Ha-neul took a deep breath in the waiting room at the broadcasting station.
Soo-jin waved her phone in front of her.
“Hey, Tae-oh just texted again. Aren’t you gonna reply?”
Ha-neul glanced at the screen. Tae-oh had written, ‘Be honest. If it’s not me, I’ll be disappointed.’
“Since when is he so clingy…” Ha-neul muttered.
Soo-jin snickered.
“Wait, don’t tell me you actually like him?”
Ha-neul felt her cheeks heat up.
The door swung open and a staff member popped in.
“Ha-neul, you’re up next! Get ready, please.”
Trying to calm her pounding heart, Ha-neul grabbed her mic.
Inside the studio, lights flashed and the host flashed a bright grin.
“Here’s the big question fans have been dying to know! Ha-neul, which male idol do you MOST want to perform with? Be honest!”
She hesitated. Tae-oh’s text—‘be honest’—replayed in her mind.
‘What if I really say it out loud?’ she wondered.
The host leaned in, teasing.
“Maybe Kang Tae-oh from that recent collab? Or is there someone else?”
Soo-jin and Ji-min were waving like maniacs in the audience.
Ha-neul took another breath and brought the mic close.
“I…”
The studio fell completely silent.
Suddenly, the host called out, “We’ll be right back after these commercials!”
The lights snapped off and the staff scrambled around her.
Ha-neul groaned inwardly. ‘Seriously, a commercial break NOW?’
Her phone buzzed. A new message from Tae-oh: ‘Ha-neul, I really want to know your answer. Tell me. I’m waiting.’
She stared at her phone, her nerves mixing with excitement.
‘Is it possible that what I used to feel onstage… is happening offstage now, too?’
A staff member waved at her. “We’re back in one! Get ready to answer!”
Ha-neul clung to her mic, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest.