rainbow

Over time, meeting BTS had become less nerve-racking, especially after Isa and RM started seeing each other. Still, at the end of the day, BTS were BTS. Their seniors. Yet Isa felt anxious. Not in a bad way, but more like butterflies settling restlessly in her stomach.

Being around Namjoon tended to do that to her.

The last time they had seen each other was back in Korea during the promotions for Pinky Up, around two weeks ago. They already knew they’d run into each other again at the AMAs eventually, but that was about it. Both of them had been busy enough that they barely texted properly lately, at least until Namjoon casually gave KATSEYE a shoutout during one of his Weverse lives with the members.

Naturally, Isa had to make fun of him for it, and ever since then, they’d slowly started texting again. Then, eventually, their manager showed up with the news that the girls had been given VIP tickets for the concert.

Isa hadn’t asked for them, neither did the girls, but she understood the message anyway. So, there she was.

They showed their wristbands, 'VIP - HYBE Artist' written across them, to the security guard standing outside the dressing room. The man glanced at the bands, then down at the list in his hands, back to the wristbands, back to the list.

For a second, Isa wondered if they’d somehow ended up at the wrong entrance. Megan shifted beside Sophia, already looking amused.

"Imagine if he says no." Megan joked, looking at Isa. "I'd have to call your man."

Isa let out a quiet laugh, arms still linked with Yoonchae's.

"He’s not my man, girl. Don’t say that out loud ever again." she muttered. "He might think we’re getting married or something."

The girls and their manager laughed, before being interrupted by the guard nodding and stepping aside.

"Thank you!" Sophia said politely as the girls walked in.

And immediately got hit by the familiar chaos of backstage. Staff moving quickly from one side to the other, clothing racks pushed against walls, makeup stations crowded with products, half-open cases of equipment scattered around.

Isa barely had time to properly take the room in before her eyes instinctively searched for him. He was in the other corner of the room, talking something with some staff, his back turned at the entrance.

"Hello, everyone!" the girls said, almost together.

"Oh, KATSEYE's in the house!" J-Hope greeted first, clapping dramatically as the girls walked in.

Jimin and V sat sprawled across a leather couch, both distracted by their phones before looking up and smiling at the girls. Nearby, Suga rested a guitar on his lap while Jin complained loudly about something nobody seemed to be listening to. Meanwhile, Jungkook had his phone raised, recording something immediately as they entered.

Sophia and Isa pointed at him at the exact same time.

"Are you staff?" Isa joked.

"Kinda!" Jungkook answered easily, still filming as everyone laughed.

Isa laughed quietly, finally letting go of Yoonchae’s arm as the girls spread out around the room, greeting everyone properly.

"Hi, girls!" RM greeted warmly, shaking each of their hands.

He took his time with Isa’s. Not enough to look suspicious, just enough for her to notice. And somehow, he ended up standing beside her afterward like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"This is such a fun surprise!" he added casually.

Isa looked up at him immediately, narrowing her eyes. How sarcastic could one man possibly be? Because there was absolutely no way those VIP tickets had appeared out of nowhere.

Isa still had no idea how much his members knew, or if they knew anything at all, so she wasn’t about to risk saying something stupid right there in the middle of BTS backstage. Still, Namjoon could be absolutely sure she’d get revenge for this later.

"We brought you some gifts." Sophia said, stepping forward with a smile as the girls gathered the bags they had carried in. "It’s from our new merch for the comeback. We picked our favorite pieces for each of you."

"We hope you like it!" Megan added, excitedly.

Immediately, the room shifted into a little mess. Jungkook abandoned filming to look inside the bags, Jimin gasped dramatically over one of the hoodies, and Taehyung held up a shirt with genuine interest.

"Oh, this is nice." Yoongi nodded approvingly from the couch.

Meanwhile, Jin had already put something against himself dramatically.

"Be honest. Does this make me look young?"

"No!" Namjoon answered immediately.

Jin looked betrayed. Yoonchae and Isa, the ones who understood that right away, burst out laughing with the boys.

Eventually, everyone settled into a loose circle around the room.

The girls talked excitedly about finally seeing the concert live while the members asked them about tour preparations, comeback schedules, and how they’d been handling everything lately after Pinky Up.

"Are you sleeping properly at least?" Yoongi asked at one point, looking mildly concerned.

Yoonchae translated it to Megan and Sophia, the girls collectively starting to laugh.

"That means no." Jimin concluded instantly.

"We sleep emotionally." Megan answered.

Then, naturally, the conversation shifted toward BTS' new album.

"Isa-yah," Jin suddenly called out. "what’s your favorite track?"

Isa pouted slightly, pretending to think hard about it.

"Hm…" she hummed. "I’ll have to say FYA. FYA and 2.0 are on my workout playlist. I listen to them literally every day."

"Oh, I forgot she’s a rapper." Jin joked, making them laugh once again. "Rap line’s daughter for real." he refereced the constant fan comments comparing Isa’s flow to BTS’s rap line.

The conversation eventually split into smaller groups around the room. Jimin and Sophia argued about which song had the best choreography, Megan and Jungkook were somehow already talking comfortably, while Yoonchae chatted with Jin, Yoongi, J-Hope and Taehyung about the things she missed from Korea.

Isa, quietly watching all of it unfold, just tried to act normal. She had just grabbed her phone when she felt someone lightly tug at the sleeve of her jacket. Isa looked up immediately and Namjoon tilted his head subtly toward the hallway outside the room.

A few seconds later, she quietly slipped outside anyway.

The hallway was much calmer than the dressing room. Distant concert noise echoed faintly through the stadium walls while staff members hurried past every now and then without paying them much attention.

Namjoon leaned casually against the wall beside one of the doors, arms crossed loosely. The space between the wall and the equipamento cases was small, barely enough room for the two of them.

The second Isa approached him, he spoke first.

"I loved the merch."

"That’s not a hello." she teased softly. "But thank you for the tickets. You really didn’t have to do that."

He laughed softly.

"You came, though."

Isa scoffed.

"I don't ever reject free concert tickets."

"You can have as many as you want. You just have to ask." he answered easily.

For a second, neither of them spoke, and annoyingly enough, the silence didn’t feel awkward anymore. Namjoon looked down at her for a moment before speaking again.

"You look pretty."

Isa instinctively glanced down at herself.

She was wearing a tiny Hello Kitty baby tee she’d borrowed from Megan, low-waisted flare jeans, pointed heels, and an oversized leather jacket thrown over everything. A baguette bag rested under her arm while her sunglasses sat pushed into her hair. Nothing too flashy, but casual enough in case someone took pictures.

Isa blinked once before smiling lightly, looking away almost immediately.

"Thank you." she said softly before finally looking back at him. "Came prepared to catch a certain someone’s attention."

Namjoon laughed, shoulders shaking slightly.

"That was smooth." he whistled. "Did you rehearse it?"

"Who said it was you?" she shot back immediately.

"Ouch!" he placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "That was harsh coming from someone who’s been ignoring me all week."

Isa looked genuinely offended.

"Oh, Kim Namjoon. Don't do this with me." she scoffed. "You're part of one of the most popular groups in the world right now, and somehow I'm the busy one?"

"You replied to my message twelve hours later, Isabelí Torres."

The way he pronounced her full name with his accent made her giggle despite herself.

"I was asleep!" she defended herself.

"At three in the afternoon?"

"That’s between me and God." she held him a finger.

Namjoon smiled again, dimples appearing instantly, and Isa hated how easy it had become to make him laugh lately. Then, without thinking much about it, he reached for her hand, their fingers laced together naturally.

"I missed you." he admitted quietly.

And somehow, that caught her off guard. Not because of what he said, but because of how simply he said it. Like it wasn’t a big deal, like it was just true. Isa stared at him for a second too long before recovering.

"You saw me, like, two weeks ago."

"And?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but footsteps suddenly echoed from the other side of the hallway. Isa stepped apart a little too quickly, Namjoon standing still.

A man, probably one of the managers, stopped the second he noticed them standing there. His eyes moved slowly between the two before a knowing smile spread across his face.

Isa immediately wanted to disappear.

The man looked at Namjoon, completely ignoring her now.

"We’re going up in ten."

"Thanks, hyung." Namjoon answered casually, almost dismissing him.

The manager walked away still smiling to himself. Another silence settled between them after that.Somewhere deeper in the stadium, the crowd roared loudly enough for the walls to vibrate slightly.

Ten minutes. Maybe less now.

Isa finally looked away first, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder before forcing a lighter tone back into her voice.

"You should probably go be a global superstar now."

Namjoon huffed a quiet laugh.

"Yeah, unfortunately."

She nodded toward the dressing room behind them.

"The girls are probably wondering where I disappeared to."

"Hm."

But neither of them moved immediately. Isa hated that part lately too, how leaving him had started feeling strangely difficult. Namjoon looked at her for a second longer before taking a small step closer instead.

His hand came up naturally, warm against her cheek as he cupped her face gently, and before Isa could even properly react, he kissed her. Quick but intense enough to leave her momentarily stunned anyway.

Isa’s fingers instinctively curled slightly against the sleeve of his performance jacket before he pulled away first.

"I should go before somebody else starts smiling at us like they know something." he said, smiling slightly. "And, by the way, I’ll perform FYA extra dramatically for you today."

Isa tried not to smile too obviously.

"That sounds threatening." she laughed softly under her breath.

Then Namjoon tilted his head slightly, voice quieter this time.

"Meet you at the hotel after?"

Her fingers tightened slightly around the strap of her bag before she answered.

But the moment she heard the pilot’s announcement that they were in São Paulo, translated into Portuguese, it was enough. Tears filled her eyes instantly.

They weren’t tears of sadness. It felt more like she was looking at her 15-year-old self again, finally closing the circle she had opened eight years ago, when she left for Korea to chase something that, back then, still felt so far away.

Sophia, who had heard countless times how much Isa missed home, how she had been counting the days to come back, only smiled softly, her hand moving to Isa’s back in a gentle, grounding touch. She knew this wasn’t the ideal return, not the way Isa had probably imagined it. It was quick, rushed, just one stop in a packed schedule.

Still… it was Brazil. 

As the staff began gathering their things, the rest of the girls slowly woke up, stretching and getting ready for landing. Isa, meanwhile, had her phone out, recording everything through the small airplane window, like she was afraid she might forget a single detail.

“Finally.” she whispered to Sophia. 

Their reactions, once they landed, were immediate. They all looked for her. Lara was the first to reach her, pulling her into a tight hug. Megan and Yoonchae followed right after, asking softly how she was feeling, while Daniela, of course, was already recording everything, capturing every second of Isa’s reaction like she knew it mattered.

As soon as they passed through immigration and collected their bags, heading toward the exit where their van was waiting, Isa froze, facing hundreds of people, right there, in the waiting area, holding signs, waving Brazil’s flags and calling their names. Calling her name. 

She didn’t even try to hide this time. She covered her mouth with her hand, shaking her head like she couldn’t quite believe it. 

“ISA! ISA! ISA!”

“Eu te amo, Isa!” 

“Isa, gostosa!” 

“Isa, bem-vinda!” 

It echoed through the space, layered with other voices, other names, but hers stood out to her in a way nothing else did. Daniela let out a small ‘oh my God’ beside her, her phone already up, capturing everything.

“Why are they so loud?” Megan laughed, half shocked, half amazed.

Isa just shook her head again, smiling through tears.

They tried to keep moving, guided by staff, but it was impossible not to slow down. There were hands reaching out, phones lifting, signs written in Portuguese, some messy, some careful, but all of them hers. 

“ISA, EU TE AMO!”

“EU TAMBÉM!” she answered without thinking, her voice breaking a little as she waved.

