mai☁️

mai's masterlist ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

the seventh member , kim juhoon

What happens when the youngest member of KATSEYE starts to feel drawn to the visual from HYBE’s newest boy group? Only to realise that she isn’t the only idol who’s interested…⋆୨୧˚

teaser, pilot part one, the dance challenge part two, invitations part three, the livestream part four, internet girl part five, two-timer part six, inkigayo part seven, a minor slip-up ongoing...

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚* kim juhoon

synopsis —⋆ What happens when the youngest member of KATSEYE starts to feel drawn to the visual from HYBE’s newest boy group? Only to realise that she isn’t the only idol who’s interested…⋆୨୧˚

part 7 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

previous part

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚* kim juhoon

synopsis —⋆ What happens when the youngest member of KATSEYE starts to feel drawn to the visual from HYBE’s newest boy group? Only to realise that she isn’t the only idol who’s interested…⋆୨୧˚

part 6 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

previous part, next part

written portion! 3.7k words

INKIGAYO DAY °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ following juhoon...

The morning of the broadcast arrived faster than Juhoon expected. By the time CORTIS pulled into the SBS parking lot, the building was already packed with managers, stylists, production staff, and idols moving between schedules.

Music shows always felt slightly chaotic from the outside, but the actual backstage area somehow managed to be even busier. People hurried through the hallways carrying garment racks and cue sheets while producers disappeared around corners with headsets pressed against their ears. Every television mounted on the walls displayed either rehearsal footage or a live feed from one of the stages.

Juhoon had been to enough music shows that none of it should have stood out to him anymore, yet he found himself paying far more attention than usual as they made their way toward the waiting rooms. Unfortunately, Martin noticed almost immediately. "You know she's probably not even here yet," he said while matching Juhoon's pace down the hallway, earning himself an irritated look that only seemed to make him more pleased with himself.

The problem was that Na-rae was already there. Juhoon discovered this approximately seven minutes later when he rounded a corner and nearly walked directly into one of the rehearsal areas. A producer stood near the monitor discussing cue timing with two idols holding scripts. Woojin was the first person he recognized. Na-rae was the second. They were standing shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the screen while a staff member explained camera positions for the opening segment, both of them following along with varying levels of success.

From a distance they looked surprisingly comfortable already. Not close exactly. Just comfortable enough that they seemed to have settled into the rhythm of working together. At one point the producer asked them to repeat part of the introduction. Woojin accidentally skipped an entire line. Na-rae immediately started laughing. The producer looked exhausted. Neither of them seemed particularly concerned.

Juhoon probably should have continued walking. Instead, he found himself lingering near the edge of the rehearsal area for several seconds longer than necessary while pretending to check something on his phone. The rehearsal continued in front of him as staff members adjusted microphones and repositioned cameras. When Na-rae stumbled over a pronunciation, Woojin corrected her. Thirty seconds later he misread something himself and she immediately pointed it out.

The entire exchange looked natural in a way that annoyed Juhoon far more than it should have. They weren't flirting or even behaving strangely. They were simply two idols trying to survive live television together. Rationally, he understood that. Unfortunately, rationality seemed significantly less useful when he was actually watching it happen.

The situation only became worse once rehearsals ended and the actual broadcast preparations began. Because Inkigayo's backstage monitors were everywhere. Waiting rooms had them. Hallways had them. Makeup rooms had them. Every time Juhoon looked up from whatever he was doing, there seemed to be another screen displaying the main broadcast feed.

During one break he looked up while fixing an in-ear monitor and found himself staring directly at Na-rae and Woojin filming one of the pre-show social media clips. During another, he walked into the makeup room only to discover the live monitor showing them interviewing a rookie group. By lunchtime he had developed the increasingly unreasonable feeling that the entire building was conspiring against him personally.

Martin, naturally, thought this was hilarious. The moment he caught Juhoon looking toward another monitor, he followed his line of sight and immediately understood what was happening. The realisation appeared on his face with such speed that Juhoon considered leaving the room before the conversation could begin. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. "You know they're literally working, right?" Martin asked while settling into the chair beside him, already smiling.

Across the room, Keonho looked up from his phone. That alone was enough to make Juhoon nervous. "What are you talking about?" he replied, attempting a level of innocence that convinced absolutely nobody. Martin gestured vaguely toward the television where Na-rae and Woojin were currently reading cue cards between segments. "You've watched more Inkigayo today than anyone who's ever existed."

Juhoon ignored him. Or at least he tried to. The problem was that Martin wasn't entirely wrong. At some point throughout the morning, he had become weirdly invested in how the broadcast was going. Every successful segment felt vaguely satisfying. Every small mistake made him tense despite the fact that none of it involved him. When Na-rae briefly lost her place while reading one of the transitions, he found himself instinctively wincing before she recovered almost immediately. When she successfully navigated a live interview with an artist who clearly wasn't paying attention, he felt oddly impressed.

By the time he realised how ridiculous all of this was, he had already spent most of his time paying attention.

The opening broadcast itself went smoothly. Na-rae and Woojin stood beside the regular MCs beneath the stage lights while introducing performances, reading transitions, and somehow maintaining cheerful energy despite having been at the station since dawn.

Watching from backstage felt strangely different from watching on television. Juhoon could see the moments just before the cameras switched on and just after they switched off. He could see producers signaling from behind monitors and staff members rushing forward with updated scripts between segments. Most importantly, he could see that Na-rae looked nervous. Not visibly enough for viewers to notice. Just enough that he recognized it. She had a habit of fiddling with the corners of cue cards whenever she was concentrating. Every time the camera cut away, she did it again.

The realisation settled somewhere unexpected. Because suddenly he wasn't paying attention to Woojin anymore. He was paying attention to her. The distinction should have been obvious from the beginning, yet somehow it hadn't occurred to him until now. The thing bothering him wasn't that Woojin seemed comfortable around her. The thing bothering him was how naturally she fit into the role.

Watching her stand under the stage lights, confidently introducing artists and recovering from mistakes without missing a beat, reminded him of the same feeling he'd had seeing her Vogue cover for the first time. Pride felt like an embarrassing word to use. Nevertheless, it was probably the closest one available.

By the time Na-rae's MC segment finally ended, Juhoon was preparing for his own appearance later in the broadcast. Staff members moved around him adjusting microphones and reviewing scripts while artists passed through the hallways on their way to various schedules. The transition period between MC teams created a brief pocket of chaos backstage as one group wrapped up while another prepared to begin. Juhoon had just finished reviewing his cue cards when he spotted Na-rae emerging from one of the side corridors, still holding her script and looking noticeably more exhausted than she had earlier that morning. Her hair was slightly messier now. Her smile looked tired. The moment she noticed him standing nearby, however, her expression brightened immediately.

"There you are," she said, walking over without hesitation. "I've been looking for you."

Juhoon blinked. "Why?"

Na-rae stared at him as though the answer should have been obvious. "Because you're next." She held up the cue cards still trapped beneath her arm before laughing softly. "I survived. Barely. Now it's your problem." The exhaustion in her voice couldn't quite hide the excitement underneath.

She looked like somebody who had just finished a difficult exam and wanted to talk about it immediately. Around them, staff members continued rushing between schedules while producers shouted instructions from somewhere further down the hallway. None of it seemed particularly important at that moment.

"You did well," Juhoon said.

The response came out simpler than he'd intended.

Na-rae paused.

Then smiled.

"Thank you, Juhoon."

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ following narae...

Na-rae had been excited about the Inkigayo invitation right up until the moment she actually arrived at SBS.

Then she became nervous.

The excitement was still there, buried somewhere underneath the hair appointments, script reviews, microphone checks, and increasingly frantic reminders from producers who seemed convinced she would spontaneously forget how to speak on live television. By the time she reached the MC waiting room that morning, she was carrying three different versions of the script, two bottles of water she hadn't touched, and enough nervous energy to power the entire building. She had hosted things before. Interviews. Livestreams. Fan events. Yet live music show MCing felt different.

There were timing cues. Camera positions. Artist introductions. Entire sections that could go wrong in front of millions of people if she accidentally skipped a line. The realization became significantly less reassuring every time she thought about it.

Fortunately, Woojin seemed equally overwhelmed.

That discovery happened roughly five minutes after they met properly. A producer was explaining camera blocking while they followed along with scripts in hand, both pretending to understand considerably more than they actually did. At some point Woojin accidentally skipped an entire section of dialogue during rehearsal and continued reading as though nothing had happened until the producer stopped him halfway through the segment. The horrified expression that followed immediately broke whatever lingering awkwardness remained between them.

By the end of rehearsal they were already exchanging the sort of jokes that only existed between two people trying desperately not to embarrass themselves on national television. Every time one of them made a mistake, the other was somehow there to witness it. It became comforting surprisingly quickly.

The morning passed in a blur of rehearsals, camera checks, and staff members appearing with increasingly urgent instructions. Every few minutes somebody handed Na-rae a new piece of information she was apparently supposed to remember. She spent most of the time terrified she would forget everything the moment the cameras switched on. Yet despite the nerves, she found herself enjoying the experience more than she'd expected. Woojin was easy to work with.

Whenever she stumbled over a line during rehearsal, he covered for her without making it awkward. Whenever he forgot a cue, she returned the favour. The producers seemed pleased enough with their progress. By the time the actual broadcast approached, she had started convincing herself she might survive the day after all.

That confidence lasted until she spotted Juhoon.

She wasn't even looking for him.

At least, that was what she told herself later.

The hallway outside one of the rehearsal rooms was crowded with staff members moving equipment between stages when she happened to glance up and catch a familiar figure standing near the corner. He was already wearing his Inkigayo police outfit and appeared to be reading something on his phone while his manager spoke to him. The sight of him immediately made her feel better.

Not because he could actually help with anything. He wasn't even involved in her segment. Yet the simple fact that somebody familiar was nearby seemed strangely reassuring. Before she could wave, however, a producer called her name and she was dragged away toward another rehearsal before the opportunity presented itself.

After that, she kept noticing him everywhere.

Not intentionally.

The building simply wasn't large enough to avoid running into people repeatedly.

Once she spotted him passing one of the backstage monitors while she was reviewing scripts. Another time she caught sight of him outside a waiting room while she was being rushed toward an interview segment. During one break between rehearsals, she looked up from her cue cards and found him standing across the hallway talking to Martin. The interaction lasted maybe three seconds before somebody pulled her attention elsewhere, yet somehow she found herself thinking about it several minutes later while trying to remember artist introductions.

The actual broadcast began before she could examine that thought too closely.

The first few minutes disappeared almost instantly. One moment she was standing backstage listening to countdown instructions through an earpiece. The next she was smiling into a camera while introducing the opening segment. Everything happened faster than expected. Camera changes. Artist introductions. Script transitions. Interviews. There was barely enough time to think between each section.

Every time the cameras switched off, producers immediately rushed forward with new instructions while staff members adjusted microphones and handed over updated cue cards. The entire experience felt like sprinting downhill and somehow remaining upright through sheer luck.

Whenever she felt herself starting to panic, Woojin usually noticed first.

Halfway through one interview, she completely lost her place in the script. For a terrifying second, the words vanished entirely. Before the silence could become noticeable, Woojin smoothly picked up the next section himself and guided the conversation forward without acknowledging the mistake.

Later, when he accidentally mispronounced a group's name during another segment, she immediately corrected him under her breath before the cameras returned. The mutual support developed naturally throughout the broadcast. By the middle of the show they had settled into a rhythm that felt surprisingly comfortable considering they'd only met that morning.

Still, every now and then, she found herself wondering whether Juhoon was watching.

The thought arrived unexpectedly.

Then kept returning.

Not constantly. Just enough to become annoying.

During one artist interview she glanced toward a backstage monitor and briefly imagined him somewhere on the other side of the building. During another segment she remembered that he was scheduled to MC later in the day and immediately wondered whether he was nervous too. The realisation made her pause. Because she had spent most of the morning surrounded by producers, staff members, artists, and another MC, yet somehow the person she kept thinking about wasn't any of them.

So naturally, she ignored it.

By the time her final segment ended, exhaustion had started settling into her bones. The adrenaline that had carried her through the broadcast was fading rapidly, leaving behind the sudden realization that she had been awake since before sunrise. Staff members congratulated her as microphones were removed and cue cards collected. Woojin looked equally exhausted. They thanked each other for the help throughout the day and promised to stay in touch before being pulled in opposite directions by separate schedules. The entire experience had gone by so quickly that it barely felt real.

The first thing Na-rae did afterward was look for Juhoon.

Not consciously.

At least not at first.

She only realised what she was doing after several minutes had passed and she had somehow checked three separate hallways without any actual reason. It should have embarrassed her. Instead it merely made her continue searching. Eventually she spotted him near one of the transition areas preparing for his own segment. Staff members moved around him carrying cue cards and adjusting equipment while he stood reviewing something with an expression of concentration she found oddly familiar. Relief arrived before she could stop it.

"There you are," she said as she approached, still carrying half her script beneath one arm. "I've been looking for you."

The words left her mouth before she fully considered how they sounded.

Judging by the slight surprise on his face, he noticed too.

"Why?"

Na-rae stared at him.

Honestly, it seemed obvious.

"Because you're next." She held up the script as evidence before laughing. "I needed to tell somebody I survived." The exhaustion was making her more honest than usual. She could feel it. Around them, staff members continued rushing between schedules while producers called instructions from further down the hallway, yet for the first time all day she felt completely relaxed. "You're lucky, by the way. Nobody told me live television feels like being chased."

The laugh that escaped him immediately made the entire day feel worth it.

Then, after a brief pause, he looked at her and said, "You did well."

The compliment wasn't dramatic.

It wasn't elaborate.

Yet somehow it landed harder than most of the praise she'd received all day.

Maybe because it came from someone whose opinion she actually cared about.

The thought followed her for the rest of the afternoon.

Unfortunately, that was a problem for future Na-rae.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Na-rae had every intention of returning to KATSEYE's waiting room after her segment ended.

That plan lasted approximately three minutes.

The problem was that she ran into Martin first.

Actually, "ran into" was generous. Martin spotted her from halfway down the hallway and immediately changed direction. The look on his face alone should have been enough warning. Before she could even greet him properly, he was already gesturing for her to follow. "Come on," he said, somehow managing to sound both urgent and amused at the same time. "We're watching Juhoon MC." The statement wasn't phrased like a suggestion. Na-rae barely had time to protest before finding herself being shepherded through two hallways and into CORTIS's waiting room, where the rest of the members had already gathered around the television like they were preparing to witness a national event.

The atmosphere inside immediately reminded her of KATSEYE during comeback season. Half supportive. Half predatory.

James was sitting on the floor with a drink in one hand while Keonho occupied most of the couch. Seonghyeon had somehow secured the only chair in the room and looked significantly more relaxed than everybody else. The television mounted on the wall displayed the live broadcast feed, currently showing another artist's performance while staff members moved around backstage preparing for the next segment. The second she entered, several heads turned toward her. "Oh, good," James said, sounding genuinely pleased. "Now there's another witness." Na-rae wasn't entirely sure what that meant. Judging by the expressions around the room, she suspected she didn't want to know.

"What exactly are we watching?" she asked as she settled onto the empty section of couch beside Keonho.

"Juhoon embarrassing himself on live television."

A few moments later, the broadcast transitioned into Juhoon's segment. The reaction from the audience happened before he had even spoken. The second the cameras found him, a wall of screams crashed through the studio loud enough to be picked up by the broadcast microphones. Na-rae glanced instinctively toward the television before looking back at the members surrounding her. Somehow their reaction was even more dramatic. Keonho immediately covered part of his face while Martin physically leaned backward into the couch as though preparing for impact. James looked deeply disappointed in advance.

The contrast between the audience's excitement and CORTIS's collective suffering was so absurd that Na-rae found herself laughing before anything had actually happened.

Then the hosts introduced the Overdrive challenge.

The reaction inside the waiting room was immediate. Every member seemed to understand the implications several seconds before Na-rae did. Martin's expression collapsed into genuine despair while Keonho looked personally betrayed by the production team. Across the room, James quietly informed nobody in particular that this was exactly the sort of thing he had been afraid of. Na-rae was still trying to understand why everybody looked so distressed when the music started playing through the studio speakers. A second later, the audience erupted again, and Juhoon found himself standing in front of the stage preparing to perform a challenge that his own members clearly intended to hold against him forever.

The challenge itself wasn't even bad. That was arguably the funniest part. If anything, Juhoon handled it exactly the way somebody with years of performance experience should have. The audience screamed every few seconds while he moved through the choreography with enough confidence that most viewers probably wouldn't have thought twice about it. Unfortunately, the people inside this waiting room knew him far too well. Every cheer from the audience seemed to physically wound them. James eventually slid off the couch entirely and ended up sitting on the floor while Keonho buried his face in his hands. Martin spent most of the segment staring at the television with the expression of someone witnessing a minor tragedy unfold in real time. Their reactions were significantly more entertaining than the challenge itself

"Ahhh! Why's he biting his finger like that?" Martin closed his eyes, feeling a type of second-hand embarrassment he's never felt before.

By the time the segment ended, Na-rae had tears in her eyes from laughing. The rest of CORTIS looked exhausted. The broadcast moved on and for a few minutes everything returned to normal. The hosts introduced the next portion of the program while Juhoon resumed his duties as MC, and the room slowly recovered from whatever collective crisis the dance challenge had apparently caused. Na-rae took a sip of water and settled back into the couch, assuming the worst had already passed. Judging by the increasingly relaxed atmosphere around her, everyone else seemed to believe the same thing. Unfortunately, somebody at Inkigayo had very different plans.

The moment the next segment began, Martin sat upright.

It wasn't a dramatic movement. If anything, it was the sudden alertness that caught Na-rae's attention. One second he had been lounging comfortably against the couch. The next he was staring at the screen with the sort of focused concern usually associated with incoming disasters. "Oh no," he muttered beneath his breath, immediately drawing the attention of everyone else in the room. Na-rae followed his gaze toward the television. On screen, the hosts were smiling in a way that suggested they knew something their MCs didn't. The expression alone felt vaguely threatening.

The reveal happened slowly enough for anticipation to build. First came a few comments about Juhoon and Yihyun's history together. Then came a brief explanation about their childhood modeling work. The audience reacted immediately, sensing exactly where the segment was heading long before the MCs did. A second later, the giant screen behind them changed. An old photograph appeared. Even from the waiting room, Na-rae could hear the audience's response. The image showed a much younger Juhoon and Yihyun standing together during one of their childhood campaigns, both of them looking impossibly small compared to the people currently standing beneath the stage lights. The photograph filled the entire screen.

The hosts handed the photograph over while encouraging both MCs to pose beside their younger selves, a suggestion that the audience appeared to support enthusiastically. Yihyun immediately committed to the bit. Juhoon clearly considered refusing before realizing refusal would only make the situation worse. A few seconds later they were both standing beside the enlarged photograph while cameras captured every possible angle. The audience screamed again. Somewhere beside Na-rae, Martin made a sound suspiciously close to a victory cheer.

The thing Na-rae found herself noticing wasn't actually the embarrassment. It was how naturally Juhoon recovered from it. The segment had clearly caught him off guard. That much was obvious. Yet even while being confronted with giant childhood photographs and increasingly personal questions, he never seemed rattled for more than a few seconds at a time. Every awkward moment was quickly redirected into a joke. Every surprise was met with a laugh. Watching him navigate the situation reminded her of why he was good at these things in the first place. The realization settled somewhere unexpectedly warm in her chest before she could stop it.

