackles me as the glass rains down.

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