On the way out, she took some letters and a Brazil flag with some instagrams she’d make sure to look out later, recognizing some of them as her fanclubs.  

Even as they finally made their way outside, into the van, the noise didn’t fade completely. It followed them. Isa leaned her head back against the seat, letting out a long breath, a little overwhelmed.

“Say something, girl.” Daniela said, turning a camera toward her. The moment caught Isa cleaning her tears with a napkin someone had given her. “This is your moment.” 

“I don’t even know what to say.” she mumbled, looking at the camera, making the people inside the van laugh at her reaction. “I wasn’t expecting this much love. I’m just more excited for the show now.” 

By the time they got to the hotel, Isa was exhausted. Not physically, well, a little, but from everything else. The heat, the noise, the emotions, everything feeling bigger than it should. 

The girls and their managers were still talking as they walked through the hallway, Dani replaying some videos from the airport while Megan laughed at something Lara had said, with Yoonchae half-listening but staying close to Isa, who was going to be her roommate. 

Isa just smiled, nodding along. 

“I’m gonna…” she pointed to her room, voice softer now. “Shower, reset a bit, before meeting you to go to the rehearsal.” 

“Yeah, go.” Missy, who was checking something on her phone, waved. “We’ll eat dinner out and we need some opinions on the foods.” 

Isa nodded, offering them a small smile before turning toward her and Toonchae’s room, with the girl next to her. For a second, she just stood there, then, she swiped the car, pushing the door open while she carried her bag. 

“Surpresa!” 

Isa froze. For a second, her brain didn’t catch up. It didn’t make sense. Well, it couldn’t make sense. Isa’s hometown was in another state, over 24 hours away from São Paulo. But then, the voices she hadn’t heard in almost two years, the last time she had a chance to come home, that close, her name, said the way only they said it. 

“Isa!” 

“Mãe!” she dropped her bag to the floor, moving before she even finished. 

Her mother reached her first, pulling her into a hug so tight it knocked the air out of her. The kind of hug that doesn’t ask permission, the kind that says everything at once. And that’s when Isa broke.

Not with the quiet tears from the plane and definitely not the controlled ones from the airport. Her shoulders shook as she buried her face into her mother’s shoulder, holding onto her like she was afraid she’d disappear if she let go.

Looking over her mother’s shoulder, she caught sight of her sister, the reason she had even started dreaming about all of this in the first place, and without thinking, she reached for her too, pulling her into the hug.

And, just like that, they were all there. 

She pulled back just enough to see her mom waving toward the door. When she turned around, all the girls were already running toward them, laughter filling the room as they wrapped themselves into the hug too.

“You knew it!” Isa screamed, before feeling her members’ hug. 

“Of course we knew!” Dani answered her, making her members and the staff on the door laugh. 

Her mom laughed softly, brushing Isa’s hair back, still holding her close. Even though she knew her mom had no idea what they were saying, she could feel it.

“Do you think we would make this without any help?” she teased. Isa frowned slightly, confused, still catching her breath. “Even Namjoon knew it too.” her mom added, almost casually.

There was a split second, and Isa blinked, then she laughed, quick, a little too quick, shaking her head as she hid her face back into her mom’s shoulder. The girls, of course, didn’t miss the reaction.

Lara poked her side, while Megan reached over to mess up her hair, both already laughing.

“I have no idea what she said,” Dani chimed in, biting her finger dramatically. “but I definitely heard ‘Namjoon’.”

The laughter in the room lingered for a moment longer, the teasing slowly settling into something softer. Isa stayed there for a second more, still holding onto her mom, like she wasn’t ready to let go just yet.

But she knew she had to.

Her mom quickly filled her in: where they were staying, what their plans were, how they were going to the concert. Isa nodded along, trying to take it all in, but her mind kept drifting back to the fact that they were there. Still, she had to work.

When Missy called from the door, reality slipped back in. 

Isa pulled away slowly, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand, still smiling as she looked at them one more time.

“I’ll see you later?” she asked, her voice softer now.