For a brief moment, she simply sat there smiling at the television. The feeling arrived naturally enough that she didn't question it at first. Only several seconds later did she become aware of how invested she had been in the entire segment. She had spent the morning wondering whether he was nervous. Then she had searched for him after her own MC duties ended. Now she was sitting in CORTIS's waiting room watching his broadcast with the same level of attention she usually reserved for her own members. The thought probably should have concerned her more than it did.

Unfortunately, that was the exact moment Martin glanced sideways and caught her smiling at the screen.

The look that appeared on his face immediately made her suspicious. It wasn't subtle. It wasn't even particularly well hidden. It was the expression of someone connecting information they absolutely should not be trusted with. Na-rae narrowed her eyes almost immediately. Martin's smile widened in response. Across the room, James looked as though he had noticed the interaction too. Somewhere on the television, Juhoon was still being interrogated about childhood modeling photographs while an entire studio audience screamed at him. For the first time all afternoon, Na-rae wasn't entirely sure which situation felt more dangerous.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚* kim juhoon

synopsis —⋆ What happens when the youngest member of KATSEYE starts to feel drawn to the visual from HYBE’s newest boy group? Only to realise that she isn’t the only idol who’s interested…⋆୨୧˚

part 5 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

previous part, next part

written portion! 1.3k words

THE PHOTOSHOOT °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

The photoshoot studio occupied an entire floor of the building. Assistants moved constantly between lighting rigs and clothing racks while makeup artists drifted through the space carrying brushes, garment bags, and half-finished coffees.

Ella had imagined this day enough times over the years that reality almost felt strange when it finally arrived. She remembered meeting Juhoon as a child. She remembered tiny fragments of conversations, old photographs, the vague excitement that came with knowing another kid in the industry.

Somewhere along the way those memories had become larger than they really were. The announcement of the collaboration had only made things worse. Fans were excited. Articles were excited. Even her members had spent days teasing her about it. Yet standing in the studio now, watching Juhoon bow politely to staff members before disappearing into hair and makeup, she felt something she hadn't expected.

Not disappointment exactly. More like the uncomfortable realisation that she had spent years imagining a version of somebody who no longer existed.

The first few hours passed smoothly. Every concept landed exactly the way the creative team wanted. The photographer seemed thrilled. The staff seemed thrilled. Juhoon was easy to work with too. Friendly without being overly familiar, comfortable in front of the camera in the way idols became after years of practice.

Between takes they chatted occasionally while stylists adjusted clothing or producers discussed the next setup. The conversations weren't awkward. If anything, that was part of the problem.

Ella had expected some kind of spark. Some moment where all those years of anticipation suddenly made sense. Instead everything felt pleasant and ordinary.

It was during one of the longer breaks that she noticed him scrolling through his phone. The next set was still being assembled, leaving most of the studio temporarily idle while staff members moved equipment around. Ella had been sitting nearby getting a touch-up when she glanced over and caught sight of a familiar image reflected faintly on his screen.

Na-rae.

Not a message.

Not a group chat.

An Instagram post.

The Vogue cover.

Ella recognised it immediately because practically everybody in the industry had seen it by now.

The photograph filled most of the screen. Na-rae stood against a pale backdrop dressed in designer clothing worth more than most people's rent while the magazine logo stretched across the top corner. Juhoon stared at it for a second longer before instinctively zooming in. Then, apparently realising what he was doing, immediately zoomed back out again.

"What are you looking at?" Ella asked, setting her phone aside as curiosity got the better of her. Juhoon's head lifted immediately and for the briefest moment he looked almost caught doing something he hadn't expected another person to notice.

The expression vanished so quickly she almost convinced herself she'd imagined it before he turned the screen toward her without hesitation. "Oh. Have you seen this?" The question was unnecessary.

Of course she'd seen it. The Vogue cover had been everywhere for the past twenty-four hours. Na-rae occupied almost the entire screen, dressed in clothing people dreamed of owning while the comment count climbed so quickly it was almost impossible to read.

"Everyone's seen it."

"I know." Juhoon laughed. "It's insane."

His thumb hovered near the screen as he shook his head slightly.

"She was complaining about this shoot like two weeks ago."

Ella looked up. "Complaining?"

"She said she was nervous." The smile that appeared on his face arrived automatically.

"Seems like she didn't have much to worry about." Ella's response was casual enough, though she found herself watching him more closely than she had been earlier.

Juhoon glanced back at the screen almost immediately. "No. Definitely not." The answer came with a small laugh as his thumb hovered briefly over the comments section before a stylist called his name from across the studio, forcing his attention elsewhere.

He looked up immediately, apologised for not hearing them the first time, and stood from his chair while locking his phone.

Ella watched him disappear into the crowd of stylists and assistants before finally looking away. Around her, the studio continued moving at the same relentless pace it had maintained all day. Someone wheeled a clothing rack across the floor. The photographer was discussing the next concept with a producer near the monitor. A makeup artist appeared beside her chair to touch up her lipstick before vanishing again almost immediately.

Nothing about the atmosphere had changed, yet Ella found herself staring at the spot where Juhoon had been standing only moments earlier. The interaction itself had been completely harmless. If she repeated it back to somebody else, they would probably wonder why she was thinking about it at all. He'd shown her a magazine cover. They'd exchanged maybe twenty seconds of conversation. That should have been the end of it.

Instead, she couldn't stop replaying the expression on his face before he'd turned the phone around.

It hadn't been dramatic. If anything, it had been so brief she almost felt ridiculous for noticing it. Yet the image lingered anyway. The slight surprise when he'd realised someone was looking over his shoulder. The way he'd immediately offered the screen without hesitation, as though there was nothing to hide. Most people became defensive when they were caught looking at something personal. Juhoon hadn't. He hadn't seemed embarrassed about looking at Na-rae's post. He'd simply looked surprised that somebody else had seen it.

Which somehow bothered her more.

Because if he wasn't hiding it, then it meant he probably hadn't even considered how it looked.

The thought settled somewhere uncomfortable in her chest.

Maybe that was why she kept noticing things afterwards.

Not because anything changed.

Because suddenly she was paying attention.

Every time Na-rae's name appeared in conversation, Ella caught it immediately. Every passing mention that would've gone unnoticed earlier now seemed impossible to miss.

During one break, a stylist mentioned a restaurant opening nearby and Juhoon responded that Na-rae had apparently been trying to convince everyone to go there for weeks. Later, while reviewing photos from one of the earlier concepts, somebody commented that the weather looked good enough for filming outdoors and Juhoon casually replied that KATSEYE had gotten lucky during one of their recent schedules because it had rained immediately after they wrapped.

The comments weren't unusual. The problem was that they kept happening. Not often enough to seem intentional. Just often enough to form a pattern once she started looking for one.

By late afternoon, Ella realised something else she didn't particularly enjoy.

Whenever Na-rae came up, Juhoon always seemed to have an answer.

Not because he forced her into conversations.

Not because he brought her up constantly.

He simply knew things.

Small things.

The kind of things people learned naturally when they spent time around someone. What food they liked. What they complained about. Which schedules stressed them out. Which stories they'd already told three times. The details themselves weren't significant. Together, however, they painted a picture Ella hadn't expected to see.

At one point she caught herself wondering whether he would know similar things about her.

The answer arrived immediately.

Probably not.

They'd spent years existing as memories to one another.

Maybe somewhere along the way, Na-rae had become a real person in his life.

The realisation cut like a knife.

Like arriving somewhere you'd spent years imagining, only to discover the place had changed long before you got there.

Across the studio, Juhoon laughed at something one of the staff members said before accepting a bottle of water from an assistant. The expression looked relaxed. Easy. Entirely unaware of the conclusions forming inside Ella's head. For a brief moment she wondered what he would say if somebody pointed it out directly. The thought almost made her laugh. Judging by the way he'd spoken all day, he would probably look confused before insisting everyone was overthinking things.

The worst part was that he would probably believe it too.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚* kim juhoon

synopsis —⋆ What happens when the youngest member of KATSEYE starts to feel drawn to the visual from HYBE’s newest boy group? Only to realise that she isn’t the only idol who’s interested…⋆୨୧˚

part 4 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

previous part, next part

written portion! 3.0k words

THE HANGOUT °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

The restaurant was barely large enough for twelve people.

Technically it wasn't even a restaurant. It was one of those tiny Korean corner shops hidden behind office buildings, the sort of place trainees discovered through word of mouth and guarded like state secrets. The sign outside was faded. The tables didn't match. The owner seemed perpetually unimpressed by everyone.

Which was precisely why they liked it. The evening crowd had thinned by the time they arrived. A few office workers occupied the far corner while the owner watched television behind the counter.

Twelve idols entering at once should have attracted attention. Instead, the woman merely looked up once before pointing toward the back section.

"Don't break anything."

They immediately burst out laughing.

Several tables were pushed together and the seating arrangement happened naturally enough.

At least initially.

Within minutes people began switching places, stealing food from neighboring plates, and abandoning their original seats entirely.

By the time the first dishes arrived, the arrangement barely resembled the one they'd started with.

Na-rae found herself seated between Megan and Juhoon. Not because anyone planned it, mostly because nobody had bothered planning anything.

The conversation bounced around the table continuously. One moment it was rehearsal stories, next it was embarrassing trainee experiences, then it became an argument about which member would survive longest in the Hunger Games.

The discussion lasted almost twenty minutes despite nobody possessing relevant expertise.

Juhoon contributed very little.

Na-rae noticed that he tended to listen more than he spoke in larger groups. Most of the time he seemed content observing the chaos unfolding around him. It made the moments when he did speak more noticeable.

At some point a bowl of kimchi jjigae was passed down the table.

Before Na-rae could reach for it, Juhoon had already taken it and set it in front of her without looking up from the conversation. The action happened so casually that neither of them acknowledged it.

A few minutes later she returned the favour with a plate someone was asking for from the opposite side.

The exchange lasted less than three seconds. Nobody commented. The conversation continued uninterrupted. Still, there was something strangely comfortable about it.

Eventually dinner stretched into dessert, then drinks, then another thirty minutes nobody had intended to spend there.

The owner eventually informed them that if they planned to remain all night, they should at least order something else.

Megan apologised and proceeded to order more food.

Hours seemed to pass unusually quickly. The restaurant owner eventually stopped pretending she wanted them to leave and brought out extra drinks on the house.

Outside, the sky had darkened completely. The city glowed softly beyond the windows, nobody seemed particularly eager to end the night.

It was Sophia who suggested a walk first. The idea spread through the group almost immediately.

The weather was good, the streets were relatively quiet. And most importantly, nobody had schedules early enough the next morning to object.

The city felt different at night.

Softer.

Less hurried.

Streetlights reflected against glass buildings while distant traffic rolled through the background like white noise. Groups naturally formed and reformed as they walked. Some people lingered near the front. Others fell behind. Conversations split apart before merging again a few minutes later.

At some point after that, Juhoon had ended up beside her. Neither of them acknowledged the transition, it just simply happened.

They walked in comfortable silence for a while. Ahead of them, Megan was attempting to convince half the group to visit an arcade. Behind them, James and Martin appeared trapped in another pointless debate.

The city stretched around them. For once, nobody seemed in a hurry.

Juhoon glanced toward a convenience store they were passing.

"You know what's funny?" He started, looking at the shorter girl beside him.

Na-rae looked over. "What?"

"I spent that whole day planning our vlog. I even almost made an itinerary."

She stared at him and softly chuckled. "I didn't know you were so excited to see us."

"You." He corrected so fast she hadn't even registered what he said before he changed topics. "But the livestream was fun, though."

She nodded in agreement, sipping on her semi-diluted Coca Cola that she still hadn't finished from dinner.

"You seem to be really popular among the MEOVV girls." Juhoon glanced back at Na-rae, "They kept looking at you during the livestream. I counted about fifteen times."

"Were you really that bored?" She laughed.

"It just caught my attention. Plus, I don't blame them." The last sentence trailed off into a sort-of whisper. Na-rae furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She tilted her head towards him.

"You're hard not to stare at." He smiled softly, then quickly looked away; clearly shocked by his own sudden boldness.

Na-rae's eyes widened. She had been called outright beautiful by many people before. But for some reason, this subtle comment made her feel so much more than the others. Maybe it was because of who it was said by.

Or maybe it was because he clearly hadn't meant to say it out loud.

For the first time since she'd met him, Juhoon seemed completely lost for words. The realisation almost made her smile.

Beside her, he had suddenly become very interested in the traffic passing on the road ahead.

A bus rolled past.

Then a taxi.

Then another bus.

Na-rae was fairly certain he wasn't actually looking at any of them.

"You know," she began carefully, fighting back a grin, "for someone who planned an entire itinerary, you're surprisingly bad at recovering from conversations."

Juhoon immediately groaned, Na-rae stifling her laughter beside him.

Nobody noticed.

At least, nobody in the group did.

The walk continued for another half hour before managers finally started calling. Nobody seemed particularly enthusiastic about leaving. Every attempt to end a conversation somehow led to another one.

What was supposed to be a quick dinner had somehow become an entire evening.

By the time they eventually split up, the streets were noticeably quieter.

Na-rae climbed into KATSEYE's van expecting to immediately pass out. Instead, she spent most of the ride listening to Megan and Daniela argue about whether basketball required a lot of athletic ability. The CORTIS boys had mentioned a future basketball collaboration/hang out and they were immediately intrigued.

When Na-rae finally arrived back at the dorm, it was well past midnight.

She didn't think much about the evening while getting ready for bed. Most of her attention was occupied by finding her charger, answering a few messages from family, and convincing herself she had enough energy to wash her hair.

The compliment only came back to her when she was lying in bed.

Which was annoying, because now there was nothing else to think about.

Her room was dark except for the faint glow of her phone charging across the room. Outside, traffic hummed quietly in the distance.

Na-rae stared at the ceiling. She had been complimented before. Frequently.

Half the people she knew were either models, idols, actors, or all three which meant that compliments happened constantly. Most of them disappearing from her memory within minutes.

Yet for some reason she could still hear Juhoon's voice perfectly.

You're hard not to stare at.

The worst part was that he hadn't even sounded smooth.

If anything, he'd sounded surprised by himself. The memory made her laugh quietly.

Somewhere in Seoul, Juhoon was probably lying awake regretting the entire conversation. The thought was comforting enough that she eventually fell asleep.

The next morning, she woke up to seventeen missed notifications from her group chat.

At first she assumed something had happened in the group chat. Then she saw Sophia's name.

And Megan's.

And Manon's.

And Daniela's.

The messages kept going. A strange sense of dread settled over her.

She ignored them first, focusing on the thousands of notifications flooding in on her other social media accounts

The photo itself wasn't even particularly scandalous.

In fact, if she'd seen it a month ago, she probably would've scrolled past without a second thought.

The problem was that whoever had posted it had cropped out almost everybody else. What remained was a picture of her and Juhoon walking side by side beneath a streetlight.

She remembered the exact moment.

You're hard not to stare at.

Unfortunately, no one else in the group appeared in the photo.

The internet, predictably, had filled in the gaps themselves.

" "they were with 10 other people" okay then explain why every photo i see only has the two of them in it." A comment on Instagram had said.

"i know a man with a crush when i see one" Another netizen had commented.

"he's either in love with her or she's telling the funniest story ever told."

"the fact that they were literally in a group of TWELVE and somehow ended up side by side in every single photo is taking me out."

"my favourite part is that the original source literally says they were with friends. nobody cares about the friends."

"the real victim here is juhoon because i know his members are never letting this go"

The comments went on and on and on. Na-rae found herself scrolling through the endless void of social media. Her eyes were glued to the screen, watching everyone form their own interpretation of what their conversation could've been about.

Then her phone buzzed.

Then it buzzed again.

And again.

By the time Na-rae arrived at practice, the jokes had somehow gotten worse.

What had started as a few screenshots in the group chat had evolved into a full-scale investigation.

Sophia had an entire thread open on her phone dedicated to analysing Juhoon's body language. Daniela was halfway through reading a fan theory that claimed the dinner outing had actually been an elaborate cover-up orchestrated by both groups. Lara had discovered edits. An alarming amount of edits.

Na-rae made the mistake of glancing at one over Daniela's shoulder.

The video was seventeen seconds long, paired with dramatic music and an unnecessarily long slow-mo.

She immediately looked away. "No." Na-rae shook her head and walked in a different direction.

Daniela burst out laughing.

"You haven't even seen the best one."

"I don't want to."

The problem was that nobody seemed interested in respecting her wishes.

Over the next twenty minutes she was shown screenshots, tweets, comments, video compilations, and one particularly impressive flowchart that appeared to connect every public interaction she'd had with Juhoon since his debut.

The fact that most of those interactions had occurred in front of cameras did not seem to matter.

Eventually rehearsal started. The music came on and everyone focused on work.

The conversation moved elsewhere.

At least for KATSEYE.

Across the HYBE building, the situation was considerably worse.

Because while seven people were more than enough to distract each other, five people with unrestricted internet access and entirely too much free time were a far greater threat.

Juhoon realised something was wrong the moment he stepped into the practice room. Normally somebody would've been stretching, somebody would've been dancing absentmindedly in front of the mirror, and Martin would've already found something pointless to argue about with Keonho. Instead, all four of them were gathered on the floor in a loose circle, staring at a phone with the sort of concentration usually reserved for important announcements.

The second the door opened, they all looked up. Nobody said anything immediately, although James was already trying and failing to suppress a grin.

"What happened?"

Martin glanced down at his phone before looking back at him, his expression caught somewhere between concern and amusement.

"You made the news." The sinking feeling arrived immediately. Juhoon didn't even need to ask what kind of news.

Still, he did.

"What news?"

"Oh, you've definitely seen it." Keonho's smile widened.

"We've all seen it," James added helpfully.

Martin turned his phone around and the photograph filled the screen.

Juhoon recognised it instantly.

It had been taken during the walk after dinner. He could remember the exact stretch of pavement, the exact streetlight hanging overhead, and the exact conversation he'd been having with Na-rae when the photo was snapped. What he couldn't understand was where everyone else had gone.

The original scene had been crowded. Now for some reason, all of those people had somehow vanished.

The photo had been cropped so aggressively that it looked like he'd spent the evening wandering through Seoul alone with Na-rae.

Juhoon stared at the image for a moment before glancing up at the headline. When he looked back down again, it somehow seemed even worse.

"That's ridiculous."

Nobody disagreed. But unfortunately, nobody looked particularly sympathetic either.

Martin had already moved on to the comments section, scrolling with the sort of excitement people usually reserved for something way more important.

"Oh, this one's good."

"I don't want to hear it." Juhoon waved his hand dismissively.

Martin ignored him, much to his dismay.

"'I know a man with a crush when I see one.'"

James folded forward laughing while Keonho nearly dropped his phone altogether, and even Seonghyeon, who normally remained detached from most forms of chaos, looked visibly entertained by the situation.

Juhoon covered his face with one hand. The gesture turned out to be a mistake.

"Oh my god, look at him."

"He's actually blushing."

"I'm not blushing."

"You absolutely are."

"I'm literally not."

Keonho was already scrolling again.

"No, wait. This one's even better." Juhoon didn't like that sentence. Not even a little.

"'The real victim here is Juhoon because I know his members are never letting this go.'"

