The afterglow of the joint performance still lingered the next morning. Fans flooded social media with praise. Edits of Kai and Yuna's duet trended across platforms. Hashtags like #KaiYunaChemistry and #StageMagic were everywhere.
Inside the ST4R dorm, the members lounged in pajamas, basking in the success.
"You've gone viral," Jisoo grinned, waving her phone at Yuna.
Yuna blinked. "Again?"
"This time for your 'soulful eye contact with Kai.'"
Tami chimed in, teasing, "When are we getting the 'We're just friends' press statement?"
Yuna rolled her eyes, but her smile faltered just slightly. She hadn't told the others about the moment backstage. The way Kai held her hand like it was a promise.
In ECL!PSE's dorm, things weren't as lighthearted.
Kai's manager sat him down with a laptop open to a growing collection of press clippings. "Your chemistry with Yuna is trending. People are shipping you hard. Fans are obsessed."
Kai leaned back. "That's not new."
"No," the manager said flatly. "But this time it looks real. And that's a problem."
Kai frowned. "Why?"
"Because your image, your contract, your fans—all of it depends on the illusion. You sell dreams, not distractions."
He bit back a retort.
"You need to lie low," the manager added. "No interactions with Yuna outside of scheduled promotions."
Kai left the room without replying.
---
Later that day, Yuna arrived at the studio early. She thought she might see Kai again, maybe replay the comfort of yesterday's moment in a more private corner.
But he wasn't there.
During rehearsal, he was cold. Polite, but distant. Their moves were sharp, flawless—but mechanical.
It was like someone had flipped a switch.
She confronted him during break, away from the cameras.
"Did I do something wrong?" she asked, voice low.
Kai's eyes softened for just a second. Then he shook his head. "No. This is just… how things are."
Her chest tightened. "But yesterday—"
"Yesterday was a moment. That's all."
The words cut deeper than they should have. She knew they weren't true.
But he said them anyway.
She didn't reply. She simply walked away.
---
That evening, Yuna sat alone in her room, scrolling through fan edits of their performance.
Every smiling clip felt like a lie.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: "I didn't mean it."
She stared at the screen.
Yuna: "Then why say it?"
No reply.
Just silence.
She locked her phone and placed it face down.
Somewhere in another room, someone laughed. Someone cheered. But she couldn't hear any of it.
All she could hear were the words he didn't say.
And the one he did.
"Moment."
She had believed it was more.
Maybe that had been her first mistake.