Same Night —
The REBUS dorm was anything but quiet.
Bo Ra stood in the middle of the living room, hands on her hips, surveying the chaos like a general inspecting her troops. Shopping bags littered the floor—designer labels, accessory boxes, neatly folded outfits spilling out like offerings.
"No, no, no—this won't do," she said, lifting a jacket and tossing it aside. "If they're returning tomorrow, everything has to look perfect."
Perfect, of course, meant her version of it.
Giselle sat cross-legged on the couch, tablet balanced on her knee, scrolling through news articles about LUCENT's final tour stop. Her expression didn't change, but one perfectly groomed brow lifted.
"They're not coming here," she said calmly. "They're landing. Going home. Sleeping."
Bo Ra waved her off. "That's not the point. We're under the same company. Appearances matter."
Shantel, seated beside Giselle with a cup of tea in both hands, glanced at the clock. "It's almost midnight," she added gently. "You've reorganized the living room three times."
"And I'll do it again if I have to," Bo Ra snapped, already kneeling to rearrange cushions. "Romeo is returning."
Na Yoon leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, unimpressed eyes sharp. "He's returning from a world tour," she said flatly. "Not from war."
Bo Ra shot her a glare. "You wouldn't understand."
Giselle's lips twitched. "Oh, we understand," she said. "That's the problem."
Bo Ra ignored them all, pulling out her phone and scrolling through photos—angles, lighting, poses. Which outfit said effortless? Which said unbothered but unforgettable?
She didn't notice the eye rolls. She never did.
Across the room, Hannah sat on the rug, carefully lining up pink plush toys into a neat semicircle. Her movements were deliberate, joyful, humming softly under her breath.
"They're back," she said, smiling to herself. "Jaylen must be tired."
Shantel's gaze softened as she looked at her. "You're excited too?"
Hannah nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! I made new piano arrangements for hymns. Maybe he'd like to hear them."
Na Yoon stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Giselle glanced over, studying Hannah with a thoughtful expression—not unkind, but alert.
Jaylen did not like hymns.
Or attention.
Or—most importantly—being followed by unfiltered enthusiasm.
Hannah, blissfully unaware, hugged one of the plush toys to her chest. "I hope he eats well. Touring must be exhausting."
Bo Ra snorted. "Please. If anyone needs care, it's Romeo."
Na Yoon muttered, "Here we go."
Bo Ra stood up abruptly. "Tomorrow, we should 'accidentally' run into them at the company."
"That's not an accident," Giselle said dryly.
"It is if I plan it well."
Shantel sighed. "You're exhausting."
"And iconic," Bo Ra countered.
The room fell into a brief silence, punctuated by the hum of the refrigerator and the city breathing outside their windows.
Five girls. Five minds. One company roof.
Excitement pulsed through the dorm like static—uneven, charged, waiting for something to spark.
Somewhere in the sky, a jet cut through clouds.
Somewhere else, a boy slept with a hand held tightly in his.
And in this dorm, enthusiasm—pure, calculated, and oblivious—prepared to collide with reality.