For a brief moment, the room fell quiet as everyone considered the comment.

"That's fair."

The room dissolved into laughter again.

The worst part was that every attempt Juhoon made to defend himself only seemed to generate new material. Explaining that twelve people had attended the outing led to questions about why he somehow appeared beside Na-rae in every photograph. Pointing out that the photos were cropped resulted in Keonho insisting that fate appeared personally invested in removing everyone else from the frame. Even trying to ignore them wasn't particularly effective because Martin had already committed himself to reading comments aloud for the foreseeable future.

By the time rehearsal was supposed to start, Keonho had stopped reading the article entirely and was now fully invested in the comments section, occasionally making noises of delight whenever he found something particularly incriminating. James had developed a worrying interest in public opinion, and Martin was saving screenshots into a folder that Juhoon suspected would be weaponised later.

The conversation only began to die down once music started playing through the speakers and everyone finally remembered they had work to do. Water bottles were collected, bags were pushed aside, and people gradually shifted into rehearsal mode. For a few minutes, Juhoon allowed himself to believe the situation had passed.

Then, while stretching, Seonghyeon glanced up from his phone.

"You know, I never really noticed it before."

Juhoon immediately regretted engaging. "Noticed what?"

Seonghyeon locked his phone and shrugged.

"You and Na-rae." The room became interested again almost instantly.

"What about us?"

"I don't know," Seonghyeon replied. "You just end up next to each other a lot."

The comment shouldn't have been difficult to dismiss. The problem was that Seonghyeon wasn't teasing him. Not even a laugh.

He sounded genuinely thoughtful, as though he were pointing out a completely ordinary observation that had only just occurred to him.

Across the room, James looked seconds away from losing the battle he was fighting against his own laughter, while Martin wasn't even pretending anymore.

Juhoon opened his mouth to argue before pausing unexpectedly.

Because, annoyingly enough, he couldn't immediately think of a response. And judging by everyone else's faces, they noticed that too.

Na-rae stared at the last message for a moment before locking her phone.

Across the HYBE headquarters, Juhoon was probably being bullied by his members again. The thought made her laugh despite herself.

Her phone buzzed almost immediately.

Sophia: did juhoon text u

Na-rae closed her eyes.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚* kim juhoon

synopsis —⋆ What happens when the youngest member of KATSEYE starts to feel drawn to the visual from HYBE’s newest boy group? Only to realise that she isn’t the only idol who’s interested…⋆୨୧

part 3 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

previous part, next part

written portion! 5.3k words

THE DAY OF THE COLLAB °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

The day of the collaboration arrived sooner than expected. KATSEYE had been informed on a very late notice that they would be joining MEOVV's and CORTIS's collaboration. On an even later note, they had switched from doing a dance challenge to doing a joint livestream between these three groups.

Their managements felt that the KATSEYE x CORTIS dance challenge was still too fresh, and decided to bring something new to the table.

"Come on, it won't be that bad," Megan looked at Na-rae, who was slowly sinking into her seat in their private car. They were on their way to The Black Label Entertainment building.

Na-rae groaned, "She literally hates us because of me," Sighing as she slapped her palm against her forehead.

"Okay we don't know that for sure!" Sophia spoke in an increasingly high pitched voice as Na-rae stared at her with a blank expression.

"Did you see what she retweeted? Oh she hates us, for real." Manon added, turning her attention from her phone to the distressed girl beside her.

"It's okay. We'll just be friendly and professional-ish enough so they don't have any reason to hate us." Sophia stated matter-of-factly. The rest nodded in agreement.

Once the girls had reached, they swiftly entered the modern building. Making sure no one had seen them. Na-rae sighed at the sight, telling herself that she had to be professional as it took a lot of hard work for this collab.

The companies had spent the whole night planning it, coordinating schedules across three different groups and multiple management teams. It was supposed to be chance for fans to see idols from different groups interacting casually, allowing them to feel more real and relatable.

Unfortunately, putting seventeen idols in one room and expecting professionalism for over an hour was an ambitious goal.

The set itself looked innocent enough. A large studio had been decorated with couches, floor cushions, snacks, and enough cameras to capture every possible angle. Someone had clearly intended for the atmosphere to feel relaxed and spontaneous.

The problem was that KATSEYE alone was incapable of behaving normally in relaxed environments.

The livestream wasn't scheduled to start for another twenty minutes, but the studio was already buzzing with activity. Staff moved between cameras making final adjustments while managers lingered near the edges of the set, exchanging greetings and reminders. Bright lights reflected off the polished floor, giving the entire room the slightly artificial glow every broadcast studio seemed to have.

MEOVV had arrived first.

The five members occupied one of the couches arranged around the set, chatting quietly while waiting for the other groups to arrive. Anna and Narin were scrolling through comments from an earlier post while Sooin examined the snack table with surprising concentration. Gawon sat beside Ella, occasionally pointing out something on her phone.

Ella wasn't really paying attention.

Instead, she was watching the entrance.

She wondered why KATSEYE was even coming to this livestream in the first place. She'd specifically told her manager that they were only interested in collaborating with CORTIS.

Especially after the internet had apparently decided that CORTIS's Juhoon and KATSEYE's Na-rae were the newest people to obsess over.

Every clip, every interaction, every rehearsal photo - Fans were acting as though they'd been married for ten years.

Ella found it ridiculous.

Which was probably why she'd watched every single one.

The studio doors opened.

A wave of laughter entered before the actual group did.

KATSEYE spilled into the room with the energy of people who had clearly spent the entire journey there talking over each other.

As the KATSEYE girls entered the studio, they noticed that the MEOVV members were already there getting mic-ed up and prepped for the livestream.

"Hello!" The greeting came from several people at once.

Both groups bowed and introduced themselves, creating the brief period of polite professionalism that always happened when idols met for the first time. It lasted approximately thirty seconds. Soon enough, conversations began forming naturally.

Ella stood as the introductions continued.

When Na-rae stepped forward, Ella offered a smile.

"You're Na-rae, right? KATSEYE's maknae."

"That's me." Na-rae nodded politely.

"I've seen a lot about you lately." The smile never left Ella's face.

Neither did the slight edge beneath it.

"You're pretty famous online these days. I don't know how you do it." Ella laughed lightly.

"If it were me, I think I'd go crazy. Every time I open social media there seems to be some new rumour about you. I'd start forgetting who I actually was." The comment sounded harmless enough with the sickly sweet tone she'd accompanied it with.

Still, Na-rae simply smiled.

"I think I'm at the point in my career where rumours are considered very normal already."

"Maybe." Ella's gaze lingered for a moment before shifting elsewhere. The interaction ended there. Perfectly normal, yet somehow slightly uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Megan appeared beside Na-rae moments later and immediately dragged her into another conversation before she had time to think about it.

The arrival of CORTIS interrupted everything. The moment the doors opened again, several heads turned.

Five members entered together, accompanied by staff and managers. Compared to KATSEYE's chaotic entrance, theirs was considerably calmer.

Within seconds, conversations were overlapping across the room.

Sophia was already asking James about something that had happened during a rehearsal the previous week. Daniela and Martin had fallen into a discussion of their own. Yoonchae greeted Seonghyeon warmly, while Lara waved enthusiastically enough to make several staff members look over.

It wasn't difficult to tell that weeks of rehearsals had erased most of the awkwardness between the two groups.

Na-rae watched the interaction with quiet amusement as she adjusted the sleeve of her hoodie. Compared to their first meeting, everybody seemed infinitely more comfortable now. Even the staff appeared resigned to the inevitable chaos that occurred whenever KATSEYE and CORTIS occupied the same room.

Nearby, Juhoon greeted Manon and Yoonchae before his attention briefly landed on Na-rae. He nodded and smiled in her direction as she returned the favour.

"Good to see you again, Na-rae." His cheeks slightly tinted pink.

"Missed us, didn't you?" She smirked at his increasingly widening eyes.

"Maybe," He tilted his head in amusement.

Ella noticed it and decided she preferred not to examine.

Meanwhile, CORTIS's introductions to MEOVV were considerably more formal. One by one, the members bowed and introduced themselves properly.

The atmosphere reverted briefly into professional mode.

Once the noise died down, Ella crossed the room. The smile that spread across her face was genuine, bright enough to immediately draw his attention as she called his name.

"Juhoon, it's so good to see you again."

For a moment, he looked surprised. Not confused exactly, but clearly caught off guard by the familiarity in her greeting. Around them, conversations continued as normal. Staff moved equipment into place. Managers exchanged updates near the entrance. Nobody seemed particularly interested in what should have been an ordinary interaction.

Ella stopped in front of him.

"We haven't seen each other in forever," she continued, laughing lightly. "I was wondering if you'd remember me."

Something flickered across Juhoon's expression. It wasn't discomfort or recognition. It was more like the brief hesitation of somebody trying to catch up to a conversation that had already started.

Then, as if a piece finally clicked into place, he nodded.

"Of course," he said politely. "It's been a long time." The response sounded too perfectly correct - as if he'd spent years rehearsing how to deal with conversations like these. There was something oddly careful about it.

The kind of answer people gave when they weren't entirely sure how much enthusiasm was expected from them. Ella either didn't notice or chose not to.

"I told the members about it before we came," she said, turning briefly toward the others. "We worked together when we were kids. It was some campaign shoot years ago. I think I was around seven."

Gawon immediately nodded. "Oh, that's the one you kept talking about."

Anna smiled. "Now it makes sense."

Ella laughed, looking back toward Juhoon. "I wasn't even sure you'd recognize me. It's been ages."

Juhoon laughed too. A polite laugh. A professional laugh.

The sort of laugh idols perfected after years of interviews and public appearances.

"Yeah, definitely a long time." The conversation should have ended there. Instead, it lingered. Not because anyone said anything inappropriate, but because the energy between them seemed slightly mismatched.

