Kaelira stood in the middle of Aria's shop with her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels like a child about to ask for candy.
Aria raised an eyebrow, half-focused on trimming a bouquet. "You're fidgeting. Which means either you're nervous... or you're about to do something illegal."
Kaelira pouted. "What if it's both?"
Ariq blinked. "Should I be scared?"
Kaelira dramatically pulled out a ticket from her hoodie and slid it onto the counter like she was handing over a forbidden treasure.
Aria squinted at it. "Is this…?"
"A fanmeeting ticket," Kaelira said, practically bouncing now. "VIP row. But wait—before you say no—you'll be in disguise."
Aria blinked. "You want me to sneak into your fan meeting?"
Kaelira grinned. "Technically, it's not sneaking if you have a ticket… it's just undercover attendance."
⤹ ❀
It was Saturday.
Aria stared at herself in the mirror.
Bucket hat? Check.
Oversized sweater? Check.
Round glasses (non-prescription)? Check.
Mask? Double check.
She looked like every art student in Seoul.
"Too obvious?" she asked Kaelira on video call.
Kaelira practically fell off her couch laughing. "You look like someone who critiques gallery lighting for fun."
"Perfect," Aria smirked.
The venue was packed. Rows of excited fans buzzed with energy, lightsticks already glowing and Kaelira's name echoing through the air. Posters, photo cards, and standees were everywhere.
Aria kept her head down, quietly clutching her phone and the VIP pass Kaelira had "definitely-not-pulled-strings-to-get."
Her seat was near the front—Row B, far right.
When Kaelira appeared on stage, the crowd exploded.
Aria had to bite her lip to stop from smiling too hard.
Kaelira looked different here. Polished. Confident. Like she had the whole room in her hand.
But then—
Their eyes met.
Just for a second.
And Kaelira's smile faltered in the softest, most real way.
Like she forgot the crowd for a moment.
Like Aria was the only one there.
⤹ ❀
The fan games were wild.
From charades to "guess the member's baby photo," everything was light, funny, and borderline chaotic. Kaelira was especially giggly today—constantly whispering with her members, blushing during questions, and getting teased for being "extra bright."
At one point, one of the other members leaned into her mic.
"Kaelira-ssi," she said with a sly grin, "you seem very happy today. Any reason?"
Kaelira fake-coughed. "I just had… really good tea this morning."
Aria nearly snorted into her mask.
Then came the Q&A portion.
Aria watched as fans took turns asking questions—some silly, some heartfelt, some embarrassing.
And then the staff gestured to her section.
Aria panicked slightly, but a girl next to her raised her hand and got picked first.
Her question?
"If you could give a flower to someone special, what would you pick?"
Kaelira blinked.
Aria froze.
Then, slowly, Kaelira smiled.
"Aster," she said into the mic. "It means 'I'll never forget you.'"
Aria's heart did somersaults.
⤹ ❀
After the fanmeeting, Kaelira texted her three emojis:
🧃 ➡️ 🚪
Aria followed the hint through a side hallway (after mildly getting lost and pretending she was "definitely here to refill juice for staff") until she found a quiet door.
It creaked open.
Kaelira was inside, still in her performance outfit, hair tied up loosely now and light makeup smudged from hours of stage time.
"You found me," she whispered.
Aria laughed. "Barely. I got mistaken for a staff member twice."
"Maybe you should work here. Then I could see you every day."
Aria stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "Bold words for someone who almost fell off a stool during charades."
Kaelira groaned. "Don't remind me."
There was a moment of quiet.
Then Kaelira reached out and tugged Aria by the sleeve, pulling her into a hug.
"I saw you in the crowd," she whispered into Aria's hair. "Every time I got nervous, I looked for you."
Aria smiled, arms wrapping tightly around her waist. "I was cheering for you. In my head. Silently."
"Loud enough for me," Kaelira said, grinning.
⤹ ❀
A knock at the door made them spring apart like teenagers caught sneaking candy.
"Kae-ssi?" her manager's voice called. "We're heading out in ten."
Kaelira coughed. "Y-Yeah! Just fixing my shoes!"
Ariq stared at her. "Fixing your what now?"
"Go out the other door," Kaelira whispered quickly. "Emergency exit, left turn, then sneak past the merch table."
"You're insane," Aria muttered.
Kaelira grinned. "You like it."
Aria paused at the door. "...I really do."
And then she was gone.
Karina stood in the dressing room, her smile lingering long after Aria had disappeared.