The night of the joint performance arrived with all the thunder and brilliance of a K-pop spectacle. The venue was sold out, every seat occupied by blinking lightsticks, waving banners, and fans chanting in anticipation. The energy was electric, a storm waiting to erupt.
Backstage, the ST4R and ECL!PSE teams buzzed with controlled chaos. Makeup artists made last-minute touch-ups. Stylists secured stray threads. Managers barked out countdowns through headsets.
Yuna stood in front of the mirror in their dressing room, adjusting her in-ear monitor. Her heart pounded so loudly she could hear it over the muffled roar of the crowd outside.
Rina appeared behind her and smiled in the reflection. "Nervous?"
Yuna took a shaky breath. "Terrified."
"You're not alone." Rina squeezed her shoulder. "But you were born for this."
Across the hallway, Kai was adjusting the sleeves of his jacket. Jay nudged him with an elbow.
"You've been in a daze all afternoon," Jay whispered. "Thinking about her?"
Kai didn't answer. He didn't have to.
The production team gave the signal. Ten minutes to showtime.
The groups huddled together. The final pep talk was short, but spirited. They broke with a chant that echoed through the halls.
ST4R filed out to take their positions, followed by ECL!PSE. The first track was a massive group number with all twelve members on stage. Lights dimmed. The intro melody surged.
Yuna closed her eyes for a moment.
Then she stepped into the spotlight.
---
The performance was flawless. Every move was timed, every transition clean. The crowd's cheers rose with every beat drop. During the duet section, Kai and Yuna took center stage together.
This time, when their hands reached toward each other, there was no hesitation.
There was heat. Chemistry. Something unspoken crackling between them, visible even to the farthest row in the arena.
The music soared, and they moved as if tethered by the same invisible thread.
As the final note hit, the entire dome erupted. Deafening applause. Screams. The stage lights flared.
They held the final pose—Kai standing just behind Yuna, hand ghosting her shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat. He leaned close, his words lost in the noise, but his eyes said everything.
Then the lights cut. Blackout.
---
Backstage, the energy exploded in cheers and high-fives. The team was ecstatic. Managers rushed to congratulate them. Social media was already exploding with clips of the performance.
Yuna tried to smile through it all, but her thoughts raced. Not about the audience. Or the routine. But about what she felt when she looked into Kai's eyes on that stage.
She slipped away from the crowd and found a quiet hallway.
Kai was already there, leaning against the wall as if waiting for her.
They didn't speak at first.
Then she asked, "Did you mean it? On stage?"
He stepped closer, just enough.
"I always mean it when it's you," he said.
She looked up, heart thudding.
"Do you think we're making a mistake?" she whispered.
He shook his head. "I think we're making history."
Their hands met, fingers locking.
The moment was fleeting. Footsteps echoed nearby. Voices calling them back.
But in that sliver of time, surrounded by fame, fans, and flashing lights—they were just Kai and Yuna.
Not idols. Not scripted partners.
Just two people in the middle of something real.