Ella was speaking with the warmth of somebody revisiting a fond memory while Juhoon was responding with the courtesy reserved for meeting someone important for the first time.

Neither reaction was wrong.

Placed beside each other, however, the difference became impossible to ignore.

Keonho noticed first. Na-rae watched him glance toward James for less than a second. No words were exchanged as none were necessary. James immediately looked away as if he'd seen something he shouldn't have.

Across the room, Sophia seemed to be listening despite actively pretending not to. Megan's attention had drifted suspiciously close to the conversation, while Daniela appeared one poorly timed comment away from blowing their cover.

Meanwhile, Ella continued speaking, completely comfortable.

"I remember being terrified during that shoot," she admitted. "You were one of the only people who actually talked to me. Everyone else seemed distant."

Juhoon's smile remained in place. "Really?" The word escaped his mouth before he even realised.

The second he said it, Na-rae had to look down. Because that wasn't the response of someone reminiscing, instead it was the response of someone receiving information.

The realization appeared on Juhoon's face almost immediately. He didn't panic, just adjusted.

He recovered quickly enough that most people would never have noticed.

"That's nice, though," he added smoothly. "It's crazy how many people end up crossing paths again after debuting."

It was a good save.

An experienced save.

The kind that redirected the conversation without drawing attention to the awkwardness that had briefly surfaced.

Ella beamed, seemingly proud. "I know. It's kind of surreal."

The tension eased slightly after that.

By then, a staff member was already calling everyone toward the set for microphone checks, providing the perfect excuse for the conversation to dissolve naturally. Members began gathering their belongings and moving toward their assigned positions, conversations breaking apart and reforming throughout the studio.

By the time everyone was seated, the studio had transformed completely.

The casual atmosphere from earlier remained, but now it existed beneath bright filming lights and carefully positioned cameras. Staff members moved quickly around the edges of the set making final adjustments while managers watched from a distance. Microphones had been clipped into place, cue cards distributed, and drinks arranged neatly on low tables between the couches.

The setup itself was simple. Three groups seated together in a loose semicircle, close enough to interact naturally but spread out enough for cameras to capture everyone.

Unfortunately, whoever had planned the seating arrangement had dramatically underestimated KATSEYE's inability to remain where they were assigned.

Megan was already leaning halfway into Daniela's space before the livestream had even begun. Manon had somehow ended up sharing a blanket with Lara despite the room not being remotely cold. Yoonchae was trying and failing to convince everyone to sit normally, while Sophia watched the situation unfold with the expression of someone who knew resistance was futile.

Across from them, MEOVV appeared significantly more composed.

Narin and Anna sat together discussing something quietly while Gawon adjusted her microphone. Sooin looked relaxed enough, occasionally glancing toward the production staff whenever instructions were given.

Ella's attention, however, seemed to drift repeatedly toward the opposite couch. MEOVV had been placed on the far left, with KATSEYE in the middle, and CORTIS on their right, much to her dismay.

Na-rae noticed it once.

Then twice.

By the third time, she deliberately stopped looking.

The countdown began.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

A red light blinked on.

"Is it on?" Sophia asked politely, which led to the managers behind the camera to give her a small nod.

"Alright should we start with introductions?"

"1, 2, 3. Hello, we are KATSEYE!" The girls announced in perfect unison. Followed by the other two groups.

Fans flooded into the broadcast faster than the moderators could keep track of, comments moving so quickly across the monitor that individual messages became nearly impossible to read.

The producers had clearly anticipated this.

Several tablets had been placed around the set displaying selected questions that moderators pulled from the chat.

For the first few minutes, everything remained surprisingly orderly.

Questions about the collaboration, questions about preparations. Questions about what fans could expect from each group. Each group answered in turn.

James and Daniela spoke confidently whenever dance-related topics appeared while Manon somehow managed to sound composed even while Megan kept making faces beside her.

The conversation flowed easily. Maybe too easy.

Because after twenty minutes, the moderators made the mistake of introducing fan-submitted questions.

"Oh no," Sophia said after reading the first one, the comment monitor was currently balanced on her knee.

Megan immediately leaned over her shoulder. "What?"

Sophia stared at the screen. Then she started laughing.

"This person wants to know who takes the longest to get ready."

Without hesitation, nearly every member of KATSEYE pointed at Sophia.

The betrayal happened so quickly that she didn't even have time to defend herself.

Across the room, James and Martin looked impressed.

"That was immediate," Martin observed.

"You guys didn't even think about it."

"We didn't need to," Daniela replied as the room filled with laughter.

"Okay next question! Who initiated this collab?" Sophia read from her tablet, looking around at the other members. "I'm actually not sure!" She laughed.

"Our manager reached out to me yesterday and told me that we were going to do this collab with MEOVV today," Juhoon started, everyone listening attentively, "But we initially had plans with KATSEYE to do a vlog together, so I asked him if they could join us too." He smiled and nodded as he finished his answer, the other members following suit.

"Yeah and I think it was a great idea. We love these girls!" James motioned to the group sitting beside him as they beamed - a chorus of "thank you"s and "we love you too"s soon followed.

Unbeknownst to the two groups, MEOVV had a bit of a different reaction. They widened their eyes and glanced at each other, seemingly forming a mutual understanding. Ella nodded sharply, her smile thin. Juhoon had invited them. Juhoon.

A few minutes passed.

Na-rae should have known better than to volunteer for comment duty.

At first, it seemed harmless enough. The moderators were filtering questions from the livestream chat and sending selected ones to the tablets scattered around the set. Most of them were predictable. Questions about each member, questions about which members had surprised each other the most during rehearsals.

Easy and safe questions. The kind management liked.

For nearly ten minutes, Na-rae handled them without incident, occasionally reading one aloud whenever the conversation needed a new direction. The system worked surprisingly well until her eyes landed on a particular comment.

She immediately wished they hadn't.

The reaction must have shown on her face because Megan, who had been half-listening to a story Keonho was telling, turned toward her almost instantly.

"What is it?"

Before she could stop her, Megan reached over and plucked the tablet straight from her hands.

The grin that spread across her face after reading the comment made several people visibly nervous.

"This fan wants to know who's become closest during collaboration rehearsals."

Perhaps recognizing that nobody else was going to answer, Seonghyeon leaned forward first.

"We just met MEOVV, obviously. But for the rest of us I think we've all gotten closer," he said, glancing around the room. "We spent a long time together the other day for our collab, so everyone's naturally become more comfortable with each other." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Although..." The single word was enough to make Na-rae suspicious.

"If we're talking about who got closest specifically..." Sophia continued, turning toward the camera as though she were making a serious observation, "it's probably Juhoon and Na-rae."

The statement landed with absolutely no drama. In fact, Sophia sounded completely matter-of-fact.

What's worse was that the entirety of CORTIS and KATSEYE seemed to agree, as they all nodded their heads in unison.

The agreement spread so casually around the room that it almost felt ridiculous. Nobody was teasing or making faces, they were simply stating what they'd observed.

"You guys were paired together for the dance challenge." Lara calmly stated.

"Exactly," Yoonchae added. "And you guys were talking the whole vlog."

"Not the whole time."

"Most of the time."

Across from her, Juhoon looked equally caught off guard. Not offended or embarrassed, just mildly surprised by how quickly everyone had reached a unanimous decision.

"I mean..." he began carefully, "we did work together the most."

"There you go," Sophia said immediately. "That's literally what we're saying." The room erupted into laughter.

The atmosphere had settled into something comfortably chaotic. People interrupted each other without thinking. Conversations drifted away from the original questions and wandered back again. Every answer seemed to create three more discussions before anyone could move on.

It was exactly the kind of livestream fans loved.

A new question appeared on the monitor in front of Anna. She scanned it briefly before smiling to herself. The expression immediately caught Gawon's attention.

"What is it?"

Anna tilted the tablet slightly. "This one's interesting."

The statement alone was enough to draw curiosity from the surrounding couches. The conversation nearest to her gradually quieted as more people turned their attention toward the screen.

"A fan wants to know more about Ella and Juhoon knowing each other as children."

Ella brightened almost immediately.

She'd mentioned the childhood shoot several times already that evening, both during introductions and in conversations that followed. It wasn't difficult to tell that the memory genuinely meant something to her. There was a warmth in her expression now that hadn't been present for most of the livestream, as though she was revisiting a part of her life she'd rarely had reason to think about recently.

"Oh, that's actually such a good question," she said, laughing softly. "I was wondering if somebody would ask."

Juhoon smiled from the opposite couch. The expression looked polite, easy, completely natural.

"We worked on a campaign shoot together when we were really young," she explained, turning toward the camera. "I don't even remember how old I was. Maybe seven? Something like that."

"Sounds right," Juhoon agreed.

Ella smiled. "I remember being so nervous." The room remained quiet, listening.

"I thought everybody there seemed older than me," Ella continued. "Everything felt huge. The set, the cameras, all the staff." She laughed at the memory.

"I was terrified, but it was really fun as a kid."

Several people nodded. The experience sounded familiar. Every idol in the room had probably felt some version of the same thing at some point.

The conversation began drifting elsewhere as other members joined in with stories about childhood auditions and early industry experiences. Sophia launched into an anecdote about an embarrassing trainee evaluation. Daniela immediately interrupted to provide her own version of events. Within seconds, the focus of the room had shifted.

A moderator selected one from the comments that asked which members had surprised each other the most after meeting in person.

Unlike the previous questions, this one prompted genuine thought. For a few moments, people actually considered their answers.

"I think Juhoon surprised me." The observation came from Megan. "In performances, he's a completely different person." She emphasised her point with exaggerated gesticulations, causing everyone to laugh in agreement.

"Yeah, like you would never know that he's actually kinda quiet in real life." Sophia added on, pointing to him as she spoke.

"I get that one a lot," He laughed along.

By the final ten minutes of the livestream, whatever structure the producers had originally intended had long since disappeared.

The groups were still technically answering questions, but the responses now wandered through stories, side conversations, and arguments before eventually circling back to the original topic. Even the staff seemed to have accepted it. Every time a moderator attempted to steer the discussion in a particular direction, somebody inevitably got distracted by another comment, another joke, or another story from rehearsals.

The audience appeared to love it.

Comments continued racing across the monitors at a speed that made them almost impossible to read. Every so often, someone would catch a message and laugh before showing it to the people nearby, creating yet another tangent.

The atmosphere felt oddly comfortable now.

Soon enough, it was time to end the livestream.

"Eyekons, Coers and Pawmpawms, thank you so much for tuning in for our live. We appreciate all of you so much," Manon showed a hand-heart to the camera and smiled softly.

"We'll see you next time!" James concluded.

"Bye!!"

The red recording light disappeared which marked the end of the livestream.

Thank yous were tossed around the room as the groups slowly got up from their designated spots.

There was something oddly satisfying about schedules like this. Everyone had arrived as representatives of different groups. By the end, they simply felt like people who had spent an enjoyable afternoon together. Well, that's how some of them felt.

As staff gradually began dismantling equipment, members started moving around the room exchanging goodbyes and promises to collaborate again in the future.

The usual collection of conversations that emerged whenever schedules ended.

Na-rae found herself standing near one of the water coolers, absentmindedly gathering her things while waiting for KATSEYE's manager to finish speaking with production staff.

Most of her members had drifted elsewhere. Sophia and Daniela were still talking to MEOVV while Yoonchae had become trapped in a conversation with several managers.

For the first time all evening, the noise around her felt distant.

She was reaching for her bag when a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey." Na-rae looked up, seeing Juhoon standing a few feet away.

"I wanted to apologise for all of these schedule changes," He rubbed the back of his neck, "Asking you if you guys wanted to vlog with us, then the whole plan just changing overnight.."

"Oh."

"It's not a huge deal," Juhoon continued. "I know it wasn't my decision."

His expression suggested he was fully aware of how ridiculous this conversation sounded. "Still, I kind of felt bad about it."

Na-rae laughed softly. "You didn't cancel it personally. Don't worry about it."

He laughed softly in return.

"I didn't know you were the one who asked if we could come. Thanks for that, by the way." She looked up from her bag to see him already staring at her. Something about the way his eyes never wavered sent a warm feeling to her stomach.

"Of course. Wouldn't be the same without you." Her cheeks flushed a scarlet colour.

"Me? You mean us. Like - KATSEYE?" She questioned as she watched his eyebrows raise in amusement.

"Sure, that's what I meant." Juhoon paused, "I was thinking."

That phrase immediately felt dangerous. Na-rae narrowed her eyes.

"That's never a good start." She laughed.

"I have good ideas sometimes."

"That's debatable."

"I'll ignore that."

His smile widened slightly. The expression transformed his entire face.

"I was wondering if I could make it up to you."

She blinked. The wording sounded significantly more dramatic than the situation deserved.

Apparently realizing this, Juhoon looked mildly horrified by his own sentence.

"That sounded weird."

"Mhm" Na-rae was extremely amused at this point.

"Not like that."

"Aw, why not?"

"I meant the vlog. Wait- what?"

"Hm?"

They stared at each other for a beat, then they burst into a fit of giggles.

Around them, the room continued buzzing with conversation. Neither of them seemed particularly interested in joining it yet.

"The original concept was basically just us trying random activities together anyway," Juhoon explained. "So I figured maybe we could still do something similar."

Na-rae tilted her head. "Without cameras?"

"Exactly." He nodded.

Before she could answer, a loud voice echoed across the studio.

"There you are." Both of them turned as Megan approached.

Behind her came Sophia, Daniela, and Lara, all wearing expressions that immediately made Na-rae suspicious.

The sight alone was enough to make Juhoon sigh. Apparently he recognized danger too. Unfortunately, neither of them moved fast enough.

Megan reached them first. Her eyes shifted from Na-rae to Juhoon. Then back again. A smile slowly appeared.

Na-rae knew that smile.

The moment it appeared on Megan's face, she felt a very specific sense of dread settle somewhere behind her ribs.

It wasn't even that Megan was particularly subtle about these things. The problem was the opposite. Megan rarely hid her curiosity, and once she decided something was interesting, there was very little anyone could do to redirect her attention.

Unfortunately, judging from the expressions following behind her, she wasn't the only one.

"What are you guys doing?" Megan asked.

"We're talking," Na-rae replied.

Megan's eyebrows lifted. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Just talking?" The emphasis immediately gave her away.

Na-rae resisted the urge to close her eyes. Beside her, Juhoon appeared to be experiencing a similar level of regret.

The unfortunate thing was that neither of them were actually doing anything suspicious. The conversation had been entirely normal, yet being discovered midway through it somehow made the situation feel guilty.

Sophia's gaze shifted toward Juhoon.

"We weren't interrupting anything, were we?"

The question was delivered with such perfect politeness that it instantly became suspicious.

Juhoon, to his credit, attempted diplomacy. "Not really."

"Interesting choice of words." Daniela laughed.

"It's because you said 'anything' like that."

"I said it normally."

"You absolutely didn't."

The conversation threatened to derail immediately.

Around them, the studio was slowly emptying as staff began packing away equipment. Members from MEOVV were saying their final goodbyes near the entrance while managers coordinated transportation schedules. The event had the strange atmosphere that always followed a successful filming session, when the official work was finished but nobody seemed quite ready to leave.

Megan's attention eventually returned to Na-rae.

"So what were you talking about?" Na-rae briefly considered lying.

Unfortunately, everybody present knew her too well. Before she could decide on an answer, Juhoon spoke first.

"I was apologizing."

That seemed to catch their attention. The teasing atmosphere softened slightly.

"For what?" Lara asked.

"The vlog that got cancelled."

Recognition crossed all three faces.

"Ohhh, don't worry about that it's cool," Manon cleared the air.

Juhoon glanced toward Na-rae before continuing. "Yeah, but I felt bad about it, so I was asking if she wanted to plan something again"

"That's really nice of you. Thanks, Juhoon." Sophia smiled endearingly, Juhoon managing a small one back.

"What were you planning to do?"

Juhoon opened his mouth. Paused. Then immediately looked toward Na-rae.

The problem became obvious. Neither of them had actually gotten that far. The realization seemed to hit both of them simultaneously.

For all his confidence in approaching her, Juhoon apparently hadn't prepared anything beyond the initial invitation.

A smile appeared on Sophia's face. Not teasing, just amused.

"You don't know."

"We were discussing options."

"You were not."

"We were about to."

Daniela laughed.

The sound drew attention from several nearby members, including James and Keonho, who had been gathering their belongings near the opposite side of the studio.

Curiosity spread quickly. Within moments, both had wandered over.

"What happened?" James asked.

"Nothing!" Juhoon said immediately. "I'll tell you later." That was enough for James to nod, and walk away.

Juhoon then turned back to Na-rae. "I hope you consider my offer." She smiled back.

"I will."

The hallway had become noticeably busier now that filming was over.

Managers were ushering members toward waiting vehicles while staff wheeled equipment carts past in both directions. The easy atmosphere from the livestream still lingered, but it was gradually being overtaken by the reality of schedules and departure times.

Before KATSEYE or CORTIS could disappear completely, several members of MEOVV approached to say goodbye properly.

The exchange felt warmer than their introductions had been hours earlier.

Back then, everyone had been strangers carefully navigating first impressions. Now conversations flowed much more naturally. Anna was discussing an upcoming music show appearance with Sophia while Narin exchanged social media handles with Daniela. Gawon promised Lara that she would send her the name of a restaurant they'd spent nearly ten minutes discussing during a break.

Even the staff seemed amused watching the groups gradually refuse to leave.

Na-rae found herself lingering near the back of the cluster while goodbyes continued around her. It wasn't intentional. She was simply waiting for an opening to move toward her members.

From where she stood, she could see Ella approaching the group.

The older girl wore the same bright smile she'd maintained for most of the evening.

"Thank you for today," Ella was saying as she greeted the members one by one. "It was really fun." The sentiment was genuine enough.

She exchanged a quick hug with Sophia before moving naturally to Daniela and then Lara. The conversation continued uninterrupted as she worked her way through the group, offering thanks and promising to meet again soon at future schedules.

For a moment, Na-rae assumed she was next. The distance between them narrowed as Ella's gaze swept briefly in her direction - then continued past.

The movement happened so smoothly that it would have been easy to miss. Easy enough that Na-rae almost convinced herself she had imagined it.

Almost.

Instead, Ella shifted her attention toward Yoonchae, Manon and Megan, stepping around Na-rae in the process. The transition looked completely natural from the outside. Nobody interrupted. Nobody stared. The conversation continued exactly as before.

Then Ella's attention shifted elsewhere entirely.

Specifically toward the group of CORTIS members preparing to leave from the opposite side of the hallway.

The change was immediate. A brightness entered her expression as she waved toward them. Or rather, toward one particular member.

"Juhoon!" The call carried easily across the hallway.

Several people looked up, including Juhoon himself.

He had been standing beside James and Keonho, listening to something that appeared to be irritating him based on the expressions of the other two members.

The moment he heard his name, however, he looked over and smiled politely.

Ella crossed the remaining distance between them.

"I didn't get to say goodbye properly." Her tone remained light.

The same warmth she'd displayed whenever the subject of their childhood connection came up throughout the day.

Juhoon nodded immediately. "Of course."

"It was really nice seeing you again," she said. The sincerity in her voice was difficult to miss.

"For real."

Juhoon's expression softened slightly. "Yeah." A small laugh escaped him.

"It was nice seeing you too." The answer sounded genuine.

Before the conversation could continue further, Ella stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a quick goodbye hug.

The action wasn't inappropriate. Plenty of idols greeted friends that way.

Still, the movement seemed to catch Juhoon slightly off guard. Not enough to react badly, but just enough that there was a brief delay before he returned the gesture.

The hug lasted only a second. Then it was over.

Ella stepped back smiling. The exchange had been perfectly normal and harmless. Yet something about it left a faint tension lingering in the air afterward.

The kind of feeling that appeared when everyone involved was trying very hard to behave naturally.

Across the hallway, Na-rae watched the interaction without much expression.

Mostly because she suddenly found herself remembering the moment earlier when Ella's gaze had passed over her as though she wasn't standing there.

The memory surfaced unexpectedly.

Annoyingly.

Before she could think about it any further, Megan appeared at her side. The timing was so suspicious that Na-rae immediately narrowed her eyes.

Megan followed her line of sight toward the opposite side of the hallway, then slowly looked back.

She didn't say anything which was somehow worse.

Because Megan never stayed silent unless she was collecting information. A smile threatened at the corners of her mouth.

Na-rae already knew she was going to regret whatever conversation followed.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚* kim juhoon

synopsis —⋆ What happens when the youngest member of KATSEYE starts to feel drawn to the visual from HYBE’s newest boy group? Only to realise that she isn’t the only idol who’s interested…⋆୨୧˚

part 2 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

previous part, next part

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚* kim juhoon smau

synopsis —⋆ What happens when the youngest member of KATSEYE starts to feel drawn to the visual from HYBE’s newest boy group? Only to realise that she isn’t the only idol who’s interested…⋆୨୧˚

part 1 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

written portion! 1.5k words

previous part, next part

THE DAY OF THE SHOOT °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Na-rae had discovered something unfortunate about success. The more successful KATSEYE became, the less normal her life got.

One year ago, she had been worried about monthly evaluations and surviving dance practice.

Now she was standing outside a HYBE practice room at eight in the morning, waiting to meet a rookie boy group she'd only just discovered the night before through edited content and high quality fancams.

The first thing Na-rae noticed when she stepped into the practice room was the noise.

The other KATSEYE girls had arrived together, which meant the room was already filled with overlapping conversations before practice had even started. Megan was stretched out across the floor scrolling through her phone while Manon and Daniela argued over something an Eyekon had said in their previous live. Near the speakers, Lara was attempting to convince Yoonchae to go through the choreography one last time. Sophia sat quietly against the mirrors, watching the chaos with the expression of someone who had accepted long ago that trying to control the group was pointless.

Na-rae settled beside her bag and took a sip of water, half listening to the conversations around her. She wasn't nervous exactly. KATSEYE had been active for over a year now. They'd performed in front of thousands of people, attended award shows, and collaborated with artists she'd spent her trainee years looking up to. A dance collaboration shouldn't have felt intimidating.

Still, there was something strange about meeting this idol group for the first time.

CORTIS had debuted only a few months ago, but they were already attracting attention. Their dance videos were everywhere online, and Na-rae had watched enough clips while procrastinating one night to recognize all five members by face.

That didn't mean she actually knew them. She was mainly focused on one, however.

The door slid open before she could think about it any further.

Almost immediately, the room's volume doubled.

The members of CORTIS entered together, bowing politely as they greeted the staff already gathered inside. Up close, they looked younger than they did on stage. Less polished. Less intimidating. James was carrying what looked like half the group's belongings while Martin and Keonho were arguing over something that had apparently started in the hallway. Seonghyeon seemed determined to stay out of whatever it was, though judging by the smile he was trying to hide, he was enjoying it far too much.

Juhoon entered last. The exact person Na-rae was looking forward to seeing.

However, he wasn't really what she expected.

Many performances she'd seen of CORTIS seemed to place him directly in the centre of attention. He had the kind of stage presence that naturally drew people's eyes, but standing among his members now, he seemed far more relaxed. Quieter. Content to let the others talk while he politely greeted the staff and set his bag down near the wall.

The official introductions began shortly afterward.

Managers exchanged schedules and filming plans while both groups gathered near the mirrors. Names were repeated, handshakes exchanged, and the usual awkward politeness of first meetings settled over the room.

While the two groups mingled, Juhoon found himself alone with the maknae of KATSEYE. He could tell she was nervous. The way she played with the ends of her hair, the way she fiddled with the hem on her shirt, and the way her eyes managed to look everywhere but in his direction.

"Hi, I'm Juhoon. Nice to meet you." He exchanged politely. Startled, Na-rae looked up from the floor and met his eyes.

"Oh, hi! I'm Na-rae! You're really talented for someone who has only been training for a year by the way. Just thought I should mention," She replied sheepishly.

"Wow someone did their research," He tried to lighten the mood by cracking a small joke. Thankfully, she exhaled a breathy laugh and pushed him lightly.

"Don't let it get to your head, I did it for everyone." She smiled, he returned the favour.

"Reaally?"

"Yes!"

He put his hands up in mock surrender, "Alright, but I didn't see your groupmates tag you in my groupmate's comment sections,"

The sparkle in her eyes immediately diminished as her face flushed with embarrassment, "Oh look their calling us okaygottagobye!"

Juhoon simply chuckled and shook his head.

Thankfully, since the KATSEYE girls excelled at interacting with new people, they definitely loosened the tension by a lot.

"Alright! So.... Who's doing what choreo?" Megan clapped her hands together, eager to start the challenges.

"How about the four of us," Sophia gestured to Yoonchae, Martin and Keonho, "do Gnarly. Daniela, Lara, James and Seonghyeon can do Go! And..."

She glanced at the maknae of her beloved group, hiding a smirk.

"Na-rae and Juhoon can do What You Want! Does that sound okay?" The boy group exchanged satisfied glances and nodded immediately, missing the sly expressions on the senior group's faces. Na-rae stood frozen in shock.

"Alright lets go!"

The dance challenges went smoothly enough. The first group had completed their dance in a few takes. Martin couldn't seem to grasp how to 'shake his ass' properly in the first two or three takes. The second group took slightly longer - Lara had a few trips during the complex footwork section. Now, it was time for Juhoon and Na-rae to complete their dance challenge.

"Alright, you ready?" Juhoon asked, getting into position.

"I should be asking you that," She smirked. Na-rae found that she always regained her confidence whenever dancing was involved.

"I guess we'll see," He smiled.

The music started, Juhoon and Na-rae seemingly flowed as one. The lip syncing felt natural and the dance was perfectly in sync.

During one transition, the choreography required a quick formation change, and in the middle of one sequence, Na-rae misjudged her spacing by half a step.

It wasn't obvious.

No one else noticed.

Juhoon did.

Without interrupting the movement, he adjusted his own position slightly, creating enough room for both of them to complete the sequence without colliding.

The correction was so subtle she almost wondered if she'd imagined it.

Everyone in the studio looked mesmorised, as if they were watching something blossom in real time.

The last line of the song arrived as Juhoon and Na-rae stopped the dance to lip sync the final words, ending the video with natural chemistry that just couldn't be replicated. They even managed to do a handshake at the end that neither had planned beforehand. It was just - perfect.

"And...I think we got it!" The manager beamed. "That was perfect guys, thank you."

"Yoooo, one take is insane!" Martin dapped Juhoon up as he walked away from the spotlight. The other members quickly following suit.

"Hey, we did great," Juhoon walked up to Na-rae as she was refilling her pink Owala at the water cooler.

"You too. Thanks for adjusting your position when I made a mistake, by the way. It was really impressive how you noticed that." She replied, still breathing heavily from the choreo.

"What mistake?" He winked as he slowly walked back to his group. Even at such a small comment, Na-rae couldn't help but smile to herself.

The afternoon passed in a blur of repeated run-throughs, corrections, and increasingly chaotic break times. At one point, Megan convinced Juhoon, Na-rae and James to film one last dance challenge. Sophia and Daniela filmed it, the rest providing extra commentary.

Even several staff members were enjoying the natural atmosphere by then.

CORTIS blended in surprisingly quickly. After the dances, the two groups split into several different conversations.

Juhoon mostly watched. Like someone who genuinely enjoyed seeing the people around him happy.

Na-rae only realised she had been observing him when he glanced up unexpectedly.

Their eyes met from opposite sides of the room.

it was only for a second, but it was long enough for both of them to immediately look away.

Long enough for an unfamiliar warmth to settle somewhere in her chest.

As bags were packed and goodbyes exchanged, Na-rae found herself looking back one last time.

Juhoon was standing with James and Martin near the doorway, whispering among themselves about something that looked quite serious.

Before she headed out the door with her group, however, she was interrupted.

"Hey, Na-rae!" Juhoon jogged up to the maknae, the rest of KATSEYE stopped and turned around - their faces had the signature "I'm gonna tease you about this later" looks.

"Yeah, what's up?" She turned, slightly started but not complaining either.

"The boys and I were discussing and we thought it would be good for us to exchange numbers. So we can plan the next collab, of course." He quickly added the last line, ears reddening by the second. Snickers could be heard from the corner of the room as James hurriedly told his groupmates to shut up.

"Oh yeah, sure!" She quickly handed him her phone as he keyed in his number. Oh my god I can't believe this is happening. Suck it Ella.

"T-thanks. I'll text you." He gave her a soft smile as he returned to his group.

Na-rae turned back to the girls, eyes wide in shock, jaw on the ground. The rest of the girls with the exact same expression as they rushed out of the room.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚* kim juhoon

synopsis —⋆ What happens when the youngest member of KATSEYE starts to feel drawn to the visual from HYBE’s newest boy group? Only to realise that she isn’t the only idol who’s interested…⋆୨୧˚

PART ZERO - TRAILER

part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven,

edit: i made a mistake in the third slide, narae is older than keonho and seonghyeon