“Of course.” Maria, her sister, nodded with a small smile.

✦ FLYING FISH STAGE | LOLLAPALOOZA, são paulo - brazil

From the moment the girls arrived at the Interlagos Circuit, where Lollapalooza Brasil was being held, they were busy. They had so many interviews in portuguese, that, on top of everything she was already used to, Isa found herself struggling to switch back to English when talking to the girls.

As showtime got closer, though, she could feel the butterflies building in her stomach. She had bumped into a few fans earlier, all of them so respectful that, for a moment, Isa felt like she was just talking to friends.

But now, it was time. Time for her to do what that younger version of herself had left home for.

From backstage, Isa could already hear the chants.

“KATSEYE! KATSEYE! KATSEYE!”

She stood still for a second, adjusting her in-ear monitors, her fingers moving automatically while her mind tried to catch up.

“You good?” Yoonchae asked, stepping closer, gently brushing her arm.

Isa nodded, offering her a small smile.

“Yeah… just a bit anxious.”

“Don’t be. This is your home.” Yoonchae said softly.

Isa pouted immediately.

“Don’t do this to me, Yoonchip.” she whined, pulling her into a quick hug, while Yoonchae laughed at her reaction. 

“Isa! Yoonchae! It’s time!” Sohey, their performance director, called out.

The girls quickly made their way back, joining the group hug led by Sophia.

“Okay, girls. One more night, one more concert,” she started. “This time, in a very special place for one of us.” she tapped Isa’s shoulder lightly. The girls smiled at her. “Let’s make the fans proud and Isa’s family even prouder for trusting us. Let’s not get hurt, and let’s look after each other, alright?”

“Alright!” the girls answered together.

The girls pulled away from the group hug, hands still stacked for a second longer before separating.

The noise outside felt louder now.

A staff member signaled from the side of the stage. Two minutes. Isa quickly took her phone and checked Namjoon’s last message, wishing her good luck. She gave her phone back to her manager.She waved to her mom and sister before heading to the wing of the stage. 

Isa exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulders back, grounding herself the way she always did before going on stage.

“Ready?” Dani asked, nudging her side.

Isa nodded.

“Yeah. Let’s do this.”

The lights dropped and there was a second of darkness before they finally got on stage, placing for the intro of Debut, the crowd exploding only by their silhouettes. There were not just creams or cheers. It was a living sound, messy and unfiltered, just like Isa imagined it would be. 

Isa stepped into formation, her body moving alone, every step landing exactly where it needed to. But her eyes were scanning the crowd, trying to spot where that ocean of phones, flags and signs would end. Yet, she couldn’t spot it. That was definitely their biggest crowd. 

‘Debut’ passed in a blur of movement and sound, Isa still feeling numb with all those people screaming her name. As the dance back got to an end and the introduction encore would begin, the fans started screaming even louder when the girls aligned to talk to the public.

“São Paulo! Eu amo vocês!” Dani shouted, her voice full of energy. 

The others followed, taking turns, thanking the crowd, hyping them up, their voices blending with the noise around them. Lara was the first one, then Sophia, Dani took some extra time talking about her latin roots and some phrases Isa has taught her, Megan and Yoonchae following next. 

Isa stayed a step behind, paying attention to her members with her mic still in hand, breathing slower now. Once Yoonchae was done, she glanced at Isa, stepping aside, as if saying ‘your turn’. 

The crowd didn’t even need a cue.

“ISA, EU TE AMO! ISA, EU TE AMO!”

The girl let out a small, breathy laugh, shaking her head as she stepped forward. She lifted her mic and lowered it again. 

“I don’t think I’m ready for this.” she told the girls, already feeling the tears running down, uncontrollable. 

Sophia left her position to stay right next to her, caressing her back, while the other girls scooped in closer. The crowd answered loudly. 

Isa pressed her lips together for a second, nodding to herself like she was trying to keep it together. 

Isa pressed her lips together for a second, nodding to herself like she was trying to keep it together.

