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I start to lift my hands in defense, instinctively expecting an attack.

But when he thrusts his hand out it’s not to strike but to offer. In his hand is a prescription bottle.

“Why do you have that?” I ask, staring at the label. It’s partially ripped butAnna Kimis written clear as day at the top. The bottle is the orange kind that you get in the States, and while I don’t recognize the drug name, it’s clearly the same one that the gossip articles are referencing.

Dongha glowers at me. “What are you doing with Ana? Are you harassing her?”

I can’t hold back a laugh. Unfortunately, it makes Dongha’s frown deepen. “You’re really accusing me of harassment when you have that?”

“It’s a gift for Ana!” Dongha insists.

“Dongha, right?” Ana says quietly behind me. “Can you please just tell us why you have that? It was stolen from my trash.” Ana is using all of her sweet-girl charm on him right now and from the way his eyes widen and his lips waver, it’s working. I would be annoyed and jealous if I weren’t more worried about making sure Dongha doesn’t make any sudden moves at us.

“This?” He holds up the prescription pill bottle.

“Yes, that thing that’s being used by a sasaeng fan to spread rumors about Ana,” I say.

“I didn’t steal it, I bought it. And I’m not a sasaeng fan. It’s not stalking to support your bias. That’s what being a fan is about!” He’s practically yelling at me now, like he’s lecturing me on the dos and don’ts of toxic fandom.

“Well, what else are we supposed to think? Ana says that was stolen. It’s being used to create actual legal charges against her. And now you have it.”

“What? No! I didn’t steal anything. I wasn’t even in Seoul last week. I was in Gyeonggi-do for Pink Petal’s performance at Suwon; there are videos on my social media.”

He reaches into his pocket, and I push Ana back to safety. But he just pulls his phone out and scrolls through it quickly. He holds it up to a clip of him in the crowd clear as day with his fan sign, screaming his head off for Mika.

“Fine,” I admit, though I don’t let my guard down. He might not be the sasaeng fan that stole the bottle, but he still feels dangerous. “You said you bought it? Who sold it to you?”

He glares at me, and I realize I’m the wrong person to ask this question. I turn to Ana and she nods, picking up the silent signal. “Please can you tell us who sold it to you?”

His face softens and he looks apologetic. “I don’t know who it was, just an account in our Kim Ana Über Fan forum.”

I glance at Ana for her reaction to that. But ever the professional, she keeps a blank face.

“What’s the account?” she asks.

Dongha’s eyes slide to me. “HyeriTopAnti.”

“Of course it was,” I mutter, and Dongha’s face pinches defensively.

“How did they get the package to you?” Ana asks.

“They just said I could pick it up in a public locker and gave me the code. That’s it. I swear I would never do anything to hurt you; you’re my princess.”

I shudder—the intense adoration on his face borders on dangerous obsession. I see Ana’s lips thin. Seems she’s not completely oblivious to it either.

“How did they send you the code for the locker?” I ask.

“They DM’d it with the verification photo.”

“Verification photo?”

He sighs and pulls out his phone. “It’s how we verify we actually have the thing we’re selling in the forums.”

He shows a picture of the medicine bottle next to a piece of paper with the handle “HyeriTopAnti” and a recent date scribbled on it.

I stare at the handwriting. A part of me hoped I’d recognize it. That I’d be able to identify who it was somehow, but there’s no recognition.

“Fine, thanks,” I say.