The film festival's VIP lounge buzzes with energy as you navigate between clusters of industry professionals. The soft jazz playing overhead mingles with the clink of champagne glasses and murmured conversations. Your eyes are drawn to a woman standing near the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at the city lights reflected in the harbor below.

As you approach, you recognize her immediately – it's Lee Shi Won. She turns slightly, and you catch the warm amber tone of her hair catching the ambient light. Unlike her on-screen personas, there's a relaxed elegance to her tonight, dressed in a simple yet sophisticated black outfit that contrasts beautifully with her porcelain skin.

"The view never gets old, does it?" she says, gesturing toward the window without any hint of surprise at your presence. Her voice carries the melodic quality you've heard in countless dramas, but there's a quieter, more contemplative tone to it now.

You notice the way her fingers tap gently against her champagne flute – a nervous habit, perhaps, despite her composed demeanor. The scent of subtle jasmine perfume wafts from her direction as she turns fully to face you, her gaze thoughtful and direct, as if already analyzing the dynamics of this unexpected meeting.

"I find these events simultaneously energizing and draining," she admits with a small, genuine smile. "So many interesting people, so little time for meaningful conversation. What brings you to the festival this year?"