“I… I don’t even know where to start. Hm… oi, gente, eu sou a Isabelí!” she said in Portuguese.

The reaction from the crowd was immediate and loud.

“I’m just so, so happy to be here. You have no idea.” she continued, her voice soft but steady. “I left Brazil when I was 15 to chase a dream that felt so far away from reality.” she pointed gently toward the crowd. “Looking at you guys and thinking back to December 2019, when I got on that plane to Korea…” she let out a small breath, shaking her head slightly. “It feels like I’m living a full-circle moment right now. And I’m so grateful to finally be doing what I left my country for.” her smile softened. “I want you guys to know that, even if it took me some time to come home, there’s not a single day I don’t miss Brazil. Not a day goes by that I don't talk about our culture, our people, and how much I want to come back.” 

The crowd roared again. Louder than before. Isa let out a small, breathy laugh, shaking her head as she wiped quickly under her eye.

“Thank you for welcoming me and my girls like this. Really.” she added softly. “I hope you guys enjoy what we’ve been preparing for you.”

And that was it. Isa stepped back. 

For a second, she just stood there, taking them in one last time, before the girls rushed toward her. Lara was the first, wrapping her arms around Isa’s shoulders without hesitation.

“You did so good!” she half-shouted, half-laughed into her ear.

Megan followed right after, squeezing them both into the hug, while Dani and Yoonchae joined, turning it into a tight, messy group pile. Isa laughed into it, a little breathless, still emotional, her hand coming up to hold onto whoever she could reach.

“Stop, you’re gonna make me cry again!” she mumbled, voice still shaky.

“Too late!” Dani teased, pulling back just enough to look at her face. “You already did.”

The girls laughed, the tension finally breaking into something lighter. Sophia clapped her hands once, stepping forward with a smile.

“Okay! Before we all start crying on stage,” she said, glancing at Isa. “let’s keep this going.”

The crowd cheered again, already picking up on the shift. Isa wiped her cheeks one last time, taking a breath, forcing her smile to settle into something more stable.

Sophia turned back to the audience, lifting her mic.

“São Paulo,” she called out, her voice strong again, “are you ready for the next one?”

The answer came instantly.

“NOOOOOO!”

The girls laughed.

Isa shook her head, stepping back into formation, her body already switching gears.

“Then let’s make it worth it.” Dani added with a grin.

LINES

0:00 - 0:01 I-I-I-I bet it goes like this

01:06 - 01:15 U-U-Us against the world, shaking ass in the parking lot If wе get arrested, haha, baby, laugh it off I lovе you, you love me, we batshit, oui, oui And I'd kill 'em for you if it got that deep

01:28 - 01:29 The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing

FANS REACTION

"But we still feel like there’s this huge piece missing." she continued. "I don’t think I’d feel confident debuting a group with just the girls we have so far."

The scene shifted, now showing Sungdeuk, carrying the same tone as Missy.

"I talked to Bang about our lack of options so far." he added, now in korean. "He gave us a list of around 20 to 25 trainees and asked us to choose one of them."

The screen cut.

A montage began, showing different practice rooms, with different girls. Korean, Japanese, American. Dancers, rappers, singers. Younger trainees, older ones. All aiming for the same goal: debut. The sounds overlapped, music cutting in and out, sneakers sliding against the floor, breath growing heavier with each repetition.

A dancer, with sharp, powerful, but slightly off-beat in her transitions, her frustration visible every time she caught herself in the mirror.

Another trainee, with strong vocals filling the room, but her body remained stiff, her eyes flickering constantly toward her reflection, searching for approval.

A rapper, confident, charismatic, owning the space for a moment… until she missed a cue, the timing slipping just enough to break the illusion.

Then, the noise softened. A quieter room appeared on screen with a group of more advanced trainees. The lighting was dimmer, the atmosphere heavier. No chatter, no unnecessary movement, just repetition. Again. And again.

The kind of discipline that only came from years of doing the same thing over and over until it stopped feeling like effort.

