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
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.
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.
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."
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.
By the third time, she deliberately stopped looking.
"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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.."
"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."
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.
"Mhm" Na-rae was extremely amused at this point.
"I meant the vlog. Wait- what?"
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?"
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.
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?"
"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."
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.
That seemed to catch their attention. The teasing atmosphere softened slightly.
"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.
"We were discussing options."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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