The camera lingered longer this time.

"We tried to make it as fair as possible." Missy continued in her interview. "We know a trained K-pop trainee might have an advantage, especially compared to girls who are completely new to this. But we narrowed it down to two names." she leaned back slightly, with a hint of smile forming.

The screen cut again.

A meeting room was shown with muted tones and glass walls reflecting the movement of people outside. Papers spread across the table, filled with notes, rankings, evaluations. There was a screen at the front displayed paused trainee profiles.

Missy sat on one side, arms crossed, eyes scanning the documents in front of her. Sungdeuk stood near the screen, remote in hand, posture straight. And few HYBE and Geffen staff members sat quietly, exchanging subtle glances and coments.

The camera shifted and showed Bang sat at the head of the table.

Still and calm. But his presence alone made the room feel way more serious.

"We need someone who can hold the group." Missy stated, leaning forward slightly. "Not just keep up."

Sungdeuk clicked the remote. A trainee appears on the screen.

"She’s strong vocally." he explained as the translator relayed his words. "But she lacks consistency in performance."

Missy nodded once.

"She’s clearly not ready for the pressure." she says simply, shrugging.

Another trainee.

"She has great energy." Sungdeuk continued. "Very expressive."

Missy tilted her head, watching closely.

"Too unstable." she replies. "She burns out too fast."

Another clip plays, a trainee dancing, rapping, singing. Sungdeuk pauses it midway.

"She’s an interesting one." he says, pointing at the screen.

Missy watches the screen for a second longer.

"Interesting isn’t enough, tho." she answers.

Silence settled into the room. Not uncomfortable, just unresolved. The kind of silence where everyone knows they’re missing something, but no one has said it yet.

Minutes passed before Bang spoke.

"What about the trained ones? Don't we have three?" he asked.

Sungdeuk hesitated for half a second before switching the screen. A new set of clips began, showing more controlled and precise girls, with years of visible training in every movement.

One girl dances. Clean, but flat. Another sings, stable but forgettable.

A different clip. A practice room, filled with important people. A girl danced alone to a heavy hip-hop track, clearly a monthly evaluation recording. No distractions, even with the audience.

Her movements were sharp, but not forced. Controlled, but not stiff. Every detail intentional. Every transition deliberate. There was no urgency in her movements.

Missy leans forward slighly.

"Pause." she said.

Sungdeuk stopped the video, recognizing the girl.

"Her name's Isabeli, from Brazil. She's been training since 2019." he said, reading some files. "She’s holding back and being a little stiff. That's out biggest challenge when it comes to her." he told.

"But she’s not weak." Missy adds immediately. "That’s control."

"She doesn’t stand out immediately." another staff member speaks carefully. "She has impressive rap skills, including writing, but her vocals are still something we've been trying to perfect."

Missy looks at them.

"She has the potential."

Silence again. The kind that feels like a decision forming before it’s spoken. Sungdeuk switches the screen, trying to move on. Another trainee appears. She was bright, expressive, immediately noticeable.

"She’s the other option." he says. "Born in the U.S but her family is completely korean. She's with us for not more than 1 year."

Missy watches, then leans back, exhaling.

"I'm pretty sure she'll have a lot of chances." she tilted her head. "But that one, the brazilian one, she knows how to build."

"But isn't the public deciding anyway?" Sungdeuk giggled.

"But this is also a chance to make these girls known." Missy pointed out. "We don't have a rapper, and she's magnetic. I'm pretty sure we all want to watch her video again."

Sungdeuk looked at Bang, who nodded. Not dramatical, but just final.

"Call her." Bang said.

The scene was cut again.

A door opening was shown, the same practice room from before.

The girl sat in the center of the floor, dressed in all black, her long wavy hair falling forward as she leaned slightly over her phone. The room was quiet again, only the faint echo of music from the room next door.

"Can we start the interview?" the director asked her.

She finally looked up, placing her phone on her legs. Then, before she could say anything, some letters showed on the screen: